Category: English

His 99th Broken Glass When Julian smashed his ninety-ninth glass, I finally broke up with him. He exploded in rage. “Just because of a broken glass?” “Eleanor Vance, don’t forget you were the one who came begging!” I hadn’t forgotten. He was the one who broke the deal first, forgetting what he’d promised me. For the past two years, playing his trophy girlfriend, he thought I was obedient and docile. He had no idea. His ‘one who got away,’ his childhood sweetheart, his trophy girlfriend – none of them wanted to stay by his side. When Grandma Helen was hospitalized, Julian found me and offered a deal: be his girlfriend for three years, and he’d get Grandma Helen the best specialist. I couldn’t refuse. The doctors had said Grandma Helen’s illness was critical. I begged Julian to keep his word. Grandma Helen was the only family I had left. He agreed immediately, a smug, self-satisfied look on his face. “Right, what was your name again?” “My name is Eleanor Vance.” His expression shifted. A subtle, scrutinizing gaze, a condescending judgment washing over his face. He asked, “Is that… like *her* name?” I replied, “It’s from an old poem my grandma loved, about spring and renewal. Like ‘verdant green,’ but with a deeper meaning.” He scoffed. “Lost on me.” “Like ‘green,’ but not just the color.” He snorted. “Sounds awful.” He clearly had no taste. I loved the name Grandma Helen had given me. Julian took me to a bar, parading me in front of his friends like a new toy. “You’ve still got it, Julian!” someone flattered him. “You snap your fingers, and they come running!” He puffed out his chest, smug. “Women? Easy pickings.” The only one who actually greeted me was Brandon Miller. He smiled. “Good evening, future Mrs. Hayes.” Julian corrected him, sneering that I was just a mistress, not worthy of such a title. His attitude was so rude, I almost thought I’d misheard him earlier. But no, my hearing and memory were just fine. He’d simply decided he no longer wanted to acknowledge me as his girlfriend. I didn’t argue. I was terrified of angering him, of him backing out on our deal. “Hey, Julian, does she even drink?” Julian looked utterly confident, as if a simple drink was something everyone naturally knew how to handle. But I didn’t. Grandma Helen had always said drinking was bad for your health. “Julian, you’ve got yourself a real trophy girlfriend here!” Julian, for no apparent reason, exploded. He smashed the glass in his hand. “You can’t even drink! You’re an embarrassment!” I figured the only thing Julian was good at was drinking. Every time I went to a bar with him after that, he’d down more drinks than I could count. I’d occasionally worry he’d get alcohol poisoning, but he never did. When Julian got drunk, he’d suddenly start looking for me. “Sera… Sera—” Surprised, I hesitantly walked over, and he pulled me into a tight embrace. “Sera! Where did you go…” I was completely flustered when Brandon Miller walked over, coolly looking down at me. “Future Mrs. Hayes.” I looked up. Brandon sighed dramatically. “Julian’s not calling you. He’s calling his ‘one who got away’ ex-girlfriend—Seraphina Lockhart.” Seraphina Lockhart. The one he’d never truly gotten over. It clicked in an instant. I finally understood why Julian had asked about my name earlier – he was thinking of his ‘one who got away’ ex-girlfriend. “Three years ago, Seraphina went abroad for her studies, and they broke up. He’s never gotten over her.” Brandon said this, looking utterly moved. I didn’t quite get it. Julian didn’t strike me as the ‘deeply in love’ type. Anyway, if he wasn’t looking for me, but Seraphina, there was no point in me staying. “Brandon? I need to get back to the hospital to look after Grandma Helen. Could you keep an eye on him?” When I walked into her hospital room, Grandma Helen was knitting a scarf. It was the middle of summer, but I knew she was knitting it for me. She was afraid she wouldn’t live to see winter. She smiled when she saw me, immediately putting down her knitting to peel an apple for me. I didn’t want her to overexert herself. I gently moved both the apple and the scarf out of reach, then, under her slightly resigned gaze, I put a hat on her head. Grandma Helen’s hair had been shaved off, and I worried she’d be cold. “Grandma, don’t rush the scarf. Winter’s still a long way off.” “The doctors said a brilliant specialist is coming for your surgery. My Grandma Helen is going to live to be a hundred!” Julian was truly a high-handed jerk, always smashing glasses, but when it came to Grandma Helen’s illness, he was more attentive than I’d expected. He brought in the specialist, scheduled the surgery for three months later, and even hired two nurses to help me care for Grandma Helen. So, when he told me to move into the Hayes estate and learn household duties with Mrs. Gable, and how to cater to him, I acted perfectly obedient. He seemed satisfied. “A woman should know her place,” he said. I started learning how to be Julian’s trophy girlfriend – like always bringing him a glass of warm water after one of his hangovers. Under the nurses’ diligent care, Grandma Helen’s condition improved day by day, and I gradually caught up on my missed studies. At that point, I was truly grateful to Julian. I even thought I’d be a good trophy girlfriend and keep him satisfied.

Two months later, Julian’s ‘one who got away,’ Seraphina Lockhart, came back for a vacation. She’d heard Julian had a mistress, and she was curious. So Julian brought me out to show me off to her. “So, you’re Eleanor Vance?” Her hair was styled in soft curls. In the flashy, vibrant bar, she wore a simple white dress, looking every bit the pristine ‘one who got away.’ Brandon introduced her to me: “Future Mrs. Hayes, this is Seraphina.” Seraphina raised an eyebrow, surprised. “You call *her* Mrs. Hayes?” “Brandon,” Julian snapped, his face sour. “I told you, she’s not worthy of any title.” “Julian’s right. Not just anyone can be compared to Seraphina.” “What are you saying? Does Seraphina even *need* to be compared to anyone? She just has to stand there, and everyone will hand her whatever she desires.” “An international elite like her is just different. Some people will never leave their hometown. Guess that’s just fate.” It sounded like deriving superiority from me made them very happy. I looked at Julian. He was staring at Seraphina, as if he were deaf, or perhaps he just didn’t care. Seraphina, however, remained perfectly composed. “I hear you’re a student at a top university? You attend classes during the day and sleep at night. I’m just curious how you manage to care for Julian.” With just that one sentence from Seraphina, Julian’s face immediately darkened. I frowned, confused. “I don’t just sleep as soon as I get home from school…” Julian cut me off, his voice cold. “Enough! Seraphina has a point. You’re always going to school, running back and forth between here and there. It’s a waste of time!” “Tomorrow, you’re going to drop out!” I stared at Julian, utterly disbelieving. Just because of one illogical comment from Seraphina, he wanted me to drop out of a top university?! Brandon Miller actually started applauding, saying it was a great idea. I thought they were all insane. I looked at Julian defiantly. His brows furrowed in fury. “What kind of impression are you making, running around outside all day?!” “Besides, if you drop out, won’t you have more time to look after that old woman? I’m doing this for your own good!” His words did remind me. Grandma Helen hadn’t had her surgery yet. I heard my own voice, trembling. “…Fine.” I dropped out. Julian didn’t come back until the third morning. The moment he walked in, he started throwing my belongings out. “Didn’t I buy you clothes? Do you think your own rags are presentable?!” What counted as ‘presentable’ clothes? I didn’t get it. Julian, dressed in thousands of dollars worth of designer clothes, was throwing my things around, looking anything but dignified. He started tossing things off my desk. “Wait! Julian, that’s the necklace Grandma Helen gave me. Throw out whatever else you want, just not this!” I lunged forward, snatching the necklace from his hand. He looked absolutely enraged. I suspected he wanted to hit me, but he opted to just smash another glass instead. “Don’t play the victim. Do whatever you want, just don’t let me see you wearing it.” I clutched the necklace tightly, promising I wouldn’t wear it out. But Julian wasn’t done with me. “Who said you could even go out? As long as Seraphina is here, you’re not leaving this house!” I couldn’t help but argue. “What does Seraphina have to do with this? Besides, I need to go with Grandma Helen for her surgery in a few days!” “You’re not a doctor, what good would you be there? Just stay put! As long as Seraphina is here, you’re not going anywhere!” When it came to Grandma Helen, I wouldn’t make any concessions to Julian. He locked me in my room, but on the day of the surgery, I jumped out the window. Luckily, Grandma Helen’s surgery was a success. The bad news was, I’d sprained my ankle. While the doctor was wrapping my ankle, Julian stormed into the hospital, with Brandon Miller trailing behind, clearly enjoying the drama. “Eleanor Vance, are you insane?! Jumping from that high building, do you think that makes you look impressive?!” I was actually more afraid his shouting would wake Grandma Helen. Julian was about to continue his tantrum when he suddenly got a call. The fury on his face melted away like butter. “Sera? You’re leaving? Okay, I’ll drive you to the airport right now.” He turned and left. I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Brandon Miller, surprisingly, didn’t leave with him. He found a seat nearby. He smirked. “Your ankle looks lovely, future Mrs. Hayes. Julian clearly doesn’t appreciate it.” I didn’t want to engage. I put my shoes back on. Brandon immediately offered a feigned apology. “Sorry about that, future Mrs. Hayes. Oh, by the way, did you know Julian has a childhood sweetheart fiancée? Briar Rosewood.” “What’s that to me, Mr. Miller?” He clicked his tongue. “Looks like you don’t care for Julian at all, future Mrs. Hayes.” “What’s that to *you*, Brandon Miller?”

When I dropped out, my professors were truly disappointed. But I didn’t let it get me down. I used my free time to self-study and write business proposals. Julian was spending a lot of time at home then – well, it *was* his home. Anyway, he found my messy proposal drafts and dismissed them as childish nonsense. I tuned out his cutting remarks. As long as he didn’t interfere, I was fine. Two days later, he suddenly had his female secretary bring me a stack of case studies that weren’t available to the public, saying they were to broaden my horizons. His secretary, Ms. Reid, was very straightforward. “These proposals are excellent. Just ‘broadening your horizons’ would be a waste.” I actually smiled, genuinely. I really did like these, far more than the flashy, impractical clothes Julian bought me. Julian watched me, sipping his water, and somehow, his hand slipped, smashing another glass. He covered his awkwardness by bringing up a fireworks display that night, asking if I wanted to go with him. I was genuinely unaccustomed to him acting… normal. The short period between Seraphina leaving and Briar arriving was one of the few times I could call peaceful, almost lulling me into complacency. Julian still occasionally drank with his friends. When he got drunk, he’d barely recognize anyone, calling me “Sera,” and saying he wanted to be with “Sera.” I felt a flicker of something, and then confusion. I wasn’t sure which ‘Sera’ he was calling for. The drunk wouldn’t listen. He just kept repeating, “Sera, we’re going to be together forever.” I thought about it, then patted his hand, promising that as long as he didn’t do anything to betray me, I could try to be with him. Julian seemed to smile. But I didn’t notice, continuing, “Still, forever is too long. We only have three years.” The next morning, Julian left, looking absolutely furious. I thought he was feeling unwell, but he didn’t drink the honey water I’d left on the table for him. I tidied up the table, then went to accompany Grandma Helen for her follow-up. The doctor said her illness had a chance of recurrence and it would be best for her to stay for observation. As soon as I got back to the Hayes estate, I saw a strange woman, wearing a pink sundress, laughing playfully with Julian. Julian, currently, looked utterly delighted. That girl was Briar Rosewood, the childhood sweetheart Brandon Miller had mentioned, the one engaged to Julian. “Julian, darling, who is *she*? How can just anyone walk in here?!” Briar saw me before Julian did. She tightened her grip on his arm. Julian replied coldly, “She’s nothing.” I didn’t want to be ‘nothing,’ so I told Briar directly that I was Julian’s mistress. “What?! How could Julian, darling, be interested in *you*? Is your family incredibly rich?” “No, I’m from a very modest background.” “Then… are you a brilliant student?” Her words truly stung. I glanced at Julian; he was gazing at Briar with doting eyes. “…I didn’t finish college.” Briar refused to believe I was so utterly useless. She turned to Julian for confirmation. Julian said, “Alright, Briar, she really is just someone I keep around for fun.” Briar’s gaze turned hostile as she looked at me. “Oh, I see. My apologies for earlier, Eleanor dear.” Briar was clearly calling me that on purpose. Julian glared at me, displeased, then ruffled Briar’s hair. “Just call her by her name. Seraphina doesn’t like being mimicked.” “But that’s so rude, Julian, darling.” “Hmm… I’m a little hungry. Would Eleanor, um, be upset if I asked her to make me dinner, Julian, darling?” Julian gestured at me with a flick of his head. “What are you waiting for? Go!”

Briar was truly like a songbird. The moment she arrived, the entire Hayes estate filled with laughter. I silently listened as I chopped vegetables in the kitchen. Distracted, I sliced my index finger, staining the entire cutting board red with blood. I walked out of the kitchen and heard Julian inviting Briar to stay over. “Julian, darling, Eleanor, um, won’t be unhappy if I stay here, will she?” Briar, again, saw me first. She asked Julian the question, but her eyes were deliberately fixed on me. Julian replied, “Of course not. What’s wrong with a little sister staying at her big brother’s house for a night? Let her try to frown, I dare her!” Briar tilted her head, a smug smile on her face. “Oh, Eleanor dear, why are you out here?” I replied flatly, “Cut my hand.” Julian immediately jumped in to defend Briar. “I bet you just don’t want to cook for Briar! Such a tiny cut, and you’re already being dramatic!” I thought Julian must have bad eyesight. Briar had clearly seen my blood on the floor. “Alright, Julian, darling, let her deal with it. It doesn’t look good to have blood everywhere. I’d rather go out to eat with you~” Hearing Briar say that, I started walking upstairs. Julian roared, furious. “Eleanor Vance, stop right there! What’s with the attitude?! And don’t you dare give me that look!” Heaven knows, I wasn’t. “Julian, you two go out. I’m going to bed.” “Eleanor Vance! If you go back to your room, don’t you *ever* come out again!” Forever again. He always uttered ‘forever’ so casually. Anyone with a modicum of sense would know he couldn’t actually lock me up forever. If I wanted to leave, even if it meant jumping out a window, I would do it. Briar came to find me privately, telling me to leave Julian quickly so she wouldn’t have to deal with me. I was curious. Had she really loved Julian for twenty years just because of a verbal engagement? “What business is it of yours?!” Of course, it wasn’t my business. I told her I wouldn’t be leaving Julian for now. I’d promised to be Julian’s girlfriend for three years. I always kept my word. Integrity wasn’t a mistake. She scoffed. “I think *you’re* the one who’s been in love with him for twenty years.” She walked away, then suddenly turned back. “Oh, right, Julian, darling, asked me to call you downstairs.” I didn’t know what Julian’s latest fit was about. He pulled me into his car, said nothing, and floored the accelerator harder than he did when racing. “Where are you taking me?” He didn’t answer. The car screeched to a halt in front of a hotel. His face was grim. I had a creeping sense that something bad was about to happen. The next second, I heard him ask, “Eleanor Vance, do you like me?” I countered, “What about you, Julian? Do *you* like me?” “…How could I possibly like you?” “I like girls like Briar. As for you, no education, no background – don’t be delusional.”

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Under the unforgiving midday sun, I was on a delivery run, carrying a customized Western meal worth a whopping eighty-eight thousand, eight hundred and eighty-eight dollars. When I reached the mansion gates, I heard bursts of laughter from inside. “She actually believes you’re a failed entrepreneur, slaving away at odd jobs every day to support you?” “I heard she even sold her grandmother’s heirlooms for your eighth startup.” “If she knew you were the high-and-mighty scion of Ford Industries, deliberately faking poverty to make Briar happy, she’d probably pass out from rage.” Declan Ford’s voice dripped with mockery. “Well, she *did* target Briar back in college. This is just a little lesson for her.” I stood frozen at the entrance, tears streaming down my face, unstoppable. For the past two years, for him, I’d rebelled against my Grandpa Richard and ran away from home. I’d even refused my arranged engagement to the Thorne family, dedicating myself completely to him. And this was the result. Finally, with trembling hands, I dialed a number I hadn’t called in ages. “Grandpa, I was wrong. I’ll agree to the engagement.”

Inside the mansion, Briar Miller’s saccharine voice echoed. “Brother Declan, you’re the best to me! That Aubrey Hayes is nothing. She doesn’t deserve to be with you. It’s been far too easy for her these past two years.” I stood rigid outside the door, the takeout bag in my hands suddenly weighing a ton of bricks. Today was Declan’s and my two-year anniversary. I’d planned to finish this last delivery and head home to prepare a surprise. Declan’s voice, lighter and more frivolous than I’d ever heard it, responded, “Of course, she doesn’t deserve me. If it wasn’t to get revenge for her ‘bullying’ you back then, why would I stoop so low? Playing house with her for two years…” Briar giggled. “Brother Declan, look how ridiculous she is! She really thinks she’s some kind of savior, delivering food every day to support her ‘down-on-his-luck’ prince.” Through the cracked door, I saw Declan lounging lazily on the couch, not a hint of a “failed entrepreneur” about him. And on Briar Miller’s slender wrist, unmistakably, was my grandmother’s carved stone bracelet. Declan pinched Briar’s cheek. “Watching her grovel for delivery fees to customers was truly satisfying.” My vision blurred, my breathing grew shallow. For the past two years, I’d woken up at four in the morning to deliver food, not clocking out until eleven at night. I’d even sold all my valuables. Even the bracelet my grandmother left me, I’d pawned it off. That night, Declan held me close and said, “Aubrey, once I get back on my feet, I’ll make sure you live a good life.” But it turned out his so-called family bankruptcy, orphaned parents, and repeated startup failures… It was all a web of lies, spun to help another woman get revenge on me. I shoved the door open. The laughter inside abruptly ceased. Declan sprang up from the couch as if he’d been zapped, his face instantly paling. “Aubrey… Aubrey? What are you doing here? I’m discussing business with friends.” I didn’t even glance at him, my gaze locked on Briar Miller’s wrist. “Give me back my bracelet.” Briar arrogantly tilted her chin. “Why should I? Declan gave this to me as a gift.” My voice trembled uncontrollably. “That’s my grandmother’s heirloom! I only pawned it to lend Declan money for his ‘startup’!” The smile on Declan’s face froze. He instinctively grabbed my wrist, trying to coax me with his usual gentle tone. “Aubrey, let me explain…” I yanked my hand away. “Explain what? Explain how you lied to me for two years? Or explain how you casually gave away my grandmother’s heirloom?” Briar stood up, deliberately clutching the carved stone bracelet on her wrist. “You want it? Fine, a million dollars. Pay me now, and it’s yours.” A million dollars! Ever since I’d broken ties with my family, I’d been utterly penniless, all my money going into Declan’s supposed ventures. I couldn’t even scrape together a thousand dollars. Declan, standing nearby, averted my gaze, silently condoning Briar’s deliberate humiliation of me. My heart plummeted. I gritted my teeth and said, “Give me three days. I’ll buy it.” Briar laughed, a loud, exaggerated sound. “Three days? You couldn’t earn a million dollars in a lifetime of deliveries.” With that, she snatched the takeout bag from my hand and flung the eighty-eight thousand dollar customized Western meal all over me. Briar then crushed the expensive beef with her high heel. “See? People like you only deserve to smell it.” I was covered in grease, but I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. Briar sneered, then suddenly took off the bracelet and yanked open the window. “Look at your pathetic, poor self. Since you care so much…” Before I could even react, she tossed the bracelet out. I immediately rushed to the window, screaming, “No—!” The bracelet arced through the air and disappeared into the filthy storm drain below. My grandmother had personally put it on my wrist on her deathbed. It was my last tangible link to family.

I pushed away Declan, who was trying to grab me. “Get lost.” Under everyone’s stunned gazes, I jumped into the storm drain without hesitation. Instantly, the foul water rose to my waist, and the stench assaulted me. Around me, gasps and jeers erupted, but I blocked them out. Briar’s piercing laughter echoed from upstairs. “Hahaha, look at that crazy woman! Jumping into a cesspit for a broken bracelet! I’m dying!” Declan frowned and yelled at me, “For a broken bracelet, are you really doing this?” Broken bracelet? It was the only keepsake my grandmother left me! And his beloved Briar had tossed it away like garbage! I frantically fumbled in the murky water, enduring the blazing sun overhead. I searched in the sewage for almost half an hour. Finally, I felt the outline of the bracelet, but it had shattered into three pieces. Clutching the broken bracelet, I slowly climbed out of the storm drain. The crowd of onlookers quickly covered their noses and parted, clearing a path for me. Declan’s voice, sharp with disdain and fury, came from the mansion steps. That face, which once made my heart flutter, was now distorted and unfamiliar. “Aubrey Hayes! If you dare to leave now, we’re over.” I looked down at the shattered stone in my hand, my voice eerily calm. “We’re already over.” Briar walked over, her high heels clicking, and intimately linked her arm through Declan’s. She shook her wrist, showing off another gold bracelet. “Brother Declan, why waste words on this lowlife? She’s not even worth mentioning. Should I throw this one down too? Make her perform another jump into the cesspit?” Declan suddenly sneered. “Aubrey, watching you work like an idiot to support me for two years has been the greatest joy of my life. Don’t think for a second I’d ever like a cheap woman like you. You don’t even wear makeup; you’re an embarrassment to be seen with.” My entire body trembled, tears blurring my vision. My voice was icy cold. “We’re done!” But Declan’s face changed, his expression shifting from panic to grimness. “Aubrey, who do you think you are? You lived off me for two years! You’re nothing without me! Now you just want to walk away?” I let out a bitter laugh. “Lived off you? Declan Ford, can you honestly say who was supporting whom for the past two years? Who was working three jobs a day for your ‘startup’?” Briar kept her distance, covering her nose and frowning. “Oh, those gifts Brother Declan bought you, those fancy restaurants he took you to—that was all money! Now you just want to walk away without a care!” Those so-called “gifts” were all bought with my blood, sweat, and tears. Declan’s “fancy restaurants” were always paid for by me. I turned towards the gate, emphasizing again. “We’re finished!” Without another glance at them, I turned and walked away, resolute. How could I have been so blind, to fall in love with such a monster? Half an hour later, a black Maybach pulled up by the curb.

Three months ago, Declan had once again claimed a failed venture, needing to repay a large sum of debt. He’d introduced me to delivery work, claiming it was to “help me out.” Looking back, it was nothing but a carefully orchestrated scam. It was to make me suffer, to get revenge for his precious Briar. Forget it. It’s all in the past now. My life can finally get back on track. I quit my delivery job and went back to my apartment to pack all my luggage. The next day, I arrived at The Grand Metropolis Hotel. It was the city’s top hotel, and one of Grandpa Richard’s many properties. I dragged my bulky suitcases through the hotel lobby, my rough clothes and worn canvas shoes starkly out of place amidst the luxury. Suddenly, that irritating voice echoed from behind me. Briar Miller, wearing a designer dress and high heels, walked up. She strutted like a proud peacock. “Well, well, isn’t this Aubrey Hayes, the one who jumped into the cesspit the other day?” I kept walking, but she grabbed my luggage. “What’s wrong? Declan dumped you, and now you’re so desperate you’ve come to a place like this to hunt for a sugar daddy?” Her cronies burst into laughter. Someone even kicked my suitcase over, scattering my clothes across the floor. I looked at the mess on the ground and calmly said, “Pick them up.” Briar dramatically rubbed her ear, then stomped her foot down on my white shirt, leaving a clear high-heel mark. “What? You want me to pick them up? How about this! You kneel down and beg me, and maybe I’ll be in a good mood and pick them up for you.” More and more people gathered, some starting to chant, “Kneel! Kneel!” I remained standing still. Briar suddenly reached out to push me. “What are you pretending for? In college, I couldn’t stand that act of yours. It was so annoying.” But I was prepared. I turned sideways and dodged her. She, however, had put too much force into the push and stumbled into the designer bag display rack behind her. Various limited-edition designer bags tumbled down, some even getting scratched by the metal edges of the display. *Bang!* The lobby instantly fell silent. Briar’s face was ashen. She pointed at me and shrieked, “You… you deliberately pushed me!” “Oh my god! Those are limited editions!” “I saw it! She definitely pushed her.” “Hahaha, how many designer bags did that hillbilly ruin?” “One Chanel Classic, three Hermès Birkin bags, and several limited-edition collaborations…” Briar walked up to me, raising her voice. “Those are worth at least five million dollars. Enough to land you in jail for ten years!” I remained silent. Briar smugly stepped closer and continued, “I do have a good idea, though. You kneel down and bow to each of these bags. For every bow, I’ll count off one of the bags. How about that? A good deal, right?” A few people around Briar snickered and closed in. “Yeah, kneel down and bow! Let’s see how a low-wage earner bows! Hurry up and do it! Or we’ll call the police right now and have you arrested.” Just then, Declan stepped out of the elevator. He saw the scene and frowned. “What’s going on?” Briar’s expression immediately shifted. She tearfully threw herself into his arms. “Brother Declan, she tried to hurt me! She deliberately pushed me into the display!” Declan glanced at me, then quickly comforted Briar. To me, he said, “Aubrey, apologize to Briar. I can help you…” I let out a cold laugh. “We have no relationship anymore. I don’t need your help.”

Declan’s eyes turned dark and menacing. He took a step forward and grabbed my wrist, his grip so strong it felt like he might shatter my bones. “Aubrey, don’t push your luck. I hated that haughty attitude of yours in college. You were still played by me for two years. Fine, if you don’t want my help…” I trembled with rage, pulling my hand free. “Let go!” Briar triumphantly wiggled her high-heeled foot. “I have an idea. Lick my shoe clean first. Maybe I’ll be in a better mood and let you off.” A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd. Declan, in front of everyone, declared loudly, “Don’t be shy! Every single time you had to grovel and beg for money, I recorded it and sent those videos to Briar; she always found them hysterical.” My whole body trembled, and the world began to blur. All the humiliation, all the subservience of the past two years… It was all just their casual entertainment! Declan grew even more excited. “Oh, and especially that video of you kneeling on the ground, begging a customer. We even posted it in the alumni group chat, with the title ‘Former Campus Queen Kneels for Ten Bucks’.” *Slap!* I raised my hand and slapped Declan across the face. “Stop talking.” The loud slap cut him off. Declan’s face turned to one side, a bright red handprint instantly appearing on his cheek. He stared, disbelieving. “You… you dare to hit me?” Before he could react, I swung my hand back and delivered another slap, this time to Briar Miller’s face, as she tried to pull me away. My voice rang out, clear and resonant, “I *am* hitting you! You two worthless cheats!” Briar Miller’s carefully made-up face instantly swelled. Her nose, plumped up with fillers, was practically shattered. “Ah—my nose!” Declan immediately shielded Briar and yelled, “Guards! Grab this crazy woman!” Five or six cronies immediately rushed forward. Overwhelmed by sheer numbers, they pinned me to the ground. My cheek slammed hard against the marble floor, and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. Briar shrieked hysterically, “Hold her head down! Make her kowtow to me!” Rough hands grabbed my hair, slamming my head against the floor, again and again. Declan sneered, pulling out his phone to record. “This time, I’m putting it online. Let’s see if you ever dare to bully Briar again.” My forehead quickly began to bleed, and I lay prostrate on the marble floor. Briar’s shrill voice was full of malice. “You were so strong in college, weren’t you? Now look at you, sprawled on the ground like a dog.” Unending humiliation and rage surged through me. I never wanted to stoop to their level and use my power, but now that they were doing it, I summoned all my strength, lifted my head, and shouted, “I am Aubrey Hayes! The sole heiress of Hayes Group! My grandfather is Richard Hayes!” A brief silence fell over the lobby. Then, even more furious laughter erupted! “She says she’s Aubrey Hayes? Then I’m the heir to the British crown!” “Is she insane? She’s started talking nonsense.” Briar laughed so hard she couldn’t stand straight, tears practically streaming down her face. “Aubrey Hayes? Aubrey Hayes is engaged to the young scion of Imperial Corp! I don’t expect you to call your grandpa out, but if you’ve got guts, call out your fiancé to back you up!” “What a joke, she’s talking big without a thought.” I felt utterly pathetic. My voice was hoarse. “Declan Ford, for the past two years, I was blind to your deception. But since you’re pushing me this hard, I won’t make it easy for you either.” Declan paused, then burst into a sharp, grating laugh. “Still acting out the whole drama, huh? Let me tell you, from college onwards, you always had that haughty attitude, rejecting my advances. If Briar hadn’t wanted to see you humbled, I wouldn’t have given you a second glance.” Briar walked over, looking down at me condescendingly, her sharp heel poised over my fingers. “Brother Declan’s right. Lowlifes like you are only good for our amusement. I heard you can play piano too, can’t you? Wonder if you can still play after I break your fingers—!” My hands were seized by several people, and the heel pressed into my flesh. A searing pain shot through me. Just then, a deep, cold male voice suddenly cut through the crowd from behind. It wasn’t loud, but it sliced through the clamor like a sharpened blade. “Stop.”

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In my past life, my late father raised two girls, Isabella and Chloe, with the explicit understanding that one of them would become my wife, the matriarch of our family. They were both breathtakingly beautiful and exceptionally bright. On my wedding night, I was expected to choose one of them. But I lost my engagement ring and rushed back to the venue in the pouring rain to find it. Meanwhile, behind my back, Isabella and Chloe were having an affair with a poor student named Rhys, letting him defile them both. When I returned at dawn, all three of them were sprawled on the same bed. Rhys had an arm around each of them, sleeping soundly, while a sickening, cloying scent hung heavy in the air. I was furious, but they quickly turned it around, branding me as jealous and irrational. Later, they teamed up, seizing control of my company. I died tragically in a suspicious car accident. As my soul lingered, only one person guarded my body, her face contorted with grief, her eyes blazing with intense hatred. She buried me herself, but when Isabella, Chloe, and Rhys found out, they sent bodyguards to brutally attack and kill her at my grave. My own remains were later desecrated and scattered to the wind. Then, my eyes snapped open. I was back, the day before my wedding. This time, the privileges they’d enjoyed? They were being revoked.

“Asher! How dare you lay a hand on Rhys?!” I froze, two lifetimes of memories crashing into each other, making my head throb. Isabella and Chloe each slapped me, and Chloe, always the fiery one, immediately kicked me hard in the stomach. Pain shot through my body, but the emotion in my eyes flared, twisting into a bitter, chilling smile. In my past life, at this very moment, Isabella and Chloe were parading Rhys around the company like he was already the CEO. They’d been blunt, explicitly stating that Rhys was about to take over as president. And I? I was expected to step back after the wedding, become a house husband with no say. After all, my reputation as a useless heir? I owed it all to them. I stared at the three of them, my face cold as ice, a terrifying hatred making my body tremble. Even the company employees showed me, their actual boss, no respect. Snickering and mockery rang out one after another. “Mr. Miller is a total good-for-nothing, a scaredy-cat and useless. If it weren’t for Ms. Isabella and Ms. Chloe supporting him all these years, the Miller family’s century-old business would have been ruined by that incompetent fool. Does he even have the nerve to cause a scene?” “You’re right! I’ve been waiting for a new president. I hear Rhys graduated with a finance degree from a top-tier university like Harvard. With him leading us, our salaries are sure to double!” At that, a smug look crossed Rhys’s bruised face. I remembered my past life. He had barged into my office, interfering with a real estate project we were about to develop, insisting on adding some remote town to our carefully planned urban area. I’d been furious, suppressing my rage only to punch him square in the face. Isabella and Chloe had walked in just then. They’d flown into a rage, dragging me out of the office by force. They had publicly reprimanded me, then taken turns physically attacking me, all to vent their anger on Rhys’s behalf. As the memories flooded back, I glared at their greedy, malicious faces. A mocking smirk tugged at my swollen lips. They’d enjoyed the pampered life in the Miller household for years, yet they’d forgotten their humble origins. It was time to make them face reality. Isabella heard the employees’ words, grinning from ear to ear. She cast a rewarding glance at the employee who’d spoken up. “Rhys is incredibly talented; only he deserves to be in charge of this company. Wouldn’t you agree, everyone?” Isabella’s deliberately leading words sparked cheers from the crowd. They seemed to forget that the true owner of this place was me. I slowly lifted my eyelids, watching the farce unfold with a blank expression, a dark glint in my eyes. I was already calculating my next moves. Reborn, I wouldn’t waste another second caring about them.

That same day, I was kicked out of the company, my position taken over by Rhys. Late that night, the three of them returned, reeking of alcohol. When Isabella saw me, disgust flashed in her eyes. She curled her lip and barked, “What are you staring at? Come serve Rhys and get him ready for his bath! You’re useless, that’s all you’re good for.” Meanwhile, a drunken Rhys was leering, lust-struck, at Chloe’s cleavage. An idea sparked in my mind. I feigned obedience and answered her. Inside the bathroom, I watched the drunken Rhys with a cold stare. I grabbed his collar and shoved him into the filled bathtub. His hazy eyes snapped clear. He struggled fiercely against my grip. “So, you were faking it? Interesting, very interesting.” Our eyes met, and I clearly saw the vicious glint in his. I scoffed, then delivered an uppercut to his gut. He doubled over, writhing in pain, his once handsome face instantly contorting, flushed red. “You damn bastard! How dare you hit me? You’re finished!” “The Miller Corporation and your women? They’re mine. You’re destined to lose everything, to be reduced to ashes and scattered!” Hearing Rhys’s confident, hateful words, my heart skipped a beat. I raised an eyebrow, a little surprised. He’d been reborn too. I pretended to be confused, giving him an innocent look, then continued to pummel him. Rhys let out a shriek like a slaughtered pig. The next second, Isabella and Chloe burst into the cramped bathroom, their faces anxious and filled with concern. The sight of Rhys getting beaten made their eyes contract violently. “Are you looking for a fight?! Still daring to touch Rhys? Today, you’re definitely getting a lesson you won’t forget!” Isabella’s chest heaved with rage, while Chloe carefully helped Rhys up. Rhys leaned weakly into her arms, blood from his nose dripping onto Chloe’s nightgown, staining it with crimson spots. He dramatically clutched his chest, coughing weakly, like a character from a tragic play. He furrowed his brow, saying, “It’s alright. I shouldn’t have come to your home. It’s normal for Asher to have grudges. I’ll leave now.” With that, he started coughing violently, as if trying to cough out his lungs. Isabella and Chloe watched him, their hearts aching. “This is your home! If anyone’s leaving, it’s the rotten excess baggage. It’s pouring outside, and you’re so frail. You’re staying right here!” Isabella finished, her gaze fixed on me, as if I were a heinous criminal. I clenched my jaw, my entire jawline tight. Such vile people. In my past life, I had trusted them implicitly, based on over a decade of shared history. Even when I was misunderstood as a good-for-nothing, I never bothered to explain myself. All because of my father’s will, which stipulated that I choose one of them to be my wife. They were the girls raised by my family since childhood, meant to be our future matriarchs. But human hearts are fickle. They were no longer the Isabella and Chloe who once prioritized me, who guarded me like the apple of their eye. They conspired with an outsider to kill me, to have my remains scattered to the wind. Such treacherous traitors! In this life, I would make them pay for their blood debt!

Seeing my nonchalant attitude, Chloe was enraged. She immediately ordered Alfred, the butler, to kick me out of the house and commanded me to kneel outside until Rhys forgave me. I was surprised that even Alfred, who had served the Miller family for years, obeyed them. The plan to usurp me had likely been laid out long ago. A fine layer of cold sweat prickled my spine. I felt a chill run through me. I left the old mansion without a backward glance. Make me kneel and beg Rhys for forgiveness? They must be dreaming. The moment my foot stepped out of the old mansion, I was struck unconscious from behind. Through a haze of fading awareness, I dimly heard voices. “Ms. Isabella, you can’t draw any more! If you do, Mr. Miller will die!” The doctor’s voice was anxious, pleading with Isabella. Her voice was cold, like a demon descending, utterly merciless. “Draw one more bag, just in case. He’s still too energetic, daring to hit Rhys again and again. If we don’t teach him a harsh lesson, he’ll never learn to behave.” A single tear of regret slipped from the corner of my eye. The Miller family had nurtured them for years, only to raise two ungrateful wolves. When light finally greeted my eyes again, I slowly opened my heavy, weary lids. Every inch of my body screamed in pain, and the dizziness from blood loss made my vision black out in waves. I painfully fumbled for the phone in my pocket and called the person I least wanted to humble myself to. With everything finalized, the wedding day drew closer and closer. The mansion was bustling with activity. The sounds of laughter and chatter relentlessly pounded against my eardrums. When I appeared before everyone, disheveled and pale, Countless disdainful gazes fell upon me. Rhys stood in the center of the crowd, surrounded by admirers, Isabella and Chloe flanking him on either side. My family’s ancestral home had been desecrated by these people; even the family motto, personally inscribed by my grandfather, was covered in dirty footprints, shoved under a table leg. Rage instantly surged through my limbs, making my body tremble. “You’re all asking for death!” I roared, the suppressed emotions finally exploding. But only more sneering laughter answered me. Chloe tossed her hair, her eyes filled with contempt as she looked at me. “It’s just something from a dead person anyway. Why bother?” “Tonight is Rhys’s celebration. Get lost, don’t be an eyesore here,” Isabella added impatiently. I almost laughed. Dogs daring to chase away their master?

“Everyone, get out of here! This house belongs to the Millers!” At my words, everyone looked at me with disdain, chiming in one after another: “He truly is an idiot. The heads of the Miller family are Ms. Isabella and Ms. Chloe. You, Asher Miller, are just a parasitic dog. You should learn to behave yourself and keep your tail tucked!” A dull ache pierced my chest. I swept my gaze across the crowd, my eyes blazing with murderous intent. Just as I was about to speak, I saw Rhys holding my grandfather’s handwritten family motto. A wicked smile played on his lips, calculation practically dripping from his eyes. He raised an eyebrow, his voice chillingly cold. “Since you want it so badly, I’ll give it back to you then.” He slowly walked towards me, and the moment I reached out to touch it, he ripped the motto into shreds, flinging the pieces into my face. Then, a chorus of ear-splitting laughter erupted, the sound like sharp needles piercing my heart. Blood rushed to my head instantly. My eyes turned red as I seized his collar. “You bastard! You’re dead, you hear me?! Aaaargh!” That motto was the only keepsake my grandfather had left me. It had hung in the old mansion for twenty years, inscribed with our family’s core principles, meant to remind future generations. How dare Rhys destroy it! Bodyguards rushed over, pinning me firmly to the ground, my cheek pressed against the cold floor, a chill seeping into my heart. I struggled desperately, but Rhys lifted his foot and ground it hard onto the back of my hand. Isabella and Chloe’s tightly furrowed brows relaxed at the sight. “Tomorrow, at the wedding, hand over the heirloom jade bangle that represents the Miller matriarch. Otherwise, don’t blame us for getting rough.” My eyes were bloodshot, and I scoffed, shaking my head. My expression was icy. “There will indeed be a new Mrs. Miller, but it certainly won’t be either of you.” At that, Isabella and Chloe burst out laughing. Isabella sneered, “Besides us, who else would want to be the foster ward of a useless man like you? The Miller family raised us for years; we’re part of this family. The Miller family’s assets naturally belong to us too.” Hearing Isabella’s utterly shameless words, the coldness in my heart deepened. They seemed to have forgotten the look on their faces when they knelt, pleading humbly for me to choose them. “You’ve enjoyed wealth and luxury for so long, have you forgotten where you came from? Don’t forget who gave you all of this.” My words pierced directly into the most vile depths of their hearts. Both their faces twisted. Their eyes darted nervously, then they glared at me with bitter resentment. They tied me to a chair, letting the so-called guests pour drinks all over me. This was their punishment for me.

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At Damien Thorne’s funeral, I stood in a simple black dress, my face impossibly calm. The lawyer finished reading the will aloud. I took the microphone. “I’m donating all of Damien Thorne’s assets and estates,” I announced, my voice clear, “to his sworn enemy, Adrian Steele.” The room erupted. Guests gasped, whispers turned into shouts. My mother-in-law, Eleanor, collapsed on the spot. They pointed fingers, calling me crazy, a wicked woman who only craved the Thorne family’s wealth. “Damien’s body isn’t even cold yet! How *dare* you do this?!” I gazed at Damien’s black and white photo on the screen, a faint smile touching my lips. Just three days ago, I’d stumbled upon a video of him in Paris, wrapped around his first love, Serena Hayes, kissing her passionately. Now, he was “dead” in a foreign country, stripped of everything. **1.** “Stella! You psycho! You’ll rot in hell!” Chloe Thorne, Damien’s sister, lunged at me first, her hand raised to strike. I didn’t flinch. The slap stopped an inch from my face. Adrian Steele had blocked her. One of the key figures today, Damien’s arch-nemesis, and the recipient of my billion-dollar inheritance. He stood beside me, tall and commanding in a perfectly tailored black suit. “Ms. Thorne, control yourself.” His voice was low, laced with a cold warning. Chloe trembled with rage, pointing at both of us. “Oh, so it’s true! Adrian! My brother just died, and you two are already hooking up! You disgusting traitors!” The guests’ whispers turned into overt pointing and blatant gossip. “I heard Mrs. Thorne and Mr. Steele had something going on. I can’t believe it’s true!” “Poor Damien. His wife runs off with his sworn enemy and all his money before his grave is even dug.” Eleanor, my mother-in-law, stirred awake. Hearing their words, she gasped again, pointing a trembling finger at me. “This… this is a disgrace to our family name!” I shot her an annoyed glance. Stepping out from behind Adrian, I faced the crowd of “grieving” relatives and friends. “What I do is none of your business.” I paused, my gaze sweeping over the angry, greedy faces of the Thorne family. “As for the inheritance, it was Damien’s to leave to me. And I’ll give it to whoever I damn well please.” With that, I ignored their pathetic circus act. I turned to Adrian. “Mr. Steele, your legal team can handle the transfer from here.” Adrian’s eyes were probing, scrutinizing, devoid of the joy I’d expected. He simply nodded slightly. “My pleasure.” I walked away, my heels clicking, straight through the stunned crowd, escaping that revolting funeral home. As I slipped into the car, I finally let my guard down, my body trembling uncontrollably. I wasn’t crazy. I was simply burying my three-year dead marriage with my own hands. Three days ago, I was still planning Damien’s and my third wedding anniversary. He’d said he was going on a business trip to Europe and would return on our anniversary. I believed him. I even prepared a gift for him and booked his favorite restaurant, waiting eagerly. What I got instead was the devastating news of a car crash in the Alps—his vehicle plummeting off a cliff, his body unrecoverable. And a video sent by a foreign friend. The video’s backdrop was the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Damien, wearing the gray coat I’d bought him, was gently putting a necklace on a woman. That woman was his childhood sweetheart, Serena Hayes. That necklace was one I’d bought at an auction, intended as his anniversary gift. He’d taken it a few days prior, claiming he wanted to “check it out early.” In the video, Serena stood on tiptoes and kissed him, her smile bright and triumphant. Damien held her, his eyes overflowing with doting affection. The video’s caption read: “Thank you, my love, the best gift.” The posting time was the day *before* his supposed car accident. I watched the video again and again, from day to night, until my tears ran dry and my heart felt numb. So, his European business trip was a lie. His death in a car crash was a lie too. He simply wanted to use a carefully orchestrated “death” to get rid of me, his inconvenient wife. Then, with the massive fortune he’d inherited from me – my grandfather’s legacy – he planned to live happily ever after with his true love. Damien, how utterly ruthless you are. You probably thought I’d be heartbroken, spending the rest of my miserable life mourning your “remains.” You were wrong. I, Stella, never make a losing deal. You want to pull a disappearing act? I’ll strip you of everything. You want to live happily ever after with your first love? I’ll make you a pauper, and we’ll see if she still sticks by you then. As for your company, your life’s work… I’ll personally hand it over to the man you hate most, letting it become the sharpest knife to stab you in the heart. **2.** My first official meeting with Adrian Steele was at a private club. He was already there when I arrived. The man leaned back on the sofa, a cigarette between his fingers, smoke curling around him, obscuring his expression. Seeing me, he stubbed out the cigarette and gestured for me to sit. “Mrs. Thorne, quite the move.” He went straight to the point, a hint of mockery in his tone. I picked up the teacup in front of me and took a sip. “And Mr. Steele isn’t unhappy about it?” He let out a soft chuckle, then leaned forward, his sharp eyes locking onto mine. “I don’t understand. What’s your game?” “You.” I set down the teacup, meeting his gaze, enunciating each word. “To help you take down Thorne Enterprises.” The air instantly thickened with silence. Adrian’s eyes turned dangerous. He probably thought I was insane – a newly widowed woman, not focused on preserving her husband’s legacy, but instead conspiring with an outsider to ruin her in-laws’ business. “Reason.” He uttered a single word. “Damien Thorne isn’t dead.” This news clearly surprised him; his pupils contracted slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. “So, this is some kind of twisted marital game?” “No,” I shook my head, pulling my tablet from my bag and pushing it towards him. “This is a battle to the death.” On the tablet, the video of Damien and Serena kissing in Paris played on a loop. Adrian took one look and understood everything. “I see.” He leaned back against the sofa, a knowing look on his face. “So, you’re giving me Damien’s entire fortune just to get back at him for cheating?” “Isn’t that enough?” I countered. “Enough. But not enough to fully trust you.” Adrian tapped his fingers lightly on the table. “Ms. Thorne, business isn’t romance. Hatred alone won’t get things done.” “What about this then?” I pulled out a document and pushed it across to him again. “Thorne Enterprises’ project plans for the next six months, core technical data, and…” I looked at him, my voice dropping slightly, “all his shady off-the-books dealings.” I had painstakingly collected all of this information over the past three years, as Damien’s wife. I’d thought I’d never have a reason to use them. Adrian’s expression finally changed. He picked up the document, flipping through it page by page, his eyes widening with each shocking revelation. After reading the last page, he closed the file and looked back at me, his gaze complex. “Stella,” he used my first name for the first time, “what kind of woman are you, exactly?” I smiled, standing up. “One who can help you reach the top.” Our collaboration went exceptionally smoothly. With the internal data I provided, Adrian’s “Apex Innovations” was like a hungry wolf, precisely tearing at the throat of Thorne Enterprises. First, he snatched Thorne’s long-planned new energy project. Then, he poached their most crucial technical team. Thorne’s stock price plummeted, losing nearly ten billion in market value in just half a month. The Thorne family was like ants on a hot griddle. Eleanor and Chloe came to see me several times, their initial curses and threats gradually turning into desperate pleas. They begged me to return the assets to the Thorne family and save Thorne Enterprises. I refused to see them. Public opinion exploded. Everyone called me a “ruthless schemer” and a “vicious viper,” claiming I’d destroyed my husband’s century-old legacy all for a man. I couldn’t care less. **3.** I only wanted Damien to hurt. And he did, just as I wished. He called me countless times from an international number, but I didn’t answer a single one. My phone was flooded with texts. They started with shock and fury: “Stella, you’re insane! Do you know what you’re doing?! That’s *my* money!” “Stop your idiotic actions immediately! Give the money back!” Then came the questioning and confusion: “Why? Was our three years of marriage all a lie?” “What did I ever do to deserve this from you?” Finally, panic and pleading: “Stella, I was wrong. Please come back. Let’s start over.” “Stella, for the sake of what we once had, please just let me go.” I looked at those texts and found them utterly laughable. Until a text from an unfamiliar number caught my attention. “Ms. Thorne, this is Serena Hayes. I think it’s necessary we meet.” I arranged to meet Serena at a coffee shop. She arrived wearing a pristine white dress, her face bare of makeup, hair smoothly draped over her shoulders. She looked fragile and pitiful, like a pure, untouched white lotus. She was a stark contrast to the vibrant, arrogant woman in the video. “Ms. Thorne.” She sat opposite me, her voice soft, her eyes red-rimmed as if she’d been crying. I said nothing, merely stirring my coffee, waiting for her to speak. “I know you hate me.” She bit her lip, tears rolling down her cheeks. “What happened with Damien and me, I’m truly sorry. But I beg you, please let him go. He has nothing left.” “And isn’t his having nothing due to me?” I chuckled softly, finding it absurd. “Ms. Hayes, in what capacity are you begging me? As the victor?” My words visibly paled her face, and her tears flowed even faster. “No… I didn’t… I just loved him too much. Ms. Thorne, Damien… he loved you too. He just… made a mistake that any man could make.” “Oh?” I raised an eyebrow. “Like, planning a fake death to deceive me so he could live happily ever after with you?” Serena’s sobs hitched, and a flicker of panic crossed her face. “No… it’s not what you think. Damien faked his death because… because he was trying to evade a very dangerous business rival! He was afraid of implicating you, that’s why he resorted to such desperate measures!” She explained frantically, as if it were a perfectly reasonable excuse. I watched her pathetic performance, suddenly feeling a bit bored. “Ms. Hayes,” I set down my coffee cup, leaning forward and lowering my voice. “What do you think Damien’s reaction would be if he knew this conversation of ours was fully recorded by me and might ‘accidentally’ leak online?” Serena’s face instantly drained of all color. She stared at me in horror, as if seeing me for the first time. “You… you…” “Me what?” I stood up, looking down at her. “I should thank you, actually. You’ve just delivered a wonderful gift.” With that, I turned and left, leaving her sitting there, her face ashen. **4.** I thought this farce was over. But I was wrong. Damien Thorne came back. He broke into my villa one rainy night. Soaked to the bone, his hair disheveled, eyes bloodshot. The once dashing Thorne heir was now a pathetic stray dog. “Stella!” He grabbed my wrist, his grip so strong it felt like he might crush my bones. “You finally agreed to see me.” I yanked my hand free, stepping back. I looked at him coldly. “Who let you in? Get out.” “I won’t!” he roared, like a trapped beast cornered and desperate. “Tell me why! After all these years we’ve had together, how could you be so cruel?!” “Together?” I laughed, as if hearing the biggest joke. “Damien, you’re talking about us being ‘together’? Where was our ‘togetherness’ when you were holding Serena in Paris? Where was our ‘togetherness’ when you faked your death, trying to make a fool out of me?” My voice was low, but every word was a dagger to his heart. Damien’s face turned white, inch by agonizing inch. “You… you knew?” “Oh yes,” I said, crossing my arms, a sneer on my face. “Thanks to you, I saw everything. It was quite a show.” He staggered backward, his face a mask of disbelief. It took him a long moment to find his voice, a hint of desperate pleading in his tone. “Stella, it’s not what you think. Serena and I… that was fake! It was all part of a business deal, just for show!” “What about the fake death?” I pressed. “Was that for show too?” “Yes!” He frantically grabbed my shoulders. “I really did it to protect you! My rival is ruthless, and I was afraid he’d come after you! This was the only way to keep you safe temporarily!” He sounded sincere, his eyes filled with regret and pain, not like he was faking it. If I hadn’t personally seen him and Serena so intimate in that video, I might have actually believed him. “Damien,” I looked at him, my eyes devoid of warmth. “Save your excuses. They’re disgusting.” His hands froze in mid-air, the light in his eyes slowly dying. “You don’t believe me?” “Why would I believe a liar?” He suddenly laughed, a harsh, desperate sound. “Fine, fine, Stella.” He stared at me, his eyes turning venomous. “Do you really think you’ve won? Do you think Adrian Steele is a good guy? He’s only after you to use you! You gave him everything of mine, and sooner or later, he’ll kick you aside just like I did!” “That’s none of your concern.” “None of my concern?” He seemed provoked, lunging at me suddenly, grabbing my throat. “Stella, don’t push me! I can give you everything, and I can take everything away! Don’t forget how your grandfather built his empire! Your family, the Thornes, owe us!” The pressure on my throat tightened, and I could barely breathe. I looked at his face, twisted with fury, but my heart remained ice cold. My family, owing *his* family? What a ridiculous claim. Just as I was about to suffocate, the villa door burst open.

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Before my father-in-law passed away, he handed me a bank card with three million dollars. “Lily, as the eldest daughter-in-law, you should be the one to hold onto this three million.” In my previous life, I was so deeply touched by his gesture, I swore I’d protect this family with all my heart. But less than three days after his funeral, my brother-in-law, Kevin, and my mother-in-law, Brenda, cornered me, demanding I use the money to buy Kevin a house. When I swiped the card, there was only three hundred dollars inside. I tried desperately to explain, but they wouldn’t listen. Instead, they dragged relatives and friends to surround me, demanding I compensate them. Otherwise, they’d take the house my parents bought for me as a wedding gift. I refused. During the argument, Kevin brutally hit me over the head with a wooden stick, leaving me in a deep coma. My husband, Mark, signed a waiver and pulled my oxygen tube. My house was transferred to Kevin. Just before I faded away, I realized it was all their twisted plan. In this new life, I’ll make sure they get what they deserve.

Looking at the familiar scene before me, I knew I’d been reborn. “Lily, come here in a moment. Dad has something important to tell you.” Mark said that and went into my father-in-law’s room. Through the window, I saw Brenda and Kevin already inside. They scanned the room nervously, as if afraid someone might be eavesdropping. I hurried to the bathroom and made a quick call. “Lily, Lily, hurry! Dad’s almost gone! He has something to tell you!” Mark grabbed me and pulled me along. The other relatives and friends in the yard followed us in. My father-in-law lay quietly on the bed, his cheeks sunken, his face ashen. His cloudy eyes scanned the room, landing on me as I entered. He beckoned me closer. “Li… Lily, take this card. It has three million dollars in it. Take it!” Murmurs spread through the crowd. “Old Mr. Miller really favors his eldest daughter-in-law, giving her all this money!” I stood still. An auntie next to me nudged me. “Lily, go on, your father-in-law is calling you.” I looked uncomfortable. “How could I possibly take this? It should go to Mark or Brenda.” “Well, that’s true. You’re all family anyway, so it doesn’t matter who takes it.” My father-in-law waited, but I still didn’t move. He pointed at me anxiously, repeatedly calling out, “Li… Lily, take it!” Kevin, fuming, snatched the card and tried to shove it into my hand. I dodged him. “Lily Miller, what’s wrong with you? My dad’s on his deathbed, and you won’t even grant his last wish?” My father-in-law’s eyes welled up with tears. Brenda shot me a fierce glare. “Why are you dodging? Your dad trusts you, he sees you as one of his own, that’s why he’s giving it to you!”

Seeing this, the relatives and friends around us started to persuade me. “Lily, at a critical moment like this, you can’t be childish.” “Sister-in-law, why are you so stubborn? Just play along, even.” “Just take it, so the old man can rest in peace.” I said, expressionless, “I won’t take it. What if there isn’t really three million in it? Who’s responsible then?” At my words, panic flickered across Brenda’s and Kevin’s faces. Mark frowned, looking at me disapprovingly. “Lily, how could my dad lie to you? This might be his life’s savings.” Everyone paused, starting to sense something was off. No one spoke. Kevin pointed at me, enraged. “What nonsense are you spouting? You have to take this card!” Kevin’s overly defensive attitude just made everyone more suspicious. “I’ve heard of siblings fighting over inheritance, but I’ve never heard of them being so polite about it.” “Kevin is usually so money-hungry. Why is he acting so strange today?” I pressed my advantage. “I won’t take this card, but my devotion to Dad is genuine, Heaven as my witness.” My father-in-law, seeing his scheme fail, gasped, his breath caught, and then, just like that, he was gone. His eyes remained wide open, staring. Brenda shrieked and lunged at me. “You killed the old man with your stubbornness! Mark, your wife killed your dad! If you don’t teach her a lesson, how can you face your father’s spirit?” Everyone was in a flurry of activity, some trying to break up the fight, others arranging the funeral. At the wake, all the relatives and friends were present. Brenda sat on the floor, wailing to the heavens, pounding the ground with her hands. “Old man, our family is in such a mess! You toiled your whole life for this family.” “But your daughter-in-law wouldn’t even grant your last wish. You can’t even rest in peace!” Brenda’s cries were heart-wrenching. The two brothers glared at me, eyes practically spitting fire. The aunties helped Brenda up, advising me to show “respect for the deceased” and not cause a scene. Seeing Jake, my cousin, approaching from a distance, I nodded. “Alright. But first, I need to test the card in front of everyone to see if it really has three million dollars.” I asked Jake to bring a POS machine. Looking at Brenda, I said softly, “Mom, please give me the bank card. If I swipe it, we’ll know if there’s three million, won’t we?” “If there is, I’ll accept the card and kneel to beg your forgiveness. If there isn’t, then please stop trying to force this useless card on me.” At my words, Brenda clutched her pocket even tighter. She looked at Mark, who was burning paper offerings. Mark’s face darkened. “Don’t flaunt your wealth. Lily, what’s wrong with you today? Why are you always arguing with us? It’s just about holding a bank card. Just take it and keep it safe.” I scoffed in rebuttal. “Your dad himself said there’s three million on this card before he died. Everyone knows that. But whether there’s actually three million on this card, no one can guarantee.” “Besides,” I paused, looking pointedly, “someone who usually begs you for even a couple hundred bucks, isn’t tempted by this card’s money and is eager for me to keep it—I don’t believe there’s nothing shady going on!” Kevin stamped his foot, furious. “What are you rambling about? I’m showing you respect by letting you take it!” “Oh? You don’t even call me ‘Sister-in-law’ normally. Now you know how to show respect?” Jake held up the machine. “Arguing is useless. One swipe with this machine will tell us. This one’s from the bank, guaranteed real. Hand over the card.”

Brenda clutched her chest, pretending to collapse. Kevin lunged forward fiercely, trying to snatch the machine. But Jake, being much taller and stronger, easily pushed him back, making him stumble. Mark’s face was rigid, his brows furrowed as he accused me. “Lily, if you have issues with me, we can talk about them at home. My dad was just killed by your anger, and now you won’t even spare his funeral?” The people helping with the funeral also gathered around, pointing fingers at me. “Lily usually seems so sensible. Why is she so weird today?” “I think she’s heartless. Look, Old Mr. Miller passed away, and she hasn’t shed a single tear.” “Mark is so easygoing. If my wife killed my dad with her temper, I’d beat her half to death.” Brenda sat there whimpering, while Kevin kept egging Mark on. “Big Brother, look at this woman. She shows no remorse. You need to teach her a good lesson!” Mark, usually so timid, suddenly looked menacing. “Lily, you’ve disappointed me greatly.” He raised his hand to strike me. At that critical moment, Jake pulled me aside. “You’re going to hit my sister in front of me? You’ve got some nerve!” Jake’s timely intervention made Mark’s swing miss, only fueling his rage further. He pointed at me, yelling: “Lily Miller, if you don’t want us to get divorced, then get on your knees and apologize to my mom. Then we can go on living peacefully together.” “Otherwise, don’t blame me for turning my back on you.” Brenda, hearing this, suddenly stood up from the floor, dusting off her pants. She sneered at me. “Too late! An apology isn’t enough. Give your brother-in-law the house your family gave you as a wedding gift. Otherwise, don’t even think about stepping foot in our Miller family home again!” Mark and Brenda were convinced I’d apologize and give in. After all, I had loved Mark to death back then, willing to break ties with my own parents just to be with him. I remained cold and silent. Mark gave Kevin a look. Kevin immediately took a few of his friends and dragged Jake away, pushing him into a room. “What are you doing?” A bad premonition gripped me. “Mark Miller, you’re breaking the law!” Mark’s face was smug. “Lily, a funeral is a solemn occasion. Jake’s causing trouble at my dad’s memorial. Even if you call the cops, he’ll still be charged with disturbing the peace.” “If you want him to walk out of here unharmed, then just do as I say.” I felt incredibly stifled, but I had no choice but to back down. Kevin, quick-witted, pulled up a chair for Brenda. Brenda sat on it, looking down her nose at me. Under everyone’s gaze, I reluctantly walked up to her and bowed three times. “I’m sorry, it was my fault!” Brenda held her head high and said nothing. Mark cleared his throat.

Brenda reluctantly spoke: “Hmph, it’s good you know your place. Just like Mark said, after your dad’s funeral is over, transfer the house to Kevin!” I was expressionless. “Can Jake be released now?” Mark’s face was a little awkward. He took my hand, trying to calm me down. Brenda, seeing this, got angry again. She scoffed. “Let her go home. Just looking at her unlucky face makes me furious. Your dad probably doesn’t want to see her most of all right now. Let her leave, we don’t need her to wear mourning clothes!” No sooner had Brenda finished speaking than I ripped off my mourning clothes and shoved them into Mark’s arms. I grabbed Jake’s hand and hurried out. This time, not a single one of the Miller family’s relatives or friends tried to stop me. They all stood in small groups, whispering. On the way, Jake was indignant. “Cousin, why did you apologize like such a doormat? I don’t believe they would’ve actually laid a hand on me!” “I couldn’t risk you, Jake. Apologizing doesn’t mean I lose a limb. I can handle it.” “Cousin, do you still want to stay with Mark?” Jake asked cautiously. I scoffed. “Me? Stay with him? I’d have to be out of my mind! Don’t worry, every injustice we suffered today, Jake, I’ll make sure they pay for it!” I returned to the house Mark and I shared. I opened a drawer. My wedding jewelry was still there, untouched. Luckily, the house deed was also there. I packed up the house deed and other valuables. I glanced over and saw the watch I’d bought Mark. Without a second thought, I grabbed it too. After we got married, I’d completely let my guard down with Mark, keeping all our valuables in one place. In my previous life, Brenda and Kevin had shown up demanding money. I tried desperately to explain, but they wouldn’t listen. Brenda said arrogantly, “If you don’t give us three million today, then the house will be transferred to Kevin. Otherwise, you won’t like the consequences.” Of course, I refused. Kevin blocked me, and Brenda, knowing exactly where it was, easily found where I hid the house deed. She also took my gold and silver jewelry with it, then just ran off. Kevin shoved me hard and ran off too.

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I was the true heiress, my identity swapped. Five years after giving birth out of wedlock, my biological parents finally came to claim me. They told me I had to fulfill an engagement with the Maxwell family’s scion. I brought my daughter home, and the fake heiress, Charlotte, sneered, “Sister actually brought this burden back? How shameless!” Blake Maxwell, the family scion, publicly broke off our engagement, scoffing, “Make me raise someone else’s bastard? Do you even deserve that?” I didn’t say a word, just lowered my head and offered my daughter a comforting smile. My daughter wasn’t some bastard. She was the true heir of the Maxwell family. 0The atmosphere in the Hayes family banquet hall was dead silent. All the friends and relatives present stared at my daughter and me. This evening’s banquet was supposed to be a special event to welcome me home. But the moment I walked in with my daughter, before I could even speak, the fake heiress, Charlotte, derailed the whole topic with that single word: “bastard.” Blake Maxwell, the scion of the Maxwell family – the wealthiest family in the city – felt publicly humiliated. His face was thunderous as he broke off the engagement, then stormed out. He left behind a hall full of guests, buzzing with whispers. “What a low-class mess. I can’t believe the Hayes family would make such a spectacle of bringing her back. Don’t they have any shame?” Only Blake Maxwell’s aunt, Eleanor Maxwell, smiled and tried to smooth things over. “Blake had too much to drink; he didn’t mean any of that. How could a childhood betrothal between the Maxwell and Hayes families just be called off? I’ll make sure Blake comes to apologize tomorrow once he’s sober.” My father’s humiliated expression finally eased a bit. After the guests left, his face immediately darkened. He raised his hand and slapped me across the face. “What did I tell you yesterday?” “I told you not to bring that little brat home, or you wouldn’t be allowed through this door yourself. We’re lucky Mr. Maxwell was delayed tonight and didn’t make it to the banquet. Otherwise, with the spectacle you made, how would the Hayes family ever explain this to him?!” The Mr. Maxwell my father spoke of was Alexander Maxwell, the current head of the Maxwell family. Alex Maxwell was middle-aged and unmarried, with a naturally low sperm count. The chances of him having children in this lifetime were next to none. His nephew, Blake Maxwell, was expected to inherit the Maxwell family’s billions if nothing went wrong. So, when my mother found out that the daughter she’d raised for twenty-five years, Charlotte Hayes, was not her biological child, she desperately sought me out, her true daughter. And she forced my father to agree to my marriage into the Maxwell family. All to make up for the love I’d missed over the years. 0

Seeing my father’s rage, my mother immediately stepped in front of my daughter and me, vehemently arguing, “Aria is our biological daughter, and her daughter is your own flesh and blood! How can you call your own granddaughter a mongrel?” But my father refused to acknowledge my daughter. He eyed us with disgust. “You shameless wretch, having a child out of wedlock! You’ve completely disgraced the Hayes family. I think Charlotte should go through with this marriage instead of you.” With that, he turned and walked away. “Dad, don’t be angry; it’s bad for your health. Sister didn’t mean to—” Charlotte quickly followed him, cooing at my father while not forgetting to turn back and give me a smug smile. My mother watched her, spitting in disgust, and cursed under her breath, “That little bitch, Charlotte, she’s just like her birth mother—ungrateful vipers, both of them.” Charlotte’s birth mother was a college student my mother had once sponsored. After graduating, Charlotte’s mother not only showed no gratitude but took the opportunity to seduce my father, becoming his mistress he kept on the side. Later, she and my mother became pregnant at the same time and gave birth to daughters on the same day. While my mother was unconscious after childbirth, she bribed a nurse at the hospital and swapped me and Charlotte. Charlotte became the pampered heiress, having everything she ever wanted since childhood. As for me, Charlotte’s mother left me to be raised in a remote fishing village, hard to reach and cut off from the outside world. I didn’t even finish college. It wasn’t until a month ago that my mother learned the truth and found me. “But your father is right,” my mother’s tone softened slightly, her gaze lingering subtly on my daughter. She sighed wistfully, “You really shouldn’t have brought the child home. And it’s lucky Alex Maxwell didn’t come; otherwise, who knows how we would have salvaged tonight.” As the head of the Maxwell family, Alex Maxwell was known for being cold and ruthless. My act of bringing my daughter home tonight was undoubtedly a slap in the Maxwell family’s face. If Alex Maxwell had been present, he wouldn’t have let it slide so easily. But precisely because I knew he would be attending the banquet, I decided at the last minute to bring my daughter. I covered my left cheek, still stinging from my father’s slap, and looked at Luna’s eyes, identical to Alex Maxwell’s. I whispered, “Mom, if Alex Maxwell had been here tonight, I wouldn’t have gotten this slap. Maybe Dad would even be trying to butter us up, Luna and me.” 0

Six years ago, Alex Maxwell went deep-sea fishing, got caught in a storm, and his yacht capsized. He was swept into the waves, drifted to the fishing village, and was unconscious. I was the one who rescued him and brought him home. But when he woke up, he had lost his memory; he couldn’t remember who he was. I took him to the nearest town to report it to the police, get his fingerprints and DNA taken, and put up missing person posters, but there was no result. The countryside was cut off, and medical care wasn’t great. Alex Maxwell’s amnesia didn’t get better after several visits to the town hospital, and I didn’t have enough money to take him to a big city to see a brain specialist. He had no money and couldn’t find his family, so he stayed with me in the fishing village. Life in the fishing village was simple and fulfilling. Alex Maxwell was tall and handsome, and his temper was incredibly gentle. No matter what I asked him to do, he never complained. As time passed, the villagers would joke that I had picked up a capable and handsome husband. And as we spent every day together, we gradually fell in love. A year later, just as we promised ourselves to each other, he suddenly recovered a small segment of his memory. He remembered his name and his home address. He said he had to go back to find his family, then return with them for our wedding. Before he left, Alex Maxwell planted a peach tree outside my house. He said, “This peach tree… it’s a promise, Aria. A symbol of our future home, our family. Before it blooms, I’ll be back. Aria, wait for me.” But spring came and went, then came again. I stood under the peach tree, waiting for five years, but Alex Maxwell never returned. It wasn’t until a month ago that I found out the man I had been waiting for so long was Alexander Maxwell, the powerful head of the Maxwell family in the city. And I, once recognized by the Hayes family, was to marry Blake Maxwell, Alex’s nephew, as the Hayes family heiress. I didn’t want to marry Blake Maxwell. That’s why I brought my daughter back to the Hayes family, to make a public appearance. She was my and Alex Maxwell’s daughter, my only comfort during those five long, quiet years of waiting. I would never allow her to be a secret, a hidden existence. And I would certainly never let anyone call her a “bastard” or a “mongrel.” I knelt down, wrapped my arms around my daughter, and gently soothed her. “Don’t be scared, Luna. Mommy will take you to find Daddy. We’ll see Daddy very soon.” 0

The day after I returned to the Hayes family, news of my giving birth out of wedlock spread throughout the city, at Charlotte’s instigation. Not only did all our friends and relatives know, but there were countless gossip posts online too. My father, furious that I had disgraced the Hayes family, ordered me to move out of the Hayes mansion with my daughter. My mother tried to stop him. “Aria is your daughter too. She just came home; how can you bear to kick her out?” But Charlotte interjected, instigating, “Sister’s actions last night, bringing that bastard home, already angered the Maxwell family. This morning, Maxwell Group postponed their partnership with our family. If Dad keeps Sister at home, our family business will be ruined. Mom, you don’t want to see the Hayes family go bankrupt, do you?” The Hayes family’s finances were never as strong as the Maxwells’, and in recent years, their investments had consistently failed, losing billions. If not for the Maxwell family’s support, they would have declared bankruptcy long ago. Normally, my mother might have listened to Charlotte’s words and endured it for the sake of the Hayes family. But ever since she learned Charlotte wasn’t her biological daughter, she had come to resent my father and Charlotte, almost wishing the Hayes family would go bankrupt sooner. Just to make that father and daughter pair experience the same hardship I had endured. “Don’t call me Mom, I’m not your mom!” My mother shot Charlotte a disgusted glance, then stared directly at my father. “Are you really going to abandon your own flesh and blood, our biological daughter, and kick her out of the house?” My father’s face was indifferent. “I have no choice. It’s her fault for being disobedient and insisting on bringing that little mongrel home. If you keep nagging, then pack your bags and go with her, and that little mongrel too.” My mother froze, her eyes wide with disbelief, as if she had completely given up on my father. Finally, she calmly nodded. “Fine. Don’t regret this.” That very day, my mother took me and my daughter and moved out of the Hayes family home, into a hotel. Though my mother seemed decisively resolute, she couldn’t help but be heartbroken by my father’s cold indifference. That night, she developed a high fever. I cared for her at the hotel for two days, but seeing no signs of improvement, I took her to the hospital. Only when I was handling the admission procedures did I discover my father had frozen my mother’s bank card. Living in that small fishing village all these years, and raising my daughter alone, I had only saved a few thousand dollars. After barely covering the hospital deposit and the hotel fees, I had very little money left. I had no choice but to take my daughter and seek out the Maxwell family. Unexpectedly, I ran into Charlotte and Blake Maxwell right at the Maxwell family gates.

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I, Jasmine Burke, along with my friend Kayla Reeds, found ourselves transported to a primitive beastman tribe. In this tribe where females were extremely precious, they practiced a polyandrous system. The tribe’s leader, Oscar Knight, told us to choose our own partners. Kayla, blushing with excitement, selected the gifted serpent beastman Atlas Michell. I chose the loyal-natured werewolf Jaxson Wallace. Later, after Atlas entered hibernation, Kayla found several more partners and immersed herself in a life surrounded by handsome men. Atlas had an obsessive personality, and upon learning of this, he locked Kayla in a cold underground cave, forcing her to bear children continuously. Meanwhile, Jaxson always cherished me, and eventually inherited the position of tribal leader. On the day of the inheritance ceremony, Kayla, consumed by jealousy, suddenly rushed forward and pushed me off a cliff. When I opened my eyes again, we had returned to that initial day of choosing partners. This time, Kayla was quick to choose Jaxson first. She said, “Jasmine, this time it’s my turn to be the leader’s wife.” I smiled and pointed to the white tiger priest nearby, Timothy Knight: “Then I choose him.” What’s so great about being a leader’s wife? Since this world reveres females, what’s wrong with me becoming a beastman empress? ***** After being pushed off the cliff by Kayla, I was reborn. I was reborn on the day we first crossed over to this beastman tribe. As soon as I opened my eyes, Oscar’s aged voice rang in my ears: “All the unmated males of the White Tiger tribe are here. Two precious females, whichever one you fancy, please choose freely.” When we first arrived here in my previous life, we were still confused and knew nothing about the rules of this world. Fortunately, we could miraculously understand the language of these beastmen. Kayla had been a dating expert in the modern world, always pursuing fresh thrills. After understanding Oscar’s words, she almost immediately chose the handsome and gentle Atlas as her partner. “Hehe, he has two reproductive organs – just thinking about it is exciting!” she whispered excitedly in my ear. For her, this place was practically heaven. She scanned the beastmen present and suggested to me: “Jasmine, you’re too quiet. You can’t handle the really handsome beastmen. I think those ordinary-looking ones would be perfect for you.” The beastmen she pointed to were all guys who looked plain after transformation. But I still took her advice. Actually, it wasn’t because I was really worried about my partner being stolen, but because among those she pointed out was Jaxson. Werewolves were said to be extremely loyal to their mates, choosing only one partner for life. If I chose him, I wouldn’t have to worry about Kayla stealing him away. And indeed, no matter how Kayla tried to seduce him, Jaxson never wavered. She was quite resentful about this and said to me sarcastically: “Jasmine, Jaxson is so boring. He can’t tell right from wrong – he’s really stupid.” I just smiled faintly and didn’t respond. I agreed that Jaxson was boring. But calling him stupid was completely wrong. If he were really that stupid, how could he have used me to achieve great feats in the tribe and eventually ascend to the leader’s position? It’s just that I was always under Jaxson’s tight protection, so Kayla didn’t know about these things. This time, as soon as Oscar finished speaking, Kayla pointed at Jaxson without hesitation: “I want to choose him as my partner.” Hearing her words, Jaxson’s eyes instantly sparkled with surprise and joy. Because in the White Tiger tribe, Jaxson’s strength could only be considered below average. Ordinary females wouldn’t even give him a second glance. The other beastmen also looked unwilling. “Noble female, how could such a lowly werewolf be worthy of you?” a black bear beastman said indignantly, beating his chest. Jaxson immediately looked nervous, with a hint of inferiority. But Kayla smiled slightly and walked straight toward Jaxson: “I want him. I trust my choice. He’ll definitely be the best.” Before leaving, she whispered to me: “Jasmine, this time, it’s my turn to be the leader’s wife.” I just quietly watched her take the initiative to hold Jaxson’s hand. Jaxson looked at her with emotion and howled excitedly at the sky. Seeing this, the other beastmen glared at Jaxson with envy and jealousy, then turned their gazes to me. I scanned them and finally let my gaze settle beside Atlas. Seeing where my attention lingered, Kayla’s eyes shifted, and she smiled as she said to me: “Jasmine, serpent beastmen are very skilled in matters of intimacy. You have no experience. Choosing him would spare you some suffering.” I smiled and politely declined her suggestion: “No thanks. You know I don’t like that spineless type.” With that, I pointed to the tall, muscular Timothy beside Atlas: “I want him.” As soon as I spoke, both Timothy and Oscar’s faces showed a hint of joy. But Kayla couldn’t help showing a gloating expression. I knew exactly what she was thinking. Because the Timothy I chose was not only the White Tiger tribe’s priest, but also Oscar’s biological son. Under normal circumstances, he should have inherited the entire White Tiger tribe. But in my previous life, while he was out hunting, the Lion tribe sent all their young male lions to ambush him, causing him to die from severe injuries and infection. It was precisely because of this that I had the opportunity to scheme for Jaxson and help him ascend to the leader’s position. But in this life, I won’t let Timothy repeat that tragedy. I want him to become the sharpest blade in my hand. What’s a leader’s wife compared to that? Since this world reveres females, then in this life, I will become a true beastman empress. This time, I will personally control my own destiny. After Kayla and I each selected our partners, we began forming contracts with our respective mates in front of all the Orcs. In primitive tribes, females could have multiple male consorts, but only males who formally contracted with a female were qualified to cohabitate with her. The status of male consorts wasn’t much different from kept lovers. Of course, unlike human society, in Orc tribes, male consorts were an accepted, legitimate status recognized by the entire clan, not like lovers who had to remain hidden in the shadows. But once a male consort fell out of favor and was ruthlessly abandoned by the female, it was perfectly normal. In her previous life, Kayla had relied on this very point to brazenly seduce other Orcs during Atlas’s hibernation. She had planned to have her fun and then find an excuse to dump these male consorts. Too bad she never expected that she wouldn’t be able to shake them off. Female Orcs in this world were extremely rare to begin with. How could those Orcs who had finally managed to become her consorts willingly let themselves be cast aside so easily? Therefore, the moment Atlas awakened from hibernation and emerged from his cave, he was surrounded by those Orcs whom Kayla had seduced, demanding an explanation. The root of it all was that Kayla had rejected their advances by claiming “Atlas doesn’t allow her to have male consorts.” When Atlas learned that during his hibernation, Kayla had been entangled with so many Orcs, his fury ignited instantly. After brutally fighting those male consorts, he dragged Kayla back to the snake cave with a darkened expression. Then he began tormenting her in various ways until she became pregnant. Kayla was thus forced to bear children continuously. It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought of seeking help, but Atlas simply wouldn’t give her any chance to leave. It wasn’t until the day Jaxson was about to inherit the Chief’s position and hold the succession ceremony, when everyone in the tribe had to attend, that she finally had an opportunity to emerge from the cave. Since the Chief’s succession ceremony required ritual sacrifice, the location was set at the cliff on the mountain behind the tribe. When she saw that I, who had always been inferior to her in every way, had now become the Chief Consort, she went mad with jealousy. Taking advantage of the moment when all the Orcs were kneeling in worship, she suddenly charged at me and pushed me hard off the cliff. She said: “Jasmine, you’ve never been as good as me in anything since childhood. What right do you have to live better than me? Go die!” My family and the Reed family had originally been neighbors, and early on, my family’s circumstances were even better than theirs. But after my parents died unexpectedly in a car accident, everything in our home was seized by my biased grandmother and handed over to my uncle. Simply because in their eyes, I was just a girl who didn’t deserve to inherit my father’s estate. Kayla’s mother took pity on me and voluntarily supported me financially. Later, I regretted accepting that support countless times. Because Kayla would tell everyone that her family was supporting me, that thanks to her I could continue going to school, otherwise I would have been sent to an orphanage long ago. From then on, I was forever beneath her in front of others. She didn’t like that I got good grades, so I could only deliberately perform poorly to serve as her foil. The friends around me also left me one by one after Kayla appeared. Even my college boyfriend was stolen away by Kayla. Afterward, she simply said: “Jasmine, don’t be angry. I just wanted to help you confirm whether he truly liked you or not. I was just afraid you’d get hurt. See, now I’ve tested it out for you, right? You should really thank me.” I just smiled gratefully at her: “Yeah, thank you, Kayla.” She immediately smiled smugly: “You’re welcome. We’re good friends, after all.” But inside, I was sneering coldly. The word “friend” had been tainted by people like her! However, the Reed family had indeed shown me kindness—this was an undeniable fact. I couldn’t completely cut ties with Kayla and break her mother’s heart. But all of that was from my previous life. From the moment Kayla pushed me off that cliff, I no longer owed the Reed family anything.

The contract was quickly completed. Oscar then said to us with a cheerful smile, “Alright, now that the contract is done, you can all head back. Don’t be discouraged, other males—if you can win the favor of these two females, you might still have a chance to become their male servants.” As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding Orcs visibly relaxed, their gazes turning toward Kayla and me with anticipation and burning intensity. Seeing this, Timothy’s eyes instantly turned cold. He spun around, positioning himself protectively in front of me. His icy gaze swept over the crowd as he growled menacingly, “She’s mine, and I will never share her with anyone! Anyone who dares to set their sights on her, I’ll tear them apart.” Witnessing Timothy’s unwavering stance, the other Orcs exchanged glances before ultimately showing expressions of disappointment. They all knew Timothy’s strength well—competing against him would be virtually hopeless. However, dealing with that guy named Jaxson would be much easier. The Orcs’ attention collectively shifted to Kayla, while their looks toward Jaxson were filled with hostility and murderous intent. In Orc society, a male’s status was determined by strength. Jaxson’s power didn’t even rank in the top hundred within the White Tiger Tribe—what right did he have to form a contract with such a delicate female? They could accept Timothy monopolizing a female since he was the tribe’s strongest male with supreme status. But Jaxson? What gave him the right to monopolize such a precious female? Watching everyone argue over her, Kayla’s face showed a hint of smug satisfaction, as if this was exactly the treatment she deserved. But she seemed completely oblivious to the fact that once you enter a wolf’s den, you can never escape unscathed. I glanced at her indifferently, then said to Timothy, “I’m tired. I want to go back and rest.” Hearing my words, he immediately showed a nervous and concerned expression. The next second, his arm—thicker than my thigh—gently lifted me up. “I’ll take you back to rest right now,” he said, then steadily carried me in his arms as he strode quickly toward his stone dwelling. Within the tribe, Timothy’s status was actually higher than Oscar’s. Not only was Timothy responsible for rituals and divination, but he also held the tribe’s secret knowledge. Most importantly, he was the only one who could heal injured Orcs. In this primitive society with extremely scarce medical resources, whether Orcs could survive their injuries depended entirely on Timothy’s medical skills. After Timothy brought me back to his stone dwelling, he carefully placed me on the stone bed covered with animal fur. His brilliant golden eyes gazed at me intently as he said gently, “Rest here for a moment. I’ll get you a blanket.” I nodded softly. He quickly retrieved a large fur blanket from a wooden chest. However, to my surprise, instead of immediately covering me with it, he spread it over the stone bed. After smoothly arranging it, he looked down at my exposed skin and said softly, “Your skin looks so delicate. I’ll add another layer of blanket so the stone bed won’t hurt you.” It wasn’t that no females in the tribe had thrown themselves at him, but he had never been interested in the tribal females. Today, after seeing her, he finally understood that what he truly liked were delicate and adorable females like her. Moreover, her scent was truly intoxicating, making him reluctant to let go.   I never expected that Timothy, who looked so fierce and strong on the outside, would have such a delicate and considerate heart. I said, “Yes, thank you. By the way, what’s your name? I’m Jasmine Burke.” “I’m Timothy Knight. If you need anything, just let me know,” Timothy said. I nodded again. “Okay, I understand. I’ll rest now.” Kayla and I had somehow stumbled into this primitive tribe that was never recorded in history while we were hiking and mountain climbing. Before being discovered by the beastmen of the White Tiger Tribe and brought back to their settlement, we had already been climbing for nearly two hours. So I was truly exhausted now. Seeing me lie down, Timothy lowered his voice. “I won’t disturb your rest then. I’ll go find you something to eat. What would you like?” Thinking about the living habits of primitive tribes, I shuddered and quickly said, “Some berries, and please cook some meat soup. Cut the meat into small pieces, or I won’t be able to chew it.” The beastmen of this primitive tribe could freely shift between their beast and human forms. In beast form, it was perfectly normal for them to eat their prey raw. However, most of the time they maintained their human form, only entering beast form during battles. Beastmen in human form rarely ate raw meat, usually cooking, stewing, or roasting their food instead. But due to their massive size, they were accustomed to cutting food into large chunks when cooking, making it easier to gnaw on. Each bone was thicker than my forearm. For them, gnawing on large bones was effortless, but for human teeth like ours, it was quite a challenge. Moreover, meat in primitive societies was generally tough and chewy. Even stewed meat was difficult to bite through. In my previous life, because I couldn’t get used to the food here, I could only survive on berries each day. After a summer rain, I fell seriously ill and nearly lost my life. Fortunately, Timothy did have some skills. He gave me water brewed with some dark, murky medicinal paste, and I slowly recovered. After hearing my request, Timothy stared at my face for a while before nodding seriously. “I understand. Get some sleep.” “Mm.” I immediately closed my eyes. Due to exhaustion, I soon fell into a deep sleep. When I woke up again, it was already dark outside. I sat up abruptly on the stone bed. “Jasmine, you’re awake? You must be hungry. Get up and eat something,” Timothy’s deep voice sounded beside my ear. I touched my empty stomach and got up from the bed. Two stone plates were already set on the wooden table in the room. One plate contained meat soup, the other held unfamiliar berries. “Have you eaten?” I asked as I sat at the wooden table. Timothy hummed in response, his golden eyes fixed intently on me, the desire in his gaze direct and burning. “I’ve already eaten. Go ahead and eat.” “Okay.” I gripped the spoon in my hand, knowing he wouldn’t let me off tonight. I sipped the meat soup in small mouthfuls. Timothy was indeed much more capable than Jaxson. With just one mention from me, he had cut the meat into thin strips and stewed it until it was very tender. Though only seasoned with salt, it was truly delicious. Before I knew it, I had finished more than half the plate. But there was simply too much soup on the plate, and I couldn’t finish the rest. “I’m full,” I said, putting down my spoon. Timothy glanced at my stomach, as if confirming I was truly satisfied. Then he looked at me with burning eyes and said in a low voice, “I’ll clean up the plates. I’ve channeled the mountain spring into the house, so you can go wash up.” Hearing this, I couldn’t help but feel pleasantly surprised. Timothy’s stone house actually had a hot spring? Then I wouldn’t have to worry about bathing anymore. Most beastmen lived roughly and bathed directly in the river, but I didn’t dare do that. After Timothy left with the stone plates, I walked toward the place he mentioned in the dim light. Seeing the misty steam, I undressed and slowly entered the pool. Before I could finish washing, Timothy had already entered carrying a torch. He stuck the torch into the wall and approached me step by step. That burning gaze seemed as if it would melt my body. I couldn’t help but tremble slightly. Jaxson’s physique was far less robust than Timothy’s, and in my previous life, I nearly lost half my life with him. So with someone like Timothy, I was afraid I might die in bed. Just as I was filled with worry, he had already pulled me forcefully into his embrace, his body temperature even hotter than the spring water, making my entire body go limp.

“Timothy, I’m scared…” I couldn’t help but grip his arm tightly, my voice trembling as I made no attempt to hide my inner tension and vulnerability. Timothy’s body stiffened slightly, then he looked down at me with deep, focused eyes. “Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.” Of course I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. Among the Orc tribes, females were extremely precious. Under normal circumstances, no male Orc would ever harm a female. But when it came to reproduction, that was a different story entirely. Take Jaxson, for example. After bringing me home, he made me suffer almost every night just to get me pregnant as quickly as possible. He was an Orc several times stronger than me, while I was just an ordinary human. That kind of thing was pure torture for me, making me wish I were dead on multiple occasions. If I hadn’t later proven my worth, I probably would have had to endure that hellish existence until I got pregnant. “I know you won’t hurt me, but… but you’re too big.” I said with a flushed face, gritting my teeth. Timothy’s body was massive, and the size difference between us was simply too great. When he held me, it felt like he was holding a large doll. I didn’t want to die from something like this right after being reborn. Timothy paused for a moment, then seemed to understand my concern. He lowered his head and kissed the top of my head. “Don’t worry, I have a special potion that won’t let you get hurt.” Hearing this, I couldn’t help but look up at him in surprise. “Really?” He nodded seriously. “Of course. If you don’t believe me, you can try it.” After hesitating for a moment, I finally nodded and agreed. To achieve my goals, maintaining a good relationship with Timothy was essential. Besides, he was a Priest—maybe he really did have some kind of magical medicine. As it turned out, Timothy hadn’t lied to me. That thing I had once feared brought little pain this time, and instead allowed me to experience something completely different for the first time. Though Timothy’s stamina was incredible. By the end, I was so exhausted I passed out. When I woke up again, it was already noon the next day. “Jasmine, you’re awake? Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?” Timothy held a plate of water and brought it to my lips, wanting to feed me. I felt a bit embarrassed. But my body was indeed so weak I didn’t even have the strength to get out of bed, so I could only lean back against the bed and let him feed me. Timothy’s gaze as he looked at me grew increasingly gentle and attentive. Afterward, he carried me to the hot spring pool for another soak. “Jasmine, I need to patrol the back mountain this afternoon. Rest well at home and wait for me to return,” he said gently. I nodded softly. Though I really wanted to go with him to see the back mountain, I truly couldn’t muster any energy today. After Timothy left, I lay in bed, my thoughts drifting back to my previous life. In my past life, Timothy had been targeted by the Lion Tribe around mid-winter. It was during the harsh winter when Oscar had fallen seriously ill from the cold. As the only Priest in the tribe who understood medicine, Timothy had ventured into the deep mountains to hunt a certain animal, needing its bones and fat to make medicine for Oscar. Somehow, he was discovered by the Lion Tribe. After a brutal battle, Timothy returned severely wounded, and because he lacked that medicinal salve, he died from infection within a month. But the Lion Tribe didn’t get off easy either—Timothy had killed over a dozen of their young warriors. The two tribes had been bitter enemies ever since. Since tiger bones also had healing properties, before dying, Timothy specifically instructed the Orcs he trusted to extract his tiger bones after his death and brew medicine for Oscar, which saved Oscar’s life. But Oscar was getting old after all, and from then on, he grew weaker day by day. After losing Timothy, his excellent son, he had no choice but to select a new heir within the tribe. That’s when I seized the opportunity, secretly guiding Jaxson and helping him gradually stand out and win recognition from the other Orcs. I also used schemes to help him achieve victory in the war between the two tribes. Finally, on his deathbed, Oscar passed the Chief position to Jaxson. The other Orcs had long been convinced by his repeated achievements and naturally raised no objections. Thus, Jaxson smoothly became the new Chief. But if Kayla expected Jaxson to claim the Chief position in this life, she was dreaming. Jaxson was indeed loyal to his mate, but his reproductive instincts were even stronger. Once it involved offspring, his mating cycles seemed to never end—it was terrifying. I was a bit curious about how Kayla was doing now. But since she wasn’t even afraid of Viper Orcs, a mere Lycan probably couldn’t do much to her. Given Jaxson’s personality, the next time I saw them would probably be when Kayla was pregnant.

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Six months after I died from complications during childbirth, my husband Daniel Kelly came looking for me, demanding that I abort my child and donate bone marrow to his lover, Violet Marshall. This was only because I was the sole person who could successfully match Violet’s blood type. My mother, Elsie Morrison, told him, “Harper is already dead.” Harper Morrison—that’s my name. Daniel said with disgust, “I’ve ignored her for six months, and her temper has only gotten worse. She’s even resorting to playing dead now. “Tell Harper this for me. “Even if she gives birth to that bastard child, I won’t spare her another glance. “If she doesn’t come out to donate bone marrow within three days, I’ll cut off your medical expenses, you old hag.” But Daniel didn’t know that after my death, Elsie had already given up her cancer chemotherapy. She had held on this long only to witness Daniel’s ultimate regret. ***** In the cold, dim underground garage, Elsie was slapped to the ground by Daniel. He looked down at her coldly as she writhed in pain on the floor: “I said, make Harper get out here! “Otherwise, I’ll kill you.” Elsie had been tormented by cancer for many days, and her body was already extremely frail. She trembled all over, her eyes filled with despair. Daniel had forgotten about me for six months, and now he remembered me only because Violet was gravely ill and dying. Elsie told him over and over again: “Harper is already dead.” Not only did Daniel refuse to believe her, but he also dragged Elsie into the garage and beat her with his fists and feet. He roared, “Bad people live long lives—how could that woman possibly be dead? “After not seeing her for six months, she’s gotten smarter. She’s even acting out this death scene so convincingly. “Violet is so sick she can’t get out of bed. I don’t have time to play games with that bitch. Make her come out right now!” Then Daniel kicked Elsie hard in the stomach. She curled up her body, letting out agonized moans. I frantically rushed forward to shield Elsie, begging Daniel to stop. But Daniel only cursed under his breath: “Harper, aren’t you supposed to care about your mother the most? She’s in this state, so why aren’t you coming out?” My heart felt like it was being sliced by knives, and I could only weep helplessly. Because I was already dead—I had died in the hospital six months ago. Daniel was a student my father Brody Morrison had sponsored. When we were together, everyone said we were perfectly matched. Brody had also confidently entrusted the company to Daniel’s management. But we never expected that in just a few short years, all of the Morrison family’s assets would become his, and Brody would be driven to suicide by jumping off a building. And I, his pregnant wife, died from childbirth complications on a night when he had rushed off to see Violet. Now, he was actually grabbing Elsie by the hair and pressing her head forcefully into the water. Daniel said coldly, “I don’t want to be this ruthless either. If you want to blame someone, blame Harper. “Violet became like this because of her—she should take responsibility.” Elsie was still struggling: “Harper really is dead. She died from complications during childbirth.” Daniel sneered, “If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have forgotten. That bitch was also carrying a little bastard. “What? Does she think she can blackmail me with the child? “Whether it’s Harper or that bastard, I won’t spare either of them a second glance.” Then he ordered his bodyguards to throw Elsie out the door. Daniel coldly warned, “Within three days, make Harper come out and donate bone marrow. “Otherwise, I’ll cut off your medical expenses. “If Harper is really this heartless, I’ll make her watch you suffer and die in agony.”

Daniel returned to the hospital. Violet lay in the hospital bed, her face pale as paper. Daniel’s heart ached as he rushed forward to embrace her. “Violet, are you okay? Don’t worry, I’ll find Harper soon and make her donate bone marrow for you.” A flicker of amusement crossed Violet’s eyes, though her face showed guilt. “But Harper is pregnant. How can I ask her to undergo surgery for me?” “The child she’s carrying is nothing but a bastard anyway. I’ll just make her get rid of it.” Daniel’s handsome face was filled with cold cruelty. Violet hesitated, then said gently, “Once I recover, I’ll definitely repay Harper properly.” “Why would you want to repay such a vicious and stupid woman?” At the mention of me, Daniel’s teeth clenched with hatred. “If it weren’t for her using her family background to bully people, you and I would have been together long ago. During my most difficult times, you were the one who gave me money so I could continue my studies. You’re the only one in my heart. People like Harper who use their family’s wealth and power to bully others—I’m going to make sure she gets a taste of being bullied herself.” I nearly laughed out loud. Daniel claimed I used my family background to force him, but he was clearly the one who pursued me, saying passionately, “Harper, I really like you.” He said Violet helped him through his most difficult times, but the anonymous donation he received when his parents died came from me. Violet was nothing but an impostor who stole my place. At that moment, Violet lowered her head shyly, hiding the guilt in her eyes. Just then, a doctor burst into the room. Seeing Violet and Daniel embracing, he was furious. “Daniel, are you even human? Harper’s mother is dying, and you still have time to be intimate with another woman here.” It was Frankie Davidson, my best friend. On the day I married Daniel, he asked me with red eyes, “Are you sure you won’t regret this?” After seeing me nod, Frankie turned and left, going abroad for several years of advanced studies. I never expected that after my death, he would return to America and care for Elsie until now. After recognizing his face, Daniel sneered, “So it’s Harper’s lapdog questioning me. The Morrison family has already fallen—why are you still protecting that stupid and shallow waste? If Harper’s mother is dying, go find Harper. As long as Harper comes out, gets rid of the child, and donates her bone marrow, I’ll save that old woman immediately.” Frankie was stunned. “But Harper is already dead.” As a doctor, he was the one who handled my body. Daniel’s expression suddenly turned serious. He stood up, walked over to Frankie, and punched him in the eye. “Are you also here to act for Harper? I’ve heard enough of these pathetic lies. Violet can barely hold on anymore. If Harper keeps hiding, I can’t guarantee what I might do.” Frankie covered his injured eye, his voice becoming hoarse. “Daniel, you’ve been married to Harper for three whole years. Is this really how you’re going to treat her? Look at the watch on your wrist—Harper gave you that. Don’t you care about your relationship at all?” Daniel’s whole body stiffened as he looked at his wrist. It was a roughly made watch that didn’t match his expensive clothes at all. It was a gift I gave him when I was eighteen. I had personally put the watch on his wrist and told him, “I bought this with money I earned from part-time jobs. You must take good care of it.” Daniel smiled and patted my head, promising solemnly, “Don’t worry, I’ll always wear it.” Back then, he was young and full of life, genuinely caring toward me. Later, after Brody’s suicide, he took control of the entire Morrison family. From then on, his personality changed drastically, and he burned all the gifts I had given him. But this watch alone—perhaps because he had grown accustomed to it—he had kept until now. Now, hearing Frankie’s words, Daniel felt a moment of discomfort. But this discomfort was quickly shattered by Violet’s crying. Violet sobbed, “Daniel, you still like Harper, don’t you? I knew it—she’s your wife. If that’s the case, then don’t worry about me. Just let me die.” Daniel panicked immediately. “How could that be? Harper is vicious and ignorant—how could I like such a bitch? I haven’t divorced her only because I need to find bone marrow for you. Once you’re better, I’ll marry you right away. As for this watch, how could such a piece of junk deserve to be worn on my wrist?” With that, he unfastened the watch and casually threw it into the trash can. Years of our relationship were so easily discarded by him. On the night I had complications during childbirth, Frankie stumbled desperately to call Daniel. But Daniel left Morrison Manor without hesitation because Violet had called saying she was afraid of the dark. An indescribable pain filled my heart. I suddenly felt a twisted anticipation. I was eager to see Daniel’s reaction when he learned of my death. Would he sneer, or would he cry?

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Violet’s condition grew worse, and Daniel became increasingly anxious. All because I hadn’t shown up. That day, Violet cried as she said to Daniel, “Daniel, I’m pregnant too. Will I lose this baby?” After Daniel exhausted every way to comfort Violet, he sat alone in his study all night. The next day, Daniel stormed furiously into Elsie’s hospital room. But he didn’t expect someone to have beaten him there. Violet was crying, “Elsie, you watched me grow up. How can you just stand by and watch me die? For the sake of my pregnancy, please save me.” Elsie said emotionally, “You liar! You’re not sick at all, and you’re not pregnant either.” Seeing this scene, I suddenly remembered what happened six months before Christmas. Daniel and I had spent many Christmases together, and he had long grown accustomed to having me by his side. Our relationship wasn’t terrible from the beginning. But Daniel had caught Violet pleading with me countless times: “I really like Daniel. Please, I’m begging you to let us be together.” Later, I became the vicious homewrecker, while Violet became the victim. Back then, Daniel didn’t hesitate to slap me and call me vicious, despicable, and shameless. Now, Daniel rushed in without thinking and shoved Elsie aside. He roared, “You old hag, what are you doing? You’re just like your despicable daughter—both of you are rotten. Looks like cutting off your medical expenses wasn’t enough.” Elsie fell hard against the corner of the table, her forehead split open, blood streaming down. My heart ached as I cried and tried to help her up. But there’s a difference between the living and the dead—no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t touch her. Elsie still glared at Daniel with hatred, saying, “The way you’re treating me and my daughter, we’ll never let you go even if we become ghosts.” “Is that so?” Daniel smiled coldly and waved his hand. His bodyguards immediately brought in someone bound tightly with rope. The bound person was Frankie. The bodyguards threw Frankie to the floor. Daniel stepped forward and placed his foot on Frankie’s head. Listening to Frankie’s agonized cries, Daniel said calmly, “This is the Morrison family’s pet dog, right? Today, you’ve made me unhappy. How about I deal with him first?” Elsie’s expression changed instantly. After all, Frankie was like her own son. “He’s a doctor, right?” Daniel looked at Frankie’s hands. The next second, Daniel grabbed a dagger and plunged it viciously into Frankie’s wrist. Frankie screamed in agony. Daniel said coldly, “Remember, everything you’re suffering today is because you helped Harper bully Violet. If Harper were willing to show up, you wouldn’t have to endure this.” With that, he let out a triumphant laugh. Elsie trembled as she lunged forward, shouting, “No!” Her eyes red, she gritted her teeth. Elsie was a conservative lady who had lived a privileged life, never suffering hardship or humiliation. Since Daniel came to the Morrison mansion, she had taken very good care of him. But because of Daniel, her family members were dead, and her life had become chaotic. Now, she actually lowered her proud head, trembling as she begged Daniel, “Daniel, please spare us, spare Harper.”

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Edward Cameron and I had been together for six years, and I’d been taking care of his dog Dolly for six years too. But tonight, when I took her out for a walk, she suddenly got excited and lunged toward Edward’s ex-girlfriend, Ella Ferguson. I couldn’t react in time and got dragged down to the ground. I miscarried. On the way to the hospital, I suddenly realized something—no matter how long you care for a dog that belongs to someone else, it will never truly bond with you. People are the same way. After getting home, I asked Edward for a divorce. He frowned, looking confused. “Just because of a dog, you want to divorce me?” I said coldly, “Yes, just because of a dog.” ***** When I handed the divorce papers to Edward, he looked at me like I was some kind of monster. He said, “Matilda, what are you making a fuss about now? You really want to divorce me over a dog?” Matilda Grant is my name. My eyes grew dim. I looked at Edward staring at me coldly, and that golden retriever baring its teeth at me. Seeing that I wasn’t saying anything, Edward tore the divorce papers to shreds. Then he pointed at my nose and scolded, “Don’t forget, you were the one who chased after me, insisting you had to marry me. Now you think you can just divorce me whenever you want? What about these six years I wasted on you? “Dolly just knocked you down—is that really worth divorcing me over?” I hadn’t had the chance to tell Edward about my pregnancy yet. I had planned to surprise him on his birthday. After six years of marriage, we hadn’t been able to have children. Not only were the elders pressuring us, but even Edward thought it was my fault. For this, I took a lot of medicine and underwent many treatments. I desperately wanted to have Edward’s child. I loved him so much. Even when I was wronged, I wanted to stay by his side. Dolly was already there when Edward and I got together. It was a dog that Edward and Ella had raised together. I thought dogs were loyal creatures. After marriage, I not only gave Edward my all, but I also took very good care of Dolly. I bathed her, walked her, made her food—I didn’t want her to feel neglected after changing owners. I gave Dolly much more care and attention than Ella ever had. I just never expected that a dog with an original owner could never truly bond with me—just like Edward. That day was ordinary. I was taking Dolly downstairs for a walk. Suddenly, Ella appeared in our neighborhood. Dolly caught her scent and charged toward her recklessly. I couldn’t keep my footing and got dragged down directly. Dolly dragged me quite a distance. My body scraped against the ground, the pain making me break out in cold sweat, and my abdomen hurt unbearably. The road was stained red with my blood. At the time, kind passersby helped call 911. I had no mind to wonder why Ella had appeared in our neighborhood, much less think about how Dolly had such good memory. After six years of my teaching, she still hadn’t learned a simple handshake. Ironically, when Edward rushed to the hospital after getting the call, his first question wasn’t about how I was doing or whether I was hurt, but an anxious demand: “Where’s Dolly? You actually lost her?” I was barely conscious, my lips cracked and dry. Before I could answer, Edward rushed out of the hospital again. The doctor’s words “Your wife had a miscarriage” were cut off before they could be spoken. Watching Edward’s resolute retreating figure, I suddenly found it all ridiculous. What had these six years of marriage even meant?

After I was discharged from the hospital, Edward was in the living room comforting Dolly. He cooed gently to the dog: “This is all my fault. I’ll never let anyone else take you out again. It’s too dangerous outside. What if you hadn’t run into your mom and someone had kidnapped you?” The “mom” Edward referred to certainly wasn’t me. Ever since I married Edward, he had always called me “Ms. Grant” when talking to Dolly. This was because when they broke up, Ella had tearfully begged Edward: “Edward, no matter who you marry in the future, please don’t let Dolly call that woman mom, okay? I’m the only one who’s Dolly’s mother. Please.” I never realized Edward was such a man of his word. Yet he hadn’t kept a single promise he’d made to me after our marriage. I was weak and pale. Edward didn’t show an ounce of concern, just glared at me viciously. He said: “You can’t even handle something this simple. Before we got married, you were so thoughtful when you were trying to please my mother and charm my family elders. Now you can’t even take care of a dog?” Edward coldly recounted what I had done, trampling on my dignity mercilessly. I admit that to marry Edward, I had indeed put in considerable effort. Besides, I came from a good family, and the Cameron family elders had always liked me. Ella was a woman of no standing—her mother was a prostitute. Edward marrying her would only tarnish the Cameron family’s reputation. But I had simply maintained normal interactions with the elders, yet Edward saw me as a scheming woman who would stop at nothing to marry him. I should have seen through this man long ago. Unfortunately, it took six whole years for me to realize: when the process is wrong, the outcome won’t change no matter how sincere your heart or how much you sacrifice. Edward continued to belittle me. About my miscarriage, I still couldn’t bring myself to tell him. I hadn’t had the chance before, and now that I was preparing for divorce, I felt there was no point. Edward repeated: “Matilda, are you really going to divorce me over a dog?” His words pulled me back to reality. Instead, I felt calm: “Yes, because of that dog.” “You’re being completely unreasonable!” Edward roared. Just as he finished speaking, there was a knock at the door. He glared at me through gritted teeth, then went to answer it. Standing at the door was none other than Ella. Catching her familiar scent, Dolly wagged its tail excitedly and bounded toward her. Edward’s expression immediately softened. He asked: “Ella, what brings you here?” Ella smiled just right, her face bearing carefully applied light makeup, dressed in a white dress like the unforgettable beauty from a novel’s male lead’s heart. She said: “Edward, I just came to check on Dolly. If I hadn’t happened to pass by the neighborhood, it would have been lost. What if dog thieves had sold it to a dog meat restaurant? How could we live with ourselves? I raised Dolly—how could I not worry?” After speaking, Ella glanced at me with what seemed like provocation mixed with reproach. Edward appeared to have forgotten that I’d been talking about divorce just seconds earlier. He was already angry, and Ella’s words successfully infuriated him further. I didn’t want to watch this pair perform in front of me, so I simply packed the essentials I needed from this house. At the door, I said coldly to Edward: “I’ll send you another divorce agreement. If it’s convenient for you, please sign it. Let’s have an amicable divorce.” After the door closed, I heard Ella inside feigning surprise: “Did I come at a bad time? Did I make her misunderstand? Should I go explain to her?” Edward let out a cold laugh and said: “She just wants me to coax her. She nearly lost Dolly this time, and I haven’t even settled that score with her, yet she’s the one bringing up divorce. Don’t worry about her—she’ll come back on her own in less than two days.” His confident words struck me as laughable. Though I couldn’t see Ella’s face, I knew she must be feeling quite pleased with herself. I didn’t look back and left the house expressionlessly. In the past, I would indeed have obediently returned home after leaving. Everyone in Washington knew I loved Edward. But now I didn’t love him anymore. More precisely, I was exhausted. No matter how long you care for it, a dog with an owner will never truly bond with you. People are the same way. In Edward’s mind, my presence had broken up him and Ella. Well, I wanted to see if they could successfully be together without my interference.

The next day, I went to the office. My family’s company operates in the hotel business, while Edward’s company specializes in fashion design. Back then, wanting to be closer to Edward, I defied my family’s objections and chose to major in fashion design. I worked hard for many years and finally became a renowned designer at the Cameron family’s company. But as soon as I arrived at the office, I noticed my colleagues looking at me strangely. My supervisor, Daisy Hunter, also called me into her office. I had no idea what was happening, but I felt an uneasy sense of foreboding. When she saw me, Daisy said hesitantly, “Matilda, management has decided to change the competition participant to Ella, and she’ll be using your designs as well.” This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. Ella was a design assistant who joined the company three years ago. During that time, I’d lost count of how many times Edward had helped her, but each time he paved her way using my achievements. At first, Edward would patiently explain to me: “Matilda, Ella comes from a poor family. After we broke up, I felt guilty about her. Someone from her background won’t get anywhere in life without good opportunities.” It was my sudden appearance that had disrupted their lives. To get Edward and me together, Edward’s mother, Olivia Cameron, used economic pressure to break them up. Initially, Edward and Ella believed that as long as they had love, they could be happy even in poverty. But after a while, Ella realized that love alone couldn’t sustain their lives, so she chose to leave. I felt guilty about Ella too, so I let it slide the first few times. But later, Edward gave all the company’s good projects and competition opportunities to Ella, even handing over my designs to her. Many times, he directly stole my creative work without even asking for my permission. No matter how good-natured I was or how guilty I felt about Ella, Edward shouldn’t have bullied me like this. So I went straight to Edward’s office. Ella was cowering behind Edward, looking pitiful and vulnerable, which triggered his protective instincts. Faced with my questioning and tears, Edward didn’t even bother pretending anymore. He said righteously, “Matilda, you work at my company, so you should follow all my arrangements. You’ve already gotten enough. Ella is different from you—would it kill you to be more generous with her?” Edward always portrayed Ella as the victim. If I was generous with her, it showed I had compassion; if I wasn’t, I was cold-hearted. But why should I give away designs I’d stayed up all night working on? Besides, I’d already repaid what I owed long ago. That was the first time I went against Edward’s wishes, clutching my design portfolio tightly, refusing to let it fall into someone else’s hands. Edward sneered, “You think you’re the only one who can design? As long as I’m willing to pay, plenty of people will deliver excellent work.” Sure enough, Edward spent a fortune hiring talented designers to help Ella. He even stayed up all night with her, revising her work. Perhaps I should have seen Edward clearly back then. To him, Ella’s matters were always the most important. Now Edward was pulling the same trick again. He didn’t even care about divorcing me—he just wanted to use me as a stepping stone for Ella. I looked at Daisy, knowing she was just an employee who had to follow orders from management. In the past, Edward would come to me personally. But after I gave in a few times, Edward figured he could just send anyone to relay his messages. He thought I was afraid of losing him, believing I’d compromise every time. But this competition spot was something I earned through my own merit. Against so many competitors, I drank heavily and sweet-talked my way through countless meetings to snatch this opportunity from other companies. And if I won first place, I’d have the chance to go abroad and study under the most renowned international designers. Meanwhile, Ella had done nothing. She just sat there while Edward handed her golden opportunities on a silver platter. It wasn’t just the competition spot—even the design drafts were something I’d stayed up all night creating. My room was piled high with discarded sketches like mountains of paper. Even while battling morning sickness, I never gave up. I said, “Don’t worry about it. I’ll go see Mr. Cameron myself.” Daisy couldn’t say much and let me head to Edward’s office. As soon as I reached the door, his secretary Sophie Ross stopped me. She said, “Mrs. Cameron, Mr. Cameron is busy. Could you come back later?” Sophie looked nervous, clearly lying. I didn’t care. These people were all in cahoots with Edward, covering for him countless times. Just then, Ella’s artificially sweet voice drifted from the office. She said, “Edward, am I really that stupid? I can’t even handle such a simple thing. How am I supposed to compete?” Ella’s words made it sound like the competition spot was already hers. While I was getting drunk in the streets fighting for that competition spot, Ella was at home enjoying a comfortable bath. While I was being hassled by the organizers, Ella was out shopping. You can’t choose your background, but you can choose to work hard. Since joining the company, Ella had never put in a single day of real effort, and no one in the company respected her. I didn’t know if Ella was naturally this shameless or if Edward’s indulgence had fostered this behavior. Either way, standing outside that door, I felt disgusted. Sophie looked at me awkwardly. Perhaps she was afraid I’d explode on the spot. After all, my husband was patiently accompanying a female employee when he should have been busy with work. But they didn’t know I was here to fight for what was rightfully mine. Whatever Edward and Ella were doing wouldn’t stir even the slightest emotion in me anymore. I kicked the door open. Edward and Ella both stared at me in shock. After recovering from his surprise, Edward snapped, “Matilda, have you lost your mind? This is a company, not a place for your tantrums.”

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When my husband Elliot Murray and I went to help with earthquake relief efforts, he discovered his first love Mia Smith’s body in the rubble. That night, he left a suicide note and jumped off a building with our child Alfie Murray, following Mia in death. Only then did I realize that in Elliot and Alfie’s hearts, there had never been a place for me. After my rebirth, I returned to the day we first discussed divorce. This time, I agreed without hesitation and even left three-year-old Alfie with him. Five years later, we met again at an auction. Elliot held Mia’s hand with one of his and Alfie’s with the other, sneering at me: “Just five years apart, Isabelle, and you’ve become this shameless? Heard I was here and rushed over to butter me up?” Isabelle Macdonald is my name. Alfie joined in the mockery: “Mom—no, I should call you Ms. Macdonald. Stop pestering my dad. Our family of three is very happy now.” I ignored them and picked up my daughter Sienna Mitchell, who was sneaking fruit beside me, then walked toward my seat. But Elliot suddenly flew into a rage. He gripped Mia’s hand tightly and snarled: “Isabelle, how can you be so shameless? Just five years apart and you already have such a big child? To make me jealous, you’re truly vicious. Whose bastard child is this that you had with some random man?” It had been five years since my rebirth. Seeing Elliot again, I was momentarily dazed and instinctively stepped aside. He held Mia’s hand with one of his and eight-year-old Alfie’s with the other. People at the venue saw them and rushed over to curry favor. Elliot handled it skillfully—no longer the naive young man from years ago. One man said with a laugh: “Mr. Murray, you’re now New York’s richest man with unlimited prospects. You’ll soon become the nation’s richest. This must be your wife and son, right? If your ex-wife knew how well you’re doing, she’d definitely regret it to death.” Another man chimed in: “Exactly. You three standing here look like a beautiful painting, truly the epitome of New York families. Your son doesn’t look like your ex-wife at all, but he and your current wife look like real mother and son.” Hearing these flattering words, Mia’s expression became somewhat unnatural. Her grip on her purse tightened unconsciously as she forced a smile. Alfie, without adult pretenses, rolled his eyes and said sarcastically: “Are you blind? Ms. Smith and my dad just got engaged—they’re not married yet.” The man felt embarrassed and quickly apologized. Hiding in the corner, I was stunned. Five years had passed, and they still weren’t married. In my previous life, everyone knew Elliot loved Mia to the point of madness—only I, the fool, couldn’t see it. When he heard Mia was in the disaster zone, he took Alfie and me directly to the earthquake relief efforts, but it was really to search for Mia. After three days and nights, Elliot finally found Mia’s corpse under the rubble. Elliot and Alfie held the body and wept bitterly, then left suicide notes and jumped off a building that very night. After my rebirth, Elliot was even willing to give me half his assets in exchange for a divorce, just so he could start over with Mia. Since he loved Mia so much, why hadn’t they married after five years? “Mr. Murray, we all know you love Ms. Smith deeply—you even donated three hundred million dollars for her last month. Why haven’t you two gotten married yet?” someone in the crowd asked the question on my mind. A flash of complex emotion crossed Elliot’s eyes as he replied politely: “I want to work harder and give Mia more wealth. She’s the woman I love most in this lifetime. I don’t want to shortchange her.” So this is what loving someone looks like. In my previous life, Elliot wasn’t nearly as successful as he is now. Our combined salaries barely covered raising Alfie. When I suggested Elliot sell his patents, he berated me for being shallow. When I urged Elliot to start a business to create a better future for Alfie, he pointed at my nose and cursed me as shameless, saying: “If you think I’m useless now, why didn’t you marry a capable man in the first place?” Only now do I understand—he wasn’t unwilling to work hard or improve himself; he just wasn’t willing to do it for me.

With that thought, I shook my head. Seeing Sienna sneaking fruit nearby, I walked over and picked her up. “You’ve already had plenty this morning. No more eating. We still have dinner later.” Just then, I felt someone’s gaze on my back. I instinctively put Sienna down and turned around to see Elliot approaching with his entourage. Seeing me freeze, Sienna made a face at me, grabbed the fruit plate, and ran off to the side. Elliot frowned and said, “Isabelle, what are you doing here? Saw I was doing well and came running to find me?” He raised an eyebrow, looking at me mockingly, already convinced I’d come here specifically to butter him up. A flash of smugness crossed his eyes, though his words were harsh. Elliot continued, “During the divorce, I gave you more than half my assets. Still not satisfied? One million dollars should be enough for you to live on for the rest of your life, right?” He glanced around the auction hall, as if suddenly understanding something. “No wonder you came here looking for me. These past five years, you must’ve blown through plenty of money. I gave you too much in the divorce—that’s what made you so wasteful with spending. Without a man around, you’d better break these bad habits.” Five years later, Elliot’s attitude toward me was still just as insufferable. The people around him, eager to curry favor, seized the opportunity to put me down alongside him. One man said, “You must be Mr. Murray’s ex-wife, right? Indeed, you’re not as beautiful or gracious as Ms. Smith. You don’t look like a woman with a respectable job.” A woman said disdainfully, “You’re absolutely right. She has no money but dares to come to an auction house. She’s really embarrassing Mr. Murray.” Another man chimed in, “Women with no self-respect are truly despicable. Where’s security? Hurry up and escort this woman out—don’t let her dirty our venue.” Listening to their slander, even the most patient person would lose their temper. I held up my phone and said, “I’ve recorded everything you just said. You can expect to hear from the court.” But before I could finish speaking, my knee suddenly flared with pain. I instinctively reached down to touch my knee, and that’s when Alfie snatched my phone away. Eight-year-old Alfie looked at me smugly. “Mom—no, Ms. Macdonald, they’re right. You only came here to seduce rich men.” I didn’t have much feeling left for Elliot, but Alfie was truly the child I’d carried for ten months and labored through the night to bring into this world. I couldn’t believe I was hearing these words from his mouth. I took a deep breath and asked, “What did you just say?” Alfie ignored me. Instead, he violently smashed my phone on the ground, then spread his hands to show his innocence. “You heard what you heard.” After that, he hugged Mia’s waist like he was seeking praise and called out sweetly, “Ms. Smith, do you think I did the right thing?” Seeing my own son being so affectionate with another woman, I couldn’t accept it for a moment. My chest suddenly ached with pain, making me furrow my brow. A flicker of panic crossed Elliot’s expression, but it disappeared so quickly it seemed like my imagination.

Mia rubbed Alfie’s face and smiled at me, saying, “Isabelle, don’t take it personally. He’s just terrified you’ll steal Elliot away from him. He loves me so much and wants me to be his mom forever.” She smiled gracefully, but deliberately emphasized the last sentence. Mia also made sure to place her hand with the large diamond ring on Alfie’s head. I suddenly remembered an interview I’d seen her give on TV recently. When the reporter asked Mia how she managed to be so happy every day, she said, “I have to thank my fiancé’s ex-wife. If she hadn’t left, how would I have had the chance to live this kind of life?” Everything was telling me that Elliot loved Mia so much he couldn’t bear to let her suffer even a single day. Fortunately, I no longer loved him. I touched the ring on my finger, thought of that man, and couldn’t help but smile. Elliot also noticed the ring on my hand. His expression suddenly turned cold, radiating an icy aura: “You don’t need to wear a fake ring just for show.” I shot back, “This isn’t a fake ring. It’s what my husband gave me when we got engaged.” As soon as I finished speaking, both Elliot and Alfie’s breathing suddenly stopped. Elliot stared at me for a long moment, then suddenly laughed: “Isabelle, your husband really is pathetic if he can’t even afford a diamond ring.” Alfie joined in with the mockery: “Ms. Macdonald, even if you can’t find someone as outstanding as Dad, you shouldn’t settle for some broke loser who can’t even buy a diamond ring.” They had no idea this unremarkable plain band was worth billions of dollars—a ring only the head of the Mitchell family could wear. I didn’t want to explain further. If the ring got lost, it would only cause more trouble. But in the eyes of all three of them, this only confirmed that I’d married a poor man. Mia covered her mouth and laughed: “Isabelle, your life must be so miserable. Without Elliot, you probably can’t even afford to eat, can you?” At this point, Mia deliberately stood on her tiptoes, leaned in to kiss Elliot, then said coquettishly: “Elliot, she’s at least your ex-wife. Why don’t you give her five hundred dollars so she can take a cab home?” Elliot looked at me and said slowly: “Isabelle, this attitude of yours is wrong. You should just take a cab home and stop embarrassing yourself here.” Suddenly, the phone on the ground rang. I sighed and pointed to the phone on the floor: “Give me back my phone first. I haven’t texted my husband in so long, he must be going crazy with worry.” My husband Freddie Mitchell gets jealous very easily. If I don’t respond to his messages for this long, he’ll definitely cry for hours when he gets home. Then I’ll have to comfort him. Alfie smirked and stepped directly on my phone with his expensive custom shoes, his expression full of mockery: “Is that poor guy a control freak too?” Hearing this, I knew Alfie had also been reborn. In my past life, this was his favorite insult for me. Whenever I tried to manage him, making him do homework or chores, he’d use this line to insult me. Starting over, Elliot and Alfie still chose Mia. I just couldn’t accept that I’d given birth to a son for someone else. I tried to calm myself and control my emotions: “Alfie, give me back my phone. Stop stepping on it.” As if he hadn’t heard me, Alfie kicked my phone away, and it landed perfectly in the decorative fountain nearby. Elliot frowned and scolded him quietly: “How could you kick your mom’s—no, Isabelle’s phone away? How is she supposed to get home today?” Alfie shrugged indifferently: “I’ll have someone buy her a new one. How much could a crappy phone be worth? Or is she afraid that poor guy will beat her?” Seeing this, Mia immediately defended Alfie: “Elliot, don’t be angry. Alfie didn’t mean it. Don’t be so harsh with him.” As soon as Mia acted coquettish, Elliot’s expression softened considerably. Then Mia casually rummaged through her purse and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill, throwing it on the ground: “Take this money and cab home. An auction house isn’t a place for someone like you to browse.” This was naked humiliation. Everyone present started laughing. Standing there, I had become a complete joke. Just then, a soft but angry voice rang out: “You can’t bully my mommy!” Sienna angrily rushed over, lunged at Alfie’s leg and bit down hard, then quickly ran back. Alfie screamed in pain, but his eyes remained fixed on Sienna. His voice carried resentment and coldness: “What did you just call her?” Elliot froze, his breathing gradually becoming heavier: “Is this child another actor you hired?” Sienna rolled her eyes. “What actress? I’m Mommy’s good baby. You bad guys better not bully my mommy.” My heart, which had been wounded by Alfie, was healed in that moment. My heart began beating vibrantly again. That’s right—with this second chance at life, we all have new choices. They have their lives, and I have my family. Why should I feel heartbroken over someone who isn’t close to me? After figuring this out, I picked up Sienna and nuzzled her face affectionately. “Did you sneak enough fruit before remembering me?” Sienna blinked guiltily. “Mommy, what are you talking about? I don’t understand at all. I clearly heard bad guys bullying Mommy, so I ran over.” “Bad guys?” Alfie couldn’t believe his ears and immediately widened his eyes. He pointed at Sienna and roared, “What did you say? Say that again! That’s my mom. I can say whatever I want about her.” I glared at him fiercely and immediately covered Sienna’s ears with my other hand. She’s still so young—she shouldn’t have to hear such awful words. When I glared at him like that, Alfie showed a hurt expression. “How can you do this?” Elliot pulled Alfie behind him and asked me, “Whose bastard child is this? Isabelle, you’re really something. When you couldn’t find a rich man, you just settled for some random guy? How much did he pay you after you had this kid? I’ll give you double—no, ten times that. Give this child back to him.” Elliot’s expression was somewhat out of control. As he spoke, even his hand holding Mia’s was trembling. I had no interest in wondering why he was trembling. I coldly scolded him, “Elliot, if you haven’t taken your medication, don’t leave the house. My husband and I are doing great. And he’s a thousand times, ten thousand times better than you. You two are nothing to me. If you dare say those nasty things again, don’t blame me for not being polite.” “Fine. Isabelle, you’re really something.” Elliot was furious. Just then, a server notified us to take our seats. Mia thought for a moment, then started causing trouble. She pointed at us and said, “Everyone who came to today’s auction is extremely powerful. Since when can broke people sneak in here?” Since Elliot was New York’s richest man, everyone recognized his fiancée. After hearing Mia’s words, the server immediately called security. “You need to throw these two poor people out right now.” Holding Sienna, I said warily, “I advise you not to act rashly. You invited my husband and me here today.” The server carefully checked the list but couldn’t find my name on it. Seeing this, he said mockingly, “Just how important do you think you are? You’re not on our little list. How about you two wait outside? We’ll talk when our boss arrives.” At that moment, it was pouring rain outside, and my phone had been broken by Alfie. If I left with Sienna now, we’d get soaked. Sienna has been in poor health since childhood. These past few years, we’ve spent enormous amounts of money on her treatment to get her bouncing around like this. If we went out in the cold wind, she’d definitely have a fever tomorrow. Thinking of this, I calmed down and negotiated gently with them. “My husband hasn’t arrived yet. When he gets here, you’ll understand. Besides, your boss really did invite us. If it doesn’t work out, go upstairs and ask your boss.” Before the server could respond, Mia said, “Isabelle, who did you marry? How could he possibly get the boss here to receive him? This auction house belongs to Mr. Miller. Do you know who Mr. Miller is?” If Elliot was New York’s richest man, Blake Miller was New York’s most distinguished businessman with the deepest family roots. He was highly moral with an excellent reputation, and rarely appeared in public. After hearing Mia’s words, the server was even more certain I was here to cause trouble. “I suggest you leave with your child now. Our auction is about to start. Please don’t stay here, okay?” I was stunned and said helplessly, “After you ask your boss, you’ll understand. It’s that simple.” The servers exchanged glances and laughed. One of them said, “I wouldn’t dare bother Mr. Miller. If you don’t leave with your child, we’ll throw you out.” Sienna was so angry she cursed from my arms, “When my daddy gets here, I’ll make sure he fires all of you.” Hearing Sienna’s words, Alfie, who had been silent, shouted, “You little kid have such a temper. I really don’t know why Isabelle had you. Your family of three can barely survive, right? Why do you insist on pretending to be rich? Wouldn’t it be better to just go home?” Mia reached out smugly to pinch Alfie’s face, but he dodged her. A flash of embarrassment crossed her face, but she quickly recovered. “Isabelle, don’t be angry. Alfie just can’t stand seeing me wronged. They’re just too protective of me, afraid someone will bully me.” Who’s really being wronged here? Aren’t I the one being harassed? And isn’t Mia the one who’s been instigating others to bully us? Just then, Elliot suddenly said, “Isabelle, beg me, and I’ll let you stay here.”

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