Category: English

My name is Liam Hayes. After my wife Fiona Harrison’s sister, Grace Harrison, became pregnant with her son Oliver, who has supermale syndrome, the whole family could hear his thoughts. Oliver said, “The doctor is just jealous that I’m a prodigy, that’s why they advised you to abort! You absolutely can’t abort me!” “I’m a genius, I can predict lottery numbers and help you win big!” After I earnestly explained the dangers of supermale syndrome, Grace finally had an abortion. But two days later, the lottery numbers Oliver predicted actually won. The whole family instantly turned against me, angrily accusing me of being selfish and jealous that Grace was carrying a genius son. Grace completely lost her mind and grabbed a kitchen knife to kill me. When I opened my eyes again, I was reborn on the day Grace was found to be carrying a fetus with supermale syndrome. This time, I decided not to interfere. ***** “Mom, you can’t abort me, I’m a prodigy. “I can predict lottery winning numbers. If you don’t believe me, buy a ticket first. If it wins in two days, you’ll know if it’s true.” Hearing Oliver’s inner voice, the whole family was stunned. Grace hesitated for a moment and cautiously looked at her parents, Benjamin Harrison and Victoria Harrison. “Mom, Dad, did you hear that?” The two nodded stiffly. Victoria looked conflicted and turned to me. “Liam, do you have any suggestions?” I gently smiled at her. “You’re the elder, it’s up to you.” In my previous life, it was Benjamin and Victoria who asked me to persuade Grace to have an abortion. As Grace’s biological parents, they found it inconvenient to say such things, but I, as an outsider working in a hospital, knew more. But after winning the lottery, they all blamed me. Benjamin and Victoria accused me of being jealous of Grace because Fiona and I couldn’t have children. Fiona slapped me dozens of times, leaving my face swollen. Grace, driven to madness, grabbed a kitchen knife and killed me. I begged them for help, but all I saw were their cold and disgusted looks. In this life, I won’t do such things again. Once a woman conceives a fetus with supermale syndrome, her body secretes a special hormone that strongly suppresses any thoughts of terminating the pregnancy. Grace was already unwilling to have an abortion. After hearing Oliver’s words, she said, “Why don’t we buy a lottery ticket first and see? What if we win?” Oliver immediately got excited and said, “Mom, trust me, I’m so happy. You must stay away from Liam, he doesn’t mean well.” Grace was half-skeptical, but her gaze toward me became wary. She stepped back two steps, distancing herself from me. I ignored her, turned around, went back to the room, and started packing, preparing to file for divorce. Fiona followed me in, grabbed my wrist, and said, “Even though we can hear the child’s thoughts, this is too dangerous. You should still persuade Grace to have an abortion.” I calmly opened the suitcase. “What’s dangerous?” She got anxious. “You’re a doctor, don’t you know? Children with super-male syndrome are highly likely to develop severe violent tendencies as they grow up, even to the point of killing their parents. “Grace is my sister, are you really going to stand by and do nothing?” I looked at her anxious face and just found it ridiculous. In my past life, she made me persuade, but in the end, I bore all the blame alone. When Grace attacked me with a kitchen knife, I desperately begged them for help. They only looked on coldly, thinking I cost them the chance to win the jackpot. With my luggage packed, I picked up the suitcase and walked out. I said, “I am your husband, but when it comes to Grace, I’m ultimately just an outsider. It’s not my place to interfere. “Besides, didn’t Oliver say it himself? He’s a prodigy, maybe he really can bring you wealth.” Fiona then noticed the suitcase in my hand, grabbed my wrist, and frowned. “Where are you going?” Worried she might stop me, I casually said, “My mom said she’s not feeling well, so I’m going home to take care of her for a few days.” When Oliver heard I was leaving, his voice turned sharp and piercing. “We can’t let Liam go! He’ll definitely find someone to force Mom to the hospital for an abortion.” “Quick, lock him up, don’t let him leave.” Grace immediately locked the door. “Liam, wait until the lottery results are out in two days. If it’s fake, I’ll let you go.”

Oliver was reborn too! If I can’t leave now, I definitely won’t be able to leave in two days. I clenched my teeth, tightened my fists, and forced myself to calm down. I said, “Grace, I never persuaded you to have an abortion from the start. Why are you stopping me?” “My mom’s not feeling well. If something happens, can you take responsibility?” After all, she’s still young. When I pressed her, she hesitated. Oliver wouldn’t let me off, shouting sharply, “It’s all an excuse! Liam just couldn’t stand Mom refusing to abort me and wanted someone to take her away for a forced abortion!” “Mom, you have to believe me. I was reborn. In my previous life, Liam dragged you to the hospital and made you abort me. You injured your uterus and couldn’t have children anymore. Dad despised you and kicked you out. Grandpa and Grandma’s luck turned bad. Aunt Fiona got laid off. The whole family lived miserably, all because of Liam.” I said coldly, “You’re talking nonsense!” I never did those things! Oliver sneered, “Uncle Liam, you’re reborn too, right? You should know if the lottery will win in two days, right?” “If the lottery win is true, then why can’t the other things I said be true?” I froze all over. Grace stared at me without blinking. “Liam, is what my son said true? Have you been reborn too?” I picked up the suitcase, trying to stay calm. “Rebirth? I don’t know what you’re talking about. “If you want to have a child, I support you. But you can’t stop me from going home, or I’ll call the police and report you for illegal detention.” Seeing the tense atmosphere, Oliver got a bit anxious and quickly said, “Hurry, lock him in the warehouse, don’t let him out.” “Take his phone too!” Grace’s eyes immediately turned red. “Mom, Dad, Fiona, are you just going to watch Liam bully me?” “I finally got pregnant with this child. I’ll just lock Liam up for two days. If the lottery doesn’t win after two days, we’ll let him out.” Grace, who had been spoiled since childhood, was always the center of the family. Thinking that winning the lottery wasn’t something that could just happen, everyone forcibly dragged me, took away my phone, and locked me in the warehouse. I banged on the door and roared, “Fiona, open the door! What that child said is completely unreliable! Let me out now.” “I swear I will never do anything bad to Grace or her child. Open the door!” Fiona stood outside the door, persuading me, “Just wait two days for my sake, so Grace can feel at ease.” “I believe you. As long as the lottery isn’t won, I’ll let you out immediately.” I sat on the ground in despair. I thought, “The lottery will definitely win. Oliver is so sure of this, that’s why he’s so arrogant.” But there’s no way to verify the events of the past life. I stayed in the warehouse for two days and nearly went crazy. Oliver said a lot of bad things about me to Grace, making her especially wary of me. She didn’t even dare to step near the warehouse, fearing I might harm her child.

The warehouse was small, filled with clutter piled on both sides, leaving me to curl up on the floor. The cold floor made me increasingly restless. Two days later, cheers suddenly erupted outside the door, and my heart sank abruptly. “Didn’t expect to actually win.” “Five hundred thousand dollars!” “Oliver is truly our lucky star.” Oliver said proudly, “Now you believe it, right? It was Liam who bribed the hospital to fake the diagnosis saying I have supermale syndrome.” “He just can’t stand seeing us doing well. So you must kill him!” Hearing this, the whole family gasped. I immediately banged on the door, my voice hoarse. “Oliver, killing is against the law. Do you want your mom to spend her life in prison?” “Benjamin, Victoria, if you don’t trust me, I can divorce Fiona.” Oliver continued, “You’re after my mom’s five hundred thousand dollars. Only if you’re dead will they not split the money with you.” He tried to convince everyone, “You can’t go soft. Liam is really bad. Even if I’m born safely, he’ll find a way to kill me.” “In his previous life, he was jealous of my exceptional talent. After causing me to be aborted, he cheated with another woman and got her pregnant. That child was born with XYY syndrome and ended up killing both his maternal grandparents.” “So, you must kill Liam, or you’ll end up being harmed.” “I’m doing this for your own good.” The door was forcefully pulled open, and Fiona stared at me with a grim face. “Liam, I didn’t expect you to be so vicious, not even sparing a child.” My heart tightened. I never thought Oliver could be so vicious as to want me dead. I took a deep breath and said, “Fiona, if you don’t trust me, we can sign an agreement. I’ll leave with nothing and promise never to contact you again.” “We can get it notarized at a law firm. You need to understand that murder is illegal. If you act, Oliver will be fine, but you’ll end up in prison. You’ve just won a $500,000 lottery, and there could be more in the future. Do you really want to become murderers?” Fiona was convinced by me. I continued to persuade, “Oliver is a prodigy, smart and capable. You want to do business now that you have money, right? If you’re labeled as murderers, people will criticize you.” A hint of hesitation flashed in Grace’s eyes. “Yeah, Oliver is going to attend a prestigious university in the future.” “Carrying the label of a murderer’s family, he will be looked down upon.” Benjamin nodded repeatedly. “That’s right, reputation is more important. We can’t waste Oliver’s good genes.” Oliver became anxious. “No way! You must kill Liam!” “Even though he’s saying this now, he’ll definitely grab a knife and kill you all later.” “He was reborn too and knows the lottery numbers. He’ll take the ticket first, leaving you with nothing. You can’t let him go!” “You’ll all end up dying at his hands!”

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The day I won a BMW in a lottery, I, Laurel Pierce, suddenly received a call from myself ten years in the future. “Marshall will definitely ask to borrow your car later. Don’t agree! He’ll use your car to pay off gambling debts!” I didn’t doubt it for a second and decisively refused my brother Marshall Pierce when he asked to borrow my car. That night, he had to drive the old car to visit our parents, Arthur Pierce and Claire Pierce. On the way, the vehicle lost control, and he was severely injured on the spot, eventually ending up in a vegetative state. I blamed myself to the point of fainting; it was Arthur and Claire’s constant care day and night that helped me pull through. But my future self sneered, “They’re doing all this just to trick you onto the operating table and give your heart to Marshall.” When I actually found the donation report in their bag, I angrily blocked them and kicked them out of the house. It wasn’t until later, when I received the news of Marshall’s death due to blood loss, that I realized they only wanted my blood to save his life. I immediately dialed Arthur’s number, wanting to apologize, wanting to explain everything. My future self said again, “They hate you to death because of Marshall’s death and want you dead. If you go, they’ll just drag you into a suicide together.” I stopped in my tracks, thinking I’d wait for them to calm down and talk properly again. In the end, I received the news that intruders broke into the house and killed them! I wanted to rush to see them one last time but was hit by a truck and killed. Until my death, I couldn’t understand why the me from ten years later would deliberately want to kill me. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day I won the prize. ***** “Laurel, listen to me. Marshall will definitely ask to borrow your car later, but you absolutely can’t lend it to him. He just wants to use it to pay off his debt.” A familiar voice rang in my ears, and I jolted suddenly, dropping my phone to the ground. “Ms. Pierce, congratulations on winning a BMW sedan!” The staff member handed over the car keys with a smile. Looking at the car keys, I finally confirmed that I had been reborn to the day I first received a call from my future self. On the phone, my future self from ten years later warned me not to agree to Marshall’s request to borrow the car. At first, I didn’t believe it. Seeing the identical phone number, I thought it was someone’s prank. But when she revealed a secret I had never told anyone, I had to believe she was my future self from ten years later. She swore to me that after borrowing my BMW, Marshall would immediately use it to pay off his debts. So when Marshall called to borrow the car, I firmly refused. The result was that, that evening, when Marshall went home to visit Arthur and Claire, he suddenly had a car accident and became a vegetative state. The subsequent report revealed that his car malfunctioned due to aging. If he had been driving a new car, the accident could have been avoided! It was because I refused to lend the car that Marshall had the accident. I cried until I passed out, blaming myself for not giving him the car, which caused his accident. It was Arthur and Claire’s constant care day and night that helped me regain my strength. After my mood gradually improved, the mocking voice of my future self came through the phone again. “They’re all pretending! At the time, I also thought they genuinely cared about me, so I let my guard down and drank the water with sedatives. “When I woke up, I was already tied to the operating table, about to be forced to give my heart to Marshall.” Following the guidance of my future self, I found the donation report in their bag. I angrily kicked Arthur and Claire out of the house, ignoring their knocking on the door all night. It wasn’t until I later received the news that Marshall died from insufficient blood supply that I realized all they wanted was my blood. I was overwhelmed with guilt and wanted to apologize to Arthur and Claire and tell them the truth. At this moment, my future self called again. “This time, you must listen to me. Mom and Dad hate you to the extreme because of Marshall’s death, and they don’t want to live anymore. If you go now, they won’t listen to anything and will only drag you into suicide with them.” So, I gave up on the decision to apologize and decided to wait until they calmed down to have a proper talk with them. That night, a thief broke into my house and killed the devastated Arthur and Claire. My mind was in chaos, and I wanted to rush back to see them one last time, but I was hit by a truck and killed on the way. Before I died, my future self called again, and I heard a cold laugh coming from the phone. This time, with my rebirth, I will take control of my destiny and never repeat the tragedy of my past life. Regaining my composure, I directly ignored my future self’s warning and sent Marshall a text message. [Marshall, I won a BMW in a lottery. You’ve always loved cars, want to try it out for a few days?]

Marshall rushed over as soon as he heard about my lottery win. He stared intently at the car I had just picked up. “Congratulations, Laurel.” “Marshall, you’re here? Come on, give it a try!” I nudged his shoulder and shoved him into the car. Marshall sat in the driver’s seat, and as soon as his hand touched the steering wheel, his eyes lit up instantly. He kept muttering, “What a car, truly a great car.” Seeing how much he loved it, I recalled the tragic car accident he had in the previous life and handed him the car keys directly. “Laurel, what are you doing?” he asked, a bit surprised. I smiled and said, “Take it and drive. You’ve been using that old car for over ten years; it’s time for a change.” Marshall looked a bit embarrassed, but his hands kept moving on the steering wheel. He said, “This is your prize; it doesn’t feel right for me to drive it.” I said, “It’s fine, we’re family, why be so formal?” “Besides, a good car should be driven by someone who knows cars, right?” He finally took the keys. “Alright then.” Watching him drive away in the new car, I felt a sense of relief. I had made a different choice from my previous life, so this time, things shouldn’t go wrong. But before I could feel happy, I received a call from the hospital that very night. The doctor said, “Is this Ms. Pierce? Your brother just had a car accident. Please come to the hospital.” “Accident?” I was in disbelief. “How is that possible? He just got a new car today.” The doctor continued, “His condition is critical right now. Please come to the hospital as soon as possible.” When I arrived at the hospital, I was confused. I couldn’t understand why Marshall still had an accident. I had already stopped him from driving that old car, so why did this still happen? “What happened to him?” I asked anxiously. Marshall’s wife, Irene Foster, who arrived first, was sobbing so hard she could barely breathe. Hearing my voice, she lost control and rushed at me, grabbing my neck and screaming, “You jinx!” “If Marshall hadn’t crawled up with half his life left and been found by a passerby, my child would have lost his dad right after being born!” “Family members, please calm down!” The medical staff hurriedly separated us. A doctor explained the situation to me, “Marshall drove off the cliff while on a mountain road. When the ambulance arrived, they only found a few scattered fragments. The car must have already fallen.” “He was covered in blood and his face was unrecognizable; we only managed to identify him through the ID card found nearby.” “But his car was brand new, there shouldn’t have been any issues!” I said, puzzled. Irene glared at me with red eyes. “You know Marshall loves his car the most! If it weren’t for you insisting he take the BMW, would this have happened?” I thought, “Did I hurt Marshall again? How could that be?” The doctor told me, “Maybe the feel of the new car was different from what he usually drove, and he misjudged the power while turning, which caused him to go off the cliff.” I felt like I was struck by lightning on a clear day, unable to even stand steady. I thought that as long as he replaced that old car, he wouldn’t have an accident. But now, because I insisted he drive the new car, it caused him to fall off the mountain. I thought, “Was it my stubbornness that pushed him to the edge of death again?” Arthur stood aside and said, “It’s not your fault, you just wanted Marshall to drive a good car.” Claire hugged me and comforted me, “Marshall was rescued in time and is out of danger. He will definitely get better.” I broke down and cried in Claire’s arms. Afraid I would stay trapped in guilt, Arthur and Claire took care of me day and night, constantly checking on me. I felt their warmth, and my mood gradually improved. I suddenly remembered that it was the same in my past life, with the phone about to warn me to beware of Arthur and Claire’s actions. I clearly didn’t press the answer button, yet the call was automatically picked up. “Laurel, I’m also very upset about Marshall’s injury, but this isn’t your fault. “Trust me, don’t drink the water Mom and Dad give you. They want to take you to the hospital to transplant your heart to Marshall.”

That day, Claire brought me a glass of water. I took out the donation agreement I found in Arthur’s bag and asked directly, “Are you planning to have me donate blood to Marshall?” Claire’s hand froze instantly, and she awkwardly glanced at me and Arthur. Arthur looked guilty. “Laurel, haven’t you been afraid of blood since childhood? We were worried…” I immediately interrupted him, “No, I’m willing!” “I’m afraid of blood, yes, but Marshall’s life is more important!” In my previous life, it was my lack of cooperation that made Marshall miss the best time for a blood transfusion. In this life, as long as I cooperate, Marshall will definitely be fine. I signed my name on the consent form. Claire looked at me, deeply moved. “Laurel, you’ve grown up and become more sensible.” In this life, I went to the hospital with Arthur and Claire for surgery, fully conscious. After the surgery, I woke up feeling sore all over. As soon as I got out of bed, I couldn’t stop coughing and even ended up coughing out a few blood clots. I hurriedly looked away, feeling a wave of dizziness in my head. I thought, “Has my immunity weakened? Why am I having such a strong reaction just from donating blood?” Before I could figure it out, the ward door was suddenly kicked open. It was Irene. As soon as she came in, she started yelling at me, “You murderer! You killed Marshall!” I was stunned. “How did he die? Didn’t he already receive my blood?” I don’t understand why, even though I obediently followed Arthur and Claire to donate blood this time instead of coming as instructed by the call, I still couldn’t escape Marshall’s fate of death. Irene ignored my daze and kept pressing, “Why are you pretending to be innocent? You did it on purpose.” “You clearly have AIDS, yet you gave virus-infected blood to Marshall!” “He developed severe complications after the transfusion and died right on the operating table.” “Why did you harm him like this? Was it because he damaged your BMW? How could you be so vicious?” I was shocked, thinking, “I have AIDS? How is that possible!” “I didn’t, how could I do this to him?” I explained to Irene. She interrupted me, “You still dare to argue! Otherwise, how could Marshall have died!” “I’ll test your blood sample right now and see how long you can keep arguing!” She cursed and ran off with my blood sample for testing. After a while, she stormed towards me and slapped me hard. She said, “The evidence is conclusive. How do you plan to deny it now?” I clutched my face in pain, staring in disbelief at the test results she held up in front of me. The blood I donated to Marshall did indeed carry the HIV virus. My vision went black, my legs went weak, and I could barely stand. I’ve always lived a clean life, never missed my annual check-ups, and all my indicators were normal. How could I possibly have HIV? Irene grew more hysterical, starting to punch and kick me. “Marshall has cherished you since childhood, yet you treat him like this at such a critical moment. He’ll never forgive you.” Every word she said felt like a knife stabbing into my heart. I started doubting myself, thinking, “Could it really be me who killed Marshall?” Arthur urged, “That’s enough, Irene! Marshall is already gone, so stop targeting Laurel. Just go back.” Irene gritted her teeth and said, “You’re not even worth hitting! Spoiled brat!” Finally, under Arthur and Claire’s persuasion, she shot me a fierce glare before storming off angrily to handle Marshall’s funeral arrangements. A deep sense of guilt overwhelmed me, and I blamed myself to the extreme. “I’m sorry, Mom and Dad.” “I really didn’t mean to harm Marshall.” “I just wanted to save him. I don’t even know why I tested positive for HIV.” I could only keep apologizing over and over. Claire shook her head and just hugged me. “Let’s not talk about this, Laurel. Let’s go home and eat.” The phone rang, and my future self said coldly, “You killed Marshall. Mom and Dad hate you now. When they return, they’ll take you with them to commit suicide.”

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In my previous life, my sister Scarlett chose to bind with the Beauty System, while I chose the Fertility System. With the system’s gift, Scarlett leveraged her beauty into a marriage with Julian, the elite businessman she had long coveted. But less than a month into their marriage, Julian tragically died in a plane crash during an overseas business trip. Scarlett became a stunning widow, with nothing but her beauty left. Eventually, she was abducted and brutally murdered by a depraved vagrant. Meanwhile, my innate fertility caught the attention of Xander, a powerful magnate. I bore him four sets of twins in three years, securing my status as a woman of immense wealth and influence. Consumed by bitter jealousy for the system she had forsaken, Scarlett’s vengeful spirit haunted me, finally pushing me into a pool to drown. The next time I opened my eyes, we were back to the day we chose which system to bind with. This time, Scarlett unhesitatingly chose the Fertility System. Then, turning to me with a cruel smile, she said,”Violet, you can have this Beauty System!” In that moment, I knew she had been reborn too. …

I smiled. Scarlett believed that with this fertile physique, she could secure her position as a revered socialite. But she had no idea how much effort I poured into that family over the years. On the day of the exclusive gala where Xander would choose his fiancée, Scarlett dressed to impress. In the last life, Scarlett, being infatuated with Julian, feigned illness and didn’t show up when Xander hosted his banquet. This time, she wore exquisite makeup and a sexy gown. Scarlett threw her old clothes at me and ordered me to change. She even confiscated all my makeup, forbidding me from wearing any. Yet even completely barefaced, I was still noticeably prettier than her. My mother looked at me with extreme distaste. “Look at what you’re wearing! You’re an embarrassment to our family!” Father was also displeased. “Violet, with that attitude, maybe you shouldn’t even participate. Don’t make our family a laughingstock in front of tonight’s guests.” I didn’t speak. Xander’s assistant, however, spoke up. “Since you’re already here, just sit down and watch.” Scarlett shot me a disdainful glance, brimming with confidence. Mother, pulling Xander’s assistant aside, strongly advocated for Scarlett. “Our Scarlett is kind, graceful, and carries herself with such poise. She’s the perfect candidate for Xander’s fiancée.” Xander’s assistant sat on the couch, sizing up both Scarlett and me. Just as his hand was about to point at me, Scarlett couldn’t sit still any longer. She looked up and declared loudly, “I have a unique physique, incredibly fertile. I can solve the succession problem for Xander’s family!” Xander’s assistant’s eyes lit up. He told Scarlett, “Follow me to meet Mr. Kincaid.” My parents tearfully embraced Scarlett, overjoyed. “That’s wonderful, Scarlett! Your mother knew you’d be chosen!” Scarlett grinned from ear to ear, still not forgetting to sneer at me. “Violet, sorry, but I’m off to meet Mr. Kincaid.” Mother also looked at me with disdain. “You embarrassment! Get back to your room now. Don’t stand there bothering us!” It was the same in the last life. Mother despised me, but Scarlett feigned illness and refused to show up, so they were forced to put me forward just to fill a spot. Who would have thought I’d actually be chosen? This life, with Scarlett present, they naturally looked down on me even more, despite me being prettier than her. As I was about to leave, Xander’s assistant called out to me again. “Wait, what’s your name?” My mother quickly answered. “She’s my second daughter, Violet. She’s reclusive and unlikable.” To my surprise, Xander’s assistant walked up to me and said with a smile. “Miss Violet, I think you have a certain grace about you. Would you come with me to meet Mr. Kincaid?”

As soon as we arrived at Xander’s estate, Scarlett, thanks to her Fertility System, was summoned by Xander that very night. The next day, she was moved into a separate villa next to the main estate, treated almost like the lady of the house. Such immense favor quickly spread to every corner of Xander’s estate, reaching even the guest house where I resided. In this life, without the Fertility System, I hadn’t been summoned by Xander. I was just a regular “backup option,” sharing an apartment with a few other girls who had also been sent here. The sun was nice, so I was basking outside when I happened to run into Scarlett. She was accompanied by seven or eight maids and two personal assistants, an impressive entourage that almost crowded my small courtyard. Scarlett approached me, dramatically covering her nose and mouth, her face a mask of disgust. “Honestly, Violet, are you still wearing those old clothes?” With that, she motioned to a maid next to her, who threw an old suitcase at my feet. “Don’t say I never help you. Xander gave me all these. There’s just too much for me to use, so I’m giving them to you.” I looked down. They were all used, old handbags and jewelry. Some of the leather goods were even moldy, covered in mildew. I chuckled. “Scarlett, Xander gave you these kinds of things?” Scarlett just walked up and slapped me. “I’m trying to be kind, and you’re completely ungrateful!” My face instantly turned red and swollen. Scarlett finally smiled, satisfied. “Violet, don’t think that just because you have a pretty face, you can turn your life around. With me here, you’ll never get close to Xander, not in this lifetime.” I watched her with a blank expression, then glanced at her entourage behind her. She was just as arrogant, overbearing, and self-absorbed as she was in the last life. “Scarlett, maybe you should worry about yourself.” Scarlett swept a contemptuous gaze over me. “You’re just jealous, that’s what it is! I’m already pregnant, and my child will be the heir. What can you possibly compare with?” I watched her, blinded by Xander’s favor, and remained silent. Seeing that I said nothing, like punching a pillow, Scarlett couldn’t be bothered to waste her breath on me and left. In my previous life, just like Scarlett, thanks to the Fertility System’s boost, I conceived twins the very first night I was with Xander. But that twin pregnancy almost killed me. I watched Scarlett’s retreating back and sneered. She had no idea the enemies lurking in the shadows were already targeting her. … Soon, news of Scarlett’s pregnancy spread. Xander had been with so many girlfriends over the years, yet none had conceived. Scarlett got pregnant as soon as she arrived, and the private medical team confirmed it was another set of twin boys. But I knew her triumph wouldn’t last long. A few days later, I received notice that Xander intended to give me to his business partner, Julian, a man notorious for his ruthless tactics. I knew this had to be Scarlett’s doing. She didn’t want me to see Xander. Sending me away would not only remove me from Xander’s estate but also marry me off to that unfortunate Julian. It was a clever move on her part, but by now, I doubted she even cared about me. At the same time, word spread that Scarlett was showing signs of a miscarriage. Xander was furious, firing several top-tier private doctors. Suddenly, my meeting with Julian was postponed. In the last life, when my twins were seven months along, my pregnancy became unstable. It was only thanks to the obstetrician’s proprietary remedy that the pregnancy was saved. After giving birth to two sons, I officially became Xander’s wife. But this life, Scarlett, enraged by the pain, constantly berated the doctors in front of Xander. Some were even dragged out by bodyguards before they could properly examine her. Soon, the entire medical team was terrified; no one wanted to be responsible for her. Scarlett eventually miscarried, barely clinging to life. I knew this day would come for her. Given her personality, it was only a matter of time before someone targeted her. I didn’t pity her. I just thought she got what she deserved. “Bad news! Bad news! Miss Violet, there are a lot of bodyguards outside, saying they’re here to arrest you!” The maid ran in, shouting. I never thought Scarlett would tell Xander I poisoned her, causing her to lose her baby. Soon, bodyguards apprehended me. Xander, without even investigating the truth, intended to kill me. “Violet, in this life, you still couldn’t escape death. Go on and rest easy; I’ll enjoy the rest of your good fortune for you.” In the room where I was temporarily confined, I slowly calmed down. I couldn’t let Scarlett kill me again. And it was high time my Beauty System proved its worth.

I pleaded with the head bodyguard to take me to Xander. With my naturally captivating eyes, I smiled at him ingratiatingly. He was captivated by my exquisite beauty, and as if under a spell, he agreed. I secretly went to the living room of Scarlett’s recuperation villa. When Scarlett saw me, she was first surprised, then enraged. “What are you doing here! Are you here to gloat? You evil woman, you’re the one who killed my baby! How are you still walking around free?” Xander patiently stroked her back, trying to calm her down, not even glancing at me. I looked at Xander, my husband from my last life. He was just as authoritative and handsome as before. If it weren’t for his absolute need for an heir, he would undoubtedly be a wonderful partner. Unfortunately, marriages in high society were always complicated. Scarlett, seeing me staring intently at Xander, fainted from anger. “Doctor! Call the doctor quickly!” The villa was thrown into complete chaos. The doctors nervously checked her, terrified one wrong move would cost them their job. Xander carefully covered Scarlett with a blanket, then finally noticed me. “You’re Scarlett’s sister? Look up.” I obeyed, slowly raising my head. My hair, disheveled in the chaos, fell around my face, my eyes brimming with tears. My tear-filled, pitiful demeanor, combined with the power of the Beauty System, made Xander freeze the moment he saw my face. His eyes were filled with absolute awe. I subtly pinched myself, and tears streamed down my face like a broken string of pearls. “Mr. Kincaid, I didn’t harm Scarlett…” Scarlett’s personal maid interrupted me. “It was you! Miss Scarlett is your sister, yet you poisoned her out of jealousy!” I sneered inwardly, but my tears continued to flow uncontrollably. My captivating eyes, with my crying, added a touch of vulnerability. “Yes, I didn’t want to marry Mr. Julian, because my heart has always longed for you. Though it pains me that you would give me to another, I would never, ever poison Scarlett because of it.” Through my blurry tears, I caught Xander’s gaze, and his eyes softened, filling with a tenderness I hadn’t seen before. Scarlett woke up. Seeing Xander mesmerized by me, she gritted her teeth, pulled Xander away from me, and sobbed uncontrollably into his arms. “Xander, my poor babies…” Her accusations were aimed directly at me, but Xander, however, looked at me with a rare flicker of hesitation. I seized the opportunity. “I know who harmed Scarlett’s babies!” At my words, every eye in the room turned to me. “Who harmed them?” Xander asked. I pointed to a delicate bracelet on Scarlett’s wrist and said, “It’s the incense embedded in this bracelet. It contains a scent that could cause a miscarriage.” Scarlett’s eyes widened in shock. She tore off the bracelet and threw it at my feet. “Still saying it wasn’t you? If it wasn’t you, how would you know so much?” “And you,” she snapped, slapping her personal maid. Her voice was harsh. “You traitor! You colluded with outsiders to give me this bracelet and harm me, didn’t you?” The maid who had just spoken up for her had, in an instant, personally sealed her own doom. I sneered. Scarlett was just like this in the last life. Naturally arrogant and overbearing, treating her staff like mere tools, even dismissing her loyal servants. In the end, no one stood up for her, and no one truly cared for her. In this life, she still hadn’t learned, continuing to act recklessly. After the maid was dragged away, Scarlett still wanted the bodyguards to take me too, but Xander stopped them. “First, let’s hear what she has to say.” Scarlett could only bite her lip, glaring at me. I took a deep breath and began my explanation. “This bracelet was a gift from Willow. All the other ladies received one. However, Scarlett’s bracelet contained a special scent that could cause a miscarriage, which led to her miscarriage.” In my previous life, I almost miscarried because of this very bracelet. At the time, I thought since Willow had given identical bracelets to everyone, there shouldn’t be a problem. But later, I realized my bracelet’s scent was particularly strong. The doctor had said that excessive inhalation of this specially formulated scent could cause severe harm to a pregnant woman. “That conniving Willow!” Seeing her plot against me had failed, Scarlett cried out again, demanding Xander punish Willow. After Xander left, Scarlett looked at me coldly. “You knew I would miscarry, and you deliberately didn’t tell me?” I scoffed softly. “I warned you long ago, but you just wouldn’t listen. Scarlett, I told you not to get too smug too soon. Do you really think having the Fertility System means you can survive in this ruthless high society? This time, it was just your babies. Next time, it might be you.” Scarlett’s face turned ashen, her voice hoarse. “Violet, how dare you curse me! I swear, I’ll drag you down with my unborn child!” Even like that, she still didn’t forget to threaten me. “I have the Fertility System, I can always have more children. Using these babies to get rid of that malicious Willow? Their deaths weren’t for nothing. Next time, it’ll be your turn.” I frowned. “Scarlett, doing too many evil deeds will catch up to you. Don’t forget, I have a system too.”

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After using me for revenge, Liam immediately filed for divorce and kicked me out. The snow was heavy that day. I was carrying his child, dragging my lame leg—the one I’d injured saving him—as I limped away. He stood there with his new girlfriend in his arms, a cigarette between his fingers, lazily watching my humiliation. Life after that was hard. For money, I had to marry a man in his forties and become a stepmother to his eight-year-old son. But the night before the wedding, Liam kidnapped me and dragged me back to his house. His expression was terrifying, his voice icy as he demanded: “You hid my child from me, killed it, and went to play stepmom to some old man’s brat.” “Ava, how dare you?” The day Liam kicked me out, the snow was falling thick and fast. As I walked toward the door with my six-year-old sister Emma, the butler Thomas stopped me: “Miss Ava, Mr. Liam said you can’t take anything that belongs to the family.” “That down jacket and those snow boots you’re wearing—he bought them.” I understood. I lowered my gaze and silently took off the coat and shoes. Outside, the wind whipped snow into my face. I shivered uncontrollably. Barefoot in the deep snow, I looked back at the second floor of the villa. Liam stood there lazily, holding Chloe with one arm and a cigarette in the other, enjoying my misery. Chloe’s eyes gleamed with triumph. She tossed a gray wool scarf down from the balcony, laughing: “This trash doesn’t suit Liam. Thomas, throw it in the garbage.” That scarf was one I’d knitted for Liam with my own hands two months ago. Back then, he’d wrapped it around his neck, kissed my hand, and said, “My wife has such clever hands.” Everything changed in a blink. My family went bankrupt, my father went to prison. Liam didn’t bother pretending anymore. The day he forced me to sign the divorce papers, he glared at me and spat venom: “Ava, know why I never face you when we have sex?” “Know why I always soak in the bath for an hour after?” “Because you disgust me. The sight of your face makes me sick, let alone touching you.” “If it weren’t for destroying your family, you think someone like you could ever catch my eye?” Each word felt like a dull knife carving me up, the pain so intense I could barely breathe. Tears streamed down my face. I finally accepted he’d never loved me. So I didn’t tell him I was pregnant. What was the point? With all the blood and hatred between us, we were doomed from the start. This child never should have existed.

Broke, I went to a cheap clinic for an abortion. My luck was rotten—I hemorrhaged during the procedure and almost died on the table. When I woke up, Emma was crying by my bedside. I stroked her soft hair and whispered, “It’s okay, sweetie. I’m fine.” But I was shaken. If I died, what would happen to Emma? We only had each other now. I had to survive, to raise her. Making money was hard. All I knew was dancing, but after the car crash four years ago—the one where I saved Liam and wrecked my leg—my left foot was permanently slightly lame. Not obvious, but noticeable if you looked closely. I could never dance on stage again. To survive, I decided to sell dumplings at a street stall. I’d been spoiled growing up, never lifted a finger, but I learned to make dumplings because Liam loved them. Now that skill was mine and Emma’s lifeline. The stall did well. Even though I stood in the freezing cold until late, my fingers raw with frostbite, I never complained. Then one day, Liam and Chloe showed up at my stall. Dressed in expensive clothes, arm in arm, they looked perfect together. And I looked pathetic. Chloe eyed me and sneered: “Who’d have thought the great Miss Ava would end up like a beggar.” I needed the business, so I kept calm. “If you’re not buying, leave. Don’t block my customers.” Chloe instantly played victim. “Liam, she’s being mean to me!” Liam coddled her. His gaze turned icy as he warned me: “Watch your tone with Chloe. Or I can’t guarantee your stall will be here tomorrow.” A blatant threat. But Liam had all the power now. I couldn’t fight him. I clenched my fists inside my sleeves, bit my lip, and stayed silent. Chloe smirked in triumph. Liam turned to her, voice soft. “You said you wanted dumplings. Still hungry?” She nodded. “Yes.” Business was business. I needed the money. I took a deep breath and pointed to the QR code. “Pay first.” After the PayPal notification chimed for $15, I dropped the dumplings into the boiling water.

I thought that night was just a fluke. But the next day, Liam’s men trashed my stall. Reason? Chloe had food poisoning and landed in the hospital. She’d only eaten my dumplings the night before. No doubt she’d set me up. I didn’t get it—she’d already won Liam, crushed me completely. Why not let me be? From then on, Liam’s thugs harassed me daily. Even when I moved locations, they always found me. My business was ruined. I couldn’t even cover next month’s rent. Desperate, I called Liam, begging him to back off: “Chloe’s food poisoning wasn’t my fault. Liam, please believe me, just this once.” He didn’t budge. His tone was hard: “I’ll let it go if you kneel and apologize to Chloe.” “Kneel for twelve hours straight, and we’re done. Otherwise, your stall is finished.” The man who once promised me the stars if I cried now humiliated me for another woman. But no matter how low I’d fallen, I wouldn’t be his dog. I wiped my tears and spat back: “Liam, bullying a woman? You’re pathetic.” “I was blind to ever love you.” His breathing turned ragged, furious words hissing through his teeth: “You think I wanted your love?” “Ava, you were just a tool for revenge.” The words stung, but my heart was too numb to feel more pain. Gritting my teeth, I shot back: “Well, you were just a vibrator to me.” I hung up before he could respond.

Back home, Emma saw my red, swollen eyes. She touched my cheek, worried: “Ava, did someone bully you again?” “I wish I could grow up faster. Then I could protect you.” Our mom died young after having Emma. Dad was never around. So Emma clung to me, always listened to me. I ruffled her hair softly. “What if we leave this place?” She nodded. “Wherever you go, I go.” Then she hesitated. “What about Dad? Is he coming too?” She was too young to understand he was in prison. I thought for a moment. “Dad made a mistake. He’s being punished. He won’t be back for a long time.” She tilted her head. “What did he do? Was it bad?” Yes, very bad. Over twenty years ago, to seize land from Liam’s family, he set fire to their factory. Liam’s father happened to be sleeping inside that night and died in the blaze. So Liam’s hatred for my dad, for my whole family, made sense. He’d changed his name, bided his time for revenge—all for his father. My dad committed a crime, and he got what he deserved. I wouldn’t defend him, but I couldn’t help resenting Liam. He had so many ways to get revenge. Why use my feelings? Even after winning, Liam kept pushing me. I was powerless against him. If I couldn’t fight, I’d run. To save money, I booked a slow train to Cloud City. But on the bus to the station, Emma fainted. I rushed her to the hospital and got the worst news. Emma had leukemia. My world collapsed. I sat by her bed, crying uncontrollably. Emma held my hand, her voice small: “Ava, don’t be sad. I’m not hurting, really.” “I hate hospitals. I don’t want shots or medicine. Can we go home?” I knew she said it because we had no money. My sister was too sensible for her age. I hated myself for being useless, unable to afford her treatment.

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My boyfriend, Ryan, somehow bent the rules to bring his ‘helpless’ junior, Ashley, into the company. She deliberately shredded my crucial files, then intentionally drugged me. I ended up getting fired and was slapped with an astronomical compensation fee. When I confronted her, Ashley looked utterly wronged. “Was it wrong of me to kindly clean your desk and, seeing you work late, give you some sleeping pills out of concern?” Ryan, who knew the truth, not only didn’t help me but shielded Ashley, snapping at me. “Stop slandering her! If you actually worked hard, why would the boss fire you over such a minor thing?” I was absolutely livid. I wanted to drag them both to Mr. Harrison to explain everything, But they shoved me, sending me tumbling directly into oncoming traffic… Next thing I knew, Ashley, a smirk barely hidden, offered a ‘sincere’ apology. Ryan, ever the biased one, also lectured me about misplacing my files. But I wasn’t angry. Instead, a strange sense of confusion washed over me. “I had backups of my important files, and they’d already been sent to the client weeks ago!” “You didn’t happen to shred *Ryan’s* non-replaceable shipping order, the one he was responsible for, did you?”

I’m not sure how much time passed, but I was jolted awake by Ashley’s distinctive alarm. It blared like a radar, making my heart thump erratically and my head throb. I checked the time. There were still twenty minutes left of my lunch break. Ever since Ashley became my assistant, she’d acted as if she couldn’t understand a word I said. She never took a lunch break, but she always set an alarm specifically to wake *me* up. Seeing my less-than-pleasant expression, Ashley stood by, looking utterly wronged, and mumbled an apology: “Oh, I’m so sorry! I forgot to change my alarm sound and time again. I hope I didn’t disturb you too much.” Ryan, from the next office, seeing the situation, quickly stepped in: “Chloe, Ashley is still new; you shouldn’t be so hard on her.” I looked at Ashley’s face, a look of smug satisfaction barely hidden. I wasn’t angry at all. On the contrary, I felt a surge of excitement. I had been reborn. On this very day, in my previous life… Ashley had opened the drawer I’d warned her countless times not to touch, while I was away. She’d tossed the proposal inside into the shredder, and from that moment, she’d systematically pushed me towards my death. After I died, Ashley, with Ryan’s help, had solved the company’s crisis. She not only took over my position but also inherited all my contacts and clients. The two had openly admitted their relationship at the company, basking in everyone’s blessings. And now, less than an hour remained until my proposal was shredded… With that thought, I didn’t explain. Instead, I clutched my head and sighed: “I just wanted Ashley to grab me some painkillers. I wasn’t trying to criticize her.” “I know she’s your favorite little junior. How could I ever be harsh with her?” Ryan seemed to realize he’d overreacted. He asked about my well-being for a few moments, then, using the excuse that Ashley didn’t know which medicine to get, accompanied her to buy my medication. Watching their backs as they left, I opened my drawer. Seeing the proposal still safely tucked inside, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It wasn’t long before they returned. Just as I expected, Ashley hadn’t bought the painkillers I’d asked for. Instead, she’d gotten me some cold medicine. “Chloe, too many painkillers aren’t good for you.” “I think you might have a cold, which is why your head hurts. This cold medicine will definitely help your headache, and it’s much safer.” Before I could speak, Ryan chimed in again: “See? Girls are so thoughtful. Whenever you had a headache or stomach problems before, I always just got you painkillers. You can’t rely on them too much; it’s not good.” I didn’t argue or make a scene as Ashley had expected. Instead, I gently said thank you: “Actually, not long after you left, I found my painkillers and already took them.” “You can save this cold medicine for Ryan, for the next time he has stomach problems. It’s safer for him too.” Ryan held the medicine, looking a bit awkward. But I no longer cared to engage with them. I simply gathered my meeting materials and headed straight into the conference room. After a few hours of meetings, I returned to my office and, just like in my previous life, opened my drawer. It was empty. This scene had played out dozens of times in my mind already, so I took a deep breath and bellowed: “Ashley, did you touch the proposal in my drawer?!” My voice immediately grabbed everyone’s attention. Ashley trembled like a startled bird: “No, I didn’t! I just tidied up some ‘waste paper’ on your desk and put it in the shredder. I didn’t see any proposal!” Ryan, as if on cue, walked back into my office. He wasn’t interested in understanding the situation, just said in a low voice: “Alright, alright.” “Whether there was a proposal or not, instead of wasting time arguing, you should be focused on damage control.” “Do you really think proving Ashley wrong will solve anything?”

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In my past life, I sacrificed everything for my brother, remaining unmarried to care for him. This time, we’ve both been reborn. His first act upon rebirth was to get rid of me, making way for the fated child swap – the fake heiress. He threw me, still a newborn in swaddling clothes, onto the street. “Don’t blame me for being cruel. You’re the one who caused Serena’s death.” **01** The day I was born, the South was caught in a dreary, rainy season. Julian Blake, the eldest son of the prominent Blake family, took three days off from school. He rushed back to his family estate from his boarding school, still in his crisp uniform. No one knew. That young student, posture ramrod straight, gaze steady. His soul carried the memories of two lifetimes. He had just been reborn, returning with a lifetime of overwhelming regret from his past. He didn’t spare a glance for me, his biological sister. Instead, he secretly paid off the attending nurse, ensuring the child who was meant to be swapped in his past life was legitimately presented to our parents. I was carried out of the hospital by him. Stuffed into a crude cardboard box. He took a bus with me to the city outskirts. And that other baby, crying louder than me in her swaddling clothes. She would claim the Blake family’s bloodline, and in the future, become “Little Sister Serena,” cherished by everyone. Julian’s biggest regret from his previous life. Decades had eroded his life away, causing him to miss the girl who became a flight medic for him. While I, his actual sister, only returned home at eighteen. I never married, willingly studying rehabilitation medicine for him. I pulled him, paralyzed, from his wheelchair. Yet, his heart longed only for the fake heiress I had given up. The Blake family, from a prominent southern state like Texas, was celebrated for their distinguished military service in the past. They were a family honored by the nation, with their heroism featured repeatedly in military publications. This life, he wanted to rewrite everything. No matter the cost. I lay in my swaddling clothes, quietly opening my eyes. This life, I had been reborn too. **02** In my past life, the fake heiress and I were swapped at the hospital. She became the Blake family’s cherished daughter. As for me, I was sent to a working-class family. At three years old, a car accident left me completely alone. I was sent to an orphanage. From then on, I lived in constant anxiety and fear for over a decade. The fake heiress, however, grew up pampered and privileged in the Blake mansion, enjoying every luxury. She became Serena Blake. She was the jewel in the Blake family’s eyes, and the only sister in my brother’s. She went to prestigious schools, learned to dance and play the piano. She studied abroad, earning everyone’s affection. I, on the other hand, was only brought back to the Blake family at eighteen. That year, I wore worn-out canvas shoes and a faded, plain dress from the orphanage. I carried a broken leather suitcase as I stepped through the Blake family estate’s grand gates. I saw my brother standing in the courtyard. His figure tall and straight, clad in his military uniform, silhouetted against the sunlight. But he frowned as he looked at me: “You’re Paisley? Why do you seem so unsophisticated?” My brother was an elite pilot, groomed for leadership by the nation. Serena became an excellent flight medic. In photographs, they stood shoulder to shoulder, their smiles radiant. Until that year, when I visited him at the military base. His plane crashed, and both my brother and Serena were pinned under the aircraft’s wing, waiting for rescue. The doctor anxiously told me: “I’m sorry, we can only save one first.” I hesitated for a second, then said: “Save my brother.” Everyone blamed me, accusing me of causing the fake heiress’s death. But I didn’t regret it. I began to self-study rehabilitation medicine, nursing him day and night. It took me ten years to get my brother out of his wheelchair and help him regain his dignity. I never married, caring for my brother until his twilight years. On his deathbed, his pale hand covered my fingertips. His voice was weak, but every word pierced my heart. “Paisley… I’d rather you saved Serena back then.” I froze on the spot. Like a ton of bricks had slammed into me. So, even until the very end. He never once offered me a single word of thanks. **03** He carried the box for a long way. From the hospital, he took a bus through the old city district. He walked to the most desolate part of town, on the outskirts of East Avenue. Finally, he crouched down at the mouth of an overgrown, dilapidated alleyway. He gazed at me in the box, his face slightly pale, his lips tightly pressed. “Paisley.” He spoke in a low voice, his hand trembling. “Don’t blame me” “Serena, she died so tragically. In our past life, she died because of you… I don’t blame you, but she… she really deserved to live a carefree life.” He placed me in the shadows of the alley mouth. With his small hand, he carefully covered my swaddling clothes. “Someone will surely pass by here. You’ll just be an ordinary person in this life.” He stood up, his eyes a little red, but he stubbornly turned his face away: “Paisley, I only ask that you never reappear in this life.” He left. Without looking back. My consciousness, reborn, had long been awake. But I was powerless to speak. I lay in the shadows. Watching his figure gradually disappear into the distance, my heart was only cold.

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My $5 million wedding, meticulously planned by me, was given to my fiancé Liam’s secretary Chloe’s two puppies. The reception photos I Photoshopped overnight were crossed out and replaced with dog posters. Even the pink roses I had airlifted from France were covered in dog pee, the venue a chaotic mess. All because Chloe said her pet dogs were terminally ill, and she wanted to give them a perfect wedding. Liam even deliberately allowed Chloe to rip off my wedding dress and put it on the dogs. All the guests sneered with contempt. “Stella deserves it. Liam used to spoil her rotten, but she didn’t know what was good for her and pulled out his mother’s oxygen tube.” “That kind of vicious woman deserves to go to hell and be dismembered. She deserves to die!” Crying, I signed to Liam: “I don’t want to marry you anymore. Please let me go, Liam.” Right in front of me, Liam slipped the ring onto Chloe’s finger, then cruelly poured red wine over my head. “I felt the same pain when my mom died. No matter how much you hated her, you shouldn’t have killed her.” “Stella, you’ll never be free in this lifetime.” That night, he emerged from Chloe’s room, covered in suggestive scratches, and pressed a cigarette butt into my palm. “Stella, if you can endure the hundredth wedding, will I forgive you?” I nodded foolishly. His friends, however, burst out laughing. “Where does Stella get the confidence? She killed Liam’s mother and still dreams of making up with him!” I quietly walked out the door. The snow was falling heavily. I clutched the ALS diagnosis report in my hand. What you don’t know, Liam, is that we won’t have a next time.

I went to my mother’s hospital bed and held her hand. “Mom, after your surgery, will you take me to buy a plot at the cemetery? When I die, I’ll be waiting for you to bring me flowers.” My mom’s eyes were red from crying. “My poor child, why do you have to suffer from this disease? Liam used to love you so much, why is he torturing you like this now?” She knew our past better than anyone, and she’d seen how Liam would do anything for me. When others mocked me for being mute, Liam would be the first to beat them black and blue. When I was falsely accused of plagiarism, he rushed to school to defend me, even before his own surgery was finished… I shook my head. “Mom, it’s my bad luck. I accept it.” Ever since Liam’s mother died. Liam hated me to his core. Everyone in New York mocked me as a murderer, trampling me into the dirt. “Stella, aren’t you shameless? Liam was so good to you, yet you still pulled out his mom’s oxygen tube? Do you know Liam didn’t even get to see his mother one last time?” Yes, he was so good to me, how could I kill his mother? No one knew. The day Liam’s mother passed away, she pulled out her own oxygen tube. I cried and rushed to her, but she said: “Child, I don’t want to be a burden to Liam anymore. Just let me go peacefully.” The moment I walked out of the hospital room, I received the news from the doctor that I didn’t have long to live. It hit me like a lightning bolt. Before I could even tell Liam, he came to me with his mother’s suicide note, demanding to know why I had pulled out her oxygen tube. “Stella, my biggest regret in this life was protecting you, falling in love with you.” No matter how I explained, he simply refused to believe I hadn’t killed his mother. For the first wedding, he openly invited young models to a party and made Chloe whip me 99 times, the girl who used to bully me. Watching my heartbroken expression, he laughed with perverse satisfaction. “Can a vicious woman like you even cry?” At the seventy-eighth wedding, he publicly mocked me for being mute. “An unpresentable nobody. I must have been blind to fall for her.” Yet, it was he who, when I was insulted for being mute, bravely shielded me. “What’s wrong with being mute? From now on, I’ll be your voice. I’ll speak for you.” The ninety-eighth wedding was canceled. Liam, drunk, held me and said: “Stella, we’ve tormented each other enough. How about I marry you just this once? I don’t hate you anymore.” I naively believed Liam had finally trusted me, but when he sobered up, he personally shattered my hope. He made me the whole damn city’s laughingstock for the ninety-ninth time. “Stella, you killed my mom. I’ll never marry you, not in this life, not in the next.” “Stop dreaming.” As the red wine poured over my head. I remembered when I was eighteen, Liam promised me under a wisteria waterfall, “Stella, one day I, Liam, will give you a grand wedding. I’ll make you the most beautiful bride!” The boy who once trusted and protected me unconditionally was gone. He didn’t know I was already running out of time. I willingly gave up treatment. Once my mother’s surgery was successful, I would end my own life.

But unexpectedly, the day before my mom’s surgery, something went wrong. News came from the hospital, “Liam, the most powerful man in New York, just had his girlfriend confirmed with leukemia. He took away the bone marrow donor.” I ran to the hospital like a madwoman, groveling before Liam, my mouth uselessly trying to form words. My trembling hands signed, “Liam, please, I beg you, let my mom go. You’ve humiliated me ninety-nine times at our weddings, isn’t that enough?” His eyes were sinister. “No! Of course not, you killed my mom. Now you want to sacrifice my girlfriend’s safety to save your mom?” “This is just my revenge on you. Your mom deserves this; who told her to raise such a heartless, ungrateful daughter?” Crying, I signed: “I didn’t!” Liam’s eyes were red as he roared: “Haven’t you told that lie enough for one lifetime? What makes you think I’ll believe you? Could my mom’s handwritten suicide note possibly be fake?” I sobbed, shaking my head. I didn’t know why Aunt Eleanor would leave such a note. All I knew was that the boy who once kissed my forehead and said, “Stella, no matter what happens, I’ll always stand by you,” had condemned me based on a piece of paper whose authenticity he never questioned. Chloe’s eyes flickered. “Exactly! How could Liam possibly misjudge his mom’s handwriting?” Liam’s gaze at me grew even more hateful. “In school, you slandered Chloe, saying she bullied you. Now, slap yourself eighty-eight times. If it’s not loud enough, then your mom’s life…” I stared at him in disbelief. The facts he saw with his own eyes, how had they become slander? Chloe was my nightmare back in school. She put nails in my shoes, cornered me in the bathroom with a group of girls to cut my hair, calling me a “dead mute.” For my sake, Liam had kicked her out of New York. But now, Liam spent every day being intimate with her in our marital bed. He even threatened me with my mother: “Unwilling? Fine, then your mom’s illness…” I bit my lip in humiliation, slapping myself again and again until blood appeared by my ears. I signed: “Is that enough?” A flicker of indiscernible pain crossed Liam’s eyes, then he sneered. “How could that be enough?” “Is your mom’s life so worthless in your eyes?” A crushing wave of pain and sorrow washed over me. My eyes red, I typed: “What do you want?” “How about you bark like a dog for me? Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot you’re mute. Never mind then.” Liam pulled Chloe into his arms. “You’re right, she’s a cripple after all.” Chloe leaned shyly into his embrace. “You’re so mean! How can you humiliate Stella like that?” “But, if Stella is willing to crawl around the hospital like a dog, maybe I can consider saving her mom first. What do you think, Liam?” Liam dotingly ruffled her nose. “You’re my girlfriend, of course I’ll listen to you.” My blood ran cold. His doting look was so reminiscent of seven years ago. If anyone dared to call me mute, or a cripple, Liam would beat them across New York until they never dared to insult me again. Then he’d ruffle my nose: “You’re my girlfriend, no one gets to bully my precious Stella.” But the person he was protecting had changed. I choked back the tears, telling myself I was going to die anyway. “Okay.” Liam hadn’t expected me to actually crawl like a dog, bowing my head as I went. But after I finished, Chloe went back on her word, still insisting the donor go to her. My eyes red from crying, I signed, asking her why. She said: “Because you can’t speak, you can’t bark to please me, can you?”

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My wife posted a picture on Ins of an ultrasound and her baby bump. The comments section exploded, tagging me with congratulations. Calmly, I replied: “Not my baby. We’re done.” Moments later, my wife’s furious call came through. “Are you sick?! He’s dying, what’s wrong with me giving him a child? Can’t you be more generous?” I was “generous” enough to fulfill my wife and her first love’s wish, leaving the divorce papers. But then, she regretted it. Briar Thorne had always hated children. She’d say pregnancy and childbirth would ruin her career, and a crying baby would drive her insane. I’d tried to discuss it with her, but she’d instantly explode the moment I brought it up: “Are you trying to kill me?! Do you have any idea about amniotic fluid embolism?!” Her stance on the matter was rock-solid. Two years ago, she demanded I get a vasectomy. She didn’t even enjoy intimacy with me, and we always used contraception anyway. But I thought, what if she wanted a child later? Briar’s face instantly darkened. A pillow slammed into me, and she hissed, “You won’t get a vasectomy, huh? Fine, divorce!” I didn’t want to argue, so I just went along with it. Recently, I’d seen her researching pregnancy tips and buying supplements she used to despise. I thought she’d finally come around, and happily booked a vasectomy reversal surgery. But now, it seems she *can* accept having a baby—just not *my* baby!

Briar came home at eight tonight. Usually, she worked late into the night, and lately, she’d been using “busy with work” as an excuse to not come home at all. I bet she wasn’t busy with work; she was busy trying to conceive with Julian Vance! Briar hugged me from behind. It was the first time she’d initiated affection in ages. Her arms wrapped around my waist, her voice dripping with flattery: “Honey, there’s truly nothing going on between Julian and me. This is just about helping him have a child. You know he’s in the late stages of ALS. I promise, as soon as I’ve seen him through the last chapter of his life, I’ll cut him out of my life for good!” I brushed her hands away, turning to face her, my voice cold and laced with sarcasm: “And then what? So you expect me to be a cuckold, raising your kid with him?” My attitude instantly ignited her displeasure: “I’ve explained everything, what more do you want? Can’t you be a man instead of acting like a lunatic? You’re such a disappointment!” “Didn’t you say you loved me? If you love me, why can’t you accept even this? Besides, you can’t have kids anyway, wouldn’t it be better to just treat our baby as your own?” She rattled on, as if I were the villain tearing them apart. I forced myself to suppress my anger: “I had a vasectomy, but it can be reversed! I’m not infertile!” “And why did I get one in the first place? Because you were frail, and I was worried about an accidental pregnancy causing you suffering!” Briar, enraged and humiliated, slammed the door shut and stormed out. Briar was gone early in the morning. I printed the divorce papers and went to her company, but couldn’t find her. Her assistant said she hadn’t been to work for days. So, she wasn’t out early and back late for work, but to care for Julian. I went to the hospital for my shift as usual. Before heading home, I walked past the OB/GYN department and saw Briar and Julian in the hallway. She was clutching Julian’s arm, her perfectly sculpted brows furrowed. “Are you stalking me?” I looked at Julian beside her. His gaze didn’t waver, meeting mine with a defiant challenge. He even feigned intimacy, playfully rubbing Briar’s earlobe. “Baby, don’t think that about Noah. Why would he stalk us? There’s nothing going on between us. Noah will understand.” I scoffed. Huh, I’d been married to Briar for years, yet she didn’t even know where I worked. “Oh yeah, you two are so innocent. So innocent you ended up in the OB/GYN department.” Seeing me expose their affair, Briar furiously shoved me. “If you weren’t stalking us, why are you here? Are you really so intolerant?!” I’d been so busy all day I hadn’t even had a drop of water, and I’d just finished a four-hour surgery. Feeling dizzy and disoriented, I was unprepared for her push and my body slammed against the corner of a counter behind me. Briar looked momentarily guilty. Julian immediately came over, feigning concern to help me, chiding Briar, but a triumphant smirk played on his lips. I pushed him away in disgust. Unexpectedly, he collapsed directly to the floor. Briar rushed to cradle Julian, looking at me with loathing: “Don’t you know he’s in the late stages of his illness?! If anything happens to Julian, I swear I’ll never forgive you!” I watched helplessly as my wife left with another man.

After work, I returned home, opened my phone, and saw Julian Vance’s Ins post: “So incredibly happy to have such a wonderful woman by my side.” The picture showed Briar holding Julian’s hand. Beneath it were replies from Briar’s friends: “Isn’t this our Briar’s hand? 😉” “Lovers always find their way back to each other, congrats!” “Moved by such unwavering, beautiful love. Blessings!” The next second, I saw Briar’s reply: “Stop stirring things up, Julian is sick, I’m just taking care of him. Do you want to see your brother-in-law and me get divorced?” At her words, Briar’s friends all implicitly responded with an ambiguous “Got it.” Only Chelsea Reed said: “Pfft, who cares about him. You’re already pregnant with your true love’s baby anyway, just get divorced already.” Chelsea was Briar’s best friend. She’d always thought I wasn’t good enough for Briar, that I wasn’t as considerate or sensible as Julian. I opened Ins and posted the signed divorce papers. They were barely up before I got a flood of likes and comments. But not a single one from Briar’s friends. They had tacitly chosen to pretend not to see it. Maybe by now, they were already celebrating Briar’s newfound freedom. I looked around the house. When we first got married, I excitedly discussed with Briar how to decorate our new home. Back then, Briar impatiently waved it off, leaving everything to me. Every single item in this house was meticulously chosen by me. I packed my belongings, tossing all the matching couple items into the trash. Just as I stepped out, I ran into Briar, who was returning. She stomped towards me in high heels, her face seething. “What are you doing? It’s just helping him have a baby, is that really worth a divorce?!” When I loved her, I thought she was adorable no matter what. But now, looking at her face, I realized she was just an ordinary person, even somewhat disgusting. I ignored her, pulling my luggage towards my car. But she ran over and grabbed me. “Are you done yet? Aren’t you just trying to force me? He’s sick, how can you be so vicious?!” How could she say such shameless things so casually? I couldn’t hold back anymore and pushed her away, mindful that she was pregnant, so I held back some strength. It wasn’t that I still had feelings for her; I just wanted her to be tied down with Julian Vance and divorce me quickly. ““Yes, I’m that vicious. So hurry up and sign the papers.” Behind me, Briar’s angry shouts echoed: “Fine, you leave, and don’t you dare regret it!”

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The sixth day after my daughter Lily was born, I developed a fever. But my husband, Derek, had gone to buy diapers, and my mother-in-law, Brenda, was out getting groceries. Neither was back yet. I waited, enduring, drifting in and out of consciousness until Lily’s cries jolted me awake. Only then did I realize I’d either been asleep or had passed out. I quickly tried calling Derek. His phone was off. I called Brenda. Her phone was off too. I had married thousands of miles away from my family, and I had no relatives or friends here. My only option was to call an ambulance. As my fever began to subside, I picked up my phone and saw a message from Derek: “Mom works her fingers to the bone for us, and you still managed to upset her. She’s too fragile for this, so I’m taking her away to clear her head. You really need to think about your behavior.” I stared at the message for a long, long time, until a nurse exclaimed in surprise: “Where’s her family? The IV is backing up with blood, and no one noticed?” I wiped the dampness from my face and said blandly, “My apologies. I’m a single mother. My husband’s family? They’re as good as dead to me.”

The nurse looked at the reddened IV tube, then gave me a sympathetic glance. “Oh, single moms have it rough. By the way, your daughter needs to stay in the NICU for observation.” My heart lurched. “What’s wrong with her? It’s not pneumonia or a cough, is it?” Lily had also developed a fever, and we’d both been rushed to the hospital together. The nurse, while adjusting my IV, comforted me. “Pediatrics said no, it’s probably just a chill.” I breathed a slight sigh of relief. The nurse then asked, “If your husband’s family isn’t around, can your parents come to help out? With both you and your little one hospitalized, it’s inconvenient without family nearby.” Actually, I had thought about calling Mom and Dad when I woke up, but they lived too far away. From the West Coast to the East Coast—it spanned almost the entire country. Even if they rushed, the fastest they could get here would be tomorrow. In that moment, I truly understood what it meant to marry so far away: no family support! Seeing my silence, the nurse didn’t press further. She’d seen this situation countless times in the hospital; there was nothing for her not to understand. As she left, she turned back to remind me, “Even if you’re raising the baby alone, you need to take better care of yourself. Look at your milk ducts, they’re so clogged you waited until they got inflamed. We’ll start with anti-inflammatory and milk-clearing treatments for the next couple of days. If that doesn’t work, you might need surgery to drain them.” I sighed, clutching my chest, which throbbed with needle-like pain. My milk ducts clogged the day after Lily was born. My chest felt hard as a rock, and the pain was unbearable. I told Brenda I needed a bland diet, but yesterday she still cooked a greasy pot of pig trotters soup for me, saying it would help with milk production. I told her I couldn’t drink it, and she immediately started tearing up, complaining to Derek that I was throwing a fit. Derek’s face darkened instantly. He scolded me, saying it was “just clogged milk ducts,” how could I refuse the soup Mom had slaved over? He didn’t even notice I already had a low-grade fever. I was too weak from the pain to argue with him, so I turned away and ignored him. He stood behind me, huffing, “I’m not one of those ungrateful sons who forgets his mother the moment he gets married. You’re a college graduate, and your parents are educated people. Surely you know what it means to respect your elders and be grateful, right?” I had intended to just put up with it, but then he dragged my parents into it, and I was so angry, tears welled up. “Derek, grateful? My milk ducts have been blocked for three days, and your mom still insists I drink that pig trotters soup. If I don’t, she cries and complains to you. What exactly am I supposed to be grateful for?” “If you think my mom isn’t good enough, then you take care of yourself! My mom isn’t a maid to serve a princess!” That really pushed me over the edge. “Derek, my incision hasn’t even healed properly. Are you even listening to yourself? Fine, I guess I’m not destined for the Miller family’s care, I accept that. Have your mom give me the $2,500 for a confinement nurse, and I’ll hire one myself.” “Crazy! Unbelievable!” Derek spun around and stormed out. I had hit a nerve. When I was pregnant, I wanted to hire a confinement nurse. Brenda didn’t want to come take care of me during my postpartum confinement, saying Leo was at a critical time for his exams and couldn’t do without her cooking and care. My mom was a homeroom teacher for a graduating class and couldn’t take such a long leave. She was also afraid I’d suffer, so she offered to pay for me to stay at a luxury postpartum care center. Derek said the money for the center would be better used to upgrade our car, since with a baby, we’d need a bigger one. I suggested we just hire a confinement nurse then. A colleague recommended Aunt Carol, a great confinement nurse she had used. The price was agreed: $2,000 for forty-two days. Brenda heard about it and insisted on coming. She said she’d given birth to two children and knew best how to take care of a baby. Besides, she argued, no outsider would care as much as the baby’s own grandmother. Why pay an outsider when family could earn that money? I disagreed at first. Brenda’s sole focus was always on Leo. Derek tried hard to please her, but Brenda didn’t even seem to like him much. In my eyes, if it weren’t for stringing along Derek just to get money to support Leo, she wouldn’t even bother to humor him. If she didn’t even like her own son, would she like me and the baby? But Derek kept pleading with me: “Chloe, Mom rarely comes to our place. She genuinely wants to take care of you and our baby. Just do it for me, please.” Seeing his hopeful face, I couldn’t bear to refuse and agreed. I never imagined I was setting myself up for such a huge disaster. When I was discharged and returned home, I found that Derek had given the master bedroom to Brenda. Lily and I were relegated to the smaller second bedroom. The tiny room, with a bassinet crammed in, left me barely any space to move. That would have been somewhat bearable. But the second bedroom had no private bathroom, so every time I had to bathe Lily, I had to use the main bathroom. Brenda wouldn’t even properly dry Lily’s hair or body. She’d just haphazardly wrap her in a bath towel and hand her to me to get dressed. I reminded her that the baby could easily catch a cold that way. She immediately complained to Derek, accusing me of nitpicking. Before she came, Derek and I had a pretty good relationship. We never had a serious argument or raised our voices at each other. I remembered when I first came out of the delivery room, he had red-rimmed eyes and gently touched my IV-drip hand, saying, “You worked so hard, my love.” He even held Lily, smiling foolishly and saying how lucky he was to have such a cute daughter. I thought I was so happy then. But after Brenda arrived, within just a few days, Derek was like a different person. “She’s my mom, what do you expect me to do?” “She’s my mom, can’t you just put up with it?” “She’s my mom, can you please stop making a scene?” We argued almost daily. I was utterly fed up. But looking at Lily’s adorable little face, I told myself to just let it go. Brenda would leave once my postpartum confinement was over anyway. As for Derek, my feelings for him had faded. I’d just consider him a roommate to raise our daughter. Endure it! Endure it! I wanted to endure, but Brenda didn’t. The moment Derek left, Brenda walked right in. She went to the window without a word and, *bang*, flung it open. A late autumn chill immediately poured into the room.

I panicked. Lily had just had a bath; her body was still damp, making her highly susceptible to catching a cold. With the wind blowing, she coughed several times. I yelled, “What are you doing opening the window? Close it now!” Brenda pursed her lips and said, smiling sweetly, “Didn’t you say you wanted to follow scientific recovery methods? I specifically learned that bedrooms need ventilation!” I was fuming. “Ventilation means opening the window just a crack during the warm daytime hours. Who opens a window wide open in the dead of a cold night for ventilation?” She was clearly doing it on purpose to provoke me. As soon as I said that, she lowered her head, eyes red-rimmed, and walked out, as if I had subjected her to immense injustice. I quickly braved the cold wind and closed the window. The moment I got back into bed, Derek burst in. “Chloe Miller, can you please stop being so dramatic? I stewed pig trotters soup for your milk supply, and you said it was old-fashioned and unscientific.” “My mom, at her age, specifically went to learn scientific methods for pregnant women, and she ventilated your room, yet you yell at her.” “Can’t you show some manners and be more sensible?” “My mom is fifty years old! She’s trying to help you, and she’s doing it wrong?” Looking at his angry, dark-red face, I suddenly felt like I was looking at a complete stranger. My body felt colder than when the wind had swept through earlier. I tightened my shawl and said coldly, “Derek, don’t let your mom trouble herself with me anymore. Tell her to leave tomorrow.” He clenched his jaw. “Fine! You said it, don’t you dare regret it!” With that, he slammed the door and left. Lily was startled by the door slamming and burst into tears. I could hear Derek comforting Brenda in the living room. No one came to check on Lily. I endured the pain from my C-section incision, picked up Lily, and gently soothed her. Her small head brushed against my chest, and I felt a jolt, a sharp pain radiating up and down my body. I shivered uncontrollably. For the first time, I felt like I’d be better off a widow. Tears silently streamed down my face. In five days of recovery, I shed more tears than I had in my entire twenty-five years combined. Partly due to unstable hormones, but mostly because my heart had died. All night long, not a single person came in to care for Lily. I stayed awake the entire night, completely drained of energy. Early this morning, Lily started crying again. Derek said he was going to buy diapers, and Brenda said she was getting groceries. They both left. My head was spinning, and I didn’t have the energy to argue. I just told myself the argument from yesterday was over. It would just be like this, I had to get through this recovery period, right? I never imagined they were using an excuse to leave, afraid I would stop them. And I certainly never expected them to board a plane for a vacation to clear their heads. No wonder I couldn’t reach them on their phones; they were on a flight. This made me laugh, a bitter, hollow laugh. Did such a man deserve to be a husband, a father? How foolish was I to still treat him like a human being? I tossed my phone aside, pondering what to do next. I couldn’t come up with anything. So I simply cleared my mind and stared at the stark white ceiling. After a long moment, I told myself: Chloe Miller, this cannot go on. Perhaps because half a day had passed, and I hadn’t replied to a single message, Derek felt a bit frustrated and sent two more. “Chloe Miller, I just want you to experience how hard it is to take care of a child, and how much my mom sacrifices. Don’t be ungrateful, not knowing how good you have it.” “Mom is very upset, I’ll go comfort her again. You caused this mess, and I have to clean it up. Why can’t you be more like Vanessa… Never mind, we’re about to board a boat for a sea excursion. You video call Mom tonight and apologize to her.” I barely heard what he said after that. But he mentioned “Vanessa” and paused, and I heard that clearly. Hah! He was still thinking about her. I used to wonder why the less his mom liked him, the harder he tried to please her; and why, even after Vanessa dumped him, he still couldn’t forget her. I thought it was because he lacked love as a child. Now I understood. Wasn’t that just pathetic?

My right hand, pressing the cotton ball, was aching, so I unconsciously shook it a little. The blood at the needle site, which hadn’t clotted, suddenly gushed out. I quickly called for the nurse. The nurse, who happened to be at the doorway, hurried back to help me replace the cotton ball. “Press harder! You bled so much, you need to press longer!” Her voice was a little stern. I weakly nodded. “Okay!” Seeing my poor condition, the nurse softened her tone. “You still have two more bags of IV fluids later, and you don’t seem to have much energy. Maybe hire a caregiver? Not noticing blood returning in the IV can be very dangerous.” “Then please help me find a good caregiver,” I said. In the past, because I wanted a bigger house and a nicer car, I scrimped and saved, not even buying myself a bubble tea. And now, those two were flying to the beach, staying in a five-star hotel, and enjoying a seafood feast. My frugality was an absolute joke. I needed to be good to myself. The next IV bag was scheduled for half an hour later. I endured the pain all over my body and went to the NICU to see Lily. When I arrived, the ward nurse said Lily had just gotten over her fever and was asleep. Because I had a high fever, the doctor wouldn’t let me get close to Lily. I could only watch from a distance. I saw other babies being looked after by entire families, while Lily lay alone in her small crib. Her little face was flushed, and she was breathing with tiny, labored gasps through her small open mouth. She must have sweated from the fever earlier; her short, soft hair was matted to her scalp. My heart ached with a mix of sorrow and pain. I could endure any hardship for myself, but I couldn’t bear to see my daughter suffer. Reluctantly, I still called Derek. He didn’t answer. I called several times, and he hung up each time. I sent a message, telling him Lily was hospitalized and needed someone to stay with her. He sent a voice message much later, his voice full of anger. “Chloe Miller, can you stop being so dramatic? The moment I leave, you have to invent a lie about our daughter being hospitalized?” “I’m just accompanying Mom to clear her head. Can’t you just be calm for a few days?” I looked at his message, and my heart felt like it had swallowed a block of ice. It slowly melted, chilling my entire body bit by bit, to the bone. How foolish was I to still treat him like a human being? All those tangled thoughts suddenly became crystal clear. If Derek truly loved me, he wouldn’t have insisted Brenda come stay with us in the first place. Every time there was a conflict with Brenda, he wouldn’t have simply told me to endure it. He disregarded my feelings for only one reason: he didn’t love me at all. I earned enough money to live a perfectly comfortable life on my own, so why was I staying in a strange city, enduring hardship and being disrespected? Why should I expect others to suddenly show me kindness? There was no reason, absolutely no reason at all! It took me barely a second to make my decision: leave this city, leave that rotten excuse for a human being!

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No one knew that Julian Reed, the aloof and privileged heir, was in truth consumed by insatiable desire, yet crippled by severe germaphobia. But the Reed family’s reputation, their inheritance, couldn’t have the slightest blemish. To keep this secret buried, Julian adopted me from a remote orphanage. He groomed me to be his most exquisite kept woman. To the public, I was his adoptive sister. But when night fell, he’d consume me completely, his touch a desperate entanglement. Ten years passed. He told me countless times that I could only be his, that I had to love him. I did. I thought he felt the same. Until Sloane Hastings appeared, shattering every single one of my illusions. She could lie beside Julian without the meticulous, dozens-of-times full-body disinfection I endured. She could openly accept Julian’s marriage proposal and declarations of love. That’s when I finally understood. I was never his only one. Not before, and certainly not now. I turned, pulled out my phone, and dialed that unfamiliar number. “Vincent, I want to marry you!”

After I was rudely thrown out of the room, Julian carelessly tossed my clothes after me. Then, as if shooing a stray dog, he threw a stack of cash at me. “Don’t come back tonight! Go find a hotel to crash in!” “Sloane doesn’t like outsiders in the house!” He didn’t even bother to close the door properly before quickly tearing off his own clothes, pinning the dirty girl to the bed. Their intimate moans filled the air. My eyes burned with tears, my heart felt like it was stuffed with damp cotton, suffocating me. He had once told me he had severe germaphobia, that he would never casually touch other women! But his primal urges were so intense, he’d unravel without a female presence. That’s why, when I was eight, he chose me and kept me by his side. On my eighteenth birthday, he ‘unwrapped’ me like a cherished gift, claiming what he considered his. My innocence. It was the first time a man had ever made me a promise, and it came from Julian Reed. He’d said I was his only woman, that perhaps in this lifetime, he would only ever have me. Our connection, he’d claimed, was unparalleled. But now, he called me an outsider. He took another girl, right in front of me. And that girl didn’t need to douse herself in antiseptic like I did every single time. Even covered in grime, she was still pressed onto the white sheets by Julian, taken by him without hesitation. He would lower his head, exploring every part of her, without a hint of disgust. My limbs felt like lead, utterly paralyzed. I couldn’t move. I stood there, stiff as a board, outside their door, listening to the muffled sounds of their passion rise and fall throughout the entire night. It wasn’t until the dark sky began to lighten that the sounds from the room finally quieted. I moved my numb, stiff body, clutching my crumpled clothes to my chest, and fled the scene in a daze. After I changed, there was a knock on my door. I opened it to find Julian, already in a black suit, hair meticulously combed, his expression as unreadable as ever. He looked at me with no trace of guilt, as if nothing had happened. “Harper, where’s that Chanel set I bought you last time?” I bit my lip, tears stinging my eyes, defying me by falling. “Julian, aren’t you going to explain? Why did you bring another woman home? That bed… isn’t it just for me?” Julian’s brow furrowed slightly, his gaze a storm of emotions – disgust, impatience, and a barely contained fury. “Harper, you’ve overstepped! Yes, you bear the Reed name, but don’t forget, I gave it to you. Know your place!” With that, he ignored my hurt, reaching out his hand directly. “Give me the dress!” Trembling, I took the pink Chanel set from the closet. I’d pestered him to buy it for me when I accompanied him to a fashion show once. He had gently agreed, buying the most expensive set there. “Want more? I can buy you anything you like.” I’d clung to him, blushing, and whispered in his ear, “I like you. Can I buy you?” He’d chuckled softly, “If you like me, just take me. I’m only yours!” But now, before I’d even had a chance to wear it, he was taking it to give to someone else. Muffled footsteps sounded from outside the door. Julian took the clothes, opened the door, and saw Sloane Hastings standing barefoot outside my room. “Why are you out here? You’ll catch a cold. Go back inside!” His voice was so gentle, a tenderness I’d only ever heard in bed. Once out of bed, I felt humble and distant in front of him, as if the man who’d consumed me night after night wasn’t him. But now, he could casually offer that same tenderness to this Sloane Hastings. Who was she? What did she truly mean to him? Sloane’s cheeks were flushed, and pink marks dotted her skin where her towel didn’t quite cover. She clung to Julian’s arm, whining coyly, feigning an innocent pout. “Are you mad? You’re not trying to take advantage, are you, Julian? No, no!” Julian chuckled, playfully pinching her nose. “You’re overthinking it, love. You know about my… condition. I had to keep someone around to manage it, but with you, Sloane, I won’t need anyone else.” Boom! My heart exploded, a pounding rhythm echoing through my very soul. I never imagined he would so easily reveal the secret of his “condition” – his primal urges and agoraphobia – a secret he’d guarded for years. This meant Sloane was more than just a passing fling. He was serious! And I was merely a replaceable tool! Julian walked away, holding the woman close, their laughter drifting from the other room once more. As their door slammed shut with a thud. I finally snapped awake. He didn’t need me. So why was I tying my entire worth to this one man? Julian Reed, from now on, you won’t be my only one either. You’ll be my stepping stone. I’ll use everything you taught me to climb to the position I truly desire! I wiped away my tears, rubbed my numb face, and pulled out my phone to dial a number. “Vincent, you once said whoever could break through your… detachment… would become the Reed family matriarch. I want to try!”

The voice on the other end paused for a moment, then came the man’s deep, slightly angry tone. “Don’t be ridiculous, Harper. You’re Julian’s adoptive sister, and I’m your uncle!” I bit my lip, my voice firm. “I’m not kidding! Uncle… no, Vincent, I’m only his adoptive sister, but in the future, I don’t have to be.” Vincent on the phone seemed to hesitate. In the Reed family, the only unmarried men, besides Julian, were Vincent. As an orphan, if I wanted to solidify my place in the Reed family, and gain a share in their business, this was my only path. Marrying Vincent, becoming his wife, would unconditionally grant me ten percent of the Reed family’s shares. And an even more generous dowry. Vincent suffered from a hidden ailment; unlike Julian, he was extremely detached from women. He had tried various medications, but women simply didn’t interest him. But the Reed family had more than one male heir. The vast Reed empire would inevitably fall to the one who could secure an heir. Succession and power hinge on heirs, especially male ones. “If, after one year, I can’t bear a Reed heir, I’ll leave the family!” “But if I succeed, I want an additional five percent of the Reed family shares that the matriarch controls. And I want to study finance and work at Reed Corp. Those are my terms.” Vincent suddenly let out a burst of laughter. Just as I thought he wouldn’t agree, he finally spoke. “Alright! Come over tonight, I’ll pick you up!” I nodded. “Okay, I’ll wait for you!” After hanging up, I realized my palms were sweating. Julian had appeared behind me at some point, his voice displeased. “Who are you waiting for?” I spun around, seeing him holding Sloane Hastings’ hand, now dressed in a white suit that matched her dress. I pretended not to care, offering a faint smile. “It’s none of your business, Julian…” It had been a long time since I called him Julian. His face darkened. He was about to say something when Sloane, by his side, cut him off. “Julian, didn’t you have something to clear up with Harper?” Julian’s tone suddenly softened as he handed me a bank card. “I’ll transfer you ten thousand a month from now on. Starting today, don’t ever appear in front of me again.” I forced a bitter smile. Even though I’d prepared myself to leave, the thought of severing fifteen years of attachment still brought tears to my eyes. Just as they were about to fall, I hastily wiped them away, took the bank card, and squeezed out a smile. “Okay, Julian! Thank you for these fifteen years of looking after me!” I left everything Julian had given me behind, taking only my personal documents. I stood outside the door with my half-empty suitcase. Sloane suddenly walked over, extending her hand. “That bracelet on your wrist, that’s from the Reed family, isn’t it? Give it to me!” I instinctively shielded it. “This isn’t from him. This is my mother’s heirloom…” “Harper Reed, you’re just a cheap bed-warmer! Low-class trash! How dare you dream of the Reed family? Who gave you that right? Give it to me!” I clenched my fingers tightly, glaring at her. “This bracelet was my mother’s! And you have no right to insult me!” Sloane scoffed dismissively. Without Julian present, she was cruel and malicious. I couldn’t understand why Julian would like such a two-faced woman! She leaned in close again, whispering her boast. “What else would you be but low-class trash? Julian told me everything. He has that ‘condition,’ that’s why he kept you around.” “I should thank you for being his personal plaything all these years, satisfying his needs!” “But a cockroach like you, crawling out of a gutter, will never have any ties to the Reed family! I, Sloane Hastings, am the one meant to stand beside him! Don’t dream of what isn’t yours! Otherwise, I have plenty of ways to make you regret it!” With that, she suddenly grabbed my bracelet, twisting hard. The loose bracelet snapped, falling to the ground and breaking into three pieces. Smack! I slapped Sloane hard across the face. She clutched her cheek, tears streaming down, looking utterly pitiful. Julian heard the sound and immediately rushed out, then, without a word, he brutally returned the slap to me. My ears rang, and I fell to the ground, the bracelet fragments digging deep into my palm. Julian’s face was grim. He then savagely stomped on the back of my hand. “Harper Reed! Apologize!”

Excruciating pain spread from my palm, making my whole body tremble uncontrollably. But I stubbornly refused to open my mouth. In his eyes, however, this was an act of defiance, a challenge. “No apology? Then don’t ever call me brother again! You won’t get a single penny more!” With that, he yanked the red cord from his neck and tossed it into the trash can. That red cord was one I had personally braided, holding the handmade plain silver ring I’d given him. Red cord broken, fate severed. I laughed bitterly, tears now unrestrained. “Fine! Julian Reed, I swear, from this moment on, we have absolutely nothing to do with each other!” Julian’s body stiffened, then he put his arm around Sloane and walked away. With my swollen hand, I painstakingly picked up the fragments of the bracelet from the ground. A car pulled up behind me. Vincent got out, helped me into the car. He saw my injury, applied antiseptic, and bandaged it, but didn’t ask a single question. My phone rang. It was Julian. I hung up directly. The screen lit up. He’d sent a message. “Come home tomorrow. We need to sign a relationship termination agreement!” “From now on, you are no longer part of my Reed family!” With trembling fingers, I painstakingly typed out a single word. “Okay!” Just as I was about to turn off my phone, I saw a several-second video Sloane had sent me. All my clothes and jewelry in my room had been thrown into the trash, replaced by things Julian had given her. The photo of Julian and me on the bedside table had been cut up, my image shredded from it. And Julian sat beside her, his face full of adoration, tacitly approving her every action. “Sloane, there are some private photos of us in the closet. You can get rid of those too.” Then he took a thick stack of photos from a box in the closet and handed them to Sloane. I turned off my phone, wearily closing my eyes. Unbeknownst to me, I had fallen asleep. When I woke, the car was already parked in Vincent’s villa garage. He sat beside me, focused and serious, working. His suit jacket was draped over me. “Uncle Vincent…” “Call me Vincent!” “Vincent, I’m sorry to have kept you waiting so long.” Vincent wasn’t angry. He got out of the car, opened my door for me, and took my hand, resting it on his shoulder. He picked me up and carried me into the villa. “You’ll live here from now on. Also, I’ve enrolled you in a finance program. You can start classes whenever you’re ready.” I quickly pushed aside all my gloomy emotions. I always knew what I wanted. I didn’t want to go back to the cramped, dark room of the orphanage, nor did I want to beg on my knees for a mouthful of food. All I wanted was money and power. That night, I used every trick Julian had taught me. Vincent and I didn’t close our eyes the entire night. It wasn’t until my alarm rang that I jolted awake from my dream. I’d promised to go with Julian to finalize the relationship termination agreement today. “Do you want me to take you?” Vincent’s arm was wrapped around me, his hoarse, deep voice lingering in my ear. I shook my head. “No, I want to end this myself.” “Alright. If anything happens, call me!”

Arriving at Julian Reed’s villa, I entered the usual password, but it showed as incorrect. I forced a bitter smile. I’d forgotten there was no longer a place for me here. Just as I was about to knock, someone suddenly clamped a hand over my mouth and nose, shoving me into a car. Sloane Hastings’ sneering voice came from above me. “Harper Reed, you’re truly shameless! You’ve been kicked out, and you still dare to come here to tempt Julian?” “You’re so desperate for a man, well, I’ll satisfy you!” My eyes widened in terror. The car sped off towards a remote location. And the hands covering my mouth suddenly groped my chest. Rip! The thin fabric tore instantly. “This chick’s hot! Ms. Hastings, you weren’t lying, right? We can do whatever we want?” Sloane lit a cigarette, watching me playfully. “Just don’t kill her. Leave her a breath.” I desperately spat out the rag stuffed in my mouth, screaming in horror. “Sloane Hastings! Aren’t you afraid Julian will find out about this?!” She just laughed carelessly. “So what if he knows? He won’t blame me.” “Julian and I are getting married soon. In his eyes, your existence is just a stain. If I help him clean up this stain, he’ll even be grateful!” With that, her eyes suddenly hardened, and I saw pure jealousy. “Today I’m warning you, every place Julian touched on you, I’ll have another man defile! That way, in his eyes, you’ll be completely dirty!” “Have a wonderful day!” Sloane pulled out her phone and aimed it at me. I felt an increasing heat spread through my body. “Sloane You drugged me!” Sloane laughed maniacally. A man’s rough palm squeezed the tender flesh of my inner thigh. All I felt was hatred and shame. Then I bit down hard, tearing the man’s palm, threw open the car door, and jumped out. Thud! I was hit by a car that had sped up behind me, sending me flying. After a heavy landing, I saw that the car that hit me was Julian’s. He got out in a panic, distraught at the sight of me lying in a pool of blood. “Harper…” But before he could reach me, another voice cut him off. “Julian… help me…” “Sloane!” He quickly ran towards Sloane Hastings. I reached out to him, crying out in despair, but he didn’t spare me a single glance. Sloane clutched her chest, sobbing uncontrollably. “Julian, Harper… she… she got men to humiliate me… I argued with her, and she accidentally fell out of the car…” “Don’t be scared, I’m here! I’m here for you!” Julian’s eyes burned with intense hatred. “Harper Reed! You utterly disgust me!” I tried to argue. “I didn’t…” “Still trying to deny it! Harper, you stay here and reflect! When you realize your mistake, then I’ll come save you!” And just like that, Julian carried Sloane away. Leaving me, with broken legs and bleeding profusely, behind. After they left, I trembling took out my phone and sent Vincent a location. Vincent arrived quickly, his entire body shaking with tension. I almost hallucinated, feeling a bone-chilling coldness emanating from the usually gentle Vincent. After being admitted to the hospital, Vincent canceled all his work to take care of me for a month, until I was discharged. At the same time, news spread through the Reed family. Julian Reed and Sloane Hastings were getting married. Vincent covered my legs with a blanket, his eyes full of smiles as he said to me. “Harper, it’s time to make our relationship public.” “Today?” “Today!” A black Maybach pulled up outside Julian Reed’s wedding venue. It was a traditional Western wedding. As the officiant loudly announced. “Mr. Vincent and his fiancée, Ms. Harper Reed, have arrived to extend their congratulations!” All eyes turned to us. And I clearly saw Julian, the boutonnière he held in his hand falling to the ground the moment he saw me. His body trembled, his face pale.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “299852”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #励志Inspiring #后宫Harem #玄幻Fantasy #校园School