Category: English

At the year-end review, Andrew Bennett’s childhood sweetheart, Kate Ross, requested to take over as the project leader, hoping it would help her secure a promotion to vice president. I had to put the company’s interests first and turned her down. In a fit of anger, she quit and went home to get married. Under my leadership, the project generated billions of dollars, and the company went public. Later, I married Andrew, but during our honeymoon, I was kidnapped and taken to an underground facility in Brackenfield. Just as I was about to call for help, I heard Andrew coldly say, “Do whatever you want with this heartless woman.” I couldn’t understand. “Why?” I cried out. Without answering, Andrew kicked me in the stomach. “If you hadn’t taken the project leader position for yourself, Kate wouldn’t have been forced into an abusive marriage and died. This is all on you.” When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day Kate had asked to be the project leader. ***** Kate said, “Olivia, is it possible for me to lead the project with the Knight Group? I just need this achievement to get promoted to vice president.” I froze. Hearing those words again, I looked at the clock on the wall and realized—I had been given a second chance. Andrew, standing nearby, tugged at my sleeve. “Did you hear what Kate said? Let her have the project leader position. She needs this more than you do.” In my previous life, when I heard Kate and Andrew’s request, I immediately refused. This project was huge—worth billions of dollars in investment—and securing it would likely lead to the company’s IPO. Kate wasn’t qualified, and to be safe, I didn’t want her in charge. I told her that once the project was completed, everyone would get a chance at promotion and bonuses. Kate, however, felt insulted, quit, and married without any further contact. The project was completed successfully, the company went public, and I married Andrew. But during our honeymoon, I was kidnapped. When I woke up, Andrew was standing next to my kidnappers, saying coldly, “Do whatever you want with this heartless woman.” Amid all the humiliation, I couldn’t understand why Andrew was treating me this way. He kicked me in the stomach again. “If you hadn’t taken the project leader position for yourself, Kate wouldn’t have been forced into an abusive marriage and died. This is all on you.” The memory of that suffering made me seethe with anger, my fingers trembling as I clenched my fists. Andrew yanked me roughly. “Are you even listening? Give Kate the project leader role.” I looked at his annoyed face and sneered, “I worked day and night on this project and lost my hair from stress. When I asked Kate to help, you both said I should do more because I was the leader. I drank so much to keep the partners happy that I nearly bled internally. And now you say it’s my responsibility?” I turned to Kate, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Why didn’t you step up to lead back then? Now that the proposal’s finished, the deal’s locked in, and all that’s left is to sign the contract, you show up asking to take the lead? How can you even ask?” Kate’s eyes filled with tears. “It’s just that my family is struggling. I wanted the promotion to help them. My mom said if I couldn’t make enough money, she’d sell me to an old man in the mountains as a bride for my brother’s wedding gifts.” With that, she dropped to her knees and bowed her head.

Kate said, “Olivia, please. I don’t want to go home and marry that man. He’s killed two wives already, and if I marry him, it’s a death sentence. Please, don’t make me go back.” Andrew shoved me roughly, his eyes filled with anger. “Olivia, how cruel can you be? Is it not enough for you to destroy Kate? Do you want to push her to death?” The people in the office looked on, gossiping. “Olivia, what are you doing? You’ve pushed her to the point of kneeling.” “Olivia, even if your family is wealthier than ours, that doesn’t give you the right to make Kate kneel to you. It’s too heartless.” As Andrew pushed me, I hit the corner of the desk. The pain made me gasp, but I kept my composure, rubbing my sore back. I walked up to Andrew and slapped him across the face. “Andrew, what gives you the right to lay a hand on me?” Without hesitation, I kicked Kate to the ground. “If you want to kneel, go to your mother’s grave. Don’t kneel in front of me. I don’t need that bad luck.” The crowd was stunned by my actions and became even more vocal in their criticism. “Olivia, you’re actually hitting people. This is too much!” I gave a cold laugh. “Too much? How about all those sleepless nights I spent working for the company, running around for contracts, and ending up in the hospital after drinking so much just to please the partners? How about that? “When you’re all cashing in the bonuses from the projects I sealed, why didn’t you call that too much? You’re no better than the ones who turn on people once they’ve gotten what they wanted.” Seeing the silence from the crowd, I scoffed, my words sharp, “If anyone here is really pitiful, it’s me. If you think I should just give away what I’ve earned, then why not donate your corneas to someone in need? After all, what’s the point of keeping them if you’re blind to right and wrong?” The crowd began to realize their mistake and started apologizing. Then, they turned their attention to Kate. “Kate, do you know how much effort Olivia has put into this project? She’s a qualified project leader.” “Yeah, Kate, even if you’re in a tough spot, that doesn’t give you the right to morally blackmail Olivia. She doesn’t owe you anything.” Seeing that the crowd was no longer on her side, Kate panicked and cried even harder, “Olivia, I didn’t mean it like that. If you’re going to force me to die, then fine, I’ll just end it all.” My heart ached with frustration. I was simply stating the facts, but now I was somehow the one responsible for driving her to death. I was at a loss. Anyone with eyes could see what was going on. But of course, Andrew couldn’t see it. He pulled Kate into his arms, full of pity, and then turned to me with an order. “Olivia, from now on, Kate is the project leader. You’ll be a team member. Just do your job.” I gritted my teeth in fury. “Why should I let her take the lead? I worked hard for this project. I won’t allow it.” Andrew shot back coldly, “What do you mean ‘you worked on it’? The Knight Group is working with us because our company has the strength, not because of you. Don’t take all the credit for yourself. Even without you, Kate could have closed the deal, and probably better than you.” Kate eagerly chimed in, agreeing with him, “The Knight Group trusts our company because of Andrew’s reputation, not just because of this little project.” I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. I looked at Andrew’s smug expression and spoke, “Fine. If you think Kate can do it, then I’ll step down.” Andrew, thinking I was backing down, smiled in satisfaction, “Olivia, you still have plenty of opportunities ahead. There’s no need to fight Kate for this one.” Kate walked up with a smug expression, clearly baiting me. “Olivia, you can keep handling the parts of the project you’re responsible for. Once the final plan is in place, I’ll go sign the contract with the Knight Group.” I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. I was the project leader before, so I had four times the work to handle. Now they expected me to do all the grunt work? I sneered, “Sorry, but I’m not doing it.” Kate furrowed her brows in frustration. “Olivia, this project is crucial to the company. Stop being difficult.” Andrew, thinking I was just throwing a tantrum, added, “Olivia, if you keep acting out, I’ll have no choice but to ask you to leave the company.”

I grabbed my bag and stood up after hearing that. “Alright, I’m leaving now. By the way, since you’re the one who fired me, don’t forget to send my compensation to my account.” With that, I walked out of the office without looking back. Once outside, I called my brother, Martin Knight, “The deal’s off. Andrew fired me.” Martin sounded shocked. “Andrew? Your boyfriend? You’ve been with him since college, and now he’s firing you?” I told him everything that had happened, and Martin slammed his hand on the table in frustration. “End things with him now. That guy’s a jerk. I’ll find you a new guy—tall, built, loyal, and perfect for you. “I’ll cancel the deal, too. Without you, his company wouldn’t even be in the running for this.” That night, I got home feeling a bit bitter. All the effort I put in, and it ended like this. Martin noticed my mood and immediately understood. “Olivia, come work with us. You know the company, you have shares in it. You can choose anyone you want to collaborate with.” I thought it over for a moment and immediately agreed. ***** The day of the Knight Group collaboration bidding came quickly. As soon as I walked in, I saw Andrew with his arm around Kate’s waist. When he saw me, he looked visibly annoyed. “Olivia, you’re not the project lead anymore. What are you doing here?” Kate mocked me further, “Olivia, didn’t you say you were leaving the company? What are you still doing here?” I gave them a cold stare. “This isn’t your company. Why shouldn’t I be here?” Andrew sneered, “Olivia, if it weren’t for our company’s name, you wouldn’t even have made it into the Knight Group’s door. You’d better leave now, or I’ll have the security throw you out.” I rolled my eyes and started to walk away, but Andrew grabbed me and threw me to the ground. “Where’s the security? How can anyone just walk in like this?” He called for security, “This woman is pretending to be part of our company and causing trouble. Throw her out.” I quickly explained, “You’re mistaken. I’m in charge of the Knight Group collaboration.” Andrew laughed, “Are you still lying? You just left our company, and now you’re claiming to be in charge of the Knight Group project? Do you really think they’d work with you?” I was surrounded by people, their whispers and stares following me as I was pushed out of the building. With a smirk, I sat down outside, right by the entrance. I wasn’t going anywhere—I was curious to see how this meeting would play out. Inside the Knight Group’s meeting room, ten minutes passed. Andrew was growing impatient, asking the senior executive, Freddy Mills, when the meeting would begin. Freddy exchanged looks with others, clearly confused. “Our project leader still hasn’t arrived.” Another half hour went by, and Freddy finally spoke up. “Didn’t Ms. Russell say she was already here? Why hasn’t she come in?” Someone suggested calling to check. I picked up my phone, taking a sip of my coffee at the café downstairs. When I heard Freddy’s question, I answered with a calm voice, “Oh, I was kicked out. I’m at the café downstairs.” Just a few minutes later, Andrew and others rushed over, drenched in sweat.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “397678”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G

At the wedding of Lucas Blunt and me, Natalie Hanks, he was suddenly dressed like a best man, holding his first love, Jessica Hawkins, and heading to the altar after showing up fashionably late. Meanwhile, his sharp groom’s tux was casually tossed onto the sofa. “Lucas, isn’t today our big day…” I quizzed him. “Natalie!” Lucas cut me off sharply, his eyes flashing a warning. “Watch your mouth now. Don’t be so narrow-minded. I don’t want to end up hating you.” After hearing that, I let out a self-mocking chuckle. Just because Lucas’ first love lost her memory, everyone had to put on a show to help jog her memory. So we all had to coax her, making sure she would not be stressed out. To comfort me, Lucas stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me. He whispered in my ear, “Natalie, I know you understand how important this is, right?” I nodded to show my understanding, then turned around. However, I took the hand of one of the real best men and walked to the altar with him. Later, while I was shopping in the mall with my baby in my arms, he approached me, tears streaming down his face, and said, “Natalie, weren’t we just putting on a show? How did you end up pregnant with someone else’s child?” ***** On my wedding day to Lucas, he didn’t even show up in the wedding hall. When I thought he might be in trouble, there he was, dressed in a best man’s suit with a blue boutonniere, holding Jessica’s hand as she walked slowly into the hall in a white puff-sleeved dress. It looked like they were the real bride and groom. Lucas’ best men quickly stepped in and whisked him away. “Are you out of your mind? Not only are you late for your own wedding, but you bring her here?” his friends exclaimed. Lucas furrowed his brow and said helplessly, “Jessica’s memory has gone back to the day we kissed in high school. She thinks we’ve been together since graduation. I can’t just abandon her, can I?” Jessica stood off to the side, looking innocent and awkward, twisting her fingers nervously. She acted like a lost high school student. My face went pale as I realized she was clutching my wedding ring in her hand. Then, Lucas approached me, dragging Jessica along, and wrapped his arm around her while congratulating me, “Natalie, congratulations on your wedding.” It was dead silent all around. I stared at him, my voice tinged with uncontrollable resentment. I said, “What on earth are you talking about? Today’s our day…” “Natalie!” Lucas quickly cut me off, his eyes betraying a hint of panic. He glanced nervously at the person by his side. Seeing that Jessica hadn’t caught on to what I hadn’t finished saying yet, he turned back to me with a look of displeasure, his eyes filled with malice. I was taken aback as he had never been so harsh with me before. In the past, when I was terrified by news of domestic violence and a husband murdering his wife, and couldn’t sleep, Lucas held me in his arms and reassured me that he would never hurt me, not even with a word, and if he did, he would go to hell. The old love words he once whispered still echoed in my ears, but now he loathed me for not being broad-minded enough. “Show some understanding to me, okay?” he asked. After coming back from the past memories to reality, I heard his words again. Looking at him, I stared for a long time before finally nodding my head. A look of relief spread across his face. But I brushed him aside and walked over to Jessica, extending my hand to her and saying, “Ms. Hawkins, I’m sorry. The ring on your hand is my wedding ring. Please give it back to me.” Jessica froze, then burst into tears. With tears streaming down her face, she looked at Lucas. “Lucas, isn’t this the gift you gave me to commemorate our time together? How could it be hers? Did you lie to me?” Lucas quickly wiped away her tears and said, “Don’t cry, Jessica. You’re breaking my heart.” I stood there, watching my fiancé comfort another woman wholeheartedly. Even the people around me were grumbling that I had made their good friend cry. One of Lucas’ dudes stepped forward to mediate. “It’s my fault. I made a mistake with the ring. Today it’s my responsibility to keep the wedding ring, and I accidentally mixed up the wedding ring with the gift Lucas was going to give you, Jessica.” Jessica had been pampered like a little princess since childhood. So, she pouted and tossed the ring onto the ground. “I don’t want to wear someone else’s wedding ring!” The ring rolled to someone else’s feet. I bent down and reached out to pick it up. Just as my fingers brushed against the ring, the heel of a high-heeled shoe crushed down on my hand.

I raised my head and gazed at Jessica’s arrogant face. Meanwhile, a sharp pain pierced through the back of my hand as her foot continued to apply pressure. Gasps echoed around us. “No one can take something even I abandoned,” Jessica declared. I tightened my fist, ready to speak, but someone cut in firmly, saying, “Alright.” Surprised, I turned to see who had spoken. Lucas was standing beside her, his head bowed, a hint of guilt flickering in his eyes. Without a second thought, he kicked the ring towards the nearby artificial lake. Like a meteor, the ring streaked across the sky and disappeared in the blink of an eye. I stared at the spot where the ring vanished, stunned for an eternity. In the past, Lucas treasured that ring so much, never letting anyone lay a finger on it. He secretly carried it with him, traversing seven countries, only to propose to me under the aurora. Now, he discarded it like it was nothing. His action pleased Jessica. She hugged Lucas’ neck and said joyfully, “Lucas, don’t blame me. You know me. I hate it when my things have other people’s scent on them.” Lucas nodded indulgently. Jessica turned around and seemed to notice that I was still on the ground. She exclaimed in surprise, “Ms. Hanks! Why are you still sitting there? You’re the bride today. I’m sorry about your ring. How about…” She turned and spotted something amusing, picking up a nearby can. “You can use this pull ring as a ring! Wow, this is like a TV drama. It’s so romantic!” I stood up, took the drink from her hand with a pale face, popped it open, and stared at her nonchalant smile. My anger surged. Just as I was about to throw the can at her, Lucas stepped in front of Jessica. My arm was forcibly restrained by the best men. Lucas’ roar mingled with others’ voices trying to calm me down. “Natalie! You’re losing it!” Lucas shouted. “Natalie, don’t argue with the girl. She’s special. She doesn’t mean any harm. She’s just a bit sensitive right now,” someone said. “Yeah, yeah. You’re the star of the day. Don’t let this ruin your special moment,” another added. My struggle ceased instantly, and a deep sadness enveloped my heart. Lucas hollered at me and rushed over, yanking the can from my grasp and tossing it aside. “Can’t you just simmer down? If you’re not into this wedding, then quit! Is it your pride to bully someone with amnesia? I had no idea you were this harsh. How could you be so heartless? Apologize to Jessica right now!” I clutched my wrist, standing there helpless, the ache in my hand paling in comparison to the pain in my heart. A quick glance at everyone doting on Jessica was all it took before I couldn’t take it anymore and bolted. Once I calmed down and headed back to the dressing room, I found Lucas holding Jessica on the sofa. The hickey on Lucas’ lips told tales of their recent antics. I overheard Jessica asking curiously, “Lucas, why didn’t I see Ms. Hanks’ groom? Was she dumped?” My steps halted, my grip on the door handle tightening, my eyes locked on him. This is your last shot, Lucas. Don’t let me down. Just admit you’re the groom of this wedding, and I’ll forgive you while still loving you with all my heart. Lucas noticed my intense stare and abruptly looked up. When Jessica, impatient at his silence, nibbled on his lip, demanding, “Answer me, Lucas.” I shook my head vigorously, pleading silently. Don’t say anything. Just don’t… Lucas’ lips quivered a bit before he finally averted his gaze from mine, gazing at the girl in his arms with affection, saying, “Jessica, you know who the groom is.” “Someone I know? Who?” she queried. “Benjamin Russell,” Lucas replied.

As Lucas wrapped up his speech, I dropped my head and chuckled, shaking my own head in self-deprecation. Benjamin had once called me out in front of everyone, accusing me of being two-faced and gold-digging. Seemingly, even though Lucas lied, he didn’t want to make up something that could at least save my face today. When Jessica heard the name, she was momentarily taken aback before diving into her phone. She had already dialed the number before Lucas could even blink. “Benjamin, it’s your wedding day. Where are you? We’re all gathered at Elysian Garden,” she announced. Jessica got caught up in the excitement and started rounding up the guests to head to the auditorium. Meanwhile, my hands and feet went ice-cold, and my heart felt like it was about to skip a beat. The phone rang endlessly before I finally, numbly, picked up. “Natalie?” The voice on the other end was like a devil’s whisper, making me instinctively want to chuck the phone aside. “Don’t you dare hang up on me,” Benjamin said. I responded in a hushed, defeated tone, “Can you please just ignore it?” The person on the other end chuckled mockingly, “I thought by declining to be Lucas’ best man, I’d avoid seeing you. But I heard that I became your groom. How could you forget to invite me to your big day?” I fingered the stains on my wedding dress and replied with difficulty, “Please, just let it go.” There was a long, uneasy silence on the other end. After what felt like an eternity, his cold laughter cut through like a chilling wind. After a lengthy stay in the restroom, I stood up, my legs stiff, using my hands for support. I felt my frozen body slowly start to thaw. As I opened the door, a shadow loomed before me—it was my groom. Lucas had a thunderous look on his face, staring me down. “Who were you talking to just now?” I brushed past him without acknowledging his question. Suddenly, his hand grasped mine, accidentally pressing down on my injury, sending a sharp pain shooting through my wound. “Answer me!” he roared, his voice echoing. I looked up, defiant. “My groom is Mr. Russell. Remember what you said yourself? Don’t tell me you’ve developed a case of ‘short-term memory loss’ in such a blink of an eye.” His face sulked. In our eye contact, his gaze slowly shifted away. “Natalie, that was just something I said in the heat of the moment,” he muttered. There was a hint of compromise in his smooth voice. “Will Benjamin really come here?” I inquired, my voice tinged with depression. The bitterness that had settled in my chest continued to rise, choking me. I locked eyes with him, tears pooling in my sockets. My voice, raw and strained, escaped my lips. “Lucas, you were just dying to hear how Mr. Russell put me through the wringer, weren’t you? “You told Jessica about Mr. Russell being my new groom-to-be because you knew he would never show up! After all, I betrayed him for you. He’s made it clear that I’m a lowlife, someone he despises with every fiber of his being! “You didn’t want to hurt Jessica, so you chose to hurt me! All I wanted was for this wedding to end without a groom, but you wouldn’t budge. You’d prefer to see me being laughed at in front of everyone! “Well? Are you content now?” I spat out, my frustration boiling over. Upon hearing this, Lucas’ face lit up like a Christmas tree. Ignoring my hysterical rant, he enveloped me in a hug, gently dabbing at my reddened eyelids with his hand, displaying a level of tenderness that was almost unnerving. “Did Benjamin say something harsh to you? Only I can put up with your wild antics.” He then attempted to stroke my forehead, but I subtly turned my head to dodge his touch. “It’s all on me. I’ll make it up to you in the future. Natalie, be a good girl. After today, I’ll come home to you. This whole mess will be over soon. Trust me, alright?” Lucas persisted. I blinked rapidly, swallowing back my tears, recalling the pathetic way I had begged him before. I summoned all my composure and said, “Lucas, there’s no future for us. We are done.” He furrowed his brow, his eyes flashing with dissatisfaction and disdain as if I were the one being unreasonable. “Come on, Natalie. What can you do after we break up? Have you forgotten the days when you vowed to have two kids with me and be the perfect wife and mother? If we break up, your life will be in a mess.” His words left me momentarily speechless. For him, I had left the Russell Group at a crucial juncture, sacrificing everything, all because he said the Blunt family only needed a competent homemaker as their wife. And this was his rationale for manipulating me. Before Lucas could take his leave, I clutched his sleeve tightly and stressed, “Lucas, I’m being serious.” Lucas’ face darkened, his patience worn thin. He methodically pried my fingers off one by one. “Natalie, you’re too naughty. Jessica needs another year to regain her memory. After today, I won’t see you for a year. Otherwise, she can’t handle the shock. In a year’s time, I’ll reassess whether you make a suitable wife. Don’t let me down.” Over at the auditorium, Jessica, with her encouraging words, rallied everyone together. Catching sight of me approaching, her eyes gleamed with malice. “Ms. Hanks, you finally decided to show up! Where’s your groom? Why hasn’t he arrived yet? Oh no! Did he dump you?” The murmurs among the guests intensified after they heard her words. “Isn’t Ms. Hanks’ groom Mr. Blunt? Isn’t the one on stage supposed to be the groom?” said a guest. Another guest chimed in, “Could her groom be one of Sir Blunt’s illegitimate siblings?” “The groom’s been late for so long. Did he really call off the wedding?” said someone else. Jessica clung to Lucas’ arm, gazing at me with a triumphant smile. I was on the verge of announcing the cancellation of the wedding when, suddenly, a strong arm wrapped around my shoulders. An exclamation erupted from the crowd.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “397679”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G

My mother, Grace Moore, was gravely ill, and her last wish was to meet my boyfriend, Joshua Davies—the man I’d been with for seven years. I begged him for a long time before he finally agreed. But on Christmas night, his childhood sweetheart, Lily Hall, called him, sobbing hysterically, saying she had been assaulted. Without a second thought, he left me on the highway and sped off to be with her. By the time I finished handling my mother’s funeral and returned home, I walked in to find the two of them standing close together, making bread. Lily’s tone was playful, yet a bit sharp. “I had to sacrifice my reputation to bring you back. Do you really think that if you’d gone to her house, her mother wouldn’t have used her illness to force you into marriage?” With a smirk, she added, “Now you owe me.” And Joshua? He affectionately tapped her nose, smiling, “Alright, my little troublemaker. Thank you for saving me.” That was the moment I realized just how ridiculous the past seven years had been. So, I turned around and walked away with the childhood friend who had been by my side, tirelessly helping with my mother’s funeral. Joshua went crazy, begging me to reconsider, to take him back. ***** I sighed, “She lives just a block away, and the police station’s nearby. Besides, it was an attempted assault, you know? She probably doesn’t want you, as a man, involved in this.” Christmas night, I made the mistake of saying one wrong thing. Joshua snapped at me, yelling that I lacked empathy and didn’t deserve to be a woman. He stared at me with anger in his eyes. “If it were you being assaulted, would you not need your friends around to comfort you? Aimee, where’s your compassion?” I stayed silent. I probably wouldn’t ever face that situation. After all, Lily had always kept a string attached to her ex. Things like assault, domestic abuse, or mistreatment weren’t unusual in her stories. She had mentioned them more than thirty times. I suggested she hold the man accountable, but she’d roll her eyes and accuse me of meddling. Lily didn’t seem to mind these things. She enjoyed the drama of it all. But Joshua? He was always overly concerned about her, more so than even about my own problems. Then, out of nowhere, Joshua swerved the car and turned around. “We need to take care of Lily. We’ll visit your mom some other time.” “No way! My house is only an hour and a half away. Come with me to meet my mom first. You only need to stay for an hour, just an hour—remember you promised me,” I pleaded, but Joshua remained unmoved. His coldness pierced my heart, and I felt the pain of it deep within. I shakily undid my seatbelt, desperately asking him to stop. “Joshua, please! My mom is about to give up. You promised me.” My pleading didn’t soften him even a little. And then, Lily, who had never hung up the phone, started crying even louder. “Joshua, come back! I’m alone here. I’m so scared!” Joshua was immediately drawn to her panic, his tone full of worry. “Stay at home. Don’t let anyone in. I’m coming back now.” Then, he gave me a cold, indifferent look. “You have two choices—walk back alone, or come with me to take care of Lily. In a few days, I’ll take you to see Grace.” “But you promised me…” I stammered. Joshua’s expression shifted to impatience. “Aimee, can’t you see the priorities here? Lily was almost assaulted, while Grace’s been sick for months. You can wait a few more days, can’t you?” I stared at him, stunned, my eyes wide. I grabbed his hand, unwilling to let go. Joshua, annoyed, pulled the car over, opened the door, and shoved me out. The cold winter rain hit my face. Joshua looked down at me from the car, indifferent. “Go walk back by yourself.” I couldn’t tell if it was rain or tears streaming down my face, but I acted quickly, grabbing onto the car door, pleading, “Joshua, you promised me you’d come back with me! You can’t just break your word.” Without hesitation, he slammed the door shut. My fingers were caught in the door, and I screamed in pain. Joshua’s face shifted with a flicker of concern, but before I could hope for him to make things right, I was suddenly kicked away from the car. “Want to die? Find somewhere else to do it!” he snapped coldly. The car sped away, leaving me alone, lying in the rain on the road. The cold, sharp rain made my pain unbearable. Suddenly, my phone rang with an urgent tone. My father, David Moore’s voice was furious, almost deafening. “Your mom’s gone! Why aren’t you back yet?”

By the time I got home, it was already late at night. My father dragged me to my mother’s bedside. “She waited up for you, holding on and refusing to close her eyes. Look what you’ve done.” I knelt on the floor, my tears long gone. After graduation, I joined Joshua’s company. I spent seven years as his secret girlfriend. Every time I begged him to come meet my parents, he always had an excuse to refuse. But this time, my mother was gravely ill, and her only wish was to see Joshua. I begged him over and over, and he finally agreed. Yet, in the end, he stood me up. I regretted it. I couldn’t believe I’d wasted seven years on someone like him. ***** Three days after my mother passed away, Joshua called, his tone casual, “Aimee, where did you put the hairdryer?” My voice was hoarse. “I don’t know.” Joshua’s voice rose sharply, clearly annoyed. “You don’t know?” I heard him rummaging through drawers. He snapped, “Aren’t you the one who takes care of everything around here? You’re telling me you don’t know? Aimee, what’s with the attitude? Didn’t I tell you I’d come see you in a few days? If you keep acting like this, we’re done.” I stared at the candle in front of me and blinked away the dryness in my eyes. “Whatever.” There was suddenly silence on the other end, and then he hung up. I knew he was angry again. In situations like this, I was always the one who backed down first. Because Joshua had once told me that he wouldn’t be the one to give in. If I wanted to be with him, I had to get used to being the one who always took a step down. But this time, I didn’t care. Let him be angry. I was tired. ***** Seven days later, I brought my mother’s ashes to Virelia. I’d always promised myself that when she got better, we would travel around the country together. But I never kept that promise, not even once. I arrived home in the evening. The door was ajar, and the smell of food wafted out. Joshua and Lily were busy making bread together. Lily lifted her chin, her voice teasing. “Joshua, I didn’t even care about my reputation to help you out this time. Do you believe me? If you go back with Aimee now, her mom will definitely use her illness as an excuse to force you into marriage. “People like them, once they get an opportunity to climb up, they won’t let go. I’ve seen it a million times. You’d better make it up to me later.” Joshua reached out and affectionately tapped Lily on the nose. “Don’t worry. The gift is already prepared. No one’s getting left out, especially you.” I stood at the door with my suitcase, gripping the handle tightly. So, this was the ridiculous reason Joshua had left in the first place. So, my mother hadn’t been able to leave in peace because of Lily’s jealousy. How absurd. In my agitation, the suitcase bumped against the doorframe. Joshua and Lily, standing by the island, suddenly turned around. Lily gasped, then grabbed Joshua’s arm with both hands, covered in flour. “Aimee, why are you back?” I sneered, “This is my place too. If you can come, why can’t I come back?” Lily’s eyes immediately welled up, and Joshua frowned, stepping in front of her protectively. “Lily’s been through a lot. I couldn’t let her stay home alone, so I had her stay here for a while. Be polite and don’t cause her any more harm. Don’t blame me for her issues. I’m not her ex.” I pushed the suitcase into the master bedroom. My eyes landed on a sexy silk nightgown on the bed. I never wore that kind. It was obvious whose it was. Joshua followed me, looking uncomfortable. “Lily’s a guest, and the guest room wasn’t cleaned, so I let her stay in the master bedroom.” I didn’t respond; I just started unpacking. Joshua grabbed my hand with a frown. “What are you doing?!” I raised an eyebrow at him. “She’s staying in the master bedroom, so I’ll move to the side bedroom. What’s wrong with that?” Joshua’s face darkened, and then he sneered, “Aimee, why are you being so sarcastic? I told you I’d come to see Grace after I settled Lily. Now it seems that’s not necessary. This is your punishment for not listening.”

A sharp pain stabbed through my chest as I yanked my hand away from Joshua. “You have no right to bring up my mother!” Joshua froze, about to say something, when Lily suddenly pulled off her apron, tears streaming down her face. “Aimee, please, stop fighting! I’ll just leave!” Joshua stopped her before she could go. “Lily, you’re not the one who needs to leave. This is my house—someone else should be packing their bags.” I looked at him, then at Lily, who was now standing behind him, under his protection. We had been together for six months when Joshua suggested we move in together. I insisted on paying rent. The first time I pulled out my wallet, his face darkened. “Aimee, are you insane? You think I need your money? Put that away—if anyone finds out, they’ll laugh their heads off.” Now I knew better. A man’s words were worth less than hot air—just as foul, and just as meaningless. I didn’t say another word. I packed my things, called a delivery service, and had my luggage sent to a hotel. When I picked up the last suitcase, Joshua’s expression was as dark as a storm. “Aimee, if you walk out that door, don’t bother coming back.” I didn’t even glance at him. I kept walking. The next morning, I handed in my resignation. Half a year ago, Lily had swooped in from overseas and taken my director position. Now, I was just another employee, free to leave as soon as my resignation was approved. But after waiting half the day, all I got was a message from the department manager: [Mr. Davies rejected your resignation. He wants to see you in his office.] When I walked in, Lily was sitting in Joshua’s chair, eating takeout pizza. A flood of memories hit me all at once. We have been seven years together. No one at the company ever knew. Back when we were madly in love, I once made the mistake of sitting in his chair. He ignored me for three days. But now, I finally understood. Someone else could sit in that chair. That someone just wasn’t me. Joshua pushed an unopened box of pizza toward me, his voice neutral. “Lily was kind enough to order this for you. No hard feelings.” I didn’t take it. I simply said, “Let’s not drag this out. Just approve my resignation.” His brows furrowed slightly. “You’re really quitting over this? Just because I let Lily stay at the house, you’re throwing a tantrum and resigning to prove a point? You even faked your mother’s death as an excuse?” Lily chimed in with a pitiful voice, “Yeah, Aimee, how could you say something like that? Are you seriously still mad that Joshua didn’t go with you to visit her? If it’s my fault, I’ll go with you—we can apologize to her together.” I stared at her for a moment, then suddenly laughed, “Sure. My mom’s waiting for you down there. Let’s see who dares to back out.” The color drained from both their faces. Joshua’s voice rose in anger. “Aimee, have you lost your mind?” I couldn’t be bothered to argue. “Yeah, I’m crazy. So hurry up and approve my resignation before I really make you regret it. If I tell the entire company about us, what do you think they’ll say about their oh-so-respectable general manager?” Joshua hadn’t even spoken yet when Lily shrieked in panic, “No!” “Why not?” I smirked at her and, without hesitation, shoved the office door wide open.   The commotion in the office had drawn everyone’s attention. Curious gazes landed on me from all directions. I clapped my hands together, making sure I had their full attention. “If you’re here for the drama, check the group chat! “I’ve been with Joshua for seven years. Maybe not a founding member of this company, but definitely a veteran employee. Then his childhood sweetheart waltzed in from overseas and took my position, demoting me from director to a mere employee—without so much as an explanation. “And now? I want to leave, and he won’t let me. If any of you are hoping for a stable, long-term career here, you might want to take a good look at how our boss handles things. Otherwise, you could end up just like me.” As soon as I finished speaking, the office erupted into murmurs. “Wait, wasn’t Lily supposed to be with Mr. Davies?” “She’s been hinting at it nonstop, showing off every chance she gets. It was getting unbearable.” “Aimee just dropped a kissing photo in the group chat—pretty solid proof. So Lily really was the other woman?” Joshua and Lily arrived just in time to see the aftermath, their faces instantly darkening. I suddenly understood. “Lily, so you’ve been running around telling people you’re Joshua’s girlfriend? How desperate for validation are you?” Lily’s face went completely pale. “Aimee, have you lost your mind? Joshua and I grew up together. Who the hell do you think you are? “You think you can just Photoshop a few pictures and fool everyone? Joshua, are you really going to let her slander me like this?” Joshua looked at me for a long moment—then chose Lily’s side. “Aimee, that’s enough.” And just like that, the whispers shifted again. “So it was fake?” “Knew it. No way Mr. Davies would have such bad taste.” The last shred of hope I had burned to ashes. I sneered, “Joshua, do you really think I spent seven years with you without preparing for this moment? You claim the photos are fake? Fine. But videos don’t lie. Neither do recordings. And chat logs? Those can be notarized. Let’s see who’s bluffing. “If you want to protect her, go ahead. I just want my severance and to walk away quietly. Otherwise, we can see this through the hard way.” With that, I turned and picked up my suitcase—the one holding my mother’s ashes. I had a flight this afternoon, and I wasn’t going to miss it. But before I even reached the door, Lily snapped. She lunged at me, clawing at my arm. “Aimee, you bitch!” I shielded the urn with everything I had. Then I saw it—that malicious glint in her eyes. Before I could react, she wrenched it from my grasp with all her strength. “You’re holding onto this like it’s some priceless treasure. What, did you steal it?” I yelled, “Lily, give it back!” Seizing the opportunity, she drove her foot hard into my stomach. I collapsed onto the floor, helplessly watching as she raised the urn high—then smashed it down without hesitation. The shattering sound echoed through the office. Lily’s smug expression hadn’t even faded yet. I snapped. I lunged at her, grabbing a fistful of her hair and slapping her across the face. “I’ll kill you! How dare you?” Lily’s screams and my fury left the entire office frozen in shock. Joshua rushed forward to pull me off her. Even as he pried me away, I yanked out a chunk of her hair with sheer force. Lily burst into tears, throwing herself into Joshua’s arms. “Joshua, did you see that? She’s trying to kill me!” Joshua’s grip tightened painfully around my wrist, his eyes cold as ice. “Aimee, have you lost it? You beat Lily up over a broken jar? A pile of worthless ashes?” I looked up at him, my vision red with rage. “She deserved it.” Somewhere in the crowd, a quiet voice murmured, “Wait… is that an urn?” Joshua’s hand trembled. His expression shifted from anger to confusion, then to something almost fearful. “What? What urn?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “397680”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G

My neighbor, Maria Watson, and I went into labor at the same time. I was rushed to the hospital by my husband, Isaac Powell, only to give birth to a stillborn child. Isaac scolded me, “Is this what happens when you act so carelessly during pregnancy? No wonder you ended up with a freak of a child.” I lost my baby, my reputation was destroyed, and I was forced into a divorce, leaving me with nothing. One day, I overheard Isaac talking to Maria, “Lucky we swapped your stillborn with Laura’s healthy baby. If your husband’s parents found out, they’d know that dead baby was mine.” That’s when I found out—Isaac and Maria had been sleeping together the whole time. He had purposely pushed me into premature labor just so he could switch my healthy child with hers. I confronted him, but instead of an explanation, he and Maria shoved me into the bathtub and drowned me. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I went into premature labor. This time, I was determined to make sure Maria bore the stillborn and expose the affair between her and Isaac to everyone. ***** As they pressed me underwater, fighting for breath, I begged Isaac to spare me—for the sake of the years we had spent together. Isaac looked down at me, disgust in his eyes. “Laura, I’ve had enough of you. You act like you’re the boss because of your job, but I’m a man, not your servant. Maria’s different. She loves me and treats me like a king. She gives me the dignity of being a man.” Maria stood smugly behind him, grinning at me with satisfaction. “Laura, thank you for giving me such a good man and such a healthy baby. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have known what to do with my stillborn.” I tried to struggle, but they pressed me harder into the water. Just before I lost consciousness, I saw my biological daughter, Arya, the one who had been swapped, running toward me, shouting, trying to stop them—but she was slapped so hard, blood pouring from her mouth and nose. But then, I opened my eyes again. I was back to the day Isaac had pushed me into premature labor. Isaac was flipping through my medical records, discussing things eagerly. “Laura, my mom checked, and today’s the perfect day for the baby to be born. How about we get the baby out today?” I quickly tried to gather my thoughts. In my previous life, Isaac had gone out of his way to contact someone in the obstetrics department. He stayed with me the whole time, making sure to swap my child with Maria’s. If I could avoid his contact, maybe I could save my baby. Worried he might notice something was off, I pretended to go to the bathroom and slipped downstairs. To my surprise, I ran into Isaac in the emergency room, rushing around. I followed him quietly, seeing him talk to a nurse. “Nova, we are cousins. If I hadn’t given you 200 thousand dollars to help you get into the hospital, you wouldn’t have had a chance. Don’t forget that favor. “That woman, always acting like she’s in charge because she makes money. If she gives birth, her money and property will go to that little bastard. I’ll have to serve her for the rest of my life with nothing to show for it. “Her baby’s position is wrong. I’ll push her a bit to make her labor difficult. Nova, you need to make sure she doesn’t make it to the operating table.” Isaac’s cruel words made my heart ache as if it had been torn apart. Isaac had no education, and no family background—his parents were either gambling or alcoholics. I had fallen for him because of his looks and had given up everything. When he said he didn’t want a job that paid three thousand dollars a month, I worked hard to support him while he “managed the house”. But “managing the house” meant he did nothing all day but play games and watch movies. I worked all day and still had to come home and cook for him. Last year, when I found out I was pregnant, he asked for 200 thousand dollars to ensure the baby, and I gave it to him. I didn’t know he was using that money to get Nova into the hospital and set everything up a year in advance just so I would die on the operating table. I tried to suppress my anger and planned to leave, but Isaac caught me. “Laura, what are you doing here?” Isaac looked at me suspiciously. I knew that if I didn’t come up with a good explanation, he wouldn’t hesitate to deal with me right away.

“When I came out of the bathroom, I didn’t see you. I thought you must have gone to the car first. Who’s this? A friend of yours?” I smiled at Nova, hoping Isaac wouldn’t notice my unease. He didn’t, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Isaac shook his head. “Not really. I was just asking about some insurance details. Let’s go, honey. I’ve already arranged the ward, and we’re going for the C-section this afternoon. By the way, our neighbor Maria lives next door. You two might end up giving birth around the same time.” Back in the room, Isaac walked in carrying fruit. My palms were sweating from nervousness. Isaac said, “Honey, that’s too much fruit. Could you send some over to Maria? Since we’re neighbors, it’d be nice to share.” I remembered the same moment from my previous life—Isaac had asked me to deliver fruit to Maria, but I ended up running into Maria’s husband, Hugh Watson. Hugh was a sailor, often away for long stretches. Isaac had taken advantage of Hugh’s absence to sleep with Maria, and when Hugh came home two months later, Maria was already pregnant. To avoid raising suspicion, they delayed the birth until now, even though Maria’s due date had been last month. They both knew the truth: the baby in Maria’s womb had died from lack of oxygen. They needed to swap my healthy baby with hers, or Hugh would definitely get suspicious if she gave birth to a stillborn. When I went to deliver the fruit, Maria would intentionally fall and blame me. Hugh had a fiery temper, and when he saw the scene, he would kick me, causing me to bleed and go into premature labor. In the chaos, Isaac would take the opportunity to steal my child. If I just delivered the fruit, I would be heading straight for the same tragic fate as last time. “Okay.” I tried to stay calm, took the fruit, and headed out. But then I turned back, waiting for Isaac to pack my things. I quickly took a video and posted it to Instagram. Isaac, looking uncomfortable, tried to stop me. “Why post this? We’re old married folks. What’s the point?” I immediately acted annoyed. “I’m about to give birth, and you won’t even let me post a sweet selfie? You’re grounded for the day!” I quickly left, locking the hospital room door behind me, ignoring Isaac’s attempts to knock. I knocked on Maria’s door, supporting my pregnant belly. Maria struggled to open the door. During her entire pregnancy, she’d been eating the nutrition supplements Isaac had stolen from my cupboard, making her belly swell unnaturally large. “Laura, you’re here.” Maria glared at my belly with hatred, looking like she wanted to slice me open right then and there. I kept my distance, prepared for her tricks. But even so, Maria deliberately threw herself to the ground, raising her voice to scream, “Help! Someone, help! Hugh! Laura pushed me!”

But I was faster—sitting down first, I immediately called for the doctor and nurse. When Hugh came rushing out, I was already on the floor, clutching my belly in pain and shouting for help, “The fruit is from Isaac—he said you like cherries. Even if you don’t want them, you shouldn’t push me!” Hugh was extremely traditional and controlling. Although he was often away at sea, he had very high standards for Maria’s purity and didn’t allow her to interact with other men. When he heard me, he immediately asked, “How does Isaac know Maria likes cherries?” I feigned innocence. “When you’re not home, Maria always calls Isaac when something comes up. They’re good friends, often eating and hanging out together. Isn’t it normal for friends to know each other’s preferences?” Hugh looked suspicious, and Maria panicked, grabbing at me. “Laura, stop talking nonsense. Whenever something goes wrong at home, I always call you, not Isaac. We’ve never had any private contact. It’s you who likes cherries, so Isaac just shared some with me!” In my previous life, Maria had used this same excuse to deceive Hugh. Back then, I was naive, thinking she was just a woman trying to get by. I even helped cover for her and criticized Hugh for being too paranoid and not trusting her. But this time, I wasn’t going to be so stupid. “Laura, tell me—does Maria really hang out with your husband often?” Hugh was furious, his fists clenched, as though he was ready to punch Maria at any moment. I acted confused. “Maybe I’m mistaken. Isaac usually goes out in the evenings, and I’m already in bed early because of the pregnancy. I must’ve misheard or something.” My words did nothing to ease Hugh’s suspicions. Instead, they only made him more certain that something was going on between Maria and Isaac. “Maria, tell me the truth! Or I swear, I won’t let you off the hook!” Hugh’s threat drained the color from Maria’s face. She looked at me with pure venom. “Laura, you know how much Hugh cares about this, and yet you’re trying to throw mud at me. You have such a cruel heart.” I played the innocent card. “But I really don’t know what’s going on between you and Isaac.” Maria, seething with anger, stepped forward and tried to grab me. “You’re humiliating me on purpose. If you think Isaac and I have something going on, then let him come out and face me!” Isaac wouldn’t admit to anything, and he’d certainly find a way to cover for Maria while pushing me deeper into this mess. But I had already locked the door, so Isaac wouldn’t be able to get out. Just then, Hugh, fuming, pounded on the door. “Isaac, come out here! Laura is spreading lies and slandering my wife! You better give me an explanation!” I didn’t expect the door to be so flimsy—Hugh smashed it open with just a few punches. As soon as Isaac came out, he grabbed me from the floor, his grip tight on my arm as if he were afraid I might run away. “Honey, what are you doing? We’re supposed to go for the C-section.” A chill ran through me, but it wasn’t time to give up yet. With so many people around, I didn’t believe they would dare push me into a complicated delivery. Especially with Hugh now doubting Maria and Isaac’s relationship, there was no way he’d target me the same way he did in my past life. To my surprise, Maria immediately started crying out to the people around us. “My husband’s never home, and when the lightbulb broke or the washing machine needed fixing, I had to ask Isaac for help. But Laura thinks I’m trying to seduce him, and she even came to my house a few times to threaten and destroy things. “Laura is just a jealous woman. Oh, by the way, she once said her brother was getting married and buying a house. She even asked me to sell her my house at a low price. When I refused, she held a grudge.” Maria’s story sounded convincing, but I knew her real goal. Maria kept crying. “She’s jealous of me. She pushed me just now! Hugh, are you really going to just stand by while I get bullied?” Hugh was clearly angry now, storming towards me, his hand outstretched to push me. I tried to dodge, but Isaac grabbed me and pulled me in front of him. “Honey, you really shouldn’t be talking badly about Maria. Apologize right now!” He yanked me straight into Hugh’s path. Without a word, Hugh kicked me in the stomach. The pain was so intense I couldn’t speak. As I bent over, I heard Isaac’s low chuckle. “She is about to give birth. Nurse, hurry up and get her into the operating room!”   As Isaac and Nova dragged me toward the operating room, I kept my eyes on Maria. The moment she saw me being restrained, she clutched her stomach and put on an exaggerated display of pain. “Hugh, I’m in labor. The baby’s too big—I can’t deliver naturally. I need a C-section too.” Hearing this, I immediately turned to the doctor beside me. “Isn’t the operating room only for one patient at a time? She’s not allowed in!” Maria was getting desperate. In a dramatic move, she suddenly dropped to her knees in front of me. “Laura, please don’t make this harder for me. Carrying this baby hasn’t been easy! I’m begging you!” she sobbed as if she were truly suffering, even knocking her head against the floor twice for effect. Some of the onlookers hesitated, their gazes turning suspiciously toward me. “She’s already kneeling and begging you. How can you be so heartless, you jealous woman?” From an angle only I could see, Maria shot me a smug smile. She thought this little stunt would be enough to get her into the same operating room as me. I struggled violently, shouting at everyone around me, “Maria’s baby is already dead! She’s trying to swap her stillborn for mine!” Isaac and Maria’s faces changed instantly. But Maria quickly pulled out her phone. “Laura, accusing me like this is slander. I’ll have you arrested!” She dialed the police, and as she did, she mouthed at me with a vicious smirk. “Go to hell, bitch.” I laughed. She could call the cops, and I could get backup too. Before long, the sound of sirens blared from downstairs. The bystanders started pressuring me to apologize. “You cursed someone’s baby, calling it a stillborn—how cruel can you be? Apologize now. Or would you rather be taken away by the police? Who’s going to take care of your kid then?” The crowd just wanted to smooth things over and move on. But Maria wasn’t about to let it slide so easily. She pointed at me and shrieked, “An apology isn’t enough. A woman’s reputation is everything—I want her to come to my house every day for a month and do all my chores. That’s a real apology!” Unbelievably, the onlookers actually sided with her. “Come on, isn’t that better than going to jail? You’re not carrying a royal heir or anything. Stop acting so delicate. Just agree to it.” I let out a cold laugh. “Agree my ass.” The crowd immediately bristled. “How could you talk like that?” Talk like what? I wasn’t insulting anyone. I had, in fact, agreed—to Hugh’s mother, Luna Watson. Luna was a sharp old woman, always keeping an eye on Maria’s every move. After I moved in with Isaac, she asked me to watch Maria for her and report if she had any dealings with other men. I used to believe Maria was a good wife who stayed home and behaved herself. Turned out, she had been messing around—right in Isaac’s bed. Before knocking on Maria’s door earlier, I had already texted Luna, telling her Maria was carrying a dead baby—one that had suffocated in the womb because she let the pregnancy drag on too long. Judging by the time, she should be here any moment now. Just then, the police arrived, and Maria immediately started shrieking, “It’s her! This bitch accused me of cheating—” Before she could finish, a small but fierce old woman burst out from behind the officers. With one swift motion, she yanked up Maria’s shirt, exposing her swollen belly, veins bulging under the skin.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “397681”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G

My daughter was critically ill and in urgent need of a large sum of medical expenses. However, my husband, Noah Wilson, at that time directly gave up our daughter’s treatment and went on a date with his mistress, Ashley Morgan. In my moment of despair, my first love, Victor Hastings, gave me five million dollars and took good care of my daughter with me. But in the end, my daughter still passed away. Six years later, Victor and I had our own child. When I went for a prenatal check-up at the hospital alone, I accidentally overheard the conversation between Victor and the doctor. The doctor said, “Mr. Hastings, you and Ms. Moore will have your own child now. What if she finds out about what had happened that year?” Victor said, “Ashley was critically ill back then. It was a last resort for me to use some means to transplant the girl’s heart to Ashley. What’s more, now that Zoey is pregnant again, she should let go of it.” I realized that my daughter had been deliberately misdiagnosed. Her heart had been secretly transplanted to Ashley by Victor. I wept silently. It turned out that the baby in my belly now was just a way for Victor to make amends to me. During these six years of our marriage, Victor had been lying to me, all for the one and only love in his heart, Ashley. I stroked my slightly protruding belly and gave a bitter smile. Six years ago, I couldn’t save my daughter, and now I didn’t want to continue the marriage. In the hospital office, the doctor let out a slight sigh and said regretfully, “All right, Mr. Hastings. But it was not worth it. Ashley is already married, and you should move on. After all, Ms. Moore loves you so much. She is a good woman.” Victor paused and then replied firmly, “It was worth it. I don’t care about the title. I just want to protect Ashley. It doesn’t matter who she loves. I want her to be healthy and happy. “Zoey is indeed a good wife and will also be a good mother. It’s a pity that I don’t love her. Love can’t be forced.” Hearing Victor’s words, the doctor shook his head and didn’t ask any more questions. The doctor said, “Ms. Moore’s fetal condition is unstable. She has already lost one child. Please pay more attention to her.” After a long silence, Victor softly responded. I bit my lip hard and didn’t make a sound. I didn’t dare to cry out loud until Victor and the doctor left. It turned out that my daughter, who had just been born for a few days, didn’t die of illness, but was deliberately misdiagnosed by the doctor whom Victor had bribed, all to replace Ashley with a fresh heart. Back then, my daughter was diagnosed with a serious illness and was admitted to the intensive care unit. Noah didn’t want to bear the burden, left the hospital, and got together with Ashley. The appearance of Victor was our hope. Now I finally knew that Victor’s offer of help was to keep an eye on this heart that belonged to Ashley. After getting divorced from Noah, Victor married me, probably just out of guilt. I left the hospital. It started to rain heavily outside. I didn’t take a taxi, stumbled along the road, and kept crying. When I got home, the maid saw my disheveled appearance and quickly came up to ask, “Mrs. Hastings, it’s raining. Why didn’t you ask the driver to pick you up? You’re still pregnant and can’t catch a cold.” Victor, who heard the voice, came out of the study. Seeing my red eyes and messy hair, he showed a sympathetic expression, put down the coffee cup in his hand, and picked me up. Victor chided, “You’re almost going to be a mother. Why are you still being as willful as a child? “What if you hurt the baby in your belly by getting caught in the rain?” I glanced at him and murmured, “Victor, I’ve been a mother before. I don’t need you to teach me. “Even if the baby dies, it’s okay. I’ve already lost a child anyway.” Victor’s steps paused. He frowned and finally said nothing. The bathtub was already filled with warm water. Victor wanted to help me take off my clothes, but I refused. He looked at me in confusion, as if wondering about my unusual behavior. After a long while, he left the bathroom. I repeatedly washed myself, trying to wash away all the marks that Victor had left on me over the years.

When I returned to the bedroom, Victor was already sound asleep. Looking at the profile of Victor, who had been with me day in and day out, I felt a sense of strangeness. In my dream, Victor took hold of my hand. He said, “Don’t leave. Stay with me forever, Ashley.” Victor wore an expression of doting and dependence, an expression that he had never shown when facing me. Then, Victor’s phone lit up. It was a message from the contact labeled “Dear Ashley”. I tried the password several times but couldn’t unlock his phone. My birthday, Victor’s birthday, and even Ashley’s birthday were not the correct passwords. For the last chance, I tried the date when my daughter passed away. Unexpectedly, I succeeded this time. On the day my daughter died, Ashley got a new lease on life with my girl’s heart. It turned out that Victor had been loving Ashley silently and attentively in such a way. Ashley sent Victor several photos. In the photos, Ashley’s smile was dazzling. She leaned against Victor. He accompanied her in making intimate posing gestures, though his movements seemed a bit stiff. Ashley: [Victor, I’d be happier going to the amusement park with you. Noah is much more boring than you. You promised to accompany me to take portrait photos tomorrow. See you then. Love you.] Victor and Ashley were like lovers in the honeymoon phase, making me feel like a clown. But tomorrow was the day that Victor had promised to accompany me to the prenatal check-up. I didn’t know which was more important to him, his baby or the woman he loved. That night, I didn’t sleep a wink. I hoped that Victor would choose to accompany me to the prenatal check-up. If Victor chose to accompany me tomorrow, then for the sake of the baby, I would give him another chance. The next morning, Victor got washed, dressed early, and was ready to leave. He looked full of energy. Just as he was about to go out, I grabbed the hem of his clothes. I said, “Victor, where are you going? You promised to accompany me to the prenatal check-up.” He stopped smiling. After thinking for a long time, he gently patted my hand. He said, “Zoey, I’m sorry. I have a very important meeting today and can’t accompany you to the hospital. “You’re so understanding. You will support my work, right? “You said yesterday that you have experience in giving birth and can manage everything smoothly without me.” Seeing that I kept my head down and didn’t speak, Victor smiled and kissed my forehead. He said, “Honey, I’ll bring you a gift when I’m back.” Then, Victor left without looking back. Looking at Victor’s back as he quickly walked away, I gave up hope. I checked the nearest flight tickets to Harrowfell and called my good friend, Maria Davis. I booked a flight for the night after tomorrow. Once I arrived in Harrowfell, I would officially start a new life.

I applied light makeup to make myself look less haggard. I went to the best law firm in the city and consulted about the relevant procedures for divorce and the matter of my daughter’s death due to misdiagnosis. The lawyer quickly drew up the divorce papers for me. However, to hold Victor and Ashley accountable for the death of my daughter, more evidence was needed. That night, I cooked dinner and opened two bottles of the fine red wine that Victor had collected. When Victor got home and saw me sitting at the dining table, he was taken aback and then gave a knowing smile. He said, “Zoey, you can just leave these things to the servants. You don’t have to do that; just enjoy your life.” He smiled and pulled me into his arms. We were so close that I could even smell the rose perfume on him. I asked Victor when he had changed to this strong perfume. Victor sniffed his collar guiltily and quickly explained, “I met a female CEO at the meeting today, and I accidentally got her perfume smell on me. “Zoey, how could you doubt me? Are you still mad at me for not accompanying you to the prenatal check-up? I’ve already explained it. I thought you would understand me.” People with a guilty conscience were always aggressive. I just asked casually, but Victor kept blaming me. Seeing that I was silent, Victor changed the subject and took out an exquisite diamond necklace from his pocket and put it around my neck. He said, “Zoey, don’t be angry. This is a gift I specially brought for you. There’s only one in the whole world, and it’s unique. Do you like it?” The diamond necklace glistened under the light of the candle, and it was beautiful. I gently touched the necklace. We had been married for six years, and every time we had a quarrel, Victor would give me jewelry. But no amount of jewelry could change the fact that he had cheated, nor could it change the fact that my daughter had been killed. When he finally saw me smile, Victor began to eat the food I had cooked. He praised my cooking skills, but in the end, he only ate a little. He had already eaten outside and could not enjoy the delicious food at home. I made Victor drink several glasses of wine. He soon got drunk and fell onto the bed. While he was drunk, I secretly slipped into his study, trying to find some evidence that my daughter had been killed. In the end, I only found a document about organ transplantation from six years ago. In the document, Victor, as my spouse, signed the organ transplantation contract on my behalf. No wonder Victor was in such a hurry to marry me back then. It turned out that he just wanted Ashley to recover as soon as possible. After taking a photo of the document, I put it back in its original place. I packed the divorce agreement with the photo put them in the email, and set them to be sent at a scheduled time. When my plane took off, these documents would all be sent to Victor’s email.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “397682”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G

I was reborn on the day Landon Pierce was drugged. But this time, instead of being his antidote, I dialed the number of the woman he loved, Lydia Rowan. In my previous life, I had fallen for Landon, the man who raised me. When I found out he’d been drugged, I ignored his desperate plea to call his lover and ended up sleeping with him, becoming his antidote. A month later, I found myself unexpectedly pregnant. Landon was forced to marry me, but on the day of our wedding, his beloved woman was killed by kidnappers while abroad. Before her death, she tried to call him 199 times, begging for help. But Landon, preoccupied with the wedding, never answered a single call. Afterward, he stared at those 199 missed calls in silence, never speaking a word. Then, when I went into labor, he locked me in the basement. I begged him to take me to the hospital, but he just smiled cruelly, watching as I suffocated, unable to give birth. Just before I died, I heard him say, “If you hadn’t gotten pregnant, I wouldn’t have been forced to marry you. If you hadn’t taken her place, I would’ve answered Lydia’s calls. You deserve to die…” When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Landon had been drugged. “Mira, hurry up and call Lydia!” Hearing those familiar words again, I suddenly realized I had been reborn. Without a second thought, I grabbed my phone and dialed Lydia’s number. Landon’s face flushed red, his gaze burning as he looked at me. In my past life, I had made the mistake of giving in to that look, which led to my tragic end. This time, I turned away from his gaze and quickly left his room. “Landon, just hold on. Lydia will be here in ten minutes!” As I shut the door behind me, I heard him mutter my name through gritted teeth. But I pretended not to hear, firmly closing the door and standing guard outside. Ten minutes later, Lydia rushed in. She gave me a complicated glance, visibly relieved when she saw that I was dressed and untouched. Before stepping inside, she shot me a glance. “You can leave now. We don’t need you here.” I turned and headed upstairs, back to my room. It wasn’t until the middle of the night that the downstairs room finally fell quiet. I exhaled deeply. In my previous life, my love for Landon had led me to become his antidote, and I had ended up pregnant with his child. He married me out of obligation, but on our wedding day, Lydia died unexpectedly, and he lost the love of his life. Then, he endured in silence until my due date, locking me in the basement. I begged him, willing to sacrifice my life for the child. That child was his, too, but he ignored my pleas, watching us both die horribly, all for the sake of avenging his beloved. This time, I had brought Lydia to be his antidote, and soon, I would leave, completely cutting ties with him. The next morning, Lydia appeared at the family’s breakfast table. Landon took a bite of his sandwich, then casually announced, “From now on, Lydia is my girlfriend. I’ll marry her, so be nice to her.” He glanced at me, then pointed his fork at me. “Especially you. Be nice to my girlfriend and don’t cause me trouble.” I nodded indifferently while Lydia smiled smugly at me. I pretended not to notice and stood up, ready to leave before finishing my breakfast. But just as I got to my feet, I heard Lydia’s soft, dramatic sobs. “Landon, does Mira not want me in the family? I know how important she is to you. If she doesn’t like me, maybe I should leave…” She let a few tears fall, looking as if she’d been deeply wronged. Landon frowned, clearly irritated, and called out to me. “Mira, sit down and finish your breakfast.” I didn’t respond, coolly saying, “I’m done.” Landon’s irritation deepened. “Sit down! Don’t you understand what I’m saying? “Is this how I raised you? With no manners?” This time, I had no intention of getting involved, but they wouldn’t leave me alone. I turned back, offering a polite smile. “I’ve really finished. You two enjoy your meal. I’ll take my leave.” Half an hour later, my door was knocked on. When I opened it, I was met with Landon’s deep, brooding eyes.

I instinctively reached for the door, wanting to shut him out and avoid any confrontation with him. But Landon was quicker, blocking my way with ease. He raised an eyebrow, his gaze sharp as he studied me. “Avoiding me? Why?” He took a step closer, his eyes narrowing as he examined me. “Are you upset? Is it because of Lydia?” I shook my head quickly, trying to keep my tone even. “No, I’m not upset. I’m happy for you. You’ve found someone you truly love.” His expression shifted, unreadable, as though he didn’t quite buy my words. “Is that really how you feel? Are you sure you’re not just saying that?” He scoffed, letting out a small laugh that lacked any warmth. “Mira, don’t tell me you still have feelings for me. You think I don’t know about the kiss you stole from me on your eighteenth birthday? You were drunk, but I noticed. “And all those love letters you wrote me over the years? Yeah, I read every single one. You thought you were being sneaky, but the way you looked at me… your eyes practically screamed it. You think no one noticed? Everyone could tell. “You not confessing to me? Best decision you ever made, because if you had, I would’ve laughed in your face.” He chuckled, the sound sharp and cruel, before walking over to the desk and pulling open the bottom drawer. He grabbed a thick stack of letters and tossed them onto the floor, stepping on them carelessly. “Mira, I’ve been taking care of you since you were seven years old, raising you all these years, and now you’ve got these feelings for me? Do you even know how messed up that is? “You knew I only had eyes for Lydia, yet you still wrote me love letters behind my back. Honestly, it’s disgusting.” Then, he leaned in close, his voice low and almost mocking. “I came here to tell you something. Yesterday, I was drugged. You were looking at me like you wanted to jump me. I know you thought you could be the antidote. But luckily, you didn’t go through with it. If you had, I would’ve been disgusted for the rest of my life. You’re just not worth it.” A sharp pain twisted in my chest. Even though I’d stopped loving him in this life, hearing those words still hurt. After saying that, Landon warned me to stay away from him so Lydia wouldn’t misunderstand, then slammed the door on his way out. I didn’t want to be a nuisance, so I decided to head out to take care of some overseas paperwork. I packed my things and left. That night, I purposely waited until almost ten o’clock to come back. As soon as I walked into my room, I knew something was off. My bed had been moved. Then I saw Lydia had posted an update on social media, a selfie of her lying on the bed, smiling. [A million-dollar mattress really is the best. I just mentioned I wasn’t sleeping well, and he immediately replaced my mattress. That’s why it’s so important to find a man who loves you!] She’d taken the mattress Landon bought for me, the one he had custom-made when my back injury flared up earlier this year. It cost over a million dollars. He used to be so kind to me. He knew exactly what it meant to take care of a girl, especially since he had raised me from such a young age. But he let me fall for him. And now, he stood on some moral high ground, acting like I shouldn’t have fallen for him in the first place. And here was Lydia, casually mentioning her bad sleep, and without even telling me, Landon had the mattress replaced. When Landon heard me return, he stood in the doorway, speaking in his usual detached way. “Lydia has light sleep, so I gave her your mattress. Anyway, your back’s fine now. Doesn’t matter which mattress you sleep on.” I didn’t even look up, just nodded as if I couldn’t care less. Landon frowned, watching me closely. “Mira, you’ve suddenly become so… reasonable. I’m not sure how to handle this. What’s going on with you lately? You used to hate it when I was nice to other people. Why aren’t you throwing a tantrum now? Are you planning something? “I swear, if you mess with Lydia, I won’t let you off easy.” I finally looked up at him, my voice calm. “I’m not trying to mess with anyone. Honestly, I’d rather no one mess with me. “And didn’t you always want me to be more sensible? Well, look at me now. You should be happy about it, right?” Landon’s face tightened, and he muttered, almost through gritted teeth, “Fine. Mira, you really know how to be a pain.” With that, he slammed the door and stormed downstairs. Every time he said that, I knew he was angry. But I didn’t care anymore. Whether he was angry or not didn’t matter. Soon, I’d be gone.

The days that followed were simple, almost predictable. Lydia made sure to flaunt her relationship with Landon, and he was still sulking at me. This time, I wasn’t going to play the role of the peacemaker. A month later, Lydia made her announcement. She was pregnant. Landon couldn’t contain his excitement. He was practically bursting with joy, ready to tell the world. Wedding plans with Lydia went into full swing, and the entire Pierce family was swept up in the preparations. The tables had turned, and this time, it was his beloved who was carrying his child. I had already made up my mind to let them have their happiness. After finishing my paperwork for leaving the country, I immediately booked a flight to Kanvas, on the exact same day as their wedding. It didn’t take long for Landon to come to me. Taking advantage of the fact that Lydia wasn’t home, he slipped into my room and threw open the door. He pulled out his phone, opened an email, and shoved it in front of me. “So, you’ve used your parents’ money, huh? I had my lawyer check, and it’s being used as a deposit for your trip abroad. “What’s going on? My wedding has you so upset that you’re planning to run off and hide?” The knot in my stomach tightened, but his mocking tone made the tension dissipate a little. When I stayed silent, his voice grew colder. “Mira, how much longer are you going to drag this out? You’ve been giving me the cold shoulder for a month now. Were you planning to just ignore me forever if I didn’t come here? “Ever since Lydia moved in, you’ve barely spoken to me. But she’s the woman I love, and if you really cared about me, you’d understand that. You can’t keep running away from both of us. “You can hide from us for a while, but not forever. Do you really think you’ll keep avoiding us once Lydia and I are married?” I shook my head quickly. “Landon, you’re mistaken. I’ve always seen you as a guardian, someone who raised me. I’m grateful to you, but that’s all there is.” He let out a laugh, like I’d just told him the funniest joke. “Grateful? Mira, the whole world knows you’ve been in love with me for years. Who are you trying to fool? Do you honestly believe you don’t love me?” He glanced at the desk, his smile growing wider. “Look at all these gifts I’ve given you. You’ve kept every single one of them. And you’re still going to tell me you don’t love me?” He walked over and began picking up the gifts one by one, carefully examining them before looking back at me, his tone suddenly serious. “Put all this away. I’m marrying Lydia now, and you need to stop clinging to these fantasies. We might not be related by blood, but I’ll never fall for you. “And now that Lydia’s pregnant, I don’t want her seeing this stuff. I can’t let her feel uncomfortable. I have to think about my wife and child.” I nodded, casually tossing the gifts into a box. I’d been planning to throw them away before I left anyway, so it worked out that I could take care of it now. Landon frowned, clearly frustrated with my lack of reaction. He stepped in front of me, stopping my hand before I could finish packing. “Mira, can’t you be a little more careful? You’ve even knocked the bunny off this hairpin!” I glanced at the hairpin in his hand. It was the first gift he’d ever given me, after my parents died and he took me in. He’d been their best friend, and this was his first present to me. I’d cherished it for years, never letting anyone touch it. But now, I was casually tossing it aside. Landon clearly couldn’t handle it. “Mira, what’s with the act? You’re obviously still in love with me. Don’t even try to pretend you’re okay with me marrying someone else. You can’t stand it, can you? But here you are, acting like you couldn’t care less. Who are you fooling? “Don’t think I don’t know what’s going on. You’re so upset about Lydia and me getting married, you’re about to run off to some other country just to get away, right? But now you’re pretending like you’re over it. Yeah, I’m sure you are. “But fine, go ahead. Take your little trip. Lydia’s pregnant and we don’t want you hanging around, getting in her way. So, go. It’s better for everyone.” Then, without another word, he grabbed his phone and transferred 100 thousand dollars to my account. “Take the money. Go travel. See the world. When you get back, Lydia’s pregnancy should be more stable.” His eyes held a strange, almost mocking look as he added, “Take your time. Don’t think about me too much. You’ll have to get used to the fact that I’m getting married. It’ll be weird if we keep bumping into each other after that.” He threw a few more tips my way about my trip, but I wasn’t really listening. He didn’t know I was reborn, and this time, I was really leaving. On the day of his wedding, everyone at the Pierce Villa was up early, running around preparing for the big day. I waited until everything was in full swing, then quietly grabbed my suitcase, slipped out the back door, and took a cab straight to the airport.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “397669”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G

When Rachel Parker, my boyfriend Aaron Murphy’s childhood sweetheart, suffered hair loss as a result of cancer chemotherapy, he bluntly commanded me to snip off my own hair and craft a wig for her. “Rachel is allergic to wigs on the market. You’ve been growing your hair for a decade, and it’s just perfect.” I flatly refused, but Aaron’s friends restrained me, binding my hands and feet. They then took a hair clipper and shaved my hair right down to the roots. In an instant, my head, once adorned with beautiful, long, shiny hair, was left looking like it had alopecia areata. Sitting in the wheelchair, Rachel laughed at me. Aaron nodded and chuckled, “We just took your hair away, and it’s no big deal.” However, once upon a time, due to my unevenly cut short hair, I had been bullied for six years. It was Aaron who had once opened his arms and shielded me, yet now he harmed me cruelly. One after another, his friends chimed in, urging me to show tolerance towards the patient. Aaron spun around and impatiently growled, “Do not persuade her. Tell her to get lost. We just took her hair, and it will grow back one day.” So I turned away without hesitation. Later, I heard that Aaron tried every trick in the book to get me back together with him. After my hair was shaved, I was finally released. “Aaron, look, she is as ridiculous as a toad.” Sitting in the wheelchair, Rachel pointed at my bald head and laughed. Aaron’s friends playfully chimed in. Aaron glanced at me and said indifferently, “Rachel is allergic to wigs on the market. Your long hair is just right for a wig.” I paid no heed to their jeers, instead clutching the few remaining tufts of hair, my heart aching with profound sorrow. Two hours ago, Aaron invited me to Rachel’s birthday party. I wasn’t on good terms with her. However, since Aaron had made the request and Rachel was battling cancer, I showed up to the party with a gift anyway. Unexpectedly, at the so-called birthday party, they tied me up and shaved my hair. Staring at Aaron’s indifferent expression, I remembered the rare kindness he had shown two days ago. He gave me an expensive bottle of shampoo. “It has been dry recently. Take care of your hair.” Confused but flattered, I took the shampoo and washed my hair that night. Only now did I realize that Aaron told me to take care of my hair so that Rachel could have a more comfortable wig to wear! He suddenly walked towards me. I had thought that he felt guilty and wanted to apologize. To my disappointment, with a look of disgust, he pinched the last strand of hair on my shoulder and cut it off without mercy. He glanced back at his friend and scolded, “You’re so careless. How could you leave this tiny bit of hair? I even invited you to dinner, but you can’t even manage this simple task perfectly.” They immediately giggled and jeered. “Well, it’s our fault. Hey, is Evelyn going to burst into tears?” “Rachel is severely sick. She takes so many pills every day, yet she doesn’t even cry once.” Mean mockery rang out one after another, and Aaron remained unfazed. His friends disliked me due to the vast disparity between my social standing and theirs. I never made an appearance at their get-togethers since I hadn’t received an invitation. I once asked Aaron if he could bring me along. He impatiently stated that our social circles were different and that it was unnecessary for me to try to be part of their circle. Noticing my lack of response, Aaron finally turned his attention to me. He raised his eyebrows and chuckled, “Evelyn, you’re not angry, are you? “Cheer up and consider it a good deed.” Sadness overwhelmed me. “Tell me, was it your idea to have my hair made into a wig, or was it Rachel’s?” Rachel positioned herself between Aaron and me, tears streaming down her face. “It was my idea. Ask me if you want to know anything. Don’t make things difficult for Aaron.” Aaron instantly glared at me with dissatisfaction. “Rachel is a patient. Can you not upset her?” “She is my friend. We grew up together. What’s the big deal with you, my future wife, donating a wig to her?” When I spotted Aaron’s unconcerned expression, tears welled up in my eyes. Why could a man change in such a short time? Back then, my parents compelled me to cut my hair so that they could sell it for money and buy toys for my brother. When I was bullied due to my short, uneven hair, Aaron stepped in front of me with a wide grin. “From now on, I’ll protect your hair!” I instantly felt drained of my energy and slowly said, “Aaron, from today onwards, we are completely through. “Transfer the money for my hair to me later. I’m under no obligation to donate my hair to her.”

Aaron came to an abrupt halt and extended his hand to place it on my forehead, a scornful smile spreading across his face. “Evelyn, do you want to break up with me? “You aren’t running a fever, but why are you talking nonsense? “You’ve been with me for eight years. Do you think you can still find another man to marry after our breakup? “Evelyn, no man will want you. Can you stop making a fuss?” The tears I had managed to hold back were on the verge of spilling out once more when I heard these words. He was still aware that we had been together for eight years. My friends told me that in a long-term relationship, romantic love would be replaced by family bonds. But without becoming part of my family, Aaron grew more and more dissimilar to what a boyfriend ought to be. I bit my lip tightly and looked straight up at him. “There are so many men in the world. You are not my only choice.” Aaron’s face darkened. He cast an icy glance at me, and his friends tried to persuade me. “That’s enough. Aaron gave in. Evelyn, don’t go too far.” “It’s just a wig. Have Aaron get seven wigs for you. Then you can wear a different one every day of the week.” Once Aaron’s friends ceased their mockery, Rachel chimed in aggrievedly, “This is all my fault. Evelyn, I will pay for your wig. Please don’t be angry with Aaron.” At the same time, her eyes filled with tears. Her pitiful appearance caused Aaron great distress. Instantly, he glared at me as if I were an enemy with whom he had a long-standing and bitter feud. “Evelyn, come at me if you are displeased! “Rachel’s seriously sick. Why do you have to pick on a sick person? You’ve changed a lot. You weren’t like this before!” I opened my mouth to speak, yet before any words could escape, Rachel clutched her stomach and let out a cry of pain. “Aaron, it hurts a lot. Help me…” Aaron pushed me away. Caught off guard, I stumbled and tripped over a chair. “Ouch!” Aaron didn’t show any concern and roared at me, “Get the hell out of the way! We just cut your hair. Why are you making a scene? You knew that Rachel was sick, but you still goaded her. If anything happens to her, I will not let you off!” With that, Aaron left with Rachel in his arms, followed by his friends. The man who had been holding my hair lagged behind and nonchalantly tossed a bunch of my long, lustrous hair into the trash can. I was dumbfounded for a moment and hurriedly crawled over to collect it, bit by bit. Tears streamed down nonstop. At that moment, I made up my mind to leave Aaron. ***** I went to the barbershop to have my hair cut once more. Meanwhile, I snapped up a hotel’s discount package. When I went back to pack my belongings, Aaron entered, looking thoroughly exhausted. At the sight of my suitcase, he instantly lost his temper. He strode forward and kicked my suitcase away. “When will you stop making a scene? “The doctor said Rachel’s condition has deteriorated. It’s all because you upset her. I haven’t even made you pay for it, and now you’re trying to run away!” I laughed in anger. “Did Rachel develop cancer because I upset her? “Aaron, reflect on what ridiculous things you are talking about.” Perhaps because Aaron had never heard me speak in such a tone previously, he was stunned for a brief moment. I ignored him, retrieved the suitcase that had been knocked aside, and then resumed packing my clothes. I didn’t possess a great deal of belongings. Although I had lived there for eight years, two 26-inch suitcases sufficed to hold everything I owned. Staring at Aaron, who remained silent, I casually said, “Once you transfer the money for my hair, I’ll pay the rent.”

“I don’t need your money.” Aaron tugged at my hand hard with a dark face. “Evelyn, have you made enough of a scene? Can you support yourself alone? “Sometimes, I don’t understand you! “I purchased skin care products and jewelry for you, yet you never made use of them. I urged you to dress up, but you came up with endless excuses to decline!” Whenever I got into an argument with Aaron, he invariably had a penchant for bringing up our past disputes. He always criticized me for not using the skin care products he had bought. However, those products made me allergic. He always blamed me for not wearing jewelry, yet when I did wear a piece, people would jeer at me, claiming it was a fake. He always faulted me for my unfashionable clothes, but as a government employee, I couldn’t wear fancy garments. Noticing that I remained silent, Aaron became more aggressive. “Why don’t you say anything? Do you plan to go back to your hometown to marry someone?!” Upon hearing these words, I looked at him with wide-eyed disbelief. After the SAT, my family held me captive and compelled me to get married. It was Aaron who came to my rescue. He made a promise to protect me from danger forever. But it appeared to have slipped his mind. He had become no different from those hateful guys back then. I hailed from a troubled family. I was thrifty by nature. But what is wrong with me? Tears welled up in my eyes, and my heart ached as if it had been crushed. I made no reply. I completely realized that Aaron would always be the same. He would never feel that he was at fault in any situation. I took the suitcases and insisted on leaving. Aaron flew into a rage and hurled my suitcases to the floor. Instantly, the two suitcases broke in half, and the things that had only recently been packed came spilling out. “Aaron, we have broken up. You have no right to touch my belongings!” Aaron seized my hands and yanked me back. His strength was so great that my head collided with the corner of the table, and blood instantly flowed into my eyes. Despite blinking desperately, I couldn’t see anything. In a panic, Aaron rushed over. “Evelyn, don’t be afraid. I’m sending you to the hospital right now.” As soon as Aaron finished speaking, his cell phone rang. Rachel’s weak voice came through his cell phone’s stereo. “Aaron, I’m at the entrance of your residence. I’m vomiting blood. What should I do? I’m in pain.” Aaron instantly grew anxious and released me. “Evelyn, wait for me. Rachel’s cancer has flared up. I’m going to take her to the hospital right away!” Blood blurred my vision, and all I could make out was a hazy figure ahead. I clung to Aaron’s leg to prevent him from leaving. “Aaron, I can’t see. Help me call…” He kicked me away without hesitation. “I fucking told you to wait. Can’t you understand? “Can’t you even wait for a while? Are you rushing to your death?” I couldn’t manage to get to my feet. Yet, Aaron had disappeared long ago. The door slammed shut!   Fortunately, I had set the emergency number as my emergency contact. By the time the ambulance arrived, I was already unconscious. The doctor declared that I had a concussion. During my two-day hospitalization, Aaron neither called nor messaged me. No update notice popped up on my phone screen. When I was discharged from the hospital, Sarah Murphy, Aaron’s mother, called and invited me to the Murphy Villa for a meal. I intended to decline, but as the words were about to escape my lips, I held myself back. Sarah was different from Aaron. She was quite nice to me. When I was abused by my family in high school, she ran around and solved the matter for me. Only then was I able to break free from my hellish family. Subsequently, Aaron and I had been in a relationship for eight years, but he didn’t even propose to me. Instead, he grew increasingly close to Rachel. Sarah was so furious that she introduced a lot of excellent men to me. “Evelyn, you’re a wonderful girl. I won’t allow Aaron to mess up your life. Tell me if you want to leave him. I’d love to be your godmother.” Upon my arrival at the Murphy Villa, I noticed that Sarah had a dark face. I entered the villa, only to find that Rachel and Aaron’s friends were also there. As soon as they saw me, their expressions immediately turned odd. “Why is your injury so serious?” Aaron approached me and attempted to touch the corner of my bandaged forehead. I took a step back and gazed at him indifferently. “You should be well aware whether it’s serious or not. After all, it was you who pushed me.” Aaron frowned. “Do you have to be so sarcastic?” Ignoring him, I went upstairs to find Sarah and told her about our breakup. She instantly burst into tears. “Aaron is a fool. Rachel, who was brought up by the Parker family, is extremely crafty. They only spent three years together during their childhood, yet she insists she’s his childhood sweetheart. But when the Murphy family faced difficulties back then, the Parker family cut off their connection with us more quickly than anyone else! “Even though you broke up, I am still your godmother. We have ten years of friendship, and you can’t distance yourself from me.” During the meal, Sarah served me food several times. Rachel held the plate and complained, “Sarah, you only care about Evelyn. Why don’t you dish food for me?” Sarah looked indifferent. “Evelyn is like my own daughter. What’s wrong with me offering her food multiple times?” Rachel couldn’t help but shed tears. In an instant, the atmosphere became embarrassing. Aaron immediately served Rachel some food. She took a bite. However, all of a sudden, she covered her neck and coughed nonstop, and her face flushed red, as if she was on the brink of choking. “There are shrimps…” “Oh no! Rachel, you are allergic to shrimp!” Aaron immediately rose to his feet and yelled at the maids, “Didn’t I warn you not to prepare shrimp dishes? Why did you still make this mistake?” A young maid trembled and finally glanced up at me. “We didn’t prepare any shrimp dishes. However, just now, I seemed to have caught sight of Ms. Taylor entering the kitchen with a jar of something. I-I saw her hide it in her bag.” I was puzzled. “What does this have to do with me?” Aaron bought the maid’s story. He glared at me with a straight face and turned around to search through my bag. “Aaron, what are you doing? You have no right to rummage through my bag!” “Evelyn, are you feeling afraid?” I reached out to stop Aaron, but he shoved me away. The next moment, my bag was ripped open. With a clatter, the glass jar fell to the floor. At once, the air reeked of a sharp shrimp stench. Aaron glared at me, as if he had caught the conclusive evidence. “Evelyn, admit it. Here is the evidence!” I froze for a moment, instantly realizing that this was a plot against me. I soon calmed down. “It’s not mine.” As soon as the words escaped my mouth, Rachel weakly explained, pretending to defend me, “Aaron, don’t blame Evelyn. Perhaps she didn’t do it on purpose.” Aaron, in a state of fury, grabbed hold of my neck and thrust me in front of her. “I have no idea whether she did it on purpose or not, but I am sure that she tried to kill you! “Evelyn, you’re so vicious. We were the ones who cut your hair. Since you are quite bold, come at me! “Why did you harm a patient? Apologize to Rachel, or I will kill you!” Aaron exerted his maximum strength, and I couldn’t break free at all. It was only with Sarah’s help that he finally released me. I coughed desperately, as if I had just been on the edge of death! I never anticipated that Aaron would jump to the conclusion that I was the culprit without a moment’s hesitation! My calm demeanor crumbled, replaced by heartbreak. I raised my hand and slapped Aaron so hard that my palm turned numb. “A fingerprint analysis on this jar of shrimp paste will show who had their hands on it! “That’s not an excuse for you to attack me again! “Aaron, I won’t put up with your actions anymore. I’m calling the police!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “397670”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G

The day I went to the hospital to collect the test results and settle the bill, I discovered that the 300 thousand dollars in my credit card account was gone. It was money that my husband Nolan Cole and I had spent three years saving for a house. Panic-stricken, I immediately called Nolan. “Did you use the money in our account?” After a long hesitation, he finally admitted the truth under my persistent questioning. “Andrea divorced with nothing. She’s struggling to raise her child alone. I just lent her the money for emergencies.” Andrea Powell was Nolan’s first love, the same woman who had abandoned him at his lowest point to marry a wealthy businessman. Whenever Nolan had mentioned her before, his voice had been filled with anger and bitterness about her betrayal. But now that she was divorced, his attitude had completely changed. I looked down at the test results in my hand and sighed, “Get the money back. We’ll discuss this in detail when I get home tonight.” It was dark by the time I arrived home. I found Nolan sitting on the couch smoking, a fresh bruise at the corner of his mouth. The room reeked of cigarettes. “What happened to your face?” I asked, frowning. He touched his bruised lip, avoiding my eyes. “I fell.” I accepted his explanation without pressing further. Watching him light another cigarette, I said gently, “Why are you smoking again? It’s bad for your health. By the way, did you get the money back?” “Every time I light up, you act like I’m killing you.” Nolan rolled his eyes and sprawled across the couch. “I’m not getting the money back. It’s just 300 thousand dollars. Consider it a good deed.” “What?” I threw my bag onto a chair, trembling with anger. “Nolan, get that money back now! We saved it together—half of it is mine. You had no right to give it to her.” I took a breath, trying to stay calm. “I know what you’re thinking. Do you really believe giving her money will make her want you back?” I tried to soften my approach. “I’m only thinking of what’s best for you. The money is for—” Before I could finish, Nolan leaped up from the couch, jabbing his finger in my face. His outburst seemed fueled by guilty defensiveness. “You used to be so gentle and understanding. When did you become this selfish and petty? Getting worked up over a mere 300 thousand dollars? Andrea has nothing after her divorce and a child to raise. Don’t you have any compassion?” “Selfish and petty?” I laughed bitterly. Nolan and I had met through a blind date. Back then, he had nothing—no job, no house, no car—and Andrea had just left him. I found he was honest and hard-working. With his parents deceased, there would be no complications between his mother and me. Plus, under pressure from my family to marry, I had agreed to marry him. When Nolan was starting his business, I had supported us on my modest salary. Now he dared call me selfish and petty? Realizing he’d gone too far, he fell silent, slumping back onto the couch with a cold expression. It was his typical response to arguments—no communication, no acknowledgment of his mistakes. I’d had enough of his passive attitude. “Listen carefully, Nolan,” I said with a sneer. “If you don’t get that money back within three days, I’ll leave you.”

I moved out and spent the next few days staying with my friend Kaia. On the third day, Nolan called with an arrogant tone. “I gave the money to Andrea. If you want a divorce, fine by me!” “We’re married,” I replied calmly. “Half of that 300 thousand dollars you gave her is mine. Even if we divorce, she needs to return my 150 thousand dollars.” “You want the money back? Impossible!” he roared. “I gave it to Andrea. Don’t even think about getting it back!” I hung up. With only a junior high school degree, it wasn’t surprising he didn’t understand the law. Kaia had been listening, and after thinking for a while, her expression changed. “Selena, doesn’t something seem off about Nolan?” She leaned forward. “No matter how generous he is, would he really give 300 thousand dollars to his first love to help raise someone else’s child? Nolan’s always been so stingy—it just doesn’t add up.” Kaia knew Nolan’s penny-pinching ways all too well. At our wedding, local tradition called for giving nice gifts to the bridesmaids, but Nolan had chosen cheap candleholders instead. The wedding banquet had been all vegetarian dishes—no meat in sight. He’d even transported the guests in a borrowed bus from his rural hometown. The memory of that wedding was still fresh for Kaia and me. Kaia had a point. Nolan was incredibly conceited. Even if he could forgive Andrea’s betrayal and reconcile with her, would he really accept raising another man’s child? Kaia and I locked eyes, mutual surprise dawning as we reached the same conclusion—the child might be Nolan’s. Since our marriage, he’d constantly pressured me to have a baby. I’d refused, focused on my rising career and concerned about my health. He’d berate me every few days about “ending his family line”—until suddenly, the next year, he stopped mentioning it entirely. I’d thought he’d finally accepted my decision and felt relieved. But what if he’d had a son elsewhere? Andrea’s child was two years old now. The timing fit perfectly. “No wonder he was so generous with his first love,” Kaia sneered. “He must have been having an affair with her all along!” Her eyes suddenly brightened. “Selena, if you can prove he cheated, you can divorce him without giving up any property.” I nodded, thinking it through carefully. Nolan had said Andrea left her divorce with nothing—perhaps her husband had discovered the affair. It would explain why Andrea, who had been so materialistic and dumped Nolan for money, would walk away without a penny. Nolan’s infidelity seemed certain. Now I just needed proof.

The next day, I returned home. Nolan was out. Opening Instagram, I found his latest update: [I’ve met many people, but in the end, I realized you’re the one I love most.] The post included a photo of a woman in a blue dress. Quite romantic. Without hesitation, I liked the post and commented: [Some dogs eat plenty of meat, but in the end, they still prefer eating garbage.] We shared many mutual friends on Instagram. They initially assumed the woman in the photo was me, commenting things like “Nolan and Selena, so sweet!” When they saw my response, however, they quickly realized their mistake and deleted their comments, leaving mine as the sole, glaring reply. Satisfied, I set down my phone and headed to his study to access his computer. I used to respect his privacy religiously—never entering his study, checking his phone, or using his computer. I’d given him complete trust, only to receive betrayal in return. Laughing bitterly at my own naivety, I tried Andrea’s birthday as his computer password. It worked perfectly. He hadn’t logged out of WhatsApp. Opening it, I found his chat history with Andrea—all voice messages. Rather than listen to each one, I converted them to text. Andrea said: [My husband discovered our affair. He wants to divorce me and leave me with nothing.] Nolan replied: [How could this happen? Don’t worry, honey, I’ll take care of you.] Andrea responded with an aggrieved expression. [Our son and I were thrown out. We have nowhere to go.] [I can handle hardship, but how can our son live like this?] Nolan arrogantly transferred our joint savings—300 thousand dollars—to her, replying grandly: [Honey, go buy a house. Use this as the down payment. Put it in your name, and I’ll handle the monthly payments.] After accepting the transfer, Andrea replied with hypocrisy: [Won’t your wife be angry?] Nolan replied: [She wouldn’t dare. She’s completely submissive.] Andrea replied: [Sweetie, when will you divorce her? We can’t let our son remain illegitimate.] My anger was boiling over as I read their exchange. Now I understood why Nolan had agreed to divorce so readily—he was eager to be with Andrea and their son. Checking his transaction history, I discovered regular transfers to Andrea beyond the 300 thousand dollars. I photographed everything as evidence. To prevent claims of fabrication, I recorded a video that included their voice messages. Satisfied with my collected proof, I left. The moment I got into a taxi, Nolan called. “Have you lost your mind?” he shouted. “Delete that ridiculous comment from my Instagram now!” “Ridiculous?” I laughed. “I just want everyone to know the truth.” I heard a woman’s soft sobbing in the background. Of course—he was yelling at me because Andrea was crying to him. “What truth? You just hate her because I gave Andrea money!” he barked. His words left me speechless. I owned half of that 300 thousand dollars she received. Why shouldn’t I dislike her? What woman would approve of her husband’s mistress? Too tired to argue, I offered one final piece of advice out of basic human decency. “Nolan, you’d better get that money back. Otherwise—” He cut me off impatiently. “I’ve told you Andrea’s struggling to raise a child. Where’s your compassion? “The money’s hers now. If you can’t accept that, divorce me!” He hung up before I could respond. I nearly laughed out loud. Fine, let him be generous and kind. After all, he was the one with lung cancer, not me.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “397671”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G

My husband, Ethan Royce, drove to the village school in a luxury car to pick me up after work. The new female teacher, Vivian Spencer, pouted and asked for a ride. She hopped into the passenger seat, gazing at my husband with admiration. “Ethan, you’re already a school director at such a young age? That’s impressive! With your looks and success, you haven’t abandoned your wife for someone younger. You must be a truly devoted man.” Sitting in the backseat, I raised an eyebrow. Abandon me? If he dares, he can kiss his position goodbye. “Ms. Sutton, your husband is so handsome! And he’s rich, drives such a nice car, and treats you well. I’m jealous,” Vivian teased me. But her gaze was glued to Ethan. I was the principal of a village girls’ school, and Vivian was a newly hired teacher. Since the school was far from our home in the city, Ethan would come to pick me up whenever he had time. Vivian asked, “Ethan, what do you do to make so much money?” Ethan scratched his head and chuckled, “This car is not that good anyway. I’m just a director for a few private schools, that’s all.” I felt a little uncomfortable. This car was my birthday gift to him. I also arranged his position as the school director. But he was my husband, so I let him have his moment. Vivian’s eyes lit up. “Wait… are you with Nova International Academy? That’s the top private school in the province!” Ethan smiled and nodded. Vivian’s eyes flickered before she suddenly switched to a coy tone. “Ethan, my house is so far from school. I’m just a young woman who just graduated. I’m so scared to go home by myself every day! Would it be too much trouble to give me a ride? Please?” Vivian clasped her hands together pleadingly, staring at Ethan with innocent eyes. Ethan was about to agree but suddenly remembered I was sitting right there. His expression stiffened as he glanced at me. Vivian turned to me with a sweet smile. “Ms. Sutton, you care so much about your staff. Surely you wouldn’t say no to such a small favor? Or could it be that you’re jealous over something like this?” I glanced at Vivian and chuckled before agreeing. I was curious to see what tricks she had up her sleeve. The moment we said yes, Vivian dashed to the car, yanked the door open, and plopped herself into the passenger seat. Which meant I had no choice but to sit in the back. For over an hour, Vivian showered my husband with flattery. “Ethan, being a school director in your early thirties? That’s beyond impressive! “I was wondering how Ms. Sutton managed to keep a girls’ school running in the countryside. It only takes in underprivileged students, so there’s no money to be made! Turns out, she’s got a supportive husband funding everything behind the scenes. “What? Ms. Sutton is younger than you? No way. To me, she feels like an elder, but you’re like an older brother.” Vivian turned to glance at me, eyeing my plain outfit with barely concealed disdain before adding, “Ethan, you really should take Ms. Sutton shopping sometimes. If you two went out together, people might mistake her for your mom.” I had spent years working in the village, so my wardrobe was all about practicality. Besides, our students came from struggling families. I didn’t want them to feel self-conscious, so I dressed as simply as possible. I looked at Ethan. He seemed to be basking in the praise, grinning from ear to ear. When we finally got home, Vivian lingered, chatting with Ethan for a few more minutes before reluctantly dragging herself away.

As soon as we got home, our son, Joe, ran up to us excitedly, calling out, “Mom! Dad!” Joe was seven years old and had just started elementary school. To keep things simple, we enrolled him at Nova International Academy. “I’ll go make dinner. You play with Joe for a while.” Ethan put on an apron without being asked. Only then did my frustration ease a little. We had a clear division of labor. I focused on my career while Ethan managed the household and took care of our child. I initially wanted Ethan to be a stay-at-home dad, but after much hesitation, he admitted that unemployment would be too humiliating for a grown man. So, I arranged a few honorary board positions for Ethan at schools under the Sutton Education Group. The title sounded prestigious, but it was just a formality. Ethan only needed to attend an occasional meeting, leaving him plenty of time to look after Joe. As for me, my mind wasn’t really on the company. Ever since I volunteered to teach during my college, I have dreamed of opening a school for underprivileged girls. The moment I inherited the family business, the first thing I did was establish an all-girls school in a neighboring impoverished county. Now, my energy was entirely devoted to changing these girls’ futures. I had no interest in trivial matters like Vivian’s behavior. Still, I was worried that what Vivian did might affect the students. So, I called her into the principal’s office the next day for a talk. Before I could say a word, Vivian slapped a resignation letter onto my desk. “I quit!” I was stunned. “You’ve only been here for a few days. Why are you quitting so soon?” Vivian crossed her arms, looking impatient. “The conditions here are terrible. Who could stand working in a place like this?” I fell silent. The village’s conditions were indeed rough, which was why I had offered high salaries to attract good teachers. I accepted Vivian’s resignation. I needed teachers who were truly passionate about education. Forcing her to stay would only be unfair to the students.

Lately, I had noticed that Joe was becoming distant from me. He used to run into my arms the moment I got home from work. But that evening, he just stood there, frowning like an adult. “So you still remember to come home? Dad works so hard every day, and all you do is enjoy yourself out there.” Hearing those words from a child felt strange. However, I couldn’t help but feel guilty. Maybe I had spent too much time at the girls’ school and neglected Joe without realizing it. “Joe, do you want to go to the amusement park? I’m taking some time off to spend a few days with you, okay?” “I don’t want you to!” Joe shoved me with all his strength. I was shocked. I wasn’t around as much as Ethan, but I had never been anything less than loving toward Joe. I felt a flicker of irritation. “What’s gotten into you today? Joe, pushing people is wrong.” Joe only grew more upset. “I don’t want you! I want Dad!” I swallowed my frustration and reached out to touch his head. “Dad’s still at work. Can’t Mommy keep you company?” Just then, Joe sank his teeth into my hand. The sharp pain made me instinctively pull away, maybe with a little too much force, and Joe landed on the floor with a thud. Joe burst into tears. “You’re not my mom! I want Ms. Spencer to be my mom!” I was stunned. Ms. Spencer? Did he mean Vivian? Just then, Ethan came back. Joe immediately ran to him, clinging to his waist, sobbing as he spoke, “Dad, Mom hit me! We don’t need her anymore, right? Take me to Ms. Spencer. I want her to be my mom!” Ethan’s expression shifted instantly. He shot me a guilty glance before turning to comfort Joe. “Don’t cry, Joe. Mommy didn’t mean to. Can you forgive her?” But Joe wasn’t having it. He sobbed even harder, his little body shaking with every breath. Ethan sighed, “How about this? Let’s hit her back, okay?” He took Joe’s small hands, curled them into fists, and gently tapped my stomach over and over. “Bad Mommy. Daddy and Joe will fight her together.” My face darkened. “So this is what you’ve been teaching him while I’m not around?” Ethan frowned. “He’s just a kid. Why are you taking it so seriously? What kind of mother argues with her own son like this?” Then Ethan scooped Joe into his arms, wiping away his tears. “What do you want for dinner, Joe? Daddy will make it for you, and we won’t let Mommy have any.” Joe finally stopped crying. I spoke abruptly, “Who is Ms. Spencer?” For a split second, Ethan looked flustered, but he quickly regained his composure. “There’s no Ms. Spencer. Probably some character from a cartoon. Kids say all sorts of things.” I didn’t believe Ethan for a second. I silently made up my mind that I would find out where Vivian went after she quit. But before I even had the chance to investigate, she delivered herself right to my door.   That day, something came up, and I had to leave the rural school early to drive home. As I approached the villa, bursts of laughter drifted through the air. “Ms. Spencer, can you be my mom?” Vivian’s tinkling laughter rang out from inside. “Oh? Joe, you like me that much? But you already have a mommy. How can I take her place?” Joe thought for a moment before saying, “Then if Daddy and Mommy get a divorce, can you be my mom?” Vivian laughed so hard she nearly gasped for breath. “Would you really be willing to give up your mommy?” Joe snorted, “I hate that old witch! Ms. Spencer, you are so gentle and pretty. How could she ever compare?” Vivian’s voice carried an unmistakable note of glee. “Well, that depends on whether your dad agrees.” “Dad, didn’t you say she’s just an old nag? Kick her out and let Ms. Spencer move in, okay?” I pushed open the door just in time to see Ethan sitting there, his face flushed, caught between hesitation and temptation. “What a lively family gathering,” I said coldly. Ethan turned to look at me, his face instantly drained of color. He shot to his feet and stammered, “Sabrina, it’s not what you think…” I asked, “Then why don’t you tell me what it is?” Ethan said, “Vivian is Joe’s homeroom teacher. She came over for a home visit today. “She reached out to me after she left the rural school, saying the conditions were too harsh. She’s a fresh graduate and just couldn’t handle it. She begged me for help. “I thought, since she was your friend, I’d do her a favor and get her a teaching position at Nova International Academy. I did it for you…” I sneered, “She is just my subordinate. What kind of friend is that? And she just happened to be Joe’s teacher? Let’s be honest, Ethan, this was never about me. You had your own agenda, didn’t you?” Vivian finally spoke up, “Sabrina, how can you talk to your husband like that? If it weren’t for Ethan, would you even be living such a comfortable life?” I pointed a finger right at her nose. “And who do you think you are? No one asked for your opinion.” Ethan’s face flushed. “Sabrina, do you have no respect for teachers? Vivian is Joe’s teacher and our guest. Apologize to her right now!” Ethan had always been gentle with me. But now, just to defend Vivian, he was suddenly playing the role of the tough, righteous man. Joe ran over, screaming, “Don’t bully Ms. Spencer! Get out of my house!” I was beyond furious. In just a few days, Vivian had poisoned my relationship with my own son. I turned to her, my voice cold. “Ms. Spencer, you are a teacher, and I suggest you act like one. What you’re doing now is completely unethical, and I have every right to request your termination.” Vivian’s eyes flickered before she feigned a pitiful expression. “Joe, how could someone like this be your mother? Poor child…” Vivian turned and hugged Joe dramatically. “I’m sorry, Joe. I can’t see you anymore. If I do, your mom will have me fired.” Joe let out a piercing scream and charged at me, pounding his little fists against me. “I hate you! Why did you have to be my mom?” Then he ran straight out the door, wailing. Ethan rushed after him. Vivian dropped the act, shooting me a smug, condescending glance before following them. My expression darkened. I pulled out my phone and made a call. “Jack, notify Nova International Academy. There will be a board meeting tomorrow.”   The next day, I headed to Nova International Academy for a board meeting. As luck would have it, I ran into Vivian at the entrance. Vivian shot me a sideways glance. “What, really here to make a scene? This is a prestigious school. There’s no room for your nonsense!” Then, raising her voice, Vivian called out, “Security! We have a suspicious person here!” A security guard hurried over, frowning. “Who are you?” Since I rarely showed up at the school, the guard didn’t recognize me despite my status as a shareholder. I had no interest in arguing, so I simply walked over and pressed the elevator button. “I’m a parent. I need to speak with the principal about something important.” Vivian blocked my way, her eyes cold and sharp. “There’s a board meeting today. Did you really think I’d let you do whatever you want at a time like this? I don’t care if you’re here to sabotage my job or ruin Ethan’s reputation in front of the board. You’re not getting what you want!” Then, all of a sudden, Vivian raised her voice, putting on an exaggerated act. “Mrs. Royce, how could you say such things about me?” Before I could respond, Vivian burst into tears. A few teachers passing by stopped and asked what was going on. Between sobs, Vivian whimpered, “Just because I care about her son, Mrs. Royce accused me of having an affair with her husband. She even came to the school to hit me and demanded that I be fired…” One of the teachers frowned. “Ma’am, it’s our duty to look after the students. How could you make such baseless accusations?” A crowd started to gather, whispering among themselves. “Parents these days are so unreasonable. Poor Ms. Spencer!” “Look at her. She is probably a housewife who spends all day obsessing over her husband, thinking every woman is after him!” “People like her shouldn’t even be mothers. What a terrible influence on her child!” I glanced at the time. The meeting had already started. I pulled out my phone and sent a message in the group chat: [Meeting relocated to the first-floor lobby.] Then, I settled onto the sofa and watched Vivian’s little performance. Before long, the principal, Kevin Robson, and other board members arrived. The teachers immediately swarmed around Kevin, eager to report the situation. “Mr. Robson, a parent barged in, causing trouble and slandering a teacher! You have to do something about this!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “397672”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G

My husband, Evan West, and I were reborn on the eve of our marriage registration. We walked out of the City Hall, and neither brought up marriage again. He went on to start a business with his first love, Evelyn Scott, while I stayed home, sketching designs as always. Six years later, he became the CEO of a public company, happily together with his first love. Meanwhile, I was still at home, sketching away at my design work. When we met again, he had his first love on his arm, looking down at me in my simple outfit with a mocking smirk. He said mockingly, “After all this time, you’re still so… ordinary.” Little did he know that my husband, Sebastian Vaughn, was the wealthiest man in the world. I had flown back from abroad to attend my professor, Caleb Murray’s 70th birthday celebration. As fate would have it, I ran into my ex-husband Evan for the first time in six years since our split. He had indeed made it big as the CEO of a listed company. At first, everyone gathered around Caleb, making small talk. They all put on a show of being eager students. It delighted Caleb, who believed they had changed and grown more mature than before. When Evan walked in with Evelyn on his arm, everyone flocked around him like moths to a flame. They were all desperate to get on his good side. I noticed the hurt in Caleb’s eyes. I gently took his hand and stayed beside him with a reassuring smile. Someone piped up, “Evan, you’ve made it big! Look at you now! A hot-shot CEO!” “Yeah, Mr. West is way out of our league now. We might need to ask for some favors!” “Come on, we’re all old classmates! Mr. West, don’t hesitate to let us know if you need anything! We’ve got your back!” Evan just smiled politely and continued walking with Evelyn. The crowd quickly switched their attention, thinking they’d forgotten to compliment Evelyn. “Oh my, excuse my aging eyes! I can’t believe I didn’t notice Evelyn standing right there!” “Evelyn, you haven’t aged a day! You still look like you’re eighteen! You two make such a power couple!” The pair exchanged knowing smiles at the comment. “Oh, stop, you’re making us blush!” Evelyn protested with false modesty, clearly fishing for more compliments. The crowd caught her hint and kept laying on the praise. Everyone had completely forgotten about the real guest of honor. Even when it was time for the banquet to start, they were chattering away noisily. I frowned and walked over to speak up, “It’s already noon, and today is Professor Murray’s birthday celebration. Why are you all making a racket instead of celebrating with Professor Murray?” Evan finally noticed me and furrowed his brows slightly. “What are you doing here?” I found his question ridiculous. Why wouldn’t I be here on Caleb’s birthday? Everyone knew how Evan and I had announced our plans to get married, only to have things end badly in a very public way. People stared at us with evident curiosity, hungry for gossip. “Did you know Professor Murray treats Ava like his own protégé? I wonder where she’s working these days!” “Well, well, look at these old flames meeting again. My, how things have changed,” another person muttered. That was right. I was wearing a simple T-shirt and jeans. How could that compare to Evan’s designer suit and Evelyn’s fancy cocktail dress? Little did they know my outfit cost more than their fancy clothes combined. Evan was pleased to hear this. He deliberately tightened his grip on Evelyn’s hand as if preparing to make some big announcement. “Come on, guys, don’t joke around. I’m Eve’s fiancé now. Everyone’s invited to our wedding next May 20th.” The news excited everyone, completely glossing over my awkward history with Evan. They started showering them with congratulations and well wishes for their marriage. Seriously? They were not married yet, and everyone was already celebrating like they were.

Evelyn approached me as I stood there, clearly wanting to show off. She smirked, “Ava, which design company do you work for? I’d love to have you design some wedding dresses for me. “Since you’re Professor Murray’s student, I’m sure you’re talented.” Everyone turned to look at me. I forced a smile and shook my head. “Thanks, but I’m currently working on designs from home. “Your wedding dresses would be too fancy for me to handle. You should find someone more qualified.” Evelyn covered her mouth in mock surprise. “Oh my goodness, Ava! I’m so sorry! I had no idea you’d been unemployed for six years. “Ava, you’re Evan’s friend. Let us know if you need any help.” I waved off her fake concern and returned to my seat. The others exchanged knowing looks, clearly thinking I was being ungrateful. I helped Caleb stand up and shot them all a cold glare. “If you don’t want to be here, just leave. “Today is about Professor Murray. If you want to suck up to someone, at least pick the right moment.” Their cheerful expressions instantly turned cold as they glared at me resentfully. Evan finally turned to me, his smile never wavering. “Since Ava put it that way, I guess I’m wrong here. “Well! I’ll cover Caleb’s lunch bill, and tonight, I’ll invite everyone to see our new mansion.” The tense atmosphere instantly lifted as everyone got excited about visiting the mansion. Evan stared directly at me with a smug look on his face. “Would our former class monitor approve of this plan?” I nodded, not wanting to waste more words on them. “Then we’ll see you tonight. Don’t stand us up.” Before I could refuse, they walked past me to take their seats. Evan stopped beside me and gave me a few mocking glances. “Ava, still dressing so plainly, I see. “If you had listened to me back then, you wouldn’t be living off your parents and working from home now. “You’re just too stubborn. Look at us now—one soaring high, the other stuck on the ground.”

One was soaring high, and the other was stuck on the ground? That was one way to put it. After all, he could never reach the heights where I stand now. In my past life, Evan and I grew up as childhood sweethearts. Our parents naturally assumed we would end up together. He found his entry-level corporate job boring and unfulfilling. Meanwhile, I spent my days creating designs at home, but no one took my work seriously. Evelyn started a business with someone else. They quickly became the wealthiest couple in the city, living a life of luxury. He grew to hate me then, blaming me for holding him back. He believed he could have had a perfect life with Evelyn. He missed his golden opportunity because of our parents’ expectations and my presence. I still remember how Evan clenched his fists at Evelyn’s wedding, his face showing pure resentment. I thought he was only feeling bitter inside. But then he started staying out all night. Mysterious hickeys began appearing on his neck. Lipstick stains and foundation marks kept showing up in his car. In the end, that was the last straw that broke our relationship. “Ava, what more do you want? You just sit at home all day expecting me to care for you. What gives you the right? “I must have been crazy to choose you. If I had married Eve instead, I’d be the richest man in the city by now!” I watched as his usually gentle face twisted into something ugly. I felt a deep sense of heartbreak and helplessness for the first time. Sure, I spent my days at home. But I was the one paying most of our bills. He was right; my designs weren’t selling well. But my family was comfortably middle-class, and my parents provided the money. How did he support me and call me useless? He was just jealous that others were doing better than him. He blamed me for holding him back from getting rich. How did this become my fault? In the end, I gave in and agreed to divorce. A truck crashed into our car on our way to sign the papers. We plunged straight off the bridge into the river below. When I opened my eyes again, we had both traveled back to the day we sat in the City Hall, about to get married. This time, we walked straight out of the City Hall. Without many words, he called Evelyn. I went back home to continue working on my designs. My second chance at life had already started paying dividends. I had mastered the latest fashion trends and adapted my style accordingly. Now, I was the go-to designer for luxury jewelry brands. I had suddenly become the hottest name in the design world. Most of my earnings went back to the school as donations. I wanted to help more people pursue their dreams in design without financial barriers. They knew nothing about any of this. They still thought I was nobody, just waiting for life to pass. I had only come here to celebrate Caleb’s birthday. We were supposed to thank him for mentoring us, but instead, it turned into the Evan and Evelyn show. I had to stand up for Caleb. They love showing off their wealth, right? Well, let’s see who has the deeper pockets!

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “397673”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G