Category: English

Finding out I was the switched-at-birth “wrong” daughter in a mega-rich family made me decide to just… check out. At the party officially welcoming the real daughter, she was dazzling everyone. My adoptive mother told me I should learn from her. Me: “If people better than me are still trying so hard, what’s the point of me trying?” My best friend warned me to get a job, worried I’d be married off for connections otherwise. Me: “Work just makes you crazy. No thanks.” My main goal? Just sticking around. 1 Being an heiress with millions to my name meant coasting through life was totally doable. The biggest problem? Turns out, I was an imposter. Super awkward. A week ago, Mom and Dad dropped the bomb: I was swapped at birth. Their biological daughter, Megan, had been found. My birth parents? No clue where they are. Mom and Dad didn’t want me to leave, so I just stayed, living in this weird limbo. Everyone gushed about how Megan was clearly a Sterling, perfect and accomplished despite growing up elsewhere. Unlike me. Even with the Sterlings pouring money into my upbringing, I was basically just… decorative. Mom heard the whispers and told me to be more like Megan. She said, “Your father and I spoiled you, didn’t push you. But you’re grown now, can’t you get your act together?” Not a chance. Effort gives me hives. I just want to chill. Besides, I suspected “getting her act together” was code for “know your place.” Without the Sterling heiress title, and being useless at everything, how could I possibly fit in here anymore? While I was moping, Megan slid into the family seamlessly in just a few days. She had Mom and Dad laughing constantly, even helping Megan sort through gifts for the welcome party. The three of them looked so happy, like a perfect family. Watching them, I wasn’t exactly jealous, but I wasn’t sad either. Truth is, I was never the favorite child here anyway. Having a daughter like me, who achieved nothing, was a constant source of worry for them. And I’m not the type to suck up. So, we coexisted politely, like strangers under the same roof. Megan’s arrival gave them hope. Because of that, Mom urged me to get closer to Megan, maybe ask her for tips on how to be… less useless. I sighed. “It’s not like you can just learn that.” Mom snapped, “Why not? We indulged you before, but now you have a perfect example right here! Can’t you even copy her?” Megan overheard and shot me a smug look, like, You’ll never measure up. Seriously? I’m the fake one. Why would I even compete? Isn’t lying low the better option? And anyway, I’m me. Why would I want to imitate someone else? I replied flatly, “Because Megan’s amazing and hardworking.” Before Mom could crack a smile, I added: “People way better than me are working their butts off. So why should I even bother?” I know my limits. Doing extra? Not my thing. Mom got so mad she actually threw a small vase nearby. “Listen to yourself!” I dodged it and jammed my hands in my pockets, heading upstairs. Behind me, I heard Megan’s soft voice comforting Mom: “Maybe Ashley’s just having a hard time accepting this… that’s why she’s trying to upset you.” “If it helps, I could move out… until she calms down, then I can come back.” Wow. What a masterclass in playing the victim. Nice try, but I wasn’t taking the bait. Mom gasped, “Absolutely not! This is your home!” I glanced back down at Megan. She looked up, a flicker of triumph in her eyes. She put on her most generous face. “I just want you all to be happy. It doesn’t matter if I’m here or not.” Mom fumed, “Why should you leave? If anyone goes, it should be…” Her voice trailed off as her eyes met mine. I tilted my head, thinking. “So… I should leave?” 2 The couple who raised Megan found her abandoned near a hospital. Which means, after being swapped, she was also ditched. My own origins were a mystery, so staying with the Sterlings was the temporary plan. Megan seemed to think my birth parents were trash, and that I’d unfairly benefited for years. She saw me as a thorn in her side. She clearly wanted me gone at the welcome party, but it didn’t happen. From then on, I knew we couldn’t both exist peacefully in this house. Even if I didn’t fight for anything. I glanced around my old bedroom – now Megan’s. It felt empty. A moment later, Megan appeared, looking suspicious. “What are you doing in my room?” I tapped my head. “Oops, sorry. Wrong room.” The day she arrived, Megan had mentioned liking my bedroom. Given my shaky status, I’d quietly moved out of it. Now, she was using it against me. She smirked knowingly. “You’d better get used to the new arrangement. Quickly.” I got her drift. What was hers, she intended to reclaim. Whether it was an identity or a room. But honestly, I didn’t want to fight over it. “After you!” I quickly retreated to my new, smaller room. Ugh! I mentally groaned like a beached whale. This is exhausting. I have zero interest in family drama. All I want is to chill! Maybe moving out soon is the best plan. I called my best friend, Chloe. “Hey, know any decent places to crash?” “Places? Honey, I’ve got properties. Just pick one, I’ll have it cleaned up for you.” Her casual wealth always took my breath away. Even as the supposed Sterling heiress, I only had one small apartment provided by the family. And now, even that was gone. Chloe added, “Things are awkward for you now. Maybe you should get a job? What’s your plan otherwise?” I rolled over on the bed. “Work drives people nuts. Being a couch potato sounds way better.” Slacking off was my true calling. Chloe was silent for a long moment, then practically ground out, “Fine! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!” before hanging up. I clutched my phone, feeling a little lost. Trying hard really is pointless. Megan is clearly out to get me. Whatever I do, I’ll just be used to make her look better. So, might as well do nothing. Saves energy, and stops me from setting her up for success. Because she’s the real deal, and I’m the fake. 3 Mom and Dad think I only found out the truth the day Megan came back. Not true. I knew everything while they were still searching for her. Everyone was hiding it from me, probably scared I’d cause a scene. So, I played along, pretending ignorance. Today’s events just showed me exactly where I stand with them. I appreciate them letting me stay, but they’ve clearly chosen sides. After thinking it over, I decided to leave the Sterling house. Everything I owned technically belonged to them anyway. I’d just take myself. Mom grabbed my arm. “Ashley, are you still upset about what I said earlier?” I shook my head. “I shouldn’t be imposing here anymore.” “I only took my ID and cards. I’ll work to pay back everything you spent on me over the years.” I came downstairs carrying just a small plastic bag with my wallet inside. Even my phone – I left the handset, only taking the SIM card. Megan scoffed, “Such a temper. How will you survive?” I nodded agreeably. “Yep, you’re right. My future looks terrible.” She fumed, about to say more, but Mom stopped her. “Megan, Ashley didn’t do anything wrong.” That flipped Megan’s switch. She yelled, “Nothing wrong? I suffered out there while she lived my life in luxury! How is that fair?” Mom immediately softened, hugging her. “That’s not what I meant. Megan, don’t cry. I’ll make her leave right now.” Just like that, I became “her.” I placed the bag on a table, opened the front door, ready to leave the house I’d lived in for almost twenty years. Chloe was waiting outside. When she heard I was leaving with nothing, she drove straight over. Mom watched me, seeming hesitant. My heart twinged slightly. Before I could say anything comforting, she delivered the final blow. “Ashley, since you’re leaving… maybe you should take care of getting your name off the family records soon.” She held Megan gently. “Megan has been through so much. We can’t let her down anymore.” My mind went blank for a second, but I managed a reply. “Tomorrow.” Mom’s expression instantly relaxed. “Okay. Drive safe, you two.” I watched as Mom closed the heavy Sterling front door without a backward glance. From now on, that place had nothing to do with me. Chloe took me to her huge house, rambling the whole way. “Seriously, Ash, just come work with me.” I looked at her. “Nope.” Chloe: … Her face darkened. “Give me one good reason why you won’t get a job.” I handed her my phone, showing her an app screen. “Is this reason good enough?” Chloe let out a shriek. “Ashley Sterling! You actually…” She practically slid across the floor to grab my leg. “You’re the legendary stock market guru everyone whispers about?!” 4 Growing up, I had zero interest in piano, ballet, or French lessons. No matter how many tutors Mom and Dad hired, they all eventually gave up on me, frustrated. When I got a bit older and understood what the family business was, I actually got interested in commerce. Sometimes, Dad would have video conferences in his study, and I’d just hang out and listen. He didn’t seem to mind. Until one time, I noticed a flaw in the data for a bid they were preparing. I pointed it out directly to Dad. After that, he changed. He wouldn’t let me in the study anymore. He’d kick me out during meetings. I was hurt, thinking I’d messed up and made him angry. So, I asked everyone in the house what Dad liked, planning to buy him something nice to get back in his good graces. Instead, I overheard him arguing with Mom. Mom said, “If Ashley has a knack for business, why not let her learn from you?” Dad sounded annoyed. “We can’t let a girl get too ambitious. She needs to marry well. Are we going to hand the company over to some outsider husband?” Mom argued back, “Ashley’s our daughter! She’d definitely…” Dad’s voice was cold. “There are no ‘definitelies’. You need to focus on getting healthy. If you can’t give me a son, I’ll find someone who can!” I didn’t hear Mom argue anymore. I knew she’d given in. From that day on, I was the useless daughter, groomed solely to be a pawn in a strategic marriage. When Chloe heard this part of my “trophy daughter” origin story, she was so mad she started throwing pillows around her living room. “I always wondered! You were so smart in middle school, then suddenly tanked your grades near graduation! It was your parents!” I shrugged. “Well, someone else has taken over my role and duties now. I’m free.” Megan was undoubtedly the perfect candidate for a marriage alliance. Prettier than me, more accomplished, and desperate for Mom and Dad’s approval. I bet the three of them would be very happy together. As for me? I’ll just curl up quietly in a corner and count my money. “And here I was worried sick about you! You didn’t tell me anything!” Chloe sounded both angry and impressed by my low-key baller status. Someone like me, who just wants a chill life, isn’t exactly going to broadcast that she’s a secret stock trader, right? “Fine, don’t get a job. It’s not like you’ll starve.” 5 I prioritized getting my name legally changed and severing official ties with the Sterlings. I handled it as quickly as possible. Not only that, I chose a new name for myself. Making a clean break from the Sterling family, completely. Dad pointed his finger at me, yelling, “I always knew you were too ambitious! Good riddance with the name change, you’re not a Sterling anymore!” Mom was teary. “Ashley, why are you being so stubborn? We raised you for so many years.” I was genuinely confused. “Weren’t you the ones who asked me to sort out the legal stuff?” I did exactly what they wanted, even changed my name as a bonus, and they’re still not happy? Is rich people logic different from normal people logic? Megan slammed a bill down in front of me. “Since you’re so capable, pay back the money you owe.” I glanced at the itemized list. “Which account should I transfer it to?” Megan smugly produced a bank card. “Dad said this all should have been mine. Consider it compensation. Transfer it here.” The final amount was roughly what I’d calculated myself. I transferred the money immediately. The three of them stared, stunned. Megan looked blankly at Dad. “Did she steal money from the house? Or did you secretly give her money again?” I frowned. “Ms. Sterling, I earned this money through my own skills. Please don’t insult my intelligence.” The allowance account the Sterlings set up for me? I hadn’t touched a dime. The seed money for my trading came from part-time jobs I worked. I was always careful, scared Mom and Dad would check my bank statements and find out I was trading stocks. They would have clamped down even harder. Even though I told myself I didn’t care, deep down, I didn’t want them to be wary of me. Things reaching this point was unexpected for everyone. Mom reached out. “Ashley…” I stepped back. “Mom, this is probably the last time I’ll call you that. Take care of yourself. And… my name is Ava Hayes now.” The name I chose for my new life. With that, I turned and left. Behind me, I heard Mom’s heartbroken cry: “Ashley!” I didn’t look back. They’ll never know that money was supposed to be a surprise birthday gift for them. I had planned to proudly tell them I didn’t want the Sterling fortune, that I was starting my own business. My purpose wasn’t to be dressed up like a doll for show, or to be paraded around as a marriage prospect. I was just me. 6 The immediate transfer of funds clearly rattled the Sterlings. That same day, they made sure everyone knew I’d been kicked out of the family. Suddenly, the story was everywhere: I was the imposter who’d usurped the real heiress’s place. Megan, being the darling of the moment and a popular lifestyle blogger, easily gained massive online support. Trolls found my old, barely used social media accounts and launched a campaign of cyberbullying, venting their outrage on Megan’s behalf. 【Lived the high life meant for Megan for so long, finally got what you deserved!】 【Heard you’re totally useless, can’t do anything right lol】 【Blood will tell. No amount of fancy upbringing can make you compare to even Megan’s little finger!】 【You spent so much of the Sterlings’ money! Got the nerve to change your name but not pay it back?】 【Yeah, PAY IT BACK! It all belongs to Megan!】 【All that money spent on you and you’re still a failure. Poor Megan, having her place taken by that for years.】 I posted a screenshot of the final bill, marked paid, stating I had settled my expenses with the Sterling family. While some users were surprised I paid it back so quickly, they saw it was the Sterlings’ own calculation, and no one accused me of stealing from them directly. My straightforward attitude seemed to calm things down a bit, and the focus shifted away from me for a moment. Just when I thought it was over, Megan started posting vague things online. She subtly implied the money I repaid was actually given to me by the Sterlings, adding that I was ungrateful – money could be repaid, but the debt of raising me couldn’t. 【See? Knew a freeloader like her couldn’t earn that kind of cash.】 【Probably just spare change for the Sterlings, enough for her to live comfortably forever.】 【How dare she claim she ‘paid it back’? Shameless.】 【Feel so bad for Megan, coming home to all this drama. Maybe she was better off before.】 【This adopted girl is seriously ungrateful. Thinks paying back money settles everything?】 【The Sterlings raised her like their own for over a decade! How can she be so cold?】 【Looks like Megan is fitting in well. Her parents probably prefer her anyway.】 【Good, glad to hear it. Megan deserves better than constantly being reminded of this mess.】 The Sterlings chimed in at the right moment, officially stating Megan was their exceptional daughter, and the Chairman and his wife were incredibly proud of her. Online sleuths dug up my old school records. Comparing them to Megan’s achievements made my expulsion from the family seem like a cause for public celebration. Chloe was furious. She wanted to hire hackers to go after Megan, but I stopped her. “Doing that will just give them more ammunition.” No matter what, the fact remained: the Sterlings raised me, and Megan did suffer. In the public eye, I was expected to just take Megan’s digs and anger. Unless she did something truly outrageous, reacting would make me look bad. “Besides,” I added, “the Sterlings aren’t the only ones who can produce bank statements.” Because I’d overheard that argument between my adoptive parents years ago, I’d always kept a separate bank account. My own money, earned from those part-time jobs and early trades, went into that account. The Sterling allowance card was separate. I used my own card for things I liked, secretly stashing purchases at Chloe’s place, never daring to let my family know. My apparent “frugality” even earned me praise from Mom a few times. Back then, I felt guilty. Now, I felt incredibly lucky. I addressed the money issue again online. I stated clearly that I never forgot the debt of gratitude for being raised by the Sterlings, and if they ever truly needed help, I would provide assistance. People mocked me mercilessly. The Sterlings were a wealthy dynasty. What kind of help could I possibly offer?

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “392411”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My father disappeared. The day after I reported him missing, I received his severed hand. Soon after, his body was found. My father’s mistress and my boyfriend were listed as suspects. Betrayed by those closest to me, I cried uncontrollably in public, but deep down, I was secretly smiling. They didn’t know yet—I was the one who killed him! … My father’s secretary called to tell me he was missing. I was out of town, but I rushed back that night to my father’s house. I pushed the door open. The whole house was dark and silent. A gust of wind whistled past my ear with a low moan, making my heart pound. I quickly fumbled for the light switch in the entryway. The light flooded a scene of chaos. Ceramic shards littered the floor, along with scattered fruit and splatters of blood. My legs gave out, and I collapsed, hands trembling as I pulled out my phone to call 911. Twenty minutes later, the police arrived. They put up yellow tape, then, fully geared up, entered the living room to process the scene. “Detective Evans,” I asked, my voice shaking, “my dad… he’s going to be okay, right?” “Ms. Miller,” Detective Evans said, “we can’t be sure yet. But rest assured, we’ll do everything we can to find your father. Once we’re done here, please check if anything valuable is missing.” After the police finished their initial sweep, I put on shoe covers and gloves and started checking for missing items. “Are you sure nothing’s gone?” Detective Evans asked later. I shook my head. “Besides what’s broken on the floor… there’s a safe missing. Nothing else seems to be gone.” “Alright. Please come with us to the station to give a formal statement.” 2 At the police station, I took a sip of water, trying to calm myself. “Okay, I’m ready.” Detective Evans started. “Your name, please?” “Sarah Miller.” “Who is the missing person? And what is your relationship to him?” “The missing person is Steven Miller. He’s my father.” “When did he go missing?” “I don’t know exactly. When I got back from my business trip, the house was like this. I called his secretary, who said Dad hadn’t shown up for work since April 21st.” “You didn’t contact him while you were away?” “My dad’s usually very busy, and I was busy with the trip too, so we didn’t talk much.” Later, the police asked for my father’s personal information and details about his social circle. I answered everything. Finally, I asked anxiously, “My father was always kind to people. How could he just disappear?” Tears started streaming down my face as I spoke. Detective Evans told me to try and stay calm, then continued, “When was the last time you saw your father?” “The last time was two days before I left for my trip. That was April 15th.” Detective Evans looked up at me. “You remember the date clearly, Ms. Miller.” I gave a bitter smile. “That day was the anniversary of my mother’s death. I went to ask Dad to visit her grave with me, but he said he didn’t have time.” Recalling that day, something clicked. “Oh, Detective Evans, on the anniversary, Dad said he was busy because he thought there were problems with the company finances. He was looking into it. Isn’t it strange that he disappeared right after saying he was auditing the books?” Finally, Detective Evans asked for a detailed account of my activities from the day of my mother’s anniversary until I called the police, and exactly what I saw when I returned home… When I finished my statement and left the interrogation room, my boyfriend, Jake, was standing outside. Seeing him, my nose stung, and tears welled up again. Jake immediately pulled me into a hug, his face full of concern. “Sarah, don’t be scared. I’m here. I’ll be with you through this. Your dad will come back safe.” I couldn’t speak, just sobbed into his chest. After a moment, I pulled away, wiped my nose and eyes, and said, “You should go in now.” Both my boyfriend, Jake, and the company’s finance manager, Linda, had been asked to come to the station for questioning. Linda arrived while I was waiting for Jake on a bench in the station lobby. Seeing me, she spoke with undisguised sarcasm, “Still here, Assistant Manager Miller? You should be getting some rest, planning for the future, you know.” “The future? What are you talking about?” Her snide tone made my anger flare up. “Oh, nothing. Just concerned about you, that’s all.” I was about to retort when the interrogation room door opened. Jake walked out, looking dejected. As soon as he saw me, he rushed over. “Sarah, you have to believe me! I was home the entire time you were gone. I didn’t go anywhere.” It sounded like he didn’t have an alibi and was worried. I tried to soothe him. “Can anyone verify that? Or is there security footage showing you didn’t leave the house?” Jake sighed heavily. He said he was alone at home, and the security cameras outside his apartment building had been broken those few days. He gripped my hand. “I was really at home, Sarah. I was just playing video games the whole time. I didn’t go anywhere.” My voice turned cold. “Playing video games?” Jake’s eyes darted away. His lips turned pale, and he stammered, unable to say anything more. I looked at him, utterly disappointed. Before my trip, he told me he’d found a job. While I was away, he kept texting me about how he was adjusting to the new work. Turns out… he was lying to me the whole time. “Jake, you really disappoint me!” Linda watched the drama between us like a spectator at a play, let out a small, mocking laugh, and then sashayed into the interrogation room. I didn’t want to see Jake anymore either. I went back to the apartment I owned downtown. 3 Once home, I called Mr. Davis, my lawyer, asking him to follow up on the case at the police station. After hanging up, I collapsed onto the sofa, not wanting to move an inch. So much had happened in the last two days; I was completely exhausted. Just as I was drifting off, the sound of the keypad lock jolted me awake. My dad had just disappeared, and I was living alone now. Panic started to set in. My eyes were glued to the door, fear tightening around my neck like invisible hands. Click. The door opened. My heart felt like it was about to leap out of my chest. A familiar figure appeared outside—I instantly relaxed. It was Jake. Jake looked at me, concerned. “Sarah, are you okay? You look really pale.” I was still angry with him. “What’s it to you?!” “Sarah, you need to take care of yourself, otherwise…” He trailed off. “If you have something to say, say it. If not, get out!” Jake seemed to make up his mind. He was about to speak: “Sarah…” Buzz, buzz… My phone vibrated. It was Mr. Davis. Ignoring Jake, I answered. “Mr. Davis?” I listened quietly to his update, then just said, “Okay,” and hung up. Seeing me hang up, Jake immediately asked, “What did Mr. Davis say?” “That has nothing to do with you. What did you want to say?” For the first time since he walked in, Jake looked me straight in the eye, his expression earnest. “I wanted to tell you, when I first got close to you, it was because…” Ding-dong! The doorbell rang again, cutting Jake off mid-sentence.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “392429”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I got drunk at a reunion with some old coworkers. One of them ended up calling my broke ex-husband. Figures. I was squatting by the curb when a black Bentley pulled up right in front of me. My eyes followed a pair of expensive black dress shoes up a pair of long legs in perfectly tailored slacks. Sharp jawline, neat, no-nonsense haircut. This CEO type looked uncannily like my ex – the nerdy programmer with the awkward haircut and glasses. Liam. I scrambled up and practically threw myself into his arms. 1. A hangover headache is bad enough, but what’s worse is dreaming about that guy last night. Six months after the divorce, I quit my old job. Today, I had an interview at a major tech company, determined to start fresh. Gotta shower, do my makeup, can’t be late. The interview went smoothly. I nailed every question they threw at me. Just as we were wrapping up, a man pushed the door open. Everyone stood up, calling him “Mr. Johnson.” I looked up. Wasn’t that the guy from my dream last night? Liam Johnson, the dork, was a CEO now? So, last night wasn’t a dream? Ha. Looks like he really landed on his feet after I left. Liam’s long fingers casually flipped through the resumes. Each page turn felt like a pluck at my heartstrings. When the hiring manager finally got to introducing me, Liam raised a hand, interrupting him. He pulled my resume from the folder, crumpled it into a ball right there in front of everyone, and tossed it into the nearby trash can. I bit back my anger, glaring daggers at him. Then again, I couldn’t totally blame him. Six months ago, I’d basically thrown him out the same way. After the interview, fuming, I dialed his number. “Park across the street. Now.” I hung up and stormed over to the park. When I saw Liam strolling leisurely towards me, I confronted him. “Your startup took off? Why didn’t you tell me?” He looked at me like I’d asked the stupidest question imaginable. “Isn’t this exactly what you wanted?” he sneered. “Who was it, on the day we signed the divorce papers, who said, ‘Please get out of my life forever’?” He had me there. I couldn’t say a word. Those were my exact words. But how could he understand the desperation of a woman supporting a man for four years with zero prospects in sight? I wasn’t signing up for sainthood. Seeing me speechless, Liam let out a cold laugh and turned to leave. “Who was it that promised to give me a good life, promised I’d never have to struggle?” Desperate for this job, I took a gamble, betting on some lingering shred of feeling he might still have for me. He stopped. Stood there for a long moment without moving. Finally, he turned back. “Come to my office.” I knew right then, I’d won the bet. 2 “Maya, if you want this job, sign this NDA.” Liam had his assistant fish my crumpled resume out of the trash and take it to HR. Looking at the Non-Disclosure Agreement, I had to laugh. Afraid our past relationship getting out would embarrass him in front of the company, huh? Fine by me. Sign it is, as long as I get the job. After signing, I stood up to leave. “And change my contact name in your phone,” Liam added. Me: “…” First day on the job, and there’s this guy practically insisting on carrying my bag. He was another newbie hired from the same interview batch, name’s Ryan Miller. Cute enough, kind of clean-cut, but his personality didn’t quite match – way too friendly, too fast. Today was mostly grunt work. The supervisor had us newbies setting up a conference room for an afternoon magazine interview with the boss. After a busy morning, we finally got it ready. Liam sat on the sofa, doing the interview. We stood off to the side, observing and ready to help if needed. “Mr. Johnson, what was the biggest challenge you faced on your entrepreneurial journey?” the interviewer asked. Liam thought for a moment. “The disappointment and lack of faith from someone I loved most,” he replied, his eyes drifting unconsciously towards me. A chill went down my spine. I quickly looked away. “And what kept you going, ultimately leading to your success?” the interviewer pressed. Liam gave a small, mocking laugh. “Still, her disappointment. It made me determined to push through.” I could feel his eyes fixed on me, hard. I didn’t dare look back. Suddenly, Ryan touched my cheek. I jumped, grabbing his hand. “What are you doing?” He grinned. “You just had a little smudge,” he said, then kept trying to rub my face. Annoyed, I pushed his hand away. “Hey, you! Come over here and help the boss with his tie,” the supervisor suddenly pointed at me. I glanced at Liam, whose face had darkened. This was weird. I walked over and took the tie he was fiddling with. “Hurry up and fix it for him! What are you waiting for? You should thank Mr. Johnson for giving you the chance,” the supervisor urged beside me, full-on brown-nosing mode. I shot the supervisor a look. Seriously? I help him with his tie, and I have to thank him? Ugh. Liam used to rub my feet all the time; by that logic, I should probably thank his entire family tree. Reluctantly, I straightened his tie. Liam grabbed my hand, his voice low, lips barely moving. “First day, and already scouting for guys? That kid’s not your type, Maya. Broke.” I gave the tie a sharp tug, tightening it just enough to shut him up. “Mr. Johnson,” I whispered back, “watch yourself. Remember the NDA.” Liam looked thoroughly pissed off, but with people around, he couldn’t say much more. He just loosened his tie himself. After the interview, everyone else bowed slightly or nodded respectfully as he left. I just stood there awkwardly. Liam glanced at me as he passed. The brown-nosing supervisor pointed. “Hey, you! Didn’t your team lead tell you? You show respect when Mr. Johnson passes.” “She’s never bowed her head to me before,” Liam muttered under his breath, almost to himself. “Sorry, Mr. Johnson? What was that?” The supervisor clearly hadn’t heard. But I had. Me, bow my head to him? Not in this lifetime. 3 Liam always attended the Monday team meetings. “No idea what’s up with Mr. Johnson lately,” Sarah, a colleague from my team, grumbled. “He comes to our team meeting every single week now.” “Is it because our department is particularly important to the company?” I asked her. “Important? Nah,” Sarah scoffed. “Maybe he’s got his eye on someone in our department.” “No way,” I denied instantly, a little spooked. “Well, obviously not you,” Ashley, our department’s resident queen bee, chimed in from the side. “Divorced, not exactly young anymore. Why would Mr. Johnson be interested in you? Me, on the other hand…” Seriously? What’s wrong with being divorced? “I wouldn’t be interested in him either,” I retorted irritably. Just as the words left my mouth, everyone went silent, staring at something behind me. A familiar figure walked past, heading straight into the conference room. His face looked grim. Just my luck, he heard that. “Meeting time,” Sarah said awkwardly, breaking the silence. I picked a seat as far away from Liam as possible. I didn’t dare look up at him the entire meeting. Finally, it ended. Everyone started chatting about the department’s weekend activity: a two-day, one-night camping trip. Sarah mentioned that the CEO rarely joined these things, but we should invite him out of courtesy anyway. This time, Liam actually accepted the courteous invitation. We set off early and didn’t reach the countryside spot until noon. It was a nice rustic lodge setup, with a lawn outside perfect for grilling later and pitching tents for camping. That evening, everyone set up the grills and picnic tables. With the boss present, things felt a bit more restrained than usual. Ryan, however, was as forward as ever, hovering around me the whole time, grilling food for me, putting stuff on my plate, and planting himself right next to me. “No need to move, I’ll just sit here,” Liam announced, plopping down on my other side. I looked at Ryan on my left and Liam on my right. My head started to ache. Could this get any more awkward? Ryan added a garlic parmesan wing to my plate. I sighed. I honestly hadn’t realized a woman pushing thirty could still attract this kind of attention. No clue what Ryan saw in me. “She doesn’t like garlic. I’ll take this wing,” Liam said casually, spearing the chicken wing off my plate with his fork. Ryan looked surprised. “Boss, how’d you know?” “She just said so herself, didn’t you hear?” Liam replied smoothly. For a second, I almost believed him myself. Afraid of getting caught, I quickly told Ryan, “Yeah, I mentioned it earlier, maybe you didn’t catch it.” Just then, Liam brought over a plate of fried chicken and placed it in front of me. “Eat up,” he murmured. “Your favorite.” I stared at the chicken. Yeah, it really was my favorite. More accurately, our favorite. Back in the day, whenever Liam wanted me to stay up late watching the game with him, he’d tempt me with fried chicken from this specific spot. He’d always let me eat first, then finish whatever I left. Thinking about the old Liam, the one I used to boss around, made me smile a little. “Maya, what are you smiling about?” Ryan nudged me, pulling me back to reality. “Nothing. You eat too.” I didn’t dare look at Liam beside me, just kept my head down and ate the chicken. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something dark moving near the table leg. I focused. A huge spider. “Ah! Spider!” I shrieked. Spiders are my ultimate phobia. The next second, my feet were off the ground. I was swept up into someone’s arms and carried about ten feet away from the table. This was a rule I’d made for Liam years ago: if he saw a spider, he had to get my feet off the ground immediately, carry me away, put me down somewhere safe, and then go deal with it. “You remembered.” Being held like this by Liam, I actually felt a flicker of warmth. I couldn’t believe he still remembered my silly rules. Liam seemed surprised by his own actions. He quickly put me down, muttering, “You trained me well. Reflex action.” Only then did we both realize the entire department was staring at us, dumbfounded. “Ahem, I’m scared of spiders too,” Liam explained awkwardly. “Just brought her over here with me.” I immediately played along, thanking him profusely. Amazingly, people seemed to buy the lame excuse. Probably because they couldn’t imagine their handsome CEO having any unprofessional interest in someone like me. After all that commotion, I lost my appetite.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “392445”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The night before the SATs, I was kidnapped by my foster sister’s cronies. They locked me in a dark warehouse for three days and three nights. When I finally saw light again, I was barely alive. My hands and feet were broken, my lower body was a bloody mess, and there wasn’t an inch of my skin that wasn’t bruised or cut. My mother was devastated, swearing to make the perpetrators pay. My father spent a fortune on top doctors to try and save me. As I was wheeled into the ER, I faintly overheard my parents talking. “Emily is still our biological daughter. Even for Ashley’s sake, we should have stopped her from taking the SATs in a different way.” My father sounded regretful. “Who knew those animals would be so ruthless? But Ashley’s been struggling with depression because Emily’s grades were so high. If Emily had taken the SATs, it would have been a huge blow to Ashley.” My mother started to say something, but my father cut her off. “Okay, from now on, we’ll shower Emily with love and make it up to her.” Make it up to me? So, in my parents’ eyes, their adopted daughter was worth more than their own flesh and blood. 1 “The patient has suffered severe trauma to her lower body. The uterus is damaged, and she won’t be able to have children. Her intestines are also severely damaged. We need to remove a section and perform a colostomy. She’ll have to live with a colostomy bag for the rest of her life.” That’s what the doctor said after examining me. “How could this happen?” Mom choked, unable to accept the reality. “For something like this to happen to such a young girl, I suggest you call the police right away!” “We can’t call the police!” Dad immediately stopped him. He probably realized he sounded harsh, so he added, “She’s just gone through a terrible trauma. We want to focus on her treatment first, then we’ll contact the authorities.” “Please arrange everything as quickly as possible, Doctor. Use the best materials. Money is no object!” I lay in the hospital bed, the anesthesia wearing off, and my parents’ conversation grew clearer. “It’s almost better this way for Emily. Now Ashley won’t have to worry about her getting better grades. And since Emily wasn’t around us when she was little, we can spend more time with her now. That’s a kind of compensation, right?” Dad’s words seemed like a sigh of relief. His tone wasn’t cold, but it made me feel frozen inside. This was the family I’d longed for? These were the people I loved and trusted? They were the ones who pushed me into this abyss, letting those thugs trample on my dignity and my body, drowning me in endless pain. And now, they were putting on a savior act, shedding fake tears. How ironic! “Ashley’s waiting for us at home. We promised her a graduation party. Let’s not waste time here. Emily won’t wake up anytime soon anyway.” Their footsteps faded away. Tears streamed down my face. I couldn’t tell whether my physical wounds or my emotional scars hurt more. I thought finding my family was a gift from heaven. Turns out it was a punishment for my naive hopes. When I was fifteen, I was brought back to the Anderson’s. I could tell my parents weren’t exactly thrilled to see me. Especially whenever Ashley looked at me with those teary, timid eyes. That just made their faces darken. But I’d grown up in an orphanage, and the desire for a family had become a natural part of me. I’d finally come home to my mom and dad, and I kept telling myself that if I was good and got good grades, they’d love me. At least, that’s what the orphanage director always told me. To win my parents’ favor, I tried not to cause them any trouble. I kept the house clean, even though Ashley always sneered and said that was something servants did. But when I got the top score in my class, my parents just said a few words of encouragement. I thought I wasn’t good enough, so I joined the advanced program and entered all sorts of competitions. The awards kept coming, and my name was often mentioned. Around that time, the school started calling home frequently. But Mom and Dad weren’t happy. The atmosphere at home grew tense. Especially for Ashley. Her eyes were always red when she saw me. Dad’s gaze toward me became colder and colder. I didn’t understand why back then, but I finally get it. They thought my achievements were making their darling daughter feel inferior. So, to make Ashley happy, they hired people to hurt me, ruin my chances at college, and maybe even ruin my entire life. 2 I opened my eyes again. Mom was gently wiping the sweat from my hand, and Dad was putting away his phone. “Emily, you’re awake! Are you in any pain?” Mom was looking at me with a worried expression. This was the scene I’d always dreamed of, but now that it was happening, it felt stifling. “Did the SATs happen?” My voice was so weak it was barely a whisper. Mom’s eyes flickered with anxiety, but Dad patted my hand reassuringly. “Let’s not think about that right now. The most important thing is for you to get better. Even if you didn’t take the SATs, Mom and Dad will give you the best future. There’s no need to be sad.” Could I even have a good future? “I begged him.” Mom and Dad exchanged a look, realizing who I was talking about. I turned my head away, staring blankly at the white hospital ceiling. “I told him my parents were rich, that they would come to rescue me. But the more I talked, the more he enjoyed hurting me. The more he enjoyed, the crueler he became.” As I spoke, I felt like I was back in that terrifying place, smelling the rotting stench in the air, seeing the shredded pieces of my clothes. I couldn’t help but tremble. “I tried to run, but he broke my legs.” “I was too scared to cry, but he used a heavy iron bar…” “Okay, okay, don’t say anymore…” Mom couldn’t help but interrupt, hugging me tightly, tears streaming down her face. Dad frowned, his face grim. “Did I do something wrong?” I asked “It’s not your fault. It’s my fault. If I had picked you up earlier that day, you wouldn’t have met those thugs.” I remembered now. The day before the SATs, Ashley was sick and stayed home from school. When I left for school, Mom specifically told me to wait for her at a street corner just outside the school. It was the first time Mom had shown me any special concern since I’d come back to live here. I was so happy, so excited. But all I got was a nightmare, carefully orchestrated by my own parents. Who was the real monster here? “Don’t worry, Emily. It’s all over now. I promise, we’ll use every resource we have to catch that son of a bitch and make him pay!” I closed my eyes, no longer wanting to see this fake concern, letting the tears run down my cheeks. “Family, please step aside. It’s time for the patient’s medication.” The nurse came in and pulled back the covers, exposing the worst parts of my injuries to everyone. A gasp filled the room. “How could anyone do this?” Even though the doctor had warned her, Mom couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Now she had to face the reality: my legs were strapped to a frame and couldn’t move at all, my abdomen was covered in a horrifying network of stitched scars, some of the wounds were still bleeding, and a bag filled with yellow fluid was attached to my side. Dad had already left for another room, and Mom also hurried out of the room in tears. “I can’t believe anyone could be so cruel to a young girl like that!” The nurse cursed as she gently cleaned my wounds. The pain from the medication made me shake, but it was nothing compared to the agony in my heart. I could hear my parents arguing outside. “Honey, should we really send Emily’s photos to the media? It’ll be a huge blow to the company’s reputation.” “We have to! Don’t you remember? Before the SATs, all those top college coaches were contacting us to say they wanted to recruit Emily. We have to make this a big deal so they’ll withdraw their offers. Look at her! She can’t go back to school in this condition!” I had worked so hard to earn recognition from those schools, but my own parents were wiping it all away. When I’d first come home at fifteen, Dad had told me, “Our business is at a critical stage. We can’t have any negative publicity, so we have to pretend that you’re an adopted child, just like Ashley. You’ll have the same rights as her.” Such grand words, but they were hiding everything, even the fact that I was their daughter. Now, to protect Ashley and to keep themselves from getting implicated, they were willing to sacrifice the company’s reputation. “Nurse, can I borrow your phone for a minute?” I asked, enduring the throbbing pain. I dialed a number, and someone picked up. “I accept your offer to be your heir.” “But I have one condition.” 3 The doctors were still busy preparing for the surgeries. I had to rest and wait for the right moment. As for my parents, they’d sent the photos of my injuries to the news. It had caused a huge uproar online. I treated scrolling through my phone as part of my recovery. All sorts of news about me were popping up online. [I know this girl. She’s a straight-A student at our school, but she’s a terrible person. I heard she’s an orphan. Some kind-hearted people paid for her to transfer here. She even bullied another girl until she got depressed.] [Yeah, I heard about that too. This girl shamelessly moved into someone else’s house and tried to steal their parents!] [That’s right! There’s even a version where she’s a gold digger. A friend of mine saw her getting into a fancy car with an older man.] [Have you noticed? She never wears tights with her school uniform. She’s obviously trying to seduce people! Why else would they pick her instead of someone else?] These cruel comments hidden behind online anonymity felt like knives stabbing me in the heart. Even though I was prepared for it, my hands still shook as I scrolled through the screen. They said I was trying to steal Ashley’s parents, but they were my family. Every classmate who wanted to be friends with me was seen as a threat by Ashley and harassed by her supporters. Eventually, I became a loner in my class. In school, my socks were always being torn for no reason, just to make fun of me, all because Ashley wanted to embarrass me. The internet leaves a trail, and I did everything I could to screenshot these comments and save them for future use. Some people were trying to defend me, to speak up for me as a victim, but those posts were quickly deleted. It was obvious someone was behind this, and their goal wasn’t to make people feel sorry for me, but to completely smear my name. But I wouldn’t let them win! 4 “Emily, look who’s here!” Mom excitedly pushed open the hospital room door. I saw Ashley holding a bouquet of flowers, a smile on her face, and she skillfully sat down next to my bed. This was the person who’d made me into what I was today. “Mom and Dad didn’t want me to miss the SATs, so they didn’t tell me you were in the hospital until now. You’re not mad at me, are you?” Ashley sounded like she was complaining, but her eyes were full of triumph. She wanted to show me who was the most loved in the family. “Don’t talk like that. We did it for you, and now you’re complaining.” Mom pretended to be angry, but she gently tapped Ashley’s head with affection. “No, I know Mom loves me the most. Right, Emily?” Their interaction felt more like a mother and daughter than me and my own mom. When I didn’t respond, the room suddenly fell silent. “Mom, Emily might not be in a good mood. I want to talk to her alone for a bit. Can you go downstairs and meet Dad?” Mom left the room with a hint of displeasure. As soon as the door closed, Ashley’s beautiful face twisted into a malicious grin. “Emily, you look so disgusting right now. You’re going to have to live with a pee bag for the rest of your life, aren’t you? Haha.” “So what if you’re their real daughter? I’m the one they care about the most!” “Dad promised me ten percent of the company’s stock after the SATs. It’s already in my account. He even said I’ll be the heir to the company.” Ashley frowned, looking annoyed that I wasn’t reacting. “I don’t even care about the SATs score. Dad already arranged for me to study abroad, but that doesn’t mean I’ll let you be better than me!” “You probably don’t know, but Mom and Dad hired the people who kidnapped you. They even sent your photos to the internet.” “It’s because you made me unhappy. Of course, they’d help me get rid of you.” I kept my expression blank, my heart numb. When I decided to leave, I had already given up on this family. Ashley suddenly stood up, grabbed my collar, and her eyes flashed with malice. “Emily, I wish you’d just die.” “But if you died, I’d be bored.” “I almost forgot to tell you. Dad only wanted to kidnap you and keep you from taking the SATs. But I paid them more to beat you up so you’d be useless for the rest of your life. You’re not worthy of being my stepping stone.” !!! I looked up, one thought in my mind: kill her! Before I could act, Ashley smirked. She quickly grabbed the water pitcher from the bedside table and smashed it on the floor. “Ah! Don’t hit me!” “Ashley, are you okay?” The door burst open, and Mom and Dad rushed in and hugged Ashley. Fragments of the pitcher had hit her feet, leaving a few shallow cuts. The injuries weren’t serious, and there wasn’t any hot water in the pitcher. But Dad’s eyes were filled with rage as he looked at me. “Emily! Ashley came to see you! How could you hit her?” “You can’t blame her for your unhappiness!” “If anything happens to her, don’t blame me for disowning you!” Mom looked anxiously at Ashley, who appeared terrified. “Emily, how can you be so petty? I’m so disappointed!” They quickly took Ashley to find a doctor, not even glancing at me. If they had looked, they would have seen that my injured body didn’t even have the strength to lift a pitcher. Those words were just for their own ears, to make themselves feel better. But it didn’t matter. I picked up my phone. “Hello, I’m ready.” My eyes scanned a hidden corner of the room where a small light was blinking. Everything here was being broadcast live for everyone to see. “It’s time to go.” And it was time for them to pay. 5 On the way to the airport, I saw a trending news story. It was a video taken by a bystander showing Ashley being rushed to the hospital by Mom and Dad. In the video, Mom went to pay the bill while Dad stayed with Ashley. “Dad, I’m really okay. Don’t blame Emily. She must be upset after what happened. If it makes her feel better, I don’t mind.” “You’re too soft-hearted. That’s why she always bullies you! If I hadn’t looked into it, I wouldn’t have known she was using her grades to isolate you from the other students.” “As long as Mom and Dad love me, I’m happy.” The video had thousands of likes, and the comments praised Ashley’s kindness, while others cursed me, some even threatening to expose my personal information. It was obvious Ashley had done this on purpose. They were the ones who did all the bad things, but I was the one being condemned by the entire internet. But karma was a bitch. Because of this trending story and the photos the media had released, the traffic to my livestream exploded. My injuries had already attracted a lot of attention, and now with the added drama of a rich family feud, the internet was in a frenzy. “Mr. Anderson, something terrible has happened. Several of our major partners are withdrawing from our deals, and the bank won’t approve our loan.” Dad’s phone rang, and his assistant sounded frantic. “What? What did they say?” “They… they said they don’t work with criminals. Mr. Anderson, you should check the livestream online.” [Oh my God, did her own parents really do this? This is completely changing my perspective!] [This girl is such a drama queen! Is she staging this too?] [Someone call the police!] Dad finally realized there was a livestream in the hospital room. He made a public relations announcement to take it down, and then rushed into the room to turn off the camera. It was too late. All the marketing accounts had already recorded it. Just then, he realized that I was gone. Thirty minutes later, under the respectful guidance of several staff members, I walked into the VVIP lounge. Seeing the figure waiting there, I felt at ease and grateful. “Aunt Susan.” The woman turned around. She’d already known about my situation from the time I’d contacted her. But when she saw my injuries in person, she couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. “Sweetheart, you’ve suffered so much. I’ll make those people pay.” “I’ve found the best medical team in Switzerland for you. They’ll start the surgery as soon as you get there and heal your wounds.” “Thank you, Aunt Susan.” Aunt Susan was the biggest donor to our orphanage. She didn’t want to get married, but she needed an heir, so she started observing the children at the orphanage six years ago. Eventually, she chose me. I was just starting middle school then, and I’d shown an amazing talent for academics. Not only was I gifted at math, but my understanding of physics was almost genius-level. But I wanted to find my birth parents, so I turned down Aunt Susan. She wasn’t disappointed or looking to replace me. Instead, she helped me find my family. Even so, she continued to support me, sending me all kinds of study materials every year. After I went back to the Anderson’s, we kept in touch. I once asked her why she chose me. She said she had a lover once. They planned to get married after graduation and dreamed of having a daughter. When the time came, the father would teach her physics, and the mother would teach her math. However, her lover’s family wasn’t wealthy. Aunt Susan was the family’s only heir and had to obey the elders. To completely end their relationship, her lover’s family arranged a car accident that killed him. From that moment on, Aunt Susan never wanted to get married. She used her power to control the family business and successfully avenged her lover. So sometimes, fate is strange. My parents hurt me for Ashley’s sake. But Aunt Susan, who wasn’t related to me by blood, helped me selflessly. “The private jet is ready. Let’s go.” “Okay.” Just before boarding the plane, my phone kept buzzing with messages and calls. [Emily, where are you? You’re not well. I’m worried about you. Please come home.] [Emily, don’t listen to your sister. You’re our real daughter. How could we ever hurt you? Come home, and I’ll explain everything.] I didn’t hesitate to turn off my phone.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “392121”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My sister, Brittany, is dead set on going to charm school, just like those influencers, so she can marry some rich dude. I tried to talk her out of it. Charm school ain’t cheap, and there’s no guarantee you’ll even snag a sugar daddy. For once, Brittany actually listened to me. She didn’t go. But then, she found out our neighbor, Ashley, went to charm school and actually married a freakin’ millionaire. Brittany lost her damn mind. She blamed me for ruining her chance at being a trophy wife. One night, while I was sound asleep, she stuck a knife straight into my heart. And then I woke up. I was back. Back on the day Brittany first decided she wanted to go to charm school. This time, I’m keeping my mouth shut. … “CRASH!” The noise ripped me awake, and the first thing I saw was a total disaster of a room. And standing right there, smack in the middle of the chaos, were the three of them. They saw me wake up and gave each other this awkward look. Finally, my sister, Brittany, glared at me, all righteous indignation: “What are you staring at? We just came in here to see if you’re stashing anything. Mom and Dad have busted their asses raising you all these years, and you’re hiding a secret stash of cash?” Hearing Brittany’s words, Mom and Dad jumped on the bandwagon, backing her up. They pointed their fingers at me, not holding back: “Your sister’s right! We’ve worked ourselves to the bone to raise you, and you owe us! Hand over all your money, right now!” Hearing those familiar words, I just froze, completely stunned. I instinctively reached for my chest, touching my heart. Wasn’t I just killed by Brittany? Didn’t she shove a knife right into my chest? Wasn’t I already dead…? My parents’ accusations were still ringing in my ears. Just like before, Brittany wants to be like those online celebs, go to charm school, and marry a billionaire as a quick way to the top. But last time, I thought it was a crazy idea. Last time, the charm school tuition would have cleaned out our entire savings. We’re just a regular, working-class family, for crying out loud. We can’t afford that kind of thing. And going to charm school doesn’t guarantee you’ll marry rich. It’s all just online marketing BS. I tried to talk Brittany out of it, telling her she should be more down-to-earth. Brittany actually listened to me and didn’t go to charm school. But then our neighbor, Ashley, actually married some big shot after going to that damn charm school. She became a real-life trophy wife. Brittany just snapped, filled with jealousy, convinced it was all my fault. She grabbed a knife and jammed it straight into my heart, without a second thought. I closed my eyes for a second, trying to get my head straight. Now I finally believe it. I really died. But somehow, I’ve been reborn. If I get a do-over, I’m definitely not sticking my nose in other people’s business. If Brittany wants to go to charm school, then let her go. I’m not giving her a single freakin’ dime. I just stared at them, my face blank. My parents, they’ve always played favorites, ever since we were little. Even though Brittany and I are both their daughters, both born from their flesh and blood. But they’ve always been all about Brittany. If Brittany got something, I didn’t. If I had something, Brittany had to have it too. Growing up, I was stuck taking care of the whole damn family, cooking and cleaning and everything else, while Brittany acted like some kinda princess, waiting for me to serve her. All I got was insults and beatings. My whole family treated me like I wasn’t even human. But deep down, I always had this tiny sliver of hope, you know? I’m still their daughter, after all. Even if things were rough, we were still a family. But this time, I’m not buying it anymore. I don’t need a family like that. I looked at them, cold and detached: “You already know how much money I have. I hand over my entire paycheck every single month.” Brittany’s face twisted with fury: “That’s not good enough! I have to go to charm school! The application fee is ten grand, and you better find a way to come up with it!” My parents hesitated for a second, but I knew they had a secret stash of savings. They just wanted to bleed me dry first. Chapter 2: Moving Out Faced with Brittany’s demands, my parents immediately turned on me again. They actually wanted me to take out a loan to pay for Brittany’s damn charm school. But I’m not the same sucker I was in my past life. I won’t try to talk Brittany out of it, and I sure as hell won’t be taking out any loans for her. I stood up and started throwing my stuff into a suitcase. I’m getting out of here. I’m moving out. If I stay in this house with these people, I swear I’m gonna do something I’ll regret. Seeing what I was doing, the whole family just lost it. My mom slapped me across the face, hard. “You little bitch! If you dare move out of this house, don’t ever come crawling back!” I held my cheek and stared at them, my face blank. My parents were giving me these hateful looks, and Brittany was practically jumping for joy, loving every minute of it. But this time, I won’t let them walk all over me. I didn’t even finish high school. I went straight to work to support this whole damn family. They’ve been spending my money, living it up like they’re royalty. Seeing that I was serious about leaving, Brittany suddenly freaked out. Without me to milk for cash, she’d never be able to afford charm school. She instinctively reached out, blocking my way, trying to stop me from leaving. But I wasn’t listening to her anymore. A cold smile twisted my lips: “Mom and Dad are loaded, right? My money’s all with them. If you want to go to charm school so bad, why don’t you ask them to pay for it?” Hearing that, Brittany immediately spun around, fixing her gaze on my parents. My parents’ eyes darted around, avoiding eye contact, looking guilty as hell. They probably thought this charm school thing was a long shot, too. But Brittany’s their precious angel, the apple of their eye, the one they’ve spoiled rotten since day one. They just couldn’t bring themselves to tell her no. I took advantage of the moment, grabbing my bag and walking out the door, without a single backward glance. Even if I’m flat broke, I don’t want to spend another second in that house. Just being there makes me sick, like I’m suffocating. As soon as I was gone, Brittany ran straight to my parents’ bedroom and started tearing the place apart, turning everything upside down. She finally found their bank book. It showed a balance of $200,000, most of which was money I’d handed over to them over the years. Brittany’s eyes just about popped out of her head when she saw all that money. That was more than enough to pay for charm school, with plenty left over. She could even buy herself some new designer stuff. Brittany snatched up the bank book and made a beeline for the door. My parents tried to stop her, to grab it back, but that was their life savings. It was supposed to be their retirement fund, the money they’d use to take care of themselves when they got old. But Brittany knew how to play them. She changed her expression, gave them her best puppy-dog eyes, and whined: “Lisa can always make more money, can’t she? You always said you loved me the most. Once I go to charm school and marry a rich guy, you can come live with me and enjoy the good life!” My parents looked at each other, their love for Brittany outweighing their attachment to the money. Deep down, they were dreaming of living the high life, too. They figured if Brittany could just land a rich husband, they’d be set for life, living in the lap of luxury. Just like that, Brittany got her hands on $200,000, no problem. She and Ashley, the neighbor, signed up for charm school together. Now, here I am, kicked out of my own house, with only two hundred bucks in my pocket. That’s all I had managed to save up on my own, hiding it away in secret. Any money I earned at work, they’d always find a way to take it. At first, they’d make up some excuse, saying they were saving it for me. But then I saw them, clear as day, handing my hard-earned cash over to Brittany. After that, they didn’t even bother to pretend anymore. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. From now on, their lives were their own business. I didn’t give a damn what happened to them. And I sure as hell wasn’t going to try and talk Brittany out of going to charm school. This time around, I was gonna live my life for me, and me alone. I didn’t have a fancy college degree, so I was stuck with doing manual labor. But I got lucky and found a job that paid pretty well and wasn’t too backbreaking. Cleaning offices for a big corporation. Chapter 3: Be My Woman Right now, the most important thing is to stay alive, and that means having money in my pocket. If I want to change my life for the better, I gotta take it one step at a time, brick by brick. Earning my own living isn’t anything to be ashamed of. But let’s be honest, a young girl like me, wearing a drab cleaning uniform, kind of sticks out like a sore thumb among all these fancy business types. All the other cleaners are older ladies, most of them pushing sixty. I’m the only one in my twenties, the freakin’ baby of the bunch. And from day one, they’ve been giving me the cold shoulder, acting like I don’t belong. Of course, I saw it coming. I knew I’d be the odd one out. The supervisor gave me the worst assignment of all: cleaning the CEO’s office. I heard the guy’s got a real temper, and if you don’t clean his office to his exact standards, he’ll fire you in a heartbeat. Word is, he’s already gone through a whole army of cleaners. So, naturally, I got stuck cleaning his office. The other cleaners practically threw a parade behind my back, picturing me getting kicked out on my ass before lunch. They’re all past their prime, bodies kinda worn out, faces showing the miles they’ve traveled. And then there’s me, this young girl who showed up, and they’re probably looking at me and thinking of the time they were young and beautiful. Feeling their eyes on me, I couldn’t help but feel a little tense. This is my only job right now. I heard the CEO’s got some kind of weird thing about cleanliness. He’s a total neat freak, a perfectionist. I took a deep breath, telling myself to just do my job and keep my head down. I opened the door and went inside. I tried not to look at the man sitting behind the big desk. I just focused on cleaning. I was super careful, wiping down every surface with the right kind of cloth, not wanting to screw anything up. But the whole time, I could feel his eyes on me, like a laser beam burning into the back of my head. Even though I tried to stay calm, I was sweating bullets. This is my only job right now, and I didn’t want to lose it. When I finally finished cleaning, I turned to leave. Suddenly, someone called out to me. “What’s your name?” I froze for a second. That voice… it sounded kind of familiar. But I turned around, still keeping my eyes on the floor. “My name’s Lisa,” I said, trying to sound respectful. Then I heard footsteps coming closer, and the next thing I knew, someone was grabbing my chin and tilting my face up. I looked up, and my eyes went wide. This guy… he was the dude I had that one-night stand with! It was a rainy night. I was working late, heading home after midnight. I turned a corner and saw a guy lying on the ground, covered in blood. My first instinct was to call 911, but the guy grabbed my arm, begging me to take him somewhere safe. He threatened me, basically. I didn’t know what to do, so I took him to my secret place: this abandoned warehouse down by the docks. It’s where I go when I’m feeling down, you know? Just to get away from everything. There’s even an old mattress in the back. I got him settled in, and then I promised I wouldn’t call the cops or tell anyone about what happened. The guy was about to let me go. But then he started breathing all heavy, his eyes fixed on me, all bloodshot. The next thing I knew, everything was spinning. My clothes were torn off, and before I knew it, I was completely naked. All those buried memories, they came flooding back. I lowered my head, feeling this weird mix of fear and embarrassment. How could the CEO be that same guy? Jake Reynolds took a step closer, his voice low and menacing: “Do you remember me? The rainy night… you and me…” Hearing those words, my cheeks started to burn. I shook my head instinctively: “Mr. Reynolds, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jake chuckled, this low, dangerous sound: “You have a little red birthmark on your lower back, shaped like a heart. Should I jog your memory?” I didn’t know what Jake was getting at. What was he trying to do to me? I had worked so hard to forget about that night, to put it behind me. Seeing my confusion, Jake leaned in close and told me exactly what he wanted. “Be my woman.” Chapter 4: The Acceptance Hearing those words, my first reaction was to say no, to get the hell out of there. But then Jake said something that made me stop dead in my tracks. “I don’t have a wife, I don’t have a girlfriend. You come with me, you’ll be my woman, and I’ll give you five million dollars a month.” Five million dollars. I couldn’t earn that much money if I worked for a hundred lifetimes. I’m just a regular girl, you know? Hearing about all that cash, I was ashamed to admit, but I hesitated. Jake saw it, and he cranked up the pressure even more: “I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do.” I honestly don’t even know how I managed to walk out of the CEO’s office. I just felt like I was floating, like my feet weren’t even touching the ground. Just like that, I walked into the office as a cleaning lady, and walked out as something completely different: Jake Reynolds’ woman. I never imagined that the guy I had a one-night stand with that night would turn out to be Jake Reynolds. I mean, who hasn’t heard of Jake Reynolds? He’s a freakin’ business legend, a global icon, always near the top of the billionaire list. People have estimated his net worth at hundreds of billions of dollars. He’s at the top of the food chain. The richest of the rich. All the so-called “elite” families in this town are nothing but peasants in his eyes. He just has to snap his fingers, and the whole city trembles. I honestly can’t figure out why a guy like that would even look twice at someone like me. But whatever the reason, I ended up moving into his mansion that very day. He isn’t anything like his name. It sounds all gentle and romantic, but Jake is anything but. He pulled me close, wrapping his arms around me. His scent surrounded me, filled my senses, took my breath away. But like he promised, he didn’t try to force me to do anything. He kept his word. Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Brittany had forked over the ten grand for her charm school tuition and officially started her journey to trophy wife-dom. Everywhere she looked, all she saw were designer bags and watches, diamond bracelets and platinum necklaces. Brittany had never seen so much high-end crap in her life. Her eyes practically bugged out of her head. She was more convinced than ever that she had made the right decision, that this charm school was her ticket to the good life. After all, our neighbor Ashley had managed to marry some big shot after going to the same school. So why not her? She was way better looking than Ashley, anyway. But just a few days later, Ashley had completely transformed. Brittany stared at her, eyes burning with envy. Ashley’s face was so different. She had obviously had some “work” done. Her nose was higher, her eyes were bigger, and her chin was all pointy and defined. Brittany felt completely outclassed. It seemed like everyone else was already carrying a freakin’ Birkin bag, while she was still wearing clothes she’d swiped from my closet. And her face was still a dull, sickly yellow. Brittany wasn’t gonna let herself get left behind. She decided she had to get plastic surgery too. Eyes, nose, everything. She blew through her cash in no time, and even racked up a huge debt to the freakin’ plastic surgeon. After the first few lessons, most of the girls already had designer bags, flaunting them like trophies. Brittany felt like she just had to keep up, no matter what. At first, she tried to squeeze more money out of Mom and Dad, but without me around to foot the bills, the family was completely broke. So Brittany pulled the ultimate weapon: she threatened to kill herself if they didn’t give her the money. My parents had no choice but to hit up their friends and relatives, begging for loans. At first, they were able to scrape together a few bucks, but they were so irresponsible, borrowing money left and right without any intention of paying it back. Pretty soon, nobody would even answer their calls anymore. But Brittany wasn’t listening to reason. She just kept pushing, demanding more and more. After sinking tens of thousands of dollars into her face, all she had managed to do was make herself look like a cheap knock-off of a celebrity. Her face was swollen and bruised, and she looked like she’d been stung by a thousand bees. Brittany had planned to wait a few more weeks, let the swelling go down before showing herself in public. But then, one of the other girls in the charm school actually managed to hook up with some freakin’ tycoon. Now, she was all over social media, showing off her new life, her designer wardrobe, her private jet. Brittany was green with jealousy. She was convinced she was the one who was supposed to marry rich first, to be living the high life, to be the envy of everyone. So, she hatched a plan. She started posting anonymous gossip online, trying to tear the other girl down. #FakeSocialiteLeanneIsFakeFromTheTopToBottom# #Leanne’sSugarDaddyIsADirtyOldMan# Those two hashtags took off like wildfire, trending all over social media. In a matter of hours, Leanne’s entire life had been exposed. Turns out, she wasn’t some refined debutante at all, but a pole dancer from a sleazy strip club. Just like that, Leanne became a laughingstock, a walking punchline. Her dream of marrying into high society, of living happily ever after in a gilded cage, was completely shattered.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “392143”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My wife Isabella’s old flame, Liam, had end-stage kidney failure. She went live online, begging the internet to find me. A psychic user commented: “That man is already dead. His spirit is hovering right over your shoulder.” She scoffed, then dangled our young son over the edge of a cliff, shouting at me. “Trying to dodge donating a kidney for Liam? Now you’re teaming up with psychics to spin these lies?” “Ethan, if you don’t show yourself right now, I’ll make this little brat pay for your cowardice!” The live chat went wild: “Why’s the gold digger hiding? The proof of him cheating with those models was rock solid! Playing dead now?” “Yeah! Like father, like son. The dad’s trash, what good can the kid be?” “Teach that scum-pair a lesson they won’t forget!” The wind howled around the cliff edge. My six-year-old son, Leo, was crying, screaming “Daddy!” Hearing him only fueled Isabella’s rage. “Shut up! Just go down!” Then she cut the rope, letting our son plummet into the abyss. When my elderly mother came looking for me and Leo, it just made Isabella angrier. “You old hag! Tell me where your son is hiding!” “You dare delay Liam’s transplant? See if I don’t whip you to death!” She had a whip, dipped in saltwater. Each lash tore into my mom’s skin, leaving raw, bleeding wounds. To force me out of hiding, she even locked my mother in a dark basement, cutting her repeatedly, day after day. Not until my skeletal remains were dug up from the woods out back. Only then did she finally break down, clutching my ashes, wanting to join me in death. 1 In the livestream, the chat scrolled furiously, filled with insults. Suddenly, a highlighted comment slowly drifted across the center of the screen: 【The child’s father is truly dead. His spirit… is hovering right over your shoulder.】 Isabella froze, glancing behind her instinctively. Nothing but wild grass swaying in the wind. She sneered, “What kind of charlatan is this? Utter nonsense!” “Ethan just posted a video on his feed – yacht party with models, living it up. How could he be dead?” “Oh, I get it. Maybe he overexerted himself? Died on top of some woman?” The chat exploded again, a flood of comments saying I deserved it if I was dead. Isabella’s fingers tightened on the rope, loosening it further. Leo’s body swayed precariously in the air. She threatened me again, “Ethan, I’m giving you five more minutes!” “If you don’t show up, I’m throwing this little brat down to his death!” The highlighted comment reappeared: 【He was drained of his blood. His resentment is too strong; he hasn’t moved on…】 Isabella laughed mockingly and kicked the user out of her livestream. “We live in a scientific age, and people still believe this supernatural crap? If I said I was the King of the Underworld, would you believe me?” As she spoke, she moved to cut the rope holding Leo. I lunged forward desperately, trying to grab my son, but my hands passed right through his body. “Isabella!” I screamed at her, “Isn’t my death enough? Why are you hurting our son?” But she couldn’t hear me. A year ago, Isabella’s old flame, Liam, suffered from debilitating chest pains, but doctors couldn’t find the cause. Some quack doctor told her that using blood drawn directly from my heart as a catalyst could cure Liam. Without a second thought, she had me tied up, letting that quack puncture my chest, aiming for my heart. The piercing agony made me beg her, “Let me go… please… I’ll die if this continues…” She just frowned impatiently, her tone cold. “It’s just a little blood. Worst case, I’ll have the maid cook you some pork liver to replenish it. You’re a grown man, stop being so dramatic.” As the blood kept draining, I lost the strength to argue. Breathing became harder and harder. After I died, my resentment was so intense I couldn’t move on. I could only linger near Isabella, watching her and Liam live their blissful life together. In the year since my death, she never once thought of me, not even bothering with our son. Now, because Liam had kidney failure, she finally remembered she had a husband. Too bad I couldn’t help her precious Liam anymore. But my poor son… having to suffer like this because of me. “Isabella, I’m begging you, let Leo go. He’s so young, he doesn’t understand anything…” My voice was like a pebble dropped into the ocean, making no ripples. “Ethan! Five minutes are up! You’re really not coming out, are you?” “Fine! Since you don’t care, I’ll just toss this little monster down!” “No…” “Izzy.” As I cried out, Liam’s weak voice sounded. “Don’t hurt Leo for my sake. He’s your son, and I’m just… an outsider.” “If I have to die, I accept it. Maybe this is just my fate. I only want you to be happy…” I turned my head. Liam was in a wheelchair, his face pale, looking extremely ill. Isabella’s eyes filled with pain. She rushed to his side, gripping his hand tightly. “It’s just a minor thing, it’ll be okay. Once I find Ethan, we can cure you.” Saying that, she stood up and cut the rope. “NO—” Leo fell straight down the cliff face. His terrified screams echoed through the valley. My heart felt like it was being ripped apart. I wanted to jump after him but found myself bound to the cliff edge. All I could do was collapse to my knees, the soul-crushing agony threatening to consume me entirely. 2 In the hospital corridor, the private investigator called Isabella. “Ms. Rossi, we’ve conducted a comprehensive search. We haven’t found any trace of your husband.” “How is that possible?” Isabella cut him off, sending him the video. “He just posted this today. Didn’t you find this location?” “We checked that area, ma’am. According to the marina staff, no yachts went out today, and no one saw your husband.” He hesitated, then asked quietly, “When was the last time you actually saw your husband?” The last time Isabella saw me was the day she took my heart’s blood. After that, she never thought of me again. I couldn’t understand why videos of me were still appearing after my death. Isabella seemed to remember something. She gave the investigator another address to check. It was the place where my blood was taken – the quack doctor’s illegal clinic. “Izzy…” Just then, Liam emerged from his hospital room, his voice weak. “Haven’t they found Ethan yet?” He coughed lightly into his fist. “If they can’t, just let it go. If he doesn’t want to help, I understand.” Seeing Liam blaming himself made Isabella’s resentment towards me deepen. “It’s just donating a kidney! It’s not like I’m asking for his life! Men from poor backgrounds are always so dramatic.” I couldn’t help but laugh, a hollow sound only I could hear. This past year, watching them together, I thought my heart had turned to stone. But hearing her words, my spirit still trembled. I really shouldn’t have harbored such foolish dreams. I shouldn’t have dreamed of marrying Isabella Rossi, the heiress, and certainly not of winning even a sliver of her affection through my own efforts. 3 “Daddy, are you okay?” A familiar voice reached my ears. I snapped my eyes open to see Leo standing beside me. He’d just been thrown off the cliff. I thought I’d never see him again, but here he was, with me. I hugged him tightly, tears blurring my vision. “I’m so sorry… Daddy was useless…” But Leo used his small hands to wipe away my tears, smiling at me. “Don’t cry, Daddy. I missed you so much this past year. It’s great that I can finally be with you!” Suddenly, his little face scrunched up. “It’s just… Grandma won’t be able to find me. She must be really sad…” Before he finished speaking, I saw my mom enter the hospital room. The moment Isabella saw my mom, her face darkened. “What are you doing here?” The disdain in her eyes was unmistakable. Ever since we got married, she’d looked down on my mom, thinking her background wasn’t good enough. She’d even kicked her out and sent her back to her hometown while I was away. “I came to see Ethan and Leo,” my mom said timidly. “Ethan hasn’t contacted me once this year. I was worried something happened, so I came to…” Leo whispered urgently, “Oh no, Daddy, I never told Grandma you died. She thinks you’re still alive.” Isabella, that vicious woman, already disliked my mom. Now, convinced I was deliberately hiding from her, she would never let my mom off easily. “Mom, run! Get out of here!” I yelled frantically, but my mom couldn’t hear me. 4 In the next second, Isabella grabbed my mom by the collar, her eyes fierce. “Tell me! Where is that bastard Ethan hiding?” My mom trembled, terrified, not understanding Isabella’s fury, but quickly tried to explain: “I haven’t seen Ethan in a long time. I know you don’t like me, I’ll leave right now.” Isabella sneered, shoving her to the ground. “Looks like you won’t talk unless I teach you a lesson!” She waved for a bodyguard to bring the whip and, without hesitation, lashed out at my mom. “Get Ethan out here right now, or I’ll whip you to death!” My mom curled up on the floor in agony, crying out for mercy: “Ethan really hasn’t contacted me… Did you two have a fight?” “I’ll call him, tell him to come back and apologize…” With trembling hands, she pulled her old phone from her pocket, struggling to dial my number. My heart felt like it was being shredded, the pain almost suffocating me. But all I could do was watch, helpless. Leo clung to my hand, tears streaming down his face. “Daddy, Grandma’s not going to die, is she…?” After my mom managed to dial my number, Isabella snatched the phone away. “Ethan, I’m giving you ten minutes.” “If you don’t come to the hospital, don’t blame me for what happens to your mother!” However, only the cold, automated voice message played from the other end. Isabella frowned, checked the number, and dialed again. Still switched off. Her face instantly turned menacing. The whip in her hand cracked down violently on my mother again. “You’re conspiring with Ethan to trick me, aren’t you?” “Tell me! Where is Ethan!” My mom scrambled backward, stammering: “Please, don’t be hasty, maybe Ethan’s phone just died…” “Died?” Isabella scoffed, her whipping relentless. Soon, my mom was covered in welts, blood staining the floor. But Isabella showed no sign of stopping. “He posted a video today, partying with a bunch of women on a yacht, having the time of his life, and now his phone is dead? Who are you kidding!” “I bet he just doesn’t want to save Liam and deliberately went into hiding!” “You old hag, just die!” I rushed towards my mom, trying to shield her, but the whip passed through me, striking her again. At that moment, my heart felt like it was tearing apart. I turned and knelt before Isabella, pleading with her. “Isabella! I’m right here! Hit me if you want, just hit me! Please, let my mom go…” But she couldn’t see or hear me. Leo spun around frantically beside me, his small face etched with terror and helplessness. He threw himself beside my mom, shaking her gently. “Grandma! Can you hear me? If you can, run! You’ll die if you stay here!” “Isabella is a bad woman! She won’t spare you!” My mom stared blankly into the void, her gaze slowly fading. “Mom—” Trembling, I reached out to hold her, only to pass through her again. My nails dug into my palms. Why… Loving the wrong person, I accepted it! Giving up my life for it, I accepted that too! But what did my son and my mother do wrong? 5 “That’s enough, Izzy,” Liam said softly. “Don’t hurt others for my sake. This is my fate, I accept it.” “No!” Isabella looked at my mom’s lifeless body, the anger still burning inside her. She couldn’t let it go. She whipped my mom a few more times before finally dropping the whip. “Lock this old hag up,” she ordered. “Cut her once every day until Ethan shows himself.” She walked to Liam’s bedside, shedding all her aggression, taking his hand gently. “Don’t think about anything right now. Just rest. Leave everything to me.” Liam could have spoken up while my mom was being beaten, but he stayed silent. Only when she was near death did he put on his phony act of kindness. I’d seen through him long ago. But Isabella trusted him unconditionally. No matter what I said, she wouldn’t listen. Suddenly, Liam’s gaze shifted towards me, his eyes challenging. He… he could see me?! Before I could probe further, he closed his eyes and lay back down.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “392163”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I was sick. The doctor frowned, shaking his head as he looked over the test results. “If there are any loose ends you need to tie up, you should do it soon. It’s only a matter of days now.” I stared blankly at the pale white wall, lost in thought. Handed a death sentence, what did I want to do most? What I wanted most was probably to help my husband, Lucas, find the woman he’d never stopped thinking about, his old flame, and throw them a huge wedding. Let them live happily ever after once I was gone, forever together. Bang! The examination room door flew open. Lucas stormed in and immediately punched the doctor. “You quack! Do you even know how to read results?! What the hell are you talking about? I oughta beat the crap out of you!” I sighed, rubbing my temples. The noise was giving me a headache. I waved my assistant forward to pull the flailing Lucas away, apologized to the doctor as he left, and the room fell silent. “How old are you, still starting fights like this? Think you’re still twenty-something, taking on three guys at once?” I pulled out a tissue to wipe the blood from the corner of Lucas’s mouth. “Dr. Miller knows how to handle himself, you know. If he hadn’t cut you some slack because of me, you’d be short a few teeth right now.” Lucas’s eyes turned red, his dimples deep enough to drown in. “He had it coming, running his mouth like that! What kind of illness hits that fast? No time for treatment even? He was basically cursing you! I swear, I won’t feel better until I teach him a lesson!” Lucas stood up to leave again, but I held him back tightly. Still, being sick, I didn’t have much strength. After a few tugs, I started gasping for air, coughing violently. The tissue in my hand instantly bloomed red. Only then did Lucas start to believe it might be real. He helped me into a chair, and I caught my breath, finally able to speak in broken sentences after a long pause. “Honey, this sickness… it didn’t just start. I started coughing up blood a month ago, but we were both so busy then. Too busy to even notice what was happening to our own bodies. Thinking back now, I guess we brought this on ourselves.” Fat tears rolled down Lucas’s cheeks. He squeezed my hand, his eyes filled with pain and reluctance to let go. “There has to be a way! There has to be! We’ll go abroad. The medical care overseas is so much better, they can definitely…” I placed my hand over his mouth. “It’s no use, honey. I already consulted specialists abroad. Even if we sell the company, spend every penny we have, it would only buy me maybe another month. Is that worth it?” Faced with my question, Lucas’s loving gaze filled with hesitation. Risking the empire we’d built over fifteen years on someone who was definitely going to die… that wasn’t a good deal. But in front of the assistants, Lucas couldn’t admit that money mattered more than my life. Besides, we were always seen as the perfect, devoted couple. Even if he didn’t want to spend the money, he couldn’t be the one to say, “Let’s stop treatment.” Those words had to come from me. 2 “Lucas, honey, I know you love me. But I can’t bear to watch everything we built crumble. If that happened, I wouldn’t be able to rest in peace.” Lucas’s tears fell like broken strands of pearls onto my hand. He just shook his head, crying, not saying anything. I had to keep going. “Honestly, I’ve made peace with it. Everyone dies eventually, it’s just a matter of when. Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me. We’ve had fourteen years together. What more could I regret?” Hearing this, Lucas looked up. “Evelyn, don’t talk like that. I won’t let you.” I looked at his tear-streaked face and managed a small smile. “Lucas, saying I have no regrets is a lie. There is actually one thing you could help me fix.” Lucas’s tears stopped instantly. A flash of panic crossed his eyes. He was afraid I’d bring up money. I gently patted his head to soothe him. I wouldn’t. I didn’t want to talk about money right now. I only wanted to talk about feelings. “I’m worried that after I’m gone, there won’t be anyone to take care of you the way I do. I can’t stand the thought of you being alone for the rest of your life. If that happened, I wouldn’t be able to close my eyes, even in death.” I dabbed my eyes with a tissue, catching Lucas’s reaction out of the corner of my eye. He was wary, suspicious of every word coming out of my mouth. My hands slid from his head to his face. Lucas flinched like a startled puppy. “Take me to find Olivia Vance.” Lucas turned pale, but he forced a smile, pretending ignorance. “Olivia… Olivia Vance? Who’s that? A friend of yours?” I tapped his forehead playfully. “Isn’t she the one you could never forget?” “A week ago, you got drunk. You said her name all night long. I figure this girl must be someone I can trust.” “Putting you in her hands, I can rest easy.” My cold hand slid to Lucas’s neck. He swallowed hard, his lips trembling as he tried to explain. “I… I don’t… remember that? You must have misheard… yeah, misheard… You were my first love, Evelyn. How could I have some old flame? Impossible… there’s no one…” I cupped his face, offering what I hoped was my kindest smile. “Why are you so flustered, honey? Don’t be scared. I don’t mean any harm.” “Honestly, when I first heard you had someone else in your heart, I couldn’t handle it. I even thought about just… ending you in the middle of the night.” My cold hand tightened instinctively. Lucas shivered. “But when I actually had the chance, holding the knife over you, I couldn’t go through with it. Because I love you, you know?” Lucas nodded quickly. I stared straight into his eyes. “So now, I’ve let it go. Since I love you, I want you to be happy. Having a woman you love you for the rest of your life, taking care of you for me… I should be thanking her. Why would I do anything to hurt her?” “Lucas, they say people speak truthfully when they’re dying. I’ll arrange everything for the handover between me and Olivia. You won’t have to lift a finger. You’ll come out of this looking like the perfect, loving husband. You won’t be hurt at all.” “Can you just grant me this last wish?” Lucas nodded. I beamed, my smile as bright as a flower. 3 “Go now? Isn’t that too soon? Maybe you should rest tonight, let me prepare.” Lucas started panicking again when he saw me calling my assistant to bring the car around. “You heard the doctor, I don’t have much time. In a few days, it’s the anniversary of when you first told me you loved me. That day means the world to me. So, fourteen years later, on that same day, I want to hand you over to the woman you love. Then I can die without regrets.” Lucas fidgeted with the ring on his finger, mumbling, “Evelyn, stop talking about dying all the time. It’s bad luck.” Am I really in a position to care about bad luck anymore? Lucas said he’d arrange the car, told me to wait a bit. I sat calmly in the hospital’s VIP lounge and ordered something super spicy to eat, giving Lucas plenty of time to make his arrangements. I hoped he could come up with a good plan. I ate until I was so full I could barely move. Finally, Lucas ran back in. He frowned looking at the fiery red sauce in my takeout container. “Isn’t that too spicy for your stomach?” Lucas doesn’t eat spicy food, so I never did either. “Compared to the virus inside me, what’s a little spice?” “Does just seeing peppers upset your stomach?” Lucas quickly moved his hand away from his stomach. He’d had stomach problems for years. “Let’s go, the car’s ready.” Lucas took my hand and helped me into a warm RV. The hand I’d held for fourteen years felt as familiar and unexciting as holding my own. It’s funny I only realized that recently. Lying down in the RV, the exhaustion of the past few days finally caught up with me, and I fell asleep. I don’t know how long passed before the RV stopped, and Lucas gently shook me awake. “Evelyn, we’re here. Wake up, wake up.” I decided to scare him. I waited until he put his fingers under my nose to check my breathing, then suddenly snapped my eyes open, staring straight at him. “Don’t worry. I won’t let myself die until this is done.” Lucas awkwardly grabbed a coat and draped it over my shoulders. “It’s cold out, wear more.” He was always so considerate. That thoughtfulness and patience were part of why I chose him back then. Chose to start a business with him right after graduation, chose to live in a tiny $300-a-month basement apartment, chose to eat instant ramen for a year until I threw up just looking at it, chose to hide out sleeping in the car to dodge creditors over the holidays, chose to mortgage my parents’ house to help him rebuild… It was all my choice. I took his arm as I got out of the RV. The view that greeted me was genuinely shocking. “This… this is a cemetery?” 4 I looked at Lucas, confused. His eyes were red again, his voice choked with sobs. “Evelyn, I’m sorry. I did lie to you about this. Before you, I was involved with Olivia. But once I got together with you, we broke it off completely.” “The night I got drunk and called out her name… it was because she had passed away. I heard the news, and it hit me hard. She was so young, and we did love each other once. So… so I misspoke…” “I swear! I never thought of her as the one that got away! You’re the only one for me, Evelyn!” In the dark cemetery, Lucas raised his right hand, swearing an oath. He wasn’t afraid of getting struck by lightning, but I was. I let go of his arm and walked over to the gravestone engraved with the name OLIVIA VANCE, studying it closely. There was no photo on the headstone. No “daughter of,” no “wife of.” Just a solitary name. The ground around it was covered with fresh sod, sprinkled with old, dry dirt, but even so, you could tell the grave was new. This was what Lucas prepared during the time it took me to eat? I turned back to look at him. He had that same honest, almost naive look on his face he always wore. He never talked much, was polite to everyone. At thirty-four, he kept himself in good shape; put him in sweats, and he could pass for a college kid. He always told me where he was going when he went out for work dinners. He cooked for me, not just on anniversaries but regularly. He bought my parents a house back home. He was generous to my friends. He doted on me, so much so that everyone said how lucky I was to find such a great husband. But now, regarding my dying wish, he was lying to me. I didn’t know if he was scared of hurting me or worried that I, with nothing left to lose, would try to take his precious Olivia down with me. “Lucas, have I ever lied to you?” I bent down slightly to look him in the eye. “It’s been a while now. The doctors you consulted must have gotten back to you.” His hand was clenched in his pocket around the phone he kept checking. “Am I lying?” “If you still don’t believe me, I can announce to all our relatives that we’re parting ways amicably. Clear the path for your legitimate relationship with Olivia.” Lucas opened his mouth, still hesitating. “After you introduce her to me, I will publicly announce at the next company meeting that I’m transferring my thirty percent stake to you.” “This is the last thing I can leave you. I just want to witness you two getting together. Can’t you even grant me that?” My body trembled, my voice cracking with tears as I pleaded. I had never begged him for anything. This was the first and last time. Lucas finally nodded, but his brow remained furrowed, his hand clutching his stomach, which was clearly bothering him again. I didn’t want to watch. I pretended to faint. 5 When I opened my eyes again, it was to Lucas’s surprise. Family members from both sides were gathered around the bed, watching me intently. “Evelyn, just like you asked, I’ve called everyone here.” I managed a weak smile, patting Lucas’s head, praising him for handling things well. True, in all our years together, Lucas had always done what I asked. Whatever I told him to do, he did. So all our friends and family knew I called the shots in our house. Which meant any blame would also fall on me. I pushed myself up in bed. “Mom, Dad, Aunts, Uncles… Lucas must have told you about my illness. Over the years, Lucas and I went through a lot, suffered quite a bit, but thankfully, things turned around, and we achieved some success.” I lowered my head, chuckling softly. “I guess it’s just my bad luck. Just when things got good, I get sick like this. It doesn’t matter if I die, but I can’t stop worrying about Lucas. He’ll go crazy without someone by his side.” “So, I found someone to take my place. From now on, Ms. Olivia Vance will replace me as Lucas’s new wife. I will bless them always, hoping they stay together forever, happily ever after.” “Evie! How could you do this?!” My parents couldn’t believe their ears. Their daughter wasn’t even dead yet, and she was already arranging a new wife for her husband? What kind of crazy talk was this?! But Lucas’s parents looked pleased. “Folks, this is between the kids. We’re old now. We can’t help them much, so let’s not meddle too much.” “What do you mean ‘meddle too much’? Your son gets his happy ending after all the hardship, carefree and set up. Our daughter is so unlucky, hasn’t enjoyed any of the good life, and still has to worry about finding him a wife? Does the Thorne family get all the luck in the world?!” My dad couldn’t take it. He grabbed the back of Lucas’s neck, demanding an explanation. Lucas didn’t resist, just hung his head, crying silently, not saying a word. “Dad… Dad…” I struggled to get up, grabbing my dad’s arm. “It’s all my decision. I love Lucas. I want him to be happy.” “How can you be so foolish?” Dad let go, supporting my mom, who was close to fainting from crying. They knew I was stubborn; they could only let me have my way. “Lucas, everyone understands now. Aren’t you going to bring Olivia out to say hello?” Another blood-stained tissue dropped to the floor. Lucas looked around; only his family remained. He cautiously stepped out and brought in the long-awaited old flame.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “392181”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I slept with my boss, Julian Vance. On Liam’s birthday, of all days. It happened after a work dinner. I got totally wasted, and Vance took me back to his hotel room. He laid me on the bed, took off my shoes, and then, after a few seconds of silence, he suddenly leaned over me. Through my drunken haze, I saw his face close up, usually so cool and aloof. In that moment, all his usual authority and chill vanished, leaving only eyes softened by desire. He undid my belt, his hand slipping inside my clothes. Instinctively, I tried to push his wrist away, my eyes wide with shock. He licked his lips, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he breathed shallowly. “You can say no,” he murmured. I didn’t say no. Not only that, I pulled him down and kissed him back, hard. Wildly. My kiss left him breathless, pushing him over the edge. Raw need radiated off him. He muttered something about never expecting someone with an innocent face like mine could be so wild in bed. Seeing that playful look in his eyes snuffed out my own burst of raw abandon. An indescribable weight settled in my chest, making it hard to breathe. It became unbearable, and tears started streaming down my face. 2 The morning alarm jolted me awake. My phone screen showed dozens of missed calls. From Liam. He hadn’t slept all night. He’d called from 8 PM to 8 AM. Probably worried he’d disturb me if I was busy, so he called once every hour. My battery was almost dead. Thinking of him reminded me: yesterday was his birthday. Ever since freshman year of high school, I’d been there for his birthday. Every single year. Even when he clearly didn’t want me there, I’d shamelessly stick around. I remember senior year, that summer right after graduation, when everyone was about to scatter to different colleges across the country. He planned to confess his feelings for Sarah Miller at his birthday party. And guess who planned the whole surprise confession setup, paying for it out of her own pocket? Me. — Absolutely no self-respect. Liam was crazy about Sarah. He’d adored her for three solid years. However low I stooped for him, that’s how much lower he stooped for Sarah. But his love for her felt… nobler than mine for him. Mine was relentless chasing; his was quiet support from the sidelines. In the last month of senior year, Sarah started dating the class valedictorian. I skipped class with Liam, got drunk with him, and together we risked bombing the SATs and screwing up our whole lives by running away to some unfamiliar city – Austin, I think it was. I had these boundless dreams about our future together. I thought, even if his life went completely off the rails, I’d stick by him. Even if the whole world turned its back on him, I wouldn’t leave. I was lost in my infatuation with him, but one sentence from him snapped me back to reality. He said, “She doesn’t have to be with me. All I want is for her to be happy.” He said it so calmly, just like those devoted supporting male characters in books and movies, the ones who silently protect the heroine, willing to give everything, always ready to step in, just hoping she might notice him, spare him a glance. In that instant, my world shattered. The person I loved so much, the one I was willing to give up everything for, was willing to be less than dust for someone else. He wouldn’t even spare me a kind look, yet he’d let his heart be pulverized for her. I became the dust beneath the dust. For the first time, I felt utterly worthless. Looking at myself in the mirror, suddenly nothing seemed to matter. Being pretty, getting good grades, coming from a good family – none of it meant anything to him. He didn’t see it. He didn’t see me. His indifference cast a shadow over my entire life. But I still chased him for three more years. It wasn’t until we were about to graduate from college that he finally agreed to be with me. When that moment came, I felt no joy, no thrill of finally getting what I wanted. Just exhaustion and forced endurance. I knew deep down that the constant care I showed him in the years that followed wasn’t love anymore. It was obsession. A stubborn refusal to let go. I was holding onto this bitter grudge. Because of that grudge, I had to see it through to the end. An end that no longer held any meaning for me. It was like settling a score for my neglected, long-dead feelings. Like those women who find out their husbands cheated after decades of marriage, when they’re old and faded, but refuse to divorce. She’s already lost everything of herself, unable to accept ending up with nothing, unable to watch the bastard live happily ever after with someone else. So, it becomes scorched earth. Even if there’s no love left, even if it’s pure hate, they stay bound together. Mutual destruction. Shared ruin. That was my mindset being with him. I knew it from the start. “Where were you last night?” When I got home, breakfast was already on the table. Liam really knew how to live. He loved tending to plants, decorating his place, knew all the little life hacks and details. Most importantly, he loved to cook and watch people enjoy his food. In the years we’d been together, he’d definitely fattened me up. Sarah Miller was blind. A guy like him – stable, domestic, good inside and out – marrying him would be any woman’s blessing. I didn’t love him, but that didn’t stop me from appreciating him. I always thought he was a great guy. No flaws, really, except for how he failed me emotionally. Though honestly, I didn’t have much ground to stand on, saying he failed anyone. From the beginning, his stance was crystal clear. He tried hard to reject me. I was the one who wouldn’t take no for an answer. I brought this on myself. “I was at a work dinner with Mr. Vance. Got a little drunk, figured it wasn’t safe to go home alone so late, so I got a room at a hotel.” Guilt made me keep my eyes down while I answered, focusing on eating. He was quiet for a moment, then said, “I told you I could pick you up.” “I didn’t need you to.” My reply was sharp, almost cold. His expression faltered, eyes dropping with a hint of disappointment as he picked up the carton to pour me some milk. I was constantly forcing myself to be independent. Terrified of getting used to his thoughtfulness. Because what if Sarah came back someday, snapped her fingers, and he ran right back to her? What would I do then? I refused to be that pitiful girl ever again. “Have some warm milk first, it’ll settle your stomach.” He placed the glass near my hand. I didn’t reach for it. He sat across the table, just watching me. Feeling his gaze, I frowned, trying hard to look like I was just hungover, not like I’d spent his birthday night cheating on him, passionately servicing another man. “Anna, are you short on cash?” He pulled out a bank card and slid it across the table towards me. “There’s fifty thousand in here. It’s money I was saving for a down payment on a house, for when we get married. If you need it, take it for now. If it’s not enough, I can borrow more.” I was confused about why he thought I needed money when my phone buzzed twice on the table. A Venmo notification popped up. “Received $100,000.” Liam’s face suddenly turned ugly. He was usually so polite; in all our years together, he rarely pried into my affairs. But now, he snatched my phone before I could react. Ignoring my struggles, he held it high out of reach, walked away, and opened Venmo with a cold expression to see who sent the money. I scrambled onto a chair trying to grab it back, but it was too late. “Why did Julian Vance send you money?” His eyes were so cold they could freeze water. My heart hammered against my ribs. I avoided his gaze. Furious, he scooped me up, carried me into the living room, and dumped me on the sofa. He pinned me down, trying to lift my skirt to check… something? I fought back hard, and he dropped the pretense. “I was outside your hotel room last night.” “You didn’t come out all night.” 3 His words felt like a bomb detonating in my chest. My mouth fell open. I was stunned, unable to form any defense. My heart pounded wildly, threatening to burst out of my chest. I tried to speak again, still nothing. I gave up. It was just an accident. Before I could get the words out, Liam’s eyes reddened with fury. He looked both angry and devastated, like someone who just found out a person they trusted their whole life had been lying all along. “Selling yourself for money? Anna, you’re college-educated, for crying out loud! What kind of trouble are you in? Why can’t you tell me so we can solve it together? Do you think I’m useless?!” Surprisingly, his first reaction wasn’t anger about the cheating itself, but concern about what desperation drove me to sell my body. He couldn’t comprehend it. I have to admit, his sincerity softened me again. If he had yelled at me, accused me right then, I might have found the courage to end things. Too bad. He wasn’t blaming, just… bewildered and hurt. “I don’t need money. It… it was an accident.” My answer didn’t seem to surprise Liam at all. He’d been unhappy for days when he first learned I was going to be Julian Vance’s assistant. Vance’s playboy reputation was legendary. From A-list celebrities down to wannabe actresses, anyone remotely attractive seemed to end up photographed by his side, swapped out almost weekly. How could Liam possibly feel okay about me working closely with someone like that? In the past, if he’d acted moody about it, I would have been secretly thrilled, imagining my dear Liam was finally getting possessive, showing a tiny bit of interest in me. But he wasn’t the Liam I longed for anymore. So when he objected, I ignored him completely. Eventually, he gave up arguing and just started monitoring my curfew. If I was late, even by a little, he’d show up immediately. Sometimes at the office, sometimes waiting outside a restaurant. How could I have forgotten that? No, wait. Last night, I had wanted to leave. It was Vance who insisted on taking me to his room. He must have planned it all along. “This is sexual assault. I’m calling Mark.” Mark was his childhood friend, a partner at a top law firm. A big-shot lawyer. He’d handled countless major cases, he wouldn’t be intimidated by Julian Vance. “Don’t…” I grabbed his sleeve to stop him. What Vance did last night… it was taking advantage of me being drunk. But he had said I could refuse. And I hadn’t. If this went to court, and a man like Vance, used to navigating these situations, suddenly produced a recording… What shred of dignity would I have left? Seeing me stop him, Liam’s expression turned dark, intense. He stared at me, as if trying to see right through me. “You wanted it?” Caught, I quickly turned away, trying to escape his gaze. He gripped my wrist hard, his eyes red, almost bleeding. “Anna, yesterday was my birthday… How could you?” “And you’re so innocent?!” Backed into a corner, I dropped all pretense too, coldly shaking off his hand, questioning him with a sneer. “Last year, when Sarah came back, weren’t you the one who spent the night with her in a hotel?” His eyes widened slightly in surprise. He thought I didn’t know. Because that night, I was away on a business trip. Around 11 PM, I texted him, and he didn’t reply. Then, scrolling through social media, I saw a video posted by a classmate. It showed him and Sarah, hugging. That classmate had some nerve. Knowing we were together, even talking about getting married, and still posting a video like that specifically for me to see. The caption read: “Liam finally got his goddess.” I can barely remember how I felt at that moment. Maybe I felt nothing. When pain reaches a certain point, you just go numb. I think that was the day I completely gave up on him. If, before that, I still held onto a tiny, hidden hope that time could heal things, that we might reconcile someday… That day shattered even that fragile hope. There was no love left for him. None. “You…” His eyes flickered. He was clearly shocked, probably never imagining I knew he’d seen Sarah. All his earlier fury dissolved into guilt. He couldn’t face the fact that he had deceived me. A self-righteous hypocrite exposed – it was almost comical how powerless he looked. I deliberately smirked, patting his cheek condescendingly. “Looks like we’re even. Maybe we should just turn a blind eye.” “I didn’t…” He started to explain, but I cut him off. 4 It took me an hour to pack my things. I could do it so quickly probably because I’d always been mentally prepared for an exit like this. After that incident with Sarah, she became my recurring nightmare. I’d even dream about them, side-by-side, happy together. I dreaded hearing that Sarah was back in town. Every time she came home for summer break or holidays, it put me on high alert. I’d pretend not to care, but secretly, I’d be obsessively trying to find out any news about the two of them, searching for any possibility they might meet up, might get together. Like a crazy person. “Anna, please let me explain.” Liam blocked the bedroom door, banging on it, refusing to let me leave, insisting on explaining. “It was a class reunion! A bunch of us stayed over, nothing happened!” I laughed, pulling the door open to look at his face, so earnest and innocent, like he was genuinely wronged. “Really? Am I not your classmate? Why wasn’t I invited? Let me guess—oh, right. They wanted to help you get together with your goddess?” That was the most ironic part of the whole thing. — I was basically ostracized by our entire graduating class. He and Sarah were the couple they shipped. In their eyes, I was just the crazy, interfering third wheel who should get lost. No wonder someone deliberately posted that video for me to see. It was only then that I truly saw myself clearly. He looked desperate, still wanting to explain, but I cut him short. “It’s not just about that. — Liam, I’m not happy with you.” He froze, a wounded look flashing in his anxious eyes, but he quickly composed himself. “Anna, let’s stick to the facts. There’s no need to be hurtful.” “Hurtful?” My eyes welled up, my nose stung, and my voice cracked uncontrollably. “Liam, do you even know what hurt means? Do you know that every single day I spent with you felt utterly pointless? Yes, pointless! Everything I did felt meaningless, my whole existence felt meaningless! That’s how you make me feel, Liam! You ruined everything for me, but I can’t even blame you, because from the very beginning, you rejected me so completely… It was my own damn fault.” Voicing my obsession and the darkness I’d carried, I suddenly felt like the villain in some cheap drama. Falling for someone who didn’t love me, insisting on being with them. Planning his crucial birthday party, only to sabotage his confession. That night, pretending to be blackout drunk, collapsing into his arms, monopolizing his entire evening. He never got the chance to escape me and tell Sarah how he felt before she left. When it comes down to it, I was the bad guy all along. It was all my own damn fault.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “392204”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I was married to a genius pharmaceutical PhD. We were deeply in love, and everyone envied me for marrying a wife who was both caring and successful. I thought our marriage was perfect and couldn’t help but brag about my wife to the whole world. Then one day, I overheard a conversation between her and one of her students outside the lab. “Isabella, what she’s doing is messed up. Ben just got a new artificial heart, and she wants him to test a new drug? If something happens to him…” Before the student could finish, Isabella stormed into the lab to cut him off: “It’s none of your business! I’ve been working on this for years. If I don’t trick Ben into testing this for Jason, and something happens to Jason, what am I supposed to do?” So, all the medications I had been testing for her were a joke… Well, whoever wants to be a guinea pig can be my guest! 1 “Professor, isn’t this taking things too far? Ben just got a new artificial heart. If something happens to him…” Isabella’s low voice snapped from inside the lab: “That’s enough from you!” Even though I couldn’t see her face, I could tell she was truly angry. Sure enough, the next second I heard something being smashed. “He has to test the new drug. Jason’s weak; he can’t wait any longer.” The student didn’t dare say much more. As he was about to leave, Isabella stopped him, hesitating: “Just in case, postpone the drug trial until next week. Run a few more tests to make sure Ben won’t be hurt.” Isabella’s words felt like a knife twisting in my heart, almost unbearable. Had she been in love with Jason all these years? And was I just a lab rat? I stumbled back to the house, the chest pain from the artificial heart making it almost impossible to stand up straight. But the physical pain was nothing compared to the turmoil in my heart. I collapsed onto the bed, my eyes landing on the flowers and pill bottles on the table. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. Isabella and I had been married for five years, and I had always cherished her. I thought I was the luckiest man in the world, so I was willing to be her guinea pig for her medical research. Over the past five years, I’d coughed up blood countless times, developed countless incurable diseases, and even had my heart gradually deteriorate from all the drug trials. But I never regretted it. For her, I would have given my life. I never imagined it was all a joke, a carefully crafted lie. “Honey, what’s wrong? You look terrible.” “Are you feeling okay?” Seeing my pale face, Isabella rushed over and carefully held me in her arms, gently rubbing my chest. Her eyes were overflowing with concern. Before, this would have made me feel happy, like I had married a truly loving woman. But now, I just felt a chill run down my spine. “It’s my fault. I haven’t been around to take care of you.” Isabella’s voice was full of self-reproach. Looking into her sincere eyes, I pleaded, “Isabella, I just got this heart. Can I skip the drug trial this time?” A flicker of hesitation crossed her face. I quickly added, “I’m worried about rejection. I might not be able to stay by your side.” Isabella’s gaze fell to my chest. She sighed and said, “Ben, this drug is important for my career.” Looking at her determined expression, a sharp pain shot through my nose. My heart felt like it was being ripped apart. So, my life meant less to her than that guy. Seeing my stricken face, Isabella quickly reassured me, “I promise I’ll protect you.” She touched her nose to mine, her voice gentle and loving. “You’re my life. I wouldn’t want you to be hurt.” Every word was a lie. My heart turned to ash. I said, “It’s okay, Isabella. I can handle it.” Isabella’s face lit up, but she said, “This is the last time, honey. I won’t put you in danger again.” I hugged her, but felt icy cold. That night, I couldn’t sleep. At dawn, Isabella’s phone rang. The guy on the other end was being jealous and sarcastic. Isabella soothed him and then left without hesitation. Hearing the door close, I couldn’t stop replaying the words I’d heard the night before. She was rushing off to see that guy, wasn’t she? The guy whose life she was protecting with mine. 2 After she left, I went straight into Isabella’s study. Her bookshelf was full of photos of me, and on the balcony was a huge portrait of me she had painted. Even the layout of the study was designed according to my tastes. Anyone who saw the study would be touched by Isabella’s deep affection for me. But only I knew that on her computer was a folder that I didn’t know the password to. Isabella had told me about it when she was drunk, saying it was the most precious thing in the world, her life. I thought it was her research, so I didn’t pay much attention to it. Now, I realized things might not be as I thought. I tried entering Isabella’s phone password, and it opened the file right away. Turns out the phone password, which she had told me had no special meaning, was actually someone else’s birthday. The folder was full of photos of a guy named Jason. Isabella had taken every single one. The camera doesn’t lie. Every photo showed me that Isabella loved him deeply. The funny thing was, Isabella had once told me she wasn’t into photography. They traveled together, read together, and even raised a kitten together. But Isabella had told me she was allergic to cat hair, so I even gave away my cat of eight years. In the photos, Isabella’s gaze was cautious, passionate, and timid, unlike anything I had ever seen from her. She was always in control with me, always stoic. I thought it was just her personality, but it was just because she didn’t love me. The last page was a letter she had written to Jason. [Jason, I’ve finally found someone whose health is very similar to yours. He thinks I love him and is even rushing to test drugs for me!] [He doesn’t know his heart is failing. He’s voluntarily testing drugs for me and has even developed cancer. But it’s not my fault; he volunteered!] I strained my eyes, stubbornly refusing to let the tears fall. Turns out the person she really wanted to spend her life with wasn’t me at all. In her eyes, I was just a guinea pig. What I thought was a chance encounter, a love story, was just something she’d orchestrated. It was all because my health was similar to Jason’s. She had been using me the whole time. I closed the computer and went back to the bedroom, collapsing on the bed and finally crying. I couldn’t stop reliving the time I almost died in the hospital from a heart attack. I had taken a drug that Isabella had given me, and soon I was in agonizing pain, coughing up blood. I panicked and called Isabella, but she never answered. I naively thought she was busy. In the hospital room, I almost bled to death. Isabella consoled me, saying she would always be by my side and wouldn’t let anything happen to me. I was touched beyond words, but also felt guilty for being careless and letting her down. So, even though the doctor later told me that my body might die from a heart attack if I kept testing drugs, I was willing to try, again and again. But little did I know that what I thought was salvation and love was all her manipulation. The pain in my heart made it almost impossible to breathe, a side effect of testing Isabella’s drugs for so long. I was afraid to tell her, so I never did. She probably already knew I was being tortured every night, but she didn’t care. Every detail of being with Isabella kept flashing through my mind. For the past seven years, I had been her guinea pig, experiencing countless near-death experiences. Each time, she tried her best to save me. She was genuinely afraid of losing me. Only because she didn’t want to lose someone who was so much like Jason, someone she could continue testing drugs on. My hand shook as I pulled out my phone and checked Isabella’s financial records. She had a large sum of money in a Swiss bank account and had also bought a lot of life insurance. All of them, without exception, were under the same name: Jason. 3 Turns out every penny Isabella earned had been given to Jason. All these years, I thought she was noble and had no savings, so I worked hard to support her dreams while also being her guinea pig. How utterly ridiculous! Just then, someone added me on social media. Looking at the profile picture, I knew instinctively it was Jason. The photo showed two hands intertwined, one of which was Isabella’s. She had been injured in the lab, so she had a burn scar on the back of her hand. I clicked on Jason’s timeline. The latest post was a photo of someone wearing an apron, with their back to the camera. The caption read: [How lucky to have a woman who’s willing to cook for you!] Isabella had told me she couldn’t cook and hated the smell of grease, so even when I was recovering from surgery, I endured the pain to cook for her. But around Jason, her principles, likes, and dislikes disappeared. It wasn’t that she didn’t like to cook; she just didn’t want to cook for me. I scrolled down further. This past Valentine’s Day, Isabella had taken Jason to France and bought him priceless artwork. They kissed in front of the Louvre, rowed on the Seine, and read together in the library. That day, Isabella just ordered me a cake. She even misspelled my name on the card. For Jason’s birthday, Isabella arranged a huge fireworks display. That night, I had my second heart attack. I almost died in the hospital. ······ Tears blurred my vision. I clutched my chest, curled up on the bed, and every breath was agonizing. So, in Isabella’s eyes, I was just a guinea pig, a scapegoat for Jason. She gave everything she had to Jason and left me with nothing but fake concern. I didn’t sleep all night. Isabella sent me countless messages. Before, I thought she shared everything with me because she loved me. Actually, she was just afraid I’d find out the truth, afraid of losing me as her guinea pig. This time, I was going to disappoint her. I contacted a fake death agency and asked them to arrange a faked death as quickly as possible. Isabella came back late, and the moment she walked in, she couldn’t wait to hug me. Her voice was tired, and her eyes were bloodshot. “Honey, I’ve been working in the lab all day. I’m exhausted. Did you miss me?” Before, I would have felt sorry for her. But now, I just felt disgusted. She loved someone else, yet she could still put on this act of deep affection. “Are you mad?” She pinched my nose affectionately. “I’m not going anywhere today. I’m staying with you, okay?” I didn’t say anything. Anyway, I was leaving her soon. Even this child wasn’t worth keeping around. There was no need to play the lovey-dovey act anymore. The phone rang suddenly. Isabella looked at the text message with a puzzled expression. “What kind of service did you sign up for that goes into effect in five hours?” I snatched the phone from her. It was a message from the fake death agency. They had taken care of everything for me. It would take effect in five hours. I forced a smile. “It’s nothing. Just company stuff.” Although Isabella’s eyes flashed with suspicion, she was confident in my love for her, so she didn’t ask any more questions. She just took my hand and said: “Honey, I miss you every minute.” “Don’t ever leave me, okay?” A bitter feeling rose in my throat. I lowered my eyes and nodded. Isabella, soon there won’t be a Ben around anymore. Soon, I’ll be gone from your life forever. We’ll never see each other again. Before Isabella could even change, she got a call. “What? Something happened to Jason? Wait for me. I’m coming back right now!” Isabella looked panicked and rushed out the door without even a glance at me. But my heart didn’t even flutter. Before faking my death, I needed a good reason. So, I opened a chat window with Jason. [I’m Isabella’s husband. Let’s meet.] 4 Jason was still talking to Isabella when he came to see me. He deliberately put her on speaker so I could hear Isabella’s gentle and loving voice. “Jason, you’re not feeling well. Why are you running around?” “If something happens to you, what am I supposed to do?” Jason had a winning smile on his face. “I missed you so much. When are you going to give me the medicine you promised?” “Are you having second thoughts about that other guy? You don’t want to lose him?” Isabella was silent for a moment, then smiled helplessly. “You’re the only one in my heart.” “I have to let him try it out first before I dare give it to you. I don’t want you to be hurt, not even a little bit.” I clenched the sleeve of my shirt under the table, a bitter smile on my face. After hanging up, Jason looked at me provocatively. “Isabella is really going to great lengths for me.” His eyes and brows were full of a winner’s pride. His skin was rosy, and he didn’t look sick at all. I turned to look at myself in the mirror. My face was pale, and I was emaciated. From testing Isabella’s drugs over and over, my body had long become extremely weak. “I might as well tell you the truth. I’m not really sick.” “She’s letting you test the drugs just because of something I said.” I should have known. Isabella was a medical genius. How could she not know that Jason was faking it? She just loved him too much, loved him so much that she was willing to let me die. “I didn’t come here to fight you over Isabella. I’ll leave her, but you have to do one thing for me.” Meeting Jason’s mocking gaze, I said: “I just want the new drug from her lab. Anyway, I’m going to be testing it. What difference does it make if I take it a day earlier or later?” I felt a lot better after leaving the hotel. These past few days, I’d been clinging to Isabella, never leaving her side. At first, she was patient, but later she became extremely impatient. But I didn’t care, as long as I could get the drug. Three days later, Jason brought me Isabella’s new drug. After swallowing the pill, I completely relaxed. Before the fake death agency staff arrived, I packed up all my belongings, tore up all my photos and threw them in the trash, and replaced every frame with photos of Isabella and Jason. I was leaving, and there would be no one to stand in their way anymore. Just before I lay down on the hospital bed, my phone suddenly rang. Isabella had sent me a long voice message saying she couldn’t be with me for New Year’s Eve because the lab was too busy. But the background noise in the voice message was clearly the airport departure lounge, announcing her flight to the Maldives was about to take off. I knew without a doubt that Isabella was going on vacation with Jason. It had been like this for years. No matter what the holiday, she always spent it with Jason. Even if I was about to die in the hospital, she would go celebrate Jason’s birthday. Now, she didn’t even bother to pretend. I smiled mockingly and closed my eyes as instructed by the staff. I told myself: Ben, soon you can leave Isabella forever. At the same time. The moment she landed in the Maldives, Isabella received a call from the hospital in the US. Her student’s voice was panicky and trembling. “Professor! Ben found out about you and Jason! He took the new drug you developed in the lab.” “His heart stopped! He died after failed resuscitation!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “392220”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

We’d been married for three years, and my wife, Ashley, treated me like gold. She went above and beyond to support my career, and she kept our home spotless. She always said she knew she couldn’t give me kids, that she already owed me so much, so she had to make it up to me in other ways. Everyone told me she was head-over-heels for me, and honestly, I believed it. But one day after work, I accidentally overheard a conversation between her and our adopted daughter: “Mommy, I miss Daddy. I don’t like Uncle Kevin.” Ashley’s eyes grew distant as she stroked our daughter’s hair. “Daddy’s heart is beating inside Uncle Kevin’s body. He’s always with us.” My blood ran cold. Three years ago, I had a heart transplant. Turns out, she wasn’t infertile, she already had a kid with someone else. I was just a substitute. 1 “Mommy, I don’t like Uncle Kevin. When can we go back to the house where Daddy lived?” I’d just gotten to the front door after work when I heard that little voice coming from inside. It was Ashley’s and my adopted daughter, Lily. And me? I was just “Uncle Kevin.” My hand froze on the doorknob. A moment later, I heard Ashley’s soft, careful voice. “Lily, honey, Daddy’s heart is beating inside Uncle Kevin’s body. He’s always with us.” When Ashley said that, her normally gentle voice had a hint of a tremor I’d never noticed before. As soon as she heard that, Lily started wailing. “Uncle Kevin is a bad man! He stole Daddy’s heart! Waaaaah!” That’s when my blood turned to ice. Three years ago, I’d gotten a heart transplant. I heard the donor was a young guy. I met Ashley during my recovery. She was the campus queen at State U, we even had classes together back then, and I’d chased after her for three years. She was always so cool to me, so I gave up. Then, she showed up at the hospital visiting a friend and ran right into me sneaking out of my room. The nurses were doing their rounds. She was so tiny, and we hid together in this narrow hallway alcove. Her beautiful eyes were glued to me. Our eyes met, and I was pathetically smitten all over again. She was gorgeous, one of those girls who just glows. She’d always acted like I was invisible, but when she heard I’d nearly died and gotten a new heart, she suddenly said yes to a date. The way she put it was, “You only really appreciate something when you almost lose it.” She’d take me out to the park when I was going stir-crazy in the hospital, she’d bring me a bouquet of blue roses every morning, and when I finally got out, she swore she’d love me forever in front of our family and friends when I proposed. After we got married, she played the role of “perfect wife” to the hilt. She did everything around the house, wouldn’t let me lift a finger. Our friends called her my “pocket angel,” sweet and beautiful, and said she was here to repay me for something in a past life. Only, she couldn’t have kids. I never blamed her, but it made her sad. She didn’t perk up until we adopted Lily, and you could see the happiness radiating from her. Everyone said she was crazy about me. They couldn’t believe how this ice queen from college was now so devoted. Yeah, Ashley’s eyes were deep and beautiful, her dark pupils always looked like they were filled with this bottomless love. Just one look from her, and I’d melt. But now I realized she was looking right through me at someone else. That her not wanting to have kids was because she already had a kid. I was just a replacement. Because my chest was beating with her lover’s heart. 2 Grief crashed over me like a tidal wave. My hands started shaking. The jigsaw puzzle I’d bought for Lily tumbled to the floor, shattering the silence. The door flew open. Ashley saw me and her eyes flashed with panic. She knew I’d heard the conversation. “Kevin, let me explain…” Ashley instinctively reached out to me, but I shoved her away. I took a step back, feeling like I couldn’t breathe. My heart was pounding harder, but all I felt was disgust. She ignored me and wrapped her arms around my waist. Her soft voice whispered in my ear, “Breathe, Kevin. Don’t do this.” The last time I’d gotten this upset was when my mom died. I was so choked up, I could barely breathe. I held onto Ashley and told her I didn’t have a family anymore. And Ashley stayed with me every single long, painful night, soothing me over and over. She said she’d love me forever, she’d give me a home. As long as I took care of myself, took care of this heart, and cherished the life we’d made. I believed her. I did everything I could to protect our family. Even though Lily wasn’t that close to me, I tried to win her over, buying her the toys and snacks she liked. Ashley gave so much to our family, I wanted to match her efforts. But it turned out I was always the outsider. I was the bad guy who stole her dad’s heart. They were the real family. 3 “So you never loved me. It was always someone else, wasn’t it?” I wrenched myself out of Ashley’s arms and stomped towards the bedroom to pack my things. She grabbed my arm, and in the struggle, I accidentally knocked over the snow globe on the hall table. The crash echoed. Ashley froze. Glass shards everywhere. The old gears inside whirred to a halt, making this awful, screeching sound. She babied that snow globe, always said it was a gift from a special friend, never let me touch it. Lily, standing nearby, started crying. “Daddy gave that to Mommy! You bad man!” Ashley didn’t even pay attention to me. She instinctively reached down to pick up the broken glass, and the sharp edges sliced her long fingers, drawing blood. She didn’t seem to notice. Her eyes were red-rimmed as she stared at me. “Kevin, have you lost your mind? What do you want from me?” “Your life was saved by him! What right do you have to act like this?” She was yelling at me for the first time. There was a flash of something like hate in her eyes. My heart twisted, and I just stood there. Lily pushed me. My lower back slammed into the corner of the table. A sharp pain shot through me. “It’s your fault! I hate you!” “Because of you, Daddy doesn’t want me anymore! Can’t you just get out of our house!” Her words felt like a punch to the gut. My heart was beating faster, and I was shaking all over. Lily wouldn’t let up. She kept pushing me towards the door. My chest was tight, and I couldn’t catch my breath. I instinctively struggled, accidentally shoving her away. Lily fell to the floor and immediately started screaming. “I want Daddy! Daddy’s not here, and everyone’s picking on me! Waaaaah!” Ashley instantly stepped in front of Lily, her bloody hands protecting her. She glared at me. “She’s a child, Kevin! What the hell is wrong with you?” “She’s been living without her dad for three years because of you! And if it weren’t for his heart, you wouldn’t even be alive right now! How can you treat our daughter like this?” I stared at Ashley, stunned. She was a complete stranger. If I was so awful, why had I worked so hard to please Lily? Why had I stayed up all night with her when she was sick, why had I been the first one at school when she got bullied? Lily wasn’t my biological child, but I’d treated her like she was. And now she was calling me “awful.” How ridiculous was that? 4 My legs were starting to give out. The pain, physical and emotional, was crushing me. Just breathing was agony, and I didn’t have the strength to say anything. It was the start of a heart attack. Ashley seemed to notice something was wrong. Her yelling stopped abruptly, and I saw a flicker of worry in her eyes. “Okay, you’ve got his heart. Don’t get too worked up.” Even now, she was thinking about her lover’s heart. I smiled bitterly to myself. Lily, seeing Ashley soften, got an idea. She tugged at Ashley’s sleeve and whispered, “Mommy, Uncle Kevin doesn’t have Daddy’s heart… Daddy’s still alive.” “He called me.” Ashley paused, confused. “When did Daddy call you? Are you sure it was him?” “Yeah! Daddy said he’s coming back to surprise Mommy. He said when the blue roses are blooming, you’ll see each other again.” Ashley’s eyes filled with tears. She murmured, “That was our thing… He’s really alive. There’s no way you’d know that otherwise.” Blue roses. Ashley had special ordered them for our wedding. The bitterness and pain in my heart got worse. The throbbing in my chest grew more intense. I bit my lip, trying to get inside to grab my medication. “Move, Ashley. I don’t owe you anything anymore…” But Ashley grabbed my wrist, her eyes cold. “Yeah, you’re nothing to him now, but you just pushed Lily. Apologize.” Now that she knew the truth, she looked at me with disgust. Even the last bit of affection was gone. She was standing by Lily’s side again. My lips were white, my voice trembling. “Let go, Ashley. I don’t feel well.” “Do you think I’ll believe you? How many times have you lied to me before?” Ashley sneered. I used to tease her, telling her my heart was acting up. Whether I was serious or not, Ashley would always rush back to my side. Even when she knew I was faking it, she’d tear up and whine about it, hugging me and saying I couldn’t lie to her again. But that affection and forgiveness only mattered when I was loved. Now that the charade was over, how much of it had been real, and how much was just revulsion? I couldn’t risk it. I wanted to live. My mom had wanted me to live a good life. I just wanted to get my medication. My forehead was covered in sweat from the pain, but I managed to stammer, “I’m… sorry… Lily…” I looked at the child I’d doted on for three years, hoping she’d remember the good times and not push me to my death. But the next moment, her little voice rang out, condemning me. “Uncle Kevin, stop lying. You always pretend to be sick to trick Mommy.” Ashley huffed, looking down at me. “Get on your knees and apologize to Lily. You owe her that much.” My last shred of hope disappeared. My eyes dimmed. Just then, Ashley’s phone rang. She answered it impatiently, but as soon as she heard the voice on the other end, she froze. “Kevin…? Is that really you…” Her face softened. She even lowered her voice. Lily also heard the voice on the phone. She leaned in excitedly. “It’s Daddy, Mommy! Is Daddy coming to get me?” In the silence, I heard a gentle voice coming from the phone. “Ashley, how have you been?” Ashley hesitated for a moment, her voice barely audible, as if she needed to make sure it was real. “…They said you died. That they gave your heart to someone else.” “I signed a donor agreement, but they transferred me overseas for treatment. The doctors said the chance of recovery was small. I didn’t want to give you hope and then have it crushed, it was too cruel. So I chose to keep it a secret.” “But I’m lucky to be alive. Can you come see me?” There was a hint of helplessness and a sob in his voice. “Where are you? Send me your location.” She didn’t hesitate. She turned to leave. I was losing strength. I used all my energy to grab the edge of her shirt. “Ashley, I’m in so much pain… Call an ambulance.” But the woman who used to have eyes only for me mercilessly pried my fingers off, disgust on her face. “Kevin, do you think you still have anything to hold over me?” “I used to care about your heart. Now, what do you have? Don’t embarrass yourself.” I stumbled to the ground. Shards of the snow globe dug into my skin. My palm was covered in blood. I whimpered from the pain. My eyes welled up. “Please… Ashley. I’m not lying this time.” “For the sake of our three years together, help me.” Maybe the shaking in my voice and my obvious pain got through to her. Ashley paused. There was a flash of hesitation in her eyes. I felt a flicker of hope. But then Lily grabbed her hand, urging her on. “Mommy, I want to see Daddy!” “Uncle Kevin’s lying again! He’s trying to stop us from being together. Daddy’s waiting for us!” As soon as Ashley heard the words “stop us from being together,” the hesitation in her eyes turned to disgust. “Okay. Mommy’s going to take you to see Daddy.” She tore my hand off her shirt. The force of it sent me crashing into the broken glass. My skin was cut, and blood pooled underneath me, staining my white shirt.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “392237”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel