Category: English

After Getting a Fat Severance Package, I Told My Ex-Boss to Get Lost! Because I’m the Company’s Landlord! My boyfriend was smitten by the daughter of the company’s vice president, and I lost in love. What’s worse than losing in love is that I was fired from the company I had worked for five years, for a fabricated reason. After receiving a generous severance package and my termination letter, I packed my things and left with my head held high. Not only did they lay off their top performer, but they also fired the landlord of their office building. This crappy company can keep whoever they want, but they’re doomed to fail sooner or later! After discussing the severance amount with HR, I received a payment notification on my phone within 10 minutes. I swear, this was the fastest payment I’ve ever received since joining the company. Previously, getting a payment approved required a string of approvals, with at least eight people in the finance department alone. Even the fastest payment would take a day or two. The young HR girl ran all the way to hand me my termination letter. I looked at the reason for termination: personal reasons, voluntary resignation. Not bad. The handover was already completed, so I started packing up the things on my desk. “Knock, knock, knock.” Someone knocked on the door, and before I could say “come in,” Chloe walked in, wearing a crisp white suit, looking graceful and charming. “Sister Lydia, packing up? Make sure you don’t take any company documents home with you!” she said with a smirk. I ignored her. I was leaving anyway, and I didn’t want to cause trouble. But some people just can’t help being nasty. “Sister Lydia, when I first came here, you blocked my probation. Who would have thought that you’d be leaving before me today? Your project is now mine. People should really know their place. And Ryan, he chose me over you. Men, you know, they always prefer young and beautiful women. You’re old now, with no money or power. How can you compete with someone young, beautiful, and from a prestigious family like me?” There was no need to hold back anymore. It’s not good for the mammary glands to keep things bottled up, as my doctor told me during my physical exam. I glanced up at the surveillance camera above. Good, it was off. When the company required the cameras to be on, I had dinner with the IT guys. The main topic of discussion was “technology should not be used for evil.” One of the IT guys almost broke up with his girlfriend because he kept having dinner with me. In the end, we compromised. When I was in the office, the camera would be off; when I wasn’t, it would be on. I thought it was good enough for preventing theft. I walked up to Chloe and lifted her chin with my finger, examining her for a moment. Full of collagen, skin as smooth as a baby’s bottom. Youth is truly wonderful! She seemed a bit nervous but thought I wouldn’t do anything to her in the office. “You can kneel down and beg me, and I might consider giving you a position in the project,” she said smugly. She had just been promoted to project manager ten minutes ago, according to the HR notification. Chloe held her head high like a little swan. I used all my strength and slapped her hard across the face. The sound was loud, and even my hand hurt. Chloe was stunned at first, then started screaming. I grabbed her hair, avoiding the camera, and dragged her to the office area, throwing her onto the coffee table. There were some things on the table that crashed to the floor when she landed. The entire hall fell silent, not even a photo was taken. Everyone was too shocked. “Chloe, you stole my boyfriend. It’s my fault for not seeing through people, and it’s shameful to be a third wheel. Your ability to steal him is your ‘talent,’ and I don’t care about that rotten cucumber anymore. But the A8 project was something I fought for, and I did all the planning. How dare you remove my name and put yours on it? Open any page, do you even know what the initials HHY stand for? Your dad is one of the company’s bosses, he’s so rich, he could open a company for you to play with, give you a project to do. Why do you have to make things difficult for a hardworking employee like me? How many times did I go to the client for this project? How many times did I visit the site? How many extra hours did I work? Where were you during that time? Shopping for clothes or dating my boyfriend? How dare you steal it? Couldn’t you at least be low-key about it? Why did you have to flaunt it in front of me? I’m already leaving, making room for you. What more do you want? Why do you have to be so disgusting? Huh?” Chloe had just crawled up from the coffee table, with five clear finger marks on her face and a bruise on her forehead. Her hair was a mess. Faced with my accusations, she seemed to have a mental freeze, unable to utter a word in response. I took a wet wipe and carefully cleaned my hands, saying with disgust, “Take some time to take care of your hair, it’s so oily. Don’t show up in front of me again, or I’ll teach you a lesson every time I see you.” Then I put on a smile and said to the colleagues who had just recovered from the shock, “I’ve been happy to know all of you during my years at JoySpace. You’ve been great partners. Thank you all. I’m leaving today, and I’ve ordered some afternoon tea with cakes and milk tea for everyone. I hope you all enjoy it. Until we meet again.” With that, I turned around gracefully and quickly left. Outside the company’s entrance, I took a photo and posted it on Instagram along with a photo of my old work badge: “After five years of weathering storms together, allow me to dock my ship today and bid farewell to JoySpace. Grateful for the encounters, no regrets for the prime of my youth. From today on, I’m both unemployed and single. Let me rest for a month, and I’ll be in touch after that.” After posting, I saw that I had been removed from various company group chats. I could almost see Chloe’s phone burning up. At least it saved me the trouble. I took a cab back to the home I used to share with Ryan. This apartment was bought by my family when I graduated. At the time, to avoid making Ryan uncomfortable, I always said it was rented and only charged him a symbolic amount of rent. Ryan knew the rental prices in this area, yet he accepted that arrangement without question. It was all my fault for being young and unable to distinguish between good and bad people. I contacted a familiar renovation company, sent them a renovation plan, and asked them to renovate according to that plan and then help me rent it out. After dealing with these matters, I quickly bought a plane ticket and escaped. Every day, I went to the seaside to space out, and surprisingly, I didn’t feel bored. I played around for a month. When I left, the grass was just sprouting new green; when I came back, flowers were blooming everywhere, and spring had returned to the earth. In a few days, it would be my best friend’s birthday, and I needed to choose a gift. I went to a jewelry store. I didn’t recognize the saleswoman on duty today, but when she saw me come in, she stood at a comfortable distance, warm but not overly eager, making me feel at ease. I was in the middle of choosing when other customers came in. I told the saleswoman to attend to them. But those two people came straight towards me. I looked up and laughed. What a coincidence! It was Chloe, with Ryan following behind. They were carrying shopping bags, apparently having been out for a while. When Ryan and I were together, he hated shopping, saying it was a waste of time. Now that he’s with someone else, he seems to have adapted well. “Sister Lydia, long time no see. I thought you were hiding because you were fired and felt ashamed. Didn’t expect to run into you here,” Chloe said with a smirk. Chloe was as brainless as ever, saying things that made people want to punch her. “I didn’t steal someone’s boyfriend or project. I didn’t do anything shameful, so why should I hide?” I looked Chloe up and down. “You, on the other hand, don’t look too well. Done too many shady things? Can’t sleep at night? But I guess you wouldn’t, you don’t have a conscience.” Watching Chloe’s face change colors like a chameleon made me feel even better. I couldn’t be bothered with them anymore and went back to choosing jewelry. Finally, I found a chain I liked. “Miss, could you please bring that chain over for me to look at?” I asked the saleswoman. The saleswoman brought it out, but before I could take a closer look, Chloe snatched it away. “Sister Lydia, the cheapest jewelry here costs over ten thousand dollars, and some pieces go for hundreds of thousands. Can you afford it? Don’t bite off more than you can chew,” Chloe said mockingly. After saying this, Chloe picked up the bracelet, examined it, and said to the saleswoman, “Wrap it up, I’ll take it.” “But…” The saleswoman looked troubled. “It’s fine, give it to her. I’ll look at something else,” I said calmly. For the next half hour, Chloe followed me around, snatching up whatever I showed interest in. Ryan whispered something to Chloe, but she only became more aggressive, and Ryan didn’t dare say anything more. After a full round, I couldn’t find anything suitable, so I said to the saleswoman, “Bring out that new ruby necklace you’ve got.” The saleswoman went to the safe and brought out a box. When she opened it, I felt my eyes light up. It was a ruby necklace. The gemstone was of high purity and perfectly cut, shimmering beautifully under the light. “This is nice, give me—” Before I could finish, Chloe quickly interrupted. “I’ll take this one,” she said. I finally couldn’t hold back anymore. “Chloe, are you sick? You want everything I look at. Are you brainless or blind? Can’t you choose for yourself?” I snapped. “I have money, I can afford it. I’ll compete with you, what can you do about it?” she retorted. “This necklace is new and quite expensive. Is it worth spending so much just to compete with me?” I tried to reason with her. “Money can’t buy happiness, but I’m happy to spend it. Jealous? Too bad you can’t afford it. Wrap it up, I’ll take it with the others,” Chloe said, staring at the necklace, clearly in love with it. “Ma’am, I should inform you that all our items are final sale, no returns or exchanges. Would you like to reconsider?” the saleswoman cautioned. Chloe hesitated for a moment upon hearing this. “Yeah, Chloe, it’s quite expensive. Think it through. Don’t regret it once you leave the store, there’s no going back,” I chimed in. My advice seemed to strengthen Chloe’s resolve. “Nonsense, it’s just a few pieces of jewelry. Who do you think I am? Ryan, pay for it,” she demanded. Ryan was taken aback and hesitated, his face turning sour. “What’s wrong? Is your phone out of battery?” Chloe asked, staring intently at Ryan. “I brought my card, let’s use that,” Ryan said, handing his card to the saleswoman. Then came the awkward moment. “I’m sorry, sir, but the balance is insufficient,” the saleswoman said, handing the card back with both hands. “How much is it in total?” Ryan asked. “669,000 dollars,” the saleswoman replied. Ryan unconsciously took a step back, his face turning bright red in disbelief. “That much?” he muttered under his breath. “Yeah, it’s quite expensive. If you don’t have enough money, don’t buy it. It’s not something you can eat or drink, so why bother?” I quickly added salt to the wound. Chloe walked over, handed over her own credit card, and took Ryan’s card from his hand, giving both to the saleswoman. “Charge the rest to my card,” she said. Ryan received a bank notification. I glanced at it and saw that his balance was down to just $5.19. After the transaction, Chloe took the bags and left with her head held high. The saleswoman stood there, looking guilty. “Everything you liked was bought by someone else. I’m so sorry,” she apologized sincerely. It wasn’t her fault, but her sincere apology showed she had potential as an employee. “It’s alright. Could you please wrap up that one for me?” I pointed to a bracelet I had spotted earlier but deliberately hadn’t looked at. The saleswoman happily went to wrap it up, looking relieved. After leaving the jewelry counter, I called my friend. “Chloe just bought nearly $700,000 worth of jewelry from your store, even taking that new ruby necklace. How are you going to thank me?” I joked. My friend laughed heartily on the other end of the phone. “Really? That’s fantastic! We should celebrate with a big meal. But thank you? Did you forget you’re also a shareholder?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296311”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn

He suddenly became passionate about fitness and started paying attention to his appearance. His clothes always carried a faint scent of lily of the valley. He was acting suspiciously flirtatious. So, I followed him. I overheard him insulting me while joking with his friends: “Olivia is no longer the campus beauty you guys knew. Now her figure is all saggy, no different from a middle-aged woman. I feel unlucky every time I see her bland face.” “If it weren’t for having to split half of our assets in a divorce, I would have married my little sweetheart long ago.” Later, I found a prenatal screening test for Down syndrome in his briefcase. It turned out that his mistress was already over four months pregnant. The information about the pregnant woman on the test caught my attention. When I saw that familiar name, I froze on the spot. What do you do when you’re middle-aged and discover that your husband, with whom you’ve built a life together from nothing, is cheating? This question seems difficult to answer. You have children together and have accumulated considerable assets through years of hard work. You’ve shaped a rash and naive young man into today’s gentle and elegant figure. But now, he belongs to someone else. Should you quickly divide some assets and get a divorce? It doesn’t seem quite fair. Should you drag them along, exhausting the last of your marital affection? But doing so would disgust them and yourself. So, what’s the best answer? My answer is, I can’t get divorced! But… I can become a widow!

Discovering Jack’s affair was actually a very accidental small incident. That day, before letting our housekeeper take Jack’s tailored suit for dry cleaning, I habitually checked the pockets. Then I pulled out a Chanel Coco Mademoiselle lip balm from the right pocket. The lip balm showed obvious signs of use. It couldn’t be something he had just bought for me. And it definitely wasn’t his own. Because this lip balm leaves a shimmering effect on the lips, something only girls would use. The faint lily of the valley scent from the clothes rushed into my nostrils. I stood there stunned for a long time without moving. Perhaps it was a woman’s unreasonable sixth sense. Just this lip balm and this whiff of fragrance made me certain that Jack was having an affair. He wasn’t a person without boundaries. He wouldn’t put a girl’s personal items in his own pocket. So, the lip balm might have been deliberately placed in his pocket by someone else to test me, or Jack might have kept it for that person and forgotten to return it. Either way, the result was obvious. I expressionlessly put the lip balm back in the pocket and returned his suit to its original place. I went to the bathroom and washed my face, trying to clear my dizzy mind. But it didn’t help much.

After sitting numbly for two hours. I called Ryan Thompson, Jack’s senior secretary. I originally wanted to subtly inquire about Jack’s whereabouts these days. When the call connected, I heard Ryan softly shush someone, and then the noise in the background gradually quieted down. A moment later, he asked with a hint of amusement in his voice: “Mrs. Wilson, are you looking for Mr. Wilson? What a coincidence, he just left to meet a client and isn’t in the office right now.” Meeting a client without taking along his capable and skilled senior secretary? The lie was rather clumsy. “No, I’m looking for you,” I directly denied. Ryan paused for a moment, then replied with a smile: “Mrs. Wilson, what can I do for you? Just say the word.” My fingers lightly tapped on the sofa armrest, my voice as cold as ice: “Ryan, do you remember how you climbed to your current position?” There were a few seconds of silence on the other end. When he spoke again, his voice carried a hint of guilt: “You sponsored my education, then brought me into the company and personally mentored me.” “Then why did I leave the company and can now only stay at home doing nothing?” I immediately asked again. “It’s… it’s because I dozed off while driving and caused an accident, resulting in… resulting in your left scapula being fractured. Since then, your left arm has had limited mobility…” Ryan stuttered in his response. Even without seeing him, I could imagine his uncomfortable and fidgety appearance at that moment. I took a deep breath, suppressing the anger about to erupt from my chest. “Now, I’m looking for Jack. Is he there?” “…Yes!” “Where are you now?” “The Jiuzhou Club.” “Room number.” “61008.” I hung up the phone.

As Ryan said, my left arm had limited mobility due to the accident injury, causing excruciating pain every time I raised or moved it outward. I couldn’t even hold the steering wheel with both hands while driving. I had been persistently doing rehabilitation for the past two years, but with little effect. I took a taxi to the Jiuzhou Club. Ryan was already waiting at the entrance on the first floor. When he saw me, he smoothly took the bag from my hand and led me towards the elevator. In the elevator, he wrung his hands nervously, awkwardly apologizing to me: “Mrs. Wil… I mean, Olivia, I’m sorry.” “It’s just that Mr. Wilson is only meeting friends today. I was afraid you’d worry, so I said he went to see a client.” Today he’s meeting friends. What about before? My expression remained cold, and I didn’t look at him again. How could I expect sincerity from an outsider when my husband of twenty-three years would cheat? Ryan escorted me to the private room door, then excused himself to go to the bathroom and left. I wanted to push the door open, to see which woman Jack was holding in his arms. Voices teasing Jack came from inside. I withdrew my hand and stood quietly at the half-open door of the private room. Someone spoke up to joke: “Old Jack is really behaving himself. We’re all surrounded by women, but he’s just sitting there drinking juice.” Someone quickly responded. “Of course, Jack married the campus beauty we all envied back then. She’s a perfect helper. I heard their son even got into Fudan University under Olivia’s guidance. Tsk tsk, having a virtuous wife really does bring prosperity for generations.” “You’re all wrong!” This voice belonged to Marcus Evans, Jack’s old friend. Half mockingly and half enviously, he said: “He’s keeping himself pure for his little girlfriend. She’s strict with him, set twenty house rules, including not drinking or messing around behind her back. Otherwise, she’ll punish him by not letting him into her bed. Last week he secretly drank and upset his little girlfriend. It took hundreds of thousands worth of jewelry to appease her.” “Really?” Several people snickered in surprise. Jack relaxed back against the sofa, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. Marcus continued sarcastically: “The girl is only 26, just 7 years older than his son. He can actually bring himself to do it. Don’t you think he’s a beast?” No one responded to his words. Jack crossed his left leg over his right, looking even more at ease. “Haven’t you heard that men are forever young at heart? I’m just seeking some excitement. “You don’t know, Olivia is no longer the campus beauty you guys knew. Now her figure is all saggy, no different from a middle-aged woman. She’s always sickly. I feel unlucky every time I see her bland face. “Besides, even if she were a celestial beauty, I’ve been sleeping with her for over 20 years. I’m tired of it. “If it weren’t for having to split half of our assets in a divorce, I would have married your little sister-in-law long ago.”

It was like having a bucket of ice water dumped over my head. Chilled from head to toe. A chill running through my bones. If I hadn’t heard it with my own ears, it would be hard to believe these words came from the mouth of my humble and gentle husband. Some of what he said wasn’t wrong. You can never imagine how heartless a man can be once he’s changed his mind. He becomes a complete stranger to you. I didn’t disturb them and turned to leave. At the elevator, Ryan was pacing back and forth. Seeing me approach, he quickly came over, smiling: “Mrs. Wilson, I was right, wasn’t I? Mr. Wilson was just catching up with old friends. Those girls in the room have nothing to do with him. He even specifically asked me to order juice for him, afraid of getting drunk and worrying you.” I looked at the man before me, now full of shrewdness. The caution and sincerity in his eyes from years ago had long since disappeared. His face was full of ingratiating smiles: “Mrs. Wilson, let me take you home. Mr. Wilson is with his old classmates anyway, there’s nothing for me to do. Don’t worry, I won’t tell Mr. Wilson you were here.” I didn’t object to his kindness. Ryan was driving the business car used to pick up Jack. As I sat in the back seat, two sets of overlapping handprints, one large and one small, on the car window caught my eye. My heart suddenly sank. I stared fixedly at those chaotic large and small handprints, which seemed to be telling me what kind of dirty story had taken place here. After getting out of the car, I waved goodbye to Ryan. “Thank you for driving me back. “Oh, by the way, the back window is dirty. Remember to clean the glass next time after you’re done.” Ryan froze for a moment.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296327”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn

“Bullied and Betrayed: My Revenge Against a Toxic Family” Barbara “accidentally” sent her complaint about me to the family WhatsApp group: “My daughter-in-law is so lazy and greedy during her pregnancy. My son’s meager salary is all being eaten up by her!” I quickly @Brian: “See? Your mom thinks you’re incapable and don’t make enough money.” Then I @Barbara: “Feeling sorry that your son’s salary isn’t enough? Why don’t you go get a job too? That would solve the money problem!” Ever since I got pregnant, I’ve been extremely sleepy. One day, after waking up from a nap, I noticed Barbara wasn’t home. She probably went to the market to buy groceries. I quickly grabbed my phone, wanting to call and tell her not to buy anything yet. Today was Brian and my wedding anniversary, and we were going out for a candlelit dinner. As soon as I opened my phone, I saw over a dozen unread messages in the family group chat. I casually scrolled through and happened to see a voice message from Aunt Sophia: “Oh my, what’s going on? Airing grievances in the big group chat now? Aren’t you afraid of upsetting your precious daughter-in-law?” She followed it with a smirking emoji. I could imagine Aunt Sophia’s smug face even with my eyes closed. She was the typical troublemaker who loved to stir up drama. Her son’s marriage ended in divorce after just a year, largely due to her meddling. Yet she refused to acknowledge any fault, instead badmouthing the ex-daughter-in-law everywhere and causing tension between both families. Below that was a sarcastic voice message from Aunt Mary: “Young people these days are so delicate. Going to work seems to drain half their life force. Back in our day, we’d bike to work even while pregnant!” Aunt Mary was ostensibly supporting Barbara, but her words were clearly aimed at the daughters-in-law in the group. Her own daughter-in-law was busy with work and had no time for housework, so Aunt Mary went over to clean every day, harboring a lot of resentment. She had even complained to Barbara before: “This isn’t being a mother-in-law, it’s more like being a maid. At least maids get paid for their hard work!” She certainly had mastered the art of indirect criticism. But who exactly were Aunt Sophia and Aunt Mary talking about? I scrolled up further and finally saw Barbara’s voice message in the group, insinuating about me: “This daughter-in-law of mine, oh my! She’s so lazy and greedy during her pregnancy. My son’s small salary is all being eaten up by her!” So she was complaining that I was spending too much money during my pregnancy! I immediately sent two voice messages in the group, making sure to @Barbara: “Mom, why don’t you go get a job too? That way, with both you and Brian earning money, there’ll be enough to spend!” “The supermarket downstairs is hiring cashiers! 8 AM to 8 PM, lunch provided, $1500 a month. You love to gossip, right? Go there and talk all you want. With all the people coming and going, I’m sure you’ll get your fill of chatter.” As soon as I finished speaking, the group fell silent. No one dared to make any more sarcastic comments. That’s right, if you’re not willing to come help out, then go find a job! Stop giving me trouble!

Actually, I initially disagreed with having Barbara come take care of me during my pregnancy. But I was an older pregnant woman, and my health wasn’t great due to years of working hard in my career. So the doctor specifically advised that I needed to be extra careful in my daily activities. Brian also said that as my pregnancy progressed, it would be too dangerous for me to go out alone without someone to look after me. He worried about me when he was at work. The problem was, I had married far from home, and my dad had recently undergone surgery. My mom was already exhausted taking care of my dad and simply couldn’t be in two places at once for me. I had thought about hiring a nanny, but Brian said an outsider could never be as caring as family. That’s why I finally agreed to let him bring Barbara from their hometown to take care of me. But as soon as Barbara entered our home, she saw my dog Meatball. She frowned, clearly disgusted, and said sarcastically: “Lily, why haven’t you gotten rid of this dog yet?” “You’re pregnant now, you can’t keep a dog. Dogs carry parasites and bacteria, it’s bad for the baby in your belly.” I immediately felt a fire ignite inside me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to calm myself: “Mom, I’ve had Meatball for 7 years, since before I even met Brian. He’s not just a dog, he’s family to me.” “Besides, Meatball has had all his shots and medications. He won’t affect the baby at all.” Just then, Meatball happened to walk past Barbara. She kicked him disgustedly: “Oh my, how strange! You actually treat a dog like family? But a dog is just a dog, how can it be family?” “The most important thing for you right now is to take care of yourself and give me a healthy grandson. Why keep a dog? It’s full of germs!” The more Barbara spoke, the angrier I became. I felt all the blood rush to my head. My hands shook with rage as I raised my voice: “Mom, do you understand science at all? Doctors say keeping a dog has no effect on the fetus.” “Go look outside – forget about pregnant women, even families with newborns keep dogs! So many people have dogs, has any child had problems because of it?” Brian must have noticed I was truly angry, as he quickly ushered me into the bedroom with a mix of coaxing and deception. He casually closed the bedroom door and tried to placate me with a fawning expression: “Don’t be angry! Don’t be angry! My mom is just old and from a small town. She’s not really insisting we get rid of Meatball.” “Don’t take it personally. She just doesn’t understand the science of keeping dogs. You should explain it to her slowly, not argue with her. No matter what, she’s still my mom. We should talk things out nicely.” “Look at how you were acting earlier, like an angry rooster. It’s not worth it, it’s just a dog!” Brian’s attempt at mediation only made me angrier. He wasn’t being a peacemaker at all, he was clearly taking his mom’s side and implying I was the one with the problem. “What do you mean it’s not worth it? What do you mean it’s just a dog?” “Brian, when we got married I made it clear that I would never give up Meatball, even when pregnant or having kids. You agreed to that.” “What’s going on? Now that your mom’s here, you’re changing your tune?” Brian had been fawningly trying to appease me earlier, but now he suddenly changed his attitude. He yanked off his tie forcefully and threw it on the bed, his whole demeanor radiating impatience. It made me feel like I was looking at a stranger. “Look, Lily, you’re being a bit unreasonable here!” “My mom left my dad at home alone to come take care of you. Don’t you know how to be grateful?” “Besides, she didn’t really say much, just suggested getting rid of the dog. If we don’t, we don’t. Why are you being so stubborn about this?” I looked at the man before me, wondering if his soul had been possessed. How could he change so quickly? Just last night he had held me close and said: “Lily, when the baby is born, I’ll definitely be a good father. If it’s a girl, I’ll protect you both. If it’s a boy, we’ll protect you together!” In just one night, as soon as his mom arrived, he had changed completely? This argument ended with Brian storming out and slamming the door. Before leaving, he coldly tossed out one last comment: “Fine, you’re pregnant and your emotions are unstable. Think it over when you’ve calmed down. I’m going to see if my mom needs any help!” No comfort, no explanation. With one flippant sentence, he pushed all the blame onto my emotions. As if I was the villain who started the whole dispute. It made me doubt myself – was it really just pregnancy mood swings making me overly sensitive? Maybe Barbara didn’t really mean what she said about getting rid of Meatball? She’s older, after all. It’s normal for her to nag about everything she sees. Forget it, no matter what, she’s Brian’s mother and the grandmother of the child I’m carrying. For Brian’s sake, I’ll be more tolerant and not take offense at everything she says. After all, he’s caught between his wife and his mother. It must be difficult for him too.

I silently reassured myself for over 10 minutes, gradually calming down. I wanted to scroll through some short videos to distract myself. I had just picked up my phone when I saw Aunt Sophia had shared a video link in the family group chat: [Pregnant woman miscarries at 4 months, family pet to blame] [Should pregnant women really keep pets?] As soon as I saw this headline, I was furious. Did they install hidden cameras in my house? How do they know everything that happens here? So I @’ed Aunt Sophia in the group: “Aunt Sophia, what do you mean by sharing this link?” Aunt Sophia quickly replied: “Oh, I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just chatting with Barbara, and she mentioned you’re still keeping a dog while pregnant. She wanted to get rid of it, but you weren’t happy about that.” “I thought maybe you didn’t know the dangers of keeping a dog, so I specifically found this video.” “You should watch it quickly. Pregnant women really shouldn’t keep dogs. Get rid of it as soon as possible!” My anger, which had just subsided, instantly flared up again. Using the guise of concern to do things that upset me – isn’t this textbook emotional manipulation? Do they really think I’m made of dough to be kneaded at will? “Aunt Sophia, if you’re really that bored, why don’t you get a job? I think a matchmaking agency would be perfect. You could clean the office and find a wife for your son while you’re at it.” “Your son isn’t getting any younger. He’s 36 or 37 now, and hasn’t had a girlfriend since his divorce. If he waits much longer, I’m afraid he’ll be a bachelor for life.” Aunt Sophia immediately sent me a 60-second voice message. I didn’t need to listen to know what she was saying. “Lily, you’re being quite ungrateful! I’m just trying to look out for you!” “My son is single because his standards are high and he hasn’t found anyone he likes. What do you know? Besides, men are in their prime at 40!” You want to be passive-aggressive? I can play that game too! In the past, out of respect for Brian’s elders, I rarely spoke up in the group chat. But now that they’ve repeatedly pushed my boundaries, they can’t blame me for fighting back. “Oh, still saying men are in their prime at 40? With a mother-in-law like you at home, who would dare to pick that flower from your family?” Aunt Sophia, either rendered speechless by my retort or feeling she’d lost face being talked back to by a younger person, tersely replied: “I’m not getting involved in your family drama anymore.” After that, she didn’t say another word. Not getting involved? Good, that’s exactly what I want! Just as I was feeling extremely satisfied, Barbara suddenly pushed open the door. I was a bit annoyed. No matter what, there should be some basic respect between us, right? “Mom, don’t you know how to knock? You can’t just barge in without warning. This isn’t your house.” But Barbara didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with her behavior. She haughtily said: “Why should I knock in my son’s house?” Judging by Barbara’s tone, she didn’t come with good intentions. Sure enough, before I could speak, Barbara started interrogating me: “Lily, let me ask you something. Did you talk back to your Aunt Sophia? How can you be so ungrateful?” Barbara stood in the doorway, sunlight shining on her. It highlighted the wrinkles on her face, making her angry expression look particularly twisted and distorted. My tone softened a bit: “Yes, I did talk back. She messed up her own son’s marriage, and now she’s trying to meddle in our family affairs.” “Mom, you need to understand – we’re family, Aunt Sophia is just your sister!” Maybe Barbara saw some logic in what I said, or maybe she had figured it out herself. Her aggressive demeanor diminished slightly, and she muttered quietly: “Well, you still shouldn’t talk to your Aunt Sophia like that. She is my older sister, after all.” My tone was gentle, but my attitude remained firm: “Mom, she may be your sister, but that doesn’t give her the right to interfere in Brian’s and my life.” Barbara was an uneducated woman. Hearing me address her respectfully as “Mom” and maintain a submissive attitude, she lost her anger. She meekly closed the door, saying: “Alright, alright. You just rest.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296344”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn

I have a scar on my chin that extends down to my neck. It’s a remnant from a childhood accident when Lucas threw a firecracker that exploded near me. His mother dragged him to apologize, and he planted a kiss on my bandage. “Sophia, I’ll take responsibility for you,” he said solemnly. Ever since then, I’ve been terrified of firecrackers. Fortunately, Lucas, the “culprit,” would always be there to cover my ears. He promised, “Sophia, don’t be afraid. Every New Year’s Eve, I’ll be right behind you.” Years later, under a sky full of fireworks, he kissed the company’s new fireworks designer. I watched from afar, the scar on my chin burning with a dull ache. The day I discovered Lucas’s affair, I happily went to his office to bring him lunch. In the elevator, I carefully hid the pregnancy test results under the lunchbox, planning to surprise him later. When I entered his office, a well-dressed young woman was sitting there. As soon as I walked in, their intertwined hands quickly separated. “Hello, I’m Emma, the new fireworks designer. I was just discussing some details with Mr. Thompson,” she said with a smile. There was a design sketch between them, with colors so beautiful it seemed unreal. “I’ll leave you two to talk,” Emma said as she left the room. After she left, Lucas pulled me into his arms, habitually caressing the scar on my chin. “Why did you come suddenly without letting someone pick you up?” I didn’t respond. He picked up the design sketch again. “Do you like it? It’s for your 23rd birthday gift.” I love watching fireworks but I’m terrified of the explosive sounds. Lucas built an amusement park for me and even constructed a private viewing platform where I could see the best fireworks without being too close to them. Our love story was featured on the park’s website homepage, attracting many visitors. “I’ll set them off for you on your birthday, okay?” he said, kissing my forehead. “I need to go inspect the park now. You should head home first,” he added, as if on cue, there was a knock on the door. “Mr. Thompson, we need to leave now,” came a voice from outside. I let go of his hand, and Lucas called a cab for me. “Driver, could you turn around and go to Starlight Amusement Park instead?” I asked once I was in the car.

This amusement park was Lucas’s proposal gift to me. “Sophia, I’ll watch fireworks with you for the rest of our lives,” he had promised. Those words still echoed in my ears, but now all I could think of were those intertwined hands I had seen earlier. I took out a mirror from my bag, seeing the scar deeply embedded in my skin, a part of me now. I easily made my way through the employee entrance to my private viewing spot, which was messily decorated with string lights and flowers. Lucas came running from behind, out of breath. “Sophia, didn’t I tell you to go home and rest? Now you’ve seen the surprise early.” I reached out to wipe the sweat from his forehead. “Why are you in such a hurry? I just felt cooped up and wanted to take a walk.” “Alright, you go back to your work. I’m heading home,” I said. Lucas breathed a sigh of relief as he watched me walk away. What he didn’t know was that I had already seen the security guard’s large-print chat window. “Mr. Thompson, your wife is heading towards the viewing platform.” I wandered around outside for the rest of the day, timing it so I would arrive just as the fireworks show was starting. I bought a full-price ticket to enter the park. Unlike what I had seen at noon, the viewing platform was now beautifully decorated. The new fireworks designer, Emma, was standing with Lucas. They looked just like a couple celebrating their anniversary at the park. As the fireworks exploded, I covered my ears. Lucas pulled Emma into his arms and kissed her lips the next second. The two kissed passionately. The fireworks became a romantic backdrop. And so did I. “Lucas, thank you for preparing all this for me,” Emma said softly. Lucas’s face was full of tenderness. “This park was built for you. Isn’t your dream to let more people see your fireworks?” My heart sank, and the family pass card in my hand dug into my palm. Emma giggled playfully. “Wasn’t it built for Sophia?” “Look at her, does she deserve it? I have a responsibility to her. Her face was disfigured because of me, and no one else would want her besides me.” “Such beautiful fireworks should be paired with a beauty like you.” Lucas’s words felt like knives stabbing into my heart. With shaking hands, I started recording. “If Sophia knew, wouldn’t she be furious?” Emma asked. Lucas was silent for a moment, then poked Emma’s forehead. “Then let’s not let her know for now. Be careful at the company too. I can’t divorce her right now.” “The company is at a critical point, and the park needs the fairy tale story between Sophia and me.” Emma gave Lucas a satisfied kiss. “Then tonight…” Lucas smiled suggestively, picked Emma up in his arms, and walked towards the park’s hotel.

Sitting in the taxi, I played the recorded video over and over again. “Look at her, does she deserve it?” “Who else would want her besides me?” “You don’t know how disgusted I am every time I see her face.” “After slowly distancing myself from her for a few years, she’ll get tired and beg me for a divorce.” “In this love story, she can only be the one at fault.” In the hotel, Lucas was carrying Emma to the top floor. Fighting back tears, I called Lucas. “Hello? Sophia? What’s wrong?” he answered. Tears streamed down my face as I could hear Lucas’s suppressed breathing. “Sophia, go to sleep first. I had a few drinks today and I’m afraid I’ll smell of alcohol if I come back. Be good, okay?” He hurriedly hung up the phone, cutting off Emma’s coquettish voice. I cried uncontrollably. All these years, he had seen me as a burden, a flaw in his perfect reputation. The amusement park he built didn’t belong to me, the fireworks he set off didn’t belong to me. Even he had never belonged to me. I walked into the bathroom and looked at myself in the full-length mirror. The long scar extended from my chin to my chest. Right to my heart. Every time my heart beat, the tail of the scar moved with it. Every time in bed, Lucas would passionately kiss this scar. From top to bottom. “Is it ugly?” I had asked Lucas more than once. His response was always more intense movements. “Sophia isn’t ugly. This scar is the red thread of fate tying us together.” I thought we were in love. After that incident, Lucas followed me around for many years. Even my mom said, “Lucas is a kind-hearted, loyal boy.” In high school, many people mocked my scar as ugly. Some even gave me nasty nicknames. But Lucas never did. He would hold me in his arms when others bullied me. He would repeatedly emphasize that I was the most beautiful girl in his eyes. After getting into college, Lucas confessed to me with our acceptance letters in hand. “Lucas, my face is fine now. You don’t need to be with me out of guilt.” Actually, I felt insecure, but he pulled me into a small alley. He gently kissed the scar. “Sophia, do you really think I’ve been close to you all these years just because of guilt?” My heart sank, and I took the initiative to kiss his lips.

Lucas was handsome and had good grades. In college, he had more and more admirers. I personally saw a curvaceous junior shyly hand him a love letter. I also heard rumors about us around campus. To be worthy of him, I secretly made an appointment for plastic surgery. This scar was too long, so long that it reached my heart. When I was about to enter the operating room, Lucas rushed over and took me away. “Sophia, please don’t get plastic surgery, okay?” He said this scar was my psychological barrier. Even if it was removed, I would still be bothered by it. Only when I truly adapted to it would I have let go and forgiven him. He cried pitifully with red-rimmed eyes. I really believed that in that accident, not only was I hurt, but Lucas was too. Now I understand that Lucas wasn’t guilty at all. He needed me by his side to showcase his loyalty and devotion. I wrapped myself in a blanket, unable to sleep all night. At dawn, the door lock turned. Lucas walked to my side and tucked me in. “Did I wake you?” he asked. Lucas leaned in and kissed my forehead. I could clearly smell the shower gel on his body. There were faint red marks on his neck. All declaring their wild night. “Look what I brought back for you,” Lucas said. Lucas took out a basket of soup dumplings, my favorite. “Fresh out of the steamer. I went to queue up early in the morning.” I put one in my mouth, but the soup inside was already cold and had a fishy taste. It made me nauseous, just like Lucas. I couldn’t help but spit it out. Lucas anxiously patted my back. “Why are you feeling sick?” As if remembering something, Lucas tentatively asked, “Sophia, did you take your medicine these past few times? You’re not… pregnant, are you?” I shook my head in denial. Lucas let out a long sigh of relief. “The company isn’t stable right now. When I’m ready, we’ll have a child.” He spoke sincerely. If I hadn’t witnessed it myself yesterday, I would have been moved by the future he described.

Lucas leaned in and pecked me on the corner of my mouth. “Rest well at home. The new project has been keeping me busy lately. When it’s over, I’ll take you on a trip.” After Lucas left, I threw the basket of dumplings into the trash and wiped my mouth corner vigorously with a tissue. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. What I thought was a perfect love had ultimately turned into a bubble. I had Human Resources pull out Emma’s file. It showed that she had been interning at the company since before graduation, for a full six months now. For six whole months, the company had been their sanctuary. “Jasmine, Lucas is cheating on me,” I sent the message to my best friend, then collapsed on the sofa. Only about twenty minutes later, Jasmine appeared at my doorstep. “What happened?” she asked, panting and pouring herself a glass of water. “Who’s cheating? Your devoted husband?” I let out a cold laugh. Lucas’s act was so perfect that he not only fooled me but also the people around me. Seeing my swollen eyes, Jasmine’s shocked expression turned solemn. She pulled me into a hug. “Cry if you want to. Let it all out.” “That bastard, acting all proper usually, turns out he’s only good when he’s nailed to the wall!” I clung to Jasmine and vented my emotions. When I was tired of crying, I curled up in a corner, staring blankly. “What do you plan to do now?” Jasmine asked worriedly. “Whatever decision you make, I support you.” I touched my belly, thinking how this child came at such an inopportune time. “Jasmine, I’m pregnant.” Hearing my words, Jasmine grabbed a kitchen knife and was about to go find Lucas. I stopped her, smiling more painfully than crying. “It’s okay. Luckily, I found out early. Come with me to the hospital.” Lying on the operating table, tears flowed along my scar to my neck. I could feel the child flowing out of my body. Lucas called me the next day. “Sophia, why aren’t you at home?” “Jasmine is sick. I’m staying with her at the hospital for a few days.” Lucas casually told me to take care and hung up the phone. Jasmine came back with takeout lunch. “You’re in postpartum recovery now. Don’t cry. Eat up and get your strength back. Then we can go beat up that scumbag.” In the obstetrics ward, children’s cries filled the air. Thinking of my child who never had a chance to be born, tears fell into my soup. “It’s so bitter.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296361”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic

After the Earthquake, My Boyfriend Refused to Save My Mom. He Wanted to Save His Childhood Friend’s Dog Instead After the earthquake, my boyfriend Dax Fairley asked me, Talia Winslet, to help lift a concrete slab to rescue a Pomeranian. Suddenly, a stream of comments flashed before my eyes. [Talia doesn’t know yet, but her own mom is trapped under the other end of that slab. Once she lifts it, her mom will be crushed to death.] At the same time, Dax kept urging me, “Hurry up! If anything happens to Maeve’s therapy dog, don’t even think about marrying me.” [Here it comes. Talia, the love-blinded fool, is about to sacrifice her mom.] [Dax didn’t know someone was under there. Later, out of guilt, he couldn’t face the heartbroken Talia and broke off the engagement. Guess that was his way of atoning.] [Thank God we have Maeve in the end. She and Dax healed each other. I love them together.] I stared blankly at the scrolling comments. I thought I was hallucinating. The collapsed area was Dax’s house. A massive concrete slab had fallen over it, with only one edge barely able to lift. Dax was clearing rubble on the right side, his engagement ring scratched and dulled. He was shouting impatiently at me, “Why are you zoning out?! Fluffy’s been whining under there for twenty minutes. Hurry up and help!” I heard it. A faint whimper of a little dog came from under the debris. I thought, “But what about my mom?” I stumbled to the other side and pressed my ear to the ground. I thought, “God, I hope those comments weren’t true. My mom was supposed to be in the neighboring province. There’s no way she’d be here.” But then, I heard a muffled knocking sound from beneath. It was faint, but it shook me to the core. “We can’t lift it,” I said, my voice trembling. My face turned pale as I looked at Dax in despair. “My mom is under this side!” [Wait, what? How did Talia know that?] [No, Maeve’s Pomeranian is a certified therapy dog! If it dies, she’ll spiral again! Don’t do this!] I thought Dax would immediately rush over to help. Surely, between saving a person or a dog, he’d know what to do. But Maeve’s face twisted. She clutched her bleeding arm, cut by the rubble, and said with teary eyes, “Talia, I know you don’t like me, and I get that Fluffy accidentally peed on your wedding dress… but that doesn’t mean you should make up such a lame excuse just to deliberately kill him, should you?” My chest tightened. I was so angry and panicked. I could hardly breathe. Maeve was Dax’s childhood friend and neighbor, a real manipulative piece of work. Last time, when Dax and I went to pick up my custom wedding dress, she saw it and clung to Dax’s arm, whining, “I wanna try it on too. Dax, can I? Just one photo?” My face immediately went cold. But she acted like she didn’t see it, pouting, “You used to say you’d marry me, remember? I just want to wear a matching dress for one photo. Just to fulfill a little dream.” Dax chuckled awkwardly and turned to me for permission. I bit my tongue and calmly said it was a custom dress. If Maeve wore it, it could get stretched or ruined. Maeve froze, then turned and ran off, eyes red. The next day, she came over with Fluffy. And, of course, the dog peed right on my pure white gown. Dax remembered that incident. So now, he assumed I was still holding a grudge that I was deliberately trying to stop him from saving the dog. He lowered his voice and said, irritated, “How can you be this cruel? Are you really throwing a tantrum at a time like this?” My head pounded. I couldn’t help but grab his wrist, trying to drag him toward the other side. “I’m not messing with you, okay? I don’t care what happened between you two. I just want to save my mom!” But before I could even take steps, he yanked his arm away and twisted mine so hard it felt like my bones would snap. “Talia, are you done throwing your little fit?” He grabbed my jaw and forced me to look at Maeve. “You know she has depression, right? And now you’re picking a fight? You want her to lose Fluffy, too?” Maeve stared at me like she wanted to say something, then bit her lip and said, “If this is about your anger, I promise, once Fluffy’s safe, I’ll stay far away from both you and Dax.” Then, she couldn’t hold back anymore and started crying, “Fluffy didn’t do anything wrong. Please, don’t hurt him too.” [Maeve, don’t cry! Stupid Talia, just save the dog and let your mom die already.] [She’s had that dog for five years. It’s the only thing that helps her cope with depression. And it got trapped trying to save her. I’d pick the dog too.] My mind was spinning. I thought, “What were they even saying? That’s my mom!” My voice cracked, choked with panic and fear. “Please… I’m begging you. Just believe me for once, okay?” I fell to my knees, nearly groveling, tears mixing with dust on my face. “Dax, my dad is gone. My mom raised me all by herself. I can’t lose her too!” My dad was a soldier. When I was little, he’d lift me up high and spin me around like I could fly. Later, during a flood, he lifted up so many others until he was too tired to swim and got swept away. My mom almost cried herself blind. If it wasn’t for me, she would have killed herself for my dad. She raised me alone, giving me double the love. She always said all she wanted was for me to grow up happy and healthy. I thought, “If something happened to her now, how could I possibly go on?” Dax grabbed me by the collar and yanked me to my feet. His eyes were filled with confusion. “So what, now you’re competing with Maeve over who’s suffered more?” My mind went blank. “What?” He suddenly pulled out his phone and showed me a folder of photos of Maeve growing up over the years. His voice dropped. “I didn’t want to say this, but Maeve saw her parents die in a car crash. That’s why she has depression. I promised I’d protect her. “But I chose you. That’s why you owe her… Fluffy’s all she has left.” I staggered back, suddenly realizing I didn’t recognize this man anymore. I thought, “So conflicted, so unable to prioritize anything… Why did he even pursue me? All his words were soaked in guilt for someone else. Was that why he proposed to me? So I could spend the rest of my life making up for Maeve, too, letting her walk all over me?” The comments exploded again. [Dax finally admitted it. Choosing to marry Talia makes him feel so guilty towards our Maeve.] [When Talia was trying on her wedding dress, were you thinking about your future life together? Or whether Maeve would be sad?] [Stupid Dax! Look at Maeve’s teary eyes. She clearly still loves you! You can spend your whole life with her!] The flood of words and literal dust were drowning me. I shouted, my voice raw and shaking, “So what?! Just because she’s had a rough life, I’m supposed to let my mom die for her dog?” Dax’s face twisted in frustration. “God, you’re impossible. Even a dog knows how to be considerate. You just can’t stand Maeve being happy, can you?” He didn’t believe a word I said. He dragged me to the right side and gave a final order. “We’ll save the dog first. We’ll talk about your mom later. I’m done with this tantrum.”

As Dax pried at the rubble, small pieces began to fall. I couldn’t bear the thought, “How much pain would my mom be in if that slab came down?” I lost it. I shoved Dax away with all my strength. Rubble scattered everywhere. He stumbled, caught only because Maeve rushed in to steady him. His eyes darkened instantly, veins bulging on his forehead. “Talia! Don’t push me…” Before he could finish, he stared in disbelief as I slammed my head hard against a rock. Blood poured from my forehead, covering half my face in red. I screamed, “You don’t believe my mom is under there? Then I’ll bet my life on it!” Pointing to the slab, tears and blood streaming together, I shouted, “Just listen! She’s knocking, begging for help! Why won’t you believe me?!” My vision went black from the blood loss. I collapsed, gasping for air. Dax rushed over, looking stunned, and pulled me up with a conflicted expression. A moment later… Maeve pouted, then sighed softly, “Well, since it’s come to this, Dax, you should go check.” She bit her lip and turned her head away. “Fluffy’s strong. He can wait.” Dax opened his mouth, then reached out to stroke her head gently. “You really are the kindest.” He gave me a cold, annoyed glance before reluctantly going to the other side. He crouched down and pressed his ear to the slab. I let out a deep breath, holding back my dizziness. I moved to help lift the slab with him, silently praying, “Please hang in there, Mom.” But the moment I reached his side, a force shoved me hard, slamming me face-first into the concrete. My arms and face were instantly shredded by exposed steel wires. From behind, Dax roared, “Listen for yourself! Do you hear anything?!” [Dax is so alpha. Can’t wait to see how he pushes Maeve onto the bed later. That’s gonna be hot.] [Talia’s mom must’ve passed out by now. Looks like she’s not making it.] [She’s just a side character anyway. Everything exists to serve Maeve and Dax’s happiness.] Panic surged inside me. My head throbbed so badly. I couldn’t hear a thing. There really was no sound anymore. On the other side, Maeve suddenly started whimpering, looking tearfully at Dax, “Dax… Fluffy’s crying is getting fainter. Is he dying? What do we do?!” Dax immediately started to walk towards her. “No!” I grabbed his hand. “My mom’s passed out. We can’t wait any longer. Please help me save her!” My voice was shaking so badly from fear that I could barely form words. Dax paused, then laughed in disbelief. “Talia, you’ll say anything just to fight with Maeve, huh? If your mom was really down there, she’d be screaming for help.” He slammed my head against the slab. Leaning close, his breath hot on my ear, he whispered, “Maybe your mom just can’t scream. Did the old hag lose her voice?” He stood up, checked his watch, and scoffed, “I’ve wasted ten minutes on you. If Fluffy dies because of you, you can forget about marrying me.” Then he stormed off to Maeve, gently wiping her tears. “Don’t worry, Fluffy’s gonna be okay.” Maeve nodded hard, looking up at him like he was her savior. “Don’t blame her, Dax. It’s my fault. I upset her and dragged Fluffy into this…” I stared numbly at the blood and tears on the concrete. My mom’s gentle face flashed in my mind. She once held my hand, so full of love. “Talia, you’re grown up now. Whoever you choose to marry, as long as you’re happy, that’s enough for me.” I thought, “No. Without her, I’m not happy at all. God, I regret everything. I regretted being so blind, only seeing their true colors now. I wish I could hold my mom.” “Mom… just hang on, please. I’ll get you out of there. Don’t leave me. I’m begging you.” I was out of my mind, blinking furiously through the tears. I dug with both hands, even when they were raw and bleeding. When Dax finally brought some villagers over, they saw me kneeling there, clawing at the rubble with my bare hands, carving a hole with nothing but sheer desperation. My fingernails were torn halfway off, barely hanging by a thread of dead skin. My hands were mangled beyond recognition.

A villager clicked his tongue and said, “Do you really have to go all out just to save a dog? The woman you engaged sure has a kind heart.” As he spoke, he waved for others to come help. Dax’s face darkened, and he stepped forward to block them. “Leave that lunatic alone. Maeve’s dog is trapped on the right side.” I heard the commotion and turned around to see a group of people approaching. With all their surprised eyes on me, I didn’t hesitate. I dropped to my knees and kowtowed, choking back sobs. “Please save my mom. She’s trapped underneath, but he won’t believe me. He insists on moving the slab on the other side!” “What’s going on here?” Dax took a deep breath, pinched the bridge of his nose hard, and interrupted me sharply, “So a dog’s life doesn’t count anymore? Even if you’re trying to get back at Maeve, is this the time and place to throw a tantrum?” He turned and raised his voice, commanding attention. “Everyone knows Maeve and I are close. But Talia? She’s just bitter. She can’t stand seeing Maeve happy and is using this as an excuse to try and kill her dog. “Maeve has depression. That dog is the only reason she’s still holding on. I can’t just stand by and do nothing.” His words stirred everyone up. After all, Dax was one of their own, born and raised in the village, so his version of things seemed more believable. Maeve staggered into Dax’s arms, sobbing like a poor, helpless soul, “It’s my fault. I must’ve been in Talia’s way. I’ll move out… Fluffy was the last hope my parents left me. Without her, I really can’t go on.” Everyone in the village knew Maeve’s parents had passed away. So, as soon as she said that, people believed her completely. “What a sin!” Linda Murphy, holding a shovel, spat in my direction. “Outsiders have no empathy. A dog’s life matters too! You think a few words can justify letting it die? If your mom knew, she’d die from rage!” Maeve let out a perfectly timed whimper. Dax pulled her close to comfort her. Surrounded by all those accusing glares, I couldn’t stop shaking. My vision darkened, and my limbs went numb. “You don’t believe me either…” I kept swallowing hard, fighting the nausea rising in my throat. [I know it’s the plot, but Talia really looks pitiful.] [Oh boy, we got a saint or something?] [Just accept it, Talia. Your mom’s already in her 60s. Saving her won’t give her many more years anyway.] But I didn’t want to give up. I carried my mother’s hopes. I held up my bloody hands. The pain was intense like my ten fingers were about to break off completely. My voice trembled as I cried out, “You think I’m evil, that I made all this up? Why the hell would I go this far just to lie about a dog?!” Dax scoffed, unimpressed, “Still acting, huh? What now, want us to get on our knees and beg you to be merciful?” He stepped closer and questioned me coldly, “You keep saying your mom’s under there? Then answer me. Your mom said just yesterday that she was in the next province. So how the hell is she at my house today, conveniently crushed under some slabs?” [Dax is making sense!] [Yeah, how did Talia know?] [I remember she didn’t react at first. Then, all of a sudden, she knew her mom was in trouble.] [Wait… could she see our comments or something?] I said nothing because he was right. If I said I figured it out from the comments, they’d all think I’d gone insane. Then, my mom would have no hope of being rescued. Seeing me freeze, Dax sneered coldly, “If you behave now, the wedding’s still on. But push me any further, and I will find someone else.” He thought that threat would scare me into submission. He walked up, grabbed my chin, and smirked, “A woman like you, already used by me? No one else would want you. Not like Maeve. She hasn’t even had her first kiss yet.” Still, I stayed silent because I just saw a comment scroll past. [Stupid Talia, go borrow someone’s phone and call your aunt Nola Granger. She’ll tell you your mom went to see you.] I immediately jerked free of Dax and ran toward a villager holding a phone. “Let me make a call.” Without waiting for a reply, I snatched the phone hastily. Thankfully, the phone didn’t have a passcode. My bloody, dusty fingers kept hitting the wrong keys. When the call finally connected, I put it on speaker and shouted, “Nola, is my mom home? Did she go to my place today?” Everyone turned to look. Dax looked annoyed as hell by my persistence. Just as he started storming toward me, Nola’s voice came through the speaker. “Huh? No, I think she went out to buy groceries. Wait. Are you at your boyfriend’s place? Just stay there and…” Before she could finish, Dax snatched the phone away, hung up, and handed it back to its owner. He stared down at me, fuming. Then he grabbed my hair and roared, “You heard that, didn’t you?! You really had to make a scene for everyone to laugh at?!” Free Point [Haha, Talia really can see the comments? Got tricked, didn’t you?] [Silly Talia, your mom really is trapped under the slab. Your mom asked Nola beforehand to tell you she was coming to give you a surprise. That’s why Nola helped lie to you.]

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296380”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

In the third year of our marriage, my wife sent me to a remote island. This was all because her idealized love claimed I had caused his blindness. My wife was furious with me and insisted I spend time on the island to reflect on my actions. Instead, I was bitten by a poisonous snake, which left my legs permanently damaged. When I finally left the island, my wife arrived with her idealized love. As she cursed me, I felt nothing. To my surprise, when I asked for a divorce, she lost her composure. She cried and knelt, begging me not to leave… “Mr. Evan, Ms. Harper sent us to fetch you. You can leave here now.” Seeing a group of bodyguards arrive on the island, my first instinct was to tremble. Even after they explained their purpose, I remained curled in a corner, trying to cover the festering wound on my ankle with my hands, desperately trying to make myself unseen. I had been trapped on this island for three years. For three long years, Harper never once came to see me. Whenever I closed my eyes, I could recall all that I had endured during those years. With no food on the island, I had to beg and endure suffering just to get a little sustenance. Not long ago, I was bitten by a poisonous snake, which left my legs useless. Noticing my prolonged silence, the lead bodyguard frowned, “Mr. Evan, you can come with us now.” I blinked in a daze and pointed at my swollen, discolored ankle, “I can’t walk.” There was a moment of silence. The bodyguards seemed unprepared for this and hastily called for a wheelchair, placing me in it. Once I was seated, I silently let them take me away. When I was wheeled to the front of Harper’s villa, I couldn’t stop trembling once more. A few seconds later, I saw Harper as expected. She was in a high-end outfit, holding onto Ezra’s arm, looking starkly different from my pitiful state. Seeing me in the wheelchair, Harper seemed slightly displeased. “Why so delicate? After all these years of reflection, and you can’t even walk?” Her tone was dripping with sarcasm. Over the years, Harper hadn’t bothered to ask about my situation, so she naturally didn’t know that my legs were crippled. As the bodyguards moved forward to explain, I remained emotionless in the wheelchair. Harper seemed surprised by my condition and frowned as she approached me. As she got closer, I recoiled sharply! “Please… please! I was wrong, I was wrong, I deserve to die…” It was almost an instinctive reaction. I hunched over, beginning to apologize frantically. Harper was taken aback. She stopped, seemingly puzzled as to how the once-proud me had become like this.

Harper appeared as though she wanted to approach me, but Ezra, standing beside her, held her arm more tightly. “Yanyan, my eyes hurt.” I lifted my head slightly, noticing Ezra’s unfocused gaze. Harper’s expression changed instantly. Ignoring me, she instructed the bodyguards to lock me inside the villa first, as she needed to accompany Ezra to the hospital. As they passed me, Harper didn’t spare me a glance, while Ezra smirked mockingly, as if laughing at my helplessness. My hands, gripping the wheelchair, trembled incessantly. Years ago, it was because of Ezra that Harper banished me to the remote island. I was an eye surgeon, and Ezra was my patient. During surgery, his eyes inexplicably lost sight. Despite numerous doctors testifying that it wasn’t the surgery’s fault, Harper insisted I was a villain trying to harm Ezra and exiled me to the island for reflection. Years apart, Harper and Ezra were closer than ever. There seemed no place for me here. The bodyguards seemed ready to push me into the villa, but I quickly stopped them, quietly begging for some food. The bodyguard hesitated; perhaps I looked too frail, so he complied. When I was wheeled into a nearby convenience store, I heard a surprised voice. “Dr. Evan? How are you here?” I hunched over, trying hard to minimize my presence. No one had called me a doctor in a long time. On the island, those who brought me food would humiliate me daily, saying I wasn’t worthy of being a doctor. Now, hearing the word doctor made me tremble. How could I ever pick up a scalpel again? “Dr. Evan?” She called a few more times. Maybe seeing no response, she walked toward me. But I could only keep my head down, constantly denying. “You’ve got the wrong person. I’m not Dr. Evan. I’m worthless. I shouldn’t harm people. I’m not worthy of being a doctor…” Hearing my words, she was stunned. The next second, she suddenly held my shoulder: “Calm down, Evan. I’m your former patient. Do you remember me?” She repeated it several times before I slowly looked up. Seeing this familiar face, I finally remembered. It was Stella. She had an eye infection before and nearly went blind. I saved her eyes after a day of emergency treatment. Chapter 2 After that, Stella was always very grateful to me. Sweat still beaded on my forehead, but my heartbeat finally calmed down. Stella looked at me in shock, seemingly unable to believe how much I’d changed. I breathed heavily, unable to utter a single word. There were still bodyguards around. Stella glanced around, as if realizing something, and whispered if I wanted to leave with her. Once I finished eating, I’d be taken back to Harper’s villa. What awaited me could be more humiliating punishment. She always treated me like a criminal, and there was no way she’d let me off easily. I clutched Stella’s wrist tightly, nodding with tears in my eyes. Taking advantage of the moment when the bodyguards were buying food, Stella abruptly pushed my wheelchair and took me out of the convenience store. Footsteps immediately sounded behind us! Stella calmly hid me in a nearby alley. After they split up to search, she took me to her car. She currently lived in a high-rise apartment. Once at Stella’s home, my numb nerves finally relaxed a bit. She warmed up some food for me and asked what had happened. I just shook my head, unable to say a word. On the island, I endured inhuman torment. But what was the point of speaking about it? Everyone thought I was the sinner who caused Ezra’s blindness. Harper was eager for my death. What was the point of saying anything? Seeing I wouldn’t talk, Stella didn’t press. She just gave me a key, telling me I could stay as long as I wanted. “Just stay. I can afford to support you. We can talk when you’re ready to leave.” She playfully patted my shoulder. I was somewhat grateful. Judging by my appearance, I must have gone through something awful, but Stella didn’t pry since I wasn’t willing to share. So, I stayed at Stella’s place. But I knew it was only a matter of time before Harper found me. She was incredibly powerful. What couldn’t she do? Sure enough, within a few days, Harper broke down Stella’s door and dragged me out.

That day, I was on the balcony watching the clouds outside. Suddenly, there was a loud banging on the door. I got startled and instinctively hid to the side. In a few seconds, the door collapsed. Harper, in high heels, immediately spotted where I was hiding and came over to grab my hand. “Evan, you are still my husband. Who gave you permission to hide here?” Faced with Harper’s scolding, my face turned pale as if drained of blood. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m worthless… I’m wrong…” Her grip on my wrist was so strong, it felt like she was pulling me back into those dark days. I closed my eyes, replaying the scenes of others tormenting me in my mind. Harper was startled by my reaction and stepped aside: “Evan, what’s wrong with you?” I said nothing, so she assumed I was angry and frowned, telling me not to throw a tantrum. “You harmed Ezra. I didn’t send you to prison, just punished you a bit. And you act like this? Do you know how much Ezra suffered because of you? He’s an artist, but his eyes can’t see now! I know you hate him, but how can you be so cruel!” “I honestly wish it was you who went blind. You’re as useless as a cripple anyway.” I kept my head down, silently enduring Harper’s insults. Eventually, Harper got tired of cursing and rolled her eyes, forcibly dragging me up and handing me to two bodyguards. I was dragged to the ground floor and into Harper’s car. Afraid of angering Harper, I tried my best to shrink into a corner to diminish my presence. I didn’t speak the entire way. Harper didn’t start any conversation either. Occasionally, when she looked at me, her eyes were full of impatience. When I was pushed out of the car and saw our destination, I collapsed, kneeling before Harper, begging her not to take me inside. She was taking me to the hospital where I used to work. Why go there? To show my colleagues what I had become? In the past, I was the most famous doctor in ophthalmology, performing countless complex surgeries, and received numerous honorary banners. Now, I was like a dog. Harper mercilessly ordered the bodyguards to place me in a wheelchair. I continued sobbing uncontrollably. A few seconds later, Harper frowned again: “Evan, what’s wrong with you now? I’m just bringing you to the hospital to treat your legs. You are my husband. I can’t just leave your legs crippled.” Here we go again. She always claimed I was her husband. So she had the right to discipline and punish me on behalf of Ezra, to bully and control me in the name of being a wife, to strip away everything from me. Once inside the hospital, several young nurses recognized me, looking at me with a mix of disbelief and pity. Harper brusquely ordered the bodyguard to put me in a wheelchair. I was still crying uncontrollably. Seconds later, Harper frowned, “Evan, what’s wrong with you now? I just brought you to the hospital to treat your leg. You’re my husband, and I can’t just ignore your injury.” Here we go again. She always calls me her husband, as if that justifies her disciplining me, retaliating on Ezra’s behalf, and controlling every aspect of my life. As I was wheeled into the hospital, a few young nurses recognized me, their eyes filled with disbelief and pity. I avoided their gaze. Their pity felt worse than death. As Harper was about to take me upstairs, I spoke up. “Harper.” She looked annoyed when she heard her name, “What do you want now? Can you stop being dramatic for a moment?” I took a deep breath. After a moment, I finally gathered the courage to say what I’d been wanting to say. “Harper, let’s get a divorce.” The hallway fell silent. Harper suddenly looked down at me, “What’s your problem?! Are you trying to act pitiful now?” I really wanted a divorce, but she thought I was playing some psychological game. Harper then hurriedly wheeled me into the department. A few orthopedic specialists were already waiting inside. After taking X-rays and running a series of tests, a specialist who seemed about sixty hesitated before speaking, “Ms. Harper, Mr. Evans’ injury… there’s nothing we can do.” I numbly lifted my head. It meant I was beyond saving. I should have seen it coming. “If it had been caught in time, we could have done something… but it’s been too long, and Mr. Evans didn’t treat the wound at all… the infection is too severe,” the specialist sighed, looking at me with deep regret. After being bitten by a venomous snake, there was no medical kit on the deserted island. I begged the guards for help, but they ignored me. I could only endure for several days, suffering high fevers, until I somehow improved, but the injury left me unable to walk. Harper’s face looked terrible. She waved her hand and brought in another batch of doctors, but the diagnosis was the same—they couldn’t restore my leg. Suddenly, Harper slammed her hand on the table! She pointed at me, speaking slowly, “I’ll figure something out for your leg. As for the divorce, don’t even think about it. You’ll stay in the hospital for now.” Harper gave her order as if it were nothing. A nurse then knocked on the door, informing Harper that a woman named Stella was looking for me and threatened to call the police if she couldn’t see me. Hearing that name, Harper slapped me across the face. “Evan, I can’t believe you’re still fooling around even with a broken leg!” Looking at Harper’s furious face, I covered my injured cheek and lifted my head. “Stella is not like you. Don’t think everyone’s like you.” At this point, I was completely disillusioned with Harper. She wanted to say something, but I continued, “You know very well what your feelings for Ezra are.” Perhaps feeling a bit guilty, Harper didn’t say anything further and just had someone take me to an adjacent room. Probably because I was too tired, I fell asleep as soon as I lay on the bed. There were guards outside the room, but I heard footsteps. I opened my eyes and saw Ezra’s face. It was like muscle memory; seeing him made me tremble involuntarily. He just chuckled calmly, waving his right hand in front of me, “Awake?” I saw the wedding ring on his ring finger. Harper had originally spent millions to customize it for me, but after I was abandoned on the deserted island, she took it back. I thought she had thrown it away, but she had given it to Ezra. Sensing my fear, Ezra chuckled, “Look how obedient you are now, huh? I should have let Harper leave you there a bit longer. Weren’t you always so proud? How does it feel to be broken?” He knew everything. I pointed to the door, telling him to leave. As soon as I finished speaking, Harper appeared at the doorway. “Evan, how can you talk to Ezra like that?” Ezra didn’t have a cane but stumbled towards Harper’s voice, standing by her side. Harper’s eyes were filled with such deep affection for Ezra it was almost tangible. Facing me, Harper’s tone turned cold again, “I should have left you there for another year.” Hearing this, I rolled off the bed with a thud, crawled to Harper’s feet, and kept begging, even as my forehead was covered in blood, “Don’t send me back there… please…” Harper was shocked, quickly telling Ezra to leave, saying she needed to talk to me. But I was too traumatized, only knowing to keep pleading. Just as Harper was about to help me up, a doctor walked in. He looked seriously at Harper, “After conducting an investigation over the past few days, we’ve found something odd. The snake that bit Mr. Evans shouldn’t have been on that deserted island, and it was too coincidental that it only bit Mr. Evans’ ankle… so we believe…” “Mr. Evans being bitten was likely due to human intervention…” Harper’s face turned pale, seemingly in disbelief. She took the investigation report from the doctor’s hand. My numbed nerves finally had a bit of reaction. Human intervention? Meaning someone deliberately hurt me… It seems the text you wish to translate is missing. Could you please provide it? ### Chapter 4 Harper suddenly turned to me. “Evan, tell me everything that happened to you during those years on the deserted island.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296397”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

My mom has severe OCD. Because I weighed three ounces more than my twin sister at birth, she disliked me from the start. I would cry from hunger, but my mom would store my sister’s leftover milk in the fridge. She’d feed her eight times a day. Eventually, both my sister and I ended up in the hospital – me for malnutrition, her for consuming spoiled food. But that wasn’t enough. She kept feeding my sister until she became chubby, while forcing me to eat fatty meat that I was allergic to because she couldn’t stand how thin I was. It led to my death by suffocation. After death, I found myself back in my mother’s womb… 0 I died. Forced by my mom to eat fatty meat I was allergic to, my throat swelled up, and I suffocated when I couldn’t breathe. But after death, I suddenly felt the warmth of being surrounded by amniotic fluid again. It was the only maternal love I had ever experienced in my life. The next moment, I heard, “Doctor, is there any way for both my children to be born at the same time?” “Mrs. Song, that’s impossible. The cervix can only dilate so much. How could two babies come out simultaneously?” When this familiar conversation started, it was like lightning struck in my mind, igniting a spark. Sure enough, the next line I remembered came: “I don’t care, you must make my children come out at the same time.” “Otherwise, I’ll report you for sexually harassing a patient.” … It was my mom’s voice. As her words matched my memories one by one, I finally confirmed – I had been reborn. Reborn back into my mom’s womb, while she was on the operating table giving birth. In my previous life, she had specifically chosen what she believed to be an auspicious time for childbirth, wanting to have a lucky baby. But fate had other plans. She was carrying twins – me and my sister – so it was impossible for us to be born at the exact same time. And I, as my mom would say, always had to be first at everything. So the moment I appeared, I was labeled as the unlucky one. My sister was fortunate. She was born right at the time my mom had calculated. So when the doctor told my mom that I was three ounces heavier than my sister, she didn’t even look at me. Frowning, she immediately put me on a “diet order.” I didn’t even get to have a single sip of breast milk before being forced to wean. This led to malnutrition from an early age. Later, no matter what I ate, I couldn’t absorb nutrients properly, always remaining weak and frail. My mom, having given birth to twins, had an abundance of milk. She would store my sister’s leftover milk in bowls in the refrigerator. She’d feed her eight times a day. In the end, she successfully sent both of us to the hospital – me for malnutrition, her for consuming spoiled food over a long period. 0

At this moment, threatened by my mom, the delivering doctor was furious. But seeing that she was determined, he had no choice but to continue working while suppressing his anger. This time, however, I resisted with all my might, absolutely refusing to be born first. “It’s a difficult delivery!” “It’s a difficult delivery!” “Patient’s family, we recommend switching to a C-section. Please sign the consent form immediately.” “No way! Babies born by C-section are stupid. We can’t do that. It must be a natural birth.” This shrill voice was my grandmother. If my mom was the executioner, she was the one handing her the knife. The two of them often worked in tandem, making my dad too afraid to speak up. So my mom endured the pain, risking severe bleeding to deliver me and my sister naturally. Of course, she no longer had the energy to falsely accuse the doctor of harassment. This time, neither of us was the “lucky baby.” We started on equal footing from birth. But I still weighed three ounces more than my sister. “Mom, go buy ten more scales. I don’t believe this. They’re twins, how can they have different weights?” My mom frowned, her voice agitated after weighing me and my sister eight times. Grandma, who was domineering outside but a docile old baby in front of my mom, immediately went to do as she was told. Unfortunately, my sister’s and my weights were different on every single scale. My mom broke down, pointing at me impatiently. “Take her away. She must have been greedy and strong-willed, stealing nutrition from her sister in my womb.” “Starve her for a few meals. That’ll teach her.” In my previous life, this was where the hidden danger of my stomach problems began. Living again, I was determined not to let the tragedy repeat itself. But crying in front of my mom had no effect; it only made her more annoyed. So I deliberately waited until four in the afternoon, when my dad came home, and started wailing at the top of my lungs. The sound was as heart-wrenching as possible, scaring my dad so much that he ran in without even changing his shoes. Just as my throat was about to break from screaming, my dad finally found me in the washing machine drum. 0

Yes, I had been put in the washing machine drum. Because my mom told Grandma to starve me, but I would crawl away looking for food whenever she wasn’t paying attention. Grandma got fed up with me and simply threw me into the washing machine drum. Out of sight, out of mind. “Karen, how could you put the child in there?” My mom was shocked when she saw me. She was so stunned that she didn’t immediately start scolding my dad, but turned to Grandma instead. “Mom, why did you put her in there?” “Didn’t you say to make her lose weight? Shaking around in the washing machine, isn’t that weight loss?” Grandma justified her actions matter-of-factly. My usually quiet and reserved dad couldn’t take it anymore and contradicted her for the first time. “Mom, the washing machine is for tumbling clothes. What if something had happened to the child?” “What could happen? I’ve eaten more salt than you’ve eaten rice. Don’t you think I know whether something would happen or not?” “How dare you talk back!” Seeing that my dad dared to contradict her, Grandma’s face turned red and blue. She exploded, yelling at him. But this time, my dad was truly angry too. He didn’t back down no matter how much she scolded him. In the end, my mom couldn’t stand it anymore and stepped in to stop them. “Jack, my mom is your elder. Why are you arguing with her?” “The child is fine, isn’t she? What’s there to make such a fuss about?” My dad had been poor when he was young. It was my mom who didn’t look down on him and stayed with him while he built his business to where they were today. So my dad was always very accommodating towards my mom. Now, as soon as my mom spoke, my dad’s anger, no matter how great, subsided. He only muttered resentfully, “It would be too late if something had happened,” before carrying me to his study. I tried to make him understand I was hungry, so I gnawed on his hand for a while. He finally understood what I meant and carried me to find my mom to breastfeed me. But my mom coldly chased my dad out. “She’s already three ounces heavier than her sister. What more does she need to eat?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296413”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

When I met Blake Pearson, he was broke. I stood by him as he built his business from scratch, helping him become a shining star in the business world. Just when I thought our love was finally bearing fruit, I saw him proposing to another girl with utmost sincerity. Standing at the doorway, I heard laughter erupting from the private room. “Mr. Pearson, we all thought you’d marry Zoe Chapman. Why are you marrying Lily White now?” Blake slammed his glass on the table. “Don’t mention that clingy bitch! It’s been 7 years, I’m sick of playing with her!” The people around burst into laughter, echoing his sentiments. “I always thought Zoe Chapman looked so high and mighty, turns out she’s just a hypocrite!” Blake downed another drink. “You guys don’t know the half of it. She used to ask me when we’d get married every day, like a desperate puppy!” Seven years of unwavering devotion, shattered in an instant. Applause thundered around me as I gently pinched the base of my ring finger. There was a pale mark there, left by a makeshift ring Blake had crafted from a guitar string. I turned to leave but someone grabbed me. “Zoe!” Blake slowly descended from the stage. He wore the navy blue suit I had carefully ironed for him. The bowtie was a birthday gift from me, and even his hair was styled the way I had spent hours perfecting this morning. He gripped my wrist with surprising force, dragging me onto the stage without a word. Then, with practiced ease, he adjusted my collar. His hot breath brushed against me, his eyes brimming with joy. He cleared his throat and spoke solemnly. “This is my best friend, Zoe Chapman.” “I wouldn’t be where I am today without her…” My smile froze on my face, ears ringing. The strange looks from the audience below felt like knives stabbing my face. Fighting back tears, I remember forcing a smile for what felt like an eternity before quietly leaving the stage. In a daze, I returned home and made myself a cup of instant noodles. I stared blankly at the bowl. There was a chip on the edge of the bowl, from when Blake had smashed it in a drunken state last week. The image of Blake placing his pinky ring on Lily White’s finger kept replaying in my mind. Before I knew it, tears were mixing with the noodles in the bowl. I should have never gone out for that walk. The small room was dimly lit, with a thin layer of cobwebs on the window outside. The house was in a crowded old neighborhood, a birthday gift from Blake three years ago. During the early days of his startup, when he was poor, I accompanied him in this tiny rented apartment. Back then, he had blushed as he gave me this house filled with our memories, then held my hand and promised. “Zoe, thank you for staying with me all these years. In the future, I’ll buy a bigger and better house, and you’ll be the lady of that home.” Three years had passed. Blake could now afford bigger and better houses, but it seemed I was no longer the intended lady of the house. After finishing my tear-seasoned noodles, I numbly cleaned up the dishes when suddenly I heard the sound of a key turning in the lock. Blake was back. I quickly wiped my tears with my sleeve and turned my back, pretending to be busy. He didn’t seem to notice anything amiss, naturally hugging me from behind. The familiar scent of his cologne mixed with alcohol wafted over me. “Zoe, why are you eating instant noodles again? It’s not good for your health to eat too much of that.” His tone was as intimate as ever, as if the man who had just proposed to someone else was a different person entirely. I wriggled out of his embrace, my voice trembling. “Now that you have a fiancée, you should keep your distance from other women.” Blake’s confused voice came from above my head. “What do you mean by ‘other women’?” I turned to face him, only to see him pull out a box from behind his back as if performing a magic trick. Inside the box lay a plain women’s ring, the kind often seen in mall clearance sales. He took my hand and slipped it onto my ring finger. “Zoe, you’ve been with me for so many years, I really don’t know how to repay you.” “I saw this ring and thought it would suit you perfectly. I hope you like it.” Looking at the ring on my hand, tears spilled from my eyes. I raised my hand and wiped them away forcefully, managing a strained smile. “If you don’t know how to repay me, why don’t you marry me then?!”

Blake’s smile froze on his face, his voice dropping to a whisper. “What are you saying… you’re my friend.” I forced out a smile uglier than crying, dodging his attempt to touch my hand and yanking off the ring to throw at him. “Blake Pearson, what do you take me for?” “Which friend would sleep with you? Which friend would give you so much money to start your business?!” Blake’s expression changed, his voice filled with disbelief. “Zoe, how can you think of me like that?” He took my hand, raising it to swear to the heavens. “All these years, I’ve been sincere to you, I swear.” This was how Blake always coaxed me whenever he did something wrong, and this time was no different. I pressed down on his hand, persisting with my question. “Then when are you going to marry me?” Blake’s lips pressed into a thin line, and after a long while, he finally spoke. “Zoe… you’ve already enjoyed my best years. All my firsts were yours, you already have so much.” I stood there stunned, unable to believe my ears. He looked up, ruffling my hair as if to appease me. “Don’t be angry… I’ll make it up to you, okay?” “I have to meet a client tomorrow, have you ironed my clothes?” Tears finally broke through the dam, and I bit my lip hard, keeping my head down to avoid looking at him. He pushed me, forcing me to look up. Seeing my expression, he suddenly frowned deeply. “Tsk, what are you crying for…” “Zoe Chapman, I’m not going to marry you.” “You’ve been by my side for so many years, aren’t you satisfied yet?” With that, Blake left in anger, pausing to wipe his leather shoes that had been dirtied by the wooden door – those shoes were the birthday gift I had given him last month. My mood was far from good, so I slumped down on the floor, examining the ring on my hand. It was the simplest women’s ring, without even a diamond, probably worth less than a hundred dollars. Yet Blake had just closed a million-dollar deal a few weeks ago. Perhaps… in his eyes, this was all I was worth. My phone kept buzzing. I saw the company group chat exploding with congratulatory messages. “Congratulations on Mr. Pearson’s successful proposal!” I opened the video to see Blake kneeling before Lily White on a yacht deck covered in rose petals, holding out a ring. It wasn’t a diamond ring. It was the pinky ring he had worn for seven years. His voice trembled with tenderness. “Because I met you, I finally realized…” “It wasn’t that marriage couldn’t bring me happiness, but that I hadn’t met the right person.” I stared at the screen many times until my eyes stung. On my birthday during our senior year of college, I had secretly tried on that pinky ring while Blake was asleep. He had suddenly woken up and snatched the ring back. “Don’t touch this, it’s very important to me.” So it was because I wasn’t the right person. I lowered my gaze, casually placing the ring aside. The sound of metal rolling on the floor rang out crisply. All these years I had accompanied Blake, sharing my connections, taking care of his daily needs, paying attention to his hobbies. In return, all I got was a statement that we were just friends. Initially, it was a bet with a friend that sparked my interest in Blake. Who knew that one bet would last 7 years.

In college, Blake was a special recruit. With his good looks, he was adored by many girls. But from the start of school, he wore a simple pinky ring, declaring himself a believer in staying single, telling others not to get close to him. Friends often said Blake would surely end up alone for life. But I took a particular interest in him and secretly approached him. Unexpectedly, Blake didn’t reject me alone, and even actively stuck to me. I was skinny, so he would work at the cafeteria window I liked, always giving me extra meat. I had trouble waking up, so he would run far every morning to buy my favorite breakfast, coaxing me to get up and eat in various ways. It was my first time falling in love, and I naturally fell for his caring gestures. We often appeared as a pair on campus, and although he never explicitly stated our relationship, I was content. I felt sorry for him and often used money from home to supplement his living expenses while we were in school. After graduation, I was even willing to break ties with my parents to be with him. Thinking back now, I feel very resentful. Resentful of my years of dedication, but what’s done is done, and I don’t want to continue anymore. Blake was a believer in staying single, and I had asked him many times when we would get married. Now, I guess I’ve finally got my answer. Since that’s the case, I don’t need to dwell on it anymore. It’s better to cut your losses on a mistake early. As I walked out of the Pearson Group building, the sunlight was so bright it hurt my eyes. In my bag was the newly signed equity transfer agreement. As the daughter of the Chapman family, I always kept my word. Back then, I had a big fight with my family to be with Blake. But parents always have a soft heart despite their harsh words, and they had been secretly sending me money over the years, so I had some savings. In the afternoon, Blake’s call came through, his tone unpleasant. “Zoe, what’s going on? People in the company say you’ve resigned?” “That’s impossible, don’t joke around.” “And why did Mr. Lee suddenly cancel? Go smooth things over quickly.” Blake’s tone was rushed, but still composed. After all, no matter what happened before, I would always clean up his messes. But not anymore. I brushed Blake off with a few vague responses and hung up the phone. Looking at the files sent to my computer, they contained the information of Pearson Group’s core employees, with several names highlighted in red – these were the backbone staff who had joined the company because of my abilities. I took a sip of coffee and the screen showed that Blake had recently hired a female assistant with zero work experience, but her monthly salary was higher than that of department managers. My phone lit up again, this time with a message from an unknown number. “You think it’s over just because you left? Mr. Pearson says you’re just a dog that comes when called and leaves when told!” The attached image was of Blake kissing Lily White. A dense, sour feeling spread through my heart. I took a deep breath and blocked the number.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296429”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn

My sister called me nine times before she took her own life, and I didn’t answer. Everyone blames me for her death, even my fiancé. The person who once stood by me during my battle with depression now looks at me with contempt. “You don’t deserve happiness,” he told me, his words cold as ice. But when my depression returned, and I was ready to end my life to bring her back, they regretted their words. When I left the hospital, a light rain was falling. The doctor, a compassionate middle-aged woman, reviewed my results on the computer and gently advised, “Lin Yue, given your current condition, I recommend staying in the hospital.” I pressed my lips together, saying nothing. She continued, undeterred, “If you don’t want to, that’s fine. I’ll prescribe more antidepressants. Your real issue is with your family. If possible, try to have a good conversation with your mother.” I instinctively squeezed my hand. As I was leaving, she remarked, “You have a wonderful partner who’s always by your side. Love and companionship are the best medicine.”

But the doctor was unaware. That wonderful partner seems to have stopped loving me. Kieran and I have been together for a year and engaged for three months. Two years ago, I missed my sister’s call, which led to her suicide. My mother accused me of being a murderer, throwing things and screaming curses, wishing me a terrible fate. The year I was diagnosed with depression, I met Kieran. I broke down crying in front of a convenience store, and while passersby gave me strange looks, he stood in front of me with an umbrella, offering a tissue and a warm smile: “A pretty face like yours shouldn’t cry.”

I called Kieran multiple times, but he didn’t answer. The repeated mechanical voice was frustrating, so I hung up and took a cab home. When I arrived, the door was open. I thought Kieran was back and was about to call out to him, but the words caught in my throat. The house was in chaos, everything overturned. I was about to call the police when I locked eyes with someone coming down the stairs. It was my mother, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time. She was holding a photo frame and, upon seeing me, paused before hurling it at me with force. It landed at my feet, the glass shattered into pieces. She lunged at me, pulling my hair and hitting me, her voice a chaotic repetition of bitter accusations: “You still want to get married?” “Do you deserve it?” “You killed your sister!” “You should go to hell!” “You don’t deserve happiness!” “Why—why wasn’t it you who died?!” I didn’t dare fight back, only shielding my head, as her venomous words pierced my heart. Overwhelmed by negative emotions, I could only cover my ears and mutter to myself. I can’t die. I promised her.

I don’t know how long she hit me until the neighbor heard the noise and pulled us apart. A woman knelt beside me, asking if I was okay. I snapped out of my daze, trembling as I searched my bag for medicine but couldn’t find it. A pair of feet stopped in front of me. White pills fell to the floor like pearls. I was stunned and looked up. Kieran stood over me, holding an empty medicine bottle, his smile cold and malicious: “Take it.” 4 When I got engaged to Kieran, my condition was nearly stable. At my worst, I locked myself in my room, refusing food and water, clawing at my skin with my nails. Kieran felt sorry for me and took time off work to take me on trips, from warm Hawaii to frigid Iceland. He proposed in a lavender field in Provence, kneeling on one knee, his profile devout as he slipped a ring onto my finger. “Adeline, I’ll be with you for a lifetime.” I once saw Kieran as my lifeline. When I was teetering on the edge of the abyss, he was the only salvation I could cling to. During the times when self-harm and the will to survive tore me apart, he broke that balance. He appeared in the darkest time of my life, like a savior, delivering me from suffering.

I ended up taking the pills from the floor. Kieran let go of the bottle, and it clattered to the ground, rolling away. I scrambled to pick it up, gathering the scattered pills back into the bottle. The neighbors had quietly left, leaving behind a semblance of decorum. He just watched me coldly. “I never knew you were such a disgusting person,” he said. “Ruan Lin Yue, you killed your sister. You brought this on yourself. You deserve to be in pain.” I didn’t look up, numbly continuing to gather the pills. I can guess when Kieran found out. I never talked to him about my inner struggles. But after we got engaged, he kept hinting that I should introduce him to my parents. My relationship with my mother wasn’t good; childhood rifts still existed, and she already hated me. Later, Kieran stopped mentioning it. A week ago, he disappeared for a day, and when he returned, his attitude toward me changed. Three days ago, he brought his assistant home. They were entangled on the sofa. I’m a light sleeper; the noise downstairs woke me. I thought he was working late. Just as I was about to ask if he was hungry, I was frozen by the scene in front of me. Kieran’s assistant was beautiful, her long hair draped over his chest, leaning down to kiss him. Kieran didn’t dodge, allowing her to leave a pretty lipstick mark on his face. Then he pulled her into his arms. The assistant exclaimed, coyly said, “Don’t be like this, Mr. Kieran, your girlfriend is still here.” But her tone was full of unabashed pride. The smell of alcohol was strong in the living room, so strong that I wanted to use it to deceive myself. But Kieran saw me. His gaze fell on my face, contemptuous and disdainful, like a knife dipped in poison. “Don’t worry about her,” he said. “She doesn’t deserve it. If it weren’t for that face…” I didn’t hear the rest. The symptoms of depersonalization came quickly, nausea, a burning sensation rising from my stomach. I stumbled into the bathroom, gagging. As tears fell, I remembered the words he said the first day we met. Don’t cry. Crying makes you ugly. When I couldn’t vomit anymore, Kieran appeared in the doorway, his words devoid of warmth: “Can’t handle this? But isn’t the most disgusting—” “You.”

I don’t know when Kieran left. By the time all the pills were back in the bottle, I was alone in the room. I sat amidst the wreckage, dazedly looking at the photo frame not far away, picking it up too. The sharp shards cut my hand, red blood falling on the photo of me. The picture was a candid shot taken with Kieran in the ancient town’s street. He bought candied haws, squinting with a smile, coming toward me, while I was looking at lanterns with my back to him. The bustling crowd became the backdrop. Only the young man buying candy for his sweetheart and his love watching the lanterns were the leads. The girl who took the photo gave it to me, wishing us, “A long-lasting relationship.” Back then, Kieran held my hand, fingers interlocked. He whispered in my ear: “Get better soon, Adeline. We’re meant to last.” I really wanted to get better. So I actively sought treatment, took medication. In the past, I was the only one hanging on, relieving my mental anguish with physical pain when despair hit. As long as I didn’t die. As long as I didn’t break my promise to her. That was enough. Later, when Kieran appeared, I started seeing a doctor. When I was one step away from escaping the abyss, the hand reaching out to me pushed me back. I fell into darkness again.

Kieran barely came home. My mom’s texts bombarded me daily. Calling me a beast, a whore. Asking why it wasn’t me who died. I didn’t dare look much. My unstable emotions were like a bomb; if it went off, I might really lose control. I hired someone to clean the house. The broken pieces couldn’t be put together, and the cleaning lady asked if I wanted to throw them away. I stared at the things in her hands for a while, then shook my head. After seeing her out, I went out to meet a friend. Saylor was in town for a business trip and invited me to dinner. We booked a restaurant. Piano music played continuously, Saylor hugged me as soon as she saw me. Letting go, she looked me up and down: “Why are you so thin? I thought your Mr. Kieran would have you well-fed and chubby.” I didn’t say anything. She quickly sensed my mood: “Is he treating you poorly?” I changed the subject: “It’s rare for us to meet, let’s not talk about him.” When the food arrived, Saylor chatted about her recent life, complained about her colleagues, making me laugh. I was smiling, using a fork to stab a piece of steak, but before I could eat it, my smile froze. This restaurant is perfect for couples. The atmosphere is ideal. But, it shouldn’t be Kieran and his assistant. The man gentlemanly pulled out a chair. The pretty woman thanked him with a smile. The roses on the table were vividly beautiful. I remained silent. She quickly picked up on my mood. “Is he treating you poorly?” I changed the subject. “We don’t get together often, so let’s not talk about him.” The food arrived. While eating, Saylor filled me in on her recent life, venting about her colleagues and making me laugh. I was smiling as I lifted a piece of beef to my mouth, but my smile vanished. This restaurant is perfect for couples. The atmosphere is wonderful. But it shouldn’t be Kieran and his assistant. He pulled out a chair for her with exaggerated politeness. The woman thanked him with a smile. Roses adorned the table, vibrant and fresh. The diamond ring on her finger caught the light from the chandelier, making my eyes ache. I must have stared for too long because Kieran noticed. When our eyes met, he gave me a smile devoid of warmth. Moments later, I watched him reach over to gently tuck a strand of hair behind his assistant Nora’s ear. The gesture was intimate and suggestive. When Saylor followed my gaze, she saw the same scene. She instantly grew furious, grabbed the wine glass from the table, and stood up. “Don’t go.” I held her hand, almost begging, “Don’t go.” She looked into my tear-filled eyes, hesitated for a few seconds, and then sat back down. I fumbled through my bag, took out a medicine bottle, and with trembling hands, unscrewed the lid. My stomach churned with pain. It wasn’t until I swallowed the pills that I felt relief from the overwhelming suffocation. But I couldn’t eat anymore. As Saylor and I left, we passed by Kieran and Nora. Saylor couldn’t contain her anger, and her bag knocked over a wine glass, which crashed to the floor. The red liquid spread across the table and dripped onto the floor. Nora frowned, ready to argue with Saylor. Saylor shrugged, saying, “Sorry.” Nora was about to retort, but when she saw me next to Saylor, her expression softened into a smile: “This restaurant is perfect for couples.” “You like it?” Kieran chuckled, “I’ll bring you here often.” I didn’t look at them. I just stared at the dark liquid on the table, watching it drip to the floor. Sensing something was wrong, Saylor quickly shielded my view and led me away.

Sitting in the passenger seat, I instinctively reached for the bottle cap. But my hand slipped, and the medicine bottle fell to the floor. I didn’t pick it up. Instead, I dug my nails into my skin. Forcing myself to stay present at the brink of a breakdown. “Adeline.” “Adeline!” Saylor called my name louder, bringing me back to reality. “Why don’t you break up with him?” “After all, it’s just an engagement.” I didn’t respond. “I know he was there for you before, helped you get better, and I’m thankful to him.” “But he cheated.” “Adeline.” The flickering light outside cast shadows on Saylor’s face, her tone leaving no room for argument: “Break up with him.” Silence filled the car like a heavy cloud. After a long while. I finally heard myself speak. I said, “No.” The car came to a sudden stop by the roadside. The seatbelt pressed against my chest. Saylor hit the steering wheel, turned to speak, but fell silent when she saw my face. It took a while. Then I heard her ask: “What is it that’s holding you back?” I didn’t answer. She looked at me, determined to get an answer. What’s holding me back? I closed my eyes. The red liquid still flowed, dripping. Like it would never stop. What’s holding me back are the familiar words. The hand that once tried to pull me out of the abyss. What’s holding me back is the guilt from two years ago. I have no sister anymore. I have no family anymore. I opened my eyes, even though they hurt, no tears fell. With red eyes, like a wounded cub, Pathetic and laughable. “Saylor.” I murmured, repeating it again. “I have no family anymore.”

When Saylor left, she hugged me, didn’t say much, just reminded me to see the doctor on time. I nodded. But the moment the door closed, the emotions I had suppressed erupted, more intense than ever. The home that my aunt had neatly organized was once again thrown into chaos by me. I went mad, smashing things that were perfectly fine to the ground. The sound of glass shattering was piercing. But it wasn’t enough. Perhaps because I had suppressed it for too long, the impulse was stronger than ever. The devil whispered in my ear. Urging me to take the fruit knife and press it against my wrist. But I stopped short. The door suddenly opened. Kieran’s hand froze in mid-air, meeting my eyes. Previously, whenever I picked up a knife, he’d panic. He wouldn’t let me touch anything sharp. But this time. He just stood there, his expression cold and detached like a spectator. The ticking of the clock on the wall was distinctly audible. “Do it.” He looked at me, sneered, and repeated: “Cut yourself.” I didn’t move, like a puppet, staring blankly at him. He snorted, his gaze sharp. “You don’t dare.” “You’re just trying to gain sympathy.” “Why wasn’t it you who died?” His tone was innocent yet heartless, as if it were a simple question. I used all my strength to restrain my trembling. “Adeline.” “You don’t dare to die.” He said it almost word by word. Indeed, I don’t dare. Caught between medication and promises. I can’t die. But I can’t live either. The knife clattered to the floor, landing at my feet. Despair wrapped around me like vines, making me finally cry out. In the past, whenever I cried, Kieran would hold me in his arms, his cold demeanor softening, speaking gently to comfort me. Just like. Just like— That person. Always using a handkerchief scented with gardenias, gently wiping away my tears, then holding me close, whispering to comfort me: “Little Moon, don’t cry.” “Crying isn’t pretty.” Such a cliché phrase. But I heard it for over a decade, and never got tired of it. In this world, No one will comfort me like that anymore.

I sank deeper into the mire. Sometimes forgetting to take my medicine. Other times swallowing a handful in one go. I started cutting my arms again. New wounds on top of the shallow scars that were almost healed a year ago. But not fatal. Later, the medicine bottle was empty. I don’t know how I got through it. In a daze, I made it to my sister’s death anniversary. That day, the weather cleared. I got up early, tidied my messy self, and bought a bouquet of flowers. But when I got there. Someone had already arrived before me. Mom stood there, the grave covered with various offerings. Expressionless, I walked up, placed my flowers down. Just as I turned to leave, something heavy hit my head. I staggered, almost falling. The flowers I had carefully wrapped scattered, strewn all over the ground. Her voice was filled with deep hatred, hysterically yelling at me: “What are you doing here?” “Aren’t you a murderer? How dare you show your face here?!” But as she cursed, she started crying: “The one who should’ve died was you!” I didn’t turn back. My head felt dizzy, as if I were standing on the edge of a cliff. I clenched my hand, forcing myself to stay calm and leave. Sitting in the car, I saw the doctor’s message. She asked why I hadn’t come. I stared at her profile picture, took a long time to type out a reply: —Sorry, something came up. Her response was quick. —I’ll reschedule, when can you come? Forget it. The cursor in the input box blinked. In the end, I didn’t send anything. —Let’s schedule next time. Kieran came home early for the first time in a while. It wasn’t Nora who brought him home, but another male subordinate. When he got back, I was squinting at the empty medicine bottle. It’s been empty for a long time. The male subordinate helped Kieran onto the sofa, politely said goodbye to me.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296232”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #重生Reborn

At 28, I took a huge gamble on Nathan Quinn. Six years. I waited for him to graduate, supported his startup, watched him become a tech mogul showered with glory. At the celebration party, he sneered drunkenly, “Sophia Chen? Just an old woman.” Amidst the knowing laughter of the men, I calmly left. Late that night, I returned to the hotel where the party was held. My assistant asked groggily, “Ms. Chen, didn’t you go back to Sapphire City?” “On second thought, I’ll wait until the contract is finalized,” I replied coolly, not letting her detect the trembling and loss of control in my voice. A month later, the deal was done. Back at the company, everyone teased me for losing my edge. But using a month to lick the wounds of 6 years was already my limit. After the new product launch, the company expanded rapidly. Nathan also got a new secretary. She was a bright and lively young woman, very popular at the company. Through bits of gossip, I quickly learned her identity – Olivia Harper, daughter of the CEO of Harper Industries. “Can I call you Sophie? I heard you started as Nathan’s secretary too. Please teach me!” she said cheerfully. Hah, if only she knew I was much more than just a secretary. The girl’s smile was dazzling, almost blinding. My gaze grew distant. “Sophia Chen? Just an old woman.” The words echoed in my mind like a curse. Nathan came over and patted my shoulder, frowning slightly. “What’s wrong, Sophia? Too tired from the business trip? Go home and rest.” “Hmph, you must be exploiting Sophie too much,” Olivia pouted, playfully punching Nathan’s arm. “Mind your manners,” Nathan chuckled, flicking her forehead. Their easy intimacy made my 6 years of companionship seem like a joke. It was as if I was the one who didn’t belong.

Coming out of the restroom, I found Olivia waiting by the sinks. I turned on the faucet. Her voice and the sound of running water mingled. “Nathan’s agreed to date me. He doesn’t want to hold you back anymore.” Hold me back? When Nathan and I first met, he used to hold me and say that often. He hadn’t said it out loud in nearly two years. Hearing it from Olivia’s mouth was certainly novel. “Let him tell me himself,” I said, turning to leave. The girl quickly moved to block my path, eyebrows raised high. “Sophia Chen, don’t be obtuse. You’re 6 years older than him, almost 40. Do you really think you’re still good enough for Nathan?” “Miss Harper, you seem quite knowledgeable. Surely you’re above using age as an argument,” I replied. “You’re all washed up but still acting tough. If 6 years ago you had—” I laughed, looking into the girl’s bright eyes: “If 6 years ago I had followed the normal path of marriage, I might be divorced with kids by now.” “Or a nagging housewife begging my husband for money.” “Now I have a successful career and enjoyed Nathan’s most vibrant 6 years.” “Miss Harper, toughness isn’t about words.” Olivia’s eyes widened, at a loss for words. I gently pushed past her and walked away. I don’t deny her youthful vitality. But she shouldn’t presume to challenge my composure and calm. At my age, grace is etched into a woman’s bones. Still. Nathan Quinn, oh Nathan Quinn. If you want to break up, why go through this charade? Didn’t we agree that even if we parted, we’d give each other dignity? I am a gambler, true. But I have no regrets about my bet, and I’ll bear the consequences. I thought you understood that.

Nathan’s business engagements grew more and more frequent. He didn’t even react when I moved back to my small apartment. Perhaps he truly didn’t know. Or maybe he just didn’t care. It seems waiting for him to come talk to me is unlikely. I returned to our home, still dark and empty. After asking around, none of our colleagues knew Nathan’s whereabouts. I made some inquiries and finally learned he had gone to a dinner organized by Olivia. It made sense – newly successful, he was eager to join high society circles and expand his network. Olivia was the perfect secretary to give him the best entry ticket. I pushed open the door to the private room. The pulsing music and interweaving lights inside made me catch my breath. A group of young men and women were dancing, singing, playing drinking games, shouting. It was absolute chaos. Olivia and Nathan were dirty dancing on a small stage, with the crowd below cheering and clapping. Nathan saw me first. He stopped, rubbed his nose awkwardly, looking quite uncomfortable. “Sophia, you’re not asleep?” He waved at me, then quickly smiled as if nothing was wrong. “Hey Quinn, who’s that? Your girlfriend? Doesn’t look like it. Don’t tell me it’s your housekeeper,” one of the men jeered drunkenly. There was clear malice in his tone. I instinctively looked at Nathan. His hand was on Olivia’s shoulder, but his eyes looking at me were unfocused. Dark and deep. In the end, he didn’t speak up to clarify my identity. Olivia clung to his arm, tilting her head to look at me. “Sophie, women over 30 really shouldn’t stay up late. It’s hard to recover the next day. Nathan will be home soon.” With that, she waited expectantly for my reaction. I just smiled and calmly looked at Nathan. “It’s the weekend tomorrow. You’ll be home, right?” “Mm,” he grunted in response. I nodded and turned to leave without hesitation. The moment the door closed, I immediately heard Olivia’s disgruntled voice. “Ugh, what an act. I really hate that high-and-mighty attitude of hers.” “Nathan Quinn, is that your type? You have strange taste. What were you thinking?” someone loudly chimed in. “Oh please, Nathan just feels obligated to her. If I were Sophia Chen I would’ve left long ago. I don’t know what she’s thinking, coming here to embarrass herself!” Having been shut down by me last time, the young girl was eager to get back at me. That competitive spirit was truly laughable. But walking down the dim hallway of the club, I paused to look at my reflection in the mirror on the wall. It vaguely showed my face – no cracks, no grimaces, no shame or anger. Just a hint of disappointment amidst the calm. I was disappointed. Nathan had become a stranger to me. No longer the fresh-faced smile, no longer the familiar gaze. He had gained the worldliness and reticence of a mature man. I glanced back at the private room one last time. He still hadn’t come out. He had probably truly forgotten that today was our 6th anniversary. I had hoped to part ways amicably today, while also secretly wishing for a chance to reconcile. Perhaps Olivia was right – I was being stubborn after all. What did 6 years matter? When a woman clings to old sentiments rather than dreaming of a beautiful future, It already says everything, doesn’t it?

On Sunday, I went to our home as agreed, carrying a large suitcase. But it was Olivia who opened the door. With a victorious attitude. Nathan was in the kitchen wearing an apron, cooking breakfast. The aroma filled the house. “We knew you were coming, so Nathan and I went grocery shopping early. Look, are these the dishes you like?” Olivia pointed at the table. But I was scrutinizing her, trying to decipher the deeper meaning in her words. Wearing pajamas, her clothes from last night in a pile, cartoon slippers, early morning grocery shopping. All these details unmistakably revealed: They had slept together last night, and it wasn’t the first time. Though I had expected it, my heart still ached uncontrollably. Nathan had finally taken that step. And despite knowing I was coming over, he flaunted his new relationship in the home we had shared for 6 years. He was determined not to give us a chance to talk privately. I set down my suitcase and asked directly, “Nathan Quinn, I know our accounts are complex, but this isn’t necessary. What, are you afraid I’ll eat you alive?” He didn’t used to be like this. Once bold and unstoppable. Now all that remained was weighing pros and cons. He frowned, looking displeased. “Sophia, when did you become so confrontational and petty? Olivia drank too much last night and was afraid of getting scolded by her dad if she went home, so she crashed here.” I took a deep breath and said calmly, “Fine. We need to talk. Is Miss Harper sober now?” Olivia looked shocked, pointing at herself. “Are you kicking me out?” I didn’t speak, just looked at Nathan. “Let’s eat first. There’s too much for just us,” Nathan finally suggested as a compromise. “I won’t! It’s just a breakup, what’s there to discuss? Sophia Chen, what are you trying to do?” Olivia angrily spoke first. She turned and plopped down on the sofa in a huff. “I really don’t understand. Why make this so complicated? Sophia, couldn’t you just pack up and leave quietly? Why create trouble for us?” “I swear, is this what all you older women are like? Pretending to be calm while clinging on endlessly. If you want something, just say it outright!” Nathan’s face darkened. “Enough!” he snapped. “You’re yelling at me? What’s enough? Look at what she’s doing! If you can’t handle losing, don’t play! You’re just taking advantage of his guilt! When will this ever end?!” Olivia seemed to have a belly full of grievances to vent. Her voice was loud and shrill, her eyes reddened. She glared defiantly at Nathan with wide eyes. Youth is wonderful – even anger and scolding seem like displays of affection. From our first meeting, her fighting spirit has been strong. Again and again she launches fierce attacks against me. I almost started to doubt if I truly was being unreasonable and annoying. I crouched down to gather some old items from the coffee table, speaking calmly. “Miss Harper, it’s been 6 years. I want to say a proper goodbye to Nathan, to settle things. I don’t think that’s unnecessary.” “Hmph, still pretending. I know exactly what you’re up to,” she scoffed. I smiled slightly. “Even with pets, there are feelings. When they die, I would bury them and hold a ceremony.” “Sophia!” Nathan yelled angrily, coming over to grab my hand. I continued, “I may not be a qualified current partner, but I’m certainly a qualified ex. It’s better to speak face-to-face and clear things up. You wouldn’t want Nathan and I to keep entangling endlessly, would you?” Olivia’s expression fluctuated as she looked at us, finally biting her lip and sitting down reluctantly. “Fine! I hope you keep your word!” Fighting back the sourness in my heart, I began going through things with Nathan point by point to draw clear boundaries. From emotions to belongings to financial interests, from company shares down to a single sock, I made detailed and clear divisions. Cutting off all excuses for either of us to look back. Ever since he said those words – “just an old woman” – I had been going through our 6 years of memories one by one in this unfamiliar city, severing each tie. Just waiting for this day to face Nathan. Back then I was willing to risk everything for Nathan Quinn. Now I can also cut my losses and set sail anew. I looked calmly at Nathan. “I suppose I should say that for 6 years, I’ve been preparing at every moment. Nathan, I should thank you for never lulling me into complacency.” “Sophia Chen, you—!” Nathan exploded in anger, grabbing me roughly and even raising his fist. Olivia also looked at me in shock. I stood my ground against Nathan, not giving an inch. But in a hidden corner of my heart, a storm was raging. I won’t bow my head, I won’t submit, I won’t act like someone who’s been abandoned. That’s the only dignity I have left after choosing to be a gambler! I knew deep down that I didn’t have the courage to try again. Nor did I have the capital to cling on endlessly. Leaving gracefully was the most perfect ending I could give to this relationship. As for the guilt that Olivia kept emphasizing Nathan felt towards me, hah. I really don’t need it. Accompanying Nathan to where he is today won’t change because I shed a few more tears or showed a bit more reluctance to part. I let out a soft snort and pushed Nathan away, going to the bathroom to gather my toiletries. I had already moved the larger items like clothes and shoes back to my small apartment. The furniture and decor I had added to the home I had already had the moving company take away. These small items were just my last excuse to come back. Now I didn’t need that anymore. The bathroom door suddenly closed and Nathan barged in, holding me tightly. He whispered in my ear, “Sophia, do you really have to leave?” The smell of alcohol on him made me uncomfortable. I turned my head away, using my elbow to keep distance between us. “No need to feel guilty. The company shares will let me live very comfortably for the rest of my life.” “Six years, though we didn’t reach our destination, I’m still free. I’m still grateful that you rescued me from arranged dates back then.” Nathan tried to say something but I covered his mouth. He looked at me dejectedly, finally saying, “Alright, it’s my fault. I’ll attend the dinner with your parents as we agreed. I won’t make things difficult for you.” I stared at him steadily. How could he say that with such a tone of bestowing grace? “Nathan, you no longer have the right to sit at my family’s dinner table.” I swept the cosmetics off the counter with a clatter and turned to leave. “Then how will you explain to your parents? Wait for me, okay Sophia?” He grabbed me reluctantly, his tone meaningful. But I just found it laughable. In our 6 years together, he had never said “wait for me.” Now that he’s successful and famous, he asks me to wait for him. “I’ve already left my resignation letter on your desk. Let me know soon whether you’ll pay out my dividends or buy me out.” That elaborate meal ended up going cold and uneaten. Just like my relationship with Nathan Quinn. All that effort to prepare, and in the end we didn’t even get to enjoy it. Going downstairs, I realized it was pouring outside. Thunder and lightning raged.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296248”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance