Category: English

When the news reached me that Julian was planning a three-day “seven times a night” challenge with an underclassman, I had just sent him the pregnancy test results. The next second, his video call came through. A girl was wrapped tightly in his arms, covered in kiss marks. “Can’t we just get rid of this baby? You two are a family of three… and I’m all alone.” Julian patted the girl while coaxing her, then issued me a command. “Get the abortion. She’s crying.” I calmly refused him. “And if I don’t?” Julian froze, then smiled coldly. “If you don’t, we’re getting divorced.” I instantly felt relieved. “Alright. I’ll prepare the divorce papers for you.” My wish to have a child without keeping the father was finally coming true. “Lila, be good. Don’t make a scene.” Julian crushed out his cigarette and repeated the same words he’d said countless times before. I shook my head. “I’m not making a scene. I really want this baby.” Hearing this, the girl in his arms, Summer, cried even louder. Summer was a year below him in school. Half venting, half marking her territory, she hooked her arms around Julian’s neck and bit down hard. Julian let out a muffled groan. Without any consideration for me, he grabbed the woman and kissed her deeply. I had the sense to hang up the phone and took a cab home. As soon as I got in the car, Julian’s video call came through again. The man had several bite marks on his neck now. He grinned. “Little girl’s got a temper. I promise they’ll be gone by the time I get home.” Only then did I remember. The day I gave up on Julian, I made an agreement with him. No matter how much he fooled around outside, he couldn’t have any marks on his body when he came home. He’d cheated so many times that I’d even forgotten when I stopped loving him. I shook my head immediately, thinking I was being understanding. “It’s fine. We’re getting divorced anyway.” The man on the screen froze, his dark eyes dimming as he stared at me silently with pursed lips. “Lila, stop this.” “You’re lying! Lila would never abort the baby!” “I’ll never… let you do it again.” Summer’s reaction was even more dramatic than mine. She cried until she was choking on her tears. Julian’s heart tightened. He immediately held the young girl and issued his final ultimatum to me. “Lila, we’re not keeping this baby.” Whenever he called me by my full name, it meant he was truly angry. But I still shook my head. “When you get back, let’s just talk about the divorce.” Summer cried miserably. Julian had no choice but to hang up the video to comfort her. He really had a way with comforting people. He’d hold you gently, whisper sweet nothings against your ear with his mouth right there. Combined with his good looks and attractive voice, almost no one could resist. Even I, who had decided never to marry, had been fooled by him like this. As I got out of the car, the driver hesitated before speaking. “Your husband is this shameless and you’re not going to confront the other woman?” I smiled lightly. “I did once. That’s how I lost my first child.” The driver had nothing more to say. I’d never been loved by my parents. They’d rather dote on my uncle’s daughter than give me even a kind look. So I’d always longed for someone connected to me by blood who would love me. I met Julian a week before I was planning to go to a sperm bank. He was handsome, well-educated, and intelligent. I quickly conceived the idea of having his child without keeping him as a partner. Through careful planning, I successfully dated Julian, and then married him. The only uncontrollable variable was my heart. Against the plan, I fell in love with him and started thinking about spending the rest of my life with Julian. When I first discovered his infidelity, I was devastated like any wife would be—in pain, hysterical. But each time after he promised to change, he’d go behind my back and mess around with another woman. Gradually, that uncontrolled heart returned to its original place. I gently stroked the life growing in my belly. After the divorce, I’d raise it well on my own, whether it was a boy or girl.

I was working on the divorce agreement on my laptop when Julian came home with a bouquet of roses. Julian brought me a gift every day when he came home. Sometimes it was cake, sometimes blind boxes, sometimes jewelry. Roses were the gift he brought most often. He skillfully replaced the withered roses in the vase with fresh ones, his tone gentle. “Tomorrow’s my day off. I’ll go with you to the hospital for the abortion.” Such a gentle tone, yet speaking such cold words. In the past, I would have cried and fought with him. But I didn’t love him anymore. I showed him my laptop. “See if there’s anything that needs adjusting in the agreement. If not, I’ll go print it out.” Julian held the withered roses, a smile playing at his lips. “Still throwing a tantrum with me?” He sighed and stroked my long hair with practiced ease. “Lila, I’m very tired. Stop fighting with me, okay?” Three consecutive days of seven times a night—any man would be exhausted. I stubbornly moved the laptop toward him and looked at him seriously. “Julian, I’m serious about this.” Julian seemed utterly exhausted. Without even looking, he pushed the laptop back toward me, walked past me, and lay down on the sofa. “Lila, make that herbal soup from the fridge for me.” Since I stopped loving him, I could prepare meals for him without batting an eye. I was even more worried than his mistresses about him not performing well. If he couldn’t perform, I’d have to go buy quality sperm. But with purchased sperm, I couldn’t see what the donor looked like. I wanted a smart, beautiful baby. So I endured the mockery from his friends and cooked meals and made soups for him every time. But now, I already had what I wanted in my belly. I didn’t need to play the role of the numb, considerate wife anymore. “If you think there are no problems, I’ll go downstairs to print it.” Julian’s closed eyes suddenly opened, revealing complex emotions. “You want to divorce me that badly?” I nodded without hesitation. Honestly, Julian was disgusting. After all, he’d slept with so many women. No normal woman could tolerate him. If it weren’t for my obsession with having a child, I wouldn’t have put up with this until now. Julian sat up from the sofa and beckoned me over. “Bring it here. Let me see.” After I handed it to him, he barely glanced at it. “Go print it then.” Without a moment’s hesitation, I transferred the file to my phone and immediately put on my coat to go downstairs. As I closed the door, Julian leaned back on the sofa and smiled at me, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes. When I returned from the print shop, I saw Julian and a woman playing around in the kitchen. “You’re mean! I’m in so much pain.” The woman pouted and reached to pinch Julian’s face. Not only was the man not angry, he leaned down, grabbed her waist, and kissed her. What a scene of passionate affection—just like an idol drama. Unfortunately, the scene was interrupted by the sound of me opening the door. Julian’s hand on Summer’s waist suddenly dropped, though his expression remained gentle. “You’re back.” Summer acted as if she didn’t see me, grabbing the fabric on his chest and mumbling something about not having kissed enough. Julian glanced at me. “Summer’s been spoiled by me. Don’t be angry.” In the three years of our marriage, Summer was the one who had stayed with him the longest and whom he doted on the most. I nodded and walked over with the divorce agreement. “I already signed at the print shop. Once you sign, we can go on Monday.” Watching Summer acting coquettish in his arms, I considerately added another line. “I can move out today to make room for you two.” Summer’s eyes immediately lit up. “Can I move in tonight then?” Julian tapped her on the head. “Why don’t you say hello to Lila?”

Both Summer and I froze, not expecting him to ignore both of our questions. On the second day after I stopped loving him, I rented an apartment that had remained empty all these years. I didn’t like any place that carried Julian’s presence. “Sign first. I’ll go pack my things.” I placed the documents on the table and turned to get my suitcase from the balcony. “You don’t care about me at all!” Amid Summer’s soft accusation, a warm body pressed against my back. Julian held me with one hand while reaching for the suitcase with the other. “Lila, still angry?” I felt a bit disgusted and instinctively tried to push him away. Instead, Julian pressed even closer. “About the seven times a night thing—you know about it? If you’re angry, once I recover, we can challenge even more…” “Don’t touch me!” I couldn’t hold back and stepped on his foot. The moment Julian felt the pain, I broke free from his embrace. I used to cherish his embrace so much, but now I found it equally revolting. His arms had held another woman just a second ago, yet now he was holding me and saying sweet words. Shock flashed in Julian’s eyes. He maintained the posture of holding me. “Lila, what will it take for you not to be angry?” “If you don’t want to go tomorrow, we can pick a better day. I’ll go with you to get rid of the baby.” As he said this, he returned to his usual gentleness. But Julian’s gentleness was like a mud puddle that anyone could step in. I suppressed the urge to retch and spoke. “No need. Just hurry up and sign. I’ll make room for you two.” The curve of Julian’s lips gradually turned downward. “Lila, I don’t want this baby.” “Stop throwing tantrums. I’m serious.” “I’m serious too.” The darkness in Julian’s eyes grew heavier, his aura increasingly cold. Just when I thought he would get angry— The man smiled instead. “Let’s wait until tomorrow. My friend’s having a birthday party. You don’t mind if I bring Summer, do you?” Julian was smiling, but I felt no warmth from it. Whether he smiled or not had nothing to do with me anymore. I shook my head. “Whatever.” Julian turned around without hesitation, strode over, and princess-carried the crying girl. His voice was louder than usual at home. “Little crybaby, I just said two sentences to Lila and your eyes are already swollen from crying. From now on, you’re only allowed to cry in bed.” Summer nodded through her sobs. As the two left, Summer seemed to speak casually. “Huh, there are roses here too?” “But they’re not as big as the ones you gave me, and not as red as mine…” The rest of her words were swallowed by the closing door. I walked over and threw the flowers, vase and all, straight into the trash. Julian seemed to be deliberately showing off to me. He updated his social media eighteen times in one night. Every single post was about his intimate moments with Summer. Since we were getting divorced anyway, there was no point keeping him. I immediately blocked him. When I switched to my alternate account to block him there too, I discovered those eighteen posts were set to “visible only to me.” I’d created this alternate account when I still loved him, to stalk his social media. Now that I didn’t love him anymore, there was no need for it to exist. After I deleted the alternate account, I started packing my things. By midnight, all my belongings had been moved to the rented house. For the first time, I felt the air was so fresh, without that rotting stench—only the presence of me and my baby. Lying on the sofa that wasn’t made up yet, I slept beautifully. Remembering I needed to ask him when we could register for divorce at the government office, I unblocked Julian to send him a message, only to get a red exclamation mark. I didn’t think much of it. After tidying up briefly, I went to the supermarket to buy household supplies. Even though I didn’t know if the baby in my belly was a boy or girl, I couldn’t help but linger in the baby products section. I picked out a few pieces of clothing, wondering if this child would like them. As I was hesitating whether to buy a pink baby bottle, I heard a familiar voice. “The milk’s over there. Don’t go that way…” It was Summer’s coquettish voice. Then Julian appeared, directly going through the items in my shopping cart. “Geez, Lila, why is your taste so bad? Are you sure the baby will like these things?” “This outfit is for a five-month-old baby. The child won’t even be able to wear it after birth. And you’re buying these things when you’ve just gotten pregnant?” “Lila, do you even like… our child?” Julian’s pursed lips held emotions I couldn’t understand. I didn’t know from which day he started looking at me like this. Every time I asked him what was wrong, Julian would open his mouth but say nothing for a long time. Then he cheated. I put down the bottle and asked him, “Have you signed the agreement? When are you available to register the divorce?” Julian sneered. “Do you really like this baby that much, or are you still throwing a tantrum with me?” The man’s expression was cold, completely inconsistent with his usual gentle persona. Even when Summer came over with red eyes, he didn’t comfort her. I looked at the woman acting coquettish with Julian in public, asking for kisses, and the corner of my mouth twitched. “Does it matter?” “You can only choose one—me or the baby.” People who didn’t know better would think Julian was such a devoted man. I stroked my belly. “The baby, of course.” A blood relative who would love me without any reason. I’d been longing for it for so, so long. Julian was merely a scumbag I used to love. How could he compare to the baby? Suddenly, Julian pulled Summer close by the waist. “She has my seed in her belly too, but I only want the child Summer gives me.” A flash of surprise crossed Summer’s eyes, but she quickly hugged him back joyfully, calling him “honey.” “Lila, I don’t like the child you’re giving me.” These two sentences seemed to be squeezed through gritted teeth. No one understood what he actually wanted. “Oh, don’t worry. This baby is for me. I absolutely won’t let you take any responsibility for it.” “Good… very good.” Julian said through clenched teeth. “Who knows if you’ll use this baby to demand living expenses from me!” “I’m taking you to the hospital right now to get rid of it!”

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On New Year’s Eve, my sister-in-law Rachel’s son threw a firecracker into the manhole cover behind my son. After a deafening explosion, my son collapsed on the ground, not breathing. I rushed forward, demanding her son pay with his life. Rachel said it was just an accident. She tossed me fifty thousand dollars and told me not to ruin everyone’s holiday mood. The whole family urged me to be magnanimous, forcing me to sign a settlement agreement. In the end, I was completely exhausted and committed suicide on my son’s death anniversary. When I opened my eyes again, I was back one second before the firecracker was lit. I immediately yanked my son into my arms. A loud explosion rang out, followed by a scream behind me. I turned around and saw a child lying beside the manhole cover. Rachel screamed and rushed over. Her son was gone. The air reeked of sulfur as a lighter clicked. My nephew Logan crouched by the manhole cover, holding a lit firecracker that was sparking. My son Daniel faced away from the manhole, crouched a meter away playing with firecrackers. This scene overlapped with the image from my past life when my son was blown to death. “Daniel!” I yelled and lunged forward. I grabbed my son’s collar and yanked him into my arms, simultaneously kicking out with my right leg. Logan was just about to throw the firecracker when my foot connected with his rear. “Ow!” He screamed, lost his balance, and fell forward onto the manhole cover. The firecracker that had burned down to the end slipped through the hole. BOOM—!!! The earth shook. The shockwave mixed with sewer gas and sludge shot into the sky. I pressed Daniel firmly beneath me. My back was struck painfully by flying debris, my ears ringing. “Mom… scared…” Daniel in my arms trembled all over, his little hands clutching my clothes. Still alive. The smoke cleared. Rachel, holding a bag of snacks, rushed into the yard. A large crater had been blown in the concrete, the cast iron manhole cover was gone. A figure lay at the crater’s edge. The child was covered in sludge, his clothes indistinguishable, his head and face smeared with blood and mud, motionless. Rachel froze for a moment. Then she saw me hiding behind the flower bed. My back was toward her, my coat covering Daniel, only showing a pair of dust-covered shoes. Rachel spat out some shells. “Oh my God! I told you to watch your Daniel, but you wouldn’t listen!” She scurried in front of the child and began lecturing, pointing at the body on the ground. “I said it during dinner—manhole covers are dangerous. My Logan is so well-behaved, he never goes near those places! Your Daniel is the wild one. Now he’s gotten what he deserves, hasn’t he?” She turned and shouted toward the house. “Mom! Derek! Come out and see! Nina’s gotten her son killed!” I straightened up, holding Daniel against me, not letting him look. I just watched Rachel. In my past life, when Daniel was blown up, she wore this exact same expression. Back then she said: “Kids fooling around, who knew the manhole would explode? It’s fate!” Now, watching her gesticulate over that body, even kicking the rubble on the ground with her foot, I said nothing. Since you think this is karma, then let it be karma. The people inside ran out. My mother-in-law Martha, wrapped in a cotton coat, leaning on her cane. “What happened? Are you trying to tear down the house?” Rachel pointed at the child on the ground and shouted. “Mom, look! I told you Nina was bad luck! On New Year’s Eve she just had to play with fireworks, and now she’s blown herself into this state. Isn’t it unlucky?” My mother-in-law squinted through her reading glasses and frowned. “Oh my heavens! Is… is this Daniel?” “Really a cursed short-lived child! Seeing blood on New Year’s—how unlucky!” My mother-in-law poked at the child’s leg with her cane. “Why aren’t you getting up? What are you pretending to be dead for? Don’t embarrass the Miller family here!” Logan on the ground made gurgling sounds in his throat, his body curling up. Rachel jumped back a step, covering her nose. “Pretending! Still pretending! That noise was so loud just now, I bet he’s just trying to scare us! Covered in this stinking mud—hurry up and drag him away, don’t dirty the ground in front of my house!” Neighbors gathered around. Someone spoke up: “Rachel, this child doesn’t look right. So much blood—I’m afraid his internal organs are injured. Call 911 quickly!” “Yeah, look at that leg, it’s deformed.”

Rachel immediately panicked, hands on her hips glaring at the neighbors. “Call what 911! I’ll see who dares call!” “Today is New Year’s Eve! If an ambulance comes into the village, how will our family show our faces afterward? What family calls an ambulance on New Year’s?” She turned and glared at me. “Nina, stop playing dumb! Hurry up and get rid of your half-dead son!” “Let me tell you, tonight my brother is bringing important guests home for dinner. If he sees a bloody person lying at the door, can you handle the consequences?” I shielded Daniel, showing only my dust-covered face. “Rachel, are you sure you don’t want to call an ambulance?” “I think this child is seriously injured. If it’s too late, I’m afraid he won’t survive.” Rachel rolled her eyes. “Survive? What survival? A worthless life!” She glanced at the child on the ground. “The Miller family has virtue—how did we produce this thing? Playing with fire and burning himself, even dragging down the whole family. If he dies, it’s because he’s cursed! Just have another one!” She pulled out her phone, preparing to call her husband to complain. “Nina, I’m telling you right now—if you dare call an ambulance to come cry at our house, I’ll make sure you can’t stay in this family! Try me if you don’t believe it!” Logan on the ground convulsed again, spitting out a mouthful of black blood. His eyes were swollen into slits, staring fixedly in Rachel’s direction. His mother was busy making phone calls. I looked down at the foot on the ground. Half the shoe had been blown off, revealing bloody flesh. The remaining part still showed that swoosh logo. Limited edition AJ children’s sneakers. Last night, Rachel had specially shown them off, saying she spent three thousand dollars on them as Logan’s New Year’s gift. I curved my lips. Since you don’t want to save him, I’ll grant your wish. … “Oh my God, how sinful! Why is there so much blood?” My husband Derek came back from the village entrance carrying two bottles of wine, his hands shaking in fright. “Nina, what… what happened?” Derek ran to my side and looked past me at the child on the ground. “This… this is Daniel?” I looked at him. In my past life, when he saw Daniel lying in a pool of blood, his first reaction was also to check Rachel’s expression first. Rachel rushed to complain first. “Derek, you’re back just in time! Look at what your wife’s son has done! On New Year’s Eve, throwing firecrackers into the manhole—he blew up the manhole cover!” “And now look—he not only killed himself, but he’s made my doorway so bloody!” She slapped her thigh. “Mom was so scared her heart condition almost acted up! If word of this gets out, the Miller family will be completely disgraced!” Derek whipped around to glare at me. “Nina! Are you brain dead? What did I tell you before I left? I told you to watch the child! Is this how you watch him?” He pointed at “Daniel” on the ground. “Now it’s come to this—how are Rachel and Mom supposed to celebrate New Year’s? My brother is about to bring his boss home. Are you deliberately trying to ruin our family?” “Derek, shouldn’t your priority be checking if the child can still be saved?” Derek hesitated, glanced at the blood-covered person on the ground, his eyes evasive. “Save? How can we save him when he’s blown up like this? Do you want to bankrupt me?” He lowered his voice, speaking in my ear. “Anyone can see he’s beyond saving! Even if we save him, he’ll be disabled! Do you want me to spend the rest of my life taking care of a cripple?” “So, what you’re saying is, you won’t save him?” Derek stuck out his neck. “This was an accident! His own bad luck! Besides, Rachel already said we can’t call an ambulance. If we offend my brother’s important guest, can you bear that responsibility?” Rachel walked forward. “Enough, enough. Why the long face on New Year’s? It’s just a child.” She pulled a stack of banded cash from her bag. Fifty thousand dollars. The red envelope her brother had just given her. With a smack. She flung the stack of bills at me, hitting me in the face. The bills scattered, fluttering to the ground, several landing in the black-red sludge. “Take this fifty thousand.” Rachel lifted her chin. “Don’t say I’m heartless. This whole thing was your son’s own fault. Take the money and do whatever you want with it. Just keep your mouth shut.” She waved her hand. “Hurry up and get rid of this unlucky thing, and clean the ground! If you delay my brother’s dinner later, I’ll make sure your whole family regrets it!”

The neighbors whispered among themselves. “Fifty thousand isn’t a small amount. This child looks like he won’t make it.” “Rachel is ruthless enough.” My mother-in-law picked up a bill, wiped off the dust, and stuffed it in her pocket. “Nina, what are you standing there for? Why aren’t you thanking Rachel? Only Rachel is kind-hearted. In any other family, they wouldn’t give you a penny and would make you pay for road repairs!” “Take the money and get lost! Don’t be an eyesore here!” Derek crouched down to pick up the money. “Nina, are you stupid? Quick, take it! With this fifty thousand, we can renovate the house next year. As for Daniel… we can just have another one.” Looking at this family, I said nothing. Logan on the ground began convulsing. Those blood-covered hands scratched at the ground, fingernails digging into the dirt. “Mom… Mom…” The voice was faint. Rachel frowned and stepped back. “What are you calling for? Still not being quiet in this condition! Really a debt collector!” I bent down and snatched the money from Derek’s hands. “Fine.” “Since Rachel is so generous, I won’t refuse.” Derek grinned. “Now that’s more like it! Nina, you’re finally being sensible!” Rachel also smiled contemptuously. “Smart of you. Alright, hurry up and get rid of him. Just looking at him makes me sick.” I clutched that stack of bills. “Rachel, I’ll take the money. But we need proof of this, right?” I glanced at Logan on the ground—his convulsions were getting weaker. “What if you go back on your word later and say I extorted money from you? Or what if the child really dies and you turn it around, saying I caused it?” Rachel laughed. “Oh, quite the legal awareness? Fine, you want proof? Then let’s write an agreement!” Rachel pulled out a small notebook and pen, quickly writing a “liability waiver.” She shoved the notebook in front of me. “Sign it. Once you sign, the money is yours, and we’re square from now on.” Derek urged. “Sign quickly! What are you dawdling for? If my brother comes back and sees this mess, what will it look like?” My mother-in-law also tapped the ground. “Sign! Hurry up and sign! The sooner this mess is over, the better!” I took the pen and glanced at the dying Logan on the ground. I signed my name on the paper: Nina Carter. Then I added a line: “Rachel personally confirms waiving any rescue obligation for said injured party and demands family members immediately clear the scene. Consequences borne by her.” Rachel barely looked before snatching the notebook back and putting it away. “There, smart of you.” “Derek, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and help your wife get rid of this… this thing!” Derek rolled up his sleeves, about to drag the body. “Nina, give me a hand. Let’s move him to the back yard—don’t let him be an eyesore here.” There was only an abandoned pigsty in the back yard. I stepped back. “Wait.” Derek frowned. “What now? Having second thoughts?” “Since we signed the agreement and took the money, I’ll handle the body myself.” I looked at him. “No need to dirty your hands.” Derek breathed a sigh of relief. “Fine, fine, you handle it yourself. I’ll go help Rachel rinse the doorway. All this blood is so unlucky.” He ran to get the hose. Rachel nodded with satisfaction. “My brother-in-law is sensible after all. Nina, don’t blame me for being heartless. Don’t be too sad either. That child was always a bit slow anyway. Better to die early and be reborn early.” She took out a wet wipe to clean her hands. In the distance, an engine roared. Two headlight beams shone directly over. A Mercedes G-Wagon pulled into the village road. Rachel’s eyes lit up. “Oh! My brother’s here! My brother’s here!” She fixed her hair. “Mom! Derek! Quick, quick, quick! Don’t let this unlucky scene disturb my brother!” My mother-in-law threw down her cane to move debris blocking the road. Derek dropped the hose and ran to greet him. “Nina! What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and drag away the dead body! If my brother sees this and gets upset, you can forget about keeping that fifty thousand!” The car stopped five meters from the blast crater. The door opened, and Raymond stepped out in a fur coat with gold chains, a cigar in his hand. “Hey, Rachel, why is it so messy here?” Raymond glanced at the crater and me, frowning. Rachel smiled and rushed over. “Raymond! It’s nothing, nothing! Just Nina’s little brat who didn’t know any better, playing with fireworks and blowing up the manhole. And now, he’s blown himself to death. I already gave her money and told them to clean up!” Raymond exhaled smoke, scanning me with contempt. “Oh, dead? If he’s dead, hurry up and get rid of him. Why leave him lying here on New Year’s to disgust everyone?” He turned to get gifts from the trunk. “Rachel, quick, come see what I brought you. This is authentic Australian lobster…” The whole family gathered around. Logan on the ground had completely stopped moving.

“Rachel.” I suddenly spoke, my voice cutting through their laughter. “You just said this child died because he was cursed, better to die early and be reborn early, right?” Rachel, holding a large lobster, turned back impatiently. “Yeah! What about it? You want to back out? The agreement is signed!” I shook my head and walked toward the child on the ground. “I don’t want to back out. I just think that since you gave so much money, as a family member, I should let you take one last look.” I crouched down beside Logan. Rachel wrinkled her nose. “Look at what? A pile of rotten flesh? Am I sick?” I pulled out Rachel’s remaining wet wipes, placed them on the blood-covered face, and began wiping. The sludge and blood were wiped away, the features gradually becoming clear. Though swollen and deformed, these eyes, this nose, this mouth… The black mole on the left eyebrow was revealed. I stood up and stepped back. “Rachel, now, can you see clearly?” Raymond’s cigar dropped to the ground. My mother-in-law’s mouth hung open. Derek froze in place. Rachel’s hands, holding the lobster, trembled violently. The large lobster fell to the ground with a splat. Her eyeballs bulged as she stared at the face on the ground. That face, she recognized. “Lo… Logan?” Rachel’s voice trembled and shrilled. She swayed forward two steps, her legs gave out, and she fell to her knees. “Impossible… this is impossible…” She shook her head frantically. “Logan was inside… Logan was inside watching TV! He was eating jelly! He was still wearing the new shoes I just bought him…” Her gaze fell on that foot. That foot with half a destroyed AJ sneaker. “AHHHH!!!!!!” Rachel crawled over and grabbed the corpse. “Logan! Logan, what’s wrong? Say something! I’m your mother!” She shook Logan’s body desperately, frantically wiping the blood from his face. The more she wiped, the more blood there was. “How could it be you? How could it be you?! Weren’t you inside?” My mother-in-law let out a wail and fainted. Derek caught her. “Mom! Mom, don’t scare me!” Derek roared. “Nina! It was you! You did this, didn’t you?!” “You knew it was Logan all along! You deliberately didn’t say anything, right? You deliberately watched us make fools of ourselves, right? You venomous woman!” Wind blew through my hair. I unbuttoned my coat and turned slightly. Daniel, whom I’d been protecting behind me all along, carefully poked out his little head. His face was clean and unharmed. He blinked his big eyes. “Mom, why is big brother sleeping on the ground? Why is auntie throwing money on him?” Rachel jerked her head up, staring at Daniel, her eyes frighteningly red. “Daniel… Daniel isn’t dead?” She froze. If Daniel wasn’t dead… then all those words I just said, those kicks, that spitting… were all directed at my own son?! “NO!!!” “I’ll kill you! Nina, I’ll kill you! You killed my son!” She tried to lunge at me but couldn’t lift the child or stand up. Raymond snapped back to reality. “Quick! Call an ambulance! What are you all standing there for!” “No need to call.” I pulled out that stack of bills. With a flick of my wrist. The bills scattered, falling on Rachel and the corpse. “Rachel, this is the price you set yourself.” I looked at this woman with her twisted face. “Fifty thousand dollars to buy out your son’s life.” “Just now, you were the one who said not to call an ambulance, and you were the one who said to just have another one if he dies.” I pointed at the ground. “Don’t ruin everyone’s holiday mood, right?” Rachel looked at the money, looked at that “consequences borne by her” agreement. She opened her mouth wide, making gurgling sounds in her throat. A mouthful of fresh blood sprayed out, splashing on the money. “Karma… this is all karma…” Her eyes rolled back, and holding the corpse, she fell backward.

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“Put the house in Oliver’s name.” “The car too, in Oliver’s name.” “As for the remaining cash, Oliver takes 12 million, and you take…” My mom paused, glancing at me. “You’re a girl. What do you need so much money for?” I stood in the center of the living room, looking at the A4 paper covered in numbers on the table. Twenty million dollars, and not a single cent for me. My phone buzzed. It was a message from my company’s finance department: 【Ms. Hayes, the net profit for this quarter is 17 million. Your dividend has been deposited.】 I flipped my phone face down. “Okay.” 01 “Okay?” Mom looked stunned, as if she hadn’t expected me to agree so readily. My sister-in-law, Mia, stood up from the sofa, unable to hide the smirk on her face. “Don’t worry, Maya. When Oliver makes it big, he definitely won’t forget about you.” I didn’t look at her. I was looking at the family portrait on the wall. Taken three years ago. I was standing on the far edge, my smile incredibly forced. “Maya, don’t blame your mom and me.” Dad sat on the sofa, lighting a cigarette. “Your brother needs to get married, buy a house, raise a family… You’re a girl, eventually you’ll marry out and belong to someone else’s family.” I had heard those words for twenty-eight years. When we were kids, my brother’s tuition was paid for, while mine was “borrowed.” Only later did I find out that the “borrowed” money was what I had earned myself working summer jobs. “Dad, I get it.” I bent down and grabbed my suitcase handle. “I’ll be heading back then. I have some things to handle at the company.” “Heading back?” Mom stood up. “It’s the New Year! Where are you going? Leaving without even eating?” “Not hungry.” “You child—” “Mom.” I cut her off, my voice flat. “The twenty million is completely divided. What’s the point of me staying? Waiting for you to throw me a two-hundred-dollar pity envelope for the holidays?” The living room fell silent for two seconds. Mia let out a snort of laughter. “Maya, the way you talk, it’s as if Mom and Dad mistreated you. Growing up, everything you ate, wore, and used—didn’t Mom and Dad provide it?” I turned to look at her. Today, she was wearing a pastel yellow puffer jacket. The fur trim on the cuffs was real fox fur, and a delicate gold necklace peeked out from her collar. Last year, when she first married into the family, she was wearing a thirty-dollar coat from a street vendor. I didn’t say a word, just pulled my suitcase toward the door. “Stop right there!” Mom rushed over and blocked the doorway. “Maya Hayes, you explain yourself right now! How did I mistreat you? You got 200 dollars a month for living expenses! Did other families’ daughters get that? When you went to college, we sold everything we had to pay for your education…” “Mom.” I looked at her. “During my four years of college, you gave me a total of $4,800.” “The rest of my living expenses, tuition, and housing—I earned it all myself.” Mom froze. “You… what nonsense are you talking about?” “September 2014, when I started my freshman year, you gave me $2,000.” “February 2015, for the New Year, you gave me $500.” “August 2015, at the end of summer break, you gave me $800.” “February 2016, for the New Year, you gave me $500.” “Summer of 2016, you didn’t give me a single cent.” “In 2017, you gave me $1,000. You said it was my New Year’s red envelope, but that was my own red envelope money to begin with.” My voice was calm, like I was reading a receipt. “A total of $4,800. Divided by four years, that’s $1,200 a year. Divided by twelve months, that’s $100 a month.” No one in the living room spoke. My brother, Oliver, looked up from his phone, frowning at me: “Sis, why are you keeping track of this?” “I have a good memory.” I pulled the door open. “Those four years, your living allowance was $2,000 a month. Tuition and housing were paid separately.” “Same parents, same house.” “You got $2,000 a month. I got $100.” The door slammed shut. 02 I dragged my suitcase to the neighborhood entrance and hailed a cab. My phone buzzed again. It was my company’s Operations Director: 【Ms. Hayes, the annual contract with TikTok is finalized. The $3 million advance has been wired. We just need your signature.】 I replied: 【I’ll be back at the office tomorrow to handle it.】 Outside the car window, the streets of my hometown rolled backward. I knew this city too well. To the east was my elementary school. The playground used to be dirt; it turned into a mud pit whenever it rained. To the west was the first boba shop I ever worked at. Eight dollars an hour. I worked there for three summers. To the north was the private middle school my brother attended. Tuition was thirty thousand a year. I never went to that school. I went to a regular public school on the outskirts of town. It was a forty-minute bike ride away. The driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “Miss, not staying home for the holidays?” “Yeah.” “Young people should really spend more time with their parents.” I didn’t respond. “My daughter works out of town too. Only comes back for two or three days a year. Her mom cries every time she leaves…” “Sir, we’re at the station.” I paid the fare and got out. The high-speed rail station was packed with people rushing home for the New Year. A mother and daughter brushed past me. The daughter, probably in her early twenties, was holding her mom’s arm. “Mom, don’t worry. I’ve already booked everything. We’re going to Miami on the third day of the New Year.” “Isn’t that too expensive?” “It’s not. I have money.” I stood there, watching them walk away. Inside the waiting hall, I found a quiet corner and sat down. I opened my phone and pulled up a specific note. It held a ledger of expenses, recorded line by line, from the time I was 18 until now. 【September 2014 — Tuition $6,800. Mom gave $2,000. Shortfall $4,800, paid by me.】 【October 2014 — Living expenses. Mom gave $0. I earned $1,200 from a part-time job.】 【December 2014 — Winter. Needed a winter coat. Mom said wait until the New Year. Bought a clearance one for $89 with my own money.】 … Line after line, dense and detailed. Ten years. I had kept this ledger for ten years. Not because I hold a grudge. But because I was terrified of forgetting. Terrified that one day, I would actually believe the things they said. —”We never mistreated you.” —”You’re a girl. What do you need so much money for?” —”Your brother has to carry this family in the future.” Terrified that one day, I would start believing this was all normal. Terrified that one day, I would turn into someone like them. My train started boarding. I stood up, grabbed my bag, and joined the long line. My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a WeChat message from Mom: 【Maya, come back. Mom will make your favorite braised pork.】 I stared at the screen for two seconds. Didn’t reply. And shoved my phone back into my pocket. 03 On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, I returned to the city where I worked. The company was on holiday, but the finance department still had staff on duty. I went to the office, signed the paperwork, and then went back to my own apartment. 1,900 square feet, floor-to-ceiling windows, with a view of the entire city skyline at night. This was the third property I had bought. The first was a small place in the suburbs right after I graduated college; I saved the down payment by working odd jobs. The second was downtown, bought after the company turned its first profit, as a reward to myself. This one, I bought last year. I stood by the window, looking at the millions of lights outside. My phone rang. A video call from my mom. I hit reject. A few seconds later, voice messages started pouring in. 【Maya, why aren’t you answering your phone?】 【Mom knows I was a bit harsh this afternoon, but I’m doing it for your own good.】 【You’re a girl. Having too much money isn’t a good thing; it just attracts thieves.】 【Your brother is different. He has to provide for his family…】 I tossed the phone onto the sofa, went into the kitchen, and cooked myself a bowl of noodles. After eating, I took a shower and lay in bed. The ceiling was very white, very clean. No damp mildew spots like in my old home. No sounds of video games blasting from my brother’s room next door. No sounds of Mom nagging in the living room while watching TV: “You’re a girl…” It was perfectly quiet. Staring at the ceiling, I suddenly remembered something. Last New Year, I transferred $10,000 to Mom, telling her to buy a nice winter coat. She took the money and turned around to buy a Max Mara coat. Price tag: $16,800. The difference was covered by my brother. No, it was covered by my sister-in-law. Mia had just married into the family and was desperately trying to show how filial she was. That coat is still hanging in Mom’s closet. She can’t bear to wear it. But during the coldest part of last winter, she came to the train station to pick me up wearing a ratty old jacket. “Don’t waste money on me. I’m saving the coat to wear at your wedding.” I didn’t say a word. I didn’t know what to say. My phone buzzed again. This time, it was from Oliver. 【Sis, calm down. You know how Mom and Dad are.】 【But we’re family. Whatever it is, we can talk it out.】 【It’s not too late to come back now. I’ll have Mia cook you something good.】 I stared at those lines of text for a long time. Then I replied with one word: 【No.】 04 New Year’s Eve. I spent it alone in my apartment. I had prepped some ingredients in the kitchen and made a few simple dishes. Eating alone, watching the New Year’s Gala alone, waiting for the midnight fireworks alone. No one put food in my bowl and told me to “eat more.” No one nagged me, asking “When are you bringing a boyfriend home?” No one said, “You’re a girl…” It was peaceful. Just a little cold. My phone was ringing non-stop. Colleagues sending digital red envelopes in the work chat, clients sending holiday greetings, celebrities we collaborated with sending New Year’s videos. The family group chat was going off too. 【Oliver’s wife is so virtuous! Look at this feast, it looks delicious!】 【Why didn’t Maya come back? That girl, not even coming home for the New Year.】 【Young people, you know. Busy with work.】 【Busy doing what? Making four or five thousand a month, what’s there to be busy about?】 【Exactly. Oliver doesn’t even need to work anymore, but she, a girl, is out running around every day.】 I read the messages in the chat. Didn’t reply. Then, I left the family group. Midnight. Fireworks exploded in the sky. Outside the window, it was bright and lively. I stood by the window and watched for a long time. My phone rang. It was my assistant: 【Happy New Year, Ms. Hayes! The company account just received a final payment. It’s the annual collaboration fee from that brand, $3.87 million. Confirmed received.】 I replied: 【Great, thanks for your hard work. Happy New Year.】 I looked out the window again. The fireworks this year seemed a little more beautiful than last year. On New Year’s Day, I didn’t leave the house. On the second day, Mom called. I didn’t answer. On the third day, Dad called. I didn’t answer either. On the morning of the fourth day, while I was at the office sorting out some post-holiday work, my phone rang. It was Oliver. I hesitated for a moment, then answered. “Sis, what exactly is your problem?” His tone was aggressive. “What do you mean?” “Mom and Dad called you a dozen times and you didn’t answer. You even left the family group chat. What are you trying to pull?” I put down my files. “I’m not trying to pull anything.” “Then why aren’t you answering the phone?” “I’m busy.” “Busy doing what?” His voice grew louder. “You make four or five thousand a month. What do you have to be so busy about? Let me tell you, Maya, stop acting. You’re just throwing a tantrum!” I didn’t say anything. “Mom and Dad gave the house and the car to me because I have to support a family! I have a wife and kids to take care of! You’re single. What do you need so much money for? You’re just being selfish!” “Are you done?” “I—” “If you’re done, I’m hanging up. I have a contract to sign.” I hung up the phone. My fingers were trembling slightly. Deep breath. Another deep breath. It’s fine. I’ve been used to this for a long time. 05 On the fifth day, things changed. Mom sent me a WeChat message: 【Maya, your dad is in the hospital.】 I stared at those words for five seconds. Then replied with one word: 【Oh.】 Mom replied instantly: 【Just an ‘Oh’???】 【Your dad’s blood pressure spiked to 180 because he was so mad about you, and all you say is ‘Oh’???】 【Do you have any conscience at all, Maya Hayes!!!】 I put my phone down and went back to reading my files. Ten minutes later, Oliver called. “Sis, are you really not coming back?” “No.” “Dad is in the hospital!” “I know.” “You know and you’re still not coming back?” “Why would I? I’m not a doctor.” The other end was silent for two seconds. Then Oliver’s voice changed, carrying a hint of a choke. “Sis, I know Mom and Dad haven’t been entirely fair to you over the years, but he’s still your dad… Can’t you just come back and see him?” I didn’t say anything. “Sis, I’m begging you.” I took a deep breath. “Fine.” Six hours later, I stood outside a hospital room door. I pushed the door open. The room was bustling. Mom was sitting by the bed peeling an apple. Mia was playing on her phone. Oliver was standing by the window taking a call. Dad was lying in bed, his face ruddy, watching TV. He didn’t look like someone whose blood pressure had spiked to 180. I walked in. “Dad, how are you feeling?” Dad shot me a look, scoffed, and turned his head away. “So you finally remembered to come back?” Mom put down the paring knife. The expression on her face was complex. A bit of relief, but mostly reproach. “Maya, what took you so long? Your dad has been talking about you non-stop for two days…” “I was busy with work.” “Busy, busy, busy. That’s all you know. Your brother isn’t even as busy as you.” Mia looked up from her phone, gave me a glance, and a faint smirk played on her lips. Oliver hung up and walked over. “Sis, it’s good you’re here. You chat with Mom and Dad for a bit, I have to step out and take a call.” He walked out. Only the four of us were left in the room. Mom went back to peeling the apple. Dad still refused to look at me. Mia went back to her phone. The atmosphere was heavy. I stood there for a moment, then found a chair and sat down. Mom handed me the peeled apple. “Eat.” I took it and took a bite. Very sweet. It was the same taste I remembered from when I was a kid. 06 Dad was “hospitalized” for three days. By the third day, I realized something was wrong. His blood pressure had returned to normal long ago, but he refused to be discharged. He just lay in bed every day, eating and drinking well, even having Mom go out to buy expensive bird’s nest soup. “Get some ginseng too while you’re at it.” I sat in the corner watching all this, saying nothing. That night, Oliver pulled me to the hospital cafeteria for dinner. “Sis, there’s something I need to discuss with you.” “What is it?” He picked up some food with his chopsticks, didn’t eat it, and put it back down. “It’s like this… Dad’s hospital stay this time has cost quite a bit…” I looked at him. His eyes were darting around. “You also know, I don’t have a job right now, and Mia is pregnant…” I put down my chopsticks. “What are you trying to say?” “Sis, could you… cover the bill for now?” “How much?” “Medical fees, nursing fees, nutritional supplements… altogether… about thirty thousand.” Thirty thousand. I let out a small laugh. “It hasn’t even been a few days since the twenty million was divided up, and you’re already out of money?” Oliver’s face instantly flushed red. “Sis, what do you mean by that?” “Nothing.” I stood up. “I’m not paying that thirty thousand.” “You—” “Go back and tell Mom and Dad that with my $200 a month living allowance, saving until now, I couldn’t possibly come up with thirty thousand.” I grabbed my coat and started walking out. “Maya Hayes!” Oliver grabbed my arm tightly. “Don’t go too far! Who do you think you are? You’re just a woman earning a fixed, dead-end salary. What right do you have to act so high and mighty with me?” I looked down at his hand gripping my arm. Then I looked up into his eyes. “Let go.” He froze. My voice was perfectly calm, but he must have seen something in my eyes. He let go. I smoothed my sleeve, turned, and walked away. Behind me, his voice chased after me, full of anger and disbelief. “Maya Hayes, don’t you regret this!” 07 I didn’t go back to the hospital room. I took a cab straight to the high-speed rail station. In the waiting hall, I bought a ticket for the next available train. My phone rang. It was Mom. I answered. “Maya, where did you go? Oliver says you left?” “Yeah.” “Why did you leave without saying anything? Your dad isn’t even discharged yet!” “He’s not sick.” The other end was silent for two seconds. “What do you mean?” “Mom, Dad’s blood pressure went back to normal ages ago. Who are you guys putting on this show for?” “Maya Hayes! Watch your mouth!” “I’m telling the truth.” “You—” “Mom, if you want money, just say it directly. You don’t need to put on this act.” Total silence on the other end of the line. After a long time, Mom’s voice came back, choked with tears. “Maya, how did you become like this? You used to never be like this…” “Yeah, I used to never be like this.” I looked out the window. “I used to take my two hundred dollars a month, scrimp and save, and send the rest back to you.” “I used to buy a ton of things every time I came home, never willing to spend a dime on myself.” “I used to actually believe it when you said, ‘You’re just a girl.’” “But Mom, that was before.” My voice was very calm. “The person I am now doesn’t want to endure it anymore.” I hung up. The ticket gate opened. I dragged my suitcase and joined the line. My phone rang again behind me, again and again. I didn’t answer. Once on the train, I put my phone on silent. The scenery outside blurred as we sped away. I closed my eyes. Countless memories flooded my mind. When we were kids, for Oliver’s birthday, the cake was two tiers, colorful candles stuck in the frosting. For my birthday, Mom cooked a bowl of noodles, saying “noodles mean a long life.” In middle school, Oliver needed tutoring. Dad spent eight thousand dollars for one-on-one sessions. My grades were the best in my grade. Dad said, “What’s the point of a girl reading so many books? You’re just going to marry someone anyway.” The year of the college entrance exams, I got accepted into a top provincial university. Oliver got into a third-tier college in the province. Dad said, “Maya, you’re the older sister. Yield to your brother. Give him your acceptance letter.” That was the most absurd thing I have ever heard in my entire life. I didn’t yield. I went to my university. But from then on, my family never gave me another cent. “Aren’t you so capable? If you’re so capable, support yourself.” I opened my eyes. Outside the window, it was already dark.

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Heading home for the holidays, my uncle’s family insisted on catching a ride in my car, yet refused to split the gas money. Out of the goodness of my heart, I took them along, but my uncle said: “Talking about money hurts family feelings!” “Your car is too small, it’s squishing my grandson, drive steadier!” Along the way, they ate oranges and threw the peels everywhere, and even smoked in the car. I gave a mild warning, but my aunt rolled her eyes: “Why are you so uptight at your age?” “Will smoking one cigarette choke you to death?” “You’re the younger generation, serving your elders is what you should do. Don’t be disrespectful.” When we reached a deserted rest stop, taking advantage of them getting out to use the restroom. I didn’t coddle them. I slammed on the gas and drove right off. Since you say there’s no need to be polite among family, then I won’t be polite either. We’re two hundred miles from the nearest town, and there’s no cell service here. Have a nice, long walk. 1 I parked the car at the gate of the yard, turned off the engine, and let out a long sigh of relief. The aroma of stewed meat drifted through the yard; that was my mom’s signature dish. “My son is back!” Hearing the noise, my mom ran out without even taking off her apron, still holding a stalk of green onion. My dad followed behind her, holding a freshly steamed bowl of pork, his face beaming with a smile. “Dad, Mom, I’m back,” I called out with a smile as I got out of the car. My dad put down the meat and circled my car twice, his eyes full of wonder: “Is this the car your boss let you drive back? It looks really grand, much better than our town mayor’s Passat.” “Dad, just look at it from a distance, don’t touch it randomly, it’s expensive.” I shoved the car keys into my pocket. This wasn’t an ordinary car. To reward me for my performance this year, my boss specially lent me his limited-edition Maybach to drive home and show off. It cost over a million dollars; I couldn’t afford to pay for even a chipped piece of paint. “I know, I know, I’m just looking.” My dad chuckled. Although he didn’t know much about cars, he could sense that this car had a different aura. Our family had just sat down and prepared to eat when my mom suddenly looked toward the door: “Hey, where are your uncle and his family? Didn’t they say they were taking your car and coming back together?” I picked up a piece of meat and put it in my mouth without even looking up: “Oh, they’re having fun on the road. Said they wanted to take a slow walk.” “A slow walk?” My dad paused. “It’s freezing cold, and they aren’t even home yet. What are they playing at?” I remained noncommittal and didn’t reply. Playing at what? Playing wilderness survival, I guess. Who told them to throw orange peels all over my car and try to smoke inside? I was nice enough to give them a ride, and they actually treated me like a chauffeur? It was late at night, and the occasional dog bark could be heard in the village. Just as our family was getting ready for bed, the front gate was suddenly banged on thunderously. Bang bang bang! “Richard Davis! You bastard, open the door!” “Open the door! I know you’re in there!” That voice—I knew immediately it was my uncle. Startled, my dad threw on a coat and hurried to open the door. As soon as the door opened, a foul stench hit us. I saw my uncle’s family of five covered in slop and grass clippings. My uncle’s hair was a mess, his face smeared with black soot. My aunt’s down jacket was stained with unknown yellow spots. My cousin and his wife were huddled together, and their precious grandson’s face was a mess of snot and tears. “Brother, what happened to you all?” my dad asked in shock. My uncle completely ignored my dad, shoved him aside, and stormed into the house angrily. I also threw on a coat and walked out, looking coldly at this family. It turned out they waited at that cell-service-dead rest stop for three hours before flagging down a large truck transporting live pigs. The driver kindly gave them a ride, but the smell was indeed overpowering. Seeing the uncleared leftovers on the table, my uncle didn’t say a word, rushed up, and violently flipped the table over. Crash! Plates and bowls shattered all over the floor, greasy soup splashing everywhere. “Eat! Eat my ass!” My uncle pointed at my dad’s nose and cursed, “You black-hearted bastards, actually leaving us halfway on the road, you’re trying to murder us!” My aunt plopped down on the floor, slapping her thighs and wailing: “Where is the justice! A nephew trying to kill his own uncle! How did our Davis family produce such an animal!” That scream startled the neighbor’s dog into barking. The pipe in my dad’s hand shook, and he instinctively shrank back: “Wh-what is going on here? Leo, didn’t you say they were having fun on the road?” I sneered and took a step forward: “Having fun? Uncle, eating oranges and throwing peels all over my car, wanting to smoke, and when I say one word, you talk back ten. Since you said family doesn’t need to be polite, is there anything wrong with me letting you out of the car to get some fresh air?” “Is that fresh air?” My cousin charged forward, wanting to grab my collar, but was stopped by my glare. “That was the middle of nowhere! It was freezing! If we hadn’t run into that pig truck, our whole family would have frozen to death there!” “Exactly!” That five-year-old brat suddenly rushed over, spat a thick wad of phlegm on my dad’s winter pants, and cursed: “Old geezer! Bad guy!” My dad froze, looking down at the phlegm, his face flushing red. My anger instantly flared up: “Control your grandson!” My uncle shielded his grandson, stiffened his neck, and roared at me: “What does a kid know? Is he wrong? You guys are just bad! Leo Davis, I’m telling you, this isn’t over today! Either you pay us five thousand dollars for emotional distress and medical bills, or you won’t have a peaceful New Year!” Five thousand? Hearing this number, I couldn’t hold back, a cold smile curling at the corner of my mouth. Hitching a free ride and extorting five thousand dollars—what a shrewd piece of business. 2 Early the next morning, before the sky was even fully light, my aunt started her grand performance at the yard gate. She brought a small stool, sat at the main gate, crying and complaining: “Folks, come and judge! A nephew leaving his own uncle’s family in the snow to die! He wants to wipe out our family line!” This is the bad thing about the countryside; a tiny incident can spread for ten miles. In no time, a crowd of villagers gathered at my door to watch the drama. Everyone was pointing fingers at me. “This Leo Davis looks polite and educated, how could he be so ruthless?” “I heard he made money in the big city and now looks down on his poor relatives.” “All that education went to the dogs, doesn’t even respect his elders.” Seeing the crowd grow, my uncle became even more energized. He rolled up his sleeves, revealing a few red, swollen chilblains on the back of his hand, crying bitterly: “Look, everyone! This is the proof! Last night we walked two miles in the snow before we could climb onto a truck. We almost didn’t live to see today’s sun!” My parents stood in the yard, so ashamed they couldn’t lift their heads. My dad wanted to explain, but being clumsy with words and unable to get a word in, he stamped his feet in anxiety. At this moment, the crowd parted, and an old man leaning on a cane walked in. It was Great-uncle, the most senior elder in the village. “What’s all this noise! It’s the New Year, have you no shame!” Great-uncle struck the ground heavily with his cane. As soon as my aunt saw Great-uncle, she immediately lunged over and hugged his leg: “Great-uncle, you have to stand up for us! This little animal Leo Davis tried to kill our whole family!” Great-uncle frowned and looked at me: “Leo, you left them halfway on the road?” I stepped forward, neither humble nor arrogant, took out my phone, pulled up a photo, and handed it to Great-uncle to see. “Great-uncle, look at this first. This is the inside of the car after they got out.” In the photo, the expensive leather seats were covered in orange peels, sunflower seed shells, and even a few black burn marks from cigarette butts. “This car isn’t mine; my boss lent it to me to drive back. They threw trash everywhere in the car and insisted on smoking. When I said a word of warning, my aunt called me uptight and said as the younger generation, I should serve them. Tell me, who could stand that?” I explained. The surrounding villagers leaned in to take a look, and the murmurs died down a bit. “Oh my, that is really out of line, ruining a good car.” “Yeah, you can’t wreck someone else’s car like that.” Great-uncle glanced at the photo and waved his hand: “What’s the big deal? So it got a little dirty? That’s your uncle! You’re family! Just wash it, isn’t that enough? How could you leave your elders halfway on the road over such a trivial matter? That’s unfilial!” I was stunned. Hearing someone backing her up, my aunt immediately jumped up from the ground, pointed at my nose, and cursed: “Did you hear that? Great-uncle said it! You are the younger generation, you should just take it! A car is a dead object, people are alive! You almost killed us over a broken car, do you have a conscience?” “Richard Davis!” Great-uncle turned to look at my dad, “Is this the good son you raised? Make him kneel down and apologize to his elders right now!” Kneel down? Hearing this, my dad’s knees went weak, and he was about to kneel. All his life, he feared nothing more than being told he failed to teach his son properly, and feared offending the clan elders even more. “Dad!” I was quick, grabbing my dad’s arm and pulling him back up forcefully. “We did nothing wrong, don’t kneel!” My dad trembling took out a bankbook from his chest pocket, his voice shaking: “Brother, Great-uncle, don’t be angry. Leo is ignorant, I’ll pay, I’ll pay… There’s three thousand dollars in here, my pension money, take it first…” Looking at my dad’s stooped back, I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my flesh. He had been submissive his whole life. For the sake of my reputation, he was willing to empty his life savings. My uncle’s eyes lit up, and he reached out to snatch the bankbook. Slap! I slapped my uncle’s hand away and smoothly shoved the bankbook back into my dad’s pocket. “Not a single cent!” I looked coldly at my uncle. “Forget three thousand, you won’t even get three cents!” My uncle froze for a moment, then flew into a rage out of humiliation. He looked around, saw a shovel leaning against the wall, grabbed it, and swung it at me: “You’re rebelling! If you don’t pay up today, I’ll beat you to death, you unfilial son!” The surrounding villagers gasped in shock and backed away. My parents turned pale with fear. My mom even screamed and rushed over, trying to block me. 3 I pulled my mom behind me, grabbed a clothesline pole from nearby, and pointed it at my uncle: “Try touching me? This is a society ruled by law. One swing of that shovel, and you’re looking at least three years in prison!” My gaze was too cold, and my uncle was intimidated, his hand holding the shovel freezing in mid-air. He was a bully who only acted tough at home. If he really had to hit someone, he’d have to weigh the consequences. Seeing the hard way wouldn’t work, my aunt rolled her eyes, the corner of her mouth lifting in a smirk. “Fine! Not paying money is fine too!” My aunt smiled sinisterly. “Since you said your boss lent you this car, it must be worth something. Leave the car for us to drive for a year, and we’ll consider this matter settled!” So this was their goal all along. From the moment they hitched a ride, they had their eyes on this car. I laughed out of sheer anger: “You want to drive this car? I’m afraid you can’t afford to.” The insurance and maintenance for this car alone cost tens of thousands a year, and even a minor scratch was astronomically expensive. My uncle scoffed disdainfully: “Stop trying to scare us! It’s just a broken Volkswagen! You think just because it has letters on it, it’s something special? Only a poor loser like you would treat it like a treasure! My son has driven a BMW!” A broken Volkswagen? I almost couldn’t resist telling him that this logo was called Maybach, and those two overlapping Ms stood for “Maybach Manufaktur.” But these legal ignoramuses clearly only recognized the VW logo and thought this was just another type of Volkswagen. While we were in this standoff, that bratty kid, taking advantage of the adults’ distraction, picked up a sharp stone and forcefully scratched the back door of the car. Screech— The piercing sound made my heart lurch. I turned my head and saw several winding, deep white scratches on the glossy black paint. “Stop it!” I roared, rushing over and shoving the brat away. Looking at those deep scratches, the blood rushed to my head. This was the boss’s favorite car, with original factory paint. It’s ruined now. The brat fell on his butt from my shove and burst out crying with a wah. My aunt lunged over, hugging her grandson tightly: “What are you doing! How dare you hit a child? He just drew a couple of lines! It won’t break the car! I think you just care too much about that broken car!” “Drew a couple of lines?” I took a deep breath, unclenched my fists. “Do you know how much it costs to touch up these scratches?” “How much? Twenty bucks max!” My aunt rolled her eyes disdainfully. “That’s the price at those roadside repair shops!” Great-uncle also spoke up at this moment, clearly impatient: “Enough! Stop arguing endlessly over a broken car. Richard, since you don’t want to pay, give them the car keys and let them drive it for a couple of days to cool off. We are family, don’t make things so ugly.” This biased mediation was unmatched. My dad looked at me hesitantly, clearly wavering. In his eyes, no matter how expensive a car was, it was just a material possession. As long as it brought peace, it was fine. Seeing this, my uncle put down the shovel and triumphantly stretched out his hand: “Give me the keys! Don’t force me to pat you down for them!” Looking at their ugly faces, I suddenly didn’t want to argue anymore. There are some people in this world you just can’t reason with. Only by making them hurt, really hurt, will they learn what rules are. I patted the car keys in my pocket, then looked at the battered Maybach. “Want the keys?” I took out the keys and dangled them in my hand. “Sure, as long as you dare to take them.” My uncle snatched the keys away, “What’s not to dare? I think you just need to be taught a lesson!” He tossed the keys to my cousin: “Son, go test drive the car! It’s just the right time to take it out and show off for the New Year!” My cousin excitedly took the keys and got into the car. I didn’t stop him; I just silently retreated back into the yard. My dad panicked: “Leo, how could you really give it to them? What if the boss blames us…” I held my dad’s trembling shoulders and said in a low voice: “Dad, don’t worry. They won’t be able to drive this car away.” Sure enough, my cousin messed around in the car for a long time, but the engine didn’t respond at all. This Maybach was equipped with a remote control system. I had just blindly pressed the app on my phone in my pocket, cutting off the starter power and activating the all-around Sentry Mode. “What’s going on? Is it broken?” My cousin popped his head out to complain. My uncle angrily kicked the tire: “This kid definitely did something! Leo Davis, get out here!” I closed the car door my cousin hadn’t had time to get out of, saying coldly: “I told you, you can’t afford to drive this car.” That night, my uncle’s family left cursing, their eyes harboring a chilling glint before they departed. Late at night, I tossed and turned in bed. A rustling sound came from outside the window, like someone had climbed into the yard. I opened the security camera on my phone. On the screen, a few dark figures were sneaking around the Maybach. It was my uncle’s family. They were holding something in their hands, pouring it onto the car. I didn’t go out to stop them. Because I knew this would be the key evidence to put them away. 4 Early the next morning, I was woken up by my mom’s crying. I rushed out of my room into the yard, and the sight before me made me gasp. That originally majestic and imposing Maybach was now plastered with yellowish-brown mud. All four tires were completely flat, punctured like a honeycomb with an awl. The car body was splashed with feces and dirty water, emitting a nauseating stench. Red paint was splashed on the hood, writing the three large words: “Unfilial Son.” My mom sat on the ground, trembling as she cried: “What a sin! What kind of sin is this!” My dad’s face turned green with anger. Grabbing a shovel, he was about to charge out: “I’m going to fight them! This is going too far!” I grabbed my dad: “Dad! Don’t be impulsive! This is a good thing!” “A good thing?” My dad looked at me in disbelief. “The car is ruined like this and it’s a good thing?” I calmly pulled him back: “Dad, if this car was fine, they’d at most have a moral issue. But now that this car is ruined, it’s a legal issue.” At that moment, the yard gate was pushed open. My uncle’s family swaggered in, wearing the smiles of victors. “Oh, up pretty early.” My uncle, hands behind his back, circled the car. “How is it? This is the lesson for your ignorance!” My cousin sarcastically added from the side: “Some people just need to be educated. Feeling comfortable now?” My aunt, cracking sunflower seeds, was full of disdain: “It’s just a broken Volkswagen. So what if we splashed some shit on it? Just wash it, right? So uptight.” Looking at their faces, I was surprisingly calm. I took out my phone and dialed 911 right in front of them. “Hello, I want to report a crime. Someone maliciously destroyed another person’s property, and the amount involved is huge.” Hearing me call the police, my uncle’s family not only didn’t panic, but laughed even louder. “Call the police? Go ahead! Let’s see if the police care about our family matters!” My uncle laughed arrogantly. Twenty minutes later, a police car parked at the door. Two officers stepped out. Seeing the tragic state of the yard, the officers also frowned: “Who did this?” “Officers! I did it!” My aunt actually stepped forward proactively, even lying directly on the ground to throw a tantrum. “But this isn’t my fault! It’s my nephew being unfilial, leaving us halfway on the road. I was just too angry and splashed some dirty water! This is our Davis family’s internal matter, you police have no right to interfere!” The officers had clearly seen many of these types of disputes and rubbed their temples: “Even though you’re relatives, you can’t do this. This car looks pretty new; washing it will cost quite a bit, right?” Hearing this, my aunt immediately climbed up from the ground: “Wash what? It’s just a broken car! Twenty bucks max! I’ll just pay him twenty bucks, right?” The officer looked at me: “Young man, since you’re family, do you think we can mediate this? Have them pay some cleaning fees and the cost to patch the tires, and let’s consider it settled. After all, it’s the New Year, going to jail doesn’t sound good.” Hearing this, my uncle became even more full of himself. He felt he had won. The law couldn’t touch him, and the police were on his side. “Did you hear that? The officers said it’s a family matter!” My uncle pointed at my nose, spit flying. “Leo Davis, what else you got? Hurry up and kneel down to admit your mistake, or I’ll smash this car today!” I looked at the officer and said calmly: “Officer, I do not accept mediation.” “Hey! You don’t know what’s good for you, do you?” My uncle was completely enraged. To establish dominance in front of the police, and to completely suppress me, he suddenly rushed to the corner and grabbed the shovel from yesterday. “I’ll show you not accepting! I’ll show you calling the police!” My uncle raised the shovel and smashed it hard against the Maybach’s front windshield. Crash! A loud noise. The glass shattered, spiderweb cracks instantly covering the entire window. This loud crash stunned everyone. The officers’ expressions changed. And I smiled. My uncle stepped on the filth-covered hood, pointing the shovel at my nose: “You refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! Today I’m going to smash this broken car, let’s see what you can do to me! I am the law!” Under his feet, the Maybach logo covered in red paint faintly glinted with a cold light in the sun. Crack. That was the sound of glass shattering. 5 Crash! Crash! The sound of the shovel smashing against the glass grew louder with each strike. My uncle gritted his teeth, the veins on his forehead bulging, every swing producing a muffled thud. The front windshield was completely shattered. He started smashing the hood and even tried to pry open the sunroof. The two officers finally reacted and rushed forward to seize the shovel. “What are you doing! Daring to commit a violent act right in front of the police!” the older officer shouted sternly. Deprived of his shovel, my uncle wasn’t panicked. Instead, he jumped off the car, lit a cigarette, and looked nonchalant: “What violent act? This is my family’s business! It’s my nephew’s car. What can happen even if I smash it? I’ll just pay for it!” My aunt chimed in from the side: “Exactly! How much can a broken Volkswagen be worth? Is two hundred enough? If not, I’ll add fifty!” In their eyes, this car was worth a few thousand dollars at most. If it’s smashed, it’s smashed. We’re family anyway. I have money, and they, having nothing to lose, aren’t afraid of those who do. Looking at the devastated Maybach, I knew in my heart that every swing of that shovel was worth at least the price of a house. The officers looked at the chaotic scene and felt somewhat helpless. They took out their body cameras, snapped a few photos, and then asked me to sign. “Young man, this is, after all, a family dispute. Since property was damaged, compensation must be paid. You guys negotiate the compensation amount first. If you can’t reach an agreement, we’ll handle it as a public order case.” Hearing this, my uncle became even more arrogant, blowing a smoke ring in my face: “Hear that? Compensation! Two hundred bucks, take it to fix the car. Consider the rest your emotional distress fee from me!” He pulled a wad of crumpled bills from his pocket and threw it on the ground without even counting. Those few red bills fluttered down into the muddy water, as if mocking my incompetence. I didn’t pick up the money, nor did I argue back. I simply accepted the police report form handed to me and signed my name. At that moment, my silence, in their eyes, became a sign of surrender. “Alright, we’re tired.” My uncle stretched and swaggered toward our main room. “After tossing and turning all night, I’m starving. Richard, hurry up and tell your wife to cook! I want braised pork!” This family had actually taken themselves to be the masters here. My dad trembled with anger, wanting to rush forward and fight, but I held him back firmly. “Dad, Mom, let’s go.” “Go? Where to?” My dad was stunned. “To the city, stay in a hotel.” I said softly. “It’s dirty here; we can’t stay.” Although my parents didn’t understand, seeing my grave expression, they could only nod. We packed a few clothes. As I drove our small cargo van away with my parents, I could still hear the triumphant laughter of my uncle’s family behind us. “Good thing he ran fast! Otherwise, I would have made him kneel and kowtow today!” Arriving at the hotel in the city, after settling my parents in, I finally took out my phone and dialed a number. “Boss, it’s me, Leo.” The boss’s hearty voice came from the other end: “What’s up, Leo? Is the car driving smoothly? Your family must be thrilled, right?” I took a deep breath, trying to make my voice sound calm: “Boss, something… happened to the car.” I recounted the incident exactly as it happened, without adding any embellishments, just stating the facts. There was silence on the other end for a full minute. “Are you saying,” the boss’s voice was as cold as ice, “someone threw garbage into my car, splashed feces on it, and smashed the windshield with a shovel?” “Yes. And…” I glanced at the surveillance video I had just received on my phone, “they pried off the hood ornament too.” In the video, my aunt was using a screwdriver, struggling to pry off the double-M logo, muttering: “This lump of iron looks pretty shiny, might fetch a dollar or two.” “Good. Very good.” The boss laughed out of sheer anger. “I specially ordered this limited-edition car from Germany; there are hardly any like it in the whole country. Leo, don’t worry about this anymore. Just protect yourself and your family. Leave the rest to me.” Less than two hours after hanging up, a commercial van parked downstairs at the hotel. Five people in suits stepped out of the vehicle. Leading them was the Chief Legal Counsel of our company, Lawyer Lee. Behind him were two assistants, and two people I didn’t recognize. Based on their attire, they should be damage assessment experts for luxury cars. “Manager Davis, the boss sent us to handle this.” Lawyer Lee pushed up his glasses, a cold glint flashing behind the lenses. “The boss said, no matter the cost, we must make the other party… sit in jail until the bottom falls out.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394564”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

When I was eighteen, I was raped. But no matter how many times I appealed, the perpetrator always managed to walk free with the help of a mysterious lawyer. My mom, while juggling her food delivery jobs, would comfort me: “Trust mom, evil will definitely be punished.” Although I was heartbroken, I felt lucky to have my mom by my side, so I posted a video of her comforting me online. Unexpectedly, the video blew up the next day, and people started commenting. [Isn’t your mom the most famous star lawyer in the legal world?] [And you say a lawyer can’t help you with your rape case? Who could possibly beat your mom?] Seeing this, I was just about to go question my mom when I heard that nightmarish voice outside her door. “You’re still the badass lawyer. Thanks to you, I haven’t had to step foot in a courtroom all these years.” My mom sneered: “Cut the crap. If it weren’t to maintain my undefeated record, why would I be your defense attorney and harm my own daughter?” Hearing this, my phone… Smash. It slipped and fell to the floor. … Hearing the noise, my mom walked toward the door. “Is that Chloe out there?” Her voice was as gentle as always, which is why I absolutely couldn’t believe the lawyer hiding behind that man was my mom. The door opened. Looking into my mom’s eyes, I asked with a trembling voice: “Mom, what were you just saying?” My mom avoided my gaze, “Nothing. You should go rest, Chloe. Mom has to go out and deliver food.” Watching her fleeing figure, I finally couldn’t hold back the tears slipping from my eyes. I grabbed her clothes, asking somewhat hysterically: “Mom, is it really you?” My mom didn’t turn around, just kept repeating: “Chloe, mom doesn’t understand what you’re saying.” With that, she pulled the hem of her clothes from my grasp. My hand was empty, and so was my heart. I knelt on the floor, masochistically reading through the video’s comment section. [Is this girl just acting? Her own mom wouldn’t help her?] [Maybe she seduced him.] [I told you so, who would just randomly rape someone on the street? It takes two to tango.] … Tears smashed onto my phone screen, blurring the words and making it impossible to read what those people were saying. Ding-ding— A message popped up on my phone. [Didn’t expect that, did you? The one defending me is your mother. The person who truly pushed you into the abyss isn’t me, it’s the person you love the most.] It was him. His words undoubtedly shattered my last shred of illusion, bluntly telling me that the one causing me pain all these years was the mother who loved me the most. I climbed up from the floor to pack my things. I had to leave this place. But the moment I held my suitcase and opened the front door, I regretted it. I wanted to give my mom and me one more chance. She gave birth to me and raised me; I didn’t believe she truly had no love for me. Dragging my suitcase, I sat on the sofa, waiting for my mom to come home, waiting for her to give me an answer. 2 The darkness slowly swallowed me as I sat on the sofa. The door opened. My mom walked in, turned on the light, and was startled to see me sitting there. “Chloe, why are you sitting there?” I didn’t speak, just held my phone up to her. Looking at the comment section, my mom’s face slowly turned red. “Chloe, these people are lying to you.” Although I had already guessed my mom’s reaction, I still couldn’t help but feel awful at this moment. I nodded and placed the text message that man sent me in front of her. “Is this lying to me too?” My mom looked at me, her mouth opening and closing, unable to speak. I grabbed her clothes, crying hysterically: “Why, Mom? You clearly knew everything! Why!” My mom seemed to fly into a rage out of humiliation, or perhaps she was provoked by my lack of respect. She shoved me to the floor. “He didn’t have money for a lawyer, and the court directly assigned me as his public defender. What could I do!” I lay on the floor, looking at my mom. I had never seen her like this—irritable, breaking down. She pointed at me, “Do you think I wanted to! Do you think I wanted him to win! But I had no choice!” Through my sobs, I cried, “How could you have no choice? You clearly could have… could have given up defending him.” “That would ruin my 100% win rate, I couldn’t!” My mom’s answer came without a moment’s hesitation. The words I had prepared in my head were suddenly stuck in my throat. Seeing me sitting there in silent shock, her tone finally softened. “Chloe, mom didn’t plan on letting you know about this. Now that you know, just don’t appeal anymore.” I scrambled up from the floor, losing control. “Why! Are you going to strip me of my right to appeal?!” My voice was loud, but the trembling in it was unmistakable. I didn’t understand why. Did all my pain mean nothing compared to her 100% win rate? My mom sat on the sofa, looking at me standing in the middle of the living room, my face flushed with anger. “Do you think you can find a lawyer who can beat me? The money I give you isn’t enough to hire a good lawyer.” Her voice was full of smugness. Smug that she had prepared for this very situation. She didn’t give me much money, just enough for basic food and clothing. In the past, whenever I asked her for money to hire a lawyer, she would pull out a few crumpled hundred-dollar bills from her pocket and say: “This is what mom earned from working early mornings and late nights delivering food recently. Take it to hire a lawyer. Mom will definitely put that man in jail!” But seeing her stooped back, I only took a few bills each time. That money was nowhere near enough to hire a decent lawyer, but I never blamed her. At that time, I truly believed she was out there every day, braving the elements to deliver food. Every night, I blamed myself. It turns out it was all a lie. Tears flowed uncontrollably. “Mom, if you promise me you won’t defend him next time, I’ll pretend I never knew any of this, okay?” 3 I begged humbly. I knew I should storm out the door right now, or at the very least, step forward and curse her out fiercely. But I still chose to beg, because she was my mom, and I knew she loved me. I knew the tears that fell on my hands when I was raped were real. I knew holding my hand day and night, afraid I would do something drastic and leave her, was real too. So I was willing, willing to give her one more chance. As long as she said yes. I looked at her full of expectation. She fell silent. My heart leapt into my throat. “No.” My heart shattered. She looked at my swaying figure and said: “Chloe, as long as I win, I can give you a better life. What happened in the past is over, let’s not dwell on it anymore.” I don’t know what gave her the right to think that what happened in the past was over for me. I backed away, “Mom, if you still insist on defending him, then pretend you never gave birth to me.” She stood up and smashed the helmet she was holding onto the floor. “When are you going to stop throwing this tantrum! Can’t we just live our lives in peace? It’s been years, isn’t that incident over for you yet!” I was startled by her outburst. So she really thought that my continuous appeals were my fault. I didn’t want to talk to her anymore. Maybe we were destined to sever our ties. I pushed my suitcase and walked to the entryway. “Mom, I won’t give up. I don’t believe that injustice can truly overpower justice.” I opened the door. Just as one foot stepped out, I heard my mom’s voice. “Chloe Smith, if you don’t want me as your mom anymore, then leave! And don’t ever come back once you leave!” Without hesitation, I stepped out with my other foot. Mom, it wasn’t you giving me a chance; it was me giving you a chance just now. Since you didn’t want it, this is the only path left for us. I closed the door, shutting her voice inside. Dragging my suitcase down the stairs, I suddenly didn’t know where to go. Was I really wrong? Should that incident really just be over for me? My phone rang again. It was another message from him. [Your mom told me you still plan to appeal? Heh, I’ll be waiting.] What followed was an even more disgusting message. He said I wouldn’t win, that my failure would give more people like him confidence, and that I would harm more girls. He said he still remembered how I tasted. My hand gripped the phone in a death grip. How could it be over! How could it! 4 I blocked him. I wanted him to lose. I wanted him and everyone who had such thoughts to know the consequences of doing this. I took out my phone and filed another lawsuit. I wouldn’t stop before the statute of limitations ran out. But right now, I needed money, enough money to hire a better lawyer. I dragged my suitcase, found a random motel, and started a live stream. Because of the video I posted tonight, I gained a lot of followers. As soon as I started the stream, many people joined. The comments were still mostly about me. I didn’t speak, waiting for the viewer count to rise. It quickly surpassed a hundred thousand. I finally started speaking. “Hello everyone, you probably know I’m the girl who was raped.” As soon as I said this, the comments scrolled even faster. Most people called me indecent, saying how could I talk about something like this on a live stream. I ignored them and simply told the whole story of what happened to me. Gradually, the scrolling speed of the comments slowed down, and my voice choked with emotion. I still couldn’t accept that the one who brought me pain was my mother. After finishing the story, I paused for a moment to calm my emotions before continuing. “I’m not saying this to play the victim, but I really have no money left to hire a lawyer. Can anyone help me? I can write you an IOU and pay it back as soon as I get a job.” Suddenly, all kinds of virtual gifts filled my screen. Everyone in the comments was saying I didn’t need to pay it back. Crying, I bowed to everyone. But in reality, there were still many negative voices in the comments. I ignored them all. Just as I was about to end the stream, there was a loud knock on my door. I walked over and asked: “Who is it?” “Miss Smith, it’s… it’s me bringing you water.” It was the receptionist’s voice, but for some reason, her voice was trembling. I opened the door. It was that man. He had a knife to the receptionist’s neck. Seeing me open the door, he shoved her away. He charged in, “Damn it! You bitch! Do you want to die?! Who gave you permission to talk about this on a live stream? Do you have no shame?!” I knew why he was so angry. Because I had just said his name directly on the live stream. The shred of dignity he tried so hard to maintain was torn down by me. “You deserve it! If you hadn’t done those things, what could I say? Besides, you’re the one who should feel ashamed!” He took a few steps forward and grabbed me by the neck, “Dead woman, I’ll kill you right now.” I fell backward, not struggling at all. Because I knew that this way, his violent act would be broadcasted live in its entirety. This time, with hundreds of thousands of viewers as my witnesses, I didn’t believe I would lose. 5 My eyes glanced at the phone screen to make sure this scene was captured. Only then did I start struggling. But the man still had a knife in his hand, and I couldn’t overpower him. I could only use my hands to pull at the hand choking me so I could breathe. Just as I thought I was going to pass out, the receptionist finally rushed up with the security guards. Together, they pulled the man off me. I knelt on the floor, coughing incessantly, feeling like I was going to cough my lungs out. I said with a trembling voice: “Call… call the police!” “Don’t call the police!” A panting female voice interrupted me. I looked up. It was my mother. Panting heavily, she said, “You can’t call the police! Chloe, I forbid you to call the police!” Coughing, I replied: “Why? Didn’t we say that once I walked out that door, we have no relationship anymore?” After saying that, I called the police. My mom tried to grab my phone, but I dodged her. Seeing that she was out of control, the security guards restrained her as well. Although their bodies couldn’t move, their mouths didn’t stop. Calling me a bitch one minute, saying raising me was a waste the next. Actually, hearing my mom curse at me still hurt a little, but only a little. I glanced at my phone. The live stream hadn’t ended, and the viewer count was about to surpass two hundred thousand. The comments were scrolling so fast I couldn’t even read a single one. The police arrived in less than five minutes. Seeing the police, my mom shouted loudly: “Officers, look at this! I didn’t do anything, and they are restricting my personal freedom!” She spoke with such certainty that the police actually thought she was telling the truth. An officer walked over, patted the hotel security guard on the shoulder, and said: “Let them go for now.” Only then did the security guards release them. As soon as my mom’s hands were free, her mouth started again: “Officer, nothing really happened here. Look, they still insisted on calling the police and making you take a trip.” The officer ignored her this time and first asked who reported the incident. I raised my hand, “I did.” The officer looked at me for a moment. I noticed he saw my neck. He asked me: “Why did you call the police?” With tears in my eyes, I pointed at the man: “He tried to kill me.” My mom swatted my hand away, “Officer, she’s talking nonsense, just ignore it.” The officer looked at her for a few seconds, “What’s your relationship with the person who reported this?” “I’m her mother! So I definitely wouldn’t lie to you!” She spoke firmly, stabbing another sword into my heart. The receptionist stepped forward and said: “Officer, what this girl is saying is true. This man really tried to kill her, and he even had a knife in his hand!” Her voice was shrill, clearly still shaken. Looking at the blood on her neck, I felt a pang of guilt. After all, it was because of me that she suffered this unprovoked disaster. The officer nodded, “Ma’am, do you have any other questions?” I watched my mom roll her eyes in thought for a moment before speaking: “Officer, this man is mentally unstable, that’s why he went crazy just now. Look, isn’t he perfectly normal now?” I looked at the red-eyed Liam Thorne. How come I didn’t know he had a mental illness? I stepped forward and handed my phone to the officer, “Officer, I was actually live streaming the whole time. The process should have been recorded, you can take a look.” “What!” Two shocked voices overlapped. Liam lunged forward, actually trying to snatch the phone from the officer’s hand. The officer stepped aside to dodge him, “Are you trying to assault a police officer?!” “It’s all fake! That bitch faked it!” Hearing this, I actually laughed, “I faked it? Hundreds of thousands of people in the live stream saw you trying to kill me, how could I fake that!” Seeing this, the officer had a rough understanding of the situation. He stepped forward and handcuffed Liam, “Come with us first.” 6 My mom and I sat in one police car, while Liam sat in another. As soon as we got in the car, my mom said to me: “When we get there, you know how to speak, right?” I shook my head, “I don’t know.” “You!” She raised her hand to hit me, but looking at the police officer in front, she lowered it again. She lowered her voice and leaned close to my ear, “If you really want to be an orphan with no father or mother, then don’t listen to me.” Mimicking her, I leaned close to her ear and whispered: “Mom, from the moment I walked out that door, I was already an orphan with no father or mother. From now on, I fight for myself.” She opened her mouth to say something else, but I pointed at the officer in front. She glared at me fiercely and stopped talking. I had already turned off the live stream. Right now, I was checking my dashboard, wondering if the money I made tonight was enough to hire a good lawyer. With trembling hands, I opened the dashboard and checked my earnings. Seeing the number, I let out a long sigh of relief. It was enough. I logged onto my account and posted a text message. [Thank you everyone. I have enough money to hire a lawyer now. Thank you all once again.] Soon, the comments under this post surpassed ten thousand. Some saw the live stream and asked how I was doing now. Some were those disgusting men, still saying getting raped was my own fault. And some offered to help me. I ignored those disgusting men. I replied to those who cared about me one by one. By the time we arrived at the police station, I still hadn’t finished replying, and the number of unread messages kept growing. I had to put my phone away for now. Entering the police station, a police officer first took me to a small room. A female officer handed me a cup of water, “Drink some water first before we talk.” I nodded gratefully and drank all the water in the cup. After finishing, she took out a notebook, “Next, I’ll ask a question, and you answer, okay?” I nodded. “Okay. Do you know Liam Thorne?” “Yes.” “How did you meet?” I fell silent. Even now, in front of these police officers, it was still hard for me to state the fact that he assaulted me. With my head down, I said quietly: “He assaulted me…” “I see.” The female officer was a bit at a loss. She stepped forward and patted my shoulder, “We’ll skip this question.” I reached back and grabbed her hand, “Officer, isn’t the footage from my live stream enough evidence?” Looking at my eyes welling up with tears again, she patted my head, “No, this is just a routine inquiry. Let’s end our inquiry for now and see what your mother and Liam have to say.” I nodded. She took the disposable cup from my hand, filled it with water again, and handed it to me. “Get some good rest here.” After saying that, she walked out. Seeing her leave, I took out my phone and continued replying to comments one by one. I knew they cared about me, and even though we were separated by the internet, I still felt moved. I didn’t want to disappoint their kindness. But the messages were coming in too fast. By the time she returned, I still hadn’t finished replying. Seeing her come in, I put my phone away. “Officer, are they done with their questioning?” She shook her head, “No.” Then she handed me a tube of ointment, “After we do the injury assessment later, apply some of this ointment.” She pointed to her own neck. I smiled at her gratefully, then reached out and took the medicine she handed me. She then sat down on the stool, “What were you doing just now? Go ahead and continue. We don’t have anything to do right now anyway.” “Okay.” I answered quietly. I opened my phone. This time I didn’t reply to direct messages. I could reply to those anytime. I needed to find a lawyer first. I opened my contacts. I actually had many good lawyers added, but their prices were there, and I had no money. But I have it now. My money is enough to hire any lawyer on this list. 7 I carefully selected a chat and clicked on it. I chose her for three reasons: First, she is a woman. Only a woman can truly understand another woman. Second, she also has a 100% win rate. Let’s see who’s better, her or my mom. Third, she was the only lawyer out of so many who, after hearing my story, was willing to lower her price for me, even though I still couldn’t afford it back then. [Attorney Carter, do you still have time to represent me for my case?] She replied very quickly, [Your evidence was so solid, you haven’t won yet?] I picked at my fingers and waited a while before answering her, [I didn’t have money the previous few times, so the ones I hired were uncertified, so…] I couldn’t type anymore. I didn’t know how to explain. Should I say that because I didn’t have enough money, some of the lawyers I hired weren’t even qualified to appear in court? And that person only told me an hour before the trial? Or should I say that sometimes I wasn’t resolute enough? Looking at those photos, time and time again, I felt like I was back in that alley. From that moment on, my time seemed to stand still. My life had already been ruined. Seeing I didn’t continue typing, she sent a message, [Okay, I should have some time recently. Find a time, and we can meet up.] [Okay, okay. Thank you, Attorney Carter.] I also sent an emoji. After dealing with this, I switched platforms and continued replying to comments. I waited for a long time before an officer pushed the door open and called me out. I tucked my phone into my clothes and walked out. “Now he has admitted to the fact that he hurt you. Do you want to settle privately or…?” I knew that man was very poor. So I said: “We can settle privately, but the price has to satisfy me.” The officer nodded, “Since you’re willing, then you guys talk it over first.” He took me to the mediation room. This was the first time I sat across from my mom. “Since you came in, it means you agree to settle privately, right?” My mom spoke first. I nodded, “But if I’m not satisfied with the price, I wouldn’t mind adding an attempted murder charge when I sue him in a few days.” Liam grabbed the table and tried to stand up, but was pulled down by my mom. “So how much do you want now?” I didn’t know how much they had prepared, and with the police here, I couldn’t be too outrageous. So I had to ask them first, “How much do you plan to give me?” My mom looked into my eyes. Before she could speak, Liam beat her to it, “Three thousand! I just choked you a bit, three thousand max!” As soon as he said this, I knew it was his bottom line. I just needed to raise it a little more, and he wouldn’t be able to handle it. I held up five fingers, “Five thousand, not a penny less.” He finally couldn’t hold it back and slammed the table, making it shake. “Five thousand? Are you obsessed with money? You did this on purpose tonight, didn’t you!” I didn’t argue with him, just waved my hand, “Five thousand, figure it out yourself.” Sitting next to him, my mom had already turned bright red. Because if she had made the offer, she would have said fifteen hundred at most, leaving room for negotiation. She didn’t expect Liam to be so stupid, revealing his bottom line right from the start. Seeing him stand up, my mom’s neck swelled with anger. She stood up, pressed the furious man back into his seat, and then said to me: “Five thousand is too much. Even if the injury assessment comes out, we shouldn’t have to pay that much.” I shrugged, “Then let’s go. Let’s get it done.” She fell silent, knowing her previous sentence was just a bluff. With my injuries and Liam’s motive, paying me five thousand was completely justified. Over the years, for my own sake, I had studied law for a long time. Now I was practically in the field. My words left my mom speechless, so she sat back down. I waited for a moment, “Since you think you can’t give me this money, let’s consider this private settlement a failure.” I got up to walk out. She yanked my clothes, just like I had grabbed her clothes before, “Chloe, just do it for mom’s sake. How about three thousand five hundred?” I knew her current submissive attitude was because I had truly captured footage of Liam committing the crime this time. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be acting like this. I pulled the hem of my clothes from her grasp, just as she had done to me, “Impossible. And don’t forget, you said it yourself, I’m an orphan with no father or mother from now on.” She looked at me, her eyes full of pleading. Inappropriately, I wondered, did I look like this in her eyes back then? Eyes full of pleading, so submissive and so pitiful. But she didn’t feel sorry for me then, so I wouldn’t feel sorry for her now. I didn’t look at her again, turned around, and left.

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My childhood best friend and I decided to become the ultimate slackers on a reality dating show just to collect the appearance fee. During missions, we couldn’t stop laughing. While the others were busy coupling up, we were fighting each other. Right up until the surprise celebrity guest segment, we were still eating sunflower seeds and enjoying the drama. The next second, my best friend pointed at the untouchable heir of the city’s top conglomerate, his face turning pale: “That’s your ex-fiancé!” I pointed at the filthy-rich heiress next to him, my hand trembling: “That’s your ex-fiancée!” We practically scrambled on our hands and knees to find the director and beg to quit the show. The director gave a cold sneer: “The penalty for breach of contract is ten times the appearance fee, payable immediately in cash.” Leo and I looked at each other. We were screwed. We had walked right into the wolf’s den. 1 Leo and I go way back. We’ve been inseparable since we were toddlers running around in diapers. The elders in our families always joked that we were a match made in heaven—a perfect pair of menaces. During our freshman year college orientation, a random photo of us went viral, and somehow we stumbled into the entertainment industry. To avoid any weird rumors and to protect our ridiculous egos, we agreed to pretend we barely knew each other, swearing we’d meet at the top of the A-list. Turns out, we never even made it to the top. We rolled right back down from the halfway point. After struggling for a few years, we were still D-list nobodies, mercilessly mocked by netizens as the “Wooden Beauty” and the “Emotionless Pretty Boy.” But that wasn’t even the worst part. On New Year’s Eve, while fireworks lit up the sky, the two of us squatted on the curb crying like dogs. Because we both got dumped on the exact same day. Freezing and with a runny nose, Leo gritted his teeth: “I am never acting like a pathetic simp for that woman again!” I used his ridiculously expensive puffer jacket as a tissue to wipe my tears: “I broke up too! For real this time! Whoever wants to serve a high-and-mighty man like him can go right ahead!” We ended up getting blackout drunk and dragging each other home. When we woke up sober, we were completely disillusioned. We couldn’t stay in this trashy industry for another day. “Let’s quit the industry.” “Agreed!” Leo replied faster than anyone. We both graduated from top universities; it wasn’t like we’d starve without acting. Just as I was about to contact a lawyer to draft my termination letter, my manager, Joan, threw a gig my way. It was a live-streamed reality dating show, and the main theme was “wild.” “Chloe, you’re taking this show whether you want to or not. You’re quitting the industry anyway, so go be the villain. Be crazy, be dramatic. Even bad publicity is still publicity, understand?” Why should I? I thought. I’m leaving anyway, why should I be a stepping stone for someone else? I typed out a message: “Joan, I’m out. Whoever wants to deal with this garbage can have it…” Before I could hit send, another message from Joan popped up. “The pay is one million dollars.” My finger hovering over the delete button instantly froze. One million? I quickly deleted my previous message and replied with restrained elegance: “This isn’t about the money.” Joan: “One million per episode.” Hiss— I immediately replied: “Joan, to be completely honest, I’m absolutely wild in my private life. This job was practically made for me!” 2 After happily signing the contract, I pushed open my apartment door, only to bump into Leo, who was over to freeload a meal. Our eyes met, and the air was instantly filled with a bizarre, guilty tension. Wait a minute. I felt guilty because I sold out for money. Why was he acting guilty? My parents and Leo’s mom were chatting enthusiastically in the living room. My mom’s eyes were practically glowing: “Is it finally happening? I always knew these two had a spark!” Leo’s mom was even more excited: “I’ve already prepared the dowry, we can officially propose anytime!” Seeing the conversation veering toward having a second child, Leo quickly interrupted: “Stop, stop, stop! Chloe and I are talking about work, strictly work!” He dragged me to the balcony and shut the door. Leo’s eyes darted around nervously: “So, uh, did you send that termination letter?” I picked at my fingernails, stammering: “Not yet… um, I still have a mall promotional event to finish.” I couldn’t exactly tell him I was going on a dating show to rake in cash. It would make me look like I had no backbone. Hearing this, Leo immediately straightened his posture: “What a coincidence, I didn’t send mine either. I have a cameo in a drama I need to finish.” We looked at each other, both seeing the words “I totally believe you” dripping with sarcasm in the other’s eyes. But neither of us called the other out. This mutual understanding stemmed from the fact that we had another mutual friend, Julian. Back in the day, Leo, Julian, and I were an inseparable trio. But those two were always arguing, turning me into a double agent. In front of Leo, I would loudly complain: “Julian is so cheap, let’s not hang out with him!” Happy, Leo would give me all his snacks. Then I’d go to Julian and sigh: “Actually, Leo’s life is pretty sad, you shouldn’t be so hard on him.” Moved, Julian would take me out to eat all over town. Until one day, Julian treated me to expensive crab, and Leo shoved two persimmons into my hands. That night, I ended up in the ER. When the two creditors compared notes by my hospital bed, my double agent cover was completely blown. Julian sneered: “I’m cheap?” Leo ground his teeth: “I’m sad?” I huddled under the blankets, trembling: “That’s what the doctor said, you can’t blame me…” Now, with history repeating itself, we both silently chose to keep our mouths shut. 3 Three days later, on a tropical island at the dating show set. I was wearing a backless red gown and towering heels, ready to add a stroke of brilliance to the end of my showbiz career. According to the script, I had to choose a male guest for a romantic first encounter. When I looked up, I saw a guy in a tailored suit looking sharp and professional. It was Leo. As the ocean breeze blew, the cameramen frantically zoomed in. The directors probably wished they could plaster the word “Destiny” across the screen. I pursed my lips, fighting the urge to laugh. Leo’s cheeks were puffed out; he was clearly holding it in too. The moment our fingertips touched, we completely lost it. “Pfft-hahahahaha!” Our laughter startled the seagulls and thoroughly confused the viewers watching the live stream. “Are these two crazy?” “I thought they didn’t know each other? What’s with this chemistry?” “Can I get a refund? I came to watch sweet romance, not a comedy duo!” We didn’t care. We found a corner, sat down, and started slacking off. On the surface, it looked like we were just playing on our phones, but we were actually bombing Julian in our “Anti-Scumbag Alliance” group chat. Me: “Dr. Julian, watch the live stream! How’s our acting?” Leo: “Son, doesn’t your bro look handsome in this suit?” Julian: “Get lost. I just got out of surgery, I don’t have time to watch you two act like monkeys.” Me: “Don’t be so cold! Should we talk about the time you got chased and bitten by a goose when we were kids?” Leo: “Or the heroic time you threw firecrackers into cow manure?” Julian: “…Looks like you guys really have moved on. You even have the mood to make fun of me.” With that one sentence, the group chat instantly went silent. That familiar, sharp pain in my chest flared up again. Conveniently, the production team had prepared red wine. Leo and I started downing glass after glass like it was water. As the alcohol hit, we lost our filters. We completely forgot about the dozens of hidden cameras around us. Leo’s eyes grew red, his voice choked: “Chloe, do you think she never loved me? I was so obedient, so good. If she said east, I never went west. And she still dumped me.” I slammed the table, even more agitated than him: “You call that bad? My ex was a piece of work! He walked around all day with a cold face, like I owed him a million dollars. If I looked at another guy for a second, he’d say I lacked morals. Even my breathing was wrong!” The live stream exploded. “Holy crap! Is this premium paid content?” “Who on earth are these two nobodies’ exes? This sounds juicy!” “Leo crying makes me want to wipe his tears, he’s such a puppy!” “Chloe’s mouth is ruthless! This is what I call being real!” Just as we were about to drop more bombs, Julian’s call came in. The piercing ringtone instantly sobered us up. Julian roared through the phone: “You idiots! Do you want to get blacklisted by tomorrow?! You’re on a LIVE STREAM! LIVE!” Leo and I looked at each other, cold sweat instantly breaking out. I let out a forced laugh, giving a thumbs up to the camera: “Leo’s line delivery is amazing! What did everyone think of our little improv performance just now?” Leo caught on immediately and followed my lead: “Chloe’s not bad either! Full of emotion, great layers! Come on, let’s keep discussing that script…” 4 Thanks to our “crazy” episode that night, Leo and I unexpectedly went viral. Netizens were fiercely debating the identities of our “terrible exes.” But we weren’t panicked at all. Those two untouchable figures—one the supreme ruler of a business empire, the other a haughty, aristocratic heiress—would never stoop so low as to appear on a trashy entertainment show. Unless the sun rose in the west. The next day, the sun was shining brightly. Leo and I grabbed handfuls of sunflower seeds, squatting under the shade of a tree to watch the other guests flirt. “Look at that innocent girl, her eyes are practically glued to him. She’s definitely into that award-winning actor.” “No way, that’s just acting. I bet you fifty cents the actor likes the mature woman.” The comments section was filled with “Hahaha.” “Are these two here to be commentators?” “I’ve never seen celebrities so down-to-earth, I love it.” “They look like the gossiping elders at the village entrance.” Right as we were enjoying our snacks, the production team’s megaphone blared. “Attention all guests, two mystery guests are about to land on the island. Please prepare to welcome them.” Leo and I exchanged a glance and kept cracking sunflower seeds. “Hope it’s a handsome guy to cleanse my eyes.” “A beautiful woman would be fine too. Even if I can’t pursue her, it’ll be nice to look at.” The next second, a yacht docked at the pier. A man and a woman stepped off the boat. The man was tall, his presence commanding, and his face was so cold it looked like he had just been pulled out of a freezer. The woman was dressed head-to-toe in designer brands, hiding behind sunglasses. She walked with authority, exuding the scent of old money with every movement. The live stream instantly boiled over. “Holy shit! Is that Arthur Sterling? The CEO of the Sterling Group?!” “And the one next to him is Elena Vance? The Vance family’s eldest daughter who just returned from abroad?!” “Did this production team sell a kidney? How did they manage to invite these two gods?” The sunflower seeds in Leo’s and my hands scattered all over the ground with a clatter. Our smiles froze on our faces, looking uglier than if we were crying. With a trembling finger, I pointed at the man: “Leo, that’s… your ex-fiancé…” Leo, shaking, pointed at the woman: “Chloe, that’s… your ex-fiancée…” Run! That was the only thought in my head. We sprinted toward the production team. “Director! We want to quit! We’ll pay the breach of contract fee! Even if we have to sell everything we own!” The director slowly took a sip of his tea and held up one finger: “The penalty fee is now ten times the original amount, and it must be paid immediately in cash.” Leo and I went weak in the knees, almost dropping to the ground. We were doomed. We had definitely been set up this time. Before we could even think of a plan, two familiar, chilling voices sounded from behind us. “Running away? Aren’t you going to say hello to old acquaintances?” 5 Those two voices overlapping were more terrifying than a midnight horror movie. I stiffly turned my neck, feeling like an un-oiled robot. Arthur stood there. The sea breeze ruffled the hair on his forehead, but it couldn’t scatter the overwhelming, predatory aura surrounding him. His deep eyes were locked onto me, a faint, unreadable smirk playing on his lips, making my scalp tingle. Next to him, Elena took off her sunglasses, casually hooking them onto her collar, revealing a pair of sharp, stunning eyes. She crossed her arms, tilted her chin up slightly, and scanned Leo from head to toe like an X-ray, her gaze finally resting on his pale face. “What, young Master Leo ran away from home for a few months and forgot how to speak?” Leo, trembling, hid behind me, tugging at my shirt and whispering, “Chloe, save me! This demoness’s eyes are too scary, she definitely wants to drag me back and turn me into a specimen!” Unable to even save myself, I gritted my teeth and whispered back, “You’re a man, can you show some backbone? Hold the line! I’ll go draw Arthur’s fire!” Taking a deep breath, I forced a smile that looked worse than crying and waved at Arthur: “Hi, what a coincidence. Is Mr. Sterling here to… inspect the work?” Arthur took long strides, stopping right in front of me. A shadow loomed over me, and I smelled the familiar scent of cedar mixed with a faint hint of tobacco—the scent he always carried when he was annoyed. “Inspect the work?” He let out a soft chuckle. His voice was deep and magnetic, making my ears itch. “I’m here to catch a runaway little liar.” The live stream comments exploded. “Am I deaf? Did CEO Sterling just call Chloe a ‘little liar’?” “That tone, the indulgence! Who said they were exes? This is clearly currently happening!” “Leo acting like a coward is killing me. Ms. Vance’s aura is off the charts!” The director was so excited he almost swallowed his walkie-talkie, screaming through the megaphone: “All departments attention! Close-ups! Get those close-ups! This is the destiny we want!” Destiny my ass! This is a death sentence! Elena clicked over in her high heels, stopping in front of Leo, extending a finger to tilt his chin up. “I heard you’ve been telling everyone that I dumped you?” Leo swallowed hard, his survival instinct kicking in: “No… never happened! I meant… I wasn’t good enough for you, so I voluntarily stepped aside for someone better!” Elena sneered: “Stepped aside? For who? For those sycophantic idiots out there?” She applied pressure with her hand, pinching Leo’s cheek: “Leo, you’ve really grown some nerve. Blocking my number, moving, and now you have the guts to come on a dating show to find a new fling? Looks like you’re itching for a beating.” Leo grimaced in pain but didn’t dare fight back, only shooting me pleading looks for help. I was just about to speak when Arthur suddenly stepped forward, blocking my view. “Don’t look at him,” Arthur’s voice dropped a few degrees, “Look at me.” I was forced to tilt my head up and meet his dark, fathomless eyes. “Chloe, you’ve grown some nerve too. Break up? When did I ever agree to that?” My heart skipped a beat. Leaving without saying goodbye back then did make me feel a bit guilty. But whose fault was that? He was always so busy he was basically a ghost, and that childhood “sister” of his was constantly hovering around him. I just got mad and left. “Um… it was an unspoken agreement. In the adult world, not contacting each other means a breakup.” I lied through my teeth. Arthur let out a laugh born of sheer anger and reached out to pinch my earlobe. It was my sensitive spot; my body went soft, and I almost fell into his arms. “An unspoken agreement. So if I start pursuing you again right now, is that also part of the rules of the adult game?” The entire set erupted in an uproar. The other guests dropped their sunflower seeds, and the production team went absolutely crazy. The number of viewers in the live stream skyrocketed, nearly crashing the servers.

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It’s been three months since I parted ways with my sugar daddy. He bumped into me on a European street, supporting my pregnant belly as I walked out of a hospital. “Quite ambitious, just too stupid,” the man evaluated coldly. He had his assistant pass on a message and toss me a bank card, ordering me to abort the child. “Mr. Sterling won’t be manipulated by a child, and the Sterling family won’t open its doors for a bastard. He hopes you know your place and don’t entertain any other thoughts.” I politely declined the card and smiled. “You’ve misunderstood. This is my husband’s and my child.” “We got married two months ago. It has absolutely nothing to do with Mr. Sterling.” 1 Winters in London are always dreary and cold; the street wind inexplicably stings the face. Hearing my words, Assistant Lin’s expression didn’t change at all. He only put on a slightly surprised look and said, “Is that so?” Having been by Arthur Sterling’s side for so long, his ability to read people had grown exponentially. The eyes behind his glasses swept over my lower abdomen, and he asked respectfully, “How many weeks pregnant are you, Ms. Davis?” “About twelve weeks.” He nodded slightly, still wearing a polite but distant smile. “Then the timing is a bit too coincidental with when you left Mr. Sterling.” As Arthur’s most trusted assistant, he had seen far too many women use any means necessary to stay by Arthur’s side. I looked down and pulled out my phone. “I have my wedding photos with my husband right here.” But he politely interrupted me: “That doesn’t prove anything.” “Mr. Sterling has a strict taboo against illegitimate children. I hope you keep that in mind, Ms. Davis.” “Otherwise, Mr. Sterling wouldn’t mind putting you on the abortion operating table for a second time.” My fingertips gripping the phone stiffened. I looked up slightly. The first snow of the year was slowly drifting down. I met the dark, cold gaze of the man standing by the floor-to-ceiling window of the high-rise building. He was scrutinizing me from above, perhaps waiting for me to be caught in a lie again, looking pale and embarrassed. He was used to being the one in control, and my pregnancy was undoubtedly another challenge to his bottom line. I put my phone away, exhaled deeply, and turned to tell Assistant Lin, “Please inform Mr. Sterling that I won’t make the same mistake twice.” My tone was gentle, but I said earnestly, “I have no lingering attachment to the child I aborted, nor do I have any thoughts of using a child to elevate my status or fight for the family fortune.” “This is, truly and completely, just my husband’s and my child.” 2 I had indeed been pregnant with Arthur’s child once. That was my sixth year by his side. A little life sharing my blood took root in my belly, miraculously igniting my passion for life again. At seventeen, I left my hometown for the big city to pay off my father’s gambling debts. I spent years working as a hostess in the glittering, decadent nightlife scene. My life had been full of ups and downs; I had no family around and even fewer friends. That was the first time I was so bold. I hid it from Arthur, intending to keep the baby. Until one night at a business dinner, while drinking on his behalf, I threw up several times. A woman brought by one of the vice presidents joked about whether I was pregnant. I clearly saw Arthur’s brow furrow imperceptibly, his sharp, scrutinizing gaze landing on my stomach. He didn’t allow any accidents in his life. This sudden pregnancy stepped on every single one of his landmines. Not to mention, I had hidden it from him for so long. That was the first time he ever lost his temper with me. Through gritted teeth, dripping with sarcasm, he said, “I underestimated you, Chloe. You’ve got some nerve.” He coldly threw me out of the villa and declared: “I’m giving you one night to reflect. If you still can’t understand your place, then pack your things and get out early!” It happened to be snowing that night. The biting cold wind whipped against my face. I looked out at the vast expanse of white, touched my slightly swollen belly, and, with red eyes, let out a very soft breath. The tension I had carried for three months finally relaxed. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. I thought to myself, feigning relief. I was probably the only one among his many mistresses who didn’t get a breakup fee and managed to make him angry. The fetus was already twelve weeks along. A forced abortion could cause cervical tearing. Plus, years of drinking had left my body too weak. The doctor said that if I went through with the abortion, I might never be able to have children again. But the man just stubbed out his cigarette, his dark eyes devoid of any emotion, and replied flatly, “What does that have to do with me?” Raising an illegitimate child wasn’t a difficult thing in their circle. Even his snobbish, elite friends half-jokingly advised him that he could just have the baby and send it abroad to be raised. “After all, you’re in your thirties, and she’s been the only one by your side all these years. Having a kid is a good thing.” Arthur didn’t say a word. Later, after a few rounds of drinks. Someone, a bit tipsy, teased, “No way, Arthur. You’ve kept her around for so many years. Don’t tell me you haven’t felt even a little bit of genuine affection?” Someone else probed, “Or are you still thinking about Elena?” Regarding this “first love” who went abroad in their youth and disappeared without a trace, Arthur just gave a cold glance: “This has nothing to do with her.” When the topic circled back to me, he answered carelessly, “She’s just easy on the eyes, so I kept her around for a few extra years.” A lowly hostess was only fit to be a mistress, not a wife. He wouldn’t want a child with such low status. I was obedient from beginning to end. I didn’t shed a single tear the day I went to the hospital. Later, because of massive hemorrhaging, my life hung by a thread on the operating table. I stayed in the ICU for several weeks before finally pulling through. The day I was discharged, he made a rare exception and pushed back a meeting to see me. Dressed in a crisp, dark trench coat, his gaze cold, the man made things as clear as possible: “Chloe, I will never marry you.” “I will only ever have a legitimate heir, not an unpresentable bastard.” I slowly pursed my pale lips and gave him a faint smile: “I know.” That was what he liked most about me. Tactful, sensible, and obedient enough. Outside, the snow fell silently, the howling cold wind battering the tightly sealed glass windows. From 17 to 27. I suddenly realized this was the tenth year of snow I had seen in this city. A woman’s best years were left right here. Perhaps because my attitude in admitting my mistake was so good, and because I had just walked through the gates of hell, he didn’t hold a grudge. The heat was on in the private hospital room. The man’s cold, harsh features gradually softened as he took an apple and began peeling it. “I had my assistant pick out some bags and jewelry for you. They’ll be sent to your place soon.” I quietly watched the apple peel curl round and round. Moisture gathered in my stinging, red eyes, but I tried my hardest to hold it back. There was still some snow on the man’s long eyelashes. His expression was cold and serious, his movements meticulous. “You’ll only be with me for a few more years. When I enter an arranged marriage, I’ll naturally let you go.” He handed a slice of apple to my lips, making a rare exception to lower his voice and coax me: “Chloe, be good. I won’t treat you poorly, hmm?” 3 He truly never treated me poorly. The ten years I spent by his side were undoubtedly the most glamorous and proudest moments of my life. Even at the very end, when Elena appeared. He never caused me any embarrassment. I brushed the snow off my shoulder and told Assistant Lin, “To put Mr. Sterling’s mind at ease, I’ll go get a prenatal paternity test in a couple of days.” “Then please let me know when you do, Ms. Davis. I’ll accompany you.” It was obvious he was afraid I’d use a fake result to fool them. I nodded: “Of course.” He smiled and handed me a business card, not forgetting to add a warning: “If you need anything, Ms. Davis, just contact me. Mr. Sterling is preparing to get married, so please know your boundaries. The new Mrs. Sterling is very particular about these things.” Actually, there was no need to worry. Before I left, I had already deleted all of Arthur’s contact information, changed my phone number and private WeChat, and even sold the apartment he had arranged for me. If it weren’t for this chance encounter on the street today. I thought we probably would never have contact again for the rest of our lives. And the new Mrs. Sterling was probably that first love of his who had just returned to the country. I forced a smile and nodded: “Then please wish Mr. Sterling a happy marriage for me.” The snow in the sky drifted down heavily. I buried my face in my scarf, turned, and walked alone down the snowy street toward home. That dark, cold gaze from the high-rise followed me the entire way. Many years ago, on a snowy night, when he was carrying a drunken me down the street, he had explicitly stated that he would only ever have an arranged marriage. Any relationship that couldn’t generate practical value was just a temporary consumable. He required a match in social status and class compatibility to maximize benefits. Keeping me was just a clearly priced transaction. I remained clear-headed while simultaneously sinking deeper. But it wasn’t until today that I suddenly realized. Principles were established for substitutes like us. But the first love existed outside of those principles. Even if she had nothing, she would still receive his favoritism. 5 No one knew why this first love, who had gone abroad in her youth and disappeared without a trace, suddenly reappeared. But I knew. I had an absurd dream. In the dream, she was a “system conqueror.” After maxing out Arthur’s affection meter, she returned to her original world. She got married and had kids there, but because of a difficult life and her husband’s infidelity, she chose to return to Arthur. Just to verify if Arthur still loved her. Before I left, she specifically asked to meet me. In the cafe, the woman wore a white dress, completely makeup-free, discreetly observing my outfit and appearance. Although she tried her hardest to emulate the pure and innocent look of her youth, the exhaustion and calculation in her eyes couldn’t be faked. In contrast, I was nourished well by money, exuding a lazy, quiet aura of someone who never had to worry about making a living. This sparked an indescribable resentment and anger in her. She only asked me three questions. “How long have you two been together, or rather, how long have you been by his side?” Holding my coffee cup, I spoke slowly and clearly: “Nine years and six months.” In the seventh year I was with Arthur, we had a six-month period of no contact. Some said he was getting an arranged marriage; others said he found a substitute who looked even more like her. Just when I thought this relationship was completely severed. Assistant Lin suddenly contacted me one day. After an intense, passionate night of intimacy. He tacitly allowed me to occupy the most important position by his side, and I was the only one left around him. The woman in front of me looked displeased. She didn’t want to hear such a clear timeline. But she still tried her best to curl her lips, pretending not to care at all: “That long, huh?” “Did you guys do it?” This was her second question. I froze. She quickly realized the question was a bit ridiculous. After all, it was ten years, and Arthur was a normal man. It was impossible for him not to have desires. But I didn’t mind telling her some things she wanted to hear: “For the first five years, no.” Arthur did indeed wait for her. As if finally finding her weight in Arthur’s heart, she let out a relieved breath. Her smile became a bit more genuine as she playfully complained, “Is that so? Then I really came back too late.” She quickly asked the final question: “Do you guys kiss when you do it?” Kissing and caressing should be exclusive to lovers. She desperately needed this to prove something. In the stagnant air, she stared intently at the changes in my expression. I spaced out for a moment, then answered very quickly: “No.” Her tense fingertips suddenly relaxed, and all the nervousness and worry retreated like the tide. Replaced by a victor’s flippancy and smugness. “Okay, I understand now. Thanks for taking care of Arthur all these years.” She finally put on a generous smile, assuming the posture of the main character, her tone carrying a hint of intimate complaint: “He has a cold personality and doesn’t really know how to care for people. You must have suffered a lot of grievances.” I didn’t deny it, just gave a soft “Mhm.” Because I had long anticipated this day, I didn’t have much of an emotional reaction. In the nightlife scene, I had seen too many devoted girls who thought that keeping someone company long enough would earn them an official title, only to end up in a bitter falling out and getting warned off by the legitimate wife. I figured that, as a substitute who couldn’t see the light of day, I was already lucky enough. However. I lied to her about one thing. Arthur didn’t resist kissing. Especially for emotions that could be solved with a single kiss, he wouldn’t waste time and money trying to figure them out. Occasionally, when he was satiated, he would hold me and lazily peck at my lips. It wasn’t exactly deeply emotional. But in such moments tinged with warmth. It always gave me the illusion that he and I were just a normal couple. You see, women are always moved by these incredibly ordinary little things, and eventually, willingly fall into the trap. Even I was not exempt.

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On our wedding anniversary, Liam left me to attend a welcome-home dinner for his ex-wife. A video from the event went viral that same day. Liam, always restrained and proper, gently embraced his ex-wife. Looking at the text message from an unknown number on my phone, it read: “Miss Chloe, there was never any love between you and him, but my daughter needs a father.” I laughed. I, Chloe, the sole heir of the Hastings family. Whatever I want is easily within my grasp. I would never lower myself to play the clownish game of fighting another woman for a man. 1. At the welcome dinner, a photo of the two embracing was posted online by some busybody. Rumors of the Hayes family heir’s failing marriage quickly climbed to the number one trending spot. Before I could even react, the hashtag that was just marked “hot” suddenly disappeared completely. The Hayes Group’s official account quickly issued a statement. And sent a court summons to the most vocal instigator. The whole thing took less than ten minutes. After all, Liam wouldn’t let anyone affect the alliance between the Hayes and Hastings families. Just as I turned off my phone, every large billboard in Capitol City lit up with my name. Proclaiming the dignity I deserved as Mrs. Hayes. But I stared blankly at the neon lights. In five years, this was the first time. The man who was always meticulous and kept everything in perfect order. Was absent on our anniversary. The next day, just as I was about to leave the house, I saw Liam’s car pull into the driveway. Liam stepped out of the car, holding a small backpack that completely clashed with his aristocratic aura. In his other hand, he held a little girl’s hand. He crouched sideways and pulled the little girl into his arms. His eyes held a softness I had never seen before. Behind him followed a woman in a white dress. I recognized her; she was Liam’s ex-wife. He saw me standing by the car, froze for a moment, and then stopped. “Chloe, Lily has to go to school in Capitol City because of enrollment issues.” The man looked down, seemingly trying to explain. Before I could speak, I was interrupted by the woman beside him. “Mrs. Hayes, I’m sorry, I’m a single mother raising a child alone, I really have no other choice.” I stood in my heels, looking down at her from a higher vantage point. With a hint of sarcasm. “We are husband and wife talking, what right do you have to interrupt?” Liam frowned, but said nothing. Seeing the woman’s face turn red, I finally turned sideways to look at the somewhat serious man. “Because of the photos from this morning, the joint ventures between the Hayes and Hastings families have already dropped 10 percent.” I spoke with a cold face, which scared the little girl in the man’s arms into crying. “Go away, this is my daddy!” Liam frowned, hurriedly patting Lily’s back to comfort her. He looked at me, seemingly helpless. “Chloe, it was just a hug. I’ve already had someone handle the crisis with the joint ventures.” His tone was helpless, but it made my chest tighten. Just like the past five years. He only protected my face as Mrs. Hayes. But he seemed to have forgotten, I needed love too. I once taught him how to make me happy. But now I realize. If this relationship still needs me to teach him how, then it’s far too much of a failure. “Have them sent away before I get back tonight.” Leaving Liam with that one sentence, I drove off to the company. After all, as the heir to the Hastings family, I didn’t have much time to waste dealing with intruders. I worked until midnight before returning home. I firmly believed that Liam, knowing what was at stake, would have handled the two of them. But the moment I pushed the door open, that certainty came to a screeching halt. “Mrs. Hayes,” Maya had changed into a rather sexy nightgown, “You’re back. I’ll have the butler prepare dinner for you.” I narrowed my eyes. Is she treating herself as the lady of the house? I walked forward, a mocking smile on my face. I reached out and hooked my finger under her spaghetti strap, “You like wearing hand-me-downs?” Maya’s face stiffened, clearly not expecting me to completely brush off her provocation. “Can you give him back to me? You don’t love each other, but my child needs a father.” I stopped on my way upstairs, turned, and raised an eyebrow. “Family heirs only need interests, not love,” I said with a sneer. “Your perspective is far too narrow.” My disdainful look severely wounded Maya’s fragile ego, and her face turned pale. I curled my lips, ready to leave, but was stopped by the now emotionally unhinged woman. “You know he was with me yesterday, right? But do you know what we did?” She opened a photo on her phone, and an image of them in a hotel bed filled my vision. “Can Mrs. Hayes really tolerate this much?” I looked down and instantly recognized Liam’s hand. The ring on that hand was the one I put on him myself. My fingers unconsciously clenched slightly. But on the surface, I was still the notoriously cold and glamorous Hastings heiress. “When you eat too much fine dining, sometimes you just crave some cheap fast food, don’t you think?” Maya held her breath, her face flushing red from the humiliation. Back in my room, I looked at the already sleeping man. His usually meticulously styled hair was down. I unconsciously touched the ring on his hand. My fingertips traced his forehead, down the bridge of his prominent nose, finally resting on his thin lips. Liam, don’t disappoint me. 2. When I woke up the next morning, the space beside me was cold. I opened the door, and the sound of laughter drifted up. It was something this usually quiet villa had never seen. I stood by the railing, looking down at the scene below. The man who hadn’t stepped foot in the kitchen during our five years of marriage was frying eggs. The pure-looking woman and the cute child were playing on the sofa. I felt a bit mocked, and my eyes stung slightly. For a moment, I actually felt like I was the intruder. When I went downstairs, the harmonious atmosphere was instantly shattered. “Chloe,” Liam, holding a plate, didn’t look the least bit unnatural. “When are you sending them away?” It was the first time I had spoken to him in such a tone. Liam didn’t answer. Instead, he placed Lily in her high chair, settled her in, and then looked up at me. With that restrained impatience I hated so much. “I said, she needs to go to school here.” I felt a bit agitated. “Don’t tell me that the great CEO Hayes can’t even handle a school enrollment!” The more I spoke, the more I lost control. “Do you want to keep the child by your side, or the woman?” “Chloe!” The man interrupted me sternly. “Watch your words. Maya is Lily’s mother, she’s still so young, how can she be separated from her mother?” Seeing this, the little girl instantly threw a bowl of hot porridge at me, her voice tinged with tears. “I hate you, you’re the bad auntie ruining Daddy and Mommy!” Feeling the burning heat on my leg, I winced in pain. My sharp gaze instantly shot towards her. “I’m sorry, Lily didn’t mean it, she just missed her dad too much.” Seeing this, Maya hurriedly blocked my line of sight. I suppressed the suffocating feeling in my chest. Only now did I realize, the three of them really looked like a family. And I was ridiculously standing in opposition to them. A moment of anger made me lose my reason, and I looked coldly at Maya. “Do you think the Hayes family would want a five-year-old idiot who still doesn’t know basic manners…” “Chloe!” Liam’s voice, cold as an iceberg, instantly extinguished my anger. He confronted me without a trace of emotion, carrying a chill I had never seen before. “Lily is my, Liam’s, daughter. As my wife, you must accept her existence. Also, you lost your composure today.” With that, he picked up the teary-eyed little girl, turned, and left. Maya, behind him, naturally took the man’s briefcase. She looked back, a look of triumph on her face. The noisy villa instantly returned to silence. A wave of bitterness rose in my heart. In Liam’s mind, I was the perfect Hastings heir and the dignified, proper wife. So I couldn’t have my own emotions. And I certainly couldn’t lose my composure… Listening to the roar of the car engine fade away, my straight back finally slumped as if losing its strength. Liam, you disappointed me after all. Five years ago, during the financial crisis, The Hayes and Hastings families, as the leading forces in Capitol City, proposed an arranged marriage to counter foreign capital. As the only daughter of the Hastings family, I chose the recently divorced Liam. I knew he had an ex-wife and a daughter. But back then I thought, who doesn’t have a past? Who doesn’t have someone they miss? After we married, Liam was an almost perfect man. But when an exception actually appeared beside such a disciplined and proper man, I finally realized I couldn’t be as calm as I thought. … The next day, it was Old Mr. Hayes’s birthday banquet. As Liam’s wife, I had to attend. That evening, the man appeared precisely at the villa entrance. After getting in the car, it felt like there was an impassable chasm between us. After a long while, perhaps conceding, Liam sighed, closed the partition, and sat next to me. “Chloe,” he broke the silence, “You are the only Mrs. Hayes.” Feeling the warmth of his palm, I spaced out for a moment. I knew this was his way of making peace. The colorful city lights outside reflected on the man’s chiseled features. Right now, his deep eyes reflected only me. After getting out of the car, Liam held my hand the entire way. It left me in a bit of a daze. But this daze was quickly shattered. “Liam,” Maya, wearing a qipao, greeted the coming and going guests as if she were the lady of the house. Saying that, she naturally took the birthday gift from his hand, and only then spoke timidly, as if feigning surprise, “Ch… Mrs. Hayes.” I frowned, not losing my composure amidst the crowd. I just calmly looked at Liam, my eyes filled with questioning. “She’s Lily’s mother, and it’s Grandpa’s big birthday, he also wanted to see his great-granddaughter.” Liam’s gaze was candid as he spoke. The flower in my heart that had just regained a bit of life, Slowly withered again. “She appears openly at the Hayes family home, where does that leave me?” Liam seemed stunned as he looked at me. I let go of his hand, the warmth in my palm gradually replaced by a chill. A perfect heir like Liam, who survived the cutthroat battles of a wealthy family, How could he not understand Maya’s intentions? He just didn’t intervene. He was just indulging her. Seeing the curious stares of the surrounding guests, I tucked away the bitterness on my face. And became that perfect arranged marriage partner. Amidst the flashing lights, I felt my thoughts were a chaotic, tangled mess. Unknowingly, I found myself on the corridor of the Hayes family’s back garden to sober up. This was also where Liam and I first met. Our lingering affection began in late autumn, and we got together in the summer. Yet now, in the deep of winter, we were drifting apart. “Can the eldest Miss Hastings really tolerate being provoked right to her face?” A deep, magnetic, teasing voice came from behind. I looked sideways. It was Julian Thorne, the current head of the Thorne family. “This isn’t like you.” He said as he draped his pine-scented coat over my shoulders, dispelling the chill. “Just say the word, and I can make her disappear.” I didn’t think there was anything wrong with that. After all, if you weren’t ruthless, You would have long ago become a victim of family struggles. “No need, she can’t stir up any real trouble.” Julian suddenly stepped closer to me, his cold aura enveloping me layer by layer. “Then why are you drowning your sorrows here?” He placed his hands on my shoulders. “When you got married back then, I couldn’t resolve the obstacles within the Thorne family in time. But now, could you consider me?” Julian had always played the fool around me. Seeing him so serious now, I suddenly realized that the man in front of me had long shed his childhood immaturity. “Liam and I aren’t divorced yet, you know?” Julian looked unfazed. “I can be the other man for love, I’d be more than happy to.” I laughed and punched his shoulder lightly, just about to speak. But was forcefully pulled into another embrace. Liam’s face was dark, looking at Julian with hostility. Two top-tier men confronting each other caused the temperature around them to drop significantly. “Let’s go home.” After a long moment, Liam was the first to speak. In the car, the man closed the partition. To my surprise, he leaned in and kissed me. Unlike his usual gentle kisses, The intensity contained in this one made me frown. After a while, Liam pulled away from me, panting, his deep eyes carrying an emotion I had never seen before. “Chloe, stay away from him.” 3. The pain on my lips made me push him away. But I also felt somewhat indignant. I had merely exchanged two sentences with Julian. He brought Maya right into the house; what right did he have to make demands of me? “Why should I?” My tone was somewhat cold. Hearing this, Liam looked up, his deep eyes like a whirlpool, holding me fast. “Because you are my woman.” I frowned, “I’m not, Maya is.” Liam laughed at that, his usually cold face softening. “Mrs. Hayes, you’re jealous.” I pushed him away, harboring a childish unreasonableness even I despised. “Send them away.” The atmosphere instantly froze. Liam put away his smile, as if the tenderness from a moment ago was just my illusion. “Chloe,” he loosened his tie, sighing with extreme exasperation. “She won’t threaten you.” “Besides, Lily is my daughter, I can’t just abandon her.” I looked out the window at the retreating street scene. Only then did I notice a light drizzle had started, blurring my vision. “I’ve never stopped you from taking care of Lily.” Liam looked at me like he was looking at an unreasonable child. “Maya raised the child alone abroad; I owe her for these past five years.” An unspeakable bitterness suddenly swelled in my chest. “So you’re telling me I have to accept her revolving around my life, is that it?” Liam looked down and turned my body towards him. His palms gently covered my slightly red eyes. “I hope you can understand me. No matter what they do, my wife will always only be you.” Listening to his evasive, defensive words, I suddenly felt everything was very meaningless. Including the moments I had genuinely invested in, they all felt hollow. In this grand expectation, he disappointed me after all. Just then, my phone rang. It was an unknown number. “Miss Chloe, Liam and I didn’t think things through today, I’m sorry.” Attached was a photo of a man holding Lily under the moonlight, with her standing beside them laughing. I narrowed my eyes. Waves of tightness hit my chest. The tactic was low, but very effective. I threw the phone to Liam, my tone cold. “It looks like I’m the third wheel between you two, isn’t it?” The man froze, glanced down, but still instinctively defended her. “She just thought you might be uncomfortable and wanted to apologize.” I laughed out of sheer anger, my sarcasm fueled by rage. “Liam, are you playing dumb or do you really not get it? Are you only going to admit it when I catch you in bed?!” “Chloe,” Liam said in a low voice, a warning in his tone, “watch your phrasing. There is no line-crossing between Maya and me.” I sneered, with a choke in my voice that only I could hear. “No line-crossing?” “It’s only crossing the line if you’re naked, right?” The car went completely silent, and the look in Liam’s eyes beside me held an icy chill I had never seen before. “Chloe, you are Mrs. Hayes, you can’t be this intolerant!” I didn’t know how to describe what I felt at that moment. Except that the flowers that had once bloomed for him in my heart. Turned into a barren wasteland. I suppressed the bitterness in my heart, my eyes red. “I’m intolerant? Hah…” “If I were, I would have kicked them out on the first night! Would she have the chance to flaunt your bed photos in my face?” “If I were, when the photos on your social media went viral and hit the trending searches, the Hastings family would have dealt with her already!” My sudden outburst of emotion. All stemmed from the grievance of not being understood. This kind of thing is like the thorns on a rose. It pierces my heart, yet outsiders only see the beauty. Liam seemed a bit dazed, turning to look at my bloodshot eyes. “I…” I turned my head and rolled down the window. Letting the light drizzle hit my face to cover my pathetic tears. “Do you know why my name is Chloe?” I said, more to myself than to him. “Because my parents said I was the only one they cared about, unique and unmatched.” I took a deep breath, restoring the pride of the Hastings heiress. “So, if to you, I am just an expendable part of a cost-benefit analysis, then we are done here.” Hearing this, a panic he himself found surprising gripped Liam’s heart. 4. After getting out of the car, Liam held my hand. As soon as we stepped into the villa, Maya, holding a crying Lily, looked at the man with vulnerability. “Liam, Lily is fussing to see you, I…” But this time, Liam didn’t take the child; instead, he had the nanny take her back to her room. Under Maya’s surprised and confused gaze, He threw the phone at her. “Apologize.” The man’s sudden anger left Maya at a loss. She looked down at it, her eyes flashing slightly with jealousy. Liam looked at her cold face, losing his patience. “Chloe is my wife, don’t send these misleading things.” Perhaps it was her first time seeing Liam so stern and fierce; Maya’s eyes instantly welled up. Weeping, yet carrying an unwilling grievance. “I’m sorry, Miss Chloe. It was my poor choice of words, please forgive me.” I looked up at her, my eyes filled with nothing but coldness. I walked forward and lifted the woman’s chin with one hand, a look of contempt on my face. “Miss Chloe? If you can’t bring yourself to say ‘Mrs. Hayes’, I don’t mind having someone pry your mouth open.” With that, I looked down on her. “Put away your little tricks in front of me, otherwise I’ll let you know how many people who don’t know their place are locked up in the Hastings family’s secret rooms.” Maya, whom I pushed away, turned deathly pale, swaying unsteadily. Seeing this, Liam frowned and appropriately intervened. “Alright, as long as you know you’re wrong. I’ll buy a separate apartment for you and Lily. Don’t come here or to the old mansion anymore.” Saying that, he stood up, intentionally or unintentionally blocking my sharp gaze, protecting Maya behind him. Maya looked at him in disbelief. Tears spilled from her eyes, but she still took Lily and left the villa. But I didn’t expect that the next night, Maya would kneel before me, tears streaming down her face, crying hysterically. Next to her stood Liam, whose face was equally grim. “Mrs. Hayes, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have appeared and disturbed your life. But Lily is innocent, she’s just a child. I beg you to let her go, please!” I frowned, my face filled with endless coldness. “Watch your mouth! Who the hell do you think you are to throw dirty accusations at me!” Liam, who had been silent, stepped forward, a gloominess I had never seen before clinging to him. “The phone number the kidnappers used has been traced back to the son of your Hastings family’s butler!” The man closed his eyes, desperately suppressing his anger. “Chloe, the child is innocent. Hand her over to me, and I can let bygones be bygones.” I looked at him in disbelief. “You think I’m that kind of person?” Perhaps my gaze was too sorrowful. Liam looked away. “I have no choice but to believe it.” In that instant, I only felt that these five years of marriage were nothing but a joke. It took five years to realize that some people, some things, should never have appeared in my life. I suppressed all my emotions and looked at him. “Liam, in the end, you still disappointed me.” Having said that, amidst the man’s puzzled gaze, I spoke again, with only indifference. “If I, Chloe, want to deal with someone, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to use a domestic servant.” Then I walked up to the swaying Maya. “Even a vicious tiger wouldn’t eat its cubs; you’re ruthless.” I turned to look at the two standing side-by-side, full of mockery. After leaving, I called my special assistant. “Prepare a divorce agreement for me and Liam. Also,” I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, only coldness remained. “Withdraw all domestic investments the Hastings Group has made in the Hayes Group, divest from the overseas joint ventures, and contact the Thorne family. I want the Hayes Group’s stock to hit its lower limit within three days.” Hanging up the phone, the rain outside the car window had stopped. “Liam, I will make you understand the meaning of regret.”

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On our fifteenth birthday, I heard my sister’s inner thoughts: “I can’t believe I’ve been reborn and sent back ten years. Soon, the billionaire’s wife and her nanny will come together to adopt us.” “In my past life, I chose the billionaire’s wife, only to be tormented at every turn by her son, Liam. Looked down upon by the whole family, I was eventually kicked out.” “My sister was just the nanny’s adopted daughter, but she ended up marrying Liam! Why?!” So, when the billionaire’s wife and the nanny appeared, my sister pushed me toward the billionaire’s wife. “Sister, didn’t you say you felt a connection with this auntie? Hurry up and call her Mom!” My eyes lit up. Top-tier family resources to support me? My future was so bright it could blind me! 1 I never thought that passing fifteen, nearing adulthood, someone would still want to adopt my sister and me. On the way to the orphanage director’s office, my sister’s voice suddenly echoed in my ears. “I can’t believe I’ve been reborn and sent back ten years. Soon, the billionaire’s wife and her nanny will come together to adopt us.” “In my past life, I chose the billionaire’s wife, only to be tormented at every turn by her son, Liam. Looked down upon by the whole family, I was eventually kicked out.” “My sister was just the nanny’s adopted daughter, but she ended up marrying Liam! Why?!” I stared at my sister for a long time, but her lips didn’t move an inch. Yet, her voice kept ringing in my ears. After the initial shock, I realized something. I could hear my sister’s inner thoughts! So, my sister had died once and been reborn. And in this life, she intended for me to suffer the hardships she endured in her past life, right? Noticing me staring, she looked back, immediately curving her eyes into a smile and asked, “Sister, why do you keep staring at me?” Could it be that she’s also reborn? Even if she is, I’m not afraid. If I could stab her to death at her and Liam’s wedding once, I can kill her again. I was horrified. So I was killed by her in my past life! My sister began to test me, “Sister, do you still hate me?” I reined in my shocked thoughts and forced a smile, “What are you talking about? Why on earth would I hate you?” My sister scrutinized me for a long time before finally confirming I hadn’t been reborn. Great, she won’t fight me for it later. Entering the director’s office, after the director introduced our situations to the billionaire’s wife and the nanny, my sister suddenly shoved me toward the director’s wife (wait, billionaire’s wife). “Sister, didn’t you say you felt a connection with this auntie? Hurry up and call her Mom!” She was just handing the billionaire’s wife over to me like that? My eyes lit up. Top-tier family resources to support me? My future was so bright it could blind me! 2 The billionaire’s wife instinctively caught me, looked me up and down, and a satisfied smile curved her lips. “Your name is Chloe, right?” Looking at the approachable billionaire’s wife, I felt reassured. I nodded, said yes, and hurriedly greeted her. The smile on the billionaire’s wife’s face grew even kinder. My sister didn’t even spare us a glance. She darted over to the nanny and grabbed her hand. “Mom, take me home, Mom!” Perfect. As long as I’m not adopted by the billionaire’s family, I can openly be with Liam. In this life, I must win him over! “???” Didn’t she just say Liam tormented her at every turn? Then why did she still want to be with him? With such a strong obsession, no wonder she stabbed me at my wedding with Liam in her past life. Reborn just for a man? That’s all she’ll ever amount to in this life. I suppressed the chill and hatred in my heart, giving the billionaire’s wife a small smile, “Auntie, are you willing to take me home?” According to my sister’s inner thoughts, this billionaire’s wife was my mother-in-law in my past life. Even though I was the nanny’s adopted daughter in my past life, she still allowed me to marry her son. This mother-in-law was definitely a good person. The more I looked at her, the more connected I felt. The billionaire’s wife had a gentle, dignified smile, and her voice was like a spring breeze, “Of course.” Seeing the billionaire’s wife chose me, the nanny agreed to take my sister home. After completing the paperwork, I got into the billionaire’s wife’s car. “Sister!” My sister stood by the nanny’s car and called out to me, smiling and waving, “Goodbye! I wish you all the best in the future.” No matter how I looked at her smile, it felt tinged with schadenfreude. Sure enough, the next second, her inner voice chimed in. Hmph, just wait for Liam to torment you. You’ll be kicked out by the billionaire’s wife and end up with nothing! In this life, not only Liam, but everything in the Hayes family belongs to me! She looked at the billionaire’s wife again, a flash of hatred in her eyes. In my past life, this damn woman kicked me out, disregarding ten years of mother-daughter bond. She won’t have it easy in this life either! Since God took pity on me and gave me a chance to be reborn, if I don’t play them to death in this life, my name isn’t Mia! Having finished her mental threats, my sister got into the nanny’s car without looking back. “…” Who exactly was she going to play to death? Oh, she did kill me in her past life. But how did she die? Why wasn’t I reborn? It’s so unfair. 3 On the way, the billionaire’s wife told me about her family situation. The reason she wanted to adopt a daughter was that after her first child, her uterus was damaged, and she could no longer have children. She underwent treatments for many years before finally giving up. It just so happened her nanny, who was adamantly single but wanted a child, agreed to come to the orphanage with her. I instinctively asked, “Then why didn’t you choose someone younger? Younger kids don’t have memories and it’s easier to build a bond with them.” The billionaire’s wife explained that the nanny chose an older child because she was too busy to take care of a little one and needed someone who could take care of themselves. “As for me,” she took my hand in hers, “I don’t think it’s harder to build a bond with an older child. I actually think we’ll have a lot in common. What do you think?” I had no memories of my past life. I only knew that in this life, I really wanted a home. Hearing this, my nose stung, and my eyes grew moist. “Then can I call you Mom?” The billionaire’s wife pulled me into her embrace, “Silly child, we’ve finished all the paperwork. I am your Mom now.” “Mom…” my voice trembled, and tears fell uncontrollably, “Mom…” When I sat up, I realized my tears had wet her clothes, and I immediately apologized. Children growing up in orphanages are more or less sensitive and insecure, and I was no exception. The billionaire’s wife’s eyes also reddened, “You are my daughter, you don’t need to say sorry to me.” For the rest of the ride, I nestled in her embrace, the scent of her perfume lingering near my nose, my heart filled with warmth. She also told me she had a son. Her husband was extremely busy, flying all over the world and rarely home, so it was usually just her and her son at home. I already knew her son, Liam, was my husband in my past life, even though I was stabbed to death by my sister at the wedding. But right now, I didn’t care about her son. I just wanted to be close to my Mom! 4 Upon arriving home, Mom immediately asked the butler to call her son down from upstairs. It took a long time before Liam finally sauntered down. I immediately stood up, instinctively stealing a few extra glances at him. He was also fifteen this year. Mom had told me he was half a year older, making him my older brother. So this was what my future husband looked like. But wait, that’s not right. In this life, I’m Mom’s daughter, Liam’s sister, so we definitely can’t be husband and wife. I couldn’t give up my Mom for a husband. So, I immediately called out sweetly, “Brother!” Liam looked me up and down, curled his lip in disgust, and plopped down on the other side of Mom. He pointed at me casually, “Mom, you said you wanted a daughter. Why didn’t you find someone prettier and cuter? You picked a little country bumpkin…” Mom gently rapped him on the head, “Don’t speak about Chloe like that. She’s your sister now.” Then she warned him sternly, “Liam Hayes, you better behave. If the orphanage comes for a follow-up visit and you cause me to lose my eligibility to adopt Chloe, you’ll answer to me.” I looked at Mom, my eyes almost turning into stars. Even when warning someone, my Mom was so gentle. She was the best Mom in the world! “Hey!” Liam glared at me, “Why are you looking at my Mom like that? Are you boy-crazy?” “Liam!” Mom rapped him on the head again, “Don’t speak to your sister like that.” She commanded, “Go, shake hands with your sister and tell her you’ll be a good brother. Go on!” Liam finally stood up, awkwardly extended his hand toward me, turning his face away, “Hello, I… I…” I shook his hand, “Hello, Brother. I will be a good sister from now on.” Liam forcefully pulled his hand away and sat back down next to Mom. I also returned to Mom’s other side, eager to be close to her, when I heard her say playfully, “Oh my goodness, my son is blushing! My son actually knows how to blush?” Liam shot up like a rocket, craning his neck and yelling, “Who’s blushing? What do I have to be embarrassed about?” After finishing, he stomped back upstairs to his room. Mom and I burst into laughter. “Don’t mind him, he’s just a bit silly.” Mom stood up, “Come, Mom will take you to see your room. It’s right across from your brother’s. If you need anything, just ask him. Don’t be shy. That boy has a bit of an awkward personality and a sharp tongue, but he has a good heart. You just have to take the initiative.” “Okay.” 5 The room Mom prepared for me was as luxurious as a princess’s room. I could never have imagined, not even if you beat me to death, that I would live in such a beautiful room in this life. Since my sister handed this over on a silver platter, I decided to temporarily forgive her for stabbing me in my past life. Actually, I only hated her for a moment when I learned she killed me, but since I had no actual memory of it, it didn’t feel like a personal experience, and the hatred quickly dissipated. I wasn’t going to dwell on it. Right now, all I knew was that I was the daughter of a billionaire family, I had excellent resources, and I needed to grasp them firmly. And I had a Mom who loved me! Oh my god, I was so happy! Mom asked me, “Is there anything else you need?” “Mom, I’d like a larger bookcase, is that okay?” I wanted to buy a lot of books. Mom was slightly surprised, but then a bright smile overflowed in her eyes, “You like reading? My fault, I forgot to prepare a study for you. No problem, we have empty rooms. I’ll have them cleared out as soon as possible and get you a few more bookcases.” She then handed me a bank card, “There’s twenty thousand dollars in here. From now on, I’ll transfer twenty thousand every month. Buy whatever you like. If it’s not enough, just ask Mom.” “It’s enough, more than enough. Besides buying books, I don’t have anywhere else to spend money.” I took the bank card calmly yet gratefully, “Thank you, Mom.” Mom gently stroked my hair, “Still so polite.” I tilted my head and smiled, “Then I won’t be polite with Mom anymore!” Unable to resist, Mom cupped my cheeks and gave me a kiss. “Ew~” Liam’s voice suddenly came from the doorway, “Do you two really have to do that?” Mom gave Liam a smiling, affectionate glare and took my hand, “Don’t mind him, he’s just suddenly jealous of us.” Liam scoffed, “What’s there to be jealous of? It’s better she clings to you. I find her annoying.” He gave me another look and left. Mom comforted me, “He’s just like that, sharp-tongued. It’ll get better once you spend more time with him.” I continued to nod. Anyway, I came to this house for Mom. I didn’t care about anyone else’s attitude towards me. Mom quickly set up a study for me. I ravenously bought all the books I previously liked, wanted to read but couldn’t afford, and brought them all back. Soon, the orphanage and government workers came for a follow-up visit. Seeing that Mom and I got along very well, they officially processed the adoption paperwork for us. After the paperwork was done, Mom arranged for my school enrollment, placing me in the same school as Liam. Liam was reluctant, “Why does she have to go to the same school as me? I’m used to going to school alone. Don’t expect me to babysit a burden.” Mom: “…” But seeing that I didn’t mind at all, she felt a bit more reassured. However, she still insisted that Liam and I take the same car to and from school. 6 I was a bit nervous, afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the pace of the new school. After all, this school was much better than my previous one. Seeing me staring intently at my math book as soon as I got in the car, Liam scoffed out of habit, “Why are you working so hard? You’re already a child of our family. Are you afraid of doing badly in school and not knowing what to do in the future?” I glanced at him but didn’t speak. Even though I knew that in my past life Liam and I ended up together, I still found him a bit annoying right now. His mouth was really irritating. Liam suddenly thought of something and snatched the math book from my hands. “Hey, what are you doing?” I reached out, “Give the book back.” A wicked curve formed on Liam’s lips, “I know, you’re worried about doing badly and getting kicked out, right?” He raised an eyebrow cockily, “How about this, you beg me, and I’ll tutor you, help you stay. How’s that?” I was skeptical, “Would you really be that nice?” Seeing me staring at him, the wicked smile on Liam’s face paused. He gave an awkward cough and tossed the math book back into my lap. “Of course I’m lying. You actually believed that? So stupid.” “…” I knew it. The car stopped at the school gates. Before getting out, Liam warned me, “Hey, at school, you’re not allowed to say you know me, you’re not allowed to talk to me, and you’re definitely not allowed to say you’re my sister, got it? If everyone finds out… whatever, just remember what I said.” “Don’t worry.” Liam got out first, telling me to wait a while before getting out. How could I have liked someone like this in my past life? I waited ten minutes before getting out. Because Mom was also very busy, the driver took me to the principal’s office first. Knowing I was the adopted daughter of the Hayes family, the principal was very polite and called my homeroom teacher to take me to my classroom. I stood at the front and introduced myself. Mom originally wanted to change my last name, but Liam adamantly refused. He even gave Mom a high-sounding reason, saying I was already quite grown and keeping my original last name was a sign of respect. Mom asked for my opinion, and since I didn’t mind, she agreed. So, I was still Chloe Smith. Suddenly, a student said, “Your last name is Smith too? How come both new students today are named Smith? You look a lot like Mia Smith.” 7 I followed everyone’s gaze and met my sister’s eyes. She wasn’t surprised at all. She’s finally here. In my past life, I led the bullying against her at school, and when Liam found out, he stopped talking to me. It wasn’t until after I died that I realized Liam fell in love with her at first sight at school. That’s why he didn’t like me. In this life, it’s her turn to bully me. Liam will definitely hate her to death. “…” Is she crazy? Why on earth would I bully her? The teacher also asked about my relationship with Mia. I told the truth, “Mia and I are sisters, we’re fraternal twins.” My sister spoke up, “Don’t say that. You were adopted by a billionaire family, I wouldn’t dare claim a connection with you now. I… I’m just a nanny’s adopted daughter now. You don’t need to pretend we have a deep sisterly bond and that you don’t look down on me.” The students sensed the subtle tension. They looked at my sister, then at me, all wearing expressions of people ready to enjoy some drama. I smiled, neither humble nor arrogant, “Mia, what do you mean by ‘just a nanny’s adopted daughter’? Do you think being a nanny is lowly?” My sister choked, “I never said that, don’t twist my words.” Little bitch, choking me the moment she arrives. She’s always been sharp-tongued, I can’t let my guard down. The teacher assigned me a seat and began the lesson. The pace was similar to our previous school, but having missed a few days, I was a bit behind. I decided to find time to ask the teacher to help me catch up. My sister’s inner voice rang out again. I’m familiar with all these concepts. In this life, I’m definitely going to be the top student. In my past life, because my sister was good at studying, after Liam fell in love with her at first sight, he discovered how capable she was and loved her even more. In this life, I’m the top student. Liam will definitely fall madly in love with me! Her thoughts grew increasingly excited, like she was having a sweet dream. Can she really become a top student with her mind entirely focused on men? The bell rang for class to start. The first period was math. I started feeling nervous again. Having missed those classes, I surely wouldn’t be able to keep up. Even though I self-studied before coming to school, I still lacked confidence. By the end of the class, I found I had actually kept up. No wonder my sister’s inner voice called me a top student in my past life. My grades had always been very good, but as a newcomer to this school, I lacked a bit of confidence. Through this one class, I figured it out. Studying? Easy peasy! However, during the break when everyone was chatting, I couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Only then did I realize that in their world, academic grades weren’t the most important thing. They knew so much and had been to so many places to see the world. And me? I only knew how to study. To myself, I was a top student; to them, I was just a bookworm. The confidence I had just built up plummeted again.

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Chapter 1 As the year neared its end, I managed to lock down a multi-million dollar contract for the company. Just as I was preparing to announce the good news at the annual gala, My manager beat me to it, announcing the promotion list. “Congratulations to David, promoted to Deputy Director.” “Congratulations to Ryan, promoted to Team Leader.” Finally, she looked at me. “Chloe… from now on, you’ll be responsible for providing full support to them.” I couldn’t help but ask: “Manager Davis, then what position am I being promoted to?” She frowned: “The positions have all been distributed! Company resources need to be concentrated to produce the maximum value.” “You’re still young, don’t be too calculating about gains and losses.” “They are an overseas elite and an industry expert; they are the ones who contribute the most to the company.” I clutched the multi-million dollar contract I had just signed: “So if I have no value to the company, can I just go process my resignation now?” Manager Davis stood right up, arrogant and domineering: “Chloe, are you threatening me?” “You don’t actually think the company will stop running without you, do you?” I clenched my fists, trying to reason with her: “Manager Davis, it seems you’re the one bullying people first, aren’t you?” “I’ve been with the company for so many years; even if I don’t have major achievements, I’ve put in the hard work.” “Why is it that when it’s my turn, the positions are all gone?” Manager Davis’s expression changed: “What kind of talk is that? Did the company not pay your salary? Did we not pay your benefits?” I was so angry I laughed: “Manager Davis, right after my probation period, you threw a pile of tasks at me that no one else wanted to touch.” “Half a year later, when I produced results, you credited all the success to David and Ryan.” “Saying someone like me, who just graduated from a regular state college, couldn’t compare to those two.” I remembered when I first joined, Manager Davis dumped all the difficult clients on me. Sugarcoating it as ‘the capable do more work’, but in reality, she just wanted a scapegoat. She always despised my educational background, acting like hiring me was a massive favor. She rolled her eyes: “You really don’t know what’s good for you! You were able to improve so fast precisely because of the trials I put you through!” “You should be thanking me!” Before I could speak, she added: “One is an overseas grad, the other is an expert. What do you have to compare with them?” “Blame yourself for not stepping up. Who told you not to be as valuable as them?” My chest felt incredibly tight: “So because my degree isn’t as prestigious as theirs, I don’t deserve to be treated fairly?” Manager Davis shot back: “Save that crap for someone else!” “They are simply better than you, more useful than you!” “The workplace is like this: survival of the fittest!” Looking at her arrogant face, my heart completely turned cold. Manager Davis sneered at me: “If you’ve got time to waste, go handle your work. Stop holding everyone up!” I looked at David and asked: “Do you agree with this too?” David glanced at the manager and whispered: “I… I can’t really say. I just follow the manager’s arrangements.” I sneered and turned to Ryan: “Ryan, what about you?” Ryan frowned: “I listen to the manager.” “Besides, resources belong to the company; the manager distributes them however she sees fit.” I gave a scoff and slowly stood up. Clutching the contract in my hand, I looked at them and said: “In that case, don’t expect me to bust my ass for you guys anymore!” As soon as I finished, Manager Davis slammed a folder onto the table: “You’re out of line! You’re probably just looking for an excuse to get a raise, aren’t you?” “Stop causing a scene here. If you want to get lost, hurry up and get lost!” Chapter 2 Looking at Manager Davis’s distorted, furious face, I ignored my colleagues trying to stop me, slammed the door, and stormed out of the conference room. Just as I reached the stairwell to calm down, my phone started vibrating continuously. First was Mr. Lin, the Finance Manager. He was the company’s peacemaker; I didn’t even need to think to know why he was calling. I hesitated for two seconds, then answered. “Chloe, I heard you had a little disagreement with Manager Davis?” “It’s normal for young people to have a temper, but David and Ryan do have seniority…” “Mr. Lin,” I interrupted him, “this isn’t an issue of seniority; it’s an issue of fairness.” Mr. Lin gave a dry laugh: “Where is there absolute fairness in the workplace?” “How about this: you go apologize to Manager Davis first, then treat her to a meal later. Once you talk it out, everything will be fine.” I scoffed and asked: “What exactly did I do wrong that requires an apology?” Mr. Lin fell silent for a moment, his tone turning a bit heavier: “Chloe, aren’t you just being difficult now?” “Cool down first, then go have a good talk with Manager Davis and try to smooth things over.” Too lazy to play along, I simply hung up. The phone rang again. It was Manager Davis. I immediately rejected the call. She sent a text: [Giving you one last chance. Come back right now and admit your mistake, and we’ll turn the page. Otherwise, it will be processed as a voluntary resignation!] Looking at that text, any trace of hesitation in my heart vanished. I opened my contacts and found the CEO’s secretary’s number. Because of a previous cross-departmental project, we had collaborated a few times, and she had a good impression of me. “Secretary Wang, this is Chloe from Sales.” “I have something important to report to the CEO. Could you arrange ten minutes for me?” Secretary Wang was clearly a bit surprised but still gave me a time. “The CEO has a gap at 4:00 PM.” “Okay, I’ll be there right at 4:00.” Hanging up, I went back to my desk to prepare my materials. David suddenly rushed over to me. “Chloe, are… are you really leaving?” “What else?” I retorted, “Stay and continue being your stepping stone?” David sighed: “That’s not the right way to look at it…” “Making a scene like this won’t do you any good. And that project you were following up on…” “What about that project?” I went on high alert. David hemmed and hawed. “Well, Manager Davis assigned that project to Ryan and me to follow up on…” My heart sank. Not only do they steal credit, but now they want to snatch clients directly? I asked coldly: “Which client?” “That… the Zenith Corporation one…” David’s voice trailed off. Zenith Corporation. The exact company I had just signed the multi-million dollar contract with yesterday. David whispered an addition: “Manager Davis said since you’re leaving, that client will be handed over to us.” I clenched my fists. Manager Davis was banking on me not daring to tear things completely apart, aiming to pocket the fruits of all my labor. I got up and walked toward the elevator, taking the contract with me. This was the result of working overtime until late every night for the past six months. Since they won’t give me a way to survive, I’ll carve out a path myself! Chapter 3 By the time I walked out of the CEO’s office, it was almost closing time. He personally walked me to the elevator. “Chloe, why don’t you reconsider?” I gave a light chuckle and shook my head slightly. “I appreciate the training the company has provided me, but I’ve already made up my mind.” The CEO sighed and didn’t push further. On my way back to the Sales Department, I intentionally avoided the main office area. But passing by the break room, I still overheard the gossip. “Did you hear? Chloe slammed the table at Manager Davis during the meeting today!” “Tsk tsk, if you didn’t know better, you’d think she was the manager.” I walked briskly past, ignoring the voices. Back at my desk, I started packing my things. Kevin called. He was my closest colleague in the company. Finally, a trace of warmth returned to my heart. At least someone genuinely cared about me. “Chloe, are you okay?” “I’m fine,” I said, “just a bit tired.” He paused, and when he spoke again, his voice was very soft: “Chloe, I know you’ve been wronged, but… could you come back and help out first?” “My performance review this year is tied to this project. If the project falls through, my year-end bonus is gone. My mom is sick and needs surgery this year; I need that money…” I gripped my phone, my knuckles turning white. So he was here to persuade me, too. I took a deep breath: “Kevin, do you remember when Manager Davis put her name on the results of your hard work, and you cried the whole night out of anger?” Silence on the other end. After a long time, he whispered: “I’m sorry… but…” I asked in return: “So my fairness doesn’t matter, is that it?” “Your difficulties are real difficulties, but my difficulties are just what I deserve?” He didn’t answer. I spoke up first: “Kevin, you’re my best friend in the company.” “If you really have an urgent need, I can lend you the money.” “But regarding the Zenith project, I just want fairness.” With that, I hung up the phone. Thinking of these people standing on the moral high ground trying to persuade me. A chill washed over my heart. Since you all think I’m unworthy, then I’ll leave. Let’s see if the company will still run without me! Chapter 4 Early the next morning, I was woken up by a call from Secretary Wang. She said the CEO wanted me to come into the office today to talk about the project. My mind had been full of all the grievances I’d suffered at this company over the years last night. I didn’t want to return to the place that had caused me so much suffering. But that project was, after all, something I had worked relentlessly on for a long time. I still had some attachment to it. After hesitating for a moment, I decided to go to the company. As soon as I walked into the company building, I felt something was off. Normally, people never gave me a second glance. But today, everyone was acting completely out of character. Mark from the Finance Department greeted me with a smile, holding a cup of coffee. “Chloe! Morning! Brought you a latte, light on the sugar, right?” I was stunned. In my three years at the company, the number of times Mark had spoken to me could be counted on one hand. Before I could react, he shoved the coffee right into my hand. “Don’t be shy, don’t be shy! You’ve got a bright future ahead!” I frowned, not saying a word. I walked quickly to the elevator, but things inside were even weirder. People were actually making room for me. “Chloe’s here? Come in, come in, there’s space over here.” Linda from HR, standing in the corner, smiled and said: “Chloe, did you not sleep well last night? You look a bit pale, do you want to request a couple of days of comp time?” Everyone’s eyes were fixed on me, carrying a fawning look. Leaving me with a face full of question marks. It wasn’t until the elevator doors opened that I completely understood. A red banner caught my eye: [Warm Congratulations to Comrade Chloe for Signing a Multi-Million Dollar Contract!] All my colleagues in the department were standing neatly under the banner. Each one wearing a plastered smile. Manager Davis was holding a large bouquet of flowers, and seeing me step out, immediately rushed over. “Chloe! Congratulations! Look at you, signing such a huge contract and not telling us sooner? You made us all misunderstand!” David also chimed in, beaming: “Yeah, yeah, Chloe, you’re too low-key! Yesterday I even told Manager Davis that such an important project must be handled by you!” Ryan’s expression was a bit stiff, but he still forced a smile: “Chloe, I was thoughtless before, don’t hold it against me.” Looking at the scene before me, I found it incredibly absurd. Yesterday they were standing on their moral high ground, criticizing me. Today, acting like nothing happened, greeting me with smiles. Looking at their hypocritical faces, I just wanted to throw up. I pushed away the flowers in her hand. “Manager Davis, didn’t you say yesterday that I wasn’t as valuable as they are?” Manager Davis’s smile faltered for a second: “That… that was just me speaking out of anger! You can’t take that seriously! I was just trying to motivate you!” I shook my head and pulled a resignation form out of my bag. “No need for motivation anymore. This is my resignation application; please sign it.” As soon as the words fell. Everyone’s smiles froze on their faces. Manager Davis stared at the piece of paper, her face gradually darkening. She stepped forward, lowering her voice: “Chloe, what are you trying to do?” “I want to resign.” Infuriated, Manager Davis raised her voice: “You don’t really think you can do whatever you want just because you signed one big contract, do you?” “Let me tell you, without this company’s platform, you are nothing!” She snatched the resignation application from my hand and ripped it to shreds: “I’m telling you, Chloe, today you either obediently get back to work, or I’ll make sure you can’t survive in this industry!” Looking at the torn paper on the floor, and then up at Manager Davis’s twisted face, I suddenly laughed. “Davis, let me tell you. Mr. Vance from Zenith explicitly stated that he only recognizes me, Chloe, for this project.” “Furthermore, the CEO has agreed that if I resign, I will take the Zenith project with me.” “That’s what we discussed in the CEO’s office yesterday.” “Impossible!” Manager Davis screamed, “How could the CEO agree to such a demand!” I walked towards her, pronouncing every word clearly: “Because Mr. Vance said that if the company didn’t agree, he would immediately terminate the cooperation and pursue the company for breach of contract.” “The penalty for breach of contract is thirty million. Manager Davis, do you think the company will keep you, or keep the thirty million?” Chapter 5 The air in the entire department seemed to freeze. The colleagues who had just been sporting smiles were now frozen in place, their eyes filled with shock. Manager Davis’s face turned deathly pale, unable to utter a single word. I turned and walked to my desk, pulling out a cardboard box I had prepared earlier from the drawer. Inside the box were only a few notebooks, a fountain pen I had used for three years, and a small cactus from my desk. Ryan suddenly rushed over and blocked my path: “Wait! Chloe, you can’t do this! This project is a company resource, how can you…” I stopped and looked at him: “Ryan, didn’t you say yesterday that resources belong to the company, and the manager distributes them however she sees fit?” Ryan’s face flushed beet red: “That… that was…” I asked calmly: “That was what? Didn’t you guys make it very clear yesterday?” “David is an overseas elite, you are an industry expert, and I have no value to the company.” “Since I have no value, isn’t my resignation exactly what you wanted?” David stood behind Manager Davis, keeping his head down, not daring to meet my eyes. I picked up the box and walked toward the door. Manager Davis finally found her voice, but the arrogance from earlier was gone: “Stop! Chloe, you… you should reconsider.” “I can help fight for that Deputy Director position for you…” I didn’t even look back: “No need, Manager Davis. You were right yesterday; the workplace is like this, survival of the fittest.” “Since I have no value, I won’t hog the company’s resources.” The elevator doors opened, and I walked in. Right before the doors closed, I saw David and Ryan looking at each other in dismay. And in the eyes of the other colleagues, besides shock, there was a trace of subtle panic. They knew what losing the multi-million dollar Zenith project meant for the entire department. Chapter 6 After getting home, I put the cardboard box in the corner and called Mr. Vance from Zenith. “Mr. Vance, it’s me, Chloe.” Mr. Vance’s voice was booming and enthusiastic: “Chloe! How did it go? Did your company agree?” I said: “I’ve resigned, and I will personally take over the project.” “It’s just that I need to register a company now, which will take a little time…” Mr. Vance said cheerfully: “That’s easy to handle! We can sign a letter of intent first, and then transfer to a formal contract once your company is registered.” “But Chloe, I have to warn you, starting a business isn’t easy. Are you sure you want to go solo?” I gripped my phone tightly: “Mr. Vance, I don’t have a way back anymore.” Mr. Vance was silent for a few seconds, then said: “Good, I like young people with drive like you!” “How about this, come to my company tomorrow, and we’ll sign the letter of intent first.” “I also have a few friends who need similar services, I can introduce them to you.” After hanging up, I looked at my empty apartment, and a sudden, indescribable feeling welled up inside me. Right then, my phone rang again. It was Kevin. I hesitated, but picked it up anyway. Kevin’s voice was very soft: “Chloe… I’m sorry.” “I thought about it all day. I was too selfish. I only thought about my own difficulties and didn’t consider your feelings.” I stayed silent. He continued: “Manager Davis blew up during the meeting, saying the year-end bonuses might be affected.” “Everyone is complaining… but I know, it’s not your fault.” I interrupted him: “Kevin, you don’t need to apologize.” “Everyone has their own struggles in the workplace. I just want to tell you, there are some bottom lines that cannot be crossed.” He paused: “I understand. If you need manpower for your startup… I… I can quit and help you.” I was stunned. Kevin had been with the company for five years, always an honest, rule-abiding guy who never dared to offend anyone. The fact that he could say this surprised me greatly. I said: “Don’t be impulsive. I’m just starting, I haven’t even registered the company yet, the future is uncertain.” Kevin’s voice became firm: “I know. But I want to take a gamble.” “Not just for you, but for myself too. I don’t want to live a life having to read the room and kiss up to people anymore.” We agreed to meet and talk in detail tomorrow evening. After hanging up, I sat on the sofa, staring at the night sky outside the window for a long time. Chapter 7 The next morning, I arrived at Zenith Corporation as promised. Mr. Vance’s office was on the top floor, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a panoramic view of the entire city. He was in his fifties, slightly plump, with an amiable smile, but his eyes carried the shrewdness of a businessman. He pointed to the chair opposite him: “Chloe, have a seat. I’ve already had the legal department prepare the letter of intent.” “But before that, I have a few questions for you.” I nodded: “Go ahead.” “First, why did you resign to go solo? Signing this project should have gotten you a promotion and a raise, right?” I smiled bitterly: “Mr. Vance, if the company truly valued me, I wouldn’t be sitting here.” I briefly recounted what happened at the annual gala. Mr. Vance listened, shaking his head: “Short-sighted. Many companies are like this, preferring to poach ‘talent’ with high salaries rather than properly cultivating their own people.” “Then the second question: how do you plan to execute this project? What support do you need from me?” I pulled a thick proposal out of my bag: “Mr. Vance, this is my overall plan for the project. If you can give me three months…” Mr. Vance flipped through the proposal, nodding occasionally. After reading it, he looked up: “Chloe, I chose to work with you originally, not because of your company, but because of your professionalism and sincerity.” “Other salespeople just boast about themselves; only you truly understand our needs.” He stood up and walked to the window: “How about this, I can help you solve the office space issue.” “Additionally, I can advance part of the project funds to serve as your startup capital.” I looked at him in shock: “Mr. Vance, this…” Mr. Vance turned around, his expression serious: “Don’t rush to thank me. I have conditions.” “First, the quality of the project cannot be compromised.” “Second, if your performance is subpar, I will terminate the partnership at any time.” “Third, I want 10% equity in your company.” I hardly hesitated: “I agree.” Mr. Vance smiled: “Straightforward! Then let’s sign the letter of intent.” “Once your company is registered, we’ll sign the formal contract.” After signing, when Mr. Vance walked me to the elevator, he suddenly said: “Chloe, unfairness in the workplace is sometimes a bad thing, but sometimes it’s an opportunity.” “It just depends on whether you can seize it.” Chapter 8 After leaving Zenith, I went straight to the Bureau of Industry and Commerce and submitted my company registration application. The company name: “NovaTech.” On the way home, I received three WeChat messages. The first was from David: [Chloe, I’m sorry. I know I was wrong about what happened, please come back.] The second was from Ryan: [Chloe, I was wrong before. If you need industry resources, I can introduce you to a few people.] The third was from Manager Davis, just three words: [Just you wait.] Looking at these three messages, I felt a mix of emotions. That evening, Kevin and I met at a small restaurant. He also brought Ella, an intern from the company’s design department who had just graduated this year. Kevin introduced her: “Chloe, Ella heard about what happened to you and wants to quit and work for you too.” “Although she’s young, her design skills are top-notch. She designed Zenith’s promotional brochure last time.” Ella adjusted her glasses somewhat shyly: “Chloe, my chances of becoming a full-time employee there are slim… and, I admire your courage.” Looking at these two people in front of me who believed in me, a wave of warmth surged in my heart. I said honestly: “Starting a business is very tough. We might not have income for a long time, and we might even fail.” Kevin said earnestly: “We know. But at least, we’re working for ourselves.” That night, we finalized the division of labor: I was responsible for overall operations, Kevin for project execution, and Ella for design and promotion. As we were leaving, Kevin suddenly said: “By the way, Manager Davis was called in for a talk by the CEO this afternoon.” “I heard the CEO was furious and scolded her for losing the biggest contract since the company was founded.” “And then?” “Then Manager Davis came back and took her anger out on everyone, saying it was all because someone was secretly helping you…” “Chloe, you have to be careful. Manager Davis is petty; she might retaliate.” I nodded: “I’ll be careful.”

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