Category: English

I was known in our circle as the ultimate little vixen, with my lips always curled into a knowing smile and eyes that could charm anyone. Julian Sterling, on the other hand, was the most brilliant heir of the elite families, an untouchable enigma, known for his cold restraint. No one knew that two people so utterly opposite, like Julian and I, would be entangled in such a wild, desperate way—wrestling in the backseat of his Maybach late at night, clawing at each other in the charity gala’s bathroom, or pressed against the floor-to-ceiling windows of his private vineyard, his hands gripping my waist, pushing me against the glass until my legs turned to jelly. After another night of pure abandon, I heard the shower running in the bathroom. I leaned against the headboard, dialing my father, Robert. “I can marry that dying heir from Southwood City to bring him luck, but I have one condition…” On the other end, his voice was barely contained with glee. “Name it! Whatever you want, your father will agree, as long as you marry him!” “I’ll tell you the details when I get home.” My voice was soft, but my eyes held a chilling indifference. I hung up and was about to get up and get dressed when my eyes caught Julian’s laptop lying beside the bed. The SnapChat screen was lit up, the newest message from a girl named “Willow.” 【Julian, it’s thundering, I’m so scared…】 My fingers trembled. The bathroom door suddenly opened, and Julian walked out. Water droplets slid down his collarbone, his shirt unbuttoned casually at the top two buttons, giving him a lazy yet dangerously sensual look. “Something came up at the office. I’m leaving.” He picked up his jacket, his voice still cool and distant. My lips curled into a faint smile. “Is it really the office, or are you going to see your first love?” Julian didn’t quite hear me. “What?” “Nothing.” I got out of bed barefoot, my delicate feet sinking into the soft carpet. His eyes darkened slightly, and his thumb brushed against my swollen lips. “Be good, don’t cause trouble.” The moment the door closed, the smile vanished from my face. I hailed a cab and followed him. Half an hour later, the car stopped in front of a hotel. Through the rain-streaked window, I saw Willow, dressed in a white gown, running out of the hotel entrance. Julian quickly stepped forward, took off his suit jacket, and draped it over her shoulders, then swept her into his arms. “It’s cold out. Why did you come out without a jacket, hm?” His actions were so practiced, as if he’d rehearsed them a thousand times. I clutched the car door handle, my nails digging deep into my palm. Watching Julian carefully carry Willow into the hotel, I suddenly remembered the first time I saw him. Back then, my father and I were at odds. After I’d cracked his head open one too many times, he sent me to his best friend’s son for ‘guidance,’ claiming it would temper my spoiled heiress temper. When we first met, Julian was in his top-floor office at Sterling Corp, his gaze through his gold-rimmed glasses as cold as ice. Of course, I didn’t want to be there. So I tried every trick in the book to cause trouble. On my first day, I spilled coffee all over his custom-tailored suit worth a fortune. Julian merely gave me a brief glance. “That cashmere was flown in from Italy. Put it on the Sterling family’s tab.” The next day, I deliberately shredded important meeting documents. Julian didn’t bat an eye, instead reciting the entire content from memory, leaving the executives in the room stunned. On the third day, I drugged his coffee, set up a camera, and planned to capture his embarrassing state to blackmail him. Instead, I became his antidote. Waking up the next day, every muscle ached. I was furious, ready to kill, but Julian pinned me against the floor-to-ceiling window for another round. “Blair,” he whispered, biting my earlobe, his voice hoarse. “Be good.” That one word, “Blair,” completely disarmed me. No one had called me that since my mother passed away. From then on, our relationship completely changed. Every time I caused trouble, Julian would simply haul me into his office. Outsiders thought he was scolding me, but in reality, he was pressing me against his desk until my legs gave out. Gradually, I found myself craving more. Was it his skill? Or was it just my loneliness? I didn’t know. All I knew was that I was completely hooked. So, on his birthday, I spent an entire day decorating his villa. Roses, candlelight, music—I even had an engagement ring ready. But I waited all night. The candles burned out, the roses wilted, and he never came. It wasn’t until 3 AM that a news alert popped up on my phone— #Elite CEO Spotted Picking Up His First Love Late at Night# The photo showed Julian carefully shielding a girl in a white dress as they got into a car, his gaze achingly tender. The comments section exploded: “OMG, a powerful CEO and his innocent first love. I’m obsessed!” “Holy sh*t! Isn’t that Mr. Sterling and Willow, the campus queen? Back in the day, they were the golden couple of our school!” “I went to the same school, I can confirm! Mr. Sterling was cold to everyone but always smiled at Willow! If she hadn’t gone abroad for her health, they’d probably be married by now!” My phone *clattered* to the floor. I couldn’t believe my eyes. If Julian already had someone in his heart, what was I? Just a convenient bedmate? I frantically dialed Julian’s number, desperate for an answer, but the call never connected. After the last failed attempt, I put down my phone and walked into Julian’s study, a room he never allowed me to enter. The moment I pushed open the door, I felt like I’d been struck by lightning— The room was filled with Willow’s photos. Graduation photos, travel photos, even candid shots of her sleeping. Julian Sterling, who was always so cool and self-controlled, had done something like this. Whether I got an answer or not, it no longer seemed to matter. I suddenly burst out laughing, my laughter echoing harshly in the empty room. As I laughed, hot tears streamed down my face, tracing my delicate jawline before splashing onto the floor. With red-rimmed eyes, I trashed the entire villa. The next day, Julian returned, looked at the mess, and calmly instructed his staff to clean up. He didn’t even spare me a glance, as if my actions were perfectly normal. I watched, helpless, as the maids swept away the engagement ring I had so carefully prepared, treating it like trash. He didn’t know what was in that box. He didn’t know I had wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. And he certainly didn’t know that the moment that ring was swept into the trash, I also decided I would no longer love him. “Miss Blair, where are you going?” The driver’s voice pulled me back to reality. “Home.” I opened my eyes, my voice icy. “Back to the Sterling family home.” Back at the Sterling villa, my father, Robert, immediately greeted me. “Blair, are you really willing to marry into the Southwood family?” On the stairs, my stepmother, Victoria, also looked at me expectantly. “Yes.” My eyes turned cold. “But didn’t I say I had a condition?” “What condition? Tell me!” “I want to…” I enunciated each word slowly. “…disown you as my father.” The air froze. Robert’s face instantly changed. “You’ve gone insane! Do you know what you’re saying?!” “Couldn’t be clearer.” My voice was as cold as ice. “You cheated on my mother, and to make way for that woman, you literally drove my mother to jump to her death. From that day on, I stopped wanting you as a father.” I stared at Robert’s ashen face. “Now the dying heir of Southwood City’s family is offering 50 billion for a propitious marriage, and you’ve been pestering me for three months. If I didn’t agree, were you planning to tie me up and drag me there?” “If that’s the case, what difference does it make if we cut ties?” I sneered, my lips twisting. “Perfect timing to bring your mistress’s daughter back and let her be the Sterling heiress.” Robert was trembling with rage. “Fine! Cut ties then! But the Southwood heir is rumored to not live past the end of the month, so you *must* marry him before then!” He sneered. “As for Victoria’s daughter, she returned from abroad two days ago and has been staying in a hotel. Since you’re willing to give up your position, she’ll move in tomorrow!” I laughed out loud, my heart aching and trembling. “Eager to pamper another woman while neglecting your own daughter, you truly are one of a kind.” I turned to leave, but Victoria, my stepmother, feigned concern and blocked my path. “Blair, how can you talk to your father like that?” I stopped abruptly. I slowly turned back, my eyes burning with years of suppressed hatred. “What? Do you think that once I’m married and out of this house, you can finally put on airs as the legitimate wife?” I stepped closer, one step at a time. “Victoria, listen carefully. Even if my mother is dead, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re a universally despised homewrecker! And your precious daughter, even if she becomes the Sterling heiress, can’t erase the stain of her mother being the other woman!” Victoria’s face instantly paled, and she staggered back two steps. I turned and walked away, each step feeling like I was treading on knife edges. It wasn’t until I returned to my room and closed the door that I slid to the floor, as if all my strength had been drained, burying my face deep in my knees. The next morning, I heard a noisy commotion and laughter downstairs. “What’s going on?” I threw open the door. “Are you trying to keep me from sleeping?” Mr. Davies, the butler, stammered. “Miss Blair… Miss Willow has moved in…” Before he could finish, a familiar figure appeared at the top of the stairs— Willow stood there in a white dress, looking soft and delicate. My blood instantly froze! I never imagined that my stepmother’s daughter, who had supposedly been “recovering from illness” abroad for years, was actually Julian’s first love. Fate truly played a cruel joke on me. The next second, Willow walked towards me, a sweet smile on her face. “I’m so sorry, big sis. Did I wake you up…?” Before she could finish, I slammed the door shut with a *bang*. “Blair! Have you no manners?!” Robert roared from outside. “Empty your room! Willow likes it; it’ll be her room from now on!” I sneered and immediately opened my closet to start packing. Fragmented conversations drifted from outside the door— “Mr. Sterling, is big sis angry?” Willow’s voice was soft enough to drip with honey. “Don’t mind her. She’s been spoiled since she was little.” “But…” “Don’t worry. She’ll be married off to Southwood City soon. After that, this house will be yours and your mother’s.” My hand paused, then my sneer deepened. I promptly booked a flight to Southwood City for the end of the month and continued packing. Half an hour later, I dragged my suitcase out of the room. In the living room, Robert, Victoria, and Willow were sitting on the couch watching TV, with fruits and pastries on the coffee table. They looked like a happy family, completely at peace. I walked past them without sparing a glance. “Stop right there!” Robert barked. “What are you trying to pull now? Don’t forget what you promised!” “Don’t worry, I’ll keep my word.” I said without looking back. “It’s just that for these next two weeks, I don’t want to stay here and feel sick.” I went directly to the most expensive hotel in the city and booked a presidential suite. For the next few days, I went on a shopping spree— I bought the most extravagant wedding gown, then splurged at an auction for antique jewelry as my dowry. Even if I was marrying him for a propitious marriage, I would do it with style and flair. My phone vibrated incessantly in my bag. I didn’t take it out until I bought the last diamond necklace. Thirty-eight missed calls, all from Robert. As soon as I swiped to answer, his roar came through. “Are you crazy?! You spent three hundred million in one day! Are you trying to bankrupt me?!” “What’s the rush?” I sneered. “Once I’m married, you’ll have 50 billion flowing in.” “But that money hasn’t arrived yet! If you keep spending like this, the company will declare bankruptcy tomorrow!” I sneered again. That was exactly what I wanted. I’d already planned to have the Southwood family transfer that 50 billion directly into my personal account after the marriage. Then I’d see if Willow and her homewrecker mother would still stick to a penniless old man. Did they really think everyone was as foolish as my mother? She helped Robert build his empire from scratch, toiled until she was spitting blood and hospitalized, only to be driven to jump to her death. Thinking of my mother, my heart suddenly twisted with sharp pain. My phone vibrated again. It was a text from Julian: 【What kind of tantrum are you throwing now? Why didn’t you come to the office today?】 I stared at the message for a long time. For the past year, because Julian was supposedly “mentoring” me, I had to report to the office punctually almost every day. But now I was getting married. What was there left for him to ‘mentor’ me on? I returned to the hotel with a dozen shopping bags, only to find my luggage piled up in the lobby. “What’s going on?” I demanded coldly. The front desk staff awkwardly explained, “Miss Blair, your card… it’s been declined. According to hotel policy…” My phone vibrated right on cue. A message from Robert popped up: 【Since you want to cut ties, don’t use my cards. I’ve frozen all your accounts.】 I stared at the screen for a long time, so long my eyes started to sting. Finally, I just replied with two words: 【Fine.】 I dragged my suitcase and walked down the street. My flight was at the end of the month. I couldn’t go anywhere now. Where would I live for the next two weeks? What would I eat? What would I use? My suitcase was filled with my wedding dress and dowry, not a single item could be sold. As for borrowing money… I’d rather sleep on the street than humble myself to those in my circle who were waiting to laugh at me. A nearby park bench was barely enough to lie on. I had just set down my luggage when a drunken man approached me. “Hey, beautiful, all alone?” “Get lost!” “Why so fierce? Come play with big brother…” As the man’s greasy hand reached for my shoulder, I raised my hand, ready to slap him— “Ah!!” A scream ripped through the air. Julian appeared out of nowhere, twisting the man’s wrist with a single swift motion. Before I could react, I was pulled into his car, along with my luggage. “Let go of me!” Julian gripped my flailing wrist. “What are you throwing a tantrum about now?” His voice was deep. “Homeless, and you still wouldn’t come to me?” That sentence made my nose sting. Whenever I’d fought with Robert and run away, Julian would always drive all over the city looking for me, then carry me back home on his back. “What are you throwing a tantrum about now?” He’d always say that then, too. I’d lie on his back, breathing in his crisp cedar scent, innocently believing he might have liked me just a little. Now that I thought about it— No one was more of a jerk than him! He didn’t like me, yet he slept with me. And after sleeping with me, he’d go back to his study and gaze lovingly at Willow’s photos. I didn’t understand what I lacked compared to Willow. In terms of family background, looks, or figure, how was I inferior to her? He could have liked anyone, but why Willow? Why her of all people? “Let go!” My eyes red-rimmed, I bit Julian’s hand hard. He frowned but said nothing, simply starting the car. Julian drove back to his villa, carrying my suitcase straight inside. “Same as before,” he said, unbuttoning his cuff, his tone brooking no argument. “Stay until you want to go home.” I stood in the entryway, my nails digging into my palms. “I’m only staying for two weeks. I’ll leave after that, I’ll pay you rent, and I won’t bother you again.” “Won’t bother me again?” Julian slowly raised his eyes to look at me, his gaze through his gold-rimmed glasses fathomless. “Can you actually do that?” His words pierced my heart like a knife, and my chest seized up in pain. He’d seen through me all along. He’d seen how I went from fierce opposition to needing him completely. I loved him terribly. And what about him? He kept his first love in his heart, yet watched me fall deeper into despair? “Willow…” I suddenly began. “She’s my stepmother’s daughter. Did you know?” Julian paused in untying his tie. “I only found out today.” After a long silence, I couldn’t help but ask, “What is your relationship with her?” “She’s a junior from school,” Julian said, pouring himself a glass of water and taking a slow sip. “We went to the same school, worked together in student government. Once, she saved me in a car accident. Afterward, her health wasn’t good, so she’s been recuperating abroad.” He looked at me, his eyes carrying a warning. “I know you have issues with your stepmother, but this has nothing to do with Willow. You don’t need to target her.” All my words caught in my throat. I had wanted to ask, “Do you love her?” But now, it just felt ridiculous. Given how he was defending her at every turn, what was the point of asking? I turned and went back to the guest room, slamming the door shut. That night, for the first time, Julian didn’t come looking for me. I lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Right, his first love was back. Why would he still care about me? The next day, I deliberately slept until noon, hoping to avoid Julian. But when I opened the door, I found he was still home. He sat on the couch, gold-rimmed glasses perched on his high nose, flipping through a finance magazine. “Awake?” He didn’t even look up. “Aren’t you going to the office?” “It’s the weekend.” I mumbled an “oh,” grabbed some desserts from the fridge, and prepared to go back to my room. But Julian suddenly spoke. “Change your clothes. You’re coming to a party with me later.” I had intended to refuse, but then I reconsidered. Rather than being cooped up alone with Julian, it would be better to get some fresh air. So I changed and went with him. But once we arrived, I realized it was Willow’s welcome-back party. I turned to leave, but Willow enthusiastically linked her arm through mine. “Big sis, it’s so good you could come. Don’t fight with Mr. Sterling anymore. After you ran away, he was so worried he didn’t eat all day.” I sneered. “Oh, so you *do* know he’s just ‘Mr. Sterling’ to you? Then whether I run away or fight with him, what does that have to do with you? Do you live by the ocean? Mind your own business.” I shook off Willow’s hand and walked into the private room, catching a glimpse of her red eyes, looking wronged as she turned to Julian. Julian gave me a dark look, his eyes warning me, Then he gently ruffled Willow’s hair, whispering something that made her smile through her tears. My heart stung. I lowered my head and chugged a glass of champagne. The private room buzzed with laughter and clinking glasses. I sat in a corner, watching Julian, surrounded by people, yet his attention never wavered from Willow. He would unscrew her drink bottle before she even reached for it; he’d hand her a napkin the moment a drop of wine stained her dress; he even subtly adjusted the air conditioning when she let out a soft cough. These gentle, thoughtful gestures were something I had never received. Numbly, I downed another glass of wine, my heart feeling like it was being slowly flayed by a blunt knife, trembling with pain. For the past year, Julian and I had done nothing but sleep together. Even during our most passionate moments, I had never seen a hint of losing control on his face. “The bottle landed on Mr. Sterling!” Someone suddenly cheered. “Time for a dare!” The crowd chuckled, handing him a tablet. “They say Mr. Sterling is the most ascetic man in our circle, so we won’t make it hard for you. Just a quick two-choice question: say the name of the person who moves you the most.” The first set of photos showed a popular actress and Willow. Julian glanced at them and said without hesitation, “Willow.” The room erupted in cheers. Willow blushed and lowered her head, but a smile she couldn’t hide played on her lips. My nails dug into my palms. Set after set of photos flashed by, and each time, Julian chose Willow without a moment’s thought. I couldn’t bear to listen anymore and stood up to go to the restroom. Just two steps later, an even louder cheer erupted behind me. I turned around and saw photos of Willow and me displayed prominently on the tablet. “Whoa!” Everyone got excited. “This is interesting! Miss Blair is the most beautiful woman in our circle; those actresses don’t even compare! If Mr. Sterling still chooses Miss Willow, it really says something…” All eyes were on Julian. But Julian was uncharacteristically silent. I froze, my heart practically hammering out of my chest. Three seconds later, I heard Julian’s deep voice: “Willow.” My world crumbled in that instant. Amidst the booming cheers in the room, I stumbled into the restroom, turned on the faucet, and splashed cold water on my face, but it couldn’t extinguish the burning pain in my heart. After a long time, I looked up at myself in the mirror. The girl in the reflection was breathtakingly beautiful, but also utterly defeated. When I emerged from the restroom, the hallway lights were dim. As I rounded the corner, three or four drunken men blocked my path. “Hey, beautiful, wanna exchange SnapChat IDs?” The leader reeked of alcohol, reaching out to touch my face. “Get lost!” I recoiled violently, my back hitting the cold wall. “What’s with the high-and-mighty act?” Another man grabbed my wrist. “Dressing like that, aren’t you just asking for it?” As I struggled, my gaze pierced through the crowd and met Julian’s eyes at the entrance of the private room. I saw him frown, about to step forward, when Willow’s cry of pain suddenly echoed from behind him: “Ah!” “What’s wrong?” Julian immediately turned around. “I think I twisted my ankle…” Willow said, her eyes welling up with tears. “I’m fine, you go help big sis Blair first.” Julian knelt down to examine her ankle. “Don’t worry about her. She can handle herself.” His words pierced my heart like a knife. The thug’s hand was already on my waist, his disgusting alcoholic breath heavy on my face. “Come on, let’s have some fun, beautiful…” I grabbed a fruit knife from the decorative table in the hallway and *smashed* it against the wall! “Get out if you don’t want to die!” Glass shards cut my hand, and blood dripped from my fingertips. While the thugs were stunned, I quickly slipped away. The party dispersed, and I didn’t want to get into Julian’s car, so I stood by the roadside alone, waiting for a taxi. Willow approached, holding an umbrella, her high heels splashing in a puddle. “Big sis, don’t you have a car? I can give you a ride home?” I looked at the keys to a brand-new sports car in her hand and suddenly smiled. Robert was certainly generous, buying such a nice car for his stepdaughter. “No thanks.” My red lips curled into a bright, almost mocking smile. “I find riding in a mistress’s daughter’s car… dirty.” Willow’s face instantly darkened, finally dropping her pretense. She grabbed my wrist. “Blair! Say that again?” “Will saying it again change the fact that you’re a mistress’s daughter? Let go!” Amidst our struggle, blinding headlights suddenly illuminated us! I turned my head and saw an out-of-control car hurtling towards us. In a flash of lightning, I saw Julian rush forward, pulling Willow into his arms. And I, with a *thud*, was knocked to the ground!

