Category: English

Adrian and Olivia had been together for three years, but she still couldn’t forget her first love. There was a locked room in her house, a promise she kept for her first love. If he ever came back, there would always be a place for him in her home. For his sake, she abandoned Adrian time and time again. The last time, Adrian left only a breakup message before vanishing without a trace. But she seemed to go mad, searching for him everywhere. Finally, at the cemetery, she discovered the truth behind everything. Red-eyed, she pointed at the black and white photo of a woman who looked strikingly similar to her and demanded: “Adrian, tell me—” “Who were you really thinking of every time you looked at me?” On Olivia’s birthday, Adrian brought a few of her close friends back to their place to prepare a surprise party for her. At the height of the celebration, everyone started chanting for them to kiss: “Olivia, you need to cherish such a thoughtful boyfriend!” Olivia gazed at Adrian, her eyes shining brightly, as she slowly leaned in. Adrian lowered his head to meet her, and just as their lips were about to touch amidst the cheers of their friends— The door suddenly burst open. A man drenched from the rain stood in the doorway. Olivia froze in place. Adrian turned to look and saw a face that bore a striking resemblance to his own. “Olivia…” the man called out softly. His tone intimate and familiar. Olivia seemed dazed for a moment before her expression changed: “Why are you soaked? Quickly go change into some dry clothes.” The friends around them reacted faster than Adrian, greeting the newcomer naturally: “Ethan, you’re suddenly back? Done with your wandering?” The man stood stunned in the doorway, a faint smile appearing on his face: “It’s been a while.” Olivia’s gaze remained fixed on him, not sparing Adrian a single glance. Adrian wanted to ask who he was. Before he could speak, Ethan walked straight upstairs. Towards that room in Olivia’s house that was always locked, the one she had repeatedly emphasized to Adrian was absolutely off-limits. Ethan skillfully pulled out a key and unlocked the door with ease.

When Ethan came back down, he had changed into dry clothes and casually took an empty seat at the dining table. The friends, tipsy from drinking, naturally draped an arm over Ethan’s shoulder. “Ethan, stay longer this time. Olivia will always keep a room for you anyway.” “How nice, to always have someone as your solid backup.” “I say, you two might as well get marr—” Olivia cleared her throat lightly. She moved closer to Adrian, trying to break the awkward atmosphere: “Adrian, thank you again for helping celebrate my birthday today.” The scent of lily of the valley enveloped him, but Adrian felt a chill run through his body. Adrian had always known that Olivia had a deeply meaningful first love – Ethan. When Olivia’s company was just starting out, Ethan had quit his high-paying job at a foreign firm without hesitation to support her. Even now, years after Ethan had left, Olivia’s friends were still so close with him. They laughed and joked together, reminiscing about old times. Adrian picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of food. But he couldn’t taste anything.

This celebration that belonged to them continued until 10 PM. As everyone was leaving, it started pouring rain. In the end, only the three of them remained in the house. Olivia’s face was flushed from alcohol as she leaned her head on Ethan’s shoulder, looking small and delicate. I, her actual boyfriend, felt like thin air at that moment. “I’ll take you to a hotel,” I said. “I’m not leaving,” Ethan replied coldly. “That room is mine.” “You promised,” he continued. “No matter what, there will always be a room for me in your home.” I felt like an insignificant backdrop, ignored by them both. Olivia was at a loss for words. She looked to me pleadingly: “Let him stay.” “The rain is getting heavier outside.” “Just for one night, okay?” Olivia gazed at me, her eyes flickering with a hint of apology on her face. “Adrian, I’m sorry.” I pressed my lips together and walked past them to go upstairs.

I didn’t sleep well that night. The storm raged on, and a loud clap of thunder woke me with a start in the middle of the night. I instinctively reached out to hold the person beside me. But my hand fell on empty space. I only felt cold sheets. A sliver of light seeped in through the crack in the door. I opened it slightly to peek outside. The living room lights were on bright. Ethan, wearing an apron, brought out a bowl of noodles and set it on the coffee table. Wisps of steam rose from it. He looked every bit the man of the house. I saw his lips curve into an indulgent smile as he spoke softly: “You’re still the same as always.” “Scared by thunder and needing someone by your side to feel safe.” Olivia stood nearby, a smile on her face. Ethan hugged her from behind. I clearly saw Olivia’s body stiffen for a moment. But she didn’t push him away. The warm glow of the living room lights fell on them, inadvertently revealing an air of intimacy. They looked like a couple that no outsider could ever come between.

I met Olivia when I was 22. I had just graduated and started working at her company. My desk was right in front of her office. When her office door wasn’t fully closed, I would peek through that tiny gap to look at her. To gaze at that face that looked 70% similar to the one that had appeared countless times in my dreams. They really looked so alike, especially the dimples that appeared when they smiled. Later, my colleague Sam caught me looking. He pressed an iced coffee against my face, startling me. I turned to meet his eyes as he said, “Adrian.” He smiled and handed me the coffee, his tone light as if joking: “Don’t go falling for Ms. Olivia.” “She’s got someone in her heart already.” I blinked at him. He leaned in to gossip: “Ms. Olivia has a first love she can’t forget.” “Not sure exactly how long they were together, but I think they knew each other since they were students.” “When the company was just starting out, they were still together. He’d come by sometimes to bring her lunch.” “Once during a meeting, she got a call saying he was sick. She immediately left everything behind to go to him.” “Can you believe it? Such a workaholic, dropping everything for her boyfriend.” “Pretty romantic, huh?” I held the coffee and asked softly: “What happened after that?” “They broke up later.” “I don’t know the details, but I think Ms. Olivia still has feelings for him.” “She even keeps his photo on her desk.” Sam shrugged and smiled, “I guess her first love probably hasn’t let go either.” “Loving each other but unable to be together – it’s like a bittersweet ending straight out of a novel.” I was stunned for a moment hearing this. Just then, Olivia’s office door suddenly opened and her secretary came out: “Adrian, Ms. Olivia is calling for you.” When I went in, Olivia was looking over some documents. Seeing me enter, she looked up with a smile. Two small dimples appeared at the corners of her mouth. My gaze fell on a framed photo standing on her desk. I stared at it, my mind full of Sam’s wistful expression from earlier. “…Adrian, will you be my boyfriend?” Olivia suddenly asked. Caught off guard, I answered reflexively: “Okay.”

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I was the most envied woman in the entire city. My billionaire husband adored me, treating me like a queen, and my powerful brother doted on me, loving me to bits. Three years ago, I was diagnosed with a rare illness. They told me they’d give anything, even their lives, to make me well again. And they meant it. Asher stopped several critical projects, blowing billions searching the globe for a compatible kidney; And Ryder canceled all his engagements, staying by my side day and night at the hospital, never leaving my bedside. Three years later, I was basically cured. I could finally return home. I didn’t tell them, wanting to give them a surprise. But I was stopped at the familiar villa gate. “Who are you looking for?” “This is my home. I’m Asher Vance’s wife,” I said with a smile. The guard froze for a second, then a look of pure disgust, like he was looking at a gold-digger, crossed his face. “Mrs. Vance doesn’t look like you.” As he spoke, the guard pulled out his phone and opened his photo album. The woman in the picture had eyes and brows strikingly similar to mine, and when she smiled, two shallow dimples appeared. I recognized her. It was Chloe Miller, the woman who donated her kidney to me back then.

I stumbled, my phone almost slipping from my hand. The guard’s disgusted look intensified. “See? If you had any sense of self-awareness, you’d know not to come here and make a fool of yourself.” “Mr. Vance treats his wife wonderfully; we can all see how much they love each other. You’re dreaming.” With that, the guard gave me a hard shove. I lost my balance, and coupled with the exhaustion from the long journey, I fell heavily. My head hit the ground, leaving me dizzy. Just then, the guard’s walkie-talkie buzzed. A familiar voice came through— “What’s all the noise out there?” The guard’s attitude instantly turned fawning. “Mr. Vance, it’s just a gold-digger, claiming she knows you.” “Get her out of here quickly. Mrs. Vance just fell asleep, don’t disturb her.” I distinctly heard Asher Vance’s voice. It was arrogant, impatient, yet filled with tenderness and care for the “wife” he spoke of. So, Asher Vance and “the wife” were living in this villa now. Living in the marital home he and I once shared. My blood ran cold. So many beautiful memories, of him and me, were in there. And he let another woman live in it? My blood boiled, and a bitter, metallic taste flooded my mouth. “Asher, who is it?” A woman’s sleepy voice drifted from the walkie-talkie. Then came Asher’s voice, softened to an almost unbearable degree. “It’s nothing, just a small matter. Go back to sleep.” “Stay with me.” “Alright, alright, you’re impossible.” “Tomorrow, I still have to see my brother…” The walkie-talkie clicked off abruptly. My heart felt like it was being squeezed tight, so painful I couldn’t breathe. That soft voice, filled with love. Before, he only spoke to me like that, as if he wanted to melt me in his palm. And my brother… Did my brother know about this too? Of course, how could anything happening here be hidden from Ryder? I don’t remember how I left. I walked along the road in a daze, my phone buzzing non-stop. Asher’s message came through right on cue. [Babe, are you feeling better today?] [Did you take your medicine? When is your surgery scheduled?] My brother’s message arrived at the same time. [My dearest sister, my adorable little sister, did you miss your brother?] [Brother’s been busy with work lately, couldn’t be abroad with you. Are you mad at brother?] Looking at these messages, my tears flowed uncontrollably. They seemed to love me so much, but why? Why would they let someone else take my place? Chloe Miller was the compatible kidney donor Asher and Ryder found for me years ago. She had a face strikingly similar to mine. The first time I saw her, I even joked that maybe we were alternate versions of each other from a parallel universe. Back then, Ryder cradled my face and said: “My sister is one of a kind. No matter how much she looks like you, she can’t compare even a fraction.” And Asher Vance hadn’t given Chloe Miller a second glance the entire time. Asher’s assistant talked with Chloe Miller about the compensation after the kidney donation. That’s when I learned Chloe Miller’s family was very poor. She was forced to donate her kidney to pay for her seriously ill mother’s treatment. I still remember Chloe Miller back then, wearing a faded T-shirt, looking at me awkwardly. “Miss, I’ll take good care of myself and cooperate with the surgery.” I looked at her, feeling a little soft-hearted. I slipped her a card: “Take this to pay for your mother’s treatment first.” But she refused to take it, saying she wouldn’t accept charity.

The memory abruptly stopped. I suddenly looked up, toward the brightly lit villa in the distance. On the second-floor balcony of the villa, Asher Vance held a petite woman tightly in his embrace. On a crazy impulse, I called him. The next second, he hung up. I called again. He hung up again. My heart ached, and I squatted on the ground, gasping for air. About ten minutes later, he scooped the woman up into his arms and went inside. Then, he reappeared on the balcony. And my phone rang. “Hello, babe, what’s wrong? I was just in a video conference.” I wanted to expose him directly. But the words caught in my throat, bitter and dry, I couldn’t squeeze out a single one. “Babe?” Asher Vance asked, confused. I still didn’t speak, biting my lip hard, forcing myself not to cry out. Asher finally realized something was wrong, and his voice turned worried: “Did someone upset you?” I wanted to say, the ones who upset me are you. I smiled bitterly: “Asher Vance, do you remember what day it is today?” The person on the other end was silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled. “Oh, so you’re mad I forgot our wedding anniversary? My little princess is throwing a fit again.” “I’m sorry, babe, I was just so busy today. I’ll come abroad and spend some quality time with you in a few days, okay?” Just then, I saw Chloe Miller come out again. She stood on tiptoes and kissed Asher Vance on the lips. A sickening smacking sound came clearly through the phone. A shiver of disgust ran through me. My voice was already hoarse: “No need. If work is busy, then focus on work. Don’t mind me.” “Alright, babe, you’re getting more understanding.” The call ended. The two on the second-floor balcony embraced tightly under the moonlight, looking like a truly devoted couple! My tears gushed out instantly. Was this what betrayal felt like? The eighteen-year-old Asher Vance and Aria Blackwood would never have imagined that the twenty-five-year-old Asher Vance would betray his beloved. He had loved me so much. That summer, a boy held a basketball, dazzling under the sun. The wind blew across my face, carrying the voice of an eighteen-year-old boy through time— “Aria, I love you, I’ll only ever love you. If I, Asher Vance, ever betray you, may I die a terrible death!” The night wind made me tremble uncontrollably. I leaned against the wall and slowly stood up, then turned to leave. I hailed a taxi. The place I went to was the small apartment Ryder had given me for my eighteenth birthday. My hand trembled as I inserted the key into the lock. The moment the door opened, a damp, dusty smell assaulted me. It was clear no one had lived here for a long time. The furnishings inside were just as I had left them three years ago. On the desk sat a photo of Ryder and me. Ryder was in a black suit, and I, standing next to him, had a high ponytail and was smiling brightly. Ryder and Asher learned of my return the next day. They both gathered at my small apartment. These two men, who commanded respect and power in the outside world, now faced me with looks of surprise and awkwardness. Asher stepped forward first, reaching out to take my hand as he used to. “Aria, you’re back? Are you… are you well?” I subtly avoided his hand. Ryder’s eyes welled up, his voice choked. “Sister, this is great, as long as you’re okay.” Asher’s hand froze in mid-air, a little surprised. Then, a deeper tenderness melted into his eyes. “Are you too tired from the long flight?” Hearing this, Ryder quickly walked to my side, worried, and reached out to feel my forehead. I didn’t move, my body stiff. Ryder checked carefully, “No, your temperature’s normal.” I forced a smile. “Yeah, I guess I’m just a little tired.” Asher smoothly picked up the conversation. “In that case, you should stay here and not run around.” “It’s close to the hospital, so it’s convenient for your follow-up check-ups.” My lips curved into a smile. Was he afraid I’d discover his secret mistress? How absurd. I, his wife, was living outside. While his lover was brazenly living in our home. It seemed I was the one who looked like the mistress. I chuckled bitterly, “Whatever.” It wouldn’t be for long anyway. Asher’s brow relaxed, his voice filled with his usual宠溺. “Good girl. Rest well here, I’ll come to see you often.” Ryder also visibly relaxed: “Okay, then I’ll have Mrs. Davis come over and tidy up. Tell me if you need anything, sister.” “Mhm.” I played along with their charade.

Asher’s phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the screen, then awkwardly looked at me. Then he walked to the balcony, his voice deliberately kept very low. But blurry words still floated into my ears. “Good girl, I’m busy now, can’t come back yet… I’ll be done soon… Mhm, I’ll bring you a small cake…” When he hung up and turned around, the tenderness hadn’t faded from his face. Asher walked over, his gaze towards me now tinged with apology. “Something urgent came up at the company. I need to handle it. I’ll be back later to have dinner with you.” I nodded, saying nothing. Ryder looked at Asher with concern. “Is something wrong?” “Minor issue.” They were playing a charade in front of me, thinking I didn’t know. Ryder eventually left with Asher. At the door, they both turned back to look at me. Asher’s eyes were filled with lingering affection: “Aria, wait for me. I’ll be back tonight.” Ryder also looked at me with doting affection. “Sister, go to bed early. Brother will take you for your hospital follow-up tomorrow.” I smiled and nodded. The next second, the door was gently closed. The front door isolated me from them, and it also severed my last shred of hope. Only I remained in the spacious living room. The wall clock ticked, seemingly knocking against my shattered heart. It felt like Ryder and Asher were slowly killing me, all in the name of love. That night, Asher didn’t return. He only sent me a message: [Company business is hectic; I’ll have to stay at the office tonight. Babe, get some rest.] And the next day, Ryder, who said he’d come to pick me up for my follow-up, didn’t show either. I took a taxi to the hospital by myself. After my check-up, as I was about to leave, a commotion suddenly erupted nearby. I subconsciously looked up. Just one glance, and my blood instantly froze. Asher Vance was carefully supporting Chloe Miller, his face filled with tenderness and concern. Ryder followed on the other side, his tone cautious and worried. “Walk slowly. The doctor said you’re at risk of miscarriage, you can’t exert yourself now.” I froze. Chloe Miller was pregnant… Chloe Miller looked at Asher Vance coquettishly, her voice sickeningly sweet. “It’s all your fault, you didn’t come back to be with me last night for so long, that’s why I almost had a miscarriage.” “Yes, yes, it’s all my fault.” Asher Vance lowered his head, one hand supporting her shoulder, the other touching her belly. The doting affection in his eyes was impossible to hide. “I’ll stay with you from now on, okay?” “My husband is so good to me.” Chloe Miller burst into tears, then a smile. Ryder also chimed in: “As long as you’re well, we’ll do whatever you want.” The three of them stood there, backlit, their figures searing my eyes. Chloe Miller leaned against Asher Vance’s chest: “Husband, will you always be good to me?” “Of course. You’re my wife, and you’re carrying my child in your belly. Of course, I’ll be good to you.” Asher Vance looked at her, his profile unbelievably soft. Ryder joked from the side. “You’re just spoiling her rotten.” But there wasn’t a hint of blame in his tone, only pure indulgence. Chloe Miller giggled, clearly amused… That metallic taste surged into my throat again. I clapped a hand over my mouth, forcing myself to swallow the blood. Not long after leaving the hospital, my phone vibrated a few times. It was a message from Ryder: [Sister, how were your check-up results?] [Brother’s quite busy here and can’t get away. Next time, I’ll definitely go with you.] I looked at that text, smiling through my tears. After getting home, I took a cold shower. Finally, I felt a little clearer. Asher Vance’s words to Chloe Miller, “You’re my wife…,” kept echoing in my ears. I sent a message to a contact with a plain black profile picture. “Julian, help me look into Asher Vance…” About ten minutes later, he called me back. “Aria, I found out you and Asher Vance divorced six months ago.” “Asher Vance’s current wife is named Chloe Miller.” I clutched my cramping stomach, laughing and crying on the sofa. It was so absurd, so ridiculous. I was a joke. In three years, someone had completely taken my place. The person on the other end of the line sounded anxious. “Aria, are you okay?” “I’m fine, Julian, I’m fine. And—I agree to marry you.”

There was no room for me here anymore. And no need for me to stay and be an eyesore. After talking things over with Julian, I fell into a deep sleep. The next few days, I was busy with preparations to go abroad. And handling my assets here. Ryder and Asher always seemed to have something going on and no time to see me. I knew they were both with Chloe Miller. A few days later, I was woken up in the middle of the night by faint whispers. I was conscious, but my body couldn’t move. It was Ryder and Asher. “Are you sure she won’t wake up?” Ryder’s voice was worried. “No, this diffuser produces a scent that will put her into a temporary coma. She won’t wake up tonight.” Asher said with a chuckle. Then, he skillfully pressed my finger into an ink pad. And then pressed my ink-stained finger onto a document. “Alright, with this statement, we can clear Chloe of the mistress label.” My head felt woozy. What mistress label? Then I heard Ryder sigh, “She just got back, and bad rumors about Chloe started circulating – do you think Aria did it?” Asher let out a snort of laughter. “How could that be? Aria’s just a spoiled little princess; if she found out about Chloe, she’d make a huge scene, she wouldn’t just pull strings in secret.” I felt like I’d been plunged into hell. So, Ryder thought the so-called “mistress label” was spread by me? And Asher’s next words made me even more disgusted. “Chloe’s pregnant with my child, she’s very important to me now.” “I hope Aria didn’t do it, otherwise I…” Asher didn’t finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear. I really wanted to ask. Otherwise what? What do you, Asher Vance, intend to do to me for Chloe Miller? After they left, the room returned to quiet. I only found out what had happened the next day. It turned out, the truth about Chloe Miller being a mistress had been exposed. That day at the hospital, the three of them were photographed and posted online. Netizens were initially shipping them. But then an insider came forward and revealed the tangled web of our relationships. They even attached my photo. Suddenly, the hashtag “The rich family’s body double takes over” caused a sensation online. Of course, these hashtags didn’t stay up for long before they were taken down. Soon after, topping the trending list was a statement with my fingerprint: “I, Aria Blackwood, solemnly declare that Ms. Chloe Miller is my savior, and she is not a mistress.” I looked at my phone, my breathing quickening. How dare they speak for me? Pain, despair, confusion… In the end, only a stagnant pool of emptiness remained deep inside me. Chloe Miller came to my door at that moment. As she entered, she kept clutching her stomach. “Miss Blackwood, please don’t misunderstand. That day at the hospital, Mr. Vance and I met purely by chance.” “They were just thanking me for donating my kidney to you, and they saw I was alone for my prenatal check-up and felt sorry for me, so they stayed with me.” “You really shouldn’t overthink it, we’re innocent.” She clutched her stomach, her eyes red, and lowered her head, sobbing. “We… anyway, none of us did anything to wrong you.” “If you don’t believe me, I can only… only leave.” As she spoke, she covered her face and ran off. In her emotional state, she seemed not to notice the stairs in front of her. Her foot missed a step, and her body tilted. My heart leaped, and I quickly rushed forward, “Be careful!” I lunged to grab her. But the next second, a force knocked me over. I lost my footing and tumbled down the steps. In a split second, I saw Asher Vance and Ryder both rush towards Chloe Miller. Chloe Miller was pulled back by Asher Vance and held tightly in his arms. They spoke in unison, “Chloe, are you okay?” “I… I’m fine…” Chloe Miller’s voice was choked with sobs, tinged with lingering fear. She trembled as she pointed at me, “She looks… she looks pretty bad.” Following the direction of her finger. Only then did Ryder and Asher Vance notice that the person who had fallen down the stairs was me. Through my blurring vision, I saw the two men, faces pale with shock, rush towards me. “Aria!” At the same time, a message popped up on my phone: “Okay, the marriage certificate is done.” “Allow me to introduce myself, I’m your husband, Julian Reed.”

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My father gave me a choice between inheriting the family’s $30 billion trust fund or receiving a $1,500 monthly allowance. Without hesitation, I chose the $1,500 allowance. I wasn’t panicking, but my rich roommate was going crazy. In my previous life, after I chose to inherit the $30 billion, my roommate stole my family’s trust fund card and invited the entire class to Las Vegas. Overnight, the $30 billion was squandered, the family business went bankrupt, and my father, in a fit of rage, died of a heart attack. When I confronted my roommate about repaying the money, he hid behind my girlfriend with a pitiful expression. “Jack, you can’t blame me just because your family went bankrupt,” he whined. My girlfriend even kicked me, breaking my ribs, and accused me, “Jack Wilson, you’re the one who spent recklessly and got addicted to gambling. How dare you accuse Tyler! Have you no shame?” When I was about to hire a private investigator, our class president ran me over with his car. My girlfriend and the entire class testified for him, insisting that I had intentionally thrown myself in front of the car because I was suicidal after going bankrupt. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day I was to inherit the family fortune. 1 On the eve of graduation, someone in our class suggested going to Las Vegas to celebrate. “Hey everyone, let’s go to Vegas for a graduation trip. I’ll cover all the expenses!” Tyler’s words sent a shiver down my spine, the pain of broken bones still fresh in my memory. Suddenly, I realized I had been reborn! As soon as Tyler made the suggestion, the whole class erupted in cheers. “Tyler, you’re the man! That’s what being a rich kid is all about!” “If we’re going to Vegas, we have to hit the casinos! I’ve only seen them in ads, never been there myself!” Tyler grinned, “Sure, let’s go to the casinos then!” He then turned his gaze towards me and walked over. “Jack, I heard your family has VIP status at the casinos. Can I borrow your VIP card? Let the class enjoy some top-tier service.” My face turned cold. In my previous life, the tragedy of losing everything began when Tyler asked to borrow my card. Back then, under the pretense of borrowing the card, he secretly took the bank card for my family’s $30 billion trust fund from a Swiss bank that my father had left me. When the court called my phone to inform me that the company had gone bankrupt, I realized that the money Tyler had used to treat the entire class was my family’s trust fund. When I went to Tyler’s house to demand repayment, he hid behind my girlfriend with a pitiful expression. “Jack, you can’t blame me just because your family went bankrupt,” he said. My girlfriend, Olivia, even kicked me, breaking my ribs, and accused me, “Jack Wilson, you’re the one who spent recklessly and got addicted to gambling. How dare you accuse Tyler! Have you no shame?” When I was about to hire a private investigator, Tyler deliberately ran me over with his car, repeatedly crushing me until I was dead. Afterward, Olivia and the entire class testified for Tyler, claiming that I had become suicidal after going bankrupt and intentionally threw myself in front of the car. My father also died of a heart attack due to extreme emotional distress. I mechanically reached into my backpack, my fingertips touching the cold metal card, gripping it tightly. Seeing no response from me, Tyler smiled and hooked his arm around my neck. “Come on, Jack, just let everyone use it. It’s not like you’ll lose anything!” “Sorry, that card belongs to my father. I can’t lend it out casually,” I said, stuffing the VIP card back into the deepest part of my backpack. Hearing my words, Tyler’s face showed displeasure. “You’re going to inherit your father’s company anyway. Why be so particular about what belongs to who in a family?” Olivia suddenly grabbed my backpack and dumped all my belongings out. My phone, game console, and tablet scattered on the ground. Olivia immediately spotted the golden card and picked it up, handing it to Tyler. “Here it is. Just take it and use it!” As Tyler took it, he meaningfully caressed Olivia’s hand. “Olivia’s so sensible. Jack, you should learn from your girlfriend.” Suddenly his eyes lit up, fixating on the game console on the ground. “Oh, isn’t this the latest Switch 2? I heard it’s sold out everywhere. I’ve been trying to get one but couldn’t!” Noticing Tyler’s eager gaze, Olivia bent down, picked up the game console, and stuffed it into Tyler’s arms. “Take this too. Jack’s probably bored with it anyway.” “Thanks, Olivia,” Tyler’s face beamed with a smile. I frowned and snatched back my game console and VIP card. “Sorry, I’m not lending either of these!” Olivia immediately looked furious, grabbing me and scolding, “Jack Wilson, when did you become so stingy?!” “Me, stingy?” I angrily slapped her face. 2 Slap! The crisp sound of the slap echoed in the classroom. Olivia staggered back two steps, holding her face, her carefully styled bangs in disarray. Her eyes widened in disbelief, the tiny diamonds on her manicured nails flashing irritatingly in the sunlight. “Jack Wilson! How dare you hit me!” Her scream was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. I shook my tingling hand, sneering, “This slap is to teach you about boundaries. What right do you have to give away my things to others?!” The classroom instantly erupted. “Jack Wilson, have you gone mad?” “It’s just a game console, what’s the big deal?” “You even hit your own girlfriend!” “Think you’re all that because you’re rich, huh?” Tyler quickly helped Olivia up, then turned to glare at me angrily. “Jack, Olivia was just trying to do something nice for everyone. What’s with your attitude!” I bent down to pick up my scattered belongings, calmly putting the VIP card back in my pocket. “My attitude is very clear. I’m not lending anything!” Olivia suddenly broke free from Tyler’s grasp and charged at me. “Jack Wilson! You give that card back to Tyler right now and apologize to us, or we’re breaking up! I don’t want my boyfriend to be such a narrow-minded person!” “Give it back? It’s my stuff to begin with, who am I giving it back to?” I dodged her claws, a smile tugging at my lips. “If you want to break up, fine. Saves me the breakup fee.” This comment was like poking a hornet’s nest. Olivia trembled with rage. “You… you think I care about your money?” “You don’t?” I raised an eyebrow, looking at the Cartier watch on her wrist. “Then give back the birthday gift I gave you last week?” Her face instantly turned pale, instinctively covering her watch. The expressions of the surrounding classmates immediately became awkward. Mark, the class president, suddenly stood up angrily, slamming the desk. “Jack Wilson, you’re too selfish! Tyler is kindly inviting everyone to Las Vegas, can’t you think about the group for once?” “That’s right,” the study representative chimed in, “You always act so easy-going, but when it really matters, you show your true colors.” I looked around at these familiar yet strange faces. In my previous life, it was they who unanimously claimed in court that I had attempted suicide by throwing myself in front of a car. “If Tyler is inviting you to Las Vegas, go ask him. Why are you coming to me?” Tyler stepped forward again. “We’re using your VIP card, so won’t that raise your VIP status at the casino when we spend money there? It’s a win-win situation!” Olivia snuggled up to Tyler, the pain on her face seemingly gone. “You’re so considerate. Even after Jack has been so awful, you’re still thinking of him.” “Since you all want to go to Las Vegas so badly…” I slowly pulled a card from my wallet, “I’ll lend it to you then?” Tylerend it’s eyes lit up, reaching out to take it. I flipped my wrist, revealing the full card—it was my student cafeteria card. “You’re mocking me?!” Tyler’s face turned ashen. “Pot calling the kettle black.” I twirled the cafeteria card between my fingers. “Aren’t you all trying to guilt-trip me too?” Olivia suddenly grabbed the chalk box from the podium and threw it at me. “Jack Wilson! I must have been blind to be with you!” I dodged to the side, chalk scattering across the floor. 3 Seeing that I wouldn’t hand over the VIP card, Tyler’s face instantly darkened. He gave a look to the surrounding classmates, and several guys immediately surrounded me. “Jack, don’t push your luck,” Tyler lowered his voice, his eyes sinister. “It’s just a card. Do you really want to make this ugly?” I let out a cold laugh, holding my backpack in front of me. “What, planning to rob me if I won’t lend it?” “Rob? We’re just going to help you ‘come to your senses’!” Mark suddenly pushed me from behind. I stumbled a few steps, hitting a desk. My backpack fell to the ground with a thud, its contents scattering once again. Olivia stood to the side, a mocking smile on her lips. “Serves you right.” A few guys kicked my textbooks aside. One of them deliberately stepped on my game console, the screen cracking with a loud snap. “What are you doing?!” I stood up abruptly, but someone firmly pressed down on my shoulder. “Jack, don’t be so stingy,” Tyler said with fake sincerity, reaching for my pocket. “We’re all classmates. What’s wrong with borrowing a card?” I slapped his hand away. “Get lost!” This completely enraged Tyler. His face darkened as he suddenly grabbed my collar. “You want to do this the hard way, huh?” The surrounding classmates, instead of stopping him, started egging him on: “Beat him up! Think he’s all that because he’s rich?” “Stop putting on airs. It’s just a stupid card!” Seeing that I wouldn’t back down, Tyler swung a fist at my face. I dodged to the side, grabbing his wrist and twisting it hard. “Ah!” He cried out in pain, stumbling backward. Seeing this, Olivia screamed, “Jack Wilson! How dare you fight back?!” She rushed forward to claw at my face. I pushed her away and quickly pulled out my phone, dialing 91

“Officer, I’m at XX University, 3rd floor of the teaching building. Someone is trying to rob me, deliberately damaging my property, and assaulting me.” Olivia’s face changed dramatically. She lunged at me. “Are you crazy?!” She snatched my phone and, without even looking, threw it out the window. Crack! The phone shattered on the concrete below. The classroom fell silent for a second. But to their surprise, in less than ten minutes, police sirens were heard outside. When the police entered the classroom, Tyler and Olivia’s faces instantly turned pale. “Who called the police?” the lead officer asked, looking around. “I did,” I raised my hand. “They tried to rob me and smashed my phone.” The officer looked at the scattered items on the floor, then at my broken game console and the smashed phone outside the window. He frowned. “What happened here?” Tyler immediately put on an innocent act. “Officer, it’s a misunderstanding! We were just joking around!” Olivia quickly chimed in. “Yes, yes, it was just a prank between classmates!” Other classmates also started testifying. I coldly scanned the room. These people were exactly the same as when they gave false testimony in my previous life. The officer let out a cold laugh. “Smashing phones and hitting people, you call that a joke?” Mr. Johnson, our counselor, rushed in, his face ashen. “What’s going on here?! Causing such a scene at school?!” The officer briefly explained the situation. After listening, Mr. Johnson glared at Tyler. “You again!” Tyler tried to argue, but the evidence was irrefutable. In the end, under the police’s mediation, Tyler and Olivia had to compensate me for my phone and game console, and apologize publicly. As we left the office, Olivia lowered her voice, gritting her teeth, “Jack Wilson, you just wait!” Looking at her twisted expression, I suddenly smiled. “Sure, I’ll be waiting.” While packing my things in the dorm, I felt like someone had gone through my stuff, but nothing was missing, so I didn’t think much of it. Just as I walked out of the school, a black Maybach stopped in front of me. “Young Master Wilson, the old master has important matters to discuss. He needs you to come home immediately.” Mr. Wang, the butler, didn’t let me speak, just pulled me into the car. That evening, my father pushed two documents in front of me, his gaze sharp behind his gold-rimmed glasses. “Jack, this is your last chance to choose. The $30 billion family trust fund inheritance rights, or a monthly allowance of $1,500.” “The $30 billion has already been deposited into your Swiss bank card. As soon as you sign, you can access that money and take over the family business.” The crystal chandelier behind my father refracted blinding light. I squinted, momentarily seeing that car rushing towards me again, hearing the crunch of bones being crushed. Tyler’s vicious grin from my previous life’s death still echoed in my ears. “I choose the $1,500 monthly allowance,” I said.

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Everyone in the city’s elite circles knew I was Julian Thorne’s ultimate favorite. For six whole years, I was the only woman Julian Thorne allowed near him. Rumor had it he was completely untouched, hadn’t even looked at another woman, much less touched one. My cheeks flushed at the thought. Only I knew that Julian Thorne had kissed every inch of me on my eighteenth birthday. “Stella, hurry up and grow up so you can marry me.” But when my aunt and I were both kidnapped and drugged with a powerful aphrodisiac, and he had to choose just one of us… He chose my aunt without a moment’s hesitation. He stayed with her at a hotel, indulging her every desire for what felt like nine long days and nights. His kidnappers broke my fingers and dumped me in a derelict beggars’ den. I had to disfigure my own face, ruining my stunning looks, just to protect my innocence. When I finally escaped, Julian Thorne immediately forced me to sign over my father’s entire inheritance to my aunt. “Stella, at least you still have me. But Amber… she has absolutely nothing left.” I stared at Amber’s face, almost identical to mine, and it suddenly hit me. All these years, I was just her replacement. A stand-in. Six years of exclusive devotion was just a privilege he’d given to her through me. I didn’t cry or make a scene. I calmly called the formidable, reclusive heir, Liam Knight. “Liam, I agree to marry you.”

My consciousness was fading, but then a familiar figure finally appeared in my blurred vision. “Julian, I feel awful.” My voice was hoarse. I struggled to look up, but Julian Thorne’s gaze was fixed on Amber White. He tossed two large duffel bags full of cash onto the floor, his voice cold. “I brought the five million dollars you asked for. Now, let them go, can’t you?” Amber whimpered, tears streaming down her face. “Julian!” Julian Thorne frowned, annoyed, then anxiously rushed towards Amber. It felt like a bucket of icy water had been dumped over my head, chilling my blood to the core. When Julian Thorne was about a yard away from Amber, the kidnapper carelessly tossed the detonator in his hand. “Julian Thorne, you can only save one.” “I gave them both the strongest aphrodisiac. Only a man can cure it.” “One will be pampered beneath you.” “The other… will be thrown into the streets, a plaything for countless men, tossed aside like trash.” He laughed maniacally, his eyes darting between the three of us. My hair stood on end, tears of terror welled up, and I screamed desperately. “Julian, please, take me with you!” “I’m scared, I’m so scared…” Julian Thorne hesitated, his brows tightly furrowed as he looked at me. “I want to save both of them. Name your price.” The kidnapper’s laugh was chilling. His palm slid across my chest, pinching the tender flesh until it bruised. “No, you can only pick one.” I cried out in pain, but then I saw Julian Thorne had already untied Amber’s ropes. He tenderly brushed over the red marks on her wrists, pulling her into his embrace and gently soothing her. “Don’t be scared, Amber. I’m here.” I gathered every ounce of strength I had, trying to awaken Julian Thorne’s love for me. “Julian, don’t leave me here alone!” Julian Thorne took a small step, and Amber leaned into his chest, her eyes heavy with desire, her hands fumbling with his buttons. “Julian, I’m so hot. Please help me, okay?” He frowned, looking conflicted, his voice low and hoarse. His words shattered my world, sending me straight to hell. “Amber’s honor…it’s critical right now, Stella. She can’t wait.” “They won’t dare touch you. Just wait for me. I’ll come back for you after I’ve settled her.” As soon as he finished speaking, Julian Thorne impatiently picked up Amber and rushed out of the warehouse. My mind went completely blank. I numbly stared at Julian Thorne’s decisive retreating back, tears streaming down my face. The kidnapper crudely patted my cheek, then dragged an iron bar from the corner. “Oh dear, Julian Thorne doesn’t want you anymore.” “But I heard he cares a lot about you.” “Tell me, if I were to cripple your hand, would he get angry?” Before I could react, the thick iron bar slammed down on the knuckles of my left hand. My face went pale, and a metallic taste filled my mouth. It hurt so much, like my flesh was being ripped from my bones. After my five fingers were shattered, I was roughly thrown into the trunk of a car and driven to a bridge underpass where the beggars lived.

When I opened my eyes again, a beggar was tearing at my clothes, pulling at my chest. I scrambled backward, my hand finding a stone. I nervously scanned my surroundings. “Get away! All of you, get away from me!” The beggar laughed, showing his yellowed teeth, and quickly snatched the stone from my hand. “Don’t struggle. Let us brothers take good care of you.” My whole body felt weak. I suddenly kicked the man off me, grabbed the stone, and aimed it fiercely at my wrist, where my main artery was. I bit the inside of my cheek, forcing myself to stay awake. “If you dare come any closer, I’ll kill myself!” “If this gets big, the police won’t let you go. And Julian will make sure all of you pay for this.” Perhaps my threatening aura intimidated them, as they hesitated and didn’t dare approach. After all, I was wearing a diamond-studded dress and matching jewelry. I didn’t look like an ordinary person. My whole body burned, and I groaned in discomfort. Excruciating pain spread from my left hand. I stumbled and fell to my knees on the ground. The beggars eyed me eagerly, slowly stepping closer again. A few car horns honked from the bridge above. A pair of dark eyes stared down at me. My pupils constricted. Like grasping at a last straw, I cried out for help, “Liam Knight, save me!” In a matter of moments, Liam Knight’s bodyguards had thrown all the beggars into the lake and carried me into a car. I leaned against the car window, my nostrils filled with the scent of cedarwood from Liam. My breathing was heavy, and he immediately noticed something was wrong with me. “Stella, what’s wrong?” But as soon as his hand reached out, I grabbed it and pressed it against my cheek. “Liam, I feel awful…” His eyes turned cold. He lowered the partition, cutting off the bodyguards’ view. “To the hospital.” My whole body was burning hot. I tore at my clothes, desperate for a sliver of coolness. Liam Knight held my hands down and carefully poured mineral water into my mouth. He was so cool and smelled so good. I instinctively nestled into his arms, my hands restlessly roaming. “So hot, I feel awful…” Liam Knight restrained my hands and urged his bodyguards to speed up. My mind slowly cleared. I stared at the needle in the back of my hand. The nurse gently put a cast on my left hand, a sympathetic look on her face. “How did the patient get hurt so badly?” My heart ached. Julian Thorne kissing these very hands suddenly flashed through my mind. Julian Thorne loved to hear me play the piano more than anything. Every time a song ended, he would gallantly kiss my hands, caressing my knuckles, unable to let go. “Stella’s hands are the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.” “They’ll look even better when they wear the ring I designed myself.” I snapped back to reality and asked, full of hope, “Nurse, can I still play the piano?” She shook her head regretfully. “Forget playing the piano. If it doesn’t heal well, you won’t even be able to pick things up in the future.” My phone chimed. It seemed Julian Thorne had finally remembered me. I unlocked my phone, and a video popped up. Julian Thorne passionately kissed Amber White’s lips, tearing her clothes to shreds. Their naked bodies intertwined, the sounds of their intimate gasps echoing. “Amber, I truly love you so much.” “You’re finally back in the country. I’ve missed you so much. I can’t live without you.” “I waited for you for six whole years only to realize that no one can replace you.” Amber sensually clawed at Julian Thorne’s back, then triumphantly looked directly at the camera. She asked in a sweet, cooing voice, “Did you treat Stella as my replacement, that’s why you pampered her so much?” The man nodded without hesitation, sealing her words with another kiss.

My phone slipped from my grasp, shattering into pieces on the floor. The sounds of the entwined man and woman abruptly ceased, but I clearly heard the sound of my own heart fracturing. Tears splashed onto the screen. Liam Knight rolled his wheelchair over to me. He wiped the tears from my eyes, his voice low and hoarse. “Don’t cry. You deserve better.” Liam Knight arranged my hospital stay. For nine full days, Julian Thorne didn’t come looking for me once. But during those nine days, he and Amber trended on Ins countless times. Paparazzi photos showed Julian had booked an entire hotel, spending days in his suite, seemingly tireless with a woman. The photos only showed half of the woman’s body, but it was clear Julian Thorne lavished her with extreme affection. The woman’s waist and arms were covered in hickeys, and a lustrous, emerald-green bracelet hung on her wrist. That was the Thorne family heirloom. Julian had personally promised me: “Stella, when you’re older, you’ll be the most respected woman in the Thorne family.” A sharp pain pierced my chest. I silently waited for the last IV drip to finish. Liam Knight dropped me off at the Thorne family mansion. Before he left, he pressed a new phone into my palm. “Call me if you need anything.” The White family and the Knight family had long been close, generations of family friends. When my parents were still alive, our families had even discussed an engagement. But I was so utterly obsessed with Julian, I swore I’d marry no one else, and gradually drifted away from my childhood sweetheart, Liam. I pushed open the villa’s front door. Julian, who claimed to be a germaphobe, was meticulously peeling a mango for Amber White. Amber provocatively glanced at me, then familiarly snuggled into Julian Thorne’s arms. Julian Thorne stood up guiltily, offering the freshly peeled mango towards my mouth. But I was allergic to mangoes. Even a tiny bit could be deadly. I forced a bitter smile. The stinging pain all over my body was nothing compared to the agony in my heart. Julian Thorne was a cruel executioner, torturing me slowly, leaving me utterly broken, as if by a thousand cuts. He gently wiped the remaining juice from my lips. “Sweet?” I didn’t answer. Then Julian Thorne pulled a property transfer agreement from his briefcase. The beneficiary was Amber White. The tight string in my brain snapped with a buzzing sound. I raised my voice in disbelief. “Julian Thorne, you want me to transfer all my property to my parents’ killer?” He frowned, displeased, his eyes cold enough to kill. “Amber just made some mistakes in her youth. How is that ‘killing your parents’?” Amber White had been envious of my father’s expanding company and deliberately sold our business secrets to a rival company. That rival company had then tracked my father’s whereabouts and deliberately engineered a car accident, causing my parents to perish in a fiery car crash. Julian Thorne had taken me in and raised me in the Thorne family mansion, promising to thoroughly investigate the accident for me. Everyone involved in the crash’s conspiracy had been sent to prison, except for Amber White, who fled to another country to seek refuge. I bit the inside of my cheek, snatching Julian Thorne’s phone to scroll through years of bank transfer records. For six years, every single month, he’d wired ten million dollars to Amber’s account. Amber White walked over, feigning sincerity. “Stella, don’t be mad at Julian.” “It’s all my fault. If only I hadn’t come back, Julian wouldn’t have to force you…” She cried, a picture of delicate sorrow. But Julian Thorne, a sucker for her tears, forcibly grabbed my wrist and scolded me. “Stella, for years you’ve been the city’s most pampered princess, someone I truly cherished.” “You have everything. Why do you still have to fight Amber for these small things?”

Like a madwoman, I struggled fiercely to break free from Julian Thorne’s grasp, but then I heard his subtle threat. “Don’t forget, the cemetery where your parents are buried is currently up for bidding.” “If you don’t behave, I can’t guarantee they’ll rest in peace.” The day my parents were buried, Julian Thorne had tenderly held me, promising sincerely: “Stella, I’ll take good care of you in your parents’ stead.” “You still have me; you can still rely on me.” Julian Thorne used to accompany me to the cemetery every year to pay respects to my parents, referring to himself as my husband in front of their tombstone. “Don’t worry, elders. I will protect Stella for life and make her the happiest woman in the world.” The familiar face was now utterly foreign. My tears flowed freely. Amber White softly pushed the agreement towards me, her eyes filled with greed. “Stella, as long as you sign, I’ll disappear from your sight immediately.” “I promise, I’ll never bother you and Julian again.” But the next second, she quickly rushed into the bathroom and dry-heaved violently. Julian Thorne glared fiercely at me, then yelled at the butler. “What are you waiting for? Call the family doctor!” My health was never good; I was always battling some illness or another. So Julian Thorne had hired a family doctor at a high cost, on call for me twenty-four hours a day. The doctor rushed over, panicked when he saw my body covered in red rashes, and frantically rummaged through his medical bag. But Julian Thorne stormed over, completely losing his composure. “Can’t you see Amber is in pain?!” “Get over here now!” The doctor looked at me helplessly, but I shook my head, my nails digging deep into my flesh, drawing blood. In those brief minutes, the doctor cast a sympathetic glance at me, then congratulated Amber White. “Ms. White, you’re… positive pregnancy!” I felt like I’d been struck by lightning, unable to move. I mechanically repeated the doctor’s words. “Positive pregnancy?” Julian Thorne’s face lit up with joy. He cupped Amber White’s face and kissed her, their noses touching. “Amber, this is our child.” Amber White knelt down in front of me with a thud, crying tears of regret. “Stella, it’s not that I want to take things from you.” “Julian and I were both drunk that night. It’s all my fault for not pushing him away.” She desperately kowtowed, begging me not to be angry with her, claiming the child was innocent. Julian Thorne almost always stayed by my side until I fell asleep, except for the night Amber White returned to the country. That night was also my twentieth birthday. After Julian Thorne placed a tiara on my head, he reluctantly told me that something had come up at the company, requiring his immediate attention. He left in a hurry, but when he returned, he was covered in a woman’s sickly sweet perfume. “Stella, I accidentally got it on me during a business dinner.” “You know, you’re the only one in my heart.” I looked at Amber White’s face, identical to mine, and understood everything. The atmosphere around me dropped. I slapped Amber White hard across the face. Immediately after, a burning sting appeared on my own cheek. “Stella, you’re being utterly unreasonable!” “Amber was generous enough to leave you the position of Mrs. Thorne!” I clutched my swollen face and sneered. “Julian Thorne, do you now expect me to be grateful to her and hand over everything with both hands?” “Dream on!” Julian Thorne’s face was ashen. He clenched his jaw, looking at the butler. “Take Ms. White to the attic! She’s become increasingly unruly and ill-mannered!” My body felt weak, and I was dragged by bodyguards, my hands pinned, utterly unable to resist. But the next second, the tightly shut front door was violently kicked open. A low male voice resonated. “Who dares lay a hand on my fiancée?” Liam Knight’s bodyguards rescued me. I collapsed into his arms, accidentally pressing on my bandaged left hand. “It hurts.”

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My relationship with my wife is complicated. I give her $8,000 a month for living expenses. The house and car are in our daughter’s name. To outsiders, I’m the perfect husband. But I have a secret. I know she knows. She knows I know she knows. But we both… pretend not to know. I thought we could go on like this forever, in our unspoken agreement. But one day, she suddenly said to me: “It’s been hard these past few years. Let’s get divorced.” “I’ve transferred this month’s money to you,” I said casually, lounging on the sofa and addressing Sophia’s back. She was bent over, feeding the gecko in its terrarium. After a while, she slowly straightened up and turned to me with a smile. “Yes, I’ve received it.” Her voice was as gentle and warm as ever, matching her overall demeanor. I paused, then spoke again: “Oh, there’s something I need to tell you. I have to fly to Jiuzhaigou for a few days tomorrow. Work’s been stressful lately, and the team’s been clamoring for a change of scenery to relax, so…” “In that case, why don’t you stay a few extra days? Do you need me to pack for you?” she asked, standing at a comfortable distance. A faint smile played on her lips. “No need. There are, uh, some spare clothes at the office,” I replied. She nodded, then added as an afterthought: “The temperature varies a lot in the mountains. Remember to bring a jacket, or you might end up sick in the hospital again.” As she said this, her expression was serious and sincere, clearly genuinely concerned about my health. I couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Sophia was a gentle soul. That was everyone’s unanimous impression of her, including mine. Throughout our marriage, she had been exemplary, truly deserving of the title “virtuous wife and loving mother.” She devoted herself to raising and nurturing our daughter Chloe; For me, she was endlessly accommodating and attentive. Last year, when I was hospitalized with pneumonia after getting caught in the rain, she was constantly bustling about, making me nourishing soups and seeking out traditional remedies. The doctor said it would normally take a month to recover, but I was better in just two weeks. Still not satisfied, she repeatedly confirmed with the doctor: “Are you sure he’s fully recovered? Can he go back to work now?” Only after receiving the doctor’s assurance did she seem to let out a long-held breath. I knew with absolute certainty. Sophia loved me. Apart from our daughter, I was her whole world. Any small matter concerning me became the center of her universe; a minor illness or pain was enough to consume her entirely… I really shouldn’t have been leaving at this time. In two days, it would be the death anniversary of her parents. They had died in a car accident, and following their wishes, their ashes were scattered in the mountains. The annual memorial trip required a grueling four to five-hour hike. In fact, Sophia and I first met during one of my hiking trips, when I encountered her making the solitary journey to pay respects to her parents. It wasn’t safe for a woman alone in the wilderness, so after we got together, I made it a point to accompany her every year without fail. But. Zoe had been in a mood lately. I had promised to take her to Jiuzhaigou to cheer her up.

The next morning, I had barely settled into my office chair when Zoe burst in, wearing a bright red floral dress. “So, did you and the wifey have a passionate reunion last night?” she teased, perching on my desk and swinging her legs. I took a sip of the coffee my secretary had prepared. “We’ve been sleeping in separate rooms for years now, as you well know.” Zoe smirked and scoffed. “Separate rooms? That’s nothing. It’s just a matter of going through one door and into another. Didn’t you once dramatically threaten to kill yourself over your wife?” I looked at her helplessly. “You know I promised Sophia I’d go home at least twice a week to be with Chloe, no matter how busy work gets. I’m purely there for our daughter; you’re reading too much into it.” Zoe was silent for a moment, then tilted her head. “No, I want you to prove it to me.” I laughed. “How am I supposed to do that?” She bit her lip lightly, using the tip of her high heel to nudge my crotch. “Let it prove it.” I glanced at the half-open office door. “There are people outside. We’re flying to Chengdu this afternoon anyway, so tonight we can—” Before I could finish, Zoe’s hand was already reaching for me… with practiced ease. “They won’t come in if they see me here. Besides, isn’t it more exciting with people around?” she purred. Zoe had been insatiable lately, her desires reaching alarming levels. She would also get angry suddenly, and I often didn’t even know why. To avoid trouble, I had been trying to go along with her whims. I caught her wandering hand, chuckling, “Try to keep it down a bit, will you?” “Make me!” she challenged. “…” Zoe was my business partner and my lover. We had been together for four years. She and Sophia were two completely different types of women. If Sophia was a gentle, harmless rabbit, then Zoe was a lioness. Confident, proud, vibrant, always brimming with strength and courage. Zoe and I were both VPs at local investment banks, originally competitors from different companies. After crossing paths in various professional settings, we developed a mutual admiration. She was a firm believer in never marrying or having children. Her bold declaration was well-known in the industry: “I make $200,000 a year, I’m rich, beautiful, and capable. Why would I need a man or a child to lower my quality of life?” This statement made her an idol among her female subordinates, who saw her as a role model for women. I suppose many men go through a complex process of struggle, hesitation, and testing before they cheat. But I later realized that when the time, place, and person are all right, the brain doesn’t have time to think. Like my first time with Zoe. It was at an industry dinner. We’d had a few drinks, and we ran into each other in the elevator on the way back to our rooms. Somehow, we ended up kissing passionately. The elevator doors opened and closed, but we couldn’t bear to part. We stumbled into the room, barely making it inside. We didn’t even make it to the bed. It happened right there against the door. … The coffee had gone cold. I stood up, wiping lipstick off my pants. Zoe sat on the desk, touching up her makeup. Her phone on the table rang, and she casually picked it up, giggling as she read the message. “Your wife says she’s prepared some medicine for you and is having it delivered. She doesnd some medicine for you and is’t want you to get sick while in Jiuzhaigou. Hah, I have to admit, I can’t compete with that level of devotion!” Whenever Zoe mentioned Sophia to me, she never used her name or called her “your wife.” She always said “that woman of yours,” as if Sophia wasn’t even worth mentioning. She probably thought the only reason Sophia was still my wife in name was because Zoe herself adhered to her no-marriage policy. Because she had no interest in competing for the position. After all, in terms of looks, education, and ability, the two women weren’t even in the same league. So in Zoe’s mind, Sophia’s current comfortable life was something she had graciously allowed her to have. I suddenly felt an inexplicable irritation rising within me. I snatched the phone away, snapping, “She’s still my wife. If she doesn’t care about me, who will? You?” Zoe froze, staring at me in shock.

Zoe was angry. She put on her underwear stiffly and stomped out in her high heels. In the past, when she acted like this, I would have rushed after her, apologizing and trying to smooth things over. But this time, watching her slam the door shut, I found I had no desire to move. The sunlight outside was bright and energetic. I sank into my chair, closing my eyes in exhaustion. At some point, Sophia’s face popped into my mind. Lately, I seemed to be frequently recalling our past together. Sophia was a biology teacher at a public high school. She was small and slender, with skin a few shades paler than most. She spoke softly and always wore a faint smile. Her eyes were actually quite beautiful. When she focused on someone, they were liquid and bright, reminding me of a celebrity crush from my youth. But in recent years, she always wore glasses. Through the reflective lenses, I often found it hard to discern certain emotions in her eyes. I remembered how she looked when I first met her. On that hiking trip, I had been bitten by a snake. My foot was so swollen I couldn’t walk. I was in the middle of nowhere, feeling desperate and helpless. Then Sophia appeared, wearing a black windbreaker and carrying a backpack, descending the mountain path with light, graceful steps. I felt both joy and disappointment. She looked so small and fragile, not at all like someone who could help. But after carefully examining my injury, she calmly told me it wasn’t a venomous snake bite. Then she left for a while, returning with a handful of herbs. She chewed some up and applied the paste to my wound. An hour later, my foot, which had swollen to the size of a bun, gradually returned to normal. I could walk again, albeit with difficulty. I asked her in amazement who she was, saying she must be an angel sent from heaven to save me in my time of need. She smiled and said, “I’m a high school biology teacher.” That day, I leaned on her slight frame as we slowly made our way down the mountain. … My affair with Zoe was a secret, separate from my ordinary life. Men, after all, have many facets. When I first entered the workforce, I was a green rookie. I couldn’t hold my liquor at business dinners or assert myself in negotiations. One day, after a meal, an industry veteran patted me on the shoulder and said: “Act the part for whatever situation you’re in. The sooner a man understands this, the more successful he’ll be.” It was an epiphany for me. From then on, I put this advice into practice. Sure enough, as the veteran had said, my career took off, and I found myself living a more relaxed and uninhibited life. As for Sophia. I played my part as a husband well, to the fullest. That made me a successful husband. And her a happy wife. My affair with Zoe was a different aspect of my life, one Sophia had no need to be involved in! But paper can’t wrap up fire forever, and Zoe was never one for discretion. Six months later, Sophia found out. As luck would have it, Zoe and Chloe shared the same birthday. Zoe was big on celebrations, and it was our first birthday together, so naturally I had to be with her. I apologetically told my wife and daughter that I had to go on a two-day business trip and would miss the birthday. Chloe was 8 at the time, a quiet girl just like her mother. She came up to me, shyly kissed me on the cheek, and said in a soft voice: “It’s okay, Daddy.” “Take care, Daddy.” We had originally planned to spend two secluded days in a hotel, but Zoe suddenly had a craving for a particular dessert and insisted on going out to buy it. At the dessert shop, as Zoe was playfully smearing cream on my nose, I looked up and saw Sophia and Chloe. They were standing there hand in hand, looking surprised. Their first reaction wasn’t suspicion or anger, but delight. “Honey, you’re back!” “Daddy, did you come to buy my birthday cake too?” Zoe glanced at them, then sauntered to the side, casually eating her cake with a spoon. I quickly composed myself and smiled, “Yes! I came back early to surprise you.” Mother and daughter joyfully came to take my hands. “Thank you, Daddy!” Chloe’s face bloomed like a flower. Zoe suddenly spoke up in a casual tone: “Mr. Chen, didn’t we agree to work on the project all night? Have you forgotten?” Sophia turned to look at Zoe. Her expression slightly clouded. Zoe met her gaze with a smile. I made a quick decision. In that situation, denying Zoe’s words would only raise suspicion. So I slapped my forehead, exclaiming, “Oh no, how could I have forgotten about that!” I looked at Sophia apologetically. Sophia stared at me for a moment, then quietly asked: “Honey, do you really have to go?” I nodded solemnly. “Yes, this project is crucial. I can’t skip it.” I ordered the most expensive princess birthday cake for Chloe, making her clap her hands in delight. “Thank you, Daddy! You’re the best!” As Zoe and I were leaving, I glanced back. Sophia stood on the busy sidewalk, holding Chloe’s hand, watching us silently. The setting sun behind her created a blinding halo. I squinted. Her face was a bit blurry. That night, I punished Zoe severely for her careless words earlier. She squirmed and laughed. “Hah, looks like all those thousands you give her every month are wasted. You don’t even have the guts to stand up to her!” An inexplicable anger burned inside me, and I became even rougher. The next afternoon, I really did receive an urgent assignment requiring a week-long business trip. I rushed home from the hotel to pack some things. On the way, I called Sophia, wanting her to prepare some clothes for me in advance. She didn’t answer. I called again, and this time she hung up on me. Irritated, I returned home with a dark expression. But the house was empty and quiet. During summer vacation, Sophia rarely went out, usually staying home to tutor Chloe. Yet today, of all days, she was nowhere to be found. Fuming, I hastily packed a few clothes myself. As I went into the study to get my laptop, I noticed the screen wasn’t fully closed.

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After Swapping Bodies with My CEO Husband, I Blew $3 Million to Make My Favorite Actress a Star She bashfully resisted yet yielded, coyly saying, “Mr. Mitchell, let’s talk about this…” At this critical moment, my CEO husband kicked open the door. Wearing my face, he exuded a chilling aura as he said, “You dare to cheat on me?” 0 I made my favorite actress a star. That night, a photo of her gazing lovingly at business tycoon Lucas Mitchell on the awards stage went viral. The media jumped on it, dubbing her the most likely celebrity to marry into wealth this year. What they didn’t know was that Lucas Mitchell was already married. To me – Chloe Quinn, the controversial A-list actress with a less-than-stellar reputation. A week ago, while getting my makeup done, the stylist accidentally knocked over some electrical equipment. I was electrocuted and passed out. When I woke up, I found myself sitting in Lucas Mitchell’s spacious office. His secretary was asking with her head lowered, “Which of these candidates do you want as our brand ambassador?” I immediately spotted my favorite – Zoe Young. Without hesitation, I pointed and said, “It has to be her.” The secretary then asked, “What’s the budget?” “The more the better.” The company executives tacitly agreed and poured $3 million into promoting her. Now, she was famous. And the rumors were flying. I had been hiding out for three days, not daring to go home. At that moment, “Chloe Quinn” popped up on my phone screen. The vibration felt like a knife hanging over my head. I nervously answered the call. My own icy voice came through the speaker: “You have 30 minutes to get back here.” How is it that when Lucas Mitchell uses my body to speak, he can make even a woman’s voice sound so chilling? To be honest, Lucas Mitchell had always been quite cold towards me. My best friend once analyzed the reason: “Lucas Mitchell comes from an elite family with a strict upbringing. Your face, on the other hand, doesn’t exactly scream ‘proper lady’.” “?” She continued, “You look like a seductive vixen who could suck the life out of men.” I admit, at first I didn’t have pure intentions about marrying him either. It was my entertainment company’s CEO who gave me the idea. He said Lucas Mitchell was our company’s arch-nemesis and told me to seduce him. If I succeeded, our company would become the industry leader, and I’d be their top star. But on the day we planned to execute this scheme, something went wrong and I ended up getting drunk. I woke up sprawled on top of Lucas Mitchell in a compromising position, caught red-handed by his mother. So Lucas Mitchell had no choice but to marry me. He probably didn’t like me much either. Bound by his upbringing, he married an embarrassing trophy wife and left me to fend for myself in the entertainment industry. My CEO told me to hang in there, and when the time was right, he’d rescue me. I waited for three years, relying on controversy to become an A-list actress, but still couldn’t escape. Three days ago, Lucas Mitchell and I switched bodies, and our lives were thrown into complete chaos. 0

The quiet suburban neighborhood was silent in the dead of night. I reluctantly returned home. As soon as I turned on the lights, I saw the gorgeous actress “Chloe Quinn” sitting cross-legged on a chair in the living room, directly facing the door, with a condescending look. Those snow-white legs, that long slender swan-like neck, that one-in-a-million face. Damn, I’m really beautiful. The next moment, I caught his murderous gaze and my knees went weak. I fell to the ground with a thud. Lucas Mitchell let out a cold laugh. “Chloe Quinn, did you enjoy spending that $3 million?” I swallowed hard. “I’ll earn it back for you?” “How?” “By stirring up some gossip, of course.” I crawled up from the cold floor, pulled up a small stool, and sat down in front of Lucas Mitchell with an ingratiating smile. “Think about it, now’s the perfect time for you to stir up some rumors with Zoe Young. If we do it a few times, take some endorsements, shoot some magazine covers – the money will come rolling back in, right?” Lucas Mitchell gave me a meaningful look. “Chloe Quinn, I’m married to you.” “Yeah, so what’s the prob-” I suddenly stopped short. Oh right, the Mitchell family had strict rules. This kind of scandalous news was strictly forbidden. We couldn’t do it. “So what do we do?” I was stumped. Lucas Mitchell pulled out my phone and calmly called my agent: “Are there any dating reality shows? I want to participate.” My face turned green. “Are you trying to get me hated to death?” Lucas Mitchell glanced at me sideways. “What do you mean?” I hung my head and fell silent. My agent had repeatedly warned me that with my face, everything I did seemed calculated. I attracted hate easily, and my mouth was faster than my brain, so I should never go on reality shows. Last year I didn’t believe him and went on a reality show. I gained over 100,000 anti-fans. Even now, people still flood my social media calling me brainless. “You have to go too,” he added. I looked up in confusion, seeing the innocent “Lucas Mitchell” through “Chloe Quinn’s” eyes. He smiled, his slender index finger gently lifting my chin. “If I stir up rumors with you, it won’t violate family rules.” Faced with this drastically changed version of myself, I suddenly blushed, my nose growing hot. “Um, I have another question.” “Go ahead.” “When you showered… did you look at my body?” Surely my perfect waist-to-hip ratio and killer curves must have captivated him? “…I didn’t look,” he answered, his voice a bit stiff. I shyly said, “Then I’ll go take a shower too-” Before I could finish, my face started heating up, my gaze unconsciously drifting downward. Lucas Mitchell quickly held my chin, tilting it back up. “No showering. Go to sleep.” “But I’ll stink.” “Then stink.” 0

It’s safe to say this was the most star-studded cast ever assembled for a dating reality show. The red-hot newcomer Zoe Young, the controversial A-lister Chloe Quinn, and several other big-name actresses. For the men, there was even a real business tycoon participating. As soon as Lucas Mitchell’s name was announced, it instantly became the top entertainment headline. “I knew Zoe Young and Lucas Mitchell had something going on!” “Chasing his wife all the way onto a reality show – the ship I’ve been rooting for is becoming real!” “Calling it now, they’ll be married sooner or later.” “Chloe Quinn is the most beautiful!” One of my fans interjected randomly. “What are you butting in for? True fans follow their idol’s lead. Brainless.” Before heading to the set, I gave Lucas Mitchell a million reminders: “Don’t wear heavy makeup, don’t talk too much, be friendly to the other female contestants, and don’t stare at men randomly.” Lucas Mitchell sat in the van with his arms crossed and eyes closed, looking more like he was going to crash a party. I had no idea if he’d heard me or not. There was a big screen in the villa where everyone could see real-time comments from viewers online. As soon as I entered, I saw the screen filled with hearts floating by like flower petals scattered by fairies. “Zoe Young and Lucas Mitchell forever!” “Mr. Mitchell is here to chase his wife!” Just when the atmosphere in the comments was at its most heated, “Chloe Quinn” and Zoe Young entered together. Zoe Young wore a white fringed strapless mini dress, looking sweet and charming as she waved gracefully at the camera. Noticing me staring at her, she suddenly blushed from her face to her ears and hid a bit behind “Chloe Quinn”. The camera followed, immediately revealing a sour face on screen. Clearly, Mr. Mitchell hadn’t gotten over the body-swap nightmare and was equally disgusted with everyone. The comments instantly changed direction: “Get lost, stop blocking my baby’s screen time.” “Where did this corpse face come from? Scared me to death!” “Zoe baby, stay away from her!” Lucas Mitchell took in the audience’s reactions, giving the camera a very cold glance. “What’s with her expression? Looking down on us?” “No way, even Chloe Quinn is looking down on people now!” “Chloe is the best!” “Get out of here, hater.” I sighed inwardly. I was used to it by now. No matter what I did, I only attracted hate. I just hoped Lucas Mitchell could keep a low profile. If he didn’t say anything, I’d be grateful. But the next second, there was a ripping sound as Zoe Young’s dress tore open, the long skirt becoming a short one. The culprit was “Chloe Quinn’s” high heel. An awkward silence fell over the scene. “Damn, Chloe Quinn did that on purpose, right?” “She was pretty manipulative on that show last year too. Causing drama as soon as she arrives.” Zoe Young lowered her head. “It’s okay, I’m sure she didn’t mean to.” Lucas Mitchell looked her over thoughtfully, casually saying “Sorry.” The audience was displeased again. “What kind of attitude is that?” Afraid the situation would escalate and attract more hate, I quickly tried to smooth things over. “Zoe, why don’t you go change clothes?” Zoe Young turned and left, looking pitiful and wronged. Lucas Mitchell stood in place, silently watching me. This gaze made my heart inexplicably skip a beat. I thought about it, but there was nothing to explain. At a Mitchell family banquet last year, his female business partner Victoria Xu bumped into me, spilling red wine on herself. As she wiped it off, she said, “Miss Quinn is new here, it’s understandable if she doesn’t know how things work. I’m fine.” And I, like an idiot, stood there holding an empty wine glass, trying to explain to Lucas Mitchell: “She bumped into me.” Lucas Mitchell seemed not to hear, and just said to me: “If you’re done eating, you should head back soon.” If there was a bit of liking at first, after that night, I never thought about a future with him again. I still remember it was New Year’s Day, and it was snowing heavily. After leaving the Mitchell house, instead of going home, I flew to another province that night to film, and didn’t return for several months. The current situation was surprisingly similar to that day. Lucas Mitchell probably thought of what happened that day too, and tried to explain: “The dress accidentally got caught.” The comments went wild: “Chloe Quinn, have some shame.” I sighed. “I know. Be more careful next time.” 0

Zoe Young quickly changed into a new outfit, and everyone tacitly agreed not to mention the incident again. While making dinner, Zoe Young came over cradling a bowl of rice. “Lucas, let’s make rice together!” When she smiled, there was a small dimple at the corner of her mouth, sweet enough to melt hearts. Back when I used a secret account to vote for her, Zoe Young was still an unknown little actress. Now she had finally made it to the big screen and caught everyone’s attention. I felt gratified. Before I could answer, the number of comments suddenly skyrocketed. “Oh my god, has Chloe Quinn gone crazy? What is she doing?” Seeing the comments, my heart skipped a beat and I turned to look. I saw the curvaceous beauty holding a knife in her right hand and a rack of lamb in her left, raising it high and bringing it down hard. Accompanied by the sound of the cleaver hitting the cutting board, blood and bits splattered everywhere. My ribs ached in sympathy. Viewers: “Run! She’s a real butcher!” Chloe Quinn’s true fans: “Chloe, I genuinely like you, please stop embarrassing yourself.” The show’s crew, never ones to miss drama, pushed the camera in closer, capturing my full face. In those black pupils, the shattered lamb was reflected. Her expression was cold, extremely serious and confident. “She’s pretty efficient at this.” “Putting everything else aside, this girl’s skills are legit. She takes her acting seriously too.” Zoe Young cleared her throat. “Sister Chloe, I remember you were on a show last year where you didn’t know how to cook at all. Lamb is pretty expensive, won’t it go to waste?” With one sentence, she instantly turned the tide of opinion. “Yeah, don’t forget how she used to slack off.” “She’s just putting on an act, don’t take it too seriously.” That was when I got the most hate ever. I went with some seniors to gather firewood in the mountains. The path was slippery from rain, and I sprained my ankle. The firewood I had carried all the way down from the mountain was handed to another senior before the cameras started rolling. Everyone thought I hadn’t done anything. That night when we made dinner, my foot was swollen like a steamed bun. I could only watch everyone busy at work while I couldn’t help at all. Later, for the sake of ratings, the show editors cut things randomly. Plus I was naive then and spoke without filters, so I got labeled as “lazy and useless”. Zoe Young kept stirring the pot. “Lucas, why don’t you talk some sense into her?” I looked at Zoe Young sadly, thinking this daughter I had invested real money in all these years didn’t seem like a good person. What a waste. While Zoe Young turned her head to look for a bowl, I crouched down by the stove, hiding from the cameras as I tugged on his skirt hem, whispering: “Please save me some face…” With a thud, Lucas Mitchell stabbed the cleaver into the cutting board on the other side, smiling coldly at Zoe Young: “If I stop chopping, what will you all eat for dinner? Why don’t you take over?” After a brief moment of silence, the comments suddenly had someone cautiously post: “Why does she seem… kind of cool?” “I know right… this is totally girl boss energy.” My fans popped up again: “Ahhh, Chloe, just keep looking at me with that disgusted expression… I’m screaming, I’m melting…” “Someone call the psych ward, we’ve got a crazy one here.” Lucas Mitchell snorted and lowered his head again, chopping away at the lamb. I opened my phone and watched helplessly as a new trending topic slowly crawled up from the bottom, inching its way into the top 10, before finally reaching the peak. #CholeQuinn #ButcherBeauty# The carefully cultivated image of a refined celebrity actress that I had worked so hard on was ruined in an instant. The delicate female lead role I had fought tooth and nail for was probably going to fall through now too. At dinner, Zoe Young kept pouring me drinks and chatting with me. She talked about how difficult her journey had been all these years. As I listened, my eyes unconsciously welled up with tears. It’s true, as her top fan, of course I knew how much she had suffered. The show’s crew, never ones to miss drama, might as well have shoved the camera in my face. The comments all started egging us on. “Look, real feelings are developing.” “Mr. Mitchell is crying.” Little did they know, sitting across from us, “Chloe Quinn” cutting the lamb had darkened her face, coldly watching me. During the show’s intermission, I staggered out to the yard to get some air, fighting the effects of the alcohol. Lucas Mitchell was wrapped in a blanket, sitting in a wicker chair reading financial reports. The light cast my shadow onto the paper, and Lucas Mitchell paused his reading to look up. “Come here.” I reluctantly stood in front of him. “What?” Lucas Mitchell looked me over for a moment, then asked: “Have they always criticized you like this?” What is this? Sticking up for me? “I’ve heard much worse than this.” Our company was poor and couldn’t afford to hire PR teams. Plus with my unique way of becoming famous, they were extremely tolerant of haters. At first, I would hide under the covers and cry. Later, after being insulted so much, I felt like no one in the world liked me, so I simply stopped reading comments to avoid upsetting myself. As time went on, I grew numb to it. I sat next to him as we enjoyed the breeze. “The Mitchell family can afford good lawyers,” Lucas Mitchell said. Actually, I had looked into it before. When Lucas Mitchell wasn’t around, I was shut down in two or three sentences by his partner Victoria Xu – “Miss Quinn, the Mitchell family and someone from your entertainment background are simply not the same type of people. If Lucas gets involved in your affairs, it will only bring trouble to him and the Mitchell family. Please know your place.” I lowered my head, swinging my legs as I sat in the hanging chair. “There will always be people who find fault from angles you can’t predict. You can’t please everyone, so I just close my eyes and get through it…” After all, I’ve been on my own since I was little, relying only on myself for everything. If I had counted on Lucas Mitchell to stand up for me, I would have been finished long ago. The atmosphere fell into silence. Lucas Mitchell didn’t speak, but turned his head to carefully study me. I was the one who couldn’t stay quiet. “Mr. Mitchell, can I ask you for a favor?” I had never said the word “please” before. But tonight, I really couldn’t hold back anymore. As soon as I opened my mouth, I couldn’t help but start crying. “I don’t want to be the Butcher Beauty. Can you please not chop things tomorrow? I still want to play gentle female lead roles…” On my phone, the “Chloe Quinn Butcher” topic had already reached #1 on the entertainment rankings. “Why are they so fast…” I was a snotty, teary mess. “I’m supposed to be delicate and weak…” Lucas Mitchell pressed his lips together, his voice tight. “Stop crying. I’ll have them take down the trending topic.” He unlocked his phone and skillfully entered the first few digits of a number. The search bar popped up with “Victoria Xu”. “Hello? What is it?” Victoria Xu’s slightly arrogant voice came through the speaker. Lucas Mitchell froze for a moment, looking at me. I had tears streaked across my face, hiccuping as I used my own phone. It was a miracle I could even make the call. Lucas Mitchell frowned. “The #1 trending topic, please have it taken down as soon as possible.” After a brief silence, Victoria Xu’s light laughter suddenly came through the phone. “I’m sorry, Chloe Quinn. Even though you’re married to Mr. Mitchell, you don’t seem to have the authority to ask me to do anything.” With that, she hung up without hesitation. The night breeze blew freely, rustling the plastic vines overhead. The dial tone beeped mockingly. Lucas Mitchell furrowed his brow and asked: “Has she always treated you like this?” I wiped my face, stammering, “Not always. Sometimes I curse at her too.” “What do you call her?” I hung my head guiltily, like I had done something wrong. “Old duck…” “…” “She can’t out-curse me…” Seeing Lucas Mitchell’s inscrutable expression, I hurriedly added, “I’m sorry, I know I was wrong. I won’t curse anymore.” Lucas Mitchell slowly spoke: “It’s not that I’m against you cursing. I hope next time something like this happens, you’ll tell me.” Tell him what? Hello Mr. Mitchell, I’m about to start cursing? I absent-mindedly replied “Oh” and said, “I’m going to bed.” The show had prepared two rooms – one for the men and one for the women. Numbed by the alcohol, I pushed open the pink door without thinking. The scent of shower gel wafted over. “Oh my, Mr. Mitchell, what are you doing in here?” Zoe Young, wearing a bathrobe, bumped right into me, her little face quickly turning red. I came to my senses, my heart instantly leaping into my throat. Comments: “Whoa, what kind of plot twist is this?” “Mr. Mitchell, do you remember there’s a whole country watching on camera?” “Someone call the marriage registration office.” Alarm bells went off in my head. This is bad! “I’m so sorry, I went to the wrong room…” I tried to push Zoe Young away, but my tie suddenly tightened – Zoe Young’s hair clip had gotten caught on my tie clip. She clumsily fell into my arms, coyly resisting yet yielding as she clung to me saying, “Mr. Mitchell, let’s talk about this…” Things started developing in an uncontrollable direction. The show staff were also dumbfounded. The director was about to cut away when suddenly someone kicked open the door behind them. Lucas Mitchell, wearing my face, walked in exuding a chilling aura. “You dare to cheat on me?”

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I was obsessed with Liam for two years after we got married. He hated me. How much did he hate me? I was in a car accident, fractured multiple bones, and ended up staying in their hospital for half a year. He, a prominent orthopedic surgeon, never visited me once. No one liked me. Everyone said I was the one who drove Sierra away, that I was a heartless monster. Right after the accident, when I couldn’t move, everyone around him felt relieved for him. “Liam, you’re finally free for a while.” When it was time for me to be discharged, his friends all breathed a sigh of relief on his behalf. “Chloe’s getting out. She’s going to torment Liam again.” True to their word, the first thing I did after being discharged was find Liam. But it wasn’t to cling to him anymore. Instead, I handed him a document. “Liam, this is what you wanted.” “What?” I smiled softly. “Open it and see for yourself… Liam, I don’t want the house, I don’t want the car. I wish you even greater success in the future. I hope our paths never cross again.” After handing over the divorce papers, I stepped back and melted into the crowd.

“Nurse, what’s going on with the patient in the next bed? No one’s come to see her.” “Hmph, maybe she did too many rotten things. Everyone’s probably staying away from her.” Even while I was in a coma, I could hear conversations from outside. But in that dark world of unconsciousness, I struggled with every fiber of my being to wake up, yet I couldn’t. Finally, after countless attempts, a cup from the next bed clattered to the floor, the sound jolting me awake. “Oh my, dear, you’re awake!” Mrs. Stone gasped. I stared at the ceiling, unable to move a muscle. “Honey, I’m so sorry, did I scare you awake by dropping the cup?” No, I should have thanked her for dropping the cup. It was the shock that finally allowed me to open my eyes. No one knew how terrified, how utterly helpless I felt in that dark, comatose world.

Word of my awakening quickly reached the doctors. They came to examine me, saying it was a good sign that I’d finally woken up. But among all the doctors in their white coats, I didn’t see Liam. I hadn’t heard his voice while I was comatose. And he hadn’t shown up since I woke. “Where’s Liam?” A few doctors exchanged glances. “Dr. Ryan… he’s in surgery right now. He can’t come over.” “Oh.” “How’s my body doing?” “When the accident happened, you landed on the back of your head, resulting in significant bruising in your brain, which was the cause of your coma. You also suffered a fractured right hand, a severe fracture in your left thigh, and several other fractures and soft tissue contusions. In short, your injuries were very serious. As of yesterday, you had been unconscious for forty days. Thankfully, you were brought to the hospital quickly. The blood clots in your brain are slowly reabsorbing, and your fractures have been surgically repaired and casted. They’re healing well.”

Dinner time arrived. Mrs. Stone, from the next bed, fed her husband while turning to ask me, “Little girl, who is this Dr. Ryan you keep talking about? Is he someone very important to you?” He… he’s my husband. What kind of surgery takes eight hours? And he can’t even spare a moment to see his wife after she wakes up? I shook my head. “Just an acquaintance.” “Oh, I see.” “What about your family?” Only one caregiver was looking after me. During my coma, she was the one who bathed me, changed my catheter… she did everything. I doubt anyone in the entire hospital was worse off than me. I concocted a reason. “They’re all in another city, and it’s hard for them to travel.” My parents divorced when I was in middle school because my dad cheated. I was put in my dad’s custody. My mom was devastated and moved overseas. My dad is a businessman, constantly flying between cities. Other than making sure my allowance card was loaded, he never had time to care for me. Oh, right, three years ago, he had a little brother with his new wife.

I was the one who pursued Liam. Or maybe not ‘pursued’ in the sense that he eventually came to love me back. It’s just, even after we married, he was always cold to me. He treated me with less than a third of the tenderness he showed Sierra. Maybe, if Sierra hadn’t left, he would have married her instead. “Oh no, why is the blood flowing backward?” Ms. Davies, the caregiver who brought me my meal, exclaimed. I turned my head and saw that the IV line in the back of my hand was completely filled with blood. The caregiver immediately pressed the call button. The nurse who came in was Megan, my former high school classmate. The impatience was written all over her face. She roughly ripped off the tape on my hand and pulled out the needle. It was true; back then, almost everyone in our class secretly called me a home-wrecker, malicious, and a ruthless climber. She replaced the line and left. Ms. Davies and Mrs. Stone both looked upset. The caregiver picked up my meal, ready to feed me, and said, “Maybe she’s just in a bad mood.” “No, I noticed it. She’s just… really rude to this girl. When our old man needs medicine, she’s perfectly fine.” I didn’t say anything, just told her, “Could you please buy me a small table? I’ll put my food on it and eat by myself.” My right hand was still in a cast, so only my left hand could move. Before, if Megan had treated me like that, I would have torn into her. But now, I just felt too exhausted to argue about anything.

Liam walked in when I was clumsily trying to eat, wrapped up like a mummy. Eating with my left hand felt so awkward. When he entered, my spoon, halfway to my mouth, froze in mid-air. I must have looked utterly pathetic in that moment. He glanced at me, then turned his gaze to Mr. Stone in the next bed. “What’s the situation?” …He was here to see the patient next to me. I lowered my head, mechanically shoveling food into my mouth, my whole body feeling numb. “Doctor, you’re here! My husband suddenly has terrible elbow pain.” Liam gently loosened Mr. Stone’s cast. “Is that better?” “Much better, it doesn’t hurt as much.” Mrs. Stone asked, puzzled, “Did they change doctors? Wasn’t it Dr. Evans before?” “He has a family emergency, so I’m covering for him for two days.” “Oh, I see. You look so young, doctor, and you’re already working at City General. That’s incredible!” “Do you have a girlfriend?” Liam sidestepped Mrs. Stone’s question. “The cast was too tight before, compressing the elbow, which caused the pain. If this happens again, call a doctor immediately.” After he finished tending to Mr. Stone, he seemed to linger. I just kept my head down, mechanically eating. Then, a pair of white shoes appeared by my bed. A nurse rushed over. “Dr. Ryan, ER!” The white shoes that had appeared in my peripheral vision vanished again. I looked out into the darkness and sniffed.

From then on, Liam never visited me again. Dr. Evans returned, so Liam didn’t need to cover for him anymore. Mr. Stone, me, and the other patients on this ward were all Dr. Evans’s patients. I heard there was a multi-car pile-up that night, with many injured. I also heard Liam went to another state for a medical exchange. When he returned, there was a major fire in the city, and the hospital was overflowing. Later, I heard he was dispatched overseas for further study. In short, he was always busy. The bed next to mine saw a constant rotation of patients. Once I could get out of bed, I pushed myself through physical therapy. I was determined to stand up again, to be a normal person. No matter how painful the rehabilitation, I gritted my teeth and persevered in that therapy room, just like the other patients. Of course, during this time, I became the laughingstock of my old social circle. The untouchable ice queen, bedridden after an accident, unable to care for herself, needing everything done for her. Before, we were all medical students from a top university. But during my internship year, I injured my finger and couldn’t be a surgeon. I gave up on that career. Several of my former classmates got jobs at City General. But no one felt sorry for me. They only thought it was my karma. After all, everyone believed I had霸道地逼走了 Sierra, forcing her to go abroad.

“You’re completely back to normal. That’s amazing.” Four months later, when I walked a stretch of road without any aids, my physical therapist clapped. “Thank you for your dedication.” “It’s your incredible willpower. Honestly, your comminuted thigh fracture was extremely severe, but you’re the only person I’ve seen who never uttered a single word of pain throughout the entire long process.” I smiled and said nothing. I was discharged. I completed the paperwork and took a taxi from the hospital. It had been almost half a year since I’d been back. I paused for a moment, my finger touching the fingerprint lock. The door opened to a faint smell of dust. Just as I’d guessed, Liam rarely came back either. I tidied the sofa and opened the comforting chicken and rice soup I’d bought downstairs. I’d only taken two spoonfuls when my phone vibrated again. I looked at the messages in the group chat and fell silent. “Chloe’s discharged.” “Whoa, already out? Wasn’t she badly injured?” “She’s going to come back and cling to Liam again. Liam must have owed her something in a past life to be tormented by her like this.” “Stop it, she’s still in this group. If she sees it, watch out for revenge.” “Shoot, wrong group!” The messages in the chat were quickly deleted. I turned off my phone and continued eating my soup. I slept alone that night; Liam didn’t come home. The next morning, I lifted my stiff hand, rubbing my eyes. After a moment, I got up and dressed. I grabbed the things from the coffee table and headed out. Just before closing the door, I paused for a second, taking one last look at the three-bedroom apartment I had meticulously designed. *Slam.* The door closed as I left. In the orthopedic ward hallway, I saw Liam. They had just finished their morning meeting, and a group of doctors in white coats were coming out of the conference room.

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My daughter held up her drawing book, pointing at the row of cars parked in our garage, asking which one she should draw. That’s when I found out her kindergarten had assigned homework: little ones had to draw their family car. And write a sentence: “My dad’s car is a XX brand, and he drives this car every day to take me to kindergarten.” My brows furrowed at this assignment. Was this just a sneaky way to peek into our financial standing? I knelt down, stroking Daisy’s head. “Draw whichever one you like best, sweetie.” Daisy thought for a long time, then finally said, “I don’t like any of them. I like the little pickup truck the bunny dad drives in the cartoon.” She handed in her homework, expecting praise from her teacher, but instead, she faced constant targeting. I called Mr. Harrison, the principal, to complain, but Ms. Thorne only escalated her behavior. She even started live-streaming, portraying my daughter as a spoiled, bratty kid, leading to her being cyberbullied by thousands online.

When I got home that evening, Daisy didn’t rush over like usual when she heard me unlock the door. I called her name a few times, but there was no answer. The clock hands pointed to eight. Usually, by this time, she’d be on the couch, watching her favorite cartoon. Mrs. Davis hurried down from upstairs. “Ms. Sterling, you’re back.” I handed her my coat, asking, “Where’s Daisy?” “She’s asleep, ma’am.” “So early?” Mrs. Davis explained, “She looked a bit off when she came back from kindergarten. She went straight to her room the moment she got back and didn’t even eat dinner.” My brows knitted with worry, afraid she might be sick. I went upstairs and gently pushed open her door. The person on the bed, hearing the movement, turned over, pulling back the covers to look at me. “Mommy.” I sat by her bed, turned on the night light, and felt her forehead. “What’s wrong, sweetie? Are you not feeling well?” Daisy shook her head. Feeling her forehead, confirming her temperature was normal, my heart finally eased. My gaze was drawn to the drawing book on her nightstand. “Are you drawing? What did you draw? Can Mommy see?” She hesitated for a moment, then nodded, saying uncertainly, “My drawing isn’t very good.” “Nonsense! Mommy thinks your drawings are the most beautiful in the world, darling.” I flipped through the drawing book, only to find the last few pages filled with all sorts of cars. The drawings grew more agitated, more chaotic with each page. Until the very last page, messy, tangled lines completely buried the picture beneath. I instantly knew something was wrong. Daisy was always so emotionally stable; she’d never expressed herself like this before. I helped her sit upright, asking with concern, “Tell Mommy, why did you draw so many cars?” She bit her lip, her eyes red. “Teacher said my drawing assignment was the worst in the whole class.”

My heart sank. Even if her drawing wasn’t perfect, a teacher shouldn’t tell her that to her face. Especially not Daisy, who’s just a kindergartner. A single comment from a teacher could easily kill a child’s interest in something. But I also knew I couldn’t just take a child’s word for it. Maybe the teacher didn’t say that at all, and Daisy just misunderstood. I pulled out my phone and opened the SnapChat group chat for the class. Just as I was about to private message the class teacher to get the full story, I saw the “excellent student works” she’d posted in the group that afternoon. I clicked in and saw they were all luxury cars: Ferraris, Rolls-Royces, and the “worst” were BMWs and Mercedes. And those drawings, far from being “excellent,” some of them had crooked, wobbly lines; you could barely make out the car’s shape. Only the car logos were strikingly clear. I suddenly remembered a few days ago, when Daisy pointed at the cars in the garage and asked me which one to draw. She said it was school homework and needed a caption: “My dad drives this car every day to take me to school.” Daisy had deliberated for a long time and ended up drawing the little pickup truck from a cartoon. It all clicked for me. This teacher’s standard for judging homework wasn’t based on artistic skill, but on the car’s value.

Aurora Kindergarten, where Daisy went, was the best private kindergarten in the city. It wasn’t uncommon for elite families to send their children there, and of course, some ordinary families bit the bullet, scraping together every penny to get their kids in. Getting into this kindergarten meant guaranteed admission to Aurora Group’s affiliated middle and high schools, and studying abroad would also be much simpler later on. I specifically chose it for the opportunities and benefits behind it, which is why I enrolled Daisy. Before this incident, I was quite satisfied with the kindergarten. Not only because of the school’s excellent faculty, but more so because of how well they protected student family privacy. That was until this semester started. Daisy’s original class teacher went on maternity leave, and a young new teacher took her place. Ms. Thorne. The first thing she did was send out a survey form, asking kids to take it home for their parents to fill out. It was all questions about parents’ jobs, annual income, and so on, saying she wanted to “understand the students better.” My husband, Mr. Evans, and I are both well-known entrepreneurs, each with our own ventures. We knew that standing out too much could draw unwanted scrutiny. So, we just filled out that form casually and handed it in. I hadn’t thought much of it, but now with this new incident, I couldn’t help but suspect this teacher had ulterior motives. Daisy was going to elementary school next semester, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, she’d also be attending Aurora. I wanted her to finish her kindergarten years happily, and I was afraid she’d be discriminated against again in the future. So, I called Mr. Harrison, the principal. The phone rang less than twice before he quickly picked up. Mr. Harrison’s overly eager voice came through the receiver. “Ms. Sterling, why are you calling me personally? Is there a problem with the investment?” I stated calmly, “I always believed your school highly values student privacy. Yet, with these survey forms and drawing assignments about family cars, what exactly is your school trying to investigate?” There was a distinct pause on the other end; he stammered for a moment. “Wh-what?” “My daughter was unfairly scolded by her teacher because of this assignment. I do not want this to happen again. Otherwise, I will have to reconsider investing in your school.” Mr. Harrison quickly said, “Your daughter attends our school too? Ms. Sterling, there must be some misunderstanding. I will investigate this thoroughly and give you a satisfactory explanation.” I didn’t want to talk any further and hung up. These past few years, the education sector has been booming, with private schools springing up rapidly. Aurora had also faced quite a bit of impact because of this and had been seeking corporate funding. Because of Daisy, and also because my company specializes in AI, fostering talent is fundamental. So, I decided to invest in Aurora, and one of Aurora’s shareholders was Mr. Harrison, the principal of Aurora Kindergarten. I chose to deal with him regarding the partnership. Adhering to a strict boundary between my professional and personal lives, I had never disclosed my private information. So, he had no idea my daughter was actually attending Aurora.

After putting Daisy to sleep, I had just returned to my room when Mr. Harrison called again. “My apologies, Ms. Sterling. Ms. Thorne is new and perhaps a bit out of line. I’ve reprimanded her severely. I’m currently away on a business trip, but when I return, I’ll personally bring Ms. Thorne to apologize.” Mr. Harrison’s tone was sincere, and I didn’t want to make things difficult for them over this. So, I softened my voice and declined. “It’s fine, as long as this doesn’t happen again.” “Understood. We’ll still need your continued guidance and supervision in the future, Ms. Sterling.” After a few more polite exchanges, I hung up. But lying in bed, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. My company’s new project was in its critical final stages, and my husband had also been away on business. We had indeed neglected Daisy’s development. I hadn’t even met the new teacher in person. After much thought, I decided to personally pick Daisy up from school tomorrow so I could talk to Ms. Thorne face-to-face.

The next day, I made sure to leave work right on time. At the kindergarten gate, lines of students streamed out in orderly rows. I scanned the crowd and finally spotted Daisy in her little floral dress. “Daisy!” I waved to her. She seemed surprised to see me, her face lighting up with joy. She quickly ran into my arms. I immediately noticed her messy hair. I knelt down, untangling her hair as I asked, “What did you play today at kindergarten? Your hair looks like a little scamp’s.” Daisy shook her head. “After nap time, the teacher didn’t comb my hair, so I just tied it up myself.” “What about the other kids? Did they tie their own hair too?” Daisy answered without hesitation, “No, Ms. Thorne braided all of theirs, especially Isabella’s braids, they were really pretty. But when it was my turn, the bell for class rang, and the teacher just left.” My eyes grew cold. Doing children’s hair was part of the teacher’s job. I didn’t expect her to make it look like a masterpiece. But she shouldn’t just walk away the moment the bell rings, right? I took Daisy’s hand and walked into the kindergarten. A few more children from Daisy’s class hadn’t been picked up yet, so the teacher was waiting with them by the door. I looked at the young teacher fanning herself in the shade and politely greeted her, “Hello, Ms. Thorne, I’m Daisy’s mom.” She looked up at me for a few moments, a little hesitant. “That’s not right, I haven’t seen you before.” Ms. Thorne remembered clearly that it was always a plainly dressed middle-aged woman who picked up and dropped off Daisy. But the woman in front of her was elegant and radiant, exuding an invisible aura of authority. I said, “I’m usually busy with work, so I haven’t been able to pick up or drop off my child much. I wonder if you have some time? I’d like to chat with you.” She flat-out refused. “You can SnapChat me if there’s anything important. After work hours are my private time, and I don’t want to deal with work matters.” “Then I’ll be brief.” I could hear the impatience in her voice, so I naturally dropped my polite tone. “Aurora has always valued student privacy. I do not want to see any more incidents of student backgrounds being investigated in various ways.” She scoffed. “Daisy’s mom, I’ve always followed school regulations. If you have a problem, you can always transfer Daisy to another school. After all, our Aurora isn’t just for anyone.” That last sentence immediately shut down any desire I had to continue the conversation. I sneered, “Whether there’s a threshold for admission, I don’t know, but there certainly seems to be no threshold for teachers. I will relay every word you said today to Mr. Harrison.” She casually shrugged. “Our principal is very busy; not everyone can get in touch with him.” I pointed at her. “Whether I can reach him is my business. You just wait to be fired!” “Big words! Even if every teacher in this kindergarten gets fired, I won’t be going anywhere.” I caught the deeper meaning in her words. “What, are you some big shot, indispensable to Aurora?” She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, quite pleased with herself. “Naturally. Oh, well… you common folk wouldn’t understand.” I was about to retort when I saw her eyes light up. She grabbed a girl standing nearby and walked towards a woman who had just entered the entrance. “Isabella’s mom, you’re finally here! Isabella was so well-behaved today.” I watched Ms. Thorne’s fawning mannerisms, feeling utterly speechless. Isabella… that name sounded familiar. I seemed to recall that the top scorer on this assignment was Isabella. I pulled out my phone and opened the SnapChat group chat. It was indeed her. Although her drawing was crooked and distorted, the car logo was clearly identifiable as a Rolls-Royce.

Daisy tugged at my sleeve. “Mommy, aren’t we going home yet?” I snapped back to reality, took her hand, and left the school. “Daisy, would you like to switch kindergartens?” She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “But I still want to go to the weekend parent-child activity with you, Mommy.” “Okay.” I stroked her head, deciding to accompany her to this one activity, then proceed with the transfer. And as for the investment in Aurora, I also decided to withdraw it. An educational group that doesn’t prioritize character in its teachers, only background, isn’t worth my money. As soon as we got home, I saw a large bouquet of roses on the table. Just as I picked them up, someone wrapped their arms around my waist from behind, whispering in my ear, “Honey, I missed you so much.” “Daddy!” Daisy cried out excitedly. My husband released me, picked her up, and gave her a big kiss on the cheek. “My precious girl, did you miss Daddy?” “Yes, I missed you every single day.” Daisy wrapped her arms around his neck. “Daddy, will you come to the school activity with me?” I playfully scolded her, “Just now you said you wanted to go with Mommy. Are you already breaking your promise?” Daisy made a funny face. “Mommy can come too!” My husband pulled me into his embrace. “That’s right, it’s been a while since the three of us were together. It’s perfect timing, my work is done, so I can spend some quality time with you both.” I nodded. “My project is almost finished too. Let’s go on a trip abroad soon.” “Yay!” Daisy clapped her hands excitedly.

Our reunion felt like a second honeymoon, and it wasn’t until late into the night that we quietly lay in bed, chatting. I told my husband about Daisy’s school situation. Regarding the suggestion to transfer schools, while he felt it was a bit inconvenient, he didn’t outright object. After all, it was the last semester, and he just told me to handle it as I saw fit. Weekend arrived in a blink, and as my husband and Daisy were organizing the things they needed to take to kindergarten. I received a call from my company. They said the newly developed robot suddenly malfunctioned. And the new product launch was scheduled for next Monday, so time was extremely tight. My husband was understanding. “The project is important. Daisy has me.” “Okay.” I kissed both their faces. “I’ll try my best to make it back.” I rushed to the company, where the technicians were already inspecting the product. They finally found it was a source code issue. The designer asked me, “Ms. Sterling, does the robot you have at home have this problem?” I paused for a moment, realizing I hadn’t seen that robot at home in a long time. Since it was a new product development, not yet mass-produced, only two units of this series had been made. One was the human-sized humanoid robot. The other was a small robot model that I had taken home for Daisy to play with. It was also a good way to test the robot’s performance and practical use at home, to make adjustments later. But it seemed that at some point, that robot had gone missing. And because I was too busy with work, I had just overlooked it. When I got home, I’d have to ask Daisy and find that little robot. Work wasn’t done until late at night, and the kindergarten activity had long since ended. I opened my phone and saw a dozen missed calls, all from my husband. Fearing something had happened, I quickly called him back. The moment the call connected, I heard my husband’s angry roar from the other end. “She absolutely has to transfer! What kind of damn kindergarten is this? What kind of damn teacher? I can’t trust Daisy there!” My husband was usually a gentle, even-tempered man; he’d never gotten this angry before.

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My Mom’s Secret Sugar Baby An hour before my college entrance exam, I stumbled upon my mom’s secret dating Ins account: “Sending my little boyfriend off for his final exams feels so new~~” “Dropped off my boyfriend, now my son. Being a woman is tough, isn’t it?” “Attached: A handsome photo of my boyfriend.” I watched Mom rush toward me, wearing a stunning dress, and my eyes locked on the half-face of my scholarship student roommate in the Ins photo. In that instant, my entire world shattered. “Don’t be nervous. Just relax once you get into the exam hall. If it doesn’t work out, we can always go study abroad. I’ll even sponsor Jason to go with you, so you two can look out for each other.” If I hadn’t seen Mom’s secret dating account, I would have been so touched by her thoughtful generosity. But now, I felt waves of nausea. Jason wasn’t just anyone; he was my scholarship student roommate – the other main character on my mom’s secret dating account. Seeing my troubled expression, Mom looked at me with concern. “What’s wrong? Still feeling stressed?” Dad stood a short distance away, his face etched with worry too. Dad was always busy with work, rarely taking a day off to provide for our family. It was truly rare for him to take time off just to personally send me to my exams. I almost blurted out everything I’d just seen, ready to confront Mom right there and then. But my mouth opened and closed, and still, no words came out. With the exams so close, exposing everything now and causing a scene would not only disrupt a major life event. All the family’s finances were currently in Mom’s hands. If I ripped off the band-aid, Dad and I might even end up on the streets. I forced out a strained smile. “Nothing, just a bit nervous. I’ll head into the exam hall now.” “Alright, son, go get ’em! I believe in you!” I suppressed the shock and disgust churning inside me, walking into the exam hall without looking back. Facing the stacks of test papers, I fought back the chaotic emotions, forcing myself to calm down and answer carefully. For two days straight, I managed to act as if nothing had happened in front of Mom and Dad. After the exams finished, my parents suggested we go out for a celebratory meal. I had survived the college entrance exams and was moving on to a new stage in life. But what I didn’t expect was for Mom to think of her little boyfriend again at that moment. “It’s just the three of us, that’s too quiet. Caleb, why don’t you invite your roommate along?” “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Dad said, a little hesitant. “They probably have their own celebrations. How would it look to invite them?” “Well, what if we just invite Jason then? His family is from a rural area far away and can’t come to be with him. It would be really sad to leave him all alone in the dorm.”

Jason, who was supposedly “all alone in the dorm and quite pitiful,” showed up in the restaurant’s private dining room five minutes after Mom suggested inviting my roommate. It was then I realized they had planned this all along. Watching Dad gleefully order all of Mom’s favorite dishes from the menu, then happily push the menu towards us, my heart ached even more. All these years, he had wronged no one. I still remembered when I was little, he was afraid Mom would be scared alone at home in the dark, so he’d commute for hours every day just to come home and sleep beside her. He was afraid Mom would get too tired looking after me at home, so he’d always take me to his office to watch me, saying Mom deserved to have her own life. For the first eighteen years of my life, I truly believed my parents were the best in the world—a loving couple, a perfect family. But reality slapped me hard across the face. I started wondering, when exactly did Mom and Jason get together? Was it when Mom constantly worried I wasn’t eating well at school and brought me lunch? Or was it that month, a year when our dorm was being renovated, and the fumes were too strong to live in, so I enthusiastically brought Jason home to stay with us? No matter what, it was my fault. I gave Jason the opportunity to destroy my family. I still remembered a conversation we once had in our dorm. Jason’s eyes glowed with an intense heat. “What’s the point of studying in this day and age? Why not just sleep with a rich woman and get everything you want?” At the time, I just thought that his impoverished background made his views overly extreme. But I never imagined that one day, his predatory claws would reach directly into my home. Right in front of my dad, Jason and my mom started exchanging glances and flirting. “Your makeup today is just stunning, Auntie Victoria. If I didn’t know you were Caleb’s mom, I’d think you were his middle school sister!” Mom’s face immediately bloomed into a radiant smile. “Oh, you smooth talker! How old do you think I am? How could I possibly look like a middle schooler?” “I’m telling the truth! Don’t you believe me? Ask Caleb! Caleb, tell us, doesn’t your mom look like a middle schooler?” I chuckled. “Jason, are you just practicing your lines on my mom now?” “Practicing? What are you talking about?” Dad asked curiously. “You guys don’t know, Jason used to tell us his dream was to sweet-talk a bunch of rich women, make them spend money on him, and just live a happy life being a kept man. So, he’s gotta practice those sweet-talk lines, right?”

Mom, who had been smiling so brightly, instantly lost all cheer. Jason’s face turned awkward. “You… what are you talking about? I just said that casually, you’re not taking it seriously, are you?” I looked innocent. “Casually? No way. You said it more than once. You said your life’s goal was to manipulate naive rich women, making them think you truly loved them, when in reality, it was just for their money.” Jason’s face turned pale. He nervously glanced at Mom’s expression. “That’s all nonsense, all nonsense! Don’t take it seriously! Why isn’t the food here yet? I’ll go check on it!” He didn’t return to the private room until Dad looked at me with a complicated expression. “What’s up with your roommate? His values are messed up. Stay away from people like that in the future.” I said, pointedly, “He and I are just roommates. We won’t have much to do with each other after this. It’s those rich women he’s deceiving who are truly pitiful.” Dad scoffed. “I can’t control others, but you’re my son. I can control you. Stay far away from people like that from now on.” I looked up at Mom. “Mom, you’re a real rich woman. Why don’t you offer your opinion?” Mom flinched. “Opinion? Oh, opinion. I don’t have an opinion. Maybe he’s just a kid, talking nonsense.” Dad frowned, about to say something else. But at that moment, Jason pushed the door open and returned to the private room. “There’s a small jewelry vendor outside. Auntie Victoria, do you need anything? I can go with you to take a look.” I sneered, “Why would you go with her? My dad’s right here. Let my dad go.” Jason looked annoyed. “I just thought Uncle David might be bored.” “You don’t feel bored accompanying someone else’s wife, but my dad would be bored accompanying his own wife?” Mom couldn’t listen anymore. “Alright, Caleb, watch your tone! I’m not in the mood for jewelry. Let’s just eat, let’s just eat.”

After dinner, we all walked out of the private room. Dad went to pay the bill. The moment I turned my head, I realized Jason and my mom had disappeared. Dad came directly up to me after paying. “Let’s go first. Your mom said your roommate looked pitiful and wanted to take him to buy some clothes.” I looked at Dad in disbelief. “And you agreed to that?” Dad looked bewildered. “What’s wrong with buying a few clothes? You don’t think your mom and that young classmate of yours would have anything going on, do you? No way. Your mom and I have such a strong bond. She would never betray me.” Seeing Dad’s confident expression, I found it even harder to reveal the cruel truth. I even hoped Mom and Jason would just end things then and there. My parents could go back to living their lives happily at home, and this whole thing could be forgotten. But I was disappointed. Not long after, Mom’s secret dating account updated. “How could life be the same with anyone? It was only when I met you that I felt my heart truly stir. Only when I met you did I know what love was.” The attached picture showed her and Jason sweetly embracing and kissing, each holding a bubble tea. Even though she had blurred herself out, how could I not recognize my own mother? Back home, I paced restlessly in my bedroom. Mom was completely fixated on Jason now. How could I make her choose to return to her own family? A commotion erupted outside my door. I went out to see. Mom was back. And Jason was following right behind her! Seeing my astonished gaze, Jason actually gave me a challenging smirk. “Sorry, Caleb, I told Auntie Vicky the school dorms aren’t allowing residents right now, so she just let me stay at your place.” Seeing my shocked expression, Mom seemed a little nervous. “After all, you’re classmates; you should look out for each other. Maybe you’ll even go abroad together someday.”

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The day I paid cash for our marital home, my boyfriend let his ‘one that got away’ move into our bedroom. He even packed up my things and tossed them outside like trash. “Seraphina needs to smell my scent to fall asleep. She can’t handle stimulation. Can’t you just give in a little?” My boyfriend locked me out, and I dragged my luggage through the streets, drenched in rain. A Maybach pulled up beside me. The window rolled down, revealing deep, captivating eyes behind dark sunglasses, twinkling with a mocking smirk. “Need a hand, gorgeous?” I was reborn. Reborn on the very day I paid cash for the marital home with my boyfriend. This time, I wasn’t stupid enough to put his name on the deed. After the paperwork was done, I tucked the front door key into the most hidden pocket of my bag. Then, I went home. Outside the door, a suitcase sat alongside several large bags of my belongings. I inserted the key, twisted it. Just as I expected, the door was double-locked from the inside.

I pounded on the door, so hard that a neighbor flung open their window and started yelling. Only then did Alex reluctantly crack the door open just a tiny bit. He stammered, blocking my entry. “Alex, has Seraphina moved back in?” I called him out, no point in hiding it. My boyfriend turned his face away, avoiding my gaze that seemed to pierce through everything. “Seraphina’s a bit unstable right now. Yelling like this will only worsen her condition.” So, I’m the one in the wrong for just speaking normally? “Alex, you let a woman you haven’t seen in eight years sleep in *our* bed. Are you out of your mind?!” “She’s your high school regret? Then what about our ten years together? Was I just a fool?” “You said you’d marry me when I could afford to pay cash for our marital home. Would you demand the same from Seraphina?” *SPLAT!* Alex slapped me. My right cheek immediately swelled, the searing pain burning through my shock, sharpening my resolve. “Stella! Why are you still so childish?!” “Seraphina just got out of the hospital. She has no one else besides me. What’s wrong with her staying at our place for a bit?” His face flushed crimson, veins popping in his neck, as if *I* was the one being unreasonable. I pointed at the bags of skincare products and clean clothes, overflowing from trash bags on the concrete floor, and sneered: “Heh… So, I have to leave?” Alex turned his back, his voice strained: “Seraphina needs to smell my scent to fall asleep. She can’t handle stimulation. Can’t you just give in a little?” *Your* scent? Alex, I’d like to see how long she can stand *your stench*!

Before my rebirth. Following my boyfriend’s demands, I used every penny of my hard-earned money, working day and night, to pay cash for our marital home. His name was on the deed. He said a woman’s name wasn’t worthy of being written with his. I argued with him, but he threatened my kitten, Luna, forcing me to give in. On the very first day we moved into the new house, he brought a woman home. It was Seraphina, his unattainable high school crush, the ‘one that got away’. Seraphina had a string of failed relationships, more men than I could count. Until she fell for some mysterious guy and ended up in a mental institution… Alex let this crazy woman, fresh out of the asylum, sleep in *our* bedroom. And he had the audacity to ask me to get along with my rival! He lied, saying Seraphina’s parents had asked him to look after her for a few days. I, like a fool, actually treated Seraphina like a sister. It wasn’t until I returned early from a business trip and heard the intimate sounds from our bedroom. Only then did I realize that my boyfriend had never loved me. Everything I’d worked for all these years was just setting someone else up for their happily ever after! Alex kicked me out. I rented a cheap apartment, drifting aimlessly day after day, living like a stray dog on the street. Ultimately, Seraphina found me and pushed me from the eighteenth floor. Heh. This time, my destiny is in my own hands.

I was about to pick up my luggage and leave when the door opened again. Seraphina aimed at me and threw three large bags of trash. The trash bags weren’t tied, and the soup from instant noodles splattered on my pant leg, along with… Leftover durian. So, Alex still remembered Seraphina’s taste. Back in high school, many boys who pursued her brought her durian. Alex was no exception. But at the time, Miss Seraphina looked down on him, dressed in cheap clothes. And now, Alex finally fulfilled his dream of feeding durian to the girl he liked. I don’t like durian; I like strawberries. But he told me strawberries were too expensive and to eat them less. Hahahaha, love and not love, it’s so obvious. Strawberries and durians, can’t you tell the difference between what’s cheap and what’s valuable? I stared coldly at Seraphina. This woman, looking somewhat haggard, was arrogant and brazen, showing no humility for someone staying as a guest. She trusted him, he doted on her. What place did an outsider like me have? “Stella, Alex loves me. All these years, you were just his emotional outlet. If you want to fight me tooth and nail, I advise you to give up. You can’t win against me.” Before my rebirth, because of my foolish trust, I tacitly allowed Alex to bring a wolf into our home. Alex kept promising he only saw Seraphina as a sister. Because of love, I believed his nonsense. But in the end, I was crushed, utterly destroyed. Seraphina certainly had her methods, wrapping Alex around her finger and treating me like a dog. “You’re right. I’ve always been your stand-in. I knew all along Alex could never truly let you go.” I’d secretly liked Alex since high school. But his eyes were only on the popular Seraphina. In college, we unexpectedly reconnected. He was unusually enthusiastic about seeing me again, completely unlike his previous indifference. I’d already given up on him, but his flirting rekindled my feelings. He waited for me outside my dorm for meals. He took me to the movies on weekends. We FaceTimed constantly. My roommates all said my boyfriend and I were so in love. What they didn’t know was… I paid for all our meals. I planned every single date myself. He was the one who kept nagging me to get him gifts for every holiday. And the only thing he ever gave me that could be called a gift was leftover barbecue, packed up for me.

“Stella, catch!” Seraphina threw another bag at me. It felt like a large piece of meat… The bag was tied with a tight knot, but I could still smell the stench of a decaying body. “What… what is this?” My hands trembled as I gently placed the bag on the floor. “What else could it be? It’s a welcome gift for you, of course!” Opening the black plastic bag, I saw Luna, my little cat, her body mangled beyond recognition. She was soaking wet, drenched in her own blood. Her ears were gone, leaving two ugly scars. My head felt like it had been hit by a sledgehammer, ringing loudly. “My baby, why are you like this?!” Seraphina seemed quite pleased with my reaction. She stood with her hands on her hips, laughing hysterically, gasping for air. “Alex said this was your lifeline! Oh, my god, it’s hilarious! I just wanted to see why you’d cherish an animal so much.” Seraphina, you deserve to die a horrible death! She noticed the murderous intent in my eyes and immediately pulled out a defensive dagger. I recognized that dagger. It was a special anniversary gift I’d given Alex in college. Alex had lied and told me he’d lost it. Turns out, he gave it to Seraphina. Unarmed, I couldn’t fight her directly. Retreat was my best option. I gathered Luna’s tiny body, trembling as I walked downstairs. I felt so weak, like an old woman on her last legs, as if even a falling leaf could crush me. “Luna, Mom failed to protect you. Reborn, I never imagined they wouldn’t even spare you!” As I left the street, the sky opened up, pouring rain. I dragged my luggage, aimlessly wandering the streets, as if the heavy rain could wash away my sins. A Maybach pulled up beside me. The window rolled down, revealing deep, captivating eyes behind dark sunglasses, twinkling with a mocking smirk. “We meet again, gorgeous. Need a hand?”

This playful man was Julian, the son of my company’s CEO. Known throughout the elite circles as a notorious playboy. I’d actually known him for a long time. He was my junior in college. The embarrassing part? He used to pursue me back then… I truly don’t know why I was so blind to fall for a jerk like Alex and reject such a handsome, rich, sweet puppy! Even though Julian was a bit of a playboy, he wasn’t a bad person. He was even kind of cute. At least he wouldn’t do anything as disgusting as Alex. After I started dating Alex, I rarely saw Julian again. I remember the only time we met after I started working was at a bridal shop. I was with my best friend, trying on wedding dresses, when I accidentally spotted Julian with a glamorous socialite, also trying on dresses. Julian wore a tailored suit, his hair impeccably styled, looking every bit the business elite. He and the socialite, who emerged from the fitting room, looked like a perfect match, a truly stunning couple. I awkwardly greeted him. Julian’s face darkened as he asked, “Since when did you start liking women?” I stared blankly at my best friend, who was on the phone nearby, and realized he’d misunderstood. The socialite finished trying on her dress, then hooked her arm through Julian’s, asking him jealously who I was. Julian’s throat bobbed, and he glanced out the window. “Just a senior from college.” What he said wasn’t wrong, but why did my heart feel so heavy? Later, my best friend’s fiancé cheated before their wedding, and my best friend swiftly packed up and left the jerk. Julian fled his own wedding, refusing a business alliance. In seven days, it would be the day he was supposed to run. Before he left, I needed to use him well. “Julian!” Rain streamed down my forehead, streaking across my cheeks. I knew I looked utterly pathetic right now. But I didn’t care. Whether Julian was still interested in me or not, I had to take this shot. “I need your help to get revenge.” “Please, help me.” “Will you?”

I got into Julian’s car, my pant legs smelling of beef instant noodles, and the little cat in my arms emitting the stench of death. It made me feel a bit constrained. “Looks like you haven’t been doing so great these past few years, gorgeous.” “Why the lost puppy look?” “Tsk, tsk, tsk, truly pathetic.” Right, Julian’s sharp tongue was one of the reasons I rejected him back then. He had such a beautifully shaped mouth, but only sarcastic words came out of it. Julian wanted to take me to his private residence, but I refused. “I have my own place, in Willow Creek.” “Oh, really? You bought a place there? Pretty impressive.” Julian lit a cigarette, a playful smirk curving his lips. I turned my face away, suppressing the urge to snap at him. The urge to curse him out. I knew he was teasing me; my little studio apartment was nothing but a speck in the eyes of a rich kid like him. And in his eyes, I was probably the same. Julian drove the car to the underground parking garage and followed me upstairs. After opening the door and seeing the empty condo. He lightly scoffed, “No money for decorating?” I’d just been reborn; where would I find the time for decorating? Without a word, Julian made a call and had the problem solved for me. The decor style was a fresh French aesthetic. The balcony was transformed into a cozy little garden where I could relax. I buried Luna, my beloved cat who had been with me for two years, right there. My phone rang. It was Alex’s mom, Mrs. Davis. I locked myself in the bathroom and answered. “Hello?” “Stella, dear, did you buy an apartment in Willow Creek? Good girl, you really are something else!”

Alex had told me he’d marry me the moment I could afford to pay cash for a million-dollar marital home. This wasn’t just Alex’s idea, but mostly his mom, Mrs. Davis, constantly drumming it into my head. Mrs. Davis always looked down on me because I came from a modest background. Every time I went to my boyfriend’s house for dinner, his mom would find various ways to remind me of my place. Good thing I woke up. I almost became her easily manipulated daughter-in-law. I ignored her rapid-fire rambling on the phone and cut straight to the chase: “Auntie, your son’s first love is back. Did you know?” She paused for a moment, then confessed: “Auntie knows, but in Auntie’s heart, you’re the *only* best daughter-in-law candidate!” “Alex is still young, a moment of impulse is normal. He’s just playing around, don’t take it too seriously.” Young? Don’t take it seriously? Are you dense, or am I? Seeing that I had no interest in continuing the conversation, Mrs. Davis no longer hid her true intentions. “Stella, your neighborhood seems great! Auntie’s windows broke during a recent storm, and none of our rooms are livable. Could you possibly…” “Yes, of course.” Free labor? How could I say no?

took a shower. When I came out of the bathroom, the entire condo was transformed. “This… this fast?” I walked around again, disbelieving, my fingertips tracing the low-key yet luxurious furniture. I couldn’t help but marvel at Julian’s extravagant taste. “Like it, gorgeous? If you’re satisfied, pour me a glass of water.” Julian lounged comfortably on the soft sofa. I poured a glass of water, walked over to him, met his teasing gaze, and then chugged the water down myself. “Pour it yourself if you want water. I don’t serve people.” With that, I splashed the remaining bit of water on his handsome face. Julian lowered his gaze and chuckled, then loosened his tie, looking a little flustered. “Stella.” “You’re the only one who dares to be this bold with me. I really can’t find another.” “What makes you so sure I’ll help you?” He patted his thigh, signaling for me to sit down. My fists slowly clenched. Enduring the humiliation, I plopped down and then told him everything about my rebirth, spilling every detail. “Of course I believe you. Otherwise, you’d still be stupidly making money for that guy to buy a house.” “Julian, I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend.” “No need to pretend. I *can* be your boyfriend… or husband, even.” He wrapped his arm around my waist, his gaze intensely possessive. “I’m not joking. Control yourself.” Julian still had that playful, teasing expression. I sighed and said, “You’re still dating Chloe Song, the Song Corporation heiress, right?” His arm tightened, squeezing me until I could barely breathe. “Just for show. She has someone she likes too, just like me.” “Gorgeous, are you perhaps… jealous?”

The next day, my phone rang. Mrs. Davis appeared at the apartment complex entrance, carrying large bags. I gestured to the security guard to let her in. Mrs. Davis called again, asking me to help her carry things upstairs. “Auntie, I’m in a meeting right now.” “Just take the elevator up.” After hanging up, I set my phone to do not disturb. I forgot to tell her: the elevator was under maintenance and couldn’t be used right now. Julian emerged from the bathroom, clad only in a towel. He wrapped his arm around my waist and said he was going to show off his cooking skills. A delicious aroma wafted from the kitchen. “I didn’t expect the great young master to know how to cook.” Julian grinned, his spatula dancing like a sword in his hand. Compliment him once, and he gets all cocky like this. I was inexplicably in a good mood… It must have been because I successfully messed with Mrs. Davis! After breakfast, Mrs. Davis, laden with luggage, had finally climbed all seventeen floors. Julian opened the door. He was wearing just a pair of boxers, his eight-pack abs brazenly on display. Mrs. Davis’s eyes lit up at first, then she adopted the demeanor of an elder. She began pointing fingers at this handsome, shameless young man. “Oh, my! What an eyesore!” “Stella! Who is this man?” “You said you were in a meeting, but you were probably messing around with another man!” “How is my Alex supposed to save face?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297158”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic