Category: English

My sister and I fought over Preston for over a decade. But Preston still preferred my talented, accomplished sister. I threw myself into learning every art form imaginable, desperate for just one glance from him. At twenty-five, I graduated from Oxford with a degree in Finance. But when I came home, Preston still pushed my hand away. “I only love Jade. Stop wasting your energy.” I stood frozen. My best friend pulled out tissues to wipe my tears. I dodged them, confused. “Why do I find him so boring now? He’s just good-looking. I can’t even understand why I liked him in the first place. Have I fallen out of love?” My friend smiled. “You’ve moved forward, while he’s still stuck in the same place.” My sister Jade and I got out of the car at the same time. Without warning, Jade stumbled sideways. Preston rushed forward without hesitation to catch her. Jade leaned into his arms, silently flashing me a mocking smile. Everyone around us lowered their heads, smirking. Because they knew what came next—I would yank Jade away, scream at her for faking, accuse her of stealing Preston’s love. Then Preston would scold me for being immature, making me cry. That was the usual script. But after waiting a moment, I still hadn’t moved. Over the years, I’d nearly driven myself insane trying to get Preston to notice me. I’d studied, started businesses, built social media platforms. After experiencing corporate tactics and even meeting people in politics— Jade’s little stumble seemed ridiculous. “Good thing you didn’t fall.” I said calmly, handing the gifts to a servant. “My parents asked me to bring these for your parents.” Jade’s expression soured. Preston frowned at me. Inside the house, I discovered there were only four chairs in the dining room. Preston’s father, Preston’s mother, Preston—that was already three chairs. Jade suddenly laughed. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I forgot to mention you were coming. They didn’t prepare a seat for you.” “Why are you explaining?” Preston looked at me coldly. “It wasn’t intentional. Just go get yourself a chair. No need to make things difficult for her.” Always like this. Preston always stood unconditionally on Jade’s side. But strangely, I truly felt nothing about it anymore. I couldn’t even understand why I’d fought so bitterly with my sister over him. “Mr. Gallagher, I haven’t said anything yet.” Preston froze. In the past, I would have been red-eyed and screaming by now. “You’re upset.” Jade stepped forward with tears in her eyes, grabbing my hand. “Let me grab you a chair. No need to be upset.” She moved to get one, but Preston grabbed her arm. He looked down at me. “This is the Gallagher house, not a place for you to throw your weight around. “If you’re not willing, then don’t eat.” Some servants couldn’t help but laugh out loud. I heard someone whisper, “Watch—Miss Smith will definitely fetch that chair herself.” “Of course! She’ll do anything to sit closer to our young master.” “No need.” I smiled lightly. “I only came to deliver gifts from my parents anyway, not specifically for dinner. “I happen to have other plans. Enjoy your meal.”

Preston looked at me with unfamiliar eyes. I ignored him, turned around, and walked away. Jade buried herself in Preston’s arms, eyes red. “What’s so urgent? “Does she just hate me that much? Is that why she won’t stay?” Preston watched me get in the car and drive away, frowning slightly. “Don’t take it to heart. “After a few years at Oxford, her attention-seeking tactics have certainly become more sophisticated.” Jade bit her lip. “True. She’s learned to play hard to get. I’m scared that one day you might…” Preston touched her head. “I told you, I only like you.” Actually, I really did have plans. My classmate and I had started an internet company together. There was a lot to handle. I had a dinner meeting with a client. My business partner sent me a message. Heard you’re back in the country. Got a big surprise for you. I replied casually. If I’d known what that surprise was then, I would have made her cancel it. I hadn’t planned to have any more contact with Preston. But an elder in the family was celebrating a birthday. As old family friends, we would still appear at the same birthday party. But when I arrived with my gift, I realized it wasn’t a birthday party at all. It was a proposal. Preston knelt on one knee. When he saw me arrive, a mocking smile curved his lips. He gently slipped the diamond ring onto Jade’s finger. “Wonderful!” My parents started clapping enthusiastically. I looked at them in confusion. “Isn’t today Grandpa’s birthday?” I frowned. “Are you all that eager to get them engaged? I genuinely thought…” My father coughed. “We kept it from you because we were afraid you’d ruin it.” “You don’t know? Preston just became the Regional Director for Nexus Group.” Nexus?! I froze. That… that’s the company my classmate and I started together! “A son-in-law like Preston is rare. Of course we had to lock down the engagement quickly. “We know you like Preston, but feelings can’t be forced. After all these years, he still doesn’t like you. Stop clinging to him, okay?” I stayed silent. I texted my partner. Please don’t tell me the surprise is Preston?! She sent back a tongue-out emoji. We all know you like him! I arranged the regional personnel myself. As director, he reports directly to you. Now you can be inseparable from him. I pressed my hand to my forehead. “Look! Isn’t that Preston’s lapdog, that Smith girl!” “Damn! It’s her! She actually dared to come!” “Look at how miserable she looks! I almost feel sorry for her.” The gossip was giving me a headache. I went to a room to discuss this with my partner. After explaining that I no longer liked him, I opened the door. A hand suddenly grabbed my wrist. Yanking me into the stairwell. “Preston!” My wrist hurt. He shoved me aside. “You saw what happened today.” His voice was cold. I rubbed my aching wrist and frowned at him. “I’m engaged to Jade now. You should find someone to marry too.” “Marry?” I laughed coldly. “That’s not in my plans right now.”

“Are you really going to keep throwing yourself at me?” I paused. Finally understanding—he’d misunderstood. “What I meant was, I’m not getting married because my career is in an upward phase.” Preston stared at me for a moment. Then suddenly laughed. “Don’t you think that excuse is pathetic?” I froze. “Nexus’s CEO is also a woman about your age. “Even she’s thinking about marriage. What are you pretending for?” I couldn’t find words to argue. Everyone knew I’d been love-obsessed. Which meant now that I’d woken up, no one believed it. Even my business partner was the same. “Listen to me.” He leaned closer. “I didn’t like you before, and after getting engaged, I definitely won’t like you. “Throwing yourself at me will only make me despise you more. Unless…” He narrowed his eyes. “You think you can be my mistress?” I suddenly understood my past self even less. The man before me— Shallow, arrogant, classless. Why had I fought with Jade over him until we were both exhausted? With a cold laugh, I pushed past him and walked away. My partner wanted to come apologize. At the party, I quietly sipped orange juice. A whistle. Seven or eight men sat down around me. Surrounding me. “Well if it isn’t the little princess! You actually came to Preston’s engagement party.” “We were all wondering if the princess would be too heartbroken to show up.” “Looks like the princess is still in love.” A hand grabbed my shoulder strap. I frowned and slapped it away hard. “Whoa, a few years abroad and you’ve got a temper!” “Not like when you used to beg us to put in a good word for you, huh?” When I was obsessed with Preston, I didn’t just fawn over him—I fawned over his friends too. Jade was talented and accomplished. I couldn’t compete, so I pinned my hopes on these buddies helping me look good to Preston. I remembered all of Preston’s hobbies. I remembered these friends’ hobbies even better. Every year I’d send expensive gifts, begging them to help me make a good impression on Preston. Thinking back now, I understood myself less and less. I’d been too sheltered. “Hey, Preston’s engaged now. You’ve got no chance. It’s true you can’t compete with your sister’s position in his heart. “That’s reality.” “But it’s not completely hopeless.” The man leaned closer, the smell of alcohol and cigarettes invading my space. “Spend one night with us, and we’ll put in a good word for you. “So you can sleep with Preston later. How about it?” I tried to dodge. But someone grabbed my chin. “Don’t be shy. We’ll keep it secret.” “Hey? Preston?” Someone spotted Preston passing by. “Preston!” I jumped up, but was yanked back onto the couch. Preston had heard everything. “Preston! Make your friends leave!” His friends’ faces showed a flash of nervousness. They exchanged glances. But Preston just put his arm around Jade’s waist. No expression on his face. He turned and left. The man pulled me into his arms, gripping my chin. “Still don’t get it? “To Preston, your sister comes before us, before dogs, before you.”

My expression turned cold. “So be a good girl. Please us, and we’ll convince Preston to let you be a good dog by his side.” “Yeah, don’t worry. We’ll keep the princess’s secret.” The wine glass in my hand tightened. I shattered it with my grip. They stared at the broken glass in my hand. Stunned. “Who do you think you’re messing with?” One punch landed hard on the temple of the man holding me. To outdo Jade, I hadn’t just pursued higher education and credentials. I’d also trained in sports. Boxing was one of my skills. Blood sprayed from his nose. A bottle smashed into my head. I felt dizzy. But years of physical training helped me grit my teeth and stay standing. I grabbed the attacker’s throat and slammed his head into the table. “Want to destroy me?” I looked down at them. “You’re not ready for that.” A hand came out of nowhere and struck my face. I stumbled back two steps, catching myself on the couch. Preston frowned. “I just got engaged to Jade and you’re throwing a tantrum!” My parents rushed out at the commotion. Seeing the men on the floor groaning in pain, my mother pushed me hard in fury. “What are you trying to do! Just because Jade and Preston got engaged today, you’re going to wreck the party! “It’s Grandpa’s birthday! Can’t you be mature for once!” The guests hadn’t heard what those men said earlier. They frowned at me. “You’re twenty-five years old. Can you grow up? Preston doesn’t like you—making a scene won’t change that!” Jade’s eyes reddened. “If you really can’t handle it, take the ring. Just don’t make things difficult for us.” She actually started pulling off her ring. But Preston grabbed her hand. “You’re that desperate to be with me? “Make Jade happy first, then I might consider you.” “Preston?” Jade turned to look at him. Preston smiled lightly. “Since she won’t leave us alone, might as well use it to our advantage. “But if she wants me to accept her, she’ll have to serve you, the legitimate wife, to your satisfaction first.” Delight flashed in Jade’s eyes. Preston looked at me. “Do you understand?” I touched the cheek Preston had just slapped. Said nothing. Just stepped forward. And returned the slap. My mother grabbed me. “What are you doing!” Jade cried out. “Hit me instead! Don’t touch him!” “Hit you?” I laughed. “A minor character like you isn’t worth my effort.” Preston, I looked at him. “As CEO of Nexus, I’m terminating your employment. You don’t need to report for work.” “Nexus?” He froze. Then sneered. “A lovesick fool like you could work at Nexus?” Jade looked at me with pity. “Are you so upset you’ve lost your mind? It’s my fault. Preston and I should have kept the engagement secret. I shouldn’t have provoked you.” My mother looked at me with disapproval. “Nexus is a publicly traded company. If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable!”

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During dinner, Nathan suddenly put down his fork and looked at me. “Who’s Marcus Knight?” My heart skipped a beat. Marcus Knight. That name was something my best friend Lily and I had made up one drunken night. We’d agreed that if either of us ever got into trouble and couldn’t be reached, we’d use Marcus Knight as our distress signal. Besides the two of us, no one else in the world knew this name existed. And Lily had been missing for exactly one month. She’d said she was going to Thailand for vacation. And then she never came back. I looked at Nathan’s casual expression, my heart sinking bit by bit. How did he know this name? The name Marcus Knight was something Lily and I had invented during our college graduation year, after finishing an entire bottle of wine while lying on the rooftop. The moon was full that night. Lily wrapped her arm around my neck, drunk, and said, “Claire, let’s create a code word.” “What kind of code word?” “Like if one day something happens to one of us and we can’t be reached, the other person will know something’s wrong when they hear this name.” I told her she was being silly. But I still spent half the night thinking of names with her, finally settling on Marcus Knight. We were the only people in the world who knew what Marcus Knight really meant. And Lily had been missing for exactly thirty-one days. She’d said she was going to Chiang Mai, Thailand for a few days. Before leaving, she’d even video-called me, holding up her phone at the airport duty-free shop and shouting, “Claire! What do you want? I’ll bring it back for you!” That was the last time I saw her face. After that, her SnapChat messages stopped. Her phone went straight to voicemail. Her Instagram froze on a photo of a Chiang Mai night market. I filed a police report. Her family filed one too. The Thai authorities were investigating. But Lily had vanished from this world like vapor. And now my husband, Nathan—a man who had zero connection to Lily—had casually dropped this name during dinner. “What’s wrong?” Nathan saw me freeze and smiled. “Why do you look so strange?” “Nothing.” I lowered my head, putting food in my mouth that tasted like nothing. “I’ve just never heard that name. Where did you hear it?” “Oh, a friend mentioned it.” Nathan picked up his water glass and took a sip. “Just asking.” He changed the subject and started talking about work. But I couldn’t hear a word. My mind had only one thought: How did he know that name? After dinner, Nathan went to shower. I sat on the couch, palms sweating. Water sounds came from the bathroom. I glanced at the bathroom door, stood up, and walked toward his phone on the dining table. I knew the password. It was our wedding anniversary. I opened the phone, fingers trembling, and started going through his chat history, call logs, notes. Nothing. Then I went to check his computer. His laptop was in the study. I knew that password too. Or rather, he’d never hidden it from me. Browsing history, folders, download records—I checked everything. Until I opened a cached record from a flight booking app. My hand stopped. A month ago. Nathan had told me he was going to Los Angeles on a business trip for three days. I’d even helped him pack his suitcase. But the booking record showed he hadn’t bought a ticket to Los Angeles. He’d bought a ticket to Chiang Mai, Thailand. Departure date: one day before Lily left. Return date: two days after Lily went missing. The bathroom water stopped. I quickly closed the computer, walked back to the living room, sat on the couch, and pretended to scroll through videos on my phone. Nathan came out drying his hair and glanced at me. “Still up?” “Yeah, just scrolling a bit more.” I smiled. He walked into the bedroom and turned off the light. I stared at the bedroom door in the darkness, fingers slowly gripping the armrest tighter and tighter. What had Nathan been doing in Thailand? Early the next morning, I told Nathan I had an urgent work project and needed to travel for a few days. Nathan was adjusting his tie and didn’t even turn around. “Where to?” “Chicago.” “How many days?” “Not sure. Maybe three or four.” He turned to look at me and smiled. “Be safe.” I smiled back.

Noon flight. I didn’t go to Chicago. I went to Chiang Mai, Thailand. The plane landed at 4 PM local time. Chiang Mai’s air was hot and humid, the smell hitting me made me momentarily dizzy. The last photo Lily sent me was taken in this city. She stood in front of a mango juice stand, smiling like a child. I had no time for sentiment. I went straight to the hotel where Lily had stayed. I’d already looked it up before departing. Before leaving, Lily had shared a screenshot of her hotel reservation with me—Lotus Garden Boutique Hotel on the edge of the old city. At the front desk, I showed the receptionist Lily’s photo and asked in English. “This girl stayed at your hotel a month ago. Do you remember her?” The receptionist looked at the photo and shook her head. “Her name is Lily. American.” I added. The receptionist checked the computer and nodded. “We have a record. She stayed three nights, then didn’t extend or check out. Her luggage is still in our storage.” My heart clenched hard. Luggage still here. Person gone. I steadied myself and asked the question I was most afraid to ask. “A month ago, was there also an American man staying at your hotel?” I handed over Nathan’s photo. The receptionist looked at it and checked the computer again. Then she looked up, expression hesitant. “Yes. He stayed five nights.” Five nights. Longer than Lily’s three. “Which room was he in?” “312.” “And Lily?” “315.” Same floor. Two rooms apart. I stood at the front desk, my mind buzzing. My first thought was the most cliché one: they were having an affair. Lily and Nathan had booked adjacent rooms in Thailand. But as soon as that thought emerged, another voice slapped it down. Impossible. Lily hated Nathan. Not the polite-on-the-surface, disgusted-underneath kind of hate. The confrontational, no-mercy kind. Every time I brought Nathan to gatherings, Lily barely acknowledged him. Once when she’d had too much to drink, she said directly to Nathan’s face, “Claire’s great at everything except her taste in men.” Nathan’s face had turned green. After that, they never looked at each other properly again. How could two people like that be having an affair in Thailand? Then why was he staying next door to her? What exactly was he doing? I took a deep breath and looked at the receptionist. “I need to review your hotel’s security footage from that time.” The receptionist looked uncomfortable. “That we’d need to get the manager’s approval.” “Please.” “And we might need police cooperation.” “My best friend is missing.” I interrupted her, voice calm but hands shaking. “For a month now. No body, no trace. Your hotel might be one of the last places she appeared. Do you think your manager won’t cooperate?” The receptionist went quiet looking at me. Then she picked up the phone. Twenty minutes later, the hotel’s security supervisor took me to the monitoring room. The monitoring room was small, three walls covered with screens. The security supervisor pulled up footage from a month ago, starting from the day Lily checked in. I sat in the chair, staring at the screen, palms cold with sweat. Day one. Lily dragged her suitcase into the hotel lobby and checked in at the front desk. She wore a white sundress, hair in a ponytail, chatting cheerfully with the receptionist. My eyes suddenly grew hot. Bottom right corner of the frame, lobby entrance. A man pushed through the door. Dark blue T-shirt, baseball cap, mask. From his build, his gait. It was Nathan.

He didn’t go to the front desk. Instead, he sat down in the lobby seating area and picked up a magazine to hold in front of his face. But his gaze kept following Lily. From checking in, to getting her room key, to entering the elevator. He watched the entire time. A chill ran down my back. “Fast forward,” I said. The security supervisor sped up the playback. Day one, afternoon. Lily left the hotel to go shopping. The camera cut to the hotel entrance surveillance. About two minutes after she left, Nathan followed. Same baseball cap, same mask. Keeping about twenty meters distance. Day one, evening. Lily ate dinner at the hotel’s first-floor restaurant. Nathan sat in a corner of the restaurant with a cup of coffee. His position gave him a perfect view of Lily’s table. Lily never noticed him the entire time. Day two. Lily went out to visit a temple. Nathan followed. Lily went to a night market. Nathan followed. Lily bought coconut water on the street, crouched down to pet a stray cat. Nathan stood at a convenience store across the street, pretending to look at his phone. Every shot, every frame. He was there. My hands started shaking. This wasn’t an affair. People having affairs don’t act like this. Wearing a mask, keeping distance, tracking throughout. People having affairs walk side by side, eat together, have intimate contact. But he didn’t. From beginning to end, he never said a word to Lily. From beginning to end, Lily never knew he was there. This wasn’t an affair. This was stalking. “What about day three?” I asked, voice dry. The security supervisor pulled up day three’s footage. Day three morning, Lily checked out—or rather, she left the hotel. She carried a backpack, held a map in her hand, looked cheerful. The surveillance showed her walking out the hotel entrance, heading east along the street. Two minutes later. Nathan came out the hotel side entrance, walking in the same direction. Then the footage ended. The hotel’s surveillance only covered about fifty meters around the hotel. Beyond fifty meters, I couldn’t see anymore. “Is there other surveillance?” I asked. The security supervisor shook his head. “The hotel only has these. For street cameras, you’d need to contact local police.” I was silent for a long time. Then I stood up, thanked him, and walked out of the monitoring room. Standing at the hotel entrance, I opened the map on my phone. The direction Lily walked was east. Following that road east, you’d pass several streets, a market, a gas station. The final destination was the coast. A cliff coastline. I stared at that marker on the map, fingers ice cold. She went there. He followed. Then she disappeared. I rented a motorcycle and rode along that road for forty minutes. The end of the road was an open coastline. The cliff was high. Below were rocks and waves. The wind was strong, making it hard to stand. This wasn’t a tourist spot. No guardrails, no warning signs. Just a path overgrown with weeds leading to the cliff’s edge. I stood at the cliff edge looking down. Below were broken rocks, bushes, and a beach repeatedly washed by seawater. If a person fell from here— I didn’t dare think about it. I started asking around the area. Near the cliff was a small fishing village, sparsely populated with a few households. I went door to door with Lily’s photo. No one had seen her. I asked over a dozen households. All shook their heads. I was about to leave when, under a large tree at the village entrance, I saw a small boy. Maybe seven or eight years old. Wearing a dirty blue T-shirt, barefoot, sitting on the ground playing with mud. He held something in his hand. A phone. Pink phone case. With a cat paw-shaped phone stand attached. My mind went blank. That phone case was a birthday present I’d given Lily.

I’d personally picked it out online. Pink, with a cat paw stand, because Lily loved cats most. I walked over, trying to make my voice sound gentle. “Hey there, where did you get this phone?” The boy looked up at me and instinctively hid the phone behind his back. “Is it yours?” “N-no.” His voice was very small, eyes evasive. “I’m not a bad person.” I crouched down to his eye level. “The owner of this phone is my good friend. She’s lost. I’m looking for her. Can you tell me where you found it?” The boy pressed his lips together, not speaking. His eyes held something I rarely saw in children: fear. Not fear of me. “Did you see something scary?” I asked softly. The boy’s lips trembled. Still didn’t speak. I pulled out some Thai baht from my pocket and held it out to him. “You tell me, and I’ll buy you something good to eat, okay?” The boy looked at the money, then at me. Hesitated for a while. Then he said in a small voice: “Found it at the bottom of the mountain.” “Which mountain?” He raised his hand and pointed toward the cliff. My heart sank another level. “Besides the phone, did you find anything else?” The boy went silent again. Eyes dodging. “You did find something, didn’t you?” He slowly pulled out something from behind him. A wallet. White, leather, with a small bow on it. It was Lily’s. I recognized this wallet. Last Christmas, she’d seen it at the mall but thought it was too expensive and didn’t buy it. I secretly bought it and gave it to her. She was happy for an entire week. Now the wallet was covered in mud and water stains, the leather cracked. I took the wallet, fingers trembling. Opened it. The bank cards, ID, and a photo of us together were still inside. Lily would never willingly throw these things away. If they were at the bottom of the mountain— Then where was Lily? “Can you take me to where you found these things?” I asked. The boy shook his head hard. “I’ll give you money.” Still shook his head. “Please.” My voice started shaking. I didn’t care anymore if I was threatening a child. Lily’s phone and wallet were at the bottom of the mountain. Lily wasn’t. I had to go there. The boy looked at my face for a long time. Maybe my expression was too frightening. He slowly stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants. “I’ll take you.” He walked ahead, I followed behind. The path got narrower, the weeds deeper, a strange smell began filling the air. My stomach started churning. I kept repeating in my mind: I’d rather she was having an affair with my husband. I’d rather she betrayed me. I’d rather she eloped with Nathan. Anything. As long as she’s still alive. Anything. The boy suddenly stopped. He turned back to look at me, face pale. “What is it?” “That place—” He swallowed, voice almost inaudible. “It really smells.” I didn’t continue forward. I knew that even if I walked down alone and saw something, it would be meaningless. I needed professionals. I needed evidence. I pulled the boy back to the fishing village, took out my phone, and called the local police emergency number.

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My best friend married a billionaire, then like some charity handout, introduced me to her husband’s assistant. “You’re my friend, Adrian is my husband’s assistant—you two are perfect for each other!” Just like that, Adrian was forced to marry me. For three years after our marriage, he treated me well, doted on me beyond measure, making me believe I’d found true love. Until I went into labor after ten months of pregnancy with massive hemorrhaging. He said contemptuously, “This child isn’t mine. Just a bastard from some homeless man. If it dies, it dies.” “My darling Gianna and I are the perfect match! As for someone like you, you only deserve to sleep with homeless people!” Turns out on our wedding night, the man who slept with me was a homeless man. On the operating table, I closed my eyes in despair and hatred. When I opened them again, I’d been reborn—right back to the day my best friend introduced Adrian to me. My best friend Melissa wouldn’t stop talking. “Josie, what do you think of Sebastian’s assistant Adrian?” “He’s handsome, has a great personality—you two would be absolutely perfect together!” I stared at the scene before me, my nails digging into my palms. In my past life, out of consideration for years of friendship, I’d agreed to date Adrian. Adrian was too good at pretending. He put on this gentle, refined act, taking care of me meticulously in daily life. After marriage, he was even more accommodating, making me mistakenly believe I was a happy woman. It wasn’t until I went through that brutal surgery that I heard those words insulting my child. Only then did I understand that on our wedding night, it was a homeless man who’d slept with me. Nausea surged up. I shoved away the photo Melissa was trying to show me. “Not interested.” Melissa froze in place. “Josie, you usually listen to me. Adrian really is amazing.” I looked directly at her. “If you like matchmaking so much, go to a pet store and buy two dogs to pair up.” Melissa’s face flushed red. Sebastian, sitting beside her, frowned. “Josie, Melissa means well.” I grabbed my purse and strode toward the exit. “I can’t accept this kind of ‘well-meaning.’” I pushed open the private room door and collided head-on with a man. This was Adrian’s scent. In my past life, these very eyes had deceived me for three whole years. “Miss Sinclair, leaving in such a hurry?” He lowered his voice. I couldn’t help but step back to create distance. “Move.” Adrian raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting my attitude to be so hostile. He stepped forward, lowering his voice. “Miss Sinclair seems to have considerable hostility toward me.” “Have we met before?” I raised my head in defiance. “Never met you, but I don’t like the look of you.” Adrian let out a soft laugh. “Miss Sinclair is quite forthright.” “However, Mr. Hayes and Miss Whitmore’s kind intentions—for Miss Sinclair to refuse so directly, isn’t that rather disrespectful?” I pulled my lips into a smirk. “My dignity—why should I let them trample on it?” With that, I walked around him and headed out. Adrian behind me kept staring at me.

Back at my place, I immediately started packing to move. The farther from Adrian, the better. The doorbell rang just then. Adrian stood outside holding a document. “Miss Sinclair, I think we need to talk.” I was about to close the door when he jammed it open with his hand. “About the company your father left behind—doesn’t Miss Sinclair want to know its current situation?” I stopped. The company my father left was the only thing I truly cared about. In my past life, after we married, he took full control of the company, and eventually it all became Gianna Smith’s dowry. I kept a straight face and let him in. Adrian tossed the document on the coffee table. “The company’s cash flow is broken. Without capital injection within three days, it will go bankrupt and liquidate.” “And currently, only I can come up with that money.” I turned to look at him. “What are your conditions?” Adrian leaned in close to me. “Marry me.” I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Adrian, what’s in it for you?” “I want you.” He was acting too convincing. Having died once, I would never believe this nonsense again. I picked up the document and ripped it in half. “Let it go bankrupt then.” “I’d rather beg on the streets than marry you.” After Adrian left, I quickly contacted the company’s finance department to verify. The situation was worse than he’d described. Not only was the cash flow broken, but several huge debts were about to come due. Someone was obviously manipulating things behind the scenes. Who else could it be but Adrian? To force me to submit, he’d stop at nothing. This playbook was exactly the same as my past life. First strike from the shadows to create a crisis, then appear as the savior to resolve it, so I’d be grateful to him. This time I absolutely wouldn’t play his game. I listed my properties and jewelry for sale, even went to find former rivals to try to transfer shares at a low price. Result: everyone avoided me completely. Sebastian had spread the word behind the scenes—whoever dared help me would be openly opposing Hayes Group. Melissa called to persuade me. “Josie, what’s wrong with just giving in a little?” “Adrian likes you so much, he even went to beg Sebastian for you.” “If you marry him, the company is saved, you get a good home—everyone’s happy, isn’t that good?” I pressed the hang-up button and blocked her. Three days later, the court summons arrived in my hands. I sat in the empty rental apartment. The door was pushed open. Adrian stood in the doorway holding an umbrella. “Josie, stop struggling.” He walked forward, looking down at me from above. “Just nod your head, and all your current difficulties will be resolved.” I raised my head to stare at him. “Adrian, do you think that by pushing someone to the edge and then showing a little mercy, they’ll be grateful to you?” He frowned. “I’m just trying to help you.” “Helping me means cutting off all my escape routes?” I stood and walked toward him. “And having Sebastian blacklist me?” Adrian reached out and gripped my chin hard. “Josie, my patience is limited.” “You can only marry me.” I pulled my lips into a smile. “Fine, I’ll marry you.” Adrian froze for a moment, apparently not expecting me to agree so readily. He released his hand, his eyes filling again with that fake gentle look. “That’s right.” “I’ll give you a wedding.” I didn’t respond. The wedding from my past life and the homeless man on the wedding night were vivid in my mind. I couldn’t possibly repeat that mistake. Agreeing to him was just to get the capital injection. As soon as the money arrived, I’d take the funds and run far away. On the day we registered our marriage, Adrian was dressed impeccably.

He held my hand as we walked out of City Hall. “Josie, from now on we’re husband and wife.” Such an affectionate way to address me. I pulled my hand back and gave a perfunctory response. A sports car stopped in front of us. The window rolled down to reveal a face. It was Gianna, the woman Adrian was obsessed with. In my past life, to please this woman, he could even sacrifice my life. “Adrian, congratulations.” Gianna got out of the car and looked at me provocatively. “This must be Miss Sinclair, right? So beautiful—no wonder Adrian skipped even my birthday party for you.” Adrian’s shoulders stiffened imperceptibly. He turned to look at Gianna, tension in his voice. “Gianna, why are you here?” Gianna pouted and walked over, intimately linking her arm with his. “I came to see Adrian’s new bride.” “Adrian, my stomach hurts. Will you come to the hospital with me?” Right in front of me, his newlywed wife, she showed not the slightest restraint. Adrian turned back to look at me. “Josie, Gianna’s health isn’t good. I’ll take her to the hospital first. I’ll have the driver take you home.” In my past life, the first day after registering was the same. He was called away by Gianna with one phone call. Leaving me alone in the bridal suite for an entire night. Back then I actually believed he was just taking care of his sister. I nodded at them. “Sure, take your time. I won’t see you off.” Adrian seemed quite dissatisfied with my calm reaction. He frowned, about to speak. Gianna pulled him directly into the car. After the sports car drove away, I pulled out my phone and called finance. “Has the money arrived?” “Yes, Ms. Sinclair.” I smiled slightly. “Transfer the money to the offshore account immediately. Then report to the police that the company is suspected of illegal fundraising, and apply for bankruptcy protection.” Back at that bridal suite. I threw all the couple items Adrian had prepared in advance into the trash, then booked the earliest international flight. Just as I was about to leave, the door was violently pushed open. Adrian rushed in and grabbed my throat, slamming me hard against the wall. “Josie, you played me!” Blue veins bulged at his temples, his eyes wide and round. “You transferred the money? And voluntarily applied for bankruptcy?” I was forced to tilt my head back, staring at him through the suffocating sensation. “That’s right.” “Your money—I find it dirty.” The grip on my throat tightened. “You’re asking for death!” I forced out a smile with difficulty. “Go ahead, strangle me.” “Strangle me, and you still won’t get that money back.” Adrian suddenly released his grip. I slid down the wall to the floor, clutching my throat and coughing violently. He squatted down and grabbed my face. “Josie, you think you can run?” “Your father’s ashes are still in the cemetery. Believe me when I say I’ll have them dug up tomorrow?” I couldn’t stop trembling. In my past life, he’d used my father’s ashes as leverage to force me to donate bone marrow to Gianna. I lunged forward and slapped him hard across the face. “Adrian, you bastard!” He turned his head, using his tongue to press against the cheek I’d hit. When he turned back to stare at me, his face was full of rage. “Well said.” “Since you’re so disobedient, don’t blame me.” He stood and made a call. “Cancel Josie’s flight. Freeze all her bank cards.” “Also, send people to guard the cemetery.” After hanging up, he looked down at me from above. “From today on, without my permission, you’re not going anywhere.”

I was completely under house arrest. My phone and documents were all confiscated. Every day I could only be locked in this villa. He went to the company during the day, came back at night and found ways to torment me. At mealtimes he deliberately had the servants make dishes that made me nauseous. At bedtime he turned the air conditioning to the lowest setting to freeze me. Later he simply brought Gianna home. In front of me, he embraced and kissed her intimately. “Adrian, Miss Sinclair is watching.” Gianna leaned against him. Adrian glanced at me casually. “Just a disobedient plaything. Don’t mind her.” I sat on the sofa watching their performance, unable to stir any waves in my heart. I even found it laughable. In my past life I was kept in the dark and devastated. Now I only felt disgusted. I stood to return to my room. Gianna suddenly called out to me. “Miss Sinclair, pour me a glass of water.” I was too lazy to acknowledge her and kept walking. Adrian called out sharply. “Stop.” “Gianna asked you to pour water. Didn’t you hear?” I stopped and turned around. “You married me just to make me your maid?” Adrian strode forward and grabbed my hair, forcing me to look up. “Wife?” “Are you worthy?” “Josie, I married you to torture you.” “Your father ruined Gianna’s family back then. This debt can only be repaid by you.” I froze. My father hurt Gianna? This was complete nonsense. My father’s business dealings were completely clean. He could never have harmed anyone. “Bullshit!” I struggled with all my might. Adrian flung me away forcefully. “Doesn’t matter if you don’t admit it.” “Either way, you’ll spend this lifetime atoning.” He turned to Gianna, his tone immediately softening. “Gianna, how do you want to punish her?” Gianna stared at me. “Adrian, I’ve been feeling dizzy lately. The doctor says I’m anemic.” “Why don’t you have Miss Sinclair give me some blood?” Adrian agreed immediately. “Alright.” He called in his private doctor. Several people forcibly held me down on the table and drew a full 800 milliliters of blood. My vision went black, my whole body cold. I collapsed on the floor without even the strength to move. Adrian’s eyes held not a trace of sympathy as he looked at me. “This is just the beginning.” “Josie, what you owe Gianna, I’ll collect from you bit by bit.” For days after the blood draw, I ran a high fever continuously. Adrian wouldn’t allow a doctor. He only had servants force bitter medicinal broth down my throat daily. I was too weak to get out of bed. Gianna, on the other hand, frequently came to my room to gloat. “Josie, you look so pathetic right now.” She ran her fingernails across my cheek. “Adrian doesn’t love you at all. Every time he touches you, he feels disgusted.” “On your wedding night, he actually…” She deliberately paused, covering her mouth with a delicate laugh. “He actually found a homeless man from the street to keep you company.” “Too bad you ran away and didn’t get to taste that experience.” I opened my eyes and stared at her intently. Even though I already knew the truth, hearing it in person still made me want to vomit. I propped myself up to sit, and slapped her hard across the face. “Get out!” Gianna shrieked and fell to the floor. Footsteps came from outside. Adrian rushed in. Seeing Gianna on the floor, his expression changed drastically. He hurried forward to help her up. “Gianna, are you okay?” Gianna covered her face, tears streaming down. “Adrian, I just felt sorry for Miss Sinclair and came to check on her. But she hit me…”

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I had just put my son to sleep when I received a call from an unknown number. “Mrs. Carter, this is BabyLux Boutique. Congratulations, you’ve won our grand prize.” I froze. “What grand prize?” The voice on the other end quickly apologized. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Carter. Today is April Fools’ Day, and we played a little joke on you. There’s no grand prize, but there is a gift.” I thought it was another scam call and was about to hang up. But then the voice continued. “You and Mr. Marcus Shaw have spent two million dollars at our store. We’ve prepared a gift package worth a hundred thousand dollars. When would be convenient for you to pick it up?” I froze. My husband’s name is Marcus Shaw. But my last name isn’t Carter. And we’ve never been to any baby boutique. My eyes involuntarily fell on the baby stroller sitting awkwardly in the corner of our rental apartment. The BabyLux logo on it made my heart skip a beat. I had found it strange when Marcus brought it home. BabyLux is a high-end baby boutique where even the cheapest stroller costs thirty thousand dollars. But Marcus only makes forty-five hundred dollars a month. I asked him where the stroller came from. He said it was a perk from his boss for being an outstanding employee. As he said this, his hand touched his nose. He didn’t know that’s what he unconsciously does when he lies. Marcus was lying to me. When I tried to press further, the baby woke up, and I forgot about it. But now, that thread of doubt resurfaced. “Ma’am? Ma’am, are you still there?” I snapped back to reality. After responding, I heard myself ask in an oddly calm voice: “I remember buying a mint green stroller from your store recently. A friend saw it and really liked it. Do you still have that model in stock?” Even as I asked, I found the question absurd. Marcus and I are just an ordinary family. How could we possibly know friends who could afford a stroller that cost tens of thousands of dollars? But once the seed of doubt is planted, it begins to sprout. I hoped I was just being paranoid. Unfortunately, I wasn’t. The polite voice on the phone carried a hint of apology: “The one purchased on January 24th?” “I’m sorry, Mrs. Carter. That stroller is a new product. Mr. Shaw is a VIP, which is why he got early access. If your friend wants one, they’ll have to wait until the official release in May.” My eyes trembled slightly, and my grip on the phone tightened unconsciously. January 24th was the exact day Marcus brought the stroller home. He said it was an employee perk. But the stroller hadn’t even been officially released. He brought home an unreleased stroller, and at the same time, another Marcus Shaw bought the same stroller that day. Could there really be such a coincidence? My heart felt like it had been cut, and a chill spread through my entire body. If what the clerk said was true— Two million dollars in purchases. Where would Marcus get that kind of money? He makes forty-five hundred a month and gives me four thousand. What money could he possibly use to shop at a high-end baby boutique? Could Marcus be having an affair with a rich woman? Or was it really just a coincidence? I couldn’t stop my eyes from glancing at the stroller. I heard my own hoarse voice slowly say, “Thank you. I’ll come by tomorrow to pick it up.” After hanging up, I hesitated for a long time before dialing Marcus’s number. No answer. Suddenly, uncontrollably, I remembered when I was newly pregnant and Marcus and I went to look at cribs. The high prices at baby stores made me too afraid to even go inside, let alone somewhere high-end like BabyLux. In the end, to save money, we chose to use the hand-me-down from my cousin’s kid. Back then, Marcus told me he would work hard to earn money so our baby could have the best. My eyes started to burn as I looked at my son who had just fallen asleep. Because we’d been weaning him recently, his little face had gotten so much thinner. Thinking about how my son and I had been finding every way to save money while Marcus might have been spending over two million outside— My heart clenched painfully. Just then, Marcus called me back. I steadied my emotions before answering. “Marcus, the company suddenly sent me on a business trip. Don’t wait up for me tonight.” Business trips like this were routine for Marcus. Every time he got to a hotel, he’d send me a video check-in. So I’d never suspected anything before. But today, because of the baby boutique incident, I was unusually sensitive. After a moment of silence, I said softly, “Okay. Be safe.” I wouldn’t ask him anymore. Tomorrow I’d go find out the truth myself!

Early the next morning, I dropped my son off at my best friend’s house and headed straight to the nearest BabyLux. Since it was a chain store, I could pick up the gift package at any location in the city. I just needed to provide the consumer’s registered name, phone number, and ID number. As I gave Marcus’s information, I heard my voice tremble. Half a minute later, she looked up at me with even more enthusiasm than before: “Hello, ma’am. We’ve confirmed that Mr. Shaw has spent two million four hundred thousand dollars at our stores over the past few years. As a VIP customer, you’re eligible for a gift package worth a hundred thousand dollars.” “If needed, we can arrange home delivery.” I watched her mouth open and close, but all I could hear was a roaring sound in my ears. My heart plummeted, my legs went weak, and I staggered backward a few steps. It really was Marcus. He and another woman had spent over two million dollars at a baby boutique. He was having an affair. And they had a child. But where did the two million come from? How many more secrets was he hiding! Perhaps my face looked too terrible, because the clerk came over with concern. “Are you alright, ma’am?” I quickly took several deep breaths to steady myself, forcing my lips into a smile. “I’m fine. Can I look at the past purchase records?” “I have a friend who’s about to give birth. She asked me what good products I’ve used before, but I really can’t remember. I’d like to look at the previous purchase records to recommend some to her.” When the clerk heard there might be more business, her smile became even more genuine. When the purchase records came up, my heart grew even colder. The earliest purchase record was from two years ago. Back then, I had just gotten pregnant, yet he was already taking another woman and child to buy baby products. I blinked hard to moisten my dry eyes and scrolled through the screen. Five thousand dollars for a pack of diapers. I remembered when I first got pregnant, I stayed up for a whole month researching to find the cheapest, best diapers to save him money. Eight thousand dollars per can of formula, which they’d been buying for two whole years. But I had to wean my baby early to save money for our household. Thinking of how haggard the baby looked from the weaning process, my heart instantly twisted into a knot. And a hundred-thousand-dollar crib, various baby snacks. They came shopping almost every week. I dug my nails into my palm, my whole body numb to the point I could barely feel the pain. After scrolling through thirty-plus pages of purchase records, my heart gradually calmed down. I took out my phone and pretended to take notes for a while, then said to the clerk as casually as possible: “Could you pull up the registered delivery address for me?” “The delivery drivers always say they can’t find the exact location. I want to check if it was registered incorrectly.” The clerk immediately apologized and pulled up the address for me. 21 Alder Lane, within the ‘Oakwood Estates’ gated community. One of the city’s most exclusive gated communities.” I repeated it through gritted teeth in my mind, then said to the clerk: “It looks fine. Just deliver it in half a month.” Now I needed to go to Riverside Manor and see if Marcus, who was supposedly on a business trip, would be there.

But I forgot that security at places like villa districts is extremely tight. I was stopped by the guard outside. Unable to get in, I decided to wait nearby and see what happened. I had barely taken two steps when a familiar voice behind me made my whole body stiffen. “Aria?” It was Marcus. I slowly turned around and saw him still wearing the same suit he’d worn leaving the house yesterday morning. And next to him was a woman holding a child. He was standing brazenly in front of me with his affair partner? I looked at Marcus. There wasn’t a trace of guilt on his face. Instead, he looked surprised to see me. “Aria, what are you doing here?” Then he turned apologetically to the woman beside him and gave a slight bow: “Ms. Jensen, this is my wife, Aria Miller.” Then he looked at me. “Aria, say hello to Ms. Jensen.” I was completely stunned. Ms. Jensen—had I misunderstood? But then I remembered Marcus had said he was going on a business trip. Why was he here today? I directly asked about the doubt in my mind. Marcus was about to scold me for being rude. But Ms. Jensen smiled apologetically instead: “I did arrange for Marcus to go on a business trip with me yesterday, but just as we were about to leave, I got a call from the nanny saying my child had a fever.” “I was too worried, so I canceled the trip and asked Marcus to help me with something.” “He’s been running around helping me, so he probably didn’t have time to call you back. Marcus works very hard. I’ve already notified my assistant to give him a promotion and raise.” Normally, I would have been jumping with joy at hearing about Marcus’s promotion and raise. But right now, my brows only furrowed tighter. Marcus chimed in. “That stroller I brought home a while ago was actually from my boss.” “She didn’t like the color, and when she heard our child was just born, she gave it to me.” “I knew with your personality you’d make me return it if you found out the truth, so I didn’t tell you. Since we’re here now, it’s a good chance to thank Ms. Jensen properly.” Both of their faces looked completely open and honest. It seemed like I really had been too suspicious. But what about the two million dollars spent at BabyLux? I couldn’t help but ask directly. Marcus froze for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed. He flicked my forehead from behind. “I was making those purchases for Ms. Jensen. She’s too busy with work, and I used to work in the purchasing department, so she assigned this task to me.” “Otherwise, why do you think the company has so many employees with kids, but she gave the stroller to me?” Looking at his expression, everything he said seemed to be true. And all the questions could be explained. But I still felt something was off, though I couldn’t put my finger on what. On the way back, Marcus asked me, “Aria, you weren’t actually suspecting I was having an affair, were you?” Since he asked, I might as well lay it out and ask him directly if he was. He immediately raised his hands in surrender: “How could that be, Aria? I don’t have the heart or the guts for that.” “Besides, BabyLux is so expensive. If I weren’t purchasing for my boss, how could I possibly afford it on my forty-five-hundred-dollar monthly salary?” I stared at him motionless for a long time, then finally snorted coldly: “You’d better not be. If I find out you’ve done anything to betray me, I definitely won’t let you off!” He immediately stuck to me like a puppy and hugged me. I breathed a sigh of relief. But my heart rose to my throat again when I went to pick up the baby. I finally realized what had been bothering me. The child Ms. Jensen was holding earlier clearly looked about the same age as my son—less than a year old. But the BabyLux purchase records started two years ago. Marcus was still lying to me!

But I couldn’t understand why, if Bailey Jensen wasn’t Marcus’s affair partner, she would help him lie to me. I returned home in a daze. For the first time, the man I’d shared a bed with for years felt like a complete stranger. After absentmindedly putting the baby to sleep, I confronted Marcus directly: “Marcus, is there anything else you’re hiding from me?” He froze, then walked over somewhat helplessly and tapped my nose. “Aria, didn’t I already explain everything earlier?” “Why are you still doubting me? If you keep this up, I’m going to get upset.” That was just like him. In five years of marriage, Marcus had never raised his voice at me. He’d even go so far as to say yes to everything I asked, always patient and accommodating. That’s why I’d been so unwilling to believe he could have an affair. But now the facts were right in front of me. The repeated lies proved Marcus was definitely hiding something from me. Just based on his dishonesty alone, I couldn’t easily forgive him. I slapped his hand away and stared at him stubbornly. He seemed surprised I was being so serious this time. He frowned at me. “Aria, I absolutely have nothing else to hide from you.” My heart completely sank to the bottom. “Marcus, if you don’t tell me and I have to find out myself, you know what I’m like.” My words made Marcus show a rare cold face toward me. He rubbed his temples wearily: “Aria, do you have to push me to do something wrong before you’ll be satisfied?” “I work myself to death every day earning money, wishing I could split myself into eight pieces. Where would I have the time or energy to have an affair?” By the end, his expression took on a hint of grievance. “Aria, I’m telling you the truth. Please believe me.” He crouched in front of me, looking at me pitifully. If not for the text message I’d just received on my phone, I might have actually believed Marcus. Thinking of what I’d just seen— I clenched the phone in my pocket tighter, my heart feeling like it was being squeezed by a large hand, the pain making it hard to breathe. But I couldn’t keep pressing him aggressively. I couldn’t tip him off and give Marcus a chance to destroy evidence. I needed to stay calm. Besides the affair partner, I also needed to figure out where Marcus got the two million dollars. I needed to find out everything. With this in mind, I took a deep breath and smiled: “Alright, look how nervous you are. I was just teasing you!” “Who told you to lie about the stroller? I had to punish you somehow!” As soon as I finished speaking, I saw Marcus’s gaze pause, then he breathed an imperceptible sigh of relief. I sneered inwardly. Marcus, I’m waiting for you to let your guard down and show your true colors! For the next few days, perhaps out of guilt— Marcus came home much earlier than usual. He also stopped going on frequent business trips. I realized for the first time that I could actually be this patient. Until half a month later, Marcus couldn’t hold back anymore. That afternoon, he called to tell me he was going on a business trip, and I immediately pulled out my phone. I hadn’t been idle these two weeks either. I’d bought a small tracking device and put it in Marcus’s bag. On the screen, the red dot was heading toward Riverside Manor. I quickly went downstairs and hailed a cab. When I arrived, Marcus was hugging a woman tightly. When I saw the woman’s face clearly, I was shocked. Marcus’s affair partner was actually her?

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My twin sister Kara, who had been missing for years, was finally brought home. After that, all her pain transferred to me. Whenever she got hurt, I would pass out from the agony. She even seduced my fiancé, Ashton Pierce. Just so he could hook up with her in my bedroom, Ashton locked me in a dark room for five whole days. I smiled as I counted the ninety-ninth time he’d hurt me, then left town. Three years later, he knelt backstage at an awards ceremony. “I was wrong,” he begged. “Please, give me another chance.” I laughed softly, my arm linked with my new boyfriend’s. “Ashton, do you know what I was thinking during those five days you locked me up?” His eyes reddened. “You were waiting for me to save you…” I shook my head. “I was thinking that when you finally regretted it, I had to tell you-” “The moment you destroyed me, I decided I would personally destroy everything you have.” Sage’s POV On the live reality show, Ashton had done this ninety-eight times. left me to rush over and tend to a tiny scrape on Kara’s leg. Kara acted like she couldn’t feel any pain at all, her face full of sweet charm. “Ashton, you’re so good to me…” Meanwhile, I pressed down on my own knee, sucking in a sharp breath of air. The comment stream instantly exploded. “That wound looks so painful… Kara is such a strong girl!” “Cold billionaire and innocent sweetheart… this dynamic is perfect! I’m totally here for it!” “What’s that look on Sage’s face?” At that comment, everyone’s eyes turned to me. Kara twisted around, blinking her innocent eyes at me. “Sage, are you feeling alright?” “Are you blind? I-” Before I could finish, Ashton cut me off. “Kara, why bother talking to her?” At his words, Kara’s fans in the comments went even crazier. “Can Sage stop making such a big deal out of everything?” “Look how good Mr. Pierce is to Kara. Sage must be dying of jealousy!” … I gritted my teeth as the live comments scrolled past. My body hurt. My heart hurt more. It all came down to one thing: Kara was my fraternal twin. A genetic fluke in the womb meant every bit of her pain, every last drop, landed on me. And Ashton? was my fiancé. The man I’d grown up with. There was a time when I was the most envied girl in the city. Spoiled, willful, and still loved by everyone. But the deepest love, the kind that burned, belonged to Ashton. Ashton was recognized in elite circles as a genius heir. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs, and a face so handsome it could anger both gods and men. Those deep, affectionate eyes used to hold only me. At fourteen, his confession caused a sensation across the entire school. At sixteen, our families held a lavish engagement party. At eighteen, Ashton, as the Pierce family heir, gave me heirloom jewelry worth hundreds of millions. Until the day I announced my debut, my father brought home a timid girl. She was my twin sister who’d been kidnapped over a decade ago-Kara. To make up for lost time, my parents poured all their love into her. Even Ashton became obsessed with her from the moment he laid eyes on her. When Kara wanted to travel, Ashton cancelled all his work to accompany her. When Kara got sick, Ashton abandoned me on a mountain film set and rushed back to take care of her. When Kara wanted to enter the entertainment industry, Ashton waved his hand and established a management company for her, providing top resources to launch her career. When I learned everything, I broke down. Like a madwoman, I confronted Kara. “Why are you doing this?” Kara dropped her harmless public persona, her face twisted with malice as she looked at me. “All those years of love and luxury you enjoyed more than me-I’m going to take them back, piece by piece!” The next second, she deliberately rolled down the stairs, but I was the one who felt the pain. Ashton, who witnessed that moment, lost his temper at me for the first time. “You have everything. What’s wrong with giving a little to Kara?” Tears streamed down my face. “She’s faking it! Between her and me, you can only choose one!” Ashton was busy comforting Kara and didn’t even look up. “Stop being childish.” That night, negative news about me hit the trending topics. I knew this was Ashton’s warning to me. So I went to Ashton’s place and smashed up his entire house. “Let’s break up.” Ashton just pulled me onto the table with a teasing look, lowering his head to kiss my collarbone, completely certain of himself. “Sage, you can’t bear to leave me.” “Don’t worry, I’m just playing around with Kara. After we get married, you’ll be the only one by my side.” My face flushed red as I bit my lip hard. “Ashton, if you hurt me ninety-nine times, I won’t want you anymore…” After the live broadcast ended, the director pulled me aside to film promotional content. When I finished and returned to the dressing room, I suddenly froze in my tracks. Kara was lying across Ashton’s lap. Ashton was stroking her hair with one hand while devotedly kissing her lips. Crash. The cup in my hand fell to the floor. Words caught in my throat. It took me a long moment to make a sound. “What are you doing?” Kara immediately sat up, her face flushed with apparent anxiety. “Sage, you’ve got it wrong… please don’t fight with Ashton…” Tears blurred my vision. I swallowed hard, tasting blood in my throat. “Shut up!” Then I looked at Ashton. “I want to hear you say it.” Ashton casually rubbed his fingertips together and said reproachfully, “You scared Kara.” “Fine. Very good.” I nodded, laughing bitterly in my fury. “Ninety-nine times…” “What?” Ashton asked impatiently. I looked at him with a dead heart. “Let’s break up.” Then I pushed hard through the door and walked out. “It’s all my fault…” Behind me came the sound of Kara crying sweetly against Ashton’s shoulder. “It’s not your fault.” Ashton wiped away her tears without concern. “I know her. Give it three days and she’ll be begging to get back together.” Their words stabbed into my heart like knives. I laughed mockingly at myself and tossed the diamond ring that represented his promise into the trash. Ashton, this time I really don’t want you anymore. When I got back, I immediately made a call. “That movie you mentioned-I agree to sign the contract.”

Sage’s POV “Really?” came an excited voice from the other end. From the very start of production planning, the film had wanted me as the female lead. But because all the main actors had to go abroad for a year of intensive training, I’d politely declined every invitation. “Really.” I let out a long breath. “When does training start?” “One month from now, at the Rome Film Studios.” “I’ll be there on time.” I hung up and immediately contacted my private doctor. “I heard they can treat pain transfer syndrome in Italy. Keep an eye out for me.” After handling everything, I lay exhausted on the floor. This time I was going to completely sever ties with them. The final day of the live reality show was a pool party. I happened to be on my period. Before going live, my assistant Hope handed me painkillers with concern. “Sage, maybe you shouldn’t record today?” I swallowed the pills in one gulp. “It’s fine, I just won’t get in the water.” The broadcast started. The first round was a word-guessing game with Kara’s team versus the others. Since it wasn’t my turn, I quietly stood in a corner to rest. Soon enough, the first round ended. Kara’s team lost. According to the rules, Kara had to sit on the launcher and get thrown into the pool as punishment. “Ashton, I…” Kara suddenly sneezed, pouting reluctantly at the pool. The online comments immediately started rolling. “Does Kara have a cold?” “I feel so bad for her. Can’t they let our poor girl off?” “Am I the only one who thinks this is sweet? Kara instinctively looked to Mr. Pierce for help!” Ashton saw this and gave the director a look. The director understood immediately. “Kara, if you’re not feeling well, we can have another female celebrity substitute for you.” At those words, my hand covering my stomach paused slightly. I was the only other female celebrity on set besides Kara! Kara immediately looked at me pitifully. “Sage, could you go in the water for me?” I rolled my eyes internally. “No.” With that refusal, the comments started attacking me again. “Why does Sage always have such a sour face? Does being a movie star make her better than everyone?” “Sage is so classless!” “If you can’t do the job, quit the industry!” Rejected, Kara looked so embarrassed she was almost crying. Ashton’s face darkened as he leaned close to me. “Kara’s health isn’t good. Don’t be difficult right now.” Those words were like a blade stabbing straight into my heart, making my eyes well up with tears. I looked up, my voice trembling. “Do you remember what day it is?” Ashton snorted coldly. “If Kara gets sick from going in the water, you know what I’m capable of.” My whole body trembled as I looked at him. Ashton used to remember my period dates better than anyone. I used to get terrible cramps, and Ashton would always have drinks ready for me, even taking me to doctors to keep things under control. When I was a mess emotionally, Ashton, usually so proud and composed, would set aside his pride just to comfort me. He’d try anything to make me smile. He said he would take care of me for the rest of my life… I forced down the bitterness in my heart and choked out, “Fine, I agree.” Sitting on the launcher, Kara raised her chin at me provocatively, looking so smug it made me sick. With the command, I was launched into the water. “Ah-!” In an instant, a layer of blood bloomed in the water. The director quickly cut the feed. Seeing the blood in the water, Ashton seemed to finally realize what was happening. Without thinking, he immediately jumped in and pulled me out. “Let go of me!” I struggled constantly. “Stop moving!” Ashton carried me all the way to the dressing room. After forcibly helping me change clothes, Ashton felt deeply uncomfortable. “If you’re on your period, why didn’t you say something?” I looked at him quietly. “You’re the one who forgot.” “I…” Ashton was instantly speechless. Suddenly, several staff members rushed in carrying Kara. Ashton panicked. “What happened to Kara?” “She fainted from a fever.” Hearing Ashton’s voice, Kara immediately started crying and acting cute. “Ashton, I want some peace and quiet. Can you make the outsiders leave?” “Whatever you want.” Ashton anxiously grabbed her hand and, without any hesitation, said coldly to me, “Get out.”

Sage’s POV I stood frozen in place, as if under a spell. Ashton raised his voice. “Didn’t you hear me?” I gave a self-mocking smile and then rushed out the door. Just as I stepped outside, Hope hurried over. “Sage, I’ll have the driver take you home right now.” The car was completely silent. I was leaning against the window with my eyes closed. Suddenly, the driver made a sharp turn, and my head slammed into the glass. I jerked my eyes open. “What happened?” The driver looked panicked. “I’m so sorry, Sage, but… we’re being chased!” I looked back and sure enough, several cars were tailing us closely. Hope was scrolling through her phone, her face turning pale. “This is bad. Our location got leaked to those extreme stalker fans.” I made a quick decision. “Take a detour and lose them.” “Alright, hold on tight.” The next second, the driver floored the gas pedal. The cars behind immediately gave chase. It was rush hour, and the roads were packed. Suddenly, a van came barreling out from a street corner without warning. The driver slammed the brakes. With a loud “bang,” a car crashed hard into us. In the violent impact, I clutched my phone desperately. In my panic, I accidentally called my emergency contact. “Hello…?” My heart jumped into my throat. Ashton answered the phone. But the next moment, suggestive sounds came through the line. “Kara…” Ashton was breathing heavily, as if deliberately trying to provoke me. “Do you want to kiss me again?” “Mm…” Regret, resentment… all kinds of emotions instantly flooded over me like a tidal wave. I raised my hand to hang up. Before losing consciousness, memories kept flashing through my mind. In middle school, I was pursued by the leader of a gang from another school. I rejected him, but after my rejection, that delinquent actually came to block me at the school gates. Terrified, I hid in a storage room and called Ashton with trembling hands. Soon after, Ashton arrived with a group of bodyguards and gave that punk a thorough beating. Back then, Ashton was like a hero descending from the sky. He took my phone and personally set his number as my emergency contact. “Whenever you’re in danger, I’ll be there.” Sure enough, promises only matter when there’s still love… The sharp smell of disinfectant filled my nostrils. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself lying in a hospital bed. Hope sat beside the bed looking exhausted. Seeing me wake up, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. “Sage, you’re finally awake!” “How long was I out?” “A whole day. Thankfully you only had some minor external injuries.” I looked at Hope with concern. “Are you alright?” “I’m fine… it’s just…” Hope wrung her hands, stammering. “Just what?” I pressed. “I’m sorry, Sage. I shouldn’t have acted on my own.” Hope took a deep breath. “I called Mr. Pierce asking him to come see you, but he said you two had broken up, and if I wanted him to come, you’d have to… you’d have to beg him yourself.” “How confident of him.” I picked up my phone and opened social media, only to see an update Kara had posted. “Ashton took me to the grand theater to see my favorite dance company. So happy!” The photo showed Kara sitting in Ashton’s passenger seat eating ice cream, while Ashton beside her looked at her with complete adoration. My heart clenched. Ashton had severe OCD and hated when people ate in his car. Hope looked at me with sympathy. “Sage, stop looking.” I smiled at her. “I’m fine. Get some good rest these next few days. We’ll be busy again soon.” The night I was discharged, I had an awards ceremony to attend. While handling discharge paperwork, my manager called frantically. “Sage, get to the makeup room backstage at the ceremony right now. There’s a problem!”

Sage’s POV Instantly, an ominous feeling washed over me. “Got it.” I rushed to the makeup room. As soon as I entered, I saw Ashton standing like a star surrounded by admirers, with Kara in the center of the crowd of staff. And Kara was wearing the new haute couture gown that the luxury brand had sent to me. My manager beside me sighed helplessly. My face instantly darkened. I shot Kara a glare and ordered harshly, “Take it off right now!” But Kara’s lips curved upward. She looked at Ashton with a coquettish plea, her voice dripping with sweetness. “Ashton, this dress is so beautiful. Can I wear it?” That voice seemed to have invisible hooks, trying to snatch away everything precious to me. A mocking smile played at my lips. “Are you a beggar? Constantly begging for other people’s things?” At my words, Kara’s face instantly crumpled, tears quickly filling her eyes. Seeing this, Ashton frowned at me reproachfully. “Do you have to be so harsh? It’s just a dress. What’s wrong with letting Kara have it?” I laughed coldly. “I dare to give it. Does she dare to wear it? This is Chanel’s new haute couture piece, and I’m Chanel’s global ambassador. At an awards ceremony, if a minor celebrity wears haute couture sent to their ambassador without the brand’s permission, do you think she’ll have any future in the fashion industry?” Kara’s face instantly turned deathly pale, tears spilling from her eyes. “I won’t wear it.” Ashton pulled Kara into his arms, coaxing her gently. “Don’t cry. It’s just a luxury endorsement. I’ll get you one. Will that make you happy?” In that instant, I felt a sharp pain in my heart. When I entered the entertainment industry, no one supported me. I got to where I am today entirely on my own. I didn’t say another word. I turned to my stylist. “Where’s the backup dress? This one’s dirty. Change it.” At my words, Kara’s face looked even worse. “Sage!” Ashton’s voice carried a trace of anger. I didn’t even give him a glance as I walked straight into the fitting room. At the awards ceremony, I won the Best Actress award. In the spotlight of thousands, I made a stunning appearance in the new haute couture gown. Below the stage, Kara stared at me with hateful eyes, her nails digging into her palms from jealousy. After the ceremony, Ashton approached me with two glasses of wine. “Congratulations.” I didn’t want to talk to him, so I took the glass and downed it in one gulp, saying politely, “Thank you.” However, after walking just a few steps, I felt like a fire had been lit inside me. The discomfort was unbearable. Then that burning sensation rapidly spread throughout my body. “Ashton…” Just because I wouldn’t give the dress to Kara, he drugged me? But by the time I realized it, it was too late. I kept drinking ice water, trying to cool myself down, but the fire only burned hotter. The heat came in waves, attacking my nerves. I clutched my dress, breathing heavily. “Water…” Suddenly, I remembered there was a pool in the back garden. I quickly lifted my dress and stumbled outside. The moment I saw the pool, I jumped in without hesitation. As soon as I hit the water, a wave of coolness washed over me. The burning sensation seemed to ease a little. But before I could catch my breath, suddenly a swarm of reporters rushed in. They raised their cameras and started photographing me frantically. “Stop taking pictures!” I shouted anxiously. But those reporters acted as if they couldn’t hear me, constantly pressing their shutters. I’d always been spoiled and willful. I climbed out of the water and started smashing reporters’ cameras like a madwoman. I roared, “I said stop taking pictures! Can’t you hear me?” The entire scene fell silent for a second, as if time had frozen. Then someone shouted, “Sage assaulted someone!”

Sage’s POV The scene instantly descended into chaos, camera flashes going wild. Several reporters excitedly yelled, “This is definitely front-page news!” I felt dizzy, my entire body extremely uncomfortable. Someone pushed me hard from behind, and I fell heavily to the ground. “Stop!” A sharp voice rang out. It was Ashton’s voice. The previously arrogant reporters instantly froze like statues, trembling as they said, “Mr. Pierce.” Ashton strode forward and gently draped his expensive jacket over me. “It’s okay now.” I had no idea what this man was thinking. He scooped me up in his arms and turned to scan every reporter present. “Not a single photo from today gets published. Otherwise, you’re going up against the Pierce family!” … When I opened my eyes again, I saw Ashton asleep with his head on my bed. I moved slightly, reaching for my phone on the pillow and instinctively opening the news. The top trending topic hit me right in the face-“Chanel Changes Ambassador.” Just this morning, Chanel had ruthlessly scrubbed all content related to me and made a big announcement that Kara was their new brand ambassador. Under various gossip accounts, at first there were quite a few passersby and fans indignantly defending me, but strangely, those comments were quickly deleted. The next second, several messages popped up. “Sage, what’s going on? Right after yesterday’s event ended, Chanel would rather pay the penalty than continue our contract!” “Sage, please reply! The company is freaking out!” … I looked at Ashton beside me, feeling as if I’d been plunged into an icy abyss, trembling uncontrollably. Sensing movement, Ashton opened his eyes and slowly sat up. “Are you uncomfortable anywhere?” I laughed coldly, my eyes completely red as I held up my phone and demanded, “Did you do all this?” Ashton seemed somewhat guilty, instinctively looking away, though his mouth remained dismissive: “Kara just likes this brand, so I got it for her. It’s just an endorsement. I’ll get you another one.” I felt fury shoot straight to my head. I slapped Ashton hard across the face and roared, “Who do you think you are?” Ashton’s expression instantly turned ugly. “Sage, there’s a limit to throwing tantrums! How many days has this been going on? Didn’t I say that after we get married, I’ll naturally settle down?” At his words, I sneered. He was always like this-arrogant, conceited, looking down on everyone. Everyone used to say Ashton loved me more than life itself, but only I knew that in this relationship, he had always been the one in control, the one with all the power. I looked at him coldly, enunciating each word. “Not necessary.” Ashton stood up with an ashen face and said harshly, “Fine. Don’t regret this.” Then he walked out without looking back. Shortly after Ashton left, Kara swaggered in. She looked at me on the bed, a mocking smile curving her lips, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “How does it feel to lose everything?” I looked at her sharply. “Finally done playing the victim?” Kara’s smile instantly vanished. She stared at me hard, her eyes full of resentment. “Don’t look at me like that. You’re the one I hate most! We’re twins, so why was I the one who got taken? Why did I end up in some backwoods doing farm work while you grew up a princess in the city? If it weren’t for that kidnapping, I’d be the one standing next to Ashton right now.” She smiled again. “I told you, I’m going to take back everything I missed!” I looked at her like she was insane, saying coldly, “Are you even worthy?” Kara snorted. “We’ll see about that.” After Kara left, I quietly took out my phone, turned off the voice recorder, and pressed save. Next, I would make sure Kara paid the price!

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “372453”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #浪漫Romance

Four years ago, I was forced to leave him because of a setup. Four years later, he was a billionaire, and he ground me into the dirt, right alongside his fiancée. “This million dollars, it buys you for a year as my mistress.” He stuffed the check into my collar with a sneer. “Service me well in bed.” For the sake of my grandmother in the ICU, I became his secret lover. Until he crushed my right hand with his own, until my grandmother died cold and alone in the morgue. That’s when I began to hate him with everything I had. I came to despise him completely. I vanished completely from his world. But he went mad searching for me everywhere. When he finally found me, I was in a wedding dress, arm in arm with my new husband, and I said to him. “Who are you again?” Claire’s POV “I heard Mr. Barrett gave that East Coast property to the Sterling family daughter as an engagement gift.” “That’s not all. They haven’t even officially announced the engagement yet, but that pink diamond on her finger could buy ten of my lives.” The private room was thick with smoke, the clinking of glasses rising and falling in waves. I kept my head down as I poured drinks, trying to minimize my presence as much as possible. My wrist suddenly trembled, and a few drops of red wine splattered onto the pristine white custom tablecloth. “What kind of service is this?” someone scolded disapprovingly. I grabbed napkins to wipe it up, but out of the corner of my eye, I caught a pair of dark, unreadable eyes. Damien Barrett sat in the seat of honor, a half-burned cigarette between his fingers. Through the curling smoke, he watched me with something between a smile and contempt. His gaze was cold as ice, tinged with mockery and disdain. As if watching an ant struggling pathetically. “I’m sorry.” I lowered my eyes, my voice dry. The person beside him wanted to make more of it, trying to curry favor with this top billionaire, but Damien flicked his cigarette ash and spoke casually: “Forget it.” His voice was low and deep, carrying the lazy quality of someone long accustomed to power. “Miss Davis is an old acquaintance. Let’s give her some face.” The words “old acquaintance” were bitten off with particular emphasis, dripping with sarcasm. The atmosphere in the room instantly became strange. Everyone’s eyes darted between me and Damien. Who didn’t know that Damien Barrett’s most hated person was me? Four years ago, when he was at his lowest point-exiled abroad by the Barrett family-I took a million dollars from his rival and broke up with him on the spot. I still remember that rainy night when he grabbed my wrist with red-rimmed eyes and asked if I had any heart at all. What did I say then? I said, “Damien Barrett, you can’t even afford to buy me a handbag right now. Why should I suffer with you?” That was the last time we saw each other. Now, he was the high-and-mighty head of the Barrett empire, about to marry the well-matched Miss Sterling. And I was just an employee here, smiling and pouring drinks for a three-thousand-dollar commission. “Since Mr. Barrett has spoken up for you, why don’t you toast him?” Someone started jeering, pushing a full glass of liquor in front of me. My stomach churned, but this deal was important to the company-and even more important to my grandmother lying in the ICU. I picked up the glass, forcibly suppressing my trembling. “Mr. Barrett, I toast to you.” Damien didn’t move. He leaned back in his chair, his slender fingers tapping the table absently, his gaze sliding from my face to my hands, finally stopping at my cheap employee badge. “Claire Davis.” He suddenly called my name, his voice cold to the bone. “This drink, you could afford it four years ago. Now, do you think you’re worthy of it?”

Claire’s POV A deathly silence. My hand holding the wine glass froze mid-air, my knuckles bone-white. Shame surged over me like a tidal wave, nearly drowning me. All around were eyes watching the spectacle. I knew he was taking revenge. Revenge for my gold-digging ways back then, revenge for how deeply and cruelly I’d stabbed him. “Mr. Barrett, you must be joking.” I took a deep breath and forced out a professional smile. “The customer is king. As long as you’re happy, I’m worthy of anything.” With that, I tilted my head back and drained the glass of liquor in one go. The burning liquid scorched down my throat, making my eyes water. I set down the empty glass, turning it upside down to show it was finished. “Mr. Barrett, satisfied?” Damien stared at my reddened eyes, his pupils darkening several shades. He said nothing, only casually splashing the untouched red wine in front of him onto the floor. The deep red liquid splattered on my heels and ankles. Cold. Sticky. “It’s dirty.” He said flatly. “Get someone clean to pour instead.” This was naked humiliation. I felt all the blood drain from my face in an instant. But I couldn’t leave. The contract wasn’t signed yet. I hadn’t gotten my commission. “Damien, that’s too far.” A gentle voice suddenly cut in. Ashton Reid, who’d been sitting quietly in the corner, stood up and walked past everyone to my side. He took off his suit jacket and draped it over my slightly trembling shoulders, blocking those ill-intentioned gazes. “Miss Davis is my guest. It’s fine to have her help warm up the room, but there’s no need to humiliate her like this.” Ashton was my boss, and the only person in these four years who’d known my background but never mocked me for it. Damien narrowed his eyes, his gaze landing on Ashton’s hand resting on my shoulder. In that instant, the temperature in the room seemed to drop to freezing. “Ashton,” Damien sneered, “since when did you start picking through garbage for companionship?” Ashton’s expression changed. “Damien!” “Isn’t it true?” Damien stood up, his tall figure looming over us with overwhelming pressure. He walked up to me, looking down from his height, his eyes full of disgust. “A woman who’d sell herself for money at any time. She might be a treasure in your eyes, but to me, she’s worse than garbage.” With that, he didn’t spare me another glance and strode out of the room. In that moment, I heard the sound of my heart breaking. Not because I still loved him. But because even after four years, facing his humiliation still hurt.

Claire’s POV The dinner ended badly. I rushed to the restroom and threw up violently. My stomach felt like it was on fire, the pain making me unable to straighten up. The woman in the mirror was pale, her makeup smudged-as wretched as a ghost. Claire, you’re so pathetic. I cursed myself internally. When I came out after composing myself, it was pouring rain outside. The autumn rain was bone-chilling, cold wind whipping dead leaves against the glass doors. Ashton pulled up in his car and rolled down the window. “Get in. I’ll drive you home.” “No need, Mr. Reid. The subway is very convenient for me.” I didn’t want to cause him more trouble. He’d already offended Damien Barrett by defending me in the private room. Ashton sighed helplessly. “Claire, this is a private club. The nearest subway station is three miles away. Are you planning to walk in this?” I froze. As I hesitated, a black Maybach tore through the rain curtain and slowly stopped at the entrance. The windows were closed tight-I couldn’t see who was inside. But I recognized that license plate. It was Damien’s car. The car door opened. The driver got out with a black umbrella and respectfully opened the rear door. A gleaming leather shoe touched the ground, followed by those long legs wrapped in dress pants. Damien Barrett got out of the car. A woman was nestled in his arms. She wore a white Chanel suit, her long hair flowing over her shoulders, exuding an elegant and noble air. The limited-edition crocodile leather bag in her hand was worth five years of my salary. Natalie Sterling. His fiancée. The two of them nestled intimately together. Natalie looked up at him, smiling as she said something. Though Damien’s face was expressionless, he leaned slightly to shield her from the drifting rain. That scene was so dazzling it made me want to cry. I instinctively shrank back into the shadows. But Natalie had sharp eyes and still spotted me. “Isn’t that Miss Davis from earlier?” Natalie’s voice was sweet, carrying an innocent cruelty. “Damien, look-she doesn’t seem to have an umbrella. Should we give her a ride?” Damien followed her gaze. Our eyes met in the air. His expression was indifferent, as if looking at an irrelevant stranger. “Not on our way.” Three simple words-a death sentence. Natalie covered her mouth and laughed softly. “That’s true. Miss Davis probably lives somewhere quite far away. Well, we’ll be going then. Goodbye, Miss Davis.” The two turned and got in the car. The Maybach started up, its taillights cutting two red streaks through the air. Without mercy, it crushed through puddles on the ground, splashing mud all over me, then sped away. I stood there, freezing all over. “Get in.” Ashton’s voice came again, this time with undeniable firmness. I didn’t argue anymore and pulled open the door to get in. The car was warm with the heater running, but I couldn’t seem to warm up at all. “Don’t take what he said to heart.” Ashton handed me a bottle of water. “Damien’s personality has changed drastically these past few years. He’s ruthless in business-treats everyone the same way.” I clutched the water bottle and smiled bitterly. “I know.” I was the one who turned him into this. I didn’t blame him. I only hated this fate that had never given me even one chance to catch my breath. The car pulled up to my shabby apartment building. I thanked him and was about to get out when Ashton suddenly called out to me. “Claire.” He looked at me, seeming to want to say something but stopping himself. “That project… Barrett Corporation specifically requested a different person in charge. If you don’t want to do it, I can arrange a transfer for you.” My hand tightened on the door handle. The ICU cost an astronomical amount per day. A transfer meant a pay cut, which meant my grandmother’s oxygen tube might get pulled. I turned back, my eyes determined. “No need, Mr. Reid. I’ve been working on this project for six months. I can handle it.” Ashton looked at me deeply and sighed. “Alright. Call me anytime if you need anything.”

Claire’s POV The next day, I was woken up by my phone blowing up with calls. My grandmother’s attending physician told me the account was running low on funds again. If I didn’t pay soon, subsequent treatment might be interrupted. I looked at the pitiful balance in my bank account and gritted my teeth, transferring all my savings. That left me with five hundred dollars for living expenses. When I got to the office, I could tell immediately that something was off. Colleagues were gathered in small groups whispering. When they saw me come in, their voices dropped, but their eyes were full of prying curiosity and contempt. “That’s her, right? I heard she used to date Mr. Barrett?” “What ‘date’? She was his kept woman, wasn’t she? I heard she took the money and ran when Mr. Barrett hit hard times.” “Oh my god, that’s so mercenary. And now that Mr. Barrett’s successful, she’s throwing herself at him again?” “Last night at the club, Mr. Barrett publicly humiliated her, and she still forced herself to drink. Talk about shameless.” The gossip from the break room wasn’t quiet-every word stabbed like needles. I poured myself a cup of water expressionlessly and walked out. The voices cut off abruptly. Back at my desk, a document was slapped down in front of me. It was Barrett Corporation’s project contract. “Claire, Mr. Barrett’s people said there are problems with the contract terms. He wants you to go revise them in person.” The department head looked at me like I was a spectacle. “Mr. Barrett specifically asked for you by name. Don’t screw this up, or the whole company will be drinking the northwest wind because of you.” I picked up the document, my fingertips trembling slightly. “Understood.” What had to come would come. I took a taxi to Barrett Corporation headquarters. The towering office building pierced the clouds. Just standing at its base, I could feel that suffocating pressure. When the receptionist heard my name, her expression subtly changed. “Miss Davis, the CEO is in a meeting. He asked you to wait in the lounge.” That wait lasted a full four hours. From morning until afternoon, without even a cup of water offered. I knew he was doing it on purpose. He was grinding down my spirit, crushing my dignity bit by bit. It wasn’t until sunset that the assistant finally sauntered over. “Miss Davis, Mr. Barrett has finished his business. You may go in now.” I pushed open the heavy mahogany door to the CEO’s office. The spacious office was frigidly air-conditioned. Damien sat in his executive chair by the floor-to-ceiling windows, his back to me, reviewing a report. The setting sun’s afterglow bathed him in golden light, but it couldn’t melt the chill surrounding him. “Mr. Barrett.” I walked over and placed the documents on his desk. “Regarding the contract revisions…” “Who told you to sit down?” He turned around and coldly interrupted me. My movements froze. I silently straightened up. Damien casually closed the report and leaned forward, those intensely aggressive eyes locking onto me. “I heard you need money badly?” I didn’t understand why he was suddenly asking this, but I nodded honestly. “Yes.” “How much do you need?” “…Five hundred thousand.” That was the cost of my grandmother’s next surgery. Damien let out a scoff, pulled open his drawer, took out a check, and pushed it in front of me. I saw the number clearly. One million dollars. Exactly the amount I had “accepted” to leave him years ago. “What does this mean?” I stared at the check, my heartbeat skipping. Damien stood up and walked around the desk to stand before me. He raised his hand, his slender fingers hooking a strand of my hair, twirling it absently. The gesture was intimate, but his tone was venomous. “Claire, Natalie is pregnant. It’s inconvenient for me.” My mind exploded with a deafening roar. What did he mean? Damien lowered his head, his warm breath spraying against my ear as he said words that plunged me into an icy abyss. “Be my mistress.” “This million dollars buys you for a year.” “However you sold yourself back then, that’s how you’ll sell yourself back to me now.”

Claire’s POV Slap. The crisp sound of the slap echoed through the empty office. My palm stung, my chest heaving violently as I stared in disbelief at the man before me. Damien’s face turned to one side, five red finger marks quickly rising on his pale skin. He ran his tongue over his cheek, then slowly turned his head back. There was no anger in his eyes-instead, there was a frightening kind of madness. “You hit me?” He advanced step by step, backing me against the floor-to-ceiling window with no escape. “Damien Barrett, you bastard!” I cursed with reddened eyes. “I have a boyfriend! I won’t be a homewrecker! And I definitely won’t be your mistress!” “Boyfriend?” Damien looked like he’d heard the funniest joke. “Ashton Reid? You think he’d actually want a woman as tainted as you?” “That’s my business!” I tried to push past him and run, but he grabbed my wrist and pinned me hard against the cold glass window. Behind me was the city nightscape from thousands of feet up; before me was a man as dangerous as a beast. “Claire, stop pretending to be virtuous.” Damien stared into my eyes, his voice hoarse. “Three years ago you could abandon me for money. Now what’s so hard about being a mistress for money? Isn’t money your only bottom line?” “I didn’t!” I screamed, breaking down. “Back then I had my reasons…” “Reasons?” Damien sneered. “What reasons? Was it your gambling addict father who owed debts, or was your sickly mother about to die again?” “Shut up! Don’t you dare talk about my mother!” I struggled desperately, tears finally spilling from my eyes. He had no idea. Three years ago, that gambling father hadn’t just owed debts-he’d owed lives. Those people held knives to my mother’s throat, forcing me to come up with money. And Damien at that time-because he refused an arranged marriage for my sake-had been cut off financially by the Barrett family. He couldn’t even afford fever medicine without borrowing money. What choice did I have? Tell him the truth and make him beg the father he hated most? Make him spend his whole life unable to hold his head up in front of his father? I couldn’t do it. So I took the million dollars Natalie offered, played that scene, and became the villain. “Hit the nail on the head, did I?” Seeing my tears, a flash of satisfaction crossed Damien’s eyes, mixed with an indescribable pain. He released me and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his fingers with disgust. “Take the money or don’t-I don’t care.” “But let me remind you, your grandmother’s hospital happens to be funded by Barrett Corporation.” My head snapped up, my whole body shaking. “What do you want to do?” Damien stuffed the check into my collar, the cold paper against my skin like a venomous snake. “Tomorrow night at eight. Hillside Villa.” “If you don’t come, face the consequences.” With that, he pressed the intercom. “Show her out.” I don’t know how I walked out of Barrett Corporation headquarters. Outside, the rain was still falling. I clutched that crumpled check and crouched by the roadside, sobbing. My phone rang at that moment. It was the hospital calling. “Miss Davis, please come to the hospital as soon as possible. Your grandmother’s condition has deteriorated. She needs surgery immediately. Please pay the fees as soon as possible.” Despair wrapped around me like a giant net, strangling me. I looked at the million dollars in my hand. Dignity, or my grandmother’s life? This wasn’t even a choice. Damien Barrett, you win. You’ve finally trampled me into the mud and turned me into exactly the kind of woman “who’ll do anything for money” that you accused me of being. If this is the revenge you want, Then I’ll give it to you.

Claire’s POV Hillside Villa. This place was once the future Damien and I had fantasized about. Back then we’d huddled in our tiny rental room, pointing at mansions in magazines. He said when he made money, he’d definitely buy one with floor-to-ceiling windows so I could draw while basking in the sun every day. Now he’d actually bought one. But it had become a cage to imprison me. At eight o’clock sharp, I rang the doorbell. Damien himself opened the door. He’d just showered, wearing only a bathrobe. Water droplets slid down his sculpted chest muscles and disappeared into his trim V-line. His black hair hung damply over his forehead, less sharp than usual, more wildly attractive in a way that made hearts race and faces flush. But I only felt cold. “Come in.” He stepped aside, his expression dark and unreadable. I changed my shoes and stood awkwardly in the entryway. The living room was cavernously large, decorated in minimalist black, white, and gray, emanating a forbidding coldness. “Go shower.” Damien sat on the sofa, lit a cigarette, and pointed upstairs. “The master bedroom is on the left. Clean yourself thoroughly.” That tone-like he was instructing someone on how to handle a newly purchased pet. I bit my lower lip, my nails digging into my palms. “Mr. Barrett, I’ve already cashed the check. I paid my grandmother’s surgery fees.” “So?” He raised an eyebrow. Through the cigarette smoke, those eyes were sharp as a hawk’s. “So… I’ll fulfill my promise.” I took a deep breath and turned to go upstairs, as if marching to my execution. The bathroom was large. In the mirror, I looked deathly pale, like a fragile porcelain doll. I turned on the shower. Hot water poured down, but it couldn’t warm my body. When I came out after bathing, a silk slip nightgown lay on the bed. Extremely short. Extremely sheer. Even that damn color was the light purple I used to love most. He did it on purpose. He was reminding me that I used to wear similar things in front of him too-back then for romance, now for transaction. I changed into the nightgown and hugged my arms, curling up at the foot of the bed. The door opened. Damien walked in. He stubbed out his cigarette, his gaze traveling over my body inch by inch-that kind of look burning enough to make one panic. “Come here.” He patted the space beside him. I stiffly moved over. The moment I got close, he yanked me into his arms. The strong scent of tobacco mixed with body wash instantly enveloped me. “Why are you shaking?” He gripped my chin, his thumb rough as it rubbed across my lips. “Four years ago when you demanded your breakup fee, weren’t you pretty tough?” “Damien…” “Call me Mr. Barrett.” He coldly corrected me, then lowered his head and kissed me brutally. This wasn’t a kiss. It was biting, punishment, venting. That night, rain fell outside the entire time. And I died the entire time.

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While cleaning my mother-in-law, Susan’s room, I discovered a pregnancy test with two lines under her pillow. My mind immediately jumped to the young housekeeper who had recently joined our household. My heart sank as I suspected my husband of infidelity. I confronted my husband with the pregnancy test, but Susan snatched it away, her face flushed as she shouted at me: “This is mine! I’m with Mr. Wilson from downstairs, and I want to give him a son. Is that so wrong?” My husband tried to calm me down: “Mom’s getting up there in years. If she wants to pursue true love, we should support her.” Though it seemed absurd, seeing how determined Susan was, I had no choice but to let it go. I even bought her some expensive supplements. That is, until the day I came home early and heard strange sounds coming from the housekeeper’s room. I pressed my racing heart down and put my ear to the door. Then I heard a man’s urgent panting and a woman’s moans. And Susan’s anxious voice: “Jackson, push harder! We need a boy this time!”

My stomach churned. So it wasn’t Susan who was pregnant after all. My husband, after three years of marriage without children, had conspired with his mother to stage this absurd affair. I was shaking with rage, my nails digging deep into my palms. The pain brought back a thread of rationality. I couldn’t let this slide! I wanted to burst in there and tear apart that cheating bastard and his mistress! I wanted to make this mother and son pay! Just then, the door opened from inside. Susan emerged with a flushed, satisfied face. When she saw me at the door, she jumped, and the smile on her face instantly froze. “You… when did you get back?” I stared at her, fire blazing in my eyes. “Get out of my way!” I pushed her aside and tried to force my way in. “What are you doing!” Susan shrieked and lunged at me, gripping my waist tightly. “Mr. Wilson is still getting dressed! Have you lost your mind?” She shouted while desperately pushing me away, her strength surprisingly formidable. I was furious, grappling with her. “Let go of me! You liar! Didn’t you say you were pregnant? Where’s Mr. Wilson? Make him come out!” “You crazy woman!” Susan insisted Mr. Wilson was inside, then grabbed my hair and slammed my head against the wall. A sharp pain shot through my scalp, and my vision went black. Just as I was about to collapse, a pair of strong hands caught me. A familiar yet shocking voice rang out behind me. “Honey? Mom? What are you doing?” My entire body stiffened. I whipped around. My husband, Jackson Thorne, stood behind me in a crisp suit, briefcase in hand, a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead, looking at me with concern and confusion, as if he had just gotten home from work. How was this possible? How could he be here? Shouldn’t he have been in that room just now? I looked at him, then at the door Susan had shut tight again. The whole world spun around me. Had I heard wrong?

“Honey, are you okay? Why is your face so pale?” Jackson held me, his brow furrowed with concern. He touched my forehead, then turned to Susan with a slightly reproachful tone. “Mom, what’s going on? Did you have another fight with Aria?” Susan immediately put on a pitiful expression and pointed at me, starting to cry. “How would I dare! It’s her, acting like a maniac, insisting on barging into the room to find Mr. Wilson! My old bones are about to fall apart because of her!” Jackson sighed and pulled me to sit on the couch. He knelt in front of me, holding my cold hands. “Aria, I know you’re under a lot of pressure because we haven’t been able to have a child.” “But you can’t take it out on Mom. She’s getting old, and finding a companion isn’t easy. As the younger generation, we should turn a blind eye.” His voice was gentle yet helpless, as if I had truly become an irrational madwoman due to infertility. I looked into his sincere eyes, momentarily speechless. Those sounds I heard, that panting, those filthy words—were they all hallucinations? “No… it’s not like that…” I murmured, “I clearly heard…” “What did you hear?” Jackson pressed, “Have you been too tired lately and started hearing things?” Susan chimed in. “Exactly! I think she’s mentally unstable! She can’t have children herself, so she can’t stand to see me happy!” The mother and son had formed a united front. I was defenseless. That night, I couldn’t sleep. Jackson slept beside me, his breathing steady. I tried desperately to fall asleep, but every time I closed my eyes, those unbearable sounds from the housekeeper’s room echoed in my ears. I wasn’t crazy, and I definitely hadn’t misheard. The next day, I decided to investigate on my own. Using a walk as an excuse, I started chatting with the neighbors in our building. “Amy, I heard Susan got together with Mr. Wilson from this building. Do you happen to know him? I want to check him out for Susan.” The neighbors looked at me with sympathy and bewilderment. “Aria, is Susan pulling your leg? I’ve lived in this building for decades, and I know pretty much everyone here. There’s no single old man in this building.” “Right, and Susan stays home all day. We’ve tried to get her to go shopping with us, but she won’t come out, says she needs to stay home and do housework for you.” I became the laughingstock of the entire neighborhood. Everyone thought that due to the pressure of infertility, I had started overthinking and even imagining a Mr. Wilson to attack Susan. I wasn’t ready to give up. When I got home, only the housekeeper Rachel and I were there. Rachel was on the balcony, holding a bowl and sneakily pouring its contents into a flowerpot. I pretended nothing was wrong as I walked into the living room and poured myself some water. When Rachel came back from the balcony and saw me, her eyes clearly shifted nervously. “Mrs. Thorne, you’re back.” I nodded, my gaze falling on her pale face. “Rachel, are you not feeling well? Why are you taking medicine?” The housekeeper’s face went white. “No, no, Mrs. Thorne, I just felt a bit dry lately, so I’m brewing some tea.” She explained frantically, then turned to head back to the kitchen. After she left, I immediately rushed to the balcony and dug through the soil in that flowerpot. I carefully collected the contents in a plastic bag. Then I headed straight to the city’s most reputable drug testing center. Soon, I received the test report. Based on the main components in the residue, it was a pregnancy-preserving supplement. I held that thin test report, my hands trembling. All my suspicions weren’t unfounded!

That evening when Jackson came home, I was unusually calm. I prepared dinner and even served him a bowl of soup. “Honey, I have something to show you.” After dinner, I gently placed the test report in front of him. He just picked up the report, glanced at it, then looked up at me with disappointed eyes. “Aria, why… why won’t you just trust me?” I froze. I practically shouted. “The housekeeper is taking pregnancy-preserving supplements! Why would the housekeeper need to take these?” His eyes reddened, but he didn’t speak. He just stood up, walked to the bedroom, and opened the bedside table drawer. He pulled out another document and threw it in front of me. It was a diagnosis report in Susan’s name. In black and white, it stated the diagnosis: threatened miscarriage. The date was the day after I discovered the pregnancy test. I stood there as if struck by lightning. “Are you satisfied now?” Jackson’s voice trembled as he pointed at the diagnosis report. “Mom is old and her health is poor. The doctor said her pregnancy is unstable and she needs medicine to prevent miscarriage!” “I was afraid you’d overthink again, so I had Rachel help Mom with the medicine! Every day I’m on edge, taking care of Mom on one side and trying to reassure you on the other!” He looked up, his face covered in tears. “Aria, why are you pushing our family to this point! Why are you forcing me to become a liar!” At that moment, I felt like I was the executioner holding the knife. His tearful accusations, that diagnosis report—they made all my righteous indignation seem like a joke. I was speechless, my heart filled with helplessness and extreme pain. I had lost, utterly defeated. I suddenly felt so tired, so very tired. Fine. The next day, after the family finished breakfast as usual, I called out to the housekeeper Rachel, who was about to return to her room. “Rachel, come here, this is for you.” I pulled out a beautifully wrapped gift box containing an adorable teddy bear. “Mrs. Thorne, this… I couldn’t possibly.” Rachel seemed flattered. I smiled warmly and stuffed the bear into her arms. “I noticed you’re alone here and your room looks so empty. Put this doll there—think of it as keeping you company. It’ll make the room feel cozier.” Rachel’s eyes reddened as she gratefully hugged the bear. “Thank you, Mrs. Thorne. You’re so good to me.” That teddy bear’s left eye contained a pinhole camera that could connect to my phone for real-time monitoring. Over the next two days, I kept my eyes glued to my phone. Sure enough, Rachel placed the bear on her bedside table, giving a clear view of most of the room. I watched her secretly take medicine, caressing her belly with a happy, smug smile. On the third afternoon, Susan sneaked into the housekeeper’s room and deliberately closed the door. In the surveillance footage, Susan pulled out a wad of cash and handed it to Rachel, unable to hide her joy. “Rachel, take this money. Buy whatever you want to eat. Don’t deprive my grandson.” Rachel stuffed the money into her bedside table and smiled ingratiatingly. “Thank you. But Mrs. Thorne has been very quiet lately. I’m worried she might be plotting something.” Susan snorted dismissively. “She’s just a woman who’s driven herself nearly insane! Jackson doesn’t need her anymore. You just focus on your pregnancy. Once the baby’s born, I’ll find an excuse to make them divorce! Then you’ll be the rightful mistress of this house!” “Really?” “Of course it’s true! The fact that you’re carrying my son’s child is your greatest advantage!” I watched those two faces twisted with malice and greed on my phone screen, my heart growing colder and colder. I listened to every word of their plan and saved the video.

That night before bed, I suggested to Jackson: “Mom’s turning sixty next month, right? Let me organize it—a big celebration. Consider it my way of making amends.” Hearing my words, Jackson’s body visibly stiffened. He turned around and cupped my face, carefully examining my expression. “Aria, you… are you serious?” I tried to make my smile look more genuine. “I’ve come to terms with it. Family harmony is what matters most. If Mom wants to pursue happiness, we should bless her.” Jackson’s face finally broke into a smile. He hugged me tightly and whispered in my ear, “That’s wonderful, Aria. I’m so glad you’ve come around.” When Susan heard I was organizing a big birthday celebration for her, she was overjoyed. She completely changed from her usual sharp tongue, holding my hand and calling me a good daughter-in-law over and over. “Aria, you’re so understanding. I knew you were a good girl.” Since they’re such good actors. I’ll just build them an even bigger stage. Susan’s sixtieth birthday was held at the city’s most luxurious hotel. All the Thorne family relatives and friends came. Jackson greeted the guests with high spirits while Susan wore a custom-made gown, beaming. She took my hand and introduced me to everyone. “This is my daughter-in-law, Aria Reed. She’s so kind. She organized this entire birthday banquet!” The relatives all gave me approving looks. Midway through the banquet, Susan pulled me aside and said smugly: “Aria, don’t worry. Once the baby is born, I’ll register it under your name so you can experience being a mother too.” I looked at her hypocritical face and smiled. “Thank you.” Jackson took the stage and delivered a touching blessing, drawing rounds of applause. Then, smiling, he extended his hand toward me. “Next, I’d like to invite my beloved wife, Aria Reed, to offer a blessing for my mother.” I lifted my dress and slowly walked onto the stage under everyone’s gaze. I took the microphone and surveyed the room. Jackson and Susan both looked at me with expectant, satisfied eyes. They thought this was their victory celebration, my formal declaration of surrender. “Today is a good day.” I began, my voice so calm it held no trace of emotion. “Here, I want to especially thank two people.” “I want to thank my wonderful mother-in-law and my wonderful husband.” I smiled at them, and as their smiles grew brighter, I pressed play on my phone, already connected to the large screen. Two entangled figures instantly filled everyone’s field of vision in high definition. The banquet hall fell silent in an instant. The next second, Susan’s passionate voice echoed throughout the entire hall. “This time we must have a boy…” All eyes turned like a tide toward Jackson and Susan.

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When Liam accompanied me to my prenatal checkup, he suddenly pushed me into the abortion operating room. “Sorry, I lost a game of Truth or Dare last night. The stakes were the baby.” “We can always have another child after the abortion, but I can’t back out of a game. Just bear with it for now.” I stared at him in disbelief, my whole body turning cold. “That female friend of yours put you up to this again, didn’t she? Now she even wants to harm the baby. Does she have no shame?” Trembling, I turned to run, but he pinned me down with one hand. Liam’s face darkened, a contemptuous sneer curling his lips. “You have the nerve to talk about Lily? Do you have any shame yourself?” “You climbed into my bed when you were eighteen, moaning like a whore in that thirty-dollar-a-night fleabag motel.” “Melody, who in this world could be more shameless than you?” That one sentence shattered the last shred of my dignity. I gave up all resistance and walked into the operating room on my own. “Melody.” Just before I entered the operating room, Liam suddenly called out to me. He lowered his head, his voice somewhat hoarse. “I didn’t mean to hit you where it hurts. I just can’t stand you targeting Lily. I spoke without thinking.” Draping his coat over my shoulders, Liam looked at me earnestly and made a promise. “I’m a businessman. If I welch on a bet, people will look down on me. Who would want to do business with me after that? I can’t bear to lose this child either, but there’s no choice.” “I promise you, we’ll have another child very soon.” Another child? This was already my third pregnancy with Liam. To conceive, I’d taken countless ovulation injections. The needle marks around my waist still hadn’t faded. The doctor had warned me repeatedly that this child might be the last one I could ever carry. How could there be another? I opened my mouth, but my throat felt like it had a blade stuck in it. The pain made it impossible to utter a single word. Liam’s phone rang. On the other end, Lily urged impatiently, “Why is getting an abortion taking so long? Don’t tell me you can’t bear to go through with it?” “It’s not like this is Melody’s first time. Why is she being so dramatic? Hurry up and get it done. The guys are all waiting for you to come drink!” Eager to keep his appointment, Liam’s last bit of patience with me evaporated. He perfunctorily kissed the back of my hand. “I have a drinking engagement. I can’t stay with you for the procedure.” “Besides, it’s not your first abortion. You know the drill. You’ve got this. I believe you can handle it on your own.” Liam practically flew out the door. I clutched my stomach and stumbled into the abortion room. The doctor pushed up her glasses, looking at me with an expression that was three parts sympathy, three parts contempt. “Your uterine wall is as thin as paper. One more abortion and you really won’t be able to conceive again.” “If you don’t love yourself, why should anyone else love you?” Heat flooded my face. I was too ashamed to meet the doctor’s eyes. Pinching my palm, I forced myself to sound calm. “Let’s proceed. I’ll take full responsibility for any consequences.” After signing the waiver, I stripped naked and was wheeled into the operating room with zero dignity. The thick, long needle pierced my body without warning. I broke out in cold sweat from the pain and couldn’t help letting out a whimper. In my ear, I could faintly hear a young nurse complaining. “This is her third time. Why is she acting so fragile? Where was this act when she was having her fun?” My consciousness began to fade. Accompanied by the nurse’s voice, I seemed to see three adorable babies holding hands, leaving my life forever… When I woke up, the procedure was over. No miracles, no lucky breaks. This time, I had permanently lost the ability to have children. Numbly, I stuffed the surgical report into my bag, my face showing not a trace of sadness. This heart that had beaten for Liam countless times and ached for him countless times had finally died completely. “Liam, let’s get div—” When I got home and pushed open the door, before I could bring up divorce, I was choked by a thick cloud of cigarette smoke. I coughed violently, tears streaming from my eyes. Inside, a group of people were playing Truth or Dare. Liam had clearly promised me he would never bring his drinking parties home.

“Oh wow, your belly’s flat! You really went through with it—you actually aborted her baby!” Lily excitedly touched my stomach, exaggeratedly giving Liam a thumbs up. Liam glanced at Lily smugly. “A bet’s a bet. When have I ever lied to you?” To ease the awkward atmosphere, one of Liam’s buddies pulled me down to sit, playing peacemaker. “We’re businessmen, right? Integrity matters.” “We rarely get to hang out with you. Why don’t you join us today?” Liam frowned, instinctively about to decline on my behalf, but I cut him off coldly. “Sure. I’ll play.” I really wanted to see what kind of game was so thrilling that Liam could sacrifice even his own flesh and blood for it. My luck was terrible. Lily and I played rock-paper-scissors several rounds in a row, and I lost every single one. Worried that Lily’s dares would go too far, Liam volunteered to drink three shots as penalty instead. Glass after glass of liquor, he downed them one after another, his neck straining. “She just had an abortion. I’ll drink for her.” With each round of jeering, Lily’s expression grew darker. Finally, after I lost yet another round, Lily exploded with a curse. “What’s the point of playing if you keep drinking for her? Women are so damn annoying. I’ve said it a million times—no women at our gatherings!” Liam was drunk, trying to placate Lily with a smile, but I spoke first. “I choose Truth.” Lily’s eyes lit up. The complaint on her face vanished instantly, replaced by an excited gleam in her eyes. She raised her eyebrow at me maliciously, her tone both contemptuous and playful. “Well then, I’m going to ask.” “You’ve had three abortions, so you must have been examined by plenty of male doctors. Why don’t you tell the guys which male doctor had the best technique? Which one felt the best when he touched you? Hahahaha!” I gripped my glass tightly, my heart trembling. Those first two children were my life’s deepest pain, a secret between Liam and me. How did Lily know about them? “Tsk, no wonder Liam doesn’t want to sleep with you. A bunch of men have touched you down there—what normal guy wouldn’t find that disgusting? Even I’m grossed out, and I’m a woman.” Lily’s shrill laughter was like a sharp blade, stabbing into my heart again and again. I couldn’t suppress the anger and grievance in my heart any longer. I picked up my glass and threw the contents in Lily’s face. Still not satisfied, I added a slap. “That felt the best.” Lily covered her face in humiliated fury, eyes wide as she glared at me. The sudden turn of events left everyone present stunned. Once he realized what had happened, Liam grabbed me by the back of my neck in rage. Slap. He hit me once, then again. “Melody, have you lost your fucking mind? It’s just a game! What gives you the right to hit Lily?” “If you can’t take a joke, don’t join the game. Besides, Lily was just stating facts…”

Liam’s eyes were bloodshot, reeking of alcohol. He walked over to Lily, carefully blowing on her swollen cheek again and again, his eyes filled with undisguised heartache. As if trying to spite me, Liam hooked his arm around Lily’s shoulder and said loudly enough for everyone to hear, “Lily, you wanted to know which doctor made Melody feel the best?” “I’ll tell you—it was the one today.” “Because Melody only had one proper abortion procedure. She aborted the first two children with her own hands!” The room erupted. Lily covered her mouth in shock, her smile stretching practically to her neck. “You’re not kidding, are you? Damn, Melody, you actually gave yourself abortions!” “You’re so rich—why would she do that herself? Is she psychologically twisted, or was she chasing some kind of thrill? That’s pretty kinky~” Eyes fell on me from all directions—shocked, contemptuous. “Three abortions—her uterus must be wrecked. Think she can still have kids?” “If she can’t, there’s always our Lily. Liam can have kids with Lily. Lily’s probably still a virgin. How could that damaged goods compare?” Lily jumped in front of the man who’d spoken, playfully punching him twice. “Stop it! He and I are just friends!” “But you’re right about one thing—I am clean…” Lily showed a rare hint of shyness. Liam ruffled her hair with an indulgent smile. The others roared with laughter. Looking at those disgusting, laughing faces, I almost vomited. Tears stung my swollen skin, sending waves of piercing pain. I shook my head desperately, trying to shake off those painful memories. But the memories flooded over me like a tide. When I was eighteen, I got into Columbia University. The orphanage couldn’t pay my tuition, so I had to work at an auto repair shop. But my meager wages couldn’t cover tuition and living expenses. I considered dropping out. Liam, a fellow apprentice at the shop, cornered me against a wall, eyes red as he made me a promise. “Keep studying. I’ll support you.” From then on, Liam worked at the shop during the day, did construction at night, and took on handicraft work in the dead of night. At the prime of his youth, he nearly burned himself out for my sake. Every time we met, he’d give me money and tell me to study hard. He never complained once. When he learned I was being bullied by classmates, Liam charged into the school with a fruit knife and stabbed himself three times in front of everyone. Blood splattered everywhere. He said, “If anyone dares bully Melody again, this is what they’ll get. I dare to stab myself—what wouldn’t I dare to do?” From then on, even the flies at school avoided me. I grew up in an orphanage. I’d always lacked love. Meeting a man like that, it was really hard not to fall in love. To hold onto that bit of warmth, I was willing to give everything. In that thirty-dollar fleabag motel, I confessed to Liam and begged him to try again and again. Later, that place became our regular haunt. He was like a wild wolf, always so intense that he’d break the cheap condoms. Because of that, I got pregnant twice. Without money for a proper hospital, I had to find my own way to abort. I swallowed expired abortion pills at random, then threw myself down the stairs. If once didn’t work, I’d do it twice, three times. This method was incredibly cruel—to me, and to the babies. Liam hated himself for it. To avoid hurting me again, he went to a back-alley clinic for a vasectomy and nearly lost his fertility permanently. He said he owed me for the rest of his life. He said he’d work himself to death. He said he’d make me happier than anyone, that I’d never have to suffer like that again. Things really did get better. But Liam’s heart changed. The deepest pain I couldn’t bear to touch had become his conversation piece. As long as it made Lily laugh, he didn’t mind stabbing me in my most painful places again and again. Like a madwoman, I grabbed a bottle and smashed it over Liam’s head. “Game over.” “Get out. All of you, get out!” Liam’s friends wisely scattered. Lily was dragged away as well.

Liam was knocked out by my blow. He didn’t wake up until noon the next day. He clutched his head in pain, groggily remembering yesterday’s events. Liam grabbed my hand and made me slap his face. “Honey, drunk people don’t know what they’re doing.” “Slap me back. I promise I won’t fight back. As for the abortion… I’ll go clarify things for you right now. With me around, I’ll see who dares gossip.” Watching Liam’s shameless performance, I said calmly, “Let’s get divorced.” Liam smiled helplessly, his pinky finger gently hooking a strand of my hair. He thought I was just throwing a tantrum and wanted to get intimate like before, to coax me into forgiving him. His phone rang. Liam glanced at the caller ID, quickly withdrew his hand, and answered. “Lily, what’s wrong?” “What do you think? I lost Truth or Dare, that’s what. And you know what? I’m unlucky enough that my penalty is to sleep with one of the guys for real!” “They’re all laughing, saying I won’t dare. But you know me—I honor my bets! I’m choosing you.” Liam’s breath hitched. He looked up to gauge my expression, then quickly refused. “Don’t push yourself, dummy. Just forfeit.” “You don’t want to? Hmph, then I’ll find someone else~” Liam panicked and immediately agreed without thinking. “Lily, you’d better not! Send me the hotel location. I’m on my way.” Liam frantically pulled on his shoes, not even bothering to look at me. “Lily’s naive and competitive. If I don’t go, some outsider will definitely take advantage of her.” “Don’t worry, honey. I’ll go talk sense into her. I’ll definitely convince her not to do it!” I followed Liam’s car all the way to the hotel. Using my status as his wife, I got a room key and burst through the door, phone in hand. Click. Click. I perfectly captured the two of them, faces flushed, completely naked. Realizing I was taking photos, Lily screamed. “Melody, delete those photos right now! We were just doing a dare penalty. Can’t you be less petty?” Liam covered himself with the sheet, his face red as he stammered an explanation. “Lily was too stubborn. She insisted on completing the penalty. I had no choice…” “But don’t worry, I only see her as a buddy. Just this once. There absolutely won’t be a next time.” “Be good, Melody. Delete the photos. Lily’s a girl after all. How will she get married in the future?” I couldn’t help laughing. I’d caught them red-handed in bed, and they were still calling themselves good friends. I calmly tucked my phone into my pocket. Seeing I wouldn’t budge, Liam’s expression gradually darkened. He pulled out his phone and started playing a blurry video. It was footage of me, at eighteen, throwing myself down the stairs to abort. Liam had secretly kept this video on his phone, labeled “Lifelong Guilt.” Whenever he was too exhausted from work, he’d watch it once to motivate himself. After watching, he’d have the strength to keep going. Now, what was once his guilt had become leverage to threaten me. “Melody, if you dare spread those photos, I’ll make everyone in New York see this—see how you secretly aborted, how you killed your own children!” Through my tears, I smiled calmly. “Don’t worry. I won’t spread them.” “I’m not here to fight the mistress.” “I just wanted to keep some evidence. In court, it might help with our property division.” With that, I turned and left without a shred of hesitation. In the empty themed hotel room, Lily rolled her eyes and asked, “Hey, is Abortion Girl serious this time?” Liam instinctively shook his head. “How could she be? She’s an orphan with no family, no home. Where would she go if she left me?” “I’ll just contact the hospital to schedule the next IVF cycle. Melody loves kids so much—she’ll definitely calm down right away.” Liam called the hospital. The response he got nearly destroyed him. “You didn’t know? After the last abortion, Melody permanently lost her ability to conceive.”

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After I turned 35, my body started to lose its shape. My skin grew dull, and fine lines began to appear around my eyes. Once, halfway through making love, Caleb pinched the soft flesh on my stomach and suddenly said: “Honestly, looking closely, you’re pretty average. Why did I ever fall for you?” 1 I never expected to be laid off from my job as a kept woman the year I turned 35. At that moment, I was looking up at the elaborate molding on the ceiling. I had heard it was the work of some famous European master. Very expensive. Every time Caleb came to me, I would look up at it. In the beginning, Caleb would grab me by the hair, forcing me to look him in the eye. He had a pair of beautiful, jewel-like eyes. When he was relaxed, he looked like an exotic cat. Caleb was incredibly strong, so the roots of my hair always ached. It looked like a scene full of intense passion, but my pillows were always covered with blood-stained strands of hair. Caleb’s lingering voice echoed in my ear like a demon: “Maya, why can’t you only look at me?” Later, our relationship gradually stabilized. At the very least, before we got into bed, we didn’t fight tooth and nail, turning the place upside down. Caleb also stopped demanding that I stare at him every single second. He unlocked the chains on my wrists, knowing I wouldn’t run away anymore. 2 I panted softly. My stamina couldn’t keep up with Caleb’s anymore. I withdrew my cloudy gaze from the ceiling, and Caleb’s explosively fit body filled my vision. He had gotten a tan; his bronze skin was incredibly sexy. Even past thirty, a man could still have such a roguish, captivating look. Let alone me, even young girls in their twenties would be completely swept off their feet by him. In stark contrast, my thighs were just loose, flabby fat. My silk nightgown had a hole in it, but I was too lazy to change it. Caleb threw on a bathrobe and sat on the sofa. His features were hidden in the shadows, but because they were so sharp, he looked like a chiseled sculpture. I pretended I didn’t hear what he said. “I’ll start a diet tomorrow.” Caleb laughed. He said: “Baby, that’s not what I meant.” Caleb flicked the ash from his cigarette, a casual cruelty in his tone. “What I meant is, you’re actually not all that. It was only because I loved you too much that I put a filter over you.” “Now,” Caleb made an exploding gesture with his hands, “the filter is broken.” He walked out the door without a shred of mercy, tossing out a sentence laced with disgust and relief: “Maya, you’re free.” It took me a long time to digest that sentence. My first reaction wasn’t the ecstatic joy of regaining my freedom, but an anger burning from the inside out. The man who said he loved me the most, the man who said that even in death our ashes had to be mixed together, was now actually breaking up with me. I felt very sad, and then, completely lost. I had been utterly ruined by Caleb. For ten years, I was waited on hand and foot. I had no social life, no friends. I had even forgotten how to use modern electronics. The TV in my room could only play foreign channels and automatically shut off after 8 PM. My range of movement was limited to this mansion and half the mountain behind it—this was the Vance family’s private estate. I was entirely Caleb’s property. So, I had no idea where to go. 3 I had sensed Caleb’s change of heart a long time ago. In the very beginning, he was clingy every single day, calling me his “sweet Maya.” Singing my praises, calling me his moon. From the initial agony, I slowly began to look forward to his arrival. Until he called my name, and I started responding. Caleb wrapped me in a thick blanket and applied medicine to the wounds on my wrists. Fresh blood stained his fingertips. Caleb looked down, coaxing me, his eyes full of heartache. “Maya, does it hurt? “You can hit me, but you must never hurt yourself.” Caleb was so gentle. His eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings. But later, it changed to him coming once a month. Then, every three months. Every six months. Until he kicked me out of the house. After ten years as a canary in a gilded cage, I was unemployed. 4 I actually didn’t have many things. All my clothes were bought by Caleb. He loved dressing me up. There were intricate, gorgeous Lolita dresses, and fresh, elegant little white dresses. I wore whatever Caleb bought for me. Later, when he stopped buying clothes, I just wore pajamas. Before leaving, I looked in the mirror one last time. The woman staring back at me was a bit chubby, her skin was oily, and her hair was a messy, unkempt rat’s nest. No wonder Caleb didn’t like me anymore. So, what kind of woman did he like now? 5 I left the mansion with a single suitcase. Inside was my ID, my passport, and a few professional outfits. I asked the butler, “Where should I go?” The butler sighed, “Go home.” The sunlight was gentle, but also blinding. I walked down the street looking like a mess, receiving strange looks from many people. What was supposed to be the shopping mall from my memory was now just a desolate, empty shell. Too many new skyscrapers had been erected in the city’s busiest areas; I didn’t recognize a single one. Even the roads had been widened into four lanes. I wanted to go back to the mansion. I wanted to beg Caleb to let me stay by his side. I promised to be perfectly obedient. I would never throw a tantrum again. A passerby called the police for me. The police used my ID to contact my next of kin. It was a very familiar voice. I instinctively called out his name: “Liam!” The sound of something shattering came from the other end of the line, followed closely by his urgent voice. “Maya? Is that you? Stay right there, don’t move. I’m coming to take you home right now!” Liam was my boyfriend. I was absolutely certain of it. I blinked, and tears fell. The Liam running toward me blurred into a shape through my tears. He crouched down in front of me, grabbing my hands, trembling uncontrollably. “Where have you been all these years? We all thought you died abroad.” Liam was sobbing uncontrollably. I looked up and asked him, trembling: “Where are Mom and Dad? Why didn’t they come pick me up?” Liam gripped my hands tightly, his tone heavy: “Let’s go home.” 6 This was Liam’s home. But it wasn’t my home. The hallway was cluttered with kids’ tricycles. Before I even reached the door, I could hear the noisy sounds inside. Sharp, piercing children’s voices, and a woman’s strict tone. “No, I said you can only have snacks after you finish your homework!” The two kids’ pleas rose and fell: “Please, Mommy, we just want one piece!” Liam’s eyes were full of apology. He kept his head down, avoiding my gaze. I awkwardly turned my body away too, staring only at the junk piled up in the corner. Liam lived on the top floor; they were the only unit. The small vestibule outside was basically a storage room, packed with clutter. From tricycles to soccer balls, kites, and children’s electronic keyboards—everything screamed of how happy this family was. A sour taste spread from the bottom of my heart, slowly creeping up my nasal cavity, forcing me to the brink of tears. We had promised to get married before graduation. Liam found a pair of shoe covers for me. As he opened the door, he said: “You can stay at my place for now.” The moment the door opened, twins rushed over, hugging Liam’s legs. “Daddy, Daddy! Where did you go? Mommy is still waiting for you to eat!” The woman of the house also approached with an impatient look: “Liam, you just left without saying a word after taking that call. Do you even respect me at all!” She wanted to say more, but stopped abruptly the moment she saw me. She only mumbled one word: “Maya!” I recognized her. She was Liam’s junior in college, Chloe. Chloe’s expression froze on her face. She made way, ordering the two kids back to their seats. She welcomed my arrival with the posture of the lady of the house. Chloe found a pair of slippers. “Honestly, Liam. How could you let Maya wear shoe covers?” Chloe pulled me inside by the hand. “I just finished cooking. The cola chicken wings are still hot.” The atmosphere at the dinner table was even weirder. Chloe didn’t ask where I came from. She only said: “Maya, you can stay at our place without worrying. Don’t feel anxious.” I paused mid-bite of a cola chicken wing. Chloe probably noticed it too—I had gained a lot of weight. In the past, I was very strict about my figure and rarely ate carbs. Cola chicken wings definitely had to be eaten without the skin. At college reunions, Liam was always the one who did all this for me. I comfortably enjoyed his favoritism, and even more so, the envy of everyone else. Chloe was one of those envious people. She had always admired Liam, but Liam never reciprocated. Until I went to Africa to collect samples, a local terrorist attack broke out, and I lost contact that same year. Liam took the initiative to speak up. “Chloe was the one who stayed by my side all these years, helping me walk out of that darkest period. The police couldn’t find any news of you, and everyone told me to move on. So later, Chloe and I got married.” I froze for a moment. The chicken in my mouth turned very bitter. I knew that ten years is a very long time. No one will wait in place for someone else forever. Everyone moves forward. It seemed I was the only one trapped in place. Liam asked me: “Where exactly have you been all these years?” I didn’t dare say. I was terrified of Caleb. During my captivity, there was one time I managed to use an antenna to contact Liam. Even though it was just a few busy signals, it was enough for him to track me down to the mansion. But Caleb quickly discovered everything. He bound my hands and violently shoved me into the car. Liam was handing out flyers on the street. He had absolutely no idea that the person he yearned for day and night was sitting in the Range Rover parked by the curb. Caleb pried my eyes open and said mockingly: “This is a warning.” A motorcycle sped past, knocking Liam over. He lay motionless in a pool of blood, surrounded by scattered flyers. I screamed loudly, wanting to find someone to save Liam. But Caleb held my hand in a death grip. The pitch-black tinted windows only reflected my panicked face. After that incident, I became obedient. I never contacted Liam again. Because I knew, once the secret of me being imprisoned by Caleb was leaked, he had countless ways to silence me. So I could only shake my head. “I don’t know.” Liam said softly: “It’s okay. Tell me when you’re ready.” I didn’t dare look into Liam’s eyes. I had no relationship with him anymore. I could only chew my rice mechanically. Chloe suddenly started crying loudly. I looked at her, bewildered. Large tears rolled from Chloe’s eyes as she continuously apologized to me. “Maya, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of your absence and stolen Liam. I’ll give him back to you. Can you forgive me?” Chloe gripped my hand tightly. It hurt. I didn’t know how to answer. My head was a jumbled mess. “Maya, I am truly, truly sorry!” Her tears were scalding, falling onto the scars on my wrist. Scars so blatant, yet no one had ever seen them. I remembered when I was with Liam. We went to make a sculpture together, and a machine hit my finger. It was only slightly red, but he was so heartbroken he frantically searched for ointment. But now, his eyes were only on Chloe. I knew clearly that the past was the past. “It’s not your fault. Liam and I just weren’t meant to be.” Chloe looked up, wanting to say something, but Liam pulled her away. They erupted into a fierce argument. The two kids were so scared they started bawling. This storm ended with Chloe slamming the door and storming out. Even as he chased after her, Liam didn’t forget to tell me to stay put and be good. I crouched on the floor, picking up scattered toys. The twins ran over and gave me a hard shove. “You ugly woman, you’re not allowed in our house! As soon as you came, Mommy and Daddy started fighting!” “Yeah! Go away! We don’t want to see you!” Losing my balance, I fell to the floor. The twins kept pushing me. Their tiny fists rained down on me, surprisingly heavy and painful. Seeing me unresponsive, terrified that I would refuse to leave, the two of them started crying at the top of their lungs. “Leave! Get out of our house!” “We want Mommy and Daddy! We don’t want them to fight!” Watching the twins screaming themselves hoarse, I seemed to see myself. My muddled brain also recalled some distant scenes. Actually, my relationship with Caleb was never good at all, and I was never infatuated with him. I just had no other choice. In the very beginning of my captivity, I also tried to escape, to fight back, screaming sharply at Caleb just like this. But he would slap me hard across the face, my eardrums ringing with pain, and I would retreat in terror. My body, held in Caleb’s arms, would tremble uncontrollably while he whispered apologies to me over and over again. Later, because my resistance was too fierce… My wrists and ankles continuously ulcerated and healed under the friction of the iron chains, forming thick scabs. Caleb tried to brainwash me. He said that as long as I tried to love him, I wouldn’t be in pain anymore. But a person can’t fall in love with a monster in a suit. Caleb first introduced himself to me as just a junior student. He worked incredibly hard and diligently under my supervision. Despite his noble background, he had no temper. I only looked upon him favorably because of that. I took him to do experiments. We went to the mountains together to collect samples. I even praised Caleb’s beautiful eyes. When the experiment made a breakthrough and we were interviewed by the media, under the spotlight, Caleb’s gaze was infatuated and gentle. He said: “Congratulations, Maya. You will definitely stand at the pinnacle of the scientific research world.” Caleb lowered his head, looking a bit disappointed. “Will you still remember me then?” I ruffled his fluffy hair. “Of course. Didn’t we agree to work together to research and conquer xenograft rejection?” At that time, I certainly never would have thought that one day I would fall so far. I hate that the bright moon hangs high but refuses to shine on me alone. So the moon fell into the mud. And it was no longer the moon you wanted. Caleb fed me drugs. Drugs that stabilized my emotions but made my brain sluggish. Over time, cognitive confusion and memory loss followed. I became obedient, just as he wished. 7 Ten years have changed everything. No one will wait in the same spot for someone else forever. I wouldn’t blame Liam, and naturally, I wouldn’t destroy his family. We just lacked a little bit of destiny. Just a little bit off. What a cruel sentence. How I wished everything in front of me was a dream. When I open my eyes, my parents would be sitting by my bed. They would ask me with concern what happened, if I had a nightmare. Liam would still look 26, his bright future unmarred by a car accident. I would still be my advisor’s favorite student, constantly moving forward towards my goals. But when I opened my eyes, the crying twins were still in front of me. The food had long gone cold, and everything around me was freezing and suffocating. I struggled to get up from the floor, wiped my tears, and left the apartment. Although I only remembered a few fragments, I was lucky enough to remember where my home was. I stumbled along, hoping that once I got home, everything would get better. But when I got home, it wasn’t the warm scene I imagined. I knocked on the door for a long time, but no one answered. A thick layer of dust had accumulated on the welcome mat. The motion-sensor light in the hallway flickered on and off as I kept banging on the iron door. “Mom, open the door. I’m home.” “Dad, I’m home. I didn’t bring my keys. Can you open the door for me?” I even pretended to take out my phone to send a message. Large tears dripped onto the back of my hand. “Mom, are you out shopping? Hurry back, I can’t get in.” “Dad, did you go fishing? I didn’t bring my keys, hurry back and open the door.” The loud knocking disturbed the neighbors. A woman came out and scolded me irritably. “Can you keep it down? The old couple next door passed away last year.” Looking at my appearance, the woman thought I was some crazy person from off the streets, and her tone became harsh. “Who are you? If you don’t leave, I’m calling the cops!” I finally burst into loud sobs. “I’m the daughter of this family!” I was still just a little bit off. Just a little bit, and I would have been home.

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My boss thought I wasn’t “loose” enough. So, he threw me to his nephew to play with. When the door opened, I saw a familiar figure with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. It was my high school desk mate, the guy I’d been secretly in love with for eight years. He stood there in a bathrobe, his eyes turning cold: “Didn’t you say you moved back to your hometown to get married?” 1 I was broke, so I took a job at an exclusive gentlemen’s club. I’d been working there for a month, and I hadn’t landed a single client. My boss said my “straight guy vibe” was too strong and that I needed some “polishing.” After my shift, he told me to get in his car. I walked out feeling incredibly nervous. Jay, one of the other servers, winked at me. “Where are you going?” “The boss said I need some polishing.” Jay gave me a suggestive smile: “Wow, enjoy it then. Our boss rarely does it himself.” ? What did that mean? Getting into the car, I felt even more anxious. My mind was racing with what Jay had just said. I stole a glance at my boss, Arthur Pierce. He was in his mid-thirties but still looked incredibly sharp, giving off total “refined scumbag” elite vibes. I heard from the other guys that Arthur was gay too. He just never had a steady partner. I stared at his tailored shirt and slacks; his belt perfectly accentuated his slim waist. Crap. Is he expecting me to be the top? I’d never done it before. If I didn’t perform well, would he fire me? 2 The car pulled up to a massive, modern European-style mansion. My heart was pounding as I followed him inside. Arthur patted my shoulder: “Why are you keeping your head down? Nervous? Relax, everyone has a first time. Just go with the flow.” He pushed the door open. A tall figure was standing in the living room, pouring a drink. The guy didn’t turn around. Broad shoulders and a narrow waist wrapped in a towel—his back looked incredibly familiar. I didn’t dare stare too long, keeping my eyes down, trying to figure out what to do next. The guy turned around, his tone icy. “Can you stop bringing random people to the house?” That familiar, clear voice. It froze me in my tracks. Leo Vance? My high school desk mate. The guy I’d been secretly in love with for eight years. Arthur stepped forward to greet him: “Hey, I’m just looking out for you! I heard you had an episode, so I brought someone back for you to play with, to help you relieve some stress.” “Oh?” “Just take it easy, though. He’s my employee, don’t break him.” The guy didn’t reply. Arthur nudged me forward: “This is my nephew. He’s very good at ‘teaching.’ Go take a shower, then head to his room.” I clenched my fists, staring at the floor, completely lost. If I had known I was going to run into Leo Vance today, I would have let them beat me to death before getting in the boss’s car. Arthur jingled his car keys and left. I wanted to follow him out. I’d rather be with Arthur. If he wanted me to top, I could probably figure it out if I tried hard enough. I took two steps, but a cold voice stopped me. “Where are you going? The bathroom is on the right.” Footsteps approached. Click, clack. A hand grabbed my shoulder. “Look up.” “…” I gritted my teeth and slowly raised my head. For the first time in years, I looked at that familiar, handsome face. Leo Vance looked even more composed than before. He had lost his boyishness, and there was an indescribable, brooding aura about him. He didn’t seem to recognize me. He tossed a fresh bathrobe at me. “Go shower.” 3 Leo Vance didn’t remember me. Which made sense. We were only desk mates for half a semester. I couldn’t even remember what the kid who sat in front of me looked like anymore. We all tend to forget the unimportant people as time passes. Back in high school. My family was poor. The kind of poor where you genuinely don’t know where your next meal is coming from. I couldn’t afford the school uniform, so I always wore the same faded, washed-out denim jacket. Leo Vance wasn’t supposed to be my desk mate. He missed an exam because of a high fever, got a low score, and when the seating chart was rearranged, he ended up next to me. He didn’t mock me like the other kids. Instead, he’d use the excuse that he brought too much breakfast and give half of it to me. Or, he’d hand me brand-new prep books and say he bought the wrong ones. He was like the winter sun. Warm, but distant. I knew his family was wealthy. His dad owned a corporation, and his uncle was the school principal. For my entire high school career, I just quietly watched that sun. I used to fantasize about getting a little closer to him. But my grades were terrible because I had to work part-time after school. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to pay my tuition or my mom’s medical bills. I couldn’t reach the Ivy League schools Leo was aiming for. But there was a state university with a good sports program nearby that I could try for. I cherished those prep books he gave me, doing the exercises and reviewing my mistakes over and over. But then, right before the athletic scholarship trials… Something happened. I was destined to never get close to the things I foolishly wished for. 4 I stepped out of the bathroom. Leo was waiting for me in the bedroom. I awkwardly clutched the sleeves of the bathrobe, having no idea what I was about to face. If it was Leo Vance, he probably wouldn’t want me to top or bottom. I remembered he was a major germaphobe. There were always tons of guys and girls trying to get his attention—rich ones, gorgeous ones, they were everywhere. He wouldn’t touch me. “Are you clean?” he asked. I nodded. He looked me up and down, his gaze landing below my waist. “I meant down there.” My face instantly flushed bright red, and I couldn’t help but take a step back. “That…” “Do you not know how to prep yourself?” He frowned. “You work for Arthur, and he hasn’t taught you anything?” “He’s my boss, why would he teach me something so detailed?” “Boss?” He poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue and let out a scoff. “Fine. I’ll teach you.” 5 Leo dragged me back into the bathroom. He taught me how to clean myself thoroughly, step by step. My face was burning. Whenever I tried to pull away, he threatened me. “Do you not see the rope on the table? Try hiding again.” “…” I looked at him in profound embarrassment, my voice hoarse. “I… I understand what you’re saying. Can you just… turn around?” This was my last shred of dignity. I didn’t want to leave such a terrible impression on him. Leo looked at me, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Finally, he turned around and even pulled the shower curtain for me. When I finished exactly as he instructed and walked out… He was casually wiping down a long, black leather crop. I had only ever seen something like that in anime cosplay props. Little did I know then… That thing was going to become my nightmare tonight. … 6 I was crying and struggling again. When it was finally over. Leo took off the black silk blindfold covering my eyes and chuckled. “You soaked the pillow. You really were crying.” “…” The restraints were removed. I rubbed the red marks on my wrists. I never knew Leo Vance could be so terrifying. But I also felt a twisted sense of relief. I had seen a completely different side of him. “Is the lesson over? Can I leave now?” I was just about to grab my clothes. He stopped me. “What’s your name?” My heart tightened, a sour ache spreading through my chest. He really didn’t remember who I was. He had forgotten me completely. “Noah.” That was my stage name at the club. Smack. The crop hit the back of my hand, and my clothes fell from my fingertips. “I asked for your real name.” In the game we just played, if I didn’t tell the truth or do exactly what he wanted, he would hit me with that thing. I hesitated, wondering if I should make up another name. I didn’t want him to remember. “My name is Caleb…” “Caleb Hayes. Hayes as in ‘haze.’ Am I right?” His deep voice flowed over me like a cold winter stream. My heart trembled. I stared at him in disbelief. That was how I introduced myself in high school. He still remembered. I didn’t know whether to be happy or to cry. Reuniting with the guy I liked, and it’s in such a humiliating situation. What must he think of me? He probably thinks I’m incredibly cheap. Leo reached out and brushed a tear from the corner of my reddened eye. “Stop crying. You were very good today.” He grabbed a bracelet and clasped it around my wrist. It had a small, circular aluminum charm engraved with the number “1”. “A gift. “Long time no see, Caleb Hayes.” My throat was so dry I didn’t know how to respond. I just kept my eyes down and grabbed my clothes to go to the bathroom. He suddenly asked: “By the way, didn’t you say you moved back to your hometown to get married?” “…” After graduation, he had messaged me once to ask. I didn’t want to tell him I didn’t get into college, so I lied and said I went back home to get married. I lowered my eyes, continuing the lie. “Yeah… we got divorced.” 7 Long time no see. I would rather have never seen him again. Especially not when I was at my absolute lowest. After that day, Arthur didn’t take me to that mansion again. He probably figured I had been fully “trained.” I stayed at the club for another month. Still zero clients. I didn’t understand. Was there something wrong with how I dressed? Why did clients take one look at me and actively avoid me? I looked at the other guys, changed into a crisp white dress shirt, and deliberately left the top few buttons undone. “How do I look?” I asked Jay. “Noah, your straight-guy energy is way too strong. But I’m into it. How about I book you? Come home with me tonight. I love guys built like you—big, muscular, like a bodyguard who could take down ten guys at once. You’d be amazing in bed.” Jay winked at me. I knew he was joking. He was gay, but he only hooked up with rich guys. The manager walked by and scolded us for slacking off. I was just about to walk away. The manager answered his phone, his expression turning serious. Catching me out of the corner of his eye, he grabbed my arm. “Come on, you’re up. There’s a crazy drunk guy upstairs. This is your chance.” On the way, the manager told me to keep my mouth shut and be obedient. He pushed open the VIP room door. It was full of drunks. I walked in and found the rich kid wearing diamond studs. The manager had said this guy was a big shot who got mean when he drank, and told me to just get him back to his room. In the hallway, he leaned all his weight onto my shoulder. He was so heavy. “Sir, where is your room key? I’ll take you back.” “Key?” He stared at me with drunken, glazed eyes and poked my chest. “You’re built pretty solid. Wonder if you can handle being tossed around later.” I frowned. “Sir, which floor?” The upper floors of the club were private suites. You needed a VIP card to access them. He giggled foolishly, raised a finger, and pointed downwards. “The card is down there. Find it yourself.” I was completely used to this kind of vulgar behavior. I reached into his pocket and felt around. Keys and a phone. I was about to check the other pocket. He grabbed my hand: “Don’t stop, baby~” Suddenly, the elevator doors chimed open. Leo Vance was standing there, wearing a sleek black tracksuit. He was playing with a silver lighter in his hand. In the orange glow of the flame, his face flickered in and out of the shadows. Seeing me holding onto someone, the corners of Leo’s mouth were turned up in a smile. But his voice was colder than I had ever heard it. “Aren’t you getting in? You, and your client.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “395080”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel