Category: English

In the kitchen, Lachlan pressed against my back, trapping me against the counter. He reached one hand under my apron while casually feeding me a strawberry with the other. My face flushed red. He chuckled suggestively, “Stepsister, you sure know how to bite.” Mom turned to look at me from the dining room across the way, asking with concern, “Avalon, are you cold? Why are you shaking?” I never imagined the person I had a crush on for three years would become my stepbrother. The day I moved into the Harrison house with my mom, I was standing at the doorway when a bucket of water was dumped on me, soaking me from head to toe. Water dripped steadily off my clothes. Lachlan sauntered over with the empty bucket, looking me up and down with a nasty smirk. “Oops, my hand slipped. But…” He paused, “You’re barely wearing anything, so I’m sure you wanted to cool off anyway.” I looked down and realized my white shirt had gone completely see-through, revealing the color of my bra underneath. Horrified, I quickly crossed my arms over my chest. Lachlan’s laughter grew even more unrestrained. He must have seen everything! The thought made my face burn with embarrassment. “Lachlan!” His brother Callum rushed over. A jacket with a faint soapy scent fell over my shoulders as Callum stepped in front of me, ushering me inside. “Avalon, go change first. I’ll deal with him later.” He pushed me into the downstairs bathroom, where I stood in shock. My heart was still pounding. I had finally seen Lachlan in person. He was just as handsome as before, unchanged. Except… he didn’t seem to welcome me. I suppose that makes sense, given that my mom had broken up his family. Bang bang bang! Loud knocking on the door made me jump back several steps. As I hesitated nervously, Lachlan’s voice came from outside: “I brought you some clothes.” My heart, which had just calmed down, started racing again. I looked at my soaked, disheveled reflection in the mirror and didn’t dare open the door. But Lachlan started turning the doorknob. Thank goodness I had locked it. When he couldn’t open it, he threatened, “If you don’t open up, I’m going to kick the door down.” “Don’t think I won’t. I’ll count to three – one, two…” Of course I knew he would do it. Lachlan always followed through on his threats. I looked around frantically and grabbed a towel to wrap around myself. Just as he reached “three,” I rushed to the door and opened it. Lachlan was leaning casually against the doorframe with my clothes draped over his arm. He was very tall, looking down at me with his striking features – high cheekbones, a sharp nose with a small mole at the tip. His eyes swept over my chest and he smirked disdainfully. “Why are you covering up? Weren’t you trying to show off and seduce someone?” “No, I wasn’t,” I protested quietly, my voice thick with hurt. I had never intended to seduce anyone. “Avalon, don’t play innocent. Your mom’s a homewrecker and you’re just a little seductress. Your mom seduced my dad, and now you’re here to seduce my brother.” He frowned with obvious irritation. “Take off my brother’s jacket!” I froze, not daring to move. If I took it off he would see everything. But if I didn’t listen to him, he would get angry. “Take it off!” he repeated. Nervously clutching the towel around me, I glanced at the clothes on his arm and said, “Give me the dry clothes first.” Lachlan held up the clothes in his arms. I immediately reached out to take them, but he quickly pulled them back. “You want them? Beg me for them.” Lachlan tilted his head, smiling slightly as he looked at me. “Give them to me!” I lunged forward. Lachlan was quick, raising the clothes high above his head. I jumped but still couldn’t reach them. How tall was he exactly?! I had to jump even higher. This time I used more force, but I was still just short. Not only did I fail to grab the clothes, I lost my balance when I landed and stumbled forward into Lachlan. “Tsk.” I heard his mocking laugh. “Are you trying to copy your mom’s tricks and seduce me?” Lachlan taunted. I suddenly realized my entire body was pressed against him, especially my upper half which was squished right against his arm. Even worse, in the commotion the towel I had wrapped around myself had nearly fallen off, barely covering anything. I quickly clutched the towel tighter and turned away from him. “What’s wrong? Not going to continue?” Lachlan said. “Those weak moves won’t be enough to seduce my brother, you know.” That’s not it, I never intended to seduce anyone. But at this point, no matter what I said, he wouldn’t believe me. My heart was full of hurt, tears threatening to spill from my eyes. I knew Lachlan hated me and my mom. After all, his mother had only passed away recently, and now my mom had moved in with me, taking his mother’s place. I understood why he hated me. But he shouldn’t misunderstand me like this. “Lachlan!” Callum’s voice rang out. “What are you doing? Blocking a girl’s way to the bathroom is incredibly rude!” “Brother, why do you always take her side?” “Avalon just moved in, you should be more considerate. Besides, she’s older than you, so she’s your stepsister. Don’t be so disrespectful. Give her the clothes.” Lachlan quickly retorted, “I don’t have a stepsister like her.” “Give her the clothes!” Callum ordered firmly. Lachlan glared at me before finally handing over the clothes, gritting out, “Here you go, stepsister.” Callum sighed and said to me, “Avalon, I’m sorry. He’s always been ill-mannered. Go ahead and change.” I took the clothes and whispered a thank you, then closed the door. Soon after, I heard them walk away. Alone in the bathroom, I hugged the clean clothes and finally broke down crying. I had a crush on Lachlan for three years, but in the end, I became his stepsister, hated by him.

After changing and coming out, Callum said the whole family would have dinner together later. I already knew Callum before moving in – he was my teacher’s star student. I never expected that connection would come into play here. He was following my teacher’s wishes by looking out for me. At the dinner table, my mom’s eyes were glued to Uncle Harrison, barely noticing me. I didn’t want to draw attention to myself either, so I ate quietly. But Uncle Harrison brought me up anyway. “I hear Avalon is Callum’s junior at school. What a coincidence!” Uncle Harrison looked at me approvingly. “If you ever need anything, just ask Callum. He’s very reliable.” “I understand, Uncle,” I said in a small voice. Uncle Harrison was clearly pleased, praising me: “Such a good girl.” Just as he finished speaking, someone scoffed loudly. Lachlan stabbed his chopsticks into his bowl, saying, “What an act.” Uncle Harrison’s face immediately darkened as he scolded, “Lachlan, don’t be rude.” Callum also gave him a warning look. He said, “Avalon just joined our family and she’s a girl. You should take better care of her.” I thought Lachlan would argue back, but he said, “Fine, I’ll take good care of my stepsister from now on and bond with her.” Then he smiled at me. I shuddered, sensing that smile wasn’t as innocent as it seemed. With him behaving, we managed to finish dinner without further incident. After dinner, I didn’t dare linger in the living room and went straight to my room. I was unpacking when someone knocked on the door. Thinking it was my mom, I quickly put down what I was holding and went to open it. But when I looked up, I saw Lachlan instead. I froze for two seconds, instinctively trying to close the door, but Lachlan wedged his foot between the door and the frame. “You…” I had only said one word before he forcefully pushed his way in. Bang. He closed the door behind him. “What… what are you doing?” I backed up two steps. Lachlan scanned the room with interest before saying, “You like my brother?” What kind of strange question was that? I quickly shook my head. “Why are you shaking your head? Isn’t my brother the reason you moved into our house?” he said. “No, he’s not,” I denied again. Lachlan moved closer, looking down at me. “Then why did you move in? Your mom said you originally didn’t want to move here.” I was at a loss for words. It was true that I initially didn’t want to move in with my mom, but when I found out Lachlan was back home, I agreed. How could I tell him that I moved in because of him? When I didn’t answer for a long time, Lachlan took my silence as confirmation and warned me through gritted teeth: “You little seductress, don’t you dare try to seduce my brother!” I couldn’t explain myself, so I just said, “Get out!” Lachlan glared at me, about to turn around when someone knocked on the door again. This time, it was his brother Callum. “Avalon, it’s Callum. Do you have a moment?” I was about to speak when the person in front of me suddenly covered my mouth. My eyes widened in shock as I tried to pry his hand away. Lachlan smirked and pressed me against the door, releasing his hand. He leaned down and kissed me, once again silencing me. In that moment, my mind went blank. He actually kissed me! How could he kiss me? “Avalon, are you there?” Callum’s voice snapped me back to reality. We were kissing with just a door separating us from his brother. This realization made my blood boil with shame. I quickly pushed Lachlan away. But he leaned in even closer, pinning my hands above my head as he whispered, “Stepsister, better not make a sound. You wouldn’t want my brother to hear.” Then he kissed me even more fiercely. “Avalon, are you alright?” Callum sounded worried after getting no response for so long. I couldn’t push Lachlan away, so I steeled myself and kicked him hard. Lachlan hissed in pain. “Ouch, stepsister, that was mean. Are you that eager to open the door for him?” I glared at him, not daring to speak for fear I would start crying. Lachlan smirked and said, “Fine, let’s let my brother see what you look like right now.” “He doesn’t know you like him, right? “I wonder what he’ll think if he finds out you like him but are also kissing his brother in your room? “Stepsister, I’m so curious to know.” I looked at him in horror, whispering, “What are you going to do?” Lachlan didn’t answer. His hand silently reached behind me and grasped the doorknob. I realized what he was about to do and softened my voice to plead with him: “No, don’t open the door.” At this moment, I was still in his embrace, our position intimate. If the door opened and Callum saw us like this, I wouldn’t be able to explain no matter how hard I tried. I didn’t know what the consequences would be. But Lachlan was like the devil as he pressed down on the doorknob. Click. “Lachlan…” The door opened and I thought it was all over. In the next second, I was spun around and a hand on my waist pushed me forward. I stumbled a few steps and steadied myself at the doorway. The door closed behind me. I carefully looked back but didn’t see Lachlan. My heart finally settled down. “Avalon, what’s wrong? Why are your lips so red?” Callum asked curiously. I turned my head, instinctively covering my lips with my hand. I hadn’t noticed before, but now my lips felt like they were on fire. “It’s nothing,” I said, quickly changing the subject. “Callum, what did you want to see me about?” Callum said, “It’s nothing major. I wanted to apologize for earlier today. Lachlan isn’t a bad kid, he just has a temper. Please don’t take it personally.” I shook my head and said, “I didn’t take it to heart.” Callum smiled gently. “I know you’re good-natured and won’t mind, but if he bullies you in the future, you have to tell me.” I nodded in agreement. “Mm.” Callum said a few more things before handing me a glass of milk and leaving reassured. As soon as he left, I quickly opened the door. Lachlan stood by the door with his arms crossed, expressionless as he stared at me. “You…” I didn’t dare go in. Lachlan smirked coldly: “You sure listen to my brother well.” After speaking, he took the milk from my hand and drank half of it in one go, his Adam’s apple bobbing. I stared at him blankly. The next second, Lachlan grabbed my chin and suddenly poured milk into my mouth. I was caught off guard and choked badly. When I looked up again, Lachlan’s face held a hint of a smile, as if somewhat satisfied. Long after he left, I still couldn’t calm down. It seemed I had thoroughly provoked him. By the time I lay in bed, my mom finally came to see me. I thought she had come to check on me, but she told me to endure it and not provoke the two young masters of the Harrison family, especially Lachlan. “Mom has no choice. I just arrived in this family and it’s not easy. Your Uncle Harrison won’t even agree to marry me yet…” I bit my lip and nodded. “I understand.”

After a night of tossing and turning, I woke up late the next day. When I came out, they were already eating breakfast. Callum wasn’t there, he must have gone out. My mom saw me and gave me a reproachful look. Uncle Harrison seemed quite happy though. After some small talk, he told me to quickly sit down and eat breakfast. As soon as I sat down, Lachlan said, “Stepsister, Mom said your soup is delicious. I really want to try it.” My mom immediately chimed in, “Yes, it’s her specialty.” Then she said to me, “Avalon, go to the kitchen and make some soup for Lachlan.” Seeing the mischievous glint in Lachlan’s eyes, I knew he was doing this on purpose. But I had no choice. I could only obediently go to the kitchen to make soup for him. It’s not actually difficult, just takes some time. At least this way I didn’t have to eat at the same table as them. But just as I was halfway through, Lachlan also came into the kitchen. He said he was there to help me. For just one pot of soup, what help did I need? He was probably here to tease me. But he had already come in and was taking a bowl of strawberries out of the fridge. “I heard you like strawberries.” He put the strawberries in the sink. “I bought these especially for you.” Every time he called me “stepsister,” I felt like he was up to no good. “Stepsister, try one and see if they’re good.” He held out a strawberry to my lips. I instinctively took a step back, looking at him apprehensively. He smiled and asked in a low voice, “Why are you running away?” Then he quickly stepped forward, pressing against my back. “You…” I had just opened my mouth when he grabbed my hand and continued, “Stepsister, teach me. Once I learn, I can make soup for my dad.” He was really too close, and this was an open kitchen with the dining table right across from us. My mom must have heard because she laughed and said, “Avalon, go ahead and teach Lachlan. You’re stepsiblings now, one family. There’s nothing to hide.” I nodded in agreement and shifted forward a bit, not wanting to touch Lachlan behind me. At the same time, I reminded him, “You can just stand to the side.” “Stepsister, I prefer to learn from behind,” he said as he squeezed even closer. I was practically bent over the counter. Suddenly Lachlan reached around and grabbed my waist, pulling me back against him. “Stepsister, that position was dangerous,” he said in a low voice by my ear. I was startled and my hand shook, dropping the spoon into the pot. “Lachlan, you…” I wanted to tell him he was too close. But unexpectedly, his hand on my waist continued to wander. My whole body froze. “Stepsister, if you don’t get the spoon soon it’ll be too late,” he reminded me. I hurriedly picked up the spoon and continued stirring the soup. My other hand reached down to where the counter blocked the view, grabbing Lachlan’s wandering hand. But Lachlan caught my hand instead, gently kneading it. I widened my eyes in shock. He was just trying to take advantage of me! “Stepsister, isn’t it time to add sugar?” he asked. I quickly pulled my hand away to add the sugar. Taking advantage of this moment, Lachlan actually slipped his hand under my apron. And I was wearing a dress today! I immediately panicked, not knowing what to do. “Lachlan, don’t… please don’t do this…” I quietly begged him. He chuckled and picked up a strawberry, saying, “Stepsister, don’t let your hand shake. If you add too much sugar it won’t taste good.” My hand holding the spoon was trembling badly. I didn’t dare put it down, and it shook even more. He was really going too far! I wanted to escape, but my whole body was trapped against the counter. Across from us, my mom and Uncle Harrison were eating breakfast, occasionally glancing over. “Mmm…” Just as I was about to make a sound, Lachlan stuffed a strawberry in my mouth, muffling my voice. “Stepsister, the strawberries are big today, aren’t they? Make sure to eat it all up.” I bit down hard, and sweet juice immediately flowed out, dripping all over his hand. Lachlan lowered his voice, his tone ambiguous: “Stepsister, you sure know how to bite.” He grabbed a napkin from the side and wiped my mouth, feigning exasperation: “Seriously, you’re dripping everywhere.” At that moment, my mom happened to look over from the dining table. In an instant, she frowned and asked, “Avalon, are you cold? Why are you shaking?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294682”, 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

In my previous life, my biological parents sent me to a mental asylum for the sake of their adopted daughter, leaving me to be trampled upon. I ended up paralyzed, with festering wounds, dying with hatred in my heart. When I opened my eyes again, I decided to go crazy and destroy everyone! I was reborn, right at the family dinner where my biological parents had brought me back home. In my previous life, my scumbag father and mother only recognized me when I was almost of age, wanting to get their hands on the inheritance my grandfather had left for me. They found me lacking and unrefined. On the surface, we appeared to be a happy family, but behind closed doors, neither my father nor mother truly cared for me. They emotionally manipulated me, living a lavish lifestyle on my money. Based on a single comment from their adopted daughter Sophia Carter, they even sent me to a mental asylum. In the end, I was paralyzed, lying in bed with festering wounds, starving to death. This time around, I’m going to abandon any notion of family ties and take back everything that’s rightfully mine. Suddenly, I felt a cool breeze under my skirt! I collected myself and realized I was standing just outside the kitchen door, holding a chicken in my left hand and a duck in my right, with a chubby kid crawling under my skirt! This shameless little brat was sent by Sophia! In my previous life, Sophia, under the guise of having our parents eat the freshest ingredients, specifically bought live chickens and ducks for me to slaughter, claiming it showed filial piety as a daughter. Not only did she make me smell like bird droppings at my own welcome dinner, but she also encouraged a distant relative’s child to play a prank while I was working in the kitchen. They took upskirt photos of me and spread them in the family group chat, making me a laughingstock. My parents already looked down on me, and after this incident, they openly favored Sophia even more. This time, as soon as the brat hugged my leg, I kicked him away, sending him flying about 6 feet. Ahhh— The kid let out a scream, and while everyone rushed to check on him, I finally had a moment to clear my head. Everyone came running at the sound, and the little brat was lying on the ground, wailing to his mother. “Lydia! Have you gone mad?” my mother’s voice rang out before I could say anything. I’m not mad! In my previous life, I was a well-behaved, sensible, and cultured child, yet they still sent me to a mental hospital. Sophia, afraid that our parents might change their minds and bring me back, had bribed the mental hospital to torture me to death! Every day, they took me for electroshock therapy, sending electric currents through my body until my skin was charred and broken. Then they would take me for hydrotherapy, locking me in an ice-filled bathtub for entire afternoons! In the end, I was set up to become completely paralyzed, my body rotting and stinking, living like a wild dog. Who wouldn’t go crazy after all that? Not only am I going crazy, but I’m also going to crawl in the shadows, scream, howl like a ghost, scurry across the ceiling, writhe in distorted ways, turn into a monkey, attack anyone who passes by indiscriminately, and destroy everyone in my path! “He was being a pervert, crawling under my skirt, and you’re saying I overreacted?” I retorted. “He’s just a little boy, what’s wrong with peeking under your skirt? If you dare to dress like that, why can’t others look? Why wear it if you don’t want people to see?” my sharp-tongued Aunt Karen shouted. “He’s only a teenager, how could you hit him?” the boy’s mother protested, hugging him. “It’s not like looking at you would make you lose a piece of flesh! Can’t you learn from your sister?” my mother chimed in. “Yes, sister, you’re being too rough!” Sophia added with fake concern. The group started chattering like a flock of ducks, and some even wanted to hit me. Damn, I couldn’t take it anymore. I wanted to punch the earth and make it explode!

One can’t be too normal in life. Endure for a moment, get breast hyperplasia; take a step back, get uterine fibroids; hold it in once, get ovarian cysts; curse once, and the world is your oyster! I rolled my shoulders, then threw the chicken and duck I was holding at the approaching people. Chaos erupted instantly. Since they’re all going to die anyway, why not let me destroy them! “Why am I wearing a skirt? To dance on your grave at your funeral party!” I lunged forward, grabbing two handfuls of Aunt Karen’s hair. “Come on, I’m just a kid too. You can’t hit me back, right?” Upper cut, lower cut, left hook, right hook, followed by a sweeping kick, tripping the boy’s mother and giving her a good beating, turning her face into a pig’s head. And as for my mother, “Looking won’t make you lose a piece of flesh, so let me take a look at yours!” With a loud rip, I tore her dress apart and started taking photos under her skirt with my phone, click after click. Oh ho— Sexy underwear, my eyes lit up. Let’s tear some more! Playing it wild, huh? I was as excited as a howling female gorilla. By the way, I shouted: “You’re so slutty!” Seeing this scene, Sophia was dumbfounded, not understanding why I, who had always been meek and obedient, had become so crazy. She trembled as she backed away. Seeing her reaction, I grabbed her by the collar. “You little bastard, hatching turtle eggs, are you trying to be like your mom?” “Sophia, dear sister! Let me show you just how rough I can be!” She had barely let out a scream when I grabbed a duck that was casually strolling by and introduced it to her face. Except, it was her face meeting the duck’s butt. The duck delivered, leaving a pile of poop on her face. I was very satisfied. The dead kid was still wailing half-alive over there. I decided to give him a grand gift. Eyeing the bag of crawfish, I had an excellent idea. You like crawling under girls’ skirts at such a young age? I’ll let you crawl to your heart’s content! I grabbed the biggest one, walked up to him, pulled open his pants, put the crawfish in, and tied the string in a tight knot. The movements were smooth and swift, done in one go. Hehe, let’s catch a little bird. A piercing scream rang out, and he actually fainted, clutching his crotch. “Tsk tsk tsk,” I shook my head. This won’t do. “You dare to make such a scene. Wait until Dad comes, he’ll beat you to death!” Sophia said, and my fists clenched again. “Before he arrives, I’ll finish you off first.” I rushed over and slapped her face left and right, smack smack smack, giving her several hard slaps. Her face was so thick, it hurt my hand. Tch, this won’t do. I need to find a slipper. I looked around and found that the pair on my mother’s feet would do nicely. Just as I was struggling to take off the shoe, my father arrived.

“What, what are you all doing?!” “Is this a marketplace?” He stood before the crowd, his eyes wide, his face red with anger, veins popping on his forehead. Hearing his voice, I paused, immediately messed up my hair into a bird’s nest, then screeched at him like a ghost. Being crazy feels good for a moment, being crazy all the time feels good forever. Since you don’t treat me like a human, I’ll drag everyone down with me. “Dad, Mom is wearing sexy underwear and wants to do a striptease.” Hearing me say this, everyone looked at my mother. She was flustered, unable to cover her exposed white thighs. Perhaps unable to bear everyone’s scrutiny, her eyes reddened, and she ran out crying. As she ran, she lost her last piece of clothing covering her modesty. Some mischievous onlookers whistled at her, their gazes towards my father clearly saying, “You’ve been cuckolded!” Bad news, my mom’s running around naked. Good news, I’m the one who made it happen. “Mom, don’t go! You left your bra here…” I shouted loudly at my mother while frantically waving her bra. I didn’t hold it well, and splat, it landed on my dad’s face. “Lydia!” My father gripped his fist tightly, his voice trembling, “What are you doing!” I spread my hands innocently, “Hehe, my hand slipped.” Sophia, with her swollen pig face, sidled up to him, “Dad, I’ve been annoyed with her for a long time. Hurry up and beat her to death!” My father was almost bursting with anger, “Insulting your mother, beating your sister! Do you have any shame left?” In one ear and out the other, I replied, “If you can’t stand me, why don’t you just die? Why bother scolding me?”

He pointed at me, “You, you, you… Do you believe I’ll send you back?” He was referring to my adoptive parents’ home. Years ago, I was kidnapped by human traffickers and sold to a family in a nearby village who had a mentally challenged son. They had grand plans of buying a girl to raise from childhood and then marrying her off to their son when she grew up. So from a young age, I was treated like an animal by that family. In summer, I had to work in the fields with my adoptive father under scorching temperatures; in winter, to save electricity for the family, I had to wash their clothes with ice-cold water drawn from the well. As a result, my eighteen-year-old hands had layers of calluses peeling off, looking like those of a forty-year-old woman! Not only that, they instilled in their mentally challenged son from childhood that I was his wife, and that any mistreatment was justified. As a result, from childhood to adulthood, I not only had to guard against being harassed by the mentally challenged boy but was also frequently beaten by him! The fear left by the mentally challenged boy and my adoptive parents was so deep that even after two lifetimes, it still made me tremble. My father saw my face turn pale instantly and smiled smugly, “You still have a month before your birthday. Sign this property transfer agreement now, or I’ll send you back to that poor mountain village!” “Let you be the wife of a mentally challenged man forever!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294699”, 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

One day, I heard some strange noises coming from Mrs. Gloria Bennett’s room. At first, I thought Mr. Charles Bennett had come home. But to my shock, it wasn’t him at all—Mrs. Bennett was having an affair! She knew I wouldn’t dare reveal her secret and continued acting with complete disregard. But just a few days later, she was diagnosed with HIV. And the man she was having an affair with… he was dead. It was a hot summer day, and the cicadas were chirping loudly outside. Half-asleep, I shifted in bed, only to be jolted awake by a sharp sting in my finger. Frustrated, I was now wide awake. It had been a terrible day. Earlier in the afternoon, I had gone out to pick up some groceries. Some mischievous kid had left a needle on the seat of a public bike, and I sat on it. To make matters worse, after getting home, Mrs. Bennett criticized me for not even being able to toss a proper coleslaw together. In my haste, I cut my hand while chopping. The cicadas grew louder outside, making sleep impossible. I gave up and headed to the bathroom. As soon as I stepped out of the bedroom, I heard loud moaning from Mrs. Bennett’s room—intense, unmistakable sounds of pleasure. Startled, I froze. Then I saw it—a pair of old men’s shoes in the hallway, mud still clinging to the soles. Mr. Bennett must have returned. Mr. Bennett was usually away for work, leaving Mrs. Bennett home alone. She never let herself go though; in fact, she had a better collection of makeup than I did. Given the situation, it made sense that Mr. Bennett might struggle to stay faithful. Not wanting to intrude, I quickly ducked into the bathroom. Even when I came out, the sounds from Mrs. Bennett’s room had only intensified. Feeling awkward, I hurried back to my room without even grabbing a glass of water. Lying in my darkened room, I couldn’t shake the empty feeling inside me. My mind raced with questions I couldn’t answer. Mr. Bennett and Eric both worked at the same research institute. They usually returned from work together. Why had only Mr. Bennett come home this time? With just my own warmth filling our queen-sized bed, I eventually drifted back to sleep, the cicadas fading into the background. The next morning, I woke up early. Mr. Bennett sometimes left in a hurry, so I wanted to make sure I could make breakfast for him. Despite my difficult relationship with Mrs. Bennett, Mr. Bennett was always kind to me. I was grateful to him—he was the only reason I could manage my strained relationship with his wife. I set the breakfast biscuits and oatmeal on the table, then turned to grab Mrs. Bennett’s oat milk, only to hear her voice from the other room. “Other women are out here being thrifty, but not you! A whole breakfast spread for just one meal? What are you trying to do, show off? You must be one of those country bumpkins who’s never seen luxury before, and now you’re here to feast at our expense!” Her words ignited an instant flame in my chest. I had been abandoned at birth and raised in an orphanage until I was adopted at age ten by the Richardsons, a kind couple from Rural Kentucky. After graduating from college, I moved to Chicago for work and eventually married Eric. After we got married, Eric and Mr. Bennett were frequently away on business. Mrs. Bennett used her “poor health” as an excuse to force me to quit my job and stay home as a full-time housewife. I did as she asked, but her torment never stopped. Whenever Eric was home, things were bearable. But the moment he left for work, Mrs. Bennett would criticize everything I did, accusing me of taking advantage of the family’s wealth. I walked out of the kitchen, slamming the oat milk down on the table. I was about to speak up, but the sight of my wedding ring caught my eye. The anger simmered down. Even if Mrs. Bennett didn’t like me, Eric had always shown me love and care. And just before he left this time, he promised me that in a month, once his current project was over, we would move out and finally have our own place. I took a deep breath and calmly explained, “I didn’t mean to make so much food. I just heard Mr. Bennett come home last night, so I made an extra plate—” I didn’t even finish before Mrs. Bennett shot up from her seat, grabbed the oat milk, and threw it in my face. “You little tramp! Trying to take over this house, aren’t you? You haven’t even given us a grandchild, and you’re already trying to get rid of me! Let me tell you something—if you don’t behave, I’ll make sure Eric kicks you out of this house!” Over the years, Mrs. Bennett’s outbursts had come out of nowhere, but she rarely got physical. For a moment, I stood there, stunned. She sat back down, smugly picking at her breakfast. I gritted my teeth and held back. Just one more month, and Eric and I would be out of here. Getting into a fight with her now wouldn’t help anything. I retreated to the bedroom to change clothes. From behind, I heard her sneer, clearly convinced I wouldn’t dare stand up to her.

By the time I finished changing, Mrs. Bennett had already left. The breakfast table looked like a battlefield. I told myself again and again—just one more month. I cleaned up the mess and went to prepare Eric’s clothes. The weather had been getting colder, and Eric had only taken his seasonal clothes on his last trip. I didn’t want him to catch a cold. After spending all morning busying myself, I had just sat down to lunch when the phone rang. “Did you make lunch yet? Bring it to the Bingo Hall.” Mrs. Bennett didn’t even wait for me to respond before hanging up. She had been treating me like a servant for years, but for Eric’s sake, I still packed up her lunch. I barely ate a bite before rushing over. “You’re so slow! What good are you for, anyway?” Mrs. Bennett grabbed the lunch box and shot me a glare. Mrs. Stewart, sitting nearby, couldn’t help but speak up for me. “Gloria, your daughter-in-law is pretty good! She brings you lunch every day. My daughter-in-law? I’m lucky if I even see her on holidays!” Mrs. Bennett snorted as she stuffed her face. “Please, she’s just some hillbilly from the country, spending my son’s money. And she probably ate her lunch before even bringing mine. What kind of ‘respect’ is that?” I wasn’t even listening to her at that point. My eyes were fixed on the familiar old men’s shoes—the same ones I saw at our house the night before. They were on Mr. George Franklin’s feet, the man sitting beside Mrs. Bennett at the Bingo table. The man Mrs. Bennett had been with last night wasn’t Mr. Bennett at all—it was Mr. Franklin! Mrs. Bennett had been having an affair right in our home! “What are you staring at? Didn’t you hear me talking to you?” Mrs. Bennett threw the lunch box at me, but I could see the guilt in her eyes. She shoved the box into my hands. “Get out of my sight! I can’t stand looking at you!” Stunned, I left in a daze. I couldn’t believe it. Mrs. Bennett, of all people, so strict and old-fashioned, was having an affair! This wasn’t my problem to solve—it was Eric’s mother, after all. And Eric valued family harmony above everything else. If I told him about this, there’s no telling what kind of trouble it would cause. I spent hours lost in thought until the sun had set and my phone rang. It was a video call from Eric. I answered, seeing his handsome but tired face on the screen. I couldn’t bring myself to tell him. “Hey, honey. I got the clothes you sent me this morning. I didn’t even notice the weather changing, but you did. You’re always so thoughtful.” I forced a smile, but Eric noticed something was off right away. “Is something wrong? Did Mom say something to you again? You look upset.” His concern made me feel even guiltier. But I lied. “No, everything’s fine. Just focus on your work.” I hadn’t figured out what to do yet, and at that moment, the front door opened. Mrs. Bennett was back. Afraid she might say something that would make Eric suspicious, I quickly ended the call. She seemed to be in a good mood, even humming a tune as she came in. After thinking about it for a while, I decided to speak up. “Mrs. Bennett, Mr. Bennett will be retiring in a few months, and Eric will be back home too. Let’s try to get along and live peacefully as a family.” I meant it as a subtle warning, hoping she’d stop her affair. But her reaction was explosive. She glared at me, hands on her hips. “Live peacefully? Who are you to tell me how to live? You can’t even give us a child, and you’re talking about peace? What a joke!” “And what about you? You’ve been sneaking around, haven’t you? Chatting up men behind my son’s back?” Her words hit me like a slap. How dare she accuse me of being unfaithful when she was the one having an affair? “If I did get pregnant, it wouldn’t be Eric’s! He’s been away for months!” Her face turned white at my words. She shot me a furious look and stormed into her room, slamming the door behind her.

Whether it was my words or the guilt of her affair, Mrs. Bennett stayed quiet for the next month. She left every morning after breakfast and didn’t ask me to bring her lunch anymore. She would return home, lock herself in her room, and we barely saw each other. On my birthday, Eric called to apologize for not being able to make it back. But later that afternoon, a bouquet of flowers arrived from him. The card had a quote from our favorite college poem. It brought a warm feeling to my heart, reminding me of the love we shared. “You little vixen! Eric’s not home, so this must be from one of your lovers!” Mrs. Bennett started in again, but this time I wasn’t fazed. “Mom, these flowers are from Eric. He sent them to me.” She sneered, “Of course, wasting my son’s money on flowers for you!” I didn’t bother to argue. I picked up the flowers, ready to head back to my room when she called out again. “You ungrateful thing! I’m sick, and you don’t even notice! Take me to the hospital!” My heart raced. She had seemed fine just moments ago. “What’s wrong, Mom? Are you okay? I’ll get the car keys!” “No! Gas is too expensive. Just push me in the wheelchair.” She insisted, so I had no choice but to wheel her to the hospital. On the way, she complained of diarrhea and a fever. It sounded like the flu, but I didn’t want to take any chances. Eric would be worried if it turned into something more serious. At the hospital, the doctor listened to her symptoms with a strange expression and ordered a blood test. Hours later, when I saw the results, I was shocked. It was HIV. I froze in place, staring in disbelief while Mrs. Gloria Bennett’s face was etched with panic. “It was you! It had to be you! You hate me, so you must have done something to my food, didn’t you?!” Her face twisted with anger, while onlookers started gathering, whispering to each other. I didn’t want this whole situation to explode in public, especially not her HIV diagnosis. I tried to push her out of the hospital, but she grabbed my arm. “If I’m going down, I’m taking you with me! Now that I’ve got HIV, you’re not getting off easy!” she screamed, trying to bite me. I instinctively yanked my arm away, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground. She glared at me with pure hatred. I had tried to be patient with her all these years, but now she was accusing me of poisoning her? I couldn’t take it anymore. “I swear I’ve never been unfaithful to Eric! Can you say the same for yourself, Mrs. Bennett?” Her face turned ghostly pale, and the murmurs from the crowd grew louder, like daggers piercing through her. “You… you! Everyone, come look! She’s abusing an old woman!” Mrs. Bennett cried, pulling at my arm again. In the struggle, the test results slipped from my hand, caught by the wind, and flew toward the courtyard. A neighbor picked up the paper and glanced at it, her eyes widening. “There’s HIV in our neighborhood!” The entire crowd changed. Faces of disgust and judgment surrounded us. “I knew it! With her husband gone all the time, it’s no wonder something like this happened!” “They’re supposed to be from a respectable family, but look at them now!” “Mrs. Bennett was always talking about how terrible her daughter-in-law was. Could it be the daughter-in-law gave it to her?” I looked at Mrs. Bennett, who was now shrinking under the weight of the gossip. She didn’t say a word, just trembling under the accusing eyes of the neighbors. I let out a cold laugh and walked back to the house. If Mrs. Bennett wanted to claim I mistreated her, I might as well show her how “bad” I could really be. She could clean up her own mess this time. Mrs. Bennett gathered the test results from the ground and followed me home, looking defeated. This was too big to hide from Eric and Mr. Bennett. After all, they were both in the medical field—they’d know what to do better than I ever could. I picked up my phone to call Eric, but before I could dial, Mrs. Bennett collapsed to her knees in front of me.

“Lauren, please, please don’t tell Eric or Mr. Bennett. I don’t want to distract them from their work!” I looked at her coldly. Even now, she was worried about keeping up appearances. Mrs. Bennett was desperate now, slumped on the floor, crying uncontrollably. “If they find out, I’ll have no reason to live! I’m begging you, Lauren, if you make that call, I’ll end it right here!” Before I could respond, she rushed into the kitchen and grabbed a knife, pressing it to her throat. “Fine, fine, I won’t tell them. Tomorrow, I’ll go to the hospital and get the medicine. Just take the meds, okay?” Afraid she might hurt herself, I gave in for now. Mrs. Bennett lowered the knife, tears streaming down her face as she stood, shoulders hunched. The once proud and domineering woman now looked completely defeated. A part of me almost pitied her. The next morning, I woke up early to head to the hospital, but when I opened the door, I was greeted with a nasty surprise—someone had spray-painted bright red words on our front door and wall. “HIV-Infected Scum, Get Out!” Anger surged through me, but what could I do? If I had neighbors like this, even if I wasn’t the target, I’d feel uncomfortable too. I closed the door and hurried to the hospital to pick up Mrs. Bennett’s medication. When I returned, I found Mr. George Franklin, looking frail and miserable, standing at the door with his two children. They were banging on the door, demanding to be let in. Both of Mr. Franklin’s kids were wearing full protective suits, making him look even smaller and more fragile. “Gloria Bennett! If you don’t open this door right now, we’ll break it down!” “Disgusting! Acting like a tramp at your age, not only ruining yourself but dragging our family down too!” “Let me tell you something! If my dad’s sick, it’s because of you! Your family has to take responsibility for him now. We’ll move him in, and you’ll take care of him!” I rushed forward just in time. Mr. Franklin’s daughter turned toward me, glaring. “You must be Gloria Bennett’s daughter-in-law. Open the door, or I’ll make sure the entire neighborhood knows exactly what kind of filthy woman your mother-in-law is!” Despite my own anger, I knew it was Mrs. Bennett’s fault. With a forced apology, I let them into the house. “You had the nerve to seduce my dad, but now you’re hiding like a coward? Gloria Bennett, it’s too late to save face!” “I’m really sorry for everything. If Mr. Franklin is worried about his health, I’ll take him to the hospital to get tested. If anything’s wrong, we’ll take full responsibility.” Just as I was trying to calm things down, Mrs. Bennett stormed out of her room, holding a pair of scissors to her throat. “George Franklin, you better tell the truth! I’ve only ever been with you! If I’m sick, it’s because you gave it to me!” Mr. Franklin’s eyes widened in shock, his frail hand pointing toward Mrs. Bennett, trembling. “You… you…” Before he could finish, Mr. Franklin clutched his chest and collapsed.

I gasped, rushing to call an ambulance. After making sure Mrs. Bennett was safe, I followed the ambulance to the hospital, where Mr. Franklin was rushed into surgery. I spent the entire day without food or water, too exhausted and dizzy to think straight. After hours of waiting, I grabbed a couple of sandwiches to eat. But before I could even take a bite, Mr. Franklin’s daughter showed up at my door again. “Gloria Bennett! You heartless witch! My dad just passed away in the hospital, and you’re going to pay for it!” Mrs. Bennett’s eyes filled with rage as she shouted back, “I got sick because of him! If anything, he should have been paying me! You’re not getting a dime from me!” Fearing the situation would escalate, I opened the door. Mr. Franklin’s daughter stormed in, shouting at me. “Lauren Mitchell! Forget the HIV for now—your mother-in-law killed my father! If you don’t give me fifty thousand dollars by tomorrow, I’ll camp outside your house and shame you all!” I had barely eaten a thing, and now, on top of being screamed at, she pushed me hard enough that nausea overwhelmed me. I collapsed, throwing up on the floor. Her anger faltered for a moment, but she kept sneering, “Oh, are you pretending to be sick? I wouldn’t be surprised if your whole family is infected with HIV! If I don’t have that money by tomorrow morning, I’m showing up at your husband’s workplace!” After finally managing to get her out of the house, I was left feeling both panicked and exhausted. The nausea wouldn’t stop, and Mrs. Bennett, who had been watching, suddenly looked concerned. “You’re not… pregnant, are you?” I froze, then dashed to the bathroom to grab a pregnancy test. Two lines appeared immediately. Eric had been home three months ago, so that meant the baby was three months along. Instead of joy, Mr. Franklin’s daughter’s cruel words rang in my head. What if my whole family had HIV… I couldn’t hold back anymore. I went to my room, locked the door, and sobbed until there were no tears left. The next morning, before dawn, Eric and Mr. Bennett returned home. I had been waiting for this moment, but now, instead of joy, I felt nothing but fear as I broke into tears in Eric’s arms. Eric held me close, stroking my hair. “It’s okay. HIV isn’t as easily transmitted as people think. Even if we do test positive, there are treatments now. We’ll get through this together. As soon as it’s light, I’ll take you to the hospital for tests.” His words gave me a small spark of hope. Maybe, just maybe, after all this time living with Mrs. Bennett, I hadn’t caught anything. We didn’t have any direct contact—there was a chance I was still safe. At the hospital, Eric and I went in for testing. While waiting for the results, Mr. Franklin’s daughter called again. “Lauren Mitchell! We had my dad’s body tested—he didn’t have HIV! Your mother-in-law killed him by sheer stress!” I felt the world go black around me, but just then, the nurse called us to collect our results. Eric picked up the report, glanced at it, and then quickly tucked it into his bag. But I didn’t need to look. I already knew. I had HIV.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294716”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #校园School #魔幻Magic #励志Inspiring

I’ve always been curious—do nude art models ever have physical reactions when they’re up on stage? My wife gave me a very clear answer: Yes, they do, but they have special techniques to deal with it. My name’s Mark Harris. I might not be much to look at, but I managed to marry a stunning model! The first time I saw my wife, Lauren Mitchell, she was up on stage as a car model. What caught my attention immediately were those long legs. My eyes followed the black stockings up to where her short skirt barely covered her curves, and I couldn’t help but swallow hard. Above that was her tiny waist, and her spaghetti strap top that barely held it all together… Then she bent down, covering her chest with her hand and giving me the sweetest smile. At that moment, I was done for. Through sheer persistence, I managed to win her over after three long months. Now, with a wife this gorgeous, there’s no way I was going to let her keep modeling. I convinced her to find another job. She knew I got jealous easily, so after we got married, she quickly quit. But just three days after she left her job, I got a few photos in my email. “See how wild your wife is!” I opened them, and the lighting was sultry. The woman in the photos was covered in body paint, her figure accentuated by every curve as she moved on stage. But something was off. Her eyes were hazy, she was squeezing her legs together, and her hands were wandering over sensitive areas of her body. It didn’t look like modeling—it looked like something else entirely. The pictures kept coming, like a flipbook. Then, a man appeared out of nowhere and slapped her hard on the backside, leaving a clear handprint. At that point, I felt a surge of blood rush to my head. Was that… my wife?! There was no mistaking her body, especially the birthmark on her hip. I knew it was her! My entire body was trembling as I gritted my teeth. My hands clenched so hard, veins bulged across my knuckles, and I nearly crushed my phone. What the hell was going on? Who sent these photos? Were they trying to blackmail me or just mess with me? I shot a message back, asking for an explanation. I got a quick response: “Art models always release tension before going on stage to prevent any physical reactions. Your wife was especially wild today! What, were you two having issues last night?” An art model? I wanted to snap back angrily—Lauren wasn’t like that. She was a regular model, and she had already quit! But as I furiously typed out my response, I suddenly remembered last night. Yeah, Lauren had called me, saying she’d shower and wait for me in bed. But the project I was working on ran into problems, and I didn’t get home until late. When I finally arrived, she was still being playful, but I was too exhausted for anything. And now, there was another email. “Your wife’s got another performance tomorrow. Make sure you’re up for it tonight!” After that, no matter how much I responded, there was silence from the other side. With my mind spinning, I left work early the next day to confront her. I had already downloaded the photos, ready to ask her straight up. “Babe, come rub my legs, I’m dead tired…” Lauren walked in, kicked off her heels, and threw herself onto the couch, stretching her legs over mine. I stared at her legs, wrapped in black stockings, but my mind was filled with images from those photos. I shoved her legs off in frustration. She pouted, looking innocent and hurt. “What’s wrong? Didn’t I quit my job like you asked? I’ve been out all day interviewing at different places, my legs are killing me!” I glared at her. “You really went to interviews?” Lauren stretched lazily, revealing a smooth, flat stomach. “Why would I lie to you? Now come on, rub my legs. I’m exhausted and just want to sleep early tonight…” She even yawned as she spoke. She looked so worn out that I began to doubt myself. Maybe I had it all wrong? I took a deep breath and reached under her shirt, only for her to swat my hand away. “Stop it. I’m really tired! Whatever you want, wait until tomorrow.” She was probably too exhausted, and after just a few minutes of rubbing her legs, she was already snoring lightly. Gritting my teeth, I slid my hand down her leg and carefully lifted her skirt…

I lifted the skirt and checked carefully. No handprint. I let out a long sigh of relief. Whoever sent those photos was clearly just trying to mess with me. I compared the photos again, but they were too blurry. The woman in the pictures was covered in paint, and you couldn’t really make out her face. I carried Lauren to bed, then sat on the couch, smoking cigarette after cigarette. First of all, I couldn’t let a few blurry photos make me question my wife. I worked hard to win such a beautiful woman, and if we lost trust in each other, our relationship would never be the same again. Second, even if the model in the photos was Lauren, it had to be from before she met me. Since we’ve been together, she’s been nothing but loyal. She quit her job, no questions asked. Yeah, the whole thing left me uneasy, but who doesn’t have a past? As long as she stayed committed to our life together, I was willing to accept everything about her. I took a deep breath and stubbed out my cigarette. When the person behind the emails finally showed their hand and demanded money, I’d call the cops and shut them down. Just then, another email came in. “So, was your wife a little extra eager tonight?” Furious, I shot back a reply: “Stop screwing with me! How much do you want?” The response didn’t come for a while. When it did, it read: “Plenty of kind souls out there, helping your wife relieve some stress—and gifting you a nice hat in the process! Here’s the address for tomorrow’s show. You’ll love the spectacle!” Then, nothing. The lack of follow-up was maddening. If they had asked for money, it would have been easier to deal with. But this? It felt like they were purposely stringing me along. I didn’t sleep a wink that night. The next morning, when Lauren was about to leave, still a bit groggy, I asked casually, “Where’s today’s interview?” “Liberty Plaza Tower!” She said, putting on lipstick and slipping into her high heels before walking out the door. I froze. That was the address from the email! I jumped out of bed, barely remembering to grab my hat, sunglasses, and mask as I rushed out the door to follow her. But by the time I made it out of our apartment complex, she was already gone. I hailed a cab and headed straight to Liberty Plaza Tower, hoping to catch up with her. When I got there, I saw a long line of men waiting outside, but no sign of my wife. I handed the security officer a cigarette. “What’s this company hiring for? Why so many guys? And where’s the line for women?” The security guard gave me a sideways glance. “They’re all men. You must be new here. If you’re looking for women, you better line up and pay the fee—$1,888.” My mind went blank for a second. “Pay for what, exactly?” The guard frowned. “You’re here for an interview? Sorry, you’re not what we’re looking for. Move along.” Another guard started heading my way, as if preparing to deal with trouble. I felt my blood freeze, my brain barely processing the information. But I quickly forced a smile. “Relax, man. I’m here for the private art exhibit. Got a little too excited, I guess.” Hearing the words “private art exhibit,” and after slipping the guards a few bills, their attitudes softened. “First time, huh? Don’t know the drill yet? Pay up, and you’re in.” After transferring the money via my phone, my mind was a blur as I followed the line into the building. We were led down a series of winding hallways until we finally entered a large hall. The place was packed—rows of seats, at least a hundred men already there. Suddenly, the lights dimmed. There was a murmur of excitement, and a group of women, each wearing Japanese fox masks, strutted onto the stage. They were barely covered in see-through fabric, and as they moved, the thin fabric began to slip away. I immediately recognized that body. Every inch of Lauren’s skin was familiar to me—there was no mistaking it. My wife was up there as one of the art models!

“Shit!” I jumped out of my seat, fists clenched. I wanted to charge up to the stage, rip off her mask, and confront her on the spot. Why did she lie to me? But as soon as I stood up, the security officers in the room locked their eyes on me, gripping their batons, ready to intervene. The guy next to me, a heavyset man, grabbed my arm. “Hey, buddy, calm down. You’ll get a chance to go up there. If you rush the stage now, they’ll kick you out!” I forced myself to take a deep breath and sit back down. I needed proof—real, undeniable evidence—before confronting Lauren. As I settled back into my seat, the guards relaxed, and I took a moment to scan the room. Everyone around me was dressed like I was—hats, sunglasses, masks—doing everything they could to stay anonymous. It hit me how many men were here for the same thing. The guy next to me chuckled and whispered, “First time at one of these, huh? Don’t be shy. I was just as nervous the first time I saw a show like this. Trust me, you don’t want to mess around here. You could disappear, and no one would ever know.” He then pulled out his phone, snickering as he recorded the performance. “Check out number two. Damn, that body is killer! And look at number five’s legs—man, those things go on for miles! Oh, and number eight… yeah, she’s something else.” I snatched the phone from his hand. “You’re talking about number eight? That’s my wife.” The guy’s face went pale. “Whoa, man, chill! You serious? I didn’t know—” I cut him off. “What do you mean, ‘get on stage’? What are you talking about?” He shot me a nervous look, then shrugged. “They always pick a few guys from the audience to go up there. You know, to help ‘paint’ the models. They call it ‘artistic collaboration.’ You’ll get to spread some paint around and have a little fun. It’s a big part of the show.” Disgusted, I glared at him. “This isn’t art. This is garbage!” He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, whatever you say, man. But if you’re up there, you better not fight me for number eight.” I could barely contain my anger. It took every ounce of restraint not to punch him right then and there. But I knew if I acted rashly, I’d be thrown out before I could prove anything. When the host started calling for volunteers from the audience, I shot up immediately, ignoring the heavyset guy’s curses behind me. I marched straight to the stage and, without hesitation, pointed to number eight—Lauren. This was my chance. The host smiled. “Ah, looks like someone’s a true art enthusiast! Remember, folks, we’re here to appreciate the beauty of the human form. Keep it tasteful—don’t touch the models’ more… sensitive areas.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294732”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #校园School #魔幻Magic #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller #浪漫Romance #擦边Steamy #重生Reborn

My mom’s funeral had barely ended when Aunt Vanessa showed up at our doorstep. She declared that she was willing to step into my mom’s shoes. My dad, clearly moved by the gesture, was ready to add her name to the house deed. At that moment, I realized one thing—when emotions are involved, money is bound to get hurt. Aunt Vanessa’s intentions were clear as day. Aunt Vanessa is thirty-eight, though she looks like she’s barely twenty-eight. She’s still attractive, her smile always bright and warm. She’s been divorced four times, and each time, it was because she cheated. Grandma Ruby spent most of her life worrying about her, even going as far as consulting a fortune teller for answers. The fortune teller said Aunt Vanessa had a “curse of love,” a fate tangled with endless romantic entanglements. I never thought she would bring that curse to our family. Just days after my mom’s funeral, she came to our house, professing her love to my dad. She told him she was willing to be my mom’s “replacement,” taking care of both him and me. And my dad agreed. I couldn’t believe it. I had a full-on argument with him about it. He sighed, suddenly looking much older than he had before. “Savannah, your dad’s getting old. You’re off at college most of the time. I just want someone by my side.” I wasn’t against him finding someone new, but he wanted to marry Aunt Vanessa, my mom’s sister! “Dad, you know what Aunt Vanessa is like. You can’t be serious!” Was he trying to set himself up to be cheated on? He looked at me, torn, almost pleading. “She promised me she’s changed. And Savannah, she’s your aunt. We’re family.” At that moment, I realized that no matter what I said, my dad had already made up his mind. Sure enough, that very night, Aunt Vanessa moved in, bringing her daughter Ivy, my cousin who had just started junior high. Aunt Vanessa was a great cook, but I couldn’t stomach a single bite of the meal she prepared. At dinner, she kept piling food onto my plate, saying, “Savannah, tell me what you like, and I’ll cook it for you every day.” I gave a cold smile, stood up, and said, “I’m packing my things. I’m leaving for school tomorrow.” Out of sight, out of mind. As I shut the door, I overheard Ivy’s voice: “Mom, why are we living at Savannah’s house?” Aunt Vanessa’s response was chilling. “Ivy, this is our home now. Call him ‘Daddy.’” Ivy, in her sweet, innocent voice, said, “Daddy,” and my dad responded with a big smile, saying, “Good girl, good girl.” And just like that, they became their own little family. After that, I only messaged my dad occasionally. It seemed like life with Aunt Vanessa was going just fine. For winter break, I had lined up an internship and wasn’t planning on going home. But after an entire semester without seeing my dad, I missed him and decided to go back for a couple of days. When I arrived and opened my bedroom door, I was shocked to see Ivy on my bed, eating potato chips. She looked equally surprised when she saw me and scrambled to sit up, spilling chips all over the sheets. I’m a neat freak. I don’t allow anyone to eat in my room. So how could I tolerate someone else doing it? I marched over, my voice stern as I said, “Who told you to come in here? From now on, don’t ever enter my room without my permission.” Ivy didn’t move, sitting on the bed as if nothing happened. “Savannah, this is my room now.” I took a moment to look around and realized that my room had been completely transformed. Wow. It had only been a semester, and my room was gone.

I hadn’t told my dad I was coming back because I wanted to surprise him. Instead, he ended up surprising me. Ivy told me that he and Aunt Vanessa had gone out to buy groceries, so I sat on the couch, waiting. Sure enough, they returned soon, laughing and chatting like they didn’t have a care in the world. My dad’s smile faded slightly when he saw me. He furrowed his brow. “Savannah, what are you doing here? Didn’t you say you were working?” That disappointment I had been holding in all semester just spilled out. “What happened to my room?” Aunt Vanessa glanced at my dad but stayed quiet, clearly leaving it to him to explain. He looked uncomfortable, then tried to explain. “Savannah, you’re hardly ever home now. I let your sister use the room.” We have three bedrooms—one for the master, one for guests, and a small room in the attic. I pointed upstairs, looking directly at Aunt Vanessa. “Move Ivy’s things up there. She’s not allowed in my room anymore.” Aunt Vanessa put on her usual tearful act. “Savannah, Ivy’s your sister. How can you treat her like this?” I never liked Aunt Vanessa, and her playing the victim only irritated me further. I wasn’t about to give her any leeway. “What did I do? I didn’t kick her out, but now you’ve taken over my room, and you’re acting like I’m the one at fault.” Aunt Vanessa looked down, sniffling. My dad, of course, felt sorry for her. His temper flared, and he barked at me, “Savannah Blake, is that how you talk to your elders? Apologize to your aunt!” I was furious. I stormed into the room and started throwing Ivy’s things out. Aunt Vanessa and Ivy screamed from the hallway, and my dad rushed in, grabbing me by the wrist and pulling me out. It was the first time my dad had ever laid a hand on me, and he did it for them—for outsiders. “Savannah, this is my house! I’ll decide who lives here. What’s gotten into you? Is this how I raised you?” I yanked my arm free. “This is your house, but it’s also mine. Half of it belonged to Mom, and now that she’s gone, that half is mine. So how dare you give my room to someone else?” Ivy suddenly chimed in, “It’s my mom’s house now too!” My heart sank as I stared at my dad in disbelief. He looked away, clearly ashamed. “I’ve already added your aunt’s name to the deed.” I looked at Aunt Vanessa and finally understood. Of course. She wasn’t interested in my dad—she was after our house. But so what? “Well, half of this house is still mine. You only own a quarter, so get your daughter’s stuff out of my room!” Aunt Vanessa clung to my dad, refusing to move. I was furious and stormed back into the room, continuing to throw Ivy’s things out. Ivy ran in to stop me, and I shoved her aside. Aunt Vanessa started wailing from outside the door, “What are you doing? How can you hit your sister?” Ivy, quick as ever, immediately sat on the floor and started crying. I hadn’t even touched her, and she was already playing the victim. My dad stormed in, grabbed me, and slapped me across the face. He actually hit me. I felt a wave of sadness and anger wash over me. I blinked back tears and nodded, saying, “Fine. I get it. From now on, you’re your own little family.” And with that, I grabbed my suitcase and left.

I dragged my suitcase to Grandma Ruby’s house. I told her and Grandpa Howard everything that had happened, hoping they would speak some sense into Aunt Vanessa. But Grandma Ruby said, “Savannah, your aunt and your dad are a family now. It’s only natural for her to want her share. Besides, Vanessa has had a hard life. She’s finally settled down; you should cut her some slack.” I was speechless. Grandma Ruby had always favored Aunt Vanessa because she was her “baby.” She had spoiled her to the point of turning her into the woman she was today. And even now, she was defending her. Grandma asked if I wanted her to cook something for me, but I just picked up my suitcase and left. With nowhere else to go, I headed to Uncle Martin’s house. When he heard about the chaos at home, his temper flared. “That idiot! I told him to keep an eye on that deed, and what does he do? He goes and puts that woman’s name on it.” Uncle Martin was ready to march over and confront my dad, but Ethan, my cousin, stopped him. “Her name’s already on the deed. What’s the point in fighting now?” Then Ethan turned to me and said, “Just stay here for now. Don’t worry. You’re not alone. The Blake family isn’t dead yet.” Tears welled up in my eyes, and I started crying. Aunt Jolene came out from the kitchen, wiping her hands. “Alright, that’s enough. Savannah, you must be exhausted after the trip. Come over and have something warm to eat.” I wiped my tears and joined them for dinner. Uncle Martin’s family treated me better than my own dad. After dinner, Aunt Jolene told me to rest, but I was too angry to sleep. Uncle Martin noticed and called me over. “Savannah, do you know how much money your family has?” I nodded. “Yes. Mom told me everything before she passed. She knew Dad was soft and wouldn’t be able to stand his ground.” We lived in a small but wealthy town, ranked as one of the top places to live in the country. My mom had owned a storefront near our neighborhood, which she bought along with our house. It was in her name, but she transferred it to me before she passed. There was also our house and a plot of land near the edge of town, waiting to be developed. My dad worked at Chesterville General Hospital, earning a good salary of over $5,000 a month. Between that and my mom’s business, they had saved quite a bit—about $200,000, all in my mom’s name. I had the savings account in my possession now. After my mom passed, I rented out the storefront to a nail salon, collecting $3,000 a year in rent. When I finished explaining all of this, Uncle Martin nodded. “Well, it’s a good thing your mom had foresight. Otherwise, your aunt would have bled your family dry. Now, about that quarter of the house—what do you want to do?”

There was no way I was going to let Aunt Vanessa take our family’s things. The house had to come back. “But her name’s already on the deed. Can we even get it back?” Ethan sat down beside me, giving my shoulder a reassuring pat. “If you want it back, I’ll help you find a lawyer.” Seeing the determination in his eyes gave me confidence. I did some research online, and it seemed like even if she hadn’t paid for the house, there was a chance she could claim half. The legalities were complicated, and there were different opinions depending on when her name was added. The key was to get more information from my dad. So the next morning, I called him, asking him to meet me at Uncle Martin’s house. I waited all day, but he never showed. When I called again, he said Aunt Vanessa wasn’t feeling well, so he couldn’t come. I wasn’t convinced she was really sick. I packed up my things and headed home. This winter break, I might skip my internship, but I wasn’t going to skip taking back the house. When I arrived, they were in the middle of dinner—eating a huge spread of food. My dad stood up, placing a plate of food in front of Ivy. The sight made me furious. When he noticed me, he smiled and said, “Savannah, you’re back! Come on, have some hotpot.” I looked at him coldly. “Dad, this is my house. Do you think of me as a guest now?” His smile faltered. Aunt Vanessa came over, trying to smooth things over. “Come on, Savannah. We’re family. Who’s treating you like a guest?” Dad quickly fetched another plate and utensils for me, even adding some beef to my bowl in an attempt to make peace. I took a bite of the beef and turned to Aunt Vanessa. “Aunt Vanessa, Dad said you were sick. What’s wrong?” She looked healthy enough to me. She smiled, waving it off. “Just a little headache. It’s nothing. I took some medicine, and I’m fine now. Savannah, eat more. Have some meat.” I said nothing more. After dinner, I was planning to have a serious talk with my dad, but Aunt Vanessa and Ivy approached me. “Ivy, apologize to your sister.” Ivy even gave me a little bow. “Savannah, I’m sorry for taking your room. I shouldn’t have done that. Please forgive me.” Aunt Vanessa chimed in with her own apology. “I’m really sorry, Savannah. It’s just that you said you wouldn’t be coming home, so your dad gave the room to Ivy. She struggles to climb up to the attic, and she’s still young. I didn’t feel comfortable leaving her up there alone. Now that you’re back, the room is yours again.” My dad nodded in agreement. “Yes, Aunt Vanessa already apologized. She didn’t mean to cause trouble. After dinner, let’s go to Uncle Martin’s and get your things.” I was surprised by how quickly they had changed their tune, especially those two.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294748”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #校园School #魔幻Magic #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller #浪漫Romance #擦边Steamy #重生Reborn

I never expected that the day before the extreme heatwave hit, my husband Lucas would secretly bring his parents to live with us against my wishes. My mother-in-law Evelyn, always doting on her son, pushed all the housework onto me. She even demanded that I cook for the whole family in the sweltering 122°F heat of the kitchen. Lucas, usually mild-mannered, suddenly turned hostile towards me. Unable to contain my anger, I got into a huge argument with them. To my shock, Lucas and his parents threw me out of the house. I died of heatstroke outside. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day before the extreme heatwave. This time, I would be the one enjoying the air conditioning and watermelon while watching them slowly starve in this scorching oven. “Honey, my parents want to move in with us. We can all enjoy the air conditioning together and save on electricity bills,” Lucas said, leaning against the doorframe in his t-shirt, nervously rubbing his nose as he looked at me. I froze, as memories flooded back. Looking at my smooth, hydrated skin in the mirror, I realized I had been reborn. I had bought this house outright specifically to avoid living with my in-laws. Lucas used to be a normal person, but whenever his mother was around, he would revert to being a mama’s boy. In my previous life, I had firmly refused. But on the day I returned to work after my vacation, Lucas secretly brought his parents over. Accompanying them was Chloe, his mother’s newly adopted goddaughter. Chloe was actually the daughter-in-law Evelyn had in mind for Lucas. As soon as they arrived, they started criticizing my new house. Evelyn even gave all my skincare and makeup products to Chloe. Lucas, who used to help me with housework and cooking, became completely hands-off. The whole family would sit on the couch watching TV, dumping all the chores on me when I got home from work. Evelyn would even throw pistachio shells on the floor while I was sweeping. Lucas just watched, never saying a word in my defense. Fed up, I got into a huge argument with them. To my surprise, the usually docile Lucas exploded in anger, joining his parents in throwing me out. By then, the outdoor temperature had soared to 122°F as the extreme heatwave hit. I nearly died of dehydration outside. When I tried to return home, I found that Evelyn and Lucas had locked the door, ignoring my desperate pleas no matter how hoarse I screamed. In the end, I died of heatstroke outside the door. That extreme heatwave lasted two months. The food I had stocked up was barely enough for them to survive… Recalling this, I shuddered and gulped down water from my cup. Even after finishing it, I still felt parched, the memory of that thirst lingering. “Honey, there’s hardly anyone left in our hometown now. My parents are getting depressed with no one to talk to in the countryside,” Lucas said cautiously. “Sure, let’s bring them over!” I replied with a cold smile. He carefully watched my reaction, knowing that not only had I bought this house, but I also paid for everything we ate, wore, and used. His initial promise was that his parents would never interfere with our lives. Just six months into our marriage, he was already eager to revert to being a mama’s boy. I suppressed the hatred in my eyes and said, “The countryside has lots of mosquitoes and no air conditioning. It’s perfect for them to come escape the heat.” I couldn’t wait for them to come to their deaths.

Lucas was both surprised and delighted by my response. This was the first time I hadn’t objected when he mentioned his parents. Due to my change in attitude, Lucas eagerly drove my new Audi back to his hometown the next day to pick up his parents. It was five days earlier than in my previous life. After he left, I installed cameras in the bedroom and living room, adjusted the angles, found good hiding spots, and made sure my phone could receive real-time footage. Then I requested time off work. With the two-month extreme heatwave approaching, who would still be working? I had a habit of stocking up during sales seasons, so we had plenty of food and dry goods at home. I selected most of the ingredients, packed them up, and put them in another car in the underground garage. Then I drove back to my in-laws’ old home in the countryside they were so eager to leave. This village was indeed deserted, with everyone having moved to the city. My in-laws would never expect me to spend the extreme heatwave in the place they wanted to escape. The countryside, surrounded by greenery, without exhaust-spewing cars or the urban heat island effect, was actually ideal for escaping the heat. I cleaned the house a bit, then unloaded everything from the trunk. I also contacted a large appliance store in the city to order air conditioners and several large refrigerators. Even in the countryside, it would be hard to survive temperatures over 122°F without air conditioning. Then I ordered a diesel generator and several hundred liters of fuel from an acquaintance. During the extreme heatwave, besides food and water, electricity was crucial. In my previous life, many elderly people were too frugal to use air conditioning. There were also some new mothers who followed outdated postpartum practices, refusing to use air conditioning or fans. They ended up dying of heatstroke at home. Since heaven had given me another chance at life, I was determined to survive this ordeal and live on. Seeing that the sun was about to set, I decided to purchase other items next time. I drove home to find that my in-laws hadn’t arrived yet. Lucas was probably showing them around before bringing them back. The chicken, duck, abalone, and sea cucumber I had taken out to defrost earlier were mostly thawed. I even extravagantly used the bottled mineral water we had stocked to cook. With the in-laws and goddaughter coming to visit, I had to properly entertain them, right?

By the time I finished cooking, I could hear Evelyn complaining loudly in the hallway. “Son, how can that Amber compare to our Chloe? Knowing we’re coming, she didn’t even come to pick us up. Who knows what kind of airs she’s putting on.” Through the door, I heard Lucas try to defend me: “Mom, keep your voice down. She bought this house, you know!” Hearing this, my father-in-law George got angry. “Bah! How could a woman afford to buy a house on her own? Women like her are just scammers. Who knows what shady business she was involved in before.” Evelyn quickly agreed: “Exactly. Son, you need to find a pure and innocent girl to spend your life with.” “Even if this woman has one apartment, she’s still not good enough for my son. Even if she owned an entire building, she wouldn’t deserve you.” These narrow-minded people were always like this. Without money themselves, they suspected others of having ill-gotten gains. They fundamentally didn’t respect women, seeing them only as men’s accessories. Even though Lucas was mooching off me, his mother would always think he was superior to me. Her rose-colored glasses when it came to her precious son were thicker than the Great Wall. It was my own fault for being blind back then. I thought he wouldn’t pose any threat to me, and with family pressuring me to get married, I just muddle-headedly went through with it. My hand unconsciously clenched into a fist at my side, nails digging into my palm. In this life, I would return all the suffering they had inflicted on me, with interest. As soon as the door opened, the whole family rushed in with their bags, shoving me into a corner. Acting like they couldn’t see me, they started moving their luggage inside. From the looks of it, they had brought their entire household, filling up my entryway and living room. “Sister, what delicious food did you make? It smells so good!” I finally spotted Chloe behind the luggage. She had deliberately dressed up in a cute pink dress and high heels, even wearing perfume. No wonder there was such a pungent smell. I quickly put on a facade, bringing out the dishes and setting a large table, inviting them to eat. But this only earned me a scolding from Evelyn. “Don’t you know we just came in from outside and are dying of heat? How can we eat now? Are you trying to give me diarrhea?” George, without taking off his shoes, propped his feet up on the sofa and lay down under the air conditioning vent, starting to order me around. “Bring the food over here. I’ll eat after I cool down.” Chloe raised her manicured nails, pretending to help me carry the plates. Evelyn quickly pulled her back: “You’re a guest. Why should you do any work? Let her do it alone.” Lucas glanced at me tentatively. Seeing that I didn’t show any displeasure, he also sat down reassured.

Once the food was on the table, they started eating without waiting for me. Even though I had deliberately made a lavish meal, they still had to find fault. “This meat is too greasy. Don’t you know how to cook? Making it like this!” “You sure know how to enjoy life, eating abalone and sea cucumber every day while leaving us to eat expired pasta in the countryside.” The old couple was putting on an act again. If you eat garbage, it must be because you love eating garbage. It has nothing to do with me. Besides, Lucas sends you plenty of money every month! I remained silent, letting them complain. After dinner, they all sat in the living room watching TV, leaving me alone to clean up the dishes. I opened the refrigerator, intending to put away the leftovers for tomorrow. Suddenly, Evelyn rushed over and knocked the plate out of my hand. “Keeping leftover food? Are you trying to feed us leftovers? Is this what you usually feed my son? No wonder he’s gotten so thin.” As she spoke, Evelyn started wailing dramatically: “Oh, my poor son! What a hard life you have!” It was like she was crying at a funeral. George also ran over, kicking me twice and spitting at me. Chloe stood to the side, gloating with her arms folded. “Sister, we’re used to eating leftovers in the countryside. We came to the city hoping to eat something nice.” I still didn’t resist them. Driving them away now would ruin all my plans. I packed up the leftovers and took them out to give to the homeless man under the bridge. The leftovers you look down on are delicacies others can only dream of. They talk as if they used to raise their son so preciously in the countryside. Now they’re disgusted by leftovers, but in a while, they won’t even have this to eat. In the evening, Evelyn barged into the master bedroom and took over my bed, moving all my skincare and makeup products from my vanity to the guest room for Chloe to use. Chloe put on an act of reluctance: “Mom, this doesn’t seem right! These belong to my sister-in-law.” She said the words of refusal but didn’t even glance at me. Evelyn glared at me fiercely: “Always wasting money buying this and that. Taking such good care of your skin, who are you trying to seduce?” Then she turned to her goddaughter and said softly: “Chloe, take these. Your brother likes it when you use these cosmetics.” She can have them. What I left behind were all opened products I hadn’t finished using, and I had added quite a few extra ingredients to them. As for those unopened skincare products, I had already sent them back to the countryside. Letting her enjoy them one last time before she dies is my act of mercy. The next day, I made another big table of food just like last night, watching them eat their fill. The food in the house was decreasing rapidly. I trembled with excitement.

After lunch, I rented a truck and went to the supermarket. I bought: 15 boxes of pasta 5 bags of flour 20 cases of bottled water 7 barrels of cooking oil 4 boxes of bread 5 boxes of milk 2 boxes of alcohol 5 cases of Coke Plus my favorite lobster, abalone, sea cucumber and various meats. At the market, I bought half a pig, 66 pounds of beef, and 66 pounds of lamb. No need to buy vegetables – my in-laws had planted some in their yard. I’d just pick those and refrigerate them when I got back. I also bought some fruits – watermelon, apples, pears. Fruits spoil easily in high heat, so no need to buy too much. To prevent heatstroke, I bought some common medications like heatstroke medicine. There are lots of insects in the countryside, so I also bought insect repellent. After meeting basic survival needs, next came things for mental stimulation. I downloaded over 10GB of novels, movies and TV shows. I bought Lego sets and puzzles, and selected some books from the bookstore. These things were enough for me to live on for a year, let alone the mere two months of extreme heat.

While I secretly built up my safe house, I continued cooking for my in-laws. Finally, after my unrelenting efforts, only some noodles, tofu skin and other dry goods were left at home. The weather was getting hotter and hotter. Starting tomorrow, temperatures would climb step by step to 122°F. During this time, Evelyn hadn’t been idle either. She kept praising her goddaughter in front of Lucas. “Chloe is like the apple of my eye. The more I look at her, the prettier and more pleasing she becomes.” As she praised Chloe, she would turn the conversation to criticize me, both directly and indirectly. “You’ve been married for over six months now, why haven’t I seen any sign of a baby? This woman only cares about working outside and not taking care of the home. What use is a woman who doesn’t have children?” “You’re our family’s only son. We can’t have you without an heir.” “Women only have these few young years. Once you pass this age, it becomes harder to conceive and give birth.” Before marriage, I had made a firm agreement with Lucas – these five years were the rising period of my career, so having children was out of the question. Perhaps he had gotten too comfortable over the past six months. After listening to his mother’s analysis, he also decided to have a child first. That night, he pressed his body against mine: “Honey, let’s listen to my mom and have a baby first!” I turned and slapped him across the face. Every time it was like this. Things we had agreed on in advance would immediately change as soon as his mother objected. If he’s going to listen to his mom so much, why bother getting married? He might as well spend his whole life with her. That way he’d never have to be weaned and could contentedly remain a mama’s boy forever. The night was still young, and everyone was sleeping lightly. This slap woke up the people in the two adjacent bedrooms. Evelyn ran over and saw the red mark on her precious son’s face. She immediately flew into a rage. “Amber, you wretched woman! I knew you were no good. How dare you hit your husband!” She picked up a broom and threw it at me. When she missed, she tried to run over and pull my hair. George also came to help, but I wasn’t going to just take it. I grabbed George’s toupee right off his head, instantly aging him by over a decade. Chloe took advantage of the chaos to caress Lucas’s face. “I’ll blow on it and the pain will go away.” I grabbed my pre-packed bag and headed for the door. You can just live and die here by yourselves! I heard the sound of the door being locked from inside. “Stay out there for the night, you wretched woman. Don’t even think about coming back!” They seemed to have forgotten that this was the house I bought. I drove both cars out of the garage, parking one in my company’s underground lot, then drove the other back to the countryside. I finally moved into the safe house I had prepared long ago. The outdoor temperature was already very high. I quickly turned on the air conditioning, finally feeling alive again. But this was just the beginning. The true extreme heatwave was about to arrive.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294764”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #惊悚Thriller #重生Reborn #魔幻Magic

Mia Wilson never expected her life to take such a drastic turn. Her sister-in-law, Lucy Lee, had always been obsessed with becoming a social media influencer. Every day, Lucy would livestream her attempts to prank Mia, treating her like a prop for views and likes. Whenever Mia tried to resist, her in-laws would berate her, accusing her of sabotaging Lucy’s chance at internet stardom. Even Jack, Mia’s husband, would physically abuse her, telling her to stop making a fuss. One day, for a mere $50 donation from a viewer, Lucy’s family locked Mia out on the balcony. Mia cried, telling Jack she was pregnant, begging them not to do this to her. But upon hearing about the pregnancy, Lucy urged Jack to keep Mia outside, claiming pregnant women were more resistant to cold. That night, the temperature plummeted from over 80°F to 14°F as a terrifying ice age suddenly descended upon the world. Mia froze to death on that balcony. Within a month, global temperatures dropped to -94°F, and the entire planet was encased in ice. Then, Mia opened her eyes. She had returned to the day Lucy first started her influencer journey. This time, it would be Mia’s turn to enjoy a warm meal indoors while livestreaming their miserable fate!

“Mom, look! My video pranking my sister-in-law got so many views. I need to make more of these,” Lucy exclaimed, waving her phone proudly at her parents in the living room. “Once I become a big influencer, I’ll be able to treat you to all the good stuff!” Hearing that familiar voice, Mia couldn’t help but shudder. Even standing in the sunlight, she trembled uncontrollably. The bone-chilling cold from her past life seemed to seep from her very marrow, impossible to suppress. After all, she had frozen to death in her previous life! Mia pinched her arm hard, the pain finally convincing her that she had truly been reborn. At that moment, her in-laws were praising their daughter for being smart and destined for great things. Mrs. Lee then glared at Mia fiercely, “You useless girl, did you hear that? You better cooperate with the videos. If you ruin my daughter’s chance at success, I won’t let you off easy!” Mrs. Lee had said the same thing in Mia’s past life. Back then, Mia had refused to be pranked and privately asked Lucy to change her content direction. But Lucy had tearfully complained to her parents, accusing Mia of being jealous. Mr. Lee had flown into a rage, calling Mia a jinx who couldn’t bear to see their family prosper. Mrs. Lee had pointed at Mia, cursing her as a waste of money who wanted to obstruct her daughter’s path to fame. Jack had beaten Mia black and blue, telling her to stop causing trouble over nothing. Later, for a $50 donation in Lucy’s livestream, the whole family had locked Mia on the balcony. Even when Mia cried and told Jack she was pregnant, begging them not to do this, the family remained unmoved. Lucy had excitedly said, “It’s even better that she’s pregnant! Pregnant women are more resistant to cold. Brother, quick, put her on the balcony. More and more people are joining my livestream. I’m about to become a big influencer!” In the end, they had locked Mia on the balcony. Mia had planned to divorce Jack and abort the baby once this incident was over. That night, the temperature suddenly dropped from over 80°F to 14°F as a terrifying ice age descended upon the world. Mia had kept banging on the balcony door, begging them to let her in. But even when her hands were bloodied from knocking, they still refused to open the door. Desperate to survive, Mia had thrown her body against the balcony door until the glass shattered. Seeing this, Lucy quickly told Jack to move a cabinet to block the balcony door. From the warm interior, Lucy, wearing a t-shirt and eating a popsicle, had laughed at Mia, “Sis, you’re pregnant, why are you afraid of a little cold?” Mia had clawed at the door with her bloodied fingers, sobbing and begging, “Lucy, please, I’m begging you. If it gets any colder, my baby and I will die.” But Lucy had just pointed her phone at Mia, telling her livestream viewers, “Look, everyone, pregnant women really are resistant to cold. My sister-in-law isn’t dead yet.” Lucy’s cruelty had chilled Mia to her core. Finally, Mia’s strength gave out, and she died miserably on the balcony, her tears freezing on her face. Thankfully, heaven had taken pity on her and given her a chance to be reborn. Now, the temperature was still in the 80s, a hot summer day. The cicadas were buzzing loudly outside, with no sign of the impending ice age. But in just a week, on one night, the temperature would plummet from over 80°F to 14°F. After that, it would get colder day by day, eventually reaching -94°F, freezing the entire globe. The fire of revenge burned fiercely in Mia’s heart. This time, she would have her revenge and personally send this family to hell!

Pretending to be meek and obedient, Mia replied to Mrs. Lee, “Mom, I’ll cooperate well with Lucy’s videos.” Mrs. Lee seemed somewhat surprised by Mia’s compliance, but still scolded her, “You useless girl, don’t you know it’s time to make dinner? Why are you standing there like an idiot? Go cook now!” Mia clenched her fist tightly, reminding herself not to act rashly. She then walked into the kitchen and started preparing dinner. During the meal, Jack came home. Mia had just washed her hands and was about to sit down to eat when Jack kicked her, “What are you eating for? The supermarket shelves are empty. Go restock them.” Holding back her pain, Mia agreed and grabbed the keys from the shoe cabinet, heading downstairs without another word. When Mia got married, her parents had given her a commercial property as part of her dowry, which was now being used as a small supermarket. Since the supermarket opened, no one in this big family had gone out to work. They all relied on this small supermarket for their livelihood. Not only that, but they had also dumped the most tiring and dirty jobs of restocking and arranging goods on Mia. To maintain the family’s expenses, Mia worked during the day and came back to organize the supermarket shelves at night. Therefore, no one knew this supermarket better than her. After restocking the shelves, Mia took some sausages, bread, and drinks to the storage room where supplies were kept. After eating, she called her parents who still lived in the suburbs. Hearing her parents’ voices through the phone again, tears welled up in her eyes involuntarily. In her past life, after Mia’s death, her parents had called her several times but no one answered. They had then called Jack to ask about Mia’s situation. Originally afraid of being exposed, Jack had replied to her parents using Mia’s SnapChat account, making them believe she was still alive. Later, when the temperature dropped suddenly and the ice age began, her parents had asked Mia on SnapChat if she could send them some food. The temperature had dropped too quickly, and they couldn’t buy anything in the suburbs. Lucy had come over and seen the chat history. She then instigated Jack to trick Mia’s parents out of their money. So Lucy and Jack had conspired together, fabricating an excuse that Mia was sick. Lucy had even worn Mia’s clothes to pretend to be her. Believing it was true, her parents immediately transferred all their money. After getting all the money from Mia’s parents, the two had made a FaceTime call to her parents, cursing them as big idiots and fools, saying no wonder their daughter was also a fool. They had told them their daughter had already frozen to death, and even sent photos of Mia’s corpse for her parents to see. This had immediately triggered her father’s heart condition, causing him to faint. The call had ended with her mother’s panicked screams.

Thinking of this, Mia’s voice choked up as she called out, “Dad, Mom.” Her father thought she must have suffered some grievance and quickly tried to comfort her, even threatening to come over and beat Jack up. Her mother told her to divorce Jack immediately and come back home to live with them. Mia shook her head, saying she hadn’t been wronged. In her past life, her parents had died miserably because of Lucy and Jack. This time, she definitely wouldn’t let that pair of scoundrels off! However, she also wouldn’t let her parents get involved. They were getting old and should enjoy their twilight years in peace. She would handle everything. But her parents still didn’t believe she hadn’t been wronged, so Mia had to change the subject, “Mom, Dad, can you rent the house next door?” Her parents were confused about why she wanted them to rent the neighboring house. Mia explained to them that extreme weather would occur in the future, and the previous owner of the house next door had been a foreigner. Foreigners naturally liked to dig all kinds of basements for storing things and as shelters, so there was a large basement under that house. After the foreigner left, the house had been listed on a second-hand platform for sale. Because it was in the suburbs, it had been on the market for a long time with no buyers. In the future extreme weather, temperatures would eventually drop to -94°F. By then, having food and drink wouldn’t be enough. A safe shelter would also be crucial. Although her parents didn’t quite believe that such extreme weather would occur – after all, it was blazing hot outside now – they still did as Mia said. After hanging up with her parents, Mia contacted a moving company. Under the guise of restocking goods, she secretly transported some items from the supermarket warehouse to her parents’ place. There was about a week left before the ice age arrived. By moving a portion every day, she could empty the entire warehouse without anyone noticing. This time, it would be Mia and her parents’ turn to enjoy barbecue around the fireplace indoors while livestreaming the miserable fate of Lucy’s family!

By the time Mia finished all this, it was dark outside. Just as she reached the top of the stairs, before she could enter the door, she heard Lucy’s coquettish laughter, “Brother, look! This person is as stupid as my sister-in-law.” Pushing open the door, Mia saw a harmonious family scene. The whole family was gathered around Lucy, like stars revolving around the moon. Lucy was Mr. and Mrs. Lee’s late-in-life daughter, greatly pampered. Mrs. Lee especially doted on Lucy, saying Lucy was her little cotton-padded jacket. Jack also adored his sister, saying he was Lucy’s eternal support and that it was fine if Lucy never married. Hearing the door open, the family looked in Mia’s direction. As soon as Mrs. Lee saw it was Mia, she immediately put on a stern face and scolded, “You useless girl, are you standing there like a door god? You scared me! ” Lucy held her phone in one hand and a bowl of fruit salad in the other as she walked towards Mia, “Sis, we forgot to save you dinner. Here, have some fruit to fill your stomach.” Mia looked at Lucy’s smiling face, full of malicious intent. In her past life, Mia had eaten it without suspicion, only to find out the fruit salad contained mango, to which she was allergic. Her whole body had broken out in a rash. Lucy had then laughed loudly, holding up her phone and telling her livestream viewers, “Look, everyone, my stupid sister-in-law ate it! Look at her allergic reaction.” Mrs. Lee had also laughed along, “Our Lucy is so clever, making that useless girl look foolish.” Jack had pointed at Mia, saying she looked really ugly like that. At that moment, Mia’s heart had completely turned cold, and she realized she couldn’t stay in this family anymore. She had decided to divorce Jack. But soon after, the ice age had hit. This time, since they could prank her for a $50 donation, they could just as easily prank someone else for the same money. Mia decided to test this theory. Pretending to have a stomachache, she bent over and said, “My stomach doesn’t feel well. I need to use the bathroom first.” But Lucy insisted Mia eat before going. Mia pushed Lucy away and quickly ran to the bathroom. Mrs. Lee cursed behind her, “Lazy people always need to pee.” Mia ignored Mrs. Lee’s words, because soon she would taste the bitter fruit of her actions. In the bathroom, Mia took out her phone and entered Lucy’s livestream. She directly put up a $50 bounty in Lucy’s livestream – to prank her own mother. At the same time, she commented, “Pranking the sister-in-law is boring now. Let’s try something fresh, like pranking your own mother.” She wanted to see just how much their so-called family affection was worth. Sure enough, the next second Mia heard Lucy excitedly tell everyone, “Dad, Mom, Brother, look! Someone donated to my livestream. I’m about to become a big influencer!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294780”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #惊悚Thriller #重生Reborn #魔幻Magic #励志Inspiring #浪漫Romance #擦边Steamy

The Day My Daughter Celebrated Her Birthday I received photos of my husband Ryan cheating on me. Ryan couldn’t come home due to a company dinner. After putting our daughter Mia to bed, I kept scrolling through the photos on my phone. [Buzz—] A text message vibrated. Unknown number: [Interested in talking?] I typed a reply with trembling fingers. [Who are you?] Unknown number: [We can meet and talk about your husband’s affair.] Then, they sent me an address for a coffee shop. I looked at the address information and tried to calm myself down. When Ryan came home reeking of alcohol, I pretended nothing was wrong as I helped him take off his coat and brought his slippers. He hugged me from behind as usual, smiling and asking if I had missed him. If it were before, I might have flirted back a bit. But now I had no interest in entertaining him. Because I needed to know if my husband was really cheating on me. While washing up, I checked his clothes in the laundry basket, not missing a single item from his shirt to his socks. When I saw the lipstick mark on his pants zipper, I felt sick to my stomach like I had swallowed a dead fly. I took out my phone and replied to the message. [I’ll be there at 3 pm tomorrow.] Within three minutes, they replied “OK.” That night I lay awake clutching my phone, with only one thought in my mind. Divorce! But I wouldn’t let Ryan get away with any benefits! I wanted him to leave with nothing, and I wanted this sponging cheater to be utterly disgraced! To be honest, I never thought Ryan would cheat. Because when Ryan proposed to me, he had nothing. It was only by marrying me that he gained a foothold in the expensive city of New York. His friends all thought he had scored big by marrying me. Even his mother, my difficult mother-in-law, thought so. At 3 pm the next day, I arrived at the coffee shop as agreed. At a table by the window, I met the stranger who had texted me. It was a woman, not particularly beautiful, but with a good figure and mature charm. She said her name was Lily and told me to call her Lily. As soon as I sat down, Lily pushed an envelope towards me. Lily said: [Take a look at these first. You’ll need them if you file for divorce.] Although her words seemed helpful, the certainty in her tone about me getting divorced was unsettling. I didn’t open it, but asked her: [Why are you helping me?] [No reason, I just don’t want him to get away with it.] She glanced at me and continued: [Also, you were the other woman back then, interfering in our relationship.] Lily stirred her coffee casually as she answered, but I nearly spilled my coffee on her. The other woman? You must be joking! I had never interfered in someone else’s marriage. Ryan and I were legally married. How could I possibly be the other woman?! [Don’t misunderstand, you were unknowingly the other woman.] Lily explained with a smile, [Ryan and I were college sweethearts. He made up an excuse to break up right after graduation. I only found out later it was because he had hooked up with you.] My nails dug into my palm as I gripped the coffee spoon, my mind filled with images of Ryan’s sweet words to me back then. I wanted to rush to his office and strangle him. Using the word “hooked up” was indeed accurate, because besides the car and house, even Ryan’s position at the company was arranged through my family connections. But arguing about this now wouldn’t do me any good. It might even play right into that scumbag’s hands. [So why are you contacting me only now?] I took a deep breath and questioned her, [Is it because he’s in touch with you again, or because you’re not willing to let him go and want to win him back?] Lily lit a cigarette, smiling and giving me a meaningful look. She said: [You can guess more boldly. For example, maybe he’s been secretly involved with multiple women behind our backs. Or maybe this time I’m just one of the women interfering in your marriage.] I let out a cold laugh. It was pretty much as I had guessed, otherwise Lily wouldn’t have suddenly sought me out. But what I felt more was sorrow. The marriage I had maintained for five years turned out to be just a joke.

Lily told me that Ryan wasn’t just cheating with her, but that the private investigator’s photos showed at least three women. She hoped I could work with her to deal with Ryan and not give a scumbag like him any chances. That afternoon we added each other on SnapChat, agreeing to join forces. As I was leaving the coffee shop, Ryan happened to call. He first asked what I was doing, then sweet-talked me for a while. But he probably didn’t know I was standing right next to his mistress. Fighting the nausea rising in my stomach, I only told him I was having coffee with a friend. [Alright then, you go ahead. Mom bought a ticket and will arrive tonight. She wants to see Mia.] Ryan said: [She can be a bit temperamental at her age, so try to be patient with her.] I rolled my eyes without responding. Because his mother was no saint either. She claimed to be coming to see Mia, but in reality she came asking for money every time. I was already being polite by not chasing her out with a broom. And he wanted me to be patient? How thick-skinned could he be? Before leaving, Lily said she would give me the private investigator’s contact. I neither refused nor agreed. I didn’t refuse because this private investigator who could take photos must have some skills. I didn’t agree because the situation now felt like a game of Werewolf, and I might be the next one to be eliminated. At 6:30 pm, I picked up my daughter from school. My mother-in-law was already squatting by the door with her bags, her face darker than a pot bottom when she saw me return. [Always running around outside, what’s wrong with staying at home properly?] My mother-in-law glared at me angrily, [A little girl that big doesn’t know the way? You still need to pick her up? If you’re so free, hurry up and give me a grandson!] I kept a cold face and didn’t respond, just taking Mia into the room. This made my mother-in-law even angrier. She started yelling through the door: [What kind of attitude is this? I’m your mother! Who are you giving attitude to?!] If I hadn’t confronted Ryan yet, I definitely would have gone out and torn her mouth off. But my mother-in-law was quick to tattle. Just as I opened WeChat, a message from Ryan came through. Ryan: [Honey, don’t be upset with my mom. She’s your mother-in-law after all. Apologize to her later.] I almost sent back “Fuck off!” Damn it! One eating from multiple women outside, one freeloading off me – did they think I was the Buddha blessing all beings? But Ryan didn’t notice my change, still sending sweet messages as usual. Unfortunately, in my eyes now, those words were just nauseating. If I hadn’t seen the photos, I probably would have believed his bullshit and thought he was a good father and an even better husband. I held back my anger and typed: [Are you coming home for dinner tonight?] Ryan: [Not coming back. I have a work dinner tonight.] Work dinner? Those two words disgusted me the most now. Who knows who he was really “dining” with? Though I knew he was lying, I still replied out of habit. [Be careful and come home early.] After I put Mia to bed and helped her with homework, I opened the door only to find my mother-in-law eavesdropping right outside. She stumbled and almost fell, but still started cursing. [What are you doing closing the door! We’re all family, what is there that I can’t hear? Were you talking bad about me behind closed doors? Have you ever seen a daughter-in-law like you, not even knowing to bring slippers for her mother-in-law when she visits?] I frowned and looked down. Sure enough, my mother-in-law was wearing the new slippers I had just bought for Mia, stretching them out of shape. [Mom, there are slippers prepared for you in the shoe cabinet…] I had told her this at least four or five times, but it was always the same result. But this time I didn’t back down, and continued coldly: [These slippers are Mia’s. What will she wear if you take them?] [So what if they’re Mia’s? I’m her grandmother! Everything in this house belongs to my son, why can’t I use or wear it?] My mother-in-law rolled her eyes and scolded shrilly: [You know there are slippers in the shoe cabinet, why didn’t you take them out for me to change into? What, you think I’m dirty?] My mother-in-law was a typical rural woman, but I had never looked down on her for that. But ever since finding out about Ryan’s affair, I felt disgusted with their whole family. Thinking that Mia still hadn’t had dinner, I couldn’t be bothered to argue further with her. After washing my hands, I started preparing to cook. Just as I opened the refrigerator door, my mother-in-law started yelling again. [Oh my god! You really are a wasteful woman! You don’t treat the money my son earns as money at all! Buying so much fruit, can you eat it all by yourself? What a waste!] I clenched my fists and said, [I bought this fruit with my own money. It has nothing to do with Ryan.] But my mother-in-law kept nagging and following me, [What? Your money isn’t my son’s money? There’s only three of us for dinner tonight, why are you taking out pork ribs? Put them back! Just stir fry a couple small vegetable dishes and that’s enough!] [You’re really pampered, eating pork ribs so late at night? My son works so hard every day but can’t even eat this well. You sure know how to enjoy yourself.] She kept muttering while trying to grab the pork ribs from my hand. I slammed the ribs hard on the counter. [What kind of attitude is this? I can’t even say anything to you now?] I said nothing and took out the cleaver.

I started chopping the ribs, putting all my strength into each cut! [Can’t you hear me talking to you!] My mother-in-law shouted, [I’m calling my son right now. What use is a daughter-in-law like you? Only knows how to spend money, not how to save for my son. It’s been years and you still can’t give birth to a son. It’s still me, his own mother, who cares for him most!] If murder wasn’t illegal, I really wanted to give this old lady a chop. But reason prevailed over anger. I held back my temper and smiled sweetly at her: [Mom, I was wrong just now. I won’t cook these ribs. Why don’t you go rest in the room first?] My mother-in-law snorted disdainfully, but looked quite pleased with herself. She thought she had me under control, and went to rest in the guest room with a victorious air. I quickly blanched the ribs in boiling water to remove the blood, ignoring the constant buzzing of my phone on the counter. I said I wouldn’t stir fry them, but I never said I wouldn’t stew them. Rather than let Ryan and his mother continue to walk all over me, I might as well become a saint right here and now. At dinner time, my mother-in-law almost flipped the table in anger. I ignored her and first ladled a bowl of rib soup for Mia, before leisurely opening my WeChat. 99 unread messages. All from Ryan. Probably trying to coax me into apologizing to his mother again. I pretended not to see and smiled as I called out to my mother-in-law: [Mom, why aren’t you eating? This rib soup smells so good.] My mother-in-law glared, [Eat? I’ll eat your mother’s X! Cooking such a good meal when there’s no man at home, who has such a greedy mouth like you? Aren’t you ashamed!] She finished cursing and reached out to take away the soup pot. I immediately smacked her hand with my chopsticks! I used to put up with her because I didn’t want to fight too early, but now that she’s bullying my daughter and me in front of Mia, how could I still tolerate her? My mother-in-law’s voice nearly broke from yelling, [You dare hit your mother, have you lost your mind!] I ladled myself a bowl of rib soup right in front of her, deliberately scooping up the biggest pieces. My mother-in-law’s face turned red with anger. I smiled and said: [Mom, if you’re full and have nothing to do, why don’t you go for a walk downstairs? Mia and I still need to eat. I bought these ribs with my own money, so how I eat them is my business. Don’t worry about it.] But of course she wouldn’t give up. In her eyes, no one deserved to eat well except her son Ryan. In this family, I was just a freeloader spending Ryan’s money, including Mia. My mother-in-law was used to throwing her weight around before, and couldn’t swallow this. She reached for the soup pot again. This time I didn’t stop her, because the pot base was still heating. She yelped in pain when she touched it. Seeing that bullying didn’t work, my mother-in-law resorted to playing the victim. She slapped her thigh and sat on the floor wailing, [There’s no justice! What kind of daughter-in-law is this, even daring to hit her own mother-in-law!] I couldn’t be bothered to pay her any attention. But Mia was scared and ran to her room to do homework without finishing her meal. I listened to her howling dramatically as I slowly cleaned up the dishes and went to my room. I knew exactly what my mother-in-law was like. She would definitely go complain to Ryan next. As soon as I opened WeChat, Ryan’s video call popped up. I hung up immediately. But Lily suddenly sent me a message, along with several photos. The photos showed Ryan drinking with his buddies. Sitting next to him was an unfamiliar but pretty young girl. Lily: [Didn’t he tell you he had a work dinner and couldn’t come home tonight?] I replied with a “Mm.” Lily typed quickly. Lily: [Haha, he told me he was at home. Said you and his mom were fighting and he was complaining that you don’t know how to behave.] I didn’t respond to that, just asked where she got the photos. Lily said the private investigator took them. Right now he was following them at the SOHO bar. [What about this young girl?] Lily: [New intern at his company. Poor family background, but pretty and sweet-talking. See how she’s the only woman at the table?]

With Lily’s explanation, I finally noticed the oddity in these photos. I have to say, Ryan is quite photogenic. Otherwise I wouldn’t have fallen for him and been willing to support him financially. Lily sent several more messages in quick succession. I didn’t reply, switching to Ryan’s message window instead. Looking at the messages he sent, I didn’t even have the urge to sigh. This mama’s boy who likes to eat from multiple bowls, how could he be any good? I thought for a moment, then typed and sent: [Honey, are you tired from the work dinner tonight?] He was probably looking at his phone, or maybe replying to someone else. Ryan: [It’s alright. This boss kept making me drink for him. I’ll probably be too drunk to come home tonight, might have to crash at a colleague’s place.] Oh, he’s already got an excuse ready for not coming home tonight. I held back my anger and sweet-talked him for a bit like usual before getting to the point. [Drinking so much, I bet there are female colleagues there you want to impress?] Ryan: [Haha, what are you saying? It’s just a bunch of guys, how could there be women?] Seemingly afraid I would get suspicious, he immediately sent a photo. One look at the photo and I knew I had him. The background and number of people were the same as in Lily’s photos, but his side of the table wasn’t shown. [Then drink less and take care of your stomach.] Ryan sent another message, basically just saying how tired his mom was and telling me to apologize, etc. I didn’t even look before closing his chat window. I was afraid if I kept chatting I would throw up. Simply put, this mama’s boy was just trying to mediate, stopping just short of listing all his mother’s great deeds in raising him over the years. I scrolled through my social media feed in frustration for a bit, then sent Lily a message. [Are you free tomorrow? I’d like to meet you.] [Yes.] She replied quickly. [Same place.] I sent the message and didn’t look again. It’s not that I wanted to ally with someone like Lily, because a woman who could be a mistress wouldn’t be a good person either. Not everyone has morals. Or principles. Ryan didn’t come home until nearly dawn. I heard his mom complaining about me to him. She might as well have used a megaphone to declare war on me. [Honey.] The covers were lifted and hands started roaming my body. [Did you miss me?] I almost couldn’t hold back from cursing. I never realized before how selfish Ryan was, but ever since his affair came to light, I became more and more aware of his flaws. Like disturbing my rest right now. I pushed him away. [Stop it.] But Ryan quickly pressed close again, grinning as he tried to take off my clothes. At that moment, three words popped into my head. Marital obligation. But obviously I didn’t want to disgust myself, much less give him a chance. I turned over stiffly. [Your mom is eavesdropping outside.] Sure enough, he stopped moving. I continued asking: [When is your mom planning to leave this time?] Ryan didn’t say anything. But his shocked expression clearly conveyed his thoughts. Yeah, I used to treat the old lady like royalty, how come I’m fighting and trying to get rid of her now? Before he could answer, the door was banged loudly! [This is my son’s home, I’ll stay as long as I want!] My mother-in-law raised her voice, [You hurry up and give me a grandson. My son can’t end up without an heir!] I couldn’t help but laugh. [Did you hear that? Your mom wants you to give her a grandson. The throne in your family needs an heir after all.] This was the first time I had ever mocked Ryan, but it definitely wouldn’t be the last. [Honey, my mom didn’t mean…] [Go to sleep.] I cut him off. The next morning, I used the excuse of taking Mia to tutoring to go out. My mother-in-law followed behind, making cold remarks. She just couldn’t stand me spending so much money on my daughter. In the car, I contacted Lily and asked about the private investigator she had introduced to me, inquiring if he could get evidence of my husband’s affair. My requirements weren’t high: First, I wanted to know how many women Ryan had cheated with, for how long, and I needed photos and recordings if possible. Second, whether Ryan had any financial dealings with these women, or if he had given them any expensive gifts. As long as I had this evidence in hand, I would essentially have the leverage to make Ryan leave with nothing in the divorce. The private investigator Lily introduced charged quite a lot, but I could afford it. However, I’m not an idiot. I didn’t trust Lily, nor did I trust him. It was the same coffee shop as last time, but this time I met a young man in a trench coat. To be honest. The moment I saw this private investigator, a woman’s sixth sense told me something was off. He reeked of perfume, and his mannerisms were nothing like a real private investigator’s. He first enthusiastically ordered me a coffee, and when he handed it over, he seemed to deliberately brush my fingers. Years of housework and taking care of my daughter had taken their toll, and despite spending money on skincare, my hands were no longer like a young girl’s. In contrast, this “investigator’s” hands were truly white and delicate. Either he was very young, or he had never done a day of manual labor in his life.

[Mrs. Gao, you really don’t look like you’ve had a child. So young and beautiful.] He complimented me, but I didn’t respond. He then started discussing my husband Ryan’s affair with me. I listened for a while before interrupting him, [How do you know Lily?] He was taken aback for a moment, but quickly composed himself with a smile, [Miss Lily? She was referred by another client.] With just that one sentence, I smiled and put down my coffee, understanding most of the situation. Every time the “private investigator” said something to me, his phone buzzed with a notification. In the less than three minutes we had been talking, his phone had gone off seven or eight times. I glanced over and saw that all the chat avatars were colorful and feminine. In other words, they were all women’s profile pictures. [Business is good? All female clients? I guess they’re all hiring you to catch cheating spouses?] I asked with a smile. He put away his phone and nodded hurriedly, [Yes. Mrs. Gao, I suggest you prepare for divorce in advance. I’ve seen many cases like your husband’s. With a new flame by his side, how could he remember what his old lover looks like?] I nodded, [I understand. How long will it take you to get the photos and recordings to me?] He didn’t expect me to end the conversation so quickly and stammered, [T-two… two weeks.] [Alright, we’ll be in touch in two weeks then.] I picked up my bag and stood up. [Mrs. Gao, don’t you want to chat more?] [Chat?] I looked at him, [Chat about what? Haven’t we already discussed everything?] My attitude was probably too cold. He stood there for a moment, not saying anything more. I stared at his fairly handsome face, tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, and smiled. Interesting, very interesting. The person Lily introduced to me was almost certainly not a real private investigator.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294796”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #惊悚Thriller #重生Reborn #魔幻Magic #励志Inspiring #浪漫Romance #擦边Steamy

On my 18th birthday, I received several mysterious text messages on my phone. The sender claimed to be me from ten years in the future. “This is not a prank,” one message read. “Go to the Computer Science department and find Liam Blackwood,” another instructed. “He may seem reserved and cold now, but in the years to come, he will be the one who loves you most in this world.” “Save him. Promise me you won’t let him die for you this time.” My name is Aria Winters, and I’m a freshman in college. I just celebrated my 18th birthday last week. It was probably the most surreal birthday I’ve ever had. On my birthday, my dad gave me a new phone. That night, after showering, I lay in bed, transferring the SIM card from my old phone to the new one and downloading some commonly used apps. As I was fiddling with those apps, my phone suddenly notified me of a new message. I glanced at it casually – it was a random sentence that said, “Go to the Computer Science department and find Liam Blackwood.” I had never even heard of Liam Blackwood. It must have been sent to the wrong person. I ignored it, but soon another message came through: “Hurry, you must find him before Christmas, or it will be too late!” The sender seemed so urgent, it might be something important. Out of kindness, I opened the message thread and replied, “I think you’ve got the wrong person.” The response came immediately: “No, I’m looking for you, Aria Winters.” I found this bizarre, so I checked the sender’s phone number. What I saw made my blood run cold, and I threw my phone away in shock. The sender of these messages had the same phone number as mine. Imagine this: it’s exactly midnight, and I’m texting… myself. Was this a malicious prank or a ghostly midnight message? I took a few deep breaths, mustered up my courage, picked up the phone, and with trembling fingers, typed: “Who are you?” Until dawn, there was no reply from the other end. I had almost forgotten about this incident, but tonight I stayed up late preparing for a club officer interview the next day. As soon as the clock struck midnight, my phone automatically popped up a message, still the same – “Go to the Computer Science department and find Liam Blackwood.” This was the second time. I wanted to get to the bottom of this. “Who are you? Is this a prank?” I asked. The reply I got was mind-boggling: “I am you, Aria from ten years in the future.” Are they kidding me? This is ridiculous. I reminded them: “April Fools’ Day was six months ago.” “I’m not lying to you. If you don’t believe me, I can prove it. On your end, it’s 2020, and you currently have a crush on Connor Sullivan, right?” My head buzzed. Connor Sullivan was a guy in our club, a year older than me. He was quite handsome, known as the gentle senior among the students. He had been particularly caring towards me, and I did have some feelings for him, but I had never told anyone about it. How did she know? As if knowing my thoughts, the other person said, “Don’t doubt it, I just know because I am you from ten years in the future.” A sudden thought struck me, and I asked her, “So, am I with Connor Sullivan ten years from now?” This time, the other side was silent for a moment. “Yes, you’re married.” Before I could feel embarrassed for a few seconds, my phone started buzzing with messages as if it was possessed: “But he has a small dick, he’s terrible in bed, and he’s a super mega scumbag. If you end up with him, he’ll spend your money, sleep with your friends, and even try to kill you!” I was dumbfounded. After digesting her information, I couldn’t help but feel devastated. What? Is my future really that miserable? Perhaps realizing the topic had gone off track, she quickly brought it back: “There’s no time left. Listen to me, you must go to the Computer Science department and find Liam Blackwood.” “Although he seems introverted and cold now, in the years to come, he will be the one who loves you most in this world.” “Promise me, save him. Don’t let him die for you this time.” I asked her who Liam Blackwood was, which class he was in, why she said he died for me, what happened, but the messages I sent seemed to sink into a bottomless sea. I looked at the time – well, it was 12:05 AM. It seemed to be the same time last time. It appears that this cross-time communication between us has a specific time limit. The next day, I dragged my tired body to the 8 AM class. It was the Department Head’s course, and everyone had fixed seats. You could tell at a glance who was late or absent. As soon as I entered the classroom, I noticed extra breakfast on my desk – soy milk, small wontons, and even a chocolate muffin. I asked my roommate, who had arrived just before me, “Who brought this?” She said, “I don’t know, it was already there when I came.” She lowered her voice and grinned at me, “Honestly, Aria, was it Connor Sullivan? I saw him buy you bubble tea before. Not bad, huh? You just posted on social media last night that you wanted to eat a chocolate muffin, and today he bought it for you. He must like you, right?” The chocolate muffin was only sold at a trendy store three miles from campus, and that store was so popular that you had to be quick to get their hot new products. If it were any other time, I would have been touched and given Connor some bonus points in my heart. However, because of last night’s text messages, now when I heard Connor Sullivan’s name, I couldn’t help but think of that sentence – “he has a small dick, he’s terrible in bed.” Help. Connor Sullivan’s image in my mind crumbled by half. Facing my roommate’s suggestive gaze, I quickly denied it: “No, we’re not in any kind of relationship.” At 3 PM, I attended the club officer interview on time. The interview went smoothly, and afterwards, Connor came to congratulate me and asked if I wanted to go watch a movie with him that evening. In the past, I might have happily agreed, but today, as soon as he came close, that phrase “small dick, terrible in bed” kept flashing in my mind. Heaven knows how much willpower it took to keep my gaze from drifting downwards. Connor took another step towards me: “I’ve already bought the tickets. It’s a mystery film, the kind you like.” I declined politely, maintaining a calm expression: “I have something to do today, sorry, Connor.” “Alright,” he looked a bit disappointed, “we’ll plan for next time then.” I breathed a sigh of relief, then remembered something. Liam Blackwood was also in the Computer Science department, right? Maybe Connor had heard of him. With a try-and-see attitude, I asked him about Liam Blackwood. He did know him: “He’s in Class 1, the most famous among this year’s freshmen. Why? Do you know him?” I shook my head and made up an excuse: “A friend of mine likes him.” “Aria, you should tell your friend to give up on that idea,” Connor’s expression turned serious. “Why? Does he have a girlfriend?” “No,” Connor frowned, “I heard he’s sick. Mental illness.” I heard some rumors about Liam Blackwood from Connor. Apparently, when he first entered college, he became quite popular due to his good looks and aloof attitude towards people. Connor’s position as the most popular guy in the department was almost threatened. But later, someone dug up his family history and posted it on the school forum. People’s attitudes towards him changed 180 degrees overnight. The reason was simple: he had a mentally ill father who was a murderer. When it happened, Liam was only five years old. He witnessed his frenzied father kill his mother with a knife, then walk towards him step by step. Fortunately, before the knife fell, his father came to his senses, but realizing what he had done, the tremendous fear and guilt made him drop the knife and flee. In the end, it was a neighbor returning from work who discovered something was wrong, opened the door to find a murder had occurred next door, and shakily called the police. When the police arrived, the body was lying in a pool of blood, already cold. The five-year-old boy was curled up in a corner, his body trembling uncontrollably, his gaze blank. After that, Liam’s father remained missing. The police couldn’t find his whereabouts. Liam only had a distant relative, but that family considered him a burden and sent him to an orphanage. The person who posted on the forum described it vividly, claiming to be Liam’s high school classmate who had personally witnessed Liam go berserk, pinning a much taller senior against the wall and beating him. The reason seemed to be that the senior had made a joke about Liam’s parents. Everyone said that his reckless, life-risking craziness must have been inherited from his father, and so rumors of Liam having a mental illness spread throughout their Computer Science department. I read all the posts about Liam on the forum. Far from being scared, I felt a bit sorry for him. … I must have been influenced by the text messages from these past few days. There was a photo of Liam on the forum, a candid shot taken by someone. In the photo, he was glaring at the camera, his eyes wild and cold. I stared at that photo again and again, conflicted all night, and decided to go find Liam and see the situation for myself. Finding Liam wasn’t difficult at all. I didn’t even need to ask anyone. Standing outside their classroom window and looking in, I could spot him at a glance among the sea of people. His aura was unique. At this age, college students often like to wear a few branded items, each one full of youthful energy. Liam was different. He sat alone in the last row, wearing the simplest white t-shirt, with black hair and black eyes, like a stagnant pool untouched by sunlight, out of place in this world. I compared this face with the photo on the forum and could confirm it was him. Perhaps my gaze was too intense, he suddenly looked in my direction. Our eyes met, his gaze sharp. Caught peeking, my heart skipped a beat, and under the influence of guilt, I reflexively crouched down, hiding under the window. Only after crouching did I realize how strange this looked. I wasn’t a peeping tom, why was I feeling guilty? As the bell rang, people poured out of the classroom. I stood on tiptoe looking for Liam. As expected, he was walking at the back of the crowd, carrying a shoulder bag, his expression quiet and indifferent. Because of the rumors, everyone’s attitude towards him was both wary and fearful. While others were in groups of three or five, there was no one around him. The sense of loneliness was palpable. I couldn’t help but call out to him: “Hey!” I ran up to him, took out my phone, “You’re Liam Blackwood, right? Hi, I’m Aria Winters from the Design department. Can I add you on SnapChat?” This was the first time in my life I had ever approached a boy on my own. While I was feeling nervous, Liam stopped and looked at me. I couldn’t tell if it was surprise or expectation in his voice: “You know me?” His voice was quite pleasant, very clean. To not seem too abrupt, I answered honestly: “I didn’t know you before, but I want to know you now. Is that okay?” Liam didn’t seem satisfied with my answer. He said, “No, it’s not.” Those eyes returned to their previous emotionless state, as if the expectation I saw in them earlier was just my imagination. He strode past me. I called his name, only to receive a cold response: “Don’t follow me.” Hello?? Don’t you know this is how you lose me? At midnight, the message from the future arrived on my phone right on time. It was still that same, unshakeable, almost like a death warrant: “Quickly go to the Computer Science department and find Liam Blackwood.” Thinking of what happened during the day, I replied with a depressed mood: “I went today. Are you sure you didn’t make a mistake? I feel like he doesn’t like me at all. He doesn’t even seem to know me.” In my depression, I also felt a bit wronged. I didn’t know where this sense of grievance came from. Was it because I had enthusiastically approached someone only to be coldly rejected? Or was it because it was Liam? That glance he gave me through the glass today left a deep impression. I think I might have… fallen for him at first sight. It took a full two minutes before a message came from the other side. “No mistake. I’ve read his diary. He carried out a secret love throughout his student years, but neither you nor I knew about his feelings.” A secret love that lasted throughout his student years. I searched through my memories but really couldn’t remember anyone named Liam Blackwood. I asked, “When exactly did Liam start liking me?” Surprisingly, my future self replied: “I don’t know either.” “His love… was too silent. I never noticed it.” “Anyway, you must be wary of Connor Sullivan. He’s a complete scumbag, guilty of both financial fraud and attempted murder. If it weren’t for Liam, Connor would have succeeded. My life was exchanged for Liam’s. That’s why I want to save him. I want him to live.” I promised my 28-year-old self that I would save Liam, and for this, I even made a comprehensive plan. First, of course, was to stay away from Connor Sullivan. My fondness for Connor came from his usual care for me, but I’m not stupid. Once I learned he was a scumbag, I would have bought a train ticket and fled overnight. Next was to find a way to get close to Liam. I got hold of their department’s class schedule from the school’s confession wall. On a morning when I didn’t have class, I walked into their classroom with two breakfast sets, brazenly sat down next to Liam. Liam seemed very uncomfortable with my arrival. From the moment I sat down, he curled up like a little hedgehog, his voice hard and cold: “What are you doing here?” He was quite cute like this. Writing about his secret love for me in his diary, but in reality, for some reason, he seemed to deliberately avoid me. It was a bit like those people online who say one thing but mean another. I handed him the bun and soy milk I had brought: “I brought you breakfast.” He clenched his jaw, stared at me for a while, then pushed it away: “I don’t want it.” But the way he looked at me just now clearly showed he wanted to accept it. What a contradictory person. I admit I had my own agenda. My 28-year-old self only said to save Liam’s life, to let him live. But knowing this, my 18-year-old self wanted to date him. We pushed and pulled over the breakfast several times, attracting the attention of classmates in front of us who couldn’t help but turn around to look. Their faces couldn’t hide their shock, as if surprised that someone would actually sit next to Liam and talk to him. As the bell for class rang, I simply grabbed Liam’s hand, put the breakfast in it, and softened my voice to say quietly: “Come on, skipping breakfast is bad for your health. I brought this specially for you. Just take it, okay?” I’m quite good at acting coy. Sure enough, Liam froze when I held his hand, reacting as if he had been electrocuted. This time he didn’t refuse, but he put the breakfast at the corner of his desk, seemingly with no intention of eating it. I sighed internally, thinking there would be more opportunities in the future. However, I had only come three times before Liam grabbed my arm and cornered me in the hallway. If I had to describe it, he was like a small beast whose territory had been invaded, bristling with all his spines to warn me: “What exactly do you want to do?” If it were someone else interrogating me like this, I would have been scared away long ago. But it was Liam, those dark eyes staring intently at me, beneath the surface of annoyance was an almost undisguisable confusion and fear. I didn’t understand, but I felt sorry for him, so my mouth moved faster than my brain: “I just kind of like you. Can’t you like me back a little?” Liam let go of my hand. The next second, he suddenly smiled. This was the first time I had seen him smile. It was very attractive, making me dizzy. If I liked Liam five points before, from this second on, I can guarantee this liking had shot up to seven points.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294812”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic

I Climbed into the Bully’s Bed, Actively Pleasing Him, Just to Gain His Trust. To Make Him Pay with His Life. I was an accidental product of my parents. My father was an alcoholic, and my mother abandoned me early on. When I was five, my father died of alcohol poisoning, and I was sent to foster care. At six, the well-dressed Liam Foster stood in front of me. His eyes were contemptuous as he pointed at me crouching on the ground: “Let’s take her.” At that time, I didn’t understand what this meant. The foster care worker told me I could have a good life from now on. She didn’t lie to me. After coming to the Foster family, I could have whatever I wanted. Exquisite clothes, limited edition dolls, high-end meals… But I lost the one thing that was worthless – my dignity.

Mrs. Foster raised me well. At just 16, I became the perfect lady in the eyes of all the wealthy women in the city. I was their ideal choice for a daughter-in-law. A perfect doll without a temper, to be manipulated at will. On the night of Liam’s 18th birthday party, I had just entered the room when a strong hand suddenly grabbed my arm. Then a familiar scent hit me. Through the moonlight, I looked up to see Liam, who was a head taller than me. Liam had never liked me, and I always tried to minimize my presence around him. I lowered my head timidly: “Brother, do you need something?” Liam’s eyes were filled with undisguised disgust: “Don’t look at me like that.” I knew it was because of my existence. Liam felt that the unique love that belonged to him was divided, He despised me. Liam’s hand suddenly wandered to my neck, He lowered his head, and then a warm, stinging sensation came. I covered the red mark on my neck, looking at Liam in front of me in horror. It seemed that from that day on, He had opened Pandora’s box, taking pleasure in tormenting me and making me uncomfortable.

In high school, I entered one of the top private schools in the city. The students there were either rich or noble. Perhaps because of Liam, everyone knew I was adopted by the Foster family. Even though I tried hard to lower my presence, I still couldn’t escape their bullying. “Brother, please tell them not to touch me! Please!” “Don’t call me brother!” My body was firmly pressed down by four strong students. While Liam just hugged the prom queen on his body, looking at me coldly. He glanced at my torn uniform, his eyes flashing with contempt. “Don’t worry, I wouldn’t dare without Mother’s orders.” I was almost desperate. Liam thought I had stolen all his mother’s love. But he didn’t know at all that my existence was just to marry into a higher-status family, paving the way for his future. I felt the clothes on my body peeling off layer by layer. My tears had completely dried up, and I gave up struggling completely. It’s fine, maybe Mrs. Foster would give up on this useless pawn. “So many people bullying one girl? That doesn’t seem right, does it?” All eyes were drawn to the source of the voice. Sunlight filtered through the layers of leaves, shining on Noah Parker’s smiling face. He seemed to have just woken up, his uniform was a bit wrinkled, and his hair was messy. This was the first time I saw Noah, a boy even more handsome than Liam. In this school, it was the first time someone dared to openly contradict Liam’s words. “If you know what’s good for you, get lost.” Liam squatted beside me, took a drag of his cigarette and blew the smoke in my face. I coughed and sneezed, looking pathetic. Noah didn’t say anything, he just walked straight to me. He put his jacket over me. “Are you going to let go, or do I have to make you?” The boys looked at each other, then burst into laughter. The next second, Noah’s fist landed on their faces. He grabbed my hand: “Run!” For the first time, I wanted to resist. Ignoring Liam’s warning behind me, I ran wildly following Noah’s footsteps.

That day when I got home. I saw Liam barbecuing in the yard with Mia Anderson and his group of friends. I ran to the basement wine cellar. Only here could they not find me. But I didn’t expect that this decision would plunge me into an endless abyss. “Liam! Why did you reject me! You know I like you so much!” It was Mia’s voice! Out of fear, I froze my body, shrinking in the corner, not daring to move. “I just see you as a sister.” I had thought they were in a relationship! After all, I had seen them kissing in front of me before! — At night, my door was pushed open. I was awakened by the pain on my body. It was Liam! His eyes were a bit hazy, obviously not in a normal state. “Brother, let me go! I’m Chloe!” But he couldn’t hear any sound at all. My tears dried up, and my throat was hoarse from crying. Mrs. Foster was out of the country, and there was no one in the whole Foster house who could save me. The next day Liam sobered up. He looked at the messy room, the bloodstains on the bed, and the hideous red marks on my body, and immediately understood. Without any remorse. He just said lightly: “Clean up quickly, don’t let Mom find out.” I laughed. “Apologize!” Liam sneered, his contemptuous eyes scanning me from head to toe: “Chloe, you’re just a toy my family bought. You’re not even human, and you want my apology?” He pushed my body away and left the room. When I arrived at school, I saw him under his school uniform, a beast in human clothing, without any guilt. But because of his one night of madness. I was directly grabbed by the hair by several of Mia’s female companions and dragged into the bathroom. Mia slapped me without saying a word, cursing with filthy and dirty words. “Bitch! Who told you to seduce Liam!” “He broke into my room!” Mia didn’t listen to my explanation at all. She tore at my clothes, using her phone to take pictures of my naked body. “Get lost if you don’t want to die!” It was Noah’s voice. He rushed in front of me, avoiding eye contact with me, and once again covered my defeated body with his uniform. “Hand over the phone.” “Noah, this is the girls’ bathroom!” “Mia, don’t make me hit a woman!” Mia looked at me with a hateful face, but she obediently handed over the phone. Noah threw it into the toilet and flushed it away in front of us, then hugged me and left.

Noah took me to the infirmary. I clutched the clothes on my body tightly. Unwilling to let Noah see those shameful marks. “It’s not your fault.” “Huh?” This was the first time in my life that someone told me it wasn’t my fault. Even after experiencing such a thing, suffering such harm. The first reaction in my mind was if only I had locked my door tighter. If only I wasn’t in the room. If only… “The ones who made mistakes are them, the abusers will never think they’re wrong. Chloe, you did nothing wrong. Don’t be ashamed of the scars on your body, those who should be ashamed of seeing these wounds are them, not you.” Without waiting for my response, Applause sounded at the door. With a man’s usual mockery: “Chloe, I was wondering why you’ve been so bold lately, turns out you have a backer.” I followed Liam’s gaze, Found that he was staring intently at the marks he had left on my body. Noah held my hand. His hand was very large, able to completely wrap around mine. He seemed to be continuously transmitting his own courage into my body. I found that I dared to look directly into Liam’s eyes. My reaction seemed to anger Liam. His upturned phoenix eyes were filled with malice. But due to Noah’s presence, he didn’t say much more before leaving.

After returning home, as expected. Mrs. Foster knew about this. She tore open my clothes and slapped me across the face without a word. “Chloe! Is this how you repay me for raising you!” Liam’s smile froze. He seemed not to have expected that Mrs. Foster, who had always been kind to me, would hit me so hard. Completely different from the gentle mother in his memory. I just laughed coldly. This was the norm of my life. But when she heard Noah’s name, her smile at the corners of her mouth became more obvious. She walked up to me and grabbed my hand. “You really are my good daughter.” Even though her hand was warm, I only felt endless coldness. Liam also seemed to understand something at this moment. The look in his eyes towards me became complicated Perhaps because of Mrs. Foster’s instructions, Since that incident. Liam and Mia never bullied me again. That day I received a text message from Noah. He told me to meet him in the art room after school. I didn’t think much and went straight in. I didn’t see Noah, but soon smelled a strong smoke. I wanted to get out, but found that all the doors and windows were locked. The smoke was thick, and my breathing was already becoming rapid. I saw Liam and Mia’s faces outside the window. I knew they wanted me dead! In a daze, I saw a white figure appear in front of me. It was Noah! — When I woke up again, it was three days later. I heard the news of Noah’s death. I couldn’t believe it. How could Noah possibly be dead? This must be a joke, right? I wanted to rush out of the room, but was blocked by Mia. She smiled at me and leaned close to my ear. “Noah died horribly, he rushed into the fire to save you, but stupidly tried to take out those paintings. But I also helped you fulfill his last wish. I took the paintings away for him in advance.” I knew what those paintings meant to Noah! They were his life’s work! I grabbed Mia’s hair like a madwoman: “Go to hell!” Mrs. Foster didn’t expect that I, who had always been docile, would react like this. She slapped me across the face and told me to apologize to Mia. And I could only apologize to this murderer! From that day on, I began my revenge plan.

I didn’t stay in the city for college. I started investigating Liam’s preferences and aesthetics. Completely transforming myself into the perfect lover in his mind. When I appeared in front of him again, it was already my senior year of college, I returned to the city for an internship, Seeing Liam’s eyes gradually becoming infatuated with me, I knew my years of planning had succeeded. In the end, I married him as I wished. “Silly girl, what are you looking at?” I stared at those eyes: “I don’t eat beef.” Liam’s expression stiffened, and he almost instinctively threw the cooked steak into the trash. We both knew very clearly. One of his ex-girlfriends had once deliberately bullied me, ordering a dozen steaks and making me eat them all. Eat and vomit, vomit and continue eating, from day to night. No one could help me, because Liam was also sitting at the dinner table, watching my “performance” with great interest. The difference is that now he awkwardly walked to my side and hugged me. As if wanting to fuse me into his flesh and blood: “I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.” I rubbed his head, holding back my disgust, and kissed his cheek: “It’s okay.” The phone rang inopportunely. We both looked over at the same time. It was Mia, my nightmare. Liam glanced at me and immediately hung up the phone. “I have absolutely no contact with her!” I deliberately showed a trace of pain, with a forced smile at the corners of my mouth: “It’s okay, I believe you.” But the phone kept ringing, Liam finally answered in exasperation. “Mia! I’m married! Can you stop bothering me!” I don’t know what Mia said on the other end. I only saw Liam’s face gradually turning ashen. He hung up the phone and squatted in front of me. “Chloe, Mia attempted suicide and is in the hospital, she’s not in a good emotional state, I…” Liam hadn’t finished speaking when I interrupted him directly. “Go ahead.” If you don’t go, how can I carry out my revenge plan.

After Liam left, I leisurely cooked the beef steak and ate it. Round one, failed. I dialed a number on my phone and went downstairs with a garbage bag. Passing by the traffic light, I looked at the car driving towards me and took a deep breath. “Boom!” The car hit me hard. It really hurts! I used the last bit of strength in my body to dial Liam’s number. No answer. I curved my lips in satisfaction, then lost consciousness. In my dream I saw Noah, the man who had illuminated my dark life, just like his name. “Don’t go!” I screamed at his receding figure. “Chloe, are you okay!” The first thing I saw was Liam’s exhausted face. He was still wearing the clothes he had left the house in that day. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his pupils were bloodshot, looking quite hideous. My tears instantly filled my eyes, I hugged Liam tightly and sobbed softly: “Liam, I thought… I thought I would never see you again.” I felt Liam’s body stiffen, as well as his guilt. “I really didn’t expect this to happen, I didn’t mean to not answer your call, I…” He seemed to know that too much explanation was useless. And this was exactly the effect I wanted. I habitually stroked the back of his head, my eyes indifferent. Unexpectedly, I made eye contact with Mia who had rushed over. She was wearing a hospital gown and charged angrily into my hospital room. “Liam! She just smiled! I saw her smile! She must have staged this herself! She just wanted to make you feel sorry for her! This bitch!” “Enough!” Liam walked up to Mia and slapped her across the face without regard for their past relationship.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294828”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic #校园School