Category: English

The house collapsed. My husband spent a lot of money to save his first love. I was left in the rubble, waiting for death. But I survived. He said he cares about me, but he invited me to be his wedding bridesmaid with his first love. On the day of the wedding, I dressed up. I also brought his fianc é e’s “long gone” boyfriend as a groomsman. …… I was dug out, covered in broken glass. The nurse was helping me clean up while wondering why my wounds looked like they were caused by an explosion. I stayed silent. Andrew and his first love Gillian were being interviewed at the same time. The video of him digging for Gillian went viral. This love story about earthquake rescue was the most popular. Reporters kept asking Andrew questions. They called him ‘the most handsome boyfriend in the world!’ The whole ward knows about him. Even my doctor said he loves his girlfriend. He dug with his bare hands for hours. The wounds were deep. He also showed me the video. Andrew was kneeling on the rubble, digging with his hands in front of the rebar and glass. Glass pierced all his hands. He shouted Gillian’s name and kept digging. In the end, he spent a huge sum of money to find a professional blaster to help him blast the floorboards to get Gillian out. He saw Gillian. He cried. The doctor wiped his tears and said, ‘If I had someone to love me, I’d be happy. There aren’t many good men like this.’ My mouth twitched. A good man. I thought about those three words, then looked at Andrew feeding congee to Gillian. He forgot he had a wife. He forgot I was under the floor too. I was buried because I saved him. He only talked about his love for Gillian. He didn’t mention me at all. The only time he thought of me was when people were recording the death list and asking if my name was on it. He looked disappointed when people told him I was still alive. He didn’t think I would survive the disaster. But we were in the same ward. Every day, I saw him looking at me as he took care of Gillian.

Andrew looked at me, surprised. He brought over the leftovers and put them in front of me. I was wrapped in bandages. The nurse looked sad when she gave me my medicine. But Andrew looked at me with disgust. He couldn’t stand the smell of my rotting body. He looked like he was going to vomit. ‘I got these to eat. Eat them yourself or I will get someone to feed you.’ He pushed the food in front of me and stayed one meter away from me. But when he served Gillian, he leaned tightly against her. He hated the meal so much that he couldn’t even eat it. I looked at him. He was too obvious about it. He said, ‘I wanted to go back to save you after Gillian was rescued, but you were gone and that place had caved in.’ ‘It was dangerous. I couldn’t stay. You don’t blame me from not saving you, do you?’ Save me? He followed Gillian into the ambulance without looking back. The ambulance crew asked him if there was anyone else there. He shook his head and I was trapped under the concrete slab. He called off the ambulance team and left. Why did he leave me there? She saw me chatting with Andrew for too long and pretended to be in pain, shouting loudly. Andrew left without looking back after hearing her voice. He heated up the food and fed Gillian a little. He helped Gillian clean her wound. Her body smelled too. But Andrew didn’t even frown, rubbing it with a sad heart. And I… There were not enough nurses to take care of me because there are too many patients in need of rescue.. I wanted water. Andrew didn’t hear me. I had to shout several times. I reached for the water bottle and I fell to the ground. Andrew stepped on my hand with the hot meal. He went to Gillian’s side. ‘I am thirsty…’ I shouted again. The nurse who was looking after me saw that I had fallen. She looked at the couple and shouted, ‘Can’t you see this patient?’ ‘Can’t you help her get a glass of water? She has injuries all over her body!’ He pretended not to see it and stepped over my hand, but he was acting pitifully. The doctor came over and said the single-person ward was ready. He told Andrew to take his girlfriend there. A single room? The earthquake was so sudden that several public hospitals were full. Gillian and I ended up at the most expensive private hospital in the city. This ward cost more. He asked for a single room. The nurse who gave me the injection said, ‘That boy took a lot of money, about a hundred thousand!’ He took the single room and said he was heartbroken for his girlfriend. More than a hundred thousand! Where did he get so much money?

The next night, Andrew came to my ward with a gift. He gave me an apple as a gift. I asked, ‘Who’s getting married?’ ‘Gillian and I.’ He said. He wasn’t divorced yet, so how could he say he was going to marry Gillian in front of me? I threw the gift in the bin. ‘You have to wait for me to die or get divorced before marrying your first love, Andrew. Why are you so disgusting?’ ‘I’m innocent. I’m just trying to fulfil one of her wishes.’ He took out a map of the wedding site. This wedding was more luxurious than mine. It looked expensive. He said, ‘Gillian was going to marry her first love. Her first love died in an accident because of the message I sent. I was trying to make up for it. I was planning to help her fulfil this wish so that she could have a perfect wedding.’ I laughed. When he knew Gillian was getting married, he was angry. He wished he could have killed me and Gillian’s fiancé back then and so he could have married Gillian. He sent his fiancée photos of him and Gillian, which made her almost get into a car accident. He wants to give Gillian a perfect wedding instead of her fiancé. I laughed angrily. ‘To make it complete.’ ‘Let’s divorce!’ He stood up. ‘I didn’t come to talk about divorce. I love you, Jolene. I just want you to be the bridesmaid and hand her to me. My mother died to save you. You should help me.’ ‘If my mum was here, I wouldn’t even come to ask you.’ His mum? I remembered something. After my parents’ accident, I got five million dollars in compensation. Now I have less than fifty thousand. ‘You used mum and dad’s death compensation to give you and Gillian a wedding!’ ‘That’s my family’s money. If my mum hadn’t helped you, you wouldn’t have had the life to take that much money!’ My parents’ lives were exchanged for this money. He thinks this money is his! He moved Gillian to a single room and planned a big wedding. My phone rang. ‘Hello, is this Jolene?’ ‘Yes, what’s up?’ ‘We rescued a patient who woke up today. He remembered your name and number, so we want to confirm: do you know Mr.Johnson‌‌?’ Gillian’s first love, William ‌‌Johnson‌‌? He’s alive?

After a few minutes, the doctor handed the phone to William‌‌. I heard breathing and the sound of instruments ticking. ‘Are you Jolene?’ ‘Hm.’ I said, ‘Do you want to find Gillian? I can help you contact…’ ‘No, I’m looking for you.’ Looking for me? William and I knew each other. He wanted to find me after I’ve been in a coma for years. William coughed and said, ‘It’s about your husband Andrew. I need to tell you in person. See you tomorrow.’ The phone was hung up. I was sent a time and place. ‘Don’t tell them I’m still alive, especially Andrew.’ I closed the dialogue box. The home surveillance alarmed. Gillian was lying on the bed in my clothes. She was still wearing my lace underwear. Andrew came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. He took a suit out of the wardrobe and changed in front of the man. Just as they were about to embrace, Gillian looked at the surveillance. She asked Andrew, ‘Would it be bad if Jolene saw this?’ Andrew said, ‘I’m just showing you the suit I’m going to wear tomorrow. Nothing else has happened.’ I felt sick when I heard those words. He even sent it to me after taking a selfie in the suit. ‘Does it look good?’ I’ll wear this for my wedding tomorrow. Don’t be late. You’re my bridesmaid. There was a hickey on his neck. ‘Do you see it?’ ‘Don’t be late.’ I looked at the picture and said, ‘I’ll be on time.’ On the wedding day, Andrew posted lots of lively photos, more than when we got married. Inside the hotel, friends smiled when they saw me in my bridesmaid dress. ‘Her own husband had a wedding with someone else, and she came as a bridesmaid!’ They don’t like me. Jolene, your husband looks great today. He’s a real match for Gillian. You should have done this sooner.’ I took the microphone and walked onto the stage. I looked at Andrew and Gillian, who were looking at each other fondly. ‘I’m happy to be at my husband’s wedding. It’s a rare experience, and I’ve picked the best man for this wedding!’ Here is Gillian’s fiancé, William ‌‌Johnson‌‌.

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Three hundred thousand. I know that a college student has no way of repaying such a heavy debt, and his family can’t fill this hole. Later, my younger brother worked hard and obtained a master’s and doctoral degree, and had a bright future. But his goddess had already married a rich second-generation man. He hated me for this, and when I finally passed the civil service exam, he spread rumors that caused me to lose my job, and he didn’t even help me. Maybe it was God’s mercy that I returned to the day when I found out that he was planning to borrow online loan. I was reborn back to the day when my younger brother borrowed online loans. My younger brother William was holding my mother’s hand and making a solemn promise. “Mom, don’t worry, just let me take a photo of the property certificate. I’m famous university student, I will definitely be able to pay it back in the future.” Mom remained silent. Three hundred thousand is an astronomical figure for my family. My parents’ combined salary is only 6,000 dollar, and there is a mortgage payment of more than 2,000 dollar a month. Dad looked at me hesitantly. I remembered that my father in my previous life also pushed the decision-making power onto me. I know the family situation at home. The family savings have long been used up in order to support my younger brother’s schooling and prevent him from being embarrassed in front of his classmates. Even if he graduates in two years, how much salary can a fresh graduate get? So in my previous life I was strongly opposed to it. Break the truth down and explain it to him. He was not convinced, but he couldn’t argue with me, so he could only glare at me angrily. My parents thought what I said made sense and decisively rejected William. Through this incident, William deeply realized his own powerlessness. In my junior year, I studied hard, participated in competitions, and obtained admission to the top 1 university in China. Three years later, he continued his doctoral studies and participated in project research, winning several generous bonuses and having a bright future. I worked hard for three years and finally passed all the tests and got the civil service position I wanted. But I didn’t expect that during the background check, I would be backstabbed by my beloved younger brother. He spread rumors that I had no self-respect and was materialistic. It’s just because his goddess married the rich second-generation who helped her in the past. William felt that if I had not stopped my parents, he would have been successful and married a beautiful woman. I was so upset that I had a heart attack because I was just one step away from success at work. William transferred all the money from my bank card and turned a blind eye when I cried for help. I just left like that. Lying on the cold floor, not breathing. When mom and dad came back and saw all this, they actually showed concern for their beloved son first. I was afraid that my death would scare him, so I asked him to go for a physical examination as well. “Fortunately, it was Isabella who died.” Those were the last words I heard before I lost consciousness. Thinking of this, I met my father’s eager gaze and said, “I can’t make the decision on such a big matter. You decide.” After hearing this, William gave me an approving look and said, “Dad, Mom, just promise me that if I can’t marry her, I won’t want anyone else. You won’t have grandchildren in this life.” I almost laughed out loud. William, you are still in school, you only have goddess in your heart and don’t study, how are you going to pay back the money in this life?

After William left with the property certificate, my mother pulled me to sit down. “Isabella, come on, you didn’t stop William when he wanted to borrow money just now.” “I’m a girl, I don’t understand these things, but you and my dad do. Why don’t you stop him?” Why are you doing this as a girl? What do you know as a girl? This is what my parents always told me. Because I am a girl, I don’t need to go to cram school. I play games to waste my time, but William plays to exercise his brain and become smarter. Since I’m a girl, I can’t choose science. I can just study liberal arts, get into an ordinary university, get an ordinary job, and then get married. I love them, so I can pretend these biases don’t exist. In return, they said, “Fortunately it was Isabella who died.” I was so stunned that my mother was speechless. She didn’t want to offend William, so she wanted me to take the blame. My father had already gone to see the advertisements for part-time jobs, ready to provide a guarantee for his son. “Isabella, please remember to transfer William’s living expenses this month.” The school I attended was not a good university. After graduation, I went to work as a clerk in a small company, earning just over 5,000 dollar a month. I paid for my school tuition with a loan, and I have to repay it every month. Add to that the living expenses for William, and I can barely save any money. I wasted two years like this, and later I realized the importance of academic qualifications, so I took the exam to become a postgraduate student, and then worked hard to prepare for the civil service exam. In the end, everything was ruined by William. I refuse to spend another penny on William. “Mom, our company’s performance is not good, and we have cut salaries. I can’t give William living expenses anymore.” “What did you say!” Mom’s expression changed immediately. “As a sister, can’t you save money a little? Your brother is still in school. “After deducting social security, I will only receive 2,000 dollar a month. What should I do if I give it all to William?” “What kind of a shitty company is this? You’re living and eating at home anyway, so you can just give William 2,000 dollar a month and treat it as rent for your family.” My dear mother, you really don’t intend to leave me a penny. Has she ever thought about how to live without money? “I’ll transfer these two thousand to you every month as living expenses for you and my dad. As for William, you guys can handle it yourself.” My mother noticed that I was angry, but she had already achieved her goal of getting money, so she was satisfied and didn’t say anything. I told myself that two thousand dollar a month from now on would be my repayment for the money they had paid for me over the years.

The money was borrowed, and William finally got his sweetheart. I’ve seen the photo of that girl. She is fresh and beautiful, with the gracefulness unique to noble girls, clear eyes, and a nice name, Alicia. Being with William is like a flower stuck in cow dung. Of course William is not ugly, he is just 1.7 meters tall and weighs 170 kg… that’s all… right? After falling in love, William’s spending increased. My mother always comes to me to complain about her poverty. I ignored it. In my previous life, I woke up too late and was deceived by the word “stability”. I plan to apply for full-time graduate studies, which is a very competitive field, and I don’t have time to care about what William is doing. Anyway, he looks down on me, his sister who only has an ordinary undergraduate degree. I moved out of home and lived in the company dormitory to avoid my parents’ nagging. The monthly interest plus William’s living expenses made them feel overwhelmed. The most important thing is that I still feel heartbroken when I see them working two jobs every day. I cursed myself in my heart for being so useless. William brought Alicia home during the Chinese New Year. Her mother had surgery for her illness and is getting much better now. My parents cooked a table full of delicious food and smiled so hard that their teeth were showing. “Alicia, this is my sister. Her monthly salary is only over 2,000 dollar. Don’t worry, I’m not as useless as her. I will definitely make a lot of money in the future and let you live a good life!” The little girl looked at me when she heard this, feeling a little embarrassed. I smiled at her nonchalantly. “Okay, Isabella, what’s wrong with you kid? Stop being lazy and come to the kitchen to help. There are two more dishes in there.” “Mom, your future daughter-in-law is here today, why don’t you let your son behave well?” In previous years, when there were guests at home, I was always busy in the kitchen while William sat at the table playing games. When I asked him to do something, my mother got anxious first: “Why is he a boy in the kitchen? Don’t you know what a gentleman is?” “A gentleman should stay away from the kitchen.” William continued, and he would proudly belittle me: “Sister, you are not good-looking and your studies are not good. Why don’t you learn to cook well? After all, you have to capture a man’s stomach first.” My mother didn’t have time to refute me this time. Alicia heard what I said, smiled and said to my mother: “Auntie, William’s stir-fried lettuce is delicious…” “William, when did you learn to cook? Oh, you really forgot your mother after you got married. Mom has never eaten the food you cooked.” My mother’s expression immediately changed, and she looked at Alicia with an unfriendly expression. As I watched this scene, I suddenly felt like a villain who was trying to sow discord, and I immediately lost the desire to eat. “Mom, something suddenly happened in my company, I’m going back to the dormitory first.” I picked up my bag, left home, and went back to study. “Why are you in such a hurry to leave? It’s only been a few days since the New Year. You are so heartless. Why don’t you spend more time with your parents?” “Take some buns back to eat!” I held back the tears that were about to burst out. My father doesn’t talk much. Although my mother made me do some housework, she would patiently braid my hair, buy me new clothes, make longevity noodles for me on my birthday, and buy me the Barbie doll that I had been asking for for a long time. I knew they didn’t love me as much as they loved William, but I never denied that they loved me too. But why? Could you say such cold words when you found my body? If they didn’t give me any love at all, maybe I would be able to be really cruel and cut off relations with them. “Fortunately it was Isabella who died.” These words kept lingering in my ears. That night, I had nightmares all night.

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I listened to my best friend’s urging and planned to secretly meet my childhood friend. As I was about to leave, a book fell from the sky and hit my head. In the book, I constantly hurt my loving husband in order to be with my childhood friend. In the end, I was betrayed by my best friend and childhood friend, left alone and abandoned. I decided to play along and go to the meeting. When my childhood friend tried to hug me, I pushed him away and made it clear we had no relationship. I turned and walked to my husband who was standing in the corner. He asked suspiciously, “What game are you playing now?” “Hubby, hug me,” I said. Well, who wouldn’t want a rich husband who loves you deeply? After being hit on the head by a book that fell from the sky, a new set of memories appeared in my mind. Because of these memories, my obsession with my first love completely vanished. When I woke up, I was still a bit dazed, thinking I was cramped in a dark, damp basement, waking up every day worrying about how to make money, or else I’d be homeless the next day. I looked around the room – it was luxuriously decorated, with everything arranged according to my preferences. The extra memories were so vivid, as if heaven was deliberately reminding me. If I remained stubborn and unrepentant, I would end up in a miserable situation in the future. I pulled back the curtains and saw a large field of roses. My husband Adrian had hired professional gardeners to plant them. The entire villa’s decor, down to every flower in the garden, was designed based on my preferences. But in the past, I saw it as a beautiful cage. I opened my phone and, unsurprisingly, there were many messages from my best friend Rachel. We had originally planned to go out three days ago, but I was knocked unconscious by the falling book right before leaving, so the plan fell through. “Hazel, did Adrian lock you up at home again? He’s such a psycho. I’ll definitely help you escape. Jack is still waiting for you.” I couldn’t help but laugh. She called Adrian a psycho, but she used all sorts of tricks to seduce him after I left. And Jack, my first love who was supposedly waiting for me, had already dated countless women abroad. In the new memories, I used suicide to force Adrian to divorce me. He was left scarred and broken, but still willing to give me most of his assets. Unfortunately, that money was quickly swindled away by Jack. It was only then that I realized everything had been fake. … I hadn’t responded to Rachel for three days, and she was clearly getting anxious. She kept sending messages, trying to drive a wedge between Adrian and me, while painting Jack as deeply in love with me. “Adrian is coming back from abroad in two days. You’ll really have no chance after that.” Adrian’s whereabouts were always kept secret, yet she even knew when he was returning. It seems Rachel had quite a few spies around Adrian. I pondered for a moment, then opened my chat with Adrian. All the messages were from him, ranging from daily greetings to itinerary updates. But I had never replied. The last message was from last night. Adrian said his flight had been rescheduled and he would be back today. In the past, I would have gotten a headache seeing this message. But at this moment, I suddenly felt an overwhelming longing for my husband. “Okay, I’ll wait for you to come back. Be careful on the way.” Just after I sent the message, there was a sudden commotion downstairs. A car had stopped at the entrance of the estate. A 5-year-old boy got out of the car, wearing a kindergarten backpack and holding something in his hand. As he walked into the estate, everyone he passed stopped to greet him. Because he was Adrian’s and my child. The child who looked 80% like Adrian, so I had never liked him.

I once overheard our son talking to Adrian. The 5-year-old was innocent yet sensitive, asking Adrian if he wasn’t behaving well enough. “Why doesn’t mommy like me? Is it because I’m not obedient?” Adrian held him on his lap, gently stroking his face. “Maybe… it’s because you look too much like daddy.” When I went downstairs, our son had just walked in. Seeing me, his eyes lit up, but he only inched cautiously towards me. “Mommy…” His gaze kept scanning me until it suddenly fell on the bruise on my forehead from being hit. His eyes widened and he rushed over without hesitation. “Mommy, what happened to your head?” “I accidentally bumped my head. Have you been good at kindergarten this week?” Looking at his cautious demeanor, I couldn’t help but reach out to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Our son was visibly startled, but still nuzzled my hand obediently. “I’ve been good. I even got a gold star from the teacher.” The housekeeper watched us nervously and carefully approached. “Young master, why don’t we go play with your toys instead of bothering mommy?” Our son looked at me reluctantly, clearly not wanting to leave, but still let go of my hand. We rarely had intimate moments. In the past, I had mixed feelings of love and hate towards this child. But now I just wanted to make it up to him. “Am I not allowed to talk to my own son?” I raised an eyebrow at the housekeeper, who flinched and immediately backed away. It seems my past crazy behavior in the villa had left quite an impression, making everyone in the house wary of me. Only my son looked at me in confusion, his chubby little hands fidgeting with his clothes. After a while, I finally heard his tentative voice. “Mommy, do you want to see my gold star?” I finally noticed the gold star he was holding and nodded immediately. Seeing his face light up with a smile, he happily placed the star in my palm. “It’s beautiful. My baby is so clever.” Everyone looked at me in shock. My son was so excited he couldn’t speak. For the whole day, my son played nearby, not too close but not too far, glancing at me from time to time. Finally, I couldn’t resist patting my lap. “Do you want to sit on mommy’s lap and play?” My son stood up, looked at his toy thoughtfully for a while, then smiled brightly and ran over to me happily. He sat in my lap very obediently, looking up at my expression every so often while playing. “Mommy, do you want to play with the toys? Or read a storybook?” Behind the well-behaved child was a long-term lack of maternal love. He was always cautious, afraid of angering me. My heart melted at the sight. I pulled my son close and hugged him tightly. “It’s okay, sweetie. From now on, mommy will do whatever you want to do with you.”

I played with my son all day. By evening, I was unusually tired as soon as my head hit the pillow. In the middle of the night, I suddenly felt cold next to me. I tried to pull the blanket, but my hand was restrained by something. A body pressed down on me, so heavy I could barely breathe. I could only groggily open my eyes in my sleepy state. As soon as I opened my eyes, I met a pair of almond-shaped eyes, instantly captivated. Adrian was undeniably handsome. This was something I could never deny. He had alluring almond eyes with a beauty mark below them. The first time we met, I even wondered if fox spirits really existed in this world. How else could a man wearing a complex three-piece suit, covered from head to toe, still silently seduce you with just a glance? “Hazel.” He softened his voice, husky and magnetic, as if bewitching me. “It’s been a while. Did you miss me?” His cold fingers trailed across my face, sliding down my neck, raising goosebumps. “Let go of my hands first.” My wrists were tied with Adrian’s tie. I couldn’t move and could only quietly plead with him. Although Adrian was very tolerant of my tantrums in the villa, smashing glasses and crystal lamps, the truly sick one in our relationship was Adrian. He had an obsessive disorder, never letting go of things he was fixated on. He was sensitive, suspicious, and extremely possessive. Once, after arguing with Adrian due to Rachel’s instigation, I was directly locked up in the villa by him. “Baby, I don’t want to do this either. But once I let you go, who knows where you’ll run off to.” He caressed my face with one hand while skillfully unbuttoning my clothes with the other. Adrian’s body temperature was always low. As soon as he touched me, I felt a chill. “I really won’t run away. It’s uncomfortable being tied up like this.” Adrian ignored my words. Only after we were done did he finally release me. I was exhausted and could only lie panting in bed. He gently massaged my hands. I managed to open my eyes and saw Adrian kneeling by the bed, intently focused on my hands, his movements becoming increasingly gentle. “What do you want to say to me?” Adrian met my gaze, his eyes filled with complex emotions. “You suddenly messaged me. What did you want to discuss? Letting you leave? I’ve said before that I won’t agree…” For once, I argued with Adrian. Using my last bit of strength, I sat up and threw myself into his arms. Adrian was clearly stunned, his body stiffening. He just tightly wrapped his arms around me. I was too tired to talk to Adrian and fell fast asleep. When I woke up the next morning, I heard soft voices outside the door. “Is mommy still not awake? She said she’d have breakfast with me today.” “Mommy is very tired and needs to rest.” My son fell silent. Through the door crack, I saw him sit down on the floor. “Then I’ll wait here for mommy. This way she’ll see me when she wakes up.” Genetics truly are a mysterious thing. Not only did my son look similar to Adrian, sometimes his stubbornness was exactly the same. I softly called out “baby”, and hearing my voice, my son immediately got up and rushed towards the room. “Good morning, mommy.” Yesterday’s interactions had broken down the barriers between us. My son happily pounced in front of me, his chubby little hands holding mine. Adrian stood at the bedroom door, looking at me with a complex expression. He had tried every way to please me before, even begging me not to leave on his knees. Every time he got close, it only triggered greater disgust from me. So Adrian got used to standing at a distance, just awkwardly staring at me. Well, the best way to deal with an awkward person is to be direct. I looked at Adrian and smiled. “Good morning, hubby.” On Saturday morning, because of that one “hubby”, Adrian accidentally knocked over two water glasses. By the third time, I finally couldn’t hold back. “If you don’t like it, I won’t call you that anymore in the future.” “I do like it!” Good, this time he denied it faster than anyone. At the dining table, the housekeeper brought today’s breakfast. I met the housekeeper’s gaze. The moment our eyes met, she instinctively avoided it. “Mrs. Wood, how long have you been working in this house?” “Almost ten years. I used to work at the old mansion, but came here after the master married you.”

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I woke up and realized I was in a family-pampering story. A powerhouse CEO big brother, a medical prodigy second brother, and a movie-star third brother. I thought I was the adored heroine. Turns out… I’m just the supporting character? Wait, why do my brothers dote on me so much? And the real heiress… is actually me? Content I landed in a story all about a beloved family member. My adoptive parents were wealthy, doting, and provided everything I could want. I figured I could just sit back and relax. But then, one day, a woman showed up claiming she was the real daughter, pointing a finger at me and insisting I’d stolen her place. She demanded a DNA test. And the thing is, my adoptive parents half-believed her and actually did it! Turns out, yep, I wasn’t their real daughter. Wait, what? It hit me—I’m in that book I barely read because the plot was so over-the-top, Battle for the CEO’s Heart: The Real vs. Fake Heiress! Oh, no way… I’m the “fake heiress”? What kind of plot twist was this… “Mom, Dad, Roni missed you both so much…” I sat on the sidelines as the “real heiress,” Veronica Harper, cried her heart out, clutching her mother and telling her all about her hardships. “Life at Brookfield Children’s Home was so hard! I suffered so much, if only…” She shot me a resentful glance, voice steady but full of misery, “If only you hadn’t taken my place… But I don’t blame you. I’m just happy to have found you, and I’ll be glad to get along with my sister.” They cried and hugged together, with her mother repeating how sorry she was and promising to make it up to her. That was my cue. I shouldn’t be here; I should be under the car, not in it. I slipped out to get some air. When I returned, my adoptive parents’ attitude had completely changed. “Madison, what your real parents did was absolutely selfish! They left my daughter to suffer all those years in an orphanage!” Excuse me? I looked back at Veronica, who was smirking. I could piece together what happened. Clearly, she blamed everything on my biological parents. My adoptive mother clenched her fists, saying, “After all these years, it’s time we move on. I’ll contact your biological parents and have them come pick you up.” I nodded, sincerely thanked them for everything, and volunteered to leave. But my calm acceptance gave Veronica the perfect chance to play the “sweet sister” routine, feeding my adoptive parents all sorts of things about how I was just as ungrateful as my biological parents. Of course, that made my adoptive mother even angrier, and she immediately called my biological parents.

According to Veronica, my biological parents were simple farmers who had switched our bassinets at birth, which led to my being raised in this family while she ended up in an orphanage. I was speechless. I mean, it was so dramatic it felt like something only a novel could pull off. But with my years of reading experience, I figured there had to be more to this story. Maybe a big twist was coming? In any case, I was here now, and maybe going back to the farm life wouldn’t be so bad. I waited, and soon enough, my biological parents arrived. Wasting no time, my adoptive mother quickly packed up my belongings and practically shoved me out. “Your parents are outside. Go to them.” She shut the door without a backward glance. This woman was a completely different person from the warm, gentle mother she’d been just hours ago. I couldn’t help but laugh and headed toward the door with my stuff in tow. Free money, right? I’d take it. Outside, I saw a Bentley parked out front. Standing by it was a bodyguard-looking guy and a well-dressed woman who rushed toward me as soon as she saw me. “Madison! Are you Madison?” I nodded, “And you are…?” “I’m your mother!” She pulled me into a tearful embrace. “Have you been living here this whole time? You must have suffered so much!” I paused and glanced back at the sprawling mansion behind me. Uh… sure. “What are these things you’re carrying? Were they treating you badly, sending you off with junk like this?” My real mom could tell quality, I’ll give her that. On the way to her home, she and my adoptive mother had the same reactions to finding their long-lost daughter. My new mom told me about the chaotic hospital mix-up that led to their losing me and assured me I’d be well taken care of from now on. I was starting to feel like I’d just scored big. When we arrived at the massive estate that looked like a castle, I understood why she’d thought I was suffering. Rows of servants and housekeepers stood at attention, all calling out, “Welcome home, Miss!” My new mom mentioned their farming business was actually a major, high-tech agricultural empire. We’d just sat down when I heard a deep, anxious voice outside, “Where’s my daughter? Where’s my girl?” My dad had aged like fine wine, tall and fit with barely any signs of age. After we reunited, my mom said, “This surprise was so sudden, but your brothers are all on their way home to meet you.”

By dinner, we had a full family reunion. Honestly, I nearly lost my cool when I saw them. Big brother Ashton Lockhart? Six foot two, CEO aura that screamed authority, like the quintessential boss. Second brother Dr. Alexander Lockhart? He was known in the medical world as a “miracle healer.” Gentle and courteous, his smile alone was like a breath of fresh air. Third brother Ethan? I hadn’t seen him yet—apparently, he was still on his flight home. In short, this family had looks, money, and power. If this were a dream, I’d be laughing in my sleep. Wait, don’t let me wake up! This script was heaven-sent, and I was here for it! “Oh, Maddie, aren’t you at Northview University? I’ll arrange a transfer for you to Woodcrest Private Academy,” Dad offered. Big brother pulled out his phone to make the arrangements, but I quickly stopped him. “No need, Dad. I’m almost done here, and I’d rather keep things low-key.” “Our Maddie wants to keep a low profile? Alright, as you wish. We’ll cover all your meals at Northview so you’re well taken care of.” “Thank you, Dad and Mom.” Big brother smiled as he elegantly rolled up his sleeves. “I approved that project Northview submitted last week.” “Thank you, big brother.” Second brother wasn’t about to be outdone. With a raised brow, he said, “In that case, we should make sure the clinic there is well-staffed. I’ll send two of my students to help.” “Thank you, second brother.” I was honestly winning all around. And that wasn’t even the end of it. After dinner, big brother handed me the keys to a limited-edition Rolls-Royce. Second brother gifted me a million-dollar watch, and even third brother, though he wasn’t here yet, had sent ahead a designer gown that A-listers would kill for. Mom and Dad were no exception—they gave me several platinum cards and a pile of property deeds in my name, telling me to ask for anything else I wanted. That night, lying in the princess suite they’d prepared for me, I couldn’t even sleep. Who could understand this?

The next morning, determined to keep a low profile, I left the car big brother had gifted me in the garage and took a less flashy one to school. The watch, though—second brother’s gift was so beautiful, I couldn’t resist wearing it. At the classroom door, I overheard people talking about a new student transfer who’d arrived with great fanfare that morning. I didn’t pay much attention—it’s common at Northview. But someone turned to me, “Hey, Madison, I heard the new transfer is from the Harper family. Could she be your sister or cousin?” With that hint, I wasn’t too surprised to see Veronica Harper in my class. “Hello, everyone, I’m Veronica Harper. Please take care of me.” She quickly blended in with her “sweet girl” act. After class, she came over and greeted me warmly, “Sis!” This school was a mini society, with everyone scrambling to cozy up to those with power. She could easily signal she was from the Harper family, but that “sis” left me slightly stunned. What was her game? It seemed like she wanted to play the “sisters united” role, asking if my studies were tough or if anyone was giving me a hard time. I raised a brow at her. Nearby, someone asked, “Madison, why didn’t you ever mention you had a sister? You two seem close.” Veronica jumped in, “It’s because I just came home recently!” I could guess what she was up to. Right on cue, Veronica looked pained, “Sis, I know… oh, never mind, you’re probably not used to things after leaving the Harpers.” With that, she pulled a credit card from her purse, “Mom and Dad didn’t want me to help, but as your sister, I wanted to give you a little something. I hope it’s not too little for you.” I looked at her, chuckled, and accepted the card with a smile, “How could I mind? It’s the thought that counts, right?” The “sister” routine had me questioning if I’d stepped into a drama. People around us were clearly puzzled, and Veronica took the chance to drop the real bombshell. “Actually, my sister isn’t a real Harper. Her biological parents were just farmers, and years ago, they arranged for her to end up with the Harpers. I’m glad to be home now, and I don’t blame her for what happened.” I toyed with the card in my hand, watching her act with an amused smile. “Madison… is that true?” The people listening were now casting doubtful glances my way. Unfazed, I nodded, “Yes, my biological parents were farmers.”

After my casual confirmation, everyone instinctively huddled closer to Veronica Harper. Seriously? This was supposed to be a heartwarming family story, not some royal court drama where everyone fawned over the wealthy. “Alright, everyone, settle down! We’re holding a quick meeting,” our advisor announced, sweeping into the classroom with a spring in her step. “There’s a major signing event today, important for the university’s future, and we need a student representative to give a speech on stage.” Her gaze swept the room. “Veronica Harper, you’ll do,” she declared. Me: ??? Veronica had barely transferred into Northview, and suddenly she was speaking for the entire university? “Thank you, professor, for trusting me,” Veronica replied smoothly. “I know Madison has always been the one on stage before, but I promise to do even better and not let everyone down.” She rose gracefully and turned to me with a look that made me uneasy. As expected. “I hope everyone can look past my sister’s background. She spent so many years with the Harpers, and to me, she’ll always be a dear sister.” Oh, please! Was she really pulling this “sister act” in front of everyone? My only thought: Get me out of here. Veronica’s act of innocence had me livid. Did she want the spotlight so badly? Fine. I wasn’t about to let her get away with it. “Hey, Ashton.” I called my big brother, Ashton Lockhart. By the afternoon, Northview had set up a grand stage for the signing event. Veronica had her makeup done to perfection and was even in a formal dress, looking more suited for a gala than a university event. “What? Mr. Lockhart, I—?” The university president sounded panicked.

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After six years of marriage, I brought up divorce with Joanne, my wife who’d insisted on a child-free life. She broke down, sobbing that she’d finally have children with me—until I pulled out a breast pump from her moving box. Next to it was a prenatal checkup report for twins. “I found this while packing,” I said. “The twins you’ve been asking me to look out for…they’re yours, aren’t they?” Content While packing, buried beneath some clutter, I found a box that belonged to Joanne. The lock popped open easily, and inside was a used breast pump. Although carefully cleaned, the faint scratches showed it had seen a lot of use. My heart lurched as questions raced through my mind. I’m a cardiologist, and Joanne is the head pediatric nurse at General Hospital. She’d always said she was fed up with all the screaming kids at work, claiming she didn’t want any of her own. That’s why she wanted to be child-free—or so she said. I thought she was just venting. Not long after we married, she became pregnant. I pleaded with her to keep the baby, but she refused and got an abortion. Reluctantly, I supported her decision for her health. So she wouldn’t face that pain again, I even agreed to a vasectomy at her suggestion. I looked at the pump, wondering if it could have been some mistake, maybe even misplaced. My curiosity got the better of me, and I kept digging until I found a prenatal report. My mind went blank. My fingertips tingled. It was a checkup report showing twins, with detectable heartbeats. A corner of the form with the patient’s name was torn, but the listed age matched Joanne’s. Too many coincidences to ignore. The woman who’d insisted on a child-free marriage could very well have two children in secret. I intended to ask her about it that night. But Joanne texted that she’d be covering the nurse’s station overnight. The next morning, I dragged myself to the hospital and barely made it through surgery. As soon as I was done, Joanne waltzed into my office, dropped a kiss on my neck, and said, “Guess what I made you for lunch today, sweetheart?” She handed me a container of pork stew, telling me how nutritious it was. She set the table, chattering on about the twins in her department, whose condition had worsened and urgently needed a rare surgery—one only I could perform. “I know you’re slammed, but could you just move them up in the line?” she asked, her eyes narrowed in a honeyed smile. The sun was shining, but cold dread crept over me. This was unlike her. Joanne, who’d never shown special treatment to a single patient, had become deeply invested in these twins. She’d mentioned their single dad, how hard he had it. She even checked on them every night, and during critical times, would stay by their bedsides until morning. What kind of nurse did that for strangers? Unless they weren’t strangers at all.

Staring at that familiar face, I wanted to confront her, to scream. But it felt pointless. Three years ago, I’d been sent abroad for eighteen months. It was plenty of time for her to have twins. She’d pursued me intensely when we first met at the hospital, making every excuse to be close. I was flattered. Before long, her tireless care wore down my defenses. Over the years, we’d become the “model couple,” or so everyone thought. Even I had believed it. But it was all a lie. Joanne, who’d been so relentless in capturing my heart, was now the one who’d betrayed me. I pushed the container away and pinched the bridge of my nose. “I can’t move them up. That’s unfair to the other patients waiting their turn.” Joanne’s face darkened, and she almost snapped. “It’s just a word from you. Those twins can’t wait any longer. The others can.” The words—coming from a head nurse—sounded foreign and cold. In the past, even in the most tragic situations, she’d always said, “That’s life.” Now, she was trying to pressure me into an unethical favor. She leaned in, squeezing my hand and pouting, “Come on, honey, just this once?” Normally, a little of her sweetness would have been enough to sway me, but now, her begging just felt wrong. I gave a bitter smile. “Seeing how desperate you are, anyone would think you were their mother.” Joanne flinched, forcing an awkward laugh. “You’re so silly! Of course not. I just don’t want to see them suffer any longer.” She quickly got up and straightened her clothes, as if to shake off the conversation. “Think about it. This can’t wait.” As she left, she accidentally left her phone on my desk. A strong hunch made me pick it up and unlock it with her birthday. I went straight to her shopping app and checked her purchases from three years ago.

Seeing the breast pump purchase was like having my shame nailed to a wall. It was followed by an endless list of baby bottles, diapers, blankets, and baby gear. Each item drove a spike through my heart. Joanne hadn’t even bothered to delete the receipts. The memories started piecing together. Once, while scrolling social media, I stumbled across a photo she’d posted. There was a boy and a girl, grinning as they held cotton candy. The caption read, “My little sweethearts are growing up.” She’d told me she was attending a conference, so this post threw me off. But as soon as I clicked into her profile, it vanished like some glitch. I’d asked her about it, and she’d laughed, saying, “Must be a bug. How could I have secret twins?” Another time, I found a lease agreement with her name on it, though she always came home after late shifts. When I asked, she explained that a friend in financial trouble needed a place, and she’d stepped up to help. Touched, I even sent her three grand for her generosity. In hindsight, I’d been played for a fool. She’d taken my trust and sold me out. I heard her heels clacking as she came rushing back to my office. She grabbed her phone, hesitated, and asked, “Did you look at my phone?” Feigning confusion, I replied, “No. Why?” She looked relieved and smiled awkwardly. “Nothing.” I was more certain than ever. She was hiding something.

That evening, I stayed at the hospital an extra hour before dragging myself home. Opening the door, I found the house dark, the only light coming from the candles flickering on the dining table. Joanne stood there, a forced smile on her face. “Welcome home. I’ve been waiting, love.” She was wearing a black backless dress, her curves shadowed by the candlelight. She swayed her hips as if to lure me in, but I barely managed to shrug off my coat, uninterested. Sensing my lack of response, she pressed close to my back, her breath hot on my neck. “Do you want to be a dad?” she asked, her voice low. I froze. Encouraged, she held me tighter. “Why don’t you get that reversal surgery? The success rates are high. We could have a baby.” I almost laughed. Once, I’d practically begged her to keep our child. She hadn’t even flinched, refusing until I finally caved. The day of her abortion, I’d waited on the bench outside the procedure room, crying until my eyes burned. I even got a vasectomy so she wouldn’t face the possibility again. To keep the peace, I’d even lied to my parents about the reasons we couldn’t have children. But now she was asking for them. What did this mean? She pulled me over to the table, piling food onto my plate. “You’d be a great dad, honey. And maybe if you knew what it was like, you’d understand our patients better.” My fists clenched as she went on, urging me to “just think about it” as if she were doing me a favor. I pushed the plate away and said coldly, “Being child-free works fine for me. Enjoy your meal; I’m not hungry.” Her smile twisted into fury. “Mason, what’s that supposed to mean? After all this, you won’t even eat?” “I’m tired. I’m going to rest,” I replied. Through the door, I could hear her muttering complaints. I did want a child—just not with her.

Aside from my work in the OR, I was preoccupied with planning the divorce. When I returned to my office, a container of sweet and sour fish—my favorite—sat on my desk. Joanne must have left it when I didn’t come home. Joanne despised the smell of fish. Yet she’d cleaned out the bones just so I’d enjoy the meal. She was meticulous in caring for me. My clothes, always hand-washed, were pressed to perfection. She stayed up late to make me liver broth, never complaining. Her friends used to tease her for acting “too much like a mom,” but she’d always brush it off, saying, “He’s my everything. Of course, I want to take care of him.” During my year and a half abroad, we’d video-chatted every day. She never seemed to tire of asking about my meals and sleep. She’d cry when I lost weight, saying, “I knew you couldn’t take care of yourself without me.” Eventually, she stopped calling as often, and I figured her workload was just too much. I didn’t ask questions. It’s only now that I realize, during those long time-zone gaps, Joanne was with someone else, raising the children she never let me have. When I’d been sure of our love, she’d been nursing another man’s twins. I thought we’d shared something real, but it was all an act. For six years, I’d trusted her completely. Now, I drafted the divorce papers and called my lawyer. It was time to end it. While finishing up the final sutures in the operating room, my student, Blake Ashford, called me unexpectedly. “Dr. Lake, the twins’ condition just worsened. Ms. Taylor’s in the room and really upset.” Blake shouldn’t have called me while I was in surgery, but maybe he was considering my “special relationship” with Joanne. Besides, I normally wouldn’t have answered, but by chance, this procedure went smoothly, and I’d finished early. Maybe this was fate. I handed off the case to the assisting team and stepped out of my scrubs. Crossing the pediatric hallway, I could already hear Joanne’s cries. I quickened my pace until I reached the door. Inside, a team of medical staff frantically attempted to resuscitate a child whose lips were turning a sickly shade of blue. Joanne looked shattered, her voice breaking in desperation as she shouted, “Please! Save my children!”

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Rena and I had been together for seven years but still hadn’t married. Meanwhile, she secretly got engaged to some stranger. When I got to the ceremony, I saw him down on one knee, handing her a rose, making the whole moment feel grand for her. The moment Rena saw me, she just lifted a brow and said casually, “I’m just helping him fulfill his engagement dream; it’s not real.” I said nothing and turned away. She thought I’d definitely come back to her until she saw my Instagram post showing two engagement rings. Rena lost it and came pounding on my door. When I opened it, a woman behind me wrapped her arms around my waist and taunted, “Too late, Miss Hart.” Content It was a grand engagement party, with guests mingling and offering their congratulations. Rena was all dressed up in a white gown, looking shy and blushing, while the guy knelt on one knee, holding out a rose. Quite the grand gesture. I just stood there, staring at the two of them up on that stage until Rena’s little brother, Evan, ran over and tugged my hand. “Hey, why is my sister getting engaged to someone else?” Before I could answer, Rena’s best friend, Sammy, hurried over, grabbed Evan, and awkwardly tried to brush it off. “Hey, kiddo, you don’t know what you’re talking about, don’t say that.” Around us, people started to notice me, and the room’s vibe went tense. Ignoring the stares, I walked toward Rena, and the guy in the suit anxiously held her hand. Rena’s expression didn’t change—no embarrassment, not even surprise. She just raised an eyebrow and held his hand a little tighter, saying indifferently, “I’m just making Grant’s wish come true. Don’t worry, I’ll still marry you.” Seven years together, and she’d never accepted my proposal. Everyone knew she had a thing for freedom and hated the idea of being “tied down” by marriage. I didn’t respond. Instead, I just smiled and slipped a beaded charm bracelet off her wrist. I’d given it to her as a token when we first got together, something I’d picked up from Red Oaks Chapel for protection, and I’d told her to keep it on always, as our little promise to each other. And she did. But her heart wasn’t with me. I looked at the bracelet, turning it over in my hands, then said, “It was a gift from me, so I can take it back.” My voice was steady and calm. Rena looked stunned for a second, then laughed, “Tyler, you’re going this far just to get me to settle down? I thought you said I had to wear this.” I could tell she didn’t believe I’d actually do it, but I snapped the bracelet in half, and the beads spilled onto the floor. “Don’t look for me again.” Her face changed, and she blurted out, “Tyler, are you out of your mind?” Her little brother ran over, taking my hand again. “Did you fight with my sister?” Sammy, sensing something was wrong, rushed over, trying to calm things down. “Tyler, don’t be mad. Rena’s just playing around; she didn’t mean it.” I looked down at Evan, his eyes already getting red. “Little Ev, I’m not your brother-in-law anymore. Next time you see me, just call me ‘Tyler.’” I gently pulled my hand away and walked out without looking back. I watched as my girlfriend—my now ex—threw this huge engagement party for someone else, but I didn’t lose it. I didn’t scream or cry. I only heard Evan’s quiet voice, crying as he pleaded for his sister to come after me. “I want my brother-in-law.” But Rena didn’t budge, just coolly saying, “What does a kid know? He’ll come back in a few days.” Sammy shook her head. “Rena, are you serious? You’d rather throw an engagement for a stranger than say yes to Tyler. You better fix this before it’s too late, don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Grant, still in his tux, leaned in and tugged her arm gently, saying, “It’s okay, Rena. I have one just like his.”

Leaving The Whitfield, I grabbed a cab back home, but I stopped by Benny’s Market to pick up a handful of random drinks. The cashier eyed me suspiciously. I’d forgotten I’d agreed to hit up the karaoke bar with Jake tonight. With my phone on silent, I’d missed all his messages and calls. It wasn’t long before my door opened. Jake must’ve figured something was up, so he let himself in. He looked at me closely and asked quietly, “You and Rena had a fight? Or did she start messing around with some other guy again?” Hearing her name caught me off guard, and, embarrassingly, a tear slipped out before I wiped it away. “She got engaged today,” I mumbled, explaining the whole ordeal. Jake grabbed a beer bottle, ready to head over to find Rena, but I stopped him. “It doesn’t matter anymore.” “Alright then, let’s find you someone who’s not like that. Get yourself cleaned up, and let’s go have some fun.” On our way to the Skyline Lounge, my phone wouldn’t stop buzzing. Jake raised an eyebrow, grinning. “See? I’ve lined some options up for you. Go ahead, pick one.” I read through his messages: “5’7” dance major.” “Med student, D cup.” Then I scrolled down to a familiar name, “Eliza Caldwell, gorgeous, no drama, wealthy.” I was taken aback. Eliza? Why’d she add me? When we arrived, I hadn’t even made it to the booth when I spotted Eliza, leaning against the wall. She caught my eye, and I walked over. She looked up at me and smirked, “Split up, did you?” I nodded, and she actually laughed. “Don’t worry, I won’t rub it in.” Eliza’s voice had a bit of a mischievous edge. I took her drink, had a sip, and then grabbed her collar and kissed her. After a moment, she pulled away, grinning as she said, “Not here.” That threw me off. Rumor had it Eliza liked women, not men. I just wanted to mess with her, but clearly, that rumor was wrong.

