Category: English

My roommate‘s brother is recruiting for a factory. ＂You can earn 10,000 in a month doing part-time work.＂ I think it’s a scam. At the same time, my family’s small factory is recruiting part-time worker,and I took them to my family. In order to take care of my classmates, my mother gave us four thousand a month, provide food and housing But my roommate heard that the long-term worker can get seven thousand per month, they said that my family are devil. Not only did they report my parents to the to the Labour Bureau, but also went on a live broadcast saying that our products were defective. My family went bankrupt. My parents committed suicide. I was so traumatized that I fell overboard. When I woke up, I was back at the day they discussed going to work part-time. …… ＂My brother said the work is easy and pays well.＂ The fan was whirring in the cramped dormitory. Abby said these words to us from her bed. The other two said, “Wow.” Connie asked, ＂Can we have such good conditions?＂ ＂Sure.＂ Abby patted his chest and said, ＂My brother is the HR in the factory. He told me that as long as you go you can get your salary. The factory is also near the sea, we can also go to the beach on days off.＂ Abby described the part-time life very good, it seems they would like to take the train right now. Suddenly Abby changed the topic to me: “Barbara, do you want to go with us?” Looking at her face, I tried to control my anger. I could never have imagined that such a pure exterior hid a heart like a demon. I smiled gently at her. ＂I can’t go. I have to go back to help my mother.＂ ＂You come with us. Why stay at home when you can make $20,000 in two months over the summer?＂ I got up with my book. ＂Sorry, my mom said no, I have to go to the library to study now.＂ ＂You’re so grown up!＂ They laughed. I left the dorm and went to the library. The cold air made me realize what was real. I wasn’t angry at those three people. I was thankful. I was reborn. In my last life, Abby also suggested a the idea of taking a part-time job in the summer vacation. The factory was in my hometown. I knew that the average factory would only offer 8,000 for the long-term workers. It would be impossible to be so generous to the summer job. I told Abby it was a scam and to look for another job. My family was recruiting, so I told them I wanted to work at home as a summer job. My parents opened a garment factory. They needed help with simple tasks or work in the air-conditioned house. I didn’t worry about recruiting people for this position at home. My mother offers a high salary. And for my classmates, my mother takes care of them like children, so she decided to pay them a monthly salary of 4000, without mandatory workload, and also provides food and accommodation. My housemates agreed when I told them.

We got along well at the start of the first half-month. We’ve been roommates since our first year at college. Abby is the head of the dorm, beautiful and talkative. She’s also a good mediator between us. They work hard. My mother likes them and gives me money to take them to a local restaurant. Abby heard the others who works together talking about how much they were making and got really angry. She asked my mother if she was using them as cheap labour. But the truth was Abby and the other girls had one-third the workload of the others. ＂We are college students, so we cost more than hiring those rural women. You are paying for knowledge.＂Abby said. My mom was confused. She didn’t know what knowledge was needed for packing. But Abby was my classmate, so she asked, ＂How should we settle it?＂ They wanted my mother to pay them half a month’s salary so they could leave. My mom wanted to put the whole thing to rest, so she paid her with what she Abby asked for. I didn’t think this would cause a problem. When Abby left, she told the workers what she had done. How can the salary of temporary workers be better than those of old employees. So they want my mom to give them a raise. Just as the workers’ commotion subsided, Abby began to turn into a demon again. She put this on the Internet, saying that my parents was devil who forced them to work. This news spread widely online and she became very famous. People online proposed ideas, and she followed them. She called the labor department, tax bureau, and fire department every three days. My family was a small business, although it is not illegal, we still cannot tolerate people coming to inspect every day. My mother asked if she could pay her a settlement to stop it.. At this point, the discussion about this matter on the internet was no longer as hot, until she sent a text message online, asking for my mother’s forgiveness. She also revealed my home, saying that the quality of my clothes is very poor. My family was a supplier to big brands. This incident led to high liquidated damages. My parents’ hair turned white overnight. Under the pressure of public opinion and liquidated damages, they took medicine to commit suicide. I lost my family because I brought my roommates home. After my parents died, I had a mental breakdown. I lived a muddled life, unable to distinguish between dream and reality. I saw my parents on the beach and walked towards them. I fell into the sea when the sea water got into my nose. It was too late. I don’t think I learned much in the library. By the time I had thought about it, the library had started to kick people out. Back in the dorm, the girls still wanted to work part-time. I went to shower and didn’t want to be a part of this. If I didn’t care about them, they still wanted to care about me. After I showered and dried my hair, Abby came over. She said her brother needed four people and had already signed me up. She asked me to pay the sign-up fee. She had a kind face and looked like she wanted me to thank her. I looked straight at her and said, ＂Who asked you to sign me up?＂

Abby froze and frowned, ＂What’s your attitude? I’m being kind.＂ I looked at her. ＂I said I’m not going. Why are you reporting this to me?＂ Abby’s face showed panic, but she quickly calmed down. She scolded me, ＂If you’re not going, don’t slander people.＂ The argument attracted Connie and the girls. Connie was naturally on Abby’s side. She rolled her eyes at me, ＂Barbara, you’re too much. Abby said we work part-time together with you is to avoid isolating you. You just don’t know how to appreciate good people.” Zoe also backed Abby, saying, ＂That;s right. Liu Barbara, you’re so unsociable.＂ ＂Good intentions?＂ I sneered, ＂Who knows what she did with my information? Maybe she sold it to a pyramid scheme.＂ People from other dorms came to see what was going on. More and more people gathered at our door. ＂Barbara, you’ve gone too far!＂ Abby ran out after yelling. Zoe chased me out. ＂Are you satisfied?＂ I said loudly, ＂What? She leaked my information. She also did something wrong.＂ My voice echoed through the dormitory. Other students thoght I have no problems with this move. They were wondering if Abby was connected with those pyramid selling organizations. That night, Abby cried all night in the dormitory. The next day, the teacher discovered it. When the teacher brought us over, Abby thought I was outnumbered and that the teacher would say something favorable to her. She was very rude to the teacher, saying that I had wronged her. After listened to my words, the teacher asked Abby to apologize to me. “If you take someone’s ID card without their consent, then you are wrong. If Barbara is serious, you may enter the police station.” The teacher frowned at the seriousness of the matter. Abby apologized to me. I feel happy to see her looking nauseous. The teacher asked me to leave first, leaving the three of them to discuss summer job scams. After this, I have completely broken off relations with Abby and the others. In the dormitory, they isolated me and spoke ill of me loudly. I recorded their words and told the mentor. I wanted to change dormitories. But it was difficult to change dormitories at the end of the semester, but she can pay me to stay in a hotel and change dormitories next semester. I know the mentor was also well intentioned, changing dormitories at the end of the semester is not easy. I agreed. The three of them also had to review for the final exam. We didn’t speak for the last week but didn’t have any big arguments. The final exams were over. I bought a ticket to go home. When I got on the train, I realized Abby and the three of them had bought tickets on the same train. She was sitting opposite me.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294948”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #魔幻Magic #擦边Steamy #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring #重生Reborn #校园School #狼人werewolf

“Trish, that streamer is a friend of mine from school. I was just supporting her career, and it was only a hundred thousand dollars! Plus, it wasn’t even your money, it was Mom’s. Are you seriously so mad that you’re going to cut off my card and send me to some strict school where they’ll even take my phone? Are you still my sister?” “Yeah, Trish, it’s just a hundred thousand. Mom isn’t upset, so why are you? Besides, I couldn’t bear to see Ryan go through hardship. If he went to that school, I’d only get to see him once a month. For my sake, please, drop this idea…” I opened my eyes, feeling disoriented as I looked at the two familiar faces in front of me. Anger and sadness nearly overwhelmed me as I fought the urge to strangle them right then and there. Because just a moment ago, in my mind, these two—along with my sister and her husband—had conspired to burn me alive in this very house. After my gruesome death, I had watched helplessly as they took all of the billions my biological parents left me and moved abroad to live carefree lives. That’s right, I wasn’t their biological daughter. I was the one they found on the side of the road. After they picked me up, my adoptive parents, who had struggled for years to have children, suddenly had a son, Ryan Harris, and a daughter, Lily Harris. They didn’t treat me terribly, because in a small Midwestern farm town, all they had to do was give me food to eat. They drilled into my head that as the older sister, I had the responsibility to take care of my younger siblings. At five, I was already changing diapers and feeding them formula. By the time I graduated middle school, I gave up further education and started working at an assembly plant. Each month, I earned nearly ten thousand dollars in overtime, but I only kept about a thousand for myself. The rest went home to support my brother and sister’s education. When I turned twenty, a representative from my biological parents found me. It was then I learned the truth: I wasn’t their biological daughter. My real parents were two professors at Georgetown University. Years ago, they were hunted down for protecting their research. They left me in a safe place temporarily, but by the time they came back, I had already been taken in by my adoptive family. My adoptive parents had returned to rural South Carolina. There weren’t many security cameras around back then, and by the time my biological parents found me, years had passed. My mother had grown sick with guilt and depression and ended her life, while my father, devastated, continued searching for me for over a decade until he passed away last year… Life can be cruel. I was only found by my biological parents’ representative a year after they had both died. I had gone from a factory worker to the heir of a billion-dollar fortune practically overnight! But with my biological parents gone, and being a twenty-year-old girl desperate for familial affection and weighed down by a strong sense of responsibility for my siblings, I made the foolish decision to bring my entire adoptive family to Washington D.C. with me. I thought, they raised me, so I should make sure they live well now that I had the means to. I moved my adoptive parents into a mansion on the outskirts of D.C., spared no expense, and enrolled my reckless brother in a high-end boarding school. He had gone off the rails after we came into money, partying, drinking, drag racing, even stealing my parents’ phone to send donations to his favorite streamers. A semester at this school cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, but I wanted him to be successful, so I even sent him to an elite overseas university. When he returned, I gave him millions to start his own business… As for me, I regretted not being able to attend college. I was talented, but I never had the chance to learn new skills or wear all the pretty clothes I longed for. So, I hired the best tutors for my sister and bought her all the fashionable clothes and designer handbags she wanted, turning her into a little princess. But my sister wasn’t grateful. She complained that I put too much pressure on her, that she never wanted to learn those things. She spent my money at school pretending to be a wealthy heiress, dated a rich kid, and ended up pregnant. She refused to have an abortion. Because of her stubbornness, I had to drag her to the rich kid’s family and force them to marry her. My biological parents had a good relationship with Keith Morgan, CEO of the Morgan Corporation. It was through Keith that I was found in the first place. The rich kid’s family didn’t like my sister, but they couldn’t say no because of Keith Morgan. So, despite their disdain, they let her marry into the family. Even though my sister was finally married to a wealthy man, her husband would beat her, but she refused to leave, and I had to clean up the mess every time. My adoptive father was a gambler and a drunk. When he got drunk, he would beat my adoptive mother. If I hadn’t stepped in to pay off his debts and get him into rehab, he would’ve been killed by debt collectors. I thought I had done everything for this family, treated them like my real family, even though we weren’t related by blood. And yet, they conspired to burn me alive to take my fortune! Trish Harris, you should’ve died long ago! You inherited all that wealth, and as our daughter, you should’ve given it all to us. You never really treated us like your real parents! All we did was ask for a little more money, and you couldn’t even give us a few million dollars when you’re worth billions! Some sister you are! No wonder we’re not related by blood. My husband asked you for two million to invest, and you refused, so now I have to suffer his abuse. You never treated me like your real sister! In my final moments, I looked at my adoptive parents, hoping for some sympathy, but they turned away, cold and indifferent, watching as the flames consumed me. Pulled out of my memories, I stared at the two familiar faces in front of me, my hands trembling with overwhelming hatred. Heaven has eyes, and I’ve been given a second chance. This time, I won’t make the same mistakes as before! Though I wasn’t reborn to the moment when I was first found by my biological parents and had the chance to leave my adoptive family behind, this moment is still good enough. At this point in time, my adoptive family is already used to living a wealthy lifestyle because of me. They’ve gotten comfortable not working, knowing they can rely on me, their “cheap” daughter and sister, to give them tens of thousands of dollars in allowance at the drop of a hat… It’s hard to go back once you’ve lived in luxury. I’m curious to see how they’ll maintain this lifestyle once I’m gone! Suppressing my anger, I nodded. “You’re right. It was your money he used, so I have no right to be upset.” My adoptive mother looked a bit surprised. After all, her money came from me, so I had every right to be angry. But seeing that I had softened my stance, she breathed a sigh of relief. Ryan, too, was ecstatic. “So, you’re not sending me to boarding school?” “No, I’m not.” My adoptive mother, noticing my expression, gave Ryan a subtle nod, and he hurriedly left the room. She then tried to comfort me. “Trish, it’s not that I’m siding with your brother, but he’s still young. He needs to be guided carefully. If we send him to boarding school now, it might make him even more rebellious. I know you mean well, but we need to take it slow.” I lowered my eyes. “He’s already spent a hundred thousand this month. I won’t be giving him any more allowance.” “That’s fine. He should learn that money doesn’t come easily…” Before she could say more, I cut her off. “I’m tired.” Upstairs, I reflected on my past life. Back then, I had insisted on sending Ryan to boarding school. To calm him down, my adoptive parents took him on a trip to Miami. I had even transferred money to my adoptive mother with a message: Ryan must be upset. Why don’t you and Dad take him and Lily on a trip to Miami?

When my adoptive mother received the money, she excitedly agreed to the vacation. “See, Ryan? You can relax. Your sister is still family. She’s just worried about you, but she won’t abandon us. Look, she just sent another $200,000 for us to take a trip!” Ryan let out a sigh of relief, sneering. “Trish Harris, don’t think this means I ’ll forgive you!” Lily, on the other hand, was less pleased. “What about me, sis?” “Didn’t I just send you money the other day? Or are you spending it all on Bradley again, buying him gifts?” My words hit a nerve. Lily knew full well that I disapproved of her spending money to chase after Bradley. Suddenly, she didn’t dare ask for more. But when she heard that we were going to Miami, usually the first to pack her bags for a trip, she unexpectedly declined this time. “Mom, Dad, I can’t go. Trish got me an internship at Morgan Corporation. It’s a big opportunity. I need to stay.” Morgan Corporation was one of the top companies in the country, and landing an internship there was highly competitive. In my past life, I had gone to great lengths to get Lily that opportunity. I had even reached out to Keith Morgan, a man I hadn’t spoken to since he helped find me, and used my biological parents’ connections to secure it for her. With my lack of education, I had hoped my sister could build a solid foundation and one day work for a top company like Morgan Corporation. But instead, she had secretly turned down the internship to run off abroad with Bradley Adams and ended up pregnant. When she returned, she boasted that she had planned the whole thing, claiming that getting pregnant was her way of ensuring she would marry into Bradley’s wealthy family. Lily had been so short-sighted, and though I had been heartbroken, I still fought for her. I dragged her to Bradley’s family and forced them to marry her, even though he hadn’t taken her seriously at all. That action had used up all of the goodwill Keith Morgan and my biological parents had for me. After that, I couldn’t bring myself to reach out to Keith again. But this time… After sending my adoptive parents and Ryan off, I watched as Lily tried her old tricks again. “Sis, Morgan Corporation is pretty far from here. I heard from my mentor that when she interned there, she was working late every night. I was thinking, maybe I could rent a place nearby and stay there until the internship is over.” I smiled and transferred some money to her. “Sure. Good luck with your internship.” Lily, delighted, packed her bags and left. Soon after, the private investigator I had hired informed me that Lily had gone straight to the airport and followed Bradley overseas… I immediately contacted a realtor and put the mansion up for sale at a reduced price. Then, I went to the study and storage room. Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked around. The storage room was filled with my biological parents’ belongings. When we had moved here, my adoptive parents had wanted to throw them away, calling them unlucky since they were from dead people. I had fought to keep them, so they were stashed away in the storage room. I opened the cabinet in the study and felt a surge of anger when I saw the paintings inside. In my previous life, I hadn’t known that my biological parents’ legacy included more than just this mansion and the money in the bank. There were also their valuable art collections. Any one of these paintings could fetch hundreds of thousands at auction. But I hadn’t realized that in my previous life. My adoptive father had secretly sold them off to fuel his gambling addiction. Dozens of priceless paintings, along with my parents’ research and manuscripts, had all been sold by my adoptive father. And I, their biological daughter, had been none the wiser! If I hadn’t seen him rushing to grab the last few paintings before my death, I might never have known… Tears blurred my vision as I stared at the photos of my real parents, their loving smiles forever frozen in time. I called a moving company and had all my biological parents’ belongings sent to their old house near Georgetown University. As for me, I stayed. There’s no way I’d leave before seeing how this family falls apart. While they were on vacation, I made several preparations. I installed hidden cameras in every corner of the house. The mansion had already been sold, and since I had offered it for a lower price than the market value, the buyer agreed to let me stay for another month. It wasn’t long before my adoptive parents returned with Ryan. Ryan, acting as if nothing had happened, immediately asked me for more spending money. I didn’t even look at him. “No. You used this month’s allowance on that streamer.” Ryan was furious. “That was Mom’s money! Trish, you’re so stingy, no wonder you don’t have any friends!” My adoptive mother hesitated, but before she could say anything, I cut her off. “Mom, didn’t you say Ryan needed to learn how hard it is to make money?” Seeing that I was serious about teaching Ryan a lesson, she didn’t push back. Instead, she secretly slipped him some cash. She figured that if she ran out of money, she could just ask me for more. But I was one step ahead. “Mom, I’ve already given you the household allowance for the month. You wouldn’t have secretly given it to Ryan, would you?” She immediately looked guilty and denied it. She had given all her money to Ryan, leaving nothing for my adoptive father. He rarely asked me for money directly, so it was usually my adoptive mother who asked on his behalf. But this time, since she didn’t have enough to give him, my adoptive father, drunk and furious, beat her half to death. Screaming, my adoptive mother begged me for help. “Trish! Trish, stop your father! He’s going to kill me!” I remained calm. “Mom, Dad’s just drunk. When he sobers up, he’ll apologize, right? Isn’t that what you always told me?” My adoptive mother looked at me in disbelief. After all, every time this happened before, I had jumped in to stop him, getting beaten black and blue in her place. And every time, I would urge her to leave him. But she always cried and said, “Trish, he’s your father. We’ve got three kids together. How can you tell me to leave him? He only gets like this when he’s drunk. He’ll be sorry and apologize when he sobers up…” Since she was so forgiving, all I could do was respect her decision. So this time, I stood back and watched as my adoptive father nearly beat her to death. He took her hidden stash of money and ran off to gamble again. My adoptive mother was confused by my sudden change in behavior but couldn’t afford to anger me, as she still depended on my money. A month later, Lily, who had been anxiously taking pregnancy tests every day, showed up at my door, tearfully holding a positive result… I couldn’t help but smirk.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294961”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #惊悚Thriller #励志Inspiring

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

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

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

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

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294977”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #惊悚Thriller #励志Inspiring #狼人werewolf #魔幻Magic

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

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

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

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294995”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #惊悚Thriller #励志Inspiring #狼人werewolf #魔幻Magic #擦边Steamy #校园School

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

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

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

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295021”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic #重生Reborn #校园School #惊悚Thriller #擦边Steamy

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

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

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

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

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

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295039”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic #重生Reborn #校园School #惊悚Thriller #擦边Steamy

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

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

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

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

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

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295055”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic #重生Reborn #校园School #惊悚Thriller #擦边Steamy #励志Inspiring

One drunken night, I ended up in bed with Adrian Wells, and before I knew it, he became my live-in husband. No matter how much my family and I humiliated or belittled him, he never lost his temper, always wearing that calm, considerate mask. But just when I started falling for him, he asked for a divorce. The once-submissive man had become someone entirely different. Life flipped—my family lost everything, and he rose to success, turning into the powerful figure who now held all the power I’d once had over him. My husband is a live-in son-in-law. Originally, I’d liked his younger brother, but after a night out with friends, he saw his chance while I was drunk, and the scandal was all anyone could talk about. My father had no choice but to marry me off to Adrian, under the condition that he’d live with our family and answer to us. Adrian’s father, who’d remarried after divorcing Adrian’s mother, had always kept him at a distance. But with our family’s status, I’d been my parents’ pride and joy since birth. His father didn’t mind handing Adrian over to our family. And so, we got married. But I couldn’t stand it. My heart belonged to his younger brother, after all. Resentment simmered inside me. I treated Adrian with contempt, making him sleep on the floor, never allowing him to share the bed. At meals, my brother and I mocked him, denying him even a single dish from the table. When he’d show up in the rain to bring me an umbrella, I’d yell at him in front of everyone. No matter how much we berated him, Adrian never lost his temper. He acted like it didn’t bother him, always calm, always there to serve. He was undeniably attractive, but he’d been shy and awkward in school, scraping by academically, his grades a disappointment. His brother, by contrast, was bright, athletic, and admired by everyone. Thinking about how my budding romance with his brother had been wrecked by Adrian only made me despise him more. One night, I kicked him awake from his spot on the floor, claiming I was thirsty. He quickly got up and brought me a glass of warm water, even remembering to make it lukewarm as the weather got colder. But when I thought about how he’d taken advantage of me that night, I threw the water in his face. Even then, he didn’t react, just silently went to the bathroom. I felt a hint of guilt as I watched his tall, silent figure, but the anger over him ruining my life erased any sympathy. This went on for three years. Three years is enough time for a lot to change. My family went bankrupt. I started to feel something for him, but then… he handed me divorce papers. When he told me his “one true love” had returned, a pang hit my chest so sharply I felt I couldn’t breathe. But my pride—instilled in me since birth—kept me from showing any sign of hurt. I signed the papers quickly. After I signed, his cool voice broke the silence beside me. “Need a driver to take you somewhere?” It was only then I remembered this house—my home for over twenty years—wasn’t ours anymore. We’d lost it in the bankruptcy. Adrian, whom we had once humiliated as a live-in husband, had quietly built his own empire without touching a dime of my family’s money. He’d even bought the house. I had no right to resent him. Everything he had, he’d earned, painstakingly, from scratch. And yet, he looked at me with the same calm expression, the same unbothered patience he’d shown all these years. “No, I can manage,” I replied, rushing out. I ran out of the gate, clutching the gift in my hand as rain started to pour. It was our three-year anniversary. I’d never given him a kind word before, but realizing my feelings had started to shift, I’d wanted to finally celebrate with him. But instead, all that waited for me was divorce. I forced a laugh, letting the rain soak me. The next day, I was sick, bedridden, but I couldn’t ignore the loud arguments coming from outside. I dragged myself to the door, finding my dad sitting on the edge of a peeling brick wall, looking distraught. “I don’t want to live anymore,” he muttered. We’d ended up in a run-down apartment, but the rent was low, and that was what we needed. My mom was crying next to him, saying she’d jump too if he jumped. I tried calming them, saying, “It’s only bankruptcy, as long as we’re alive, we can recover.” My dad gave me a piercing look, the kind that sends a chill down your spine. “You could ask Adrian to help us, couldn’t you? He’s our son-in-law; he’ll help us,” he said. My mom chimed in, “Yes, yes, I’m sure he would! Even if we didn’t treat him well before, for your sake, I’m sure he’d help.” I forced a laugh; they had no idea he’d left me. I refused to ask him, but my dad practically threatened his own life. Defeated, I finally agreed. Before leaving, my mom spent our last bit of money to doll me up, putting me in a deep V-neck dress and chic heels. She even hired a stylist for my hair and makeup. Looking at myself in the mirror, I felt a wave of cynicism. I looked less like someone begging for help and more like someone looking to seduce. But I knew, deep down, that even if I showed up like this, Adrian probably wouldn’t even look twice at me now. I still couldn’t understand why he’d taken advantage of me that night at the party. Maybe he’d been drunk too, maybe he’d thought I was his “one true love.” I forced those thoughts away and braced myself to see him. I heard Adrian was at his office, so I headed straight there, while my parents waited downstairs, hopeful. Entering his office floor, I ignored the stares and mutters, keeping my head high. When I finally reached his office, I hesitated. Adrian sat in his chair, one leg crossed over the other, watching me with that same calm, piercing gaze. I twisted my fingers, feeling embarrassed but explained why I was there. His gaze turned cold, and he gave me a faint smile. “And why should I help you?” I forced a laugh. “Never mind. Forget I came.” I’d known all along he wouldn’t help us, not after how we’d treated him. How shameless could I be, thinking I had any right to ask for his help now? Turning to leave, I heard him say, “Wait. Tell me, what are you offering in return? If it’s worth my time, maybe I’ll consider.” I stopped, struggling to think of anything I could offer. This body, maybe? But that was absurd. We’d been married three years and he’d never touched me. With my head down, I mumbled, “Just… forget it.” Then he approached me, his towering height making me feel small, and he leaned in close. “Dressed like this, you could’ve saved yourself the act,” he murmured with a knowing smile. Blood drained from my face, and I wanted nothing more than to escape. But then he wrapped an arm around my waist, his smile darkening. “Three years I slept on the floor; three years of patience. So how about… you offer yourself this time?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295071”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #惊悚Thriller #校园School #重生Reborn #魔幻Magic

Chapter 1: A Second Chance To save on rent, my sister-in-law Jessica teamed up with my mom and sweet-talked their way into moving into my newly renovated house. Later, when my nephew Ryan died of leukemia, Jessica blamed me for it. “It’s you! You deliberately used the cheapest materials, which killed my son!” she screamed, her eyes wild with grief and anger. She lunged at me with a kitchen knife, stabbing at my swollen belly. “Since my son is dead, you don’t get to have your brat either!” Eighteen stabs. Neither my baby nor I survived. Perhaps Heaven took pity on me and granted me a chance to be reborn. … I was reborn five years in the past. Still reeling from the pain of being stabbed to death in my previous life, I overheard my sister-in-law Jessica and my brother Jack’s scheming voices outside my room. “Nora’s house is newly renovated. Why don’t you talk to Mom and see if we can stay there with Ryan for a year?” Jessica suggested. “Will she agree?” Jack still had a shred of conscience, saying it was my new house for when I got married, and it might not be appropriate for them to live there with a child. Jessica glared at him. “We’re family. What’s the big deal? Besides, it’s a three-bedroom apartment. We won’t be using her master bedroom.” Hah! They said they wouldn’t use the master bedroom now, but after moving in, the whole family slept in my king-sized bed in the master bedroom. They had the audacity to say the bed was bigger and more suitable for sleeping with a child, plus it had an en-suite bathroom which was more convenient. My nephew frequently wet the bed, soiling my expensive mattress with urine stains. What’s more infuriating was that they lived in my house without paying for utilities or property management fees. When I mentioned this to my mom, she sided with my brother and sister-in-law, saying, “It’s just a few hundred dollars for utilities and fees. As a sister, isn’t it your duty to help your brother?” At the time, I thought they would keep their word and move out when my nephew started first grade. Little did I know that getting rid of them would be harder than inviting them in. They stayed for four or five years, refusing to leave. Until one day, my nephew was diagnosed with leukemia, and they blamed his illness on me. After my nephew passed away, Jessica smashed everything in my new house. “It’s you… you did it on purpose. You deliberately used the cheapest materials for renovation, intentionally killing my son.” She grabbed a knife and stabbed viciously at my belly. I instinctively tried to run, but six months pregnant and already wounded by her first strike, I couldn’t outpace her. I barely made it two steps before she dragged me back. “Nora, you bitch, die!” Jessica screamed. Blood gushed from my body, staining the new carpet red. I felt like a broken sack, holes everywhere, bleeding profusely. Jessica’s face twisted and distorted before my eyes, her screams and curses echoing in my ears, but I was powerless to respond. I never imagined she would be so brutal. I had softened my heart and let them live in my new home, never asking for a penny in rent. I even paid for their utilities and property fees. In the end, she killed me and my child, stab by stab. By the time I breathed my last, Jessica came to her senses. As my soul left my body, I watched my brother and mother frantically help Jessica dispose of my corpse. They initially planned to hide my body to protect Jessica. To quote a popular internet saying: Those who kill often know that while murder is easy, hiding a body is hard. The truth came out. My mother knelt before my husband Iker, begging for his forgiveness and pleading for a letter of understanding. That woman who gave birth to me and raised me was now kneeling for the murderer who killed me. “My grandson was killed by Nora, and Jessica just lost her mind for a moment. Iker, please forgive her… Even if you kill Jessica, it won’t bring Nora and the baby back,” my mother pleaded, tears streaming down her face. Seeing my mother’s tear-stained face, my heart turned cold. I was her daughter, after all… I could understand my brother protecting his wife, but why was my mother like this? Talking about a momentary lapse, begging my husband not to press charges. Hah, a momentary lapse that ignored my desperate pleas and stabbed me 18 times? I closed my eyes, and everything that happened in my previous life flashed before me. Chapter 2: A New Beginning I composed myself and pushed open the door. Jessica greeted me with a bowl of freshly washed fruit. “Nora, you’re up from your nap? I washed some fruit for you, have some.” Jessica’s fake smile overlapped with her twisted face when she killed me in my previous life. I mustered all my strength to hide the overwhelming hatred in my heart and replied coolly, “No need, I’m heading out.” I saw Jessica nudge my brother with her elbow. Jack quickly asked, “Will you be back for dinner? Mom said she’s roasting a chicken tonight.” I vaguely remembered that in my previous life, it was on this very night that they sweet-talked their way into moving into my newly renovated house. They said my nephew needed a place to stay for school. My newly renovated house was empty, so they asked to stay for a year, promising to move to the city next year when they bought their own place. I softened and agreed, and the result was… “I won’t be back. I have plans to go shopping and have dinner with friends,” I replied. They must be racking their brains now, trying to get me to agree to let them stay in my new house when my nephew starts school. Especially my sister-in-law Jessica. Jessica was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. In my previous life, to get me to agree to let them live in my new house, she sucked up to me for days. Usually stingy, she went out of her way to buy cherries, my favorite fruit, and even gave me a set of skincare products. Later, I found out that the skincare set was a return from a customer at her shop who had an allergic reaction to it. In my previous life, after they lived there for a year, I saw no signs of them moving out. I hinted both subtly and directly that they should move out, saying I wanted to move back in. My mother cried and yelled, calling me ungrateful for wanting to kick my own mother out of my house. Not wanting to cause a big rift, I endured it. The consequence of my endurance was being killed by them, losing two lives. In this life, I won’t endure it anymore! Not only will I not endure it, but I’ll also make them pay for what they did in my previous life. I planned to keep them on edge for a few days, then refuse when they’re desperate… That day after going out, I didn’t return to my old home. Instead, I stayed at my new apartment in town for a few days. Regarding my nephew’s leukemia, I expressed confusion. Worried that there might really be an issue with my renovation materials, I secretly called a professional formaldehyde testing company to check. After a week of continuous testing, the conclusion was that the formaldehyde levels were within the normal range. This house was renovated last October, more than half a year ago, and it had good ventilation and lighting. So Ryan’s leukemia had little to do with my house. It must have been due to his own constitution and other factors. As long as it wasn’t my house’s problem, I felt relieved. I stayed in my new house until the ninth day of the Lunar New Year, not long before school was set to start. They couldn’t sit still anymore. My mom called me several times, asking me to return to the old house. I made excuses about some unfinished work in the new house and didn’t go back. Early on the eleventh day, my mom brought my brother’s family of three to my door. “Why are you here?” I asked. Jessica smiled and said, “Well, the New Year just passed, so we brought Mom down for a look around. Ryan was also bored at home.” My brother’s family came uninvited, making themselves completely at home. My brother and sister-in-law used to work out of town, always renting places to live. Jessica lost money on her store last year and transferred the business. Now she planned to work in our small town. That’s why they set their sights on my new house. “Ryan, isn’t your aunt’s new house beautiful?” Jessica asked her son. My nephew nodded repeatedly, “It’s beautiful.” They used to rent in old, run-down neighborhoods to save money. My new house had a great environment, and I had put a lot of effort into decorating it nicely. My nephew’s eyes lit up when he entered. At five or six years old, he was curious about everything. Before I knew it, he had run from the living room to the bedroom. “Ryan Sullivan, don’t go into my room!” I called out. Suddenly remembering that in my previous life, the first time he came to my house, he also curiously went to play in my bedroom and broke my expensive floor lamp. Fortunately, this time I stopped him in time. I pulled him out and firmly closed the door. Seeing his innocent expression, remembering how pitiful his death was in my previous life, my voice softened a bit. “Go play somewhere else. The bedroom is for sleeping.” Jessica was very displeased when she saw me stop her son from entering the bedroom. She pulled him into her arms and said unhappily, “Son, your aunt’s new house is too precious. We don’t have such luck to live here. Let’s go.” Her sarcastic tone made me feel sick. In the past, I would have immediately comforted my nephew: “That’s not what I meant. We’re family, of course you can stay. How could you not be worthy?” But now, I let her angrily pull her son away without saying a word or trying to stop them. “Jessica, what’s wrong? Don’t leave,” my brother immediately pulled his wife and son back. Chapter 3: Family Tensions My mom glared at me and played peacemaker, “Nora, Ryan is your own nephew. He’s so young, why are you scolding him? What’s wrong with him being curious and wanting to look at your bedroom?” “What kind of guest goes into someone’s bedroom without permission? Mom, I’m not just saying this to you. It’s fine since it’s my house, but if this happened at someone else’s place, wouldn’t people say you have poor manners? He’s five or six years old, just starting to understand things. You need to teach him properly.” As soon as I said this, my brother, sister-in-law, and mom’s faces fell. “Nora, what do you mean?” My brother, always quick-tempered despite his lack of ability, said, “You think you’re so great because you bought a house? You’re putting on airs now?” “What airs? Can’t you tell right from wrong? I’m trying to reason with you, but you won’t listen. Forget it, pretend I didn’t say anything.” In my previous life, I was too weak and easily manipulated. Whenever my brother yelled at me, I would get so nervous I couldn’t speak, letting him have his way. Living this life again, I understood that my brother was a bully who only preyed on the weak. If he was fierce, I just needed to be fiercer. Seeing my impatience, he and my sister-in-law looked surprised. They exchanged a glance, and finally, my mom spoke up: “We’re all family, what’s there to argue about? Nora is also saying this for Ryan’s good, and she’s not wrong.” My mom patted my brother, clearly meaning that they were the ones asking for a favor from me, so they should hold their tempers. My mom was always like this, always taking my brother’s side. Although I already knew their true colors from my previous life, at this moment, I still felt hurt. After all, she was the mother who gave birth to me and raised me. Blood is thicker than water, as they say. I originally thought that if I was good to them, they would be good to me and treat me like family. But some people are born selfish and will never treat you as family. “It’s getting late. Nora, you haven’t been home for days. I brought half a chicken and bought some pork tripe. I’ll make some chicken soup with tripe, your favorite.” I did love chicken soup with tripe, but every time the soup was ready, my mom would take out the tripe and give almost all of it to my brother and grandson, along with the chicken legs… She would always tell me: “Nora, drink more soup. The soup is the most nutritious.” Bull***t, the meat is the most nutritious. As she spoke, my mom headed towards the kitchen with the groceries. “Mom, don’t bother. My kitchen can’t be used for cooking right now. The range hood isn’t installed properly and leaks smoke. The repairman said he won’t have time to fix it until after the Lantern Festival.” This was true, though in my previous life, they only discovered it after cooking for a while. By the time they noticed, my cabinets had already been blackened by smoke. Afraid they wouldn’t believe me, I opened the cabinet and shook the loose range hood, saying, “See? If we don’t fix this, it could fall and kill someone while cooking.” “Oh?” My mom clearly hadn’t expected this problem. “Then what about this chicken and tripe? They’re fresh.” “You can take them back tonight.” By saying this, I made it clear I didn’t want them staying at my place. Jessica’s face darkened even more. “Mom, are you going back tonight? I’m not planning to. I have dinner plans with my girlfriends tonight.” My brother chimed in, “I’m not going back either. I have plans to play cards tonight.” Seeing the situation, my mom immediately said, “If you both have plans tonight, then I have to stay and look after Ryan. Who else will take care of him if you go out?” It was obvious they had already planned to sleep at my place. Jessica pouted, all her previous anger gone, looking at me with a hint of pleading in her eyes. “Nora, your new house is newly renovated, and we haven’t stayed here before. You don’t mind if we sleep here for one night, right?” After saying this, Jessica brought in the things from the doorway. “Although we’re family, we can’t come empty-handed the first time we stay at your place. I bought you some cherries, your favorite.” “Oh, and this set of skincare products. I saved it for you when I transferred my shop. The set costs several thousand dollars.” My mom patted my hand and said, “See how good your sister-in-law is to you.” How good to me… I closed my eyes, the pain of losing two lives in my previous life still sharp and stinging. “Since we can’t cook at home, why don’t we go out for lunch? Nora, what do you want to eat? It’s my treat,” my brother offered. “Dad, I want to eat steak,” Ryan chimed in. “Alright, let’s have steak then.” “Yay! We get to eat steak today and stay at Aunt Nora’s new house.” I opened my eyes, looking at their happy faces, and said coldly, “Who said I agreed to let you stay?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295087”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #惊悚Thriller #校园School #重生Reborn #魔幻Magic #励志Inspiring #后宫Harem

When I returned to school after participating in an art competition in New York, everyone told me Orion Gray and Violet Ross were together. Who is Orion Gray, you ask? He’s my current boyfriend who chased after me for three whole years in high school. You’ve got to be kidding me. When I stormed into Orion’s classroom angrily, I didn’t see him, but instead found his group of roommates. These three roommates of his each had their own distinct personalities – the oldest was quiet and reserved, the second was always joking around without a serious bone in his body, and the third had always shown hostility towards me. Orion was the youngest, the baby of their dorm. Perhaps due to his youthful appearance and gentle nature, he had always been the one they looked after the most. “Well, if it isn’t the beautiful Zoe back from her trip,” the second oldest greeted me with a teasing smile. “Where’s Orion?” I wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries. “Oh, he might be in the cafeteria, or maybe on the sports field. Who knows, he could even be in the little forest!” He laughed after saying this, which only irritated me more. “Forget it, I’ll find him myself.” Knowing I wouldn’t get any useful information from them, I tried calling Orion again, but still no answer. “Don’t listen to him. Orion is in the study room,” the usually silent oldest one suddenly spoke up. I glanced at him, muttered a thanks, and turned to leave. Since I got back, not only did he not come to pick me up, but he didn’t even send a single message to check on me. Instead, he gave me this huge surprise. Orion Gray, you’ve really done it this time! There weren’t many people in the study room. At a glance, I spotted Orion sitting near the window. The girl next to him must be Violet Ross that everyone was talking about. I knew of Violet Ross, but wasn’t very familiar with her. If she hadn’t gotten involved with Orion, I probably wouldn’t have even known we were at the same university until graduation. I gently tapped on the desk next to Orion. He looked up at me, not seeming particularly surprised. Looks like he knew I was back. “Come out for a minute, I need to talk to you,” I said quietly. Orion closed his book and got up to follow me out. “Why didn’t you answer my calls?” I asked. “My phone was on silent, I didn’t hear it,” he replied nonchalantly. “Did you know I was coming back today?” I asked again. “Yes,” he answered. “So?” I pressed, “You knew I was coming back today but didn’t come to pick me up, didn’t answer my calls, and instead came to study with another girl.” “Did you forget we’re still in the middle of a cold war?” I nearly choked on my own breath, momentarily at a loss for words. Orion was great in every way, except when it came to arguments and sulking. For anything he believed he wasn’t wrong about, he would never be the first to back down. So most of the time, I was the one who had to reach out first, and then the matter would be considered over. This time, I had been too busy with the competition to keep in touch, and he actually thought we were still in a cold war. I had even forgotten what this cold war was about in the first place. “Are you and Violet Ross together now?” I knew the answer was definitely no, but I still wanted to hear what Orion had to say. “No,” he replied firmly. “But that’s what everyone is saying.” “I said no, and that means no.” He was being stubborn, but I knew his personality – he always told the truth. However, not being together didn’t mean there wasn’t any ambiguity between them. “I don’t like her,” I said bluntly. “Because I’ve been spending time with her?” he asked. “Not just because of that.” The name Violet Ross reminded me of some things from the past. “I might not be able to completely distance myself from her right now,” Orion hesitated before continuing, “But I’ll keep my distance from her.” I couldn’t help but laugh, “Orion, don’t you think what you’re saying is contradictory?” Orion fell silent. “Is there something you can’t tell me?” I teased, guessing it was probably his overflowing sympathy at work again. Orion was such a kind-hearted person. “I can’t tell you right now,” Orion was still firm on this issue, but he did make his stance clear to me, “But please trust me, there really isn’t anything between us.” As far as I could tell, Orion didn’t seem to be hiding anything major. I nodded, understanding, and asked, “Is it because she has depression?” Orion looked surprised, “How did you know?” “Severe OCD plus mild depression, right?” I mused thoughtfully, “Orion, when she told you all this, did she mention that she, you, and I were all classmates in high school?” “She never said that, and I never asked,” Orion replied. Why didn’t she say anything? Was it because she was afraid of being called out if she brought up the past? Violet Ross, didn’t you do your homework before targeting Orion? “I don’t object to you having friendships with other girls, but her – she’s off limits!” I made my stance clear as well. “Okay, I understand,” Orion didn’t press further, and I didn’t say more either. If he wanted to know, I would tell him eventually. If he didn’t want to know, there was no point in telling him anyway. “Let’s go get something to eat then,” I took his arm, considering the cold war over. As for his situation with Violet Ross, I decided to wait and see. Our meal together wasn’t very pleasant. His group of roommates seemed to have some kind of radar – I had barely ordered when they showed up right on time. Well, since they’re here, might as well eat together. “Oh, looks like you two made up,” the second oldest teased when he saw us. “You have no idea how miserable our little bro has been these past few days. He couldn’t eat or sleep properly.” Orion coughed lightly and turned to look out the window. “Is that so?” I asked disinterestedly while scrolling through my phone. “He didn’t send a single message or call in all these days. I thought he had forgotten he even had a girlfriend.” “Come on, don’t be like that!” The second oldest tried to smooth things over. “You know you’re the officially recognized sister-in-law of our 305 dorm, right Leo?” He nudged the third oldest with his elbow, signaling him to say something nice, but Leo didn’t play along. “That’s just what you guys say. I never agreed to it.” “Well, looks like there’s some disagreement within your group,” I put down my phone and looked at Leo. “Seems like I’m not good enough in your eyes, huh?” Leo’s hostility towards me seemed to come out of nowhere. I had asked Orion about it before, but he said there was nothing and told me not to overthink it. But eyes don’t lie – Leo’s hostility was far too obvious.

I had mentioned this to my best friend Chloe before. With her wild imagination, she asked, “Could it be that he likes your Orion and sees you as a love rival?” I rolled my eyes at her. “You need to stop reading so much BL.” “No, seriously! Your Orion always looks so soft and gentle, and his roommates keep calling him ‘little bro’ more affectionately than we do. It’s hard for me not to think in that direction,” Chloe insisted as if it was an established fact. “Give me a break. Orion is as straight as they come,” I retorted. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have chased after me for three years in high school. “Straight guys can be turned too,” Chloe seemed to be quite knowledgeable on this topic. “He might be straight, but his roommates might not be.” “Stop right there. Even if Orion was into guys, which of his roommates looks like boyfriend material?” I countered. “You have a point there,” Chloe pondered, stroking her chin. “The oldest one might have a chance, but he looks pretty straight too. As for Leo, forget it – two bottoms won’t work out. Zoe, looks like your boyfriend is safe for now.” I dismissed Chloe’s wild theories as a joke. While Leo did show hostility towards me, he had never openly expressed it. But this time, it seemed he was making a clear statement. “It’s not that you’re not good enough. I just don’t think you and Orion are a good match,” he replied. Okay, he finally said it out loud. I’m sure they must know about the Violet Ross situation, and might even be encouraging it. After all, they’ve never really approved of me as Orion’s girlfriend. “Shouldn’t the question of whether we’re a good match be asked to Orion himself?” In other words, who are you to judge whether we’re suitable or not? “Alright, Leo, Zoe and I are doing fine. Please don’t interfere in our relationship,” Orion sighed, sounding a bit exasperated. “I just don’t understand why Violet Ross isn’t good enough for you. At least she genuinely likes you and treats you well!” Leo exclaimed. The implication being that I don’t genuinely like Orion and don’t treat him well? Interesting, very interesting. I’ve only been gone for a short while, and this Violet Ross has already infiltrated Orion’s inner circle. “My relationship with Orion is between the two of us. What does it have to do with you? If you think Violet Ross is so great, why don’t you go after her yourself? Why try to set her up with Orion? Do you think I’m just a placeholder girlfriend, or do you think I’m easy to push around?” I paused for a moment before continuing, “Have you been hiding under our bed or something? How do you know I don’t treat Orion well? Are you a mind reader or somehow connected to his thoughts? Do you know better than us whether we like each other or not?” It had been a while since I’d verbally sparred with someone. I was a bit rusty. There’s no point in being polite to someone like this. Did he really think I was a pushover? Leo was left speechless by my tirade. He put down his chopsticks and stormed off angrily. I looked at Orion innocently, “Aren’t you going to go comfort him?” Orion pushed a glass of water towards me. “You must be thirsty after talking so much. Have some water.” The second oldest across from us burst out laughing, and even the usually stoic oldest one had a hint of a smile on his face. I looked at Orion suspiciously, “He doesn’t actually like you, does he?” “What are you thinking?” Orion rapped me lightly on the head with his chopsticks, sounding annoyed. “You need to stay away from Chloe in the future.” Seeing the second oldest across from us laughing uncontrollably, I once again confirmed that Chloe’s speculation was completely baseless. I didn’t see Violet Ross again until a week later. During that week, Orion spent most of his time with me. I thought the matter had been put to rest, but I didn’t expect her to actively seek me out. It was during an elective class. I had deliberately chosen a seat at the back and pulled Orion to sit with me. As luck would have it, Violet Ross also came to this elective class. Seeing the empty seat next to Orion, she sat down beside him. “What a coincidence, Orion,” she greeted him. “Mm,” Orion responded coolly. “So you’re taking this elective too? I think Professor Brown’s lectures are really good. I come to listen to his class every week,” she continued, seemingly very interested in the course. Orion shook his head awkwardly, “I’m not.” “He’s here to keep me company while I earn credits,” I turned to look at her. Was she pretending I didn’t exist? “He’s not interested in these dry, boring courses.” “And you are?” she asked, feigning ignorance. “Zoe Quinn, Orion’s girlfriend,” I extended my hand politely. “Oh, I see,” she acted as if she had just realized. “I’m Violet Ross, Orion’s friend.” “You two must have just met recently then,” I withdrew my hand. “I’ve never heard Orion mention you before.” “Yes, we’ve only known each other for less than a month,” she always had this soft, fragile demeanor, just like in high school. “But I feel like we clicked instantly, as if we’ve been friends for a long time.” “Is that so?” This level of subtle provocation had no effect on me. “After all, we all went to the same high school, right?” “Really?” She looked both surprised and delighted, as if she genuinely didn’t know. “Yes, indeed,” I nodded, resting my chin on my hand and tilting my head to look at her. “Orion had a really good friend in high school named Jack Brown. Do you remember him?” Violet Ross’s smile became a bit stiff, and her expression started to look unnatural. “I don’t remember high school classmates very clearly.” “That’s a shame. No worries, I’ll make sure to introduce you sometime,” I responded generously. “Mm,” she answered softly, opening her book. “Class is about to start.” I turned back, the smile on my face only growing. Orion leaned in and whispered, “Who’s Jack Brown? I don’t remember having a good friend by that name.” I blinked innocently at him, “Don’t you remember? You two were really close in high school.” “Cut it out,” Orion didn’t believe me at all. “I can say with certainty that I don’t know anyone by that name. So, who exactly is Jack Brown?” Great, now he’s jealous. I quickly waved my hands, “I don’t know him well either.” “If you don’t know him well, why did you bring him up and say he was my good friend?” Orion pressed on. “Just because I don’t know him well doesn’t mean others don’t,” I glanced towards Violet Ross. “Her? Didn’t she say she doesn’t remember?” Orion still seemed doubtful. “You believed her when she said she doesn’t remember, but you doubt me when I say I’m not familiar with him. Orion Gray, who exactly is your girlfriend here?” I was getting annoyed.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295103”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #重生Reborn #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic