Category: English

In the sixth year of our marriage, I calmly said to my husband: “If you still won’t let me join your family for New Year’s Eve dinner this year, let’s just get a divorce.” Liam froze for a moment, frowning: “You want a divorce just over a New Year’s Eve dinner?” I rubbed the wedding ring on my finger. It was sterling silver, unbranded, and barely worth anything. Unlike the one he gave his ex-wife—a designer diamond ring worth over ten thousand dollars, which she still wore to this day. In our six years of marriage, my mother-in-law had never once allowed me to attend their New Year’s Eve dinner. Simply because she felt sorry for her former daughter-in-law being all alone in the city, and worried my presence would make her feel awkward. But they seemed to have forgotten that my own hometown was a thousand miles away in the Midwest. I get lonely eating New Year’s Eve dinner by myself, too. I looked up and nodded slightly: “Yes, just over this.” The next second, his phone screen lit up. Right in front of me, Liam “liked” a post his ex-wife had just uploaded, showing a happy family reunion. “How long are you going to drag this out this time?” “You know Leo’s condition, he can’t be left alone.” A thousand miles from home, estranged from my parents. He was certain I had nowhere to go, And even more certain I couldn’t bear to leave the little family I had painstakingly built over six years. I suddenly remembered the year I decided to marry Liam and move far away. My parents were so furious they publicly disowned me. “He’s a divorced man with an autistic son! Marrying him means becoming a free nanny!” I was dead set on it back then, diving headfirst into this highly disapproved marriage. Over the next six years, I stayed by his side as he went from a nobody to a top lawyer worth millions. I taught that stepson, who was entirely trapped in his own world, how to acknowledge people, bit by bit. He learned to call for his grandpa, grandma, dad, and his biological mother. I was the only one who remained a nameless entity without a title. I smiled bitterly, looking down to book a flight back to my hometown. This time, my mind was truly made up. 1. Liam glanced up at the clock. “Twelve minutes left until Leo wakes up.” “We have to go to my mom’s place to pay our New Year’s respects later. Even if the sky falls, it has to wait.” His tone showed he didn’t take my mention of divorce seriously at all. It wasn’t until I placed the pre-prepared divorce agreement in front of him, That Liam finally deigned to look at me. He scanned the clauses and said coldly: “Taking half my assets? Chloe, you have quite an appetite.” “You should know I’m the only one bringing in money for this family!” No explanation, no asking me to stay. Only icy interrogation. I felt an inexplicable urge to cry. For the unworthiness of my past six years. “Liam, these past years I’ve managed the household and taken care of the child.” “I gave you all my youth. Is that not even worth half a million to you?” He irritably tore the divorce agreement to pieces. “Did I force you to marry me?” “Besides, we’re an old married couple now. What exactly are you throwing a tantrum about?” I opened my mouth, but my throat felt blocked by wet cotton. Just last night, in Mia’s social media posts, The stepson, Leo, whom I had raised for six years but who still only called me “Auntie,” Was affectionately calling her “Mom,” over and over again in her video. People around them chimed in, asking what I was, then. Leo paused for a moment and simply said I was just the nanny who cooked. The room erupted in laughter, yet no one spoke a word in my defense. Even my husband didn’t offer a half-sentence of rebuttal. Just as Liam said, no one forced me to marry him. But it was clearly him who promised me, amidst a heavy snowfall, that for the rest of his life, there would only be me. When we first met, I was a newly minted psychology intern at the hospital. Seeing him bring his child in alone for autism treatment always stirred extra sympathy in me. As we got to know each other, I learned that his ex-wife had chosen to divorce him precisely because she couldn’t handle the child’s illness. My heart ached for this father and son from the city, and I took extra care of them. Eventually, my heart landed entirely on Liam. While we were dating, he would remember my period every month, prepare pads in advance, and personally make me brown sugar ginger tea. He would also thoughtfully renew my various app subscriptions. So when he proposed, I agreed without hesitation. Even if it meant marrying far away from home, even if it meant being his second wife, even if it meant becoming a stepmother, I accepted it all. But just as my mother said, dating and marriage are two different things. After moving to the city, because I had to take care of autistic Leo, I chose to become a stay-at-home mom. From then on, my life was consumed by daily chores. When Liam excitedly talked about his latest won case, I was busy apologizing to the parents of a child Leo had hurt. When he wanted to take me out for a romantic candlelight dinner, I chose to refuse because Leo was terrified of strangers. Every time this happened, Liam would hold my hand, visibly moved. “Chloe, thank goodness you are in this family.” For six years, I poured all my energy into a child who shared no blood with me. I hoped he would one day call me “Mom,” Hoped he could live like a normal person. In the end, all I got in return was an “Auntie.” Even my husband tacitly accepted that I was just the family’s nanny. Since that was the case, I wasn’t staying in this family anymore. 2. The flight was booked for tomorrow. It was the first day of the Lunar New Year, and I didn’t want to ruin the mood. After Leo woke up, the whole family headed to my in-laws’ place together. Mia, wearing a red woolen coat, was standing at the door. Seeing her, Liam immediately got out of the car. “Your health isn’t good, and it’s freezing outside. You could have just waited inside.” The woman shot him a flirtatious, scolding look. “I just wanted to see you sooner…” She deliberately paused, mischievously watching Liam’s earlobes turn bright red. Mia added: “I hadn’t finished. I did it all to see Leo.” Liam’s disappointment was visible to the naked eye. With just a few words, she sent the usually composed man on an emotional rollercoaster. Liam was always cool and collected around me. Even on our wedding day, his expression only softened slightly. It turned out all his joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, Had long been reserved for Mia. A sudden, indescribable feeling surged in my heart. Funny enough, this was my very first time meeting Mia in person. Before this, I had only ever peeked at her life through social media. Just as depicted in her posts, Even in her thirties, she remained vibrantly and fiercely beautiful. Just like her irreplaceable position in Liam’s heart. And what about me? I turned to look at my reflection in the car window. No makeup, eyes swollen like walnuts. The wrinkles around my eyes looking exceptionally haggard. Leo, who had been silent, immediately let go of my hand and threw himself into Mia’s arms. Those repeated cries of “Mom” cut into my heart like a knife. Mia kissed his cheek, leaving a lipstick mark. Leo didn’t show a hint of disgust, his eyes full of adoration. A few years ago, I had merely sprayed a little perfume on myself. Leo, sensitive to the smell, covered his nose and started sneezing non-stop. Noticing this, Liam specifically told me to be more mindful. He told me not to wear makeup or dress up anymore, saying it was all for the child’s good. But when it came to Mia, Leo showed absolutely no signs of an allergic reaction. Even Liam looked at me with disdain. “It’s the New Year, why didn’t you dress up a bit? You look so plain.” Mia covered her mouth, hiding a smirk. “I remember when you got married, you showed me her ID photo.” “It’s only been a few years, I thought you had married some middle-aged woman just to gross me out.” Having said that, she feigned guilt and covered her mouth. “I have a habit of speaking my mind. Your current wife won’t be angry, will she?” Liam tickled my palm. “Don’t mind her, that’s just how she is.” “Before we divorced, she used to always call me a stubborn mule.” His tone seemed like a complaint, but it was actually full of nostalgia. I pulled my hand back and walked into the house ahead of them. I could still hear their laughter behind me. “Uh-oh, the wife is mad. Looks like someone’s sleeping in the study tonight.” “Mia, can’t you say something nice for once!” I pretended not to hear, but couldn’t help quickening my pace. As soon as I entered, I saw my mother-in-law getting up enthusiastically from the sofa. But when she realized it was me, her face instantly turned cold. Since we got married, she had never given me a single pleasant look. My mother-in-law felt that because I came from a small town, Marrying Liam, who already had a child, was nothing more than a ploy to get a city residency. For the first time, I didn’t try to warm up to her coldness. I sat on the sofa and started cracking sunflower seeds. In the past, to please this mother-in-law, Even though I wasn’t allowed to attend the New Year’s Eve dinner, I would still show up on New Year’s Day with all sorts of expensive supplements. Clearly, I bought them with my own private savings, But from her mouth, it became me recklessly spending her son’s money. 3. Lunch was exceptionally lavish. Amidst the uniform array of sweet dishes, there were surprisingly a few spicy ones. Mia winked playfully at my mother-in-law. “Mom really loves me the most, knowing I like spicy food.” Liam, however, frowned. “You just said yesterday your stomach was hurting. Eat less of that.” He smoothly passed over a peeled shrimp. Realizing I was still there, Liam smiled awkwardly. “I remembered you’re allergic to seafood, so I didn’t peel any for you.” To placate me, he put a piece of braised pork in my bowl. I forced a smile, feeling incredibly bitter. I had never liked sweet food. Liam used to joke that I didn’t even like the sweet and sour pork from my own hometown. But now, he had completely forgotten my preferences. Or rather, he no longer kept them in mind. After the meal, the table was a mess. My mother-in-law instructively commanded me, as usual. “Hey, you, remember to wash these by hand.” “Don’t use the dishwasher, it wastes water.” I looked up at her. The mother-in-law I always used to find intimidating, Was really just a mean, nitpicking little old lady. She always used that condescending tone, calling me “hey, you.” She refused to call me by my name, refused to acknowledge my position. Yet I still wanted to please her. Simply because I wanted to be a good wife to Liam, a good daughter-in-law to the Vance family. But now. I didn’t even want Liam anymore. And I certainly wouldn’t back down anymore. I stood up, “Mom, this is the last time I’ll call you that.” “Your son and I are getting a divorce.” Without waiting for my mother-in-law’s reaction, I turned and left. Walking past the living room, I happened to see the two of them on the balcony. They seemed to be arguing. Mia bit her lip, staying silent, then simply stood on her tiptoes and kissed Liam. The man’s hands, resting on her shoulders and meant to push her away, gradually slid down. Finally, he gripped the woman’s waist tightly. I stood frozen, feeling like I had swallowed a fishbone. My throat was slashed raw, even my breathing carried the metallic taste of blood. Liam once told me he hated his heartless ex-wife. Hated her for being so selfish that she abandoned her husband and child for her so-called freedom. He got dead drunk, crying as he recounted that failed marriage. But I forgot, where there is no love, how can there be hate? My mother-in-law, standing behind me, suddenly said coldly: “I never welcomed you marrying into this family in the first place.” “My son and Mia merely got divorced, it’s not like they can’t remarry.” “As for you, you’d better find someone else while you’re still young.” She paused, looking at me with pity. “Though you aren’t that young anymore, almost thirty, right?” While we were talking, Liam had walked over to me. He grabbed my hand and headed straight for the front door. Mia’s sorrowful voice trailed behind us. “Liam, what happened back then was my fault.” “But it’s been six years, can’t you forgive me?” I turned to look at the man beside me. And caught a glimpse of a smear of red on his lips. Bitten by Mia. It wasn’t until we were back in the car that Liam regained his composure. “Don’t listen to her nonsense. I’m not going to divorce you.” “As for that kiss, I was forced.” But I witnessed the whole thing. Saw the love and reluctance in Liam’s eyes. “Do you really not love her anymore?” The car fell into silence. Mia caught up to us right at that moment. Seeing me sitting in the back, a look of realization dawned in her eyes. “Liam, is this what you mean by not having me in your heart?” “Yet your passenger seat has always been reserved for me.” I looked at the man who didn’t dare turn around, and asked softly: “Didn’t you tell me someone in your family had a car accident while sitting in the passenger seat, And out of concern for my safety, you didn’t let me sit there?” Mia’s eyes crinkled with laughter. “Silly sister, you actually believed that?” “After we got married, I got jealous that he gave a female colleague a ride home and let her sit in the passenger seat.” “Later, I taught him to make up an excuse, and that’s how the passenger seat became my exclusive spot.” Liam slammed on the gas, gradually leaving Mia behind. Only when the woman’s figure completely vanished from the rearview mirror, Did he finally speak to promise me. “I’ll keep my distance from her from now on.” “I’ve never thought about remarrying her, really.” As soon as the words left his mouth, his phone rang. 4. Liam didn’t answer, putting the phone on silent. If he really wanted to cut contact. He could have just blocked her. The flashing screen was like vines that couldn’t be shaken off. Binding both Liam and me. Finally, I spoke, “You should answer it.” To show his determination, Liam put the call on speaker. “If you dare leave today, I’ll jump off a building right now.” Liam’s hand trembled, almost dropping the phone. He turned to look at me, his eyes full of anxiety. “Chloe, I swear, this is the last time.” Before I even nodded, the car doors automatically unlocked. On New Year’s Day, I was kicked out of the car by my husband. In the dead of winter, without even giving me time to put on my coat. During peak holiday traffic, I couldn’t get a cab. I walked back for two hours braving the freezing wind. After tossing a few cold pills into my mouth, I fell into a deep sleep. When I woke up again, it was already 3 AM. A strange pain started in my lower abdomen. I thought my period was coming, so I drank some hot water and started packing my bags. There wasn’t really much to pack. Not many of my things were in the house. Instead, books on treating autistic children filled the entire bookshelf. And the various legal statutes and case files Liam needed. After packing my important documents, I was completely awake. I simply started scrolling through my social media feed. The newest post was a photo of Mia at an amusement park. The caption read: [The real family of three reunited again~] The man who, just this morning, promised me it was the last time, Was accompanying his ex-wife and taking his autistic child to the most crowded amusement park. The in-laws who were always active in the family group chat were liking the post. The comments section was full of people asking when they were getting remarried. Some relatives, finding it inappropriate, told Mia, the ex-wife, to know her boundaries. Before she could reply, Liam’s uncle commented directly. “Even if they are divorced, she is still the child’s biological mother. That can’t be changed.” “Besides, just because they can’t be husband and wife, doesn’t mean they can’t be friends, right?” I didn’t dare scroll down any further. Afraid those words would turn into blades, stabbing into my organs one by one. But my fingers seemed to have a mind of their own. And left one final, fresh reply: [No need to be friends, you can go back to being husband and wife.] I curled up in my blankets, waiting until dawn before I felt a hint of sleepiness. A loud bang on the door scared my heart into a frantic rhythm. Liam walked into the bedroom, his face dark. He angrily yanked me up from the bed. I instinctively tried to struggle, but he furiously slapped me. “Do you know that comment you left made Mia cry all night long!” “Will you only be satisfied when you’ve torn this entire family apart?” “Go apologize to Mia right now!” My crumbling emotions could no longer be suppressed. “Why should I apologize to a woman who destroyed my family?” Liam raised his hand, but eventually lowered it mid-air. He said through gritted teeth, “If we’re talking about who came first, aren’t you the other woman?” I looked up in shock. The burning pain on my left cheek turned into a sharp sting. Even my heart began to ache. I started crying uncontrollably, even breathing became difficult. Liam’s face turned deathly pale, and he explained in frustration. “That’s not what I meant, I just…” Before he could finish, the phone in his pocket started vibrating. It was Mia again. “Liam, I’m pregnant.” “It’s probably from that time you came to see me in River City last month.” “If I don’t see you in an hour, I’m going to the hospital to get an abortion.” Last time she threatened to jump off a building, this time she added a new life. Liam gripped his phone tightly, his fingertips turning white. After a long time, he spoke with difficulty. “I drank too much that time, but the child is innocent.” Without waiting for my answer, Liam grabbed his car keys and left. Right then, a sharp pain struck my lower abdomen. Pulling back the covers, I realized the bedsheets were already stained red. I called Liam’s name in a panic. But only heard the sound of the door slamming shut. My irregular periods had kept me from ever suspecting I was pregnant. And as for now? I no longer had to agonize over whether to keep the child. My phone lit up, reminding me I had two hours until boarding. Six years ago, clutching a plane ticket, I accompanied him to the unfamiliar city of Shanghai; Six years later, all alone, it was time for me to go home too. Three days later, a physically and mentally exhausted Liam pushed open the bedroom door. The scene before him, however, made his entire body tremble. 5 The important documents I needed to take were already packed. I changed my clothes, left the signed divorce agreement on the nightstand, and took a cab to leave. But when the plane landed at Harbin Airport, looking at the vast expanse of white outside the window, I suddenly felt like I was running away. But where else could I run to? In love, I lost so completely that I didn’t even leave myself a way out. Carrying my luggage, I eventually returned to the familiar alley. When my mom saw me, she was startled at first, then glanced behind me, “Where is he? It’s the dead of winter, why didn’t he come back with you?” Without waiting for my answer, she took my suitcase. As soon as I stepped inside, the heat hit my face. Dad handed me a cup of hot tea. I bit my lip awkwardly, “Mom, I…” I couldn’t get the rest of the words out. Mom snorted coldly, “Did you guys have a fight?” “I told you not to insist on marrying so far away!” “Now you’ve been wronged, and you have nowhere to go to reason with anyone.” Mom scolded me while turning back to the kitchen. In no time, seven or eight dishes were ready. “Is the Vance family so poor? They can’t even give you a full meal?” “Look how thin you are! People would think you’re a refugee.” She naturally put a chicken drumstick in my bowl. Dad cleared his throat and looked at me: “Your mom has been hoping you’d come back.” “A few years ago, when she couldn’t reach you by phone and you didn’t reply to her messages,” “She even went to Shanghai herself. Seeing that you were doing okay, she finally felt relieved.” “Every year on the second day of the New Year, she buys groceries in advance, just waiting for you to come back.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394627”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

On the day my fiancé was supposed to get engaged to the real heiress, I had a fleeting, manic thought of driving my car straight into the venue and perishing together with them. But right at that moment of madness, my phone started ringing off the hook. I answered. It was the hospital. “Ms. Hayes, you’re pregnant…” I turned off the engine and sat there, frozen. Half an hour later, joyful music drifted from the banquet hall. I started the car, turned around, and headed to the airport. From then on, the “fake heiress” of the Hayes family vanished from New York, just as everyone wished. I went to Miami, thousands of miles away, narrowly escaping death to give birth to my daughter—my only true blood relative. I never contacted those people again. Until four years later, when they, one by one, reappeared in front of me. 1 Seeing Arthur again after four years was at the kindergarten entrance. I had just picked up Lily when a mother next to me suddenly leaned in: “Lily’s mom, look at the guy across the street. He looks just like that famous singer… what’s his name again…” I followed her gaze and saw him. “Arthur Vance!” the mother tapped her head. “Yes, Arthur Vance!” I looked away. “I don’t know him.” She looked surprised. “Do you not listen to music? Arthur Vance! The hottest original singer-songwriter these past few years! He’s won so many awards! “Oh wow, honestly, his face looks a bit like yours… you’re both so good-looking…” I smiled, shook my head, took Lily’s hand, and kept walking. “Chloe Hayes.” Unexpectedly, his voice came from behind. I ignored him and kept walking. “Chloe!” Lily looked up. “Mom, is that uncle behind us calling you? Why did he call you Chloe Hayes?” I smiled and shook my head. “He got the wrong person.” Who would have thought, as we reached the parking lot and I was about to open the car door, someone grabbed my arm. I turned around. It was a panting Arthur. “Chloe, you… you’re actually still alive?!” His words were as sharp and mean as always. But perhaps because he ran too fast, his eyes were faintly red. 2 I left Lily at a neighbor’s house. Walking downstairs, Arthur stood with his hands in his pockets: “Why do you live in such a dump? Where’s your apartment? I’ll go up and take a look.” I shook my head. “There’s no need for that.” Four years ago, he was the one who said his only sister was Mia. He was also the one who said calling someone like me his sister made him sick. When I was kicked out of the Hayes family by Liam, dumped by Ethan, and completely out of options, I had thought of turning to him, my biological brother. On a heavily snowing day, I stood outside his office building all night, nearly freezing to death. But all I got in return was him saying his biggest wish was that he never had me as a sister. “If you hadn’t been born, Mia wouldn’t have been switched at birth and wouldn’t have suffered so much. “Sister? What a joke. The Hayes family threw you out, and now you’re trying to leech off me using blood ties? “I will never recognize someone like you as my sister.” That was when I realized, no matter how well I treated him, he hated me because of Mia. Right now, he still looked at me with that scrutinizing, frowning gaze. “That kid… is Ethan’s? You ran away just to have his baby?” I was silent for a moment. “She’s my child alone.” He scoffed. “Chloe, that kid is a spitting image of him. Do you think I’m blind? “Don’t tell me you thought secretly having his kid would win his heart back? Are you that desperate for love? “How ridiculous. How stupid…” “I said, she is my child alone,” I interrupted him. “I never thought of returning to New York, nor did I ever think of using a child to steal Ethan from your sister. You can rest easy. There’s no need to be so aggressive. “Just like you said back then, apart from blood, we are essentially strangers. I have no interest in your life now, so please don’t dictate mine.” He froze. “If you have nothing else to say, then leave.” I turned around. “Wait.” He suddenly grabbed me. He opened his mouth, then closed it. “You, you…” I frowned. “What?” “Why… why did you leave back then…” I looked at him quietly. “You were a spoiled rich girl who couldn’t do anything. Just because people said a few bad things, you played the ‘run away pregnant’ trope? “If I hadn’t run into you, how much longer were you planning to live this miserable life? And these past four years…” He paused. “How… how did you survive?” 3 I looked at the reddening corners of his eyes. Probably from anger. He was probably shocked I was still alive, and my being alive was a threat to Mia’s happy life. How did I survive? Someone traded their life so I could live. But I had no obligation to tell him that. The old Chloe Hayes, who never had to lift a finger, was like a beautiful, dependent dodder plant. But the current Chloe Vance had long stopped crying and begging others for support. Seeing me stay silent, he grew anxious. “No, why are you being so evasive now? Did that massive earthquake in Miami a few years ago break your brain? “Running off to this middle of nowhere, encountering an earthquake is what you get.” Just then, a neighbor walked by and greeted me, “Hey Chloe, haven’t started cooking yet?” I smiled. “Just about to.” Arthur was stunned. “You should go,” I said. But he grabbed onto me tightly. “Why did you change your last name?! Vance?! Did you get married? No, whose last name is this?” “Whose last name it is is none of your business.” I brushed his hand away, speaking clearly. “What my last name is, how I’m doing… Arthur, it has absolutely nothing to do with you.” 4 Arthur is a celebrity. He couldn’t afford to be seen tussling with me in public. I went upstairs, brought Lily back, and through the hallway window, saw him still standing blankly downstairs. He had never cared about me before. His melancholy now was probably just him not being used to my cold attitude. After all, four years ago, when I learned about this poor prodigy’s musical dreams, I exhausted almost all my connections in New York’s high society just to get him a chance to perform on stage. Even his current management agency—I found the best one for him. He was my biological brother. He had suffered a lot, and I wanted the best for him. But all my efforts were ultimately twisted by him. He thought I was calculating, trying to use him to isolate Mia and make her miserable. “Mom, was that uncle today your family?” I was slightly taken aback, then smiled and patted Lily’s head. “No, why would you think that?” “I just guessed. You guys look alike.” Family. Liam’s face suddenly flashed in my mind. I used to think that regardless of blood, Liam would always be my older brother. But four years ago, holding Mia who had fallen down the stairs, he looked at me with a gaze full of pure fury. “Chloe, you are such a disappointment. “From today on, the Hayes family doesn’t know you, and I don’t have you as a sister. “My only sister is Mia.” I cried and clung to his pant leg, swearing I didn’t push Mia, begging him not to abandon me, but he kicked me away and walked off holding Mia without a single look back. I shook my head. “That person is not Mom’s family.” She looked a bit disappointed. “I thought besides Uncle, Mom had other family.” I smiled and tapped her nose. “For Mom, having you and Uncle is enough.” “But Uncle isn’t here anymore…” She pouted. “I miss him so much.” I understood how she felt. But mere disappointment is better than the agonizing pain of gaining and losing, of relying on someone only to be ripped away from them. I had been through it, so I wouldn’t let my daughter go through it again. But I didn’t expect… The very next day, I saw Liam. 5 Lily got a fever in the middle of the night. I took her to the hospital. The viral infection was quite aggressive, requiring hospitalization and an IV drip. I stayed up all night. The next morning, her fever finally broke, but she was listless and weak. I carried her on my back to head home, stopping by street vendors to buy some meat and vegetables. After I paid, the bags were taken from my hands by a pair of long, well-defined fingers. I froze, looked up, and in the misty morning fog, I saw Liam’s face. Sleep deprivation made my mind go blank. I blankly called out “Brother,” before realizing he had forbidden me from calling him that a long time ago. I couldn’t afford to offend the Hayes family. After all, to punish me for “bullying” Mia, Liam just needed to say one word to have me blacklisted by all of New York high society. “Mr. Hayes,” I immediately corrected myself. I was trying to figure out why he suddenly appeared in Miami, naturally missing his momentarily ugly expression. “I’ll carry this for you,” he said softly. “No need.” I hurriedly reached for the bags in his hand, losing my balance. Lily whimpered on my back. “Don’t push yourself, Chloe.” He grabbed my arm, stopping me from taking the bags back. “I’ll take you and the child home.” 6 Chloe. Liam hadn’t called me that in a very long time. The Hayes parents were abroad year-round. In the past, I was practically raised single-handedly by Liam. When he treated me as his biological sister, Liam truly spoiled me. Someone once asked him, wasn’t he afraid I’d cause trouble if he spoiled me this much? He just half-squinted. “So what if she causes trouble? If she wants to cause trouble, let her. Even if the sky falls, I’ll cover for her.” But later, Mia returned to the Hayes family. At first, he still told me I would always be his sister. But faced with Mia’s repeated provocations, he always told me to endure it. “She’s suffered a lot, Chloe. Let her have her way.” He said we had to compensate her. I didn’t want to make things difficult for him. He had been my brother for over twenty years; I wanted him to be happy. So I yielded, I endured, time and time again. It wasn’t until he ultimately believed Mia’s framing of me unconditionally that I understood: I saw him as a brother, but he had long stopped seeing me as a sister. And when he withdrew all his kindness toward me, when I fell into the mud and was condemned by everyone, I finally realized how foolish I was to have always relied on him. The drive was silent. I hadn’t sat in a luxury car like a Maybach in a long time and wasn’t used to it. I just held Lily and shrank into the corner, thinking about why Liam was here. Did Arthur tell him? Was he afraid I’d hurt Mia, so he rushed over overnight to make sure? What would he do to me? Would he punish me for secretly having Ethan’s child? I didn’t know, and I couldn’t figure it out. My head just hurt so much. I held Lily tighter, completely missing the deep longing in his eyes as he looked at me. “Chloe…” I looked up. He had many more wrinkles around his eyes. “Four years ago, we all thought… you…” “Thought I died, I know,” I finished his sentence. “Actually, you can just pretend I died. I lost the desire to compete with Mia a long time ago. Everything belonged to her anyway. Returning things to their rightful owner is fine. You don’t need to be nervous, you don’t need to be on guard, and you certainly don’t need to come confirm it. I just want to live a quiet life with my daughter now.” “Oh, and my daughter will only stay with me. She will absolutely not look for Ethan. I swear on my life, I will definitely not proactively use my daughter to ruin Mia and Ethan’s relationship. You can rest easy.” I looked at him and repeated: “You really can rest easy.” He froze. “I’m not…” “Are you afraid I’ll use the Hayes identity to do something bad? Don’t worry, I absolutely won’t. I changed my last name ages ago…” “Chloe!” he suddenly interrupted me. His eyes were red. “Brother wants… wants to take you back…” 7 I didn’t understand what Liam was thinking. I haven’t been a Hayes for a long time. He was the one who announced it to the world four years ago. And what would I go back for? To continue being Mia’s punching bag? I also didn’t understand why a man of his status insisted on following me back to a 500-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment. I put Lily on the bed in the bedroom, walked to the cabinet, and took out a box of tea leaves. But then I realized he probably wouldn’t drink this cheap stuff. After thinking about it, I handed him a bottle of mineral water. His gaze fell on my right hand, a look of incomprehensible bitterness crossing his face. “Your fingers… are they better?” I looked down. The pinky and ring fingers on my right hand couldn’t move. This stemmed from after Mia returned to the Hayes family. Once, I accompanied her to visit a Hayes factory. She was curious and discussing a mechanical design with an engineer. To test her theory, she pressed the start button on a test machine. And at that moment, my hand was resting right there. Before the accident, I was a rising star in piano performance. It was the only area where I outshone Mia. I wasn’t as smart or as capable as her; playing the piano was my only talent. When Mia first returned to the Hayes family, whenever I practiced, she would look at me with deep regret: “I’ve loved music since I was little. If I hadn’t been switched at birth, I would be playing the piano right now too.” But I could never play the piano on stage again. I found it hard to accept for a while, causing scenes and throwing fits for a long time. I always felt she did it on purpose, so I couldn’t help but hate her for stealing my only source of light. Until she suddenly attempted suicide. After she was saved, I instantly went from victim to perpetrator. I still remember that day. Liam came back from visiting Mia, pinching the bridge of his nose, and said to me: “It’s just that you can’t play the piano. It’s just two fingers. Do you really have to have her life? Even if you’re a useless piece of trash, even if you aren’t my biological sister, didn’t I tell you the Hayes family would provide for you for the rest of your life? Do you really have to act like this?” Arthur coldly added: “If it weren’t for the mix-up, Mia would be the one playing the piano anyway. You’re just giving back what you stole. What right do you have to throw a tantrum?” They both told me my fingers would never fully heal and that throwing a fit wouldn’t change anything. But later, at the celebration party where Mia secured a patent using the mechanical design that crushed my fingers, I overheard a doctor telling Liam: “I told you back then, if Ms. Hayes went abroad for rehabilitation immediately, she could definitely recover over 90% of her function. But you never took her? Now it’s going to be very hard to recover.” Liam replied indifferently: “It’s fine if Chloe doesn’t play the piano anymore. Mia has wanted to learn the piano since she was little. Seeing Chloe unable to play might help balance her out mentally.” “Besides, no matter how useless Chloe is, I’ll take care of her. Whether she can play the piano or not doesn’t matter.” So my dreams, my future—in his heart, they were merely weights used to balance Mia’s mind. When did I start being afraid of him? Probably starting from that moment. “I heard you’re teaching music at an institute,” he suddenly said now. I froze, eyes wide as I looked at him. “I’m just teaching introductory music to toddlers. It’s simple music, so I don’t need my ring or pinky finger to play it. “I have no intention of returning to the stage to play the piano. I absolutely will not affect Mia’s mood because of me. I just need this job to raise my child. And the doctor said my fingers have permanent nerve damage. I’ll never be able to play the piano well in this lifetime. Even so, are you still not going to allow this?” He froze: “Chloe, I didn’t…” But whatever he said, I couldn’t hear it anymore. The fear of my life being ruined struck me again. I couldn’t lose this hard-won job just because it might upset Mia. So I desperately showed him my immobile fingers. “Really! I can’t play, I really can’t play. I gave back everything the Hayes family gave me!” “If you don’t believe me, you can try bending them. They don’t move!” “I was your sister for many years, can’t you at least leave me a way out?” He stood up in a panic, taking quick strides forward to hold my constantly trembling shoulders. “Chloe, don’t be afraid! Don’t be afraid! “This time I will protect you! Believe your brother!” How could I not be afraid? This life I finally managed to restart. The life Noah traded his own to give Lily and me. “No!” I shoved him hard. But the more I struggled, the tighter he held me. Having not slept all night, I ultimately couldn’t match his strength. And in the struggle, my vision suddenly went black… And I fainted.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394612”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

On the day I was diagnosed with nerve necrosis in my hand, I sat alone outside the clinic, waiting for the final verdict. Arthur, who was supposed to accompany me for the follow-up, sent a text: [Mia fainted from nervousness at her stage debut. I have to stay with her at the hospital. Go see the doctor yourself first.] Right after, I saw Mia’s social media post. In the photo, Arthur was carefully massaging her wrist with those hands of his that were always considered precious, his eyes filled with a level of anxiety I had never seen before. The caption read: [So glad you’re here. My hands are your life.] Right. She is a pianist; her hands are her life. I am a surgeon; my hand was ruined to save Arthur, so it’s worthless. I calmly turned off my phone. Instead of having a hysterical breakdown like I used to, I pushed open the department head’s door and signed my name on the already prepared Doctors Without Borders Agreement. This journey meant life or death was uncertain, and there was no return date. As I walked out of the hospital, Arthur called, his tone carrying a guilt-ridden attempt to please: “Chloe, when you get home tonight, I’ll stew your favorite soup to nourish you.” I looked at the withered yellow leaves falling by the roadside and replied flatly: “No need.” Because there would be no ‘after’ anymore. 1 Arthur didn’t come home until early the next morning. When he walked in, I was in the living room sorting out discarded surgical scalpels. Those were the tools I once relied on to make a living, but now they could only be disposed of as scrap metal. He saw me, frowned, and spoke with a hint of exhaustion and impatience from staying up all night: “Why didn’t you answer my calls yesterday? Still mad about what happened with Mia?” I didn’t even look up, tossing a delicate scalpel into the trash can. “Not mad. Just fell asleep.” Arthur clearly didn’t believe me. In the past, whenever he abandoned me for Mia, I would have trashed the house and cried, forcing him to choose between the two of us. But today, the house was excessively clean. Even the medical trophies I usually cared about the most were packed away. He paused for a moment, then seemed relieved and walked over to take my hand. “It’s good you’re not mad. Yesterday Mia had a stress-induced syncope. The doctor said she has poor psychological resilience and needs someone by her side. You’re a doctor, you should understand, right?” I turned sideways to avoid his touch. My right hand trembled slightly. That was the lingering effect of the car accident three years ago, when glass pierced my wrist as I protected his head. “Yeah, I understand.” Arthur’s hand hovered mid-air, and his face darkened. “Chloe, that’s enough. I’ve already explained it, and I brought you a gift.” He pulled a delicate velvet box from his pocket and handed it to me. Opening it, I saw a bracelet. It was beautiful, but I immediately recognized it as the brand Mia endorsed—it was a complimentary gift the brand had sent yesterday. “Thank you.” I closed the lid and casually placed it on the corner of the coffee table. A flash of irritation crossed Arthur’s eyes: “What kind of attitude is that? Didn’t you want jewelry from this brand the most before? I brought it back for you now, and you’re giving me an attitude?” Looking at his self-righteous demeanor, I suddenly found it funny. I wanted it before because I thought it was proof of his love for me. I don’t want it now because I know that in his heart, I am not even worth as much as Mia’s freebie. “Arthur,” I looked at him calmly, “my hand hurts, I don’t want to fight.” Hearing the words “my hand hurts,” Arthur’s arrogance instantly deflated by half. Probably remembering that this hand was ruined because of him. He took a deep breath, his tone softening a bit: “Is your old injury acting up because of the rainy weather? It just so happens Mia gave me some special medicated patches, saying they’re good for joints. I’ll go get them for you.” You see, this is Arthur. His “compensation” to me always carries Mia’s shadow. I stood up, not looking at him. “No need, I have things to do and need to go back to the hospital.” Arthur grabbed me, his brow furrowing: “It’s the weekend, why are you going back to the hospital? Can’t your hand not perform surgery anymore?” “To process my resignation.” Arthur paused, then sneered: “Resigning is good too. Since your hand can’t hold a scalpel steady anyway, just stay home and focus on preparing for pregnancy. I’ll support you.” He thinks I’m returning to domestic life because I’m incapable. He doesn’t know I’m preparing to leave him for good. I didn’t explain. I grabbed my bag and pushed the door open to leave. 2 Arthur never liked my job. He thought being a surgeon was dirty, tiring, involved night shifts, and left no time for family. Especially after my hand was injured, he publicly stated on multiple occasions: “My Chloe will be a rich housewife from now on, no need to go serve patients anymore.” Everyone praised him for his deep devotion, for not minding that I was a cripple. Only I knew that he just found my scar-covered hands disgusting and embarrassing to take out in public. Arriving at the hospital, I handed the signed agreement to the department head. The department head looked at me and sighed: “Chloe, have you thought this through? The environment over there is very harsh, with wars and plagues constantly. Even though you can’t be the primary surgeon, you’re more than qualified to be a medical consultant here. There’s no need to risk your life.” I smiled and nodded. “I’ve thought it through. There’s nothing left for me here, and I also want to go find the meaning of life.” Coming out of the department head’s office, I ran into Arthur’s assistant. He was holding a thick stack of documents, and when he saw me, he looked a bit flustered, instinctively trying to hide the documents behind his back. “Dr. Hastings… what a coincidence.” I glanced at the corner of the document peeking out from behind him; it was a proposal for establishing the “Mia Sullivan Arts Foundation.” So, Arthur had been so incredibly busy recently, not even having time to accompany me for my checkup, because he was busy throwing money at paving the way for Mia. I smiled: “It is a coincidence. Did Mr. Vance send you?” The assistant stammered: “Mr. Vance said… Miss Sullivan’s hands need top-tier care, and asked me to inquire if the hospital has that imported physiotherapy machine.” A pang hit my heart. I had begged Arthur for half a year to help contact foreign manufacturers to import that physiotherapy machine. With my nerve damage, only that machine could alleviate the pain of atrophy. What did Arthur say back then? He said: “Chloe, that machine is too expensive, and the process is too complicated. With your hand the way it is, using it won’t make much of a difference. Just endure it and it’ll pass.” It turns out it wasn’t too complicated; it was just that my hand wasn’t worthy. Now, just for Mia to maintain her skin, he eagerly sends someone to buy it. “Dr. Hastings, please don’t overthink it, Mr. Vance is also doing this for…” The assistant tried to explain. “For his life, I know.” I cut him off. “Go about your business.” I turned and walked away. My phone buzzed. It was a message from Arthur: [There’s a charity gala tonight. Come with me. Remember to wear that long-sleeved dress to cover the scars on your hand.] Even through the screen, I could feel his disgust. I replied with one word: [Okay.] This would be my last time playing along with his act. 3 The gala was filled with glamorous people. Arthur held my arm, a polite smile on his face, playing the role of the perfect fiancé. But his grip on my arm was very tight, seemingly terrified I would accidentally expose the hideous scars on my wrist. “Tonight is Mia’s night. Talk less and don’t embarrass me,” he warned me in a low voice. I nodded submissively. Halfway through the banquet, Mia went on stage to perform. Under the spotlight, she wore a pure white gown, looking like an otherworldly fairy. Her hands danced across the black and white piano keys; it was indeed beautiful. As the song ended, thunderous applause erupted. Arthur watched the stage with a burning passion in his eyes I had never seen before. “Tonight, there is a special segment. To celebrate Miss Sullivan’s successful debut, Mr. Vance has prepared a mysterious grand prize!” With that, a hostess wheeled out a display case. When the red cloth was lifted, the crowd gasped. It was one of only three sets of top-tier microsurgical instruments left in the world, priceless and unavailable on the open market. My heart skipped a violent beat. This was something I had always dreamed of. I had shown pictures of it to Arthur countless times, telling him that if I had these instruments, my hand might still be saved, and I could return to the operating table. He had only told me I was dreaming then. Now, he had bought it. Arthur turned his head, looked at me with a hint of credit-seeking smile in his eyes: “Do you like it?” I froze. Did he buy it for me? In that moment, my dead heart actually experienced a shameful waver. Maybe he did remember my dream? Maybe his previous coldness was just because he was too busy? With trembling hands, I reached out to touch the display case. “Everyone!” Arthur’s voice boomed through the microphone across the hall. “These instruments represent the limit of human hands. I bought them hoping they can protect the most precious thing.” He paused, looking deeply at Mia. “Mia, your hands are God’s masterpiece. I am donating these instruments to your Arts Foundation to be the cornerstone collection, to forever remind the world that the value of art is above all else!” The hall erupted in thunderous applause. My hand froze mid-air, like a joke. It turns out, the scalpel meant to save lives was, in his eyes, merely an ornament to be displayed to showcase that woman’s nobility. Mia gathered her skirts and ran off the stage, throwing herself into Arthur’s arms, saying coquettishly: “Arthur, you are so good to me! But Chloe seems to really like this, how about…” She looked at me, her eyes full of provocation. Arthur wrapped his arm around her waist, not even sparing me a glance. “Her hands have been ruined for a long time; giving it to her would be a waste of a treasure. Such top-tier items only have value when placed with you.” I felt the blood in my veins reverse course. A waste of a treasure. So the hands I risked my life to save him with were nothing but trash in his heart. I took a deep breath, forcing back the burning sensation in my eyes. “Mr. Vance is right,” I spoke, my voice so calm it scared even me. “Trash indeed does not deserve to possess such things.” Arthur frowned, seeming surprised by my compliance, and yet feeling my words were somewhat jarring. But I didn’t give him time to think, turning and walking toward the restroom. In the stall, I received a confirmation email from the medical aid team to Africa: [Dr. Chloe Hastings, your flight is booked. Departure in three days. Please maintain confidentiality.] Looking at the flight information on the screen, I finally smiled. Three days. Just three more days, and I would be completely free. 4 After the gala, unusually, Arthur didn’t take Mia home but returned to the villa with me instead. In the car, he frequently looked at me through the rearview mirror. “You’re very quiet tonight,” he broke the silence. “Usually at occasions like this, if you saw me being good to Mia, you’d be throwing a fit.” I looked at the night scenery flashing by outside the window. “Tired of fighting. It’s pointless.” Arthur seemed very satisfied with this answer. “It’s good you’ve figured it out. Mia is a pure girl; she and I are just confidants. As long as you’re obedient, the position of Mrs. Vance is always yours.” Mrs. Vance? Who cares. Back home, Arthur was in a good mood and uncharacteristically poured me a glass of water. “By the way, next month is your birthday. I had my assistant book flights to the Maldives. We’ll go relax.” He probably felt he had embarrassed me publicly tonight and wanted to throw me a bone. In the past, I would have been so happy I wouldn’t have been able to sleep. But now, I only found it ironic. Next month, I would already be on the war-torn African continent. “No need,” I took the water but didn’t drink it. “I have plans next month.” Arthur’s face darkened: “What plans do you have? Just staying at home, right? Chloe, I’m giving you an out, take it. Don’t be ungrateful.” “The company arranged a continuing education course for me,” I lied. “It’s closed-door; no phones allowed.” Arthur paused, then sneered dismissively. “Continuing education? In your current state, what can you even study? Learning how to do logistics?” “I suppose so.” “Fine, do whatever you want.” He loosened his tie, looking indifferent. “You won’t achieve anything anyway. Going just to pass the time is fine too, saves you from sitting at home overthinking.” He didn’t care at all where I went or what I did. To him, a Chloe who had left him was just a cripple incapable of making any waves. He might even think me being away for a while was better, making it more convenient for him and Mia to spend time together. “Then pack your bags yourself these next few days. I have to accompany Mia to the recording studio for the next two days, so I won’t be coming back.” After Arthur finished, he grabbed his jacket and headed for the bathroom. I looked at his back and said softly: “Arthur.” He paused and looked back at me: “What now?” “If one day I disappeared, would you look for me?” Arthur acted like he had heard a joke: “Chloe, how old are you to still be playing this running-away-from-home game? Where could you go? Without me, you couldn’t even pay your medical bills.” He was certain I couldn’t leave him. Certain that with my crippled hands, I could only rely on him to survive. “True.” I nodded. “After all, I am a cripple.” Arthur ignored me and closed the bathroom door. The sound of running water started. I took out my phone, blocked Arthur’s name in my contacts, and started packing. I didn’t have much luggage. Aside from a few changes of clothes and necessary documents, I didn’t plan on taking anything from this house. Including that engagement ring I once treated as a treasure. I took it off, placed it on the nightstand, and pressed it under the VIP ticket to Mia’s concert he had just given me. Early the next morning, Arthur was still fast asleep. I took one last look at the place I had lived in for three years, feeling no attachment, and dragging my suitcase, walked into the thin morning mist. Goodbye, Arthur. 5 I left decisively, without looking back. In the bustling airport terminal, looking at the one-way ticket in my hand, I felt no reluctance in my heart, only a sense of settled relief. While waiting for my flight, my phone buzzed. It was a message in the hospital colleagues’ group chat. Someone tagged me: “Dr. Hastings, I heard you’re going for further studies? Wishing you a bright future!” Following that were rows of likes and well-wishes. Arthur was also in this group, but he never spoke, and I had long been accustomed to his silence. It wasn’t until the moment before boarding that I took out my SIM card and threw it in the trash can. As the plane soared into the sky, this city, along with the man named Arthur, was completely left behind. Life in Africa was much harsher than I had imagined. Sandstorms, extreme heat, the occasional sound of gunfire and artillery… Everything here reminded me of how fragile life was. Yet, I found a long-lost peace here. Although my right hand couldn’t be the primary surgeon, I could use my left hand for simple suturing and use my extensive experience to guide younger doctors. Here, no one knew I was the crippled Chloe despised by her fiancé; they only knew I was Dr. Hastings from the States, a life-saving angel. Meanwhile, back home. Arthur didn’t realize I was missing until three days later. After accompanying Mia to finish recording and returning home, seeing the empty rooms, his first reaction was to call me. “The number you dialed is powered off.” The mechanical female voice irritated him. “Chloe, you’d better hope I don’t catch you. Is this disappearing act fun?” He cursed while calling his assistant. “Go find out where Chloe’s continuing education course is and tell her to get back here immediately!” The assistant stammered on the other end: “Mr. Vance, I checked with all the hospitals in the city, and there’s no record of Dr. Hastings taking any courses…” Arthur froze. He hung up, rushed into the bedroom, and pulled open the closet. My clothes were there, my jewelry was there, only a few commonly worn T-shirts and jeans were missing. His gaze fell on the nightstand. There was a concert ticket, under which was pressed a diamond ring. It was our engagement ring. Arthur’s heart contracted violently, a sense of foreboding washing over him. He picked up the ring and found a note pressed underneath it. It only had three simple words: “Let’s break up.” “Break up? Heh, Chloe, what right do you have to ask for a breakup?” Arthur sneered, crumpled the note, and threw it into the trash can. He was convinced this was just me playing hard to get. After all, I loved him so much, loving him enough to sacrifice a hand for him. How could I just leave like that? He was certain that within three days, I would come crying back, begging for his forgiveness. However, three days passed, a week passed, a month passed. I seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth, without any news. Arthur finally started to panic. He mobilized all his connections to find me, but only got one result: No such person found. It was as if I had never existed, completely disappearing from his world.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394613”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I was terrible at foreign languages, yet I ended up dating a diplomat who was fluent in eight. On my birthday, I arrived at the foreign restaurant Arthur had booked, brimming with excitement. Only when the waiter smiled and asked for the seventh time did I finally receive a message from him: [Stuck at work. Go ahead and order without me, don’t wait up.] Right after that, I saw a new post from his “the one that got away,” Mia, on her social media. In the photo, Arthur was holding a menu, ordering food, while handing a disposable bib to the person behind the camera. The caption read: [Haven’t been back in the country for so long, someone was afraid I’d starve reading the Chinese menu and specially treated me to a meal~] I suddenly felt entirely bored. I handed the “hieroglyphic” menu I couldn’t read back to the waiter: “I’ll have one of everything.” By the time I finished eating, packed up the leftovers, and got home, I found dozens of missed calls from Arthur. His last message was a voice note. “Babe, don’t overthink it. Mia is new in town and doesn’t know her way around. I was just helping her.” “Next time, next time I promise to make it up to you with an even better dinner!” I didn’t reply. Is a relationship that constantly relies on “next time” to make amends really worth anticipating anymore? 1 I never expected to run into Arthur at a bar. I had just sat down with my best friend when a pair of large hands grabbed my arm. Confirming it was me, Arthur’s face filled with disbelief: “Chloe? You didn’t reply to my messages, and you’re out drinking here in the middle of the night?” Before I could say anything, my best friend pulled my hand back and looked at the woman behind Arthur: “What? You can come here alone with another woman, but we can’t come here for a girls’ night out?” Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose: “Don’t talk nonsense. Mia brought clients to the bar to relax. I was afraid they might encounter some danger if they got drunk, so I tagged along.” “And I did tell Chloe. She just never replied…” Saying this, Arthur sounded somewhat helpless. I then realized he had indeed sent a few more messages trying to coax me and report his whereabouts. I was quite surprised that Arthur would proactively report to me. In the past, if I just asked how many days his business trip would take, he would dismiss me with annoyance. “Chloe, everyone needs their own space. Can you stop hovering over me all day?” Only after I promised him repeatedly did he reluctantly forgive me, lecturing me not to ask about his affairs anymore. Turning off my phone screen, I casually brushed it off: “Sorry, I didn’t see it.” Arthur choked. Mia stepped forward right then. “Arthur? If Chloe minds, you should take her home. I can manage to call a cab.” I clinked glasses with my best friend, not even looking up: “I don’t mind. Suit yourselves.” Arthur frowned, looking me up and down: “Chloe!” “Be good and go back first. If you want to drink, after I drop Mia off, I’ll buy a few pounds of your favorite crawfish and drink with you at home, okay?” Arthur was a germaphobe and didn’t allow anything with a strong smell in the house. So after getting together with him, I gave up my favorite BBQ, hot pot, and crawfish. Assuming he was in a hurry to get Mia to a hotel to rest and making such a big concession, I nodded perfunctorily: “Got it. Go on then.” Arthur didn’t expect me to agree so easily. He rubbed my head like a reward: “Good girl. Wait for me at home. I’ve already called a car for you.” He left too quickly to notice my subtle flinch. By the time I got home, it was already 3 AM. Pushing the door open, I bumped right into Arthur, who was about to go out looking for me. Seeing me, he demanded coldly: “Chloe, look at the time. How old are you? Still acting like a little girl, coming home late when you’re mad.” I was so tired I could pass out if I closed my eyes. Too lazy to deal with him, I tried to bypass him to go to my room. He blocked my path: “Stop being so jealous. If there was really something between me and Mia, would I have ever gotten with you?” Saying that, he pulled a jewelry box from his pocket: “Here, birthday present. You’re a year older now, you can’t be as petty and childish as you were today.” I was too tired to speak. Without even looking, I took the jewelry box and headed toward the bedroom. “Fine. Thanks for the gift.” I casually tossed the gift on the table. Whatever. I crawled under the covers and closed my eyes. I didn’t even have time to think about who slammed the front door so loudly before I completely fell asleep. 2 The next morning, I woke up and scrolled through my social media to wake up properly, only to realize Arthur had slammed the door and left last night. Mia had updated her status again: [Wish time could stop at this moment.] The accompanying photo was of her and Arthur standing on a mountaintop, watching the sunrise from behind. I casually liked the post and sighed: Sigh, you two are having a great time, but poor me had to deal with an innocent door suffering for no reason last night. After a simple breakfast, I took a cab to the company. The manager was pleasantly surprised when she heard I was willing to accept the overseas assignment. After all, she had truly felt sorry for me when I previously rejected the assignment because I didn’t want a long-distance relationship with Arthur. “You’ve finally figured it out. Transportation is so advanced now. If you two want to meet, it’s just a two-hour high-speed train ride. Isn’t there a saying, ‘Absence makes the heart grow fonder’?” I smiled, accepting her teasing, and finally said: “I’m planning to break up with him.” After finishing the transfer paperwork, it was just in time for lunch. My close colleagues insisted on taking me out for a farewell meal. I smiled and walked into the elevator with them. But as soon as I stepped out of the company building, Arthur suddenly appeared and shoved a bouquet of flowers into my arms. “An apology gift.” My colleagues immediately started hooting: “Wow~ What did Arthur do to make our sweet Chloe so mad that he’s waiting at the door with flowers!” “Hahaha, Arthur, you’re late today. Chloe’s lunch schedule is booked by us.” Arthur pulled me toward his car while apologizing: “Sorry everyone, Chloe and I have an urgent matter. I’ll treat you all to a meal next week to make up for it.” Thinking something happened at home, I said goodbye to my colleagues and got into the passenger seat Arthur opened for me. The first thing I did was put the bouquet in the back seat before buckling my seatbelt. Arthur got in and saw this. He pursed his lips. Finally, while waiting at a red light, he couldn’t help but ask: “Don’t you like them?” I was still handing over my work on my phone and looked up after a while: “What?” His words finally started processing in my brain. I realized: “Oh, you mean the flowers? Did you forget again that I’m allergic to pollen?” Arthur froze, then looked very frustrated: “Sorry, I’ll definitely remember next time.” My eyes were already back on my phone: “It’s fine.” It wasn’t the first time anyway. How could a brilliant diplomat who fluently spoke various obscure languages forget such a small detail? It was simply because he didn’t care. Fortunately, I didn’t need him to care anymore. “We’re here.” When Arthur reminded me to get out, I had just finished arranging my onboarding date with the branch office. When I saw the airport parking lot instead of our familiar neighborhood, I was confused. But before I could ask, Arthur had already opened my door. He pulled me and ran wildly through the departure hall. I was a bit stunned. In my eyes, Arthur had always seemed steady and mature. I had only seen this boyish side of him in Mia’s social media posts. “Chloe, hurry up. They’ve already started boarding our flight.” Only after sitting down, out of breath, did I have time to ask Arthur: “What’s wrong? Did something happen to your family?” Arthur’s family lived abroad year-round, so until now, I thought something had happened to them. Arthur was still catching his breath. He put away our IDs and passports and said: “I know you haven’t used your annual leave yet this year.” “Haven’t you always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower in Paris? I’m taking this vacation to show you around properly. Stop being mad at me, okay?” I realized then that in our three years of dating, this was our first trip together. Because all his previous vacations had been monopolized by Mia. Or rather, Arthur’s vacations were taken solely for Mia. He would accompany Mia to Africa to see lions, Iceland to see the aurora, and America to see kangaroos. Yet, when I just wanted him to go with me to a local café, he excused himself saying he was too busy with work. Forget it. Let’s just treat this as a breakup trip and part on good terms. I pushed down the urge to break up with him. “Right, if we board like this, what about our luggage?” Arthur patted my head: “Don’t worry, little manager. I was afraid we wouldn’t make the flight, so I had a friend who is also going to Paris take them to our hotel.” I nodded, thinking to myself that it was a good thing I was in the middle of transferring jobs. Otherwise, who knows if the company would have approved such a sudden leave request. 3 It was late at night when we got off the plane. Just as we arrived at the hotel entrance, Arthur’s phone rang abruptly. Arthur answered: “Don’t cry. Wait right there. I’m coming right now.” Looking anxious, he snatched the car keys back from the bellboy: “Chloe, Mia secretly followed us to Paris.” “Security here isn’t great, and I’m worried she might have an accident. Go to the room and rest. I’ll be back as soon as I pick her up.” With that, he floored the gas pedal and sped off into the distance. Completely forgetting that not only was I unable to communicate with the locals, but my ID and passport were also with him. The trip was so sudden that I didn’t even have a chance to set up international roaming. Unable to reach Arthur, I tried to communicate with the hotel receptionist using a translation app. But since I couldn’t provide identification, I had no choice but to sit in the lobby and wait. The long flight, combined with the fact that it was the time of day when people are most sleepy, made me drowsy sitting on the lobby sofa. The drive from the airport to the hotel was only half an hour. But the hour hand turned twice, and Arthur still hadn’t shown up. Too tired to guess what he and Mia were doing, I closed my eyes, ready to go back to sleep. A deep voice suddenly sounded by my ear: “Chloe?” My sleepiness vanished instantly. I turned around in shock: “Liam! What are you doing here?” I jumped up in joy. Running into an old friend in a foreign land, and my high school deskmate for three years at that—who wouldn’t be happy? Liam walked over smiling: “Here on a business trip. Closed the deal a few days earlier than expected.” His gaze swept across the lobby, and he narrowed his eyes: “Did Arthur bring you here? Where is he?” He directly ruled out the possibility of me traveling alone. Anyone who knew me knew my foreign language talent was zero. I pulled him toward the front desk, waving it off nonchalantly: “He went to pick up a friend.” “Hurry up and book a room for me to lie down. I really can’t stay awake any longer.” Before we parted, Liam specifically reminded me: “I couldn’t get a room next to mine on such short notice. I’m upstairs in 1312. Come find me if you need anything.” I nodded: “Got it, got it. You’re just as naggy as you used to be.” “Go sleep. Good morning.” 4 Not long after I closed my eyes, I was woken up by a loud “bang bang” on the door. Thinking it was Liam, I blindly fumbled to the door and opened it. The person pulled me into a tight hug. “Chloe, you really have a big heart! You’d sleep in a room booked by a strange man? Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you!” I finally woke up and pushed Arthur away. “What else was I supposed to do? Sit foolishly in the lobby waiting for you until dawn?” Arthur lost his momentum. Even forgetting his initial shock at me pushing him away, he opened his mouth: “I’m sorry, it’s my fault. Mia lost her passport, and I helped her look for it at the airport for a while.” Saying that, he reached for my hand: “Chloe, come back with me. This room is perfect for Mia to stay in.” I dodged his hand, my tone completely flat: “No need. I trust you guys. After all, if there was something between you two, you would’ve been together a long time ago. I wouldn’t have even been in the picture.” Arthur froze. This was the excuse he often used on me. Like the year before last, when Mia came back to the country, forgot her pajamas, and wore his T-shirt. Last year, when Mia got a mosquito bite and insisted on jumping into his arms for a princess carry. And this year, when Mia borrowed his razor to shave her legs. Whenever I thought they were too close and wanted them to keep their distance, Arthur would always use this excuse to brush me off. I yawned, too lazy to care anymore, and slammed the door shut. Falling back onto the bed, I went back to sleep. 5 In my sleep, I think I heard more “bang bang” sounds. It wasn’t until I woke up and saw the note, cash, and passport slipped under the door that I realized it wasn’t a dream. [Chloe, I’m going with Mia to get her a replacement passport and will be back soon. Don’t be afraid to spend the money. Tomorrow I’ll take you on a boat ride on the Seine.] I pocketed the cash and passport and tossed the note into the trash as I passed by. After washing up and leaving the room, I bumped into Liam just as he was about to knock. I was pleasantly surprised: “Liam, what a coincidence!” Liam smiled: “It is.” “Is Arthur here? I went down for breakfast this morning and think I saw him go out with someone else.” “He’s probably not back yet.” Not wanting a perfectly good vacation ruined by irrelevant people, I answered simply. Liam took my bag: “Then do you want to go see the Eiffel Tower this afternoon? I chartered a boat.” “Really?” I couldn’t wait: “Then let’s go. I also want to see if the coffee by the Seine is really that good!” The sun in Paris was exceptionally bright today. Liam and I walked through the Arc de Triomphe, took a boat on the Seine, listened to a violinist play on the riverbank, and finally had dinner at the Eiffel Tower. After returning to the hotel, I didn’t close my door because Liam still needed to bring his camera down to transfer the photos to me. Liam sent a message: [Chloe, there’s no hot water on the 13th floor. Do you mind if I come take a shower in your room?] I replied: [Sure, just bring the camera down too.] Liam handed me the camera and took his clothes into the shower. I was busy admiring the beautiful photos on the camera. When someone knocked on the door, I instinctively yelled “Hold on a second” in Chinese. Liam happened to come out and went to open the door for me. Immediately following was the word “animal.” I looked up just in time to see Arthur throw a punch at Liam. Arthur pointed at Liam, who was bare-chested with only a towel wrapped around his waist. With red eyes, he demanded of me: “Who is he?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394596”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

On my twenty-third birthday, I was preparing to confess my feelings to Arthur. But he beat me to it, falling in love at first sight with my roommate. I watched them break up and make up, endlessly entangled. Finally, I gave up all hope and got a boyfriend. On the day I officially announced my relationship on Instagram, everyone was offering sincere congratulations. Arthur never showed up. Until the next day, when someone brought it up in front of him. “Did you see that Instagram post? What do you think of Nora’s boyfriend?” The man was leaning back on the sofa. Hearing this, he glanced at me. After a long pause, he drawled slowly, “Oh, he’s just average.” 1 As Arthur’s words fell, the room went quiet for a moment. Everyone’s eyes turned to me. Some were watching the drama unfold, others looked worried and uneasy. In this day and age, everyone loves posting short videos and Instagram updates. Two people standing shoulder-to-shoulder, smiling and clearly in love—who wouldn’t want to hear others say they look like a perfect match? But not Arthur. He just bluntly evaluated him, saying, “Oh, he’s just average.” Although his temper could be bad, he was usually very polite in his dealings with people. Acting like this now… it was almost as if he was intentionally trying to embarrass me. I held back my anger and asked him: “What’s wrong with my boyfriend?” In fact, Caleb was very handsome. Even my mom, who is incredibly picky, couldn’t help but praise him when she met him. “Compared to that friend of yours, Arthur, he’s definitely not lacking.” I stared at Arthur, my expression showing my displeasure. But he suddenly let out a weary smile. Then he glanced at me, “Just a passing comment, don’t take it to heart.” “Bring him around sometime when you’re free.” After saying that, he stood up and left without any hesitation. He didn’t spare me another glance. Someone tried to comfort me, saying, “Tsk, almost forgot. He just had a messy breakup with his girl. He must be feeling really irritated right now.” “It’s fine. It’s always like this with them. They’ll be back together in a few days.” Saying this, the person glanced at me. “Don’t you think so, Nora?” I zoned out for a second. “Yeah, that’s how it is.” They had been entangled for so long, how could it be that easy for them to separate? Over the past few years, I anticipated and was disappointed time and time again. I had already understood this fact, hadn’t I? 2 Exiting the private room, I saw Arthur smoking a short distance away. He rarely did that. Because Mia didn’t like it. He was acting really unusual tonight. I was still angry about what happened earlier, so I didn’t speak to him and walked straight toward the exit. But I hadn’t taken two steps before someone grabbed my wrist. I turned around to meet a pair of cold, detached eyes. Long before I even met him, I had heard others talk about Arthur. The famous young master of the Sterling family, groomed from a young age to be the heir. Wealthy and aristocratic, there were droves of people wanting to pursue him, but he never gave anyone the time of day. Later, when Arthur and I became close, everyone praised my good luck. For all these years, I was the only female friend by his side. Inevitably, some people made sarcastic remarks, “Who knows, maybe one day she’ll go from friend to girlfriend, climb the social ladder, and become Mrs. Sterling?” It wasn’t that I hadn’t entertained such beautiful dreams. But later, when Mia appeared, I realized she was his true destiny. He remained single for over twenty years just waiting for her. As for me, I was just lucky enough to have known him. Under the dim lights, he stared at me, his expression somewhat scattered. He said: “How did you meet?” I didn’t react immediately, stunned for a second. He patiently repeated himself. “I mean, you and that guy, how did you meet?” 3 It was a snowy, freezing day. Arthur instinctively turned his body, shielding me from the cold wind blowing from afar. I looked at his features, silent for a moment. “We met while traveling. Thought he was pretty nice, so we got together.” There’s a saying: “right place, right time.” That basically summed up Caleb and me. Hearing this, Arthur lifted his eyelids. “Traveling? When did you go traveling? Why didn’t I know?” I smiled slightly. “Just last month.” He probably didn’t remember anymore. One night last month, he called me late, saying Mia had a fight with him and went abroad in a fit of pique. He said, “You two are the closest. Go over and help persuade her. She’s insisting on staying in a foreign country, she’s going to suffer.” I packed my bags overnight and traveled thousands of miles with him. But shortly after landing, he received news that Mia had already gone to another location. Back and forth, another ten-plus hour journey. I happened to be running a high fever and couldn’t keep traveling with him. He had no choice but to leave me behind to go find Mia. After he left, I stood by the river, looking at the bright moon on the other side, and suddenly felt exhausted. To stay by his side, I gave up a stable job in my hometown. Even when my father was hospitalized last year, I couldn’t be by his bedside. Time is merciless. What have I gained, and what have I lost? No one knows. My thoughts returned to the present. I looked at Arthur standing in front of me and spoke very calmly. “Done asking? I need to go.” He froze. After a long time, he spoke again. “Let me borrow your phone for a second. Mia blocked me.” Honestly, I really wanted to ask—with so many people in the private room, did he have to borrow mine? But I didn’t say it. After all, the joy, sadness, and despair… from beginning to end, only I knew. In his eyes, I was a perfect friend, completely detached from romantic feelings. I pulled out my phone and handed it to him. He took it and walked to the side to make the call. They talked for a good while. When Arthur came back, his expression was no longer as tense as before. His eyes were smiling. He handed the phone back to me, but right at that moment, a message suddenly popped up on the screen. Caleb: 【I’m coming back to the States next month.】 In an instant, the smile on Arthur’s face vanished completely. He narrowed his eyes, his voice flat: “Your relationship seems to be going pretty well.” 4 Since I had already decided to let go, I intentionally started distancing myself from Arthur’s circle. I stopped initiating contact with those people. And I tried my best to avoid places they frequented. One day, Arthur messaged me. 【Your birthday is in a couple of days. Want to come check out the venue?】 He was very generous. Whenever his close friends had birthdays, he would always do his best to help organize everything. I wasn’t the first, nor was I the only one. But to this day, I still remember my twenty-third birthday. Arthur pointed at Mia in the distance and asked me, “Is that your friend? Give me her Instagram.” A perfect match, a destined encounter. I figured they should probably thank me, their matchmaker. Later, to pursue Mia, Arthur basically went through fire and water, suffering a lot. I heard someone ask him, why did it have to be Mia? At the time, he was texting Mia. Hearing the question, he smiled, raised an eyebrow: “She was wearing a red dress that day. I’ve rarely seen anyone wear that color so well.” But who could remember that I, too, was wearing all red that day? For many years after that, I never wore that color again. Thinking of this, I typed. 【I’ve been busy lately, no need.】 It took a long time for a reply to come. 【Busy dating?】 I replied, 【Yes.】 After that message, he didn’t reply again. Instead, his best buddy, Noah, sent me a voice memo, speaking with a playful tone. “Impressive, Nora. Arthur put a lot of effort into planning your birthday party this time. We all pulled several all-nighters with him, and you just say you’re not coming. He was so pissed, hahaha.” I replied with a few casual words. Right then, a red dot appeared on my email app. I clicked on it. It was a job offer. I thought about it, feeling a bit happy, and messaged Caleb. 【Once I finish handing over my current work, I can resign. When you get back, we’ll go back to River City together.】 Coincidentally, we were both from River City. He replied, 【Okay.】 This person looked serious and always spoke meticulously. But looking at this single word. I inexplicably smiled. 5 Neither Caleb nor I were very talkative people; we only chatted when there was something to discuss. But I didn’t expect him to come back half a month early. He came back specifically to celebrate my birthday. In an exquisitely decorated Western restaurant, he handed me a gift bag. “Sorry, I only found out it was your birthday today from a post your mom made. I prepared this in a rush, I don’t know if you’ll like it.” The day after we decided to be together, he dropped everything and went back to River City with me to meet both sets of parents. We were planning to get engaged in two months. My mom kept telling me lately, “Caleb is a good guy. His education and character are impeccable. You need to treat him well.” Halfway through the meal, Caleb stepped out to take a call. While he was gone, I looked down at my phone. I happened to see a post from Noah. 【Can someone please save me!? Arthur is acting crazy today, insisting on out-drinking me. I’m about to drink myself to death here, and his face isn’t even red. I can’t take this anymore.】 Noah had a bouncy personality and often posted things like this, so I wasn’t too surprised when I saw the text. I was just a bit confused. That day outside the private room, when Arthur borrowed my phone to call Mia, they had clearly buried the hatchet. Acting like this now… did they fall out again? It wasn’t strange for me to think that. Arthur’s life had always been smooth sailing. Except in love, he would never take a loss anywhere else. Just as I was thinking this, a call came through on my phone. It was Noah. We had a decent relationship, and I was afraid something had really happened to him, so I answered immediately. His voice was drunk. “Hey, let me tell you, Arthur is simply not human…” Halfway through, his voice grew quieter and quieter until it disappeared. I called his name twice. There was no response. Just as I was about to hang up, someone finally spoke. It was Arthur. His voice was cold and slightly hoarse. “This guy couldn’t hold it together and passed out on the table. Nothing major.” I said, “Oh, glad it’s nothing major.” He was silent for a moment, then asked, “What about you? How was today? Are you happy?” I met him when I was twenty. Up until now, five years have passed. Every year on this day, he was unwaveringly by my side. Except for this time. It was an exception. I was about to answer when Caleb returned from outside and asked who I was talking to. I said. “A friend.” When I looked down again, the call had already been disconnected. 6 I slept very soundly that night. For some reason, I actually dreamt of Arthur. I dreamt about the year he got into a car accident while street racing trying to pursue Mia, lying half-dead in the hospital. I took care of him for two months. But the very first thing he did on the day he fully recovered was go find Mia. In the hospital corridor, his cousin told me with a look of helpless resignation: “Arthur has always gotten whatever he wanted since he was a kid. Don’t be fooled by his easygoing exterior; he’s actually incredibly obsessive. Once he sets his sights on something, he’ll get it even if it kills him.” “What happened now is exactly what he asked for.” But I knew that Mia had actually fallen for Arthur a long time ago. The reason she kept stringing him along was simply because… she knew I also liked Arthur, and she wanted me to see him losing his mind over her. Arthur always thought Mia and I were good friends. But that was just what he thought. In reality, Mia came from a wealthy family and completely looked down on hanging out with me. Only in front of Arthur would she pretend to be close to me. I smiled bitterly. “Yeah, I know.” Then I went to find Mia and told her, “You don’t like me, so why bother stringing Arthur along? He’s a good guy, and he likes you so much. I beg you to treat him well, okay?” I woke up right at this point in the dream. I instinctively raised my hand and touched my face. It was completely covered in tears. I took a long while to compose myself before looking at my phone. Just a moment ago, Arthur had sent me a message. He said: 【Forgot to say it yesterday: Happy birthday. The gift was mailed to you, make sure you sign for it.】 I thought about it and replied: 【Oh.】 In the past, I would never have spoken to him like this. Perhaps because my reaction was too cold, he didn’t text back. After that, we had no contact. The next time I got a call from Arthur was two days later. At the time, I was taking a walk with Caleb. The moonlight was hazy. His face was handsome and romantic. When I asked about his dating history, the man frankly admitted that he had three girlfriends before me, but his romantic path had been rocky, and none of them lasted long. I smiled slightly. “What about me?” “You don’t love me, and I don’t love you. Can we really make it work long-term, Caleb?” Hearing this, Caleb froze. Just as he was about to answer, my phone rang. I lit up the screen. Arthur’s voice came through from the other end. “Noah is organizing a get-together tonight. Coming?” I didn’t think much of it and refused directly. “Not coming.” His voice paused, and then I heard the sound of a lighter clicking. “Busy with work?” he asked. “No.” As the word fell, he let out a soft tsk, and his tone became a bit strange. “Alright then. I won’t bother you.” I put away my phone, and Caleb, beside me, suddenly spoke up. He asked me: “You like this guy named Arthur? Is he the man who made you cry your heart out on the streets of Paris that day?” I looked up, a wave of infinite sorrow welling up in my heart. I said, “Yes, but not anymore.” When I was young, studying calligraphy and solving math olympiad problems, my teachers and parents evaluated me like this: they said I was earnest, introverted, and prone to going down a path without turning back. A cowardly and timid person like me had only done two bold things in my entire life. The first was the night before my twenty-third birthday, folding a whole jar of origami cranes, preparing to confess to Arthur. Unfortunately, it was cut short by the appearance of Mia, his true destiny. The other was that day on the street, when I heard Caleb’s mother calling to pressure him about marriage, I resolutely asked this man I had only met once: “What do you think of me?” Many times, if we don’t keep moving forward, we really don’t know who we’ll meet or what we’ll experience. 7 Two days later, Caleb returned to Paris. He was very busy with work and had been rushing a project abroad for the past six months. Now was the most critical juncture. He stayed with me for three days. We watched movies, went hiking, and rode a Ferris wheel together. Before he left, he sighed, gave me a meaningful look, and said: “Actually, that day wasn’t the first time I met you, Nora.” Then he left. I was full of questions and could only wait until he returned to solve the mystery. Right at this time, I received a wedding invitation. The sender was a good friend from college. I heard she was marrying very well; the groom came from a prominent family, and his parents were influential figures in North City. On the day of the wedding, shortly after I set out, I received a call from the bride asking me to take a detour and pick something up for her. “The ceremony will probably have started by the time you arrive, and the venue is a bit hard to find. My husband said he’ll have a friend come out and get you.” I said okay. After I picked up the item and hurried over, I saw Arthur smoking by the side of the road. When he saw me, his expression was very calm, as if he had known all along that I was the person he was waiting for. Our eyes met, and he said, “You’ve been hard to get a hold of lately. Didn’t expect to run into you here.” I felt a bit awkward. Yeah, how did we end up running into each other here? Moreover, with his personality, he didn’t seem like the type to be easily ordered around. Once inside the venue, we ended up at the same table. He sat opposite me. And next to me, surprisingly, was Mia. They were usually inseparable wherever they went. It was strange they weren’t sitting together today. Halfway through, I went to the restroom and happened to hear someone talking about Arthur and Mia. “Are they really done this time? No chance of getting back together?” “Probably. I heard Arthur was the one who initiated the breakup this time. You know, before, it was always Mia who brought it up.” “And before, we all thought this time was just playing around too. The groom even seated them together. But just now, Arthur voluntarily moved to the opposite side, making it clear he doesn’t want to sit with Mia.” “Tsk, why do I feel like Arthur has fallen for someone else…” Hearing this, I stopped listening. Returning to my seat, perhaps out of sheer boredom, Mia proactively asked about Caleb and me. I casually gave a few details. She smiled slightly, her voice very low, yet loud enough for the others at the table to hear. “You guys are really meant for each other, your relationship must be great, right? You’re so pure, do you blush when he kisses you?” As soon as she said this, everyone at the table looked at me with gossipy expressions. I was just about to speak when someone knocked a glass to the floor, making a shattering sound. I looked up. It was actually Arthur. He leaned back in his chair and spoke slowly. “Asking about this kind of stuff, do you all have too much free time?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394614”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My boyfriend took his “first love” on a trip around the world. Three months later, he stared at my slightly rounded belly and demanded angrily, “Who the hell did you sleep with?!” I didn’t answer, subtly shifting my gaze toward his best friend. Liam froze for a second, then threw a punch right at the guy’s face. Parker, who had been enjoying the show, was completely stunned by the blow. Recovering his senses, he threw a punch right back at Liam’s face. “Are you fucking crazy?! I didn’t sleep with her!” … They exchanged punches, going back and forth, hitting each other hard. I calmly left the private room. I patted my stomach, and the bump instantly flattened. Who said I was pregnant? I just ate too much for dinner! 1 To avoid being harassed by phone calls, I blocked both Liam and Parker’s numbers on my way home. I was soaking in the bathtub, enjoying a beauty bath. Just as I was getting drowsy, an unknown message woke me up. The content was concise and to the point: 【Open the door in one minute! Or I’ll tear your crappy door down!】 Liam is the type to act rather than talk nonsense. This screamed Parker’s style. Parker is petty and vengeful. I knew he’d come looking for payback, but I didn’t expect him to be this fast. Knowing him, when he says he’ll tear down the door, it’s not an empty threat. So, I chickened out. 【In the shower, need five minutes.】 Parker replied instantly: 【Fine! You get five minutes!】 Not daring to delay, I quickly stood up from the tub to rinse off the suds. After drying off, I threw on a slip nightgown and went to open the door. The moment the door opened, Parker, who had been ready to explode, froze when his gaze landed on my bare skin. Then, he roared in exasperation: “Can’t you put on some proper clothes?!” I looked innocent. “I just finished showering and am about to go to bed. Isn’t this what I should wear?” Parker choked, decisively changing the subject. “Why did you tell Liam that I knocked you up?” I asked back, feigning innocence: “Well, wasn’t it you?!” Among all of Liam’s friends, Parker is the one who hates me the most. The reason is simple: I hate his pettiness and venomous tongue, and he hates my manipulative, “green tea bitch” act. During the three months Liam was traveling the world with his first love, Parker—using the excuse of preventing me from cuckolding his best friend—shadowed me relentlessly every single day. If he hadn’t made me so miserable, I wouldn’t have turned my anger into appetite, eating till I was 120% full at every meal. Parker was jumping mad. “I haven’t even laid a single finger on you! How the hell could I have knocked you up?” “Immaculate conception?!” I smiled without saying a word, suddenly reaching out to wrap my arms around his neck, breathing softly near his face. “Well, aren’t we touching now?” Parker froze for a second, then sprang back as if burned, shaking off my hands. “What are you doing?!” Watching his ears turn bright red in a second, I smiled even more radiantly. “Doing… you!” Parker’s expression could only be described as dumbfounded. He stammered incoherently: “Have… have you no shame?!” I smiled nonchalantly: “You’ve said that so many times. Can’t you come up with something fresh?” Parker gritted his teeth in anger, dropped a “Real men don’t fight women,” and stormed off furiously. But he hadn’t taken many steps before turning back. I raised an eyebrow at him. “Something else, Mr. Sterling?” Parker asked with an unreadable tone: “Are you really pregnant?” “Can’t you see for yourself?” I stuck out my stomach, deliberately puffing it up. Parker glanced down, his face turning even darker. “Chloe, you are dead meat!” “Liam might not care much about you, but if you dare put a green hat on him, your family can just wait for bankruptcy!” I didn’t panic at all. I stroked his collar, smiling sweetly as I asked: “Couldn’t you just help me?” In terms of economic power, the Sterling family is on par with Liam’s family. But in terms of background and connections, the Sterling family is superior. Parker laughed out of anger. He pinched my chin, looking me up and down: “Why should I help you? I haven’t even settled the score with you for falsely accusing me!” I said shamelessly: “Because I’m special to you, of course.” Parker laughed even louder. “Which eye of yours saw that you’re special to me?” I stated it as a matter of fact: “You stare at me every day. Isn’t that because I’m special to you?” Parker was exasperated. “That’s because I can’t stand you and I’m looking for trouble, get it?!” I remained unfazed: “Then do you look for trouble with others the way you look for trouble with me?” Parker choked. I smiled smugly. “And you say I’m not special.” Parker’s face shifted through shades of green and white, probably livid. I decided to add fuel to the fire, lightly rubbing his perfectly shaped lips with my thumb, teasingly ambiguous: “Mr. Sterling, you aren’t secretly in love with me without realizing it, are you?” Parker’s face instantly flushed an impossible shade of red. Humiliated and angry, he forcefully swatted my hand away. “Liam won’t let you off!” He dropped a final threat on Liam’s behalf and left, looking somewhat flustered. It felt very much like he was fleeing in defeat. I crossed my arms, smirking coldly. Silly boy! 2 Although Parker is arrogant and domineering, he’s still a pure, innocent young man, so he can’t handle being teased. But he was very right about one thing—Liam is definitely someone I cannot afford to offend. And he’s absolutely not the type to just swallow his pride after being cuckolded. Liam is the heir to a multi-billion dollar conglomerate. The Vance family’s assets aren’t even a fraction of his. If he was determined to get revenge, the Vance family truly would have no way to fight back. But what does that matter? The Vance family belongs to my dad, my stepmother, and their son and daughter. It has absolutely nothing to do with me. The only thing I need to worry about is that after Liam dumps me, my dad will force me to marry a perverted old man older than him. As for that, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. Less than half a minute after I closed the door, the doorbell rang again. I thought it was Parker coming back, so I opened the door without a second thought. To my surprise, I met Liam’s dark, thunderous face. The teasing words I had prepared died in my throat. Without a word, Liam grabbed my arm, dragged me inside, and forcefully pinned me against the wall in the entryway. He pinched my face hard, demanding through gritted teeth: “Who the hell did you sleep with?!” Liam is a steady, restrained man. It’s rare to see him display outward emotion. I’m pretty amazing. I successfully made him lose his cool twice today. Unable to break free, I stomped hard on his foot. “No comment!” Liam winced in pain, his grip loosening slightly. I took the opportunity to break free and ran towards the living room. But he quickly caught up, picked me up by the waist from behind, and headed straight for the bedroom. He tossed me onto the bed and immediately leaned over me. I gave up struggling uselessly and lay on the bed, accepting my fate. “If you don’t find it dirty, go ahead.” Liam froze. His angry gaze fell on my lower abdomen. The fury instantly overpowered any desire, and he lost control, grabbing my neck. “I’ll give you three days to get rid of that bastard in your belly! Otherwise, don’t blame me for not giving you a chance!” He let go of me and stood up, acting as if he had touched something filthy. I sat up and looked at him expressionlessly. “I say we should just break up.” Liam’s hand, which was straightening his collar, paused slightly. A flash of surprise crossed his face, but it was quickly replaced by mockery and disdain. “What gives you the right to say it’s over?” I glared at him defiantly. “Ms. Miller is single again.” Liam had loved Elena Miller for many years. But Elena liked his older brother. Half a year ago, his older brother died in an accident, and Elena had been depressed ever since. Three months ago, to cheer Elena up, Liam ignored the gossip and took her on a trip around the world. Although marrying your deceased brother’s fiancée doesn’t sound great, for a self-centered man like Liam, it was nothing. Liam cast a warning look at my face. “Chloe, remember this: no one dictates to me.” “Even if this relationship is going to end, it will end when I no longer want to continue.” “You’re a smart person. You should know what to do.” My heart slowly sank to the bottom. He was right. In this relationship, I have no agency whatsoever. 3 Three years ago, my dad wanted to marry me off to a sixty-something-year-old perverted old man for business interests. My features resemble Elena’s. Driven to a dead end, I imitated Elena and seduced Liam. Liam was very excited at the time, but after pinning me to the bed, he restrained himself. After that, he told me to stay by his side. To please Liam, I imitated Elena in everything from my clothes and style to my words and actions. In name, we were boyfriend and girlfriend. In reality, it was a sugar daddy and his “canary.” Everyone in our circle implicitly knew this, and they all looked down on me because of it, especially Parker. But I didn’t care. Being a substitute for Elena was better than marrying a sixty-something perverted old man. Besides, Liam never touched me. I don’t know what psychological state I was in, but gradually, I actually developed feelings for Liam. Once, while drunk, he promised me that after his brother and Elena got married, he would marry me. Even though I knew I was his fallback option, I was still a little happy and expectant. Because I naively believed that love could grow over time. Who could have known the unpredictability of life? Liam’s brother actually died in an accident. From the moment I heard that news, I knew Liam would never marry me in this lifetime. So, I had been waiting for him to dump me. Three months ago, Liam suddenly told me he was taking Elena on a trip around the world. I thought he would use the opportunity to break up, but to my surprise, he didn’t. Instead, he tasked Parker—the guy I got along with the least—to “take care” of me. And Parker was sick in the head. He could have just agreed outwardly and ignored me, but he strictly enforced the order, watching me every day like a prisoner. He made it so I didn’t even dare to go find male models, forcing me to turn my grief and anger into appetite, eating myself six pounds heavier in three months and getting mistaken for being pregnant. I strongly suspected he was intentionally using this method to disgust me. That bastard really is vicious! 4 Liam gave me three days to get rid of the “thing” in my belly. Since I didn’t have one, naturally, I didn’t need to get rid of it. So I comfortably stayed at home, slacking off. Just as I was about to go to sleep that night, I received a message from Parker. 【Dead yet?】 Sometimes, when you hate a person to the extreme, a different kind of feeling can arise. So not only did I not block him, but I started chatting with him. 【Your grandma here is doing just fine.】 Parker replied quickly: 【It’s a miracle Liam didn’t beat you to death!】 I also thought it was a miracle. I called myself “grandma” and he didn’t even notice. Me: 【Don’t worry, grandma will definitely live to a hundred.】 Parker: 【True, bad weed grows tall. You definitely look like someone who’s hard to kill.】 Me: 【Grandma accepts your blessing.】 The chat box kept showing “typing…” It took about half a minute for the message to finally come through. Parker: 【What about the kid?】 I froze for a second before realizing he was talking about the non-existent baby in my belly. I didn’t expect him to actually care about this. My mischievous side immediately flared up: 【The child is innocent. Of course, I’m going to have it.】 Parker: 【Are you crazy? Aren’t you afraid Liam will actually kill you?!】 Me: 【If I die, I die. What’s there to be afraid of? I have nothing left to care about anyway.】 The grandmother I cared about most was gone. There was no longer any reason I had to stay alive in this world. Parker didn’t reply for a long time. Just when I thought he wouldn’t reply again, he sent another message. Parker: 【Who is the man?】 Me: 【Too many to tell.】 Parker: 【Fuck!】 I couldn’t hold it in anymore and laughed so hard on the sofa I couldn’t sit straight. Although Parker watched me closely, he didn’t follow me every single moment. One day when he was busy, I took the opportunity to go to a club, ordered a few male models, and drank all night. The next day, it was still him who dragged me out of the club. He must think it was that time. 5 I couldn’t stand lying at home for just one day. The next day, I went to a club to drink my sorrows away. That night, Liam’s men barged into the private room, dragged me out of the club, shoved me into a car, and headed towards a private gynecological hospital. When I arrived at the hospital, I realized Liam was there too. Having no vulnerabilities now, combined with being drunk and lacking reason, I was furious upon seeing him and started cursing. “Liam, it’s bad enough you’re lusting after your own sister-in-law, but you’re also playing this substitute game? You’re fucking disgusting!” Liam didn’t fly into a rage. Instead, he stepped forward, grabbed my chin, and forced me to look up. “I’ll ask you one last time. Whose bastard is it?” I glared at him defiantly. “Your dad’s!” Liam laughed out of pure anger. “Chloe, you’ve got guts!” He looked at the masked doctor. “Do a clean job. No anesthesia!” The doctor froze, stuttering as he nodded: “O-okay, Mr. Hayes.” I looked at him in disbelief. “Liam, you’re fucking crazy!” Liam smiled sinisterly. “Baby, you can’t blame me. Who told you to be unable to control your own body.” “Doctor, begin.” The medical staff nervously surrounded me. I put up a final struggle: “Liam! You can’t do this! I didn’t…” “Liam!” A teasing voice drifted slowly from the other end of the hallway. It was a familiar, cynical tone. Liam looked at Parker in confusion. “What are you doing here?” Parker glanced at me and said casually: “I’m the baby’s father. Shouldn’t I be here?” Me: …??!! Liam froze, looking at Parker in disbelief. “What do you mean?!” Parker shrugged apologetically. “Liam, I lied to you that day. I’m the one who knocked her up.” Me: … His brain must have been kicked by a donkey! Unable to bear it any longer, Liam raised his fist and charged at Parker. Parker didn’t just stand there and take it; he immediately took a defensive stance. The two of them exchanged punches, fighting back and forth. The medical staff obviously knew who Parker was and didn’t dare drag me into the operating room by force. They all stood there, at a loss for what to do. I had been scared weak just a moment ago, so I simply found a chair to sit on and watched the show. Parker seemed to have trained; his body was stronger than Liam’s. After a dozen exchanges, Parker gained the upper hand, pinning Liam firmly against the wall. Liam’s eyes were bloodshot with rage. “Parker! I treated you like a fucking brother!” I shook my head secretly. Liam had been losing his cool way too often lately, losing his usual composure. Parker reasoned with him calmly: “Liam, you’ve finally gotten Ms. Miller now anyway. There’s really no need to obsess over a substitute.” “Besides, with Ms. Miller’s temper, she probably wouldn’t allow you to keep a canary on the side, would she?” At the mention of Elena, Liam gradually calmed down. Parker struck while the iron was hot. “Let’s talk?” Liam didn’t agree, but he didn’t refuse either. Parker breathed a sigh of relief and quickly signaled me with his eyes: “Go back and wait for me.” I was mostly sobered up by now, and the courage I had earlier to die rather than surrender was completely gone. I shot Parker a grateful look and nodded immediately: “Okay.” I quickly left the hospital and took a cab home. On the way, I kept wondering, why did Parker help me? I thought and thought but couldn’t figure it out. Probably… love born from hate. 6 I couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning in bed. I don’t know how much time passed when my phone suddenly rang. I grabbed my phone and looked. It was actually Parker calling. After a brief hesitation, I swiped to answer. “Hello? What’s up?” “Open the door!” I froze slightly and replied, “Oh.” I got out of bed, threw on a robe, went to open the door, and was met with Parker’s bruised and battered face. He looked kind of funny. Parker glared at me and snapped, “I took a beating for you, and you have the nerve to smile? Do you have a conscience?” I immediately suppressed my smile and stepped back to make way. “Mr. Sterling, please come in.” Parker snorted heavily and walked inside with an arrogant expression. I didn’t have a first aid kit at home, so I had to hand him a pack of wet wipes, asking politely, “Do you need help?” Parker said bluntly, “Yes!” Me: … Couldn’t he tell I was just being polite? Parker truly couldn’t tell. He looked up, displeased. “What are you standing there for? Wipe!” Forget it, I’m indebted to him. I pulled out a wet wipe and carefully wiped the blood off his face. I have to say, he has a pretty good-looking face. Nice nose, nice eyebrows. It’s just his eyes that are bad, always filled with a cynical hostility, especially when he looks at me. “What are your plans?” I looked down and met a pair of eyes filled with amusement. I suddenly found that teasing him seemed more interesting than courting death. “What do you think?” Parker laughed out of anger again. “Helping you is a favor; not helping you is my right. Don’t push your luck.” I threw away the bloody wet wipe and sat directly across his lap, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck. An ambiguous posture. “Then what do you want me to do before you’ll help me, Mr. Sterling?” Parker’s body instantly stiffened, tensed up, and then he pushed me away as if electrocuted. I wasn’t prepared, lost my balance, and fell backwards. Just as I was about to scream, he grabbed my arm and pulled me back into his arms. 7 Except for the night I seduced Liam, I hadn’t had such close physical contact with any man. I instinctively struggled. But Parker maliciously hugged me tighter, not forgetting to mock me: “Weren’t you the one throwing yourself at me? What are you afraid of?” I’ve always been susceptible to goading. Even knowing he was deliberately trying to disgust me, it still provoked my competitive spirit. So I hugged his neck and pressed myself against him as hard as I could. “I don’t mind! A high-quality man like Mr. Sterling is exactly what I want.” Parker’s body stiffened again, and then he tossed me onto the nearby sofa. I glared at him, asking the obvious: “What are you doing?” Parker gritted his teeth in anger: “Can’t you have some shame? Pregnant and still so… thirsty!” I forgot about that again. But his reaction is really cute. I said with a suggestive tone: “You can be gentle.” Parker completely turned red, almost looking like steam was coming out of his ears. “Y-y-you are shameless!” I leaned in close to him, smiling sweetly. “Didn’t you already know that?” Before Parker could erupt, he suddenly realized I was teasing him. He tried to regain control, sneering at me: “Liam told me, for every day you stay with me, he won’t touch you for a day. But if…” He didn’t finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear. I tilted my head and looked at him: “Then I’ll just stay with you, right?” Parker broke down again. “Have you lost your mind? Right now, you are begging me to help you! Not me begging you to let me help you!” “Do you look like you’re begging someone?!” I felt smug: “Parker, you’re doomed.” He looked confused. I spoke slowly and firmly: “You’ve fallen in love with me.” Parker’s face suddenly turned dark. He grabbed his jacket and left. Looking at the forcefully closed door, I rolled my eyes hard. Still so petty. He can’t even take a joke.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394597”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

It was my first time staying over at my boyfriend’s place. In the middle of the night, his ex-girlfriend suddenly unlocked the front door and barged right into the bedroom. I could feel his body go completely rigid. The room plunged into a dead silence. “Ethan.” Her voice was hoarse, thick with tears. Yet he acted as if nothing had happened. Pinning my wrists down, he casually leaned in and continued kissing me. 1 Bang! The front door slammed shut exactly as I expected, the sound echoing endlessly in the quiet night. I heard my own strained voice ask, “How does she know your door code…” Ethan paused, then continued kissing my jaw, his voice so light it was almost a whisper. “After we broke up… I forgot to change it.” “Is that so?” I instinctively turned my face away, dodging his touch. He froze for a second, then cupped my face, his thumb brushing against my skin as he offered a careless promise. “It’s the truth.” Meeting his pitch-black eyes—which held absolutely no trace of lust—I suddenly couldn’t find the words to say anything at all. In a daze, my mind drifted to Mia, the ex-girlfriend who had just left. This afternoon, she had deliberately sent me a harassing text message: “He’s just my leftovers. Do you want to bet? If I just crook my finger, he’ll come running right back to me.” Ethan had been sitting right next to me when I received it. Seeing the message, his expression remained completely indifferent, as if it had nothing to do with him. I was the only one silently seething. It wasn’t that I was genuinely afraid of Ethan being stolen away. I wouldn’t get jealous over an ex’s baseless provocation or question my relationship with him over it. I just felt a little defensive on his behalf. And… my heart ached for him. Later, just as I was about to say something, Ethan suddenly leaned in and kissed me without a word. His voice was husky, muffled, and inexplicably coaxing. “Babe… don’t go home tonight.” Ethan usually had a very cold, aloof personality. We rarely even kissed. This was the first time he had ever called me “babe” with such intimacy, the first time he had made such a physical demand. I didn’t refuse. I just didn’t expect Mia to walk in on us. Her face had turned deathly pale. She even looked a bit pitiful. But throughout the entire ordeal, Ethan never once glanced at her. Was he too afraid to look… Or couldn’t he bear to? A sudden crack of thunder brought my thoughts snapping back to reality. A bright flash of lightning streaked past the window, illuminating Ethan’s pale, cold face. “It’s raining,” I murmured unconsciously. Ethan abruptly went still. He darted a quick glance out the window, his indifferent eyes flickering with emotions I couldn’t read. I stared at him blankly. Having been together for a while now, no matter how well he hid it, I could easily see through the look in his eyes. He was worried. Worried about Mia, who might be out there getting drenched in the rain. And he was regretting. Regretting that he was spending tonight with me. 2 A chilling sensation started in my chest and instantly swept through my entire body. My fingertips trembled as I violently shoved him away. Ethan snapped out of his daze and shifted his gaze back to me. I saw my own pathetic, disheveled reflection in his pupils and lowered my head. “Go wait outside. I need to get dressed.” A complex look crossed his face, but he didn’t say anything. He left the room in silence. When I finished getting ready and walked out of the bedroom, I saw Ethan standing by the front door. He held an umbrella in one hand and his phone in the other, dialing a number over and over. As the automated voice repeatedly informed him that the other party’s phone was turned off, the anxiety and agitation on his face grew undeniable. I stared at him, numb. I took a step, didn’t notice what was in front of me, and tripped. My knee smashed brutally against the sharp corner of the coffee table. The bone-deep pain made me gasp. Not wanting Ethan to notice, I swallowed the pain and quickly sat down on the sofa nearby. Hearing the commotion, Ethan turned his head hesitantly. When he saw me, his thin lips pressed into a tight line. It took him a long time to finally speak. “The rain is too heavy. Her mental state wasn’t great when she left. I can’t let anything happen to her.” A piercing pain radiated from my knee. I bit my lip, a plea almost slipping past my teeth: Can you just not go? “I’m sorry, Chloe.” He didn’t hesitate for a second. The last few strings holding my sanity together completely snapped. The last shred of pride in my heart crumbled. I forced myself to stand up and limped toward him, tears instantly blurring my vision. “Ethan, you really do owe me an apology.” I took a deep breath, haphazardly wiping my tears away with the back of my hand. “If you never let her go, why did you even get together with me?” “Am I just a convenience? A rebound to pass the time?” When I said the word “rebound,” my voice choked up. But I still looked up at him, stubbornly wanting an answer I already knew. Suddenly, my balance gave out, and I swayed to the side. Ethan caught me by the waist with quick reflexes. “What happened to your leg?” I looked at him and said nothing. Ethan’s eyes darkened. Without a word, he scooped me up into his arms and set me down on the sofa. After grabbing the first-aid kit, he slowly rolled up my pant leg. The careful, gentle way he did it made me freeze for a moment. My right knee was completely swollen, and a large patch of skin was scraped raw. Bright red blood was trailing down the curve of my calf. It looked gruesome. Even I didn’t realize it was this bad. Ethan’s frown deepened. He took out some antiseptic to clean the wound, his voice raspy. “Bear with it.” The next second, a stinging cold hit my knee. The pain was so sharp that I instantly clamped down on his arm, my nails digging deep into his skin. Ethan didn’t make a sound, just let me grip him. When he finally finished cleaning the wound, he pulled out a tube of ointment, but it was clearly empty. “I’ll go downstairs and buy some.” He stood up. I fiercely grabbed his arm, my eyes turning red. He paused, his long eyelashes casting shadows over his eyes, looking almost tender. “There’s a pharmacy right downstairs. Ten minutes, max. I’ll be right back.” 3 Three minutes, five minutes… Ten minutes… When I checked my phone again, I realized I had been waiting for almost three hours. My knee had long since gone numb from the pain. My throat was suddenly incredibly dry. There was a glass of water not too far away. I lifted my knee, moving with stiff, sluggish motions. A seemingly simple task took me nearly three minutes to accomplish. When I finally picked up the glass and took large, desperate gulps, I realized the hot water Ethan had poured for me before leaving had gone completely cold. Just wait a little longer. Just a little longer. When another hour passed, I started calling and texting Ethan repeatedly. He didn’t answer a single call. He didn’t reply to a single text. The look in my eyes slowly died, settling into a heavy, ashen calmness. I don’t know how much time passed before I received another harassing text from Mia. It was two lines of text and a photo of Ethan brewing hot tea in a hotel kitchen. In the photo, Ethan was completely soaked—both his hair and his clothes. He had taken an umbrella when he left, yet he was still drenched. Even though he looked like a mess, the expression on his face in the photo was relaxed and peaceful. “He told me he hasn’t touched you yet. Tonight was supposed to be your first time, right?” “Heh. When he and I first got together…” 4 It was 3:00 AM when Ethan finally returned. With a click, the wall sconce by the entryway flicked on. The dim, yellow light spilled downward, casting shadows over his pale, emotionless face. “Why are you still awake?” He looked surprised to see me sitting rigidly on the sofa. My hand tightened around my phone, and I watched him in silence. “I waited in line to buy a cheesecake for our breakfast tomorrow.” He lifted the box in his hand and calmly placed it in the fridge. “You know that bakery only opens in the middle of the night. The line is pretty crazy.” His tone was as indifferent as ever, acting as if absolutely nothing had happened. Seeing that I wasn’t speaking, Ethan frowned slightly and slowly walked over to the sofa. “What’s wrong?” He stared at me for a long moment before carefully lifting my leg onto his lap. He lowered his head to inspect it. “Does your knee still hurt?” From this angle, I could see his pitch-black hair brushing against the nape of his neck, smooth and glossy. Like it had just been washed and blow-dried. The words Mia had sent suddenly rushed back into my ears, piercing and arrogant, as if exploding right next to me. Embarrassment, humiliation, and rage utterly annihilated all my defenses. Suppressing the tremors racking my body, I pulled my leg off his lap, deliberately avoiding his intimate gesture. Ethan paused, momentarily stunned. “It’s too late today. My knee is injured, so I’ll borrow your sofa for the night. Tomorrow, I’ll wire you the money for the stay.” Ethan’s eyes finally darkened, and he looked at me with a chilling expression. “Chloe, what exactly are you throwing a tantrum about?” “A tantrum?” I repeated, looking up at him. “Ethan, where exactly did you go tonight?” Ethan’s eyelashes fluttered, but he didn’t meet my eyes. “I went to buy you medicine, and then I went to wait in line for the cake.” “So, where is the medicine?” Ethan didn’t speak. “Tonight, I called you exactly fifty-eight times and sent you one hundred and five text messages.” “Before you left, you poured me a glass of hot water. You said it would take ten minutes to cool down, just in time for me to drink it when you got back.” “I don’t know if she’s okay or not, but my leg… it hurts a lot.” The room was dim. Ethan’s face was practically devoid of emotion, save for his fingers slightly curling, rubbing the seam of his pants back and forth. That meant he was irritated and wanted a cigarette. I blinked, forcing down the burning sensation in my eyes. I stared at his aloof face, biting my lip until I tasted blood, before finally forcing the words out. “Ethan, let’s break up.” Almost instantly, Ethan grabbed my wrist, his voice deep. “I refuse.” 5 “I can explain,” he said. “The medicine fell into a storm drain on the way to buy the cake. My phone got smashed too, so I couldn’t receive any messages.” Dead silence filled the air. I just stared straight at him. Ethan’s frown deepened. He raised a hand, roughly unbuttoned the top of his shirt, and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it. I had tried to persuade him to quit smoking many times before, but he never listened. Makes sense. Why would he care about anything I had to say? It wasn’t until the smell of menthol smoke dissipated that I heard his hoarse voice. “I’m sorry.” “If you’re apologizing for abandoning me to go find her, I don’t accept it,” I said softly. Ethan looked stunned. This was the first time I had ever read defeat in his expression. “She is, after all… an old college classmate.” “Just a college classmate?” I tried my best to regulate my emotions, asking in the calmest voice possible. Ethan was silent for a long time before answering. “A few days ago, her parents called me. They said she bought a plane ticket and flew here all by herself. If something happened to her, I wouldn’t know how to explain it to her family.” “Chloe, I’ve never thought about getting back together with her, you—” Before he could finish, I pulled up the harassing texts and photos Mia had just sent me and shoved the screen in his face. He froze. “If you just went to find her, why are your clothes and hair all wet? What happened between you two?” “If you never thought about getting back together with her, why did you feel the need to prove your loyalty by telling her you hadn’t touched me yet?” I tried so hard to hold it in, but my voice still cracked with a hoarse, crying tone. “Ethan, what am I to you?” Looking at his pale, silent face, seemingly unable to offer a rebuttal, I suddenly felt the urge to laugh. In a flash, so many details I had deliberately ignored in the past became crystal clear. Ethan was the one who pursued me first. He had transferred to corporate headquarters two years ago. We had handled the same project several times and were surprisingly in sync at work. We often pulled all-nighters together, and the dynamic between us had subtly shifted. So when he made the first move, I didn’t think about it for long and quickly agreed. During our year together, apart from his somewhat aloof personality, Ethan treated me very well. He never deliberately hid his past either. I knew he had an ex-girlfriend of five years. They were each other’s first loves and broke up a year after college. To say I didn’t care at all would be a lie, but holding onto it felt like I was just punishing myself. I had asked him why they broke up. Ethan’s answer was simple and calm: “She and I weren’t suitable.” At the time, he had added, “Chloe, I think you and I are very suitable.” In all fairness, he sounded very sincere. But my heart had sunk like a stone. The word “suitable” should be a compliment for people in love, but an inexplicable wave of irritation had sprouted in my chest. Did he pursue me because he liked me, or just because I was “suitable”? Perhaps sensing my emotional shift, Ethan didn’t say anything more at the time. He just let out a low sigh, pressed his lips to mine, and said somewhat helplessly, “Chloe, don’t overthink it.” As our breathing grew heavier, I naturally wrapped my arms around his neck. But Ethan abruptly pushed me away, lowering his gaze, lost in thought. After a long silence, he somewhat stiffly reached out and ruffled my hair. “Chloe, we have a long future ahead of us.” I didn’t think much of it then. I assumed he was respecting me, wanting to save the best for after we were engaged. Until Mia showed up. The signs were all there from the start. I was just too in love with him. Love filtered everything out, deluding me into thinking he liked me just as much. Or maybe it wasn’t even ‘like’. It was just pure, simple suitability. The moment I realized this, I felt as naked and humiliated as if I’d been stripped in public. This humiliation was delivered by his ex-girlfriend, but Ethan had been the one to hand her the knife, eager to please her. I couldn’t even imagine what Ethan was like when he was with Mia. Was he as cold and reserved as he was with me? Probably not. 6 I calmly texted my best friend, Harper, telling her Ethan and I had broken up, and asked if she had time to come pick me up tomorrow. I could tell she was shocked, but she didn’t ask questions. She just sent a “hug” emoji. She said: I’ll come get you. The moment I put my phone down, the world spun, and I found myself scooped up into Ethan’s arms. I froze for a few seconds before my face turned ice-cold. “What are you—” Ethan spoke with an unquestionable tone: “Your knee is injured, and the sofa is too small. It’s better if you sleep in the bedroom.” I pressed my lips tightly together, glaring at him with defensive, wary eyes. Ethan’s expression shifted, but he quickly covered it up. “I’ll sleep on the sofa tonight. I won’t… do anything to you.” I paused. I suddenly realized how ridiculous my reaction was. Ethan never liked me to begin with. His attempt to be intimate with me earlier was just him acting out after seeing Mia’s provocative text. My defensiveness was completely pointless. “Put me down. I can walk by myself, thank you,” I said, looking into his eyes, my tone unnervingly calm. When our eyes met, I thought I saw a flash of hurt in his. I figured I must be seeing things. Ethan didn’t say anything else. He set me down in silence, and I didn’t look at him again as I limped toward the bedroom. Just as the door clicked shut, I heard his raspy voice. “Chloe.” I stopped. Ethan was quiet for a moment before pulling a small box from his pocket and opening it. Inside was a delicate women’s ring. “Mia threw it into a storm drain. It was pouring rain, and there were no streetlights. My phone broke by accident. I looked for a long time, and I got soaked. I was afraid you’d overthink it, so I went to a hotel to dry my clothes first.” He paused, his breathing seemingly heavier. “She was frantically demanding to know if I was going to propose to you, asking why I touched you. Everything was just chaos in that moment. I don’t even remember what I told her.” He pressed his lips together, his voice hoarse, but I clearly heard a faint trace of regret in it. “Mia’s personality is completely different from yours. She was like this in college—reckless and wild. She won’t stop until she turns someone else’s world upside down.” In college… Those words made my heart physically clench. That was a territory I could never, ever reach. It belonged exclusively to their past. “I’ve already deleted her number and blocked her. Tomorrow I’ll explain things to her parents. They won’t bother me about her anymore.” I looked up into his eyes, listening to him promise, word by word: “Chloe, she and I are in the past.” Perhaps because he didn’t get a response for so long, Ethan’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and his lips lost a bit more color. It took a long time before he softly said, “Get some rest.” I didn’t say anything. I just watched quietly as he closed the door. Lying in bed, I closed my eyes but couldn’t fall asleep. My mind was a chaotic mess. After hearing those words and seeing that ring, it was impossible to say I felt absolutely nothing. But two images kept flashing back and forth in my mind. One was when Ethan was driving me home early in our relationship. He had suddenly grabbed my hand, his usually cold features softening as he earnestly asked if I wanted to be his girlfriend. The other was Ethan unhesitatingly abandoning me to go find Mia. Can we really… just move past this? Even if things are truly over between them, can my heart move past it? When I woke up the next day and walked out of the bedroom, the first thing I saw was an unopened tube of ointment resting quietly on the table. A belated tube of ointment. I lowered my eyes, ignoring Ethan’s slightly complicated gaze, and walked straight toward the front door. The moment my hand touched the doorknob, the door suddenly swung open. Mia’s bright, arrogant face barged right into my line of sight.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394615”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

[Chapter 1] To save my seriously ill mother, I accepted a deadly gamble from a mysterious System: Transfer to a new, elite school, act like a high-profile rich kid, and if I don’t get exposed for three months, I’ll get ten billion dollars. But if I am exposed, both my mother and I will die instantly. With trembling hands, I spent the last two thousand dollars my family had to buy second-hand designer clothes and bags from an online resale platform. I never expected that the very first outfit I bought belonged to the class beauty. The first time she laid eyes on me, she saw right through my act. On the first day of school, I rented a red Maserati and made my grand entrance amidst everyone’s envious stares. As soon as I stepped out of the car, all eyes were glued to me, buzzing with gossip. The System’s praise chimed in my ear: “Yes, just like that! Be high-profile and grab everyone’s attention!” I casually tossed my hair, took off my sunglasses, and strutted through the crowd with an arrogant gait. “What a dump of a school. The drainage system is terrible; it rained the day before yesterday and the ground is still wet.” “And these parking spots are way too narrow. Couldn’t they buy some more land and expand?” Sure enough, everyone’s attention was drawn to me, sizing me up from head to toe. “Another rich girl. Our class is practically a country club for second-generation heirs!” An exceptionally pretty girl walked over, tugged at my clothes, and examined them closely. My heart tightened. Did I buy a fake? But the resale platform has authentication channels; it’s practically impossible. Unless… I coincidentally bought hers? My heart pounded nervously. If that was true, and she found out, wouldn’t I be dead? Just then, Chloe spoke up in a leisurely tone: “This outfit is a custom Chanel piece, isn’t it? Very expensive, right?” “Which prominent family are you from? Why haven’t I seen you before?” I forced myself to stay calm, casually brushing off the spot she had touched: “Just a little pocket change. I liked it, so I bought it.” “My family is from New York. I’ve always wanted to experience life in California, so I came to Coastline University.” Chloe continued probing, “Is that car you just drove your family’s too?” “Yeah, I just grabbed a random one and drove out. It seems a bit too flashy…” “Sigh, but none of the cars in our garage aren’t flashy. Even the nanny drives a Porsche to get groceries.” Several classmates around us widened their eyes. “Looks like she’s the richest one in our class.” “Those guys bragging earlier can’t even compare to her…” Chloe also grabbed my arm with a friendly face: “It seems your family does big business. Please look out for me in the future!” “My stingy dad only gives me a thousand bucks a month for allowance. I’ll be relying on you from now on!” I patted my chest generously: “No problem, no problem.” Chloe returned to her circle of rich kids. I let out a huge sigh of relief. Looks like I passed the test. But the System’s serious voice sounded in my ear: “Bad news, Chloe saw right through you.” I was shocked: “That outfit isn’t really hers, is it?” “It is.” “She accidentally got a drop of oil on it and sold it. She just found that exact oil spot on your clothes.” [Chapter 2] I panicked completely: “What do I do? Did I fail the mission? Are my mom and I going to die?” The System replied, “Not quite. You only fail if you are exposed to your face.” “Although she saw through you, she hasn’t exposed you, so you can still hang on.” “She’s currently telling everyone your background. Do you want to listen?” I nodded frantically. Their conversation filtered into my eardrums. “You think I’d misrecognize my own clothes? That girl is a total fraud.” “I bet her car is sketchy too.” A boy’s voice chimed in, “Let me go check the license plate and have my dad look it up.” Chloe said, “The license plate is A11223. I secretly took a picture of it earlier.” Another boy spoke up, “What? I think that’s a car from my family’s rental agency!” “Let me ask the staff to confirm.” “Look at the renter info my staff just sent. The name is Harper! That car was rented from my family’s agency!” “Hilarious! She picked the wrong place to show off. Our class has the most rich kids in the whole school.” “So pathetic. If she had tried this in any other class, she probably wouldn’t have been caught so fast.” “So, who’s going to expose her? I love watching posers get slapped in the face!” Chloe spoke up smugly: “What’s the fun in exposing her right now? If she wants to pretend, let’s play along.” “She pretends to be rich, so we’ll spend her money. Isn’t that more interesting?” “Oh, by the way, if you guys have any clothes you’re tired of, list them on the second-hand site and set them so only she can see them.” “Preferably items with marks on them, something recognizable.” “Set the price low, so she can afford them.” “When we’re done playing her for a fool, we’ll use these to expose her and make her make a massive fool of herself!” Soon after, my phone chimed continuously with notifications: [New luxury second-hand items you follow have been listed.] Clicking into it, I saw several Dior and Chanel pieces originally priced at tens or hundreds of thousands, now listed for just a few hundred dollars. I decisively placed orders for all of them. The System yelled in panic: “Are you crazy? Aren’t you just handing them evidence on a silver platter?” “If they expose you, you’ll die!” I smiled. “They’re having too much fun playing right now; they won’t expose me just yet.” “If I don’t let them have their fun, that’s when they might expose me at any moment.” Chloe, leading her little clique of rich kids, began to surround me and shower me with praise. “Look at Harper’s aura, totally different from us commoners.” “Compared to Harper, we’re basically peasants!” “Harper, I really want to go to The Grand Pearl for a nice meal, but my allowance is too low. How about you treat us all?” I nodded and agreed, “Sure! Let’s do it this Saturday. Everyone come!” The System shrieked: “Are you insane? Do you know how much a table at The Grand Pearl costs? The cheapest is $60,000!” [Chapter 3] I asked blankly: “If I refused, wouldn’t I be violating the rule about being high-profile?” The System fell silent for a moment, then stammered: “That, that… but where are you going to get that kind of money!” I pointed at the pile of newly bought clothes on my bed: “By using the money they sent me, of course.” I took the clothes and bags I bought from them for a few hundred dollars, selected a few, and listed them online, blocking their IDs. Very quickly, I made $150,000. The System was astounded: “You can do that? You’re so smart…” I said flatly: “I’m not smart, I just want to live.” On the day of the dinner, they chattered away, coordinating their act. “Can I order the Australian lobster? It’s so expensive…” “Can we get a good vintage for the red wine?” “Look how petty you guys are being. Why are you even asking? Just order! Boss Harper isn’t short on cash!” “Right, Boss Harper?” I smiled and nodded: “Of course. As long as everyone enjoys themselves, don’t worry about saving me money.” Soon, a table full of exotic delicacies was served. After we were full, the waiter walked in: “Hello, the total comes to $126,000. Who will be settling the bill?” Chloe and the others looked at me, suppressing smirks, as if waiting for a good show. Under their watchful eyes, I pulled out my card and handed it to the waiter. Chloe’s shoulders were even shaking as she whispered to the boy next to her: “Let’s see how she handles it when the machine says ‘Insufficient Funds’.” But before she even finished her sentence, the waiter successfully swiped the card and handed me the receipt: “Here you go.” Everyone present was dumbfounded. The half-formed smiles on their faces mixed with their current shock, twisting their expressions like clowns. I looked at their stunned faces, pretending to be confused: “What’s wrong with you guys? Haven’t you ever eaten such good food before? Still savoring the taste?” “Makes sense. Seeing you all wolfing down the food earlier, I felt too embarrassed to eat much, afraid I’d steal your share.” Actually, I didn’t know how to eat those high-end foods and was afraid of making a fool of myself, so I only had a few bites of the cold dishes. “Well, you guys take your time savoring it. I’m going to head out.” I turned and left the restaurant. The System spoke in my ear, lingering fear in its voice: “Thank goodness they only ordered $126,000 worth. If it went over $150,000, you would have died!” I raised an eyebrow slightly: “Although they have money, their allowance isn’t that much.” “While they wanted to see me humiliate myself by not being able to pay, they also knew that if I couldn’t pay, they would have to.” “So they’d order a maximum of $120,000 or so. Any more, and they couldn’t afford to cover it themselves. I had it all calculated.” The System, while admiring me, relayed the voices from the private dining room. “Chloe, didn’t you swear she was faking it? How did she drop $126,000 on a meal without blinking an eye?” “Could she actually have a serious background?” “You said we were going to play her for a fool, but look what happened! Instead, we got roasted by her, and we ended up looking like country bumpkins!” [Chapter 4] Chloe’s voice came through, filled with gritted teeth: “Do you really not know if she’s faking it or not? Didn’t the second-hand clothes you guys sold show up on her the very next day?” “I bet she took out some high-interest loan and is just putting up a front.” “Damn it, a poser mocking us? I’ll make her pay!” “You guys look into her thoroughly. Once we’ve gathered all the evidence, we’ll make her lose face in a spectacular way!” As soon as I walked into the classroom on Monday, Chloe and the others surrounded me. “Harper, when is your birthday? Is it November 15th, like on your ID?” I smiled and asked, “Why? Want to give me a gift?” “Of course! You spent so much money treating us to dinner, we definitely have to give you a grand gift!” “And we’re planning to throw you a massive party on the school football field and invite the whole school!” “After all, you’re the Princess of New York; the scale has to be grand!” The System frantically issued a warning: “Bad news, they must have found something out and want to expose you on your birthday!” I ignored the System’s words: “The date on my ID was recorded incorrectly. My birthday is December 1st.” The group exchanged glances and smiled: “Great! We’ll definitely throw you a birthday party you’ll never forget for the rest of your life.” “Oh, wait, it should be a party the whole school will never forget.” I smiled: “Then I’ll thank you all in advance.” On the day of the birthday party, wearing a princess dress, I was ushered onto a stage on the football field, surrounded by people. The spotlight hit me, as if I truly were a noble princess. Chloe and her group handed me a gift box: “Harper, we prepared these for you very carefully. It took a lot of effort and connections.” Smiling sweetly, I opened the box. Inside were photos and documents. My family’s run-down, dilapidated house with soot-blackened walls. The misshapen, cheap clothes from street stalls in my closet. My mother’s unpaid hospital bills. The rental agreement for my car. And evidence of me buying their second-hand clothes. The large screen behind me began to simultaneously display these photos. The entire football field of people stood dumbfounded. “Holy shit, I came here to see a rich person’s birthday party, but it’s an exposé?” “So her designer brands were all bought second-hand, and from her classmates no less! So embarrassing, I’d die of shame.” “Wait, her own mother can’t even afford medical bills, and she still has the nerve to act rich?” “Exactly! Doesn’t renting a car cost money? Doesn’t buying second-hand cost money? Couldn’t she have used that money for her mom’s treatment?” “And dropping $126,000 on a meal? Doesn’t she know her mom is dying?” “Fuck, she’s not just a poser, she’s a piece of trash!” Chloe smiled triumphantly, tilting her head to look at me: “How is it, Harper? Are you satisfied with this gift?” [Chapter 5] “You’ll definitely remember this 19th birthday for the rest of your life, won’t you?” I smiled and spoke: “I love the gift, but today is not my birthday.” “My birthday was half a month ago. I deliberately told you it was today.” Chloe was confused by my reaction: “You did it on purpose? Why?” “What difference does half a month make?” I gently raised the corner of my mouth: “A huge difference.” “Because I knew long ago what you were planning to do on my birthday.” “But still, thank you all for playing along with my act for three months.” “Otherwise, the show would have been over for me.” The System’s voice sounded in my ear. “Settlement complete. Ten billion dollar reward has been fully deposited.” They froze for a moment, then continued looking at me mockingly: “Stop trying to change the subject! Let’s talk about your pretending to be rich, ‘Miss New York’!” “‘Oh, my lambskin soles can’t get wet’, ‘Even my nanny drives a Porsche for groceries’. Hilarious! You’ve probably never even seen a Porsche in real life, right?” “Tell us, is it fun pretending to be a rich heiress? Did spending $126,000 on a meal mean you have to go hungry and eat shit for the next few years?” The crowd roared with laughter. I gave a serene smile: “It was just $126,000. That’s not even enough for me to get my nails done once. You guys are making a fuss over nothing. Are you so poor that it takes you years to spend $126,000?” The people below looked at me as if admiring a clown’s dying struggle, their faces contorted with laughter: “Stop acting, broke bitch! Your own mother is dying because she can’t pay her medical bills!” “Could she have gone crazy from being exposed in public?” “Hilarious, still having delusions! $126,000 for a manicure? This is the grandest imagination a poor beggar like you has of a rich person’s life, right?” “If you’re so ‘rich’, how much is in your bank account? Is it zero?” “Dare to show us?” I ignored their mockery. The money had arrived, and I had more important things to do. I took out my phone, transferred funds to the hospital’s account, and then called the doctor: “Dr. Lee, this is Harper. I’ve transferred the funds for my mother’s treatment and surgery. Please finalize the treatment plan as soon as possible.” “Yes, use the best medication available for everything!” Chloe and the other rich kids laughed so hard they had tears in their eyes. “Still faking it? You really won’t shed a tear until you see the coffin!” “The best medication, hilarious. Do you even know how much the best medication costs?” “Ethan, isn’t her mom at your family’s hospital? Make a call and let everyone hear how much money she owes!” Ethan dialed the number and put it on speaker: “Accountant Wang, that patient with unpaid bills I asked you to check on last time…” A female voice drifted from the phone: “Oh, Mary? Her daughter just paid the bill.” “She transferred two million dollars all at once. The doctors are already customizing the best treatment plan.” “Wh-what?” Ethan was dumbfounded. [Chapter 6] The students gathered on the football field began to speak up: “Are you kidding me? You guys secretly spread the word, telling everyone to come watch the ultimate slap in the face, and even told us to keep quiet so as not to alert Harper, and this is what we get? You guys slapping your own faces?” “You guys are… quite dedicated to entertaining us, huh.” “Hahaha, why complain? I love watching faces get slapped, no matter whose it is!” Having lost face, Ethan glared at me in disbelief: “Where did you get the money to pay?” “Did you steal it or rob someone? I’m calling the police!” I shrugged: “Suit yourself. Every cent of mine is legitimate. If you’re not afraid of being arrested for filing a false police report, go right ahead.” Chloe recovered and sneered: “I bet she either took out online loans or borrowed from loan sharks.” “In a couple of days, the debt collectors will be blocking the school gates, ruining our school’s reputation!” “Harper, just stop trying to hold on! Be honest, apologize, admit you were faking it, and maybe people will even help you.” “Otherwise, when the loan sharks come knocking and you end up crippled at such a young age, tsk tsk…” I smiled and shook my head: “I wouldn’t need to borrow for such a small amount of money, right?” “After all, I have properties all over the country. Do you want to see?” As I spoke, I showed the crowd photos of property deeds on my phone. I didn’t take the entire ten billion reward in cash; I also exchanged some for other assets. Ten property deeds were neatly displayed on the screen, with my name glaringly printed on them. “Impossible, it’s fake! It has to be fake!” A boy whose father worked at the Department of Real Estate pulled out his phone: “Dad, can you look something up for me? There’s a Harper at our school who claims she owns ten properties…” His voice trailed off, and he lowered his phone weakly. “My dad says… it’s true…” Chloe shrieked: “Impossible, there’s something fishy here!” “Harper, if you’re really this rich, why did you buy second-hand clothes?” “Look at these photos, everyone! The clothes she wore have marks we made on them! They are second-hand goods bought from us!” “Stop acting, Harper! The more lies you tell, the more holes there will be…” I explained: “So what if they’re second-hand? When that Chanel set you sold was released, I didn’t like it. Later I decided I did, but it was off the market.” “I happened to see someone selling it, so I bought it, sanitized it, and wore it. What’s the problem?” “Stop making excuses! Even if that set is explained, what about the rest? You bought all of Olivia and Lily’s second-hand bags and clothes too.” I smiled: “Because I knew you listed them specifically for me to buy.” “A $200,000 outfit listed for $500? Why wouldn’t I buy it? Buying it and relisting it for $50,000 is pure profit.” “Although I have money, I don’t mind making more.” “Oh right, the money I made from selling your clothes was more than enough to cover the dinner I treated you to.” [Chapter 7] The faces of the group turned pale: “Are you saying you used the money from selling our clothes to treat us?!” I nodded: “What else? I might have a lot of money, but I’m not a sucker.” “If you guys genuinely wanted to be my friends, I wouldn’t have minded spending the money.” “But I sensed from the very beginning that you had bad intentions. Why should I treat you to a meal then?” “No matter how much money I have, I don’t spend it like that.” The onlookers laughed until they cried. “Holy shit, weren’t they claiming earlier that they were playing the poser poor girl for a fool by making her buy them a huge feast?” “Well, someone definitely got played for a fool, but the real question is, who’s the fool?” “The clown was me all along! Hahahaha, this is too funny.” Having suffered a massive humiliation, Chloe and her group glared at me angrily: “Harper, you played us! You played us!” I raised an eyebrow slightly: “Are you the only ones allowed to play others, but others aren’t allowed to play you?” “Don’t be too smug. Sooner or later, we’ll uncover your illegal gains…” I nodded: “Yes, you are all powerful and influential.” “However, privately looking up a citizen’s personal information is illegal, right?” “Just now, when Ethan, Liam, and the others asked their families to look me up, I recorded it and reported it to the relevant authorities.” “Ethan, your family is just a minor shareholder in the hospital. I wonder if your dad will be able to keep his position now?” “And Liam, your dad’s days as a director at the Department of Real Estate are probably numbered.” Ethan and Liam stood frozen on the spot. Chloe screamed in a breakdown: “Harper, don’t be so smug! Even if you really have some dirty money, so what? We have money too!” “Our families all run companies. Teaming up to destroy you will be easy!” I nodded: “Then you’ll have to ask your parents if they agree first.” “Look, here they come.” Several luxury cars parked at the edge of the football field. Several prominently dressed people ran toward us. Chloe’s father ran at the front. Before she could even speak, he slapped her hard across the face: “Who are you trying to destroy?! This is the God of Wealth for our company, do you understand?!” “You don’t know your place anymore! Apologize right now!” The other parents also pressed their children’s heads down: “Apologize to Miss Harper immediately!” “Do you know how many shares she holds in our company? If you provoke her and she pulls her investment, the company is finished!” “Do you think you’ll still be able to act arrogant then? You’ll all be washing dishes!” Aside from exchanging the ten billion dollar prize for cash and properties, I also exchanged it for shares in their families’ companies. Since they wanted a grand face-slapping scene, I naturally had to cooperate fully in every aspect. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be as satisfying. Chloe shook her head in disbelief: “Our company has her shares? How is that possible?” “Dad, you’ve been scammed, right? She’s a fraud!” “She keeps saying she’s some New York heiress, but my friends who go to school in New York said there’s no such person in their circles!” Her dad looked at her with exasperation: “Scammed? Can shares be fake? Can hard cash be fake?” “Hurry up and bow your head and apologize!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394598”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Walking out of the police station after handling the accident, I got into Arthur’s passenger seat and broke up with him. “Chloe, I’m tired. Can you stop causing a scene?” Looking at Arthur’s profile as he gripped the steering wheel, I suddenly laughed. “I’m not causing a scene.” “Arthur,” I turned my head, my gaze falling on the neon lights outside the window, “we’re done here.” … The Tesla slammed on its brakes in the middle of the river-crossing bridge. The air in the car froze solid, like a frozen lake. “Give me a reason.” Arthur tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, his voice cold enough to form frost. “Give me a decent reason for whatever crazy fit you’re throwing now.” I looked in the rearview mirror at the white Audi that had been tailing us for three intersections. I rolled down the window, letting the night wind rush in. “I bet… thirty seconds tops.” “The person in that car is going to come looking for you.” I started counting down. “Thirty.” “Twenty-nine.” “Twenty-eight.” By the time I reached twenty-five, the white Audi had already pulled over. The door opened, and a girl in a beige trench coat ran over and tapped on Arthur’s window. Arthur frowned and rolled down the window. “Arthur, I’m so, so sorry!” The girl’s eyes were red, her voice carrying a sob. “I really didn’t mean to rear-end you. I just saw you driving so fast, and I was worried you’d get into an accident, so I followed…” She looked at me, a tear falling with perfect timing. “Chloe, please don’t be mad. I didn’t mean to interrupt you guys. I was just… just too worried.” She reached out to grab my sleeve, but I avoided her. “Hit me,” the girl offered her face. “If it makes you feel better, hit me.” Arthur firmly grabbed the girl’s shoulder. “Mia, what are you doing?” Then he turned to me, his eyes full of disappointment. “Chloe, where are your manners? Did a dog eat them?” I laughed out loud. See? I did absolutely nothing, just sat here, and somehow I became the unreasonable, petty one. I pushed Mia’s hand away and looked straight at Arthur. “Understand now?” “Arthur,” the area where my heart was felt completely numb. I unbuckled my seatbelt. “This is the reason.” “Let’s break up.” I pushed open the car door, and under Mia’s shocked yet faintly gleeful gaze, I smiled at Arthur. “Congratulations. All those little tricks you played over the years to wedge yourself between me and Arthur have finally paid off.” “I don’t want Arthur anymore.” I turned and started walking away. Arthur rushed out of the car and grabbed my wrist. “Chloe Vance! Do you have any idea how important the signing I missed today was because of this accident? Just because you called and said your car got hit, I ditched my client and rushed to the police station! And what do I find? The person who rear-ended you was Mia! The intern from my company!” “She’s already apologized, the insurance is handling it. What more do you want?” “I’ve tolerated you for a long time, Chloe. Mia constantly speaks well of you in front of me, telling me to be more considerate of you, telling me not to fight with you. Can you stop being so ungrateful?” He gripped my wrist so tightly it hurt, pulling at an old injury and sending sharp pain shooting up my arm. I looked down at the ring of skin. “Let go!” I forcefully shook him off, rubbing my aching wrist, and roared. “Arthur Sterling!” “I’ve tolerated you for a long time too!” Arthur and I had been together for eight years. From college to our startup, from a basement rental to a luxury penthouse with a river view. We fought, we made a scene, we gave each other the silent treatment, but I had never, ever humiliated him in front of an outsider like this. But I didn’t want to tolerate it anymore. “When I had a 104-degree fever, you accompanied her to the animal shelter to find homes for stray cats. When my project presentation was heavily criticized by a client, you watched a meteor shower with her on the roof. Every time I needed you, you were by her side!” I stared into Arthur’s eyes. “You gave her the passcode to my apartment so she could come get documents for you while I was on a business trip. You gave her my collectible figurines as a birthday present, saying, ‘Chloe doesn’t play with these anyway.’ Today, when my car gets rear-ended, your first words are, ‘Is Mia okay?’—” “Arthur!” “We are over!” My emotions were like a broken dam. The dignity I had maintained all night completely collapsed. Arthur’s face changed, and he instinctively explained, “I had Mia get the documents because I had a meeting right away! I asked about Mia because her car was damaged worse! Why do you always cling to these trivial things?” “Chloe!” He looked at me, his eyes filled with exhaustion and disappointment. “When did you become so petty? Clinging to every little clue and refusing to let go.” “Chloe, a pathetic woman looks exactly like you do right now!” I thought I wouldn’t hurt anymore. From giving my statement at the traffic police to getting into his car, I had been very calm. Even in the car, I reviewed our past eight years—from meeting to falling in love, from having nothing to having everything. And I reached a conclusion: it was time to end it. I wanted to leave with dignity. But my heart still ached because of his words, like the softest piece of flesh being repeatedly beaten with a blunt instrument. “Yeah. In your eyes, I’m the most pathetic one.” I let out a low laugh. “So, I don’t care about your love anymore either.” I turned to leave, but Mia lunged forward and grabbed my hand. I hadn’t even cried, but she started crying first, tears falling pat pat pat. “Chloe, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault… I’ll resign tomorrow, I’ll leave the company, I’ll disappear… Arthur really loves you, please don’t throw a tantrum at him, okay?” I hated this act of Mia’s the most. Watching her cry a river of tears, I forcefully shook her off. “Get lost!” Mia stumbled a few steps from my shove, looking at me in shock. “Chloe!” Arthur rushed over to support Mia. Seeing that she scraped her elbow, he turned and yelled at me, “Are you crazy?! Apologize to Mia!” “In your dreams.” I looked at Arthur, caught the fleeting look of triumph in Mia’s eyes, and dropped one last sentence: “Either we part amicably, or I move out. You choose.” I didn’t look back, nor did I care about Mia’s sobbing or Arthur’s coaxing behind me. I hailed a cab directly and went to my best friend, Elena’s, house. When Elena opened the door and saw me, she didn’t ask anything, just stepped aside to let me in. She brought out two twelve-packs of beer from the fridge, placed them on the coffee table, and asked only one question: “Is this enough?” Looking at the beer, my eyes suddenly welled up with tears. I was holding it together just fine a second ago. Elena didn’t say a word, just opened her arms. “Cry if you want to cry. You don’t have to pretend in front of me.” I completely broke down, burying my face in her shoulder and sobbing loudly. I cried until my voice was hoarse, until I was shaking all over, until I rushed into the bathroom and threw up violently. Finally, with a raspy voice, I said: “I want to break up.” What is the end of love? It’s going from people who promised to fight the whole world together, to becoming opponents stabbing each other in the back. It’s going from believing that marriage can make flowers bloom in a graveyard, to finally admitting that flowers fade and love withers. I stayed at Elena’s place for half a month. During this half month, I saw thirty-seven updates from Mia on her social media. Every single one had traces of Arthur. 【Late nights at the office are only not lonely when someone keeps you company.】 Attached was a selfie of Mia, with Arthur’s silhouette working at his computer in the background. 【You said you would always be my light.】 Attached was a picture of two hands—Mia’s wrist wearing the watch I gave Arthur for his birthday last year, and another hand resting on her wrist. Arthur’s hand. 【Going somewhere important with someone important.】 Attached was a photo in an airport VIP lounge. Mia smiling brightly, with Arthur resting his eyes beside her. One after another. It made Elena bounce off the sofa, pointing at the phone and cursing loudly: “Holy shit! This bitch! Is Arthur blind? Can’t he see what she’s after? A dog could see it!” Elena was jumping mad. I, on the other hand, was very calm. It seemed like I was getting through the withdrawal period. Regarding Elena’s fury, I merely said flatly: “Arthur knows exactly what’s going on.” “Knows?” Elena sat next to me. “If he knows, why is he pretending to be innocent?” “In his eyes, as long as they haven’t slept together, he’s innocent.” I twitched the corner of my mouth. “After all, he always says that he and Mia are completely clean, and it’s my mind that’s dirty.” Arthur always guarded that bottom line. So every time I caused a scene, he could always use that line, “Your mind is dirty, so everything you see is dirty,” to leave me speechless. Looking at these things now, I didn’t feel much anymore. I reminded Elena: “The moving company is booked for ten.” Since I wanted a clean break, I had to move out of that house. I didn’t have much stuff, but there were some things I couldn’t leave behind—like the box of out-of-print design drafts my dad left me. “As long as you’ve really thought it through.” Elena patted my shoulder. When we arrived downstairs at the apartment building, I glanced at my phone—Mia had posted an update half an hour ago. The location was a resort hotel in a neighboring city, and a photo collage entirely filled with Arthur. I thought I wouldn’t run into her today. But the moment I pushed the door open, I smelled food. Walking into the living room, I saw Mia wearing my loungewear, sitting cross-legged at the dining table eating shrimp. Seeing me, she jumped up like a frightened rabbit. “Chloe…” I looked at her clothes, then at Arthur’s frozen expression as he came out of the kitchen carrying soup. “You’re back?” Arthur asked stiffly. “Have you eaten?” I ignored him and walked straight toward the study. Then I stopped dead in my tracks. The design books that were originally neatly arranged on the bookshelf were scattered everywhere. The blueprints on the work desk were all over the floor. But what made my heart clench the most was— The door to the safe in the corner was open. “Chloe…” Mia followed me to the door, her voice as faint as a mosquito. “I’m sorry… Arthur and I just got back from the hotel, and I left my suitcase there… Arthur let me wear your clothes first…” “I accidentally… bumped into the safe…” My brain buzzed. I turned my head and saw the stack of yellowing blueprints in Mia’s hand—a large section of the edge was stained with coffee. “I really didn’t mean to!” Mia suddenly threw herself at me, kneeling in front of me and grabbing my arm. “Hit me! Please! Hit me to vent your anger!” “I didn’t know these were your father’s belongings! I really didn’t know!” Mia grabbed my hand and pulled it toward her own face. “Hit me! Hit me hard! It’ll make me feel better!” She made a motion to kowtow. Just as her forehead was about to touch the ground, a hand reached over and caught her. Arthur pulled her up, looked at me, and spoke with a tone as calm as if he were remarking on the nice weather today. “He’s already gone; these are just inanimate objects in the end. Mia knows she made a mistake. Don’t make things difficult for her.” His tone was so self-righteous. As if I were the one making a big deal out of nothing, the narrow-minded one. He stood in front of Mia in a protective stance, telling me: “She feels guilty enough already. Don’t harp on it.” I couldn’t utter a single word. As long as Mia played the victim, I was always in the wrong. From Mia “accidentally” losing my award certificates, to “unintentionally” deleting the design proposals on my computer, to “not noticing” and breaking the custom couple mugs Arthur and I had, and now, ruining the last manuscripts my dad left me— Arthur always told me to be magnanimous, to forgive. The buzzing in my ears grew louder. My fingertips trembled. I walked up to Mia, and before Arthur could react— I grabbed Mia’s hair and smashed her head violently against the bookcase door. Then, amidst Mia’s screams, I kicked the back of her knee, forcing her to truly kneel before me. “That’s not how you kowtow.” I stepped on her calf, grabbed her hair, and slammed her head heavily against the floor. A dull thud. Mia’s forehead instantly drew blood. “This is how you admit your mistakes.” My eyes burned. I grabbed her, ready to slam her head again, when Arthur rushed over and grabbed my wrist. “Let go!” “In your dreams!” Arthur’s other hand came down, forcefully prying my fingers open. The agonizing pain of my fingernail being ripped back made me frown deeply, but he didn’t seem to notice and kept applying force. “Chloe Vance! That’s enough!” Enough? I looked at Arthur, laughing out of sheer fury: “Arthur, the difference between humans and animals is that humans can think and have a bottom line! We don’t just blindly show favoritism based on instinct!” “Since you insist on protecting her—” Ignoring the agonizing pain of my torn fingernail, in the moment Arthur was stunned, I slapped Mia fiercely across the face. Along with the pain of my split nail, a few bloody scratches appeared on the face that showed up on my feed every day. Mia broke down and screamed. I laughed out loud. “Karma.” I looked at Arthur’s disbelieving expression, then at Mia, who was covering her face and howling. I enunciated every word clearly: “I was never a pushover, you should have known that.” “Arthur, you’ve thoroughly pissed me off.” “If I don’t ruin you both, my last name isn’t Vance!” When Elena rushed in with the movers, her first reaction was a “Holy shit,” followed by a cold look as she saw my bloody fingers: “Animal!” She swung her hand and slapped the back of Arthur’s head, leaving him bewildered. Arthur looked at Elena, then at the movers, and demanded of me: “What exactly are you trying to do!” “Making room for your precious sweetheart,” I said coldly. “But looking at things now—” I glanced at Mia, who was sitting on the floor covering her face, and the furious Arthur. “There’s no need.” I grabbed a crowbar from one of the movers and walked toward the abstract painting on the living room wall—a piece we painted together when we first moved in here. I smashed the crowbar down. The canvas tore; the frame shattered. Just like our eight years, shattered beyond repair. “Guys,” I handed the crowbar back, “I’ve transferred the money. Sorry for making you come all the way out here today.” “The stuff here,” I swept my gaze around the room, “is too dirty. I don’t want it anymore.” The mover, startled by the scene, asked quietly: “Do you need… to call the police?” Mia jumped up from the floor: “Call the police for what! She hit me! If anyone’s calling the police, it’s me!” Elena finally noticed the scratches on Mia’s face and let out an “Oh”: “Isn’t this our little white lotus? Not pretending to be delicate anymore?” Mia glared at her viciously, enduring the pain, and said: “Chloe, I never wanted to steal Arthur! Why are you doing this to me!” “Don’t you know how important a reputation is?” “Of course you do!” she suddenly raised her voice. “Arthur told me everything!” “You were sexually harassed by a professor in college! You’re not clean yourself, so you think everyone else is dirty too!” “Mia!” Arthur shouted sternly. “Shut up!” This was the first time I had ever seen Arthur yell at Mia like that. In my memory, Mia was always right, and I was always wrong. Even breathing was a mistake. I used to think that Arthur might just be momentarily confused. That maybe when he calmed down, he’d turn back and apologize. Maybe I should wait. Maybe I should give him another chance. But I never thought that my painful past would be spoken from Mia’s mouth. I never expected Arthur to expose my scars to others, giving them a knife to stab me with. “Yeah.” I suddenly smiled. “I am pretty dirty.” In my senior year, to help Arthur secure a guaranteed spot in a graduate program, I offended a well-connected professor in my department. Later, I was called to his office for a “talk” and almost got assaulted. Although he didn’t succeed, rumors spread. They said I slept my way to the top, that I won awards through illicit means. Back then, I thought Arthur believed me, that he was on my side. My heart still hurt. It hurt so much I couldn’t breathe, yet I still had to look at Arthur, who was now panicking: “So, don’t make me look down on you.” I grabbed Elena and walked out. Elena cursed as we walked: “Bastards! A whole family of bastards!” “You motherfucking, cursed bastards!” The bastard chased after us. The bastard used the soft, yielding tone I had waited half a year for to stop me: “I didn’t!” “Chloe, believe me! I never thought you were dirty! Never!” Arthur’s eyes were red with anxiety. “Those things… I didn’t mean to tell Mia. She kept asking, and I had too much to drink, so I…” He tried to grab my hand, but I violently shook him off. “Wait for the letter from my lawyer.” As Arthur tried to pursue us again, Elena turned around and slapped him across the face. “Get lost!” In the car, Elena didn’t ask where I was going, and I didn’t give a destination. We just drove around the city for over three hours. Watching the familiar streets, the light from the streetlamps flowing across the car windows… I remembered the year my dad was in the late stages of liver cancer, lying in his hospital bed, holding my hand and saying: “Chloe, you’re the one I’m most worried about leaving behind.” I remembered that rainy night, squatting in the hospital corridor crying until I was dehydrated. Arthur found me, looked at me tenderly, and swore: “Chloe, from now on, I am your family.” “I will love you in your dad’s place.” “I will love you forever.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394616”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

At the most critical moment of my grad school admission interview, my mother suddenly burst into my room, a glass of milk in hand. Instantly, a bold system prompt popped up on my computer screen. [Interview interrupted. Score invalidated.] I slammed my hand onto the keyboard, my voice hoarse: “Mom, let’s cut all ties!” The room was silent for a few seconds. She looked at the black screen, then down at the half-spilled milk. “Just for this?” I closed my eyes, physically and mentally exhausted. “Yes, just for this.” My mother placed the milk heavily on the desk, looking flustered and at a loss. “Chloe… quickly turn on your computer, Mom will apologize to the examiner…” “Mom didn’t know you were interviewing, I just felt bad you were staying up late and wanted to bring you a glass of milk.” My father, hearing the commotion, hurried in, rubbing his hands together to smooth things over. “Yes! It’s all a misunderstanding! Quickly contact the examiner, Mom and Dad will help you explain.” I stood up, the chair legs making a harsh screeching sound. “That was the last question of the interview. I spent a whole semester preparing for this.” “I missed out on Stanford during undergrad, and now my chance for grad school there is ruined too!” My mother covered her face and sobbed. “Mom didn’t know… you didn’t tell me either…” My father put his arm around her: “Your mom is wrong, but her intentions are good. We’re a family, we need to be understanding.” It was always this routine. One admits a fault, the other plays peacemaker. And I, bound by the word “understanding,” was nailed in place. I hadn’t eaten dinner that night. Waking up half-starved in the middle of the night, I got up to find something in the kitchen. Passing the master bedroom, I heard hushed conversation from behind the slightly ajar door. “You overacted. What if she really hates us now?” It was my father. “Hate what? I apologized.” My mother’s tone was light. “I saw the notification on the tablet synced to her phone ages ago.” “This is great, the interview is ruined. Now she can take the civil service exam here in the city…” “You are smart.” My father laughed, sounding approving. I stood outside the door, my body turning ice cold. I suddenly remembered middle school, when she had picked the lock on my door just like this. Always saying, ‘You’re my daughter, Mom is just caring about you.’ I resisted countless times, but all I got was her breaking into my room again and again, controlling my life. It wasn’t until I took a knife and cut my wrist that she, with a livid face, finally put the lock back on. I thought that was in the past. It turns out, over all these years, the lock was never truly replaced. I violently pushed the door open. The two of them jumped. “I heard everything.” My voice was terrifyingly calm. “Mom, you did it on purpose.” The panic on my mother’s face lasted only a second before she immediately plastered on a smile. “Chloe, you misheard, Mom just accidentally…” “Accidentally?” I cut her off: “Accidentally looked at my tablet?” Her smile froze. Then her eyes reddened, and her voice softened. “I really am doing this for your own good, I’m your mother… how could I watch you go down the wrong path?” “What’s the point of going to grad school out of state? Staying near your parents, getting a stable government job, and getting married, that’s the right path!” She reached out to grab me, but I stepped back. “For my own good? Are you paving the way for me?” I stared at her. “Or are you just terrified of me slipping out of your control?” That fragile facade instantly fell away. “I am your mother, would I harm you?!” She stopped hiding it. “I gave birth to you, so your life belongs to me!” My father quickly interjected: “Say less! Your mom has a quick temper, but her intentions are good…” “Her intentions are good.” I repeated softly: “I’ve heard that for twenty years. One of you slaps me, the other gives me a piece of candy. I’ve played along for twenty years.” I looked around at them: “But today, I’m done playing your game!” I turned back to my room and quickly packed my backpack. “Don’t you dare leave!” My mother lunged at me. I threw her off and walked to the door. “Chloe Smith! Apologize right now!” My father’s face darkened. Holding the cold door handle, I looked back one last time. “From today on, we are cutting all ties!” The door closed behind me, cutting off all sound. The hot, humid summer night wind hit my face, but I felt freezing cold. Standing under a streetlight, I checked my phone. Balance: $23.50. 2. In elementary school, I loved to draw, so she tore up my sketchbooks. “What future is there in drawing?” In middle school, I wanted to build model airplanes, so she cut off my allowance. “Will this nonsense get you into a top high school?” For college applications, I put down a top out-of-state university, and she changed it to a local community college. “The outside world is too dangerous, you can’t handle it.” Unable to bear it any longer, I trashed my room. She sat in the ruins, crying heart-wrenchingly. “Mom worked like a dog for you her whole life, and this is how you repay me?” My father chimed in from the side: “Chloe! Would your mom harm you?” Right! I used to tell myself that when I felt suffocated: She’s doing it for my own good. After walking aimlessly for a long time, my phone rang. It was my good friend, Sarah. After hearing me out, she only replied: “Send me your location, I’m coming to get you.” Half an hour later, I was at her house. Her parents asked nothing, just silently set an extra place at the table. That night I slept on the floor in her room, and relying on this shelter, I slowly caught my breath. Since I was little, my mother strictly forbade me from interacting with other students. She said they would be a bad influence and affect my studies. Especially boys. In her eyes, boys were all up to no good, cheap, and only got close to me to seduce me. Once, a male classmate asked me for directions. After she saw it, she went straight to the school that day and hung a banner. Pointing at that boy, telling him to stay away from me. Later, she spread rumors about him everywhere until he was forced to transfer schools. From then on, I was completely isolated by my classmates. Only Sarah was the one person brave enough to approach me during those dark teenage years. Early the next morning, I was jolted awake by a call from the class president, Kevin. “Chloe! Control your mother! If she spreads rumors in the group chat again, I’m calling the police!” I opened WhatsApp. At the top of my chat with Kevin was his message from last night. “We’re just waiting on your part for the group project.” Attached was a smiling emoji. Below that, were over a dozen voice messages from my mother. “You little animal! How dare you try to seduce my daughter?” “I’ll let the whole school see what kind of trash you are!” I suddenly remembered, the WhatsApp on the tablet at home wasn’t logged out. Trembling, I opened our grade’s group chat. At the very top was a post from my account: a photo of Kevin at the beach. Caption: “Who are you dressing like this for?” Followed by a mini-essay, every word vicious. “Dressing like a male prostitute, and you’re trying to sell yourself to my daughter?” “My daughter is destined for great things, stay away from her, you filthy piece of trash!” Below that was Kevin’s counterattack. He posted full screenshots of our chat, proving he was just asking for the assignment, and requested the school handle this seriously. The group chat exploded. Classmates were calling her a “crazy bitch” and saying she “needs to get her head checked.” My mother was actually fighting with dozens of people: “Your parents are the failures! Raising a bunch of little animals!” Until the academic advisor intervened: “Chloe’s parent, please stop immediately and apologize!” She retorted directly: “Who the hell are you? Is it your place to interfere with how I discipline my daughter?” The advisor was furious: “Chloe! Bring your parent to my office immediately! Otherwise, you will face severe consequences!” I gripped my phone tightly and walked out of the room. My parents were having breakfast with Sarah’s parents. “Chloe, let’s go home after you eat these dumplings.” My mother smiled and handed me a pair of chopsticks. “Why did you spread sexual rumors about Kevin in the group chat?” Her smile froze: “Mom was just afraid you’d be taken advantage of by that kind of boy…” “What right do you have to casually spread rumors about others just because you’re ‘afraid’?” I roared, cutting her off. My father slammed the table: “There are outsiders here! Have some decency!” “Since I was little, your way of dealing with ‘fear’ is to destroy the person who makes you afraid.” I looked at my mother, feeling the sheer absurdity of it all. “Just because you’re neurotic, you’re going to ruin someone else’s reputation again?!” Slap! A loud slap rang out. Her hand was shaking: “I gave birth to you and raised you, not for you to disobey me!” I covered my face and laughed. “Right, you gave birth to me and raised me.” I looked at them. “So I deserve to be an object, held tightly in the palm of your hand?” “I am your daughter.” I said softly: “Not a dog you keep, forever chained by the neck, slapped when I’m disobedient.” I got up and rushed out the door. Sarah grabbed my bag and chased after me, her voice dry. “It was my parents… who told yours.” Under the blazing sun, I suddenly stopped. “Sarah, three years ago when you helped my mom change my college application… how did you feel?” The breathing behind me stopped. “The password.” I turned around to look at her. “I only ever showed it to you.” She turned deathly pale, and after a long time, squeezed out a sentence. “Your mom… took a picture of me coming out of a motel with my high school boyfriend.” “She threatened me, saying if I didn’t help her, she’d plaster the photo and our chat logs all over the school!” “Mark was innocent, and his parents were government workers…” “What about me?” My throat tightened, my face full of bitterness. “Three years ago it was Stanford, now it’s grad school, it’s all ruined! You were my only friend!” “What choice did I have?!” She jerked her head up, her eyes red. “Ruin me or ruin you? Your mom had us both by the throat!” “Who told you to have a mom like that!” I felt a violent jolt, a powerless, suffocating feeling making me dizzy. “Sorry, I understand.” I turned and walked away. Her calls were quickly drowned out by the traffic. 3 Before I even walked out of the street, my phone rang. It was the academic advisor. “Chloe!” She sounded troubled: “The school reviewed the final exams and determined you cheated. Your graduate school recommendation is canceled.” “You should really communicate well with your parents about this…” As soon as the advisor hung up, a text message popped up. Mom: [Your Uncle Zhang said the school reviewed the final exams and determined you cheated.] [Be good and come home, only Uncle Zhang can handle this.] Zhang Jianye, a distant relative working in the school’s academic affairs office. I studied so hard for those finals and answered the questions so smoothly, how could I be accused of cheating? I leaned my back against the scorching hot wall. Are they going to strip away my very last chance? After calming down, I used money from a loan app for the first time and checked into a cheap motel. I collapsed on the bed, physically and mentally exhausted. When I was woken up by a call from my older sister, Rachel, it wasn’t even fully light out yet. She was my only buffer in that house. When we were kids, every time I was being scolded harshly, she was the one who pulled me out of the room, giving me a moment to breathe. But the irony is, she herself was my mother’s most successful “creation.” She was accepted into a teaching college out of state, but our mother burned her acceptance letter. “Why does a girl need to run so far away?” She cried all night, and the next day went to the local college our mother had arranged. She went on thirty-six blind dates and finally married after our mother nodded her approval. On her wedding day, she didn’t cry, her eyes were just empty. On the phone, my sister’s voice was as soft as always. “It’s not safe for you to live outside alone, come stay at my place.” I remembered the last time I saw her, the bruises on her wrists, and the phrase: “Your brother-in-law… Mom chose him too.” “No,” I said. “Then… three days from now is the baby’s first birthday party, can you come?” I squeezed the silver bracelet in my bag, bought with my scholarship money, and the toothless smile of my little nephew flashed before my eyes. “…I’ll be there.” On the day of the birthday party, I sneaked into the nursery. Only to see the baby wearing that tacky gold locket my mom kept hidden at the bottom of her chest. She always said she would pass it down to “the most obedient child.” My fingers tightened. The door was pushed open violently, my mother rushed in, and snatched the silver bracelet right out of my hand. “Where did you get the money for this?!” My sister hurried in and picked up the crying baby who had been startled awake. She didn’t dare look at me, just kept her head down, rocking him gently. My arm was grabbed tightly by my mother and I was dragged into the main hall. “Everyone, judge for yourselves!” My mother’s voice was shrill. “She cheated on her exams, she might not even graduate! And now she wants to cut ties with the family!” The gazes of the relatives stabbed into me. I tried to pull my hand back, but she pinched me extremely hard. At that moment, I felt like I had been stripped naked and thrown into a crowd. My mother put on a smiling face and looked towards the main table. “Good thing her Uncle Zhang is here.” “Mr. Zhang, tell us, is there any hope for this child’s exam situation?” The distant relative from the academic affairs office pushed his glasses up his nose. “The expert panel determined she cheated, I’m afraid even her degree is in jeopardy.” He turned to me, his tone “earnest”: “Chloe, listen to your uncle’s advice, go home first and solve the problem.” The room erupted in uproar. “She always looked like such an honest kid.” “This is it, she’s going to lose her degree.” My father pulled at me: “Did you hear that! Uncle Zhang is trying to save you!” My sister stood at the edge of the crowd holding her baby, avoiding my gaze. I looked at the smugness in my mother’s eyes, Zhang Jianye’s hypocritical face, and the disdainful looks from the whole room. “Uncle Zhang, is this expert panel permanent or temporary? When was the review process initiated? What exactly constitutes the cheating?” His Adam’s apple bobbed, but he couldn’t answer. I turned to my mother: “So, you guys arranged this… using ‘cheating’ to force me home?” My mother’s face changed drastically. Zhang Jianye slammed the table: “Nonsense! The procedures are compliant!” “Then make the procedures public!” I scanned the room full of people, finally looking at my sister holding her child. Her fingers were white from gripping so hard. “This isn’t over.” I looked at Zhang Jianye, enunciating every word. “You know exactly how clean the procedures in the academic affairs office really are.” “If this really blows up,” I paused, glaring at him viciously. “I don’t mind flipping the table and letting everyone see what’s hidden underneath.” As I turned to leave, I heard my sister’s trembling voice. “Chloe… please, I’m begging you…” I didn’t look back. The summer night wind hit my face, my palms were ice cold. That gold locket swung in my memory, heavy as shackles. And my sister had already put on her share. 4. I finally waited until the start of the semester in the small motel. On the first day back, I headed straight for the academic advisor’s office. “I want to see all the evidence the expert panel used to determine I cheated. The review records, anomaly markings, signed documents.” The advisor frowned: “Chloe, the result is final…” “If the procedures are compliant, why are you afraid to show me?” I stared at her: “Or is it that those materials don’t even exist?” The commotion drew the department head and Zhang Jianye. Students started gathering in the hallway. “You’re being provocative!” The department head’s face was livid. “Since you’re too afraid to show me the evidence,” I raised my voice: “Then let me retake the exam right here, right now.” Uncle Zhang frowned: “Chloe, stop being unreasonable!” “Whether I’m being unreasonable or not, taking the test will prove it.” I stared at them: “Test, or no test?” The department head and Uncle Zhang exchanged glances. The crowd of students outside was growing. “Fine!” The department head gritted his teeth: “If you want to take it, take it! But this is the last time!” Two days later, a temporary testing room was set up in a small conference room. Four teachers proctored, and the hallway outside was packed with students. The questions were drawn randomly, even harder than the original exam, but I answered them smoothly. I handed in my paper in forty minutes. “Grade it right here.” The department head said to Professor Lee, who was observing. Professor Lee picked up a red pen, the conference room so quiet you could hear people breathing. When she finished grading, Professor Lee was silent for two seconds: “Fifty-nine points.” Dead silence fell over the conference room. A student outside loudly questioned: “Missed it by one point?!” The department head looked relieved: “Chloe, what else do you have to say?” I looked at the test paper, my mind a blank. “I want to see the grading details.” “Haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough?” The department head exploded. Just then, my parents squeezed their way in. My mother rushed up to grab me: “Chloe! Stop this! Come home with Mom!” “Wait.” I suddenly raised my voice. “Professor Lee, you graded very carefully! Especially that last question.” “The solution steps I wrote, the derivation from step three to step four, are you sure you read them clearly?” Professor Lee’s expression changed slightly. “And Director Zhang, what a coincidence you’re here today too… even more coincidental is that Professor Lee, who graded the paper, was your college classmate, right?” The air in the conference room instantly froze. “What nonsense are you talking about!” Professor Lee stood up abruptly. “I demand to see my original exam paper right now!” I didn’t back down an inch. “If the paper stands up to scrutiny, I will apologize and drop out immediately! But if you don’t dare show it to me…” I stared at Zhang Jianye. “Then you have a guilty conscience!” Zhang Jianye’s face turned blue and white. Under the mounting pressure, he suddenly smiled. “Fine, show it to her.” The envelope holding the test paper was torn open and handed to me. I took it, my hands shaking slightly. Looking down, the handwriting actually was mine. Even the specific little hook I make when writing the word “Solve,” and the slight curve when I write the number “7,” were exactly the same. The key derivation in the last question was crossed out with red pen, annotated: “Jump in logic, insufficient basis.” It was my handwriting. “See clearly?” Zhang Jianye’s voice sounded. “It’s your handwriting, right? You wrote it, right?” I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. Uproar outside the door: “She really did write it herself…” “Then what is she making a fuss about…” “What do you have to say for yourself now?” The department head said tiredly: “Chloe, it’s time you apologize!” Professor Lee also stood up, her face full of anger. The accusations from the watching crowd grew louder. My parents came from either side to grab my arms. I violently shoved them away: “Don’t touch me!” In the dead silence, they stepped forward again, shoving me more roughly towards the door. I braced myself against the doorframe, looking back at everyone: “I didn’t cheat!” Everyone froze. I panted heavily, staring dead at Zhang Jianye, staring at Professor Lee, staring at that test paper with the perfect handwriting. Suddenly, I let out a cold laugh: “I know what happened.” My voice wasn’t loud. But it made the entire hallway instantly fall dead silent.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394599”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel