Category: English

After I was rescued from my own “kidnapping,” Julian immediately started sleeping in a separate room. No matter how much I explained, he refused to believe I hadn’t been violated. Even when I tried to initiate intimacy, he threw me out of the bedroom, naked. Friends and family looked at me with increasing pity. Everyone advised me: “Julian is a good man. Stop torturing him.” Even my son shouted in anger: “You’re so dirty! Why do you keep pushing Dad?” So, I was labeled a “rape victim” and a “lunatic.” I spent the rest of my life in misery and despair, ending it all by drowning myself in a lake in my old age. But it wasn’t until after my death that I learned the truth: that kidnapping was staged by Julian himself. He used my guilt to make me care for our son and his mother. Meanwhile, he justified “keeping himself pure” for the love of his life, living it up with her. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I was rescued. 1 I collapsed on the street, disheveled. Julian covered me with his jacket, his eyes full of pain and tenderness. He comforted me: “Don’t say anything. Let’s go home first.” The sharp gazes of the neighbors pierced me like knives. I trembled all over, finally believing I had really been reborn. On this day in my past life, I was inexplicably kidnapped. Twenty-four hours later, I was dumped at my doorstep. Clothes torn, spirit broken. Julian played the role of the perfect husband, terrified of triggering my trauma. He forbade anyone from asking me what happened. Even when I asked about it myself, Julian rejected me without hesitation. “You’re very fragile right now. Just rest. Leave everything else to me.” I was dazed back then, thinking he was doing it for my own good. But within three days, rumors that I had been defiled spread everywhere. By the time I wanted to clarify, it was too late. It wasn’t until I committed suicide in my old age that Julian burned paper money for me. His hypocritical eyes moistened for two seconds as he thanked me for my years of sacrifice. But he never regretted it. Because I had taken the place of the love of his life, cutting off his delusions. If he had to do it again, he would still make the same choice. Seeing me stare straight at him, a flicker of panic crossed Julian’s face. But soon, he tried to usher me home. He even addressed the concerned friends and relatives who tried to approach: “Sarah isn’t doing well. For the sake of her mental health, please give her some space. No visitors for now.” His words sounded so sincere that even my parents hesitated. They looked at me with red, swollen eyes, afraid that, as Julian said, they might agitate me. Anger rushed straight to my brain. I shook off Julian’s hand, which was gripping me like a vice, and walked quickly towards my parents. Tears streamed down their faces as they reached out to hug me. “Sarah, my poor child.” Once they calmed down a bit, I signaled to them calmly. “Mom, Dad, I’m fine. Let’s talk at home.” Julian panicked and immediately followed. His voice raised unconsciously: “Sarah Lin, isn’t this mess big enough already?! Stop running around at a time like this.” My son was also confused. Looking at the inquisitive expressions around us, he said irritably: “Mom, why aren’t we going home? Why are we going to Grandma’s?” My heart twitched slightly. Father and son, singing the same tune. There was no worry for me in their eyes, only the fear of exposure and the annoyance of embarrassment. My parents sensed it too. Their faces darkened. After exchanging a glance, they pulled me into their car. Julian was dumbfounded. He and my son hurriedly followed. seeing me take out my phone to call the police, he snatched it away without thinking and turned it off. In an instant, everyone in the car looked at him. Julian’s face froze, his eyes shifting unnaturally. “I already called them for you. No need to do it again.” But I knew he was lying. 2 In my past life, whenever I asked him: “How is the police investigation going?” At first, his reply was always: “Soon, soon.” Later, losing patience, he impatiently said the case was closed. But the rumors around me grew uglier, saying I was unclean, bad luck, dishonest. The ubiquitous colored gazes drove me to the brink. I often had to take handfuls of sleeping pills to fall asleep. Later, when I discovered Julian’s affair and we argued, everyone collectively attacked me. With looks that said “I knew it,” they commented: “Seems she hasn’t moved on from the trauma.” “She’s crazy! She’s starting to hallucinate!” “Her husband is saint enough not to despise her. Is she trying to drive everyone crazy to be happy?!” Julian forcibly committed me to a mental hospital. Bone-deep electric shocks ran through my body, making me wail nightly, even losing control of my bladder. But everyone turned around and pitied Julian, urging him to divorce me. Julian, with a face of endurance, stood in front of me and declared self-righteously: “She is my wife. As long as I live, I will never give up on her!” This speech moved everyone. But later I understood. He kept me not because he loved me, but to make me take care of his young son and half-paralyzed mother. Only after squeezing the last drop of value from me did he let me die. My thoughts returned. I lifted my bloodshot eyes, about to speak. Julian’s phone suddenly rang. It was his “white moonlight”—the love of his life, Luna—calling. Julian froze, glancing up at me. He turned off the speakerphone before answering. But the next second, his face changed completely. “Sick? Stop the car! I need to get out!” My son also followed anxiously, running two steps before turning back guiltily to explain: “Mom, Auntie Luna treats me well. It’s only right I go visit her.” My mom’s face was grim. My dad’s anger flared up instantly. “Your mom just escaped death, and you guys—” Before Dad could finish, I pressed his hand down, turning calmly to the father and son: “Go ahead.” In an instant, everyone looked at me. An unease rose in Julian’s heart. He seemed to sense I was different from before. But before he could think too much, I stepped on the gas and sped away. Luna was Julian’s “white moonlight,” but she never lacked male suitors. After catching her cheating for the ninth time, Julian finally lost heart and settled for a blind date with me. But shortly after we got married, Luna changed her mind. From then on, Julian resented me, feeling I had ruined his happy life. In my past life, after Julian staged the kidnapping, my mental state began to deteriorate. At first, Julian would avoid me. Later, he became bolder, flirting with Luna right in front of me. He even brought her home to sleep with. I collapsed and rushed over to confront them. But Julian slapped me to the ground. Grabbing my hair, he threatened: “If you dare touch a finger on her, I’ll send you back to the mental hospital! No one believes you!” I broke down and begged my son for help, but he just sighed. “Mom, my tuition depends on Dad. Just turn a blind eye.” In that moment, my heart shattered. This was the child I risked my life to give birth to. The metallic taste of blood surged in my throat. I took a deep breath to suppress it. After arriving home, my parents accompanied me to call the police. Hearing it was a kidnapping case, the police took it very seriously. They immediately launched an investigation. When we returned, Julian and my son were waiting for me at my parents’ house. They wore satisfied smiles. They had spent the whole afternoon with Luna at the makeup counter without a hint of impatience. One didn’t look like a husband whose wife had just suffered a disaster. The other didn’t look like a son whose mother had been traumatized. And they came only to make me go back and continue taking care of the household. Seeing us return, Julian looked confused: “Where did you go?” 3 My parents and I exchanged glances, but none of us said anything. Unsure, Julian urged me to go home again. “It’s late. Let’s not disturb Mom and Dad. Let’s go home.” Saying that, he reached out to pull me, as if afraid I’d stay a second longer. I raised my hand and took two steps back. “I’m not going back for the next few days.” As soon as the words fell, Julian’s face changed. He looked at me in panic. Seeing that I didn’t seem to have discovered anything, he immediately became aggressive: “What do you mean? What’s wrong with the house that you won’t go back? My son and I haven’t even eaten yet!” “With all the gossip outside, the boy is grown up now. Don’t you think about him?! How can he face his classmates in the future!” My son also looked at me with a grim face. “Yeah, Mom, what’s wrong with you? It’s not like Dad and I caused you to be kidnapped. Do you have to stay away from home? Have you considered my reputation?” My chest felt tight and bloated. I bit my lip hard to stop the tears. Reputation. Always reputation. In my past life, for the sake of his damn reputation. I swallowed my pride and didn’t divorce him. But when my daughter-in-law entered the family, they locked me in the house. Sitting in the high seat of the mother in the main hall was the unrelated Luna. My son called her “Mom” with a beaming face. I cried my heart out in the basement, almost dying from hyperventilation. And the first second I opened my eyes after being saved from the hospital, I faced his overwhelming accusations. “Today is my big day. Did you think about me when you pulled this stunt? Are you even my real mom?” “You’re unpresentable anyway. What’s wrong with Auntie Luna helping out!” With that, he unilaterally cut ties with me. Until a year later when my daughter-in-law gave birth, he brazenly came back to morally kidnap me. “Mom, I was young and ignorant then. Don’t hold it against me. Now that your grandson is here, how can you as a grandma not help out?” The father and son sang the same tune and coaxed me back. Julian became a hands-off boss, traveling the country with Luna. Thinking of this, my heart went cold. When I lifted my eyelids to look at my son, my face was full of mockery. “Tim, is your reputation more important than my life?” “You and your dad played with Luna all day, and you still want me to go home and cook for you? Are you disabled?” My merciless words hit Tim like a slap in the face. He turned red instantly. He stood there in disbelief, as if unable to understand how I, who loved him most, could say such things. “Enough!” Julian suddenly shouted, as if the temper he’d held back all day finally exploded. “Didn’t you agree to let us go? Why bring up old scores now! My son and I were just concerned about you. Why be so mean and harsh!” “Besides, aren’t you fine now! Even if not for us, Mom is starving at home. Aren’t you being too unfilial as a daughter-in-law!” Tim, backed by his dad, straightened his spine again. “Yeah, Mom, look how angry you made Dad. Stop making a scene.” A scene? In his eyes, his father is always right. I really want to know if he can still stand so brazenly by his father’s side when he learns his father did such a beastly thing. But before I could speak, my dad couldn’t take it anymore. He rushed over and pointed at the door: “Get out! Both of you get out!” Tim got anxious and quickly said: “Grandpa, how can you—Ah!” Before he could finish, Dad slapped him. “Little beast! Just like your father!” Julian got angry and rushed up to shove Dad. His tone was sinister: “I call you Dad to give you face, doesn’t mean you can hit my son!” “Your whole family doesn’t know right from wrong. I’d like to see what relatives and friends think when they find out!” With that, he led Tim and slammed the door as they left. There were onlookers at the door. Dad trembled with anger. He had been a respectable man all his life and almost had a heart attack. Mom’s eyes were red, wanting to rush out to argue. I hugged her trembling body, holding back tears as I promised: “Mom, trust me. I will make them pay.” 4 So early the next morning, I went back to pack my things. Julian’s relatives were sitting in a circle. It seemed they were preparing to gang up on me again. I still vividly remember how ugly their words were in my past life. “You’re damaged goods, why divorce!” “If you didn’t attract bees and butterflies, how could you be kidnapped and ruined?” “If you still have any humanity, just be a good wife and mother and stop making trouble!” With a loud bang, I pushed the door open. Julian’s anxious face instantly cleared up. But he suppressed his rising smile and still put on airs arrogantly in front of me. “You still have the face to come back! Because you didn’t come back yesterday, no one changed Mom’s diaper, and her thighs are all red.” “Go kneel and apologize to her, and I’ll let bygones be bygones and reluctantly forgive you.” I scanned the room coldly. Only away for a day, and the room was filled with the foul smell of urine. The table was piled with greasy dishes. His relatives spoke sarcastically: “Sarah, you graduated from a prestigious university, how come you have no womanly virtue? Leaving a pile of work at home to go enjoy yourself at your parents’.” “Not to mention your body is dirty, you’re not considerate of your husband, throwing tantrums here!” “Careful Tim won’t be close to you in the future and won’t take care of you when you’re old!” Their words stabbed at my weak spots one after another. In the past, the cowardly me would always be humiliated to tears by them. But now, I raised my hand and pushed away the Third Aunt who was almost sticking to me. Spitting out a “Scram.” Her face turned green instantly. Just as she was about to roll up her sleeves to curse me. My mother-in-law’s wailing sounded, her voice shrill and piercing: “Sarah Lin! You little hoof, hurry up and clean me!” “My family committed a sin marrying such an unfilial daughter-in-law!” “Isn’t what you did shameful enough! Now everyone knows you were ruined. If I were you, I would have found a hole to crawl into long ago!” To this day, I still don’t understand why she was so vicious to me. In my past life, she was paralyzed for decades. I was the one who cleaned her feces and urine. I gave her care and dignity. Her son wouldn’t even pour her a glass of water. Her grandson avoided her room like the plague. Yet she never dared to criticize them, only directing her vicious words at me. Seeing my silence, Julian thought I was afraid and became even more smug. “From now on, just stay home obediently and take care of the elderly and children. Pretend that incident never happened, and I won’t despise you.” His shameless face made my stomach churn. My son and those relatives also took the opportunity to close in on me. “Mom, Dad is generous enough. Just take the out he’s giving you! Stop trying to be tough.” “Tim’s mom, just live your life well. Don’t provoke Julian into really dumping you; you’ll have nowhere to cry then.” They chimed in one after another, seemingly giving me an out. In reality, they were afraid I would divorce because they knew Julian would never find anyone as stupid as me again. Willing to sacrifice myself and work like a horse for this family. I didn’t take the bait. I directly took out the prepared divorce agreement and slammed it in front of them. “Let’s divorce.” In an instant, the room fell silent. Julian’s face was so dark it could drip water. He gritted his teeth, tearing up the contract like a madman. Pointing at me, he said: “She’s crazy. Send her to a mental hospital for treatment for a while and she’ll be fine.” Saying that, he approached me with a twisted face to grab me. My heart jumped to my throat. He wanted to repeat his old trick. So I immediately struggled with all my might: “Let go of me! I’m not sick at all!” My son looked at me helplessly, standing there conflicted. My mother-in-law clapped her hands with gloating joy. “Lock her up for a few days! Cure her bitchy habits properly!” Julian ignored my struggles and dragged me all the way to the car. Seeing the onlookers, he said in a helpless tone: “She went crazy because of that accident. We’re taking her to see a doctor.” Saying that, he strangled my neck and tried to stuff me into the car. My heart beat like a drum, my face turning purple. Just as everything was about to repeat itself, loud and urgent sirens suddenly sounded. With a screeching brake sound, the police intercepted Julian’s car.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388024”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My wife killed our daughter. It was because Lily, our daughter, accidentally scratched my wife’s first love during dance class. For that, my wife, Mina, dragged Lily into the dance studio and forced her through the same routine, again and again, until our daughter’s hip fractured and she collapsed on the floor, silent. But Mina felt no remorse. Instead, she accused me of spoiling Lily and, to punish me, froze all my credit cards. When the hospital needed money for Lily’s emergency surgery, I knelt on the floor and begged Mina over the phone. “She only scratched Ethan because she was in so much pain! I’ll get on my knees and beg for her forgiveness, I’ll do anything! Please, just give me the money. If we wait any longer, Lily will die.” But my wife was annoyed. I had interrupted her and her precious Ethan while they were discussing what new positions to try the next time they went to a hotel. “Leo, are you even fit to be a father?” she sneered. “Lily was perfectly fine when I was stretching her legs just now, and you have the nerve to tell me she’s critically ill?” Then she hung up. All I could do was watch in despair as my daughter’s body grew colder and colder in my arms. After the doctors wheeled Lily into the operating room, I called my father-in-law overseas. “Dad,” I said, my voice hollow. “Let’s call off our agreement. I never fell in love with Mina. I’m going to find Amy.” 1 My father-in-law was stunned. “Leo, what are you talking about? Didn’t we have an agreement? After Amy fell into a coma, you were to marry her sister, Mina, to keep our family together. Things have been fine for years, haven’t they? Why are you talking about leaving now?” A bitter laugh escaped my lips as I told him everything. He was silent for a moment, then exploded with rage. “She’s gone too far! Who gave her the right to do such a thing? Leo, don’t worry. Lily will be alright.” But at that exact moment, the doors to the operating room burst open. A surgeon in white scrubs yelled, his voice frantic. “Where’s the family? We need the family! The patient’s life is in danger! We’re moving her to the ICU to monitor her vital signs. Go pay the fees, now!” I didn’t dare hesitate. As I rushed to the front desk, I could hear my father-in-law’s anxious voice on the phone. “Leo, we’ll be back in three days! You have to keep us updated on Lily’s condition!” But when I got to the payment counter, I discovered the truth. My cards had been frozen. I frantically called my wife, but the line was busy. When she finally picked up, her voice was a furious torrent. “Leo, what is your problem with Ethan? I’ve told you a hundred times, we’re just dance partners! Nothing more! We’re about to go on stage for the competition, why do you keep calling?” For Lily’s sake, I swallowed my anger and explained. “It doesn’t matter. Just unblock the card, right now.” After we married, I had given her control of all my finances. She was utterly impatient. “Are you even a father, Leo? You’d stoop so low as to use your own daughter as an excuse just to stop me from dancing with Ethan? Wasn’t she perfectly fine when I was helping her with her stretches? You’ve spoiled her so much she can’t handle a bit of pain. I was just toughening her up!” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Mina! It’s because you broke her hip! She wasn’t quiet because the pain stopped. She was quiet because she couldn’t feel her legs anymore!” I wanted to say more, but she had already hung up. A nurse rushed over, her face grim. “What are you waiting for? Your daughter is dying! If you don’t pay, how are we supposed to save her?” I had no choice. I scrambled to get a loan online, called friends, begged for money. But by the time I had scraped it all together, it was too late. A doctor emerged from the ICU, his head bowed, and delivered the devastating news. Lily had bled out internally. She was gone. The world spun, and I collapsed against the wall, hollowed out by a grief too deep for tears. I held no shred of affection for Mina anymore. I booked a ticket on a ship leaving in seven days. Once Lily’s funeral was over, I would leave this place of sorrow for good. 2 After arranging everything for Lily, I sat exhausted in the cold, sterile morgue. My phone buzzed. It was a new post from my wife on social media. The photo showed her and Ethan, wrapped in a tight embrace, holding a trophy high as a crowd applauded. The caption read: “A lifetime of art, a lifetime of love.” How tragic. Her own daughter was dying in an ICU, her body now lying cold in a morgue, and all she could think about was dancing with her first love. My father-in-law called. “Leo… how is Lily?” My eyes, empty and dull, stared at the small, shrouded form on the steel table. “She’s dead,” I said, my voice flat. I heard a violent fit of coughing on the other end of the line. “How could… I’ll call Mina right now. Leo, don’t panic. She must have just lost her head for a moment. I’ll talk to her, I’ll bring her to her senses.” Talk to her. Always talking. Years ago, when my fiancée, Mina’s older sister Amy, suddenly fell into a vegetative state right before our wedding, he had talked me into marrying Mina instead. He begged me not to break the family ties. He’d even threatened to keep me from visiting Amy if I didn’t agree. So I agreed. But a few years into our marriage, Mina started cheating on me with her first love, Ethan. And my in-laws talked me into staying, for Lily’s sake. So I endured it, our marriage a hollow shell. But now Lily was dead. And they still wanted to talk? I suppressed a wave of fury and refused coldly. “We’re past that point. There’s nothing left to say. Dad, I’m divorcing her.” I left the hospital and went home to find a proper dress for Lily to be buried in. To my surprise, the front door was ajar. Through the dim light of the living room, I saw two intertwined shadows moving on the bedroom wall. “Mina, that loser Leo still doesn’t know you’re pregnant with my child. What’s your plan?” “You saw how he always has Lily setting herself against me. I might be willing to be the other woman, but I won’t let my child be bullied!” Then came Mina’s icy voice. “Don’t worry, Ethan, my love. You’re the only one I’ve ever loved. Leo is just a con artist. If he hadn’t lied to my dad back then, pretending he paid for his medical bills, we would never have been forced apart. You were the one who paid for it! From now on, our child will be my only real child. Lily was never the daughter I wanted.” Hearing her words felt like a thousand knives twisting in my heart. As I was carrying Lily to the ambulance, her face was as white as a sheet, but her small hand clutched my sleeve, and she was trying to comfort me. “Daddy, don’t worry. It doesn’t hurt anymore. Mommy was so happy with my progress today. As long as I dance well, Mommy and Daddy won’t fight anymore.” Tears streamed down my face. My poor, sweet girl. She never knew. Even in death, she never knew. She hadn’t progressed. She had been broken. And in the end, she was killed by the mother she adored. I couldn’t take it anymore. I kicked the bedroom door open. “Mina! You have a heart of stone! You killed Lily, and you have the nerve to be in here with him?” They weren’t surprised by my sudden entrance. Mina just looked at me with disgust. “Leo, I have told you countless times, Ethan and I are dance partners! What we do in bed is for our art! I always help him with his… physical needs before a performance. Why must you always be so small-minded and jealous of our connection?” 3 I wanted to laugh, but before I could speak, Ethan put on a pitiful expression. “Mina, that child Lily was never one for hardship. Leo just spoiled her too much, that’s why he’s always had it out for me. Fine, I’ll just leave.” Mina flew into a rage. “Leo, look what you’ve done! Apologize to Ethan, right now! You and your daughter will never understand the sacrifices he makes.” His sacrifices? For the first two years of our marriage, Mina and I were happy. Then her first love, Ethan, reappeared. Mina became a different person, out at all hours, neglecting everything to dance with him. She even forced Lily, who hated dancing, to be coached by him. I told her again and again that Lily didn’t want to dance, that Ethan was hurting her. Lily would come home covered in bruises. But Mina ignored it all, claiming it was just strict training for Lily’s own good, and scolding me for being too soft. She pushed Lily every single day. “What are you standing there for? Apologize! And where’s Lily? Did you hide her again so she could slack off?” I trembled with rage, pointing a finger at Mina’s face. “Lily. Is. Dead,” I said, each word a block of ice. “She’s dead! You killed her!” Mina was still dismissive, her voice dripping with contempt. “Leo, I can understand you having a problem with Ethan. But my patience has its limits. Apologize to him right now, or we’re getting a divorce.” My rage turned into manic laughter. “Hah! Fine! A divorce! I’ve wanted a divorce for a long time!” Mina stumbled back, a look of disbelief on her face. After all, in the past, even when she brought Ethan home for dinner and I had to sleep on the sofa while he slept in my bed, I never said a word. My sudden resolution shocked her. Ethan got up and dressed, stepping in front of Mina to shield her. “Leo, who do you think you’re yelling at? Mina is your wife, the woman who has stood by you. What kind of man are you?” Looking at his smug face, remembering all the suffering Lily endured, a red-hot fury exploded in my brain. I lost all reason. I lunged forward, aiming a kick at him. But he dodged with a dancer’s grace, pretending to fall. As he went down, he kicked out at my supporting leg, sending me crashing to the floor. A sharp, piercing pain shot through the back of my head as if something sharp had been driven into it. A loud ringing filled my ears. Through the haze, I could only hear Mina’s frantic cries. “Ethan! Ethan, are you okay?” She turned on me, her rage absolute, kicking and punching me. “Leo, how dare you hit Ethan! How dare you!” I was powerless to resist, my mind a swirling vortex of pain and confusion. I passed out before the ambulance arrived. When I woke up, I was staring at the clean white ceiling of a hospital room. A nurse was by my side, changing a dressing on my head. Mina was nowhere in sight. The nurse saw I was awake and spoke urgently. “Don’t move! What were you thinking? There was a needle stuck in the back of your head, and you didn’t even call for help! If your neighbor hadn’t found you, you’d be dead.” The words sent a chill through me. The ambulance Mina had called wasn’t for me. It was for Ethan. He had faked his fall and didn’t have a scratch on him, yet she had been frantic with worry. Meanwhile, I was nearly dead from a needle in my skull, and she hadn’t given me a second thought. I closed my eyes, my heart turning to ash. Just then, the door flew open and Mina stormed in, her eyes glaring at me with pure hatred. “Leo, you broke Ethan’s nose. You will atone for it by giving him one of your ribs.” 4 Mina waved her hand, and a group of doctors rushed in. I fought with all my strength, but they overpowered me and forced me into an operating room. They cracked me open, without anesthesia, and ripped out a piece of my rib. The pain was so intense I passed out. When I woke up, I was gripping the bedsheets so hard my knuckles were white, my eyes fixed on Mina with pure, undiluted hatred. Ethan couldn’t have had a broken nose. It was all a lie. “Mina,” I rasped, “remember this feeling. This is how much pain Lily was in before she died. And just like me, she was wrongly accused by you until the very end.” Mina’s anger only grew. “Leo, you keep cursing Lily, wishing her dead. What is wrong with you? Did you really think you could hide her from me, stop her from dancing? I already sent Ethan to the house to find her. Your coddling is useless!” What? I couldn’t believe it. Ignoring the searing pain in my side, I scrambled out of bed and rushed home. I would not let that vile dog touch a single thing that belonged to my precious daughter. That man was a monster. The real reason my father-in-law had pushed me to marry Mina was to protect her sister. Years ago, a sex scandal between Ethan, who was her dance teacher, and her sister Amy had caused Amy to have a car accident in a moment of distraction. She had woken up with no memory of anyone or anything. I had stayed by her side, posing as her fiancé, to help her get through her art school exams. But who could have guessed that Mina would rekindle her old flame with Ethan? When I stumbled into the house, I found Ethan holding a pair of my daughter’s underwear to his face, inhaling deeply. “Ah, delicious! I think next time, I’ll get to touch the little beauty’s chest. I bet she’s developing beautifully.” Lily was dead, and he still dared to desecrate her memory. A firestorm of rage erupted in my chest. I grabbed a chair and smashed it over his head. He crumpled to the floor, his face contorting with fury. He was about to retaliate, but then his expression suddenly changed. He looked at me with feigned terror. “Mina, help me! He’s hitting me just because I was tidying up Lily’s clothes! He said I was dirty!” I whipped my head around in surprise. Mina had followed me. She was staring at me, her eyes burning with rage. “Leo, apologize! Apologize to Ethan!” I choked back my fury. “Mina, he’s a pervert! Didn’t you see what he was just doing with Lily’s clothes?” She completely lost it, slapping me hard across the face. “Shut up, Leo! You’re the pervert!” I was still weak from my injury. The blow sent me to the floor, and a tearing pain ripped through my chest. Mina didn’t even glance at me. She rushed to help Ethan up. “Leo, we’re getting a divorce! And you will give Lily back to me right now. I think Ethan is right. The way you dote on her… I suspect you’re the real sicko here.” A tragic smile spread across my face. “I’ve already told you three times. Lily is dead. Killed by the mother she loved more than anyone.” She still didn’t believe me. She shrieked, “Leo, do you really think my patience is infinite? Say that again, and I’ll make sure you never see Lily for the rest of your life!” Just then, a voice, tight with suppressed rage, boomed from the doorway. “Mina! Look at what you’ve done! How could you get mixed up with this scum again? Have you really forgotten what happened all those years ago?” Mina was stunned to see her father. Then her glare shot back to me. “Leo, you’ve gone too far. My father’s illness can only be treated overseas. Ethan spent a fortune to send him there, and you dragged him back! Do you have no conscience?” “Enough!” It was her father who answered, his eyes cold. “Mina, you disappoint me more than you can imagine. Who told you it was Ethan who paid for my treatment?” Ethan shrank back, suddenly silent. Mina, annoyed by his cowardice, still stood her ground. “Dad, I know Leo has tricked you. You don’t know what he’s like. He has unnatural feelings for his own daughter, Lily. He spoils her rotten…” SLAP! Her father, trembling with rage, struck her across the face. Then, his face etched with sorrow, he thrust a piece of paper in front of her. Lily’s death certificate. “Read this. Read it carefully. Lily is dead! Dead! Killed by the mother she adored. Are you satisfied now?” Mina’s pupils shrank. Utter disbelief.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388040”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My childhood sweetheart, Adrian, sees the world in grayscale. To him, everything is devoid of color, including me. But that never affected our relationship. After high school graduation, he confessed his love, promising we’d be together forever. After college graduation, he proposed, and we vowed never to betray each other. But before we could even pick out a wedding dress… That day, outside the bridal shop, a girl stumbled and fell into his arms in a panic. Adrian didn’t move. He let her hold him tight. The next moment, two lines of text floated before my eyes like a livestream comment. [As the only splash of color in the male lead’s world, he is destined to fall in love with the heroine.] [Therefore, the supporting female character should gracefully exit.] I looked at Adrian in disbelief. But he just kept his head down, staring at the girl in his arms with an excitement and joy I had never seen before. In that moment, my heart plummeted into an icy abyss. 1 On the day we were supposed to try on wedding dresses, Adrian had an urgent meeting. He said he’d be thirty minutes late. I timed it perfectly, waiting outside the shop exactly when he was due to arrive. He was punctual. If he said thirty minutes, he wouldn’t make me wait a minute longer. As I stepped out of the bridal shop, his familiar car pulled up. Adrian got out, holding a massive bouquet of red roses. “Sorry to keep you waiting.” He hugged me, kissing the corner of my lips, his eyes gentle. He was usually calm and rational. But on a special day like today, he couldn’t hide his smile. I smiled back, taking the roses. “I know you’re busy. Company business comes first. I wouldn’t dare get mad.” It was just banter. We both graduated this year and joined our respective family businesses. There was a lot to learn, and important meetings couldn’t be missed. Otherwise, hungry siblings would be waiting to snatch the inheritance. After our brief exchange, we walked into the bridal shop side by side. Even though we had started custom-ordering dresses two years ago, we wanted the perfect wedding, so we decided to order a few more and pick the best one. We didn’t want to regret our once-in-a-lifetime wedding. Before we even entered the shop, a noise erupted nearby. A girl, looking terrified, tripped and fell straight toward Adrian. Adrian wasn’t a germaphobe, but he disliked being touched by strangers. I expected him to push her away instinctively, like he always did. I even worried he might use too much force, so I reached out to help steady her. But to my shock, Adrian stood still. The girl fell into his arms, gripping his lapels tightly, trembling in fear. His pristine suit instantly gained several visible wrinkles. Usually, Adrian wouldn’t tolerate this for a second. A strange feeling crept into my heart, but I didn’t say anything. It was just an accident, after all. Just as I was about to speak, two lines of text floated before my eyes. [As the only splash of color in the male lead’s world, he is destined to fall in love with the heroine.] [Therefore, the supporting female character should gracefully exit.] I went through a rebellious phase as a teenager and read my fair share of novels. I understood the concepts of male leads, female leads, supporting characters, and even this random “bullet screen” commentary. That’s why my heart raced with panic. I stared at the text, then turned to look at Adrian in disbelief. As my childhood sweetheart, no one knew him better than I did. He had been mature since he was a child, rarely smiling, and never showing emotion for irrelevant people. But right now… He seemed to have forgotten I was standing right there. He held the girl tightly, his eyes filled with joy and excitement. This time, I truly felt like I had fallen into an ice cave. 2 The text wasn’t lying. Adrian’s world was gray. He had been more mature than his peers since childhood because of it. But sometimes, in moments of melancholy, he would lean on my shoulder and ask sadly, “Chloe, what does color look like?” I couldn’t answer him. It was like telling a blind person the world is brilliant, or a deaf person that music is beautiful. They couldn’t experience it. Words were useless. In fact, it felt cruel. Adrian and I had known each other since we were babies. Besides his family, only I knew he couldn’t see color. When we were little, I would tirelessly tell him: The tulips in the garden are yellow. The sky is blue. The goldfish we accidentally overfed was red. My dress is green. He would always look thoughtful, staring hard, trying to see something, but eventually resorting to logic. Back then, he couldn’t control his emotions well. He often hid and cried. He thought no one saw, pretending to be a grown-up afterwards, saying he didn’t care. But I knew. His eyes were red. He was sad. So I loved him even more. Among all our playmates, I only wanted to play with him. To be his best friend. As we grew up and went to school together, he became cold and distant to others to hide his secret. Of course, the coldness was for outsiders. I wasn’t an outsider. Adrian said I was the most important person in his heart. Teenage promises are always so sweet. Knowing each other since childhood, being together day and night, and him being so wonderful—how could I not fall for him? Luckily, the feeling was mutual. After high school graduation, he held a bouquet of my favorite roses and confessed his love in front of both our parents, saying he wanted to be with me forever. My dad turned red, rolling up his sleeves and grabbing a stick, threatening to beat Adrian. My mom blocked him, laughing because she adored Adrian and had always hoped we’d end up together. Adrian’s parents kept promising they would treat me well. His dad even called me “daughter-in-law” on the spot, making my dad fume. Through the chaos, Adrian held my hand and hugged me tight. And so, we became a couple. We went to the same university and spent four happy, stable years together. On graduation day, he enlisted our mutual friends to create a romantic proposal. He put the ring on my finger, and we promised never to fail each other. Everything went smoothly. Fate seemed to favor me. I never suffered. I always thought I was lucky. But now… My thoughts receded like the tide. I looked at the two people still embracing, a bitter taste in my mouth. I thought I should trust Adrian. He had never seen color. He was just overwhelmed with excitement. The text might not be true. I convinced myself. After so many years, he wouldn’t change his heart just like that. Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward, ready to speak. But a commotion erupted nearby. A group of men and women rushed over. The girl in Adrian’s arms turned pale, shrinking behind him, her voice trembling with plea. “Please, don’t let them take me away.” Adrian wasn’t one to meddle, but in this moment, he didn’t hesitate. He shielded her, glaring coldly at the group. “Stay out of this! She’s my daughter, and I’m taking her home!” The leader, a fierce-looking man, roared at the girl behind Adrian. “Lily, get your ass over here! You quit college and ran away with stolen money? I’ll beat you to death!” A blonde boy next to him chimed in. “Yeah, Sis. Why does a girl need so much education anyway? Just get married and bring in some dowry money. I need to find a wife.” They echoed each other. A middle-aged woman, likely the mother, wiped her tears. “Lily, listen to your dad. Let’s go home.” Lily, face wet with tears, stubbornly refused to move. She shook her head, gripping Adrian’s jacket. “I won’t go back! I worked hard to get into college! I want my own life! I won’t let you control me!” Lily’s rebuttal enraged the father. Adrian had probably never met such unreasonable people. Just as he was about to speak, the man threw a punch. Adrian’s eyes widened, and he instinctively turned to shield Lily. The blonde boy rushed forward to grab her. Lily cried. The mother cried. In the chaos, someone shoved Lily, and she slammed into me. My arm throbbed with pain. I barely kept my balance. The blonde boy, swinging a metal rod recklessly, aimed it right at us. I could have dodged, but Lily was clinging to my arm, anchoring me in place. I watched helplessly as the rod came down. “Watch out!” Adrian saw it. He lunged toward us. I thought he was coming to save me. Until he reached out and pulled Lily away from my side. That was the moment I truly fell into the ice cave. The next second— The metal rod struck my forehead. Intense pain. Darkness. 3 When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. The smell of disinfectant was overwhelming. I struggled to sit up just as Adrian rushed in. He hurried to my side, reaching out to help me. “Chloe, the doctor said you have a mild concussion. You need to rest…” He froze mid-sentence when I slapped his hand away. I was a girl who had just graduated. When danger came, my boyfriend protected another woman. Of course I was angry. My head still throbbed. I would make that blonde kid pay. If my parents weren’t vacationing abroad, they would have turned the city upside down by now. Adrian probably hadn’t dared to tell them. As expected, he sat slowly on the edge of the bed. He began to apologize. “Chloe, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have failed to protect you immediately. But the situation was unique. That girl… she was in color. Chloe, do you understand? It was the first time I saw color. I was overwhelmed. I didn’t react properly. I actually wanted to grab you, but I don’t know why… I grabbed the color instead.” Adrian’s voice grew quieter, filled with immense guilt as he looked at me anxiously. “Chloe, I promise, this will absolutely never happen again.” He sounded sincere. Tears welled in his eyes. Men don’t cry easily. Especially Adrian, who had been mature since childhood. Except for when he was little and cried about not seeing color, he had always been strong. He reached out tentatively, touching my face. “Chloe, we’re going to be husband and wife for a lifetime. I love you, and only you.” I looked at Adrian. This man who had occupied my entire life. I loved him to my core. I wanted to be with him forever. If… I hadn’t seen that text. Just as I thought this, new lines floated before my eyes: [The male lead is so devoted. Truly my favorite cold, abstinent hero.] [I don’t know why the supporting female is mad. They’re the official couple. Of course he protects the heroine in a crisis.] [Don’t be fooled by his crying. According to the plot, the heroine is about to call him.] [Destined lovers vs. childhood friends. Even if the book isn’t finished, I know who he’ll choose.] I scanned the text without expression, then moved my gaze back to Adrian. We were childhood sweethearts, together for four years. I found it hard to believe he would abandon me in the hospital for a girl he just met. At least, until it happened, I wouldn’t believe it. “Adrian.” I called his name softly. He looked up quickly, eyes full of nervousness. “What is it, Chloe? Does it hurt? I’ll get the doctor…” “I’m fine. Just hungry.” I grabbed his hand and pointed to my stomach. “I want food. Will you go buy me something?” I’ve had a weak stomach since I was a kid. I was thin and picky. I couldn’t go hungry, or it would hurt. Hearing this, Adrian looked serious. “Okay, I’ll go buy it right now…” Before he could finish, his phone rang. I knew him too well. I knew every habit, every look in his eyes. He looked down at the screen, his eyes flickering with unnatural hesitation. The phone kept ringing. He stood there frozen, seemingly conflicted. I stayed silent. Thanks to the text, I knew who was calling. I just wanted to see what Adrian would choose. He frowned, as if making a decision, then pointed at his phone. Calmly, he said, “It’s my assistant. Probably work. I’ll take this, then go get your food.” I nodded. I watched him take the phone into the bathroom. Less than thirty seconds later, he rushed out. Anxiety was written all over his face. He grabbed his jacket from the sofa, putting it on as he walked out. “Chloe, something came up at the company. I have to go back immediately. I’ll have someone send food. Stay in bed and be good. Once I’m done, I’ll come back to keep you company.” With that, he was at the door, his voice fading away. Silence returned. I sat on the hospital bed, watching the boy who once belonged to me walk away. In the air, a few sparse lines of text appeared. [Actually, I think the supporting female is great too. The male lead seems too cruel doing this.] [But we all know how much he wanted to see color. The supporting female knows too, right?] Yes, because I knew, the cold pierced my bones. The Adrian who said he would be with me forever, who promised never to fail me. Indeed abandoned me without a second thought for the color he craved so desperately. I looked down, tears falling onto the quilt. No one likes to be abandoned. If he truly betrayed his vow, then I would choose to discard him first. 4 I sat in the hospital bed for a long time. The text flickered in and out, narrating the interaction between Adrian and Lily. [The male lead couldn’t let the heroine go. Knowing her trash dad was bullying her again, he rushed to support her.] [The heroine is so pitiful, stuck with a family of vampires.] [Luckily she met the male lead. Only happiness from now on. No one can bully her anymore.] Reading about Lily’s family, I hadn’t forgotten why I was in the hospital. So I made two calls. First, to our housekeeper, Auntie Zhang, asking for food. Second, to my father’s assistant, Mr. Liu. I suffered a calamity. The person who hit me should pay the price. The moment I hung up, the text exploded. [What is the supporting female doing? Using her family’s power to go after the heroine’s brother?] [Comment above, be reasonable. She was put in the hospital. Calling the police is standard procedure. Why the fuss?] [Heh, is it standard procedure or female jealousy trying to cause trouble for the heroine?] [So what if she calls the police? Now that the leads have met, this move will only push the male lead further away.] [Wanna bet?] […] The lines flashed by quickly. I looked away. If Adrian tried to stop me from pressing charges because of Lily, then I would not only be disappointed, I would think he had brain damage. I liked him, yes. But if he was truly as the text described, even the strongest love would be exhausted.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388058”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The year I got an interview with a Fortune 500 tech giant, a new requirement was suddenly added: a perfect score on the English proficiency exam. I scored 699 out of 700. I was rejected. A year later, my adopted sister, Sophie, got the job. At her celebration dinner, Uncle Bob slapped my dad on the back and laughed. “Still the doting father, aren’t you, Walter? You knew Sophie didn’t have the scores, so you just scrapped the requirement entirely.” I forced a smile. “No way, Uncle Bob. When I got a 699 last year, Dad didn’t pull any strings. Sophie got in on her own merit.” “Impossible,” Bob slurred, drunk on expensive wine. “Last year, your dad was the one who demanded the requirement be added in the first place.” I stared at my father in shock. He coughed awkwardly. “We’re father and daughter. I had to avoid the appearance of nepotism. Sophie is adopted; if she didn’t get in, people would say we treat her like an outsider. Besides, she worked hard. She deserves a good result.” My smile turned bitter. Fine. If you want to avoid nepotism, Dad… Then when I audit your taxes at the end of the year, I won’t show any mercy either. 1 The dinner table fell silent. Uncle Bob, realizing he’d said too much, tried to backtrack. “I’m just drunk, honey. Don’t take it to heart.” I pushed his hand away and stared at my father at the head of the table. “So, the new rule last year… you really added it.” Dad stayed silent. Mom tugged on my sleeve. “Don’t fight with your father.” I shook her off. “Why?! I got a 699! You set the bar at 700 just to keep me out? Do you hate me that much?” “I told you, I had to avoid nepotism! You’re my biological daughter! If you got in, what would people think?” I looked at him in disbelief. “Dad, avoiding nepotism means not using your power to give family an unfair advantage! If I wasn’t good enough, fine. But I was top of the class in the written exam and the interview! What was there to avoid?” “But Sophie didn’t even break 600, and you just deleted the rule for her? Who’s the one benefiting from nepotism here?!” Smash! A glass shattered against my forehead. Dad stood up, furious. “You think you’re so smart now, don’t you?” Guests rushed to hold us back. Sophie’s eyes were red. “Sis, don’t make Dad angry! Apologize!” “Look at Sophie, then look at yourself!” Dad roared. “She worked hard for three months! Why shouldn’t she get a break? Everyone knows she’s the daughter of my old war buddy. If I don’t help her, people will say the White family mistreats outsiders!” “Why can’t you think about the family for once instead of your own selfish interests?” “Selfish interests?” I laughed. “Dad, I prepared for a whole year. Who gave me a break?” He froze. I smiled bitterly. “Do you know that because you blocked me, my boyfriend and I broke up?” Dad frowned. “We dated for three years. We planned to meet the parents the day I got the offer. But he got in, and I didn’t. We were going to be thousands of miles apart. We broke up.” “Are you happy now, Dad?” I threw my glass on the floor. Shards flew. Sophie threw herself in front of Dad. “Sis, stop it!” Mom tried to pull me away. I just stared at him with red eyes. Sophie suddenly dropped to her knees. “Sis, I won’t take the job. I’ll quit. Please don’t blame Dad! I’m sorry! I’ll beg you!” She slammed her head on the floor. Dad grabbed her. “Why should you quit?! You’re taking it! You worked for it! Why should her tantrum ruin your future?” “No, Dad, I can’t let this family fall apart because of me!” My parents looked at her with heartache. Then Dad turned to me. “Look how sensible Sophie is. Look at you! You don’t understand even the basics of family. How can your mother and I rely on you in the future?” “Rely on me?” I laughed. “Since Sophie is so much better, why rely on me at all? From now on, let her be your daughter.” I slammed the door and left. 2 I heard Mom and the relatives chasing after me. I walked fast, slipping into the elevator and hitting the button. From the private room, I heard Dad smashing plates. “Let her go! Let’s see how long she can keep this up!” The elevator descended. My eyes burned. Outside the hotel, a giant LED screen broadcasted the congratulatory message: [Congrats to the White Family Heiress, Sophie, for Acing the Interview!] White Family Heiress… I zoned out for a moment. Until a waiter bumped into me. “So sorry! The guests in room 606 ordered another cake, a bigger one! They want the head chef to decorate it!” Sophie’s celebration room. “Why another one?” “Heard someone ruined the mood. The father is angry and wants to throw an even bigger party to make up for it. His daughter got into a big tech company, it’s a huge deal!” I laughed bitterly. I had actually taken the civil service exam and gotten into the tax bureau. But my family only cared about Sophie. No one even asked if I passed or where I was working. I went back to my apartment and spent the next day in a daze. That night, Sophie updated her social media. A video. She and my parents, surrounded by relatives, posing in front of a massive cake. She flashed a peace sign, looking blissful. Caption: [Thank you, Mom and Dad, for always having my back.] I turned off my phone. I didn’t go home that weekend. Usually, I’d have dinner with them. Instead, I drove to the university district. This was where I met Mark. Three years of college. We planned everything. Where to buy a house, when to have kids, where to retire. I never expected to be rejected from the job I was perfect for. He got in. A month later, he broke up with me. He said he couldn’t do long distance. I accepted it, helpless. I walked into the small restaurant we used to frequent. Just as I sat down, a couple across the aisle caught my eye. The man’s voice was familiar. “I used to come here all the time in college. The fish is amazing.” “With who?” The girl teased. The man laughed. I froze. “Mark?” He stiffened. Slowly, he turned around. Sitting opposite him was Sophie. She stared at me in shock. “Sis?” 3 “Wait here, babe.” Mark smiled gently at Sophie. Then he grabbed my arm and dragged me outside. “Don’t misunderstand. We met after we broke up.” “Bullshit!” My eyes stung. “She posted about getting a boyfriend last year! We were still together! Were you with her then?” His face went pale. “Mark, did you really break up with me because of the distance?” “I…” “Don’t lie to me.” He gritted his teeth and nodded. “Yes. I cheated. So what?” I didn’t expect him to be so blunt. “Aurora, my parents are factory workers. Getting me through college wasn’t easy. I fought tooth and nail to get where I am. If I see an opportunity, I have to take it!” I frowned. “What do you mean?” He sighed. “Actually, I missed the cutoff for the interview by a few points. Sophie talked to her dad—the regional VP—and he got me in.” I thought I misheard. “Her dad? You mean Mr. White?” “Yeah.” I almost collapsed. His own biological daughter gets blocked by a new rule. But for Sophie, a word is enough to get a stranger hired. I, the real daughter, was the outsider. The first casualty of success is the lover. I bit back tears. “Mark, I never thought you were this kind of person.” “Don’t blame me.” He frowned. “You don’t know how much I suffered to get here! Sure, I could have stayed with you. But if another woman can help me jump social classes and secure my future, why shouldn’t I choose her?” “If you truly loved me, you wouldn’t stop me.” “Besides, Aurora, if you had the same chance, you would have dumped me even faster.” I looked at him in disbelief. He sighed. “So don’t blame me for betraying you. Blame yourself for not being good enough to get into the company. Blame yourself for not having Sophie’s background or a father like Mr. White.” I paused. “You don’t know who my father is?” “Does it matter?” “What if… Mr. White is my father too?” He froze. Then he laughed. “If you were his daughter, why didn’t you get the job?” I had no answer. “Mark?” Sophie’s voice rang out. She walked up, concerned, and took his arm. “Is there a misunderstanding?” “Nothing. Just an ex from college who won’t let go.” Mark glanced at me, put his arm around Sophie, and walked away without looking back. As she turned, Sophie glanced at me. The corner of her mouth lifted in a smirk I couldn’t decipher. My phone rang. I answered numbly. It was Mom. “Aurora, it’s Sunday. Are you still refusing to come home? Dad is angry. Stop making a scene.” “I’m not making a scene.” I hung up. Then I dialed another number. “Hey, David. Tax audit. Is the Phoenix Corporation on our list?” “Yes, Chief.” “The VP recently took on a protégé. Keep a close eye on him.” “Understood.” For the next few days, I buried myself in work. I ignored every call from home. Until one evening, I was blocked outside my office. Mom got out of a car. “Aurora, finally. Dad is waiting at home. Stop this. You haven’t been home in a month. Just come back, we can talk it out.” I wanted to refuse. But my boss’s car was behind me. I didn’t want a scene. I got in. At home, Sophie was pouring tea for Dad. Dad looked up from the head of the table, frowning deeply. “You finally decided to show up?” 4 “If you don’t want me here, I’ll go back to work.” I turned to leave. Mom grabbed me. Dad was furious. “What work? That little job you found yourself, making peanuts? Is it worth acting like this?” “Without my help, what kind of job could you possibly get?” “Help?” I stared at him. “Mr. White, since when have you ever helped me?” He froze. “Other fathers might have nothing, but at least they don’t actively sabotage their daughters. But you? You’re different.” “Even when I make it on my own, you have to strike me down. Help? Your help goes to outsiders. When did I ever see a cent of it?” “Since you never gave me anything, what right do you have to threaten me with it?” “You!” Dad stood up abruptly. Sophie rushed over and grabbed my hand. “Sis! How can you talk to Dad like that? Apologize! He’s our father!” Dad clutched his chest, pointing a trembling finger at me. “See? This is why I help Sophie and not you!” Mom rubbed his back, looking at me with reproach. “Aurora, we brought you home to make peace, not to fight. Look at Sophie. Can’t you be more mature? Apologize!” I shook Sophie off. “I’m not mature. Sophie is. Good for her. You never treated me like a daughter anyway.” “How can you say that?!” “Am I wrong?” I stared Dad down. He smashed a cup at my feet. “Fine! Go! Let’s see how far you get in this city without me! Get out!!” Sophie reached out as if to stop me, but her hand barely grazed my sleeve. “Sis, don’t be stubborn! Apologize!” “Let her go, Sophie! Ungrateful brat! When she hits a wall, she’ll realize how wrong she is!” Even though I had steeled myself, hearing my own family favor her so blatantly made my eyes burn. I wiped them quickly, walked out, and hailed a cab. On my desk was the file David had compiled. I flipped through it. “I knew it. Sophie isn’t clean.” End of year tax audit. The inspection team pulled up to the Phoenix Corporation building. We went straight to Sophie’s office. “Audit me?” She laughed, leaning back in her chair. “Do you know who I am? Who authorized this?” “I did.” Sophie’s face went pale. The team stepped aside, clearing a path for me. I held up my badge. “Tax Bureau, Division One. Aurora White. We have evidence of tax evasion. Please cooperate.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388076”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Ten years into my marriage, I found a paternity test on my husband’s computer that I never knew existed. It stated, in stark black and white, that the son I had raised for a decade was not biologically mine. But I raised him. He grew up in my arms. So where was my real child? “Honey, what are you still doing in the study so late?” His voice startled me. I quickly closed the document, but not before he saw it. His face darkened. “So, this is how little you trust me!” I reopened the paternity test report and demanded to know what it meant. Instead of answering, he slammed the laptop shut and turned on me, accusing me of violating his privacy. Watching him walk away, I felt like I was looking at a stranger. After ten years of marriage, this was who he had become. Calmly, I opened a drawer and tore the tenth-anniversary gift I had prepared for him to shreds. … I pulled open the bottom drawer. Inside was a share transfer agreement, already signed by me. I had planned to give him 15% of the company’s shares on our anniversary tomorrow. But now, that seemed entirely unnecessary. I took the agreement and ripped it into tiny pieces. The scraps of paper fell into the trash, mixing with the wrapping paper I’d chosen for his gifts. Looking at them now, the joy I’d felt while preparing them was gone, replaced by a wave of nausea. When I returned to the bedroom, Mark was already in bed, acting as if nothing had happened. I stood in the doorway for a long time, watching the back of his sleeping form, then turned and went to the guest room. I didn’t sleep a wink. The next morning, Mark’s angry voice woke me. He was standing in the doorway of the guest room, his face a mask of fury. “Elara, what is the meaning of this? Why are you sleeping in here?” I sat up and looked at him. I had looked at this face for ten years, but now it felt completely alien. “I need some space.” He opened his mouth to argue, then just shook his head. “Fine. Whatever you want.” After Mark left for work, I made breakfast as usual. My son, Leo, sat at the table, drinking his milk. “Mom, you don’t look so good.” I stroked his hair. It was soft and slightly curly, just like Mark’s. For years, everyone had said how much they looked alike. “Mommy just didn’t sleep well. Hurry up and eat, or you’ll be late for school.” On the way to drop Leo off, my mind was a million miles away. At a red light, I turned around, pretending to fix his collar, and plucked a single hair from the back of his head. “You have a gray hair, sweetie. Let Mommy get it for you.” I tucked the hair into the small notebook I carried with me. After watching Leo walk into the school, I drove straight to a DNA testing center. “I need this rushed. What’s the fastest you can get the results?” “Standard is five business days. Rushed is by 4 PM today, but it’s triple the price.” “I’ll take the rush.” My hand trembled as I handed over the sample. After they took a swab from my cheek, I sat in the waiting area, watching the clock on the wall tick by, second by agonizing second. While I waited, I called a private investigator. “I want you to look into my husband, Mark Turner. Specifically, his movements over the past few months.” At 3:40 PM, my phone rang. The results were in. I opened the digital report and scrolled straight to the bottom. “Based on DNA analysis, the probability of a parental relationship between Elara Vance and Leo Turner is 0.0001%.” “Genetic marker analysis does not support Elara Vance as the biological mother of Leo Turner.” Even though I had been preparing myself, the words still made me gasp. I leaned against the wall for support. Not my son. I had raised a child that wasn’t mine for nine years. So where was my baby? I immediately drove to the hospital where I had given birth. I found the obstetrician who had delivered my baby. She was the head of the department now. I got straight to the point. “Dr. Evans, I need to see my delivery records and hospital file from nine years ago.” Her smile faltered for a second. “It’s been a long time. The files have probably been archived.” After some effort, someone from the records room finally brought out a folder. I opened it and found the records were shockingly brief. Just the admission and discharge dates, the delivery method, and the newborn’s weight. There were no detailed notes on the delivery, no nurse hand-off records, no report from the pediatrician. “Is this all there is?” “That’s all we have in the system,” she said apologetically. “Paper records for maternity cases are typically kept for ten years. Yours is almost at its expiration.” “What about the newborn’s footprints? The blood test records?” She shook her head. “Those would be in the newborn’s file, but we couldn’t find it.” It was obvious. Something was very wrong here. An overly simplified medical record, a missing newborn file, and a son who looked just like my husband but wasn’t mine. My phone rang. It was Mark. “Where are you? I’ve already picked up Leo.” I had completely forgotten it was past school dismissal time. Thankfully, I had informed the teacher I might be late. “I’m running some errands. I’ll be home soon.” I hung up. After dinner, I claimed to have a headache and went to my room early. Mark was in the living room, helping Leo with his homework. I could faintly hear their voices. “Dad, is Mom upset?” “She’s just tired. Finish your homework and get to bed early.” Once they were both asleep, I began to quietly search the house. The master bedroom, the living room, Leo’s room—I looked everywhere. I found nothing. Finally, my eyes fell on the computer in the study. The truth had to be in there. Just as I was about to open the file, I heard footsteps outside the door. I quickly closed the document. When Mark came in, I was tidying the desk. He glanced at the computer screen, which was back to the desktop wallpaper—a photo of the three of us at the beach from three years ago. “Still awake?” “Just organizing some old files.” As I spoke, I turned off the monitor. He stood there for a moment, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just nodded. “Get some rest.” I sat in the dark, listening to his footsteps fade away. I didn’t turn the computer back on that night. My thoughts were a tangled mess. The next morning, I let Mark take Leo to school. He gave me a long look but took the car keys. “Okay.” The moment they were gone, I went to the study. I turned on the computer and typed in the password: our wedding anniversary. Incorrect. I tried his birthday. Incorrect. Our son’s birthday. Still incorrect. I tried the date we first met, his mother’s birthday, the day the company was founded. None of them worked. The system locked me out for fifteen minutes. I sat there, staring at the login screen. The computer we had bought together was now locked against me. That evening, Mark came home from work and said, as he was taking off his jacket, “I have a business trip to Hong Kong tomorrow. I’m not sure how long I’ll be.” I brought a dish out from the kitchen. “So sudden. Who are you going with?” He put his briefcase on the table and turned to me. “It was a last-minute arrangement. Elara, can you just stop?” I looked at him silently, confused by his overreaction to a simple question. “Stop what?” “You question everything, you’re suspicious of everyone. I’m just going to work.” I turned back to the kitchen to get the rice, my hand trembling slightly. “It was just a casual question.” He didn’t say anything else and went straight to the bedroom. Dinner was quiet. Leo seemed to sense the tension and, for once, didn’t complain about his food. After his shower, Mark picked up his coat from the sofa to hang it up. A small receipt fell from the pocket and landed at my feet. After he left the room, I picked it up. It was a receipt for an expensive bottle of perfume, purchased yesterday afternoon. I didn’t recognize the name of the perfume, but I knew it wasn’t for me. In ten years of marriage, Mark had stopped giving me gifts. I used to make excuses for him—he wasn’t romantic, he was busy with work, he was a practical man. Now I realized he wasn’t incapable of romance; his romance just wasn’t for me. I noted down the information on the receipt. The next morning, after Mark had left for the airport, I called the department store. “I need to check on a purchase made with this receipt. Yes, from yesterday afternoon.” “One moment… yes, I have it. The purchase was made by a Ms. Millie Chen.” Millie Chen. The name was familiar. She was Mark’s secretary, a divorced woman in her thirties he had hired six months ago. Driving to the airport, I didn’t know what I was hoping to find. Maybe the perfume was a gift for a client. Maybe I was overthinking it. I waited outside the international departures terminal for half an hour before I saw them. Mark and Millie. She was wearing a beige trench coat and pulling a small suitcase, walking beside him. Mark had a relaxed smile on his face, one I hadn’t seen in a very long time. At the security checkpoint, Millie stopped and naturally reached out to straighten Mark’s collar. He didn’t pull away. He leaned down and whispered something in her ear. Millie smiled, then stood on her toes and kissed him on the lips. Mark’s hand rested on her waist for a moment before they separated, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. My last shred of denial vanished. So those late nights at the office, those impatient glares—they all had a reason. As I watched their intimate exchange, a chilling suspicion began to form in my mind. The child who wasn’t mine… could he be connected to this woman? On the drive back, I called the private investigator. “I need you to look into someone else. Millie Chen. I want to know everything about her, especially if she has any children.” The investigator was fast. The next afternoon, I received the report. Millie Chen, thirty-two, divorced five years ago. She had a ten-year-old son named Ethan, who attended a primary school on the west side of the city. The date jumped out at me. Millie’s son was only a week younger than Leo. For the first time in ten years, I felt a rage so intense it made my blood boil. I sat on the sofa, the report in my hand. Then, an idea struck me. I ran to the study. My fingers hovered over the keyboard. Slowly, I typed in Millie Chen’s birthday. The desktop opened. There was only one folder, named “Work Backup.” I clicked on it. Inside were subfolders, organized by year, starting from eleven years ago. The oldest folder contained scanned photographs. Mark and Millie in school uniforms, standing under an acacia tree. A nineteen-year-old Mark was smiling, his arm around Millie’s shoulders. Millie, with her hair in a ponytail, was looking up at him. The next photo was from college, in the library. Then a graduation photo, the two of them in caps and gowns, holding hands. That was the year Mark told me the company was in trouble, and we canceled our anniversary trip. I closed the folder, a sick feeling rising in my stomach. Ten years of lies. I looked at the wedding photo of me and Mark on the desktop wallpaper and felt a wave of nausea. At 3 PM, I drove to the west side of the city. The primary school was even more run-down than the investigator’s report had described. The final bell rang, and children poured out of the school gates. I sat in my car, my hands gripping the steering wheel. He walked out alone. No one was there to pick him up. He looked both ways, then started walking slowly down the sidewalk. I held my breath. That child. Ethan. No, that was my son. The way he walked was a little like mine, slightly pigeon-toed. When he raised his hand to brush his hair back, I saw a birthmark on his wrist, in the exact same place as mine. I saw a speck of dust on his eyelashes, his lips were chapped, and the sole of his shoe was coming apart. His eyes were empty, not like a ten-year-old’s should be. I covered my mouth to stifle a sob. He walked away and disappeared around a corner. I slumped over the steering wheel and wept. For the child walking home alone, for the ten years of a life that had been stolen from me, and for the fool I had been, living in a play orchestrated by someone else. Then, I wiped my tears and started the car. At the law firm, I placed a USB drive on the lawyer’s desk. It contained copies of all the photos, the paternity test, the hospital records, the perfume receipt, and the information on Millie and Ethan. “I want a divorce. I want him to leave with nothing. I want custody of my son. And I want him to pay for what he’s done.” Walking out of the law firm, I remembered what Mark had said when he proposed. “Elara, I will give you a lifetime of security.” It turned out his lifetime was only ten years. No, maybe not even that long. I took out my phone and called the second-largest shareholder in the company, an old colleague of my father’s. “Mr. Roberts, about the board meeting next week, there’s something I’d like to discuss with you first.” Mark had probably forgotten that the company’s name was Vance Industries. He was the general manager because I had persuaded my father to give him a chance. I had built him up. I could also tear him down. Two weeks after Mark left, I liquidated all my disposable assets. Every afternoon, I drove to the area around the primary school on the west side. One day, it was raining. He didn’t have an umbrella. He waited under the eaves of a small shop by the school gate for half an hour before finally running home in the rain. I sat in my car, the rain blurring the windows. On Friday afternoon, I arrived early. When I saw Ethan—no, my son—come out, I got out of the car and pretended to be a passerby. I dropped a folder in front of him. He hesitated for a moment, then bent down to help me pick it up. “Thank you, young man. Hasn’t your mother come to get you yet?” He shook his head. “My mom’s working late today.” “How are you getting home?” “I take the bus.” I took an unopened bottle of water from my bag and handed it to him. “Have some water.” He hesitated, then took it and whispered, “Thank you.” I noticed that he had a habit of pursing his lips when he spoke, just like me. The shape of his eyes was the same, too. Hooded eyelids, with a slight downward tilt at the outer corners. “Does your mom work late often?” He nodded, then shook his head. “Sometimes.” “What about your dad?” He didn’t answer, just looked down at his shoes. The sole of his sneaker was coming apart, and the shoelace on his left foot was broken. I didn’t press him. I took two hundred dollars from my wallet and tucked it into his hand. “Go buy yourself a new pair of shoes.” He took a step back. “No, I can’t take this.” “Think of it as a thank you for helping me with my papers.” I put the money in the side pocket of his backpack and walked away. After a few steps, I glanced back. He was looking after me, a confused expression on his face. That night, I stood in the doorway of Leo’s room.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388092”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Five years into our “DINK” (Double Income, No Kids) lifestyle, my boyfriend started testing my limits. It started with a brochure for a luxury postnatal care center that mysteriously appeared in our house. It boasted “Top-Tier Postpartum Recovery” and guaranteed a return to pre-pregnancy form. My boyfriend, David, explained, “Oh, that’s from my buddy Will’s new business. He handed them out to everyone at the reunion.” “His wife just had a baby and is staying there. We should go visit sometime; their kid is adorable.” Mmhmm. A perfectly reasonable explanation. Almost flawless. But I wasn’t stupid. That very day, I broke up with him. And froze all his credit cards. 1 I found the brochure tucked inside a thriller novel. “Top-Tier Postpartum Recovery.” It promised to restore a woman’s figure to perfection, maybe even better than before. I am staunchly child-free. Logically, I am not the target audience for this ad. Its appearance in my life was no accident. Someone planted it. I picked up the novel, lost in thought. David gave me this book this morning. He claimed it was the most gripping thriller he’d ever read and swore I’d love it. I am a huge thriller fan, so I took his recommendation. Which meant the brochure was placed there deliberately by David. This wasn’t the first baby-related “coincidence” lately. Parenting videos popping up in my feed titled “Child-free Couple Finally Decides to Have a Baby.” David’s friends casually asking about our family plans. Even our date last week was at a theme park famous for being kid-friendly. All signs pointed to one conclusion: David, who once vowed to be child-free with me, wanted a baby. I decided to confront him. 2 David came home in the evening. It was pouring rain outside, but instead of changing his wet clothes, he went straight to the bathroom to prepare a foot soak for me, then to the kitchen to brew my favorite herbal tea. A perfect boyfriend, by anyone’s standards. As he placed the foot basin in front of me, I slid the brochure across the table towards him. Years of understanding meant he got the message instantly. He started explaining, “It’s for Will’s center. You remember Will, right? My dorm neighbor in college.” “He handed one to everyone at the reunion. I didn’t think much of it and used it as a bookmark in that new novel. I forgot to take it out.” David laughed, pulling the brochure out and tossing it aside. “Will always loves to brag. Postpartum recovery is tough, but he makes it sound so easy.” “But his center seems legit. His own wife is staying there! We should visit them sometime. Will showed me photos of his kid; he’s so cute!” David rambled on about Will’s happy family of three, a longing look in his eyes he probably didn’t even notice. I interrupted him. “David, are you doing all this to tell me that after five years, you want a child?” David’s expression shifted, then quickly returned to normal. He hugged me gently. “Peach, what are you thinking? I promised to be child-free with you.” “Having you is enough. Kids don’t matter. If you don’t like me talking about this, I won’t mention it again.” David was handsome, with charming eyes. His sweet words might work on younger girls. But I’m 30. I’ve seen it all. I pushed him away, showing him the inexplicable baby content on my phone. Then I opened the link he sent me days ago for “date ideas”—all family-friendly resorts. “David, I’m not stupid.” “People change. You want a child now. I don’t blame you.” “So let’s end this amicably.” David’s face turned ugly. “Peach, you’re breaking up with me?” I nodded and turned to pack. “I have a business trip tomorrow for a week. Use that time to pack your things and move out.” David kept rambling. “Peach, I promise, I don’t mean to pressure you. I respect your choices; that’s why I’ve stayed by your side all these years. The evidence you found is all just coincidence…” I ignored him. The doorbell rang. My driver and bodyguard were waiting. David tried to grab my arm but was blocked by the bodyguard’s imposing frame. His voice faded away outside the car window. 3 I met David when I was 25. At 25, I had finally solidified my position within the family business, officially becoming the head of Sterling Corp. That same year, I visited my alma mater and met David, who was five years younger than me and just starting his research. My mentor introduced him enthusiastically. “This is David. Only a sophomore and already working on projects with me. Bright future ahead!” David had a clean, handsome look, with upturned eyes that gave him a slightly enchanting allure. He blushed as he greeted me. “Hi, senior.” I looked him over. My type. Before David, I had dated the poor but upright scholar, the adrenaline junkie, and the refined rich kid. I hadn’t tried the “David” type yet. I started pursuing him. Nothing too overt—just dropping by the lab to offer guidance, helping him out when he was bullied by peers, and securing him an internship at a top firm… David confessed his feelings quickly. I accepted. Honestly, I just wanted to have some fun. I assumed he was like the others—after my money or power. Like the poor scholar who, three months in, started asking when we could get married. I found his search history full of “how to marry rich.” Or the rich kid, whom my security cameras caught poking holes in all the condoms in my nightstand. His family was on the verge of bankruptcy and needed a cash injection. Binding me with a child was a smart move. But David seemed different. He loved me. Or at least, he acted like he did. I was honest with every partner about being child-free. Most were shocked, as if no matter how high I climbed, my duty as a woman was still to reproduce. David wasn’t. He just held me, his voice low and gentle. “Peach, I don’t know much about childbirth. Maybe I should try to understand your decision first.” He didn’t just talk. He took notes on the child-free lifestyle. He even tried a labor pain simulator. Then he said, “Peach, I understand now.” “Just the physical pain alone… I couldn’t bear to let you go through that.” 4 Three years in, David became my longest relationship. I took him to visit my parents’ graves. When I was 18, my parents died in a car accident. I knew it was my mother’s doing. Since I was born, she had been slowly pushed out of power. The company changed names, my father cheated, everything changed. I learned this from her diary. The turning point was having a child. She found herself excluded from the core circle, with everyone deferring to my father. Worse was the toll on her body. Already weak from years of hard work, childbirth drained her. Her energy and memory faded, making her struggle with work. My father, the man who married into her family, seized the opportunity. Her last words to me were: “Peach, I’ve handled everything. The company is yours. But the road ahead, you must walk alone.” Her story shaped me. I have her blood and her ambition. I refuse to follow in her footsteps. Besides, the situation isn’t stable. Relatives on my father’s side, from his brother to distant cousins, are all eyeing my position. I have to fight to keep my throne. I can’t relax. David was the first man to hear this story. For three years, he was perfect. Not demanding, emotionally supportive, respecting my decisions. Sometimes, I allowed myself to fall for it. I told him, “David, do you understand? I can’t have kids. It’s never enough. I can’t stop. I have to climb.” He held my hand. “Then I’ll be the one watching you climb.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388108”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I was a D-list celebrity, struggling to stay relevant in an industry that forgot me yesterday. One day, while gaming online, a teammate decided to get nasty. “A girl at this rank? Must have sold herself to get here. Need Big Brother to help you out?” Normally, a celebrity would ignore it. But I’m a nobody, so I don’t have a reputation to protect. I turned on my mic and let loose. “You sound like an expert. Done this a lot? Need me to introduce you to some clients so you can make some cash? You sound jealous.” “With a mouth like that, you could open a stinky tofu stand without buying supplies.” “If the vice squad picked you up, they wouldn’t even need an interrogation. One look at that mouth and it’s life without parole.” I flamed him for the entire match. When it ended, I discovered that our Jungler, who had been defending me, was a pro player livestreaming the whole thing. The chat went wild: [Sister went off! Please open a masterclass, I’m on my knees listening!] 1 As a D-list actress, my schedule is emptier than a politician’s promises. I had plenty of time. Bored out of my mind, I launched Glory of Kings. Less than six minutes in, our Mid Laner started raging on voice chat. “Just my luck. How do trash players get into this rank? Boosted much?” I checked the scoreboard. He was 0-5. I was 4-1. Probably not talking about me. Curious, I opened the details panel. He had the worst stats and the lowest gold. I stayed silent. There are too many fragile egos online, and I’m not a therapist. A team fight broke out mid. He was out of position and got instantly deleted. Luckily, the rest of us were farmed enough to win the fight with just his casualty. I went back to base to heal, and heard him again. “ADC, do you even know how to play? Idiot. That girly profile pic must be yours, huh?” I was about to mute him when he doubled down. “Heh, no wonder this game feels so hard. Matched with a girl. Bad luck to see a girl at this rank. Can’t you females just go play your own games? Stop ruining it for everyone else. Who carried you here? Did you sleep with someone for it?” My temper flared instantly. Our Jungler spoke up: “Watch your mouth, bro. If you can’t speak properly, donate your tongue to someone who can.” Mid Laner laughed knowingly. “I get it, Jungler bro. Is the ADC fun? Share the joy with the boys, hahaha.” If I tolerated this any longer, I might as well be a doormat. 2 The Jungler started to reply, “Your mouth…” I cut him off. “Brother, stand down. Don’t interrupt my flow.” The Jungler had a nice voice, but I didn’t have time to appreciate it. I took a sip of water to clear my throat. “You sound like an expert. Done this a lot? Need me to introduce you to some clients so you can make some cash? You sound jealous.” “With a mouth like that, you could open a stinky tofu stand without buying supplies.” “If the vice squad picked you up, they wouldn’t even need an interrogation. One look at that mouth and it’s life without parole.” He got excited hearing my voice. “Ooh, hit a nerve, did I? Triggered much? Hahahaha!” My comeback was rapid-fire. “Triggered? I’m not the one who’s 1-7. If I had your stats, I’d have smashed my keyboard by now. Anyone with hands could do better.” “Hey, you know what? Only triggered people accuse others of being triggered. Takes one to know one, right?” I was feeling great. Since entering showbiz, I’ve had to wear a mask—no eye-rolling, no frowning, always smiling. Today, this guy walked right into the line of fire. All my pent-up frustration was unleashed on him. As a former keyboard warrior, I have my own set of rules. Rule #1: Be loud. Volume establishes dominance. But avoid banned words. Swearing is weak. On the internet, I am an orphan. My family tree begins and ends with me. That’s the only way to be invincible. I stood up, fully immersed in the roast, unaware that the Jungler was a pro player named Frost, and he was live to over 100,000 people. [Sister isn’t using curse words but every sentence is lethal. Satisfying.] [If I were that Mid, I’d die of anger.] [Sister went off! Please open a masterclass, I’m on my knees listening!] 3 After a few rounds, I felt like I’d unlocked a hidden superpower. The more I scolded, the more energized I became. The game chat and the livestream were dominated by my voice and the noise coming from that animal in Mid lane. He went AFK in the fountain just to focus on cursing me out. “What the hell are you playing? Trash! An ADC who doesn’t rotate? Are you stupid?” “I don’t even want this win anymore. I’m going to flame you until I’m happy.” I drank some water and continued the battle. “If you’re so amazing, how come I haven’t seen your name in the pro leagues? If you think I’m trash, work harder! Get to 500 stars and you won’t match with me.” “Bad luck for you meeting me today. If you were actually good, you wouldn’t be in my matchmaking bracket.” “Since you matched with me, you’re not all that either. We’re trash together.” “You never shut up. Even a pager would bow down to you. Are you the ancestor of all pagers?” The chat in the livestream slowed down as people listened. [Sister, slow down, I can’t take notes fast enough!] [I envy her mouth. I used to get scolded until I cried at night.] [Am I the only one who thinks this voice sounds familiar?] [Just you. It sounds like heaven to me.] [I think Mid is right. Why do girls play games? They all suck and feed.] The streamer, Frost, who had been enjoying the show, stopped playing. He glanced at the chat. His deep voice cut in: “Mods? Ban that toxic guy in chat.” 4 Thanks to the Jungler and me, we won the game in fifteen minutes. I got MVP. The Mid Laner went 1-7 and AFK’d. I reported him immediately. Score deduction: 10+3. Satisfied, I tried to return to the lobby, but both the Jungler and Mid invited me. [Quick, Frost, invite the sister! Carry her!] [+1] [+10086] One game, one grudge. The game was over, and I didn’t want to fight anymore. The Jungler was really good. Since he invited me, duo-queue seemed like a safe bet for ranking up. I entered the lobby and typed: “Thanks for backing me up earlier, bro.” He turned on his mic. “No problem. I hate people like that. You’re really good. Great skills, great insults.” I felt a bit shy hearing that, especially with his nice voice. Just hearing it, I could imagine a handsome face to match his anime profile pic. But the Mid Laner wouldn’t let it go. He kept inviting me. Seeing I wouldn’t accept, he added me as a friend: [Scared to join the lobby? Coward?] I had calmed down thanks to the soothing voice of the Jungler, but that one sentence reignited my rage. I asked the Jungler: “Mind if I invite someone? That Mid from last game, he’s asking for it.” He paused, then said seriously, “Go ahead. Need me to leave? Or help you?” I waved my hand, realizing he couldn’t see, and quickly said, “I won’t drag you into this. Just watch me work.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388124”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Ten years ago, I walked in on my wife, Isabelle, in an intimate moment with my adopted brother, Noah. Unable to process it, I flew into a rage, slapped them both hard, and smashed everything in the room. Faced with my fury, Isabelle offered no explanation. She just watched me break, her expression unnervingly calm. That same night, she had men tie me up and haul me off to prison. Before they took me away, she cooked a lavish meal for me, her voice soft and gentle. “Jacob, you really scared Noah yesterday. You need to go cool off for a few days. I’ll comfort him, and once he’s feeling better, I’ll come get you.” But “a few days” turned into ten years. When I was finally released, I found a small town and took a job as a waiter in a diner, living under a new name. Until I saw her again. My ex-wife, Isabelle. She was dressed head-to-toe in designer brands, her makeup flawless. She froze when she saw me, and then her eyes reddened as she grabbed my hand. “Jacob, you’re out. Why didn’t you tell me?” she choked out. “These past years… have you been okay?” I gave a bitter smile, touching my head through my worn cap. I had no hair left. A decade of torment had left me with terminal cancer. By my calculations, I had about a month left to live. … I didn’t answer her, just tugged the sleeves of my worn jacket down further, trying to hide the dense constellation of needle marks on my arms. Isabelle, unwilling to let it go, was about to speak again when my boss yelled from across the diner. “Owen! What are you dawdling for? Get over here and clear that table!” “Coming!” I called back, not daring to look at Isabelle again as I practically fled. In my peripheral vision, I saw her mouth open as if to call my name, but no sound came out. Later, I brought out her order. She had only ordered braised short ribs, a bowl of spicy lamb stew, and a bottle of wine. I frowned. She was allergic to fish and hated the smell of lamb, yet these were my two favorite dishes. It was a cruel irony, as stomach cancer had prevented me from eating them for years. I placed the dishes in front of her, my face a blank mask. “Ma’am, your order is complete. Please enjoy your meal.” I turned to leave, but she grabbed my sleeve. “Jacob, this is all for you. Sit down. Have a drink with me, please?” I froze, the memory of her preparing my favorite foods just before sending me to hell for ten years flashing through my mind. Seeing my silence, she pressed on, her voice cracking. “I’m begging you. Just let me talk to you for a minute…” I sighed and finally sat down across from her. She poured me a glass of wine. “Jacob, I was supposed to pick you up the day you were released. I went to the prison, but I couldn’t find you anywhere. I asked everyone for information, but they all said… they said you were dead.” I didn’t touch the wine or the food. “I’m not. Sorry to disappoint you, Isabelle.” Her reaction was unexpectedly emotional. She leaned forward, her hands closing over mine. “Jacob, I know I wronged you. Please, come back with me. I’ll make it up to you! In three days, it’s your father’s sixtieth birthday. Come home with me, and I’ll explain everything for you.” Ten years ago, just to appease my adopted brother Noah and to keep me from exposing their affair, Isabelle had fabricated evidence of me accepting bribes at the company. It landed me a ten-year prison sentence for a crime I didn’t commit. My own parents, without asking a single question, disowned me on the spot, calling me a parasite on society. Her words brought all the pain and despair of those years rushing back. I fought to suppress the overwhelming anguish, but my body began to tremble uncontrollably. “Explain?” I rasped. “What is there to explain? Are you going to explain the disgusting things you and Noah were up to?” My voice, thick with emotion, was louder than I intended. The curious, gossiping eyes of the other diners turned toward us. I shot to my feet and walked away. I thought I would never see Isabelle again. After all, how much remorse could the person who sent me to hell truly feel? But the next morning, when I arrived for my shift, she was already there, waiting by the door. She rushed toward me, her eyes searching my face. “Jacob, you were a top-tier engineer. Are you really content to waste away in a small diner like this?” I laughed coldly. “But didn’t you already destroy my life? Don’t you feel sick saying this now?” My words struck a nerve. A flicker of panic crossed her face, and she opened her mouth to explain, but I walked past her and into the diner. Isabelle didn’t leave. She ordered a single dish and a pot of tea and stayed for the entire day. I ignored her, carrying on with my work as usual. Just before my shift ended, a searing pain ripped through my stomach. A hot, metallic liquid surged up my throat. I staggered back, trying to stifle the agony, and accidentally knocked over a bottle of red wine on a customer’s table. The wine drenched the man’s shirt. He stared for a moment, and before I could even apologize, his hand cracked across my face. “What the hell, are you blind? This jacket is designer, you piece of trash! You think you can afford to replace it?” He grew more enraged, ignoring my apologies. He kicked me hard in the stomach, sending me sprawling to the floor. Then, he picked up the wine bottle and poured the rest of it over my head. I couldn’t hold it back any longer. A strangled gasp escaped me as I coughed up a mouthful of blood. The crimson liquid mixed with the red wine, staining my clothes in a sickening mess. Still not satisfied, the man raised his foot to kick me again, but someone shoved him aside. Isabelle stood over me, her eyes blazing with fury, shielding me with her body. “I dare anyone to touch him!” she roared. The man started to curse, but when he saw the feral look in her eyes, a flash of fear replaced his anger. He muttered a few more insults and quickly fled the diner. Isabelle knelt down, gently helping me up, her face etched with panic. “Jacob, all this blood…” I glanced down at the red stains on my shirt and stammered, “It’s… it’s just the wine.” I pushed her away and ran. The next day, I quit my job. I had only been working to pay for my chemotherapy drugs anyway. Since I was going to die soon, there was no point in continuing. Besides, my greatest wish now was to get as far away from Isabelle and her world as possible. I wanted to die in peace. There were no formalities. I told my boss, collected my final paycheck, and left. As I walked out, I remembered my last medical report was still at the hospital. I decided to pick it up and buy some more painkillers. But just as I collected my report, I saw a familiar figure. My adopted brother, Noah. And with him were Isabelle and my own parents. Noah saw me first. He froze, his face a mask of disbelief. “Jacob? You’re not dead?” My eyes fell to the bag in his hand. It was from the maternity ward. The name written on the label was Isabelle’s. Only then did I notice the slight, but definite, swell of her stomach. Even after ten years, seeing them together like this felt like having a piece of my heart violently ripped out. A bitter laugh escaped me. “Still alive. Sorry to disappoint you.” A dark look flashed across Noah’s face, quickly replaced by a wounded expression. “Jacob, I know you hate me for marrying Isabelle. But you two were divorced, and you went to prison for what you did ten years ago. You couldn’t expect her to wait for you forever…” Isabelle chimed in. “Mom and Dad are here. If you just apologize properly, I’m sure they’ll forgive you. Tomorrow is Dad’s birthday, after all.” I scoffed. They were the ones who were wrong. Why should I be the one to apologize? “I have nothing to apologize for,” I said sharply. “You know the truth about what happened ten years ago.” At that moment, my parents noticed me. They looked much older. Not yet sixty, but their hair was almost completely white, their backs stooped. They stared at me, stunned. My mother was the first to speak, her brow furrowed in disapproval. “Why are you so thin? Are you on something? You were trouble ten years ago, and you didn’t even come to us after you got out. You must have a guilty conscience!” I was floored. It took me a moment to understand what she was implying. Ten years, and this was her first reaction. Not concern, not a question about my health, but a suspicion that I was on drugs. This was the image they had of me. I laughed, a hollow, tear-filled sound. Seeing me laugh, my father’s frown deepened. “Your mother’s right. You don’t look healthy.” He grabbed my arm and started dragging me toward the hospital’s lab. “You’re coming with me for a drug test!” His voice was loud, drawing a crowd. In the struggle, he shoved me, and I fell, my head hitting the corner of a table. Blood trickled down my forehead. The sudden stress sent another wave of agony through my stomach, and a cold sweat soaked my clothes. Isabelle’s voice cut through the haze, gentle but laced with concern. “Jacob, I didn’t notice yesterday, but you really should… listen to your parents. Go get the test. It’s not too late to get help.” Noah added his fake concern. “Brother, I know you’ve been through a lot, but you can’t keep making these mistakes!” Their condescending tones, their righteous certainty. Why? I had done nothing wrong. Why did I have to pay for their paranoid fantasies? My father tried to grab me again, but I pushed his hand away and struggled to my feet. “Fine. I’ll go.” I limped into the testing room. The results, of course, were negative. A flicker of embarrassment crossed my parents’ faces, but there was no apology. My mother just glanced at me and said awkwardly, “Well, that’s that. Come home. Tomorrow is your father’s sixtieth birthday. Make sure you’re there.” I took a step back, putting distance between us. “You were right all those years ago. I’m not your son. We cut ties a long time ago. I won’t be coming to the party. Happy birthday, Mr. Melling.” I gave them a formal bow, and ignoring their curses and pleas, I turned and walked out of the hospital. On the morning of my father’s sixtieth birthday, I woke up choking on blood. The pain was constant now, so intense that I could barely stand. I knew my condition was worsening rapidly. Every day was a new form of torture. I probably didn’t even have a month left. After I had coughed up another mouthful of blood, Isabelle started pounding on my door. “Jacob, open up! It’s me!” I didn’t want to see her. “Isabelle,” I said through the door, “you’re a pregnant, married woman. It’s not appropriate for you to be here, visiting your ex-husband.” Her voice faltered. “Jacob, I know you hate me. We can talk about us later. But today is your father’s birthday. You have to be there. We need to be a family and talk things through.” I had no intention of going, but she called a locksmith and had him force the door open. Weakened by the cancer, I was powerless to stop her. She was insistent, practically dragging me into her car. In the car, she kept looking at me in the rearview mirror. Finally, she couldn’t hold back any longer. “Jacob, why are you so thin?” I ran a hand over the needle marks on my arm and smiled bitterly. “Terminal cancer. Would you believe me?” Isabelle stared, then burst out laughing. “Jacob, don’t even joke about something like that. How could you have cancer? You must have been on some crazy diet. I always told you, a little meat on the bones looks good on a man. You shouldn’t be so anxious about your body…” I didn’t hear the rest of what she said. I just nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. It was a joke. I don’t have cancer. Just a stupid diet.” We drove the rest of the way in silence. The party was already underway when we arrived. I kept my eyes down, standing off to the side, a silent shadow. My parents, in a tacit agreement, didn’t introduce me to anyone. Instead, Noah played the part of the dutiful son, and Isabelle the perfect daughter-in-law, mingling with the guests. I was the odd one out. As the party was winding down, a swarm of reporters burst in, surrounding Noah. “Mr. Melling, is it true that your current wife was once your sister-in-law?” “How long has this inappropriate relationship been going on? Is it connected to your brother, Jacob Melling’s, sudden criminal behavior?” Faced with the onslaught, Noah’s eyes immediately reddened. Under the glare of the flashing cameras, he fell to his knees before me.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “387880”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

After graduation, my arch-nemesis handed me a note with an unnatural expression on her face. Written on it was a simple sentence. Even a slacker like me could understand those few words. “NO ONE LIKES YOU.” Heartbroken, I tore up the note and left the country the very next day. Years later, I returned, accomplished. The day I came back, a storm was raging, delaying my flight. And my arch-nemesis stood in the rain, holding an umbrella, waiting for me all night long. 1 Flight delays are annoying enough. What was even more annoying was that as soon as I got off the plane and my phone regained signal, a trending topic popped up. [Shocking! Heiress of the Sterling empire waits in the rain for a mysterious man all night.] Clicking on the news, the photo showed a woman with a perfect profile, long eyelashes slightly lowered, hiding her dark eyes. A sense of melancholy was palpable. I suppressed my anger and scrolled through the comments, all filled with “heartbroken for my queen” sentiments. This attention seeker! Yes, the person in the photo was none other than my childhood nemesis, Bella Sterling, the culprit who caused my breakdown and departure. While I lived a miserable life as an international student, struggling with academics and terrible food, she was sailing smoothly back home. A random photo from a banquet could go viral, making her famous for her beauty and wealth. Comments were full of people calling her “wife,” praising her cool goddess vibe. In my eyes, she was just a hypocrite. Doesn’t she have a car? Or an assistant? Standing in the rain acting pitiful for whom? Scrolling further down, some people were even cursing the man who made her wait. ? Excuse me? After the note incident years ago, I unilaterally cut ties with Bella Sterling, blocking all her contacts. Feeling ashamed, I didn’t tell my family. Given our families’ long-standing friendship, when my mom called today saying Bella was picking me up, I could only silently agree. Who knew she would pull this stunt? Luckily, I had foresight. Putting on sunglasses and zipping my jacket to the top, I sneaked into the taxi I had booked in advance. The driver was startled by me, probably thinking I was a terrorist. His voice trembled: “Young man, confirm the last digits of your number.” After confirming I was a passenger, he sighed in relief and started chatting cheerfully. “I’ve been to the airport three or four times today. This girl has been standing here the whole time, don’t know who she’s waiting for.” The driver gestured with his chin for me to look out the window. I looked at Bella Sterling standing in the rain, like a wet bamboo stalk, her calm, deep eyes staring straight at the airport exit. As if finally tired, thinking I wouldn’t come, she sighed and turned to leave. Her disappointed look was indeed captivating. I frowned, an unknown emotion pressing on my heart. In a trance, that note appeared before me again. I heard myself say coldly: “Sir, can you drift?” The driver was stunned. “To be honest, that person is my ex. She was abusive before, but always acts affectionate in public.” Afraid the driver would be reluctant, I quickly added, “I can give you a tip.” The driver was indignant. “Young man, no need for extra money! Bad women like that deserve a lesson!” With a beautiful drift, water from the ground splashed all over Bella’s expensive custom suit. Seeing her drenched and wretched appearance, I felt a secret thrill. That’s what you get for pretending! You cold, sharp-tongued woman, I will never forgive you! 2 Bella Sterling and I shouldn’t have reached this point of incompatibility. Even the title of “arch-nemesis” was unilaterally bestowed by me. Our parents were close friends and business partners. When we were little, at family gatherings, our parents even joked about arranging a marriage for us. I always liked good-looking people since I was a kid. Back then, the expressionless, chubby-cheeked little Bella was even chased and kissed by me a few times. But my parents, smiling on the surface, would start comparing me to her as soon as we got home. Saying I wasn’t as good as Bella in this or that. I wanted to escape, but my parents put us in the same class from kindergarten onwards. I lived in Bella’s shadow until graduation. A friend whose family was also rich, and a fellow slacker like me, we had a lot in common. He asked me: “Oliver, are you going abroad or to a private college here?” Did he even need to ask? Although going abroad meant attending a subpar school, a domestic private college would be even more embarrassing for my family. But looking at the fresh and pretty back of Bella’s head during high school, the words that should have slipped out lingered on the tip of my tongue. “…I haven’t decided yet.” Maybe because it was time to part ways, and the burden of exams was finally lifted, everyone became active. Confession scenes were everywhere on campus. A pile of notes appeared on Bella’s desk. Every now and then, a boy would shyly drop one and run. I sorted through the few confession letters in my desk, feeling uninterested. In high school, grades were the real halo; looks were just bonus points. Thanks to my parents for giving me a good face. This time I still lost to Bella, but at least not with a zero score. I was ready to leave when the surroundings suddenly quieted down. Looking up, Bella’s face always dazed me. Her expression was a bit strange, at least I had never seen it before. A small note was handed to me. Classmates started cheering. My head spun even more, my face numb from shock. With trembling hands, I opened the note. It was a sentence in English. Short, simple. Even a slacker like me could understand. [NO ONE LIKES YOU.] 3 A bone-chilling cold invaded me. I woke up from the dark dream. The AC had been on at 60 degrees all night, and I had kicked off the quilt. Checking my phone, a message from a pinned contact. [Got over the jet lag?] I sneezed and typed slowly: [Jet lag is mostly gone, but caught a cold…] The sender was an online seller recommended by a friend, who occasionally helped students buy things abroad. Back then, I swore not to return until I achieved something. In my miserable life, this seller lady helped me a lot. Plus, we had many common topics, and unknowingly became good online friends. [Take some medicine first, and drink plenty of hot water.] The seller lady had a great personality, just very straightforward. Wonder how she does sales with that. I secretly roasted her. But precisely because of her straightforwardness, I told her many troubles. [Last night I dreamed of that day again…] The other side showed “typing” for a while. [Did you meet her? The one who made you feel bad.] I felt a bit guilty. Being told no one liked me was shameful, so I was vague about the note’s content. I only told her that seeing that note made me feel like the sky had collapsed. Seeing my long silence, she sent another message. [If you want to completely walk out of the nightmare, escaping blindly is useless.] I hesitated and typed: [But… meeting her makes me feel ashamed.] Instant reply. [She made you feel uncomfortable; she should be the one ashamed.] Like fog clearing, I suddenly saw the light. Right, I may not be smart, but I’m good-looking. Why say no one likes me? A smile appeared on my face. This is why I like chatting with the seller lady. I don’t need mere comfort and “hugs.” I’m truly happy someone can tell me how to solve problems. 4 Since returning home, my family kept urging me to meet Bella. Their filter on my “friendship” with Bella was too thick. Finally, my mom spoke again. “Ollie, your uncle opened a new restaurant on the top floor next to our company. Go support it with Bella.” I looked calm: “Sure, I’ll go tonight.” My mom beamed. I rummaged through boxes to find those confession letters from high school. Plus the crooked Chinese notes written by foreign girls when I was studying in the UK. Ever since Bella humiliated me saying no one liked me, I accepted every confession seriously, then politely declined with a return gift. This time, I was going to throw these letters in Bella’s face. I, Oliver Vance, am not disliked by everyone! With this ambition, I straightened my back, lifted my chin, and walked elegantly into the restaurant. Bella was already waiting at the reserved seat. Seeing me, her eyes lit up. She stood to pull out a chair for me, speaking gently. “Long time no see.” Wait, there’s a waiter right here, why do you need to do that? I hummed lightly, curling my lip in disdain. Pretentious. Bella was beautiful today, a different kind of beauty from high school. I even smelled the faint perfume on her. Future female CEO vibe is different. I thought sourly. Looked kinda impressive. I ignored her. She didn’t get angry, good-naturedly handing me the menu to order. Opening it, the names of the dishes killed my enthusiasm. Damn, can’t escape the torture of British food even back home. I schemingly picked many dishes I thought were the worst. Closing the menu, I put on a fake smile. “Bella Sterling, let’s talk.” She looked me in the eye: “Go ahead.” Beauty trap? I won’t fall for it. My eyes drifted up, tactical throat clearing. “About the note you gave me back then.” I pulled out that thick stack of letters and notes from my clutch. “This is my response.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “387896”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The perennial number one student, the cold and aloof “Academic God,” was dragged off his pedestal by a girl. She didn’t have great grades, but she was cute and clingy. I was very happy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not that girl. I’m the one who’s always stuck in second place. My chance has finally come! 1. “Lately, Julian has been walking to school with Chloe.” “No way, did the Academic God really get taken down by a slacker?” Whispers from passing girls drifted through the hallway. In a deserted corner, I straightened up and pricked up my ears. “It’s true! Julian seems distracted in class these days.” I pushed away the person in front of me and coldly retied my hair. “What do you want?” The school bully held my hand, dissatisfied. “Turning hostile again?” I pointed to my watch. “Ten minutes are up. I have to go back to class.” “Seriously, Sarah,” he muttered, “I tolerated not going public with our relationship, but do you have to time our meetings too?” I ignored him and got up to leave. He wrapped his arm around my waist, acting like a spoiled puppy. “Stay a little longer.” This shameless behavior was completely different from his usual arrogant self when fighting. However, I didn’t buy it. He was just a tool for me to release stress. “Not interfering with my studies is the bottom line. Make a fuss again, and we break up.” He looked impatient, pressed my head down, and kissed me hard. “Don’t say those two words!” After cursing under his breath, he obediently let go. Back in the classroom, I bumped into the Academic God, Julian. His cold gaze lingered on my chest for a few seconds before moving away. “Button,” his voice was clean, “you missed one.” I looked down. “Thanks.” When I looked up again, he had already entered the classroom. Quiet, hard to pursue. Logical mind, calm and self-possessed. My homeroom teacher once told me, “It’s normal for girls not to do as well as boys in studies. Some boys seem not to care, but they learn as soon as they try.” “Girls can only study hard.” My diligence became “the clumsy bird must fly first” in the teacher’s mouth. While someone like Julian could surpass my efforts with just a little bit of study. So when his name dominated the top spot above mine year after year, I was unconvinced. One day, I will pull him down. 2. Julian and I are actually childhood acquaintances. But not the kind where anything happens. Just neighbors. Like now, I was doing exam papers by the window. Looking up, I could see Chloe standing at Julian’s door. She was holding a bag of handmade cookies. Waiting for him obediently. Julian came down quickly, looking fresh. The boy who had just showered was like a swaying locust tree on a midsummer night. Provocative, yet innocently unaware. His appearance made Chloe blush and stare blankly. The two whispered a few words. Chloe handed him the cookies. Don’t be fooled by Julian’s aloofness. He’s actually wicked inside and loves leading girls on. Growing up with a halo, he knew his advantages very well. He liked watching ordinary girls become obsessed with him the most. I finished two sets of exam papers. Chloe was leaving. Waving goodbye, looking back every three steps. Julian stood under the streetlamp, watching her disappear at the intersection from afar. I took out my notebook of mistakes and started reviewing. Accidentally, my eyes met Julian’s downstairs. He chuckled. As if interested, Standing under the streetlamp, he opened the handmade cookies and ate them slowly, one by one. Staring at me lazily. I avoided his eyes and looked down to review my mistakes. The hot summer evening breeze blew through the asparagus fern by my window. The residual light of the streetlamp illuminating him spilled onto my desk. He was still watching. Watching leisurely. I got up and closed the window. 3. The monthly exam opportunity came quickly. Rumors about Julian and Chloe also increased. Every time Chloe came to our class to find him, classmates would always tease. Some bold boys even shouted, “J-God, your girlfriend is here for you again.” Making Chloe blush with shyness, leaving after saying only a few words. And Julian didn’t deny it. It’s just that my seat is right by the door. Every time, I was forced to be on the front line of gossip. During break today, I was busy memorizing vocabulary. Chloe came. The boys in the back started teasing again. Banging tables and shaking chairs. Noisy as hell. I covered my ears, but could still hear it. “What’s the fuss? Can you be quiet!” I stood up and scolded them. Turning around, I met Julian’s eyes. Everyone around quieted down because of my roar. The air stagnated. Chloe, like a little rabbit, was scared to tears. “Sorry, I disturbed your study. I didn’t mean to.” I wasn’t scolding her. Why was she crying first? The boys in the back, losing face because of me, rolled their eyes at me. “It’s break time, what’s wrong with us talking for a while? Just because you love studying doesn’t mean you get first place.” “Exactly, why are you so anxious?” someone next to him echoed. “Do you like J-God and are just jealous? Hahahaha.” I was stunned. Meeting Julian’s cold gaze, I felt very unhappy. Why? It was clearly his business, but he could always stay out of it. He looked at me being cornered like watching a show. “Have you never seen a pig run or eaten pork?” I sneered at the boy. “Others are dating, why are you so excited?” The boy blushed at my retort, stammering, “Where… where am I excited!” I raised my eyebrows. “Don’t be shy. If you like it, we can try it too.” His ears turned red instantly, staring at me without saying a word for a long time. Julian frowned slightly. Just as he was about to say something, I turned and sat down again. Picked up the vocabulary book, put on headphones, and continued memorizing. 4. The monthly exam arrived. I dreamed of solving problems for weeks. During the last exam, Julian handed in his paper early. He rarely handed in papers early. Besides, the math problems in that exam were hard. When he packed his things and left the classroom, his peripheral vision fell on me at the door. I was struggling with the last two questions. Very hard. But I solved them. After that, Julian went to a closed training camp for the physics competition. Chloe hardly came to our class anymore. On the way to school, a sudden thunderstorm in summer. At the back alley, I saw the school bully fighting. His sharp-featured face was wild and unruly. He leaned against the wall with a half-smile. Raising his hand, his movements were agile. It was obvious his Taekwondo had improved again. I glanced at him and continued walking indifferently. Listening to English listening practice in my ears. Reviewing the English questions of this monthly exam in my mind. English should be solid this time. Turning the corner, I was pulled into a corner. My heart jumped, but my mouth was covered by him. His big hand was hot. A few strands of my hair came loose. Wet from the rain. The hair lightly touched his hand, making him even more irritable. “F*ck!” He let go, cursing in a low voice. I tucked my hair behind my ear. “Can you have some self-control?” “You’re the one lighting the fire but not putting it out!” He raised his eyebrows. “What do you call this? ‘Double standards’!” I hate his foolish look the most. “What is it?” My tone was cold. “Speak quickly, I have to go to class.” “Why didn’t you reply to my message?” What message? Oh, I remembered. It seemed he got a black belt in Taekwondo. “Monthly exam recently.” I told the truth. “That’s not a reason to ignore me!” I glanced at a smear of blood on his brow and frowned slightly. Following my gaze, he raised his hand and wiped it. “It’s okay, not mine.” “Are you worried about me?” His eyes sparkled, like a puppy waiting for praise. “Clean it up before hugging me next time,” I turned my face away. “Too dirty.” He let go, not holding me tightly anymore. Afraid I would be angry. “Why don’t you even give me ten minutes lately?” “Busy with exams, can you stop being clingy?” Clearly, he was arrogant and unruly, cold-eyed and taciturn when fighting just now. He whined, “Do you not like me anymore!” “Spend some time studying and I’ll like you.” I raised my hand to check the time. Class was starting soon. “Be good, listen.” I tiptoed and lightly pecked the corner of his mouth. He obediently let go, and I turned to leave. Young guys are the easiest to coax. But just as I lifted my foot, I was hugged by him. Thunder rumbled outside the alley, and the rain suddenly intensified. Like his kiss. Coming like wind and rain. Outside, the sounds of students walking to school, mixed with bicycle bells. His Adam’s apple rolled, his eyes suddenly hot like fire, then gentle like rain. The thunderstorm mixed with the summer heat, suffocating people to lose their measure in every breath. I instantly understood his curse. Summer rain is annoying without knowing it. “I have to go to class.” My voice was a bit soft. He laughed muffledly. “What are you laughing at?” I was rarely soft-spoken. “If you want to leave,” he said, “it’s better not to make a sound.” Rain showers are teasing. Delaying people and things. Studying is the most important thing. “Are you participating in some competition recently?” I found an excuse to stall. What competition did he say he was participating in this afternoon? He looked up. “Yeah, 2:30 PM.” “If you get first prize in that competition, I’ll spend this weekend with you.” The smile on his lips couldn’t be hidden. “Keep your word. If you lie to me, you’ll have to spend the whole summer vacation with me!” “Deal.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “387912”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel