Category: English

On Valentine’s Day, I caught my wife cheating with her coworker. To get revenge, I paid a prostitute with syphilis to seduce the coworker. After succeeding, my wife tried to reconcile with me. But her test results came back positive – how could I touch her now? I got home early from work on Valentine’s Day afternoon, having prepared steak, flowers, and wine in advance. Everything was ready – I was just waiting for my wife Emily to get home so we could have a romantic candlelit dinner. But over an hour had passed, and Emily still hadn’t arrived. When I called her, she said the company was making them work overtime, then quickly hung up. I felt instantly deflated and resigned myself to eating the steak alone while scrolling on my phone. Suddenly, I saw a post from Emily’s coworker on Instagram: “Happy Valentine’s Day! The company let everyone off early today! May all lovers be together~” My wife had lied to me? Thinking back, Emily had been acting strangely lately. Our usual twice-weekly intimacy had been non-existent for over a month. Every time I tried to touch her, she would refuse, using work exhaustion as an excuse. I had been reduced to taking care of my own needs. Come to think of it, Emily had also been going to the gym more often lately, buying lots of new makeup, and putting more effort into her appearance than before. All at once, suspicion arose in my mind. The more I thought about it, the more things didn’t add up. I instantly lost my appetite for the steak, feeling a lump in my throat. I picked at the food halfheartedly, then gave up and sprawled on the couch, lost in thought. It was nearly midnight when Emily finally came home. She seemed surprised to see me still awake. “Why are you up so late?” she asked. “I was waiting for you to get home. I can’t sleep when you’re not here,” I said, probing, “What’s the deal with your boss, making you work overtime on Valentine’s Day?” “Ugh, don’t even ask. A last-minute project came up, we had to stay late working on a PowerPoint. I’m going to take a shower,” she said, heading straight for the bathroom. Hearing her turn on the shower, I stripped off my clothes and followed her in. I have to admit, Emily has an incredible body. Even though she’s in her 30s, her abs are still tight since she’s never had kids. Water droplets ran down her back, making her already fair skin look even more delicate. I wrapped my arms around her waist from behind. After so many years together, I knew all her sensitive spots by heart. Just as I was about to make my move, she stopped me. “Not tonight, it’s late and I’m tired. Another time, okay?” With that, she unceremoniously shooed me out. I felt a surge of emotion, but decided to let it go for now. After Emily finished her shower and got into bed, I ran my hand up her thigh. Her skin was incredibly soft and smooth after the shower, with the scent of body wash lingering. I instantly got aroused. But Emily rejected me again. This time I couldn’t hold back: “How long has it been since we’ve been intimate? It’s Valentine’s Day, I just wanted to be close to you, but you’re acting like this.” Seeing my anger, Emily quickly changed her tune. She came over and gave me a kiss. “I’m sorry baby, I really have been exhausted lately. I promise I’ll make it up to you soon.” I had no choice but to give up. As I lay in bed that night, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. I kept wanting to check Emily’s phone for any secrets. Suddenly I remembered that I had installed a dashcam in Emily’s car a while back. To test it out, I had even downloaded a cloud app on my phone that let me view past footage. I opened the app and scrolled through the timeline. At quitting time, I saw Emily indeed start her car, but then drive straight out to the suburbs. She finally stopped in front of a secluded hotel. A man had been waiting there and immediately embraced her when she arrived. Then the car shut off and the screen went black. I recognized that man – I had seen him once before when I went to pick up Emily at her office. She had introduced him as Steve, their company’s new VP who had just returned from overseas. Even back then, I had noticed how his eyes kept wandering to the female employees. And this Steve was a married man too! Seeing this footage, I felt like I had been doused with ice water. My blood ran cold from my spine to my heart. I was now 99% certain that Emily was cheating.

Emily and I had been together for 9 years, from falling in love in college to getting married. Though we had occasional arguments, we were happy most of the time. Thinking back on the joyful moments with Emily, then imagining her seeking pleasure with another man, an immense pain washed over me. Followed by anger. Part of me wanted to yank Emily out of bed and confront her loudly. I also wanted to pummel that cheating couple with my fists. But 9 years of love made it impossible for me to just let go. Caught in an internal struggle of pain and conflicting emotions, I didn’t sleep all night. In the morning when Emily got up, she acted like nothing was wrong. Seeing that I was still in bed, she even expressed concern. I said I wasn’t feeling well and wanted to rest for the day. She made me breakfast, gave me some reminders, then left for work. After calling in sick to work, I sat numbly on the bed, staring at the breakfast Emily had prepared. I tried to eat, but it tasted like sawdust. I felt incredibly torn. On one hand was 9 years of love and memories. On the other was concrete evidence of cheating. My mind kept wavering between confronting her and keeping quiet. After sitting there all morning, I decided to drive to that hotel to check it out. Following the GPS, I found the hotel – it really was in a remote location. I went to the front desk and made up a story about finding a lost bag in the stairwell, asking her to take a look. Once we were in the stairwell, I came clean about my real purpose, asking if she could help me check the records for my wife or Steve. Before she could respond, I took out $1000 in cash that I had prepared. “Don’t worry, I called you here because there are no cameras. I just want to confirm something. I won’t cause any trouble, and I promise this won’t affect you at all. I’m already planning to divorce her,” I said. The young receptionist looked hesitantly at the money. I could see her wavering, so I pushed the cash into her hand and stepped back, saying “You go ahead and check. I’ll wait here.” The receptionist pocketed the money and left. She returned shortly after, showing me Steve’s check-in information. They had booked a short-stay room. The receptionist even showed me security camera footage of the two of them entering the room, arms around each other. After seeing that, my last shred of hope was extinguished. Now I was 100% certain Emily was cheating! I thanked the receptionist and stumbled back to my car to drive home. Emily was already back when I got there. She asked where I’d been, and I made up an excuse. I was still debating whether to confront Emily when she spoke first: “Remember that new VP at our company, Steve? He’s pretty great – young and accomplished. Our team had a big screwup on a project recently, and he helped us fix it.” “Mmm.” Yeah, he’s so great he even got into your pants! I thought bitterly. Emily has always been somewhat introverted and not very talkative. This man must have used work as an excuse to get close to her! At that moment, I felt like an enraged beast, my features contorting with anger. Emily didn’t notice my reaction and kept talking. Looking at my chattering wife, I decided: I won’t confront her! I’m going to get revenge on that man instead.

Over the next few days, I first reached out to my childhood friend Alex. He works as a manager at a nightclub and knows all sorts of shady characters, including access to prostitutes. My revenge plan was to use his connections to find a high-class prostitute to seduce Steve, then tell his wife and kids. I wanted him to experience the pain of a broken family. After explaining my plan to Alex, he said I was being foolish and should just tell Steve’s wife directly. But I still hoped Emily would come to her senses. I didn’t want her to get hurt if this blew up with Steve’s family. Alex shook his head at my reasoning but respected my wishes. He showed me photos of several prostitutes. I have to admit, these women were stunning, each with their own unique charm. But Alex told me these women mainly did straightforward transactions for quick money. They might not be skilled enough to pull off a seduction scheme. Then he changed tack, “Actually, there is one perfect candidate, but…” Seeing him hesitate, I urged him to continue. “The thing is, she has syphilis.” Hearing that, I instantly lit up. This was absolutely perfect! Seeing my insistence, Alex didn’t want to get too involved in this kind of thing. He gave me the contact info for this prostitute named Rose and told me he’d let her know I’d be in touch. Alex is a trustworthy guy. We’ve known each other since childhood and I understand his character well. The next day, I met Rose at a coffee shop. From a distance, I was struck by how eye-catching she was. She had delicate features on a small oval face, with fair, tender skin that was stunningly beautiful. There was even a hint of scholarly refinement in her demeanor. Wearing a light blue dress, she turned heads as passersby mistook her for a university beauty queen. I was momentarily dazed looking at her, but then remembered her condition and snapped out of it. After Rose sat down, I explained my intentions directly. Hearing my proposal, she looked troubled and hesitant, saying it felt unethical. But when I said the man had destroyed my family, and that I could pay $50,000 upfront and another $50,000 after, Rose reconsidered. After mulling it over, she couldn’t resist the financial temptation and agreed. Then Rose shared her own story with me. She came from an ordinary family, but her beauty attracted boys from a young age. She started dating in middle school and neglected her studies. She dropped out of high school to work with her boyfriend at the time. After moving away, her boyfriend developed a gambling addiction and racked up huge debts. To make quick money to help pay off his debts, Rose turned to prostitution. Her looks helped her earn a lot quickly. Some clients would pay extra to skip protection, which she agreed to for the money. But when she came down with a persistent fever and tested positive, it was too late for regrets. By then her boyfriend had run off with all her money. Rose agreed to help me because she wanted to earn more to leave for her parents, knowing her time might be limited. Hearing her story brought tears to Rose’s eyes. I could only comfort her, realizing she had suffered greatly too. With Rose on board, the next step was to create an opportunity.

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In my previous life, I secretly aborted a son with XYY syndrome behind my husband’s family’s back, resulting in my inability to bear children ever again. When my husband found out, he beat me to death. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day of the prenatal checkup, facing the doctor who was advising me to terminate the pregnancy. “Mrs. Bennett, we still advise you to consider your options carefully,” the doctor looked at me with a serious expression. I was stunned for a long while before realizing that I had been reborn. Perhaps heaven saw that I died with unfinished business and gave me a second chance. The doctor didn’t speak again, and the examination room fell into silence. “Doctor, I want to keep this child.” I spoke up. In this new life, I didn’t want to harm my body because of this child. I wanted to live for myself. If they wanted to keep this demon, then let them keep it. “You should know that this child’s genes carry antisocial personality traits. It will be a burden on your family if born.” My mother-in-law burst into the examination room, glaring at me. “Aria, don’t you dare harm my grandson again!” I looked at my mother-in-law and husband who had suddenly appeared, and realized that they had been reborn too. I smiled and clung to my husband’s arm. “Honey, we’re having a son! Aren’t you happy?” Derek looked at me suspiciously, confused by my reaction. In my previous life, didn’t I insist on aborting the child? My mother-in-law spat and grabbed my arm tightly, pushing me out of the examination room. I smiled apologetically at the doctor and closed the door behind me. My mother-in-law and husband each grabbed one of my arms, afraid I would break free and abort the child. They cursed and muttered as we left the hospital, only letting go when we got to the car. “Mom, honey, I’ve thought it through. I’ve decided to keep this child.” I looked at them sincerely, not hiding the fact that I had also been reborn. “In my past life, I was misled by the doctor to harm my own child. How could I not know what my son is like!” “It’s my blessing to give the Powell family a grandson.” I smiled at them ingratiatingly. “Baby, I’m sorry. Mommy will take good care of you this time.” I lovingly rubbed my belly. Seeing my obedient demeanor, my mother-in-law and husband, though still half-skeptical, joyfully began sharing the good news with relatives and friends. “My third son’s wife is pregnant, it’s definitely going to be a big, healthy boy! My eldest son’s wife should hurry up too!” My mother-in-law shouted loudly into the phone with her coarse voice. I envied my sister-in-law very much. My sister-in-law had a very successful career. Ryan, Derek’s older brother, was far less business-savvy than his wife, so he simply quit his job, claiming he could take care of his wife’s daily needs. He couldn’t bear to let go of his wife as an endless source of income, yet felt emasculated being with her. A few months after my death in my previous life, he had an illegitimate child. He joined forces with Derek and their mother to kill my sister-in-law, then brought his mistress home openly, and the whole family lived a lavish life using my sister-in-law’s hard-earned money. My sister-in-law valued my education and wanted to make me her business partner. In my previous life, Derek prevented it, believing that women should stay at home and cook, not become career-oriented like my sister-in-law. I wasn’t sure how much of their past lives my mother-in-law and husband remembered, nor was I certain of their plans for this life. The Powell family were all sly foxes. I decided to observe first, to avoid alerting them prematurely.

My belly grew larger and larger like a balloon. My mother-in-law watched me every moment except when she was sleeping. She was afraid I would do something to harm the child. I pretended to be obedient. My belly was a full circle larger than other pregnant women at the same stage, making even daily walking very difficult. Seeing how docile I had been these past few months, not missing any of the prescribed supplements, and now having such difficulty moving around, my mother-in-law finally felt at ease enough to leave me locked in the house alone while she went out to play cards. I finally had a chance to message my sister-in-law. Calculating the months, Ryan’s illegitimate child should be about three months younger than mine. By now, Ryan should have already started his affair. My sister-in-law told me to focus on my pregnancy and that she had her own plans for everything else. I deleted our conversation history. The Powells’ murderous intent only surfaced after Ryan’s illegitimate child was born. For now, my sister-in-law should be safe. Ryan wouldn’t give up his long-term meal ticket for an unborn child of unknown gender, would he? Later, I deeply regretted not warning my sister-in-law to be careful of her safety, but fortunately, it didn’t lead to a grave mistake. My son was born. He was bigger than most month-old babies, with ear-piercing cries. Looking at him, I felt a surge of something called maternal love. I had heard that children with XYY syndrome could make the mother’s body secrete more hormones, causing her to produce more maternal love to accommodate them. It truly was the arrival of a demon. My mother-in-law and Derek were overjoyed, boasting everywhere about how healthy and strong their grandson was, sure that he would grow up to be the bravest of men. My sister-in-law and Ryan came too. Unlike others who brought gifts for the newborn, my sister-in-law brought me many postpartum recovery products. My mother-in-law’s attitude towards my sister-in-law was unexpectedly good, becoming warm and gentle, no longer urging her to have children, and even showing concern for her well-being. Although I knew this was very unusual, as the Powells were always selfish and surely up to no good, my postpartum weakness didn’t allow me to think too much about it. I also believed my sister-in-law had her own plans. My mother-in-law named him Jason, believing it to be the most meaningful name, signifying that this child was the Powell family’s most precious treasure. The hormones made me involuntarily exude maternal love towards Jason. I knew this child was innocent, but his birth itself was a mistake. He was born evil, and in a way, by giving birth to him, I had also harmed society. But as his mother, I had the responsibility to deal with him properly, to avoid adding uncertain risks to society. Jason was very strong, often exhausting me both physically and mentally. I had read many cases of children with XYY syndrome tormenting their mothers, so I secretly asked my sister-in-law for a drug that suppresses breast milk production and took it in advance. Although my sister-in-law was puzzled, she helped me keep it a secret. I didn’t want to breastfeed Jason. My mother-in-law scolded me harshly for not having milk, because Jason had a huge appetite. The cost of formula for a week was already equal to half of Derek’s monthly salary, so my mother-in-law forced me to beg other mothers in the neighborhood to breastfeed Jason. Jason was very strong. Although still an infant, he already showed a fierce expression. When he cried, it was deafeningly loud, which didn’t endear him to others. By the time Jason was four months old, his baby teeth had already grown in, and no one was willing to risk injury to feed him. The Powells cursed and complained about this. My mother-in-law would go around the neighborhood every day, calling those people cold-hearted and selfish. Jason was constantly hungry, and his figure began to show signs of emaciation. Whenever my mother-in-law saw a mother of the right age, she would rush over and force her to breastfeed Jason. All families with young children in the neighborhood avoided us like the plague. My postpartum figure recovered quickly, becoming even thinner than before pregnancy. “The Powells are abusing Aria, not giving her enough to eat, causing the child to have to beg for milk outside. They really have no conscience,” people in the neighborhood said. My parents also wanted to come see the child. I kept making excuses to put them off, unsure if I could maintain my resolve for revenge if I saw my mom and dad.

I calculated the time and realized that Ryan’s illegitimate child should have been born by now. My sister-in-law had already obtained evidence of Ryan’s affair. If they divorced by mutual agreement, it would be very disadvantageous for Ryan. While my sister-in-law was secretly planning for divorce, my mother-in-law joyfully welcomed a woman into our home, carrying a baby that was barely a month old. “Oh, you’ve finally come! This good-for-nothing gave birth to a child but can’t raise it, relying on me to carry the baby around begging for food every day.” My mother-in-law pointed at me and cursed. My mother-in-law said this woman was brought from the countryside to help take care of the baby and, coincidentally, to breastfeed Jason. The woman didn’t look at me, but sat down on the sofa and began to unbutton her clothes to feed the baby in her arms. “Ah! Don’t bite Mommy!” The woman’s body suddenly jerked, almost throwing the baby in her arms. The child was startled and began to wail loudly. His cry was very similar to Jason’s. “You can’t even feed properly. How much strength can such a small child have!” My mother-in-law rushed over and roughly shoved the baby back into the woman’s arms. I watched the chaotic scene of my mother-in-law and the woman. I could be certain that this woman was Ryan’s mistress, and this child was Ryan’s illegitimate son. Why was Ryan’s mistress different from the last life? How exactly did the Powell family die in the previous life? Was Ryan also reborn? “What are you staring at? Come help!” My mother-in-law shoved the baby the woman was holding into my arms and made the woman hold Jason to breastfeed him. This time I got a clear look at the baby in the woman’s arms. He looked very similar to how Jason looked when he was just born! I had a bold guess. “Mom, how old is this child?” I stroked the baby’s head. “He looks a lot like Jason!” “Yvonne gave birth the day before yesterday. Our Powell family children are all blessed with good fortune, they’re all strong!” My mother-in-law didn’t turn her head, focusing on watching the woman feed Jason. I looked at the baby’s features in my arms, pondering his behavior just now, and formed a bold guess in my mind. Watching the baby finish feeding, with drool flowing from the corner of his mouth, I took a tissue, wiped the drool clean, and carefully put it in my pocket. I suspected that Ryan’s son might also have XYY syndrome!

Yvonne insisted on weaning when Jason was 10 months old. Yvonne’s baby, Kevin, had also started teething, and the two babies had tormented her beyond endurance. “What are you making a fuss about! You’re deliberately starving my grandson, aren’t you!” My mother-in-law scolded loudly. “Ryan and Derek were both weaned at two years old! How can you be so delicate as a woman!” “I’m not, Auntie, he’s just too strong.” Yvonne said pitifully. Jason was growing bigger and stronger. Yvonne’s chest was covered in bruises, with new injuries added before the old ones had healed, all the handiwork of the two children. Looking at Yvonne, I felt no sympathy, only relief. After all, breastfeeding two XYY syndrome infants simultaneously must have been tough on Yvonne. The two children looked strikingly similar and had very similar personalities. Over these months, working with my sister-in-law, I confirmed that Kevin was indeed Ryan’s biological son, and he also had XYY syndrome. Yvonne was Ryan’s mistress. Although XYY syndrome has genetic factors, I found it incredible that the Powell family had two XYY children in a row, but I also felt they deserved it. I tried to piece everything together. In the previous life, the Powell mother and sons were most likely killed by Ryan’s son from that life. Ryan knew the outcome and cause of death from the previous life, so he deliberately chose a different woman to give birth to Kevin in this life. Moreover, the Powell mother and sons didn’t know that their beloved grandson in the previous life had genetic problems, which is why they were so nonchalant about XYY syndrome and insisted that I give birth to a son with XYY genes. So in this life, the Powells still don’t know that both of their grandsons have XYY syndrome! I told my sister-in-law everything I had deduced.

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“Anna, James is in the hospital right now, and… it doesn’t look good.” I glanced over at my daughter, Sophia, who was watching TV on the couch. In a low voice, I replied, “Let’s stop the treatment.” James and I have been married for seven years, and our daughter, Sophia, is four now. He runs one of my brother Ryan’s branch companies, but the business had been struggling for a while. My dad even advised him to let it go, saying he should find a job more suited to his expertise. But after I got pregnant, the company suddenly started doing well, and James got busier. That busyness stretched on for five years. Once Sophia was born, my entire focus shifted to her, leaving little time for James. Last month, Sophia started preschool, and I finally got a moment to breathe. That’s when I realized that James wasn’t coming home more than three times a week. Hesitating for a moment, I decided to give him a call. He picked up quickly. “Hey, babe?” “When are you coming home? Sophia’s been waiting for you.” Sophia had actually been asleep for a while by then. I’m just not the type to openly say things like ‘I miss you’ or ‘I love you,’ even when we were dating. James hesitated for a few seconds, his breathing sounded rushed. “I’ve got something at the office. I won’t be home tonight. Tell Sophia to get to bed.” “Babe, I’ve got to go. Love you.” Before I could respond, he hung up.

James didn’t come home until the next night. As soon as I saw him, I knew he’d changed clothes. The suit he was wearing looked a lot like the one he had on the day before, same brand and everything. But it definitely wasn’t the same one. I took his briefcase, pretending to be casual. “Honey, where’s that suit Ryan gave you last time? Haven’t seen you wear it lately.” I was talking about the suit he had left the house wearing the previous day. He bent down to take off his shoes, freezing when he heard my question. His movements became a bit clumsy. My heart sank. A woman’s intuition is almost always spot on. You don’t need hard evidence to tell when your partner’s been unfaithful. James quickly covered, “A client spilled some wine on it. Insisted on taking it to the cleaners for me.” He seemed satisfied with the explanation, standing up to show off the new suit. “They even bought me a new one.” I nodded but didn’t say anything. Later that night, after he fell asleep, I checked his phone. Nothing suspicious. Then I opened his Uber app, and all the ride history had been wiped clean. Since we used the family car to take Sophia to school, James always used Uber to get to the office. Maybe he didn’t know about another feature of the app. I clicked on the “Request Invoice” button, and all the ride records popped up. His three most frequent destinations: The office A place called Sunset Apartments A factory out in the suburbs I knew Sunset Apartments—expensive, even for a rental. The factory? That was near one of the company’s other properties.

Once James left for work, I asked Sandra Davis, the HR manager, to send me a list of employee details. The company had been downsizing lately; last month, they’d laid off a few people. Most of the long-time employees had already jumped ship, leaving a bunch of fresh-out-of-college hires. Aside from Sandra, I barely knew anyone at the company anymore. The list included home addresses, and sure enough, there was a Lisa Woods listed as living at Sunset Apartments. There was no way she could afford to rent that place on her salary. I skimmed her file—out-of-town hire, attractive. Whether her family had money? That wasn’t listed. That afternoon, I picked up some coffee and headed to James’s office. It’s not easy getting a divorce these days; you need solid evidence. The house was a gift from my parents before the wedding, so it was under my name and Sophia’s. I wasn’t concerned about the marital assets, but there was no way I’d let go of custody of my daughter. “Anna’s here, and she brought coffee for everyone!” James’s secretary had already been waiting downstairs for me. James hurried out to meet me too, and for a second, I saw something strange in his eyes. Was it disgust? Or maybe… jealousy? Lisa Woods was there too, shyly coming over to grab her coffee, then walking right up to me. “Thanks, Anna. James always talks about how amazing you are.” Then she flashed him a flirty smile. It was the kind of smile I hadn’t been able to pull off since I was twenty. The air grew tense for a few moments. I smiled, taking her hand. “I haven’t been to the office in a while, so I don’t know any of the new faces.” She opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off. “Focus on your work. I hope to see your name up there at the end of the year, and when I do, I’ll make sure to give you a nice bonus.” Sandra Davis quickly jumped in, “You hear that, everyone? Anna just promised us all a great bonus! Better thank the boss!” I smiled at her. In this company, only a few people knew who really held the reins.

James didn’t take it well when I stole his spotlight, and he sulked for the rest of the afternoon. “Our numbers are down, way down,” I said. He froze. “Honey, you’re working like crazy every day. I thought business was booming.” He swallowed hard. “Well, actually, this quarter’s been a little tough…” “With numbers like that, you don’t need to be coming home two or three times a week. What are you doing out there? Gambling? Cheating?” James never expected me to speak so harshly, his neck stiffening as he struggled to respond. “Alright, here are your options.” “One, you fix the numbers for this quarter.” “Two, we shut down the company.” Immediately, he softened, kneeling in front of me. “Babe, we can’t shut down the company! I’ll work harder, I promise.” Of course, he wouldn’t agree to close it. If the company folded, he’d just become “Anna’s husband” and nothing more. “Then get to work.” “If Ryan sees these numbers, he’ll probably feel the same way I do.” I got up, and he scrambled to follow me, offering to walk me out. “No need. And if you don’t come home for the next few days, just book yourself a hotel room nearby.” He looked shocked but happily agreed. I grabbed my camera and set up camp at a café near Sunset Apartments. Around 9 PM, Sandra texted me that James had left the office. Lisa Woods left right after him. James called around the same time, saying he’d be staying at a hotel. I waited for about two hours before they came strolling back, hand in hand, like a couple of high school sweethearts. Oddly, I felt calm watching them. As they got closer, I snapped a few high-definition photos, focusing on their interlocked fingers. When I got home, I called an old friend to help me keep an eye on Lisa. The next day, around noon, I got a call. It was loud on the other end. “You won’t believe this. That woman’s pregnant.”

I quickly gathered myself. “Are you sure?” The person tailing Lisa had accidentally knocked her medical report out of her hands, giving them a quick look. Pregnant? A flood of old frustrations came rushing back. James’s mother had always wanted a grandson. When she found out I couldn’t have more children, she often came by to make things difficult for me. I laughed bitterly. James really thought he had it all figured out, didn’t he? If he wanted a son, there was always some woman out there willing to give him one. That afternoon, Sandra sent me another update. James had fired his old secretary and hired a new one. That wasn’t surprising. What was surprising was that he had personally hired a woman who hadn’t even finished middle school. Sandra quickly forwarded me her details. This was the first time James had ever used his position for something shady. I was curious. Her name was Christine Brown, and she came from the same town as James. No real education, no work history. If Christine had been one of James’s relatives, I would have heard about her. James was always extra careful not to mess up in front of my family, even refusing to help his own brother. I was stunned when I saw her address. She lived in the suburbs, not far from the factory. One of the places James frequently visited. Later that afternoon, I grabbed a seat at a café near the office. James usually ordered a coffee around 1:30 PM. With the old secretary gone, it had to be Christine who was picking it up now. Right on time, she showed up. In person, she looked older than in her photo. It was clear she wasn’t used to running errands. I walked up and helped her order. She gave me a deep, awkward bow. As she bent over, I noticed a necklace slip out from under her collar. It was a limited-edition piece I had seen in a catalog a month ago but hadn’t bought. I admit it—I judged her. “Nice necklace. What brand is it? I might get one for myself.” She instinctively reached to cover it, then let her hand drop. “My boyfriend bought it for me.” I returned to my seat and messaged the salesperson. Sure enough, last month, James had used my credit card to buy that necklace. I was confused but intrigued. Christine lived far from the office, a three-hour commute by subway. If she and James were involved, why hadn’t he moved her closer? She could have sold that necklace and gotten a better apartment. Sandra also informed me that Lisa had taken a few days off. Understandable, given the pregnancy. She probably wanted to rest up. James had also texted me, saying he wouldn’t be home tonight. My gut told me he wasn’t going to see Lisa. So, I took an Uber to Christine’s apartment and waited. Sure enough, the person tailing Lisa confirmed that James wasn’t with her. It wasn’t until after 8 PM that James finally showed up, carrying a bunch of stuff. One item stood out—a large Lego set. That couldn’t be for Christine, right? Was James seeing a woman with a kid? I didn’t stick around long and headed back home. James came home that night, too.

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My once modest and sweet wife, Mary, suddenly had a bunch of Victoria’s Secret lingerie, with clear signs of it being grabbed and stretched. When I asked her about it, she said it was her sister’s. I called her sister to confirm, and after hearing the explanation, I let out a sigh of relief. That was until one night when I saw a message pop up on her phone: “Manny, are you awake? I’ve had too much to drink, and I really miss you.” Rage flooded my chest. I wasn’t about to let them walk all over me—I’d show them that even a nice guy like me isn’t someone you can mess with! That day, Mary was taking a shower, and I wasn’t feeling well after eating something bad, so I rushed straight into the bathroom. She was startled, standing under the running water, and I laughed, saying, “C’mon, we’re married! No need to be shy!” I sat on the toilet, trying to relieve my stomach while admiring her body. Mary worked as a part-time dance instructor, and her figure was killer. At 5’7″ with a gorgeous face, she was hard to resist. I couldn’t help but reach out and grab her hand, “Babe, you smell so good.” “Stop it! I’m tired; just let me rest,” she replied, brushing me off. Annoyed by her cold reaction, I stood up immediately, without even wiping, and snapped, “You haven’t been sneaking around behind my back, have you?!” Mary turned on me angrily, spraying me with the showerhead, soaking me from head to toe, and yelled, “Manny Rogers, are you out of your mind?!” Seeing her so mad, I quickly backed down. “Calm down, I was just joking. But we haven’t done anything in a month, you know?” Mary ignored me, drying off her body and reaching for her lingerie. It was then that I noticed the design of the lingerie—it was pink, delicate, and something I’d never seen her wear before. “Mary! Where did you get this lingerie?” She glanced down at it, then gave me a playful push on the head. “It’s supposed to be a surprise for you, silly!” But I could clearly see this lingerie had been worn many times already. There were even noticeable grab marks on it. “Are you kidding me?! This is clearly old!” My face flushed with anger, and I could feel a burning sensation on my forehead. Mary, pulling me by the arm, pouted and said in a playful tone, “Don’t get mad, babe. I went to my sister Helen’s house this afternoon, and their faucet broke. I got soaked from head to toe, including my lingerie. So, I borrowed a set of clothes from her closet.” “I’m calling Helen right now!” I shot back, reaching for my phone. I dialed her number, pretending to make small talk before I got to the point. “Helen, Mary said she got drenched at your place this afternoon. I hope she didn’t cause too much trouble.” “Manny, my husband gave her a set of clothes to change into. Why, are you checking up on her?” “Oh, no, no, just calling to check in!” I replied with a laugh, trying to keep it casual, and then hung up. Now it was Mary’s turn to be mad. She accused me of not trusting her and refused to speak to me. I quickly grabbed her hand, trying to make things right. “Honey, please don’t be upset! I’m sorry for doubting you. I’m an idiot. What can I do to make it up to you?” Unexpectedly, she softened and replied, “Only if you add my name to the property.”

Mary was referring to the penthouse I had bought with my business earnings. It had been sitting vacant, and the property deed only had my name on it. Recently, the area had been marked for development, and with the housing restrictions lifted, the property value had tripled. Since we hadn’t put her name on it, the penthouse was technically considered my pre-marital asset. Although I had already bought a marital home under her name and paid the down payment, I had been considering adding her name to the penthouse as well. After all, we were about to get married, and I didn’t want her to feel left out. So I seized the opportunity and said, “No problem, baby. We’ll head down to the County Property Office this week.” I loved Mary deeply and was willing to give her everything I had. Mary beamed with joy and threw her arms around me, kissing me like crazy. “You’re the best husband ever!” I laughed, kissed her back, and turned off the lights. Later, I sat on the edge of the bed, lighting a cigarette while Mary went to take a shower. Her phone was charging on the nightstand. Compelled by some force, I picked it up, unable to resist the urge to look through it. I remembered her password. We never checked each other’s phones before, but we were about to get married, so what harm could there be in a little peek? When I opened her Instagram, I found nothing. Not a single chat. Even our conversations were deleted. That was her habit. She always deleted chat records after talking. But that didn’t stop me. I switched to her payment history to check for any unusual transfers. Besides the $1,000 transfers I gave her on holidays, I noticed she had received another $1,000 from someone else. The contact was labeled “J,” and the profile picture was a tiger’s head—clearly a man, and judging by the profile, an older one. I quickly snapped a picture of the transaction, my hands trembling with anger as I put her phone back. I never expected Mary to betray me like this. If I wasn’t mistaken, she was cheating on me. Otherwise, why would someone send her $1,000 on holidays? Anger boiled inside me, and I wanted to storm into the bathroom and confront her. But I took a deep breath, pushing my fury down. Mary had never mentioned adding her name to the penthouse before—why did she suddenly bring it up now? I suspected it had something to do with whoever she was cheating with. Maybe they were plotting to take my property. The thought sent a chill down my spine. I had to find out who this guy was. Just then, a message came through on my phone. “Manny, are you awake? I’ve had too much to drink, and I really miss you.”

My hand shook as I read the message. It was from Rhonda, Mary’s best friend, who had a sultry look. At a couple of dinners, she had given me flirty glances when Mary wasn’t looking, even played footsie under the table, but I’d always brushed her off. After all, my fiancée was far more beautiful. Still, I never thought Rhonda would actually message me. Not wanting Mary to see it, I quickly deleted the message, deciding to ignore it. Mary said she was going to bed, so I didn’t disturb her. I lay there, wide awake, thinking about the contents of her phone. I was sure Mary was cheating. But all I had to go on was a tiger-head profile picture. I had to figure out who this guy was. I considered following her but worried she’d notice. Then, a better idea came to me—something foolproof. I remembered a programmer, Mick Prieston, whom I had met during business. The next day, I contacted Mick and asked if there was a way to install tracking software on someone’s phone. Mick said he could do it. All he needed was her phone model and some time to set it up. Later, while Mary was in the shower, I installed the software on her phone. Now, I could track her movements in real time. To my surprise, her routine was very consistent. After work, she would head to the dance studio for an hour, then stop by her sister’s house, staying there for an hour before coming home. Could it be that I was overthinking this? Maybe she wasn’t cheating after all? Still, I wasn’t ready to drop it. Maybe she was meeting her lover at the dance studio. I decided to follow her, just to be sure. I decided to follow Mary to see who she was meeting. Wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap, I rented a car, making sure I wouldn’t be recognized. I called in sick from work and tailed Mary to her office. She worked as a secretary, and I had once suspected she might be involved with her boss. But her boss was a woman, so that idea quickly fell apart. Still, there was always the possibility she was involved with one of her coworkers. Office romances aren’t unheard of. I spent the entire day hanging around the building, watching from a distance. I could see her through the window, printing documents and chatting with some of her male colleagues. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Maybe the affair wasn’t happening at the office? As the workday ended, I saw Mary leave the building. I followed her from a distance. To my surprise, a sleek black Lincoln pulled up beside her. She said something to the driver, then got into the passenger seat. I immediately started my car and followed. The Lincoln stopped outside her dance studio, and to my relief, two other women from her office got out of the car with her. They had carpooled. So much for that lead.

I parked outside the studio and waited for over an hour, watching through the large glass window. Inside, Mary was graceful and poised, teaching a dance class. She was wearing athletic clothes, looking as stunning as ever. Honestly, with a body and face like hers, it wasn’t surprising other men might have their eyes on her. But after watching for a while, no men approached her. No one suspiciously lingered around her. After the class ended, she packed up her things and left for her sister Helen’s house, just like she always did. Mary had a close relationship with Helen, and she’d often spend an hour or so at her place after work. I watched her enter the building and saw the elevator stop on Helen’s floor. By the end of the day, I was left feeling confused and frustrated. There didn’t seem to be any real evidence of her cheating. Maybe I had just been paranoid, letting my mind run wild. As I stood in front of the elevator, trying to figure it all out, a familiar voice called out behind me. “Manny, what are you doing here?” I turned to find Helen standing there, looking surprised. “Hey, uh, I’m looking for Mary,” I said quickly. “My phone’s dead, and I forgot my keys. I figured she’d be here, so I came to find her.” Helen smiled and hit the elevator button. “Yeah, she’s here. Come on up.” I followed her up to the apartment. “You’re home early,” Helen said as we rode up. “Usually Mary stays for dinner before heading home. How come you’re off work so soon?” “Oh, just an easy day today,” I mumbled, avoiding the question. Helen unlocked the door and called out, “Honey, I’m home!” From inside, a man’s voice responded—it was David, Helen’s husband. “Babe! Great timing. Oh, Manny’s here too? Guess I’ll have to cook for three tonight!” David came out of the living room, looking a little surprised to see me but quickly recovered with a warm smile. “Hey, man, long time no see. Come on in.” “Where’s Mary?” Helen asked, hanging her purse by the door. “She’s in the shower,” David replied. “She said she worked up a sweat at the studio.” Helen chuckled. “You’ve got to tell her to stop coming over here to use our shower!” Something about this didn’t sit right with me. Mary usually showered again when she got home in the evenings. Why would she need to take a shower here, too? Just as I was mulling over that, Mary stepped out of the bathroom, towel-drying her hair. “Manny? What are you doing here?” she asked, sounding surprised. I repeated the lie I had told Helen, and Mary nodded thoughtfully. “Okay, well, let’s head home.” “Why don’t you two stay for dinner?” Helen suggested. “No, we really should get going—” Mary started, but Helen cut her off with a teasing grin. “Oh, I see! Trying to sneak off for some alone time, huh? Don’t let me stop you.” Before we left, David chimed in, “You two should get married already, huh?” I froze for a second, then nodded awkwardly. “Yeah, we’re working on it.” David flashed me a smile. “Mary’s a great girl. You’re lucky, man. Hold on to her.”

We drove back home in silence. After following Mary all day and finding nothing, I was starting to think I had been overreacting. Maybe someone had simply sent her money as a gift. Perhaps there was no affair at all. That night, before bed, Mary brought up the subject of adding her name to the property deed again. Feeling guilty about doubting her, I agreed. “Okay, we’ll go to the County Property Office this week.” Mary was thrilled. That night, she was unusually affectionate. The next day, I went back to work and didn’t follow her. But around noon, I got an unexpected phone call—from Mick, the programmer. “Hey, man, are you alone? Can you talk?” My heart skipped a beat. What did Mick have for me? I left my desk and found a quiet spot. “Yeah, what’s up?” “We don’t usually talk outside of business, but I felt like I had to tell you this,” Mick said, his voice low and serious. “What is it?” “I’ve got a recording for you. The software I installed on Mary’s phone records everything. I think you need to hear this.” A knot formed in my stomach as I opened my Instagram. Sure enough, Mick had sent me an audio file. “Make sure you listen to it when no one’s around,” Mick warned before hanging up. I hesitated for a moment, unsure if I was ready to hear whatever was on that recording. But curiosity got the better of me, and I hit play. The recording started with soft breathing and an unmistakable voice—Mary’s voice. “Don’t touch me like that, wait—” Before she could finish her sentence, I heard the sounds of kissing and muffled voices. Then, Mary’s voice came back, whispering, “David, be gentle. You’re hurting me.”

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After discovering that I had a Lucky Charm personality, my adoptive parents sent me back to my biological parents, the Fosters, who are the richest family around. That same day, I was shut out at the door. Rich Foster pointed at my nose, denying that I was his country girl daughter. Becky Foster wasn’t backing down either, claiming I was harboring unrealistic dreams. My brother, Luke, went even further, dragging along a fake heiress to stage a deep sibling bond. I laughed. Looks like the richest man is about to lose his title. The fortune teller said I was a Lucky Charm and also the daughter of the richest man in town. Well, the Lucky Charm part wasn’t wrong, but honestly, I didn’t think my parents had anything to do with Rich Foster. Still, we went ahead and got a paternity test. The results confirmed that I wasn’t biologically related to my parents. My parents—oh, no, my adoptive parents. They acted swiftly, going to the hospital where I was born to question the delivery doctor. After several turns and twists, we finally confirmed—I was indeed switched at birth. This news was as shocking to me as the U.S. men’s soccer team winning the World Cup. So, our family gathered seriously to discuss how to resolve the situation. My adoptive parents meant that, after all, those on the other side were my biological parents, and if I wanted to go back, they wouldn’t stop me. Personally, I didn’t really want to be separated from my adoptive parents. But I did want to meet my biological parents. After much deliberation, I took the hospital’s proof and prepared to meet them. True to their status as the richest family, Rich and Becky Foster lived in the famous Beverly Hills, Los Angeles. I found them and politely explained what had happened, showing them the hospital certificate. Rich and Becky glanced at it and then looked at me with full suspicion. “Miss, forging a hospital seal is illegal. You must be pretty bold to try to climb into a wealthy family like this.” I had anticipated that they wouldn’t easily believe me. So I suggested a prepared solution, maintaining my dignity, “I’m not lying to you. This is the genuine hospital certificate.” “If you still don’t trust me, we can get another paternity test right now. If it proves that I’m not your biological daughter, I can take all the consequences.” Rich and Becky exchanged a glance and finally agreed to take me for another paternity test. On the day the results came out, their two children were also there. Lisa Lawson, the girl suspected of being switched at birth, and my supposed brother, Luke Martin. The scientific results confirmed that I was indeed their child. Upon hearing the results, Lisa immediately covered her mouth and started crying. Rich and Becky immediately went to comfort her, looking heartbroken. Luke stepped forward, blocking her, and looked at me with hostility. “Even if you were switched at birth, so what? We only have my sister, Lisa, as our daughter. You should go back.” Luke looked down at me from the steps, his eyes full of disgust. I opened my mouth to respond, but Lisa had already shouted out with a tearful voice. “I’ve been Lawson’s daughter since I was little, always staying by our parents’ side all these years. How dare you try to replace everything I have with just a piece of paper!” Me: “……” Wait a minute, when did I say I wanted to replace her? “Sophie, whatever you want, I’ll give you, but please don’t take my family away.” She curled up in my mom’s arms, crying pitifully. “I didn’t…” “Sophie!” Rich suddenly interrupted me, “If you came here for money, just name the amount, and we’ll give it to you.” “But it’s impossible for you to accept me back. Our family will always have only Lisa as a daughter!” “I’m not here to ask for money.” I argued weakly. My mom sneered nearby. “You’re not here to ask for money. You’re here to be a wealthy heiress.” She held Lisa in her arms, looking coldly at me. “Sophie, you’re too cruel. You were switched at birth, but our family is doing just fine. Why come back here and disgust us?” I stared at her, unable to believe these words were coming from my biological mother’s mouth. “I’m telling you, Sophie, we will never abandon Lisa to accept you back. Don’t harbor unrealistic dreams!” My father, mother, and brother stood there protectively, shielding Lisa, their eyes towards me like I was an invading enemy. I stood silently across from them, calmly feeling their hostility towards me. After a long moment, I suddenly let out a soft laugh. My adoptive parents became even more guarded, but I took a step back, and politely bowed to them. “First of all, I’m very grateful that you gave me life. After all, without you, I wouldn’t exist.” “Secondly, I want to explain that I didn’t come here to become a wealthy heiress or anything like that. I simply wanted to see what my biological parents are like.” I tilted my eyes, the spark in them gradually turning cold. “Finally, thank you for showing your disdain without even listening to my explanation.” “I won’t recognize you anymore in the future. I hope you won’t regret it.” After I finished speaking, I thought about thanking them for giving me life with a bow, and then ruthlessly turned to leave. Only after I left the gated community did I stop. I turned around, looking towards the Foster mansion with a mocking smile. “Just you wait.” This richest man is about to lose his title soon.

Back home, my adoptive father was tinkering with jade stones, while my adoptive mother was cooking in the kitchen. The rich aroma of the food filled our not-so-spacious house, but compared to the Fosters’ luxurious mansion, it felt much more homely. “Sophie, you’re back.” My adoptive father put down his magnifying glass, smiling at me, “How do you feel?” My adoptive mother peeked out from the kitchen. I looked at them and suddenly knelt down before them, kowtowing three times loudly, “From now on, I’m your biological daughter. No one else can replace me.” Originally, I only wanted to meet the person who gave me life, but now, it was even better. I didn’t need any reason to meet them anymore. I could peacefully stay with my adoptive parents who raised me. The two elders looked puzzled, “Did we bully you?” “They already have a daughter on their side.” I briefly explained the situation with the Fosters, which made my adoptive parents angry, “We’re going to hold them accountable!” I stopped my adoptive parents. “Each family has their own lives; as long as everyone is okay, that’s all that matters.” The Fosters’ disdain for me was already ingrained deep in their bones. I didn’t want my adoptive parents to suffer from their self-righteous, condescending disdain. “Then you…” My adoptive mother, holding a spatula, had a face full of uncontainable pain and worry. I smiled and winked at her, “Unless you and Rich Foster don’t want me anymore, otherwise I’ll stay with you forever.” “You silly child.” My adoptive mother choked up, and my adoptive father nodded contentedly, his eyes also slightly moist. “We will always love you, and you don’t lack their love.” “Yeah, our Sullivan daughter was also spoiled growing up. If the Fosters don’t want her, we certainly cherish her.” They both vied to comfort me, afraid I was upset. But I was fine. I had never had any illusions about the Fosters, so being rejected by them felt just a bit laughable. “Sophie, look at this.” My adoptive father excitedly pulled a box out of the house, pushing it towards me, “Look, look.” Under his urging, I opened the box, inside was a jade appraisal certificate. I was quite confused. My adoptive father dealt with stones, so he had settled our family in the Colorado Mining District. Thanks to his good eye, our home wasn’t lavish, but it was prosperous and comfortable. However, the mining district’s environment wasn’t great, and I loved to follow my father tinkering with stones, so I was always dusty and earthy. Probably why the Fosters called me a country girl. But my father had plenty of such certificates; what was so different about this one? “You remember the big stone I asked you to buy the other day, what do you think is inside?” My father, seeing my confusion, began giving me hints. Thinking back, I remembered that stone was quite large and cost him $200. We had bought it by chance on the way back from the paternity test. With so many things happening, I had forgotten about it. “Emerald?” “Or maybe a diamond?” I guessed a few, and my father nodded and shook his head, confusing me even more. My adoptive mother laughed and scolded him, “You just like to tease Sophie on purpose. Hurry up and tell her already.” “It’s a high-quality ice jade, spring-tinted purple.” My father stopped teasing, his eyes crinkling as he smiled widely, “Sophie, you’re my lucky charm. If you hadn’t insisted on buying that stone, I wouldn’t have.” “There’s plenty of value inside.” Talking about the back, my father was already laughing like a child, “Honey, cook a few more dishes tonight, I want to drink some wine!” My adoptive mother chuckled, giving him a playful look, but still went back to the kitchen to get busy. I was stunned. Could it be that I was truly a Lucky Charm? “Sophie, Dad showing you this is to tell you that our family can also have money.” My father suddenly looked at me solemnly, with a hint of sadness and apology, “I originally thought of letting you live a more affluent life, but the Fosters bullied you. From now on, if other girls have it, our girl will too. We’re not any different from them.” “Dad…” My throat caught, tears welled up. I had never disliked my parents, nor thought our family was any worse than others. On the contrary, I felt very happy. Because my adoptive parents truly loved me. The Fosters, no matter how good they were, lacked familial affection. The people around me had been caring for me meticulously since I was born. Although not blood-related, the bond was deeply rooted in my veins and bones. Besides, I believed our family would definitely surpass the Fosters in the future. It definitely would.

I got into my dream university. During the summer break, I fully utilized my Lucky Charm personality, spending every day with my dad at the mining site, touching every stone I could. Hard work paid off. With my Lucky Charm and my father’s keen eye, none of the stones we sold were a loss. In just one summer, we had already made a fortune. It also attracted a lot of attention. I told my father to take the credit, saying the stones were all his discoveries. He panicked, waving his hands, saying that since I was going to university, he couldn’t find good stones anymore and would be criticized to death. I thought it made sense, letting him be vague was fine, and if not, push it onto me. I am a Lucky Charm, not afraid of determined people messing with me. And I had already decided. I would major in Gemstone Appraisal and Design. With a degree in hand, the Lucky Charm personality wouldn’t be too obvious. When dropping me off at school, my parents had tears in their eyes, looking reluctant to let me go. I hugged them, then smiled at my dad, “When I’m on break, let’s go touch stones together again.” “Okay, okay.” My dad’s eyes were red, and he quickly turned away to wipe his face. My mom choked up, “If you need money, just say so, understand?” “Mom, we have plenty of money now.” The mining site was in the southern region, while I was heading north to Harvard, too far from them. My mom wished she could just hand me all the family’s money. My mom didn’t say anything else, hugged me tightly for a long time, then let go, “We’re watching you go in.” I knew they were worried, so I forced a smile, waved, and dragged my suitcase into the campus. Halfway, I looked back to see them still standing there. I waved, and they smiled and waved back. But both of us couldn’t hold back our tears. Afraid they would worry if they saw me crying, I deliberately sped up my steps, hid behind a tree after a turn, watched them stand outside the main gate for a long time before leaving, and only then dragged my suitcase away. This place was too far from home. No spring-tinted purple, no high-quality ice jade, no year-round warmth, and no loving family. But parting is for a better reunion. After I finish my studies, I will definitely make my parents prosperous and successful!

But I didn’t expect to run into Lisa Lawson in the dormitory. She had already claimed the best bed early on, with cherry-pink curtains and sheets that gave off a celestial vibe. The Fosters were helping her with everything. When she caught sight of me, the Fosters looked surprised, and then their eyes filled with disgust. I was annoyed. I knew how narrow-minded enemies could be, but there was no need for me and Lisa Lawson to cross paths like this. “You really are like a ghost that won’t leave.” Lisa’s mother mocked, “I’ve told you before, the Fosters only recognize Lisa. What’s the point of you following her?” “You want money, right? Thirty thousand is enough? I’ll give it to you.” Richie Foster also spoke up. He frowned as he examined me, then looked away. Disgust was written all over his face. Luke sneered, “Dad, look at how country girl she looks, thirty thousand won’t be enough for her. At least thirty-eight thousand.” Before the sound faded, Lisa covered her mouth and let out a low laugh. I knew Luke was mocking me. Looking at the loving Foster family, I felt a chill in my eyes, “Do I even know you guys?” “Bringing drama wherever you go, who are you trying to annoy?” “Move aside!” I shoved Lisa out of the way, went to her bed, and sneered, “Good dog, don’t block the way, don’t get it?” Since they wanted to compete with me, why should I be afraid of her? “Dad, Mom…” Lisa stopped laughing and started crying and showing her distress. Lisa’s mother quickly grabbed some tissues to wipe her tears and comfort her gently, while Richie Foster glared at me with a stern face, yelling, “Sophie, apologize to Lisa right now!” I laughed at him. Looking coldly at him, “Who are you?” Richie’s face stiffened, and I sneered, “What do you have to do with me, being a stranger?” The Fosters panicked. Lisa’s mother, with a hateful look as if she wanted to tear me apart, “We gave you life, and you dare to be so rebellious!” “I’m sorry, I’m not admitting it!” I glanced at Lisa, who was hiding pitifully in her mother’s arms, “The person who gave you life is hiding in your arms acting pitifully. Don’t try to use your connections to seek a relationship with us, then go back and say I wanted to take advantage of your Foster family.” Lisa’s mother had a fierce look, probably wanting to rip me apart. Realizing this, Richie Foster was furious, “Enough! Really, enough is enough!” He spun around twice on the spot, then glared at me with a harsh expression, as if he could refuse to recognize me, but I had to obey his commands, “If you don’t apologize to Lisa, don’t blame me for teaching you a lesson!” “Why, do you want to hit me?” I stepped back two steps cautiously, and as I said, Luke grabbed his sleeves and rushed at me, “What’s the big deal about hitting you!” “Smack!” The crisp sound like popping a bubble echoed through the small space. The Fosters were stunned. I shook my hand, smiling sarcastically, looking at the red bruises on Luke’s face, “I’ve been handling stones for years, how strong are these hands?” I’m not a delicate girl; seeing someone try to hit me would just scare me into crying on the spot. If they dare to hit me, they should first see if they can beat me. Luke went mad and tried to pounce on me again, but I kicked him in the stomach, sending him back into Rich’s arms. “If you make another move, I’ll call someone.” I coldly glanced at the Fosters, pretending to raise my phone to call the police, but the Fosters reluctantly backed down. However, their resentful looks lingered like shadows. While I was packing my things, if their eyes had any substance, they could have hurt me deeply. “Mom, I’m scared…” Lisa hid in her mother’s arms, sniffling pitifully, tears like pear blossoms in the rain. Seeing her, I felt a pang of sympathy, and Lisa’s mother gently comforted her. Richie and Luke also chimed in to support. I rolled my eyes and suddenly felt incredibly glad that my adoptive parents hadn’t sent me to the dormitory. Otherwise, seeing the Fosters would have made me uncomfortable. After setting up my bed, the Fosters decided to rent a place near the school to live and accompany Lisa. The reason was simple: they feared I would harm Lisa. I just laughed at their plan. With our family’s joint effort, our assets had already started to double. Who would care about the Fosters’ meager holdings?

The Fosters had all rented places outside the campus, and I thought Lisa would move out too, but she stayed behind. However, I didn’t bother to pay her any attention. I came to Harvard for a better future and had no time to argue with her. But evidently, Lisa didn’t think so. I shared a room with her; we could lock our curtains and glare at each other. She had changed her demeanor in front of the Fosters, now being provocative and mocking towards me. But her words were limited to a few phrases, like saying I was country-bred and questioning why I was wearing such clothes to a prestigious university. I really didn’t understand her twisted morals. What does intelligence have to do with clothing? She dressed beautifully, flaunting her style every day, but every time a teacher picked her to scold someone, she was the one being reprimanded. Moreover, flaunting wealth in Harvard wasn’t her forte. “The fall sports meet is being organized. Please sign up enthusiastically and showcase our class’s spirit.” Time flew by, and it had been a while since I entered the university. On stage, the teacher passionately talked about the sports meet plans. I was eager to participate; I was good at sprints, hurdles, high jump, long jump, and even threw the shot put a bit. I also knew a bit about basketball. I had always been the star participant in sports meets since I was young. “Teacher, I nominate Sophie Sullivan.” But I hadn’t even signed up myself, and the meddlesome Lisa had already jumped in first. With her pretty face and innocent expression, she seemed harmless, saying, “She grew up handling stones, so her physical strength must be excellent.” Before she finished, the group of little followers who always played with Lisa burst out laughing, not hiding their mockery. The teacher frowned. I looked around the class; most of the students had stern, cold expressions, clearly not following Lisa’s lead. It seemed that the students in this prestigious university had different standards and mindsets. So I calmly said, “Teacher, I do want to sign up for the sports meet, but I really don’t like Lisa Lawson’s personal conduct.” With a sarcastic tone, as if I couldn’t even speak up against her. The teacher looked at me in surprise. I stood up confidently and calmly said, “As the old saying goes, heroes are not judged by their origins. Does she care if I handle stones or pick up trash? The fact that I’m sitting here shows that I have extraordinary talent.” “On the contrary, Lisa often fails her quizzes, making people wonder if her wealthy lifestyle has turned her into a single-celled organism.” “Moreover, she openly mocks me. I demand that she apologize.” I have a sharp tongue. Even though Lisa was treated generously by my biological parents and was materially wealthier than me from a young age, I wasn’t lacking in love. My parents loved me, and I firmly loved them in return. With equal spiritual treatment, I asked her, what makes Lisa Lawson more noble than me, Sophie Sullivan? It’s her shallow and despicable mindset. I just wanted to seek justice for myself, vent my anger, but the teachers and classmates all gave me enthusiastic applause. “Sophie Sullivan’s spiritual world is rich and strong. I agree with her words.” The teacher gave me an approving look and gestured for me to sit down. Then, turning sternly towards Lisa, the teacher said, “I thought all of you students here understood that education is meant to cultivate virtue, but clearly, some of you only read books superficially.” “High academic achievements do not equate to high quality, nor do they represent personal cultivation. They only mean you possess knowledge.” “Your words and actions will quietly tell everyone what kind of person you are.” “So, Lisa Lawson, you must apologize to Sophie Sullivan.” The teacher spoke sternly, and the classmates all looked towards Lisa. In an instant, Lisa’s pretty face turned a bright red with embarrassment. She stubbornly glared at me but couldn’t withstand the teacher’s authority. Eventually, she reluctantly opened her mouth, “Sophie, I’m sorry.” “It’s okay, I forgive you.” I smiled, giving her a cold glance before looking away. To me, she was just like a fleeting cloud.

I signed up for the sports events I was good at and joined the basketball club. The teacher said there weren’t many girls signing up and hoped I could help attract more participants. I fully embraced the role, contributing wherever needed. After all, the sports meet was still a while away, so I could start training now. The club members were very enthusiastic, and I quickly became familiar with those sisters. The women’s basketball team often played friendly matches with the men’s team. I brought out my sports star spirit and soon became a main player on the women’s team. A beautiful three-pointer effortlessly turned the game around. The team sisters hugged me, screaming and cheering. I casually accepted their hugs and provocatively winked at the men’s team, “Again!” There were quite a few spectators; the laughter and cheering filled the gymnasium. I didn’t even notice the shiny eyes watching me. But troubles soon followed. There were so many people sending me flowers, water, and love letters, making me extremely annoyed. Lisa’s look at me became increasingly unsettling, as if I had stolen her spotlight, always appearing gloomy. I didn’t bother to pay her any attention. However, when I refused a certain senior’s flower and was about to return to the dormitory, Lisa was waiting for me under the shadow of a nearby tree, shouting, “Sophie, come here, I have something to tell you.” “Is it you who has something to say to me? Don’t you want to come here yourself?” At night, in the dark, she stood again in the tree shadow. I knew with my intuition that bad things were coming. Lisa’s eyes sparkled in the darkness, filled with anger. I smirked and turned my head to walk away. Back in the dormitory, my two roommates were still at the library. I planned to take a shower and then head to the library to study, but Lisa stormed in angrily, “Sophie, you’re still acting so crazy, aren’t you!” “If your brain is sick, hurry up and go to the hospital.” I was genuinely annoyed with Lisa for constantly staring at me like a persistent ghost, more annoying than those who were sending me things. In high school, I studied hard just to get into this prestigious university. Now that I was finally here, I naturally wanted to enjoy my college life without any time to argue with her. But she clearly didn’t think so. When I grabbed my clothes to take a shower, she screamed like a madwoman, “You don’t even consider your social status! How dare you get the attention of Senior Song!” “So what if you can play basketball? You’re sweaty every day, you don’t even look like a woman!” “Don’t think that because you’re a true heiress, you can suppress me. No matter how much you fuss, the heiress from the richest family is still me, Lisa Lawson!” “If you keep harassing Senior Song, I’ll show you my power!” Tsk. I looked at the crazed Lisa like she was mentally disabled, “Who is Senior Song?” I hadn’t paid attention to anyone named Song at all. Seeing the anger burning in her eyes, as if she wanted to eat me alive, I just thought she was sick, and very sick. I sneered, “Lisa, did you know that the fingerprints you slapped yourself with are different from the ones you slapped me with? Are you stupid?” Lisa didn’t believe it, and I was too lazy to explain further, “If you want to report me, go ahead. Don’t interfere with my rest.” Talking to idiots for so long, I feared their low intelligence might infect me. I grabbed my clothes and went into the bathroom. When I came out to grab some body wash, I saw her waving her palms as if gesturing, and when she met my eyes, her face instantly turned fierce again. I just gave her a big, unimpressed eye roll. These people are dangerous and need to be guarded against. After showering, I went to the library to peacefully study for several hours. When I returned, it was already late at night. Lisa was huddled on her bed, gaming online with someone, not mentioning anything about wanting to report me to the teacher. My two roommates and I exchanged glances, all seeing the suspicion in each other’s eyes. With such behavior, how did she get into this prestigious university?

Just as I was focused on training, my parents showed up at school. Dad pulled up in a new car with a fancy gold emblem, and then took me shopping at the mall, buying everything in sight. He said it was for my birthday, so I should be happy. I was happy. “Dad, did you make another great deal on gemstones?” “Absolutely. Top-quality jade.” Dad gave me a wink. “It’s all good business. Sophie, buy whatever you want.” Oh? I looked at Dad and gave him a knowing smile, the kind only we understood. So, even though I’m in college now, Dad’s still benefiting from that lucky streak at home? “The fortune teller was right, you’re our lucky charm.” Mom joined in, pulling me to shop more with a huge smile. “You’re the star of this family. Don’t worry about the money!” “You guys are the real stars.” Even though they said it was for me, I ended up picking out a lot of nice things for them instead. Without them, I wouldn’t be who I am today. In the end, I didn’t buy much for myself, but I got a lot for them. Mom looked at me with concern. “Why didn’t you get more?” “There’s plenty of clothes at school, and I don’t really like these expensive and impractical things. They just get in the way when I’m helping Dad move stones.” All that flashy stuff is only useful for showing off. Mom laughed and sighed. “You’re just like your dad, always thinking about those stones.” “Sophie’s just perfect like this.” Dad defended me, but still slipped a credit card into my hand. “There’s plenty of money in here. Buy whatever you want. You’re at the age where girls like to dress up, so don’t be stingy with yourself.” “Dad, Mom, I got it.” I knew they were worried about me being far away, afraid I wouldn’t have enough to eat or wear, so they made the long trip here for my birthday. After spending two days with me, they reluctantly dropped me off at the school gate and left. I dragged all the shopping bags they got me back to my dorm room. Just as I was about to give my roommates their gifts, Lisa stormed in, furious. The dorm supervisor followed her in. “Sophie, Lisa’s bracelet is missing, and you’re the suspect.”

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A dating reality show decided to come all the way to our mountain town for filming, and they needed a guide. As the only college graduate in the entire town, the responsibility naturally fell on my shoulders. I had planned to quietly fulfill my duty, but who knew that one of the female contestants just had to make trouble? My family has been wealthy for generations, but did I say anything about it? Seriously, in this day and age, why judge people by their looks? Dating reality shows sure have become wild these days. Instead of staying in the comfort of the city, they just had to come out to our little Appalachian town to stir things up. They set up tents, built a campfire, and watched the stars—trying to get all romantic. But after all their fussing, they realized they hadn’t planned one crucial thing for tomorrow—getting a tour guide. How were they supposed to manage without a guide? It’s the middle of nowhere; if someone gets lost in these mountains, it’d be a disaster. The director spent half the day explaining to Mr. Carter, our mayor, what exactly they needed. And boy, were their requirements high. “Not too rustic, not too plain,” they said, because, after all, it’s a dating show. “Preferably someone with a bit of education,” the director added. “You never know when the couple might get awkward when they’re alone. That’s when the guide can jump in and save the day.” And so, as the only college graduate in town, I was handed the glorious task of being their guide. Mr. Carter found me napping on the old country bed in my house, dreaming of handsome guys. But the moment I laid eyes on Ethan Williams, I knew that dream was over. Brittany Ross, the woman paired with Ethan, instantly hated me. Especially after she caught me smiling like a lovestruck fool at her partner. Her eye-roll was so dramatic I thought her eyes might fall out. “This girl from the mountains isn’t what I expected,” she said, covering her mouth, half-laughing. “Look at her; she’s not even shy around handsome guys. Last time I was here, the girls would blush the moment they saw a guy.” Her snide tone didn’t faze me. I tilted my head, looking innocently at her, and asked, “Oh, have you been to the mountains before, sister?” “Couldn’t find love last time, so you’re trying again?” I said, as sweet as sugar. As soon as I spoke, not just the crew, but even the usually stoic Ethan glanced over. I kept my wide-eyed, innocent look, staring at Brittany. After all, the mountain air here keeps us looking young, and my plain clothes only made me seem more like the sweet, innocent type. Brittany’s face turned every shade between green and white—a sight to behold. “What nonsense are you talking about, kid? Don’t you have any respect for others?” Oh, here we go. I wasn’t about to take that hit. I immediately put on a sad face, looking like I was about to cry. “Hey, hey, what’s this about? I didn’t bully you!” Brittany took a step back, startled. “I just think Brittany’s right,” I said, my voice small and trembling. “I really shouldn’t have spoken like that.” I pouted, looking as pitiful as possible. “I’ve heard my dad say that it’s hard for women in the city to find a good match these days. It’s not just about themselves; it’s about family background and education too.” “I mean, did I just ruin your chance to fall in love with Ethan?” I asked, glancing directly at him. Ethan’s eyes sparkled. He must have stifled a laugh earlier, making them shine even more.

I’d already heard about Ethan Williams before the crew even made it up the mountains. Honestly, it was because of him that I decided to stay in the mountains for this break before school started. Because, let’s face it, he’s gorgeous. “So, you’re really staying in the mountains for some pretty boy?” my dad asked when he heard I was interested in a guy. He stayed up all night, having someone investigate Ethan’s background. He’s the son of a rich family, Ivy League-educated, and handsome to boot. He was only on this dating show because it was a family project, just there to make an appearance. But to my dad, he was just some pretty boy who wasn’t good enough for his daughter. “Check him out, sure. Your daughter’s got everything; she just needs a reliable man,” I said. And with that, my dad dropped the subject, even thinking I had a point. “Fine, but when the crew leaves, someone’s gotta collect the final payment from them. You can help me with that,” he added. Oh, right, I forgot to mention—the mountains they’re filming on? They belong to my family. It’s land my grandpa left us. After he made his fortune, he stayed in the mountains as a forest ranger, thinking he’d earned enough and didn’t need to work anymore. I grew up here, so I know every inch of these mountains like the back of my hand. But these folks from the city don’t know anything about my background. They think I’m just some lucky kid who managed to escape the mountains for college. So I’ve just laughed off any condescending comments they’ve thrown my way—except for the times when Brittany’s face turned into a full-on color palette of embarrassment. Ethan, on the other hand, was the quiet type. If something didn’t concern him directly, he wouldn’t say a word. But as soon as everyone’s attention shifted away, Ethan suddenly spoke up, “Yeah, finding a good match in the city is tough these days.” I saw his assistant’s jaw drop in surprise. I saw Brittany’s face turn the color of mud. And I saw Ethan flash me a rare, amused smile. I straightened up, feeling a proud sense of victory bubbling inside me. “Well then, I’ll make sure to be more careful next time when talking to you, Brittany.”

I’ve got a sweet tongue and a hardworking attitude. On our tour, I took them to all the scenic spots, saving the crew a ton of time on filming. By lunchtime, the crew liked me so much they’d started slipping me extra snacks. Brittany had been trying to hold in her annoyance all morning, but seeing the crew treat me kindly, her “trouble radar” kicked in. “Oh, I didn’t realize it before,” she said, nodding at her assistant, “but go ahead and give the snacks to little Jessica. These are things you don’t find often in the mountains.” The cameras were rolling, and she acted like some sort of angel. But anyone with half a brain could tell she was trying to embarrass me. I blinked, playing dumb, letting my gaze flick back and forth over the snacks her assistant handed me. “I’ve had these before, Brittany. Is it your first time trying them? How cute!” Brittany’s smile froze on her face. “Uh, no, I have these all the time. I brought them just for you,” she said, her voice faltering. “Oh, no need to make a big deal of it. I eat these all the time too,” I replied, smiling politely. “And wow, Brittany, you’re amazing! Eating snacks like these all the time and still staying in such great shape,” I said, pinching my own stomach with a playful expression, “unlike me.” Brittany forced a laugh. “You’ve got a great figure too.” “Really?” I asked, tilting my head. “I run around these mountains every day, but my figure’s nowhere near as… ordinary as yours.” I gave her a once-over as I said the words “ordinary,” my face scrunched up in mock confusion. Honestly, running around the mountains every day keeps me in way better shape than delicate Brittany could ever hope for. Ignoring Brittany’s expression, Ethan chimed in, sounding curious, “You run around these mountains every day?” I turned to him and nodded, “Yup!” “I heard these mountains are privately owned,” Ethan said, clearly puzzled. “Yep, they are,” I agreed. “They belong to my family.”

The crew fell silent for a few seconds, and everyone stared at me like they’d just learned a huge secret. Even Brittany was too stunned to speak. “Your family’s?” Ethan squinted. “These mountains all belong to your family?” I nodded, standing up and pointing to the farthest peak they could see. “Yup, all of them.” “Feel free to visit anytime. I’ll ask my dad to give you a discount.” I’m probably the first person ever to invite people to visit the mountains for fun. The crew was in shock, and the cameras kept rolling, but they seemed to forget they were filming a dating show. I didn’t mind. Feeling refreshed from the break, I led them to the next scenic spot. “This area’s perfect if you want to set up camp,” I said, gesturing grandly. “Camp? How far is it from the guest lodge? No way I’m staying here overnight,” Brittany piped up before anyone else could speak. She shot me a dramatic eye-roll, like I was the one pushing her to sleep in a tent. What’s her problem? If you don’t want to camp, maybe let the crew know ahead of time instead of throwing a fit at me. Brittany’s complaint left the director a bit speechless. “Brittany, we agreed to camp before we started filming,” the director reminded her. “Who agreed to that? The tent’s just for show, right? This place is crawling with bugs—what if they bite me?” Brittany whined. City folks sure have it rough. I’ve lived here for years and barely get bitten. What, does she have blood that’s special to mosquitoes? I rolled my eyes and sat down, waiting for them to figure it out. I thought it was just a disagreement between Brittany and the crew. But before long, the blame got shifted onto me. “That girl said these mountains are her family’s, right? Can’t she at least arrange for us to stay at the guest lodge?” I glanced at the confused director, unsure how I got dragged into it. Just then, Ethan walked over. “Brittany insists on staying at the lodge. The director says they haven’t booked it for that long, so now she’s blaming you,” he explained. “Ridiculous. Don’t let it bother you,” he added. I didn’t want to deal with it, but even when I stayed quiet, someone always found a way to make it my problem. “Why aren’t you saying anything? Could it be you were lying about everything?” Brittany snapped, hands on her hips. I stood up, brushing off my skirt and smiling confidently. “Fine. You want to stay at the lodge for a few more days? Follow me.”

Our town used to be poor. But once my family became wealthy, we helped our neighbors and lifted everyone into a comfortable middle-class life. So sometimes, I have more pull than even Mr. Carter. A few extra nights at the guest lodge? No problem. Mr. Carter agreed so quickly he didn’t even ask for payment. Brittany got her wish, but I got a bit of praise in front of the crew, making her more irritated than ever. But what could she do? This was my turf, and I had plenty of ways to handle her. After getting Brittany settled, the crew was utterly exhausted. The director, trying to be kind, called it a day and suggested everyone rest. “Is the shoot done for today?” I asked, glancing around, then waved Mr. Carter over. “Yeah, after a whole day of running around, time to get a hot shower and sleep,” the director said, casting a quick glance at Brittany. His message was clear. If it weren’t for her insisting on avoiding the tents, they’d all be resting by now. Just as we finished talking, Mr. Carter drove up in a small bus. “Everyone, hop on. Bring all your gear,” I called out. “All our gear?” the director asked, confused. I nodded with a smile. “I’m taking you somewhere better.” The “better place” was none other than the five-story villa my brother built halfway up the mountain. It’s tucked away and private—perfect for a film crew to relax without being disturbed. When the bus stopped, the director and crew were in awe. “You’ll stay here tonight. There’s a hot spring for soaking in the rooms, and on the second floor, we’ve got a small restaurant. It’s nothing fancy—just simple home-cooked meals, but I hope you don’t mind.” “This… this is your place?” the director asked, his eyes wide with envy.

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I’ve imprisoned my brother in the bedroom closet. To prevent him from escaping, I broke all the bones in his body. I cut open his abdomen, exposing his intestines. His organs were removed and soaked in formaldehyde… And yet, he’s still alive. This wasn’t a difficult thing to do. As a professional surgeon, I have a thousand ways to torture him while keeping him barely alive. Main text: The hospital lab reported that a few milliliters of blood were missing from a sample. It wasn’t a big deal initially. Perhaps it was used in some testing process. Or maybe a few extra milliliters were recorded by mistake at the beginning. But the nurse insisted that a few milliliters had gone missing without explanation. Because the patient was HIV-positive, she decided to report it. The hospital administrator said the blood of HIV patients must be taken seriously. If someone with ill intentions took that blood to harm others, the consequences would be unthinkable! The police didn’t take this case very seriously, so they assigned my mentor, Detective Mark Thompson, a veteran officer nearing retirement, to handle it. As his new apprentice, I naturally got involved in this case as well. But this seemingly ordinary case would uncover a huge, hidden truth – one that was cruel and tragic… We didn’t find anything unusual in the hospital surveillance footage. Detective Thompson lit a cigarette and said to me, “Grab the notebook. Let’s go talk to everyone.” So we visited all the doctors, nurses, and anyone who could have accessed the blood samples recently. But there was one person whose home we couldn’t reach – she was never there when we tried. Her name was Rachel Wilson, the youngest ER doctor at the hospital. Detective Thompson and I sat at the nurses’ station, waiting because Rachel was in surgery and couldn’t meet us. “Dr. Wilson? She’s the most skilled doctor in the hospital. She’s kind, has a great temperament, and is beautiful too,” one nurse said. As soon as she finished speaking, the group of nurses started chattering, all saying good things about Rachel. “She had outstanding grades, went straight through her master’s and PhD. At such a young age, she’s already an attending physician.” “That time when we had that violent incident at the hospital, a patient’s family member came at us with a knife. It was Rachel who carefully calmed them down and prevented a disaster.” After spending the afternoon learning about her, all we heard were praises. She seemed to be a person without any flaws. As evening approached, the surgery still hadn’t ended. We figured that once Dr. Wilson came out of surgery, she’d be exhausted. It wouldn’t be right to question her then. The nurses said she had the next day off, so we decided to visit her home tomorrow instead. Early the next morning, we knocked on her door. She seemed to live alone. We heard someone in slippers walking to the door. They leaned against it, watching us for a while before opening. “You must be Detective Thompson. The nurses told me about you when I got off work yesterday,” she said. Detective Thompson nodded as she invited us in. She appeared to have just woken up, wearing a silk robe in a vibrant red that accentuated her perfect figure. As she bent down to pour us some water, her neckline gaped open, revealing smooth pale skin. Detective Thompson and I are men after all. He’s been divorced for years, so seeing such an attractive woman naturally drew his gaze. And as for me, fresh out of the academy and never having had a girlfriend, I couldn’t help but take in the alluring scene. Detective Thompson snapped out of it and surveyed her apartment, in no rush to get to business. In an interrogation, you need to gain the person’s trust first, break down their mental defenses, and look for clues in the details. “You live here alone?” he asked casually. She smiled. “Yes, my brother used to stay here, but he’s away on a business trip recently.” Her demeanor was relaxed, a gentle smile on her face. Detective Thompson made a noncommittal sound, glancing at a closed door behind her. It was a large apartment with two bedrooms. One door was open – presumably her room. The other was tightly shut, likely her brother’s room. Detective Thompson noticed some fake nails on the TV stand, then looked at Rachel’s clean, unadorned fingernails. “Do you like doing your nails, Dr. Wilson?” he asked. She smiled, touching her fingers. “What girl doesn’t? But as a doctor, I can’t really do my nails. So I bought some fake ones to stick on when I’m home and bored.” As she spoke, she stood up and brought over the fake nails. She took one out, compared it to her finger, found it matched her middle finger perfectly, and stuck it on. Detective Thompson, seeing nothing unusual in the home, was about to get to the point. But suddenly a huge noise came from the closed room. Rachel’s expression darkened for a moment as she looked back at that room. “Lucky, behave yourself,” she said sternly. “Lucky?” Detective Thompson questioned. She turned back to us, her gentle smile returning. “I have a husky. He’s quite a handful, so I usually keep him in there.” Perhaps due to his years of experience as a detective, Thompson seemed to sense something was off. He stood up and walked towards that room. Rachel stood as well, warning him: “Detective, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Lucky can be really rowdy.” Thompson kept walking. As he put his hand on the doorknob, just as he was about to turn it… A dog’s yelp came from inside the room, sounding pitiful, as if it had been abused. Thompson opened the door without hesitation. A huge husky bounded out, knocking him over, then ran around wagging its tail and crashing into things. Rachel hurried to help Thompson up, then grabbed Lucky and struggled to get him back in the room. “I’m so sorry, Detective. He really is too much sometimes,” she apologized. Thompson, feeling a bit guilty for suspecting her, rubbed his balding head. “No worries, no worries.” Then he got down to business. “Dr. Wilson, have you heard about the missing blood samples from the lab?” he asked. Rachel fiddled with the fake nail on her middle finger. “Of course, rumors have been going around for a while. Did you check the surveillance footage?” Thompson answered honestly: “We did. Nothing unusual showed up.” She made a noncommittal sound, not saying anything more. But I thought I saw her eyes go cold for just a split second. Even with the smile still on her lips, it felt like falling into an abyss. Thompson felt that he had come to interrogate her, but suddenly found himself answering her questions honestly. It somewhat bruised his pride as a detective, so he straightened up and began questioning her more formally. After a round of questioning, we didn’t find anything unusual. Unfortunately, Detective Thompson, despite his years of experience dealing with criminals, had met his match in her. All that talk of casual conversation to gain the suspect’s trust – turns out we had trusted her step by step under her subtle guidance. The case seemed to have hit a dead end. Detective Thompson told me to close it if nothing else came up. But I felt something was off, so I kept dragging my feet on closing it. Soon, another new case came to the police station. A professor from A University had gone missing. He was supposed to be on a business trip to L City, but when he didn’t return as scheduled, the school checked and found that he wasn’t at the business location or on campus. His phone was also unreachable. After contacting his family, they said he hadn’t come home either. He seemed to have vanished into thin air. At least, that’s how the officer who took the case described it to Detective Thompson. The responding officer said the missing man had left home, and had definitely boarded that flight, but never got off. Thompson asked skeptically, “What do you mean he never got off? Did he die on the plane?” The officer shook his head vigorously. “We checked the surveillance footage for a long time. We found that he definitely boarded the plane, but in the footage of passengers disembarking, there’s no sign of him.” Thompson picked up the file and glanced at the name. “Ryan Wilson. The name sounds familiar.” Then he saw the address – it was the same as Dr. Rachel Wilson’s. “Looks like we need to pay Dr. Wilson another visit,” Thompson said thoughtfully. That evening, I drove Thompson over. Unlike her confident demeanor before, Rachel looked haggard today. She wore plain clothes, her hair carelessly tied back. She didn’t even offer us water. She led us to the couch and sat down, constantly checking her phone. Since this wasn’t our first visit, we weren’t exactly strangers anymore. Thompson got straight to the point: “Your brother is missing?” She nodded, her eyes instantly welling up with tears. “Detective Thompson, please, you have to find my brother.” She grabbed Thompson’s arm, crying uncontrollably. Thompson patted her shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry. I don’t believe in people vanishing into thin air. I’ll definitely help you find the truth.” She nodded through her tears. We had learned what we needed to, so Thompson and I prepared to leave. As we reached the ground floor, I happened to look up and saw a figure in her window. Though far away, I felt an intense chill. I shivered, wrapping my arms around myself. Thompson turned and asked what was wrong. I hurriedly said it was nothing. When I looked back, the window was empty. This case was different from the missing blood samples at the hospital, so Thompson approached it with utmost seriousness. We carefully reviewed the surveillance footage of Ryan boarding and disembarking the plane over and over, until our eyes were strained. But we still couldn’t spot Ryan getting off the plane. We also questioned the passengers seated around Ryan, as well as the flight crew. They said Ryan had gone to the bathroom midway through the flight and never returned to his seat. It was baffling how a person could just disappear like that from a plane. So Thompson, following his years of intuition, decided to start investigating Rachel’s home. We reviewed the surveillance footage from outside Rachel’s building again and again. Ryan appeared in the footage with his suitcase. Rachel saw him off, watching until he was out of sight. We even checked older footage and found that whenever Ryan left for work, as long as Rachel didn’t have an emergency shift, she would always come out to see him off. The siblings seemed to have a good relationship. Sometimes they would even hug before parting. I was exhausted from watching so much footage and started letting my imagination run wild. “Detective, what if Ryan was abducted by aliens for experiments?” I joked. Thompson gave me a withering look. I continued speculating: “Do you think this case could be connected to the missing blood samples at the hospital?” My idle comment caught Thompson’s attention. He gave me a complex look. “Both cases are connected to Rachel Wilson. But if she did it, what would she want the hospital’s blood for? HIV doesn’t manifest immediately. If she wanted to infect someone, who would it be?” Thompson rattled off a series of questions, then continued: “How could Ryan just vanish from the plane? If Rachel did it, how did she manage that?” I was clearly clueless, but Thompson didn’t seem to expect answers from me. “And judging by Rachel’s state, she clearly cares a lot about her brother. If it really was her, what’s her motive?” Right, motive is the key to any case. So we needed to understand the relationship between the siblings better. Thompson and I wasted no time. The next day we went to their hometown to investigate. Their mother made us some tea, her eyes still red from crying. “You’re asking about Ryan and Rachel? They’ve been close since they were little. We were busy with work back then, so Ryan always looked after her.” “You wouldn’t believe it, but when Rachel got her first period, Ryan even helped wash her pants.” “The two were as close as twins. Ryan had better grades, so Rachel was inevitably compared to him unfavorably. But Ryan always defended her and spent hours tutoring her.” Thompson nodded. “Have either of them dated anyone?” Their mother shook her head. “Not that I know of. We’ve been pestering Ryan to settle down, but he always says there’s no rush. I don’t think Rachel is seeing anyone either.” Thompson glanced at me, and I suddenly remembered something. The first time we visited Rachel’s home, there was an opened box of condoms next to the fake nails. At the time, I thought it was normal for a female doctor to have condoms. But now that we know neither of them was dating anyone, who were the condoms for? Thompson immediately called the station. “Zhang, compare the surveillance footage again. Carefully compare the Ryan who left that last time with previous footage. Don’t miss any details.” Officer Zhang grumbled a bit, having watched that footage countless times already, but didn’t dare disobey orders. “Detective, did you notice anything strange?” I asked. Thompson pondered for a moment before replying: “It is a bit odd. Usually when Rachel sees Ryan off, they hug. But not the last time.” I thought hard about the surveillance footage. “But they don’t hug every time. Sometimes Ryan wants to hug but Rachel doesn’t, right?” Thompson lit a cigarette. “That’s true. The strange thing is, the last time, Ryan didn’t try to hug Rachel.” Right, why didn’t he hug her that final time? “And…” Thompson blew out a smoke ring, “That last day, he was wearing a baseball cap. We never got a clear look at his face, just assumed it was him based on the build.” Thompson suspected the person who left that final time wasn’t Ryan at all! Soon, Officer Zhang called back. “Detective Thompson, we did find some differences.” Thompson and I exchanged a glance, waiting for him to continue. “Their stride lengths are different.” “The difference isn’t much, only about 2cm, but it is different.” Zhang hesitated, sounding a bit embarrassed. “We didn’t notice this ourselves. The station just received an anonymous email pointing it out to us.” Thompson’s eyes flashed. “Have you traced the IP address?” “We’re working on it.” After hanging up, Thompson sat in the car pondering for a long while. He sighed. “This isn’t enough evidence. We need to at least find Ryan himself.” We drove back to question Rachel again. She looked exhausted when she opened the door. “Ryan never actually left this apartment, did he?” Thompson asked bluntly. Rachel seemed taken aback, then smiled. “If you don’t believe me, feel free to search every room.” She stepped aside, her openness making us hesitant to suspect her. But we were police officers after all. What was there to be embarrassed about? So we searched every room thoroughly. We even checked under the beds and in the toilet tanks. There truly wasn’t anything suspicious. We turned our attention to the person who had impersonated Ryan. After investigating, we soon uncovered his identity. In the police station interrogation room, he sat calmly, curiously observing us. “What’s your name?” Thompson asked. “Henry Young.” “What do you do for work?” He glanced at the file in Thompson’s hand. “Shouldn’t you already know that?” Thompson cleared his throat and changed the question. “Do you know why we brought you in?” He nodded. “Of course. If you found me, you must know Ryan Wilson’s whereabouts by now.” Thompson maintained his poker face. “Naturally. You know where he is too, right?” But Henry was frank: “I don’t know.” Thompson slammed the table. “You have a good job. If you insist on hiding information, your future will be ruined.” Henry shrugged. “I don’t care. I just want revenge on him.” Henry Young was a crew member for the airline. That day, Rachel found him and asked him to impersonate Ryan, leaving the apartment complex and pretending to board that flight. He was already scheduled to work that flight as a crew member, so he created the illusion that Ryan had vanished from the plane. When asked about his grudge against Ryan, Henry’s story went back many years. In middle school, Henry’s family was poor, so he studied hard, hoping to improve his circumstances someday. Ryan easily maintained the top rank without much effort. Until one time, Henry surpassed Ryan and got the top score on an exam. Ryan, unable to accept this, had Henry beaten up and all his study materials destroyed. Henry’s mother broke her leg working at a construction site to scrape together money to replace his materials. The construction company paid quite a bit in compensation. They had money for new study materials, but his mother’s leg was permanently damaged. So from then on, Henry hated Ryan with a passion. After hearing Henry’s statement, we confirmed that Ryan had never left that apartment complex. Henry leaned back in his chair, looking at us with disdain. “I’ve bought Rachel enough time. Detectives, you don’t actually think you’re clever, do you? Uncovering all this?” Thompson and I exchanged a glance, waiting for him to continue. “All the clues you’ve found were left deliberately by Rachel. You’re quite slow, only getting to me now.” We immediately applied for a search warrant, but it took three days for approval. We surrounded Rachel’s home and broke down the door. Rachel was sitting calmly on the couch, legs crossed. This time she had real manicured nails, blood red, not the fake ones from before. She held a glass of red wine. Seeing us enter, she barely glanced over, taking a sip of wine. She set down her glass and stood up gracefully, walking to Detective Thompson in her high heels, looking at him with a hint of challenge. “Detective Thompson, I could have done better. I left you so many clues.” She turned and pointed to her bedroom. “Break open the closet. He’s in there.” Then she held out her hands, waiting to be handcuffed. I don’t know what she was thinking, going with us to the station so calmly, but she refused to discuss her motives. When we found Ryan, he had been tortured beyond recognition. During my training, I’d looked at many photos of corpses to desensitize myself – bodies bloated from water, dismembered bodies, all kinds of gruesome deaths… But seeing Ryan, I still felt nauseous and nearly vomited.

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I Woke up in a novel where everyone loves the heroine A business tycoon for the eldest brother, a medical genius for the second, and a Hollywood star for the third. I thought I was the beloved heroine. But it turns out… I’m just a side character? Wait, why are my brothers doting on me every day? Could it be… I’m actually the real heiress? I found myself transported into a popular online novel where the heroine is loved by everyone. My parents were wealthy and pampered me with the best of everything. I thought I could just sit back and enjoy the easy life, but then one day, a woman showed up claiming to be the real daughter. She pointed at me, accusing me of being an imposter, and demanded a DNA test. The kicker? My so-called parents actually believed her and agreed to the test! Great, so I really am the fake one. What the hell? Then it hit me – I remembered the title of this book: “All the CEOs Love Me: The True and False Heiress”! Oh God, I only read the beginning of this story because it was too ridiculous to continue. So I’m actually the fake heiress! This is not how it’s supposed to go… “Mom, Dad, I’ve missed you so much…” I sat to the side, watching as the “real daughter” Chloe Winters cried her eyes out, constantly throwing herself at her mother while recounting all the hardships she’d endured over the years. “Life in the orphanage was so hard! sob If only…” She glanced at me, her eyes full of resentment, but her tone unchanged, still dripping with pathos that would melt anyone’s heart. “If only you hadn’t picked up the wrong baby back then… But I don’t blame you. I’m just so happy to have found you. I’ll get along well with my sister from now on.” The two quickly embraced, crying together. Her mother kept apologizing and promising to make it up to her. Before I knew it… I felt like I’d been hit by a truck. Watching the mother and daughter bond like they’d never been apart, I quietly slipped out to clear my head. Little did I know, when I returned, my adoptive parents’ attitude had completely changed. “Aria, what your birth parents did was utterly selfish! To think my daughter was left to suffer for so many years because of them.” Huh? I glanced at Chloe smirking behind them, and I had a pretty good idea of what had happened. They were blaming my birth parents, weren’t they? I wasn’t sure how the plot would develop from here, so I just listened quietly. My adoptive mother steeled herself and waved her hand dismissively. “We’ve been mother and daughter for so many years, so let’s just leave it at that. I’ll contact your birth parents to come pick you up.” I understood, so I sincerely thanked these adoptive parents and volunteered to leave on my own. Unexpectedly, my calm acceptance gave Chloe an opportunity to further manipulate the situation. She started poisoning my adoptive parents’ minds with veiled comments, saying I was just like my birth parents – heartless and ungrateful. Sure enough, my adoptive mother got even angrier and immediately had someone contact my birth parents. Me: …

According to Chloe, my birth parents were just farmers. Because they were poor, they switched me with her right after we were born, which led to my adoptive parents taking the wrong baby home, while she was sent to an orphanage. I was dumbfounded, thinking to myself that it wouldn’t be a proper novel if it wasn’t this ridiculously dramatic. But based on my years of reading experience, there had to be more to the story. Who knows, maybe there’d be a huge plot twist later? Besides, since I’d already transmigrated into a novel, living on a farm didn’t sound so bad! So I waited patiently. My adoptive mother worked quickly, and within a few hours, my birth parents had arrived. Without wasting a moment, she packed up my more valuable belongings and threw me out along with them. “Your parents are waiting outside. You can go now.” She slammed the door shut without even looking at me. No wonder they say women change their minds quickly. Just this morning, she was still the image of a gentle, loving mother. I smiled wryly, picked up my things, and headed out. Well, it’s money after all. Might as well take it. Outside the main gate, in front of a Bentley, stood a man who looked like a bodyguard. Next to him was an anxious-looking wealthy woman who rushed up to me as soon as she saw me. “Aria! Are you Aria?” I nodded, “You are…?” “I’m your mom!” She wiped away tears and hugged me tightly. “Have you been living here all this time? You must have suffered so much all these years!” I paused and glanced back at the mansion behind me. Umm… “What’s all this junk you’re carrying? Were they mean to you? They didn’t even come out to see you off!” This mom was something else. She really despised the stuff, huh? On the way, my birth mother acted just like my adoptive mother when she first found her daughter. She told me about the mix-up at the hospital years ago that had made it impossible for them to find me, and promised to make it up to me from now on. I thought to myself that I might have hit the jackpot again. When I saw the castle-like estate, I finally understood why she thought I’d been suffering out there. A line of servants and butlers stood at attention, all chorusing, “Welcome home, young miss!” My birth mom explained that although they were farmers, they owned modern, high-tech farms and were extremely wealthy landowners. We had barely sat down when a deep, urgent male voice came from outside, “Where’s my daughter? Where is she?” My birth father was incredibly well-preserved, tall and handsome, not looking old at all. After a round of emotional reunions, my mom told me, “The good news came so suddenly today. Your brothers are already on their way back home.”

Just before dinner, we finally had our big family reunion. Seriously, I was this close to becoming a fangirl. My eldest brother, Charles Pierce, stood at over six feet tall with an imposing presence that seemed even bigger. He was the epitome of a domineering CEO. My second brother, Colin Pierce, was known to others as a “medical genius.” He had a gentle demeanor, and his smile was like a spring breeze. As for my third brother, Christopher… well, he hadn’t arrived yet. Apparently, he was still on the plane. In short, this whole family was rich, good-looking, and impressive. I bet I’d be grinning even in my dreams. No, wait! Don’t let me wake up! What kind of fairy tale plot was this? I absolutely loved it! “By the way, Aria, you’re studying at Ashton University now, right? I’ll arrange for you to transfer to a prestigious private academy. And we’ll change your last name tomorrow too.” As soon as Dad spoke, Charles efficiently moved to make a call, but I quickly stopped him. “It’s okay, Dad. I’m fine where I am. There are only two years left anyway. Let’s keep a low profile.” “Our Aria wants to keep a low profile? Alright, we’ll do as you wish. But from now on, we’ll take care of the food services at Ashton. You need to eat well.” “Thank you, Mom and Dad.” Charles smiled coolly as he elegantly rolled up his sleeves. “I approved the proposal Ashton sent over a few days ago.” “Thank you, Charles.” Colin, seemingly not wanting to be outdone, raised an eyebrow. “In that case, the medical facilities should be upgraded too. I’ll send two of my best students to oversee it.” “Thank you, Colin.” I was on a winning streak. But it didn’t end there. After dinner, Charles gifted me a limited edition Rolls-Royce. Colin pulled out a women’s watch worth millions, while Christopher, who hadn’t even arrived yet, sent ahead a designer gown that even A-list celebrities would struggle to get their hands on. I was dazzled, utterly thrilled. As for Mom and Dad, well, they gave me several credit cards, put my name on various property deeds, and told me to ask for anything I wanted. That night, lying in the princess bedroom they had prepared for me, I couldn’t even bring myself to sleep. Who could understand this feeling!

The next day, I got up early. Sticking to my principle of keeping a low profile, I left the car Charles gave me in the garage and had the driver take out a less conspicuous one. As for the watch Colin gave me, it was just too beautiful. I figured not many people would recognize it anyway, so I happily wore it to school. Just as I reached the classroom door, I overheard someone talking about a new transfer student who had arrived very ostentatiously this morning. I wasn’t particularly interested, as this was quite common at Ashton University. But suddenly, someone’s gaze fell on me. “Hey, Aria, I heard the new transfer student is the Winters’ heiress. Is she your sister or something?” With this setup, I wasn’t too surprised when I saw Chloe Winters. Coincidentally, she was even in the same class as me. “Hello everyone, I’m Chloe Winters. Please take care of me from now on.” She quickly charmed the class with her sweet girl-next-door image. After class, she came up to me and affectionately called me “sister.” This school was like a miniature society, where people always tried to cozy up to those from powerful families. If she wanted to let others know she was a Winters, it would’ve been simple. But this “sister” act really threw me for a loop. What was this girl up to? She seemed determined to play out this charade of sisterly affection, asking me if I was tired from studying lately, if anyone was bullying me, and so on. I gave her a quick once-over, my eyebrow involuntarily arching. From the side came a confused voice, “Aria, how come we never heard you had a sister? You two seem so close.” Chloe jumped in to answer, “Because I only just came home recently.” I watched with an amused smile, pretty much guessing what she was trying to do. Sure enough, the next moment, Chloe put on an expression of hesitation. “Sis, you… never mind. You must be feeling out of sorts after leaving the Winters family, right?” As she spoke, she took out a credit card from her bag and handed it to me. “Mom and Dad told me not to help you, but I still want to do what I can for you, sis. Don’t think it’s too little, okay?” I looked at her, suddenly breaking into a smile as I took the card. “How could I think it’s too little? This is my dear sister’s heartfelt gift.” With all this “sister” talk back and forth, I was starting to wonder if I’d transmigrated into some period drama. After all this drama, someone finally asked the question Chloe had been waiting for. “What’s going on here?” Chloe pursed her lips, feigning regret. “Actually, my sister isn’t the Winters’ biological child. Her birth parents are just farmers who used some tricks to get her into the Winters family when she was little. But it’s all worked out now. I’ve finally returned to my rightful place, so I don’t blame her anymore.” I casually played with the credit card in my hand, looking at her with a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes as she put on her little act. “Aria… is this true?” The onlookers’ expressions changed as they looked at me. I nodded without hesitation. “My birth parents are indeed farmers.”

After getting my confirmation, everyone clearly gravitated towards Chloe. What’s the deal? I transmigrated into a novel where everyone loves the heroine, not some court intrigue story. Did they have to be so obvious about sucking up to the powerful and looking down on the weak? “Alright, everyone, settle down. We’re having a brief meeting,” our faculty advisor bustled into the classroom. “Today, we have a very important signing ceremony,” the advisor said, looking pleased with himself. “This concerns the school’s development, so we need to choose a student representative to give a speech.” After saying this, the advisor’s gaze swept across the classroom. “Let’s have Chloe Winters do it.” Me: ??? Chloe had just transferred to Ashton University. What qualifications did she have to represent the entire student body? “Thank you for your trust, sir. I know my sister used to be the student representative, but I’ll definitely do better than her. I won’t let everyone down,” Chloe said as she gracefully stood up to face the class. “There’s one more thing I’d like to ask of everyone.” Chloe raised her eyes to look at me. I had a bad feeling about this. Sure enough! “I hope that after learning about my sister’s background, you won’t look down on her. After all, she’s lived with the Winters family for so many years. She’ll always be my dear sister.” Stop with all this “sister” nonsense! This isn’t some period drama! Internally, I only had four words – Don’t get involved with me! Chloe’s manipulative behavior had thoroughly angered me. She wanted the spotlight? Fine. Don’t worry, I absolutely won’t let her have her way! “Charles.” I made a call to my eldest brother. The school had prepared quite elaborately for the afternoon signing ceremony. Chloe had put on exquisite makeup and was wearing an evening gown, standing in the school’s auditorium looking a bit out of place. “What? Mr. Pierce, you…” The dean seemed flustered. “May I ask, why…”

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I was picking up Carter from Windsor Elementary when I ran into Lily Whitman’s mom. Just as I was about to greet her, Carter jumped out in front of me, blocking my way. “This is our nanny. You don’t need to talk to her!” Then he turned to me and shouted, “You’re embarrassing! Don’t come to school looking like that!” I was furious when I got home and immediately complained to Nathan, but instead of support, he snapped at me. “Well, if both of you think I’m such an embarrassment, I’ll just spend all my time and money on beauty treatments and new clothes. Let’s see how that goes.” And as for being the “free nanny”? Whoever wants the job can have it. The very first day I stopped doing everything, Carter’s clothes weren’t washed, his homework wasn’t done, and he was late to school. My little prince went from being the class favorite to looking like a scruffy kid from the wrong side of town. Nathan stormed at me, “You’re making excuses to go to work and not even taking care of our son? Vivian, how can you be so selfish?” I calmly replied, “6.” Both Nathan and Carter were about to lose it.

When we got home from school, I sat on the couch with a cold expression. I didn’t cook dinner, didn’t clean, didn’t wash a single piece of clothing. Carter, as usual, didn’t think he’d done anything wrong. He expected everything to continue like normal. “Mom, I’m hungry! Hurry up and make dinner!” he demanded. I shot him a look and said, “Don’t call me Mom. I’m not your mom.” Carter’s face flushed with anger. I had promised him burgers and fried chicken after school, but after his performance at the school gate, those plans were gone. Earlier, I’d seen Carter chatting up Lily, laughing his head off like nothing else mattered. Next to Lily was her mom, Sophia Whitman, looking effortlessly stylish. I walked over, intending to greet her, but the second Carter saw me, his face dropped. He jumped right in front of me and cut me off, loudly proclaiming, “This is our nanny. You don’t need to talk to her!” He turned and yelled at me again, “You look so embarrassing. Don’t come to school looking like that!” It was pickup time, and other parents were passing by, giving me curious looks. Sophia Whitman’s face was full of surprise as she glanced at me with concern, slightly raising her brows. I looked down at my faded clothes. Between taking care of the house and family, I hadn’t had time to dress up. My ungrateful little brat had the nerve to be ashamed of me? But I wasn’t going to take it lying down. I slapped some sense into him, hard. Carter’s face turned beet red. I mumbled an apology to Sophia and walked away without looking back. Carter, in a panic, came running after me, wailing, knowing I was furious. He probably thought I wasn’t going to take him for fried chicken anymore. As if! I wasn’t going to give him anything. He could have looked like fried chicken for all I cared. Once we got home, Carter locked himself in his room and gave me a dirty look. I looked around at the dirty laundry and messy living room and sank deep into thought. It’s been seven years since I became a full-time mom. I gave up my job for Carter. Every little thing—meals, laundry, school, health—was all on me. But today, the way he acted made me realize all my efforts were for nothing. Why had I sacrificed so much? When I refused to make him dinner, Carter lost it completely. He threw himself on the floor and started screaming. “I wasn’t wrong! You don’t even have a job. What’s the difference between you and a nanny? I’m telling Dad!” To my shock, Nathan frowned when he heard the story, and his eyes were full of disappointment when he looked at me. “Why are you making a big deal over what a kid says? You promised him fried chicken today. No wonder Carter’s upset!”

“Nathan, are you serious?!” I couldn’t believe it. “Your son has serious issues, and when I try to teach him a lesson, somehow it’s my fault?” Nathan’s face showed nothing but annoyance. “Carter’s just a kid. What does he know? But you’ve let him go hungry this long? That’s on you.” Carter looked smug, glancing at me, while he whined to Nathan about wanting fried chicken. Before the two of them could head out, I yelled, “If either of you walks out that door today, I’m done with this house!” The only response I got was the slam of the door and the sound of their laughter fading down the street. I collapsed on the couch, tears running down my face. Seven years of my life, all for nothing. Every day, I’d wake up early, cook, clean, take care of Carter, and do all the household chores. My workload wasn’t any less than Nathan’s. But now, neither Nathan nor Carter appreciated me. Well, if they think I’m so embarrassing, I’m done. I’ll spend my time and money on self-care and clothes. Let’s see who misses me then. After making up my mind, I tossed Nathan’s stuff into the guest room. There was no way I was sleeping next to that man for another minute. I called up Bianca and we made dinner plans. Nathan took Carter out for fried chicken, so I wasn’t going to hold back either. After dinner, Bianca and I hit Rivercrest Shopping Mall. I had years of missed self-care to make up for!

The newest skincare set? Bought. Trendy clothes and bags? Yes, please! Gym membership, spa package—got them both! Bianca watched me spend money like water, her eyes wide in disbelief. “Vivian, aren’t you worried Nathan’s going to lose it?” I admired my purchases with satisfaction. “Who cares? I’m spending my own savings. He has no say in it!” I posted a picture of my shopping haul on Instagram to celebrate this new chapter of my life, but then I saw that Nathan had already posted something first. He’d tagged me, too, with a snarky caption: “Took Carter out for fried chicken. He says I’m his favorite!” In the picture, they were smiling, faces pressed together, in front of a table full of junk food. Typical. I rolled my eyes.

Every time I tried to discipline Carter, Nathan would play the good guy. So, despite me spending every day taking care of Carter, it was Nathan who Carter adored. I gave the post a sarcastic like and went to grab drinks with Bianca. We spent the evening mingling with some charming guys who kept calling us “ladies” in that flirtatious tone that made me feel young again. Dancing in the club released all the stress I’d built up during the day. Carter might still be young and need guidance, but as his mom, I couldn’t just abandon him. I’d have to rethink how I raised him. When I got home at 11 p.m., I was ready to make some changes in our dynamic. But instead of being in bed, the house was still brightly lit. Carter was up, playing with his toys in the living room, way past his bedtime. I always made sure he was asleep by 8 p.m. for school the next day, but here it was, 11 o’clock, and he was acting like it was the middle of the day! Furious, I roared, “Carter Summers! Do you have any idea what time it is? You’ve got school tomorrow!” Normally, Carter would have jumped into bed the moment I raised my voice, but tonight he actually had the nerve to shout back. “You’re the one who doesn’t keep your promises! Why do I have to listen to you? You just sit around at home all day, living off Dad’s money. You’re pathetic!” I stood there, stunned. This was the same child I’d devoted seven years of my life to, and now he was lashing out at me like this? The first time he’d said something hurtful, I thought it was just his age. But now, he was doing it on purpose. He meant every word. Tears stung my eyes. I couldn’t believe I had given up my career, everything, for this ungrateful child. I stormed over and yanked him off the floor. “Say that again! Who taught you to speak to me like that? WHO?!” My voice was shaking with despair. Carter glared at me with nothing but hate in his eyes. I shivered. He started sobbing, but his words stayed harsh. “You don’t do anything! My friends’ moms aren’t like you!” As he screamed, he kicked and punched at me, putting every ounce of strength into each blow. At that moment, I realized—he truly despised me. Nathan, finally noticing the chaos, stormed into the room and shoved me aside. “Vivian, are you out of your mind? Look at what you’re doing to him! He’s terrified!” He turned to Carter, “Don’t just stand there. Wash Carter’s clothes, pick up his toys, and get him to bed.” Both Nathan and Carter acted like they had every right to boss me around. I stood up, grabbed the dirty laundry, and threw it right in their faces. “I told you earlier—if you walked out that door, I was done. So, whoever wants to deal with this, go ahead!” Carter froze, unsure of what to do. I slapped him hard across the face. “You don’t want me to take care of you? Fine. From now on, you’re not my son!” Carter burst into uncontrollable tears. Ignoring him, I kicked a toy out of the way and walked toward my bedroom, leaving Nathan and Carter behind, too stunned to react. From that moment on, I swore I’d never do another thing for either of them. Not one. And with that decision, I felt lighter. After a long hot shower, I finally relaxed in bed. Just as I was drifting off, Nathan stormed into the room, eyes blazing with anger. “What the hell is wrong with you today? Is this because Bianca’s been egging you on again? How many times have I told you that woman is no good! Those fancy things you bought are probably her influence too! Return them all tomorrow!”

I was on the verge of sleep, but his rant brought me fully awake. He wanted a fight? Fine, I’d give him one. “I’m spending my own money. I can buy whatever I want. Who do you think you are to control me? Bianca’s got real men in her life—men you could never measure up to. And now you’re jealous? Pathetic.” Nathan’s face twisted with anger. I knew exactly what to say to hit him where it hurt. As his wife, I knew him better than anyone. He’d always been envious of Bianca’s success, trying to cozy up to her crowd, but they didn’t want anything to do with him. “You’re insane,” Nathan spat. “Sleep it off, you’re clearly out of your mind.” He stormed out of the room. I laughed to myself. He probably thought his silent treatment would terrify me. Little did he know, I was relishing the freedom of being alone. The next morning, I was woken up by Carter’s cries. When I checked the clock, it was already 8 a.m. Well, well, someone’s late. I stretched luxuriously in bed, savoring the fact that I didn’t have to rush out of bed to make breakfast for anyone. Carter had tripped over his toys and split his forehead open. He lay on the floor, clutching his head, wailing, expecting someone to come to his rescue. Nathan came stumbling out of the master bedroom, looking disheveled and clearly panicked by the scene. Carter ran into his arms, bawling, “Dad, I’m late! I’m going to lose points for being late!” Nathan was just as unprepared, having clearly just woken up himself. He never thought I’d actually stop taking care of Carter. Seeing me standing there watching the scene, Nathan snapped. “Why are you just standing there?! Go grab a band-aid! Can’t you see Carter’s hurt?” I yawned and glanced at them. “Oh, he’s got a scar now? Too bad. Guess it’s gonna leave a mark.” 7 Carter was always so conscious of his appearance, and now with a gash on his forehead, he was crying like the world had ended. Nathan saw I wasn’t going to help, so he started looking for the band-aids himself. After practically tearing the house apart, he still couldn’t find one. Frustrated and red-faced, he shouted, “Where the hell are the band-aids? You hid them, didn’t you?” I rolled my eyes. “If they’re right in front of you and you can’t see them, that’s on you. Don’t go blaming me because you’re blind.” Nathan was furious, looking like he might charge at me. But he quickly realized now wasn’t the time because Carter was really late for school. Carter attended Maplewood Academy, a private school where the other kids were from well-off families, all used to following the rules. Being late was practically unheard of. To make matters worse, Lily Whitman—the girl Carter liked—was the class’s discipline monitor. If he was late, she’d surely look down on him. Nathan hurriedly dressed Carter, who stood there looking helpless. “Where are my clothes?” Nathan asked. I barely glanced at him. Before, I’d always have freshly washed and ironed clothes neatly laid out on the sofa for him. But now, remembering all those times I tried to be the “perfect wife” made me want to slap myself. “They’re on my face,” I said sarcastically, as I turned on the TV and started my morning yoga. Nathan shot me a death glare, grabbed some mismatched clothes from wherever he could find them, and with his hair a mess, dragged Carter out the door. Neither of them had eaten breakfast, and Carter’s complaints about being hungry echoed down the hall as they left. Meanwhile, I leisurely ordered myself a deluxe breakfast delivery, completed my yoga session, and enjoyed my meal at a slow pace. Just as I finished, my phone started ringing. It was Ms. Valerie Harper, Carter’s teacher. I let the phone ring, then hung up. Carter wasn’t my problem anymore. Why should I care about his school issues? Ms. Harper was persistent though. After several missed calls, she sent a text. “Mrs. Summers, what is going on at your house today? Carter not only arrived late, but he didn’t wear his uniform. He looked filthy, like he hadn’t washed his face! And what’s more, he didn’t even do his homework! Is this how you raise your child? You need to come to school immediately!” I was tempted to ignore her, but knowing she wouldn’t let it go, I replied:

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My ex-boyfriend of four years showed up at the hotel where I work as a receptionist, with a woman in tow, asking for a room. The man had sharp features, with eyes as dark and deep as an abyss, exuding an air of aggression. He raised an eyebrow, his voice low and husky. “You have condoms in the rooms, right?” I smiled politely, my tone even. “I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t stock extra small sizes here.” Hidden behind the counter, I quietly slipped off my heels, feeling instant relief. After standing for most of the day, I only had ten more minutes before I could leave. Unfortunately, my moment of comfort was short-lived as guests entered the hotel lobby. I instinctively rose to my tiptoes, plastering on a smile. A tall, mature man in a dark shirt strode in. He had sharp features and cold eyes, with a suit jacket draped over his arm. As I watched him approach, I felt a sudden sense of déjà vu. Ethan Quinn, my college boyfriend of three years, whom I hadn’t seen since we broke up. Four years had passed, and the boyish charm was gone, replaced by a more mature demeanor. His once rebellious air had mellowed, making him appear even more sophisticated. He looked like quite the gentleman now. Beside Ethan was a woman with pale skin and a delicate frown that seemed designed to elicit sympathy. I couldn’t help but marvel at life’s unpredictability and the awkwardness of the situation. My ex-boyfriend was here to get a room with another woman, and I was still working the hotel front desk. Thankfully, there were three receptionists on duty. Please don’t look at me, please don’t look at me, please don’t… Just as I was fervently praying, Ethan’s gaze bypassed the other two receptionists and landed squarely on me. Damn it! His dark eyes, like deep whirlpools, bore into me with an intensity that felt even stronger than before. The Ethan I knew in college had been like a wolf cub, but now he resembled the alpha of a pack. He looked at me as if I were a shameless ex-wife who had run off with all his money, and he was the poor wronged husband here to catch me in the act. If I remember correctly, weren’t you the one who suggested we break up? Time seemed to stand still as Ethan’s gaze remained fixed on me. It wasn’t until the woman beside him noticed something was off and looked confused that Ethan finally shifted his gaze. He placed a card on the counter, his voice low. “One king room.” I maintained my professional smile and calmly processed their check-in. Ethan picked up his suit jacket and gently draped it over the woman’s shoulders, his movements smooth and practiced. I continued working, but found myself slightly distracted. In college, Ethan had been a germaphobe who disliked others touching his things. I had been the only one allowed free rein in his personal space. But that was four years ago. People change. Ethan used to hate wearing suits too. The only time he wore one was after I begged and cajoled him for an entire day. “Excuse me, could I see your ID please?” Ethan took out his ID and handed it over. As I took it, I instinctively ran my thumb over the back. There were faint scratches, and the photo was unchanged. It was still the same ID we had gotten together in college. I continued processing their check-in and handed over the key card. “Here you go, sir. Room 1087, the elevators are to your right. Enjoy your stay.” Ethan took the key card and passed it to the woman beside him, who headed towards the elevators. I silently willed this jerk to leave already, when Ethan raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth curving into a mischievous smile, his gaze intense. “There are condoms in the room, right?” Hearing this, I almost lost my composure. I thought four years would have matured him, but it seems he was still the same scoundrel underneath that polished exterior. What an insufferable jerk. I smiled politely, my tone even. “I’m sorry sir, but we don’t stock extra small sizes here.” Ethan’s brow furrowed slightly, but his smirk grew wider. Oh, did I hit a nerve? He leaned in closer, his voice low. “If there aren’t any, how am I supposed to enjoy my stay, Miss Shaw?” Who cares if you enjoy it or not? Ethan shifted, about to leave, but then turned back, his finger tapping lightly on the counter. “As I recall, Miss Shaw used to be quite fond of my extra small size.” I suddenly had the urge to slap that smug look off his face. But remembering my job and my bonus, I held back. “Sir, my shift is over.” Please leave me alone. I gave him a slight smile and retreated to the break room.

“What? You ran into Ethan Quinn yesterday?” I locked the door and made a sound of affirmation. “How was it? How was it?” I got into the elevator and pressed my floor, switching the phone to my other hand. “How was what? He brought a beautiful woman to get a room. What else could there be?” It’s been four years. Even the sweetest memories fade with time. Lucy was about to say something else when she was interrupted by a baby’s cry. “Oh, hold on, Bella woke up. I need to go comfort her.” I shook my head with a smile and hung up. It only took 30 minutes to get from my place to the hotel, but it took all morning to mentally prepare myself for work. After forcing smiles for several groups of guests, I found myself wanting to quit this front desk job for the umpteenth time. Just as I was about to get a drink of water, the front desk phone rang. I cursed under my breath as I picked up. “Hello, thank you for calling the front desk. How may I assist you?” There was no response on the other end, just the sound of breathing. But somehow, I knew who it was. After half a minute, the caller finally spoke: “It’s me.” I inwardly scoffed but stayed silent, waiting for him to continue. Come on, what’s your move, jerk? Is it a wedding invitation or a kid’s birthday party? After two breaths of silence, the man spoke again, his tone slightly teasing. “I have a question.” Oh? “Don’t you have any bigger beds at your hotel? The one last time was too narrow for me to… maneuver.” Hah. I forced a professional smile, my voice sickeningly sweet. “I’m sorry sir, but all our king rooms have standard-sized beds. However…” He seemed very close to the phone, his breathing clearly audible. “If you turn left when leaving our hotel and walk about 500 meters, there’s a love hotel with very large beds. I’ve tried them myself. You can roll over three times while hugging someone.” His previously steady breathing hitched. I maintained a benevolent expression and promptly hung up. As expected, the phone rang again within seconds. Seeing the familiar number, I didn’t answer. My coworker asked, “Jenna, why aren’t you picking up the phone?” I replied, “Ex.” She made an “oh” sound and gave me a knowing look. When the phone started ringing for the third time, I finally answered leisurely. “Hello?” The man’s low voice was laced with anger. “Jenna Shaw.” What are you mad about? You can book rooms but I can’t have fun? “Oh, I forgot to mention. Mr. Quinn, I highly recommend the Sweet Ocean theme. The waterbed plus the mirrored ceiling…” This time, he was the one who hung up. I raised an eyebrow and put down the receiver, feeling like the day’s fatigue had melted away.

Ethan and I met in the spring semester of our freshman year. I was participating in a club activity, wearing an American-style cheerleader outfit and dancing to a girl group song on the basketball court. Ethan was surrounded by a group of guys, passing by in a large crowd. He had just lit a cigarette and looked up, catching sight of me in the midst of the crowd. That look in his eyes was hotter than the midsummer sun, seeming to burn right through me. When I finished dancing and was leaving, Ethan took a few strides to block my path. “Ethan Quinn.” I glanced at him sideways while tying up my hair. “Let’s be friends.” In the sunlight, Ethan’s eyes were half-closed, but he looked like a wolf crouching in tall grass, his gaze intense and filled with undisguised desire. I casually looked him over and turned my attention away. “Your cigarette smoke is bothering me.” With that, I tried to leave. Ethan stubbed out his cigarette with his fingertip and said, “I’ll quit.” I suddenly found it amusing, both his shamelessness and his empty promises. Why should I care if you quit smoking or not? But perhaps it was Ethan’s persistence, or maybe I found his wolfish gaze intriguing. A month later, I became friends with him. The kind of friends who could kiss. And we kept kissing for three years. Until he suddenly said we should break up.

It was a rare weekend off, and I decided to go shopping at the mall, browsing everything from snacks to lingerie. Even if I wasn’t buying, window shopping was harmless. As I picked up a purple bra, someone stood beside me, bringing with them an unfamiliar but faint scent of men’s cologne. The presence, however, was frustratingly familiar. A hand with well-defined knuckles picked up the black version and placed it at the front of the rack. “Black looks better.” The tone was casual, completely shameless. There’s really something to that saying about exes being like ghosts that won’t leave you alone. Without turning around, I smiled and said, “I’ll pass. He prefers me in purple.” With that, I finally turned to admire his sullen face. Ethan’s features were deep-set, but his facial lines were hard, making him look a bit fierce. But I wasn’t intimidated by him at all. I gave him a quick glance and then went to the men’s section, picking up a pair of underwear and smiling as I beckoned him over. Ethan’s face was as dark as if he’d just committed murder, but he obediently walked over. I showed him the underwear and asked sweetly, “Is this your size?” Ethan raised an eyebrow slightly, the corner of his mouth curving upward. “What about it?” I smiled slyly. “Oh nothing. If this is your size, I’ll need to buy one size larger. My boyfriend is a bit bigger than you.” Seeing Ethan so agitated that he was about to lose his mature man composure and have a sudden attack, I left satisfied. And I put down the underwear I was holding. But when I was checking out, Ethan sidled up to me again. As expected. In college, he was always like this. Though back then he at least knew how to play hard to get and keep me guessing. Now that he’s older, he seems more impatient and can’t hold back. Ethan’s fingers were long and graceful. Back when we held hands, they could completely envelop mine. He took out a card and handed it to the cashier. “I’ll pay for what she wants.” I looked at him, suddenly finding it a bit amusing. The once impulsive and passionate boy had become a successful businessman. The contrast was quite stark. But my mischievous heart couldn’t resist. I turned to him with a smile. “Wow, Mr. Quinn, you’re so kind. In that case, could you also pay for my boyfriend’s underwear?” Ethan’s face, which had just relaxed a bit, darkened again. “In your dreams.”

To avoid being responsible for Ethan’s potential heart attack, I didn’t actually make him buy the underwear. I did let him pay for my two sets though, considering it compensation for his recent harassment. But I really didn’t expect to see this sucker at the gym the next day. Geez. It really is fate. I also suspected that Ethan might be stalking me. But since he wasn’t being too excessive and was even willingly spending money on me, I decided not to make a fuss about our past relationship. Ethan was wearing a black T-shirt, sweat beading on his forehead. As he tilted his head back to drink water, his Adam’s apple bobbed, his whole body exuding male pheromones. Four years later, he still liked wearing black. I swiped my card and walked in. Ethan wiped his forehead with his hand, sweat rolling down his straight nose, his profile sharp and resolute. He grabbed the hem of his shirt with one hand and pulled it off, revealing smooth muscle lines. His abs rose and fell with each breath. Ethan rested his elbow on a machine, using his T-shirt to wipe away sweat with his other hand. He had a tattoo in ink-wash style on his right shoulder. The bamboo leaves were subtle yet snake-like, cool enough to make anyone whistle at the sight. But faint, twisted scars could be seen beneath the tattoo. The tattoo wasn’t there when we broke up, and neither was the scar. Taking off your shirt at the gym was quite improper, but no one went to stop him. Occasionally, women’s gazes would land on him. Undeniably, Ethan’s handsome face and body were killer. In just a moment, some people had even taken out their phones. Was Ethan the type of man to take off his clothes for no reason? He wasn’t. I inwardly scoffed and headed to the changing room with my bag. Since college, I’ve always had the habit of working out, even after starting work. But I usually wore a full sports T-shirt. This time, I tied up my hair and came out wearing just a sports bra and tight leggings. My slender waist led down to a round, perky butt, and my chest wasn’t bad either. I’ve always known that my figure and looks were outstanding. Otherwise, Ethan wouldn’t have noticed me at first glance in college, and I wouldn’t have been hired as a hotel receptionist after just a 30-second interview. As soon as I came out, I felt gazes landing on me, one particularly scorching. I didn’t care at all and went straight to the squat machine to start doing squats. My long, straight legs stepped onto the machine, then slowly squatted down. The elastic pants stretched taut, perfectly showcasing my curves. When I squatted down, a bit of cleavage was also revealed. Before I could start my third rep, a T-shirt was thrown over my head. I took the shirt off and saw Ethan with tense muscles and an unhappy face. He gritted his teeth and said, “You win, Jenna Shaw.” The shirt was clean and smelled of fresh laundry detergent. I raised an eyebrow and put on the T-shirt without protest, no longer taunting him. He glanced at my legs. “Change your pants too.” I knew Ethan wasn’t some macho guy trying to control what I wear. Today, he was purely angry because I was deliberately showing off to provoke him. “This is the only pair I have.” I lied through my teeth without blushing or my heart racing. Ethan looked at me for a moment, then threw down a “wait here” before putting on his shirt and leaving. Hah, as if I’d really wait. I grabbed my bag and left, giving my perfect body a day off.

Early the next morning, I grudgingly went to work again. There was a company dinner tonight that the boss was hosting. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get out of it. The boss brought along an even sleazier-looking executive. The two of them sitting together was quite an unsightly scene. I sat to the side, quietly sipping my drink. The atmosphere was lively when suddenly I heard someone call my name. I looked up to see the boss beckoning me over. A bad feeling instinctively arose. I smiled, grabbed my purse, and sat down next to them. After toasting a glass of wine, the unfamiliar sleazy executive’s vile hand landed on my thigh, attempting to grope further inward. In my two years working at the hotel, I’d encountered this kind of thing many times, big and small. I was no longer the girl from a few years ago who would only know how to cry when scared. Just as I was considering whether to slap him directly or take out the pepper spray from my bag and spray this old creep to death, someone grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet. In the dim light, the man’s brows were slightly furrowed, his expression dark and unclear, but his aura was inexplicably intimidating. Ethan picked up a glass of wine from the table and poured it over the man’s face. The boss, probably experiencing this kind of disrespect for the first time, looked angry and was about to pour it back. Ethan let out a cold laugh. “Try it.” “If you dare move, I can’t guarantee you’ll keep that hand.” After saying this, he took off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. I pulled the jacket tighter, feeling a bit relieved in my heart, marveling that after four years of societal tempering, Ethan had finally learned not to stupidly smash a wine bottle on his own head. He also wouldn’t impulsively resort to violence, but rather use his intimidating presence to subdue people. Indeed, a mature man was steady and gave a sense of security. As I was thinking this, I allowed Ethan to lead me out of the restaurant and into his car. He sat silently in the car for three seconds, glanced at me, said “wait here,” and suddenly got out of the car. Before leaving, he even locked the car doors. After a while, I watched Ethan stride back, open the door, and get into the car. He unbuttoned his collar and loosened his tie, his face still showing traces of anger. But for some reason, I liked seeing him lose his composure like this. I smiled and asked, “What did you go do?” Ethan’s hand gripping the steering wheel had bulging veins. He looked straight ahead and said calmly, “Taught him a lesson.” I smiled, my eyes curving. “I thought after not seeing you for a few years, you’d matured.” Ethan flashed a wicked grin and casually threw out a lewd comment. “Well, there is a part of me that’s matured. Want to try it out?” Who’s afraid of who? Maybe it was the effect of the alcohol, but I suddenly had the urge to be naughty. “Sure.” I smiled wider, my hand crawling up his suit pants. “Let’s try it out.” “Let’s see… just how mature it’s become.” Looking at his ear tip, I gently blew a breath. Thinking back to a friend’s gathering in our sophomore year, Ethan and I went to a karaoke place to meet up. When we got to the main hall, I wanted bubble tea and insisted he go buy some for me nearby. Unexpectedly, after he left, I was dragged by a group of men to their private room. I was only nineteen at the time and didn’t even dare to call the police. Later, I couldn’t remember how Ethan found me. I only remember that those men were about to force alcohol down my throat. Ethan burst in and snatched away the wine glass, smashing it on the ground. Everyone in the room stood up at once.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294824”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic