Category: English

I’m Lucy, 23 years old. A few days ago, I told Mr. Thompson, “Let’s break up.” When I said “break up,” I felt unsure because I knew I wasn’t really his “girlfriend.” My “ex” Mr. Thompson is thirty-one years older than me. He has a family abroad, but during our three years together, I never felt mistreated. On my 23rd birthday, Mr. Thompson couldn’t accompany me. He sent me a generous cash gift. He left a voice message saying he’d be home at 10 PM. That meant I needed to be at his villa before then, showered, dressed, and ready to do whatever he liked. But that night, I was distracted. He noticed and asked if something was bothering me. I nodded and said, “I want to get married.” “Are you sure?” I nodded again and said we should break up. He fell silent. I knew he was angry. In the past, I would have cuddled up to him, softly saying, “Don’t be mad.” But this time, I didn’t. He stood up in his robe, poured half a glass of whiskey, and downed it in one gulp. “What do you have without me?” he asked, his voice soft but authoritative. It’s true. Without Mr. Thompson, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I’m from a single-parent family. Coming to this big city for a second-tier college was the best my mother could do for me. The day she sent me off to school was her first time riding the subway, her first time seeing skyscrapers. She said it was wonderful, that I should put down roots here and bring her over someday. I loved this place too. The luxury cars, the stores with handbags worth thousands, the haute cuisine and French restaurants you only see in movies, the wealthiest people in the country. But I couldn’t stay. Graduates from my college earned only about $500 a month, but the cheapest apartment here cost over $500 per square foot. Later, while working part-time at a bar, I met Mr. Thompson. He wore a Richard Mille watch. He was older but well-groomed, with a tailored suit and a fit physique. Even after drinking, he remained gentle and reserved. He was my perfect target. I sent Cindy, the bar manager, a big tip and told her if table 37 asked for company, it had to be me. That night, I sat next to Mr. Thompson but spent the whole time chatting and drinking with another client. This was Cindy’s strategy. She said if you want to attract someone, turn your back to them, make them want you. “The person you’re entertaining isn’t the one you’re after. Get the one you’re with drunk, then wait in the alley by the parking lot exit. Don’t wear a coat, the colder the better. Wait for the one you want to offer you a ride.” That night, it drizzled. I waited from 1 AM until 3 AM, finally seeing Mr. Thompson’s car. Later, he told me he knew I was waiting for him. He saw through everything. He said he didn’t like girls with such obvious intentions. But when it started raining and he saw I hadn’t left, he softened. I was barely 20 then, my first time riding in a Maserati, my first time staying in a villa. Mr. Thompson gave me a card with unlimited spending and a $25,000 monthly cash withdrawal limit. I calculated that if I maxed it out every month, in just over two years, I could buy a small two-bedroom apartment in this city and bring my mom over. But I wouldn’t do that. I couldn’t be so presumptuous. From then on, I accompanied Mr. Thompson on business trips, vacations, and cocktail parties. Sometimes I wouldn’t return to school for weeks at a time. Last year, I officially dropped out. The administrator who stamped my papers looked me up and down, her gaze so sharp I felt like my expensive clothes were stripped away in an instant. She smirked, saying, “I guess you don’t need this degree anymore.” I thought if I was careful, this life could continue. There was nothing bad about being with Mr. Thompson. I could treat him like my “boyfriend” and enjoy this “romance.” I was lost in this fantasy until two weeks ago when Mr. Thompson found a new flame. A girl even younger than me. The housekeeper told me this. He showed me her photo – taller than me, with a face like a minor, a small-time celebrity. The housekeeper said, “Mr. Thompson started a film company this year. There will be plenty of girls like her from now on.” “I see.” “Also, Mr. Thompson is going abroad for about a week. He’s not taking you this time.” As he said this, his tone became increasingly mocking. “You can still stay here during that time.” That night, lying alone in Mr. Thompson’s master bedroom, I couldn’t sleep. Of course, Mr. Thompson wasn’t my “boyfriend.” Mr. Thompson was my sugar daddy. We had an employer-employee relationship. He could hire another, hire many more, or fire me at any time without reason. I went into the bathroom, turned the shower on full blast, and started crying. It was then that I understood Cindy’s words. “For people like us, 23 is a turning point.” I’m 23 this year. “College graduates are 23. After 23, you’re not standard anymore. No matter how well you take care of yourself, no matter how carefree you act, you lose that quality. Age can’t be fooled.” “But the bosses always like them young.” [Cutoff point] 0

“Is it because I found another girl?” He took a sip of his drink and smiled. “So you’ve learned to be jealous?” Just one drink. With just one drink, he regained his composure. I guess I didn’t matter much to him at all. “You’re right, you’re 23 now. You’ve been sensible these past few years. Not like those girls who always dream of marrying me.” “Thank you, Mr. Thompson.” He sat down beside me, his large hand resting on my leg. “What are your plans now?” “I want… to travel.” “Alright. Since you’ve decided to leave, go to the housekeeper tomorrow for some money. I’ll treat you to dinner in the evening.” I nodded. Indeed, I needed this “severance pay” from him. He thought for a moment. “Do you need me to arrange a job for you?” I shook my head. “So… you’ll stay in New York?” Seeing I didn’t answer, he added, “I don’t mean anything by it. Just thought we might get together sometime in the future.” Of course, I didn’t misunderstand his intention. Get together anytime, for what? Just to book a room? What else was there between us? I remained silent, neither refusing nor agreeing directly. “Let’s not talk about this. Get some sleep. I have a meeting early tomorrow. Don’t forget to make me breakfast.” The next day, I moved out of Mr. Thompson’s villa. He gave me a generous severance package. Combined with what I’d saved over the years, I had about $250,000 – enough to live in this city for over a decade. But not enough to settle down. I guess that’s why those “girls” Mr. Thompson mentioned wanted to marry him. After being a mistress for years, I still couldn’t stay. I called Cindy and talked for a long time. She said, “Did you really think being a mistress for a few years would let you settle down in a big city? Don’t dream, girl. Our bodies and faces combined aren’t worth as much as those plots of land. You’ve got to keep hustling.” “But don’t worry, you don’t have to hustle yourself. The urgent task is to find someone who can hustle for you. Get married.” 03 Cindy was the bar owner where I worked part-time. She always looked out for me. She said I didn’t look like the type of girl who’d work in such a place. “Seeing you dressed like them makes me a bit sad.” She said she used to do this too, and was even more popular than me. In the era when internet images loaded slowly, bosses had few channels to find beautiful women, so someone like Cindy was especially precious. Bosses bought her jewelry and bags, took her traveling around the world. But no one married her. “You must get out of this life, as soon as possible,” she told me after I broke up with Mr. Thompson. “Youth is the biggest capital for people like us. Every day you delay marriage, you lose a day of your worth.” “But getting married isn’t hard, especially for us. So stop drinking at my place every day. You won’t find good men here. You need to go out and fish.” Cindy suggested I travel abroad, to America or Europe, because the expensive flights and high living costs would at least filter out the poorest men. Later, I set my sights on a small island called Tasmania in Australia. A heart-shaped island. Not just for the romance, but because it was far away. The farther, the more I felt I could escape my past with Mr. Thompson. In Tasmania, I met Jack. 04 – Jack Lucy was the most perfect girlfriend I’d ever had. I met her during my graduation trip to Australia. The day we met was like a fairy tale. There’s an island in Australia called Tasmania, shaped like a heart. It’s considered the holy grail of Australian tourist destinations. I had been studying for my master’s in Australia for over a year, too busy with coursework to date. So I was hoping for a bit of romance during the trip. Luckily, Lucy was in the Chinese tour group I joined. I was sitting in the back of the bus when I saw her board and take a seat in the third row by the aisle. Just those few steps from the door to her seat were enough to make my heart skip a beat. Her long hair fell over her shoulders, she wore a light camisole top and tight jeans, with a sliver of ankle visible between the jeans and her sneakers, so delicate it looked like you could encircle it with one hand. Her face was pure, with eyes reminiscent of the actress in that old TV series “Chinese Paladin” from over a decade ago. I’m not a shy person. While the bus wasn’t full yet, I counted down in my head – three, two, one – then got up and sat next to her. We talked for the entire bus ride around the island. Not just talking, of course. While making her laugh, I also casually probed for her basic information, and she seemed to play along. A girl from the South, 22 years old, graduated from an Ivy League school, Gemini, likes Japanese hot pot, works in administration in New York. Recently single. Romance happens quickly when traveling. That evening, on this heart-shaped island of Tasmania, we – two people who had known each other for less than 5 hours – stood barefoot where the sea met the sand and held hands. She had changed into a white dress, wearing a cute straw hat and small white flip-flops. The sea breeze lifted her skirt, outlining her slender, beautiful figure in the moonlight, like the final frame of a Japanese anime ending. She seemed too good to be just 20 years old. After Tasmania, we traveled to many places in Australia together. Lucy always arranged all the itineraries in advance, researching every attraction, booking flights, hotels, or Airbnbs. She considered whether we’d get enough sleep each day, if we were eating enough vegetables, scolded me for wearing my jacket to bed, and ordered me to sleep early. She always woke up before me. The sight of her making breakfast in her nightgown was incredibly alluring. I thought she was the girl I liked, someone I could spend my life with. I thought, if our relationship could stabilize, even for just half a year, I wouldn’t be able to resist proposing to her. But the day before we were to return home, she suddenly said to me: “Let’s get married.” I was stunned, feeling a mix of happiness and panic. “Marriage?” Lucy nodded, “Marry me.” “Are you serious? We’ve only known each other for 20 days.” “17 days and 7 hours, but I think it’s enough. I can marry you. I’ll give you two months to think about it. If you agree, bring me to meet your parents.” The next day, Lucy returned home alone. Since she had booked all the tickets and itineraries, I didn’t have a return ticket. For the next two months, Lucy didn’t let me see her again. But the less I saw her, the more I remembered all the good things she did for me. Every moment of our time together was vivid in my memory. We watched the sunrise together at the easternmost point of Australia, posed like in the “Titanic” poster, went diving at the Great Barrier Reef where she took off her oxygen mask 20 meters underwater to kiss me, visited the glow worm caves where she made me sing surrounded by tens of thousands of “stars” in the enclosed cave. “What should I sing? ‘Fireflies’?” I asked her. She pointed, “Look at their country’s glow worms, not a single one flying. That song doesn’t fit the scene.” “Then what should I sing?” She thought for a while, “Let’s go with ‘Fireflies’ after all.” “Didn’t you say it doesn’t fit?” “I suddenly want to hear you sing it.” I thought, I’d never find a girl more wonderful than her. After waiting anxiously for two months, we met again at the agreed place. I bought a $25,000 diamond ring, got down on one knee and said: “Marry me.” She started crying, suddenly kneeling down too and hugging me so tight I could barely breathe. She said to sell the ring, she didn’t need it. “As long as you love me, that’s enough. I have someone who loves me now, I have someone who loves me.” 05 It was just around Christmas time. I brought Lucy to my family home up north for the holiday dinner. Everyone loved her. She was beautiful, had a lovely voice, and carried herself with grace in everything she did. She helped my mom make dumplings, rolling out the wrappers more skillfully than my mom. At the dinner table, she didn’t drink but kept smiling and listening to everyone’s drunken ramblings, then cleaned up afterwards, washing dishes and doing all the chores as if she were already the woman of the house. My mom said, “Such a beautiful girl who can do all this, what more could you ask for, son?” My aunt said, “Where are you two settling down? If you need help buying a house, let your uncle chip in!” My uncle said, “Hurry up and find a job to support your family. With such a good wife, you better be able to provide for her.” And my brothers and sisters, while their words were full of jealousy and resentment, I’m sure in their hearts they all adored Lucy. It was the happiest Christmas I’d ever had. “But I feel like I’ve seen your girlfriend somewhere before,” my cousin, the oldest of us younger folks, said. “Where does she work?” “In New York,” I answered for Lucy. “I work in New York too, as an executive assistant. What do you do?” Lucy hesitated for a moment, “Oh, I work in administration.” “Carrying that kind of bag, you must earn quite a bit.” My cousin took a sip of her drink. “Thompson Group, Mr. Thompson, do you know him?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295927”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #重生Reborn #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring #校园School #魔幻Magic #惊悚Thriller #擦边Steamy

After being admitted to the psychiatric hospital, I fell in love with the attending physician, Finley Sampson. When I was discharged and accepted his marriage proposal, I learned that he was the one who had caused all of my mental breakdowns. My younger sister, Patricia Roberts, who was the only one I could count on and had been through thick and thin with me, committed suicide and left behind nothing but a suicide note. That was when I realized how much Patricia resented me. I isolated myself at home, cutting off all contact with the outside world, and sank deeper into self-blame day after day. It was Finley who accompanied me day after day and stayed by my side to protect me. He proposed to me, and looking into his affectionate eyes, I agreed. On the day I returned from the psychiatric hospital, I happened to overhear Finley talking on the phone with his best friend, Zachary Blair. Zachary asked, “Do you regret what happened to Patricia all those years ago?” “Not at all,” replied Finley.

Zachary continued, “Natalie keeps questioning herself because of that suicide note. If she ever finds out that the note is a fake and there’s more to her sister Patricia’s death…” Finley interrupted him, “Shut up. There’s no way she’ll ever learn the truth about what went down back then.” “Have you forgotten what happened? Patricia was crying out for help, and your indifference led to that tragedy,” Zachary said. “Harper is the most important woman in my life. Not only would I cook up evidence for her, but if I had to, I’d even kill someone for her.” Harper Wilson was the woman Finley held dear above all else. Zachary replied, “If Natalie finds out, she won’t be able to handle it.” “She won’t. Natalie is crazy about me. I’m her last emotional crutch. Besides, I’m about to marry her, so I’ve already made amends,” said Finley in a patronizing tone, as if marrying me was some huge favor he was doing. The voices inside carried on, but I couldn’t make out a word now. My mind went completely blank. I clamped my hand over my mouth, trying my damnedest not to let out any sobs. My blood seemed to turn to ice, and my body wouldn’t stop shaking. An excruciating pain in my heart made it almost too much to bear. When I heard some movement inside, I turned around and left. I ran all the way home, feeling like every ounce of strength had been sucked out of me. I plopped down on the floor and stared blankly at the spot on the floor not far away. I thought Finley was my knight in shining armor, but it turned out he was the mastermind who’d shoved me into the abyss. I didn’t know how much time had passed, but I was shivering all over when the door was pushed open from the outside. The familiar scent enveloped me, and Finley picked me up off the floor and placed me on the sofa. There was deep concern in his eyes. “Natalie, were you thinking about what happened back then again? “Don’t dwell on it. Patricia was too young back then to understand your good intentions. It isn’t your fault at all. You had nothing to do with it.” His gentle voice was just like the way he used to soothe me. If I hadn’t heard the whole conversation, I probably would’ve been fooled by his top-notch acting for the rest of my life. I looked up and stared at him for a long time. Finally, I said softly, “The one in the wrong isn’t me. “Patricia was a tough person, and we had an amazing relationship. I don’t believe that letter was written by her. “I’m gonna get that letter authenticated. I’m sure the police will give me justice. What do you think?” Finley panicked at my words and blurted out, “No, you can’t.” Perhaps realizing his tone was too harsh, he explained, “It’s been ages. The truth about what happened back then can’t be dug up anymore. “Revealing this thing means you’ll have to put yourself back in the spotlight. “I’m worried you won’t be able to handle it, and I don’t want you to go through that rough patch again. Let’s just let it go, okay?” I looked at him with bloodshot eyes, feeling like I’d fallen into an ice-cold cave. I was giving him one last shot, but he just didn’t cherish it.

I kept my eyes fixed on Finley, and he bent down and planted a kiss on my forehead. “You haven’t eaten yet, have you? I’ll go cook for you.” With that, he turned and walked away. On closer inspection, his steps were a bit wobbly. I stared at his back, and tears welled up and trickled down from the corners of my eyes. My chest felt as if it were filled with ice-cold water, making it difficult for me to breathe. I bit my lip hard, but the tears still streamed down uncontrollably. Finley had always been the support in my heart. Now that the support had crumbled, I didn’t even know what reason I had to keep going. My phone rang, and it was the doctor who had done my last physical. “Is this Ms. Roberts?” “Yes, it’s me. What’s up?” I answered. He said, “Ms. Roberts, the results of your last physical are in. You’d better come here.” I slumped to the floor, my face expressionless. “Just tell me.” He replied, “Ms. Roberts, you’ve been diagnosed with advanced gastric cancer.” At that moment, my mind went completely blank, and only the words “advanced gastric cancer” echoed in my head. I started laughing, and then I broke down in tears. The doctor on the other end of the line tried to comfort me, saying, “Ms. Roberts, if you cooperate actively with treatment, there’s still a chance.” “How long do I have, roughly?” I asked. “Conservatively, one month.” I hung up with the doctor, got up, and headed downstairs. When I heard the news, my first instinct was to find Finley. These days, he had become my mainstay. But as soon as I got downstairs, I heard sobbing. In the kitchen, two figures were locked in a tight embrace. “Finley, I’m so scared. I don’t know what to do.” Harper said, “The doctor said I only have three months left, and there’s still no matching heart donor. Am I going to die soon?” “No, Harper. Don’t worry. I won’t let you die,” Finley said, patting her back, trying to soothe her. His face was etched with worry and panic. So, when you cared about someone, you couldn’t stay calm. Finley had never looked panicked in front of me, so I guess I just wasn’t important enough. I opened my mouth. I had rehearsed what I was going to say, but at that moment, not a single word came out. My lips trembled slightly, and the words seemed to be stuck in my throat. Every word I managed to utter came out with a faint cracking sound. Hearing the noise on my side, Harper looked up. She quickly pushed Finley away and explained, “Natalie, don’t get the wrong idea. I was just so upset, and Finley was consoling me.” I gave her a cold stare, and she was the woman my ex-boyfriend loved. It was because of her that my ex-boyfriend had dumped me and married her. I only knew that Finley had met Harper after we got together, and I had often argued with Finley because of her. But every time, Finley would look at me, frustrated, and explain helplessly that they were just friends. I could sense that Finley treated her differently, but I felt helpless. Just as he had said, I loved him deeply, and I didn’t know how I was supposed to go on living after losing him.

Seeing that I remained silent, Harper’s eyes welled up with tears as she said, “I know you hate me, Natalie. I’ll leave. I’ll leave right this minute.” I picked up my handbag and turned around, ready to leave. Finley grabbed her wrist and stepped in front of her, looking at me with a disapproving frown. “Natalie, Harper and I are just friends. Don’t be so narrow-minded.” I thought, “Narrow-minded? That’s how he thinks of me? I didn’t even utter a word.” I felt my nose sour, and I managed to swallow the bitterness in my throat. “You two are friends, and I’m the one who’s in the way.” I clutched my handbag and left the house. Before I left, I could still hear Finley consoling Harper. “Harper, don’t pay her any mind. She just likes throwing fits and will be back soon.” I wandered around on the street as if there was an invisible barrier separating me from the world around me. Patricia and I had been orphans since we were kids, and we’d leaned on each other as we grew up. She was the most important person in my life. But Patricia killed herself on her eighteenth birthday and left behind a suicide note that blamed me. It said that because of the pressure I’d put on her and my lack of understanding, she couldn’t carry on. Everyone called me a murderer, and I holed myself up at home, too scared to go out, and even cut off all contact with the outside world. When I felt like I couldn’t go on living, it was Finley who broke open my door and took me to the hospital. He stayed by my side, looking after me with great care. One day, Patricia’s classmates came to the hospital and called me a murderer who’d killed Patricia. Finley was like an angel. He pulled me into his arms and glared at them sharply. “It has nothing to do with Natalie. She’s not a murderer.” Over the years, he was the first and only one who was willing to believe me. So, a tiny crack formed in my frozen heart. Later, as we spent more time together, my world revolved around him. Naturally, we got together, and he proposed to me. Finley was the light that brightened up my life. At that time, I even daydreamed that after we got married, we’d have a simple and peaceful life together. Now, it all seemed incredibly ironic. I randomly found a park and plopped down on a bench. Suddenly, the sky darkened as dark clouds gathered, and the whole world was cast in shadows. The thunder roared deafeningly, and the rain came down in torrents. Everyone around was running for shelter, but I was the only one sitting on the bench, unmoving. I didn’t want to go back, and I didn’t want to face Finley. The rain soaked through my clothes, and the cold seeped deep into my bones. Suddenly, I was pulled into a familiar embrace. Finley looked a mess, and there was a hint of anxiety in his eyes. He scolded me, “What are you doing sitting here all alone in this downpour?” For a moment, I couldn’t tell if it was rain or tears streaming down my face. He’d come looking for me. My heart felt as if it had been ripped open, and I couldn’t put into words how I felt at that moment. I followed him like a zombie. Then, Finley led me to the hospital. When I saw the hospital, an inexplicable sense of resistance welled up in me. “I don’t want to go. I don’t want to go to the hospital.” The memory of seeing Patricia’s cold body in the morgue played over and over in my mind like a broken record, and I was shaking all over. Finley didn’t seem to notice my distress and tried to take me inside. I struggled frantically. “Let me go! Let me go!” There was a sharp pain in my neck, and I blacked out. When I woke up again, I was lying in a hospital bed. I’d already been changed into dry clothes. Finley was sitting beside me. When he saw that I was awake, he was overjoyed. “Natalie, how are you? Do you feel any pain anywhere?” My face was pale, and I waved my hand dismissively. “No, I don’t want to stay in the hospital. Can we go home?” I didn’t know if it was just my imagination, but I got the sense that Finley was extremely excited. Finley stopped me from getting up. “Natalie, you just got drenched in the rain. Stay in the hospital and rest well for one night. We can leave tomorrow.” I thought about it for a moment and then nodded in agreement.

Finley made up an excuse about going to buy me food and headed out. I stared at his back, and my vision gradually grew hazy. He was right. I was completely dependent on him, even after finding out about his past actions. The instant I laid eyes on him, all my anger and resentment melted away. I sniffled, thinking, “After all, back then, he just stood by and did nothing. Patricia’s death wasn’t his fault, and he seems intent on making amends.” I wanted to forgive him. During my final days, I wanted to spend the remaining time with him in peace. I muttered, “Patricia, I’m so sorry. Please forgive me for being selfish. I can’t bear to lose him.” There was a sound at the door, and I thought it must be Finley coming back. I quickly got out of bed, eager to open the door for him. Just as my hand reached the doorknob, Finley’s gentle voice sounded. “Harper, you can have the surgery tomorrow. I’ve managed to get the heart.” I didn’t know what was said on the other end of the phone, but his smile grew even more tender. At that moment, a chill spread through my entire body. When he walked in, he was holding a surgical consent form. He approached me and gently stroked my hair, his eyes filled with sorrow. “Natalie, why didn’t you tell me about such a huge thing?” There was a hint of sob in his voice. “The doctor said that as long as you cooperate with the treatment, there’s still hope for you to beat this gastric cancer.” He held out the surgical consent form to me. I lost my mind and tore the paper to shreds, my voice sharp. “Get out! Get out! I won’t sign it!” I knew what he was up to. He wanted me to donate my heart to Harper and was trying to get me to sign the consent form. Finley looked at me as if I were a stubborn, disobedient child and kept trying to convince me. “Natalie, you’re so irrational. Don’t you want to be with me forever?” He took out another surgical consent form and shoved it forcefully into my hand. “Sign it now. I’ll have the doctor arrange the surgery for tomorrow morning.” I held the pen, and my fingertips trembled uncontrollably. I looked up at him, my eyes filled with hope. “Do I have to have the surgery tomorrow morning?” Finley didn’t even hesitate. “Yes, the earlier you start the treatment, the better. Natalie, don’t be scared. I won’t leave you. I’ll always be here to protect you.” I lowered my eyes, closed my eyes, and wrote down my name. I thought, “Finley, since you’ve already made up your mind, let it be as you wish.” I lay on the cold operating table, a cold shiver running up my spine. Watching the doctors bustling around in front of me, I found my head grew dizzier by the second.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295946”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring

During my brain surgery, Jason Lee, the medical student I had sponsored for ten years, deliberately switched my anesthesia. I lay there with my eyes wide open in terror, while he told everyone it was an awake craniotomy. In my last phone call before the surgery, I desperately pleaded with my fiancée for help, but she impatiently cut me off: “Lucas, not everyone is as paranoid as you about brain tumors.” “Jason is being generous by agreeing to perform your surgery despite your past conflicts. Just cooperate with him and stop bothering me!” The next second, my phone was snatched away. As they cut open my scalp and drilled into my skull, I died in excruciating pain. With my last breath, I left a message exposing Jason’s crime. However, my fiancée testified in Jason’s defense: “Lucas’s chances of surviving the surgery were already slim. His death has nothing to do with Jason.” When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the moment just after the anesthesia was switched, at the start of the surgery.

“Lucas Foster, did you think that pitiful amount of money you used to sponsor me would make you superior?” Jason sneered. “So what if you’re the young master of a wealthy family? In Scarlett’s eyes, you’re nothing but a pathetic lapdog. I just had to say the word, and she handed you over to me as a lab rat.” His voice was deliberately lowered, whispering right next to my ear. The anesthesia was steadily eroding my consciousness. I forced my eyes open with all my might. The pungent smell of disinfectant, the blinding surgical lights above – everything reminded me of the truth. I had been reborn. Reborn to the day Jason performed my brain surgery. In my previous life, he had arbitrarily administered a low dose of anesthesia, causing me to remain conscious throughout the procedure, experiencing the full terror and agony of having my skull opened. “How about we give Scarlett a call to confirm?” Jason taunted. As my thoughts cleared, I realized Jason had already dialed Scarlett’s number. He raised an eyebrow at me challengingly, tossing the phone near my hand before turning to prepare the surgical tools. Just like in my previous life, Scarlett’s voice was cold and impatient: “Jason comes from a prestigious background. He’s the young master of a wealthy family. How could he possibly dirty his hands just to harm you?” “Just cooperate with him for the awake craniotomy. If you survive, he’ll get a promotion. It’s a win-win situation. Lucas, can you stop being so unreasonable?” But she knew full well that not everyone was suitable for an awake craniotomy, let alone this being only Jason’s second surgery ever. He could barely hold a scalpel steady due to years of heavy drinking. I don’t know if it was the low dose of anesthesia taking effect, but I started to lose sensation in my limbs. Scarlett called out my name. She said something else, but I could barely make out the words. This time, I didn’t hysterically beg her to come save me like in my previous life. Instead, I hung up the phone and tried to call my father with trembling hands. In my past life, my family had always disapproved of my relationship with Scarlett. I had secretly used my resources to help her climb the ranks and become the head of Mercy Hospital. Only then did they stop objecting. If they found out that Scarlett and Jason were using my life for practice, they would never let it go. “Dad…” I managed to say. But as soon as the call connected, Jason snatched the phone away and hung up right in front of me. “I knew you wouldn’t behave,” he said. Jason deliberately held his shaking hand in front of my eyes. His gaze, visible through the protective mask, was filled with undisguised hatred. A shadow moved from my side to above my head. The blinding surgical light made it impossible to see his actions clearly. The fear of the unknown danger was even more terrifying than witnessing it firsthand. The excruciating pain from my previous life was still vivid in my mind. The cold, sharp scalpel pressed against my scalp. My heart was about to leap out of my throat, but I couldn’t move. Just as I thought I was going to relive the nightmare of my past life, the door to the operating room burst open. My friend Ryan glanced at the heart rate monitor and grabbed Jason’s arm: “Jason, are you insane? The anesthesia dose is too low. He’s clearly still conscious. How could you start the surgery?” Ryan looked around the operating room angrily at the other staff: “You’re all just going along with Jason’s recklessness? If word of this gets out, you’ll all be in big trouble!” The others exchanged uneasy glances, their faces showing signs of internal struggle.

Jason let out a scornful laugh: “So what if it gets out? This operation was approved by the hospital director. Scarlett just called to say that Lucas’s surgery is entirely in my hands.” “Don’t believe me? Want to call and ask him yourself?” After receiving Jason’s piercing glare, the staff in the operating room all lowered their heads. In my previous life, Jason had been strutting around the hospital using my identity. With Scarlett backing him, no one dared to cross him. Ryan was so angry his chest was heaving. “Get out of my way!” Jason shoved him aside. Ryan lost his balance and knocked over the surgical tray, cutting his cheek on a scalpel. “Are you the lead surgeon or am I? Keep causing trouble and I’ll have the director fire you!” Ryan took a few steps back, secretly patting my hand. He was about to leave when I desperately grabbed onto the hem of his scrubs. In my previous life, Ryan had gone to confront Scarlett out of anger. After my death, Scarlett had pinned everything on him, ruining his reputation and driving him to suicide by jumping into a river. Having lived another life, I didn’t want to implicate him again. I struggled to speak: “Don’t go to her… Contact the chairman of Foster Group…” Ryan nodded and turned to leave. But Jason grabbed him and pulled him back, landing a punch: “Who said you could leave before the surgery’s over? You think you can tattle to my dad? You’re not worthy!” “Jason, you… let him go!” I was furious but helpless, unable to move a muscle. The low dose of anesthesia kept me conscious but I could barely speak clearly. I could only glare at him fiercely: “That’s my dad… If you dare touch me today… I’ll make you pay a hundredfold, a thousandfold in the future!” Jason sneered, completely ignoring my warning: “You claim to be the young Foster heir, but ask anyone here – who would believe you?” Everyone present kept their eyes down, tacitly agreeing with Jason’s words. My heart sank. Jason leaned in close to my ear again and whispered: “Besides, even if you were the real deal, as long as you die here today, your dad will let me into the Foster family as the true young master, the heir to the family fortune.” “When that happens, the fake will become real.” My pupils constricted in shock. I was filled with bitter hatred, but the paralysis had spread to my mouth and tongue. I could only drool, unable to utter a single word. Seeing me like this, Jason smiled with satisfaction. Just as he was gloating, Ryan suddenly broke free from Jason’s grip and ran towards the door. However, a moment later, several men in black suits pushed their way in, grabbing Ryan and shoving him in front of Jason. “Dr. Lee, the hospital director instructed us to ensure you can perform the surgery without any disturbances,” one of them said. “With us here today, we won’t let anyone interfere with your work.” “Whether the operation succeeds or not, we won’t let any information unfavorable to you leak out.” Jason raised his eyebrows at me tauntingly. My heart sank to rock bottom. This was the woman I had loved unconditionally for seven years. I suddenly felt incredibly foolish. Another dose of anesthesia was injected, and soon Ryan lay helplessly on the floor. The men in black suits lined up at the door of the operating room. At some point, Jason had moved above me. The low dose of anesthesia left me completely paralyzed. My conscious mind clearly felt my scalp being cut open. The pain made my whole body tremble. I could barely speak, my mind involuntarily imagining that gruesome scene. My heart was also pounding violently, blood pressure skyrocketing. Just then, a phone rang. A young nurse rushed in, her face pale: “Dr. Lee, Ms. Foster wants you to take the call.”

Jason’s hand trembled, the blade leaving a long gash on my scalp. I saw a glimmer of hope and stammered: “Emma…” But Jason clamped his hand over my mouth. His blood-covered hand pressed down on the breathing mask and nasopharyngeal tube. The wound on my scalp continued to throb with pain, but I could only stare intently at Jason. Unable to say a word, even breathing became difficult. Jason turned his head and spoke into the phone in a low voice: “Emma, the surgery isn’t over yet. Yes, that’s right, Dr. Wang is the lead surgeon, I’m just assisting. Don’t worry, everything is going smoothly so far. We’ll do our best, I have to go now…” “He’s lying!” Ryan gritted his teeth and shouted. Jason’s face changed. He gave a look to the guards at the door. They immediately went over to cover Ryan’s mouth and injected him with another dose of anesthesia. I tried to struggle and make a sound to reach Emma, but it was futile. Several nurses held down my arms, copying Jason by covering my mouth. Jason held the phone in one hand and the scalpel in the other, randomly slashing at my scalp: “It’s nothing, Emma. Don’t worry.” “Patients under anesthesia often become delirious and say nonsense. It’s perfectly normal.” Each cut was agonizing, making me break out in a cold sweat and tremble uncontrollably. In Jason’s last surgery, he had been on the phone while performing a C-section on a pregnant woman. Distracted by the call, he had left a piece of gauze inside the patient. By the time it was discovered, the woman had already died of sepsis and high fever. The scandal was barely contained after Scarlett spent a fortune to suppress it. And now, Jason was clearly trying to kill me. He hung up the phone. A nurse approached and whispered hesitantly: “Dr. Lee, the patient’s blood pressure is dangerously high. His heart rate is too fast. If this continues, he could die from oxygen deprivation.” Jason said nothing, giving her a meaningful look. The nurse immediately pressed her lips tightly and stepped back. My vision started to blur, and my mind felt hazy. I couldn’t tell if it was from the anesthesia or lack of oxygen. In my daze, I seemed to hear the sound of the skull drill. The same buzzing noise as in my previous life. Even though I had been given another chance, why was it still ending up like this? But I didn’t want to die. I stared helplessly at the light above, feeling like my throat was being squeezed shut, unable to breathe. Suddenly, a commotion broke out. Scarlett burst in wearing a white coat. I instinctively tensed up. However, she didn’t even glance at me. She just smiled and linked arms with Jason: “How much longer until the surgery is over? The eldest Ms. Foster is waiting outside. After you’re done, let’s all go out for a meal together.” Her tone was gentle, completely different from her cold attitude towards me. But having lived through this once before, seeing her now barely stirred any emotions in me. Only the words “eldest sister” made me force my eyes open through the drowsiness. I don’t know what Jason said, but Scarlett laughed and snuggled into his arms. The drill bit of the skull drill slipped to the wrong spot. It felt like my scalp was being forcibly torn off. I clenched my jaw and stared intently at the surgical tray 30 centimeters to my right. Move a finger, just move one finger, please… I pleaded silently, using all my strength to swing my arm. Scarlett rushed over to hold me down. The skull drill fell to the ground, hitting the surgical tray and sending the tools clattering to the floor. “What’s with all the commotion? Did something happen to my brother?” Emma’s voice came through. The next moment, the door was pushed open a crack. [BREAK POINT]

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295962”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #重生Reborn #惊悚Thriller #校园School

I spent three years in prison for my husband Adam’s company. When I got out, all I received was a $1 bonus check for the business opening. Just as I thought there must have been a mistake, I noticed the girl next to me, Lily, also only had a single dollar bill in her envelope. Putting aside my concerns, I happily accompanied Adam to complete the opening ceremony. But that night, I came across Lily’s Instagram post. She had shared a photo of a check: “Congrats on the big opening, boss! So generous with that $1 million bonus!” The comments were full of envy, congratulating her on her relationship with the “boss.” Not only did Adam fail to explain, he was quick to distance himself from me: “You just got out of prison, it’s not appropriate to go public. Let’s keep our marriage secret for now. Just call me boss in front of others.” Then he immediately liked Lily’s Instagram post. I wiped away a tear and called his arch-rival. “I’ll work for you from now on.” “You were willing to go to prison for three years for Adam’s business. Why the sudden change to work for me?” “I remember he promised to give you a department manager position when you got out. Are you sure you don’t want it?” I fidgeted with the $1 bill, letting out a bitter laugh. “Mm, I don’t want it anymore.” Just as I said that, Adam suddenly appeared in front of me, asking suspiciously: “What don’t you want?” I calmly hung up the phone and told the truth: “The department manager position.” Hearing this, a flash of relief crossed the man’s complex expression. “Good. I was planning to give it to Lily anyway. You can start as a clerk for now.” Hearing these words, I couldn’t help but frown. Back then, I endured three years behind bars for Adam’s company. He had repeatedly promised me that when I got out, the position would be mine and mine alone. Who would have thought that in the end, I’d become nothing more than a lowly office worker. At this moment, Adam was breaking the promise he made three years ago with his own mouth. But I couldn’t see a hint of guilt in his eyes. My eyes burned as an unstoppable pain flooded my heart. Seeing I didn’t respond, Adam took out a contract from his briefcase and tossed it on the coffee table. He said nonchalantly: “This is a secret marriage agreement, for the sake of the company.” The words “Secret Marriage Agreement” stung my eyes badly. Three years ago, the day before I went to prison, Adam and I got our marriage certificate. The only thing that kept me going was the thought of a happy married life after my release. But now, I had become something he was ashamed to mention. He even wanted me to disappear without a trace. I laughed bitterly to myself, picked up the pen without a second thought. Adam suddenly turned his head, frowning as he watched me about to sign. She who once couldn’t wait to announce this marriage to the world, how could she suddenly be so decisive? He instinctively grabbed my wrist, his words puzzling: “You’re not even going to think about it?” I didn’t even look up, signing immediately. Getting the secret marriage agreement as he wished, he fell oddly silent for a moment. After a while, he cleared his throat, his voice turning gentle: “Rachel, don’t worry. Once the company stabilizes, I’ll definitely make it up to you properly.” I responded with a noncommittal “mm”, just as the company WhatsApp group lit up. Lily had become the company’s first department manager, with all the employees offering congratulations. “You’ve been by the boss’s side these past three years, we’ve all seen it. This position is well-deserved!” “I think Lily will be the boss’s wife soon, right? We’ll have to get on your good side from now on.” Immediately after, Lily sent a shy emoji, tacitly accepting everything. “I still think Rachel is luckier. She went to prison for three years and can still be a clerk at the company. The boss really spoils her!” Knowing the truth, she was clearly mocking me. I struggled to look away from the screen, inadvertently catching Adam staring at his phone. The smile on his lips was a tenderness I had never seen before. It made me wonder. Was his secret marriage to me really for the company, or was it for Lily?

To fulfill the secret marriage contract, Adam moved from the master bedroom to the guest room. Besides that, he also made it crystal clear: I wasn’t allowed to ride in the same car as him. I couldn’t talk to him at the company, only call him boss. And his relationship with Lily was just an act, I wasn’t allowed to make a fuss about it. After explaining everything, Adam disappeared for three days. It wasn’t until I took a day off work with a fever that he bothered to call me: “You’ve only been working a few days and you’re already taking time off. Aren’t you being a bit dramatic?” “You’ll have to go to the hospital yourself. I’m still on a business trip, I can’t take you.” An expected result. I mumbled a vague “mm”. But just as I finished speaking, a coquettish female voice came through the phone: “Adam, my zipper’s stuck! Come help me quick!” Although Adam quickly hung up, I still heard the sound of his hurried footsteps. Looking at Lily’s Instagram again, she had already changed her profile picture. It matched Adam’s as a couple. I remembered when we were dating, I always pestered him to use matching profile pictures. But he always had countless reasons to refuse me: Too much trouble, childish, tasteless… I don’t know what came over him, but he started frantically texting and calling me. I only replied once: “This is my rest time, please understand, boss.” After finishing the IV drip, I returned to the company. My coworkers were as cold to me as ever, piling work on my desk. In their minds, I was probably just a lucky ex-con taken in by the boss. I should naturally take on more. I adjusted my mood and packed all the couple items from the storage cabinet into a black garbage bag. If I had known they would never see the light of day, I wouldn’t have worked so hard to bring them to the office. I was about to go throw them away when Adam unexpectedly returned. Before I could react, he angrily dragged me all the way to the stairwell. Seeing the garbage bag in my hand, the man’s face darkened: “You have time to clean up garbage but not to return my calls?” The strong perfume on him made me take a step back involuntarily as I said calmly: “I replied to your message.” Hearing this, Adam seemed to catch fire, demanding: “Why did you call me ‘boss’ on the phone?” What’s the difference between on the phone and in person? He was the one who told me to, so why was he upset when I did? Seeing I had no intention of explaining, he let out a cold laugh: “You know I don’t like willful women. You’d better not turn into someone I hate.” As he spoke, he snatched the bag from my hand and hurled it to the ground with all his might. Amid the thunderous crash echoing through the stairwell, he strode away. Looking at the shattered photos and couple mugs, my heart trembled. Just like our years of feelings would ultimately be broken to pieces. I cleaned up the fragments and called a lawyer to draft a divorce agreement. After getting the document, I printed a copy in the copy room. Just as I had mentally prepared myself and was about to knock, Adam opened the door first. Meeting his icy gaze, I calmly handed over the document: “Sign it when you have time.” But Adam didn’t even look at it, flipping straight to the last page to sign. Then he handed it back casually, instructing: “Come out with me for a business dinner later. Be smart and remember to help block the drinks.” I was puzzled – Adam could usually hold his liquor well, why did he need me to block drinks? Before I could ask, Lily bounced out from behind him: “Boss is so thoughtful! You even remembered I have a cold and can’t drink!”

Lily sat next to Adam wrapped in a blanket, her head resting directly on his shoulder. Seeing me, she frowned and complained: “The boss is just overreacting. It’s only a cold, but he won’t let me drink or go to work. If I hadn’t begged him, he wouldn’t even bring me to this business dinner.” Hearing her say this, Adam fondly tapped her nose. “I don’t care what you say. Just don’t cry when it’s time to take your medicine.” The two people before me were clearly a couple in love. His gentle humor was also a side of him I found unfamiliar. Clutching the divorce agreement in my hand, I felt oddly relieved. Arriving at the restaurant, Adam exchanged pleasantries with the business partners for a while. Then he stepped back and began introducing everyone. “This is Lily, our company’s department manager.” When introducing me, the partner’s boss frowned slightly. “I remember clearly, this young lady went to prison for owing money. Boss Adam, you really are loyal to old friends.” Adam tensed up, glancing at me before laughing it off in agreement. During the project discussion, Adam and Lily’s seats were pressed close together. He kept giving me looks, telling me to proactively help block drinks for Lily. At the table, someone noticed their intimate gestures and couldn’t help teasing: “Boss Adam and Miss Lily look so well-matched. I wonder if the boss is married?” As soon as the words fell, Adam looked at me, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. The next second, we said in unison: “No.” Even though we gave the same answer, he abruptly turned his head to stare at me in shock. It wasn’t until the partners went to the restroom that he messaged me: “It’s all just an act, don’t take it to heart.” Adam said it was acting, but I was telling the truth. After all, he had already signed the divorce agreement. I glanced at the message and flipped my phone face down. Seeing this, Adam was about to get up and come over, but I turned and went to the restroom. Coming out of the stall, I ran into Lily. She stood with her arms crossed, clearly with a victorious attitude. “Rachel, you’re truly pathetic as a woman. To be so despised by your husband – if it were me, I definitely wouldn’t have the face to show myself in public.” I washed my hands nonchalantly, saying coolly: “That’s not for Miss Lily to worry about.” Drying my hands, I prepared to leave. But Lily darted in front of me, looking me up and down. “How can the boss’s wife still wear such rags?” “Oh I forgot, Adam must have spent all the money buying me haute couture. Sorry about that.” The expensive brands she wore seemed to constantly remind me of the difference between $1 and $1 million. In an instant, the bitterness that had built up in my heart exploded, and I fled in a panic. Back in the private room, I picked up my bag to leave. Adam hurriedly came over to stop me, his tone gentle: “Don’t go yet, I’ll take you home later.” I was about to refuse when Lily suddenly burst in crying. Instantly attracting everyone’s attention. Adam immediately let go of me and ran over to ask what had happened. Lily was frantically rummaging through her bag and all her pockets. Then she cried out in dismay: “My custom diamond ring is missing!”

As soon as the words left her mouth, everyone in the room started looking for Lily’s ring. While searching, she kept muttering: “This was a birthday gift from Boss Adam, worth over $3 million. I can’t bear to lose it!” Though I didn’t know what game she was playing, I just wanted to leave immediately. But just as I reached the door, Lily blocked me. “Rachel, let me check your bag. Otherwise you won’t be able to clear your name.” Whether or not I stole her ring, I knew the truth. “I’m tired. Miss Lily can look for it herself.” Seeing I was determined to leave, Lily actually grabbed my bag directly. In the struggle, the contents of my bag spilled all over the floor. And among the scattered items, there was indeed a sparkling large diamond ring. I stared at the ring in shock, suddenly meeting Lily’s provocative gaze. “Why are you framing me?” Turning around, I found everyone looking at me with contempt. Especially Adam, who frowned with disgust in his eyes. I instinctively tried to explain to him: “I didn’t take this!” But my explanation seemed so feeble in the face of the glaring “evidence”. Next, Lily picked up the ring and started crying even harder. “This ring means so much to me. How could Rachel steal it?” “I thought Rachel had reformed in prison, but I never expected she’d still do anything for money. I don’t dare work with her anymore…” Lily’s words made everyone’s expressions turn ugly. The partner’s boss spoke up first, breaking the awkward silence: “Boss Adam, let’s call off this deal!” With that, he stormed out of the room with his people. I wanted to chase after them to explain, but was met with a solid slap from Adam. Meeting my incredulous gaze, there wasn’t a hint of regret in his eyes. “I never thought you’d be the type to see money and lose your mind!” “I brought you out, not for you to steal things!” Adam’s words completely convicted me. Didn’t he know what kind of person I was? Had he also forgotten why I went to prison? Seeing the anger in his eyes, I knew he would never believe me. I could only laugh bitterly and hand him my phone. “Then call the police.” He looked down at the phone, then frowned at me again, still not moving. The long stare seemed to let me see through the man before me. After a while, Adam snorted coldly, “Ridiculous!” He turned around, helped Lily put on the diamond ring, and gently coaxed her to leave. In the room, only I remained, along with the mess on the floor. I picked up my scattered belongings and headed straight for the airport without hesitation. In the late night waiting area. I was about to draft a resignation letter when I received a dismissal notice from Adam first. His words were filled with anger: “Don’t come to the company anymore. Stay home and reflect on yourself!” Seeing his absurd demands, I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. Without thinking, I sent him a photo of the signed divorce agreement. Along with the text: “Adam, I wish you and Lily a hundred years of happiness and growing old together!” “But first you need to get our divorce certificate, otherwise I’ll report you for bigamy.” After I sent this, Adam started frantically calling me like his life depended on it. This is the cutoff point I hung up on all the calls, so Adam sent messages instead: “Rachel, what kind of joke are you playing? When did I ever agree to divorce?!” “If you really think there’s something between Lily and me, then I’ll actually do something with her for you to see!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295978”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #重生Reborn #惊悚Thriller #校园School

On our fifth wedding anniversary, Vanessa’s junior colleague posted a photo of them scuba diving together on social media. The caption read: “Nothing sweeter than diving with my boss 💕” I commented, reminding them to be safe while diving, but my comment was instantly deleted. Vanessa immediately video called me, her face beautifully made up but full of impatience. “I’m on a company retreat with my employees. Why are you being so passive-aggressive in the comments?” “My employees can make money for me, can you? You’re just a sick man staying at home without earning a penny. How dare you criticize my staff!” In the background, I could see other employees comforting her junior colleague. Before I could explain, Vanessa hung up abruptly and blocked me. The next moment, her junior colleague flaunted a million-dollar watch on social media. I knew it was Vanessa’s way of compensating him. I tossed the anniversary gift I had prepared for Vanessa into the trash. Five years of marriage, it was time to end it. “I’m sorry, sir, but we only have one room left in the hotel today,” the receptionist at the Maldives resort apologized to me. Lucy, standing beside me, looked troubled. “Ryan and I were supposed to share a room, and you with Vanessa…” “Jack Sullivan, what are you doing here in the Maldives?” Vanessa, who had just berated me on video, stepped out of the hotel elevator. Behind her were several employees she had brought on this company retreat. Chris Zhang, Vanessa’s junior colleague and secretary, was carrying her bag and standing intimately close to her. Vanessa furrowed her brows and stormed over to me, her voice a mix of disbelief and anger. “Is this really necessary, Jack? Just because I’m a few days late coming home, you followed me all the way to another country?!” Two weeks ago, Vanessa had left for the Maldives on a company retreat, promising to return two days early to celebrate our anniversary together. But when the day came for her to return, she didn’t show up. I was worried sick at home, wondering if something had happened to them in the Maldives, so I anxiously called her several times. She impatiently accused me: “I’ve only been gone for a few days and you’re calling every day! How annoying! I’ve never seen such a nagging man. I’m not some little wife you can keep locked up!” My heart sank as I realized that my concern for her was nothing but a shackle in her eyes. It was she who had eagerly proposed to me several times, asking me to put a diamond ring on her finger, saying she belonged only to me and would be my wife alone. I coughed lightly, my expression cold as I looked down at her. “You can come to the Maldives for a vacation, why can’t I?” “What’s with that tone? You’re clearly stalking me!” Vanessa glared up at me, indignant. Lucy, standing next to me, quickly tried to smooth things over. Only then did Vanessa notice Lucy and me standing together. She looked at us suspiciously. Chris suddenly chimed in with a smile: “Jack, are you here on vacation with this beautiful lady? What a coincidence that you’re staying at the same hotel!” Vanessa’s face immediately changed, her eyes full of jealousy and envy. She stepped forward and pinched my arm hard, yelling: “How dare you betray me and have an affair with Lucy!?” I shook off her hand, coldly saying, “Are you crazy? Lucy is my buddy’s girlfriend. Don’t spread rumors!” My friend Ryan had just returned from the restroom. Seeing the situation, he quickly pulled his girlfriend into his arms to comfort her, glaring at Vanessa: “Vanessa, have you lost your mind? You know how much Jack loves you. How could you accuse him of being with my girlfriend!” Vanessa frowned, her tone full of arrogance. “Why didn’t you explain earlier!” I laughed bitterly to myself. As if she had given me a chance to explain. Lately, she had been increasingly impatient with me, just like earlier on the video call when she hung up without letting me explain. But I wouldn’t bother explaining to her anymore. There was no point. With only one room left in the hotel, I didn’t want to intrude on my friend and his girlfriend, so I had to share a room with Vanessa. I had been on a long flight, and I could feel my lungs were already overworked. Even breathing was becoming difficult. Back in the room, I sat on the couch, pale-faced, trying to rest. Vanessa urged me to go out for dinner with her employees. “I’m not feeling well, I’ll pass. You guys go ahead.” Vanessa rolled her eyes impatiently, her tone sarcastic: “You insist on coming here even though you’re sick, you deserve it! Fine, stay here then. I’ll bring you some leftovers when I’m done with dinner.” Vanessa left quickly in her high heels without giving me another glance. I opened my eyes wearily, took out my medication from my suitcase, and only felt my breathing ease after taking it. I opened my phone and sent an email to Dr. Zhang, a medical expert in treating lung conditions. Today was my fifth wedding anniversary with Vanessa. I had originally planned to come here to surprise her. But now it seems this wasn’t a surprise for her, just a shock and annoyance. Fortunately, my trip wasn’t wasted. Dr. Zhang replied that he had time to treat me over the next couple of days. I felt relieved and contacted a lawyer back home, asking him to draft a divorce agreement. When we return, I’ll officially divorce Vanessa. I fell asleep on the couch and when I woke up, Vanessa had just returned. But when I opened the takeout box, I saw cold, greasy leftovers that turned my stomach instantly. Vanessa flew into a rage: “Eat it or not, I don’t care if you starve!” She sat on the couch angrily playing with her phone, chatting with someone, a sweet shy smile gradually appearing on her face. Suddenly she said to me, “It’s too late now and the hotel’s not delivering food anymore. I’ll go out and buy you some supper.” But I had been hungry for too long and didn’t want to wait for her to go out and come back. I decided to go out with her. But Vanessa lost her temper again. “You want to follow me even to buy supper! Don’t you trust me? Do you think I’m going to meet someone? How can a man be so petty, always getting jealous! ” I hadn’t said anything, and she was already on the defensive. I said sarcastically: “You’re overthinking. I just want to eat out, otherwise how would I know what leftovers you’ll bring back this time.” Vanessa still looked unconvinced: “What leftovers? You’re just making excuses to argue with me! Now you’re finding reasons to follow me!” My stomach was cramping from hunger. I looked at her coldly, impatient. “Are you going or not? If not, give me the car keys. I’ll go eat by myself.” Vanessa rolled her eyes and reluctantly drove me to a nearby supper spot. On the way, she kept glancing at her phone while driving. The screen showed a group-buy deal for a famous restaurant nearby. When we arrived, Vanessa immediately shooed me out of the car, as if afraid I’d linger. “The staff called me over for supper. It’s not to your taste, so you eat here. I’ll come pick you up in two hours to go back to the hotel together.” With that, she drove off in a cloud of dust. I ordered a table full of delicious food and enjoyed it alone. It’s my own body, and I won’t ruin my health for her anymore. After eating, I waited outside for Vanessa, but the agreed time had long passed without a sign of her. A gust of cold wind blew, entering my lungs through my nose. I covered my mouth and coughed violently. Spots of blood seeped through my fingers, dripping onto the ground. My heart sank. It seemed my old lung problem had worsened again. Suddenly, it started pouring rain. By the time I hurriedly retreated back into the restaurant, I was already soaked. The cold moisture invaded my lungs again, and I couldn’t help but cough up another pool of blood. The restaurant owner was startled. I had to swallow my pride and ask him to drive me back to the hotel, otherwise if I kept waiting, I might cough up my entire lung. Back at the hotel, I showered, took my medicine, and quickly arranged to see Dr. Zhang tomorrow afternoon for treatment. By chance, I saw that Chris had posted on social media ten minutes ago. Among several food photos was a picture of intertwined hands. One of the hands wore a very familiar diamond ring. The location tag on this post showed it was the trendy restaurant I had seen on Vanessa’s phone earlier. When Vanessa returned, she started yelling at me as soon as she entered the door. “Didn’t I tell you to wait for me? You came back without telling me, making me look for you in the rain for hours!” I smirked, directly exposing her lie. “Half an hour ago I was still waiting for you outside the restaurant. Where exactly were you looking for me for hours?” A flash of guilt crossed Vanessa’s face. She bit her lip and glared at me. “Hmph, anyway, you should have called me if you weren’t going to wait!” I laughed inwardly. She had blocked me this morning, how could I call her? But I was too tired to explain. I took a set of spare bedding from the hotel and put it on the couch, lying down to rest. Vanessa sneered, “Don’t want to sleep in the same bed? As if I care!” “Cough cough!” The rain earlier had affected my lungs, which were now throbbing with pain. Vanessa slammed the bedroom door, leaving only a parting shot: “Sick dog, coughing all day! It’s so annoying to hear! When we get back home, let’s sleep in separate rooms!” I would certainly fulfill her wish. After the divorce when we return, I’ll have nothing more to do with her. My lungs hurt with every breath. I couldn’t sleep all night and even coughed up blood again. But my medicine was still in the bedroom and I hadn’t brought it out. I knocked on the door for a good ten minutes, coughing, before Vanessa finally opened it, her face full of anger. She didn’t even look at me, just turned and lay back on the bed with her back to me. I took my medicine and left. Hearing me close the door, Vanessa, lying on the bed, cursed me for being sick. But I really am sick. I tilted my head back and took a pill to treat the lung bleeding. Five years ago, if it weren’t for saving Vanessa, I wouldn’t have gotten this illness. Early the next morning, Vanessa had already changed and applied her makeup, looking ready to go out. Seeing me still lying on the couch, she frowned, looking displeased. “Why aren’t you up yet?” I ignored her, replying to a message from my friend. He said he and his girlfriend were going diving today and asked if I wanted to come see the ocean. Vanessa looked at my cold profile, feeling a bit panicked. She suddenly softened her tone. “Jack, we didn’t celebrate our anniversary yesterday. Let’s go diving together today, we can make up for it, okay?” So she did remember yesterday was our wedding anniversary. But my friend had just said he and his girlfriend were diving in the same area, so I nodded, planning to meet up with them. When Vanessa and I arrived, several employees from her company retreat were already on the yacht. Chris, wearing swim trunks and shirtless, asked Vanessa to help him apply sunscreen. He deliberately showed off his physique, raising an eyebrow at me, then said softly to Vanessa: “Vanessa, can you help me put on some sunscreen? I can’t reach my back!” A tour guide on the yacht joked, “Mrs. Wells, you and your young boyfriend get along so well.” At these words, the few employees present all looked at each other awkwardly. Chris pretended to be embarrassed, scratching his head: “Jack, don’t misunderstand, the guide is just joking. Maybe he thinks Vanessa and I look good together!” I glanced at him coldly, my tone contemptuous: “Indeed, you do look like a kept man.” Chris’s expression changed slightly, flashing embarrassment and anger. “Jack, what do you mean by that? Vanessa and I are purely professional. Are you deliberately mocking me?” Vanessa also frowned at me, her tone unpleasant. “Don’t be so rude. Weren’t you and Chris like brothers when he first joined the diving club? Why are you targeting him now!” Chris was our junior in college. When I first met him, I could tell he liked Vanessa. But this guy went abroad after graduation, so I didn’t pay much attention to him. Who knew that when he returned two years ago, he went straight into Vanessa’s company as her secretary. It seems that from then on, Vanessa became increasingly cold and impatient with me. Thinking back over the past two years, the many times Vanessa stood me up, stayed out all night, perhaps Chris had already replaced me in her heart. Seeing the atmosphere turn awkward, several employees came over to smooth things over. “Jack, I remember you’re good at diving too. Why don’t you come down and enjoy it for a while?” I shook my head, refusing. “No thanks, you guys go ahead.” The employees looked awkwardly at Vanessa. She felt embarrassed and bit her lip, cursing me in a low voice: “Jack Sullivan, how can a grown man be so petty! Can’t you read the room? You’re deliberately making everyone uncomfortable. What’s wrong with you!” Chris also said: “Jack, come down and play with us. Although Vanessa personally taught me yesterday, I still haven’t learned well. Why don’t you try teaching me?” As he spoke, Chris walked over and forcefully pushed me towards the diving suits. I was already annoyed that this pretty boy had cuckolded me, and now he dared to get in my face. Angry, I raised my hand and pushed him away. “Get lost!” “Ah! Vanessa, save me!” Unexpectedly, this pretty boy suddenly tilted towards the railing and fell straight into the sea. Vanessa rushed over, pushing me aside, and jumped into the sea without hesitation to bring Chris back up. Chris lay in Vanessa’s arms, looking panicked and scared. Vanessa anxiously asked if he had swallowed any seawater. Chris spoke weakly: “Vanessa, I’m okay… cough cough! Just swallowed a little water. Don’t blame Jack. Even though I know he dislikes me, he wouldn’t deliberately push me into the sea to hurt me…” Watching Chris’s poor acting, I laughed coldly. “Didn’t you just flip over yourself? If I wanted to hurt you, I would have held you underwater. Would I have let her fish you out?” Vanessa came over angrily, raising her hand high and slapping me hard across the face. “Jack Sullivan, have you gone crazy?! If anything had happened to Chris today, I wouldn’t have let you off!” I probed my cheek with my tongue, raising my hand to wipe the blood from the corner of my mouth, looking down at her coldly. IIn all our years together, no matter how fiercely we argued, she had never hit me. Now, for Chris’s sake, she didn’t hesitate to slap me.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295994”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring

I never expected that when my grandfather asked me to choose one of the Johnson brothers for marriage, I would pick Ethan, Caleb’s older brother. Everyone knew I had been Caleb’s shadow since childhood. I once made myself deathly ill, begging to marry him with my life. I smiled bitterly, remembering my past life. On our wedding day, Caleb ran away with Lily, the girl my family had been supporting, declaring he would marry no one but her. I stood there in the wedding dress I had dreamed of for so long, utterly humiliated. Only then did I realize he had agreed to marry me just to get revenge at the wedding. After being reborn, I started avoiding him at every turn. Later, when his brother Ethan held me in his arms and kissed me until my lips were swollen, Caleb, who had always looked down on me, suddenly lost control of his emotions. After setting the wedding date, I started preparing things we’d need for the ceremony. I didn’t expect to run into Caleb and his friends at the mall. “Coming out to play and still keeping such a close eye on her. Caleb, you’re watching your woman way too tightly,” his friend teased, causing Caleb to frown in annoyance. “She’s not my woman. Say that again and I’ll sew your mouth shut.” Caleb spotted me from afar and walked over, clearly displeased. “Aria, when will you give it a rest? Why do you have to follow me everywhere I go?” “You forced the elders to tie us together. Now everyone knows you’re marrying into the Johnson family. Are you satisfied now?” I stayed silent for a moment, my expression calm. “I’m not trying to tie myself to you. You’ve misunderstood.” His emotions suddenly flared up as he gripped my wrist tightly, causing pain. “Then why are you here? Aren’t you just stalking me?” I shook off his hand, instinctively rubbing my reddened wrist as I explained: “I’m here to prepare things for the wedding. I didn’t expect to run into you.” Seeing our unhappy expressions, his friends quickly gathered around. “Preparing for the wedding? Caleb, marrying her sure is convenient – you don’t have to prepare anything yourself.” Caleb glared at the speaker without responding. “Aria, don’t think that just because our families arranged this marriage, you can use these tactics to get me.” “Even if you get my body, you’ll never have my heart. I despise manipulative, vicious women like you the most.” His eyes were cold, his voice suppressing anger. But I felt nothing, only wanting to escape this troublesome situation. I looked up and met his gaze calmly: “Who wants your heart? Don’t flatter yourself. I won’t be marrying you either.” Hearing this, Caleb’s face immediately fell. “How can you still deny it at this point? You’ve always used every trick to force me to marry you. Now that you’ve finally succeeded, you’re saying you won’t marry me…” His friend bumped his shoulder: “Caleb, can’t you tell? The little lady is just mad at you. She’s saying that out of anger.” “She’s personally out choosing things for the wedding. How can she be happy when you’re being so cold and sarcastic to her?” Caleb’s expression finally softened a bit. He stared at me with a complex look, finally forcing out a sentence after a long pause. “I’ll show up for the wedding on time, but like I said, don’t expect me to ever like you.” Suddenly there was a sound of something dropping behind us. Caleb and I turned to see Lily standing there in shock, wearing a cute sundress. She was the foster child my family had been supporting. With poor health, she was a frequent hospital patient. My mother felt bad about her poor living conditions and took her in to live with us. She was now dressed up like a delicate doll, with fluttering eyelashes over watery eyes. Caleb immediately let go of me and rushed over to her. “Lily, let me explain. It’s not what you think.” Lily covered her face and ran off, not giving him a chance to explain. Everyone dispersed unhappily after Lily left. Before leaving, Caleb threatened me harshly. “If Lily gets upset over this, I won’t let you off easy.” I laughed mockingly, for a moment doubting if the childhood friend I grew up with had been possessed by someone else.

After that whole scene, I lost interest in continuing to shop and went home early. It wasn’t until evening that Caleb brought Lily back. He was carrying bags of things, with his driver following behind carrying several boxes. The boxes were filled with expensive fruits and imported snacks. It was clear Caleb had bought a lot to appease Lily. When they came in, I was curled up on the couch watching TV. I deliberately didn’t look Caleb’s way, but he came over on his own. At first he didn’t speak, just pursing his lips as if waiting for my reaction. But I kept my eyes fixed on the TV, not even glancing his way. “Aria, you clearly saw me bring in all these things. Why didn’t you come help?” I gave him an indifferent look: “Why should I help you? The stuff wasn’t bought for me. What does it have to do with me?” His expression darkened: “If you want something just say so. If word gets out that my fiancée is so desperate for a few trinkets, people will laugh at me.” Caleb completely ignored what I’d said at the mall. I couldn’t be bothered to keep emphasizing to him that I wouldn’t marry him. He’d understand completely on the wedding day. Caleb casually picked up a box of blueberries and tossed it next to me. Due to the force, the box bounced off the couch and fell to the floor. “A reward for you. Don’t say I mistreat you.” I looked down at the box of blueberries, but had no desire to pick it up. Because if I did, I’d be like a begging dog, eagerly accepting Caleb’s handouts. I don’t need that kind of charity. I curled my lips in a cold smile: “You’re quite at home in my house. Don’t you have any sense of being a guest? Don’t embarrass your family’s upbringing.” We’d grown up together and were certainly familiar with each other’s homes. I’d never said such insulting words before. Caleb’s face turned red with anger. He looked at me like he wanted to eat me alive. My parents weren’t home yet, and the staff were busy with their own tasks. Only Caleb, Lily and I were left in the living room. Caleb acted like I didn’t exist, pressing Lily against the wall and giving her a quick kiss. He murmured: “Lily, in the future if anything upsets you, just tell me directly. Don’t let it hurt your health.” Lily’s coquettish voice reached my ears. “I know. Caleb always treats me the best.” As Lily responded to him, the two started kissing passionately, their intimate sounds making one blush. I turned off the TV and walked around the couch, deliberately taking a path farther from them to reach the stairs, intending to return to my room. When I was halfway up the stairs, Caleb suddenly opened his eyes, remembering there was another person present. He instinctively pushed Lily away. Lily didn’t notice his change, just reluctantly ending the kiss. Finally Lily looked up at me, her eyes full of provocation and disdain, as if showing off her victory. Back in my room, I received a message from Lily. [Sister, even though Caleb promised you a wedding, the title of Mrs. Johnson will only ever be mine.] [Aria, whatever outcome you got in your past life, you’ll get the same this life. You can’t beat me.]

Seeing this message, my heart suddenly skipped a beat. So I wasn’t the only one who had been reborn. In my past life, after Caleb accepted the engagement, I thought he had been moved by my sincerity. After all, I had chased after him for over a decade. Even a rock should have been warmed up by now, right? I never expected that he only accepted the marriage to thoroughly humiliate me at the wedding. In front of all the guests, he tightly held Lily’s hand. He announced to everyone that he could never marry me, that Lily was the only one he loved and would marry in this life. I was utterly humiliated, standing alone in my wedding dress, trapped in awkward emotions. Everyone in our social circle knew how much I liked him. I had even made myself deathly ill, just to get my parents to agree to an engagement with the Johnson family. I had lowered myself so much, shaming myself and my parents, only to be repaid with Caleb’s revenge. He resented me for using my family’s status to force an engagement, making him and Lily separate. I also passed away from illness. I never want to experience that kind of suffering again. So after being reborn, I gave up on Caleb and chose his brother Ethan instead. But I never expected that this time, my marriage to Ethan would proceed so smoothly. There were no obstacles. I just had to wait patiently for the wedding next month to arrive on schedule. In my past life, Ethan had always worked abroad and never married. Everyone thought he had some unspeakable issue. Even my grandfather asked me to confirm again when he heard I decided to marry Ethan. Was I really sure I wanted to marry Ethan? I nodded. Even if he had some physical problem, so what? If I had to choose between them, a life of mutual respect was far better than one full of scars. The next day, I went to the jeweler to pick up the wedding rings for Ethan and me. But the staff informed me that the rings had already been taken by Mr. Caleb Johnson. This jewelry store was under the Johnson Group. If Caleb wanted to take them, the staff couldn’t stop him. Out of all the couples’ rings, he just had to take my wedding rings. Anger suddenly flared up inside me, because those rings were my own design. Since childhood, I’d had a dream of wearing rings I designed myself at my wedding to the man I loved. In the past, I thought the man wearing the matching ring would be Caleb. But now that the groom had changed, I’d torn up that old design and made a new one specially for Ethan. Yet Caleb had snatched them away. Just as I was about to call Caleb to demand an explanation, I suddenly saw Lily’s new post on social media. [A one-of-a-kind ring from my beloved.] The photo showed her and Caleb wearing the rings I had designed. People flooded the comments with congratulations. My eyes unconsciously welled up with tears. Even if the arranged marriage had once troubled Caleb, I had already backed out in time and given him his freedom. Why did he have to keep humiliating me, and even let Lily take my wedding rings? I couldn’t wait another second. I didn’t want to argue with Caleb over the phone. So I took a cab straight to Caleb’s office.

Caleb wasn’t in his office. But Lily was there. When she saw me, her eyes showed no surprise. As if she had expected I would come demand an explanation. Lily kept fiddling with the ring on her finger, occasionally pouting. “Sister, what do you think of the ring Caleb gave me?” She shook her head as she spoke. “I think it’s ugly as sin, but since Caleb gave it to me, I love it.” “I love anything he gives me.” Hearing her words, I couldn’t help but clench my fists. “Sister, do you think if I wear this ring to your wedding, I’ll steal your spotlight?” “After all, the diamond Caleb gave me is definitely bigger than whatever ring you’ll have.” Something snapped in my mind. I rushed forward to grab the ring from her hand. So Lily and I ended up in a tussle. The moment I got the ring off her finger, I felt a sharp blow to my waist. Someone kicked me hard, sending me sprawling on the ground in pain so intense I could barely breathe. Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes as I stubbornly turned my head, gritting my teeth as I glared at the petite woman now cradled in Caleb’s arms. “You crazy woman, how dare you lay hands on Lily? Don’t you know her health is fragile?” The pain spreading up from my waist was nothing compared to the ache in my heart. Caleb didn’t bother scolding me further, focused on comforting the distraught Lily. “Caleb, I can’t believe it. If you hadn’t arrived in time, would my sister have beaten me to death?” His gaze fell on Lily as he gently wiped away her tears, his movements tender and attentive. Caleb’s brows were tightly furrowed, his eyes rimmed with red. “Lily, don’t worry. I won’t let that crazy woman near you alone again.” “I won’t allow anyone to hurt you. Even if it’s the Wilson family’s daughter, I’ll turn against them if they so much as touch a hair on your head.” Caleb really went to extremes for Lily’s sake. Many people at Johnson Group knew me, including his secretary. The secretary helped me up, but Caleb angrily berated her. “Who said you could help her? Go to accounting and get your final paycheck. Don’t come in tomorrow.” The secretary stood there stunned before reluctantly leaving the office. I clutched my waist, my face flushed red. Just thinking about this humiliating situation made me want to cry. I laughed mockingly at myself. Each laugh blurred my vision a little more with unshed tears. He fired his secretary who helped me without a second thought. Did Caleb really hate me to this extent? “Crazy woman, you still have the nerve to laugh?” Caleb demanded: “I told you I would never like you. So why do you keep hurting the person I love?” I stubbornly refused to back down: “Are you blind? She’s the one who stole my things!” Caleb hesitated for a moment, but after glancing at Lily’s pitiful expression, he impatiently scolded me: “It’s just a ring. It was meant for me anyway. What’s wrong with her having it since it was meant for me!” I sneered: “You must not have a mirror, or even a puddle to look in. Check yourself – your ego is way too big!” I almost blurted out that the ring was meant for Ethan. But I suddenly remembered Ethan would be back tonight. I would thoroughly humiliate Caleb at the family dinner. I pressed a hand to my waist, each step difficult and painful. His voice came from behind me: “Come to the family dinner on your own tonight. I don’t have time to pick you up.” I left the office without looking back, a faint smile still on my lips. Laughing at his conceit, and even more at my own pathetic state. It’s fine. I don’t need him to pick me up. He’ll understand soon enough that my life will have nothing to do with him from now on. ———-This is the breakpoint———-

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296010”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller #魔幻Magic #后宫Harem

After being crushed to death, I transmigrated into a poor college student in a true-and-false heiress drama. The dirt-poor male lead hurled the villa keys, gifted by the fake heiress, onto the ground, his face twisted with defiance. “Keep your damn charity!” he snarled, his voice raw with pride. The heroine, ever the saintly meddler, chimed in, her tone dripping with righteous sympathy. “Don’t underestimate a young man’s potential just because he’s broke.” Before the keys could even settle in the dust, I dove forward in a dramatic slide, snatching them up with a flourish. Heart pounding, I clutched the cold metal to my chest and declared, “Well, I need it. Thank you very much!” The fake heiress, seizing the chance to save face, gave an approving nod, her lips curling into a smirk. Just like that, I became her loyal sidekick. Whenever the heroine tried her sickly-sweet manipulations disguised as kindness, I was there, ready to slap her down with a verbal beatdown. And the male lead? Oh, the second he sat down to eat, I flipped the table, sending plates crashing and his pride into orbit. From that moment on, I clawed my way to the top.

The day I arrived at university, the entrance was swarmed with people. Pushing my way through the crowd, I caught sight of what could only be described as a scene straight out of a drama. Our male lead, female lead, and the quintessential villainess, the fake heiress, gathered there. Right there in front of everyone, the fake heiress, Molly Joyce, shoved a set of villa keys into Aiden Gray’s hand. Without missing a beat, Aiden tossed them to the ground like they were nothing more than trash. His face hardened with irritation as he glared at her. “Molly,” he snapped, “I don’t need your charity.” Beside him stood the real heiress, Celine Morton. Celine wore simple clothes but carried herself with quiet dignity. Nodding firmly, she added, “Don’t think just because you’ve got some dirty money that you’re better than poor people. Take your little key and get lost.” Molly’s face turned an unflattering shade of red as whispers rippled through the onlookers. The hushed gossip left her stranded on a stage of humiliation, her pride teetering on the edge of collapse. My eyes zeroed in on those gleaming keys lying abandoned on the ground. I thought, “A villa! Can this day get any better?” Without hesitation, I dropped to the ground in one dramatic slide and snatched up the keys before I looked up at Molly with wide-eyed admiration. “I’ll gladly take your charity, Ms. Joyce!” I declared with all the enthusiasm of someone who’d just won the lottery. Her expression instantly brightened. Clearly relieved to have found a willing recipient for her generous gift, she waved dismissively. “It’s yours. Keep it.” Celine shot daggers at me while casting mournful glances toward the discarded keys. Normally, this was where the impoverished leads would refuse such lavish gifts repeatedly, proclaiming their pride and self-worth until Molly forced them to accept under duress. But this time, I intercepted the prize. Those two probably already hated my guts. But honestly, I didn’t care. Standing tall, I sidled up behind Molly, my grin widening. “Please, shower me with your riches, Ms. Joyce! You’re truly beautiful inside and out!” I exclaimed. Molly preened under my flattery, shooting a smug glance over her shoulder at the fuming leads. Then, quirking an eyebrow, she asked, “You really need the cash?” Tears welled in my eyes as I replied, “Yes, Ms. Joyce. With this villa, I won’t have to sleep under bridges anymore!” Seemingly moved, Molly pulled a sleek black card from her designer purse and handed it to me. “There’s half a million dollars in there. Treat yourself to something nice.” She gestured toward the Lamborghini parked dramatically by the gate. “Take my luggage to the dorms, and the car is yours.” If looks could kill, Celine’s glare would’ve reduced me to ashes right then and there. In the original script, Molly should’ve handed Celine that fat stack of cash after being provoked, driving a wedge between her and Aiden. That money was supposed to belong to her. But instead, here I was, cheerfully hoisting Molly’s possibly light suitcase onto my shoulder, trudging ahead to lead the way for her. “No problem, Ms. Joyce! Feel free to call me anytime you need errands run!” Was I shameless? No. I was just desperately broke. Life hadn’t exactly been kind to me since I landed in this world a year ago. Orphaned, penniless, and surviving on scraps, I spent nights curled up in drainage tunnels, wearing clothes so threadbare that they barely kept me warm. Protein came exclusively from cockroaches. If it weren’t for my stellar grades earning me a tuition waiver, free room and board, plus a modest scholarship, I’d have starved long ago. But now, things were about to change. Clutching the keys, credit card, and the car, I could practically taste freedom and luxury. Four years of college expenses were covered. Hunger pangs were gone. Bridge-dwelling lifestyle would never be my thing again. As luck would have it, Molly turned out to be my dormmate. According to the book, she was supposed to fawn over Celine in the dorms for Aiden’s sake, only to be met with icy disdain from Celine. Each interaction would end with snide remarks about looking down on others and reminders that fortunes could flip overnight. Eventually, Celine would win back her rightful inheritance using Molly’s money before forcing her to repay everything to the Joyce family. I clenched my teeth, determination burning in my chest. “Fine. Let the main couple stick to their noble ideals of love over wealth. They didn’t want material comfort? Great. That left plenty of headaches and perks for me to handle instead.” Thinking about the opulent future ahead, I threw my head back and laughed.

Molly stared at me, her perfectly arched brows knitting together in bewilderment. “What are you grinning like an idiot for?” She was unable to wrap her head around the sight of someone losing their mind with joy over a single house and a few hundred thousand dollars. To her, this was pocket change. She had tossed such luxuries at Aiden without so much as earning a flicker of a smile in return. “Oh, nothing,” I replied, clasping my hands together as if in prayer. “I’m just thrilled at the thought of sharing a dorm with someone as beautiful, kind, elegant, and generous as you!” Molly’s cheeks flushed a delicate pink. “Oh, stop it. I’m not that great. Just call me Molly, alright? But seriously, where’s all your stuff? You didn’t bring a single bag.” I scratched the back of my head, offering a sheepish grin. “Well, I’m an orphan. Broke as a joke, too. School’s the only reason I’m here, like government grants, charity programs, you name it. Sometimes my classmates are nice enough to share their leftovers, so I don’t go hungry.” Molly’s eyes widened as she gave me a slow, disbelieving once-over, her gaze lingering on my threadbare clothes, which were riddled with patches. At first, she had probably thought I was rocking some avant-garde “beggar chic” trend, but now the truth hit her. I was the real deal. A wave of sympathy softened her expression, and before I could blink, she grabbed my wrist and tugged me toward the dorm exit. “Come on,” she declared, her voice brimming with haughty determination. “We’re going shopping! No way am I letting my sidekick look this pathetic. It’s embarrassing.” Molly marched me straight to the city’s glitziest mall, her heels clicking with purpose. Inside the most extravagant boutique, she pointed imperiously at the racks of designer clothes. “Not this one. Not this one either. Just wrap up everything else for me.” My jaw dropped as I glimpsed the bill, a dizzying string of zeros that made my hands tremble. “Molly, honestly, I think the stuff from the street vendors outside is just fine.” She whirled on me, her eyes flashing with indignation. “You’re my sidekick, so you do as I say. This? This is pocket change. Stop humiliating me and let them pack it up!” It took all my pleading and the excuse that I physically couldn’t carry any more bags to talk her out of buying out the entire store. Even so, by the time we left, I was dripping in luxury: a sleek Louis Vuitton bag slung over my shoulder, a twinkling starlit watch on my wrist, gemstone jewelry glinting at my throat, and a wardrobe of high-end clothes that cost more than I had ever dreamed of. My arms were weighed down with bags of gourmet supplements, too. “Look at you, all skin and bones,” Molly huffed, eyeing me critically. “You’re an embarrassment to take out in public. When we get back, you’re eating every last bite of this. No scraps left. Got it? And don’t you dare wear the same outfit twice. I’ll wire you a million dollars a month, so don’t even think about shaming me with repeats.” Tears welled up in my eyes, hot and grateful, and I snapped to attention, giving her a salute. “Yes, ma’am! Mission accepted!” Inside, I whispered under my breath, “Please bless this woman. If being the lackey of the so-called “villainess” means living like this, then sign me up. If this is what “evil” looks like, then the world can use a few less goody-two-shoes saints.”

Back at the dorm, Celine had already charmed our two other roommates, the three of them giggling like old friends. But the second I walked in, arms overflowing with shopping bags, her face darkened. She shot to her feet, pointing an accusing finger at Molly. “Molly, this is too much! Nora Gomez isn’t your servant, so you can’t just boss her around like this. It’s degrading!” Before Molly could even respond, I charged forward, my voice ringing with indignation. “Celine, mind your own business!” Celine blinked, undeterred, her eyes wide with faux concern. “Nora, I’m trying to help you! I know exactly what kind of person Molly is. She thinks her dirty money gives her the right to bully everyone. This is textbook campus harassment. You don’t have to be afraid of her!” Molly’s lips pursed, her temper flaring as she snapped, “I’m not bossing her around, you drama queen! What are you even yapping about? I paid her, not enslaving her!” Our other two roommates, clearly siding with the more familiar Celine, frowned at Molly’s sharp tone. “Hey, we’re all roommates here. Do you have to talk like that?” Celine, ever the martyr, dabbed at her crocodile tears, clutching the others’ arms. “It’s fine, really. We’re just poor, so of course she looks down on us. Please, don’t ruin our dorm harmony over me.” My internal alarm blared like a siren. “Oh, enough, Celine! These are my things, and here you are, slandering Molly without a shred of proof. You cry ‘bullying,’ but if anyone’s playing the victim card, it’s you!” Celine gaped, pointing at the pile of Louis Vuitton bags at my feet. “You’re a scholarship girl. There’s no way you could afford stuff like that!” “Oh, so because I’m poor, I must be someone’s lapdog or sugar baby, is that it?” I shot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Sounds to me like you’re the one who looks down on poor people, Celine.” The other two roommates exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes flickering to Celine with newfound doubt. “And another thing,” I added, my voice rising with righteous fury. “I didn’t eat your food, and Molly didn’t spend your money. So why are you so hellbent on painting her as the bad guy? She even thought of all of us while she was out shopping!” To prove my point, I dug into the mountain of bags and pulled out three identical Louis Vuitton purses, thrusting one into each of their hands. The roommates’ eyes widened at the price tags, guilt washing over their faces as tears welled up. “Oh my gosh, we were so wrong,” Lexie Willis sobbed, clutching the bag like a lifeline. “Seriously, bring on more of this ‘campus bullying,’” Adley Elliott wailed, laughing through her tears. Celine’s eyes bulged, her face flushing a furious red. “Pathetic,” she thought. “They’re just swayed by Molly’s money, huh? But I wasn’t done.” “Sounds like you’re the one who hates the rich, Celine,” I said coolly. “Molly didn’t spend a dime of your cash, and now that you’ve got a bag in your hands, are you really going to keep badmouthing us without so much as an apology?” I bit my lip, the old saying echoing in my mind, “Take someone’s gifts, and you’re at their mercy; eat their food, and your words turn soft.” At my announcement, my roommates wouldn’t turn on Molly like they did in the story. Instead, they would probably think I was loyal, standing up for a friend with fierce righteousness. “Yeah, Molly’s just blunt. But she’s actually pretty great,” Adley said, bobbing her head like a dashboard toy. “Exactly,” Lexie agreed. “We’ve seen it with our own eyes. She even got us these amazing gifts. Celine, maybe you’re overreacting a bit?” Celine’s face twisted, her cheeks burning as she gripped her own bag, clearly humiliated. Then, in a dramatic flourish straight out of the male lead’s playbook, she raised her hand to fling the purse away. But I wasn’t about to let her grandstand. With a theatrical leap, I snatched the bag midair, cutting her performance short. “Oh, I get it! You’re too pure for ‘dirty money,’ right? Well, in that case, I’ll just take this back, so you don’t have to sully your precious principles or ruin our precious ‘dorm harmony.’” As we stepped outside, Molly’s eyes sparkled with delight, a grin spreading across her face. “That was incredible,” she yelled. For years, she had been the punching bag of Celine and Aiden, pouring out her fortune in pursuit of Aiden, only to watch everyone turn against her, baffled by their disdain. But today, my performance had cemented my place as her number-one ally. Basking in her praise, I felt the ruby necklace at my throat gleam even brighter, as if it, too, reveled in our triumph. “When Ms. Joyce is in despair, I drown in her sorrow! When she is in bliss, I soar with her joy! I’ll raise the grandest banner for her, waving it high with unwavering devotion!” I promised secretly.

Molly swept us, me and our two roommates, into the city’s swankiest influencer hotspot, a seafood restaurant so upscale that it felt like stepping into a fever dream of luxury. The waiters were all chiseled, six-foot-five male models who looked like they had just strutted off a runway. As they set down platters of glistening lobster and caviar-drizzled oysters, I swear I felt tears of joy leak from the corners of my mouth, while drool threatened to spill from my eyes. I dug in with reckless abandon, shoveling food into my mouth like a woman possessed, letting out little mewls of ecstasy as each bite purified my soul. But just as I was about to ascend to culinary nirvana, a deep, accusatory voice boomed from the entrance. “Molly, I knew it! Celine was right. You’re all here having a feast, and you didn’t even invite her? Don’t you think freezing out your own roommate is straight-up bullying?” I froze, a shrimp halfway to my mouth, as Aiden stormed in, dragging a tear-streaked Celine behind him. Her delicate frame trembled, a perfect portrait of wounded innocence, like a rain-soaked flower. Aiden, all righteous fury, jabbed a finger at Molly’s nose, his voice dropping into a commanding growl, “If you want to keep being my friend, you’ll apologize to Celine. Right now.” Aiden stood there, radiating smug confidence, clearly convinced he had Molly wrapped around his finger. After all, he knew she had been pining for him forever. In his mind, Molly was nothing but a shallow rich girl, frittering away her days on frivolous pleasures, always flaunting her “dirty money” to belittle him. Celine, on the other hand, was the only one who truly respected him. Today, he was determined to make Molly grovel. Molly shot to her feet, her chair scraping against the polished floor. “I’ll invite whoever I damn well please. If you’re going to beg, at least pick a place Celine can afford to step foot in. She’s like a bad penny, always turning up where she’s not wanted.” Celine, clinging to Aiden’s sleeve, blinked up at him with doe-like eyes, her voice quivering. “Molly, I know you’ve always had a thing for Aiden, but love, whether it’s romance or friendship, can’t be forced. No matter how much money you throw at our roommates, it won’t change the bond we all share.” At her words, I nearly choked on my lobster. “Bond? You’ve known them for, what, a day? I bet you don’t even remember their names,” I thought. Molly’s lips trembled, her anger warring with the humiliation of having Aiden witness this showdown. She was fuming, but the words seemed to stick in her throat, leaving her flushed and speechless. I sighed inwardly, “Oh, Molly, no wonder you’re the ‘villainess.’ You’re hopeless at clapping back when it counts, while Celine’s over here spinning tales by the bucketload.” I grabbed a silk napkin, dabbing my hands with deliberate calm, and cast a sidelong glance at Aiden. His pants were streaked with grime, his shirt rumpled, his whole vibe screaming “just rolled out of a construction site.” This was the guy Molly had fawned over for years, showering him with job offers and flooding his accounts with cash. With all that money, he could just let it sit in the bank, raking in interest. However, after all these years, he still clung to this same pitiful look. What a hypocrite, playing the martyr while reaping the rewards! “Hold up,” I said, my voice cutting through the tension. “Having dinner is ‘isolating’ someone now? You’re gonna need some proof to back up that accusation.” Aiden bristled, his eyes flashing like a cat with its tail stepped on. “Proof? I’m looking at it! You’re all here, wining and dining, while Celine, your roommate, is left out. On the first day of school, you’re already ganging up on her. Who knows how much worse it’ll get if this keeps up?” I held up a hand, stopping Molly mid-lunge as she looked ready to deck him. “Patience, girl. If you want to take someone down, you let them dig their own grave first,” I thought. “Alright,” I said, leaning back in my chair with a smirk. “If I can prove we didn’t ‘isolate’ Celine, what are you gonna do to make up for slandering us?” Aiden scoffed, folding his arms, “Go ahead. Try to spin your lies. If you can prove you didn’t ditch Celine, I’ll eat every damn dish on this table.” Adley and Lexie instinctively clutched their plates, shooting him wary looks. It seemed that Aiden was trying to freeload. I took my time, pulling out my phone with a flourish, and tapped play on a recording. Celine’s voice rang out, crystal clear, dripping with venom. “Who cares about eating with you losers? Fuck off!” The line went dead, the dial tone echoing in the stunned silence of the private dining room. Aiden’s face turned beet red, his glare shifting to Celine with a flicker of reproach in his eyes. Celine, meanwhile, looked like she had been slapped, her mouth opening and closing as she struggled to comprehend why any sane person would record a phone call. Before either of them could recover, Molly snapped her fingers, summoning the waiter. “Pack up everything on this table,” she ordered. Then, turning to Aiden with a saccharine smile, she added, “Oh, and this gentleman will be taking care of the bill.” As we gathered our things to leave, I couldn’t resist one last jab. I sauntered over to the shell-shocked duo, patting their trembling shoulders with mock sympathy. They should pay fifty thousand dollars for a single meal. “They’re about to go from riches to rags. Or, in their case, from broke to broker,” I murmured. Indeed, I had nearly fainted myself when I saw the radish salad, each plate tagged at a jaw-dropping eighty-eight hundred dollars.

Ever since Aiden and Celine’s wallets bled out at that seafood extravaganza, Molly had been on a mission, dragging me and our two roommates on a whirlwind of retail therapy. Under my relentless coaxing, Molly finally shed the demure aesthetic she adopted to win over Aiden, an ill-fated attempt to mimic Celine’s “innocent” charm. Truth be told, Molly was a bombshell, a vision of vibrant beauty. Her natural allure lay in fiery reds and dazzling golds, not the ghostly pale, ethereal whites and straight brown hair she had forced herself into. That washed-out look had only made her seem gaunt and shadowy, a mere backdrop to Celine’s spotlight. Losing herself was the first step to becoming a supporting character in her own life. But now, Molly was reborn in all her dazzling glory. At the freshman assembly, she strode onto the stage, a vision in a crimson dress that hugged her curves like a lover’s embrace. Her makeup was bold, making her presence electric. The crowd erupted in gasps and shrieks, jaws dropping as she claimed the spotlight. “Who is that goddess? Has she been at our school this whole time?” “I thought Celine had the campus queen title locked down, but wow. This girl’s a total dark horse!” “Sure, she’s gorgeous, but so what? Celine’s the outstanding freshman rep. What’s a pretty face compared to that?” Lexie, buzzing with excitement, leaned in to dish the dirt. “That’s Molly Joyce. You know the Joyce family, the real estate tycoons? She’s the heiress of Joyce Properties. She’s stunning and sweet. She’s opened so many doors for us, showing us fancy dinners and exclusive events. She even helped my family land jobs!” Molly had a habit of showering us with cash like a human slot machine, but her temper could flare up like a wildfire, though never without reason. And when the storm passed, she’d always make it up with extravagant gifts. After just a month of living with her, our roommates had fallen head over heels, utterly enchanted by her charm. We were deep in our gossip, buzzing like bees, when Celine glided onto the stage, a vision in a flowing white gown. “The most important day of my life is today, the day I finally found my real parents,” she declared. The crowd, half-asleep from the monotonous speeches, snapped awake at those words. The air crackled with the scent of scandal, gossip igniting like wildfire. And then, Molly’s scream cut through the murmurs like a blade. “No way! You’re lying! Those are my parents!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296026”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring #重生Reborn #惊悚Thriller

I was the fake young miss, and after the real young master was found and brought back… I couldn’t wait to show him the life of luxury. “Look! A huge mansion! All yours!” “Look! 108 supercars, all yours!” “Look! A fabulously wealthy older brother! He’s yours too!” … Meanwhile, I was getting ready to make a run for it. Ha! Who would want to be a young miss? Not even a dog would want that life! I was in the alley behind school, fighting over street food with Aaron, when the bodyguards mercilessly dragged me back home. I thought I was done for, but when I got back to the living room, I saw a gloomy crowd surrounding a fair-skinned young man. Mom and Dad said he was the real young master of the Johnson family, and I was just a fake. “Really? Are you sure I’m not your real daughter?” I asked shakily, feigning disbelief. “Of course not. I’m their real son, you need to step aside!” the real young master said disdainfully. “Alright, alright! Young Master Johnson, I’ll get out of your way right now!” While everyone looked on in confusion, I started the handover ceremony with the real young master. “Look! This is your room! A whole 1000 square feet!” “Look! There are 108 sports cars in the garage, take your pick!” “Look! Your fabulously wealthy older brother, all yours!” … Meanwhile, I hurriedly packed my bags and bolted out of the house. Thank heavens! I’ve finally waited for this day! From now on, I’ll never again be that young miss whose life was more miserable than a 996 worker! I’ll never again be enslaved by that freak Lucas Johnson! Hot pot! BBQ! Spicy noodles! Crawfish! … Here I come!

The first thing I did after escaping that hellhole was rush to Aaron’s place and order a huge feast. As soon as I took a bite, I couldn’t help but tear up. “What are you, a starving ghost?” Aaron looked at me with disdain. “You don’t understand! I’m finally free!” I chugged a big gulp of Coke. It felt so good! At the Johnson house, I had to get up at 5 AM every day to do all kinds of exercises with Lucas, followed by an unappetizing healthy breakfast. At 6 AM, I’d start two hours of foreign language study – English, French, Spanish… At 8 AM I’d go to school, and after classes I’d have to learn all the skills expected of a wealthy young lady – violin, painting, calligraphy… On weekends I had to learn horseback riding, golf, rock climbing, scuba diving… I also had to attend all sorts of fancy parties. Every day I was exhausted like a dog. As soon as I mastered one skill, the next one was already waiting for me. It was endless, learning non-stop until I turned 20. Even in college they wouldn’t leave me alone. In my free time I still had to complete all kinds of tasks Lucas assigned and work like a slave at the company. Is this the life of a wealthy young miss? It’s even more miserable than being a 996 worker! Every night before bed I would pray to the heavens, and I couldn’t believe how generous they were, directly giving me a new identity. “You’re celebrating too early! Do you really think Lucas will let you go that easily?” Aaron’s words extinguished my enthusiasm. “Hmph! You think I’m afraid of him?!” “Before I was the Johnson family’s young miss, his sister. Now I’m not anymore, he can’t control me!” That “wonderful” life of luxury has nothing to do with me anymore! “I hope you’ll still have that backbone when you see Lucas.” Aaron had a schadenfreude look on his face. Damn! If I didn’t know him for so many years, I’d really suspect he was Lucas’s spy. “He’s too busy to deal with me now, gone overseas for business. He won’t be back for a month.” By the time he gets back it’ll be too late! Just thinking about his freakish ways sends chills down my spine. 20 years of enslavement has seeped into my bones! I must have committed all kinds of heinous crimes in my past life to end up as his sister in this one! And I’m not even his real sister.

After a few blissful days at Aaron’s place, a call from my academic advisor shattered my dreams. No choice! I still had to go to school. It had taken everything I had just to get into college. But I didn’t expect to see the real young master in the alley behind the school. He was surrounded by a group of people, like a lamb waiting for slaughter, glaring at them tearfully without any intimidation. I pretended not to see and strode towards the school. Having finally left the Johnson family, I didn’t want to get involved with them again. But I couldn’t get that tearful face out of my mind. He looked so much like Lucas, truly brothers. “Fine, fine! He’s still a Johnson after all. I’ll help him this once, for old times’ sake.” I turned back and charged into the circle, pulling the real young master behind me. “What’s going on here? Bullying someone in broad daylight?” “Mind your own business, or we’ll beat you up too!” The thugs talked big while leering at us. “You’re not hooking up with this pretty boy, are you? Protecting him like that.” Damn! How dare they slander me! “Just go! They only want money, give them some and it’ll be fine,” the real young master tugged at my clothes. “Pretty thing, he’s such a wimp. You’re better off with me.” Seeing the thug’s grimy hand reaching for the young master’s face, I grabbed his wrist and flipped him! Finally all those skills I learned came in handy. Lucas never let me fight, but forced me to learn lots of self-defense. What’s the point of being a hero with no chance to use your skills?! But now I was saving his precious brother, so he couldn’t blame me. After a flurry of punches and kicks, the thugs fled in disarray, leaving the young master staring in shock. Seeing his dumbfounded look, I couldn’t resist reaching out my evil hand. So cute! I just had to pinch those cheeks! He looked so much like Lucas. I could never pinch Lucas, but I could pinch his little brother. “W-what are you doing?” The little bunny had a frightened expression. “Shouldn’t I get some reward for saving you?” I raised an eyebrow smugly and gave another pinch. Hahaha… That felt so good! It was like pinching Lucas himself. My life is complete! “Why are you here alone? Didn’t the driver drop you off?” “I’m not like you, needing to be chauffeured around at this age.” The little bunny tried to act tough. Looks like even such an obedient son couldn’t move that couple’s hearts. I thought they’d pay more attention to him. “Alright, alright! You’re a mature adult. But don’t walk alone in the future, or you’ll get bullied and cry again.” With that, I sprinted off to class. Behind me came the little bunny’s angry shout: “I wasn’t crying!”

After a morning of classes, it was finally time to eat. I eagerly dragged Aaron to get some spicy noodles. Seeing Aaron strolling leisurely, I couldn’t help but curse: “Walk faster! We won’t get any if we’re late.” “Your phone,” Aaron said expressionlessly. “Who is it? Why are they calling you? Don’t mess with my meal time.” I grumbled as Aaron silently mouthed a name. “Hang up quick!” I snatched the phone in panic, about to end the call when a magnetic male voice came through the speaker. “Lily.” The voice sounded gentle but was full of threat. “Big brother! What can I do for you?” My sycophantic voice came out automatically. Aaron gave me a side-eye. This was just conditioned reflex, okay! “Having fun these past couple days? Looks like you’re so happy you’ve forgotten all about me, not even answering my calls?” “How could that be, I just lost my phone.” “Is that so? Then I must have wrongly accused you?” “No no, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have lost my phone and made you worry.” Passive-aggressive bastard! “Tomorrow morning at 10, come to the airport to pick me up.” “I…” “You know the consequences of not showing up. Enjoy your remaining happy times, don’t say I don’t care about you.” “Thank you for your love, big brother.” I said through gritted teeth as he hung up. “Aaron, you did that on purpose, didn’t you?” “How could I not answer your brother’s call? He could bankrupt me in a second.” Aaron looked helpless. Damn it! I really know how to pick my friends! He’s definitely Lucas’s spy. “No way, I need to hide first.” “Weren’t you the one saying you weren’t afraid of him? I think he treats you pretty well, just behave yourself and stop causing trouble.” “He’s a total freak, okay?” I glared at him. No, I need to hide for a year or two before Lucas gets back, or I’m doomed if he catches me. Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck me. At 2 PM, I rushed into my academic advisor’s office. To my surprise, the little bunny was there too. The scene looked oddly familiar. How should I put it? Just like when he was surrounded by thugs earlier, except now he was encircled by a group of teachers, plus a balding principal. “It’s her! I saw her bullying Noah with my own eyes,” a girl angrily pointed at me. Me? Bullying the little bunny?

“No, Professor. Lily didn’t bully me,” the little bunny anxiously explained. “Noah, don’t be afraid. The teachers will stand up for you.” “The school absolutely does not tolerate any bullying.” Everyone looked at Noah with sympathy, then turned to glare angrily at me. What’s with this differential treatment? “Lily, did you or did you not bully Noah?” My advisor pulled me into the circle. “When did I ever…” “It was her, I have a photo on my phone.” Before I could explain, the girl suddenly pulled out her phone and showed a picture. In the photo, I was smugly pinching Noah’s face while he looked at me with red eyes, clearly unwilling. Uh… It did look a lot like a bullying scene, but I just pinched his cheeks! “Lily! How could you bully a classmate? I’m so disappointed in you!” The balding principal angrily berated me, completely different from his previous fawning attitude. After all, Lucas had donated several buildings to the school. He knew very well about my identity, naturally knowing who was the real young master and who was the fake young miss between me and Noah. “Expulsion! You must be expelled!” Talk about a quick change of face. They were eager to stand up for Noah without even investigating properly? “Principal, Lily really didn’t bully me. I was bullied by some thugs from outside school, and Lily helped chase them away,” Noah explained anxiously. The little bunny was running around in circles trying to explain, but no one was listening. They were convinced I had bullied him and started criticizing me one after another. So annoying! If this drags on any longer I won’t have time to run away. Might as well go with the flow. “It was me! I did bully Noah!” “If you don’t expel me, I’ll beat him up every time I see him!” I yelled arrogantly at everyone. “Lily, why are you talking nonsense? It’s clearly…” The little bunny was so kind. The more I looked at him the cuter he seemed. I couldn’t help but pinch his cheek again. But in everyone else’s eyes, this was blatant bullying. They quickly took Noah away in shock. I effortlessly got the expulsion notice, and couldn’t help but laugh. Everyone looked at me like I’d eaten shit. “What are you looking at? Never seen someone go crazy before?” Next step is to run away! I sprinted to Aaron’s place. That bastard had bought an apartment near campus just to pick up girls. After just a few days he complained I was in the way, saying I was interfering with his dating. Such a fragile friendship – in the future I wouldn’t stay even if he begged me!

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296042”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

I encountered my neighbor’s older brother, who had gone missing a year ago, on my first visit to a nightclub after getting into college. He had his arms around two scantily-clad women, looking like a good-for-nothing. When he saw me, his gaze flashed across my chest before he clicked his tongue dismissively. Later, he pinned me against the wall in a corner, his finger pressed against my lips as he leaned in, demanding I call him by name. That’s when I realized. He wasn’t my Ethan Parker. I met Ethan Parker in the dim hallway of Nightshade. Nightshade was the biggest entertainment venue in the city, attracting all sorts of people. My roommate Lucy was celebrating her birthday and had reserved a private room at Nightshade. I arrived late and was about to call to ask for the room number when I heard the laughter of men and women echoing from the far end of the hallway. A group appeared at the end of the corridor. I was going to turn away to avoid them, but I froze when I recognized one of the men. That face I had dreamed of countless times, only to wake up startled. The one I had spent nearly every day with for over a decade. My childhood friend, Ethan Parker, who had been presumed dead in the river a year ago according to the police.

I blinked hard several times. I triple-checked to make sure I wasn’t mistaking someone who looked similar for him. But the more I blinked, the closer I came to tears. Because I knew without a doubt that I wasn’t mistaken. Ethan Parker had been part of 80% of my brief 18 years of life. He was the person I was closest to after my parents. He was also the person I had secretly loved for a very long time. He had disappeared without a trace a year ago. I never imagined I would encounter him again in a scene like this. Two scantily-clad women were nestled in his arms, one on each side. Perhaps I had been staring for too long, as a strange man beside him noticed me. He gestured to the others and teased: “Which of your old flames is this ” “Look, she’s about to cry just seeing you.” The man across from me turned his head, our eyes meeting for just an instant before his gaze fell to my chest. His eyes roamed shamelessly as he spoke dismissively: “A scrawny little girl like that As if I’d be interested.” Ethan Parker would never say such things. But this man was clearly him. I bit my lip and held out my phone to him: “Can I… add you on SnapChat ” He looked at me with a mocking smile. “No.” His gaze fell to my chest again, his tone tinged with regret: “Not worth my time.” The men around him burst into laughter.

The person before me and the Ethan Parker who had been by my side for over a decade were like polar opposites. Or rather, they were like two souls inhabiting the same body. Ethan Parker would never say such things. He was too good. Like a piece of pure, flawless jade. And I was too lucky. Using my status as his childhood friend to stay by his side. During that winter break in my sophomore year of high school. I asked Ethan Parker for a promise. I hoped he would come pick me up on the day of our final exams. My oversized scarf hid my slightly reddened ears, concealing my secret thoughts from him. At that time, Ethan Parker looked at me with a smile, his phoenix eyes narrowing slightly, but he didn’t answer. He just raised his hand and gently ruffled my hair. The New Year’s bells were about to ring. Fireworks filled the sky and firecrackers exploded all around. I thought the surrounding noise was too loud, so I had to stand on tiptoe and lean close to his ear. “Ethan.” “On the day of our final exam,” “Will you come pick me up ” The firecrackers were really so loud, so loud. So loud that I couldn’t even hear my own voice. But I still heard him lean in close to my ear and say solemnly yet intimately: “Okay.” But he broke his promise. That day when I stood in the surging crowd, looking around in confusion. When all the noise and clamor rushed at me from all sides. He didn’t come. All my expectations had come to nothing. When I numbly knocked on his door that day, what I saw were his parents who looked like they had aged ten years. And the devastating news they told me with reddened eyes.

But I never believed it. I thought he had just gone missing. Perhaps one day, I would run into him at some street corner, or in some convenience store. Or maybe one day he would suddenly show up, saying he had just been in hiding. Ethan’s group had left. In the end, I still hadn’t managed to add him on SnapChat. Lucy found me still standing dazed in the hallway. She grabbed my shoulders and shook me: “Olivia ” “Olivia Carter! ” “What’s wrong You didn’t answer my calls, the room is right there.” “Why are you crying ” Her tone was urgent, then suddenly turned apologetic: “The music was too loud in the room, I didn’t hear your message…” “It’s nothing,” I lowered my eyes, “I’m fine, let’s go in. Don’t let me ruin your party.” The atmosphere in the private room was lively. I sat down in a corner and saw Lucy’s reply with the room number on my phone, along with her two missed calls. As well as a new SnapChat message from Ethan’s mom. — Olivia dear, how are you adjusting to college life Ever since learning of Ethan’s disappearance, I had stayed in touch with his parents, almost like their half-daughter. My fingers hesitated as I typed. I thought of that man’s laughter as he turned away, casual and unrestrained. In the end, I still couldn’t bring myself to say it. — I’m doing well, Auntie. — Please take care of yourselves, you and Uncle.

The people in the private room were having a blast. I tried to join in their fun for a while, but my mind was elsewhere the whole time. I excused myself to use the restroom midway through. The hallway was very quiet. I followed the signs towards the direction of the restroom. Suddenly I heard the sound of fabric rustling. The scene before my eyes appeared abruptly. The woman pinned against the wall by a man suddenly pushed him away, her voice still coy: “Someone’s coming.” The man chuckled lowly and turned around: “Since when did you become so shy…” His words trailed off, traces of the woman’s crimson lipstick still on the corner of his mouth. It was undoubtedly the same face that had just rejected me. I stared at that smear of red on his lips, my face turning pale. The man before me met my eyes and suddenly grinned, grabbing the woman’s hand as he spoke suggestively: “Let’s continue in the room.” The woman in his arms wore a tight dress that accentuated her curves. Hearing his words, she just glanced at me briefly before immediately giggling in agreement: “Okay~” My whole body went cold. I could only watch their retreating figures, moving further and further away. My feet felt like they were filled with lead. Until they finally disappeared at the end of the hallway.

It shouldn’t be like this. My Ethan Parker was as pure as a clear breeze and bright moon. When he saw me he would smile gently and call my name softly: “Olivia.” When I was little I called him “big brother”. Every time after school, he would wait for me at the school gates with his backpack. I would always shout excitedly: “Big brother!” Then I would proudly tell my teacher: “My big brother is here to pick me up!” “Goodbye, teacher.” Later when I grew up and entered my rebellious phase, I liked to call him by his full name. “Ethan Parker! Don’t tell my mom.” “Ethan Parker, I was wrong.” “Ethan Parker, what should I do ” He was never annoyed, always responding patiently, patting my head and helping me clean up all my messes. “Ethan Parker.” “Will you always protect me ” “I will.” The young man wore a white shirt, his posture tall and straight. The hem of his shirt fluttered in the wind as I secretly grasped it, unable to see his expression from the front seat of the bicycle. His voice was clear and frank: “I’m Olivia’s big brother.” “Of course I’ll protect Olivia for life.” No way. I didn’t want to just be your little sister. I pouted, not daring to speak, only able to hug his waist in frustration: “Then ride steadily!” Actually the road was smooth with no obstacles. He paused for a moment, laughter bubbling up from his chest, but he didn’t argue, just obediently agreeing: “Okay.” Later when I started to have romantic feelings, I grew out my hair and wore pretty dresses, calling him “Brother Ethan”. By that time Ethan Parker had gone to college in another city, rarely coming back. His shoulders had broadened and his legs had grown longer, cutting an imposing figure. There was a hint of coolness between his brows, but it would all melt away into a smile when he saw me. My heart had been fluttering for so many years. During those days in my senior year of high school, every time I looked up at the moon late at night, I thought about just hanging on a little longer. If I could just get through this period. I wanted to get the best grades possible, then stand before him and confess all the girlish feelings and bittersweet emotions I had harbored for decades. Tell him that I liked him, had liked him for a very long time. That thought gave me the motivation to face all those dry and tedious exam questions again. But this person I encountered today. He didn’t resemble his former self at all.

By the time I came back to my senses and wanted to chase after them, they had already disappeared. I didn’t want to give up. I wanted to see him one more time. Whether he had amnesia or was just pretending. At least confirm it was him, let his parents know that Ethan Parker was still alive in this world. I hadn’t managed to get his contact information. The only connection I had with him was “Nightshade”. So I resorted to the most foolish method. I went to stake out “Nightshade”. I saw him again. This time he was smoking with a group of men, surrounded by three or four tough-looking guys. I suddenly felt intimidated, not daring to approach. But I was spotted by that same man from last time. He suddenly grinned, gesturing towards me to Ethan Parker. Ethan Parker turned his head, giving me a cold glance. Immediately after, that woman from before appeared again. His expression changed in an instant, a hint of a smile curling his lips as he reached out to pull the woman into his arms by her waist. The woman nestled obediently against him. I stood in the corner, watching as the whole group walked into a private room, laughing and chatting. In that split second, I caught the woman’s backward glance filled with threatening intent. Like a rose laced with poison. Cold sweat soaked through my clothes as I leaned against the wall, gasping for breath. 7 It wasn’t until I splashed some water on my face in the restroom That I seemed to find a bit of reality in the chaos. He wasn’t Ethan Parker. Yet he was Ethan Parker. Ethan Parker was like the sun in the sky, always gentle, always passionate. But the year and more he had been missing was like an insurmountable chasm, so divisive. The restroom door suddenly opened. In the mirror, a young and alluring face appeared behind me. Her wavy hair cascaded over her shoulders. Her makeup was too heavy, like an elaborately painted mask. It was that woman from before. She raised an eyebrow. “It’s you ” A flash of surprise crossed her expression. I turned around, meeting her gaze directly. The woman walked towards me in her 5-inch heels, looking down at me condescendingly. “Stay away from him.” Her gaze fell to my chest, with the same disdain and contempt as Ethan Parker’s. “Did you really think someone like you would catch his eye ” She curled her lip in a scornful, haughty smile. As if mocking me for overestimating myself. But I only latched onto that name in her words, the illusory and the real seeming to intersect in that moment. I felt like I had found an outlet for my overwhelming emotions. “What did you call him ” My voice was a bit hoarse. She seemed not to have heard clearly. “What’s his name ” “You just called him Ethan—” I stared into her eyes, like a drowning person grasping at the last straw, my voice choked with tears as I demanded: “Tell me—” “Who is he ” Is he, is he Ethan Parker The familiar name got stuck in my throat. In the end I couldn’t say it out loud. The person before me was startled by my reaction. She reached out and shoved me hard. A dull, heavy thud echoed in the small space as I fell to the ground. The dirty water on the floor soaked through my once-clean clothes, but I paid it no mind. This woman called Sophia grabbed my collar, leaning in close. The sickening smell of her overly sweet perfume mixed with a nauseating odor. “You don’t even know who he is, little girl.” “Let me give you some advice – stay away from him.” “Otherwise—” “You might end up dead somewhere and no one would even know.” The last words floated lightly in the air, but felt like sharp ice piercing my heart. Before she finished speaking, the door was suddenly flung open. The subject of our conversation burst in, out of breath. When he saw me on the ground, I clearly saw his already irritated expression turn even colder. But it was only for an instant. He pulled Sophia by the waist, taking out a wad of cash and expertly tucking it into her bra with a suggestive smile: “I won’t be needing you tonight.” “I’m in the mood to try something new.” I saw Sophia’s face change instantly as she started to protest: “No…” But Ethan Parker cut her off with a fierce look: “Get lost.” Sophia was taken aback for a moment. She glanced back at me, but I couldn’t make out her expression against the light. She quickly turned back, taking off her high heels and hurrying out.

Only the two of us were left in the room. Ethan Parker bent down and roughly pulled me into his arms. I crashed against his chest, not having time to react before being pinned against the wall. The cold marble pressed against my back as his restless hands undid the buttons on my top. The dim bathroom lighting was hazy and suggestive. The chill crept in through my open collar, the cold wall steadily sapping the warmth from my back. The cold and fear gradually spread throughout my body. Tears of physiological response welled up in my eyes, driven by instinctual terror. That face so close to mine was both familiar and strange. Only a small scar below his eye was new. It was him. Yet not him. I was at a loss, only able to softly repeat that once most familiar name. “Brother Ethan…” The hands unbuttoning my clothes paused for a second. The man before me raised his hand to press against my lips, caressing them suggestively as his phoenix eyes looked up at me: “Such a sweet voice, but you’ve got the wrong person.” “Call me Ethan and let me hear it.” His words were like a knife cutting through illusion and reality. I suddenly snapped out of it, shoving him hard as I desperately fought back. But my hand accidentally tore open the buttons on his shirt. Large areas of scarring sprawled across his exposed skin, layers of overgrown scar tissue blooming like a flower below his heart. A flower that had blossomed by consuming life. I froze for a moment, my hand brushing against his arm, feeling tiny uneven needle marks under my fingertips. I jerked my hand back as if burned. It wasn’t him. “You’re not him.” “You’re not him.” “I don’t know you.” “Get away from me!” Tears suddenly fell. “Figured it out ” The man’s voice was lazy as he wiped away a tear from my face, the corner of his mouth curling in an amused smile. He leaned in, his hot breath fanning across my neck and shoulder as his hand slid under the hem of my shirt to my waist, sending chills through my body. “Too late.” The bathroom door was suddenly kicked open again. The man who burst in, face full of anger, pulled back his foot. That hand hovering at my waist froze. “Ethan, what the fuck are you doing in such a rush !” “Mr. Reed is looking for you guys, everyone’s been missing for ages.” “You’ll die if you don’t get your rocks off for a bit ” I heard the fury in the newcomer’s voice and instinctively shrank back. The man took a step closer, his expression changing to a teasing grin when he saw my face: “Not Sophia ” “I thought you said you weren’t interested in young girls ” Ethan let go of me without another glance, buttoning up his own shirt as he joked back with the newcomer: “Can’t let good meat go to waste when it’s delivered to your door.” The man cursed crudely and Ethan laughed as he picked up the thread of conversation. As the two were leaving, he suddenly turned back, pulling out a wad of cash and throwing it at me. The bright red bills scattered in the air, floating down all around. Like mockery. Like derision. The bathroom door slammed shut. I collapsed to the ground, the dirty water soaking through my once-clean clothes, but I paid it no mind. In that moment when hope was shattered, it felt like a tree being violently snapped in half, blood gushing from the broken stump. Brutal. And cruel. I knelt on the ground, pathetically gathering up the bills that had fallen into puddles with trembling hands. One by one. Mumbling to myself. He’s not Ethan Parker. He’s not Ethan Parker. As if trying to convince myself. In the end they all fell to the floor again. Scattered in a pile. I finally broke down. He wasn’t Ethan Parker. My Ethan Parker had gone missing a year ago. Maybe, He would never come back.

I didn’t go back to Nightshade. I returned to school and continued my freshman year. Occasionally I would stare blankly at the moon on the horizon. But I never expected to run into Sophia again. Lucy and a few other roommates were trying on clothes in a store at the mall. I was absentmindedly scrolling on my phone. The bubble tea I had ordered was ready. A notification popped up on the app, so I stepped out of the store first, intending to go pick up the drinks. The click of high heels on the mall floor wasn’t out of place, but I instinctively looked in the direction of the sound. I happened to see that familiar face, carrying several shopping bags, still haughty as ever. She met my eyes, curling her red lips in a provocative, challenging smile. “You don’t look so good, little girl.” “Finally learned your lesson, huh ” I didn’t answer. I just stared at her expressionlessly. She seemed annoyed that I hadn’t responded, her pride stung. Anger flashed in her eyes as she raised her hand to slap me. The wind from her hand brushed past my face. But it didn’t land. She seemed even more furious at missing. In her high heels, she suddenly grabbed my hair. My scalp stung sharply as tears welled up in my eyes from the pain. She leaned in close to my ear, snarling viciously: “Come with me.” I was forcefully dragged into the restroom. The curious gazes of passersby were cut off as the door closed. She yanked my hair hard, pulling my head back. My body stumbled, crashing into the wall. When I looked up, a slap was flying straight for my face. Getting hit. It’s going to hurt.

The phone on the counter kept ringing. Curious glances from strangers fell on me before quickly looking away. Sophia had already left. I looked at myself in the mirror, my whole body soaked as if I had been drenched in water. Wet strands of hair dripped down. My eyes were red to the point of bleeding. The phone rang again, finally breaking through my daze. Lucy’s anxious voice came through: “Olivia where are you We’ve been looking everywhere and can’t find you!” “I’m in…” My voice was hoarse to the point of being unrecognizable. “Second floor… bathroom.” Lucy and the others rushed over when they heard, all startled when they saw me. The three of them surrounded me, Lucy taking out tissues to wipe the water dripping down my face. “Olivia, what happened ” My roommate’s voice was gentle. I couldn’t say. Everything got stuck in my throat, tangling into a heavy ball of yarn, sealing my vocal cords and blocking my mouth. I could only bury myself in Lucy’s arms. The girl’s embrace was soft and warm. She hugged me back, gently patting my back. “It’s okay.” “Olivia.” “It’s okay.” When I was ten, I was stopped by some older kids and inexplicably pushed to the ground, taking a hard fall. The ringleader cursed at me with several vulgar words. When I saw Ethan Parker after school, the floodgates of my pent-up emotions burst open.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296058”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring #校园School #重生Reborn

Have you ever read those romantic fantasy novels about a CEO’s substitute wife? Well, that’s me. Actually, I can’t really call myself a wife. We weren’t married yet, so let’s just say I was the substitute girlfriend. Before I discovered this, I was the envy of everyone around me. I graduated from a prestigious university, landed a job at a well-known company, and of course, the main reason for everyone’s envy was my handsome and wealthy CEO boyfriend. Just like in those romantic fantasy novels, the CEO fell in love with me at first sight. He showed no hesitation in pursuing me, showering me with roses, expensive gifts, and heartfelt confessions. I fell for him quickly. After all, who wouldn’t like a handsome, rich boyfriend who was completely devoted to you? I certainly did. Many people warned me that he might just be playing around or had some ulterior motive. Some were jealous, while others genuinely cared about me. But he proved them all wrong with his actions. For three years, he showered me with care and affection, remembered every anniversary, always spoke to me kindly no matter what, and never neglected me because of work. Even our first time together only happened after he had asked for my consent. Everything seemed perfect and harmonious. Until I had the sudden urge to check his phone. I’ve always been a trusting girlfriend. Even though many people told me to keep an eye on my boyfriend, warning me that he was too good-looking and wealthy not to attract other women, I never took their words to heart. Because he really didn’t seem like the type to flirt around. He wouldn’t get close to any woman except me. Even his friends asked me what magic I had used to make him so devoted to me. I said, maybe it’s because he loves me enough. So when he told me he was going to attend a college reunion and might come home late, I didn’t think much of it. I even told him to have fun. Of course, I didn’t stop to wonder why someone who hated social gatherings and barely kept in touch with his college classmates would suddenly want to attend a meaningless reunion. That night, we broke many firsts. It was the first time he came home after midnight, the first time he got drunk, the first time I checked his phone, and the first time I couldn’t sleep. He had always been a good boyfriend. Even when he went out, he would never come home after midnight or get drunk. At most, he would be slightly tipsy. I used to suspect that maybe his alcohol tolerance was too high, so he never got drunk. Now I realize I was overthinking. No one can’t get drunk; it’s just that they haven’t drunk enough, or rather, there wasn’t anything that could make them drink that much. In the past, every time he came back from a social gathering, slightly tipsy, he liked to bury his face in my arms, reeking of alcohol, and whisper sweet nothings to me. I quite enjoyed it, and even wondered what he would be like if he really got drunk. Now I’ve seen it. He’s still charming, still good at sweet talk, but the name he’s calling isn’t mine. In our three years together, I had never heard this name, neither from his mouth nor from anyone else’s. He had protected this name so well that if it weren’t for his drunken state, he probably would never have let it slip. Sophia. It’s a beautiful name. That night, as I helped him, drunk and stumbling, into bed, I heard him say, “I love you.” I couldn’t help but smile. Even after three years, he was still so cheesy. Just as I was about to respond, he uttered that name. “Sophia.” “I love you, Sophia.” I’m certain it wasn’t just drunken mumbling because that night he called this name countless times. “Sophia, I miss you so much.” “Sophia, I really love you.” “Sophia… Sophia… Sophia…” Even if I were a fool, I could figure out what was going on. The reunion, the drinking, it was all for one person. And that person wasn’t me. As if possessed, I picked up his phone. You could say he was a good boyfriend in this aspect too. His phone never had a password, allowing me to check it anytime. Of course, I was also a good girlfriend. This was the first time in three years that I had opened his phone. That night, I read through thousands of chat messages. Of course, they were all one-sided. They were thousands of messages he had sent to Sophia, with no replies from the other side. Starting from five years ago. Every day, he would send Sophia a few messages, telling her about his day, about the weather, about how much he missed her. Never stopping. “Sophia, I met a girl today. She looks a lot like you.” The day I started my job. “Sophia, I’m going to pursue her.” The day he started chasing me. “Sophia, are you jealous?” The day we got together. “Sophia, I moved to a new place. It has a spacious, bright balcony, a huge smart TV, and a waterbed. All the things you like.” The day we moved in together. “Sophia, she looks so much like you in a red dress.” Six months into our relationship, he bought me a closet full of red dresses. “Sophia, we had a fight today. She looks just like you when she’s angry. You both like to say you don’t love me anymore.” Our first fight. We were both angry and ignoring each other until I said, “You don’t love me anymore.” Only then did he come to comfort me. “Sophia…” “Sophia…” “Sophia…” Just a light press on the letter ‘S’, and the keyboard would automatically suggest ‘Sophia’. Who knows how many times he had typed it? Only he knew. No wonder he always liked to back up his chat history over and over again. I thought it was because he had important documents he was afraid of losing. No wonder he liked me in red dresses, no wonder he always wanted me to wear makeup that didn’t suit me, no wonder he always wanted me to let my hair down, no wonder his eyes were always full of stars when he looked at me. All of these were Sophia’s. I was just a cuckoo in the nest. I didn’t cry. Not a single tear fell. I just threw away all the red dresses, cut my hair short, and removed everything that resembled Sophia from my surroundings. Except for my face. I found a photo of Sophia and him, carefully hidden at the bottom of his photo album. In the photo, Sophia was wearing a vibrant red dress, with cute makeup, her hair down, happily making a peace sign at the camera. And him, by her side, turning his head to look at her with eyes full of tenderness. That look I knew all too well. I have to say, he was really lucky. The Sophia in the photo really did look a lot like me. If I didn’t know for sure that my mom only had one daughter, I might have wondered if she was my twin sister. The next morning, I made hangover soup and waited for him to wake up. Everything seemed the same as before, yet everything felt different. I didn’t ask him why he got drunk last night, nor did I question him about who Sophia was. But he questioned me, asking why I had cut my hair. I touched my unevenly cut hair and said I wanted to try short hair. It was ugly, I knew. Because I had cut it myself in the bathroom last night with rusty scissors. My hair that I had been growing for seven years. He didn’t say anything more, but I could see he was angry. Angry as he was, he didn’t argue with me. He just silently suppressed that anger. But he couldn’t suppress it for long. Because he discovered that all the red dresses in the closet had disappeared. Just like in the morning, he asked me where the dresses went. “Thrown away.” He smashed many things in the house, even raised his hand, but the moment he saw my face, he put it down again. This face really was useful. Then he calmed himself down again, gently coaxing me, saying it didn’t matter if the dresses were gone, he could buy me more. It didn’t matter if my hair was cut, he could take me to get extensions, or I could grow it out again. I refused. I clearly told him that I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t grow my hair long again, nor would I wear red dresses again. He angrily shouted out the sentence he had been wanting to say. “Do you know! You look like this! You don’t look like…” He caught himself and didn’t continue, but even if he didn’t say it, I knew what the second half of the sentence was. I didn’t look like Sophia anymore. Later, he slammed the door and left, not returning home for a week. I went to work as usual, came home as usual, cooked as usual, slept as usual. It seemed that apart from having one less person by my side, there wasn’t much difference. A week later, he came back, apologized to me, not very sincerely. I could even see the suppressed anger in his eyes. I knew he would come back, because I had this face. I didn’t say anything, we continued to interact like before. Only now, I started to avoid everything that resembled Sophia. Sophia liked red dresses, so I insisted on wearing pants. Sophia had long hair, so I insisted on short hair. Sophia liked cute makeup, so I insisted on dramatic Western-style makeup. I didn’t confront him, not because I was weak, but because I wanted to give both of us a chance. If he could accept me like this, rather than as a copy of Sophia like before, I would pretend nothing had happened and continue to be with him. At first, he was indeed very angry and somewhat resistant to me. But as time went on, he seemed to slowly accept it. He started taking me to pants stores, accompanying me to regular haircuts, and the way he looked at me was no longer as deeply affectionate as before. But I was happy, because he finally wasn’t looking through me at someone else. Those deeply affectionate looks from before were never meant for me anyway. And most importantly. The frequency of his messages to Sophia started to decrease. I would still occasionally check his phone, still without a password. His messages to Sophia went from several times a day, to once a day, to once a week, to once a month, and now, he hadn’t sent a message to Sophia for three months. When I scrolled through the records, I had to scroll for a long time before I found that familiar chat box. Everything was slowly getting better. Sophia no longer appeared, and we were gradually falling in love. In the fifth year of our relationship, he proposed to me. Just like the day he confessed, the ground was covered with flowers, but instead of Sophia’s favorite roses, it was my favorite baby’s breath. Him on one knee, a dove egg-sized diamond ring, and the blessings of friends. I accepted. The diamond ring was beautiful, and I heard that men could only buy one ring from this brand in their lifetime. That night, I stared at that diamond ring and smiled foolishly for a long time. For me, this wasn’t just a diamond ring, it was my reassurance. I could almost be certain that I was no longer Sophia’s substitute. My boyfriend, no, now my fiancé, was with me because he liked me, and proposed to me because he liked me. There were ten days until the engagement party. He was tense every day, afraid of doing something wrong, pulling me to practice every procedure over and over again. I was both annoyed and amused. All my rest time was taken up by his rehearsals, but this also showed how much he valued our engagement party, so I was still happy. If it weren’t for that text message. That night, he was holding me as usual, letting me rest my head on his arm, playing with my hair. His phone rang with a message notification at an inopportune moment. He casually picked it up to look. Just for a second, just one second, I felt his body stiffen, somewhat unnaturally. I asked him curiously what was wrong. He vaguely said he wanted to go to the bathroom, slowly withdrew his arm, and took his phone to the bathroom. He wasn’t gone for long, just the normal time for a man to use the bathroom, but I didn’t hear the sound of flushing. When he came out of the bathroom, he was the same as usual, showing no change at all. Unfortunately, a woman’s sixth sense is terrifyingly accurate. That night, I struggled for a while before I managed to take his phone out from under his pillow. He had never put his phone under his pillow before. I opened his chat with Sophia, there were no new messages. As if possessed, I clicked on his text messages. At the top was a text from a girl saved as “Sophia”. Before this, I had never seen this phone number, nor had I seen this contact name. I guess they must have gotten back in touch. “Henry, I’m coming back to the country the day after tomorrow. Are you free? I’d like to talk to you.” “Is it you, Sophia?” “Yes.” “What time is your flight the day after tomorrow? I’ll come pick you up.” “No need to trouble yourself. I’ll send you the meeting address when I arrive. I’m a bit busy now, talk to you later.” He sent Sophia a few more texts, but there was no reply from the other side. I guess she must have gone to take care of something. Before this, I had always thought Sophia was someone who would never appear, either dead or unable to meet him for some special reason. That’s why I chose to stay, vainly attempting to pull him back to my side with my sincerity. After reading the texts, I closed the phone, stared at my soundly sleeping fiancé for a long time, before putting the phone back under his pillow and hugging him to continue sleeping. The night before Sophia was to return to the country, I got my period. I’ve always been physically weak, and every time it’s excruciatingly painful. I used to think that the monthly period was a torture for me, but this time was different. I dragged my pain-wracked body to take a cold shower. I decided to gamble with my own body. Sure enough, the next day I had a high fever. I wanted to see who he would choose between a fiancée with her period and a high fever, and a long-lost love about to get off a plane. In the end, he chose his long-lost love. I could endure the bone-chilling pain and the uncomfortable high fever, but his long-lost love couldn’t come out of the airport without someone to help her with her luggage. My five years of sincere love, at this moment, lost completely. Before he left, all he cared about was whether his hairstyle was messy, whether his clothes fit well, and whether his cologne smelled good. I had never seen him like this before. Cautious, yet extremely happy. So happy that he forgot there was a fiancée curled up in pain at home. I cancelled the engagement party, packed all my things with a high fever, and moved out of the house we had lived in for four years. I cleaned out everything about me in the house, as if I had never been there. What I couldn’t take with me, I threw away. I only left him a note and that ring. The ring he could only buy once in his lifetime wasn’t meant for me. Later, I went away for a month to clear my mind. After adjusting my emotions, I joined a new company. Actually, I should thank him. Being with a CEO did have its benefits. He taught me many things that ordinary employees couldn’t learn. With my qualifications and the experience he taught me, I advanced quickly. In fact, many companies had offered me positions years ago, with better treatment and salary than my original company, but I had refused them all. Because I wanted to be with him. But that doesn’t matter now. I’ve started a new life, and actually, long before I discovered Sophia’s existence, I had taken out a loan to buy a house for myself. So even after breaking up, I still had a house, savings, and a job. I was still the same enviable person I was before. “What happened next? Did he try to find you?” “He did, but how could I let him find me? Once I decided to leave, I left completely.” “What if he wanted to meet Sophia to clear things up and never contact her again? Isn’t that how it usually goes in novels?” “Novels are just novels, fairy tales are just fairy tales. From the moment he could leave me with a high fever and pain to find his long-lost love, we were destined never to meet again in this life.” “Ah~” The person in front of me sighed and pouted, “Aren’t you sad? After all, you were together for five years.” I touched my neat short hair and smiled, “I cut off seven years of long hair, what’s a five-year relationship compared to that?” The little girl in front of me still seemed unsatisfied. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something more, but I interrupted her, “Alright, stop being nosy. Have you finished today’s work? If you don’t finish, you can’t join us for dinner tonight.” “No, no, no, I’ll go do it right away. I promise to complete the task before clocking out!” Watching Emily leave, I let out a long sigh, finally relieved. Emily is a new intern. The company assigned her to me for mentoring. This little girl has just graduated, lively and cheerful, with an endearing naivety, very much like how I used to be. Maybe because of this reason, we quickly became close. During our free time, we like to gather and chat about gossip, and eventually, we started talking about ourselves. Although she’s a bit nosy, she wouldn’t spread other people’s private matters around. Unable to resist her constant questioning, I told her my story. Looking at her retreating figure, I felt a strange sense of comfort in my heart. It’s been over half a year since Henry and I broke up. At first, I really did go through a period of feeling depressed all day, occasionally drowning my sorrows in alcohol. But after so much time has passed, now when I think of him, I feel no ripples in my heart at all. Time really is the best medicine. In the evening, during the company’s monthly dinner, everyone was drinking happily when suddenly the restaurant lost power, plunging everything into darkness. I was about to call a waiter to ask what was going on when a beam of light slowly lit up in the center of the restaurant, shining on one person. I followed the light and saw it was Andrew. Seeing it was him, I frowned instinctively. Andrew is my senior from university and also my current boss. Half a year ago when I broke up with Henry, I went traveling abroad to adjust my mood. He somehow found out about it, flew abroad personally to find me, and invited me to help out at his company. Actually, I didn’t want to come at first. Firstly, because I didn’t want to work under someone I knew, and secondly, because he had pursued me before. When I was in school, Andrew’s name was well-known. Almost everyone in the school knew about him. Not because he was exceptionally outstanding, but because he was too much of a playboy. The speed at which he changed girlfriends truly lived up to the saying, “Women are like clothes.” For ordinary people, they would wear a piece of clothing for at least a year, or at least a few months even if they didn’t like it much. But Andrew was different. He was a genuine rich second generation. He would discard clothes after wearing them once, not even bothering to wash them. It was the same with girlfriends. But even so, countless girls still wanted to be his girlfriend. The reasons were simple: Andrew was smooth-talking, good-looking, and rich. In just a short year, Andrew had gone through most of the girls in his major. Although not many girls spoke ill of Andrew after breaking up with him, the speed at which he changed girlfriends still made everyone label him as a playboy. Later, Andrew met me. To be honest, even now I don’t know what Andrew liked about me. We had only met once at the freshman welcome party, and Andrew started his crazy pursuit. I had heard of his reputation as soon as I entered school, so of course I wouldn’t accept his pursuit. I thought that such a playboy would give up after being rejected a few times, but I didn’t expect him to become more persistent with each setback. He didn’t give up for three years in college, constantly pursuing me, and even declared in school that if anyone dared to pursue me besides him, he would make their life miserable. There were indeed a few who didn’t believe him and tried to pursue me, but they all gave up soon. Later, he graduated, and I thought I could finally get rid of him, but I didn’t expect him to still wait for me at my dormitory door every day, sending me flowers and saying some cheesy love words. “What you can’t have is always alluring.” I felt that Andrew’s pursuit only proved this saying. He had never failed in pursuing girls before, and I was the first one to give him a hard time. So I don’t believe he had much true feelings. This situation only improved when I got together with Henry. After I graduated, his waiting place moved from my dormitory door to my company door. That day, he was still waiting for me at the company door as usual, but I walked out holding Henry’s hand. He stared at us blankly for a while, but still handed me the flowers in his hand. I didn’t take them. I raised my hand that was holding Henry’s and told him, “I already have a boyfriend.” At that time, we had known each other for nearly five years, but it was the first time I saw such a hurt look in his eyes. In my impression, he was always a smiling playboy. I had rejected his pursuit countless times, thrown the flowers he sent into the trash countless times, but he had never shown me such a look. He was always smiling, if rejected he would try again, if the flowers were thrown away he would buy more. In those five years, I had said harsh words to him countless times, but none of them seemed to hurt him as much as “I already have a boyfriend.” His smile froze on his face, his eyes flickered, he didn’t say anything more, took back the flowers, and left. After that, I never saw him again, until I broke up with Henry. He traveled abroad alone to find me, asking me to come to his company. Thinking of this, when I looked up at Andrew again, he was already walking towards me with a bouquet of baby’s breath. I knew what he was going to do, and my frown deepened. I said in a voice only the two of us could hear, “You said we would only talk about work.” Andrew had indeed said this, he promised me this half a year ago abroad. At that time, when he invited me to his company, I flatly refused. But he seemed to know what I was worried about and said he was only inviting me to the company because he admired my abilities. We would only talk about work, and he would treat me the same as any other employee. If I didn’t believe him, I could try working for a while first. I couldn’t resist his persistence and sincerity, and after investigating, I found that his company indeed had great potential and room for growth, so I joined his company. After staying for a while, it was indeed as he said. He never gave me any special treatment, and I would be scolded and have my salary deducted if I made mistakes. So I became more at ease and stayed. But I didn’t expect that just a week after I signed a five-year labor contract, he would fall back into his old habits. This was all his calculation. He smiled and answered me, “As compensation for not keeping my word, I’ll give myself to you.” I couldn’t help but laugh, “Brother, is this compensation?” He flipped his hair, “Isn’t it? Where else can you find such a handsome boyfriend?” We whispered for a while longer, and finally, amidst the cheering of the company crowd, I smiled and accepted the flowers from Andrew’s hand. However, at the moment I took the flowers, I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure flashing by outside the restaurant. When I turned to look, the person was gone. I didn’t think much of it and sat back down, holding Andrew’s hand. Not long after the dinner party, I felt that the atmosphere in the company seemed a bit strange. The colleagues around me weren’t as enthusiastic in greeting me as before, and the way they looked at me had an indescribable feeling. Some seemed to want to say something to me but then held back. After a few days of this awkwardness, Emily suddenly burst into my office, “Sis! Someone is slandering you online!” I was organizing files and felt a bit confused, “Huh?” Emily seemed to have run in a hurry, panting heavily as she spoke, “It’s… it’s your ex-boyfriend… he… he posted something online… saying you… saying you…” “Saying what about me? Don’t rush, take your time.” I patted Emily’s back, letting her sit down. “He said you’re fickle! That you abandoned him for your career and money, and that you seduced our boss!” Emily finally finished her sentence, followed by another bout of heavy breathing. I couldn’t help but frown, feeling a bit upset. We’ve been broken up for half a year, why isn’t he living well with his Sophia? Why jump out now to slander me? Emily found the original post and sent it to me. I looked at the time, it was already a week old. When it was first posted, it caused a small stir, but it didn’t become widely known. But for some reason, the views and shares of the post suddenly increased these past few days, as if someone had given it a push behind the scenes. I only read a few lines before I knew this post must have been written by someone Henry paid a high price to write. It was full of distortions and lies, and although the post seemed to be Henry’s diary, it was constantly vilifying me, both explicitly and implicitly. The post detailed our meeting, getting to know each other, falling in love, and even some private matters after we started dating. Even the gifts and red envelopes he sent me on holidays were written about in thousands of words. In short, after reading the entire post, the public would only get two pieces of information: One, Henry loved me very much. Two, I, a fresh graduate who knew nothing, used Henry to climb the social ladder and then abandoned him, seducing another man. In other words, he loved me, loved me very much, loved me so much that he would have cut out his heart for me. And we were about to get engaged, but I abandoned him because I found someone better than him, even canceling our planned engagement party. In short, I was a bad woman who loved money and fame, while Henry was a poor, devoted good man. The post also included some of our chat records and intimate photos. Some resourceful netizens used these photos to find me, Henry, and Andrew. Of course, they mainly found me, because in their eyes, I was now the bad woman, while Henry and Andrew were just victims I had deceived. After finding out my identity, the netizens became even more excited, holding up the banner of justice to condemn me. I glanced at it for a while and found that Andrew’s company’s stock was also plummeting. As I was getting annoyed reading this, my phone suddenly rang. I answered it without thinking, but as soon as I picked up, a stream of abuse came from the other end, using all kinds of nasty and vicious words. I got annoyed and hung up. But I didn’t expect this was just the beginning. After the first call, countless calls came in one after another, all abusing me when I picked up. It seems my personal information had been dug up by those people online. Or maybe, Henry had deliberately released it. Anyway, no matter what, my phone didn’t stop all morning. Calls, texts, WhatsApp messages, all non-stop. I didn’t dare to turn off my phone, afraid of missing important client calls. By the end of the day, I was exhausted both physically and mentally. I finally made it to the end of the workday, thinking I could finally go home and rest well, but I didn’t expect a large crowd to be waiting to ambush me at the company entrance. I didn’t notice at first, until I walked out the door and heard someone shout, “That bitch is out!” Only then did I realize a large group of people had gathered at the door, each holding a phone, frantically taking photos as soon as they saw me. I couldn’t help but think of those scenes in TV dramas where prisoners are paraded through the streets, with a crowd of people throwing rotten vegetables and rotten eggs at them. In the past, the public used violence to condemn those they thought were wrong. Now, the public uses words to condemn those they think are wrong. Thinking about it, I couldn’t figure out which was more hurtful. But no matter what, this was a form of harm. The company’s security guards hadn’t expected this situation and couldn’t hold back so many people. Some people had almost pushed their phones into my face. I couldn’t dodge in time, and I don’t know who pushed me, but I fell backwards. I instinctively closed my eyes, estimating that this fall would be quite bad. The expected pain didn’t come. I fell into a reassuring embrace. I opened my eyes to look at the person in front of me. It was Andrew. Before I could say anything, he helped me up, “I’m sorry, I’m late.” After saying this, he held my hand. I followed him all the way to the underground parking lot, shaking off those persistent people. Looking at his panting appearance, I thought of the company’s stock and the crowd at the door, and couldn’t help but sigh, “I’m sorry.” He caught his breath and asked me, “Why are you apologizing?” I blinked, “It’s all because of me that the company has so much trouble…” He smiled and came closer, ruffling my hair, “It’s not your fault.” I dodged his hand, “If it weren’t for me, the company’s stock wouldn’t…” “It has nothing to do with you.” He interrupted me before I could finish my sentence. He put his hands on my shoulders, “None of this has anything to do with you. It’s all him slandering you. I know that.” I looked up, meeting his eyes, “You believe me?” He nodded, “I do.” At that moment, I suddenly felt a warmth in my heart, an indescribable feeling. “Besides,” he muttered softly, but I heard it clearly, “you haven’t agreed to be my girlfriend yet, so what’s written up there isn’t true at all.” “From what you’re saying, you believe me just because this part he wrote isn’t true?” I raised an eyebrow. “No, no, no!” He hurriedly waved his hands, “I mean I know everything he wrote is false, it’s just… it’s just that I wish the part about you being with me was true…” I couldn’t help but laugh. That day I did accept Andrew’s flowers, but I didn’t agree to be with him. I took the flowers from his hand just because I didn’t want him to be embarrassed in front of so many people. Later when he sent me home, I told him very clearly. I said I had just ended a failed relationship not even half a year ago, and I wasn’t ready to enter a new relationship. He smiled and didn’t say anything, just sent me a WhatsApp message after sending me home. — It’s okay, we have a long time ahead of us. “What are you thinking about?” Andrew snapped his fingers in front of me, pulling me back from my memories. I smiled, “Nothing.” “Then get in the car.” Andrew opened the passenger door. “Where are we going?” I sat in the car. “My place.” Hearing Andrew say this, my hand that was about to fasten the seatbelt paused, “Your place?” “Don’t overthink it,” Andrew slid into the driver’s seat, “I’m worried that your home address might have been leaked too, it could be dangerous, so I’m taking you to my place to stay for a while.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295929”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #重生Reborn #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring #校园School #魔幻Magic #惊悚Thriller #擦边Steamy