Category: English

Scarlett had an affair with a married man and ended up pregnant. She had no job, no savings, so I tried to convince her not to keep the baby. But she insisted, saying she believed in destiny and that aborting the baby would ruin her karma and affect her future luck. But when the baby was born, she dumped him on me to raise and went off to “see the world.” I spent half my life raising Logan, my nephew, all the way through to his college acceptance. And then, just like that, Scarlett came back! She told Logan, “You don’t know this, but your Aunt Avery kept telling me to get rid of you when I was pregnant. And after you were born, she basically took you from me. You’re my flesh and blood—of course, I love you.” Logan hated me from that day on. One day, Logan got into a car accident. I risked everything to push him out of the way, and I was hit, thrown nearly thirty feet. As I lay dying, the nephew I had raised with so much love cradled my broken body and sneered softly, “You almost didn’t let me exist, then you kept me away from my mother for years, depriving me of her love. This life and whatever insurance payout you’ve left me—consider it your penance.” A bright white light engulfed me, taking me back to the day Scarlett knocked on my door, her belly just beginning to show. I opened my eyes to see her sitting in front of me, crying as she asked, “Avery, I have no one else. Should I keep this baby or not?” I pulled a coin from my pocket and placed it in her hand. “Sis, you believe in destiny, don’t you? Let the universe guide you—flip it.”

Scarlett stared at the coin, utterly dumbfounded. She looked at me like I’d lost my mind. Because she knew me well. She knew I was tough on the outside but soft on the inside. She expected me to beg her not to have the baby. But if she chose to keep it, she knew I wouldn’t be able to turn away. I’d get attached to the baby, and once I did, she’d use the guilt of me telling her to abort to manipulate me into doing everything for her. She’d done it before. Many times. We were only a year apart, and when our parents died young, we had to rely on the kindness of relatives and my scholarships to get by. I knew education was the only way to change my fate, so aside from working weekends and holidays, I spent every waking minute studying. My hard work paid off. I always scored at the top of my class and received so many scholarships that the money was enough to cover both Scarlett’s and my living expenses. But Scarlett wasn’t like me. She loved reading romance novels and fantasized about being the heroine in some rich love story. She only went to school to scope out guys she could settle down with—potential “success stories,” she called them. When she realized her grades would never get her into college, she decided to start working early, dreaming of being discovered by some rich executive at the office. “Avery, with my grades, do you think it’s even worth staying in school? I feel like I should just start working and save some money instead…” Given our circumstances, I agreed. It made sense at the time. That one word—“yes”—would come back to haunt me for the rest of my life. She couldn’t find a good job and started blaming me, saying if I had pushed her to stay in school, at least she’d have a diploma. She couldn’t find a decent man and blamed me again, saying if I hadn’t convinced her to drop out, maybe she wouldn’t have been looked down on for her lack of education. I felt guilty, so I worked part-time while going to college, supporting her the whole way through. I didn’t even dare date anyone in college because every break, I’d be working myself to the bone to make sure she was comfortable. It wasn’t until much later that I realized she’d taken the money I earned and borrowed loans to buy luxury brands, playing the part of a high-class woman to attract men. Time and time again, she’d trick me into stepping into these traps, and then use emotional blackmail to manipulate me. She’d been doing it ever since we were kids. But in my past life, I cared too much about the bond of family to see the truth. I let her control me willingly. After I died, my soul floated above, watching as the truth played out in front of me. The car accident wasn’t an accident at all—it was orchestrated by Scarlett and Logan, betting that I would die for the nephew I had raised. They took the life insurance money, claimed my house as their own… and when my ashes were finally returned to them, they tossed the urn into the trash. As the memories of my previous life flashed before me, the pain and bitterness I felt were unbearable. All I wanted was another chance to destroy them both. Fortunately, the universe had other plans. I was reborn.

“Scarlett, flip it! Why aren’t you flipping it? Don’t tell me you don’t believe in destiny?” I waved a hand in front of her face to snap her out of it. She awkwardly picked up the coin, muttering, “Fine. Destiny, give me a sign. Heads, I keep the baby; tails, I don’t.” The coin spun in the air, landed, and flipped over—heads. “Well, looks like destiny wants you to keep the baby! So go ahead and have it.” Before, Scarlett had been working at Mr. Leonard Blackwood’s antique shop when she got involved with him, a married man. He was a smooth talker, convincing her to believe in destiny, using it to manipulate her. He tricked her into buying all these statues and trinkets that supposedly needed to be “blessed” or “worshipped.” She spent her entire paycheck on those things. And she borrowed from me constantly. Well, she called it borrowing—I knew she’d never pay me back. Now, she was pregnant, and Leonard told her his wife had found out, so she needed to leave the apartment he had rented for her. “But if I have the baby, where will we stay?” Scarlett’s eyes roamed greedily around my house, her tone turning pitiful. This house was the one Ethan and I had bought together, our future home. In my last life, Scarlett insisted on keeping the baby, guilted me into letting her stay, and that decision led to disaster. I was blinded by my sense of duty and agreed to help her. That was the beginning of the end. So, this time, I had to stop it right at the source. “That’s easy. Mom and Dad’s old cottage in Bluegrass is still empty. And just last week, Aunt Rachel called me. She opened a little corner market and needs help running it. You can stay at the old house, help her out, and earn some money. You’ll have a place to stay and a way to support yourself. Who knows? Maybe if you have a son, Leonard will come back and treat you like a queen.” Scarlett looked at me like I had suddenly changed into a different person, full of suspicion, but also thinking that what I was saying made sense. Before she could start overthinking it, I quickly called Aunt Rachel and made the arrangements. Now all I had to do was wait for Ethan to get off work and drive her back to Kentucky. “But I still feel like…” Scarlett hesitated. “Don’t worry. Don’t you think this is destiny’s way of showing you the path? Everything happens for a reason, and it’s all part of a bigger plan. Just follow it,” I quickly reassured her, shutting down any doubts she had. After all, in my past life, this was exactly how she had manipulated me. She moved into my house with that pregnant belly and caused complete chaos, single-handedly wrecking the relationship I had with Ethan’s family. In the end, Ethan and I broke up, he moved out, but left the house to me. Before leaving, Scarlett had the audacity to pat my shoulder and say, “Don’t worry, this is destiny’s plan. It’s just showing you that Ethan isn’t the right man for you.” After Ethan moved out, she immediately complained that the guest room was too uncomfortable because of her pregnancy and took over my master bedroom. This time, I wasn’t going to let that happen. No way was I going to lose the man I loved and the future I deserved to these two ungrateful wolves ever again. And I certainly wasn’t going to give up the love and support of the mother-in-law who treated me like her own daughter.

After I dropped Scarlett off at the old family cottage, I immediately dragged Ethan to the courthouse to get our marriage license. Ethan held the license in disbelief. “Honey, slap me. Am I dreaming?” This fool. In my previous life, after we broke up, he never married anyone else. He stayed single. When he heard about my death, he couldn’t even find my grave. He took my old coat, the only thing of mine still at his place, and made a little memorial out of it, talking to it every day like I was still there. Earlier, with Scarlett around, I had to keep my emotions in check. But now that she was gone, I broke down, clinging to Ethan. “You’re not dreaming. I’m the one who had a nightmare. But I’m awake now.” I told Ethan a little bit about my past life. He didn’t believe me at first. So I told him, in a few days, his company would send him on a business trip to Savannah. No matter what, he needed to go. In my previous life, after Scarlett moved in, Ethan’s mom came to visit us. While we were out, Scarlett snooped through our bedroom drawers, and his mom caught her. They argued, and Scarlett, being pregnant, wasn’t backing down. She pushed Ethan’s mom, and she hit her head on the corner of a table. Ethan had to stay and take care of his mom, missing out on a business trip that would have secured him a huge contract and a promotion. The colleague who went instead got that contract and spent the next twenty years climbing higher and higher while Ethan was stuck in a rut. Sure enough, three days after Ethan’s mom arrived, he was notified about the Savannah trip. This time, without Scarlett around to cause trouble, Ethan’s mom and I got along perfectly. Nothing interfered with his trip. Ethan finally believed me about my rebirth. He always listened to me before, but now, he was practically hanging on my every word. Just as we returned from the airport after dropping Ethan off, Scarlett was standing at the door with her suitcase. “Avery! You’re finally back!” “I have to tell you, Aunt Rachel’s cooking is terrible. I’m so used to your cooking!” “And her store? She wants me to wake up at nine in the morning. You know I’m pregnant—I can’t get up that early!” “Seriously, how do you expect me to live like this, huh?” The moment Scarlett stepped into the house, she started her endless complaints, nagging non-stop until she noticed the guest room—the one she used to stay in—was now filled with Mrs. Florence Caldwell’s things. She finally stopped talking and turned to me. “What’s going on here?” “Oh! Sis, I was just about to call you. Ethan and I got our marriage license! And Mom has already moved in with us.” I smiled as I took Mrs. Caldwell’s hand. Scarlett froze for a moment, clearly stunned. She had spent so long trying to brainwash me, convincing me that everyone from my in-laws’ side, especially my future mother-in-law, was an outsider. She always warned me that getting too close to them would only bring bad luck. And now, here I was, living with my mother-in-law. Scarlett gave me a look that screamed, “Have you lost your mind?” She didn’t even bother to greet Mrs. Caldwell before dragging me into another room to talk in private. “Avery, are you even listening to anything I’ve ever told you? Didn’t I warn you that Ethan’s mom is nothing but trouble? And now you’ve actually let her move in with you? Are you trying to drive me insane? And what about this house? There are only two bedrooms—if she’s staying in one, where am I supposed to stay?” I raised a finger to my lips. “Shh…” I gestured for her to follow me to the window seat where I had set up a little altar with a small jade Universal God statue I had bought for thirty bucks online. “Sis, keep it down. Don’t disturb the God …” “What the…?” Scarlett stared at me, bewildered. After all those years of her trying to brainwash me, I had always resisted this kind of superstition. I’d often tell her not to waste her money on these things. Now, all of a sudden, I looked like a devout believer. “Sis, you don’t understand. It’s because of you and your belief in destiny that I’ve been blessed. Destiny came to me in a dream and told me that Ethan is my perfect match, but only if he lives with his mother to fulfill his duty. That’s the only way we’ll ever achieve real success.” “Guess what? Ever since I followed that guidance and moved Mrs. Caldwell in, Ethan’s been sent to Savannah to negotiate a multimillion-dollar deal. If it goes through, his promotion is guaranteed. And we’ll even be able to afford a bigger house—three bedrooms!” “Sure, his mom is a bit of a handful, but hey, she’s basically our ticket to fortune! But, sis, you’re pregnant, and I wouldn’t want you to be uncomfortable here.” “Besides, I heard Mrs. Blackwood is still looking for you. You gave this address on your job application, right? If she shows up here, all your hard work could go down the drain.” “You should stay at the old family cottage for now. Once things settle down, I’ll bring you back.” As I painted the picture of a bright, successful future, Scarlett’s previously dull eyes lit up with excitement. She was convinced that if Ethan succeeded, it meant she’d be in for a windfall too. When we walked back into the living room, she was practically beaming at Mrs. Caldwell, addressing her with overly sweet “Auntie this” and “Auntie that.” Poor Mrs. Caldwell, who had no idea what had just transpired, stood there, completely confused. The truth is, Mrs. Caldwell wasn’t hard to take care of at all. She treated me better than my own mother ever had. I thought back to my previous life and how I had sided with Scarlett so many times, letting Mrs. Caldwell down repeatedly. Even when Ethan and I broke up, and he left me the house he had put the down payment on, she didn’t oppose it. The guilt I felt was overwhelming. After I got Scarlett out of the house, I took Mrs. Caldwell on a much-needed shopping spree. We’d always lived so frugally that it felt good to spoil her a little. “You two just got married. You’re going to need money for so many things. Don’t waste it on me…” she protested. “Don’t worry, Mom. Ethan and I are both moving up in our careers. Money won’t be an issue. But next year, we’ll need to head out of town for work. While we’re gone, you’ll need to watch over the house and make sure no one gets in.” At this point, Mrs. Caldwell hadn’t yet realized the full extent of Scarlett’s antics. But based on our past interactions, she knew I had always been the type to put my sister first, what some might call a “sibling servant.” She had tried to talk to Ethan about it many times. Now that I had finally come to my senses, Mrs. Caldwell was relieved. She told us not to worry and assured us that she’d take good care of the house. Before long, just as I predicted, Ethan successfully closed the deal in Savannah. The company didn’t hesitate to promote him, though the new position required him to spend a year at their Savannah branch. Without a second thought, I applied for a transfer to our company’s Savannah office as well, ensuring we’d stay together. Not only would this prevent our relationship from suffering due to the distance, but it also conveniently allowed me to avoid Scarlett’s constant pestering for a while. There was another reason too. From my memories of my previous life, I knew that in a few months, the new industrial park in Savannah would need supplies. In my past life, the deal had fallen into the lap of an unqualified receptionist who didn’t even know how to leverage it. This time, I was prepared. I had all my materials ready, and before they even started looking for suppliers, I was already reaching out, building connections with the procurement team. I even got the proposal pre-approved by my company. Opportunity favors the prepared, and sure enough, a few months later, I secured the deal. The seven-figure commission hit my account just as expected. During that time, Scarlett kept trying to get in touch with me, but I used the “destiny” excuse to dodge her every time. Aunt Rachel would call me now and then, saying Scarlett was still acting crazy, spending all her money on statues and Universal God figurines. She wouldn’t eat, wouldn’t take care of herself, and just kept offering things up, hoping destiny would treat her the way it had treated me. Months later, when destiny didn’t deliver, and things kept getting worse for her, she snapped and burned all her statues in a fit of rage. After that, when she found out we had left for Savannah, she decided to sneak back to our house, thinking she could just slip in. But when she opened the door, there was Mrs. Caldwell, sitting at the table with Ethan’s two aunts, Violet and June, playing cards. Mrs. Caldwell was sharp. She had worked as a high-level manager for a national company before retiring, known in her younger days as a no-nonsense, iron-willed woman. In my past life, out of love for me, she had tolerated Scarlett’s antics so I could focus on my job. She had squeezed into the tiny two-foot entryway, sleeping on a makeshift bed. Scarlett had constantly tormented her, trying every trick in the book to drive her away. Mrs. Caldwell endured it all for my sake, never wanting to cause me any trouble. But this time, with my full blessing, Mrs. Caldwell fought back. Scarlett didn’t stand a chance. She failed every time and couldn’t even get past the front door. And just like that, a year passed. Ethan’s internship was completed, and with my outstanding performance, I applied to return to headquarters to take on a leadership role. Scarlett, however, must have caught wind of something. She was waiting on my doorstep with a three-month-old Logan in her arms, ready to stir up trouble once again…

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I had just joined the freshman group chat when I received a friend request. [Lucas] I glanced at the real Lucas beside me, who was lounging lazily on the couch, picking at his feet while watching a beauty pageant show. Why would he suddenly add me as a friend? I accepted the request, and the person got straight to the point. [Hey freshman, want to date?] “Bro, I heard you want to date me?” Not only was my brother surprised, but my stepmom also rushed in from the kitchen where she was washing dishes and gave him a slap. She grabbed her son’s ear. “You little rascal, can’t you behave? Your sister is off-limits, do you want a beating?” Lucas and I aren’t related by blood. He’s my stepmom’s son. When I was fourteen, our families merged, but it wasn’t as dramatic as in TV shows. We got along well and lived in peace. Lucas and I were especially close, even more than real siblings. After my college entrance exam, following Lucas’s advice, I applied to the same university as him. The only difference was that he was a graduate student, while I was an incoming freshman. Lucas, who had just been inexplicably beaten by his mom, was quite indignant. But when he turned to me, his tone softened, with a hint of grievance. “Ava, you didn’t say this just to get my mom to hit me, did you…?” “Of course not.” I handed him my phone. The childish person on the other end was still entertaining himself. [Freshman, what admission batch are you in? I’m currently a graduate student, and I’ve already been recommended for a Ph.D. program.] [Freshman, I saw the photos in your moments, they’re all so pretty. Do you have any no-makeup photos? Those are more real.] [Freshman, do you want to see my photos? I guarantee you’ll be very satisfied.] The moment I handed the phone to my brother, another message popped up. [If you want to see, it’s $5 per photo ] I could feel my brother’s anger about to burn through the ceiling. That person shamelessly added another sentence. [I, Lucas, am the acknowledged campus heartthrob at our school ] My brother was so angry he wanted to smash my precious phone, but remembering he had worked part-time jobs to save up and buy it for me, he couldn’t bear to. He just tossed the phone back to me. “This bastard, don’t let me find out who it is, or I’ll use him as a lab rat. I’ll sterilize him first, then crack his skull open.”

I opened my phone and carefully examined that account, comparing it to my brother’s account. If I hadn’t already added my brother, even I might not have been able to tell the difference. Even the Snapchat account was strikingly similar, with only a few digits different. From the Snapchat space to the message board and signature, everything was identical. “I just joined the freshman group, and he immediately added me. Looks like this isn’t his first time.” My brother nodded at my words. “So how do we deal with this bastard?” “Hold off until school starts.” My brother exclaimed, “By then, how many girls will he have victimized in my name!” “If we expose him now, he’ll just stop targeting me. Can you catch him? He’ll just block me and move on to the next victim, won’t he?” My brother was a straightforward engineering guy. Ask him to unravel the mysteries of the universe, easy. But ask him to handle intricate matters, it’s like asking for his life. “So how do you plan to respond?” I typed a few words on the keyboard, then deleted them. “Bro, give me five bucks.” My brother almost kicked me. “Did your IQ drop to zero after the college entrance exam? You’re not really going to pay for my photos, are you?” I was thinking, compared to dating and scamming for emotions, this kind of scammer would definitely prefer to have a sucker willing to give him money. This would be the best way to keep him around. “I can’t give you much, don’t let that idiot enjoy too much.” Though my brother complained, he still sent me a $50 gift on Snapchat. After all, Snapchat payments weren’t mainstream, and he was afraid I’d give too much to that scammer. “I know what I’m doing.”

I sent the scammer ten bucks, and sure enough, he sent over two fleeting photos. Both were photos of my brother. [How about it, satisfied? I think I’m more than a match for you.] This scammer was really shameless. I played along. [Wow, I’ve seen you before!] My brother wasn’t a good student in his early years and barely made it into a community college. After my stepmom married into our family with him, he saw me studying all the time and was influenced by me. From community college to bachelor’s to master’s to PhD, he became a model student. Not only did the school love to brag about such talent, but even the school forum was full of his glorious deeds. The scammer was smug. [Your brother is very outstanding.] He asked another question, [What batch are you in, freshman? I don’t like community college students.] Our school has programs from community college to doctoral level. But I hadn’t expected that not only would he impersonate my brother, he would also discriminate based on education level. Didn’t he know my brother himself was a community college student? “I can’t hold back anymore.” My brother was also fuming beside me, “Don’t even mention you, I already want to take a knife to him.” My stepmom, who had been listening on the side, also pieced together the situation. “Did you offend someone? Otherwise, why would they only impersonate you and not others?” My brother said bluntly, “Don’t pull that victim-blaming stuff. I’m just eating, sleeping, and doing research. When would I have time to offend anyone?” I nodded vigorously in agreement. “Then how do you explain this?” my stepmom asked. “I’m being impersonated and you want me to provide evidence? What kind of injustice is this? I’m more wronged than Dou E,” my brother shouted angrily at the sky. He suddenly lowered his head, looking a bit dejected. “No wonder I haven’t had a girlfriend in all these years of college. Has this impersonator taken all my potential girlfriends?!” My stepmom and I burst out laughing. I comforted my brother. “Once school starts, everything will be clear.”

At the welcome party, my brother was giving a speech as a representative of the graduate students. I specifically sent a message to the scammer. [Lucas, I see you, you’re so handsome!] That scammer, either stupid or dumb, replied without hesitation while my brother was still speaking on stage. [Of course] I hadn’t had time to laugh when I felt a chill. I turned around to see the instructor behind me, looking at me coldly. The welcome party was held during our Freshman Orientation Week, and we weren’t allowed to bring phones, even at night. However, my brother insisted I take photos for him to show off, so I secretly brought it. There were quite a few people who brought phones to the event. As long as it wasn’t too blatant, everyone turned a blind eye, including the instructors. But I don’t know why the instructor singled me out among all the people. “How many times have I said, no phones allowed. Give it to me, you can get it back after the party is over.” I handed my phone to the instructor, left with no choice but to stare blankly at my brother on stage. School had just started, how had I already made enemies? Olivia sat down in the empty seat beside me. “Ava, did I miss anything interesting?” Olivia was my roommate, a cute girl, though her style was a bit outdoorsy. I didn’t mind that. My dad had stressed a million times that I should get along well with my roommates, otherwise even he, as the dean, couldn’t help me. “You missed quite a show.” Olivia paused slightly, “What show?” “The show of the instructor confiscating my phone,” I was bitter, poor little me. Olivia smiled, with a hint of sweetness. “Don’t worry Ava, Instructor Ethan is very nice. He’ll give it back to you later. Besides, we’re college students now, not middle or high school students. They shouldn’t be confiscating phones anymore.” I nodded. My brother came off stage and immediately pulled out his phone, probably wanting to ask me for his handsome photos so he could post them on social media and show off.

When the instructor returned my phone to me, it was already late at night. As a small punishment, he only gave it back during room inspection. He also said something out of the blue. “You’re so young, don’t get involved in those messy things.” I nodded and took the phone, my two big ears letting his words go in one and out the other. I just took it as a lecture and didn’t take it to heart. Another roommate, however, listened very carefully. Emma echoed the instructor, saying, “The instructor is right. Some people are poor but have no dignity, getting involved in all sorts of messy things, making people think they’re so hardworking.” The instructor gave her a stern look. “Don’t cause trouble, get along well with your roommates. You still have four years together.” I turned on my phone, which was already out of battery. As soon as I plugged it in, I immediately messaged my brother. Sure enough, my narcissistic brother had already sent hundreds of messages, asking me to quickly send him the photos. [What photos? The instructor took my phone away before I could take any] [What’s your instructor’s name?] I suddenly understood what my brother wanted to do. The instructors at our school, except for a few higher-ups, were all student officers from the school. They were veterans who had returned to school, with military training experience, but essentially still students. Perhaps my brother knew some of them. [What, trying to pull strings for your little sister?] Seeing me tease him, my brother didn’t hold back either. [My sister is strong and brave, resourceful and clever. I’m sure she looks down on her brother’s back door.] [No, I’m begging you!!!] We always joked around like this when talking. As I was sending messages, I laughed out loud. Emma, however, snorted coldly. “Don’t bring that smile you use to attract customers into the dorm. It’s a bad influence.”

I turned my head to look. Emma was folding clothes and organizing her wardrobe, seemingly not chatting with anyone else. “Are you talking about me?” I asked her. Emma paused slightly, then continued her actions. “Whoever reacts strongly is who I’m talking about.” I even started to wonder if I had offended this sister somehow, but I had only been in school for three days, with Freshman Orientation Week starting on the first day. How could there be such deep grudges already? Anyone would think I had a feud with her in a past life. Olivia came into the room carrying a water bottle, seemingly sensing that the atmosphere in the dorm wasn’t right. “You two… what’s wrong?” Emma laughed coldly without saying anything. Olivia tried to mediate, “Natalie couldn’t come to school because of COVID prevention measures, right? But it seems her packages will arrive tomorrow. She wants us to help her pick them up.” Natalie, bed three, couldn’t return to school because of a COVID outbreak in her hometown before the semester started. I nodded in agreement, but before I could say “okay,” Emma circled back to the previous topic. “The two of us can go. We shouldn’t let certain people go. Who knows, they might be infected without even knowing it.” I put my phone on the desk, not caring about my brother who was still clamoring. “Emma, if you have something to say, just say it directly. Don’t beat around the bush here.” Just as Emma’s anger was about to fully ignite, Olivia stopped her again. “Emma, it’s too late. You two shouldn’t argue.” Being stopped, Emma was like a dog held back by its owner, becoming even more reckless and arrogant. “Me, arguing? If the instructor hadn’t said anything today, I would have still thought of her as a goddess. Looking good but doing these things, aren’t you ashamed?” Instructor, I heard this word and wondered if the instructor confiscating my phone tonight was for some other reason. Olivia continued to persuade her, “Alright, Emma. We have to gather early tomorrow. Let’s go to sleep.” I held back my anger and got into bed. In the Freshman Orientation Week group chat, I found the instructor Ethan who had confiscated my phone today. I sent a friend request. The instructor hadn’t accepted me yet when that impersonator appeared again. [Freshman, are you guys in Freshman Orientation Week? Don’t get too tanned, I, Lucas, don’t like dark skin] I held my forehead and sighed. This guy, impersonating someone else, always had the other person’s name on his lips. Which normal person would constantly say their own name?! I ignored him. I continued to joke with my brother. [Big bro, do you have anything going on tomorrow?] My brother had always been hardworking. He was probably still in the study room at this hour, and likely wouldn’t have any free time tomorrow either. But these days of the enemy being in the dark and me in the light were really too uncomfortable. [Nothing, what’s up] My brother sent another picture, a screenshot of a chat record. At the top of the photo was the name of the chat partner, “Ethan.” In the chat record, my brother used all the flowery language he could muster in his life to describe me as a delicate flower who was bullied and in poor health. Ethan also repeatedly promised that he would definitely protect me well, and that he also deeply hated campus bullying. It seems Instructor Ethan quickly succumbed to my brother’s tyranny. [Bro, I didn’t expect your skills were still sharp]

After lining up, I sensed something was off. Our class stood under the national flag for a long time. Other classes had already gone to practice marching, but we were still standing at attention. Instructor Ethan stood in front of us with his arms folded, looking at us coldly for a long time. “Other classes, nothing happens. But in our class, everything happens!” We were speechless, afraid of angering the instructor again. “How many times have I said that phones are not allowed during Freshman Orientation Week? Yet someone still brought one last night. I want you to know that you are a collective! When one person makes a mistake, the whole class is punished!” “Today our class won’t practice. We’ll just stand at attention to let you know the taste of disobeying military orders!” The back door my brother found for me, is this how it works? I really shouldn’t have trusted him. Perhaps we had been standing for too long, arousing the curiosity of other classes. A tall, slender man walked over. His military uniform fit him well and looked neat. His tanned skin made him look particularly healthy and handsome. Unlike my brother’s handsomeness, he had more of a wild and resolute air about him, as if he could wrestle with wild wolves for four or five rounds at any moment. The shoulder badges of other instructors were ordinary ones issued by the school’s “Military Enthusiasts Association.” Most of these instructors were students trained by veterans, and some had no military experience at all. But the shoulder badge of the man who walked over read: Special Forces Unit. The morning sun was not kind either. Under the sunlight, I couldn’t see very clearly, but I knew that these shoulder badges couldn’t be faked. Once used, they were real. Instructor Ethan glanced at the man and politely returned a smile. Instructor Ethan glared at us again. “What are you standing there for? Say hello to the Chief Instructor!” “Hello, Chief Instructor!” On the day of the Freshman Orientation Week opening ceremony, I was standing at the back and couldn’t see clearly who was who. I had thought the Chief Instructor would be a middle-aged person, but I didn’t expect him to be so young. The Chief Instructor laughed, showing his big white teeth, which were even more noticeable against his tanned skin. “What’s going on here, Instructor Ethan? Everyone’s playing statues here, why didn’t you invite me to join?” I heard the warning tone in his voice. The Chief Instructor was implying that Instructor Ethan wasn’t training us and was trying to slack off. Instructor Ethan heard it too and hurriedly explained. “Chief Instructor, someone in our class did something wrong last night. I’m giving them a small punishment today.” The Chief Instructor’s smile faded. “Who made the mistake? Step forward.” “Reporting, it was me.” I stepped sideways out of the formation, looking at the Chief Instructor. “What mistake did you make!” “Bringing a phone during Freshman Orientation Week!” “Ten squats!” Ten squats weren’t difficult, but we had been standing at attention for too long. Our legs had almost lost feeling. The sudden squats were something I couldn’t adapt to at all. I fainted on the seventh squat.

When I woke up, I was in the infirmary. Beside me was that tanned man, the man who had caused me to end up in the infirmary. “Student, you’re awake.” He seemed to have been watching me, observing when I would wake up. I nodded while lying on the bed. “Chief Instructor, do I need to go back for training?” He shook his head, “No need.” Great, I want to sleep, sleep to death, sleep until the end of time. Seeing me fall asleep in a second, he laughed. “You’re quite carefree. Aren’t you going to ask why I’m not letting you go?” I mumbled with my eyes closed. “Isn’t it because you caused this?” He shook my shoulder, and I opened my eyes. In front of me was a phone, with the screen showing my bed. On the bed, there was clearly a pair of men’s underwear thrown there! I widened my eyes. “My bed!?” He nodded. I finally understood, “So you pulled me out of class for this?” He nodded again. “Why are you helping me?” That pair of men’s underwear looked a bit wrinkled, not new. If Emma went back to the dorm and saw it, with her big mouth, probably the whole school would say I was a pervert. His eyes were really beautiful. I just looked for a moment and didn’t want to look away. He didn’t shy away either, looking back at me. I suddenly remembered, “You’re not the back door my brother found for me, are you?” He gave me a sincere and natural smile. “Ethan, that’s my name.”

“Could it be Emma?” After hearing all the bizarre things I told him, Ethan suspected that the person who put the men’s underwear there was my roommate Emma. The dorm keys, apart from the area aunt, were only held by the four roommates. Olivia got along well with me, and Natalie hadn’t returned to school yet, so it seemed only Emma was left. Ethan then refuted his own guess, “But if it was Emma, wouldn’t that be too much like a thief crying ‘stop thief’?” I agreed. Although Emma was always at odds with me, it was just verbal attacks. I hadn’t seen her engage in any scheming. Ethan gently patted my shoulder. “Don’t worry, your brother and I have been good friends for over ten years. I’ll help you. This kind of person is too dangerous on campus.” “Chief Instructor, I want to go back to the formation.” Ethan frowned slightly, “Are you sure?” “I’m sure.” On the field, everyone had been training for a long time and was resting in place. Seeing me return so leisurely, they seemed quite disgruntled. Emma was the first to roll her eyes at me. Olivia got up to come and greet me, but was pulled back by Emma. Ever since that pair of men’s underwear was thrown on my bed, I no longer trusted them, even Olivia who still seemed to get along with me. My spot was still empty, so I sat down. “After hooking up with this one, now hooking up with that one. Who can outlive you?” Emma was being sarcastic again. “You’d better explain clearly. Who did I hook up with?” Olivia tugged at Emma’s sleeve, “Emma, everyone’s here.” “So what if everyone’s here? It’s not like others can’t see. Fainting in front of the Chief Instructor, letting the Chief Instructor carry you out, and in a princess carry no less. Others would beg for such luck.” I gave her a cold look. “Emma, if you could carry me, you could go to the infirmary with me and enjoy an hour of air conditioning too.” Emma was certainly not happy with that. She was afraid of getting sunburned and had applied layer after layer of sunscreen. While I had comfortably enjoyed an hour of air conditioning in the infirmary.

I went to the cafeteria to get food, while they went to help Natalie pick up her packages. I originally wanted to go too, but Emma repeatedly rejected me, which actually gave me a chance to rest and eat directly. I asked for an extra chicken leg and hid in a corner to eat frantically. “Quick, look at the school’s Reddit!” The girls at the table next to me suddenly called out. The girl in pink opened her phone and looked for a while, then said in an indescribable tone, both mocking and disgusted. “Who’s so amazing that they even stole Kevin’s underwear? I’m dying of laughter hahaha” That pair of men’s underwear had been thrown away when Ethan discovered it. Even if they returned early, they wouldn’t be able to see it. We weren’t allowed to bring phones during Freshman Orientation Week. I had learned my lesson and couldn’t check the gossip immediately. It was so difficult. But with this table of gossip sisters, I turned into a mouse in a melon field. Blue girl: “Who’s Kevin? Why are the comments not pitying him but laughing at him instead?” Pink girl: “Kevin, you don’t even know him? Let me give you a hint. What’s the surname of that strictest graduate student supervisor in our graduate school?” Professor Cheng, my brother’s graduate supervisor. I had heard my brother mention that Professor Cheng had a child who was particularly troublesome and always came to the lab to bother the professor. The professor had no choice but to throw the kid to several graduate students to teach. The kid was tortured by various science and engineering experts every day, but instead of retreating, he became more and more courageous. He skipped grades one after another and was directly admitted to our school. Kevin was famous mainly because he was already a sophomore, but only sixteen years old. Stealing an upperclassman’s underwear, and still being underage. The consequences would certainly be serious. He might even be labeled as a “pervert.” My brother sent me a message on WhatsApp. [Ding ding, my beautiful, kind, and generous sister, do you have any new gossip today?] I knew my brother was talking about that impersonator. I opened the chat with the impersonator. No wonder there was no movement today. It turned out I hadn’t replied to his message last night. He was quite temperamental. I looked at that ridiculous message on the screen. [I, Lucas, don’t like dark skin.] I replied to him, [Lucas, if you want to see if I’m dark or not, you can come to the training field and take a look!] This impersonator wouldn’t dare to meet in person. If he dared to meet, I would confront him in real life. Sure enough, he replied instantly. [You’re too eager. I don’t like people who are too eager. Minus 10 points] Deducting points? This trick I’ve only seen in elementary school trendy chat videos. He sent another message. [Favorability: -10 points] Great, I’m completely defeated. I think the person on the other end is either an idiot or a complete fool. How could such a person perfectly impersonate my brother?

When I returned to the dorm, they had already brought back all the packages. Natalie wasn’t here, but there was a large pile of packages scattered around. The outer packaging looked quite luxurious, seemingly not cheap. Olivia marveled at these things. “Natalie’s family must be rich to buy so many things.” I felt Emma glance at me, “Better keep an eye on them, in case certain people steal them.” I couldn’t be bothered to explain to her. My dad is the dean of the school, my stepmom is in finance, my brother is in scientific research, and even all our distant relatives are landlords. I’m the only useless one in the whole family. [Ava, your package has arrived. Go pick it up quickly] My brother sent me a message. [What package? Why isn’t it in my name?] Our school has self-service package pickup. If it was my own package, the message should have been sent to my phone. [My mom was worried you’d be too busy with Freshman Orientation Week, so she insisted I pick it up for you. But I’m about to leave for field research with my supervisor and don’t have time to help you pick it up] [Okay] I put on my Bluetooth earphones and went out. But I could still faintly hear Emma’s unforgiving voice from inside the room. “I told you she was jealous. Now who knows which admirer she’s going to seduce to buy things for her.” My stepmom, afraid that I would be affected by that impersonator pretending to be my brother, had bought many luxury goods for me. In my stepmom’s view, if a woman has money, it can deter many people. But she overlooked one point: excessive flaunting of wealth can also invite dissatisfaction. I hugged seven or eight eye-catching luxury brand packages from LV, Gucci, Chanel… feeling particularly uncomfortable. So I asked the courier at the pickup station for a large black plastic bag, unpacked all the packaging, and stuffed everything usable into the plastic bag to carry back. When I entered the room, Emma was taking a shower, and only Olivia was eating at the table. “Ava, what are you carrying in that big bag?” I casually put it under the table, “Local specialties sent from home.” As soon as I finished speaking, the phone in my pocket rang. “Miss Li, this is the courier from just now. It seems you left one package behind. Could you come back again?” “Okay.” I hung up the phone and went out again. The sky inexplicably started drizzling, and I hadn’t brought an umbrella. I could only pull up the hood of my sweatshirt. There was a crowd of people at the entrance of the pickup station. I immediately spotted one particularly tall man wearing an army combat uniform. The courier looked at the few kids in front of him with a serious face. “Your Chief Instructor is here too. If you don’t admit your mistake, I’m really going to call the police.” I pushed through the crowd. The courier looked at me, “Miss Li, it’s like this. Your package was lost. I had just put it on the table waiting for you to come pick it up, but…” “Your package?” Ethan turned his head to look at me. Maybe it was mine, but all the package information was with my brother, so I wasn’t sure if it was mine. But since the courier had called and said it was mine, it should be correct. I nodded. Ethan handed me the tablet in his hand. This was the surveillance footage from the pickup station. Because it was raining, several cameras were particularly blurry and basically nothing could be seen. Only one was barely usable. Those with similar figures to the ones in the video were all in front of me. Ethan stood tall and straight. Just standing in front of others, he had an invisible aura of authority. He said in a cold voice, “If you took it by mistake, just return it to the other person. We won’t pursue this matter.” From the line of people, a slightly chubby girl stretched out her hand. In her palm hung a delicate diamond necklace that looked quite expensive. Ethan took the necklace from her hand, about to return it to me, when he was grabbed by the arm by that girl. “Why must it be hers? Why don’t you think it’s mine!” Everyone looked at her in surprise. The courier was particularly exasperated, saying in a somewhat mocking tone, “Can’t you read the name on the package yourself? Do you recognize the name?” The girl’s face turned red, and even the frame of her glasses was a bit crooked. “Lucas, he’s my boyfriend!” she shouted loudly. Ethan and I looked over almost at the same time. My brother, that straight-laced science guy, had the looks but not the luck in love. And even if he really was in a relationship, how could we, his closest people, not know about it? “Student, your boyfriend’s name is Lucas?” I asked. Lucas, this name was as uncommon as it could be. I hadn’t heard of a second Lucas in our school. I suddenly thought of that impersonator in my phone. Could it be that the impersonator had been scamming people in the school all along? That would be too brazen! I originally thought the impersonator would only scam for emotions or money, not possible to meet in person.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294831”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic #校园School

The entire entertainment industry thought I snagged the Best Actor through a one-night fling. After our marriage, I was relentlessly cyberbullied! Even more absurd, someone spread rumors that I, the evil stepmother, was abusing Lucas’s 7-year-old son Noah! Claiming I beat him black and blue! Some self-proclaimed “justice warriors” snuck into my house and installed hidden cameras, ready to expose and punish me! But after 24 hours of livestreaming my laid-back parenting style, I unexpectedly went from being hated to becoming America’s sweetheart! The entire entertainment industry thought I snagged the Best Actor through a one-night fling. After our marriage, I was relentlessly cyberbullied! Even more absurd, someone spread rumors that I, the evil stepmother, was abusing Lucas’s 7-year-old son Noah! Claiming I beat him black and blue! Some self-proclaimed “justice warriors” snuck into my house and installed hidden cameras, ready to expose and punish me! But after 24 hours of livestreaming my laid-back parenting style, I unexpectedly went from being hated to becoming America’s sweetheart! “I won’t eat the porridge you made! You’re an evil stepmother, you’ll poison me!” The angelic-looking little boy on the hospital bed frowned, swatting away the bowl I held to his lips. Crash! The porridge bowl shattered on the floor. I suddenly felt weak all over, collapsing alongside the broken bowl. A shard cut my hand, and after a moment of pain, I found myself gasping for air as if on the brink of death! Clutching my head, I looked dazedly at my stepson – Noah, the 7-year-old son of Best Actor Lucas Lin. Why did I remember Noah pushing me into the water, drowning me? I could still recall his panicked and desperate expression after pushing me. He tried to rush over to save me but was held back tightly by a figure. Noah cried out in despair, unable to break free. In the end, they both witnessed my death, surely leaving Noah with lifelong trauma. But no matter how hard I tried, I could only remember this final scene before my death. I couldn’t recall any of the events leading up to it! I didn’t know which pool it was or who had harmed me! But I guessed that Noah, being so young, must have been manipulated by someone. Yet for him to be incited to do such a thing, he must truly dislike me. My heart ached like it was being stabbed by needles. Since marrying Lucas, I never expected to gain my husband’s love. Lucas was also very busy, so I poured all my heart into caring for my stepson Noah. Every day I prepared varied nutritious meals for him and tried to spend as much time as possible playing with him. But I never imagined he would conspire with others to murder me. Things are different now though. Since I’ve been given a second chance at life, I can’t just focus on taking care of Noah like before. I must find out who killed me. “Y-y-you… your hand is bleeding!” Noah, who had been so aggressive moments ago, suddenly became flustered. Despite his fever, he tried to get up to check on me. “Don’t move!” I stopped Noah, partly out of concern he might cut himself too, and partly because I wasn’t sure how to interact with him. “Sigh… since you don’t want to accept my care, I can’t do anything about it. Look, I’m injured too. Why don’t we just recover together?” I cleaned up the broken pieces of the bowl, then lay down next to Noah, closing my eyes to rest. Noah’s mouth gaped open in surprise. Usually, if he refused to eat, I would try every trick to get him to eat, even if he only took one bite of each dish. I would keep coaxing him to eat his fill. His little brain couldn’t grasp the concept of “reverse psychology”, but he let out a cold “hmph”, assuming my current indifference must be some new tactic of mine. But in reality, my emotions were complex. I was pretending to be indifferent while actually deep in thought. What I didn’t know was that on Noah’s toy cabinet, a faint red light was blinking. My every move was being livestreamed! Seeing my attitude towards Noah, comments started flooding in: [Ugh! Why do I have to watch this trash Sophia? Marrying Lucas through a one-night stand, how disgusting!] [Haven’t you seen the recent exposé? Noah’s arms and legs are all bruised! Sophia is truly an evil stepmother!] [Why did Lucas marry this kind of woman? Wasn’t his rumored co-star Bella White a better choice?] [What’s going on? It seems like neither Sophia nor Noah know they’re being livestreamed? Screen record, screen record! If Sophia abuses the child, we’ll report her to the police immediately!] Meanwhile, I was completely unaware of the livestream at the center of this storm. Ever since marrying Best Actor Lucas Lin, photos of me supporting a drunk Lucas into a hotel were leaked, so I was vilified as a loose woman. Not long after the wedding, photos of Noah covered in bruises surfaced. I didn’t want to get involved in a social media war and affect Lucas’s career, so I simply lived an offline life. I barely used my phone, let alone watched livestreams. After lying there for over an hour, I got up and felt Noah’s forehead. His fever had subsided. But it was nearly lunchtime, and I was getting hungry too. I stood up, and Noah watched my movements, guessing I was about to head to the kitchen. “Sophia, I want Snoopy-shaped pasta! With an egg!” Noah ordered me matter-of-factly. I looked at Noah with a polite smile: “Kid, keep dreaming. You can have anything in your dreams.” Noah’s little face turned red, clearly angry! “Sophia, if you don’t behave well, I’ll tell Daddy!” “A woman like you has no right to marry my dad. You probably don’t know that my dad already has photos with Bella, do you? If you’re not nice to me, I’ll let Bella be my stepmom!” Noah took out his kids’ phone and pulled up a news article. The headline read: Lucas Lin Abandons the Dark Horse, Embraces America’s Sweetheart Bella White! The photo clearly showed Lucas with his arms around Bella. The timestamp was three days ago – the same day he told me he was going to shoot in the desert! I stared at the photo, my heart suddenly aching. [Noah is so wise! This gold-digger’s weak spot is Lucas! Keep pushing her!] [Ah, Bella and Lucas look so good together! I ship them! I support Bella defeating the evil stepmother!] I remained silent for a while, looking at the photo. So this is why Lucas has been so busy after our marriage… “Oh no, I have chest pains. I can’t cook anymore.” “Noah, there’s still some porridge in the pot. It hasn’t cooled down yet. If you’re hungry, you can help yourself.” I had just stood up, but now I lay back down again. Sigh, as someone who’s already died once, I can’t believe I’m still so useless, getting upset over Lucas’s affairs. Noah looked at me suspiciously as I acted like I was at death’s door, blinking in confusion. “Sophia, I’m going to tell my dad!” He continued to threaten me. “Go ahead, call him right now. If you can get through, tell him I said this life isn’t worth living anymore. We might as well split up!” I covered my eyes, trying to hold back tears. I’ve had enough of this one-sided puppy love! “You want to divorce my dad?” Noah asked in disbelief. “Mm-hmm, divorce.” My voice was muffled, but I gave a definite answer. Given a second chance at life, I want to let myself go, and let Lucas go too. Noah was completely dumbfounded, his adorable little face frozen as if someone had hit pause. “My dad is super handsome!” He blurted out randomly. “Mm-hmm, I know.” “My dad is a three-time Best Actor winner!” “Mm-hmm, I know.” “My dad is pursued by lots of women!” “Mm-hmm, I know that too.” “Then why do you want to divorce him? Is it because I threatened to tell on you? I won’t tell, okay? Geez, Sophia, you’re so troublesome!” Noah clutched his hair in frustration, his messy bed-head unable to hide the handsomeness in his genes. I opened my eyes to look at Noah, surprised that he would say such things when he usually doesn’t get along with me. “It’s not your fault, Noah. Your invincible handsome three-time Best Actor dad, pursued by many beautiful women, is indeed perfect. But the only regret is that he doesn’t love me.” “I think I suddenly had an epiphany today and realized many things can’t be forced. Like how you don’t like me, or how Lucas doesn’t like me. But I want to live a good life too, I don’t want to be a lovesick puppy anymore.” I answered with a bitter smile. After all, as someone who’s died once, how could I not have an epiphany? I might have even had an out-of-body experience. “Divorce means never seeing you again? Like my mommy?” Noah looked at me with a pained expression. At this point, the comment section fell silent for a few seconds before starting to attack me: [It’s over, Noah’s fallen for it! Isn’t this just that green tea b*tch playing hard to get?] [Using divorce to scare a child! So manipulative!] [LOL, as if this gold digger would ever leave her meal ticket? That’s her body and dignity on the line! I bet she’ll be on her knees begging Lucas and Noah for forgiveness for saying this later!] I might not care what others say about me, but I do care about Noah’s feelings. So I pinched his chubby cheek. “No, sweetie. If you want to see me, we can still meet. And your mommy hasn’t left you either, she’s become a star watching over you.” Noah pouted slightly: “I’m not a 4-year-old kid anymore. There’s no such thing as people turning into stars. Tch, you’re so bad at comforting people.” I was speechless and slumped back down: “Kids are so hard to deal with.” Just then, I heard the sound of a key in the front door lock. I immediately sat up again! Given Lucas’s celebrity status, we never hired a housekeeper and generally kept a low profile, with few people disturbing us. But it was unlikely to be Lucas coming home at this time. “Who is it?” I cautiously walked to the door. “It’s me, Sophia~ I’m Bella White.” With a click, Bella White used a key to open my door. I was a bit stunned. “Miss White? How do you have a key to my house?” Bella White just smiled smugly at me, then looked at Noah who had just walked over, completely ignoring my question. “Noah! You poor thing! Your arms are covered in bruises. I was so worried about you!” Bella White rushed over and pulled Noah into her arms. This scene sent the comment section into a frenzy! The group mockery of me turned into a flood of compliments: [Ahh! It’s Bella White! She’s so beautiful! She’s literally glowing!] [I’m crying! What a beautiful scene, Bella and Noah look like a real mother and son! Please save Noah quickly, Bella!] [I bet Bella found out Noah was being beaten, so she came to help the child. Bella is so kind!] [Look, Noah’s legs and arms are all injured! The previous leak was true, Sophia is an evil stepmother! I hope Bella replaces Sophia in taking care of Noah!] Seeing Bella and Noah’s intimate interaction, my heart ached. “Bella, hi. I’m fine, boys don’t fear pain.” Noah smiled in response to Bella. Bella stroked Noah’s head, glancing at me, then guided Noah: “Noah, you don’t know, but there are so many people in this world who care about you deeply and want to take care of you. For example, I love you the most and can’t bear to see you hurt or abused. Tell me honestly, do these injuries have anything to do with your stepmother?” “If you nod, I’ll tell your dad to punish your stepmother. Maybe you can even get a new stepmom~ How about having me as your new mom? I’ll buy you snacks every day!” The smile faded from Noah’s face, replaced by an exasperated expression: “Be my new mom? Bella, you should go home and sleep. In your dreams, anything is possible.” Noah mimicked my tone from earlier, then distanced himself from Bella. “Miss White, if you have no other business here, please leave. Otherwise, I’ll have to report you for trespassing.” I said coldly, dismissing her. Bella wasn’t embarrassed. She tossed her hair and pulled out a photo of me holding Noah’s bruised body, holding it up to my face. “Mrs. Lin may not know, but the White and Lin families are old friends. Mrs. Lin was really worried about her grandson, so she asked me to check if you’ve really been hurting him.” “Mrs. Lin, I advise you to confess early, divorce early, and apologize. I can even help you buy some bots to reduce the cyberbullying. Otherwise, you might get beaten up walking down the street!” I already had plenty of haters, and I didn’t care much about this issue before. I never bothered to release a statement or hold a press conference to explain. I had retired from the entertainment industry and didn’t want to stir up any more drama. But now that Bella had come to my doorstep with Mrs. Lin’s authority, I had to defend myself. “I would never hurt Noah.” I spoke up. Noah frowned, realizing the seriousness of what Bella was saying. Although he had known Bella since he was little and had some affection for her, he glanced at me and chose me without much hesitation, displaying his usual sharp wit. “Bella, you’ve got it all wrong. I got injured and sick because I asked Sophia to take me skiing, and I accidentally fell. She got a lot of injuries too from trying to protect me.” Noah finished speaking and rolled up my sleeve, revealing large patches of bruises. This scene was also broadcast live: […I didn’t expect the truth to be like this. I thought Sophia really abused the child. I shouldn’t have installed cameras in her room. I’m going to turn myself in.] [The whole entertainment industry wronged Sophia. I even posted hate comments about her on Twitter. I was wrong too…] I quickly pulled my sleeve down, not wanting Noah to worry. I hadn’t expected Noah, who used to dislike me, to speak up for me. I felt a bit touched. At this moment, Bella White became the common enemy for Noah and me. I coldly said to Bella White: “Miss White, you’ve seen the truth. Please leave.”

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My aunt showed up right after my mom’s funeral. She offered to be my mom’s replacement. My dad was so touched that he wanted to add her name to the property deed. I realized then that talking about feelings costs money, and my aunt had a clear goal. My aunt was only 38 years old, but she looked like she was in her late twenties. She was beautiful, with a radiant smile that could light up a room. She had been divorced four times, each time because she had cheated on her husband. My grandmother had worried about her for years and even consulted a fortune teller about her love life. The fortune teller said my aunt was born with a “flower fairy” fate, destined to attract romantic troubles. I never imagined that my aunt would bring her troubles into our family. Right after my mom’s funeral, she showed up at our door. She made a heartfelt confession to my dad, saying she was willing to be my mom’s replacement and take care of my dad and me. My dad agreed. This whole situation completely shattered my worldview. I had a huge fight with my dad about it. My dad sighed, suddenly looking much older. “Lily, I’m getting old. You’re away at college. I just want someone by my side.” Of course, I didn’t object to my dad finding a companion. But he was planning to marry my aunt, my mom’s sister! “Dad, after all these years, don’t you know what kind of person my aunt is?” I asked. Was he looking to get cheated on? My dad looked at me with a mix of embarrassment and pleading. “She promised she could change, Lily. She’s your aunt, after all. We’re already family.” At that moment, I knew that no matter what I said, my dad was determined to let my aunt move in. Sure enough, that evening, my aunt moved in, bringing along my cousin Emma, who had just started middle school this year. My aunt was a great cook, but I couldn’t eat a bite. At the dinner table, my aunt kept putting food on my plate. “Lily, what do you like to eat? Your aunt will cook it for you every day from now on.” I smiled coldly and stood up to go back to my room. “I’ll pack my things. I’m going back to school tomorrow.” Out of sight, out of mind! As I closed the door, I heard Emma ask, “Mom, why are we living at Lily’s house?” My aunt replied, “Emma, this is our home now. Emma, call him Dad.” Emma sweetly called my dad “Dad,” and he happily responded, calling her a good girl over and over. Look at that, they’ve already become a family of three. … After I went back to school, I only exchanged occasional messages with my dad. It seemed that he and my aunt were getting along well. During winter break, I found a part-time job and wasn’t planning to go home. But I hadn’t seen my dad for a whole semester and missed him, so I decided to go home for a couple of days first. When I got home and opened the door to my room, I saw Emma eating chips on my bed. She was surprised to see me come in. As she sat up, chips scattered all over the bed. I’m a neat freak. In the past, I never even allowed myself to eat in my bedroom. How could I possibly allow someone else to eat on my bed? I walked over and scolded her sternly, “Who let you in here? From now on, don’t come into my room without my permission.” Emma sat on the bed without moving. “Lily, this is my room.” It was then that I looked around and realized my room had been completely transformed. Huh, in just one semester, my room was gone.

I hadn’t told my dad I was coming home. I wanted to surprise him, but he ended up surprising me instead. Emma said he and my aunt had gone out to buy groceries. I sat on the couch waiting, and sure enough, they came back laughing and talking after a while. When he saw me, the smile on my dad’s face faltered for a moment. He frowned. “Lily, why are you back? Didn’t you say you had to work?” I suddenly felt a wave of disappointment, and the anger I had been holding back burst out. “What happened to my room?” I demanded. My aunt glanced at my dad without saying anything, clearly leaving it to him to deal with me. My dad’s face showed his discomfort as he tried to explain, “Lily, you don’t come home often anymore, so I let your sister have your room.” We had three bedrooms in our house: a master bedroom, a guest room, and a small attic bedroom upstairs. I pointed upstairs and looked at my aunt. “Move all of Emma’s things up there. From now on, don’t touch my room.” My aunt put on a tearful face. “Lily, Emma is your sister. How can you treat her like this?” I already didn’t like my aunt, and now she was putting on an act and playing innocent in front of me. Of course, I wasn’t going to give her any face. “How am I treating her? Did I kick her out? You’ve taken over my room, and now you’re trying to turn this around on me?” My aunt lowered her head and sobbed. My dad felt sorry for her and got angry. He yelled at me, “Lily, is that how you talk to your elders? Apologize to your aunt!” I was furious. I went straight into the room and started throwing Emma’s things out. My aunt and Emma were screaming outside. My dad came in and grabbed my wrist, pulling me out. This was the first time my dad had ever laid hands on me, and it was for these two outsiders. “Lily, this is my house. I can let whoever I want live here. Are you rebelling? Is this how I taught you?” I yanked my hand away from my dad. “This is your house and my house too. Half of it is yours, and half was Mom’s. Now that Mom’s gone, her half is mine. What right do you have to give my room to someone else?” Emma suddenly stepped forward. “Now the house belongs to my mom too!” My heart sank. I looked at my dad in disbelief. He looked away guiltily. “I’ve already added your aunt’s name to the property deed.” I turned to look at my aunt, and suddenly everything became clear. I had wondered what she saw in my dad. Now I knew. She was after our house. But so what? “That still means I own half of this house. You only have a quarter. Move your daughter’s things out!” My aunt hid behind my dad, not moving. I was completely furious now and stormed back into the room to continue throwing things out. Emma rushed in to stop me, but I pushed her away. My aunt was crying loudly outside. “What are you doing? How can you hit your sister?” Emma was a clever little thing. Hearing her mom say this, she sat on the floor and started crying. I barely touched her! My dad rushed in, grabbed me, and slapped me across the face. He actually hit me. My heart ached instantly. With tears in my eyes, I nodded. “Fine, I get it. From now on, you’re all one happy family.” With that, I went out, grabbed my suitcase, and left.

I took my suitcase to my grandparents’ house. I told my grandparents and my uncle everything that had happened, expecting them to scold my aunt. But my grandmother said, “Lily, your aunt is part of the family now with your dad. It’s normal for her to fight for her place. Besides, your aunt has had a hard life. She’s finally settled down. Don’t make trouble.” I was speechless at my grandmother’s words. My grandmother had always favored my aunt because she was her “little girl.” She was the one who spoiled my aunt into the person she is today. And now, she was still taking my aunt’s side. After saying this, my grandmother asked what I wanted to eat and offered to cook for me. I picked up my suitcase and left. With no other options, I went to my uncle’s house. After hearing about the mess at home, my uncle’s fiery temper flared up. “He’s such an idiot! I told him over and over to keep the property deed safe, and what does he do? He adds that bitch’s name to it!” My uncle was about to take me to confront my dad, but my cousin Lucas stopped him. He said, “The deed’s already got her name on it. What good will it do to make a fuss now?” Then Lucas turned to me and said, “You can stay here for now. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. The family’s still here for you.” I felt a lump in my throat and started crying. My aunt came out of the kitchen. “Alright, alright, let’s eat first. Lily, you just got off the train, right? You haven’t had a chance to rest. Come on, have some hot food.” I wiped my tears and went to eat. My uncle’s family treated me better than my own dad. After dinner, my aunt told me to go rest, but I was too angry to lie down. Seeing me like this, my uncle called me over. “Lily, do you know how much money your family has?” I nodded. “I know. Mom told me everything before she passed away. She knew Dad was easily swayed and couldn’t stand up for himself, so she didn’t trust him with it.” We lived in a small county town, but it was one of the top 100 counties in the country and was developing well. When my mom was alive, she had her own store right at the entrance of our residential complex. It was bought along with our house and was only in my mom’s name. Now she had transferred it to me. Then there was the house, and a small plot of land on the outskirts of town, waiting for development. My dad worked at the county hospital with a pretty good salary of over 10,000 yuan a month. With my mom running her own store, they had saved up quite a bit over the years. All the savings were in my mom’s name, totaling over 1.3 million yuan. I now had the bankbook. After my mom passed away, I rented out the store to someone who opened a nail salon. I could collect 20,000 yuan in rent each year. My uncle listened to all this and nodded. “That’s good. If it weren’t for your mom’s foresight, knowing your dad couldn’t handle it, your aunt would have snatched up all your family’s assets. Now, what do you think about that quarter of the house?”

Why should I give our family’s belongings to someone else? So the house must be taken back. “Now that her name is on the deed, can we still get it back?” I asked. My cousin Lucas sat down beside me and patted my shoulder. “If you want it back, I’ll find you a lawyer.” Seeing Lucas’s determined look, my own resolve strengthened. I looked it up online and found that in cases where one party hasn’t contributed financially, the house might still be split 50-50. There were a lot of complications, and some sources said adding a name before marriage was ineffective. So the key now was this point. I needed to ask my dad for clarification. The next morning, I called my dad and asked him to meet me at my uncle’s house. But after waiting all day, he didn’t show up. When I called again, I found out that my aunt was sick and my dad couldn’t leave. Huh, who knows if she was really sick. I packed up and went home. When I got back, they were just sitting down to dinner. It was hotpot, with a table full of dishes. I saw my dad stand up and put some cooked food into Emma’s bowl. My dad hesitated for a moment when he saw me, then smiled and walked over. “Lily, you’re back! Come, let’s have hotpot.” I looked at my dad coldly. “Dad, this is my home. Are you treating me like a guest?” The smile on my dad’s face froze. My aunt came over too. “Come and eat, Lily. After all, we’re all family. Fighting is one thing, but why are you talking like an outsider? Who’s treating you like a guest?” My dad went to get another set of bowls and chopsticks for me and put some cooked beef in my bowl. I could see he was trying to please me. I took a bite of the beef and looked at my aunt. “Aunt, Dad said you were sick. What was wrong?” She didn’t look sick at all, eating and drinking like this. My aunt smiled. “Just a headache, an old problem. I took some medicine and felt better. Lily, eat more, have some meat.” I didn’t say anything else. After dinner, I was about to ask my dad to talk outside when my aunt suddenly brought Emma in front of me. “Emma, apologize to your sister.” Emma even bowed to me. “I’m sorry, Lily. I shouldn’t have occupied your room. I was wrong. Please forgive me.” My aunt apologized to me too. “I’m sorry, Lily. It’s just that you said you weren’t coming back, so your dad cleared out the room for Emma. It’s tiring for her to climb up to the attic every day, and she’s young. I can’t easily check on her at night if she’s in the attic. Now that you’re back, we’ll give the room back to you.” My dad nodded beside her. “Yes, your aunt just apologized to me too. She said she didn’t think it through at the time and shouldn’t have argued with you. Lily, go get your luggage from your uncle’s place later.” I was surprised. How did they change their attitude so quickly, especially that mother and daughter? “If that’s the case, then move all your things out,” I said. While my aunt and Emma were packing their things downstairs, I went up to the attic to take a look. Sure enough, all my things were there, but they hadn’t been properly arranged. They were just thrown in there, all messy. Some of my figurines were even broken.

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My husband, Ethan Stone, has abilities that are genetically enhanced. I once saved his life, and since then, he’s been obsessed with me. For three years, he pursued me relentlessly. In his desperation, he even ran his car into my childhood boyfriend, Mark Dawson, leaving him crippled. Then, he threatened to kill my family if I didn’t marry him. Now, after seven years of marriage, Ethan’s obsession has only intensified. He implanted a tracking chip in me to keep tabs on my every move, stripping me of any freedom. Despite this, he showers me with a twisted kind of love, always trying to give me whatever I want. One time, during an argument, his mother, Loretta Stone, pointed a finger at me, and Ethan broke her finger without hesitation. Another time, when his sister Diana’s kids interrupted my nap, he kicked them out, cutting off all ties with them. When I refused to give him a child with his enhanced genes, he poured his fortune into developing gene-editing tech to create a “perfect baby” that I would agree to carry. Then one day, I found out I was pregnant. Just as the news sank in, Loretta stormed into Stone Manor with her friends. She accused me of cheating, claiming I was pregnant with another man’s child. As I tried to defend myself, they beat me until I lost my baby. Just as I was about to pass out, Ethan arrived. Loretta waved a fake video in front of him, grinning as she said, “Son, your wife’s unfaithful! She’s carrying another man’s child! Look at this proof!” 1 Staring at the two pink lines on the pregnancy test, I was deep in thought. Ethan and I had been together for nearly a decade. Now, with a baby on the way, maybe it was time to give in. He might be a madman, but I was the one holding the reins. With that thought, I snapped a picture of the test and sent it to Ethan, who was out of town on business. Minutes later, I heard shouting from downstairs. Peering out the window, I saw her—Loretta Stone, my mother-in-law, whom I hadn’t seen in ages. She marched toward the house, a group of gray-haired friends trailing behind her, murmuring. “What a disgrace to the family!” “Ladies, if it weren’t serious, would we be exposing such shame?” “I don’t care if it ruins my reputation today. I’ll tear that cheating witch apart!” I listened for a moment before losing interest. Ever since Ethan married me, Loretta had believed I “stole” her son. Her bitterness lingered until Ethan finally snapped and kicked her out after breaking her finger. Our relationship was toxic. Moments later, the doorbell rang. Glancing at the clock, I thought, It’s only 9 a.m. Why is Mrs. Peggy Hayes, the housekeeper, here so early? Confused, I opened the door—and Loretta barged in with her gang. Loretta raised her crooked finger at me and yelled, “Look, everyone—there’s the evil daughter-in-law! She convinced my son to break my finger right after their marriage!” “And she kicked me and my grandson out of the house, cutting ties with us!” I raised an eyebrow and told her, “This is my home. Leave, all of you.” But before I could shut the door, Loretta slapped me across the face. “You ungrateful little tramp! My son gave you everything, and you go around cheating on him, making a fool of him!” A sharp sting spread across my face. Since marrying Ethan, even a tiny push would send him into a rage, and if he knew Loretta hit me, she’d be lucky to walk away unharmed. To avoid a family disaster, I bit back my anger and said, “Leave now, and I’ll pretend this never happened.” Ethan was gentle with me, but ruthless to anyone else. Loretta, however, didn’t back down. She yanked my hair, hissing, “Nervous, are you? If you had the guts to cheat, then you better be ready to face the consequences.” I freed myself, glaring at her. “Accusing me of cheating? Do you remember how your finger got broken?” 2 Ethan’s need for control was extreme. After we married, he implanted a GPS tracker in me to monitor my every move. There wasn’t a single person around me, yet she accused me of cheating. It was ridiculous. I thought reminding her about her finger might make Loretta back off, but instead, she slapped me again. “Oh, still playing innocent! Why don’t you get an acting job with that talent?” “You think I came here without proof?” she spat, pulling out her phone and opening a video. On the screen, a scantily dressed woman kissed a man before he pinned her down. The video was graphic, and the woman looked just like me. Loretta’s friends chimed in, “Absolutely shameful! In the old days, they’d drown women like her!” “If she were my daughter-in-law, I’d beat her right now!” “What a disgrace—acting so sweet when she’s actually trash.” Hearing their insults, anger boiled inside me. I’d never faced such humiliation. That video was clearly a deepfake, but explaining it to this crowd of elderly women felt pointless. I pulled out my phone to call Ethan. This was his mother, and he should handle her however he wanted. But Loretta snatched my phone and smashed it to pieces before I could dial. “You think I won’t handle you if Ethan finds out? Watch me,” she sneered. I squared my shoulders. “Your actions today are criminal. This is your last chance to leave.” Her friends laughed, mocking, “Look at her—cheating and acting so bold!” “Exactly! Show her who’s boss, Loretta. Put this tramp in her place.” Encouraged by her friends, Loretta kicked one of the antique oak chairs Ethan had bought me, splitting it in two. “You’re only here because of my son. Without him, you’d be living in some slum. Don’t you dare tell me to leave!” The women cheered her on, calling her bold and strong. They began smashing the rest of the chairs, following her lead. The whole set was a gift from Ethan, one he had bought at an outrageous price to make me happy. One of them grabbed a Tiffany lamp off the table, ready to smash it. “That’s an antique worth two million,” I warned her calmly. Hesitating, she glanced at Loretta, who walked up and smashed it to pieces. “Everything here is my son’s,” she declared. “Destroy whatever you want, ladies—let this tramp know her place.” With that, they tore through the house, breaking everything they could find. I watched, unflinching, knowing each broken piece would serve as evidence when they faced justice. Then one of the women nudged Loretta, saying, “Look, she’s glaring at you!” “Everything she has is thanks to your son’s money. Breaking it won’t teach her anything. You need to teach her a lesson,” she hissed. Loretta’s eyes gleamed with malice. She marched toward me. Outnumbered, I knew I couldn’t fight them all. I bolted for the door, but Loretta grabbed me, yanking me back. Pain shot through my knee as I hit the floor, unable to move. 3 Loretta pressed her heel into my thigh, grinding down hard. Pain shot through me, and a scream escaped my lips. “Oh, you weak little witch,” she sneered. “You’re acting all fragile now? I barely touched you, and you’re already crying out. Who’s this for?” I glared back at her coldly. “Loretta Stone, you’re going to regret everything you’ve done today.” “Still talking back? Well, now I’m going to teach you how a real daughter-in-law behaves!” she snarled. From the day I married Ethan, she’d been itching to lay down “rules,” even giving me a list of chores. She wanted me to wash her clothes, massage her feet—the whole nine yards. Apparently, Ethan’s grandmother had treated her the same way, and she was eager to pass it on. After all, no one knows how to torment a woman like another woman. But she forgot who she was dealing with. I didn’t marry Ethan by choice, and he was a man with power—power he wouldn’t hesitate to use. I had forgotten who I was dealing with. Marrying Ethan wasn’t my choice, and he wielded power—power he didn’t hesitate to flaunt. In front of me, Ethan ripped apart her list, shouting her down. Ever since, she had harbored a deep hatred for me, unable to confront him with her anger. Today, she finally had her moment. Loretta called one of her friends to fetch a basin of water from the bathroom. Grabbing my hair, she lowered her voice, her chilling tone sending shivers down my spine. “Back in the day, women like you would be locked away for cheating. Today, you’re going to experience that feeling.” Without warning, she shoved my head into the icy water. The cold engulfed me, filling my nose and mouth. Panic surged as I struggled to breathe. I thrashed, trying to escape her grip, but she held on tightly. Just as I felt myself slipping away, Loretta yanked me up, and I gasped for air, my face and clothes drenched, completely humiliated. “You think you can waltz around my son’s house like you own it?” she spat. “He works hard to provide for you, and you treat him like a servant?” Once I caught my breath, I glared at her, fury coursing through me. “If that’s your plan, Loretta, you better kill me. Otherwise, you’ll regret it.” In that moment, my hatred for Ethan matched my disdain for her. If he hadn’t forced me into this marriage, I wouldn’t be enduring this abuse. Loretta’s expression twisted with anger, and she slapped me so hard that blood dripped from my lip. “Oh, still talking back? I’m not finished yet.” She shoved my head back into the water, holding me there longer, pushing me to my limits. With each time she forced my head under, I felt my strength fading, my body losing the will to fight. Finally, one of the women hesitated. “Loretta, maybe that’s enough. We don’t want her dead here.” “Right,” another murmured. “This isn’t the old days. We’d all end up in jail.” More voices joined in, convincing her to stop. Loretta finally released me, shoving me to the floor, soaked and gasping for breath. “Consider this a warning,” she spat, watching me like a hawk. “Once Ethan knows what you’ve done, he’ll deal with you himself!” I lay there, exhausted but victorious, knowing that when Ethan returned, she’d have to plead for mercy—and I wouldn’t give her any. Just then, one of her friends emerged from the bathroom, holding something—my pregnancy test. She handed it to Loretta, who stared in shock. “Look at that,” Loretta sneered. She kicked me in the stomach, and I instinctively doubled over, wrapping my arms around my belly. “You little tramp! You’re carrying another man’s child?” Panicking, I managed to say, “This isn’t some other man’s child—it’s Ethan’s!” “Shut up!” she yelled, her rage unyielding. “You think you can fool me? I know you didn’t want to have his baby! You made him get a vasectomy!” She pointed a finger at me. “You’re trying to cut off my son’s family line!” When Ethan and I first got married, he refused to use protection, insisting we be “one in every way.” I bought boxes of birth control, making it clear if he touched me, I’d take a pill every time. I didn’t want a child with his “enhanced genes.” Eventually, he relented and had a vasectomy. Loretta’s friends gasped in horror. To them, family lineage meant everything. “This woman is pure evil,” one whispered. “She’s ruined his bloodline and expects him to raise another man’s child.” “In my day, we wouldn’t let that child see the light of day,” another muttered. Loretta’s eyes darkened with determination. “You’re right. I’ll handle this myself, right now.” Fear gripped me, and I tried to reason with her. “Loretta, please, this really is Ethan’s child. His company developed genetic technology to ensure the baby would be healthy.” “Right, you think I’ll fall for that? You’ve got him so hooked he’d believe anything. But I’m his mother, and I won’t let him be humiliated.” With that, she slammed her foot into my stomach. Pain shot through me as I crumpled. “Please, Loretta…he’s your grandchild…” I gasped, my voice barely a whisper.

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My sister-in-law lies. She said her family has millions and owns villas all over the country. She can give them a retirement. She told my sister her family has an entertainment company and can arrange for her to meet male celebrities. She married into our family. When I’ve asked her about all the things she said before, she would cry and say I’m ‘cruel’ and don’t treat her as a family member. In the summer, she took us abroad on a plane. I said I had to study for exams. My family told me I was doing the wrong thing. But only I know-they’ll be killed on a live stream once they go abroad. Now that I’ve been reborn, I’m not going with them to die! ‘Mom, dad, I’ve made the arrangements. Once Doris is on break, we’ll charter a plane and take a trip.’ I opened my eyes and heard these words. The pain spread through my body. My mum hugged my sister-in-law with excitement. Dad’s eyes were glowing, he was excited. ‘Rae, you’re great! My wife has never been abroad! Bernard is lucky to have you as his wife.’ Rae looked at me with malice and greed. I stiffened. I felt a coldness crawl up my spine and shivered. It was her! The woman who got us all killed with her twisted tricks in my past life. I took Rae’s arm and thought freely, despite my fear. ‘You’re so nice, Rae.’ All my classmates have been abroad, I’ve wanted to go for a long time!’ ‘I’m going to buy foreign snacks, clothes, and cosmetics, and show them to my housemates!’ ‘And a necklace, Rae, you’ll buy it for me, right?’ My mum slapped me when she heard this, and said, ‘You little girl! How dare you spend Rae’s money?’ ‘You’ll stay at home and guard the house during the summer holidays!’ ‘Stay here!’ My mother stopped me from enjoying anything good. My brother looked at me and sneered. ‘My wife’s money is also mine. Why are you spending it?’ I shouted, crying. ‘Mum and Dad, I want to go. Why can’t I go?’ My mum snorted and grabbed my hair, glaring at me. ‘You worthless girl, do you think you deserve the good things in your life?’ I bowed my head to endure the pain, trembling. It wasn’t fear, it was excitement. Only by doing this would they give up on taking me with them. Then, they’d meet the end they deserve, with no way out. In my last life, I didn’t want to go, but they made me. If I acted interested in money and luxury, my mother would never let me go. Seeing that I stayed silent, they all left. I put an ice pack on my face and thought about my past life. I had two brothers and a sister who’s a year younger than me. My family was poor until my younger sister Doris was born and my father became rich. They thought my sister was a blessing and pampered her. My brother got the family fortune. I was ignored and even beaten up. It wasn’t until my brother got married that I met the first person who was kind to me. My sister-in-law was young, pretty, kind, smart and rich. She said she had villas all over the country, so my parents could find a place to retire. She said her family owned an entertainment company and can arrange for my sister to meet her favourite male celebrity. She said she could get me a job in the company even if I didn’t pass my exams. I refused because my sister-in-law wasn’t as rich as she said. She lied to our family. But whenever I raised any doubts, she’d tearfully accuse me of being heartless and not treating her like family. And my parents, along with my brother and sister, would scold me, calling me ungrateful and saying I didn’t know how to appreciate good things. My sister-in-law took us abroad by plane during the summer holidays. As soon as we landed, we were kidnapped and thrown into the forest. After a week in the forest, we ran out of food. Suddenly, supplies appeared and we ended up fighting each other for them. Then the kidnappers came and one of us had to be sacrificed to escape. I was the one chosen. I was abused. After I died, I became a ghost to follow them. My sister-in-law and others arranged the death broadcast. Many people watched and bet on how we died. My sister-in-law isn’t rich. She was just a criminal, staging an elaborate scheme to get rich fast. In this life, I’ll watch the family kill each other!

My sister went on holiday too. She hugged and pampered her sister-in-law as soon as she heard the news. ‘Rae, you’re amazing. I’ve always wanted to go abroad. I’ll show off to my college friends when I get there!’ My mum smiled as she sat next to me on melon seeds. ‘Ask Rae to buy you some designer clothes so your friends can really be jealous. If you need more money, just ask me.’ My sister jumped into my mum’s arms and laughed. I was cooking for the family, ignoring the happy outside. My sister-in-law shouted at me, ‘Hilda, we’re leaving tomorrow, pack up.’ My sister looked unhappy and complained, ‘Why bring her? Every time she’s with us, it ruins the fun.’ My mum stared at me, signaling that I shouldn’t respond to the invitation. I didn’t say anything and continued preparing dinner. At the dinner table, the family talked about where to go and what to buy. I ate in silence, longing showing in my eyes. My sister-in-law smiled and put a piece of vegetable in my bowl. I blushed and didn’t eat. My brother watched and scolded me, ‘Hilda, what’s wrong with you? Rae’s been so nice to you and you don’t know how to be grateful? ’ My sister muttered under her breath, ‘Ungrateful brat.’ My parents looked unhappy too. I ate it all. My body broke out in a rash, my face was flushed, and I was breathing rapidly. My family took me to the hospital. I was allergic. My sister-in-law’s eyes were red and she was blaming herself. ‘Oh Hilda, I’m sorry.’ My brother looked at me like I did something wrong. ‘Why didn’t you say you were allergic? Now you’ve made Rae blamed herself.’ He made me eat the food. I was cold and shivering. Rae glared at my brother. I held Rae’s hand and cried, ‘Rae, I want to go on the trip too.’ I was so strong, Rae barely keep a scowl on her face. My sister got upset and shouted when she heard me. ‘No way! You can’t go. You’re allergic, so we’ll have to take care of you on the way.’ I vomited as soon as she said that. My sister’s shoes were covered in vomit, and she cried, ‘Mum, Dad! How is Hilda supposed to go? I don’t want to go on vacation if I have to take care of a sick person.’ My dad’s face darkened as he played. ‘Stay home and take care of yourself.’ My sister looked at me smugly. Rae comforted me, ‘Hilda, when you’re better, I’ll take you there again.’ I looked at her with gratitude. Grateful that she would bring down and kill this entire family of demons. They have no reason to take me out of the country and I can escape being killed. They’re going to suffer. After I finished the potion, my parents took me home. My parents cooked a meal together to celebrate their trip abroad tomorrow. I had just finished vomiting, so I could only eat a little rice. After eating, I went to bed.

My mum shouted again, ‘Hilda. Don’t think being sick gets you out of work. Get out here and pack Doris’ bags.’ My sister, lounging on the couch, said casually, ‘Mum, I don’t want Hilda Packing for me. She has no taste. If she packs something ugly, how am I supposed to take nice photos? She waved dismissively, ‘I’ll just tell her what to pack instead.’ My sister’s room was bigger and better decorated than mine. My parents were biased. She and I were a year apart. My dad got rich after she was born, so my parents coddled her. When I was little, she had floral dresses, while I had patchy trousers. When I grew up, I could have gone to the best school, but my parents didn’t want to pay for living expenses and high-speed train tickets, so I stayed at the local university. But when my sister couldn’t even get into a regular college, they paid for her to attend an expensive private school with annual tuition in the tens of thousands. At that point, money wasn’t an issue for them anymore. They just didn’t want to spend it on me. I smiled. My sister sat on the bed and told me what to do. ‘Bring these together.’ ‘And the make-up and skincare products on my desk.’ I put them into Doris’ suitcase. My sister stopped, came close and smiled. ‘Hilda, mum and dad bought these for me. Don’t be envious. Mum and dad love me, not you. I thought to myself, that’s fine. Soon, you’ll all die together, and your little family will be perfectly reunited in the hell. Right? Thinking of this, I bit my cheek and offered a sincere suggestion. ‘Doris, look, all this stuff is too heavy to bring on the plane. Why don’t you just leave it behind? Rae will buy you all the designer brands when you arrive there anyway, Isn’t that right?’ I added, ‘I’ve never had designer brands before, I’m really jealous.’ My sister was happy when I complimented her. She thought for a moment, then ran to mom and whining sweetly. My mum patted her head and nodded. A loving mother. My sister got permission and ran to my brother. My brother was happy to stop packing. They were lazy and greedy. The next morning, they left. Before leaving, my mum kept reminding me. ‘The air conditioner can only be used for two hours a day. If there’s nothing going on, don’t stay home and waste electricity. It’s not good to always let your parents support you when you’re an adult.’ I waited for her to finish counting and watched them leave. They can’t see it anymore. I organised my books and went to the library to study. In my last life, I was unhappy that I never entered ideal school, and then I went on a trip abroad and my life was ruined. I must study hard and succeed this time without them. Studied in the library until nine, then went home and had takeout. I took out my other phone and typed in the URL. The live broadcast had started. I want to see them die! Chapter 4

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News broke that the old building was set for demolition, and suddenly, every distant relative we had was scrambling to get a piece of the payout. The tenant, who only paid $500 a month in rent, was the most eager. “I’ve lived here for over a decade. Half of this house is mine. I deserve half of the $4 million demolition payout!” After I refused, he knocked me out and delivered me to his worthless son. His son came closer, attempting to kiss me. “My mom says you’re going to be my wife now.” The news that some of the earliest residential buildings in downtown Manhattan were slated for demolition spread like wildfire. Coincidentally, the old house my grandpa left me just before he passed away was smack in the middle of the planned demolition area. The day after the news broke, I got a call from Uncle Edward. “Lily, how have you been? Busy with work? Your Aunt Carol’s cooked up all your favorite dishes. Why don’t you come by for dinner tonight? We haven’t seen you in a while.” Oh, we hadn’t seen each other in a while, alright. The last time we crossed paths was three years ago when I ran into him on the street. That time, Uncle Edward had his arm wrapped around a heavily made-up younger woman. The moment he saw me, he panicked and scrambled to get my contact information. Later, he repeatedly begged me not to mention the incident to Aunt Carol. I stared at the traffic passing by and gestured for John, my driver, to leave. Then, I flagged down a cab and sweetly responded to my uncle over the phone, “Sure, Uncle Edward, just text me the address.” The last time I saw Uncle Edward’s family before that was ten years ago, at Grandpa Parsons’ funeral. Back then, Aunt Carol pointed at me—eyes swollen and red as I collapsed in front of the gravestone—and scolded, “You useless girl! You’re no family of ours. Don’t you dare come to us for help. From now on, you live your life, and we’ll live ours. Stay far away from us, you hear?” I didn’t say a word, just stared blankly ahead. Uncle Edward and my cousin Brandon stood by, watching, and didn’t lift a finger to stop her. I was fifteen that year, in my last year of middle school. My parents had died in an accident, and the person who loved me most—Grandpa—was now buried in the ground. From that day forward, I was truly alone. I never thought I’d see the day when they’d invite me back. The cab sped toward the Upper East Side. I gazed out the window, watching the scenery fly by, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of my lips. When I arrived at Uncle Edward’s place, Aunt Carol greeted me at the door, eyeing me up and down. She had put on quite a bit of weight over the years, and her face had become even more sharp and judgmental. With her arms crossed, she sneered at me, “Oh, Lily, that Prada bag you’ve got there—it’s gotta be a knockoff, right? I’m pretty sure this model isn’t even out in the U.S. yet. It’s a pretty convincing fake, though. You really think your $5,000-a-month salary can cover that? Don’t be young and foolish, trying to show off.” I glanced at the bag my business partner had brought me from Europe just days ago and didn’t respond. She then proceeded to critique every piece of clothing and accessory I wore, one by one, as if it gave her some twisted sense of satisfaction. Only after that did she gracefully sit down on the sofa. She had invited me for dinner, but the table was conspicuously empty. Not that I was really there to eat, anyway. Uncle Edward didn’t disappoint. After barely exchanging pleasantries, he cut straight to the point. “Lily, I heard the house your grandpa left you in downtown Manhattan is set for demolition?” I didn’t respond, but Aunt Carol jumped in immediately. “That house is over 1,000 square feet, and in that location, the compensation could be around $4 million. Plus, you’ll get a new place, over 1,500 square feet. Lily, you can’t keep all that money and the house to yourself.” I glanced around at their expensive home décor, then turned back to Aunt Carol. “What do you mean by that, Aunt Carol? I’m afraid I don’t quite understand.” Aunt Carol’s face twisted. “Don’t play dumb! What’s a single girl like you gonna do with all that money? By rights, your grandpa’s house should’ve gone to your Uncle Edward. And if not to him, then to our son, Brandon. We were just being generous by letting you keep it. Don’t be ungrateful.”

Aunt Carol’s bright red lips flapped, spouting a stream of nonsense. Though I had braced myself for this, her shamelessness still stunned me. Before Grandpa died, they’d cleaned out anything of value from the house: savings, cash, antiques—things worth over a million dollars. Uncle Edward even threatened to kill himself if Grandpa didn’t give him what he wanted, worsening Grandpa’s condition. In the end, Grandpa had no choice but to transfer his last two properties into my name and leave a will stating that Uncle Edward’s family had no claim to them. Originally, Grandpa intended to give one house to me and the other to Uncle Edward, splitting everything else equally. Remembering how his health rapidly declined after that, I felt my expression turn icy cold. “That house was left to me. My name is on the title deed. Whether it’s money or property, none of it has anything to do with you.” At this, Aunt Carol and Uncle Edward immediately panicked. Uncle Edward shouted, “You ungrateful brat! That house belongs to the Parsons family. We know you’re struggling financially, so we’re not asking for everything. Just give us $300,000, and the remaining $100,000 can be yours… Ow!” Aunt Carol pinched Uncle Edward hard. “$100,000 is plenty for you. Plus, you’ve got another house, don’t you? We’ll take this new one.” Their audacity was beyond shocking. I overheard Aunt Carol muttering to Uncle Edward, “Didn’t we agree to ask for the house first? Idiot. The house will keep bringing in money. Just asking for cash is a huge loss.” I sneered. They were plotting this all too carefully. Too bad for them, after everything they’d done to me and Grandpa, there was no way I’d let them win. Standing up slowly, I leveled my gaze at them, my voice cold. “I said, the money and the house are mine. Don’t expect to get a single penny from me.” My firm tone caught Aunt Carol off guard. She lunged at me, her perfectly manicured face twisting in rage. “You ungrateful little wretch! That house is your grandpa’s! We have a right to it…” Before she could touch me, I swung my high-heeled foot and kicked her square in the stomach, sending her plump body crashing to the floor. Oh, and she’d just said these YSL heels were a cheap knockoff. I guess now she could judge how sharp they really were. “Carol Parsons, I’m not the clueless little girl you used to bully!” Back when my parents first died, I stayed with Uncle Edward for a while. Aunt Carol hit me constantly and often locked me in a room without food. Uncle Edward turned a blind eye, and Brandon even helped his mom beat me. When Grandpa found out, he was furious. He whipped Uncle Edward and, despite his poor health, took me in and raised me. This family still thought I was the same powerless girl they once tormented. Seeing Aunt Carol groaning on the ground, clutching her stomach, Uncle Edward didn’t dare come near me. He only barked, “Lily, what are you doing?!” “Did you learn nothing in school? Is this how you treat your elders?!” I didn’t even glance at him. I grabbed my bag and walked to the door. But just as I opened it, a large, overweight man stood in the doorway. Startled, I froze for a second, only to hear Aunt Carol shouting desperately from behind, “Ryan, stop her! This is the girl I found for you to marry! Once you marry her, you’ll have both a wife and the house!” Ryan’s eyes lit up as he grabbed my wrist and leaned in to kiss me…

I was startled, struggling with all my might to break free from the man’s grip, yelling at the top of my lungs. Hearing my screams, John, my driver, rushed over. The shameless family, seeing that someone had come to my aid, especially a strong, fit young man, reluctantly let me go. Furious, I stormed out. The next morning, just as I started work, I received a call from Charles Daniels, the tenant living in my grandpa’s old house. Mr. Daniels was the son of one of Grandpa’s friends. He’d lost his parents early in life and, in his youth, lost everything in a failed business venture. He was on the verge of living under a bridge with his wife and child. Grandpa, being the kind soul he was, couldn’t bear to see the son of an old friend fall into such ruin, so he let them live in his house rent-free for a while. When Mr. Daniels’ situation improved, he began paying rent. That house, located in the heart of Manhattan’s Second Avenue, was a three-bedroom apartment. But out of old loyalties, he only paid $500 a month for more than a decade—never once did the rent increase. On the phone, Mr. Daniels started off by casually asking how things were going at my company. Since I’d graduated from college, he’d taken me out for dinner a few times, so he had some idea of my situation. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he suddenly chuckled and said, “Lily, I hear this area is going to be demolished?” That rumor must have spread everywhere. I responded with a light “Yes,” before adding, “But the final decision hasn’t been made yet. There could still be changes.” “There’s no way they’re changing anything,” he laughed from the other end, his tone gleeful. “This place is so old and rundown, right in the heart of the city—it’s been an eyesore for years. It’s about time they tore it down.” Then his voice shifted, taking on a more calculated tone. “So, Lily, about this house of ours… I heard from the neighbors that if it gets demolished, the payout could be worth a few million.” I stayed silent, waiting for him to continue. Sure enough, Mr. Daniels didn’t wait for my reply and kept talking. “Now, I know the house is technically in your name, but it was your grandpa’s place, and I’ve been living here since before he passed. I’ve got a lot of sentimental attachment to this place. So, Lily, when the payout comes, you can’t take it all for yourself. I think it’s fair to split it fifty-fifty.” It was barely 8 AM, and already Mr. Daniels had left my head spinning with this nonsense. I couldn’t help but let out a small, sarcastic laugh. Mr. Daniels didn’t notice and just kept rambling on. “Plus, Lily, you don’t really need the money, right? And you won’t even live in the new place once it’s built. Just let us stay. I’ll keep paying the $500 rent, no problem.” “And look, Ryan’s about to get married. This house would make a perfect wedding gift for him.” “Oh, and the place has to be fully renovated too. If it’s not move-in ready, well, we won’t be paying any rent.” His tone was authoritative, like he was laying down the law. I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. I had always thought Mr. Daniels was a bit lazy and prone to dreaming big, but I had no idea he was this shameless. Did he really think I was a complete fool? “Mr. Daniels,” I replied in a calm voice, though my anger was bubbling underneath, “The house is mine. The compensation is mine. Your family has no claim to any of it. By the way, you still haven’t paid rent for the first half of this year, but I’ll let that go. You’ve got ten days to move out of ‘my’ house.” I made sure to emphasize the word “my.” Before he could get another word in to raise my blood pressure, I hung up. As if it wasn’t bad enough that my uncle and aunt were trying to muscle in, now Mr. Daniels, who had benefited from Grandpa’s generosity for over a decade, wanted a piece of the action, too. Just because you’ve lived somewhere for years doesn’t mean it’s yours. And the whole “you don’t need the money” argument? That doesn’t justify his utter lack of shame. I thought making it clear who owned the house would shut them up for a while, but I underestimated how low people could go.

Uncle Edward, on the other hand, didn’t give up harassing me. When I blocked his calls, he switched to sending text messages, starting with ridiculous demands and eventually escalating to threats. I ignored it all. He was getting increasingly desperate when he couldn’t reach me. As for Mr. Daniels, after that phone call, he was quiet for a few days. But I had a feeling he wouldn’t let things go so easily. Once someone’s greed grows, it’s not easy to shrink it back down. Sure enough, a few days later, I got a notice from the property management about a meeting regarding the demolition. I hadn’t been back to the house in a while, and with the thought of it being torn down soon, I figured I’d stop by for a final look. I also intended to tell Mr. Daniels and his family to pack up and leave. Whether or not the demolition went through, after what Mr. Daniels said to me on the phone, he was no longer welcome there. The whole situation reminded me of Aesop’s fable, The Farmer and the Snake. When I arrived at the meeting, I ran into Mr. Daniels. He was mingling with other residents, looking much more like the homeowner than I did. The moment he saw me, his eyes flashed with unease, and he quickly looked away, pretending not to notice me. It wasn’t until the meeting ended that he finally came over. “Lily, since you’re here, why don’t you come by the house for a bit?” he asked, smiling warmly. A completely different demeanor from when he ignored me earlier. “Sure,” I said with a smile of my own. “Might as well see what my house looks like now.” His face immediately darkened, and a flash of something cold crossed his eyes. I followed him upstairs. The building wasn’t in bad shape—it had been well-constructed back in the day, no corners cut. It just hadn’t kept up with the rapid pace of urban development. Still, it was perfectly livable. When we entered the apartment, his wife and son were both home. It was a Wednesday—don’t they work? I figured they were all waiting for the demolition payout to finally make their big break. His wife, Mrs. Janet Daniels, had a flat, unremarkable face and a pair of sharp, beady eyes. The moment I stepped inside, she was all smiles, rushing to take my bag and coat. Their son, Ryan Daniels, was 30 years old, 5’7″, and easily over 250 pounds. His face was so bloated with fat that his features were barely distinguishable. His half-closed eyes kept darting over me, his gaze sticky and unsettling. They kept their cool, chatting with me and trying to be hospitable, inviting me to stay for dinner. But the entire time, they never once mentioned the demolition. I had no interest in their hospitality, so I decided to get straight to the point. “Mr. Daniels, Mrs. Daniels, I’m here to tell you that you need to move out in the next few days. I’ve given you notice already, and as I said before, you don’t have to worry about this year’s rent.” The moment I finished speaking, their faces changed. Mrs. Daniels, who had been all smiles, suddenly turned hostile. “What gives you the right to kick us out? We’ve lived here for over ten years. This house is ours now. You can’t make us leave.” Mr. Daniels, in contrast, forced a smile and tried to calm the situation. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The demolition is still a ways off. No need to rush, right? Let’s not create any unnecessary conflict over this, Lily.” As he spoke, he motioned for me to sit down, pouring a glass of orange soda and handing it to me. I took a sip. Within minutes, the world started spinning, and everything went black. Mr. Daniels had drugged the soda.

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You have a beautiful canary. You keep him imprisoned in a golden cage, admiring his beauty, vulnerability, and what you consider his “ugly side”. He never hides his hatred for you, and coincidentally, you’ve never shown him your love either. “Come here.” He seems not to have heard your command. You watch him leisurely, your expression showing no displeasure. His gaze, filled with caution and observation, remains fixed on you, as if trying to guess your current mood. “I’ll say it one more time. Liam, come here.” He hesitates for a moment but eventually walks over. As he moves, the chains constantly jingle. You don’t find it jarring; instead, you watch him with a pleasant mood. “Do you remember what we’re supposed to do today?” He frowns. His once clear and bright eyes are now a dull gray, and his whole demeanor is listless, yet there’s a kind of reckless beauty about him. Yes, beautiful. In bed, you often say things to insult him. Although his parents didn’t care much for him growing up, he had a very good material life. His strength isn’t great, and his desperate resistance is easily overcome by you. You can effortlessly bring him to the bed. In his desperate gaze, you torment him again and again. At first, he would cry. Unlike his cold body temperature, his tears are scalding hot. Sometimes you gently wipe away his tears, sometimes you get more excited, and sometimes you pretend to let him go, only to punish him severely after hope has sparked in his eyes. And you, you always prefer the third option. You really like seeing his incredulous look. That fragile feeling of shattered hope. Ah, truly… irresistible to you. However, because of these actions, you have no credibility in his eyes. In the dark room, there’s a moment of silence. You twist the ring on your right ring finger, saying carelessly, “Oh? Forgot?” You know he hasn’t forgotten; he’s already trembling. He looks so pitiful. You smile. You look at his downcast eyes. “Avoidance won’t work, be good, Liam.” He slowly walks forward, like a walking corpse, and opens the door for you. This is also your wicked pleasure.

You gave him the key to the golden cage. This golden cage isn’t actually very big, but it’s exquisite. In the past, after being bullied and cleaned up by you, he would often curl up in the corner, hugging his knees. You didn’t know if he cried or not. He was quiet, not making a sound, even when tears streamed down his face from your torment, he would only make a little noise when you were particularly rough. Actually, you were unsatisfied, and this dissatisfaction manifested in even more intense sexual encounters. But he seemed to be stubborn with you, refusing to give in to your wishes. You didn’t care, it wasn’t you who was in pain. Moreover, his behavior made it easier to arouse your sadistic desires. It must be said that during those days, you had a particularly good time. But he was in a much worse state. After cleaning him up, you said, “Liam, you need to be good, understand?” … He lay on the bed, eyes closed, not sure if he heard. “Three, two, one…” “Mm.” An unwilling sound came from under the blanket. Satisfaction flashed in your eyes. As a reward, you decided to go abroad to discuss a few projects first, and not torment Liam for a while.

One time, you walked over to him, forcibly lifted his chin, and examined his face. His eyes still had a hint of redness. “Why are you crying?” He glared at you. You said indifferently, “Your performance was decent this time. Do you want to see your parents?” Liam’s expression darkened. In the first few days, he would often curse you as a beast, saying he wanted to break off the engagement, that he wanted to go home. He even attempted suicide several times. Under your repeated violent suppression and torture, he submitted.

Liam Harper was the eldest son of the Harper family, which actually held quite a high social status, though not as high as yours. Originally, the Harper family had planned to arrange a marriage between their younger daughter and you, as your public image was that of a decent person. But you said, “Mrs. Harper, actually, I’ve liked Liam for a long time.” Mrs. Harper was surprised, but remembering that you and Liam were from the same high school and likely had quite a bit of interaction, and given that their family was quite open-minded, she agreed to the marriage. Moreover, your family’s influence was broader, so of course, they agreed to the engagement. Thus, in the second year after your graduation, you and Liam got married. At first, you wore a mask of gentleness, treating him well. You and he maintained a respectful distance. After about two or three months, once you had prepared the basement, on Liam’s nineteenth birthday, you locked him in the golden cage. From then on, day and night, he could only endure everything alone. You still remember his incredulous gaze, his tearful pleas, his helpless and frightened appearance, his embarrassed face-covering… His fierce resistance in the past made you particularly excited. Sometimes you wanted him to be more obedient, after all, you were tired after a long day and wanted to relax in a gentle embrace, but he was so disobedient. Now he’s much more docile, but you find yourself missing his previous demeanor. “Didn’t you used to cry and make a fuss about wanting to go home? Why don’t you want to go back now?” His hands clenched into fists, his voice still hoarse. As he spoke, tears fell uncontrollably. He lowered his head, not letting you see his post-climax expression. “I thought…” He couldn’t finish his sentence, but you knew what he wanted to say. After all, he was now a “dead” person. In what capacity could he go see his parents? Moreover, his parents had their own new children now. How would they care about this child from a previous marriage?

When he first learned that he had been declared “dead”, his mood was very low, but you didn’t spare him. Five years had passed, and you were very familiar with his body. You easily aroused him, making him very disheveled. However, good-looking people have a kind of beauty no matter what state they’re in. You took photos. Actually, in the year he turned nineteen, in those few months when you revealed your true nature, you took many photos of him. There’s a printer at home. You personally printed those photos and plastered them all over an entire room, as his twentieth birthday gift. He said you were crazy. You laughed, pointing at those unspeakable photos, lazily saying, “How beautiful. Liam really doesn’t know how to appreciate.”

Liam actually had a cleanliness obsession. Because of this, he was very generous. During spring and autumn outings, he would buy snacks and distribute them to his friends, often one pack per person. Many people secretly said how good it was to be friends with Liam. But since you discovered this, you had to make good use of it. As for how you discovered it? You are a very wicked person. You’ve always known this. You like to see him dirty. Sometimes you deliberately don’t help him clean up. At those times, he would use what little strength he had left, his slender white hands reaching through the golden bars, grabbing your pant leg. Then, hoarsely begging you. “Help me…” The first time you were called back, you raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding his meaning. “Help you what?” “Help me… clean up…” Your expression almost instantly darkened. “What? You think it’s dirty?” “…” He didn’t know how to answer. “I feel uncomfortable…” He showed weakness. It must be said. If he had always spoken to you like this, you would definitely have treated him well. But who knows? He only begs for mercy when he can’t bear it anymore. Tsk.

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In the dead of night, I was jolted awake by the vibration of my phone, my body burning with fever. The voice on the other end was one I’d never forget – it was my daughter calling! But that was impossible. My daughter had died three years ago! Receiving a call from my daughter, I suddenly sat up in bed, my bare feet touching the cold floor. “Lily, is it really you? It’s Mom.” The phone crackled with static, but soon my daughter’s voice became clearer. “Mom, didn’t we just pay the electricity bill yesterday? Why is there suddenly a power outage? I’m so scared. Mom, where are you? Please come back quickly.” It was my daughter’s voice! There was no mistake! Wait a minute! A power outage? My heart suddenly contracted, and my breathing became rapid. Three years ago, on the day my daughter passed away, there was an unexplained power outage in our apartment building. My daughter was killed at home, waiting for me to return until her last breath. But I couldn’t go back because I was working overtime on a crucial project. I told her to use a flashlight and wait at home, and I called my husband to go back. Lily was only twelve, enjoying her perfect vacation. I had promised to take her to Disneyland, but all that awaited was her cold body. I pinched myself hard, feeling the pain distinctly. I didn’t know what was happening, and I couldn’t believe I was dreaming. I didn’t care who was on the other end of the phone, but I couldn’t let her get hurt. “Lily, lock the front door and hide in Mom’s bedroom. Get under the bed, cover yourself with the panel, and don’t open the door for anyone!” The master bedroom’s bed was custom-designed. The space underneath was hollow for easy cleaning, with a panel to cover it. From the outside, it looked like a solid bed touching the floor. I heard rustling sounds on the other end, and after a while, my daughter asked in a low voice, “Should I not open the door even if it’s you or Dad knocking?” I couldn’t take any chances. I had to nip any evil in the bud. “Dad and I have keys, Lily. Don’t worry. Mom will find a way to get back soon.” “Okay, Mom. I’ll wait for you to come back.” Lily told me the time on her end was ten minutes to 3 AM. I remembered that my daughter’s autopsy report showed her time of death as 3 AM. I instructed Lily not to speak and to dim her phone’s screen. I felt my forehead, which was burning like a small furnace. However, my palms and back were covered in cold sweat. I fumbled around the nightstand for fever and pain medication while thinking about how to resolve this crisis. If my daughter from three years ago could call me, could I also call myself from three years ago? But Lily’s smartwatch was set to only make calls and send text messages. If I hung up now and called back later, it would make a sound! Communicating via text would be too slow! So, I could only try to text my past self and my husband from three years ago, urging them to rush home and save our daughter. In the silent air, only the intermittent breathing of my daughter and me could be heard. One minute, two minutes… Ding! Incredibly, I received a reply! I received a text from myself to myself. And three consecutive SnapChat messages from my husband. [Our daughter died three years ago!] [What are you going crazy about now!?] [Don’t run around, stay at home. I’ll be back soon.] The SnapChat message alerts went “ding ding ding.” I felt my head throbbing, the pain intensifying. What should I do? I had no way to contact my husband and myself from three years ago. How could I save my daughter? In my anxiety, I accidentally knocked over the medicine bottle on the nightstand. Instinctively reaching to catch it, I bumped the water glass. The glass tumbler crashed to the floor, making a piercing sound. Shards scattered everywhere, water dripping from the edge of the nightstand. The back of my hand was cut by flying glass fragments. But I couldn’t even feel the pain. I quickly covered the phone’s microphone, praying that nothing had been heard on the other end. But it was too late! From the other end of the phone came a man’s sinister and triumphant laugh. “Hehe, I’ve found you!” My head buzzed as if hit by a bomb! “No! Please, spare Lily!” I shouted frantically into the phone. But what came next was a sound of despair. My daughter’s screams of agony, mixed with the man’s eerie, excited laughter. Then, abruptly, both laughters ceased. The phone emitted a devastating sound. “Bzz bzz bzz…”

I couldn’t control my screams, like a lion caught in a trap. I swept everything off the nightstand, and the warm yellow lamp flickered twice before going out. The entire bedroom plunged into endless darkness. Suddenly, there was a heavy pounding on the door behind me. “What are you doing!” My husband, Jack, was back. He turned on the light, and I felt like a drowning person, struggling in the cold embrace, waiting desperately for God to save me. Jack frowned, quickly running over to hug me. At that moment, I seemed to find my anchor, believing that my daughter and I would soon be saved. I told him everything that had just happened, but Jack gripped my shoulders and shook me. “Wake up! Lily is dead! Three years ago, someone broke in to rob us, and our daughter was killed!” “I know, but just now, it was clearly Lily calling me.” I stubbornly redialed the number, wanting to prove that everything I said was true. Although our daughter had passed away, I had kept her smartwatch. I secretly kept it charged and paid the phone bill. However, when I dialed, it showed the number was not in service! The exact same number, and the service hadn’t been disconnected, how could it be out of service? I burst into tears, my eyes red as I mumbled over and over. “How can this be, it’s impossible, how can this happen…” Jack held me tightly in his arms, gently patting my back, patiently comforting me. “I’m sorry, I lost control of my temper earlier and yelled at you. Look at you, your forehead is so hot, you must have had a nightmare just now.” Then, Jack helped me lie down on the bed and brought me medicine and water. “Be good, take the cold medicine and get some sleep.” For a moment, I couldn’t tell if I had really had a nightmare or not. But the panic in my heart hadn’t lessened a bit. Because in my impression, my husband wasn’t someone who would apologize to me on his own initiative. Everything felt strange, and my head was hurting badly. I didn’t dare to defy him at the moment, so I could only obediently do as he said. “You sleep first, I’m going to the study to organize some files I need for tomorrow.” Jack said, placing a kiss on my forehead before closing the door and leaving. I quickly spat out the medicine I had been holding under my tongue, wrapped it in a tissue, and threw it in the trash. After waiting a while, I heard no movement outside. I quietly opened the jewelry box and took out my daughter’s smartwatch. It had power and an active phone plan. The number was correct too. The first three digits were the same as mine, and the last eight digits were two sets of repeated four-digit numbers, which was also Lily’s birthday. I knew it by heart, how could I possibly remember it wrong? I quickly unlocked my phone, wanting to try again. However, I discovered there were over twenty missed calls! It was my daughter’s number! I hurriedly called back, my eyes fixed on the smartwatch in the jewelry box. The pink smartwatch remained in sleep mode. The call connected! From the other end came my daughter’s faint voice. Weak, but with a noticeable crying tone. “Mom, why didn’t you answer the phone, Mom save me, save me quickly…” Then came a series of dull thuds. Heavy, muffled impacts, the sound of a blunt object striking flesh. Tears streamed down my face as I couldn’t shake the horrific image of my daughter’s condition after death. Brutally beaten with a heavy object, literally bludgeoned to death. Skull fractured, neck twisted, spine broken, her adorable face a bloody mess… I quickly opened the door and went to find Jack in the study. However, the study light was on, the door open, but no one was there. A quick glance around showed that I was the only one in the entire house. I hadn’t taken the medicine, nor had I fallen asleep, so this definitely wasn’t a dream! This was all real, my daughter from another time was calling for help! What should I do, what on earth should I do! If my death could exchange for my daughter’s life, I would jump out the window without hesitation right now. Jumping from the 27th floor, I would surely die beyond any doubt. I bit my hand hard, not daring to scream out loud. However, the killer on the other end of the phone still discovered my presence. “Heh, this bitch is actually making a phone call!” This was an unfamiliar voice! It was a woman’s voice! A thought struck me, making me suddenly hold my breath, my heart skipping a beat. There were two people who killed my daughter! “I know who you are. If you let my daughter go, I won’t pursue this matter!” Of course, I didn’t know who the killer was. This was just a delaying tactic, hoping my daughter would suffer less torture. However, the call was disconnected. I only heard Lily cry out “Mom” once. I quickly redialed, and the whole situation took a new turn. I didn’t call Jack; at a time like this, he wouldn’t believe me. He would only think I was going crazy because I couldn’t accept our daughter’s death. I called my brother, and in the short ten seconds while waiting, a thousand thoughts raced through my mind. I didn’t tell my brother what had happened, but asked him for detailed information about my daughter’s death. My brother is a detective, and he was in charge of my daughter’s case back then. To avoid unnecessary trouble, I couldn’t tell him about the cross-time phone call from my daughter three years ago asking for help. On the other end of the phone, my brother was silent for a moment. Obviously, he hesitated. But soon, without asking me why, he sent me all the relevant information. After quickly scanning a few key points, I asked my brother how many killers there were. “One… wait, why does the file say two? I remember it was one.” My brother’s confusion excited me a bit. I ended the call, my eyes full of hope. We all remembered that the killer who murdered my daughter was one person. And the initial forensic report indicated that the killer was an adult male about 6 feet tall. But now, the file showed that there were two killers. A man and a woman, working together. This meant that the cross-time phone call between my daughter and me had changed the course of events. So, could I use these cross-time calls to completely change the outcome of this whole incident? Even if the hope was slim, for my daughter’s sake, I had to try!

Excitedly, I called my husband. I wanted to ask him if he still remembered how many people killed our daughter. He would surely be like my brother, remembering it as one person. But the file showed two people. Then, I could use this to prove that the cross-time call between my daughter and me was real. However, after five or six calls, no one answered. As I was hesitating, wondering if I should go to my brother first to discuss, the seventh call was finally answered. “Hello, who is this? Don’t you let people sleep in the middle of the night? Calling twice without an answer and still keep calling, are you brain-damaged or something!” I called my husband, but a woman answered! Judging by her voice, she sounded about thirty. I was stunned, anger enveloping me, but I knew now wasn’t the time to act rashly. Because the woman yelled impatiently again. “Which bitch is calling? So annoying, interrupting people making love.” With that, the call ended. I couldn’t sit still anymore. This woman’s voice was too familiar! Especially that phrase. Bitch! The voice was identical! This was clearly the woman from the call, one of the killers who murdered my daughter! My husband was actually with one of the killers!

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After I died, my body was handled by my brother, James Murphy, a forensic pathologist. “The victim’s head is missing, and the body is severely decomposed, making it impossible to identify.” After completing his work, James called Isabella Murphy, my adopted sister, to celebrate her promotion at the Prestigious Company. At the same time, he sent me a message: [Megan Murphy, today is an important day for Isabella. You better be home on time!] [If you’re late, don’t bother setting foot in the Murphy house ever again!] But, James, do you know? The body you’re handling… it’s me. The sister you loved so much, the one who Isabella killed… Two weeks after my death, some locals found my dismembered body at Forest Edge while foraging. They called the police, and because my remains were found in Manchester, it was my brother, James Murphy, who was responsible for the post-mortem and identification. My soul hadn’t fully dissipated yet, and I watched as James, wearing a mask, inspected the body. Several police officers nearby grimaced. “This is horrific. Who could have done something so brutal to a girl?” “Exactly! Whoever did this deserves to be torn apart!” James frowned slightly but said nothing, ordering the remains to be taken back to the forensic lab. “The victim is female, approximately 23 years old. Initial estimates place the time of death around 16 days ago.” “There are multiple stab wounds on the chest, abdomen, and back, with the fatal wound located in the heart.” “From the pattern of injuries, she was stabbed four times in the chest, three times in the back, and around six times in the heart. After she died, the killer dismembered her body.” “The victim’s organs are missing—her kidneys, liver, and stomach were removed. The head is also missing, making facial recognition impossible.” “Additionally, the body is incomplete, missing the pelvis, left leg, and right hand. The remains are heavily decomposed. We’ll need to conduct a DNA test for further identification.” James handed the autopsy report to the police and removed his mask. “We still need to find the victim’s head and the missing body parts. The killer must have held a deep grudge to treat the victim with such cruelty.” “The head and hands may hold crucial evidence to identify the murderer.” “Got it!” Once the police left, James was about to sit down when his phone rang. I floated over to see that it was Isabella calling. “Brother, are you getting off work soon? Mum wants you home; otherwise, we won’t wait to cut the cake!” Isabella’s sweet, playful voice came through the line, and James smiled, clearly enjoying it. He quickened his pace as he packed up his things. “You little brat, why not wait for me? Tell Mum I’ll be home in twenty minutes!” “Today’s your big day—you think I’d miss celebrating your promotion?” After hanging up, he frowned, scrolled through his phone, and found my message thread. [Megan Murphy, today is Isabella’s most important day. You better be on time!] [Before you get home, pick up a gift and apologize to Isabella for spreading lies!] [Otherwise, don’t bother coming back to the Murphy house!] He sent the message, then glanced at the remains on the autopsy table. My heart raced—had he realized it was me? But a moment later, he just irritably switched off his phone, packed his things, and left the office. I felt a pang in my chest, but no tears fell. James, did you know? You were only inches away from me. If you had looked just a little closer at my body, you’d have seen the birthmark on my wrist—the one you always said would help you find me no matter what. You promised no one could ever take me away, but you broke that promise. And worse, you didn’t know that the sister you cherish, Isabella, is the one who killed me.

When I was six, I was abducted by traffickers. Mum was so devastated that she fell into a deep depression. To ease her pain, Dad went to an orphanage and adopted Isabella. When I was found by the police at fifteen, I thought my parents had been waiting for me. But when I returned home, I found the entire family orbiting around Isabella. The brother who used to spoil me, the father who always made sure I ate, and the mother who used to sing me lullabies—when they saw me, the first thing they said was: “Even though you’ve come back, Isabella will feel hurt. She’ll think we love her less now that you’re here.” Isabella moved into my old room, and Dad said: “Megan, you’ve always been sensible. Since you’re back now, let Isabella have her way—she’s younger than you!” “Megan, Isabella is an orphan. We’re all she has. You’re her sister now, and you have to love her too, okay?” Isabella blew out the candles on my birthday cake, and Mum said: “Megan, Isabella has never had a birthday before. Let her blow out your candles and eat the cake. She deserves it more.” Isabella took my beloved British Folklore Jigsaw Puzzle, and James said: “If she likes it, let her have it. I’ve given you plenty of things, and Isabella’s never seen or played with any of them. I’ll buy you something new later.” … Memories flooded my mind, and even though I was now just a soul, my heart still ached. I had thought that once I came home, my parents and brother would love me even more. But I was wrong. Isabella had replaced me, stealing all the love from my family. But aren’t I their real daughter? As my soul followed James home, I watched Isabella excitedly throw herself into his arms, and he smiled, hugging her back. “You’ve made us so proud. Securing a promotion at a Prestigious Company was no small feat.” Mum beamed with pride, and Dad handed Isabella a knife to cut the cake. “James is home too! Let’s cut the cake together—it’s Isabella’s favorite, Strawberry Sponge Cake!” Isabella grinned as she cut the cake, giving slices to Mum, Dad, and James. They looked like a perfect, happy family. Halfway through the meal, they finally remembered there was someone missing. “James, didn’t you message Megan to come celebrate with us? Why isn’t she here yet?” Mum asked. I looked up, my heart swelling with hope. Maybe Mum still cared about me after all. James’s face darkened immediately. “Don’t worry about her! She had the nerve to spread rumors that Isabella was using drugs. God knows who filled her head with that nonsense!” “Forget about her. Ever since she came back, she’s been acting crazy. If she doesn’t want to come, we can still have a happy birthday for Isabella without her!” Dad’s face turned grim as well, and he reassured Mum. Mum didn’t think much of it and continued eating. I curled up in the corner, bitterly smiling to myself. Of course, as long as Isabella is around, they wouldn’t even think about me. They didn’t notice the flash of guilt on Isabella’s face, though. She had every reason to be guilty, because I wasn’t lying. She really was using drugs. Isabella had been playing the role of the sweet, innocent daughter at home, but in reality, she was a wild delinquent. Since I came back, I could see the hatred in her eyes. She would intentionally provoke me and then cry to make our parents and James take her side. I was driven to the brink of insanity, but Dad just called me crazy. I had developed a habit of staying up late, and about a month ago, I noticed that Isabella would often sneak out when our parents weren’t paying attention. She’d return home reeking of smoke and alcohol, looking completely drained the next morning. But she’d tell Mum and James it was all from working hard, and they’d fall for it, feeling sorry for her to the point of tears. Half a month ago, I went into her room to retrieve a notebook she’d borrowed under the pretense of “work research,” and that’s when I found it—drug paraphernalia. And worse, I uncovered links between her so-called prestigious company and an illegal organ trafficking ring connected to Southeast Asia. I was terrified. I ran to tell Mum and Dad, but they wouldn’t believe me. They thought I was jealous of Isabella’s success. “What are you trying to do, Megan? Spread lies that your sister’s into drugs?” “Megan Murphy, Isabella is an orphan! We’re all she has. Are you so jealous you want to drive her out and make her suffer again?” “Get out! Don’t come back until you know what you’ve done wrong!” They didn’t believe me. Even James turned his back on me. I was devastated, and I stormed out of the house. But as soon as I stepped out, I was grabbed by several large men, who dragged me into an alley where no one would see. I never imagined how much pain a knife could cause when it plunged into your body. I never thought Isabella would actually want me dead, but here I was, surrounded by her company’s thugs. Through blurry eyes, I saw her standing there, smiling down at me—a smile as sinister as a poisonous flower. “Megan, I bet you’re wondering why I’ve always been against you.” “Who wouldn’t want to stay in a rich family, with fancy clothes and loads of money to spend? Why should I leave just because you came back?” “I only wish you’d never been found by the police in the first place!” As I took my final breaths, they stuffed my body into a car trunk, cleaned up the blood, and drove to the countryside. Isabella, blood splattered on her face, finished me off with terrifying precision. Her smile was grotesque, twisted in a way that sent shivers down my spine, even as I lay dying. After disposing of my body, she cleaned herself up and went home, acting as if nothing had happened. And all that time, neither Mum, Dad, nor James even thought to wonder where I was.

After celebrating Isabella’s promotion, James returned to his own place. He had a house near the Manchester Police Department, making it easier to respond to calls quickly. He poured himself a glass of water and sat on the sofa. After a moment, he pulled out his phone, but his hand hesitated. He hadn’t moved the screen for a while. I floated over and saw it was my message thread. I hadn’t responded to any of his texts, not that he’d been replying to me for the past few months. The last few texts were all one-sided, from me to him. James clicked his tongue, scrolling through our messages: [Hey, did you remember to take your stomach medicine? I got more for you—don’t forget to bring it!] [James, I’ve been stuck on a work problem. Could I ask you for advice?] [Today’s my birthday, will you be coming home?] My birthday had been the day Isabella killed me. It took James a moment to realize this as he opened his calendar and saw the red heart marking the date: Megan’s 23rd Birthday. He froze for a moment, then quickly exited the calendar app and called Mum. “Mum, did Megan call the house about half a month ago?” Mum hesitated. “No, she didn’t. Wasn’t that the day she had a fight with Isabella? Why?” James paused, then said, “No reason.” After hanging up, he grew visibly frustrated. He tried calling me, but no one answered. More irritated now, he opened our chat and started sending voice messages: [Megan, have you grown up now? Who taught you to run off and not take responsibility for your actions?] [You’ve got two hours to call me back, or you can forget about calling me brother ever again!] I looked at him in confusion. Hadn’t he just told me I wasn’t allowed home unless I apologized to Isabella? I always loved James, but I was also terrified of him. When I didn’t finish my schoolwork, he’d scold me. When I disobeyed, he’d rush home to discipline me. Over time, a wall had grown between us. Isabella, on the other hand, could joke around with him, bother him whenever she wanted, and he would always be patient and kind with her. His smile never faded when she was around. I felt dizzy, my soul growing lighter, as if I were losing my grip on existence. I was fading, but somehow, I couldn’t disappear completely. That’s when James finally lost his composure. He grabbed his coat and stormed out, heading straight to the police department. I followed him as he went back to the forensic lab, put on gloves, and began working again. But just as he was examining my remains for further evidence, he suddenly froze. His fingers brushed over the birthmark on my wrist—a small heart-shaped mark, something unique. When we were kids, he used to poke that mark and say, “Megan’s a gift from the heavens. They gave her a heart-shaped mark so I’ll always find her, no matter what.” Now, James stared at the birthmark for what felt like an eternity. I thought I must be imagining things. Why would he tremble if he hated me so much? I shook my head, ready to close my eyes and conserve my strength when he pulled out his phone and made a call. “Mum, are you sure Megan didn’t call home after she left?” For the first time in ages, he called me by my nickname instead of my full name. “Well, now that you mention it…” Mum’s voice was hesitant. “She used to call every day. It’s strange that she didn’t this time…” “Mum, do you think Megan didn’t come home because of me? If so, I—” “Don’t be ridiculous!” Dad interrupted. “I haven’t even confronted Megan for spreading those lies about you, Isabella!” “James, stop worrying. She’ll come crawling back. Where else would she go?” Yes, Dad. Where else would I go? You’re all I have, and the Murphy family is all I’ve ever known. But now, you only care about Isabella, the one who murdered me. James hung up the phone, bracing himself against the autopsy table. He shook his head. “It can’t be…” “There are plenty of people with birthmarks. It’s not her…” As he was about to continue, his phone rang again. “James, we found some fabric remnants on the hillside.” “We traced the fabric to a brand store. The staff confirmed it’s an old classic model, with fewer than thirty owners.” “Seventeen of those are men. The remaining thirteen women have no missing persons reports.” “James, I’ve sent you a list.” James opened the message and enlarged the photo. The next second, his face turned pale with disbelief. The last name on the list was Megan Murphy.

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