Category: English

My husband has a female director who’s not just highly capable, but also incredibly devoted. From her early twenties to her thirties, she stood by Julian Hayes’ side, helping him conquer the business world. And she’s still unmarried. Meanwhile, I stepped back years ago to focus on our daughter’s education, choosing to stay out of his business entirely. My friend was outraged: “Celeste Miller acts like she’s the lady of the house, the main woman! How can you just sit there, unbothered?” I just smiled. “What’s there to be afraid of?” It’s just a low-cost form of exploitation. There’s a term for it online that hits the nail on the head. It’s called—a loyalty acquisition strategy. I had just finished dinner at home with my daughter when Marcus Sterling was on a corporate cruise with his team. My best friend, Megan’s, SnapChat notifications started buzzing relentlessly. Over a dozen photos flooded in. Her call followed immediately, and I could hear the dull thump of waves against the boat through the phone. Her voice was laced with anger: “Audrey, why didn’t you come to the retreat?” “That Chloe, she’s practically glued to Marcus!” Megan’s husband was a business partner of Marcus’s company, and this retreat was co-organized by both. As for the photos… I had already seen them on Chloe’s Ins Story. One was particularly glaring. On the deck, with the vast sky and sea as a backdrop. Chloe wore a sheer, bright yellow bikini, minimal fabric perfectly highlighting her proudly flaunted curves. She clung tightly to Marcus’s arm, while he had an arm around her waist, their skin pressed together. She raised a champagne glass, smiling brightly and confidently. In almost every photo, she and Marcus were front and center. Her posture screamed ‘lady of the house.’ She hadn’t even bothered to set her SnapChat story to a private group or ‘visible to me only.’ So, the comments section, filled with a chorus of compliments and blessings, was also visible to me. Yet, beneath these almost provocative, brazen photos, she selectively replied to a few comments like “future Mrs. Sterling!” and “Couple goals!” with a transparent attempt to deflect: “Oh, don’t say that!” “Audrey might get upset.” They were out there enjoying the sea breeze and champagne, while I was here. Our nanny had taken time off. Leaving me to handle various chores myself. I was peeling an orange for my daughter, Lily, after dinner, and a splash of juice seeped into my nail beds, leaving a crisp, tart sting. At the same time. A new message from Chloe popped up on my screen.

She sent two photos. One was an intimate shot, the other a screenshot of the comments section on her Ins Story. She clearly desperately wanted me to see them, yet feigned an explanation: “Audrey, the sea breeze was too strong, Marcus just helped me to steady myself, don’t overthink it!” Seeing the photos, Marcus also messaged me with the same excuse. I smiled, replying: “No worries, stay safe.” I put an orange segment to my mouth, my voice even as I replied to Megan: “Until Lily goes to college, I won’t get involved in company matters, not even a bit.” She shrieked in protest on my behalf: “Not involved? She’s practically acting like the lady of the house already!” “I remember she used to be just your assistant.” “She’s clearly getting way too close to your husband, and you’re just going to sit there?” She had just returned to the country, so she wasn’t fully aware of everything. For instance, Chloe and Marcus’s relationship had been going on for over ten years. I let out a soft laugh. Megan was exasperated with me. “You’re laughing? She doesn’t even see you! Audrey Montgomery!” She wasn’t wrong. Chloe’s attitude toward me had followed a clear, discernible trajectory. From the initial reverence she showed when she joined the company as my assistant. To her tentative assumption of my work when I went home during my pregnancy. Then, to an air of equality after she and Marcus successfully completed several major projects. Finally, during my pregnancy, my dad passed away, and Marcus took full control. She began to treat me with an unconcealed, victor-like disregard. I wiped my hands, placed the phone on the kitchen counter, and continued slicing apples for a fruit platter. “Megan, tell me, what’s the most efficient, lowest-cost reward for a loyal, exceptionally capable subordinate?” “A promotion? A raise? Shares?” “None of those,” I said softly. “It’s to show them favoritism, to make them feel special, so they willingly dedicate everything to you, and still believe they’re getting the better deal.” The other end of the line fell silent. I slowly wiped my hands clean, walked to Lily’s study to give her the fruit as she did her homework, then closed the door and continued: “All of this, I tacitly allowed.” “Because from a corporate management perspective, it’s the lowest-cost way to control subordinates.” “Only, Marcus always thought…” “He was the one in control.”

I never imagined I’d marry Marcus Sterling. No particular reason, just simply didn’t dare to. When we were teenagers, we attended the same international high school. But the financial disparity between our families was immense. I still remember the Sterling estate at its peak. In a prestigious area of the city, the private road leading up to their mansion alone took a full eight minutes to drive, and their gardens were easily ten times the size of ours, complete with a dedicated enclosure for blue peacocks. High-profile guests and dignitaries were constantly coming and going. My parents had to pull strings through multiple connections just to get an invitation to a Sterling family gala. Marcus was so dazzling, and I was merely a backdrop in his circle of friends. Yet, prosperity inevitably leads to decline. That year, during my sophomore year, a major financial scandal hit, and regulators launched a sweeping crackdown on related industries. Overnight, the Sterling family’s properties and funds were frozen, and Mr. Sterling Sr. was imprisoned for white-collar crimes. Former friends and relatives vanished like fair-weather birds. Soon after, Marcus’s mother also died of depression. Just when everyone was avoiding him like the plague. I sold my eighteenth birthday gift from my aunt—a limited-edition designer bag. I scraped together three hundred thousand dollars to cover his overseas tuition fees. He was astonished. I smiled and told him: “I applied to the same university as you.” “So, we’ll still be classmates.” The unspoken implication was that I could help him in the future. But teenage boys’ pride is sky-high. With red eyes and a stubborn chin, he said: “I’ll pay you back.” Subsequently, he cobbled together some other small loans, and managed to work part-time and study his way through university. Oh, and he didn’t even forget to date me during that time. The year we graduated, he actually managed to save up three hundred thousand dollars and repaid me, with interest. Unfortunately, after repaying the money, Marcus Sterling had nothing left. He knew he wanted to marry me. My parents, naturally, disagreed. But Marcus was very smart. Though his family had fallen from grace, the taste and insight from his early privileged life remained. He knew how to appreciate wine, play golf, was impeccably polite in daily life, and shrewdly decisive in business. He secured several major clients for my dad’s company through various business dealings and networking events. Later, my dad reluctantly agreed to our marriage but still refused to relinquish control. Even when he fell ill, company control remained firmly in my hands. He was like a shrewd patriarch, only willing to see Marcus as his most capable, yet utterly replaceable, employee. The turning point came when I became pregnant.

My father’s health rapidly deteriorated, and my uncles and aunts eyed the Montgomery family’s assets like vultures. I suffered from severe morning sickness and lacked energy, so I reluctantly began handing over core projects to Marcus. Marcus’s business acumen seemed innate. The projects he spearheaded brought unprecedented profit breakthroughs for the company. But the more outstanding he became, the more my father worried. He wanted a guarantee. A guarantee that Marcus could never shake the foundations of the Montgomery family. So, after our daughter, Lily, was born, Marcus proactively suggested that our daughter carry *my* family name, Montgomery – an unheard-of concession for a man in his position. This was the condition my father had initially set, for which he would exchange his blessing. I still remember Marcus’s words in the hospital, as he held our newborn daughter and spoke to me on the bed. His eyes held humiliation, ambition. Only the clarity of his youth was gone. His face pale, he said to me: “Audrey, I’ve done this much for you and the Montgomery family. Your father should be at ease now.” I understood that a man deprived of the right to pass on his own family name, to truly establish his lineage, would always seek to compensate elsewhere. More money, more women – these were his avenues for regaining what he felt he had lost. I gave him power, tacitly allowing him to cultivate his own loyalists. And Chloe, it was after that, that he personally promoted her from her assistant position. It wasn’t until my father passed away when Lily was seven years old. The moment my father closed his eyes, a certain balance was completely broken. Marcus’s era began. Or rather, what he *thought* was his era. These past few years, I retreated behind the scenes, ostensibly caring for my husband and daughter, but in reality, observing with a cold eye. I watched how Marcus drastically reformed the company, and how he step by step promoted Chloe to a high-ranking director position. Chloe was indeed capable. She was like a sharp, unwavering weapon, striking wherever Marcus directed, always achieving victory. She secured several key domestic and international projects for the company, was decisive at the negotiation table, and charming and persuasive in social settings. She was his most capable right-hand, his most understanding comrade, and his most intimate lover. Everyone in the company knew. Only I. Audrey Montgomery-Sterling, the mistress of the Montgomery family. Like a porcelain doll living in the past, enshrined at home, unheeded. Megan’s call merely peeled back the thin veneer of what was already an open secret. Over these years, every unusual fund flow, every abnormal personnel change in the company, arrived promptly in my private inbox each week, in the form of encrypted emails. I hung up the phone and glanced at Lily’s focused back in her study. Lily’s high school career was about to end. And that meant. Audrey Montgomery’s era was about to begin anew.

Soon after my daughter graduated high school, the company’s thirtieth anniversary celebration arrived. Having been a stay-at-home mom for many years, I had long been out of touch with company affairs. But I decided to attend the gala nonetheless. The moment Marcus and I stepped into the ballroom, I knew this evening was Chloe’s main stage. I wore a custom champagne gold gown, an elegantly reserved statement. Chloe, however, wore a midnight blue gown that perfectly echoed the color of Marcus’s tie. As if they were the meticulously matched couple. “Mr. Sterling, Mr. Miller and the others have been waiting for a while.” She familiarly handed Marcus a drink, practically ignoring my presence. He gently patted my hand in reassurance, took the glass, and hurriedly instructed: “You find a seat for a bit, I’m going to say hello.” Then he was led by Chloe into the swirling center of clinking glasses and chatter. I was left standing there. Before long, whispers like a tide surged around me, undisguised. “Is that Mr. Sterling’s wife? She just seems… completely outmatched by Director Chloe.” “Shhh! Keep it down. But honestly, look at Director Chloe and Mr. Sterling together, *that’s* what you call a perfect power couple, a strong alliance.” “Right, I heard she’s been a stay-at-home mom for ages. She knows Mr. Sterling likes Director Chloe but doesn’t dare make a scene.” “No kidding, Chloe practically built this empire alongside Marcus for at least fifteen of those years. If I were a man, I’d pick Chloe too!” I maintained a faint smile, pretending not to hear. A short while later, a young woman wearing an intern badge, holding a drink, with eyes full of fervent adoration, walked directly towards Chloe, but was blocked by a passing guest right in front of me. She impatiently turned sideways, and her gaze furrowed as it landed on me. “Excuse me, ma’am,” Her tone carried a hint of condescending scrutiny. “This is the main table area for VIP guests. To avoid disturbing Director Chloe and our distinguished guests, it’s best if unauthorized personnel don’t linger here.” After she spoke, she even pointed her chin towards Chloe, a blatant attempt to impress. Chloe glanced at the scene, her smile deepening, showing no intention of helping me out of the awkward situation. Everyone around us was waiting to see me embarrassed. Before I could speak, Marcus’s assistant rushed over, his voice grave: “Brittany, this is Mr. Sterling’s wife, Ms. Montgomery-Sterling.”

The intern’s face went ashen, and she apologized profusely. Marcus turned to look at me, signaling that he was aware and handling it. But if he hadn’t deliberately avoided family and marriage in interviews for the past decade, if he hadn’t deliberately enhanced Chloe’s presence in the company, why would I be treated with such disdain? He walked directly to the main table, pulled out the chair next to him, and motioned for me to sit down. Only then did I realize how bizarrely the main table seats were arranged. Marcus was at the head, and Chloe and I were seated on either side of him, forming a stable yet awkward arrangement. He calmly unbuttoned his jacket, and added, a little too quickly: “Don’t overthink it, Chloe always helps me navigate networking and takes the brunt of the social drinking, so she habitually sits beside me.” When it was time for the speeches. Chloe, as one of the company’s long-standing directors, stepped up first. She raised her glass to everyone, but her gaze was locked on Marcus’s face. “For the past decade, I’ve dedicated all my youth and passion to this company. The person I want to thank most is Mr. Sterling.” Her voice was slightly choked up, laced with boundless affection. “Thank you, for shielding me from the storms and for giving me boundless opportunities. All these years, the company has been my home, and Mr. Sterling, you are my family!” She heavily emphasized the last two words. All eyes, like searchlights, were simultaneously fixed on my face.

I finally looked up, met Chloe’s gaze, and smiled as I spoke: “Director Chloe, that was beautifully said. Marcus and I have always considered you family.” I paused, then my smile deepened as I changed the subject: “Just like our whole family loves Patches.” “After a while, you just grow fond of them, don’t you?” Chloe’s cheeks flushed slightly, and she asked curiously: “Patches? Which department is that from?” Marcus’s assistant quickly whispered: “Patches is Mr. Sterling and his wife’s Ragdoll cat.” The color drained from Chloe’s face instantly. I curved my lips and raised my glass, lightly clinking it against hers: “When we first picked it up, it was so skinny, rubbing against people for food.” “Now its fur is sleek, it’s plump, and occasionally it scratches the couch, acting like it owns the place.” The air seemed to freeze. The guests who had been whispering moments before now wore expressions of exquisite amusement, wanting to laugh but not daring to. Marcus suddenly turned his head, uncharacteristically lowering his voice and asking coldly: “Audrey, do you really have to humiliate her in this setting?” I leaned my head towards him, feigning an affectionate couple, and whispered slowly, word by word, into his ear: “You know, our daughter has graduated high school.” “Or has the glory of the past decade made you forget whose name the company bears? Is it Sterling? Or Montgomery?” I had never spoken harshly to him. This was the first time. He was shocked by my bluntness. For Lily to have a harmonious family environment, so as not to shatter her filtered image of her father. And to make Marcus truly believe my sincerity about returning to domestic life, so he would work harder. I had never punctured the illusion he had diligently built for himself over the past decade. Now, with a gentle poke. Marcus froze, his face turning pale as he asked: “You… what do you mean?” “Nothing, don’t be nervous!” I raised my voice. “I just wanted to use this occasion to announce that next week, I will be officially rejoining the company.” “At that time, I hope everyone present will give me their full support.”

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When Alayna Williams married me, Colton Walsh, she was carrying millions of dollars in debt. For her sake, I worked three jobs simultaneously for five years, paid off her “debts,” and supported both her and our son Mark Walsh. I never complained once, always believing that better days lay ahead. Last week, our company finally secured a massive investment. We celebrated in each other’s arms, and I thought our good days had finally arrived. Today, I saw her again on the financial news. She was dressed in an elegant gown, introduced as “the sole heir to a billion-dollar business empire,” laughing and chatting with her “investor” Finn Walsh. The headline read: [Alayna Williams completes five-year “poverty trial,” proving her exceptional self-made capabilities to the board of directors.] I returned home in a daze. Five-year-old Mark was playing with the latest limited-edition robot. He looked up at me with eyes identical to his mother’s—cold and unfamiliar. He said, “Mom told me everything. Dad, you failed the test. You love money too much.” Those words hit me like an icy bullet, piercing through my eardrums and exploding in my mind. I looked at Mark, who was playing with that limited-edition robot I’d earned by pulling three all-nighters doing freelance design work. That face, so much like Alayna’s, showed a coldness no five-year-old should possess. “Mark, what are you talking about?” My throat tightened, each word struggling to escape. He said, “Mom told me everything. Mom said real men don’t talk about money all the time. You calculate living expenses every day, run two blocks for supermarket discounts, and get angry when I break a toy.” I quickly said, “I wasn’t angry, I was…” “Mom says you’re small-minded,” he interrupted, his tone cold and mechanical. “She said you only see small gains in front of you. Your love is too cheap and too heavy.” My heart was seized by an invisible hand, the pain making it nearly impossible to breathe. Every penny I’d saved for this family, all the comforts I’d given up to pay off her millions in “debt,” my arm burned at the late-night convenience store job, nearly collapsing on the roadside after dozens of consecutive overtime hours at the design firm… All these sacrifices had become “small-minded” and “money-obsessed” in their eyes. I crouched down, trying to hold his hand, but he recoiled in disgust. “Don’t touch my robot. You can’t afford it.” I can’t afford it? The receipt was still lying quietly in my wallet. I opened my mouth but couldn’t make a sound. I stood up in a daze, staggering backward until my back hit the cold wall. My gaze swept across the living room and finally stopped at the table. There lay a document and a check. Divorce papers! Alayna’s name was already signed, the handwriting elegant and composed, just like her appearance on the financial news. Next to it was a check—my “severance pay” earned through five years of youth, multiple jobs, and countless sleepless nights. Ironically, just last week, we had embraced right here as she said, “Colton, our hard times are over. We’re going to be the happiest family!” Looking back now, that was just the final line before the test ended. My phone rang sharply, the screen showing “Darling” as the contact name. I numbly answered the call. “Did you see it?” Alayna’s voice came through the receiver, devoid of any warmth. “Colton, our ‘poverty trial’ is over. Congratulations on making it through the entire process. But unfortunately, you’ve been eliminated.” “A test?” I managed to croak out, my voice extremely hoarse. “Yes, a test.” She laughed lightly, her laughter full of mockery. “I needed to prove to the board that even in the most desperate circumstances, I could attract a loyal partner and succeed in business. Finn Walsh is my investor and my real fiancé. And you were my randomly chosen ‘husband’ role to complete this social experiment—it just happened that you’re also named Walsh.” I quickly said, “So that millions in debt…” She said, “Oh, that was another way of saying startup capital. If I hadn’t said that, how could I have tested your character under extreme pressure?” “Alayna!” I said through gritted teeth, my nails digging deep into my palms. “You’re such a bitch!” “Am I? But this ‘bitch’ is now the heir to billions in assets.” Her tone remained calm. “Colton, take the check and leave gracefully. Don’t make me despise your final moments.” She paused, then added something even more cruel: “Oh, and Mark isn’t your son. He’s Finn’s and my child. I was never pregnant with your baby. You were just a performer in the ‘socialized parenting’ phase of his upbringing. Now the real man of the house is coming back, so please move out of this house that belongs to the Williams family immediately.” In that moment, I felt like I’d fallen into an ice cave. Alayna continued, “Finn and the Williams Group legal team will be there in half an hour to handle the transition. Remember, be graceful about it.” The call ended. I held the phone as if gripping a red-hot branding iron. Socialized parenting? So even my qualification to be a father was something they had granted me, only to take it away.

I didn’t move. I wouldn’t just leave like this. What belonged to me, I would take back piece by piece with my own hands. When the doorbell rang, it was ten minutes earlier than Alayna had announced—urgent, as if Christian couldn’t wait any longer. I opened the door to find Finn standing there, the same polished business elite with his perfect smile from the financial news. Behind him stood a man and woman in crisp suits, likely members of Williams Group’s legal team. “Mr. Colton Walsh, hello.” Finn spoke, his voice calm yet like a stone dropped into still water, creating ripples across the surface. He didn’t look down on me from above, but rather surveyed me up and down with a somewhat pitying gaze. “These five years have really been hard on you. Honestly, you did better than I expected—very convincing performance.” After speaking, he walked straight past me into the living room, as if he were the true master of this house. “Mark, Daddy’s here.” Mark, who had been playing with his robot, immediately dropped his toy and pounced into his arms like a happy kitten. “Daddy! You’re here!” Finn nodded to his secretary, who promptly handed over a box of the latest limited-edition luxury toys. “Of course, I promised you that once Mommy’s ‘game’ was over, I’d take you home. We’ll go abroad this weekend, okay?” Mark exclaimed excitedly, “Yes! I love Daddy and Mommy the most!” They interacted intimately, as if they were the real family, while I was just a temporary actor whose role had ended and who should exit the stage. My heart had long since gone numb beyond feeling pain. Finn held Mark while his gaze swept across the living room, finally settling on the fabric sofa set I’d found at the secondhand market. He frowned slightly, as if seeing something unsightly. “Really, how could Alayna live in a place like this, using such cheap furniture? These things aren’t worthy of her.” He turned to the lawyer Jeffrey Lakin behind him. “Make a note—have a cleaning company come later and dispose of all the furniture here. Alayna’s home shouldn’t have any cheap items.” Jeffrey replied, “Yes, Mr. Finn Walsh.” Every word Finn spoke precisely negated all my efforts over the past five years. I had scrimped and saved for our shared “future.” In his eyes, it was merely “cheap junk” that tainted his fiancée’s noble status. Jeffrey walked up to me and handed over a pen with an expressionless face. “Mr. Colton Walsh, please sign the divorce papers. Five million dollars in compensation is already the industry’s highest standard for a five-year ‘role-playing’ project. Miss Williams and Mr. Finn Walsh are being very generous.” “Industry’s highest standard?” I repeated those words, finding them utterly absurd. They actually treated my life as a transaction with a clear price tag. “Yes.” Jeffrey adjusted his glasses. “Additionally, Mr. Finn Walsh is kindhearted and specifically asked me to remind you not to engage in any harassment. Any harassment from you will be viewed by our legal department as malicious provocation against Williams Group. I assume you wouldn’t want to see those consequences.” His words carried undisguised threats. Finn walked over holding Mark, wearing his signature perfect smile. “Colton, don’t misunderstand—we’re not threatening you. You’re a smart man; you should know how to make the right choice, right?” He looked down and said gently to Mark in his arms, “Good boy, say goodbye to him. He’s leaving our home.” Mark peeked out from his embrace to look at me. Those eyes that had once been full of dependence now held only strangeness and impatience. “Daddy, let’s go quickly. I don’t want to look at him. Mommy said his poor smell would affect me.” The words “poor smell” completely shattered the last trace of warmth in my heart. I looked at them and suddenly laughed.

My laughter left both Finn and Jeffrey stunned. They probably expected me to explode in anger, curse hysterically, or fall to my knees begging. The one thing they never anticipated was laughter. “What are you laughing at?” Finn frowned. “Nothing,” I stopped laughing, my expression completely calm. “I just think you both put on quite a performance.” I turned and walked into the bedroom, dragging several storage boxes out from under the bed. I’d bought these a few days ago, originally planning to use them for organizing seasonal clothes as we welcomed our beautiful new life together. “Well, well, have you finally come to your senses and decided to pack up and get lost?” Finn crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe, his voice dripping with mockery. I ignored him. I began systematically organizing all my expense records from the past five years. Over five years, I’d printed out every single bank statement from three different jobs. Among them were my own credit card bills and every transaction detail from Alayna’s “debt-ridden” supplementary credit card. Finn’s expression shifted from mockery to confusion, then to a hint of wariness. “Colton, what the hell are you doing? You’re not thinking you can use these scraps of paper to demand money, are you? Let me tell you, it won’t work. We have the best legal team money can buy.” I still said nothing. From a dedicated file folder, I pulled out a thick stack of receipts. Then I retrieved the final item—the purchase record and invoice for Mark’s limited edition robot. The invoice was made out in my name. The payment account was my salary card. I gently placed this invoice on top of all the evidence, like stamping a final seal on my absurd five years. After finishing all this, I closed the box lid. Three large boxes in total. Not a single personal item among them. Just my five years of blood, sweat, time, and my trampled, worthless life. I looked up at Finn and Jeffrey. “I’m taking these with me.” Jeffrey clearly found my behavior incomprehensible too. “Mr. Walsh, these are household consumption receipts from your shared family life. You have no right to take them unilaterally. Moreover, this cannot serve as grounds for demanding additional compensation.” “Who said I want additional compensation?” I asked back. I looked at Finn, who was staring at me like I was insane, his lips curled in undisguised mockery. “A leopard never changes its spots—you really are all about money. Colton, you’re beyond saving.” “Yes,” I nodded, accepting it openly, “I never change, and I am all about money.” Because in this world, only money won’t betray me. I dragged those boxes of heavy “waste paper” to the entryway and changed my shoes. Throughout it all, I never looked at Mark again. I only took my driver’s license, passport, bank cards, and these boxes of things more important to me than life itself. As I opened the door, preparing to leave this “home” I’d poured five years of my heart into, Finn spoke behind me in a voice just loud enough for me to hear clearly, saying to Mark: “See? I told you so, didn’t I? A man like that doesn’t deserve to be your father. Money is all that matters in his world.” The moment the door closed, I heard their laughter. I dragged three heavy suitcases behind me like a homeless vagrant, wandering through the city streets. As darkness fell, every warm light glowing from windows seemed to mock my homelessness. I found a budget hotel, planning to use the few thousand dollars left on my card to settle in temporarily. The front desk clerk said, “I’m sorry, sir, but your card has been frozen.” I tried another card. The clerk said again, “I’m sorry, it still won’t work.” I tried every card in my wallet, including all my credit cards, but they were all frozen. A chill ran from my feet straight to my head. I thought, “Alayna is really ruthless. She didn’t just kick me out of the house—she cut off all my escape routes.” Just as I was about to drag my suitcases away, a black Mercedes pulled up at the hotel entrance. “Mr. Walsh, we meet again.” Jeffrey’s expression was emotionless, like a precision machine. “What do you want from me?” My voice was hoarse. “There are some matters that need to be explained to you.” He handed me a document. “Given that you maliciously stole financial materials related to the Williams Group’s ‘heir trial’ project this afternoon—specifically those boxes of invoices and receipts you took—your actions have created potential risks for the project. Therefore, Ms. Williams has decided to revoke your five hundred thousand dollar ‘severance package.’” My mind went blank. I thought, “Malicious theft? She’s calling the evidence I personally organized ‘theft.’” “Furthermore.” Jeffrey seemed to enjoy my expression at that moment as he pulled out another document—one I knew all too well, because I had signed my name on it five years ago. At the time, Alayna told me it was our prenuptial agreement, designed to ensure I would still have some protection after we went “bankrupt.” My breathing nearly stopped. Jeffrey flipped to a specific page, pointing to a supplementary clause in small print, reading it to me word by word: “Supplementary Clause 3.1: Colton’s role as ‘father’ and his performance of ‘paternal’ duties are both part of this project. The child he is raising, Mark, is actually the child of Alayna and project investor Finn. Colton serves only as the caregiver and has no legal parental rights.” My world completely collapsed in that moment, crumbling to dust. I had always believed that Mark was the son I had raised with all my strength. It turned out that even this most basic blood connection was a lie. My body shook violently, and I could barely stand. Jeffrey didn’t pause. He flipped to the most devastating final page: “Supplementary Clause 7.4: All of Colton’s contributions over five years, including but not limited to household labor, emotional support, and childcare activities, are essentially defined as Colton’s ‘labor.’ His compensation was to be a five million dollar trust fund established by Alayna upon project completion.” He paused, then delivered the final verdict with the tone of a death sentence: “However, since Colton’s final evaluation was deemed ‘unsatisfactory,’ according to clause 7.5, the beneficiary of said trust fund was legally and properly transferred to Finn at three o’clock this afternoon.” He closed the document and held it in front of me. “So all of this was just for a test you failed to pass. “You now have nothing. The son you thought you had, the love, and the money you thought you deserved—none of it exists. “You are nothing.” I stared at him, at that agreement, at my own signature on it. It turned out that my life, the love I had been so proud of, the family I had given everything to maintain, was nothing more than an elaborate, carefully planned commercial experiment that I knew nothing about—one that was ultimately judged a “failure.” And they used the “legal” agreement I had signed with my own hand to cast me into irreversible hell. I could no longer hold myself up. My legs gave out, and I fell straight to my knees. All the sounds around me disappeared, leaving only the sound of my heart shattering. Despair swallowed me completely like a tidal wave. I don’t know how I left that hotel. I only remember Jeffrey and his colleague looking at me kneeling on the ground like I was trash, then getting in their car and driving away. Like a walking corpse, I dragged those three heavy boxes of “jokes” through the late-night streets with no destination. My bank cards were frozen due to a failed business project, I had less than a hundred dollars in cash, couldn’t afford a hotel, and couldn’t go home. The world was so vast, yet there was no place for me. As my sanity teetered on the edge of collapse, just when I thought I might go insane or collapse on the street, an image suddenly flashed through my mind. I thought, “Alayna, you like playing poor, don’t you? Then let’s see how you like being truly poor!”

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The day my mother Lucy Morris was branded as a homewrecker, I, Aurora Morris, hurled the family’s authority seal right into my father Peter Morris’s face. On the flight back home, I stumbled across a video with the headline: “Billionaire’s Son Defends Mother, Beats Up Mistress.” In the video, Lucy was dressed in tattered clothes, surrounded and beaten by my several brothers. They tore her clothes apart, calling her a shameless mistress. With tears in her eyes, she desperately tried to explain herself, only to be met with mockery from the crowd. A strange woman in haute couture stood behind them, protected, saying coldly: “Alright, I know you’re doing this for me, but we don’t need to waste time on someone so ungrateful.” The guests around her wished her happy birthday and praised her magnanimity. “This is the grace a Morris wife should have! Look at that woman’s shabby appearance—how could she possibly be Mrs. Morris?” “A mistress dares to call herself Mrs. Morris? Doesn’t she know the power of the Morris family? Where’s even a hint of aristocratic elegance about her?” Hearing the title “Mrs. Morris,” I gripped my phone tighter. The screen reflected my icy expression. I’d only been away from home for three years—when did we suddenly gain this pathetic excuse for a “mother”? This video made my blood boil with rage. Right after landing, I immediately called my eldest brother Joseph Morris, but no one answered. Then I tried my second brother Oliver Morris and third brother Jeffrey Morris—no response from either. Finally, my fourth brother Jason Morris picked up, asking impatiently: “Aurora, what do you want? It’s Mom’s birthday today, we’re busy, so don’t bother us!” I sneered: “Which mom?” “Aurora, are you insane? Do we have any other mom?” Jason angrily told me to stop making trouble and hung up directly. Given his attitude, I even wondered if this video was AI-generated, specifically designed to drive a wedge between our family. Indeed, the Lucy in the video was completely different from the one in my memory. After all, everyone knew that the Morris family’s assets all belonged to my mother. Although Peter was Lucy’s husband, the Morris family fortune didn’t belong to him. All his prestige came from Lucy, so he’d always been obedient to her. How could he possibly allow Lucy to be humiliated into the trembling mess shown in the video? I took a deep breath, suppressed my anger, and decided to personally check out the banquet hall from the video. When I took a cab to the entrance, a girl got out with me. She glanced at me and immediately stood in front of me, her face full of disdain: “You’re here for my mom’s birthday party too? Isn’t this place reserved by the Morris family? How can just anyone get in?” She wore the latest designer dress with a diamond necklace the size of a pigeon egg around her neck. Seeing my simple t-shirt and pants, she looked disgusted. Thinking I’d come to the wrong place, I politely asked: “You mean the Morris family, New York’s wealthiest?” She lifted her chin and scoffed: “Since you know that, why are you still here? Be careful or my dad will make your family disappear from New York completely!” I pulled out my phone and showed her Peter’s photo for confirmation: “Who is this?” She looked at me like I was an idiot: “My dad! Oh, I get it now! You’re another mistress trying to seduce my dad! My dad absolutely adores my mom, so give up now! The last person who tried this—now my mom can make her kneel and beg for mercy with just a look!” I had my suspicions. I opened that video to show her. The girl Sarah Morris laughed until tears came out: “Since you already know and you’re still throwing yourself at him, isn’t that a bit pathetic? Since we’re about the same age, let me give you some advice—that woman claimed to be my dad’s legitimate wife, but my brothers dumped her in the wilderness. Even with a broken leg, she crawled back, insisting that my dad return her daughter. So ridiculous! Looking like that, my dad would be disgusted just seeing her! How could he possibly have a child with her!” After hearing her words, I clenched my fists tightly. So during these three years I was away, Lucy had endured plenty of humiliation from these people! But my brothers were Lucy’s biological sons—why would they help outsiders bully her? Although Lucy had a gentle nature, they knew she never let herself be taken advantage of. Moreover, Grandpa Martin Morris had long said that when I returned, I would officially take over the Morris family! How dare these people! I pushed past Sarah in front of me, ignoring her screams, and charged straight into the banquet hall. The moment I entered, I witnessed a scene I would never forget—Lucy was kneeling in the center of the hall, held down by my several brothers, being forced to lick that strange woman’s shoes.

“Stop!” I rushed forward and kicked Joseph away. He instinctively roared in anger, but the moment he saw me, he swallowed his curses. Sarah, however, slapped me across the face. “You pushed me and hit my brother—do you really think the Morris family is easy to bully?” “Sarah, she pushed you?” Hearing Sarah’s words, Joseph’s eyes instantly turned vicious. He cursed at me furiously, “You bitch, you’re just as vicious as your mother!” I was about to step forward to argue when Lucy on the ground grabbed my arm. “Aurora, let’s go.” Her face showed humility, caution, and even fear. “You pushed me and think you can just leave? As expected, a mistress’s daughter is also trash with no manners!” After saying this, Sarah grabbed a wine bottle nearby and hurled it at us. Lucy stood up to shield me, but that’s when I noticed the bruised and festering wounds all over her body. “Mom!” She was cut on the arm by the wine bottle shards, blood streaming down, yet she kept urging me to leave quickly. I stared hard at my four brothers. They quickly surrounded Sarah, looking at me provocatively. “What’s wrong? You barged in here uninvited—we’re being generous by not holding you accountable!” “Take your useless mother and get out! Even letting her lick shoes would be a gift from our mother!” Hearing their words, I was so angry my whole body went numb. “She’s your mother too!” The entire room burst into mocking laughter. “This woman must be crazy! Isn’t Mrs. Morris standing right here?” “Hilarious! First her mom pretended to be Mrs. Morris, now she’s pretending to be Miss Morris. Don’t these two have any shame?” Sarah looked at me arrogantly. “You’re so pitiful. You’ve probably never seen your father since childhood! “Well, of course—a woman like your mother has probably slept with so many men that even she doesn’t know who your father is. That’s why she’s barking at my dad like a mad dog!” The cold expressions on my brothers’ faces made it clear they thought the same thing. They spoke in unison, “You two get out of here! Don’t ruin our mother’s birthday party! “Not just anyone can be Mrs. Morris!” I laughed bitterly in my rage. “You don’t even recognize your own mother? Do you still remember who really runs the Morris family?” “Of course it’s my dad! You psycho!” Sarah sneered proudly. I couldn’t help but laugh mockingly, thinking, “Peter, that waste? An outsider who can’t even enter the family’s inner circle—has he ever seen the family’s seal of authority?” “Peter?” I snorted coldly. “Everyone in the industry knows his background. When is it Peter’s turn to speak for the Morris family?” My words made Sarah furious. Clearly, some people at the party were in the know. “That’s right, it’s only because Mrs. Morris doesn’t like managing business that Mr. Morris helps out. Even if he has some say now, he can’t control the entire Morris family, right?” Just then, the woman who had gone to change her shoes appeared again at the banquet hall entrance. She said, “I’ve already handed over all Morris family affairs to my husband. This is our family business—naturally, an outsider like you wouldn’t understand.”

“What proof do you have that you’re Mrs. Morris?” I stared directly at the woman before me. She laughed softly. “Do I really need proof? I’ve been by Peter’s side throughout all his business dealings these past few years, and my sons have been there too.” As soon as she finished speaking, guests around us immediately chimed in. “That’s right, Mrs. Morris has always been present during Peter’s negotiations. Unlike your mother, who’s so timid and withdrawn—nothing like a wealthy family’s matriarch.” “Don’t the Morris sons even know who their own mother is? How ridiculous!” Everyone nodded in agreement, their expressions certain, making my heart tighten. I immediately pulled out my phone, ready to call Peter. However, Joseph suddenly slapped the phone out of my hand, and the screen shattered instantly. “You want to call the police? You and your mother are the ones causing trouble!” he said. The group was clearly nervous, sweat beading on their foreheads. Could they have secretly found Peter a fake wife behind his back? Lucy trembled all over, instinctively wanting to kneel down and apologize to that woman. “I’m sorry, now that I’ve found my daughter, we’ll leave right away,” she said hurriedly. Leave? There was no way I was walking away! If they dared humiliate Lucy like this in front of so many people, they’d definitely be worse in private! I picked up the broken phone and looked at that woman again. “Are you certain you’re Peter’s wife?” She sneered back, “Of course!” Too bad the phone could barely make voice calls now, or I would’ve definitely made a video call to confirm. The call went through. A familiar voice came through: “Aurora? Are you studying hard? Why are you calling me?” Hearing this voice, Sarah’s eyes widened, and those at the scene who knew Peter recognized it too. I laughed coldly. “Dad, exactly how many daughters do you have? How many wives?” The voice on the other end grew stern: “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re obviously my only daughter. Who’s been filling your head with nonsense?” Just as I was about to explain the situation at the banquet hall, Sarah’s mother, Hazel Morris, snatched my phone away. She stomped on it hard with her high heel, a disdainful smile playing at her lips. “You even got someone to impersonate my husband? It’s just a similar voice—you really think you can fool everyone?” The guests, who had been wavering moments before, heard her words and looked at Lucy and me in our disheveled state again, sneering smiles appearing on their faces. But my four brothers’ faces grew even paler. They roared: “Aurora! Your mother is just a maid at Morris Manor! It’s bad enough you have delusions, but don’t come disrupting the birthday party! Get out!” The more agitated they became, the more suspicious I grew. Had they long wanted to pamper Sarah as their sister, even deceiving Peter? Just then, butler Jay Wells walked in pushing a cake. Seeing him, my eyes lit up. But Lucy frantically grabbed my sleeve, tears nearly falling: “Aurora, let’s just go…” When Jay saw me, his eyes flickered, clearly avoiding something. Sarah immediately ran over and clung to Jay’s arm, acting coquettish: “Jay, you’ve worked at Morris Manor for so long. Tell us, who’s the real impostor here!” I stared intently at Jay, waiting for his response. However, Jay pointed decisively at Lucy: “She’s a maid at Morris Manor. Three Christmases ago, she had a mental breakdown and has been believing she’s Mrs. Morris ever since. Mr. Morris took pity on her and let her stay in the house.” Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly understood: “No wonder Mrs. Morris never showed her face before—she was afraid this crazy woman would impersonate her!” Listening to their cold mockery of Lucy and me, Sarah lifted her head proudly: “Still pretending? The Morris family isn’t something just anyone can latch onto!” Hazel nodded, signaling for people to restrain Lucy and me again. Sarah walked up smugly and slapped us both hard. Her ring cut my cheek. She sneered: “Do you still dare claim your mother is Mrs. Morris and you’re Ms. Morris? Letting your mother stay in the house was my mother’s mercy. Now, we’re just asking her to lick my mother’s shoes, and she hasn’t even complained. What gives you the right to hit my brother?” With that, she suddenly burst into laughter: “If my father knew you two were being so disrespectful to my mother, he’d probably throw you to the sharks! But I’m kind-hearted—if you kneel down and kowtow right now, a hundred times, I’ll forgive you!” Hazel smashed the cake violently on the ground: “Sarah, didn’t she just push you? The Morris family has always repaid evil with kindness. Let them eat the cake before they kowtow!” They were so arrogant and domineering, and even Jay was on their side. Without a doubt, that bastard Peter must have betrayed us! I suddenly broke free from my restraints and delivered a hard slap to Sarah, who was closest to me. She was knocked straight to the ground. Having been trained in combat by Martin since childhood, these people were no match for me. I fought hard to pull Lucy, who was being pressed to the ground, back up. But she looked at the woman impersonating her with red eyes, pleading: “Mrs. Morris, I apologize to you. I’ll eat the cake. Could you please spare my daughter?” Laughter erupted throughout the banquet hall. But my heart felt like it was being torn apart. How had Lucy, once so gentle and strong, become like this? Sarah crawled up from the ground, gritting her teeth: “Not a chance! This bitch dared to hit me—I’m going to kill you both today!” “Just you?” I raised my hand, and she scrambled to hide behind her four brothers. The four stood in front of me, roaring: “How dare you bully our sister? You shrew, we won’t let you get away with this!” I punched each of them once, and they immediately shut up and hit the ground. Seeing me walking toward Hazel, Sarah quickly pulled out her phone. The four brothers tried to stop me but were knocked down and left unable to move. Sarah screamed frantically: “Dad! Some bitch is causing trouble at Mom’s birthday party—come quickly!” Taking advantage of this moment, I knocked Hazel to the ground as well. The scene immediately fell silent. I helped Lucy up and found a chair to sit down. The sound of an engine roaring came from outside, and Sarah shouted excitedly: “Aurora, you’re finished! My dad’s here—you and your mother can prepare to die!” A man in a black suit walked in. Our eyes met, and shock flashed in both our gazes. I then smiled slightly and walked forward without hesitation. Under everyone’s astonished stares, I delivered a resounding slap across his face.

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I’m Sienna Wilson, and after being brought back home as the Wilson family’s biological daughter, my parents made me sleep in the storage room and eat leftovers. Yet they always felt they owed something to Hannah Wilson, who had been impersonating my identity. So when the government launched the “Sibling Fairness System,” they couldn’t wait to bind the entire family to it. Father Camden Wilson breathed a long sigh of relief: “With this absolutely fair system, Hannah won’t have to suffer anymore.” Mother Emily Wilson gently took my hand, her tone gentle yet unyielding: “Since you came back, you’ve taken everything that belonged to Hannah. That’s so unfair to her.” Brother Easton Wilson never gave me a kind look: “I only recognize Hannah as my sister. You’ve already gotten so many benefits—don’t expect more in the future!” I looked down at the clothes I’d worn for five Christmases, then at Hannah’s luxurious princess room and countless luxury items, feeling utterly ridiculous. However, when the system actually took effect, they were devastated. ***** After school, I walked home under the scorching sun while Hannah rode away in her exclusive Maybach not far away. Pushing open the villa’s front door, I had barely felt a moment of coolness when Camden slammed a stack of documents heavily in front of my spaghetti. “This is the government’s latest ‘Sibling Fairness System.’ Sign your name right now!” I froze, standing there bewildered. Easton rushed forward first, pushing me into the house: “Stop acting pitiful! We’ve been biased enough toward you lately. Hannah has put up with you for so long—don’t push it!” Emily came over and pulled me aside, speaking earnestly: “Sienna, although you were switched at birth and suffered in the countryside for over ten years, Hannah is innocent. Now that you’re back, as parents we naturally need to treat you both fairly. To prevent us from favoring you and making Hannah suffer, binding to the system is the safest approach.” Treat us fairly? I gripped my clothes tightly. The cheap fabric on my back was already soaked with sweat, clinging to my skin, stuffy and itchy. Meanwhile, Hannah wore breathable luxury clothing, eating fruit cut by servants, looking completely refreshed and comfortable. I couldn’t help but ask: “Mom, do you really favor me?” Camden slammed the table hard, pointing at me angrily: “Sienna, what do you mean by that? Since you came back, we’ve given you everything that originally belonged to Hannah! You can now attend a good school, live in a villa, and have servants waiting on you. If this isn’t favoritism, then what is! Hannah has been our precious daughter since childhood, yet she’s had to endure and suffer everywhere since you returned. Only by binding to this system can we give her true fairness!” The cup on the table fell to the floor. I lowered my head, feeling utterly ironic. The day I returned to the Wilson house, I had eagerly taken out a handmade doll I’d sewn myself, wanting to give it to Easton and Hannah. But with Hannah’s cry, Easton angrily pushed me away. “It’s all your fault! Why did you come to destroy our family?” The family immediately surrounded Hannah with concern and care, while I stood awkwardly and helplessly to the side like an outsider who could never fit in. They arranged for me to stay in the storage room under the excuse of a “transition period.” They wouldn’t let me eat at the table because “Hannah wasn’t used to it.” Classmates mocked my shabby, outdated clothes and clumsy accent. They stood up for Hannah, tearing up my homework and pouring dirty water into my meals. When I cried to my parents, they said I was making excuses for my poor grades. They couldn’t even be bothered to attend my parent-teacher conferences, unwilling to learn about my situation from teachers, yet they eagerly rushed to attend Hannah’s meetings. I knew I couldn’t compare to the deep bond between Hannah and my parents, so I kept thinking I’d wait a little longer for my family’s love. But now they’re saying this is unfair to Hannah? I picked up the documents from the floor, my eyes drawn to the promotional slogan. It read: [Sibling Fairness System: Helping parents truly achieve impartiality and equal love, giving children genuinely fair treatment.] “Fine, I’ll sign.” I no longer hoped to receive any family affection from them. The reason I insisted on staying was because the learning environment here was good and would make it easier for me to get into a good university. Once I graduated high school, I would leave this family forever.

A government official soon arrived to install the system. He explained, “To ensure the system functions properly, family members’ assets will be deeply integrated with the system. We’ll assess whether parents show favoritism toward their children and make reasonable adjustments.” As a business owner, Camden wanted to carefully review the contract terms. But Easton couldn’t wait to sign his name. He said, “A government-developed system has to be reliable. Dad, can you really bear to see Hannah suffer? What are you still hesitating about?” Hearing this, my parents signed without hesitation as well. I, however, read through every clause word by word, confirming everything was correct before carefully signing my name. Easton couldn’t help but mock me: “You usually act like you’re so wronged, making us think we’ve been abusing you somehow. Taking advantage and still playing the victim. Now you’ll see what real fairness looks like!” Emily walked over to me, her tone gentle: “We’re doing this for your own good. Constantly indulging and favoring you has only harmed you.” I laughed bitterly: “Yeah, I understand.” After the contracts were signed, Camden was in high spirits: “Let’s eat! I specifically had Maeve prepare several extra dishes that Hannah loves today, to help her recover properly.” One after another, delicious-looking dishes were brought to the table. Seafood, steak, stews—all Hannah’s favorites. The aroma made my stomach growl, and I wanted to sit at the dining table too. Usually, I could only eat with the servants, never getting such fresh, complete meals. But now that the system was bound, children should receive equal treatment. Shouldn’t I be able to eat at the table like Hannah? Easton frowned and blocked my way, his tone displeased: “Our family is having a rare celebratory dinner. Why are you trying to butt in? Go back to your room!” I stood my ground: “We’ve already bound the system. Why can Hannah eat here but I can’t? This isn’t fair.” Hannah’s eyes immediately welled up with tears. Emily came over with a pained expression to persuade me: “Hannah isn’t used to eating with you yet. She gets upset just seeing you. Can’t you just go eat in your room? Just like before.” I said, “No, I want to eat now.” Camden slammed his fork down: “Are you insane? Are you trying to rebel?” Before his hand could reach my face, he suddenly convulsed and collapsed to the floor. The system’s cold voice immediately announced: “Favoritism and domestic violence tendencies detected. Electric shock program activated.” Then Emily also fell to the ground, crackling sounds coming from her body. “Dad! Mom!” Hannah and Easton panicked, spinning around helplessly. When they reached out to help, they also got shocked a few times. After several minutes, the two finally stopped convulsing and were helped up from the floor. Camden’s face was filled with terror: “When did this damn system get electric current? Why are you shocking us!” The system explained: “Hannah is allowed to eat at the table while Sienna is required to return to her room to eat leftovers. This behavior constitutes severe favoritism. Please be assured, the system’s electric current will not cause bodily harm, only pain. When necessary, punishment intensity can reach level ten, equivalent to childbirth pain.” Camden clutched his chest, still shaken, cursing under his breath: “Hannah has already given up her position as the Wilson family daughter, making such a huge sacrifice. What’s wrong with having Sienna eat in her room? What kind of broken system is this? I want to cancel the binding!” The system stated: “All interpretation rights belong to the system. The contract renewal period is lifetime. You currently have no authority to cancel.” Emily tentatively asked: “What pain level was that just now?” The system replied: “Level five.” Watching my parents’ angry, frightened, yet helpless expressions, I felt an unprecedented satisfaction rise in my heart. So this sibling fairness system was actually this effective! Emily waved her hand and pulled me to the dining table: “It’s just one meal. Fine, you can eat.” After gaining the rights I deserved, I suddenly wanted to test just where this system’s limits lay.

I tentatively asked, “Mom, the food is too greasy. I’d like something lighter.” Though the table was laden with dishes, they were all Hannah’s favorites, not to my taste. Especially the seafood—childhood memories of accidentally eating dead fish during a famine had left too deep a scar. Even now, the sight of fish made me nauseous. Emily shot me an impatient glance. “The chef’s already gone home. Who’s going to cook for you? You should be grateful for what you have instead of complaining.” Hannah chimed in from the side, deliberately placing seafood on my plate. “Sienna, this is light. You should eat more.” I lowered my head in silence, mentally counting down: “Three, two, one.” The system’s prompt sounded right on cue: “Electric shock program activated.” Emily instantly tumbled from her chair to the floor, several of her prized white teeth chipping as she fell. She raged, “Why am I being punished?” The system responded: “Emily spent all afternoon preparing a lavish dinner for Hannah but had no time to cook for her biological daughter. You remember every dish Hannah loves while ignoring your daughter’s aversion to seafood. The system has administered a level-three electric shock based on the degree of favoritism.” Emily’s hands trembled from the pain as she shakily got to her feet. “I’ll go cook for you right now, okay?” In her anger, she swept all the seafood into the trash. “My seafood!” Hannah’s expression was particularly comical. I struggled to suppress my laughter, feeling incredibly satisfied inside. It turned out that as long as I compared myself to Hannah, any request I made would be granted. For the first time, I was finally tasting a bit of fairness. Hannah finished her meal in silence and headed straight for her room. But with the system in place, why should I return to that damp, stuffy storage room? To perform better on my exams and eventually leave this house, I needed a better study environment. I said, “Dad, Mom, I want a room just like Hannah’s.” At these words, Hannah’s footsteps on the stairs froze, and she immediately turned to berate me: “Sienna, when will you stop? My room was designed by a famous foreign designer. Many of the furnishings are one-of-a-kind pieces. Where are they supposed to find identical ones for you? Besides, can a tasteless country girl like you even appreciate such things? Don’t push it too far!” I smiled. “But you have it, so why can’t I? That’s not fair.” Easton, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke up, stepping protectively in front of Hannah. “Sienna, enough is enough!” But this time, Camden and Emily didn’t immediately echo his sentiment. A flash of panic crossed Hannah’s face. “Dad, Mom, say something! My skin is allergic to other materials. This isn’t fair to me!” After a long pause, Emily finally spoke: “Hannah, let Sienna have your room for tonight. Tomorrow I’ll have someone renovate a new room for her.” Camden sighed and nodded. “Yes, otherwise who knows how this system will torment us next. I’ll look into ways to unbind it tomorrow. If this continues, it’ll be the death of our whole family!” So they did know how to treat us fairly—they simply had never been willing to make changes for my sake. Hannah’s eyes filled with tears as she reluctantly came down from upstairs. Passing by me, she hissed a vicious warning: “Don’t get too cocky, Sienna! So what if you have the system? Just wait and see how I deal with you!” I was already used to Hannah’s arrogant behavior at school, so I naturally knew she wasn’t just making empty threats. Sure enough, the next day when we were heading to school, the back seat of the Rolls-Royce was splattered with paint. Hannah sat in the passenger seat, smiling as she said to me, “I was planning to let you ride to school with me, but we accidentally spilled paint on the back seat. I’m afraid no one can sit there now. So sorry about that.” Easton handed me an umbrella: “Mom, Dad, and I all have to go to the office, so there are no extra cars available. You’ll have to walk to school.” As if afraid of the system’s punishment, he quickly added, “You can take the car home after school tonight. That should be fair, right?” I snorted coldly, thinking to myself: “Fair?” I glanced at the temperature on my phone – it was the hottest time of the day. By the time school ended in the evening, not only would the temperature drop, but the family cars would also be free. Hannah still wouldn’t have to walk. What kind of fairness was that? Looking at Hannah’s smug expression, I knew these two were trying to exploit loopholes in the system. If they succeeded, my life would become miserable. However, the Sibling Equity System was being heavily promoted by the government precisely because of its strong adaptability and analytical capabilities. The system’s voice suddenly announced: “Detection shows Hannah’s physical health index is 85, Sienna’s physical health index is 71. The system determines Sienna should take the car.” Hannah’s face instantly turned ashen. Easton panicked too: “How can physical health be measured with numbers? Besides, shouldn’t an older sister look out for her younger sister?” The system responded without mercy: “Our system has a comprehensive set of detection indicators. Please do not question them. According to the law, an older sister has no obligation to support her younger sister, therefore there is no moral responsibility to always give way to her. Please refrain from moral blackmail.” Seeing Hannah’s desperate expression, I almost couldn’t hold back my laughter. I said, “Well, since the system has spoken, you’d better get out of the car quickly.” I pulled her aside and quickly got into the Rolls-Royce, urging the driver to leave. I couldn’t let this delay my study time. That evening, the usually harmonious family of four erupted into an unprecedented argument. Hannah screamed: “Easton, if it weren’t for your brilliant idea, would I have had to walk to school today? Do you know how my classmates mocked me?” Through the crack in the door, I saw Hannah. Her elaborate makeup was ruined by sweat, her eyeliner had smudged into black streaks, and her once-neat dress had become dirty and sticky. She looked utterly disheveled. “Why didn’t you let me use your car?” Hannah shrieked hysterically in the living room. Easton impatiently pushed her away: “If you take my car, how am I supposed to get to work? We don’t even go in the same direction! You’re the one who begged me to come up with a plan, and now you’re blaming me? You brought this on yourself!” Camden sat on the sofa, rubbing his temples with a headache: “I specifically asked around today. They said there’s no way to remove this system.” Hearing this, Hannah became even more hysterical, crying and throwing a tantrum, turning the living room into complete chaos. I quietly closed the door and returned to my room. In the past, at this time, they would always be laughing and watching TV together in the living room, while I could only hide in my room eating leftovers. Just by receiving fair treatment, my quality of life had improved dramatically. It was easy to imagine how comfortable Hannah’s life had been before. Now that she’d lost her privileges, let’s see how she could continue being so arrogant! Perhaps sensing my satisfaction over the past few days, Hannah finally reached her breaking point and burst into my room one night. She said, “Sienna, your good days are over!” Her face was filled with vengeful satisfaction, and she wasn’t even afraid of letting me know in advance. She said smugly, “Tomorrow Dad will distribute assets based on individual ability – absolutely fair! Easton and I are both among the top students in our classes. As for you, you’d better pray for yourself! Did you think having the system meant we couldn’t do anything to you? Without money or shares, no matter how capable you are, you can’t threaten us!” I tilted my head: “How are you so sure my grades aren’t better than yours?” Hannah burst into laughter: “Have you ever passed a single exam since you started school? What are you pretending for?” But she didn’t know that the reason I kept failing was because her gang of friends constantly harassed me, making it impossible for me to study in peace. I looked at the report card in my hand – first place in every subject. Originally, I had planned to escape this family by getting into college. Now it seemed there might be an unexpected surprise. I uploaded my recent grades to the Sibling Equity System. The show was about to begin.

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My mother, Naomi Phillips, told me I was born with a body that could captivate any man. She warned me never to get involved with men before turning twenty. In my previous life, I took her words to heart. So when Sebastian Howard, heir to Washington’s most prominent family, was drugged and pulled me into his arms, I pushed him away forcefully. But after my twentieth birthday, all the skincare treatments I did somehow transferred their effects to Naomi instead. When I applied face masks, wrinkles and dark spots appeared on my face while Naomi’s skin became increasingly smooth and delicate. When I exercised, my body grew fatter and more bloated while Naomi’s figure gradually became as proportioned as a young girl’s. When my father Samuel Phillips saw me looking like a forty-year-old woman, he cursed at me and threatened to sell me to some twice-divorced old man. I cried and begged Naomi to save me. But she just looked at me with that face that had returned to twenty years old and said, “Everything we do is for your own good.” Left with no choice, I ran away from home and wandered the streets. But I discovered that the farther I got from home, the faster I aged. Finally, three days after leaving, I died of heart failure in a garbage dump. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day I first encountered Sebastian. This time, I didn’t push his hands away. Instead, I pinned him down on the bed. ***** It turned out Naomi was absolutely right. Sebastian was completely captivated by my body, making love to me again and again. He even gave me his unique signature cufflink. He said, “Baby, you’re a rare beauty in this world. From now on, bring this cufflink when you come to me, and I’ll give you the best of everything.” I wasn’t particularly thrilled. At that moment, only one thing occupied my mind. I had broken the rule about “not getting involved with men before twenty.” So could the curse from my previous life finally be broken? I rushed home and immediately started applying skincare products to my face. But to my devastation, the dark spots that should have appeared around Naomi’s eyes once again appeared on my face. Remembering my previous life, the more I used these products, the duller my complexion became, the more spots appeared, and the deeper the wrinkles grew. At this thought, despair washed over me. Even after being reborn and disobeying Naomi’s words, nothing had changed. When Naomi saw me return, she leaned against the doorframe and asked coldly, “Where did you go last night?” Seeing her face, which had become even more youthful, I gritted my teeth and rubbed the skincare product in my hands onto her face. I wanted to see if the spots that had just appeared on me would disappear. I refused to believe that absolutely nothing would change. But the result was still disappointing. Her face became even more delicate, while the spots on my face became clearer. Naomi screamed and pushed me away, scolding, “What did you put on my face? My face isn’t something you can just rub anything on.” She rushed to look in the mirror. Through the reflection, I saw her smug expression. Earlier, I had left Sebastian’s place in such a hurry that I didn’t get to say goodbye. So he posted on his account with over ten million followers, publicly searching for someone. The post read: [Looking for someone. These are things you left at my place last night. Please contact me when you see this.] The images showed my knitted bracelet that I’d dropped there, my name tag, and a blurry surveillance photo of my profile from when I was working at the bar. Samuel ran over excitedly with his phone, asking, “Emilia, is this person in the picture you? I’ve seen you wear this bracelet.” Emilia Phillips is my name. With an expression more excited than winning the lottery, he asked, “Did you sleep with Mr. Howard?” “What? Naomi’s face instantly changed. She grabbed my hair and shoved me to the ground, then slapped me twice across the face. She screamed at me furiously: “Didn’t I tell you that you can’t sleep with men before you turn 20? You slut, couldn’t you wait even one night? How shameless can you be? I’m going to beat you to death!” This time, for the first time ever, Samuel didn’t take Naomi’s side. He quickly stopped her, saying: “Don’t hit her face. Don’t you know who Sebastian is? She might fetch a good price!” Watching the two of them with their hidden agendas, I couldn’t help but think back to my previous life. Back then, Naomi constantly warned me not to sleep with men before I turned 20. I followed her advice. But right after my 20th birthday, I noticed something strange. Whenever I used skincare products, mysterious dark spots would appear on my face. My once smooth and delicate skin became rough and wrinkled. Meanwhile, Naomi’s face grew more and more refined, her skin smooth as silk. I loved following dance videos to learn choreography. But the more I danced, the fatter I became, until I was so bloated that I’d get winded from the slightest movement. Yet Naomi’s figure became increasingly youthful – she walked with lightness and vitality, as if she’d become a completely different person. Samuel always said my face was my most valuable asset. When he saw me become ugly and fat, he flew into a rage and threatened to sell me to a twice-divorced old man back in our hometown. I cried and begged Naomi to save me, but she wouldn’t even look at me. She just gazed happily into the mirror and said: “His family promised wedding gifts worth $50,000. Marrying him would be your good fortune. Your father is doing this for your own good.” I was completely devastated and bought a train ticket that very night to escape home. But I never expected that the farther I got from home, the faster I aged. By the time I reached another city, my hair had turned completely white, my back was hunched, and every step caused joint pain. I couldn’t find work or anyone to rely on, and eventually died of heart failure in a garbage dump. Now that I’ve been given a second chance at life, I must seize this opportunity and never experience the tragedy of my previous life again.

Sebastian’s Twitter post sparked massive online discussion. [Mr. Howard is searching the entire internet for someone with just a bracelet. This is straight out of a Cinderella fairy tale.] [Emilia? If she’s working at a bar, her family situation probably isn’t great. Mr. Howard could help her out.] [Everyone should help Mr. Howard find her. With her name, it shouldn’t be hard to track her down.] Netizens even launched a “Find Cinderella” hashtag campaign. Soon, someone found an old school photo of me. [Wow, she’s gorgeous. No wonder Mr. Howard can’t stop thinking about her.] [I know her. She was my high school classmate. Her family lives on Firmiana Road.] [We found her! Quick, tell Mr. Howard.] Looking at that vibrant, youthful girl in the photo, then at my increasingly aged face in the mirror, a wave of terror washed over me. Finally, I approached Naomi cautiously and asked, “Mom, why do you look younger and younger while I keep getting older? How do you take care of yourself? Could you teach me?” Naomi was smugly applying skincare products to her face. Hearing my question, she shot me an impatient glance. She said, “Didn’t I tell you not to get involved with men? Sleeping with men makes you age. You didn’t listen to me. Who can you blame now? You deserve it!” She was lying to me. That wasn’t the real reason at all. In my previous life, I had clearly followed her advice, yet I still aged. I watched as the areas where she applied the cream became increasingly smooth and supple. Then I looked at my reflection again. That age spot had grown even larger. I couldn’t take it anymore and smashed the mirror with my fist. Naomi screamed and cursed, “You bitch, have you lost your mind?” I ignored her and returned to my bedroom, throwing all the skincare products from my dresser into the trash. Since all this maintenance was really for her benefit, what reason did I have to use them? Not only would I stop taking care of myself, but I’d deliberately make myself ugly and fat. I wanted to see what else she could take from me. I deliberately found cheap, harsh makeup and slathered it on my face. My skin immediately broke out in an allergic reaction, becoming red and swollen. I also stopped dancing and gorged myself daily, letting my body become fatter and more bloated. I carefully observed Naomi’s changes. To my dismay, I discovered this tactic had no effect on her whatsoever. She continued growing younger and more beautiful. Now, if she claimed to be an 18-year-old girl, people would probably believe her. When Samuel came home and saw my appearance, he exploded, “How did you turn yourself into such a hideous mess?” He even pulled out his belt and lashed me several times. He said, “You jinx! Mr. Howard is about to find you. You better lose weight fast! Looking like this ghost, would Mr. Howard even want you? If he rejects you, you’ll ruin your brother Nolan’s chance at becoming wealthy! If you dare block Nolan’s path, I’ll beat you to death!” Naomi had no objection to my beating. Instead, she leisurely applied a face mask. She said coldly, “With your promiscuous lifestyle, you probably caught some disease. That’s why you look like a ghost. You should go to the hospital and get checked.” I gritted my teeth, enduring Samuel’s punches and kicks. Afterward, I limped back to my room. I found the cufflink Sebastian had given me, took a photo, posted it online, and replied to Sebastian.

I locked myself in my room, too afraid to go out, only to discover in horror that I had stopped menstruating. Left with no choice, I went to the nearest hospital for an examination. The doctor told me I had premature ovarian failure. She said regretfully, “Your case is quite unusual. You’re still so young—we may need to run further tests to determine the cause.” But I knew in my heart that this wasn’t something medicine could solve. Someone had taken a photo of Naomi and me selling barbecue and posted it online. The caption read: [Do you know the Emilia that Mr. Howard is looking for? This is what she looks like now.] Someone immediately commented: [Why does she look so old? Are you sure you got the right person? The woman next to her must be Emilia, right?] The image spread everywhere online. I stared at the photo in despair, seeing the stark contrast between Naomi and me. I looked at my hair that was starting to turn gray and the age spots appearing on the backs of my hands. I couldn’t take it anymore. Like a madwoman, I burst into Naomi’s room and ripped the face mask off her face. I demanded frantically, “What method did you use? Why are you getting younger while I’m getting older? Why are all the beauty treatments I do transferring their effects to you?” Naomi’s face contorted as she slapped me hard across the face, cursing, “You bitch, have you lost your mind?” The commotion in the room drew Samuel over. Seeing my appearance, he immediately slapped me twice. He cursed, “Didn’t I warn you to lose weight? Look at yourself now! Emilia, if Mr. Howard doesn’t take a liking to you, you’re going back home to marry that divorced old man.” Covering my face, I glared at him fiercely and said, “You think I haven’t been trying? Look at me, then look at her. Don’t you find it strange? Ever since I turned 20, no matter what beauty treatments I do, the effects transfer to her. Instead of wasting your energy hitting me, why don’t you ask her what method she’s been using?” Samuel glanced at Naomi. He used to constantly berate her, saying even looking at her made him sick. But now Naomi had delicate skin and a supple waist, looking like a young girl. A flash of amazement crossed Samuel’s eyes. Then Naomi began crying, “Did you go to the hospital for a checkup? You must have caught some disease from your promiscuous lifestyle—that’s why you look like this. And now you’re blaming me?” Samuel nodded, staring at Naomi’s face with infatuation, unable to look away. He suddenly reached out and pulled Naomi tightly into his arms. It was as if she wasn’t the wife he had despised to the extreme, but a goddess he had just won over. Then he turned to look at me with disgust and kicked me. He cursed, “You’re such a disgrace! How dare you blame your mother? You just can’t stand that your mom is more beautiful than you—you’re jealous of her! Look at yourself now. Where do you look like a 20-year-old woman? You’re nowhere near as good as your mother.” Watching their intimate display, I let out a cold laugh and said, “You hit me and curse at me—aren’t you afraid that when I marry a rich man, I’ll cut all ties with you?” Samuel looked like he couldn’t believe I would say something so unfilial. His expression changed instantly as he stared at me in disbelief. Naomi covered her face, sobbing, “We raised you all these years, and you’re worse than a dog. Samuel, I don’t think this house can accommodate her anymore. Let’s kick her out right now!” After hearing Naomi’s words, I felt an inexplicable fear rising in my heart. In my previous life, it was after I escaped from home that my aging accelerated, and I eventually died outside. Looking at myself in the mirror, I couldn’t understand it at all. If we had “exchanged” ages, and Naomi was only around 40 now, why did I look like someone in her fifties? I quickly ran back to my bedroom and locked the door. It wasn’t time for me to leave home yet. What surprised me was that Sebastian actually posted online, announcing he had found his destined one and would soon hold a grand wedding. Netizens marveled at how fast Sebastian worked, calling it an enviable perfect love story. But I had never even met Sebastian. Just then, I heard Naomi’s voice outside the door, coaxing Samuel. She laughed and said, “I’m just going out to fool him temporarily. Otherwise, look at Emilia’s current state—would Mr. Howard even consider her? I’ll control him first. Once Emilia recovers from her illness and gets better, we’ll switch back.” But on the wedding day, I watched with my own eyes as Naomi got into that stretch Bentley and drove away gracefully, without a trace of reluctance. The entire wedding was livestreamed. Before it even started, hundreds of thousands of people were already waiting to watch in the stream. When Samuel returned home, I handed him my phone. I asked, “Dad, Mr. Howard got married today, but the bride wasn’t me. Who exactly did he marry?” Samuel’s face instantly changed. He searched the house but couldn’t find Naomi, and her phone went straight to voicemail. Then he grabbed me and rushed toward the wedding venue. The wedding was both grand and luxurious. When we arrived, they were in the middle of exchanging rings. Seeing the charming Naomi on stage, Samuel shouted, “Wait! You’ve got it wrong!” He pushed me in front of the cameras and said to Sebastian, “Mr. Howard, the person you’re supposed to marry is my daughter. She’s right here. That woman on stage is my wife.” When the camera panned to my face, netizens immediately started mocking me online. 【Who is this old, fat woman?】 【My God! How could he just drag some random person here? This woman must be desperate to marry a rich man!】 Seeing Sebastian look at me with disgust, I quickly pulled out the cufflink from my hand. I said, “This is what you gave me that night. You said I could use it to find you.” When I produced the cufflink, the livestream comments went crazy. 【She looks a bit like Emilia. Could they be mother and daughter?】 【What kind of mother would steal her daughter’s things? Does she think Mr. Howard will recognize her just because she has the cufflink? She should take a look at herself!】 【She’s so fat! Could she be Emilia’s stepmother? Get lost and stop ruining our view of this beautiful wedding between gorgeous people.】 Naomi hid behind Sebastian, looking at me smugly. The guests below all changed their expressions. Someone whispered, “Sebastian’s taste can’t be that low, right? The woman on stage is more like it. If it’s this woman, I’m leaving right now.” Hearing the guests’ comments, Sebastian’s face instantly darkened. He looked at Samuel with eyes as cold as ice picks. He said, “I’ve confirmed it again. She is the person I’m looking for.” Samuel’s eyes immediately turned red. He grabbed a dinner knife from the table and lunged at Sebastian. He roared, “Damn it! You dare sleep with my wife! I’ll kill you!” Security guards rushed forward to stop him. The stage erupted into chaos. Having been away from home too long, I felt short of breath, unable to breathe properly, with sharp pains in my chest. This was a sign of heart failure! I glared at Naomi unwillingly, my gaze inadvertently sweeping over the diamond bracelet on her wrist. Suddenly, it was like a flash of white light went through my mind, and I instantly understood what was happening. Just then, the livestream comments suddenly changed direction. 【Look! What’s wrong with Emilia’s face?】 Seeing her face on the big screen, Naomi suddenly screamed and rushed to turn off the livestream. I collapsed to the ground, finally breathing a sigh of relief. I could see it clearly. Age spots had appeared on her face again. At the same time, Samuel turned toward me with the dinner knife, furious. He cursed, “What the hell did you do to your mother, you damn b*tch?”

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I resigned from my position as head animal trainer at the circus, planning to work as a caretaker at a wildlife sanctuary instead. Everyone agreed with this decision and even hoped I’d leave immediately. However, Jessica Grant, a classmate of my husband Alfred Gibson who called herself an “animal whisperer,” was blocking the entrance to my training arena. She stared at me with her big, watery eyes, stubbornly refusing to move. Jessica said to me, “Emily, even though everyone says you abuse animals and use violent methods to tame them, I believe you’re not that kind of person. For my sake, please don’t leave, okay?” Emily Kennedy is my name. I let out a cold laugh, pretended not to see her, and walked straight past. In my previous life, Jessica also claimed to be an “animal whisperer,” saying she could communicate telepathically with animals. Back then, she was my assistant, yet she could always tame wild beasts one step ahead of me. Moreover, the commands she gave the animals were identical to what I had taught them. It would take me months to get a wild animal to learn a single command, but Jessica only needed to whisper softly to the animals to make lions and tigers obediently cooperate in performances. The audience cursed me as cold-hearted, saying I abused animals, while they praised Jessica as gentle and kind, claiming that’s why she could earn the animals’ trust. Some even slandered me, saying my long-term animal training was actually for the pleasure of tormenting animals. When I tried to pull up the surveillance footage from the training grounds to prove my innocence, I discovered that Alfred had already deleted all the recordings. Without evidence, even a hundred mouths couldn’t clear my name. Later, I was doused with sulfuric acid by extreme animal rights activists on the street. My skin festered all over my body, and I died in agony. When I opened my eyes again, I found I had been reborn, back to the day Jessica first claimed to be an “animal whisperer.” “If you can’t tame this lion, you’re all getting fired!” A familiar voice rang in my ears. I took a deep breath and looked up to see circus director Charlie Brown frowning deeply. Charlie pointed at the lion in the cage—growling low and in a frenzied state—and asked me, “Emily, the show is only days away. How much longer do you need to get this lion ready?” Everyone stared at me expectantly. Only then did I confirm that I had truly been reborn. I pressed my lips together. I had spent two months day and night with this lion. Now, it only trusted me and could perform some simple actions according to my instructions. However, its performance wasn’t stable enough—nowhere near ready for a stage performance. Before I could answer Charlie, Jessica walked over briskly from behind me. She jumped in with her response: “If Emily can’t do it, why don’t you let me try?” Standing before me, Jessica looked completely confident. My heart suddenly tightened with a bad premonition. Charlie frowned impatiently and waved his hand dismissively. He said, “We don’t have time for this. Outsiders shouldn’t be causing trouble here. Nobody has time to play games with you.” But Jessica said nothing and walked straight forward to open the cage containing the lion. Amid everyone’s screams, she gently stroked the lion’s head while softly soothing it with whispered words. The lion, which had been red-eyed with its mouth wide open looking fierce, seemed to know Jessica well and miraculously lay down obediently with its belly up. Charlie asked Jessica in amazement, “How did you do that?” Jessica turned back to Charlie with a smile and said, “Actually, I’m an ‘animal whisperer.’ I was born with the ability to communicate with animals, even wild beasts. So unlike Emily, I don’t need to rely on violence and animal abuse to make them obey out of fear.” After saying this, Jessica playfully winked at me and added, “Emily, don’t blame Alfred for keeping this secret from you. I’m the one who asked him to keep it quiet. If you’re going to blame anyone, blame me.” Watching this scene unfold before me, my entire body went rigid, and I could barely breathe. Everything was exactly the same as in my previous life. In my past life, from that day forward, Jessica successfully took that lion on stage for performances. Everyone learned about her identity as an “animal trainer,” and she instantly became the most sought-after star. The fierce beasts I had originally tamed overnight acted as if they had never known me, showing me hostile glares and growling threateningly. Yet with Jessica, they were completely docile and obedient. Everyone said it was because Jessica was gentle, kind, and pure of soul that she could connect with animals, and they worshipped her like a goddess. Animal protection organizations even invited her to film public service announcements, making her image the symbol of animal welfare. I had been the head animal trainer, but Jessica’s words instantly plunged me into a storm of public controversy. Some people said, “Emily takes at least a month to train each animal. If she really had the ability, why would it take her so long? Jessica solved it with just a gesture.” Others said, “Animals are spiritual beings who can judge good from evil. I always thought Emily seemed vicious. Turns out she made animals obey through abuse.” Some even said, “Abusing animals will send you to hell. This cold-hearted, evil woman will eventually be mauled to death by wild beasts.” The negative publicity spread rapidly. People spontaneously boycotted all animal shows I participated in. Animal protection organizations stepped forward, revoked my animal training license, and banned me from ever working in animal training again. I desperately tried to prove my innocence, planning to retrieve the surveillance footage from the training facility to show I had never used violent methods. But before I could hold my press conference, Alfred deleted all the surveillance videos I had compiled right in front of me. Alfred looked at me with cold indifference and told reporters that I did indeed frequently use violence to harm the circus animals. He even produced many tools I had never seen before, claiming they were “weapons” I had hidden at home. Finally, extreme animal rights activists were completely enraged. They ambushed me and doused me with sulfuric acid, leaving me to die in agony. They also threw my parents, who had spoken up for me, into cages with wild beasts, letting them be torn apart and devoured. I never imagined I would get a second chance. This time, I’m determined to uncover the truth and make those who wronged me pay ten times over.

A woman exclaimed, “That’s incredible! Jessica is just like an angel from a fairy tale!” A man said, “What did she just say? Emily often abuses animals?” Another man added, “No wonder Emily takes so long with every animal training session. Turns out she makes animals obey through abuse.” Murmurs of discussion rippled through the crowd. Someone else said, “Emily delayed things for so long and nearly ruined the entire show. Then Jessica stepped in and solved the problem instantly.” The accusations kept coming, each word piercing me like a needle. I stood there rigidly, saying nothing. I noticed that Jessica’s technique for stroking the lion and the commands she gave were identical to my training methods. These were my habits, completely unique to me. Moreover, the lion I’d spent day and night with couldn’t possibly forget me overnight and become so affectionate with Jessica, whom it had never encountered before. Unless Jessica had used some underhanded means. Charlie smiled and said, “Alright, Emily, take a break. Jessica will handle the lion’s performance.” He looked at Jessica with admiration and nodded approvingly. Later, Jessica led the lion through a series of high-difficulty moves. The audience erupted in thunderous, enthusiastic applause. After the performance, reporters crowded around Jessica, competing to interview her. A reporter asked Jessica, “Miss Grant, what gives you such an amazing gift?” Jessica deliberately hesitated, glancing at me. Then she said softly, “I believe animal training should use love and patience, not violence. Some people hurt animals to pursue efficiency. I don’t really agree with that approach. Maybe that’s why animals are more willing to trust me.” The reporter immediately caught her implication and pressed further, “Are you saying Emily has abused animals?” I let out a cold laugh and interrupted their conversation directly, “Jessica, you need evidence when making accusations.” I had never used violence. My animal training took so much time precisely because I wanted them to truly trust me, not obey out of fear. But Jessica acted as if she’d been frightened, frantically waving her hands, “I’m sorry, Emily. I didn’t mean to let that slip. I just thought maybe you did that because you were anxious. After all, the circus puts a lot of pressure on everyone.” The more she spoke, the more pitiful she seemed, her eyes reddening as if I were some villain bullying an innocent girl. Alfred, standing beside me, frowned and scolded me in a low voice, “Emily, Jessica is young and wouldn’t lie. Why are you being so harsh with her?” Alfred’s words caused an uproar, and everyone looked at me with disgust. Someone said, “If even Alfred is saying this, it must be true. Emily is a maniac who abuses animals.” Seeing this scene, Charlie quickly stepped forward to ease the tension, “Everyone, the circus is about to introduce a wild, untamable wolf. How about we have Emily handle training this wolf, and you can all witness her training process firsthand?” I knew Charlie was trying to give me a chance to prove my innocence. I took a deep breath and nodded in agreement, “Fine. But I have one condition. Jessica cannot come near me or this wolf. Only I can have contact with it throughout the entire process.” I wanted to see if Jessica could still sabotage my training results under these circumstances. Jessica put on a hurt expression and asked me, “Emily, are you suspecting me?” I didn’t answer her, just stared at her coldly. A month later, I successfully tamed the wolf. But the day after my success, Charlie burst into my dressing room like a madman, grabbing my wrist, “Emily, the wolf has gone berserk! It bit four or five people. You need to stop it!” I was extremely nervous and immediately rushed out with Charlie. When I reached the scene, what I saw made my blood run cold. The wolf was lying docilely at Jessica’s feet like a pet dog, tongue hanging out, while everyone around was pale with fear, keeping their distance. The moment I stepped forward, the wolf immediately perked up its ears, its eyes turning blood red as it bared its teeth at me. It even let out low growls from its throat, as if I were its most hated enemy. A man said, “My God! Why does it hate Emily so much?” A woman said, “Emily must have abused it, otherwise why would it suddenly go berserk?” Another man said, “If Jessica hadn’t been here, we’d all be done for today.” Curses against me flooded in like a tide. Someone even shouted loudly, “Charlie, fire Emily immediately. Someone like her doesn’t belong in the circus.” I stood there in a daze, trembling all over. This was impossible. This wolf had been completely docile with me just yesterday. Just then, Alfred stepped forward. He pulled out his phone, and on the screen were photos of several whips and electric prods. Alfred wore a pained expression as he addressed everyone, “I can’t keep covering for Emily anymore. She hid these tools in her bedroom. She also often practices animal training at home using stray cats. I just couldn’t stand watching it anymore.” I shouted angrily, “You’re lying! I’ve never seen those things before.” But no one listened to my explanation. Everyone believed I had nearly gotten them killed. I couldn’t understand it at all. Jessica had never even been in contact with this wolf, and the wolf had genuinely trusted me completely. How on earth had she managed to make the wolf suddenly hate me?

After that day, Charlie kept a stern face and told me to go home and rest, forbidding me from returning to the circus. I clenched my fists tightly, but I didn’t even have the strength to argue back. Jessica stood in the center of the crowd, surrounded by everyone accepting their praise. She even flashed me an “apologetic” smile, though her eyes held nothing but mockery. After returning home, I collapsed onto the sofa, my ears still echoing with those harsh accusations. Everyone saw me as a demon who abused animals. Former colleagues who used to be close to me were even placing bets on how long it would take before I got fired. During this time, Jessica’s reputation grew bigger and bigger. She became a nationally renowned animal trainer, and the circus’s income doubled as a result. Even the Animal Protection Association asked Jessica to be their spokesperson, filming public service announcements and taking her and the circus on a nationwide tour. I could only stay locked up at home. Whenever I went out and was recognized, I’d be beaten and verbally abused. Once, someone even doused me with paint. Those extreme animal rights activists said they wanted to drive me out of the city. Alfred never came home again. He stayed by Jessica’s side as her assistant. Whenever someone mentioned me in front of him, he’d show a disgusted expression. He said, “I was blind back then, misjudged people. Only someone as pure and kind as Jessica, a true angel, deserves to be loved.” I curled up in agony under my blankets, repeatedly wondering what methods Jessica had used. Those wild beasts had lived with me day and night. They knew my scent, my commands, and could even recognize the sound of my footsteps. But the moment Jessica appeared, they acted like they’d been reset, completely forgetting about me. What was even more bizarre was that Jessica could perform my original training gestures with perfect precision. “Unless…” A theory suddenly flashed through my mind. I shot up from my seat, my heart pounding wildly. I immediately called Charlie. I said, “I want to resign and give the head trainer position to Jessica. Even if it means working as a zookeeper, I’ll never train animals again.” Charlie agreed without hesitation. I softened my tone and said to Charlie, “Charlie, you know Jessica used to be my assistant. She’s very soft-hearted. If she finds out I resigned, she’ll definitely feel bad about it. How about you help me keep it from her for now? If she asks about me, just tell her I was scared off by all those rumors and don’t dare to go out for the time being.” I deliberately made my words sound hesitant and pleading. Charlie impatiently agreed, “She’s busy preparing for the stadium performance right now and has no time to worry about you. State leaders will be attending this time – it’s a big deal. Just stay home and don’t come cause any trouble.” My face went pale as I urgently tried to stop him, “No! Jessica can’t take the wild animals to perform at the stadium. Something terrible will happen!” But Charlie thought I was just jealous of Jessica. He let out a cold laugh and hung up directly. I quickly used my phone to buy front-row tickets for the performance day. On the day of the show, I rushed to the stadium wearing sunglasses, my palms drenched in cold sweat. The stadium was packed. Jessica wore a gorgeous performance outfit, truly looking like a holy angel. Behind Jessica, all the wild beasts I had once trained – including lions, tigers, and wolves – were locked in cages. I stared intently at Jessica in the center of the stage. She was gracefully bowing to the audience. But the wild beasts in the cages behind her were already beginning to stir restlessly. “Stop! The animals are about to go wild. Don’t open the cage!” I suddenly stood up and shouted. My voice nearly cracked. But my voice was instantly drowned out by the audience’s frenzied cheers. The man sitting in front of me slapped me in disgust, “Who are you? Jessica is the ‘Beast Whisperer.’ How could she possibly lose control of the animals?” Just then, Jessica flashed her confident, sweet smile and turned to unlock the cage. She said, “Next, I’d like my animal friends to say hello to everyone.” The moment she opened the cage lock, screams suddenly erupted throughout the venue.

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My sister Elena Parker and I are twin daughters of the Merfolk Clan royal family. We were born with the ability to bear Divine Beasts. On our coming-of-age day, our father Jordan Parker summoned all the unmarried princes of the Beast Tribe for us to choose our mates. Elena chose the powerful Leviathan Clan prince Axel Bailey. She wanted to bear a Divine Dragon with Axel and ascend to the Beast Queen’s throne. But she gave birth to five children in one pregnancy, all of them low-level Half-Beasts. Despite my frail health and frequent illnesses, I successfully bore a Divine Dragon cub with the ill-reputed Serpent Clan prince Oliver Taylor. On the day of the Beast Queen’s coronation ceremony, Elena, consumed by resentment, strangled my Divine Dragon cub, gouged out my Beast Core, and finally threw both my body and the cub’s corpse into the Beast Refining Furnace, hoping to completely obliterate our souls. After my rebirth, I saw Elena pointing at Oliver and declaring, “I only want him.” I immediately understood—she had been reborn too. I let out a cold laugh. I wanted to see if she could bear a Divine Dragon in this lifetime. ***** Elena said, “Father, I like Oliver. I only want him.” As she spoke, her eyes blazed with determination to possess him. Elena looked at me provocatively, as if certain that choosing Oliver would guarantee her ability to bear a Divine Beast and claim the Beast Queen’s throne. I knew she had been reborn too. Elena and I are twin daughters of the Merfolk Clan royal family, born with the natural ability to bear Divine Beasts. Ten thousand years ago, the Beast Tribe suffered a great war. The only Divine Beast at that time heroically sacrificed itself to protect countless Beast Tribe lives. Since then, the Divine Beast lineage gradually declined, and no Divine Beast had appeared for ten thousand years. Now, Elena and I are the only beings in the entire Beast Tribe with hope of bearing Divine Beasts. All members of the Beast Tribe have publicly declared that whoever bears a Divine Beast will become the Beast Queen. In my previous life, on our coming-of-age day, Elena was first to choose Axel. She wanted to bear a Divine Dragon with him and become the Beast Queen. After seeing Elena choose Axel, the remaining Beast Tribe princes all left. They looked down on me—a frail, sickly mermaid. Left with no choice, I selected the equally ill-reputed Oliver, earning Elena’s mockery. That year, Elena and I became pregnant simultaneously. Elena carried five children, while I carried only one. A year later, Elena gave birth to five children, but they were all low-level Half-Beasts. The child I bore, however, was a Divine Dragon cub—something unseen for ten thousand years. All members of the Beast Tribe cheered, recognizing me as the future Beast Queen. But on the day of the Beast Queen’s coronation ceremony, Elena, consumed by resentment, strangled my Divine Dragon cub and ambushed me while I was weak. She gouged out my Beast Core, tore off all my scales, and finally threw both me and the dead Divine Dragon cub into the Beast Refining Furnace to completely obliterate our souls. Thinking of this, I stared intently at Elena, suppressing the hatred in my eyes. My Divine Dragon cub, not even a month old and covered in wounds, never had the chance to call me “Mother” before vanishing from this world forever. Jordan’s voice interrupted my memories. He asked, “Elena, are you certain you want to choose Oliver? Don’t you want to consider the other princes?” Jordan deliberately glanced at Axel, hinting that choosing the ill-reputed, low-status Serpent Clan prince was incomparable to selecting the Leviathan Clan prince. Elena ignored Jordan’s hint, grasped Oliver’s hand, and declared, “I only want Oliver. I swear by the Divine Beast that I will only be with him in this lifetime. Oliver will be my only husband.” All the Beast Tribe members present showed envious expressions. After swearing by the Divine Beast, failing to keep the oath would result in divine retribution. Moreover, the Beast Tribe royal family had always practiced polyandry. Being their sole husband was an extraordinary honor. Oliver gazed at Elena with infatuation, his eyes filled with shock. He never expected Elena to choose him despite his poor reputation, much less swear to have only him as her husband for life. He thought, “As long as I bear a Divine Beast with the healthy Elena, I’ll become second only to the Divine Beast—more noble than everyone else.” Jordan sighed and turned to me, saying, “Caroline, who do you choose?” Caroline Parker is my name. As soon as he finished speaking, the unchosen princes scattered and fled, terrified of being selected by me—the frail, sickly mermaid—and becoming the unlucky one among the Beast Tribe.

Forget about having me bear a Divine Beast—I might die any day now, and then they’d be stuck as widowers for life. Besides, after marrying a royal family member, they can never marry anyone else. I coughed, my trembling finger pointing at Axel as I said, “I choose Axel from the Leviathan Clan.” Axel nodded coldly. As the sole prince of the Leviathan Clan, he bore the heavy responsibility of ensuring his people’s reproduction. The Leviathan Clan struggled with fertility—even when someone did get pregnant, it was rare for them to successfully give birth. Otherwise, their clan wouldn’t have declined to the point where he was their only remaining prince. The Merfolk Clan possessed the strongest reproductive abilities. To help the Leviathan Clan produce more offspring, Axel had no choice but to stay and take this gamble. Jordan looked at Elena with heartbreak, but she had already sworn an oath to the Divine Beast. With no other option, he told the four of us to pick a date for the wedding. Afterward, Jordan left, and the unchosen beasts from the Beast Tribe glared daggers at Oliver before departing. Elena linked arms with Oliver and stood smugly in front of me. She said, “Caroline, you need to take good care of your health. Don’t go dying before you even get pregnant. When I return to the palace, I’ll send you some fruits to help nourish your body.” Then Elena looked at Axel with feigned pity and said, “The Leviathan Clan’s descendants are dwindling—they’re on the verge of extinction. Too bad you chose the wrong person and placed your hopes on Caroline. But don’t worry. When Caroline dies, I won’t stop you from marrying someone else.” Axel’s expression remained calm, as if he hadn’t caught Elena’s sarcasm. I smiled. Did Elena really think she’d been able to successfully bear a Half-Beast child in my previous life because of her strong reproductive abilities? Did she really believe that choosing the notorious Oliver this time would let her give birth to a Divine Beast? Just as I was about to speak, I suddenly broke into violent coughing and spat up blood. Axel pulled out a handkerchief and personally wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth. Ignoring Elena, he bent down to lift me in his arms, preparing to leave. Elena shouted angrily behind us, “Damn you, Axel! You’ll never have even a Half-Beast child in this lifetime.” Nestled in Axel’s arms, I saw Oliver approach Elena with hurt, reddened eyes, kissing her while using the Serpent Clan’s Seduction Sorcery to make her extraordinarily excited and unable to control herself. She immediately tore Oliver’s clothes apart and had relations with him right there on the spot. Hearing the sound of fabric being ripped, my vision went black. Axel quickly covered my eyes, his magnetic voice saying, “Don’t let those filthy things pollute your sight.” Axel carried me away, and I could still faintly hear Elena and Oliver’s moans. Axel carried me all the way back to the palace, carefully placing me on the bed and specifically having someone call Dr. Asher Watson to examine me. After the examination, Asher shook his head: “She needs to rest and recuperate now. She must have complete quiet and absolutely cannot be subjected to any stimulation. Intimate relations between spouses are strictly forbidden.” Axel’s ears instantly turned red. He silently saw Asher out. It was rare to see Axel looking so innocent. Remembering how considerate Axel had been toward Elena in my previous life, I tentatively asked, “Axel, my body is so weak that even Dr. Watson says we must abstain from intimacy. Do you really not regret marrying me?” I lowered my head and continued, “I might not be able to bear children. If you regret this, I can have my father cancel the engagement.” Axel reached out with his long, strong fingers and covered my mouth. He said, “If your health is poor, then you’ll recover slowly. I’m a prince of the Leviathan Clan—I know strengthening techniques. I won’t let you die.”

I smiled slightly but didn’t tell Axel that there was actually nothing wrong with my body. In my previous life, after I chose Oliver, he appeared extremely obedient to me out of gratitude for my choice. At the time, I told him that my physical weakness was due to being born with the bloodline capable of bearing Divine Beasts. Once I became pregnant and gave birth, surviving that period of weakness would allow my body to fully recover. But I never expected that he was only pretending to treat me well. After I got pregnant, he began frequenting brothels and even housed the beast-men he’d been intimate with in my palace. He even conspired with Elena to kill my Divine Dragon cub, then willingly delivered me to Elena, allowing her to humiliate me. When my cub’s corpse and I were thrown into the Beast Refining Furnace, Oliver supported Elena’s belly and said with a smile, “This is my true Divine Beast child.” Elena thought she’d found herself a treasure, but Oliver was nothing more than a low-quality, conscienceless beast-man. Thinking of my Divine Beast cub made me lose focus for a moment. In this life, I hadn’t chosen Oliver. Did that mean I’d never have that child again? Yet I couldn’t help harboring a glimmer of hope. Since both Elena and I had been reborn, could my child possibly return too? Axel gently stroked my head and said, “Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you. You don’t need to rush about having children—your health is what matters most.” To help me recover my strength, Axel personally took me to the Leviathan Clan’s Holy Land. The Leviathan Clan’s Holy Land was as beautiful as a dream, with mountains of precious jewels piled everywhere. Masculine energy bathed the gems, casting rainbow-colored light in all directions. To make me happy, Axel transformed into his beast form and let me ride on his head as he toured me around the Holy Land. As the breeze blew past, I looked down at Axel beneath me and leaned down to plant a gentle kiss on his head. Axel’s flying form paused for a moment, and his ear tips instantly turned red. He said in a low voice, “Hold on tight to me, don’t fall off.” I smiled softly and hugged him tightly. Axel’s ear tips grew even redder. He was still so innocent. I felt a pang of regret in my heart. How wonderful it would be if my Divine Dragon cub could have a father like this. Axel and I had such a wonderful time in the Leviathan Clan’s Holy Land that we didn’t want to leave. But Jordan sent someone to ask us to return, saying the wedding would be held in three days. As soon as Axel and I returned to the palace, Elena came before me with her protruding belly. She deliberately placed her hand on her stomach, displaying a victorious smile. She said, “Caroline, I really envy you now. You have no idea how hard pregnancy is—I can’t eat many things, and I throw up when I smell unpleasant odors.” Glancing at me, Elena said proudly, “Dr. Watson says I’m carrying seven children in this pregnancy. Caroline, if you can’t get pregnant, I could give you one of my children. I’m just so beautiful and kind-hearted that I can’t bear to see the Leviathan Clan without heirs.” Axel stepped in front of me and said, “Thank you for your kind offer. But the Leviathan Clan has rules—only beast-men with Leviathan Clan bloodline can inherit the clan’s wealth. Oliver’s family probably doesn’t have much property, and seven children will indeed require a lot of money. I’ll give you this—just don’t think about selling children for money.” With that, Axel pulled out a very fine ruby pendant and handed it to Elena. Elena was furious. She snorted coldly and turned to leave. Before departing, Elena said viciously, “You deserve to have the Leviathan Clan die out!” I watched Elena leave calmly without saying a word. Thinking I was upset, Axel embraced me from behind and whispered in my ear, “Caroline, having you by my side is enough. If you like children, we can adopt other beast-men’s children. I think mermaid children would be lovely—they’d be as beautiful as you. I’ll spoil that child just like I spoil you.” I patted Axel’s hand and said, “Alright.” How could I let someone as wonderful as Axel remain childless? Three days later, Elena and I held our weddings together. Oliver supported Elena’s pregnant belly while Elena looked at me proudly. The scene looked as if she had already given birth to a Divine Beast and become the Beast Queen. Axel ignored the two of them and walked step by step with me into the palace. After passing through the palace gates, he swept me up in his arms and carried me into the room. Then Axel moved to leave. I quickly grabbed Axel’s hand and leaned up to kiss him. Taking advantage of how the kiss made Axel lose control, I wrapped my arms around his neck and said tenderly, “Axel, don’t you want to experience the intimacy between husband and wife with me?”

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My name is Malia Petrov, and my sister Fiona Petrov is obsessed with voyeurs. She deliberately changes clothes in front of surveillance cameras. In my previous life, I discovered dozens of tiny cameras hidden in her bedroom. I immediately called the police and helped remove all the devices. But the exposed voyeur, seeking revenge, broke into my home and stabbed me over a dozen times with a knife. As I lay dying, I called Fiona for help, but she said coldly over the phone: “I’m the one who leaked your address. It’s all your fault for meddling and ruining my true love, destroying my dream of becoming a rich woman! You deserve to die!” When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day I discovered those cameras! This time, I won’t tell Fiona that behind those cameras lurks a disfigured, twisted man. My body still aches with the phantom pain of being stabbed repeatedly. I stood frozen in place, unable to believe it, finally realizing—I’ve been reborn! Right now, I’m standing in Fiona’s rental apartment. My heart races and my hands tremble slightly as everything from my past life remains vivid in my memory. Ever since Fiona watched that movie, she became obsessed with the handsome, wealthy voyeur protagonist. She fantasized daily that the movie’s male lead would actually walk into her real life. To make this happen, she posted her address online along with carefully made-up, provocatively dressed selfies, specifically noting: “Living alone and lonely, currently single, welcome to chat with me.” Whenever I advised her to be careful about privacy and safety, she’d always roll her eyes and respond: “What do you know? Only completely open love can attract quality men. You’re just jealous that someone likes me—you can’t stand seeing me happy. Once I find my handsome, wealthy boyfriend, I’ll show you what you’re missing.” I could only shake my head helplessly. Later, Fiona claimed she’d read a horror novel and was too scared to sleep alone at night, insisting I stay with her for a couple of days. In her rental apartment, there was a toy bear with a red light flashing in its left eye. My heart tightened. Following methods I’d learned online, I drew the curtains and used my phone’s flashlight to scan around in the darkness. Immediately, I broke out in goosebumps. The ceiling, bedside, bathroom… everywhere was covered with countless tiny glowing dots. Fiona’s rental apartment was packed with cameras! My blood ran cold as I immediately called the police. After collecting evidence, they removed all the cameras. I even contacted building management to strengthen security and thoroughly eliminate all hidden dangers. I thought I’d helped Fiona dodge a bullet. But two weeks later, a man wearing a black mask and baseball cap suddenly broke into my home, gripping a sharp fruit knife. Just then, Fiona called, and I desperately reached for her like a lifeline, trembling as I begged for help. But from the other end came her mocking voice: “Malia, so you have days like this too? Let me tell you the truth—I’m the one who gave him your address. It’s all because you meddled and got my prince wanted by the police. Otherwise, we might already be together by now! You ruined my true love and destroyed my dream of being a wealthy woman, so go ahead and die! For old times’ sake as sisters, I’ll give you a proper burial!” The moment she finished speaking, before I could even react, I was brutally murdered on the spot. Even now, thinking back on it, I still shudder. This time, I absolutely won’t stop her. And I won’t tell Fiona that before I died, I saw the voyeur remove his mask. His cheek bore a massive scar, crawling with what looked like maggots, grotesque and terrifying—nothing like the perfect man of her fantasies. I’m curious to see her expression when she discovers the truth and her fantasy completely shatters. I let out a cold laugh, set down the eerie toy bear, and pretended I hadn’t noticed anything.

When Fiona came back from outside, I was getting ready to leave. She froze for a moment, then her eyes darted around before she spoke: “You found the cameras in here?” Her cold, heartless words from my past life still echoed in my mind, filling me with hatred and leaving me momentarily speechless. But Fiona grabbed my hand, putting on a worried expression: “Actually, I asked you to come because I wanted you to help me. These past few days, he’s been sneaking into my place every night after I fall asleep. He not only sleeps in the same bed as me and drinks from my water, but he also uses my toothbrush and towel in the morning, then leaves before I wake up.” I felt sick to my stomach and nearly gagged. But with revenge consuming my thoughts, I suppressed my churning emotions and put on a delighted expression: “Really? Congratulations, Fiona! Haven’t you always fantasized about having a handsome stalker boyfriend? Your dream has finally come true.” Fiona looked at me suspiciously: “Didn’t you always say stalkers are immoral, unprincipled psychos?” I quickly cut her off: “I was wrong before. Now I understand—he’s doing all this because he loves you! The more cameras he installs, the more it shows he can’t bear to be apart from you and wants to capture every moment of your life. He sleeps with you every night and uses your toiletries because he wants to be with you always! Fiona, you’ve found yourself an absolutely amazing man!” Fiona’s doubts gradually faded, and she finally broke into a shy smile: “You’re right. Heaven really is looking out for me. I can’t let this opportunity slip away.” She opened a group chat filled with obsessive fans of that movie. As soon as she posted about her experience, the chat exploded with activity. [OMG, I’m so jealous! You found your prince so quickly!] [He loves you so much, installing all those cameras in your room to protect you.] [I think he must be such a gentle person, coming to quietly keep you company every night. Maybe he can only fall asleep breathing in the scent of your hair.] [I wonder what such a devoted man looks like—he must be incredibly handsome!] Fiona sent a bashful emoji and replied: [Actually, I saw him downstairs earlier. He was wearing a black windbreaker, looked really tall, like a male model.] The chat went even wilder, showering Fiona with praise that made her absolutely glow with happiness. I paused, looking through the window at the tall, model-like man in the windbreaker downstairs. Wasn’t that my boyfriend, Lawson Griffin? Lawson and I had been together for four years, but hardly anyone around me had ever met him. Everyone assumed he must be hideously ugly and too embarrassed to show his face. He had come to pick me up today, but somehow got mistaken for the stalker by Fiona. I almost burst out laughing. But I didn’t explain anything. After all, the deeper Fiona’s delusion, the more spectacular it would be when her fantasy came crashing down. Following the fans’ suggestions, she deliberately walked over to the teddy bear and winked seductively at the hidden camera, even changing clothes right there in the living room to show off her figure. She was completely lost in her fantasy, smiling with pure bliss. Fiona thought she had found herself an enviable romance. The next day during a company meeting, Fiona lost her design proposal and actually called the stalker for help. The person on the other end played dumb, claiming not to know anything. But Fiona started acting coy: “Stop kidding around with me. You’ve got cameras in every corner of my place, watching me 24/7. You definitely know where the proposal is. Help me out, pretty please?” There was a pause before the voice said: “You tossed the files into the laundry basket last night before your shower.” Fiona smiled with satisfaction, her lips curling smugly. Her colleagues around her looked disturbed, wanting to say something but holding back. When a well-meaning person tried to warn her about safety, she raised an eyebrow: “I know you’re all just jealous. But a good man like this is once in a lifetime—he only loves me. So stop trying to sabotage our relationship.” From that day on, Fiona began frequently posting about what she considered romantic moments. [Woke up this morning to find my clothes unbuttoned. I won’t say who did it.] [He always drinks my leftover water. Does this count as an indirect kiss?] [Got two more stuffed animals with cameras inside. Such a sense of security.] [There’s always rustling sounds from the closet. Are you secretly hiding in there protecting me?] What seemed bizarre and even disgusting to others appeared romantic and full of love to Fiona. I felt a chill run through me, genuinely hoping Fiona and that stalker would stay together forever.

After some time, Fiona suddenly asked me out for dinner. She said she wanted to officially meet her prince face-to-face and hoped I’d be there to witness it. She specifically emphasized that I should bring my boyfriend along. She simply wanted her prince to outshine my boyfriend so she could show off in front of me. Too bad things wouldn’t go as she planned. On the appointed day, Lawson had to work overtime at the last minute, so I went to the restaurant alone. As soon as I walked into the private dining room, I froze. There wasn’t just Fiona inside—the room was packed with people. She smiled brightly. “Malia, you’re here! I forgot to mention that I also invited some fan friends today. You don’t mind, do you?” I sneered inwardly. She just wanted to humiliate me in front of more people. Little did she know, she had orchestrated a farce that would backfire on her. She looked behind me with feigned surprise. “Where’s your boyfriend? Why are you here alone?” Just as she finished speaking, a man wearing a black mask and baseball cap walked in. He wasn’t tall, had a slightly hunched back, and his eyes under the cap brim were as disgusting as a sewer rat’s. The moment I saw that face, my whole body trembled and cold sweat broke out. He was exactly the man who had tortured and killed me in my previous life. I immediately dug my nails into my palm, forcing down the surging emotions. Fiona beside me wrinkled her nose and shouted loudly, “Where did this filthy thing come from? Get out right now—you’re making me lose my appetite.” While waving her hand dismissively, she deliberately moved closer to the man and suddenly yanked off his mask. A huge scar on his face was exposed—uneven flesh twisted together like writhing maggots. Everyone gasped and stepped back. Fiona paused for a moment, malice flashing in her eyes. “Oh my, look at my memory! I just realized—you must be Malia’s boyfriend, right? Even though you’re a bit ugly, I won’t look down on you. After all, you’re the man my sister likes.” Her fan friends also chimed in with sarcastic comments. “I heard Fiona’s sister has been dating this man for four years. Now that’s true love.” “They’re perfect for each other—I feel like throwing up just looking at them.” Hearing these taunts, Fiona smiled calmly. I sneered inwardly: “Enjoy your smugness now. When you discover that this man you despise so much is actually the prince you’ve been pining for, let’s see if you can still smile. I hope you remember your words then and don’t look down on him.” I raised an eyebrow, hiding the deeper meaning in my eyes. Just then, the private room door was pushed open again, and Lawson, having finished his work, walked in with his long, powerful strides. The moment Fiona saw him, her eyes lit up. She rushed toward him with delight, her face showing just the right amount of shyness, her voice sweet as honey: “Darling, I’ve been waiting for you so long. Even though this is our first official meeting, I feel like we’re a couple who’s been in love for ages. This must be fate.” The fans in their seats immediately started cheering. “The handsome guy finally appears! Our leading lady has found her prince!” “They’re absolutely the perfect couple!” At that moment, Lawson and the stalker stood together, making the contrast between them even more obvious. Everyone unconsciously began comparing them. Why could Fiona find a tall, long-legged handsome guy while her own sister could only be with a disfigured, sleazy man? Indeed, everyone has different taste. The crowd burst into mocking laughter, full of malice. Fiona smiled even more smugly, waiting to see me make a fool of myself.   But what none of them expected was Lawson frowning and pushing Fiona away with clear resistance. “You’ve got it wrong. I’m Malia’s boyfriend.” Jack Holmes, the stalker standing nearby, also spoke up: “Fiona, I’m the one who’s been by your side every day. I’m the one who sleeps with you. We share the same cup of water, eat the same ice cream. How could you not recognize me?” In that moment, everyone realized something had gone terribly wrong. They had gotten everything backwards. The model-handsome guy was Malia’s boyfriend, while Jack—who had been mocked as a disfigured freak—was actually Fiona’s so-called prince! Those who had been sneering moments before now felt their faces burning with shame, as if they’d been publicly slapped multiple times, drowning in embarrassment. Fiona was even more unable to accept this reality, her face turning deathly pale. “How is this possible? How could my prince be you?” The thought that this person had been by her side all these days made her nauseous, her body trembling uncontrollably. Jack nervously stepped forward to comfort her, but she screamed and pushed him away. Having lost face so spectacularly in front of everyone, Fiona simply couldn’t accept this reality. With her face ashen, she said nothing and rushed out without looking back. Jack immediately chased after her. Looking at the group of bewildered fans at the scene, I spoke coldly: “Now do you see clearly? The characters in movies are all fictional. This is what a real stalker looks like. Wake up and stop doing such foolish things.” Their faces turned pale, unable to sit still. After the drama ended, Lawson’s expression seemed somewhat strange. I felt nervous. Lawson was a cop, and whenever he showed that expression, it usually meant something ominous was about to happen. Sure enough, he spoke up: “This guy looks a bit like a fugitive from a murder case several years ago. I’d like to do a DNA comparison.” Hearing this, I suddenly remembered the scene from my past life when Jack tortured and killed me. He had remained calm, striking without hesitation, not even blinking when blood splattered on his face. An ordinary person couldn’t possibly be so calm and cold-blooded. He definitely had issues! To help Lawson investigate, I quietly infiltrated the fan group Fiona belonged to and started gathering information. It turned out that after that day, Fiona had angrily cursed Jack as disgusting and perverted, telling him to get lost. In her emotional outburst, she had even smashed a roadside Porsche. The massive compensation bill made her face turn instantly pale. But Jack not only easily paid the damages, he also drove up in a Maserati and took her to a villa in the city center to rest, all just to soothe her emotions! He was actually wealthy! Fiona was completely stunned by this series of surprises. She immediately changed her previous attitude of disgust and mockery, saying she had just been emotional and that she didn’t actually judge people by their appearance. In the end, the two successfully went on a date and officially established their romantic relationship. Over the past couple of days, Fiona had been showing off like crazy in the group chat. “I just casually mentioned it was hot, and my prince bought me a private yacht for a vacation at sea.” “A whole walk-in closet full of Hermès bags—I don’t even know which one to carry. Such a sweet problem to have.” “Looks really don’t matter. What matters is that he loves me enough and can fulfill all my needs.” “My prince is head over heels for me. He says he wants to get engaged to me right away, with the ceremony at the most luxurious villa in the city. You can all come and see what real luxury looks like.” I was absolutely stunned, completely amazed. One second Fiona had been having a breakdown and cursing, the next she was all smiles sending out engagement invitations. Even our parents from out of town were flown in to attend the engagement ceremony. Indeed, all Fiona wanted was money.

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I wanted to surprise my wife, so I secretly went to her concert. When I ran into her, a famous male star, Jeff Dolly, smiled evilly in the lounge backstage. “Who do you like better, me or that useless man in your family?” Elsa Alerander kissed him flatteringly, “How can he compare with you?” Through the half-open door, I tore the new album contract she had dreamed of into pieces. —— It was two o’clock in the morning when Elsa returned home. She walked into the bedroom with a smell of alcohol and I had already laid down to rest. Elsa said coquettishly, “Lewis, I drank too much at the celebration party and my head hurts so much…” In the past, no matter how late she came back, I would wait for her and cook her a bowl of sobering soup. But this time, I didn’t even open my eyes. Elsa thought I was asleep and she snorted in dissatisfaction beside the bed. When I took her pyjamas to the bathroom, her mobile phone on the pillow vibrated. A message from Jeff popped up on the screen. [Baby, I miss you. Even after just a few minutes of separation.] Elsa finished her bath and quietly laid down beside me. She had her back to me and the screen of her mobile phone was always on. Her uncontrollable low laughter could be heard from time to time. I stayed up all night. The next morning, I saw unspeakable marks on her black lace panties among the pile of clothes in the bathroom. When I was lost in thought, Elsa came behind me and hurriedly snatched the panties away. “This is a little dirty, I can wash it myself.” She didn’t know that when she was flustered, her eyes would blink very quickly. I didn’t react to much and lightly said, “Oh”. Not long after, Elsa asked her assistant to bring a large bag of fresh ingredients. She said that she was on vacation and would make lunch for me personally. She was busy in the kitchen all morning and the table was gradually filled with my favourite dishes. This warm scene formed a sharp contrast with the haze in my heart. If I hadn’t witnessed her having an affair with Jeff yesterday, I would never have believed that Elsa, who had vowed to love me forever, would cheat on me six months after marriage. Just after eating two bites of food, Elsa hesitated and said, “Lewis, tomorrow is my birthday…” I put down my knife and fork, “Then what?” She then continued, “I invited the company’s artists to come to our house to celebrate it.” I understood what she meant. “Don’t worry. I’ll be invisible.” Because of her profession, we chose to get married in secret. Except for a few executives of the entertainment company, almost no one knew that she was married. After getting a satisfactory answer, Elsa was obviously relieved. When she was about to say something, her cell phone rang. Seeing the incoming call, she glanced at me guiltily and took the phone to the balcony. After a while, she came back and said apologetically, “Lewis, I forgot that I had an important announcement today.” I nodded, “Go ahead.” After Elsa left, I threw all the dishes on the table that were almost untouched into the trash can. When I first met Elsa, she was still a social media celebrity who live-streamed singing on the street. I was attracted by her appearance and voice. I took the initiative to ask for her contact information and we soon confirmed our relationship. Elsa was hardworking, ambitious and capable. After knowing her dream, I recommended her to participate in a popular talent show. I used my connections and carefully planned to make her stand out overnight and become a rising star that everyone was paying attention to. During a date, I joked, “You are famous now and there must be a lot of boys pursuing you.” Yet, she affectionately looked at me, “yes, but the one I like is you.” Elsa’s New Year’s wish last year was to marry me. I was so moved that I took her to the City Hall to get the certificate that day despite my family’s opposition. In order to take better care of Elsa, I quit my job and willingly became a house Lewis. However, I didn’t expect that my trust and dedication would be exchanged for her lies and betrayal.

On Elsa’s birthday, I left early. I sat in the library all day and didn’t go home until it closed. The dim light shone through the apartment window and I guessed that Elsa’s birthday party was over. Since I forgot to bring my keys, I rang the doorbell. Elsa opened the door and found me. Her face suddenly changed. She lowered her voice and said unhappily, “Didn’t I send you a message to come back later?” My phone ran out of power in the afternoon and turned off automatically. At this time, a man’s voice came from the bathroom, “Elsa, who is it?” “Jeff…” Elsa responded in a panic, “It’s okay, it’s just a rag collector.” After that, she winked at me and slammed the door. It instantly closed my last bit of attachment to Elsa. I sat on the stone bench in the park for a long time. It was so long that my legs were numb. I then saw Jeff wrapped tightly and came out of the apartment building. He got into a BMW. I sneered and thought, “Wow, what birthday party! They really had fun tonight, hadn’t they?” When Elsa found me, I was dozing on the stone table. She then guilty said, “Lewis, I’m sorry. I have to lie to you before. You know I have to do it, right? Please, understand me.” I ignored her and went upstairs. Elsa was still chattering behind me, “Fortunately, I was quick-witted just now. You also know that I am in the rising period of my career now. If it is revealed that I am married, it will be over.” I suddenly remembered that we were almost photographed by paparazzi on the way home together not long after we got married. At that time, I was still in shock. “Yeah, so fortunate that we were not discovered. Otherwise, your star journey would be ruined.” Elsa looked indifferent, “It will be exposed one day, Lewis. I wish the whole world knew that you are my husband.” She was so good to play someone’s heart that she could think she could change my mood so quickly. The room was a mess. Garbage was everywhere, cake cream was smeared everywhere and there were even two leftover steaks on the table. It was obvious that the two of them had a great time. In the bathroom, the shower gel mixed with adults’ liquid lingered in the humid air. I subconsciously looked at the trash can. Sure enough, there was a used condom lying in the paper ball. However, Elsa never noticed my sight. She even asked in a coquettish tone. “Lewis, where is my birthday present?” Birthday present? Well, I did prepare a good birthday present for her some time ago. It was the contract for the new album she had dreamed of. The entertainment company only planned to focus on training one artist in the second half of the year and this contract was the key to success. However, I have torn up that birthday present when I was at the backstage at her concert that night. Seeing that I didn’t respond, Elsa looked disappointed. “Lewis, did you forget to buy me? You haven’t paid enough attention to me these past two days.” Looking at her sad expression, my mind flashed back to our past happiness and joy. My heart was shaken a little. “Whom did you invite to come to our house today?” “If she took the initiative to admit it…” “I invited all my best friends…” She read out a long list of artists’ names without blushing or beating her heart, but Jeff was not one of them. At this moment, my last fantasy about her was shattered. I took out a document from the bedside table and handed it to her. Elsa’s eyes lit up, “Woah, you said you didn’t prepare a gift, but now you wanted to surprise me?” I chuckled. If she thought that it was a birthday gift, then it was okay. Sure enough, when Elsa saw the words on the document clearly, her smile froze on her face. “Nick, what do you mean?”

The divorce agreement was drafted yesterday afternoon. I could accompany my lover through hardships and made sacrifices for her. Yet, I couldn’t tolerate her disloyalty. “The day before yesterday, I went to the concert and went backstage. Guess what I saw at the door of your lounge?” Hearing this, Elsa’s face turned pale. Her hand that was holding the divorce agreement trembled slightly. I suddenly felt that she should not be a singer. An actress might be more suitable for her. “Nick, listen to my explanation,” she said anxiously. “Jeff is just my guest, we are just acting.” “Acting?” I smiled and kicked the trash can in the bathroom in front of her, “Is this also acting?” If it wasn’t dirty, I would even want to throw the condom in her face. Elsa saw the contents of the trash can clearly. The remaining blood colour on her face completely faded away. “You’d better sign it quickly after reading the content. Let’s make an appointment to go to the City Hall to complete the procedures.” I couldn’t stay in this dirty place for a moment. I walked to the door and stopped. I turned around and met Elsa’s eyes full of expectations and a hint of begging. I pulled the corner of my mouth and shortly said, “I forgot to say. Happy birthday.” I checked into the hotel. After charging my phone, I saw that Elsa had sent me a string of messages. The content was mostly quibbling and confession. She said that she and Jeff were just hyping and she just wanted to get the company’s autumn artist quota through Jeff. She said that she only loved me, never thought of divorcing me and would never agree to a divorce. In the next second, she called me, but I hung it up. I decided to block all her contact number. On the weekend, I was invited to attend an awards ceremony. By any chance, I ran into Jeff in the banquet hall. When I walked past him, he stopped me. “It was too dark that night that I couldn’t see you clearly. Elsa said you looked average, but I think you are tall and handsome. In fact, you’re pretty good.” It turned out that he saw me on Elsa’s birthday. He had always known about my existence. Jeff looked at me with contempt and said, “However, even if you look so pretty, you’re just an ordinary person, not as content as me. You’d better know your place, don’t rely on Elsa and ruin her future.” At this time, Elsa also came. When she saw me, the expression on her face changed unpredictably. Jeff intimately leaned over to Elsa’s ear and reminded her, “Elsa, he intentionally came here. He might want to retaliate against you and expose your relationship?” Elsa’s face turned hard when she heard it. She lowered her voice and urged, “Nick, you can go first. We will talk about it later in the house if you want to.” Seeing that I didn’t move, Elsa got anxious, “Nick, I agree to whatever you want. Don’t get me a trouble in this occasion, okay?!” A few days ago, she was still swearing to me on Whatsapp. Then she regarded me as a virus and wanted to kick me away. I smiled. Elsa’s character was really disgusting. I took advantage of the situation and said, “Okay, if you agree to divorce, I won’t make a fuss.” When Elsa was hesitating, she saw a group of media reporters and entertainment company executives coming over here. She instantly got panicked. She hurriedly urged, “Okay, fine. Go now!” I smiled and took a step back. I turned to walk towards the crowd in ease. Elsa was so scared that her face turned blue. She rushed over to force me away. Our dispute attracted everyone’s attention. Elsa took the initiative and said to those people, “He’s one of my fans who sneaked into the banquet to make trouble. I was about to ask the security to drive him away.” As she said that, she really waved and called the security. Suddenly, a female star in gorgeous clothes and diamond high heels walked up to me. She looked at Elsa with contempt. “Elsa, you’re being delusional, aren’t you? Don’t you know who he is?”

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My sister skipped out on her wedding, and my parents threw me into the bed of a powerful man. I huddled under the covers, trembling, as the soft whir of a wheelchair approached. A voice, chillingly devoid of warmth, cut through the silence: “Look up.” With a sigh of resignation, I slowly raised my head, only to be met by two identical faces. One sat in a wheelchair, the other stood behind him. The standing man smirked, his voice dripping with cruel amusement: “Guess who you’re actually marrying?” My mind went blank, a loud buzz echoing in my ears. Two identical faces, strikingly handsome, yet each exuded a distinctly different aura. The one in the wheelchair had sharp, cold eyes, an intimidating aura that warned people to keep their distance. He was the infamous, unpredictable Dante Hayes, the feared head of the Hayes empire. The man standing behind him wore a mocking grin, his eyes sharp and predatory. “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?” That was Adrian Hayes, Dante’s twin brother. He leaned in, his hot breath ghosting my ear. “Pick. Get it right, and you’ll be rewarded. Get it wrong… and things will get interesting.” My teeth chattered. My parents had only told me that if I married Dante Hayes in my sister’s place, our family business would be saved. But no one mentioned there’d be a life-or-death choice involved. My gaze flickered between the two of them, my palms slick with sweat. Dante in his wheelchair didn’t even glance at me, as if I were invisible. Adrian, standing behind him, watched my terror with an amused glint in his eyes. It was a death sentence, no matter which way I turned. I closed my eyes and pointed wildly. “I… I choose him.” I pointed at Dante in the wheelchair. I figured, if I had to die, at least he seemed less… twisted. A derisive chuckle filled the room. Adrian straightened up, clapping his hands together. “Congratulations, you picked wrong.” He grinned wider, “Looks like you’ll be spending the night with me.” My body stiffened, and my blood ran cold. He reached out, his hand already moving to snatch away my covers. I shrieked, scrambling back against the headboard. Just then, that cold, silent voice spoke again. “Enough.” Dante finally looked up, his gaze like daggers aimed at Adrian. “Get out.” Adrian’s smile froze. He seemed resentful but dared not defy him. He shot me a vicious glare, as if to say, “You’ll regret this.” Then, he turned and left. Only Dante Hayes and I remained in the room. The wheelchair glided slowly to the bedside, those eyes fixed on me. “Remember this: from today forward, I am your husband.” His voice was devoid of warmth. “But, don’t touch what isn’t yours, don’t ask what isn’t your business.” “Be an obedient puppet, and you’ll survive.”

The next morning, I was woken by my phone ringing. It was my mom. Her shrill voice pierced my ears. “Skylar! How did last night go? Are the Hayes satisfied? When can we expect that contract to be signed?” A barrage of questions, not a single one about my well-being. My heart sank to rock bottom. “Mom, I…” “You what, you what! I’m telling you, if you mess this up and ruin our family, I’ll be the first to disown you!” My dad snatched the phone from her, his tone equally cold. “Skylar, just be good. The Hayes family isn’t someone we can afford to offend. Just be obedient, and your father won’t treat you unfairly.” The call ended abruptly. I gripped the phone, my entire body cold. And just like that, the reality of my ‘family’ crashed down on me. The door burst open, and Adrian strolled in, a coffee cup in his hand. Without a word, he casually flung the scalding hot coffee onto the carpet right in front of me. “Deaf? Didn’t you hear my brother call you?” I flinched, startled, and quickly scrambled out of bed. “I’m sorry…” “Don’t apologize to me.” He pinched my chin. “Go. Clean that carpet. With your hands.” I bit my lip, knelt on the floor, and used my sleeve to wipe at the scalding coffee stain. Adrian stood nearby, looking down at me. “Tsk, tsk. What an obedient little dog.” He nudged my shoulder with his foot. “My brother’s waiting downstairs. Don’t keep him.” Swallowing my humiliation, I cleaned the carpet and hurried downstairs. Dante was already seated at the dining table, breakfast laid out before him, untouched. He merely glanced at me when I arrived. “Sit.” I cautiously sat opposite him. Throughout the entire breakfast, he remained silent, the only sounds being the clinking of cutlery against plates. The oppressive atmosphere made it hard to breathe. I could feel Adrian’s malicious gaze from across the room, making my skin prickle.

That afternoon, Adrian claimed I’d somehow sullied his morning suit and, as punishment, ordered me to tend to the villa’s rose garden. It was the very garden Dante’s late mother had cherished most. The butler handed me a large pair of shears, his face impassive. “Young Master Adrian instructed that all the thorny branches must be trimmed.” I looked at the blooming roses, feeling a pang of reluctance. “No ‘buts.’ It’s an order.” The butler cut me off coldly. I could only take the shears and step into the rose bushes. The thorns were vicious, sharp as needles, and within minutes, my hands were a canvas of bleeding scratches. Adrian sat on the nearby terrace, sipping red wine, enjoying my misery. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my fingertip. A thick thorn had deeply pierced beneath my fingernail. I gasped, tears instantly welling up. Just then, a crisp white handkerchief appeared before my eyes. I blinked, then slowly looked up, realizing Dante was suddenly beside me. He sat in his wheelchair, his expression still cold, but his eyes were fixed on my bleeding finger. “Fool.” He uttered a single word, sharp and clear, then pressed the handkerchief into my hand. Before I could react, he had already turned his wheelchair and left. I clutched the fragrant handkerchief, feeling a sudden sense of disorientation. It was the first time he’d shown me anything other than utter indifference. “Well, well. Already making moves, are we?” Adrian’s sneering voice cut through the air. He walked up, snatched the handkerchief from my hand, threw it on the ground, and ground it under his foot. “Skylar, you’re nothing but a stand-in for your sister, a bought dog for the Hayes family!” “How dare you try to seduce my brother? Do you think you’re worthy?” He grabbed my wrist, dragged me to a nearby fountain, and brutally plunged my head into the icy water. The freezing water instantly filled my nose and mouth, and the suffocating sensation made me thrash wildly. “Time to rinse that foolishness out of your head and remind you of your place!” My vision blurred. Just as I thought I was going to die, he yanked me out. I clung to the edge of the fountain, coughing violently. “Remember, if you ever dare to have such thoughts again, I’ll dump you in the river for the fish.” Adrian’s voice was a chilling whisper, like a demon straight from hell. That night, I huddled in the corner of my room, soaked and shivering. My phone buzzed, vibrating violently in my damp hand. A strange number. I answered, and a familiar voice trickled through the receiver. “Skylar, it’s me.” It was Chloe, my sister. My grip on the phone tightened, nails digging into my palm. “You actually have the nerve to call me?” “Oh, come on, sis, don’t be so dramatic.” Chloe’s voice was annoyingly light. “I’m just checking in, you know. How are things at the Hayes mansion?” Rage surged within me. “Thanks to you, I’m having an ‘absolute blast’!” “That’s good then.” Chloe seemed to miss my sarcasm entirely. “Skylar, you know, I only ran away to find my own happiness. You helping me is helping our entire family.” “Oh, and by the way, my boyfriend’s startup is a little short on funds. Since you’re Mrs. Hayes now, just a little something from your pocket change would be more than enough for us.” I trembled with anger, unable to utter a single word. The sheer audacity of her! Just then, the door burst open with a violent kick. Adrian stood in the doorway, a malicious grin on his face. “Well, well, who are you talking to?” He snatched my phone and saw “Sister” on the call screen. “Ah, so it’s the runaway bride herself on the line.” He put the call on speaker, and Chloe’s voice came through clearly. “…Skylar, why are you so quiet? You absolutely have to help me. My boyfriend and I are truly in love…” Adrian’s face grew darker and darker. He ended the call and smashed the phone against the wall. “Oh, how touching. Such sisterly devotion.” He took a step closer to me. “One ran away, the other’s an inside accomplice. Are you Hayes girls just an ATM for the Hayes family?” “No, I didn’t…” “Looks like you need a painful reminder to stay in line.” He suddenly smiled, a terrifying, chilling smile. “Tomorrow is the Hayes family dinner. I’m excited to see how well you, the stand-in, can play the part in front of everyone.”

The Hayes family dinner was held in the grand, old-world mansion. The long mahogany dining table was filled with Hayes relatives. Every single one of them eyed me with scrutiny and disdain. I stood there in an ill-fitting dress, feeling like nothing more than a grotesque clown. Adrian, seated beside me, slipped a tiny earpiece into my hand. “Put it on,” he commanded. “You’ll do and say exactly as I tell you. One wrong word, and your entire family will vanish from this city, understand?” My heart leaped into my throat. The dinner began. Relatives took turns verbally attacking me. “So you’re the second Miss Hayes? Funny, I’ve never heard of you before.” “Your sister ran away, and you just stepped in? Your family’s etiquette is certainly… unique.” I was about to speak when Adrian’s voice came through the earpiece. “Smile. Tell them I fell in love with you at first sight and insisted on marrying no one else.” I forced a stiff smile and repeated his words. The relatives burst into laughter, their disdain growing even deeper. Next, an elder instructed me to serve Dante some food. As I picked up my forks, the command came through the earpiece: “Shake your hand. Drop the food onto his trousers.” My body went rigid. Dante, with his notorious obsession with cleanliness, would be furious. “Hurry up!” Adrian’s voice was laced with menace. I had no choice. My hand ‘trembled,’ and a greasy, sauce-covered piece of roasted meat tumbled onto Dante’s pristine white trousers. The air instantly froze. Dante’s face turned as dark as a storm cloud. I was terrified, quickly apologizing. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to!” Through the earpiece, I heard Adrian’s satisfied chuckle. “Now, stand up. Proclaim loudly that you’re madly in love with my brother and would do anything for him.” The humiliation was a crushing wave, threatening to drown me. I stood up, and under everyone’s watchful eyes, like a puppet, I recited those mortifying lines word for word. The mocking laughter and whispers pierced me like needles. I caught a glimpse of his eyes—a flash of cold, undeniable disgust. Just as I felt myself about to crumble under the weight of this endless degradation, Adrian’s most vicious command came through the earpiece. “Excellent. Now, walk up to my brother and tell everyone.” His voice vibrated with a cruel, undeniable glee. “Tell them that the man in the wheelchair is nothing but a useless cripple. Tell them you truly want me, his strong, healthy brother. Beg me to replace him.” My mind went completely blank. This command was beyond outrageous. Make me trample Dante’s last shred of dignity in front of everyone? That would be worse than killing me. I froze, my blood turning to ice. All eyes in the room were on me, filled with eager anticipation for the show. Adrian whispered beside me, his voice only audible to us, “Say it! What, are you scared?” I looked up at Dante, who was still seated at the head of the table. He had kept his head down, his expression unreadable, but his tightly clenched hands, knuckles white against the armrests of his wheelchair, betrayed his turmoil. A surge of courage, unlike anything I’d ever felt, rose from deep within me. To hell with the Hayes, to hell with Adrian! I was done playing their game. I took a deep breath, and made a decision that stunned everyone. (Paywall) I abruptly reached up and ripped the tiny earpiece from my ear. Under everyone’s astonished gazes, I slammed it onto the floor and crushed it to pieces with the heel of my shoe. “So annoying,” I uttered, my voice icy. A deathly silence fell over the entire dining hall. Adrian’s smile completely froze, replaced by shock and fury. “Skylar, you have a death wish!” he roared in a low voice. I ignored him, turned, and walked, step by step, towards Dante at the head of the table. Everyone held their breath. I walked up to Dante, and under his intensely cold gaze, I slowly knelt down. I didn’t say the vicious words from the earpiece.

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