She leaned close, whispering, “My place?” I nodded and texted Jake, then headed to her apartment, where we quickly ended up against the wall, kissing. After a while, I looked down at her, noticing the hint of red around her eyes. I chuckled softly, “Eliza, I think you’ve got to work on your endurance.” A lesson learned: teasing can backfire. I didn’t know how I fell asleep, just that when I drifted off, Eliza was still awake. I woke up late the next day, my phone ringing. Without even checking who it was, I picked up. On the other end was Rena’s voice, dripping with sarcasm. “Didn’t you say you’d never see me again? Why are you still harassing Grant?” Hearing her voice jolted me awake. “What did you just say?” I growled, my voice rough. Right then, Eliza handed me a glass of water, smiling. “My bad, I had no self-control last night.” Rena, overhearing her, fell silent before her voice turned shrill. “Who are you with, Tyler?” I snapped, “None of your business,” and hung up. On her end, Rena’s friends egged her on. “Wow, he hung up on you? First time ever, Rena.” “Come on, don’t worry. Tyler’s definitely just playing hard-to-get,” they told her, each chiming in with some scheme, convinced this was a ploy to make her chase me.

It wasn’t even late, but I felt exhausted. Eliza noticed, gave me a look, and went out, returning with some of my favorite takeout. “How’d you know I like these?” I asked, surprised. Eliza grinned, tapping my head. “What, you’re not hungry? That’d be weird after all that.” “Rena never noticed, did she? In seven years, she never knew what you like to eat. But she knows what her new guy likes.” I hesitated, sensing Eliza was trying to tell me something. Then she lit a cigarette, smoke curling around us. “Think about it, Tyler. I’ve got more to offer you than she ever did.” “Why me? You could have anyone.” “You’re worth it, Tyler. You’re just missing a little boost, and I can give you that.” I put down my chopsticks, reached out a hand. “Alright. Let’s get engaged.” Eliza grinned, “Good. Three days from now, then.” She leaned in, lowering her voice. “Plus, you’ve got the Caldwell Corporation behind you now. Go after what you want.”

The hotel was decked out in elegant décor, and I could hear people’s voices mingling as they shared congratulations. The main event was for me. I was still in the back changing into my suit when my phone started buzzing non-stop. After I finished, I glanced at my phone—dozens of messages had flooded in. “Mr. Marsh, the gown is ready for pickup.” “Mr. Marsh, the rings are set.” “Mr. Marsh, the hotel booking is confirmed.” “Mr. Marsh, the roses have been delivered.” I stared at my phone in confusion. This couldn’t be some internet prank, could it? Then, Rena called. She sounded flustered and even a bit angry. “Where are you? You’re not at the office, you’re not at home. I texted you, but you blocked me. You don’t pick up calls. Tyler, what are you doing?” I sighed, my tone not exactly friendly. “Miss Hart, we’re not together anymore. Whatever I’m doing isn’t your business.” She ignored that and got right to her point. “You’re still mad because I threw Grant that engagement party, right? Well, I set one up for you, too. I’ve picked a date, invited the relatives; whatever extras you want, just tell the coordinator, and they’ll set it up.” I laughed, caught off guard. “You’re kidding, right?” Rena’s voice shot up. “Tyler, quit making a scene! If you keep this up, I’ll cancel it. But you only get one more chance. Don’t blow it.” I took a long breath. This was just so Rena, always convinced she was right, whatever the situation. “If you need help, go get it. Don’t drag me into this. We’re done.” Rena was so mad she stumbled over her words, barely managing to say, “Tyler, you’re going to regret this.” I hung up with a quick laugh. Just as I was ready, I spotted Eliza at the door in a red dress, watching me. “Rena called again?” “Yeah.” Seeing the matching rings in her hand, I put one on myself, then slid hers onto her finger. We laced our hands together and snapped a picture. After slipping the rings back, I said, “Alright, let’s go.” Eliza chuckled, and I held her hand as we walked into the hall together. I even spotted her parents sitting in the audience. I glanced at Eliza’s profile, her expression set. She was serious about this. After the ceremony, we went around, clinking glasses with the guests, each offering heartfelt congratulations. I even got a generous gift from Eliza’s parents.

That night, Jake took me out. He looked like he had something to say but was holding back. Finally, I couldn’t stand it. “What’s with the look?” Jake hesitated, took a swig of his beer, and blurted, “Ty, don’t get down over this. That girl Rena? She’s messed up.” He paused, then continued, “I saw the video of her celebrating Grant’s birthday. It went viral—she didn’t even think about you. It’s infuriating.” Jake got worked up, coughing after his rant, before taking another drink. I patted his back, calm as ever. Once he was breathing easy, I said, “Doesn’t matter. I’m engaged, too.” Then I remembered—I’d forgotten to post the engagement photos to my Instagram. After sharing it, I held up my hand to Jake. “Eliza Caldwell is my fiancée.” Jake looked stunned, slowly processing what I’d just said before finally blurting out, “Isn’t Eliza into girls?” Grabbing my hand in sudden concern, he added, “Ty, don’t throw away your life just to get back at Rena.” I laughed. “Jake, Eliza isn’t into women.” Realizing the truth, Jake practically jumped with excitement. “That’s awesome, Ty. You’re finally done with that girl. We need to celebrate!” He was beaming, saying, “I’m looking forward to being your best man.” But as soon as we got to the restaurant, there was Rena with her friends—and, of course, Grant, holding her around the waist like they were made for each other. Sammy, her best friend, spotted me first. She stepped in front of Grant, putting on a friendly smile. “Tyler, join us?” Jake was ready to snap back, but I held him off. “I’m not your brother-in-law, so stop calling me that.” Sammy fell silent, thinking I was just angry. “Look, I’ll make sure Rena apologizes to you. She knows she messed up.” She hadn’t even finished when Rena and Grant started kissing. Sammy, looking completely embarrassed, rushed over and whispered to Rena, “Hey, Tyler’s here. Maybe go talk to him?” Rena snorted. “We broke up. Why’s he here?” “Don’t do this. He hasn’t spoken to you in two months. You don’t want to push him away.” Another friend chimed in, “So what if it’s been two months? He still came running when he heard she was celebrating someone else’s birthday.” Rena sighed, rolling her eyes. “Birthdays come every year. He can get lost.” Grant, ever the gentleman, tugged her arm gently, saying, “It’s okay, Rena. Tyler’s more important.” Right then, my phone rang. I put it on speaker. A woman’s voice floated over the line, “Baby, when are you coming home? I miss you.” Rena stiffened, recognizing the voice. It was the same one she’d heard on the phone last time.

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I Have a Special Mind Reading Ability: I Can Hear the Thoughts of Those Who Don’t Love Me On the eve of my wedding, I suddenly heard my fiancé’s thoughts: “If she tries to hijack the wedding tomorrow, running away in dress shoes might not be the best idea.” I kept quiet and decisively boarded a flight out of the country the next day. Later, that wedding became the talk of the town – both the bride and groom had run away. I’ve always possessed a special mind-reading ability: I can hear the thoughts of people who don’t love me. This ability allows me to easily judge whether someone’s love for me is genuine or fake. I can quickly distance myself from fake friendships and remain unmoved by confessions from long-time crushes. Even when buying durian, I can use the vendor’s thoughts to pick the one with the most flesh and sweetest taste. Because I can hear every single thought clearly. To avoid too much mental noise, I usually avoid eye contact with strangers in daily life. But when I first met Derek, the world became so quiet that I could only hear our clear dialogue: “Hello, may I get to know you?” No thoughts. When our eyes met, I couldn’t read Derek’s thoughts. “Hello.” During the time Derek pursued me, the sounds in my ears were simple and pure. I believed he truly loved me. So we fell in love, dated, and then talked about marriage. For two whole years, I never heard his thoughts. But on the eve of our wedding, I suddenly could hear Derek’s thoughts. Due to the wedding, Derek had been especially busy lately. He came from a wealthy family and had successfully taken over his father’s position, independently managing the family’s financial company. Because of the wedding itinerary, we had many things to handle in advance, especially in the last two months. I’ve always been an independent woman and respected Derek’s career as well. So we hadn’t seen each other much lately. But today, as we were finalizing the outfits, I couldn’t help feeling sweet at the thought of our rare time together. When I arrived at the studio on time, he was already there trying on shoes. After saying something to the staff, he walked out while talking on the phone, his tone very reassuring. I could understand his busyness; managing a company wasn’t easy, especially since the White family had more than one heir. We exchanged a knowing glance. But suddenly I heard Derek’s voice in my head: “Yvonne says she’s going to hijack the wedding tomorrow. I should wear sneakers to run more easily.” Yvonne? Hijack the wedding? I froze on the spot, staring at his mouth, confirming this was indeed his inner thoughts. I didn’t know how to react. Even though it was a hot summer day outside, a chill spread through my body, paralyzing me. I could hear his thoughts now, and the implications were obvious. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the staff following his instructions, placing a pair of comfortable sneakers with the wedding attire. Derek nodded at me and prepared to walk out. This was our tacit understanding; he probably had some important matter to handle. But the words I just heard in my mind were undeniable, and I never mishear thoughts. My body almost moved on its own, following him. I called out, somewhat in disbelief: “Derek?” I was eager to read more of his thoughts, to understand what this man who bore the title of my fiancé was really thinking. Why did he suddenly have a change of heart right before the wedding? My call made Derek pause just as he was about to get into the backseat, but it was only a brief pause. He turned back, hastily explaining to me before instructing the driver to speed away: “Sorry, a client suddenly has an urgent matter. I need to rush over there.” He was lying. At that moment, what he was really thinking was: “I can tell from her voice that Yvonne is angry. If I don’t go comfort her now, she probably won’t let me come home tonight.” I’ve never been one to just wallow in self-pity. Rather than overthinking things myself, it’s better to take action. I directly found an excuse to meet Derek’s secretary privately, using my mind-reading ability to gather more information. Her name was Yvonne. She was Derek’s first love. Yvonne was the illegitimate daughter of the You family. Mrs. You never acknowledged her, so her position had always been awkwardly ambiguous. Unfortunately, Derek’s family opposed their relationship. Yvonne had too much pride and left Derek, disappearing without a trace after being humiliated. Derek’s love at first sight for me was simply because I somewhat resembled Yvonne in appearance. Now that the real deal was back, he naturally didn’t need me as a substitute anymore. The timing of Yvonne’s return happened to coincide with Derek being exceptionally busy two months ago. The logic was clear and fit perfectly. This kind of story made me shake my head and laugh helplessly. I never expected such a cliché “substitute” plot could apply to me. Yvonne wanted to use hijacking the wedding as a way to declare her ownership of Derek, while also getting revenge on me for occupying the “Mrs. White” position for so long. And Derek needed this occasion to prove his unwavering love for Yvonne, placate his angry little wife, and force his family to accept Yvonne. As for me and this carefully prepared wedding, we were just props in their play. This world is just one big cliché romance novel. Honestly, it was so ridiculous I couldn’t help but curse. That night, the lights in my apartment were still on. Even though the wedding was the next day, I was busy packing my luggage without a moment’s rest. Two hours ago, I had booked a first-class flight abroad. If they want to play games, I can play too. If Derek can let Yvonne hijack the wedding, I can naturally return the favor by pulling a “vanishing act” and running away from the wedding. Fortunately, my family had already settled abroad, and we hadn’t made a big fuss inviting relatives and friends from there to this wedding. We only invited some close friends in the country. Originally, we thought since both sets of parents had met during the engagement, we could have another ceremony abroad later, saving relatives and friends the trouble of traveling back and forth with language barriers. This plan actually made it convenient for me to run away from the wedding now. I briefly told my best friend Tessa about my thoughts. She silently took the packing box from my hands, looking serious. Unable to read her thoughts, I saw her reaction was off and had to ask: “Tessa, are you going to stop me?” Tessa rolled her eyes and retorted: “Hell no. I brought you a sturdy bag for packing stuff.” Oh right, I forgot Tessa’s family was in the agricultural business. On the wedding day, dressed in a greeting gown, I stood with Derek welcoming guests from afar. This time, Derek’s thoughts were so loud they gave me a headache: “Has Yvonne arrived yet?” “I can finally be with Yvonne. It’s been three years, I’ve waited for Yvonne for three years. She’s finally going to become Mrs. White.” “With this wedding hijacking, Yvonne will believe my heart has never changed, right?” … I couldn’t help but shudder and frown at Derek several times. But he didn’t show it on his face, still caring for me in his usual gentle manner: “Aria, you don’t look well. Why don’t you go rest in the lounge for a bit? I can greet the guests outside, and you can make your entrance when the ceremony starts.” That works. Actually, I should find an excuse to slip away soon anyway. I agreed, and just as I was about to change out of my little reception dress into casual clothes, I happened to run into Yvonne at the door. Thanks to our similar looks and my mind-reading ability, I recognized her at a glance. I held back Tessa’s arm as she was about to lunge at the mistress in her bridesmaid dress, pretending to be oblivious: “You must be Derek’s friend, right? Hurry inside, our wedding ceremony starts in a few hours.” Yvonne’s smile froze, seemingly displeased by my intimate way of addressing Derek. Her words had a sarcastic tone: “Miss Wood, I’m so sorry, but we seem to be wearing similar dresses today. If people who don’t know better see us, won’t they think I’m the bride?” Yvonne’s arrogant thoughts rang out in sync: “Go ahead and smile. In three hours, your groom will run away with me. Let’s see if you can still smile then.” I maintained my smile, shaking my head indifferently. I instructed a nearby waiter to show her to her seat: “Idiot, I’ve made it this obvious and she still doesn’t realize I’m here to cause trouble?” As we passed each other, Tessa couldn’t help but complain to me: “Did you see how arrogant she looked? I can’t stand it.” I nodded noncommittally: “She sees me as a joke now, after all Derek is prepared to let her hijack the wedding. Not only can the lovers finally be together, but she can also force the White family to acknowledge her status in front of me. ” The wedding venue wasn’t far from the airport. I sat in the waiting lounge, staring at the time on my phone, waiting for the farce to begin. Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! My phone vibrated continuously as Tessa excitedly spammed me with live updates: “Aria, it’s really happening! It’s really happening!” “Damn, they’re making their affair look like some epic love story. So shameless.” The official ceremony had only started five minutes ago when Tessa sent me a video of the wedding scene. According to the program, after Derek went on stage and the host gave a sappy, emotional speech about their love story, the bride was supposed to make her entrance. And Yvonne planned to hijack the wedding at this crucial moment. Yvonne deliberately wore the same greeting dress as the bride, quickly went up on stage and snatched the microphone from the host. Despite the murmurs from the audience below, she poured out her love in an endless stream. Her bold and blatant words brought tears to Derek’s eyes. “Derek, will you come with me?” The guest seats erupted in an uproar. Taking away the groom on his wedding day – wasn’t this blatant wedding hijacking? The worst part was that Derek nodded in agreement with a moved expression, walking to Yvonne’s side and interlocking their fingers: “I will.” Yvonne’s vanity was fully satisfied at this moment. She even had the mood to give an “acceptance speech” to the bride separated by a large door, basically saying she knew I really liked Derek, but Derek loved her the most, and she hoped I would give them my blessing. In the video, Derek was wearing a pair of sneakers that clashed horribly with his formal suit. Yvonne could barely contain the smugness in her expression as she held the microphone. Yvonne was probably eager to see my devastated reaction. She had even prepared comforting words in her mind: “I hope Miss Wood can give her blessing to this beautiful love story between me and Derek.” “Miss Wood?” The atmosphere suddenly became extremely awkward at this point. After all, the person being humiliated wasn’t there, so this triumphant scene just became a clownish farce. “Miss Wood?” “Miss Wood?” … Yvonne called out several times with no response, until the etiquette officer opened the large doors. Behind them was an empty space, with only the carelessly discarded white veil symbolizing the bride’s unknown whereabouts. The crowd suddenly became noisy, and someone shouted: “Holy crap, did the bride run away from the wedding too?”

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The night my parents were kidnapped, my police officer brother wanted to accompany his fake sister bungee jumping. I didn’t stop him and decisively called the police to prepare the ransom. In my previous life, my brother didn’t go with the fake sister to save our parents. As a result, when she went bungee jumping, the rope broke, and she fell into the cliff. Her body was never found. My brother didn’t say a word afterwards. On my birthday, he drugged me and took me to that cliff. “You planned the kidnapping. You’ve gone too far in your pursuit of attention. You’re a demon!” “Olivia died, so you shouldn’t live either!” When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my parents were kidnapped. This time, my brother didn’t launch a rescue mission but rushed to his fake sister instead. Later, however, he regretted it to the point of almost going insane. I suddenly opened my eyes, my forehead covered in sweat. My heart was pounding wildly in my chest, as if it was about to burst out. The feeling of weightlessness hadn’t dissipated yet, and the familiar room layout came into view. I checked the time. I had been reborn, reborn on the day my parents were kidnapped. In five minutes, the kidnappers would call, demanding that we prepare the ransom within an hour, or they would kill my parents. I was the Bailey family’s daughter who had been lost for eighteen years. It hadn’t even been a year since I returned to my parents’ embrace, and they were already my everything. No matter what, I couldn’t let the tragedy of my previous life happen again. I quickly went downstairs to wait by the phone, with my police officer brother Lucas, dressed in a tactical outfit and casual pants, following closely behind. “Mia, why are you so nervous? Who are you acting for? Mom and Dad aren’t even here.” “Aren’t they ‘kidnapped’ by you?” I retorted. Lucas revealed a mocking smile. At that moment, I was certain he had also been reborn. His current expression seemed to be telling me, don’t struggle, it’s useless. Without his parents to play along with me, this show would end even sooner. In my previous life, Lucas believed that I had meticulously planned the kidnapping, aiming to gain attention and make our parents care about me more. I didn’t know where he got such an absurd conclusion from. In this new life, Lucas decided to directly ignore my “trap.” “Mia, don’t blame me for not warning you, instigating a crime is also a crime.” “Don’t cry and beg me to bail you out when you end up in jail.” I wanted to say something more, but as soon as I opened my mouth, the urgent ringing of the phone interrupted me. Each ring felt like a needle piercing my heart. Lucas, however, acted as if he couldn’t hear it. Before leaving, a hint of disdain flashed across his brow. “Do whatever you want. I’m going to accompany Olivia bungee jumping.” “Anyway, nothing will really happen to them. Don’t bother me unless it’s necessary.” That’s not what he said in my previous life. Using his years of accumulated criminal investigation skills, Lucas quickly located the kidnappers’ hideout. In just one hour, he brought our parents back unharmed. That day, I was so focused on my traumatized parents that I completely missed the suspicion and anger hidden in Lucas’s eyes. It wasn’t until later when he tied me up at the cliff’s edge that I realized. During the rescue, Olivia Chen had called Lucas countless times. Because Lucas didn’t answer her calls, she went bungee jumping alone and had an accident. Now, the phone’s ringing sounded like a death knell, making me feel anxious all over. I picked up, and the kidnapper’s voice came through clearly. “Two million dollars, prepare it within two hours, or your parents won’t make it.” I stared in horror, my eyes wide. What? Wasn’t it only one million dollars in my previous life?!

I gripped the receiver tightly, cold sweat dripping down my face. It seemed that the realities of the two lives were slightly different, so the kidnappers’ location might have changed as well. I, who had been confident just moments ago, suddenly began to panic. I begged with a sob in my voice. “Can you give me a little more time? I…” The other end hung up immediately. I quickly composed myself, knowing that showing weakness to these desperados was useless. The urgent matter at hand was to prepare the ransom and confirm the location. My hand quickly wrote down the information I knew from my previous life on a piece of paper. There were two kidnappers, both young men, and the kidnapping location was at one of their homes. The ransom was one million dollars, to be deposited in the third trash can at the south entrance of the train station. The kidnappers hadn’t even had time to collect the money before my brother raided their hideout, saving both the money and our parents. Thinking of this, I immediately picked up my phone to call the police and contacted Uncle Quinn, my dad’s good friend and a shareholder in the company, asking the finance department to prepare cash directly. Uncle Quinn sounded just as panicked as I was on the phone. “Call the police, Mia. I’ll take care of the money.” My heart finally settled a bit. Two minutes later, the police arrived. James Xu, my brother’s colleague and good friend, entered with a sour expression. “Mia, your brother just called me. Luckily, I was nearby…” “Filing a false police report is against the law!” All my courage and hope crumbled at that moment. Lucas was convinced that I was the mastermind behind the kidnapping, so he specifically sent his good friend to respond to the call. His goal was to stop my “unreasonable behavior.” Without police force and a criminal investigation expert to crack the location, how could I solve this? Unable to control my emotions, I crumpled the clues in my hand into a ball. Just thinking about my parents being tortured by the kidnappers, I broke down and cried out loud. “Officer James, I’m not lying. I’m an adult, I’ll take responsibility for my actions.” “Please, I need the police’s help. I need you to help me save my parents!” I cried uncontrollably, constantly checking the clock. Almost ten minutes had passed already, and I didn’t have much time left. James leaned back on the sofa, casually scrolling through his phone. Seeing me cry didn’t evoke even a hint of sympathy from him. “They say kids raised in orphanages are cunning. You think crying can emotionally blackmail people?” “Your brother was right, those who weren’t raised from childhood just don’t get it. Your hearts aren’t in the same place.” “Olivia is much more sensible than you…” Olivia and I had different fates. She was adopted by my parents at eight years old and raised like a precious pearl. Especially my brother, whose protection of her bordered on pathological thoroughness. Even after they both became adults, they often slept together, hugging each other. The ticking of the clock brought me back to reality. I forced myself to calm down, suppressing the tumultuous emotions inside. “James.” I called his name solemnly. “Since you’ve responded to the call, you have an obligation to address my report…” Before I could finish, James interrupted me with a merciless laugh. “You little girl, trying to act all noble here.” “You think you can control everything just because you’re back in the Bailey family? You’re like an outsider in this house.” His words made me feel like I’d fallen into an icy pit. “Your brother told me everything. Your parents don’t really love you that much, they often mix up your name with Olivia’s.” “You’ve been playing mind games at home to get attention, making Olivia move out.” James was eating from a fruit platter without a care in the world while belittling me. I knew these words weren’t baseless; they were accumulated impressions my own brother had passed on to him over time. In their eyes, I was just a scheming girl who only cared about getting attention. I stood in front of him again. How he saw me didn’t matter at all. “What will it take for you to believe me? My parents are in real danger right now.” “If we miss the golden rescue window, can you bear that responsibility?” James paused his actions and stood up from the sofa. “Then go ahead and report me. Little girls like you just need to be taught a lesson…” Before he could finish, two uniformed police officers appeared at the door. “Is Mia here? We received a report and are here to handle the case.” My legs nearly gave out, and I almost fell to the ground. Finally, there was hope for my parents!

Seeing the newcomers, James immediately went over to shake hands. “We’re all colleagues. I’m here to check on Lucas’s sister.” Only then did I notice that James was in plain clothes. Next, as he walked towards the door, intending to slip away, he was stopped by the two police officers. I stepped forward to report the current situation. “Officers! My parents have really been kidnapped. I have a recording!” The phone call I had specifically recorded finally came in handy. When the kidnapper’s voice played, James’s face turned pale. “But Lucas said it was just actors…” “He said this was all your own production.” I snorted coldly, not bothering to waste words on him. I slowly unfolded the crumpled paper in my hand. Relying on the somewhat blurred memory fragments from my previous life, I carefully recalled those details. Quickly organizing and piecing together the information in my mind, I finally thought of a good explanation that could directly provide clues from my previous life. “Officers! I can provide information about the suspects. They’ve appeared near my house before.” “The voice sounds very similar… They asked me for directions at the time. I can’t be entirely sure.” Soon, a sketch artist and listening equipment were in place. I concentrated on describing the appearance of the two kidnappers. After comparing with known criminals, results came quickly. They were two young men who had been imprisoned for robbery before. One of them had rented a house using his real name, and the police immediately arranged a rescue operation. I sat on the sofa, but I felt like I had just been pulled out of a pool. Cold sweat had soaked through my clothes. 20 minutes later, the police officer accompanying me received a report. “I’m sorry, Mia, we didn’t find your parents at the scene.” “But we did find this.” There were many secretly taken photos in the kidnappers’ house, not only of my parents but also of me. “They’ve been scoping out the place for a long time. Don’t worry, these two won’t get away.” My brain was about to explode. The thing I feared most had ultimately happened. The kidnappers had changed the location where they were holding the hostages. That meant all these clues I had were useless. James was calling my brother in a corner. Even though he tried to keep his voice down, I could hear him clearly. “It’s a real kidnapping. We already have suspects. You should come back quickly…” Lucas actually laughed out loud on the other end. The words he said seemed intentionally loud enough for me to hear. “Give it up. The bigger you play, the harder you’ll fall…” “When Mom and Dad lose face and disown you, don’t cry…” The fear and hatred from my previous life surged up instantly. Even if he disliked me, his sister who had only recently been found, he shouldn’t disbelieve others’ words at a time like this. I wasn’t wrong, and our parents were even less so. The son they had lovingly raised for over twenty years was now ignoring their safety to accompany a fake sister. If our parents knew, I wonder how heartbroken they would be. I felt it wasn’t worth it for them. As I wiped away the tears from the corner of my eye, the landline in the house suddenly rang loudly. The officer in charge of monitoring gave me a look. My heart suddenly accelerated. The kidnappers were calling again! The officer in charge of monitoring gave me an OK sign. My whole body was shaking as I picked up the receiver. A nearby officer used a card to remind me.

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My daughter-in-law, Camille Harper, and my dog gave birth on the same day. I made some catfish chowder to help my dog produce milk for her pups. To my surprise, Camille drank the chowder without saying a word. I told her, “That catfish chowder was made for the puppies. It’s to help the dog produce milk. How could you fight the dog for food?” She was furious and asked, “Are you saying your grandson is less important than a dog?” I replied firmly, “Yes!” …………. Content Camille’s eyes welled up with tears, and she stormed off to complain to my son, Miles Clifton. “Did you hear what your mom just said? Does she even talk like a normal person?” Miles gave me a bewildered look. “Mom, what’s gotten into you? What nonsense are you saying? Aiden is your grandson!” He threw me a pleading look, silently asking me to apologize to Camille. Camille slammed her bowl onto the table. “That’s it. I’m done with this! Unbelievable! You’re not fit to be a mother, a mother-in-law, or a grandmother!” Normally mild-mannered, Camille snapped for the first time. Seeing that Camille was ready to pack up and leave, Miles quickly embraced her, speaking in soft, apologetic tones. “Babe, I’m so sorry. I’ll fix this. Mom’s going through menopause. Please don’t take her words to heart.” Camille sobbed and vented her frustration. “I’ve never met someone as heartless as your mom! I gave birth, and she didn’t even come to the hospital. She said her dog was giving birth and she needed to stay home to take care of it! Who does that? Who values a dog more than their own grandchild?” “I’ve been struggling with breastfeeding, and when I saw the catfish chowder on the table, I thought, ‘Finally, she’s acting like a proper grandmother.’ But no! That chowder was for the dog! Is Miles even her biological son? Even if she doesn’t like me, Aiden is still her grandson. How can she be so cold?” Miles, clearly disappointed, turned to me. “Mom, this is too much.” I responded calmly, “The dog is very important to me.” Camille was so upset that she avoided speaking to me for days. But eventually, with Miles mediating, she let it go and stopped bringing it up. Miles soon returned to work after his paternity leave ended. Before leaving, he asked me to take care of Camille and Aiden. “Mom, I’m counting on you to help Camille and Aiden while I’m at work,” he said. I wasn’t thrilled. “If you don’t trust me, you can hire a nanny.” Miles coaxed me with a promise. “Mom, I’ll get you a pearl necklace with my first paycheck, okay?” He probably thought the promise of jewelry would motivate me to take better care of Camille during her recovery. It didn’t. Instead, I went back to the market, bought fresh catfish, and made chowder for the dog. For lunch, I made myself plain porridge and pickled veggies. At my age, eating light is easier on the stomach. Camille, still recovering from her C-section, came out of her room looking for food. “Mom, what did you make?” Her tone was forced and reluctant, clearly an attempt to keep the peace for Miles’ sake. “There’s plain porridge in the pot and half a bag of pickled veggies left. That should be enough for you,” I replied. She looked at me in disbelief. “Do you hate me that much? Your grandson is your flesh and blood!” Her voice broke as tears filled her eyes. The strain pulled at her stitches, and she leaned against the wall in pain. I met her gaze, unbothered. “Before you married into this family, this is how I lived. It’s been my routine for years. If you don’t like it, I suggest you order takeout.” Camille looked utterly defeated. “If you don’t like me, why did you even agree to let me and Miles get married?” Camille and Miles had been high school sweethearts, dating for nine years before tying the knot and having Aiden.

The two of them had a solid relationship to this day. When I didn’t respond, Camille became more agitated. “I know you’ve always looked down on me because I’m an orphan. You think I’m not good enough for Miles.” “But Miles and I love each other deeply. Even if you don’t like me, I’ve always respected you as his mother.” I yawned, ignoring her words, and headed to my bedroom. “I’m tired. I’m going to sleep. If Aiden cries, handle it. Don’t wake me.” Behind me, Camille yelled, “You’re not just torturing me—you’re hurting your own son!” She then called Miles to complain, standing purposefully outside my door so I could hear every word. That evening, Miles sat me down for a long talk. After a while, he finally asked, “What did Camille do to make you dislike her so much? For my sake, could you please treat her a little better?” I couldn’t stop the tears that welled up. “My son has grown up. I guess it’s time for me to step back gracefully.” Seeing me cry, Miles decided not to press further. The next day, Miles spent $5,000 hiring a nanny to take care of Camille. Camille was thrilled. She smirked at me, saying, “What goes around comes around. Everyone grows old. I don’t believe there will never come a day when you need me. As long as Miles treats me well, I don’t care what you think. I’m spending my life with him, not you.” I cradled my dog while Camille held Aiden. Seeing me gently stroke the dog’s fur, she lost her composure again. “You’re one of a kind! You cuddle your dog all day and ignore your own grandson.” With the nanny around, Camille began treating me like I didn’t exist. But the nanny didn’t stay overnight, and Aiden cried frequently during the night. After several sleepless nights, I’d had enough. That night, I knocked on their door. Miles looked at me hopefully. “Mom, thank God. Please take Aiden for the night. I have to work tomorrow, and Camille hasn’t slept in days. Can you help us out?” Camille gave me a look as if the sun had risen in the west. “I can’t,” I said. “The baby’s crying keeps me up. I haven’t slept well in days. Maybe you should consider renting a place of your own.” Miles stared at me in disbelief. “Mom, what are you saying?” “I’m saying,” I repeated, “that I’d like you to move out. That way, we can all get some rest.” Camille, livid, turned to Miles. “See? This is your mom! Sometimes I wonder if you were adopted. Who acts like this in the 21st century? A nightmare of a mother-in-law, and it’s all coming from her own mouth!” Miles, upset, gave a cold laugh. “Fine. I’m starting to think I’m not even your real son.” The next day, Miles took the day off to have a heart-to-heart with me. Sitting across from me, he spoke gently. “Mom, you used to love me so much. Why have you changed since Aiden was born? I always thought you were the kindest person. I just don’t understand.” Holding his hand, I replied, “Eighty percent of men face conflicts between their mother and their wife. I can’t make sense of it all, but living apart can prevent more problems. Isn’t that a good solution?” Miles looked conflicted. “But I only make $12,000 a month. Between the $5,000 nanny and $7,000 for our expenses, we can barely make it. There’s no room for rent.” “Then find a cheaper place,” I said. Miles didn’t expect me to be so resolute, especially at a time like this. It seemed even more heartless that I was pushing them out of the house.

Miles was so angry with me that he didn’t speak to me for days. One day, as I was doing laundry, I accidentally found a DNA test report in the pocket of his suit jacket. It was a paternity test between Miles and me. The results confirmed we were biological mother and son. Yet, Miles’s attitude towards me changed noticeably after that. He stopped calling me “Mom” as often and hardly spoke to me anymore. A week later, Miles announced that they’d found a new place to live and were moving out. I offered, “Let me help you move.” Miles coldly declined. “No need. We don’t have much to take.” Camille shot me a scornful glare. “What a fake gesture.” They moved out without telling me their new address. I only heard from them again when I was invited to Aiden’s one-month birthday party. When I arrived, Camille greeted me with a sarcastic tone. “Well, look who decided to show up—Aiden’s grandma! Surprised you could tear yourself away from your precious dog.” Relatives tried to soothe her. “Now, now, Camille, don’t hold a grudge against your mother-in-law. She’s had a tough life, losing her husband and raising Miles on her own. She’s probably just going through a rough patch. Try to understand her.” Camille cast a disdainful glance at me and seemed ready to say more, but Miles’s aunt, Beatrice, quickly changed the subject. “It’s Aiden’s big day! Grandma must’ve brought a big gift for her grandson, right?” I handed Camille a small box containing a silver bracelet. “This is for Aiden.” Camille didn’t take it. “No need. Aiden doesn’t lack anything.” Miles looked at the bracelet, visibly unimpressed. “I shouldn’t have invited you.” Relatives pulled me aside to give advice. “Gladys, don’t be so stubborn. Miles is your only son, and with your husband gone, he’s all you’ve got for support in old age.” “Even if you don’t like Camille, Aiden is still your grandson. You can’t afford to let things stay this tense.” Camille overheard and snidely remarked, “Some people are just too cold-hearted to be reasoned with!” What should’ve been a joyous occasion turned somber because of my presence. Over time, my relationship with Miles deteriorated further. Months turned into years, and we barely spoke. Ten years passed. In that time, Miles never visited me. I sent messages, but he never replied. Then one day, Liam came down with a high fever, and I took him to the hospital. There, I ran into Camille and Aiden, who were also there for a doctor’s visit. Camille stared at me and Liam, her face a mix of disbelief and contempt. Liam bore a striking resemblance to me. She smirked, her voice dripping with mockery. “Well, now it all makes sense. No wonder you treated Miles and Aiden so poorly—you’ve been busy raising a secret child! Sixty-five years old and you have a ten-year-old? That’s a new record, even for you, Gladys!” Aiden tugged at her sleeve, confused. “Mom, who’s that?” Camille raised her voice deliberately. “That, sweetheart, is your so-called grandma—the one who’s ignored us for ten years!” Right there in the hospital, she called Miles. “You’d better come down here. You need to meet your little brother—the secret love child Mom’s been hiding from us!” I hurried to shield Liam, who started crying in fear. He was about the same age as Aiden, but the two couldn’t have been more different in that moment. I left in a rush, but the next day, Miles informed me he was calling a family meeting. He wanted to officially sever ties with me and adamantly refused to acknowledge Liam. I decided it was time to reveal some truths that had long been buried.

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For seven years with the boss, by day I was his meticulous Miss Turner, handling every detail, and by night I was his obedient and mysterious little girlfriend. Until just now, the boss calmly said, “I won’t be coming tomorrow.” “No need to try to keep me, this house is yours, as compensation for these seven years…” Me: “Great!” “…Miss Turner, after I leave I won’t be coming back!” Me: “Have a safe trip!” Boss: “???” 0 The day before we broke up, Harrison bought me a sexy nightgown. I looked at his deep eyes and his face full of restraint, and suddenly laughed. I never thought that this man, who had always been as serious as an old fogey, would want to play this game on our last day together. I excitedly put on the nightgown, and then, in the heat of the moment, I heard him call out, “Alina.” No longer “Miss Turner,” but Alina. The year I got together with Harrison, I had just graduated from college. During the day, I was his meticulous Miss Turner, and at night, I was his obedient and mysterious girlfriend. Except for Harrison’s senior assistant, no one knew – his girlfriend. This went on for seven years. From when I was twenty-two to twenty-nine, even Emily, who had always been by Harrison’s side, said that if she were me, she would have taken the initiative to strive for a higher position long ago! After all, for so many years, I was the only woman by Harrison’s side. Not only was I good-looking, but I was also careful and serious at work. In terms of appearance and work ability, Harrison and I were a perfect match. Emily spoke with envy on her face, and even I almost had the illusion that I might be able to rise to the position of CEO’s wife. Until just now, the man I had accompanied for seven full years looked at me and said calmly, “Miss Turner, I won’t be coming tomorrow.” The man spoke indifferently, but when he looked at me, there seemed to be a hint of reluctance in his eyes? Reluctance? Haha! When I confirmed that I had indeed seen this emotion in the man’s eyes, I only found it laughable. Because, I had been by this man’s side for seven years. Even if he were a hard stone, his heart should have been warmed by now. But in the end, whether in public or private, the man’s address to me was always just “Miss Turner.” I lowered my eyes and didn’t speak. When I raised my head again, I looked as if I was very sad, quietly waiting for Harrison’s explanation. Sure enough, Harrison’s next words came. “I’m going to have a dinner date with the daughter of the Lee Group tomorrow evening.” “I’ll leave this apartment to you, as compensation for these seven years.” Harrison paused and said, “Miss Turner, I hope you won’t make any unnecessary attempts to keep me.” This apartment Harrison gave me was worth a fortune in the expensive city center! “Okay!” Before Harrison could finish speaking, I looked straight into his eyes and replied. Was there a hint of eagerness in my tone? No! I didn’t! I thought to myself, wondering if I had been too obvious, and immediately lowered my head again, squeezing out two tears before raising my head. I was about to display my superb acting skills as I had done day and night for these seven years. As a result, Harrison placed the expensive-looking bag that Emily had just brought in front of me. The next second. That very sexy nightgown, with so little fabric that even I, a woman, had to gasp, was presented before my eyes. I looked up in confusion. The man’s expression was as serious as ever, but when he met my overly shocked gaze, even that handsome face that seemed as beautiful as a deity couldn’t help but turn slightly. Then, Harrison’s earlobes, red as if they could drip blood, suddenly came into view. 0

Me: “…” Damn! The old fogey could actually blush? This is too tempting! And I happen to be someone who can’t resist the temptation of beauty! I looked at his deep eyes, his face full of restraint, sitting upright, with the buttons of his white shirt buttoned up to the top. I stroked my chin, my red lips curled slightly, and the interest in my eyes was unmistakable. You should know that in the seven years I’ve been with Harrison, he has always been extremely serious. Even when doing indescribable things, he was still rigorous, the same place, time, and position for seven years, never changing… But I never thought that on our last day together, Harrison would have such an unreasonable yet irresistible request? I got excited. Smiling, I changed into the nightgown right in front of Harrison, then sat on his lap… The light in Harrison’s eyes flickered, and his tall body couldn’t help but stiffen. “Don’t panic, don’t panic.” While taking the initiative, I was worried that Harrison couldn’t bear it and would run away halfway, disturbing my mood. So I leaned forward and whispered in Harrison’s ear, comforting him intimately. Everything was as natural as it had been for the past seven years, but perhaps because it was the last time, towards the end, this jerk Harrison seemed unwilling to maintain his old fogey image anymore, and when he got worked up, he actually had some new tricks… Then, in the heat of the moment, I heard him call out, “Alina.” This was the first time. No longer Miss Turner, but Alina. But so what? The jerk would still leave after putting his pants back on. And I’ve always liked to strike first. I wanted to turn my back on Harrison before he disowned me! I opened my eyes, outside the window, it was bright daylight. I sighed slightly, then kicked the man lying beside me off the bed. Harrison seemed a bit dazed when he was kicked off, after all, as a big CEO, this was probably the first time he had been kicked off the bed by a woman! I narrowed my eyes, spread my hands, and smiled innocently, “Sorry, Mr. Ford, from now on, this apartment, including everything in it, is mine. Of course, that includes this bed.” After I finished speaking, I made a “please” gesture. The meaning was clear. Harrison’s eye twitched, and his eyes turned cold. For the first time, I didn’t indulge him and instead stubbornly stared back at him without fear. The next second, Harrison approached me. There was undisguised gloom in his eyes. Evidently, he was in an extremely angry state. Why was he angry? I looked at him, full of confusion. However, fortunately, his CEO demeanor was still intact. He put on his clothes and returned to his usual restrained, unapproachable appearance. Looking very proper. Of course, this time I wasn’t fooled by his old fogey appearance. I just quietly stood by his side, urging him to leave my home as soon as possible. Harrison seemed to be extremely angry. He had almost walked out the door when he suddenly turned back, looked down at me, his expression cold and his tone indifferent, looking just like an abandoned wife, “Miss Turner, after I leave, I won’t come back again.” Harrison paused and continued, “Miss Turner, don’t you have anything else you want to say?” 0

Me: “… Have a safe trip?” Harrison’s face turned colder. I pushed Harrison out with my hand. With a bang, I closed the door. As Harrison’s most attentive secretary, I started work at seven every morning, preparing his daily work schedule. Under the work schedule I had recorded yesterday, I expressionlessly added another item: [8:00 PM, Harrison to have dinner with the daughter of the Lee Group.] I set the address for Harrison at a high-end restaurant he often went to, in his exclusive VVVIP room, and specially instructed the restaurant manager that Mr. Ford was going on a date, so the dinner must be prepared exquisitely, romantically, and with a good atmosphere. When the restaurant manager heard me say this, she was very excited and gossipy. After all, as our old partner, she naturally knew that this was the first time in so many years that Harrison was going on a date with a girl, and it was a candlelit dinner, definitely not ordinary! Moreover, Harrison was thirty-five this year, and it was time for him to get married. This girl might be the future Mrs. Ford. Of course, everything had to be prepared perfectly. The restaurant manager gave me a knowing look. I returned an equally excited and gossipy look to the restaurant manager, basically implying that if things went well, she would be well rewarded. The restaurant manager became even more eager. And I quickly got into work, as diligent as ever. As if nothing had happened, but this time, when the pink roses appeared on the desk again, I didn’t throw them into the trash can as I had done this past year. Instead, I unwrapped its delicate packaging. I emptied out the super large capacity red mug I usually used for drinking water, and filled it halfway with water. During lunch break, I took out scissors and leisurely trimmed this bunch of pink roses and put them in. I placed it on the desk. Although I was already twenty-nine years old, for me, it was just the right age to be charming and graceful. Perhaps because of the pursuit over these seven years, in order not to embarrass Harrison and to become a woman that could satisfy Harrison, I had always forced myself to meet Harrison’s requirements in terms of both appearance and inner self. Diligent during work hours, even more diligent outside of work hours. In the time when Harrison wasn’t around, I worked on both my external and internal qualities, looking for suitable makeup, hairstyles, and outfit combinations, practicing foreign languages as if squeezing water from a sponge, settling down to understand the structure of the Ford Group, how important departments operate, the preferences of important clients, and the reasons why the Ford Group could continue to be a very competitive company in the capital, etc. I strived to be well-informed about everything, big or small. As a result, even though I was now twenty-nine years old, perhaps because of my demeanor, I could easily become the object of pursuit by partners when I went on a business trip with Harrison. It wasn’t surprising to receive a few bouquets of flowers, but what was worth noting was that this mysterious flower sender who sent me pink roses persisted in sending them for a year, even after I had repeatedly expressed to my colleagues that I didn’t want to accept flowers from strangers anymore. And they could appear on my desk day after day, rain or shine. This was very intriguing. At six in the afternoon, Harrison finished his meeting. I was about to remind Harrison that he should prepare for his date with Miss Lee. As Harrison’s attentive secretary, I had specially asked a friend to find out Miss Lee’s preferences, just like when Harrison was going to meet important clients, and I had prepared an expensive diamond necklace for Miss Lee. 0

To ensure the success of Harrison’s blind date. As a result, just as I was about to enter the office, I saw Emily walking out of the office. Emily looked at me, hesitating, but finally spoke, “Miss Turner, Mr. Ford said he has already prepared a gift for Miss Lee, you don’t need to prepare one. Also, Mr. Ford told me to tell you that you don’t need to accompany him today, you can get off work.” Is this the legendary happiness of getting off work? Faced with this sudden surprise, I was overjoyed and at a loss. Emily looked at me again and sighed heavily, saying very sadly, “Miss Turner, don’t be too heartbroken.” Me: “…Emily, thank you for your concern, I’m fine.” I’m not heartbroken at all! I explained seriously word by word, but after explaining, Emily seemed to feel even more sorry for me. Her usually small eyes widened with sympathy: “Miss Turner, don’t pretend to be strong anymore!” Me: “…” After Emily finished speaking, as if thinking of something, she looked around and pulled me to a corner, whispering, “But, Miss Turner, although you and Mr. Ford aren’t meant to be, when God closes a door, he opens a window…” Emily said, and then sneakily glanced at me again, as if making some major decision, and said, “I know a very nice man, whose appearance and financial conditions are not inferior to Mr. Ford’s. Do you want to meet him?” Ah, this… Emily’s eyes were so bright! Her usually meticulous tone was filled with three parts expectation and seven parts excitement! My intuition told me that the man Emily wanted to introduce must be extraordinary! Otherwise, Emily, who was used to seeing big scenes, wouldn’t be so excited! I blinked my eyes! I was trying my best to control myself! I swear I wanted to refuse! But alas… After Emily finished speaking, she enlarged the photo of the date she wanted to introduce to me and put it right in front of my eyes! The man in the photo was mature yet handsome! With a firm jawline, fair skin, even fairer than mine! His lips were naturally red! Most importantly, his eyes were the almond-shaped eyes I liked the most! Oh my! How could I refuse? I gritted my teeth, wanting to refuse… my little brain occupied by beauty was about to stop working: “Well, Emily, I just broke up less than nineteen hours ago, isn’t it inappropriate to date such a handsome man so quickly…” Emily had a look of “you’re still very sad and can’t forget your ex-boyfriend” on her face, and continued to emphasize, “He’s successful in his career, the CEO of the company next door.” “This…” “He’s in good shape, unlike our Mr. Ford, he works out two hours every day!” Why are you dragging others down? “Six-pack abs!” “!” “Young… only twenty-six years old, almost a generation younger than Mr. Ford!” “!!” I looked at Emily, touched, and bowed to her on the spot: “…Then I’ll trouble you, Emily!” It’s really not that my willpower isn’t strong! It’s just that Emily gave too much! After making sure that I had completed today’s work perfectly and smoothly, I immediately went home to get ready, put on very delicate makeup, and wore a crimson long dress that I really liked but never had the chance to wear.

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