For five years, everyone said I was dead.
Even the boy I grew up with burned paper money for me every year on my “death anniversary.”
But he was also the one who said he wanted to cut ties with me, the one who said we should never contact each other again.
Later, I returned to the States and ran into him at a bar.
Before I could even say hello, his bodyguards pinned me to the floor.
He looked at me with chilling indifference.
“Who allowed you to get plastic surgery to look like her?”
Then he ordered his men: “Ruined her face.”
Wait, how did the guy I haven’t seen in years suddenly turn into a criminal?
1
As soon as I walked out of JFK, a figure in black tackled me.
“Zoey, I missed you so much!”
It was my best friend, Chloe.
We hadn’t seen each other in years, and the feeling was mutual.
She hugged me for so long I started to lose my breath.
“Chloe, that’s enough. Oxygen.”
“Right, right.”
Chloe let go, her eyes sparkling.
“You’re not leaving again this time, right?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I’m staying.”
Chloe suddenly thought of something and burst out laughing.
“If Liam saw you, would he think he’s seeing a ghost?”
Liam was my childhood sweetheart, the only guy I ever loved.
Before I came back, Chloe filled me in on what happened back home.
Liam wasn’t the same Liam from five years ago.
He climbed the ladder faster than I did and was now the head of the Sterling family empire.
And me? I spent five years hiding in Europe just to stay alive.
Surviving this long used up almost all my luck.
I hadn’t contacted Liam in a long time.
I looked at Chloe. “You didn’t tell him I was coming back?”
Chloe smirked mischievously. “Nope. Serves him right for being so heartless back then.”
Back then…
My thoughts drifted.
Liam and I were solid. We planned to marry after graduation.
But my dad’s sudden illness revealed a secret: I had two half-brothers and a half-sister I never knew about.
Dad was on his deathbed, and to fight for the inheritance, they planned to get rid of me.
A staged car accident left me hanging by a thread.
Mom didn’t trust anyone in the States anymore. She sent her most trusted aide to take me abroad for treatment.
Before leaving, I called Liam to say goodbye.
Afraid he’d worry, I didn’t mention the accident.
Liam misunderstood. He thought I didn’t trust him and kept questioning me over the phone.
“Why are you leaving? I told you I’d do everything to help you.”
“Do you think I’m not capable enough?”
I never doubted Liam’s heart.
But back then, we were young and powerless.
I didn’t want to drag him down.
And I didn’t even know if I would survive.
So I hardened my heart. “My mind is made up.”
Liam’s voice choked up.
“Zoey, please. Don’t go.”
I gripped the phone tightly, forcing out the last words.
“Liam, I’m sorry.”
At that, Liam laughed bitterly.
“Zoey, this is the first time I’ve begged anyone. And the last.”
“If we meet again, let’s pretend we’re strangers. Don’t contact me.”
The moment the call ended, I couldn’t hold on anymore.
Everything went black, and I fell into a long coma.
2
When I regained consciousness, it was twenty days later.
I was in Switzerland, my injuries healing.
The first news I heard was of my death back in the US.
Aunt Helen, who accompanied me, explained:
“The moment our private jet landed, your dad’s illegitimate kids spread the news that you died in the crash. They wanted to use public opinion to seize the assets quickly.”
“Your mom decided to play along and confirm your death so they’d stop hunting you. It frees her up to deal with them.”
“Illegitimate kids have inheritance rights, sure, but they need to be alive to collect.”
“Just recover here. Your mom will handle everything back home.”
I understood. But thinking of Mom fighting those wolves alone…
I had no mind for anything else. I threw myself into rehab, desperate to get back and help her.
But my injuries were severe, especially my face. It was practically destroyed.
Even with the best medical team Mom hired, I looked different than before.
Chloe recognized me immediately because we video chatted often.
I linked arms with her. “Then let’s keep it a secret.”
No one stays in the same place for five years. Let the past stay in the past.
3
Chloe didn’t take me home immediately. Instead, she drove me to a cemetery in Upstate New York.
She pointed to a tombstone with my name on it, laughing so hard she could barely breathe.
“Look at this guy. Said he didn’t love you, but burned paper money for you for five years straight.”
“Said he loved you, but dates the heiress of the Vance family. Heard they’re close to tying the knot. I’ll take you to crash their wedding feast.”
I didn’t speak, staring at the hyacinths in front of the grave.
My favorite flower.
This deception seemed to have fooled only Liam.
What was he thinking when he heard I died?
I shook my head, chuckling at myself.
He has a new life now. Why dwell on it?
The Vance heiress must be a great girl.
Leaving the cemetery, Chloe chattered non-stop.
“You’ve been gone five years. The city’s changed so much, right?”
“Our old school area is all high-rises now.”
“I have a list on my phone of all the best spots I’ve vetted personally.”
“I don’t care, you have to come out for a drink with me tonight.”
So, without even dropping off my luggage, I was dragged to a bar.
As soon as we sat down, she whispered conspiratorially:
“You’ve been a nun for years. Want me to order two male models for you to play with tonight?”
My first instinct was to refuse, shaking my head vigorously.
Chloe ignored me.
“Relax, the quality has gone way up in the last two years. Satisfaction guaranteed.”
I was shocked. Looks like she does this often.
Meeting my gaze, Chloe shrugged.
“Don’t look at me like that. You think I’m silly enough to believe in true love like you?”
Knowing Chloe wanted it, I didn’t stop her.
4
People really do change.
Five years ago, Chloe hadn’t even been in a serious relationship.
Now she was handling two male models with ease.
Afraid she’d get drunk and taken advantage of, I didn’t drink much. Even my bathroom break was a speed run.
But in my rush, I ran smack into a wall of muscle coming out of the restroom.
I rubbed my head, muttering, “Who has a chest hard as a wall?”
I looked up and froze.
It was Liam.
How… how is this coincidental?
The man opposite me saw my face and froze too.
Recovering, he grabbed my wrist, voice uncertain. “Zoey?”
I didn’t really want to acknowledge him, but since I was recognized, I braced myself to say hi.
But before I could smile, Liam threw me to the ground.
His expression was terrifyingly cold, as if he didn’t know me at all.
“Who allowed you to get plastic surgery to look like her? Did Layla Vance send you? To test me?”
“Do you think I’m that easy?”
A bloodthirsty glint flashed in his eyes. He turned to his bodyguards.
“Ruined her face.”
Pinned down by Liam’s bodyguards, I couldn’t believe it.
How did the guy I haven’t seen in years turn into a criminal?
Whether I’m the real Zoey or not, this is illegal!
Why did Liam become like this?
My limbs were immobilized, my jaw held tight.
Someone approached me with a knife.
The whole time, I stared into Liam’s eyes.
Just as the blade was about to touch my face, Liam closed his eyes and spoke.
“Forget it. Next time you appear in front of me, you won’t be so lucky.”
They left quickly.
Still shaken, I looked at the corner. There was a security camera.
I pulled out my phone without hesitation.
“911? I want to report a threat and assault.”
š Continue the story here
šš» š² Download the “MotoNovel” app
š search for “386515”, and watch the full series āØ!
#MotoNovel
1
I snagged the cityās most eligible billionaire heir with nothing but a seven-dollar latte.
That day, when a handsome guy walked into the coffee shop asking to “borrow” a drink just to take a photo, the entire room went silent.
I was the only one who handed mine over.
My best friend, Mia, was quick to grab my arm, whispering, “Don’t do it. Guyās probably a nutcase or a scammer.”
I didn’t think it was a big deal.
The guy shot me a look of genuine gratitude, took my cup, and started filming a video on his phone.
“4 PM. Afternoon tea time. Living the affluent life in this clean, high-society circle. A seven-dollar Starbucks latteāan absolute daily necessity for someone of my stature.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the surrounding customers were stunned. A split second later, the shop erupted in laughter.
“No way,” someone snickered. “Can’t afford his own coffee, so he borrows someone else’s to flex online? Thatās a new low.”
Mia threw her hands up helplessly. “See? told you not to lend it. Heās just using your drink to fake a lifestyle.”
The guy finished filming, handed the coffee back to me, and spoke with a clean, sincere voice. “Thanks. You really saved me there.”
The murmurs and mockery around us were getting louder. I felt a pang of sympathy and, on impulse, blurted out:
“I have a coupon. Do you want me to order one for you?” I paused, then added, “You look like you really want some coffee.”
The guy stood tall, completely unbothered by the crowd. A smile played on his lips. “No time to drink it right now. How about we exchange contacts? Iāll treat you next time, deal?”
I was about to pull up my QR code when Mia grabbed my hand again, anxious. “Don’t add him. Use your head, Serena. Pretty faces are the best liars.”
But this time, I ignored her. almost as if guided by a ghost, I scanned his code. “Okay. See you next time.”
“See you.”
He turned and walked away on long, model-esque legs. I watched his retreating figure, then took a sip of my coffee.
Mia was still complaining beside me. “You, seriously. You’re too innocent. You’re going to get played one day. You need to keep your guard up.”
Mia didn’t know.
That “scammer” was Lucas Sterling. The heir to the Sterling empire. The richest, most untouchable scion in the entire elite circle.
2
Inside a private hotel suite, Lucas Sterling tore off his jacket and tossed it onto the sofa, his face twisted in disgust.
“That Truth or Dare challenge was ridiculous. Who came up with ‘borrow a stranger’s drink to film a flex video’? It was humiliating.”
The room erupted in laughter.
“Hey, you lost the game, Lucas! Sebastian had to go film a breakup video by the elevators earlier. We’re all suffering here.”
“Come on, let’s see the video!”
The group huddled around the phone screen.
“I’m dying! Lucas, look at that smug expression. You look so punchable, it’s incredible.”
“Wait, who’s the girl in the frame? She’s actually really pretty.”
Hearing this, the tips of Lucas’s ears turned a faint shade of pink. His fingers absently traced the rim of his glass.
“Just a kind stranger. The whole coffee shop was staring, and she was the only one willing to lend me her drink.”
The boys immediately started jeering. “Oho? Do I detect a little crush?”
Lucas rolled his eyes at them, glancing down at our chat interface. “Get lost. Stop talking nonsense.”
3
Two days ago, I learned the truth about my birth. I was the fake heiress of the Joyner family.
They had found their biological daughter.
My adoptive parents gave me an ultimatum: leave with dignity, or be thrown out without it.
Today was the deadline.
I silently packed my suitcase. Dragging my heavy feet to the door, I found my path blocked by Chloe Joyner.
“Don’t even think about taking anything that belongs to this family,” she said, her face twisted with arrogance.
She kicked my suitcase over, sending it sprawling. She rummaged through it, snatching up the bracelets, necklaces, and jewelry the Joyners had given me over the years, piling them onto the floor.
Only my messy clothes remained.
“I don’t want the clothes you’ve worn. Take those rags and get the hell out.”
I looked toward the sofa. My parents sat there, watching everything unfold, making no move to stop her.
My brother, Xavier, who used to dote on me, sat with his laptop, typing away. He didn’t even spare me a glance.
Humiliation burned in my chest. I silently repacked my clothes. I took one last look at them and said, enunciating every word:
“I will never, ever come back.”
Even if they begged me on their knees one day, my heart would not soften.
I was temporarily crashing at Miaās place. She was applying makeup in the mirror, comforting me between strokes of mascara.
“Oh, don’t be so sad. Isn’t it fun living with me? Just the two of us. As long as my parents aren’t home, no one will bother us.”
It wasn’t a long-term solution. Mia accepted me, but her parents didn’t welcome a fallen heiress.
Mia always said I was innocent, but in reality, she was the pure one.
I knew how to calculate better than anyone. A fire burned deep within me. I wanted everyone who hurt me to regret it.
Meeting Lucas Sterling at the coffee shop yesterday wasn’t just an accident; it was an opportunity.
Lucas had just returned from studying abroad. His heart was still sincere; he hadn’t been corrupted by the cynical playboy lifestyle of the local elite yet. Maybe he could help me achieve what I wanted. Or maybe, I could use him.
I thanked God for giving me a beautiful face. It might be the only card I had left to play.
4
On the third day, Lucas sent me a message.
Lucas: [Does that offer to let me treat you to coffee still stand? Iām craving it now. You have to let me pay this time.]
I stared at the screen, the corners of my mouth lifting.
Serena: [Of course it stands. Same place. 4 PM. I’ll wait for you.]
As soon as I walked into the coffee shop, I sensed something was off.
Too many people were stealing glances at me. Some held books upside down; others peered over newspapers; a few were blatantly peeking from behind potted plants.
Lucas was already waiting. When he saw me enter, he gave a deliberate cough. Immediately, the eavesdroppers straightened up, pretending to be busy.
Lucas’s ears were red.
I understood instantly. These were his rich friends, here to watch the show.
I walked over calmly and sat opposite him. I had worn a white dress todayāmodest in the front, but with a tasteful open back that hinted at allure.
“I haven’t asked your name yet,” I said softly.
Lucas seemed nervous. He cleared his throat. “Lu… Luke.”
I extended my hand, smiling. “I’m Serena Joyner.”
Lucas tried to maintain his cool-guy persona, but the flush spreading across his ears betrayed him.
Around us, his friends were grinning like idiots. I caught Lucas mouthing “Get lost” in their direction when he thought I wasn’t looking.
It seemed that cup of coffee was a worthy investment. He was easier to approach than I had imagined.
After coffee, we parted ways. I stood at the bus stop, and faintly, I heard Lucas roaring in the distance:
“Who told you guys to follow me?! Who?! I wanted a private date, do you understand? Five or six third wheels… are you trying to keep me single forever?”
I waited for the bus. It took a long time.
I used to have a driver.
The disparity in life stung.
Right now, Chloe must be living the good life in my old home.
It started to rain. By the time I got back, I was soaked. Mia handed me a towel. “Where have you been running around all day? You’re drenched.”
She was so kind. So attentive.
My throat tightened, but I held back the tears.
I, Serena Joyner, had lived nineteen years, and in the end, all I had was one best friend, a pitiful bank balance, and a nineteen-year-old body.
Lucas began messaging me frequently. He shared the mundane trivia of his high-society life.
Lucas: [We have banquets every day. So boring. I miss drinking Starbucks with you. Can I invite you again?]
In the photos he sent, I saw Chloe. She was surrounded by my parents, holding a champagne flute, laughing brightly.
The gala was high-end. He didn’t try to hide his wealth, but he sent a photo of his long legs stretched out.
Lucas: [Stood for so long. So tired.]
I played along. Serena: [Your legs are so long. I thought you looked tall that day. Are you over 6 feet?]
Lucas: [6’1″. Barefoot.]
I could imagine him sitting on a sofa somewhere, smiling smugly at his phone.
5
Some people are truly easy to coax.
But some people don’t need to do any coaxing to get everything I never had.
Like Chloe. She had a terrible temper and didn’t hide it, yet she was spoiled rotten.
I was different.
My father had raised me with strict discipline.
Just as he was about to publicly introduce me to society, Chloe returned and seamlessly took my place.
I only found out a few days ago that my parents had known for a long time I wasn’t their biological daughter.
No wonder when I got perfect scores or reached Level 10 in piano, despite my desperate efforts, they were never that happy.
My brother, who used to love me most, now only had eyes for Chloe.
I was the unwanted one.
Except for Mia, nobody wanted me.
So, I had to fight for myself.
Lucas: [Itās a good thing I have you to talk to, otherwise this party would kill me.]
Serena: [What party? Can’t you skip it?]
Lucas: [Itās the inheritance ceremony for the daughter of the Joyner Group, Chloe Joyner. Mandatory attendance.]
Chloeās inheritance ceremony? My phone slipped from my hand and hit the floor.
Nearly two decades of nurturing couldn’t compare to blood. I knew that.
Lucas: [What happened? heard a loud bang.]
Serena: [Dropped my phone. It hurts a little. But why do you have to go? A generic guy like you getting invited to such a big event?]
Lucas is typing…
Lucas: [Hehe, I snuck in as a waiter. Do you want anything to eat? I can steal you a slice of cake.]
Serena: [You’re amazing, sneaking in like that. Can you bring me a piece of strawberry cake? I’m craving it.]
Lucas: [No problem.]
We set a time to meet. I looked at my cracked screen, heart aching.
I couldn’t just buy a new phone whenever I wanted anymore.
Life was tight. I had to speed up the plan.
I decided that during this meeting, I would hook Lucas for good. I went to the convenience store to buy a few things.
I never made it.
A familiar Porsche Cayenne pulled up in front of the store.
My brother, Xavier Joyner, stepped out. He opened the passenger door and helped out Chloe, who was dressed like a princess.
“Xavier, this place is so run-down and dirty. I don’t want to be here.”
Xavier gently held her hand, fixing her slightly messy, diamond-encrusted hair clip.
“We’re just here to warn Mia Thorne not to meddle. Bear with it, Chloe.”
Mia Thorne was my best friend. The girl who took me in.
My eyes turned red.
Warn her?
Because she gave me shelter?
Xavier… Brother… are you really going to be this cruel?
Why?! Because of Chloe?
The abandoned daughter is treated like grass to be trampled on. I believed it now.
I texted Mia:
Serena: [Tell my brother I died in a ditch somewhere. I won’t come to you again. And I won’t interfere with him and his precious sister.]
I crouched at the entrance of the alley.
I waited a long time until that familiar Cayenne drove away.
Mia’s family was well-off, but they were constrained by the massive influence of the Joyner family.
When I walked into Mia’s house to get my things, her father looked at me coldly. Her mother looked disgusted. Mia stood awkwardly in the middle.
“Serena, I…”
I forced a smile and grabbed my suitcase.
Before leaving, I bowed deeply to them.
“I am very sorry and very grateful. I won’t disturb you again.”
6
I was completely alone.
I squatted on the curb, my suitcase beside me, counting the teardrops smashing onto the clean concrete, blooming into dark water stains.
I checked my phone. 99+ unread messages.
I thought it would be Xavier regretting his actions, or Chloe mocking me.
Unexpectedly, it was Lucas.
I had almost forgotten about him.
Lucas: [Serena, I’m here. 30 minutes early.]
Lucas: [Holy crap, I just saw an ant choke on food, and two other ants patted its back. Nature is wild.]
Two hours later.
Lucas: [Are you here yet?]
Lucas: [Girls take time to do makeup, I know. Take your time.]
Lucas: [I dressed really handsome today. Hehe.]
Lucas: [Bought you ice cream. Waiting to eat it with you.]
Another hour later.
Lucas: [Where are you?]
Lucas: [Don’t want to talk to me anymore?]
Lucas: [The ice cream melted. I ate it.]
Lucas: [Serena, next time I’ll take you to Starbucks instead, okay?]
Several missed calls.
Lucas: [Where are you? Did something happen? I’m waiting right here. Reply with a 1.]
I messily wiped the tears from my face.
Serena: [Sorry, Luke. Something happened at home. I have to cancel.]
Serena: [Eat the cake for me.]
Serena: [Sorry for making you wait so long.]
I dragged my suitcase, walking aimlessly.
If I asked to stay at Lucas’s place, he surely wouldn’t refuse.
But…
I didn’t want to.
Running to him now would make me cheap.
Being abandoned by parents, being driven to extinction by the brother who used to love me… it hurt too much.
Mia called me.
I composed myself and answered with a smile.
“I’m staying at a hotel, a nice suite. I’ll worry about tomorrow when it comes. Weāll cross that bridge when we get to it, right?”
Mia was silent for a moment.
“Serena Joyner, you are sitting on the curb. I am watching you.”
“My parents are uncontrollable, but I am me. I can help you.”
I turned around.
7
Mia was staring at me.
She placed a key on top of my suitcase.
“My dad gave me this apartment key years ago. Serena, stand up.”
Nineteen years old. A confusing, ignorant age. Yet Mia stood before me like an adult.
It made me feel suddenly heartbroken and brave.
“Thank you.”
She helped me pull the suitcase. “Don’t get polite with me.”
On the way to the apartment, sitting in the car, I saw a figure sitting on a bench by the park. A small cake box rested on his long legs.
He was staring at his phone screen.
Unblinking.
Lucas.
The apartment Miaās father rented long-term hadn’t been cleaned in ages.
Mia stayed and helped me scrub the place for three hours.
She was a rich girl too.
Neither of us was good at this.
I wanted to hire a cleaner, but looking at my empty balance, I closed my phone.
Lucas stopped spamming messages, but the count was already high.
After cleaning, Mia left. “I have to go. Can’t stay out overnight. Call me if you need anything.”
“Okay.”
I sat on the bed, hugging a pillow. I used to have strict curfews too. My parents never let me stay out.
But now, even if I invited eight men to this rental, my parents and brother wouldn’t spare me a glance.
After all, Chloe was their real princess.
I started a video call with Lucas.
He practically bounced off his bed in excitement.
“I thought you hated me. Thought you were ignoring me.”
“You said something happened at home? Do you need help?”
“Just ask. I can do anything.”
“You lent me a coffee. I should repay you.”
“I really thought you were ghosting me.”
One second he was posting “Heartbroken” on his feed, the next he was sending “Absolutely Not” happy dog memes.
Only someone raised in a loving family and a loving environment could grow up like this.
Strangers. A vast difference in status. A person tells you something happened at home and doesn’t reply for hours, then calls.
Any other rich heir would think this was a setup. A scheme.
Instead of saying: “Whatever help you need, I can give it.”
I laid my head on the new $7 pillow. It was soft. No different from the $1,500 pillows at home that were replaced monthly.
I looked at Lucas’s eyes. They had the purity and brightness of a recent college grad.
“Luke, why did you call me so many times?”
“Because I was worried about you.”
I replied, “You’re so warm-hearted. Are you this concerned about everyone?”
He got a bit flustered, even annoyed. “Only worried about you.”
“Really?” I swung my legs playfully.
Lucas: “Because to me, you’re different.”
I looked into his eyes.
“Luke, I want to be your girlfriend. Will you allow it?”
Ten, nine, eight…
If he didn’t agree, I would give up on the seduction plan.
Rich kids aren’t stupid. In the end, I’d only play myself.
I’d be tossed on the ground like trash. “Serena Joyner? The arrogant ex-heiress? Just playing around.”
“Miss Joyner, you’re fun to play with.”
Followed by laughter.
My pride wouldn’t allow it.
Four, three… I was about to hang up.
He finally snapped out of his shock, stuttering, his ears turning instantly crimson.
“R-really? Can I?
“I do!! I mean, yes!!”
I smiled from the bottom of my heart, the exhaustion of the day finally washing over me.
“Go to sleep, Luke.”
8
When I woke up the next day, I realized the video call had been running all night. It only cut off when my phone died.
Since Lucas accepted me, I had to re-enter his circle as his girlfriend.
The Joyner family was big.
But not bigger than the Sterlings.
He added me to his “Bros” group chat.
Lucas: [Ahem. Introducing… my girlfriend.]
Serena: [Hello everyone. I’m Serena Joyner.]
These were his friends from abroad, so none of them knew me.
But soon enough, they would know I was the fake heiress kicked out by the Joyners.
We went on a date.
I went on an empty stomach. My bank cards were frozen, digital payments locked. All I had was $300 in cash.
Chloe had left it for me.
She had smashed my piggy bank.
“Fifteen thousand dollars? Haha. Serena, did you think you could take this? This is mine.”
She threw three hundred dollars at me. “Don’t say we treated you poorly.”
“This is what you deserve. You occupied my nest for so many years. Serena, you owe me.”
My parents watched from the side.
No one stopped her.
Chloe threw my clothes and shoes out of the bedroom.
Then she took my jewelry, bags, and savings.
My brother, Xavier, patted her head.
“Leaving her three hundred proves that Chloe is truly kind and sensible.”
That day, I rushed out of the house and found Mia. She took me for coffee to clear my mind.
Lucas stood at the door asking, “Can anyone lend me a coffee?”
I wanted to grab that chance. So I raised my hand.
š Continue the story here
šš» š² Download the “MotoNovel” app
š search for “386547”, and watch the full series āØ!
#MotoNovel
The day the real heiress came back, I was kicked to the curb.
My adoptive parents insisted I experience the “hardships” their biological daughter had suffered for twenty years.
Honestly? What hardships? To a true hustler like me, this isn’t sufferingāit’s just a consumption downgrade.
And let me tell you, I am the queen of playing a losing hand.
1.
Midnight. New York City. A torrential downpour.
I stood outside the Sterling familyās massive wrought-iron gates in the Hamptons. I had nothing but the clothes on my back and the phone practically glued to my hand.
The real heiress had been home for less than two hours before I was tossed out like yesterdayās trash.
Lana Sterling said sheād eaten bitterness for twenty-two years in my place, so now it was my turn to taste poverty.
The heavy gates slammed shut. The cold, icy rain slapped my face indiscriminately.
2.
As a corporate slave who had transmigrated into the body of this cannon fodder fake heiress, Iād enjoyed the luxury lifestyle for less than twenty-four hours before being destitute again.
I walked around the perimeter of the estate and found a dry spot under a first-floor balcony. Directly above me was my “brother,” Lukeās room.
“Don’t worry,” Lanaās voice drifted down from the drainpipe. “Her pockets are cleaner than her face right now. Once she tastes a bit of hardship, sheāll realize the benefits of wealth. Sheāll be crawling back to warm your bed in no time.”
Tsk. For a multi-million dollar mansion, the soundproofing was garbage.
I knew it. Luke, who had been getting handsy with me all afternoon, looked like he wanted to keep things “in the family.” Thatās why he looked so moody at dinner.
He wanted to keep me as a caged canary. Jokeās on him.
To a rich kid like Luke, owning only one penthouse is considered “poverty.” But to a true grinder like me? As long as I have two hundred bucks in my digital wallet, I can survive for two weeks.
Plus, I still had about twelve grand left from this monthās allowance in my account. To the Sterlings, thatās ice cream money. To normal people? Thatās survival money for a year if youāre smart.
They thought they were knocking me into the dirt. To me? I was just switching to budget mode.
3.
Twenty minutes later, my Uber arrived. Iād called a premium rideāmight as well enjoy the last perks of the high life. The driver held an umbrella for me and opened the door.
It was worth the 20% surge pricing.
I never understood why heroines in dramas always insist on walking in the rain until they get a high fever after getting kicked out. Is it a kink?
I didn’t have money for medical bills. Life is hard enough without self-inflicted torture.
4.
The driver dropped me off at a budget motel. Fifty bucks a night. I took a hot shower, changed into the hotel robe, and sent my couture clothes to the front desk for dry cleaning.
Before bed, I downed two packets of Emergen-C just to be safe.
When youāre out on your own, your health is your only capital.
If no one loves you, you have to love yourself.
5.
I woke up feeling refreshed.
I put on my freshly dry-cleaned clothes and headed to a nearby discount outlet. I dove into the clearance bins, haggled like a demon, and spent a hundred bucks on four t-shirts, three pairs of shorts, and a pair of canvas sneakers.
As I left, the shop owner grumbled while bagging my stuff. “Girl, youāre dressed in designer gear but you haggle over pennies? Fine, take it at cost. Iāll even throw in a nice shopping bag.”
Exactly what I needed. How else was I going to sell this Louis Vuitton outfit for a good price without a decent bag?
It was a shame about the lambskin shoes I was wearing. Rich people stuff is fragile; one day of walking on pavement and the soles were scuffed. No resale value there.
But my phone case? That was encrusted with Swarovski crystals. An $800 phone inside a $3,000 case.
If I hadn’t checked the “shopping history” of the original owner, I wouldn’t have believed money could be burned like that.
And yet, the original owner of this body thought she couldn’t survive and was planning to go work at a bar? Brain damage, clearly.
6.
I spun around like a top all morning and finally liquidated every valuable item on my person.
Now, nothing on my body cost more than $20. I looked like a walking ad for Amazon Basics. Comfortable. This was the lifestyle I was used to.
I walked with a spring in my step, carrying a balance of nearly $10,000.
I was rich! I needed to treat myself.
I found a hole-in-the-wall noodle joint in Chinatown. Not much meat, but the sauce was savory, the cucumber crisp, and the noodles hand-pulled. Fifteen bucks for a huge bowl, and free refills on noodles.
I hadn’t eaten properly since the night before. I slurped it down, cleaning the bowl until even the last bit of minced meat was gone. I let out a loud, satisfied burp.
Before I sold the clothes, I hadnāt dared to eatādidnāt want to risk a stain lowering the resale value.
Wearing gold and silver makes me nervous. Budget living makes me free.
I guess Iām just not built for fine dining.
7.
That afternoon, I bought a cheap prepaid SIM card and swapped my iPhone for a $200 Android. The familiar operating system felt like home. Ah, sturdy. If I dropped this, I wouldn’t even cry.
I checked my chat history. The last two days were filled with mockery and sneers, plus a few “offers” from rich second-generation jerks asking if I needed a sugar daddy.
Get lost. Money really rots the brain.
The original girl had terrible taste in friends; not a single ride-or-die among them.
The most disgusting text came from Luke. He asked me if I had “learned my lesson yet.”
Lesson? Itās a free country. Did he think he could hang me from the city walls?
I typed “F— off,” hit send, and blocked him.
Learn my lesson? Eat dirt.
8.
After liquidating everything, I checked out of the motel carrying a large black trash bag.
Inside was my entire life: my cheap clothes, plus the disposable toothbrush and slippers from the hotel.
Manhattan hotels were too pricey. I decided to move out to Queens or maybe Jersey.
The only reason I hadn’t left the city yet was that I needed to pick up my college diploma.
Before I transmigrated here, I had dropped out after middle school to work in a factory. I was a fish that slipped through the net of compulsory education.
Now, I was about to be a college graduate with a degree. Just thinking about it made me excited.
Modern novels have zero logic when torturing cannon fodder. Why would a girl with a bachelor’s degree go work at a shady bar just to get humiliated by the male lead? Does she have a degradation kink?
9.
I went back to school the day after graduation. I did it on purpose.
Seeing Lanaās triumphant, gloating face once was enough. I didn’t need a sequel.
We were technically roommates, though I had only slept in the dorms maybe twice.
During school, I lived in a luxury apartment the Sterlings bought near campus, complete with a maid. It drove Lana, who was working part-time jobs, crazy with jealousy.
Classic “compare and despair” plot device. It was one of the reasons she hated me.
But it wasn’t my fault. It wasn’t even my biological parents’ fault. They were migrant workers who just happened to give birth in the hospital room next to the VIP suite on the same day a business rival of the Sterlings decided to swap the babies.
My bio-parents were poor, but they did their best. They raised Lana well enough to get into the same top-tier university as me before they both passed away from illness.
I didn’t understand why the Sterling family felt the need to humiliate those two dead old people. What was their crime?
Is being poor a sin?
10.
I went to the academic advisor’s office alone to collect my degree.
I wasn’t going to let Lana lead a mob to humiliate me at the ceremony.
Graduation is just a ritual. The principal moving my tassel from right to left wouldn’t add a single zero to my bank account. Why humiliate myself for people Iād never see again?
My advisor looked at me with concern. “Lexi, if you need anything, let me know.”
“I’m fine. Thank you.” Aside from the insane Sterling family, the rest of the world was pretty normal.
I really was fine.
Compared to the heiress inheriting a billion-dollar empire, sure, I had fallen from heaven to hell.
But compared to 90% of fresh graduates drowning in student loans with no job lined up? I had cash in my pocket.
“Save your help for someone who needs it. I got this!”
š Continue the story here
šš» š² Download the “MotoNovel” app
š search for “386563”, and watch the full series āØ!
#MotoNovel
My adopted brother, whom Iāve had a crush on forever, has always been cold to me.
I thought he just wasn’t the smiling type.
Until one night, I heard his raspy voice calling someone’s name:
“Sisi.”
Heartbroken, I packed up my pet snake and moved out.
Suddenly, floating text comments appeared before my eyes:
[Girl, you are killing me! He wasn’t calling a girl’s name! Snakes make a ‘hissing’ sound!]
[The Male Lead is never going to hiss again. He’s probably trying to poison himself mute right now.]
[Did you seriously not notice that your pet snake and your brother never appear at the same time?]
1
The day I moved out, a crack finally appeared in Liamās icy facade.
He frowned slightly, lifting his eyelids.
“Why?”
I avoided his gaze, flustered.
“I graduated. I can support myself now. It’s not good to keep living at home.”
I was adopted by the Landry family.
This reason should be reasonable enough.
I really couldn’t say the truth.
Hearing him call someone else’s name made me feel sad and awkward. I just wanted to run away.
Liam has always been a cold, self-restrained person.
But that night, when he called “Sisi,” his voice was low and raspy.
Like it was soaked in some deep emotion.
Just thinking about it still shocks me.
My suitcase was packed and sitting by the door.
As expected, Liam didn’t ask me to stay.
He just opened the door to his study, dropping one sentence:
“Don’t forget to take your pet.”
He was cold to me, and cold to my pet.
He never visited my little snake, let alone touched it.
Now, he couldn’t wait to kick it out too.
I was heartbroken.
I grabbed the snake, terrarium and all, and left alone.
2
The floating commentsālike a livestream chatāappeared after I moved into my new apartment.
I unpacked my stuff and collapsed on the sofa.
My little white snake slowly crawled out of the open terrarium, climbing up my calf. Its cool scales pressed against my bare skin.
Like always, I bent down and scooped it up.
It climbed up my arm and settled on my shoulder.
I started to suspect the mushrooms I fried for lunch weren’t fully cooked.
Lines of text started popping up in front of my eyes.
[Why did she move out?! My favorite trope of angsty tension under one roof is gone!]
[Forget tension, the plot is about to hit the highway and you’re still driving a tricycle.]
What are they babbling about?
Highway?
I just got my driver’s license; I’m not allowed on the highway yet.
I looked down and started googling “What to do for mushroom poisoning.”
I’ve heard of seeing little green men, but never floating text.
While my mind wandered, I switched to WeChat and saw Liam pinned at the top.
His profile picture was pure white.
The messages stopped a day ago.
Me: “Brother, I’m moving out.”
Him (replying much later): “Okay.”
So perfunctory.
I got dumped before we even started dating.
I buried my head in my knees, ready to cry my eyes out.
I forgot the snake was still on my shoulder.
It suddenly slipped into my collar, then stopped.
Leaving a cold, slippery sensation.
And… a snake tongue that didn’t retract in time.
The snake seemed stunned too, freezing in place.
My scalp tingled. I frantically fished it out.
It still left a faint red mark.
Emo mode paused.
The text scrolled by rapidly.
[Male Lead be like: Sorry, I type slow.]
[Female Lead: Stop pretending.]
[He wasn’t being perfunctory! You were playing with him at the time; he couldn’t free his hands. He typed that ‘Okay’ with his tail!]
[Holy crap! Just joined the stream and it’s already this spicy.]
[Liam must be in heaven.]
I understood the words, and my face instantly turned red.
Is this snake… Liam?
He always wears gold-rimmed glasses.
Is he a cobra? (Note: ‘Spectacled Cobra’ in Chinese/culture reference)
Suspicion: Hallucinations from mushroom poisoning.
3
I put the snake back in the terrarium and wanted to text my best friend.
To tell her I might be tripping on mushrooms.
My finger swiped, and I saw the messages I sent her last time.
Me: “It’s over. I have no chance.”
“Liam seems to like someone!”
“He even called her ‘Sisi’!”
“Sob.”
The comments seemed to be peeking at my screen.
[Girl, you are killing me! He wasn’t calling a girl’s name! Snakes make a ‘hissing’ sound!]
[The Male Lead is never going to hiss again. He’s probably trying to poison himself mute right now.]
[Did you seriously not notice that your pet snake and your brother never appear at the same time?]
Hey, didn’t I put on a privacy screen protector?
I deleted the unsent text.
I looked hesitantly at the terrarium by my feet.
The white snake was wrapped around a grape vine, head raised, staring quietly at me.
It and Liam… really never appeared together.
[Question Xu Xian, Understand Xu Xian, Become Xu Xian.] (Reference to the Legend of the White Snake, a man who fell in love with a snake demon)
[Try this, feed Liam some realgar wine. If he faints, he’s a snake. If not, he’s a snake demon.]
I pursed my lips.
I found Liam’s number in my contacts and dialed it.
The white snake’s eyes seemed to widen.
Then, its tail started rattling.
I don’t know the principle behind it, but…
I understood. I hung up.
4
That night, I was drawing on my tablet in my room.
I actually received a message from Liam first.
“Forgot to tell you.”
“The snake cousin gave you back then… it’s a rattlesnake.”
[Male Lead trying to cover his tracks.]
[What rattlesnake rattles with a ringtone sound?]
My cousin gave me the snake.
In high school, I was stressed and randomly wanted a pet snake.
My cousin heard and brought one over.
“Home-bred. Different from the ones you buy.”
“Long life span, smart, obedient, clingy. Great emotional support.”
“Knows to find food when hungry, knows to come home when it rains.”
It was true.
It understood all my commands.
It was clingy, often wrapping around my calf.
It slept with me at night.
I thought I found the perfect snake.
Turns out it was my brother.
…It feels really weird.
My secret crush and my favorite pet merged into one.
Whatever. I can pretend I don’t know.
I put down my pen and tablet, opening the door.
The white snake had crawled out of the terrarium at some point and was waiting at the door.
I hesitated, then squatted and held out my hand.
It climbed onto my shoulder and shook its tail.
The tail made a shhh-shhh sound, clear as day.
[Male Lead trying SO hard to prove he isn’t himself.]
[He doesn’t dare let her find out he’s a pervert.]
[That is a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. In the US, they bite more people than any other snake…]
Maybe beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
I felt like this snake looked a lot more handsome now.
It leaned in, nuzzling my cheek with its nose affectionately.
Tentatively, its tongue flicked the corner of my mouth.
Leaving a cold, wet sensation.
My breath hitched.
I took it off, put it outside the door, and locked it quickly.
[Male Lead got rejected just like that. But a snake is kinda hard to accept.]
[Only in novels. If I saw a snake that big in my house, I’d move out overnight and leave the deed to the snake.]
I threw myself onto the bed, burying my head in the quilt. My face was burning. It took a while to calm down.
I texted my best friend.
“Can you understand Xu Xian?”
The comments were shocked.
[???]
[So you’re shy, not rejecting him?]
š Continue the story here
šš» š² Download the “MotoNovel” app
š search for “386595”, and watch the full series āØ!
#MotoNovel
1
The third time Damien and I stood before the courthouse, it was because heād given my top spot as Metro News Network’s lead weather anchor to the new girl.
He leaned against his car, lighting a cigarette, his handsome features twisted with impatience.
“Is all this drama really necessary? She takes your spot, you get a nice long break at home. Whatās the problem?”
He took a drag, smoke curling from his lips. “Besides, I just gave her the position to keep her happy for a bit. Can’t you just suck it up for my sake?”
I stared straight ahead, my voice a flat, emotionless thing. “Let’s go inside.”
That night, I saw Damien with his arm around the new girl, laughing with his friends.
“Hey, what if Clara actually goes through with the divorce this time?” someone asked.
Damien scoffed and took a swig of his drink. “She loves me too much. She’d never do it for real.”
It wasn’t until he saw me in the backseat of someone else’s wedding limousine that the slow, dawning horror hit him: I wasn’t playing games anymore.
ā¦
Walking out of the courthouse, Damien shoved the divorce decree and other legal papers into my arms.
“There. Happy now?” he asked, a smirk playing on his lips as he lit another cigarette, his eyes raking over me.
I carefully folded my copy of the papers, tucked them into my purse, and then slapped his copy against his chest. I didn’t say a word, just turned to get in my car.
Before I could open the door, his hand shot out, grabbing my wrist. He slammed me against the car, trapping me. That sickly sweet rose perfumeāthe one he wore for herāfilled my lungs, making me want to gag.
Damienās grip was like iron, his eyes blazing with a barely controlled fire.
He spoke through gritted teeth. “It’s just a job! You’re giving me this attitude over a stupid job?”
“I already told you, I’m just letting her play anchor for a few days to keep her happy! Once she gets bored of it, you’ll get it back!”
“Do you have to drag me to the courthouse threatening divorce over every little thing?”
“Clara, have you lost count of how many times you’ve pulled this? I have my limits, you know!”
Our breaths mingled in the cold air, and a bitter laugh escaped my lips.
“Damien, you have the audacity to talk to me about limits?”
We were childhood sweethearts, married for six years. A week ago, Damien had brought Rachel into our home.
Without a word, he got on the phone with the station director, right in front of me. He announced a two-million-dollar investment in the network, with one condition. He glanced at Rachel, who was beaming with anticipation, before his heavy gaze landed on me.
His words, spoken with deliberate, cruel precision, sent a shard of ice through my heart.
“The condition is, Clara’s out. Rachel takes her place.”
He met my look of utter disbelief and sealed my fate. His bodyguards held me down, clamping a hand over my mouth to stifle my protests.
“Yeah, she knows,” he said into the phone. “She’s fine with it.”
“Great. I’ll have Rachel come in tomorrow to get started. You can show her the ropes.”
That day, I screamed at him. I broke everything I could get my hands on in our house. I slapped both him and Rachel across the face.
“Damien! What gives you the right to make my decisions for me? I never said I wanted to quit my job!”
“The right? I’m your husband! That’s my right! And this is final!” he’d roared back. “You’re out, Rachel’s in! You get to relax, she gets to try something new. It’s a win-win, isn’t it?”
I screamed at them to get out. Damien wrapped a protective arm around Rachel, glaring at me with contempt. “You’re insane,” he spat.
No one knows what I went through that week.
Fearing I’d go to the station and cause a scene, Damien locked me in our villa. I spent my days and nights in our room, trapped in a cycle of weeping and hollow laughter.
I had spent six years clawing my way up to become the lead weather anchor, the most beloved and trusted face at the network. Damien knew exactly how much I’d sacrificed for that position, how much that job meant to me.
But he didn’t care.
Or rather, for Rachel, sacrificing my reputation and my career was a small price to pay.
After all, for Rachel’s sake, he’d once been willing to sacrifice his own child.
The memory brought a fresh sting to my eyes. My tears seemed to startle him for a second, and in that moment of hesitation, I slapped him with all the strength I had left.
“You don’t get to talk to me about limits!” I screamed, my voice raw. “Damien, listen to yourself! What do you mean, ‘when Rachel gets bored of it’? You sound like you’re offering me scraps! Do I need your charity? I earned that position myself!”
“One slap and then a piece of candy to make it better. Thatās always been your style, hasn’t it, Damien!”
I shoved him away and pulled a gift bag from my car, throwing it at his feet. It was the expensive handbag he’d bought to “compensate” for my job. I hadn’t even opened it.
We parted in anger. Our two cars, which once drove side-by-side, now sped off in opposite directions. Just like our marriage, an arrangement by our families, had finally shattered after years of loving and fighting.
That evening, a text from Rachel summoned me to a private lounge. Through a crack in the door, I saw Damien, his arm draped around her on the central sofa, holding court with his friends.
“Hey, what if Clara actually goes through with the divorce this time?”
Damien just scoffed. “She loves me too much. She’d never do it for real.”
From across the room, Rachel shot me a smug, triumphant glare, a silent warning to just sign the papers and disappear.
I turned and walked away.
Damien didn’t come home for two weeks. I didn’t care. A persistent drizzle seemed to have settled over the city.
On TV, Rachel, in a smart blazer and skirt, her hair perfectly styled, was delivering the forecast in a stiff, robotic tone.
“Over the next few days, a cold front will cause a significant drop in temperatures across the country. For example, in the Northeastā¦”
Her smile was plastered on, looking unnatural. She stumbled over the more complex meteorological terms, her delivery faltering.
Thatās when Damien walked in.
He brought the damp chill of the rain with him. He tossed a towel at me and then leaned in close, expecting me to dry his hair for him.
I looked down, unmoving.
Rainwater dripped from his hair onto my silk nightgown, staining the fabric dark. Seeing my expression, Damienās mouth opened, then closed. He snatched the towel and started drying his own hair.
His eyes caught the TV, and a proud grin spread across his face.
“That’s Rachel’s first official broadcast. What do you think? Not bad, right?” The pride in his voice was thick and undisguised.
I had no energy to play along. I simply got up and went to the bedroom.
Damien followed, his gaze falling on the damp spot on my thigh. A flicker of desire ignited in his eyes. Before I could react, he pushed me onto the bed, his mouth covering mine, his kisses frantic and sloppy.
“Claraā¦ it’s been so long. Don’t you miss me?”
A humorless laugh bubbled up inside me. The image of him and Rachel tangled together on the living room sofa flashed in my mind, and a wave of nausea rose in my throat. I tried to push him off, but he pinned my wrists behind my back.
Our eyes locked, and I decided to wound him.
“What’s wrong? Rachel’s at the office now, so there’s no one to get you off?”
He was busy unbuttoning his shirt, and he just raised an eyebrow. “Why would that be a problem? I still have you, don’t I?”
I never imagined he would sink this low just to spite me.
As his hot breath washed over my face, I couldn’t hold it back any longer. I gagged, a dry, retching sound.
Damien recoiled as if he’d been burned, his face a mask of disgust and fury.
When my heaving subsided, he grabbed my face, his fingers digging into my cheeks.
“You find me that repulsive? I thought you loved me. What, you can’t even pretend anymore?”
A tear escaped and trailed down my cheek. He flinched and let go as if my tear was acid.
I managed a small, tired smile, my heart feeling strangely calm.
“I don’t love you anymore, Damien. A cheating man is like rotten food. Disgusting and foul.”
His face paled. He opened his mouth to argue, but seeing the genuine sickness in my expression, he snapped it shut.
“Don’t talk nonsense! God, I must owe you something in a past life! What a buzzkill!”
With that, he grabbed a change of clothes and stormed into the bathroom.
Fighting the bile in my throat, I went to the kitchen and downed a glass of water. The tears Iād been holding back finally broke free, blurring my vision. Damien was right. He did owe me.
The weather forecast had ended. Outside, the rain was coming down harder, drumming a relentless rhythm against the windows.
My phone buzzed. It was a string of texts from Rachel.
She sent me screenshots of large money transfers from Damien, peppered with his complaints about me.
“I can’t stand her anymore. That long face all day, like I owe her the world.”
“She has zero passion! Every time things get good, she pours cold water on it. It’s boring!”
“Are you off work yet? Get changed. I’m coming over.”
Then, a voice message. Rachelās voice, sickly sweet and mocking.
“Did you watch my show, Clara? It was my big debut! Damien said I was so much better than you! He sent me five hundred thousand dollars to go shopping for luxury bags!”
“Oh, and Damien told me you’re all upset about losing your job? I just wanted to tell you not to be so angry, sister. Stress causes wrinkles! And you’re already twenty-sixā¦ you can’t compete with a twenty-year-old girl like me.”
I closed my eyes. I was used to Rachelās provocations.
But this time, I was done enduring.
I opened my eyes and pulled up the chat with my brother, Liam.
A year ago, he had sent me an application for an internal transfer to a lead position at NBN, the national network. But back then, I still wanted to give my marriage one last chance, so Iād turned him down.
Now, that hope was gone. Utterly extinguished.
I had given Damien and me three chances. My job, my child, my dignity. He had taken them all. My love for him had been bled dry.
I typed: “Brother, that application you sent me last yearā¦ is it too late to submit it?”
He replied almost instantly.
“It’s not too late.”
A pause, then: “Have youā¦ figured things out?”
I wiped the tears from my face.
“Yes. I’ve figured it out.”
“ā¦And that other thing I asked you aboutā¦ have you thought about it?”
I held my breath. After a long moment, I heard my own voice, barely a whisper as I typed the words.
“Yes. I’ve thought about itā¦ and I acceptā¦ Liam.”
Though Liam was adopted, our father, before he passed, had always hoped he would become his son-in-law. I knew if my parents were still alive, they would approve of my decision.
As for Damien and me, it was time to cut the cord.
Our love, our marriageāit all ends here.
When Damien came out of the shower, he didn’t say a word. He just grabbed his coat and left. He moved in with Rachel after that, and for the next ten days, she bombarded me with photos of their happy life together.
On the day the divorce was to be finalized, I didn’t show up.
I was on a plane, and I fell asleep and dreamt.
I dreamt of a time before everything soured between us. Our marriage may have been arranged by our families, but for the first three years, we were good to each other. We respected one another.
And the most important thing was, I loved him.
We grew up together. From the moment I understood what a crush was, it was him. That was why I never fought the arranged marriage.
Damien, on the other hand, had resisted fiercely. Heād pleaded with me to join him in refusing the union. But out of my own selfish love, I hadn’t.
Then, one day, he justā¦ accepted it.
In the beginning, our marriage was polite, like two roommates sharing a life. But over time, I started to believe he was falling for me, too. He’d bring me little surprises every dayāa bouquet of flowers, my favorite dessert. He’d hold me tight every night as we fell asleep.
I remember once, someone left a comment on the station’s website asking for my contact information. Damien was so consumed with jealousy he kept me in bed for an entire week. He clung to me like a lost puppy, begging me not to look at any other man. He even carried me to the bathroom.
That was the fourth year of our marriage.
Then, I heard from our families that his first love, his high school sweetheart, had gotten married and had a child.
And that’s when Rachel appeared. She had the same innocent, pure look as his first love.
It was around that time that Damien found the notes app on my phone.
It was filled with years of my secret feelings for him, from my teenage diary entries to my thoughts after we were married.
And Damienā¦ he snapped.
He became convinced that I had conspired with our families to drive his first love away. The truth was, I never even knew he had a girlfriend. I had no idea he was in love with someone else.
But he wouldn’t listen. From that day on, he made it his mission to hurt me.
The first year Rachel was in the picture, she was exposed as a homewrecker. The scandal was everywhere. Despite photos, videos, irrefutable proof, Damien forced me to go on record and clear her name. Because of that, the public labeled me a “doormat,” a “pathetic wife.” The ratings for my segments plummeted.
The second year, by some accident, I got pregnant. Rachel threw tantrums, staged dramatic goodbyes. Damien’s heart softened. It reminded him of being forced to leave his first love. In a moment of cruel vengeance, he forced me to take pills that would induce a miscarriage. My health was already fragile; the doctor had told me the pregnancy was high-risk. The potent dose sent my body into shock. I was bleeding uncontrollably.
Damien just stood there, watching the life drain out of me, a crimson flower blooming on the floor beneath me. His voice was laced with poison. “Does it hurt? When she and I were forced apart, it hurt a thousand times more than this! A million times!”
“You’re such a good actress, Clara. No wonder you never fought the marriage.”
“You’re pathetic. You owe me this. Now suffer.”
I passed out from the pain. Only then did he show a sliver of mercy and take me to the hospital. The doctor said if he’d waited any longer, I would have died.
And the third year, this year, he took my job.
ā¦
I didn’t see the two missed calls until I landed that night.
They were from Damien.
I opened his voice message, and a sneering, sarcastic voice filled the air.
š Continue the story here
šš» š² Download the “MotoNovel” app
š search for “386627”, and watch the full series āØ!
#MotoNovel
My mother picked two potential marriage candidates for my brother and me.
One was a wealthy socialite from a prominent family, her eyes always following my brother.
The other, left for me, was the daughter of a scholarly family. She was in a wheelchair, blind.
I didn’t look down on her because of it. Instead, I took her to the best doctors I could find.
I spent all my savings and worked tirelessly to support her.
Every doctor said there was nothing physically wrong with her legs; it might be psychological.
So I took her to the seaside to feel the breeze. I took her to see rivers, mountains, and flowers blooming in spring.
Until my brother and I were kidnapped.
When the kidnapper’s knife was about to pierce my brother’s chest, she sprinted over and yanked me directly in front of him.
I watched helplessly as the blade pierced my heart.
As countless bodyguards rushed in calling her “Miss,” I finally realized the truth.
She wasn’t crippled. She wasn’t blind. She wasn’t from some modest scholarly family.
She just didn’t want to stand by my side. She didn’t want to see me.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “My family is the richest in the city. My father wanted me to feign illness to test for true love.”
“You passed the test, but I couldn’t fall in love with you. Even if Ryan didn’t choose me, I couldn’t let him die.”
“I owe you. I’ll repay you in the next life.”
When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my mother chose our brides.
1
In the living room, Mom was smiling, entertaining two women.
One was Fiona, sitting in a wheelchair. The other was Hannah, dressed in luxury brands.
Just like in my previous life, my brother Ryanās eyes were glued to Hannah.
My younger brother, Lucas, who always enjoyed watching the drama, noticed my pale face and started teasing.
“Is this even a choice? Big brother dresses so tacky, he’s a perfect match for the blind girl.”
“Ryan has always been the school heartthrob. We can’t let him go to waste on a cripple.”
I clenched my fists.
“So you think your big brother, who paid for your food and drinks, deserves to be wasted on someone?”
“Don’t forget how you survived until now!”
Ryan and Lucas were twins, three years younger than me.
Since childhood, our parents instilled one thought in me: as the eldest brother, I had to be like a father, caring for my brothers and supporting the family.
So, any good food went to them first. New clothes went to them.
Even when Lucas needed a kidney transplant, I was the donor.
Now Lucas wanted to marry a rich girl but couldn’t afford the dowry. Mom shamelessly contacted the Fu and Han families, whom we hadn’t spoken to in over a decade, demanding they honor an old engagement promise made by the elders.
They planned to use the dowry money Ryan and I received to pay for Lucas’s wedding.
Since I was reborn, I had nothing to lose.
“I choose Hannah. Or I won’t marry!”
Everyone froze.
Ryan turned red with anxiety.
I had never spoken so forcefully in this house, nor had I ever fought for anything he wanted.
He immediately looked at Hannah for help.
Hannah got the message, sitting next to Ryan and leaning into his arms.
“Ryan and I fell in love at first sight. I trust that as his big brother, you wouldn’t break us apart, right?”
Ryan held her hand tightly, eyes teary.
“You know I can’t take care of people. I can’t live with Fiona. If her condition worsens, I’ll feel guilty. Brother, you studied Chinese medicine with Grandpa. If you marry her and cure her, it would be a good deed.”
I glanced at the silent Fiona, a smirk forming on my lips.
“So you’ve decided on Hannah, right?”
He nodded.
Dad quickly hammered the final nail. “Alright, it’s settled then.”
But the next second, Fiona moved.
She lifted her pale hand, removed her sunglasses, revealing bright, clear eyes.
Then, she stood up from her wheelchair.
She walked past me straight to Ryan, smiling.
“You don’t need to worry about taking care of me. I was just joking with everyone earlier. Although I’m not from Seaview City, my father is the richest man in Rivertown. If you marry me, you’ll live very well.”
“Ryan, can you give me a chance to pursue you?”
I sneered internally. So she was reborn too.
That made things easier.
2
While everyone was shocked by the turn of events, I spoke up.
“Dad, since that’s the case, I’m not marrying anyone. As for how much dowry you can get from them, that’s up to your skills.”
Dad looked awkward.
One was the son of the richest man in Rivertown, the other from a prominent family in Seaview City. He couldn’t afford to offend either.
And just then, Hannah’s competitive streak kicked in. She stood up, meeting Fiona’s gaze.
“A gentleman doesn’t steal what others love. Do you understand that?”
Fiona didn’t back down.
“Who he loves is up to Ryan to decide, isn’t it?”
Then she smiled beautifully, looking at Ryan with utmost tenderness.
“Do you remember when we were kids in Seaview City? My grandfather set up a chess game under a tree. You solved it in less than an hour. You were the only one.”
“I was amazed by your wisdom back then and swore I wouldn’t marry anyone but you.”
“Don’t feel pressured. I’ll compete fairly with Hannah. Whoever you choose in the end, I’ll respect it.”
In my past life, I died not knowing why she loved Ryan so deeply.
Hearing it now, I just found it laughable.
I was the one who solved that chess game.
I couldn’t blame her for the mistake. Back then, I was malnourished, giving all my food to my brothers. I wasn’t even as tall as Ryan.
But I was too lazy to reveal the truth. It was boring.
Seeing Ryan nod, Hannah looked displeased but agreed.
From now on, it wasn’t a battle for a boyfriend, but a battle between the prominent families of Rivertown and Seaview City.
Seeing enough of the drama, I got up to go to my room, but Dad stopped me.
“Where are you going?”
“Oh, I’m leaving this house to find Grandpa.”
“You’re not going anywhere! If you leave, who will they marry?”
I scoffed. “Dad, do you want both rich daughters-in-law? If it really doesn’t work out, why don’t you marry one? I don’t pick up other people’s leftovers.”
I went to my room to pack.
Grandpa had cut ties with our family long ago.
Twenty years ago, my mom, greedy for money, boasted that Grandpa could bring the dead back to life and insisted on bringing a corpse for treatment. She almost ruined his reputation.
Grandpa kicked her out and severed all ties.
Only after I grew up did I sneak out to visit him.
I had a talent for Chinese medicine.
In my past life, I could have inherited Grandpa’s legacy.
But because I married Fiona, I had to give it up.
I was exhausted working multiple jobs to pay for her medical bills and save up to take her traveling.
So this time, I was going to live for myself.
3
After packing, I ran to the community gate to hail a taxi.
But Fiona blocked my way, standing right in front of me.
This was the first time I stood next to her standing up. She was tall, her appearance perfect. Too bad her heart was rotten.
“Liam, you were reborn too, right?”
I met her gaze, neither humble nor arrogant.
“Yes. I remember every cold look you gave me, every lie you told me, and the pain of that knife piercing my heart!”
She sighed slightly. “I’m sorry.”
“Save your cheap apologies! I will never forgive you! Move, get out of my way.”
Suddenly, her hand clamped onto my arm like a vise.
“You can’t leave.”
The next second, two bodyguards dragged me into a car.
I was taken to a villa, heavily guarded.
“Fiona, what the hell are you doing! I’m not interfering with you and Ryan, why are you keeping me here!”
“Liam, in my last life I said I would compensate you. If he doesn’t choose me this time, I’ll marry you and ensure you live in luxury for the rest of your life.”
I scoffed. “And if he chooses you?”
“Then I’ll give you a sum of money and let you go. For now, I need you to help me pursue him. Tell me everything he likes.”
“Tell me what he likes to eat first. I invited him here for dinner. I’m going to cook.”
Even though I was filled with hate, seeing how much she cared about Ryan still hurt.
I bit my lip, refusing to speak, but her nails dug deep into my flesh.
I winced and spoke. “Expensive. The more expensive, the better!”
While she was in the kitchen, I looked around the house, thinking of a way to escape.
Soon, the doorbell rang. Ryan stood there in a decent casual suit, looking boyish.
Fiona welcomed him with a smile.
He thanked her in a pinched voice, then saw me standing there.
“Why are you here!”
Fiona quickly explained for me. “He’s here to help me pursue you. I figured your brother would know your preferences.”
Although his eyes were full of disgust, he had to pretend to be moved.
“Fiona, you’re so thoughtful.”
After sitting down, I unceremoniously devoured the airlifted lobster and king crab.
Ryan, however, kept checking his phone. Soon, it rang urgently.
“Hello Mom, don’t panic, what happened?”
“What? I’ll be right there.”
After hanging up, he suddenly knelt before me.
“Brother, Lucas needs a kidney transplant. Help him, please. You can’t watch him die.”
My mind went blank.
I remembered clearly that after the last surgery, the doctor said Lucas recovered very well and wouldn’t relapse.
“You’re a match too. Why don’t you donate?”
But Ryan acted like he didn’t hear me, kowtowing repeatedly. “Brother, please, save him.”
Fiona pulled him up heartache, hugging him.
Then she glared at me. “You are so selfish!”
She dragged Ryan away, not forgetting to order the bodyguards to watch me closely.
4
I was locked in a room on the third floor. Pounding on the door was useless.
I found a trophy and smashed the window without hesitation.
Looking down from the third floor, my legs went weak. I closed my eyes and jumped.
But luck wasn’t on my side.
I hit the ground hard, breaking my ribs. The pain was suffocating.
Fiona walked over.
I instinctively begged for help. “Send… send me to the hospital.”
But her voice was freezing. “You’re not going anywhere. Wait here to donate your kidney to your brother.”
I looked at her in disbelief, tears falling uncontrollably.
“I only have one kidney left. If I give it to him, I’ll die.”
“Yes, I know.”
My heart turned completely cold.
“This is your compensation to me?”
“I’m sorry. I don’t want to see Ryan sad. Consider it another debt I owe you.”
I lay in bed for days. My injuries healed slowly, but my life was counting down.
Waiting for death filled me with despair.
Five days later, Ryan walked into my room alone. Seeing me strapped to the bed, he laughed loudly.
“Brother, since you’re dying, I’ll tell you. The person who needs the kidney is the guy Lucas hit with his car. Coincidentally, he’s a match with you.”
Tears streamed down my face. “I’ve been good to you since we were kids. Why are you doing this to me?”
He glared at me viciously. “Blame Fiona. If she were really crippled, I would have let you have her. But she’s not, so I want both!”
I closed my eyes in sorrow.
He untied me.
I stood up and followed him slowly.
When we reached the door, I suddenly shoved him out with all my strength and locked the door.
I picked up the gasoline I had prepared by the bed, splashed it on the floor, and lit a match.
Ryan pounded on the door frantically.
“What are you doing? You can’t die! I’m calling Fiona right now!”
My indifferent voice came from inside. “I’ve already called the police. If you don’t want Fiona to know you two conspired to trick her, you better pray I burn to death!”
Sure enough, the noise outside stopped immediately.
I stood in the dancing flames, laughing at the sky.
Finally, I’m free.
Goodbye, world that was never kind to me.
š Continue the story here
šš» š² Download the “MotoNovel” app
š search for “386643”, and watch the full series āØ!
#MotoNovel
I was on a business trip in New York City, unable to sleep. Scrolling through Reddit in my hotel bed, I stumbled upon a bizarre post:
[True Crime Deep Dive: On the night of July 30, 2025, at 10:30 PM, the heiress to the W Group fortune was brutally beheaded while on a business trip in NYC. Her head was found in the hotel mini-fridge. The killer was her late father’s illegitimate son, who posed as a delivery driver to gain entry.]
I paused. I am the heiress of the W Group. I am currently on a business trip in NYC.
But my dad didn’t have an illegitimate son.
And today is July 30th. But it’s only 10:00 PM right now. How could I be reading a news report about a murder that happens thirty minutes in the future?
I figured it was just a sick prank by some bored internet troll.
But when I got up to grab a water, I froze.
The interior of the hotel mini-fridge was identical to the crime scene photo in the post.
And the spot where the severed head was placed in the photo… was currently empty in my fridge.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
“Delivery!”
1
My heart skipped a beat. I immediately dialed my security team.
First off, I haven’t eaten takeout in years.
When I travel, I book the Presidential Suite. All my meals are prepared by the hotel. Even if I ordered delivery, hotel staff would bring it up. No delivery driver is allowed on this floor.
I suddenly remembered the Reddit post.
It was absurd, impossible to believe. But the people, the time, the location… everything matched. Was this really a death notice?
When I didn’t answer, the pounding on the door got louder.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Hello? Delivery! Come get your food!”
The voice was raspy, sounding like a middle-aged man.
Remembering the post said the killer was my father’s illegitimate son, I relaxed slightly.
This guy sounded old enough to be my dad’s contemporary, not his son.
Luckily, my security team was staying on a lower floor. They’d be here in minutes.
I calmed myself down.
The knocking continued, sparking my curiosity.
I walked softly to the heavy door.
But the moment I got close, the knocking stopped.
Dead silence outside.
I held my breath and peered through the peephole.
The hallway was empty.
But the next secondā
Bang! Bang!
Two massive thuds against the door.
Then!
A face shot up from below, filling the entire peephole!
The skin was wrinkled and greasy, a thick double chin spilling over the collar of a delivery uniform.
Cloudy eyes stared dead at me through the glass.
His mouth slowly, stiffly stretched into a grotesque grin.
Bang! Bang!
He hit the door again, harder this time. It was like he knew I was right there.
I stumbled back, nearly falling.
Just as I thought he would break the door down, his voice changed. It became soft, almost a whisper.
“Delivery for you… I’ll just leave it here.”
Footsteps retreated.
Tap tap tap tap…
Fading down the hallway.
Did he leave?
My security team arrived shortly after. Seeing the line of burly men in black suits guarding my door, I finally exhaled.
But I was furious. How could a 5-star hotel have such lax security?
I called the front desk immediately.
After checking the surveillance, the receptionist sounded confused. “Ms. Chen… we apologize for the disturbance. But we’ve checked all camera feeds for the elevators, hallways, and stairwells leading to the Presidential floor for the last thirty minutes… There is no record of anyone in a delivery uniform entering the area. The only people on the footage are your security team.”
She paused, her voice trembling slightly. “And… there is no footage of the ‘delivery driver’ leaving, either…”
Buzzā
A chill shot from my feet to my skull.
Not on camera? Didn’t go up, didn’t come down?
That meant the “delivery driver” had been hiding on this floor the entire time!
Unease settled in my gut. I called the police immediately.
With my elite security teamāall national martial arts championsāoutside, I felt safe enough to wait for the cops.
Sweating from the stress, I went to the bathroom to wash my face.
Back on the sofa, I opened my phone. The Reddit post was at the top of my feed again.
This time, I looked closer.
Posted: July 30, 2035, 22:45
Ten years in the future?!
How is that possible?
I refreshed the page. The date remained 2035. Every other post on my feed had normal dates.
I read the entire post. The murder case went cold for ten years.
The illegitimate son inherited the family empire, liquidated everything within a few years, and fled the country with billions.
The police never found him.
My mother, the legitimate wife, was committed to a mental asylum by the son, claiming she lost her mind from grief. She committed suicide six months later.
A sense of dread washed over me. I scrolled to the comments.
The top comments made my heart stop:
“OP got it wrong. The son didn’t disguise himself as the driver. The driver was just a distraction he hired.”
“Exactly. She’s a billionaire heiress in a Presidential Suite with bodyguards. A delivery guy couldn’t get close.”
“The real killer was hiding inside the hotel room.”
Inside the hotel room…
Inside the hotel room!
Those words sucked the warmth from my body.
I froze. My eyes darted to the time on my phone screen.
22:29
The post said the murder happened at 22:30.
Before I could even process the thoughtā
Thud!
A dull, heavy blow struck the back of my head!
Warm, sticky liquid, smelling of rust, poured down my face and neck.
Then I felt the cold slice of a blade against my throat.
With the last of my strength, I tried to turn my head, to see the face behind me.
But a hand like an iron clamp held my head down, covering my mouth and nose.
The post was real. The victim was me.
I collapsed in a pool of blood, eyes closing in helpless rage.
2
I opened my eyes. I was back in the hotel bed.
The phantom pain in my head and neck lingered, but there was no blood.
I looked at my phone. The Reddit post was on the screen.
Time: 10:00 PM.
I was reborn! Back to thirty minutes before the murder!
I scanned the room nervously.
The killer was hiding in here, right now.
I forced myself to stay calm. Knowing the killer was inside, I texted my security team and 911 instead of calling.
Almost immediately after I sent the texts, the doorbell rang.
“Delivery!” The raspy voice called out.
Knowing he was just a distraction, I wanted to ignore him.
But to put on a show for the killer inside, I yelled, “Wrong room! I didn’t order anything!”
Then I put on headphones, pretending to ignore the knocking, while my eyes frantically scanned the roomācurtains, closet, bathroom…
Where was he hiding?
The knocking stopped. The footsteps faded.
My bodyguards arrived on time.
The timeline matched my previous life.
I lunged for the door, throwing myself into the center of the protective circle of bodyguards.
As we rushed out, I thought I heard a faint rustling sound from inside the room.
I glanced back. In a dark corner of the living room, I felt an intense gaze burning into me.
“Go! Move!” I ordered, terrified to look closer.
We crowded into the elevator, then into my stretch limo. The door slammed shut.
We drove away from the hotel.
Safe?
I checked my phone. I opened Reddit.
The post was at the top again.
I scrolled to the comments. My heart stopped.
New comments had appeared:
“The heiress was smart, but she still died.”
“She thought she escaped once she got in the car…”
“Too bad she still died…”
A bone-deep chill seized me.
I forced myself to turn around and look at the people in the car.
One, two, three… six, seven.
Seven people.
My security team only has six members.
Everyone was wearing black suits and sunglasses. I tried to find an unfamiliar face.
But strangely, all seven faces looked familiar.
How is this possible?
I forced myself to think.
“Stop the car,” I said, voice steady. “Everyone except Leo gets out. Go back to the hotel and help the police catch the fake delivery guy.”
Leo was my personal bodyguard, assigned by my parents ten years ago. He was the only one I trusted completely.
The car door opened. Six bodyguards got out and ran back toward the hotel.
They looked normal, except one. As he ran, he glanced back at the car with a weird expression.
Not looking at me. Looking at the car.
I didn’t have time to analyze it. I told Leo to drive. “Head to the nearest police station. Fast.”
I slumped in the seat, soaked in cold sweat.
Just me and Leo now.
The car moved smoothly.
Safe… for now?
I checked the time: 22:28
Two minutes left!
I leaned back, trying to slow my heart rate.
Leo was focused on driving. My reflection in the window was pale.
Just as I started to relaxā
A puff of cold air blew against my right ear!
My pupils dilated. There’s someone else in the car!
Before I could move, a hand shot out from behind the seat, gripping my throat!
Another hand, wielding a knife, stabbed into the left side of my neck!
Squelch!
Pain exploded! Blood sprayed!
He was too fast. Even Leo couldn’t react in time.
My vision turned red.
I saw Leo turn around, his face twisted in horror.
My phone slipped from my hand.
Screen on: 22:30
10:30 PM. again.
There was only one other person in the car besides me. Leo didn’t do it. Who was the second person? How did they get in?
Darkness swallowed me.
3
I woke up in the hotel room again.
Time: 10:00 PM.
I checked the Reddit post.
The title had changed:
[True Crime Update: On July 30, 2025, at 10:30 PM, the W Group heiress was beheaded in NYC. Her head was found under the East River Bridge. The killer was her father’s illegitimate son.]
It changed.
The East River Bridge was on the route I took in my second life.
So the future can be changed!
I texted the police and called only Leo up to the room.
In the last life, I saw Leo didn’t attack me. He was safe.
I ignored the delivery guy again.
When Leo arrived, I bolted out the door, dragging him to the private elevator.
In the garage, I chose the smallest sedan instead of the limo.
I made Leo check the entire car with a flashlightāundercarriage, tires, trunk, back seat.
“Ms. Chen, exterior is clear. Interior is clear. Safe!”
I relaxed a little.
This car was tiny. Nowhere to hide.
“Drive! Police station!” I jumped into the passenger seat.
Leo drove.
The car merged into traffic.
Silence inside.
I stared at the back seat, paranoia eating at me.
Leo drove carefully, checking the mirrors.
I checked my phone. The Reddit post was gone.
I smiled. Did I finally escape?
Time: 22:28
22:29
The police station was just ahead! Red light!
The car stopped.
As the countdown hit 3, and Leo prepared to accelerateā
A hot breath blew against the back of my neck.
A low, male chuckle sounded right behind my ear.
My hair stood on end! My heart stopped!
Impossible! Only me and Leo! And Leo is driving!
The next second, a pair of cold hands shot out from the gap between the headrest and the seat back!
They locked around my throat!
“Urgh!” Suffocation hit me instantly.
I saw Leo react, unbuckling his seatbelt and lunging toward the back seat.
Too late.
The knife went in.
As my consciousness faded, my phone screen lit up. The Reddit post was back.
Comments refreshing rapidly:
“She was smart this time, but still died.”
“So sad. The killer only wanted to behead her, but she ran, so he got mad and chopped her into a thousand pieces.”
…
4
Hotel room. 10:00 PM.
I looked at the phone.
Title changed again: [Heiress dismembered and scattered.]
The comments were right. Running angered him.
My body ached. My eyelids were heavy. Each rebirth drained me more.
Despair washed over me.
I tried everything. I still died. Was the killer a ghost?
But the post said “illegitimate son.” A human.
How does he do it?
Screw it! If I can loop, I’m going big!
I texted the police. When the team arrived, I marched everyone to the hotel lobby.
I asked the front desk to call every guest.
“Anyone who comes to the lobby and livestreams me right now gets $10,000 cash. If you stream all night, another $10,000.”
People flooded the lobby.
A cleaning lady scoffed. “Yeah right, little girl.”
I Venmo’d her $5,000 on the spot.
“Whoa!” The crowd went wild. Phones went up. Flashlights on.
I started giving an impromptu business lecture, my eyes scanning the crowd like radar.
22:15… 22:28… 22:30!
Heart pounding! I survived 10:30!
The killer couldn’t act with so many cameras.
The police arrived.
This was the first time I lived long enough to see them.
I told them about the fake delivery guy upstairs.
Soon, they brought down the greasy middle-aged man in handcuffs.
The crowd parted.
As he passed me, he looked up. His cloudy eyes locked onto mine, lips curling into a mocking smile.
Like he was looking at a dead woman.
I felt sick.
So I didn’t relax. I stayed in the lobby, under the cameras, until dawn.
I paid everyone.
Exhausted, I couldn’t stay.
“Police station,” I told Leo.
But I was traumatized by cars. So we took the bus.
First bus of the morning. Empty.
We sat in the back.
Watching the city wake up, I finally relaxed.
The bus stopped at the station near the precinct.
I got up, walking to the rear door with Leo.
It was quiet.
The moment my foot touched the sidewalkā
Slash!
Familiar pain! A blade sliced my throat open!
The world tilted red. Screams erupted.
With my last ounce of strength, I turned my head.
I saw a hand with a crescent-shaped scar.
Leo stood next to me, looking behind me in horror. As he lunged, I blacked out.
š Continue the story here
šš» š² Download the “MotoNovel” app
š search for “386659”, and watch the full series āØ!
#MotoNovel
