Category: English

On the first day of freshman orientation, I happily arrived with some local specialties, eager to share them with my new roommates. However, I never expected that right after introducing myself, the three roommates would suddenly push me out the door, adamantly refusing to share a room with me. They even took the issue straight to our resident advisor. The RA had no choice but to quickly arrange a new room for me. But as soon as I reached the doorway of my new room, before I could even push my luggage inside, I faced fierce resistance from these new roommates as well. They wouldn’t even let me through the door, claiming they would rather drop out of college than live in the same room as me. I was utterly baffled, thinking someone must have said something bad about me. But I had never offended anyone, and after scouring our class SnapChat group, the university forums, and confession pages, I couldn’t find any gossip about me. When I asked other classmates, they would chat with me normally at first, but as soon as they heard I might become their roommate, their expressions would instantly change. Yet no one would tell me why.

“Professor, we absolutely refuse to be his roommate.” “Yeah, if you force us to room with him, I’ll drop out.” “Well…” Seeing his attempts to persuade the students were futile, the RA gave me a helpless look. “I’m sorry everyone, but could you please tell me why?” I asked tentatively. “I promise I’m very easy to get along with. I lived in dorms in high school too and was never any trouble.” I carefully grabbed one of the students, hoping he would explain. But he just glanced at me and shook off my hand. “There’s no reason. We just absolutely refuse to be your roommate.” I slumped against the doorway, looking at my still-unpacked luggage, feeling utterly defeated. I had always been an introverted and quiet person. Though I didn’t have many friends, I had never made enemies either. I couldn’t understand why in this new city, at this new school, facing complete strangers – everyone was so resistant and unwilling to be my roommate. “I’m sorry, River. We really can’t find any students willing to room with you right now,” the RA said gently. “The school doesn’t have any single rooms available. Why don’t you stay at a hotel for now, and I’ll keep trying to arrange something else.” “Don’t worry, the other students probably just have some misunderstanding about you. Once they get to know you better, I’m sure it will all work out.” The RA patted me on the back reassuringly. Right, maybe someone had spread rumors about me? The RA’s words gave me an idea. I immediately went to check our class SnapChat group, the university forums, and confession pages again. But even after scrolling through every message, I couldn’t find a single word about me. Plus, I was the only student from my high school who got into this university. There shouldn’t be anyone who knew me well enough to spread rumors. As I was utterly perplexed, someone called out to me in the classroom. “River, what a coincidence! I didn’t know we were in the same class.” I looked up to see Zack, the first person I had met at this school. I only knew him because he had nearly fainted from low blood sugar on move-in day. I had given him a drink and some snacks, which helped him recover. We were both busy moving in that day, so we just quickly exchanged contact info before parting ways. I had no idea we’d end up as classmates. “Zack, does your room have any empty beds? Could I possibly be your roommate?” I asked hopefully, clinging to him like a lifeline.

I had just helped him recently, so he should know what kind of person I am. Even if someone had spread rumors, he probably wouldn’t believe them. As it happened, the RA and I had checked almost every room, except for the very last one. I had given up hope by then and didn’t bother checking. Who would have thought Zack was in that final room? I waited expectantly for Zack to nod. But to my surprise, as soon as he heard I wanted to be his roommate, his expression changed completely. “No way. Our room is already full,” he said coldly. “They definitely won’t agree to room with you.” Zack’s friendly smile vanished, replaced by a wary look. “Zack, why? Why won’t you room with me?” I asked desperately. “You know I’m not a bad person!” I grabbed Zack’s arm, no longer hoping to be his roommate. I just wanted to know the reason – I could change if I knew what was wrong. But he yanked his arm away forcefully. “There’s no reason. We just don’t want to room with you.” Feeling helpless, I could only turn to the internet for advice. Why wouldn’t a single classmate accept me as a roommate? Helpful netizens quickly offered many possible explanations. “Maybe someone said you have a contagious disease?” I stared at this comment, suddenly enlightened. Recently, many schools had announced they would be admitting some HIV-positive students. To prevent discrimination, they wouldn’t disclose who these students were. Could it be that someone had spread a rumor implying I had a contagious disease? I immediately made an appointment for a full medical checkup at the hospital. I got tested for every possible infectious disease. After anxiously waiting a few days, the test results finally came back. They showed I was negative for everything – I had no infectious diseases at all. Excitedly, I projected the results onto a big screen. To prevent anyone from suspecting I had photoshopped them, I even logged into the hospital system on the spot to show my electronic medical records again. I thought this would clear up the misunderstanding and someone would finally accept me as a roommate. But to my dismay, after asking every classmate, still not a single person was willing to room with me. “Maybe they think you have mental health issues?” someone suggested when I posted about my situation online again. Once more, I went to the hospital and underwent a psychological evaluation. The results showed my mental health was perfectly normal, with no issues whatsoever. Again, I displayed the results to my classmates. I even got several of my childhood friends to record video testimonials, affirming that I was truly a good person with no problems. Yet despite all this, still no one was willing to be my roommate. At the mere suggestion of me moving in, they would react with vehement refusal, saying they’d rather drop out. At this point, even the internet commenters couldn’t come up with any more explanations. Some even started to suspect I was hiding part of the story. The comment section went from actively trying to help solve the mystery to various taunts and mockery. “This has to be clickbait. OP must be selling something.” “Why only tell the parts that make you look good? How could everyone dislike you for no reason? You must be leaving something out.” “I’ll painlessly gain $100,000 the next time I see a post like this.” My inbox was also flooded with insults. Feeling utterly defeated, I deleted the post.

News of my situation quickly spread to other classes in the department. Not knowing the full story, some speculated I must have done something unforgivable, while others said I had some terrifying disease. Every time I walked through the department building, I felt like people were pointing and whispering about me. By this point, I had been staying at a hotel for over two weeks. The expensive hotel fees were draining my finances. With no other choice, I could only ask my parents for more living expenses. But watching a video of my parents crouched by a construction site eating plain steamed buns, I couldn’t bring myself to ask for money. After I was born, my parents decided not to have any more children, fearing I would face unfair treatment otherwise. Though we weren’t well-off, my parents always gave me the very best they could. Even though their education level was limited and they couldn’t help me with many things anymore, they still constantly encouraged and supported me. “River, are you getting used to living in the dorms? How’s it going with your roommates?” my mom asked on a video call. “I know you’re not very talkative, but try to get along well with your classmates.” “Making more friends will help you be happier.” “River, have you been eating properly? You look like you’ve lost weight after just a few weeks of school.” Hearing my mom’s concerned words and thinking of everything I had been through recently, I nearly burst into tears. I quickly ended the call. Even though I hadn’t asked for money, my mom still transferred some over, telling me to buy some good food. I knew I had to move into a dorm as soon as possible. I had given up hope of rooming in my own department, so I begged the RA to help me find an empty bed in another department’s dorm. Finally, after the RA’s tireless efforts, he managed to find me a spot. “This is a room for seniors in another department,” he explained. “They’re all out doing internships, so the room has been empty. There happens to be one spare bed available.” “We’ve talked to the RAs for both departments, and they’ve all agreed to let you move in.” Hearing this news, I wept with joy. Someone was finally willing to accept me. I wouldn’t have to stay in that expensive hotel anymore. In high spirits, I packed up my belongings and gave the room a thorough cleaning inside and out. I thought that if the senior roommates ever came back, I could at least leave them with a good impression. But I didn’t expect that day to come so soon. Before I could even enjoy two peaceful days of campus life, I learned that one of the senior roommates on an internship was coming back. The night before the senior was due to return, I tossed and turned anxiously, unable to sleep. The next day, I was a nervous wreck. I was terrified that as soon as the senior saw me, he would demand to have me kicked out again. But fortunately, all my worries were unfounded. The senior was very friendly, even sharing his snacks with me. Seeing how clean I had kept the room, he couldn’t stop praising me, saying he had lucked out with such an amazing junior roommate. I was overjoyed, feeling for the first time the warmth of friendship from a classmate on this campus. Things continued smoothly with my senior roommate. I felt like everything was finally back on track. Until that day when I had just finished class and was heading back with some takeout and watermelon. I had plans to play video games with my senior roommate that evening. But as soon as I reached our door, I found a crowd of people gathered outside. There was my senior roommate, the RAs from both departments, and two guys I didn’t recognize. From their tone, I gathered they must be the other two seniors who also lived in this room – my other two roommates. “No way. He has to move out,” one of them was saying firmly.

“We’re seniors now. Why should we have to room with a freshman?” “We can pay for that empty bed, or arrange for someone else to live there.” “Anyone but River.” I was stunned to see my senior roommate, who had been so friendly just that morning, now insisting on throwing me out. I was so shocked I couldn’t even keep hold of the watermelon in my hand. It fell to the ground and split open, red juice spreading across the floor like my seemingly bleeding heart. “But we were getting along so well just a few days ago,” I said desperately to my senior roommate. “Why do you suddenly want me to leave?” “Why does no one want to room with me? What did I do wrong?” I completely broke down, grabbing my roommate’s arm and practically begging him for an explanation. I was on the verge of kneeling down to plead with him. But no matter what I said, he just coldly demanded that I pack up and move out immediately. He threatened that if I refused to leave, he would make such a fuss that the entire dorm building wouldn’t be able to sleep. Even when the RA threatened to withhold his diploma, it didn’t sway him one bit. To avoid disturbing the other students, I had no choice but to silently pack my things and move out. The RA told me he truly couldn’t find any room willing to accept me anymore. He had already applied to the school to refund my dorm fees and suggested I find off-campus housing to rent. At this point, I had completely given up hope. With no other options, I found a part-time job at a bubble tea shop to cover rent. Fortunately, I quickly found a suitable apartment. With the refunded dorm fees to tide me over, I didn’t need to ask my parents for money. One day while working my shift at the bubble tea shop, I unexpectedly ran into Zack coming to buy a drink. We hadn’t spoken since that time I had begged him to be my roommate. But seeing me working as a cashier, he surprisingly came over to chat. “River, I still need to thank you, no matter what,” he said. “If it weren’t for you, I might have really fainted on campus that first day.” “Anyone who passed by probably would have helped. No need to thank me specifically,” I replied coldly, handing him his drink. The experiences of the past few weeks had left me utterly exhausted. I no longer wanted to engage with anyone from school more than necessary. “River, I…” Zack trailed off, his expression suddenly looking very guilty. It was a far cry from his arrogant refusal before. Seeing I wasn’t responding, he lingered by the shop entrance for a long time, seemingly wanting to say something but unable to get the words out. He finally left when other staff started urging him to move along. “What’s his deal? Does he owe you money or something? Why was he looking at you like that?” a coworker asked curiously after Zack left. I just shook my head. I was also confused why, ever since I had moved out and given up on living in the dorms, many classmates seemed to have become much friendlier towards me. They no longer avoided me in the hallways. Many even started inviting me to join their groups for class projects. Especially Zack. He seemed to constantly be looking for opportunities to repair our relationship, but would always stop short of actually saying anything when he got near me. I had no idea why things had changed. But since I couldn’t figure it out, I decided not to dwell on it. Living independently for four years would be fine. Once I graduated, I could leave all this unpleasantness behind. But just when I had come to terms with everything, it turned out someone else hadn’t.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297130”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

A new accord had been struck between Humans and Beastkin. To ensure the harmonious development of both races, every adult female was required to visit the Supervisory Agency and randomly draw a lot to foster a Beastkin partner. After two years, if no bond had been formed, the Beastkin would be allowed to re-integrate into society. In my last life, my best friend was assigned to a Bear-kin who was addicted to abuse, and he ended up beating her to death. As for me, I was assigned to a chillingly possessive and manipulative Serpent-kin, a true master of psychological abuse. He imprisoned me until I lost my mind, and I finally jumped from a tall building. Reborn, I stared at the number card clutched in my hand. Willow and I exchanged a look. We swapped. No hesitation. This time, it was our turn to strike back. 0 When I leaped from the building, I heard a furious, unwilling roar from above: “How dare you! You worthless piece of trash! Only I love you in this world! How dare you die!” I closed my eyes, exhausted, but the pain I expected never came. When I opened them again, I froze. I was back two years ago, at the Supervisory Agency, just as I was about to take that damn Serpent-kin, Seraph, home. It was the beginning of all my tragedies. While I was still reeling, a familiar figure caught my eye. It was Willow, my best friend, who had been beaten to death by Brock. We looked at each other, and the shock in each other’s eyes was undeniable. In a few short seconds of eye contact, we confirmed it: We had both been reborn. In our previous lives, she took home the seemingly honest and harmless Bear-kin, Brock. Who would have thought he was addicted to abuse? In just two short years, he brutalized Willow until she was unrecognizable. In the end, they didn’t even find a full body. And I, I didn’t even get to see her one last time. Seraph had me imprisoned, forbidding me from leaving the house. I fought back frantically, but it was useless. Later, I never imagined he’d drug me while I slept. When I woke up, he had already severed the tendons in my hands and feet. My innate, formidable strength, a power that surprisingly surpassed even that of most Beastkin males, completely vanished from my body. He also cut off all my contact with the outside world, brainwashing me, telling me that the only one who truly loved me in this world was him. I had almost resigned myself to my fate, even considering living out the rest of my humiliated life. But when the news of Willow’s death reached me, I finally despaired completely. With a dining knife, I slowly, agonizingly, severed my own palm, tearing free from the iron restraints that had bound me for years. Amid Seraph’s furious screams, I leaped from the building. I never thought we’d get a second chance. So this time, when the staff asked us to draw our number cards, I quickly walked over to Willow. In her stunned gaze, I swapped cards with her. Then I walked directly towards Brock. Willow’s eyes instantly reddened, and she wanted to say something but ultimately said nothing. Her gaze hardened as she rubbed her eyes, then lifted her head high and walked towards Seraph. I looked at the Beastkin before me, smiling foolishly. Who would have thought such a cruel side lay hidden beneath that harmless facade? Willow and I exchanged a glance, then signed the contracts. From today on, I was Brock’s foster parent. Unless both of us determined we hadn’t formed a bond after two years, we couldn’t separate for any reason. In the last life, this rule had bound Willow and me for two agonizing years. This time, it was their turn to experience that hell – caught between a rock and a hard place, unable to live or die. I brought Brock home. A few peaceful days passed. He was attentive to me in every way, yet secretly gathered all sorts of information about me. When he learned that my parents had passed away years ago and I only had a few friends, he finally revealed his vicious claws. I returned home from work that evening. The moment I stepped through the door, I was hit with a terrible stench of smoke and alcohol. Looking around, Brock was sprawled on my brand-new leather sofa, puffing away, with numerous empty bottles scattered beside him. Seeing me, he flashed a provocative smirk. Then, he pressed his cigarette out on the sofa. My veins instantly throbbed. I walked towards him. “Did you forget the rules? No smoking or drinking inside. If you want to drink, do it outside.” He scoffed, raising his hand to slap me. “I gave you a few good days, and you really think you’re the boss now, huh? What the hell are these stupid rules! *I’m* the rule!” But in the next second, I clamped down on his large hand. In his slightly sobered eyes, I squeezed hard. *Crunch.* A sickening bone-grinding sound came from his palm. Then, a crisp *snap*, followed by his scream. He swore a mouthful of curses, panting, and lunged at me. But I kicked him over. He couldn’t handle my strength. I was born with colossal power. Though not a Beastkin, my strength surpassed even most males. Brock immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, collapsing weakly to the floor. I watched him with a hint of mockery. Suddenly, I remembered the first time he got violent with Willow in our past life. One slap had knocked Willow unconscious. One kick had broken four of her ribs. She’d been in the hospital for over ten hours of emergency surgery, barely clinging to life. I wanted to teach him a lesson back then, but he just knelt before Willow, slapping himself and crying. In the end, Willow softened, letting him off the hook. But I never imagined that small mercy would lead to me losing my only friend. My foot moved back and forth, grinding on his injured spot. His sounds went from enraged curses to faint pleas. Only when he was barely clinging to life did I lift my foot. Unhurriedly, I blew on my slightly reddened palm. “Stop whimpering. I let you live, didn’t I? If you keep running your mouth, I’ll end you.” I raised an eyebrow at him. “After all, you’re *my* foster Beastkin now. Whatever I do to you is exempt from punishment.” He instantly trembled, his eyes clearing considerably. I sneered. In our past life, this idiot repeatedly escaped punishment by claiming he was drunk, didn’t know his own strength, or that it was just an accident. So, I was always confused. Did being drunk really give him free rein to attack anyone? Why didn’t he go bother the burly Elephant-kin or Lion-kin on the street when he was drunk? Why did he only dare to lay hands on weak, ordinary humans like Willow? Now I knew. He was just a pathetic fraud who hadn’t been properly disciplined. Just like now, he’d been drinking, but why didn’t he dare fight me? Why was he just whimpering on the floor, not daring to utter a single word? I scoffed, kicking his backside hard again. “Get up. I’m going shopping. You’d better have the house spotless by the time I get back, or else…” I gave him a fleeting, icy glance, which made him shiver. The entire Beastkin hunched into a trembling ball. I grabbed my bag and left, heading straight for Willow’s place. Leaving her alone with that sinister brute made me uneasy. Our homes weren’t far apart, and I soon arrived at her door. But before I could even go inside, I heard arguing from within:

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297146”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #狼人Werewolf

On the night of my birthday, I waited for Zachary at the restaurant until 10:30 PM. He stood me up again. When I saw Chloe’s post on SnapChat, I was surprised to find that I felt nothing. At that moment, I realized I had finally let go. Zachary had made the reservation for this restaurant in advance. Last month, on Chloe’s birthday, Zachary took her to watch the sunrise by the sea. When I angrily confronted Zachary about it, he accused me of being paranoid, saying it was just a group of friends, not just the two of them. We gave each other the silent treatment for half a month because of that. Yesterday, Zachary sent me a screenshot of the restaurant reservation. I knew this was his way of extending an olive branch. Every time we argued or stopped talking, I was always the one to break the ice, the first to speak to him again. After we made up, he would give me a gift or show some affection, coaxing me a little. I would be over the moon, forgetting all the unpleasantness and fully rekindling my passion for him. This is how we’ve been getting by these past few years. He’d hurt me, then give me a little sweetness, and I’d forget everything. The temperature of our relationship was entirely in his control. I was like a kite in his hands, the string firmly in his grasp. Depending on his mood, he manipulated my emotions. Shame on me for being so weak, always quick to forgive and forget. My love was too humble. But yesterday, when I saw the screenshot of the reservation he sent, I didn’t feel the usual joy. In the past, just the fact that he remembered my birthday would have been enough to make me feel cherished. After all, every year on my birthday, I had to remind him several times a day for days in advance before he would remember to buy me a gift. This year, I had forgotten my own birthday and hadn’t reminded him, yet he remembered on his own. Yesterday at work, when I received his message, I was surprised to realize it was my birthday. I replied, “Okay, see you at the restaurant tomorrow night.” I turned off my phone and continued working, instead of basking in the sweetness of his gesture for hours like I used to. Tonight after work, I received a message from Zachary: “See you at the restaurant later.” After work, I arrived at the restaurant first. The reservation was for 7 PM, and I got there at 6:30. By 8 PM, Zachary still hadn’t shown up. I called him, but there was no answer. I sent messages, but got no reply. At 9:30, the waiter asked if I wanted to order, saying they would be closing at 10:30. I nodded. I slowly ate my steak alone and had some red wine. At 10:30, I walked out of the restaurant. While waiting for a cab by the roadside, I scrolled through SnapChat and saw Chloe’s post. The text read: “You are my sense of security.” The accompanying photo showed Zachary’s profile as he sat on a sofa. The moment I saw the picture, I felt no anger, no hurt, no sadness. My mind was completely calm. Instead, I felt a sense of achievement, as if I had long ago guessed the answer to a riddle. See? I knew it. Every time he stood me up, it was because of Chloe. Strangely, this time, I didn’t feel sad at all.

After getting home, I washed up and went straight to bed. In the middle of the night, while I was sound asleep, I heard the sound of the door opening. I knew it was Zachary coming back. Annoyed at being woken up, I kept my eyes closed and pretended to be asleep, not wanting to deal with him. The soft footsteps stopped at the bedside, and there was silence for a long time. Even with my eyes closed, I could feel his intense gaze on me. Is Zachary crazy? Why doesn’t he just wash up and go to sleep instead of staring at me when he gets back? It’s really annoying to disturb someone’s sleep like this. Could it be because I didn’t turn on all the lights in the apartment and sit angrily in the living room waiting for him to come back, then question and argue with him like I used to? He should be happy, shouldn’t he? After all, in the past, whenever I went crazy or even became hysterical, he would just stand by coldly, his eyes full of impatience and disgust. His condescending gaze made me feel like a ridiculous clown. In the past, when I argued with him about his relationship with Chloe, he would at least explain a little, saying they were just friends and had never crossed any lines, that I was overthinking things. Later, he couldn’t even be bothered to explain anymore. He would let me explode with emotion like a volcano, then slowly burn out on my own. Now, I’ve finally come to terms with it and let it go. Thinking back to how I used to be, I really was quite crazy. I must have looked so ugly when I had those emotional breakdowns. No wonder Zachary was disgusted. At this moment, I had no desire to question him at all. I just wanted to sleep. Zachary stared for a while, and seeing no reaction from me, he called out, “Olivia?” I pretended to be in a deep sleep, not moving at all. After a moment, he finally left. I heard the sound of running water from the bathroom. He was washing up. The faint sound actually had a hypnotic effect, and I fell asleep listening to it. I didn’t even know when Zachary came to bed. The next morning, I got up and went straight to work. All day, I was immersed in my work, and time passed quickly. After work, I ate dinner out before going home. As soon as I walked in, Zachary was sitting on the sofa. “Why are you home so early today?” I asked while changing my shoes. “No overtime,” he said. “Oh.” I nodded, hung up my bag, and was about to go to the study. “Olivia.” Zachary called out to me, “I bought your birthday gift a long time ago. Yesterday—” “Thank you!” I took the small, beautifully wrapped box from his hand. Opening it, I saw a pretty bracelet. “It’s beautiful, I like it,” I smiled at him. “I’ll wear it tomorrow.” As I was about to leave, Zachary grabbed my arm. “I’m sorry about yesterday. I stood you up,” he explained. “I was almost at the restaurant when I got a call from Chloe. She said her ex-boyfriend was stalking her again, and she was scared. It’s not safe for a girl living alone—” “I believe you,” I interrupted him. “It’s true that we can’t let a girl face danger alone. You’ve mentioned before that her ex-boyfriend has an unstable personality. Alright, I still have some work to finish, so I’m going to do some overtime.” “Olivia!” He still didn’t let go of my arm. “Hmm?” I looked back at him, confused. “I haven’t eaten dinner yet.” “Oh, I’ve already eaten. Why don’t you order some takeout?” Saying this, I pulled my arm free and went straight to the study. Just as I sat down, I heard the front door slam shut. When I came out to look, Zachary was no longer in the apartment. He had given me a gift and taken the initiative to smooth things over, but I didn’t take the bait. He was angry.

Zachary and I started giving each other the silent treatment again. In the past, during these cold wars, I would always be in low spirits, wracking my brain to think of ways to make up with him quickly. But now, after a few days of not speaking, I actually felt a sense of relief. At night, Zachary slept in the guest room, and I had the big bed all to myself. I even slept better than usual. In the morning, I no longer got up early to make breakfast for Zachary. I could sleep an extra half hour every day. At work, Zachary’s face no longer popped into my mind at random moments. I stopped sending him messages frequently, and my work efficiency even improved. Tasks that I used to drag out until the end of the workday were now completed ahead of time. After work, I didn’t bother to go home and cook anymore. To ensure Zachary ate healthily, I had honed my cooking skills and made dinner every day after work. However, he had so many social gatherings that he’d be lucky to eat at home twice a week. Not revolving my life around Zachary anymore, I found myself with a lot of free time. I finished watching a TV series in just three evenings. At the office, I heard a newly hired young girl talking about studying for a qualification related to our work. I felt ashamed. This fresh graduate knew to make use of her time to improve herself, while I, having worked for so many years, was still aimlessly drifting through life, taking each day as it came. I could only blame myself for being too focused on love before. After graduation, my life goal was to marry Zachary. Until now, that wish hasn’t been fulfilled. For the old me, the focus of life was revolving around Zachary. I even thought that if Zachary wanted me to quit my job and be a housewife after marriage, I would agree without hesitation. Marrying Zachary, having children, and taking care of our little family was happiness to me, the life I longed for. Now, having suddenly awakened, I realized how much of a failure I was. In terms of love, I gave endlessly but didn’t receive an equal response. He wasn’t even willing to give me the promise of marriage. In terms of work, I was a mess, making no progress. The newly hired girl’s enthusiasm for self-improvement inspired me. I thought, it’s time to make a change. I humbly asked my colleagues for advice, bought study materials, and started preparing for the certification exam. Every day after work, I would grab a quick dinner outside, then go home and shut myself in the study to learn, studying until bedtime. These past few days, Zachary might still be sulking. He came home very late every day. This was perfect. The house was quiet, making it convenient for me to study.

While scrolling through my phone during lunch break, I was surprised to see that Zachary had updated his SnapChat. It was just a photo, without any caption. The photo showed a dining table with several dishes and two place settings. In the corner of the table, a hand was visible, wearing the watch I had bought. I knew Zachary too well. He deliberately posted this photo of him having dinner with Chloe just to provoke me. But I no longer felt that anger and jealousy. I wouldn’t immediately pick up the phone and angrily question him anymore. I just glanced at it and continued scrolling through other people’s updates. In the evening, I received a call from Zachary. “I’ll pick you up after work,” he said, his voice devoid of any emotion. My first reaction was to refuse. “No need, I’m working overtime today. I’ll be back late,” I instinctively lied. “Until what time?” he continued to ask. “Um, eight o’clock,” I pressed on with the lie. “Okay, I’ll wait for you downstairs at eight,” he said and hung up. To maintain the lie, I didn’t leave after work. Instead, I took out my exam materials and started studying in the office. At eight o’clock, I packed up my things and went downstairs with my bag. As soon as I walked out the main entrance, I saw the familiar car parked not far away. I walked over and opened the car door to find Chloe sitting in the passenger seat, flashing me a smile. “Olivia, I just had dinner with Zachary, and he’s giving me a ride home on the way,” Chloe said. “Mm-hmm,” I nodded, opened the back door, and got in. Whenever Chloe was in this car, I never sat in the front passenger seat. I had argued about this more than once, but Zachary clearly favored Chloe, and I couldn’t do anything about it. He said Chloe got carsick, so she was just sitting in the front. He asked why I had to be so petty about such a small thing. I said the front passenger seat was reserved for girlfriends, but he just sneered at me for being fussy. I had never won against Chloe on this issue. But every time it happened, I would be upset. However, now, I didn’t have the mind to care about it at all. After a full day of work and two hours of studying, I felt drowsy as soon as I sat in the car. “Zachary, the crayfish we had today was so delicious. Let’s go to that place again next time,” Chloe said excitedly. Zachary: “Mm, if you like it, we’ll go again next time.” “But every time we eat crayfish, I have to trouble you to peel the shells for me. You don’t find it annoying, do you?” Chloe’s tone was playful. “I don’t. I’m used to it.” “Olivia, Zachary is so good at peeling crayfish. I trained him when we were in college,” Chloe suddenly turned to look at me. “How about that? Shouldn’t you thank me?” Thank her? Thank her for what? For training Zachary to peel crayfish? But he had never peeled crayfish for me. I remember watching a TV show once where a female celebrity said she loved eating crayfish, but if no one helped her peel them, she’d rather not eat them because she didn’t want to peel them herself. The first time I went to eat crayfish with Zachary after we got together, I also acted coy, asking him to peel the shells for me. He paused, looked at me with a half-smile, and said, “Don’t you have hands?” The one who loves more is always the humble one. I immediately fell silent. After that, I never mentioned peeling crayfish in front of him again. I looked up at Chloe. The light in the car was dim, but I could still see the smugness and provocation in her eyes. She was always like this, subtly provoking me to get angry, then waiting for Zachary to scold me and protect her. Time and time again, she never tired of it. However, at this moment, I wasn’t stirred by any emotions, nor did I have any interest in confronting her. “Oh, well, thank you then,” I said perfunctorily.

Not achieving her goal, Chloe bit her lip and turned to chat with Zachary again, smiling. Zachary always spoke to her in a gentle tone. Listening to them chatting animatedly, I felt my eyelids getting heavier, and the surrounding sounds gradually faded away. When I woke up, I found the car parked outside our apartment building, with Zachary sitting quietly in the front seat. Chloe was no longer in the passenger seat. “Why didn’t you wake me up when we got home?” I sat up straight and opened the car door. Zachary followed behind me, not saying a word. As we walked out of the elevator and into our apartment, he finally spoke: “Tired?” “Huh?” “Chloe and I were still talking, but you fell asleep in the car.” “Yeah, a bit tired.” I wasn’t interested in chatting with him, just wanting to shower and go to bed quickly. “Today was Henry’s gathering, just the old college dorm mates. He invited Chloe too. You know, they’re all close to her and like to invite her every time we have dinner. Since it was on the way, I gave her a ride back,” he suddenly started explaining. It was quite rare. In the past, when I argued and asked him why he always hung out with Chloe, he never bothered to explain. Now that I wasn’t asking, he took the initiative to explain. “Mm,” I nodded, walking towards the bathroom. “I originally wanted to bring you along, but you said you had to work overtime, so I only came to pick you up after dinner,” he continued to explain. “Okay, I got it. I’m going to take a shower now,” I said, quickly walking away. After showering, I went straight to bed. The next evening after work, I was surprised to see Zachary downstairs again. This time, there was no Chloe in the car. I still sat in the back seat. Zachary turned to look at me, seeming like he wanted to say something but held back. I have to say, sitting in the back gives me a feeling of treating him like a chauffeur, which is quite nice. I shouldn’t have cared about this before. “Mike is moving house today and invited us over for hotpot,” Zachary said as he started the car. Mike was also his college roommate. Coincidentally, all four of Zachary’s college dormmates ended up staying in this city after graduation. They were close and often organized gatherings or dinners. Zachary had pursued Chloe in college, and his roommates all acted as wingmen, offering advice and strategies. Although he didn’t succeed in winning her over, it didn’t stop Chloe from becoming close with all of them. Over the years, Chloe had dated several boyfriends, but she said, “Boyfriends are boyfriends, friends are friends.” She said Zachary would always be her good friend. Recently, Chloe broke up with her previous boyfriend and started hanging out with them frequently again. Every time I saw Zachary taking care of her, my blood pressure would rise. I had argued and made a fuss about it, but it was useless. Eventually, I simply stopped going to their gatherings. Out of sight, out of mind. “You guys go ahead. Just drop me off at home first,” I said. I really had no interest in their dinner gatherings. Zachary: “We’ll come back right after dinner. It won’t be too late. Mike specifically asked me to bring you along, saying he hasn’t seen you in a long time.” “Alright then,” I didn’t insist anymore. We stood at the door of Mike’s new home, and after the doorbell rang, the door opened. Suddenly, someone burst out from inside, jumping onto Zachary’s back like a monkey, arms tightly wrapped around his neck.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297162”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

At Deer City International Airport, as the last flight of the day landed smoothly, Mia Collins rubbed her sore right shoulder and walked out of the air traffic control tower. Mia gazed thoughtfully at the heavy snow falling outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. Just moments ago, she had received a job offer from British Airways. In one month, she could go to England and become a pilot again. At that moment, her best friend Sophia Wilson called. “It’s not good, Mia. I heard that Jake Sanders’ old flame, Zoe Parker – you know, the one who competed with you for that special training spot in Australia – she’s back in the country. Word is the flight department is throwing her a welcome party,” said Sophia. As Mia’s colleague in the control tower and her best friend, Sophia was the only person in all of Deer City Aviation who knew that Jake and Mia were married. On the other end of the line, Sophia carefully asked, “Mia, Jake will definitely be there. Are you going?” Mia paused. Indeed, the entire Sanders Aviation belonged to Jake Sanders. Looking at the gradually darkening sky outside the window, Mia realized she hadn’t seen Jake for over a month. Their only interaction recently was when Jake was in the air and Mia was in the control tower. “I’ll go. You go first, I’ll be there a bit later,” Mia replied. When Mia arrived at the bar, it was already past 9 PM. She didn’t go in, but could vaguely see the scene inside through the glass door. Mia gently pushed the door open, creating just a small gap, but she could already hear people inside egging others on. “Mr. Sanders actually chose the dare today. Doesn’t he have to do the intertwined drink with our beautiful Zoe?” In the flirtatious atmosphere, Jake calmly picked up his glass and drank with the girl beside him. Zoe was facing the door and clearly saw Mia. A smug smile instantly spread across her stunning face, as if to say, “See? This is your husband.” Everyone clamored for the two to finish their drinks. Unexpectedly, Jake said nothing, took Zoe’s glass, and drained it in one gulp. “Oh my, Mr. Sanders is being so protective. No wonder his old flame is back in the country. That’s some serious impact. Don’t tell me we’ll be drinking wedding wine in a few days?” The guys joked shamelessly. Ironically, Jake didn’t deny it with even half a word. Mia stood there, her hand that was about to push the door stopped, and her thoughts suddenly went back to that year. Back then, Mia had just gotten pregnant and went to the bar late at night to pick up a drunk Jake. But at the private room door, she overheard words that kept her awake all night. “Jake, if you had to choose between Mia and Zoe, who would you pick?” Jake’s good friend asked this question, and Mia instantly tensed up. “Zoe.” That night, she wandered alone on the streets until dawn. Jake didn’t call even once. When dawn broke, Mia walked back to the villa and saw Jake passed out from drinking. From then on, their relationship suddenly cooled to freezing point. Mia had originally lost the courage to enter, but remembering Evelyn’s words, she still pushed the door open. The noisy private room suddenly fell silent. “Jake Sanders, I need to talk to you.” Mia didn’t even glance at Zoe, her gaze fixed firmly on Jake. Other colleagues started whispering. Jake stood up and pulled Mia outside.

The car hadn’t driven far when Jake became impatient. “What is it? What did you want to talk to me about?” Seeing Mia not speaking, Jake got a bit angry. “You said you had something to discuss with me, now you’re not talking? Mia, cat got your tongue?” Mia glanced at the driver and was about to speak when Jake’s phone rang. “Bro, Zoe seems to have gotten drunk. Can you come back and check on her?” Jake had the call on speakerphone, and Mia could hear every word clearly. Jake spoke coldly, “Since you have nothing to say, then don’t say it. Get out of the car. I’m going back to the bar.” Mia was stunned. The driver, Mr. Johnson, tried to smooth things over: “I can drive Mr. Sanders back to the bar first, then take Mrs. Sanders home.” Mia looked at the cold Jake and said, “No need. I’d like to walk for a bit.” After Mia got out of the car, she watched Jake’s car drive away, feeling particularly calm. This wasn’t the first time Jake had abandoned Mia. Two years ago, Jake accompanied Mia, who was three months pregnant, for a prenatal checkup. Halfway there, he got a call that Zoe had been in a car accident abroad. Jake panicked and slammed on the brakes, causing the car behind to rear-end them. Mia felt a faint pain in her belly but didn’t say anything. Mia never expected him to call his assistant to the scene with just one phone call, leaving behind a curt “Little Sun will be here soon,” before rushing straight to the airport. The belly pain that was originally just a dull ache turned into threatened miscarriage due to Jake’s actions. By the time Mia was sent to the hospital, the baby was already gone. “The marriage contract is for three years. If you don’t conceive a child for the Sanders family within three years, you will initiate the divorce. And you cannot disclose to others that you and Jake are married.” When Mia woke up, her mother-in-law Evelyn Sanders’ words were vivid in her mind. Mia’s father had once been a civilian airline captain, but died in a plane crash. That flight was originally supposed to be flown by Jake’s father, Richard Sanders. They had switched shifts, and Richard Sanders narrowly escaped disaster because of this. After that accident, Richard Sanders returned home to inherit the family business. Mia’s mother, who already had depression, couldn’t bear the blow and committed suicide. The Sanders family felt they owed the Collins family, so they adopted Mia. When the Sanders family first adopted Mia, her classmates at school often ostracized and mocked her. As long as Mia got first place, she would be accused of cheating. Every time, it was Jake who actively stood up to defend Mia. “Mia is part of the Sanders family, my own family. If you can’t stand it, get lost!” Jake would say. Jake’s mother Evelyn didn’t like Mia and felt that Mia’s father was simply unlucky. The Sanders family had no responsibility to raise Mia. But unable to argue against her husband and precious son, she could only accept it. Until Zoe’s appearance completely shattered Jake and Mia’s relationship.

Zoe confessed to Jake not long after enrolling in school. Jake didn’t agree, and Zoe thought it was because Mia was interfering. So she ganged up with several classmates to bully Mia. At first, Jake always protected Mia. Until the first semester of senior year, Zoe firmly insisted that Mia had drugged her water bottle and stolen her spot in the math competition. That time, Jake didn’t stand on Mia’s side. In their senior year of college, Mia refused the Sanders family’s connections and wanted to become a pilot on her own merits. There was only one spot for female pilots to go for special training in Australia. Mia and Zoe fought tooth and nail for it. But during a break, Zoe fell down the stairs and fractured her right hand. Zoe insisted that Mia had pushed her. It was a blind spot for the security cameras. Even though Mia firmly maintained that she hadn’t touched Zoe, no one believed her. Jake didn’t believe her either. Later, before Richard Sanders passed away, he arranged the marriage between Jake and Mia. Jake wasn’t happy about it, which made Mia feel he didn’t want to marry her. Jake’s mother was even more unwilling, which led to her later making a private marriage contract with Mia. …… Watching Jake’s car gradually disappear into the distance, the memories also slowly faded from Mia’s mind. Now Mia and Jake were more like strangers than strangers. “Hello, what’s the matter so late?” Mia called her mother-in-law Evelyn Sanders. “Mom, I’ll take care of the divorce as soon as possible.” There was silence on the other end for a few seconds before Mia heard Evelyn reply with a faint “Okay.” A month ago, Evelyn had already called Mia, urging her to initiate divorce proceedings with Jake. “When you first married Jake, we agreed that if you didn’t conceive an heir for the Sanders family within three years, you would initiate divorce after the three-year contract marriage ended. Mia, the Sanders family has raised you for over a decade, what exactly are you delaying for?” Evelyn’s words had always been like knives stabbing into Mia’s chest. But Mia could never bring herself to speak up, until Zoe’s return to the country. Mia slowly began, “Mom…” The moment she called out “Mom”, Mia choked up. She suddenly felt very tired. She crouched down and took a deep breath. “Mom… I remember all the kindness the Sanders family has shown me over the years. I will… try my best to repay it…” After saying this, Mia hung up the phone and buried her entire head in the crook of her arm. It started snowing again. Mia crouched on the ground for a long time, letting the snowflakes soak her body until she was shivering from the cold before standing up to call a cab. Of course, it was difficult to get a cab in the snow. Mia waited half an hour but no driver was willing to accept the ride. She slowly walked back to the villa alone. It was already 11 PM when she got home. Mia turned on her computer and typed out a divorce agreement word by word. The past decade or so flashed before her eyes – from losing both parents to moving into the Sanders home; from being carefully protected by Jake to Zoe appearing in their lives; from marrying Jake to the two of them becoming completely estranged. Mia was exhausted. Mia, what are you still hoping for? You should have woken up long ago. All of this should have ended long ago.

After drafting the divorce agreement, Mia fell into a groggy sleep. In the middle of the night, Jake stumbled drunkenly into the master bedroom and turned on the light. Mia groggily got up. “What’s wrong?” “What did you come to the bar to find me for today?” Jake was drunk. “Let’s talk when you’re sober.” Mia pressed the switch by the bed, plunging the room back into darkness. Click. Jake turned the light on again. Then there was a loud crash. Mia poked her head out from under the covers again. The crystal ball that had been on the TV stand in the master bedroom had been smashed by Jake. “Weren’t you just jealous that Zoe is back, so you came to the bar to see what exactly I was doing with her?” Jake’s alcohol-laden breath spewed these words, the air filled with the smell of liquor. Mia walked over to the pile of glass shards, crouched down, and began picking up the pieces one by one. “This crystal ball was the first gift you gave me when I got into the top high school at 15. Don’t you remember?” Mia’s voice was shaking. Over the years, as the rift between them grew, Jake rarely gave her anything. Only this crystal ball, Mia had always cherished. “It’s just a crystal ball. I’ll buy you another one later if you want.” Jake’s anger subsided a bit when he saw Mia was about to cry. “It’s just Zoe Parker, yet she can make you smash the gift you gave me. She really is special to you.” Mia laughed coldly. Hearing this, Jake’s temper flared up again. “Mia, aren’t you just jealous that Zoe is a pilot now while you’re only an air traffic controller? It’s not like you’ve only been jealous of her for a day or two. Otherwise you wouldn’t have pushed her down the stairs.” After saying this, Jake left the master bedroom. Mia’s shoulders shook. So in Jake’s eyes, this was the kind of person she was. Mia held back her tears and put the crystal ball shards in a drawer, unable to sleep all night. The next morning, Mia came to the living room and saw Jake eating breakfast while on the phone. She took out the divorce agreement, flipped to the last page, and brought it to Jake. Jake didn’t look at any of the content, just signed his name at the signature line. Even after hanging up the phone, he didn’t think to read the agreement carefully. “It will take effect in one month.” Mia said, taking the agreement and walking towards the second floor master bedroom. Jake looked at his phone while muttering, “Why is the stray animal agreement expiring so early this year? Isn’t it usually at the end of the year?” Jake had no idea that in just one month, Mia would have nothing to do with him anymore.

Mia got ready and prepared to go to work. Arriving at the control tower, Sophia saw Mia didn’t look right but didn’t dare ask what happened last night. She just reminded Mia there would be many flights today, so it might be busy. Mia changed into her work uniform and officially started her shift. The weather conditions were very good today, and all the flights were taking off and landing smoothly. Unexpectedly, near noon, Mia noticed something was off with Southern Airlines Flight 8744 that was landing. Following her instinct, she grabbed binoculars and walked to the window. Their work area was on the 19th floor of the tower. Mia could vaguely see that the right rear tire of Southern 8744 looked strange. Mia quickly returned to her workstation and picked up the headset. “Southern 8744, Deer City Tower. Your right rear tire appears to have a suspected blowout. Please verify immediately.” The captain of Southern 8744 immediately replied, “We have a blown tire on the right side, Southern 8744.” “Roger that. Maintain heading 026, altitude 1500. Please state your intentions.” The situation was urgent. While maintaining contact with Southern 8744, Mia immediately notified ground control and ground crew. “Runway 18R temporarily closed for use. Southern 8744 has a blown tire. Ground crew please prepare emergency vehicles.” While the tower was in a frenzy, another plane requested landing clearance. Mia checked the schedule and saw it was Sanders Aviation Flight 9523, piloted by Zoe Parker. If she remembered correctly, this was Zoe’s first flight after returning to the country. And Sanders Aviation was the Sanders family’s airline company. It seemed Zoe immediately became captain after returning, thanks to Jake Sanders’ help. Sure enough, Zoe’s voice soon came through the headphones. “Deer City Approach, Sanders 9523, altitude 3800, request clearance to land on Runway 18R.” Without hesitation, Mia denied Zoe’s request. “Sanders 9523, Runway 18R is currently closed. Deer City Tower.” Mia said this and continued focusing her attention on the aircraft with the blown tire, Southern 8744. “Southern 8744, what’s your current situation?” Mia was a bit worried when Southern 8744 didn’t respond. She checked the schedule and saw that today’s captain on Southern 8744 was a newly promoted captain. “Southern 8744, Deer City Tower, please respond if you copy.” Mia didn’t receive a reply from Southern 8744, but heard Zoe’s impatient urging instead. “Deer City Approach, Sanders 9523, then request clearance to land on Runway 16L.” It wasn’t that Mia was deliberately making things difficult for Zoe. Runway 16L happened to be closed for maintenance as well. Mia could only answer truthfully, “Runway 16L is not available either, Sanders 9523.” But Zoe was clearly dissatisfied with this answer. This was her first flight back, and landing was already not going smoothly. Her patience was exhausted. “Deer City Tower, please advise. Give me a runway to land on, Sanders 9523.” Zoe’s tone sounded very unpleasant. At this moment, Southern 8744 finally responded to Mia. The captain of Southern 8744 said they had finished dumping fuel and were ready to descend, then land. Mia let out a long breath of relief. She reported Southern 8744’s status to ground control in real time and began arranging a runway for Sanders 9523. “Sanders 9523, please report current altitude. Deer City Tower.” This time it was Zoe who didn’t respond to Mia. After much back and forth and waiting, Zoe’s Sanders 9523 finally landed safely on the runway at Deer City International Airport. Mia thought the morning’s work was over, but unexpectedly heard Zoe angrily say, “Which air traffic controller is on duty at Deer City Tower today? I want to file a complaint.” Mia was stunned for a moment, then unhesitatingly stated her own name. She heard Zoe snort coldly through the headphones. “Huh, Mia Collins, it’s really you. No wonder.” Mia naturally couldn’t stand this sarcasm. “If you have any objections to the tower’s instructions, you can file a complaint against me.”

Sure enough, Mia was called to Mr. Chen’s office. “Mia, do you know there was a pregnant woman on Sanders 9523? Now because of the delayed landing, she went into premature labor and is hemorrhaging heavily. The family wants to file a complaint against our airport.” Mia had a clear conscience. She hadn’t deliberately delayed just because the captain of Sanders 9523 was Zoe. “Southern 8744 had a blown right rear tire. The situation was urgent. If not handled promptly, all the passengers on that flight would have been in danger. I was also monitoring the takeoffs and landings of other flights simultaneously and didn’t neglect anything.” Mia calmly explained, her emotions stable. Mr. Chen rubbed his forehead. “Now Zoe has received a complaint and is insisting you didn’t arrange a landing runway promptly. She’s clearly trying to shift the blame to you.” Mia handed the coffee on the desk to Mr. Chen. “The leaders can review the surveillance footage of the situation at any time. I have a clear conscience and am not afraid of her shifting blame.” With that, Mia returned to her station to work. During her break, Mia went to the cafeteria to buy coffee. Unexpectedly, while in line, the person in front suddenly stepped back, causing Mia’s coffee to spill on her blouse. “Ah…” The girl who got splashed turned around, meeting Mia’s apologetic gaze. It was actually Zoe? Mia instantly came to her senses. “I’m so sorry, I bumped into you. Let me help you clean up.” Mia was about to take out some wet wipes to help Zoe clean up when Zoe suddenly knocked Mia’s coffee to the ground. “You again, Mia Collins. Are you deliberately trying to make things difficult for me today?” It was clearly Zoe who had stepped back into Mia, but the way she said it made it seem like Mia had bumped into her. “I didn’t do it on purpose. Besides, you were standing still, why did you suddenly step back?” Mia didn’t back down and quickly retorted. “Don’t think I don’t know. When I was landing earlier, you deliberately didn’t assign me a runway, almost getting me grounded. Mia Collins, what exactly are you trying to do?” Zoe looked furious. “I made no mistakes in the tower control procedures this morning. As for you getting complained about, that’s your problem. I’ll compensate you for a new uniform later.” Mia said, turning to leave. Unexpectedly, Zoe grabbed her and poured her own coffee on Mia. Taking advantage of Mia’s shock, she slapped Mia across the face. Colleagues nearby who couldn’t stand by any longer rushed over to pull Zoe away. “Captain Parker, let’s talk this out. How can you hit someone?” Mia held her face and looked up. The person speaking was the co-pilot of Sanders 9523, who used to be Jake’s apprentice. But Zoe wouldn’t let it go. “You were there during landing today. She deliberately retaliated against me for complaining about her earlier. Now I’m the one getting complained about by passengers. Slapping her is getting off easy.” Zoe was known for her loud voice. More and more colleagues gathered around. Mia had never suffered such humiliation in her life. She was about to hit back when her raised hand was grabbed by another hand.

“What are you doing? Still want to fight?” Mia looked closely and saw that the person stopping her from retaliating was her husband, Jake Sanders. Although they had entered the divorce cooling-off period according to procedure, they were still legally married. Mia felt extremely wronged. Her own husband watched her get slapped in public, yet once again took Zoe’s side. Seeing Jake arrive, Zoe immediately hid behind him with teary eyes, looking like a damsel in distress. At this moment, Mia just felt disgusted. “I’ve heard about the landing incident this morning. Mia, can’t you separate personal and professional matters? Don’t take out your personal grudges at work.” Jake looked coldly at Mia. Every word he said was to vent anger for Zoe. Of all the airport staff, only Sophia, who wasn’t present, knew Mia was Jake’s wife. This scene looked more like Mia had stolen Zoe’s man. Colleagues around started gossiping. “I heard Mr. Sanders threw Zoe a welcome party last night. They were very intimate. People are saying they’re together now.” “Yeah, I heard Mr. Sanders hasn’t dated for years because he was waiting for his soulmate Zoe to return. Now they can soar through the skies together. Ah, they really are a perfect match. I ship it!” All these gossip voices rushed into Mia’s ears. She couldn’t bear to listen anymore. The slap Zoe gave her earlier made her dizzy, and her ear seemed to start ringing. She didn’t bother with Jake and Zoe behind her anymore, nor did she refute the rumors. She just wanted to leave the airport as quickly as possible. She went home and packed a few things, planning to stay at the mountain villa for a while. It would be a good chance to prepare her English and courses for training in England. Finally having the opportunity to be reborn as a pilot, Mia didn’t want to waste any more time or energy on these irrelevant people and things. The next day after work, Mia drove straight to the mountain villa. But when she opened the front door, she saw the person she least wanted to see. “Zoe Parker? What are you doing here?” Mia was stunned.

Zoe sprawled casually on the sofa. “Why can’t I be here?” “This villa is in my name. Who gave you permission to stay here?” Mia demanded. This was Jake’s wedding gift to Mia. Back then, Jake still had Mia in his heart. As newlyweds, they couldn’t go abroad due to the pandemic, so the couple chose to honeymoon at the villa. They got snowed in during a blizzard and ended up staying at the villa for two whole months. Not long after leaving the villa, Mia got pregnant. Later, their relationship cooled to freezing point, and Mia never stayed there again. “I’ll give you half an hour to pack your things and get out of my villa. Otherwise I’ll report you for trespassing.” But Zoe didn’t budge at all. “You want me to move out just like that? Mia Collins, I’ve been living here for over a month already, long before you knew I was back in the country.” Zoe pulled open her collar, revealing dense hickeys on her chest. She then led Mia to the master bedroom upstairs and took out a box of condoms from the nightstand. “On my body, in every corner of this villa, there are traces of Jake and I making love. If you want to see, I can show you slowly. Mia Collins, do you think these can be erased just because you say so?” Mia looked at Zoe’s smug face and felt nauseous. “Why are you so comfortable being the other woman?” She resisted the urge to hit Zoe and turned to leave the villa. “Mia, it’s so late, and the snow is so heavy outside. I don’t mind if you stay in the guest room for the night.” Zoe sat smiling on the sofa, completely taking on the air of the lady of the house. “My villa is already dirty. I don’t want dirty things anymore. If you insist on staying here, just wait to talk to my lawyer.” Mia said, leaving with her luggage. The snow outside was getting heavier. Mia had only driven about 3 kilometers when her car broke down. She could only call a tow truck company. But with the heavy snow blocking the mountain roads, the tow truck couldn’t make it up either. With the car stalled, there was no more heat. Mia felt so cold. She curled up in the driver’s seat, her whole body shaking. After who knows how long, Mia dozily fell asleep. In her dream, Mia went back to 9th grade. The school organized a camping trip. Mia and her classmates went to catch fireflies at night and got lost. In the end, when the school couldn’t contact the parents, Jake directly sent the family helicopter to pick her up from the mountains. ……. When Mia woke up again, she found herself lying in a hospital bed. “How did I end up here?” Mia woke up to see busy nurses around her. A nurse replied, “You passed out in your car. The tow truck company brought you to the hospital.” Mia held her dizzy head. The nurse said with concern, “You’re a bit anemic and have low blood sugar. It’s best to stay for observation.” At this moment, another nurse said, “Hey, did you hear about that girl who slit her wrists in the next room? Last night in the heavy snow, her boyfriend sent the family helicopter directly to pick her up.” Helicopter? Mia was stunned for a moment hearing those three words. “That’s the Sanders family of Deer City. The entire Sanders Aviation belongs to them. What’s one helicopter to them?”

Mia got out of bed and went to the next room. She heard Jake’s reproachful voice coming from inside. “Zoe, can you not be so impulsive next time? I just said the heavy snow blocked the roads so I couldn’t come see you today. How could you do something to hurt yourself like this?” Mia hadn’t heard Jake speak so gently in a very long time. “If Mia hadn’t come to the villa and called me a homewrecker, I wouldn’t have wanted to see you so badly. I’m sorry, Jake.” Zoe pressed her whole body against Jake. “She’s really getting more and more out of line.” Jake gently hugged Zoe, comforting her softly. Mia couldn’t listen anymore. She quickly checked out of the hospital and stayed at Sophia’s place for a few days. Five days later, Mia returned home. As soon as she reached the front door, she saw the housekeeper Mrs. Johnson’s strange look. Mia had an ominous feeling. Sure enough, as soon as she entered, she saw Zoe eating in the dining room, her face full of satisfaction and enjoyment. Needless to say, this must have been approved by Jake. “Mia’s back? Oh right, I just got out of the hospital. The doctor said I need to rest and recover. Jake couldn’t bear to let me stay in a hotel alone, so he brought me back here.” Jake saw Mia’s look of contempt and came over guiltily to take her luggage, explaining, “Where have you been these past few days? Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t coming home? Zoe hasn’t found a suitable place yet, so she’s just staying with us for a few days.” Mia coldly moved Jake’s hand away. “The master bedroom is definitely dirty now. I’ll go to the guest room.” Mia moved all her things to the guest room, planning to stay there from now on. She started the process of selling the mountain villa. Remembering Evelyn saying “The Sanders family has treated you well all these years”, she felt she could never repay what she owed the Sanders family. The visa for England went through exceptionally smoothly. These days, Zoe lived in Jake and Mia’s home, living each day like the lady of the Sanders house. Mia left early and returned late every day, ignoring Zoe and Jake’s existence whenever she came and went. The mountain villa sold successfully. Along with some handbags and jewelry she had, Mia prepared a card with 60 million dollars. A week before leaving, Mia found a piece of paper under the sink in the first floor bathroom. Curious, she picked it up and opened it. It turned out to be an ultrasound report for a pregnant woman, with Zoe Parker’s name clearly written as the patient. The moment she saw those three words, Mia felt like something snapped in her brain. Jake Sanders, you really are efficient. In such a short time since Zoe returned to the country, she was already pregnant with his child. At this moment, Zoe’s voice came from the living room. “Mrs. Johnson, what are we having for dinner tonight?” Mia put the ultrasound report in her pocket and walked calmly to the living room. Zoe suddenly turned around, clearly startled. She clutched her chest and screamed, “My god, where did you come from? You scared me to death.” Zoe glared at Mia and tossed her purse aside, sitting down on the sofa. She twirled the ring on her finger while watching Mia take out the ultrasound report. “What’s this about? Whose child is it?” Mia questioned. Zoe snorted coldly. “Mia Collins, what do you think?”

Mia put the ultrasound report on the coffee table. “Since you’re pregnant, don’t do stupid things like slitting your wrists again… Take good care of the Sanders heir.” Zoe said arrogantly, “You saw how worried Jake was about me. I just wanted to test him a little, and he immediately sent a helicopter to pick me up. He even scolded me for being impulsive, saying I almost miscarried.” Mia smiled helplessly. “That’s great. Anyway, this whole farce is about to end soon.” “Mia Collins, Jake Sanders married you for three years. Those three years were stolen from me by you. You’re just a thief. You stole my competition spot in high school, my outstanding graduate title in college, and then the Australia training spot. Jake is mine. I’m just taking back what’s rightfully mine now.” Zoe spoke righteously. If Mia didn’t know her so well, she might have believed her. Hearing all this, Mia didn’t argue or refute. She just gave Zoe a look of disdain before leaving. That disdainful look made Zoe extremely uncomfortable. Mia Collins actually just walked away like that, without saying a single word in her defense. Deer City International Airport Control Tower. While handing over work to Sophia, Mia told her about recent events. Sophia was so angry her eyebrows went all crooked, and she cursed for a full ten minutes. “Mia, why didn’t you slap that bitch a few times? You just left like that? That’s letting her off too easy! And what about how she framed you before? Aren’t you going to tell Jake about that?” Sophia was truly furious that Mia, the rightful Mrs. Sanders, was being displaced by a homewrecker. Mia looked out the window and shook her head. Sophia sighed helplessly. “Those two really deserve each other!” But Mia just smiled. She gazed at the vast whiteness outside. She truly didn’t care anymore. Now Mia only wanted to start a new life, one that truly belonged to her. As the year end approached, Sanders Aviation held its annual party as scheduled. This time, Sanders Aviation unprecedentedly invited other airport departments. Their air traffic control center was among those invited. Mia originally didn’t plan to go. There were only two days left before she went abroad, and she didn’t even have time to pack. But Sophia disagreed. “After that big scene in the cafeteria, if you don’t go, people will really think you’re the mistress who ruined the scumbag and bitch’s relationship. You must go!” At the party, Mia stood alone with some fruit and a drink, about to head to the balcony to eat, when she overheard people whispering nearby. “Isn’t that Mia Collins from the control tower? Today is Sanders Aviation’s event, yet she has the nerve to show up? Talk about thick-skinned.” Mia glanced sideways. The one gossiping was an intern from the ground crew department. “Exactly. They say she’s the mistress. I heard she even went to the Sanders’ mountain villa that day, but got stranded there in the heavy snow. What a joke.” Another girl sneered. Sophia had somehow appeared by Mia’s side, her face already red with anger. “This is outrageous. I wasn’t there last time, but I won’t let them bully you like this again!” Mia tried to hold Sophia back, but it was too late. Sophia smashed her glass on the ground, instantly drawing everyone’s attention. Sophia walked up to the two gossiping girls and said, “You’d rather be gossipmongers than decent people, huh?” The two girls were stunned by Sophia’s aggressive stance, momentarily frozen in place. Mia stepped forward to pull Sophia back. “Let it go. It’s better to avoid trouble.” Sophia shook off Mia’s arm and started berating the girls directly. “You don’t know anything about the situation, yet you’re spreading rumors here? Be careful, or I’ll sue you for defamation!” Although Sophia was just a small-time air traffic controller, her father was the second-in-command at Deer City International Airport. She wasn’t afraid of causing trouble at all. One of the gossiping girls rolled her eyes. “A mistress is a mistress. Go ahead and sue. I’d like to see who the real mistress is!” As soon as she finished speaking, Sophia grabbed an untouched glass of orange juice from nearby and threw it directly in the girl’s face. Seeing the situation escalating, Mia hurriedly tried to pull Sophia away again. “Sophia, stop it. This is the annual party, it’s not appropriate! Listen to me!” Mia was about to drag Sophia away when she saw Zoe striding towards them.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297179”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

“Jasper, we’ve known each other for 18 years, and been together for four. Does my presence really mean less to you than a pheromone scent?” “I’m so sorry, Rowan. It was just an accident. You’re the only one I love.” I was just an ordinary Beta, but to get stronger, I faked being an Omega at the military academy. One day, I discovered my Alpha boyfriend had marked Ashton, my true Omega roommate. I stared at Jasper. “Cheating is never a one-time thing. It’s always the first step to countless times.” “We’re over.” The day Jasper and I broke up, I underwent my second differentiation, turning into… Now, all those sarcastic remarks I’d thrown at the Alphas at school? They were about to come back to haunt me. “You said you differentiated into… what?” My best friend, Caleb, yelled, disbelief etched all over his face. Everyone in the coffee shop turned to stare. I ducked my head, wishing I could just vanish. “Lower your voice! Is it something to brag about?” Caleb winced, then leaned closer, whispering, “Did you really differentiate into an Alpha?” I nodded. He sucked in a sharp breath. “Then you and Jasper are completely impossible now, aren’t you?” I offered a bitter smile. “It was impossible anyway. He already marked Ashton. A rabbit doesn’t eat the grass around its burrow, but he betrayed someone right under his nose.” If it hadn’t been my roommate, Ashton, who Jasper got involved with, I wouldn’t have been so devastated. We’d shared a dorm for three years, and Ashton and I had always been good friends. He even used to playfully tease me about Jasper and me. Now, though, there was a fresh mark from Jasper on the back of his neck. I’d been betrayed by both my boyfriend and my roommate. I grabbed my drink from the table and took a long swig. “Alright, I’m officially saying goodbye to the past.” “Help me move out of the dorm.” Since I’d differentiated into an Alpha, I obviously couldn’t stay in the Omega dorms anymore.

I purposely chose to move when Ashton was in class. But I hadn’t expected him to take the day off. He was lying on his dorm bed, a fever-reducing patch on his forehead, and Jasper’s scent was overwhelmingly strong on him. When I was a Beta, I couldn’t smell it, but now it was crystal clear. I frowned, the instinctive repulsion of an Alpha to another Alpha’s pheromones kicking in. But Ashton seemed to misunderstand. He struggled to prop himself up. “Rowan, let me explain…” I packed the last few scattered items into a cardboard box. “Go on, I’m listening. Explain away.” After a long pause, a timid voice came from behind me. “Rowan, you have no idea how much I envied you. I used to think you were an Omega, you chose mecha piloting, and your grades were just as good as those Alphas. Plus, you had such an amazing boyfriend… Jasper really loved you. “Jasper and I, it was truly an accident. My heat came early, and if Jasper hadn’t been kind enough to help me, I would have gone into heat in a public place. The consequences would have been unthinkable… “Rowan, you’re not an Omega. You don’t know how terrifying that situation is for us Omegas.” I turned, hugging the box, and smiled at Ashton. “You’re right. I can’t understand why you’d go out without an inhibitor when your heat was approaching.” “Nor can I understand why you, knowing other students around had inhibitors, chose to throw yourself into Jasper’s arms and cling to him instead.” “But none of that matters. Since Jasper likes to go around cheating and marking others, I don’t want him anymore.” “You like him, you can have him.” I leaned down, raising an eyebrow at Ashton. “If he’s even willing, that is.”

The moment I stepped out of the dorm building, I saw Caleb and Jasper facing off. To be precise, it was Caleb relentlessly snapping at Jasper. Jasper just stood there, eyes downcast, ignoring him. He was tall, with handsome features, and his messy hair fell across his forehead. He hadn’t changed out of his training uniform yet. He stood tall and striking, with a hint of an unspoken melancholy that made the Omegas walking by steal glances at him. The instant I walked down the stairs, he seemed to have a built-in radar, snapping his head up to look at me. It had always been like that. Even when I was a Beta with no scent, he could always find me first in a crowd. The first person I’d ever babbled a name to wasn’t my parents, but this neighbor boy, a year older than me. “Rowan.” He strode towards me, reaching for the box in my hands. I dodged, stepping aside. The breeze he brought with him carried Ashton’s scent. An Alpha, when marking an Omega, is also marked by the Omega’s scent. Jasper’s hand hung in mid-air. He looked at me, hurt. His voice was hoarse. “Rowan, I’m sorry. It was just an accident. You know you’re the only one in my heart.” Suddenly, I released my own pheromones, letting them clash with his. We both winced. But then I smoothed my face into a smile. “I’ve differentiated into an Alpha too, Jasper. We’re completely impossible now.” “You can make a better choice.” I looked upstairs, and he understood what I meant. I knew that his and Ashton’s pheromone compatibility was actually very high. “My best choice is you! I only love you!” He stubbornly grabbed my arm. I yanked my hand away with force. “But I won’t be with an Alpha. I’m going to find an Omega from now on.”

After moving, I invited Caleb to dinner. He asked me, “Can you really let him go?” “I have to,” I replied. There’s no good outcome for two Alphas. I didn’t believe love could overcome pheromonal repulsion. Did Jasper love me? Of course. I never doubted his love. I was a mischievous kid. I’d try to run before I could even walk properly. I fell countless times, but whenever Jasper was there, he was always the one to cushion my fall. He had so many small scars from protecting me. I was naturally stubborn. In middle school, I differentiated into a Beta, but I was determined to get into the best military academy to study mecha operations. Jasper never complained, training with me for four full years. Then he joined the military academy with me, taking care of me everywhere. Because I found it painful, he never fully took me. Even when he was right on the verge of taking me, he’d still catch his breath and comfort me. But Jasper, who was so good to me, was different the first time he saw Ashton. Others might not have noticed, but I knew his gaze on Ashton was softer than on anyone else. He was uncontrollably drawn to Ashton. I lowered my eyes and smiled faintly. “Every time Jasper went through a rut, I used to wish I had differentiated into an Omega. Then I could ease his pain.” “Now I’ve differentiated into an Alpha too.” I shrugged. “The bond between an Alpha and an Omega is innate. He could hold back from making love to me, but he couldn’t resist marking Ashton…” I trailed off, a shaky laugh escaping me. I couldn’t bring myself to say more. I rubbed my face roughly. Caleb looked at me with sympathy. “Alright, alright, don’t overthink it. Let’s live for today!” He refilled my beer glass. I have a terrible tolerance for alcohol, but tonight, I just wanted to get completely wasted.

I blacked out. My head was pounding. The scene before my eyes sent a jolt of terror through me. A pale-skinned, long-haired man lay beside me, completely naked. His shoulders, chest, and abdomen were covered in scratches and bite marks. And I wasn’t wearing a stitch of clothing either. The air hung thick with the scent of some bodily fluid, mingled with the pheromones of two Alphas. Clearly, this man was also an Alpha. I had slept with an Alpha who wasn’t Jasper? The thought left my mind utterly blank. I checked myself. No obvious discomfort down there. I was on top? Just as I thought about quietly making my escape, The man’s eyes snapped open without warning. He stretched lazily, like a regal Persian cat. The blanket slid off his body. His chest muscles were well-defined, his abs sculpted, and his V-line sharp. A vein above his lower abdomen pulsed twice. He was a muscular power bottom Alpha. My mind went blank for a second, and then I blurted out: “We’re both Alphas, I don’t need to take responsibility for you, right?” “Hmm?” The man emitted a low, lazy hum from his nose. Then he propped his head on his elbow, raising an eyebrow slightly. “Do you want to take responsibility?” As I fully took in his face, I realized he was strikingly handsome, almost aggressively so. I swallowed hard. “Can I… not?” “You can.” “Then, farewell.” I scrambled into my clothes and bolted.

Why did I pretend to be an Omega at the military academy in the first place? Because I desperately wanted to get stronger. As a plain Beta, if I tried to provoke those arrogant Alphas in the mecha department, Most people wouldn’t even give me a second glance. But an Omega? That was different. They’d get excited, eager to conquer me. So, when I first enrolled, I set myself up as a beautiful, sharp-tongued Omega. No strong Alpha from the mecha department, across three different years, had escaped my sarcastic remarks. Now, I’d differentiated into an Alpha, and my karma was here. The Alphas who had held back, thinking I was an Omega, no longer showed any mercy. Several mechas ganged up on me at once. I had only recently differentiated and hadn’t adapted yet. For a moment, I was completely overwhelmed. Until another dark blue mecha charged in, taking out the other mechas and rescuing me. It was Jasper’s mecha. In the locker room, I changed out of my training uniform, my hair soaked with sweat. Jasper walked in, watching me silently. For some reason, I thought of the long-haired man from a few days ago, and a strange, guilty feeling, like I was cheating, washed over me. But then I immediately dismissed it. We had already broken up. “Don’t help me next time.” I draped my towel over my shoulder. “I need to learn to handle everything on my own.” “Jasper, we’re done.” “Rowan!” Jasper cut me off, a rare flash of anger on his face. “Don’t be like this.” “I never agreed to break up. You’re still my partner. There won’t be anyone else.”

Jasper and I parted ways on bad terms. After leaving the training ground, I slung my bag over my shoulder and headed to a diner not far from campus to meet Caleb. “How have you been?” Caleb asked. “Same as always, I guess.” “You don’t look too cheerful.” My mind immediately flashed back to Jasper’s pained expression earlier. After so many years together, how could I not feel miserable? “So, what’s going on with you and Jasper?” I frowned, not wanting to talk about him. “Why are you asking?” Caleb sighed. “If you still like Jasper, then just be stubborn for a while, but now you’re both miserable.” “Before, you were in the Omega dorms, roommates with Ashton, and Jasper wanted to stick to you twenty-four-seven, so it was easy for him to run into Ashton. Now that you’ve moved out, they won’t have any reason to interact.” “Rowan, I hope you think this through. You and Jasper have been together for so many years; it wasn’t easy. With your terrible temper, do you really think you’ll find anyone else more tolerant than Jasper?” I fell silent, Jasper’s pained eyes replaying in my mind. Hesitation crept into my heart. I believed the decision I made was for the good of both of us. It was precisely because I loved Jasper that I couldn’t bear to see him suffer so much during his rut. Even if we loved each other, the mutually repelling pheromones between two Alphas would make even kissing painful. If we kept dragging it out, it would only erode all the good memories we had… “Can love truly conquer pheromones?” I asked Caleb. Caleb replied earnestly, “You never doubted it when you were a Beta. Why are you so hesitant now that you’ve differentiated into an Alpha?” “Ashton aside, do you lack confidence in Jasper, or in yourself?” It suddenly clicked for me. After dinner, I sent Jasper a message, asking him to meet so we could talk things through. Just as I reached the school gate, I suddenly heard someone say: “Holy crap, I heard an Omega in the Omega dorms went into heat, and an Alpha hooked up with them right in the dorm…”

The message I sent Jasper on my phone remained unanswered. Except for specialized classes that required mecha operation, he always replied to my messages instantly. Even late at night. I gripped my phone tightly, my unease growing. I followed the crowd towards the Omega dorms. The area within twenty meters of the Omega dorm building had already been completely cordoned off. Omegas were continuously being helped out. People around me muttered, “Who went into heat?” “It sounds like the campus heartthrob from Information Systems, last name… Henderson or Hernandez?” My hand, resting by my leg, clenched sharply. I mumbled, “Information Systems… Ashton.” “That’s it! That’s the name!” I forced a smile and asked, “Does anyone have an Alpha inhibitor?” “You came here without an inhibitor?! Are you crazy?” The person looked shocked. Then they kindly pulled out an inhibitor shot. “Thanks.” I took it, mumbling my thanks mechanically. I jabbed the needle directly into my arm vein, the cold liquid pushing into my body, merging with my bloodstream. The empty syringe fell to the ground. I ripped open the barrier tape and charged inside. “Whoa, dude, what are you doing?!” “Hey, student, this dorm is locked down right now!” I quickened my pace, heading for the dorm building. My legs moved faster and faster, until I was outright running. “Student! Student, stop!” The voices behind me grew distant. The moment I stepped into this familiar Omega dorm building, I was hit by the scent of an Omega. A thick, sweet strawberry candy smell. When I was a Beta, Ashton often shared strawberry candies with me. Jasper, as my boyfriend, had naturally tasted them too. But after eating one in his freshman year, he never had a second. Even that one, he’d frowned slightly after putting it in his mouth. He then leaned down and passed the candy to my mouth. “Too sweet. You eat it.” I rolled my eyes at him back then, chewing the hard candy in my mouth. The sweetness on my tongue intensified. Even then, unknowingly, he would still keep his distance. Now, I stood before the door of the dorm room I’d lived in for three years. I hadn’t even pushed open the door yet, but I already knew the answer. That Alpha was Jasper. The Omega’s heat pheromones continuously assaulted me. Even though I didn’t like Ashton, even loathed him,

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297195”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance

In my last life, my parents gave me a choice: pick a husband from the city’s three most powerful families for a strategic alliance. Without a moment’s hesitation, I chose Liam Sterling, the man I believed I loved most. But on our wedding day, he died in a car crash on the way to pick me up. The Sterlings were shattered, crying their hearts out. They never dared to say anything to my family, but I was consumed by guilt. I unconditionally transferred all my assets and shares to them. It wasn’t until twenty years later, during a business trip abroad, that I saw him. He was passionately kissing my former bridesmaid, Chloe Miller, right there on the street. The heirs from the other two powerful families, Brandon Hayes and Noah Collins, were there too, looking on with envy. “Twenty years of faking his death, and he found his one true love. Not a bad deal,” Brandon chuckled. “And that tired old hag, Aria Thorne, actually stayed loyal to him for twenty years. What a joke!” Noah added, laughing. I lunged forward in a rage to confront them, but Liam had eight men grab me and drag me into a pickup truck, where I was humiliated. He smirked, his face twisted in a cruel grin. “You just *had* to choose me back then, didn’t you? It led to Chloe getting drunk and being assaulted by eight men!” “Since you came looking for trouble, I’ll make sure you get a taste of what it’s like to wish you were dead!” When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my parents told me to pick a husband. I pointed to the tall figure standing quietly in the corner, the nanny’s son. “Him,” I declared.

My parents froze for a moment, then stood up, their faces etched with disbelief. “Aria, what kind of joke is this?!” I calmly replied, “No joke at all. I want Julian Vance.” My gaze settled on the tall, handsome man in the corner, and my heart inexplicably skipped a beat. In my previous life, after Liam’s fake death left me utterly heartbroken, it was Julian who slowly helped me pick myself back up. He stayed by my side my entire life, until the moment I died. Through a blurry haze, I saw him holding me, sobbing uncontrollably. It was only then that I realized he had loved me all those years. “Aria!” My father urged, his voice hushed and urgent. “Didn’t you always say you liked Liam Sterling the most? And even if not him, there’s always the Hayes and Collins families!” “You grew up with all three of them; you know each other inside and out.” “Besides, Julian Vance is just a nanny’s son. What can he offer you?” My mother was almost in tears. “You’re my only daughter! How can I stand by and watch you marry someone like that and struggle?” I smiled, leaned in, and whispered a few words into their ears. Their expressions instantly solidified. My father’s voice trembled slightly. “Is that… really true?” I nodded firmly. My parents exchanged a look, finally sighing in relief. “Alright then, in three days, your wedding will be hosted by the Thorne family.” Once that was settled, I turned, took Julian Vance’s wrist, and pulled him along. “Come on, let’s get you some suits.” He looked confused but just smiled foolishly, letting me drag him. The moment we stepped into an upscale boutique, I immediately spotted the three men circling Chloe Miller. Liam was helping her try on a diamond necklace, Brandon was kneeling to tie her shoelace, and Noah was holding a huge bouquet of roses. The instant Chloe saw me, she feigned panic, quickly hiding behind Liam. Her voice was soft and innocent, tears welling in her eyes. “Oh, Miss Thorne, please don’t misunderstand. I really didn’t intentionally try to keep Mr. Sterling from going home and marrying you.” Liam pulled her into his arms, then looked up at me, his voice cold. “Aria Thorne, I’ve already told my family I won’t be marrying you.” “In this life, I only love Chloe.” Brandon and Noah also rushed to shield her. “You’re the city’s richest heiress, you can have any man you want. Why do you have to fight Chloe for them?” “Exactly. A spoiled heiress like you, all you care about is yourself. You can’t compare to innocent Chloe.” I couldn’t help but laugh, furious. Chloe Miller was just a poor college student I’d sponsored. I’d sympathized with her past, brought her to the city to live, and genuinely cared for her, even inviting her to be my bridesmaid. But I never expected that she had been secretly seducing my three childhood friends all along. No matter. Reborn, I finally see things clearly. Before I could even retort, Julian, his face dark, cut them off. “Since the Sterling family refused, what about the Hayes and Collins families?” Brandon and Noah immediately scoffed. “Even if we can’t have Chloe, we’d never marry Aria Thorne and break Chloe’s heart.” “She considers us good friends; how could we betray her?” Liam eyed me warily. “As long as Chloe is fine in this life, I have no regrets.” I looked at Liam, a flicker of surprise hitting me. In my last life, he hadn’t been so quick to refuse the alliance, nor had he so openly declared his love for Chloe. Could he have been reborn too? Seeing my silence, Liam impatiently grabbed my wrist. “You’re just so set on marrying me, aren’t you? All for the business interests between the Sterling and Thorne families?” “If you kneel and apologize to Chloe right now, and promise me that our marriage would just be a formality—” “And after the wedding, we live separate lives, you can’t object to me and Chloe sleeping in our marital home, and you ensure Chloe never foolishly hurts herself again—then I’ll agree.” This time, before I could open my mouth, Julian swung his fist straight at Liam’s face. “What status, what position does your Sterling family hold?! How dare you speak to Miss Thorne like that!” That’s right, the Thorne family is the richest in the city. How *dare* they?!

Julian’s punch packed a lot of force; Liam was sent sprawling to the ground. He recovered, scrambling to his feet, and pointed a finger at Julian’s nose, cursing, “A nanny’s son! How dare you hit me!” Chloe started to cry, gently touching Liam’s face, then turned to me, whining, “Miss Thorne, if you’re angry, take it out on me! How could you let him hit Mr. Sterling?” The words had barely left her mouth when I couldn’t resist. I slapped her. “I’ll hit him, and I’ll hit you too!” Chloe clutched her face, tears instantly gushing out. Brandon quickly shoved me away. “Aria Thorne! Even if you’re the richest heiress, you can’t behave like this!” “No wonder Liam wouldn’t even look at you all these years. You’re just too vicious!” I turned to them, sneering, “Have you forgotten that your family businesses all depend on *our* Thorne family to thrive?” “Even Julian, who’s not even part of your elite circles, understands that, so why don’t you?!” At my words, Brandon instantly clamped his mouth shut. Noah also looked away, stammering, “So what? Does that mean you can force us to marry you?” I scoffed disdainfully. “I never said I wanted to marry any of you three losers.” Liam’s head shot up at my words. “Aria Thorne, what game are you playing now?!” Chloe nestled into his arms, her eyes red, saying, “It seems Miss Thorne is still angry with me. I shouldn’t have told you I was in a bad mood today…” Hearing this, Liam anxiously wiped away her tears. “It’s not your fault. Aria Thorne has been clinging to us three for years; everyone knows she can’t live without us and wouldn’t dare do anything serious.” “I just can’t stand her always bullying you. She just needs a lesson.” I was speechless. If they didn’t believe me, then I wouldn’t bother explaining. I turned to link my arm through Julian’s, ready to leave, but Liam grabbed my arm, stopping me. His gaze fell on our intertwined arms. “Since when are you so close to a nanny’s son?!” I slapped his hand away, enunciating each word. “What nanny’s son? Julian Vance is my fiancé.” “He’s the man I’m going to marry.” At this declaration, everyone stared at me in unison. Especially Liam. He widened his eyes, pointing at Julian, and roared, “You’d say you’re marrying a nanny’s son just to humiliate me?! Are you out of your mind?!” I felt Julian’s arm tense; clearly, he was also startled by my words. Brandon and Noah snapped out of their shock, stepping forward to mock me. “Aria, you really aren’t picky, are you? You’d even stoop to a nanny’s son!” I pointed at Chloe and retorted with a smile, “Well, you haven’t exactly picked well yourselves.” Chloe instantly swayed, choking out, “Miss Thorne, don’t say such things carelessly.” “While the three young masters have been kind to me, I haven’t done anything to offend you. You don’t need to be so sarcastic.” She paused, then looked at Liam with a contrite expression. “It’s Miss Thorne who knows what she’s done.” “Actually, I’ve long noticed your nanny’s son often going in and out of your room…” “It’s all my fault. I protected you before and didn’t tell Liam…” I used to consider her my best friend, even let her be my only bridesmaid. And she just spouted such nonsense? Liam snorted, pulling her back. “Chloe, you’re still too naive. You’re even covering for Aria Thorne!” “I think she’s just jealous of how good we are to you, so she’s trying every trick to get our attention.” “A dirty, stinking nanny’s son like him? We wouldn’t even give him a second glance.” I nodded, perfectly satisfied. “If that’s the case, then I won’t disturb your little ‘harem’ then.” With that, I pulled Julian into the upscale boutique next door. I pointed to the most expensive suits on display. “Get all of these down. My fiancé needs to try them on.” Julian snapped out of his daze and looked at me. “Miss Thorne, a joke is a joke.” I looked at him, amused, and smiled. “I’m serious. Don’t you want to?”

“How could I not want to…” He was about to speak when Liam’s voice cut in from the doorway. “Buy out the entire store!” His voice was laced with unconcealed rage. “I’ll give them to beggars!” A sales assistant, holding the suits I’d picked for Julian, looked at Liam hesitantly. “These have already been bought by Miss Thorne…” Liam sneered, “She hasn’t paid yet, has she?!” With that, he pulled out his black card and waved it in front of the assistant. “I’ll pay first, then they’re mine!” I chuckled, taking the suits from the sales assistant. “Just deduct it from my prepaid card.” The assistant breathed a sigh of relief and quickly went to swipe the card. As I left, Liam shouted behind me, “Aria Thorne, stop pretending!” “Aren’t you just playing hard to get with us?! Your tricks are too childish!” I ignored him, quickening my pace. On the way home, Julian held my hand tightly, his eyes filled with earnestness. “Aria, don’t worry. If you marry me, I’ll never let you suffer any injustice.” I couldn’t help but smile, seeing his serious expression. Suffer injustice? How could I? He still thought I didn’t know who he really was. The next day, I took Julian to our new home to arrange it, but what I saw shocked me. The grand villa, which my Thorne family had paid for, was completely filled with Chloe Miller’s favorite pink Hello Kitty décor. Even the master bedroom’s accent wall prominently displayed wedding photos of Liam and Chloe. The butler stammered, “Mr. Sterling insisted he was your fiancé, and said you’d agreed to the décor for the wedding home…” Just as he finished, Liam called me. His voice was dripping with smugness. “Our wedding is the day after tomorrow. Don’t be so picky.” “After we’re married, Chloe and I will sleep in the master bedroom. If you like, you can occasionally join us there.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297211”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #玄幻Fantasy

The Inferno Apocalypse was coming. Working as a climate scientist, I’d detected anomalies and urged my family to prepare. My parents, Brenda and Robert Smith, seemed to trust my judgment. They even proposed creating a “Family Survival Fund.” They told me to pour my years of savings into stockpiling supplies, promising they and my younger brother, Leo, would contribute all their money too. We would survive this, together. I smiled. “Alright, I’ll handle the planning.” That very night, I converted every single penny of the fund into gold bullion and locked it in a safe. I also spent a fortune building a state-of-the-art apocalypse shelter. The day the apocalypse struck, they came to demand the money we’d supposedly saved together. “Hand over all the gold. You’re just an outsider anyway, a waste of precious resources.” I smiled, tossing them the safe containing the gold, and sealed them outside the shelter. Their faces lit up with greedy delight as they opened the safe. Then, their smiles froze.

My mother, Brenda Smith, rushed up to me the moment I got home from work, her face etched with worry. “Asher, I heard whispers about a high-temperature apocalypse. You work at the Weather Bureau, right? Is it true?” I pondered for a moment. “I can’t say for certain, but it wouldn’t hurt to prepare.” No sooner had I spoken than my father, Robert Smith, stiffened. He grabbed my arm, his voice strained. “What do we do? You’re the expert, Asher! You have to come up with something!” My mother looked at me, her expression grim. “Asher, how about we set up a Family Survival Fund? We’ll put you in charge of managing everything. If the apocalypse really hits, at least we’ll be ready.” I agreed without a second thought. “Sounds good.” Brenda continued, “You’ve been working for years, you’ve saved up a lot. You’ll be covering the biggest chunk…” Before she could finish, I pulled out my debit card. “Fine. This is all my salary. I’m putting it all in.” Their eyes practically gleamed. But then I shifted gears. “Now, hand over everything valuable you own. That includes any jewelry or accessories you’re wearing.” “What?!” Robert exploded, instinctively shielding his wrist. “Asher, what are you talking about? These are precious heirlooms Dad’s collected his whole life, how can you…” “Dad,” I cut him off, my voice cold, my eyes devoid of emotion. “In an apocalypse, they won’t feed us, and they certainly won’t protect us from this hellish heat.” Leo’s face paled too, as he protectively stroked his designer watch. He forced a strained laugh. “Bro, aren’t you overreacting? Keeping one or two things won’t hurt, right? What if we need them later…” “There are no ‘what ifs’,” I stated, my voice cutting through the air, leaving no room for argument. I turned to my mother. “Mom, you decide. My plan allows for no secret stashes, no hidden personal funds.” “Every single hidden penny, every secret stash, could be the final nail in the coffin of our survival. After all, we’re facing a global catastrophe.” “Listen to Asher!” she roared, her voice echoing, as she made her decision. Robert and Leo’s faces contorted with agony and resentment, but they meekly complied. I scanned their offerings, a flicker of satisfaction in my eyes. “Excellent. Now, write down all your bank card PINs for me.” The next day, I received a bank card holding their entire savings: 2.8 million. Robert clapped my shoulder, his voice earnest. “Asher, this is our family’s last hope. You have to be careful with it.” I took the card, nodding solemnly. “Don’t worry, Dad. I will.” Then, I opened my laptop and logged onto a professional real estate valuation site, inputting the details of the house we lived in. Moments later, a figure popped up. Market value: 4.5 million. A faint smile touched my lips. Their paltry savings wouldn’t even scratch the surface. This house, too, needed to contribute to the “Family Survival Fund.”

“What?! You want to mortgage the house?!” When I brought up the idea, Brenda and Robert’s reactions were even more extreme than I’d anticipated. Brenda’s eyes practically bulged out of her head, her voice cracking. “Are you out of your mind, Asher?! Do you even hear yourself?!” She looked ready to jump up and scream. “Your father and I worked our entire lives for this house!” “Leo needs this house to start his own family someday! No, absolutely not!” Leo panicked too, his eyes red. “Yeah, Bro, if we lose this house, where will we live?!” I looked at them, speaking each word slowly and deliberately. “I know a major player in the financial world. He said he could invest for me, and the returns would at least triple our investment.” “But he has strict requirements for qualifications, demanding substantial cash flow.” “Triple?” Brenda’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Yes,” I pressed my advantage. “And he promised to build us an apocalypse shelter and give us gold bars equivalent to the amount we invest.” The picture I painted was too tempting. Their resistance began to waver. Robert asked in a small voice, “What… what if the apocalypse doesn’t come?” “If the apocalypse doesn’t come, won’t we still have the gold?” That sentence utterly demolished their last line of defense. I seized the opportunity. “Mom, this is our only chance.” “Either we cling to this house, which will be utterly worthless when the apocalypse hits, and just wait to die together.” “Or we take this one shot, and we’re guaranteed to come out on top. You’re the head of the household, Mom. It’s your call.” I put the ball in her court. After a long pause, Brenda slammed her hand on the table, as if summoning all her remaining strength. “Alright! Let’s do it! Mortgage it!” Over the next few days, I handled all the paperwork with astonishing efficiency. Brenda and Robert’s hands still trembled as they signed the house deed. The 4.5 million loan was quickly deposited into my account. I stared at the long string of numbers in my mobile banking app, my smile widening, a dark satisfaction spreading through me. That afternoon, I returned with a box of “gold.” In front of them, I carefully stacked the bars into the safe. “Asher, this… so much gold, just sitting there?” Brenda’s voice was a dry croak. She couldn’t help but reach out to touch it. I deftly closed the lid, avoiding her outstretched hand. “That’s right. The password is Leo’s birthday, plus Mom and Dad’s wedding anniversary,” I said softly. “That way, you can all rest easy, right?” Hearing that, the three of them exchanged glances, their expressions visibly softening. I let a silent, chilling smile play on my lips.

Days bled into weeks as the onset of the apocalypse drew closer. The oppressive heat in the air became increasingly noticeable. The afternoon sun already carried a searing prickle. A few days later, the central AC unit died. Its cooling power had plummeted. The repairman said the compressor was shot; a full replacement would cost over three thousand. “Replace it! We have to replace it! It’s scorching hot! We’ll die without AC!” Robert frantically fanned himself in the living room. Brenda was sweating profusely. “He’s right, we need a new one. Asher, for this money…” “Mom, I told you before, not a single penny of the fund can be touched,” I calmly repeated. Seeing Brenda’s temper about to flare, I quickly added, “However, since everyone’s struggling, I do have a compromise.” “What is it?” they immediately pressed. “A colleague of mine has a rental property out in the suburbs, with a basement. His family is moving overseas, and he’s looking to unload it quickly.” “The area is nice, and most importantly, it’s cool. We can stay there for a while until our shelter is completed, then move in.” Their eyes lit up. Robert eagerly asked, “Really? How much does it cost? Asher, you’re close with them, can’t you get them to let us stay for free?” I smiled faintly. “It’s free, don’t worry. We’re family, after all.” Robert immediately broke into a delighted grin. Then Brenda looked at me awkwardly. “Asher, this shelter project is huge. Someone needs to supervise it every day, right?” “Your father and I are getting old. And Leo doesn’t know anything…” I sneered inwardly, but feigned confusion. “Mom, what are you suggesting?” Brenda slapped her thigh. “The rental house, the three of us will go stay there.” “You stay here at home. It’ll be convenient for you to keep an eye on the construction site and oversee the progress.” Robert cleared his throat, puffing out his chest, asserting his position as the man of the house. “Your mother makes a good point.” “Alright…” I plastered a look of reluctance and mild grievance on my face. The next day, Brenda called. “Asher Smith! Where the hell are you?!” The moment I answered, Brenda’s hysterical shriek exploded through the line, mixed with Leo and Robert’s high-pitched wails in the background. “What kind of dump did you rent us?! It’s right next to an abandoned pig farm!” “And there’s no AC!!” “Is the shelter finished? Take us there! We’re burning up!!” She screamed, her voice filled with frantic rage and impatience. “Oh, the shelter?” I drew out my words, a hint of malice in my voice. “I’m already inside.” A deathly silence on the other end lasted for about three seconds. Then, an even more violent roar, this time from Robert. “Asher Smith, you goddamn ingrate! You ran off into the shelter to enjoy yourself alone?!” “You left us out here to die? Do you even have a conscience?! We’re your own flesh and blood!” “Yeah, Bro!” Leo’s cries interjected. “How could you be so selfish! That shelter was built with *our* money too!” “What gives you the right to hog it all to yourself?! Come out and get us! Now!” I chuckled softly. “What’s the rush? The safe key and the shelter address are all right here.” “The password, you all know it, don’t you?” On the other end, I heard a frantic scrambling sound, followed by uncontrollable, ecstatic shouts. “Found it! We found it!” I settled back comfortably on the sofa, switching to the security camera feed of the vault. I watched as the three of them gathered around the safe, inputting the password and opening it. A wave of ecstatic relief washed over their faces. Then, their smiles froze. The safe was empty. Utterly empty. “The gold?! Where’s our gold?!” I hung up the phone and opened our family group chat. It was already blowing up, hundreds of unread messages flickering wildly.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297227”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance

I was a Blessed Bearer, chosen by the System. After fulfilling 999 fertility wishes for people, I should have been able to sleep for a century, but instead, a mystic cult leader from the East kidnapped and imprisoned me. He screamed like a madman, raving about adding my skull to his collection. At death’s door, Julian, a powerful magnate from the capital’s elite, casually forked over 9.9 billion dollars and paid a fortune to buy my freedom. Moved, I pledged myself to him. But ten years into our marriage, I delivered nine stillborn babies, one after another. Finally, I was pregnant with our tenth child. Excited, I held the scan results, ready to tell him the good news, when I unexpectedly overheard his conversation with his secretary: “Mr. Sterling, Mrs. Sterling’s uterine wall is paper-thin. If she goes through this again, she might not even survive.” “Every time a baby was born, we’d give them a drug that induced a death-like state, then they were sent off to be processed for Delilah’s ‘health tonic’. What if your wife finds out?” Julian’s voice turned cold. “What? You pity her? Or should I send *you* to be made into her ‘tonic’?” “No, no, Mr. Sterling, that’s not what I meant. It’s just, what if your wife finds out…” Julian sneered, “And what if she does? Being Delilah’s personal supply line is her good fortune.” “Delilah was on the verge of depression because she couldn’t conceive. Giving her nine children was the only thing I could do.” “As for Serena, allowing her to be Mrs. Sterling was my greatest act of charity.” My legs turned to jelly. The ultrasound scan results slipped from my trembling hand and fell to the floor. So, the sweet decade we shared was nothing but a meticulously crafted lie. Every tender gesture, every soft word from him, was just to make me willingly continue to conceive and give birth. My nine children were skinned and deboned alive, stewed into bowls of ‘tonic soup’, and delivered directly to Delilah’s mouth! If that’s the case, this rotten marriage needs to be severed, right here, right now.

Through the door, Julian’s sigh drifted out: “Not being able to be with Delilah forever already wronged her… The only thing I can do is ease her pain of infertility.” He turned, his gaze sharp, to his secretary Chloe: “As for Serena… keep your mouth shut. I won’t let her know.” Chloe felt a pang of pity, her voice trembling, “Mr. Sterling, all these years, I’ve watched you pour everything into Delilah. She gets whatever she wants…” “IVF was an option, yet she specifically demanded your wife’s children for her tonic… This cruel method, she’s clearly doing this on purpose! She just wants to sabotage your relationship with Serena!” Julian’s gaze turned icy. “Have you said enough?” “If this secret ever gets out, Mrs. Sterling might not be able to bear the blow… Those were her own flesh and blood! And if word gets out, the company’s stock would tank…” Chloe bit her lip, gathering her courage. “I don’t care.” Julian’s tone was indifferent. “For Delilah, I’ll do anything. I’m completely willing.” He paused. “Besides, Delilah said that once she gets a perfect ten, once she has her tenth child… everything will be over.” “But… what about Mrs. Sterling? Her body is completely depleted from giving birth to this child… What if she finds out? I’m afraid she won’t be able to cope.” “Her? She’s a Mystic, she’ll be fine.” Julian scoffed. “Even if she finds out, she won’t bear to leave me.” “After all, I was the one who pulled her out of hell with my own hands… She’s hopelessly devoted to me, deeply rooted in her affection.” I stood frozen outside the door, unable to believe what I was hearing. Every word spoken by the husband I’d loved for ten years was like a knife, flaying me alive. Ten years ago, when I was imprisoned by the cult leader, on the brink of death, Julian appeared and rescued me from the darkness. He said he fell in love with me at first sight. I believed him, pledged myself to him, and went home with him… But I never imagined it was all a lie and a trap! I was nothing but a tool for him to curry favor with Delilah… Every sweet nothing whispered in moments of passion, every time he coaxed me into intimacy… I thought it was an expression of his love… In truth, it was all just to make me conceive and give birth again and again… and then for him to personally send my children off to be made into a tonic! It was… utterly ridiculous! Click— The door suddenly swung open. I quickly composed my expression. Julian saw me sitting on the floor, his brow furrowed. He immediately reached out and pulled me up. “Why are you here? You didn’t say anything. I was just about to come get you.” His voice was tender, as if the cold, cruel man from moments ago wasn’t him at all. I forced a smile. “I was afraid of disturbing your work.” He kissed my cheek, then naturally took my hand, but paused. “Your hand is freezing. Are you feeling unwell? Do you need to go to the hospital?” I shook my head, forcing out, “I’m fine…” Julian then noticed the scattered scan results on the floor and bent to pick them up. His eyes lit up with wild joy. “You’re pregnant?!” He pulled me into a fierce embrace, his voice filled with excitement, “This time we’ll definitely keep this baby! Don’t worry, I’ll use all my connections, get the best specialists in the country, to protect your pregnancy!” Suppressing my emotions, I nodded submissively. “Okay…” Julian escorted me back to the room, left a gentle kiss on my forehead, then was hurriedly called away by a phone call. I knew… it must be Delilah. After he left, I slowly got up and walked toward the basement door he never allowed me near.

I stood before the basement door, my fingers trembling slightly on the keypad lock. I tried my own birthday – incorrect. Then I tried Julian’s birthday – still incorrect. An unspeakable chill rose in my heart. I turned and went back to his study, opening his computer, trying to find an answer. On his calendar, a date marked with an asterisk caught my eye. My intuition told me it was Delilah’s birthday. I returned to the basement, my hand shaking as I entered the numbers. Correct. The cold electronic voice ripped my heart to shreds. “Couples need privacy. That’s how a relationship lasts.” Julian’s tender expression when he said those words was still fresh in my mind. Turns out, his so-called privacy was just a shield for secrets he shared with someone else. I pushed the door open, and the sight before me nearly suffocated me. The entire basement was packed wall-to-wall with photos of Delilah, and pictures of them together. Each one was carefully laminated and preserved, neatly arranged in chronological order. In the center of the main wall was a family photo of their eleven-person family, with Delilah in the very middle, smiling radiantly. I could barely stand. He had spent an entire decade weaving a deception under the guise of love, all just to fulfill his idealized ‘white moonlight’s’ wishes. And my children and I? We were nothing but tools for him to achieve his goals. If it weren’t for her, my children could have grown up healthy, instead of becoming ‘nourishment’ for the woman in those pictures. I had doubted myself countless times, filled with self-doubt and guilt. But now, it was clear: I was just a puppet, completely manipulated. He knew I was in agony, struggling, yet for ten years, he never showed me an ounce of pity. The passionate devotion I thought we shared, the gentle warmth of those nights—it was all just a mere echo of another woman. I scanned the room and found an exquisite safe in a corner. I opened it, and inside was a thick stack of documents. The undeniable words printed on those pages completely shattered my world. From being kidnapped and imprisoned by the cult leader to being rescued by him, everything had been a script, a conspiratorial plot they concocted. The only goal was to make me fall hopelessly in love with him. The last page of the document bore his signature. I collapsed to the floor, tears streaming down my face. The man I had always seen as my salvation was the demon who had personally pushed me into hell. After I calmed my emotions, I took photos of all the pictures and documents as evidence. Immediately, I left and went to a private clinic owned by a friend I hadn’t contacted in a long time. She looked at me worriedly. “Extracting the fetus for external incubation is incredibly invasive, like a live dissection. It will cause severe damage to your body, and the baby will also face certain risks.” “Are you really sure?” I held back my tears. “I’m so sorry, my baby… But to save your life, Mama has to do this.” I endured excruciating pain during the procedure, then dragged my still-unstable body home. Julian was already there. I had thought he’d spend the night with Delilah. Seeing my pale face, he immediately came to support me. “Why are you so pale? Where have you been?” I forced myself to stay calm. “I felt unwell this afternoon and went to the hospital… The doctor said… the baby was gone again…” He looked surprised, quickly pulled me into a hug, and gently comforted me. “It’s okay, we can try again.” With that, he scooped me up in his arms and carried me into the bedroom, initiating forced intimacy. “For us to have our own baby soon, we need to try hard, don’t we?” As he spoke, his burning hot hand was already exploring beneath my dress. At that moment, I felt utterly disgusted. I had just supposedly ‘miscarried,’ and he was already impatient to ‘plant seeds’ again. Even though I was weak, my face pale, he was completely indifferent. He never cared about me. I suppressed my rage. “I want to rest… The baby’s gone, I’m heartbroken.” But he was relentless, holding me tight. “Baby, I know you’re sad, but for our love’s fruition, we need to try, don’t we?” I closed my eyes, forcing down the nausea, and let him finish. He immediately fell asleep, while my heart was ashes. He exhausted his energy with Delilah, then came back to play the part of a loving husband, not even bothering to pretend anymore. I put on my bathrobe and walked into the study, silently printing out a divorce agreement. A decade of emotions would finally come to a close. Seven days later, the Sterling family was set to hold a grand ‘recognition ceremony’ for a son. Publicly, it was announced as a way to foster good relations with the Delilah family and strengthen their long-standing family ties. The true purpose of the ceremony was for him to officially enter Delilah’s oldest child into the family lineage. It was to pave the way for Delilah’s children and help her secure the future inheritance of the Sterling empire. I had once been naive, thinking that Julian had ‘adopted’ the child from Delilah because he ‘felt sorry for my infertility.’ He wanted to compensate for my inability to continue his bloodline, which was why he let me raise the boy under the guise of a foster mother. I had actually believed it and was once filled with tearful gratitude. I was almost stupid enough to raise a child for my enemy. He claimed to love me incessantly, yet behind my back, he systematically cleared obstacles and secured status for his cherished ‘white moonlight.’ This farce had to end.

Early the next morning, I walked into the Sterling Corp headquarters with the drafted divorce agreement. As soon as I entered the lobby, I heard whispers behind me. “Is that Mr. Sterling’s wife? She looks so shabby, with no sparkle, no life…” “I heard she used to be that ‘Blessed Bearer’ or whatever. Probably worn out from sleeping with countless men.” “Married to Mr. Sterling for ten years, couldn’t keep a single baby, all stillbirths. Such bad luck.” “I don’t know what kind of good fortune she has, to shamelessly cling on in the Sterling family for ten years.” “That beautiful lady who just left was a feast for the eyes! Heard she has nine kids. Mr. Sterling’s eyes were glued to her when he saw her!” “It’s only natural, isn’t it? The one at home can’t even pop out a single baby. Who could stand that?” These words pierced my eardrums like needles. I fought back tears, refusing to break down in front of people. I looked up at the CEO’s office, gritted my teeth, and walked towards it. As I approached, the voices from inside pinned me to the spot. “Julian, you still have to be all lovey-dovey with that woman every day. I’m genuinely jealous…” Delilah’s voice was filled with unending grievance. Julian immediately consoled her. “I’m doing this for you, aren’t I? As long as she gets pregnant again, next time we’ll have our tenth child.” “Too bad she lost the baby this time. Such a useless woman.” My heart clenched, my fingers stiff on the cover of the divorce agreement. Delilah giggled sweetly again. “Julian, you’re sacrificing so much for me. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know what I’d do…” Suddenly, her voice paused, and she pouted playfully. “Why aren’t you using protection again?” Julian groaned low. “You’re infertile anyway. This way is more thrilling, isn’t it?” I stood outside the door, peering through the crack, frozen. Julian was stripped to the waist, sweat beading on his back as he passionately drove into her again and again. Their bodies were tightly intertwined, the bed frame groaning loudly with their rhythm, mingling with Delilah’s breathless moans. They were lost in their passion in the room, so consumed they didn’t even notice me standing outside. I felt utterly ridiculous at that moment. The first time I miscarried, I cried all night, almost falling into depression. He was the one who gently comforted me, took me traveling to clear my mind, slowly helping me emerge from the shadows.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297050”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

My sister-in-law claimed to be a “prophet” and after a few accurate “predictions”, the whole family believed her without question. She said my savings would be stolen in a month, so my husband convinced me to transfer all my money. She said housing prices would plummet within six months, so my husband and mother-in-law forced me to sell the house my parents left me. When I was about to give birth, she even said the child in my belly was illegitimate and would bring disaster to the whole family! On a freezing winter night, my husband and mother-in-law kicked me out of the house without a second thought. In the end, my child and I died together. When I opened my eyes again, I heard my sister-in-law say: “Next month, all of my sister-in-law’s savings will be stolen. We must get her to hand over the money now.” 1 I looked at my sister-in-law’s pretentious expression, wishing I could tear her face off. But remembering I was three months pregnant, I held back. “That’s my own hard-earned money. It’s none of your business,” I said coolly. Margaret immediately narrowed her eyes and pointed at my nose, scolding, “What do you mean your money? You married into our Wilson family – your person, your money, it all belongs to my son!” “An orphan like you should be grateful to marry my son. How dare you talk back?” “It’s bad luck for a woman to manage money. Hurry up and hand it over!” I sat down and took a sip of water, replying calmly, “Aren’t you already in charge of most of Jack’s salary?” Margaret was speechless for a moment. My husband Jack quickly tried to smooth things over. “Sophia, Mom and Vanessa mean well. We’re all family, how could we harm you?” I looked at his hypocritical face, feeling nauseous. Family? I was the one being schemed against by this whole family! After I died, my soul floated in the air and saw many things. Only then did I realize Jack and Vanessa had been having an affair for a long time, with Margaret’s knowledge. The so-called “prophecies” were just an elaborate act they put on together to swindle my money and house. Thinking of my unborn child, thinking of how I died miserably on that snowy night, an overwhelming hatred nearly drowned me. In this life, I would make them pay blood for blood! “Sister, are you stupid?” Vanessa frowned and scolded when she saw I wasn’t moved. “We’re trying to help you out of kindness, but you’d rather be scammed than trust your own family!” Margaret put her hands on her hips, her expression even more sour and vicious: “Haven’t you learned your lesson? Last time Vanessa said you’d have a bloody disaster on your anniversary, you didn’t listen. What happened? You got hit by a car, didn’t you!” Yes, I was hit by a car. Multiple fractures all over my body, half dead, lying in the hospital for three months. Only after death did I realize it was all their plan. The pain of betrayal washed over me again. I clenched my fists tightly. I looked straight at Vanessa. “Sister, since you’re so prophetic, why don’t you tell me exactly how my money will be stolen? Give me some details so I can be prepared.” Vanessa clearly hadn’t expected me to ask this. Her face froze instantly. After stammering for a while, she became angry out of embarrassment. “I’m trying to help you. What kind of attitude is this?” “Then wait until you have a specific ‘prophecy’ before talking to me again.” “How dare you!” Margaret jumped up and down in anger. “Don’t think you’re so great just because you can earn a bit of money!” “If it weren’t for my son giving you the chance to go out and work, if it weren’t for Vanessa and me taking care of the house, how could you make any money?” “Your money should be ours. You should hand it over without us even having to ask!” I laughed bitterly at this shameless logic. “Which household bill – water, electricity, gas, daily expenses – haven’t I paid for? Has a single cent of Jack’s salary been used for the family?” “As his wife, I’ve never spent a penny of his money. But Vanessa, even the money for your underwear was paid by Jack, wasn’t it?” I had always been mild-mannered. No one expected me to bring this up so directly. Vanessa’s face instantly turned pale. Jack looked so embarrassed he wanted to find a hole to crawl into. Margaret suddenly came forward and shoved me hard. My lower back hit the corner of the table. I broke out in a cold sweat from the pain, but not a single person came to check on me. “What’s wrong with Jack helping his widowed sister-in-law?” Margaret sneered. “Don’t think you can ride roughshod over me and your sister-in-law just because you’re pregnant. If you give birth to a girl, I’ll throw her in the sewer right away. We don’t need that kind of bad luck in the family!” My anger instantly shot to the top of my head. I grabbed the glass of water on the table and smashed it at Margaret’s feet. “If anything happens to my child, you’ll be the first one I take down with me!” We had a huge argument, with Jack eventually coming out to smooth things over and make peace. That night, Jack walked into the bedroom with a bottle of red wine, pretending to comfort me and urging me to drink. I stared at him steadily. “Can pregnant women drink alcohol?” Jack’s expression froze for a moment before he quickly started making excuses with a smile: “This is imported non-alcoholic wine, basically fancy grape juice. It’s good for blood circulation and calming nerves. It’s good for pregnant women.” I didn’t expose him. I obediently drank that glass of cheap wine laced with drugs, pretending to pass out on the bed. Jack immediately used my fingerprint to unlock my phone. Margaret and Vanessa poked their heads in. Greedy expressions of triumph spread across all three of their faces. “I’ve already arranged it with Old Liu. Tomorrow he’ll show her my big gold bracelet.” “I’ve ordered the latest designer bag. Just waiting to pay the final installment.” “Once she has no money left, she’ll have to obey us and be our housekeeper!” I lay there with my eyes closed, listening to their ugly whispers, laughing coldly in my heart. Jack saw the balance in my account and his eyes widened: “Why is there no money at all?!” “And there’s a 200,000 dollar debt to the bank!” 2 Margaret and Vanessa’s faces instantly turned white. They jumped up and down anxiously. “My big gold bracelet!” “My bag! How will I pay the final installment!” “Where’s the money?!” Jack’s eyes were bloodshot. Like a wild beast gone mad, he pounced on me and grabbed my shoulders, shaking me violently. “Where’s my money? What did you do with the money?!” He started frantically ransacking the room, throwing my clothes, jewelry, and personal belongings everywhere. The whole room looked like it had been looted. I had already transferred the money and taken out a $200,000 loan on top of that. I wanted to make Vanessa’s “prophecy” come true. I collapsed on the floor, hugging my head and crying regretfully: “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have doubted Vanessa… I was scammed…” “Now I even owe the bank 200,000. What should we do…” I looked up with tearful eyes, helplessly looking at them: “Aren’t we family? Margaret, didn’t you say my money is your money? Now that I’m in debt, this debt… shouldn’t it be our debt too?” Vanessa was the first to jump out: “I don’t have any money!” Jack shrugged: “All my salary goes to Mom. I don’t have any money.” Margaret folded her arms across her chest, looking at me with a harsh expression: “You jinx! You were stupid enough to get scammed, why should we pay your debts? Dream on! Our Wilson family doesn’t need a daughter-in-law like you who brings bad luck!” “I don’t care if you have to sell your blood or your body or your organs. Pay off the debt yourself.” “If debt collectors come harassing us, I’ll be the first to push you out to pay them off.” “You hear me?!” They stormed out, slamming the door behind them. A few days later, Vanessa came to find me again with her “good intentions”. “Sophia, my eyelid has been twitching these past few days. I foresee that your house… will lose a lot of value within six months.” As soon as she finished speaking, Margaret and Jack started pressuring me in unison to sell the house my parents had left me before marriage. I flatly refused: “Not selling.” Margaret smashed a cup and started cursing: “Are you deaf? When I tell you to sell, you sell. Who are you to refuse?” “This house should have belonged to our Wilson family in the first place. How dare you act like you’re in charge?” While Margaret played the bad cop, Vanessa played good cop: “Sophia, I’m really doing this for your own good. Have you forgotten what happened with the money last time?” Before I could respond, Margaret said smugly: “It’s too late to refuse. I’ve already collected the deposit.” “The buyers are at the door.” She opened the door directly and brought in two people to view the house. “Don’t come in!” I blocked the doorway. Margaret immediately sat down on the floor and started wailing and making a scene: “Oh heavens! My daughter-in-law is trying to beat this old woman to death! Come quick, look! She’s abusing me!” “This ungrateful wretch, taking advantage of her pregnancy, not giving me food to eat or a place to sleep. Now she wants to kick me out. I can’t go on living!” Onlookers who didn’t know the truth started pointing fingers at me. “She’s pregnant herself but still so hot-tempered. Aren’t you afraid of karma affecting your child? What a vicious heart!” “Look at her. She must be a tyrant at home. Marrying a daughter-in-law like this is really bad luck for eight generations.” Jack grabbed my arm, looking impatient: “Stop blocking the way. Mom’s already taken the money. Just let them take a look.” “Don’t make a scene in the doorway and embarrass yourself.” I didn’t budge. Vanessa pretended to persuade me, her eyes full of vicious calculation: “Sophia, don’t be stubborn. You’ll cry when the house price drops. Haven’t you experienced the consequences of not listening to my prophecies?” 3 I had indeed experienced it. In my previous life, just because she said my child was a harbinger of disaster, I was kicked out of the house by them. On a snowy night below -30°C, I was wearing only a thin nightgown. The child in my belly seemed to feel the bone-chilling cold too, kicking me desperately. I felt like the cold would freeze both me and my baby to death. I knocked on the door frantically. My nails broke, my palms bled. I cried and begged them to open the door. But through the doorway camera, I heard the happy laughter of the whole family inside. “Let her freeze to death out there!” “Better if it’s two lives lost. Save us the bad luck!” That’s how I was frozen to death in endless cold and despair. “I know what you’re up to. The house – I will never sell!” I looked coldly at Margaret. Margaret felt guilty under my gaze, but still bristled up. She started yelling without thinking: “You really don’t care about your family at all, do you?” “Where will we get money if we don’t sell the house? My ten big gold necklaces, your sister-in-law’s bag, and the money Jack lost in stocks – how will we make that up?” After she finished speaking, she realized she had let something slip. Vanessa quickly tried to smooth things over: “Mom’s just talking nonsense because she’s upset. Sophia, it’s mainly because of my prophecy. You can’t not listen!” They had planned this long ago. Before I could respond, they directly took out my property deed and tried to hand it to the two house viewers. I rushed over to stop them. Margaret shoved me hard. I fell onto some broken glass. Multiple cuts instantly appeared on my body. A sharp pain shot through my lower abdomen. I clutched my belly, looking at Jack in pain. Jack scolded his mom: “Mom, you’ve gone too far.” I thought Jack still had a shred of conscience at that moment. But after steadying Margaret, he frowned at me instead: “Don’t fight with your mom. After they finish viewing the house, I’ll take you to the hospital.” My heart died completely in that moment. I turned to the couple who had been frightened by the scene. “If you dare buy this house, I’ll die right here today. Two lives lost.” The two of them shouted about bad luck, took back their deposit, and ran away. I took out my phone myself and called 91 Margaret was still holding onto the property deed and refusing to return it. I gave Jack an ultimatum. “Give me back the property deed. Otherwise, we’re getting divorced.” “According to marriage law, this is my premarital property. All of you, get out of here!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297066”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic

When I was seven, I got lost in the mountains with my parents and was raised by a community living wild in the mountains. At fifteen, my parents found me. But I couldn’t fit into human society. It was my twin sister who patiently guided me. When my wild side flared up, hurting people and getting me ostracized, She shielded me with her frail body, took a beating so bad she coughed up blood, and was left with a chronic illness from that day on. For her, I pushed myself to study, got into a top university, and joined a special department thanks to my ability to communicate with animals. At twenty-three, My sister excitedly told me, “Sis, I really love him.” “He took 99 lashes for me; we’re going to be so happy.” But less than a month later, I received a video from my parents. My sister, covered in wounds, her face a pulpy mess, lay in a coffin, her severed limbs beside her. In that moment, my long-suppressed wildness exploded. All I wanted was to find the person who killed my sister and rip them to shreds!

When I arrived at the scene, my sister, her eyes frozen open in terror, lay silently in the coffin. The coffin lid next to her was covered in countless scratch marks, swirling in patterns. They screamed of how much pain and despair my sister had endured before she died. It was as if her cries for help were right there, echoing. “Sis, save me!” “I’m sorry.” All my strength drained, and I collapsed to my knees, my veins throbbing as my hands clawed at the dirt. Sharp pebbles cut into my palms, and only that searing, agonizing pain kept me from losing all sanity. Slowly, I pieced her broken body parts back together. “You beasts! The Blackwood family has gone too far!” My parents, who arrived shortly after, roared in heart-wrenching anguish at the sight. My mother even had a heart attack and passed out on the spot. She couldn’t even attend the funeral. In the mourning hall, My dad kept whispering to my sister. “Don’t trust men so easily over there, especially those who talk big but do nothing.” “What a nuisance. Why would he call me to a place like this?” A man’s impatient shouts drifted in from outside. My dad, roaring with grief and fury, snatched up the nearest heavy object and stormed out. “Brandon Blackwood, give me back my daughter’s life!” I immediately followed, seeing the man from my sister’s wedding photo, Brandon, with his fingers intertwined with another woman’s. That woman bore a faint resemblance to my sister. So he was just using her as a replacement! “Stop acting crazy, old man. Get your daughter out here!” Brandon disgustedly shoved my dad down and stepped on his face. “She’s dead! You’ll never see her again in this lifetime!” The woman next to Brandon giggled. “What a joke. Earlier, Sister was locked in with a venomous snake for three days, not only did she not die, but she acted disgusting, like she was with the snake.” “I advised her not to mess around with animals, but she didn’t listen and even pushed me. “Brandon was just thinking of teaching her a lesson by sending her to a monastery to reflect.” Hearing this, Brandon’s face turned terrifyingly dark. “That disgraceful slut! Was she that desperate?” He looked like he wanted to slice my sister into a thousand pieces with his eyes alone. “She made me lose all face with the Blackwood family!” Then, he looked around, raising his voice. “Cassidy, if you don’t show yourself, I’ll chop your dad into pieces and feed him to the dogs!” Having lived with all sorts of animals for so long, I’d seen countless times how out-of-control predators ripped apart their prey. Now, I saw that same savagery in Brandon. If I didn’t make myself known, he really would kill my dad in the most cruel and vicious way. “Dad.” I mimicked my sister’s manner, helping my dad up. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have doubted Brandon and Seraphina’s relationship.” Then, I turned and knelt, begging through tears. “Brandon, I know I’ve been bad. Please let me come home.” Brandon squatted down, his cold fingers brushing my cheek. “That’s more like it. As long as you’re obedient, the position of Mrs. Blackwood will always be yours.” I nodded hard, then told my dad to take care before hurrying to follow the two in front. “Cassidy.” My dad grabbed my hand, trembling all over. “Do… does it have to be this way?” His neck veins bulged as he spoke with effort. A father who had already lost one daughter didn’t want to lose another. My nose stung. For years, my sister had been taking care of them. She always said, “Sister is meant for great things.” “Let this little good-for-nothing take care of Mom and Dad.” “As long as Sister is happy, I’m happy.” But she had no idea that in my heart, she was the little sun that supported me through one danger after another. I never got to say thank you. I had saved so much for her dowry. We’d promised to watch the sunrise ceremony together, but we never went. And now she was gone, her body dismembered! So, even if it meant going through hell and high water, I would get justice for her! “I promise I’ll be fine.” I patted my father’s hand reassuringly, then turned and quickened my pace. Carrying a father’s helpless despair, I embarked on the path of revenge.

As soon as we returned to the Blackwood mansion, Brandon immediately ordered me to kneel and help Seraphina change her shoes. I was barely a second slow when he kicked me, sending me sprawling. “Useless trash! What good are you for? “Are you only good for acting like a slut and serving those animals?” Seraphina whined sweetly, “Brandon, don’t break my servant. Who will fan me when I sleep tonight?” I clenched my fists, my teeth grinding audibly. This was the life my sister had endured! To torment her, Brandon not only made her kneel in the room, listening to him and Seraphina have sex through a screen, Sometimes he even forced my sister to go in and hold Seraphina up so they could complete complicated positions. When they finished, my sister had to clean up their disgusting mess. In the middle of summer, when they could easily have turned on the air conditioning, Seraphina, citing her allergies, made my sister stay up all night, fanning her manually. My sister initially resisted, but the consequence was Brandon taking out his anger on our parents. First, they were falsely accused and suspended from their jobs without cause. Then, the news spread online, and some brainless fanatics harassed my parents in real life. Once, my mother was so traumatized she ended up in the hospital, almost not making it. From then on, my sister never dared to defy Brandon. She clung to life like a dog, barely surviving! She never told me about any of the pain or suffering she endured. Because of my work, I could only talk to her once in a long while. Yet, every time, she was always cheerful, never complaining once. She would even remind me to take care of myself and not worry, saying she would look after Mom and Dad. “This kind of slut would have gone bad ages ago. Everyone said not to take her, but some fortune teller insisted she’d bring wealth to the family.” “My old-fashioned dad forced me to marry her.” Brandon brought it up, looking like he wanted to tear my flesh off. “If it weren’t for her, I’d already be married to the woman I truly love.” “So you never loved her?” Sister, I stared at Brandon, asking each word slowly. My mind replayed my sister’s radiant smile when she said she was getting married. Little did she know that a beast had woven a deadly lie for her, Ending her young life forever in the summer she turned twenty-three. “Why would I care for a clingy leech? Just smelling her made me sick, and she kept dreaming of Cinderella and Prince Charming.” Brandon’s eyes looked at me like I was a maggot. Seraphina pretended to be kind, patting Brandon to signal him to stop, then reached out to me. “Sister, please get up.” I saw malice in her eyes, then brushed her hand away and stood up myself. I looked up, and a painting caught my eye. It was a nude painting of Seraphina. Her pale body lay on vibrant roses, beautiful and alluring. But I felt a chill run through me. Because the roses in that painting were painted with my sister’s blood. She hadn’t slept a wink, except for a brief moment of comfort, and every day she had to let Seraphina draw her blood for painting. If she was even a little slow, Brandon would lock her in a cage and force her to fight for food with wild dogs. Just imagining those scenes made me want to tear the two people in front of me to shreds. “You damn dare to glare at me!” Brandon furiously shoved me, sending me flying. I covered my swollen face, silent for a moment. Suddenly, I grabbed Seraphina. I opened my mouth and bit into the soft flesh of her neck. As she shrieked in terror, I slowly increased the pressure. The taste of blood surged through my nerve endings. Every cell screamed, “Kill her.” Brandon saw my mouth covered in blood and finally reacted. He pulled me off forcefully. I spat the bitten-off piece of flesh onto his face. “Crazy bitch! Send her to the monastery! This time, unless I say so, she can die there for all I care!” Brandon roared, enraged. As I was dragged away, I smiled. I was just looking for an excuse to go back to that place.

The monastery in the desolate mountains wasn’t as simple as it looked; beneath it lay a fully equipped, well-staffed laboratory. It was funded by the Blackwood family, specifically for researching how to extend human lifespan. But their test subjects weren’t animals; they were people! When I arrived, I was locked in a tiny, airtight room. A few burly men, laughing obscenely, entered. “You didn’t die last time, even with all that fun. This time, I’ve got something special.” The man held up a pair of obstetric forceps. My stomach clenched, and a video recording appeared before my eyes. My sister’s hysterical screams instantly pierced my ears. She was tied to a bed, and the man standing between her splayed legs held obstetric forceps, laughing as he pulled and twisted. In that moment, all my blood froze. Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face. My sweet, obedient sister, the sister who always saved a share for me, the sister who said we’d be sisters forever! She was tortured to death, little by little, by them! “Animals!” I roared, lunging at the man, snatching the forceps, and violently stabbing them into his eye. “Ah!” Blood mixed with shattered bits of eyeball splattered out, and the small room filled with the man’s horrific screams. The others reacted, trying to grab me. But I had been raised by wild people; I’d long since developed immense strength. They outnumbered me, but that just meant it would take one more minute. After knocking everyone down, I grabbed one of them by the collar. “Do you want to live?” The man nodded frantically. “Do exactly what you see in the video to them.” I pointed at the screen still playing on the wall. The men immediately wailed, frantically kowtowing and begging for mercy. “We were just following orders! Please spare us!” “We even tried to persuade him back then, but he cursed at us and said he had to use the most extreme methods to teach you a lesson.” “If you want to settle scores, go after the Blackwoods. He even planned to inject you with a newly developed drug that supposedly makes a person rot into a watery mess, little by little.” “Spare you?” I smiled, toying with a small knife. “Did you show any mercy when you laid hands on me?!” With that, I plunged the knife into the thigh of the man I held. “Do it or not?” The man screamed, “Yes! Yes! W-w-w-w-I’ll do it!” I pulled a chair over and sat down. The man began to act. Screams echoed endlessly in the room. I watched with cold eyes, occasionally whistling. As time passed, the men passed out. Body parts lay on the floor, and the white tiles were stained red. A stench of blood and decay permeated the air, making me sick to my stomach. I pointed at the man who had done the deed. “Clean it up. Don’t let Brandon notice any trace, or your end will be a hundred times worse than theirs.” The man had already witnessed my methods and dared not defy me. He cleaned the scene in the shortest possible time. Soon, the small room was restored to its clean, white state. I lay on the bed, waiting for Brandon’s arrival.

A week later was Mr. Blackwood’s birthday. My sister, as the only publicly acknowledged wife of the Blackwood family, was naturally expected to attend. So Brandon sent people to pick me up. Compared to when I entered, I was so thin the wind could blow me over, and my gaunt face with two hollow, dark eye sockets was especially eerie. Brandon looked pleased. “Looks like you received excellent hospitality.” Brandon lifted my sleeve; my arm was covered in self-inflicted cuts. I had made them to suppress my restless, animalistic urges. Indeed, Brandon smiled even more brightly, grabbing and excitedly kissing Seraphina beside him. They intertwined, making intimate, swallowing sounds. I kept my head bowed, expressionless, calculating how much longer I needed to torture them. The birthday gala was about to begin. Brandon stopped his intimacy with Seraphina just in time. “Darling, I’ll come find you later.” Brandon went to the next room to change. Seraphina stayed behind, circling me. “Still not enough. How about this?” She grabbed my chin, lifting it. “Tonight’s gala has a lot of media here. It would be absolutely scandalous if the Blackwood family’s wife performed a strip show right in front of everyone.” Seraphina clapped excitedly and called Brandon. “Brandon, I’ve thought of something super fun! Come quick!” After hearing Seraphina’s plan, Brandon dotingly praised her. “See? I told you my darling was brilliant.” Seraphina laughed triumphantly, wrapping her arms around Brandon’s waist. “I just worry your dad might not be happy.” “He won’t be. He already has a thing for that piece of trash. We’ll let him have his fun with her later, it’ll make him ecstatic.” Brandon’s gentle voice sounded like a demon’s whisper. In his eyes, my sister was just an object to be discarded at will. Worse than a rat in a sewer. I suppressed my rising fury and stood up. “Who told you to move! Kneel!” Brandon’s face contorted, and he kicked out. I nimbly twisted my body to avoid it. At that moment, someone pushed the door open. They carried a rectangular object wrapped in black cloth. Then they placed it beside me. “Who are you guys? And what is this?” The men carrying the object ignored Brandon, bowing respectfully to me. I waved them off, signaling they could leave. One of them said, “My superiors believe you shouldn’t dirty your hands with such worthless people.” I nodded, indicating I understood. Brandon, seeing them leave, chased after them, cursing a few times. Then he returned, pointing a finger at my nose, demanding, “Those were your lovers, weren’t they?” “How utterly disgusting. You’re just a slut through and through.” I ignored him, pulling back the black cloth. A vibrant red coffin came into view. Under their astonished gazes, I chuckled softly, speaking as if coaxing a three-year-old child. “The hunting game begins now. Welcome to hell!” “Are you insane!” Brandon snapped back, his face darkening as he approached. “What’s the meaning of bringing a coffin to my dad’s birthday?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297082”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance