Category: English

My best friend, Isabelle, and I were unexpectedly transported to a post-apocalyptic world where women were incredibly scarce. Here, the men gave us the best food and protected us with all their might. Slowly, Isabelle grew reluctant to return to our original world. “This,” she’d say, “is paradise.” But watching the men who constantly guarded us, I felt a chilling fear instead. I knew there was no such thing as kindness without reason. The primal instinct of males, above all else, is reproduction. By the time I realized this, the security officers had already silently entered the quarters Isabelle and I shared. There were eight of them. Dressed in black uniforms, they stood in the dim light. Young, lethal, and cold. They stood in silence for a moment, then two of them headed towards Isabelle’s room and mine, respectively. I nervously pretended to be asleep, hoping they were just on a routine patrol. But a nagging feeling told me they were here for Isabelle and me to get pregnant. This morning, during my medical examination, I’d overheard the doctors talking: “Their physical conditions are exceptional. The base hasn’t seen bodies this good in twenty years. “We’ve also screened eight men with high genetic compatibility. “If all goes well, there will be new lives this time next year. “Heaven, after all, has finally shown us mercy.” There were a few other women undergoing examinations with me that day, so I didn’t immediately realize they were talking about Isabelle and and me. After the check-up, we were sent to this high tower—the only place in the base with a view of the outside world. On the table, besides our daily beef, milk, and bread, there were two rare apples. These were luxuries reserved for the base’s upper echelons. Commoners struggled to survive on meager grains like corn and sweet potatoes. Isabelle and I, though classified as commoners after our arrival, frequently received these precious foods. I knew the base strictly enforced its post-apocalyptic distribution system: you got what you put in. If we received something precious, we would surely have to give something precious in return. Isabelle and I had nothing. Only our bodies. Isabelle, as usual, picked up her milk, standing by the window, gazing at the vast, desolate landscape outside. She stood in the sunlight, her skin fair, gentle, and lovely, as pure as an angel. I, meanwhile, stared at the food, my stomach churning with unease. Isabelle looked at me, puzzled. “What’s wrong?” I told her what the doctors had said. “This place is too strange. We need to find a way back to our original world, fast.” She fell silent. After a long moment, she softly asked, “Chloe, isn’t this place good?” I was baffled. What was good about it? The apocalypse had lasted for a century, the ecology was imbalanced, the climate extreme, food was scarce, and the walking dead roamed everywhere… This place was a living hell. But she continued, “Here, we don’t worry about food or clothes, we don’t worry about finding work, no mortgages to pay, no one bullies us, everyone cares for us and looks after us. “For me, this place… is paradise.” I shook my head. “There’s no kindness without a root or a price. “Women are scarce here. Our price might be our bodies, our fertility.” Isabelle gathered her wind-blown hair. “But Chloe, in our old world, we still had to dedicate our bodies and fertility, didn’t we?”

The man entered my room and stopped at the foot of my bed. I knew him. His name was Caleb. Son of the former base commander. The most cold-blooded and ruthless security officer. Rumor had it, he’d personally killed his parents when he was just ten. The first time I saw him, I was struck by his appearance. But the next second, his gun was aimed straight at my head. Isabelle and I had been transported here while at an amusement park. The ground had suddenly caved in, and we’d fallen. I was still wearing grey-blue contact lenses then. Grey-blue eyes were the mark of the infected. Caleb had mistaken me for one. Though the misunderstanding was later cleared, he had always loathed me. He hated that I, a human, would adorn my eyes with the color of the infected. Yet, the base had assigned him to oversee Isabelle’s and my safety. He was an absolute enforcer; even with his disgust, he had to follow orders. But I didn’t like him either. Many people at the base disliked him. They said the security officers were the lapdogs of the elite, and Caleb was the most loyal and vicious among them. Caleb stood still by my bed. I heard the metallic buckle of his belt unfasten. I’d guessed right. He was indeed here to carry out the breeding assignment. I stopped pretending to sleep, sat up, and pressed a small knife I’d prepared against my throat, speaking each word slowly: “Get out, or I’ll die right here in front of you.” I’d sharpened the knife considerably. My hand trembled slightly, and the blade cut into my skin. Warm blood trickled down my neck. I was gambling. Gambling that he wouldn’t dare, couldn’t allow me to die. Sure enough, Caleb froze. A flicker of surprise crossed his face. It seemed I wasn’t supposed to be awake. I immediately thought of the milk from today. I hadn’t drunk it. Isabelle, not wanting to waste it, had drunk mine. That’s why she’d fallen asleep so early. They had drugged the milk. Now, another man had already entered Isabelle’s room. I continued to threaten Caleb with death. “I said get out, and take those men with you.” But the next second, he snatched the knife away, and his hand clamped tightly over my mouth. I tried to struggle, but I couldn’t move at all. For the first time, I clearly and desperately realized the massive strength disparity between women and men. Especially when I was facing the strongest man in the base. My tears fell uncontrollably. I didn’t want to be forced into breeding. So I bit down hard on Caleb’s hand, and my mouth was soon filled with the taste of blood. Caleb remained unmoved. But he didn’t make any further moves either. A voice came through his comms unit: “Major Caleb, what’s your situation over there?” Caleb glanced at me. “She’s awake, uncooperative, and self-harming.” The voice simply said, “Oh.” Then, “Then terminate the mission for now. Don’t let her harm herself.” Caleb responded, “Understood.” He released me. I pushed him away and jumped off the bed. I had to go save Isabelle. But Caleb threw me back onto the bed. I thought he was going to continue and sneered, “What, is a lapdog like you going to defy your master’s orders?” He lowered his gaze, said nothing, then unbuckled his belt, tied my hands to the headboard, and gagged my mouth with a piece of cloth. Then, he sat down on a chair, facing me.

In the silent darkness, the creaking of Isabelle’s iron bed in the next room was painfully distinct. And her soft moans. She should have been deep in sleep. But now, she was immersed in physical pleasure. It seemed the milk contained more than just a sedative. And there were six other men outside. The doctors had said these were our compatible matches. I didn’t know if all of them were meant to participate. I blamed myself for not preparing Isabelle for this. After a long, agonizing time, the sounds from Isabelle’s room finally ceased. Someone said something to the man, and he led Isabelle away. Panic seized me. When Caleb finally unbound me, I asked him, “Where are you taking Isabelle?” Caleb didn’t answer directly, only saying, “Your current state will affect her. You’ll meet again when the time is right.” I asked others, but no one answered me either. Two months after we’d been transported here, Isabelle and I lost contact for the first time. I was isolated. Caleb, who had always been glued to my side, didn’t appear. The door was locked. I picked up a chair and smashed it against the window, only to discover that the window was made of specialized glass, impenetrable to my strength.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297199”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance

Eighteen years old, I accidentally killed a privileged jerk to protect Vanessa Thorne. But she took a bribe from his family and gave false testimony in court. My self-defense became intentional murder… I was sentenced to death. After I died, she went to my mother, knelt, and swore she was sorry. She begged my mom to adopt her as a goddaughter, promising to take care of her in her old age. In the end, she conned my family out of all our assets and ran off with some guy. And my mom? Because I was a death row inmate, she lived a life of discrimination, looked down upon, poor, sick, and died heartbroken. Then I opened my eyes again— I was back to that evening, the day she invited me to the small alley on South Street. “Alex Reed, are you coming or not?” Vanessa Thorne’s voice drifted into my ears. Clear and sweet. I fought hard to control the rage boiling inside me. How *dare* this conniving bitch show her face to me again? Wait, what?! Where was I? School? Besides Vanessa’s voice, I heard the noisy laughter and shouts of my classmates. The sound of reading from the next classroom, echoing clearly. The setting sun, a cascade of golden light, spilled across the school windows. I double-checked, triple-checked. I was back. Reborn to my senior year, the blackboard at the back of the classroom read: “99 days left until college entrance exams.” Back to square one, like a reset button on my life! “Alex Reed, if you don’t come, I’ll just ask Cole Miller instead,” Vanessa said, a hint of challenge in her gaze, pouting. Her unzipped school uniform revealed a tight top that clung to her curves, a clear invitation for hungry eyes. In my past life, I was absolutely obsessed with her, just like this. Now, in my eyes, she was nothing more than a piece of rotten, decaying flesh. “I’m not going,” I stated, my voice firm. As I spoke, I stuffed my remaining textbooks into my backpack. I glanced at the classroom, both strangely unfamiliar and intimately known, then turned to leave. Vanessa blocked my way again. “Alex Reed, what’s your deal?” she demanded loudly. “I got bullied, and you’re just going to ignore it? “I’m telling you, if you don’t come today, we’re breaking up.” I stopped, my face cold. “We never even started, so what are you breaking up from?” Vanessa’s mom and my mom were classmates, best friends… In my past life, I naturally believed that too. But after I died, what Vanessa and her mom did made me realize I’d completely misplaced my trust. And my mom had simply picked a fake bestie. Vanessa, knowing I was infatuated with her, manipulated me again and again. Cole Miller was the school bully, and he’d harassed Vanessa several times. I’d been furious about it. But Vanessa didn’t see it that way. She even told me that a guy liking her meant she was desirable. “Vanessa Thorne, whether you ask Cole Miller or any other guy, it has nothing to do with me.” With that, I walked around her and headed out of the classroom. The sky was blue, the air fresh. Freedom. It felt so good. “Coward!” Vanessa’s sneering voice came from behind me. “Alex Reed, I dare you to never step foot in my house again!” “Fine!” I turned, my voice calm and icy.

As I wheeled my bike out of the bike shed, I saw Cole Miller with his arm around Vanessa’s waist. He was with a couple of his buddies, bouncing his leg as he spoke to me. “Alex Reed, from now on, Vanessa’s my girl. You spineless loser, stay away from her. Otherwise, I’ll beat you up every time I see you.” I scoffed internally. Let’s see if Cole Miller even makes it back from that South Street alley tonight. Then we can talk about “from now on.” In my past life, at eighteen, I was just a hot-headed kid, full of reckless youth. I didn’t understand anything. It wasn’t until I accidentally killed Brandon Hayes, the rich kid, that I learned Vanessa had been deeply entangled with him from Westridge High. She’d spent tens of thousands of his money, all on eating out and having fun. For a high school student, that was a hefty sum. Brandon wanted to take things further, but she actually told him she had a boyfriend. And I was that unlucky “boyfriend” she mentioned. She played both of us, infuriating Brandon and making me mad too. So, in my past life, in that South Street alley, I accidentally killed Brandon. This life, let her take Cole Miller there. “Cole, don’t worry, I’ll stay far, far away from her from now on,” I said with a smile. “And please, keep a close eye on her. Don’t let her bother me. “Also, maybe ask her if she has any *other* boyfriends?” As expected, the moment I said that, Vanessa completely blew up. She pointed at my face and yelled, “Alex Reed, what is that supposed to mean?! “It’s bad enough you’re a coward, but now you’re slandering me? “I only hung out with you because we grew up together. “And you? Cole Miller tries to ask me out, and you throw a tantrum, even threatening to take back our house?! “Are you trying to make it obvious that my family’s broke and we’re renting your place? “Are you serious with this?” With that, she squatted on the ground, sobbing pitifully. Right. I had indeed once said I’d tell my mom to take back the house we rented to Vanessa’s family. After all, they’d lived there for five years without paying a dime of rent. And they’d privately torn down a wall, a load-bearing wall, without my family’s permission. The HOA had complained to my mom multiple times. Given all that, I’d once suggested to my mom, “Maybe we should take the house back. “We don’t need to rent it out anymore. Anyway, the Thornes never paid rent.” Now, in Vanessa’s mouth, this had become my excuse to manipulate her? Cole saw her crying and immediately looked pained. He rushed to help her up, loudly announcing, “My sweet Vanessa, I’ll rent you another place myself…” I couldn’t care less about what happened next. I pushed my bike and left.

That evening, I heard that a massive fight had broken out between guys from Westridge High and Central High in the small alley on South Street. A guy from Central High, Cole Miller, had used a switchblade and stabbed Brandon Hayes in the abdomen. Just like in my past life. The knife was Vanessa’s; she had given it to Cole. What was slightly different from my past life was that after it happened, Vanessa grabbed Cole and tried to run. But Cole, who’d been fighting his whole life, knew better. He didn’t run. He immediately called 911, then emergency services. The next morning when I got to school, everyone was talking about it. Cole wasn’t in class, and neither was Vanessa. I heard they were both at the police station. I didn’t pay too much attention, just focused on my practice problems. In my past life, during college entrance exams, I was in prison. My first trial verdict had already come down—death sentence. I was terrified. My mom sold our house and company to appeal. Days in prison felt like years. When I saw the news about the college entrance exams on TV, I cried… That afternoon after class, I was putting away my English textbook to return it to the teacher’s office. I accidentally noticed student files on Ms. Albright’s desk. I quickly flipped to Cole Miller’s and saw his birth date. Cole was two months younger than me. Also, the biggest change this life was that Brandon Hayes hadn’t died. I suddenly realized that by refusing Vanessa’s invitation to the South Street alley, the butterfly effect had taken hold, and things were unfolding differently than I’d expected. Brandon not dying meant he’d keep bothering Vanessa. After all, he’d spent tens of thousands on a girl. Now, the girl had gotten someone to stab him? Anyone would be pissed. Cole Miller wasn’t me. I was just a regular student, educated, sensible, and though I admired Vanessa, I respected her. But Cole Miller was the school bully. When he said he admired Vanessa, most likely, he was just after one thing. Now, he’d stabbed Brandon because of her? Vanessa surely had to show some appreciation, right? I settled in, ready for the drama to unfold. But I never in my wildest dreams imagined that after school, Vanessa would stop me right at the school gates. “Something wrong?” I asked calmly. “Alex Reed, lend me one hundred and fifty thousand dollars,” Vanessa stated directly. Seeing I didn’t respond, she seemed to make a desperate decision. “Your mom’s not home tonight, is she? I’ll come to your place.” “You don’t know what you’re saying,” I shook my head. “You’re a grown woman now, what are you doing coming to my place this late, especially when my mom’s not home?” Vanessa stomped her foot. She was still just a student, and a bit shy. But she still said, “Alex Reed, do you really want me to spell it out? Do you need me to write it down? “Lend me one hundred and fifty thousand, and tonight… I’ll be yours.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297215”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #玄幻Fantasy

Seven years into my marriage with Julian Thorne, I discovered he had a seven-year-old child. And I wasn’t the mother. “Ma’am, we can’t process this child’s official registration.” I froze. “What do you mean? My husband and I only have this one child, our baby!” The clerk double-checked, her expression turning rather knowing. “You certainly only have this one child. But Mr. Thorne isn’t… single.” “He has another seven-year-old son. His mother’s name is Seraphina Cross. Do you know her?” I was stunned, a faint twitch at the corner of my mouth. Seraphina Cross? Of course, I knew her. Julian and I were practically destined for each other, childhood sweethearts from families that had always approved of our match. And Seraphina Cross? She was the cheap bar hostess Julian had a one-night stand with, that one time we had a huge fight, and he went out to drown his sorrows. The moment I stepped out of the registration office, I called my childhood best friend. “Time for a new dad for my kid. Are you in?”

“Scarlett, what do you mean by this?!” Julian Thorne, my husband, called out from behind me, his voice incredulous. “I told you, I had an important company meeting today, that’s why I couldn’t come with you to register the baby!” “What are you throwing a fit about now?!” I looked at the man in front of me, dressed head-to-toe in athletic wear, and couldn’t help but want to laugh. Wearing a tracksuit to a company meeting? That lie was just pathetic! What’s more, that exact tracksuit Julian was wearing, was identical to the matching family outfit Seraphina Cross had shared on her Ins stories that very morning. “Julian Thorne, let’s get a divorce!” I tossed the freshly printed divorce papers onto the table in front of him. Julian actually laughed. “Divorce again? What number is this?!” He picked up the divorce papers, not hesitating for a second, and dramatically scrawled his name. “The 99th? The 999th? Or the 9,999th? Scarlett, can’t you come up with a new trick? I’m so bored of playing this game with you.” “We’ve been married for seven years, and now we have a baby. You can’t live without me!” Watching the triumphant smile on Julian’s face, a bitter pang twisted in my heart. Yeah, seven years. Everyone knew I loved Julian Thorne. Even he was that confident. But this time, I was truly ready to let go. “No one is indispensable.” “And as for my child’s father, he doesn’t *have* to be you!” My words made Julian’s face instantly darken. He was about to argue, when a little boy’s voice called out from nearby: “Daddy Julian!” Julian Thorne’s expression abruptly changed. It was Seraphina Cross and her son. “Julian, Leo insisted on bringing you the medal from the parent-child sports day himself, and… he said he wants to celebrate with you. If you’re busy, you don’t have to…” Seraphina put on an act of hesitation, as if she was troubled, but her eyes held an unmistakable glimmer of expectation. The little boy tugged on Julian’s sleeve, pouting adorably. “Daddy Julian, please, please come…” Julian didn’t respond, instead, he looked at me with a guilty expression. “Scarlett, you know… Leo doesn’t have a dad, that’s why I…” “I was just worried you’d get the wrong idea, that’s why…” A mocking smile curled my lips. If it had been before, if Julian had lied to me, I would have thrown a huge tantrum, demanded answers, and pursued it to the very end. But now, I was too tired to even bother. “Didn’t he ask you to celebrate? Go on.” I said blandly, turning to leave. But Julian grabbed my arm. “Don’t overthink this, Leo just wants to share his joy with me.” Seraphina also spoke up. “That’s right, Scarlett, please don’t misunderstand. Mr. Thorne just pities me.” On the surface, she looked innocent, but deep in her eyes was a mix of provocation and smugness. Exactly the same as the first time I met her seven years ago.

Seven years ago, during the first time Julian and I had a big fight, I flew all night, crossing the Pacific Ocean to find him. But in the furthest corner of a club booth, I saw him passionately kissing a half-naked, delinquent-looking bar hostess. That bar hostess was Seraphina Cross. After I walked in on them, Julian, in front of hundreds of people in the club, knelt down and slapped himself repeatedly. “I just came here to drink and relax…” “I swear, it was just the alcohol between me and that bar hostess, it meant nothing!” He kept slapping himself, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth, his cheeks red and horribly swollen. My heart softened, and I forgave him. Just when I thought it was an insignificant little incident, three years ago, I saw Seraphina Cross again at Pei Corp’s exclusive club. That bar hostess had become the general manager of the club. I confronted Julian. “Hiring is HR’s responsibility, it has nothing to do with me.” “And besides, I heard she’s a single mom, and it’s not easy for her to make it here in the city with a child…” I looked at his open, seemingly honest eyes, and once again, I chose to forgive him. Until now, looking at the “family of three” in front of me, I just felt like an incurable fool. Seeing my silence, Seraphina’s eyes welled up with tears, looking utterly wronged. “My son and I are all alone, Mr. Thorne was just being kind by helping us.” “You know, the kids at the kindergarten pick on Leo because he doesn’t have a dad, so this parent-child sports event was so important to him.” “Don’t blame Mr. Thorne either, he didn’t mean to not be with you. These past two days, he’s been with Leo practicing all night, he’s really tired.” Practicing all night? I glanced at Julian, who looked visibly flustered, and couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Julian Thorne, yesterday you didn’t come home, and told me you were working overtime at the company?” “The day before yesterday, you didn’t come home, and told me a colleague was sick?” “The day before that, you didn’t come home, and told me you were on an urgent business trip?” “Does it hurt to be slapped in the face like this?” “So, you’ve been at Seraphina Cross’s house all these days.” “Julian Thorne, how much of what you’ve said is true, and how much is lies?” “Is this your biological son?” Julian Thorne’s face changed instantly. A flicker of guilt crossed his face, but he quickly forced himself to calm down. “Scarlett, I know you’re jealous about today, but you can’t just make things up!” “If you keep this up, I’ll get angry.” Seraphina also looked regretful and helpless. “I’m so sorry, Sister Scarlett. I talked too much. If you want to blame someone, blame me, not Mr. Thorne.” As she spoke, she shed tears of injustice. “Seraphina.” Julian Thorne fumbled for a tissue to wipe her tears. “It’s not your fault, Scarlett just overthinks everything.” His voice was so gentle, I’d never heard him speak to me that way. I felt a chill spread from my feet throughout my entire body, a piercing cold to the bone. Without another word, I turned and left. And as soon as I got home, about to pack my bags, I scrolled past Seraphina’s Ins post: “They say a dad is his child’s superhero. Today was another day where happiness became tangible!” “Thank you, Daddy, for Leo’s championship gift!” The accompanying photo showed Julian Thorne, Seraphina, and their son together. The three of them were huddled close, looking perfectly harmonious. I let out a bitter laugh, about to put my phone away, “Ding—” It was a SnapChat message from Julian Thorne. “Scarlett, don’t be mad. I bought a gift for the baby, I’ll bring it back for you later.” I looked at the baby clothes in the photo. It was the free gift that was in the corner of Seraphina’s picture. I tightly hugged my sleeping child, my vision blurred by tears. I took a photo of the divorce papers Julian had signed, and sent it to my best friend, Blake Miller. The next second, my phone rang. “Julian Thorne, that scumbag, did he bully you?!” “Come back to Seaside City, don’t be scared! I’ve got you and the baby covered, little lady!” Over the years, because Julian was possessive, I had practically cut off contact with all my friends, especially my best friend, Blake Miller. Hearing that familiar voice on the other end of the line, the tears I had held back for so long finally burst forth. “Don’t cry!” “Give me seven days. I’ll get everything ready in Seaside City, then I’ll come pick you up!” I agreed. I also needed some time to sort everything out.

The next two days, I was constantly on the move. One evening, when I came home to grab some documents, as soon as I opened the door, I saw a frantic Julian Thorne. Seeing us return, he immediately rushed over. “Scarlett, where have you been these past two days! Why couldn’t I reach you? Do you know how worried I was?!” He then leaned down to the baby. “Baby, you have to help Daddy scold your mom. Daddy was so worried he almost called the police!” Looking at him, I felt a wave of dizziness. It used to be like this. If I disappeared for more than half an hour, Julian would go crazy with worry. Others used to tease him, called him ‘Mr. Devoted’ because he was so obsessed with me. But back then, I only felt fortunate, grateful that I had found someone who truly cared about me. But now… Thinking of Seraphina and her son, my eyes dimmed. Turns out, the ‘wife-obsessed’ guy who doted on his wife, could also just be putting on an act. Julian Thorne loved me, I believed that, but his love wasn’t exclusive to me. At that thought, my heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, a sharp pain. It took a long time to calm down before I spoke. “I just went out for a walk. It was nothing big, so I didn’t tell you.” Julian Thorne finally sighed in relief. “Good that it’s nothing serious. Just don’t make me worry like that again next time.” He skillfully took the baby from my arms. “Baby, did you not eat enough with Mommy outside these past few days? You look so thin.” “Wait here, Daddy’s going to make you some formula.” As he spoke, he expertly started boiling water and preparing the formula. I stood to the side, quietly watching everything unfold. Seven years of trying to conceive, I had imagined this scene countless times, it had sustained me through one breakdown after another. Now, it was truly happening right in front of me, but, how much sincerity was actually in it, even I couldn’t tell anymore. “Ringtone—” A frantic phone ring broke my thoughts. I glanced at the caller ID, Julian Thorne’s expression instantly turned anxious, his hand shook, and the freshly made boiling hot formula splashed onto the baby. The baby immediately burst into tears. But Julian Thorne didn’t immediately check the baby’s injury. He just casually handed the baby back to me, then quickly walked to the balcony with his phone. After a long while, he came out. “I’m sorry, Scarlett, something came up with the company project. I have to go deal with it right away.” Then he perfunctorily kissed the baby’s face. “Baby, let Mommy help you with that. Daddy has to go now.” With that, he hurriedly left. He didn’t notice my livid face, nor did he notice the obvious burn on the baby’s skin. And I had seen the caller ID clearly just now. It was saved as “Seraphina.”

But now, I had no energy to dwell on any of it. Seeing the burn on the baby’s skin, I quickly hailed a cab to the hospital. After getting the wound treated, as I was preparing to go home, a familiar figure caught my attention. It was Julian Thorne. His expression was serious and focused, and the hospital’s medical team was explaining something to him. Passing medical staff whispered to each other: “I heard Mr. Thorne’s son just had a slight cough, and he worriedly brought in all the specialists from the city, and even booked an entire VIP floor.” “Looking at how worried Mr. Thorne is, you can tell he’s a good dad and a good husband at home.” “I’m so envious. If only I could marry such a family-oriented husband in this lifetime.” … I gripped my hands tightly, my nails digging into my palms, drawing faint traces of blood, but I felt no pain whatsoever. Only a bone-deep chill. Family-oriented? Good dad? Good husband? How utterly laughable. They probably didn’t know, Julian Thorne’s ‘family-oriented’ meant the home he built with a bar hostess, and my child’s burn was completely ignored by him, this so-called ‘good dad’ was a good dad to the son he had with someone else! Just then, Seraphina Cross walked out of the ward, her eyes tearful, and she linked her arm through Julian’s. “Mr. Thorne, thank goodness you were here today, otherwise I wouldn’t have known what to do.” “It’s just that, with this delay, you won’t have time to go back and accompany Sister Scarlett again…” “And she has that kind of personality, she’ll definitely throw a tantrum again…” “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault. When I was pregnant, I was so weak, which caused Leo to get sick every other day…” She hadn’t finished speaking when Julian Thorne cut her off. “Don’t blame yourself. I’ll stay with Leo tonight. You should go rest.” He put an arm around Seraphina’s shoulders, patiently comforting her. “What about Sister Scarlett and her baby then…?” A flicker of hesitation crossed Julian Thorne’s eyes, but it quickly vanished. “I’ll explain to her.” “Leo is my biological son, isn’t it only natural for me to take care of him?” The voice wasn’t loud, but every word still reached my ears clearly. It was like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky, shattering what little sanity I had left. Biological son! Julian Thorne, so when I’m not around, you don’t even bother to pretend anymore!

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297231”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance

（ succubus ： Succubus is a spiritual demon that exists in European and Middle Eastern mythology and is said to invade male (female) dreams at night to draw strength and satisfy their own needs, causing the affected male to gradually weaken and even die. ） My Demon Husband Married My Sister! Undercover for three years, I finally came home. Pushing open the door, I saw my demon husband with a baby in his arms and a toddler by his side. “Say Mommy.” He pushed the baby towards me. I froze. But then my in-laws pulled out my heavily pregnant sister. “Julian’s reached adulthood, he has to reproduce, or his body will literally tear itself apart! You can’t expect us to lose our son, can you?!” In our meticulously decorated wedding home, I watched them intimately intertwine right in front of me, a disgusting mess left on the floor. “Julian, do you like me or my sister?” My sister’s syrupy voice rose and fell. “Of course, it’s you, my little devil! Your sister is frigid, utterly boring!” Julian’s tone was dismissive. I clapped a hand over my mouth, fleeing out the door, only to be struck by an oncoming car. When I woke again, the doctor looked troubled. “Ms. Hayes, your account is empty. If you can’t pay by 5 PM this afternoon, you’ll have to be discharged.” My sister walked in, carrying a sad, crumpled fruit basket, a massive, fiery diamond necklace glittering on her neck. “Sister, take care of yourself. I’ll look after Julian for you. Our children are your children.” My heart completely froze over. Turning away, I called the gang leader who had taken me in for the past three years. “Godfather, my sister and my husband are getting married. Could you bring some gifts… the kind from *our* world?”

“Hello, Mommy!” The moment the child’s voice chirped, my mind went blank with a loud buzz, like someone had slammed a bat over my head. I stood in the doorway, my hand still on the doorknob, unable to let go, completely frozen. Three years undercover, I had finally completed my mission and returned home. I opened the door with a heart full of joy, only to see this scene. The house was festively decorated, a red “Welcome Home” banner hanging in the center of the living room, the floor covered with balloons and streamers. On the sofa sat Julian Thorne, my demon husband, but he was holding a tiny, pink baby boy in his arms, and a little girl, about two years old, was clinging to his hand. I was utterly speechless. From the bedroom door, my mother-in-law, Eleanor, smiled, leading out a heavily pregnant woman—my own sister, Willow Hayes. “Why are you just standing there? Come quickly, listen! Your son is kicking Mommy’s tummy. This six or seven-month-old is just so restless.” I stood my ground, my voice stuck in my throat, barely managing a sound after a long moment: “Mom, what is going on?” Eleanor shot me a sidelong glance, a smile in her eyes, then took my hand and led me to the children. “Come on, say Mommy.” “Mommy!” The children’s voices were clear and joyful, but they made my scalp tingle. I yanked my hand away from Eleanor, seeing the intimate glances between Julian and Willow. I looked at Eleanor in disbelief. “You know, when an incubus reaches adulthood, he *has* to reproduce, or his body will explode from within. And you haven’t been back for three years. We couldn’t just stand by and watch Julian die, could we?” Eleanor’s expression was righteous, as if *I* were the one who had done something wrong. Willow leaned against Julian’s arm, soft as a boneless doll, her large belly prominent, her face glowing. “Sister, Julian and I didn’t dare to tell you… but he was truly on the verge of not being able to hold on.” My whole body went cold, as if a blunt object had crushed my heart. Three years undercover, I walked a tightrope, risking my life, taking bullets and blows for the boss, until I finally turned that criminal kingpin around. I fought tooth and nail just to return early and spend my life with my husband. But now, my husband was entangled with my own sister, had children with her, and was making them call *me* Mommy? Julian saw the look on my face and carefully helped Willow up. He walked towards me, his seductive demon aura brushing my nose, still as alluring as ever. “Look at you, getting angry again. Don’t be so serious. Your sister has the same genes as you; even a paternity test wouldn’t show a difference. Isn’t it basically your child? You wouldn’t really be heartless enough to watch me explode and die, would you?” He spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, as if the children had just appeared out of thin air and I hadn’t been cheated on. I just wanted to throw up. “Oh, who are you making that gloomy face for?” Eleanor’s expression suddenly turned cold. “Three years, not a single word. If your sister hadn’t held this family together, do you think you’d still have a home to come back to?” “Your sister not only fulfilled your filial duties, she even took care of the children for you, arranging everything perfectly. And what do you do? You come back acting like a wronged wife catching her husband cheating. Can’t you have a little conscience?” “They’re about to get married, really. Why come back and stir up trouble?” Married? My mind went blank, yet suddenly, I understood everything. Willow’s face was like a peach blossom as she stepped forward, excitedly taking my hand. “Sister, you’ll bless us, won’t you?” “Tomorrow, Julian and I are getting married. Guess what role we’ve specially arranged for you?” I said nothing, my fingers trembling. “You’re the one who’ll give the bride away!” She excitedly raised my hand as if announcing a lottery win. “When you personally give me to Julian, the effect will be truly stunning. You know, you were once the one he cared about most. That’s what makes it so touching~” She squeezed my hand hard, her nails digging deep into my skin, her eyes full of provocation: “How memorable! You, crying tears of joy as you hand me over to him in front of everyone. The whole crowd will be weeping! The emotional arc complete, a perfect ending to the story! Don’t you agree, Sister?” Seeing my silence, Eleanor pinched my arm hard. “Like a statue! Learn from your sister! Your sister is so good, she didn’t even mind that you, his *actual* wife, are still alive and well, yet here you are, acting all high and mighty?” My sister “thoughtfully” slipped a script into my hand: “Don’t worry, I’ve written the script for you. Just read it on stage. The first line is: ‘Today, I give my dearest sister to the man I love most…’” I could barely breathe. Willow continued to ramble on, oblivious: “Oh, by the way, Sister, you know how to take photos, right? Tomorrow morning, you can come help us with our wedding photos first. These are the most touching moments, the greatest witness to our love! If you post them online, you might even ride our coattails and go viral! I’ve even thought of the title: ‘How *Liberated* is a Woman Who Gives Her Own Husband Away?’” I stood there stiffly, my heart feeling like it was being carved out inch by agonizing inch.

The next day, I was still lost in sleep when a large hand roughly pulled me up. Before I could even open my eyes, a heavy slap landed squarely on my face. Eleanor’s voice boomed in my ear: “Still sleeping? You think you’re the bride today? Grab the camera and get to work!” I stared blankly at the camera, which was bigger than my head. Without a word, I was dragged to the wedding venue. Aside from Julian and Willow, there were only a few women in designer clothes taking pictures. “Oh, isn’t that Scarlett Hayes? Personally taking wedding photos of her husband and sister, tsk tsk tsk, even more outlandish than a TV show.” They looked at me with disdain. Willow feigned annoyance: “Girls, don’t talk nonsense. She’s my most sensible and wonderful sister~ She even came back to bless us, and volunteered to be the photographer.” I watched them burst into fits of laughter, and I bit down on my teeth, forcing back the humiliation as I pressed the shutter. Suddenly, a stiletto heel kicked my knee without warning. The searing pain made me fall to my knees with a thud. The sound of my knee crunching echoed up my spine, and I trembled with agony. “Kneel to take pictures; it makes legs look longer. Don’t you even know that? Useless.” One woman flipped through my photos, sneering: “Tsk tsk tsk, I bet she still hates them. Is she deliberately trying to make these look like a horror movie?” Willow lowered her gaze and smiled, her eyes cold, then said sweetly, “Sister wouldn’t be so petty, would she~” Before I could say anything, a hand roughly grabbed my hair, and several slaps rained down. My cheeks burned with pain. “Who are you trying to jinx with these pictures? Our Willow is the bride today! You pathetic bitch, you couldn’t keep your man, and now you’re trying to sabotage us?” “We were shocked when she came back, thought she was going to crash the wedding. Turns out she’s just here to take pictures. Vile to her core.” They laughed, doubling over, then grabbed my right hand and twisted it back hard, forcing the camera onto my arm, making me hold it high. “If these pictures aren’t perfect today, don’t even think about walking out that door!” They stomped on my left hand, grinding it against the floor until my nails broke, bleeding profusely. But they still weren’t satisfied, and they climbed onto my back, riding me like livestock. Unable to bear the weight, my hand slipped, and the camera crashed to the floor with a bang, splitting in two. In a haze of pain, I saw Julian rush towards me. I actually thought he might show a shred of his old affection, but instead, he kicked me hard in the stomach: “Are you insane?! That camera cost me twenty thousand! Pay me back!” Immediately, a metallic taste filled my throat, and my stomach pain made me curl up on the floor. I struggled to stay conscious, staring in disbelief as he snatched my phone. After a few taps, he threw it at my face like trash. Willow strolled over, looking down at me sprawled on the floor. “Sister, do you know how hard it was for our family these three years you were gone? I held this house together. I helped you so much, how could you harbor such resentment?” “You were never supposed to come back. Why didn’t you just die out there?” I gasped for air, glaring at the sister I had once loved more than anything. Our parents died when we were young, and I had always looked after her like my own daughter, only to raise such a monster! Willow raised an eyebrow, smiling sweetly at her friends. They understood, grabbing my hair and dragging me to a room upstairs. The moment I was thrown into the elevator, Willow turned back, her smile cold and malicious. “Girls, we need to teach her a lesson, so she never dares to bother Willow again.” The mean girls dragged me into the room, tore off my clothes, pinched my chin, slapped me while taking pictures, and even stomped on my palms with their stiletto heels. I struggled in agony, but my old injuries made me too weak to resist. “Do you know where your sister and husband are right now? Right next door, in that room~ They said they needed to warm up for their big day today, know what I mean?” They roughly forced me to my knees outside the room door. “Can you hear it? Your sister is enjoying herself for you, isn’t this the ‘reunion’ you always dreamed of?” Soft moans emanated from the room, my sister’s syrupy voice rising and falling. “Julian, do you like me or my sister?” “Of course, it’s you, my little devil! Your sister is frigid, utterly boring!” Julian’s tone was dismissive. I never imagined the man I had given my heart to for so many years saw me this way. The last shred of hope shattered in my heart. I knelt in despair, tears streaming from my eyes. After their ‘joyful’ session, everyone left, leaving the room a disgusting mess, reeking of their ‘joy.’ Before Julian left, he didn’t forget to warn me: “You still have to give Willow away later. If you look like this, do you want to embarrass her?” I gave up completely. My hands shaking, I dialed that familiar number. “Godfather, my sister and my husband are getting married today. Please bring some… gifts from *our* world.” I covered my mouth, my eyes filled only with hatred. I staggered out of the hotel, and just as I stepped through the main entrance, the world spun, and a blinding white light rushed towards me. “CRASH!”

When I opened my eyes again, my nose was hit with the pungent smell of iodine and disinfectant. “Teacher, bed 38 is awake.” Several doctors in white coats gathered around. “Ms. Hayes, you were seriously injured in the car accident. Since we couldn’t reach any family members, we had to perform surgery. The surgery fee is two hundred thousand. Please pay as soon as possible.” The attending physician shoved the bill in front of me. I struggled to lift my hand, which was riddled with IVs, my fingers stiff as I reached for the bag on the nightstand. Opening my phone and swiping to my banking app, the cold numbers on the screen slapped me in the face. Balance: $28.10. My breathing hitched. My chest felt like it had been ripped open—where was my thirty million?! My trembling fingers furiously tapped through my account history, and then the monstrous transfer message popped up: “Transfer successful, amount: $30,000,000. Recipient: Julian Thorne.” My mind exploded with a buzzing sound. I suddenly remembered Julian had used my phone when he demanded I pay for the camera! Just as I was reeling from the shock, the hospital room door was violently pushed open. “Oh, so Sister actually woke up.” Willow walked in, arm-in-arm with Julian, holding a sad, crumpled fruit basket. “Sister, we came to see you. Good thing you’re not dead, didn’t waste the money on this fruit basket.” Her fingertip deliberately traced her neck, and only then did I notice the fiery diamond necklace on her throat. I had seen such diamonds at auctions; a single one could cost over a million. The one on her neck was at least ten million. The doctor, sensing trouble, stepped in front of me: “Excuse me, please don’t upset the patient.” “Upset her?” Julian scoffed. “She’s my wife. If I tell her to die, she’ll have to do it with a smile!” The doctor’s hand visibly paused. He looked at Julian suspiciously. “You’re the patient’s husband? Then you need to pay the two hundred thousand medical fees by 5 PM this afternoon, otherwise, we’ll have to discharge her.” “Two hundred thousand?!” Julian’s eyes bulged as if he wanted to eat someone alive. “Do you think I’m an ATM? She’s not worth that much even if you sold her! Maybe we should sell her organs to make up the difference—perfect, we still need some funds for our wedding.” Hearing that, I instantly got so angry I almost choked. Thankfully, the doctor spoke my mind: “Your wife is in this condition, do you have any humanity?!” But Julian ignored him. He violently yanked out the IV drip from my hand. Blood spurted out, staining the bedsheets red, and I gasped in pain. “Don’t put on a sob story for me. Get out of the hospital. You have something important to do today: give Willow away.” I froze, fury practically burning in my eyes: “Are you insane?! I’m injured like this, and you’re still talking about the wedding?” “You just got hit by a car, didn’t you? You ruined Willow’s once-in-a-lifetime wedding. You owe her at least fifty million!” I seriously wondered if I was still conscious. A man who wouldn’t even pay two hundred thousand was demanding fifty million? “I’m done with this nonsense. Where’s my thirty million? You said twenty thousand to replace the camera, what about the rest?!” Julian yelled back at me, his neck stiff, like a madman: “Do you understand marital property? What’s wrong with me taking it? Willow needs a necklace, shouldn’t you, as her sister, buy it for her?” I stared deadly at the necklace, my teeth grinding. I had lived a life on the edge, walking a tightrope, every penny I saved through sheer grit, only for it to become *their* dowry?! “Alright, stop wasting time.” He grabbed my arm and dragged me out. “Get changed and go to the wedding venue.” I was pulled out of the hospital room, my wounds still bleeding, but my heart ached even more. The wedding venue was packed with guests. The moment I stepped into the hall, all eyes swiveled towards me. “Tsk, she actually had the nerve to show up? Her husband is marrying her sister, and she’s the one giving the bride away.” “Whose fault is that? She disappeared for three years, and now her husband gets someone else pregnant, *then* she decides to come back.” I stood my ground, veins throbbing with anger, my nails almost digging into my palms, fighting the urge to kill. This show wasn’t over yet!

I was forcibly stuffed into a heavy red gown, my unmasked injuries visible, my leg still not healed, forcing me to hunch over. I leaned on Willow’s arm, leading her step-by-step towards the man in the sharp suit. The emcee, microphone in hand, excitedly announced: “Next, let’s invite the bride’s sister to offer her blessings to the happy couple!” The entire hall suddenly fell silent. All cameras, lights, and eyes swiveled to me. I looked at the crowd and smiled, a smile that made blood seep from the corner of my lips. “Thank you all for coming despite your busy schedules.” I paused, my voice ice-cold. “Today is a joyous day for my husband and my own sister. Come on, give a round of applause for this shameless, despicable pair!” A stir went through the crowd. Some people laughed out loud, as if I wasn’t an injured person, but part of the opening act. Julian’s face instantly twisted. He lunged forward and slapped me across the face. “SMACK!” The blow made me see stars, and my mouth was filled with the taste of blood. He leaned in and roared: “Are you insane?! Where’s the script Willow gave you? Do you want to ruin us?!” Willow stood to the side, wiping away tears: “Sister, why are you humiliating me?” I spat out a mouthful of blood and laughed like a madwoman. “You tore my life apart first, and now you’re playing the victim? You want to put on a show? I’ll play along until the very end.” I pulled out my phone, tapped the screen twice, and coldly watched the two of them. Julian narrowed his eyes: “What trick are you playing?” He looked around, saw nothing happen, and then he smiled, a cold, vicious smile. He leaned down close to me, grabbed my collar, and dragged me to the edge of the stage. “You think you can threaten me? A helpless orphan dares to challenge me?” “I’m telling you.” Before he could finish, he swung a punch at my face. Before I could react, he kicked me in the stomach again, the pain so intense I could barely breathe. “You want sympathy, don’t you? Then cry! If you don’t publicly kneel and kowtow forty-nine times to Willow and pay fifty million, I’ll make sure no one claims your body tomorrow!” Julian snarled, kicking me again. Just then. “BANG!” A deafening gunshot ripped through the wedding hall’s commotion. The main doors were kicked open, and a swarm of men in black suits flooded in, the atmosphere instantly freezing, like Death himself had arrived. The man leading them was tall and imposing, dressed in a dark black trench coat, his steps calm, yet each one radiated lethal intent. Seeing him, the entire hall erupted almost immediately. Silas Blackwood! The most untouchable man in South City, the living Grim Reaper of the underworld, a name that struck terror into hearts!

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297053”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

In my poorest year, a fleeting thought flashed through my mind: [Lucas Gray, the heir to the Gray Empire, is looking for a lover who can’t hear his secrets.] A lightbulb went off in my head. I decided to pretend to be deaf and mute to seduce Lucas. No matter what scandalous things he whispered in bed, I remained impassive. Until his first love returned from abroad, and Lucas slapped a check for ten million dollars on the table in front of me. “You should move out for this month,” he said. I blurted out, “Sure thing, boss!” I grabbed the check and was about to leave when I realized I’d blown my cover. Another thought popped into my head: [LOL, this woman is so honest. Actually, the male lead has known her secret for a long time!] I froze on the spot, my mind going blank. Then I heard Lucas chuckle softly. “What’s wrong? Can’t keep up the act anymore, little deaf girl? And here I thought you could endure anything.” 0 Who would have thought a CEO would fancy a deaf girl? Well, apparently mine did! In fact, he wouldn’t have it any other way! Being his “deaf” sugar baby was quite convenient. I could appear anywhere without raising suspicion. Whether it was during confidential business discussions or industry gossip sessions, absolute secrecy was guaranteed. Plus, I didn’t have to listen to my sugar daddy’s endless chatter or insults. I could do whatever I wanted, even deliberately annoying him for fun if I felt like it. After all, I was “deaf.” I couldn’t hear what he was saying, right? Except I wasn’t really deaf. I was faking it. The only downside was sometimes… like now. Listening to Lucas’s words that were more explicit than an R-rated movie, I could only pretend not to hear and look at him with doe eyes. Pretending he was a perfect gentleman. In reality, I was cursing him as a pervert in my mind. Wait! I suddenly realized, maybe his ex-girlfriend ran away because of this! Lucas gently tapped me with his large hand. He used sign language to ask if I was hurt and if he should be gentler. But what he was actually saying out loud was utterly filthy. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes internally. What a fake gentleman. But on the surface, I looked at him pitifully, trying hard not to make a sound. The next day, I slept until the afternoon. 0

As I came downstairs, I heard Lucas talking to his friend in the living room. When they saw me, his friend’s voice suddenly stopped, and his gaze fell on me before turning back to Lucas. “She can’t hear,” Lucas said, waving me over. Gossip? My eyes lit up, and I casually sat down next to Lucas. His friend glanced at me and spoke to Lucas. “Chloe’s back. What are you going to do about her?” Chloe? She’s back?! Could this be Lucas’s ex-girlfriend? Everyone in their social circle knew there was a name that couldn’t be mentioned in front of Lucas. It was his Achilles’ heel, something no one dared to touch. Even after being by Lucas’s side for so long, I had never heard anyone mention her. I only knew that I was chosen from among the many women vying for Lucas’s attention because I somewhat resembled her. In my mind, a woman who could be so cherished by someone like Lucas, the heir to the Gray Empire, to the point where he would seek out a lookalike, must be his true love! I’d seen this plot in countless cheesy romance dramas. The protagonist finds a lookalike of his true love, then when the real deal comes back, I turn into the evil substitute. In the end, the male lead discovers my wicked nature, throws me out onto the streets, and lives happily ever after with his true love… Wait a minute… This plot development seems a bit off. As it stands now, I’ve somehow become the obstacle to the main couple’s happiness! No, no, I think I’ve skipped some steps here. My mind raced, and suddenly it hit me! Of course! Usually, the arrogant CEO hands me a check and tells me to get lost. Then the evil substitute refuses to leave, leading to the subsequent drama. Thinking about how generous Lucas had always been, I couldn’t help but smile. Don’t worry, I’ll leave promptly, quickly, at a speed of 800 meters per second, rolling out of the main couple’s world! Perhaps seeing my schadenfreude expression, Lucas tapped my shoulder, snapping me out of my reverie. He used sign language to ask what was wrong. Of course, I maintained my professional attitude and signed back. Just happy looking at you. Then I excused myself to get them some water. Lucas’s friend watched me leave and spoke again: “Are you really going to let Chloe see her?” Lucas sighed. I didn’t hear what else they said as I hurried towards the kitchen. I was afraid if I stayed a second longer, I wouldn’t be able to hold back my laughter. Don’t worry, I won’t let the “true love” see me! 0

That night, Lucas looked like he wanted to say something several times but held back. I was so anxious I almost wanted to prompt him myself. To be honest, I was quite reluctant to leave this pampered life as a sugar baby. After all, I’d gotten used to having everything handed to me on a silver platter and didn’t want to work hard again. But I also didn’t want to end up thrown out onto the streets. It was better to leave gracefully on my own terms. At the dinner table, I chewed my food in tiny bites, trying to make each mouthful last as long as possible. Just waiting for Lucas to speak up. Suddenly! Lucas took out a check from his pocket and placed it on the table. My eyes lit up, staring intently at the numbers on the check. Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, hundred thousands, millions! Fifty million dollars! Enough for my mom and me to live on for the rest of our lives! I stared at the check, swallowing hard, completely oblivious to Lucas starting to speak. “Take this money…” Before Lucas could finish, I snatched the check with lightning speed and clutched it to my chest. The enormous sum had gone to my head. I jumped up and blurted out, “Thanks, boss!” As soon as I said it, cold sweat broke out all over my body. I’m screwed! Suddenly, a thought popped into my head, just like the fleeting one from years ago. [Warning! This woman’s been exposed! The male lead knows she’s been lying to him all this time. He definitely won’t let her off easy! I wonder if she has a backup plan. If not, she’s in big trouble!] Backup plan? What backup plan? My mind went blank as I looked up to meet Lucas’s amused gaze. He was fiddling with his custom cufflinks, his long fingers casting delicate shadows in the lamplight. “What’s wrong? Can’t keep up the act anymore, little deaf girl? And here I thought you could endure anything.” Lucas suddenly moved closer, the scent of his cedar cologne mixed with whiskey washing over me. “But you should know, I hate being lied to more than anything.” My throat tightened as I saw the words [She’s done for!] flashing repeatedly in my mind. This damn inner voice! I couldn’t help but recall how I had met Lucas by chance. The doctor said only hospitals abroad could possibly treat my mother’s illness, but the exorbitant fees forced me to scramble for money. I worked five jobs a day, but it still wasn’t enough to send my mother abroad for treatment. Until one day, that thought popped into my head. It said Lucas Gray, the heir to the Gray Empire, was looking for a lover who couldn’t hear his secrets. So I pretended to be deaf and mute and stayed by Lucas’s side for two years. Lucas grabbed my chin in one swift motion. “Mr. Gray, you must be joking,” I forced a smile, my nails digging into my palms. “Of course I’ll take the check you’ve given me. As for the rest…” Before I could finish, he gripped my chin, not forcefully but with an undeniable air of authority. Lucas’s thumb traced over my lips, where he had left bite marks the night before. “When you’re pretending to be deaf and mute, you always use that fake smile to deceive people. But do you know? Every time you pretend not to hear, I want to pin you in front of a mirror and make you see how your ears turn red.” Hot blood rushed to my earlobes, and I suddenly felt a chill run down my neck. Lucas had known about my act all along! For two years, I had diligently forced myself to remain silent no matter how Lucas tormented me in bed. But I had forgotten about the most instinctive human physiological response—when he whispered “Olivia, don’t hide” in my ear. My tense back, my trembling fingers, had long since betrayed my secret to this man who had seen it all. If this man had discovered my deception so early on, then every time after that… he had been deliberately toying with me! Seeing my indignant expression, Lucas suddenly seemed amused. “Don’t you have anything to explain? Hmm? Little deaf girl?” Lucas stood up, forcing me to sit on the table. I looked at Lucas, getting more and more irritated. What else could I say! He’s the client, I’m the service provider! I did the job I was paid for! He’s just a client who was fooled and moved by my acting skills! I’m not angry at all, waaah! But the urgent matter at hand was to protect this fifty million dollars. This was what I deserved! “I… thank you, boss? Boss is so generous?” Lucas was on the verge of laughing angrily. He picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. “Since you can’t keep up the act anymore, you should pay some price, little deaf girl.” I knew this wasn’t good. “Lucas Gray! You want me to pay with my body! I don’t agree! This is an unfair clause!” A voice in my head screamed [This isn’t right, shouldn’t the male lead kick this woman out? What’s going on! Looks like we’re about to hit the paywall?!] Lucas threw me onto the large bed covered with silk sheets, then pressed down on top of me and lifted my nightgown. There was still a vase of blue roses I had arranged last week on the bedside table, now overshadowed by his silhouette. “Olivia, do you know that every time you pretend to be innocent, it makes me want to completely tear apart your disguise?” Lucas seemed to have unlocked a new world, directly unleashing his dominant side. He forced me to scream loudly all night long. Before going to sleep, Lucas said he had to go to the office to deal with an urgent matter. As he left, he tossed me one of his white dress shirts, the collar still warm from his body heat. 0

What urgent matter! He’s probably going to pick up his true love! Looking at the thoughts racing through my head, I grew increasingly frustrated. All this [The female lead is back, the sweet and gentle female lead baby is finally back.] And [This woman shouldn’t take away any more of the female lead’s affection, the female lead has suffered enough, other women should stay away!] And [The male lead can only belong to the female lead.] Who said I wanted to stay anyway! I was just about to stand up from the bathtub when my legs gave out, and I fell to my knees with a splash. Escape plan, to be continued tomorrow. The next day, Lucas was indeed not at home. I was preparing to quickly pack my things and run away with the money when I ran into Lucas, who had just returned. I looked at Lucas, then at my suitcase, and smiled awkwardly. “Are you… going out?” Lucas asked with a hint of a smile. I chuckled nervously. “What a coincidence, right?” Lucas walked past me and sat on the sofa. His voice was neither cold nor warm as he spoke. “I heard from my assistant that someone booked a flight to Germany at 8 PM tonight. I came back to see if this little money-grubber had emptied my house.” I dragged my suitcase over to Lucas and stood in front of him. “Lucas Gray, you’re spying on me!” Lucas looked up at me and smiled. “Spying?” He suddenly stood up and came closer, the tip of his shoe grazing the zipper of my suitcase by my feet. “Little deaf girl, you’ve been by my side for two years and know the location of every camera in the garage like the back of your hand. Now you’re talking about spying?” I stubbornly backed away, my lower back hitting the carved screen in the entryway. Lucas’s fingers traced my burning earlobe, suddenly pulling out the check I had hidden in my sleeve—he had swiped it without me noticing! “Thinking of running away with fifty million?” He waved the check, making a rustling sound. “Olivia, have you forgotten? The confidentiality agreement you signed states that if you leave without permission…” My heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, I noticed a blue ribbon peeking out of the inner pocket of his suit jacket. It was a little trinket I had stuffed into his pocket last week when we were picking out ties—he had called it “childish” but hadn’t thrown it away. “Stop!” I suddenly made a time-out gesture with my hands, raising my voice and signing, “I-I just remembered, I left some soup simmering in the kitchen!” Lucas raised an eyebrow as he watched me scramble towards the kitchen, my suitcase still tilted in the entryway. Just as I grabbed the microwave door handle, I heard a suppressed chuckle from behind. I turned to see him shaking his head at my suitcase. A half-capped lipstick had fallen out, drawing a crooked red line on the beige carpet. “The soup is on the third shelf of the fridge,” he suddenly said. “Also—” He pulled out a gold-embossed invitation from his inner suit pocket, “Tonight at 7 PM, charity gala at the Gray Trade Center. Chloe specifically asked to meet you.” Chloe! What! His true love wants to meet me! Wait, bro! You’re taking me, the substitute, to meet the real deal! Is this right? Is this okay?! Has the plot advanced already? Am I still destined to face retribution?

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297069”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance

The day the zombie horde broke out, I tore up my assignment roster, forcing myself to stay behind in the doomed Zone C. I held on until dawn the next day, just long enough to hear Caleb’s loud broadcast: Celeste had found a new oasis. Her discovery, he claimed, would be humanity’s last hope. Only then did I finally breathe a sigh of relief. As the horde smashed through the doors, I detonated all my explosives. In my previous life, Caleb had made sure I drew the winning lot. He used my luck-boosting ability to easily find the oasis and become a leader. He promised me that as soon as I found the oasis, he would send away all the other women he was seeing. I believed him. But when I lit the bonfire signal, what arrived wasn’t his support, but betrayal. “Celeste has no powers, she needs my protection more. I just want her and her child to be respected by everyone in this apocalypse. But you, you try to steal even this little bit of credit.” “She got a fever, terrified by zombies, just looking for you. I’ll make you feel ten thousand times her pain.” He chained me to a car and dragged me until I was torn to shreds by zombies. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day the horde erupted. This time, I’d let them have their savior dream.

“Astrid! Get in the car!” “Any later, and the horde will completely surround us!” I looked into the distance. The energy shield around the perimeter of Zone C was weakening. Leo was so anxious, he was almost in tears. “Astrid! You’re the only one with powers in the entire base! Where there’s life, there’s hope! Don’t throw away your life!” I was about to speak. The steel door of the safe house was violently kicked open. Caleb’s personal guard roughly seized my arms, dragging me out without a word. Leo roared from behind, his voice gut-wrenching. “Let her go! Astrid’s pregnant, you’ll make her miscarry dragging her like this! You damn lackeys of the base leader!” They finally pushed me to the base’s central plaza. A pre-assault rally was being held there. In the center of the plaza, a dozen people were already kneeling. These people were all scapegoats, accused of various crimes. Some were charged with hoarding rations, others falsely accused of trying to steal a vehicle to escape. Then, the enforcement squad stepped out. They carried a large wooden bucket, walking up to each person, prying open their jaws. Spoon after spoon of black-green liquid was forcibly poured down their throats. That water was contaminated from the base’s failed purification system, filled with radiation. The entire plaza was instantly drowned in screams and sounds of retching. A man next to me convulsed violently, foaming at the mouth. “We just wanted to save some extra food for our kids… Why are you doing this to us?!” I wasn’t spared either. A full spoon of contaminated water was forced down, and my stomach cramped in excruciating pain. Blood gushed from between my legs. I let out a muffled groan of agony, which startled those around me. “That’s Astrid! The Commander’s wife! They’re pouring it down her too?” “Isn’t she our hero in Zone C? She led a team to reclaim a batch of medicine yesterday! What in the world is going on?!” The intense pain made my vision blur, and I crumpled to the ground. “Medic! Call a medic now! Someone’s going to die!” Just then, the noisy crowd automatically parted, creating a path. Celeste, dressed in a brand-new white combat suit, looked impossibly clean for this apocalypse. She clung intimately to Caleb’s arm, a saintly, yet pitying smile gracing her face. Caleb’s gaze swept over us, groaning in pain on the ground, his face grim. Celeste dramatically covered her mouth. “Oh my, why is everyone collapsed? Who could be so heartless as to shake our morale at such a critical moment, with the zombie horde surrounding us?” Before she even finished, Caleb’s face was filled with rage, and he violently kicked my stomach. “You vicious wretch!” He roared at me, “The moment I step away from the base, you dare to incite people and cause internal strife!” “You’re so consumed by jealousy that you’d try to steal Celeste’s credit for finding the oasis!” That kick left me unable to even cry out. I looked at Celeste’s face behind him, twisted with a triumphant smirk. I gritted my teeth and squeezed out a few words from my throat. “I didn’t… It was her…” “Still trying to lie your way out of it?!” Caleb bellowed. “This isn’t the first time you’ve been so unscrupulous for credit! This time, I will not let you off!”

He pointed at the struggling survivors on the ground and ordered them. “Each of you, give her one shot from a taser. After you’re done, I’ll personally escort you to the oasis, and your food and medicine rations will be doubled.” The personal guard dragged me up from the ground, completely ignoring my miscarriage. The survivors who had been forced to drink the contaminated water looked at me, their eyes filled with reluctance. A middle-aged man walked forward, tears in his eyes, and pulled the trigger. “I’m sorry, Captain Astrid… I have two children at home…” One person, two people… Blue electric arcs flashed again and again, scorching the life out of my unborn baby. Only after everyone had tasered me and left did Caleb, satisfied, take the water Celeste offered him. He took her hand and walked over to me. He looked at me, covered in dust, my cheeks bruised, and a flicker of something complex crossed his eyes. But the next moment, he coldly lifted my chin. “Don’t blame me for making them do it. I had to teach you a lesson, so you know this is what happens if you dare to be jealous, if you dare to harm others again.” “Save yourself the trouble of trying to steal Celeste’s credit again.” My whole body trembled, and I looked up at him. So, I wasn’t the only one who had been reborn. No wonder they found the oasis even without my luck. No wonder he said it wasn’t the “first time” I’d done this. Because in my previous life, he had similarly framed me and sentenced me to death for Celeste’s sake. My eyes reddened, and I wiped away my tears. “Astrid, playing the victim won’t work anymore. No matter how capable you are, it’s useless.” “I’ve already had the medical team give Celeste the top-tier genetic enhancer. Her powers will definitely upgrade, helping me become the leader.” I gave a bitter laugh, clutching my constantly cramping abdomen. “I already paved the way for you. But why did you have them force contaminated water on me? Why destroy Zone C and kill my teammates…?” He paused, his brows furrowed. “Don’t talk nonsense. You clearly led your team in a failed breakthrough yesterday, resulting in the entire unit being wiped out.” Sweat streamed down my face from the pain. I grabbed his pant leg, trying to make him look at Leo, the scout, who was still alive on the monitoring screen. His face was filled with disgust, and he impatiently kicked my hand away. “Stop acting. If you want to prove you weren’t trying to harm Celeste, then tomorrow, during the base-wide broadcast, you can personally admit that your abilities were insufficient, that your reconnaissance failed, and that you begged Celeste to share some of her credit with you.” “Then you’ll hand over all your merits and supplies to her and the child she’s carrying, and in the future, you’ll serve as her loyal deputy.” “If you dare to play any more tricks, if you dare to touch a single hair on her head, this time I won’t just deal with you and your useless team—Leo, the one you care about most, won’t get a single dose of anti-infection medicine either.” My eyes widened, staring at Caleb in disbelief: “Caleb, you bastard! Leo was scratched by a zombie while covering me, he’s a hero of the base! How can you threaten me with his life?!” Caleb looked annoyed. “As long as you obediently serve Celeste’s team and take good care of them from now on, I won’t touch him.” With that, he put his arm around Celeste, ready to leave. “Celeste, thank you for finding hope for the base. I’m going to reward you well.” I watched their retreating figures, warm blood continuously seeping from my lower body because of the miscarriage. Professor Albright, a researcher who treated me like his own daughter, rushed over, his face paling when he saw my injuries. “Quickly, get her to treatment! If anything happens to Astrid, I won’t let any of you off!” I was sent to the medical bay, but the healing medic never showed up. Professor Albright, enraged, demanded to know where the medical team assigned to me had gone.

Mia, the assistant, spoke with difficulty. “Professor Albright, all the healing medics in the entire base have been called to Captain Celeste’s room by the Commander. Miss Celeste scratched her finger while testing a weapon, and Commander Caleb is worried something might happen to her, so he’s keeping all the healing medics on standby.” “Right now, there are no healing medics in the entire base.” Professor Albright was furious, constantly making calls. “He’s gone mad! His own wife is critically injured and clinging to life, yet he calls away all her healing medics for some mistress, completely disregarding her fate!” The communicator finally connected after the twentieth attempt. “Is Astrid stirring up trouble again and making you call me to back her up?” Professor Albright shouted excitedly, “Astrid is bleeding internally and has fainted! Several of our brothers in the team are about to die! And you’ve taken away her healing medics! Do you want to kill the base’s elite unit?!” Caleb scoffed, “Did Astrid tell you to call me? Her check-up was perfectly fine, what’s this critically injured and dying act now?” “Alright, alright, I still have Celeste and her team’s victory banquet to attend. She wants healing medics, does she? I’ll send someone over.” Professor Albright hung up the call, gripping my hand tightly. “Don’t be afraid, Astrid, the healing medics will be here soon.” I felt my life force gradually fading. I thought of my previous life, how my teammates were similarly stabbed in the back by Caleb’s team, eaten alive by zombies. I trembled all over, pulling Professor Albright’s hand, and said with difficulty. “Professor Albright, you promised me you’d treat me like your own child. If Caleb didn’t treat me well, you’d help me get away from him.” “I just want to save Leo’s life, and then survive.” Professor Albright was already in tears, saying repeatedly. “After Caleb was saved by you, he loved you so much. It’s all that vile creature, Celeste’s, doing. If she hadn’t suddenly appeared, you two wouldn’t have ended up like this.” I gave a tragic smile. How could a life-and-death companion, who once fought alongside me, become like this? The man who, after repelling zombies, would blush and say he’d face life and death with me, swearing that if he ever betrayed me, he’d die a horrible death, with no corpse left behind. Now, for another woman, he abandoned me without a second thought. “Please, Professor Albright.” I gritted out each word. Listening to my plea, Professor Albright finally nodded. “Tomorrow, I will announce that you are the sole power-user of Zone C. As for that ungrateful beast, I will no longer assist him!” Professor Albright immediately left to deal with the matter. I lay on the medical bed, the sharp pain in my abdomen surging like a tide. Professor Albright’s young assistant, Mia, anxiously kept hoping the healing medics sent by Caleb would arrive. Finally, someone came. But it wasn’t a healing medic; it was a logistics orderly. Seeing the bloody scene in the medical bay, he handed over a few bandages and a bottle of expired disinfectant. “Commander Caleb said it’s just a minor injury, nothing life-threatening. He told you to deal with it yourselves and stop bothering him with such disgusting things.” Mia cried and smashed the box. “Astrid, I’ll take you and the brothers to another base right now. You have to hold on.” My vision went black, and I finally passed out. When I woke up again, it was to a bucket of ice-cold snow water being abruptly poured over me. Caleb’s face, full of disgust, loomed before me. “You’re awake, stop faking it.” He looked down at me. “You know I’m about to announce the oasis and Celeste’s achievements, yet you’re making a scene about going to my enemy base. You just want everyone to think Celeste is bullying you, don’t you?” Celeste, clutching a report, stood behind him, tears streaming down her face, looking utterly pathetic. “Astrid, I know you hate me. But it’s okay to get revenge on me, why did you have Professor Albright try to steal my credit?”

“That assistant was still screaming that I was a vile creature before they dragged her away, saying I didn’t deserve to be the savior’s partner…” I opened my mouth, but not a single word escaped my throat. I could only shake my head with all my strength, trembling as I pleaded, “I… I didn’t… Send me to the medical bay… The brothers… They can’t hold on much longer…” “You’re lying again!” Caleb impatiently furrowed his brow. “Professor Albright rallied her old subordinates overnight and even found the base’s records officer. Wasn’t it you instigating her from behind? You think by stealing Celeste’s credit, you can secure the second-in-command position at the base?” Celeste cried and pleaded in his arms, “Astrid, I beg you, please don’t separate Caleb and me… If you really insist on taking my credit, I’ll just run out of the base alone and die in the zombie horde!” She made a move as if to run, and Caleb immediately held her tight. He was enraged, and he kicked my stomach again. “How many times have I warned you not to bully Celeste, but you just won’t listen! Since that’s the case, I’ll have to resort to special measures.” He suddenly turned and coldly ordered his personal guard. “She forced Celeste to run into the zombie horde, so she should pay the price. Go, shut down Professor Albright’s lab’s purification system, and throw the people out of the research facility!” “Caleb!” I shrieked, tearing my throat. “You’re insane! That’s Professor Albright! Her research is for all humanity!!” “So what?!” Caleb scoffed. “To get you into the command structure, she forced me to marry you. Now you’re a captain, and I’ve even let you command your own unit. If you couldn’t find the oasis, that’s your own uselessness. I’ve repaid my debt of gratitude, I don’t owe you anything anymore!” “Do it!” I frantically lunged at the personal guard, trying to stop them, but I was brutally kicked to the ground. The wound on my abdomen, which had barely stopped bleeding, burst open from the violent impact, gushing like a broken dam, instantly staining the floor beneath me crimson. I screamed in agony, my throat raw, curling into a ball. Caleb was about to drag me further, but then he suddenly saw the pool of crimson on the floor, and his face went white. He instinctively stopped, turning to Celeste and demanding. “What happened?! I told you to take care of her and her pregnancy, why is she still bleeding?!” Celeste’s face also changed slightly. But her eyes darted, and she quickly squeezed out tears. “I’ve always taken good care of Astrid… This is the medical report they did for her yesterday.” She handed over the report, her voice choked. “The report says she only has superficial wounds, and her bodily functions and the baby are all perfectly normal.” Caleb snatched the report. He only scanned it once, and he believed it. The next second, he furiously lifted me from the ground and violently threw me onto the cold, hard metal floor. My head slammed down hard, and blood instantly gushed out. “You dared to lie to me?!” He growled, “To make me soft, you can even fake a miscarriage?! How disgusting, how utterly vile!” “You thought I’d fall for it this time? Dream on!” He raised his leg, kicking my abdomen mercilessly, again and again. Blood mixed with screams splattered with every impact. “Ah… no… no…” I pleaded, almost tearing my throat, but my body grew colder and colder. Until I had no strength left to even beg, only able to curl up in my own pool of blood. He wiped his blood-stained boots and turned to Celeste, his face full of apology. “I’m sorry, Celeste, for making you smell this disgusting odor. I’ll deal with her right away. Once it’s done, I’ll fly you to the oasis to see the scenery, as compensation for my mistake, okay?” Celeste, however, shook her head tearfully, her voice pitiful. “Forget it. Astrid hates me so much. What if you leave with me, and she immediately comes up with a new way to sabotage me?” “Otherwise, I’ll just take my team and leave. I’ll even let her have the credit.” She spoke cautiously, utterly wronged, yet it perfectly struck Caleb’s nerve. His face instantly turned as dark as night, his voice gentle but chillingly cold: “Don’t worry, I won’t give her any more chances to harm you.” He waved his hand: “Lock her in the containment cell outside the base. Once I officially announce Celeste as the discoverer of the oasis tomorrow, then release her.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297085”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance

Iris was pregnant, and the father of her child was my legal husband, Julian Thorne. On our seventh wedding anniversary, Serena Hastings leaned into Julian’s embrace, triumphantly announcing the news to all our guests. I, Iris Thorne, the rightful Mrs. Thorne, became a colossal joke. Julian warned me to keep my schemes in check and to wholeheartedly serve Serena during her pregnancy. He showed no regard for my dignity. I stared at the tall man before me, a wave of desolation washing over my heart. It has to end, I thought. When I decided to leave, Julian casually made a bet with his friends: “If Iris isn’t back, begging to come home within 24 hours, how about that prime development property downtown? It’s yours.” “24 hours? No way, eight is plenty! Everyone knows Iris can’t live without Mr. Thorne,” someone scoffed. Laughter erupted. Outside, a Jaguar sat parked in the dark night. The man inside wore sunglasses, his expression unreadable. This time, I was truly leaving. My suitcase had been packed for ages, holding only a few changes of clothes. After marrying Julian, all the jewelry gifted by his family, those precious pieces, had been meticulously kept in the master bedroom’s jewelry box. I didn’t take a single one. As I dragged my suitcase, about to step out of the villa door, I heard Serena’s sickly sweet voice. “Iris, just walking out like that wouldn’t be very nice, would it?” I paused, wondering what game Serena was playing. “The Thornes are a powerful family, a massive empire. Who knows what precious valuables you’ve stuffed into that suitcase.” I calmly replied, “I haven’t taken anything from the Thorne family. This is just some of my clothes.” Serena clacked towards me in her high heels, stopped right in front of me, and looked down her nose, dramatically saying, “Clothes? Are clothes even yours? You’re a freeloader with no job, living off him!” Her cruel words flooded my ears. I bit down hard on my lip, quickly tasting the metallic tang of blood. Serena was right. I didn’t have a job. Seven years ago, when Julian and I got married, I had just graduated from college. But Julian had said he didn’t like high-powered career women who were never home. He preferred a devoted wife, someone who’d make a warm home for him. So, I decisively gave up the offer from an internationally renowned design firm, trapping myself within the four walls of the kitchen. “Fine.” I pushed my suitcase forward. Serena was still relentless. “What about what you’re wearing?” I froze. What I was wearing? “Julian, make her leave the clothes! She can’t take anything that isn’t hers.” Serena pulled Julian in front of me, waiting for him to speak and back her up. “Iris, strip.” Numbly, I took off my jacket and tossed it to the ground. Finally, I gave one last, heavy look at the husband I’d been married to for seven years, then turned and walked away without a backward glance. A familiar license plate came into view. I quickened my pace, when suddenly a large hand, like a vice, clamped onto my wrist. It was Julian. “Iris, even like this, you’re still dead set on leaving?” My wrist throbbed from his grip. I ignored Julian’s words and instead asked him, “Julian, do you still remember our child?” Julian’s grip on my wrist loosened.

In the second year of our marriage, I unexpectedly found out I was pregnant. When I had my check-up at the hospital, the doctor said I was exactly three months along. Overjoyed by the news, I couldn’t wait to share it with Julian immediately. At the time, Julian was on a business trip abroad. I planned to keep the news a surprise and tell him when he returned home. The day Julian came back, it was pouring rain. I warned him to be careful and to come home right after his plane landed. I’d given Maria, the housemaid, the day off. I curled up alone on the couch, stroking my belly, imagining how delighted Julian would be. But Julian never came home. Because Serena was afraid of thunder, Julian stayed with her all night. Meanwhile, I slipped on a spilled glass of water and fell heavily to the ground. A warm gush between my legs sent me into a panic. Fighting the sharp pains in my stomach, I dragged myself to reach for my phone on the table. Dots of blood stained the floor. I called Julian’s phone repeatedly, but it just rang unanswered. I prayed that my baby inside would be strong, just a little stronger, strong enough to hold on until I could get to the hospital. I gritted my teeth and, with my last ounce of strength, dialed 911. I woke up in the hospital. Julian told me the baby was gone. I furiously gripped his collar, asking why he didn’t come home? Why didn’t he answer his phone? Serena rushed over, tears in her eyes, begging for my forgiveness. She said she was scared of thunder, so she’d messaged Julian, pleading with him to come stay with her. My child, this baby who had only been in my womb for three months, died that thundering, rainy night.

“Julian, what does any of this matter? Even if there are mountains of knives and seas of fire, I’m still leaving,” I said with absolute resolve. “Fine.” Julian’s eyes held a dark shadow. I hadn’t walked two steps before a sharp pain flared in my neck, and I lost consciousness. Julian had me locked away. Someone delivered my meals every day. I didn’t understand what Julian was playing at. Two weeks into my confinement, I was taken to the hospital. I was strapped to a gurney and brought into an operating room. A second before the anesthesia took effect, I heard the doctor sigh, “Uterine cancer, needs a hysterectomy. Poor thing.” My uterus was removed. Julian sat by my hospital bed, holding a bowl of soup Maria had made, ready to feed me. I turned my head away. “Iris, you just had surgery. Don’t play around with your health,” Julian’s chilling voice rang out. Surgery? If it weren’t for you and Serena, I wouldn’t have needed this surgery. Serena’s pregnancy wasn’t going well. She’d heard about some supposedly powerful fortuneteller from somewhere and dragged Julian to see him. The fortuneteller told them that my future child would bring her bad luck, and if I had any chance of getting pregnant, not only would Serena’s baby not survive, but it would also harm the mother. Then, they gave Julian the birth details of this “woman,” which matched mine exactly. So, they fabricated a “uterine cancer” diagnosis for me. “Iris, after you’re discharged, you’ll still be Mrs. Thorne. Serena’s child will call you Mommy,” Julian said, as if to himself. As if that could somehow erase the harm they had inflicted upon me. “Iris, I’ll compensate you.” As he said this, Julian’s phone rang. It was Serena calling him. “Julian, I hurt my hand! Hurry and come here!” her anxious voice came through the receiver. I grabbed Julian’s hand and said, “The only compensation I want is for you to refuse Serena.” Serena kept urging him over the phone. Julian pried my hand open. He said, word for word, “Don’t be ungrateful. Know your place. What do you have that can compare to Serena?” Then he turned and left without a backward glance. The empty hospital room was left with just me. Compared to Serena’s injured hand – a matter Julian treated as monumental – my uterus being removed seemed utterly trivial. I, Iris, was completely insignificant to Julian. Serena posted sweet photos of herself and Julian on Ins. The caption read: “I jokingly said my hand was hurt, and someone rushed right over to see me. I’m so happy!” I coldly ‘liked’ her post, then shared it with the comment, “Wishing you both happiness.” After a period of observation in the hospital, I was again confined to Julian’s villa. Why do I say confined? Because on the day I was discharged, Julian sent two burly bodyguards. Seeing the strong men, whose wrists were as thick as my calves, I had no choice but to push down my thoughts and temporarily return home.

Back at the villa, I was assigned to the guest room. This villa was Julian’s and my marital home. Every corner had been decorated by my own hands. The plush ornaments on the sofa, the exquisite stone sculptures on the display cabinet, the fresh flowers in the floor vase… But now, they were all gone. Alfred, the butler, told me it was at Miss Hastings’ request. Serena had moved into Julian’s and my marital bedroom. “Iris, you’re finally home! This is wonderful!” Serena came down from the second floor, eagerly rushing to my side. “Finally, I’m not the only one in this house. You can keep me company now!” I wasn’t used to feigning civility with Serena. I pulled my hand from her grasp and said nothing. Julian followed her down from the second floor. He was displeased with my cold attitude and was about to scold me when Serena gently stopped him. She sweetly said, “Iris, please don’t be mad at me. I really didn’t want to do this, but I’m so uncomfortable with my pregnancy that I have to trouble you to take care of me for a while.” I was confused. Take care of her? Me, take care of Serena? I thought Julian had just said it offhand, but I hadn’t expected him to actually mean turning me into her personal attendant. “Where’s the housemaid?” I demanded of Julian. “Serena doesn’t like outsiders,” Julian said, knowing he was in the wrong, but not wanting to lose face. After all, in front of me, Julian always had to be superior. “Serena’s pregnancy is hard on her. As Mrs. Thorne, it’s only right that you take care of her,” Julian added. Mrs. Thorne. It seemed that as long as I had those three words, as long as I had that title, it could somehow compensate for all the hurt Julian had inflicted on me. I had no heart to argue with them anymore. I just wanted to go back to my room and get some sleep. Watching my back as I walked towards the guest room, Julian’s heart inexplicably trembled. Iris had lost more weight. After all, she’d had surgery. He instructed Alfred to make some of my favorite dishes for dinner. Seeing Julian staring blankly at Iris’s retreating figure, a venomous glint flashed in Serena’s eyes. Without a housemaid, and with bodyguards supervising me 24/7, I was trapped in the villa, becoming Serena’s personal servant. During this time, I had kept in touch with Liam Carter. Liam had repeatedly tried to find ways to help me escape Julian. But given that I was under strict surveillance, Liam’s plan had to be put on hold for now. Liam, despite the time difference, consistently stayed up to chat with me. He was incredibly thoughtful, always sensing my low moods and finding ways to cheer me up. “Iris, what are you looking at?” Julian stood at the doorway, his voice low and heavy. I jumped, instinctively turning off my phone. I had been so engrossed in my chat with Liam that I hadn’t even noticed Julian opening the door. “You should knock before entering someone’s room,” I frowned. “This is my home. Why would I knock?” Julian said imperiously. Using his height advantage, he snatched my phone, trying to unlock it. “What’s the password?” Julian asked. He was so arrogant and self-centered. I didn’t have the energy to fight him for my phone. “My birthday.” Julian repeatedly entered the password, but the phone kept rejecting it, until the security system issued a warning. He sheepishly tossed the phone onto the bed. Seven years of marriage, and Julian knew nothing about my birthday. Yet, every year, I prepared for his birthday in advance, sending blessings and gifts right on time. “Don’t chat with irrelevant people.” Julian threw out this remark, then stormed out, slamming the door so hard it shook the house.

During my boring confinement in the villa, I used drawing to pass the time. Honestly, I’d always had a regret: not pursuing my passion for design further. So, during my seven years at home, whenever my hands itched, I’d sketch out design drafts. Liam sent me a set of photos. They were the winning designs from an emerging talent competition three years ago, and my work was clearly among them. A designer’s work is their heart and soul. I’d recognize a design that came from my hands even if it was reduced to ashes. Yet, the design that was clearly mine was credited to Serena Hastings. My mind instantly went blank, and a terrifying thought emerged. The information I asked Liam to check quickly arrived. It confirmed my suspicions. Serena had stolen my work to enter the competition. Three years ago, I had mysteriously lost a portfolio of my sketches. I searched high and low for half a month but found nothing and eventually gave up. And Serena was the new designer who had suddenly risen to prominence three years ago. Looking through her work from these past few years, almost all of it bore the shadow of my sketches; some were even direct copies. The thought of Serena using my hard work, wearing the crown of praise, and proudly flaunting her career success to me, made me tremble with rage. I found Serena and confronted her. Serena didn’t flinch. She placed a hand on her slightly bulging belly and said indifferently, “So what if I stole it? What if I didn’t? You were never going to use it anyway. Isn’t it a good deed to help someone else succeed?” I didn’t know how low this woman’s shamelessness could go. Serena kept shattering my perception of her. Watching me so enraged I could barely stand, Serena studied me with interest, then slowly delivered another blow: “And I didn’t steal this sketch, Julian gave it to me.” Julian gave it to Serena? The memory of Julian’s feigned concern when I was looking for my sketches made my stomach churn. Suddenly, Serena leaned close to my ear and whispered, “You should have gone to hell with your damn mother.” My mother was my raw nerve. Especially with Serena involved; if it weren’t for her back then, I wouldn’t have missed seeing my mother one last time. Burning with fury, I slapped Serena across the face. To my surprise, Serena stumbled and fell to the ground with my slap. I stared in shock at Serena, clutching her stomach on the floor, and then incredulously at my own hand. I could swear that slap was not hard enough to make Serena fall like that. Hearing the commotion, the bodyguards outside quickly rushed in to check. Julian was also alarmed and hurried upstairs. Julian pushed open the door and saw Serena, her cheek slightly swollen, lying pale on the floor, while I stood perfectly fine beside her. Without a word, he slapped me. It was a powerful slap. I guessed Julian put all his strength into it. My face snapped to the side, and my lower back hit the wooden sofa armrest hard. Sharp pain spread across my face and down my back. Julian hadn’t expected to lose control of his strength. Seeing the blood-tinged corner of my mouth, his eyes flickered. Serena noticed Julian’s hesitation and immediately began to whimper, crying out that Iris shouldn’t hit her, even if it was just for the baby’s sake. Julian stopped bothering with me, scooped Serena up, and rushed downstairs. Within moments, the room, which had just been full of people, was empty again, leaving only me. Looking at my high, swollen face in the mirror, I thought of the year my mother died. Counting today’s slap, Julian had hit me twice. The first time was that year. Back then, Serena was often unwell, running to the hospital every few days. Julian was frantic with worry. Serena told Julian she had a dream: if Iris went to a temple to pray for her, it would help her ward off a supposed curse for the year. She badgered Julian into sending me to that temple. The ritual required 49 days of continuous prayer. Normally, I might not have refused, but at the time, my mother was gravely ill—a situation where every visit counted. I pleaded with Julian to wait until my mother’s condition stabilized before sending me to pray, but he refused. Julian only said he would take care of my mother, completely disregarding a daughter’s wish to be by her dying parent’s side. Disheartened, I left for the temple. When the 49 days of prayer ended, I never got to see my mother one last time. At the funeral, Serena feigned an apology to me. My patience finally snapped. I grabbed the cup of hot water by my hand and violently threw it at her. The moment the water splashed on Serena, Julian’s hand was already raised high. He chastised me, saying I was mad with grief, treating Serena’s genuine kindness like trash. The memory overlapped with the present. I looked at the haggard woman in the mirror, my eyes filled with cold determination. The bodyguards guarding the villa were all called to the hospital to watch over a supposedly traumatized Serena. I left the house that held so much of my pain, without any resistance. As the plane soared through the clear blue sky, I quietly said goodbye to everything there. Goodbye. Never again. Julian had soothed Serena, and now he sat wearily on a bench in the hospital corridor. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw my face, red and swollen where I’d clutched it.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297101”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance

Seven months pregnant. With my belly showing, I helped Caleb Prescott secure the latest quarterly partnership. Then, checking his location discreetly, I headed to the bar, planning to surprise him. Just before pushing open the private room door, I heard his voice, laced with a cynical laugh, mingling with his friends. “Caleb, won’t Audrey be mad if she finds out you deliberately sent her on that business trip just so you could celebrate Chloe finishing high school and getting into college?” Caleb scoffed, utterly dismissive. “I’ve pampered Audrey for years. What more could she possibly want? Besides, she’s pregnant, easily agitated. I kept it quiet just to prevent her from getting jealous.” “True, Audrey has been with you for so long, she probably can’t live without you. But you’ve raised Chloe for all these years, and now she’s an adult, and so beautiful. Don’t you have… any thoughts?” Caleb reached out, casually wrapping his arm around Chloe Sterling’s delicate shoulders, his voice thick with doting affection. “That depends on whether our Chloe is willing.” “I… I’m willing to marry Uncle Caleb.”

I pushed the door open. The conversation inside the private room died instantly. Caleb instinctively pulled his hand back from Chloe’s shoulder, his doting expression quickly morphing into calm. “Audrey, what are you doing here? Is the contract settled?” Caleb’s friends, seeing my upset face, quickly tried to smooth things over with smiles. “Audrey, Chloe just finished high school today, and we’re all celebrating. Caleb was just about to call you to join us!” “No, thanks. You all have fun. I’m heading back.” I looked at Caleb and Chloe, their intimate posture a punch to the gut. I forced a strained smile onto my face and turned to leave. “Audrey.” Caleb called out, getting up and coming to my side. “Chloe just lost a game and has to drink ten penalty shots. I’ll be driving later, so could you take them for her?” I clutched my pregnant belly, fighting back the burning sensation in my nose, staring at Caleb in disbelief. “You want *me* to drink?” “It’s a celebration for Chloe. Just cooperate, don’t spoil the fun.” “Fine.” I picked up a glass and chugged it. The beer rushed down my throat, the foam stinging my nose, and my stomach churned, threatening to revolt. One glass. Two glasses. … Caleb’s friends started to look uncomfortable, one finally speaking up. “Caleb, maybe that’s enough.” “It’s fine. Back when Audrey helped me close deals with clients, she could down a liter of hard liquor without batting an eye. This is nothing to her.” I held the last glass, feeling nothing but bitter amusement. The year we got married, Caleb’s company hit a rough patch. I wanted to help him by drinking with clients to secure partnerships, but he stopped me, swearing solemnly that no matter how tough things got, he’d never let me suffer that humiliation. But then Chloe came into our lives. Caleb said she was a friend’s orphan, and he needed to take responsibility as her guardian. From that moment on, all his attention shifted to Chloe. For his company, I started to repeatedly drink and smile for investors. Until six months ago, I was force-fed by an investor until I had stomach bleeding and was almost taken to a hotel. I only escaped by slitting my wrists, threatening to end my life. And that night, he used the investment I had begged on my knees for to throw an all-night fireworks display to celebrate Chloe’s birthday. I finished the last drink, nothing left in my throat but a raw, bitter taste. “Caleb, I’m leaving.” “I’ll drive you back…” Caleb was about to reach out and help me, but then he heard Chloe’s saccharine tone. “Uncle Caleb, I don’t have any family left in this world. Could you… divorce Audrey and stay with just me, forever?” The private room fell into a deathly silence. I froze, looking at Caleb. He didn’t hesitate, handing me a divorce agreement, a pleading look in his eyes. “Audrey, Chloe rarely asks for anything from me. I don’t want to disappoint her.” “Fine. I’ll sign.” I managed a desolate smile, fighting back the tears stinging my eyes, and picked up the pen to sign the divorce agreement. As I walked out of the room, I heard Caleb’s friends trying to reason with him: “Caleb, a divorce agreement isn’t a joke. If Audrey truly gets angry, you might take things too far.” “Audrey’s been with me for eight years, and now she’s pregnant. She can’t leave me. I’ll just sweet-talk her later, it’ll be fine.” Tears finally streamed down my face, uncontrolled. I took a deep breath, wiped them away, and cast one last look at the joyous private room. Then, I pulled out my phone and dialed the hospital. **[截断点]** “Please schedule an abortion for me. The sooner, the better.”

Just as I left the bar, Caleb rushed out after me. “It’s too late. I’ll take you home.” I reached for the passenger side door, but he stopped me. “You’re pregnant. The front seat isn’t as safe for you. You should sit in the back.” Caleb then opened the passenger door for Chloe himself, and thoughtfully buckled her seatbelt. I looked at the “Wife’s Seat Only” sticker on the dashboard, finding it incredibly ironic and blindingly painful. “Uncle Caleb, can I date when I’m in college?” “No!” Caleb’s tone was stern. Chloe giggled, playfully feeding a snack into Caleb’s mouth: “Okay then, Uncle Caleb, I’ll listen to you. I’ll only be with you, forever.” I glanced at the car’s interior, decorated with a girlish touch. The mini-fridge that used to hold my milk and pregnancy snacks had long been replaced with Chloe’s favorite candies. This car, the one I brought into our marriage, felt utterly foreign now. Chloe had quietly, insidiously woven herself into Caleb’s life, yet he deluded himself into believing he was merely a guardian, never truly falling for her. How ridiculous. How utterly ironic. Noticing my gaze, Caleb spoke up. “Chloe said she’s never stayed in a hotel before, so I’m going to drop her off to experience that first. I’ll take you home later.” The car soon stopped outside a hotel. I watched Caleb lead Chloe into the hotel, my eyes falling on a discarded receipt on the passenger seat. The receipt clearly showed purchases of condoms and lingerie – all Caleb’s preferred styles. These two things hadn’t been used since I got pregnant. I remembered when Caleb and I got married, he told me his mother had taken her own life because she couldn’t bear her husband’s infidelity. He hated all unfaithful men in the world. He promised he’d protect me forever, never betray me. But as I stood outside that hotel room, hearing a woman’s sweet cries and a man’s muffled grunts from inside, His past vows felt like a cruel illusion. My eyes welled up, but I had no courage to burst in and catch them red-handed. If you couldn’t keep your word, why make those promises in the first place? … Two hours later. Caleb returned to the car, his hair damp. “That girl Chloe is so clingy. She wouldn’t let me leave, so I just took a quick shower. Sorry to keep you waiting.” I silently stared at the hickeys on his neck. Suddenly, this man I’d lived with for eight years felt like a complete stranger. Caleb noticed my silence and sat beside me. “Audrey, Chloe’s just a kid. Don’t be so hard on her.” “That divorce agreement was just to humor her. The terms clearly state I’m leaving with nothing. Don’t worry, once she loses interest, we’ll get back together right away.” I just smiled, saying nothing. Get back together? Caleb, I loved you for eight years. It’s time for it to end.

Early the next morning. Chloe burst into my room with a housekeeper. “Audrey Prescott, you’ve already divorced Uncle Caleb, so why are you still living here? I’m the lady of this house now, get out!” The housekeeper began clearing out my things. I didn’t stop them. I simply picked up my pre-packed suitcase and walked out of the house without looking back. “Wait! Open your suitcase. Who knows if you’ve stolen anything valuable? Uncle Caleb said everything in this mansion is mine now.” The housekeeper snatched my suitcase, ransacking it. Inside were only a few clothes I’d bought before marrying Caleb. Nothing else. “Can I go now?” “No! You haven’t been searched yet. Strip her!” The housekeeper stepped forward, pulling at my clothes until I was completely naked. Chloe looked at my pregnant belly with disgust. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Are those stretch marks? So ugly. No wonder Uncle Caleb said he didn’t want to touch you.” I clenched my fists, enduring the housekeeper’s mocking stares, and squatted down to pick up my clothes and put them back on. Suddenly, Chloe rushed toward me, slapping my belly hard. I instinctively raised my hand. But Chloe stumbled first, falling to the ground and pointing at my suitcase, sobbing. “Uncle Caleb, Audrey won’t let me move in, and she threw my suitcase!” Caleb glared at me, barely suppressing his rage. “What’s going on?” “Uncle Caleb, Audrey called me a fatherless child and told me to stay away from you. She said I was a burden to you. If only my dad were still here…” Chloe continued to sob. Caleb’s fury could no longer be contained. He slapped me hard across the face. “Apologize to Chloe, now!” Blood seeped from the corner of my mouth, my eyes blurring with tears. “Caleb, we’ve been together for eight years. Is this truly how you see me?” “And why wouldn’t I! Chloe’s just a child. Would she lie about you?!” Chloe clung to Caleb’s arm, acting utterly wronged, and pointed at a frog mascot costume. “Uncle Caleb, I want to see Audrey wear that.” “Did you hear her? Put it on and apologize to Chloe! Don’t forget your dad is still in the ICU. I can stop his medical treatment any time!” Caleb said, already dialing the hospital. “No! I’ll wear it.” I endured the mocking stares around me, painstakingly pulling on the frog costume. The tight fabric pressed painfully against my belly. “Uncle Caleb, look at Audrey in that frog suit! Her belly’s all puffy like that, doesn’t it look like a pregnant toad?!” “As long as Chloe likes it. You can wear it every day to make her happy.” The mascot costume was stifling. My head spun, and sharp pains radiated from my lower abdomen. I don’t know how long passed, then a wave of dizziness swept over me. I fell heavily to the ground.

I woke up in the hospital. Caleb was by my bedside, holding my hand. “Audrey, don’t be mad. Chloe’s just a kid, playful. Just go apologize to her properly later, and this whole thing will blow over.” “What if I don’t?” “It’s just an apology! Why are you arguing with a child?! I swear, you’ve gone completely crazy since you got pregnant!” Caleb angrily threw my hand away and stormed out. A nurse quickly rushed over, her voice urgent: “Ms. Sterling, your father’s medical treatment has been stopped. His condition suddenly worsened, and he’s not doing well. You need to go see him one last time!” My pupils constricted. I instinctively tried to get up. But Caleb, leading a team of doctors, burst into the room and dragged me to the operating theater without a word. “Caleb! Let me go! I need to see my dad…” “Audrey, Chloe just had a sudden severe anemia, and she needs umbilical cord blood to save her life. You can see your dad anytime. You need to give birth now.” I was forcibly strapped to the operating table. “Mr. Prescott, the patient is only six months pregnant, far from her due date. Administering labor-inducing drugs now could have a fatal impact on the fetus.” “Saving a life is more important! Do it!” Caleb snatched the oxytocin syringe from the doctor’s hand and brutally plunged it into my belly. Restraints tightly bound my limbs. I struggled desperately, looking at Caleb, trying to find a flicker of compassion in his eyes. But Caleb’s expression remained coldly indifferent. He just injected one syringe of oxytocin after another into my body until all five were empty. The doctor urgently tried to stop Caleb’s hand: “Mr. Prescott, five syringes are the limit! Any more and the baby will die from premature birth!” “Get out of my way! I only care if Chloe lives!” Caleb brutally plunged in the sixth syringe. An excruciating pain surged through my entire body. I couldn’t hold on any longer and completely passed out. … When I opened my eyes again, My abdomen was flat once more. I desperately got up and rushed to my father’s room, only for the nurse to tell me I was too late. My father had passed away just as Caleb dragged me away. The nurse said his last words were my name, whispered repeatedly. Passing a VIP room, I heard Chloe’s voice. “Uncle Caleb, it’s all my fault for being so sick. It caused Audrey’s baby to be born prematurely and die. She won’t be angry, will she?” “It’s fine. If the baby’s gone, Audrey can just have another one. All that matters is that you’re okay.” I touched my flat abdomen, closing my eyes in despair, letting tears stream down my cheeks. Caleb and I started trying to conceive right after we got married. We bought piles of baby clothes and toys, and he devoured books on childcare, saying he wanted our baby to be the happiest child in the world. Seven months ago, when I finally got pregnant, he was so excited, holding me and listening to the baby’s movements all night. That was the child we had hoped for for seven years. How could he be so cruel?! Three days later. I finished my father’s funeral and buried the baby’s tiny body alongside him. Leaving the cemetery.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297119”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance

The soup I made for my beloved snake was stolen and drunk by my fiancée’s male assistant’s mother. The old lady vomited blood and died on the spot. The male assistant screamed like a madman, demanding that I pay with my life. My fiancée brutally skinned the snake I had raised for 20 years, splattering its blood all over my face: “Ethan’s mom dies from drinking a bit of your damn soup, and you resort to murder, you useless coward? This vile creature should have been skinned and cooked long ago. You deserve to be tortured for keeping it!” She forcefully made me drink a hundred bottles of pesticide. But I was immune to all poisons. Though blood poured from my eyes, nose and mouth, I just wouldn’t die. My fiancée flew into a rage and cut off my research funding. She even had my colleagues’ legs crippled and sent them to Africa to work in the mines. To save them, I ventured alone to Serpent Island. The horrific sight of me being devoured by venomous snakes was broadcast globally. When I was covered in bloody holes and nearly dead from the venom… My fiancée finally arrived leisurely by private jet, arm in arm with her male assistant: “For killing his mother, you should be chopped to pieces and fed to snakes! It’s only because Ethan begged me to spare you…” But she didn’t know that those who provoked me always ended up dead. As for the mystical bond linking our hearts, it was about time for it to backfire on her. 0

On Serpent Island, I had been tortured to the brink of death. Olivia kicked me contemptuously, her face full of disgust: “Lucas, stop pretending. Hurry up and beg Ethan for forgiveness! He’s kind enough to forgive you for poisoning his mother. What more do you want?” The venom had long since seeped into my bones. Every movement felt like a thousand arrows piercing my heart. I struggled to my feet, instantly drenched in cold sweat. Gritting my teeth, I said: “I’m not pretending! After being bitten by thousands of venomous snakes for three days and nights, it’s a miracle I’m not dead…” Olivia was momentarily stunned. Just as I foolishly hoped she might feel a shred of sympathy, She suddenly let out a light chuckle, her face utterly indifferent: “It’s good you’re not dead. We need to keep you alive so you can atone to Ethan!” At that moment, her bodyguard opened a tablet. On the screen were horrific images of my research colleagues toiling in African mines. Their legs had been crippled. They could only crawl painfully, dragging their useless lower limbs. Their backs were covered in bloody wounds from repeated whippings. Seeing my friends suffer such injustice because of me, My heart felt like it was being sliced to pieces. Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face. Olivia’s eyes flashed with cruelty as she sneered: “If you had known they would be implicated, you shouldn’t have tried to murder Ethan’s mother! Everything today is the consequence of your own actions. It’s all because of your vicious heart!” My heart was in agony. No matter how many times I explained, she refused to believe I hadn’t poisoned anyone. Ethan was a boy she had rescued two years ago. At first, she found him weak and clingy. But later, she made him her personal assistant and often scolded me: “He’s just an innocent boy from the countryside. Stop bullying him all the time!” But it was clearly Ethan who deliberately provoked my beloved snake, then threw himself into her arms crying and slandering me. He even took advantage of Olivia’s favor to destroy the research results my team and I had worked on for years. But in Olivia’s eyes, I became the jealous one secretly bullying him. My voice choked with sobs, tinged with a hint of pleading: “Didn’t you promise me that if I survived three days on Serpent Island, you would let them go?” Before Olivia could respond, Ethan emerged from her arms, his face timid and scared: “Brother Lucas, they’re already crippled for life. At least mining gives them three meals a day. If we release them, who knows if they’ll starve to death.” I laughed bitterly, tears flowing uncontrollably. They were top researchers who could have made huge contributions to society. Now they could only eke out a miserable existence in dark mine shafts, like useless invalids. Seeing them like this was more painful than death! I gritted my teeth and spat out each word: “Olivia, don’t make me hate you.” Olivia’s expression flickered. She was about to speak. Ethan’s tears fell on cue, his voice full of grievance: “Brother Lucas, are you blaming me? Fine, it’s all my fault! I should have died from your poison like my mom, so I’ll never bother Sister Olivia again.” Olivia’s eyes filled with heartache as she wiped away his tears. Her gaze turned icy cold when she looked at me: “Lucas, I see you have no intention of repenting at all! Is this how you beg for mercy?” She dialed a number on her phone: “Cut their arms too! Tell them it’s because Lucas wouldn’t cooperate!” My blood surged in an instant. I coughed up mouthfuls of black blood, frantically begging: “No, please don’t— I’ll do anything you want, just let them go!” Ignoring the excruciating pain wracking my body, I crawled to her feet. A flash of satisfaction crossed Ethan’s eyes. He pretended to be considerate and spoke up: “Sister Olivia, doesn’t the company need a human test subject? It’s a critical time now. Why not let Brother Lucas try?” 0

Olivia’s expression turned hesitant: “But that drug is extremely dangerous. Being a test subject could kill him at any moment!” My pupils constricted in fear, but thinking of my colleagues still suffering, I quickly grabbed her pant leg: “Olivia, I’m willing…” Olivia violently shook off my hand, her eyes blazing with even more anger: “Lucas, if you had just apologized and admitted your mistake, I could have forgiven you easily. But you insist on being so stubborn. Don’t back out at the last minute. This concerns the entire company…” My voice was calm, but heavy with resolve: “I won’t regret it!” Because… if I died, you wouldn’t be able to live either, Olivia. And I needed to get away from here to save my friends. I was shackled with an electronic ankle monitor and forced onto the plane. In the spacious cabin, I could only kneel on the floor. Soon, the black blood oozing from my wounds stained the expensive carpet. Olivia sat comfortably in her seat, tenderly cradling Ethan in her arms. She gently fed him milk and cut his steak for him, like a doting girlfriend. The scene stabbed at my eyes, making them burn with pain. A fiery, twisting pain gripped my stomach. My mouth involuntarily filled with saliva. For three days and nights on Serpent Island, I had survived on dew and wild berries, constantly enduring snake bites. Just as I was about to pass out, Ethan suddenly covered his nose. He knocked over the glass of milk, whining pitifully: “Sister Olivia, it stinks so bad. I feel sick…” Olivia turned to glare at me, her eyes full of disgust: “Lucas, you know Ethan has severe eating disorders. How dare you come here all filthy? Are you deliberately trying to make us sick?” My eyes instantly welled up with tears. My voice was weak but filled with resentment: “You threw me onto Serpent Island with nothing, Starving and sleepless, in constant danger of death by snakebite. How can you expect me to be as clean and tidy as you?” Perhaps my gaze was too direct. Olivia turned away, but couldn’t help exploding in rage: “You’re still alive, aren’t you?! How dare you accuse me of being cruel? Think about the heinous, disgusting things you’ve done!” My heart was numb with pain. I said nothing more. Olivia prodded the floor with her high heel, her face haughty: “Lick up the spilled milk, then go kneel in the bathroom.” A few years ago, she had rescued my amnesiac self during riots in a foreign country. She then nursed me devotedly for months, never leaving my side. But now, for Ethan’s sake, she had forgotten all our shared history. I crawled over in humiliation, about to lower my head. Suddenly Olivia stood up and slapped me hard across the face: “Lucas, you’re lower than an animal!” But what was she so angry about? Wasn’t this all her doing? I staggered to my feet, ignoring her fury, and walked towards the bathroom. Ethan chose that moment to faint dramatically, collapsing weakly into her arms: “Sister Olivia, don’t be hard on Brother Lucas. It’s my fault. Just let me starve to death.” After that, Olivia was too busy fussing over Ethan to bother with me. Time passed. Suddenly, the plane hit turbulence. I was thrown to the floor unexpectedly. I saw Olivia clutching Ethan tightly, his clothes in disarray. She tenderly kissed his forehead, cooing softly: “Don’t be scared, Ethan. I’m here.” I clearly saw the challenge in Ethan’s eyes and the kiss marks on his collarbone. I curled up helplessly in the corner, my bloody nails digging deep into the armrest. Having survived riots abroad, I was extremely sensitive to changes in my surroundings. Olivia used to accommodate me by choosing other modes of transport, even if it took much longer. The plane stabilized after a moment. Olivia finally noticed me covered in filthy blood and snapped impatiently: “Get back in the bathroom and stay there. Don’t dirty Ethan’s eyes.” My gaze darkened in despair. I was about to stand up when everything went black and I collapsed. 0

In my hazy state, I seemed to return to my warm, familiar home. I thought I heard Olivia yelling at the doctor by my bedside: “Why isn’t he waking up yet? You’re all useless quacks!” The doctor explained awkwardly: “Mr. Ye may have an unusual constitution, but he’s still human. No one could endure that kind of torture…” There was a loud crash, like something being overturned. But as soon as I opened my eyes, Olivia’s slap left me dazed: “Lucas, why are you so hell-bent on killing yourself?! Pretending to be asleep, are you happy seeing me go crazy?” I was stunned, my whole body aching too much to speak. So she wasn’t happy to see me wake up after all. Just then, Ethan pushed open the door. He was carrying a bowl of porridge, his voice sickeningly fake: “Brother Lucas, you really shouldn’t pretend to be asleep if you don’t want to be a test subject. You know Sister Olivia was worried sick about you. What’s the point in scaring her like that?” Hearing this, Olivia’s chest heaved with anger. She shouted: “Lucas, you useless coward, always putting on an act! You’re going to be the test subject, and that’s final!” With that, she stormed out without a backward glance. Seeing this, Ethan’s face instantly twisted into a vicious sneer. He violently flung the hot porridge in my face. The scalding liquid made me cry out in pain. Gloating, he took out his phone and played a video. In the video, I was completely naked, my face contorted, writhing among countless snakes. My mind exploded. I lunged at him, roaring: “What is this?! Why does this exist?!” Ethan dodged easily, his smile cruel and malicious: “It’s a gift I prepared specially for you, of course~ Let everyone see how you get off with animals!” I knew it was AI-generated, but others wouldn’t know that! And was Olivia behind this too? As if reading my mind, Ethan let out a cold laugh: “That’s right, Sister Olivia knows! A piece of trash like you is only fit to be a lowly lab rat!” Rage boiled up inside me. I tackled Ethan to the ground, heedless of everything else. But he instantly changed his expression, shrieking in terror: “Sister Olivia, Brother Lucas has gone mad! I was just trying to take care of him, but he said he wants to scald himself to death so you’ll send me away!” Olivia rushed in and kicked me hard, sending me sprawling. I tried to explain: “I didn’t, it was Ethan who—” Before I could finish, she slapped me several times, grinding out each word: “You piece of trash, haven’t you had enough?! Can’t you just get along with Ethan?” My numb heart was torn apart once again. I wiped the filth from my face, my eyes dead and lifeless: “Olivia, you’ll regret this.” All I’ve suffered today will be repaid a hundredfold when the heart-linking curse activates. Olivia’s heart clenched suddenly, but she coldly ordered her bodyguards: “Cut their arms immediately!” Tears instantly poured from my eyes. I gritted my teeth so hard I tasted blood: “No, Olivia, don’t hurt them! It was Ethan who provoked me with that naked video of me, and he—” Olivia cut me off coldly: “Enough, Lucas. You’re forcing me to be cruel!” I wanted to argue more, but could only kowtow frantically. My forehead slammed against the floor repeatedly, soon bloody and bruised. But Olivia remained unmoved, her expression icy: “Even if you kowtow until you die, I won’t change my mind. If you don’t learn your lesson this time, who knows how you’ll hurt Ethan next.” My whole body shook with despair as I howled: “Then I’ll leave your world forever. Just let us go, please?” Olivia suddenly gripped my jaw, her eyes as fierce as a wild beast: “Don’t try to manipulate me. I won’t fall for your tricks. You’re not going anywhere!” With that, she flung me aside and left, pulling Ethan along. I was dragged straight to the lab by the bodyguards. They told the staff emotionlessly: “From today on, he’s the new test subject. Mr. Gu said not to hold back.” I struggled desperately, but mechanical arms clamped down on my limbs. Hundreds of needles pierced my veins. The icy drugs made me swell with pain. It felt like my eyeballs would burst. Every vein in my body throbbed wildly. I could barely breathe from the agony. Ethan walked in wearing a white lab coat. He pointed his phone camera at me, gloating: “Right now people are bidding online to buy your blood and eat your flesh. Wouldn’t it be fun if I auctioned off your organs like mystery boxes?” I shook violently with fury, snarling through clenched teeth: “You, you monster, rot in hell!” But Ethan just laughed wildly: “Hahaha, you piece of trash, you’re almost dead while I’m living the good life. I’ll send you off soon, then Sister Olivia will be all mine~” Ethan’s smile grew increasingly twisted and manic. But hearing Olivia’s footsteps, he quickly shoved some pills in my mouth, whining to her: “Brother Lucas is so mean, he just tried to bite me with his venomous fangs. Good thing I dodged in time.” He showed Olivia a non-existent wound. Olivia glared at me, grinding out each word: “I’ll have all his fangs pulled out. That way he can’t hurt you anymore.” Ethan happily kissed her cheek, looking smug: “Sister Olivia, you’re so good to me.” My heart felt like it was being stabbed. Tears flowed freely down my face. I thrashed violently, making muffled sounds: “No, Olivia…” Save me, please save me, this vicious woman wants to kill me!! Olivia gave me a long, deep look. Her voice was uncharacteristically gentle: “Lucas, when you learn to behave, And stop fighting with Ethan, I’ll let you go.” “No, Olivia don’t leave!” I shook like a dying fish, utterly despairing. But she didn’t look at me again. She left arm in arm with Ethan. Late that night, alarms suddenly blared through the lab. The mechanical arms restraining me abruptly released. I stumbled towards the exit, fighting my weakness. But the chaotic footsteps outside made my heart leap into my throat. Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine. The cold barrel of a gun pressed against my forehead. A mocking voice rang out: “Well hello there, darling. Caught you.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297135”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

For a decade, I drained every last dime I had, sacrificing everything to care for my wife who went insane after a car accident. When her fits hit, she’d throw anything she could get her hands on at me, leaving me bruised and bloody. Then, when she cleared up, she’d cling to me, sobbing uncontrollably. My friends all told me to divorce her, but I always remembered: she pushed me out of the way of that car. That’s how she hit her head and ended up like this. Until the day she accidentally hit me so hard, I was critically injured. My soul floated up to the ceiling. From there, I watched her carefully adjusting the collar of her childhood friend. “What are you crying for? He’s dead. Shouldn’t we be celebrating?” “But I feel for you, Victoria. You faked insanity for ten years just to drain all his money.” She leaned in, her lips finding his, her voice chilling. “Ten years of holding back. Finally, I don’t have to touch that loser anymore.” Turns out, that car accident was a setup, a perfectly orchestrated charade. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my wife was diagnosed with psychosis.

“Mrs. Wallace’s brain sustained a traumatic impact. While there’s no immediate danger to her life, her mental state might become unstable… alternating between lucidity and delusion.” The doctor handed me the diagnosis, sighing deeply. That’s when it hit me: I was reborn. “You should take her home for now, Mr. Wallace. A familiar environment can aid her recovery.” I barely heard the doctor’s advice. My eyes were fixed on Victoria, lying on the bed. Her eyelids fluttered slightly. She was faking sleep, clearly. In my previous life, I’d believed the doctor. I took her home. By day, I worked myself to the bone to earn money. By night, I endured her abuse and violent outbursts. Meanwhile, her childhood friend, Brandon Miller, used the excuse of “knowing a top psychiatrist” to take her out for “treatment” during the day. In reality, he drove my car, maxed out my credit cards, and squandered my money, living it up and getting intimate behind my back. This time around, you think I’m taking you home? Dream on! I walked to the bedside, leaned over, and subtly moved my hand to her inner thigh. Then, I twisted with all my might! “AHHHH!” A piercing scream ripped through the quiet hospital room. Victoria shot up from the bed, pointing at me and yelling, “Julian Wallace! Are you f*cking insane?!” I wasn’t insane. But this time, I was going to make you truly mad! I yelled towards the door, “Help! Doctor! Nurse! My wife is having a breakdown! She’s out of control!” Nurses and doctors rushed in immediately. What they saw was Victoria, face contorted in a terrifying snarl, lunging off the bed to attack me. I was backed against the wall, my face a perfect mask of horror and helplessness, my eyes welling up with tears. “Quick! Restraints!” Dr. Evans barked, making an instant decision. Victoria must have forgotten her “insane” persona because she struggled furiously, roaring at the nurses: “Get lost! I’m not crazy! He’s the crazy one!” I wiped my eyes, gently holding her bound hand. “Don’t worry, darling. Even if you’re crazy, I’ll never divorce you.” My voice was choked up, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear clearly. Victoria’s face instantly shifted from red to green. She glared at me, her eyes overflowing with pure venom. The other patients and their families in the room looked at me with sympathy and admiration. “That young man is such a good husband. His wife is like this, and he’s still standing by her.” “Yeah, talk about rotten luck, getting stuck with something like this.” Meeting their gazes, I spoke to the doctor in a sorrowful tone. “Doctor, for her safety, and for mine, please contact the best psychiatric hospital immediately. I need to transfer her.” “What?!” Victoria’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “Julian Wallace! You wouldn’t dare!” She thrashed her body wildly, the restraints digging into her skin, turning it red. “I’m not sick! I’m not crazy! You cruel husband!” I ignored her roars, simply giving Dr. Evans a look of pity and helplessness. “Doctor, you see? She’s already speaking nonsense, experiencing paranoid delusions. I’m clearly her husband, but she doesn’t even recognize me anymore.” “Please, hurry and get this arranged. I absolutely must get my wife into the best psychiatric hospital and get her cured!” Dr. Evans sighed, stepping back, and sympathetically reassured me, “Don’t worry, Mr. Wallace. The psychiatric hospital staff will be here shortly.” At those words, I saw Victoria’s face fill with terror! Every single one of her desperate arguments only served as ironclad proof of her severe condition. “Julian Wallace, you bastard, how dare you pull this on me? I’ll kill you!” She was furious, trying to lunge at me, but she collapsed under the doctor’s sedative. Watching her gradually quiet down, wanting to kill me but utterly powerless, I curled my lips. “Don’t worry, darling. I’ll make sure they cure you.”

The transfer to the psychiatric hospital went smoothly. I chose Blackwood Mental Health Facility for Victoria – the most secure center in the city. And I specifically upgraded her to the VIP package: 24-hour surveillance, double-layered security doors, and tranquilizer shots twice a day. As I finished signing, ready to leave, Brandon Miller rushed over. He grabbed my arm, his face a mix of anxiety and disbelief. “Julian, I heard about the accident,” “But I never thought it would be this serious! How could you send Victoria to a place like this?” I gently pulled my arm free, subtly stepping back to create distance between us. “I had no choice. The doctor said she has strong violent tendencies. It’s too dangerous to keep her at home.” I sighed, then my tone shifted, and I looked at him curiously. “But how did you find out I was here? I don’t think I had time to notify anyone.” Brandon’s face stiffened slightly, then he explained, “I… I was worried about Victoria, so I called all her old friends. That’s how I found out.” What a perfect excuse. “Oh, I see.” I nodded, a grateful smile on my face. “That was very thoughtful of you. Speaking of which, I was just about to look for an expert to consult. Didn’t you say you had a friend who’s a psychiatrist?” Brandon’s eyes lit up. He quickly said, “Yes, yes! I have a friend who’s an authority in the field! Julian, don’t worry, I’ll make sure he uses the best possible treatment plan for Victoria!” “That’s fantastic!” I feigned delight, and right there, in front of Dr. Evans, the facility’s lead physician, I peppered him with questions: “Mr. Miller, you’re truly so kind. Could you tell me which hospital your expert friend works at?” “And could I perhaps see his medical license and professional qualifications? After all, with Victoria’s condition, I wouldn’t dare trust just any quack without proper credentials.” Brandon’s face instantly turned beet red, and he stammered for a long time, unable to get a single word out. I didn’t give him a chance to breathe. I immediately turned, apologizing to Dr. Evans. “Dr. Evans, I’m so sorry. My friend here is just a little too enthusiastic.” “From now on, Victoria’s condition is entirely in your capable hands.” “Also, to avoid any unnecessary trouble, from now on, besides myself, anyone claiming to be her friend, relative, or an expert coming to visit, please make sure to verify their identity with me first.” “We wouldn’t want any medical mishaps, would we? We’d all be in deep trouble.” Dr. Evans nodded gravely. “Mr. Wallace, rest assured, we have strict visitation policies. There will be no mistakes.” Brandon stood aside, his face pale, looking like he’d been choked. His plan to collude from the inside was thoroughly blocked by me from the very first step. Back home, I dug out all of Victoria’s bank cards and dialed the bank’s customer service. “Hello, I’d like to report all bank cards under my name and my wife Victoria Wallace’s name as lost. Yes, all of them. Immediately. Right now.” “Reason? Oh, my wife is mentally unstable. I suspect she’s given her cards and PINs to outsiders. For the security of our funds, please freeze all accounts immediately.” In my last life, they spent money like water, living lavishly with the funds from these very cards. This time, I’d like to see how well you two can live it up without my money. Sure enough, within three days, that despicable pair was driven to desperate measures. The miniature listening device I’d planted in Brandon’s car relayed their furious conversation. I leisurely steeped my tea, listening in. “…That b*tch! Julian Wallace, that scumbag!” Brandon’s voice was sharp and shrill. “He shut down all the cards! I tried to withdraw cash, and it said the account was frozen!” From the other end of the line, Victoria’s voice came through, seething with suppressed rage, tinged with a hint of undetectable panic. “Brandon, we can’t wait any longer!” “If we wait any longer, those nurses and doctors will truly drive me insane here! They give me shots every day!” “What do we do then? We have no money now, and we can’t even see you! All those shady friends are starting to avoid me!” Brandon’s voice began to crack with tears. “I understand, Victoria. Just wait. I’ll find a way to get you out first. We’ll settle the score with that bastard Julian later!”

Brandon somehow got his hands on a set of orderly clothes and bribed a new cleaning staff member, planning to coordinate an inside job to sneak Victoria out. I decided to play along. That night, I deliberately called Dr. Evans, telling him I’d had a nightmare that something happened to Victoria, and I felt uneasy, asking him to patrol more often. Dr. Evans reassured me that everything was fine but still promised to keep a closer eye out. At midnight, Brandon, disguised as an orderly, pushed a cart piled high with dirty bedsheets and quietly slipped into Victoria’s room. Victoria had already changed into her clothes and was hiding at the very bottom of the cart. Everything went smoothly. They successfully bypassed the first checkpoint and reached the back gate of the facility. Outside the back gate, the bribed cleaning staff member was waiting. However, just as Victoria was climbing out of the cart— “What are you doing?!” A sharp shout, accompanied by several powerful flashlight beams, exposed them. It was Dr. Evans with the security team, who happened to be passing by on rounds. Victoria and Brandon were caught red-handed. This escape attempt had severe consequences. Victoria was deemed an “extremely dangerous individual” and transferred to the deepest part of the facility’s intensive care unit. There, the windows were only palm-sized, and the door was a quadruple-locked iron door. Her daily activity range was limited to that ten-square-meter room. She was completely imprisoned. But what I didn’t expect was that she could still call Brandon. “Brandon, we have no other way.” Through the listening device, Victoria’s voice was cold and desperate. “Only if Julian dies can I get out, can we get the money, and can all of this end.” “I’ll find an opportunity to tell the doctor my condition has improved and request to see him.” “We’ll arrange to meet at Crimson Lake outside of town. It’s secluded and deserted at night.” “Then, I’ll push him into the water, hold him down, and say he committed suicide by jumping into the lake because he couldn’t take it anymore. And I… because of my ‘condition,’ couldn’t save him.” “Okay, let’s do it!” Brandon’s voice held a desperate, make-or-break ruthlessness. “Victoria, this is our last chance.” Listening to the conversation through my headphones, the smile on my lips deepened. When all of a person’s escape routes are blocked, the evil of human nature is unleashed without reservation. The time I’d been waiting for had arrived! A few days later, I received a call from Dr. Evans. He said Victoria’s condition had stabilized significantly lately; she no longer argued and could even engage in simple conversations. Victoria herself had strongly requested to see me, suggesting we meet by Crimson Lake, where we used to have dates. “Mr. Wallace, after our assessment, we believe this could be a good sign, perhaps helpful for her recovery.” “We’ll have two orderlies accompany her to ensure safety.” “Then… alright.” I reluctantly agreed. “For her to get better, I’m willing to try one more time.” Friday, at dusk. I parked my car in a small grove of trees some distance away, turned off the engine, and waited quietly. A few minutes later, a white facility transport van slowly pulled up. The doors opened, and Victoria, along with two orderlies, stepped out. Victoria told the orderlies, “Sirs, could you please wait for me in the car for a moment? I want to speak with my husband alone. It won’t be more than ten minutes.” The orderlies exchanged glances and nodded. After all, this had been pre-arranged. Victoria took a deep breath, straightened her clothes, and walked step by step toward the man by the lake, who was wearing a beige trench coat. That trench coat was my favorite and most frequently worn piece of clothing. Splash! Water splattered everywhere. The man didn’t even have time to react before he was swallowed by the icy lake water. He choked on several mouthfuls, struggling desperately in the water, flailing and shouting, “Victoria! It’s me!” However, Victoria couldn’t hear what he was yelling, or rather, she simply didn’t care. She jumped into the water without hesitation, pressing his head down with all her might, pushing him under again and again. “Die! Die! Julian Wallace, you bastard! You ruined everything for me!” She roared maniacally, having completely lost her mind. The man’s struggles grew weaker and weaker. Finally, the last string of bubbles disappeared from the surface of the water. Victoria gasped for air, a satisfied, twisted smile spreading across her face. She had succeeded! She had killed Julian Wallace. Freedom and wealth were beckoning to her. Just then, a voice, tinged with a hint of curiosity, drifted from the darkness behind her. “Darling, what are you doing?” Victoria’s body stiffened abruptly, the smile on her face freezing instantly. Slowly, inch by excruciating inch, she turned her head.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297151”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #狼人Werewolf