Category: English

I was on my honeymoon at the coast with my husband, but he was too busy rubbing sunscreen suggestively onto his female best friend’s back. “Wow, you’ve really filled out here, haven’t you? Nice work.” When I saw Liam’s hand lingering on the small of Riley’s back, my face was serene as I crushed the plastic cup in my hand. Liam didn’t appreciate my silence. His expression tightened with annoyance as he scolded me for my lack of generosity. “We’re just messing around, Sloane. We’ve always been like this. Why do you always have to make it a thing?” Riley shot me a look of pure, sweet provocation. “Don’t be mad, Sis. Liam and I grew up together, practically sharing a sandbox. We’ve seen everything. We’re purely platonic.” She sighed dramatically, tossing her long hair. “My only regret is being born a woman. If I could choose, I’d absolutely turn into a guy, just so people like you wouldn’t get the wrong idea all the time.” Liam draped an arm over her shoulder and looked at me, shaking his head. “I really wish you could be more supportive, Sloane. Don’t ruin the brotherhood.” They had no idea that I was a former transmigrator. The System that sent me to this world had promised me one wish upon the completion of my last mission. Since the two of them were so fiercely “platonic,” I decided to grant Riley’s wish to be a real man. 1 “I wish to grant Riley Preston’s desire, and make her a real man.” The System’s reply was instantaneous: “As the wish involves fundamental changes to human structure, the complete gender transformation will require seven days.” Seven days. That meant in one week, Riley would be completely male. It took every ounce of self-control not to burst out laughing right there on the sand. Riley, oblivious, reached up, hooked her arm around Liam’s neck, and pulled him in for a mock headlock, squeezing him against her chest. She laughed heartily. “Alex’s barbecue is probably ready. Come on, your daddy’s starving.” Liam grunted, an annoyed but ultimately compliant sound, and bowed his head, letting her drag him along. Even though I’d witnessed this scene countless times, my eyes still stung. On the beach during the soft blue hour, everyone was seated in a circle. I was about to move forward, but Riley beat me to it, plopping down right next to Liam. “Oops, I sat here! Hope my sister-in-law won’t be mad, huh?” Before I could say anything, Liam rushed to her defense. “It’s just a seat, Riley. Sloane, don’t be petty.” I kept my face blank and picked a random seat further away. Liam’s expression soured a little at my distance, but he was quickly distracted by Riley’s relentless chattering. When the platters of barbecue arrived, Liam immediately handed me a skewer of grilled shrimp. “Your favorite seafood. Don’t be angry anymore.” I froze, then slowly reached out and took it. Riley feigned outrage, pinching Liam’s ear. “Oh, you dog! How dare you show preference! Can’t you see your daddy’s still hungry?” Liam played along, yelping and wincing, quickly offering up a skewer of chicken wings with both hands. The others laughed at the silly spectacle. I bit my lip, staring blankly at the grilled shrimp in my hand. It wasn’t until Chet Reynolds, who was sitting next to me, leaned over and asked if he could trade his grilled squid for my shrimp that a ripple finally crossed my still surface. A virtual stranger, someone I’d only met a couple of times, knew that I actually hated shrimp. And Liam Beckett, the man I’d been in a relationship with for four years, was clueless. All those years of commitment and love, it seemed, meant nothing at all. After dinner, bored, everyone decided to play “Never Have I Ever.” After a few rounds of tame work and life confessions, it was Riley’s turn. She flashed a sly smile, locking eyes with me without an ounce of shame. “Never have I ever seen Liam and Sloane’s video… the bedroom kind.” The lively atmosphere instantly went dead silent. My mind exploded into a buzzing static. I stared at Liam, unable to comprehend the violation. He just offered a helpless, sheepish smile, then smacked Riley lightly on the butt. “What are you bringing that up for now?” Alex, trying to smooth things over, quickly interjected. “It’s just the video of Liam blow-drying Sloane’s hair in bed, right? Who hasn’t seen that! Let’s drink, let’s drink!” “No, it’s not!” Riley stood up, looking smug, suggestively shaking the beer bottle in her hand. “Liam is much more impressive than that. Sloane was shouting his name, and you guys haven’t even…” Liam quickly shoved a piece of roasted meat into her mouth. “Shut up! You promised to keep that a secret! Why are you spilling it now?” Riley just pouted. “So what? This game’s only fun if you play it right.” She lowered her voice to a theatrical whisper, but loud enough for everyone to hear. “Besides, I’ve seen way more explosive stuff than that. If you try to stop me again, I’ll tell the whole story!” A ringing filled my ears, my brain completely blank. When I finally registered what was happening, the glass beer bottle in my hand was already hurtling toward Riley’s head. It shattered against Liam’s back instead. Glass sprayed everywhere. In that critical moment, he had instinctively, unequivocally, shielded Riley. My eyes were hot, starting to water, but he didn’t notice. Instead, he spun around, glaring at me, enraged. “Sloane, can you please stop throwing your little princess fits?” He didn’t lower his voice. The accusation was sharp and public. “I brought you to meet my friends out of kindness, and you can’t even take a joke? What a buzzkill you are.” He scoffed, looking at my injured hand and the glass shards scattered on his shirt. “If we hadn’t already gotten legally married, I would call the cops right now! Maybe a few nights in jail would clear your head.” Riley, the victor, stood up and sauntered away. “Come on, son, walk with your daddy. We don’t play with petty little girls. They’re annoying.” Liam shot me one last look—a dark, you-better-get-it-together look—and walked off after her. The ocean breeze felt suddenly cold, but my heart was colder. His friends exchanged awkward glances, then mumbled excuses and scattered, leaving me sitting alone on the sand, staring blankly at the coastline. Four years. For four years, I had believed Liam was the perfect husband. He remembered every anniversary and special date, always crafting a handmade gift. Every Friday, a bouquet of fresh flowers was delivered to my office, earning me the envious glances of my colleagues. I’d mention a new restaurant in passing, and the next day, he’d drive us there. Our parents had met, were thrilled, and we’d already signed the legal papers—the wedding ceremony itself was scheduled for next month. But all that goodness became lighter than a feather when his “brother” Riley was involved. When Riley returned from her trip, he kept it a secret and went to pick her up late at night. The packed lunches he made for me every day? He’d casually make an identical, usually more generous, portion for her. He told me he was too busy to pick me up during a sudden downpour. As I trudged through the crosswalk, soaked, I saw him walking into a mall arcade, his arm slung casually around Riley’s shoulder. Every time I got angry, he’d dismiss it with the same line: “I see her as a guy. How could I ever be involved with her?” “She’s just a friend, Sloane. Stop thinking something so filthy about us.” Since they were so convinced of their “brotherhood,” I figured that when Riley was actually a man, their friendship would only deepen, right? I let out a low, humorless laugh. Suddenly, a roll of gauze appeared in front of me. “Your hand is cut. You should bandage it up.” Only then did I notice the broken glass had left a deep gash on my right hand, which was bleeding steadily. When I didn’t move, Chet gently took my hand and meticulously wrapped the wound. I thanked him, but he didn’t leave. He simply sat down next to me, grabbed a beer, and started drinking. We sat there all night until the most beautiful sunrise I had ever seen broke over the horizon. I took a picture and posted it to social media with a single caption: “A new beginning.” We took a cab back to the hotel and ran directly into Liam, his hair tousled, walking out of Riley’s room. Seeing me, his face immediately shifted, and he was about to start explaining when Riley popped out from behind him. A single night had passed, and just as the System had promised, many masculine features had appeared on her. The fuzz on her upper lip was noticeably darker, and the hair on her arms was thicker. Yet, she was utterly oblivious. She looped her arm through Liam’s affectionately. “Sis, your husband’s a beast in bed. You’re in for a treat.” “Stop talking nonsense!” Liam violently shook Riley’s hand off and rushed to my side. “Sloane, don’t misunderstand. We just played video games all night.” I kept my eyes down, but I clearly noticed his subconscious habit—a nervous little scratch at his pants—the tick he could never hide when he was lying. But now, I felt an abnormal calm. In a few days, he would definitely regret everything about last night. I turned, used my room key, and Liam rushed inside ahead of me. “Look, you were too impulsive yesterday, but I also said things I shouldn’t have. Can we call it even? Please stop being angry.” I simply nodded, a non-committal gesture. Relief washed over his face, and he finally smiled. “There’s a Ferris wheel nearby, right? You were always talking about wanting to go. Let’s go this afternoon.” I was stunned. Before the trip, I had read a post claiming that if a couple kissed at the very top of the wheel, they would be together forever. I’d begged him to go, and he’d called me childish. Now he was suggesting it. Just then, Riley’s voice rang out from the doorway. “Hey, honey. Tell your daddy which dress to wear. I’m going to the Ferris wheel this afternoon, and I need the perfect photo op!” She pushed the door open, twirling around in a dress for us to see. Ah. It made sense now. My heart immediately understood. Liam’s eyes clearly lit up. “Wow, you usually dress like a tomboy. I didn’t know you could pull off a dress like that. You look pretty feminine.” Riley punched him playfully. “Duh! Your daddy just doesn’t like to dress up. If I put in the effort, I’d have guys lining up.” Watching the whole performance, I said coldly, “I don’t feel well. I won’t be going this afternoon.” Riley immediately rolled her eyes. “Such a bore.” Liam, hearing this, visibly relaxed. He just told me to rest up. I slept all afternoon. When I woke up, my best friend’s chat had 99+ unread messages. With grim patience, I scrolled up to the first one, which was a video screenshot. A Ferris wheel cabin at its highest point, and a man and a woman were locked in a deep kiss. The caption: “Overlooking the city from the highest point. For a moment, it felt like it was just the two of us in the whole world.” I knew the two profiles in the photo sickeningly well. The remaining 98 messages were all sixty-second voice notes. The moment I tapped the first one, my friend’s scream of rage poured out. “That scumbag Liam is cheating! Don’t you dare stop me, I’m going to scratch those two dirtbags to death!” It wasn’t until I told her about the System and the wish that she finally settled down, bursting into a loud, satisfying laugh. The next day at breakfast, Liam was clearly observing my expression. Only when he saw my normal, placid demeanor did he finally relax. During the meal, Riley was still her usual aggressively affectionate self, playfully jostling him. But a moment later, she suddenly retched, covering her mouth as she bolted for the restroom. As everyone watched in confusion, Liam nervously shot up, claiming he needed to use the facilities too. Watching the two disappear around the corner, one after the other, I calmly picked up my plate and moved discreetly toward the service counter near the staircase. Riley’s voice was tearful. “I… my period is late by several days. What if I’m actually pregnant?” “I told you to use protection! What are we going to do now? You have to take responsibility for me!” After a moment, Liam’s low, soothing voice finally came through. “Don’t worry. I’ll take responsibility.” I had to bite my lower lip hard to keep from laughing out loud. I hadn’t expected the sudden nausea from the gender change to make Riley think she was pregnant. Counting the days, she only had three days left until the complete transformation. I was more eager than ever for that day to arrive. Over the next few days, Riley’s masculine features became increasingly pronounced. Her skin was noticeably rougher and oilier. Her Adam’s apple was more prominent, and her voice was a shocking, raspy baritone. If she didn’t shave her mustache and leg hair for even a day, they would grow back thick and dark. Riley punched Liam in the chest in a fit of despair. “This is all your fault! This pregnancy is making me so ugly! When are you finally going to divorce that old b*tch?” Liam squeezed Riley’s hand tightly, his tone resolute. “Three days. I promise you, I will break up with her within three days.” That night, he knocked on my door and picked a fight over the wedding money. “Sloane, the hundred thousand dollar wedding fund… I really can’t come up with it. Can you please talk to your parents and convince them to drop it?” Watching his pathetic performance, I silently pulled out my phone and showed him a screenshot of our messages from a few months ago. “My girl deserves the best, of course. $100K? I’d pay $200K if I had to.” He choked on his words, stammering after a long pause. “Haven’t… haven’t you considered my feelings at all? I’ve worked so hard for years…” Before he could finish, I interrupted, speaking with faux sympathy. “Oh, I didn’t mention it because I didn’t want you to lose face. I’ll call my parents right now.” He sulked and backed off. But over the next few days, he became worse, finding fault in everything. He argued with me because I hadn’t liked his posts on social media. He argued because I didn’t pour his drink at dinner. Finally, in front of all his friends, he accused me of having contributed far less to our relationship than he had over the years. His friends were confused by his sudden change of attitude but reluctantly stepped in to mediate. Riley’s eyes, watching me, were filled with open contempt and smug superiority. I knew Liam was preparing for the breakup. But I never expected that at our final gathering, he would actively push me toward Chet. He arranged for me to sit beside Chet and, during a round of Truth or Dare, urged me to sit on Chet’s back while he did push-ups. I was hazy from wine. When I woke up, I turned to see Chet’s face flushed red. Before I could react, the hotel room door was violently kicked open. Magnesium flashes blinded me. Liam stood there with Riley, followed by a dozen photographers. He pointed at me, his face crimson with manufactured rage. “Sloane! How could you do this to me? All these years of love, and you cheat with my best friend!” “Divorce! You are the guilty party; you must leave with absolutely nothing!” He shoved two documents in front of me and forcibly pressed a pen into my hand. Both Chet and I had clearly been set up. Liam didn’t just want a breakup; he wanted me utterly ruined, publicly branded as an adulterer, so he could end our four-year relationship in a way that was completely in his favor. Chet was behind me, his voice still hoarse. “I’m sorry…” I cut him off. “Don’t be. You’re not the one who did wrong.” I flipped through the agreement, reading the predatory, one-sided clauses. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes and coldly toss the papers back in his face. “I’ll agree to the divorce. But the only person leaving with nothing will be you.” Riley put her hands on her hips, her voice thick with triumph. “You think you have a choice? If you don’t sign, we’ll leak these pictures tomorrow. Let’s see what you do then!” Liam couldn’t stop the smirk from spreading on his face. “Sloane, I remember your dad has a heart condition. If he were to find out…” He let the threat hang in the air for the reporters to hear. “I’ll give you three days. Sign, or you’ll face the consequences!” He draped his arm around Riley’s waist. Riley swept a triumphant gaze over me. “You should’ve treated him better. Now Liam’s all mine!” As they walked out of the room, Liam’s joy was ecstatic. “This is great! Sloane’s assets are all ours now!” Riley looked up at him with adoration, planting a wet kiss on his cheek. “You’re so smart, Liam!” Liam’s gaze was burning, and he eagerly kissed her back. Their twisted wish fulfilled, the two of them became an instant inferno, their movements growing more intense. Kissing and undressing simultaneously. Liam’s hand traced the curve of Riley’s body, instinctively moving downward. The next second, he shrieked in pain. “Ow! What is this hard thing sticking out down there?”

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I am a hitwoman. But my gentle and kind husband knows nothing about it. After all, he doesn’t even dare to kill a chicken, and needs my help to open a can. Until I was executing a mission in the largest casino in L City, and met the legendary top hitman “Orbit”. His eyes behind the mask were cold, and the Glock in his hand pointed straight at my forehead. But why, would Orbit be wearing the wedding ring I gave my husband around his neck?! 1 When I shot the target in the temple, I just happened to receive a text message from my husband, Julian. I neatly dragged the body aside, grabbed the rope fixed by the window, and jumped down. A black Aston Martin had been waiting downstairs for a long time. I took the wet wipe Lilith handed from the driver’s seat and wiped my hands. Turning on my phone, I saw the photo Julian sent me wearing only an apron, the happiness in my heart was simply as big as his pectoral muscles. I softened my voice: “Hubby wait for me, worked a little late today, I’ll be back right away.” Lilith made an exaggerated vomiting sound. “Nightshade you are so disgusting! Didn’t they say you Asian people are very reserved?” I smiled: “If you also had such a gentle husband who stays at home every day cooking and doing laundry for you, you would be like this too.” Lilith gave me the middle finger from the front. “That’s because he thinks you are a hardworking programmer!” I shrugged, not caring at all. Lilith is definitely jealous that I have a pampered husband at home. 2 My name is Rain Tang, codename Nightshade, a member of the international assassin organization “X”. I got married a year ago, fell in love at first sight with my blind date Julian. In Country M, meeting a suitable person is not easy. But Julian satisfied all my fantasies about a lover. He is of mixed Asian and M Country descent, tall and handsome, and very gentle. He has soft black hair, a soft personality, and soft pectoral muscles… Maybe many people can’t accept their partner being a househusband, but for me, it couldn’t be more suitable. Ah, what could be happier than coming home after fighting and killing outside to see a table of delicious food made by my husband, and then burying my head in his pectoral muscles? Just like now. 3 Seeing me open the door, Julian naturally helped me take off my coat, then hugged me. “Wifey, you’re finally back.” “A light in the living room is broken, I’m so scared, but don’t know how to fix it.” I rubbed against his chest, then simply stood on the chair and changed the light bulb. For my hands that can assemble a Desert Eagle blindfolded in just 22 seconds, this is simply a piece of cake. But my weak husband looked at me with adoring eyes. “Wifey, you are so amazing.” I kissed Julian. Actually, in my heart, Julian who can make such a big table of delicious food is equally amazing. I sat beside him eating, asking casually: “Hubby, what did you do at home today?” Julian paused, then smiled and answered me. “I watered the flowers at home today, and cleaned up the hygiene. Then prepared dinner for you.” Look, this is my perfect little pampered husband. I couldn’t help but get closer to Julian, holding his waist, whispering in his ear. “Hubby, finished eating, want to eat something else?” Julian readily carried me to the bed. But just as he started to unbutton my clothes, he suddenly froze. “Didn’t you tell me the company worked overtime?? Overtime until someone stuffed a men’s tie in your pocket?” I watched helplessly as Julian pulled out a crumpled tie from my pocket— The murder weapon I used to suffocate the target two hours ago. 4 Julian hugged me, tears falling like broken beads. “Where did I not do well, that made wifey want to find a lover?” “Is his cooking more delicious than mine? Is he better than me in bed?” “Is it because you think I always stay at home and don’t go out to work? I have a lot of savings, I give them all to you.” “Wifey… you can’t abandon me…” Julian cried and heaved, my denials turned into broken gasps. I could only helplessly hug him tighter. Getting up the next day, I emphasized to Julian again and again, I really really only love him, absolutely didn’t cheat. But I couldn’t explain to him, where that tie came from. I can’t tell Julian, his programmer wife who leaves early and returns late is actually a killer with countless blood on her hands!!! Julian, such a weak person, definitely can’t accept it. He will be scared into wanting to divorce me! 5 To show loyalty to my husband, I didn’t take any missions for a week, staying home with Julian every day. I bought Julian many bouquets, and various luxury goods, and gave him whatever he wanted in bed. But Julian was still depressed. Because he asked me for that tie, but I burned it directly. Baby, that was a murder weapon—! I myself wander in danger all year round, but I absolutely cannot accept my weak husband falling into any risk. Julian was even sadder. But while preparing sumptuous meals for me, he told me firmly: “It’s not your fault.” “Wifey, I believe you didn’t cheat.” “It’s the people outside who are too bad, someone must be trying to seduce you, that’s why they put the tie in your pocket so despicably.” I had to accept the reason “someone wants to seduce me” to explain that tie. “Yes hubby, must be my damn programmer colleague. But I will absolutely not be seduced by him.” “I hate that group of indifferent mechanical people, I only like gentle people like you, making me very protective.” Julian’s hand opening a can suddenly stopped. “Baby…” He handed me the knife and can, “I can’t open it. Help me, okay?” I opened the can easily. Julian looked at me with adoration and admiration, his eyelashes drooping softly like small fans. I hugged him from behind. Although my head only reached his shoulder, I could feel his dependence on me. I comforted my beautiful husband lovingly: “If one day I really cheat, you can beat me up, and then divorce me.” I heard the person in front of me say in his usual gentle tone: “No, I will kill him. We won’t divorce.” Such childish joking words. But clearly Julian doesn’t even dare to kill a chicken at home. I couldn’t help but feel softer in my heart, and felt guilty for hiding my killer identity from him. I’m afraid my weak husband who can’t take care of himself, never dreamed that his wife has really killed many people.

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I’m a teacher, and for several days in a row, I saw words of affection in an unsigned homework notebook. Startled, I stopped washing my hair and face, picked my teeth in public, and wore mismatched clothes. Unexpectedly, even so, a line of words was left on the homework notebook that day. 【Can a teacher really fall in love with their own student?】 I wrote down “No” without hesitation. The next day, a new message appeared. 【Then why did he hug me and kiss me? Isn’t it because of love?】 I suddenly realized this wasn’t a confession. It was a cry for help. 1 I hardly slept all night. As soon as I arrived at school, I found the class representative and told him that the error rate of yesterday’s homework was a bit high. I asked him to notify the students to come to the office individually to pick up their homework so I could tutor them. I thought that since she could leave messages for me in the homework notebook, she wanted to ask me for help. I waited nervously for a whole day. After the last student took their homework notebook away, I was dumbfounded. Because that unsigned homework notebook was still there. Is it not from our class? That’s also possible. This private high school has mostly older teachers. As the only young teacher hired this year, I’ve always had good relationships with students. So at first, when I saw those messages in the homework notebook: 【Teacher kept looking at me again today. Does he really like me?】 【What exactly did the teacher mean by what he said to me today? Am I overthinking it?】 【Teacher brought me snacks today. No one has ever been this good to me.】 My first reaction was that I had overstepped my bounds and caused “her” to have a bad misunderstanding. Therefore, I deliberately ignored those messages and just dressed sloppily. I was even fined 500 dollars by the vice principal for not paying attention to my appearance as a teacher. Thinking about this, I felt a bit regretful. Not regretting the 500 dollars, but regretting not realizing earlier that she was asking for help. I opened the homework notebook. The interval between the first message and the last one was half a month. A lot can happen in half a month. The more I thought about it, the more I regretted it. I scratched my head in annoyance. Looking up again, I froze. Another line of words appeared on the homework notebook. 【Teacher took me out for burgers today. He said it was a reward for my obedience.】 Immediately after, a second line appeared, the handwriting much messier than the previous one. 【But I really don’t want to do those things anymore.】 2 The sound of the homework notebook falling to the ground woke me from my shock. I picked it up and rubbed my eyes. The words were still there. I slapped myself. It hurt. The words were still there. I took a deep breath, picked up the pen with trembling hands, and wrote a line on it. 【If you don’t want to do it, then don’t. No one has the right to force you to do things you don’t like.】 After writing, I held my breath and stared closely at the homework notebook. Soon, I saw words appearing slowly one by one, forming a sentence. 【So the reply last time wasn’t an illusion. Who are you? Are you the Wish Diary Fairy?】 I thought for a moment, then picked up the pen and slowly wrote. 【Hello student, I am a literature teacher currently working at Si Hai Private High School. My name is Julian Carter. You can call me Mr. Carter.】 Thinking of what she might have encountered, I gritted my teeth and wrote another sentence. 【You can also call me Brother Julian.】 Wait, thinking of her situation, maybe a female identity is better. 【Actually, you can call me Sister Julian.】 Not intending to deceive, just thinking that as a female, she might let down her guard more easily, and I could help her better. 【Sister? You are… a girl?】 【Yes.】 After writing this line, there was no response for a long time. I rubbed my brow, starting to review this seemingly bizarre situation. From the other party’s words, it can be inferred that she is a student currently experiencing something very painful, so she wrote it in her Wish Diary. And the content of her diary appeared in this homework notebook, and she could also see the words I wrote in the homework notebook. Apart from this, I knew nothing about her name or which school she was in. To help her, I needed to know more information and make her trust me. Thinking of this, I opened the homework notebook again. Just as I picked up the pen, a line of words appeared on it. 【Liar! I checked. There is no female teacher named Julian Carter in our school!】 3 She is really in the same school as me! Just as I picked up the pen to reply, new words appeared again. 【Where are you, a wandering ghost from?】 【Forget it, it’s fine even if you’re a ghost. After all, what happened to me can’t be told to anyone. It’s too disgusting.】 【Why don’t you reply to me? Are you angry?】 【Sorry, I was too agitated.】 From the gradually slowing words, I seemed to glimpse the other party’s pain and caution. Clearly, she was in an extremely painful state, yet she apologized in fear of losing me, the only person she could talk to. My heart felt inexplicably sour. Victims shouldn’t be so humble. 【Hello student, I’m not angry. I was just thinking about how to explain to you that I didn’t lie. I indeed joined Si Hai Private High School as a teacher in September 2024.】 As one line fell, another appeared immediately. 【2024? But it’s 2009 here!】 I looked at the homework notebook in disbelief. I dared not think that I was talking to someone from 15 years ago. Not giving me time to think deeply, another line appeared in the notebook. 【I believe you.】 I breathed a sigh of relief. If she believes me, then I can find a way to help her. Although across time and space, as a teacher, no matter whose student, which time’s student, when they are in difficulty, I should help without hesitation. 【I can feel your confusion from the words you wrote. Is it convenient for you to tell me the specific problem you encountered? I’ll think about how to help you.】 【There’s nothing inconvenient with you.】 I was stunned, then realized. She probably meant that because of the time and space gap between us, she could speak about those things frankly. 【At first, I just thought he was the best teacher to me.】 4 【When school just started, I reported to school with my luggage by myself. The bag holding the luggage was very tattered, and classmates laughed at me. He didn’t mind and even helped me carry the luggage to the dormitory.】 【The next day, he gave me a suitcase. I didn’t want it. He told me not to overthink, saying his family was also very poor when he was young, and he encountered similar things. Seeing me reminded him of his past self.】 【He also actively added my contact information and cared about me every day.】 Seeing this, I couldn’t help frowning. This matter might seem fine, but a male teacher actively adding a female student’s contact information and expressing concern every day is in itself overstepping boundaries, or more accurately, plotting something illicit. But the female student involved, due to age and experience, cannot perceive it. 【At that time, I really thought he was very good, better to me than my parents. They only like my younger brother. We aren’t even on the same household register.】 A stinging pain came from my fingertip. I accidentally pricked my hand. 【And then?】 I endured the palpitation and wrote down a line. As if peeking through the paper, seeing the bewildered teenage her stepping into the net carefully woven for her step by step. 【My math grades weren’t good, but he still made me the math class representative, saying it could motivate me, and actively offered to tutor me for free.】 【But it made another girl with very good math grades unhappy. She said I was seducing the teacher.】 【She was once my only, best friend.】 A water stain appeared on the homework notebook. I didn’t cry; it was her from 15 years ago crying. Seemingly non-existent seduction, clumsy provocation. But they were too young, barely distinguishing black from white, let alone gray. 【Then I said I didn’t want to be the class representative anymore.】 【He disagreed. He said he liked me.】

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I wanted to check the balance for our power bill, but when I logged into The City Power & Light App, I found two separate utility accounts linked under my husband’s name. The second account’s memo field read: “The Real Home.” A cold dread washed over me. The real home? I called my husband, Liam, keeping my voice level. “Why is there an extra electricity bill under your name? For a property I don’t recognize?” I could hear the click of a keyboard on his end. He sounded unconcerned, even a little bored. “Oh, that’s just my mother’s account. She can’t figure out how to use the app, so I linked her place to mine to pay it for her. You know how she is.” I called him a good son—such a good son—and hung up. Then I opened the monthly usage details for that second account. The power consumption was higher than ours. Worse, the peak usage times were every weekend, precisely when Liam and I were sleeping in separate rooms. I wrote down the address, grabbed my keys, and started the car. 1 The navigation ended at The Pinnacle Residences, the most exclusive high-rise development in the city. The apartments here cost at least twice what our house was worth. I parked on the street and looked up at the towering glass facade, bright with the evening lights. The security guard stopped me at the gate. I gave him Liam’s full name and, chillingly, the exact utility account number. He snapped off a salute and let me through. The elevator stopped at the twenty-sixth floor. I stood before the heavy steel door, took a deep breath that did nothing to calm my heart, and pressed the doorbell. A set of light, quick footsteps approached from inside, followed by a young woman’s voice. “Honey, I thought you went out for soy sauce? Why are you ringing the bell?” The door swung open. A woman stood there in a dove-gray silk slip dress, holding a half-eaten green apple. She saw me and froze. And I froze. I knew that face intimately. It belonged to Sierra, the scholarship student I had been sponsoring for the last six years. The slip dress she was wearing? I had bought it last month. I hadn’t even had time to clip the tag before it disappeared. Liam had said the cleaning lady must have misplaced it. It looked much better on her. The apple slipped from Sierra’s hand and rolled across the polished floor, stopping at the toe of my boot. “A-Ava?” she stammered. I looked at her, my face a carefully constructed blank, and pushed past her into the apartment. In the entryway were two pairs of slippers: one pink, fuzzy rabbit pair, and one pair of soft gray linen ones. The gray pair I had crocheted for Liam myself. The living room was vast. A thick wool rug covered the floor in front of the picture window, and little plastic pieces of a partially built LEGO castle were scattered across it. On the feature wall hung a massive wedding photo. In it, Liam had his arm tight around Sierra’s waist. They were laughing—a blinding, joyful laugh that felt like a physical assault on my eyes. “Who is it? Why are you so quiet?” The sound of a flushing toilet preceded the opening of a bathroom door. Liam walked out, drying his wet hair with a towel, wearing only a low-slung bath sheet. He looked up and his hand, mid-wipe, froze in the air. The oxygen seemed to be sucked out of the room. I walked to the coffee table and picked up the half-finished LEGO castle. “Is this the house you linked to help your mother pay her electric bill?” I opened my hand. The LEGO castle crashed onto the marble floor, shattering into a hundred pieces. Liam finally reacted. He rushed forward, putting himself between me and Sierra. “What are you doing here? Were you tracking me?” I looked at his naked torso, noting the fresh, faint scratch marks across his chest. “We’ve been sleeping in separate rooms on the weekends because you needed to come here to ‘work late,’ is that it?” Liam scowled. There wasn’t a flicker of remorse, only annoyance. “Ava, would you just stop with the passive-aggressive commentary? Since you’ve already seen everything, there’s nothing to hide.” He glanced back at the trembling Sierra, and his expression softened instantly. “Sierra is pregnant. The doctor said she has a fragile constitution and shouldn’t be startled.” I laughed out loud. “And me? I just deserve to be startled?” Liam threw the towel onto the marble. “Can you be reasonable for once? We’ve been married for five years, and your uterus is completely silent! My mother is going crazy with worry! I’m the only son, I can’t let my family line die out!” Sierra peeked out from behind him, her voice small and pathetic. “Ava, please don’t blame Liam. It was my choice. I don’t need a title; all I want is for the baby to be born safely…” I swung my arm. SLAAP! The sharp crack cut through her manipulative words. Liam shoved me hard, the force of it sending me stumbling back against the edge of the television console. “Ava! Are you finished with this madness? This is my home. Get out!” 2 Clutching my aching lower back, I straightened up. “Your home? Liam, have you completely forgotten who provided the start-up capital for your company and everything else you currently possess?” Liam scoffed, walking over to the coffee table drawer. He pulled out a document and tossed it at me. “I relied on you then, yes, but the company has been profitable on its own for two years. I bought this apartment with my own dividends. It’s in Sierra’s name. It has zero to do with you.” I glanced down at the deed copy. Sure enough, the owner’s name was listed, stark and clear: Sierra. I tore the copy into small pieces and let the fragments drift down in front of them. “Fine. Very fine. Liam, you will pay for what you’ve done today.” I turned to leave. His disdainful voice followed me. “Who are you trying to scare? Without me, you’re just a worn-out trophy wife who only knows shopping and spa days. Go ahead and sue me! Adultery isn’t a crime. We’ll get divorced, and the assets will be split fifty-fifty!” Back in the car, my hands were shaking so badly I couldn’t fasten the seatbelt. My phone vibrated. It was Liam. “Don’t make a scene. Save yourself some dignity. My mother already knows Sierra is having a boy. If you’re willing to accept the situation, the child can call you ‘Mom’ after it’s born, and we can go back to how things were. If you decide to go to war, you’re the one who loses everything.” He followed that with a screenshot of a bank transfer. Five million dollars. Recipient: Sierra. Memo: Nutritional Support. I stared at the number, and suddenly, my trembling stopped. Five million dollars. That was the exact amount I had withdrawn from the trust fund my father left me just last week. Liam had claimed his company was in a bind and needed emergency capital. The emergency capital went into the mistress’s belly. I started the car and drove straight to the office. I wasn’t going home. If he thought he could flourish without me, I would show him exactly who was indispensable. I called Mr. Henderson, our Chief Financial Officer. “Mr. Henderson, I need a detailed accounting of every project Liam has handled recently. Send me all the ledgers. Also, freeze every corporate credit card and subsidiary account in his name. Effective immediately.” Mr. Henderson hesitated on the line. “Ms. Ava, Liam is… the CEO. Wouldn’t this make things irrevocably hostile?” “Just follow my instructions.” I hung up and dialed another number. “Elena Delacroix? I need you to draft divorce papers. Also, I need a deep dive into every asset transfer Liam has made over the last six months.” Only after completing all of that did I drive back to our house. When I opened the door, the house felt terrifyingly cold and empty. The bouquet of roses Liam had given me last week was still on the entryway table. They had withered, petals scattering across the wood. I dumped the flowers and the vase into the trash. In the bedroom, I opened his side of the custom closet and began taking out his clothes, one by one. The scissors made a satisfying slicing sound as they went through the expensive fabric. Armani, sliced. Zegna, sliced. Hand-tailored shirts, all sliced. When the last piece was shredded, I kicked the pile of ruined fabric aside, lay on the bed, and stared at the ceiling until dawn. 3 I was woken the next morning by an insistent pounding on the door. I opened it to find Carol, Liam’s mother, standing there, her face contorted with fury. Behind her were Liam and Sierra, carrying an array of luggage. “Ava! You barren woman, you have the audacity to still be sleeping? Get out of the way and clear a room for Sierra!” Carol shoved past me and marched into the house, pulling a stunned Sierra with her. “Oh, my sweet grandson, we can’t have you getting tired. This is the south-facing room; it gets the best light. You’ll be in the master suite from now on.” Liam surveyed the remnants of his expensive wardrobe strewn across the bedroom floor. His face was thunderous. “Ava, are you insane? You cut up all my suits?” I leaned against the doorframe, watching the little family unit with cold detachment. “It’s my house. I’ll cut up whatever I want. As for the three of you, you are trespassing. I can call the police.” Carol pointed a shaking finger at my face. “Your house? Liam bought this house! You’ve been living off him for years! Now that he’s finally getting an heir, instead of being grateful, you’re causing trouble? I’m telling you now, Sierra is the mistress of this house. You either serve her, or you get out!” I looked at Carol’s twisted, furious face, and felt only profound pity. This house was my pre-marital property, paid for in full. I had only added Liam’s name to the deed because he had insisted it would make him feel more “secure” after we married. Now, he was claiming it as his own. Sierra clung to Carol’s arm, teary-eyed and miserable. “Mrs. Harrington, please don’t yell at Ava. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have come. I’ll just go back…” “Go back where?” Liam snatched her arm. “This is your home! Ava, I’m giving you a final notice: Sierra is staying here to rest. Either you accept the situation, or you move out.” I walked over to the sofa and sat down, crossing my legs. “I’ll move out. The house is worth twelve million. Subtracting wear and tear, give me six million, and I’ll be gone immediately.” Liam laughed as if I’d told a joke. “Six million? Are you trying to rob me? You haven’t worked in years. All the household expenses came from my earnings, and I deserve credit for the increase in value. I’ll give you two million. Take it or leave it.” Carol chimed in. “That’s generous! Two million for a used wife like you is a steal! Who’s going to want a second-hand woman, anyway?” I took out my phone and activated the recording feature. “Say that all again.” Liam lunged toward me, trying to grab the phone. “What are you recording! Ava, I’m warning you, don’t take this too far!” I sidestepped his reach and stood up. “Since we can’t agree, we’ll see each other in court.” I walked into the bedroom to pack a suitcase. If they wanted to live here, I would let them live here. I just wanted to see how many days they could last in my house without my money. When I came out dragging my suitcase, Sierra was sitting on the sofa, eating a bowl of Bird’s Nest soup—an expensive delicacy Liam had imported last month for me to improve my health. I hadn’t even opened the package. Seeing me, Sierra gave a small, triumphant smirk. “Ava, this is delicious. Don’t be too upset, though. It’s normal as you get older. Not everyone can have children.” I stopped, walked over to her, and picked up the bowl. I calmly dumped the entire bowl of slimy, sticky liquid onto her head. The soup and tiny fragments of white mushroom dripped down her hair and across her face. “Agh! My hair!” Sierra shrieked, jumping to her feet. Carol and Liam rushed out of the kitchen. “What happened? What happened?” Seeing Sierra’s soaked, horrified face, Liam raised his hand to strike me. I looked at him, my gaze freezing him mid-swing. “If you dare touch me, I will make sure you never work in this industry again.” Liam’s hand stopped in mid-air. He knew I held too much leverage. All those fraudulent accounts, all those kickbacks he’d taken—I had the evidence. He ground his teeth together and slowly lowered his hand. “Ava. You’re cold-blooded. You’ll regret this.” I pulled my suitcase and walked out, not looking back at the place I once called home.

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After the divorce, I threw myself entirely into my acting career. Aside from our scheduled weekly visitations with our son, I had zero contact with my ex-husband. Until one day, I accidentally stumbled upon Lucas’s social media account. He had become a parenting influencer with millions of followers. For three years, I watched him expertly change diapers and prepare formula. He transformed our babbling baby into a sweet, well-behaved angel. In his latest video, our son asked, “Why can’t Mommy stay with me every day like you do?” Lucas was silent for a moment before answering seriously: “Because she is herself first, and your mother second.” I rubbed the screen, quietly feeling the sudden flutter in my chest. We had a child. We got divorced. We had clearly reached the end of our story. Yet, I was just starting to fall for this man. 1 Lucas Sterling and I were a business marriage. Two years married, still strangers. I had just started making waves in Hollywood when my father cut off all my resources, effectively blacklisting me. Forced into a corner, I had to obey his arrangement and agree to the marriage. Lucas was the best choice. He had no interest in romance but needed an heir. We agreed to divorce once the child was born. To return to the set sooner, I entangled with him every night. Bodies burning and intertwined, hearts cold and distant. After countless nights, we would silently turn away from each other. Soon, I gave birth to a boy. Lucas named him Leo. He valued our son, and that was enough. After Leo turned one, we finalized the divorce. I don’t know how Lucas explained it to the Sterling family, but they had no objections. His mother even looked at me with a hint of pity and guilt. She promised the Sterling family would do their best to support my career and always have my back. I accepted graciously, of course. To be fair, Lucas was dutiful as both a husband and a father. As for my dad, since Lucas initiated the divorce and the child solidified the alliance between our families, he couldn’t control me anymore. He just stayed silent for a long time before saying calmly: “Elena, you’re just as heartless as your mother.” Heartless? My mother was once a top ballerina in New York, with a limitless future. But she was forced to give up her career to marry my father. The difference was, she had loved him for years, so it was a dream come true for her. My father came from old money, elite education, traditional values. Profit was his god. He wanted a wife to manage the home and raise children, not to show her face in public. After marrying him, my mother’s vibrant soul withered day by day, leaving only the shell of a perfect trophy wife. After having me, I became her only emotional anchor. Until my father demanded a son to inherit the family business, and my mother asked blankly: “What about our daughter?” “She’ll marry for the family, of course. It’s the responsibility she bears for enjoying this wealth.” He answered as if it were natural. “Isn’t our marriage the same? You should have been prepared.” In that moment, the last shred of expectation she had for this man shattered. She finally realized how ridiculous it was to give up her career for him. So she refused to let me follow in her footsteps. Ignoring everyone’s opposition, she resolutely chose divorce. The day she left for Paris, five-year-old me cried and asked if she didn’t want me anymore. She squatted down, looking at me with sadness and tenderness. “Elie, you will be the only child I ever have. I love only you, and I will support you unconditionally.” “I’m not abandoning you. Mommy just wants to live for herself once. You’ll understand when you grow up.” She returned to the stage, and her dazzling brilliance made the world cheer. Several times, my father would freeze while pouring tea, watching her smile on TV. Even when the tea overflowed, he didn’t notice. She taught me by example: never give up your career for anyone. I carried Leo for ten months; how could I not love him? Even when I suffered from insomnia postpartum, seeing his small sleeping form softened my heart completely. But he wasn’t my whole life. I had my own dreams and pursuits. I made the same choice as my mother, and I fully understood her. But he would be my only child, and my motherly love would never be absent. This was also my agreement with Lucas. On the day of the divorce, his only request was that I set aside time every week to visit Leo at the estate, or video call if I absolutely couldn’t make it. I agreed without hesitation. It was my duty as a mother. I just didn’t expect him to value the child to this extent, even becoming a parenting influencer. In two years of marriage, we barely interacted except in bed. I wasn’t interested in his private life. So when I accidentally scrolled onto his video, I was stunned for a long time. It turned out that in the year I was busy getting back in shape, taking acting classes, and networking, Lucas had taken on the nanny’s job. He changed diapers, fed him, and put him to sleep, ensuring I had enough rest when I came home. I thought the nanny was just doing a good job, ignoring the dark circles under Lucas’s eyes. 2 Since following Lucas’s account with my burner, my gaze lingered on him longer and longer. Lucas not only took care of Leo’s every need but also raised him well. Every time we met, the first thing Leo said when he jumped into my arms was, “Mommy, you worked hard.” No resentment or distance due to my busy schedule, only understanding and respect. Even when reluctant to part, he would just say with red eyes that he would miss me every day. Behind this sensibility must be Lucas’s countless explanations and guidance. He never brushed off Leo’s imaginative emotions or questions but responded seriously, breaking down the world’s rules for him. He guided him to read classics and learn history, so my three-year-old son understood many principles early on. The comments were often like this: [I lived half my life to understand what he knows at three. Parental education is crucial!] Some were curious: [Why is there no trace of the mom in the videos?] Lucas would reply: [In our family, mom works, and dad stays home. Mom brings home the bacon, I take care of the baby.] Many were charmed by him, and his mysterious wife was often envied: [Girl, busy all day, coming home to a husband warm in bed and an angel son, you must be smiling in your sleep!] [Congratulations! (Jealous glare)] [Natural birth isn’t as fast as ‘picking one up.’ Isn’t adoption advocated? I want this one, self-pickup available!] Although the facts weren’t exactly like that. But I occasionally blushed at these comments. Seeing the word “husband material,” the first image in my mind was Lucas frying steak in the kitchen wearing a black turtleneck cashmere sweater. Every time I went back to the estate, he would cook a big table of dishes Leo and I liked. Although surprised, I never asked, as he was always a thoughtful and decent person. Lucas was best at teaching by example. At the amusement park, he held wet wipes and a thermos in one hand and held a parasol for me with the other, asking our son to carry my bag. When I tried to refuse, he explained it was to let Leo learn by example and develop the habit of caring for and respecting women. As I marveled at his thoughtfulness countless times, our distance gradually closed unknowingly, as if we were a real family. And he silently occupied a corner of my heart. After shooting a sunglasses commercial, I sat in the nanny van watching the latest video on my tablet. In the video, Leo’s eyes were red. “My deskmate’s mom picks her up every day. Why can’t my mom stay with me like you do?” Lucas was silent for a moment, then told him seriously: “Because she is herself first, and your mother second. She is an independent and free individual. Everyone has their own dreams. Just like your dream is to become a great entrepreneur, would you be happy if Mom and I didn’t support you and asked you to give up?” Leo sniffled and shook his head. “No.” “Similarly, you can’t ask Mom to give up her dreams just to revolve around you. As her family, we should support her, right?” My son was quickly comforted and smiled again. He hugged Lucas affectionately. “What about you, Daddy? Don’t you have a dream?” Lucas’s voice was calm and low. “I want to be the tallest tree in the forest, watching you and Mom fly high and far like free eagles. When you are tired, you can see me at first glance and rest safely on my branches. I will shelter you from the wind and rain until you are full of energy to start the next journey.” Every word landed clearly and powerfully in my ears. Beating heavily on my heart like a drum. I rubbed the screen, quietly feeling the sudden flutter in my chest. We had a child. We got divorced. We had clearly reached the end of our story. Yet, I was just starting to fall for this man. 3 Back at the hotel, clutching my phone, I hesitated for a long time before dialing. When the familiar voice sounded, my heart skipped a beat. Me, who was calm in front of any camera, was as flustered as a teenager in this private space. My voice was a bit hoarse. “…Is Leo asleep?” Lucas didn’t reply immediately. I noticed it was already 10 PM, and Leo slept at 9:30 sharp. “Ah, sorry, I just saw the time. I was just missing him.” The clumsy excuse made me scratch my hot face in embarrassment. Actually, I could see them tomorrow at the estate. But right now, I just really wanted to hear his voice, that’s all. “I won’t disturb you then, bye.” He seemed to chuckle, his voice gentle. “See you tomorrow.” Three simple words, somehow sounding romantic, like lovers looking forward to tomorrow’s date. My face heated up, and I hung up in a panic. My calmed heartbeat threatened to accelerate again. I tossed and turned all night, my brain excited as if injected with caffeine. When the Sterling family driver picked me up the next day, I wore sunglasses. At the estate, Lucas’s parents, who had been traveling abroad, were back. Seeing the faint circles under my eyes, his mom asked with concern: “Is filming too tiring lately? You must rest well.” Lucas looked over. The moment our eyes met, I turned my head. I didn’t really want him to see me in this state. “I just didn’t sleep well last night. It’s okay. I’ll go play with Leo.” I stood up and fled. His parents exchanged a look, standing on the same front. “Lucas, did you bully her again?” Lucas: “…” 4 I was building blocks with Leo in the playroom. He suddenly asked: “Mommy, did Daddy do something wrong?” I was startled. “Why do you say that?” “Because Daddy is fidgeting today, just like my deskmate when he got a zero and was afraid to go home.” Me: “…” Leo sighed like an old man. “Although Daddy is sometimes immature and talks back to Grandpa, can you not scold him for my sake?” I was surprised. Before I could ask, Lucas’s voice sounded at the door. “Leo Sterling, what bad things are you saying about me?” Leo immediately put on a good boy face. “No, Daddy, I’m saying good things! Ask Mommy!” Lucas’s gaze moved to my face, and he coughed lightly. “Leo likes butter cookies lately. I’m going to bake some. Do you want to take some home?” I nodded instinctively. He said okay and turned to the kitchen. Leo napped soon after. I closed his door and went to the kitchen. Lucas wore a dark apron, tall and straight, sleeves rolled up revealing forearms with visible veins. He was focused on mixing butter and powdered sugar. I watched from the door for a long time, couldn’t help but speak up. “Um, do you need help?” His back stiffened for a second, but he was calm when he turned around. “No need, go rest. It’ll be done soon.” I fought the awkwardness of not knowing where to put my hands and feet, trying to act natural. “I want to learn.” He paused, a smile appearing in his eyes. “Okay, I’ll teach you.” But my chaotic heartbeat made my hands clumsy. He looked at my face, now comical with flour, and said helplessly: “Let me do it.” I just wanted to flee, not noticing the egg I dropped on the floor. My foot slipped. Seeing the floor rushing at my face, I closed my eyes and grabbed Lucas instinctively. Unexpectedly, he hit the ground before me. I landed on him unharmed, except our lips were touching. Lucas’s pale pupils shrank, his long lashes trembling non-stop. His ears turned red instantly. My first reaction was: We have a kid, how is he still so innocent? “Lucas, you—” His mom walked in on this scene and lost her voice. I scrambled up, waving my hands frantically. “No, we—” She said nothing, clutched her chest, and silently closed the kitchen door for us. Her steps were much faster than usual. I didn’t dare look at Lucas, who was frozen like a statue. I mumbled “Sorry” and fled.

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When the company announced the annual retreat—a luxury trip to Southeast Asia—I had a bad feeling. My mom snatched the glossy brochure from my hand. “Your company has been around for years, why would they scam you? If you don’t know how to enjoy a blessing like this, let your brother go!” I frowned and tried to argue, but my brother, Kyle, cut in: “Sis, are you jealous again? This is your own fault for not wanting to go. Don’t tell me you’re regretting it now that you see I can go have fun?” I was worried about putting Kyle in danger. I gritted my teeth, ready to just go myself, when suddenly, glowing text—like a livestream chat—scrolled across my vision: [Here we go! The Female Lead is about to get packaged and sold by her company! Can’t wait for her to meet the Mafia Boss in the Zone and unlock that spicy, toxic romance~] [How did this get past the censors? But this setting… kinda hot, ngl.] [Totally. Once the FL becomes the top girl, the ML falls in love at first sight. Then it’s forced love, captivity play, gaslighting, enemies-to-lovers… inject it into my veins! A masterpiece!] I couldn’t understand what was “sweet” about any of that. Terrified, I answered my brother: “I don’t regret it. You can have my spot.” 1 [??? Why did the FL change her mind???] [No way, no way. If she doesn’t go, how does the plot happen?] [Impossible. The plot will force her to go, right? I’m still waiting for the dark, handsome Mafia Boss to save her from being humiliated in the club. The ‘crazy bad boy’ trope is too good!] [Humiliated? Is the FL not… pure?] [She dresses like the innocent white flower those bosses love. She gets picked immediately upon entering the Zone. Her first night sells for a high price. She only meets the ML after becoming the top earner.] [What trash writing. FL isn’t pure? Gross. Vomit!] [Purity police, exit left. Bye. Later on, the ML’s rival kidnaps her to humiliate him. After the rival forces himself on her, he lets his subordinates take turns…] [What? And this still has a Happy Ending? I feel bad for the ML, having to be a stepdad to trauma…] [Is the commenter above sick? The ML is a crime lord in a lawless zone. You think he’s clean?] My blood ran cold. The comments mentioned specific terms. The Zone. Line workers. Ice… And the “top girl” they mentioned was undoubtedly a “Gold Medal Hostess.” Drinking with clients, partying, sleeping with them, even doing drugs with them… Girls who fall into that life, after being exploited for every ounce of sexual value and surviving inhuman abuse, are often used as breeding stock. In the end, they are drained of blood or harvested for organs, dying miserably on the streets, disappearing from the world completely. And all of this was just an “exciting and interesting story” to them? The comments even gleefully spammed a famous line from the “novel”: [Welcome to the North of M Country, the place where I grow. Welcome to my world, my precious little princess.] They were dying of happiness in the chat. They shamelessly declared: Even if the Female Lead lost so much, she gained the Male Lead’s sweet love~ I only felt a chill deep in my bones. 2 A notification popped up in the company group chat: HR: @Everyone The Year-End Company Retreat is go! A special 7-Day Tour of Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand! All expenses during the trip—flights, hotels, meals—are covered by the company. No budget worries, no planning stress. Just follow the company’s arrangement. Free your hands, free your mind, and enjoy the team building~ Plus, the company has booked an international 5-star hotel for the Annual Gala. Activities include: Cash Lottery: Grand Prize $25,000! First Prize $15,000! Third Prize $8,000! Plus ten runner-up prizes of $1,000+! Everyone gets something! Gift Raffle: Latest MacBooks, iPhones, Dyson vacuums, hairdryers, upgrades to Couple Suites and Presidential Suites! All-inclusive: Buffet meals, open bar, and free SPA services at the hotel. We invite all partners to participate enthusiastically. Wishing everyone a prosperous New Year! CEO Wang: 👏👏👏 Secretary Zhang: Thank you to the leadership! Grateful! 🙏 Manager Li: The company treats us so well. We must work harder to not disappoint the leaders! 💪 Zhao: Grateful for the mentorship! ❤️ Intern Wu: What? The retreat is this good? 😭 But I’m still an intern, I probably can’t go, right? HR: No worries! We are all family here. I applied specially for you interns. You can go too! Intern Wu: Yay! Thank you leaders! Thank you company! 🎉🎉🎉 … After the official announcement, the group chat exploded. Everyone was happily thanking the company for its generosity. Thinking of the comments, I couldn’t smile. My brother, Kyle, snatched my phone after seeing the notification. “Sis! Your company benefits are insane! Holy crap, the lottery has a $25,000 grand prize! Since you said I could go, no take-backs! Even if I win the lottery at your gala, you can’t ask for it back!” Thinking of the future described in the comments, I tried to stop him. “Kyle, average companies don’t do international retreats like this. Plus, I haven’t even passed probation…” Kyle interrupted impatiently: “Sis, stop making excuses. You just don’t want to give me the spot. You’re jealous that I’m about to go on an international trip, right?!” I opened my mouth, but before I could speak, Mom threw the brochure back at me, looking heartbroken. “Lily, I raised you with blood and sweat. Since college, you’ve been traveling everywhere, but we haven’t even left the state once. Now you’re begrudging your brother one trip…” But I was running around working odd jobs. It wasn’t tourism; it was survival to save for tuition. She got more upset as she spoke, her voice choking up. “Kyle, your sister is so stingy. She won’t let you go. She’s definitely holding a grudge about when you were little, thinking I favored you. Kyle, if we can’t go, we won’t go. Mom will pay for a tour for us!” Kyle immediately wailed: “Mom, Sis’s company gala has a lottery! The grand prize is $25,000, and there are tons of smaller cash prizes! My luck has always been better than hers. If I go, I’ll definitely win!” Mom’s voice went up an octave. “That much?!” Kyle hugged my phone, reading the notification word for word. The two of them were beaming, a picture of familial bliss. As if they had already won the $25,000. Mom glanced at me, pointedly saying: “Kyle, it’s about time you bought a house. If you win that money, it’s better for you to hold onto it than your sister…” 3 It had always been like this. In this family, my parents seemed to only belong to Kyle, not me. My brother was named Kyle—strong, classic. I was the unwanted older daughter. My name was Lily, but it felt like “Leftover.” Growing up, I only got to play with toys Kyle broke. I didn’t like the headless action figures or the broken cars. I wanted pretty dolls and magic wands too. But Mom said: “Lily, you’re a big girl, why do you still play with toys? Your brother is small, let him play. Mom will buy you new clothes for New Year.” But Mom never bought me those clothes. On my birthday, Mom would buy two cakes because Kyle cried about not having his own. But on Kyle’s birthday, there was never a cake for me. I got into a top-tier university. Kyle failed his SATs twice and went to a community college. Mom held my hand and said: “Lily, look how many families don’t even let girls go to college so they can save money for the son. Remember how good the family is to you. Don’t dwell on small things.” I believed her. I swallowed my grievances and told myself to be content. So I worked everywhere, gritting my teeth to pay my own tuition. But late at night, seeing Kyle post about his new Jordans on Instagram, I would sob into my pillow. One pair of his shoes cost a semester of my tuition. Why? We were both their children. Why was my life so hard, while Kyle was lifted up by the whole family? After graduation, Mom started asking for money. “Lily, your brother is still in school. Everything costs money. You graduated, you should share the burden.” Kyle was at a no-name college, yet “everything cost money.” I went to a top university and never took a cent from home. Even though I was numb to it, hearing these words still stung. When Mom brought Kyle to live in my rental apartment, she cried, screamed, and threatened to hang herself until I gave her my debit card. She said: “Lily, you just started earning money. You’ll spend it recklessly. Mom will save it for you. It’ll be there later.” But under her pillow, she hid brochures for real estate, whispering with Kyle behind my back. Now, hearing about the trip and the lottery, she couldn’t wait to give everything that belonged to me to Kyle. Even my well-intentioned warnings were labeled “stingy,” “petty,” and “immature.” 4 I picked up the brochure from the floor. Below the photos of beaches and temples, there was fine print: Trip Notice: To ensure smooth travel, please hand over passports to the company for safekeeping before departure. During major events, please hand in phones as per regulations. Participate fully, look up at the world, don’t be a zombie scroller. The Retreat and Gala are mandatory. Employees who do not participate lack team spirit. The entire department will forfeit their year-end bonuses! Seeing these rules, the chat comments exploded: [Okay, seriously? This is too suspicious. If she goes, she’s an idiot.] [But it’s vicious. If one person doesn’t go, the whole department loses their bonus. Anyone who refuses becomes public enemy number one.] [Who collects passports? Only traffickers. If she falls for this, she deserves it.] [Above comment, stop victim-blaming. How is being scammed the victim’s fault?] [To be fair, the FL is pitiful. Sexist family, vampire brother.] [Later, after she gets sold, she tries to contact her family. But her family just asks if the bonus money came through. When they hear she needs ransom, they hang up and block her. Only when her video goes viral do they show up again, asking her for money to buy the brother a house.] [The ‘Brother-Helper Demon’ FL is tragic. Luckily the Male Lead will slap the vampire family in the face later. Guaranteed sweet ending~] [Welcome to the Zone, my precious little princess~] [So now the FL senses something wrong, stops her brother, and forces herself to go?] Reading these comments, my heart turned to ice. So this was my future? Sold to a foreign land. Imprisoned as a plaything for some “Boss.” Squeezed dry by my family and then discarded. And everyone watching found this entertaining. No one cared about my pain. I was cold all over, forcing back tears. I refused to accept this terrible future. I would not be anyone’s “little princess.” I would not go to the hell those demons prepared. And I certainly wouldn’t give up my freedom and life for their so-called “sweet romance”! I swallowed the words I wanted to say about the suspicious rules. Since they wanted Kyle to go, I would let him. “I didn’t mean to fight. Kyle is more suitable than me.” Mom and Kyle beamed. “Lily, I’m glad you figured it out. That’s what a big sister should do!” I matched their smiles, the corners of my lips curling into a mocking arc. “Yes, Mom. I don’t have the fate to enjoy this blessing. Let Kyle have it.”

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The memory—my wife, pinned beneath that scumbag—it’s the moment I chose to stand still, to do nothing. Because in my past life, trying to save her, I’d accidentally killed him. I was sentenced to twenty years in a federal pen. Eleanor, the Commander’s wife, promised, tears in her eyes, that she would wait for me. Twenty years later, I found out the ‘victim’ hadn’t died at all. He’d married my wife! My face burned with fury. The scumbag—Grant Bellamy—just laughed at me. “If I hadn’t met Ellie a year after your wedding, you wouldn’t have even gotten to marry her,” he sneered. “And if it hadn’t been for her rank, which made a messy divorce difficult, you wouldn’t have needed to rot in prison all those years.” “But you served your time, and now you’re a convicted felon. Why not go back in for thirty more years?” Before he finished speaking, my mother rushed in. In the ensuing chaos, Grant killed her. I was paralyzed with grief, pinned down beneath their weight. Ellie Shaw showed no mercy, shoving the murder weapon into my hand and using her authority as a Commander to convict me. In the end, I was executed. Reborn. Facing that same sight now, the choice was simple: I wouldn’t move. This time, they’re going down. 1 “Stop, stop it, Marc will be back soon, and if he catches us, we’re ruined!” Ellie’s voice, a sickening mix of protest and invitation, scraped across my hearing. I snapped my eyes open. I was back. Twenty years ago, standing right outside this door. This was the exact moment I’d first witnessed Grant Bellamy assaulting—no, enticing—Eleanor Shaw. In the last life, seeing Grant pressed against Ellie, I’d rushed in without a second thought, tearing him off her. Before she could even react, I was beating him, fist after fist. She’d tried to pull me off, but her ‘interventions’ ensured I took just as many blows from Grant. In a blind rage, I shoved him. His head hit the wall, and he slid to the floor, lifeless. Seeing him slump, I froze, all the fight draining out of me. Ellie had glared at me, then checked his pulse, declaring him dead and ordering me to turn myself in. Looking at her tear-filled eyes, I grit my teeth and agreed. Because the death was an accident, and because I’d acted to defend my wife, I was initially sentenced to fifteen years. If Ellie, in her role as a Commander, had pulled any strings, that sentence could have been reduced. But she didn’t just refuse to help; she used her rank to demand a harsher sentence! I stared at her, my eyes burning. She just looked back, coolly. “I’m the Commander, Marc. I have to set an example. If everyone acted like you, the world would descend into chaos.” “But don’t worry, I’ll wait for you.” With those words, my sentence was bumped up to twenty years. For two decades, I suffered constant harassment and torment in prison. When I finally got out and found Ellie, the truth shattered me: it was all a conspiracy engineered by her and Grant! Grant had never died. Ellie had sent me to prison—and demanded a harsher sentence—just so she could be with him. The men who tormented me were her doing, too. In my grief and fury, I’d moved to confront them, only for my mother to show up. In the struggle, Grant had accidentally killed her, and Ellie had framed me for it. I became a parricidal monster, condemned to execution, while they walked away free. The memory made my vision swim with red. I wanted to storm in and slaughter the traitors, but not this time. This time, I saw it clearly: Grant wasn’t forcing her. Ellie was a willing participant, soaking up the sick drama. As the sounds from inside became less suggestive and more explicit, I turned away from the door. I scanned the backyard, my gaze landing on the old utility shed. I slipped in, found the stored gear—mostly dry kindling and old boxes—and a lighter. A quick flick of the wheel. Let them burn in their little love nest. I knew that little fire wouldn’t kill them. So, I walked away, waited for the first wisp of smoke, and then bolted out the front door, acting like the panicked husband returning home. My panicked shouts soon drew the attention of our neighbors in the Base Quarters. A crowd quickly gathered, and seeing the smoke, they rushed to contain the fire. The flames spread fast. Finally, just as the fire was about to lick the edges of their room, Ellie and Grant lost their nerve. Ellie burst out, her clothes disheveled, her neck bearing raw, unmistakable marks. Seeing the gathered crowd, she instantly manufactured a sleepy-eyed expression. “What in God’s name? Why is our house on fire?” I barely contained the hatred twisting my stomach as I looked at her feigned innocence. She glanced at me. I smoothed the rage from my face and spoke calmly. “I don’t know, Ellie. It just started. Where have you been?” “And what happened to your neck, Commander?” Her face froze. She quickly covered her throat with a hand. “N-nothing. Just a bad mosquito bite.” Her stutter drew the attention of everyone nearby. But the fire was the priority. As the neighbors got dangerously close to the bedroom, cold sweat beaded on Ellie’s temples. If Grant Bellamy was found in the room—in their room—it would be impossible for her to explain away. Even with her rank, a scandal involving ‘conduct unbecoming’ would end her career. That’s why, in the last life, she’d gone to such twisted lengths instead of simply divorcing me. “Wait! Stop! That’s enough fire suppression, I can handle the rest myself!” Ellie finally broke, frantically signaling the neighbors to stay back. They paused, looking at her with confusion. I smirked. “Commander, the fire isn’t out yet. Why are you stopping them? Are you afraid they’ll find a hidden guest? Maybe a man you’re hiding in there?” I tossed the last part out like a joke, but my eyes were knives. Ellie’s face went dark. She lashed out, hard, striking my face. “Don’t you dare spread malicious rumors!” she hissed. “I just didn’t want to waste their time and resources. How could you think that of me?” She glared at me, a flash of pure guilt in her eyes. A deep ache flared in my heart. So, she was capable of guilt after all. I’d once believed she loved me. But Grant’s arrival had shown me what she was truly capable of: when she loved him, she threw away every principle, every rule, even human lives. I looked at her, a slow, mocking smile spreading across my bruised face. “If you have nothing to hide, then let them finish the job.” I took a step toward the room. In a panic, she shoved me. I stumbled, hitting my head hard on the concrete sidewalk. Blood immediately welled up. Ellie looked down at me with a mix of revulsion and panic. “Stop this drama, Marc!” The neighbors looked at me with sympathy. “Commander,” one of them spoke up, “why not just let him look? It’s almost out, anyway.” Under the public pressure, Ellie couldn’t refuse again. Her face was set in a tight mask of fury. As everyone waited, the fire was finally extinguished. “Report! There’s a structure fire on the north side. Commander, we need to redeploy immediately!” Just then, a real emergency call came in. In the rush, everyone—except Ellie and me—left. No one cared anymore whether there was a man in her room. But Ellie’s frantic reaction had already planted the seed of suspicion in everyone’s minds. Ellie glared at me, her eyes furious. “Are you satisfied now?” “You just ruined my reputation!” She whirled and rushed into the room, clearly concealing something. I limped after her, only to find the room empty. Grant Bellamy was gone. In a flash, I understood. Ellie had been stalling. The fire on the north side must have been Grant’s signal—a diversion to cover his escape. I fixed an icy stare on Ellie, but when she glanced back, I was expressionless. The house was ruined. As a Commander, she would be quickly relocated. She looked down at me, where I sat bleeding on the concrete. She sneered, a cruel, cold smile. “You were so capable just now, weren’t you?” “Now, find somewhere else to stay tonight. If you can’t, get off the base.” She turned and left, indifferent to my head injury or my embarrassing situation. I stood there, motionless, the night air chilling the blood on my head. I was prepared for this, yet watching her walk away, uncaring, was a slow, twisting ache in my chest. She’d promised eternal loyalty on our wedding day. Finally, long after midnight, a kind neighbor from the Quarters took pity on me and offered me their spare room.

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Elias wrote me so many letters after his cancer diagnosis. I hadn’t opened a single one. While sorting through old things, I fully intended to toss them all. But Lily’s voice broke my concentration. “Mom, what are you doing?” She looked at the stacks of neatly folded stationery in my hands and gave me a mysterious smile. “Tell me about them. I promise I won’t make fun of you!” I didn’t answer. Instead, I tossed them into the rusty metal burn barrel in the backyard without a second thought. Then I struck a match and watched them burn completely, cleanly. “Just useless things.” Elias. Those answers I once desperately wanted. Or maybe, your belated regret and love. Let them scatter on the wind with this fire. 1 Lily stared into the barrel and then, out of the blue, said, “Mom, was the person who wrote these letters very much in love with you?” I gave a faint, wry smile. She followed up quickly, “And is he still alive?” Suddenly, I didn’t know how to answer her questions. Did Elias love me? I looked down at the bright, consuming flame. Did he love me, or did I love him? Did it even matter anymore? After all, he was dying. But even if his life was cut short, it had been filled with a happy, picture-perfect family, with beloved, well-adjusted children. I thought our story was finished, neatly closed. But I never expected him to force his way back into my life like this. He was always like this—self-important, assuming the entire world should step aside for him. I took Lily’s hand, and she glanced down, her eyes catching the shocking prominence of the scar on my wrist. “Mom, does this still hurt?” I froze, instinctively tightening my grip on her hand. I tried to pull my sleeve down to cover it. The next second, Lily’s eyes welled up with tears. “Mom, I know you used to get headaches every night and couldn’t sleep.” “And this scar.” She gently covered the raised tissue with both her small hands. “I looked it up online. It only gets this raised and thick if someone has cut it multiple times.” My emotions were caught in her current, my voice cracking. “Sweetheart, all that is in the past. Your mother has you now, and I’m very happy.” She threw herself into my arms, tears streaming down her face. “Mom, you love me so much. But are you taking good care of yourself now?” I opened my mouth at her question, but the words wouldn’t come. After a few moments of silent crying, she slowly lifted her head, her eyes wet and searching. “Mom, can you tell me a story about your past?” “I just want to know who my mother was.” I stroked her hair, silent for a moment, and sighed softly. Then, my mind drifted, uncontrolled, back to a time long ago. 2 Ten years ago, at the Montgomery family estate in Boston, I had just finished celebrating my twenty-third birthday. I was heading to my room to finally rest when my cousin, Taylor, blocked my path. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and she gripped my arm hard. “Sloane, you have everything. Can’t you just give Elias up to me?” My smile froze. The flush of champagne instantly faded. “Elias is my husband. We’ve been married for three years.” “What are you talking about?” Taylor’s tears finally spilled over. “I’m pregnant.” She added in a low whisper, “It’s Elias’s.” In that moment, my mind felt like it had been split in two by an axe. A roaring sound filled my ears, and even breathing became a struggle. I didn’t hear the rest of her frantic, rambling explanation. A cold numbness began to spread from my chest. I pushed Taylor away with trembling hands, only for her to stumble, falling backward. “Taylor!” A pair of strong arms caught her instantly. I clearly saw her slightly protruding abdomen for the first time. Elias held her tightly, his eyes wide with a mix of panic and overwhelming concern. When he looked up, the only emotion he directed at me was raw fury. I realized Taylor hadn’t been lying. “Sloane, I’m already with you. What more do you want?” The way he protected Taylor was exactly the same way he had protected me the year I was brought home from the hospital. All traces of the evening’s intoxication had vanished. I could even see the white knuckles of his hand as he tightly secured Taylor in his embrace. I forced myself to speak, maintaining a composure I didn’t feel. “Get rid of the baby. I can pretend none of this ever happened.” The words felt like someone had violently squeezed my heart. After a long silence, Elias finally looked up, his expression hardening with a clear resolution. “Sloane, we only had a wedding ceremony. We never actually signed the marriage license.” “In the eyes of the law, it doesn’t count.” My throat felt clogged, and I spoke in a voice barely a rasp. “Taylor is Father’s private daughter. Your child with her is also destined to live in the shadows.” “And this, in case you forgot, is the Montgomery estate.” To my surprise, Elias let out a bitter, cutting laugh. He ignored my words, instead helping Taylor gently onto a nearby chair. “Sloane, I told you I would take care of you for life, and that wasn’t a lie.” “But Taylor is pregnant. I can’t be an irresponsible man.” Finally, he looked directly into my eyes, his face calm. “I thought you would have understood the unwritten rules of our social circle by now.” “Stop creating a scene, and just listen to me. Be a good girl.” In that moment, I felt like I had never known Elias Prescott at all. After that night, I fought him every single day. At first, Elias would use a soft voice to coax me. “Sloane, you’re the one I love most. I thought you understood my heart. Please, just be reasonable…” Gifts of all shapes and sizes began to appear, piled up in my room. But I felt no happiness at all. I started trying to hurt myself. The first time I cut my wrist, he rushed me to the hospital, terrified and heartbroken. The doctor, after confirming the wounds were shallow, gave me a meaningful look and said: “Young people shouldn’t make such a fuss over love and emotions.” Later, as Taylor’s pregnancy progressed, no matter how much I screamed that I was going to kill myself, Elias never stepped foot in my room again. The last time I cut my wrist was the day Taylor gave birth to twins. We were both rushed to the hospital at the same time. When I woke up, only my wrist, throbbing with pain beyond words, was there to comfort me. Elias had stood vigil outside Taylor’s delivery room for over twenty hours. My father even hosted a lavish celebration for the two new lives. Everyone of note in the Boston social circle sent their blessings. They had already decided that Taylor, the illegitimate daughter, had successfully claimed her place. Elias held the twins, planting a kiss on Taylor’s forehead that overflowed with tenderness. He looked like the perfect husband and father. But when his eyes fell on the blood-soaked bandage on my wrist, his look of disgust was absolute. “Sloane Montgomery, do you look like a society wife right now?” 3 Lily hugged me tight again. Her small body was shaking uncontrollably. “Mom, did you adopt me because I look like the baby you lost?” She quickly lowered her head, adding in a whisper, “It’s okay. I won’t be sad.” I kissed her cheek. I started to peel back the layers of pain that had once nearly crushed me. Placing them in the sunlight, waiting for them to finally scar over. Three years after Taylor gave birth to the twins, I became pregnant. My mental state at the time was fragile. But when Elias heard the news, he was ecstatic, as if he had found some kind of salvation. “Sloane, we’re having a baby. Feel this.” He took my hand, his large one guiding mine to rest gently over my lower abdomen. I knew what this meant. From that day on, he assigned me bodyguards, twenty-four hours a day. And I stopped fighting. I naively believed this child would be his reason to come back. A clean break for us to start over. I obediently rested, not even seeking out Taylor’s presence anymore. One evening, Elias, breaking his long-standing rule, actually came into my room. “Sloane, the love between us isn’t gone.” “We just need to find the right arrangement for both of us.” He leaned over and placed a kiss on my forehead. “Just give me some time.” I nodded. “Elias, let’s get legally married. Now, will you?” He stiffened instantly. “Sloane, what are you talking about?” Suddenly, I became hysterical. “Did you never plan to truly spend your life with me, from the very start?” “The day I got pregnant, you turned around and legally married her.” “How long were you planning to keep lying to me?” I took a step back, my spine hitting the cold wall. “I thought you were different.” “But when I saw with my own eyes that you took her overseas to choose a wedding ring, I finally understood.” My voice wasn’t loud, but every word was clearly enunciated. “You told me you were only doing this for the Montgomery legacy, and that I was your true wife, but you turned around and signed the papers with her.” “After she gave birth to the first set of twins, I was foolish enough to think you’d settle down and come back to me. Instead, the very next year, she was pregnant again.” While they basked in the world’s blessings, I was carving up my own wrists, one slice at a time. His eyes grew colder, yet he still tried to soothe me with patience. “Sloane, I told you to give me time.” “Why do you have to be so difficult?” I raised my hand to cut him off. “I thought you were different.” “I even thought you would come back to me, settle down.” “You felt sorry for her going through labor twice, but you still wanted a full house of children.” I looked down at my pregnant belly. “Even if this baby is born, it will never be truly loved.” Everyone had accepted their relationship. Only I, like a desperate clown, was fighting for my life in the Montgomery house. I backed up to the landing of the staircase, speaking with a calm despair. “My father only ever loved his unattainable ideal. After my mother died giving birth to me, he turned around and married my stepmother.” “You want to be just like my father. You want to have your cake and eat it too.” His face drained of color. “Sloane Montgomery, the fact that I’m here, trying to talk to you, proves I still care about you.” “You better start acting like the legitimate daughter of this house. You should try to learn from Taylor and support me quietly from the shadows.” Over the years, my father had come to respect Elias’s sharp mind and ambition. From a virtual driver to his right-hand man, from a nobody to a rising star in the Boston elite. He escorted Taylor to every high-end event. And Taylor, having been refined through fire, was no longer the timid illegitimate daughter. She even ran her own exclusive socialite coaching business. She had leveraged nearly all of Boston’s old-money connections and resources. This was the path I had intended to pave for him. But all I got in return was: “Sloane Montgomery, look at yourself. Do you even resemble the woman I fell for anymore?” I looked at my reflection in the mirror. Dull hair, sunken eyes, a body so thin it was bloodless. Meanwhile, Taylor, despite two pregnancies, still looked like a girl, from her face to her figure. He allowed me to live without any dignity, yet he forbade me from doing anything that might hurt his image. I was about to turn to walk down the stairs. The next second, a force slammed into my back, and I tumbled down.

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My brother is a stoic, New York business tycoon who practices a vow of silence—strict, disciplined, and cautious. I, on the other hand, am a chatterbox. To win him over, I practice calling myself “sister-in-law” in the mirror every day. While he meditates in seclusion at home, I spread rumors about him outside. When he goes to Germany for business, I tell everyone he’s going for “German Orthopedics” (a slang term implying incestuous relationships, often used in anime/manga culture, here adapted to mean something scandalous). When he sets me up on blind dates with handsome guys, I claim it’s all part of his play, a prelude to a “possessive brother forced love” scenario. I annoyed this cold, detached man so much that he almost started casting spells with sign language. Later, he became intense, and perverted. He tied me to the headboard with his tie, his distinct knuckles tracing dirty words on my waist stroke by stroke: “Read it out loud.” My face burned red, I bit the pillow and shook my head with tears in my eyes. Too dirty, couldn’t say it. He smiled, his slender fingers caressing my lower abdomen: “Such a thin waist, yet such a sharp tongue.” “Did you really think you could handle everything?” 1 At 9 AM sharp, I appeared downstairs at the Sterling Group building. Admiring my beauty in the elevator reflection, I enunciated clearly: “Good morning, sister-in-law. You look radiant today as always.” The employee in a suit next to me glanced at me, looking like his CPU had fried, and quietly moved away. Carrying the “love breakfast” for my brother, Ethan Sterling, I marched into the CEO’s office with my head held high. A few days ago, I had a big fight with Ethan. Mostly me fighting, him listening. He wanted to find me a marriage partner. I said exasperatedly: “It’s not like you don’t know, the person I like is you!” Ethan practices a vow of silence to avoid sins of speech and lies. He wears a string of eighteen prayer beads on his wrist year-round. Every time he breaks his vow and speaks, he has to drop a bead into a wooden box. Until all eighteen beads are gone, he can never speak again. And now, only fifteen beads remain. The three lost beads were all because of me. Ethan fingered the beads on his wrist one by one, eyebrows furrowed. He signed a few words back: “I am your brother.” “Not by blood!” “You are too young.” I puffed out my chest: “You’re the one who’s small, I’m a D-cup!” “I don’t like you.” I said decisively: “Impossible, how could anyone in the world not like me!” My second brother, Liam, standing aside, was dumbfounded: “No, sis, aren’t you a bit too narcissistic?” Ethan’s expression didn’t change a bit. Posture like a pine, back straight, as if no waves could shake his resolve: “Find her suitable guys of the same age, arrange meetings.” I kicked Liam in anger and ran away from home. After a week of cold war with Ethan, I couldn’t take it anymore and actively made breakfast to seek peace. On the top floor of the Sterling Group, voices of conversation approached, mighty and imposing. It wasn’t just Ethan; Liam and the company board members were there too. I wrinkled my nose. Sneaking to make peace with Ethan was fine if only he knew. With others present, I couldn’t lose face. I quickly scanned the office, dodged, and hid under the desk hole of Ethan’s desk. Curled up, just sat down hugging my knees. At the same time, with a “creak,” the door was pushed open. Leather shoes tapped on the floor, footsteps getting closer. Looking up. I was face to face with Ethan, who had just walked around the desk and sat in the boss chair. 2 I was stunned. Ethan was stunned too. I clearly saw his long eyelashes blink once, and he frowned slowly. Before he could speak, I quickly “shushed” him. Grabbed the boss chair with both hands, wheels rolling, and pulled him and the chair over directly. Used his legs to block my body. Ethan didn’t speak, slowly lowered his eyelashes, and gave me a calm look. The directors were still talking non-stop, reporting the group’s operation status. And Ethan barely spoke, only occasionally using sign language or writing down a few words to correct their thoughts. Curled up in the desk hole, I lifted my chin to look at Ethan. Broad, straight shoulders filling out the suit, muscle lines smooth and solid. Hair short and neat, features deep, aura formidable. The wrist holding the fountain pen had veins full of power. This angle reminded me of the day I first met Ethan twelve years ago. I was ten that year, picking swill to eat in front of a trash can. A Rolls-Royce stopped in the slums. Ethan frowned, brand-new shiny leather shoes stepping in a puddle of sewage. He found me quickly. Ethan back then hadn’t started his vow of silence, but was equally reticent and pretentious, lifting my collar with a few fingers: “Is it her?” I bared my teeth and claws at him: “Who are you? Let me go!” “I want to adopt you.” An orphan with no parents, struggling alone since childhood, I wasn’t afraid of him at all: “Get lost! Who knows if you’re a pervert. “You dare touch me, I curse you and your son to be stabbed in the rectum in the future!” He threw me into the back seat of the Rolls-Royce, then took out a handkerchief and slowly wiped his fingers clean: “Take her away.” Ethan drew my blood, tested my DNA, and then pushed an adoption contract in front of me. From that day on, I became the third miss of the Sterling family. Liam once covered his face and asked Ethan: “Big brother, why did we adopt her? “I’m afraid she’ll lick her own mouth and poison herself to death.” I was also curious why Ethan adopted me. I even suspected I was an illegitimate child of the late Mr. and Mrs. Sterling. Stole hair from Ethan and Liam to test DNA, I indeed had no blood relation with them. I investigated secretly for a long time, until I encountered that incident… My thoughts drifted away, pulled back by the voices of the executives reporting. After the directors finished reporting, it was the board members’ turn, showing no intention of leaving. I kept the same head-down posture for a long time, neck sore. In front of me were Ethan’s long legs, close at hand, suit pants fabric stiff. I decided to be lazy. Quietly moved forward, click, rested my chin on Ethan’s knee. The soft flesh of my cheek sank slightly, pressing against his thigh. My brother smells really good. I buried my nose in his suit pants, sniffing like a puppy. Not the smell of any perfume, but the sandalwood from years of meditation, light and pleasant. Ethan’s relaxed body suddenly tightened, even his breathing stopped for a moment. He looked down at me, jawline tight, sharp Adam’s apple rolling up and down. The meaning in his eyes was obvious: “What are you doing?” I looked at him innocently for a moment, mouthed: “Brother, you smell good.” Then curved my eyes, pursed my lips, and smiled at him. Sunlight fell on my eyelashes, warm and fuzzy. Under the cover of the desk hole, a group of middle-aged male and female executives were still reporting. Second brother Liam stood foolishly in front of the desk, knowing nothing. And Ethan stared at me fixedly for a moment. As if bewitched, he extended his slender fingers, gently, touched my cheek. A subtle and indescribable atmosphere quietly spread between us. Thump, thump, thump. I quietly took a breath, pressed my heart to stop it from beating so violently. Turned my face, nuzzled his fingers affectionately. The next second, I heard Liam say: “Big brother, about the blind dates you asked me to find for sis, I found three, take a look.” Ethan seemed to wake up with a start, suddenly withdrew his hand, returning to his cold and self-restrained appearance. What blind date?! I’m not going on a blind date!! Evil rose from my gut, I turned my face and bit Ethan’s thigh fiercely. 3 “Hiss—” How come this guy has hard muscles even on his thighs?! Ethan’s body trembled, the hand gripping the pen drew a long mark on the paper. Liam stopped talking, looked up, and looked over in confusion: “Big brother, what’s wrong?” In for a penny, in for a pound. I reached out directly, pulled out Ethan’s shirt. Took the opportunity to messily touch his abs which felt excellent. Then started to unbuckle his belt with a clatter. Fine, make me go on blind dates, huh. I want to see how you explain being seen disheveled with your sister as the CEO of Sterling Group. The sound of metal buckles colliding rang in the quiet space. The executives fell silent simultaneously, looking at Ethan in surprise and doubt. Liam was even more puzzled: “Big brother, what’s that sound?” Ethan closed his eyes, grabbed both my wrists with one hand. With the other hand, he gestured to everyone: “Leave for now.” “Yes.” Everyone filed out. The heavy door was closed again, only Ethan and I were left in the office. He took a deep breath, moved the chair back, revealing my figure. Ethan’s shirt had been unbuttoned by me. The hem scattered around his strong waist, eight abs neat and tidy, muscle lines smooth, but a prominent old scar ran across. I couldn’t help extending my fingertips, gently stroking that scar. The humid rainstorm and thunder of that night seemed to echo in my ears. The first bead on Ethan’s wrist was lost because of this. I was kidnapped when I was sixteen. Ethan ventured alone to confront the kidnappers. At that time, he had already started practicing the vow of silence. Because he hadn’t spoken for a long time, his voice was hoarse and stagnant. Every syllable was like a rough string, extremely low and deep, but clearer than the deafening thunderstorm. He said: “Let her go, I’ll go with you.” In the end, Ethan successfully subdued the kidnappers. But this scar was added to his lower abdomen, almost costing him his life. My heart trembled slightly, fingertips with pale pink nails gently touching him. Ethan’s skin was dark, on the wheat-colored skin, that scar was ugly and ferocious, edges raised like a python. His lean and solid waist and abdomen trembled, holding my wrist. I puffed out my cheeks: “Stingy, won’t even let me touch.” I wore a shirt and skirt today, simply pulled out my shirt too, revealing my tummy: “Not touching yours for free, I’ll let you touch back.” Ethan’s eyebrows moved slightly, stopping my movement: “What’s tattooed on your waist?” I suddenly thought of something, trying to cover it back with clothes in a flurry. But how could my strength compare to Ethan’s. His arm muscles bulged, picking me up directly. Sat me on the desk, face to face with him, lifted my shirt. On the snow-white waist side, a beautiful cursive script was tattooed. —It was the signature Ethan would sign on all legal documents and company contracts. Like stamping a mark exclusive to him on a piece of snow-white, delicate paper. Ethan’s breathing suddenly became heavy: “Why.” I sat on the table, two calves dangling between his thighs. Looking down, I could see his eyes. Curved my eyes and said: “Because I like you.” Sunlight poured like a waterfall into the spacious and bright office. Falling into the bottom of the eyes, like a sparkling lake. I cupped his face, looking into his eyes: “You don’t know how much I like you.” The tip of my nose smelled his light and pleasant sandalwood scent, breaths mingling. I lowered my head as if possessed, slowly, slowly approaching his lips. Only a millimeter away from his lips. The office door was suddenly opened. Liam poked his head in: “By the way, bro, I think three blind dates for sis is a bit few? “Do you want me to make a list, add a few more people…” Liam: “???” He stood dumbfounded at the door, eyes wide as copper bells. Looked at Ethan, then at me, finally back to Ethan: “Ha, excuse me, you guys, um, kissing huh.” He swallowed, carefully said: “Big brother, in sister’s blind date list, need me to sign you up too?” 4 Ethan ran away. After being interrupted by Liam that day, Ethan packed his bags and went on a business trip to Germany that night. I was so angry I choked Liam’s neck: “Eyes not used can be donated to those in need!” Liam screamed: “How would I know you are so bold, daring to forcibly kiss big brother!” I was pressed to meet a circle of blind dates. It took full two months before Ethan returned from Germany. Bringing a huge overseas strategic investment cooperation, he held a dinner party at the Sterling villa. Night fell, lights came on. The Sterling residence was brilliantly lit, guests in fragrant clothes and beautiful hair, countless luxury cars parked outside. I pounced into Ethan’s arms: “Brother, I missed you to death!” Ethan turned sideways and dodged my touch. Not seen for two months, Ethan was even more silent. All night, countless people talked to Ethan, praising his business acumen, complimenting this German strategic cooperation. And his eyes avoided me all along. As if determined to draw a line with me. I gritted my teeth, ran up to him: “Brother, to celebrate your business cooperation this time, an unknown kind person also prepared a gift for you.” A drone flew over. In front of Ethan and countless guests. With a “swish,” it spat out a striking banner with black characters on a red background: 【Congratulations to Ethan Sterling on his return from German Orthopedics!】 Ethan: “……” Guests: “……” I coughed: “Pure passerby, I think going to Germany for orthopedics is weird, what do you think, brother?” Ethan’s gaze finally fell on me. I clearly saw the veins on Ethan’s forehead jumping one by one. Expressionless, he fished out a remote control from my pocket. With a “crack.” The remote control was crushed by him, and the drone fell. I laughed dryly: “German Orthopedics is good, bone density enhanced, haha, haha.” Ethan raised his eyes, looked at me with a heavy gaze, signed: “Chloe Vance, what exactly do you want to do?” I smiled and said: “You.” Ethan’s movement stiffened for a moment, looked away: “Don’t waste time on me anymore. “Did you meet the boys I arranged for you?” One sentence, like a needle, “poof” stuck into my heart. I bit my lip, said angrily: “I don’t like them! “Brother, you know me, stubborn nature, won’t turn back even if I hit the south wall. “Liked you for so long, can’t change.” I took out a box of pills, shook it, showed him: “If you don’t look at me again, I can only think of a way myself, use some strong medicine.” Ethan saw the label on the box clearly, eyebrows condensed, face suddenly darkened: “Where did you get the aphrodisiac? “Bold enough to threaten to drug me?” “No.” I shook my head, took out a small pill in front of him, swallowed it. Then looked up, smiled at him: “This medicine, I ate it myself.” Ethan’s always steady mask suddenly cracked. Eyes wide, looking at me in astonishment. My cheeks flushed red, eyes watery: “The three blind dates you found for me are all here today. “Will you help me relieve the drug effect, or let others do it? “Brother, this time, you choose for me.”

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Chapter 1 At our seventh-anniversary dinner party, my husband shouted from the kitchen. “Babe, come help me serve this dish.” Before I could even stand up from my seat, my best friend had already trotted over, hugging him from behind and taking the plate. Seeing me frozen in place, she quickly explained. “I’m so used to being ordered around by my mom at home, it’s become a reflex. Don’t overthink it.” I didn’t argue or make a scene. I finished the dinner party with a composed face. After the guests left, I calmly said to my husband, who was clearing the table, “Let’s get a divorce.” My husband slammed down the bowls and chopsticks, glaring at me. “Seriously? Just because she helped me serve a dish?” … “Emily, in seven years of marriage, I’ve never let you do a single chore. I’ve spoiled you rotten, giving you everything.” “Now, just because of an unintentional act by your best friend, you want to divorce me? Do you have a conscience?” Mark questioned me with red eyes, as if I had done something unforgivable. I didn’t respond directly. Instead, I shifted my gaze to the dining table, to the plate of squirrel-shaped mandarin fish with only a little left at the bottom. “In seven years of marriage, every time we ate, you knew this was my favorite dish you made, and you would always place it closest to me.” “But this time, you placed it in front of Jessica, who also likes it.” Mark choked for a moment, then said grumpily, “What’s there to say about that? There was no one to help serve the dishes at the time. I was dizzy and busy, didn’t think too much.” I shook my head, my voice hoarse. “It’s not just this dish. When everyone sat down, you pulled out the chair for Jessica first.” “When her glass was empty, you opened a new drink, and it was orange flavor, which she likes but I don’t.” “Mark, human thinking has inertia. When you love someone, your subconscious wants to give them the best.” “When you were too busy to think, you were subconsciously good to another woman. That is the key reason I want to divorce you.” Mark’s face darkened, looking at me like I was crazy. “Emily, are you sick? A few unintentional actions, and you interpret so much out of them? If you’re so capable, why don’t you become a detective?” “Besides, is that ‘another woman’? That’s Jessica! Your best friend since childhood!” “If it weren’t for your sake, I wouldn’t have taken care of her more. How did it become me having an affair with her in your mouth? Are you reasonable?” He went to the study, found a photo album, and threw it in front of me. Inside, one by one, were photos of Jessica and me from childhood to the present, each one smiling like sisters. The most prominent ones were from my wedding, when Jessica was my maid of honor. On stage, she wept as she watched Mark and me exchange rings, her expression moved. In the next one, Jessica and I hugged tightly on stage. She was holding my bridal bouquet, smiling brilliantly. I looked at these photos and suddenly smiled sarcastically in hindsight. “When we exchanged rings, the tips of her shoes were pointed at you. So she wasn’t moved by my marriage, but weeping for you.” “When hugging me, she was smiling at someone outside the frame. From the angle of the shot, that person was you.” “So seven years ago, she had such thoughts about you. No wonder she has remained single all these years.” “And what about you? When did you start?” Mark took a step back, his face full of disappointment and anger at me. “Emily, I thought you were just temporarily stuck in a dead end and couldn’t think straight. I didn’t expect you to be crazy to this extent, confusing black and white even about the past!” “I think I’ve spoiled you too much, making you so tricky, willful, and unreasonable!” “I’ll give you a day to reflect on your mistakes. Tomorrow is my grandfather’s eightieth birthday. If you still have a shred of respect as a junior, you shouldn’t bring this trouble before Grandpa!” He threw the apron heavily and slammed the door as he left. 2 I sat weakly in the chair facing a table full of messy cups and plates. Mark and I met and fell in love in college. My family was wealthy, but I never despised him as a poor student living on financial aid. I selflessly helped him in both study and life, even paying for him to study abroad for two years at a prestigious university to gild his resume. Mark is a smart man. Knowing his shortcomings, he always took great care of my emotions. After marriage, he indeed gave me meticulous care in life, never letting me suffer the slightest grievance. But even the most thorough person will reveal clues when they care too much and get flustered. I opened my phone and found that Mark had unknowingly turned off the location sharing he had bound with me. Without notifying anyone, I changed my clothes and went directly to Jessica’s bar. Because I dressed particularly low-key, no one noticed me from the moment I entered. I walked along the corridor, unimpeded all the way, to the door of private room 999, which Jessica used exclusively to entertain friends. Before pushing the door open, I heard Mark’s complaining voice from inside. “Knowing I’m being bullied by a tigress, you guys still laugh. Do you have any sympathy?” There was a room full of people sitting inside. At a glance, most of them were friends who came to my dinner party tonight! They sat or stood, looking relaxed, with no intention of speaking for me at all. Amidst their laughter, I felt cold all over. In the center seat of the private room, Jessica played with a wine glass, tilted her head and smiled at Mark beside her. “Who told you to be careless and call me ‘baby’ in Emily’s house?” “I didn’t react for a moment and subconsciously tied the apron for you.” “I thought she wouldn’t be so sensitive, but unexpectedly, she still noticed.” Putting down the glass, she lit a cigarette with a smile, using the limited edition antique lighter I gave her for her birthday last year. Just as she put it in her mouth, Mark naturally snatched the cigarette away. “You’re a mother now, why don’t you have any sense of propriety? I told you not to smoke during pregnancy!” Jessica has had a violent temper since childhood and never submitted to anyone’s discipline. Back then, when her dad forbade her to smoke, she could pick up a kitchen knife and challenge the old man. But now, facing Mark, she showed a submissive smile I had never seen before. “Okay, okay, I’ll listen to you. If I don’t smoke, I don’t smoke.” “After all, you are the biological father of my child, of course you have the final say.” She stroked her still flat lower abdomen, smiled and leaned her head on Mark’s shoulder. My blood froze in this instant. Jessica and Mark not only cheated, but even had a child! 3 “Speaking of which, Emily is also unreasonable. Why did she choose to be child-free for no reason?” “Exactly. Brother Mark’s family has been a single heir for three generations. Isn’t she intentionally harming people?” Hearing the ridicule of the people around me, Jessica, who had always stood by my side since childhood no matter what, smiled contemptuously and actually chimed in: “She was spoiled, so she doesn’t know how to consider others.” And my husband, Mark, held Jessica’s hand while smiling affectionately. “Jess, you are willing to bear a child for me. You are not only my benefactor, but also a great hero of my family!” “From now on, our lives will be more closely linked and will never be separated!” Hearing his words, my tears rolled down, and I almost couldn’t stand. Back then, my mother had a difficult labor and heavy bleeding when giving birth to me. She passed away before she could even hold me. Because of this, I have always had a fear of childbirth. Early in our relationship, I told Mark that I planned to be child-free in this life. If he minded, we would end it here. But at that time, Mark hugged me tightly and said emotionally in my ear: “I am already content to meet you in this life. Children are not important at all. My love for you will not decrease by a single bit!” I was full of emotion at that time, thinking that I had met a man who loved me beyond the instinct of reproduction, and possessed a one-in-a-million true love. But now, seeing Mark’s deep affection for Jessica, I know how wrong I was! In the private room, someone asked: “But, do you two plan to hide it from Emily for a lifetime?” “Now that you have a child, you might as well open up to Emily. After the divorce, you can be together openly!” Everyone looked at the two of them in unison, and Mark shook his head immediately. “Impossible. Jess and she have been good friends for more than twenty years. I can’t bear to let her break up with her best friend because of me.” “Moreover, my career is deeply bound to the Evans family. I can’t completely tear my face with Emily.” “So from the very beginning of being together, Jess and I agreed that no matter what, we cannot bring the relationship to Emily, and divorce is even more impossible.” It turns out Mark also knows that his current wealth and status rely on my investment and help. The fundamental reason for maintaining a relationship with me turned out to be profit. Everyone sighed, and someone looked at Jessica with sympathy. “Jess, you are such a proud person. Are you willing to bring up a child in the dark for a lifetime?” Jessica snorted and smiled, turned Mark’s face, and printed a lingering kiss on his lips. “Isn’t marriage just a piece of paper? I don’t care.” “Besides, a wife is not as good as a concubine, and a concubine is not as good as stealing. Stealing under Emily’s nose for a lifetime, just thinking about it is exciting.” If I hadn’t heard it with my own ears, I wouldn’t believe that such words came from my best friend whom I have known for more than twenty years. There was laughter and joy in the private room, but I felt like I had fallen into hell on earth. Overnight, I went from the happiest woman in the world to a clown who suffered betrayal of both love and friendship at the same time. What is even sadder is that I turned out to be the last person in the circle of friends to know about this. My friends whom I thought were close always helped them cover up, watching them play me around, but no one came to remind me. Weeping, I walked out of the bar and dialed the legal department. “Prepare a divorce agreement for me. I want Mark to leave the marriage with nothing.” “In addition, I want you to help me do a few more things…” 4 The next day was the eightieth birthday of the Zhou family patriarch. The Zhou family had prepared for this birthday banquet for a long time. Early in the morning, the courtyard house I bought for them was decorated with lanterns and festoons. Flowers and longevity peaches were placed everywhere, and a symphony orchestra was invited to perform live. But when I stepped into the gate, I saw Jessica sitting at the main table in the room. And my mother-in-law, who always treated me coldly, was holding her hand affectionately at this moment, asking about her health. “Little Jess, a woman pregnant with a child eats for two. You must pay more attention to strengthening nutrition.” “You are too thin. I feel distressed watching you. In the future, I will cook three meals a day for you and let Mark deliver them to you every day!” Jessica smiled obediently and sweetly. Seeing me come in, she didn’t look panicked at all. “Emily, on such a big day today, why did you come just now? I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.” If it were usual, I would think this was the most normal greeting. But now, I clearly heard belittling and suppression in her words, implying that I was a person who didn’t even care about important events in my husband’s family. Sure enough, after the Zhou family members at the table heard it, their faces, which were not good to me originally, became even worse. “She is a wealthy young lady after all. It’s good enough that she can come. How can we ask for so much?” After my mother-in-law sarcastically mocked me, she changed her face and smilingly handed a piece of fruit to Jessica. “Little Jess, this is the cantaloupe Mark had air-freighted from Hainan this morning. It’s very sweet. Eat more.” Jessica greeted me to sit next to her, but I sat directly opposite her, separated by a whole round table, and spoke calmly. “When did you get pregnant? My mother-in-law knows, but I’m still kept in the dark.” A trace of guilt flashed across Jessica’s face, then she smiled: “Just found out. I was preparing to tell you today, but I didn’t expect Auntie to see it first.” “Yes, a pregnant woman has a special aura. We who have given birth can tell at a glance!” My mother-in-law smoothed things over, not forgetting to sarcastically mock me: “Little Emily, you haven’t given birth, so naturally you don’t understand.” I didn’t take her words, my eyes still on Jessica. “Where is the child’s father? When does he plan to marry you?” Hearing the coldness in my tone, the smile on Jessica’s mouth faded a bit, “I am a non-marriageist and don’t plan to get married. Anyway, someone will raise the child after birth. No need for superficial efforts.” But I laughed. “You are too big-hearted as a mother. Others do their best to raise children, but you are willing to let your child be a nameless illegitimate child.” I emphasized the word “illegitimate child”. After saying this, the whole room fell silent. Jessica’s face turned green and white. She stared at me fiercely but couldn’t say a word. At this time, Mark, who hadn’t shown up all along, finally arrived supporting Master Zhou. Seeing Jessica at the dinner table, his face changed instantly: “Jessica, why are you here? Who let you come?” “I invited Little Jess!” My mother-in-law suddenly stood up and pointed at me, cursing: “The old man is celebrating his eightieth birthday, and he still hasn’t held a great-grandson. It’s all because of this hen that can’t lay eggs!” “Now that Little Jess has finally conceived a golden grandson for our family, how can I wrong her? Of course I have to invite her to attend the birthday banquet together!” Her remarks fell into my trap, but also completely tore off Mark’s last fig leaf. Mark was so angry that he almost jumped up: “Mom, what nonsense are you talking about? Jessica and I are innocent. How could the child she is carrying be mine!” He desperately winked at my mother-in-law, but she pushed him away. “What is there to hide? It was Emily’s fault for not being able to bear children. How dare she speak shamelessly and say my grandson is an illegitimate child!” “I looked forward to this golden grandson for so long. How can I allow others to insult him like this!” Mark wanted to cry but had no tears. Just as he was about to explain, Jessica stood up and looked straight at me. “Emily, actually you already knew, right?” “Since that’s the case, I won’t hide it from you anymore. I am indeed pregnant with Mark’s child.” “I have seen all his kindness and dedication to you over the years. I both envy and hate you for not appreciating your blessings, unwilling to even bear him a child.” “You don’t cherish such a good man, but plenty of women want him!” In front of me, she grabbed Mark’s hand and vowed: “Mark, whatever Emily can give you, I can give you too!” “I don’t want to endure anymore. Today I want to be with you openly and honestly!” Mark’s eyes flickered, seeming to be weighing the pros and cons. But soon, he held Jessica’s hand back and looked at me as if burning his boats. “Since everything is out in the open, Emily, let’s part on good terms. Let’s divorce!” “I don’t want a penny of what belongs to you, but the Zhou Corporation was developed by me alone, so don’t even think about taking it!” Seeing his shameless face, I laughed in anger. If it weren’t for me, how could he, a penniless student, quickly get financing to start a business after graduation, receive hundreds of high-quality client orders in a row, and counterattack to become a winner in life in the top ten of the rich list within ten years? But no matter. Compared to dealing with him, I have a more interesting thing to do together. In front of Jessica and Mark, I took out my phone. “It’s me, Emily.” “The capital strangulation against the Xie and Zhou families can begin.”

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