Liam Cross forced me into a revealing bunny costume for our university farewell gala. He swore it was just a costume party. The moment I stepped inside, the room exploded with cruel laughter. “Wow, the valedictorian? More like the queen of kink, wouldn’t you say?” Professor Sterling, Liam’s mother, sneered, her voice dripping with disgust. “Summer Reed, you have absolutely no shame. Wearing this to such a formal event? Do you even deserve my son?!” My body trembled, tears blurring my vision. I looked at Liam, desperate for an explanation, for him to stand up for me. Instead, he scoffed, pulling Sophia Cross, who stood beside him, into his arms. Right in front of everyone, he kissed her passionately, then turned to me, his words like daggers. “Summer Reed, if you hadn’t taken Scarlett’s spot all those years ago, she wouldn’t have died in that car accident on her way to that other university!” “But heaven was kind enough to send me her sister, Sophia. She’s my true love!” “And you, you’re destined to be a pathetic orphan forever. Get out!” I fought to control my shaking body, feigning composure as I turned to leave. But inside, a burning resolve hardened my heart. If their love was so earth-shattering, then I’d make sure it shattered them both. 0
Months ago, I pulled countless all-nighters, coding for Liam. I helped him win the University Startup Challenge, along with a $1,000,000 prize. That allowed him to establish himself in the metropolitan hub even before graduation. He held me close, tracing my features repeatedly, murmuring sweet nothings. “Summer, we’ll get married right after graduation. I’ll give you the grandest wedding imaginable.” For those words, I turned down a $1,000,000 offer. And I willingly became pregnant with his child. But now I understood. All his kindness, every sweet gesture, had concealed a monstrous hatred. My legs swayed, the world blurring around me. I just wanted to escape, to walk away, step by agonizing step. But Liam wouldn’t let up. His mocking voice followed me. “I bet a million dollars she won’t even make it through the night. She’ll come crawling back, begging for my forgiveness, like a desperate alley cat.” The words hit me like a tidal wave, and the crowd’s laughter crashed down. My head swam. The baby inside me seemed to sense my distress, and a faint ache started in my belly. Clutching my stomach, I stumbled towards the staircase. Suddenly, someone grabbed me from behind. It was Sophia. She hugged me, her voice tearful, calling out to Liam. “Liam, my love, Summer didn’t mean it. Please, just let her go.” “You can’t just send her away. She’s pregnant and won’t find a job. Let her stay, even as a maid!” Her words sounded like a plea, but they carried a stinging, unbearable humiliation. I used every ounce of strength to push her away. A wicked, barely hidden smirk flashed across her lips as she abruptly shoved me forward, then dramatically fell backward herself. Caught off guard, I lost my balance and tumbled down the stairs. A tearing pain erupted in my abdomen. Warm blood instantly gushed down my thighs, staining the white fur of my bunny costume crimson. “My baby!” I shrieked. Liam’s face instantly paled, his chest visibly heaving. He instinctively lunged forward, reaching out to help me up. But Sophia’s whimpering voice cut him off, perfectly timed. “Summer, I really didn’t mean any harm! Why did you push me?!” She sobbed, but her eyes held a triumphant, wicked glint directed at me. “No… no, that’s not it…” I tried to explain, but the pain made coherent words impossible. Liam frowned, looking at me, a flicker of something complex in his eyes. Ultimately, he turned, helping Sophia to her feet instead. He swept a cold glance over me, his voice icy, filled with profound disgust. “Disgusting. This is what you get for hurting others. You owe us so much. Consider this child your atonement.” With that, he helped Sophia walk away, not looking back. I had no sin, so how could there be atonement! His idealized Scarlett – I’d never even met her. How could I have intentionally harmed her? I lay on the cold ground, trembling, blood spreading beneath me. Watching them leave, my heart hurt more than my body. The crowd gathered around me like spectators at a morbid show, no one offering a hand. I had to save my baby. Ignoring everything else, I bit down hard and struggled to my feet. Still in the bunny costume, covered in blood, I staggered onto the street. No driver dared to pick me up. Step by painful step, I finally reached the hospital. The surgery lasted three hours. When I woke, I heard what felt like a miracle. 0
“The baby is safe.” The doctor looked at me deeply, unable to resist a warning. “The fetus has been temporarily saved. Please be more careful in the future. Don’t harm the baby inside you.” The story was too long, I didn’t know how to refute it. I could only bow my head, stroking my belly, tears falling endlessly. Baby, from now on, Mommy will protect you no matter what! If I was going to leave, I was going to leave completely. I would take all my things with me. Back at the mansion, I ignored my physical discomfort and started packing. But I ran into Professor Sterling, who was about to leave. Seeing me, she raised her hand and slapped me across the face. “You brat, why haven’t you left yet? Are you still trying to seduce my son?!” I couldn’t imagine how she became a professor; she lacked any sense of decency. I gritted my teeth and explained that I was just there to pack my things and would leave completely in a moment. She still looked at me with disgust. “Someone like you doesn’t even qualify to be a maid here. I’m warning you, don’t try to seduce my son again, or you’ll regret it!” I had just packed a few simple clothes when the villa door swung open. Liam walked in, arm around Sophia. His eyes immediately fell on my slightly swollen belly, and a flicker of delight crossed his face. A mocking smile played on his lips. “I knew you’d come back,” he sneered. “Since the baby’s still there, you can stay as a maid. Take care of Sophia.” “And at my wedding with Sophia in three days, I’ll even let you be a bridesmaid. Consider it your indirect marriage to me.” I froze. Three days from now. That was supposed to be *our* wedding. He’d promised me countless times, a grand wedding. To love me forever, to build a happy family with our child. But now, the villain’s true face was finally revealed. And the bride had been replaced by Sophia. “Liam, my love, you’re so good to me,” Sophia simpered. “Even though Summer accidentally caused my sister’s death, you still let her be our bridesmaid.” “It’s just a shame about Scarlett, she didn’t even get to have a baby for you before she left.” She started crying as she spoke, but her eyes held a triumphant smirk directed at me. Liam’s face suddenly changed. He quickly pulled Sophia into his embrace, gently stroking her head. “Sophia, don’t be so sad. I’ll give all my love to you, to make up for her.” He glanced at me, hesitated for a moment, then finally made up his mind. “Yes, I can’t let Scarlett down.” The words had barely left his lips when he forcefully dragged me out of the room and shoved me into the mansion’s sauna. He tied me to a chair. “Liam Cross, you’re insane!” I suddenly understood his intention and struggled desperately. But I couldn’t fight his strength. He cranked up the heat and locked the door. His voice was cold as death, like a grim reaper’s judgment. “You can atone for your sins in here. Tomorrow morning, if the baby’s still alive, I’ll let you go. I guess Scarlett wouldn’t mind then.” With that, he seemed to not want to see me anymore and walked away with Sophia. The temperature in the sauna began to rise rapidly. In moments, my breathing became incredibly difficult. 0
“Liam Cross! Let me out!” I screamed desperately, but there was no response from outside. Time ticked by, second by agonizing second, and my body began to show signs of dehydration. The baby in my belly also squirmed uneasily, as if protesting the terrifying environment. “Baby, I’m sorry. Mommy is so sorry.” I looked down at my belly, tears mixing with sweat, streaming down my face. The high heat made me dizzy, and I started to hallucinate. I saw the first time Liam and I cooked together, my finger accidentally burned. He was so anxious he nearly cried, carefully applied aloe vera, then carried me to the sofa. He pretended to be angry, but his voice was gentle. “You’re not allowed in the kitchen again. If you’re hungry, just call your husband!” Whenever my period pain made me curl up in bed, he would clumsily brew ginger tea with brown sugar. He’d drop three drops on the back of his hand to test the temperature before personally feeding it to me. I looked into his loving eyes, thinking he would never change, not in three lifetimes. But now, he had tied me in this scorching room, abandoning me and our baby to die. Suffocating heat, unbearable pressure. I felt my consciousness slowly peeling away, the cramping in my lower abdomen growing increasingly intense. I curled up in the corner, using my last ounce of strength to protect my belly. Don’t be scared, baby. Mommy’s here… The next morning, when Liam opened the sauna door. What he saw was me, passed out, lying in a pool of blood. He rushed over, immediately picking me up. “Summer! Summer!” Through a haze, I heard the ambulance sirens. When my consciousness cleared, I was lying in the guest room bed, an IV drip in my arm. Liam sat nearby, focused on typing code on his laptop. “The baby…” My voice was hoarse, like a broken bellows. Hearing my faint whisper, he quickly leaned closer, his gaze slightly evasive. “The baby… it’s gone.” “You’ve paid your debt to Scarlett. From now on, just stay here in the mansion and be a good housekeeper.” He picked up a bowl of soup, scooped out a small spoonful. After blowing on it a few times, he brought it to my lips. “This is a restorative broth. I made it myself to help you recover. Drink it.” My chest constricted with pain. I pushed him away. “I owe Scarlett nothing! There were only two spots that year, but I was the top honors graduate in the entire state!” “That last spot was clearly stolen by you. The one who killed Scarlett should be you!” Liam’s movements stiffened. A flicker of panic crossed his face. But quickly, that panic was replaced by enraged shame. “Slam!” He shot up, a resounding slap landing hard on my face. My cheek instantly swelled, blood oozing from the corner of my mouth. “Summer Reed, what are you talking about?!” He roared at me, his face contorted in a sneer. “If it weren’t for you, I would have been with Scarlett years ago!” “You manipulative woman, you still refuse to admit your fault! You’re beyond hope!” I stopped arguing, only offering a faint, mocking laugh, reminding him. “Your true love is calling. Go answer it.” Liam glanced at his phone, then, as if trying to escape something, stormed out, slamming the door. I hadn’t eaten in days. That night, I was ravenous and had to use the wall for support to go downstairs to find food. But as soon as I reached the second floor, I heard sounds of intimacy coming from Liam’s room. 0
That had been our room. Now, the door was wide open, their entwined bodies clearly visible. “Liam, my love, gently. It’s only just three months. Look how impatient you are!” Her voice was brazen and grating, like a dull knife twisting viciously in my heart. My baby had just been lost, and Liam was already in the mood to carouse with his mistress, having the time of his life! And Sophia was already three months pregnant. I remembered vividly how overjoyed he was when I first became pregnant. He would lay his head on my belly every day, clumsily talking to the baby, reading stories. He imagined everything about our baby’s birth, promising to give our child the best future. He had loved our child so much. That tenderness and affection felt like it happened just yesterday. But now, our child was gone. And he didn’t show even a hint of sorrow. He was celebrating with his mistress. A wave of nausea washed over me. I didn’t hesitate any longer. I forced myself to pack my bags, and amidst their unrestrained moans, I left the mansion for good. In these past few years, I had poured all my energy into Liam. I seemed to have forgotten how brilliant I once was. I needed a job to support myself. And I needed a job to prove that I, Summer Reed, hadn’t been broken. I had just suffered a miscarriage, my body still recovering, but the very next day, I endured the pain to look for work. I chose a well-known tech company. With my professional skills and qualifications, I should easily get an offer. However, fate always seemed to enjoy playing cruel jokes on me. At the interview, I ran into Liam and Sophia again. “It’s okay, their loss if it doesn’t work out this time. I’ll arrange a few better ones for you!” Liam was with Sophia, a tender smile on his face, seemingly comforting her. “Summer?” He looked up and suddenly saw me, a flicker of surprise crossing his face, quickly turning to anger. “Why didn’t you come home last night? You just lost the baby and you’re already out running wild? Do you have no shame at all?” His voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough for everyone nearby to hear. In an instant, countless scornful, mocking gazes fell upon me. I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. “I’ve already moved out. We have nothing to do with each other anymore.” Sophia, standing beside him, immediately put on her innocent, pitiful act, her eyes slightly red as she said to me. “Summer, can you please give me a chance? This job is really important to me.” “How can you intentionally compete with me over what happened yesterday?!” “Please, you took my sister’s spot in college back then. Can’t you just let me have this now?” As she spoke, a hint of malice flashed in her eyes, then she burst into tears and threw herself into Liam’s arms. Liam, hearing her words, immediately believed Sophia. He thought I was deliberately coming to this company to compete with her for revenge. He pointed at me, his voice filled with even more disgust. “Summer Reed, you really are shameless! You’d stoop to such despicable tactics!” I stared at Liam, my voice cold. “If we’re talking despicable, tricking me into getting pregnant right after graduation, and making me give up a million-dollar job offer – that’s truly despicable, isn’t it?!” He gritted his teeth in rage, about to retort, when the interviewer called my name. I walked into the interview room without looking back. The process was exceptionally smooth. My professional skills and project experience received high praise from the interviewers. My hiring was practically a certainty. Just as the interviewer was about to announce the result, Sophia and Liam suddenly burst in. 0
Sophia, tears streaming down her face, pointed at me, her voice choked with sobs. “Interviewer, she… she has a very questionable personal life! She had a miscarriage during the day, and was out partying at night!” As she spoke, she pulled out her phone. She played the video of me in the bunny costume, publicly humiliated in front of everyone. “Someone like this would seriously damage the company’s image. She’s completely unsuitable for this job!” Liam chimed in from the side. “She’s a promiscuous woman, and she even caused the death of my fiancée. How can someone like that be trusted with such an important position?” The interviewer’s face instantly turned ashen, their appreciative gaze wavering. “No, that’s not true!” I tried to explain, but the interviewer no longer wished to hear it. Finally, they just shook their head, looking regretful. “We’re very sorry, Ms. Reed, but we’ll need to reconsider.” I clenched my fists, blood oozing from my palms. I knew what those words meant. Tears I could no longer control spilled down my face as I walked out of the building. Standing under the scorching afternoon sun, I felt utterly cold. I refused to give up, and went to several more well-known tech companies. But in every interview, I noticed strange looks from the interviewers, and ultimately, all my applications were politely rejected. It wasn’t until that evening that I discovered my bunny costume video had gone viral online. All sorts of offensive titles and malicious comments surged towards me like a tide. “Is this woman crazy?” “Disrespectful to her mentors, she deserves to be humiliated and abandoned.” “Doesn’t look like a decent woman.” My phone vibrated ceaselessly with rejection calls from various companies. Even some companies that had previously expressed interest cancelled my interviews. I stared at the overwhelming torrent of insults on my phone screen, listening to the harsh sounds of rejection in my ear, utterly speechless. A rush of hot blood surged to my head, my vision went black, and I passed out completely. When I woke again, I found myself back in the guest room bed at Liam Cross’s mansion. “Summer, you’re awake.” Sophia pushed open the door. Liam followed behind her, holding a bowl of dark herbal soup. Seeing I was awake, a hint of triumph appeared on his face. “Sophia was kind enough to see you collapse on the street, that’s why I brought you back. You should thank her properly.” Thank her? Thank her for pushing me back into this abyss of no return? I just wanted to escape this hellhole quickly. I struggled to get out of bed, but Liam pushed me back down. “Do you really want to leave this house so badly?” “It’s not too late to go after you’ve recovered.” He pointed to the dark, murky soup in the bowl, saying Sophia had personally brewed it for me to help regulate my body. Ignoring my resistance, he pinched my chin and forcibly poured it down my throat. As the soup went down, a strange numbing sensation quickly spread through my limbs. Sophia walked to the bedside, leaning closer. “Sister Summer, just rest well.” Then, in a voice only we two could hear, she whispered in my ear. “Tomorrow, I’ve prepared another big show for you.” An alarm blared in my heart. I wanted to escape. But I found myself unable to move, even my eyelids felt heavy as lead. Soon, I fell into a deep, heavy sleep. The next morning, I was jolted awake by a violent crash as the door burst open. Liam’s eyes were bloodshot, like an enraged lion. He grabbed me off the bed, slammed me onto the floor, and started slapping my face relentlessly. “You wretch! You venomous viper!” He gripped my collar, roaring, his face twisted in a sneer. “My mother… my mother suffocated to death last night! You were the only one home! It must have been you!” I was disoriented from the fall, and the lingering effects of the medicine made my head throb. Professor Sterling… dead? 0 “It wasn’t me…” I weakly protested. “You’re still acting!” Liam slapped my face again, the hatred in his eyes practically devouring me.
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