Category: English

My boyfriend complained that I looked ugly in glasses, so I bought a pair of contact lenses online. But then, something bizarre happened. After putting the contacts in, I looked at my sweet, doting boyfriend, only to see him glaring at me with utter disgust. “If it weren’t for her money, who would ever date this loser?” he sneered. I blinked, taking the contacts out. Suddenly, he was standing right in front of me, a charming smile plastered on his face. “Babe, you look absolutely gorgeous today.” From that day on, I discovered the secret of those contact lenses— As long as I wore them, I could see people’s true inner thoughts. It turned out my perfect boyfriend was nothing but a two-faced parasite. 1 My boyfriend begged me to buy him a new pair of sneakers, and I said no. He got angry and stormed into my homeroom to confront me. Coincidentally, I was wearing my special contacts again. “Babe, I don’t know what I did to make you so mad, but please forgive me. I really want those sneakers, just buy them for me, please?” He had no idea I could see his vicious, twisted expression as his true inner voice spat: “I’m giving you an inch and you’re taking a mile. I can’t believe I actually have to beg you for this.” I was so startled by his hostile glare that I stumbled backward, accidentally stepping hard on someone’s foot. Looking down, I saw a prominent, dirty smudge smeared across a blindingly white sneaker. I looked up. A breathtakingly handsome guy was looking down at me, his chin tilted slightly. I was just about to apologize. Then I saw him looking at me with dark, unreadable eyes, his inner voice saying: “What is wrong with her taste? Why is she dating a piece of trash like that?” Me: ? Excuse me, how is that polite? Seeing him turn to leave, I quickly called out to him. “It’s my fault for stepping on your shoe, and I apologize for that. But insulting people in your head is just rude.” He just paused, gave me a long look over his shoulder, and walked away. I wanted to march over and argue with him, but my boyfriend grabbed my arm. “When did he even insult you?” Impossible. I clearly saw him insult me. The feeling of my boyfriend’s hand on my arm instantly put me on high alert, and I quickly shook him off. A wave of disgust washed over me. I literally felt sick to my stomach. This guy had been with me for three months. I had spent at least fifty thousand dollars on him, and that didn’t even include our expensive dinners and the “allowance” I gave him. Looking back now, I was so stupid and naive. He only loved my money. To him, I was just a walking ATM. 2 Ever since I discovered the secret of the contacts, I started plotting. One day, I was going to make him spit out every single cent he took from me. Watching my boyfriend’s frustrated expression, I swallowed my disgust and put on a fake, playful smile. “I’ll buy them. I never said I wouldn’t.” He looked a bit surprised, but didn’t question it. “Babe, then hurry up and order them.” He shifted his weight and put on a pathetic, pleading look. “The big basketball game is coming up, and I was really hoping to wear those Dunks to shine on the court.” Oh, so that’s how it is. Fine, I’ll let you keep acting. I coaxed him into leaving, promising I’d buy them tonight. Once he was gone, my entire focus shifted to the desk in front of me. The guy whose shoe I stepped on was my new deskmate, Liam Sterling—the poor transfer student everyone was whispering about. I looked around. The classroom was empty. I crouched down and slowly shimmied under the desks. Just as my hand was about to brush against his white sneaker, a deep, shadowy voice came from above. “What kind of weird fetish is this? You like hiding under desks?” I jumped, completely startled, and slammed my head straight into the corner of the desk. My eyes instantly watered from the pain. “Are you an idiot? How did you even manage to hit that? You really do need your eyes checked.” This new kid had a seriously toxic mouth. Before this, I had been so glued to my boyfriend that I never really paid attention to him. Looking at him now… he was actually incredibly attractive. Sharp jawline, straight nose, deep-set eyes—his features were practically flawless. He was better looking than my favorite celebrities. And unlike my boyfriend, he didn’t have two faces. A second later, I remembered my mission. “What’s your shoe size? And your clothing size?” He ignored me. I crouched there awkwardly. If I wasn’t terrified of the rumor mill, I wouldn’t be hiding under a desk. Plus, I had a boyfriend; I was supposed to keep my distance from other guys. “I accidentally stepped on your shoe earlier. I’m just here to apologize and make it right.” The moment I finished speaking, he leaned over and looked under the desk. “That doesn’t sound like an apology.” I froze for a second before catching his drift. “I’m sorry I got your shoe dirty. To show you how sorry I am, let me buy you a new pair. How does that sound?” He stared at me for a long moment. “Size 10.” I mentally logged the shoe size. “What size clothes do you wear?” Suddenly, he leaned in closer. As he moved, a faint, sweet scent of strawberries drifted through the air. I wasn’t entirely sure if it was coming from him. Honestly, what teenage guy smells like strawberries? “What size does your boyfriend wear?” I answered honestly, “Large.” “Alright. I’m a Double XL.” He let out a short, mocking laugh. “He’s so scrawny. What use is a guy like that?” I didn’t entirely get his underlying meaning, but he was right. Mason was skinny—like, withered, bony skinny. I had never cared about my boyfriend’s physique before, but suddenly, Liam’s words made an awful lot of sense. Regardless, I quickly pulled out my phone and ordered several pairs of limited-edition Dunks and designer athletic wear. 3 On the day of the basketball game, I shoved the shopping bags onto Liam’s desk. He frowned, glancing down at them with clear annoyance. “Take them back.” I checked to make sure no one was looking, then gave him my best puppy-dog eyes. “I can’t. Final sale.” “Then throw them out.” Suddenly, a classmate sprinted into the room to grab something and sprinted right back out. On his way, he shoved me hard. Losing my balance, I crashed headfirst right into Liam’s chest. That faint, familiar strawberry scent completely enveloped me. Following immediately after was a sharp, stinging pain in my nose. “Are you actually a pig? Last time you headbutted a desk, this time you tackle me. What are you going to crash into next?” My nose stung so badly it brought tears to my eyes. I reached up to rub it, but his voice stopped me. Then, I watched as he pulled a childish strawberry-print band-aid from his backpack, peeled the wrapper, and gently placed it across the bridge of my nose. I froze. I crossed my eyes to look at the cartoon strawberry on my face. “Who puts a band-aid on their nose? It looks so ugly.” I was just about to rip it off when I heard someone calling his name from the hallway. I realized how compromising our position looked. The footsteps got closer. In a pure panic reflex, I dove straight under his desk, my hands tightly gripping the fabric of his jeans. A guy poked his head in. “Liam, the counselor wants to see you in his office this afternoon.” “Got it.” The guy left. My nose started itching. Just as I raised a hand to scratch it, a large, warm palm covered the top of my head. “Don’t move.” I froze in terror. The classmate had turned back around. “Did you need something else?” “No.” “Oh, okay.” I finally exhaled a breath I didn’t know I was holding and crawled out from beneath the desk. “Sorry about that,” I laughed awkwardly. He sat up straight, his tone softening. “What did you really want?” Right. I almost forgot the actual plan. But knowing I was going to use him this afternoon made it hard to say out loud. Yet, I couldn’t exactly swap my leading man at this point. “It’s just… could you wear the clothes and shoes I bought you to the game this afternoon?” He reached out with long, elegant fingers, opening the shopping bags on his desk. He glanced inside. “Not bad taste.” “Does that mean you agree?” He leaned in closer. “I can wear the clothes you bought me, but under what title?” “You have a boyfriend. Me wearing clothes you bought… isn’t that a little inappropriate?” He had a point. If my two-faced boyfriend found out, he would literally lose his mind on the spot. I put on my best nonchalant expression. “He won’t be my boyfriend for much longer. Just wear them. If anything happens, I’ll take full responsibility.” A slight smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. Before he walked out of the classroom, he leaned down and whispered right against my ear: “Alright. If something happens, you’re responsible.” 4 All afternoon, Mason had been blowing up my phone, demanding I give him the new shoes. I brushed him off, telling him I’d bring them to the court later. He didn’t suspect a thing. He still wants the shoes? He can ask a ghost for them. I got to the bleachers early to wait for Liam. When he finally walked onto the court, wearing the gear and the Dunks I bought him, I couldn’t help the proud, giddy smile spreading across my face. My taste was impeccable. Though to be fair, the guy looked like a model in literally anything. His dark hair was slightly long, the sides faded clean, with a few strands falling perfectly right above his brow line. His sharp jawline led down to a beautifully defined neck. “Wait, how is Liam Sterling wearing limited-edition Dunks? Since when does he have money?” “Right? Didn’t he always wear cheap knockoffs from Temu? And those are the limited releases! They cost thousands!” “You don’t think he’s a sugar baby, do you? I’ve seen a lot of rich girls hitting on him lately.” “Honestly, if I had a face and body like that, I’d find a sugar mama too.” I listened to my classmates gossiping, a little amused. “Who are you guys talking about?” One of the girls pointed at the court. “Him! Liam. He used to wear thrift store junk, and now he’s rocking designer gear. If he isn’t being kept by someone, what else could it be?” Oh, so his name is Liam Sterling. But I bought those for him. I was just about to defend him when an angry voice boomed from above me. “Chloe Bennett! Where are my shoes?” I looked up at Mason’s furious, twisted face. I pointed calmly at Liam on the court. “I bought the wrong size. So I gave them to him.” Instantly, the girls who had been gossiping clamped their mouths shut. “You bought the wrong size, so you tell me! Why the hell would you give them to him?” Under the fading sunlight, I saw his hands ball up into fists. He leaned down, his voice turning lethal. “You dare play games with me? You really have a death wish, don’t you?” I have a death wish? He actually just told me I have a death wish? Even my own parents had never spoken to me like that. I had put up with it for a week. In that moment, the dam finally broke. I stood up, pulled my arm back, and slapped him across the face as hard as I could. “I buy what I want, for whoever I want! Who the hell do you think you are? “You eat my food, you spend my money—what, am I your mother? Are you still nursing? “You play this perfect boyfriend act all day, aren’t you exhausted?” He stared at me in absolute shock, clutching the side of his face that was now burning red. He glared at me with pure venom. “What are you looking at? My money, my rules.” I realized then that he was nothing but a paper tiger. I couldn’t fathom why I had ever been so blinded by him, pouring so much cash into his pockets. Just thinking about it made me nauseous. I couldn’t stomach looking at him for another second. I watched half the game and then headed back to the classroom. 5 I was resting my head on my desk when Mason showed up again. “Chloe, I’m so sorry. I never should have spoken to you like that.” I had just woken up from a nap, so my brain was a little foggy. The guy standing in front of me had morphed back into the gentle, mild-mannered boyfriend who supposedly never raised his voice. It felt completely surreal. He reached out and gently held my hand. “Chloe, I’m sorry. I was wrong. Please forgive me, okay?” Watching tears stream down his face as he offered an endless stream of apologies, I genuinely wondered for a second if I had hallucinated the whole thing. I sat there, utterly exhausted by the whiplash. “You’re being way too loud. Shut up.” I turned toward the voice and saw Liam walking in. I had taken my contacts out to sleep, so my vision was blurry. I could only identify him by his tall silhouette. Before Liam could even sit down, Mason rounded on him. “I’m talking to my girlfriend! Mind your own business! Don’t think just because Chloe bought you some clothes that she actually likes you.” Liam hadn’t even taken his seat yet. He turned his head and looked directly at me. “I really don’t know how blind you have to be to date a piece of trash like this.” Even though I couldn’t see his expression clearly, the quiet rage and heavy sarcasm in his voice were unmistakable. Mason turned back to me, whining, “Chloe, please just forgive me. I swear I’ll never make you mad again. I was just upset today because you gave my shoes to him!” Liam let out a cold laugh. “A man who leeches off a woman’s bank account has the nerve to call me poor. You’ve got some thick skin. Keep gaslighting her, maybe she’ll eventually believe you.” “There’s nothing wrong with spending my girlfriend’s money! What gaslighting? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Even without the contacts, I could hear the guilty tremor in Mason’s voice. My head was pounding from their bickering. “Stop fighting. Mason, just go home. We’ll talk tomorrow.” After kicking Mason out, I dug through my bag and put my old, thick-rimmed glasses back on. They were ugly, but I had no choice. I really should have bought backup contacts. The second I put them on and looked up, I was met with a pair of deep, brooding eyes. “Are you legally blind? “You’re actually keeping a guy like that? “Don’t tell me you’re getting back together with him.” His voice kept dropping lower and lower. His eyes darkened, and the very air pressure around us seemed to plummet. When I didn’t answer right away, he added, “Is this what you meant by taking responsibility? “You’re a brilliant actress. It’s a tragedy the Oscars haven’t called you yet.” 6 I went home feeling incredibly frustrated. Thinking about the contacts, I opened the shopping app on my phone to order more, only to find the store had vanished. I dug through my messages and found my chat history with the customer service bot. I sent a question mark, just to see if they were actually shut down. Contact Lens Support: “Hello! Our store has officially closed. If you purchased our special lenses, please do not request a refund yet. I have a huge secret to tell you.” Thank god, a real person was there. “What secret?” Contact Lens Support: “Please click ‘Confirm Receipt’ on your order first, and then I will tell you.” Curiosity won. I went to my orders and hit confirm. “Done.” Contact Lens Support: “When you wear them, you can see people’s hidden, true selves. You can basically consider it mind-reading. Please note, the effect only lasts for one month.” “What do you mean hidden selves? Mind-reading? What are you talking about?” Contact Lens Support: “I am an AI customer service bot. This store is closed.” “Did you just trick me into confirming receipt?!” Contact Lens Support: “We cannot see or hear your messages, so please stop typing. AI gets tired too.” “Are you threatening me?” Contact Lens Support: “AI is exhausted and has gone on strike.” So they basically scammed me into confirming the delivery? But thinking back… ever since I put those lenses in, I had been seeing Mason’s two different faces constantly. Thank god. I legitimately thought I was developing schizophrenia. Why didn’t this sketchy store tell me earlier?! I had bought so many different brands to try, and this was the only pair that didn’t irritate my eyes. But now, I only had one pair left. I wanted to cry. One month was definitely not enough time for me to ruin my ex’s life properly.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “446011”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

He plays basketball. I post: [SHOCKER! Best Actor caught in a steamy tangle with multiple men!] He eats street food at midnight. I post: [EXPOSED! You won’t believe what the Oscar-winner is doing on the streets at night!] Stalking him late at night, the Best Actor finally snaps, grabs my wrist, and roars, “How much longer are you going to keep this up?!” The billionaire prince of Manhattan punches him square in the jaw: “Get your hands off my wife!” The Best Actor whips out a marriage certificate and sneers, “Look closely. Whose wife do you think she really is?” I instantly get thrilled! Oh my god, having amnesia is amazing! I get to have two husbands! 