Category: English

On my commute to work via the subway, I overheard an old lady bragging to another older woman. “Girls these days are so easy,” she scoffed. “I just taught my son to put in a tiny bit of effort—like making them a cup of hot cocoa when they’re on their period, or bringing them an umbrella when it rains. And boom, these shameless women throw themselves at him, one after another. Thanks to my methods, my son is juggling eight girlfriends right now.” I was hiding behind the crowd, listening to her, and feeling physically sick. I mentally took eight seconds of silence for those eight poor “sisters.” I never expected that the very next day, I’d be going to meet the parents of my boyfriend of three years. Unless I was suddenly blind, the old lady standing in front of me was the exact same woman who had been bragging on the subway about her son’s eight girlfriends. And I? I was apparently one of those “shameless women with interchangeable parts” she had sneered about. 1 Because my car was unexpectedly in the shop for maintenance, I took the subway that day so I wouldn’t be late for work. On the train, an old lady was loudly bragging to another older woman. “Girls these days are so easy. I just taught my son to put in a tiny bit of effort—like making them a cup of hot cocoa when they’re on their period, or bringing them an umbrella when it rains. And boom, these shameless women throw themselves at him, one after another. Thanks to my methods, my son is juggling eight girlfriends right now.” “Let me tell you, raising a son is all about strategy,” she continued. “Whenever my son doesn’t listen to me, I warn him, ‘I’m the one who got you all these women. If you don’t listen, I’ll stop helping you.’ He gets so scared he does whatever I say. I always tell him, every woman has the same parts anyway, so he’ll definitely find one he likes.” I was hiding behind the crowd, listening to her, and feeling physically sick. I mentally took eight seconds of silence for those eight poor “sisters.” I never expected that the very next day, I’d be going to meet the parents of Jason, my boyfriend of three years. The moment I stepped through the door, I was startled by the old lady standing in front of me. Unless I was suddenly blind, the old lady standing in front of me was the exact same woman who had been bragging on the subway about her son’s eight girlfriends. And I had become one of those “shameless women with interchangeable parts” she had sneered about. 2 As soon as I stepped into the home of Jason, my boyfriend of three years, his mother pulled out a pair of fuzzy slippers and insisted on putting them on my feet herself. “You must be Chloe. You’re so beautiful.” I quickly took two steps back, dodging the old woman’s hands. Feigning calmness, I greeted her: “Hello, Mrs. Miller.” Jason’s mother beamed instantly, looking extremely satisfied with me. The moment I sat down on the sofa, the old woman was bustling about, bringing me fruit and handing me a cup of milk tea. “I heard you young people love drinking this stuff. I thought the store-bought ones were unsanitary, so I looked up a tutorial online and made it myself. Try it quickly and see how it tastes.” I looked at the kind, amiable old lady in front of me, completely unable to reconcile her with the bitter, mean woman from the subway. I even started to doubt if I had seen the right person. Or maybe the old woman was just trying to show off in front of her friend and made it all up. After lunch, Jason’s mother pulled out a worn, dark-looking bank passbook and placed it in my hand. “Chloe, there’s ten thousand dollars in here. I know your family has plenty of properties and you probably don’t care about one or two more, but the money in this passbook is my entire life savings. Now, I want you to take it and go buy a house with Jason so you two can get married.” I looked at the passbook placed in my hand, momentarily at a loss for words. First of all, the amount was too small; it wouldn’t even cover the down payment on a decent house here in Seattle. But if this passbook truly held her “coffin money,” as the old lady claimed, its weight far exceeded its monetary value. If it hadn’t been for that scene on the subway, I probably would have declined the money immediately, perhaps even comforting the old lady that she didn’t need to worry about a house because my family had it covered. But with that subway scene stuck in my head, something felt off. I don’t know if my silence dragged on too long, or if the old lady sensed my mood, but she suddenly grabbed my hand and tearfully pleaded: “Chloe, I know it’s not a lot of money and it won’t buy a house. But you know Jason’s father passed away early. I’ve worked myself to the bone all these years just to put Jason through his Master’s degree. Even though he’s working at a big tech company now, he’s only been there for a few years, and his salary is entry-level. It’s incredibly hard to buy a house in Seattle on his own.” “How about this: you ask your parents to chip in a little first, so you guys can buy a house and get married. Don’t worry, once Jason starts making more money, I’ll have him pay your parents back.” Jason’s mother’s words sounded very considerate, but maybe I was just being sensitive. I felt like something about this whole situation stank. I looked at the old woman with feigned innocence. “Mrs. Miller, whose names will be on the deed?” The old lady smiled and patted my hand. “Well, that goes without saying. It will obviously have both your names on it.” “Don’t worry, once you buy the house, I promise I won’t bother you two.” Those four words, “both your names,” sent a jolt through my body. First of all, the cheapest decent house in Seattle starts at least around eight hundred thousand dollars. Given how much my dad dotes on me, if I were getting married, he definitely wouldn’t buy a small starter home. A million-plus was the minimum. Coupled with the scene on the subway, I had my suspicions that whether it was Jason’s mother’s tears or this worn-out passbook, it was all a calculated trap set for me. 3 Although I was suspicious at Jason’s house, considering we had a three-year relationship, I still didn’t quite believe he was that kind of person. But from that day on, I started closely observing Jason’s schedule. For instance, I noticed that every time he came to my place, he smelled faintly of dampness, like he had just taken a shower. For instance, if he worked late and then came to my place, he generally had no interest in intimacy, acting exhausted. For instance, he frequently got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, and would spend an hour in there scrolling on his phone. I had never scrutinized Jason’s schedule before. I believed in mutual respect and maintaining independent space in a relationship. But what if Jason was using that time to juggle other girlfriends? Finally, one night, while Jason was in the shower, I couldn’t resist checking his phone. His text messages were very clean, with my name pinned at the top. The other contacts were either coworkers or friends, some of whom I recognized or had even met. This gave me some comfort. The only anomaly was his chat history with his mother—it was completely empty. But they had seemed so close that day. What exactly were Jason and his mother talking about that required clearing the chat history? I was just about to put the phone down when I suddenly remembered an influencer sharing a story about discovering her husband’s infidelity by checking his phone’s location history. Relying on memory, I opened the location settings on Jason’s phone, and looking at his daily movements, I grew even more confused. First, his location history only showed him at his place, my place, and his company on the days he came to see me. The rest of the time was completely blank. Did Jason not take his phone with him when he didn’t come to see me? Just then, Jason, still drying off with a towel, walked out of the bathroom. He looked at the phone in my hand, his expression completely unchanged. He walked over and hugged me, his face full of teasing. “Find anything interesting?” I tilted my chin up haughtily. “Who knows if you men are messing around out there? I’m just checking to be safe.” Jason pursed his lips and chuckled, reaching out to gently tap the bridge of my nose. “Be good, how could I ever betray you? I love you so much.” “Besides, my phone has never had a passcode. You can check it whenever you want.” That was true. Jason had never been secretive with his phone around me. Sometimes when I used his phone to make a call or track a package, he was always completely open. So much so that I had never had the urge to check his phone before. But how could those anomalies on his phone be explained? 4 Perhaps driven by a woman’s sixth sense, the next day after work, I went to Jason’s office. Right at 6:00 PM, I saw Jason walking out of his building. The moment I saw his figure, I froze. Because Jason had just texted me saying he had to work late. Given that he was a software engineer at a big tech firm, I had never doubted his “working late” excuses. I dialed Jason’s number with trembling fingers. He declined it instantly. But what surprised me more wasn’t that Jason lied about working late, but that the Jason right in front of me didn’t even reach for his phone in his pocket. Right then, Jason sent me a text. “Baby, I’m in a meeting. I’ll call you back later.” I stared at the message, the fingers gripping my phone trembling. Because at this exact moment, the Jason right in front of my eyes was waving his hand to hail a cab. I swallowed hard in fear and pulled up my old chat history with Jason. First, on the days Jason came to see me, he would be very distant via text, often replying with short phrases like “mhm” or “okay.” But on the days he didn’t see me… He would be much more enthusiastic. He would tell me jokes, send me good songs, and be incredibly attentive. Although sometimes I felt his tone was a bit old-fashioned, I just chalked it up to him being a typical clueless tech bro. But wasn’t it a huge red flag that his communication style swung between two such extremes? My nerves were taut, like something was about to burst out. I quickly drove off, tailing Jason’s cab. The cab didn’t stop until it reached the entrance of a luxury apartment complex. As soon as he got out, a young woman rushed out of the complex gates. She clung to Jason like a koala bear and showered his cheeks with kisses. Jason affectionately ruffled her hair. The two looked exactly like a deeply in love couple. I watched the scene unfold before my eyes, my eyes red and wide. Just as I was sitting there, stunned and unsure of what to do, I received another text from Jason. “Baby, don’t forget to eat dinner tonight! You’re already beautiful enough, you don’t need to diet anymore.” 5 As soon as I got home, I rushed to the bathroom and threw up in disgust. If I didn’t realize by now that Jason and his mother were playing me, I’d be the biggest idiot in the world. If my guess was right, the person texting me all these years was Jason’s mother. Just thinking about the flirtatious things Jason supposedly said to me, actually being typed by his mother… I couldn’t help but throw up into the toilet again. This was even more sickening than Jason simply cheating. That night, Jason came to my place at 10:00 PM. He brought food cooked by his mother. Jason put a piece of shrimp in my bowl. “My mom knows you like shrimp, so she made this especially for you.” My fingers tightened around my chopsticks. “How did your mom know I like shrimp?” Jason stiffened for a second, but recovered his composure moments later. “Well, that goes without saying. I told her, of course. You’re a great daughter-in-law. Not only do I love you, but my mom absolutely adores you too.” I feigned a teasing tone. “Then you’d better hurry up and marry me. By the way, I talked to my dad about the house. He said there’s no problem on his end, but you know my background. All my friends get at least a hundred grand for a wedding gift from the groom’s side. My dad said if your family can’t afford a hundred grand, you need to provide at least fifty grand, otherwise he won’t let me marry you.” Jason smiled calmly. “That’s no problem. You just take the deed to your current place, take out a home equity loan for fifty grand, and we’ll just go through the motions for your parents. Don’t worry, I’ll cover the interest.” My stomach churned, and I almost gagged in disgust. “What, you don’t trust me? My mom practically emptied her life savings for us. I know there’s a financial gap between our families, but I promise I’ll work hard and make money. I’ll never let your friends look down on you.” I pretended to be moved and buried my face in his chest. But where Jason couldn’t see, my fingernails nearly pierced my palms. I never thought Jason actually treated me like a complete idiot. 6 The next day, I went to find the girl Jason had met, Chloe. After hearing my story, Chloe’s face was full of disbelief, her body trembling. “But… I was going to marry him.” I closed my eyes tightly. “Me too…” Chloe instantly burst into loud, sobbing tears. I don’t know how long it took, but Chloe finally lifted her tear-streaked face. “Let’s… let’s compare our chat logs.” After we verified all our interactions with Jason, we both stood frozen in horror. We never expected that from the very beginning, Jason and his mother had premeditated everything. First, we both met Jason because we were bumped into by a delivery driver, and he “saved” us, which led to us exchanging numbers and chatting. Furthermore, from our daily interactions, all the chat conversations were identical. Even the day we went to meet his parents, I went in the morning, and Chloe went in the afternoon. After comparing all the chat logs, Chloe started crying hysterically. “I’m going to kill that piece of trash, Jason.” It wasn’t just Chloe; even my worldview was shattered by what lay before us. I fought to control my trembling body and grabbed Chloe. “It’s not worth getting our hands dirty for trash like him. Let’s gather evidence first. The law will make Jason and his mother pay.” 7 At the time, when Jason was hit relatively hard by the delivery driver, I was afraid the driver would deny it, so I kept his phone number. This actually made it convenient for us to find a witness. I called the delivery driver right then and there. “Hello, I have a package to send. Can you come pick it up?” When the delivery driver arrived at my place, I asked directly, “Do you know Jason?” The delivery driver turned around, wanting to leave. I threatened him: “If you dare leave, I’ll sue you for fraud. If Jason gets arrested, you’re an accomplice. You can leave if you don’t want to go to jail.” The delivery driver was spooked by me. He looked at me pitifully. “Ladies, you can’t blame me for getting scammed! How was I supposed to know you women were so gullible, believing those cliché TV tropes?” My heart skipped a beat. “You women.” So Jason really did have eight girlfriends. I looked at the delivery driver coldly. “How many women have you hit for Jason in total?” The delivery driver shrank back. “I’ve hit about a dozen or so over time. That guy who ‘saved’ you paid me a hundred bucks an appearance each time.” Chloe and I exchanged a glance. “Do you have the phone numbers of those girls?” The delivery driver shook his head in panic. “Why would I keep their numbers for something like this?” I lowered my head in thought for a moment. “Then do you know how many Jason actually succeeded with?” The delivery driver shook his head. “How would I know that? But I heard the guy mention a few times that once he got bored, he’d just break up with them. The success rate must be pretty high, otherwise he wouldn’t pull this stunt every few months.” Seeing that the delivery driver couldn’t offer much more, I pulled out a document and placed it in front of him. “Sign your name here. Don’t worry, I won’t sue you. I’ve recorded what you just told us. You just need to show up in court when the time comes. But if you dare tell Jason, I will sue you as an accomplice to fraud. We have plenty of money to fight a legal battle. Don’t believe me? Try it.” The delivery driver was indeed intimidated by me, pulling out a pen and quickly signing his name. He also apologized profusely, saying he shouldn’t have done something so immoral. 8 After meeting with the delivery driver, Chloe and I started compiling the financial transactions between us and Jason. If we didn’t calculate it, we wouldn’t have known. Calculating it gave us a huge shock. Just for me alone, over these years, the amount of money Jason obtained from me was as high as fifty thousand dollars. Jason wouldn’t ask for money blatantly. For instance, he would tell me he lost money in the stock market and wanted to average down. He wouldn’t ask for a lot, sometimes five hundred, sometimes a thousand. To me, these were small amounts, so I never paid much attention to it. And Jason used the exact same method to get money from Chloe, claiming it was for buying in-game currency for video games. Chloe’s family was also relatively well-off, but her personal expenses were high, so she couldn’t give Jason as much. But all told, Chloe’s contributions added up to nearly twenty thousand dollars. Of course, Jason didn’t just take money for nothing; he would always give gifts in return. But where did the gifts come from? They were taken from Chloe, me, or his other girlfriends. For example, he would take the perfume Chloe bought him and give it to me. If Chloe asked about it, he would say he gave it to a client. Jason’s gifting frequency wasn’t high, maybe once or twice a year. And knowing Jason’s financial situation, the fact that he could give us such expensive gifts once or twice a year already made us feel he was very thoughtful. After checking all the financial transactions. Chloe and I slumped onto the sofa. Chloe looked at me with tears in her eyes: “Chloe, tell me, how can a person be this shameless?” I rubbed her head. “There, there. Trash will get its karma. If karma doesn’t get them, we will. Don’t worry, Jason will get what’s coming to him.” 9 To gather more evidence, Chloe and I decided to investigate Jason’s house. Chloe took the lead, inviting Jason and his mother out for a fun day. I was responsible for checking out Jason’s house. I had secretly swiped the key while Jason was sleeping. That day, when I went to Jason’s house and pushed open his mother’s bedroom door, I was stunned. In Jason’s mother’s room, several computer monitors were set up. Each monitor was logged into a different WhatsApp account. To make it easier for Jason’s mother to operate, the font size on the monitors was enlarged several times. Next to the computers was a notebook recording the preferences, family backgrounds, personality traits of all the girls, as well as the duration and frequency of their physical relationship with Jason. Even some highly inappropriate nude photos were recorded inside. I counted, and there were details on at least twenty or thirty girls in the notebook. Fighting down my anger, I took pictures of everything at the scene. That night, I went to Chloe’s house, and she looked at me anxiously. “Chloe, how did it go?” I handed her my phone. After looking at the photos on my phone, Chloe remained silent for a long time. I don’t know how long passed before Chloe looked at me, choking back tears: “Do we call the police?” I shook my head. “The evidence we’ve gathered so far isn’t complete enough. This amount of money would be letting Jason and his mother off too easy. Let’s raise the stakes for them.”

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My sister-in-law spoiled her son with absolutely no bottom line. When I warned her that “spoiling a child is like killing a child,” she ran to my brother and complained that I was just jealous she had a son to carry on the family name. Sure enough, when her son grew up, he turned into a destructive delinquent. Yet, my sister-in-law was incredibly proud: “My boy is so masculine for his age! You guys are just jealous!” Terrified he would end up hurting someone else, I tried my best to discipline him. But my sister-in-law brainwashed him: “Your aunt has wanted to get rid of you since you were in my womb! If you want to torture someone, go torture her!” Later, I was pushed down a flight of stairs by that very child and died. When the police showed up, my entire family played dumb to cover for him. When I opened my eyes again, I was back. My sister-in-law was smugly bragging: “My son is so strong, he’ll definitely land a solid, iron-rice-bowl government job in the future.” I sneered. Mhm~ Well, how about a lifetime of three square meals in prison? Doesn’t get more ‘iron’ than that. 1 “Are you saying the deceased jumped off the building on her own accord? Did you see it with your own eyes?” “Yes, absolutely! My husband can vouch for it!” My sister-in-law, Chloe, was giving the police a firm, dead-certain answer while subtly shooting glances at my brother, David. David tore his gaze away from my bloody corpse and nodded dumbly. “Yes, we can all vouch for it. When my sister… jumped, my son was inside reading a book. He wasn’t at the scene.” The police officer turned to look at the twenty-year-old man being shielded by his grandparents. His height and build far exceeded his peers. He was heavily built, with a face full of well-fed fat, single eyelids, and a menacing stare. He had a buzz cut. This was David and Chloe’s only child, and my parents’ precious, deeply doted-upon only grandson—Tyler. Before the police could even ask a question, my parents shoved him behind them. They kept telling the police how well-behaved and obedient their grandson usually was. Instead, they slandered me, claiming I had a weird personality, saying I studied psychology so much I went crazy, and that I jumped off the building myself. The neighbors watching from the sidelines shook their heads and sighed, but no one dared to step forward and tell the truth. Finding no leads, the police eventually classified the case as an accidental fall. The day my body was brought back to the house, Tyler walked over. Seeing no one around, he raised his foot and kicked my stiff head sideways. “Dead bitch, haha. Mashed up your insides real good, what a rush!” “That’s what you get for not letting me play my games, for always telling me what to do!” He kicked and stomped on me until his father, David, saw him and rushed forward to stop him. Chloe also hurried over, pulling Tyler away, scolding him: “Touching a dead body? Aren’t you afraid of bad luck?” David straightened my head. “Sister, I’m sorry. I only have one son, I have no choice… Please don’t blame me, and don’t blame Mom and Dad.” 2 Dying with my eyes wide open, my spirit coldly watched the Thorne family cover for a murderer. They knew perfectly well how I died. My brother and sister-in-law wanted a son so badly they aborted two female fetuses. Their third pregnancy finally yielded a boy, whom they named Tyler. A grandson was incredibly precious in this household. From the moment he was born, Tyler became the family’s treasure. Under this intense spoiling, he learned at a very young age to throw tantrums and act out to get what he wanted. I couldn’t stand watching it and warned Chloe that “spoiling a child is like killing a child.” Chloe, who only had a middle school education, didn’t understand the depth of that phrase at all. She rolled her eyes at me, turned around, and buried her face in my brother’s chest, crying: “She’s so vicious! She actually wants to kill our only son!” “Your sister is just jealous that I gave you a boy! She’s afraid he’s going to get her share of the inheritance!” My parents also pointed fingers at me and scolded: “Can’t you ever wish for anything good? Why are you targeting your own nephew? How did we raise such a wicked daughter?” I was only a sophomore in high school then, and no one in the family cared about what I said. Every time Tyler caused trouble, not only did Chloe not discipline him, she clapped and cheered: “My boy is so manly! He’ll definitely land a great government job when he grows up! He’ll protect his mommy and daddy! Everyone else is just jealous!” Under the relentless spoiling and indulgence of my brother and his wife, Tyler started using violence to solve his problems. I was the only person in the family who would try to correct his mistakes. I went to college to study psychology, knowing full well that wrong parenting methods could ruin a child’s future. Because I didn’t cater to his whims, he frequently threw things at me, leaving me covered in bruises. My brother and sister-in-law never stepped in to correct him; behind closed doors, they even subtly encouraged him. “Using his aunt as a free punching bag for practice. That way, he won’t get bullied when he goes out into the real world!” Chloe calculatingly thought to herself. The year Tyler turned eighteen, the family scraped together every penny to send him to a low-tier private college after he barely scored 400 on his SATs. During his sophomore year, Tyler threw a lit firecracker into the desk of a low-income student in his class. The explosion blinded the student in one eye, leaving him permanently disabled. The family had to pay out two hundred thousand dollars in a settlement. Later, I accidentally discovered that he had started playing banned, incredibly violent and horrific video games, spending hours every day torturing virtual characters. I very seriously confiscated his games and gave him a furious scolding. He looked at me with pure hatred. My brother, sister-in-law, and parents all stepped in to defend him, saying it was in a man’s nature to love video games and that I was sticking my nose where it didn’t belong. I didn’t want to meddle either, but watching my brother and his wife ruin Tyler with their toxic parenting meant he might go out into society and harm innocent people. Driven by my professional ethics as a psychologist and basic social responsibility, I couldn’t just stand by. During summer break, Tyler called me, saying he was being bullied and cornered by a group of thugs at an abandoned construction site. I thought he had messed with the wrong crowd. He was my nephew after all; I couldn’t just ignore him, so I rushed to the site. It was an abandoned concrete building on the edge of town, five stories high. When I climbed to the top floor, Tyler suddenly pushed me from behind. He stood on the roof watching me fall, his eyes filled with the thrill of revenge. In that moment, I was just like an NPC he tortured to death in his games. The first person to “discover” my fall was Chloe. After pushing me, Tyler calmly called his mother: “Mom, didn’t you say she wanted to kill me since she was in the womb? Well, I killed her first!” 3 I never expected to wake up again. My phone was ringing constantly. I answered it instinctively. Tyler’s voice came through: “Aunt Maya, I’m cornered by some thugs over by the old concrete building. They’re going to beat me up. Can you come save me?” My blood ran cold. I quickly glanced at the time on my computer—I had actually been reborn back to the exact day I was pushed off the building! Through the phone, Tyler’s voice continued. I suppressed my towering hatred: “Okay, I’ll be right there to save you.” “I’ll wait for you!” Tyler’s plea for help carried an eerie excitement. In my past life, I hadn’t picked up on it at all. Experiencing it a second time, there was no way I was going to let him get away with it! Hanging up the phone, I immediately went to the kitchen and said to Chloe, who was making chicken soup for her son: “Chloe, Tyler says he’s cornered by some people at the concrete building. You need to go check on him, quick.” “What happened? Who dares hurt my son? I’ll kill them!” Upon hearing this, Chloe hurriedly untied her apron. The sun was blazing outside. Before she left, I specifically said: “Chloe, the sun is so strong. You should wear my sun protection jacket. The one that cost sixty bucks. Haven’t you been wanting to try it?” A few years ago, my brother and sister-in-law had to pay out hundreds of thousands to clean up the mess their “good son” made. Now, Chloe’s life was very tight financially. Every time she saw me wearing nice clothes, she would specifically ask how much they cost. Hearing they were sixty or seventy dollars, she would mutter about me wasting money while unavoidably reaching out to feel the fabric. She wished I would dedicate all my money to her husband and son. In her eyes, as an unmarried sister, I should be supporting my brother’s family. Reborn, I saw right through her intentions. Sure enough, hearing the jacket was expensive, she immediately turned back. Muttering that I was finally being sensible, she put on the sun protection jacket I usually wore. I watched her hurry out the door and sneered. If Tyler accidentally pushed his own mother off a building, that would just be karma for the two of them! You reap what you sow; go taste the fruits of your own labor! In this life, I respect this family’s destiny and will absolutely not meddle! Less than half an hour later, a neighbor, Jimmy, ran over from the edge of the neighborhood, yelling: “Bad news! Something happened at the concrete building! Someone fell!” I feigned panic and hurried to the concrete building with a light step. I saw blood seeping from a pile of sand at the base of the building, with a person lying on top of it. I stepped closer, and my pupils dilated in shock! What was going on? The person pushed off the building turned out to be… her? 4 Lying on the sand pile was a teenage girl. Her clothes were covered in blood and dirt, and there was a brutal, disfiguring scar over her right eye. My heart sank. How could this be? Why was she the one who fell? In my past life, I landed directly on the hard concrete and died instantly from ruptured organs, beyond saving. This girl was luckier than me. She landed on the sand pile, the soft sand breaking her fall and saving her life. “Look at her pants. She was probably… you know.” A harsh male voice came from the crowd. I couldn’t find the source, but his comment made me notice that the girl’s pants were pulled halfway down, and there was fresh blood on them. A chill ran down my spine. Had she been assaulted before she fell? I climbed up the sand pile, took off my jacket, and covered her lower half, afraid to move her rashly in case of broken bones. The girl’s eyes were still staring blankly. I didn’t know what I could do for her, so I just raised my hand, gently supported her forehead, and whispered: “Don’t be afraid. I’m here.” Following her line of sight, I scanned the roof. There was no sign of Tyler, and Chloe was nowhere to be found either. 5 Police cars and ambulances soon arrived. When the paramedics loaded the girl into the ambulance, I followed. The attending doctor asked me while performing emergency first aid: “What’s the victim’s name?” “Lily.” She was the low-income student whose eye Tyler had ruined with a firecracker a year ago. I didn’t know why she was in that building, or why she was pushed off in my place, ending up covered in blood! After waiting outside the ER for three hours, the attending doctor finally came out: “Are you a relative?” “I’m her sister,” I blurted out. The doctor sighed: “Your sister suffered head trauma and ten fractures across her body. She’s out of immediate danger after emergency surgery, but there’s a high probability she will fall into a vegetative state, a coma.” I was thankful she was still alive and asked urgently: “And the blood on her pants?” “I know what you’re worried about. Don’t panic. That blood was from her menstrual cycle. There are no signs of sexual assault on her body.” The doctor looked thoughtful. “If there were, there might be DNA evidence, which could actually help us find the perpetrator. Now that she’s in a coma and can’t testify, finding the culprit will be very difficult.” Just then, a middle-aged man reeking of alcohol barged in, demanding to see his daughter. I instantly recognized him as Lily’s stepfather, Gary. Years ago, when my brother and his wife paid the settlement for Lily’s eye, I looked into her family background. Her mother had remarried this alcoholic and passed away early from illness. Lily was left living with her stepfather, barely scraping by, unable to even afford basic menstrual products. After paying the two hundred thousand dollar settlement, the court also ordered my brother and his wife to pay Lily five hundred dollars a month for living expenses. That was the only reason Tyler didn’t go to jail. Doing the math, it was the beginning of the month, exactly when Tyler was supposed to give Lily the money. Gary, seeing his daughter severely injured and comatose, immediately asked the doctor how much money he could get. The doctor told him the perpetrator was still under investigation and Lily’s medical bills needed to be paid. Hearing that he not only wouldn’t get any money but had to pay the hospital, Gary immediately used his drunkenness as an excuse to leave, grumbling: “She’s not even my flesh and blood, why should I care if she lives or dies!” I asked the doctor what the chances were of Lily waking up. “Given her family’s financial situation, the hospital can only use cheaper medications to maintain her basic vitals, so the chances of her waking up are low. There’s a new drug available overseas specifically for this kind of condition. If we use that new drug, there’s a chance she could wake up within six months,” the doctor said, looking troubled. “But as you saw, her father absolutely cannot afford this.” “Use the new drug on Lily,” I said. “I’ll cover all the medical expenses.” The doctor kindly reminded me: “I must inform you, her medical bills will be roughly ten thousand dollars a month. That’s not a small amount. You should think it over carefully.” “This expense is nothing to me,” I said firmly. “I want Lily to wake up and personally send the person who hurt her to prison.” The attending doctor looked at me. He pulled down his mask, revealing a handsome, youthful face: “Alright, I will pay special attention to this patient. My name is Dr. Evans, Julian Evans.” I smiled faintly: “Hello, Dr. Evans. My name is Maya, Maya Thorne. Hoping for a miracle.” “Please keep the fact that Lily might wake up a secret, Dr. Evans.” Julian didn’t ask too many questions and solemnly agreed. I transferred twenty thousand dollars to the hospital’s account in one lump sum to cover Lily’s medical bills. On the drive home, I thought about a lot of things. I didn’t know if what happened to Lily today was a butterfly effect caused by my rebirth. Because I escaped, did she become the victim in my place? There was that possibility, but I wasn’t stupid enough to blame myself for Lily’s injuries. The real culprit was someone else. As soon as I reached the front door, I heard Tyler and his mom talking: “I didn’t think she’d actually fall! Falling from that high up, blood really does splatter everywhere, just like in the game!” Chloe grabbed Tyler, confirming: “Are you sure you didn’t touch her?” “I didn’t. Her pants were covered in period blood, who would touch that? I thought it was gross! She came looking for me today to get that five hundred bucks. I saw her pants were dirty, so I pulled them down from behind. She got scared, screamed, lost her footing, and fell.” Chloe said self-righteously: “Then she fell on her own! It has nothing to do with us! Not even knowing how to use a pad, this girl isn’t just blind from the firecracker, she must be brain-damaged too, right?” 6 The mother and son seemed to find this hilarious, so much so that when I appeared at the door, they jumped: “When did you get back?” “Just now.” I remained composed, looking at Tyler, who was being shielded by Chloe. “Didn’t you say someone was bullying you? Your mom went over to sort it out for you?” Chloe looked a bit guilty meeting my gaze: “S-sorted it out!” Tyler yelled at me: “I asked you to come save me! Why did you send my mom?!” I sneered: “Your mom is still alive, why should I be the one looking after you?” Chloe got defensive: “Maya, what kind of way is that to speak?” I glanced at her: “Chloe, where’s my sun protection jacket?” Chloe froze for a second: “It’s gone. When I went to save Tyler, it got snatched by those thugs. It’s just a jacket, right? Are you really going to make a fuss over it? I’ll just pay you back!” “Great. That jacket was sixty bucks. Venmo me.” Seeing I was serious, Chloe immediately slapped her thigh and started wailing: “We’re family, and you’re nickel-and-diming me? I’m going to tell your brother tonight and let him see what a stingy bitch his sister is!” Her tantrum brought my mom out. Hearing what happened, my mom first anxiously checked if her precious grandson was hurt, then scolded me for being obsessed with money and making a fuss over a jacket with Chloe! “You have money and a good job now, you should be thinking about helping your brother’s family! You need to focus on your brother buying a house! And Tyler is taking the civil service exam soon. He’s the hope of our family. You need to find a way to get him a position at your agency! Otherwise, you’re just ungrateful!” These words might have worked on me in my past life. Now, listening to her spew this garbage, I really wanted to slap her across the face! But I didn’t show it. I just glanced at Tyler and noticed his watch was missing. “Tyler, where’s your watch?” Tyler immediately covered his wrist: “None of your business!” I casually mentioned: “Tyler, didn’t you say you were at the concrete building? A girl fell off that building. I went to take a look, and it seemed to be your classmate. Didn’t you see anything?” Tyler and his mom exchanged a glance. He rolled his eyes at me brazenly: “I don’t know what you’re barking about! Mom! Didn’t you say you made chicken soup for me? Where is it? I want it right now to calm my nerves!” Chloe and my mom immediately hurried to the kitchen to get the chicken soup. He just pushed someone off a building, leaving them covered in blood, and now he’s in the mood for chicken soup? I coldly stared at Tyler’s back. If I don’t send him to prison to suffer, I would be doing a disservice to my tragic death in my past life! 7 After drinking the soup, Tyler sat in the living room playing his violent video games. My dad, woken up from his nap, came out and said nicely: “Tyler, your exam is only a few months away. We can’t waste time. Why don’t you read a book for a bit and play games later tonight, okay?” Tyler stared intently at the screen, not even glancing at my dad. My dad walked in front of the screen, blocking his view. “Go read a book…” Before he could finish, Tyler threw the game controller right at his grandfather’s forehead. With a dull thud, it instantly drew blood. My dad clutched his forehead in pain, but he couldn’t bear to scold his precious grandson. Instead, he directed his anger at me, sitting on the sofa playing on my phone: “Didn’t you see your father bleeding? Hurry up and get a Band-Aid! Tyler is your nephew! As his aunt, shouldn’t you discipline him?” Discipline? In my past life, I really did put effort into disciplining him, and what did I get in return? Tyler throwing various objects at me, leaving me covered in bruises. Being hit by a game controller was nothing. Once, when I was urging him to do his homework, he threw a vase at me. The shattered pieces cut my cheek, almost leaving a scar. Yet no one in the family stood up to reprimand Tyler. At the dinner table, they even made passive-aggressive comments about how I lacked boundaries and shouldn’t provoke their precious boy. I still remember what my dad said at the time: “Tyler is your nephew. As an elder, you should be tolerant and unconditionally yield to him! That’s the grace and refinement someone highly educated like you should have! Even if your face is scarred, it doesn’t matter. You’re not using your face to seduce men, so what are you afraid of?” In this life, now that the controller hit his head, he finally knows what pain is. I smiled and said to my dad: “Dad, Tyler is your precious grandson. As an elder, you should be tolerant and yield to him. Being hit and bleeding by him is your honor!” I slammed my bedroom door, shutting out their cursing, happy for the peace and quiet. My MMA coach texted me on my phone, saying training could start tonight. After being reborn, I spent a thousand bucks to sign up for a crash course in kickboxing. I had taken some boxing classes in college, so I had a bit of a foundation. Talking back feels good, but against evil people, fighting violence with violence is also a valid strategy!

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “422565”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

During a live-streamed talk show, the host asked if I had a boyfriend. I said I used to have one. The host pressed on, “So what about you two now?” With a touch of melancholy, I replied, “He went to heaven.” Ten minutes later, the heir to a New York real estate empire crashed the live stream: “Damn it, how did I not know I was dead?” 01 My dad is a business tycoon, my mom is an Oscar-winning actress, and my brother is an A-list pop star. But the three of them combined couldn’t make me famous. So, after struggling in Hollywood for three years, I finally gave up and prepared to obediently go back to inherit my dad’s empire and become a female tycoon. But unexpectedly, right before I retired from the industry, I was grabbed to fill in for a missing guest on a live-streamed talk show. Since I was quitting anyway, I didn’t bother pretending to be the innocent, sweet girl anymore. I put on my sunglasses, shoved my hands in my pockets, and stepped out of the RV. But I never expected that as soon as I stepped out, I would run into my mortal enemy, Chloe Sterling. I debuted at the same time as her, and we both cultivated the “innocent sweetheart” persona. So, she constantly used me as a stepping stone to elevate herself, and our fanbases frequently clashed. Over time, just seeing her annoyed me, so I tried to avoid attending the same events. I didn’t expect to run into her here. In stark contrast to my aloofness, Chloe wore a sweet smile and greeted the live-stream audience cheerfully. I just gave the camera a faint nod and prepared to take my seat. Before sitting down, I noticed someone in the live chat asking Chloe if the rumors about her and Julian Hayes, the heir to a New York real estate empire, were true. Seeing this, I paused. Julian Hayes? The guy who loved making me rich, slow-cooked bone broth? The ex-boyfriend who would yell “That’s unhealthy!” every time I ate BBQ or fried chicken, and then chase me around trying to force-feed me bitter, sugar-free herbal detox tea? After he and I broke up, he got together with my mortal enemy? “Um… how am I supposed to answer that!” Chloe didn’t answer directly, but her coy demeanor effectively confirmed the rumors. Seeing this, my face twisted into an expression of sheer disbelief. Then she must really be able to endure hardship if she can swallow that bitter detox tea. When I broke up with Julian, it was because that detox tea was just too unbearably bitter. I didn’t want to drink something so awful for the rest of my life, so I resolutely broke up with him. I felt pity for Chloe, but I didn’t expect my expression to be interpreted by her fans as: I was green with envy and jealousy towards Chloe. [Ew, look how sour Maya is. Look at that jealous expression on her face.] [Haha, be jealous of our Chloe. She’s beautiful, has a sweet voice, and a super rich boyfriend!] [Ahhh! So Chloe is the future Mrs. Hayes!] [Boohoo, my idol is actually going to be a real estate mogul’s wife!] [People upstairs, are you crazy? If you want to hype yourselves up, please don’t drag our Maya into it, thanks.] [Hahaha, ‘future Mrs. Hayes,’ are you Chloe fans all this delusional?] [You just won’t admit it, Maya is just jealous!] … The live chat was a chaotic mess of arguing, and our show began. This live-streamed talk show was called “Sisterhood Chit-Chat.” Each episode had a theme, and the guests would chat around that theme. Besides me and Chloe, the other guests were actress Lily Evans, influencer Riley, and the host was Sarah. The theme of this episode was how to balance career and love in the entertainment industry. After we sat down, the host, Sarah, started cueing the guests to answer questions. Unsurprisingly, the first person cued was Chloe. Sarah asked her gossip-style if the rumors about her and Julian were true. “Um…” Chloe shyly bit her lip and said softly, “Everyone, please stop asking me about this. Right now, I still want to focus on my career, and he respects my decision.” Chloe’s sickly-sweet voice gave me goosebumps all over. I silently rubbed my arms. And my unintentional action made the live chat fight even harder. [Holy crap, the ship I’m sailing is actually real!] [What is Maya doing? Does she have to be so fake!] [Fake what? Her voice is disgusting, am I not allowed to rub my goosebumps?] [I think Maya is just suffering from sour grapes because she can’t get him.] [Boohoo, my Chloe is so career-driven, muah~] … Chloe’s ambiguous words directly confirmed the rumors about her and Julian. And the host, seeing there was gossip to dig up, kept chatting with her. “So who usually cooks at home?” Sarah asked. “We don’t cook at home. He doesn’t know how to cook, and he can’t bear to let me cook, so we usually go eat at five-star hotels,” Chloe said playfully. Hearing this, a question mark slowly popped up in my mind. Julian… doesn’t know how to cook? I thought of all the various pots and pans in the kitchen of his mansion, and subconsciously blurted out, “So, have you ever drank the detox tea he brews?” He couldn’t have just tortured me alone, right?! “What detox tea?” Chloe looked confused, then spoke to me with a hint of sarcasm, “We never drink any detox tea. Who drinks detox tea in the dead of winter?” Hearing this, I got even angrier. Julian really just singled me out to torture! I remembered that winter, on New Year’s Eve, he came to my house. With a doting look on his face, he pulled a thermos from his coat and said to me, “Eating hotpot is unhealthy. Remember to drink this detox tea after you’re done.” Yes, he came to find me on New Year’s Eve just to deliver detox tea! Thinking of this, I was so furious I just sat there and stopped talking. When I don’t smile, I look very aloof, so the live chat exploded again. [What’s going on? Why do I feel like Maya might have had some history with Julian?] [Person upstairs, are you crazy? How could Julian possibly know Maya, let alone have a history with her!] [Yeah, exactly. Maya leeching off our Chloe isn’t enough, now she wants to leech off Julian? So disgusting!] [Why is a scheming woman like this allowed to be on the same show as our Chloe?] [Could it be she has a sugar daddy? Maya seems to always get good gigs, but she just can’t seem to get famous.] [Person upstairs, don’t say it, you really might be onto something! I bet she definitely has a sugar daddy!] [Who says we don’t drink detox tea in the dead of winter? We drink detox tea regardless of the season! If we eat unhealthy food, we drink it!] … Sarah chatted with Chloe for almost half an hour. During this time, Chloe showed off her affection in various ways, hinting that they were getting close to tying the knot. After a while, the producer reminded Sarah to control the time, and Sarah finally turned the conversation to me. “So, Maya, have you ever been in a relationship?” Sarah still seemed lingeringly immersed in her chat with Chloe, and her conversation with me felt a bit less attentive. “I had one.” I was looking down at my phone, replying casually. This Julian guy, I don’t know what crazy spell he was under, but he was frantically trying to add me on WhatsApp. When we broke up, I blocked all his contact info. Now he was frantically trying to add me. I rejected him time and time again, but he was relentlessly persistent. “Oh~” Sarah asked with a gossipy look on her face, “So what about you guys now?” Hearing this, I clicked ‘decline’ while looking up and sneering, “He went to heaven.” “Ah—” Sarah looked apologetic and was just about to comfort me when she noticed the live chat had exploded. Julian: [Damn it, how did I not know I was dead?] Julian: [Damn it, how did I not know I was dead?] Julian: [Damn it, how did I not know I was dead?] After Julian posted three comments in a row, he seemed unsatisfied and posted another: “Maya, accept my friend request right now!” Julian spammed several more messages, desperately wanting me to accept his friend request. But after seeing the chat, I sneered, shook my head, and slowly raised my middle finger at the camera. [Am I going crazy and hallucinating? Is this Julian?!] [No way, isn’t Julian Chloe’s boyfriend? Why is he frantically cueing Maya right now? What is going on?] [I know! Maya definitely seduced Julian!] [Yes, yes, I can testify! I saw with my own eyes Maya trying to slip Julian her number, but Julian rejected her and went home with our Chloe!] … Seeing the live chat getting more and more ridiculous, Julian simply dropped one sentence: [Just you wait!] and then started spamming expensive virtual gifts to clear the screen. And Chloe, upon seeing Julian’s words, clearly paled, looking incredibly restless. Seeing this, Sarah asked Chloe, looking confused: “Chloe, is this ID ‘Julian’ your Julian?” Hearing this, Chloe hesitated for a moment, then said firmly: “How is that possible! Our Julian is so busy, how could he have time to watch a live stream! It must be some crazy fan of Maya pretending to be him.” Chloe looked at me pointedly, as if I had orchestrated this whole thing. “True, these days, there are a lot of people pretending to be others.” Sarah looked completely convinced and started cueing Riley. The show continued, and Chloe’s complexion returned to normal. But gradually, her face started looking a bit off again. Because the virtual gifts hadn’t stopped! With such a massive display of wealth, who else could it be but the real Julian, the heir to the New York real estate empire? Just as Sarah was about to ask Chloe again, the roar of a helicopter echoed from the sky. Everyone looked toward the sound and saw a helicopter landing on the grassy clearing not far away. Then, Julian jumped out of the helicopter, looking incredibly handsome and sharp! Everyone on the scene, except for me and Chloe, looked excited. The live chat exploded even more. [Ahhhh! The New York real estate heir Julian is chasing love on set! My Julian-Chloe ship!] [So sweet! Chloe just said Julian was busy and wouldn’t come, and Julian literally drops from the sky to surprise Chloe! A helicopter!] [Ahhhh! Where is the courthouse! You guys are grown up now, you need to learn to walk over here yourselves!] [Where did all of Maya’s fans go? Why aren’t they saying anything haha!] [Getting slapped in the face, obviously! ‘Picks nose’] [No, I’m telling you, can you Chloe fans stop being so delusional? Did you not read the chat just now? Julian is here for our Maya!] [I don’t even want to bother cursing at you Chloe fans, I’m afraid you’ll enjoy it.] … Seeing the live chat arguing like this, Chloe’s face paled even more. And Sarah, seeing Julian arrive, said excitedly to Chloe: “Chloe, your boyfriend is here!” Hearing this, Chloe could barely manage a smile. She no longer had the proud look from when she was showing off her affection earlier; instead, she looked somewhat panicked. Sarah didn’t notice Chloe’s distress and went up to greet him enthusiastically. After shaking hands with Julian, she glanced at the silent Chloe. Looking like a total shipper, she asked Julian excitedly with a smile: “Mr. Hayes, you dropped in on our live stream. Did you come for your girlfriend?” Hearing this, Julian didn’t deny it. Instead, he glanced at me and said bluntly: “I came for her.” Hearing this, the live chat exploded. [Holy crap, what’s going on?! Julian came for Maya?!] [Is Julian really Maya’s ex-boyfriend?!] [Did you guys notice that ever since Julian appeared, Chloe’s complexion has been terrible?] [Boohoo, poor Chloe, she must be so sad to look this pale. It’s all Maya’s fault! Why did she date Julian! Maya, go die!] [Person upstairs, don’t be sad! Julian is definitely here to slap Maya in the face! He will protect our Chloe because our Chloe is the best girl in the world!] [You Chloe fans are really too much! From getting off the helicopter to now, has Julian given you guys even a single glance? His eyes have clearly been fixed on our Maya the whole time, okay! Stop being so delusional!] … Julian walked up to me, pulled a thermos from his coat, and said gently: “Chamomile tea. You drank so much boba tea just now, it’s unhealthy.” I glanced at the familiar thermos in his hand, remembered that New Year’s Eve, looked at my empty boba cup, twitched my lips, and didn’t take it. Instead, I looked at Chloe and sneered at him: “Mr. Hayes, your girlfriend is over there.” Stupid man, we’re broken up and he still won’t let me go! Hearing this, Chloe’s face instantly went stark white. Julian, seeing I didn’t take the thermos, simply shoved it into my hands, flicked my forehead, and said in an annoyed tone: “What nonsense are you talking about? I’ve only ever dated you.” Hearing this, the live chat instantly exploded! [Did I hear that right?! Julian and Maya dated??] [Person in front, you heard right, not only did Julian date Maya, but he ONLY dated Maya!] [Scumbag! If you say that, then what is our Chloe?!] [Consider our Maya unlucky to meet a delusional person haha.] [Ahhhh! Maya-Julian ship!] The live chat started frantically shipping me and Julian. Seeing this, Chloe’s fans couldn’t sit still. [What is going on! Is this playing our Chloe? Does the New York real estate heir think he can be this disgusting!] [Look, Chloe’s face is so pale, boohoo my heart aches.] [Julian, right? Sisters, what does his family sell? Let’s boycott him!] [Person upstairs, Julian’s family sells real estate, they’re known as the biggest landlords in New York. Don’t bother boycotting, you can’t afford it hahaha!] … The live chat was fighting fiercely, but Julian ignored it all. He walked straight over and sat on the sofa next to me, crossing his long legs. At this point, Sarah also realized what was happening: “You came for Maya? Then what about you and Chloe…” Hearing this, Julian looked at Chloe with a half-smile, and said to the camera: “Let me clarify three points. “One, I did not go to heaven. “Two, I have only ever dated Maya. Because she doesn’t like drinking chamomile tea, she dumped me, but I have been actively trying to get back together. “Three, Ms. Chloe, it seems we’ve only met once, right? That day after my business dinner, Ms. Chloe suddenly lunged at me. I pushed you away immediately. You can all watch this video for the details.” Julian pulled out his phone and played a piece of security footage for the camera. In the video, Julian was calmly listening to another person speak when Chloe slowly approached him, her shoulder half-exposed, and suddenly fell towards Julian. And Julian, without any hesitation, shoved her away. Caught off guard, Chloe fell to the ground after being pushed by Julian, rolled a bit, and suffered a minor wardrobe malfunction. Then, the footage showed Chloe and her manager being thrown out of the banquet hall by Julian’s bodyguards. The entire audience was in an uproar. Sarah’s mouth twitched, not knowing what to say for a moment, while the other two guests gave Chloe meaningful looks. “So please explain, how did I become your boyfriend?” Julian logically refuted Chloe, incidentally telling everyone that in his relationship with me, I was the one calling the shots. Hearing this, Chloe’s eyes quickly teared up. She stood up, her body swaying unsteadily, looking as if she were about to burst into tears. She looked at me and said: “It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have said that. Maya, I’m sorry.” Chloe suddenly apologized to me. I was caught off guard, looking at her, just feeling something wasn’t right. Chloe rolled her eyes back and fainted right in front of me, falling stiffly towards us. I was so startled I instantly sprang up, executing a nimble maneuver to dodge her. So Chloe ended up falling towards Julian. “You—” Julian, not caring to argue with me, also shoved Chloe away. Then Chloe collapsed onto the sofa all by herself. [Holy crap! Chloe fainted!] [What is going on with Julian and Maya? Don’t they know to catch Chloe?] [Do you guys feel like Chloe’s apology just now felt forced? I think this whole thing isn’t just Chloe’s imagination, she got played by a scumbag!] [No, are you guys toxic? There’s video proof! From beginning to end, Chloe has been spreading rumors all by herself, and you’re still defending her?] [What does a video prove? We don’t even know when it’s from. What if Julian confessed to Chloe after the video?] [Poor Chloe, being bullied by capital!] [Crazy, crazy, they can twist the truth like this. The world has finally gone completely mad.] … Due to Chloe’s sudden fainting, the live broadcast was forced to end prematurely. 02 “Here, take this back.” After Chloe was taken away by the ambulance, I returned the thermos to Julian. Even though there was nothing between him and Chloe, I really didn’t want to drink chamomile tea anymore! “It’s chamomile tea, it’s really not bitter, I swear!” Julian unscrewed the thermos lid, coaxing me, “Take one sip and try it.” I remained unmoved and sneered: “On New Year’s Eve, you said the exact same thing to me.” And the result? The result was that after I took a huge gulp without any defenses, it was so bitter I was howling in tears. In a fit of anger, I broke up with Julian. But Julian wouldn’t give up. He tried to stay relevant in my life in various ways, throwing massive resources my way. Every time I started to soften, I would remember the bitter tea, so I firmly rejected him. “Really, really, this one is fragrant and sweet. If I’m lying to you, I’ll never appear in front of you again!” Julian swore to the heavens. I took a skeptical sip. It was indeed not bitter, fragrant and sweet. “No, if there’s such good-tasting tea, why did you insist on giving me that bitter, sugar-free one!” Thinking about it, I got even angrier! “Because my mom used to brew that super bitter tea for my dad when she was chasing him.” Julian scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed, “I thought it was the same.” I: “…” His dad sure has unique tastes. I ignored Julian and walked toward the RV. And Julian followed behind me, blabbering: “Then can we get back together? I’ll brew tea for you for the rest of your life.” Hearing this, I stopped walking, really couldn’t hold back: “I’ll only get back together if you don’t brew tea!” Hearing this, Julian’s eyes instantly lit up: “I won’t brew it, I won’t brew it.” He threw his arm around my shoulder like a loyal puppy, smiling and saying: “Whatever you say, my boss lady.” 03 The incident of Chloe fainting during the live stream was hung up on the trending topics. [Breaking] Maya’s Backing Capital [Hot] Maya Bullies Chloe and Forces Public Apology [Boiling] Chloe Oppressed by Maya … On the trending topics, the narrative was uniformly marketing Chloe as pitiful, me as malicious, and how I forced her to apologize publicly. “Go sell that ghost story somewhere else.” I looked at the trending topics, my forehead full of dark lines. What does it mean I forced Chloe to apologize publicly? She clearly apologized to me out of nowhere, and then turned around to paint herself as the victim. She really knows how to brew a good cup of green tea! Julian looked at the trending topics and angrily called his secretary to have them taken down, and also prepared to blacklist Chloe directly. But his secretary said, sounding conflicted: “Boss, taking down the trending topics is no problem, but rumor has it Chloe is the little princess of the Sterling Group. Blacklisting her might not be very easy.” Hearing this, Julian looked bewildered. He turned to me and asked: “Baby, doesn’t your family only have you and your brother? How did another Sterling Group little princess pop up?” I, who was currently eating the gourmet meal Julian had personally cooked for me: “?” 04 The topics on Twitter regarding Julian and Chloe decreased, and instead, there was more marketing about Chloe being the little princess of the Sterling Group. “When did Mom and Dad create an alt account?” My brother, Alex Sterling, called me and asked. “How should I know? I can’t reach Mom and Dad’s phones!” I replied helplessly. My mom went to the Northwest to film a movie, and she was often unreachable. My dad is a total wife-guy. If he doesn’t see his wife for a day, he loses his appetite and can’t sleep, so he happily followed her to the Northwest. So these two are often unreachable. “Forget it, I’ll have the group issue an official statement to clarify.” On the other end of the phone, I heard my brother impatiently flipping through documents and signing them. He said: “That punk from the Hayes family is still chasing you around, right? You hurry up and bring him home. It’d be best if you have a kid, and I’ll train the kid to be the heir to the Sterling Group. I really don’t want to take over the family business! It’s so annoying.” Neither my brother nor I wanted to take over the family business. Especially him, his career in the entertainment industry was booming. I, unfortunately, couldn’t get famous no matter how hard I tried. I was just about to tell my brother that I was already planning to retire from the industry and go home to take over the family business. Julian, upon hearing my brother tell me to bring him home, his eyes sparkled. He looked like he couldn’t wait to be on my family’s registry right now. “We can talk about this later.” I was stared at by Julian’s burning gaze until my face flushed. I looked away and said to my brother, “Hold off on issuing the statement. I want to handle this matter personally.” Chloe, this professional scammer, scamming everywhere, and she even targeted my family, maliciously spreading rumors about me. I wasn’t just going to let this go. Doesn’t she like talking nonsense on live streams? Then I’ll make her socially dead on a live stream! Last time she faked fainting to escape, this time I have no intention of letting her off the hook so easily! “Alright, handle it however you see fit. If you need anything, just call the company.” Hanging up the phone, holding my phone and about to agree to the live interview my manager mentioned, out of the corner of my eye I saw Julian holding his ID, looking shy and saying: “Maya, when are you going to give me an official title?” I: “…” How am I seeing my dad version 2.0? 05 The live interview my manager booked for me only had me and Chloe being interviewed. Before the live stream started, Chloe looked at me, completely lacking her usual gentle and weak on-camera persona. She scoffed, looking at me condescendingly and saying: “You think because you hooked up with Julian, that New York real estate heir, you’re really royalty now? Let me tell you, relying on a man will never be as good as relying on yourself. It’s a pity, though, that you don’t have a family background as good as mine.” Chloe’s tone revealed the superiority she felt as the little princess of the Sterling Group. I expressed my agreement. Relying on a man is indeed not as stable as relying on oneself, but… are you really the little princess of the Sterling Group? I perfunctorily murmured a few agreements in response to Chloe. I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to hold back my laughter. Yesterday, after I checked, I found out that Chloe’s distant cousin’s sister-in-law’s brother’s neighbor was my dad’s driver. With such a ridiculously distant connection, she could still market herself as the little princess of the Sterling Group. It seems she’s really quite sick. Does she really think rich people are idiots and won’t clarify? These past few days I specifically held back, not letting the group issue an official clarification statement. I didn’t expect Chloe to think the Sterling family didn’t pay attention to the entertainment industry, so she overwhelmingly marketed her identity as the little princess of the Sterling Group. But this is fine too. The higher you climb, the harder you fall.

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We agreed to an open marriage when I tied the knot with the heir of the Pierce family three years ago. We played by our own rules. At a business gala. Carter Pierce stared at my interlocked fingers with my new toyboy, his expression unreadable. “You seem busy, honey.” I scoffed, glancing at the two teary-eyed starlets flanking him. “Right back at you.” Then, a video titled “Mrs. Pierce Takes Toyboy Diamond Shopping” shot to the top of the trending topics. That night, Carter pinned me against the wall. “Playing for keeps this time?” I flashed the diamond ring. “Yeah. I think I’m ready to settle down.” 1 Carter’s birthday party was a lavish affair. Everyone who was anyone in New York’s elite circle was there. When I arrived, he was in the middle of a passionate kiss with a trending pop star. Someone noticed me, stood up, and called out, “Hey, Chloe.” Others quickly followed suit. I nodded in acknowledgment, long accustomed to Carter’s reckless behavior. “So you’re the famous Mrs. Pierce?” A girl wearing barely anything blocked my path, her tone laced with provocation. I looked at her face, which was a carbon copy of the starlet currently in Carter’s arms. “Twins?” Before she could speak, I walked straight past her to a single armchair near Carter and sat down. “You really know how to play.” Carter released the starlet, his long legs spread casually. With a relaxed, rebellious air, he pulled a cigarette from his case, held it between his lips, and lit it. “Why didn’t you bring your new catch?” Hearing Carter mention him. I couldn’t help the corners of my mouth curving up: “He has a tournament this month.” Carter found that smile deeply irritating and narrowed his eyes. I pulled a manila envelope from my bag, placed it on the table, and gave it a push. It slid to a stop right in front of him. “Happy Birthday.” He took the cigarette from his lips and stubbed it out, his voice utterly flat: “Is this because I’ve been getting close to Sienna these past two days?” Carter came from a powerful family, was ruthless in business, and had a sharp mind. He didn’t need to open the envelope to guess what was inside. Sienna was the younger of the twins, the one who had just been sitting on his lap. She was soft and fragile, like a delicate flower clinging to a tree. Since I arrived, she hadn’t said a word, just sat obediently beside Carter. Lighting his cigarette, handing him the ashtray. Sensible, never overstepping. Occasionally looking at him with big, watery eyes, perfectly designed to trigger a man’s protective instincts. He smiled, feigning nonchalance: “Sienna is a good girl. She won’t threaten your position.” I looked up, meeting his pitch-black eyes. “But you are threatening his.” The words hung in the air. A bottomless, freezing glint appeared in Carter’s eyes. “What did you just say?!” The once-lively VIP room was swiftly cleared out. Carter pulled out the divorce papers and tore them to shreds right in front of me. “Has no one ever told you that using this trick too often makes a man resent you?” He quickly reverted to his usual lazy, arrogant demeanor. “I don’t care who you have on the side, and you don’t manage my affairs. We keep playing by our own rules. When we need to put on a show for the parents, you give me a call.” He stood up, grabbed his suit jacket, and prepared to leave. At the door, he turned back: “I won’t look into your guy, and you don’t cause trouble for Sienna. Her career is on the rise.” “Carter, I’m serious. If you don’t sign, I can’t get a marriage license with him.” The anger Carter had just suppressed flared up again. He grabbed the heavy crystal ashtray and hurled it at the floor. “Chloe, are you out of your fucking mind?!” I don’t have the best temper either. I grabbed a wine bottle and chucked it at him. He dodged it, walked over, and hoisted me over his shoulder in one swift, rough motion. At the door, he looked at Sienna, whose eyes were swollen from crying. “You go home first.” 2 Ever since I brought up the divorce, Carter hadn’t gone out partying for days. At a gathering with friends. I pulled my hand free from Carter’s grip. “I’m going to get some air.” Carter watched my retreating figure. Next to him, Julian Vance blew a smoke ring and raised an eyebrow. “I heard Chloe asked for a divorce?” Carter narrowed his long eyes. “Someone whispered some sweet nothings in her ear, and she got hot-headed and made a rash decision, that’s all.” He continued dismissively, “Even if she wants a divorce, the Quinn and Pierce families won’t agree so easily. It’s not as simple as she thinks.” Julian advised him, “You should probably dial it back lately. If Chloe is really dead set on a divorce, you’ll be the one crying.” “How many boyfriends has she had in the last three years? Have any of them lasted more than a month? This time is no different; the novelty just hasn’t worn off yet.” Carter firmly believed that no matter how much he messed around, I would never actually divorce him. At most, I was just throwing a tantrum. Julian looked concerned. “You should still rein it in. In the past, when Chloe threw a tantrum, it was at home. This time, it was public, in front of everyone. Haven’t you thought about why?” Carter’s gaze slowly darkened. 3 I stood on the terrace, leaning against the railing, looking out over the glittering Manhattan skyline. Suddenly, an arm wrapped around my waist. “I didn’t see you get this mad when I was playing around with other women before. Sienna is just like the rest of them. Don’t take it to heart.” I sneered. If she were really like the rest of them, she wouldn’t have gone out of her way to let me know. I loosened his tie and pulled out the jade pendant he was wearing. “Didn’t you say you hated wearing this kind of stuff?” For his birthday last year, I specifically went to a temple to get a blessed jade pendant for him, meant to ward off evil and bring peace. He said he didn’t like wearing it and told me to put it away safely at home. Carter’s fingers stiffened slightly. “It’s just a trinket little girls like. If you don’t like it, I won’t wear it.” I looked up at the moon. “Carter, I’m not throwing a tantrum. I really want a divorce.” He looked stunned, unable to believe it. “What exactly are you throwing a fit about?! I told you, you will always be Mrs. Pierce. Sienna won’t threaten your position, and I’ve even made time to be with you. You’re still hung up on the divorce thing, aren’t you?” He bit down on a cigarette and lit it, a hint of hostility between his brows. Carter was about to say something else when his phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID, hesitated, and then answered. I don’t know what Sienna said, but the usually composed man showed a rare expression of panic: “I’ll be right there.” “Sienna fell down the stairs, I…” Sienna again. “Go ahead. I’ll drive myself back later.” “I’ll have the driver wait for you.” “No need.” With that, I turned and walked away. 4 On the drive back. At a red light, a car failed to brake and rear-ended me hard. With a loud crash, I instinctively raised my arms to protect my head. It took me a minute to recover. I opened my eyes, looked in the rearview mirror, and saw a man stumble out of the car behind me, reeking of alcohol and pointing at me. “Do you know how to fucking drive?!” I frowned, pulled out my phone, and started recording. “You’re driving under the influence?” “You’re the one under the influence! I’m not drunk.” “…” Seeing how wasted he was, I didn’t bother arguing. I called the traffic police and then dialed 911 for myself. If my guess was right, I probably had a mild concussion. After the police arrived and determined fault, I was taken to the hospital. The doctor examined me and said, “Mild concussion. We need to keep you for observation overnight.” A nurse handed me my phone. “I couldn’t reach your husband at first, and then he just started declining the calls. I called over a dozen times. I have to say, your husband has some nerve, not even worrying that something serious might have happened to you.” The nurse’s words felt like a knife twisting in my heart. I pretended not to care and took the phone. “It’s fine. I can handle it myself.” She wanted to say more but seemed to realize it wasn’t her place, so she just said “get some rest” and left. In the next bed was a young couple, giggling and playing around, completely oblivious to whether other patients were trying to rest. “Miss, didn’t your boyfriend come to stay with you?” The girl looked over, blinking her big eyes at me. I thought for a moment, then just before pulling the covers up, I said, “He’s dead.” The girl instantly felt terrible and stuck her tongue out. “I’m so sorry.” After that, she went back to messing around with her boyfriend. Chattering all night long. The next morning, after the doctor cleared me, I was discharged. The Pierce family estate. As soon as I walked in, I heard laughter coming from the living room. Carter’s parents were fussing over Sienna. Grace Pierce: “Sienna, your belly is truly a blessing. This is the eldest grandson of the Pierce family. You must take good care of yourself. Falling down the stairs like that can never happen again.” Sienna is pregnant? My hands, hanging by my sides, unconsciously clenched my clothes. Sienna was the first to see me. She called out “Chloe,” then quickly lowered her head. Carter looked over, his pitch-black eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions, including apology. Grace, who had long been dissatisfied with me—a daughter-in-law who hadn’t produced an heir in three years of marriage—took the opportunity to humiliate me: “Good timing, you’re back. I have something to tell you. You haven’t given the Pierce family a child in three years, and now Sienna is pregnant. She’s a hero to our family. I’ve decided she’ll stay here to rest during her pregnancy. You don’t have a problem with that, do you?” “Not that it matters if you do. Considering how much your Quinn family has benefited from the Pierce family these past few years, you don’t have the right to object.” Carter interjected: “That’s enough!” Grace was actually quite intimidated by her son. She glared at me and shut her mouth. Sienna timidly tugged at his sleeve: “Mr. Pierce… please don’t argue because of me. I can just go home to rest.” Carter pinched the bridge of his nose and glanced at her. Sienna obediently sat down. “Go back to the bedroom. I’ll give you a proper explanation.” He reached out to take my hand. I took a step back, leaving Carter’s hand hovering in mid-air. I said expressionlessly: “No need. Just sign the divorce papers. I don’t care who lives here.” Hearing that I wanted a divorce, Grace looked incredulous: “What did you say?! You want to divorce my son? Do you even know what you’re saying? If anyone brings up divorce, it should be us. It’s not your place!” I astutely noticed that when I said “divorce,” a glint of calculation flashed in Sienna’s eyes. It seems she wasn’t as innocent as she portrayed herself to be. “Enough, everyone shut up!” Carter forcefully grabbed my wrist and dragged me back to the bedroom. He took off his jacket, sat on the sofa, and was silent for a moment before speaking: “I’m sorry about Sienna getting pregnant. After she has the baby, I’ll make her leave the Pierce estate. Your dad has always wanted that East Side development project. I’ll have my assistant sign the contract tomorrow.” Hearing Carter’s words, I couldn’t suppress my anger: “Are you trying to use a project to compensate me?! Carter, you always know exactly how to humiliate me.” Carter frowned slightly: “That’s not what I meant. I just want to do something.” “Then sign the divorce papers.” I was completely and utterly disappointed in this man. Carter kicked the coffee table: “Chloe, you’ve really got some nerve!” He had been spoiled since childhood, everything had always gone his way. Hearing me repeatedly bring up divorce, his tone became laced with anger. “What’s wrong with you lately? It’s not like this hasn’t happened before, so why are you making such a huge deal out of it just because it’s Sienna!” From last night until now, the rationality I had been forcing myself to maintain completely shattered. “Why?! Why didn’t you answer any of the dozen calls I made to you last night? Do you know I got rear-ended?! I was alone at the hospital getting scans! I had a mild concussion and still had to go to the police station to handle the accident report! Tell me why!” I felt so sick I couldn’t stand straight and swayed on my feet. Carter moved quickly to catch me, but I dodged him. Hearing this, his heart clenched: “I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I thought you…” I thought it wasn’t anything important. “I ended up in the hospital from a car crash, and you were keeping Sienna company. I’m tired. I just want a divorce!” Carter’s gaze fell on me, mixed with too many emotions. He pulled a cigarette from his case, lit it, and didn’t speak for a long time. He smoked one cigarette after another… After a long while, his hoarse voice broke the silence in the room: “Have you really decided to get a divorce?” I pulled out a spare copy of the divorce agreement and signed it with a flourish. “The fault in our marriage lies with your infidelity. I want 15% of Pierce Enterprise’s shares and two hundred million in cash.” Carter nodded: “Your post-marital income is more than two hundred million. I’ll have the lawyers prepare your share and transfer it to your name.” I packed my things. As I walked to the door, Carter suddenly asked: “Is that man good to you?” “Very good. He’s like you when we first started dating. His heart and eyes are full of only me.” Carter smiled: “That’s good.” We went downstairs together. As I was leaving, I heard Sienna’s happy laughter from behind: “Mr. Pierce, why aren’t you wearing the jade pendant I gave you? I went out of my way to get it blessed to keep you safe.”

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My broke boyfriend suddenly became the sole heir to the city’s wealthiest billionaire, and my twin sister decided she wanted my life. She conspired with our parents to imprison me, selling me off to a foreign trafficking ring where I was brutally mutilated into a “human sculpture”—a limbless freak put on display in a jar for the sick amusement of the underground elite. Meanwhile, she stole my face, my clothes, and my identity, seamlessly slipping into my place by my boyfriend’s side. For a time, my sister genuinely believed she had successfully replaced me, becoming the luckiest woman in the world. But what she didn’t know was… my boyfriend wasn’t just deeply, obsessively possessive of me. He was more ruthless and psychopathic than anyone could have ever imagined! 1 My soul hovers in the cold air, watching my twin sister, Scarlett, holding my phone. She’s on a FaceTime call with my boyfriend, Caleb Vance. I stare at the screen, at the man I’ve loved for years. Ever since he was revealed to be the long-lost heir of the multi-billion-dollar Vance empire, he’s been flying across the globe—learning the business, building connections. We’ve spent more time apart than together, keeping our love alive through a two-year long-distance relationship. “I just landed and went to your apartment, but you weren’t there,” Caleb says. “Why are you suddenly at your parents’ house?” His face is etched with exhaustion. He’s breathless, likely having rushed from the airport just to find me. He looks just as I remember—sharp features, deep, haunting eyes—but he’s grown more mature, more imposing. To the world, he is an apex predator, a hawk circling its prey. But to me, he was always the most gentle, devoted man. Scarlett hesitates, then lies, saying there was a family emergency and she had to stay at her parents’ for a couple of days. She had to be here. When Caleb went from a penniless orphan to the heir of the world’s wealthiest family, my sister’s envy curdled into pure, venomous jealousy. She conspired with our parents to erase me and step into my life. They kept me prisoner for six months. They tried to beat every detail of my relationship with Caleb out of me—my habits, my secrets, his likes and dislikes. At first, I cooperated just to stay alive. But when I realized they never intended to let me live—that they wanted me dead so Scarlett could wear my face permanently—I stopped talking. They have my passwords, but they don’t have the keypad code to my hidden rental apartment. Scarlett has nowhere else to go but our parents’ house. “Come downstairs,” Caleb says, his voice thick with a joy he can’t hide. “I’m at the front gate. I brought you those artisan donuts from that shop you love.” “I missed you so much,” he whispers. “I couldn’t wait another second.” Scarlett panics. She doesn’t even know what to wear. “Deep breaths,” our mother whispers, comforting her. “Don’t be nervous. You’re twins. You look identical, your voices are the same. You’ve been mimicking her diary for months. It’s been two years since they’ve seen each other in person. He’ll never know.” “Right, right!” Scarlett murmurs, convincing herself. She puts on my clothes and walks out with a mix of dread and anticipation. I follow her like a shadow. The moment she steps outside, there he is. Caleb. He’s thinner, but more magnetic than ever. He’s wearing a long black trench coat, one hand on a suitcase, the other holding a small pastry box. The moment he sees Scarlett, he breaks into that breathtaking smile that could captivate anyone. He sets the box down and opens his arms. “Hug?” It’s his signature move whenever we reunite. Caleb has always struggled with a deep lack of security. Every time we saw each other, I would hold him tight, stroke the back of his hair, and whisper, “I’m here. I’m always here.” Scarlett steps forward and wraps her arms around my boyfriend. “Get off him!” I scream. I absolutely refuse to let her touch him. My instinct is to run forward and rip them apart. But my hands pass straight through their bodies. I can do nothing. 2 I know he can’t hear me, but just as I’m about to break, Caleb suddenly pulls away. The smile on his face vanishes bit by bit. His eyes turn cold, clinical, as he studies her. “Wh-what is it?” Scarlett asks, her voice trembling slightly. The sudden shift in his demeanor makes her anxious. I see her hands clenching tightly at her sides. She clearly doesn’t understand the unspoken rhythm between me and Caleb. “Nothing.” Caleb’s eyes flicker with an unreadable emotion. The excitement of the reunion completely fades. He picks up the pastry box and hands it to her. “I went out of my way to get these from your favorite place.” Those donuts aren’t even that good. I only “loved” them because they were from the shop where he took me on our very first date. He knew that. He told me that as long as we were apart for more than three days, he would always bring them when we met. He called it the “start of our forever.” “Thank you,” Scarlett says, mimicking my sweetness as she obediently takes the box. “Thank you?” Caleb’s brow furrows even deeper. She doesn’t know. I was never this perfectly obedient in front of Caleb. And I never, ever said “thank you” to him for things like this. Scarlett’s grip on the box tightens. Caleb lets out a short, dry laugh. He reaches out and pats her shoulder. “It’s been two years. I just got off a flight, and you aren’t even going to invite me inside?” He has never asked to come inside this house. Because he knows exactly what this family means to me. Scarlett and I are twins, born twenty minutes apart. But the exact moment I was born, our grandmother passed away. My mother always believed my birth brought death into the house. To them, I was a mistake that shouldn’t exist. Since childhood, nobody loved me, and nobody cared about my feelings. If murder weren’t a crime, I probably would have died at their hands years ago. My ghost feels a surge of joy. Did Caleb notice something? “I-I’m just so happy I forgot my manners,” Scarlett says with a forced smile. She leads him inside, trying to hook her arm through his, but he subtly shifts, dodging her touch without making it obvious. 3 “Caleb! You’re here. Come in, sit down,” my mother greets him with a massive, plastic smile. “Scarlett, go make some tea.” Scarlett freezes for a second before realizing my mother used her real name instead of mine. She takes a few seconds to snap out of it, stammering a “yes” and rushing to the kitchen to prepare the good tea. “Where is Scarlett?” Caleb asks the moment he walks in, his eyes scanning the room. Nothing escapes his gaze. When we were together, he never mentioned my sister once. “Oh, Scarlett?” my mother chirps, her smile overly bright. “She’s studying abroad. Left a few days ago.” “Is that so? What a pity.” Caleb says it to her, but it sounds like he’s talking to himself. He looks thoughtfully at the tea Scarlett brings out. After exchanging a few meaningless pleasantries, he stands up to leave. “Caleb, aren’t you staying?” Scarlett asks, stepping in front of him, looking like a kicked puppy. “We finally have time together.” “I’m back for good now. We have all the time in the world.” He says it, grabs his suitcase, and walks out the door without looking back. “Mom, do you think he knows? He was so eager to see me, but then he just left,” Scarlett asks frantically the moment the door shuts, her heart pounding. “He’s probably just exhausted. Don’t overthink it.” My mother whispers, comforting her. “Look, he was looking for you the moment he walked in. That means he has a good impression of you. Even if he finds out you’re actually Scarlett one day, as long as he’s used to you, you’ll be the one by his side. We already sold Serena. How could she possibly come back and fight you for him?” They are my mother and my sister. Yet they locked me in a basement for half a year. They beat me, starved me, and dehydrated me. When I was no longer useful, they sold me to a human trafficker. The trafficker then smuggled me overseas. They were right about one thing. I could never come back and fight Scarlett for him. Because I refused to cooperate with their sick charade, they chopped off all four of my limbs. They cut off my nose, blinded my eyes, and poured mercury into my ears. I was stuffed into a ceramic jar, turned into a “human sculpture” for the sick amusement of paying customers. Even though my physical body wasn’t technically dead yet, the light had already left me. I think my obsession was just so impossibly deep that my soul separated from my body and drifted back home. Maybe once my physical body draws its last breath, my soul will finally vanish. 4 During the day, I fear the sun and hide in the shadows of the house. When the sun sets, I drift out to find Caleb. He is the only thing left of my heart. I have no time left; I just want to spend every passing second by his side. When I find him, he’s sitting in front of his office computer, gently rubbing his temples. “Mr. Vance,” his assistant says, knocking and walking in. “Did you find what I asked for?” Caleb doesn’t open his eyes. He’s exhausted, his voice soft, as if asking a casual question. “Yes. We checked everywhere. There is absolutely no record of Scarlett Miller leaving the country.” “So she just… vanished into thin air?” Caleb’s voice isn’t loud, but it’s so cold it makes the assistant shiver. “Since Serena visited her parents eight months ago, there has been zero trace of Scarlett.” “Eight months ago… Serena goes home…” Caleb finally opens his eyes. They are entirely bloodshot. I reach out, gently tracing the line of his cheek, my heart breaking for him. He seems to sense something. His head snaps violently in my direction. I’m so startled I yank my hand back. But it’s just my imagination. His gaze is unfocused; he’s looking at empty space. “Sir, do you think something happened to Scarlett?” “I’m not worried about her.” Caleb waves his hand, dismissing the assistant. In the massive, empty office, I hear his heavy sigh. “Serena… why do I feel like you’ve changed?” He suddenly remembers something, grabs his keys, and drives straight to the apartment I used to rent. I lived in that apartment for over three years. The keypad code is the year of his birth and the day he first confessed his love to me. This room has been empty for exactly eight months. The moment Caleb steps inside, his brows knit tightly together. The apartment is tidy, but you can tell the owner left in a hurry. Caleb slowly runs his finger across the dining table. It comes away coated in a thick layer of dust. Everything inside the refrigerator is rotten and spoiled, emitting a foul odor. Caleb covers the lower half of his face with his hand. A sudden, dark, guttural laugh tears from his throat. “‘There was a family emergency and I had to stay at my parents’ for a couple of days’?” He is teetering on the absolute edge of losing control. I want to reach out and hold him, to tell him I’m right here beside him. But right then, Caleb’s phone rings. It’s Scarlett. Like the start of many typical couple conversations, she asks what he’s doing. “Take a guess?” Caleb’s smile widens. He knows she doesn’t have the answer. “I’m waiting for you at our place.” 5 “Caleb…” Scarlett’s voice is low, trembling slightly. “You left in such a hurry, I forgot to tell you. I don’t live there anymore. I’ll drop you a pin with my new location.” Caleb doesn’t argue. He looks at the location she shares. “Pretty far out, isn’t it? Are you sure you can make the commute every day?” “But I like the peace and quiet. It’s… nice here,” Scarlett says, desperately trying to mimic my tone. I like the peace and quiet. That was a line Scarlett read in my diary. My current rental was quiet and remote, so she naturally assumed that was the reason I chose to live there. The truth was, I rented it because it was cheap. Back then, neither of us had any money. He was trying to save capital to start a business, and I wanted to save as much as I could for him. During that time, we were practically counting pennies. Combined with the insane rent prices near my office, a place like this was my only option. Later, when Caleb was recognized as the billionaire heir, he repeatedly urged me to find a place closer to the city center. But I didn’t want to spend his money. He had just entered that cutthroat family. He wasn’t used to it, and he had a dozen sets of eyes watching his every move. He was walking on thin ice. How could I make selfish demands at a time like that? I like the peace and quiet was just the excuse I used to reject his offer. Caleb didn’t push it. Because from that point on, we rarely got to see each other. I missed him terribly, but I never dared to interrupt his work. He was like a hawk; the vast, open sky was his ultimate destiny. I was willing to be the woman standing quietly behind him, supporting him forever! If only… My mood plummets. They say a few more things, but I don’t listen. When I look up again, Caleb has already hung up the phone. He takes off his jacket, rolls up his sleeves, and starts cleaning the apartment. He cleans it meticulously. He even swaps out the sofa cushions for fresh ones. I watch him sitting exhaustedly on the sofa in the spotless room, my heart aching with a bitter sorrow. I don’t know what he’s clinging to, but I know he’s already started suspecting Scarlett. Scarlett severely underestimated our bond! She underestimated my place in Caleb’s heart. “Where are you? What exactly happened?” Caleb mutters to himself, letting out a heavy sigh into the empty air. “I’m right here. I’m right beside you.” I stand behind the sofa, reaching out to wrap my arms around his neck. Even though I can’t hold him, I just want to nuzzle my face into his hair. He grew up unable to trust anyone. He had zero sense of security. But the day we got together, he held my hand and looked at me dead in the eye. He said that from now on, I was his only safe harbor. I was the only person in the world he was willing to surrender his body and soul to. 6 Caleb treats this apartment as his actual home now. He doesn’t call Scarlett. He just has his assistant quietly dig up everything they can find about me and Scarlett. Scarlett is the one who loses her patience first. She went to all this trouble just to marry Caleb. Now that he’s finally back, he’s completely ignoring her. Caleb doesn’t reject her enthusiasm. He even actively invites her to go grocery shopping with him. Scarlett has memorized my diary backward and forward. She knows my preferences, and she knows some of his. I can see that when it comes to picking out food, she is extremely cautious. “Did you forget? I’m allergic to mangoes,” Caleb says, leaning over her from behind, pressing his hand over hers as she reaches for a mango. He whispers it right next to her ear. That seductive, magnetic voice makes even my ghostly, incorporeal heart race. Scarlett freezes. Mechanically, she puts the mango back on the shelf. Her cheeks flush red, and she lowers her head shyly. “How could I? I was just looking.” Heh. I was with Caleb for years. I didn’t even know he was allergic to mangoes. Every time we got mango shaved ice, he ate just as much of it as I did. Caleb narrows his eyes. He stands up straight, his voice instantly turning cold. “Let’s go. We’re going home.” Scarlett is clearly confused by his sudden shift in attitude. She freezes for a few seconds before quickly hurrying after him. “Caleb, where… where are we going?” she asks nervously, sitting in the passenger seat. “Home,” Caleb chuckles darkly. “What, did you forget the way to your own house?” “But… this isn’t the way home.” It’s not the way to her new rental. It’s the way to my old apartment. I know this road better than anyone. It isn’t a main road, but it never has traffic. Every time we came back from this specific supermarket, we always took this exact route by unspoken agreement. Caleb doesn’t answer. He expertly parks the car in my old spot, grabs the groceries, and heads toward the stairs. Scarlett finally recognizes the building. She researched everything about me, so naturally, she scouted this place. But I bet she only came here a handful of times. She clearly hasn’t memorized this maze of side streets and shortcuts. Caleb walks fast, completely ignoring the fact that Scarlett is wearing high heels, practically running behind him as she clicks frantically against the pavement. “Caleb, slow… slow down.” Scarlett is panting by the time she catches up to him outside the door of my rental. “My hands are full. You open it.” Caleb smiles earnestly, stepping aside to give her room. He genuinely looks like his hands are tied up. “Caleb.” Scarlett awkwardly tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “Did you forget? I don’t live here anymore.” Caleb looks like he just remembered, shrugging with a perfectly natural expression. “I forgot.” Scarlett doesn’t know him, but I do. The more he makes that face, the closer he is to a complete psychotic break. “The lease isn’t even up, and you already forgot the passcode?” Caleb’s smile widens, growing more terrifying by the second. “Did you get rich when you went back to your parents’ house?” Scarlett panics. Before she can explain, Caleb drops the groceries and gently, almost lovingly, takes her right hand. “It doesn’t matter if you forgot the code. Your fingerprint still works, right?” As he speaks, he slowly forces her hand toward the smart lock. Scarlett violently yanks her hand back, clutching it to her chest. “My… my right hand is injured. It hasn’t healed yet. The scanner probably won’t recognize my print.” Looking at Scarlett still trying to act her way out of this, I know she’s finished. Because that lock doesn’t even have a fingerprint scanner. Sure enough, upon hearing her excuse, that dark, guttural laugh rumbles from Caleb’s throat again. He rests a hand gently on Scarlett’s shoulder, his face a mask of pure tenderness. Then, his hand violently drops, grabbing her right arm and yanking her forcefully toward him. Scarlett watches in sheer terror as her fingers are fully exposed to Caleb. She tries to pull away, but his grip is ironclad. “Didn’t you say it was injured?” His voice is impossibly soft. But with his other hand, he pulls a pocketknife from his slacks and, without a second of hesitation, slices deeply across several of her fingers. “Now it looks like it’s injured.” Scarlett lets out a bloodcurdling scream, her face contorting in agony. Terrified out of her mind, the moment Caleb slightly loosens his grip, she doesn’t even care about her bleeding fingers. She turns to run. But Caleb grabs her by the hair, punching the passcode into the door, and practically drags her into the apartment. When it comes to anyone other than me, he has absolutely no concept of the word “gentleman.” “Wh-what are you doing?!” Scarlett slumps pathetically on the floor, staring in horror as Caleb lazily plays with the bloody pocketknife. “We only bought vegetables today. We didn’t buy any meat. Why don’t you… contribute some?” Caleb’s voice is so gentle it could melt snow, but he waves the blade menacingly in front of Scarlett’s face. 7 I always knew Caleb was a little unhinged. I met him when we were in middle school. He was just an orphan from the group home. Even though his grades were always top of the class, he was incredibly isolated. He always had this cold, unapproachable aura. One day after school, I watched a guy two grades above him corner him in an alley. The guy poked Caleb in the chest, calling him a motherless bastard, a stray mutt who didn’t deserve to live, and threatened to kill him one day. One second, Caleb was smiling at the guy. The next second, he kicked the guy so hard in the shin that his leg snapped. The guy collapsed. Before he could even scream for help, Caleb clamped a hand over his mouth. Aside from the initial yelp of pain, the bully couldn’t make another sound. “Shh,” Caleb whispered, the laughter in his throat growing darker. “Since your parents love you so much, let them spend some quality time with you in the hospital.” Wearing the gentlest smile while committing the most brutal acts. That was Caleb Vance. That was the first time I saw him fight. The second time was the year I graduated high school. Because of my parents’ extreme favoritism, I was desperate to escape that house. I scored incredibly high on my exams and was accepted into my dream university. But my parents not only demanded I marry some local thug immediately, but they also wanted my sister to steal my identity and go to university in my place. I fought them tooth and nail. My parents threatened me, saying even if I went to college, they wouldn’t give me a single cent, and threatened to disown me. But I had stopped caring about them a long time ago. Whether I took out loans or worked three jobs, I was going to finish my degree. I thought my persistence would earn me a future. I didn’t expect that the day after my massive blowout with my parents, I would be cornered in an alley by three thugs. They held a knife to my throat and ordered me to strip. When I refused, they slammed me against the wall, covered my mouth, and started tearing at my clothes. I shook my head frantically, making muffled noises of terror, but my limbs were pinned. I couldn’t move. Fear… despair… my mind went completely blank. I felt a sudden chill against my skin, and tears instantly flooded my eyes. I never asked for wealth or luxury. I just wanted to live a normal life. Why did it have to be this hard? Hands were groping all over me. I stared with wide, horrified eyes as one of the men eagerly started unbuckling his belt. I used every ounce of strength I had left to try and break free. But another man grabbed my hair and slammed my head violently against the brick wall. “You’re not happy marrying our boss? You shouldn’t have f*cking provoked us then! Let’s see if anyone wants you after we’re done making you our little bitch!” I didn’t even know what they were talking about. All I knew was that someone was smashing my head against the wall, over and over again. Dizzy, blinded by pain! The moment they let go, I collapsed to the ground. I thought I was going to die in that alley. But the pain didn’t continue. Instead, I heard the sounds of a brutal fight and agonizing screams! Blood was pouring down my forehead, gluing my eyes shut. I struggled to open them, and saw Caleb fighting the three thugs like a man possessed, wielding a heavy metal pipe. He had trained in martial arts. He swung the pipe down on one of the thugs, breaking the man’s arm with a sickening crack. He tossed the pipe aside, ignored their begging, and started beating them to a bloody pulp with his bare hands. “Caleb…” Looking at his bloodshot eyes, I was genuinely terrified he was going to kill them. I tried to stop him, but my voice was pitifully weak. But he heard it instantly. He sprinted over to me. I watched him take off his jacket and drape it over me. Before I could even clearly see his face, I lost consciousness. Caleb called the police. Even though the thugs ended up in the ICU, the police didn’t press charges against Caleb. From their confessions, we learned they had mistaken me for my sister. They were actually hired to force her into marrying their boss. My parents couldn’t bear to let my sister suffer, so they tried to use me as the sacrificial lamb! After that incident, I was mentally unstable for a long time. I was terrified of being touched. I was terrified of knives. My parents and my sister just called me dramatic. They said since nothing actually happened—and even if I had been raped, so what! I wasn’t missing an arm or a leg. They told me to stop making such a big deal out of it. “Is that really how you think?” I will never forget the look of utter heartbreak and rage on Caleb’s face that day. He grabbed my hand and dragged me out of that house. From that day on, I never voluntarily spent another night in that house. In this world, the only person who could bring warmth to him was me. And the only person who could bring warmth to me was him!

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I got early admission to Stanford, but Mia begged me to give my spot to her. When I refused, she cried, “Your family is rich. Going to Stanford is just the icing on the cake for you. But if I go, it could change my whole life…” She even secretly opened my admissions packet. “You’re so smart, even if you take a gap year, you’ll still get into Stanford. But I only have this one chance…” Just like that, my parents and my brother, whose hearts ached for her, forced me to step aside. Later, on my way to enroll at Stanford anyway, I was crushed to death by a semi-truck. After I died, I heard her crying in my brother’s arms, “She only lost her life, but I lost my identity as a Stanford student…” When I opened my eyes again, I was looking at Mia, who was timidly trying to please my parents. I smiled. In this life, as long as she’s miserable, I’ll be happy. 1 The gears of fate began to turn the moment Mia pushed open the front door of my house. And thanks to her, after I died, I was reborn. “Chloe! Don’t just sit there. Come over and meet Mia. She’s going to be part of our family from now on,” my dad called out to me. But Buddy, the golden retriever in my arms, barked aggressively at Mia, his hackles raised, just like in my previous life. Mia’s eyes welled up with tears, and she hid behind my older brother, Liam. “Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, I’m scared. Maybe I should just go back to my own house… sob.” Playing the victim to get her way again. I couldn’t help but sneer. In my past life, the day after Mia arrived, my beloved dog, Buddy, whom I’d raised for three years, was crushed to pieces by a delivery truck. I was too consumed by grief back then to think clearly. But looking back now, who else but Mia could have done it? After all, Buddy had gone through two thousand dollars’ worth of professional training. He was incredibly well-behaved and never ran out into the street. Before my parents could scold Buddy, I cut them off: “Mom, Dad, did you forget? You only agreed to let me bring Buddy home because he’s a good guard dog. If he didn’t bark, that would be a problem!” My parents opened their mouths to speak but stopped themselves. “Ah, right. Don’t be scared, Mia. Buddy just barks at strangers. He’ll get used to you.” Catching the word “strangers,” I couldn’t help but let the corners of my mouth curl up. Mia bit her lip a little harder. “Stranger”—that was the word Mia hated most in this life. Meanwhile, my idiot brother, Liam, grabbed a water bottle and threw it at Buddy. “Stupid dog, if you bark again, I’ll eat you!” Buddy whimpered and lay by my feet, looking full of grievance. I rubbed his little head. Mia’s mother was my mom’s best friend. Two days ago, she and her husband died in a car accident. Rumor had it they were on their way to pick Mia up from dance class. Unable to bear seeing Mia become an orphan, my parents brought her straight to our house. They constantly whispered in my ear about how pitiful Mia was and how I needed to let her have her way. In my past life, I yielded to her at every turn, but it only made her bolder. She used her manipulative, “pick-me” tactics to steal all the affection from my family, and eventually, she set her sights on my early admission spot to Stanford. Because of that, I died a gruesome death in a car crash on my way to enroll. Only after I died did I learn how despicable and cheap I was in Mia’s stories. Being reborn, if I let these idiots hurt me even a little bit, I’d have lived this second life in vain! 2 Just like in my previous life, Mia fully moved into our house. To make her feel more at ease, Liam started coming up with terrible ideas again. “Chloe, let Mia have your room. You can take the guest room. I’ll take you to buy new furniture tomorrow, okay?” Here we go again. I didn’t see through it before I died. Only after did I realize my own brother and Mia were having an affair. Or rather, Mia had a clear target and was gunning for my brother from the very beginning. “Chloe, what are you thinking about? I’m talking to you!” I swatted away Liam’s hand waving in front of my face and bluntly refused this time: “No.” Mia opened her mouth, then lowered her eyes submissively and tugged at the hem of Liam’s shirt. “It’s fine, I’ll just sleep in the guest room.” I crossed my arms and watched her perform in silence, even nodding in agreement. “Yeah, Liam. I’ve lived in this bedroom for eighteen years. I can’t just give it up.” Liam glared at me, scolding me for being unreasonable. I tilted my head, ready to manually open Liam’s mind. In my past life, I was always the one yielding to Mia. In this life, Liam can be the one to yield: “You know, Liam makes a good point.” I nodded. Just as Liam’s expression softened, I pivoted: “Then Mia can just sleep in your bedroom!” The smile that had just appeared on Liam’s face instantly froze, and the tips of his ears turned red. “No, I… that wouldn’t be appropriate.” Heh. I blinked innocently at Mia. “Then you’ll just have to make do with the guest room…” After closing my door, I heard Mia mumble a few words. And then Liam’s bedroom was no longer his. Either way, I wasn’t the one yielding. What did it matter to me? 3 The next day, Mia offered to walk Buddy, claiming it would help them bond. Buddy wore a harness but absolutely refused to budge. Watching this scene, my eyes slowly filled with tears. In my previous life, I had personally pushed Buddy out the door and made him go with Mia. This life… I smiled and took the leash back from Mia: “Mia, you just got here. How could I let you walk the dog? Look, Mom and Dad aren’t home, and Liam is right over there. Why don’t you go bond with him instead?” After saying that, I took Buddy and left the house. I walked him around the block and then went to the backyard. Buddy and I pressed our faces against the glass door. I wanted to see exactly when Mia and Liam hooked up. The two of them were sitting in the living room. Everything seemed normal at first. About three minutes later, Mia suddenly stood up but grabbed her head, swaying unsteadily. Seeing this, Liam hurried to support her. Mia conveniently collapsed, her soft curves pressing directly against Liam’s arm. In that moment, Liam froze. No wonder. No wonder the brother who used to dote on me completely changed after Mia arrived. In my past life, Liam even hit me twice for Mia’s sake. Makes sense. With a beautiful girl throwing herself at him, what does a younger sister matter? 4 That very evening, Liam suggested Mia transfer to my private prep school. I raised both hands and feet in support. My parents looked at me, a hint of relief on their faces: “Chloe, you’re finally acting mature.” I chuckled dryly. In my past life, with Mia acting all sweet and innocent at home, my own parents didn’t give me an ounce of trust. Even after I got the early admission spot to Stanford, they unanimously told me to give it to Mia. Mia nervously fiddled with her chopsticks. “But that’s an elite prep school. I’m afraid I won’t fit in.” As soon as she said that, my mom immediately offered to take her shopping for clothes. I put down my chopsticks. “No need! I have so many clothes in my closet. Once Mia transfers to our school, I need to take good care of her. I’ll definitely give her some of my clothes then.” My parents exchanged a hesitant look, while Liam’s eyes lit up and he nodded. He nudged Mia’s arm: “Chloe’s clothes are all designer pieces. Even the limited editions aren’t always available in stores.” “Okay.” Mia agreed readily, but I saw her toes curling tightly against the floor under the table. A flash of resentment crossed those seemingly innocent eyes. I was in a great mood. Only after I died in my past life did I realize Mia completely took my good intentions for granted. I used to feel sorry for her, so I cut the tags off many new clothes and gave them to her. But in her mouth, it turned into me treating her like a garbage can. Since she was so willing to degrade herself, I’d grant her wish in this life! When we picked out clothes that night, I deliberately left all the closet doors wide open. Shock flashed across Mia’s face, followed by an undeniable eagerness. She especially couldn’t tear her eyes away from the clothes with huge designer logos. Seeing this, I smiled. Just like in her past life, she was short-sighted, only seeing the logos and not the quality. “Chloe, thank you so much. Can I have these few pieces…?” I smiled and agreed, pulling out all the logo-heavy clothes she was eyeing and handing them to her: “Sure! We’re family now. These are all yours.” I said “family” with a thick layer of sarcasm. Unfortunately, not only did she miss it, but the corners of her mouth twitched upwards uncontrollably. Her gaze landed on my jewelry, and she deliberately touched her bare neck: “I hope so. It’s just that I…” I understood instantly. I shoved a bunch of chunky, gaudy, sparkling jewelry into her arms. “Now your outfit is complete!” 5 When I saw Mia the next day, I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. Even Liam frowned imperceptibly. We were both wearing understated designer pieces, while Mia was dressed like a flamboyant peacock. “These are the clothes you gave Mia?” I shook my head innocently. “She picked these out herself.” In my past life, Mia had wanted to dress like this too, but I stopped her. In the end, she didn’t embarrass herself, but she held a grudge against me instead. This life, of course, I was going to let her fly her freak flag! “Liam, do I look okay like this?” Mia intentionally flipped her hair. The gaudy rings on her hands were blinding. Liam glared at me. “It’s fine. You look beautiful!” I smiled coldly. My parents went to handle Mia’s enrollment, and she ended up in the same homeroom as me. I confidently walked into the bustling crowd of students, while Mia followed awkwardly behind. To “take care” of her… “Chloe, where should I sit?” Her soft, sweet voice immediately caught the attention of several classmates who turned to look. But the moment they clearly saw Mia, everyone’s mouths twitched, and they looked at me. I understood instantly, frowning and shaking my head slightly: “You can sit anywhere. The teacher will be here soon.” Mia looked around and finally found an empty seat right in the middle of the classroom and sat down. Some people smirked, others rolled their eyes. I just raised an eyebrow. In my past life, Mia sat there too, but only because I forced her to. This time, without my help, she sat there purely on the strength of her own thick skin. 6 To let Mia fully unleash her “pick-me” attributes. I deliberately took a week off school. During that time, my friends texted me to complain. [Why haven’t you come back yet? [If you don’t come back soon, the Sterling family’s eldest daughter is going to be that Mia. [She has zero taste and dresses like a trashy peacock, but insists you told her to dress like that. Now everyone misunderstands and thinks you have malicious intentions!] I laughed. I didn’t explain, nor did I go back. After all, if I went back, how could the knock-off throw her weight around? I wanted Mia to stand on a pedestal so she could fall hard. When Mia came home for the weekend, she was exuding confidence. Right before my parents got home, she dove into the kitchen to cook: “Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, you’re home? “I’m making pork rib soup for you tonight.” I didn’t say a word, but two sharp glares shot my way. “Chloe Sterling! “What did Mom and Dad tell you? You come home from school and watch TV, while Mia is in the kitchen cooking! “You said you’d be mature. Mature, my foot. You’re really disappointing us.” Liam gripped the remote control, fanning the flames. “Exactly. I just told her that, but she wouldn’t listen.” Here we go again. Just like in my past life! I was scolded into obediently going into the kitchen, only to get splattered in the face with hot oil, leaving several large blisters. This life… I leisurely held up my phone and opened my photo gallery: “What are you talking about? Mia was sitting on the couch playing on her phone a minute ago. She only went into the kitchen when you guys walked in.” Mia, in the kitchen, panicked. “Wh… what?” I smiled and showed her a video I had just recorded: “Sorry, I was just taking a selfie video and happened to catch you in the background.” 7 Mia’s cheeks instantly flushed red. I don’t know if she was burning with shame. Even the expressions of the parents who had been defending her turned subtle. “Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, I… “Actually, you guys…” Liam clicked his tongue and interrupted, “What nonsense are you talking about? “Mia is just thoughtful and wanted to show off her cooking skills. She didn’t say anything. You’re the one making a fuss over nothing, Chloe, causing everyone to misunderstand.” Mhm… My brother is an expert at shifting the blame: “Chloe, are you jealous that Mia is in our house?” Jealous? I was more than jealous; I wanted to tear her apart. But on the surface, I scratched my head looking apologetic, even saying “sorry” to Mia: “Sorry about that. Maybe I really did misunderstand you. “So, keep going with the pork rib soup? I want to taste your cooking too.” My parents looked pleased with my good attitude, but Mia was stunned. I laughed. Because I knew she had no idea how to make pork rib soup. She was just pretending! But since the fire was already lit, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and go back into the kitchen. The four of us sat in a row on the sofa watching TV. Ten minutes later, we heard Mia scream. Everyone jogged over. In the kitchen, Mia was squatting on the floor, covering her face. 8 There were three blisters on her pale cheek. Glancing at the ribs she had just pulled out of the water, I covered my mouth. “Oh my, you silly girl. Of course hot oil will splatter if you put water in it.” Mia was crying from the pain, and my idiot brother was stamping his feet in distress. I deliberately covered my mouth and gasped, “Oh no! Hurry, go to the hospital! What if her face is ruined!” As soon as I said that, Mia was terrified. On the way back from getting ointment at the hospital, the atmosphere in the car was oppressively tense. As soon as we got home, Liam slapped me across the face. I deliberately didn’t dodge. My cheek felt numb and hot. “Liam, why did you hit me?” I cried. I faked it. Liam had one arm around Mia and pointed at my nose with the other: “You still have the nerve to ask! If you hadn’t pressured her, why would Mia have cooked? How else would she have gotten three blisters on her face!” Looking at the three red spots on Mia’s cheek, I felt happy despite the slap! But on the surface, I looked at my parents: “Mom, I had nothing to do with this. Why aren’t you saying anything to Liam!” The couple shared a rare moment of unspoken agreement, looking away from my face: “Chloe, you only got slapped once. But the burns on Mia’s face might leave scars. “Mia is an orphan now. We can’t let her suffer in our house. Go to your room and reflect on your actions.” I smiled brightly: “Right. One minute before you got home, she went into the kitchen. I forced her to. “She said herself she wanted to make pork rib soup for you. I forced her to. “She messed around when she didn’t know what she was doing. I forced her to. “Are you two sure you’re fit to be parents?” When I finished, I saw the embarrassment flash across the faces of the people opposite me. My mom hesitated, about to say something, but I ignored her, turned around, and went to my room. Having lived through my past life, I had absolutely no hope for this family. So, I wasn’t going to take that slap for nothing. 9 By the time I went back to school, Mia had already become quite popular in my class. As soon as class ended, people crowded around her, showing concern. “Mia, what happened to your face?” “How did you end up like this just by going home for a couple of days?” Mia didn’t answer directly. Instead, she looked at me hesitantly a couple of times: “Ah, it’s nothing. I wasn’t careful.” My classmates’ looks toward me shifted. Two of the blunter ones even started making passive-aggressive remarks. “I heard that Mia is the Sterling family’s foster daughter now. She goes home for two days and ends up like this. She must be getting bullied.” Mia tugged at their sleeves and shook them gently. “It’s not like that, stop talking…” That explanation was worse than no explanation at all. But, I opened my mouth, and I was going to speak my piece. I took two steps forward and, in front of everyone, brushed aside the hair covering my cheek: “Mia, are you intentionally trying to make everyone misunderstand me? “You said yourself you wanted to make pork rib soup to thank my family. You accidentally burned your face, and my brother came home and slapped me without asking any questions. “Between the two of us, who is the innocent one?” I spoke louder and louder, wishing the whole world could hear. My classmates fell silent. Seeing that no one was taking her side anymore, she blinked and was about to cry. I preempted her: “Cry! Cry! Cry! “Because you cried, the brother I grew up with hit me for the first time! Now you’re crying again. Do you want everyone to misunderstand me and isolate me!” Mia’s spellcasting was violently interrupted by me. After I finished, I started wailing at the top of my lungs. Mia stared at me blankly, for a moment forgetting to even react. My classmates exchanged glances, and my friends started adding fuel to the fire. “This Mia looks weak and fragile, but she’s full of lies.” “She’s so manipulative. Is she intentionally trying to cause drama among classmates? Did she know we all come from prominent families and is doing this on purpose?” After a few sentences, the classmates who were just siding with Mia switched sides. No matter how she explained, it was useless. Taking advantage of the situation, I swapped out Mia’s burn ointment. Without that pitiful, pathetic face. I wanted to see how she could play the innocent victim anymore! 10 With college entrance exams approaching, I battled wits with Mia while studying hard. My grades steadily improved, while she became increasingly anxious: “Chloe, could you tutor me a bit?” Looking up at her face, which looked as if she had been wronged, I wanted to laugh. She continued as usual: “I know you’re still mad about what happened before. “I’m sorry, I misunderstood you. Please, if you’re really that angry, I’ll kneel down and apologize in front of everyone.” Everyone looked over again. I couldn’t hold back a laugh, sitting straight in my seat, looking at her with a beaming smile. Seeing that I didn’t stop her, Mia was stunned: “Chloe, I… I’ll kneel down and admit my mistake.” I blinked and nodded in agreement. “Sure, go ahead and kneel.” Mia choked on her words. She looked around helplessly, but not a single person in the whole class spoke up for her. She stood in front of my desk, caught between kneeling and not kneeling. “Tsk.” I shook my head. “You say you want me to forgive you, forgive you for what? For last time? But didn’t that happen a long time ago? If you want me to tutor you, just ask nicely. Why pull this stunt? “If people didn’t know better, they’d think I was bullying you.” Mia shook her head frantically. “It’s not like that. Chloe, you misunderstood. I just wanted to ask you a few questions. “You have good grades and a good family background. I became an orphan at a young age and have to rely on others. Maybe I’m too insecure and sensitive. Since you want me to kneel, then I’ll kneel.” Mia bent her knees to kneel down, but before I could speak, a loud shout came from the doorway. Liam took a few large strides, rushed in front of me, and pulled Mia behind him. Typical. If she was willing to put on this act, it meant Liam was definitely here. I wasn’t surprised, watching Liam spew nonsense: “Chloe Sterling, don’t go too far! Is this what you meant by not bullying people? “Is this what you promised Mom and Dad at home? And you kept saying you’d take care of Mia!” This time, I didn’t speak. I just silently signaled my friends. Two or three people gathered in front of me, shielding me behind them. “I think you’re the one who can’t tell who your own sister is, right?” “Yelling at your own sister for an outsider. Look for yourself, the swelling on Chloe’s face from when you hit her still hasn’t completely gone down!” Liam was rendered speechless by the questioning. His face flushed red before he managed to squeeze out that both were his sisters. Quite a few people in the class laughed. Everyone could see it clearly. Someone in the crowd even asked, “Biological sister, or ‘romantic’ sister?” Everyone erupted in laughter. Mia cried from anger, and Liam’s gaze toward me darkened. That look was familiar. It was the exact same expression Liam had on the day of my car accident in my previous life. For some reason, a cloud of suspicion gathered in my mind. In my previous life, my whole family wanted me to give the Stanford spot to Mia. After I refused, I set off on the road to Stanford alone. But was that car crash really an accident?

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In my previous life, I was hacked to death in the street by my mother’s debt collectors, my body left to rot in the open. It was only then that I learned the truth: the massive, life-ruining debt wasn’t even hers. It belonged to my aunt. My mother simply couldn’t bear to see her precious younger sister chased by loan sharks, so she took the entire burden upon herself. When I opened my eyes again, I was reborn on the exact day my mother signed that promissory note. I grabbed our family’s essential documents, shoved them into my dad’s hands, and said, “Dad, you two need to get a divorce.” 1 My mom suddenly owed over a million dollars. For an ordinary, middle-class family like ours, it was a death sentence. My dad, unable to bear abandoning her, took the heavy burden upon his shoulders. From then on, our family of four worked ourselves to the bone. We sold our house, lived out of suitcases hiding from collectors, set up street stalls to make pennies, and constantly borrowed from Peter to pay Paul. We never had a single decent meal. Finally, after four grueling years, we had paid off around $400,000. There was still over $700,000 left to go. That day happened to be my little brother’s birthday. We had rarely splurged, but we bought a fresh fish and were just sitting down to eat. That was when Victor, the biggest loan shark of them all, kicked our door in. He had been a gang enforcer in his youth. Both of his massive arms were completely covered in intricate, intimidating tattoos of dragons and tigers. With a casual flick of his wrist, he flipped our flimsy dining table upside down. The food scattered across the floor. It was such a waste. Victor sneered, looking like a demon straight out of hell. “Sarah, where the hell else do you think you can hide? When are you paying me my money? Speak!” My mom’s voice trembled in terror. “Vic, I just sent you $4,000 last month. I’ll pay you the rest slowly, I swear.” Victor lost his patience. “Four thousand a month? At that rate, you’ll be paying off a $500,000 loan until the next ice age! And with the interest compounding, you will literally never clear this debt.” Victor lit a cigarette and sat down heavily on a chair. “If you don’t want to die today, give me your sister Brenda’s address. I’ll go collect from her.” My mom immediately panicked, her eyes turning red. “You can’t go after my sister! She’s struggling so much right now. Come after me.” My dad hesitated, then cautiously spoke up: “Sarah, no matter how much Brenda is struggling, she’s doing better than us. I heard she just bought a two-thousand-dollar purebred cat last month. Maybe… maybe you could ask her to lend us a little to hold them off?” My mom glared viciously at my dad. The moment Brenda was mentioned, she suddenly found her backbone. “I will prioritize getting the money for you during this period! But if you want Brenda’s address, you’ll have to kill me first!” Victor was enraged. He slammed his hand against a cabinet. “Give you this period? Do you have any idea how many years you’ve been saying that?! Since you want to play the martyr so badly, I’ll take this $500,000 out of your hide today!” Furious, Victor kicked my mom to the floor. My dad rushed forward to help, but Victor’s goons dragged him away and started beating him mercilessly. Watching my little brother crying hysterically, I immediately grabbed my phone to dial 911. But that only enraged Victor further. He lunged at me, slapped me hard across the face, and smashed my phone against the wall. I grabbed a kitchen knife to defend myself. He easily disarmed me, then began punching me, blow after agonizing blow. He took the knife. As I scrambled to escape out the door, he hacked at my back, screaming curses: “You’ve got a young, pretty daughter right here! Why hasn’t she sold herself to pay off the debt, huh?!” Victor had completely lost his mind. I stumbled, fell, and scrambled up again, only for him to catch me. He chased me out of the apartment and straight into the street. He was seeing red. He beat me until I was barely clinging to life. The cuts on my body grew deeper and deeper. Every slash was more brutal than the last. “You haven’t paid me a dime in years! I’ve given your family too much grace! That bitch Brenda said she’d pay me back the second month. It’s been twenty f*cking years! Can she even pay it back now?!” Victor’s goons finally rushed over and pulled him back, panicking. “Boss, stop! You’re gonna kill her! This kid looks like she’s barely in her twenties! You can’t keep hacking at her like this!” I looked down and saw my face bruised and swollen, my back covered in horrifying, deep gashes. A trail of my own blood stretched from our apartment all the way out to the asphalt. 2 I knew right then that I was dead. I could perfectly see my own mangled, bloody corpse lying on the pavement, and I couldn’t feel a single ounce of pain anymore. Victor finally snapped out of his rage. He jumped back, collapsing onto the ground, looking genuinely terrified by what he had done. My mom rushed out of the building. She threw herself over my corpse, sobbing as she looked at the loan sharks. “My daughter just paid off the debt with her life! You can’t go after Brenda anymore!” My soul felt like it had been struck by lightning. I had been hacked to death, yet my mother’s first thought—her primary concern—was making sure her sister wouldn’t be inconvenienced! Victor looked at my mom, his expression incredibly complicated. “Since your daughter paid with her life, I’ll consider that $500,000 a total loss!” He took a few steps, then turned back to my mom. “Your daughter having a mother like you… she’s unluckier than I am. “That money was borrowed by Brenda. You insisted on taking the fall for her. Even if you sold every single thing your family owned, it wouldn’t even cover the cost of one of Brenda’s designer bags. I genuinely don’t understand why you’re playing the hero!” My mom aggressively wiped away her tears, her voice stubborn and proud. “I am the older sister. It is my absolute duty to protect my younger siblings from the storms of life. It was worth it!” Worth it? I felt like I had been struck by lightning again. This massive debt had forced our family to live like rats scurrying in the gutters. It had cost me my life. And in the end, she looked at my corpse and said, “I’m the older sister. It was worth it.” Then what was my dad? What was my little brother? What was I?! My dad arrived, saw my lifeless body on the ground, and broke down sobbing uncontrollably. The sheer agony was too much, and he passed out on the street. The neighbors called the police. At the police station, Victor claimed it was manslaughter. My mom agreed that our family was at fault first, signed a letter of forgiveness, and declared the debt settled with my life. Victor only got three years in prison. As for my Aunt Brenda? She didn’t even bother to show up to my funeral. My dad cried at my grave for a full day and night before completely losing his mind. When I opened my eyes again, I was reborn. 3 “If I owed a million dollars, would you help me pay it off?” My mom sat on the edge of the bed, folding laundry, asking my dad in an artificially casual tone. My dad, who was playing a game of digital Connect Four on the computer, turned around and looked at her in confusion. This exact scene was too painfully familiar. In my past life, it played out exactly like this. My mom was furious because my dad had only given her family an $800 cash gift for a recent celebration. She accused him of not caring enough about her side of the family and threatened to divorce him. She had given him the silent treatment all day. In my past life, my dad was thrilled that she finally initiated a conversation. “No matter what happens in the future, I will always carry the burden with you.” And my dad was a man of his word. Over the next few years, even when he fell ill and couldn’t handle heavy labor, he persevered, constantly working to pay off the massive debt she claimed was from a “failed investment.” Perhaps it was my dad’s unwavering sense of responsibility that gave her the audacity. She knew she had a safety net, which was why she recklessly took on that toxic debt for her sister, dragging our family down with her. It got me killed, drove my dad insane, and forced my little brother to live a life of transient poverty from the age of one and a half. Before my dad could answer, I immediately interrupted them. “Mom, Dad, weren’t you guys talking about getting a divorce yesterday? Are we going to the courthouse this morning or this afternoon?” My mom froze, looking incredibly awkward. Remembering her threat from yesterday, her face darkened again. “I already sent Brenda another $200 to make up for the cash gift. If your father takes his paycheck this month to buy your cousin Mason a new gaming console, and goes with me to Brenda’s house to apologize, I might consider holding off on…” I pulled out our family’s essential legal documents and shoved them directly into my dad’s hands. “I fully support you two getting a divorce. Dad, since Mom thinks you treat the people she cares about so terribly, you should just let her go.” Please, Mom, let my dad go! My dad took the documents, looked at my mom, then at me, and lowered his eyes guiltily. My mom immediately switched to a sorrowful, victimized expression, dredging up the past again. “When you had absolutely nothing, no family to speak of, I chose to be with you. I didn’t want anything from you except for you to treat me well, and to treat my family well…” My dad had always felt deeply indebted to my mom because she didn’t look down on him for being an orphan. My mom constantly used this fact to emotionally manipulate him, keeping him tightly under her thumb. I chimed in: “Exactly! Dad, Mom treats you so well, yet when Aunt Brenda hosted that graduation party for Kevin, you couldn’t even bear to give a $1,000 cash gift! Remember how generous Aunt Brenda was when my little brother had his one-month celebration last year?” My mom’s face instantly became incredibly uncomfortable. I faked righteous indignation. “This divorce has to happen. Dad’s behavior is completely unacceptable.” My mom let out an awkward, strained laugh: “Actually, your dad isn’t that unforgivable.” My dad muttered, clearly feeling wronged: “At your brother’s one-month celebration, your sister and her husband only gave $200, and they borrowed that $200 from you! I don’t even know if they ever paid you back!” “I’m the older sister! What’s wrong with giving a slightly larger cash gift to take care of my younger siblings?!” The moment anyone dared to criticize her family, my mom’s face would twist in anger. She threw the folded clothes aside, ready to explode at my dad. Just then, my mom’s phone, which was charging on the nightstand, started ringing. 4 Seeing “Brenda” on the caller ID, I immediately stepped forward, answered the call, and put it on speaker. My aunt’s voice echoed through the room: “Hey, Sis, have you thought it over?” Hearing this, my mom practically lunged across the room in three strides, snatching the phone from my hand and furiously turning off the speaker. She shot a guilty, panicked look at my dad, who had gone back to playing Connect Four. I asked, pretending not to care, “Thought what over?” My mom stammered her response to my aunt: “I still don’t know what Arthur thinks about it… Let me think about it a little more…” I don’t know what was said on the other end, but it was likely my aunt losing her temper. My mom’s brow furrowed deeper and deeper. After hanging up, my mom said, “Arthur, I need to go over to Brenda’s house later.” 5 My dad looked surprised. “Didn’t you just get back from her place a couple of days ago?” “This is different. After Kevin’s graduation party ended, they kept two tables of close friends and family around for a private get-together. They invited me to come over for a bit.” My dad nodded in understanding. A sharp memory from my past life violently surfaced. It was exactly after attending this specific “family gathering” at my aunt’s house that my mom suddenly came home burdened with over a million dollars in debt. Every single promissory note had her bright red thumbprint on it, explicitly acknowledging the debt in black and white. There were seven or eight different loan sharks involved. There were definitely hidden details about this gathering that my dad and I were never privy to. This time, I was absolutely not going to let our family repeat the same fatal mistake. “Dad, I really want to go celebrate Kevin’s graduation too! Let’s all go with Mom.” My mom was naturally thrilled; she always desperately wanted us to be more involved with her side of the family. Before my dad could refuse, I added, “Mom was just talking about divorcing you because you don’t treat her family well. You can’t just skip out and make her lose face in front of her family today.” Persuaded by my logic, my dad agreed. My mom happily took us out to buy Mason a gaming console first. 6 I stared at the $300 gaming console, then looked at the “toy” my little brother was currently playing with—a cheap, empty plastic wrapper from a pack of wafers. My mom was always like this. Regardless of the price, she prioritized giving the best of everything to her younger siblings and their children. Even down to a single bowl of rice, or a single orange. Whenever I, my brother, and Mason were together, if my mom had three oranges, she would give two to Mason, and my brother and I had to share the remaining one. I was so confused at the time. “Shouldn’t everyone get one? Why does Mason get two?” My mom scolded me for being selfish. “How can you compare yourselves to him? You are my children, you have to be on my side. You need to be accommodating.” She deprived herself, and she deprived her own children, just to be endlessly generous to everyone else. She was always like this—boundlessly giving to outsiders, incredibly harsh to her own flesh and blood. My brother sat next to me. With a little squeeze of his hand, the plastic wrapper made a loud crackle. He giggled, completely carefree, blissfully unaware that his life was about to be turned upside down. I pointed to a remote-control car on the shelf. “Mom, my brother can play with that remote-control car too. It’s twenty dollars cheaper than the gaming console. If you’re buying one, you should buy the car for my brother too.” My dad grabbed the remote-control car, placed it in the basket, and smiled. “We’ll buy both.” My mom’s face changed instantly. She snatched the remote-control car out of the basket, put it back on the shelf, and then tentatively asked me: “Avery, why don’t you skip going to that expensive private university? It costs too much. The family doesn’t have the money to support it.” My dad immediately asked, “What do you mean we don’t have the money?” My mom stammered, “There are going to be a lot of places we need to spend money later on. We need to start saving.” I looked at the expensive gift she was holding for Mason and let out a harsh, incredulous laugh. “Saving up my college tuition so you can buy your sister’s son a gaming console?!” “How dare you speak to me like that!” My mom raised her hand to slap me, but my dad intercepted her arm. He said firmly, “It doesn’t matter if I have to work harder. Avery is absolutely going to that university.” My mom opened her mouth, then clamped it shut, saying nothing more. My nose stung. In my past life, after my mom took on that massive debt, I dropped out of college. I worked alongside them, running street stalls, leaving before dawn, and returning after midnight, hauling heavy sacks of rice and fighting for discounted vegetables at the market. I caught my dad secretly wiping away tears so many times, feeling like he had failed me. In my past life, the loan sharks went to the hospital where my dad worked to harass him, causing him to lose his job as a respected surgeon. He ended up hawking cheap goods at a night market. Unless we were truly at a dead end, he would never have agreed to let me drop out of college. 7 My aunt opened the door. When she saw my dad and me, her hand clearly froze on the doorknob. She obviously hadn’t expected us to come. She forced a stiff, unnatural smile. “Oh, Arthur and Avery came too~” My mom smiled warmly. “Yeah, Arthur bought a gaming console for Mason, and some action figures for Kevin, to celebrate him getting into college.” My aunt glanced into the living room, her smile looking incredibly strained. I noticed a designer bag hanging on the entryway hook and smiled brightly. “Aunt Brenda, is that your new bag?” Seeing me notice the bag, my aunt beamed, a hint of arrogance flashing in her eyes. “Of course. It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?” “It’s beautiful,” I said. Of course it was beautiful. It was an authentic Louis Vuitton; it better be beautiful. My aunt took the gaming console. “Come on in and sit down.” Stepping inside, I saw over a dozen people crowded into the long living room. There were seven or eight older relatives I recognized, and seven or eight unfamiliar faces. Among the unfamiliar faces, I locked eyes with someone I knew intimately. My heart gave a violent tremor, a primal, physiological terror washing over me, making my body shake. That man was Victor, the loan shark who hacked me to death in my past life. I forced myself to calm down, reassuring myself that right now, he didn’t know me. He naturally wouldn’t target me, let alone hurt me. And my only job today was to ensure my family cut all ties with this catastrophic, life-ruining debt. My aunt truly was a master manipulator. It was obvious now: in my past life, my mom had been pressured into signing those promissory notes right here, in front of this group of elder relatives. Confused and manipulated, she stamped her bright red thumbprint on every page, transforming my aunt’s borrowed money into our family’s toxic debt. 8 Before we even had a chance to warm our seats, a middle-aged woman on the sofa suddenly burst into loud, theatrical wails. “My husband is still in the hospital! That $7,000 is literally life-saving money! I’m begging you, just pay me back first!” My dad was stunned, clearly bewildered by the sudden outburst. My aunt cast a few anxious, pleading glances at my mom, who immediately understood her assignment. She stepped forward and helped the wailing woman up. “It’s $7,000, right?” The woman looked at my mom in confusion. My mom pulled out her phone and checked her bank balance. “Scan my Venmo QR code, or give me your bank routing number. I’ll transfer it to you right now!” She was about to transfer $7,000 without a second thought. Even my dad, who usually didn’t manage the household finances, was suspicious. He asked my mom, “Sarah, what is this $7,000 for?” My mom looked at my dad, desperately trying to formulate an explanation. My aunt quickly stepped in to clarify: “My sister owes Mrs. Martinez $7,000. Mr. Martinez is in the hospital with kidney failure, and they desperately need the money for dialysis to save his life.” The moment those words left her mouth, not only my dad, but even Mrs. Martinez looked confused. Mrs. Martinez looked at my aunt, then back at my mom, who was holding her phone ready to transfer the money. The phrase “But you’re the one who borrowed the money” died on her lips. My dad asked, “Sarah, what exactly is going on here?” My mom thought for a second, then lied smoothly: “I lost some money on a bad investment. I borrowed it from Mrs. Martinez. Since her husband desperately needs it for life-saving treatment right now, we need to withdraw it and pay her back to cover the emergency.” Hearing this, although my dad looked unhappy, he knew that debts must be paid. It was only right, and there was nothing else to be done. Watching my dad sit back down, my aunt clearly let out a massive sigh of relief. She turned to address the room: “I told you my sister would definitely pay back the money. There won’t be any issues. “Today is supposed to be a celebration for my Kevin. Can we discuss the rest of these matters later?” Seeing my mom generously stepping up to take responsibility, the other creditors assumed she was a wealthy, easy mark, so they didn’t raise any further objections. As Mrs. Martinez was scanning my mom’s Venmo code, I muted the TV, picked up the karaoke microphone, and stood up. “Hello everyone. My name is Avery, Sarah’s daughter. Excuse me, but are there any other people in this room that my mom owes money to? “My parents are getting a divorce soon. We’re here to clear up all the marital debts right now.” 9 Divorce? My aunt’s eyes bulged out of her head. She knew better than anyone that my mom was a stay-at-home housewife with zero income. The entire family relied on my dad’s salary. If they got divorced, my mom would have absolutely no way to shoulder over a million dollars in debt. She immediately rushed forward, her face twisted in rage, pointing a furious finger at me. “Avery, what nonsense are you spewing?! A marriage isn’t something you can just end on a whim! “As a daughter, shouldn’t you be wishing for your parents to be happy? How can you be so incredibly ignorant and disrespectful?!” I blinked innocently. “It’s true. If you don’t believe me, you can ask my mom. They were literally planning to go to the courthouse to file the divorce papers today. We only delayed it because you called us over.” I turned the volume on the microphone up and shouted again. “Since no one is answering, if my parents walk out that door, we are absolutely not recognizing any debts that magically appear later!” Still, no one stepped forward. After all, they knew the money was personally borrowed by my aunt, not my mom. Hearing that the divorce hadn’t been finalized yet, my aunt clearly let out a sigh of relief. Terrified that my parents might actually go straight to the courthouse after leaving today, she made a desperate gamble. She turned to my dad. “Arthur, please don’t be angry. My sister only owes a little over a million dollars. She had a failed investment. Please don’t blame her. In business, there are always wins and losses. You need to look at the big picture. If your whole family works together, you’ll definitely pay it all off eventually.” My dad’s entire body violently jolted. He looked like he was about to pass out from sheer rage. The creditors looked equally confused, exchanging bewildered glances. Wasn’t Brenda the one who borrowed the money? Why did this guy suddenly appear out of nowhere to take the fall as the ultimate sucker? My aunt noticed their confusion and quickly turned back to the creditors: “Everyone, please don’t worry. My brother-in-law is a highly respected surgeon at the county hospital. He has a very secure, high-paying job. He will slowly but surely pay back every cent he owes you.” Her ambiguous phrasing gave the creditors hope, while simultaneously keeping my dad completely in the dark about the true nature of the debt. I walked over to my dad and looked earnestly at my mom. “This million dollars… did you really borrow it?” My mom paused, glancing at my aunt’s pitiful, pleading face, and gritted her teeth. “Yes. It’s my debt.” I nodded slowly. “Okay. In that case, can you name every creditor in this room? “Do you remember exactly how much money you owe to each person?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “422569”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

On the subway to work, I overheard an old woman bragging to another older lady. “Girls these days are so easy,” she scoffed. “I just taught my son to put in a tiny bit of effort—like making them a cup of hot tea when it’s their time of the month, or bringing them an umbrella when it rains. And boom, these shameless women throw themselves at him. Thanks to my methods, my son is juggling eight girlfriends right now.” Hiding behind the crowd, listening to her, I felt sick to my stomach. I silently took eight seconds to mourn for those eight poor “sisters.” I never expected that the very next day, I’d be going to meet the parents of my boyfriend of three years. Unless I was suddenly blind, the old lady standing in front of me was the exact same woman who had been bragging on the subway about her son’s eight girlfriends. And I had become one of those “shameless women with interchangeable parts” she had sneered about. 1 Because my car was unexpectedly in the shop for maintenance, I took the subway that day so I wouldn’t be late for work. On the train, an old lady was loudly bragging to another older woman. “Girls these days are so easy. I just taught my son to put in a tiny bit of effort—like making them a cup of hot tea when it’s their time of the month, or bringing them an umbrella when it rains. And boom, these shameless women throw themselves at him, one after another. Thanks to my methods, my son is juggling eight girlfriends right now.” “Let me tell you, raising a son is all about strategy,” she continued. “Whenever my son doesn’t listen to me, I warn him, ‘I’m the one who got you all these women. If you don’t listen, I’ll stop helping you.’ He gets so scared he does whatever I say. I always tell him, every woman has the same parts anyway, so he’ll definitely find one he likes.” I was hiding behind the crowd, listening to her, and feeling physically sick. I mentally took eight seconds of silence for those eight poor girls. I never expected that the very next day, I’d be going to meet the parents of Carter, my boyfriend of three years. The moment I stepped through the door, I was startled by the old lady standing in front of me. Unless I was suddenly blind, the old lady standing in front of me was the exact same woman who had been bragging on the subway about her son’s eight girlfriends. And I had become one of those “shameless women with interchangeable parts” she had sneered about. 2 As soon as I stepped into Carter’s house, his mother pulled out a pair of fuzzy slippers and insisted on putting them on my feet herself. “You must be Harper. You’re so beautiful.” I quickly took two steps back, dodging the old woman’s hands. Feigning calmness, I greeted her: “Hello, Mrs. Hayes.” Carter’s mother beamed instantly, looking extremely satisfied with me. The moment I sat down on the sofa, the old woman was bustling about, bringing me fruit and handing me a cup of milk tea. “I heard you young people love drinking this stuff. I thought the store-bought ones were unsanitary, so I looked up a tutorial online and made it myself. Try it quickly and see how it tastes.” I looked at the kind, amiable old lady in front of me, completely unable to reconcile her with the bitter, mean woman from the subway. I even started to doubt if I had seen the right person. Or maybe the old woman was just trying to show off in front of her friend and made it all up. After lunch, Carter’s mother pulled out a worn, dark-looking savings passbook and placed it in my hand. “Harper, there’s ten thousand dollars in here. I know your family has plenty of properties and you probably don’t care about one or two more, but the money in this passbook is my entire life savings. Now, I want you to take it and go buy a house with Carter so you two can get married.” I looked at the passbook placed in my hand, momentarily at a loss for words. First of all, the amount was too small; it wouldn’t even cover a fraction of a down payment. But if this passbook truly held her “coffin money,” as the old lady claimed, its weight far exceeded its monetary value. If it hadn’t been for that scene on the subway, I probably would have declined the money immediately, perhaps even comforting the old lady that she didn’t need to worry about a house because my family had it covered. But with that subway scene stuck in my head, something felt off. I don’t know if my silence dragged on too long, or if the old lady sensed my mood, but she suddenly grabbed my hand and tearfully pleaded: “Harper, I know it’s not a lot of money and it won’t buy a house. But you know Carter’s father passed away early. I’ve worked myself to the bone all these years just to put Carter through grad school. Even though he’s working as a software engineer at a Big Tech firm now, he’s only been there for two or three years, and his salary is still entry-level. It’s incredibly hard to buy a house in San Francisco on his own.” “How about this: you ask your parents to chip in a little first, so you guys can buy a house and get married. Don’t worry, once Carter starts making more money, I’ll have him pay your parents back.” Carter’s mother’s words sounded very considerate, but maybe I was just being sensitive. I felt like something about this whole situation stank. I looked at the old woman with feigned innocence. “Mrs. Hayes, whose names will be on the deed?” The old lady smiled and patted my hand. “Well, that goes without saying. It will obviously have both your names on it.” “Don’t worry, once you buy the house, I promise I won’t bother you two.” Those four words, “both your names,” sent a jolt through my body. First of all, the absolute worst fixer-upper in San Francisco starts at around a million dollars. Given how much my dad dotes on me, if I were getting married, he definitely wouldn’t buy a small starter home. A multi-million dollar property was the minimum. Coupled with the scene on the subway, I had my suspicions that whether it was Carter’s mother’s tears or this worn-out passbook, it was all a calculated trap set for me. 3 Although I was suspicious at Carter’s house, considering we had a three-year relationship, I still didn’t quite believe he was that kind of person. But from that day on, I started closely observing Carter’s schedule. For instance, I noticed that every time he came to my place, he smelled faintly of dampness, like he had just taken a shower. For instance, if he worked late and then came to my place, he generally had no interest in intimacy, acting exhausted. For instance, he frequently got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, and would spend an hour in there scrolling on his phone. I had never scrutinized Carter’s schedule before. I believed in mutual respect and maintaining independent space in a relationship. But what if Carter was using that time to juggle other girlfriends? Finally, one night, while Carter was in the shower, I couldn’t resist checking his phone. His text messages were very clean, with my name pinned at the top. The other contacts were either coworkers or friends, some of whom I recognized or had even met. This gave me some comfort. The only anomaly was his chat history with his mother—it was completely empty. But they had seemed so close that day. What exactly were Carter and his mother talking about that required clearing the chat history? I was just about to put the phone down when I suddenly remembered an influencer sharing a story about discovering her husband’s infidelity by checking his phone’s location history. Relying on memory, I opened the location services settings on Carter’s phone, and looking at his daily movements, I grew even more confused. First, his location history only showed him at his place, my place, and his company on the days he came to see me. The rest of the time was completely blank. Did Carter not take his phone with him when he didn’t come to see me? Just then, Carter, still drying off with a towel, walked out of the bathroom. He looked at the phone in my hand, his expression completely unchanged. He walked over and hugged me, his face full of teasing. “Find anything interesting?” I tilted my chin up haughtily. “Who knows if you men are messing around out there? I’m just checking to be safe.” Carter pursed his lips and chuckled, reaching out to gently tap the bridge of my nose. “Be good, how could I ever betray you? I love you so much.” “Besides, my phone has never had a passcode. You can check it whenever you want.” That was true. Carter had never been secretive with his phone around me. Sometimes when I used his phone to make a call or track a package, he was always completely open. So much so that I had never had the urge to check his phone before. But how could those anomalies on his phone be explained? 4 Perhaps driven by a woman’s sixth sense, the next day after work, I went to Carter’s office. Right at 6:00 PM, I saw Carter walking out of his building. The moment I saw his figure, I froze. Because Carter had just texted me saying he had to work late. Given that he was at a major tech firm, I had never doubted his “working late” excuses. I dialed Carter’s number with trembling fingers. He declined it instantly. But what surprised me more wasn’t that Carter lied about working late, but that the Carter right in front of me didn’t even reach for his phone in his pocket. Right then, Carter sent me a text. “Baby, I’m in a meeting. I’ll call you back later.” I stared at the message, the fingers gripping my phone trembling. Because at this exact moment, the Carter right in front of my eyes was waving his hand to hail a cab. I swallowed hard in fear and pulled up my old chat history with Carter. First, on the days Carter came to see me, he would be very distant via text, often replying with short phrases like “mhm” or “okay.” But on the days he didn’t see me… He would be much more enthusiastic. He would tell me jokes, send me good songs, and be incredibly attentive. Although sometimes I felt his tone was a bit old-fashioned, I just chalked it up to him being a typical clueless tech bro. But wasn’t it a huge red flag that his communication style swung between two such extremes? My nerves were taut, like something was about to burst out. I quickly drove off, tailing Carter’s cab. The cab didn’t stop until it reached the entrance of a luxury apartment complex. As soon as he got out, a young woman rushed out of the complex gates. She clung to Carter like a koala bear and showered his cheeks with kisses. Carter affectionately ruffled her hair. The two looked exactly like a deeply in love couple. I watched the scene unfold before my eyes, my eyes red and wide. Just as I was sitting there, stunned and unsure of what to do, I received another text from Carter. “Baby, don’t forget to eat dinner tonight! You’re already beautiful enough, you don’t need to diet anymore.” 5 As soon as I got home, I rushed to the bathroom and threw up in disgust. If I didn’t realize by now that Carter and his mother were playing me, I’d be the biggest idiot in the world. If my guess was right, the person texting me all these years was Carter’s mother. Just thinking about the flirtatious things Carter supposedly said to me, actually being typed by his mother… I couldn’t help but throw up into the toilet again. This was even more sickening than Carter simply cheating. That night, Carter came to my place at 10:00 PM. He brought food cooked by his mother. Carter put a piece of shrimp in my bowl. “My mom knows you like shrimp, so she made this especially for you.” My fingers tightened around my chopsticks. “How did your mom know I like shrimp?” Carter stiffened for a second, but recovered his composure moments later. “Well, that goes without saying. I told her, of course. You’re a great daughter-in-law. Not only do I love you, but my mom absolutely adores you too.” I feigned a teasing tone. “Then you’d better hurry up and marry me. By the way, I talked to my dad about the house. He said there’s no problem on his end, but you know my background. All my friends get at least a hundred grand as a down payment contribution from the groom’s side. My dad said if your family can’t afford a hundred grand, you need to provide at least fifty grand, otherwise he won’t let me marry you.” Carter smiled calmly. “That’s no problem. You just take the deed to your current place, take out a home equity loan for fifty grand, and we’ll just go through the motions for your parents. Don’t worry, I’ll cover the interest.” My stomach churned, and I almost gagged in disgust. “What, you don’t trust me? My mom practically emptied her life savings for us. I know there’s a financial gap between our families, but I promise I’ll work hard and make money. I’ll never let your friends look down on you.” I pretended to be moved and buried my face in his chest. But where Carter couldn’t see, my fingernails nearly pierced my palms. I never thought Carter actually treated me like a complete idiot. 6 The next day, I went to find the girl Carter had met, Mia. After hearing my story, Mia’s face was full of disbelief, her body trembling. “But… I was going to marry him.” I closed my eyes tightly. “Me too…” Mia instantly burst into loud, sobbing tears. I don’t know how long it took, but Mia finally lifted her tear-streaked face. “Let’s… let’s compare our chat logs.” After we verified all our interactions with Carter, we both stood frozen in horror. We never expected that from the very beginning, Carter and his mother had premeditated everything. First, we both met Carter because we were bumped into by a delivery driver, and he “saved” us, which led to us exchanging numbers and chatting. Furthermore, from our daily interactions, all the chat conversations were identical. Even the day we went to meet his parents, I went in the morning, and Mia went in the afternoon. After comparing all the chat logs, Mia started crying hysterically. “I’m going to kill that piece of trash, Carter.” It wasn’t just Mia; even my worldview was shattered by what lay before us. I fought to control my trembling body and grabbed Mia. “It’s not worth getting our hands dirty for trash like him. Let’s gather evidence first. The law will make Carter and his mother pay.” 7 At the time, when Carter was hit relatively hard by the delivery driver, I was afraid the driver would deny it, so I kept his phone number. This actually made it convenient for us to find a witness. I called the delivery driver right then and there. “Hello, I have a package to send. Can you come pick it up?” When the delivery driver arrived at my place, I asked directly, “Do you know Carter?” The delivery driver turned around, wanting to leave. I threatened him: “If you dare leave, I’ll sue you for fraud. If Carter gets arrested, you’re an accomplice. You can leave if you don’t want to go to jail.” The delivery driver was spooked by me. He looked at me pitifully. “Ladies, you can’t blame me for getting scammed! How was I supposed to know you women were so gullible, believing those cliché romantic movie tropes?” My heart skipped a beat. “You women.” So Carter really did have eight girlfriends. I looked at the delivery driver coldly. “How many women have you hit for Carter in total?” The delivery driver shrank back. “I’ve hit about a dozen or so over time. That guy who ‘saved’ you paid me a hundred bucks an appearance each time.” Mia and I exchanged a glance. “Do you have the phone numbers of those girls?” The delivery driver shook his head in panic. “Why would I keep their numbers for something like this?” I lowered my head in thought for a moment. “Then do you know how many Carter actually succeeded with?” The delivery driver shook his head. “How would I know that? But I heard the guy mention a few times that once he got bored, he’d just break up with them. The success rate must be pretty high, otherwise he wouldn’t pull this stunt every few months.” Seeing that the delivery driver couldn’t offer much more, I pulled out a document and placed it in front of him. “Sign your name here. Don’t worry, I won’t sue you. I’ve recorded what you just told us. You just need to show up in court when the time comes. But if you dare tell Carter, I will sue you as an accomplice to fraud. We have plenty of money to fight a legal battle. Don’t believe me? Try it.” The delivery driver was indeed intimidated by me, pulling out a pen and quickly signing his name. He also apologized profusely, saying he shouldn’t have done something so immoral.

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When I was five years old, my dad got called back to the office and told my older brother to take me home. Instead, my brother got into a fight with some other kids, leaving me completely alone, and I was kidnapped. Three years later, egged on by my brother, my parents adopted another girl. Seven years after that, the police finally brought me home. Due to severe, long-term malnutrition, I was painfully thin and frail. The adopted girl clung to my mother’s arm and whispered, “Why is she so dirty? She doesn’t look like your daughter at all.” From that day on, my parents couldn’t stand the sight of me. Ultimately, I was bullied to death by that adopted girl, and my parents chose to settle the case out of court. When I opened my eyes again, I was standing at the front gate of our yard, watching my brother being stuffed into a burlap sack. Since natural-born monsters get kidnapped, in this lifetime, I’ll pick out the brother I actually want. 1 When I opened my eyes, I was four years old again. My parents had taken my brother and me back to our rural hometown to sweep the ancestral tombs. And my brother and I ran straight into the human traffickers. In my past life, my brother was snatched first because he was playing right by the front gate. I hid in the firewood pile, remaining perfectly calm as I used my smartwatch to take a clear picture of the trafficker’s face. The moment they left, I immediately called 911 and then ran to the neighbors for help. Because I called the police so quickly, the traffickers were caught within five hours, and my brother was brought home safely. I saved his life, but when he got back, he shoved me hard. “You were right there in the yard! Why did you hide instead of saving me?!” My forehead smashed into the corner of a table, leaving a scar that stayed with me for the rest of my life. My parents brushed it off as kids just playing rough. I was too young to understand why my brother suddenly hated me. Then, when I was five, my parents’ company finally started making real money. They were too busy to pick me up from kindergarten, so they called my brother to get me. Instead, he ditched me at the school gate, glaring at me viciously. “Walk home by yourself. And don’t you dare snitch to Mom and Dad.” I nodded obediently, watching him excitedly round up his delinquent friends to go start a street fight. The very next second, a trafficker threw a sack over my head and dragged me away. I didn’t make it back home until I was twelve. By then, I realized there was no place left for me in that house. My brother had convinced my parents to adopt a girl named Chloe. He protected her fiercely. Chloe despised me from day one. “Where did this ugly little rat come from? You think you deserve to be my sister?” From that day on, I lived a life of relentless bullying at the hands of my own brother and Chloe. When I was eighteen, on the morning of my SATs, Chloe turned off my alarm clock, and my brother slipped sleeping pills into my drink. I missed the most important exam of my life. My parents immediately slapped me across the face. “If you can’t even manage your own schedule, what use are you?!” By the time I was twenty-four, my life was finally turning around. My small business was starting to boom. My brother and Chloe teamed up and bankrupted me overnight. So you see, why on earth would I save an animal like him? I’d be better off taking a nap. At least in my dreams, someone might choose to love me. Right now, I absolutely refuse to be stupid enough to make the same choice again. I remained hidden in the firewood pile, coldly powering off my smartwatch. Through the gaps in the wood, I watched Liam’s mouth get taped shut before he was tossed into a three-foot-tall burlap sack. The traffickers threw him in their van and sped off. I slowly crawled out of the firewood pile, washed my flawless little face until it was perfectly clean, and walked back inside the house. I took off the smartwatch, stood on my tiptoes, and placed it on the table. Then, I crawled into bed and fell fast asleep. Liam was kidnapped. What does that have to do with me? 2 “Penny, wake up. Where’s your brother? “Mrs. Miller next door said she saw you two playing together this afternoon. Where is he now?” Kids really are heavy sleepers. In my past life, from the moment I returned to this “home,” I never had a single good night’s sleep. It was rare to sleep this soundly. I rubbed my sleepy eyes, my face full of confusion. “What are Mommy and Daddy talking about? Liam said he was going up the mountain to find you guys this afternoon.” My mom shot a look at my dad, and both their faces instantly went pale. Not long after, I heard police sirens wailing in the distance, echoing through the village. Several people were whispering anxiously in the courtyard. Mrs. Miller shouted her answer to the police. “I don’t know! I saw the boy this afternoon, but I haven’t seen him since!” My mom frantically rubbed my head. “Penny, be a good girl. Go eat your dinner by yourself. Mommy and Daddy have to go out for a bit, okay?” I nodded obediently. My parents rushed out to talk to the police. I followed them for a few steps and stood in the courtyard. The police asked me a few simple questions, and I just gave them vague, childish answers. My mom was just sobbing hysterically. “Where is my Liam? Where is he?” They got no useful information. The police hurried off, beginning a massive search of the entire village. Unfortunately, it was too late. It had already been five hours since he was taken. Liam, you’d better stay alive. Whatever you do, don’t die. I stared deeply into the starry sky above the fields. Then I turned around and went inside to eat dinner. 3 The police investigation yielded nothing. Exhausted and broken, my parents took me back to the city. I was quiet, obedient, and well-behaved—infinitely more likable than my brother ever was. They seemed to gradually forget Liam even existed. From going to the police station once a month for updates, it eventually became once a year just to check in. I am now seven years old. A while ago, my mom actually had some free time and took me to an amusement park. But because her company was busy, she took a phone call and just walked away, almost getting me kidnapped again. Afterward, she suggested adopting a child to keep me company. Perfect. Since my demon spawn of a brother was successfully kidnapped, in this lifetime, I get to pick the exact brother I want. My parents took me to the largest orphanage in the city. Seeing my parents dripping in designer clothes, the orphanage director happily handed them a binder filled with profiles of the children available for adoption. My parents flipped through the pages, nodding constantly in satisfaction. The director had a staff member take me to the play area, then escorted my parents to meet the children they had selected. Once I was dropped off, the staff member had to leave to handle something else. The playground slides were fine for amusing a toddler. But for someone with the mental age of a twenty-something, it was painfully boring. I stretched my short little legs and started wandering around the orphanage grounds. As I walked past an outdoor equipment shed, I heard the sound of cursing coming from behind it. I peeked around the corner and saw a group of kids surrounding a boy, kicking and hitting him. A girl with her back to me had a particularly shrill, grating voice. “Beat him to death! Ever since he got here, every family that comes to adopt specifically asks for him! We never get a chance!” “Haha, what are you scared of? He got adopted last time and was sent back in a week.” “Exactly! He cursed his own biological parents to death! He’s a jinx!” I hid in a concealed corner. I couldn’t see the boy curled up on the ground. But I got a crystal-clear look at the girl leading the pack. She was a head shorter than me, a bit chubby, with a dark complexion. The kids beating the boy didn’t notice me spying at all, continuing to crowd around the girl excitedly. “Chloe, I heard a really rich family came today! We have to block him in here, or we’ll lose our chance again!” The girl they called “Chloe” looked young, but her expression was unusually vicious. She viciously kicked the boy on the ground in the stomach. “Don’t worry! This time, it has to be me!” My heart jolted. I stared dead at “Chloe’s” profile, recognizing her face perfectly. Chloe! It was actually her! 4 The memory of her framing me in my past life was still burned vividly into my mind. Since the moment I was reborn, I swore that in this lifetime, I would make her and Liam suffer a fate worse than death. But I never expected to run into her here. Seeing Chloe rear back to kick the boy again, I frantically rushed out. I kept my head down, refusing to look at her, acting like a panicked, lost child. “C-Chloe, a family is here to adopt! The director told me to come get you!” “They must be here to adopt me!” Chloe’s eyes lit up instantly, and she immediately bolted toward the main building. As she brushed past me, she slammed into my shoulder like a bear. Then she froze, staring dead at my wrist. “Where did you get that thing on your wrist?” I looked down at the smartwatch I had deliberately exposed, my face a mask of pure terror. For the kids in this orphanage, having a basic digital watch was a luxury. Where would they have ever seen a high-end smartwatch? But just because she had never seen one didn’t mean Chloe couldn’t tell it was expensive. I instantly started trembling and shrinking back, but Chloe and the other kids quickly pinned me down. “I-I-I… the lady who was looking for the director just gave it to me.” “Gave it to you? Impossible! She definitely told you to give it to me, and you tried to keep it for yourself!” “S-sorry, sorry! It was supposed to be for Chloe! I remembered wrong!” My voice shook perfectly. Satisfied, Chloe grabbed my wrist and violently yanked the smartwatch off. Then, like a gust of wind, she sprinted away. All I could smell was the sour, unwashed stench coming off her clothes. It was disgusting. Once the other kids scattered, I quickly rushed forward to help the boy who had been curled up on the ground protecting his head. I couldn’t tell exactly how old he was. His face was sallow, his body incredibly frail and thin. From his calves to his arms, all the way up to his forehead, he was covered in bruises of all sizes. “Are you okay, big brother?” I helped him up, my eyes turning a bit red. The boy actually panicked first. He stiffly patted my back, trying awkwardly to comfort me. “I’m not hurt.” Saying that, he hesitantly pulled his hand out of his jacket. In his tightly clenched fist were pieces of a crushed, stale piece of bread. “Little sister, I’ll give you something yummy if you smile, okay?” I let out a sudden, wet laugh. How could he be so painfully earnest? The bruises on his body were turning dark purple. His hair and clothes were covered in dirt. He was so thin his cheeks were hollow, and his cheekbones stuck out sharply. But even looking like that, his eyes were incredibly bright and clear. I carefully pinched a crumb of the crushed bread and placed it on my tongue. “It’s delicious.” Seeing that I liked it, the boy tried to shove the rest of the crumbs into my hand. I carefully cupped my hands and held it up to his face. “You eat some too.” “I’m not hungry.” He swallowed hard, but stubbornly shook his head. I had to practically trick and coax him into sharing the meager crumbs with me. I tugged on his sleeve. “Big brother, what’s your name?” “Kieran. I’m Kieran. I’m a jinx.” “No, Kieran is so nice. You’re not a jinx.” I looked at him with bright, shining eyes. “Kieran, do you want to eat yummy food every day and never get bullied again?” Kieran nodded earnestly. “I want to.” I grabbed his hand and started walking toward the front courtyard. “Then come with me.” Well-behaved. Honest. And he hated Chloe just as much as I did. He was the absolute perfect candidate to be my new brother. 5 When I got back to the play area, a crowd of people had already gathered. My mom saw me and immediately rushed over to hug me: “Penny, where did you go?! You scared Mommy half to death! “What happened? Why are your clothes and hair such a mess?” Because my mom rushed over, Kieran immediately let go of my hand. I looked back, and he had already vanished into the background. I sighed internally. He really was too well-behaved for his own good. I immediately turned on the waterworks. “Mommy—someone bullied me! She stole my watch, kicked me, and pulled my hair!” My mom looked at my “bird’s nest” hair, which I had deliberately messed up, complete with streaks of mud. The red marks on my wrist where the watch was yanked off were glaringly obvious. My dad instantly exploded in rage, his voice dangerously low as he glared at the orphanage director. “What the hell is going on here?! Is this how your orphanage raises children?!” “I-I-I… I have no idea what happened!” The director was trembling. The scene was pure chaos. My mom held me, trying to soothe me, while I pointed right at Chloe and sobbed out my grievances. “It was her! I saw her bullying someone else, and then she stole my watch! “All the other kids call her Chloe!” My mom shot an icy glare at Chloe, then looked back at the director. “Originally, I thought this child seemed quite nice. But looking at her now, she’s far from nice. She’s a complete nightmare! “The fact that your orphanage breeds children who terrorize the weak like this genuinely terrifies me!” Chloe, who had been holding a gift bag my mom bought for the kids, instantly panicked. “No! Sister, look closely! It wasn’t me!” I called out her name without hesitation, and she was literally wearing my smartwatch on her wrist. This was more than enough proof that we had crossed paths, and that Chloe was the culprit. No one was listening to her pathetic excuses now. My mom rubbed my head, her voice soft and comforting. “Penny, be a good girl. It’s Mommy’s fault. Mommy made a terrible mistake. “Mommy will find Penny a brand new playmate, okay?” I shook my head, wriggled out of my mom’s arms, spun around the room, and accurately grabbed the hem of Kieran’s shirt. “Mommy, I want this big brother.” I smiled and said, “He protected me just now. I like him.” “No! Sister, I’m your sister! Mommy already decided! I’m going to be your sister!” Seeing that my mom was about to nod in agreement, Chloe suddenly lunged out of the crowd, violently grabbing my wrist. Just as she was about to drag me to the ground, Kieran stepped in front of me, wrapping his arms fiercely around me. Before I hit the floor, he pulled me on top of him, acting as a human shield. No matter how furiously Chloe pulled at me and begged, Kieran kept me tightly protected in his arms. By the time the furious director finally dragged Chloe away, my parents were looking at her with absolute disgust. “Director Lee, if you let a child this unstable and aggressive continue unchecked, it’s going to severely impact your orphanage’s reputation in the future. “Our family has made our decision. We are adopting this little boy. “Also, after causing such a massive incident and terrifying my daughter like this, I expect you to give my family a proper explanation, Director Lee.” The director glared at Chloe, who was still screaming and crying, and awkwardly nodded in agreement. I quickly pulled Kieran up and checked to make sure he hadn’t hit his head. Once I was sure he was okay, I let out a long sigh of relief. Kieran awkwardly gripped the hem of his shirt. “I-I didn’t know you were… you were…” This kid was way too sincere. I leaned in close and whispered in Kieran’s ear. “Kieran, no one blames you. “Don’t worry, big brother. From now on, I’ll protect you. No one will ever dare bully you again.” Kieran looked even more nervous for a second. “Okay, I-I’ll protect you too.” 6 Kieran was three years older than me, and my parents were incredibly satisfied with him. We started going to school together. Because Kieran had grown up in the orphanage, his academic foundation was very weak. But he was incredibly smart. After the private tutors went over a concept once, he grasped it immediately. I didn’t hide the fact that I already knew everything being taught in school. I maintained an above-average grade point average, and occasionally, when the timing was right, I’d score first in the class. Kieran, growing up alongside me, definitely noticed that my way of thinking was different from a normal child’s. But he never asked me about it. When I was eleven, we moved. Over the years, thanks to my subtle “suggestions” about emerging market trends, my parents’ company caught the wave of new media and made an absolute fortune. When people get rich, they want to climb the social ladder, and my parents were no exception. As for Liam? They wanted to find him, but at the same time, they didn’t want to find him. It was exactly like how they treated me in my past life. A child who has been wandering the streets for over a decade would have a massive gap in education, worldview, and psychological development compared to normal kids. Especially compared to Kieran and me? Kieran and I had become visibly exceptional over the years. Not only were our grades stellar, but we were also top-tier in various extracurriculars. We gave them plenty to brag about, elevating the family’s status to a whole new level in elite social circles. If Liam came back, how would they choose? This was the dilemma my parents didn’t want to face, so they deliberately avoided it. 7 Time flowed by like water. When the police finally brought Liam back to our house, I was in my second semester of freshman year in college. I had just gotten home from the university lab when I realized the entire dynamic of the house had shifted. Liam was holding my mom, sobbing so loud it could shatter glass. My mom stood there stiffly, incredibly awkward. She didn’t hug him back, nor did she speak. Because Liam looked absolutely wretched. Due to years of severe malnutrition, he was sallow and emaciated, his cheeks completely hollowed out. He was barely 5’5″. He was wearing a mud-splattered construction uniform, and a battered hard hat sat on our expensive marble coffee table. When Chloe saw me walk in, she immediately rushed over, taking my coat from the maid. “Sister, you’re home.” I glanced at her but didn’t say a word. The year my family adopted Kieran, the orphanage was shut down. It was exposed that the orphanage had been neglecting the children long-term, even subjecting them to physical abuse. When the scandal broke that year, it caused a massive public outcry. With nowhere to go, Chloe was forced into illegal child labor. I didn’t even need to arrange it; her life became an absolute nightmare all on its own. So, when she turned eighteen, I “kindly” threw a few breadcrumbs her way. Hoping to turn the page on what happened at the orphanage, Chloe didn’t suspect a thing. She just assumed I felt guilty. Her ambitions were certainly not small. She constantly tried to suck up to my family, affectionately calling me “Sister” at every opportunity. I never rejected it, but I never explicitly accepted it either. I was just waiting for today. Sure enough, hearing Chloe call me “Sister,” Liam’s eyes went wide. He looked at my mom in absolute disbelief. “Mom, who is she? “Do you not love me anymore? Is that why you stopped looking for me all these years?” Liam cried so hard his tears and snot rubbed off on my mom’s designer dress. My mom shot a look at the maid, who immediately stepped forward and gently pulled Liam back. “Young Master Liam, Madam is very tired today. Now is not the time for this. Why don’t I take you upstairs to change into some clean clothes?” My mom smiled benevolently. “Liam, we can talk about everything later. Go upstairs first.” Chloe tried to keep talking, but I gave her a pointed look, and she obediently followed them upstairs. “Auntie, Sister Penny, I’ll go up and help my brother.” My mom let out a long sigh of relief and pulled me to sit down next to her. “Penny, your brother finally made it home. Why don’t you look happy?” I let out a dry, forced chuckle in my head. I’m not the one who’s unhappy. You’re the one who’s miserable and trying to project it onto me. But I had to keep up appearances. I lowered my eyes, forcing a strained smile. “Mom, I’m very happy my brother is back. “But Mom, what are you and Dad going to do about Kieran?”

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The “innocent” starlet posted a cryptic photo of a marriage certificate: “Some people are just bottom-feeders trying to reach for the stars.” Me: ? The billionaire titan of industry laughed as he looked at me: “This pretty boy Elias is supposed to be my competition?” He flipped his phone and posted a selfie that instantly nuked the trending charts: “Stop sending random nobodies to clout-chase my wife.” 1 “Serena Vance is married!” The moment I opened my eyes, I was blinded by a viral headline and a phone vibrating with a hundred missed calls from my manager. I was stunned. I didn’t understand what was happening. When did the news of my secret marriage leak? I scrolled through Twitter. A minute later, I was staring at a photo of a stunningly handsome man on my own profile, then looked at the real version—Silas Thorne—who was currently looking at me with a pouting, “wronged” expression. “I couldn’t stand them lying about you,” he muttered. “I won’t let every random nobody try to claim my wife.” Last night, several gossip accounts had gone viral with a photo of me and the reigning movie star, Elias Sterling, meeting at night. They started a massive campaign claiming I was the “other woman” in the relationship between Elias and the popular young actress, Mia Dupont. The truth was, Elias and I were just cast in the same upcoming film. He asked to meet to discuss the script. I went. We talked for fifteen minutes and went our separate ways. But in the hands of the tabloids, I was a homewrecker. To make matters worse, Mia Dupont, the “victim” and Elias’s girlfriend, had posted a statement. Mia Dupont V: “I trust Elias completely. We are stronger than ever, but I suppose we can’t stop people with… hidden agendas.” Elias replied underneath: “Thank you for your trust, baby.” Their interaction basically confirmed the rumor: I was the one trying to seduce Elias Sterling. Good lord. They were using me as a stepping stone for clout. Silas had woken up earlier than me. He’d seen the trends and countered by posting a selfie of his own gorgeous face on my account. My manager, Valerie Grant, called again. The second I picked up, I felt a powerful, muscular arm wrap around my waist. He bit my ear. “Stop it!” I hissed. The line went silent for a second, then Valerie’s voice erupted in a scream: “Did you just tell me to stop?! Serena, have you lost your mind? Have you seen the internet?!” “Sorry, Valerie, I wasn’t talking to you.” I glared at the man next to me, but he just buried his face in my chest and rubbed against me. “Wife, don’t be mad. I just didn’t want you to feel small.” His voice was husky and deep. My anger dissolved instantly. I hung up before Valerie could scream again. I stared at Silas. He was the most powerful man in the city, but right now, he was just a clingy husband. I was a “love-to-hate” actress. I only played the high-glamour villains, which meant I had an army of haters who thought I was just playing myself. Silas and I had been married for two years. He had offered to help my career a dozen times, but I always refused. I wanted to make it on my own. But now… I looked at the comments under the post he made. “Where did Serena rent this guy? How much per night? I want one.” “She’s never been seen with a guy before. This is a total fake. Who believes this?” “Serena’s PR team is so stupid. This is hilarious.” “He’s actually hot… probably photoshopped though.” “Who would be gross enough to help Serena Vance fake a marriage for money?” They could insult me all they wanted, but I wasn’t going to let them insult my husband. I grabbed my phone and started typing replies to the haters. “How many years did you pickle your mouth to get it that bitter?” “Did you fail the ‘Basic Decency’ test or were you just born that way?” “You look like someone who barks for a living.” Unsurprisingly, “Serena Vance Claps Back” hit the trending charts again. 2 The internet exploded. Valerie stormed into my apartment, radiating murderous energy. The moment she saw Silas Thorne, her anger vanished like a puff of smoke. “Hi. I’m Silas Thorne.” He looked better in person than in the photo. Valerie stared at him, her eyes practically turning into hearts. “H-hello… I’m Valerie, Serena’s manager. Here’s my card!” She turned to him with professional greed. “You have a face made for Hollywood! Mr. Thorne, have you considered acting? I could make you an A-lister in six months! No, three!” Silas gave her a cold, distant smile. “No, thank you.” He turned toward the kitchen. “Wife, I’m making breakfast.” Valerie finally looked at me. “Explain! Now! Since when are you married?!” “Two years.” “Two years?!” Valerie’s voice hit a high C. “Do you know how hard it is for a married actress to maintain a brand? Especially when your reputation is already… complicated!” “I know.” “And you just posted him? I’ve been your manager for so long and I find out via Twitter? You’ve hidden this so well, I’m almost impressed.” “It’s okay, Valerie. If you’d found out later, the secret would’ve been even older.” “Why did you start a war with the netizens?!” “They can come for me, but they can’t come for my husband.” Valerie pinched the bridge of her nose. Once she calmed down, she dropped the bomb. “Your engagement is higher than it’s ever been. The agency wants to cash in. They’re signing you and your ‘mystery husband’ for a couple’s reality show.” “No way!” Let the CEO of the Thorne Empire do a reality show? I wasn’t insane. “If you refuse, the agency will sue for breach of contract. Can you afford that payout?” I was about to argue when Silas walked out of the kitchen. “A reality show? Sure. Why not?” “I want to see what my wife’s ‘work’ actually looks like.” Valerie beamed. Before she left, she warned me: “Elias Sterling and Mia Dupont are also on the cast. They aren’t good people, and you’re as stubborn as a mule. Watch your back.” 3 The news that Silas and I were joining Elias and Mia on a reality show took over the headlines. The netizens were ruthless. “Oh look, the ‘Photoshop Man’ is going on TV. The director must be desperate. That photo was clearly filtered to death.” “If he actually looks like that, there’s no way he’s with Serena.” “Serena is pretty, I’ll give her that. Better than Mia, honestly.” “Pretty doesn’t matter when your personality is trash. She probably hired this guy to play the part.” I was worried about Silas being on camera. He just laughed. “Not many people in the public know what I look like. What? Is your husband not presentable?” I rolled my eyes. 4 Filming started three days later. The show was a livestream. The comments scrolled in real-time on a massive screen that all the guests could see. When the camera hit Silas, the chat went dead silent for a second, then moved so fast it was a blur. “Holy sh*t! He’s actually that handsome! Where did she find him?!” “He looks better than Elias… I think I’m switching teams.” “Serena, move over! Let me have him!” We sat on the sofa. Elias Sterling stood up and offered a hand to Silas. “Hi, I’m Elias Sterling.” Silas barely glanced at him. He gripped Elias’s hand, his lips curling into a sharp, predatory smile. “Silas Thorne.” Elias turned pale. He tried to pull his hand back, but it wouldn’t budge. I knew Silas was getting revenge for me. I felt a gaze boring into the side of my head. It was Mia Dupont. She walked over and whispered in my ear: “Where did you hire the fake? He’s hot, I’ll give you that… but money is power in this town. You’re dating an extra while I’m dating a king. Are you ready to fall off the A-list?” She pulled back with a sweet, camera-ready smile. “I’m so happy to be on this show with you, Serena! Let’s be besties, okay?” The chat loved it. “Mia is such a saint. She’s so nice even to a homewrecker.” “If I were Mia, I’d have scratched Serena’s eyes out. Mia is too kind for this industry.” Silas put an arm around my shoulder and looked at me. “Serena, when did your taste get so bad? Why would you ever let a random stray dog like that bother you?” I leaned into him. “Don’t say that. Dogs are loyal. Some people aren’t.” “My bad. You’re right.” Their little routine made Elias and Mia’s faces turn various shades of purple. 5 The other guests arrived: a teen idol named Leo and a pop star named Chloe. They were an official couple. The director announced: “The first challenge takes place in this luxury estate. This mansion was generously provided by Mia Dupont.” As we walked in, looking at the marble floors and gold accents, Chloe gasped. “Oh my god! This is incredible! Mia, are you a secret billionaire?” I stood in the foyer, looking at the familiar decor. I looked at Silas. One of the crew members walked over to a vase in the corner and gasped. “Is this… a Ming Dynasty vase?” The chat went wild. “I recognize that! That vase was sold at an elite auction to the CEO of the Vance Group for two million dollars! What is it doing in Mia’s house?” “Mia Dupont is a Vance? Incredible!” “So Mia is the real deal. Serena is just a fake.” The director asked Mia: “Mia, can you explain the vase? And this mansion?” Mia acted coy. “Well, I didn’t want to brag. This house belongs to my family. My father is the head of the Vance Group. I just use my mother’s surname for work.” She winked at the camera. “Please keep it a secret, guys!” Me: … She really went there. I tilted my head, mimicking her “innocent” look. “Is this really your house, Mia?” The chat attacked me instantly. “Serena is so jealous! She can’t stand that Mia is rich.” “Wait, Serena’s last name is Vance too. Is she related?” “Don’t be stupid. ‘Vance’ is a common name. She’s just a hater.” Mia looked at me, hurt. “Serena, if you have a problem with me, just say it. You don’t have to be so passive-aggressive.” Chloe added, “Yeah, Serena. Don’t be so bitter. If this wasn’t Mia’s house, how could we be filming here?” I felt Silas’s eyes narrow. I grabbed the hem of his sleeve and shook my head. Not yet. I wanted to see how far she’d go.

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