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When Iris married Julian, she was 22, and he was 32. He wasn’t just older; he was *more* in every way that counted. For three years, he showered her with endless tenderness, giving her everything she desired, promising her the moon and the stars. He pampered her, cherishing her like a precious gem. The only exception was their nights; his demands in bed were boundless, and even when she was crying, begging him to stop, he’d only chuckle, pulling her closer, never letting go. She knew he had vast wealth and even vaster love, all dedicated to her. Until the day her father, Mr. Miller, passed away. She called Julian ninety-nine times, but he hung up every single one. A second later, she received photos from her best friend, Chloe: “Iris, is this your honey? I saw him hugging a woman on the streets of Paris.” Opening the photos and seeing the man and woman, Iris felt like she’d been plunged into a freezing abyss. The man was Julian. And the woman… was her Aunt Seraphina. *** It was three days after Mr. Miller’s death when Julian finally returned home. The moment he pushed open the door, he saw Iris on the sofa, her eyes swollen and bloodshot from crying, her frame fragile and delicate. A wave of intense guilt washed over him, peaking as he rushed forward to embrace her. “Iris, I had to fly to Paris for an urgent meeting. I missed your calls due to the time difference, so I couldn’t be with you at the funeral.” He kissed her hair, his voice laced with regret. “It was my fault. Tell me, what do you want as compensation? Anything at all, my love.” Iris listened to his explanation in silence, her face eerily still, like a placid, lifeless lake, showing no ripple of emotion. She said nothing, merely pulled two documents from her bag, opened them to the last page, and handed them to him. “Honey, I want these two things. Please sign.” Julian breathed a sigh of relief, quickly taking the pen and signing his name. Watching him sign without hesitation, Iris’s eyes welled up with tears. “You didn’t even look? Aren’t you worried what I’m asking for might be incredibly expensive?” Julian pulled her into his arms, a tender,无奈 sigh escaping him. “Iris, we’re husband and wife. Everything I own is already yours. Once the baby is born, it will be ours, yours and the baby’s. You can have anything you want, you know that.” He then leaned down, listening to the subtle movements in her belly. “Are you scheduled for your prenatal check-up today? Is the baby active? I’ll come with you, okay?” Iris remained silent, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Julian took her silence as consent and helped her into the car. The atmosphere in the car was heavy and oppressive, no one speaking a word. Julian tried to find a topic for conversation, but his phone suddenly rang. “Julian, I’m back in the country. I want to see you.” Being so close, Iris could clearly hear Seraphina’s voice from the other end of the call. Her hand instinctively clenched. The next second, she watched Julian hang up. “Iris, I have some work to deal with. Can you go to your prenatal check-up by yourself?” Iris didn’t expose his lie. She simply opened the car door. In the biting cold wind, she hailed a taxi, and memories, like the fleeting streetscapes outside the window, flooded her mind. Years ago, Iris was in a car accident. A hit-and-run driver left her for dead, and bystanders, fearing complications, hesitated to help. As she lay bleeding, barely clinging to life, Julian appeared like a godsend and scooped her into his arms. That day, she fell in love at first sight with the man ten years her senior. Luckily, the mature and steady Julian also fell for her. After a year of dating, they walked down the aisle. Perhaps due to his age, he seemed to have endless patience. After they married, they never had a single argument, and he never missed a gift or an anniversary. In daily life, he always considered her feelings—except in bed. She couldn’t understand how, at thirty, his stamina was still so incredible. Many nights, she’d end up whimpering and crying, begging him to stop, but he’d only chuckle, kissing her over and over. “My silly girl, it’s because I love you so much.” “We need to make a baby, my love, so we can have our own little one.” And so, every night, they tried for a baby, until finally, in their third year of marriage, she became pregnant. Three days ago, Mr. Miller suffered a sudden stroke. She rushed to his side, only to hear him constantly calling for Julian, asking when his son-in-law would come, wanting to see him one last time. Everyone knew he wished to entrust his daughter’s happiness and security to Julian before his final breath and frantically tried to contact him. But despite everyone’s efforts, despite Iris calling him incessantly until her phone’s battery died, Julian remained unreachable. Mr. Miller passed away, heartbroken and with lingering regrets. Iris had believed he was simply busy. No sooner had she finished her father’s funeral arrangements than she received that photo from her best friend. She couldn’t understand why her husband was embracing her aunt. Her mind was a chaotic whirlwind. Finally, she mustered the courage to enter Julian’s study, a room she’d always been forbidden from entering. The moment she pushed the door open, she felt like she’d been plunged into a freezing abyss. Because the room was filled with things related to her aunt. Walls adorned with photos, meticulously preserved love letters, countless unsent gifts, and a thick, ongoing love diary. Through that diary, Iris learned everything. He had only ever been in love twice in his life. One was her. The other was her aunt, Seraphina. They had been college sweethearts, their passionate, dramatic love story lasting a full decade. At the peak of their love, he had crossed the Atlantic with her, trekked through the Amazon rainforest, and intimately kissed her under the golden glow of sun-drenched snow-capped mountains. At their most hateful, he had smashed millions worth of jewelry for her, swallowed his pride and chased her across continents to win her back after their breakup, even drinking himself into a stupor, day after day, until his stomach bled, when he learned she had started a new relationship. Every joy, every sorrow, every intense emotion of his adult life seemed to revolve around Seraphina. And the reason he had been with her? It was simply because, after breaking up with Seraphina, he had wanted a stand-in, a spitting image of Seraphina. He decided to set his sights on her niece. After all, her face was uncannily similar to her aunt’s! So, he orchestrated a hit-and-run incident to make her fall for him at first sight. So, he tirelessly pursued intimacy with her, day and night, solely to get her pregnant. But not to have *her* child, but a child that would be *like* Seraphina’s. The revelation hit her like a lightning bolt, shattering her world. She felt utterly devastated. All the tenderness, all the love, every bit of sincerity – it was all a lie. He had utterly deceived her! She might be young, but she knew that her heart needed to be cleansed, truly empty, for anyone new to ever enter. Besides, she was no one’s stand-in. She was Iris, the one and only Iris. But from the very beginning, he had been lying to her. So, as a twisted reciprocation, she decided to lie to him, just this once. She had deliberately not told him that what he had just signed was: One, a divorce agreement. Two, a medical termination request. A man whose heart wasn’t hers to begin with was never a man she’d keep… Iris walked into the hospital and handed the medical termination request directly to the attending physician. “Hello, I want to terminate this pregnancy.” *** Three hours later, Iris returned home, clutching her lower abdomen. After a day of rest, she looked at her ghostly pale face in the mirror, her hand trembling as she picked up her lipstick. After a quick makeup application, her complexion returned to normal, but cold sweat still slicked her body from the persistent pain. Bundled in a blanket on the sofa, she called for Alfred, the butler. “Have all the jewelry and handbags from the display cases collected and sent to an auction house. The proceeds should be donated to a local children’s charity.” Julian, who had just pushed open the door, froze mid-step upon hearing this. “Iris, why are you suddenly selling all these things?” Iris lowered her eyes, avoiding his gaze. “I don’t like them anymore, so I’m donating them. It’ll be good karma for the baby.” Fortunately, Julian didn’t overthink it. He walked over, embraced her, and gently coaxed her. “Alright, alright. In a couple of days, I’ll take you to an auction. You can pick out whatever you like, and we’ll slowly fill up the empty display cases again, okay?” Listening to his voice, which sounded like he was pacifying a child, Iris didn’t respond. Instead, she changed the subject. “Are you done with work?” “All done. I know you’ve been through a lot lately, so I’ll stay home for the next week and be with you and the baby, okay?” As he spoke, he reached out to touch her belly, but Iris quickly pressed his hand down. He looked down and noticed her stomach seemed a little smaller. His brow furrowed slightly. Just as he was about to ask, Iris’s phone suddenly rang. Seeing ‘Uncle Robert’ on the screen, she answered. “Iris, your Aunt Seraphina came back yesterday. Everyone’s planning a family dinner at the old house. Are you coming?” “I’m not feeling well, so I won’t be able to make it…” Before she could finish, Julian took the phone from her hand. “I’ll bring Iris, and we’ll be there on time.” Watching him eagerly agree to the dinner, Iris’s chest tightened. She couldn’t help but remember the ninety-nine calls she couldn’t get through on the day her father died. It seemed that when he faced the person he truly loved, he would seize every opportunity to see them. He wouldn’t consider her wishes, nor care about her recent grief over her father. He would simply follow his heart, and rush to her side. After hanging up, Julian saw the expression on her face and realized he had lost his composure. He held her cold hand, trying to explain. “Iris, I know you’re not in a good mood, but you’re still pregnant. You can’t dwell in sorrow. I’ll go with you to the old house to see the family and clear your head.” Iris merely curled her lips, saying nothing. At seven o’clock, the couple arrived at the old house on time. Before entering, Julian handed a gift to Iris. “Uncle Robert said you and your aunt haven’t seen each other in years. We should still be polite.” In the past, Iris would have found him thoughtful and considerate. But now, she knew he was just using her to give a gift to the woman he loved. She didn’t expose his intentions and stepped into the bustling living room. Hearing the sound, Seraphina, who was chatting with someone, turned around and saw Iris, and Julian standing beside her, holding her hand. She paused for a moment, then hesitantly spoke. “Iris, and this is…?” Iris didn’t answer, unsure how to. Julian remained silent, but the surrounding relatives eagerly introduced him. “Seraphina, you’ve been abroad for three years and missed the wedding, so it’s normal not to know. This is Iris’s husband, Julian Sterling, the CEO of Sterling Enterprises…” Seraphina swayed slightly, a flicker of shock in her eyes. But having experienced grand occasions before, she quickly regained her composure and stepped forward to shake his hand. They exchanged polite pleasantries, as if meeting for the first time. Only Iris could perceive the subtle, invisible tension flowing between them. She handed the gift to Seraphina and said only one thing. “Aunt Seraphina, welcome back.” “Oh, no, I’m just back for a month, then I’ll return to Paris.” Julian’s face visibly darkened. Seraphina pretended not to notice, smiling as she opened the gift. Seeing the brilliant gemstone necklace, her eyes lit up with admiration. “Iris, your taste is impeccable. I’ve admired this necklace for ages.” Iris took in both their expressions, her tone flat. “Julian picked it out. His taste has always been excellent.” During the meal, Julian barely ate anything. Apart from drinking, he was busy serving Iris. Their relatives and friends all shared knowing smiles and began to tease them good-naturedly. “Iris is so lucky! She married such a wonderful husband. Look at how loving they are!” Iris curled her lips, looking at the beef and lamb in her bowl. She didn’t touch her fork. After getting pregnant, she suffered from severe morning sickness, unable to stomach any meat or fish. Julian knew this, having eaten vegetarian with her for a month. But today, he hadn’t remembered at all. Because he was busy rearranging the platters, making sure all the seafood on the table was placed directly in front of Seraphina. Her aunt, from childhood, had always loved seafood the most. After dinner, Julian was absolutely wasted. Their relatives and friends, worried about them returning home in that state, insisted they stay the night. Iris called a maid to help him back to their room. After washing up, she turned off the bedroom light, leaving only the bedside lamp on. A little while later, Julian groggily opened his eyes and reached out to pull her into his arms. “Seraphina, you came back for me, didn’t you?” Iris stiffened all over, not telling him he had mistaken her for someone else. It took her a long moment to respond with a question of her own. “And you? Who did you get drunk for tonight?” “It’s you, Seraphina. Always you. Don’t you understand?” Though she had long anticipated the outcome, hearing it with her own ears still made Iris’s heart ache intensely. Only then did she understand why a man who drank himself into a stupor for love would remain completely sober in front of her. Was he afraid that if he got drunk like tonight, he might reveal his true feelings, afraid she would find out? She clenched her hands tightly, unable to catch her breath, and could only struggle free from his embrace. It took Iris two hours in the bathroom to compose herself. When she came out again, Julian was no longer in bed. Iris opened the bedroom door and saw the motion-activated light on the balcony had gone out. She walked over silently and, through the window, saw Julian and Seraphina standing outside. The darkness of the night concealed the expression on his face, but she could clearly hear his suppressed voice. “Didn’t you tell me yesterday you weren’t returning to Europe? Why did you change your mind today?” “And you? Why did you marry Iris and not tell me?” Hearing Seraphina’s calm tone, Julian felt the anger inside him rage even hotter. What little sanity he had left crumbled instantly. He forcefully grabbed Seraphina’s hand: “Why I married her? Shouldn’t you know best? She looks so much like you, and she’s your blood relative. Only by being with her can I openly see you! Not like a few days ago, flying to Paris and waiting alone downstairs for dozens of hours, just for a stolen glance at you!” So, he went to Paris for Seraphina. That’s why he didn’t answer a single call. Iris’s heart jolted, her nails digging painfully into her palms. Seraphina hadn’t expected his true intentions either. She murmured, “You’re insane!”

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“$50 million. Leave the country within a week. And stay away from my son forever.” Mrs. Harrington sat opposite me, her perfectly maintained face etched with undisguised contempt. If this were years ago, my eyes would have welled up, and I’d have retorted, “I’m not with him for money.” But now, I just calmly nodded. “Okay.” Mrs. Harrington clearly paused, then sneered. “At least you know your place.” She emphasized those last words, as if highlighting the immense social chasm between her son, Rhys Harrington, and me. I lowered my gaze, took the check, and turned to leave. By the time I returned to the mansion, it was already dark. This place was too big; I often got lost. The only familiar thing was the photo on the coffee table. In it, Rhys had his arm around my waist, looking down at me with eyes so tender they could melt the deepest winter’s ice. I gently brushed over the photo, suddenly remembering that rainy night three years ago. That year, I found Rhys by the alley entrance. He was covered in blood, his eyes unfocused. “Who are you?” I asked him. “I… I don’t remember,” he murmured, shaking his head. Rain mixed with blood dripped from his hair. And just like that, I took this amnesiac man home. Our tiny, run-down apartment was cramped with the two of us. The paint peeled from the walls, the pipes leaked, and in winter, we needed three blankets just to stay warm. But it was in this most impoverished place that the purest love blossomed. We relied on each other, becoming each other’s sole world. He would wait three hours downstairs when I worked late, just to walk me home. He would stay up all night, rubbing my stomach when period pain made me break out in cold sweats. He even worked five jobs a day, secretly, just to buy me an expensive necklace I’d admired three times but never dared to buy. The only thing I couldn’t quite handle was his insistence on our intimacy every night. I’d blush and plead, and he’d nuzzle my earlobe, chuckling, “Baby, it’s because I love you too much.” During our most loving year, he even dragged me to a tattoo parlor, getting my name inked on his collarbone. The tattoo artist asked if he was scared of the pain, but he just smiled at me. “Pain is good. That way, I’ll never forget the one I love most.” I thought we’d be happy like that forever. Until he regained his memory. That’s when I learned he wasn’t some poor guy found on the street, but the scion of the powerful Harrington dynasty, practically owning half the financial world in Westwood. He’d only lost his memory in a car crash, orchestrated by a rival, and ended up on the streets. After reclaiming his identity, Rhys moved me into a sprawling mansion. Its bathroom alone was ten times the size of my old apartment. But he, too, became a different person. He wore custom-tailored designer suits whose brands I couldn’t even recognize, sported priceless watches, closed multi-million dollar deals, and spent nights away from home. I deluded myself, telling myself he was just too busy. Until the day entertainment headlines were plastered with rumors of him and the heiress, Serena Albright. In the photos, he was holding the car door open for her, wearing one of those designer suits. The way they smiled at each other stung my eyes. The comment section buzzed with “a perfect match” and “destined to be together.” In that moment, sitting alone by the window, watching the moon all night, I finally understood the truth. The Rhys who braved the wind and snow to pick me up from work, the Rhys who worked construction to buy me a necklace, the Rhys who tattooed my name on his collarbone – he had died the day his memory returned. The current Harrington scion and I were more than just worlds apart. He stood among the clouds, and I was stuck in the mud. Just like the moon can never reach the dust, someone like him was destined for someone equally brilliant. If that was the case, why humiliate myself further? It was better to let go. To let go of him, and to let go of myself. That night, the mansion remained empty. Rhys still didn’t return. I didn’t wait for him until dawn as usual. I went to bed early, and as soon as morning broke, I headed to the visa center. I used the expedited service, and my visa and passport would be ready within a week. It was noon when I left the visa center. I found a random restaurant. The moment I pushed the door open, my steps faltered slightly. By the window, Rhys was gently wiping Serena Albright’s lips with a napkin. His eyes held a tenderness that could melt the deepest winter’s ice, exactly as they had when he used to kiss me, laughing, in our old rental. I stood rooted to the spot, feeling my heart gripped by an invisible hand. I turned to leave, but accidentally knocked over a potted plant by the door. Rhys looked up at the sound. Seeing me, the warmth in his eyes vanished. He slowly walked towards me, his thin lips parting, his voice low and cold. “Are you stalking me?” Before I could even speak, he continued, “I already explained those online rumors were just about a business deal. How long are you going to keep this up?” I opened my mouth, wanting to explain, but my throat felt choked with cotton. Mrs. Harrington’s words from yesterday echoed in my ears: “Rhys and Serena’s marriage alliance was decided long ago by our families. He’s very fond of Serena himself…” A partnership? Was it that kind of partnership? “Rhys, don’t be so harsh.” Serena followed, smiling sweetly to smooth things over. “It’s fate that we ran into each other. Come, let’s sit together.” Before I could refuse, Serena pulled me directly to their table. I sat there like a puppet, placed in a chair, directly facing Rhys’s icy cold face. “Aubrey, what would you like to eat?” Serena pushed the menu towards me. “Their French cuisine is very authentic.” I stared at the French words on the menu, completely incomprehensible to me, a sense of embarrassment spreading in my chest. “I’m not hungry.” I pushed the menu back. “Then have some soup.” Serena spooned a bowl of seafood soup and placed it in front of me. “It’s very fresh.” I stared at the shrimp floating in the soup, my stomach clenching with a sharp pain. I was severely allergic to seafood. Just as I was about to politely decline, Rhys’s phone rang. He stood up to answer it, his back tall and straight. I’d seen that suit in a magazine; it cost more than my entire old neighborhood. “Go on, try it.” Serena suddenly lowered her voice. “After all, given your background, you don’t usually get to eat such expensive dishes.” I snapped my head up, meeting her smiling eyes. “You don’t really think that just because you had a fling with Rhys, you can marry into a wealthy family, do you?” Her fingertip tapped lightly on the rim of her glass. “If he hadn’t lost his memory, a low-class woman like you wouldn’t even be fit to polish his shoes.” I clenched the napkin, the fabric crumpling in my palm. I might have been poor, but I wouldn’t let anyone trample my dignity like this. “Serena, we don’t even know each other, you—” “Oh!” My words were cut short as Serena suddenly gasped, raising her hand and knocking over the bowl of seafood soup. The scalding liquid splashed onto her hand and all over mine. Rhys, hearing the sound, rushed back. His long fingers immediately clasped Serena’s hand. “What happened?” “It’s nothing…” Serena’s eyes were red. “It’s all my fault. Aubrey, as your girlfriend, seeing us having lunch together, she must have gotten angry, and it’s understandable…” Rhys instantly looked at me, a frosty frown on his brow. “Aubrey, I’ve explained countless times. Do you have to be like this?” “I didn’t, she just—” “Enough!” He cut me off. “I saw it with my own eyes. How could it be false? When did you become so unreasonable?” With that, Rhys put his arm around Serena and walked away without a backward glance. Serena, her head on his shoulder, slowly turned back and gave me a triumphant smile. I stood there, my hand trembling, red and blistered from the scald. Blisters were already forming, stinging like a thousand needles. But in Rhys’s eyes, there was only Serena’s slightly reddened skin. He left so quickly, so decisively, without even a glance my way. Yet, my Rhys, he used to be so concerned about me. Three years ago, when I burned myself cooking, he was so anxious his eyes turned red. He rushed to the pharmacy that night to buy medicine, and when he returned, he applied it to my hand, asking, “Aubrey, does it hurt?” Back then, his eyes were only for me. But the Rhys of today could no longer see me. Chapter 2 I went home alone. Once there, I found the first-aid kit in the living room and disinfected, medicated, and bandaged my own hand. A sharp, stinging pain radiated from the wound, like countless ants gnawing at my skin. As I turned to go upstairs, my gaze fell upon the grand piano in the corner of the living room. Rhys had bought it after he regained his memory, saying he’d teach me to play. But after all this time, a thick layer of dust had settled on the piano lid. Just like our relationship, it had long been covered in dust. My eyes welled up, and I quickly went to my room to pack my luggage. Clothes, documents, bank cards… I sorted each item slowly, as if bidding farewell to my past self. Halfway through, the bedroom door suddenly swung open. Rhys stood in the doorway, his suit jacket draped over his arm, his tie loose. He saw my open suitcase and frowned. “What are you doing?” “Packing.” I answered calmly, continuing to fold clothes without looking up. Rhys frowned and walked closer. A faint scent of perfume, the same one Serena had worn today, wafted from him. He grabbed my wrist, his grip so strong it made me wince in pain. “Just because I had lunch with Serena today, you’re throwing a tantrum and running away? Serena didn’t even make a big deal out of you hurting her, and here you are, acting childish?” I looked up at him. The irritation in his eyes was painfully clear. “Serena and my family are old friends. Her parents asked me to look after her since she just returned. Can’t you be more understanding?” Understanding? The word pierced my heart like a knife. I clutched the clothes in my hand, the fabric crumpling in my palm. I was already preparing to exit quietly. How much more “understanding” did he want? “Speak!” Rhys suddenly raised his voice. I turned silently, resuming my packing. My silence completely enraged Rhys. “Fine. Let’s see how long you can keep this up.” With that, he slammed the door shut. The “bang” reverberated, making my chest tremble. The next morning, when I went downstairs, I saw Serena sitting in the living room, laughing and talking with Rhys. She was wearing a white dress today, her makeup flawless, looking innocent and elegant. Seeing me descend, she immediately stood up, smiling sweetly and harmlessly. “Aubrey, you’re awake? My parents insisted Rhys take me to today’s auction. Please don’t overthink it.” I glanced at Rhys. He was looking down, adjusting his cufflink, not even sparing me a glance. “I’m not overthinking it.” My voice was barely a whisper. “What you two do has nothing to do with me.” Rhys’s hand paused, his frown deepening. He was about to speak, but Serena quickly interjected. “Why don’t you come along, Aubrey? You don’t have anything else to do, anyway.” Before I could refuse, Serena affectionately linked her arm through mine. I was dragged into the car just like that. The auction house lights glittered, filled with distinguished guests. Rhys sat in the front row, his long fingers casually raising the bid paddle. One by one, pieces of jewelry and luxury watches were won by him, then casually handed to Serena by his side. Serena smiled gracefully, occasionally leaning in to whisper in his ear, their intimacy a painful sight. “Rhys, should we get something for Aubrey too?” she suggested, feigning thoughtfulness. Rhys’s tone was indifferent. “No need. She’s not used to such things.” Hearing this, Serena’s lips curled into a slight smile. In an angle Rhys couldn’t see, she shot me a victor’s smirk. I lowered my gaze, my fingertips gently tracing the auction catalog in my hand, my heart chilling. Was it that I wasn’t used to them, or that I didn’t deserve them? In his eyes, I was probably always that Cinderella from the wrong side of the tracks. Even standing beside him now, deep down, I didn’t deserve these luxurious things. But it didn’t matter. Soon, there would be no connection between us anyway. I sat quietly in the corner, watching Rhys lavish Serena with gifts, watching their open displays of affection, as if I were merely an irrelevant bystander. Until the final item was presented— A jade bracelet. My breath hitched. My fingers involuntarily clenched. It was Grandma’s heirloom! Three years ago, to buy me a birthday gift, Rhys had worked construction and ended up falling from the site, nearly losing his life. To pay for his surgery, I had no choice but to sell the only bracelet my grandma had left me. Later, when I saved enough money to buy it back, the bracelet had already been purchased by someone else. I searched every antique store in Westwood, but I never saw it again. And now, here it was, unexpectedly appearing before my eyes. A thrill of hope surged through me. Almost instinctively, I raised my bid paddle. “One million.” Serena turned to look at me in surprise, then let out a light laugh and raised her paddle. “Three million.” “Four million!” “Five million!”

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I loved Julian Hayes for seven years. When I was kidnapped, he refused to pay the ransom, all because his secretary suggested this was a perfect chance to teach me a lesson and make me *behave*. I endured hellish torment. Finally, I learned to stay away from Julian. But then, he cried, begging me for another chance. The day I walked barefoot into the city center, I made headlines. The adopted daughter of the Hayes family, kidnapped for months, returned a wreck – clothes torn, filthy, reeking, her feet bare and covered in scars, like a beaten animal scrambling back home. I watched the media flashes ignite around me, frantic to capture every second, but my heart was long dead, a stagnant pool incapable of stirring even a ripple. The old Scarlett was gone. The bright, innocent, headstrong, vibrant Scarlett had died. It was those kidnappers, and Julian Hayes, who had utterly destroyed her. Soon, a group of bodyguards in black suits carved a path through the dense crowd. Their captain, Dean Miller, I recognized him. For seven years, while I clung to Julian, it was always Dean who ‘escorted’ me out of Julian’s office and private apartment. ‘Escorted’ was a polite term; it was more like being dragged, because I’d cling relentlessly, because Julian was utterly fed up. “Miss Scarlett, Mr. Hayes is waiting in the car. Please, follow me.” Dean’s gaze lingered on me for a moment, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He clearly hadn’t expected to see me in such a horrific state. I nodded, stepping forward on my injured feet, leaving a trail of bloody prints on the pavement. The pain receptors in my nerves were long numb; this short walk was nothing compared to my escape. Dean walked behind me, unable to help himself. “Miss Scarlett…” he began. I didn’t answer. Was he pitying me? He should be grateful, really. After this ordeal, I’d never pester Julian again, and I’d never cause him any extra trouble at work. Inside the car, I saw Julian sitting, eyes closed, deep in thought. His short, dark hair was impeccably styled, his sculpted features flawless. Of course. During my absence, he must have felt an unprecedented sense of peace and relief. He looked perfectly well-rested. Hearing the faint movement, Julian slowly opened his eyes. The moment he saw me, he barely recognized me. “Scarlett?” I nodded meekly. Yes, I had learned my lesson. Before, I hadn’t cared about being the adopted daughter of the Hayes family, acting as if I were their true child, proud and defiant. But now, after the kidnapping, I knew the truth: my life was in the Hayes’ hands. If Julian didn’t pay the ransom, my life was utterly worthless to them. He frowned, a hint of displeasure in his voice. “What did you do to yourself to end up like this?” Like this? What ‘like this’? A lunatic? A beggar? I had been on the run for dozens of miles, constantly vigilant. Besides the kidnappers, I had to watch out for wild animals in the remote woods. When thirsty, I drank rainwater; when hungry, I scrounged through roadside trash heaps on the highway. I figured anyone would go mad under those circumstances. I knew he was annoyed that my disheveled appearance would cause trouble for his company, or more accurately, the Hayes family’s company, if I showed up in front of the media like this. “I’m sorry.” I’m sorry for being such a repulsive sight to Julian. Julian paused, hearing my apology, then a cruel smile tugged at his lips. “She was right. You really did learn your lesson.” I didn’t understand what Julian was talking about. Once the car door closed and the engine started, Julian suddenly reached a long arm towards me. I instinctively recoiled, shrinking into the corner, but then he stopped, his voice filled with disgust. “Scarlett, you reek.” Perhaps it was the confined space of the car, but Julian finally caught the awful stench emanating from me – a mixture of blood, sweat, the grime from rolling in dirt, and the fermented smell of trash heaps. Hearing Julian’s words, I instinctively moved away from the seat, but the car swerved slightly, and I ended up kneeling in the aisle. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I won’t soil the seats. I just… I just need to stay kneeling here.” It hurt so much. My knees, and the blood holes left by the thin steel needles the kidnappers had used. They blamed me; they said I wasn’t important to Julian, that they couldn’t get the ransom, that I had wasted their time. So, they took it out on me. I couldn’t stand up, so I simply remained kneeling in that cramped space. Julian instantly became furious. “What are you doing? Get back in your seat!” He commanded me, but he was too disgusted to help me up. I could only obey, using all my strength to push myself back onto the seat. The pain, combined with the low blood sugar from the past few days, brought involuntary tears streaming down my face. Julian had always ignored my tears, finding them annoying. But this time, for the first time ever, he unexpectedly tossed the handkerchief he had just wiped his hands with onto my lap. I clutched the clean, white cloth. Once, I would have been overjoyed, but now, that handkerchief only served to highlight my own filth and brokenness. Dean glanced at me through the rearview mirror. I kept my head down. Perhaps he had never seen me so disgraced, so pathetic.

When the car pulled up to the Hayes mansion, Julian ordered the staff to take me to the bathroom to wash up. I refused the maids’ help, only asking them to find a long dress, one that covered my ankles, from my old wardrobe. They searched for a while, finally pulling out a conservative long-sleeved dress, like a student’s uniform, from a corner amidst various fashionable outfits. No one dictates what a student should wear, but looking at myself in the mirror, I certainly looked more like a student than with my previous flamboyant style. I remembered receiving an acceptance letter to a top design academy abroad before the kidnapping. Now, three months had already passed since the reporting date. “Thank you.” The maids looked startled, clearly not expecting their young mistress to thank them. But after everything that happened, I understood perfectly well that, at my core, I was just like them. They were maids hired by the Hayes family; I was merely a daughter they had taken in. Pushing the door open, I saw Julian waiting for me at the top of the stairs. He leaned casually against the railing, his eyes lazily sweeping over me before he let out a scoff. “Scarlett, what game are you playing now? Dressed like that.” Was I plain? Julian probably thought this was another one of my childish ploys to get his attention, but all I wanted was to cover the scars on my body. I followed Julian into the dining room. A heavy silence hung in the air until Julian gestured for me to approach. Only then did I see Mr. and Mrs. Hayes sitting at the dining table, their faces etched with worry. The moment Mrs. Hayes saw me, she rose, practically rushing over. Her steps faltered, and a woman beside her, Valerie Stone, Julian’s secretary, thoughtfully supported her. “Mrs. Hayes, please don’t rush. Miss Scarlett is back, safe and sound, isn’t she? Miss Scarlett, Mrs. Hayes has been worried sick about you.” I recognized her. She was Julian’s secretary. Valerie Stone had natural black hair, and was dressed in the simplest, most unassuming high-neck sweater and jeans, yet a beautiful rose gold necklace hung around her neck. I was “safe and sound.” In contrast, Mrs. Hayes had worried herself sick. The moment Valerie spoke, I was transformed from a victim into an ungrateful daughter of the Hayes family. Mrs. Hayes clung to me, weeping, while Valerie comforted her beside us. But I couldn’t cry. I looked at Julian, and his eyes seemed to say I was heartless. Finally, Mr. Hayes spoke sternly, interrupting them. “Stop holding Scarlett. Let her come and eat.” Mrs. Hayes wiped away her tears. “My fault, my fault. My dear girl, you’ve suffered so much these past months. You must not have eaten properly. Come, I made your favorite fish chowder!” Mrs. Hayes pulled me to sit between her and Mr. Hayes. Julian sat opposite me, with Valerie next to him. It looked so much like a family. I stared at the food on my plate, a feast of color, aroma, and taste. I had almost forgotten what normal food looked like. I wanted so badly to toss my forks aside and just grab it with my hands and shove it into my mouth. The closer I got to the city highway, the stricter the sanitation management became. Gradually, I couldn’t find any trash heaps, which meant no food. So I’d been starving for almost three days, forced to eat leaves to survive. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, I forced myself to pick up the bowl and shovel rice into my mouth with my forks. Even so, I still caught Valerie’s mocking gaze. She ate daintily, a small bite at a time, showcasing her elegance. Julian, seeing this, naturally looked even more disgusted with me. Yet, at Mrs. Hayes’s prompting, he reluctantly picked up a piece of sweet and sour pork and placed it on my plate. I had thought that even the plainest white bread and rice, which I once found hard to swallow, I could now devour. But looking at the tempting sweet and sour pork, and knowing Julian had served it to me, my stomach churned with nausea. “My dear, eat! Julian knows you like sweet and sour, so he specifically asked the chef to add this dish.” Lies. Julian knew nothing about my preferences. On the contrary, I knew his tastes inside out. For example, gold – he loved rose gold the most. Seeing my hesitant grip on the forks, Mr. Hayes asked kindly, “What’s wrong, dear? Did you argue with Julian on the way back? Don’t worry, I’ll talk to him after dinner.” “Dad!” Julian exclaimed, perhaps feeling embarrassed in front of Valerie. I shook my head silently, overcoming the physiological nausea, and brought the sweet and sour pork to my mouth with my forks. But the moment I swallowed, I threw it back up. Julian’s expression was startled. I immediately stood up from the stool, clutching my head and backing into a corner. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I’ll eat it, please don’t hit me!” Everyone gasped. Mrs. Hayes’s tears started flowing again, and she came to embrace me. “Did those people abuse you, dear? Tell me, did they?” Mr. Hayes and Julian also came over. Mr. Hayes looked heartbroken, gazing at me with immense pity. Julian, however, frowned, remaining silent, his face turning incredibly dark. What did that mean? Hadn’t the kidnappers threatened the Hayes family, saying if they didn’t pay the ransom, they’d let their adopted daughter experience abuse? So why were they asking me now if I had been abused? Actually, giving me a moldy bun or spoiled rice wasn’t exactly abuse, considering what I ate later was like pig slop. But I was terrified, terrified of the feeling that my life was in Julian’s hands. The kidnappers had negotiated directly with him, yet he chose to abandon me. He hated me that much. I suppose, that’s where the physiological nausea came from.

After dinner, I was called to Mr. Hayes’s study. Mr. Hayes, abandoning his usual stern business demeanor, asked me patiently and kindly, “Scarlett, you’ve loved Julian since you were a child. Do you still love him?” I immediately shook my head, so vigorously that the muscles in my face began to ache. Seven years of loving Julian, seven years of humiliation, seven years of pain. But I never learned my lesson, did I? That’s why this time, this time I went through a hellish cycle of revenge and torment. I couldn’t dare to love Julian anymore. Mr. Hayes pondered my answer for a moment, then sighed regretfully. “Ah, never mind. If you can’t be a daughter-in-law of the Hayes family, you’ll always be a daughter of this family. Scarlett, you’re so kind, so beautiful; it’s Julian who’s unlucky.” He pulled a bank card from his drawer. “This is from your parents. There’s four million dollars in it. They asked me to keep it for you, saying it’s for your dowry when you grow up.” Four million dollars. The ransom was also four million dollars. During the kidnapping, I had sometimes resented my parents, wondering why they hadn’t taken me with them, leaving me to suffer such torment. But now, I realized. They had already left me a guarantee for a good life. They loved me so much. I bit my thumb to stifle a sob, preventing myself from crying out loud. “Thank you, Uncle.” It was already eight o’clock in the evening when I left the study. I walked towards my own room, but halfway there, I ran into Julian. He seemed to understand my intention and spoke with an unexpectedly gentle tone. “Valerie is staying in your room tonight. You can use the guest room next to mine.” It was for Valerie, then. I nodded and began walking in the opposite direction. When I first moved into the Hayes mansion, Julian disliked me so much that he moved to the furthest room from mine, one at the east end, one at the west. But my room had been decorated by a top luxury designer; the guest room couldn’t compare. Still, everything in this house belonged to the Hayes. If Julian asked me to give way, I would. I hadn’t walked two steps when Julian called out to me. “Scarlett, why are you so obedient now?” I turned back to him, noticing his expression held both mockery and a hint of worry. “I… I’m sorry…” I stammered, unable to think of anything to say to Julian other than a constant stream of apologies. “This is the third time you’ve apologized to me today. You’re acting strangely.” Julian walked closer, leaning down to reach out a hand to my forehead. I recoiled as if electrocuted, bouncing away so fast that my legs went weak, and I could barely stand as I gripped the hallway railing. Julian looked at me as if I were insane, his expression growing impatient. I forced back the tremor in my voice and said, “I… I’ll move out tomorrow. I’ve already spoken with Uncle Hayes about it.” I had expected Julian to be relieved at this news, to finally let me go. But instead, he grew angry. “Move out? Why?… I just let Valerie stay in your room for a night. She’s a guest, what’s wrong with you letting her have it?” I shook my head frantically. “No, it’s not that.” Julian’s face darkened, and he strode towards me, grabbing my wrist and pulling me towards the room at the east end. “Come with me. I need to talk to you.” A tidal wave of terror engulfed my mind. With a sob, I pulled out the bank card Mr. Hayes had given me earlier. “I’m sorry, I have money. Please don’t hit me.” “I have money, please don’t hit me.” Julian looked back in astonishment. I had already collapsed to the floor, my wrist still raised, clutched in his hand. “Scarlett, what are you talking about?” My lips were now bitten purple. Watching Julian’s face grow closer, I began to recall the kidnappers’ taunts: *A dog of the Hayes family, daring to cling to its master.* “Julian… Mr. Hayes, I won’t bother you anymore. I’ll never dare again.” Julian finally seemed to realize that my mental state was off. His movements became much gentler as he put an arm around my waist, lifting me from the floor. The feeling of weightlessness made me instinctively cling to Julian’s neck. His stern expression finally softened a bit. “Scarlett, I’m not saying I don’t want you around, it’s just…” Before he could finish, the hallway door clicked open. Valerie Stone poked her head out of my room, the bright light from inside spilling into the hall. She clapped a hand over her mouth, feigning surprise. “Mr. Hayes, Miss Scarlett.” Julian looked annoyed. “I gave you the room. What else do you need?” Valerie replied, a hint of feigned hurt in her voice, “It’s a video conference with the US branch office, Mr. Hayes. They need you to attend personally.” Julian glanced at me in his arms, then reluctantly set me down. My body was rigid, unable to speak. “Wait for me in my room.” Julian left those words, then walked towards Valerie. They entered the room, and the door closed. The bright light vanished from the hallway. I felt like I had narrowly escaped disaster, cold sweat already soaking through the back of my clothes. Julian wouldn’t come back. I knew Valerie’s tactics. Countless times—on my birthday, at my graduation ceremony—he had been called away by Valerie like this. Perhaps he genuinely wanted to leave, and truly didn’t want to come back. And I had to leave quickly too, to a place where I would never see Julian. I was terrified that any further contact with him would push me to a mental breakdown, to madness.

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After my rebirth, I immediately signed up for a tourist group to Antarctica. I did this for one reason only: in my previous life, my boyfriend Bennett Foster’s adopted sister Emilia Foster had used a “system” to forcibly exchange our sense of touch with mine. She could feel my sensations, and I could feel hers. Back then, Emilia deliberately went out to do good deeds in 108-degree Fahrenheit heat, delivering water to outdoor workers. While I was clearly staying in a 61-degree air-conditioned room, I suffered heatstroke and passed out from the heat. I begged Emilia to stop the touch exchange. But she looked at me innocently and said, “Abigail Jones, if you’re going to lie, at least come up with a decent excuse.” Bennett’s tone was full of disdain. He said, “You’re so selfish. You have good conditions and hide in your air-conditioned room enjoying yourself every day, but you can’t stand Emilia helping others.” Later, Emilia deliberately stayed outside in the sun for a month. Someone filmed her “doing good deeds” and posted it online, moving countless netizens. Meanwhile, I died of heat stroke in my air-conditioned room, and no one even discovered my body. Since that’s how it was, in this life, I’ll let them experience the “coolness” of Antarctica’s minus 185 degrees Fahrenheit. ***** After the successful registration message popped up on my phone, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. The tour group would depart in three days. In this life, I would definitely make those bastards pay. At this moment, my body was already burning up like it was about to explode. Sweat poured down like a waterfall, soaking through my pajamas. I simply turned off the air conditioning, grabbed my phone, and walked outside. Standing under the blazing sun, I let out a cold smile. I thought, “Emilia, do you think you’re the only one who can sunbathe?” “Abigail, why are you standing outside?” Bennett asked. He was carrying a large watermelon, running toward me with both anxiety and concern. Today was the first day Emilia and I exchanged sensations. In my previous life on this day, I hadn’t had time to go to the hospital for a checkup, nor had I discovered that Emilia was behind it all. Back then, the moment I complained about the heat, Bennett immediately ran to the fruit store at the community entrance to buy watermelon. He deliberately put on a show of caring about me in front of me. I didn’t want to deal with him at all. I simply turned around and continued basking in the sun. Since I could only feel heat now, I wanted Emilia to experience it too. Bennett kept trying to persuade me: “Abigail, come back inside with me. If you keep standing in the sun, what if you get heatstroke? You’re usually most afraid of heat. What’s wrong with you today?” So he knew I was most afraid of heat. Then in my previous life, when I swallowed my pride and begged him and Emilia to stop the sensation exchange, why did they both just mock me? Emilia even secretly filmed me begging them and posted it online. Because what I said about “exchanging sensations” was too bizarre, no one believed me, and I was even called a “drama queen princess” by netizens. Looking at Bennett, I said, “Bennett, didn’t Emilia say I was being dramatic? Didn’t she say that since I have money, I don’t work and just stay home enjoying air conditioning? I took her words to heart, so I came outside to get some sun.” Actually, from the moment she met me, Emilia had always looked down on me. These were all things she complained about to Bennett privately on WhatsApp. Bennett was left speechless by what I said, only able to stammer, “You… you…” Our commotion attracted a group of elderly people who were enjoying the air conditioning in the lobby downstairs. One elderly person said, “Young girls these days really know how to make a fuss.” Another elderly person said to Bennett, “Wives need to be disciplined to listen. If Abigail doesn’t appreciate your kindness, you should teach her a lesson. Men these days are really too oppressed. Society has changed.” Yet another elderly person said, “He kindly told her to go back and enjoy the air conditioning, but she’s still throwing a tantrum. She really doesn’t know how to be grateful.” These people looked at me with particularly unfriendly eyes, as if I were some disobedient child from their family. I rolled my eyes directly. Not only did I not listen to them, but I started jogging in the 108-degree heat. I thought, “Emilia, I don’t believe you can still endure this heat.” Bennett turned red with anger, pointing at me with a trembling finger. He said, “Fine. You must be possessed by some evil spirit today.” After saying that, he turned and left. My expression grew cold. I thought, “Looks like he still doesn’t know that I’ve discovered the sensation exchange.” I shook my head, pushing those thoughts away, and ran even faster. Usually when I ran fast, I’d feel a dull pain in my lower abdomen, but now I felt nothing at all. Just then, my phone suddenly rang. I smiled coldly and calmly answered the video call. Emilia on the other end looked absolutely terrified. She shouted, “Abigail, why are you outside?”

I carefully observed Emilia’s disheveled state. Her face was flushed red, looking like she was about to explode, her clothes soaked with sweat, and her breathing so labored it seemed like her lungs might burst. Then, covering my mouth with a laugh, I said, “Emilia, why the sudden concern for me today?” “I just wanted to get some exercise. Honestly, running in summer feels pretty great.” Emilia was so furious she was about to explode. Today, she had deliberately gone to the construction site to bring water to the workers, even hiring an assistant to film her, wanting to document her “good deed.” At first, she felt comfortable. Despite enduring the scorching sun and walking around the construction site for hours, she didn’t feel hot at all. Instead, she felt refreshingly cool, as if she were in an air-conditioned room. But just as she was secretly celebrating the magic of this “sensory exchange system,” the sensation suddenly changed. All the previous coolness and comfort vanished, replaced by sauna-like stuffiness that left her barely able to breathe. Watching Emilia’s constantly changing expressions in the video, I suddenly lost interest in teasing her. I warned her directly: “Emilia, give up those underhanded tactics right now, or you’ll end up dead!” Emilia’s expression kept shifting, then she immediately hung up the video call. When I tried calling back, I found she had blocked me. Soon, the burning sensation on my body disappeared. Emilia must have escaped into an air-conditioned room. I also stopped running and headed home. As soon as I walked in, Bennett came over with ice water, looking “doting” as he said, “Abigail, drink some water quickly. Don’t do this anymore.” I frowned, feeling wary, and directly refused him. But the next second, someone struck me hard on the back of my neck, and I passed out immediately. When I woke up, I found Bennett had taken me to a mountain resort at over 3,000 feet elevation. It was always cool here, with temperatures never exceeding 77 degrees Fahrenheit. My heart sank. Soon, Bennett pushed open the door and entered, grinning at me: “Honey, come out with me. Everyone’s waiting for you.” With that, he dragged me outside. A pool party was being held outside, attended by all of Bennett’s friends. I rarely interacted with them normally, always feeling like their gazes held some vague malice. One man said to me with a grin, “Abigail, thanks for the treat. We’ve never been to such an expensive resort before.” Though he was smiling, his expression made me very uncomfortable. I turned to Bennett and asked directly, “What’s the meaning of this?” He was just an ordinary office worker – he must have used the family card I had linked for him. Bennett took my hand, looking tender as he said, “Abigail, aren’t you afraid of heat? This is my surprise for you.” With that, he jumped into the swimming pool and pulled me into the water. I was furious and slapped Bennett across the face. For Emilia’s sake, he was really pulling out all the dirty tricks! I was starting to feel hot and dizzy again – Emilia must be playing the good Samaritan again, delivering water to people in the blazing summer heat. That’s how it was in my previous life. Emilia went viral online with her “kind” persona while I was literally burned to death in an air-conditioned room. Now that I refused to be controlled by them, Bennett had trapped me in this mountain resort. “Get lost!” I roared. I pushed Bennett away forcefully, trying to climb onto the shore. But he pressed me down hard, holding me firmly under the cold water. The “gentleness” finally disappeared from Bennett’s face. He smiled viciously, his movements rough and forceful. Bennett said, “Abigail, since you insist on opposing Emilia, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” I was trapped in the water, my hands and feet bound, completely unable to move. If my sense of touch hadn’t been swapped, being submerged in water should have felt comfortable right now. But my body still felt dry and hot as usual. Several men brought ice cubes and kept forcing them into my mouth. One man laughed and said, “Abigail, I heard you’ve been complaining about the heat. We’re here to help cool you down. Actually, I have an even better method—how about we try it with Abigail tonight?” Another man chimed in, “You want to keep her all to yourself?” The first man replied, “I wouldn’t dare. How about we all try it with Abigail together tonight?” The men kept making disgusting comments. Bennett finally spoke up to stop them: “Enough.” The men immediately fell silent, but their eyes continued to roam up and down my body with revolting gazes. Bennett stood on the shore, looking down at me from above. There was a trace of sympathy in his eyes. Bennett said, “Abigail, just behave yourself and stop making a fuss. Things will get better in a while.” His tone was full of fake concern that made me sick. I understood what he meant. In my previous life, after I died, my body slowly rotted while my soul floated in mid-air, unable to move. Two months after my death, my bedroom was finally opened. Emilia covered her nose and disgustedly ordered someone to remove my corpse. Once they were alone, she said, “System, cancel the touch swap now. Abigail, your greatest use in this lifetime was helping me become an influencer with a million followers. Now that I’ve succeeded, it’s time for you to go.” Only then did I realize that all the abnormalities in my body were caused by her. Once she became an influencer, she would swap our senses back. Bennett said things would get better in a while? I refuse. I said, “Bennett, the biggest regret of my life is being with you.” It was my choice to be with a bad person that cost me my life. But in this lifetime, I will never let them off the hook. The trace of sympathy on Bennett’s face instantly vanished, his expression turning cold and vicious. Ever since being with me, he’d been called a man who lived off women. Bennett thought, “Abigail has been spoiled since childhood—pampered and willful. Who else but me could tolerate her?” He said angrily, “In that case, you can just stay in the water.” Trapped in the water, the dry, burning sensation on my face combined with the suffocating feeling of drowning. My skin was also swelling from being soaked. I shouted with all my strength, but they showed no reaction. Bennett’s thug friends mocked me. One man said, “Stop screaming. Even if you shout until your voice gives out, it won’t help.” Another added, “Are you trying to get our attention? Your voice sounds so sweet, it’s getting me excited.” I was so angry my chest felt tight, my heart ready to burst out. Finally, I passed out. When I woke up, I still felt unbearably hot and breathless. The next second, I realized this was a basement. Bennett stood at the doorway, expressionless. He said, “Abigail, this basement is constantly maintained at 61 degrees Fahrenheit. You’ll be staying here for the next month.” After saying this, he left without looking back. The heavy door closed with a dull thud. In my rage, I threw everything within reach at the walls. The objects crashed against the walls with shattering sounds. I gripped the diamond bracelet on my left wrist, preparing to take action. Just then, the surveillance camera on the wall suddenly flashed red. A wave of unease washed over me, and I immediately stopped my movements, pretending to look fearfully at the camera.

The screen on the wall suddenly lit up. Emilia looked particularly smug, her provocative gaze seeming to pierce right through the screen and onto me. She smiled and said, “Abigail, how’s your little ‘vacation’ going? I’m so jealous. I still have to put on this whole masculine energy act to deliver water to those poor people at the bottom.” Every word Emilia spoke was dripping with malice. I closed my eyes, not wanting to look at her for even a second. But that only made her more excited as she continued flaunting in front of me: “Abigail, once I become an influencer, I’ll definitely treat you to dinner. After all, you’ve been such a huge help to me.” She was absolutely reveling in this moment. I let out a cold laugh: “Emilia, everything you’ve gained by stealing from others will never truly belong to you.” As if she’d heard something incredibly amusing, Emilia burst out laughing. She said, “Abigail, you really won’t give up until you’re completely defeated. I stole from you? That’s hilarious! If you hadn’t stolen Bennett away from me, you bitch, would I have targeted you?” I frowned deeply. So that’s what this was about? In that moment, all those things that had felt off to me before came flooding back into my mind. The first time I went to Bennett’s house, Emilia hid in her room and wouldn’t come out. His parents awkwardly explained, “She’s being difficult. Don’t mind her.” I actually believed them. After that, every time I went shopping, I’d buy gifts for Emilia, trying to improve our relationship. But she would always smash the gifts I gave her to pieces and throw them in the trash. Every time I went to their gatherings with Bennett, his friends would show subtle hostility toward me. All these things had confused me before. “Emilia, I’m warning you one last time. If you don’t make those weird spells of yours disappear, I’ll make your life miserable,” I said seriously. But Emilia completely ignored what I said. She deliberately pulled out her phone in front of me and dialed a number. Emilia’s voice turned sickeningly sweet and coy: “Bennett, I’m so upset. I just told Abigail I wanted to treat her to dinner, and she threatened me, saying she’d make sure I come to a bad end.” Emilia’s lies were pathetically obvious. But Bennett’s voice on the other end was filled with a tenderness and affection I’d never heard before. He said, “Emilia, don’t be upset. Once that bitch has no more use, I’ll sell her off to some mountain village, okay?” My emotional defenses completely crumbled. Even though I’d known what kind of person Bennett was, hearing him say something so vicious and absurd with my own ears still filled me with pain and anguish. My nails dug deep into my palms, but I felt no physical pain at all. After all, no matter how much that hurt, it couldn’t compare to the pain in my heart. Emilia laughed, showing her triumphant expression: “See that? In Bennett’s heart, you’re not worth even a strand of my hair.” Then the screen went dark. The silence around me was terrifying. I clenched my fists and suppressed that feeling of humiliation in my heart. Then I spoke to the tracking device disguised as a diamond bracelet: “Come get me.” After that, I was secretly rescued. Tomorrow was the day I’d board my flight to Antarctica. I rushed to the airport as fast as I could. The next day, Bennett had just woken up when his heart suddenly filled with panic, as if something important was about to slip out of his control. But he couldn’t figure out what it was. Bennett carried his breakfast and opened the basement door. With just one glance, his heart sank to the very bottom. Bennett thought, “Abigail is gone?” Just as my phone started ringing, I had already finished checking in for my flight. I hadn’t blocked Bennett’s number. Instead, I watched with great interest as the incoming call notifications kept appearing on my phone. I could imagine how frantic he must be. After reaching my destination, I didn’t wait a moment and immediately video-called Emilia. I smiled and said, “Surprise! Guess where I am?” Emilia felt like she’d suddenly fallen into an ice cellar and was about to faint.

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Before my best friend Mia Sanchez married the wealthiest man in town, Weston Thomas, she asked me, Emma Jackson, to help her with her premarital medical examination. After the tests, I discovered she had contracted AIDS. Considering patient privacy rights, and since Mia told me that Weston didn’t mind her having AIDS, I didn’t tell Weston about the test results. Later, Weston also contracted AIDS, but Mia went online crying and blaming me. She said, “If Emma hadn’t deliberately withheld our test results, my husband wouldn’t have gotten AIDS. This is all her fault.” Even my boyfriend Asher Wood came forward to accuse me. He said, “This isn’t the first time Emma has hurt Mia. The reason Mia got infected with AIDS is because Emma used a needle that had been used on an AIDS patient to draw her blood.” No matter how I tried to explain, no one believed me. To escape the overwhelming online attacks, I had to move to another city with my parents. But Weston was furious and drove his car into our family, killing us all. After Weston was sentenced to death, Mia inherited all of his wealth. Then she and Asher lived a luxurious life like the wealthy elite. Unexpectedly, when I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day Mia came to me for her premarital examination. Mia said, “Emma, hurry up and draw my blood. Weston and I are still waiting to get our marriage license.” Seeing Mia extend her arm toward me, I was stunned for a moment, then instantly realized I had been reborn. “Emma, you need to be thorough with the examination. If Mia didn’t trust only you, I wouldn’t have brought her here,” said Weston, Mia’s boyfriend. Weston’s family had assets worth over a hundred million dollars, and he was extremely demanding about his partner. He absolutely wouldn’t allow his girlfriend to have lived with anyone else before marriage. Mia had pretended to be an innocent girl for over half a year before finally getting Weston to agree to marry her. In my previous life, hearing Weston say this moved me deeply. I really thought Mia had deep feelings for me, but I never realized she came all this way to find me for the examination solely to pin the blame for Weston getting AIDS on me. Thinking about this, I refused without hesitation. I said, “You just ate something, and blood draws require fasting. You two should go do other tests first.” As soon as I finished speaking, Asher came running over quickly. He said, “Why are there so many rules? Mia is waiting to apply for a marriage license. Emma, can’t you be flexible? Just finish their blood test quickly so we can get the results sooner.” Seeing his face, the hatred in my heart instantly reached its peak. I still clearly remember that before I died, he walked up to me and stomped hard on my head with his foot. He said, “Emma, are you regretting not telling Weston about the test results now? “Actually, your regret is useless. Even if you had told him about Mia having AIDS back then, preventing her from marrying Weston, we still could have taken you to court for violating patient privacy rights. Your fate wouldn’t have been any better than it is now. So just go die in peace.” So since I’m living again, I must make sure they get the punishment they deserve. I suppressed the intense hatred in my heart and looked at Weston. I said, “If you get blood tests now, the results might not be accurate. Mr. Thomas, you came all this way, so you certainly don’t want the blood test results to be problematic, right?” Hearing me say this, Weston nodded seriously. He said, “Mia, Emma is right. Let’s go do other tests first.” After watching them walk away, I immediately sent a text message to the director, Hudson Ortiz, telling him I wanted to resign. Only after doing this did I breathe a sigh of relief. But looking at Asher, who had been staying by my side the whole time, I still frowned. I said coldly, “Why do you keep staring at me? Don’t you have to go to work?” Asher flashed a cheerful smile, but it made me feel incredibly afraid. He said, “I took the day off, perfect for spending time with you.” Asher said he was keeping me company, but even when I went to the bathroom, he followed me every step of the way. Obviously, he was afraid I would escape and ruin his and Mia’s scheme. Finally, at noon, Mia came rushing over with Weston. She said, “Emma, hurry up and draw my blood. I’m starving to death.”

I pretended to feel dizzy and said to Mia, “Sorry, I didn’t eat breakfast this morning and I’m feeling a bit hypoglycemic. I can’t draw blood for you right now. How about I get someone else to do it?” “No.” Two voices spoke in unison. I looked at Mia and Asher in surprise. “What’s wrong?” Asher quickly smiled and put his arm around me. “Emma, Mia came all this way to find you because she trusts you. You wouldn’t want to disappoint her, would you?” Trust? I couldn’t help but smile bitterly to myself. In my past life, it was because I believed in that word that I lost my life. It was out of trust in Mia that after discovering she had AIDS, I didn’t tell Weston about the premarital examination results. But what about her? After Weston was infected with AIDS by her, she desperately cried and accused me of ruining her. She said, “If Emma had told us the results on the day of the premarital examination, I definitely would have broken up with my husband. I love him so much, how could I bear to let him get infected with AIDS? This is all Emma’s fault. She just wanted to destroy all of us!” What made me even more desperate was that even Asher, who had been with me for so many years, actually stood against me. He said, “This isn’t the first time Emma has harmed Mia. Mia got infected with AIDS because Emma used a needle that had been used on an AIDS patient to draw her blood.” With Asher’s testimony, all my explanations and rebuttals seemed powerless. No one believed me. The hospital fired me, and my house was burned down by arsonists. Finally, to survive, I had to take my family to live in another city. But at Mia’s instigation, Weston drove a big truck and killed our entire family. After I died, I saw Mia move into Weston’s villa with Asher. Only then did I finally understand that these two had been together behind my back all along. Coming back to my senses, I coldly pushed away from Asher’s embrace. “Since Mia trusts me so much, I need to be in my best condition. It’s lunchtime anyway, so I’ll go eat first.” “I have a protein bar.” Afraid I would leave, Mia immediately took a protein bar out of her purse. I didn’t take it, and Mia looked a bit embarrassed. Weston said, “Since I’m getting married today, let me treat you all to lunch.” This was exactly what I was waiting for Weston to say. Because of my insistence, Weston drove us to a restaurant. As soon as the server saw Mia, she enthusiastically approached us. “Ms. Sanchez, welcome! How come you didn’t come with your boyfriend today?” Weston looked at Mia with confusion. Mia glared at the server angrily. “What’s wrong with you? My boyfriend is standing right next to me!” “But…” the server wanted to say more. But Mia pushed her and said angrily, “This is my first time at this restaurant. You must have mistaken me for someone else.” Hearing this, the server could only keep apologizing. I almost laughed out loud. I chose this restaurant precisely because Mia used to date her ex-boyfriend here frequently. But that alone wasn’t enough. I immediately took out my phone and anonymously sent a text message to Mia’s ex-boyfriend, Dylan Cook. He probably still didn’t know that he had been infected with AIDS by Mia. After all the dishes were served, Mia finally spotted Dylan, who was constantly looking around at the restaurant entrance. Her face immediately changed. “Mia, what’s wrong?” Weston looked at her with concern. Mia lowered her head and buried her entire face in her arms, pretending to have stomach pain. She said, “Honey, I think my period just started. Could you go to the pharmacy and get me some painkillers?” I took out the ibuprofen I always carried in my bag and handed it to her. I said, “I happen to have some. Take this.” Mia glared at me fiercely, her eyes full of resentment. But she still forced a smile. “Emma, thanks for your kindness. But ibuprofen doesn’t work for me. I need naproxen.” Then she acted coquettishly toward Weston. “Honey, please. Didn’t you say you’d spoil me and love me forever?” “Alright, I’ll go right now,” Weston said. He took the car keys and left the restaurant. Just then, Dylan, who had been looking around, finally spotted Mia. He rushed over with a kitchen knife. Then he roared, “Mia, you b*tch! You infected me with AIDS!”

Mia quickly hid behind Asher in terror. However, she didn’t admit it. “Don’t make things up. I don’t have AIDS at all, so how could I possibly infect you? If you don’t believe me, just ask Asher. He works at the hospital.” Hearing Mia mention his name, Asher raised his hand and swore. He said, “That’s right, I can swear that Mia absolutely doesn’t have AIDS.” “If it wasn’t you, then why are you hiding?” Dylan roared. He was a notorious bully who had always been the one picking on others, never the one being schemed against. Even when Mia dumped him back then, he only let her go after taking tens of thousands of dollars as breakup money. After I sent him the text, he immediately went to get tested for AIDS. As soon as the results came out, he rushed over with a knife. Not wanting to be exposed, Mia quickly defended herself: “You’ve slept with so many women, what makes you think I’m the one who infected you? Besides, if I had AIDS, how could the richest man Weston still marry me?” But Dylan’s rationality had long been drowned by hatred. He raised the knife and slashed down. The blade struck Asher’s shoulder. Instantly, blood splattered everywhere, covering Mia’s face. Realizing he’d hit the wrong person, Dylan finally came to his senses. Seeing all the blood on the ground, he panicked, dropped the knife, and ran out of the restaurant. Witnessing this, the waitstaff immediately called 911. Looking at Asher who wasn’t quite dead yet, I felt disappointed. I thought to myself, “Why wasn’t he killed on the spot?” After getting the news, Weston rushed to the hospital. Mia threw herself into his arms crying, saying, “Honey, it’s all my fault. If it weren’t for saving me, Asher wouldn’t have been slashed like this by that thug.” “What exactly happened?” Weston pressed. The waiter who came to the hospital with us eagerly spoke up: “That thug said Ms. Sanchez infected him with AIDS, so he came with a knife to kill her.” Upon hearing “AIDS,” Weston’s eyes widened instantly. He pushed Mia away and his expression became extremely grave. Weston asked, “You have AIDS? Didn’t you say you were a virgin?” Mia cried even louder. She said, “Honey, how could I possibly have AIDS? That man is framing me. He pursued me multiple times before and I rejected him every time. I don’t know how he found out about my wedding, so he made up this excuse to try to kill me. If I really had AIDS, wouldn’t you know once Emma finishes my pre-marital medical exam?” Mia cried pitifully. Seeing her like this, Weston gradually let his guard down. He said, “You’re right. If you really had AIDS, you would have been eager to infect me long ago.” Watching their loving display, I just thought Weston was an idiot. However, Mia’s fabricated lies were about to be exposed. After learning about the surgery from the doctor, I put on a distressed expression. I grabbed Mia’s hand and pleaded, “Mia, you must save Asher. Asher has lost too much blood, but our hospital doesn’t have enough Type B blood in stock. Among all of us here, only you have Type B blood. You’re the only one who can save him now.” A nurse immediately stepped forward and said to Mia, “Ms. Sanchez, to ensure blood safety and patient health, please come with me for a blood test.” “No. I can’t go!” Mia looked terrified and without thinking, shouted out loud. For a moment, everyone looked at her in confusion. Even Weston frowned. Suppressing my inner satisfaction, I asked her in confusion, “Mia, are you unwilling to take the blood test because you really do have AIDS?”

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Years after my husband James Lewis’s brother Daniel Lewis passed away, Daniel’s wife Grace Lewis claimed that their child Luca Lewis was the reincarnation of Ares, the god of war. She insisted that Luca was blessed by heaven with an incredibly resilient body that couldn’t be harmed. But in reality, Grace was transferring all the injuries Luca should have suffered onto my daughter Ruby Lewis. Luca was born with a congenital heart condition, yet this disease miraculously disappeared within a single day. Despite being so young, he could participate in all kinds of extreme sports without getting hurt at all. Meanwhile, my daughter Ruby’s originally healthy body grew weaker and weaker. She would suffer inexplicable full-body fractures, leaving not a single part of her uninjured. I couldn’t help but connect these two events. So I shared my suspicions with my husband James and James’s mother Hannah Lewis. But they said I was mentally unstable and accused me of being jealous that Grace had given birth to a genius son while I only had an ordinary daughter. Later, Luca challenged himself to trek across the Sahara Desert and became a hugely popular child star. But my daughter Ruby mysteriously developed heat stroke and suddenly died. Grace even posted on her social media platform, accusing me of slandering her out of jealousy. Because of this, I was stalked by Grace’s fanatical fans and eventually dismembered by them. When I opened my eyes again, I had somehow returned to the day Grace claimed Luca was a genius. This time, in my capacity as an expert physician, I put on my gloves and said to Grace, “Grace, let me examine whether Luca’s condition has truly been cured.” Grace replied, “Penelope, are you suggesting I’m lying? What would be the point of faking something like this?” Penelope Moore is my name. She held the hand of Luca, who had just emerged from the ICU looking energetic and bouncing around, and gave me a mocking expression. I clenched my fists tightly but tried my best to appear calm. I said to Grace, “I’m just concerned about Luca. After all, he needed IV fluids yesterday, and today he’s suddenly fine. I’m worried about him.” Grace said dismissively, “Fine, examine him all you want. Don’t you think I know whether my son is cured or not?” With that, she patted Luca’s back and had him walk over to me. I gave Luca a comprehensive physical examination, but the results sent chills down my spine. Luca was now four years old and had been kept alive in the ICU until now. He was born with a congenital heart condition and was so frail that he might go into shock the moment he left the hospital. But to my amazement, all his test results were now normal. His previously thin arms had grown thicker, as strong as a calf’s legs. Seeing my shocked expression, Grace impatiently pulled Luca back to her side. She said, “I told you my son is the reincarnation of Ares, the god of war. His body is incredibly resilient and can’t be harmed. What’s a heart condition to him?” How was this possible? A patient nearby couldn’t help but laugh, not quite believing Grace’s words. He said with a chuckle, “Can’t be harmed? Are you kidding me? He’s still just a little kid.” As soon as he finished speaking, Grace whispered something in Luca’s ear. Immediately, Luca ran to the window and jumped straight out. The patient shouted, “Oh my God! Someone go check if he’s okay!” Even James and Hannah were worried, but Grace wasn’t anxious at all and leisurely walked downstairs. Incredibly, Luca was standing completely unharmed at the hospital entrance. Everyone who had followed downstairs was stunned: “How is this possible? He fell from the fourth floor and doesn’t have a scratch on him?” But just then, I received a call from the kindergarten teacher. Ruby had suddenly collapsed. Moreover, after Ruby fainted, the teachers had only gently moved her, which somehow caused both her legs to fracture. I quickly asked James to go to the kindergarten and bring Ruby to the hospital. But Grace wasn’t having it. She said, “My son just recovered from his illness and wants to try something thrilling. James already promised to drive us bungee jumping.” Thinking of Ruby’s tragic fate in my previous life, I instinctively shouted, “No! You need to go pick up Ruby first!” Suddenly Hannah slapped me across the face. Hannah glared at me angrily and said, “You go get your daughter. We’re taking my grandson out to have fun. If you don’t agree, I’ll cause a scene here until you lose your job.” I was so angry my chest ached. The car at home was bought with my money, but James had been hogging the car keys, claiming he needed to frequently drive Grace to the hospital. Grace’s son had just recovered, and Ruby had an accident. What are the odds of such a coincidence? Grace must have done something. After what happened in my previous life, I knew I couldn’t count on James and Hannah to help me. I had to find the truth and ensure that Ruby and I wouldn’t die such tragic deaths again. I didn’t want to waste time arguing with them here, so I borrowed a colleague’s car and rushed to the kindergarten. I opened my phone and saw that Grace had already started a live stream. In the video, Luca leaped from a fifty-meter-high platform, and the bungee cord wasn’t properly secured, making me feel both scared and anxious. Sure enough, when Luca descended to about ten meters, the rope came loose. But Luca landed smoothly on the safety mat, completely unharmed. At that moment, I arrived at the kindergarten and saw Ruby, unconscious and with blood all over her legs.

After I rushed Ruby to the hospital, the chief of staff was worried I might make mistakes due to my panic over Ruby’s condition, so he personally came to examine her. He emerged from the examination room with a troubled expression and asked me reproachfully, “Does your daughter have congenital heart disease? Then why did you let her participate in PE class?” I was on the verge of tears and quickly said, “That’s impossible!” Ruby was born at our hospital. Right after her birth, I had my colleagues run comprehensive tests on her. She was perfectly healthy with no congenital conditions whatsoever. He continued, “Also, your daughter’s fracture was caused by significant impact force. You should ask the kindergarten teachers what happened and get to the bottom of this. This poor little girl will need at least three months to recover.” A chill ran through my entire body. I had actually already reviewed the kindergarten’s surveillance footage. But strangely, the video showed no one had touched Ruby at all. The other children were just running normally. Ruby simply started crying and complaining of pain halfway through her run. A teacher quickly called the school nurse, but the nurse couldn’t find anything wrong and had to call me immediately. Shortly after, Ruby completely passed out on the kindergarten’s couch. When the teachers tried to move Ruby to a bed, before they could even lift her, Ruby’s leg started bleeding externally, looking as if it was broken. My head was splitting with pain, and I couldn’t figure out how Grace had managed to do such a thing. When Ruby woke up, I hurried to her bedside and asked, “Baby, how do you feel? Are you still in pain?” Instantly, Ruby burst into tears, saying, “Mommy, my hands hurt too, and my body hurts. Everything feels uncomfortable.” Only then did I notice her hands and saw they were already swollen. I instinctively opened Grace’s social media and found her account had become incredibly popular. She now had around 500,000 followers. The video clips of Luca bungee jumping were still gaining traction online. Everyone was shocked by this four-year-old child taking on extreme sports. [Did evolution skip the rest of us? That’s a 164-foot platform!] [Not only did he land smoothly, he wasn’t hurt at all. This is absolutely incredible.] Riding this wave of popularity, Grace launched a series featuring Luca challenging 100 extreme sports. One fan suggested that since Luca wouldn’t get hurt, they should have him arm-wrestle with a giant lobster. I’d seen videos online showing lobster claws crushing phone screens. But Grace agreed to the suggestion without hesitation. In the video, Luca used just his chubby little hands to fend off the lobster’s attacks. His hands didn’t have a single pinch mark. I could only quickly bandage Ruby’s wounds. Then I took a deep breath, tried to calm myself, and organized what I knew so far. Grace had transferred Luca’s congenital heart disease to Ruby, and even the injuries Luca should have sustained could be transferred. Even when Ruby did nothing, the pain would still transfer to her. This was utterly bizarre. How was Grace doing this? Was it simply because Ruby and Luca were related? I had no choice but to call James directly. I said coldly, “Let’s get divorced.” James’s impatient voice came through the phone: “Just because I didn’t pick up Ruby, you want to divorce me? Do you know how many people are sending Luca gifts? You’re truly narrow-minded and ignorant. I’m thinking about our entire family’s future. You’re just unreasonably jealous of others.” To expedite the divorce, I even agreed not to take any property with me. The house and car were all purchased by me. James’s salary over the years wasn’t even enough to cover his cigarettes and alcohol. So James came back without hesitation to divorce me. Afterward, he moved into the mansion Grace had rented with the money earned from Luca’s livestreams. James even told me, “You stupid woman, even if you beg me in the future, I won’t spare you a second glance.” Grace even made our divorce a topic for her livestream. She said, “Because Luca is so talented, I wanted him to earn more money so everyone’s life could be easier. But I never expected Penelope to have such a dirty mind, actually suspecting something between James and me, and wanting to divorce James. She even lied to James about her daughter having a serious illness. I think she just doesn’t want Luca to succeed and wants to steal their affection for Luca.” Grace also said I lacked medical ethics and that I was incompetent and only knew how to be jealous of others. Suddenly, the label of being “jealous” was pinned on me. My work information was also posted online, and no one wanted me to treat them anymore. The hospital had no choice but to put me on temporary leave. But work was no longer important to me. Looking at Ruby covered in injuries, I took her back to my home and even changed her surname to mine, Moore. We had severed all ties with the Lewis family. I didn’t believe Grace could still transfer Luca’s injuries to Ruby.

I kept a close eye on Grace’s livestream activities. I learned that in three days, Grace would have Luca challenge waves dozens of feet high. But Luca was only 4.6 feet tall, not even as tall as a surfboard. Three days later, my parents and I watched the livestream with tense expressions. After hearing my suspicions, they didn’t show a hint of disbelief, completely different from James. My eyes slowly welled up with tears, and I felt deeply regretful. I should have listened to my parents from the beginning and never married that poor guy James, let alone work so hard to earn money to improve his life. Just then, sounds came from my phone. Grace and the others had already reached the beach. Luca, holding a surfboard taller than himself, rushed quickly into the sea. As expected, he was soon knocked down by the waves. But after just a moment, he swam back up without any sign of choking on water. I immediately went to check on Ruby in her room. Seeing her still sleeping peacefully, I couldn’t help but feel relieved. But the next second, Ruby started crying and spitting up water, her face instantly turning pale. I quickly called my parents over to help perform CPR on Ruby. However, Ruby continued showing signs of drowning. I hurried to check the livestream and realized that Luca had been falling and getting back up in the water until he finally succeeded at surfing. Being so small, he failed hundreds of times before succeeding. Everyone praised him as a true child prodigy, with perseverance and determination, saying even such deep seawater couldn’t harm him. I was filled with confusion. Why was this happening? How exactly was Grace doing this? Listening to Ruby’s painful cries, I truly couldn’t forgive this. After much thought, my parents and I pooled all our savings to buy the right to designate Luca’s challenge projects. To avoid exposing ourselves, I even used my friend’s account. Our family was fairly well-off, so we put up $10 million at once. Grace was tempted by the money, so the challenges she arranged for Luca next were harmless projects like “picking out ten thousand green beans.” Ruby was finally able to recover gradually and no longer had to suffer. But I still didn’t expect that despite taking my money, Grace would still decide to have Luca trek across the Sahara Desert on foot a week later. I was so angry that I immediately went to confront her, only to be blocked by her. Grace even said: “$10 million is only enough to buy naming rights for ten projects. Everyone finds these current projects boring as hell. Someone has already offered $50 million to watch Luca trek through the desert.” Rational people tried to persuade Grace after hearing this: “He’s such a small child, having to cross such a vast desert. Even if he truly won’t get hurt, his body won’t be able to handle it.” But Grace just shrugged, saying carelessly: “Don’t worry about it. Just save up money to send Luca gifts. Wait and watch Luca, this ‘God of War Ares,’ cross the desert.” I was instantly plunged into despair. What could I do? As long as Luca went to the desert, Ruby would definitely die again. Looking at Ruby lying in bed, her whole body wrapped in bandages, I cried out in grief. But Ruby reached out her little hand to comfort me: “Mommy, don’t cry. It’s my fault for always being sick.” “No, it’s not.” I said through my sobs, a flash of determination in my eyes. I couldn’t let Ruby die inexplicably again after being given a second chance at life. I convinced my parents to sell our house in the city and move to the countryside. Then I took out $5 million and contacted Grace again. Grace replied: [This amount isn’t enough to make me give up the desert challenge.] I quickly responded: [You don’t need to give up the challenge. I just want to see up close how the ‘God of War Ares’ crosses the desert. Just have Luca bring a phone mount and livestream in first-person view in real time.] This was basically free money, so Grace immediately agreed. On the day of the challenge, I stared intently at Luca’s first-person livestream on my phone. He walked step by step across the desert, and you could feel the heat waves even through the screen. Even Grace, sitting in an air-conditioned car, was sunburned red all over her face from the scorching heat. But Luca showed no reaction at all. At that moment, Ruby’s voice came from the room: “Mommy, I’m so hot, I feel so uncomfortable.” Even though the air conditioning in the room was set to 32 degrees Fahrenheit, Ruby’s face was still flushed red, her whole body looking as if it had been sunburned. Then I looked at Luca’s feet in the camera feed. I finally knew exactly what Grace had done, and how she was transferring Luca’s pain and illness to Ruby.

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I wasn’t pregnant at all, yet I was popping abortion pills like candy. In my previous life, after my husband Joseph Price’s brother Cooper Price died, his wife Sofia Price got pregnant and somehow transferred all her pregnancy symptoms onto me. She’d happily munch on seafood tacos with her growing belly while I’d be rushed to the hospital from severe morning sickness and stomach pain. She’d strut around in crop tops all day, showing off her smooth, flawless skin, while my stomach was covered in ugly stretch marks. When I went to Joseph and told him what was happening, he impatiently shoved me away. He said, “Even if you want my attention, there should be limits. Cooper’s dead, and Sofia’s carrying Cooper’s only child. It’s perfectly normal for me to be good to her. Do you really have to cause trouble on purpose?” After that, Sofia’s behavior became even worse and more vicious. During her pregnancy, she started doing crazy dangerous things and even ate mango cake that she was allergic to. From the severe allergic reaction, I went into shock and was hospitalized, my life hanging by a thread. When I went to the hospital for tests, the doctors couldn’t explain why I was sick and could only conclude that my intense jealousy was causing psychosomatic symptoms. Later, to create her image as a hot single mom, Sofia started livestreaming workout sessions while heavily pregnant. After she danced frantically for three hours, my uterus literally fell out, I bled profusely, and died. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Sofia announced her pregnancy. ***** After Cooper’s death, Sofia used her pregnancy with Cooper’s child to demand that Joseph take care of both her and me simultaneously. Joseph’s mother Ella Price was naturally thrilled and immediately agreed, even bringing Sofia corn chowder that had been simmering for hours. But the moment Sofia took a tiny sip of the corn chowder, my stomach immediately felt terrible. I couldn’t help but dry heave. Sure enough, living through this again, my situation hadn’t changed. I wasn’t pregnant at all, yet the morning sickness that should have been Sofia’s was happening to me instead. While I was lost in thought, Sofia pushed away the corn chowder in disgust, demanding super spicy seafood tacos. She said, “Joseph, this soup is too bland. I’m carrying a baby and want something with more flavor. Please?” Joseph looked at Sofia’s coquettish behavior with indulgent eyes and sighed helplessly. “Fine. Besides seafood tacos, what else do you want?” Sofia smiled and said, “Great! I also want mango cake and pickles.” Hearing Sofia rattle off a list of unhealthy foods, I immediately stepped in front of her. If I let her mess around like this, just one bout of morning sickness would torture me to the point of not wanting to live. I quickly said, “Joseph, Sofia’s pregnant now. How can you let her eat these nutritionally empty foods?” Ella, who had expected me to make a scene about her making Joseph care for both Sofia and me, was stunned when she heard me showing such concern for Sofia’s health, then immediately agreed with me. She said, “Exactly. When a woman’s pregnant, she should eat light, nutritious foods. How can she eat such unhealthy junk? Joseph, don’t spoil Sofia.” But after hearing this, Sofia’s eyes immediately welled up with tears and she started crying loudly. She said, “Ariana, why do you have to deliberately make things difficult for me? I’m just pregnant and want to eat something that’ll help my appetite.” Ariana Myers is my name. After a pause, Sofia continued, “Are you mad that I stole Joseph from you, so you’re treating me this way? Fine. I’ll schedule an abortion right now, get rid of the baby, and leave.” It was the same situation as my previous life. Ever since Sofia got pregnant, I’d been experiencing all sorts of pregnancy symptoms, so I immediately suspected Sofia was behind it. But because Sofia was pregnant and really good at playing the victim, Joseph didn’t believe a word I said. He said, “Are you making up these lies because you’re jealous that I’m paying more attention to Sofia, trying to get me to believe you? Even if you want my attention, there should be limits. Cooper’s dead, and Sofia’s carrying Cooper’s only child. It’s perfectly normal for me to be good to her. Do you really have to cause trouble on purpose?” After that, Joseph moved out with Sofia and took care of her attentively. Whenever he caught me going to their place, he’d ruthlessly kick me out. Several times, I collapsed from morning sickness right at their doorstep. Joseph would carefully hold Sofia while mocking me, “When you’re done with your act, get lost. Sofia’s carrying a child and can’t see someone as unlucky as you.” Joseph and Sofia lived outside for three months. During this time, I was hospitalized fifty times for strange reasons like morning sickness, allergic reactions, and signs of miscarriage. Later, to create her image as a hot single mom, Sofia started livestreaming workouts at six months pregnant. After she danced frantically for three hours, my uterus literally fell out, I bled profusely, and died. When I opened my eyes again, I had actually been reborn. This time, I had to find the key to solving this predicament. With that thought, I met Sofia’s currently hateful gaze and proactively bowed my head to apologize. I said, “Sofia, I didn’t mean to make you angry. Since you want those things, I’ll personally go buy them for you.” Though I said this out loud, I secretly decided to pick up a bottle of abortion pills while I was at it. Since Sofia could use pregnancy side effects to torture me, I might as well give her an even harsher taste of her own medicine.

Joseph didn’t expect me to be so cooperative and swallowed back the harsh words he was about to say. Even Ella and Sofia standing nearby were stunned. Before they could react, I grabbed my things, turned around, and ran out of the house to the supermarket 3 miles away. When I returned carrying a large bag of groceries, Sofia frowned. She inspected the snacks in the plastic bags one by one. Then she said with disgust, “Ariana, I wanted the extra spicy seafood taco. Why did you only buy the mild one? And this cake—I wanted mango flavor, but you bought strawberry. Are you deliberately going against me?” But I completely ignored her complaints, staring intently at her belly instead. Because on my way back, I had already drunk an entire bottle of abortion pills. I wanted to see if she would be affected by my taking the medication. But Sofia remained calm with no reaction whatsoever. Was the dosage I took not enough? Just as I was puzzling over this, Sofia smiled maliciously, “Ariana, it seems you didn’t take my words seriously at all.” She deliberately put on a pitiful act: “Sigh, it’s all my fault for only discovering I was pregnant after Cooper died. If I had known you hated me this much, I shouldn’t have kept this child.” With that, Sofia began frantically hitting her own belly. Immediately, sharp, needle-like pain shot through my abdomen. She was doing this on purpose. I endured the pain and put on a sincere apologetic expression: “Sofia, I was thinking about your health. I remember you became allergic to mangoes after getting pregnant, so I switched to a different flavor cake. You’re pregnant now—if you had an allergic reaction and it affected the baby, that would be terrible. Cooper only left behind this one child, so please don’t be stubborn.” Hearing me say this, Ella remembered her deceased eldest son Cooper and quickly urged Sofia not to go too far. Ella even praised me for being thoughtful and considerate. Sofia wanted to act coquettish and seek help from Joseph, but he was also worried about something happening to the baby, so he went along with persuading her not to make a fuss. He said, “Ariana is doing this for you and the baby’s good. Be good—once the baby is born, I’ll take you to eat whatever you want.” Watching them interact intimately right in front of me, I fought back nausea and ran to the bathroom, where I swallowed another entire bottle of abortion pills. But Sofia still showed no reaction. How infuriating! I hadn’t expected this side effect transfer to be one-way only. By this time, Joseph had already unwrapped the seafood taco for Sofia and was hand-feeding her the strawberry cake. Fortunately, I had switched everything Sofia wanted to eat to relatively safe options this time, so the morning sickness wasn’t as severe as before. I also didn’t go into allergic shock from the mango cake again. I finally breathed a sigh of relief and dragged my exhausted body back to the bedroom to rest. But lying in bed, I couldn’t sleep at all. As long as I couldn’t figure out what was really going on, Sofia could control me at any time. Just as I was thinking about how to solve this predicament, my stomach began to feel uncomfortable. The next moment, I suddenly threw up. The vomit even contained blood streaks and bile. I hugged the toilet, vomiting continuously, carefully trying to recall if I had eaten something I shouldn’t have. Just then, I suddenly remembered something and quickly opened my phone to find Sofia’s Instagram account. I discovered she had actually gone out alone with her big belly to eat barbecue. She had even posted a video showing off, with the caption: [Got cravings while pregnant with the baby, so I had to sneak out alone to eat something delicious.]

In the video, Sofia held spicy barbecue in one hand and an ice-cold Coke in the other, laughing with pure joy. My usual preference for bland food, combined with morning sickness, had already left me breaking out in cold sweats. Seeing this, I angrily called Sofia directly. When she answered, Sofia pretended she knew nothing. She said, “Ariana, it’s so late—why aren’t you asleep yet? I’m still out having barbecue. If there’s nothing important, don’t bother me. Oh, and I hope you’ll keep this secret from Ella. You know how she tends to worry about everything.” Before she could finish, I lowered my voice and snapped, “Sofia, what exactly did you do to me? Why are all your pregnancy side effects transferring to me after you got pregnant?” But Sofia on the other end deliberately ignored my question, even calling out to the owner for several more orders of extra-spicy barbecue. I felt incredibly nauseous, vomiting violently, my whole body trembling with weakness. Sofia pretended she had no idea what I was talking about: “Ariana, do you have some kind of persecution complex? What could a pregnant woman like me possibly do to you? You’re not trying to compete with me for Joseph’s attention by pretending to suffer because I’m pregnant, are you? Just admit you’re putting on an act, and I’ll stop eating all this stuff.” Hearing her deliberately order more spicy, greasy barbecue, my stomach cramped violently. I could only cry and admit, “Yes, you’re right. I’m just acting. Please stop messing around, okay?” Unexpectedly, the next second, Joseph’s angry voice came through the phone: “Ariana, you’ve disappointed me beyond words.” Immediately after, Sofia hung up with a loud laugh. After another bout of violent vomiting, I used my last bit of strength to call 911. Fortunately, the ambulance arrived in time. After being unconscious for 8 hours, I finally woke up. This time, I had gone into shock from severe dehydration due to the morning sickness. However, looking at my medical chart, the doctor couldn’t find any cause for my illness. He said, “I performed an endoscopy and ran blood tests, but found no problems. Do you have any thoughts? Any idea what might be causing this?” I didn’t answer the doctor’s question. Instead, I immediately asked him to process my discharge papers and rushed straight home to confront the person who had really made me this way. The moment I saw Sofia, I pressed a knife to her throat. Sofia screamed, “Ariana, what are you doing?” I stared intently at her belly. Then I said coldly, “I don’t have time for your games. Tell me now—why do all your pregnancy side effects transfer to me?” Sofia said pitifully, “Ariana, what are you talking about? Do you really have a persecution complex?” I moved the knife closer to her belly: “Stop pretending. Talk.” Sofia screamed in terror: “Okay, I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you.” But the next second, she put on a pitiful expression and started crying, shouting, “Joseph, come save me!” Joseph actually snuck up behind me while I wasn’t paying attention, snatched the knife from my hand, and kicked me in the chest. He roared, “Ariana, you dare hurt Sofia? Do you want to die?” Ella also rushed forward and slapped me hard across the face. She cursed, “Damn it! You evil woman! I thought you’d finally grown up. Turns out you had such wicked intentions all along. You actually dared to harm my grandchild? I’ll beat you to death!” Joseph and Ella immediately called the police, saying they had to teach me a lesson. Facing a room full of police officers, Joseph directly played the recording from that night when he accompanied Sofia to eat barbecue. He said, “My wife Ariana insists that Sofia transferred all her pregnancy side effects to her. But she clearly admitted with her own mouth that all these reactions were fake. She was deliberately trying to compete with Sofia for my attention. Today she even dared to threaten Sofia with a knife. Please arrest this vicious woman immediately.” The police were initially somewhat skeptical of Joseph’s claims. But when they clearly heard me say in the recording, “Yes, you’re right. I’m just acting,” their expressions immediately changed. They put handcuffs on me directly and warned me sternly, “Just because of jealousy, you actually went this far. You’re truly incomprehensible.” I struggled desperately, trying to explain to the police, but out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Sofia smiling as she bit into a piece of mango. Instantly, a severe allergic reaction gripped my throat like invisible hands. My limbs began convulsing uncontrollably, and I could only tremble as I begged everyone present for help. But Joseph just sneered coldly, completely indifferent. He said, “Look, this woman is acting again. Today I’ll let you all witness it firsthand.” I clenched my fists tightly, mustering my last breath of strength as I collapsed into the arms of the female officer beside me. I told the officer, “I’m not acting. Please, get me to a hospital.” Seeing my pale complexion, the officer finally realized something was seriously wrong and quickly moved to support me as we prepared to leave. However, Joseph and Ella blocked our path, demanding that I apologize to Sofia before I could go anywhere. Joseph even said to me, “If I ever catch you trying to hurt Sofia again, we’re getting divorced immediately.” After hearing his words, I completely lost consciousness. When I woke up in the hospital again, the doctors were frantically scratching their heads. They couldn’t understand why all my test results came back normal when I had clearly suffered from anaphylactic shock for no apparent reason. In the end, they could only recommend that I see a psychiatrist. I let out a bitter laugh and told them to just prescribe me some sleeping pills and painkillers. Having no other options, they reluctantly complied, giving me a handful of pills before discharging me. The police classified our incident as a domestic dispute and didn’t pursue any serious charges against me. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I quickly packed my belongings and decided to return to my parents’ house. Fortunately, my parents believed me completely. They took me to the hospital for comprehensive tests, but once again, no problems were found. Afterward, they patiently comforted me and told me to rest well. I smiled and nodded in agreement. But suddenly, a sharp, dropping pain shot through my lower abdomen. It felt like invisible hands were violently tearing at my uterus. Blood began flowing out as well. Instinctively, I searched for Sofia’s social media account online. There, I saw she had started a weight-loss livestream under the banner of “Single Hot Mom.” In the video, Sofia, nearly five months pregnant, wore a tight corset and was jumping around energetically in front of the camera. She even said to the camera, “If women don’t stay thin, men won’t love them. Even when pregnant, we need to maintain good body management.” Clutching my agonizing stomach, I trembled with rage, wanting nothing more than to kill Sofia. Just then, I received a mysterious phone call. This time, I finally understood what was really going on.

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After the class reunion ended, my good friend Olivia Greene naturally expected me, Adeline Moore, to be the designated driver and take everyone home. I agreed, but halfway through, we got rear-ended by a limited edition Rolls-Royce. The owner claimed to be a wealthy overseas businessman. He said filing an insurance claim would be too much trouble, and that hitting my car must have been fate’s arrangement, so he generously gave me the car. Later, when Olivia saw me driving the luxury car every day, she went crazy with jealousy. She tampered with my car when I wasn’t looking, causing me to crash and die. My boyfriend Noah Thomas not only didn’t help me, but insisted I had been driving while fatigued. My parents couldn’t handle the shock and died of sudden heart attacks. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day of the class reunion. ***** “Let me drive this car. I’m more familiar with the roads around here, so it’ll be safer if I drive and take everyone home.” Olivia’s voice reached my ears. I snapped my eyes open to see her holding the car keys in one hand, looking at everyone with eager eyes. I realized that Olivia had also been reborn. Seeing my silence, she tentatively pushed my shoulder. “Adeline, I’m only offering to drive your car because I can see everyone’s tired from tonight. Don’t read too much into it.” In my previous life, Olivia knew I was allergic to alcohol and couldn’t drink, which is why she kept convincing me to drive to the reunion. Whenever classmates said they were worried about missing the last train and wanted to leave early, she would point at me with a cheerful smile and say: “Don’t worry, Adeline will take us all home. She used to be student council president, so I’m sure she’d be happy to serve us. In the future, when you guys have emergencies, feel free to call her for rides like I do. She’s so kind, she won’t refuse.” Back then, I thought she was just speaking casually, and since I considered her a good friend, I was genuinely willing to help her. But now, hearing those words again, they sounded nothing but sarcastic. It took dying once to understand that she had simply been treating me like a servant. I snapped back to reality and snatched the car keys back. “This is my car. If you’re really so considerate, you can pay to call rides for everyone.” Olivia froze for a moment, then turned to everyone with a hurt expression: “So Adeline deliberately drove here tonight just to show off her money! Her car isn’t even that expensive anyway. Does she really need to be so precious about it…” As soon as she finished speaking, everyone turned to look at me, whispering among themselves. “She’s always been pretentious. Even after graduation, she’s still like this.” “Olivia is so kind, being friends with someone like that for so many years.” “It’s just a car. If you love it so much, why don’t you just lock it up at home and never drive it!” Noah also pulled me aside and said: “Come on, Adeline. Olivia’s just being nice, wanting to take everyone home. Just let her do it.” I looked at him, fury burning in my chest. If I hadn’t been reborn, I would never have known that he had been hooking up with Olivia all along. I jerked my hand away from his. “Did you forget that Olivia just had alcohol? If she drives my car and something happens, who’s going to take responsibility?” The air fell silent for a few seconds, and everyone began exchanging glances. “That’s actually a good point. Forget it, Olivia. Since she won’t let you use her car to drive us, let’s just call rides home.” Hearing this, Olivia panicked and quickly waved her hands. “No! I have to personally drive everyone home! I only had a tiny sip of alcohol! Besides, it’s past 1 AM now – there are no DUI checkpoints. Trust me.” As she spoke, she pressed down on my car keys with considerable force. Of course I knew why she was so insistent. In my previous life, while I was driving, I got rear-ended by a Rolls-Royce. The owner claimed to be a wealthy overseas businessman who didn’t want to deal with insurance and just gave me the car. But how could she believe that such good fortune really existed in the world – a luxury car worth millions of dollars just given away like that? Seeing that I still wouldn’t agree, she suddenly started crying: “It’s so late now, and we have several girls here. Taking rides would be so dangerous! It’s safer if we drive ourselves back. Adeline, if you think we’re taking advantage of you, I can transfer gas money to you for everyone.” She pulled five hundred dollars from her purse and handed it to me. “Is this enough?” Noah grabbed the money and placed the car keys in Olivia’s palm, his tone mocking. “Just agree already! Olivia is genuinely worried about everyone’s safety. I think you’re just jealous that she’s prettier and more popular than you.” I was about to argue back when Olivia had already plopped down in the driver’s seat. The others pulled me toward the back row. “Hurry up, I’m dead tired.” After getting in the car, I clearly heard Olivia lower her voice and say excitedly: “Just wait. This time, that luxury car will be mine!” I took a deep breath and sneered inwardly. Since you’re so eager to die, I’ll grant your wish.

Olivia hit the road with excitement written all over her face. I could see her eyes in the rearview mirror—they were gleaming in a way that was honestly kind of scary. “Olivia, slow down!” the passenger in the front seat couldn’t help but remind her. She chuckled and said, “Relax, I’m a great driver!” Maybe she was too excited, or maybe the alcohol was getting to her, but she’d barely made it out of the parking lot when she suddenly took a sharp turn. My heart jumped, and before I could say anything, I heard a loud “BANG!” An electric bike got knocked over, and the middle-aged woman riding it, Riley Sanchez, hit the ground. Everyone in the car instantly panicked. “Olivia, what the hell was that driving?” “Can you even drive? Maybe we should let Adeline take over!” Hearing everyone’s complaints, Olivia went pale as a sheet, gripping the steering wheel with trembling hands. Noah panicked too and quickly helped Olivia unbuckle her seatbelt: “Olivia, get in the back seat, now!” He lowered his voice, his eyes darting around: “When the cops get here, just say Adeline was driving.” I stared at him in disbelief: “You want me to take the fall for her?” Noah stuck his neck out defiantly: “Olivia’s your best friend—what’s wrong with helping her out? You haven’t been drinking, and the car’s insured. What are you worried about?” With that, he yanked Olivia out of the driver’s seat: “Olivia, hurry up. I won’t let anything happen to you.” But Olivia suddenly snapped back to reality and glanced down at her watch. She shook her head frantically, broke free from Noah’s grip, and ran over to the electric bike. Crouching down in front of Riley, she asked: “How much do you want? Name your price—as long as you don’t call the police, I’ll pay whatever you ask!” Everyone started whispering among themselves. “What’s gotten into Olivia? A private settlement’s gonna cost a fortune.” “Yeah, what if she asks for a ton of money?” “Olivia, Adeline’s car has insurance. You should just come back.” Olivia completely ignored them and urgently pressed Riley: “Come on, show me your payment code. I’m in a hurry!” Riley struggled to her feet and looked her up and down: “You’re just gonna leave like that? How do I know there won’t be any complications later?” Olivia pointed at my car: “If you’re worried about complications, then take pictures of my license plate. But I really have something urgent to deal with. Just name any amount—I’ll make it worth your while.” Noah looked completely confused and quickly grabbed her: “Olivia, are you drunk out of your mind?” Olivia quietly pulled Noah aside and whispered something in his ear. Noah’s expression changed instantly, and he immediately turned to shout at Riley: “Olivia’s right—the license plate’s right there. If anything comes up later, just track down this car. We really need to leave right now!” I thought they were being absolutely ridiculous. This was my car! I quickly pulled out my phone to secretly record, then got out of the car: “I’m calling the police and the insurance company—” Before I could finish, Noah clamped his hand over my mouth: “No way!” Seeing everyone staring at him, he stammered: “Olivia was kind enough to give everyone a ride home today. We can’t throw her under the bus. If the cops arrest her, she’ll have a criminal record. What about her reputation?” How ridiculous—what about my reputation? Before I could respond, Noah leaned close to my ear with a nasty tone: “Adeline, you’re gonna get this car deregistered tomorrow. When I have money later, I’ll get you a new one.” Olivia pulled him over and said coldly to me: “Enough. You just want to squeeze some money out of me, don’t you? I suggest you think bigger—there’s nothing money can’t solve.” Hearing this, Riley didn’t hesitate to hold up five fingers. Olivia breathed a sigh of relief, immediately scanned Riley’s payment code, and transferred fifty thousand dollars. Riley was stunned. Olivia looked completely relaxed: “I thought it was gonna be more than that. It’s just fifty grand.” Everyone was even more shocked. “Olivia, didn’t you say your family’s financial situation wasn’t great? How do you suddenly have so much money?” “Yeah, that person doesn’t even seem badly hurt—just some scraped skin at most.” “Did you pay too much?” Riley swallowed hard, quickly got back on her electric bike, and rode off: “Well, in that case, this matter ends here. This was voluntary on your part—don’t come looking for me later!” Everyone wanted to chase after her, but Olivia stopped them. She looked smug and said mysteriously: “After tonight, I’m gonna be rich. That fifty thousand was just buying peace of mind—no big deal.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Olivia settled back into the driver’s seat, muttering under her breath: “Good thing that woman didn’t mess things up. My luxury car should be showing up any minute now.” Noah was equally excited, rubbing his hands together as he said: “This is great! We’re about to become rich!” The passengers in the back seat ignored them completely, thinking these two had lost their minds. Sure enough, ten minutes later, when Olivia drove to the stretch of road where she’d been rear-ended in her previous life, a limited edition Rolls-Royce slowly appeared behind them. Seeing that car, Olivia trembled with excitement: “That’s it!” Before she’d even finished speaking, she slammed on the brakes. The next second, the Rolls-Royce crashed hard into them. The classmates in the back seat finally couldn’t take it anymore and started yelling at Olivia: “Why are we so unlucky tonight!” “Olivia, if you can’t drive, don’t take someone else’s car out to show off!” “Let us out right now! We’re not riding in this car anymore!” “Olivia, you didn’t do that on purpose, did you?” Facing their accusations, Olivia just sneered: “Really? When I become a millionaire, don’t come crawling to me.” After saying this, she pushed open the car door and put on a panicked act, walking around to the back of the car to check: “What happened…” A man in his thirties quickly got out of the Rolls-Royce, wearing quite a bit of gold jewelry on his hands. He frowned and demanded: “Why did you suddenly brake?” Olivia looked innocent as she said: “Huh? I didn’t notice. Isn’t there a crosswalk up ahead? I just wanted to slow down a bit.” She blinked her eyes, putting on a pitiful expression. Noah stared intently at that Rolls-Royce, barely able to look away: “Olivia, you were right, it really…” He looked up at the car owner, and his tone immediately became aggressive: “Either way, rear-ending means the car behind is fully at fault, right? How can you yell at her? So tell us, how do you plan to compensate?” I spoke up at the right moment, pretending to be flustered: “This is my car, and now it’s damaged like this…” Olivia immediately glared at me: “What do you mean yours? I’m driving the car, so it’s mine! I was just being nice since we’re good friends and let you drive it all this time. I never thought you’d actually claim the car was yours now.” Noah chimed in with a laugh: “That’s right, I can testify to that. I’m Adeline’s boyfriend, so I know better than anyone. Olivia was just being considerate of her feelings and never called her out on it.” Hearing this, the people around started pointing at me and making snide remarks: “So Adeline loves to put on airs like this.” “She drives Olivia’s car but now claims it’s hers. How fake.” “This is so embarrassing.” Just then, the Rolls-Royce owner looked down at his phone, and his face instantly turned pale. He stumbled as he interrupted everyone, looking directly at Olivia: “You said you’re the car owner, right? Look, I just got back from overseas and I’m not familiar with the domestic police and insurance procedures. Besides, my family has plenty of cars like this.” His voice was trembling: “Since I hit you, I’ll just give you this car.” As soon as he said this, the entire scene fell silent, with everyone discussing in shock: “No way! Olivia’s luck is incredible!” “That guy just gave Olivia a luxury car worth millions of dollars!” “Oh my God, she’s so lucky!” Olivia was so excited her eyes were red, but she still tried to appear composed as she waved her hand: “Actually, you don’t have to do this…” The car owner turned to look at me: “I could give it to you instead.” As soon as he said this, Olivia immediately rushed over and grabbed the car owner’s arm: “In that case, I’ll accept it! Let’s handle the transfer paperwork tomorrow. When would be convenient for you?” The man was sweating profusely and hurriedly handed her a string of numbers: “Tomorrow at 3 PM, I’ll wait for you at the DMV.” After saying this, he quickly hailed a taxi and left in a hurry. After that man left, Olivia circled the Rolls-Royce like she was possessed, muttering nonstop: “I got it! This time it’s finally mine!” She turned to show off to everyone: “Did you see that? This is destiny!” Noah was so excited he could barely speak coherently: “Olivia, you’re amazing! This is a luxury car worth millions of dollars! We’re really going to be rich!” I took a deep breath and carefully examined my car’s trunk. Although this car looked a bit old, it was an imported car my parents specifically bought for me back then. Once damaged, many parts would need to be imported for repairs, and the repair costs could even exceed buying a new car. I looked up at this group of excited people and said calmly: “You promised him you wouldn’t go through insurance, so please cover my repair costs.” As soon as I finished speaking, Noah pointed at me mockingly: “Why is everything about money with you? I never realized you were so materialistic, Adeline. You really disappoint me.” He shook his head with disgust: “Let’s just break up.” The others also cast disdainful looks at me. “Didn’t you say the car wasn’t yours? What are you pretending for now?” “I think you’re just jealous that Olivia suddenly got a luxury car and you’re psychologically unbalanced.” I laughed in anger and directly pulled out the vehicle registration: “Look clearly – that’s my name on it.” Olivia just snorted coldly without concern: “The car is indeed registered under her name, but the person who bought her this car was me. Adeline used to always bully me and forced me to give her a car after graduation. That’s probably why she’s saying this. But whatever, it’s just an old discontinued car – how much could it be worth?” Hearing this, everyone looked at me with even more contempt. “So you forced Olivia to buy you a car? You’re shameless.” “Are you money-crazy? Noah, you did the right thing – you should have broken up with someone like this long ago!” I didn’t bother addressing her slander and just smiled faintly: “The entire trunk is deformed. Repair costs will be at least five hundred thousand dollars.” Hearing this, Olivia turned red with anger: “Five hundred thousand dollars? This car costs five hundred thousand! Adeline! You’re seeing that I have money now and deliberately trying to scam me!” I shrugged indifferently: “If you don’t believe me, I’ll file an insurance claim right now.” Noah quickly grabbed my hand: “Don’t file! If you file insurance, that car owner might not give me that car!” Olivia gritted her teeth and operated on several platforms using her and Noah’s phones. A few minutes later, she actually transferred five hundred thousand dollars to me. I caught a glimpse of their phone screens, clearly showing they had borrowed from several online lending platforms. After I discovered this, she said proudly: “Once I get the car tomorrow, I’ll sell it. This small amount of money means nothing to me.” Noah also laughed and said: “Just a few hundred thousand dollars – consider it charity for you.” I smiled without saying more, watching Olivia excitedly drive away in that Rolls-Royce. That night, she took hundreds of photos with the Rolls-Royce and uploaded them to social media. To show off, she even invited everyone in our class group chat to watch her pick up the car, boasting she’d give each attendee ten thousand dollars for travel expenses. The next afternoon, I went too. As soon as I arrived, I saw Noah intimately holding Olivia. When he saw me, he looked disdainful: “I thought you were so high and mighty, but you still came running for a little money.” Others also made snide remarks. “Exactly, she acted so aloof yesterday.” “Sure enough, no one can resist the temptation of money.” I didn’t respond. I wasn’t there for the ten thousand dollars, but to see how they would handle what came next. Quite a few classmates had gathered at the DMV entrance, all waiting to see Olivia become the owner of a luxury car. She wore designer clothes and exquisite makeup, looking radiant. She proudly waved the Rolls-Royce keys: “Everyone’s here! After we finish the paperwork, we’ll go to the most expensive restaurant to celebrate! My treat today!” Everyone chimed in with various compliments and flattery. Finally, at three o’clock in the afternoon, after the Rolls-Royce was sent for inspection, Olivia confidently dialed the other party’s number. However, the number turned out to be disconnected. Olivia was stunned and dialed again. The same message played. Her face began to turn pale: “What’s going on…” Just then, a DMV employee ran out in panic: “Who’s Olivia? There’s a problem with your car – we can’t process the paperwork!”

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“Look at these photos! You disgust me!” Julian leaned down, snatched an envelope from the coffee table, pulled out a thick stack of pictures, and hurled them at me. Dozens of photos scattered instantly, fluttering wildly before landing all over the floor. I stared at Julian, utterly bewildered, then picked up one that had landed on the sofa in front of me. “This…” My voice died in my throat the moment I saw the picture, my wide, innocent eyes staring, round as saucers. I quickly gathered all the photos around me. Each one showed a naked man and woman passionately entangled in a luxurious King-Size hotel bed, doing things that made my face burn with shame. And the woman in the photos was me. “What ‘this’? I never would have thought that Chloe Davis, the heiress of the mighty Davis Empire, would stoop to such shameless acts!” Julian roared, his voice deafening, laced with uncontrollable fury. “No, I didn’t, Julian. I’ve never done anything to betray you…” I reached out, tugging at the hem of his jacket, pleading pitifully, tears welling in my eyes. He violently my hand away and took a few steps forward. “Enough! The evidence is right in front of me. Stop your act; it makes me sick.” I slumped onto the sofa, sobbing helplessly. “Mrs. Jenkins, bring the medicine over for her.” Julian’s thin lips pressed together as if he’d made a grave decision, then he suddenly called out. Mrs. Jenkins walked straight over, holding a small white porcelain bowl in her hands. “What medicine?” I lifted my head at his words, my swollen eyes questioning Mrs. Jenkins. “Young Master, this…” Mrs. Jenkins looked at Julian, a hint of difficulty in her expression. “Abortion pills,” he pronounced, the words chillingly firm. Boom! It felt like a thunderclap had exploded in my mind. I slapped the bowl out of Mrs. Jenkins’ hand and stood up. “Julian Thorne, are you insane? You’re making me drink abortion pills!” “Why else would I keep that bastard child?!” Julian was clearly enraged by my outburst. He turned, his voice dark and menacing. “It’s your child, it’s not a bastard! It’s not!” I shrieked, my voice raw and hoarse. “Enough!” Julian roared. He took a massive stride forward and suddenly gripped my neck. “Today, you will drink this medicine, whether you want to or not!” I struggled desperately, but I couldn’t break free from his iron grip. My face turned crimson from lack of oxygen. Soon, Mrs. Jenkins brought another bowl, and Julian finally released his hand from my throat. “Cough, cough,” I gasped, sucking in fresh air, but Julian roughly shoved me back, pinning me beneath him. “You… you can’t do this to me!” My hands were firmly pressed down by his leg, unable to move. Only my feet flailed wildly, but it was useless. “Why can’t I? Who do you think you are?” Julian’s eyes gleamed with a chilling coldness. He pinched my chin with one hand, forcing my head up, and took the medicine bowl from Mrs. Jenkins with the other. “Julian, I beg you, don’t do this to me! Please, don’t!” My tears gushed out like a broken dam. I pleaded, my voice hoarse from crying. But the man was heartless, completely unmoved. He ignored my pleas, not even a flicker of emotion crossing his face. He brought the bowl to my lips and forcefully poured the liquid down my throat. “Cough, cough, cough…” I choked violently, the bitter concoction spilling over me, though most of it was forced down. “Mrs. Jenkins, from today onwards, without my permission, my wife won’t be allowed to step foot outside this villa.” Julian stood up, casting a disdainful glance at me crumpled on the sofa, issuing his command like an arrogant king. “You!” I started to speak, but a knife-twisting pain suddenly erupted in my lower abdomen. I clutched my stomach and curled up on the sofa. Blood seeped from beneath my dress, quickly staining the fabric. I felt a wet warmth spreading, and I struggled to speak to Julian, “Please, save my baby…” But the man remained completely indifferent, not even sparing me a glance before he stormed out the door. The pain was so intense that my whole body slid from the sofa to the floor, large beads of sweat trickled down my forehead. Mrs. Jenkins had quietly retreated at some point, and in the vast villa, only my agonizing moans could be faintly heard. I felt as if my child was slipping away with every passing second, yet I was utterly helpless, my lips parched and pale. There was no one to even call for help. The intense pain spread from my stomach throughout my entire body. Tears mingled with sweat and the blood on my dress, soaking my clothes in a truly horrific sight. Before long, the pain consumed me, and I lost consciousness. When I woke again, I was in this familiar room, dressed in clean clothes. This had once been our bridal suite, every corner filled with memories of our happy moments. But now, the entire room felt chillingly cold, like a faded painting devoid of color, lifeless and desolate. Instinctively, I placed a hand on my lower abdomen, but my flat stomach was a cruel reminder: my baby was gone. Tears sprang from my eyes again, soaking the pillow beneath me. I longed to cry my heart out, but at that moment, I could only weep silently, my sobs almost imperceptible. Since I woke up, Mrs. Jenkins had brought me three meals a day on a small tray, but I hadn’t touched a drop of food or water. I felt like a hollow shell, a walking corpse. I’d open my eyes and simply stare blankly out the window for an entire day. And so, on the third day, Julian appeared. Still half-asleep, I felt a massive jolt. When I opened my eyes, I was already being dragged from the bed, my weak body roughly pressed against the dining table by Julian. “Eat,” he said, his voice cold, as he leaned one hand on the table, standing inches from me. I didn’t even lift an eyelid, my gaze still vacant and distant, my face utterly devoid of emotion. “You’re going to eat, do you hear me!” Julian snarled, grabbing the bowl of porridge from the table and shoving it into my hands, his intensity as if he could devour me whole. But I slowly, deliberately, placed the bowl back on the table, a slight curve to my lips. “What, are you afraid I’ll starve to death?” “Afraid? You think too highly of yourself. You gave me such a huge slap in the face; I haven’t tormented you enough yet. How could I let you die so easily?” Julian’s voice echoed like a demon’s in my ears. For a moment, my eyes widened. I couldn’t understand where the loving, tender Julian I once knew had gone. The man before me was so cold, it was as if we were strangers. He picked up the bowl again, scooping a large spoonful of porridge, and brought it to my lips. But I suddenly recoiled, standing up and putting distance between us. When Mrs. Jenkins called him, telling him I hadn’t eaten or drunk anything for two days, he’d dropped everything and rushed back without a thought. This foolish woman, trying to go on a hunger strike. Fine, she thought this would set her free, did she? Dream on! Julian took a large sip from the porridge bowl, then closed the distance between us in a few quick strides. Seeing him approach, I instinctively backed away, my eyes wide, as if I were looking at something utterly repulsive. “Ah!” My lower back hit the window railing, and I cried out in pain. Before I could react, Julian had me cornered against the floor-to-ceiling window. I looked up into his eyes. “What are you doin’…” My words were cut short as Julian’s kiss landed precisely on my lips. I struggled fiercely, but he held me tight against him, my hands pinned behind my back, his arm clamped around my waist. Then, slowly, he forced the porridge from his mouth into mine, making me swallow every drop. “You!” I glared at him indignantly, frantically wiping my lips. “Well, are you going to finish the porridge obediently, or do you want me to keep feeding you?” Julian asked playfully. “I’ll drink it myself!” I glared back at him. “Good, saves us both trouble.” And so, under Julian’s watchful eye, I finished the entire bowl of porridge. Afterward, Julian didn’t linger. He gave a couple of instructions to Mrs. Jenkins and then left. Having witnessed this man’s ruthless methods, I sat motionless at the dining table, a bitter smile on my face. Was this truly the same man who had once sworn eternal love to me? It was all so unbelievable… Unexpectedly, Julian returned for dinner, sitting upright at the dining table. Seeing me descend the stairs, ready to eat, a faint, almost imperceptible smirk touched his lips. It seemed I was still obedient. Perhaps it was due to the days without food or water, but my face was pale. My once form-fitting loungewear now hung loosely on my frame, making me appear even more fragile and bony. Looking at Julian’s still handsome face, my heart ached. I walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat down. “Let’s get a divorce,” I said calmly, without anger, as soon as I was seated. “What did you say?” Julian was visibly startled; he hadn’t expected me to say that. “Divorce,” I repeated, my face expressionless. He tugged at his tie with long fingers, clearly irritated. “Chloe Davis, have you lost your damn mind?” “You…” I closed my eyes in pain, as if recalling something terribly hurtful, and whispered, “You could lay hands on your own flesh and blood. Why keep me by your side?” “My own flesh and blood?” Julian sneered, lifting his gaze to my face. “Even now, you’re still trying to deny it? If the woman in those photos isn’t you, then who is it? Go on, explain it to me. Do you have a long-lost sister?” “…” I pressed my lips together, unable to utter a single word in my defense. I had been the Davis family’s only darling daughter since childhood; how could I have a sister, let alone an identical twin? Yet, I swore I had never done anything like that with another man… Unbeknownst to me, Julian had risen and walked behind me. He suddenly lifted me from the chair. “What are you doing?” I demanded, shaking myself awake. The next moment, his handsome face filled my vision, then he leaned down and claimed my lips. “Mmmph…” I desperately pounded on his chest, trying to push him away, but the man held my hands behind my back with one hand and tightly embraced my waist with the other, pressing me close against him. He had only intended to punish me slightly, to assert his undeniable dominance. But the moment he drew near and inhaled my unique fragrance, he was lost in it. The feeling of him intimately exploring my mouth made me feel even more humiliated, and my eyes welled up with fresh tears. *Plip!* A single hot tear dropped onto Julian’s chest, searing through his thin shirt. He looked down to see me, the woman in his arms, pouting and crying, and he instantly sobered. He roughly pushed me away, then turned and said, “Listen to me, woman. Even if we divorce, it’ll only happen when I’m tired of you. Otherwise, you’ll never leave me in this lifetime!” I staggered where he pushed me, his words leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. “Hello? Be at the Thorne mansion in half an hour. Now.” Julian said coldly into his phone, then turned and left the dining room. “Damn it!” Julian cursed under his breath as he walked into the living room and sat on the sofa. The president of the mighty Thorne Corporation, flustered and agitated over a woman? It must be because he hadn’t touched a woman in too long, so he called for Serena Price, a prominent socialite from Olympus City’s elite circles. There had been countless women who pursued him, but his reputation as a doting husband was also well-known throughout Olympus City, breaking many young women’s hearts. But now, this woman, whom he had once held so dear, dared to betray him. He would make sure she understood the consequences of betrayal! He had told himself more than once that he absolutely couldn’t fall for such a woman again! Yet, he had to admit, for a fleeting moment just now, he had truly lost himself. A short while later, the doorbell rang urgently, and Mrs. Jenkins quickly went to open it. “Julian, did you miss me?” A syrupy sweet voice cooed, and a woman in a tight black dress sashayed in, her voluptuous figure swaying provocatively, the body-con design accentuating her curves. It was Serena Price, the mayor’s daughter. Her chestnut-brown waves cascaded over her shoulders, and the strapless design exposed her alluring collarbones. Her bright, expressive eyes fixed on Julian, who was seated on the sofa, from the moment she entered. She walked directly towards the man she had admired for so long, wrapped her arms around his neck, and settled onto his lap, leaning in to offer her vivid red lips. Julian frowned, his handsome brows furrowing in displeasure, and subtly shifted, expertly dodging her advance. The woman in his lap froze, looking at his action. Hadn’t he called her here himself? For some reason, he felt no interest in the woman eagerly offering herself to him. In fact, he felt a slight resistance. But then, his eyes caught a glimpse of my figure standing in the dining room doorway, looking on, and a harsh glint flashed in his eyes. He took control, gripping the back of the woman’s neck and pressing his lips to hers. Tears streamed down my face. The scene in the living room assaulted my eyes and nerves. I turned my head, wanting to avert my gaze from this revolting live-action show, yet my legs felt like lead, stuck to the spot. “Oh, I want you~” Serena cooed, a sound that sent shivers down my spine. My red, swollen eyes followed the sound. Feeling my gaze, Julian looked at the stunning woman beneath him, a husky laugh escaping his throat as he playfully chided, “You little tease~” Julian stood up, still holding the woman in his arms, and swept her into his arms, heading towards the bedroom on the second floor. As he passed the dining room doorway, he didn’t even glance at me, completely ignoring my living presence. Only the woman in his arms looked at me standing there, every expression on her face oozing with blatant provocation and triumph. She tightened her arms around Julian, proudly asserting her claim. Watching their retreating figures, my heart turned to dust. If everything before had been a misunderstanding, perhaps there might have been some faint hope of forgiveness. But now, he was intimately involved with another woman right in front of me! I felt as though my heart was being stabbed by dozens of knives, suffocating me. All the love between us, at that moment, was extinguished and vanished completely. I stared at the closed bedroom door upstairs, wiped the tears from my face, and returned to my own room. Back in the empty bedroom, although the soundproofing was excellent and I couldn’t hear a single sound from next door, my mind kept replaying the horrifying image of my husband being intimate with another woman on the bed. A splitting headache pulsed through me, and I slid down the wall, sinking to the floor. I frantically pounded my head, trying to force these sickening thoughts away, but the more I tried to escape, the clearer the images became. “Oh no! The young madam has tried to kill herself!” With Mrs. Jenkins’ scream, the entire Thorne mansion erupted in chaos. Julian rushed out of the adjacent room. When he saw me lying in a pool of blood, he felt his vision darken, utterly lost and bewildered. His crimson eyes blazed with a murderous rage, his heart pounding erratically. He had never been so rattled; he wouldn’t even blink when signing billion-dollar deals for the corporation, but now, seeing this scene, he was truly panicked. He was terrified of losing me like this. On the floor beside me lay a blood-stained fruit knife. There was a long, deep gash on my slender wrist, and bright, startling blood continued to gush out… “Ah!” Serena, who had arrived shortly after, shrieked, her face turning ashen as she stumbled back a few steps. Just then, the wail of an ambulance sounded from outside the villa. Julian’s furious eyes shot a glare at Serena. Without a word, he scooped me up from the pool of blood and stormed out the door. *Chloe Davis, you can’t die. You’re not allowed to die without my permission! You foolish woman, do you think this is how you’ll get away? If you dare to die like this, I’ll haunt you even as a ghost!* The ambulance quickly arrived at the hospital. I was lifted from the stretcher by the accompanying doctors and nurses and rushed into the hospital. Julian clung tightly to the railing of the stretcher, jogging alongside as we moved towards the operating room. “Patient name: Chloe Davis, female, attempted suicide by wrist laceration, severe blood loss. Emergency hemostasis was performed in the ambulance…” The accompanying nurse calmly and swiftly reported my condition to the emergency doctor walking towards them. “Understood. Notify the blood bank to prepare for transfusion.” Julian’s heart, like the slowly closing operating room doors, rose higher and higher, lodged in his throat. He couldn’t imagine what would have happened if Mrs. Jenkins hadn’t gone to my bedroom to bring me food, worried that I hadn’t eaten dinner, and found me… If she had waited until the next day, all that would have awaited him was a cold corpse. *Chloe Davis, how could you be so cruel!* Soon after, my adoptive parents, Mr. and Mrs. Davis, also arrived at the hospital, waiting anxiously outside the operating room. *Bang!* The operating room doors burst open, and a disoriented young nurse stumbled out. A crowd of people immediately surged forward. “The patient has a rare RH-negative blood type. Our hospital’s blood bank is currently low on this blood. Are there any relatives here? We need a family member to donate blood,” the young nurse anxiously looked up at the surging crowd. But they only looked at each other, their faces filled with complex expressions. “How can Chloe have RH-negative blood? No one in our family has this blood type…” Mr. Davis turned to my adoptive mother, Mrs. Thompson, his face bearing an unquestionable authority. “Why are you looking at me? How would I know?” Mrs. Thompson’s face was tinged with sharp indignation. The atmosphere instantly turned hostile. A dark secret of the elite was about to spill. — Cut-off Point — “Sir, Madam, let me donate blood for Chloe. I am RH-negative,” Maria Miller, a housekeeper, suddenly spoke from behind. Everyone turned to look. A woman in her forties, her expression heavy, slowly walked forward. “You?” Mrs. Thompson’s face showed a hint of intriguing suspicion. Mr. Davis, however, seemed to suddenly remember something, his eyes widening as he looked at Maria, but then he abruptly shook his head, finally letting out a deep sigh. “Go and donate blood first. Saving a life is urgent.” His voice turned old and hollow, filled with a palpable sense of weariness that struck anyone who heard it. The nurse quickly led Maria into the operating room. But Mrs. Thompson suddenly acted as if she’d gone mad, grabbing Mr. Davis and shouting, “What’s going on? Why does she have the same blood type as Chloe! Mr. Davis, you better explain this to me!” “I don’t know either, I just asked her to go and donate blood for Chloe first,” Mr. Davis replied dismissively, his thoughts drifting back to that stormy night over twenty years ago… It was a night of pouring rain and fierce winds. The Davis Corporation was still on the rise back then, and Mr. Davis, having just lost a multi-million-dollar deal, was utterly devastated. He returned to the Davis mansion utterly drunk. He swayed at the entrance, struggling for a long time to take off his shoes. “Sir, you’re back.” Maria Miller, then just a girl in her early twenties, had not yet been called Mrs. Miller. “Maria, it’s you. Where’s Mrs. Davis?” Mr. Davis squinted his drunken eyes, trying to steady himself as he spoke to her. Maria saw him struggling with his shoes and quickly knelt down to help him take them off. “Sir, why did you drink so much? Mrs. Davis had an afternoon tea appointment; she hasn’t returned yet.” “Oh,” Mr. Davis secretly let out a sigh of relief. Maria looked at Mr. Davis’s dejected state, her heart aching for him. He always treated the staff so well, and he was so charming and dashing. Over time, she couldn’t help but develop some feelings for him. Mrs. Thompson’s family held immense power, openly and subtly assisting his career for years. If she found out he’d messed up such a huge deal, he couldn’t imagine how much she would scold him. But after so many years of marriage, they still had no children, and the thought alone gave Mr. Davis a splitting headache. Yet, he dared not express his frustration. The alcohol’s effects wore off considerably. Mr. Davis, with a droopy head, walked forlornly upstairs and went directly into his bedroom. *Knock, knock, knock…* A knock sounded at the door. “Sir, I’ve warmed you a hangover tea,” Maria called from outside the door. But there was no sound from the room for a long time. Maria knocked again hesitantly, then, worried, pushed the door open and entered. As soon as the door opened, a pungent smell of alcohol assailed her. Maria frowned, waved her hand in front of her face a couple of times, and walked into the room. “So thirsty, thirsty…” Mr. Davis, completely passed out from drinking, lay sprawled on the bed, mumbling incoherently. Maria quickly walked over and placed the hangover tea on the bedside table. “Sir, wake up, wake up.” Maria knelt by the bed, gently shaking the drunken Mr. Davis. “Get up and drink some hangover tea.” Mr. Davis groggily half-opened his eyes and, with Maria’s help, sat up. Perhaps truly thirsty, he took the hangover tea and drank it all in one gulp. Maria had just set the empty teacup aside when she turned around to find Mr. Davis had already fallen back asleep, his head lolling to the side. She smiled helplessly, stood up, and slowly helped him lie down, even tucking the blanket around him thoughtfully. Just as she picked up the teacup and turned to leave, a sudden dizzy spell hit her. A strong hand pulled her onto the bed. The teacup clattered to the floor with a *thump* at the same moment Mr. Davis’s kiss descended upon her… *Bang!* The operating room doors slowly opened, interrupting Mr. Davis’s thoughts. I was wheeled out on a hospital bed, and Maria also emerged, supported by a nurse. At this moment, my adoptive mother, Mrs. Thompson, didn’t immediately rush to embrace me, her eyes filled more with scrutiny. She looked at my face, then at Maria, who had just emerged, and her suspicions solidified. “The patient is out of danger. She should wake up after some rest, but will need to stay for observation for two days,” the doctor said, taking off his mask and advising the family. The group followed my bed to a VIP room. Julian had to leave due to other engagements, and this was clearly a Davis family matter, so even as a son-in-law, it was inappropriate for him to stay. Mrs. Thompson was the first to sit in the chair by my bed, while Mr. Davis and Maria stood by. Watching the doctors and nurses busy themselves attending to me, who had just been transferred to the room, I felt an indescribable mix of emotions. It had taken so many years of marriage to have a daughter, so I had been given boundless love and care since childhood. But now, after more than twenty years, and with me already married, they discovered… After the doctors and nurses had left, only Mr. and Mrs. Davis, and Maria remained in the large hospital room, apart from me, who lay unconscious on the bed. “Start talking. What exactly happened?” Mrs. Thompson’s eyes narrowed, making Maria shiver. “Darling, listen to me…” After a long silence, Mr. Davis slowly began. “You shut up! I want to hear what *she* has to say!” Mrs. Thompson exclaimed, pointing at Maria. The atmosphere instantly became tense. She and Mr. Davis stood by the bedside, looking at me lying there, feeling utterly heartbroken. A secret kept for over twenty years, it seemed, could no longer be hidden. “Madam, it’s all my fault. That year, I took advantage of Sir when he was drunk…” *Slap!* Mrs. Thompson suddenly stood up and delivered a stinging slap across Maria’s face. “Darling, what are you doing?” Mr. Davis quickly stepped forward, shielding Maria behind him. “What am I doing? Mr. Davis, this is all your doing! How dare you even ask me?” Mrs. Thompson reached past Mr. Davis and grabbed Maria’s arm. “So, Chloe is your daughter?” “Yes… yes, she is,” Maria replied, clutching her red and swollen face. “Then where is my daughter? Where is my daughter now?!” Mrs. Thompson’s eyes bulged with fury, as if spitting fire. She unconsciously tightened her grip on Maria’s arm, as if she wanted to crush her bones. “She… she…” Maria stammered evasively. “What happened to her?!” Mrs. Thompson demanded urgently, her voice carrying an irresistible authority. “Actually… Victoria is… your daughter…” Mrs. Thompson first froze, then suddenly burst into two harsh laughs before delivering another slap. “Oh, wonderful! My daughter suffered for so many years because of you, and you actually made me raise *your* daughter for over twenty years?” “Darling, you…” Mr. Davis started to speak, but meeting Mrs. Thompson’s furious gaze, he swallowed his words and said no more. “You shut up!” Mrs. Thompson turned and swung her fists at Mr. Davis. “Did the two of you plan this? Have you known about this all along? Have you?!” Mr. Davis gripped Mrs. Thompson’s wildly flailing hands, his brows furrowed in pain, and said, “What are you talking about? How would I know?” “How would you know? How could you *not* know where Chloe came from! My poor child suffered for over twenty years with this lowly woman!” Mrs. Thompson cried hysterically, her eyes red as she accused Mr. Davis. After learning such a shocking secret, any normal person would struggle to accept it, especially Mrs. Thompson, who was usually proud and arrogant. At that moment, she was utterly distraught. “Dad? Mom?” I was awakened by the arguments in the room. I slowly opened my tired eyes, propped myself up on one arm, and with difficulty, sat up in bed. Mr. Davis strode over, picked up a pillow, placed it behind me, and helped me sit up properly. “Mr. Davis, what are you doing?” Mrs. Thompson stepped forward, knocking his hand away from me and pulling him aside. “Mom?” I looked at my adoptive mother, confused. “Don’t call me Mom, I’m not your Mom!” Mrs. Thompson turned her face away, tears streaming down. After all, I was the daughter she had raised for over twenty years, cherished in her hands. Even though she now knew I wasn’t her biological child, twenty years of affection couldn’t be erased in an instant. “This… Mom, what’s wrong?” Seeing Mrs. Thompson’s distress and Mr. Davis’s hesitant expression, I was so anxious I almost leaped from the bed. “I told you, don’t call me Mom. *She’s* your mother!” Mrs. Thompson pointed at Maria. It was then that I saw Maria standing near the hospital room door, her slender frame huddled, her head bowed. Though I couldn’t clearly see her expression, I could vaguely see her trembling. My eyes widened in horror. I threw back the covers and got out of bed, but perhaps due to severe blood loss, I felt dizzy and fell to my knees on the floor. “Mom, what are you saying? How could she be…?” My eyes instantly blurred with tears. Mrs. Thompson looked at me, fallen to the floor, with a worried glance, instinctively reaching out to help, but immediately dismissed the thought and withdrew her outstretched hands. Maria heard the *thump* and looked up, her heart twisting like a knife to see her biological daughter kneeling on the cold floor. Her feet, as if by some ghostly force, moved a few steps forward, but Mrs. Thompson’s cold stare stopped her dead in her tracks. Only Mr. Davis knelt down, trying to help me up from the floor, but I tightly gripped his hand. “Dad, did you hear what Mom just said? She’s just kidding with me, right?” Looking at my hopeful eyes, even though the aging father’s heart was filled with boundless reluctance, he could only lower his head helplessly. “Dad, say something! What is going on? You’re all just playing a trick on me, right?” The hospital room fell silent. No one was willing to shatter my last hope. Even though Mrs. Thompson detested Maria, she opened her mouth but couldn’t bring herself to say anything that would hurt me further. “Let me tell you.” With a *bang*, the hospital room door was suddenly pushed open from outside. Almost simultaneously, everyone looked up towards the door. Victoria Thompson elegantly entered, walking to my front and kneeling down. Her slender hand grazed my haggard cheek, a hint of indescribable amusement on her face. Mrs. Thompson looked at Victoria walking in, her heart filled with joy, tears streaming down her face. This was her daughter, her *biological* daughter! “Victoria, why are you here?” Maria’s voice, thick with tears, sounded from behind. “Why am I here? How could I miss this wonderful show?” A flicker of hatred crossed Victoria’s eyes, suddenly making her look terrifying. She paused, staring intently at me. “What an arrogant young madam, thinking you’re still the cherished heiress of the Davis family?” My eyes were bloodshot, staring unblinkingly at Victoria. “What do you know? Tell me.” Apparently not expecting my calm, Victoria paused, then stood up and took a step back. She looked at me, still on the floor, and suddenly clapped her hands. “Indeed, you’ve been a fake heiress for over twenty years. You’ve certainly learned how to stay composed.” “What did you say?!” The words “fake heiress” pierced my ears like daggers. I gasped, my face instantly turning pale. “I said you’re fake. Did you hear me clearly?” Victoria declared, looking down at me, enunciating each word. These words also deeply wounded everyone present. I violently shook off Mr. Davis’s hand and stumbled to my feet. Meeting Victoria’s gaze, “You’re lying!” I screamed, using every ounce of my strength, swaying precariously. “I’m lying?” Victoria’s eyes were bloodshot, her expression suddenly becoming fierce and vicious. “Do you really think you’re a Davis heiress? You’re nothing but a bastard born to *that woman*!” I felt as if my soul had been ripped out; my whole body suddenly wilted and I staggered backward. But Victoria wouldn’t give up. She stepped forward, grasping my shoulder. “The real Davis heiress is me! You, Chloe Davis, stole the life that rightfully belonged to me!” “No, this isn’t true, this isn’t true!” Tears streamed down my face. I stood there lost, mumbling to myself. “Chloe!” Maria could no longer hold back. She stepped forward and grabbed my arm. “Don’t touch me!” I recoiled as if I had been contaminated by something unclean, distancing myself immediately, my eyes wary as I looked at this woman who was both familiar and a stranger. “What, Chloe Davis, you won’t even acknowledge your own mother?” Victoria’s mocking voice echoed in the room. I staggered to Mrs. Thompson, cautiously asking, “Mom, tell me, they’re not telling the truth, are they?” Mrs. Thompson looked up at my tear-streaked face, her heart aching. After all, I was the child she had raised for twenty years; how could she have no feelings for me? “Mom, tell me!” I asked again, my voice hoarse. “What she said… is… all true,” Mrs. Thompson slowly admitted. Upon receiving the answer, I suddenly fell back onto the floor. The waves of pain from my body had long numbed my nerves, because the pain in my heart at that moment was far more unbearable. I sat on the ground in despair, my eyes vacant, tears streaming down relentlessly. “It’s all my fault, all my fault! If it weren’t for my selfish moment…” Maria stood there, consumed by self-reproach. She looked at me sitting on the floor, then at Victoria standing before her, her heart feeling as if dozens of knives were slowly cutting into it.

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