Category: English

When I discovered that my adoptive parents’ family had stolen my “luck,” I decided to let it all go. I started slacking off. I daydreamed in class, handed in blank exams, and voluntarily sat next to the worst student in our grade. The result? My slacking off got me accepted into Stanford, my adoptive sister didn’t even get into a community college, and my adoptive parents’ business was on the verge of bankruptcy. They knelt and begged me to try hard again. I sneered: “Move aside. Don’t block my way to inheriting a multi-million dollar fortune.” 1. After receiving another abysmal report card, I jumped into the river. Standing on the bridge, the disappointed faces of my adoptive parents flashed through my mind. They said, “Maya, why did you do so poorly again?” My adoptive sister, Chloe, sneered from the side, “You pretend to work so hard all the time, but the truth comes out during the exams.” I defended myself quietly. I wasn’t pretending. I really was trying my best. I only slept five hours a day, attended four tutoring classes on weekends, and had stacks of study materials piled high. I even memorized vocabulary words while eating and walking. But hearing this only made Chloe laugh louder. She said, “Maya, if you work so hard, why are you always at the bottom of the class?” Out of more than six hundred seniors, Chloe consistently ranked in the top three, while I was always somewhere past four hundred. To her, I was practically dead last. I had no answer, but Chloe wouldn’t let it go. “Either you’re a liar, or there’s something wrong with your brain.” She leaned in and whispered in my ear, her words feeling like a curse: “Either way, you’re just trash. What’s the point of you even being alive?” “Maya, why don’t you just die?” Later, I kept asking myself: What is the point of me being alive? My grades were terrible, nothing went right, and the people around me treated me like a jinx, avoiding me at all costs. I closed my eyes and leaped into the freezing river. 2. [Congratulations on awakening the ‘Slacker System.’ Activation successful. Wishing you a happy life where all your wishes come true.] A robotic voice echoed in my head. Just as I opened my eyes, a wave of nausea hit me. After coughing for what felt like ages, I finally felt a bit better. I looked around, my emotions a tangled mess. I didn’t die. I had learned the whole truth and awakened the Slacker System. It turned out I was originally supposed to have a happy, fulfilling life. But my adoptive parents’ family schemed to steal my “luck” (qi yun). The harder I worked, the happier they became, and the unluckier I got. I felt the [Slacker Progress Bar] in my mind. It was a metallic cylinder, with the number 0% displayed right above it. When that number hits 100%, I will get my luck back and live a normal life. A cold wind blew, and I couldn’t help but shiver, pulling my jacket tighter around me. All those agonizing memories finally made sense. My adoptive parents pushed me to study relentlessly, nearly driving me insane. It was all just to ensure Chloe got excellent grades and their business thrived. That’s why, no matter how much Chloe cried and complained about me, they insisted on keeping me around. I had begged them for familial love, but from beginning to end, they only saw me as a tool to be used. The people I thought were my family were actually the culprits who pushed me to despair. I swear I will make them pay. 3. By the time I walked home, it was already dark. My adoptive parents’ family was having dinner, laughing and talking. Seeing me walk in, they instantly went quiet. Chloe let out a cold snort: “Oh, you know how to come home? I thought you did so badly on the test you were too ashamed to show your face.” My adoptive father put on a fake smile: “Maya, it’s okay if you didn’t do well. Just try harder next time.” He looked so high and mighty, pretending to be magnanimous. They were waiting for me to apologize, to reflect on my mistakes, and to promise I would work even harder next time. Well, they were going to be disappointed. Under their watchful eyes, I walked into the kitchen, scooped a heaping bowl of rice, and sat straight down at the dining table to eat. The atmosphere grew even weirder. Chloe’s eyes widened: “How dare you sit at the table?” Right. Chloe never let me eat at the table. She said I was too much of a jinx and that eating with me would bring her bad luck. In the past, my adoptive parents always humored her, and I just swallowed my pride. But I wasn’t going to hold back anymore. “I’m hungry, so of course I’m going to eat. What, when you’re hungry, do you go eat shit? No wonder your breath stinks.” Chloe’s eyes widened even further. Glare all you want, I thought. See if your eyeballs pop out. I continued shoving the delicious, fragrant ribs into my mouth. So good. Having just walked through the gates of hell, I was feeling a lot bolder. If I wasn’t even afraid of dying, why should I be afraid of Chloe? 4. Chloe was furious. She opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by my adoptive father. “Maya, even if you didn’t do well, you shouldn’t take it out on your sister.” “I spent three thousand dollars to enroll you in a new tutoring center. As long as you try hard, I don’t mind spending the money.” I kept my head down and kept eating, not saying a word. On the surface, he was doing it for my own good, but deep down, he knew exactly who he was doing it for. But his words were like adding fuel to the fire for Chloe. What she hated most was how much “effort” and money my adoptive parents spent on me. If we had been at school, she would have shoved me into the trash cans by now. Ignoring Chloe’s venomous glare, I took another bite of rice and said flatly, “I’m not going.” But my adoptive father was just informing me. My unusual behavior today had exhausted his patience. “You have to go. Also, there’s a physics competition this weekend. You’re entering it with Chloe.” Ever since we were little, whatever Chloe did, I had to do too. If she took dance classes, I had to take them too. If she entered a singing competition, I had to enter too. Even for the smallest, most insignificant competitions, I had to tag along. The only difference was that she always took first place, and I was always dead last. “Dad! Why are you making this loser go again?” “I’m not going.” Chloe and I spoke at the exact same time. 5. Chloe turned her head and glared at me viciously. “A loser like you going is just a waste of a spot.” I suddenly realized that Chloe probably didn’t know about the luck-stealing scheme. Otherwise, she would be forcing me to enter the competition. In her mind, all her good grades were purely due to her own brilliance, and had absolutely nothing to do with me. She just genuinely hated me. She saw me as a jinx who brought bad luck and stole her parents’ affection. She felt fully entitled to her smooth, successful life and treated me as her personal punching bag. But Chloe, everything you have was originally mine. You stole it all from me. I sneered, put down my bowl and chopsticks, and got up to leave. As I was walking up the stairs, I heard my adoptive mother’s voice. “Chloe, Mom told you before, even recycled cardboard can be sold for cash. A loser obviously has her uses too.” I looked back and met Chloe’s gaze. She smiled arrogantly, looking incredibly smug. I smiled too. Because the number on the [Slacker Progress Bar] had just jumped to 7%. We have plenty of time. Let’s see who has the last laugh. 6. On the day of the physics competition, my adoptive father drove Chloe and me to the testing center. He instructed Chloe: “Just focus on the exam. After you’re done, Dad will reward you with a new Macbook.” Then he turned to me with a meaningful look: “Maya, do your best.” I smiled: “Okay.” Chloe scoffed disdainfully: “Doing her best won’t help. She’s destined to be dead last.” I watched my adoptive father’s car drive away, then turned and walked in the opposite direction of the testing center. Chloe grabbed my arm: “Where are you going?” She looked at me suspiciously: “You’re not planning on skipping the exam, are you?” I shook off her hand: “Yep.” Chloe: “…” I smiled: “I hope you get a great score.” Chloe’s face turned black as coal. She looked at me like I was an idiot. “Maya, are you sick in the head?” “If I am, do you have the cure? If not, shut the hell up.” I turned and walked away, leaving Chloe cursing at me from behind. I wanted to see if Chloe could still get good grades without me there to siphon luck from. 7. I spent the whole morning wandering around the park, feeding stray cats while watching my slacker value rise to 18%. Not bad, not bad. Breaking free from the Vance family’s control is just around the corner. I hummed a tune as I walked into the school. The moment I reached my desk, my mood plummeted. My desk was covered in scribbles: Loser, Coward, Parasite… Next to the colorful writing was a crudely drawn turtle. I pulled some tissues out of my backpack and tried to wipe it off, but the marker wouldn’t budge. My desk mate watched me and suddenly said, “Stop wiping. Isn’t what’s written there pretty accurate?” I glanced at her: “Chloe told you to write this, didn’t she?” She admitted it readily: “Yeah, so what? You…” “Nothing.” I smiled at her, and while she looked completely confused, I flipped her desk over! The lid on her water bottle was open, and water spilled all over the floor. “Ah!” The loud crash of the desk hitting the floor, mixed with my desk mate’s scream, instantly drew the attention of the entire class. Our homeroom teacher, Mr. Harris, had just walked in and was startled. “What is going on here?” he asked, frowning as he walked over. I spoke before my desk mate could: “I want to change seats.” Mr. Harris’s frown deepened until it looked like it could crush a fly. “You are always causing trouble. Your grades are terrible, and you’re always getting into conflicts with your classmates. Tell me, who would even want to sit next to you?” Mr. Harris spoke loudly, but no one in the class made a sound. It was true. Who would want to sit next to a loser who brought bad luck? Besides, who would dare risk offending Chloe, who had great grades and a wealthy family, just for me? 8. My desk mate’s eyes were full of schadenfreude. She was probably already plotting how to make my life miserable later. I had to change seats. I simply picked up my desk and moved it to the very back row. If no one wanted to sit with me, I’d just sit by myself. But Mr. Harris looked at me strangely: “You want to sit next to Julian?” Before I could answer, the whole class erupted. “Maya wants to sit next to the school delinquent?” “Is she crazy? Julian never lets anyone sit next to him. I heard the last guy who tried was bullied into transferring schools.” Julian, the school delinquent, was notorious for his explosive temper and for being someone you did not want to mess with. He was always late, always leaving early, and his grades were at the very bottom. Rumor had it he put a classmate in the hospital, but his family paid to cover it up. The teachers were afraid to discipline him, and the students were even more terrified of him. The back row was very empty. The delinquent’s desk sat isolated in a large, open space. Uh, even though I wanted to be a slacker, I didn’t want a death wish. Just as I was about to say never mind, the back door creaked open. I turned my head and saw Julian walking in. 9. Julian’s arrival pushed the tension to a boiling point. I watched helplessly as he walked into the classroom and glanced at me when he reached his desk. Everyone’s eyes darted between the two of us. I even heard someone whisper, “Is Julian going to kick Maya across the room?” My desk was still a foot away from his. I shouldn’t… get kicked across the room, right? But to my surprise, Julian just sat down with a cold expression and didn’t say a single word. At first, I was pretty nervous, terrified that the delinquent would get annoyed and turn into Chloe 2.0. But later I noticed he just slept during class. Occasionally, he’d pull out an advanced physics textbook and scribble in it. I finally relaxed. It seemed the delinquent was actually quite reasonable. I felt bad for even comparing him to Chloe; that was an insult to him. While I was lost in thought, Mr. Harris called on me: “Maya, pay attention in class. Your grades are already terrible. Aren’t you embarrassed if you don’t even try?” The class erupted in laughter. In their eyes, I was probably just a worthless loser who had completely given up. But this was exactly what I wanted. 10. That afternoon after school, I watched Chloe get into the family’s Maybach and drive off. Of course, that was Chloe’s “private car,” and I wasn’t allowed to ride in it. According to my adoptive parents’ schedule, I should be heading to the fifth tutoring center I was newly enrolled in, finishing up around 11:00 PM, and then walking home. I’d be working harder than a rented mule. I rolled my eyes and walked straight into a Korean BBQ place I had been craving for a long time but never had the chance to try. The BBQ was delicious, and my slacker value kept rising, eventually stopping at 28%. Today’s achievements were quite remarkable. I felt pretty good about myself. But my good mood came to a screeching halt the moment I walked through the front door. My adoptive parents were sitting on the sofa, waiting for me, and they didn’t look happy. Sigh, this family is really a buzzkill. 11. I wiped the smile off my face and put on my usual submissive expression. Then I ignored them and headed straight for the stairs. That’s when my adoptive mother spoke up: “Maya, come here. We need to talk.” I didn’t move. I just asked what they wanted. My adoptive father frowned, clearly dissatisfied with my rebellious behavior. “Maya, you’ve been making a lot of mistakes lately. First, you talked back to your sister, and now you’re not listening to your parents either. I used to think you were a good kid. Even though your grades weren’t great, you worked hard. Why is your character getting worse and worse?” He then listed my “crimes” one by one, including but not limited to talking back to the homeroom teacher, changing seats without permission, sitting next to the worst student in the grade, and skipping tutoring. Blah, blah, blah. He delivered his final verdict: “Maya, you need to reflect on your actions. Write a ten-thousand-word apology letter.” I raised an eyebrow slightly: “Really? Chloe is the one who needs to write an apology letter. She struts around school acting like a tyrant…” My adoptive father yelled: “She is your sister!” “Not by blood.” I added calmly: “And neither are you.” “Chloe called me a parasite, but I think there are three vampires living in this house.” My adoptive parents looked shocked and uneasy, clearly guilty. I snorted and turned around to see Chloe standing on the stairs in an evening gown. Ugh, so annoying. I just glanced at her, and Chloe immediately started showing off: “Mom had this dress custom-made for me. Jealous?” “I’m performing a solo dance at the school anniversary gala. Liam, the most popular guy in school, is playing the piano for me. And the principal is going to publicly commend me for getting first place in the physics competition.” Chloe smiled smugly and arrogantly: “A loser like you will probably never have a chance like this in your next life.” 12. It was clear the Vance family was taking this opportunity very seriously. They even had a high-end designer gown made and hired a photographer to follow her around, determined to steal the spotlight. On stage, Liam played the piano, and Chloe performed her solo dance under the spotlight. I heard a classmate next to me whisper in admiration: “Liam and Chloe look so good together! Both gorgeous and both top students…” In the audience, my adoptive parents were accepting compliments from other parents, smiling so wide they looked like blooming flowers. “Your daughter is truly outstanding. Not only is she beautiful, but she’s also incredibly talented. I heard she even got first place in the physics competition?” My adoptive mother’s eyes crinkled so much you could barely see them: “Oh, well, they haven’t announced the results yet, but I’m sure she got first…” The Dean of Students chimed in, kissing up to them: “Chloe is an exceptional student. She’ll definitely take first place.” I looked at Chloe on stage and felt sick to my stomach. Two years ago, Chloe and I both made it to the final four in a dance competition. But the day before the finals, she pushed me down a flight of stairs. As a result, I broke my leg, and Chloe took third place. Afterward, my adoptive parents just brushed it off, saying Chloe didn’t do it on purpose and telling me to be the bigger person. Just like they clearly knew Chloe bullied me at school but chose to turn a blind eye. 13. After the performances came the awards ceremony. The Vice Principal walked onto the stage to read the list of commended students. Chloe’s name wasn’t there. I sneered inwardly as a murmur spread through the students. A parent nearby asked in surprise: “Why isn’t Chloe’s name on the list?” My adoptive parents, who had been holding their heads high with pride, suddenly looked very uncomfortable. My adoptive father frowned and asked: “Did they accidentally skip her name?” The Vice Principal might be old and have bad eyesight, but his hearing was perfectly fine. And, he was quite petty. He glanced at my adoptive father, read the list again with a straight face, and then shook the paper, as if saying, See? It’s really not here. The gesture was so comical I actually laughed out loud. That laugh was like adding fuel to the fire for my adoptive father. He snapped at the sweating Dean of Students: “I suspect foul play. There is no way Chloe isn’t on that list.” But the Vice Principal was even more blunt: “Well, she isn’t! Chloe scored dead last!” As soon as he said that, the entire auditorium erupted. 14. The Vice Principal was truly furious. Our school ranked among the top two in the state, and we had never had such a terrible score in a competition before. The Dean of Students invited my adoptive parents backstage, and they angrily called me to come with them. When we went in, Chloe was crying and hugging Liam. When she saw me walk in, she hugged him even tighter, looking like she wanted to be glued to him. The Dean of Students coughed awkwardly, and Liam pushed Chloe away. My adoptive parents, however, acted as if they didn’t even notice their daughter hugging a boy. Right now, they only cared about the competition results. “Mr. Zhang, what exactly is going on here?” The Dean’s expression grew even more awkward: “Um… Chloe’s name really isn’t on the list… there was no mistake. They double-checked the exams when the scores came out. There’s definitely no issue…” My adoptive father raised his voice: “Mr. Zhang, you have to give us a reasonable explanation. Chloe has always been in the top three of her class. It’s impossible for her to score that poorly, unless…” He paused and turned his gaze to me. “Maya, you went and took the physics competition exam, didn’t you?” I met his gaze and heard Chloe’s shrill voice. “She didn’t! Dad, she didn’t go. She must have sabotaged me!” My adoptive father ignored her, staring fixedly at me: “Maya, answer my question. Did you take the competition exam?” I took a deep breath and met his eyes. “No.” 15. A deathly silence fell over the backstage area. Liam and the Dean of Students were shocked by the word “Dad,” looking back and forth between me and the Vance family in astonishment. My adoptive parents’ faces turned a sickly green, while Chloe looked completely bewildered. After a long pause, my adoptive father finally spoke through gritted teeth: “Very well… Maya, you actually dare to rebel. It seems we’ve been too lenient with you.” “We raised you all this time, and you turn out to be an ungrateful wretch.” “Get on your knees and apologize!” I coldly watched his furious, humiliated display: “What did I do wrong?” “Was I wrong for not letting Chloe bully me? Or was I wrong for not letting you siphon my life away?” My adoptive father’s face flushed bright red with anger. Just as I thought he was going to hit me, a weak voice broke the silence: “Excuse me, sorry to interrupt…” We all looked over and saw a student peeking out from behind the curtain. He pointed at the piano and whispered: “Um, the microphone on the piano is still on…” 16. The fact that Chloe and I were sisters quickly spread throughout the entire school. The impact was no less than dropping a nuclear bomb. After all, who in the entire senior class didn’t know that Chloe hated me? Every time report cards came out, she would publicly humiliate me. She called me a loser, a jinx, saying anyone who got close to me would be cursed with bad luck, which led to me being isolated by the whole school. Now, Chloe was throwing a tantrum and refusing to come to school, so my adoptive parents got her a long-term medical leave. Without her there, the air at school felt fresher. And my slacker progress bar was almost halfway full. I was in a great mood, feeling like my life was looking up. What’s more, I had made my first friend— I poked Julian’s arm: “Hey, let me tutor you.” After becoming desk mates with Julian, I discovered that he wasn’t the ruthless delinquent the rumors made him out to be. He was clearly just a quiet, misanthropic teenager. Correction: a handsome, good-tempered, but quiet, misanthropic teenager. Julian looked up from his comic book, his expression complicated: “Are you joking?” I blinked. Was Julian looking down on me? As my slacker progress bar had been rising, my luck had improved significantly. At the very least, I didn’t suffer any sudden “illnesses” during exams and was able to comfortably finish my papers. My class ranking slowly climbed from past 400 to around 200. Although it wasn’t high, it was certainly better than Julian’s zero-point exams, right? “You always bring me breakfast. I have to repay you.” Julian looked a bit uncomfortable: “No need.” Julian was great in every way, except his misanthropy was too strong. I racked my brain for a bunch of reasons to persuade him when I suddenly heard someone calling my name. “Maya, Mr. Harris wants to see you in his office.” 17. As I walked to the office door, I heard my adoptive mother’s voice. “Mr. Zhang, I heard the results of this midterm exam are tied to college recommendation spots?” “Yes, Chloe’s past grades have been excellent. As long as she performs normally this time, getting a recommendation will definitely be no problem.” “Mr. Zhang, Chloe is always outstanding. I’m not worried about her.” My adoptive mother let out a long sigh and continued: “The main issue is Maya. She’s been very rebellious lately. She won’t listen to anything her father and I say, and she’s caused a lot of trouble for the school.” “Since the child is struggling, we hope you can keep an eye on her. This midterm exam is very important, and she absolutely must participate.” “Oh, you’re being too polite! It’s truly a parent’s heavy burden! I will definitely make sure Maya takes the midterm exam. I’ll personally watch her walk into the testing room.” I pushed the door open and walked in. My adoptive mother was shoving a gift bag into the Dean’s hands. Both of them froze when they saw me. I walked straight over and sat on the sofa: “It’s fine. Don’t mind me. Keep giving gifts, keep taking them.” The Dean’s face turned red and pale alternately, and he let out two awkward laughs. My adoptive mother put the gift bag under the desk: “What nonsense are you talking about?” Then she handed another gift bag to me: “I bought this for you.” My adoptive mother wasn’t good at trying to please me. Her smile was as stiff as a mannequin’s. I frowned and looked at her: “Stop smiling. You’re scaring me.” She immediately dropped her smile and shot a look at the Dean of Students. The Dean understood immediately. “Um, Maya, the teacher called you here to talk about your recent behavior. Let’s put the competition behind us. The teacher will just assume you were under too much pressure. The midterm is coming up, and you need to work hard.” The two of them went back and forth, but it boiled down to one thing: I had to take this midterm. “Got it.” I couldn’t be bothered to listen anymore and stood up. My adoptive mother’s eyes were full of expectation and calculation. I smiled slightly: “I will take the midterm.” If they wanted to use me to pave the way for Chloe’s future, they shouldn’t blame me for becoming the “stumbling block” on their path. 18. I don’t know how much my adoptive parents bribed the Dean of Students. On the day of the midterm, he watched me walk into the testing room and stood by the door for a good while, only leaving satisfied when he saw me start writing. During the six exams, he showed up six times, thoroughly confusing the proctor and making me a target of intense scrutiny. Let him watch. I was as calm as could be. He was standing too far away anyway. He couldn’t see that I was writing all the answers on scratch paper. … When I walked out of the school gates, I immediately saw Chloe and my adoptive parents. Chloe was holding a bouquet of flowers, surrounded by her lackeys, looking arrogant as if she had just won a war. My adoptive mother asked with a smile: “Chloe, how do you think you did this time?” Chloe looked smug: “I thought the questions were very easy. I’ll definitely take first place.” Her lackeys immediately hyped her up: “Chloe, you’re amazing! A lot of people said the questions were super hard this time.” “Yeah, Chloe is just too good.” They were making a lot of noise, bursting into laughter every now and then. The commotion attracted reporters who were interviewing students at the gate. They pointed their cameras at Chloe: “Excuse me, could we interview you?” Chloe proudly lifted her chin and said elegantly: “Sure.” “I heard you say the questions were easy this time. May I ask which school you’re from? How are your usual grades?” Chloe answered, and her lackeys chimed in, painting a glorious picture, basically hyping Chloe up like a goddess from heaven. My adoptive parents got in the shot too. When the reporter asked how they raised such an outstanding daughter, my adoptive father spoke with a proud tone: “Of course, it’s because our family has good genes. And Chloe is very hardworking. Talent plus hard work leads to success.” I watched in amazement. What a shameless family. Chloe noticed me standing in the crowd. Her smile froze for a second, but then she smiled even more arrogantly: “Some people are just born without the brains for studying, so they shouldn’t waste their effort. They’d be better off dropping out early and doing manual labor. At least they’d be contributing to society.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “424292”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I transmigrated into this book just as the story was reaching its grand finale. I was standing at the altar with the male lead, Harrison Sterling, surrounded by the cheers and blessings of the elite. But after taking a single phone call, the color drained from Harrison’s face. He shoved me aside without a word and sprinted out of the church. Oh, if I remembered the timeline correctly, the female lead had probably just “attempted” suicide and was currently being rushed to the ER. 1 I had become the villainous “True Heiress” in a classic switched-at-birth melodrama. I was the biological daughter; the female lead was the one who took my place. Once the truth came out, I was brought back to the wealthy Vance family, and the female lead, Brianna, was supposedly cast out. Everything that once belonged to her—the doting parents, the handsome billionaire fiancé, the vast Vance fortune—all fell into my hands. Brianna went from a princess to a pauper overnight. The parents who raised her for eighteen years turned their backs; the brother who once spoiled her called her a “thief” who stole my life; her childhood sweetheart fiancé broke off their engagement immediately. Brianna spent the rest of the book trying to prove she wasn’t a gold-digger. She claimed she never wanted to fight me for anything. She just wanted “family.” She tried to work at the Vance Group to show her worth, but my father assumed she was trying to steal my inheritance and fired her. 她 gave me a gift to bridge the gap, but my brother Caleb thought she was trying to poison me and slapped her across the face. She even showed up at my wedding to Harrison to offer her “blessings,” only to be labeled a homewrecker by the guests and cyberbullied into oblivion. Finally, at the peak of my wedding, a broken Brianna chose to end it all. But her suicide was the catalyst for everyone else’s “awakening.” My parents suddenly remembered the eighteen years they spent raising her. Caleb remembered the sweet little girl who used to follow him around. Harrison remembered how hard she used to try to make him smile. Suddenly, everyone was drowning in regret. To make matters worse, Brianna’s “secret diary” was conveniently discovered after her death. It was filled with her love for the Vance family, her pining for Harrison, and her guilt toward me. She apologized to everyone, over and over, stating she never wanted the money—she just wanted to be loved. The guilt consumed them. They vowed to spend the rest of their lives making it up to her. After she recovered, she was welcomed back into the family with open arms. Harrison realized he truly loved her, and after a series of dramatic “pursuits,” they got their happily ever after. As for me, the “villainess,” I became so consumed by jealousy that I tried to run Brianna over with a car. In the end, she escaped without a scratch, and I was the one who died in the wreckage. 2 I entered the story right at the climax of the wedding. The priest was just getting to the good part: “Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer…” I looked at Harrison, then at the crowd, and calmly shook my head. “I don’t.” The silence that followed was deafening. Harrison leaned in, his voice a frantic whisper. “Natalie, what are you doing? Everyone is watching.” I glanced pointedly at his pocket, where his phone had been vibrating non-stop. “You have a call,” I said helpfully. Harrison pulled out his phone and looked at the screen. He recognized the number. His brow furrowed instinctively, and he moved to silence it. I reached out and stopped his hand. “Don’t hang up. You’ll regret it for the rest of your life if you do.” In the original plot, Brianna regretted her decision after cutting her wrists and hit the speed-dial for Harrison, begging him to save her. But Harrison, in the middle of his wedding, ignored the calls. Brianna nearly died because she missed that window for help. Those dozen missed calls became a major “angst point” in their future romance. But this time, I wasn’t going to give them the satisfaction of a tragic misunderstanding. After all, saving a life is a noble deed. Seeing my persistence, Harrison answered. A second later, his face turned ghost-white. He shoved me back and bolted out of the chapel. The guests erupted. Confusion, shock, and a few smug smiles from my rivals hit me all at once. My parents and Caleb rushed to my side, their faces a mix of worry and rage. Before they could speak, I let the words spill out: “Mom, Dad… Harrison just got a call from Brianna. “I think I heard her say she… she did something to herself. She begged him to come save her.” My mother’s face went pale. You don’t just stop loving a child you raised for two decades. She swayed on her feet, her voice trembling. “She… she tried to kill herself? Where is she? Is she at a hospital?” Even my stoic father clenched his fists in visible distress. I forced a weak, pale smile. “I don’t know. The reception was bad…” “It doesn’t matter. Robert, find out where she is! I have to see her!” My mother stopped mid-sentence, looking at me with a sudden, guilty start. She realized her other daughter—her biological one—had just been abandoned at the altar because of Brianna, and was currently the laughingstock of the city. I did my best to look like I was holding it together. “Go,” I said softly. “It’s okay. You guys should go. I can handle things here. “Brianna might be in critical condition. If anything happens to her while you’re here…” I looked down, playing the martyr. “I understand. You lived together for twenty years. You can’t just flip a switch on those feelings.” In the original book, the original Natalie threw a massive tantrum, screaming and forbidding her parents from seeing Brianna. That only made her look like a monster and made her parents feel even more guilty toward the “victim.” This time, I was the one pushing them to go. As they left, they kept looking back at me with eyes full of sorrow and shame. “Caleb, you should go too,” I said, my voice cracking perfectly. Caleb shook his head. “There are enough people there already,” he said quietly. “I’ll stay here with you.” 3 In the original story, Brianna nearly died because Harrison arrived too late. This time, because he left the second she called, she barely had a scratch. The doctors bandaged her up, gave her some fluids, and told her she could go home. When my parents arrived at the hospital, they expected to see her on her deathbed. Instead, they found a perfectly healthy-looking Brianna sitting up in bed, chatting with Harrison. Aside from a few layers of gauze on her wrist, she looked exactly the same. And then they remembered: their biological daughter was currently standing in a deserted church because of this girl. Their sympathy took a sharp turn into irritation. “Dad! Mom!” Brianna’s eyes lit up, then she quickly lowered her head, looking like a kicked puppy. “Mr. Vance… Mrs. Vance…” “Right,” my mother said, her voice strained. “The doctor says you’re fine?” Brianna tucked her hand behind her back, whispering, “I’m okay. It was just a small cut. I’m so sorry I worried you…” “You should be,” my father snapped. “You’re an adult. Do you have any idea what the consequences of your actions are?” Brianna’s eyes filled with tears instantly. Her parents—the people who used to never raise their voice at her—were looking at her with coldness. Did blood matter that much? Did twenty years mean nothing? “I’m sorry,” she sobbed, head bowed. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble. I really didn’t. I just… I just…” “You didn’t mean it? You chose the day of Natalie and Harrison’s wedding?” my father interrupted. “You chose the exact moment they were saying their vows? “You have hundreds of contacts in your phone, and you didn’t call 911? You called the groom? “Even if you didn’t have a single friend to call, are you telling me you don’t know how to dial an emergency number?” Brianna stared at him, stunned. She realized he thought she had done it on purpose to ruin the wedding. But she hadn’t! She just… she was just panicked! She didn’t know what to do, so she called the person she trusted most! Was she really that low in their eyes now just because she wasn’t “biological”? Her heart felt like it was being squeezed. She wanted to scream, to cry, to beg for a hug, but she knew it would only make them hate her more. She swallowed her tears and bowed deeply. “I am so sorry. I was immature. I didn’t think it through. “I swear, I never meant to hurt Natalie. “Please tell her I’m sorry. And tell her…” Brianna took a shaky breath. “Tell her I’m leaving. I won’t ever show my face to any of you again. I won’t cause any more trouble. “Mr. and Mrs. Vance, thank you for everything. For all those years. “I’m sorry for the pain I caused. I wish you and Natalie all the best.” She turned and ran out of the hospital room before anyone could stop her. My mother watched her go, a flicker of pain crossing her face. Even my stern father went silent, stepping into the hallway to light a cigarette. 4 When they got home, the atmosphere was heavy. I was waiting for them with a gentle smile. After listening to them describe Brianna’s “miraculous” recovery, I sighed softly. “Dad, Mom… maybe we should just let Brianna move back in. “It’s just another set of silverware, after all.” They both looked at me in shock. My father was the first to shake his head. “No. She moved out. There’s no reason for her to come back. “Natalie, don’t overthink this. You are the only daughter of this family. “We made a mistake before, but now that it’s fixed, she doesn’t belong here.” I sighed again, looking deeply concerned. “I know you’re saying this for me. You don’t want me to feel insecure. “But I really don’t mind. “She was just a baby when the switch happened. She’s a victim too. I can’t blame her for what happened. “Besides, you raised her for twenty years. You can’t just delete that. “I see how much you’re hurting. You’re cold to her because you’re trying to protect my feelings, but I know it’s hard for you. “I don’t want you to be unhappy. Let her come home.” “Natalie… do you really mean that?” my mother asked, her voice cracking. “I do. More than anything.” I gave them my most “supportive daughter” smile. In a system like this, suppression only leads to rebellion. If I let them suppress their love for Brianna, it would only fester into resentment toward me. Better to bring it all into the light. Besides, Brianna always claimed she didn’t want the money—just the love. Fine. I’ll give her all the “love” she can handle. Let’s see if she’s really as pure and selfless as she claims to be. 5 For twenty years, Brianna was the jewel of the Vance family, a princess who never knew a day of hardship. Now that she was back, she acted like a frightened animal. She stood at the front door, clutching a battered suitcase, watching my face as if I were a judge about to pass sentence. She wouldn’t even step inside until I gave her a nod. I saw the flash of pain in my parents’ eyes. But because I was there, they didn’t say a word. Tsk. I really did look like the villain breaking up their happy little family. I love being the bad guy. I curled my lips into a smile and looked at her. “Come in. Why are you just standing there? It’s your home too. Don’t be so formal.” Brianna walked in, but her head stayed down. She wouldn’t look at me. The silence was awkward, so my mother spoke up. “Brianna, I had the staff get your room ready. It’s the one at the end of the hall on the second floor. “Go check it out. Let us know if you need anything.” Brianna looked overwhelmed, but she quickly shook her head. “It’s okay, Mrs. Vance… I… I can just stay in the maid’s quarters. I don’t deserve such a nice room.” I felt a headache coming on. Is “self-inflicted suffering” a mandatory skill for every tragic heroine? The Vance estate had dozens of empty rooms. Her staying in one changed nothing. Staying in the maid’s room served no purpose other than making herself miserable and making everyone else feel like shit. Oh, wait. It did serve a purpose. It made my parents feel sorry for her. I watched her standing there, all “poor me,” saying, “It’s fine, I can sleep anywhere.” I lost my patience. I grabbed her suitcase and marched it up to the second floor myself. “I said, make yourself at home,” I said coldly. “Food, clothes, whatever you need—just ask. Don’t play the martyr. The Vance family isn’t going bankrupt over a few extra expenses. You don’t need to suffer just for the sake of it.” Brianna stared at me, then lowered her head again. “Okay. Thank you, Natalie.” She scurried into her room like a startled quail. Watching her act like she was being bullied when no one had even touched her was exhausting. My mother approached me tentatively. “Natalie… are you upset? “If you don’t want her here, we can find her an apartment.” I shook my head and smiled. “Mom, don’t say that. “She just got back. If you kick her out again, her heart will break. “I’m not upset. Don’t worry about me.” “You’re such a good girl,” my mother said, taking my hand. “I do care about Brianna, I won’t lie. “But no matter what, you are my biological daughter. I will always stand by you. “If she ever makes you uncomfortable, tell me. I’ll send her away immediately. “You don’t have to sacrifice your happiness for anyone. “You’re too mature for your own good, hiding everything inside. It breaks my heart.” Looking at the genuine love in her eyes, I felt a spark of warmth. I gave her my first real smile since arriving in this world. “I know, Mom. I won’t be a doormat. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine.” 6 To be fair, I didn’t actually hate Brianna. In the original book, Brianna was pure, kind, and innocent. She left the family the moment she found out the truth and never once attacked Natalie. It was Natalie who was consumed by spite and ended up destroying herself. Brianna simply “inherited” Natalie’s life because she was better at being loved. The parents loved her—well, they had twenty years of history. Caleb loved her—he’d watched her grow up. Harrison loved her—he just “discovered” it. Everyone was just following their hearts. Natalie was just “evil” by nature. But who made her that way? If she hadn’t been raised by abusive, poverty-stricken strangers while someone else lived her life, she wouldn’t have been so bitter. She could have been the “pure white lily” too. I wasn’t here to play social justice warrior for the original Natalie. I was just curious. If I put this pure white lily in actual mud, would she stay white? You want family? You want love? Fine. I’ll give you all the love in the world. But the Vance fortune, the status, the career, the legacy… You aren’t touching any of it. I hope your “pure heart” is enough to pay the bills when the reality of being a “supporting character” sets in. 7 “The engagement is off.” I sat across from Harrison Sterling in a quiet café. His handsome face darkened, his jaw tightening. “About the wedding… I can explain.” “Don’t bother. It’s not about that.” “I just don’t think we’re a good fit,” I said simply. Harrison let out a cold laugh. “Are you really going to pull this now?” “No one is pulling anything,” I said calmly. “Let’s just give each other some dignity and end it cleanly.” Harrison narrowed his eyes, searching my face. I met his gaze without flinching. He was the first to blink. “Fine. I messed up by leaving the altar. I apologized. “But our marriage is a merger between the Sterlings and the Vances. “You should talk to your parents before you make such a reckless decision.” “If you think you can use my parents to pressure me, you’re mistaken. We already talked. “They agree with me. And as for our business dealings, we’ll be re-evaluating those too. “Since you’re so focused on this being a business arrangement, let’s talk business. “Trust is the foundation of any partnership. “A man who abandons his partner in the middle of a high-stakes event isn’t someone I want to do business with. “Your character is… questionable, Harrison.” I didn’t give him an inch. Harrison looked like he wanted to scream, but he forced a sneer instead. “Has anyone ever told you that aggressive women aren’t very attractive to men?” “And men who judge women based on their ‘attractiveness’ aren’t very useful in the boardroom.” I was done with this “Alpha Male” posturing. But I had one question. “Since you chose to leave our wedding to save Brianna… “It’s clear you have feelings for her. Why don’t you just be with her?” In the original plot, Harrison should have realized his love for Brianna the moment she bled. He should have called off the wedding himself. But lately, there hadn’t been a single spark between them. Harrison looked uncomfortable. “Brianna and I… it’s just a sibling thing. “She’s too immature. I need a partner who can stand beside me in business, not a child I have to babysit. “Besides, she isn’t a Vance anymore. My family would never allow me to marry someone with no assets.” Wow. I had never heard anyone admit to being a gold-digger with such pride. I wondered how “epic” their romance in the original book really was. If he loved her so much, why did he drop her the second she lost her status? Why did he wait until Natalie was “dead” and Brianna was the “sole heir” to start his “pursuit”? Maybe his “belated love” was just an interest in the 100% inheritance she’d just received. I felt a wave of nausea. I was done playing this game. “Mr. Sterling, I’m not asking for your permission today. I’m giving you notice. “The engagement is over. Let’s not make this uglier than it already is.” I stood up and walked away, ignoring his furious expression. I didn’t know what Brianna saw in him. Two parasites in love. Boring. I pulled out my phone and called Caleb. “Hey, Caleb? Yeah, it’s done. Don’t worry. “Is the paperwork ready at the office? “Great. Thanks, big brother.” With my executive onboarding finally set, I allowed myself a real smile.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “424277”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I found an old phone in my husband Ethan Lloyd’s coat pocket. The password was his first love’s birthday. Inside were records of every time they had sex — in his office, in the bathroom of the café downstairs, even in our marital bedroom. “Lily, is it fun invading other people’s privacy?” I turned around. Ethan was standing in the doorway. I was exhausted. This time, I didn’t bother fighting with him. I just said calmly, “Let’s get a divorce.” Ethan smashed the phone on the floor right in front of me, his expression utterly indifferent. “That’s all in the past.” He asked, “Still want the divorce?” I nodded seriously. “Yes.” “Enough. Stop making a scene.” Ethan frowned, clearly impatient. “Be good. Once the project wraps up at the end of the year, I’ll make time to take you skiing in Hokkaido, okay?” When I didn’t respond for a long while, Ethan’s lips curved into his usual careless smile as he tapped my forehead with his fingertip. “I’m not lying this time. I mean it.” I almost wanted to laugh. “Not lying this time.” So he knew he’d lied to me countless times before. He’d promised that Hokkaido ski trip years ago, postponing it year after year. For our usual movie dates, I was always the one waiting alone at the theater entrance until showtime. When he said he’d pick me up, I’d stand there soaked by the rain, never seeing his car. Ethan always broke his promises to me. So now, saying this like it was some kind of favor, some reward. “No need,” I said, taking a deep breath before repeating firmly, “Ethan, I want a divorce.” This time, the man’s expression turned cold, his patience completely exhausted. “Lily, you’re being completely unreasonable.” “Go to Hokkaido or don’t—I’ve already given you the chance.” “Don’t come crying to me later about how I didn’t keep my word.” With that, he grabbed his coat from the sofa and turned to leave. He didn’t even touch the dinner I’d carefully prepared to his taste. I remained silent too. For the first time, I didn’t try to make him stay, not even for one more minute. Ethan paused at the door, glancing back at me. I had already sat down and begun eating quietly by myself. He slammed the door. Like he was venting some fury. My heart had long since stopped hurting—only a barren wasteland remained. I used to think that someone as superior as Ethan would never stoop to mundane domesticity. But it turned out he would cook for the girl he loved. Just to earn one compliment from her. The cuts on his hands, the burns from hot water—they all became badges of love. He’d even said such childish things: “Cooking for someone you like really does feel so happy.” “I want to cook for Claire for the rest of my life, fatten her up so no one else will try to steal her from me.” Reading those records made me realize for the first time how much of a joke I was. The next day, I met my lawyer best friend at a café and asked her to draft a divorce agreement. “What happened with you two? Why is it this serious this time?” My friend looked shocked. She knew better than anyone how much I loved Ethan. In past arguments, we’d have a cold war at most. “I’m really tired,” I said, looking out at the traffic. “You know what? She came back.” Just that one pronoun, and my friend understood. Claire Bennett. Ethan’s unforgettable first love. That name was like a tiny needle lodged in my heart. Never drawing blood, but causing pain from time to time. I’d never even seen her in person, yet her existence had affected me for five whole years. Ethan said personal space was important, but he and Claire had shared a music account. Ethan didn’t like his life being public, but his old social media was filled with traces of that girl. The art exhibitions he took me to featured Claire’s favorite painters. He complained that shopping with me wasted time, yet he’d once browsed every antique market in the city with her. Two years of dating, three years of marriage—Ethan had never truly removed her from his heart. And I was more like companionship during his single period. A habit. A second choice. “Alright, leave the divorce agreement to me—I won’t let you get the short end of the stick!” My friend said worriedly, “But Lily, have you really made up your mind?” “I told you from the start—this man isn’t right for you. He hasn’t cleared his heart, and being with him means you’re just hurting yourself.” “But you had to go and fall for him anyway, wouldn’t listen no matter what I said.” I lowered my eyes, stirring the coffee in my cup. “Some lessons have to be learned the hard way.”

The sky was heavy and gray. Rain started pouring without warning. My friend’s husband came to pick her up. “Didn’t I tell you not to come?” “How could I let you get caught in the rain? Lily, come with us—I’ll drop you off first.” I smiled and shook my head. “You two go ahead. I’ll sit here a bit longer.” I used to envy their genuine care and consideration for each other. Why were Ethan and I also married, yet there was always an invisible wall between us? Why? The answer was simple. He just didn’t love me enough. Yet I’d deceived myself for so long, thinking he simply didn’t know how to love. When the rain lightened, I got up to leave. I happened to see a familiar Audi pull over by the curb. The woman in the passenger seat wore a cream-colored dress, with slightly curled hair and a gentle demeanor. Ethan got out from the other side, walking this way. It seemed he was passing by and wanted to grab coffee. Seeing me, he remained expressionless, only raising an eyebrow slightly. He probably expected me to greet him first, but I just looked down at the rideshare app on my phone. Maybe I was distracted—I accidentally missed a step and twisted my ankle. Ethan glanced over again, frowning but saying nothing. He went into the café and ignored me. I endured the pain in my ankle and continued waiting for my ride. Soon, Ethan came out carrying two takeaway coffees. “Let’s go.” “Isn’t this what you wanted—for me to give you a ride?” His tone carried cold impatience. “…I didn’t.” Ethan didn’t bother arguing and simply pulled me into the car. Then he handed me one of the coffees. I didn’t take it, so he just set it aside. The entire ride was silent. The atmosphere in the car was stifling. Claire suddenly pressed her hand to her forehead. “Ethan, I think my blood sugar’s dropping. Do you have any candy?” Ethan naturally reached into the glove compartment and handed her a chocolate. “I’ve reminded you so many times, but you never learn.” Claire took it with a soft laugh. “I get too busy and forget. Good thing you’re here.” They naturally started chatting about old times—mutual acquaintances, shared experiences. Their words carried an effortless understanding. And I sat in the back seat like an out-of-place audience member. The scenery outside flew backward. We passed Fairview Park, where the giant Ferris wheel slowly turned. My first date with Ethan had been here. Legend said couples who kissed at the top would be happy forever. I’d stolen a kiss from him then. He’d stared at me for a long while. I thought it was one of our few shared sweet memories. Later I learned that Ethan’s biggest regret was never bringing Claire here to ride that Ferris wheel. Fragments of the past flashed through my drowsy mind. Mostly my one-sided expectations and his dismissiveness. I closed my eyes and fell asleep. When I opened them again, the car had stopped outside our building. Claire had gotten out at some point. Ethan unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to look at my swollen ankle, his brow furrowed. “Lily,” his voice was low, “does it have to be like this?” I looked up, confused. “If you wanted me to pick you up, you could’ve just said so. Did you really have to use such a stupid method to get my attention?” His tone was steady but carried barely detectable irritation. I didn’t know what he was irritated about. Perhaps he was annoyed that I’d interrupted his alone time with his first love. “Ethan, you’re overthinking it.” “I didn’t ask you to drive me.” He probably thought I was being stubborn and scoffed. “Oh? So what’s your plan—crawl home like this?” “I can call a cab.” I looked at him. “Ethan, I don’t need you to survive.” “I used to cling to you because I loved you. That doesn’t mean I’m helpless without you.” “Leave? Lily, try leaving and see if I’ll come begging for you back.” The man’s eyes darkened again. I had no desire to waste more words on him. Anyway, once the divorce papers reached his hands, he’d know this time I wasn’t making a scene—I was serious.

I pushed the car door open, trying to get out myself. But he got out first and scooped me up in his arms. His movements weren’t gentle, but he didn’t let me fall either. Inside, he found the medicine kit and awkwardly sprayed medication on my ankle, his expression still cold. “Don’t do this again.” I silently watched him complete this task. Ethan was always like this—giving me a slap, then a piece of candy. Hot and cold, making me second-guess myself countless times. Did he have even a shred of genuine feeling for me? Agonizing over whether someone loves you is truly stupid, yet I’d been stupid for five years. It was time to wake up. Too tired to keep guessing his thoughts, I casually said thanks. Ethan stood in front of the sofa, motionless. “Anything else?” Ethan pressed his lips together. “Don’t you have anything you want to ask me?” I shook my head calmly. Actually, I’d already checked Claire’s social media. Yesterday she’d posted on Twitter—a photo of a plane landing. The caption read “Waiting for you.” I’d scrolled through all the comments but didn’t see any trace of Ethan liking or commenting. But I knew he would go. And indeed, that’s what happened. “I’m really tired. I want to sleep.” I stood up. “I’ll sleep in the guest room tonight.” Ethan grabbed my wrist. “Lily!” Unusually, he took the initiative to explain. “Claire and I aren’t what you think.” “I picked her up this time because she just got back and isn’t familiar with the area. I was just helping out.” I made a sound of acknowledgment. “As you should.” Ethan studied my face, as if trying to find some trace of insincerity. “Lily, she and I ended a long time ago. We’re just ordinary friends now.” I nodded disinterestedly. “Got it.” Ethan pulled me into his arms, for once taking the initiative to kiss me. His burning body heat transmitted through our clothes—a warmth I’d once craved most. He knew I liked physical intimacy and thought one kiss could placate me. But I turned my head away. Ethan was clearly stunned. He completely hadn’t expected me to refuse. His expression darkened. “Lily, my patience has limits too. You’d better not push it too far.” That night we slept in separate rooms. Ethan left me the master bedroom and took the guest room himself. When I woke the next morning, the house was quiet—he’d already left. My expression remained neutral as I went to the company and submitted my resignation. If I was going to leave, I’d do it completely. I’d only stayed at this company because of Ethan anyway, to work alongside him, to have more time together. But at work, he’d hidden our marriage, saying it wouldn’t look good. Not only that, he deliberately kept his distance from me. When subordinates needed to accompany him on business trips, he never chose me. In meetings, he treated me like I was invisible. Even when I completed a major project independently, I never earned his praise. This cold attitude made colleagues think Ethan must have something against me. Or that I’d offended him privately. HR was one of the few people at the company who knew about my relationship with Ethan. “You’re leaving?” “Ethan only said to demote you, he didn’t say anything about resignation…” I froze. “Demotion?” HR nodded, looking at me with sympathy. “Your position was taken by someone parachuted in from abroad. Ethan specifically arranged it.” I felt a chill spreading through my heart. I heard my own trembling voice: “Her name—is it Claire Bennett?” “Yes, that’s the name.” I could barely stand and steadied myself against the desk. Even though I was leaving anyway, hearing this news still felt like an earth-shattering defeat. At the company, Ethan had never given me any special treatment. I’d climbed to the director position through my own abilities, step by step. And he just handed it to her.

Tonight was the company anniversary with a gala event. Before officially resigning, I still attended. At least I needed to claim my year-end bonus. In front of everyone, Ethan publicly announced Claire Bennett’s hiring on stage. He even specifically told everyone to take good care of the new colleague. People whispered: “Oh my God, is this really something our stone-faced Ethan would say?” I sat in the audience listening, dutifully applauding. Ethan’s gaze drifted toward me, as if observing my reaction. The next second, Claire beside him wobbled in her heels, and he immediately turned to steady her. Halfway through the banquet, I went to the terrace for air and heard Ethan talking with his friend. “What, another cold war with Lily?” He swirled his wine glass carelessly. “Yeah.” His friend sighed. “When will you ever take the initiative to apologize and comfort her? Girls like her are rare.” “I know.” “Then why’d you bring Claire here to humiliate Lily? This will only worsen things between you two. What if Lily really can’t take it anymore and leaves?” “She won’t.” Ethan paused, then continued with certainty, “Lily will never leave me.” He was still that confident. Thinking I’d give in like every time before. I was about to turn and leave when Claire’s voice sounded behind me. “What a coincidence. Want to have a drink together?” Claire naturally walked to my side, her tone intimate as if we were old friends. “I forgot to greet you last time. You’re Lily, right?” “Sorry for taking your position as soon as I arrived.” The remark carried a double meaning. I caught the provocation in her words and asked coldly, “Claire, are we close?” She smiled even more brightly. “I don’t know much about you, but you must know quite a bit about me, right?” I knew she must have seen my visitor record in the logs. Seeing that I still wouldn’t take the bait or show the fury she’d imagined, Claire grew unhappy and simply poured the wine in her glass onto herself, letting out a cry. The aloof man nearby immediately changed expression and rushed over. “Lily, what are you doing?” I clenched my fist but didn’t explain. I just threw the wine in my glass at his face. Amid the gasps around us, I laughed coldly. “This is what I did.” A waiter quickly brought towels. Ethan wiped the wine from his face, those eyes dark as a frozen pond watching me with inscrutable meaning. In the end, he said nothing and left the banquet with Claire. I watched their retreating figures and simply pulled out my phone to send a message. “My resignation letter and divorce papers are both on your desk.” “Remember to sign.” After sending it, I blocked and deleted his number. I went home to grab the luggage I’d already packed, discovering two tickets to Hokkaido. Did Ethan actually think that while I’d been packing these days, I was looking forward to going to see snow with him? Expressionless, I tore the ticket with my name on it in half. Without looking back, I left the city.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “386466”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

After being canceled and chased off the internet, I quit the entertainment industry, went home, and started selling bags as an intern sales associate at a luxury boutique. My arch-nemesis specifically came to the store just to humiliate me. She demanded that I get on my knees to serve her, threatening to have me fired on the spot if I refused, claiming she was the brand CEO’s handpicked global spokesperson for the upcoming season. Did no one tell her that my family literally owns this brand? “I’m sorry, but when did I ever say I was going to sign you?” 01 When I announced my retirement from acting, reporters asked me what I planned to do next. I casually replied that I was going home to help my parents sell bags. I was mercilessly mocked by the entire internet. But little did they know, they probably couldn’t even afford the bags my family sells… VALERIA is a top-tier luxury brand founded by my grandparents. Under my parents’ management, it has grown to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Hermès and Louis Vuitton as a global ultra-luxury powerhouse. Even our most basic entry-level bag costs tens of thousands of dollars. To build my character and business acumen, my parents insisted I start from the very bottom. I was assigned to one of our flagship boutiques as an intern sales associate. Who would have thought that on my very first day, my former nemesis would come looking for trouble. The moment Stella Monroe walked through the doors, her tone was dripping with passive-aggression. “Well, well, if it isn’t Harper Kensington? Did you think that by becoming a VALERIA salesgirl, you’d magically be able to afford the bags here?” The customer is always right. I bit my tongue and endured it. But she escalated, blatantly stepping her muddy shoe onto the glass coffee table I had just polished: “Kneel down.” Me: ? “These shoes are VALERIA. Don’t you guys offer complimentary maintenance? Maintain them for me.” Me: … Stella and I used to compete for the same type of roles. To get ahead of me, she had spent a fortune buying hit pieces and hiring bot farms to manipulate public opinion against me. The fact that I was cyberbullied to the point of leaving the industry had everything to do with her. It was just my own stubbornness; I hadn’t wanted to rely on my family’s connections. But even now that I had retired, she still wouldn’t let me be. “Ma’am, please take off your shoes. I’ll have a specialist take care of them.” “No, I want you to do it,” Stella smirked. “And I want you on your knees while you wipe them!” My face went cold: “I’m sorry, ma’am, our brand doesn’t offer that specific service.” “Harper, I am your client now! I am your God! You have to do whatever God tells you to do! You’re just a lowly salesgirl, what right do you have to talk back to me?!” “Believe it or not, I can have VALERIA fire you right this second!” Oh, wow. So powerful? She’d have to convince my parents to disown me first. I stayed silent, and Stella assumed I was scared. She looked incredibly smug: “You should be scared. After all, I’m about to become VALERIA’s spokesperson for the next season. If you wait until then to get on your knees, it’ll be too late.” I paused: “Spokesperson?” “Yeah. A resource that countless A-listers are fighting for. My agent is already in talks with the head of VALERIA’s marketing department.” I fell deep into thought. The department my parents wanted me to take over was Marketing. When did I ever agree to sign this piece of trash? 02 Of course, I didn’t serve Stella. Failing to get her way, she started finding faults. I brought out over a dozen different items, and she complained about every single one. Finally, she settled on a basic bag that cost a little under twenty thousand dollars. That was fine, but when it was time to check out, she suddenly pushed me aside and pointed to the store manager standing nearby: “You ring me up. The commission for this sale goes to you.” Manager Brenda Higgins beamed with joy and quickly started bagging the item. Just as the payment was about to go through, I suddenly remembered something. “Wait, this bag cannot be sold.” Stella was furious: “What do you mean?” “This specific bag was reserved by a client a long time ago.” Brenda thought I was just trying to steal her commission: “Harper, you’re new, so I didn’t want to scold you, but was that the proper attitude for serving a VIP? Furthermore, you say it’s reserved, but I’m the store manager, how come I don’t know about it?” “Yeah, Manager Brenda, how could you not know?” I gave her a cold glance and pulled up the system data on the tablet. The warehouse had sent a message three days ago, allocating this exact bag to our store for a client’s reservation. The client had specifically chosen in-store pickup at our location. “As the manager of a flagship store, how could you forget something so important? The client could walk through those doors at any minute. How would you explain this to them? This is a VVIP who spends over a million dollars a year.” Brenda’s face turned an ugly shade of gray. After Stella left, Brenda immediately began to mock me. “A loser who couldn’t survive in Hollywood really thinks she’s still a star.” I looked at her: “Excuse me, what did you say?” “What? Can’t handle the truth?” Brenda, oblivious to my true identity, laughed brazenly. “The whole country knows you came to work the register because you couldn’t hack it as an actress. It’s hilarious. Take a good look at your name tag. You’re just an intern.” She had a highly punchable look on her face. “And I am the manager of this store. Don’t you know the store manager has the ultimate authority here? Little girl, whether you pass your probation and become a permanent employee is entirely up to me.” …Oh, I was shaking in my boots. I couldn’t be bothered to entertain her, but the drama for the day wasn’t over. Right before closing, my former agent suddenly texted me. Stella had uploaded a video of me working as a salesgirl, and it was going viral. 03 It turned out that earlier today, during a busy moment when I was running back and forth grabbing inventory, Stella had secretly recorded me. “My old friend Harper is actually working as a salesgirl now. So pitiful. She’s definitely the most tragic former star I’ve ever seen. So, I went out of my way to support her at work today. #GirlsHelpGirls! I hope Harper gets through these tough times soon.” …What a twisted version of GHG. Uninformed netizens flooded the comments, praising her for being beautiful and kind-hearted. She also “accidentally” let slip that she might be collaborating with VALERIA soon. Her fans celebrated all night, guessing what kind of collaboration it would be. —Even if she was just a brand ambassador, for Stella, it would be a massive elevation in status. My situation, however, was vastly different. For me, there was only mockery. When I was an actress, the biggest thing I was hated for was my “Princess Syndrome.” When I first debuted, I didn’t understand the manipulative games of the industry. Whenever someone dug a hole for me, I jumped right in. In the end, I was edited on reality TV to look like I had a terrible temper and severe Princess Syndrome. Stella was the exact opposite; she portrayed herself as hardworking, gentle, and considerate. Only later did I find out that her team had bribed the editors to intentionally cut footage to make me look awful, just to make her look better by comparison. And now, I was a salesgirl. The trolls laughed at me: “Haha, the fake princess’s royal dreams are shattered.” “The fake princess dreamt of buying VALERIA, so she went to be a salesgirl there.” “Can the fake princess afford VALERIA today? Nope, still can’t.” Oh, right. “Fake Princess” was the new nickname the trolls had given me. That night, I didn’t go back to my small rented apartment in the city. Instead, I went to my parents’ massive estate in the Hamptons for dinner. My parents had seen the news too, and their hearts ached for me. “Harper, why don’t we just issue a clarification? Let’s tell everyone you’re the heir to VALERIA.” “No need, Mom and Dad. I still need to conduct my undercover investigation at the store.” That’s right. I had another motive for volunteering to be an intern salesgirl. That specific boutique had an alarmingly high customer churn rate. I volunteered to find out why. Before I uncovered the truth, I couldn’t blow my cover. My mom kept piling prime steak onto my plate: “You’re so stubborn. You never want to rely on us.” “By the way, Mom, what’s the deal with the spokesperson for next season?” “Isn’t that for you to decide? You’ve been in that industry; you definitely know the landscape better than we do. Commercial value is only one aspect. More importantly, they need to have good character and not damage VALERIA’s image.” “You didn’t say you were going to sign Stella Monroe, did you?” My mom shook her head: “I know you two don’t get along. Even if she were the last celebrity on earth, I wouldn’t sign her. It’s just that she recently hooked up with a sugar daddy who does business with our family, and he keeps recommending her to your dad.” No wonder. Because of her sugar daddy’s recommendation, Stella thought the deal was in the bag. But she didn’t know that my parents are fiercely protective of me. What does a business partner matter? Their precious daughter is their whole world! My mom asked if we should clarify the spokesperson rumors. Not only did I say no, but I also told the marketing department to intentionally leak some vague, promising rumors. Stella fell for it completely and was ecstatic. She bought PR articles in advance, hyping herself up subtly and overtly. Her fans and the media even started calling her “VALERIA’s Own Daughter.” Well, now things were getting fun. 04 Historically, VALERIA had only ever signed male global spokespersons. Under my initiative, my parents planned to sign our first female spokesperson this time. An international ultra-luxury brand, and the first female spokesperson in its history—wouldn’t that essentially be treating her like their “Own Daughter”? Within half a month, Stella hyped up the rumor ten times and dragged down other female stars to elevate herself five times. Without even realizing it, she had made countless enemies for herself. I hosted a live stream to address the whole “selling bags” situation. “Yes, I am working as a sales associate.” “I won’t be making a comeback, and this isn’t a PR stunt. I just realized I didn’t have the talent to be an actress.” “Who knows, maybe I have a talent for selling bags? Everyone is welcome to come shop at VALERIA.” In front of the camera, I was poised and elegant, facing the attacks with grace and confidence. By the end of the live stream, I had actually gained quite a few new fans. A few days later. While doing inventory at the store, I discovered a bag was missing. When I asked the other associates, they acted like it was normal: “The store manager probably borrowed it.” “Borrowed it?” “She said Stella needed to do a live stream at the mall, so she borrowed it for her to show off…” I couldn’t believe my ears. “That’s a limited-edition exotic leather bag! There are less than two hundred of them globally! Is she out of her mind, lending it out to someone?!” I was furious. Today, I was going to teach certain people a lesson! Speak of the devil, Stella arrived. Word on the street was that she saw I had gained fans from my live stream, so she jumped on the bandwagon and started a “shopping” live stream of her own. She had that limited-edition emerald green bag slung over her arm. “We’re at VALERIA! Everyone knows this is a brand I frequent. Look, the one I’m carrying today is VALERIA’s latest global limited edition. It’s incredibly hard to get~” She signaled her crew to push the camera closer for a macro shot of the bag. I was lurking in her live stream, glancing at the chat. They were all praising her— “Wow, I know that bag! It’s insanely expensive!” “Aww, our Stella is such a cute, wealthy heiress.” “Who knows, maybe VALERIA gifted it to her. After all, Stella is VALERIA’s ‘Own Daughter’~” “Wait? Is that Harper in the store?” “It is! Two actresses who debuted together: one is selling the bags, the other is endorsing them. Tsk tsk.” At that moment, Stella announced she was going to do a “What’s in my bag” segment. “Here are my tissues.” “Here’s my cardholder.” “Ah, and this is my VALERIA Black Card. You can only get upgraded to this VIP Black Card if you spend over a million dollars a year. You get a lot of perks, like— You guys know, some luxury stores won’t bring out all their new arrivals for you to see. But with this card, when I go to the counter, I can pick from every new arrival in the store.” She could barely hide her urge to show off. I sneered aloud: “But that card of yours is already expired.” “What?” Stella rolled her eyes at me. “Harper, you’ve probably never even seen this card before, right? I’ll forgive you. If you don’t know what you’re talking about, don’t speak.” I spoke loudly and clearly: “The Black Card was upgraded and redesigned two years ago with a new pattern. That card in your hand expired at least two years ago.” “Furthermore, for clients holding the VIP Black Card, there’s absolutely no need to come to the counter personally. We deliver the new arrivals directly to their mansions for them to choose from at their leisure.” As my words fell, a comical silence filled the room. 05 Stella’s live stream was forced to pause. She was livid. Actually, I wasn’t even finished. I wanted to look up the registered owner of that card. It was more than likely someone else’s. She had gotten her hands on an expired Black Card from somewhere and dared to show it off without knowing a thing about how it worked. Stella and her crew surrounded me, uttering threats. “Harper, once I officially become VALERIA’s spokesperson, you are dead meat!” “Oh, I’ll be waiting.” Her agent wasn’t about to be outdone: “Little girl, do you not understand how this industry works? I have plenty of ways to ruin you.” “Such as?” “I can make sure you can’t survive in this city! Unless you clarify things right now, apologize, and say you made it all up.” The agent was a greasy, overweight man with a sleazy look in his eyes. “And if I don’t? A young girl walking home alone at night… things can get dangerous.” “Sure,” I agreed quickly. The live stream resumed. The number of viewers had doubled; everyone was here for the drama. Stella smiled sweetly: “Sorry for the wait, everyone. The signal was bad just now. My card is actually a personalized, custom-designed card. Harper just saw it wrong.” The camera turned to me. I smiled faintly, and in front of millions of viewers, I dialed my phone. “Hello, 911? I’d like to report a theft. Someone stole a bag from our store valued at $180,000.” 06 The color drained from both Stella’s and Brenda’s faces. The police arrived quickly. Stella panicked: “I bought this bag myself! The store manager can testify!” Brenda nodded sycophantically. Police Officer: “Then please show us the receipt.” Stella was dumbfounded. Brenda quickly changed her tune: “It was borrowed!” “Borrowed?” “Yes, I lent it to her! I am the manager of this store. Officer, someone intentionally filed a false police report, thinking everyone has as much free time as she does. You must teach her a lesson.” She glared at me. But Manager Brenda didn’t know that I was waiting for exactly that sentence. “Well, that makes things easy, Officer. Manager Brenda just confessed to stealing the bag.” Brenda shrieked: “Are you deaf? I said it was borrowed!” “Borrowed from whom? Do you have a loan agreement?” “I am the store manager! I don’t need a loan agreement from anyone!” “Brenda, you must be confused,” I looked at her coldly. “You are only a store manager, not the owner of VALERIA. Every item on display in this store belongs to VALERIA, not you! What right do you have to lend a bag to someone else?” “Taking company property without permission is theft.” “Or perhaps—you used to do this all the time?” Brenda was left speechless, her face ashen. The police took her away. Stella managed to escape being arrested, but because of the huge commotion, a massive crowd of onlookers had already gathered. In no time, videos of the incident from every angle were all over the internet. Stella was trending again. If the card and the bag were fake, what else was real? Was her collaboration with VALERIA fake too? Stella was mocked relentlessly across the internet. But, this was only the beginning. 07 Later, Stella’s agent actually came looking for me. I didn’t even give him a chance to speak; I just played the recording of him threatening me. “Tell me, if this gets out, what will people think?” “I’m guessing the internet will say: an agent with such blatant disregard for the law couldn’t possibly manage any decent artists.” “Tsk. Even if you don’t care about Stella, do you really want to drag down all the other artists you manage?” Hearing this, the agent completely changed his tune, begging for a settlement. However, surprisingly, Brenda soon returned to work. She hadn’t received any punishment and continued to serve as the store manager. In fact, she was even more arrogant than before. She started making things difficult for me openly, leading the others to ostracize me. I investigated the past complaint records. I found that every time Brenda received a severe customer complaint, she returned to work completely unscathed. A coworker quietly told me that Brenda’s husband was a mid-level executive. Her past complaints, and even the recent “stolen bag” incident, were all suppressed by her husband. No wonder. I went home and reported this to my parents. My dad said: “Good job, sweetie. You can just fire her directly.” I shook my head: “Firing her directly wouldn’t be fun.” “Then what do you want to do?” I chewed on some lobster and said slowly: “During this time, I’ve noticed the discipline at our physical stores is very loose, and there’s even a phenomenon of ‘judging customers by their appearance.’ I plan to make an example out of someone for all the store managers globally, and Brenda is the perfect target. It’s not too late to execute her once I’ve sharpened my knife.” My dad laughed heartily: “That’s my girl.” 08 On Sunday, Brenda and I were on shift together. In the evening, a customer came into the store. She was an older woman, slightly hunched over, dressed very plainly, and the tote bag in her hand even had patches on it. Brenda rolled her eyes, sat down on the VIP sofa, and started playing on her phone. The older woman said she wanted to look at some bags. Brenda replied impatiently: “They’re all on the shelves. Look for yourself.” The woman then said she was looking for a dark-colored shoulder bag. “We don’t have any! Do you even know how much a bag here costs? Can you afford it?” The older woman froze. I quickly went over, poured her some tea, brought out all the shoulder bags we had, and let her choose. She didn’t like the first few she looked at. Brenda gloated from the side: “Serves you right for having zero sales. Go wait on the poor ghost.” “Shut up. Is that how you speak to a customer? Ma’am, please ignore her. It’s your right to buy or not; don’t lower yourself to her level.” The older woman thanked me profusely. Then, she pointed at three bags I had brought out and said, emotionally: “I’ll take them all.” Me: “Excuse me?” “And please recommend a men’s briefcase for me too.” “Oh, and do you have clothes here? Put together an outfit for me, shoes included.” Brenda was dumbfounded: “Do you know how much all of this will cost? You can’t afford it!” The older woman finally lost her temper: “Who says I can’t afford it? My son’s tech startup just went public. I could buy out your entire store!” Brenda was completely stunned. It turned out she was a literal gold mine. The older woman bought a massive pile of items. Finally, from her patched-up tote bag, she pulled out the keys to a Maserati. Before leaving, she glared at Brenda. “If it weren’t for this young lady’s good attitude, I would definitely file a formal complaint against you!” Brenda had already changed her tune, bowing and scraping: “Ma’am! Let me walk you to the parking lot. How about this, let me add you on WhatsApp. Next time you come, let me know in advance, and I will definitely give you the best service.” “Get lost! Don’t even think about getting a single cent of commission from me!” Brenda: “…” Hehe, having a VIP customer back you up feels amazing. After the customer left, Brenda glared at me, venting her frustration. “Harper, how did you speak to me just now? Telling a senior colleague to shut up, are you polite? Is that how your parents raised you?” I completely ignored her. She was furious: “Looks like I’ll have to teach you a lesson myself!” Brenda rushed over and tried to slap me. I ducked and dodged it. In return, I gave her two slaps. “You want to talk to me about politeness? That was for the customer just now.” I followed up with a few more slaps. “And these are for all the customers you’ve looked down on in the past.” Brenda screamed: “You little bitch! Believe it or not, I’ll ruin you!” I curled my lips into a smile and walked away gracefully.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “424278”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

On our wedding anniversary, I put on sexy lingerie and nervously sent my sexually indifferent husband a selfie. Our chat history was nothing but 1s and 2s. Me: “Working late tonight?” Him: “1” — meaning yes. Me: “Coming home tonight?” Him: “2” — meaning no. This time, instead of a number, he sent a 60-second voice message. I played it. A woman’s moans came through: “Wait until I finish having sex with Professor Moore, then I’ll send him back.” “You take care of his daily needs. I’ll take care of his physical needs. Nice and clear division of labor.” My hands trembling, I closed the app, got dressed, and drove to the lab. Through the crack in the door, I saw Ethan holding a woman, moving wildly. Heavy breathing, stifled moans — he had never treated me like that. But I was his wife. I stood outside the door for a very, very long time. Finally, I raised my hand and knocked. When Ethan emerged, his expression was calm. Not a trace of embarrassment at being caught in the act. His dark eyes settled on my face. After a moment’s pause, he spoke deliberately: “Let’s talk about this at home.” His slender hand reached toward me. I didn’t move. For the past twenty years, whether it was dates, confessions, proposals, or even the pathetically rare sex we had — I’d initiated all of it. “Fiona?” For once, he used my nickname, but his head was still tilted to the side, his gaze directed behind him. Looking at that woman whose face he was carefully blocking with his body, shielding her from view. My nose stung. I forced a dry laugh: “Aren’t you going to introduce us?” Only then did he turn his head. The look in his eyes now held guilt and pleading. “Fiona, can we just go home first? Please?” Without waiting for a response, he grabbed my collar and roughly pulled me aside. Then he turned back and gently instructed the woman: “You should go. Quickly!” The clicking of high heels drew closer and closer. Ethan’s gaze followed her retreating figure, growing more distant. He watched her so intently that he didn’t even notice the cut on my cheek from where I’d been scraped against a nail on the wall. Ethan hadn’t always been this cold to me. During those college years when his condition improved, he’d acted like a normal person, caring about my joys and sorrows. After we married, he’d cancel urgent meetings and experiments on nights when I had my period, using his burning palms to warm my stomach. He’d clumsily write me love letters by hand before my birthday, trying to make up for the regrets of our youth. But those warm, sweet memories couldn’t compete with the pain on my face right now. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I forced them back. Taking a deep breath, I shook off his hand: “Stop looking. She’s gone.” His body stiffened. He hesitated, not daring to turn around. This time I didn’t wait for him. I headed to the car first. We arrived home close to 11 PM. The moment I changed out of my shoes, hands lifted me from behind and placed me on the sofa. I turned to see Ethan retrieving the first aid kit, kneeling before me. The concern in his eyes didn’t seem fake. “I’m sorry…” I didn’t respond, letting him carefully treat my wound while his neck was still covered in hickeys. Just like years ago when we exchanged wedding rings, when he’d publicly vowed to love me forever. The same posture. The same eyes. But everything had changed. Blood-stained cotton balls fell into the trash. As Ethan closed the first aid kit, I held out my hand to him: “Your phone.” He didn’t move, but the concern in his eyes faded, replaced by barely suppressed impatience. “Don’t make trouble for her. I’ll end things with her.”

I bit down hard and laughed. This man’s earlier concern, his kneeling — it was all for this moment. So I wouldn’t make trouble for the woman who held his heart. How could I possibly listen? Brushing past him, I grabbed his phone from the table. The lock screen showed that woman’s shy, smiling face. The password was still my birthday. But the pinned chat on his SnapChat had been changed to this woman named Chloe. Their chat thread was incredibly active. He replied to her every message instantly. But my chat with him was a wasteland. The last message was from half a month ago. “Coming home for dinner?” He hadn’t replied. The next day after work, he’d sent a dismissive: “Too busy, forgot.” I knew he had a national-level project underway, so I’d been understanding, not making a fuss, racking my brains to make him nutritious, healthy meals. But I never imagined that all the care I gave him, he’d spent on someone else. Even his “busy” was just being busy screwing someone in the lab. [Your wife hasn’t seen you in half a month. Are you coming home tonight?] [Bored with her. Not going.] The hand gripping the phone trembled slightly. Twenty years. The best years of a woman’s youth. I’d spent it all on this man, and all I got in return was “bored with her.” Those words blurred through my tears into an indistinct mess. I bit my lip, forcing my eyes open wide, reading word by word. Reading how this rigid man who’d lecture about physics even during sex had dressed up in costumes to play elaborate roleplay games for this woman. Reading how at the science award ceremony I’d begged him multiple times to take me to — events he’d always refused — he’d brought her instead, letting her accept congratulations in my place, under my name. Reading how when Chloe asked him “Do you like your wife or me?” he’d replied without hesitation: “She’s old now, loose down there too. Can’t compare to you.” Turning the entire first half of my life — spent devotedly helping him ascend to greatness — into one massive joke. My eyes burned. I returned the phone to Ethan. The more I read, the more I felt like a complete fool. “Fiona, I’m a man. I have needs and desires. Things with her got out of hand, we couldn’t help ourselves.” “I hope you can understand and not make a scene. Let’s just end this here, okay?” His voice remained gentle. Even his lies sounded so convincing. But I stubbornly wanted answers. I pointed at the pinned profile picture, my voice hoarse: “Of all people to cheat with, why her? Why the woman who killed your parents?” I raised my voice, grabbing his collar, my words tearing through the air: “Have you forgotten how your parents could have lived, but she ran them over again and again, grinding them into pulp?” Ethan turned his face away. After a long pause, he finally spoke: “She was young then. It wasn’t intentional.” “And my parents shouldn’t have been out that late at night. They brought it on themselves…” I carefully savored those two sentences. And couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. Laughing at my own blindness. When Ethan’s parents died and his relatives refused to take him in, Chloe — afraid he’d press charges — had systematically driven him insane. She’d made him crawl on the ground and drink urine, bark like a dog, spreading videos of it everywhere. His miserable state was burned into my memory for twenty years. Even after he recovered, I’d kept track of Chloe’s whereabouts. But I never anticipated this. Not only had Ethan forgiven his parents’ murderer first, he’d climbed into bed with her. During every night he’d lied about working late, he’d tried every position with her. He said they couldn’t help themselves, overcome by passion. So what were my meddling twenty years worth? Thunder rumbled as his phone rang simultaneously. Ethan didn’t even glance at me before answering. “Ethan, my thesis data got rejected. If I miss tonight’s deadline, my entire project is ruined…” Chloe’s voice was sweet and cloying. The man’s throat bobbed as he immediately rushed to the entrance to change shoes, not forgetting to coo at her: “Don’t worry, baby. I’m coming right now.” He responded as if it were the most natural thing in the world, as if I didn’t exist. I whirled around and blocked his path: “You’re not going!” Ethan frowned, irritation rising in his eyes. “Fiona! This is about Chloe’s future. She’s not useless like you. Get out of my way!” The word “useless” nailed me in place. I forgot how to react. Ethan’s patience completely evaporated. He grabbed my collar and shoved me aside. My wound struck the corner of a cabinet. I hissed in pain. Instinctively, I called out: “Ethan, it hurts…” The only response was the earth-shattering slam of the door.

Liquid dripped down my face. I didn’t bother with it. Like a walking corpse, I pulled out tonight’s lunch box of food I’d lovingly prepared. Opened the lid, grabbed my fork, and mechanically stuffed the still-warm food into my mouth, chewing as if punishing myself. But thinking about how this lunch box had also been at the lab tonight made my mouth, my stomach, churn with revulsion — like I’d swallowed countless needles. I rushed to the bathroom and retched into the toilet. As tears streamed from my eyes, the doorbell rang. It was Ethan’s supervisor. “Fiona, Ethan’s at City General Hospital. Get here quick!” Instinctively, I asked: “What happened? Is he okay?” Before he could answer, a strange woman’s sobbing voice came through the phone: “If it weren’t for helping me get that corporate data, you wouldn’t have been forced to drink so much you got gastric bleeding!” “I’ll go heat up some milk for you right now…” Ethan’s weak voice protested: “Don’t… just stay with me. Let her do that kind of grunt work.” “Is that… appropriate?” “Why wouldn’t it be? Taking care of people is her only talent. Remember this — your hands are meant for writing papers, conducting experiments, winning awards. They shouldn’t be wasted in a kitchen…” My throat felt like it had been scraped raw, like a fire burning it over and over. I stared at my gaunt, withered reflection in the mirror. Suddenly I understood. In this genius physicist’s eyes, I — his wife — was only fit for menial labor. Only fit to serve. Elevate his mistress to the clouds. Reduce his wife to a maid. What a perfect arrangement. “Fiona, Ethan’s bleeding quite a bit. When are you coming?” I wiped away my tears and spoke slowly into the still-connected call: “Boss, I won’t be coming to the hospital. But feel free to invite me to the public denouncement when his affair with Miss Chloe gets exposed!” I hung up. My heart felt no better. I drifted ghost-like to the bedroom, gazing at the bright moon hanging high. Suddenly, I laughed softly. Ethan had probably long forgotten that back then, I’d been the top student at our university besides him. He’d already been specially recruited by the National Physics Research Institute. For my sake, he’d secretly torn up that offer letter, insisting on going to another city with me for college. I’d gotten angry at him for the first time: “Are you crazy? How can you waste your talent like this?” He’d stubbornly shaken his head, his eyes redder than blood. “Wherever you go, I go. Without you, I don’t want anything!” He’d even taken that offer letter covered in tape and knelt at my parents’ door, kowtowing repeatedly. “Uncle, Aunt, please believe me. Fiona is my entire life.” “I’d rather die than let her down.” When Ethan was serious, stars would appear in his eyes. And I’d naturally believed him completely. When he said forever, I thought he meant forever. Later, I gave up my studies, became a homemaker, lost myself in his ever-ascending career, becoming increasingly marked by domestic mundanity. I earned no praise, only insults calling me “useless.” Life really is full of reversals. Just like tonight — I’d gone to the lab to tell him he was going to be a father. What should have been a surprise turned into a nightmare.

The next day, when I returned home from the lawyer’s office, my parents suddenly called. Their tone was unusually stern. “Fiona! Tell us the truth. Did you do something to betray Ethan?” I was stunned. I didn’t know how to explain that Ethan had cheated and I wanted a divorce. After a few seconds of stunned silence, I chose to deflect. “Mom, Dad, nothing like that happened…” My mother’s heavy breathing came through the phone. “Our house got splashed with red paint by some woman named Chloe. She says you’re shameless, that you seduce her husband every night!” “What’s going on? The neighbors are all pointing fingers at us, saying you couldn’t control yourself, that while Ethan was working late, you were out there sleeping around…” My hot-tempered father snatched the phone away, shouting at the top of his lungs: “Are you really that cheap? That desperate? Because of you, people are talking behind our backs. Your mother’s fainted several times… If you don’t fix this, we’re cutting you off!” Bang! The call disconnected. Almost simultaneously, a soft laugh came from the bedroom. The door opened. Chloe stood inside. She looked younger than her profile picture, with luminously pale skin and bright eyes. In her hands were the shredded pieces of my pregnancy test results. “Like the gift I sent your parents?” She smiled sweetly. But it made my blood run cold. I pulled out my phone to call the police while demanding: “How did you get in here?” She slapped the phone out of my hand. Shaking her head with a mocking laugh: “Stupid! Your husband gave me the key, obviously.” I stood frozen, my entire body shaking with rage. She looked at me, tilting her head with a smile. “Can’t handle this already?” “What if I told you I don’t just have your house key — I also have his project authorship rights and his research institute paycard? What would you do then?” I took a breath, forcing down the fury rising in my chest. “You saw it yourself. I’m carrying his child. I’m his legitimate wife. He won’t destroy his academic career and future for you!” She froze for a second. Then burst out laughing. “Really?” She suddenly stood up, slowly walking toward me, her eyes dropping to my still-flat stomach. Lips curling, her voice drawling slowly: “You think having a baby will tie him down? Just like you thought spending twenty years with him would guarantee you his whole life?” “Stupid! So stupid!” She threw her head back, laughing wildly. Her voice was shrill and piercing. Then I watched as her hands slowly moved to her own stomach. Her clothes were thin. Thin enough that I could clearly see her swollen belly. Chloe glanced at my stunned expression, her face unable to hide her gloating. “Fourteen weeks along. Ethan said once he finishes this current project, he’ll tell you he wants a divorce. He’s even reported it to his superiors.” “If I were you, I’d spread my legs and find another man…” Fourteen weeks… Fourteen weeks ago, she’d already had a key to my home. She’d probably been in my marital bed, on the sofa, even in the shower — in every corner of our shared home. He’d mounted this woman, taking her again and again. The clinking sounds of lab equipment bottles came crashing back into my ears. Boom! My carefully maintained composure shattered under the weight of my rage. I grabbed the ashtray from the table and hurled it at her. Ahhh! She couldn’t dodge in time. It hit her squarely, blood streaming from her forehead. The suffocating pressure I’d been holding back, mixed with fury over my parents being terrorized, formed a tidal wave. I didn’t stop. Instead, I lunged at her like a madwoman. Straddling her body, I grabbed her hair and slammed her head against the table. Bang! Her piercing screams were music to my ears in that deadly silent space. The blood spurred me into deeper frenzy. I tore at her scalp while cursing at the top of my lungs: “Bitch! Whore! Husband-stealing slut! Why don’t you just die! I’ll kill you!” I’d lost all reason. Completely consumed by rage. Chloe’s face was covered in blood. Her forehead crimson, her nose crimson, her mouth crimson. She screamed until her voice went hoarse. But I showed no mercy, clawing at her face, biting her ear, kicking her stomach with my feet. She shrieked as blood seeped from between her legs in a spreading stain. I stared at the bright red beneath her, pausing for a few seconds. Just those few seconds — and my lower abdomen took a brutal kick. Pain exploded across my belly. My entire body flew backward. Splurch! Flesh pierced through. The tip of an umbrella protruding from the entryway plunged deep into my body. No! I heard Ethan’s terrified scream.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “386467”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

I lost a bet during a game with my friends, and my punishment was being forced to post a specific status on my social media: [I’m two months pregnant. I suddenly really wanted some grapes, but my husband refused to buy them for me. Then I wanted some green grapes, and he still refused. The marriage is over, we’ve broken up, I got rid of the baby, and I finally ate my grapes. From now on, the creature known as a ‘husband’ no longer exists in my world.] The male lead of my loveless, ghost-town of a marriage was instantly summoned back from overseas overnight by our panicked parents. After a grueling three-way interrogation, the truth came out. When the man who took the blame for my prank finally came home, he had his assistant haul in three massive boxes of red grapes and three boxes of green grapes. His face was as cold as the Grim Reaper himself. “Since you love eating them so much, this time, I’m going to let you eat until you drop.” 1 After hitting “Post” on that status, I casually tossed my phone onto the luxurious marble table and lazily scanned the room. “How was that? Satisfied?” My friends around the table all gave me a thumbs-up. Leo even cursed in absolute disbelief, picking up my phone to verify it. “Serena, you are insane! You seriously didn’t filter a single person from seeing this.” I couldn’t be bothered to respond to their flattery, simply waving my hand to deal the next round of cards. I was used to doing whatever I wanted. As for the absolute tsunami this post would cause once my parents and my in-laws saw it? I didn’t even want to think about it. While shuffling the cards, Chloe leaned in close to me. With an “I-know-exactly-what-you’re-doing” smirk, she offered her expert analysis on my bold move: “If you didn’t want to post it, who could force you? You did this on purpose. You just wanted to summon CEO Thorne back from overseas, didn’t you?” Chloe had been reading way too many billionaire romance novels lately. Her head was full of cliché, dramatic plotlines. I decided not to argue with her and just gave a dismissive reply: “Mhm. You’re completely right.” In our elite New York social circle, whenever anyone brought up me and Ethan Thorne, they would always sigh and call it a spectacularly doomed, toxic karma. When we first met as college freshmen, I was the arrogant, high-and-mighty heiress of the Vance family, sitting comfortably at the absolute center of the Manhattan socialite scene. Whenever the Thorne family was mentioned, people would scoff and call them “tasteless new money who didn’t belong in high society.” Naturally, Ethan was completely ostracized by our circle. And I was the undisputed ringleader of that isolation campaign. But the eighteen-year-old Ethan couldn’t have cared less. His demeanor back then was entirely different from how he is now. He was loud, arrogant, and perfectly content doing his own thing. To crush his arrogance, I personally stepped onto the battlefield. I pretended to be deeply in love with him, chasing him relentlessly for over six months. Just when he had completely fallen for me, I ruthlessly dumped him. Then, I joined my friends in kicking him while he was down, mercilessly mocking him for thinking he was ever good enough for me. With such bad blood between us, we were supposed to hate each other for the rest of our lives. But fate has a twisted sense of humor. Three years ago, a massive economic crisis hit, severely impacting all the old-money families in New York. Desperate for capital and protection, my father swallowed his pride and went begging to the Thorne family—the only ones who emerged from the crisis unscathed—proposing a corporate marriage. I didn’t dare tell my father about the horrible things I had done to Ethan in college. I spent every day living in pure terror, waiting for my father to be thrown out onto the street. But to my utter shock, the Thorne family agreed. At first, I was certain this was Ethan’s grand revenge. The Thorne family was no longer just “new money.” Their business empire had expanded at a terrifying rate, becoming a top-tier conglomerate that everyone in the city looked up to. And Ethan, who had entered the family business early, was already a high-ranking executive, flying all over the world. Forget about revenge—in our three years of marriage, I had only seen him a grand total of three times. The first year, I lived in constant fear, treating every day like walking on eggshells, terrified that one wrong move would anger my billionaire husband. The second year, I comfortably spent my exorbitant allowance, lived in our massive, empty penthouse, and completely forgot my place. Chloe was hopelessly obsessed with our dynamic, treating us like her favorite fictional couple. “CEO Thorne is absolutely true love to you! Why do you think he travels the world working himself to the bone? It’s so you can buy priceless jewelry without blinking and rent out private islands for your parties!” I didn’t say a word. A few cards slipped from my fingers and fell to the floor. “I’m done. I fold this round.” If I hadn’t known that Ethan was keeping a bright, beautiful woman in his luxury mansion in Dubai, my romantically delusional brain might have actually believed he was tolerating me out of lingering affection. But as time went on, I figured it out. This marriage was completely optional to him. He just married me to have a mascot sitting at home to shut down the public gossip. This mascot could be Serena Vance, or it could be literally anyone else. 2 I was woken up by our housekeeper. The consequence of staying up all night drinking was that my sleep schedule was completely flipped. It had been exactly twenty-three hours since I made that fateful post. “Ma’am, the main estate sent a car for you. It’s waiting downstairs.” I frustratedly ran a hand through my messy hair, trying to calculate what important date today was. After washing up, I checked my phone. One look nearly gave me a heart attack. Aside from the countless frantic, concerned messages from my parents and in-laws, even Ethan—whom I hadn’t spoken to in four or five months—had sent me a single “?”. My hand trembled, and I replied with a “?” of my own. He replied instantly: > [I’m at the main estate. Come over.] My brain practically exploded. It was months away from Thanksgiving. Why the hell was Ethan suddenly back in the country?! On the ride to the estate, I scrolled through all the unread messages and finally remembered the post I made last night after losing that stupid game. Ethan’s time was unbelievably valuable. Even during our wedding vows, his assistant was standing nearby checking his watch. Now, because of a joke post, he was summoned back from Dubai overnight by our parents?! When I stepped out of the car, my legs felt like jelly. The Ethan I was most familiar with was the arrogant, reckless boy from our youth. The day he got his driver’s license, he totaled an obscenely expensive supercar. He didn’t even flinch, just kicked the shattered headlight and complained, “What a piece of junk.” He was not this terrifying, awe-inspiring CEO. From his perfectly tailored cuffs to his impeccably styled hair, every single movement screamed “corporate elite.” It was as if he was born in a boardroom. Right now, this corporate elite was occupying a single armchair, while our four parents sat opposite him on the sofa, looking incredibly stern, like a tribunal preparing to pass judgment. The moment I walked in, my mother-in-law’s expression softened. She smiled and came over to take my hand. “It’s my fault. I didn’t realize Serena was feeling so wronged.” My own mother followed closely behind, casting a hesitant, pointed look at my stomach. Thanks to my frequent, spontaneous vacations around the world, I had successfully created the illusion that I regularly flew out to visit Ethan. Therefore, they had absolutely no idea about the true, nonexistent state of our marriage. In their eyes, while Ethan and I might not have a fiery, passionate romance, we were mutually supportive and harmonious. I opened my mouth, struggling to find the words, and silently explained: “Mom… I’m not pregnant…” Compared to my mother-in-law, my own mother knew exactly what kind of trouble I was capable of causing. She instantly gave me a “I knew you were pulling some kind of stunt” look and stood back, waiting to see how I would clean up my own mess. Three other pairs of eyes stared directly at me, waiting for my explanation. I had never faced an interrogation like this in my life. Desperate, I looked at Ethan, praying that the male lead of this ghost-town marriage would throw me a lifeline. The man fought cutthroat corporate wars in Dubai, only for a massive scandal to drop on his head in New York. Yet, Ethan didn’t seem angry at all. And from the looks of it, he hadn’t sold me out yet. Time ticked by. Just as I was losing all hope and frantically trying to piece together a lie in my head… Ethan finally spoke: “I’ve been too busy with work lately, and I haven’t had time to spend with Serena. She was just throwing a tantrum at me. It’s a misunderstanding. I’m sorry for making you all worry.” Ethan was too brilliant and intimidating. He held absolute authority in the family. As soon as he said those words, the four elders immediately understood and nodded in relief. “We were just overreacting. But since you’re already back, you need to spend more time with Serena.” Ethan nodded in agreement. 3 For the entire ride back to our penthouse, I didn’t dare say a word. I drafted a dozen apologies in my head, only to swallow them back down every time. I was stressing so much my face probably looked like a wrinkled prune. When Ethan, pulling his suitcase with one hand and loosening his tie with the other, headed straight for the master bedroom, I finally snapped out of it and blocked his path. Under his confused gaze, I explained awkwardly: “The room is a bit messy. You should go shower in the guest room first, and I’ll bring your luggage in for you.” It was more than “a bit messy.” There was absolutely nothing belonging to Ethan in that master bedroom. He only came back to sleep here one night a year. The last time he was here, the moment he left for the airport on New Year’s Day, I packed up all his belongings and threw them into the guest room. “I’m just going to change my clothes and leave. I have a business dinner in a bit.” Ethan truly was a workaholic. Even though it was already nine o’clock at night, and he had only been back just long enough to take the blame for my prank, he had already scheduled a business meeting. He easily sidestepped me and pushed open the door to the master bedroom. By the time I reacted, it was too late. Ethan stood at the entrance of the massive walk-in closet, staring in absolute silence at the mountains of women’s clothing from every season. “Where are my clothes?” I laughed nervously. “I… I sent them out to be dry-cleaned and maintained. When they were delivered back, the staff didn’t know, so they accidentally put them in the guest room. I haven’t had time to move them back yet.” I didn’t expect this pathetic lie to fool Ethan. He just gave me a deep, unreadable look, took off his suit jacket, and unbuttoned the top few buttons of his dress shirt. It was like he had stripped off his cold, elite exterior. For a brief second, I caught a glimpse of the reckless, youthful Ethan I used to know. The doorbell rang. The next second, Ethan’s secretary walked in with several people, carrying large and small boxes into the apartment. When I finally saw what was inside those boxes, the room spun. My karma had finally arrived. Ethan appeared behind me, gesturing with his chin toward the boxes of red and green grapes. “Eat. Since you love them so much, this time, you’re going to eat until you drop.” I wanted to cry. “I’m sorry.” His face was as cold as ice. “I’ll be back in two hours. You can finish them all by then, right?” When Ethan returned from his business dinner, the apartment was in chaos. The housekeeper was busy moving his belongings back into the master bedroom, while I was squatting in the living room, frantically stuffing grapes into my mouth. I really tried my best. I managed to finish half a box. I thought that showing genuine effort would at least earn me a sliver of forgiveness. But when he saw my cheeks bulging with grapes, his expression grew even colder. He had clearly been drinking. His breathing wasn’t as steady as it had been two hours ago. He walked up and looked down at me. “Serena, where is your brain?” Honestly, no matter how bossy I acted behind his back these past three years, the moment I was in front of Ethan, I couldn’t help but cower. After all, when you have a guilty conscience, you’re always afraid of getting caught. “But I really tried my best! I seriously can’t finish them.” I was so pathetic! I sounded so weak, my voice was literally trembling. He reached out to pull me up, his brow furrowed deeply. “Get up. Go wash up and go to sleep.” He was letting me off the hook. I let out a massive sigh of relief and practically skipped to the bathroom. But the moment I laid down in bed, karma struck again. In just one short hour, I had to run to the bathroom three times. Ethan, sleeping next to me, finally lost his patience. Resigned to his fate, he got out of bed, threw on some clothes, and grabbed a cashmere blanket to wrap me tightly over my pajamas. “Get up. We’re going to the hospital.” I was so weak and dehydrated from diarrhea that I couldn’t even stand up straight. I waved him off weakly. “It’s fine. I’ll just find some stomach medicine.” Ethan’s patience had entirely run out. Ignoring my protests, he scooped me up into his arms. The last time I was this physically close to him was on our wedding day. 4 The wedding was entirely planned by our in-laws. The Thorne family favored traditional ceremonies, so everything from the bridal pickup to the reception was very grounded and classic. At 9:00 AM, the designated auspicious time, I sat drowsily on the edge of the bed. The priceless diamond tiara on my head was so heavy I could barely breathe. The sound of festivities grew louder. Surrounded by a crowd of groomsmen, Ethan calmly and flawlessly passed all the ridiculous “tests” my bridesmaids had set up. That day, he actually had a smile on his face. In a daze, I almost forgot that this was supposed to be a dull, arranged corporate marriage. When he finally found my hidden bridal shoe, the way he picked me up was incredibly gentle and reverent. Amidst the cheering crowd, a suspicious hint of red crept up the tips of his ears. For a moment, I forgot all our past grudges. Leaning against his chest, my heart pounded like a drum. That was the only moment of genuine warmth in our three years of marriage. When the driver pulled the car around today, Ethan had already been holding me at the entrance of our building for ten minutes. Miraculously, my churning stomach quieted down for those ten minutes. I felt incredibly warm. Because we had been holding the same position for so long, I tried to shift slightly in his arms. He looked down at me. The night was too dark for me to see his expression clearly, but I felt the arm around my waist pull me even tighter against him. I gathered my courage, raised my arms to wrap around his neck, and rested my head on his shoulder. “When is the driver getting here?” “Almost.” His voice was right next to my ear, his breath brushing against my skin, tickling me like a feather. Being young and impulsive, my heart was effortlessly stirred with thoughts I definitely shouldn’t be having. This highly inappropriate fluttering feeling lasted until the next day. The following morning, my face flushed as I reminisced about the decidedly not-safe-for-work dream I had the night before. I pushed open the bedroom door and walked out. The male lead of my dream was sitting in the living room wearing loungewear, a laptop balanced on his knees, looking intensely focused. “Why are you still here?!” My voice pitched up in shock, sounding a bit grating. “Serena, my name is also on the deed to this apartment.” I knew I had misspoken, so I quickly tried to explain while calming my racing heart. “No, that’s not what I meant. I mean, aren’t you going back?” “Back where?” “Dubai.” It had been three years. I had never, ever woken up the next morning to find Ethan still in the apartment. He kept looking at his laptop and replied coolly, “I’m taking a vacation. For a month.” I was shocked beyond belief. Ethan, the CEO of a multinational conglomerate, with a million things on his plate, right in the prime of his career, taking a one-month vacation? It felt incredibly extravagant. When Chloe heard my rant, she bravely defended Ethan: “Even a dog would shake its head at that! Machines get downtime for maintenance, but Ethan doesn’t?” I replied in agony: “Do you know what this means?! It means I can no longer stay out all night! I have to come home for three meals a day on time and play the role of the perfect, dutiful wife!” Looking at the text message my mother-in-law just sent, I felt even more dead inside. “It also means I might actually have to give Ethan a baby!” My mother-in-law told us to “work hard” and said she believed in Ethan’s abilities. I put my phone down and looked up, meeting Ethan’s gaze. He had clearly just finished replying to our parents’ messages too. His eyes held a rare hint of unnatural awkwardness. 5 Living alone with Ethan was awkward beyond description. Our only shared topic of conversation was that we went to the same Ivy League university. And in our only shared memories, I had repeatedly played him for a fool. After suffering through an entire day of awkward silence, I finally couldn’t take it anymore and tried to break the ice. I carefully chose my words: “Um… do you remember…” Every single mutual topic we had was a landmine. I suddenly felt like I was being too reckless, but the words were already out. Ethan generously looked up and gave me his full attention. I braced myself and stepped right on the landmine. “Carter’s kid… he’s already two years old.” Carter was the only son of the Carter family, a notorious playboy. In college, he worshipped the ground Ethan walked on, and his lifestyle was obscenely lavish. When our friend group used to get together, we would always bring him up, mocking him for slumming it with Ethan, saying he was useless and would probably die in a pile of women. Yet, out of everyone in our social circle, he was the first one to get married and the first to have a kid. When Ethan went abroad, Carter completely disappeared from our radar. The next time we heard about him, it was because he was marrying a young, brilliant university professor from a highly respected, academic family. It was an opulent, century-defining wedding that made everyone envious, giving their little-known, older-woman-younger-man romance the perfect happy ending. Ethan looked at me, seemingly speechless. He finally said, “Carter’s son is my godson.” My eyes widened in pure shock. “How did I not know this?” I realized with a jolt how terrible of a wife I was. My knowledge of his social circle was stuck in our college days. I thought everything had stayed in the past, and I knew absolutely nothing about his current life. Ethan casually dropped another bombshell. “And you are his godmother. For his one-month celebration, I gave him a solid gold lock on your behalf.” So it wasn’t like I had imagined. He didn’t just come back once a year and essentially live permanently in Dubai. For Carter’s son’s one-month and two-year birthdays, Ethan had flown back personally, and even stopped by our apartment each time. It’s just that our timing was terrible, and we never actually crossed paths. “On his first birthday, I called you to ask if you wanted to come with me.” Before I could object, he continued: “A man answered the phone. He said you were sleeping and told me to screw off.” I practically slid right off the sofa, my legs trembling and my heart hammering in my chest. Ethan, however, looked completely unfazed by the possibility that he had been cheated on, and gently helped me back up. “Listen to me, it’s not what you think.” No man would ever casually answer my phone, and I definitely wouldn’t be sleeping next to another man. Except for one person: my younger cousin, Mason. He was two years younger than me. We grew up so close we practically shared everything. He wasn’t my biological brother, but he might as well have been. Ethan knew Mason existed, but their only interaction happened back in college… when I dumped Ethan. To ensure my humiliation of him was complete, I chose to break up with him at Mason’s birthday party. In front of everyone, the usually wild and arrogant young heir lost all his composure. He grabbed my hand, and his first instinct was to apologize. He had no idea what he had done wrong; he just desperately, humbly apologized and begged me not to end it. I impatiently shook off his hand, looking down at him with extreme arrogance. “Out of all the boyfriends I’ve had, you are the hardest to get rid of. A breakup is a breakup. I’m bored of you. Understand?” The scene was pure chaos. Looking back on it now, I genuinely felt like I couldn’t breathe. Mockery and insults flew from every direction, piercing Ethan like knives. But his eyes were only on me. Even though so many people looked down on his background, he was always proud. He had this lazy, indifferent look in his eyes, and occasionally, when he felt like it, he would use his wealth to aggressively shut down the snobby cliques that tried to corner him. None of us wanted to admit it, but we—this group of people—didn’t actually look down on him. We weren’t isolating him. We were just deeply insecure that our status was being challenged by him, and we couldn’t do anything about it. Wearing the crown of “old money,” we were secretly jealous of Ethan’s freedom and audacity. And no one wanted to admit that ever since Ethan beat a trash-talking rich kid half to death and then casually threw down a massive stack of cash to settle it, we had subconsciously started to fear him. The ability to force a powerful family’s heir to swallow his pride and accept a payout—that required terrifying financial power. My harsh words struck a massive blow to Ethan. Someone laughed: “Look at him. He looks like an abandoned dog.” Mason shoved his way to the front of the crowd, kicked the devastated Ethan to the ground, and laughed with his hands on his hips. “Who the hell do you think you are? You think you’re good enough for my sister? We wouldn’t even let you be her dog; you’re bad luck.” Given that background, I didn’t even dare invite Mason to our wedding. “So, what is the truth?” Ethan looked at me, his tone perfectly calm. Cold sweat beaded on my forehead. I prepared for the worst. “That was Mason.” Ethan’s expression softened. It wasn’t the angry, resentful reaction I had expected upon hearing his enemy’s name. Instead, he seemed to suddenly relax, the tension leaving his face. “Okay, I understand.” The storm I had braced myself for never came. Ethan answered a phone call. I sneaked a glance at him, and he caught me staring. The person on the other end seemed to be a close friend. The corners of his mouth lifted into a smile. He kept his eyes on me, but said to the phone, “Yeah, she’s home. Alright, let me ask her.” I snapped back to reality when I heard him ask me: “Do you have any plans later? Let’s go see our godson.” Caught red-handed staring at him, I felt incredibly guilty. I nodded frantically, agreeing to whatever he said. 6 Carter should absolutely hate my guts. In college, he followed Ethan’s every command. When I was dating Ethan, Carter treated me with the utmost respect, always greeting me with a huge smile. Later, when I teamed up with everyone to orchestrate that massive humiliation against Ethan, Carter stormed into my house, looking so terrifying I thought he was going to murder me. Somehow, he held back his rage. He just pointed at me and said, “Serena, don’t you ever regret this.” How could I not regret it? I regretted it to death. The moment Ethan was kicked out of Mason’s party, I instantly regretted it. A spot in my chest went numb with pain, but I still had to force a smile and deal with the empty flattery of my friends. I fully expected Carter to give me the cold shoulder today. But the moment I stepped through his front doors, he and his wife were holding a little toddler, greeting us with warm smiles. Honestly, I knew almost everyone in the room by reputation. Every single one of them was a top-tier talent in their respective fields, armed with power and influence. Birds of a feather flock together. I thought about my group of aimless, partying friends, and for a moment, I felt so inferior I couldn’t even lift my head. Someone joked, “When it comes to being protective of a wife, Ethan is on another level. It’s been three years, and you finally bring her out for us to see.” Ethan peeled an orange for me, meticulously removing the white pith. “Serena and I don’t get to see each other much. Whenever I come back, I barely have enough time to spend with her. Why would I waste time on you guys?” Even though I knew he was just playing the part for the crowd, my heart still betrayingly started hammering against my ribs. I looked up at him, and he was looking back at me. His gaze was intense and gentle, just like it was all those years ago. Someone walked in. When he saw me, he froze for a second before easily falling into familiar banter. “Long time no see, sister-in-law. You’re looking even more beautiful.” I looked up at him, taking a long time to dig his identity out of my memory. He was Ethan’s absolute best friend, Colin. They had known each other long before Ethan’s family struck it rich. After graduating, he followed Ethan overseas as his right-hand man. He had fought his way up and was now a powerhouse executive in the Thorne empire. When we got married, he was still in Dubai managing the mines. So, this was our first time seeing each other in six years. I smiled back. “It really has been a long time.” The little toddler, encouraged by his mom, waddled over to me. He timidly hugged my leg and handed me a paper airplane he had folded himself. “Godmother, you’re even prettier than my mommy.” Everyone burst out laughing. Blushing, I accepted my godson’s gift and dug a piece of chocolate out of my purse for him. The atmosphere in the room suddenly shifted. Ethan stared at the chocolate in my hand, looking uncharacteristically distracted. The arrogant, eighteen-year-old Ethan had one fatal flaw: he was prone to low blood sugar. But he never cared. He still drank himself into a stupor every night. At the underground street racing tracks on the outskirts of the city, he would get behind the wheel of a supercar and slam the gas pedal like he had a death wish. While I was chasing him, I found out about this. I started stocking my purse with all kinds of snacks. Different types of candies, chocolates, and even a bottle of glucose water were always on hand. A dizzy, disoriented Ethan peeled open a candy I gave him, popped it into his mouth, and spit it out a second later. “Disgusting.” I patiently offered him other options. “I have other brands. See which one you like?” “They’re all disgusting.” To capture his heart, I put in an insane amount of effort. I heard there was a private, artisanal chocolate shop in the UK famous for its handmade chocolates. I flew thousands of miles just to buy it, carefully protecting it all the way back to New York. Finally, I earned a genuine look of appreciation from Ethan. After that, I always kept it stocked in my bag. When we were dating, every time we met, the first thing I did was pop a piece of that chocolate into his mouth. The little toddler was a good kid who knew how to share. He broke off a piece and gave it to his mom. Carter’s wife ate it and looked incredibly surprised. “I know this brand! But didn’t the owner of this shop turn out to be an international fugitive? He got interviewed by local media because his chocolate was so good, which blew his cover, and he was arrested and sent to prison, right?” As soon as she said that, everyone turned to look at me. Back in college, Ethan used to brag endlessly. He told anyone who would listen that his girlfriend was the absolute best, flying to the UK once a month like clockwork just to buy his favorite chocolate. So almost everyone in the room knew the backstory. I laughed awkwardly. “Um, I actually made this myself.” I didn’t understand why, even after breaking up with Ethan, I kept up the habit of flying all the way to the UK to buy that specific chocolate. Until one day, I went back to the shop, and it was completely empty. The only person left was the fugitive’s apprentice, sitting there crying over the recipe. I stayed in the UK for over six months. I enrolled in baking classes, visited every chocolate factory in the surrounding countries, and finally found a master chocolatier who could reverse-engineer and recreate the exact flavor. I learned the craft from him.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “424279”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

On the day of my prenatal checkup, the doctor and my husband forcibly took me into the abortion operating room. I was just about to ask if there had been a mistake. But my husband calmly spoke up: “There’s no mistake.” “I’ve taken in a female college student, and she’s pregnant too. I promised her that in this life, I would only have one child.” My voice couldn’t stop trembling: “What do you mean?” He smiled and said: “I just want you to adopt Nina’s child. I’m making you abort your own child because I’m afraid you’ll be biased in the future and treat my child with Nina badly.” He calmly handed me the surgery consent form: “Be good, sign it, and my wife you’ll always remain.” I gave him a deep look, then turned and staggered toward the operating room. “Ethan Turner, I hope you don’t regret the decision you made today.” He didn’t know that in this world, I was the only one—the only one who could bear him a child. Because he, suffering from azoospermia, was destined to be infertile.

I woke up three days later. The first words I heard were: “Mr. Turner, you really took a huge risk this time. Not only did you force the abortion of an eight-month fetus, but you also demanded her uterus be removed at the same time. Your wife almost bled out—we nearly lost her.” Ethan’s indifferent voice responded: “I promised Nina that I’d only ever have one child in this lifetime—hers and mine. The safest way to ensure that is to have Sophia’s uterus removed so she can’t conceive again.” His gaze swept over and met mine directly. Ethan showed no sign of panic. He reached over to tuck the blanket around me, saying with a touch of helplessness: “You heard? I had no choice. Nina said that only if the wife is disabled and unable to bear children can we legally adopt. Since you needed the abortion anyway, I figured I’d have your uterus removed at the same time. Save you from going through another surgery.” Seeing tears in my eyes, he gently wiped them away, saying with slight mockery: “I didn’t expect removing the uterus during pregnancy would cause hemorrhaging. Lucky for you, the elite gynecologist I hired for Nina was already at the hospital. You benefited from Nina’s good fortune and survived.” My whole body trembled as I mustered all my strength to slap his face. My heart felt like it was tearing apart: “Ethan, you’re not human.” But my hand only grazed his cheek weakly, leaving not even a red mark. A petite figure suddenly screamed and rushed over, slapping me hard across the face. I fell back onto the bed, the oxygen tube slipping off as I gasped for air. Looking up, I saw a young woman with tears in her eyes, standing in front of Ethan, shouting at me: “How dare you hit him! Do you know he’s been standing guard outside the ICU for three whole days because of you? If I hadn’t brought him nutrition meals every day, he would’ve collapsed.” “The man I care so deeply about—why should he be your tool for venting your emotions?” I didn’t miss the flash of emotion and tenderness in Ethan’s eyes. I had seen that look before. It was the same look he gave me when I got alcohol poisoning from drinking on his behalf and miscarried our first child. It was the same look when debt collectors threatened to chop off his hand, and I knelt crying and begging them, pawning my mother’s only keepsake to buy his freedom. I had done so much for him. But in the end, it couldn’t compare to a single tear from his new love. My heart felt like it was being stabbed with a dull knife, over and over. I propped myself up, looking at their affectionate display, and laughed bitterly: “Should I be grateful to him then? Grateful that for you, he aborted my full-term baby, secretly removed my uterus, nearly killed me, yet still deigned to stay by my bedside until I woke up?” Nina’s tears fell like broken pearls. She stared at me stubbornly: “It’s all my fault, okay?! I’m the one who hurt you! I’ll atone for it, okay?!” Like a madwoman, she shoved Ethan aside, grabbed the fruit knife from my bedside table, and thrust it toward her own belly: “I’ll cut out my baby and my uterus right now to make it up to you, okay?!” Ethan grabbed her tightly, gripping the knife handle as blood dripped down continuously. He looked up at me coldly, frozen in shock: “Sophia, are you satisfied now?” He carefully lifted the unconscious Nina in his arms and left without looking back, leaving only one sentence: “Seems I’ve been too good to you, making you think you can do whatever you want. Since that’s the case, you’d better learn what suffering really means.” I watched his retreating figure, laughing through my tears. The man who once promised to cherish me forever and never let me suffer had finally died in the passage of time. Ethan’s bodyguard coldly dragged me up and threw me out the door. “Starting today, everything Mr. Turner gave you will be taken back. If you want to keep staying in this hospital room…” I smiled bitterly and turned to leave. “No need. I don’t want anything from Ethan anymore.” My phone and wallet were all confiscated. Because they were all things Ethan had given me. Penniless, I stood on the street, desperately trying to flag down a car to take me home. But every time a kind person stopped, Ethan’s bodyguard would dutifully say: “If you’re not afraid of offending Mr. Turner of Empire Group, go ahead and let her in your car.” They would shake their heads helplessly at me and quickly drive away. The bodyguard looked at my barely-standing body and said coldly: “Mr. Turner asked me to tell you, this is what happens when you defy him and refuse to obey. If you’re willing to apologize to Miss White and agree to personally care for her during her pregnancy, he’ll have me take you home.” I turned a deaf ear, simply started walking step by step toward home.

Blood dripped down my thighs onto the asphalt road, drawing sideways glances from passersby. But I was completely numb, walking step by step until darkness fell and I finally reached my front door. The brightly lit room drove away the cold of the deep night. I raised my already frozen fingers and entered the passcode, but was met with an error beep. I gritted my teeth and entered the code again and again, the system repeatedly telling me it was wrong. Finally, the maid, annoyed beyond patience, strode over and opened the door, saying coldly: “Ma’am, stop trying. Until you apologize to sir, you can’t use anything sir bought.” “This house was bought by sir. If you don’t apologize, you can’t come in.” She looked me up and down and sneered: “If you ask me, just apologize already. What kind of status does Mr. Turner have? There are plenty of women out there waiting to take your place. Look at yourself—no family background, no looks. Over thirty and now you can’t even have children…” “He has another woman pregnant outside, and he still hasn’t divorced you. He’s already being good to you. What are you making a fuss about…” I interrupted her softly: “I won’t go in. I just need to get one thing.” The maid choked, then said sarcastically: “Everything you own was bought by Mr. Turner. What could possibly belong to you? You’re not planning to steal Mr. Turner’s jewelry and bags to sell, are you?” I said calmly: “I just want to get my medical test results. Is that not allowed?” The maid rolled her eyes, went upstairs, and threw down a manila envelope at me. I picked up the envelope and looked at the azoospermia report with Ethan’s name on it, smiling silently. This was the pre-marital medical examination report from when Ethan and I got married ten years ago. The moment I received the test results, my feelings were mixed. I didn’t know how to tell Ethan about this. Proud as he was, how could he accept being a defective man? How would his peers use this to suppress him? But fortunately, the doctor told me a secret—my physiology was special. I could activate Ethan’s inactive sperm and conceive. “Miss Cole, Mr. Turner is truly blessed to marry you. You’re the only person with such a special constitution I’ve ever encountered…” I had thought I would bury this secret in my heart forever and never let Ethan know. But I never imagined that one day, I would have to reveal this secret myself. I took out the little change in my pocket, made more than a dozen copies of this document, and handed them to a courier. Each copy had the address of a company hostile to Ethan and the private contact information of those CEOs. I said softly: “Please deliver these as quickly as possible. Just tell them this is a gift from Mrs. Turner. They’ll definitely give you a generous tip.” Ethan, this is my final gift to you before I leave. I hope you like it. Leaving the marital home Ethan and I shared, I returned to the small studio apartment where we lived when we started our business ten years ago. Back then we were dirt poor, living only in the most run-down rental in the urban village. The environment was terrible, but we were happy then. Too poor to afford anything but instant noodles, Ethan would lie and say he’d eaten well at business dinners, dumping both portions into my bowl. And late at night I’d see him standing at the sink, drinking glass after glass of tap water to fill his stomach. Our wedding ceremony was held in that shabby rental too. No banquet, just a plain silver ring that cost less than a thousand dollars. This place meant everything to me. So even after we moved to a luxury villa worth a hundred thousand per square meter, I secretly bought that rental property, fantasizing that when Ethan and I grew old, we’d move back there to live. I never imagined that one day, when my marriage to Ethan ended, I would return to where we first began.

I turned the doorknob and pushed open the door to see two intertwined figures on the sofa. And the matching couple’s pajamas I had treasured in the closet—the ones Ethan and I once wore—were now on Ethan and Nina. My mind went blank. I couldn’t control my questioning: “Ethan! How could you bring her here! You know this is our—” Before I could finish, Nina had already efficiently slapped herself across the face. With a swollen face, she stood in front of Ethan, glaring at me with tears: “Mrs. Turner, I just wanted to understand Ethan’s past life, so I begged him to bring me here.” “If you’re unhappy, I can kneel and apologize to you. Just please stop hurting him.” Ethan was heartbroken. He cupped her face, blowing on it repeatedly. He looked coldly at the bodyguard. The bodyguard behind me immediately grabbed my arms. His hand like a fan slapped my face hard. Over and over, my ears rang. I don’t know how long it lasted before they finally stopped and released me. I fell to the floor. Ethan looked at me with an expressionless face: “Sophia, why do you insist on making yourself miserable? If you’re not feeling well, just go home and rest. Why did you have to follow us here to cause trouble?” I smiled bitterly: “Go home? Do I still have a home? Is it even my home anymore?” I looked at him with red eyes, tears mixing with nosebleed dripping on the floor: “Ethan, why did you bring her here…” “You can fool around with her anywhere you want! Why did you have to defile this place!” “The thirty-year-old Ethan is already rotten to the core. Why do you have to destroy the only memory the twenty-year-old Ethan left me?” Ethan’s eyes flickered for a moment, but then turned to anger: “I’m rotten to the core? How am I rotten? Sophia, don’t forget—if it weren’t for me, you’d be stuck in this cramped rental for life!” “Don’t forget, the money you used to buy this place came from my account! This place belongs to me too! I can do whatever I want with it!” He laughed bitterly in anger: “You say I’m defiling this place by coming here?! Forget defiling it—even if I blow up this dump, it’s none of your business.” He had his men drag me out and placed several pounds of explosives outside the shabby building. With one command, the house that held our only happy memories together was reduced to rubble. In the flames filling the sky, my tears wouldn’t stop falling. Ethan stared at the tears on my face. His anger dissipated somewhat, his tone cold: “Sophia, what do I have to say to make you understand?” “I gave you the status of Mrs. Turner. I let you live in the best villa. I let you carry bags worth hundreds of thousands. Even the clothes you’re wearing now are haute couture that ordinary people could never afford in their lifetime. Haven’t I been good enough to you?!” “You’re already thirty years old. You’re not young anymore. Do you really expect me to still love an aging you?” “I give you the dignity of being my wife, I give you a comfortable life. All you need to do is turn a blind eye and accept Nina and the child. Is that so hard?” I met his gaze and said word by word: “I’m not willing.” “Ethan, you’ve erased everything we had with your own hands.” “Let’s divorce.” Anger and irritation flashed in Ethan’s eyes. He looked at me and said flatly: “Divorce? Impossible. Even if I don’t love you anymore, you’re still my most important person. I won’t divorce you.” He looked at me, saying each word clearly: “Sophia, I’ve never wronged you. If anyone’s been wronged, it’s Nina—I couldn’t give her a proper status, making her stay with me without name or title in her best years.” “I was going to give you some dignity, but I didn’t expect you to be so unreasonable, making things this ugly.” He turned around, knelt on one knee, pulled out a huge pigeon-egg diamond ring from his pocket, and said affectionately to Nina: “Nina, I regret meeting you so late.” “I can’t give you a proper status in this lifetime, but I want to give you the grandest wedding and let everyone know you’re the one I love most.” Nina covered her mouth, her eyes reddening, but she still turned her head away, looking dejected: “I can’t accept! I love you, so I’m willing to put aside my self-respect and degrade myself to be your mistress, but I don’t want everyone to know I’m your mistress!” “Unless…” She turned to look at me: “Unless Mrs. Turner witnesses our wedding and admits in front of everyone that the unloved one is the real mistress, that she’s the third wheel!”

I looked expressionlessly at the malice in the young woman’s eyes. Seeing my silence, Ethan said coldly: “Sophia, don’t forget—your parents’ ashes are buried in the cemetery I bought.” “You wouldn’t want them to end up like this house… would you?” My heart felt like a huge chunk had been carved out with a knife. Even breathing tasted like blood. I slowly nodded. “Fine. I’ll go.” Nina broke into a smile and threw herself into Ethan’s arms. He took Nina to order wedding dresses and book the venue. Before leaving, he paused. Rarely, he explained to me peacefully: “Sophia, it’s just a wedding. It won’t shake your position as Mrs. Turner.” I said calmly: “Okay.” He looked at me deeply, finally showing a smile: “You don’t need to take care of Nina during this time. Rest well in the hospital. After the baby is born, we’ll take the child on a family trip. Consider it my compensation to you.” I still calmly said okay. Only then did Ethan leave satisfied. On the wedding day, Ethan was afraid I’d cause trouble, so he had bodyguards take me to the dressing room early to watch over me. Nina acted coquettishly, saying her wedding dress was too heavy and she couldn’t put on her shoes. “Mrs. Turner, help me out.” Ethan frowned slightly, instinctively looking at me. I lowered my eyes, knelt down, lifted the wedding dress, and helped her put on her shoes. Ethan looked at me with a complicated expression, pursing his lips as if wanting to say something, but Nina pushed him. “Honey, I’m thirsty. Go get me some orange juice.” Hearing this, Ethan smiled and ruffled her hair, then turned and walked out. As soon as he left, Nina kicked me in the chest. She looked at me mockingly and said: “Sophia, you don’t think I’m some gold digger clinging to a rich man, do you?” “You probably don’t know—Ethan and I have been in love for nearly ten years too.” Seeing the shock in my eyes, she smiled viciously: “Ethan said I was too young and shouldn’t suffer with him, so he only dated me while marrying you.” “He was afraid of wronging me. The first money he earned, he told you was taken by debt collectors, but actually he bought me designer bags. Every time I felt wronged, he’d have those people come to your house and stage debt collection scenes, taking the money to buy me bags.” “One million eight hundred thousand in total. Oh, and there was a worthless bracelet that I threw away.” My whole body trembled uncontrollably. One million eight hundred thousand—that was the money I earned over those years to pay off Ethan’s debts. At my most exhausted, I even collapsed on the assembly line and nearly got pulled into the machinery. When Ethan found out, he held me trembling, saying it was his fault. How ridiculous that I comforted him then, smiling and saying I didn’t blame him… It was all fake! He’d been lying to me all along! Nina kept chattering: “Later when you got pregnant, I was so angry I wouldn’t let him touch me. So he staged a scene with business partners, getting you so drunk you miscarried. You don’t even know—when you were unconscious in the operating room, he was calling me, begging me not to be angry at him.” These words hit me like a bludgeon. Everything went dark before my eyes. Nina’s face suddenly turned vicious, full of resentment as she looked at me: “But he loves me so much, yet still won’t divorce you and marry me!” “You’re just relying on Ethan’s soft heart and sentimentality, relying on the fact that you suffered through his startup days with him to suppress me.” She suddenly laughed: “Tell me—if Ethan knew you hurt the child in my belly, would he still care about that bit of history between you two?” All my hair stood on end. I immediately turned to run out. Behind me, Nina grabbed a champagne bottle and smashed it hard against her own belly, screaming. “Ethan! Save me!” The dressing room door was kicked open by Ethan. He grabbed my wrist and threw me to the floor. His eyes were bloodshot as he looked at Nina collapsed on the ground, blood spreading from under her dress. “It wasn’t me…” My explanation was choked off by Ethan’s hand around my throat. His eyes blood-red, he roared at me: “Sophia! You won’t even spare a child! You disgust me!!” “You caused Nina to lose her child. Don’t blame me for going after your dead parents.” Through my terrified, agonized tears, he directly ordered: “Dig up Sophia’s parents’ graves. Grind their bones to dust and flush them down the sewers.” “No!” I screamed: “Ethan! You maniac! The dressing room has surveillance cameras! Go check them! It wasn’t me!!” Sophia trembled as she stood up, turned and ran toward the window: “Without the child, what’s the point of living? I might as well die!” “Mrs. Turner, frame me however you want!” Ethan’s face changed drastically. He shoved me aside and rushed over to grab Sophia. He looked at me with a cold expression, saying each word clearly: “Sophia, you’ve exhausted the last bit of affection I had for you. For hurting my love and my child, I won’t let you off.” He said coldly: “Send her to prison. Tell the people inside to take good care of her.” “I don’t want her to have a single good day in there.” … Ethan ran red lights all the way to the hospital. He carried Nina and rushed directly into the emergency room: “Save my love and my child! If you can save my child, I’ll donate ten million to your hospital!” The on-duty doctor was startled and stared at Ethan in shock: “Mr. Turner?” He frowned, looking at Ethan, then at Nina lying pale and fragile on the bed. He asked in confusion: “Your child? Mr. Turner, you have azoospermia and are infertile. How could you have a child?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “386468”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

The boy I secretly loved jumped to his death. Given a second chance at life, I finally told him everything. But he threatened me, saying if I truly loved him, I had to die with him. 01 I woke up and realized I had traveled back in time. I was back to exactly one month before Leo Sterling’s suicide. Leo, the boy I had pined for over three years, had jumped from the roof of the library. His body sat in the morgue for a week. No one came to claim him. Not a single family member or friend appeared. I used every cent of my savings to pay for the storage and the service. In that moment, it felt like he finally belonged to me. The police had found a single, private post on his locked social media: In this world, no one loves me. This time, I was going to shout my love for him from the rooftops. But when I finally cornered him and confessed, he just gave me a polite, distant smile. “Thank you,” he said. That was it. “Can I have your number? Or your Instagram?” I was relentless. Eventually, he sighed and gave in. Leo was the star of the psych department, a year ahead of me. He was so brilliant, so untouchable, that I never dared to speak to him before. To catch up to him, I had spent my nights buried in textbooks, barely eating or sleeping, just so I could get into the same graduate program. But in my last life, he was gone before I could even say, “Hello, senior.” I didn’t waste time. My first DM was a direct hit: [Leo, I’m actually in love with you.] There was no response. I figured he was shy. I was about to send another message when I realized… he had blocked me. The little red exclamation mark mocked me. I looked like a total stalker. I tried to add him again. Blacklisted. I was banned from even sending a request. My plan had failed before it even started. I only had 29 days left. That night, I dreamed of his death on a loop. I couldn’t hold onto him. He kept slipping through my fingers, falling over the edge again and again. Finally, I broke. I jumped with him. The sensation of weightlessness snapped me awake, drenched in sweat. My roommate asked what kind of nightmare I was having. “I dreamed my uncle turned my pet fish into stew,” I lied. She didn’t believe me. It was just a fish, after all. I first noticed Leo because of a fish. He had been crouching in front of a vendor at a local market, insisting on buying a tiny, sick fish with pinecone scales—dropsy. The vendor refused to sell it, calling him an idiot. “The thing is going to die in an hour,” he’d said. I followed that “idiot” as he carried the fish across half the city. He ended up at the edge of a lake. “Go have some fun for your last few hours,” he whispered to the water. Back then, I thought he was just pure and kind. Now I realize he was talking to himself. Was he happy in his final hours? 02 The campus wasn’t that big. Finding Leo was easy. “What exactly do you want?” he asked, finally losing his patience with my stalking. I waved my phone. “Unblock me.” “No.” “Then I’ll keep following you.” He shot me a look but didn’t budge. “Suit yourself.” So, I became Leo’s shadow. Even if he ignored me, I was content. If I kept my eyes on him, he couldn’t jump, right? The next morning, I was waiting at the entrance of his dorm. Unlike before, he didn’t walk past me. He stopped. “Have you eaten?” I shook my head. I’d been there since 6:00 AM to make sure he didn’t sneak out early. He tossed a carton of milk into my lap. “It expires today. Don’t let it go to waste.” I knew it was his way of caring. I scrambled up and followed him. “Can I have my Instagram back today?” “No.” “Leo!” He turned, frowning. “What?” “I love you even more than I did yesterday!” He rolled his eyes and kept walking toward his advisor’s office. I went back to my room to catch up on sleep. My roommates were baffled. Leo was polite to everyone else, but he was incredibly prickly with me. But this was the real him. Not the masked, “normal” version he showed the world. Because I’d been up so early, I slept until noon. I completely missed the end of his seminar. I ran to the science building, hoping for a miracle. Leo was standing right in the sun, looking like a lost kid. I ran up and held my umbrella over him. “Why didn’t you wait in the shade?” He looked down at me. “Who said I was waiting for you?” Okay, fine. He just enjoyed the June heat. Sure. I followed him to the dining hall. His tray was piled with nothing but fried chicken. I started a lecture on balanced nutrition. “Mhm,” he grunted, ignoring me as he added more nuggets to his plate. “Leo, you’re going to get a stomach ache.” “Summer,” he said, staring at me like I was a simpleton, “don’t try to lecture a med student on basic biology. Your logic is flawed.” I shut up. I bought a double serving of vegetables, planning to force some on him. But by the time I got my food, the seat next to him was taken. Three girls were sitting there. Leo wasn’t prickly with them. He was charming. He laughed at their jokes. He was the perfect gentleman. I watched him from across the room. How could someone who looked so normal be planning to end it all? Someone bumped into me, spilling my iced tea all over my arm. “I am so sorry!” the guy said, frantically grabbing napkins. “I’ll get you a new one,” he insisted before I could say no. He ran off to the line. The seats near Leo were full. I sat down nearby to dry my arm. Someone sat across from me. I thought it was the tea guy. I looked up. It was Leo. He looked furious. “Who is he?” he demanded. I told him I didn’t know. He just bumped into me. Right then, the guy returned with a fresh tea, apologized again, and left. I pushed the tea toward Leo. “I only got it because I couldn’t carry two.” He stared at the cup. He didn’t touch it until I swapped my cup for his. “Good?” I asked. He dropped the act and went back to his chicken. I started moving greens onto his plate. He looked disgusted, but under my glare, he finally ate a piece of broccoli. “Don’t be a picky eater, Leo.” He swallowed it like it was poison. 03 Leo seemed normal, but after two weeks of watching him, I realized he didn’t have any real friends. He was a master of boundaries. He was “social,” but no one was close. But what about his family? His mentors? He was a top-tier grad student. Why did no one show up to his funeral? I didn’t have time to solve the mystery. I only had 15 days left. “Leo, when are you going to unblock me?” I asked, licking an ice cream cone. If it weren’t for the deadline, I would have enjoyed this slow, hidden tension between us. “Depends on my mood.” He wiped a drop of cream off his hand with a look of pure disdain. He hated sweets. “Sigh. I guess I can’t have dinner with you tonight.” He looked at me. He wanted to know why, but his pride wouldn’t let him ask. “Group meeting. We’re designing the new athletic uniforms,” I said. “I’ll be busy all night. You won’t hear from me.” My phone buzzed. A notification. Leo_S has sent you a follow request. He kept a straight face. Stupidly stubborn boy. At the meeting, I realized the guy who bumped into me—Ross—was there too. He was a junior in design. My advisor was a friend of his father’s; he was just there for the “legacy” credit. “I mean, I have the skills too,” Ross joked. During the meeting, I checked in on Leo’s dinner. He didn’t reply, just sent a photo of a salad. [Good boy! As a reward, I’ll come see you at your dorm after this.] I held my breath, wondering if he’d block me again. He replied with a single character. [.] A period. I guess that meant “Read.” It was after 9:00 PM when I finished. Leo was waiting in the lobby of the building, wearing a black hoodie. Ross followed me out, complaining about the late meeting. The moment Leo saw him, he turned and walked away. I apologized to Ross and ran after Leo. “Leo!” He didn’t answer. He sat on a stone bench. “He’s just a legacy student in my program,” I explained. “I don’t like him,” Leo muttered. I sat close to him. “I hate legacy students too. We are united in our hatred!” He didn’t say anything. Silence stretched between us. Nearby, a couple was making out in the shadows of the campus trees. I swallowed hard. “Leo… can we hold hands?” Silence. I gathered my courage and reached for his hand. I gripped it. He didn’t pull away. My confidence surged. I looked him dead in the eye. “Can we kiss?” He let out a short laugh. “Summer, do you have no shame?” I pointed at the couple in the trees. “They’re doing it.” “They’re a couple.” “Then be my boyfriend.” I felt his hand stiffen. I held on tighter, terrified he’d let go. He didn’t answer for the longest time. I was about to ask again when he reached out his other hand and covered my mouth. “Don’t say it.” He led me back to my dorm with one hand in mine and the other firmly over my lips. “If you stop talking, I’ll let go.” I nodded. The second he released me, I whispered in his ear: “Leo, I love you even more today.” 04 Work for the project ramped up. I saw less of Leo. Before, I waited for him. Now, he waited for me. My roommates thought I’d finally won him over, but my heart was constantly on edge. Then Ross found me. I didn’t want anything to do with him, but he wanted to talk about Leo. I had lied to Leo, telling him I’d be working all night so he’d go home. “Do you know about Leo’s parents?” Ross asked, getting straight to the point. “His parents were… well, it was a scandal. They were related. His dad bailed as soon as Leo was born. I think the guy is a total freak, Summer. You should stay away.” “Thanks for the info,” I interrupted. “But I know who he is better than you do.” “Why do you think he’s in psychiatry? He’s looking for his own cure,” Ross sneered. I couldn’t stand the slander. “I appreciate the warning, but we aren’t close enough for you to talk about him like that. You’re overstepping.” Ross looked stunned, insisting he was just looking out for me. I brushed him off, saying I’d keep it in mind. Leo heard that last part. “Looking out for what? Looking out for me?” Before I could explain, he grabbed my arm and dragged me away. His grip was tight, almost painful. He didn’t stop until we were in a secluded corner of the park. “Summer, you said you loved me.” I expected him to scream. Instead, he just sounded broken, like I’d betrayed him. I didn’t know what to say. He let out a bitter laugh. “Forget it. Go away. Don’t come back.” He turned to leave. I lunged forward and hugged him from behind. “Leo… was it really that bad?” I felt his body go rigid. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me. I’m just here.” He turned around and pulled me into his arms. Ross was right. The story was dark. His parents’ “forbidden” love wasn’t a romance; it was a curse. His father saw Leo as a living reminder of his “sin” and vanished. His mother blamed Leo for everything. The verbal abuse was worse than anything physical. He realized he was “broken” in high school. By day, he pretended to be normal. By night, he struggled with the urge to disappear. One night, he was googling ways to end it without pain when a quote popped up: The world isn’t perfect, but there is always someone watching over you. “I thought… maybe I’ll wait. Maybe someone will actually come.” “Leo…” I whispered, stroking his back. “So, Summer, this is your last chance to run.” I shook my head. “I’m not running.” I had lost him once because of my cowardice. This was my second chance. “Leo, I won’t regret this.” He held me tighter. “So… are you my boyfriend now?” He pulled back immediately, his “prickly” persona returning. “No.” “Why?! You’re literally cuddling me!” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “You haven’t done a proper confession yet.” Was he serious? I confessed every single day. “A formal one,” he insisted. I sighed. Fine. I’d plan the most romantic confession ever. 05 The month was almost up. I set the date for the confession on the same day he was supposed to jump. I wanted to turn his death day into our anniversary. A rebirth. I found an empty classroom. I covered it in printed photos. Screenshots of every time I told him I loved him. Candid photos of him I’d taken. Every meal he’d “reported” to me. I was a nervous wreck. I should have been watching him more closely, but I let him go alone to see his advisor. I waited in the classroom for two hours. He didn’t show. My DMs went unanswered. I went to find him. As I was heading down the stairs, I saw his advisor, Professor Miller, rushing past the window. “Oh my god, someone jumped!” “Who would do that on campus?” My legs turned to jelly. Panic surged through me. I ran to the building and pushed through the crowd. The person in the pool of blood was unrecognizable, but I knew the clothes. “Leo…” I whispered. I tried to reach him, but hands held me back. A blinding white light swallowed my vision. I passed out. 06 I was in a loop. I woke up in my dorm room again. I checked my phone. It was five days before the jump. I tried to message Leo. He wasn’t in my contacts. “Fuck!” I cursed. The universe was playing with me. I ran to find his classroom. I waited for him to come out. When he did, he walked right past me like we were strangers. “Leo…” I grabbed his hand. He pulled away coldly. “Do I know you?” He didn’t remember me? Was I starting from zero? Or was the last loop just a dream? I was stuck in a circle of “is this real?” But I knew his death wasn’t a simple suicide. Everything had been getting better. He was trying to save himself. I wandered the campus, looking for clues. My advisor called me into a meeting. The advisor! I remembered that Leo always seemed darker after seeing his advisor. And I saw Professor Miller running away the day Leo died. He was involved. At the meeting, Ross was there again. I didn’t plan on talking to him, but he approached me. “How’s it going? Leo hasn’t been bothering you, has he? I told you he was a creep. Glad I could help.” “What are you talking about?” I demanded. Ross looked confused. “You said Leo was stalking you. Saying crazy things about ‘regretting’ things.” My heart stopped. Leo was in the loop too? Then why was he pretending he didn’t know me? I stood up abruptly, startling my advisor. “Summer, what’s wrong?” I didn’t answer. I grabbed my bag and ran. I had to find him. If he remembered, he knew what happened that day. He was hiding. I waited at his dorm for two days. He didn’t show. He was avoiding me because he thought I had “regretted” him. I realized that before, I only found him because he let me find him. He didn’t believe I loved him, but he’d made a bet on it. I went to Professor Miller. The man always gave me the creeps. When I asked for Leo, his expression shifted from tension to a forced smile. “Oh, so you’re the girl he said didn’t want him anymore.” I didn’t have time for small talk. “Professor, it’s urgent. Where is he?” He gave me an address. A tenement building off-campus. Before I left, I looked at him. “Are you seeing Leo the day after tomorrow?” His eyes flickered. “No. Why?” I lied. “It’s my birthday. I want him to spend it with me. I just wanted to make sure he wasn’t busy with school work.” He waved me off, telling me to have fun. 07 Leo wouldn’t open the door. “Leo! Open up! I’m sorry! Please!” I was begging like a stray dog outside his door. Whoever “Summer” was in this loop, she had ruined everything. “I have a secret! Just listen!” I whispered through the door frame. “The person before… that wasn’t me.” “You’re lying,” his voice came from inside, low and hollow. “I’m not! Just open the door!” “Go away.” “No!” I sat down on the floor. I wasn’t leaving. The hallway of the old building was damp. Then, the sky opened up. A downpour hit the city. The roof of the hallway leaked, soaking me to the bone. I shivered, knocking again. “Leo, I’m freezing. I’m going to get sick.” “I saw you walk into the rain on purpose,” he said through the door. Dammit. He’d been watching. “Fine. Then throw me an umbrella so I can go home and change.” I was ready to bolt the second the door cracked. It opened. He didn’t throw an umbrella. He threw a towel over my head. “Dry off and get in here.” He looked lethal. He leaned against the wall, glaring at me. “Talk.” I told him everything. From his first death to the loops. I told him the logic. He didn’t jump. The Summer in his timeline had disappeared and was replaced by a Summer who didn’t know him. He thought I was playing a game with him. I told him the jump had to do with his advisor. He laughed. “That’s a hell of a story. You spent days coming up with that?” “Leo, I know it sounds insane, but it’s what’s happening.” “You regretted being with me, Summer. Just admit it.” He tossed an umbrella at my feet. “Get out.” I grabbed his sleeve. “I’m not going anywhere.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “424280”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

During my last live interview, the host asked me, “If you weren’t in the entertainment industry, what would you be doing?” I answered casually, “I’d go home and inherit my family’s billion-dollar fortune.” With that one sentence, I immediately trended on Twitter. Everyone was mocking me, a D-list, no-name actress, for having such delusional fantasies. But after I left the industry, I actually became a major player behind the scenes in Hollywood. 1 Live interview. Chloe and I were on a show together because of a TV drama we co-starred in. We debuted at the same time. Five years in the entertainment industry, and I was still that lukewarm, D-list actress, while Chloe had long become an A-list superstar. During the interview, almost all of the host’s questions revolved around Chloe. I sat on the side like a prop. But after all these years, I was used to it. The live chat was also filled with cheers for Chloe. The occasional comment about me was just mocking me. [They debuted at the same time, but one is in heaven and the other is in the dirt. How does Maya have the nerve to be on the same show as Chloe? Isn’t she embarrassed?] [I heard Maya even had rumors with Liam, the Best Actor, back then.] [LMAO, how could Liam be with Maya? Maya definitely just wanted to create ship buzz with our Best Actor!] [Liam and Chloe are the perfect match.] Perfect match?! Looking at the comments in the live stream, I couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. Back then, I was dating Liam. But because he and Chloe worked together on a TV drama, I got cheated on. And from beginning to end, Liam never publicly acknowledged me. Now, people still dig it up to mock me, saying I threw myself at him and he didn’t even care. “Chloe, if you leave the entertainment industry, what would you do?” the host asked Chloe. “A housewife, maybe,” Chloe hesitated for a moment, answering with a soft smile. The live chat went crazy again. [Ahhhhh, are Chloe and Liam going to announce something?] [I heard they’ve already met each other’s parents.] [My OTP must make it to the end, otherwise, I’ll never believe in love again!] [Some people really need to know their place and stop trying to be the other woman.] “The chat is saying you and Liam might have some good news coming up,” the host teased. “No, you guys are misunderstanding,” Chloe quickly clarified. “Although things are very stable between Liam and me right now, we are still focusing on our careers. If there really is any good news, Liam and I will let everyone know immediately.” “Then why do you have the idea of becoming a housewife?” the host asked smoothly. “Because housewives are very great. My mother is a housewife. I admire her very much. Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today. So if I ever really leave the industry, I will return to family life.” [Chloe has such good values. Whoever marries her is lucky.] [Chloe comes from a wealthy family. The education she received from a young age is different from ordinary people.] [Genuine question: Is Chloe’s family background really that good?] [Just search up the Vance family of Los Angeles online and you’ll know. Not the richest in L.A., but definitely top three on the wealth list.] I frowned. When did the Vance family of Los Angeles have anything to do with Chloe?! At this moment. The host suddenly turned and asked me, “Maya, if you leave the industry, what will you do?” Probably feeling a bit guilty for ignoring me the whole time. I thought for a moment and answered very seriously, “Go home and inherit my family’s billion-dollar fortune.” 2 “What?” The host thought she misheard. She repeated the question, “I just asked, what do you want to do after leaving the industry?” “Go home and inherit the family business,” I said frankly. The five-year deadline had arrived. When I insisted on entering the entertainment industry, I made a three-point agreement with my family. If I didn’t make any progress in the industry within five years, I had to go home and inherit the family business. A few days ago, my billionaire father even called to remind me. “May I be so bold as to ask, what does your family do that requires you to go back and inherit it?” the host asked me, amused, her tone carrying a hint of sarcasm. Sitting next to me, a flash of mockery also passed through Chloe’s eyes, though it was fleeting. After all, it was a live broadcast. In front of millions of netizens, Chloe had to maintain her persona, so she naturally wouldn’t show any real emotion. “A little bit of everything. Mostly commercial investments,” I answered. It really did involve too many fields to explain clearly at once, so I spoke in general terms. But in the eyes of others, they felt I was lying and being evasive. At this moment, the live chat went crazy again. [What exactly is Maya competing with Chloe for? Just now someone said Chloe comes from a wealthy family, and now Maya says she’s going home to inherit a billion-dollar fortune?] [You can’t even joke like that. She just can’t stand that Chloe is better than her in every way, right?] [If she has a billion-dollar fortune, I’ll eat shit live!] [So disgusting. She can’t compare to Chloe, so she starts scamming, saying her family has a billion-dollar fortune? LMAO, who would believe that?!] Watching the comments, I also got a bit angry. I wanted to explain. The host directly said, “Maya is very humorous and knows how to liven up the atmosphere in our live stream. Fans shouldn’t take it too seriously.” It seemed like she was helping me out, but in reality, she just didn’t believe me. She even slapped me in the face publicly. “I’m telling the truth…” I was speechless. “Next up, Chloe’s fans really want me to ask you some questions.” The host didn’t give me a chance to speak at all. “They really want to know how your skin is so good, what’s your skincare routine?” Chloe answered the host’s questions one by one, and the atmosphere between the two was very harmonious. For the next almost half an hour of the interview, I didn’t get to say another word. The live stream ended. Everyone walked out of the studio. Chloe’s agent and assistant were all waiting for her, as was Liam. He held a giant bouquet of roses and gave it to Chloe in front of all the staff. The sweetness between the two of them was truly enviable. I walked away from them coldly. For a D-list actress like me, naturally, no one was waiting for me. However, my brother just called and said he was coming to pick me up, but there was a bit of traffic on the way. Fully disguised, I stood by the door waiting for him. “Maya, you really don’t have to compete with Chloe on everything.” Behind me, a familiar voice suddenly sounded. I turned around and saw Liam, who had just been embracing Chloe deeply. 3 Liam and I were from the same talent agency. He debuted two years before me. When I met him, he was also a nobody, barely getting any work. As soon as I joined the agency, Liam said it was love at first sight. At first, I refused. I had finally convinced my family to let me develop in the entertainment industry, and I didn’t want dating to affect my career. But in the end, I couldn’t resist Liam’s excessive attentiveness and agreed to date him. However, the agency didn’t allow artists, especially new ones, to date, so we could only keep it “underground.” During our secret relationship, Liam’s acting career progressed by leaps and bounds. But what he didn’t know was that I helped him secure most of his jobs through my family’s connections. Especially that movie that made him explode in popularity. To get him the male lead, my dad directly became an investor. However, who would have thought that after he blew up, he would officially announce his relationship with Chloe, the female lead of the movie. At first, he lied to me, saying it was just for PR and hype. It wasn’t until later, when paparazzi caught him spending the night at Chloe’s house, that he confessed, saying he hid it from me because he was afraid I would be too heartbroken to accept it. The truth is, I knew perfectly well that Liam was just worried I would expose our relationship out of anger. He had always maintained a single persona before. He had finally made it big, and he was afraid of a scandal. I didn’t have that strong a desire for revenge. Even though I was indeed very angry at the time, thinking about how I hadn’t considered myself at all over the past two years just to support him… Of course, I admit that my main goal in entering the entertainment industry wasn’t to become famous, but to understand the market for future project investments. Sooner or later, I was going back to inherit the family business. Therefore, as an artist, I didn’t have huge ambitions. But that didn’t mean I should be the fall guy, unconditionally accepting Liam’s betrayal. I even never told him what I had done for him behind the scenes, afraid it would burden him… But in the end, I still chose to let it go. After all, everything I did for Liam was willing, and I never expected him to repay me. Moreover, life is so long, who can guarantee they won’t meet a scumbag or two? I just treated it as a lesson learned. And most importantly, I will be doing business in the entertainment industry in the future. Harmony brings wealth, and I didn’t want to make enemies with anyone. So after being cheated on, I still broke up with Liam peacefully. After breaking up, we had no contact or overlap. Even though Liam’s fans often sarcastically said I was throwing myself at him, I never responded. Until today, when Liam took the initiative to speak to me. I looked at him coldly. From the day we broke up, this person was meaningless in my life. “I know you’re uncomfortable that I’m with Chloe, so you try to compare yourself to her everywhere,” Liam said helplessly. “But someone like Chloe, born with a silver spoon and favored by God, looking at the entire entertainment industry, who can compare to her, let alone you who has nothing.” I was so angry I laughed. Chloe was born with a silver spoon? I have nothing?! He probably didn’t know how many times Chloe had been subjected to the “casting couch” to get a role. He even more didn’t know that if my family’s assets crushed down, they could crush this pair of scumbags into mush! “Don’t blame me for speaking harshly. We loved each other once, and I don’t want you to be too embarrassed. You should also know how ugly the outside voices mocking you are now.” Liam looked well-intentioned. “Although bad publicity is still publicity, a person still needs to have some dignity.” 4 “You still know what dignity is?” I fired back. “When you cheated, why didn’t you think about finding your dignity?!” Liam’s face instantly changed. He said, frustrated and angry, “Maya, do you know how busy I am right now? Do you know how full my schedule is? I’m telling you this for your own good. Do you think I have nothing better to do than waste my time on you all day?” “Then get lost, as far away as possible! It’s best if you never appear in front of me again, you’re an eyesore!” I snapped back at him. For this kind of scumbag, there’s really no need to give him any face. “Do you still not have any self-awareness?! Look at what you’re like now. I’m taking the initiative to care about you. Not only are you not grateful, but you’re acting so arrogant?!” “I originally thought if you still wanted a place in the entertainment industry, remembering our past, I’d introduce you to some resources. Since you don’t know what’s good for you, then forget it.” Liam looked arrogant. I snorted coldly. Who cares. If I want resources, if I want to pull strings, do I need your help?! I couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to Liam anymore. At this moment, my brother had already arrived in his Rolls-Royce to pick me up. I was about to walk right past Liam. “Maya!” Liam suddenly blocked my path. Being ignored by me like this, he looked like he was burning with anger. “No wonder you haven’t made any progress in the entertainment industry for five years. Someone like you who doesn’t seek improvement will never make it in the industry in your entire life. In fact, not just the entertainment industry, you won’t have a good life anywhere!” Liam said angrily. “Now I’m truly incredibly glad I chose Chloe instead of wasting time on someone like you!” “Liam, don’t speak too absolutely, it’s easy to get slapped in the face!” I mocked coldly. “But you’re actually right. I am very glad I didn’t waste too much time on you!” “You!” Liam was furious, and said viciously, “Maya, I’ll tell you straight. I’m about to take on an S-tier TV drama. Seeing you struggling so much, I wanted to help you out, introduce you to the director, and let you play the third female lead.” “Heh.” I sneered, my face full of disdain. “I really don’t care.” Liam still wanted to say something. I was truly out of patience. “Move! Good dogs don’t block the way.” I glared at him angrily. Liam was grinding his teeth in anger. But at that moment, he still didn’t move. It must be that psychologically he still couldn’t accept me being so cold to him. He probably thought that with him doing so well in the entertainment industry now, I should be fawning over him like a simp. Just like when we broke up, Liam always thought I would cling to him desperately. But unexpectedly, I was even more decisive and neat than him. During the stalemate. Liam was suddenly shoved hard from behind. The movement was a bit rough. Liam almost fell flat on his face. He turned around and angrily looked at the person who pushed him. My brother didn’t even look at him, just asked me, “Who is this guy?” “A stray dog,” I replied. “Maya!” Liam was exasperated. “Warning you, stay away from Maya! Otherwise, I’ll kill you.” My brother pulled me into his arms, threatening coldly. Liam looked at me and my brother fiercely. At that moment, naturally, he also saw the two tall and burly bodyguards standing behind my brother, and didn’t say another word. Moreover, Liam was a public figure and didn’t dare to cause trouble. He could only watch through gritted teeth as my brother and I got into that black Rolls-Royce and drove away. 5 Sitting in the car. Liam sent me another message. When we broke up, it was very clean, so we didn’t get to the point where we had to block each other’s contacts. [Maya, I really didn’t expect you to be subjected to the casting couch. I still felt guilty and worried about you, but it turns out I was flattering myself.] Even through the screen, I could smell Liam’s sourness. I ignored him. I was currently talking to my brother about me leaving the industry. But Liam was relentless. The message notifications didn’t stop, and his tone was getting nastier. [I really didn’t expect you to sink this low?! Don’t you feel cheap acting like this?] [You can’t even compare to Chloe. No matter how bad things get for Chloe, she would absolutely never do something like this.] [You really have subverted every image I had of you in my heart. I always thought you were very pure, but I overestimated you.] I was annoyed by the message sounds, and unable to take it anymore, I replied: [If you’re not afraid of me sending our chat history to the media, shut up!] That one sentence shut Liam up immediately. I sneered. It was truly ironic. For Liam, his career is more important than anything. Choosing Chloe back then was also out of vanity and social climbing, right?! Of course, I had no expectations of him. I had long seen through what kind of person he was. After finishing with Liam, I received a call from my agent. She asked coldly, “Where are you?” “On my way home.” “What nonsense were you spouting during the live interview today? Who do you think you are to compare yourself to Chloe?” The agent scolded me harshly. “Do you know you’re trending now because people are cursing at you?! I warned you long ago, our agency doesn’t need infamous artists. You insist on doing this, do you want the agency to completely give up on you?!” “Then give up.” I originally intended to terminate my contract with the agency anyway. Moreover, the agency indeed hadn’t promoted me. “What, are you threatening me?” The agent’s voice rose significantly. “Why do you think I signed you back then? If I had signed Chloe, who debuted at the same time as you, I would have made a fortune long ago!” “So who’s to blame?! Blame yourself for being blind?!” I mocked. “Enough, Maya, I don’t want to waste words with you. Hurry back to the agency now and record a video apologizing to the public, saying you were just joking to liven up the atmosphere during the live stream.” “I wasn’t joking.” I said, word by word. “You mean your family really owns a mine?” The agent mocked me. “If your family owns a mine, why haven’t I seen them spend money to promote you? If your family owns a mine, how could you still be such a loser after all these years?!” “I’m a loser, shouldn’t you look for the reason in yourself, as my agent?” “You!” The agent was speechless. “I don’t want to argue with you. Come back now and record the video.” “I’m not recording it.” “Maya, have you lost your mind? You dare to refuse the agency’s arrangement?! Believe it or not, the agency will freeze you out immediately!” “There’s no need for that much trouble. We can just terminate the contract,” I said coldly. “Terminate the contract? You think you can terminate it just because you want to? You still have half a year left on your contract. If you terminate early, can you afford the penalty?” “You don’t need to worry about that.” I didn’t want to waste words with her. I said directly, “I’ll come find you at the agency tomorrow.” Then I hung up. And turned off my phone. My brother watched my actions and asked with a smile, “Finally feel that the entertainment industry is boring?” “I felt it was boring a long time ago. I just stayed longer to investigate the market.” “Do you need me to go with you to terminate the contract tomorrow?” “No need.” “Indeed my family’s child, naturally domineering,” my brother praised. 6 The next morning, I went to the talent agency. The news of me saying I was going to inherit a billion-dollar fortune in the live interview yesterday was still hanging at the number one spot on the trending list. The comments below were all cursing me for being shameless. The few fans I had also turned on me, saying they wouldn’t support a liar. I didn’t care. I was leaving the industry anyway. When I arrived at the agency, besides the agent waiting for me with a cold face, Liam was also there. He looked at me with a half-smile. He was clearly here to watch me make a fool of myself. Really, a petty man gloating. “The young heiress of the Thorne family is willing to come to the agency herself?” The agent opened her mouth with passive-aggression. As soon as she spoke. Other staff members and some artists in the agency couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “I’m here to terminate my contract.” I remained unmoved, my expression cold. “Sure.” The agent unhurriedly took out my contract. “According to the contract, if an artist breaks the contract early, they must pay the agency thirty million dollars in penalties.” My brow furrowed slightly. I wasn’t scared by the figure, but in my memory, I simply didn’t need to pay that much. As a qualified businesswoman, how could I suffer such a loss?! I casually picked up the contract and started reading. Seeing my expression, the agent began to mock: “What, doesn’t your family have a billion-dollar fortune to inherit? You can’t even produce a mere thirty million?! But seriously, Maya, you’ve been in the industry for five years, have you made thirty million? Not even three million!” She was certain I couldn’t produce that sum of money. She continued chattering: “Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not! There are still ten months left on your contract. If you be a good girl and listen, the agency might still renew your contract. Otherwise, with your commercial value right now, no agency will sign you…” Smack, I threw the contract in front of the agent. The agent jumped in fright. She stared at me blankly, yelling with lingering fear: “Are you crazy?” “It’s written very clearly here. With less than a year left on the contract, the penalty is only 60%, which means I only need to pay eighteen million.” “Can you even produce eighteen million? LMAO…” “Swipe it!” I took out a black card and placed it in front of her. The agent looked at me in disbelief. “Eighteen million, and from now on, we have nothing to do with each other.” “Where did you get the money?” The agent looked at my card and asked me. After all, I really hadn’t made much money in the entertainment industry. “Where else could she get the money? The sugar daddy behind her,” Liam spoke up, seemingly casually. “Yesterday when I went to pick up Chloe, I happened to see her get into a top-of-the-line limited-edition Rolls-Royce…” “Maya, you really are something!” The agent flared up. “Back then, when I asked you to go to dinner parties to accompany executives, you refused. Now you turn around and latch onto a big shot, and you just flip the table, right?!” “That’s my family’s money.” I was utterly speechless. “You want to be a whore and erect a chastity monument?! If you had listened to me back then, you could have been as famous as Chloe. But in the end, you still went down this path?!” The more the agent spoke, the more disdainful she became. “I wasted five years on you for nothing.” “Wasted five years on me?!” I raised my voice, no longer indulging her. “Ever since I refused the casting couch, you completely ignored me! For the past five years, I negotiated countless jobs on my own. You have the nerve to say ‘wasted’? If anyone’s wasted anything, it’s me feeling sorry for myself!” 7 “Maya!” the agent screamed. In front of so many people in the agency, I didn’t give her any face at all. “Don’t think that just because you have a sugar daddy, you can be arrogant in the entertainment industry. I’ve been in the industry for twenty years. If I want to blacklist someone, it’s a piece of cake,” the agent threatened loudly. “Then, let’s wait and see.” LMAO. The capitalist big shot she was currently fawning over was my own father. Would I be afraid of her?! After terminating the contract with the talent agency, I left. Liam blocked my way at the door again. I really don’t understand how thick someone’s skin must be to appear in front of me so self-righteously. “Maya, do you want to offend everyone in the entertainment industry?” Liam asked me with a cold smile. “You offended me, offended Chloe, and now you’ve offended your talent agency! Isn’t it just because you latched onto the eldest son of the Sterling family? But if I remember correctly, the eldest son of the Sterling family is married.” The eldest son of the Sterling family Liam mentioned was my brother. Maya Thorne is my stage name. My real name is Maya Sterling. I changed it to my mother’s maiden name mainly because I didn’t want to cause unnecessary trouble in the entertainment industry. “I didn’t expect you to actually look into it, did you?” Liam saw I wasn’t speaking and smugly continued, “The Sterling family is the only one in all of Los Angeles with that limited-edition Rolls-Royce.” “And then?” I looked completely indifferent. “Once you’re exposed, who do you think the eldest son of the Sterling family will choose between you and his original wife?” “Me.” I said firmly. “Maya, you really think too highly of yourself! Do you think you can do whatever you want just because you’re pretty? Wealthy families aren’t as simple as you think!” “You know what wealthy families are like?” “Chloe comes from a wealthy family, of course I know.” “She comes from a wealthy family?” I really laughed out loud. “If she comes from a wealthy family, has she ever taken you to one?” “We haven’t reached the point of discussing marriage yet.” Liam made an excuse. “Now the whole internet knows how good your relationship is. Even at this point, you still haven’t met Chloe’s parents?” “Chloe’s parents are very busy. Do you think everyone is like you, with nothing to do?” “Don’t you think you’re deceiving yourself? Liam, you’ve been dating Chloe for three years, not three days. No matter how busy someone is, they can’t spare half a day in three years?!” The more I spoke, the more sarcastic I became. “My business with Chloe is none of your concern!” Liam was getting angry. “Likewise, my business is none of yours either!” “I’m doing this for your own good!” Liam said angrily. “I don’t care! If you have that much free time, you’d be better off focusing on your goddess Chloe. Who knows, you might get an unexpected surprise.” “What do you mean?” Liam obviously caught my insinuation. “Figure it out yourself.” “I’m telling you, Maya, no matter how hard you try, you’ll never be able to compare to Chloe in your entire life. With her background, you can’t even dream of catching up to her.” I smiled coldly. Before, I really never thought of using my background to show off. But right now, I kind of wanted to see what kind of expression Liam would have when he found out I was the daughter of the richest man. “Just wait and see.” I dropped that line and walked away from Liam. Right now, talk is cheap. Liam wouldn’t believe me. Anyway, he’ll be slapped in the face soon enough. 8 My contract termination with the talent agency hit the trending topics again. The comment section was filled with negative remarks. [Didn’t she have a billion-dollar fortune to inherit? Yet she was dropped by her agency for running her mouth? This is literally the biggest joke to start 2024!] [I was still waiting for Maya to make a comeback. LMAO, I definitely overestimated her.] [Some people are just too vain. The entertainment industry shouldn’t encourage this toxic behavior.] [She used to leech off Liam’s popularity, which gave her some recognition. Otherwise, who would know this D-list actress? Now she wants to leech off our Chloe’s popularity. Who knew she’d actually crash and burn? Serves her right!] Meanwhile, Chloe and Liam happened to have a New Year’s live stream for their fans. My trending topic actually brought a wave of traffic to their live stream. The live chat was all asking Chloe and Liam to comment on me having a billion-dollar fortune to inherit and getting dropped by my agency. Liam responded first: “I have the same agency and agent as Maya. Regarding her being dropped by the agency, there might be a misunderstanding. Maya requested the termination herself. The agency never mistreated her.” [What? Maya actually dared to terminate her contract? Who would sign her now?] [If an artist voluntarily terminates, shouldn’t they pay a penalty?] [Does she have the money to pay the penalty?] “I’m not too sure about the rest. I’m just telling everyone what I know. I hope you guys don’t spread rumors,” Liam said to calm the excited fans. The fans weren’t listening at all. The live chat kept scrolling— [Does Maya have a sugar daddy behind her? Otherwise, where did she get the money to pay the penalty?] [Forget the penalty, with her current status, how dare she terminate her contract? With her reputation, who would dare hire her?!] Because of Liam’s words. The news of #MayaPaysMassivePenalty,SuspectedSugarDaddyBehindHer# rushed to the top of the trending list again. I really didn’t expect that after leaving the industry, I would actually blow up. At this moment, Chloe also responded to my situation in her live stream: “I debuted with Maya and collaborated a few times before, but we’re just acquaintances, so I’m not clear on her specific family background. But since she says her family has a billion-dollar fortune, I think it’s not entirely unbelievable.” As soon as Chloe said this, the live chat filled with compliments— [Chloe’s personality is so great. Everyone knows Maya is a fake heiress, yet she’s still willing to believe her.] [Chloe is from a wealthy family herself, so she doesn’t think being wealthy is anything extraordinary.] [Why is there such a huge gap between people? I’m proud of my idol.] [Chloe, can you show us what a wealthy family’s home looks like? Can you do a live stream touring your mansion?] That last comment was spammed all over the screen. Chloe kept trying to change the subject, acting as if she didn’t see the live chat. Liam, who was co-streaming with her, suddenly spoke up: “Chloe, just fulfill the fans’ New Year’s wish.” With Liam saying it so bluntly, Chloe really couldn’t play deaf and dumb anymore. She smiled and said, “Of course I can fulfill my fans’ New Year’s wish. Once the time is confirmed, I’ll take my fans on a tour of my home.” [Chloe spoils her fans so much.] [Being Chloe’s fan is just too lucky.] [Looking forward to touring Chloe’s new home…] I watched Chloe’s awkward smile. The Vance family of Los Angeles has never had a daughter named Chloe; they only have one named Lily, and she is my cousin. I’d really like to know how she’s going to cover up this lie of the century. 9 After the two finished their live stream. I was pushed to the trending topics, and #ChloeSpoilsFansAgreesToTourMansion# also hit the trending topics. The whole internet was looking forward to touring Chloe’s mansion. And because of this sudden surge in popularity, talent agencies reached out to me offering work. I refused them all. I had already taken over the family business and become a major player behind the scenes in Hollywood. I had invested in several highly anticipated shows and was incredibly busy every day. I almost forgot about Chloe’s live stream touring her mansion. If Liam hadn’t smugly sent me a message: [Maya, didn’t you always envy Chloe and slander her? Today at 3 PM she’s live-streaming a tour of her mansion. Aren’t you going to watch?] Chloe really had guts! I thought she would just brush it off, but she’s actually live-streaming after barely half a month? Isn’t she afraid of getting exposed?! [Thanks for the reminder, I’ll tune in right on time.] I replied to Liam. Since Liam insisted on throwing himself onto the muzzle of the gun, I obliged him. I turned around and sent a message to my cousin: [Does your dad really have an illegitimate daughter?] [Are you kidding me? I’ve been putting up with that woman Chloe for a long time! Let’s see what kind of stunt she pulls today. If she pisses me off, I’ll tear her apart right then and there.] Even through the screen, I could feel Lily’s anger. 3 PM. Chloe indeed started her live stream as promised, taking fans on a tour of her “mansion.” It was fake at a glance. Where was this the Vance family estate? I don’t know what unknown, third-rate villa in what obscure area it was. The live stream went online. The fans started mindlessly praising her. [Wow, Chloe’s house is so big and beautiful!] [Worthy of the Vance family, ranking top three on L.A.’s wealth list. So luxurious!] [Chloe really peaked right out of the gate.] [Reminds me again of a certain unknown actress who claimed she had a billion-dollar fortune to inherit!] I was working while watching Chloe’s live stream. Seeing so many fans flattering her, it became increasingly hilarious. Chloe very “professionally” led the fans on a tour of her “mansion.” The fans were very supportive. The gifts in the live stream were even more extravagant. Chloe considerately asked people not to send gifts, saying helplessly that she didn’t know how to turn off the gift feature, which triggered another wave of frantic spamming from fans. My phone suddenly rang. It was Liam. He said smugly, “Maya, do you finally see the gap between you and Chloe now? You can’t even dream of a mansion like Chloe’s in this lifetime.” “Are you still hung up on me?!” I was truly running out of patience with him. “Me, hung up on you? Why don’t you look at the massive gap between you and Chloe? Am I blind?” “Then why do you keep bothering me?” “I pity you.” “Totally unnecessary.” I glanced at the live stream. “You better go pity your goddess Chloe!” After all, right now, the live stream was starting to get chaotic. Liam seemed to have noticed it too and quickly hung up the phone.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “424281”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

When Chloe moved into my house, my mom split her love in half. Chloe took the lion’s share, and I got the scraps. “You still have a dad, but Chloe has no one.” So she justified her blatant favoritism. Later, I stopped wanting my mom. Unlike my mom, I couldn’t divide my love. I gave all my love to my new mom. 1 My mom said she couldn’t attend my parent-teacher conference. “Why?” My voice was thick with unshed tears. “Didn’t you promise?” Over the phone, her voice was cold: “Just because I promised doesn’t mean I have to go. Chloe’s homeroom teacher called; I have to go to hers, and it conflicts with yours.” “Chloe, Chloe, Chloe!” I finally lost control, yelling into the phone. “All you see is Chloe! You haven’t been to my parent-teacher conference in three years!” Three years. From middle school to high school. The high school entrance exams were fast approaching! My mom hadn’t attended a single parent-teacher conference during my middle school years. This time, my usually gentle homeroom teacher had a serious expression: “Maya, you must have your mother come this time. With the entrance exams only a hundred days away, your grades have dropped too much.” I had told my mom about this five days in advance. I thought she would care at least a little. But once again, she chose Chloe. On the other end of the line, my mom’s voice was full of coldness and impatience: “Maya, Chloe has no parents. Are you really going to fight her for her aunt? Why are you so ungrateful?” “But…” Tears welled in my eyes, and my throat tightened so much I couldn’t speak. But, Chloe’s aunt… is my mother! I didn’t cause Chloe to lose her parents, so why do I have to give my mother to her as compensation? When I handed the phone back to the bookstore owner, he looked at me with a strange expression. I handed him a dollar. I had two hundred dollars left in my pocket. I had saved it up over months of skipping breakfast, originally planning to buy test prep books. Thankfully, I had asked my mom a day in advance, giving me time to prepare. I was going to use this two hundred dollars to hire a mom to attend my parent-teacher conference. 2 The mom I hired didn’t look like a good person. She wore heavy smoky makeup, leaned against the school’s iron fence counting the money, and reeked of cheap perfume. Even as the Dean of Students walked by, she was still grumbling, “All these small bills? This is so annoying.” I had saved this money dollar by dollar; of course, it was in small bills. I thought she was unreliable and was about to ask for the money back and find someone else. But she quickly backed away to a safe distance and waved the wad of cash: “It’s a deal! Tomorrow afternoon, third period! I’ll come find you! “Room 308, right?” “Don’t wear that makeup tomorrow!” Too unreliable. That was my two hundred dollars! Maybe I should try to find someone else? But she had already run off. I wanted to call out to her, but the Dean was walking toward me— He spotted the money in the woman’s hand and asked with concern, “Student, are you being extorted by someone from outside the school?” “No, no,” I answered quickly. “That’s my mom. She was going to give me some pocket money, but I said no.” Good thing she ran fast. 3 “Your name is Sarah Smith,” I told her to put it in her phone’s notes app. “My name is Riley Jones,” she said, blinking her large eyes. She was dressed just like yesterday: exaggerated smoky makeup, pale foundation, a brown leather jacket, and the same cheap perfume. Only when her thick, fan-like fake eyelashes fluttered could I catch a glimpse of her beautiful eyes. But that look didn’t move me. “My mom’s name is Sarah Smith, so your name is Sarah Smith.” I mimicked my mom’s tone when haggling at the grocery store. “Be professional. Didn’t I tell you yesterday not to dress like this?” “I have to dress like this,” she mumbled. A moment later, she smiled and said, “Take me to your classroom. Room 308, right?” On the way, she wouldn’t stop talking. “Will your homeroom teacher keep me after to lecture me? I’m telling you, the two hundred bucks doesn’t cover getting lectured.” “You didn’t say that earlier!” I stopped in the hallway. “That’s the going rate, okay?” she said impatiently. “Ugh, fine! Consider it a freebie! “Consider it my charity work for the day, okay?” She had a very casual, street-smart attitude: “Don’t be so fierce, kid.” I wasn’t being fierce. I was just a little anxious. She didn’t know that the two hundred dollars was all the money I had. I had to skip lunch to save up for the test prep books. If she charged more, I’d have to skip dinner too. But her sudden generosity made me breathe a sigh of relief. Standing at the classroom door, I awkwardly mumbled, “Thanks.” “Hey, don’t mention it.” She waved her hand and was about to walk in. But I suddenly remembered something— “Um… Riley,” I called out to her. “Yeah?” My face flushed slightly: “Could you do me one more favor?” She gave me a look that said “don’t push your luck.” But I guess my desperation overrode my shame, and once the words were out, the rest flowed easily: “There are two students in my class, one named Jason and one named Lily. “Could you talk to them and their parents? Just say you’re my mom, you know what they’ve been doing to me, and if they dare do it again, you won’t let them off easy…” “Fuck!” Riley cursed. I didn’t know why she was swearing. “Is this extra? How much? Let me think…” Before I could finish my sentence. “You’re being bullied?” Her face darkened. With a wave of her hand, she marched into the classroom: “This service is free of charge!” 4 Riley was not professional at all. During the parent-teacher conference, all the students waited outside. I watched Riley rummage through my desk through the window. The teacher glanced at her a few times, but she just scowled and flipped through my books and notebooks, ignoring everything going on around her. The more she flipped, the heavier the hostility in her expression grew. I questioned myself again whether hiring her to play my mom was a mistake. This doubt reached its peak when Mia, from the class next door, walked out. The “hire-a-parent” service was actually introduced to me by Mia. She was the slacker of the class next door, but her parents were very strict. Terrified of them scolding her after the conference, she hired someone to go in their place. To avoid being caught, she even left the “fake parent’s” phone number with the teacher. She peered through the glass at my seat: “That’s who you hired? Look at her, what, fifty or sixty bucks tops?” Fifty or sixty? I stood frozen. “Don’t tell me you gave her a hundred!” Mia exclaimed. “I paid 80, and that included answering phone calls from the teacher!” Me: “…” 5 The parent-teacher conference ended. Before Riley rushed to confront Jason and Lily, I thought to myself: I need to get at least a hundred dollars back. But when she found those two students’ parents to reason with them, I realized eighty dollars would have been enough. Especially Jason’s dad, a large, burly man who tried to argue back. But Riley quickly shut him down, brandishing my textbook and attacking him with sharp, pointed words… The classroom was chaotic, and her loud voice drew a crowd of onlookers. The two parents, feeling embarrassed, grabbed their kids and ran. Riley walked out of the classroom looking victorious. “Wait, the teacher will probably want to see us in a minute. Leave after everything is done,” I told her. I didn’t ask for a partial refund right away. I wasn’t stupid. If I asked for the money back now, what if she refused to cooperate when the teacher wanted a one-on-one chat? “Those parents will definitely lecture them when they get home.” The homeroom teacher was surrounded by parents at the podium and didn’t have time for her, so she stood in the hallway chatting with me: “But they’ll definitely hold a grudge, and they might try to bully you again. Do you want to hire me to scare them a few more times?” she eagerly pitched her services. “Only thirty dollars a pop.” I recalled her fierce demeanor just now. Jason and Lily were definitely intimidated by her. I highly doubted they’d try to bully me again. She probably just wanted to squeeze more money out of me. I knew what she was doing, but to ensure she performed well shortly, I nodded in agreement. “Hey!” she snapped her fingers. “Told you I’m high quality and reasonably priced, right?” “High quality and reasonably priced” my foot! We didn’t have to wait long. Soon, the homeroom teacher came out of the classroom. Seeing Riley, she frowned first, then asked: “Maya’s parent?” She stood up straight in a second: “Yes, teacher! I’m Sarah Smith!” The homeroom teacher gave her a strange look: “Come to the office. We need to talk about Maya.” “You got it!” Riley happily trotted into the classroom and brought out my books and notebooks— 6 I actually had a vague idea of what Riley was going to say to the homeroom teacher. I was even a little expectant. “Maya’s parent, a child’s education isn’t just the school’s responsibility. Since Maya joined our class, I’ve never seen you. I understand you’re busy—” She glanced at Riley’s attire. “But, the child’s grades have dropped severely, from the top ten in her grade to past the top hundred. Don’t you care at all about what’s going on with her?” Riley shrugged. Thinking she was being defiant, the homeroom teacher was about to say more. But Riley spread open my textbooks: “I probably don’t care enough about Maya. But her drop in grades has nothing to do with that.” The teacher stared at her, seemingly shocked that a parent could be so irresponsible. But Riley tapped her finger on the pages: “Teacher, did Maya talk to you? “About her being bullied?” Those were the most disgusting pages among all the scribbled-on books. In the margins, between the formulas, it was filled with vile insults— [Bitch!] [Who are you trying to seduce?] [Do you have no shame?] Riley read them out loud, one by one: “This is just one page. Teacher, did Maya show you these? “Being insulted like this, how could she not have a mental breakdown? How could it not affect her studies? How strong a heart would it take to endure this? “Don’t tell me you didn’t notice?” The homeroom teacher hadn’t noticed. When I sought her out, when I told her I was being verbally humiliated and bullied… I showed her the pages, and she looked at them. But she just casually said: “Okay, okay, I’ll talk to them later. I’m so busy. Can’t you just get along with your classmates? Why is there so much drama?” Now, she was left speechless by the questioning. It took her a long time to ask: “You… you just now…” It turned out she had also seen Riley confronting the two parents for an explanation. But Riley ignored her response. “Yes, earlier I did what a mother is supposed to do. “And you, teacher? Have you done what a teacher is supposed to do? “Teacher, if you had, you wouldn’t have had to specifically ask to speak with me. “She would have adjusted her mindset herself, and might even be first in the school right now!” 7 After leaving the teacher’s office, I was still hesitating whether to ask for some of the money back. She did a great job, better than I imagined. But it was too expensive. A hundred dollars would make my life much easier for the next few days. She walked forward with her head down, mumbling to herself, completely oblivious to my inner struggle. “Your books are ruined, just buy a new set. They wouldn’t dare draw on your books again. “What kind of weirdo is your homeroom teacher? She really doesn’t care at all? How is she even a homeroom teacher?” I didn’t answer. Actually, the homeroom teacher didn’t completely ignore everyone. She had intervened when other students were bullied before. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have sought her help when I first started getting bullied. Later, after I pestered her several times, she finally agreed to help resolve the issue. But the ultimate solution was just vaguely criticizing the behavior in front of the class without naming names. As soon as that class meeting ended, Lily cornered me in the restroom and even got physical: “You little bitch! You told the teacher, huh?” Later, I wondered why the homeroom teacher would extend a helping hand to others but was so impatient with me. After thinking about it, I figured it was because my grades had dropped too much, and she didn’t like me. Also… she had asked to see my parents multiple times, but they never showed up. So, subconsciously, she probably realized I was a child no one cared about. A child whose own parents didn’t care about. She had no obligation to care either. “By the way,” Riley suddenly asked me, “has your mom really never been to a parent-teacher conference? Is she dead?” I didn’t have time to answer. Because the next moment, someone grabbed my sleeve. “Maya.” Chloe revealed a gloating smile. “Who is she? Why are you walking with someone dressed like a delinquent? “And why isn’t she scolding you for saying your aunt is dead?” 8 Slap— A sharp pain exploded on my cheek, instantly turning it burning hot. My ears rang. My mom did manual labor, and she was strong. It took me a long time to recover from that slap. “Auntie,” Chloe called softly. “Chloe, don’t stop me.” My mom yanked me so hard I stumbled. She looked at the homeroom teacher, an apologetic smile on her face: “I’m so sorry, teacher. This child has been a handful since she was little. I didn’t expect her to hang out with people outside of school, let alone have the nerve to bother you.” “What are you doing?!” Riley reacted and tried to stop her. But before she could get close, my mom shoved her away. Riley’s frame was too small. No matter how sharp her words were, they were useless against a “mature” woman like my mom, who resorted to vulgar curses and low blows. My mom cursed her out, then pointed at her: “I’m disciplining my own daughter! Is it your place to interfere? Just you wait, I’m calling the cops right now and pressing fraud charges! How much money did you scam out of Maya?” She glared at me again: “Where did you get the money? You have spare cash? Everyone in the family is strapped for cash, and you have money to hire someone to play your parent?! “Where did you get the money? Have you been doing shameless things?!” I couldn’t bear to listen anymore. I hadn’t cried from her slap just now, but seeing Chloe standing nearby with her arms crossed, looking at me with a detached, mocking gaze, I finally couldn’t hold back my tears. I felt ashamed. My mother was using the ugliest words to insult me. While the spoiled girl she doted on stood aside, watching me—her closest blood relative—being treated like I meant absolutely nothing to her. Just a moment ago, they figured out Riley was hired by me. My mom dragged me all the way from the hallway to the homeroom teacher’s office. During that time, Riley couldn’t help but laugh out loud: “So your mom isn’t dead!” My mom became even more furious. She clamored about calling the police, wanting to throw Riley in jail! “Call them!” Riley yelled back. “Call the cops and let them see! You’re a mother who doesn’t even know her own child is being bullied at school! A teacher who turns a blind eye to toxic behavior in the classroom! What a great role model! “I earned this two hundred dollars with my labor! I suffered emotional trauma! I was disgusted by you people! “What? You act like you’re dead and refuse to attend your daughter’s parent-teacher conference, and you won’t even let her hire someone to do it?!” The homeroom teacher quickly said there was no need to call the police. “Maya! Look what kind of friends you make! How can she talk to your aunt like that?” When the argument was at its fiercest, Chloe shouted loudly, trying to shift the focus back to me. And my mom, predictably, gave her exactly what she wanted. “She cares? How could she care? Those words are probably what she wanted to say!” My mom snapped her head toward me and grabbed my hair tightly. “Others don’t get bullied, only you get bullied, right? “Why are you the only one causing so much trouble? “Chloe and you go to the same school, she’s even a grade below you. Why doesn’t Chloe get bullied, only you? “You hang out with these lowlifes in society, of course you get bullied! Why should the teacher care about you? It’s up to you to be good at school. Does the teacher owe you?” “You motherf—!” Riley interrupted from the side. “You have time to attend your niece’s parent-teacher conference, but no time for your daughter’s, right? “Could this niece be your illegitimate daughter?” she lunged forward, trying to free my hair. “Let go, let go of her, you bitch!” Initially, I felt complete despair. When my mom called me a worthless person. When she demanded to know why others only bullied me. When even the homeroom teacher looked at me with pity. But, the moment Riley lunged forward and pulled my hair outward, for some unknown reason, I felt a surge of strength… It felt like… all the pent-up resentment of years finally found an outlet… With one hand, I shoved my mom hard just as she was about to slap Riley. Despite her strong build, my mom stumbled backward. “Auntie!” Chloe moved to support her. “Enough!!” My scalp throbbed with pain. I screamed with all my might. “What do you want to do? Keep making a scene! Keep going! Make a scene until security comes! Call the police right now!” “Are you crazy?” My mom was stunned by my roar. No wonder. She had seen countless versions of me. The gloomy me, the insecure me, the me begging for just a tiny bit of motherly love. But the stubborn, loud, rebellious me had disappeared long ago, right after Chloe moved into our house. The classroom fell silent. The look my mom gave me was a mix of shock and grievance. What did she have to feel aggrieved about? My heart ached, and I spoke hoarsely through tears: “You just asked me why they don’t bully anyone else, only me? “Mom, it’s all thanks to you. “Do you remember when I asked you to help me buy a bra? “Do you remember what you said?” 9 I had an unfortunate nickname: “Bunny.” And it didn’t mean cute and cuddly like a real bunny. It referred to the “bunnies” bouncing up and down on my chest when I ran. The first time I felt insecure about my chest was during a P.E. class. The gym teacher had us run the 800 meters. I was in the last group to run. By the time I started running, the finish line was already crowded with my classmates. My eyes were only fixed on the finish line, so I didn’t pay attention to the classmates standing there—both boys and girls—who were already laughing uncontrollably. Before I even caught my breath, Jason, whom I rarely interacted with, came right up to my face, making exaggerated gestures: “Maya, let me give you a nickname. How about ‘Bunny’?! “You know, the ‘bunnies’ jumping up and down when you run!” At first, I didn’t understand, but his gaze drifted downwards, slimy and gross. Other classmates burst into jeering laughter. Like a flash of lightning, I instantly realized what he was talking about and shoved him hard. The bullying initially started with this simple nickname. The next day, my desk was covered in scribbles. In the quiet classroom before class started, I stood up, scanned the room, and saw Lily staring at me self-righteously, her gaze meeting mine head-on… My desk mate, Emma, gently tugged my sleeve and whispered: “Lily wrote it. Everyone saw, but no one dared to say anything. “I heard she and Jason are dating, and she said you were seducing him when you were running yesterday. “But seriously, you should wear a bra!” If her first sentence left me feeling baffled, her next sentence left me mortified. “I… I am wearing one!” I explained. “That’s a training bra!” she whispered even lower. “I mean a real bra! A training bra can’t support you! Didn’t your mom teach you any of this?” “I…” My face turned even redder. “I’ll try…” Actually, who notices physical development earlier than oneself? I had noticed a long time ago that my training bra was feeling a bit tight. I nervously told my mom, asking her to buy me a bra with padding. But as soon as I finished speaking, she frowned and said fiercely: “Money, money, money! We only have so much money, raising the two of you. You don’t know how to be frugal. Do you want us to starve?” But it was only ten dollars. A bra at the wholesale market cost ten dollars at most. And my mom said “raising the two of you,” but I hadn’t had an allowance outside of lunch money for half a year. Before Chloe came, I got ten dollars a week for allowance. I could at least buy some snacks or something. That wasn’t a problem. After Chloe arrived, it was as if my mom forgot about me. She would buy Chloe pretty clothes and sign her up for extracurricular activities… I used to have extracurriculars too. But the month Chloe was signed up for hers, my dad’s paycheck happened to be a little short. “Maya, I feel like your swimming class isn’t doing much. Let’s pause it for a bit, okay? “Yield to Chloe a little,” she said. “Chloe just came to our family, just consider it being considerate of mom. It’s not easy for mom either.” But I never thought that this “yielding” would last for three whole years. From the tutoring classes at first, to my bedroom, to my home, and finally, even the money for my bra had to be yielded. My mom didn’t take me to buy a new bra. So, I figured out how to save money from my breakfast allowance to go buy a bra myself. The owner at the wholesale market wouldn’t let me try it on, and I had no experience haggling. The bra I bought was a bit small. When I went back to the seller, she refused to exchange it. But it was fine, it was much better than the training bra I had before. However, after wearing it for three years, the straps inevitably became loose, and it couldn’t keep up with my developing body. I thought it was time for a new one. But I never expected that I had already reached the point where I needed to wear a real bra.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “424282”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel