Flames devoured our old family home. My sister, Marie, was trapped inside, severely burned. For some reason, there was an ambulance shortage. Taxis couldn’t get past the roadblocks into the neighborhood. I couldn’t drive. In a blind panic, I called my wife for help.
She hung up on me, again and again. Finally, she just turned her phone off. I was left screaming, grabbing at neighbors, begging anyone for a ride.
A kind soul finally drove us to the hospital, but it was too late. Marie had missed the golden hour for treatment. She died on a gurney in the emergency room.
I was on my knees outside the morgue, sobbing so hard I could barely breathe, when the news report flashed across the hospital’s hallway monitor.
“Kathy Delaney, CEO of the Delaney Conglomerate, spares no expense for love. After her childhood sweetheart, Adrian, suffers a minor cut, Ms. Delaney diverts every available ambulance in the city to his aid.”
I stared at the screen, my tears turning to ice. In that moment, I made my decision. I was leaving the woman who had killed my sister.
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The day of my mom’s heart transplant, my husband, Chase, redirected the donor heart. He gave it to a stranger sponsored by Lucy, his old flame, causing my mom’s surgery to fail and her to die.
While making the funeral arrangements, I accidentally walked in on Chase and a visibly pregnant Lucy looking incredibly cozy.
Lucy, probably afraid I’d be furious, looked to Chase. He was the one who said, “It’s not like her mom was going to die immediately without a new heart.”
Clutching Mom’s urn, I confronted him. But Chase just shot back, annoyed, “It’s just one heart. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?”
Tears streamed down my face. My heart felt like ashes.
This failed marriage… it was time for it to end.
1
Because the donor’s family backed out at the last minute, Mom’s heart transplant failed.
I knelt before the doctor, begging him to talk to the family again, but he told me there was nothing he could do.
And because the surgery failed, Mom had to be resuscitated twice, but it was no use.
As Mom was fading, I knelt by her bedside, sobbing uncontrollably. “It’s my fault, Mom! It’s all my fault!”
She was so thin, just skin and bones, her hospital gown hanging loosely on her.
“Mia, sweetie, Mom doesn’t blame you.”
“But when Mom’s gone, there’ll be no one left in this world to love you. Mom worries about you… You have to remember to love yourself, okay?”
Listening to her hoarse voice, my heart felt like it was being squeezed by a giant hand, aching so much I could barely breathe. “Mom…”
Beeeeep—
Before I could get the word out, the heart monitor let out a piercing, long beep. At the same time, the hand Mom had been struggling to lift to touch mine fell limp.
“Mom!” I screamed, my voice raw with grief, but she never opened her eyes again.
The medical staff gently ushered me out. Ten minutes later, the doctor gravely told me, “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
In a daze, I contacted people, got the death certificate, arranged the cremation, and then, still in a fog, I came back to the hospital with Mom’s urn to take care of the remaining paperwork.
But just as I was about to turn a corner, I heard a familiar voice: “Don’t listen now, we’re in a hospital. We can listen again when we get home.”
I froze, peering around the corner. There was my husband, Chase, bent over a woman who was slightly showing, his ear pressed to her belly.
“Okay, we’ll listen when we get back then.” He gently stroked the woman’s hair.
I knew her. Lucy, the girlfriend of Chase’s deceased best friend.
Lucy cooed, linking her arm through Chase’s. They looked incredibly close. In a soft, delicate voice, she said, “Chase, thank you so much. If you hadn’t redirected that heart today, he wouldn’t have made it. It’s just… Mia won’t have a problem with it, will she?”
“I heard her mom needed a transplant.”
Chase’s expression darkened. “It’s not like her mom was going to die immediately without it. That kid you’re sponsoring, though, he’s the one in a truly pitiful state.”
“Giving him the heart… let’s just say it’s for the good of our baby.”
It felt like a knife had been plunged straight through my heart.
Finally, I couldn’t hold back. Clutching the urn, I walked up to them, fighting to stay calm, but tears streamed down my face. “Chase, did you give Mom’s heart to someone else?”
He looked stunned to see me there, then his brow furrowed. He admitted, “It’s just one heart. Why are you getting so worked up?”
“I found the donor heart. I have the right to decide who gets it.”
Yes, it was true. Chase had been the one to find the donor heart initially.
But that didn’t mean he could just give it away to someone else right when the transplant surgery was supposed to happen!
My hands were shaking. Lucy chimed in softly, “Mia. Chase did it for me. Don’t be upset and ruin your marriage over this. Don’t worry, Chase will definitely find another heart.”
I looked up at her. “What’s the use of finding another heart? Mom’s not coming back! You two killed my mom!”
Chase’s expression shifted. He was about to say something, but Lucy tugged his hand and said cautiously, “Mia has every right to be angry with me. Chase, don’t blame her.”
“But… didn’t you tell me before that Mia’s mom was stable and didn’t urgently need the transplant? Did I… did I really cause a delay for Mia’s mom…?”
Hearing her tearful, on-the-verge-of-crying tone, Chase grew impatient. He patted Lucy, then said to me, “Mia, there’s no need to curse your own mother just to make Lucy feel guilty. You think I haven’t seen your mom’s medical reports?”
“She wouldn’t have been in major trouble if she didn’t get a heart right away.”
A bitter laugh escaped me. I held up the urn for Chase to see. “Then what do you call this?”
“It’s my mom’s ashes! You killed my mom!”
Lucy let go of Chase’s arm and stepped forward to look. But the next second, as if startled by my words, her hand flailed and hit the urn. I lost my grip, and it fell straight to the floor!
Mom’s ashes spilled onto the ground. I screamed and immediately dropped to my knees, frantically trying to scoop the ashes back into the box.
“Mia, I know you’re upset, but you shouldn’t be talking like that about your mother. The surgery was just today. How could someone pass away today and be cremated into ashes so quickly?”
“Besides… it’s kind of bad luck to talk like that.”
Her words made me tremble with rage. The moment she finished speaking, I shot up and slapped her hard across the face, then quickly grabbed her by the throat. “Say that again! Say that again!”
Chase’s face changed instantly. He grabbed my wrist, his grip incredibly strong.
When he saw the red marks on Lucy’s neck, he looked pained and called the cops.
2
Chase wanted to stand up for Lucy, so he called the cops and went with me to the station after they cuffed me.
Before they took me away, I begged a female officer to look after the urn. Chase shot me a scornful look.
He probably thought I was still putting on an act.
While I was giving my statement, through the glass, I could see Chase dabbing ointment on Lucy. So when I told the officer Chase and I were married, even he looked surprised for a moment.
Humiliated, I lowered my gaze, a few tears escaping.
Suddenly, another officer came over and whispered something to the one taking my statement. He then put down his pen and said, “Alright, the lady you hit has decided not to press charges.”
He looked at me sympathetically and uncuffed me.
I mumbled a thank you. Exhausted, I walked out of the interrogation room and ran right into Chase.
One hand in his pocket, he seemed to have been waiting for me. When he saw me, he said curtly, “Lucy was kind enough to forgive you. Don’t go looking for trouble with her again.”
After delivering that message, Chase turned and walked towards Lucy, who was waiting for him.
I stared sadly at his retreating back.
Chase wasn’t always like this. He, the proud scion of the wealthy Miller family, had once knelt before my mom to marry me, swearing he’d be good to me for life and never let me down.
After we got married, he kept his promise. He supported my career, respected my decisions, gave me a shoulder to cry on when I was vulnerable, and enthusiastically celebrated my joys.
And I was a good wife too. I comforted him carefully when he was down, and when his company hit a rough patch, I accompanied him to all those networking dinners with heavy drinking. Back then, for his sake, I downed half a bottle of hard liquor at one of those events, which messed up my stomach for good.
Until a year ago, when Lucy married his best friend. Chase got blackout drunk, and that’s when I found out I was just his second choice.
Because of that, I cried to my mom about it.
Mom was so furious she went to his office and chewed him out. His best friend happened to walk in on it, and they parted on bad terms. That friend went home, had a fight with Lucy, and then died in an accidental car crash.
Chase blamed my mom for all of it. He started openly taking care of Lucy and gradually grew cold towards me.
“Chase, do you hate me that much?” I asked, my voice hoarse. He paused for a moment but walked out without answering.
My heart ached as if pricked by needles.
When I walked out of the police station, dejected and clutching the urn, I realized it had started to rain.
Someone called my name: “Mia.”
Lucy approached with an umbrella. She offered it to me, a soft smile on her face, but her words sent a chill down my spine: “Did your mom say anything to you before she died?”
I snapped my head up and stared at her. She pouted innocently. “Actually, that kid I’m sponsoring didn’t absolutely need the heart either. But who can blame Chase for caring about me so much?”
She placed the umbrella on top of the urn and waved. “Get home safe, don’t get caught in the rain. See you next time.”
I watched her walk away, get picked up by Chase in his car, and then slowly disappear from sight.
Without realizing it, I’d bitten my lip until it bled.
“Mia, where do you live? I’m heading home too. Need a ride?”
I turned to see a female officer who was getting off duty. She handed me a couple of tissues, her eyes filled with kind sympathy.
I wondered how much she’d seen.
“Come on.” She took the umbrella Lucy had left on the urn, tossed it into the nearest trash can, and then opened her own to lead me away.
Before I got out of the car, she added, “Mia, if something’s bothering you, don’t keep it bottled up. You could talk to a therapist.”
“Believe in yourself. Don’t give up.”
How ridiculous. A complete stranger, someone I’d just met, showed me more compassion than Chase ever did.
3
I soaked in the tub for a while, then after contacting family back in Mom’s hometown, I got dressed and lay down on the bed.
Mom’s hometown was down south. Before her surgery, she kept talking about wanting to go back. I planned to bury her there.
Lying in bed, I numbly scrolled through my social media feed and saw a post Chase had made earlier in the day—just one picture: a sapphire butterfly necklace on a fair, slender neck.
It was like a stab to the heart. I immediately locked my phone, covering my eyes as tears streamed down, unstoppable.
I knew that necklace. It used to be mine.
The Millers are jewelry tycoons. Before Chase proposed, he personally designed and crafted that necklace, naming it “Devotion.”
Devotion only to me.
But later, when his company faced a crisis, I pawned it for a huge sum to help bail them out.
When Chase found out, he held my hand and told me firmly, “Mia, I swear I’ll buy it back. It only belongs to you.”
But now, it was around Lucy’s neck.
“What are you crying about?” Chase’s voice startled me. I looked up, surprised, to see he’d come into the bedroom without me noticing.
Seeing my tears, Chase frowned impatiently. “Today was just to teach you a lesson. What’s there to be upset about? Lucy isn’t upset.”
“Your mom’s donor heart will be here next week, so stop crying. Oh, and make a pot of that pork rib soup and bring it to the office tomorrow night.”
I gave a sarcastic little smile. This was the man I’d loved for years.
“Chase, let’s get a divorce.”
I sat up and looked at him, my voice soft.
He froze for a second, then scoffed. “Divorce? Over a little thing like today? Are you serious, Mia? Without me, you wouldn’t be living so comfortably as Mrs. Miller. You want a divorce? Who are you kidding?”
“You and Lucy are having a baby. Is there any point to our marriage anymore?”
“Don’t bring Lucy into this. If it weren’t for your mom, Lucy would have someone else to take care of her! Now she has no one, so what’s wrong with me looking after her a bit more?”
It was only then he noticed the urn on the nightstand. His face darkened, and he strode over and knocked it over before I could even react!
“Mia, don’t push it! Bringing that thing into the house, aren’t you worried about bad luck?!” Chase was furious. “If you’re so keen on cursing your mom to death, then fine, let her die without the heart I found! She owes Lucy a life anyway!”
Chase slammed the door and left, my words caught in my throat.
At the same time, a text from an unknown number popped up on my phone.
[Your mom’s heart is working out great.]
Attached was a picture of a young boy in a hospital gown.
I didn’t even have to guess it was Lucy. I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms.
Buddy came up to me, his wet eyes fixed on mine, and he licked my hand worriedly.
He was a stray I’d found right after Chase and I got married. I’d had him for three years; he was practically family.
Now, he cared more about me than Chase did.
4
The day after that night, I left Buddy with the housekeeper I’d hired and took a flight back to Mom’s hometown with her urn.
By the time all the funeral arrangements were finished, five days had passed.
During that time, Chase called me over a dozen times. I ignored every call, along with his texts and messages.
I found a lawyer at a firm to draft the divorce papers.
After the plane landed, I went home with the divorce agreement in hand.
The housekeeper told me Chase was in the study.
The door wasn’t completely closed, and I could vaguely hear voices talking inside.
“Chase, don’t blame Mia. It’s normal for her to be in a bad mood.”
“Normal? Have I ever wronged her since she married me? It was just a small thing, and she throws a tantrum.”
“Worst case, when we get in touch with Mia, just have her make soup for a few more days. Her temper isn’t great, but she’s a good cook. I’m really craving her pork rib soup…”
“Alright, alright, you little glutton.”
So, all the soup I’d made for Chase before had ended up in Lucy’s stomach.
No wonder Chase had specifically asked me to make soup before I left.
Even though I was already disappointed beyond words, it still hurt. I took a deep breath to calm myself and pushed the door open hard.
Lucy was leaning against Chase’s shoulder on the sofa.
“You’re finally back.” Chase stood up immediately when he saw me, somewhat annoyed. “Where have you been these past few days?”
I didn’t wait for him to say more. I put the divorce papers on the table and told Chase calmly, “I’ve already signed them. I don’t want to make this ugly. You should sign them soon too. Tomorrow, we’ll go to the courthouse.”
I glanced at Lucy, who clearly understood what was happening, a flicker of joy in her eyes. I gave a cold smile. “If I’d known all that soup I made was ending up in some leech’s stomach, I would’ve put something nasty in it.”
“You want to divorce me?” Chase glanced at the papers, a mix of disbelief and anger in his voice. “Mia, are you really serious about this?”
“Let me tell you, if you divorce me, your mom can forget about ever getting that heart transplant!”
Lucy quickly tried to soothe him, then said to me in a reproachful tone, “Mia, everyone knows how much you love Chase. Even if you’re unhappy about something, you should talk it out and resolve it, not just demand a divorce. It’s so damaging to your relationship.”
Chase composed himself a bit, then sneered and picked up his phone. “Zack, tell the hospital there’s no rush on the heart transplant. We’ll observe Mrs. Miller’s mom’s condition for a while longer.”
Yes, everyone knew how much I loved Chase. I was a sheltered kid myself, yet when Chase had an accident, I stayed by his side for half a month straight, barely sleeping, just three or four hours a night to take care of him.
I couldn’t handle alcohol, but at those business dinners, when people were giving Chase a hard time, I downed half a bottle of hard liquor for him, which led to a stomach hemorrhage and landed me in the hospital with chronic stomach problems.
Because I felt guilty towards Chase about what happened with Lucy’s husband, I willingly put up with his sudden change in attitude towards me and the way he doted on Lucy, crossing all lines.
“Woof woof woof—” Buddy had somehow run into the study and lunged at Lucy. Startled, she reflexively kicked out, catching Buddy right in the stomach.
He yelped in pain and collapsed, whimpering by the side.
“Buddy!” I was furious. I rushed forward and slapped Lucy hard across the face, sending her stumbling back onto the sofa.
Tears instantly welled up in Lucy’s eyes. As I grabbed the nearest book and brought it down on her head, Chase shoved me hard. My lower stomach slammed into the corner of the desk, and a searing pain made me crumple to the floor.
Chase paused for a second when he saw my reaction, but Lucy’s cry drew his attention. “Chase, my stomach hurts…”
Cold sweat beaded on my forehead from the pain. The housekeeper rushed up from downstairs to the study door and screamed, “Ma’am, you’re bleeding! Don’t move, I’ll call an ambulance right away!”
Chase didn’t hesitate. He immediately turned, scooped Lucy into his arms, and strode past me. His phone started ringing incessantly. He answered impatiently, “What is it? Spit it out!”
He must have accidentally hit the speakerphone button, because Zack’s voice came through clearly: “Mr. Miller, the hospital said… Mrs. Miller’s mother passed away six days ago.”
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My mother was Her Grace, the Duchess, a woman of legendary beauty in her day, the King’s own sister.
My father was the Duke, a man renowned for both his strategic genius and his prowess on the battlefield. Yet, though I was their legitimate daughter, my two older brothers doted on a mere servant girl, Willow Creston, to the point of obsession. To win her favor, they even allowed her to masquerade in my place.
At the Spring Gala, Willow snatched the crystal scepter—a royal gift from the King meant for the Duke’s true daughter—and announced loudly, “If it weren’t for the kindness of your brothers, Ethan and Liam, letting me bring you along to see the world, when would you ever get to lay eyes on a treasure bestowed by His Majesty?”
“Even though you’re just a lowly maid,” she’d lectured me, “every word and action of yours reflects on the Duke’s household.”
In my previous life, I’d been cowed by my brothers’ threats, too timid to speak.
But I’ve been reborn.
Watching Willow’s insufferable arrogance, I strode forward, snatched the crystal scepter from her hands, and slapped her so hard she sprawled on the floor.
“Who in the hell do you think you are, acting so brazenly before me? You dare to lay your filthy hands on a gift from my own uncle, the King!”
No one expected such audacity from me.
As shock rippled through the guests, I calmly instructed the head housekeeper, Mrs. Gable, to secure the scepter.
Mrs. Gable shot me a hesitant, conflicted look, then, trembling, started to offer the scepter back to the furious Willow. “M-Miss,” she stammered, “perhaps it’s best if you return the scepter to the young lady…”
I settled myself in the seat of honor, a faint smile playing on my lips. “‘Miss’? I am Annelise Thorne, the Duke’s legitimate daughter. In private, I might let ‘Miss’ slide. But out here, in public, what should you be calling me?”
Mrs. Gable trembled, her eyes darting towards Willow, who was scrambling up from the floor, face contorted with rage.
Before she could utter another word, I stepped forward and kicked the old crone, sending her tumbling.
“Since you can’t tell master from servant, perhaps we should just sell you off.”
In my past life, this old bat, emboldened by my brothers’ favor towards Willow, had made my life hell. She hadn’t just skimped on my food and clothing; after helping Willow drive me to my death, she’d stripped me bare and thrown my body into a filthy pigsty.
Hearing my words, Mrs. Gable forgot all about Willow. Clutching the scepter, she scrambled to kneel beside me, begging, “It was this old servant’s transgression! Please, My Lady, have mercy!”
“Annelise, dear, why must you make things so hard for the staff?” Willow’s voice, usually as sweet as a songbird, now trembled as if she were terrified of me. She looked so pitiful, on the verge of tears, a picture of wronged innocence.
Many onlookers, seeing her distress, frowned in my direction.
Elara Vance, daughter of General Vance and a close friend of Willow’s, was incandescent with rage. She stormed up to me, jabbing a finger in my face. “You! You worthless servant girl! How dare you act so insolently in front of Willow, the true daughter of House Thorne! You must have a death wish!”
“Everyone knows how much the Duke and Duchess cherish their only daughter. Looks like someone’s about to meet a nasty end.”
“I heard this servant girl was dragged in from some backwater village. Always scheming to climb the social ladder. Seems the rumors were true; she’s utterly uncouth.”
When I was first brought back to the estate, I was still adjusting. My brothers, seeing my timidity, were ashamed to present me in society. That’s how all sorts of nasty rumors about me started, none of them flattering.
Reborn, I finally understood. I was Annelise Thorne, legitimate daughter of a Duke, niece to the King himself—a lady of the highest nobility, precious and esteemed.
Why should I be overshadowed by Willow, a genuine servant, and those two sycophants my parents had taken in, born from a lesser branch?
The thought sharpened my gaze like a blade as I fixed it on Elara Vance.
“And who, pray tell, are you? The daughter of a mere Brigadier General, daring to meddle in the affairs of my Duke’s household! I doubt even General Vance himself would dare speak to me so rudely!”
Elara clearly hadn’t expected me to talk back so publicly. Her face flushed crimson. She lunged, hand raised to strike, but I deftly dodged and landed a stinging slap across her own cheek.
“You—a servant—you dare hit me? I am a General’s daughter!” she shrieked in disbelief.
The surrounding young ladies gasped. Willow clutched her chest, looking faint with fury.
She snarled at the servants cowering nearby, “This girl has lost her mind! Tie her up and throw her in the woodshed, now!”
I swept my gaze over the few footmen who, ropes in hand, were hesitantly approaching. A dangerous glint entered my eyes. “I am the Duchess’s own daughter. Even if you’re household servants born and bred to House Thorne, you dare lay hands on me?”
Willow’s expression froze. A flicker of panic crossed her face, quickly masked by a forced sneer. “What utter nonsense are you spouting! Everyone in the capital knows you, Annelise Thorne, are just the girl who empties the chamber pots for the Duke’s household!”
The others clearly didn’t believe me.
“Willow’s right. She really has gone mad.”
“The Duchess has spent years in seclusion at Mount Serene, deep in prayer for the well-being of her only daughter, and this shameless creature has the audacity to impersonate her.”
Unperturbed, I instructed my personal maid, Summer, who stood beside me, “Go tell my eldest brother and second brother that this Spring Gala seems to be over.”
Summer looked at me, her expression torn. My brothers doted on Willow; if they knew I’d humiliated her, they wouldn’t let me off easy.
Seeing my nod, she hurried out, her face still etched with worry.
Willow, however, couldn’t have been more pleased. She tilted her chin smugly. “If Ethan and Liam knew what you’ve done today, they’d never forgive you.”
In my past life, the brothers I’d admired since childhood had stood by and watched Willow bully me, watched her steal my identity.
In the end, they’d thrown me into a den of beggars. As filthy hands tormented me, I’d screamed for my brothers to save me. But they’d merely said my cries were frightening their dear sister Willow.
They had my tongue cut out. When I died, there wasn’t an unblemished patch of skin on my body. Now, I’ve clawed my way back from hell. Let’s see who won’t forgive whom.
2
It wasn’t long before Summer rushed back in, her face etched with guilt. Head bowed, she said, her voice tinged with pity, “My Lady, the Young Lord Ethan and Master Liam are having tea. They said your… minor issues… shouldn’t disturb them, and that everything should be handled according to Miss Willow’s wishes.”
Of course. No matter how cruelly I was treated, in their eyes, it was just a “minor issue,” not worth their attention.
Willow let out a snort of laughter. “See? You even made her run around for nothing…”
Before she could finish, someone else stormed into the room.
It was Preston Miles, my fiancé, the legitimate son of the High General’s household.
Summer, thinking he was here to help me, brightened instantly. I just gave a small, wry shake of my head.
When we were children, he’d trailed after me like a puppy, begging me to marry him when we grew up. He’d pestered his father to formally propose and exchange tokens of betrothal. But ever since he’d laid eyes on Willow, he’d become utterly bewitched by her, even helping her humiliate me.
Preston anxiously scanned Willow from head to toe, as if terrified she’d lost a single strand of hair.
Then, he turned to me, his face a mask of disgust. “A wretched servant girl! I can’t believe I was fooled by you, actually thinking you were the high-born lady of House Thorne. Thank goodness the Young Lord Ethan set me straight. If I had actually married you…”
“The Miles family would have become a laughingstock for the entire kingdom!”
My own fiancé was adamantly denying my identity.
This instantly changed the expressions of those who had harbored even a sliver of belief in my true status.
The unfolding drama captivated the onlookers. Curious eyes darted between us, and the smirk on Willow’s face grew more pronounced.
To further champion Willow, Preston’s expression hardened. He ripped the engagement locket from his neck. “Here’s your token back! Someone as lowborn as you should find a stablehand or a night watchman to marry!”
Seeing Preston’s resolute determination, I remembered how, in my past life, after my death, the King had been furious. Preston had knelt before my uncle, the King, weeping uncontrollably, swearing he had always loved me, that he’d only been deceived by villains into his foolish actions.
It was so laughable, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Preston’s face darkened. “What are you laughing at?”
“I’m laughing at how blind you are, mistaking a fish eye for a pearl. Breaking off our engagement for a real servant girl. I wonder what your father, the old General, will say when he finds out.”
A collective gasp went through the crowd at my words.
“Willow Creston is the actual servant?”
“But why would the Young Lord Ethan claim she’s his sister?”
Murmurs erupted, all eyes fixated on Willow and me.
I stood there, unadorned by makeup, yet my natural elegance and noble bearing were undeniable.
She, in contrast, though dressed in finery, couldn’t hide the cunning in her eyes, the inherent vulgarity, the air of a clumsy imposter.
Willow’s face turned pale. She bit her lip and hastily retorted, “If you’re really the high-born lady, why does no one here recognize you? You can’t just make up lies because you’re jealous that Preston cares for me!”
Preston scoffed. “Willow has been too kind to expose your true identity, and now you have the gall to turn things around and accuse her!”
Their words quickly swayed the onlookers. Elara Vance, who had just been humiliated, suddenly found her courage again.
“She’s just a servant! Even if we beat you to death today, no one would stand up for you! I’ll teach you a lesson on Willow’s behalf!”
Several other young ladies, not wanting to be left out, ordered their maids to restrain me. One of them kicked me to my knees.
“Let’s teach her how to apologize properly,” one sneered, then forcefully shoved my head down, again and again, until blood stained the ground.
Preston pulled Willow behind him. “It’s too vile. Don’t let it dirty your eyes.”
Willow smirked triumphantly. “I told you not to cross me, but you wouldn’t listen. Who do you think you are to have a say in this household?”
I tilted my head back defiantly, glaring at her. “My mother will be back soon! And when she is, none of you will get away with this!”
My Coming-of-Age Ball was just after the Spring Gala. My mother was returning to preside over it, and my uncle, the King, was to officially grant me the title of Countess on that day.
That was why all these people were scrambling to curry favor with House Thorne.
In my previous life, however, I never made it to my Coming-of-Age Ball. Willow framed me, and I died without ever seeing my mother again.
Willow leaned down, her voice a derisive whisper in my ear, “You’re so naive. The Miles family commands vast armies. Once I marry into their family, who would dare touch me?”
The memory of how my constant yielding in my past life had only led to a horrific death fueled my resolve. This time, I wouldn’t let her escape.
3
I struggled fiercely, trying to pull out a hairpin to defend myself, but before I could, a furious voice boomed, “Preposterous!”
My two brothers, Ethan and Liam, strode into the room, and my attackers hastily released me.
A flicker of panic crossed Willow’s face, but she quickly composed herself and, smiling, took Liam’s arm. My second brother looked at her with doting affection.
Ethan, my eldest brother and the Heir, shot her a concerned glance before turning his disgusted gaze upon my disheveled form.
He rebuked me publicly, “A vulgar, worthless wench! Daring to disrespect your betters! Can’t you learn to behave with some of Willow’s grace and poise? Then maybe you could find a decent man to marry you off to.”
In my past life, my brothers had said such things countless times. Desperate for their approval, I had tried to emulate Willow, only for them to mock me as a clumsy copycat.
I finally understood: those who don’t care about you will never see your efforts, no matter how hard you try.
At this thought, a cold smile touched my lips. “Learn from Willow? You mean her fake sentimentality? Or perhaps her talent for being an imposter?”
Fearing they’d be implicated, the gaggle of noble girls all started chattering at once, heaping all the blame on me.
“She even dares to contradict the Young Lord Ethan! No wonder she bullies poor Willow.”
“Yes, just now she was not only rude to Willow but also tried to steal the royal gift! If we hadn’t protected Willow, who knows what outrageous thing she might have done.”
Preston Miles stepped forward, his voice filled with righteous indignation. “This country bumpkin isn’t fit to touch a single hair on Willow’s head! Today, in front of the Young Lord Ethan, I formally break off our engagement!”
My second brother, Liam, looked deeply apologetic. “It’s all our fault. We failed to discipline this troublemaker. It’s a disgrace to both our families.”
It seemed the alliance between House Thorne and the Miles family was shattered, all because of me.
Ethan frowned. “House Thorne has no daughter who would bring such disgrace upon us. Willow Creston is my only sister.”
Willow’s eyes widened in delighted surprise, then she lowered her head, sighing theatrically. “It was my mismanagement… allowing a mere servant to dream of taking another’s place. It’s my fault…”
Her words tugged at the heartstrings of the three men. Preston immediately produced the marriage contract and dramatically tore it to shreds.
He then took the engagement locket he’d snatched from me and reverently fastened it around Willow’s waist.
He announced loudly, “Esteemed guests, today it has become abundantly clear who the true young lady of House Thorne is. I, Preston Miles, now formally ask for the hand of Miss Willow Creston in marriage!”
Amidst a chorus of cheers and blessings, Willow shot me a triumphant, smug glance.
I ignored her provocation. If she wanted such a fickle man, she was welcome to him.
Seeing no trace of remorse in me, my second brother, Liam, turned to Ethan with a cruel suggestion. “Brother, today Annelise publicly disrespected her superiors and humiliated Willow. However, out of a sense of compassion, perhaps we should just marry her off to a stablehand and banish her to one of the rural estates.”
Ethan seemed to hesitate. “If you publicly admit your mistake today and then spend the night kneeling in the family chapel, we’ll let this go.”
The smile froze on Willow’s face. She said with feigned grievance, “It’s alright, brothers. You don’t need to be angry on my account. I don’t care about such empty titles.”
Then, turning to me, she added, “But sister, no matter how willful you are, you shouldn’t disgrace the family name.”
At her words, Ethan’s impatience became visible.
“You still refuse to admit you’re wrong?” he demanded of me.
Hah. These were the brothers I had admired since childhood.
They hadn’t always enjoyed their current status and wealth. It was because I, as a child, loved to follow them around that my mother had formally adopted these sons from a lesser branch of the family under her name, even securing the title of Heir for Ethan early on.
I stiffened my neck, wanting to slap myself for being so foolish, for wasting my genuine affection on such vipers.
Ethan’s face was grim. He turned and ordered the servants, “Do as the Second Young Master said. Go to the stables, pick out a groom for her to marry, then throw her out onto a country estate. If she doesn’t admit her fault, she’s never to return.”
I met Ethan’s gaze, my voice cold. “What right do you have to banish me? Even the head of the Thorne clan wouldn’t dare to strike my name from the family records!”
Liam snorted. “Father and Mother aren’t here. As the Heir, Ethan naturally has the authority to manage household affairs.”
Ethan announced solemnly, “The Duke has only ever had one daughter, Willow. Annelise Thorne has nothing to do with us.”
Willow, beaming with triumph, instructed a servant, “This is all so sudden. Later, the family carriages will be needed to send our honored guests home. Just call for a common cart from outside the estate to send her away.”
Just as they were about to drag me off—
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After my parents passed away, the man who called himself my uncle took me in.
Even though we weren’t blood relatives, he held me in his palm, cherishing me like a precious gem.
On my twentieth birthday, I leaned in, feigning drunkenness, and brushed a kiss against his lips.
He pushed me away fiercely, telling me to get out of his house:
“Until you clean those dirty thoughts out of your head, don’t ever come back!”
The very next day, news of Uncle Liam’s engagement broke.
“Nancy, I’ve found a heart donor. We’ll get married as soon as the surgery is over.”
To prevent me from causing trouble, he warned me repeatedly not to show up at the wedding, which was a week away.
I smiled. In three days, I wouldn’t exist anymore. How could I possibly appear and ruin his happiness?
But when Uncle Liam finally learned the truth, he single-handedly destroyed his own wedding.
1.
“Mmm, Liam, you’re amazing!”
Listening to the intimate sounds from next door, my entire body trembled.
Ever since that night I confessed my feelings to Liam Thorne, he’d brought Sophia Price into the house.
“She’s my girlfriend, and the future lady of this house. You should call her Aunt Sophia.”
Sophia generously gave me a bracelet.
“Liam has told me all about you. You’re his niece, Nancy, right?”
The word ‘niece’ stung my heart.
The truth was, Liam and I had no blood relation whatsoever. He was just my father’s closest friend, who I’d always called ‘Uncle’.
After my parents died one after another, he saw how young and helpless I was, and he took me in.
On the day I confessed to him, he’d warned me the same way: “Nancy Davies, I’m your uncle!”
His hand went up, but just as it was about to land on my face, it stopped.
Instead, he dragged me into the bathroom, where ice-cold water streamed over my head, soaking me.
“Wash all those dirty thoughts out of your mind, or don’t ever set foot in this house again!”
When the sounds from next door finally ceased, I got up to the living room to pour a glass of water and take my medicine.
My illness had reached the point where, if I didn’t take my pills, I’d be in pain all night long.
If it continued like this, I was afraid I’d be gone even before my time was up.
“Nancy, are you still awake?”
Sophia leaned against the doorway, her chest fully exposed, covered in messy red and purple marks.
It was obvious how much fun they’d just had.
My chest tightened. I hummed in acknowledgment, lowering my gaze, about to walk past her to my room, when she suddenly moved closer.
Immediately, the air was filled with a sickeningly sweet scent.
“How desperate are you? A niece falling for her own uncle? Have you considered seeing a therapist?”
“You…”
Had Liam actually told her about that?
My heart, which I thought could no longer ache, now twisted in pain, making it hard to breathe.
“Liam only took you in out of pity. I never thought you’d harbor such dirty thoughts. Your parents are gone, Nancy. Honestly, how do you even show your face?”
“You—”
Before I could even speak, Sophia covered her face and began to sob.
“Nancy, no matter what, you’re Liam’s niece! How could you say such things about him?”
My heart sank. Sure enough, Liam walked up behind me.
He roughly bumped into me, pulling Sophia into his arms.
“I…”
“Nancy Davies, you don’t need to live here anymore. Get out of my and Sophia’s home!”
I hadn’t even had a chance to explain, yet Liam had already condemned me.
He used to hold my hand, whispering softly in my ear: “From now on, this is your home.”
Now, he was telling me not to live here anymore, to get out of his and someone else’s home.
Tears silently streamed down my face. Sophia shot me a triumphant look.
It wasn’t until I reached my room’s doorway that Liam finally stopped.
But he didn’t even turn around, only his cold voice drifted to me.
“You don’t need to come to my and Sophia’s wedding next week. You don’t deserve to!”
As the sound of the door locking echoed, the cramping in my stomach grew more intense.
The wedding next week?
Don’t worry, I won’t make it.
By then, I’ll likely already be on the operating table.
“Then… I wish you happiness.”
Even if I might never witness your happiness.
2.
As I packed my belongings, Sophia pretended to stop me, while also shoving my things haphazardly into the suitcase.
“Hurry up and get out! Liam is not someone you can ever dream of!”
The man who once held me close, telling me to always tell him if anyone ever bullied me.
Now sat on the couch, sipping tea, not even bothering to spare me a glance.
“This is nice.”
Sophia took a carved wooden charm from my hand, examining it. She chuckled softly, “This is mine now.”
“No!”
I snatched it back. “This was the first gift Uncle Liam ever gave me. I can’t give it to you!”
The charm was small, with my name and Liam Thorne’s name carved on its back.
When I first arrived here, I was full of resistance and fear towards Liam. One night, I snuck out.
I was lost for two whole days, and Liam searched for me for two days straight.
When I saw him, my eyes were wide with fear.
I was afraid he would hit me, or yell at me.
But he just held me tightly in his arms, hot tears soaking my face.
“Nancy, you really scared me to death. If anything happened to you, what would I do?”
He meticulously checked me over, worried I might have a scratch or bruise.
But in reality, he was the one covered in scrapes and bruises.
I only found out later that he’d been so worried I might fall down the nearby ravine, so afraid that the rescue team would be too late, that he’d actually free-climbed down himself.
This charm was something he carved for me with his own hands back then.
“This way, our Nancy won’t get lost.”
“Smack!”
The tighter I held onto it, the more Sophia wanted to fight me for it.
The charm was tossed out the window.
Just as I was about to rush out to pick it up, Liam grabbed my wrist.
“Nancy Davies, what games are you still playing in my house?”
“The charm… the charm you gave me…”
He glanced at Sophia, and a flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes, but his tone remained cold as usual.
“Stop playing your little games. I told you to get out, didn’t you hear me?!”
I moved into a nearby apartment.
Curled up on the bed, even though I was covered in a thick down comforter, I still felt cold, and my heart cramped with pain.
Liam suddenly stood before me, extending his hand.
“Liam, Liam…”
I clutched his hand tightly. He smiled and pulled me into his embrace.
Just like before, he dotingly ruffled my hair, making me cotton candy with his own hands.
“Nancy, will you promise to always stay by my side?”
“Yes!”
My phone’s ringtone woke me from my dream.
“The surgery is scheduled for three days from now. Although the success rate is less than ten percent, if you’re ready…”
Three days from now?
Right. Next week was Liam Thorne and Sophia Price’s wedding. He must be eagerly anticipating it by now.
Suppressing the bitter ache in my heart, I softly hummed:
“I’m ready anytime.”
One more week until Liam’s wedding.
And three days from now, I would be gone for good.
3.
“Nancy Davies, how much longer are you going to keep this charade up!”
When Liam Thorne’s call came, a ripple of excitement went through me. He…
But as soon as I answered, his accusing voice came through the phone.
“Just for your disgusting little scheme, you’re willing to make Sophia suffer like this?!”
“Liam, I…”
“Call me Uncle!”
Liam’s words instantly snapped me back to reality.
Yes, Liam Thorne was just my uncle, and would only ever be my uncle.
Just like the first time I saw him.
He held my hand, gently ruffled my hair, and softly coaxed me: “Nancy, will you call me Uncle?”
I clutched my chest, and just like before, I obediently replied: “Yes, Uncle.”
Liam seemed to hesitate for a moment on the other end, then Sophia’s soft sobs could be heard through the phone, and his angry voice resonated in my ear once more.
“Go online right now and delete all that garbage you posted. Otherwise, don’t blame me for disregarding all these years of friendship!”
“What online stuff?”
I was a bit taken aback.
“Nancy Davies, there’s no possibility between us. No matter how many tricks or schemes you play behind my back, I will never be with you.”
Liam paused, his voice cold, but I still detected a slight tremble.
He enunciated each word: “Nancy Davies, you’re just a pathetic orphan I adopted. I’ve never liked you, and you don’t need to hope for things you shouldn’t hope for!”
Looking at the disconnected call in my hand, I gave a self-deprecating laugh.
I had long stopped hoping for things I shouldn’t.
Now, all I wanted was to repay Liam Thorne for his kindness in raising me.
If not for him, I might not even exist in this world.
I opened social media and discovered that Sophia Price had been trending.
“Husband-snatcher, playing victim for fame!”
“Third-party home wrecker, poor wife beaten black and blue!”
It was accompanied by several pictures.
Each photo was perfectly angled; Liam Thorne and Sophia Price were either too blurry to recognize or not in the shot at all, yet I was captured exceptionally clearly, my face only haphazardly blurred.
The poster claimed to be seeking justice for me, saying I was Liam Thorne’s legitimate partner, threatened and bullied by Sophia Price.
The comment section was filled with pity and sympathy for me, condemning Sophia Price and calling her heartless.
I finally understood. Liam Thorne thought all of this was something I had put online.
He hadn’t even asked me a single question, immediately assuming I was behind it all.
But he used to trust me more than anyone, didn’t he?
When I was little and got a cavity from sneaking chocolate chip cookies.
Liam Thorne asked me: “Who ate the cookies from the table?”
I shook my head, denying: “Definitely not me.”
He smiled, wiping away the cookie crumbs from the corner of my mouth: “Alright, if our Nancy says it wasn’t her, then it wasn’t. Whatever you say, I’ll always believe every word.”
Now, that ‘always’ had vanished in an instant.
Soon, a clarification video was posted online.
Liam Thorne’s face filled my screen. He embraced Sophia Price, speaking softly:
“Sophia is my fiancée, not some homewrecker.”
The comment section erupted in an uproar.
“As for Nancy Davies…”
My heart stopped. A flicker of hesitation and struggle crossed his eyes before he cleared his throat and continued:
“She’s just my adopted little niece, nothing more. There’s no other relationship between us!”
“This Nancy Davies is disgusting, trying to scheme against her own uncle! So shameless!”
The online narrative completely shifted to me, with everyone condemning me as shameless.
For Sophia, Liam Thorne chose to sacrifice me.
I laughed self-deprecatingly.
It turned out that when someone was so heartbroken they reached despair, they wouldn’t cry.
But it was fine. Tomorrow, all of this would be over.
I gently covered my heart.
If it helped, I’d give it all to him, everything. Then, we would be completely even.
4.
Liam Thorne came looking for me.
“Nancy Davies, come back home.”
“No, thanks.”
I would be leaving soon; why cause them more trouble now?
My refusal seemed to startle Liam. A flicker of pain actually crossed his face, but it was fleeting, and his composure quickly returned.
“I’m having heart transplant surgery tomorrow. Sophia will need you to look after her more. If anything happens to me…”
“Uncle Liam, don’t worry, nothing will happen to you.”
I smiled. “As for Aunt Sophia, you’d better take good care of her yourself. I don’t have that ability.”
“Nancy Davies, at a time like this, are you still going to throw a tantrum?!”
He came forward and grabbed my wrist. “Come back with me!”
“I don’t want to!”
Faced with my rare resistance, Liam Thorne tightened his grip.
After finally struggling free from his hand, a sharp cramp suddenly seized my stomach.
Was it going to flare up again?
No, not now, at least not now.
I bit my lip hard, forcing myself to endure the pain, and turned to walk back. Liam Thorne impatiently grabbed my shoulder, forcing me to meet his gaze.
“Nancy Davies, don’t you dare…”
I couldn’t hold it in any longer. A mouthful of blood splattered directly onto Liam Thorne’s face.
“Nancy—”
When I woke up, I was lying in bed, greeted by Liam Thorne’s face, furious to the extreme.
“Nancy Davies, are you not going to keep up the act?”
I looked at him, bewildered. “What act?”
A stack of medical reports was flung onto the bed.
My heart sank.
If Liam Thorne discovered my illness, then all my preparations would have been in vain!
“Nancy Davies, to make me pity you, you even went so far as to create these fake reports and deliberately fainted in front of me. Do any of these things you’ve done honor your parents in the afterlife?!”
Liam Thorne actually believed these were all faked by me?!
“Liam, don’t be angry. Nancy is still young, she didn’t mean it.”
Sophia Price was kind-hearted, trying to persuade Liam Thorne, but I caught a flicker of triumph and calculation in her eyes.
Right, she was a doctor.
If she said these were all fake, if she said there was nothing wrong with my body!
Faced with Sophia’s repeated provocations, I finally couldn’t take it anymore.
I sprang up from the bed and pushed Sophia away.
“Have you acted enough! Slandering me…”
“Smack!”
Liam Thorne slapped me across the face.
“Nancy Davies, I never thought I’d spoil you this badly!”
I covered my face, reeling for a long time.
“It’s bad enough that you do these insidious and vicious things, but you even try to pin it all on Sophia. You’ve truly disappointed me!”
“I…”
I still wanted to explain, but Liam Thorne didn’t look at me again.
He said: “I wish I had never adopted you!”
Watching Liam Thorne walk away with Sophia Price, his words echoed constantly in my ears.
“I wish I had never adopted you…”
A single tear slid from the corner of my eye, disappearing on the floor.
My phone rang at that moment.
“Ms. Davies, the heart transplant surgery is all prepared.”
5.
My eyes were half-closed, and an urgent voice rang in my ears.
“Heart rate dropping, 60—40—”
“Implement backup plan immediately!”
“Rapid resuscitation—”
Everything around me slowly blurred. Liam Thorne seemed to be standing before me.
He extended his hand to me: “Nancy, from now on, I am your uncle…”
“Uncle…”
This time, I’ve repaid everything I owe you, haven’t I?
We’re even now.
I floated in the air, looking at Liam Thorne lying in the hospital bed.
“Nancy!”
He suddenly sat up in bed, clutching his chest.
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After my breakup, my best friend suggested I join a cycling club.
But I never imagined this cycling wasn’t that kind of cycling.
I actually saw my best friend in a highly intimate act on her bike…
I didn’t run, instead, I felt a strange eagerness.
Because… I had been longing for this moment for a very long time.
…
Ever since Jake told me he wanted to break up, I’d been utterly miserable.
It wasn’t that I loved him that much, but the time we spent together was simply too exhilarating.
He was the ultimate man; whether it was about stamina or sheer physical prowess, he was the most incredible boyfriend I’d ever had.
The first time we went on a date, I felt an unprecedented kind of worldly pleasure, and I was shocked to discover a secret about my own body.
It turned out I had discovered an almost insatiable sensuality. Once I experienced the best, I only wanted more.
It was just that before Jake, it had never been awakened, not until I met someone as exceptional as him.
After that, it became an uncontrollable obsession, and he couldn’t handle my constant desire, eventually choosing to leave me.
After breaking up with Jake, I did try to find new boyfriends, but no one ever gave me such wonderful experiences again.
Given my prolonged state of loss, my best friend, Maya, suggested I do something else to distract myself.
“Why don’t you come cycling with me? Maybe after some exercise, you can finally move on from him.”
When she said this, an inexplicable glint sparkled in her eyes, and the smile on her lips was odd.
But at the time, I didn’t notice, only thinking she simply wanted me to work out and get over my heartbreak.
Realizing that moping around wasn’t helping, I agreed to her suggestion and quickly joined a local cycling group through a link she shared.
There weren’t many people in the group, only about ten or so members in total, almost all men, with just Maya and me as the only girls.
As soon as I joined, some busybodies started clamoring for the newcomer to post a photo.
I didn’t like exposing personal photos in unfamiliar groups, so I didn’t plan on responding.
But Maya, without even asking me, directly posted my photo.
“This is my best friend, Chloe, isn’t she gorgeous? She’s a straight-A student, and she used to be the college queen at our school!”
“Wow! An incredibly stunning beauty! My eyes have been opened!”
“Maya, why didn’t you introduce your best friend to the group sooner? If I’d known we could meet such a beautiful woman, I wouldn’t have bothered looking for a girlfriend.”
“Maya’s so generous! She thinks of us single guys first when she has a hot best friend…”
Someone directly tagged me, “Hey beautiful, free this weekend? Come cycling with us.”
The group chat was buzzing. In the time it took me to go to the bathroom, I quickly had 99+ messages.
Seeing so many people tagging me, I scrolled up, confused.
When I saw the photo Maya had posted, I almost fainted.
That girl! Of all photos to post, she chose a swimsuit picture she and I took together for a professional shoot.
In the photo, I was wearing only a skimpy bikini, sprawled alluringly by the pool, looking up at the camera.
My wet hair clung to the large expanse of bare skin, creating a sensual wet look that was incredibly sexy.
I quickly messaged her, telling her to delete it, but Maya seemed to ignore my messages, chatting animatedly with the men in the group.
After a while, she finally sent me a mischievous smiley face.
“Why so modest? There are so many guys here, all of them regulars at the gym, surely not one of them is stronger than Jake?”
“Sis, I’m doing this for your own good, I want you to find your second spring soon. Don’t worry, I’ve already vetted them for you, you’ll definitely be satisfied.”
Seeing that the delete window had passed, there was no way to make her unsend it, so I gave up on the idea.
But the thought of my private photos being seen by so many strangers made a part of me tingle with a strange excitement.
Coupled with what Maya had said, I unexpectedly found myself agreeing to their weekend cycling invitation in the group chat.
2
Soon, Maya helped me buy a complete set of cycling gear for our weekend relaxation trip.
I don’t know if she misread something when she ordered, but the cycling outfit I received was a flirty sports skirt set.
However, when I saw Maya’s cycling outfit, I was truly surprised. She had specifically taken a photo to show me.
It looked fully geared up, but in reality, it was a risqué piece of lingerie!
I was a bit stunned and sent her three question marks.
Maya replied mysteriously, “You don’t understand, this is the real joy of cycling.”
“Think about it, how many loose gravel pieces there are on the road, the bumpy mountain trails combined with going commando… it can send you to heaven.”
“This is a custom-made outfit just for me. Yours is a bit more conservative than mine, but it’s still great. I was worried you couldn’t handle my level.”
I couldn’t help but feel a shiver of apprehension at her astonishing idea.
But her description was so vivid, I couldn’t help but feel a growing warmth, and I started to anticipate tomorrow’s trip.
The next morning, Maya knocked on my door.
She had driven there, and our bicycles were folded in her trunk.
“We have a specific cycling spot, it’s a bit far. You should get some sleep first, I’ll wake you when we get there.”
Thinking about what she had said last night, I hadn’t slept much, so I was indeed a bit sleepy. I decided to listen to her and catch up on some rest.
I don’t know how long I slept, but Maya woke me up.
I groggily glanced out the car window and was startled to realize we had arrived at a very remote place.
“We’re here. This whole mountain has been leased by the club founder. The downside is it’s a bit far, but the upside is there’s no one around, so we can do whatever we want.”
Maya excitedly patted my shoulder.
“The mountain road here is quite narrow, cars can’t go up. We’ll have to cycle up ourselves.”
Saying that, she got out of the car and took our two bikes out of the trunk.
Before we started riding, she cast a mischievous glance at my short skirt.
“The mountain wind is strong, and the path isn’t very smooth. Just enjoy this unusual sensation.”
With Maya’s giggle, I began my first cycling journey.
Soon, I understood the wonderful sensation she was talking about.
Maya was right, the bumpy mountain road added a lot of difficulty to our ride.
But precisely because of this, our two specially customized cycling outfits came into play.
With the vibrations of the mountain road, the already thin fabric of our underwear completely adhered to the bike seats, and occasionally, there would be little bumps.
I was pedaling hard, while also having to endure waves of pleasure emanating from my lower body.
For a moment, I didn’t know whether to describe it as pleasure or pain.
Maya seemed used to this kind of cycling. Although it was clear her face was flushed, she was thoroughly enjoying herself.
I even saw a large damp spot on her bike seat, and I didn’t need to guess what it was.
I never imagined that Maya, who usually seemed so quiet and demure, could be so adventurous.
If I hadn’t discussed so many intimate topics with her after my breakup, I doubt she would have ever told me.
Soon, we arrived at what she called the club’s meeting point.
It was a large flat area with two big tents set up, and surprisingly, there was even a small natural hot spring built nearby.
Hearing us, four men immediately came out to greet us.
Maya introduced them to me one by one, especially the club founder.
She called him Ace. “Ace, this is my friend Chloe. It’s her first time participating in our activities, so you have to take good care of her, okay?”
Maya bit her lip and winked at Ace, her eyes conveying some unspoken message.
I could only shyly stand to the side and greet them.
The men’s gazes lingered on both Maya and me, and soon someone noticed the clever design of Maya’s outfit.
“Maya, what you’re wearing today is even better than last time…”
As he spoke, two men standing beside her each put an arm around her waist, one on either side.
I even saw one of the men give her a quick squeeze on the butt!
3
Sandwiched between two men, Maya didn’t resist at all; instead, she seemed to revel in it.
She playfully thumped one of the men’s chests.
“Chloe’s still here, we can play later, the three of us.”
I watched, wide-eyed, as she flirted with the two men, a strange thought blooming in my mind.
Her “play”… surely she didn’t mean that kind of play, did she?
But I didn’t have time to dwell on it. Ace, as Maya called him, had already approached and was trying to put his arm around my waist.
He was wearing a tight black athletic outfit, his abdominal muscles faintly visible, making him look very strong.
But the sticky gaze he gave me made me incredibly uncomfortable.
Especially his gaze; it was intensely aggressive, openly roaming my chest, making my heart flutter nervously.
I shifted away, using the excuse that I was tired from the ride and wanted to rest in the tent.
Maya gave me a knowing smile. “Well, you’ll need to pick a tent, there are only three tents here, and we all draw numbers and squeeze in.”
What? So if I didn’t draw the same number as Maya, wouldn’t I have to share a tent with a stranger?
A single man and woman sleeping next to each other in a tent… what would happen was self-evident.
My face instantly turned as red as an apple, and I started to stutter.
“That… that’s not… that’s not good, I…”
Maya suddenly burst out laughing. “Just kidding, you’re sleeping with me tonight.”
Hearing that, I finally relaxed.
It wasn’t that I was a conservative woman, but it was our first time meeting, and I instinctively wanted to maintain some decorum.
Driving to the campsite had taken up a lot of time. These people, knowing the ropes, quickly organized a picnic, then began discussing the afternoon’s entertainment.
Maya suggested a competition.
They’d mark off a section of the mountain path, and then the four men would each give a woman a ride on their bikes, to see who could reach the finish line first.
Saying this, she looked at me, a cunning smile on her face.
“The top two finishers, tonight, will be accompanied by two ladies for a hot spring soak.”
“And it’s a completely in-the-nude kind of soak, you know…”
I was startled by her bold suggestion, my heart pounding.
I wanted to refuse, but I couldn’t resist being outvoted by so many people, so in the end, I could only silently agree.
A little voice inside me mocked: You clearly want to, but you still have to put on this act.
The first man to give me a ride was a chubby guy. The section of the mountain path they chose was a bit winding and steep.
He quickly gave up, waving his hand and saying he needed to rest.
There was no choice. Ace, who was originally supposed to give Maya a ride, swapped places with me.
He looked much stronger than the others, and he seemed to have the best chance of winning.
As the second round began, Ace immediately scooped me up and placed me in front of him, then sprinted ahead.
I was forced to sit on the specially designed crossbar of his bicycle, feeling his rock-hard chest pressed against my back.
He was truly muscular. I silently counted his abs in my mind—he had eight.
Whether intentionally or not, he always seemed to run the tires over rocks he could easily have avoided.
This made me bounce up and down on the bike, and soon, I felt a strange sensation in my body.
Especially when I felt a distinct hardness pressing against my back, my underwear was completely flushed.
I kept my head down, not daring to speak, afraid he would notice my physical reaction.
Fortunately, his stamina was impressive. He easily covered the distance that the chubby guy had only managed to do halfway.
In the second round, we were the first team to reach the finish line.
While waiting for Maya, we chatted casually.
I thought they would arrive soon, but a long time passed, and there was still no sign of Maya.
The stickiness between my legs made me uncomfortable, but I was too embarrassed to directly ask for tissue to wipe away those embarrassing things.
I could only sheepishly tell Ace I wanted to find a place to use the restroom.
“They should be here soon. I’ll be back as soon as I’m done.”
I walked along the mountain path we came from, found an open spot, and pulled out some tissue from my pocket to wipe away the stickiness on my thighs.
Just as I was about to stand up and head back, a casual glance caught sight of a moving bicycle.
The people on the bike were Maya and her second-round teammate.
What was strange was that although we had marked off a different route, they were on this one.
And they didn’t seem to be in a hurry to win, just riding along slowly.
Most importantly, I actually saw them sitting face-to-face, with Maya’s legs wrapped tightly around the man’s back, and a soft, breathless gasp escaped her lips, hinting at something more!
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“Ah… I can’t take it anymore… you guys are going to kill me with pleasure…”
“Godmother, hips higher please…”
Late at night, I lay sprawled on the bed, my body limp, my hips raised high, manipulated into various positions by two strong men.
It had been so long since I’d tasted such pleasure, and my primal desires, long buried deep within me, were finally unleashed.
Until one of the men bit my ear, “Godmother, do you like the front or the back?”
“Both… I like both…”
I was a widow.
Ever since my husband passed away, I had worked tirelessly to raise my son, hoping he would make something of himself.
But one ordinary night, things began to spiral into an abyss beyond my control.
That night, I was woken by the urge to pee, groggily getting ready to head to the bathroom.
I noticed my son’s room was slightly ajar, and faint sounds of heavy breathing drifted out.
It was so late, and Josh was still awake?
I tiptoed closer, only to see him lying on his bed, indulging himself, with a black lace thong covering his face.
I bit my lip.
Though I’d had a premonition, seeing this scene still made my face flush crimson.
What made my breathing quicken even more was the phone screen in Josh’s other hand.
At first, I thought it was just a video to help him get in the mood, but when I heard vaguely familiar sounds through the speaker, I realized it was a video of him and a woman.
And the woman pinned beneath him, clutching a pillow, frantically pushing her hips to meet his rhythm, was none other than Josh’s godmother, Denise.
Denise was my college friend, my best friend.
Years ago, we got pregnant almost simultaneously, agreeing that if we had a boy and a girl, we’d become in-laws. If we had two boys or two girls, they’d become godchildren to each other.
But I never in my wildest dreams imagined her taking the role of “godmother” to bed!
I couldn’t bring myself to watch any longer. Without even using the bathroom, I rushed back to my bedroom, sitting on the bed, lost in thought.
Josh was at the peak of his vitality; every time I washed his underwear, I almost always found signs of nocturnal emissions. It was normal for him to have those urges.
But why would he be involved with Denise?
My thoughts drifted to my own godson, Tyler. Every time he saw me, he’d hug me, hold me, and lean into me.
He’d say he was giving me a massage, but his hands would inevitably linger and roam.
I used to feel flattered, thinking my charm hadn’t faded.
Now, thinking back, he definitely had something going on in his mind about me.
Especially every time he massaged me, he’d ask, “Godmother, does that feel good?”
It was utterly humiliating.
Just then, a soft knock sounded at the door.
“Mom, are you asleep?”
I glanced down at my lace nightgown; only two thin straps supported my full, pale curves, and other than the sheer skirt, there was no other cover.
I pulled the blanket over my legs before telling him to come in.
Josh, dressed only in a pair of boxers, pushed open the door, his face looking strange.
I hugged my shoulders, covering the parts my nightgown didn’t conceal. “What’s wrong, Josh?”
“I want Godmother and Tyler to come over tomorrow.”
I bit my lower lip, surprised that he came to me in the middle of the night for this.
But I wasn’t ready to face Denise yet.
Especially with my son being so full of youthful energy, what if they couldn’t control themselves and did something? Should I avoid being there?
Don’t let Denise’s usual delicate and frail demeanor fool you; she possessed a naturally captivating charm, a waist like a serpent, breasts full and round, and a pert, peachy behind.
She was at an age of peak vitality, capable of drawing the very essence out of even the strongest man.
If it happened too often, would it affect Josh’s health?
But seeing the hopeful expression on his face, I agreed.
The next evening, I tidied up the house, welcoming Denise and Tyler into our home.
Tyler was even taller than Josh, easily over six feet three, and with his love for fitness and basketball, his physique was astonishingly muscular.
As soon as he entered, he scooped me up in a bear hug, burying his face in my chest without a care in the world.
“Godmother, I missed you so much!”
“Godmother, your chest is so soft, not only much bigger than my mom’s, but it smells amazing too.”
“Go on, go on, what are you doing…”
My face flushed crimson with embarrassment. “You’re a grown man, still clinging to your old ways?”
“It’s not like I haven’t before, Godmother, let me just have a taste again.”
With that, Tyler leaned into my chest, and my bra was getting undone.
I tried to stop him, but I couldn’t push him away.
It wasn’t until he lingered there, taking a long, deep breath as if savoring something, that he finally put me down.
“Godmother, you look truly beautiful today.”
Perhaps it was the stirring of a dormant passion, ignited by what I’d learned about Josh and Denise, but I found myself truly enjoying Tyler’s awestruck gaze today.
It certainly made choosing this figure-hugging, low-cut short dress worth it.
And Denise seemed to have dressed up too. Though a widow, she wore a striking red dress, her captivating, upturned eyes hinting at a subtle allure, exuding a mix of innocence and brazen charm. Her whole being radiated the sensual vibe of a sophisticated woman.
No need to ask, my son must have been responsible for this!
I shot Josh a look of annoyance. That brat! He might be full of energy, but he shouldn’t be so reckless!
Denise, unaware that I’d discovered their secret, sat down openly with Josh.
They even shared drinks, their arms intertwined.
The gooey-sweet look in their eyes, so thick it could be pulled into threads, clearly showed the shyness of a new bride.
And Josh’s hand was constantly under the table; no doubt, he was stroking Denise’s thigh.
Before long, Denise’s cheeks were flushed, and she was sighing softly, leaning against Josh’s lap.
Though I couldn’t see what they were doing, the soft, squelching sounds coming from Denise’s mouth.
They were so incredibly embarrassing, yet so strangely arousing.
That little minx, she couldn’t be… pleasuring Josh with her mouth, could she?
My whole body was burning hot, and I unconsciously kept pouring red wine down my throat.
I started to feel a little anxious.
If Tyler found out, that would be the end of it.
Thankfully, Tyler’s attention remained entirely on me; he hadn’t even glanced their way.
“Godmother, I’ve learned some new pressure points. Let me give you a massage!”
I didn’t dare stay in the living room, so I took his hand and led him to the master bedroom.
I lay face down on the bed.
To my surprise, when Tyler placed his hands on my backside, it didn’t feel uncomfortable.
Perhaps it was too much wine, or perhaps it was because we had played so many risky games before that I had already adapted to something that was bound to happen eventually.
So, I didn’t refuse.
Instead, I subtly lifted my hips, making it easier for him to undress me further.
“Godmother, your backside is so beautiful.”
My face was pressed into the pillow, my disheveled hair fanned out, hiding my cheeks and, with them, my shame.
But as Tyler’s hands grew bolder, my legs began to tremble, and a thrill of breaking taboos, a mix of naughtiness and excitement, coursed through me. My glutes involuntarily clenched, then relaxed, then clenched again.
My unprecedented compliance emboldened Tyler.
As he undid my bra, he continued, “And your skin is so fair, like a creamy cake.”
Then, his breath suddenly warmed my lower back, and he gave my backside a light bite.
A warm, wet sensation traced its way from the base of my spine, following the curve of my waist and hips, up to my neck, and then behind my ear.
“Oh…”
I jolted.
It tickled.
So much.
It was a tickle that went straight to my core, like an electric current, making me involuntarily arch my upper body, trembling uncontrollably.
My period was still a week away, and this was when my desires were most intense.
I unconsciously curled my toes, biting my lower lip tightly, afraid to open my mouth, straining every muscle in my body to fight the deep, bone-aching pleasure, terrified that I would let out an undignified moan.
Finally, when I recovered and lay prone on the massage table again, I gasped heavily, almost pleading.
“Godmother has always cared for you so much; is this how you treat her?”
“Precisely because Godmother cares for me, I can’t bear to see you alone.”
Tyler leaned in, biting my ear, “I will… make you feel on top of the world…”
With that, he swiftly pulled down my underwear…
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My sister Eliza’s most treasured cat passed away. I went to great lengths to find a little ginger kitten that looked almost identical, hoping to give her a wonderful surprise.
But just as I was about to present this heartfelt gift, I stumbled upon my stepbrother, Leo, scissors in hand, snipping the kitten’s ears until they were a bloody mess. He even used a lighter to scorch its tail.
I lunged forward, my heart pounding in panic, but he suddenly threw himself into the icy swimming pool.
Eliza, who witnessed the scene, didn’t hesitate. She locked me inside the sterilization cabinet, ignoring my agonized screams as the temperature soared. She even ordered the bodyguards to secure the door with a heavy chain, as thick as a man’s wrist.
Seven days later, my flesh and blood had fused with the cabinet’s inner walls, impossible to separate.
And Eliza, at first, actually thought that horrifying, putrid mess was just another one of my elaborate pranks…
1
After Eliza locked me in the sterilization cabinet, she took Leo on an outing.
When she returned a week later, a bodyguard spoke with a flustered expression, “Miss Sterling, Mr. Thompson… I think he’s still locked in there.”
Eliza’s fingers, flicking through her phone, froze. A flicker of unease crossed her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by cold indifference. “He’s a boy. A little hardship will do him good.”
The bodyguard’s face stiffened. He hesitated, then tried again, “There hasn’t been any sound from inside for a while. Don’t you want to open it and check?”
Eliza shot him a cold glare. “I said no! He’s just trying to get attention. If I go look, he’ll just start playing the victim again.”
The bodyguard swallowed the words he was about to say.
Just then, Leo ran in from outside, affectionately linking his arm with Eliza’s. “Eliza, you’re the best.”
Eliza smiled, ruffling his curly hair. “You silly boy. You’re my favorite little brother.”
Leo blinked his innocent, wide eyes. “I’ll grow up fast, and then I’ll protect you, Eliza.”
“Good boy. You’re worth spoiling.”
Leo suddenly sighed. “It’s all my fault. Ethan must think I’ve stolen your affection, that’s why he hates me so much…”
Eliza patted his shoulder. “He’s just petty. It has nothing to do with you.”
“Eliza, it’s been a week. Maybe we should let Ethan out. He must have learned his lesson by now.”
If this were before, hearing those insincere words, I would have rushed to expose his true colors, only to be met with Eliza’s reprimand.
But now, my heart was like dead ashes—because at this moment, I had already become a lost soul, drifting aimlessly in the room.
In the final moments of being scorched by the high heat, my soul finally broke free from that mangled, bloody body.
I watched as my skin inside the sterilization cabinet blistered and rotted in large patches, the flesh gradually charring and curling, while outside the cabinet door, layers of chains were tightly wound, the heavy lock glinting coldly.
At first, I frantically slammed against the cabinet door. When I realized it was futile, I could only curl up in a corner, trying to escape the intense heat.
But the UV rays inside the sterilization cabinet were inescapable, and my skin soon began to ulcerate and peel.
The excruciating pain nearly drove me to collapse. I screamed and begged for mercy, my voice hoarse, “Eliza! I really didn’t do anything!”
But Eliza’s icy voice came from outside, “Can’t take it anymore? Leo jumped into the pool because you bullied him! He had a high fever and almost died! Today, I have to teach you a lesson!”
I could only keep apologizing, even for those baseless accusations, just begging her to open the door.
Until my flesh melted in the high heat, sliding down the inner walls of the cabinet, my arm exposing stark white bone.
Before my consciousness faded, I heard her viciously command the bodyguard, “Tighten the chains! No one opens it without my order!”
2
“Go let Ethan Lin out,” Eliza instructed casually. “Tell him to come apologize to Leo and stop messing around.”
The bodyguard looked like he wanted to say something but ultimately turned and left.
Leo swung Eliza’s arm, saying “thoughtfully,” “Eliza, once Ethan apologizes, let’s just put this behind us. If he really leaves, you’ll only have me left as family…”
A flicker of contempt crossed Eliza’s eyes, but she still gently stroked his head. “It’d be better if he left. Someone with such a foul mouth and no manners doesn’t deserve to be my brother. If he hadn’t bullied you, you wouldn’t have gotten so sick.”
Rage flared in her eyes, but it instantly softened when she looked at Leo.
I thought death would mean no more pain, but seeing this, tears still streamed uncontrollably down my face.
A week ago, on Eliza’s birthday, I came home full of joy with the little ginger kitten, only to see Leo sadistically burning the kitten’s tail with a lighter…
He taunted me, “Don’t think buying a cat that looks like her old one will steal Eliza away from me!”
Furious, I stood in front of the kitten and yelled at Leo.
Eliza happened to overhear.
He immediately turned and jumped into the fountain behind him.
It was the dead of winter, and he had deliberately worn water-absorbent cotton clothes, sinking deep to the bottom of the pool.
When he was pulled out, his face was pale, and he was barely breathing.
He whispered, his voice a thread:
“Eliza, since Ethan can’t accept my presence, if he wants me to die, then I’ll go.”
“It’s just a shame I won’t get to protect you in this life. Eliza, you have to take care of yourself. I want to be your brother in the next life too.”
That day.
Eliza put all her work on hold.
She carried Leo all the way to the hospital, not even bothering with an umbrella. The rain soaked her clothes, and she shivered from the cold.
In the end, Leo was diagnosed with an acute cold.
I stood at the door of the hospital room.
Watching her hold Leo’s hand, begging him over and over:
“Leo, please, get better quickly.”
“Please don’t leave your sister all alone…”
I found it ridiculous.
My own sister, related by blood.
A powerhouse in the business world.
Yet, because of a simple cold, she was holding a stranger’s hand, enacting a life-and-death drama.
But when Eliza grabbed my neck.
And shoved me into the sterilization cabinet.
I finally understood that in her heart, Leo was her only brother, and I—
I was nothing.
“How could I have such a foul-mouthed, ill-mannered brother like you!”
“Leo almost developed pneumonia! Even if he recovers, he’ll be weak for a long time.”
“Ethan Lin, let me tell you, don’t think just because we share the same blood, you can do whatever you want!”
“You’ll stay in there for every day Leo isn’t well, until you admit you’re wrong!”
To teach me a profound lesson, she ordered the bodyguards to use a heavy lock.
And now.
Leo was in a better mood, so she magnanimously decided to let me out.
She didn’t know.
I couldn’t come out anymore.
“Miss Sterling! Miss Sterling, it’s terrible!”
“Mr. Ethan… he’s… he’s fused with the sterilization cabinet! We can’t open it!”
Eliza froze.
I drifted closer to her, wanting to see her reaction to the news.
But I was disappointed again.
She just chuckled coldly:
“The sterilization cabinet uses UV light, there’s no fire. How could he fuse with it?”
“If it won’t open, he must be holding the door from the inside, just being stubborn.”
“Give the order: throw the cabinet in the junkyard. If he likes being in there so much, he can stay there forever!”
The bodyguard stood there, uneasy, not responding for a long time.
The silence stretched.
Eliza snorted, her tone patronizing:
“Go tell him, if he keeps this up, it won’t be just simple sterilization next time. If he doesn’t want a severe punishment, he should know when to quit.”
The bodyguard didn’t move.
Eliza completely lost her patience. “What are you standing there for? Go!”
Turning to Leo, her voice softened.
“Leo, when Ethan comes over later, don’t believe anything he says.”
“I plan to make him kneel for three hours. Let’s see if he’s truly learned his lesson this time.”
“This is a test for him. You can’t be soft-hearted and tell him.”
Leo gently massaged Eliza’s shoulders, looking obedient and sensible.
“I’ll listen to whatever you say, Eliza…”
I suddenly felt exhausted, not wanting to stay any longer.
But my soul seemed to be shackled by blood ties, unable to leave Eliza’s side.
I could only watch, as if torturing myself, as she cherished Leo and trampled me into the mud.
3
Eliza is eight years older than me.
When I was born, she was already the leader of the neighborhood kids, doting on me and protecting me alongside our parents.
She even gave me my name, Ethan.
Because her name, Eliza, held a certain grace, she hoped we siblings could always be close, like “E and E,” always together.
Our parents died suddenly in a car accident, and shareholders coveted the family assets they left behind.
Eliza, facing a crisis, took over Lin Industries.
She forgot, she was only twenty at the time.
I often thought she was cold and heartless, and I said many harsh things.
Until one argument, I accidentally missed a step and tumbled down the stairs, falling into a coma.
When I woke up, I saw her red, swollen eyes.
She held my hand tightly, her voice trembling as she asked:
“Ethan, Mom and Dad are gone. Are you going to leave your sister too?”
Suddenly, I understood.
Eliza wasn’t incapable of sadness; the burden on her shoulders was too heavy, not allowing her to be vulnerable.
From then on, I learned to grow up.
I stopped being a picky eater, exercised regularly, and studied finance diligently, all to one day help share her burden.
Later, she was too busy with work and worried I’d be lonely, so she brought a boy back from a children’s home to keep me company.
At first, I treated Leo like a real brother.
He said he’d never had peanut butter fudge, so I braved a downpour to buy some for him, even scraping my leg badly in the process.
But after eating it, he had an allergic reaction and had to be rushed to the hospital for an IV drip, completely exhausted.
Because of that, Eliza yelled at me for the first time.
After that.
Similar incidents happened frequently.
The way she looked at me grew colder and colder. All the warmth and care she once had for me were now directed at someone else.
Strange.
My heart wasn’t even beating anymore, so why did I still feel such pain?
It was as if I had died all over again in my memories.
Time ticked by, and Eliza’s expression grew so dark it looked like it could drip water.
“It’s been five minutes, and he still won’t come out!”
“Ethan Lin, it looks like you’re determined to defy me to the end.”
The speed at which she fiddled with her bracelet increased, her brow furrowed, a strong sense of unease already spreading within her.
“Leo, Ethan is being too ungrateful.”
“The bodyguards don’t dare lay a hand on him. I’ll go myself! You sit here quietly and wait for me to bring him to kneel and apologize to you.”
Eliza stood up and left, her strides large.
She looked somewhat flustered.
As soon as she reached the kitchen, she saw the trembling bodyguard and said, displeased,
“What are you shaking for?”
“Miss Sterling, I… I…”
The bodyguard couldn’t utter a complete sentence, his clothes soaked with cold sweat.
I stood to the side, unsure how to feel about this scene.
Perhaps the pain was too great, I couldn’t remember what my own corpse looked like, but it certainly wasn’t pretty.
Eliza impatiently pushed the bodyguard aside and approached the sterilization cabinet.
The chain, thick as a bowl, lay discarded to the side, the cabinet’s power cord unplugged.
A corner of the cabinet door was pried open.
Some red liquid trickled from the edge.
Eliza frowned in disgust, her voice cold:
“Ethan Lin, the door’s open. Why aren’t you out yet? Do you like it in there that much?”
I gave a bitter smile.
The burning pain inside, the flesh splitting open, how could anyone like it?
But I had tried so hard to get out, to escape that agonizing prison.
It was my own sister who locked the door.
Now.
My body had melted, stuck to the cabinet, unable to ever come out.
“Are you done with your tantrum! Do you really think I’ll indulge you like before?”
She pulled at the cabinet door, meeting some resistance.
Then she kicked it angrily.
“If you’re not dead, then get out!”
Perhaps out of extreme anger, she kicked the cabinet so hard it toppled over.
With a loud bang, the reactive force flung the door open.
Exposing everything inside.
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Julian’s idealized love, Sophia, was kidnapped while filming on location and disappeared for three whole days and nights.
Two months later, she called him from a rooftop, crying, “Julian, I’m pregnant! The media is hounding me! I don’t want to live anymore!”
He rushed to the rooftop and announced to all the media, “The child is mine.”
Overnight, I became the laughingstock of New York’s elite social circles.
That night, Julian knelt before me, his eyes red, his voice trembling,
“Ava, Sophia has depression. If I don’t help her, something terrible will happen! Once she safely delivers the baby, I promise I’ll make it up to you, okay?”
I loved him so desperately, so devoid of dignity, that I could only bite my lip and nod.
But the next day, news spread like wildfire online.
The woman in the pixelated photo was clearly me.
Shaking, I found Julian. He hugged me, his face contorted in pain.
“The news is unstoppable… Ava, you rarely appear in public. We’ll have to ask you to take the fall for this.”
He reached out to hold me, but his next words chilled me to the bone,
“Why don’t you… get an abortion first? We can always have another child later.”
In that instant, my heart turned completely cold.
I wiped my tears and dialed a number I hadn’t called in a long, long time.
When the call connected, a man’s deep voice, laced with a dangerous amusement, said,
“You finally… came to beg me?”
1
“What did you say?” My voice trembled.
“Sophia’s kidnapping can’t be exposed. She just signed a major international brand endorsement. If this gets out, her career is ruined.” Julian’s tone was chillingly calm. “But you’re different. You rarely appear in public. If you admit to this, the gossip will die down quickly.”
I stared hard at the man I had loved for years. “Julian, do you even hear yourself?”
“Before, you asked me to claim Sophia’s child as mine, and I agreed.”
“Now, you want me to take the blame for her being kidnapped, for her being violated?!”
His voice was low. “Ava, I’m begging you.”
“Begging me?” I laughed, but tears streamed down my face. “For her, you want me to destroy my own reputation?”
“Sophia can’t handle this kind of blow. She already has depression,” he said urgently. “But you’re different. You’ve always been strong.”
“So I deserve to be sacrificed?” I practically spat the words out.
“It’s not a sacrifice, just a temporary measure.” He paused, his tone softening. “Ava, could you… could you get an abortion first?”
My world shattered.
“Julian,” my voice was hoarse, “this is your child too!!!”
“I know!” His voice suddenly turned agitated. “But Sophia can’t handle any more stress right now!”
My breath hitched.
I laughed, tears flowing freely. “Fine, I’ll do it.”
He was about to say more when his phone rang.
Sobs came from the other end.
“Boohoo! Julian, I had a nightmare! I’m so scared! What if they tell everyone about what happened to me?” Sophia’s frail voice whispered.
Julian’s tone instantly changed, becoming gentle and soothing. “Don’t be afraid, Sophia. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
He hung up and, without a moment’s hesitation, turned and left.
I went to the hospital.
The nurse handed me a form, her eyes filled with sympathy.
“Mrs. Hayes, are you sure you want to go through with the procedure?”
I looked down at the paper. Julian’s name was already signed on it.
So, he had arranged everything in advance.
I nodded numbly. “Yes.”
The doctor adjusted his glasses, his tone neutral. “Your physical condition is unique. This abortion could lead to permanent infertility. Are you sure you want to take this risk?”
I looked up sharply. “Permanent infertility?”
“Yes, your uterine wall is thin. If we proceed with the abortion, it might be very difficult for you to conceive again…”
My fingers trembled slightly.
Julian, you knew this, and you still wanted me to abort this child!
All for Sophia.
I bit my lip hard, until I tasted blood.
Suddenly, I felt a strange flutter in my abdomen, like a tiny butterfly gently flapping its wings.
I grabbed the doctor’s wrist. “Stop! I’m not doing it!”
The doctor frowned. “Mrs. Hayes, your husband specifically instructed…”
“I said I’m not doing it!” I shouted, sitting up on the operating table and tearing off the surgical gown. “I’m keeping this baby!”
Stepping out of the hospital, the sunlight was blinding.
I opened my phone. The top trending news was:
#JulianHayesAndSophiaRossSpottedAtLuxuryBabyBoutique#
In the accompanying photo, my husband was carefully supporting Sophia’s lower back as she gently caressed her swollen belly.
The comment section was full of praise:
“Now that’s a power couple! A stunning celebrity and a New York tycoon, a perfect match!”
“Sophia’s already showing. How can Julian’s wife still shamelessly cling to her position?”
“Heard that woman got pregnant with someone else’s kid after disappearing for a few days. Julian’s too kind for not divorcing her on the spot!”
“Who knows if she really disappeared or just snuck off to meet some other guy!”
My nails dug deep into my palms, but I felt no pain.
“Don’t be scared, little one,” I whispered, stroking my belly. “Mommy will protect you.”
I went straight to a law firm and had divorce papers drawn up.
2
Returning to our townhouse, the front door was ajar.
Pushing it open, I saw Sophia lounging on the sofa, Julian’s hand resting on her prominent belly.
“Julian, the baby kicked me again!” she giggled, pressing his hand against her stomach.
A tenderness I had never seen before appeared on Julian’s face. “It really is moving.”
I stood in the entryway, my fists clenched.
Julian saw me, and his expression changed slightly.
He walked over quickly, lowering his voice. “Ava, Sophia tried to kill herself again today. The doctor said she has prenatal depression. Could you… just give us some space for now?”
I sneered, “This is my home.”
“She grew up with me. I can’t just abandon her,” his tone softened. “After she has the baby, I’ll find a way to send her and the child away, maybe help her build a career in Hollywood.”
I said nothing more and went upstairs.
In the bedroom, I could still hear their laughter.
“Oh, the baby kicked me!” Sophia’s voice was sickeningly sweet.
I curled up on the bed, tears soaking my pillow.
Late at night, Julian tiptoed into bed and hugged me from behind.
“Ava, I’m sorry,” his voice was hoarse. “We’ll have other children.”
I stiffened.
He still didn’t know I hadn’t aborted our child.
“Ahhh—” A shrill scream suddenly came from the next room. “Don’t touch me! Get away!”
“Don’t touch me! Don’t film me!”
Julian shot up, not even bothering with slippers, and rushed out.
All night, the hallway echoed with his gentle reassurances.
Morning.
Dragging my exhausted body downstairs, the aroma of frying eggs wafted from the kitchen.
Julian stood at the stove. Sophia tiptoed up behind him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and pressed her cheek against his back, smiling sweetly.
Seeing me, she immediately let go, her voice timid. “Sis, my head hurts a little. Could you ask Julian to get my hat for me?”
Without a word, Julian turned and went upstairs.
The apology on Sophia’s face vanished instantly. She leaned closer to me, her red lips curving into a smirk.
“Julian said that bastard in your belly should never have been kept.”
I jerked my head up, my fingertips trembling uncontrollably.
She gave a disdainful smile, lowering her voice. “Know the Sterlings? The Sterling family is backing me.”
She paused deliberately, enjoying my sudden change in expression. “The Sterlings just have to lift a finger, and this whole city shakes. What do you have to fight me with?”
I clenched my fists tightly.
The Sterlings were true old money, a dynasty that controlled a significant portion of the nation’s economy. Forget the Hayes family; even all the influential figures in New York combined were like ants before the Sterlings.
Suddenly, she stumbled backward, fell to the floor, and screamed, “Ava! I know you hate me for stealing Julian! I’ll just go kill myself!”
“Ava Benton!” Julian stormed down the stairs and shoved me hard.
I stumbled and hit the coffee table, a sharp pain shooting through my lower back.
He pulled Sophia into his arms, his eyes icy and piercing. “What did you do to her? Can you stop being so unreasonable!”
“I didn’t do anything!” My voice shook.
“You’d better not have!” He held Sophia tighter and walked out without looking back. “Sophia, let’s go.”
I stood in the living room, my hand unconsciously drifting to my belly.
3
Julian hadn’t been home for two days.
I stood in the living room, taking down our wedding photos one by one. The frames landed in the trash can with a dull thud.
My phone vibrated, the screen lighting up.
“Ava, I’m having someone pick something up. Can you get it for them?”
In the walk-in closet, the ten-million-dollar jewelry set lay quietly in a drawer. I remembered when he’d bought it, he’d said, “This is for the most important person in my life.”
I stared at the jewelry for a long time, then suddenly smiled.
Expressionless, I took out the jewelry, handed it to the driver, then pulled out a set of divorce papers, my voice calm.
“Wait, give me a ride. I’ll deliver it myself.”
The driver hesitated but let me in the car.
The car stopped outside a luxurious estate, brightly lit, with orchestral music drifting out.
“Happy birthday, Miss Ross!” Waves of well wishes could be heard.
I walked in, and all eyes immediately fell on me.
“Isn’t that Julian Hayes’s wife? Why is she dressed like that? So tacky!”
“I heard she’s desperately clinging to Julian. So shameless.”
“Julian should have dumped her ages ago. Sophia’s pregnant now, why is she still hanging around?”
“I heard she deliberately pushed Sophia to keep Julian. What a vicious woman…”
I ignored them, walking step by step towards them.
Julian saw me, his brow furrowing. “Ava, what are you doing here?”
I smiled. “It’s Miss Ross’s birthday. How could I not come?”
With that, I handed over the jewelry box. “What you asked for.”
Sophia’s eyes lit up. She took it and deliberately opened it in front of me. “Julian, is this for me?”
Julian didn’t speak, looking at me with a complicated expression.
Sophia cooed, “Will you put it on for me?”
He was silent for two seconds, then picked up the necklace, his fingers looping it around her neck.
Sophia suddenly stood on her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and planted a heavy kiss on his cheek, looking at me provocatively.
I said nothing.
Suddenly, she stumbled. “Ah!”
Julian darted forward to steady her, then turned to glare at me. “What are you trying to do now?”
I silently handed over the file folder. “Sign it.”
He was about to speak when Sophia clutched her stomach. “Ah! Julian, my stomach hurts!”
Julian immediately panicked, signed his name without even looking, and then swept Sophia into his arms. “I’ll take you to the hospital!”
I collected the papers and turned to leave, but someone tripped me hard.
I fell heavily, my forehead hitting a metal object on the floor. Warm blood trickled down my cheek.
Julian whipped around, instinctively wanting to help me up.
“Julian! My stomach hurts so much! Take me to the hospital, quickly!” Sophia clung to him tightly, her voice trembling.
He hesitated for a moment, then carried her away without looking back.
I lay on the floor, blood blurring my vision.
All around me were scornful eyes; no one offered a hand.
I gritted my teeth and pushed myself up from the ground, only to find my wedding ring missing from my ring finger.
It had been loose for a while; I just hadn’t noticed.
Ignoring everyone’s stares, I limped out and hailed a cab.
“To the hospital.”
The driver was startled. “Miss, your head is bleeding!”
I wiped my face, my hand covered in red, but I smiled.
“It’s fine. I won’t die.”
4
As the doctor bandaged my wound, he frowned. “Mrs. Hayes, you’re still pregnant. How can you treat yourself like this?”
Suddenly, a news bulletin interrupted the TV program.
“Breaking News! CEO Julian Hayes’s wife faked kidnapping, confirmed affair! Allegedly went to hospital for secret abortion after getting pregnant by another man!”
My vision went black.
Before I could recover, the door was violently kicked open.
Julian’s mother, Mrs. Hayes, rushed in and slapped me across the face. “You tramp! You’ve disgraced the Hayes family!”
I stumbled back and, before I could regain my footing, was grabbed by several men in black suits and dragged into what looked like a rarely used, sweltering sunroom at the back of the estate.
“Kneel!” Mrs. Hayes shrieked.
I struggled, but my knees slammed onto the cold, hard tiles.
Mrs. Hayes dialed a number, her voice shrill. “Julian! Look what your wife has done! The whole city is laughing at us!”
On the other end, Julian was clearly flustered. “Mom, weren’t you and Dad vacationing in Australia? How did you suddenly…”
“What? We can’t come back?” Mrs. Hayes sneered. “Look at the wonderful wife you married!”
“You’re just too soft-hearted, letting a woman walk all over you! She cuckolded you, and you still can’t bring yourself to deal with her?”
I looked up at the screen, screaming, “Julian! Say something! It was clearly you…”
“Ava.” He was silent for a few seconds, his voice low and hoarse. “Just bear with it for now. I’ll make it up to you later.”
The sunroom in midsummer felt like a steamer. I knelt on the scorching floor, sweat mixing with the blood from my forehead, trickling down.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my lower abdomen, and warm liquid flowed down my inner thighs.
“The baby… my baby!” I rushed to the door, pounding on it frantically. “Let me out! Save my baby!”
Mrs. Hayes’s cold voice came from outside. “Didn’t you say you aborted it? What, the bastard wasn’t completely flushed out?”
My nails dug into the doorframe, scratching bloody marks onto the wood. “This is Julian’s child! It’s his! It’s his!”
The only answer was the sound of footsteps fading away.
I lay in a pool of blood all night.
At dawn, the sunroom door finally opened.
A man in a black suit looked at me expressão. “Ma’am, we’ll take you to the hospital.”
On the operating table, I lay with my eyes open, feeling the life within me slowly ebbing away.
My phone vibrated. A message from Julian: “Ava, I’m sorry. You’ve been wronged. I’ll explain everything to Mom later.”
My fingers trembled, and a single tear rolled down my cheek.
The day I got the divorce certificate, I dialed a number that had been dormant for five years.
When the call connected, a man’s deep voice, laced with amusement, said,
“Finally decided to call me?”
A week later, Sophia, heavily pregnant, made a high-profile appearance at a press conference for her new drama.
She clung to Julian’s arm, smiling sweetly at the cameras. “Thank you all for your blessings. After the baby is born, I’ll be heading to Hollywood to pursue my career…”
Under the blinding flashes of angoisse, I slowly walked into the venue.
The previously bustling scene fell instantly silent.
Julian’s face changed रंग. “Ava? What are you doing here?”
I calmly walked up to him and placed the divorce certificate in his hand.
His pupils contracted. He grabbed my wrist, hissing, “Ava, stop messing around! Didn’t I say I’d make it up to you after all this blows over!”
Just then, the main doors burst open.
A Rolls-Royce pulled up. The man who stepped out caused an uproar.
“It’s James Sterling! The head of Sterling Industries!”
Sophia’s eyes lit up. She quickly pushed me aside and hurried to greet him. “Uncle! What are you doing here?”
I stood my ground, unmoving, until James Sterling’s gaze fell on me.
He extended his hand towards me, and I naturally took his arm.
Julian rushed over, his voice trembling. “Ava! Are you crazy? He’s Sophia’s uncle…”
James Sterling glanced at Julian and sneered, “This piece of trash is worthy of making my daughter suffer?”
The entire room buzzed with whispers.
I looked at Julian and said softly,
“I forgot to introduce you. This is my father.”
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The night before I was set to leave the country, my childhood friend, whom I’d secretly loved for years, told me to abandon my dreams and stay by his side. He promised me a beautiful future if I stayed. But when I didn’t board the plane, he just smirked and winked at his friends.
“See? She really wavered for me! Five hundred bucks each, pay up, a bet’s a bet!”
After collecting the money, he warmly embraced my best friend, who had come to see me off. He then mocked me, “Sophia, don’t be naive. The one I truly care about is her, not you. You didn’t actually think I’d support you chasing that impossible dream, did you?” He dropped to one knee, publicly proposing to my best friend. Seeing my pale face, he grinned cheekily and added, “You can still make it to your flight if you leave now. But I’m afraid your parents might be disappointed in you too!”
What he didn’t know was that this was just my final test of him.
1
As Ryan dropped to one knee, making a promise to my best friend, Chloe, I finally understood this was yet another cruel deception, a farce. I was the one who had received Ryan’s “confession” message. Chloe was the one who had secretly, persistently, urged me to pursue “true love.” Yet now, they stood there, gazing deeply into each other’s eyes amidst the gasps of the crowd. And I, with my luggage beside me, was left standing awkwardly, feeling like a complete joke.
After Ryan dramatically kissed Chloe, he turned to his friends to collect money. He grinned, “See? Sophia really hesitated for me. Witnesses and evidence are all here. Five hundred bucks each, no backing out!”
“Dude, look at you! You got the girl, of course, we gotta chip in for our bro!”
“Congrats to you and your future sister-in-law, wish you two all the sweetness!”
After their congratulations, his friends turned to me, scoffing. “Sophia, should I commend your bravery? Or call you incredibly naive? You’re about to leave the country, and you’re still harboring fantasies about Ryan?”
“Seriously! Ryan’s not the type to support your unrealistic dreams! Wake up!”
“We, your buddies, genuinely bet you wouldn’t stay. And look how foolish you are, falling for it even when you’re about to go abroad. You’re hopeless!”
I stood there, gripping my boarding pass so tightly it was almost crumpled. Ryan, after pocketing the cash, walked towards me, leaning in to observe my expression. He feigned concern. “So, Sophia, are you about to cry?” Then he spun around, chastising the group who had just insulted me. “Are you all heartless? You’re about to make our international student cry. Today’s her day to start a new life; how can you say such things?”
I abruptly lifted my head, still hoping this was just a nightmare. But the next second, Ryan shoved a piece of paper into my hand. He smirked. “Sophia, today’s my big day. Everyone else has given me gifts, but you haven’t.” He chuckled. “But it’s okay, we’re old friends, right? You don’t have to give me money, just write a few words.” Ryan’s eyes crinkled with mirth. “Just write, ‘Wish you and Chloe happiness!’”
My breath hitched. I couldn’t believe those words had come from his mouth. The people around clapped and cheered, praising his generosity. Chloe’s face was bright red with feigned embarrassment. “Who said I’d be with you? You’re so annoying!” Ryan blew her a kiss, then turned back to me, commanding, “Write it! You used to love writing, didn’t you? Write!”
“Seriously, Sophia! Back in school, didn’t you always secretly write little notes to Ryan? Too shy now that there are people around?”
Ryan nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah, that’s right. You even practiced your handwriting every day to get my attention. Come on, quick, write that blessing for my dearest girlfriend. Consider it your wedding gift to us.”
“Sophia, write!” Ryan started clapping, urging me on. His friends immediately joined in, clapping and shouting, “Write it! Write it!”
An overwhelming wave of rage and humiliation washed over me. My hands trembled violently, almost dropping the paper. In school, when Ryan lost a competition, I would write him encouraging notes every day, secretly tucking them into his desk. I even diligently practiced calligraphy at home because I worried my handwriting wasn’t pretty enough. But now, these memories I cherished so deeply had become tools for him to amuse his girlfriend.
I choked back a sob and shoved the paper back into Ryan’s hand. “I won’t write it.” My voice was flat. “And I don’t wish either of you happiness.”
The moment I finished speaking, someone called out. “Sophia, you haven’t given up on Ryan yet, have you?”
“Ryan, you better be careful! These clingy, persistent women are the worst! She’s about to go abroad and she’s still throwing herself at you. She’d probably even be your fallback!”
“My fallback?” Ryan scoffed, rolling his eyes at me. “As if you’re worthy.”
Their words, one after another, were like sharp blades tearing my heart apart. In the past, I would have broken down, sobbing and asking Ryan why he was doing this to me. But today, I fiercely held back the tears in my eyes.
“Ryan, I’m the one going to pursue my dreams. You should bless me first. You don’t have to speak, a note will do.”
Ryan and Chloe exchanged glances, then both burst into laughter. “Sophia, you wavered for me. Do you think your parents will still support you going abroad?”
“Yeah, Sophia, I heard you prepared for this trip for a long time and gave up a lot. Now that you’ve caused such a big scene, your dream of going abroad must be shattered.”
I forced a tight smile. “That’s none of your concern. My plans to go abroad will proceed as scheduled.”
2
I had actually sensed that Ryan was planning to trick me into giving up my dreams. This morning, he had called me. His voice was slurred, even tinged with a sob. He said, “Sophia, please don’t go abroad, okay? Don’t leave me, I can’t bear it. You know I can’t live without you.” He pleaded, “If you still care about me, don’t get on the plane. Wait for me at the airport.” He promised, “As long as you stay, I’ll be with you without hesitation! From now on, our world will only be us!”
He hung up immediately. On my end of the phone, my heart was pounding. Ryan and I had been childhood friends for over a decade. I had poured out my dreams to him countless times, but he had never supported me, calling my dreams unrealistic. Was he only acting this way now because I was truly about to go abroad to pursue them?
At the same time, my best friend Chloe also sent me a message. She told me, “Sophia, I know you’ve always wanted to be with Ryan.” She continued, “As long as you make up your mind, no one in this world can stop you two from being together!”
Just as I was genuinely swayed, I received a voice message. In it, Ryan was chatting with his friends. Someone asked him, “Ryan, Sophia’s leaving the country today. You’re not preparing a farewell gift for her, are you?”
Ryan scoffed. “Is she worth it? I’m preparing a surprise for Chloe. I’m going to propose to her and ask her to be my girlfriend!”
“But Sophia is leaving today. Isn’t Chloe seeing her off at the airport?”
A sly smile suddenly appeared on Ryan’s face. “Sophia’s leaving today, right? Well, I bet you guys, all I need to do is make one phone call to her, and she’ll give up going abroad.” He challenged, “Want to see a foolish girl abandon her dreams for a man?”
Everyone immediately cheered, “Yeah!”
Someone else added, “Hey, Ryan, those flowers you got for Chloe are really beautiful. Such a big bouquet, must have cost a fortune, huh?”
Another person quickly answered, “Beautiful? They’re tulips flown in from Holland! And this coffee shop, it’s always packed. Ryan spent a fortune and pulled strings just to get the best for Chloe!”
Ryan smiled faintly. “Of course. Only the best for Chloe.”
I remembered Ryan had prepared a gift for me, which I hadn’t opened yet. When I opened the gift box, I found an old photo album inside. On the card, he had written, “Sophia, these are all our memories!” But when I flipped through the album, it was filled with the little notes I had once written to him. They read, “Ryan, you got this! You can do it!” and “Believe in yourself, you’re the best!” In high school, when he participated in various competitions, I used these notes to cheer him on. And he just picked out a few of them to give me as a farewell gift, while spending a fortune to fly in fresh tulips from Holland for Chloe.
The voice message ended abruptly, and my heart shattered into countless pieces. The initial excitement and anticipation turned into utter despair. I repeated Ryan’s name over and over, from heartbreak to pure resentment. He knew my dreams, he knew how much I had sacrificed to go abroad, yet he still treated me like this. The memory of my childhood friend, who always stood by me, listened to my dreams, and promised to always support me, seemed to have died.
Ryan, I will never like you again.
3
“Ryan, you said I didn’t give you a blessing? Here, take this.” I pulled a notebook from my bag and handed it directly to Ryan. He looked at the notebook thoughtfully. Years ago, when he lost a competition and was dejected, I gave him this notebook, filled with my encouragement and support. I had hoped then that he would pick himself up and work towards his dreams with me. But today, it was the day he pledged himself to another woman.
Chloe stepped forward and took the notebook. “Thank you, Sophia. Ryan and I will be very happy.” Chloe then casually eyed me up and down, reaching out to touch my suitcase. “Sophia, your suitcase looks pretty expensive. Since you won’t be able to leave the country anyway, why don’t you just give it to me?”
I was astonished by her greed and instinctively stepped back. “Chloe, you’re still carrying the bag I gave you. How can you have the nerve to ask for my suitcase?”
Chloe looked at the bag on her shoulder, frowning. “You said you gave it to me. But today, I’m supposed to be the star. Besides, I already know you and your parents are at odds over you going abroad. And now you’ve backed out. Your dream of going abroad is definitely shattered.” She scoffed. “Since that’s the case, why can’t you give me the suitcase?”
I retorted loudly, “Who says I can’t leave the country? I just came here temporarily. After I leave, my plans to go abroad will proceed as scheduled.” I pointed towards the airport terminal. “In a little while, I’ll be boarding there.”
Chloe snorted a laugh. “Right, right. Your parents love you to death, and they can even tolerate their daughter abandoning her dreams for another man and making such a huge fool of herself.” She looked at me with immense pity. “Sophia, I know you’re hurting, but isn’t this what you chose? Stop deluding yourself and saying such ridiculous things.” She continued, her voice dripping with disdain, “Do you know how much you need to prepare to go abroad? Just the application materials alone are a huge pile! No, it’s not just about materials, you need talent too.” She boasted, “Ryan, for my sake, helped me arrange all sorts of training well in advance, which is how I got the chance to go to a better place. You’re still bragging about going abroad? Be careful you don’t bite off more than you can chew!”
When she finished, her cronies behind her burst into laughter. “I think Sophia’s delusional. She’s daring to boast like that.” “Tsk, tsk, such a pathetic deluded woman. I almost feel sorry for her.”
Seeing my reluctance to hand over the suitcase, Chloe turned to Ryan. “Ryan, do you think this suitcase should stay with her, or should it come to me?” Ryan didn’t even look at me. He raised an eyebrow, asserting confidently, “Does that even need asking? Of course, it’s for you, babe.”
After he made his choice, Chloe immediately reached for my suitcase. She chuckled, “I know your suitcase is quite expensive, a designer brand your parents bought for you. Sophia, we’re such good friends, just let me use it, okay?” It was because we were good friends that I had allowed her to be my best friend. But I never imagined she had already been scheming with Ryan.
I shouted, “Don’t touch my suitcase! I still have to go into the departure lounge to board my flight!”
Chloe sneered. “Stop pretending! Board what flight? Give me the suitcase!” Seeing my fierce resistance, she turned to the people behind her. “What are you staring at? Come help me!” Those people ignored her, all looking at Ryan, waiting for his command. I, too, stared intently at him. For nothing else, but for the sake of our years of friendship, he shouldn’t treat me like this.
But Ryan just gave me a dismissive glance and said indifferently, “Didn’t you hear your sister-in-law speak? Go, grab Sophia’s suitcase and let my girlfriend try it out.”
In an instant, several hands reached for me, grabbing my suitcase, tugging at my backpack. I screamed, I yelled, and finally, in despair, I closed my eyes. This was the man I had loved for fifteen years. My childhood friend who always put me last.
Just then, someone roared, “Stop! What are you doing?!”
I was startled. That voice… it sounded so much like my estranged cousin.
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As I watered the plants on the balcony, I looked across to see my wife twisting like a doll being carelessly manipulated, on the opposite balcony.
“I’ll tell him the child isn’t his and let him leave with nothing.”
That evening, my wife’s family took turns, seemingly offering earnest advice, yet speaking with condescending authority. “The child’s biological father is the son of the country’s richest man, from the powerful Thorne family in the capital. If Finn is recognized by his true lineage, then his sickly uncle won’t control the family’s future. I can also become the Young Madam of the Thornes, and that benefits you too.”
Finn’s face was filled with disgust: “You pauper? You’re not fit to be my dad! My real dad, with a single finger, could make your family never rise again for three generations!”
My mother-in-law’s contempt was undisguised: “If Eleanor hadn’t been pregnant back then, her belly visibly growing, how would it have ever been your turn to marry her?”
I silently signed the divorce papers. Then I turned and called my father, far away in the capital: “Come pick me up. I’m willing to return and take charge of the Thorne family.”
1
“Arthur, Finn isn’t your biological son.”
When Eleanor Vance uttered those words, my reaction was far calmer than she had anticipated. In truth, I had suspected for a while—Finn’s birth, two months premature, his increasingly dissimilar features to mine, and the man who had suddenly moved into the villa next door a few days prior…
“Finn’s father is the legitimate grandson of the Thorne family, one of the wealthiest in the capital. The Thornes have few heirs. As long as Finn is recognized by his true lineage, he can surpass his frail uncle and become the successor.”
Seeing my downcast gaze and silence, Eleanor gritted her teeth and pressed on: “For Finn’s future, can we pretend to divorce? Once everything is settled, I’ll come back.”
A bitter smile touched my lips. She had said so much; what meaning could my opinion possibly hold now? Yet, the thought that the son I had raised for nine years had no blood relation to me, that he would call someone else “Dad,” still sent a dull ache through my heart.
“You’ll truly come back?”
“Of course! I’m your wife! Once Finn becomes the Thorne heir, we’ll remarry!”
She leaned in, intending to kiss me, but I subtly evaded her. “Alright, I agree to the divorce.”
Eleanor’s face instantly lit up with joy: “Arthur, thank you for understanding. Finn will be so happy when he finds out! Don’t worry, he’ll still think of you as his dad!”
Feeling agitated, I casually asked what was for dinner before turning into the kitchen—ten years married into the Vance family, these culinary skills were all honed for her and our son.
“You eat by yourself. I’m going to tell Victor the good news.”
Listening to her joyful footsteps, my heart sank deeper into gloom.
The side window faced the neighboring front yard. Eleanor, like a jubilant bird, flew into Victor Sterling’s arms. They embraced, twirling, their faces alight with laughter. In all the years of our marriage, no matter how much I tried to please her, I had never seen her so genuinely happy.
I had spent a decade, yet couldn’t warm her heart. But the moment the man who had once abandoned her returned, she lost herself completely.
Pulling out my phone, I called Mr. Albright, our butler: “Tell my father I agree to assume the headship of the Thorne family.”
Just then, with a resounding crash, the door was kicked open. Finn stood at the entrance, fuming: “Hey, Arthur, why didn’t you pick me up from school? Do you want me to walk till my legs break?”
Though I had raised him for nine years, this child looked down on me, his live-in father, from the bottom of his heart. But such an unhinged outburst, this was a first.
I paused, then crouched down to explain: “Dad was talking to Mom just now and forgot the time. Next time, I’ll pick you up early—”
“I don’t need you to pick me up!” Finn lifted his small face, his eyes cold. “Mr. Sterling’s bodyguard already picked me up! His car is huge and fancy, and it’s even a convertible! Don’t embarrass yourself at school anymore. I want Mr. Sterling to be my dad!”
With that, he threw his schoolbag down and ran towards the neighboring villa—
“Finn!” My heart tightened. I instinctively moved to block him. I suspected Victor Sterling and Eleanor were likely engaged in some intimate act next door, and for the child to burst in at that moment…
“Get out of the way!” Finn raised his hand, scratching my face. “Mind your own business! From now on, what happens in my family is none of your concern, you useless live-in!”
Stunned, I watched the child run out the door. I wiped the bleeding scratches from my cheek with the back of my hand, then turned and went to the guest room at the end of the second-floor hallway. The window there directly faced Victor Sterling’s master bedroom. I simply wanted to give them a heads-up, based on a basic adult moral compass, that the child was coming. Even a dog in heat would, for God’s sake, restrain itself!
On the curtains, those two intertwined, passionate figures moved rhythmically up and down. My heart grew numb, and my stomach churned with a sickening pain. This was Eleanor’s so-called “sham divorce”? Her “just wanting a good future for our son”? Her “still having feelings for me”?
Through the window, their soft, murmuring conversation drifted to my ears. I heard Victor insidiously ask her, “How many times did you pay Arthur to raise my son for all these years?”
Eleanor playfully chided, “Oh, darling, only that one time on our wedding night, right? Otherwise, how could he have believed Finn was his son?”
“Just once?” Victor sounded unconvinced.
Eleanor swore firmly, “Truly just once. I feel disgusted just looking at Arthur. How could I let him touch me casually?”
Disgusted? She actually called me disgusting. Yet she had also said she loved me, loved the pleasure I brought her in bed, loved my gentle demeanor before and after. She said she would love me forever. Which words from this woman were true, and which were false?
Just as I was about to make some noise, to warn them that Finn was already there, I heard Eleanor suddenly stammering, “But, when you become the Thorne heir, you should give Arthur some compensation. He did raise your son for so many years.”
Victor snorted, “You seem pretty concerned about him. Have you fallen for him?”
Before Eleanor could speak again, Finn burst up the stairs, calling for his mom. The two of them hastily threw on clothes, pulled up trousers, at least they had that much shame. I turned to leave, but accidentally knocked over a flowerpot on the guest room windowsill.
“Who—” Victor yelled from across the way. I gave no response, quickly descending the stairs.
2
Eleanor returned with Finn. Before even entering the house, she eagerly shared the good news with me.
“The Thornes say they’ll come in seven days to pick up their heir. You should pack Finn’s luggage.”
I sat on the sofa, simply acknowledging her, then calmly said, “Perfect, sign it.”
Eleanor’s joyful expression subtly faltered as she spotted the divorce papers I had laid on the table. She froze, a flicker of incredulity and hesitation in her eyes. “You prepared this so early?”
I nodded, calmly stating, “Didn’t you say they’re coming in seven days? Better to be prepared.”
Eleanor’s face clearly showed a hint of guilt: “Arthur, there’s no need to rush. As long as Victor acknowledges Finn…”
I waved my hand. “Finn needs to return to his true lineage as a legitimate Thorne heir. If you don’t marry Victor, people will laugh at you.”
“Mom! He’s right! Hurry up and divorce him, and let’s go marry Mr. Sterling!” Finn held a new remote-control race car, clearly a gift from Victor. He lifted his small face, looking at me with a mix of defiance and disdain: “Hey, Arthur, if you know what’s good for you, just let me and Mom go—”
“Finn!” Eleanor snapped at him. “Don’t be so rude. Even if Mom really takes you to the Thornes, Arthur will always be your dad. You’ll just have two dads…”
“I don’t want that!” Finn turned and spat at me: “Who wants such an embarrassing dad? No money, no power. Besides cooking at home, what else can you do? My dad should be a big tycoon, a grand family heir like Mr. Sterling!”
With that, he made a face and ran off. Passing the old remote-control car on the floor by the door, he stomped on it, crushing it. “I don’t want this cheap junk!” With a new car, why would he cherish the one I bought him before? But he didn’t know that the limited edition toy model car I gave him was several times more expensive than the actual car Victor drove to pick him up from school today…
“Arthur.” Eleanor looked at me with a hint of difficulty: “You… don’t take it to heart. Victor hasn’t seen the child in years, so he’s bound to spoil him excessively. Finn is still a child, easily misled. He… I believe he’ll still be good to you in the future.”
“I know. I won’t argue with a child.” I pushed the divorce papers towards her, urging her to sign quickly.
But Eleanor hesitated. She picked it up, barely glanced at it, then tossed it onto the table in frustration, turning and heading upstairs. “I’ll look at it later and decide.”
I couldn’t describe the feeling in my heart. After all that had happened, was there still a reason for her not to cleanly sever ties?
…Three days later, it was my birthday. Eleanor had promised to celebrate with me, but after I had prepared a table full of dishes, she suddenly excused herself to take a call, saying she had company business. “Sorry, Arthur, I have an urgent matter to handle. I’ll be back later to celebrate your birthday.”
I nodded, serving myself a bowl of longevity noodles. I said it was fine, it wasn’t a big birthday, go take care of your business. Eleanor smiled, leaned in, wanting to kiss my cheek. I dodged. I said it was just green onion oil. She chuckled sweetly, “You always loved green onion oil noodles. Why didn’t you make something better for your birthday?”
Turns out, she had already forgotten. A dull ache settled in my heart.
As I ate my noodles alone, Victor Sterling suddenly showed up. “I’m here to pick up Finn. He said he wanted me to drive that new sports car to take him to his extracurricular class today.”
“Thank you, Mr. Sterling.” I didn’t lift my head, simply calling Finn’s name upstairs.
“Haha, no trouble at all. Thanks to you, Arthur, for taking care of Finn all these years. You’re the one who worked hard.” Victor’s smug and hypocritical expression utterly sickened me.
“Mr. Sterling!” Finn, hearing Victor’s voice, excitedly ran downstairs.
“Finn, be good on the way there, listen to Mr. Sterling—”
“Mind your own business! Mr. Sterling and I are real father and son! You don’t need to worry about us!” Finn wrapped his arms around Victor’s neck, glaring fiercely at me.
“Finn!” My in-laws, who were just about to leave, turned at the sound and chastised Finn: “You’re being completely out of line! How can you speak like that?” Then, my mother-in-law helplessly called out to me: “Arthur, it’s your birthday today. I ordered a cake for you. I wanted to celebrate with you, but we have a business banquet at the Grand Imperial Hotel today. Eat it yourself.”
I felt a slight pang of emotion. All these years, I had diligently cared for my wife and son, and my in-laws had reciprocated, treating me quite well. It hadn’t been in vain that I had secretly supported the Vance family all these years, elevating them to a prominent new-money family in Seaside City. For example, that luxurious private room at the Grand Imperial Hotel today, if I hadn’t pulled some strings with Mr. Albright beforehand, they wouldn’t have been able to book it.
After my in-laws left, I called Mr. Albright. “Mr. Albright, my in-laws are visiting today. Please look after them.”
“Of course, young master. But aren’t you coming? I saw the young madam and the young master there. And the grandson, too…”
In that instant, I felt as if I had plunged into an ice-cold abyss.
3
Outside the private room, I stood for a long time, my fists clenched.
Father-in-law: “Why are you still calling me ‘Mr. Vance’? We’ll be family soon, call me ‘Father-in-law’.”
Mother-in-law: “That’s right, son-in-law, don’t be a stranger. I’ve considered you my son-in-law for ten years.”
Finn: “Daddy, hurry and greet them! Once you do, we’ll be family, and I can finally be your son.”
Victor: “Yes, Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, my precious son.” With that, he stole a kiss on Eleanor’s ear and called her “wife.”
Eleanor’s face flushed. My heart chilled outside the door.
It turned out, today was their “family recognition banquet.” I had believed that at least my in-laws approved of me. It was all a lie. They were fake, my wife was fake, my son was fake. Only my devotion, given for ten years, was real.
A server came to serve dishes: “Hello, are you with this party?”
The whole family turned in unison, only to see me standing at the doorway. Eleanor abruptly stood up. “Arthur? What are you doing here?”
I remained unruffled, looking at each of them in turn. I questioned Eleanor: didn’t you say you were busy with company matters? I questioned Finn: didn’t you say you had an extracurricular class? I questioned my in-laws: didn’t you say you had a business banquet?
The air grew thick with awkwardness. Finally, everyone dropped their pretenses.
“You’re stalking me?” Eleanor was the first to attack: “Arthur, are you a pervert?!”
Victor feigned mediation: “Oh, Arthur, you too. If you wanted to come, you should’ve said so earlier. Why cause such a scene and make everyone uncomfortable? Come, come, have a seat!”
“I don’t want him here!” Finn, seeing me, immediately threw a fit: “You’re useless and a spoilsport! You knew everyone didn’t welcome you, that’s why they avoided you! Why are you so shameless, clinging to us? I don’t have a dad like you! Only an heir from a prominent family is fit to be my dad!”
I laughed, tears streaming down my face.
“What are you laughing at?” Eleanor seemed exasperated.
“Because it’s amusing.” I wiped my tears, pointing at Finn, and said, if you want to take Finn to his true lineage, you should at least wait until he’s actually entered the Thorne family.
My mother-in-law waved her hand: “Mind your own business! If Eleanor hadn’t gotten pregnant back then, how would it have ever been your turn to be my son-in-law? The Thornes are coming to pick him up in a week. He’ll have nothing to do with you after that. Don’t even think about clinging to them, mother and son!”
I nodded, turned, and left, saying nothing more. Eleanor reached out to stop me, but I ignored her, deftly stepping aside. She wanted to say something else, but I wasn’t willing to listen.
Mr. Albright, who had witnessed everything, caught up to me: “Young master, do you still need me to waive the bill?”
I paused: “One last time. Consider it my farewell dinner for them. No need in the future.”
That evening, Eleanor returned. Seeing that I had quietly packed my bags, she seemed surprised. “Arthur, where are you going?”
She pulled my hand: “I didn’t tell you to leave! Just wait for me here. In three days, when the Thornes pick up Victor and Finn, I’ll settle our son, and then I’ll come back—”
“Will you really come back?” I asked her a second time.
I looked into her eyes. The innocence and purity I once saw there were what I wanted to protect most in life. But now, lies had covered all those colors.
Eleanor first froze, then frantically explained: “Of course! You’re not still mad about the restaurant, are you?”
She tried to take my hand to persuade me: “Arthur, I admit it was wrong to hide things from you, but Victor promised that once he secured his position as the Thorne heir, he would invest a billion dollars in my father’s new project. That’s why my parents insisted on treating him to dinner at the best hotel—”
“I deliberately didn’t tell you because I was afraid you’d be upset.”
She apologized sincerely and presented me with a “carefully chosen” gift—a tie with the gift tag still attached. It was the same brand as the haute couture tie I saw Victor wearing at the hotel today. I knew then that I should have harbored no expectations whatsoever.
That morning, the Thorne family’s private jet landed outside the Vance family mansion. Eleanor took my hand, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions: “Arthur, wait for me at home. Once I settle in, I’ll come back.”
“Will you really come back?” I asked her for the third time.
Eleanor opened her mouth, then after a long, difficult pause, managed: “Of course.”
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Victor Sterling, with an apologetic expression, said to my in-laws: “I’m so sorry. You see, my two butlers here, they’re so clueless. Why did they park the jet right in front of your mansion?” As he spoke, he waved his hand and called out to Mr. Albright and Mr. Davies: “Hey, my villa is over here! You parked it wrong!”
My father-in-law chuckled obsequiously: “No worries, no worries, we’re all family. And you two butlers, why do you two look so familiar?”
Victor shook his head: “Mr. Thorne, these two are the patriarch’s most trusted personal butlers. I’ve only heard their names, never seen them in person. How could they look familiar to you?”
Immediately after, both butlers stepped forward in unison, bowing respectfully: “Welcome back, Young Master.”
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