Category: English

I’m pregnant, and the baby is my ex-boyfriend’s. When his mother found out, she immediately brought me to their five-story mansion. Suddenly, I became a princess, surrounded by love and care. Grandma: “This is a limited edition global jewelry set.” Mother-in-law: “Keep this black card safe. In our family, women manage all the money.” Father-in-law: “Sign this stock transfer agreement. If you think it’s not enough, we can add more!” Running into Jerry and Amelia at the hospital was unexpected. When I was with Jerry, I knew he had a close junior schoolmate. On Jerry’s birthday, Amelia, who was studying abroad, even sent a special video greeting. Seeing how intimate they were, my heart ached. We had only broken up two months ago, and he had moved on so quickly? Even finding a new love. I unconsciously clutched the pregnancy report in my hand, not wanting anyone to see it. Yes, I was pregnant, and the baby was Jerry’s, just over two months along. I watched their matching silhouettes and turned to leave. “Jessica?” Hearing the familiar voice, my whole body froze. I gripped the report in my hand, not daring to move. “Jerry, what’s wrong?” Amelia asked. “Nothing,” Jerry replied in a low voice. I felt a wave of sadness. Jerry truly didn’t love me anymore, treating me like a stranger even upon this reunion. Fine, let’s forget each other then. I walked forward with my head down. “Wait! Jessica.” It was Amelia. I didn’t want to deal with her and quickened my pace slightly. But wearing high heels, I couldn’t walk fast, especially with the baby in my belly. Surprisingly, Amelia caught up with me. She grabbed my hand, forcefully turning me to face her. This was my first time meeting Amelia. She was beautiful and elegant, with bright red lips displaying a kind of bold beauty. Jerry stood beside her, his face cold and expressionless. It was so frustrating. The father of my child was accompanying another woman to the hospital, while I couldn’t even say a word. After considering my words carefully, I finally said, “Do you need something?” Seemingly not expecting this response, Amelia’s face stiffened for a moment. After adjusting her expression, she said, “Of course I do.” She linked her arm with Jerry’s and continued, “I hope you won’t bother Jerry anymore. Only love between people of the same social status can last. You’ll only hold him back.” Amelia’s words hit a sore spot. This was the reason Jerry and I had broken up. Our families were worlds apart. He was the sole heir to a wealthy family, while I was an overlooked girl. My mom had tricked me out of my savings, claiming she needed surgery, but the next day she bought a house for my brother. The day I found out about the stolen savings, I truly felt like I was holding Jerry back. In the heat of the moment, I suggested we break up. I don’t know why, but he was in a bad mood that day too. He only asked once, “Are you sure?” before agreeing to the breakup. We ended our relationship just like that, confused and hurt, until our reunion today. “Amelia, let’s go,” Jerry said, his face dark as if holding something back. How ridiculous! I should be the angry one. If anyone should leave, it should be me first. I left, feeling indignant. As I was going down the stairs, I accidentally missed a step. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest, but luckily, a lady caught me. I grabbed her arm for support. “Are you alright, dear?” The lady continued to support me until I was steady. “I’m fine, thank you so much.” I inadvertently glimpsed the lady’s Hermès Birkin bag and felt a jolt of panic. Thankfully, I hadn’t grabbed that bag earlier – if I had scratched it, I could never afford to pay for the damage. “You dropped this.” She picked up my pregnancy report that had fallen to the ground. Just as I was about to take the report, she paused. “Dear, are you Jessica Snow?” she asked, her tone surprised. I was confused. We didn’t know each other. “Yes, how…” Before I could finish, Jerry’s voice suddenly rang out. “Mom, what are you doing here?” No way, how dramatic could this get? Running into my ex-boyfriend while checking on my pregnancy was one thing, but meeting his mother too? There was no way I could hide my pregnancy now. “Jerry, is this Jessica?” Jerry’s mom’s tone became serious. Jerry’s silence said it all. “How could you be so careless! Such a big thing and you didn’t tell me!” “Jessica, dear, you’re coming home with me right now. Pregnant women need special care. Let me take good care of you.” Mrs. Graham took my hand and was ready to leave. This… this… “Mom, what are you talking about!” Jerry exclaimed. “You naughty boy, I’ll deal with you later!” Mrs. Graham threw my pregnancy report at Jerry. Seeing the report, Jerry looked shocked. Of course, the most interesting facial expression was Amelia’s. Her face turned red, then white, then red again, her lips trembling with anger. “Mother Graham, there must be some misunderstanding. Jerry has already broken up with her,” Amelia said. “Miss Hart, our family matters are none of your business.” Mrs. Graham shot Amelia a sharp glare, causing her to lower her head in fear. “Darling daughter-in-law, will you come home with me?” When Mrs. Graham spoke to me, her voice was incredibly soft, and she looked at me with loving eyes. Faced with such a warm aunt, I really didn’t know how to refuse. So I let her lead me away. By the time I realized what was happening, I was already sitting in Mrs. Graham’s car. The situation had spiraled out of my control. I carefully began, “Mrs. Graham, Jerry and I have indeed broken up. I think it’s better if I stay at my own place. Besides, Jerry has Amelia now, so it’s best if we have less contact.” “Nonsense, silly girl. There’s nothing between Jerry and Amelia, and I would never approve of them being together!” “The reason Jerry is nice to Amelia is because she once saved his life in college. Of course, we’re very grateful to her, and we’ve always granted her requests over the years. That’s fine, but if she’s getting greedy and trying to ruin your relationship with Jerry, making you suffer, I won’t let her get away with it!” “And now that you’re pregnant, it’s our family’s responsibility. We can’t possibly ignore you. If you don’t want to stay at our place, I’ll move in with you.” “Mrs. Graham, this…” “It’s settled then!” I had heard from Jerry before that his mother was a decisive person, and now I truly experienced it firsthand. Calling the moving company, packing luggage, loading the car – the whole process was seamless. I was brought to the Grahams’ five-story mansion in the middle of the night. Jerry wasn’t home. His grandmother and father were there. When I got out of the car, both elders were waiting at the front door, making me feel quite embarrassed. “Hello, Grandma. Hello, Mr. Graham.” I greeted them politely. Mr. Graham smiled and nodded at me. “Good, good! Come here, child.” Grandma Graham warmly beckoned me over. Seeing the old lady still using a cane, I quickly went to support her. The old lady held my hand as we walked into the mansion. The interior decor was simply over the top – European palace style. Once again, I acutely felt the gap between Jerry and me. His family lived in a five-story mansion in the city center, while mine lived in an old, rundown apartment in the suburbs. His father was the CEO of a corporation, while my father was an alcoholic, gambling taxi driver. His mother was a dancer, while my mother was a supermarket clerk. Two people from such different backgrounds, coming together just because they caught each other’s eye at a friend’s birthday party – thinking about it now, it seemed so naive. Moreover, Jerry was the epitome of a handsome guy – 6 feet tall with sharp features. I heard from friends that Jerry had been the campus heartthrob during his school days. What made me feel most inferior wasn’t the economic disparity between our families, but the difference in family atmosphere. The Graham family was warm and loving, while my family members only thought about how to squeeze me dry and leave more for their precious son. A bitter smile crossed my lips. Mrs. Graham’s words brought me back to reality. “Daughter-in-law, you must be tired today. Quickly go upstairs and rest. Your room is on the second floor. I’ve arranged everything for you.” Mrs. Graham took my hand and led me to the room. “Look, do you like it?” Mrs. Graham smiled at me. The moment the door opened, I was truly amazed. An Instagram-worthy princess room, all in pink and white, completely matching my childhood fantasies. There was also a huge wardrobe filled with various Barbie dolls and stuffed animals. I loved Barbie dolls when I was little. Every birthday, I would wish for my mom to buy me one. But my birthday wish was never fulfilled, not even once. She would only buy limited edition Lego sets for my brother, never remembering my existence. Feeling both hurt and touched, my eyes welled up with tears. I looked at Mrs. Graham, unable to speak. “Silly girl, why are you crying? I had this hastily arranged. Do you like it? If not, we can change it.” “Thank you, Mrs. Graham,” I choked out. “No need for thanks, it’s what we should do. I genuinely like you, Jessica. Regardless of your relationship with Jerry, I want to treat you like my own daughter. Jessica, could you not call me Mrs. Graham anymore? Could you call me Mom?” Mrs. Graham said the last sentence very carefully. I couldn’t bear to refuse, especially since Mrs. Graham was truly kind to me. Although it was probably for the baby’s sake, I was still very grateful to her. “Mom,” I said softly. “Yes!” Mrs. Graham smiled happily. “Go rest now. I’ll have someone bring up a glass of warm milk later. Drink it and go to bed early. I’ll be staying next door to you, so call me if you need anything, okay?” That night, I slept very peacefully. The next morning, after breakfast, I was strolling in the Grahams’ garden. The garden was full of roses planted by Mrs. Graham, romantic and gentle. “Jessica Snow! Why are you here!” A sharp female voice, suppressing anger, interrupted my tranquility. I turned to see Amelia holding many nutrition supplements, probably coming to visit the Graham elders. “I don’t think I need to explain myself to you,” I said. Amelia angrily walked towards me, gritting her teeth, “Did you take what I said last time as a joke? If you keep shamelessly clinging to Jerry, don’t blame me for not being polite!” “Oh? Miss Hart, that’s quite a big talk. Tell me, how exactly do you plan to ‘not be polite’? I’d like to see who dares to bully my daughter-in-law in front of me!” Mr. Graham’s voice rang out firmly, his icy face full of authority. Mrs. Graham and Mr. Graham had appeared at some point. Mrs. Graham came over and put her arm around my shoulders, frowning as she looked at Amelia. “Uncle, I didn’t mean…” Amelia said pitifully. “Hmph.” Mr. Graham snorted coldly. “Jessica, come inside with Mom. There’s something I want to discuss with you. Miss Hart, you come in too. It’s better to clear some things up,” Mrs. Graham said. We all walked into the house together. Grandma Graham seemed to be waiting for us in the living room. I sat down next to Mrs. Graham, and then the three elders simultaneously took out something. What they said next completely stunned me. Grandma Graham: “This is a limited edition global jewelry set, a gift for my granddaughter-in-law.” Mrs. Graham: “Keep this black card safe. In our family, women manage all the money.” Mr. Graham: “This is a stock transfer agreement. Sign it, and if you think it’s not enough, we can add more!” Finally, Mrs. Graham said, “This is a small token of our appreciation. We hope you can accept it.” She patted the back of my hand as she spoke. “Mrs… Mom, these things are too valuable,” I said. “It’s nothing, really. This is what our Graham family should do. You don’t need to be polite! As for some people, they shouldn’t have inappropriate thoughts!” Grandma Graham said slowly, clearly hinting at Amelia. Amelia’s face turned red, angry but not daring to speak. “Also, we elders have a suggestion. We hope you and Jerry can get married first. Jessica, when would it be convenient to arrange a meeting with your parents?” Mrs. Graham’s eyes sparkled as she spoke to me. How could I tell her that I had cut ties with my mother? How could I tell her how dysfunctional my original family was? Just as I was hesitating, Jerry appeared. Seeing Jerry, Amelia seemed to have found her backbone. She immediately rushed over, grabbed his hand, and said pitifully, “Jerry, you’re finally back.” Jerry didn’t respond to her, subtly freeing his hand from her grasp. Amelia stepped back awkwardly. Jerry stared straight at me and said firmly, “I don’t agree to marriage. I’ll make my own decisions about my marriage.” After speaking, he turned his head to Amelia and said, “I’ll take you home.” I lowered my head, not wanting to see Jerry being gentle with another woman. “You brat! If you dare walk out that door today, I’ll disown you!” Mr. Graham shouted. Jerry’s footsteps paused for a moment, but then he left without looking back. Amelia ran after him. Jerry didn’t appear all day. To avoid me, he didn’t even want to come home. Perhaps leaving was the better choice. I lay in bed unable to sleep, the image of Jerry leaving with Amelia replaying in my mind. To distract myself, I opened Instagram. The first post was from my aunt: “My sister has moved, congratulations to my nephew on his new house.” Whether I was in that family or not made no difference. I was always the extra one. I closed my eyes, letting tears soak my pillow. The next morning, I opened my eyes groggily to see someone standing by my bed holding breakfast. It startled me. It was Jerry. I didn’t know how long he had been standing there. I thought he had come to make amends, but I was proven wrong. “My mom said pregnant women sleep a lot, so she asked me to come up and see if you were awake. Now that you’re up, eat your breakfast. We need to talk after.” He had stubble on his chin, and he didn’t look well. While I ate breakfast, Jerry sat nearby, staring out the window lost in thought, his brows furrowed. I swallowed the last bite and said, “Jerry, I’m done eating. What did you want to say?” “Do you really want to keep this child?” Jerry looked at me deeply, his eyes filled with emotions I couldn’t understand. “Yes, I want to keep the baby.” “Hah, Jessica Snow. Do you think keeping this child will guarantee you a comfortable life? You’re quite calculating, aren’t you? Such scheming… it must have been tiring for you to pretend all this time by my side.” Jerry’s words angered me. “Jerry Graham! I never planned to tell you about the baby in the first place. Don’t worry, isn’t this what you want – to drive me away? You don’t need to say it, I was planning to leave today anyway! I won’t stay here to bother you!” “Get out of my way.” I pushed past Jerry and started throwing my clothes into my suitcase. Jerry didn’t move, but from the corner of my eye, I saw his fists clenched tight, veins popping out. Our commotion alerted Jerry’s parents. “Jessica, what are you doing?” Mrs. Graham took the clothes from my hands, stopping my actions. Jerry and I were both holding back our anger, not wanting to speak. Mr. Graham’s gaze swept over the luggage on the floor, then looked at Jerry, his face falling. “Jerry Graham! Did you upset Jessica?” Mr. Graham shouted. “Not saying anything, huh? Housekeeper, bring me my golf club. If I don’t teach this boy a lesson today, he’ll never learn how to be a decent person!” “Jerry Graham, get out here!” Jerry was dragged out by his collar. Jerry had told me before that his father was a strict parent. When he was young, he was quite mischievous and often got beaten. But after his teenage years, his father never physically disciplined him again. Today, Mr. Graham must have been truly angered. Mr. Graham’s trust in me gave me a bit of comfort, but Jerry’s hurtful words still pained me deeply, like knives stabbing into my heart. Perhaps it was because of the pregnancy, but I was more emotional than usual. Large tears rolled down my cheeks. Mrs. Graham hugged me sympathetically, gently patting my back, saying, “Jessica, don’t be angry. It’s all that silly boy’s fault. I’ll make him apologize to you! He’ll kneel on durian if he has to! Later, I’ll show you his embarrassing childhood photos. If he dares to upset you again, we’ll post them on Instagram and let him be humiliated!” I was crying and hiccuping, but Mrs. Graham’s words made me laugh. Putting Jerry aside, having such a mother-in-law would truly be a blessing. In the afternoon, while taking a walk in the park with Mrs. Graham, I once again brought up the idea of moving out. Mrs. Graham refused no matter what. In the end, we both compromised. I would continue to stay at the Graham house, but I wouldn’t accept the gifts they had given me. Jerry and I had already broken up, and I couldn’t accept things from his family without clarity. Mrs. Graham couldn’t persuade me otherwise, so she had to compromise, saying she would keep the gifts for me until Jerry and I got married. Jerry and I… could we really get married? When I entered my room that night, I found that my bed had been changed to a bunk bed. Was Mrs. Graham planning to move in and sleep with me? The next second, Jerry entered with a sullen face. “I’m sorry. You’re pregnant now, and your emotions shouldn’t be agitated.” What an insincere apology. “If there’s nothing else, I’m leaving,” Jerry said, abruptly opening the door. “Ouch.” Mrs. Graham, who had been eavesdropping outside, almost fell over. “Mom, what are you doing?” “Smack.” A crisp sound as Mrs. Graham’s hand hit Jerry’s back. “Jerry Graham, can’t you be more sincere!” “And where do you think you’re going? Starting from today, you’ll be sharing a room with Jessica.” “What?” Jerry and I exclaimed simultaneously. “You don’t need to go to the company for now. Just focus on taking good care of Jessica.” “Impossible! I won’t accept this!” Jerry reacted strongly. “If you don’t accept it, then get out!” “Fine, fine, I’ll leave. I don’t even know who your real child is anymore!” His tone… why did it sound a bit hurt and jealous? Jerry really did leave, and he didn’t appear for several weeks. Days passed uneventfully. During my time at the Graham house, I deeply felt the warmth of a family. Mrs. Graham prepared nutritious meals for me every day, trying different recipes. Grandma Graham and Mrs. Graham, afraid I might get bored, accompanied me in flower arranging, playing chess, chatting, and taking walks. Although Mr. Graham was more serious, he also cared about me, occasionally bringing home some nutritional supplements. I became increasingly attached to this place, not wanting to leave. But I knew it was impossible, after all, Jerry hated me so much. Thinking of this, I sighed helplessly. “Jessica, what are you thinking about?” Mrs. Graham asked. “Nothing,” I shook my head with a smile. “Then why don’t you come with me for a beauty treatment this afternoon!” “Sure.” Only when we arrived at the beauty salon did I realize that Mrs. Graham wasn’t really there for a beauty treatment. She was there to introduce me to the family! Jerry’s aunts sat in a row, smiling at me. Being stared at by a group of rich ladies, who could understand this feeling! “Jessica, this is Jerry’s eldest aunt.” “Hello, eldest aunt.” “This is Jerry’s second aunt.” “Hello, second aunt.” “This is Jerry’s…” … Mrs. Graham led me to greet everyone. I smiled and nodded the whole time, my face almost stiff. By the end of the round, not only had I become familiar with everyone, but I had also received a pile of gifts. During this time, I endured many exaggerated compliments. “This young lady looks like she’s destined for good fortune. The Graham family will surely prosper even more with her!” “The girl is as beautiful as an angel.” … By the end, I was embarrassed and found an excuse to step out for some air. Coincidentally, as I stood on the second floor, I saw Amelia walking out of a coffee shop across the street on the first floor. There was nothing strange about Amelia appearing at a coffee shop. What shocked me was the woman following behind Amelia. It was my mom! The two walked out of the coffee shop one after another, exchanging a few words before parting. How did they know each other!

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While I was on my way to find a lawyer with the will in hand, I got into a car accident and died. When I woke up again, I found myself sitting in a college classroom in 2002. Sitting next to me was my 19-year-old boss. This introduction sets up the premise of the story – the main character (Olivia) has been reborn into the past with memories of her future life. It establishes the time period (2002) and introduces a key character (her future boss, Lucas) right from the start. As I was on my way to see a lawyer with the will in hand, I got into a car accident. The car was totaled, and I died. When I regained consciousness, I found myself sitting in a college classroom in 2002. Beside me sat my 19-year-old boss. “Are you Lucas?” I asked, shocked to realize we were classmates in college. Lucas turned his head slightly, acknowledging that he heard me, but his eyes remained fixed on the professor at the front of the room. “Mm-hmm,” he mumbled. I observed this shy young man wearing worn-out sweats and canvas shoes. Lucas was frantically jotting down notes from the lecture. I noticed purple bruises on his wrist. This handsome, thin young man would become my boss in ten years, the person who left all his assets to me when I was at my poorest. I looked down at my own delicate, slender hands, so different from the rough, yellowed ones I remembered. The bag next to me was even a new 2002 Chanel model. When I worked for Lucas in my past life, my family had already fallen on hard times. The few designer bags I owned were all year-end bonuses from Lucas. I took out a mirror from my bag and carefully examined the beautiful young woman reflected in it. I really had been reborn. After class, Lucas grabbed his books and headed out. I wanted to catch up with him but was stopped by another girl. “Olivia, why were you talking to that poor kid today?” she asked. Poor kid? She must be referring to Lucas. “What’s wrong with talking to him?” I replied. She widened her eyes and felt my forehead. “Didn’t you used to say he smelled like a country bumpkin and it was awful?” What? I used to look down on Lucas? I thought hard but couldn’t remember having any impression of this boy in college. “I was ignorant before. Now I think he’s really impressive and inspiring,” I said. I looked up and saw Lucas standing in the doorway. His lips were pressed tightly together, and he looked uncomfortable. “Forgot something?” I asked him with a smile, trying to convey as much kindness as possible. He nodded but still wouldn’t look at me. I picked up the keys on the desk and handed them to him, then followed him out of the classroom. His pants were obviously too short, and his canvas shoes were a bit big, exposing his heels as he walked. He had several blisters on his feet, and there were more bruises visible on his exposed ankles. “Is someone bullying you? Who is it?” I asked. He turned back to look at me in surprise, as if to say, “Isn’t it you?” I blinked and clarified, “I mean, is someone in your dorm bullying you?” He didn’t respond and just kept walking. I continued following behind him. As we passed a stairwell, he was suddenly pulled aside by someone. “What are you doing?” I called out as I caught up. By the time I reached them, Lucas had already been pushed to the ground. One of the guys had his foot on Lucas’s shoulder. He looked shocked to see me. “Olivia, don’t you hate this guy?” he asked. Lucas was staring at me too, but there was no fear or plea for help in his eyes. “I don’t hate him anymore. He’s my friend now, so you’d better move your foot,” I said firmly. The guys laughed mockingly, looking at me with defiance. I took out my phone from my bag, pretending I was about to make a call. They started to panic. “What are you doing?” I looked at them innocently. “Calling the dean. My dad donates so much money to the school every year, and this is how they’re raising students? A bunch of bullies ganging up on one person?” They grew scared, knowing I actually had the power to get them expelled. They glared at Lucas and me, cursing under their breath as they left. “Wait,” I called out. They immediately stopped, their backs to me – the only defiance these young men could muster. “Lucas is my friend. Do you understand?” I said. They nodded reluctantly and then left. I went to help Lucas up. He wasn’t badly hurt, just his clothes were dirty. He was clutching an envelope tightly, the flap unsealed. As he stood up, money spilled out onto the ground. It looked like his savings, including coins as small as ten cents. “Were you going to deposit this?” I asked. He looked at me, as if trying to determine if I was friend or foe, then nodded. “It’s for my brother.” “You’re so poor yourself, and you’re still giving money to your brother?” As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized how rude they sounded. Luckily, he didn’t seem offended. “Yeah, he needs it right now.” He has a brother? In my past life, I worked for him for seven full years. I never heard him mention having a brother. I had someone look into Lucas’s background. His path to college had been very difficult. He dropped out in his junior year of high school. It took a lot of persuasion from his teachers, visiting his home multiple times, before his parents agreed to let him apply to college again. His grades were good, so the school waived his tuition and he could even get stipends and scholarships. It was this point that finally convinced his parents. Lucas’s brother, Zack, had failed his college entrance exams. Their family spent a lot of money and called in many favors to get him into a community college. He hadn’t been there long before he got a girlfriend, and now he was asking Lucas for money to buy her gifts. The Johnson family wouldn’t give Lucas a penny for living expenses. He worked in the cafeteria every day to earn some money, which he had to send home and to his brother. There was a photo of Lucas’s brother in the file. He was leaning against a tree with his hands in his pockets, smoking a cigarette, looking like he didn’t have a care in the world. But why did his face look so familiar? I thought hard for a moment. Wait a second, wasn’t he the driver who hit me in that car accident? I felt a chill. Perhaps that accident hadn’t been an accident after all. I had always wondered about something – why did my boss write a will before committing suicide, leaving everything to me instead of his parents? Maybe his suicide was also related to the Johnson family. Zack’s school was actually quite close to ours, though it didn’t have a great reputation. We usually didn’t go there. Most of the students there were like Zack – mediocre in academics and family background, but acting tough. Reading their social media posts, you’d think they were the heirs to some crime family slumming it at community college. I’m not being unfair to them. Right now, Zack and his buddies were blocking my way, asking for my contact information. I looked at them coldly. “Why do you want my number? Do you even have phones?” Zack scratched the back of his head awkwardly but insisted, “We have a payphone in our dorm building.” Seeing that I wasn’t responding, he reached for my bag. I hissed at him, “My bag costs $1,000. Are you sure you can afford to replace it if you damage it?” They burst out laughing. “I don’t believe a bag can be that expensive. Is it made of gold?” I didn’t back down. “You’re welcome to try if you think you can afford to pay for it.” Zack thought for a moment and removed his hand from my bag. He probably felt like he’d lost face in front of his friends, so he suddenly reached out to grab my arm. I dodged him. “Zack.” A familiar voice came from behind me. It was Lucas. He quickly ran over and pushed Zack away, then apologized to me. I watched him bow slightly to me. When those people had bullied him earlier, he hadn’t even furrowed his brow. But now… I suddenly felt sorry for him. “Lucas, your brother offended me. Let’s go back to school and talk about this,” I said, then left. Lucas was saying something to Zack, who looked impatient. It wasn’t until Lucas put a $50 bill in his hand that Zack finally smiled. Back at school, Lucas was still apologizing to me. “I’m sorry, my brother doesn’t know any better. Please don’t hold it against him, okay?” he pleaded. I nodded. “Alright, but you have to tutor me.” Lucas was taken aback. “Tutor you?” I told him my grades weren’t good, especially in English. As long as he could tutor me every day to help me pass my finals, I’d let this incident go. Plus, I’d pay him for the tutoring. He looked at me seriously. “I can tutor you, but I can’t take your money.” I knew he would say that. But it didn’t matter. There were other ways to spend money on him if I wanted to. Thinking of how he had cared for and looked after me as my boss in my past life, I felt an urgent desire to spend money on him. Lucas was really a good boss. He had a tough life before, so he was always kind and approachable to his employees. Since he became wealthy, he had been doing a lot of charity work, though always in my name. He said he didn’t want to appear in the media. I understood. It wasn’t like I was losing out – I was even gaining good karma. Just then, my phone rang. It was my dad. “Dad,” I answered, my voice dry. In my past life, my dad had jumped to his death after going bankrupt. He hadn’t left a single word. I never thought I’d have a chance to see my dad again. “Olivia, have you eaten?” he asked. “Oh, yes, I’ve eaten. Have you eaten?” I struggled to hold back tears as I heard his familiar voice. My nose stung, and it was hard to breathe. He chuckled on the other end, saying he had grandma’s braised pork hock soup for dinner. He sounded a bit smug, knowing it was my favorite dish. I felt a warmth in my heart, but I didn’t forget the important things. “Dad, remember to check the company accounts carefully. Our professors all say you shouldn’t let one person handle all the accounts – it’s risky.” In my past life, Dad’s company had been emptied out bit by bit by his best friend, who then fled abroad. Dad trusted him too much and refused to believe it until it was too late. Dad suddenly got serious and said he would look into it. I wanted to talk to Dad more, but he had another call coming in. He was still Mr. Wilson now, busy every day. After hanging up, I told Lucas about my schedule. He said he could only tutor on weekends because he had to work in the cafeteria other days. I agreed. I arranged for the tutoring to take place at an empty villa my family owned. I pretended to be completely clueless, hoping to frustrate him so he’d feel the task was too burdensome and accept money from me.

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On the day of my divorce, while my mother-in-law basked in the spotlight of congratulatory messages for the ultrasound of Wesley Wick’s mistress, I took a different approach. With a cold smile, I shared Wesley’s premarital checkup report—a document that exposed the truth behind the facade. The report clearly stated: “Wesley Wick, Male, Diagnosed with Congenital Azoospermia.” “I don’t want a man who can’t have children!” Wesley and I met in college and got together after graduation. After graduation, my salary wasn’t high, barely enough to make ends meet, so we had to rent a shabby, unfinished apartment. Wesley and I worked at the same company. After work, he would drive me home, and during holidays, he would give me little gifts. If nothing else, he would at least take me out for hamburgers. I grew up in the shadows of neglect, my parents absent and my childhood devoid of wealth or stability. The only beacon in my turbulent life was my grandmother As a child, others would say I was a wild child that Grandma picked up. I never believed them. After Grandma passed away, I had no home, so I envied those who did. Because I lacked love growing up, I became increasingly dependent on Wesley. When we were dating, he was gentle and considerate, always taking care of my feelings, never looking down on my family or background. I was young and mistook his cheap kindness for love. When he proposed, he promised to give me a happy and fulfilling family. I was overjoyed and married him.Once we were engaged, Wesley’s relatives made their opinions known, snickering behind my back. They called me a wild chicken trying to be a phoenix, hinting at my questionable origins and even suggesting I might be carrying some mysterious illness. They insisted on a premarital medical checkup. I took a deep breath and pushed aside my pride, swallowing the sting of their words for Wesley’s sake. When the results came out, it turned out that Wesley had congenital azoospermia, meaning we wouldn’t be able to have children, and there was no cure for it. I cherished our relationship and loved him deeply, so I chose to keep it a secret to protect his feelings. I wanted to live a good life with him, and I thought that as long as we loved each other, it didn’t matter if we couldn’t have children; we could always adopt one if we wanted. That was my thinking, but others didn’t see it that way. After we got married, my mother-in-law made my life difficult in every possible way. She started by insisting that I quit my job to have a child and be a stay-at-home wife. At first, I refused, but Wesley persuaded me, promising that he would earn money to support us while I stayed at home, beautiful and carefree. I believed his sweet words, quit my job, and became a full-time housewife. But what awaited me after marriage was endless grievances and heartache. Every morning, I woke up to cook, and after cooking, I would wash clothes, mop the floor, and wash the dishes after eating. After cleaning up, just as I was about to rest, my mother-in-law would throw a pile of underwear at me. This wasn’t the first time she had asked me to wash her undergarments. With a weary sigh, I looked at her and said, “Mom, undergarments and other personal clothing are meant to be washed by the wearer. It’s not my place to handle such private matters.” She was busy texting someone to come over and play mahjong and looked up at me with a glare: “If I tell you to wash it, then wash it. Where do you get so much nonsense?” I refused. I threw the basin into the bathroom and went back to my room to change the bed sheets. My mother-in-law started cursing loudly in the living room, “So now you think you’re tough? Did we marry you to treat you like a queen? Look in the mirror; do you really think you’re goddess? Get out here and wash those clothes, or I’ll call my son to teach you a lesson!” I couldn’t take it anymore. “I married into your family, but I wasn’t sold to you. I didn’t take a penny of dowry when I married. If you want a maid, hire one!” I slammed the door and cried on the bed. My mother-in-law called Wesley, playing the victim. When he came home, he dragged me out of bed, “Diana, apologize to Mom!” Every time we argued, he always sided with his mother! “Why should I apologize? What did I do wrong? She bullies me, and you want me to apologize?” I wiped away my tears and turned away from him. My mother-in-law also came into the room, her words biting, “I told you not to marry her, and look, it hasn’t been long, and she’s already trying to dominate me.” Wesley pushed her out of the room, “Alright, Mom, enough. I’ll talk to her.” He handed me a tissue to wipe my tears, “Diana, Mom is old, and she has a heart condition. You’re so magnanimous, you should be more accommodating, right? Just go and make peace with her.” He knew I was soft-hearted and wouldn’t hold a grudge against his mother, so he coaxed me into apologizing. But little did he know, the more I let it slide, the more she bullied me!

One night, my period came, and I stained the bed and my pajamas. I got up, took off my pajamas, and left them in the bathroom, thinking I’d wash them the next day since it was so late. The next morning, I was woken up by my mother-in-law yelling. She didn’t even knock before barging in and throwing the bed sheets at me. “Get up and wash this! Isn’t it disgusting?” I was in pain, “Mom, my stomach hurts. Let me rest for a bit, and I’ll wash it later.” She went berserk and dragged me out of bed: “How dare you say your stomach hurts? It’s been so long, and you still haven’t gotten pregnant!” The blanket was yanked off, and I was left with nothing to wear. I covered my chest and picked up the blanket, feeling like my dignity had been trampled on. My tone grew cold: “I’m going to get dressed and wash the sheets. Please leave.” Luckily, her phone rang, saving us from a full-blown argument. My mother-in-law had arranged another mahjong game with her relatives. As I hung clothes on the balcony, I overheard her relatives gossiping inside. “Your daughter-in-law still hasn’t gotten pregnant?” “Who knows? No sign of it yet.” “Could she be infertile?” “Exactly! My daughter got pregnant right after getting married, and now the baby’s already over a year old.” “Maybe you should try some folk remedies?” My mother-in-law glanced at me with a sneer: “I bet she’s just a chicken that can’t lay eggs.” What kind of mother-in-law would joke about her daughter-in-law like this? I couldn’t stand listening any longer. I called Wesley several times, but he didn’t pick up. When he got home, his mother immediately pulled him aside to whisper. When he came back to our room, I wanted to talk to him, but he was busy texting on his phone. I tried to grab his phone, and he snapped at me, “Stop making trouble! I’m busy with work!” I was taken aback, “What work do you have to do at home?” “If I don’t work, what will you eat and drink? All the money in this house comes from my hard work. All you do is spend money. You can’t even take care of my mom!” I couldn’t believe what he was saying: “What money have I spent? Apart from groceries and living expenses, what have I used? Your mom bullies me every day, and you say I haven’t taken care of her?” “I’m tired. I don’t want to argue!” He turned away to sleep. I cried silently. I couldn’t sleep the whole night.

After that, I stopped complaining to Wesley about his mother. There was no point; he would never take my side. I endured for over six months just to keep a semblance of a home. But Wesley’s frequent late returns from work made me suspicious. He would always come home and immediately grab his phone, sometimes with a doting smile, which he would quickly hide if I noticed. One day, I followed Wesley in a taxi. He went to a high-end residential area where I couldn’t get in, so I waited downstairs. After a while, Wesley came out with a woman whose belly was slightly swollen. They got into a car, and I hurriedly followed them to a hospital. When they got out, I saw the woman’s face clearly. It was his cousin, Sally Rune. I didn’t understand why she needed her cousin to accompany her for a prenatal checkup. Just as I was about to follow them into the hospital, my phone rang. It was the police station. “Hello, is this Diana Helm?” “Yes, this is she. How can I help you?” “Well, earlier, a blood test you had matched with a missing girl’s parents at a 99% rate. Could you come in when you have time to discuss this?” I was shocked and forgot all about Wesley and Sally. I rushed to the police station. Before Grandma passed away, she told me that we were not related by blood and that she had found me on her way back from the city after buying medicine. She was all alone, so she brought me back. Grandma also gave me a pendant that was around my neck when she found me, saying it was the proof to reunite with my biological parents. If these people were indeed my real parents, they would recognize this pendant. At the police station, I handed over the pendant and explained the situation. Soon, a luxury car pulled up, and a plump, well-dressed woman got out. When she saw the pendant, she cried and hugged me tightly, “Isabelle, I’m your mother! My dear Isabelle!” It turned out my real name was Isabelle Gade. My eyes welled up, and I hugged her tightly. Then a middle-aged man got out of the car, and I was stunned. It was Frank Gade, the CEO of the company where Wesley worked. I couldn’t believe I was the long-lost daughter of the Gade family! My mother explained that I had wandered off as a child and never returned. They had searched for me for years but never found me. Grandma and I had always lived in the countryside, where information was scarce, so it was difficult to locate me. After Grandma passed, I came to the city to finish college while working part-time. My biological parents wanted to take me home, but I told them I was married and needed to share the good news with my husband and bring him along. My mother agreed, gave me their contact information, and sent me back to the neighborhood. I walked home, excited to give Wesley a surprise. But as soon as I reached the door, I heard a conversation that tore my heart apart. “Sign this agreement immediately,” my mother-in-law’s voice came from inside. “Mom, how do I explain this to her? I’m afraid she’ll cling to me.” My mother-in-law cursed, “What are you afraid of? You’re the only male heir of the Wick family, and we’re counting on you to carry on the family line. Besides, you’ve already gotten Sally pregnant. Are you not going to give her a proper status?” That’s when I realized there was another woman crying inside. No wonder Wesley had been sneaking around lately; he was hiding an affair! And the mistress was his cousin! I clearly remembered that Wesley was infertile, so there was no way he could have gotten her pregnant. I quickly went back to the hospital, pulled up the medical records, and confirmed with the doctor that his condition was congenital and incurable. My mother-in-law called me, telling me to come home immediately because there was something to discuss. I put the medical report in my bag, feeling a mix of emotions. This was getting more and more interesting!

I entered the house, and only my mother-in-law was sitting on the sofa. I looked around, but Wesley and that mistress were nowhere to be seen. My mother-in-law threw a document at me and kept yelling, “Hurry up and sign it! The Wick family has had only one male heir for three generations. We can’t keep a hen that can’t lay eggs.” I picked up the agreement and took a glance. How heartless! I had sacrificed my career and best years to marry a man who couldn’t have children. I resigned from my job to become a full-time housewife, enduring endless humiliation just to keep the family harmonious and happy. And now, after my husband cheated on me, my mother-in-law despised me for not being able to have children and wanted to kick me out with nothing. I wiped away the tears from the corners of my eyes and started laughing. My mother-in-law was startled, “What… what are you laughing at?” I looked at Wesley’s signature on the divorce agreement, noticing how hastily he had signed it. I stared coldly at her, “What am I laughing at? I’m laughing at the fact that I didn’t go downstairs to buy some firecrackers to celebrate leaving your family. When he proposed, he swore he would love me forever, protect me, and give me a happy life. And now he’s treating me so cruelly!” My mother-in-law was furious, pointing her finger at me, “Say that again!” I swatted her hand away, “You’re not my mother, and I won’t tolerate you any longer. Do you want me to sign this or not?” She didn’t say another word and put her hand down, probably afraid that I wouldn’t sign it. I signed the divorce agreement, then looked up at her and said, “Tell Wesley to come back so we can go finalize the divorce right now.” She hadn’t expected me to agree so quickly. For the first time, she spoke to me with a somewhat decent attitude. “Alright, alright! A wise person knows when to give in. I’ll call him right now.” How ironic. A while later, Wesley called me to come downstairs. I took the agreement and went down. As soon as I opened the car door, I saw Sally sitting in the front passenger seat. “Wesley, what’s the meaning of this? You’re bringing her along to disgust me during our divorce?” I asked coldly. “Sally is pregnant and needs someone to take care of her. She gets nauseous in the back seat, so you should sit in the back,” he replied, not daring to look me in the eye. It was laughable. If he hadn’t mentioned the pregnancy, it might have been better. He still didn’t know about his congenital azoospermia. He thought he was cheating on me, but in reality, she was cheating on him. This was karma! It’s true that justice eventually catches up with everyone. Sally began to speak, “Please don’t be upset. Wesley and I are truly in love. I’m sorry.” Unbelievable. I hadn’t even started crying, and Sally was already playing the victim! “I can’t accept your apology. Your face isn’t thick enough to carry the weight of your actions.” Wesley squeezed her hand, “Sally, don’t apologize. The fault lies with me, not you. You’re innocent, don’t stress yourself.” Were they seriously putting on a tragic love drama in front of me? I sarcastically commented, “How many months along are you? Are you sure the baby is Wesley’s?” Sally visibly hesitated for a moment, “Of… of course it’s Wesley’s. Just because you can’t have children doesn’t mean you should question the child I’m carrying.” Wesley frowned and looked at me through the rearview mirror, “Diana, you’ve had trouble conceiving, and Mom is anxious to have a grandchild. If you’re angry, take it out on me, not on Sally.” So, after cheating on me, he’s now blaming me for everything? How shameless! “So, you’re saying it’s my fault that I couldn’t get pregnant? Did I force you to do something dirty with your cousin behind my back?” Sally jumped in, “Please don’t argue with Wesley. It’s all my fault. I’ve always liked him, and I’m the one who seduced him.” I wasn’t falling for her act. “So, you’re admitting you’re cheap enough to seduce someone else’s husband?” “Sally, ignore this shrew!” Wesley snapped, growing more impatient. The two of them were acting as if I was the one who had ruined their relationship. The car finally stopped in front of the civil affairs bureau. After we finalized the divorce, Wesley handed me a hundred dollars, as if he was giving me charity. “Take this for a taxi. I won’t be driving you anywhere. Let’s part on good terms.” I slapped his hand away, “Who’s parting on good terms with you? Your mother bullied me all the time, and I endured it for the sake of our relationship. She called me a hen that can’t lay eggs, and you never defended me. Now you’ve brought your mistress home, and you’re taking her with us to finalize the divorce. Do you have any shame?” His face grew darker and angrier, “If you weren’t infertile, why haven’t you gotten pregnant? Aren’t you just feeling guilty and afraid of what people will say? With your poor background, who would want you? You look so pathetic every day that just seeing you makes me sick.” Sally laughed and pulled Wesley back into the car, “Alright, Wesley, don’t bother with her anymore.” I held back my anger, called my mom to let her know I was safe, and then took a taxi home to get a good night’s sleep. The next day, I told my parents everything that had happened. My father was so furious that he slammed his hand on the table, “Linda, get the car ready! How dare he treat my daughter this way!” I stopped my father, “Dad, let me handle this myself.” Just as I finished speaking, my phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number. I stepped outside to take the call, and a sharp, sarcastic voice came through the line. “Diana, is that you? This is Sally Rune. I just moved in with Wesley. I don’t want to be the bad guy, so why don’t you come over and collect your things? It must be tough leaving with nothing. You could probably sell them for some cash and rent a rundown apartment in a poor neighborhood.” I was so angry I laughed. “No need. Those things were bought by Wesley, so they naturally belong to him.” “Well, since that’s the case, I’ll get straight to the point. Wesley and I are getting married soon. I hope you won’t contact him anymore. I’m sure Miss Helm wouldn’t want to be seen as someone who ruins other people’s families, right?” She hung up after saying that. Not only did she have the audacity to say such things, but she also had the nerve to block me afterward. At that moment, a few messages popped up in our family’s group chat. Wesley’s mother had posted, “Next month, my son Wesley and Sally will have their wedding. My daughter-in-law is pregnant! I’m going to be a grandmother!” Look at how happy she is. Well, it’s a good thing I didn’t leave the family group yet. I’ve got a “big gift” for her.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294576”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #玄幻Fantsy #狼人werewolf #擦边Steamy #励志Inspiring #现实主义Realistic #校园School #后宫Harem

The day I bled during my food live stream was a big deal—it was my first time hitting a hundred thousand viewers. My brother rushed into the frame and slapped me across the face. My boyfriend, sitting next to me, scoffed, “She’s just faking it for the views.” Because of that, I was slammed with online bullying, and some folks even started using voodoo dolls on me. But they had no clue that I’d been diagnosed with stomach cancer two months prior. Eventually, I decided to live stream my final moments, so everyone could witness my journey. The viewers skyrocketed to three million, and my brother and boyfriend sped to the hospital, driving like they were in a race. I probably ate way too much, and suddenly, I couldn’t help but cough up blood. Just like that, my viewership jumped to over a hundred thousand. The chat was loaded with people concerned about me. It felt nice to know some folks still cared, and it lifted my spirits. Higher traffic meant I could make the leaderboard and score a bonus to plan myself a decent funeral. Just as I was about to speak, the sharp slap stung me again. For a moment, I thought I had really gone to heaven. Stars danced in front of my eyes. “They’re just acting for the views,” my brother, Jake, said, completely unfazed. I turned to look at him; his face showed nothing but indifference, while my brother, Ethan, glared furiously at me. “Don’t believe her, folks; you should check out Sophie instead. She’s the real deal.” How ridiculous! I was bleeding, yet they were still trying to promote Sophie. “I’m not faking it!” I forced out the words through the pain in my stomach. But suddenly, the chat turned against me. The same viewers who had once been sympathetic were now throwing insults my way. “Damn, I really thought she was sick.” “She’s disgusting. Go watch Sophie instead.” Soon, half the viewers had left. Then the live stream got shut down after someone reported me for faking it. No bonus for me today. The dream for a nice funeral also shattered. “Get that blood cleaned up; it’s gross!” Jake looked at me with disgust. Ethan wasn’t about to show me any sympathy, either. To them, I was just a faker. “Effie, Sophie’s mom is sick and needs that bonus way more than you do. You can’t take this from her and expect us to be nice.” Ethan’s voice was ice cold. Who would’ve expected this was my boyfriend of five years? He was once the guy who said he loved me and wanted to marry me. Now, he was taking Sophie’s side. After they left, I coughed up another mouthful of blood. The bright white tiles were stained red, and I suddenly thought back to the doctor’s words from two months ago. “Do you have any family?” “They’re all gone.” I sucked on a lollipop, pretending it didn’t bother me, while the doctor looked shocked. He wasn’t the first one to react like that; everyone thought I was joking. But in my heart, losing my family felt as real as death itself. My best friend had stolen my boyfriend. Soon after, she was with my brother. Then she told them I’d tried to have her killed to snag the live stream bonus. Everyone believed her and pitied her. Even my mom thought she was a better daughter than me because she was sweet and caring. While I felt incompetent, believing I had been the reason my dad had died. Everyone hated me, so I decided to think of them as dead. I wouldn’t bother them with my illness. “You’ve got stomach cancer. You’ve got at most six months left,” said the doctor, trying to sound serious. “But there’s hope with aggressive treatment.” I bit down on the lollipop. Just then, a text from my mom popped up. “No bother to come home for the anniversary of your dad’s passing. I don’t want to see you.” I burst out laughing; I had always been the bad girl in their eyes. If I died, so be it. Later on, Sophie somehow got wind of my illness. On my birthday, she showed up, grinning wickedly. “You have cancer, right? You planning to tell everyone? Just you wait! I’ll make everyone hate you!” At dinner that night, she told everyone I’d faked my cancer diagnosis. She even showed them the fabricated medical document. Mom, Jake, and Ethan all swallowed it whole. 2. Mom slapped me hard right then and there. Jake tossed aside the cake he bought for me. Ethan said, “You’re disgusting.” From then on, they all thought of me as a lying b*tch. I tried to explain it was all a misunderstanding, but they wouldn’t believe me. “Let’s go out to eat.” Ethan stormed back in. When he spotted the blood on the floor, his brow furrowed tightly. “Effie, can you stop pretending? It’s only making us hate you more.” I looked up at his handsome face, one I’d known forever. We had been close since we were kids—partners in crime. He once said, “I’ll stay with you forever.” Yet now, he’d chosen Sophie over me. In my room, they had been all over each other, and it made me sick. His excuse for cheating was “a drunken mistake.” “Ethan, let’s break up.” I wiped the blood from my lips and said it calmly. His eyes widened, rushing at me and grabbing my shoulders. “Is this about me interrupting your stream?” He snorted. “Effie, can’t you be a little grateful? You’ve got a brother and me. You’re from a well-off family.” “But Sophie has nothing, and her mom is sick!” I forced a bitter smile. Happy? Jake hated me, Ethan cheated on me, and even if I told my mom I was sick, she wouldn’t give me a dime. Was that happiness? “I’m breaking up with you.” I kept speaking as the pain danced in my stomach again. The doctor said just last week that I couldn’t keep binging; otherwise, I’d end up dead in no time. But I needed the cash. Before I pass, I just wanted to make a little more money for a decent funeral. I wanted to leave this world in style since I hadn’t lived right in it. This would be my final gift to myself. “Fine, you said it. Let’s break up then.” Ethan let go and walked out. Moments later, Sophie messaged me. “lol your loved ones all hate you. How’s it feel?” I didn’t respond, just took a screenshot. My gallery was loaded with our past messages. I hoped there’d be a day when the truth would shine through. … I cleaned myself up and headed to my cozy little hub. Whenever I felt down, I would retreat here. Inside, I had a ten-year-old sister I’d adopted; her name was Effie as well. She had my name, and I thought we were alike. She had been abandoned by her family. I adopted her because I saw myself in her. “Effie, you’re here! Check this! I got a perfect score on my report card!” As soon as she saw me, she jumped into my arms. I ruffled her hair. “Ef, you’re amazing! How about a special meal?” She had no idea about my cancer. I didn’t want to burden her with my problems because such conversations only brought sadness. “Yeah! Let’s hit KFC!” “Sounds good!” Every time I celebrated her achievements, we would go to KFC. Never to McDonald, though, for some reasons. When w arrived, I placed the order. Just then, Jake and Sophie walked in. Sophie saw me, gasping in shock. “Oh my gosh, Effie, is that your a bastard child?” If only I could sew her mouth shut because she drove me insane. Jake strolled over, firing off questions. “Whose child is this?” “Hey, I’m Effie as well. You can call me Ef. Effie adopted me.” They fell silent at Ef’s words. But Jake quickly scoffed, “You keep acting sick, yet you’re here at KFC? Effie, you’re a fucking liar.” With that, he and Sophie turned and left. Halfway through my meal, pain gripped my stomach, and I vomited blood. “What’s wrong, sister?” Ef rushed over, worriedly hugging me. I felt dizzy from the pain. “I… I’m fine.” Just then, Jake rushed in and checked on me. Funny. Hadn’t he thought I was faking all along? Next thing I knew, I woke up in a hospital room. My brother was glaring at me, furious. “Are you done with the act? You know I was going to KFC with Sophie, so you decided to fake the blood, right?” “Don’t hit my sister!” Ef shoved him back. “Effie, come here,” I said softly. She held my hand tightly, looking up at Jake, the brother I felt I barely knew anymore. My cheeks burned from the pain as my heart sank. No one had clued him in about my illness? Even after I was sent to the hospital? And for god’s sake, he himself is a f*cking doc! If he’d just care to take a look, he’d realize how serious my condition was. “Get lost.” I said quietly. He seethed in anger. “Effie, you’ve grown some guts!” He raised his hand to hit me again. “Brother.” I said it soft enough to break through to him. He seemed stunned. It had been ages since I’d called him “brother”. “Let’s sever ties. I won’t bother you any longer.” I never imagined it would come to this day. He was once so gentle and kind toward me. Everyone knew how Jake was tough with the world yet soft with me. He had always treated me like a princess. He would stay by my side through fevers, buying me anything I wished. One birthday, I mentioned wanting to visit the Grand Canyon, and he drove me overnight. He had once told me, “Effie, I’ll protect you forever.” And yet, everything changed when Sophie came along. “Say that again!” Jake’s fists were clenched. “I said, I want to cut ties.” “I’m no longer your sister, just like you’re no longer my brother.” I didn’t need a family like this anyway. “Fine. You said it.” He stormed out, slamming the door. Then a young intern in a white coat strolled in. I glanced at his name tag. It read “Shawn.” He came over and adjusted my IV. “This should help.” “Thanks.” Looking at Ef by my side, I saw her red-rimmed eyes filled with concern. “Effie, are you sick?” Tears began to flow again without warning. “I’m good. You should head home for now; I’ll be back soon.” She was always obedient, nodding before leaving with her backpack. Once she was gone, Shawn sighed deeply. “Your health is deteriorating; you need hospitalization and chemotherapy, or you won’t make it.” “Then I’ll go for the chemo.” I had initially planned to earn enough money to handle my situation. But now my funds were gone. That night, Ethan came back to see me. He brought me my favorite fruits. “I heard from the doctor that you’re fine; let’s get out of here. Stop fighting with Jake.” I’d told Shawn not to share my condition without my okay, so he hadn’t spilled the beans to Ethan either. I always wanted to let them know, but now I didn’t want to share that burden. “First off, I’ve broken up with you.” “Secondly, my problems with Jake aren’t your concern.” His face darkened. “Effie, everyone’s been so good to you! Why insist on being difficult?” Good to me? Did they genuinely care? It felt ridiculous. “Get out, will you?” “I’m sick of looking at you.” Every time I saw him, I imagined him with Sophie, tangled up together. It made my stomach turn. Suddenly, Jake burst back in. “Effie, are you still not done?” He rushed toward me and slap me hard again. This time, it sent a ringing in my ears. He had never been like this before; he hadn’t raised his voice at me ever. I guess everything changed over time, and he started to treat me differently. “I’m giving you a chance to back down, and you still want to throw a fit?” “You don’t want me as your sister? Well, I don’t want you as my brother either!” Ethan shook his head in disappointment, then walked out. It was as if everyone who once treated me kindly was now drifting away. But I didn’t care; I didn’t want them around anyway. The next day, Jake strolled in wearing his lab coat, holding McDonald’s. Seeing that iconic logo made my face pale. “Get lost; I’m not eating.” He said, “It’s your dad’s death anniversary; weren’t you always asking for McDonald’s on this day? I’m letting you feast.” When he hurried over to shove the greasy chicken into my mouth, it lodged painfully in my throat. Everything flashed back to that day years ago. Suddenly, I vomited blood, pressing the emergency button in a panic. In came Shawn, ready to fight. “Have you lost your mind? She has stomach cancer!”

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At eight months pregnant, I went into early labor. I died on the operating table. I was rushed into the maternity ward with another pregnant woman. “The water has broken for this patient; we need to proceed with surgery immediately. Contact the family to confirm signatures.” “My husband is away on a business trip. I can sign for myself!” I spoke through the pain, just as a man rushed over to the other woman’s side. “Save her first! She has a weaker constitution!” I recognized him immediately. Nathan Chase, my husband. The same husband who was supposed to be on a business trip out of town. How could he tell them to save someone else first? Nathan glanced at me with a cold calmness. “She’s an athlete, she’ll be fine. I’m her husband. I can sign the liability waiver.” He spoke firmly to the medical staff. “I’m Dr. Nathan Chase from Downtown General Hospital’s OB-GYN department. Trust my professional judgment.” Later, I bled out on the operating table. Nathan knelt at my grave, sobbing, “Emily, I was wrong. Please, come back.”

Nathan Chase was a renowned OB-GYN at Downtown General Hospital. But he was always busy. Busy traveling across the country for work, too busy to come back when his wife was knocked into premature labor. The sudden labor only worsened the hospital’s already tight resources. After the violent impact of my fall, by the time I was taken to the hospital, blood and amniotic fluid had already soaked through my entire body. The doctor told me to contact my family, so with the last bit of consciousness I had, I called him. Once. Twice. No answer. I tried my mother-in-law. Still no response. “My husband is out of town for work. I can sign for myself,” I groaned, barely able to bear the pain, as I informed the doctor of my intentions. Coincidentally, another pregnant woman was brought into the emergency room after a car accident. “Doctor, save her first! She’s bleeding from the head; she might have a risk of intracranial bleeding!” I looked up, and there he was. Nathan Chase, my husband, the man who was supposed to be away. I have RH-negative blood, the rare “panda blood,” as they call it. And here I was, lying on the ground, covered in blood, and my husband, the one man I thought I could rely on, chose to ignore me. Nathan held onto Tina Lewis’ hand tightly, his concern for her all too obvious. “Don’t worry,” he said softly. “I’ll personally handle your surgery. You and the baby will be fine.” “I guarantee you’ll walk out of surgery perfectly healthy.” The tenderness in his voice, the way he looked at Tina, cut through me like a knife. Without a hospital bed, I lay there in the hallway, watching him shower affection on his former classmate, his “little sister” from medical school. Patients passed by with their families. Everyone had someone to lean on in this terrifying moment. Everyone but me. As my own husband walked right by me toward another woman. All I got was a cold remark: “You’re just having a premature birth. You’ll be fine.” Did he not know I had RH-negative blood? As I waited for my surgery to be scheduled, I felt my eyes grow heavy. The next time I woke up, I was surrounded by doctors and nurses. “The patient has suffered an amniotic fluid embolism, and she’s hemorrhaging! Contact the blood bank immediately!” “Where’s Dr. Chase? He’s the only one in the city experienced enough to handle this!” The nurses wheeled my bed frantically down the hallway, assuring me everything would be alright. They told me my husband, Dr. Chase, was the top OB-GYN in the city. He had successfully handled amniotic fluid embolisms three times before. They even contacted the media to put out a call for blood donations. They didn’t want me to worry. I was pushed into the operating room, the cold mechanical sounds of various machines filling the air as they reported on my vitals. “Not good! Her oxygen levels are dropping too fast. She’s fading! Where is Dr. Chase?” I could feel the anxiety of the attending physician as she clutched my hand, her fingers icy. The nurse was just as worried but helpless. “Dr. Chase finished surgery on another patient and then… left. Apparently, that woman wanted some bone broth, and he said he’d make it himself.” “Call him!” “He’s not answering…” “The baby’s not breathing either, and the patient is critical. We’re losing her!”

The conversation between the doctors made my heart sink, little by little. At the moment when my baby and I needed him most, my husband wasn’t there. He was busy making soup for another woman. The attending physician gripped my hand firmly. “You trusted me, so I won’t give up on you. You have to hold on!” Alright… I blinked slowly. Someone in this world was still fighting for me, still hoping I’d make it through. So I had to keep trying. The intern was still desperately trying to reach Nathan Chase. My attending physician and the hospital’s top specialists were working side by side, leaving no room for error. The media broadcasted the emergency, and soon, many generous donors with RH-negative blood came to the hospital to give. Bag after bag of blood plasma was pumped into my body, and the doctors wiped the sweat from their brows. “The baby’s out!” At last, the sound of a baby’s cry filled the room. But I felt my strength draining away, and my vision blurred. The attending physician shouted at me, “Don’t sleep!” “Bring the baby over so the mother can see!” I forced my eyes open and smiled at the small, slightly blue baby. She was so beautiful, soft and sweet, just like Nathan must have looked when he was born. The intern suddenly raised his phone in excitement. “Dr. Chase just called! We got through!” The crisis wasn’t over yet, but my attending physician looked like she’d grabbed a lifeline. “Did you hear that? Your husband’s on the phone. Hang in there!” They put the call on speaker, and Nathan’s frantic, angry voice filled the operating room. “Emily, where’s your hospital bag? You’re not giving birth yet anyway, right? Let Tina use it.” “Oh, and the maternity nurse you hired, can Tina use her first? She had an early delivery and doesn’t have time to find a reliable one.” Boom. The last bit of hope I had collapsed. I felt the final sliver of strength leave my body. The attending physician frowned and had the intern hold the phone to her. “Dr. Chase, your wife has had a severe amniotic fluid embolism. She’s in critical condition. Your expertise is needed urgently to save her.” The line went dead. “He hung up! Is he out of his mind? His own wife is dying, and he’s worried about someone else’s maternity nurse?” “What kind of ‘renowned doctor’ is this? He’s nothing but a heartless jerk!” Their voices were loud. Even I couldn’t help but laugh. And in that fleeting moment, all hope drowned beneath the waves of despair, swallowing my last breath of consciousness. “Critical!” “The patient’s oxygen levels are plummeting. Contact the blood bank for more plasma, immediately!” In an instant, my once-stable vitals began to nosedive. Maternal instinct told me not to give up, but I simply couldn’t hold on any longer. Beep— “August 20th, 2024, at 2:21 p.m., patient Emily Perkins, declared dead.”

I… died? I couldn’t believe it. I wanted to reach down and cradle my baby, but my hands passed right through her tiny body. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t hold her. I couldn’t feel her warmth. All I could do was watch as my hands kept slipping through her over and over again. The death of a mother during childbirth is a big deal for any hospital. As they wheeled my body out of the operating room, my attending physician ran into another doctor from the neighboring surgery room. Seeing the white sheet covering my body, Dr. Lee sighed in sympathy. “That’s strange, wasn’t Dr. Chase’s wife just next door, undergoing a routine C-section? We could’ve handled that easily. Why didn’t he come to assist you?” “He’s the authority in these kinds of cases! Could it be that, because his wife was giving birth, he didn’t want to step in and help save lives?” Before Dr. Lee could finish, the intern interrupted, frustrated. “Dr. Lee, the woman under this sheet is Dr. Chase’s wife, Emily Perkins.” Dr. Lee chuckled. “I’ve worked with Nathan for so long. You think I don’t know who his wife is? His wife is Tina Lewis. How could this be Emily?” Still grappling with the loss of the patient, the intern lost her patience, her tone exasperated. “Why would we lie to you? This is Dr. Chase’s wife. It’s on her medical records.” Dr. Lee froze, then slapped his forehead in disbelief. “You’re joking, right? Dr. Chase’s wife… dead?” The only response was the cold, silent body beneath the white sheet. … After I died, Nathan Chase couldn’t be reached by phone. But his mother, Gloria, showed up at the hospital. “The mother didn’t make it… I’m so sorry for your loss,” the nurse informed her quietly. “But she gave birth to a healthy baby girl. Five pounds, three ounces…” Before the nurse could finish, Gloria frowned and walked off to call Nathan. “Your wife gave birth. It’s a useless girl,” she snapped into the phone. “That’s fine. I told you she’d be alright.” “Oh, by the way, Mom, I gave her hospital bag to Tina. I also sent the maternity nurse Emily hired to help Tina. You know, Tina’s all alone and needs someone by her side.” “Fine, fine. I got it,” Gloria huffed. “Mom, can you stay at the hospital and look after her for me?” There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Nathan pressed on, “Mom, I’ll pay you. A thousand dollars a week.” Hearing that, Gloria finally relented. “Your wife doesn’t need anyone looking after her. She’s fine. An athlete’s body can’t be that fragile.” “She heard that you sent her nurse away. Now she’s saying she wants to go abroad to recover after childbirth, something about it being quicker and better. Someone’s already arranged to pick her up.” I couldn’t understand why Gloria would say that. Nathan didn’t give it much thought either. “Whatever. Let her go wherever she wants.” Listening to his dismissive tone, I began to wonder: if he knew I’d died on the operating table, how would he react? Would he feel even a twinge of sadness? From the other end of the line, I heard Tina’s soft voice: “Nathan, do you think Emily’s mad at me?” “I had you come stay with me, and Betty’s here helping look after my son. You know, I’m all alone right now…” “I didn’t mean to bother you. I don’t want to cause any trouble for Emily…” “Who cares about her? Your priority is to recover. Don’t worry about anything else. And anyway, she’s an athlete. She’ll be fine.”

No sooner had those words left his mouth than a blinding light flashed before my eyes. I looked up and saw several of Nathan’s colleagues walking into Tina’s room, holding various gifts. Even someone meeting Nathan for the first time could easily read his emotions. Tina Lewis, his former classmate, was the unattainable goddess of his youth. He never had the courage to confess his feelings for her, but he made sure the world knew he adored her. Had it not been for that school reunion I attended with him, I never would have known just how low Nathan Chase could stoop for her. In front of Tina, he was always humble, almost worshipful. At that reunion, his college roommates teased the recently divorced Tina, saying, “Tina, you’ve had a rough patch, but if you’d accepted Nathan Chase’s proposal back in the day, you’d be the one standing next to the top OB-GYN in Downtown General Hospital right now. There wouldn’t be room for anyone else.” And I, the “someone else,” could only stand quietly, becoming invisible in the crowd. His old friends all seemed to hate me, as though I had come between Nathan and Tina. If it weren’t for me, their beloved “goddess” would’ve been his wife by now. Nathan didn’t seem to mind them thinking that either. After that reunion, Nathan started giving me the silent treatment. He claimed he was too busy with work and only came home once a week. Eventually, he even skipped all my prenatal appointments. Meanwhile, his face appeared frequently in Tina’s social media posts. She called him her “perfect mentor,” and they appeared as close as ever. Whenever people misunderstood their relationship, Tina always smiled and shrugged, neither denying nor rejecting it. It was like she welcomed the confusion. In that way, she and Nathan were eerily similar. People mistook Tina for his wife, and Nathan seemed to like it that way. Naturally, this led to fights between us. Nathan defended himself, saying, “The truth will reveal itself. I don’t need to prove anything. Stop trying to control who I’m friends with.” He was always so insecure when it came to Tina. Just a hint of attention from her, and he was wagging his tail like a puppy. But with me, he acted as if he was my best option, the only one I had. Before the baby, I had been so dependent on him, and now, with the baby, it was even harder to leave. He knew that, and it only made him more reckless, more arrogant. So, he wasn’t afraid of losing me. Not even if I died. At four in the afternoon, after what must have been a busy day for him, he finally thought to call me. But I would never answer again. Once. Twice. Three times… As the phone automatically disconnected for the third time, Nathan’s face twisted into an irritated scowl. “Why are you just standing there? Tina’s asking for you!” “What happened to Tina?” He responded as if by reflex, rushing off toward the private ward at full speed the moment he heard her name. Inside the room, Tina was chatting happily with Nathan’s hospital colleagues. One of the young nurses spoke up, “Mrs. Chase, you’re so lucky. You don’t know how worried Dr. Chase was when you were in labor. Even when they called him about another woman with amniotic fluid embolism, he refused to leave your side and insisted on finishing your stitches.” Tina didn’t correct her. She just smiled, accepting the “Mrs. Chase” title without protest. “He was just nervous…” Just then, my attending physician and Dr. Lee, who had assisted Nathan, burst into the room: “Nathan Chase, you’ve gone too far! Not only did you never clarify that Tina isn’t your wife, you’ve let your colleagues misunderstand for so long! They’ve been calling her ‘Mrs. Chase’ all this time!” Dr. Lee’s voice was filled with genuine anger. Nathan stayed silent for a long time, then finally said, “I told you to just call her Tina. You’re the ones who insisted on calling her that.” “Well, well, well. You don’t know, do you? Your wife, Emily Perkins, had amniotic fluid embolism. She didn’t make it. She’s dead!” “And here you are, still doting on Tina, not even bothering to see your wife one last time.” “You’re not even scared she’ll come back to haunt you!” Dr. Lee’s voice grew louder as he tried to push Nathan toward my room. Nathan slammed the door shut, resolute. “I don’t believe it. You’re all in on this, trying to trick me.” “She was the one who chased after me for years. I finally gave her my last name, so there’s no way she’d just leave like that.” He laughed bitterly. “She’s not like Tina. Tina’s always had health issues, but Emily? She’s an athlete. Amniotic fluid embolism is nothing to someone like her.” Dr. Lee couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. “You’re a gynecologist, and you don’t know how dangerous amniotic fluid embolism is?” “Last year, we lost a patient in perfect physical shape to the same thing!” “Your wife was RH-negative. You know how risky that is, don’t you?”

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My sister Stella cultivates a special type of golden mushroom, but she only sells them to men – older men, to be precise. Despite the exorbitant price, customers keep flocking to our door. Stella always takes them to a small wooden cabin to select their mushrooms. From inside, I can hear her painful gasps and moans. Every man who emerges looks incredibly satisfied, as if they’ve shed years off their age. Meanwhile, Stella’s face grows paler, and her belly swells larger day by day. One day, another elderly gentleman came looking for my sister. He arrived in a luxury car with bodyguards, dressed in an expensive suit, but he treated Stella with utmost respect. “Miss King, I’d like a larger golden mushroom, please,” he said politely. Stella glanced at him expressionlessly. “Certainly. The larger size costs an extra ten million dollars.” “No problem at all,” the man agreed without hesitation. To be honest, in all the years I’ve lived with Stella, I’ve never actually seen these golden mushrooms she grows. Whenever a customer comes, she always takes them to the small cabin next to our mansion. Stella has never allowed me near that cabin. This time was no different. She told me to stay in the house while she escorted the old gentleman outside. His two bodyguards tried to follow, but Stella wasn’t pleased. “Surely you know my rules if you’ve come this far?” she said coldly. The old man immediately apologized and ordered his bodyguards to wait where they were. Soon after, I could hear Stella’s labored breathing coming from the cabin, accompanied by the man’s painful groans. The two bodyguards were startled and wanted to rush in. I quickly stopped them. “Have you forgotten my sister’s instructions? No one is allowed near the cabin.” Despite my words, I was worried about Stella too. What exactly was she doing in there? After what seemed like ages, the sounds finally stopped. When the man emerged with Stella, he wasn’t carrying any mushrooms, but his face was glowing. Not only had his wrinkles disappeared, but his previously white hair had turned gray. The bodyguards looked shocked. Stella, on the other hand, looked even paler than before. I thought I caught the faint scent of blood in the air. As soon as the old man and his bodyguards left, Stella nearly collapsed. “What’s wrong?” I rushed to support her. Stella didn’t answer my question. She just asked me to help her into the house and, as usual, sent me to town to buy some medicine. I hesitated for a moment before asking, “Are you really selling mushrooms? Why do those men…” “How many times have I told you not to ask about the cabin? Just focus on your studies,” Stella interrupted sharply. Stella and I are twins, but she was born a few minutes earlier. She acts more like a mother to me, and can be quite strict. Thanks to her mushroom business, we live in this big mansion. I attend the best schools, and she’s set aside a substantial inheritance for me. I both respect and fear my sister. So I didn’t dare ask any more questions and went out to buy the medicine as instructed. We live halfway up a mountain, and our mansion is the only building for miles around. To buy medicine, I have to go all the way down to the town. “Luna, what exactly does your family do? Why is someone always getting hurt?” the pharmacy owner asked curiously. Seeing my confused expression, he elaborated, “These are all blood-replenishing medicines. You wouldn’t need them so often unless someone was losing a lot of blood.” 2. Remembering the scent of blood on Stella, my heart clenched. Was she injured? I thought she was just selling mushrooms – why would she be hurt? When I returned home and gave Stella the medicine, I asked if she was injured. “No,” she said curtly, pushing me out of her room. Soon after, an even stronger smell of blood wafted from her room. I panicked and kept knocking on her door. “Where are you hurt? We should go to the hospital if it’s serious!” Suddenly, the door flew open. Stella stood there, her face dark with anger. “Who told you I was injured?” “…The pharmacist said those medicines are for blood replenishment. He said only people who lose blood regularly would need them.” “Why do you believe everything others say? Those medicines are fertilizer for the golden mushrooms.” I wanted to say more, but Stella had already slammed the door shut. A few days later, another elderly man came to buy golden mushrooms. He was extremely respectful to Stella. “Miss King, a friend recommended me. I’d like an even larger golden mushroom,” he said. Stella’s face was still pale, but she simply said, “A larger size costs an extra ten million dollars.” “Of course, no problem at all,” the man agreed readily. For these men, it seemed money was no object. “You’re not feeling well,” I said to Stella, worried she couldn’t handle it. “We’ve run out of the medicine you bought the other day. Go down to town and get some more,” she told me. I knew Stella was trying to get rid of me, but faced with her stern gaze, I didn’t dare disobey. After walking a short distance, I circled back and quietly approached the cabin. I pressed my ear against the wall. There were no voices inside, just some rustling sounds that sent chills down my spine. I leaned in closer and heard the man gasp softly. “What an enormous golden mushroom!” Then came the sound of crunching, as if he was eating the mushroom. I was startled. So Stella really was selling mushrooms in there? Just then, the man began to groan in pain. Frightened, I took a step back and accidentally stepped on a twig. “Who’s there?” Stella’s alert voice came from inside. I quickly ran away. By the time I returned with the medicine, the old man had already left. Stella was lying weakly on the bed, her face as white as paper. I rushed over to her. “What’s wrong? You’re scaring me.” “It’s nothing. I’ll be fine after a couple days of rest. Did you buy the medicine?” “How can it be nothing? Let me take you to the hospital.” I tried to help Stella up, but she immediately stopped me, her tone turning cold. “Are you not listening to me anymore?” “I’m just worried about you. What kind of mushrooms are you growing? Why do you look so awful every time after a customer leaves, while those men seem to get younger? What’s really going on?” 3. At that moment, I didn’t notice that Stella’s belly seemed to have grown significantly larger. “Growing those mushrooms takes a lot of energy. I’m having trouble managing it alone. Go online and post a job listing. We need to hire some helpers, but only women.” “I can help you…” “No.” Stella cut me off before I could finish. “You just focus on your studies. After you graduate, find someone you like and get married.” “Why can’t I help? I’m in college now. If you teach me, I’m sure I can do it well.” “I said no, and that’s final. Now go post that job listing.” Stella pulled rank on me again with her authoritative tone. I had no choice but to go and post the job advertisement online. Because Stella offered such a high salary, many people applied. I thought Stella would interview them, but she didn’t ask them any questions. She just took out a device that looked like a blood pressure monitor and had them wear it. Different percentages would appear on their wrists, flashing in different colors. 50% and below was red, above 50% was yellow. But none showed 100%. As the number of applicants dwindled, Stella’s brow furrowed deeply. I suspected she was looking for someone who would show 100%. But even after all the applicants had been tested, no one reached 100%. In the end, Stella chose the person with the highest percentage, a woman named Holly Summer. Holly kept thanking Stella profusely. The monthly salary Stella offered was $600,000 – more than Holly could earn in years elsewhere. But Holly’s joy was short-lived. After Stella took her into the cabin twice, Holly’s face became frighteningly pale, almost devoid of color. The men who came to buy mushrooms even complained quietly that the mushrooms weren’t big enough, though they didn’t dare let Stella hear. Stella frowned in dissatisfaction as she looked at Holly. “She looked so strong and healthy. How is she so useless?” When I returned from buying more medicine, Holly was nowhere to be seen. Stella said she had left. But Holly’s luggage was still in her room. After her second time in the cabin, Holly had been bedridden. Stella gave her many medicines, but nothing seemed to help. I wanted to take Holly to the hospital, but Stella wouldn’t allow it. She just sent me to buy more medicine again. When I left, I clearly saw Holly’s hand dangling lifelessly from the bed. Now Stella’s face was covered in sweat, and her clothes were stained with dirt. As if she had just buried something. I looked at Stella in horror. Had Holly really died? And had Stella already buried her? I also suddenly realized that Stella’s belly had grown much larger, as if she were several months pregnant. “Your… your belly…” I stammered. 4. As far as I could remember, Stella had always lived in this mansion. She never went down the mountain or had a boyfriend. How could her belly suddenly get so big? Stella was keeping too many secrets from me. She pulled her clothes to cover her belly without explaining anything. Instead, she told me to keep posting job listings online. I couldn’t help but shout, “Is Holly dead? That’s a human life! How can you act like nothing happened?” “So what if she’s dead? Why are you making such a fuss? Are you trying to let everyone know someone died here?” Stella replied coldly. I stared at her in disbelief. Suddenly, the person before me felt like a stranger. Our father died in an accident before we were born, and our mother mysteriously disappeared soon after. Stella had always taken care of me. She gave up her chance to go to school and grew mushrooms to support my education, giving me the best material life possible. She was my only family left in this world. But I realized I didn’t know her at all. “Are you pregnant? Who’s the father?” I asked. Could it be one of those men who came to buy mushrooms? Stella gave me an inscrutable look but still explained nothing. “Hurry up and recruit more people,” was all she said before returning to her room. I stood there, my mind in chaos. Then I contacted Holly’s family and sent them all the allowance money Stella had given me over the years. I had seen Holly’s application – she had a bedridden mother and a father with cancer. I hoped the three million dollars could help them somehow. Even though I didn’t want to, I still posted the job listing online as Stella asked. Stella had sacrificed so much for me; I couldn’t disobey her. But thinking of Holly’s death, I posted the ad on a small platform with little traffic. I deliberately wrote it in an exaggerated way that would make people think it was a scam. For several days, no one came to apply. I wondered if Stella would give up on hiring. That day, I was about to go downstairs when I saw Stella return with a strange woman. The woman was filthy and kept giggling stupidly. She looked like a homeless person with mental disabilities. I watched Stella put the measuring device on the woman’s wrist. It showed only 50%, flashing red. Stella frowned, deep in thought. Just then, another customer arrived. Without a suitable helper, I thought Stella would refuse, but to my surprise, she agreed. Stella took the man and the mentally disabled woman into the cabin together. I quickly crouched down beneath the cabin to listen. I heard the man’s angry voice from inside. “Miss King, I paid an extra 20 million dollars, and this is the tiny mushroom you give me? My friend said he got one as big as a bowl for the same price, but mine is only as big as a cup. Aren’t you cheating me?” 5. The cabin fell silent for a while. Then I heard Stella say, “Wait.” Suddenly, the mentally disabled woman let out a terrified scream. After a long time, Stella’s voice came again. “Is this satisfactory now?” The man laughed with satisfaction. Then I heard the crunching sound of someone eating a mushroom. When the man came out, I saw that he looked energetic and vigorous. His slightly hunched back had straightened, and he seemed at least ten years younger than when he went in. Stella stayed in the cabin. I was worried something had happened to her and was about to go in when a ghastly pale face appeared at the door. I instinctively swallowed hard. Stella’s expression was terrifying. And her belly was even bigger than before. I glanced inside the cabin. It was pitch black, with a strong smell of blood wafting out. The mentally disabled woman seemed to be lying on the bed, completely motionless. “Who told you to come near here?” Stella blocked my view with her body. “I…” “Get lost,” she snapped. It was the first time Stella had ever been so angry with me. I felt hurt – after all, I was just worried about her. That night, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. I got up and went to the window, suddenly seeing Stella dragging something out of the cabin. In the moonlight, I saw the face of the mentally disabled woman. It was deathly pale, her wide-open eyes staring right at me. I covered my mouth tightly to stifle a scream. Stella dragged the body towards the back of the mountain. I noticed a large patch of dried blood on the woman’s wrist. Terrified but curious, I followed her. At some point, Stella had dug a large pit on the back of the mountain. She threw the mentally disabled woman’s body into it and began filling it in, muttering to herself. “If I wasn’t in such urgent need of blood, I wouldn’t have chosen you. Seeing how crazy you were, it’s better that you’re dead. At least you won’t suffer anymore.” What did Stella mean? Urgent need for blood? What did she need blood for? I had a bold guess. Was Stella using human blood to grow the mushrooms? She often took blood-replenishing medicine because she was constantly losing blood. Now that her body couldn’t handle it anymore, she had to use other people’s blood. But why was Stella’s belly getting bigger? And why did the blood donors have to be women? The more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed. Stella had too many secrets. Seeing that Stella had finished burying the mentally disabled woman, I didn’t dare linger and quickly ran back to the mansion. I had just lain down when my bedroom door was pushed open. Someone slowly approached my bed. I controlled my breathing, pretending to be asleep, but my hands were sweating under the covers. Stella stood by my bed for a long time, then sighed softly and tucked me in before quietly leaving. My heart was pounding. I thought she had discovered me. After Stella left, she didn’t return to her room. I heard her going downstairs. It was already 2 AM. What was Stella doing up at this hour? 6.

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My birth mom died in childbirth trying to have a baby boy, and not even two months had passed before Grandma Annie brought my stepmom Monica into the house. I thought Monica would give me a baby brother, but it turned out she couldn’t have children. Grandma Annie forced her to divorce my dad. As Monica was packing up to leave with nothing but her clothes, she suddenly asked me, “Do you want to come with me?” My mom, Lucy, was the typical traditional woman from a rural area. She was simple, hardworking, and a little naive. Since childhood, she had been bossed around by her family, and after marrying into my dad’s family, she continued to serve others. She didn’t really like me. To her, I was a constant reminder of her failure. She couldn’t give birth to a boy. After I was born, there were no special meals for her, no eggs, no sugar. Grandma Annie didn’t care, and Dad, Robert, was always away. Mom didn’t blame them, though; instead, she constantly blamed me for not being a boy. Being a girl was the biggest mistake in her eyes, the reason why she could never hold her head up. Her unhappiness became my burden to carry. One time, Dad bought a beautiful dress from the city, the nicest I had ever seen, with butterflies embroidered on it. It was clean and bright. Grandma Annie took one look at it and her face dropped, “What’s a girl need with new clothes?” I never had new clothes. I only wore hand-me-downs from aunts or cousins. A few days later, on New Year’s Day, I saw that very dress on the neighbor’s little girl. “It looks so pretty on her,” I heard Grandma Annie say while counting some money. “I even bargained for a few extra bucks. Now we can buy more meat.” Mom, Lucy, stared at the cash in Grandma’s hand and nodded in agreement. “Exactly. What’s a dead weight like her doing in such fancy clothes? She’s no princess.” In the end, I didn’t get to wear that dress or taste the extra meat that was bought. Dad looked at me, then at the meat in his bowl, sighed, but said nothing. He had no son and was the talk of the town. He could only blame me for that. At dinner, Grandma Annie, chewing on her food, pointed at Mom and said, “If you don’t give us a grandson this year, you’re out of here.” Mom, embarrassed, smiled awkwardly and agreed. After a few months, she got pregnant again. Her belly was pointed, and Mrs. Wilson, who had two sons, told us it must be a boy. Grandma Annie was overjoyed. That very day, she killed a chicken and made a pot of rich soup for Mom. She pulled up a stool, sat by Mom’s side, and stared at her belly. “Lucy, you better take care of yourself and that baby. My precious grandson needs to be born healthy.” While watching, Grandma glanced at me sweeping in the corner and asked, “Do you think your mom’s having a boy, Erin?” I nervously nodded, feeling uncomfortable with Grandma calling me by my name. “Yeah, it’s a brother. I even dreamed about playing with him yesterday.” Grandma’s face lit up, and she went to the kitchen to fetch me an egg. “After he’s born, you better not fight with him over anything, understand?” I ate the first egg of my life. It was so delicious. Is this what my brother would get to eat every day? Grandma even gave Mom money for a checkup. They took the early bus to the nearest town, rattling all the way there. After the checkup, the doctor frowned, giving me a once-over. “This girl is malnourished. You should feed her better.” Mom tugged me away. “We don’t have much money. She’s a girl. She’ll be married off anyway. It’s a waste.” Back home, Grandma Annie cut another piece of pork just for Mom. I stared at it, drooling. With my chipped bowl filled with nothing but cabbage, I tilted my head up and asked, “Is my brother coming next month? I can’t wait to play with him.” Grandma smiled, adding a few pieces of meat to my bowl. “Soon, Erin. You’ll get to play with him very soon.” The day we’d all been waiting for came, and Grandma called the best midwife from the village. She boiled a big pot of water early that morning. But then things took a turn. They say the first baby is hard to deliver, but after that, it’s supposed to be easier. Not for my mom. She had been struggling in labor for five hours, and my baby brother just wouldn’t come out. The midwife said it was a dangerous delivery and could take a while. Grandma Annie paced outside, anxiously asking for updates every few minutes. Bowl after bowl of bloody water was carried out of the room, and the midwife finally came out with a grim expression. “It’s critical. We need to decide who to save—the mother or the child.” Grandma Annie cursed under her breath, blaming my mom for not protecting her precious grandson. “It’s got to be my grandson! You have to save him!” A while later, the house fell silent. My mom had stopped screaming, and there was no newborn cry either. The midwife came out and told Grandma that the baby was stillborn. Mom hadn’t survived either. Grandma Annie collapsed in loud, uncontrollable sobs, and Dad, who had just returned, silently smoked a cigarette. A few days later, they buried my mom and my brother in a small coffin. Within half a year, Grandma Annie brought Monica into our home.

Monica was from out of town. She didn’t have any family and was working alone around here. Dad, Robert, gave her some money and quickly arranged a small wedding. Monica didn’t seem to like me much. She had a stern face like Lucy, and she wouldn’t let me touch her things. But at least she didn’t lash out at me like Lucy did when she was in a bad mood, looking for reasons to yell at me. Shortly after the wedding, Monica and Dad left to work, leaving Grandma Annie and me to take care of the empty house. The eggs from our chickens? I never saw them. I went to school on nothing but thin cabbage soup. Every morning, though, Grandma Annie would cook an egg—for Jacob, my cousin, who was the same age as me. He never ate it right away. He’d bring it to school and wave it in front of me, savoring every bite. “Your family’s eggs are the best, Erin.” Jacob was in my class and was a troublemaker. He either threatened me into doing his homework or broke his pencils and used mine. One day, I chased him home from school. He hid behind Grandma. “Grandma! Erin’s bullying me!” Grandma’s face turned cold as she patted Jacob on the head. “Erin, don’t bully your cousin. You’re the older one.” But I was only two months older than him. I wanted to explain, but the words were stuck in my throat like fish bones. Grandma didn’t care. She led Jacob to the kitchen with a smile. “Come on, sweetheart. Have another egg so you can grow up to be important.” After dinner, I approached Grandma and said, “Grandma, Jacob broke my pencil. Can I buy a new one?” Grandma frowned and scolded me. “Still holding on to that? Now you’re asking for things too? What does a girl need with all that schooling anyway?” The next day, Jacob showed off a new pencil, bragging, “I told Grandma, and she bought me this one. It’s expensive! You could buy ten cheap ones with this.” I ignored him, carefully pulling out the “pencil” I had found last night—it was actually Monica’s eyebrow pencil, but it would do. As I traced my name on the paper, I could hear Jacob’s mocking laughter. It made me wonder, why did everyone have high hopes for Jacob, who was always at the bottom of the class? And why didn’t anyone care about a girl like me who was top of the class? I lowered my head, too afraid to meet her eyes, nervously twisting the hem of my shirt. “I didn’t have a pencil… so I used it to write… I’m sorry.” The moment I finished speaking, I shut my eyes, bracing myself for the punishment I was sure would come. I expected her to yell or hit me, but instead, she sighed. She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a few pencils. “Don’t use my makeup for that anymore. Here, take these.” I held the pencils in disbelief, my mouth slightly open. I remembered how Grandma Annie always said I should respect Monica. “Thank you, Mom.” The word “Mom” felt strange coming from my mouth. Monica didn’t smile, though. She scolded me instead. “I’m not your mother. Focus on your studies. Go out there and see the world. Understand?” I thought about it for a moment, then went to my room and brought out my collection of bright red certificates. I handed them to her. The cold look on her face softened a bit as she placed the certificates at the bottom of a wooden box and fished out a few candies for me. “This is more like it. I’m not your real mom, Erin. You have to rely on yourself, okay?” I nodded, not fully understanding, but the sweet taste of the candy filled my mouth, a rare treat.

On New Year’s Day, while we were eating dinner, Grandma Annie began pressuring Monica to have a son. “You’d better not end up like Lucy, with no luck and only a worthless girl to show for it.” Monica barely looked up from her food, pretending not to hear. Grandma didn’t give up. She turned her attention to Dad. “Look at you, Robert. You can’t even hold your head up because of that girl.” She set down her bowl and started yelling at me. “What good is raising a daughter? She’s just going to belong to someone else eventually.” I stayed silent, stirring my food without looking up. “Mom, we’re eating,” Dad tried to defend me. Grandma’s face turned sour, and she started rehashing old grievances. “If you’re still kneeling outside the family shrine next year, don’t you dare come crying to me.” In our town, families without sons weren’t allowed to participate in the ancestral rites. After the New Year, Monica and Dad decided to stay for a few months to help with the busy season on the farm. Grandma Annie made it clear that she was expecting Monica to get pregnant soon. Our daily routine didn’t change much, except Monica would sneak me a few candies whenever I won an award at school. Meanwhile, Grandma would head to Monica’s room every day, pressing her about having a child. I thought this would all end once Monica got pregnant. I was even excited, hoping I’d finally get a baby brother and that Monica would become my real mom. But one afternoon, while I was walking home from school, I heard Grandma wailing from a distance. “You’re trying to end the family line!” Grandma was sitting on the ground, crying and pointing at Monica, who stood there, helpless. Dad was trying to calm Grandma down while the neighbors gathered around, whispering to each other. It turned out that Monica couldn’t have children. A local herbal doctor had visited the village, and Grandma, eager for a solution, brought him some eggs to see if he could help. After taking Monica’s pulse, the doctor shook his head and told Grandma that Monica had a cold womb and probably wouldn’t ever have kids. Grandma, furious, threw a fit, demanding that Dad divorce Monica. “It’s bad enough that you gave us a useless girl! Now you want to stay married to a woman who can’t even have kids?” Lindsay, my cousin’s wife, was watching the drama unfold. She whispered to Mrs. Wilson, “Robert has the worst luck. First, his wife dies, and now this one can’t have kids either.” After a day of arguments and pressure from the neighbors, Dad finally gave in and agreed to talk to Monica. That night, I listened from the other room, the dim candlelight casting shadows on the walls. I couldn’t see their faces, but I could hear the sadness in their voices. “We should get a divorce. It’s my fault,” Dad said, his voice shaking as he pulled out their marriage certificate. Monica stayed quiet for a moment before taking the certificate. “You promised me a home.” Dad clenched his jaw, pulling out a stack of cash from a drawer and placing it neatly on the table in front of her. “It’s my fault, but I need a son. You know how my mom is.” Monica didn’t take the money. She started packing her things instead. “We’ll go to the city tomorrow and finalize the divorce. Keep the money. Buy something for your daughter.” I stood by the door, gripping the broom tightly, my heart heavy with fear and a strange sense of sadness. “Is Monica really leaving?” I thought to myself. There would be no more candies when I did well in school, no more small gestures of kindness, and no more soft-boiled eggs waiting for me at the bottom of my soup bowl. Monica stepped outside to take down the laundry. She saw me standing there and, for the first time, smiled at me. She walked over and handed me a small piece of paper with a phone number scribbled on it. “Do you want to come with me?” she asked. I didn’t know what to say, my hands tightening around the broom handle. “I… I don’t know.” She didn’t seem upset. Instead, her smile grew warmer. “Call me if you change your mind. And make sure you keep studying.” The next morning, before the sun had risen, Monica left the house with her few belongings. She and Dad went to the city to finalize the divorce. I slipped that small piece of paper into my book, hiding it away. No one else could know about it.

A few months passed, and Grandma Annie found Dad a new wife. She had been married before and came with a daughter who was older than me. I was expected to call her “Maya.” Grandma liked her because “she’s got good childbearing hips.” The day after the wedding, Maya handed me a pile of clothes and told me to wash them in the river. The ice on the river had just melted, and the water was freezing cold. Carrying a wooden bucket nearly as big as me, I dragged it step by step to the riverbank. Sometimes, the holes I made in the ice would freeze over again, and I’d have to break them open with a hammer, plunging my numb hands back into the icy water. By the time I hauled the bucket back home, my hands were raw and shaking. Maya looked over the clothes and scoffed. “You’re old enough to know how to wash clothes. You want my mom to do it for you?” The new stepmom, Sarah, soon had a baby boy—Jimmy. Grandma, who didn’t care much for Maya before, now tolerated her bullying me. Maya became bolder, bossing me around and treating me however she pleased. Dad was thrilled to have a son and spent most of his time in the city working, leaving me to fend for myself. I was forced to move into a drafty shack outside, while Maya took over the warm, spacious side room. Sarah didn’t like me either. She’d bark orders while holding Jimmy in her arms, and when I didn’t move fast enough, she’d pinch me. Grandma Annie’s world revolved around her precious grandson now. To her, girls were worthless. “Erin, don’t provoke your mom. You know how bad her temper is.” Every night, after washing the dishes for the whole family, I would crawl into my creaky little bed, feeling the cold wind blow through the cracks in the walls. I missed Monica and the candies and soft eggs she used to give me. The year I graduated from elementary school, I got accepted into a middle school in the city. But the tuition was expensive. Maya’s grades were terrible, and she barely managed to get into the worst high school. Jealous, she would complain to Sarah. “Mom, Erin’s tuition is so expensive. We should save that money for Jimmy.” With Maya constantly whispering in their ears, Grandma and Sarah planned to send me to the worst middle school nearby, keeping the money for Jimmy. I wasn’t ready to give up. One night, I sat next to Dad and pleaded with him. “Dad, I want to go to the city for middle school. I promise I’ll make you proud.” Dad looked into my eyes but didn’t say anything. Later that night, I overheard them arguing. Sarah’s sharp voice cut through the thin walls. “It’s a hundred bucks a semester! Why not save that for Jimmy? He’s your son.” “But she’s got potential. I think she could do something with her life.” “She’s a girl, Robert! She’s going to marry off eventually. Have you forgotten that?” Dad’s voice grew quieter. “I’ll talk to her tomorrow.” The next morning, after breakfast, Dad stood in front of me. “Erin, we don’t have the money. Any school is a good school.” I don’t know how I managed to stay calm. I just said, “Okay.” As Dad walked away, Maya grinned at me, her eyes full of mockery. “What happened to our little genius? Not going to the top middle school anymore?” I ignored her, clutching the small piece of paper Monica had given me. I ran to the town office, pretending I needed to make a call to the school. My heart raced as I dialed Monica’s number. When I heard her voice on the other end, I felt my eyes fill with tears. “I’ve made up my mind. I want to go with you.” The next day, Monica appeared at the entrance of the village, looking just as I remembered. I led her straight to my dad. He was stunned. “What are you doing here?” “I’ve decided to adopt Erin.” Dad hadn’t expected this. He sounded defeated as he asked, “Why?” “She wants to go to the top middle school, and I’m willing to take her.” Grandma Annie heard the commotion and came running, holding Jimmy in her arms. Her sharp voice pierced the air, “I raised her, and she’s worth a lot in dowry money. You can’t just take her!”

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During the Christmas holidays, my niece cut up my new dress. She looked at me with innocent eyes and said, “Aunt Rachel, I just wanted to make clothes for my doll. You won’t be mad at me, will you?” I handed her a gift: “Good girl, you did well. This is your reward.” Later, she destroyed a dress worth $30,000 at the mall. I hadn’t been back to my parents’ house for two years, not for any other reason, but because I was afraid of my spoiled and domineering little niece. I still remember the last time, when my eight-year-old niece destroyed all my makeup. She used lipstick as a paintbrush, smearing foundation and face cream everywhere. Not only that, but she also grabbed my phone and snatched my collectible figurines from the cabinet. Unable to bear it any longer, I shouted at the child. To my surprise, at such a young age, she played the victim, saying I bullied her. When my brother and sister-in-law found out, they didn’t do anything about it, just saying, “Rachel, your niece is still young, don’t take it personally.” My mom also sided with her little granddaughter: “Instead of buying all that makeup, you should give your niece some pocket money.” That day, I was furious. I didn’t go home for two years out of anger. Before the holidays this year, my mom made several FaceTime calls, promising that she wouldn’t let my niece touch any of my things again. Most importantly, she said she hadn’t been feeling well these past two years and wanted me to keep her company. My heart softened, and I bought a ticket home, taking a two-day train ride to get there.

Having learned from past experience, I locked all my expensive items in a suitcase and kept my phone with me at all times. After my brother and sister-in-law came in with their child, they let her run wild. My niece, who was already ten years old, showed no manners at all. Her first words to my mom weren’t a greeting, but rather she stretched out her hand, looking like she was demanding payment. My mom still smiled and took out some money, praising her: “My little Lily has grown up and become more beautiful.” Lily made a face, stuck out her tongue, and ran away. Sitting nearby, I felt very uncomfortable and said a few words. “Mom, you’re spoiling her too much. Look at her arrogant attitude, it’s clearly a lack of manners!” My mom waved her hand dismissively: “Lily is still young, she’ll get better as she grows up.” “She’s already ten years old, how is that still young? Besides, this is a basic education issue. If you don’t manage it now, it’ll be even harder to manage later.” “We’re all family, why do we need so many rules?” Just then, my sister-in-law Karen came out of the bathroom and heard our conversation. She took a couple of tissues to wipe her hands, then crumpled them into a ball and threw it in front of me. “Rachel, you’re not still holding a grudge about Lily ruining your lipstick last time, are you?” I cleared my throat and said, “Karen, I’m not dwelling on what happened last time. It’s just that Lily is so big now, and she’s a girl. She should be taught manners.” Karen frowned, the lines on her recently treated eyebrows not fully faded, making her look somewhat comical. “What does being a girl have to do with it? You’re a girl too. The internet says those old-fashioned rules are not good. Don’t tell me you’ve become foolish from too much studying.” “Karen, that’s not what I meant. Lily’s behavior really needs to be restrained.” “Our Lily is a good student in her class. We don’t need you to tell us how to educate her.” With that, she grabbed a bag of chips and started eating, giving me a side-eye. I wasn’t annoyed. I took out my chat history with a friend and showed it to my mom: “Mom, my friend is actually Lily’s math teacher. She told me that every child in the class gets a ‘good student’ award.” My mom held back a laugh and patted my thigh: “Well, that proves our Lily is no worse than other kids.” Karen quickly agreed: “That’s right, Rachel, don’t make trouble out of nothing.” What a joke, speaking the truth is making trouble? I was about to say something when my mom patted my thigh again. Fine, there’s no point talking to them. Since that’s the case, I’ll keep quiet.

At the dinner table, my parents, brother and sister-in-law, and a few other relatives were all present. Lily was poking around her plate with her fork, and soon a plate of salad was covered in her saliva. She pouted and threw down her fork: “Hmph, I don’t like salad. I want to eat barbecue.” Karen gave her a piece of barbecue, smiling and coaxing: “Sweetie, try the beef your grandma grilled.” Lily took one bite and immediately spat it out, complaining: “Yuck, it tastes awful. It’s not as good as what you make, Mom.” You should know that my mom and I had been busy in the kitchen all morning, with no one coming to help. Karen sat in the living room eating chips and watching TV, doing nothing, claiming she couldn’t touch water because of her newly done nails. I smiled and moved the plate of barbecue to my side. “Since Lily doesn’t like it, Aunt Rachel will eat it.” Saying that, I distributed the barbecue to the elders. They all praised: “It’s really good.” “Even better than what you get in restaurants.” Karen’s face instantly darkened, and she kept quiet, eating her food. Not long after, Lily insisted on taking my brother’s phone to play games. My brother angrily scolded: “I told you not to play with my phone, why don’t you ever listen!” Karen pounded on my brother’s chest, yelling: “You play on your phone all day, who knows what kind of floozy you’re hooking up with!” “Karen, you’re asking for a beating…” “Come on then, hit me. If you have the guts, hit me to death.” My brother was about to hit her, and seeing the situation was getting out of hand, everyone rushed to mediate. As the two of them argued, hurling insults back and forth, Lily had disappeared. Maybe the little girl was hiding somewhere to play. Anyway, my makeup and phone were all locked up, she wouldn’t be able to find them. The two eventually backed down under the persuasion of the relatives to “talk it out,” and finally quieted down. In the afternoon, after the guests left, I wanted to go back to my room for a nap. When I opened the door, I felt like I was about to explode with anger!

Lily was holding scissors in her hand, and next to her was my new dress, which had been cut beyond recognition. It was originally hanging in the closet, and I was planning to wear it to a friend’s gathering tomorrow. Now it had been cut into a sieve by this little devil. I was so angry I could have ground my teeth to dust. This dress cost me nearly three hundred dollars, and now she had cut it into rags. I clenched my fists, my body shaking with anger. Just as I was about to burst out in a rage, I met Lily’s pair of innocent, bright eyes. She looked up and called me for the first time since coming in: “Aunt Rachel, I wanted to make clothes for my doll. You won’t be mad at me, will you?” As she spoke, she held up the doll she had clumsily stitched together. The fabric of my poor dress had suffered such a cruel fate. I wasn’t resigned, really not resigned. This child, though young, was very manipulative. If I shouted now that she had cut up my dress, not only would I not get compensation and an apology from my brother and sister-in-law, but my parents would also side with her. Seeing that I didn’t speak, Lily tugged at my pant leg, tears welling up in her eyes: “Aunt Rachel, are you angry?” “It’s just a dress, I’ll pay you back when I grow up.” “Aunt Rachel, Mom says you earn a lot of money at work. You wouldn’t make things difficult for a little kid like me, would you?” I smiled. This child was quite good at emotional blackmail. What kind of thoughts had her mother been instilling in her? Since family education couldn’t teach her, let society do it then. Sooner or later, she would pay the price she deserved. I shook my head, picked her up and put her on the bed, took the crooked doll she had sewn, and only praised: “Lily is so clever, this doll is very beautiful, a thousand times better than me.” Saying this, I took out a bill from my pocket. “Lily, your doll is so beautiful, Aunt Rachel wants to reward you with some pocket money.” “Thank you, Aunt Rachel!” Lily snatched the money and ran to the living room, abandoning the doll. “Mom, look!” Lily proudly handed the bill to Karen. Karen was delighted when she saw it. She stroked Lily’s head: “It’s all because Lily is so likable that your Aunt Rachel gave you so much pocket money.” I stood in place, smiling imperceptibly, clutching the doll tightly in my hand.

Two days later, Karen came home crying, followed by my dejected brother and a bewildered Lily. “Karen, what’s wrong? Didn’t you go out shopping?” my mom asked. “Mom, we can’t go on living like this,” Karen sobbed, barely able to catch her breath. “Lily cut up more than a dozen dresses at the mall, and they’re asking us to pay $30,000 in compensation.” As she spoke, she took out a sales receipt from her bag. The price of each dress was over a thousand dollars. I was so shocked I covered my mouth, though actually, my smile was reaching the sky. Serves them right. Let them face the consequences of not disciplining their daughter properly. My mom nearly fainted, at a loss for what to do. She grabbed my hand: “Rachel, what should we do now?” “Sigh,” I said helplessly, “It’s reasonable for the mall to ask for compensation when their clothes are damaged.” “How could you let the child cut up the clothes in the mall?” I frowned, adding a bit of fuel to the fire. My brother was already furious about this incident, and Karen was crying loudly beside him. Unable to contain his temper, he smashed a teacup: “All you know is how to cry! You didn’t watch the child properly, just chatting with others. Now look what’s happened, they want you to pay $30,000!” Karen, unwilling to back down, also smashed a teacup: “You have the nerve to blame me? As soon as we entered the mall, you disappeared. I called you ten times when the incident happened, and you were always on the phone. What exactly were you doing? You know very well!” “I was contacting clients for business. How else do you think we make money to support the family!” “Stop using work as an excuse to fool me. You were just hooking up with that floozy. Don’t think I don’t know.” The two were about to get physical again. I had to pull my mom away to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. Lily, completely unaware that she had done anything wrong, grabbed some cookies from my room and started eating. In the end, I had to step in to resolve this war. Karen had been slapped, her hairstyle was a mess, and her newly done nails were all ruined. My brother was more severely injured, his face covered in bruises, with a black eye and a bleeding nose. I took the sales receipt and said, “Why don’t we ask the police to mediate?” My brother held his head in his hands, his face full of worry: “This is the price they gave after negotiation. The mediation document is right here.” According to my brother, when Lily was caught in the act by the mall staff, Karen immediately threw a tantrum, pulling out several strands of the saleswoman’s hair. After the mall manager called the police, Karen initially refused to admit it was Lily who did it. The police checked the surveillance footage, and the evidence was conclusive. The mall manager took a firm stance, demanding compensation at the original price. I asked Lily, “Why did you cut up their dresses?” Lily raised her little face defiantly and said, “The girls in my class said I have a talent for design. The dresses in the mall were too ugly, so I wanted to improve them.”

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After a month of continuous overtime, my dark circles were worse than a raccoon’s. I finally managed to complete the project successfully. I was eagerly waiting for a promotion and a raise. The manager called me into his office. “Flora, you’ve been doing great lately. Keep up the good work.” I nodded frantically, waiting for more. ? Silence. I waited a bit longer, still silence. “Is that all?” I asked. The manager seemed to snap out of a trance. “Oh right, I almost forgot the main thing.” I knew it. How could there just be verbal praise? “Here are the materials for the new project. You’ll be in charge again. Try to wrap it up in a month.” Looking at the pile of documents half a foot high, I felt as sick as if I’d eaten something rotten. “Wasn’t I supposed to be promoted to supervisor after completing this project?” The manager got up from his chair and walked over to me, patting my shoulder. “Flora, you’re still young. You’ll have plenty of opportunities. Besides, this is just a small supervisor position. After you complete a few more projects, I’ll apply to headquarters for an exception to promote you to manager.” I didn’t buy his empty promises at all. “So who got it this time?” “Erin.” A newcomer who’d been here less than six months. “Leslie, what do you mean? You’re not promoting me but a newbie instead? Did you hit your head or something?” The manager wasn’t just my boss but also my boyfriend. He knew better than anyone how hard I’d worked for this promotion opportunity. Forget about holidays, I’d been working around the clock. “Leslie, you’d better give me an explanation, or no one’s going to have a good time.” Leslie’s face darkened. “Flora, this is the company. I’m your superior. Just follow orders.” Then his tone became more soothing. “Flora, I’m your boyfriend. How could I hurt you? I worked hard to get this project for you. You’ll get your rewards later, okay?” It’s always next time. “Stop making empty promises. I’m not falling for it.” When I returned to my desk with the documents, Erin was receiving congratulations from our colleagues. As soon as she saw me, she rushed over and hugged me. “Flora, I’m so sorry. I don’t know why the boss chose me. We all thought it would be you. You’re not mad at me, are you?” “I’ll go ask the manager right away if there’s been a mistake.” I pushed her away irritably. “Sure, why wait? Go ask him now.” Erin’s expression changed. She lowered her head and said nothing. After a while, she sent a message in the group chat saying she wanted to treat everyone to dinner. Instantly, the group chat was filled with congratulations. It was so annoying. “Flora, you’re coming, right? I want your blessing the most. If it weren’t for your constant help, I wouldn’t have had this opportunity.” “Everyone says you’re stupid and incompetent, but now it seems you’re quite smart. You know you don’t deserve it.” “Erin, weren’t you going to ask the manager? Why haven’t you gone yet? It turns out your gratitude to me was all fake.” I deliberately softened my tone, sounding pitiful. Erin stood across from me, speechless, her face awkward. She really thought everyone would fall for her fake act. How ridiculous.

In the evening, Erin treated our department to dinner at a restaurant that cost $50 per person. She was really generous. With good food, everyone was naturally happy. Only I was out of place. “Flora, it’s all in the past now. Don’t act like everyone owes you something.” I rolled my eyes at Leslie. “My salary this month is incorrect. I didn’t get the project bonus.” Leslie turned away, pretending not to hear. I felt a sense of unease rising in my heart. I pulled Leslie over. “The project bonus was $3,000. Why didn’t I receive a penny?” Seeing that I wouldn’t let it go, he said, “The project is Erin’s, so naturally the bonus is hers too.” No wonder she was being so generous today. I lost the promotion, I can bear it. I lost the bonus, I can bear that too. But losing both the promotion and the bonus? I can’t take it! Leslie saw that I was angry and leaned in to whisper a warning in my ear. “Control yourself a bit. We’ll talk about this later.” I threw a glass of red wine in Leslie’s face. “Control myself? Screw you!” The previously lively private room suddenly fell silent. Everyone stared at us in confusion. Leslie struggled to contain his anger. “Haha, it’s nothing. Flora just lost her grip on the wine glass. Please, everyone, carry on.” Erin was the first to react. She quickly grabbed some napkins and started wiping the wine off Leslie’s face. “Flora, you’re a grown woman. How can you be so clumsy?” I used to think she was cute, having just graduated and with a baby face. Her soft-spoken manner made me instinctively want to take care of her more. Now I see I took care of her too well. Even my boyfriend is hers now. Just look at how intimate they are. If there’s nothing going on between them, I’ll eat my hat. Erin finished wiping Leslie’s face and was about to say something to me, but I spoke first. “Don’t yell at me. I’ve been afraid of dogs since I was little.” Leslie slammed the table and stood up, pointing at me. “Flora, when will you stop? Everyone’s here to celebrate Erin’s promotion. Don’t ruin everyone’s mood with your emotions.” Siding with an outsider against his girlfriend, Leslie really outdid himself. I busted my ass off, and now all my achievements have been stolen. I’m supposed to swallow my blood and tears and happily celebrate for the person who stole my bonus and position? My life is just as valuable as hers. I’m not happy today, so no one else gets to be happy either, especially Erin and Leslie. I knocked down Leslie’s hand pointing at me. “Your happiness is none of my business.” Then I turned to Erin, “No merit, no hard work. I don’t know what shady methods you used, but since you got it, keep your tail between your legs. Don’t act like you’re so capable. It’s disgusting.” Erin’s face turned red, unable to come up with a retort for a long time. She only knew how to play the victim. “Flora, I know you’re upset about not being chosen. You misunderstand me, but I don’t blame you.” Then she reddened her eyes, tears welling up, looking pitiful. Seeing this, several male colleagues began to criticize me. “Flora, you’re going too far. We’ve known Erin for so long. We know what kind of person she is. The company must have its reasons for choosing her.” Erin usually sweet-talks these guys, calling them “brother” this and that, acting cute. These men in the department just eat it up. “Yeah, you’re so generous. Since you completed the project, why don’t you give her the credit? I remember last month’s bonus was $2,000, right? Transfer it! Do it right in front of me! Let me learn what kind of reason it is.” I stood on the chair, looking down at the male colleague, holding his phone up to his eyes. The male colleague stood there woodenly, not speaking or taking the phone. “Use your brain before you open your mouth next time.” I turned to another male colleague who had criticized me. “I know you don’t speak well, but you don’t have to spew garbage with your mouth.” Seeing my increasingly arrogant attitude, Leslie put on his leadership act. “Flora, I order you to apologize to Erin right now.” “I’m not in customer service. I’m not good at apologizing for things that aren’t my fault.” After I finished speaking, Erin’s tears came pouring down. Even while crying, she didn’t forget to disgust me one more time. “I’m… sorry. It’s all my fault… for making everyone unhappy.” I didn’t forget to keep fanning the flames. “That’s right, it’s all your fault.” “Flora, if you don’t want to eat, just get out of here.” Who says I don’t want to eat? When someone else is paying, why wouldn’t I eat? Not only will I eat, but I’ll eat well. I called the waiter over to order more dishes. When he came in, his eyes darted frantically between us. After all, at our table, some people had iron-gray faces, some had black faces, some were in tears, and then there was me with a smile I couldn’t hide. Today, I offended a lot of people at this dinner without realizing it. Sorry, I’ll dare to do it again next time. You need to know that although I can’t make everyone happy, I can make everyone unhappy.

After venting my anger, I felt refreshed. I even slept more comfortably that night. In the morning, I was in such a good mood that I put on makeup before going to work. I had barely sat down at my desk when Leslie called me to his office. “Why didn’t you answer your phone last night?” I lazily sat on the sofa. “I don’t like listening to dogs bark.” “Flora, do you have to make things so tense over such a small matter?” Such a small matter?! This man is actually still my boyfriend. My mistake. I slapped Leslie across the face, then grabbed his hair with both hands. Leslie bent over in pain, and I took the opportunity to kick him twice. “A small matter? I work my ass off every day not for money, am I here to pray? You give my bonus to another woman, and you have the nerve to tell me it’s a small matter.” “Leslie, you seem to have forgotten one thing: there are no small matters when it comes to your girlfriend.” With that, I let go of Leslie and gave him one last kick in the stomach. Leslie roared in pain. “Flora, we’re done.” “If we’re done, I’m the one dumping you. You and Erin have been hooking up for a while, haven’t you? You two do look more compatible than us. Cupid’s trash sorting seems quite on point.” Leslie dusted off his shirt. “I’ve had enough of you for a long time. You have no femininity, all you know is work all day.” “You’re not qualified to criticize me.” I rolled up my sleeves. Today, if I don’t beat Leslie into submission, my name isn’t Flora! “Leslie, I think you need a beating!” We started fighting in the office. Although as a woman I’m naturally at a disadvantage in terms of strength, I have long nails, I can scratch and pull hair, and I’m not afraid to bite. I’m quite fierce. Due to the commotion, colleagues came to check on us. Erin was the first to rush in. Seeing the nail marks and blood on Leslie’s face and neck. She spread her arms like an eagle protecting its chicks, standing in front of Leslie. “Flora, if you’re angry, take it out on me. Don’t hurt the innocent. Leslie is just following the rules.” You asked for it. Come at you it is. Just as I was about to act again, a female colleague I’m close with pulled me away. “Flora, you’ve beaten him and cursed him out. If you keep going, you’ll be the one who suffers. The manager is clearly paving the way for his girlfriend.” I looked at her in confusion. Has my secret relationship with Leslie been exposed? But is this how you pave the way for your girlfriend? “Erin doesn’t know how to do anything. If she hadn’t latched onto Leslie, she would have been fired long ago.” “When did you find out they were together?” Seeing my confusion, the female colleague looked shocked. “They’ve been subtly flaunting their relationship on social media for almost a month. Don’t tell me you didn’t know?” Very good. I, the official girlfriend, only found out yesterday. Now I just want to transform into a monkey in the park and slap both of them.

My colleague and I opened Erin’s social media at the same time. On my end, only two posts were visible: one was about working overtime last month, and the other was yesterday’s, with a picture of the HR appointment and text thanking the company and colleagues for their trust. But on my colleague’s end, there were over a dozen posts. [Text: Someone said dining with me should be at a romantic place. Picture: An atmospheric French fine dining restaurant.] Looking at the date, I was working overtime writing the proposal at that time. This restaurant is a popular spot for couples online. I had mentioned it to Leslie before, but he said these trendy places were overpriced and not worth it. In the end, we ate hotpot downstairs. [Text: Collecting moments of accessible heartbeats. Picture: A photo of them making heart shapes at an art exhibition.] Although only one hand is visible, the watch on Leslie’s wrist is the one I gave him. Looking at the date, that day I was at the company revising the proposal. Leslie said it still wasn’t good enough. [Text: Just one look, and someone bought it right away. Picture: The latest iPhone model.] Looking at the date, Leslie gave it to Erin the day after I gave it to him. At the time, he had hinted that his phone was broken but he couldn’t afford a new one. I had just gotten paid, so I bought it right away. When I saw he wasn’t using it, I asked about it. He said it was stolen when he went out. He felt very guilty about it, and I was planning to buy another one when I got the bonus this time. For the first time in my 25 years of life, I doubted my own intelligence. Girls, spending money on men will bring you bad luck for eight lifetimes. Looking through the posts one by one, my fists were clenched tighter than a fish-killing knife. At this moment, I wanted to transform into an octopus so I could slap Leslie and Erin eight times at once. Just as I was thinking this, Erin returned to her desk. When our eyes met, she glared at me fiercely. I used to think this young girl was quite cute, but now I realize she’s actually quite ugly. Especially when I saw the phone she put on her desk. That phone was bought with my money! My money! Money! I can’t take it anymore! I snatched the phone from Erin’s desk and stormed into Leslie’s office again. Seeing me, Leslie’s eyes visibly showed fear. I handed the phone to his desk. “I found the stolen phone. Let’s call the police.” Before Leslie could speak, Erin, who had followed me in, questioned me first. “Flora, why did you grab my phone?” “Leslie said you stole his phone. He’s going to report it to the police.” “What are you talking about? This is my phone.” Leslie lowered his head, not daring to speak.

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I had just given birth to my second child when my husband, Ryan Carter, hired a 24-year-old nanny named Lena to help me out. Lena was young, beautiful, and efficient. But I never expected my older daughter Stella to say, “I like Aunt Lena. She smells like mommy. Her waist is slimmer than yours, and she’s prettier…” I had just given birth to my second child. My husband, Ryan, was worried about me taking care of two kids alone, so he hired a nanny from an agency. The nanny’s name was Lena, born in 1999. She was young and pretty, and very efficient at her job. She would always call me “sister” in a very friendly manner. Although I was a bit concerned about having such a young and beautiful girl in our house, after interacting with her, I found Lena to be quite nice, so I let her stay. Ryan said he chose Lena mainly because she looked young and sensible. He told me that older nannies often became set in their ways, slacking off at work and pocketing money from grocery shopping. So he thought it was better to hire someone inexperienced like Lena. Firstly, it would save money, and secondly, she would be more agile and efficient. After Lena had been working for a few days, it was indeed as Ryan said. She didn’t try to pocket any money and was quick with her work. “Here are the receipts for this month’s groceries. Please take a look,” Lena said, handing me neatly organized receipts. I could clearly see what she bought each day at a glance. We had hired nannies before, and the previous one would always slack off and inflate the prices of vegetables and fish, but the food she cooked was terrible. Compared to them, Lena was truly an excellent household staff. “Lena, I’ve transferred the money to you. I trust your work,” I said without hesitation as I sent her the money. Two months passed, and I became increasingly satisfied with Lena. One night when Ryan came home, I discussed with him, “Honey, Lena is very diligent and honest. Why don’t we give her a raise?” Ryan hugged me. He had been working very hard lately and was now too tired to keep his eyes open. “Okay, whatever you say, darling.” Ryan didn’t seem interested in the matter of Lena, which actually made me feel quite comfortable. After all, Lena was a young and beautiful nanny, and I hadn’t fully regained my figure after giving birth. I was actually a bit worried that the contrast between Lena and me was too stark, to the point where my husband might take a liking to Lena. But now, Ryan’s reaction put my mind at ease. I became even more satisfied with Lena and gave her a $200 raise the next day. Lena was extremely grateful and even bought me a lipstick to thank me. Although the lipstick wasn’t expensive, it was still a gesture of goodwill from the young girl. I appreciated her thoughtfulness and liked Lena even more. That day, my older daughter Stella came running to me, saying she wanted to sleep with Aunt Lena that night. I pinched Stella’s cheek and asked, “Sweet Stella, why do you want to sleep with Aunt Lena?” Stella raised her chubby little face and said, “Because Aunt Lena tells Stella stories, and Aunt Lena smells like mommy.” I was amused by Stella’s innocent words. I rubbed her head and agreed to her request. “Lena, you can go to her room and sleep with her tonight,” I said with a smile to Lena, who nodded and took Stella’s hand to her room. As Lena passed by me, I caught a whiff of a familiar scent. But having just given birth, my sense of smell wasn’t very sensitive, and I couldn’t quite place what the scent was.

Stella had been getting more and more attached to Lena lately. I was happy about this, as it would be too tiring if both children were always clinging to me. My younger son, Sunny, wasn’t even six months old yet and still needed his mother. With Lena taking care of Stella, I felt much more relaxed. One day when Ryan came home from work, Stella dragged him to play Monopoly. Stella, Lena, and Ryan were all having a great time. “Daddy, Stella is going to win!” Stella said proudly to Ryan, holding her cards. Ryan affectionately patted Stella’s head and said, “Stella, you’re amazing!” Lena was smiling beside them, her eyes curved into crescents. “Yes, our Stella is the best!” Seeing Stella so happy, I went over to join them. “Stella, mommy’s coming to play with you too.” But I wasn’t very good at the game and was soon dismissed by Stella. “Mommy, you don’t know how to play. Stella will just play with daddy and Aunt Lena.” Being rejected by my daughter made me feel a bit hurt, but I didn’t stay to play with them. “Aunt Lena, this time Stella wants to team up with you! Because you’re better than daddy,” Stella said. Stella loved playing games with Lena because Lena was good at these little games and had the patience to play with her. Hearing Stella’s innocent words, Ryan teased, “I see, now Aunt Lena is more important to Stella than daddy. You can just play with Aunt Lena from now on.” Stella let out a soft “hmph” and went to hold Lena’s arm. “I like Aunt Lena the most.” Seeing Stella and Lena’s close relationship made me feel a bit sour. Moreover, the three of them sitting together looked like a family, and I felt like I was being excluded. But then I thought it was funny. Stella was just a child, she liked whoever played with her. Why should I be jealous of Lena, a nanny? I must be overthinking things after just giving birth. That night, Stella once again clung to Lena, wanting Lena to sleep with her. I readily agreed. After all, it would be too tiring to accompany Stella to sleep and also take care of Sunny. I felt at ease with Lena sleeping with Stella. Besides, Ryan and I hadn’t had time alone for a long time. I wanted to spend some quality time with Ryan tonight. “Honey, we haven’t had a chance to talk, just the two of us, for a long time,” I said, hugging Ryan and giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Darling, you’ve been working so hard taking care of two children by yourself. It’s good that Lena is helping us with Stella now, so we can have some time together,” Ryan said, kissing me on the lips. His hands started wandering over my body. “Honey, it’s been a long time since we’ve been intimate.” I eagerly cooperated with Ryan, reaching out to unbutton his collar. Ryan lifted my skirt, but his wandering hands suddenly froze. “Honey, your stomach hasn’t recovered yet?” Ryan said calmly, but I could see a hint of disgust in his eyes. I looked down at my stomach, which was full of stretch marks and scars from the C-section and weight gain. It could be described as a mess of valleys and ridges. No wonder Ryan was disgusted. Even I found this stomach repulsive.

“Should we continue?” I asked, looking at Ryan a bit nervously. I had thought about going to the hospital for laser treatment and scar removal, but I simply didn’t have the time for that now. Taking care of two children had already left me exhausted, let alone with Sunny being so young and still needing to be breastfed. I couldn’t leave him for a moment. I knew that the longer I waited to treat the scars, the harder they would be to remove. I had tried scar removal creams, but they didn’t have much effect. Ryan looked at my stomach and let out a deep sigh. He turned over and lay down on the bed. “Honey, I’m suddenly feeling tired. Maybe next time.” Ryan turned off the bedside lamp and put his arm around me as he fell into a deep sleep. Even though his embrace was so warm, why did I feel cold all over? I couldn’t help but let a tear roll down my cheek. Ryan had finally become disgusted with me, disgusted with my body full of valleys and ridges after giving birth to two children. As I cried, I fell asleep. I dreamed of when Ryan and I first met. I was a dance teacher. He said he passed by my dance studio and saw me dancing gracefully like an angel. He fell in love with me at first sight. He said he loved my beautiful face, my soft waist, and even more, he loved how I silently sacrificed for him by staying at home to take care of our two children. Every time I heard him say these things, I would be deeply moved, feeling that I had truly married the right person. But after I gave birth to two children, when my appearance and figure were no longer as beautiful and delicate as before, Ryan turned out to be just like ordinary men, starting to find me repulsive. I don’t doubt that he loves me, just not as much as before. When I woke up early the next morning, my eyes were swollen. I hadn’t slept well and had been crying, making me look even more haggard. “Honey, I’ll bring you some supplements when I come home tonight. Look how haggard you’ve become,” Ryan said, though he was being thoughtful, I still felt a bit upset. Lena had made us breakfast early in the morning. Ryan took a bite and praised her, “Lena, your cooking has been getting better and better lately.” Stella chimed in from the side, “Aunt Lena’s cooking is really good, even better than mommy’s!” Lena seemed a bit embarrassed and smiled, “It can’t be better than your mom’s cooking, Stella. Don’t say that.” As Lena said this, she bent over to place a plate of fruit on the dining table, revealing a section of her slender waist. When Stella saw this, she laughed and said, “Aunt Lena, your waist is so slim, not at all like my mom’s thick one.” Stella’s words instantly made me sad. Although Stella was telling the truth, seeing Lena’s slender waist still made me feel a surge of inferiority. Ryan also heard Stella’s words. Although Ryan didn’t say anything, the gaze he cast on Lena’s waist made me very uncomfortable. There was admiration for a beautiful body in his eyes, while when he saw my ugly scars, Ryan’s eyes only held disgust. Probably noticing my dejected expression, Ryan comforted me, “Megan, you’re the most beautiful in my heart.” Ryan called my name and complimented me, but I didn’t feel happy because his gaze still couldn’t help but glance at Lena as he said this.

After the incident at the breakfast table, I inexplicably developed some opinions about Lena. I told myself in my heart not to be so petty. Lena was efficient in her work and had never done anything to wrong me. How could I have opinions about her just because she was younger and prettier than me? Megan Young, oh Megan Young, are you being too sensitive because of your pregnancy? I despised myself for this kind of small-mindedness. When I saw Lena’s sincere eyes looking at me, I even felt disgusted with myself. How could I treat the young girl like this just because I wasn’t pretty enough and didn’t have a good figure? Due to my guilty conscience, that day when I went out to buy things, I also brought back a new dress for Lena. Lena was so happy when she received the new dress that she tried it on in her room. “Thank you, sis! Why are you so good to me?” Seeing Lena so happy, the guilt in my heart also dissipated a bit. Lena was so happy that she even rushed over to hug me. But with this hug, I once again smelled the fragrance on Lena’s body. It was very familiar— Because I also had this perfume. The last time I didn’t think much about it, so I didn’t recognize it, but this time I smelled it carefully. This was clearly my perfume! I didn’t think Lena and I were using the same product because this perfume was custom-made by a friend of mine who works as a perfumer in France. There was no possibility of having the same scent. Moreover, Lena was just a little nanny. How could she afford a perfume that could be custom-made by a perfumer? There was only one possibility: Lena had secretly used my perfume. My eyes narrowed, but I didn’t say anything. After all, Lena was still young, and secretly using a bit of perfume wasn’t a big mistake. I gave Lena a meaningful look but said nothing as I left her room. Before I left, Lena was still happily trying on clothes, not noticing anything unusual about me. Maybe it was unintentional, I comforted myself. But after this incident, I couldn’t help but observe Lena, and I found some coincidences that were hard to explain. For example, the lipstick colors Lena usually wore were brick red and mauve, coincidentally the only two colors I kept after getting pregnant and throwing away my previous makeup. Also, Lena’s dressing style was almost identical to mine before I got pregnant. Almost all the styles of old clothes I had in my closet could be found on Lena. What made me even more suspicious was that Lena only had two days off a month, yet she, who had never learned dance before, went to learn ballet— And I was a ballet teacher before I got married. Everything Lena did seemed like she was imitating me, or rather, becoming me. This feeling made me very uncomfortable. I decided to talk to Lena openly and ask her if she was indeed imitating me. I walked to Lena’s room but found her wearing an extremely revealing ballet costume, admiring her impressive figure in the mirror. I was very confused. Just as I was about to walk in, she reached out and tore the clothes, leaving her almost naked. But there was a special kind of seduction about it. She made a phone call, “Have you made up your mind? If you have, come back.” Who was she calling? What had they made up their mind about, and where were they coming back to? Just as I was trying to understand, I heard the sound of our front door being opened. It was my husband coming back! Why would Ryan be back at this time? It was only three in the afternoon. Ryan should be at work in the office right now. I thought about the phone call Lena had just made, and suddenly had a premonition. Could it be that the person Lena called to come home— Was Ryan?

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294690”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #重生Reborn #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #浪漫Romance #玄幻Fantsy #惊悚Thriller #魔幻Magic #校园School #擦边Steamy