1 [EXPOSED! You won’t believe what the Oscar-winner is doing on the streets at night!] My latest post on X hits over a million views, likes, and retweets in less than an hour. The Best Actor’s fandom wakes up in the middle of the night just to drag me in the comments. [Ugh! Another massive clickbait load of garbage!] [If she’s so brave, why doesn’t she catch something real for once?!] [Trash paparazzi trash! What is the actual truth?!] Their hate drives me straight to the global trending page. On the trending board, my name is intimately tucked right next to his. #TrashPaparazzi ChloeBrooks# At 2:00 AM, Ethan Vance was sitting at a sketchy late-night food truck, wearing a black hoodie and a low-brimmed baseball cap. He was casually perched on a plastic stool, holding a cheap street corn dog. I even attached eighteen high-res photos, each one making the Best Actor look drop-dead gorgeous. The fans can curse me all they want, but they never fail to praise my photography skills. For the past year, every single masterpiece photo of the Best Actor has come from my lens. [Strangely, this awful paparazzi always captures a completely different side of Ethan.] [I know, right? She somehow brings out that lonely, melancholic vibe of his.] [Honestly… it almost feels like my husband is posing for her.] [The comment above, are you insane?] I look at the comments with supreme satisfaction. These tsundere little angels always click on my sponsored links right after trashing me. After all, I’ve never actually ruined Ethan’s reputation; if anything, I’ve gifted them endless wallpaper-worthy shots. My income is skyrocketing, making me shoot even more enthusiastically. Suddenly, someone knocks on my car window. I look up. Ethan Vance is standing outside, holding a half-eaten corn dog. Through the one-way tint, he can’t see me, but I can see him perfectly. [SOS! Save me right now!] I shrink back into my seat, frantically texting my childhood friend, Weston Sterling. [Ethan found me!] 2 Sitting in the police precinct at midnight, I am completely numb. Weston actually punched Ethan! Ethan has a nasty bruise on his jaw. He sits on the bench, face cold as ice, lost in thought. Weston squeezes my hand, his voice low: “I messed up big time.” Well, I can’t entirely blame him for being reckless. He had just gone to grab me some late-night takeout, and when he walked back, he saw a strange man pounding on my car window. He thought Ethan was some kind of creep and immediately threw a punch. “You’re the billionaire prince of Manhattan, who are you afraid of?” I tease him to lighten the mood. Hearing this, Weston’s face flushes with a mix of embarrassment and annoyance, and he reaches out to pinch my cheek. He hates that title more than anything. He thinks it sounds incredibly cringe and ridiculous. I swat his hand away, looking at the scrape on his knuckles. “Does your hand hurt?” Weston instantly stops fooling around. He lets out a prideful huff, turning his head away. Ethan’s manager rushes into the station. The moment he sees Ethan’s face, he blows a fuse. “You’re that trash paparazzi, aren’t you?!” “Ethan is supposed to be on set tomorrow! Can you even afford the breach of contract fees?!” He points his finger right at me, screaming, “Rats like you belong in the gutter, or locked up in a cell to learn some manners!” Spit flies from his mouth, nearly hitting my face as he curses. He gets more and more aggressive, poking his finger dangerously close to my nose. I’m not a coward. Normally, I would have broken his nose by now. But looking at his furious face, a sudden, suffocating weight crashes onto my chest. My head feels like it’s about to split open. Tears stream down my face uncontrollably. In a daze, I hear another voice echoing in my mind, screaming at me: “Are you trying to ruin him?!” “Fine! Go find him right now! Let the whole world know about your pathetic relationship!” “What makes you think you’re good enough for him? What right do you have to question him?!” The sheer agony suffocates me. Everything goes black, and I faint. The last thing I hear is Weston’s roaring fury: “If anything happens to her, I will personally destroy every single one of you!” 3 After my little blackout at the precinct, Weston locked me up in a private hospital suite for two weeks to recover. While he’s fast asleep, I sneak into the bathroom to play mobile games. I get so into it that I start trash-talking out loud. “See that? Showing off in front of my squad? You’re all dead meat!” “When the pro steps in, it’s game over.” A clean Penta-kill. Absolutely legendary. Just as I’m about to queue up for another match, my teammate hits me up on Discord voice chat. “It’s three in the morning. Why aren’t you asleep?” I sigh in frustration. “Don’t even get me started. I’m basically under house arrest.” “Ugh, last month I ran into some psycho who screamed at me until I fainted.” “I told you before, I have amnesia. My brain can’t handle extreme stress.” “My boyfriend keeps forcing me to do all these medical exams. It’s so annoying.” My teammate inquires: “How did the tests go?” I reply while browsing through the in-game store to buy a new skin. “All clear. The doctor said it was just a severe trauma response.” Speaking of trauma responses, I’m honestly speechless. My mom always says my personality is so bright and sunny that if the sun ever exploded, you could hang me up in space and I’d warm the entire planet. Yet, I literally fainted just from being pointed at and yelled at. It actually makes me curious. What on earth happened during those three missing years of my life? Weston said when he found me two years ago, I looked like a wandering ghost. It scared him to death. Two years have passed, and I haven’t recovered a single memory. “Hey, why are you awake in the middle of the night anyway?” I ask, gifting my teammate a few expensive skins. When I first woke up with amnesia, I was incredibly bored. I met this teammate in an online lobby, and he’s been carrying me ever since. He always seemed pretty broke, grinding late-night shifts, so I basically sponsored all his in-game cosmetics. “Playing games with some random guy at three in the morning, huh?” Weston’s voice suddenly rings out. He’s leaning against the doorframe, shirtless, wearing black shorts. His stunning eyes are burning with pure jealousy. He looks like he wants to break my legs. Feeling guilty, I stubbornly snap back, “That’s what you get for locking me up! I have too much energy and nowhere to expend it!” Weston scoffs. “Too much energy? Chloe, I think you’re just begging for trouble.” He walks over, scoops me up by the waist, and hoists me onto the marble sink. The cold surface makes me shriek, and I instantly wrap my legs around him. Weston holds my thighs, pinning me against the wall. “Cold, cold, cold!” I yell, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck. Weston seals my lips, murmuring against them, “Don’t worry. You’ll warm up in a second.” The next day, I sleep until noon. I’m woken up by a barrage of phone notifications. I’m trending on X again. Wait, what is this hashtag? #MissYouTrashPaparazzi# What kind of twisted joke is this? How are these little devils mocking me now? I click on it, only to find out that Ethan Vance’s secret relationship has been leaked! But the gossip is super vague, and the leaked photos are incredibly blurry. His fans are frantically tagging me. [What kind of ancient flip-phone took these blurry photos?!] [Ugh, I actually miss our trash paparazzi.] [Every photo she takes is so high-def it feels like she’s hiding under my king’s bed.] [Trash paparazzi, come back! We promise to flame you less next time.] [Trash paparazzi, go investigate! Is Ethan really dating someone?!] I rub my hands together in excitement and immediately tweet out: [Hold on tight, babies! Mommy’s on it!] The fans always complain that I only post fake clickbait! This time, I’m definitely going to get them the real deal! Ethan’s relationship scoop has to come from me! Nationwide delivery! When it comes to pampering my anti-fans, I am dead serious! 4 Caught them! With a pounding heart and trembling hands, I finally caught them on camera! The secret girlfriend of the Oscar-winner Ethan Vance is actually the famous prima ballerina, Scarlett Dupont! No wonder Scarlett took a minor, uncredited role in Ethan’s new indie film—they’re sleeping together! Looks like that rising pop-starlet from last week was just clout-chasing. The initial leak was from some amateur paparazzi who posted a horribly pixelated photo of Ethan wearing a baseball cap, holding a girl in his arms. The night it went viral, the pop starlet posted a cryptic note on Instagram, asking everyone to “respect her privacy.” Puh-lease. Talk about a parasite. [It’s been five days. Where is the trash paparazzi?] [Chloe! I know you’re reading this! Don’t hide behind your screen!] [Is posting a tweet against your religion, trash paparazzi?] Having gone dark for five days, my little anti-fans are spamming my notifications, begging for the real scoop. I stare at the footage in my camera, hesitating. Ethan looked completely wasted. He looked up, said something to Scarlett, and rubbed his eyes. In that split second, when he looked back up, his eyes were bloodshot. There was a heartbreaking fracture in his gaze, as if he were using every ounce of his strength just to hold back his tears. I read his lips. He seemed to be saying something about “breaking up.” Hearing it, Scarlett’s tears instantly spilled over. Oh, those poor little lovers. What kind of drama are they going through? If I leak this right now, wouldn’t I just be fast-tracking their breakup? In the driver’s seat, Weston pulls my ear and nips my earlobe. He says irritably, “Chloe, it’s four in the morning. I skipped sleep to watch another man with you. What, are you actually feeling sorry for him now?” Weston is clearly sleep-deprived and cranky. He pushes me back against the car seat and kisses me fiercely. He bites my lip hard enough to sting. I pat his back, trying to soothe his temper. The guy has terrible morning wrath; dragging him out of bed at this hour was admittedly a bit cruel. Ever since we got together, Weston always finds ways to ravage me. Every time he kisses me, it’s like his life depends on it, refusing to stop until I’m entirely breathless. My tongue feels numb, and my lips burn. I push against him, but he refuses to let go. I can only snatch brief gasps of oxygen from his mouth. “Look at you, completely helpless, my little piggy,” Weston smirks, looking down at me. Before I know it, I’m curled up in his lap. He brushes his lips against my cheek, murmuring lazily, “Alright, you got the shot. Let’s go home and catch up on sleep. And don’t forget what you promised me before we left the house.” I glare at him, letting out a soft huff. He totally took advantage of the situation. If I hadn’t agreed to that specific demand, he would have refused to act as my chauffeur. I lower my head to tweet: [Stop crying, babies! I can guarantee that Ethan’s girlfriend is absolutely NOT that starlet who claims to be allergic to alcohol but can actually chug a whole bottle of tequila. It’s someone else! @GossipKing, stop feeding us rotten garbage leaks, or I’ll personally smack you across the face. Babies, sorry for the wait. To make it up to you, like, retweet, and comment on this post—I’m picking ten people tonight to win a brand-new Louis Vuitton Neonoe bucket bag.] “Wow, Chloe. Making it big, huh?” Weston immediately pulls out his phone to like and retweet. I am completely speechless. Look at this shameless man! To my surprise, @GossipKing actually claps back instantly. @GossipKing: [@WildPiglet, lol, if you don’t bring real receipts, you really think I’m running a circus here?] And then, he leaks a video! I click on it and examine it closely. The video seems to have been shot in late autumn. Ethan is sitting on a stone bench behind a manicured garden hedge, wearing a black jacket. A girl is sitting on his lap, her face obscured. His expression is cold and detached. The girl suddenly stands up to leave, looking furious. Ethan grabs her wrist, pulls her back onto his lap, cups her face, and kisses her passionately. The internet completely explodes! And I am frozen in shock! I zoom in on the video, and my mind goes entirely blank. The girl in the video has a distinct red mole on her neck. As Ethan kisses her, his hand repeatedly caresses that exact spot. What the hell?! It’s in the exact same spot as the red mole on my neck. Every time Weston pins me down to have his way with me, he loves to bite that exact spot! Weston looks down at my phone, and his expression instantly changes. I sit up, feeling a cold shiver run down my spine. The car window is rolled down, and suddenly, Ethan Vance appears in my line of sight. He stares at my lips first, then glances down at my phone screen. The alcohol must have finally hit him. He brutally yanks the car door open. Before I can even react, he pulls me into a tight embrace, his voice cracking with a suffocating sob: “Wife, I’m sorry. It was my fault. Please, just come back to me.” 5 The entire internet is trying to dig up the identity of Ethan Vance’s secret lover! Hahaha, they don’t know, but I do! I rub my hands in pure excitement, screaming internally. Ethan’s girlfriend is definitely Scarlett Dupont! I really am the undisputed god of Hollywood gossip! Ethan just mistook me for someone else because he’s wasted! Pushing his way in and calling me his wife scared the living daylights out of me. But then I noticed Scarlett’s neck, and a bolt of lightning struck my brain. I yelled out, “Oh my god! So the Best Actor’s mystery woman really is Scarlett Dupont! Weston, look! The red mole on her neck is identical to the girl in the video!” Wow, @GossipKing actually pulled out some real receipts this time. In that video, Ethan looks noticeably younger. Who knows where they dug up that old footage. Ethan seemed to sober up instantly. He stumbled back half a step, staring at me with a hollow, devastated look. Weston glares at him with a cold sneer. “Ethan, don’t use alcohol as an excuse to play dumb and touch my wife. If you dare lay a single finger on my Chloe again, I won’t hesitate to break your other hand.” Scarlett rushes over, supporting Ethan’s weight. Her eyes are red as she whispers sharply, “Weston Sterling is a monster, don’t provoke him. Be rational.” I hated hearing that. Furious, I snap, “Miss Dupont, we’re all adults here. Watch your mouth! If you keep spouting nonsense, believe it or not, I’ll leak everything about you two right this second!” Scarlett snaps, crying out hysterically, “Did I say something wrong?! Weston literally snapped Ethan’s wrist, locked him in a room, and let him suffer in agony for three days! He missed the critical window for surgery, and now he can never play the piano again!” Uh… that statement completely shuts me up. She called Weston a monster… and honestly, doing something like that, Weston really was a… well, uh. What kind of deep blood feud drives someone to break another man’s hand? Ethan originally debuted as a prodigy pianist. No wonder nobody has seen him touch a piano for the past two years. “Weston can be hot-headed, but he would never bully someone without a reason,” I say, squeezing Weston’s hand tightly. “He only loses his mind when it involves me. Miss Dupont, you look like you absolute hate him. So let me ask you: did Ethan do something so unforgivable that Weston couldn’t let it slide?” Did I work as a paparazzi before my amnesia and capture some insane scandal that made Ethan assault me? And then Weston, out of pure rage, broke Ethan’s hand? Before Scarlett can answer, my phone vibrates violently. I look down. Someone is blowing up my alt account on Discord with a voice call. This alt account is loaded with Ethan’s top fansite admins. We usually trade tips on his schedule. “Trash paparazzi! Where the hell are you?!” “All hell just broke loose! Get on Twitter right now!” 6 I log onto X, and holy crap, it really is a massive explosion! @GossipKing: [Lol, Ethan Vance always acts so pure and noble, and his fans keep bragging about how much he loves them. Well, he sure loves them—he loves them so much he’s been sleeping with his biggest fansite admin. Bet you guys didn’t know that, did you?] This time, there are no pictures or videos. It’s just words. But Ethan’s rival fandoms are absolutely ecstatic! They are digging like bloodhounds. The app crashes multiple times from the sheer volume of traffic. An engineer tweets from his personal account: [FUCK MY LIFE!!! Can you paparazzi pick an hour that isn’t midnight to start a war?!] Within ten minutes, an anti-fan account compiles a massive thread. @IsEthanRuinedYet: [Receipts are right here! The girl in the video is wearing a blue hooded jacket. It’s an exact match to the jacket worn by his biggest fansite admin, @WildPiglet, in an old airport arrival video!] The fans immediately launch a counter-attack. [That jacket was a massive trend that year! Literally everyone bought one!] [What does this prove? Piglet left the fandom two years ago! Are you guys so desperate that you have to drag a retired fan?!] [Lol, Ethan isn’t going anywhere. Your faves can keep eating dirt!] @IsEthanRuinedYet strikes back with another post instantly! [The jacket might be generic, but look closely at the bracelet on the girl’s wrist! Every single stone is a flawless, ultra-rare pink diamond. That is not some twenty-dollar fast-fashion junk! That exact bracelet was spotted on @WildPiglet’s wrist before! Anyone who knows luxury jewelry knows that pink diamond bracelet is a global limited edition—only three exist in the entire world.] This time, Ethan’s fans go dead silent. People are frantically DMing me. [Trash paparazzi! Where are you?! We’re dying over here!] [Didn’t you say you caught his real girlfriend? Is it really Piglet?] [We are in deep trouble this time.] @WildPiglet used to be Ethan’s absolute biggest fansite admin. It’s safe to say that without her, Ethan would have never gotten his initial breakout fame. But two years ago, her account went permanently dark, and she vanished from the public eye. My inbox is melting down. Fans are begging me for the truth. But as for what the truth is… even I’m not sure anymore. “Weston… the girl in GossipKing’s video… it’s me, isn’t it?” I look up at Weston, completely bewildered. “You gave me that bracelet. Nobody else could possibly have it.” My head throbs with an agonizing pain, feeling like it’s about to explode. Weston reaches up to wipe my face, and only then do I realize I’m covered in tears. His eyes are bloodshot, his throat bobbing as if he wants to speak, but he just tightly grips my hand. After a long silence, he chokes out, “Chloe… don’t cry. When you cry, my heart breaks.” I turn my gaze back to Ethan. Ethan pulls a stack of small, red booklets from a drawer and spreads them out in front of me. Inside the booklets are photos. I’m sporting a high ponytail, laughing brightly, a deep dimple flashing on my cheek. And I am leaning intimately against Ethan. He’s wearing a crisp white shirt, a gentle warmth crinkling the corners of his eyes. What is this? A marriage certificate… between me and Ethan? 7 SHOCKER! The ultimate gossip subject is actually me! Two clear marriage certificates prove beyond a doubt that I am Ethan Vance’s secretly wedded wife. I lean in and whisper to Weston, “Wait, does this mean we’ve been having an affair?” Weston lets out a cold huff. “What? Thinking of dumping me now?” I suppress my bizarre excitement and whisper back, “Not at all. I just feel like our relationship suddenly got a whole lot more thrilling.” I’m not blind! There are two massive, glaring “VOID” stamps inked across the certificates, meaning this marriage is legally over. How surreal. I was actually married to the top Oscar-winner. And what’s even more surreal is that we got divorced. The anti-fans dig up everything. It’s crystal clear now: I am indeed Ethan’s former million-follower fansite admin—@WildPiglet. Ethan’s new manager is blowing up his phone, and his PR team is desperately trying to suppress the trending hashtags. But right in front of my face, Ethan types out a tweet and posts it directly. @EthanVance: [There are many things I don’t know how to explain right now. We married out of love, and we divorced out of love. During our three years together, I failed her deeply in many ways. I hope everyone can give me some time and space. I will handle my personal affairs privately, and then I will hold a press conference to give my fans the explanation they deserve.] I ponder for a moment, then log into my own account to post a tweet. @WildPiglet: [I literally just found out that I am Ethan Vance’s ex-wife. Before tonight, I had three years of total amnesia and knew absolutely nothing. My gossip, my leak! @GossipKing, you old clown, are you stupid? I am still the reigning sovereign of Hollywood tea! Go cry in a corner.] Ethan’s fandom goes completely haywire. [The trash paparazzi is the actual ex-wife?!] [The ex-wife is Piglet?!] [Someone map out this timeline for me, my brain is melting!] [Honestly… if the wife is the trash paparazzi, I’m kind of okay with it? She’s rich, gorgeous, and hilariously unhinged.] Off to the side, Scarlett breaks down into hysterical tears. “Ethan! Do you have any idea how much you sacrificed to get where you are today?! We could have easily let this blow over! Why did you have to announce it?! Chloe doesn’t even remember you anyway! She’s no threat to your career!” Having stalked Ethan for so long, I know exactly how brutal his journey to stardom was. In his early days as a background actor, he was humiliated by a toxic co-star who made him crawl between his legs just to get a line. Filming a historical drama in sub-zero weather, he plunged into a freezing lake repeatedly for a realistic shot, catching a terrifying fever that night. At industry dinners, to beg a director for a single audition, he drank until his stomach bled, yet he still grit his teeth and pushed through. “Scarlett is right,” I say, feeling a pang of pity. “Ethan, you should go to your agency and figure out a proper damage control strategy with your publicist. If you need me to cooperate with a statement, I will.” Setting everything else aside, I still respect Ethan’s talent. Ethan gazes at me, his eyes slowly filling with tears. He whispers, “Chloe… you didn’t actually lose your memory. You just don’t love me anymore, do you?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “446012”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I Was Reincarnated as a She-Wolf. When the Alpha Howled His Commands, I Barely Managed a Half-Hearted Yip. Because of my epic laziness, I was exiled from the pack. Starving and dizzy, I finally stumbled upon a human trail. Throwing away my wolf pride, I rolled onto my back and shamelessly begged the humans for food. Sustained by Twinkies and hotdogs, I even grew a glossy, luxurious winter coat. The Alpha ran hundreds of miles to find me, only to see my pathetic display. His hackles raised as he roared: “I just have one question—why is your tail wagging so high?!” 1 Every time I ovulate, I revert back to a human girl. I always find a hidden spot to secretly get through it. Unfortunately, the old Alpha caught a whiff of my overwhelming scent and found me. Ahhh! Wake up, buddy! We have a biological barrier here! I practically tumbled over myself scrambling up a tree, barely escaping by the skin of my teeth. After that, the old Alpha lost a duel to a low-ranking wolf named Shadow and was exiled from the pack. Shadow killed the old Alpha’s pups and took his place. I hadn’t even woken up yet when Shadow stood on the mountain peak and started howling. From all directions, the pack howled back, their voices ringing out in a unified, deafening chorus. It’s way too early for this! Let a wolf sleep, will you?! I lifted a paw, covered my ear, and tried to go back to sleep. “Why aren’t you howling? Watch out, the Alpha will come beat you up,” the wolf next to me kindly warned. I’ve literally reincarnated as an animal, and I still can’t just lie flat? I hate this! I hate hustle culture! Without even bothering to open my eyes, I gave a half-hearted, weak a-woo. “You’re so brave. Do you know how terrifying Shadow is?” Isn’t it just a story of a try-hard who grinded his way to the top and became Alpha? What’s so terrifying about that? Suddenly, a thunderous sound approached, accompanied by an incredibly oppressive wave of testosterone. I jolted awake, scrambled to my feet, and ran to the edge of the hill to look. I saw Shadow looking furious, leading a massive swarm of wolves straight toward me. Dust and dirt kicked up everywhere they went. I was so terrified my fur instantly spiked up like a sawblade. He’s not here to beat me up; he’s here to kill me! Without looking back, I bolted, running for my life. Panting and wheezing, I ran over a hundred and fifty miles without stopping, finally making it out of the primeval forest. Running all night left me parched and starving. I found a river to drink from, but a massive water buffalo suddenly burst out of the water. I was so scared I didn’t even dare to drink. I turned and ran for my life again. So hungry… so hungry… I stumbled and swayed before just collapsing on the ground and falling asleep. Ugh… if I’m asleep, I won’t feel hungry. Half-asleep, I felt something fuzzy brushing against my nose. I opened my eyes halfway. There was a rabbit right in front of me. “Ah-woo.” I opened my mouth but couldn’t bring myself to bite down. It’s an old rabbit. The meat will be too tough. Hard pass. In the middle of the night, I mustered up my courage and crept back to the river, belly to the ground. While the water buffalo was sleeping, I quickly snatched a fish and bolted. 2 In the bushes, a pair of golden wolf eyes moved slowly, looking exceptionally cold and terrifying in the moonlight. I perked my ears up, staring at him warily. He stepped out of the bushes. He was a young male wolf, nearly six and a half feet long. His fur was sleek and shiny, his muscles lean and defined, but what stood out most were those chilling, terrifying golden pupils. My breath hitched. “Who are you? What do you want?” I backed up step by step, staying on high alert. If he dares to pounce, I’ll… I’ll run! “Why aren’t you with your pack?” He just stopped in front of me, not moving any closer. This wolf radiated an incredibly dangerous aura. I felt like I had smelled this scent somewhere before, but I couldn’t quite place it. Whatever, too lazy to think about it. Maybe all male wolves smell this gross. I knew that in the brutal animal kingdom, being a lone wolf was incredibly dangerous. But… “I was being hunted by the Alpha! Wouldn’t you run?” He looked surprised. “Why did you think he wanted to kill you?” “He’s a petty wolf!” So what if my howl was a little half-hearted? He actually brought the whole pack to hunt me down over it! “You’re too weak. If you don’t stay with a pack, you’ll die.” When he called me weak, he wasn’t just talking about my combat skills. I was less than four feet long, and I was a white wolf. Snow-white fur provides zero camouflage in the wild, making me an easy target for predators. “Are you weak too? Why aren’t you with a pack?” He didn’t look like a weak wolf to me. He was silent for a moment. “Yeah. Pretty much the same as you.” Ah, so he just looks intimidating, but he’s actually a rejected, weak wolf just like me. Feeling a sense of camaraderie, I didn’t chase him away. Instead, I made a spot for him to sleep. He asked me, “What’s your name?” “Maya.” That was my human name. “What about you? What’s yours?” “I’m… Nolan.” The deep wilderness was so quiet you could only hear the wind. I slept until the sun was high in the sky. I yawned, lazily propping myself up to look at Nolan. I didn’t expect him to be even lazier than me. A mosquito landed on his ear, and he just twitched it without even opening his eyes. With my ears flattened, I kept my head low and crawled forward. Strangely, I didn’t see the water buffalo from yesterday. I carefully sniffed around and caught a super intense scent of blood. Following the smell, I found the water buffalo dead by the river, covered in blood. Flies were buzzing all over it. Looking at the bite marks, this giant beast had clearly been killed by a wolf. Huh? Is there some badass… I mean, badass wolf nearby? “Why aren’t you eating?” Nolan suddenly appeared behind me. “The meat is too tough, the skin is too thick, and flies are shitting on it. I’m passing.” He didn’t expect a wolf to be this picky, refusing to eat this and that even when starving to death. With the water buffalo gone, I splashed around in the river, catching fish. I also rolled around in the water to wash my snow-white fur. And… the strong female scent— It was almost time for me to revert back to a human girl. Meanwhile, the lazy wolf Nolan laid on a rock, resting his chin on his paws, watching me lazily through half-closed eyes. “A herd of elephants is going to pass through here soon. We need to leave,” he said. “I don’t want to.” I finally found a place with food and water. I haven’t even started my lazy wolf life yet. “Do you want to get flattened by an elephant?” 3 Cherish your wolf life; stay away from elephant herds. I ended up following Nolan. Crossing the plains, we entered a jungle. My keen senses picked up the scent of a wolf pack. Overjoyed, I followed the scent. Under a tree, a scrawny male wolf was gnawing on a piece of rotting meat. The meat was foul and filthy; I wouldn’t eat it even if I were starving. I suppressed my disgust and walked over. “Hi there, can I meet your Alpha?” If I’m lucky and meet a generous Alpha, I can start my lazy life of mooching off the pack. The skinny wolf saw me and gave a wicked grin. “Sure, follow me.” I didn’t think much of it and followed him. After a few steps, he suddenly spun around and pounced on me, pinning me down. “Ahhhh! What are you doing?!” My brain short-circuited. I instinctively fought with everything I had to escape. But he was too strong. Pinned beneath him, I couldn’t break free. When I realized what he was trying to do, my mind went blank. I just curled my tail tightly over my butt. Even though he was skinny, male wolves have an absolute advantage over females in both size and strength. Just when I was exhausted and hopelessly thought my butt was doomed, the weight on me suddenly vanished. Nolan was tangled in a vicious fight with the skinny wolf. Without daring to look back, I seized the chance and ran for my life. I sprinted across a gravel bank, through a meadow, and finally stopped at a watering hole, panting heavily. I laid by the river, took a few gulps of water, and then heard Nolan’s howl: “A-woo—” I heard that kind of howl often. It was the howl of victory. Even though my heart was still pounding, I remembered Nolan had just saved my butt, so I headed back. When I returned, the scene before me was shocking. The skinny wolf’s neck was snapped; he was lying dead on the ground with his mouth open. Nolan had his paw on another wolf, who appeared to be the pack’s Alpha. The Alpha was barely clinging to life, panting heavily, his belly heaving. The rest of the pack watched in stunned silence. None dared to challenge this outsider male wolf. Nolan saw me, released the Alpha, and slowly walked toward me under the pack’s watchful eyes. I was so terrified I gulped. I didn’t expect this lazy wolf to be such a badass! He narrowed his eyes at me. “What, are you scared of me?” I shook my head, then nodded, suddenly too tongue-tied to speak. 4 I really couldn’t figure out what this big boss wanted. Wherever I went, he followed. While I was still trying to catch fish and rabbits, he had already hunted down several water buffaloes and wildebeests. A familiar, strange sensation surged through my body. I knew it was time for me to revert back to a human girl. To keep Nolan from discovering my secret, I sneaked away while he was sleeping. I needed to find a safe, hidden spot before I transformed. Finally, over three hundred miles away, I found a cave. The entrance was hidden by vegetation, and there were plenty of decaying leaves to mask my scent. To avoid starving, I gathered some wild berries and brought them back to the cave. Exhausted, I fell asleep. When I woke up, I was a human girl again. Unfortunately, I underestimated the temperature drop in this forest. The sun was warm during the day, but at night, it felt like an icebox. I had no clothes and didn’t dare go outside, so I curled into a ball to keep from freezing to death. So warm… so soft… What is this? I slowly opened my eyes, only to meet a pair of golden wolf eyes! My breath caught in my throat. I stammered, “No… Nolan?” I had no idea how he found me. He was lying completely on top of me, but he wasn’t doing anything inappropriate. Was he going to eat me, or was he just using his fur to keep me warm? “Wh-what are you doing?” My voice couldn’t stop shaking. “Keeping you from freezing to death.” I let out a sigh of relief. “How did you find me?” “Your scent is very strong,” he said. “You’re in heat.” “No! Don’t make it sound so gross!” I couldn’t help raising my voice. “Human women go through this every month. It’s nothing special!” “You go into heat every month?” He sounded surprised. “It’s not heat! It’s a normal biological function!” I tried to correct him. But he ignored me, resting his head on me, closed his eyes, and went to sleep. Even though this wolf was fierce, I was sure he meant me no harm. Thanks to his fur keeping me warm, I safely made it through my “special time.” When I turned back into a wolf, I felt a deep sense of loss. I’m human. I’m a human…

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “446013”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

When I was two, I was abducted. My parents searched for me for eight years. When they came to pick me up, I was working in the fields, wearing tattered clothes, my body covered in bruises. I knew they were ashamed of me, that I wasn’t “presentable,” so I desperately worked to earn money. This year, at twenty, I found a decent boyfriend, and we were talking about marriage. Then I discovered they had secretly arranged an engagement party for my sister and my boyfriend. I stood at the doorway, carrying a tray of dishes, and heard my father tell my boyfriend: “Lily has a low education and won’t amount to much. Sarah is different; she’s young, pretty, elegant, and graduated from a prestigious university. She’s a better fit for you.” My mother beamed at this prospective son-in-law. “A perfect match, they look like they were made for each other!” My boyfriend looked uneasy. “Wouldn’t it be bad if Lily found out?” My mother immediately retorted with disdain: “Lily was away for eight years. Who knows what she went through? I heard girls who are abducted often end up with…” “You understand. Your auntie doesn’t want you to regret it later. You should listen to her.” “What, don’t you think our Sarah is good enough?” My boyfriend knelt on one knee in front of everyone, pulling out the engagement ring meant for me and putting it on Sarah’s hand. In that moment, I no longer wanted this family. 1 I stood at the doorway, as if plunged into an ice cave, the dense, pricking pain in my chest almost suffocating me. After the successful proposal, my parents inside clapped and celebrated joyfully. Immediately after, I received a breakup message from my boyfriend. Fearing that staying one second longer would make me crumble, I handed the tray to a colleague and fled the hotel as if escaping. My parents didn’t come home until ten o’clock that night. As they unlocked the door, they were still happily chattering outside. I took out my bank card, placed it on the table, and spoke directly: “For the past two years since I started working, I’ve sent you ten thousand a month for your retirement. Now that Sarah is here and you don’t need me anymore, please return my money.” My parents’ faces instantly darkened. “What kind of talk is that? Sarah is your sister. Besides, she hasn’t even finished her internship yet. How can she support us in our old age?” “What’s gotten into you, making a fuss in the middle of the night? We raised you for ten years; do you think that came free? We finally got a little back, and now you’re asking for it? How can you be so shameless? Did you learn that from your monstrous foster parents?” I took a deep breath. “Alright, in those ten years, I didn’t attend school for a single day. You only took me back to provide food and lodging. Subtract those expenses, and please return the rest to me.” My father was furious, rushing up to me and pointing, cursing. “Lily Reed, you think you’re so tough now, don’t you? Daring to ask me for money? I’m your father!” I suddenly laughed, and as I laughed, tears streamed down my face. I looked at the empty space behind them. “Where’s Sarah? Didn’t she come back with you?” “Let me guess where she went. Is she perhaps at the hotel, bonding with my boyfriend?” My words hit home, and my mother’s face instantly panicked. “How did you know? You’ve been following us!” “Mom, you forgot. I work three part-time jobs, and one of them is at the hotel you went to tonight.” My voice was utterly calm, but my swollen eyes betrayed all my fragility. Seeing that I knew, my mother no longer bothered to act, sitting casually on the sofa. “Since you know, we won’t hide it anymore. Jayden’s family is very well-off; his parents are retired executives. You’re not good enough for him.” “Even if you married him, you wouldn’t have the ability to keep a man. Rather than letting outsiders benefit, it’s better to give him to your sister.” “Sarah is smarter and prettier than you. In the future, we’ll all be family, and you can still benefit from the Harrison family. No need to give me attitude.” Sarah, Sarah, everything was about Sarah. Since returning home after being found, I had constantly lived under the nightmare of this twin sister. Even though we came from the same womb, just because she had never left home and received a good education, in my parents’ eyes, she was better than me in every way. At first, I thought it was because I grew up in the countryside and hadn’t studied. I wanted to go to school too, but as soon as I brought it up, they immediately vetoed it. They said because of what I had been through, they were afraid I would be ostracized by classmates if I went to school. They also said I was introverted and not suitable for interacting with outsiders. As long as Sarah studied well, and she tutored me, it would have the same effect. I believed their words and studied desperately. But later, I realized that wasn’t it at all. They felt having Sarah as a daughter was enough. And I was an extra presence in this family. Spending a single penny on me was a waste of resources. The neighbor, Mrs. Smith, said my parents gave up looking for me a year after reporting me missing. If the police hadn’t insisted on visiting, perhaps they would never have remembered they had another daughter. Years of grievances accumulated in my heart, completely erupting at this moment. I stood up abruptly. “Mom, you know Sarah and I are sisters. Is there a sister who steals her older sister’s fiancé? Are there parents who encourage their daughter to get into her sister’s fiancé’s bed?” “Since you think Sarah is better than me in everything, can’t I just leave?!” My tearful accusation was met with a heavy slap from my mother. “Who taught you to speak to your mother like that?” “You’ve learned from those monstrous foster parents, it’s utterly disgraceful! With your attitude right now, you’ll never be as good as your sister!” Sarah was interning at a big company, and her internship salary was as high as ten thousand. She never gave money to the family; instead, she occasionally needed help from my parents. My monthly fixed transfer of ten thousand was worthless in their eyes. Thinking of this, my tears completely broke free. I snatched the shopping bag from my mother’s hand and threw it to the ground. My mother’s eyes widened, clutching her chest and gasping for breath. “You… you… you’re absolutely rebellious!” My father picked up an ashtray, ready to smash it on my head. The next second, Sarah opened the door and walked in. Both their faces instantly changed. My mother’s heart no longer hurt, and my father was no longer eager to burst into anger. Doting smiles spilled from their lips, and they quickly stepped forward to take the bags from Sarah’s hands. “How was your time with Jayden? Everything alright?” “Mom always said you were a good match for him. I heard his salary is fifty thousand a month. You’ll definitely have a good life if you marry him!” Sarah blushed and lowered her head. “Mom, nothing’s set in stone yet, what are you talking about?” “Oh, by the way, these are things Jayden insisted on giving you. He said he was in a hurry to meet today and didn’t prepare any gifts, so he’s making up for it.” “You were right, Mom, Jayden even wants to give me two hundred eighty thousand dollars for the betrothal gift!” My parents were overjoyed. Sarah then noticed me in the room. Her expression was conflicted. “Sis… you know everything?” Tears welled in her eyes, still the same familiar fragile look from before. “I didn’t mean to. Actually, Jayden just said he didn’t really want to marry you, that’s why Mom and Dad thought of me…” “Please don’t be mad at me, okay?” I was momentarily stunned. “He said that himself?” “Yes, last time I accidentally went to his company to deliver a contract. He thought I was you, and when he found out I wasn’t, he said he wanted to treat me to dinner.” “He knows about your eight years away from home, and he also said…” “He said his parents didn’t want a daughter-in-law who hadn’t been to school, but he didn’t know how to break up with you.” I felt my heart being torn apart bit by bit, then rebuilt in shattered pieces. I smiled, a look uglier than crying. My mother rolled her eyes, her disdain undisguised. “What did I say? The man isn’t blind. He was just interested in you for a while for dating, but how could he choose you for marriage?” “If I hadn’t introduced Sarah to him, the duck in our mouth would have flown away!” “And you still have the nerve to be angry with me? You don’t even know who’s looking out for your best interests!” Sarah, her eyes red, came over and pulled at me. “Sis, if you really like Jayden, how about after we get married, you secretly pretend to be me and meet him? I don’t mind. We’re sisters.” From childhood to adulthood, I don’t know how many times I’d seen her like this. No matter what she coveted, as long as she said she wanted to buy it for me, as compensation for those eight years. The next day, my parents would buy it and give it to her. She got the benefits, and she got the reputation for being sweet. But I, crying and making a scene, became the malicious one in my parents’ eyes. I smiled, and said softly: “No need. Anyway, after tonight, this family will only have one daughter.” “You won’t have to act pitiful anymore.” I turned back to pack my bags. Sarah’s face instantly changed. “Mom, what’s going on? Is she leaving?” “What about my ten thousand allowance?” “Quick, think of something!” My father snorted coldly. “Not only is that ten thousand gone, but she also wants back what she gave us before!” “What kind of debtor did I give birth to! If I had known this day would come, I’d rather have left her in the countryside her whole life!” The three talked outside the door for a long time. When I finished packing, my parents seemed like different people. My mother carried a plate of sweet and sour ribs to me, coaxing, “Lily, you must be tired from work today, huh? Did something upset you at work that made you angry with us?” “Just now, Mom and Dad spoke too harshly. Don’t take it to heart.” “But you know, Mom, Dad, and your sister are the closest people to you in this world. We would never harm you!” I stared coldly at the plate of food. “Mom, actually, I really hate eating meat.” “Every time I eat it, I have to throw up in the bathroom for three hours.” “Do you know why?” My mother’s smile froze. “Why? You never told Mom about this.” “Because ten years ago, they didn’t give me food. I was starving to death, so I had to catch bugs in the dirt, and mice in the house.” My voice was calm, as if telling someone else’s story. My father’s face immediately darkened. “Eat it or don’t eat it, leave her alone!” Sarah glared at him fiercely, then turned and smiled at me. “Sis, if you don’t like it, we won’t make it at home anymore. Mom means well, you can’t make her sad, can you?” “What happened before is in the past. Bringing it up now, aren’t you just deliberately twisting the knife in Mom and Dad’s hearts?” I looked back at her. “Sarah, do you know how disgusting your acting is?” “Are you done? If so, please move aside. I’ll be working overtime tonight to sort out the bills. Then the money will be transferred to my card.” With that, I turned to leave. My mother suddenly squatted on the ground, crying inconsolably. “You’ve finally come home, and now that you’ve grown up, you’re leaving? What am I supposed to do!” “You’re my own flesh and blood. How could I not love you? It’s impossible to treat everyone perfectly equally, but I’ve tried my best, and you’re still not satisfied. If it comes to it, just take my life!” I paused, feeling an overwhelming weariness. “What would I do with your life? You don’t owe me, and I don’t owe you anymore.” “It’s fine this way, just our family.” My mother’s eyes darted, and she actually knelt down before me. “After all that, aren’t you just blaming me for introducing Jayden to Sarah?” “Alright, I was wrong, your mom was wrong! I’ll kowtow to you, beg you to forgive me this once. If you want to get married, tomorrow I’ll pay ten thousand to a matchmaking agency, put all my retirement savings into it. As long as a rich man is willing to take you, you two can get married immediately, I won’t say another word!” My mother kowtowed very forcefully, and blood immediately seeped from her forehead. My father stood up abruptly, pointing and accusing me. “Do you see? Are you trying to force your own mother to die?” “If that’s not enough, your mom and I will kowtow to you together. Giving birth to you was all our fault!” Saying this, he also knelt down. Sarah, sobbing pitifully from the side, choked out: “Sis, I know you don’t like me. After I get married, I’ll move out and never compete with you for Mom and Dad’s affection again, just please don’t leave.” “They really miss you. You don’t know how they lived during those eight years…” I numbly pulled out a photo album from the drawer. Before they came home, I had wanted to take my own photos. But opening it, I found only warm family photos of the three of them. Not a single picture of me. I pointed to their photo at the beach. “Are you talking about these eight years?” I then pointed to their photo of catching dolls. “Or this one?” “It was indeed very sad. I can see, extreme sorrow giving way to extreme joy.” Their faces were grim, they exchanged glances, but for a long moment couldn’t find an excuse to make me stay. Seeing through their expressions, I suddenly laughed, my face cold. Truly a family, even their malicious calculations were identical. My father’s phone suddenly rang. After he answered, a voice immediately congratulated him.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “445986”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

After a smooth-talking grifter wiped out her savings, my tearful younger sister came to me. I took her in, fought her battles, hired a lawyer, and even gave her my year-end bonus—anything to help her recover. But my boyfriend, Arthur, grew increasingly annoyed. “You handle everything for her, and she doesn’t even thank you. Leighton, are you her mother? If she’s so clueless, she deserved to be scammed!” That’s when I threw a glass at him. I stared him down and said, “She’s my flesh and blood. Our mom died when she was eight—I raised her. So treat her with grace, if not for her, then for me.” Later, I was sent out of state for work. I called daily, watching her rebuild her life through the screen. Everything seemed to be returning to normal. Until two months later, when I came home a day early. I pushed open my bedroom door to find my sister in my favorite silk nightgown, leaning against Arthur’s chest. He was feeding her the sweetest part of a watermelon, his face full of sickening tenderness. 1 The silence in the bedroom was instantly suffocating. Amanda was the first to react. She bolted upright, springing away from Arthur’s chest like she had been burned. Her lips were visibly trembling. “Leighton? What… what are you doing home? Your flight wasn’t supposed to land until Friday…” The spoon in Arthur’s hand froze in mid-air. A drop of red watermelon juice fell, staining my pristine silk bedsheets. The color drained from his face. He didn’t say a single word. I stood frozen in the doorway. My fingers were wrapped so tightly around the handle of my suitcase that my nails were biting into my palms. The air conditioning was humming quietly, yet a cold sweat had broken out across my spine. Amanda forced a smile that looked infinitely worse than a crying fit. “You must be exhausted, Leighton. Here, let me take your bags.” She stumbled toward me barefoot in a frantic rush. Her knee clipped the sharp edge of the bedframe. She hissed in pain, and her eyes instantly welled up with fresh, pathetic tears. Arthur’s brow furrowed immediately. He reached out and caught her by the waist to steady her. “Careful. You’re always rushing into things.” His tone carried a hint of reprimand, but the way his hands lingered on her was so incredibly, disgustingly tender. I stared at his hand resting on her arm. My stomach completely dropped out. “How long has this been going on?” My voice came out much calmer than I expected. Amanda went rigid. She instinctively looked up at Arthur, seeking permission or protection. He gently pulled her behind him, finally locking eyes with me. “Leave her out of this. This is on me.” Arthur was a man of very few words. He was always stoic, never one to wear his heart on his sleeve. When I agreed to date him three years ago, it was exactly because of that steady, grounded nature. He wasn’t like the slick-talking players who left you constantly second-guessing your worth. When our mom passed away, I was twelve, and Amanda was eight. Our dad couldn’t handle the grief. He drowned himself in cheap liquor, skipped shifts, and eventually got fired. Two years later, his liver gave out, and he left us too. From that moment on, I never leaned on another living soul. Arthur was the first person who ever made me feel like being taken care of didn’t have to be a debt. He made me feel like it was okay to take off my armor and just be soft. Yet here he was, standing right in front of me, shielding my little sister with his body and looking at me with eyes colder than winter ice. He was looking at me like I was the enemy. Amanda peeked out from behind his broad shoulders. Her eyes were red and swollen. “Leighton, it’s really not what you think. We just…” “Got your story straight yet?” I cut her off, my voice dripping with ice. “Go ahead. If you’re going to explain, then spell it out. What exactly is your relationship? When did it start? And just how far have you gone?” Amanda flinched. The tears spilled over immediately. She rubbed her eyes like a toddler, letting out these soft, pitiful sobs. I let out a dry, hollow laugh. I didn’t even know if I was laughing at her audacity or my own utter stupidity. Arthur tightened his grip on her hand. His voice was incredibly soft when he spoke to her. “It’s okay. Let me handle this. Put some slippers on, the hardwood is cold.” Then he looked up at me. “Leighton, let’s take this outside.” “Arthur, this is my house.” My voice finally started to shake. “You’re telling me to leave?” He fell silent for a few heavy seconds. He glanced back at Amanda. She was shrinking into herself, her toes curling against the floorboards like a frightened rabbit. When Arthur spoke again, his tone was placating, laced with a pleading edge. “She had a panic attack last night and didn’t fall asleep until four in the morning. Just let her get some rest. Please?” A dull, agonizing ache bloomed in my chest. It felt like someone had shoved a fistful of cotton down my throat. I couldn’t swallow. I couldn’t breathe. In the three years we had been together, I had never seen Arthur beg anyone for anything. He was a proud man. He never backed down in corporate negotiations, and he never apologized when he knew he was right. But right now, he was throwing away all his pride to beg me on behalf of the sister who stole him. Arthur picked up his jacket from the back of the chair. He turned to Amanda and gave her one last gentle instruction. “Go to sleep. Don’t wait up for me. There’s milk in the fridge, make sure you heat it up before you drink it.” I turned on my heel and walked out the front door. If I stayed in that room for one more second, I was going to throw up, or worse, I was going to let them see me cry. 2 Arthur followed me out, keeping exactly half a step behind me the entire way down. His face was buried in the shadows, his expression unreadable. When we reached the underground parking garage, he opened the passenger door of his car for me. I didn’t move an inch. “Right here is fine.” His hand paused on the door handle. He closed it quietly, fished a pack of Marlboros from his pocket, and lit one. The fluorescent lights overhead were flickering, casting a sickly yellow glow over the concrete. The cherry of his cigarette flared bright red in the dimness. “I made the first move.” He took a long drag. His voice was incredibly raspy. “Don’t blame her for this.” “Amanda is your little sister. You practically raised her, so you know exactly how she is. She’s terrified of her own shadow. She doesn’t know how to survive without someone holding her hand. After she got completely wiped out by that last loser, I watched her fall apart… I just couldn’t turn a blind eye.” He flicked his ashes onto the concrete. He still wouldn’t look at me. “But you’re different. Leighton, you are the most capable, fiercely independent woman I have ever met. Even without me, you are going to be completely fine.” I stared at him. I pressed my fingernails so hard into my palms that the skin nearly broke. “So that’s it? Because I’m independent, I deserve to be stabbed in the back by the two people I trusted most?” It was the most absurd, twisted logic I had ever heard in my life. When Amanda first moved into my guest room, Arthur couldn’t even stand hearing her name. If he caught her wandering into the kitchen in her pajamas, his face would twist in disgust. He used to drag me into our bedroom and whisper-shout about how she had zero boundaries and how my apartment wasn’t a halfway house for helpless adults. Two months ago, right before my business trip, I literally begged him to keep an eye on her while I was gone. He stood at the airport drop-off, hands stuffed in his pockets, looking absolutely miserable. She’s your sister, Leighton. She is not my responsibility. That’s exactly what he told me. It had only been eight weeks. And now, this man wearing the face of the person I loved was standing in front of me, speaking words that made him sound like a total stranger. Arthur shoved the cigarette box back into his pocket. His voice was heavy with complicated guilt. “I know I screwed you over. All that money you wired to Amanda to bail her out? I’ll pay you back every last cent. And the condo is yours. I won’t ever set foot in it again.” He paused, taking a shallow breath. “I just have one request. Amanda really, truly looks up to you. Don’t let my mistake destroy your relationship with your sister.” I felt entirely hollow. I was so exhausted by the sheer audacity of it all that I didn’t even have the energy to scream. “If you know that sleeping with my sister is a mistake, then why the hell did you do it?” His jaw ticked. A long time passed before he finally answered. “Leighton, there are some things you just can’t control. It happened. I will do everything in my power to make it up to you.” “But if you blow this up and make a scene, the person who gets hurt the most is Amanda. You don’t want to see your little sister dragged through the mud by the rumor mill. Right?” “I’ll pack her things and take her to my place tomorrow morning. I booked you a suite at the Marriott for tonight. Just give them your name at the front desk.” He turned and walked toward the elevators, leaving me completely alone in the freezing garage. My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a text from him with the hotel address. At the very end of the message, he had typed, I’m sorry. I stared at those two words until my vision blurred. Upstairs, a single warm light was glowing from the window of my condo. I had changed that exact lightbulb with Arthur the day before I left for my trip. Now, that light was shining on someone else. There were millions of lights in this sprawling city. But not a single one was burning for me anymore. I finally crouched down right there on the concrete, burying my face in my knees as my shoulders shook violently. I never went to the hotel he booked. Instead, I drove my car onto the interstate and just kept driving in circles until the sun came up. 3 The next morning, I drove out to the historic district. Tucked away on a quiet street corner was a quaint floral boutique. It was owned by Harper, my old college roommate. When Amanda’s ex-husband threw her out on the street, I was the one who paid the retainer for her divorce lawyer. While the legal battle dragged on, I begged Harper to give Amanda a low-stress job at the shop just to get her out of the house. I paid Amanda’s salary out of my own pocket, strictly forbidding Harper from ever telling her the truth. I still remember Harper laughing at me over the phone. Leighton, why do you treat this girl better than you treat yourself? Amanda was standing on the porch of the boutique. She was wearing a canvas apron, crouching on the ground as she repotted a fern. When she saw me walking up the steps, the metal trowel slipped from her grip and clattered loudly against the pavement. “Leighton? How did you know I was working today?” I didn’t answer. I just pushed past her and walked inside. Amanda scrambled to her feet and scurried in after me. She frantically grabbed a wooden chair, wiping the seat down with the sleeve of her shirt in a desperate, fawning gesture. “Have a seat, please. Let me get you some water.” She spun around too fast and crashed into a display stand. A watering can tipped over, spilling a puddle across the floorboards and soaking her sneakers. She stared down at her wet shoes, then looked back up at me, wringing her hands like a grade-schooler caught stealing candy. Looking at her, my mind drifted back to when we were kids. She was only eight when we lost mom. She was so terrified of the dark that she had to wrap her arms around my neck just to fall asleep. Even as she grew older, she was always attached to my hip. She was like a little shadow I could never shake off. “Leighton.” Her shaky voice pulled me back to the present. “I know you hate me right now.” “But I swear I didn’t plan this. I don’t even know how things spiraled like this.” She tilted her head to look at me. Her eyes were already completely bloodshot. “You’ve been good to me my whole life. I know that. But you were always so busy. You were always fixing my problems, throwing money at the issue, but you never actually had the time to just sit and listen to me. Arthur is different.” “He actually asks me what I had for lunch. He remembers the tiny, stupid details of stories I tell him. He picks up the phone at 3 AM when I have a nightmare.” “You always told me you wanted someone to treat me right. Now I finally have that someone. Why can’t you just be happy for me?” Listening to her play the victim while demanding my blessing made me want to laugh until I threw up. I had poured sixteen years of my life into raising this girl, and she turned out to be an utterly ungrateful snake. “Amanda, since the day you were born, name one thing you asked for that I didn’t give you.” “Your college tuition, your rent, your groceries, your divorce lawyer, the credit cards you maxed out, the thousands of dollars that grifter stole from you. Have you ever actually sat down and calculated how much money and blood I have bled out for you over the years?” “And after all of that, my reward is the sister I raised stealing the man I was going to marry.” She dropped her gaze. Her lips quivered as heavy tears slipped down her cheeks, splashing against the wooden floor. “I was twelve years old doing homework for rich kids just to buy our groceries. At fifteen, I was bussing tables at a greasy diner. A vat of frying oil splashed on my arm and left scars I still have today. When I was twenty, I worked so many overtime shifts that my stomach started bleeding. When the ambulance took me away, there wasn’t a single person sitting next to me in the back of that truck!” I shoved my sleeve up past my elbow, exposing the faded, jagged white scars running up my forearm. “You don’t know any of this. Because I intentionally hid the ugly parts of survival from you so you could have a normal childhood.” She stared at the scarred tissue. The last bit of color drained out of her face. “For sixteen years, I carved out half my life and fed it to you! And how do you repay me?” “You parade around in my clothes, you sleep in my bed, and you climb into my boyfriend’s lap!” She collapsed onto the floorboards in a pathetic heap, her apron smudging against the dirt as she sobbed uncontrollably. I crouched down so I was eye-level with her. The ice in my chest had completely frozen over. Every warm memory I ever had of her was now rotting in my mind. “Amanda, everything you ever wanted, if it was in my power to give, I gave it to you.” “But the things I do not offer, you do not get to steal. You never had the right.” Arthur came sprinting through the door at that exact moment. He took one look at Amanda crumpled on the floor, shivering and sobbing, and his face morphed into pure rage. He crossed the room in three massive strides, yanked her off the ground, and shoved her firmly behind his back. “I told you, if you have a problem, you come to me!” He glanced back at the trembling girl behind him, then turned his furious gaze back on me. The anger in his eyes was visceral. “You know she has a bad heart! Could you not have just talked this out like an adult? Did you really have to push her to the edge of an attack?!” I looked at him and couldn’t help but let out a cold, sharp laugh. “You are getting awfully good at playing the knight in shining armor, Arthur. I recall a time when she first moved in, and you couldn’t even stand the sound of her breathing! Now you’re her patron saint?” Arthur puffed out his chest, looking completely self-righteous. “You want to keep score? Fine! You practically raised her. Calculate every dime you spent on her, every favor you pulled. Give me a number!” “I will pay you back every single cent, plus interest! Will that satisfy you?!” I stared at the stranger standing in front of me. Unbidden, a memory flashed through my mind from three years ago, back when he was trying to win me over. It was the dead of winter. A blizzard had rolled in. He stood outside my office building for three hours waiting for me to finish a late shift, keeping a bag of roasted chestnuts warm inside his coat so I would have something hot to eat. He hadn’t texted me because he didn’t want to stress me out while I was working. He just waited in the freezing wind until his face was raw. Back then, I remember thinking, This man is so undeniably good. Every horrible thing I have ever endured was just the universe testing me so I could save up enough luck to find him. And now, this same man was standing across from me, trying to boil down our entire history. Three years of devotion. Countless late-night conversations. The safety of his arms. Every promise we made about the future. Everything I thought was permanently etched into my soul. He was trying to reduce all of it into a cold, hard number on a bank transfer. A clean break. Paid in full. “Stop it!” Amanda suddenly shrieked, stepping out from behind his back. Her face was drenched in tears, her chest heaving violently as she struggled to catch her breath. Arthur immediately reached out to support her waist, but she slapped his hand away. She lifted her chin and glared at me. Her eyes were burning with an ugly, defiant resentment. “Leighton, I know I did you dirty. I know I owe you a debt I can never repay. But stop acting like you are some holy martyr!” “You raised me for sixteen years. Every meal, every coat, every dollar—I remember all of it. But do you want to know a secret? Growing up, the person I hated most in this entire world was you!” “You handled everything perfectly. You were so flawlessly capable that every time I looked at you, I felt like a piece of trash. You made me feel like I couldn’t survive twenty-four hours without you holding my hand!” “I could never stand tall in your shadow. That’s why I was so desperate to escape you! The only reason I married that absolute loser was because he promised to take me away to a different city!” “Yeah, he turned out to be a scammer too. But this time is different. I am never listening to you again.” She grabbed Arthur’s hand, weaving her fingers tightly through his. “I have finally found my true love. Even if you curse my name for the rest of your life, I am never letting go!” “You already have everything else in the world. So what if you let me have this one man?!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “446002”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My best friend said a woman of my wealth only lacked one thing: security. So my husband synced all my dashcam footage to his phone—the best protection his lawyer skills could offer. That worked until the neighbor girl Penny scratched my car with a shared bike for the tenth time. In her faded uniform, tear-streaked, she pleaded, “Sister, I’m sorry… I’ll pay.” I’d let her go the first nine times. But this time, she just glanced at me, no remorse. “It’s just a scratch. You’re rich—you wouldn’t hassle a poor student, right?” I laughed coldly. “We’ll handle it legally. The dashcam has it all. Full compensation, plus the past nine incidents—three million dollars total.” She froze, then cried, “Three million? You hag, this car’s worth around five hundred thousand! My boyfriend’s a top lawyer—I’m not scared of you!” She didn’t know it was a limited Maybach—one body line alone cost half a million. I shrugged off her threat until the court date. There, a man in a sharp suit held her, whispering, “My crybaby, ready to call me your boyfriend now? I’ll help you send her and her lawyer to jail.” The man was my husband, Danny Davenport—supposedly on a London business trip—the undefeated top-tier lawyer. 1 “Really? She’s so rich, and I’m just a poor student. How could I possibly win against her?” Penny sobbed. Danny wiped the tears from her face. “You don’t trust your boyfriend, hmm?” “Your boyfriend is a famous, top-tier lawyer. I’ll make her kneel and beg for your forgiveness, how about it?” Penny finally broke into a smile through her tears. “Okay.” “Beat that old hag. Humph.” “Alright, my little princess, whatever you say goes.” I stared at the two of them for a long moment, then picked up my phone. Danny answered my call, unconsciously frowning. After a moment, he moved away from Penny and pressed the answer button. Danny’s smiling voice quickly came through: “Honey, you just left and you already miss me?” “Where are you?” I asked directly. Danny paused for only a second. “On a business trip in London, I report to you every day, don’t I?” “Gotta go. Otherwise, the client will get moody.” I watched him lose his smile, his face changing instantly as he hung up. Penny leaned in: “Who were you talking to?” Danny quickly kissed her on the cheek. “Just some insignificant woman. What, are you jealous?” I stood not far away, watching the backs of the two, like a couple deeply in love, and my heart involuntarily twitched. I didn’t attend the hearing that day; I sent my assistant in my stead. That evening, I returned home. I sat on the sofa, flipping through photo albums, looking at every little moment with Danny, my heart numb. Danny graduated from a prestigious university, and at a young age, he had already become a top-tier professional in his field. Everyone said we were a perfect match. Until then, I believed it too. I laughed, a self-mocking sound. Then, a text message arrived on my phone. Penny flaunted a message to me. “What’s the use of having so much money? Does anyone love you, old hag?” “But my boyfriend loves me very much.” Then came a series of intimate photos of them, hand in hand, cheek to cheek. The last one was her victory statement. I stared at that victory statement, every word on it mocking me. Before I could even reply, Danny’s call came in. “Blair Kingsley, what’s wrong with you? A woman almost thirty, making things difficult for a nineteen-year-old girl.” “How could you be so vicious, making a poor student pay three million dollars?” I smiled. So he knew it was me on the other side. And he knew the whole story, yet still chose to help her win the lawsuit. Truly a top-tier lawyer. I didn’t say anything, just hung up the phone and called my company lawyer. “I’m sorry, Ms. Kingsley, we’re simply no match for your husband.” “All of your dashcam videos were deleted by your husband. We have no substantial evidence to prove the car was scratched by the other party.” “It’s alright. I have another lawsuit, and I might need to trouble you further.” The person on the other end paused. “What lawsuit? Why not ask Mr. Davenport?” I spoke slowly. “A divorce lawsuit.” “He’s the defendant.” 2 Danny returned three days later. I merely gave him a cold glance and turned to walk away. “Blair, honey, why are you still angry?” “My attitude was bad the other day, I apologize, okay? I was too short-tempered.” “When I saw Penny, I remembered when I was in college, I was just as poor as her. I couldn’t even afford to eat. That’s why I felt sympathy.” He didn’t mention his relationship with Penny at all. “We don’t lack this money in our family. Just consider it good karma, helping the poor.” I stared at him, unmoving. Danny took my hand and led me out, saying it was compensation to buy me a handbag. Initially, I didn’t want to go, but I had been cooped up at home for too long these past few days. As we entered, a shop assistant walked over. “Ms. Kingsley, you’re here? And your husband too?” She enthusiastically showed me the new arrivals. Danny said beside me, “My dear wife, pick any bag you like today.” “Consider it my apology for upsetting you.” The shop assistants whispered to each other. “Mr. Davenport is so good to you, Ms. Kingsley.” “You two are even at the top of our city’s exemplary couple list.” Exemplary couple? I laughed mockingly. No longer interested in choosing a bag, I just picked one at random. Just then, Penny ran over, her face alight with surprise, and grabbed Danny’s arm. “Danny, darling, what are you doing here?” “Wow, the bag in Ms. Kingsley’s hand is so beautiful.” The shop assistant froze, looking at us in confusion. I watched Penny’s expression. It seemed she already knew I was Danny’s wife, yet she showed no intention of avoiding him. No, perhaps she had known all along. My eyes lowered, and I handed the bag toward her. “Pretty, isn’t it? Two million dollars. You wouldn’t earn that even if you worked your fingers to the bone for ten years.” Penny’s expression stiffened, then tears started to fall. She didn’t speak, just stared at Danny with tearful, wronged eyes, and after a long moment, she cried out. “I really can’t afford it.” “But Mrs. Davenport, you don’t have to look down on people so much. I’m poor, so what? Does being poor mean I don’t deserve to live?” “I’ll leave, alright? I’ll never appear before you rich, noble people again.” Danny frowned at me, his earlier patience for coaxing completely gone. “Who says she can’t afford it? I’ll pay for this bag for her.” With that, he pulled out a ten-dollar canvas bag from somewhere, throwing it at me. “You wear this today.” “Go reflect on yourself, on when you became so snobbish, looking down on the poor.” “You’re nothing but a parasite who only got by on family connections since childhood. In another ten years, Penny might not be any worse than you.” He finished speaking and ran after Penny, leaving me alone in the store. The shop assistants exchanged glances, then looked at me with pity. I watched his retreating back, my heart involuntarily contracting. A fine, prickling pain, like needles, intense and pervasive. I lowered my eyes, masking my emotions, pulled out my phone, took a photo of the bag’s payment record, and the backs of the two embracing downstairs. “Mr. Stark, evidence of infidelity.” 3 “Received.” I looked at Mr. Stark’ text, lowered my eyes, then put my phone away. The shop assistant behind me looked at me timidly. “Ms. Kingsley, that bag was the last one — are you still displaying your photo with Mr. Davenport?” My gaze shifted to the photo on the store’s shelf. It displayed a picture of Danny and me taken right after we graduated from college. Danny had just joined the law firm then, still an unknown legal assistant. He saved up his first three months’ salary, earned from eating instant noodles, to buy me the cheapest bag in this store. When he gave it to me, he held me and said, “Though I don’t have much money now, Blair, I promise you. We will definitely have a happy and bright future, definitely.” That bag is still in my closet, my favorite one. Because every time I saw it, I remembered Danny’s words, immersed in the future he had planned. Now he had money, successful and famous. That photo, however, felt like a slap, a harsh blow to my face. “Ms. Kingsley?” The shop assistant’s voice pulled me back from my memories. My gaze fell upon that photo. My smile in the picture was radiant, I had never imagined a day like this. “Throw it away.” “It’s not important anymore.” What use was a useless photo? Just like a useless person, I no longer wanted him. I averted my eyes, fiddling with my phone, then walked out of the store without looking back. I spent three hours by the sea, letting the wind blow over me. From dating in college to being married for seven years, every little moment replayed in my mind. That dull pain in my heart, which had surged like the waves, now completely subsided. I sent him a message. “Tomorrow is our seventh anniversary. I think we should talk.” Danny didn’t reply to me. Penny, however, posted something on her social media. She showed off the designer bag Danny had given her, with the caption: “The one who loves you will cross a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers to be with you.” “In love, only the unloved are the home wreckers.” Then I saw Danny had liked her post. I laughed mockingly. He had time to look at social media, but no time to reply to my message. Fortunately, I didn’t care anymore. Just then, my phone suddenly received a video call invitation. It was from Penny. “Sister. Guess where I am now?” “Sister is indeed rich. Even the dogs in her house eat better than me. A mere animal, what right does it have?” I looked at Penny in the video. At some point, she had gone to my villa, and Snowball, the dog I had raised since it was a puppy, was tightly held in her arms. “What do you want? Let go of it.” Snowball had always been aggressive towards people it disliked. It struggled wildly in her arms, perhaps having heard my voice. It struggled even harder, and Penny gripped its head tightly. Snowball turned its head and bit Penny’s hand hard. I watched Penny’s face, which had been flaunting, begin to contort. “You dead animal.” “That old hag bullying me is one thing, but you’re bullying me too.” Penny, wearing high heels, brutally kicked Snowball. I ran like a madwoman. “Don’t you dare touch it.” The ten-minute walk from the beach to my house, I covered in just five minutes. But it was still too late. I pushed open the door of my house and saw Snowball lying on the ground, tears in its eyes, whimpering softly. That was the expression it only showed when it was in pain. My heart was fiercely pierced. “Penny, let go of it. You let go of it.” Penny smiled at me. “Sister, you’re back. Your house is really big, it’s just that your dog is a little naughty.” “Oh, by the way, are you so out of breath because you rushed back for this dog?” She looked down at Snowball, her eyes suddenly turning sinister, and she laughed at me. “You wait. I’ll bring it down for you right away.” I saw her expression, and a bad premonition instantly enveloped me. “No—”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “445987”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

1 I never, in a million years, thought the three titans of my lab would get so bored they’d make a bet about me. The prize was a batch of top-tier, imported lab reagents. The wager? To see which of them this dirt-poor grad student, who barely scraped her way in, would try to seduce within a month to scrounge for equipment access and funding. So that’s how we’re playing it? Hard mode? Fine. I’ll see their bet and raise them a full-blown psychological drama, turning their little competition into an all-out war. Now, they’re practically tripping over each other to give me access, approve my funding, and invite me to their projects, the original bet long forgotten. And me? The former “target” of their wager? I’m just sipping the coffee they brought me, watching them fight for my affection. Honestly, fellas. If you’d just been this helpful from the start, we could have avoided all this drama. … My name is Aria, and I’m the lab’s resident stray. My advisor, Professor Freeman, is a legend who exists only in the signature of his emails. The most valuable things he ever gave me were my “last-chance admission” status and the sage advice to “be self-reliant.” To graduate, I’ve honed the art of resource-scrounging to a razor’s edge. My skin has thickened accordingly. The lab’s three big shots are my primary targets. Caden, the cold, brilliant academic, is the gatekeeper of all lab equipment. Want to use a machine? You have to get through an approval process stricter than airport security. Blake, the walking ATM, controls the lab’s finances. A single vial of reagent from his private fridge is worth more than everything I own. And Noah, the tech wizard, is a professional award-winner. I can’t even find the power button on the advanced equipment he builds. Today, my graduation data hit yet another wall. I mustered the courage to ask Caden to borrow an instrument, only to be shut down with a curt “I’m using it” and “It needs maintenance.” Then I tried asking Blake for some reagents. He pushed up his glasses, a sly, fox-like grin on his face. “Ah, this one is for core team members only.” The final blow came during the group meeting. Noah, with his typical bluntness, tore my data to shreds in front of everyone, even criticizing the color scheme of my charts. Once is a coincidence. Twice is an accident. Three times… this was a coordinated attack. It wasn’t until I saw an open chat window on a public computer that it all clicked. [Betting she’ll come after one of us for resources within a month.] [I’ll put up that batch of imported reagents as the prize.] [Deal.] The timestamp was from a week ago. Well, damn. And here I thought I was just trying to graduate. Turns out I’m the star of a reality show: Love & Lab Coats. Before discovering this earth-shattering wager, my life in the lab was simple, tedious, and soul-crushing. My days were more tangled than a kitten’s ball of yarn. In the morning, I’d get up before dawn to help pack meals in the cafeteria for a free breakfast. Then I’d rush to the lab’s common area to fight for a computer older than I am, constantly oscillating between “It’s almost done!” and “It crashed again.” At noon, I’d choke down a stale, discounted bread roll while sprinting to another campus to work as a teaching assistant, grading an endless mountain of papers. In the afternoon, I’d squeeze in experiments back at the lab, my most fervent prayer being, “Please, dear God of machinery, don’t break down. I can’t afford to fix you.” Evenings were spent either bussing tables at a local diner or tutoring kids who would ask, “Teacher, why are you always so sleepy?” I’d usually stumble back to my dorm late at night, forcing my eyes open to read papers and write reports, often waking up with a jolt after falling asleep at my desk, a page of my draft soaked through. I was a perpetual motion machine, the broke edition, fueled by sheer desperation to graduate and eat. Chasing a guy? Romance? That was a luxury for people with time, money, and a full head of hair. We were from different worlds. They floated on clouds, discussing top-tier journals, competitions, and their bright academic futures. I was down in the mud, clawing my way toward a diploma and a job that could ease the burden on my family. My daily worries were whether my data would run, if I’d be late for my part-time job, and if the cafeteria lady would be generous with her serving spoon. I never imagined that a low-level lab rat like me would become the subject of a bet between the three top dogs. Does this count as my big break? After discovering the bet, I spent a solid half-hour doing angry sit-ups on my dorm bed. But anger wasn’t going to get me anywhere. I had to get smart. They wanted to see me chase one of them? Fine. I’ll show them a “targeted strike” of affection so precise and devastating it’ll make their experimental data look sloppy. 2 Three o’clock in the afternoon. The lab’s common area was at its busiest. The three big shots were huddled around Noah’s computer, staring at a screen of what looked like pure chaos—some advanced algorithm, apparently. I chose my moment and made my grand entrance, carrying a tray of coffees I’d spent a small fortune on. “Hey guys, you’re all working so hard! I brought coffee for everyone!” My smile was radiant, projecting the warmth of a loving, supportive colleague. The background noise of the lab screeched to a halt. You could feel the unspoken question hanging in the air: Aria is treating? Aria, the girl who could split a penny eight ways and had mastered eighteen different methods of mooching Wi-Fi, was actually buying coffee? I could read the shock in their eyes. My reputation as the lab’s number-one cheapskate was legendary. The last time the senior students went out for a group dinner, I’d successfully escaped paying my share by claiming I had to rush back to “take in my laundry.” The time before that, when everyone chipped in for the professor’s birthday, my contribution was a handmade card on paper I’d salvaged from the recycling bin. But I ignored their stunned faces, my gaze locking onto Caden. In front of everyone, I presented him with the “special order”—a hot, black Americano, no sugar, no milk. “Caden, this one’s for you. I remembered you’re lactose intolerant, so this should be perfect.” My tone was the epitome of casual thoughtfulness. The air grew thick. Caden’s expression was a complex mix of suspicion and confusion. “You… you bought this?” I almost broke character. My inner self was screaming. No, I used the power of my sincere gaze to convince the coffee machine to give it to me for free! This cost me two lunches, you fool! The pain was real. But on the outside, I lowered my head slightly, my voice soft but with a hint of defiance. “Yeah, I did. You guys are always helping me out. It’s the least I could do.” Helping me out by blocking all my resources, you mean! I seethed internally. Blake pushed his gold-rimmed glasses up his nose, a faint, knowing smile playing on his lips. “Well, isn’t our Aria being unusually… generous. And so thoughtful, too. I guess you’re desperate to get your data from that HPLC Caden is guarding?” Caden’s hand, which had been reaching for the coffee, froze. His eyes narrowed, studying my face. Here we go. The show was on. In the next second, my eyes welled up. I looked at Blake with wide, “innocent” eyes, my expression a perfect picture of disbelief and hurt. “You’ve got it all wrong, Blake.” My voice was soft, my gaze pure as the driven snow. “I’ll figure out my own data. I can’t just expect everyone to take care of me all the time.” I bit my lower lip, then turned to Caden. My eyes now held a perfect blend of sympathy, admiration, and a shy “I understand you” look. “I saw Caden in the instrument room late last night, calibrating the equipment. He works so hard… I just thought he deserved a little extra care. That’s all.” My voice grew quieter, and a faint blush crept up my cheeks for added effect. I had perfectly embodied the image of a secret admirer, too shy to express her feelings but deeply concerned for her senior. I was so convincing, I almost believed it myself. Caden was clearly thrown by my direct approach. He looked at the coffee in my hand like it was a hot potato, unsure whether to take it. Was that… a blush creeping up his neck? He cleared his throat and, under the complicated stares of his two friends, took the coffee. His voice was a little strained. “Thanks for the thought.” Exactly the reaction I wanted. “You’re welcome!” I beamed at him. Then, as if just remembering the other two, I let out a little “Oh!” and offered them the remaining cups. “Blake, Noah, these are for you.” Blake’s smile was a bit forced. “How very kind of you, Aria.” Noah just grunted, took a cup, and said nothing. I pretended not to notice their expressions, but inside, I was cackling. Men! They all need the validation of female attention to feel secure in their own charm. They might not be interested in me personally, but with a bet on the line, whoever I “chased” would be the implicit winner. Oh, the beautifully childish male ego. 3 Just as I predicted, Blake and Noah exchanged a look that clearly said, So she’s going for Caden. I was screaming internally: You sweet summer children. You have no idea. Just when they thought I was about to launch a full-scale offensive on Caden, I calmly sat down. From my worn canvas tote bag, I dug around, and dug around, and dug some more, finally pulling out a wrinkled, 30-cent Snickers bar. “Here.” I shyly offered the candy bar to Noah. “Noah, you looked a little pale at the last meeting. Maybe low blood sugar. You should keep this handy.” Noah stared at the pathetic-looking Snickers bar as if it had personally offended him. His face was a perfect picture of bewilderment. Blake and Caden stared at each other, their expressions screaming, “WTF???” I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing at their collective confusion. But as amusing as the drama was, I had bills to pay. To scrape together next semester’s housing fees, I had opened up a new front on the battlefield of part-time jobs. “Mr. Rossi’s Diner,” a greasy spoon on the street behind campus. Today was my first day on the job. Dressed in an oversized uniform left by the previous employee, I was wiping down a table when the bell over the door jingled. I reflexively pasted on my professional smile. “Welcome t—” The “o” got stuck in my throat. Oh, crap. Why in the world were Caden and Blake in a place where the average meal cost less than ten dollars? Weren’t they supposed to be at some fancy restaurant discussing molecular gastronomy? My brain went into red alert. My body reacted faster than my thoughts, and I made a move to dive into the kitchen. But Blake’s radar-like eyes had already locked onto me. He blinked, and then a smug, “Gotcha!” grin spread across his face. He nudged Caden. Caden turned. The “mere mortals, do not approach” expression on his face cracked when he saw me, clad in a grease-stained apron, precariously balancing a tray. What are you looking at? Never seen a beautiful woman bussing tables before? I managed a smile that was uglier than a grimace. “Right this way, gentlemen.” As I led them to a booth, Blake drawled, his voice dripping with mock surprise. “Well, well, Aria? Small world, isn’t it? You’ve certainly got a wide range of talents.” I was mentally rolling my eyes so hard I was afraid they’d get stuck. It’s my first day, you jerk! But I kept the smile plastered on my face. “You’re too kind. Life’s tough, got to be versatile.” I continued my performance, sneaking a shy, embarrassed glance at Caden. He, in turn, had sunk into a strange silence. After taking their order, I waited for Caden to head to the restroom, then scurried over to the cash register. “Mr. Rossi,” I whispered to the owner, “that table over there… when they’re done, if there are any untouched dishes, could you maybe… pack them up for me?” The owner looked at me, confused. “You haven’t eaten dinner?” I lowered my head, my voice even quieter, laced with embarrassment. “I spent my meal money on coffee today…” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Caden stop dead in his tracks on his way back from the restroom. Just as I’d planned. When he returned to his seat, his gaze was even more complicated. Later, as I was serving their food, my hand “trembled,” and a dish of chili oil nearly spilled all over me. Just as I was about to star in a tragic B-movie titled Waitress Down, a long, clean hand shot out and steadied the teetering plate. It was Caden. His brow was furrowed, and his eyes darted from my face to the counter where I’d been begging for leftovers. His voice was low. “You haven’t eaten dinner?” Hook, line, and sinker. I set the dish down, my head bowed as I twisted the corner of my apron. My voice was barely a whisper, filled with the panic of being caught. “Oh! N-no, it’s fine. I’m used to it. I… I went a little over budget with the coffee this afternoon.” 4 It was true, I hadn’t eaten. Those coffees were a major expense. My heart was still bleeding over it. He watched me in silence, the cool indifference in his eyes slowly replaced by sheer disbelief. He probably couldn’t comprehend how someone could be so broke that buying a few coffees meant skipping a meal. Caden barely touched his food. He poked at his rice for ages, his gaze constantly drifting in my direction. When Blake tried to talk to him, he just mumbled noncommittal responses. As I weaved between tables, my mind was racing with calculations: the “pity + coffee” combo was working beautifully. Finally, they finished their meal. Blake took a call and left, and I was about to breathe a sigh of relief when I realized Caden hadn’t moved. He had shifted to a less conspicuous table near the door. I snuck a glance during a lull. The guy had his phone out and was pretending to read emails. Seriously? His acting was worse than mine. Who reads academic emails in a noisy, greasy diner? I pretended not to notice and went about my work—clearing tables, wiping them down, greeting new customers. But even while busy, I kept the performance going. I made sure to “accidentally” pass by his table several times, “casually” wiping sweat from my brow, and letting out a soft, pitiable grunt while lifting a heavy stack of bowls. From the corner of my eye, I could see “Mr. CEO” wasn’t reading a single word. His frown deepened, and his fingers swiped aimlessly at the screen. At 9:30, the diner closed. I rubbed my aching back, said goodbye to Mr. Rossi, and dragged my exhausted body out the door. A figure immediately blocked my path. It was Caden. He had actually waited all this time. Under the dim streetlight, he looked a little flustered. He was clutching a takeout bag, and the tips of his ears were distinctly red. “Here,” he said, holding out the bag. His tone was clipped, but his eyes avoided mine. “I was… waiting for you. It was on my way.” I almost burst out laughing. On your way? Dude, you live in the fancy apartments on the east side of campus, and I live in the crumbling dorms on the west. Your “way” is a bit of a detour. But I instantly switched into “surprised and flattered” mode, my eyes lighting up. “Caden, you waited for me?” He cleared his throat and shoved the bag into my hands, his gaze fixed on a distant lamppost. “Just eat it.” I took the warm, fragrant bag, and a genuine flicker of gratitude went through me—I was starving. But the show must go on. I looked up at him with wide, watery eyes, my voice soft. “Caden, you’re such a good person. You’re so smart and so considerate.” I blushed on cue, lowered my head, and mumbled, “I wish… I wish I could always meet people as nice as you.” Then, I “panicked,” looking up as if I’d said something scandalous, and quickly tried to backtrack. “Oh! I mean, thank you! I-I should go.” Clutching the food like a lifeline, I turned and practically ran toward my dorm. After a safe distance, I snuck a peek back. Caden was still standing there, a long, lonely figure under the streetlight. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, touched his ear again, and then, almost comically out of sync, turned and walked in the opposite direction. Seeing him looking like a flustered, love-struck teenager, a smirk played on my lips. I hugged the warm takeout container and hummed a little tune all the way back to my dorm.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “446003”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

When we went to rescue my fiancé’s childhood friend, my mother became their hostage. My fiancé, the squad leader, shot and killed her. Afterward, he held me, his eyes red-rimmed, explaining, “Your mother was trying to push Willow out to cause a riot. I had no other choice.” “I’ll convince Willow not to expose your mother, to try and preserve her good name.” I couldn’t believe it, yet with each piece of damning evidence, I was forced to accept it. The immense pain extinguished my will to live. One time, as I slit my wrist again, I heard Sebastian Stone scoff in his study. “She knew Willow grew up without a mother, yet she flaunted their mother-daughter bond in front of her. She deserved to be punished.” “All I did was switch out the evidence, to let Willow vent her anger.” As my consciousness faded, I finally understood—my mother had been framed. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day we rescued his childhood friend. I directly took my mother and smashed three jewelry stores, personally handing her over to the police. I thought this time, there would be no accidents. But to my surprise, Sebastian still shot and killed a middle-aged woman. … Crossing the caution tape, the hostage’s body lay before me. My teammates looked at me, their faces pale. “Captain Reed, your mother tried to incite a riot just now, pushing Willow out to take the bullets.” “She was in the wrong first, that’s why she was shot…” My brows furrowed instantly. Impossible. I had personally sent my mother to the police station. She couldn’t be out. So, who was it, then, who died by Sebastian’s gun in this timeline? I rushed toward the body, bending down to untie her hood, wanting to see her face. But my arm was suddenly grabbed. Sebastian held me tight, his eyes full of reproach. “Blair Reed, Willow was almost killed by your mother just now.” “As a law enforcement officer, instead of checking on the victim first, you’re looking at this murderer?” At his words, everyone around me looked at me with disdain. “That’s monstrous. Even if the killer is your own mother, you can’t cover for her like this, can you?” “I think this kidnapping might even have been orchestrated by her, just out of jealousy over Willow and Sebastian’s good relationship.” I glanced over. Sebastian was comforting Willow Finch, oblivious to everything else, his fingertips gently wiping away her tears. Hearing the torrent of accusations against me, he didn’t even shift his gaze. Even after living through it once, it still hurt immensely. I took a deep breath, scanning the scene. “Does anyone here have proof that my mother pushed Willow?” “Are you going to convict someone based on just two people’s words?” The scene fell silent instantly. Those who had been gossiping lowered their heads guiltily. Willow broke free from Sebastian’s embrace, knelt before me, tears streaming down her face. “Blair, I know you’re the Chief Captain, powerful and influential. No one dares to contradict you.” “But there are no cameras at the kidnapping site, and the kidnapper has been shot. Where would we find evidence?” “Do you truly believe I would falsely accuse your mother in a life-or-death situation?” She cried pathetically, like a fragile white flower. Pity reappeared in the eyes of those around her. Sebastian hurried forward, picked her up, and looked at me with nothing but impatience. “Blair, what more evidence do we need for this?” “I’m your fiancé, your mother’s future son-in-law! How could I possibly frame her?” “Just stop making a fuss, okay?” Hearing Sebastian’s words, the crowd, already biased towards Willow, believed him even more. They pointed fingers at me with disdain, and a fresh wave of vile insults assailed me. In my previous life, they had done the same, their words one after another nailing my mother and me to the pillar of shame. This time, I absolutely would not allow it to happen! I shoved them away fiercely and strode to the hostage’s side. I ripped off the hostage’s hood. “Whether it’s a false accusation or not, won’t we know once we see?” The next second, my eyes widened in shock! Not just me; after seeing the hostage’s face, everyone who had been arrogantly accusing me bent over, dry-heaving. The body’s face had been smashed beyond recognition. The kidnapping location was on a rooftop. After the hostage was shot, she had fallen directly from the building. Now, her face was gruesome, utterly unidentifiable. Willow covered her nose, kicking the body with a look of utter disgust. “That old hag, she stopped Sebastian and me when she was alive, and now she’s still disgusting me even in death.” “Someone just drag her away and dump her.” Hearing her utterly depraved words, my pupils constricted, and I clenched my fists tightly. Sebastian blocked my path. “Blair, what do you have to say now?” “Don’t tell me you’re going to disown your own mother’s body just to clear your name?” I simply laughed, a bitter, humorless sound. What did he mean, I was clearing my name? They were the ones who killed an innocent hostage and framed my mother! Too tired to argue further, I pulled out my phone and called my squad. “Arrest Sebastian and lock him up. And immediately notify the coroner to perform an autopsy on the hostage.” Hearing my words, Sebastian’s face went pale. Based on the bullet trajectory and wound morphology on the head, the coroner could determine the hostage’s state at the moment she was shot—whether she was motionless or struggling. Then, Sebastian’s lies would fall apart. I waved my hand, motioning for the squad to take Sebastian away. But they didn’t move. Just as I wondered why, several of them silently surrounded me. Their eyes darted away, and after a long moment, a few voices, faint as whispers, tried to persuade me. “Captain Reed, please don’t make things difficult for Captain Stone. Your mother, in the heavens, would have wanted to sacrifice herself.” “We’re all family. Let’s just let this go.” I looked at them in shock, meeting Sebastian’s mocking smile. “Blair, still think you’re the all-powerful Chief Captain?” “Don’t forget you’re on leave right now. You can’t control me.” “Furthermore, as a family member, you should recuse yourself. It’s not appropriate for you to interfere with our proper case procedures.” I froze instantly, my limbs turning to ice. Half a month ago, Sebastian and I were on a mission together. I took a knife for him, directly to the heart. The doctor said two centimeters more, and I wouldn’t have survived. At that time, Sebastian, his face tear-streaked, knelt and swore he would protect me my entire life. How long had it been? All those vows were cast aside. And the injury I took for him had become an even sharper blade in his hands, stabbing back at me with ferocity. Willow delicately clung to Sebastian’s arm. “Sebastian, I told you she’d try to get your squad to come after you, all so she could steal the credit for this hostage rescue, didn’t I?” “So what if she saved you before? When it comes to real benefits, she’s still selfish.” “Good thing you had the foresight to get her squad members under control first.” Listening to her, Sebastian’s gaze toward me grew increasingly disappointed. “Blair, I thought you were just being a little temperamental, but I didn’t realize you actually wanted to harm me!” He roughly shoved me toward the body. “You stay right here. Don’t go anywhere without my permission, and don’t you dare call the coroner!” I fell sprawling to the ground, my arm cut by the pebbles, leaving a long gash. Pain seeped from my skin into my heart. I clenched my fists tightly. Now, my only comfort was that I had saved my mother’s life. As for who this hostage was, I would definitely find a way to find out. After an unknown amount of time, I struggled to my feet. My fingertips accidentally brushed against a wristwatch on the hostage’s wrist. I froze instantly. That was the watch I had custom-made for my mother. How could it be on the body’s hand? My mother’s previous watches were easily damaged, so I had specially ordered a reinforced one for her. My hands trembling, I picked up the watch to examine it closely. Indeed, her name was engraved on the strap. It was definitely the one I had given her. My gaze slowly fell upon the body, and I panicked. I hadn’t looked closely at the body before, but now, the more I looked, the more it resembled my mother’s build. But shouldn’t she be in custody right now? How could she be here? Cold sweat broke out, and I couldn’t bear to think further. I immediately turned to leave. I had to go to the police station and see with my own eyes if my mother was still there. Suddenly, a cold, stinging sensation shot through my wrist. Sebastian had handcuffed me to the spot! Meeting my shocked expression, he looked impatient. “Blair, don’t even think about going back to report to the superiors.” “This matter concerns Willow’s reputation. Be sensible. There’s no way I’m letting you go.” The handcuffs on my wrist tightened, biting into my flesh, even drawing a trickle of blood. Even with hardened criminals, Sebastian had never tormented anyone like this. Rage mixed with helplessness, scorching my chest. Suddenly, a commotion erupted in the distance. The Chief of Police was here! He was the elder I respected most; he would surely help me. Sure enough, after learning of the situation, the Chief’s gaze darkened, and he stepped forward to carefully examine the body. I had just breathed a sigh of relief. The next second, Willow’s high heel savagely slammed into the picture! The sharp heel mercilessly dug into the corpse’s head. One stomp, two stomps, each with full force. The already mangled head was now completely disfigured by her stomping. My mind went blank. By the time Willow strutted away, I was on my knees, tears streaming down my face. The Chief sighed, a flicker of pity in his eyes. “Blair, it’s not that I won’t help you.” “Right now, our department is up for evaluation, and without Captain Stone’s case, it will be very difficult.” “The evidence has already been destroyed. Please accept my condolences.” I stared blankly at the unrecognizable body on the ground, all sounds around me seemingly fading away. Faintly, I heard my teammates’ sneering. “So arrogant usually, she totally deserved this!” “Blair has just lost her mother and is too emotional, Chief. Why not give the Chief Captain’s position to Sebastian Stone?” “Our department still needs a cleaner. Blair can take over when her leave is up.” My heart turned to ice. I wiped away my tears and stood up calmly. “Now that the evidence is gone, and I no longer want the Chief Captain’s position, may I leave?” My teammates exchanged glances, then finally made way for me. Just as I lifted my foot to leave, Sebastian grabbed my arm again. “Blair, don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning.” “You want to trick us, then go to the provincial authorities to complain?” “If you continue to be so headstrong, don’t blame me for not being able to preserve your mother’s good name.” My mother was a retired police officer. In my previous life, after the incident, Sebastian immediately applied to the higher-ups to strip her of all her honors. Those were things she had earned with her life, incredibly precious. I unconsciously stopped. Sebastian ordered a few squad members to lock me in a room, then threw the hostage’s body in as well. The body hit the ground like a broken rag, kicking up a cloud of dust. A sharp pain pierced my heart. Kneeling beside the body, I wanted to tidy her appearance. My gaze fell upon the corpse’s hand. The watch was unchanged, but this time I noticed something different. My heart jolted. This person wasn’t my mother!

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “445988”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

1 After my heart surgery, my brother confessed to me, “We gave the heart that matched you to Luna.” “Your surgery wasn’t done; they just opened you up and stitched you back.” I trembled, utterly incredulous. “You gave my heart to her? What about me?” Mom and Dad’s smiles vanished. “Luna has always been frail since she was little, what’s wrong with letting her have it this one time?” “With how full of life you are, you’ll find another heart eventually!” “If we’d known you’d be so calculating, we never should have brought you back.” Luna’s crisp, tinkling laughter drifted in from outside, her voice sweet and cloyingly flirtatious. “Brother, where are you? Weren’t we supposed to take the baby to the Ferris wheel?” I stood frozen, my heart suddenly aching. But the doctor said my body was on the verge of collapse. That heart was my only hope to live. It felt like forever, but I was woken by laughter, having passed out from the pain. I looked up to see them returning, doting on Luna, the fake daughter. She walked in the center, a amusement park bow in her hair. Mom held her hand, Dad and my brother followed, laden with shopping bags. “Baby’s tired of walking, wants milk tea!” Luna stomped her foot, pouting sweetly, her voice cloyingly cute. “The Ferris wheel was so fun just now, Daddy, will you take baby again next time?” “Of course, of course,” Dad readily agreed. “As long as our little Luna is happy.” Mom reached out to adjust her scarf, chiding her softly, “You just had major surgery not long ago, don’t bounce around, be careful of your incision.” Luna stuck out her tongue. “I know, Mommy, but baby’s happy!” She turned her head and kissed Mom. “Thank you, Mommy, for baby’s new heart.” “Brother always said baby was too weak to go diving, but now Brother has no excuse!” She looked back at my brother, grinning. “Next month, Brother promised to take baby diving in the Maldives!” I suddenly remembered that spring when I was first brought home. They used to smile at me then too. Mom took my hand and led me into that house, pointing to a south-facing bedroom and saying it was mine. She said she heard I liked the ocean, so she specially chose curtains as blue as the sea for me. I stood at the doorway, looking at the sun-drenched window, and tears streamed down my face. The voices outside faded, and the phone rang. When I answered, the doctor’s anxious voice came through. “Seraphina, how could you give the heart that finally matched you to your sister?” “If we can’t find another suitable heart, you’ll die!” I gripped the phone, my heart heavy with bitterness. The doctor, sensing my silence, sighed heavily. “Alright, never mind. I won’t ask. You need to come to the hospital immediately. I’ll do another assessment, report your critical status, and put you back on the most urgent waiting list.” “Seraphina, do you hear me? We can’t give up!” My nose stung. After thanking him, I hung up and took a taxi to the hospital. Blood tests, forms, examinations—I’d been through the routine countless times, it was etched into my memory. I sat alone on a cold chair, waiting for the results, while others were surrounded by their families. I looked down at the dense needle marks on my hand, unmoving. I had long grown accustomed to this kind of loneliness. By the time I left the hospital, it was already dark. I hailed a cab home, but when I pushed open my room door, I froze. My bed was piled high with Luna’s suitcases and shopping bags, and her cosmetics and jewelry boxes cluttered my desk. My bedroom had become her storage room. 2 I stood at the doorway for a long time, then knelt to pick up a crumpled paper from the floor. It was covered in my clumsy handwriting from that time, with a heart drawn beside it. “Thank you, Mom, Dad, and Brother, for finding me. I promise to be a good daughter, a good sister.” “Seraphina, you’re back?” Mom’s voice came from behind me. “You can lend this room to Luna for her things for now; after all, the doctor said you’ll mostly be at the hospital for the next six months…” I suppressed the bitterness in my heart. “But this is my room.” Dad and my brother heard her voice and walked over, standing behind Mom. “So what if it’s your room? Luna just had major surgery, can’t you be a little more accommodating? We’re not saying you can’t live here.” I slowly exhaled, my chest tightening again. “She already took my chance at life.” I looked at them, speaking each word distinctly. “Now, do you want to take my room too?” After a brief silence, my brother was about to speak. “Maybe we can put her things in my…” But Luna suddenly peeked out from the stairwell. She wore pink loungewear, looking delicate and well-behaved. “Is Sister unhappy… Then I’ll move my things back.” She teared up, then bent down to pick up the largest suitcase. But as soon as she moved, she suddenly clutched her chest, swaying slightly. “Baby!” Mom was the first to rush over and support her. Dad quickly knelt down. “What’s wrong? Is your chest hurting? Don’t move, Daddy will carry you.” He picked Luna up in his arms, frantically rushing out. My brother followed, pulling out his phone to call for an ambulance. Before Mom left the room, she looked back at me. I’d seen that look before. Disgust and cold fury. “Seraphina! If anything happens to your sister, you’ll be in big trouble!” Watching the three of them leave, my chest suddenly contracted violently. The pain was different from usual; it felt like something deep inside my heart had ruptured. I leaned against the wall, slowly sliding to the floor, raising my hand to clutch my chest. The doctor’s voice echoed in my ears, “In your current condition, if you don’t get a matching heart soon, I’m afraid it will quickly…” I didn’t let him finish, but I understood what he meant. My remaining time was even shorter than I imagined. But I, I probably didn’t need it anymore. 3 That very night, I was admitted to the hospital. I lay in bed, and the door to my room opened. My brother stood in the doorway. He walked to my bedside, carrying a paper bag. “I brought you some osmanthus cakes.” This was my favorite dessert. Back when I was first brought home, I once stared at osmanthus cakes in front of a supermarket for a long time, but didn’t dare to ask for them. My brother noticed, and the next day, he bought a large box and put it in my room. That was the first time I felt that maybe there really was a place for me in this family. “Thank you, Brother.” My brother smiled and ruffled my hair, softening his tone. “Seraphina, I know you’re upset.” As soon as he said that, tears almost welled up in my eyes. But his next sentence made my tears recede. “I know you’re upset, but you have to understand, Luna’s bond with us is different from yours.” “During all those years you were growing up outside, Luna was always with us. Even though she’s not our biological child, eighteen years of affection aren’t fake.” My brother turned to look at me, his eyes carrying a pleading quality. “She’s always been in poor health since childhood, constantly running to the hospital, but she never complained. She’s so innocent and kind.” Seeing my silence, his voice dropped. “Seraphina, I’m not saying you’re bad.” “I just hope you understand that our bond with her was built day by day over eighteen years. You’ve only been back for less than two years; some things truly can’t be treated the same.” Eighteen years. Built day by day. I sat on the hospital bed, my heart aching as if it were being squeezed. When he said these words, he seemed to have completely forgotten how I spent those eighteen years. After being swapped at birth, I was abandoned at a rescue station, then sent to an orphanage. It wasn’t until I was almost an adult that I met a kind foster mother. But these things, they didn’t know, and didn’t want to know. In their eyes, those years I was “lost” outside were merely an insignificant interlude that could be lightly dismissed. “I know you’re angry,” my brother sighed, “But Seraphina, for the sake of this family, can you just try to get along with her?” I opened my mouth, but before I could say anything, my brother’s phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, and a smile unconsciously curved his lips. “Brother, do you think the swimsuit I picked out is pretty?!” Luna’s voice came through the receiver, sweet and cloying. “Baby searched for so long, my eyes are tired, come quickly and help me choose!” My brother smiled, that gentle smile he only reserved for Luna. “Alright, Brother will be right there.” He stood up, pushed the chair back into place, and glanced at me. “Seraphina, I’ll come see you another day; you rest for now.” He turned and walked towards the door. Just then, a sudden, excruciating pain erupted in my chest. I grabbed the bed railing, arching my body from the agony. “Brother…” The monitoring equipment began to alarm wildly. My brother’s footsteps paused; as he started to turn, Luna called again. “Brother, do you like this one?! Baby thinks this one makes me look whitest!” He hesitated for only two seconds before making his choice. “Seraphina, I’ll have the nurse come right away, just bear with it…” By the time the nurse rushed into the room, his figure was no longer visible at the end of the corridor. I lay there, tears finally falling. That night, I took out a medical record sheet from the drawer and began to write my will. Before I could even put pen to paper, the door to my room was suddenly pushed open. The nurse ran in, panting, her eyes shining brightly. “Seraphina! You have it! A new match has been found!” 4 I shot up, pulled on my jacket, and ran to the doctor’s office. The on-duty doctor saw me, a rare smile on his face, and turned the computer screen towards me. “Seraphina, look, a new match has been successful.” “This heart donor is very young, all indicators are excellent. It’s arguably the best opportunity.” My eyes welled up instantly. The feeling of being pulled back from hell almost suffocated me. “However,” the doctor paused, “the surgery fees need to be settled as soon as possible, including the heart transplant and subsequent anti-rejection treatment, initially estimated at four hundred thousand dollars.” I froze for a moment. Four hundred thousand. I instinctively reached for my phone; ‘Dad’ glowed on the screen in my contact list. Even though they had done those things to me, at the brink of death, they were still my only hope. The phone rang for a long time before it was answered. “Dad…” “What? More about Luna?” Dad’s voice carried an impatient edge. “Seraphina, can you not be so sensible? The heart matter is settled; there’s no point in making a fuss.” “No, Dad, I have a new match.” I gripped the phone. “The doctor said this heart is especially good, but the surgery fee is four hundred thousand dollars, I…” The other end of the phone fell silent for a few seconds. I heard Mom’s voice in the background: “Who is it? Seraphina? What’s she making a fuss about again so late?” Then Luna’s sweet, syrupy voice: “Is it Sister? Is Sister still mad at baby…” Dad’s voice resumed. “Alright, I know about this. We’ll talk later.” The call was disconnected. I stared at the call-ended screen for a long time, stunned. My chest began to ache faintly again. I squeezed the phone tightly, comforting myself. Maybe they were just busy; maybe they would come tomorrow. Early the next morning, I called my mom. “Mom, did Dad tell you yesterday? The new match…” “He told me, he told me,” Mom’s voice was a little unnatural. “Seraphina, honey, we’ll figure out a way for that surgery fee.” “But the doctor said we can’t delay…” “I know we can’t delay, but you have to be considerate of the family’s situation, don’t you?” Her voice rose a few decibels. “Your sister just had major surgery; the medical bills alone were hundreds of thousands. Now she needs to recuperate at home, and everything costs money. The family’s money doesn’t grow on trees.” I opened my mouth, hearing footsteps and Luna’s voice on the other end. “Mommy, look at this handbag, isn’t it pretty?!” My brother’s voice followed immediately: “If you like it, buy it. Brother will get it for you.” The call was disconnected. I sat on the hospital bed, my eyes burning. Taking a deep breath, I turned and went home. When I pushed open the living room door, I froze. The sofa was piled high with shopping bags. Luna was nestled on the sofa, holding her phone and taking pictures. Mom sat beside her, helping her find angles. Dad leaned on the sofa, reading a newspaper. My brother was bending over, unpacking a box of macarons from a bag. Sunlight streamed in through the French windows, making the scene impossibly warm. “What… are you doing?” My voice made all four turn their heads simultaneously. Luna was the first to react, holding up the bag in her hand. “Sister, look! Mommy bought me a new bag! Is it pretty? It cost over thirty thousand, it’s a new, limited edition!” Thirty thousand. That was one-tenth of my surgery fee. Mom’s face changed. She put down her phone and stood up. “Seraphina, why are you back? Didn’t the doctor tell you to stay in the hospital?” “I came back to talk to you about the surgery fees.” I tried to keep myself calm. “The doctor said the new match was successful, but we can’t delay. The sooner the surgery…” “Alright, alright,” Dad’s face was displeased. “You come back and immediately talk about money. You’re always calling from the hospital talking about money. Four hundred thousand isn’t a small sum; how do you expect us to suddenly get that much?” I stared at the shopping bags on the sofa. “Then this bag…” “This is a post-surgery recovery gift for Luna,” Mom quickly interjected. “Luna just had such a big surgery; we have to make her happy. A good mood is beneficial for recovery. Don’t you understand that?” I understood. They spent thirty thousand to buy a bag for Luna after her surgery, to make her happy. But I hadn’t even had my surgery. I was almost out of time. 5 “Mom, my surgery only costs four hundred thousand.” “This match… it’s my last hope.” Silence fell over the living room for half a second after I said that. Then Luna gasped, covering her mouth, her eyes wide. “But Sister, you can still live for half a year, aren’t you just trying to trick Mom and Dad out of money?” All the blood rushed to my head. “What did you say?” “Did I say something wrong?” Luna shrank back towards Mom, her voice timid. “Sister, don’t be angry… I didn’t mean it like that, I just think Sister is lucky to have another matching heart so quickly.” “Luna!” I stepped forward, but my brother immediately blocked me. His tall body stood between Luna and me, looking down at me. “Why are you yelling at Luna? She didn’t mean any harm.” “She didn’t mean any harm?” My voice distorted. “She said I was trying to trick money out of you!” “Enough!” Dad stood up, his face clouded. “Seraphina, are you done with your tantrum? Luna was just joking; do you have to get so angry?!” “I’m not throwing a tantrum! I just want my surgery money! That’s my life savings!” “Life savings, life savings, isn’t it just money you want?” My brother looked at me coldly, pulling his car keys from his pocket and throwing them on the coffee table. “I can keep the car, but that’s only two hundred thousand, still half of your four hundred thousand. Are you going to sell the house we live in to pay for your medical treatment too?” “Seraphina,” Mom’s voice suddenly dropped very low. “Your sister just had surgery, her body is still weak. If you come back and make such a fuss and make her sick, can you take responsibility for that?” “The doctor said you can live for at least another six months, what’s the hurry? You’re not going to die tomorrow.” I stood there, my chest feeling like it had been violently struck by something. An intense pain began to spread from my heart to my limbs, making me almost unable to stand. “I really can’t wait any longer…” My voice began to tremble. “The doctor said I can’t wait, that match really can’t be delayed… Please believe me…” Luna peeked out from behind Mom, tilting her head and looking at me. “Sister, there you go again. Last time you were like this too; you pretended to be in pain when Brother went to see you. Now you’re pretending again.” “I’m not pretending!” In a rush of anger and frustration, I couldn’t help but charge towards Luna. “Seraphina, what do you want?! Stay away from Luna!” My brother slapped me across the face. I was knocked sideways, a metallic taste flooding my mouth. Just then, an unprecedented, excruciating pain erupted from my chest. Finally, my vision blurred, and I collapsed.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “445989”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

1 On my deathbed, I begged my son: “Donate my heart to your father, Alistair Walker. He’s had cardiomyopathy for thirty years—it’s the last thing I can do for him.” But my son brushed me off impatiently. “Enough with the false kindness. Dad isn’t even sick.” I thought I’d misheard. “What?” He sneered. “If you hadn’t refused to divorce him, why would he have faked an illness to be with Aunt Olivia all these years?” I trembled, demanding proof. He handed me a marriage certificate—Alistair Walker and Olivia Thorne, smiling intimately. A furious pain shot through my heart. The home I’d built for half my life was a complete sham. My son’s face was cold. “Aunt Olivia is my real mother. Your own baby was drowned long ago. Back then, Dad and Olivia lost control, leading to her premature labor and heavy bleeding—she gave birth to me the same day as you. Dad was so shaken he developed heart palpitations. Fearing you’d never stop, he faked the illness for thirty years.” I collapsed, spitting blood. “Why tell me now?” His eyes burned with hatred. “You stole her place for thirty years. Now, on your deathbed, you want Dad to owe you gratitude? Why should he?” My mouth filled with bitterness as I gasped my last breath in regret. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the delivery room, next to his sister-in-law’s. An intense pain surged from below—I was in labor. … My body felt like it had been torn apart, lying utterly spent on the bed. The nurse brought the baby over for me to see. It was a boy, with a wrinkled little face and a loud cry. I made an excuse to go to the bathroom, enduring the intense pain, and slowly walked towards the restroom at the end of the corridor. The restroom was very close to Olivia Thorne’s room. The muffled sounds of conversation drifted from next door. It was Alistair Walker’s joyous voice. “Olivia, look, he has a birthmark on his shoulder, just like mine.” Olivia’s voice was weak but smiling. “It’s all your fault. I was almost due, but you just couldn’t help yourself yesterday… causing my premature labor.” Alistair chuckled softly. “My bad. But a premature birth is good, too; saves us from having to find an excuse to stall after Audrey gives birth.” He paused, “Don’t worry, after she got pregnant, just looking at her belly made me sick. I never touched her once. Later, I’ll have the doctor write a certificate saying my heart condition has worsened, so we can’t share a bed anymore.” Listening, my nails dug into my palms. When I was pregnant, I was dizzy with morning sickness, and he only said his heart was bothering him, afraid of noise. I felt sorry for him, enduring it alone. Later, he wasn’t as affectionate, and I thought it was due to his poor health and irritability. Turns out, he just found me in the way. I took a deep breath and sent a message to the male nurse I had immediately bribed after my rebirth: [You can switch the baby’s name tags now.] Then I deleted the message, returned to my room, and feigned sleep. Not long after, I heard someone come in. I didn’t open my eyes, listening as the person picked up a baby and quietly left. The next day, Alistair Walker came to the hospital, his face still pale. Following him were several doctors and Olivia Thorne’s hospital bed. She was propped up on the bed, looking weak. Alistair walked to my bedside. “Darling, you’ve worked hard.” I looked at him, a cold sneer in my heart. He spoke as if casually, “My sister-in-law’s baby didn’t make it; it was a premature birth and died. She’s upset, so I had her moved to this VIP room for a few days to rest quietly and recuperate.” I said nothing. “She is your sister-in-law, after all, and my brother passed away young. Since we’re all family, I thought she could be the baby’s godmother, what do you think?” I looked into his eyes; there wasn’t a trace of guilt. He packaged his affair with his sister-in-law and the child they had as a husband’s compassion for his sister-in-law. “Alright,” I nodded indifferently. Alistair nodded, satisfied, then turned to take his thermos out to get water. My gaze swept over the postpartum pads by my bedside. They were Olivia Thorne’s size. Even the postpartum pads he prepared for me were bought to fit her figure. I suddenly felt utterly ridiculous. Alistair left with the cup, and the doctors also left after settling in. Olivia Thorne, however, slowly rose, her steps instinctively moving towards the crib. “Olivia, you just gave birth, don’t move around too much.” My voice turned cold. She glanced at me, smiling gently. “I just want to see the baby.” “No need, he just fell asleep.” I instinctively shielded the crib, pushing her away. Olivia suddenly shrieked, collapsing to the floor. “Olivia!” Alistair cried out, rushing over. A dark red patch seeped through the hem of her hospital gown; it was blood from a burst wound. “Audrey, I just wanted to see your child, why did you push me… Are you afraid I’d bring bad luck to the baby? Boo-hoo-hoo…” Alistair abruptly looked up, his gaze at me like knives. “Audrey Hayes! My sister-in-law just had surgery, why would you push her?!” “You’re absolutely insane! I’ll have my sister-in-law transferred to a platinum suite, you need to calm down!” For several days, Alistair didn’t visit me. My wound throbbed faintly, but I endured it, never once pressing the call bell. On the fifth day, my mother arrived. When she pushed open the door, I was leaning against the headboard, looking out the window. The first glance at me brought tears to her eyes. “How did you get so thin?” I smiled and said I was fine, that all mothers looked like this after childbirth. She didn’t believe it, insisting on pulling back the blanket to look at my wound. The gauze was soaked in blood. My mother’s tears immediately fell, and she frantically called the nurse. I was helped to the examination room for new stitches. The disinfectant touching the torn flesh made me gasp, but I didn’t utter a sound. My mother stood beside me, her hands trembling. “Is Alistair treating you badly?” I didn’t want her to worry. “No, Mom, he’s not well, he can’t manage.” My mother opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but swallowed it back. “Your uncle will be here today. Whatever grievances you have, tell him. He’ll make things right for you.” I paused. Uncle Julian Thorne, CEO of Thorne Industries. In Ashton, his word could shake half the city. In these years since I married into the Walker family, my uncle and I hadn’t had much interaction. I always thought not to burden him, never bothered him. This time, I might not be able to hold on alone. After my mother left to pick up my uncle, I went to the restroom at the end of the corridor to wash my face. When I returned, the crib was empty. “Where’s the baby?” I asked the nurse anxiously. The nurse didn’t even look up. “Mr. Walker said he took him to his room, to have his sister-in-law help look after him.” My mind buzzed. I turned and ran to Olivia Thorne’s room. The male nurse followed behind me. He was the one I had arranged beforehand, and he’d been staying nearby these past few days. As I pushed open the door, I saw Olivia half-propped on the bed, her hospital gown half-open, breastfeeding. Alistair sat in a chair by the bed, a smile on his lips. I rushed over and snatched the baby from Olivia’s arms. The baby was startled awake and cried loudly. Olivia hastily covered her chest, her eyes instantly red. “Audrey, what are you doing?!” Alistair stood up, his face darkening. “Uncle Julian is here to bring the baby a welcoming gift. I’m taking him now.” I hugged the baby tightly, my voice as cold as ice. Alistair frowned. “Why are you in such a hurry? Olivia’s breasts are engorged and uncomfortable. What’s wrong with letting the baby help her?” I ignored him and turned to leave. The next second, Olivia grabbed the baby’s tiny arm. The baby cried as if his heart would break. I pushed her away. “You’re pinching him?” Olivia recoiled her hand, tears instantly flowing. “I didn’t… I just wanted to help him steady himself…” The male nurse couldn’t stand it anymore and rushed forward to shield me. “Miss, the baby is still so young, you can’t do this—” Before he could finish, two bodyguards burst through the door, pinning the male nurse to the ground, one on each side. Alistair Walker looked down at him, a cold sneer on his face. “You’re just a nurse, daring to interfere with the master?” With that, several slaps rained down, one, two, three. The male nurse’s face quickly swelled, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. “Let him go!” I tried to pull the bodyguard away, but another held my shoulder, unable to move. “Send him to the police station,” Alistair said lightly. “Bold to harm my child.” He took the baby from my arms. The baby was still crying, the red marks on his arm alarming. Alistair looked down, then suddenly froze. He turned the baby over, pushed aside his tiny clothes, exposing his shoulder. No birthmark. “Where’s the birthmark? Where’s the birthmark on the child’s shoulder?” The baby’s ear-splitting cries felt like daggers in my heart. I lunged to snatch him back, but Alistair kicked me in the lower abdomen. My freshly stitched wound immediately burst open, excruciating pain shooting through my entire body. I curled up on the ground, unable to even cry out. Alistair held the baby, looking down at me, his face ashen. “Audrey Hayes, have you been seeing someone else? Whose bastard child is this?” Sweat poured from my forehead from the pain. I gritted my teeth, refusing to speak. My silence infuriated him. He sneered, his gaze turning to the male nurse, who had fainted on the floor. “Not talking, huh? Then it must be an affair between you and this nurse.” He handed the baby to Olivia Thorne, motioning to a bodyguard. “Disable his lower half for the rest of his life.” “You wouldn’t dare!” I struggled to get up, but another bodyguard pinned me down. Fists and feet rained down on the male nurse, specifically targeting his groin. He was already unconscious, but his body still convulsed reflexively, blood pooling from his mouth. “Stop! You’re breaking the law!” I shrieked, my voice completely distorted. Alistair smoothed his sleeves, his tone sarcastic. “You cheated in our marriage, gave birth to a bastard with a strange man, and dare to talk to me about breaking the law? Do you believe I’ll make you leave with nothing, not a single penny?” Olivia held the baby, crying as if her heart would break. “Sister, please give the baby back to me, okay? We won’t pursue this, as long as the baby is safe…” I clenched my jaw, refusing to give in. Soon, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. My mother arrived first. Seeing the mess on the floor, her face instantly went white. “Audrey! What’s going on?!” She rushed over and hugged me, her voice trembling. Alistair gestured to a bodyguard, who kicked my mother’s knee, making her buckle. My mother, caught off guard, fell to her knees. “Alistair Walker! What are you doing?!” my mother shrieked. Alistair’s eyes were icy. “Audrey, I’ll ask you only one thing: where is the child? If you don’t tell me, your mother is next.” My mother’s eyes widened, her whole body trembling. “Are you insane? Try laying a finger on me! My brother, Julian Thorne…” Before she could finish, a bodyguard slapped her across the face. Several bodyguards began to hit my mother from both sides. Blood streamed down my mother’s chin, her hair disheveled, half her face swollen beyond recognition. But she gritted her teeth, not uttering a sound. She was a martyr’s widow. When my father died, she raised me alone, never bowing her head to anyone. But now, she was on her knees, being slapped like an animal. I charged forward like a madwoman, but two bodyguards held my arms, immobilizing me. “Alistair Walker! You’re crazy! She’s my mother! A martyr’s widow! I’ll see you rot in jail!” Alistair sneered. “A widow whose husband died, what trouble can she cause? If reporters come, I’ll just say your mother couldn’t stand the loneliness and found lovers for herself and for you. What’s wrong with me, Alistair Walker, cleaning up my household?” He walked to me, gripped my chin, forcing me to look at him. “Where is the child? Where have you hidden him?” I looked at his hypocritical face, and suddenly, I laughed. “You yourselves killed that child, and now you ask me where he is?” Alistair’s hand froze. Olivia’s crying stopped too. “What did you say?” Alistair’s voice changed. Olivia’s face drained of all color in an instant. She looked down at the baby in her arms, her lips trembling violently. She shrieked, her voice sharp enough to pierce eardrums, “You’re lying! That’s impossible!” “No… impossible…” Alistair’s voice began to tremble. His legs weakened, and he took a step back, bumping into the bedside table. Olivia had completely broken down, cradling the baby and sobbing hysterically. “My child! Give me back my child!” Looking at the two of them, I felt not a shred of satisfaction. Only a coldness seeping from my very bones. Alistair suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot, like a cornered beast. “Where did you hide my son?! Tell me!” He rushed forward and grabbed my neck, his fingers tightening. I couldn’t breathe, and my vision blurred. “Not talking? Fine.” He suddenly let go, turning to the bodyguards. “Drag her to the operating room. Take out her uterus. Let her never be a mother again.” My mother shrieked, “You wouldn’t dare! Julian Thorne won’t let you get away with this!” Alistair acted as if he hadn’t heard, waving his hand. The bodyguards dragged me out. I struggled, my hospital gown ripped, exposing my shoulder. People in the corridor glanced over, but no one dared to step forward. The operating room door was pushed open, and cold air rushed out. I was pressed onto the operating table, my hands and feet bound, my clothes stripped away. The smell of disinfectant made me want to vomit. “Begin,” Alistair commanded the doctor, his face cold. Just as the surgical knife was about to descend, the door was kicked open from the outside. “I’d like to see who dares lay a hand on her!!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “445990”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel