Every one of Sebastian Thorne’s lovers looks like me. But the day I returned to the country, he smirked and said, “I’ve seen too many knockoffs; even the original is nothing special.” A month later, he got rid of all his flings, keeping only one pure college student by his side—someone who looked nothing like me. Sebastian thought I rushed back because I was afraid he had fallen for someone for real this time. But I didn’t come back to beg for his love. Five years had passed. While he was scouring the world for my doubles, I was already pregnant with my second child. 1 The day I returned, Grandfather Thorne threw a welcome banquet for me. Sebastian was conspicuously absent. His cousin looked at me with disdain. “Didn’t you say you’d never return to the Thorne family? Why can’t you sit still the moment you hear Sebastian found true love?” I paused. “Then congratulations to him.” “Stop pretending,” his cousin sneered, pointing at the door. “Sebastian’s here. Save your acting for him.” Sebastian wore a grey shirt, collar slightly open. After five years, he looked much more composed than I remembered. He sat down very close to me. I turned my head and saw a lipstick mark on his collar. Grandfather Thorne, oblivious, sighed from the head of the table. “You two have been fighting for five years. That’s enough. When are you going to remarry?” I stayed silent. Sebastian laughed. “Grandpa, my little girlfriend already dislikes that I’m a divorcee. If she hears this, she’ll tear the roof off.” Grandfather Thorne’s face darkened. “Can those women outside compare to Chloe?” “This time is different,” Sebastian glanced at me. “This time, I’m serious.” 2 “Nonsense!” Grandfather Thorne was too angry to speak. Everyone else looked at me—some with pity, others waiting for a joke. I lowered my eyes and said softly, “Grandpa, I appreciate your kindness, but I will never remarry Sebastian.” No one expected me to be so definitive. After all, they had all seen how I used to value Sebastian over my own life. Crash—a crystal goblet shattered. Sebastian slowly wiped the blood from his hand. “Slipped.” 3 A long time later, I realized the group chat had exploded. “Chloe, why did you hide such big news from us? Congrats!” “Sebastian really went all out this time.” “Boohoo, I knew you guys would get back together!!!” Confused, I scrolled through hundreds of messages until I saw Sebastian saying he was getting married and posting a picture of the ring. A flawless pear-shaped pink diamond that any woman would swoon over. I thought about it and clarified. “Sebastian isn’t getting back together with me.” The screen paused, then scrolled frantically again. “Right, what getting back together? The lovebirds never broke up.” “Just a little long-distance kink.” “Hehe, Chloe, we get it.” Until Sebastian suddenly appeared and added his little girlfriend to the group: “Let me introduce my wife, Lola. She’s young and has a temper, so go easy on her…” Before he could finish, the girl coquettishly grabbed the phone. “Don’t listen to his nonsense. I’m very easy to get along with.” On the voice message, Sebastian laughed dotingly. Some smart aleck started a new group and asked Sebastian directly: “Seb, if you marry someone else, what about Chloe?” Sebastian replied quickly: “If you don’t find it disgusting, go be the rebound.” “Seb, if you say that, I might really chase Chloe?” Sebastian ignored him, and the group started mocking the guy for overestimating himself. The guy persisted: “Who wouldn’t want a bite of swan meat?” The group went silent. Then Sebastian said lightly: “Even swan meat gets boring if you play with it too much.” 4 The group called Sebastian stubborn and asked me out for dinner the next day. But when I arrived, I found Sebastian and his little girlfriend were there too. The person who invited me looked awkward and whispered, “Seb insisted on coming, but he didn’t say he’d bring her.” I nodded, indifferent. The girl named Lola wasn’t shy. She quickly mingled with everyone, especially sticking to me. “Chloe, Sebastian told me everything about you two. I don’t mind.” “To see you, I pestered him all night.” “I didn’t expect you to be prettier than the photos. You don’t look seven years older than me at all.” “How do you maintain yourself? Must be hard work. Do you only use expensive brands?” A friend couldn’t stand it and signaled Sebastian: “Not going to control your girl?” “I dare not,” he laughed, pinching Lola’s cheek. “She’s a little ancestor, hard to coax.” “Hmph, as long as you know!” Sebastian used to love coaxing people when he was young. But as he grew up and was pampered everywhere, he developed a reckless temper. I hadn’t seen him coax anyone like this in a long time. Lola stuck her tongue out at me. “Sorry, Chloe, I didn’t mean anything bad.” She picked up two glasses of wine and handed me one. “I apologize to you, sister.” She downed hers in one gulp. I didn’t bother pretending. “Sorry, can’t drink.” Lola’s eyes reddened instantly. “Chloe, do you look down on me?” Sebastian’s tone turned cold. “Chloe Vance, have I given you too much face?” “Today, you drink this wine whether you want to or not.” Friends quickly tried to smooth things over. “Chloe, it’s just one glass. Who doesn’t know your tolerance?” I shrugged helplessly. “I’m pregnant. I really can’t drink.” Dead silence. “Pfft!” Lola laughed out loud. “Hahahaha, Chloe, I’ve seen this kind of nonsense excuse online. You can’t fool me.” Others laughed too. “Saying you took antibiotics would be more credible.” “Chloe, don’t scare people like that. My heart stopped.” Sebastian impatiently snatched my glass. “Fine, fine, you won’t drink. You’re amazing.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389643”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

During a company retreat, we visited a temple. My colleagues all drew lots and hung them on the wishing tree. I don’t believe in gods or buddhas, so I didn’t participate. A colleague laughed and called out to me. “This couple’s lot has the same surname as you, Chloe!” “Chloe Vance, Sebastian Thorne… the names sound like a match.” My boss, who was lighting incense, suddenly looked up. “Sebastian what?” 1 When I heard that name, I instinctively looked back. My eyes met my department manager’s gaze. He glanced at the red tag with the names written on it, looking puzzled. I walked over with my bag. “Boss, did you call me?” “Oh, no.” He looked at me, then back at the tag. “The young heir of the Thorne Group took over some time ago. His name is Sebastian Thorne.” My colleague got interested: “These two names don’t sound very common.” “Could it be you had a fling with a billionaire?” “I suddenly remember… before I transferred to purchasing, I heard about someone who cursed out Little Chloe and got fired a few days later. No procedure, just kicked out directly.” I adjusted my glasses and looked down. “If I really had that kind of background, I would have plastered my resignation letter all over the office building, written an email reporting every idiot who ever offended me, and cc’d the entire company.” Someone nudged me with their elbow. “Hey, watch your mouth, the boss is still here.” “Sigh, no need to hide it, who doesn’t know she’s blunt.” “Remember that brown-noser who showed off his watch to her? She told him to crawl outside and peacock there.” Laughter erupted around us. Incense smoke drifted from the copper urn. That red couple’s tag was passed around, getting wrinkled. “Give me the tag,” I said. “I have to help hang it back up.” Others went into the main hall. I sat under the tree, taking a long time to remember this place. Sebastian Thorne’s mother was from the south and was particularly religious. To please his mother, whenever he saw a temple, he would go in and light incense. During the years we were together, I don’t know how many small, exquisite temples like this we visited. I don’t worship gods, so I waited for him outside. That time was an exception. After drawing lots, he said it was a very auspicious sign. So he bought a red plaque, wrote two lines of names with a flourish, and hung it high on a branch. He also said that after making a wish, he had to show his face in front of the Buddha statue according to custom. I couldn’t refuse, so I went in with him. I watched him straighten his clothes, raise the incense to his forehead, and bow three times. I didn’t make a wish. I believe in myself more than gods. Colleagues walked out of the hall in groups and went to another spot to take photos. I clutched the red tag tightly and sneaked into the hall like a thief. The rose-red incense stick was rough. I lit it hurriedly, imitating the posture in my memory, and bowed down. If making wishes really works… I want to see him one more time. 2 After visiting the scenic spots, my colleagues wanted to eat and asked where to go. I joined the group and we dived into a food stall. A few girls at the next table were eating happily, clinking glasses and exchanging gossip. This one cheated. That one was entangled for years and finally broke up. A male colleague joked, “Exciting enough. I haven’t even dated at my age.” “It’s okay, you have company. Chloe definitely hasn’t dated either… wait, that expression, don’t tell me you have?” “Curious who could stand Chloe’s sharp tongue.” “Maybe he couldn’t stand it, so we broke up.” I smiled perfunctorily and didn’t respond. It’s been over a year since I broke up with Sebastian Thorne. I was the one who brought it up. Because of a small thing— He was rear-ended on a business trip and sprained his left hand. But he didn’t tell me. I missed him and video called him, but he didn’t pick up immediately. Half an hour later, he called back. I recognized the background was a hospital and realized he was hurt. A young female employee sent by the partner company to receive him tried to smooth things over. She said the injury wasn’t serious, but he needed to rest and be observed for a few days. He came to the hospital in a rush, so he didn’t tell me. Look, even others knew to at least make an excuse. There were many things before this. For example, he encountered difficulties in business. When I asked, he brushed it off lightly. He no longer needed me to travel with him. Avoiding talking about troubles in life with me. Even when his father was seriously ill, he only told me he needed to leave home for a while. I had many things I wanted to tell him every day. In the chat history, there was more green than white. The videos I shared on TikTok were never liked. I didn’t even know if he had clicked on them. He didn’t like posting on social media. Even if he did, it was reposting news about domestic management, with a few brief comments. Matching avatars, official announcements, never happened. I could only be anxious day after day. And ask him again and again, do you love me? He answered quickly and firmly. But he always looked at me with a helpless and tolerant look— As if he didn’t understand why I had to repeatedly confirm the same thing with him. I was too young when I met Sebastian Thorne. When I was struggling with what to eat for the next meal. He was understanding various affairs in his family’s company. When I was interning with him, I saw him handle difficulties with ease countless times. He was only six years older than me, but much, much more mature. Things that gave me a headache, he could handle as if they were nothing. My initial attraction to him probably came from that ease. But I didn’t expect everything to have two sides. The tricks I used due to insecurity, jealousy, and seeking attention hit him like hitting cotton, gently caught by him, not stirring up a single ripple. The time Sebastian sprained his arm and was in the hospital. We only said a few words before hanging up the video. He remained calm and told me: “Looks like I’ll be home a few days late. I had someone send your gift back. Don’t worry, it’s just a small matter.” Just a small matter, don’t worry. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard this, to the point of numbness. I really wanted to get angry right then. Questioning words almost blurted out. But seeing his unconcerned face, the anger vanished in an instant. What was there to say? He didn’t plan to tell me, how could I pry his mouth open? I stared blankly at the black phone screen. Looked around, and suddenly started crying. I didn’t know why either. I really wanted to go to his hospital and see. Ask him, how did the car accident happen? What was the situation at the time, how were the other casualties? Will his hand have sequelae? Was he panicked when he was hit? That night I tossed and turned. Scrolling through our chat history from bottom to top, trying to find some evidence of his enthusiasm for me. None. Only transfers, transfers, transfers. I really liked money. Before I was with him, I felt that work and making money were everything in life. Love was something only the elite could pursue. For ordinary people, it was irrelevant. I only needed myself, plus a bulging wallet, and that was enough. Turns out people are greedy. I closed WeChat, looked at the bank card balance, happy and crying at the same time. Finally couldn’t help but video call Sebastian. Only after dialing did I realize it was past 3 AM. He must have fallen asleep and was woken up again. He looked exhausted when answering the phone. Draped in a coat, tie loosened, shirt buttons undone. Leaning on the hospital bed, as if he didn’t expect me to call at all. After seeing me clearly, he froze for a moment before speaking. “Why are you crying like this. Save your tears, there will be times when they are useful.” I thought I had agreed with myself not to cry. To be calm, clearly accuse him of dereliction of duty as a boyfriend, and then break up. But seeing his face, emotions suddenly couldn’t be suppressed. “Sebastian, why don’t you tell me anything?” “It’s just a slight sprain. If I told you, you would have skipped class and flown over like last time. You’re in your second year of grad school, leave a good impression on your advisor.” I raised my voice, “It’s not just about today!” Silence on the other end. Sebastian’s expression slowly became serious. Through the screen, looking at me unblinkingly. I turned my head to cover my eyes, turning the camera away from my face. “Those things that make you feel very uncomfortable, very sad, you won’t tell me a single one?” “Do we have to talk about etiquette, report good news but not bad?” “I just… want to know the big and small things in your life.” “Clearly before… when you encountered difficult things, you would tell me in detail, when you met difficult cli… clients, you would scold them with me!” “Do you have no desire to share with me now?” My chest trembled uncontrollably. Pressing words into intermittent characters. On the other end of the phone, the hospital bed creaked. Sebastian lifted the thin quilt and got out of bed, pulling on his jacket with one hand. “Chloe,” he said, “I just don’t want to affect your mood.” “Do you think I can’t handle my own emotions? It’s not like I haven’t been scolded at work!” “That’s different.” “How is it different?” “Work is work. With subordinates, it’s business, problems need to be communicated and solved frankly, but a girlfriend is different.” He said, “You are young, being with me, I have the obligation to ensure you are happy, not to worry about me. In my ideal state, you only need to think about what entertainment to do today, or gather with others to swipe cards, preferably bring me a gift conveniently. If I make you feel stressed or start worrying that I can’t handle something, it means I’m useless.” “So you don’t communicate life with me, not even your father’s death?” “I was very busy then, very busy. Too many people came to offer condolences. If you wanted to pay respects, I would not only have to handle the funeral, but also constantly pay attention not to neglect you. I couldn’t attend to it.” I stared at the screen, silent. Long silence in the audio, only rustling sounds. His left hand was inconvenient, barely put on clothes. Looking at me again, eyelids deep from lack of sleep. “Don’t cry. I’ll buy the earliest flight back, let’s talk face to face.” I stopped crying. Sat on the bed, looking at him for a long time. “Don’t come back.” I said. “When I was your assistant, you said I was practical and capable. You asked me if I had any suggestions for you, asked me what I ate today, did I sleep well, I didn’t have the energy to go on a mentally exhausting business trip with you.” “I don’t understand.” “We became boyfriend and girlfriend, why is the distance further.” “If the relationship makes you feel I’m delicate and weak and need your care for everything, then let’s take a step back.” “Is it true that if we return to being friends…” “You will look at me equally again, and tell me some things you won’t tell me now.” I pressed my dry eyes, no moisture in my palms. He slowly leaned back on the sofa, sighing to comfort. “Chloe, when you reach my age, you will know…” I interrupted him. “I don’t know, and I don’t want to know.” The gap of relative silence. I lowered my head, even I couldn’t figure out the motive for speaking. “Sebastian, do you love me?” He spoke with certainty. “Yes.” “That’s enough.” I hung up the phone and moved out of his house that night. Breaking up didn’t make me feel relaxed. Those past events squeezed into the gaps of my thinking. Forcing their way in, making other things impossible to think about. Then suddenly withdrawing. Leaving only emptiness and continuous, lingering pain. 3 The team building ended, flew back north. A few days of travel felt like a long dream. Only the red tag with names in my pocket repeatedly mocked me, can pick up but can’t put down. Things to do before the new year have entered the final inspection stage. Everyone started to have nothing to do, waiting for the holiday. Brandon called, asking me to attend a wedding banquet with him. “Whose wedding?” I asked. Rare rest in a year, didn’t want to spend energy seeing unfamiliar people. Brandon’s voice was low, refusing to tell me who was getting married. “Chloe, I really don’t know who else to tell. You have to come with me.” I checked the date and agreed. Arriving at the wedding scene, I realized the bride was Brandon’s ex-girlfriend. I was finally happy. “Hey Brandon,” I nudged him with my elbow, “You should have been the wedding car driver, you know the way to pick up the bride best.” Brandon gripped his chopsticks, furious. I acted oblivious, admiring the bride’s attire. “This MC is no good.” I said, “You should go, you rehearsed the process of marrying her many times, right?” He gritted his teeth, after a while, laughed. “Are you sick?” Got scolded. I was satisfied, concentrating on picking dishes from the banquet. Brandon’s ex-girlfriend’s family status wasn’t low, the family demanded high standards for a son-in-law. The two dragged on for several years, breaking up and getting back together. Finally Brandon felt he couldn’t convince his future in-laws, and proposed breaking up. I looked at the newlyweds on stage, then at Brandon drinking silently. If it were Sebastian getting married, I would definitely… I would definitely not go. I can wish him success, wish him health, but I won’t wish him happiness. The white wine on the table was opened. I poured half a glass, clinked with Brandon on my own. He said, “Don’t eat too much, drink a bit with me later.” I nodded, risking my life to accompany the gentleman. After eating the meal where Brandon poured out his heart, the street was empty. I was sleepy to death. Seeing him find a designated driver, I simply closed my eyes, lying in the back seat sleeping soundly— Until dawn. I was woken up by the cold. Not at home, still in Brandon’s car. Window opened sometime, wind was freezing. Scenery outside strangely familiar. Half asleep, recovered for a moment, suddenly awake. … It’s Sebastian’s house. I looked at Brandon incredulously. “You spent money to hire a driver to run hundreds of kilometers a night just to prank me once, right?” “Sigh, you really guessed it.” “Are you sick?” I punched his shoulder wildly, “Drive away quickly!” In the scuffle, his elbow hit the steering wheel. The car honked abruptly. The housekeeper auntie walked out suspiciously. Glanced at me, oops. “Miss Vance! You haven’t been here for a long time!” I hurriedly stopped her, “Auntie! Don’t tell Sebas…” “Quickly tell the master, Miss Vance is back.” Auntie pressed the intercom and said a few words, then came back to senses, “Huh? Miss, what did you say?” I collapsed back in the rear seat, “Nothing.” Brandon laughed loudly. “Why not get off, aren’t you most familiar with this place?” “Master invites you in. You don’t know, he always stays up late, abusing his body while young.” Auntie complained, opening the car door for me, “Master said you were busy and had no time to come, where did you go this year? Why didn’t you even come home.” I didn’t know how to answer, could only smile. Auntie talked to herself. “You came at the right time, he’s free these days, can accompany you to play.” Words of refusal hovered on my lips. The familiar small building was in front. Should I see him one more time? See him one more time, talk things out, maybe I can let go of the obsession. I got out of the car like a ghost. Smoothed my hair looking at the phone. Rubbed my face with hands, trying to eliminate the edema after a hangover. The thought in my mind was shouldn’t go, but my feet moved forward step by step. The road to Sebastian’s house, I used to walk it every two or three days. Sometimes to pick up documents for him. Sometimes to pick him up for a dinner party. Sometimes work went wrong, caught by him to teach me privately. Meeting him was an accident. Rumor has it that before children of wealthy merchants enter the management layer, they will let their children spend money in games to raise a team to practice. Sebastian was my financial backer in the game. Teaming up to clear dungeons is hard work. When busy, have to stay up all night. Fortunately, he was generous. Every season, he sent all wages to me. I distributed to every member. Relying on him, I saved tens of thousands. Didn’t expect jokes frequently in the game. Many teams had leaders embezzling member wages, causing backers to be named and shamed. Rich kids had never suffered such shameful bitterness. For a time, all major backers were investigating their subordinates. Sebastian asked nothing. Transferred another hundred thousand bonus to me, calmly said: “I don’t care how much you took before. This time, must be divided equally by head count.” I said: “I didn’t embezzle.” “Season wages plus benefits start at 500,000, money passing through your hands these times at least three million. Water too clear has no fish, subordinates do things well, take some profit, I don’t mind.” I said: “I didn’t take a cent. Every sum is recorded, no joke.” Silence opposite for a moment, asked my education. I sent a photo of my campus card to him. After a while, a short voice message popped up. His tone approving. “Work with me.” So connected with company colleagues. Occasionally assigned some practice tasks. Come holiday, directly threw a workstation photo let me go report. I worked cross-discipline, mostly no specific tasks, just responsible for watching and learning. Sebastian rotated through grassroots departments of the company for experience, busy as a bee. His rank wasn’t enough for an assistant. Meeting important clients, had to use the identity of the crown prince to show face. I was dragged around everywhere. Felt like a duck, stuffed with various knowledge. Occasionally accompanied him on business trips, had to take days off. My relationship with roommates was stiff, simply rented outside school, convenient to work anytime. Friends sympathized with me. Said this kind of horse-cow internship couldn’t be found with a lantern, asked where I found it. But I felt very good. Studying this crappy major was like two feet in the grave. One side is finding no job starving to death in the grave. One side is dirt on the construction site. Encountering work that doesn’t require stationing at the construction site, I was too happy to laugh. Besides, it’s boss direct hire, entering to mix with the company’s young master. The second I realized I liked him, I felt pain. If clarified, I would lose a very good job. If hidden, feelings beyond subordinate would eventually make me crash. Better to propose leaving myself. Approaching New Year then, business trip ended. Sebastian leaned back in the rear seat, rubbing his brow, “Why not get in the car?” I returned the red envelope received to him. “After graduation, I might not join.” He didn’t take it, asked me, “Why.” “If I pass the exam, I want to continue grad school.” “Good thing, I support. Come back after you finish reading, I have a place for you anytime.” He tapped the leather seat, “Wind is strong, come up.” I held the car door, shaking head. “Not that meaning.” At the dinner table, I didn’t have to accompany toasts. But maybe the winter atmosphere was too suitable for a drink, I also mixed Sprite and drank a few cups. “Sebastian, I seem to like you. Liking the boss is very unethical.” He leaned back in the rear seat, didn’t let the driver drive for a long time. Suddenly leaned forward and grabbed my wrist. I was pulled to sit by his leg, heard the heart beating violently. Car door isolated the chill, he exhaled. Folded the suit jacket aside, took out a small long velvet box from his side. “Then unethical things, have to let me do.” Necklace studded with slender marquise diamonds, valuable but not excessively expensive. I was stunned, “Why choose me?” He said. “I trust you completely.” “If you are at home in the future, I think I will be very relaxed.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389642”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

After successfully conquering the brooding male lead, I chose to leave the world immediately. Even though he humbly begged me to stay, I didn’t pause for a second. Back in the real world, my life wasn’t going well. The System found me and offered me five million dollars to go back into the book and conquer him again. Just as I agreed, a barrage of comments floated before my eyes: “Damn, the Ex-Wife who abandoned the male lead is back.” “LMAO, does she think the male lead still loves her?” “The second conqueror not only reduced the male lead’s Darkening Value to negative one hundred but also stayed behind voluntarily to give him a complete home.” “Now the young couple is about to get married. Does the Ex-Wife have any shame? Why is she bothering them?” 1 It took me a long time to react. The “Ex-Wife” in the comments was referring to me. Beside my ear, the System was still nagging, trying to sell me on this deal. “You just need to make Sebastian Thorne fall in love with you again, and you can get five million. Even if you don’t succeed, I’ll give you fifty thousand for your trouble. How about it? Good deal, right?” It was a very good deal. And the current me really needed this money. But thinking of the comments. I was silent for a moment and said I needed to consider it. So the System decided to send me back into the book first. To be precise, back to the home Sebastian and I once shared. A small apartment of a few hundred square feet, old but cozy, just like three years ago. Sebastian hadn’t moved a single thing of mine. Even the dress I accidentally stained before I left was washed at some point and hung neatly in the closet. I remember this dress was from a trendy brand at the time. When Sebastian secretly bought it for me, I scolded him severely because it was too expensive. He didn’t argue, just obediently lowered his eyelashes, waiting for my anger to subside. Then he coaxed me gently to put it on. I looked down at the silky fabric in my hand. Took a deep breath. If Sebastian had really forgotten me. Then why did he keep this house? I looked up again, surveying the small room. My gaze was suddenly drawn to a white paper taped to the window. On the translucent paper, there were only a few scrawled words. House for Sale, Price Negotiable, Urgent. The strokes were sharp; it was Sebastian’s handwriting. 2 Tiny text floated before my eyes again: “Hahaha, the Ex-Wife is dumbfounded, right? The male lead isn’t reluctant to part with their past; he just hasn’t had time to sell this house yet.” “The Ex-Wife still thinks the male lead loves her like before. Didn’t expect that after meeting Baby Girl, the male lead wouldn’t even spare her a glance.” “The System only let her conquer the male lead again to create some obstacles for the male lead and Baby Girl. The Ex-Wife is just waiting to humiliate herself.” I pursed my lips. So that’s how it is. The reason the System dared to offer five million was that it was certain I couldn’t succeed. Making me the vicious female supporting character who hindered the relationship between the male and female leads was its real goal. It used merely fifty thousand to exploit my labor. Fifty thousand. I smiled self-deprecatingly. Being a clown once for fifty thousand dollars wasn’t a small amount. It was a week’s treatment cost in the ICU. I called out the System and readily agreed to the deal. The System beamed and gave me a sum of money to cover my expenses during this time, but it could only be used in the book. Since Sebastian was so eager to sell this house. I might as well buy it. I held my phone and dialed the familiar number from memory. It took half a minute to connect. A girl’s crisp voice came from the receiver: “You are…” Stunned for a second. I lowered my eyes to confirm; it was indeed Sebastian’s number. “I passed by and saw the sale info on the window…” “You want to buy the house?” The voice on the other end exclaimed in surprise: “That’s great, someone finally wants this house.” I asked cautiously: “Are you the owner?” “I’m the owner’s girlfriend. You can call me Lily.” So she was the second conqueror. In the moment of distraction, there was a brief noise on the other end, like two people whispering. It seemed like a long, long time passed. Someone picked up the phone again. Sebastian’s cold voice came clearly from the receiver: “Hello, is it convenient to meet and talk?” 3 I waited anxiously in the coffee shop for a long time. Until a low-key luxury car stopped in front of the door. The door opened, and a perfect couple stepped out. Three years no see, Sebastian’s face was still so outstanding. The greenness between his brows had faded, plated with a layer of calm composure brought by power and wealth. He leaned lazily against the car door. I didn’t know what Lily said, but he smiled and rubbed her head. Across the distance. That gaze glanced indifferently in my direction. Only stayed for a moment, then rippled away like an undisturbed well. When Lily sat down in front of me, I was still lost in thought. She smiled at me apologetically: “My boyfriend has something to do. He can only drop me here. I’ll negotiate for him.” I nodded sincerely: “I can see you have a great relationship.” Lily’s smile deepened: “My boyfriend runs a tech company. The net profit alone is over a hundred million a year. We don’t lack the money from the house; we just don’t want to keep it anymore.” Her tone carried a faint sense of superiority. I nodded and made a request to see the house according to the procedure. Lily paused awkwardly: “The house key isn’t with me. If you want to see it, only my boyfriend can take you.” I was slightly stunned, puzzled: “Before you came, didn’t he give you the key?” Normally, buying and selling a house requires viewing it. Sebastian couldn’t possibly not know. Lily sighed with a bitter smile: “I asked for the key, but he wouldn’t give it, and he never took me there.” She lowered her voice: “To tell you the truth, that house is where he lived with his ex-wife when he started from scratch. I feel uncomfortable about it, so I want to sell it quickly.” I said oh. “In that case, I won’t view the house. Let’s sign the contract directly.” Lily was overjoyed. Afraid I would go back on my word, she immediately took out the sale agreement. But she didn’t have the property deed, so the transfer couldn’t happen yet. Still had to wait for Sebastian to come. Sitting idly bored. Looking at this conqueror who was just like me. I asked curiously: “How did you two get together?” Actually, I wanted to know how she conquered Sebastian. The System told me. After I left the world, Sebastian had a brief second Darkening. He slit his wrists, committed suicide, and his Darkening Value was once high enough to endanger the stability of the entire world. Lily came to his side at this time. Not only did she lower his Darkening Value, but she also completely replaced my position in his heart. Sebastian wasn’t an easy target to conquer. She must have suffered a lot. But Lily said with a smile: “That was when he was just abandoned by his ex-wife and was disheartened. I kept comforting him, and we confirmed our relationship not long after.” Was it that simple? I simply couldn’t believe it. Overwhelming ridicule appeared before my eyes again: “Hahaha, the Ex-Wife is probably breaking down. The male lead just has no resistance to our Baby Girl.” “You should know that the Ex-Wife spent a whole ten years conquering the male lead. During this period, she threw herself at him countless times before the male lead reluctantly got together with her.” “Baby Girl just said a few words to the male lead, and the Ex-Wife’s years of work were in vain. This is the power of true love.” … I silently watched these sarcastic words. They were right. My process of conquering Sebastian was indeed very difficult. So difficult that I never wanted to go through it again. 4 Sebastian’s parents didn’t love him. At a young age, they threw him into a mental hospital, leaving him to be abused and bullied by orderlies. The patients locked inside were lunatics and violent maniacs. The whole mental hospital was like a heavily guarded prison. So even with the help of the System. When I rescued him from the mental hospital, I almost lost half my life. I took Sebastian to a strange city. Let him study and walk the right path. I also arranged expensive psychological counseling for him every week. Doing so much, I just wanted him to trust me completely. But Sebastian was simply too smart. He easily saw through the truth of this world, including my identity and purpose. After the college entrance examination, Sebastian became the top scorer in the province. I happily celebrated with him. But he quietly pulled my arm, his expression cold, with a hint of imperceptible self-mockery. “You did all this because you wanted to conquer me, right?” After the shock. I sighed and choked out: “I like you. That is my purpose.” Sebastian snorted lightly, obviously not believing it. I was a little nervous but still leaned my head against his chest, muttering: “Sebastian, don’t worry about whether I have ulterior motives. These years have been really tiring for me. You have to let me live a good life soon.” “I really like you very much. Don’t question me like this anymore. I’m really sad.” … After graduation, Sebastian started his business. We moved into that small, old apartment. There was no heating in winter. My body was cold, and my feet were always frozen stiff and painful. Sebastian would rub my feet every night, wordless, but his eyes were red with heartache. During that time, we were already married. His goal changed from creating a tech company to destroy the world, to the vulgar goal of making money to buy a house for his wife. We rushed about during the day and snuggled in that small bed at night. In order to get investment, I was made things difficult by the investor CEO. I didn’t dare go back and tell him, so I cried while walking on the street for an hour. Even when facing the deliberate revenge of competitors, I firmly stood in front of Sebastian to protect him, but ended up in the operating room myself. I don’t know how many things like this happened. Only then did Sebastian slowly fall in love with me. Compared to my ten-year conquest. Lily only used a short three weeks. To lower Sebastian’s Darkening Value to negative one hundred. And his Affection Value rose to one hundred percent.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389641”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

In the second year of my marriage, I unexpectedly received a call from my husband’s ex-girlfriend. She handed me a medical report and a bank card. “I have liver cancer, late stage. It’s incurable.” “There’s half of my life savings on this card. It’s all yours. Can you please be generous and let your husband accompany me on my final journey?” Before getting married, I knew my husband had a great love, but due to circumstances, they couldn’t end up together. I had noticed my husband’s schedule was a bit odd lately. I thought he was cheating, but it turned out his ex-girlfriend was dying. Why should women make things difficult for other women? I accepted the bank card and, under her expectant gaze, said magnanimously: “Sure, but let me be clear first, I won’t divorce.” She looked moved, almost kneeling down to me: “Miss Chen, thank you for your fulfillment…” “No need to thank me, I took the money.” I waved the bank card in my hand, “Don’t worry, I definitely won’t disturb you two during this time.” Her thin and lonely figure left. I stared for a while until another person sat down opposite me. “When you were dating me, why weren’t you this magnanimous?” I took a sip of coffee and answered with a smile: “I was young then, couldn’t tolerate a grain of sand in my eye. Now I’m older, I can stomach a whole ship.” 1 The man sitting opposite me is Ethan Ford. My ex-boyfriend. A typical scumbag who is wealthy, handsome, and has high emotional intelligence. Back then, I was relatively naive and ignorant, and the breakup wasn’t very decent. But after all, we loved each other. After so many years, it’s okay to sit down calmly, drink a cup of coffee, and chat about the current situation. He said he was still unmarried. I joked with a smile: “That’s good. For someone like you, playing around is fine, but don’t get married and harm others.” “Don’t make me sound so worthless. When we were dating, I spent a lot of money and thought on you.” Ethan’s tone was frivolous, “You are the only official girlfriend I have ever publicly acknowledged.” “Should I feel honored? Should I give you an award to frame and hang on the wall?” I retorted, putting down the coffee cup in my hand, “Alright, I have things to do, I’m leaving first.” “Wait.” Ethan shook his phone, “Can you find time to unblock me?” “Sure.” In the years without reuniting, I rarely thought of Ethan, and naturally, I wouldn’t specifically unblock him. Before, I thought old flames absolutely couldn’t be friends, best not to meet again in this lifetime. Now I feel, for a nodding acquaintance, one more is not too many, one less is not too few. Ethan reappeared in my friends list. I stared at his profile picture which hadn’t changed for many years, a bit surprised. I didn’t expect a man so fickle in relationships to be so dedicated to his profile picture. This thought flashed by. I drove home, simply packed my luggage, and prepared to stay in a hotel for a while. It’s not that I don’t have other houses to live in, it’s just that staying in a hotel saves the most effort and is convenient. Just as the luggage was packed, Liam returned. Regarding this husband in name only, whether there is love or not, it’s hard to say. But I am indeed satisfied with him in all aspects. Living together these few years, we have never had conflicts. When I discovered he might be cheating before, I hesitated whether to have a frank talk with him. Now learning the reason, I don’t mind at all. I’ve heard the story about him and that woman, and I know how unforgettable that relationship was. Regardless of how much feeling he still has for his ex-girlfriend, how much do I care? In my opinion, a man with affection and righteousness is at least more reassuring than an ungrateful man. Liam saw the suitcase in my hand, opened his mouth and closed it again. After a while, he sat down on the sofa: “Elle, let’s talk?” 2 I nodded casually, and handed him the bank card as I sat down: “Your ex-girlfriend gave it to me.” “Say what you will, at least she’s sincere, not just lightly selling misery to morally kidnap me.” I said with a smile, “I don’t know how much money is in here, but given her personality, she definitely wouldn’t give a small amount.” “Husband, your value is quite high.” Liam twitched the corner of his mouth, his eyes a bit complicated: “Actually, I wanted to tell you this before, but… I never found a good opportunity…” “It doesn’t matter, I can understand.” I sighed lightly, “Where does she live now?” “I found her a house.” “I remember our house in the Third Ring Road has good layout and lighting, how about letting her live there?” I thought for a moment and said, “Actually, you can bring her directly to this home, I don’t mind.” Patients with late-stage cancer will weaken rapidly, and in the terminal stage, they cannot leave people’s side at all. Given Liam’s personality, he will definitely stay inseparable until the end. He has a bit of trouble sleeping in unfamiliar beds, and always slept poorly on business trips before. So I thought, simply move to a hotel for a while, vacate the house, and let Liam bring his ex-girlfriend back to live. Liam gave a bitter smile and looked at me: “Elle, I didn’t expect you to be so magnanimous.” “Isn’t being magnanimous good? My approach is trying to save face for everyone involved.” “But you know my bottom line.” I looked at him and said softly, “I can cooperate with anything, except divorce.” “I know.” Liam took a deep breath, “You don’t need to move, hotels aren’t as comfortable as home.” “I will fulfill the responsibility of a friend and accompany her on this journey. But rest assured, I am very clear that you are my wife.” I looked at him somewhat blankly. Liam let out a long breath, his expression a bit relaxed: “Let’s still get along as before, okay?” “Then what about your ex-girlfriend? Your breakup back then was a lifelong regret, right? Are you sure you won’t give her a perfect ending?” “Elle, we are all just mortals.” Liam said, “Mortals’ lives are mostly regrets, where are there so many perfect endings.” 3 I pride myself on being a very tolerant wife, and I don’t have a desire to control Liam. As long as he feels there is no problem, then I have no problem either. Getting along with Liam is not as before. Since I knew about his ex-girlfriend, he doesn’t hide taking calls from me anymore. Occasionally his phone rings in the middle of the night, almost always calls from his ex-girlfriend. When night is deep and quiet, people find it hardest to endure loneliness. I know what kind of torture illness can bring to people, sleepless nights, living is worse than death. Liam specifically arranged a family doctor and nurse for his ex-girlfriend, but medical staff can never replace relatives. Woken up by the phone again in the middle of the night, I yawned, rubbed my eyes and sat up slowly from the bed. Liam finished the call and walked in from the balcony. Seeing me half-asleep leaning against the headboard, he paused, looking apologetic: “Did I wake you?” “It’s okay.” I yawned again, “Are you really not going to accompany her? She needs you very much now.” Liam stared at me intently: “Do you really think I should go accompany her?” My emotions remained calm: “I received two calls today, both from your brothers.” “They advised me to be more magnanimous, saying your ex-girlfriend doesn’t have many days left, asking me not to haggle with a dying person.” Liam was stunned. “Your phone rings every midnight. This call takes at least half an hour.” “If you really don’t want to disturb me, you can completely silence it or go sleep in the guest room.” “Liam, I said, I don’t mind about you and her.” “I’m really not that petty. Just like your brothers said, she’s about to die, what do I have to haggle over.” “You can neither abandon your responsibility to me as a wife, nor completely ignore your old love. The more you want to be perfect, often the less you do anything well in the end.” Only silence remained in the room. Only a small table lamp was on in the bedroom, I couldn’t see the expression on Liam’s face clearly. After a long silence, I spoke again: “Or is it that you want to divorce me and give her a title in her last days?” I clearly saw Liam’s fingertips hanging by his side tremble. For some unknown reason, I suddenly felt a bit sour. So the bottom line I had been holding onto was finally broken. I lowered my eyelids and said softly: “Divorce… is not impossible. But regarding my parents, you have to come forward.” “You know, I don’t want them to worry about me.” After all, as the real daughter found by the Chen family at the age of 18, my kinship fate in this life is not deep, but cannot be broken. 4 Liam said he never thought about divorcing me. I don’t know what he said to those friends, but I never received calls inexplicably accusing me of not being magnanimous enough again. When getting off work, I received a call from my mother. She said it was my father’s birthday this week and asked me to bring Liam home for dinner on Friday. I thought for a moment and replied: “Okay. But Liam happens to be going on a business trip, so I’ll come back alone then.” “Okay, I saw the weather forecast says there will be sleet recently, drive slowly when you come.” “Okay.” Since the day I returned to the Chen family, the relationship with my biological parents has been like this, neither salty nor bland. It’s not intentional, it’s just that besides blood relations, getting along is also very important in human interactions. I was already 18 then, living under others’ roofs for years, my personality was fixed. Although not unlikable, it is difficult to act spoiled without scruples like those children who grew up held in their parents’ palms. The child who was swapped by mistake is named Clara. She is still unmarried and lives with her parents. Actually, her personality is not bad, cheerful and generous, one can tell at a glance she is a child raised in wealth. But maybe my personality is too awkward. Every time she feels guilty, thinking she occupied my happy life for many years in vain, and wants to compensate me and be good to me, I feel her behavior is full of hypocrisy. The happier she lives, the more bitter my life seems. After work on Friday, I went to the mall to buy a birthday gift for my father. It’s cold in winter, suitable for wearing a scarf. Father likes horse riding, so I asked the shopping guide to introduce some horse gear. While browsing, customers came into the store again, a young man and woman. I glanced inadvertently and found one of them was an acquaintance. Ethan Ford. The beautiful young woman affectionately held his arm, asking the shopping guide to get a bag for her. Ethan also saw me, surprised for a second, then nodded naturally towards me. “Who is it?” The young woman also looked curiously at me. “University classmate.” Ethan was frank, “You choose first, I’ll go say hello.” He walked over, glanced at the horse gear in the shopping guide’s hand, understanding in his eyes: “Preparing to give to husband?” The young woman still had some doubts in her eyes, but upon hearing Ethan say this, she was immediately relieved and happily started looking at bags and ready-to-wear clothes. I withdrew my gaze and smiled, asking the shopping guide to bill me. “Is your husband named Liam?” I looked up abruptly. Seeing my serious expression, Ethan smiled casually: “Don’t misunderstand, I didn’t deliberately pry into your privacy. It’s just that I took on a new project last week and had a meal with the project manager.” “His name is Liam, and his phone screen is your wedding photo.” “Later after the meal ended, the person who came to pick him up happened to be the woman who asked you to give up your husband in the coffee shop before.” Pausing, Ethan asked me: “Did you really give up your husband? Didn’t you say toothbrushes and men are absolutely not shared?” “Did I say such things?” I paid the bill nonchalantly, “I don’t remember.” “Thinking about it this way, were you unfair to me back then?” Ethan chuckled lightly, “After all, I never let those mistresses make a scene in front of you.” “Maybe a bit unfair, so what do you want?” “Is there any point in keeping a marriage with neither love nor loyalty?” Ethan asked me with a faint smile, “Can you have an old flame reignited with me?” “Sure.” I answered too crisply, making Ethan a bit stunned. “Are you serious?” I shrugged: “Just joking. Didn’t you use to joke with me often?” Looking at the time, it wasn’t early. “You and your female companion take your time shopping, I’m leaving first, bye.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389640”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My sexual orientation was accidentally exposed, and I heard my roommate, a jock named Blake, call me disgusting. Because of his words, my other roommates started to subtly isolate me. Being someone who believes in an eye for an eye, I pretended to be a cute girl and started an online relationship with him. When the time was right, I sent him a photo of my abs, and before he could react, I blocked and deleted him. But that night, he climbed into my bed, pressed down on me, his voice urgent: “Wifey, let me touch.” Me: “…” 1 Blake is a jock, a high jumper on the national team. Recently, he sprained his ankle and has been resting in the dorm. Coincidentally, during this time, I pretended to be a cute girl and took advantage of his boredom, finally establishing a relationship with him online. [Baby, I’m going to dance practice now. See you tonight, mwah!] [Love you.jpg] After sending this message, I carried my takeout into the dorm. As soon as I walked in, I saw Blake holding his phone and sending a voice message: “Okay, wifey, see you tonight.” His voice was deep and pleasant, carrying a tenderness he usually lacked. But the moment he let go of the phone screen… Buzz. The phone in my hand vibrated at the exact same time. Me: “…” Mistake. I hadn’t switched back to my main account yet. The guy opposite me looked over, his sharp eyes sweeping across the room, looking a bit fierce. Luckily, he’s handsome, so the fierceness just looked cool. Blake is six-foot-five, tall with long legs, and has an imposing presence. I’m five-ten-and-three-quarters—rounded up, six feet—but with a slender build. Standing next to him, the contrast is stark. His gaze suddenly fell on my hand. Startled, I quickly picked up my phone, pretending a friend had messaged me, and even replied with a voice message: “Okay, I’ll find you after class this afternoon.” In reality, I sent it to my main account. I sat down at my desk, not greeting him. Our relationship was terrible. But this guy had no self-awareness: “Logan, get me a glass of water, thanks!” Actually, he could move, but seeing me ignore him, he deliberately ordered me around. Truly malicious. But succumbing to his tyranny, I spinelessly stood up. I got him a glass of water. Damn my soft heart and cowardly guts. He took the cup, staring straight at me: “Got a date this afternoon?” “Yeah.” I sat back down, replied coldly, and stopped talking. Blake’s gaze lingered on me strangely, making me very uncomfortable. I really wanted to slam the table and shout: Looking at me when you have a wifey? Scumbag! Speaking of which, I’ve been chatting with him online for over two months and only recently made it official. After lunch, I took a nap. He didn’t make any noise, which was nice of him. After class in the afternoon, I received a message from Blake. [Wifey, what are you doing?] [Have you eaten? I’ll order food for you.] He even sent a red packet, which I didn’t click. The corners of my mouth curled up as I found a spot on the lawn to sit. Princess Shen: [Just got out of class?] [Haven’t eaten yet. Want to see hubby’s abs.] So, two minutes later, a photo of honey-colored, well-defined abs was sent over. Under the sun, I shook my head slightly, feeling smug. Hmph! When Blake finds out later that the photos he sent were received by a guy, he’ll probably vomit blood from anger, right? But he quickly sent another message: [I want yours too.] Actually, a lot of the time, he speaks in commands. At first, I was unhappy, thinking he was pretentious, but later I realized that’s just his personality. So with some guidance, he now knows how to call me “wifey.” I had sent him leg photos before to flirt, and now he wanted photos of me in a pretty dress. But Blake has been in the dorm recently, so it’s hard for me to take photos. [Tomorrow, baby. I don’t have a new dress yet, sob sob~] Blake: [I’ll buy one for you.] [Same address as before?] I deliberately sent him the address of another university. It’s actually not far, but we haven’t mentioned meeting up yet. Blake isn’t in deep enough yet. I need to work harder. Before, when he and the other two roommates said I liked men and was disgusting… I’m petty. I remember it. 2 Returning to the dorm at night, the other two roommates were gone, out for a competition. In this dorm, I’m the only one with a different major. Blake’s cast-covered leg was resting on a small stool beside him. So long. I sincerely lamented. “Back?” He looked at me with fierce eyes, tone flat. I took off my T-shirt in front of him, deliberately revealing my upper body. The more he hates men, the more I want to disgust him. “Yeah.” I threw the T-shirt on the chair, grabbed clean clothes, and prepared to shower. When I passed behind him, I don’t know if it was an illusion, but he seemed to glance at me sideways. But I didn’t care, went into the bathroom to shower, and came out wearing pajamas and sports shorts, humming a song while washing the clothes I took off. What I didn’t know was that Blake leaned back, looking up towards me on the balcony. His gaze fell on my legs. The exposed calves were straight and slender. Further up, the knees were flushed red. As I hung the clothes and turned around, Blake had already withdrawn his gaze almost imperceptibly. His features are deep and three-dimensional, eyes exquisite and sharp. He’s a certified hottie, just looks very cold and hard to mess with. I pouted. Just wait until you cry. After getting into bed and pulling the curtains, I started bombing him with messages. [Hubby, miss you so much. Want to sleep on your abs tonight!] [Oops, typo. Sleep on hubby’s abs photo!] [Licking the screen tonight, slurp slurp—] He video called directly. It was on mute, so I hung up. [Sob sob sob, roommates are in the dorm, can’t answer the call baby~] Blake: [The package will arrive tomorrow.] Meaning he wants to see leg photos. I hummed quietly, seriously suspecting Blake has a leg fetish. No, he’s just a perv. But there are quite a few people who like this guy, both men and women. If I weren’t bold enough, I might not have hooked him. But it proves that even handsome men can’t resist temptation. Heh! Men. After thinking about it, I turned on the desk lamp, took out a slip dress I had worn before from the storage basket on the bedside table, and put it on my legs. I reached out a hand and grabbed the fabric of the dress hard. In the camera, my fingers were slender and bony, grabbing the fabric at the thigh position hard, then releasing. A short three-second video, sent with a filter. [What to do? My hand is out of control, want to grab hubby’s ab~s~] “F***!” I heard a low growl from Blake’s bed. I was overjoyed inside. Laughing, I collapsed on the bed. Trying to control the noise, my legs wrapped in the slip dress flopped in the air like a fish out of water. The next day, I received the package. I went to the other university to pick it up, sweating all over, so I simply booked an hourly room. Opening the package… wow. This dress is actually quite nice. It’s a creamy white princess dress, length to the thigh. A bit glossy but not exaggerated, good texture. Will I really become a little princess wearing it? I was amused by my own thoughts. But I have to say, the size was a close call. Almost couldn’t zip it up. Looking at it this way, my waist looked even thinner. Thinner? I felt like I could barely breathe. Just then, there was a knock on the door. I hurried over to open it. It was my friend, Sarah. Seeing me dressed like this… She said “Holy crap” several times: “You you you…” “Cut the crap, come take some photos of me.” She brought a wig and put it on me. Her hands were itching to work, and after begging, I agreed to let her do simple makeup on me. Finally, we took photos of my back, profile, and figure. After slight editing, a beautiful girl with waist-length hair appeared. Even looking closely, my mom wouldn’t recognize me. Sarah drooled: “Wuwuwu, Logan, you’re so beautiful.” I waved my hand: “Average, average. You’re beautiful too. Come here, let me take some photos of you.” So Sarah also got some beautiful photos. 3 Changing clothes in the bathroom, I finally took a few deep breaths. Almost suffocated. Coming out, Sarah was looking at the dress box. Without checking, I wouldn’t have known, but a search startled me: “Damn, your hubby is rich? This dress is over two thousand dollars.” “What?” I was shocked. “For this thing?” I instantly felt the dress was average. I originally planned to sell it online, but now I worried about disputes when we break up later. So I packed it back into the box and put it in the courier box. Didn’t remove the tag. When we fall out later, I’ll mail it back to him to avoid exposing my true identity during a dispute. Just after editing the photos, I sent a few to Blake. He was probably busy, so he didn’t see them immediately. When Sarah and I left the hotel and were buying skewers at the food court, my phone vibrated. I took it out and saw he replied. Sarah leaned over to look and read: “Wifey is so beautiful… Eww~ I can’t imagine how those words came out of Blake’s handsome face. Logan, make him send a voice message.” Me: “…” Hmphed, satisfying her. So I raised my phone and secretly messaged him: [Want to hear hubby’s voice. So sexy, can loop it three hundred times every time~] My flirting skills are natural. I have to sigh, it’s only normal that Blake was taken down by me, hehehe. He quickly replied with a voice message: “Wifey looks very good.” Although only four words and a bit cold, Blake’s voice was magnetic and mellow, sounding even better than the voice actors Sarah secretly listens to at night. Stars in her eyes, but her focus was: “Omg, he called you wifey. So smooth, sweeter than eating two hundred pounds of durian.” Hearing that, I seemed to smell a strong stench. Oh, it’s the stinky tofu next door. Putting away the phone, I shouted: “Boss, one portion.” Planning to take it back to stink up Blake. Then Sarah, who wanted to lose weight, ate it all on the way. We were high school classmates and neighbors. She’s the one who goes to this university. After eating skewers and stinky tofu, we parted ways. Speaking of which, Blake is really famous. Even students from the neighboring university know his name. Many people came to our school to watch basketball because of Blake. Also because of this, Blake’s bros were heartbroken that he sprained his ankle, losing them many chances to be surrounded by beauties. Back in the dorm, unsurprisingly, Blake was there. Isn’t his home in the city? Why not go home to recover, staying here being an eyesore? Annoying! I only dared to complain in my heart. Look, he sent a message asking me to bring food. Didn’t I obediently take the long way to bring back his favorite meal? I put the takeout on his desk: “Here, ninety-five.” Blake’s gaze swept over my hand imperceptibly, picking up his phone: “Thanks, sent.” I clicked open, it was a hundred. He always rounds up when asking me to buy things. I mentioned it once, but he kept doing it, so I let him be. I can’t round down for him and say the meal was ninety, right? Then I’d lose money! 4 Back at my seat, he saw the courier box on my chair and asked, “What did you buy?” I said without blushing or skipping a beat, “Shoes.” Blake frowned slightly, gaze falling on the courier box again. My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly threw the box under the desk. It’s just a regular cardboard box, right? Although good quality, there’s no logo on it! Or very small, just a pattern. Unless looking closely, you wouldn’t see it. And Blake bought it online, right? He shouldn’t know this box contained the dress he bought. I calmed down, sighing involuntarily. This is what happens when you do bad things; whenever Blake does anything slightly, I feel guilty. After this is over, I definitely won’t do bad things again. Actually, I regretted it too, but I couldn’t pull out then. Thinking back to that time returning to the dorm, the door wasn’t fully closed, and voices came from inside: “Holy crap, he… he actually likes men? Damn, hope he doesn’t look at me.” I rolled my eyes. You guys don’t even look in the mirror. I care about looks. Then I heard another roommate say: “Not really, heard Logan has someone he likes.” At this moment, that voice I always thought was particularly nice came coldly from inside: “So disgusting.” Crack… Something shattered. Oh, it was my filter of Blake shattering all over the ground. I wanted to push the door open fiercely, but in the end, I cowardly went downstairs and sat on the grass nearby, sad for ten minutes. I thought even if our relationship wasn’t great, we could still talk a bit. Didn’t expect him to be this kind of person. From that day on, my other two roommates subconsciously dodged me but sucked up to Blake. I felt all this was caused by Blake. Finally, filled with resentment, I decided to disgust him. Now, there’s no turning back. Not only did I not reflect on whether my actions were excessive, but I felt I was losing out. Platonic love is all about emotional value. I was heartbroken, feeling I gave a bit too much. Picked up the phone, opened the alt account, and messaged him: [Hubby, want to see your 🍆 pic.] After sending, I suddenly sobered up and quickly retracted it. Ahhh, ridiculous. My face turned red instantly. Hurriedly placed the phone face down on the desk. Carefully glancing next door, I saw the handsome guy staring at his phone screen, brows slightly furrowed, expression subtle. Didn’t know if he saw my message. But he didn’t reply. Probably didn’t see it. Small probability he saw it and chose to ignore. I’m used to it, even painfully thinking, taking revenge while being a simp is a losing business I won’t do again.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389639”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

After my rebirth, I voluntarily placed the divorce agreement in front of Mark Foster. He didn’t even glance at it, tossing the document aside: “I won’t give you custody of our son.” “I don’t want custody.” Mark raised his eyes: “You’ve thought it through?” “I’ve thought it through.” In my past life, because I couldn’t bear to leave my son, I entangled myself with Mark for half a lifetime, until my son grew up. But on his wedding day, he said in front of everyone: “I hope my mom can fulfill my dad and Auntie Linda’s wishes. Auntie Linda has been with my dad for so many years, it hasn’t been easy.” 1 “I’d rather die than do homework! It’s useless for you to force me!” Eight-year-old Lucas Foster was rolling on the floor, throwing a tantrum, looking as if there was nothing I could do about him. This kind of thing happened every day. I demanded he finish his homework before playing. I didn’t let him watch TV for more than half an hour. I only allowed him to eat fried chicken and burgers once a week. I set many rules for him, hoping he could develop good study habits. But these habits became a complete joke the day Linda Young appeared. He accused me: “Auntie Linda never forces me to do homework; she only plays with me. “Auntie Linda never stops me from eating chicken legs. She says boys need to eat more to grow tall. “I don’t like you at all. I wish Auntie Linda could be my mom.” In my past life, even though I was heartbroken hearing these words, I chose to forgive. I thought he was just too young and ignorant, that when he grew up, he would understand my good intentions. I continued to force him to study hard, exercise, and eat a balanced diet. After growing up, he graduated from a prestigious university, founded his own company, and married a wife of equal status. On his wedding day, the host asked him to thank his parents. In front of all the guests, he said to me: “I hope you can fulfill my dad and Auntie Linda’s wishes. Auntie Linda has been with my dad for so many years, it hasn’t been easy.” Linda Young cried like a fountain off-stage. As if all the bitterness she endured for so many years was worth it at this moment. And I, standing on the stage, looked superfluous and ridiculous. “Mom, you forced me to do things I didn’t want to do since I was little. If Auntie Linda hadn’t silently given me warmth and encouragement, I would have been ruined long ago. “You and Dad lost your feelings for each other long ago. Why do you still occupy that position and make everyone unhappy?” I didn’t know how I walked out of Lucas’s wedding in a daze. I only knew that after walking out of the hotel, I was hit by a car for running a red light and unexpectedly reborn. Looking at my naughty son right now, I nodded: “Okay, no homework.” Lucas, lying on the ground, was a bit surprised. He looked up at me: “Are you serious?” “Of course,” I said calmly. “Then can I continue watching TV now?” “Not only can you watch TV, but you can also play on the iPad.” “Then can I eat chips while playing?” Lucas pushed his luck. “Whatever you want.” “Why are you suddenly so good to me?” Lucas asked me in amazement. I smiled without speaking. An ungrateful wretch doesn’t deserve my sincere treatment. “Are you afraid that I’ll only like Auntie Linda and not you in the future?” Lucas said smugly. “In the future, whatever you want, I’ll let you have it,” I said word by word. Including your favorite Auntie Linda. 2 After satisfying all of Lucas’s unreasonable demands, he became more and more lawless. The first thing he did after school was play on the iPad. He played while eating. He even slept holding the iPad. If he played too late at night and couldn’t get up, I didn’t wake him, letting him sleep until he woke up naturally. After waking up, if he wanted to go to school, he went; if not, I didn’t force him. I bought all the snacks he loved. Even the maids couldn’t stand it and kindly advised me: “Madam, spoiling the young master like this will ruin him.” “How could that be?” I said sarcastically, “Forcing him to do things he doesn’t like is what ruins him.” But not long after such days, Lucas’s abnormal performance made the school dissatisfied. His homeroom teacher called me, saying Lucas contradicted the teacher in class and said without restraint: “My parents don’t care about me, what right do you have to care?!” “Sorry, I indeed can’t control him. If there’s anything, please contact my husband.” I gave the number to the teacher. Then I hung up and continued my facial. When I finished my facial and returned home, I saw Mark Foster, who rarely came home, in the living room. His face was extremely ugly, his voice sarcastic: “Sarah, your methods are getting more and more brilliant. To make me come back, you even started using our son!” I did want Mark to come back. After all, calling him was useless. I don’t remember when Mark and I became enemies like this. We clearly fell in love freely, married voluntarily, shared joys and sorrows, and started a business together. After the company stabilized, I retreated to the second line and chose to stay home and teach our son. I spent too much energy on my son. When I realized something was wrong with Mark, he had already emotionally cheated. The object was the company’s new intern, Linda Young, twenty years old. Youthful, energetic, delicate. I accidentally saw Mark’s chat messages with her. Mark said: [You remind me of my wife when she was young. She was also delicate and cute like you back then.] [What about now?] Linda asked, sending a curious and cute emoji. [Now she’s nagging. Sometimes when I’m intimate with her, I feel a bit bored.] I didn’t expect to be such an existence in Mark’s mind. I made a big fuss that time. Feeling my self-esteem insulted like never before, I insisted on divorcing Mark. Mark didn’t agree. He explained he was just teasing the little girl and told me not to overreact. Both parents came to persuade me, saying the child was only two years old, asking me to consider the child and not haggle with Mark this time. Mark also swore he would never interact with Linda again and fired her immediately to show his loyalty to me. Besides, Mark at that time indeed didn’t have any substantial relationship with Linda. So in the end, I chose to forgive. I even started reflecting on whether I was indeed solely focused on the child, thus ignoring Mark and ignoring myself. When I tried to change myself, Mark physically cheated. 3 When I received the photo Linda sent of her and Mark in bed, I was taking care of Lucas, who had a high fever, in the hospital. Lucas suddenly had a febrile convulsion. After rushing him to the hospital, I called Mark. He was full of impatience: “Enough, Sarah. I’m just socializing for business outside. Don’t always find excuses to force me back!” I guarded Lucas alone in the hospital and received the photo Linda sent in the middle of the night. Very explicit. She said: [Mark says you’re ugly even after losing weight, not as delicate and cute as me.] Only then did I know that when a man cheats, he cheats. There is no difference between emotional and physical. I proposed divorce to him again. Mark didn’t refuse, but Lucas must belong to him. At that time, for me, Lucas was my whole life. I poured all my love into him. He was only three years old. His heart and eyes were full of me. Without me by his side, he wouldn’t sleep until dawn. I couldn’t leave him. I also thought about fighting for custody in court, but I hadn’t worked these years and couldn’t win against Mark. Our marriage just entangled like this. He never gave up custody. I insisted on custody. Later, when Lucas grew up, I seemed to get used to this tattered marriage. Sometimes, habit is a really scary thing. I hated Mark’s cheating to death, but in the end, I spent half a lifetime with him. Fortunately, God gave me a chance to be reborn. I opened the drawer and calmly handed the divorce agreement to Mark. The moment he saw the agreement, he laughed especially sarcastically: “Sarah, I thought you figured it out! Didn’t make a fuss for so long, starting again now?! What exactly do you want? Is the money given to you every month not enough?!” “Not enough.” I answered. “How much do you want?” Mark said generously. “Half of the company’s assets.” “What are you thinking, Sarah? Are you mentally deranged?!” Mark was furious. “We founded the company together. It belongs to the joint property after marriage. I asked a lawyer, and half of it rightfully belongs to me.” “And then?” Mark said impatiently, “Unless divorced, this is all marital property!” “So aren’t I divorcing now?” I signaled him to look at the divorce agreement. Mark sneered and threw the agreement aside carelessly: “I won’t give you custody of our son.” “I don’t want it.” Mark raised his eyes: “Thought it through?” “Thought it through.” Mark impatiently picked up the divorce agreement again and read it seriously. Except for the property I deserved, I didn’t ask for a penny more. At the same time, I voluntarily gave Lucas’s custody to Mark. Mark frowned tightly. He put down the agreement: “Sarah, don’t regret it. Giving up custody voluntarily means you can’t see your son without my permission.” “I know.” “Once divorced, I can’t remarry you, even for the sake of our son.” Mark threatened. “Sign it.” I didn’t want to waste words with Mark. If I hadn’t been unable to see him, the first thing I would have done after rebirth was divorce him. Mark saw my resolute attitude. He signed his name with a flourish: “Sarah, you brought this on yourself. If you hadn’t forced me like this, for the sake of our son and our years of friendship, I could have let you be Mrs. Foster for a lifetime. You didn’t know how to cherish it yourself.” 4 “Who cares.” I said indifferently. Maintaining the marriage with Mark in my past life was never for the position of Mrs. Foster. Purely for the bond of blood. “Pack your things and get out of my house!” Mark threw the signed divorce agreement at me. I had already packed my luggage. Just waiting to divorce Mark. I turned to go downstairs. Lucas also came back from school with Mark. It was said the teacher asked him to reflect at home for two days before going back to school. He had been hiding in the corner eavesdropping on my conversation with Mark. Seeing me leave, he quickly followed. “Are you really going to divorce Dad?” Lucas asked me. “Happy?” I said lightly while carrying my luggage, “No one will care about you anymore in the future. You can do whatever you want.” “Aren’t you afraid that after you divorce Dad, no one will want you anymore?” “Who told you no one wants me?” I looked at him amusingly. “Grandma and Dad both said so.” Lucas said frankly, “They said you’re not good enough for Dad, and no one will want you after you divorce Dad. You don’t dare divorce Dad at all.” I laughed. I saw through what kind of person Mark was long ago. I didn’t expect his mom to be like this too. Pretending to be a good person usually, saying her son was wrong here and there in front of me, saying I worked hard raising the child. Turns out behind my back, she just treated me as a free nanny for her grandson. Of course, it doesn’t matter anymore. They are all irrelevant people in the future. “If you really stop caring about me in the future, and stop caring about Dad and Auntie Linda, I’ll help you plead with Dad not to divorce you.” Lucas negotiated with me. “No need.” I touched his head and said gently to him, “Take care of yourself in the future.” Because in the future, his growth has nothing to do with me anymore. I dragged two large suitcases and left. Didn’t look back. I moved into a furnished apartment I found in advance. Near A University. I’m preparing for the postgraduate entrance exam to improve myself. Mark and I were university classmates. To accompany him in starting a business, I gave up the qualification for postgraduate recommendation. Later, after the business succeeded and we had a son, I put my focus on the family. I always had a regret in my heart that I couldn’t get a master’s or a doctorate. Reborn, I deeply realized that one must live for oneself. No one will empathize with you. The day after moving out of the Foster villa, I saw Linda post on Moments. She added me on her own initiative. At the company’s anniversary, I attended with Mark. Linda said my earrings were beautiful, so she added me on WeChat and asked for the link. Later, Linda really had the exact same earrings as me, only she didn’t buy them; Mark gave them to her. And the content of her Moments today: [Poverty limited my imagination. Is such a big backyard used for playing soccer?] Attached was a photo of the Foster villa’s backyard. The purpose was naturally to announce to the world that she was openly with Mark. No longer a mistress who couldn’t be seen. I liked their post. A bitch and a dog, together forever.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389638”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

On the day we were supposed to get our marriage license, Liam Sterling suddenly demanded that his aunt’s child be registered under my name. “Aunt Bella is pregnant out of wedlock. Her reputation in the circle is ruined. If we register the child under your name, we can pretend it’s ours.” When I refused, Liam dropped a bombshell: “We’ll get the license when you agree!” He left me at the City Hall and strode away. This was the ninth time our marriage registration failed because of his “Aunt” Bella. Did he think I would still wait for him like before? I looked down at my phone and saw a notification from a friend’s post: “The girl I love most is about to marry someone else. Heartbroken!” I sent him a message: “Want to get married? Waiting for you at City Hall. Now.” 1 Fifteen minutes later, Noah rushed over in his car. “Really? We can get married? With you?” His eyes couldn’t hide the joy, nor the disbelief. “Cut the crap. Did you bring your ID?” Noah muttered softly: “I dropped an eighty-million-dollar contract signing to come here. Can’t I ask one more question?” But after getting the license, he stared at the little red booklet repeatedly: “I really married you, Chloe? You’re my wife now?” Then he apologetically told me he had to go back to sign the contract and asked me to take a taxi home. While waiting for the taxi, Liam pulled up in front of me with Bella. “Get in.” I pressed the bag containing the marriage certificate and opened the car door. “For you.” He handed me a box. Inside was a silk scarf. Liam was always like this. After making me unhappy, he would give me a small gift. Then we would tacitly never mention the unhappy event again, as if it had passed. Bella, Liam’s “Aunt,” quietly touched the bag beside her. Looking at the scarf in the box again, I realized it was just a free gift that came with that bag. As usual, I pretended not to notice and put the gift box aside. Bella curled her lips into a mocking smile. “Where are we going?” I asked. Liam looked at Bella tenderly: “Picking up a gift, then heading to the Sterling family estate.” I remembered then, today was Liam’s grandfather’s eightieth birthday. We had agreed to go long ago. It was good to go today, to say goodbye to Grandfather Sterling. Through the rearview mirror, Liam carefully looked at my face and explained, which was unprecedented for him: “Chloe, don’t overthink it. Aunt Bella is pregnant alone; people will gossip.” “Raising the child under our name will make it easier for her to marry in the future.” I said indifferently: “Indeed, being pregnant out of wedlock is bad for one’s reputation. Not even having a boyfriend makes people call you loose. Raising the child under your name is best.” Hearing my words, Bella’s face turned purple with anger. She turned her head and said, “You…” But Liam corrected me: “It’s raising the child under our names, yours and mine.” Then he looked at me expectantly. I sneered: “What if I’m not willing?” Liam’s face instantly darkened: “If you’re not willing, we break up.” I said, “Okay.” Seeing Liam’s face relax, I knew he misunderstood. My “okay” meant okay to breaking up. He continued: “See, Chloe? If you were this obedient earlier, we would have gotten the license already.” I didn’t answer, just watched the scenery retreating rapidly outside the window. Just like our three-year relationship, speeding away from me. Bella was the same age as Liam, the adopted daughter of his grandfather. She was also a thorn stuck between us. When we dated, Liam brought her along. When we ate, Liam brought her along. Even the house we lived in together had a room for Bella. I voiced my dissatisfaction many times, but Liam always said: “She’s my aunt. What are you thinking?” Liam and Bella grew up together and were very close. Every time he said this, I would back down. But Bella seemed to have no boundaries, always deliberately showing intimacy with him. They got out of the car together to pick up the gift, and Bella specifically linked arms with him. From behind, they really looked like a couple. And I was left alone in the car, like an outsider. For three years, it was almost always like this. I felt like the third wheel. But it took me two years to chase Liam, and I couldn’t bear to leave. He knew my feelings, which is why he abandoned me at the City Hall time and again. Lost in memories, my phone rang. It was Noah: “Wife, contract signed, but I have to entertain clients tonight, so I’ll be back late. Eat well by yourself.” “I’ll contact you when I’m done.” 2 Only then did I realize I was someone else’s wife. It was just too sudden; I hadn’t adapted to this identity yet. But when answering Noah’s call, I felt more relaxed than ever before. “Who was that?” When Liam opened the car door, I had just hung up. He looked at me suspiciously. “A friend.” I don’t know why, but I just didn’t want to tell him about getting the license with Noah yet. Bella also got in the car carrying the gift. Putting down the gift, she kept rubbing her hands and blowing on them. “So cold.” Liam immediately wrapped her hands in his: “I’ll warm them for you.” As if I wasn’t in the car. Suddenly glad he abandoned me at the City Hall this time. If we had really gotten the license, could I stand their ambiguity for the next few decades? I shook my head gently. “Liam, it was too cold outside just now. Is the baby okay?” Hearing her words, Liam looked nervous. He quickly took off the Bodhi bracelet on his wrist and put it on Bella’s. Bella smiled smugly at me through the rearview mirror. That bracelet was something I prayed for at a mountaintop temple during my period, climbing 999 steps for Liam. I got caught in a rainstorm on the way down and was almost washed away. When I gave it to him two years ago, he was moved to tears. He said he would never take it off in his life. Now, only two years later, he gave it away so casually. The past flashed by like a meteor. I desperately held back the tears. I grabbed Bella’s hand, snatched the bracelet, and threw it out the window. A flash of anger crossed Bella’s face, then she looked like she was about to cry: “Liam, why is Chloe angry? Is she blaming you for giving me the bracelet? Even if she’s angry, she shouldn’t throw it away, right? After all, it’s something you wore. She cares about you too little.” Liam’s face was livid: “Chloe, what are you fussing about now? Just a broken bracelet, not something precious. What’s wrong with me giving it to Aunt Bella? If you keep being so willful, I can’t marry you.” I said disdainfully: “Don’t marry then. What’s the big deal?” Hearing my words, Liam was even angrier. I should be the one angry about this, shouldn’t I? But he pursed his lips tightly and drove fast. Even running two red lights. As soon as we arrived, Bella was taken to a room by Grandfather. “Whose child are you carrying? If you can’t get engaged, get rid of it immediately.” “Girls of our Sterling family are not allowed to have children out of wedlock.” Even from far away, Grandfather’s roar could be heard. And Bella’s sobbing. Liam looked worried. He pulled me over, looking serious, and persuaded me again: “Chloe, you see how hard it is for Aunt Bella.” “Go tell Grandpa that you can’t have children, and Aunt Bella is the surrogate carrying the child for you.” “You’re afraid of pain anyway. With this child, you won’t have to give birth yourself.” I slapped his hand away: “For your aunt, I have to say I’m infertile? Are you sick? Is this child yours?” Liam’s face darkened, obviously displeased: “Chloe!” He said heavily. “What nonsense are you talking about? How could I do such a thing?” “Didn’t you agree in the car just now?” I sneered: “The things you’ve done, I’m afraid we couldn’t finish listing them in a day.” Liam grabbed my wrist: “Chloe, if you still want to marry me, accept this child and stop spreading rumors about me and Aunt Bella. Otherwise, we break up.” “Think about it.” Before I could answer, he pushed me and turned to leave. When the banquet was about to end, I wanted to say goodbye to Grandfather. At the corner, I was suddenly dragged to the terrace by Liam. 3 Bella was waiting there. Eyes red. Liam gripped my wrist hard, his voice cold as ice: “Chloe, you must give a definite answer today. Is it okay to put the child under your name?” I struggled hard but couldn’t break free. “Liam, let go. You care so much about this child, it must be yours.” After saying this, I saw a moment of panic in Bella’s eyes. Liam gripped even harder, my wrist hurting. “Still spreading rumors about me. I’ve really indulged you too much.” His other hand pinched my chin forcefully: “Grandpa scolded Aunt Bella today. Are you satisfied seeing Aunt Bella embarrassed?” “If I had known you were such a vicious woman, I wouldn’t have accepted your pursuit back then.” Whenever he argued with me before, he always said he regretted accepting my pursuit. I would immediately admit defeat and start coaxing him. No matter where the fault lay, it was all my fault. I apologized softly and made promises until he reluctantly accepted. But this time, I suppressed the anger in my heart and said softly but firmly: “It’s not too late now. Let’s break up!” Liam was stunned for a moment. He let go of my wrist and took a step back. His suspicious gaze swept over my face again and again: “Chloe, are you serious?” Before I could answer, he said again: “You know me. If I agree to break up, you won’t even have a chance to regret it.” “In the future, don’t say break up easily in front of me.” After speaking, he turned and walked out. I also turned to leave. This place, this Sterling family, would have nothing to do with me in the future. Just taking a step, Bella pushed me hard. In desperation, I grabbed Bella’s arm. She and I rolled down the terrace steps together. I was pressed under Bella. It hurt too much, so I pushed her. She rolled onto the ground. Turning halfway, I sat up and slapped her face hard. Using too much force, my palm hurt. Hearing the commotion, Liam turned back. The blurted “Auntie” echoed through the entire banquet hall. He rushed over, kicked me away, and picked up Bella. “Auntie, how are you? Where does it hurt?” Bella was incredibly weak: “Pain, pain. She hit me.” Bella pointed at me, tears flowing instantly. Liam looked at me with eyes spitting fire: “Chloe, I won’t spare you this time. Just you wait.” “Aren’t you going to ask for the reason?” Shouting this sentence, tears swirled in my eyes too. Partly from pain. Partly because Liam always unconditionally believed Bella, not me. It had been like this for three years. After speaking, he picked up Bella and walked out. After two steps, he turned back: “Chloe, follow us to the hospital. If anything happens to Aunt Bella, I will definitely call the police.” His tone contained a thousand years of ice. My whole body hurt. Especially my legs. When Bella fell, she landed right on my legs. Elbows hit the ground, now covered in blood. My injuries were more severe; anyone with eyes could see. But Liam seemed blind; he only had Bella in his eyes. I stood up with difficulty, grabbed my down jacket, and got in the car with them. Liam drove faster than when he came, even almost hitting the guardrail. Asking while driving: “Auntie, don’t sleep, we’ll be at the hospital soon.” That tone, as if his aunt was about to die. Hearing his words, Bella pretended to be extremely uncomfortable. But she was just scrolling on her phone a moment ago. At the hospital, after drawing blood, Bella even asked me to press the cotton swab for her. After pressing, I quietly kept the cotton swab. After a checkup, Bella was fine except for a little anemia. Even the baby was growing steadily in her belly. Hearing Bella had anemia, Liam broke out in a cold sweat from nervousness. “Anemia? How can this be good?” “Right, Auntie has a rare blood type, and Chloe has a rare blood type too. She can transfuse her blood.” He dragged me in front of the doctor. 4 The doctor looked at him sarcastically and said: “Women all have a little anemia. This is normal. No need for a blood transfusion at all.” But Liam didn’t listen to the doctor at all. “You must give her a transfusion today. She is a pregnant woman. You can’t take responsibility if something happens.” The doctor wanted to persuade again, but Liam showed his business card. “My family invested in this hospital. If you don’t want to lose your job, draw blood and transfuse it now.” Seeing Liam’s obsession, I wanted to break free and leave quickly. Seeing my reluctance, the doctor said helplessly: “Even if we draw this lady’s blood, we have to get her consent, right?” He looked at me inquiringly. “I am not willing. Why should my blood be given to someone else?” Liam gripped my wrist tightly: “Chloe, you have to understand. Auntie is a pregnant woman and cannot be harmed.” “She can’t be harmed, but I can, right?” My voice trembled with anger when I spoke. I didn’t know that the man I had been with for so long was such a jerk. Hearing my words, Liam hesitated for a moment. But he still didn’t let go of my hand: “Chloe, be obedient. After the transfusion for Auntie, we will go get the license tomorrow.” “Haven’t you always wanted to get it? I will definitely not break my promise this time.” While trying hard to shake off his hand, I shouted “Let go! Let go!” He still wouldn’t let go. And started calling security to come and hold me. In desperation, I dialed Noah’s number: “Save me—” Before Noah could answer, the phone was knocked to the ground. Noah’s voice continued to come from the receiver: “Chloe, what’s wrong? Where are you?” But the noisy surroundings drowned out Noah’s anxiety. Several people pushed me into the blood drawing room. I couldn’t move at all. My menstrual flow has always been heavy, so I have always been anemic. Treated many times, but no obvious effect. Liam clearly knew. He even introduced me to a Chinese medicine doctor before. But when facing Bella, he could be deaf, mute, and blind. My health in his eyes was not worth a single hair of Bella’s. Tears flowed uncontrollably. Watching the nurse’s needle about to pierce my arm, I closed my eyes in despair. Just then, messy footsteps approached. Seven or eight people ran towards this side at the same time. “Who dares to draw my wife’s blood?” It was Noah.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389637”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Adrian Sterling suffers from severe insomnia. I was sent to his side when we were children to be his cure. I became his human pillow. Over the years, he dated one girlfriend after another. But no matter how wild the nights got, he always sent them away. He habitually held me to fall asleep. I had been by his side for so long that he arrogantly assumed I would never leave. Until the day my ten-year contract with the Sterling family expired. He had fallen completely for a new girl—one who kept him awake for three days straight with late-night joyrides. Mrs. Sterling coldly slid the renewal contract across the table, convinced I would sign it. That day, I remained silent for a long time. Finally, I smiled gently and said: “No. Let’s end it here.” 1 It was late when I arrived at the hotel suite. Adrian’s latest fling hadn’t left yet. The bedding had been changed, but the air still held a lingering, ambiguous scent—evidence of how intense things had been moments before. The girl, cheeks flushed, pouted playfully. “Do you really have to kick me out? Can’t I stay the night?” Before he could answer, she saw me enter. She frowned. “Excuse me? We didn’t order housekeeping.” Adrian let out a short, sharp laugh. “She’s not housekeeping. She’s my… sleep aid.” The girl froze for a second, then looked incredulous. “I wasn’t enough for you? You need a back-to-back shift?” Adrian leaned against the headboard, eyes still hazy with lingering desire. He looked at me, raising an eyebrow with a half-smile. “Any issues sleeping with my little pillow?” He pulled out two checks, scribbled his signature, and handed them to the girl. “Alright, you can go now.” I stood nearby, waiting for her to take the money and leave like all the others. Instead, she slapped the checks back onto the nightstand, chin held high. “I don’t want your dirty money. I was satisfied too. Let’s just call it a mutual transaction.” With that, she walked out without looking back. Adrian fingered the rejected checks, a rare look of surprise in his eyes. But his expression quickly returned to normal. He pulled me into his arms with practiced ease, one arm circling my waist, burying his face in the crook of my neck. The scent of her perfume still lingered in the air. I couldn’t ignore it. I looked down and saw a bright red lipstick mark on Adrian’s collar. It was glaring, like a territorial flag. He noticed my gaze. His voice was raspy. “Hm? What is it?” I pointed at his collar, expressionless. “Lipstick.” Adrian seemed to be in a good mood tonight. He spoke with unusual patience. “If you mind, I can go change?” I pressed my lips together and didn’t answer. Seeing this, he thought for a moment. “Then let’s sleep somewhere else. Let’s go to your place tonight, okay?” I was startled. I didn’t know why he suddenly wanted to go to my apartment, but we had shared a bed for ten years. Him coming to my place wasn’t a big deal. I nodded. At my apartment, Adrian changed into the men’s pajamas I kept for him and went straight to my bed. He liked to hold me face-to-face, one arm tight around my waist, the other across my back, locking me into his embrace. It was as if he truly treated me as nothing more than a body pillow. Because of this, I was particular about my bedding. Soft mattress, fluffy pillows, everything washed with lavender detergent. Plushies lined the wall—it wasn’t a large bed, but it felt safe. Adrian, in his dark silk pajamas, looked out of place squeezed onto my pastel pink sheets. He lowered his head, nose brushing the top of my hair. After a moment of silence, he asked, “Elara, why does your bed smell so good?” I was already drifting off. “Everything was just washed.” But Adrian didn’t stop. He wasn’t sleepy at all. He sniffed around until his nose touched the sensitive skin of my neck. He chuckled darkly. “Turns out, this is the best smelling spot.” His hot breath hit my skin, causing a shiver to run down my spine. My heart skipped a beat. I looked up to say something, but my lips accidentally brushed against his chin. We both froze. Nervous, I tried to scoot away, afraid he’d hear my pounding heart. But he yanked me back immediately. “What are you hiding from?” His large hand rested on my shoulder. “Relax. I have no interest in a flat board like you.” 2 I always knew Adrian didn’t like me. In fact, he found me boring. From age 13 to 23, I had been by his side for nearly a decade. When he was 13, he was kidnapped by a rival company. No one knows exactly what happened, but after he was rescued, he suffered severe trauma and chronic insomnia. The doctors suggested a companion to help him feel grounded. That’s how I ended up at the Sterling Estate. There was a long line of candidates. I stood there in my worn-out clothes, exhausted from working odd jobs the day before. While waiting, I crouched in a corner and fell asleep. Adrian, surrounded by staff, walked out looking miserable. He scanned the crowd, pointed at the sleeping girl, and said impatiently, “Her. She’ll do.” Since then, I became his human pillow. As I grew older, Mrs. Sterling’s frowns deepened. She constantly hinted that I shouldn’t get any “wrong ideas.” So, I hid my crush deep inside, letting no one see. Over the years, I watched him date girl after girl. Before he could spend the night with them, I would knock on the door and perform my duty: “Mr. Sterling, it’s time to sleep.” To him, I was no different from those girls—just another person there for the money. But they brought him pleasure; I brought him nothing but dull routine. He eventually grew tired of my existence and tried to sleep without me. But he angrily discovered that after ten years, his body was conditioned to needing me to fall asleep. Doctors said a good mood helped with insomnia, so for ten years, I walked on eggshells, agreeing with everything he said just to keep him content. When he was in a bad mood, he would snap at me: “Stop with the fake concern. You’re just here for the paycheck.” I buried my love deeper and replied numbly, “Yes, just for the paycheck.” I hid it well. Even in my diary, I referred to him distantly as “The Boss.” Until I was 19. He helped me deal with some debt collectors who were harassing me. That night, for the first time, I allowed myself to write his name, Adrian, in my diary. By the time I snapped out of it, the whole page was filled with “I like you” and his name. Panicked, I wanted to tear it out, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I locked the diary in the bottom drawer of my nightstand. I thought it was safe. So, when I woke up the next morning and saw Adrian sitting in my chair, the drawer open, pointing at the diary, my world collapsed. He asked coolly, “What is this?” Five years of secret, humble love were stripped bare. “How… how did you open it?” I asked, voice trembling. “Tried all morning. Turns out the password is my birthday.” He held up the notebook, eyes narrowing. “Entries from four years ago… You hide things deep, sweetheart.” His tone was soft, but it terrified me. He tore the page out. Rip. Then he shredded it, piece by piece, tossing the confetti into the trash bin. “What are you fantasizing about?” he mocked. “Elara, did you think a piece of paper would make me settle down? They can do anything to please me. Can you?” 3 After that day, Adrian didn’t contact me for three days. On the fourth night, his assistant knocked on my door, supporting a very drunk Adrian. “Mr. Sterling drank too much tonight. Please take care of him, Miss Grey.” Usually, Adrian had a high tolerance. How much did he drink to get like this? I helped him into bed and went to the kitchen to make hangover soup. While the water boiled, I felt a hot body press against my back. Adrian wrapped his arms around my waist, resting his chin on my shoulder. “Elara,” he rasped. I froze. He rarely used my name. Usually, it was “Hey,” or mockingly “Baby” when he wanted to tease me. “Are you feeling sick? The soup is almost ready…” Before I could finish, he kissed me. It was warm, gentle, landing on my cheek, the corner of my lips, my neck. The scenario I had dreamed of for years was happening, and it rendered me speechless. I tried to push him away, but he buried his face in my neck, whispering my name over and over with thick desire. “Elara… Elara…” I am not a saint. When he called my name like that, I couldn’t refuse. I turned around and wrapped my arms around his neck. It wasn’t our first time. Four years ago, when he found out I was negotiating a raise with his mother, he had stormed into my room. “Just for the money, right? Fine. If I give you enough, will you sleep with me?” That night had been painful and devoid of affection. But tonight, he was gentle. He kissed me, held me, and whispered to me. When it was over, he held me in his arms, pecking my lips. “Your waist is so thin,” he teased softly. “How did you handle that?” I lay in his arms, thinking: Maybe, just maybe, Adrian feels something for me too? He slept deeply until noon. His phone rang. I picked it up to silence it so he wouldn’t wake, but I saw the Caller ID: Lyra. My blood ran cold. A ridiculous, terrible suspicion formed in my mind. Adrian woke up. He took the phone without a hint of his usual morning grumpiness. A familiar, charming female voice drifted from the speaker: “Adrian, I heard you haven’t slept in three days because you were racing cars all night to chase me?” “Hmm, since you’re so sincere, I’ll forgive you. Whatever you want to do tonight, I’m game.” It was the girl from the hotel. Adrian smiled and agreed. He hung up, the smile fading as he looked at me. He frowned. “Why was it you last night?” I dug my nails into my palms. So, the tenderness, the whispers of my name… it was all because he thought I was Lyra? The names sound similar when drunk. Elara… Lyra. “It was me,” I said, closing my eyes. “Who else would it be?” Adrian was silent. Finally, he sighed. “Baby, you really can’t leave me, can you?” He pulled out a checkbook, scribbled a number, and patted it against my cheek. “You were obedient last night. This should cover it. But remember your place—you’re just a pillow. Don’t dream of anything else.” 4 That night, Mrs. Sterling called me to the main estate. She slid a contract across the table. “Adrian’s new girlfriend says she can help him sleep, too. Maybe we don’t need you anymore.” “The salary is cut in half. Sign it if you want.” She was certain I would sign. Five years ago, I had begged for this job to pay for grad school. I looked at the contract. Ten years of memories flashed by. I pushed the paper back and shook my head gently. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Sterling. Let’s end the contract here.” The room went silent. “You’ve thought this through?” she asked slowly. I nodded. “Don’t think you can play hard to get,” she warned. “You’re just a sleep aid. He doesn’t need you.” I stood up and bowed. “Thank you for the Sterling family’s help over the last decade. I won’t regret this, and I won’t pester him.” She relaxed. “You have seven days left on the current contract. Pack your things. Once it expires, disappear. Don’t appear in front of him again.” “I promise.” Leaving the estate, I stood on the street feeling lost. For years, I had prioritized Adrian over everything. I even rejected a prestigious exchange program in New York because I didn’t want to leave him. I pulled out my phone and texted my professor. Is the spot for the New York program still open? She replied instantly: Yes. I’ll secure it for you. I realized then: No one should put their life on hold for someone else. 5 I spent the next few days packing. On the second night, Adrian came to my apartment. Since that night, he preferred my bed to his own luxury suite. He opened the closet. “Where are your pajamas? Two sets are missing.” “They were old. I threw them out,” I lied. He lay on the bed, hand resting on my waist. I flinched. My waist was still bruised from his grip the other night. “Why are you dodging?” he grumbled. He lifted my shirt and saw the bruises. He sighed. “You always say you’re fine when you’re hurt.” He went out, bought ointment, and applied it. The warm light softened his features. It was the most peaceful we’d been in a long time. “Is the contract up soon?” he asked casually. “Go renew it.” He didn’t know. “Adrian, I…” His phone rang. It was Lyra, crying about a paper cut she got while packing for their camping trip. Adrian stood up immediately. “I’m coming over.” He put his jacket on, tossing the ointment aside. At the door, he paused. “What were you going to say?” I looked at him standing in the dark hallway. “Nothing. It wasn’t important. Go.” The seventh night arrived. The Sterling butler called to verify my departure. I told him I was going abroad and would never return. I sat in the living room, waiting for the final “shift.” Midnight passed. Adrian didn’t come. At 1:00 AM, he called. “Mr. Sterling, it’s time to sleep,” I said robotically. On the other end, I heard a girl’s bright laughter. “Wow! The fireworks are beautiful! I love you, Adrian!” He laughed, then spoke into the phone. “Not coming back tonight. I’ll sleep with you tomorrow.” Lyra’s voice chimed in. “No way, you promised to stay! Let me try to lull you to sleep again.” Adrian chuckled. “Fine. I’ll see you the day after tomorrow, Elara.” I listened quietly. In that moment, the last shred of reluctance in my heart vanished. The next afternoon, I boarded a plane to New York. I took out my SIM card and snapped it in half. Elara, keep walking. Don’t look back.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389636”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My whole family went to Aspen for a winter trip to see the snow. My husband told me not to buy a down jacket, saying it wouldn’t be cold and it was a waste of money. I listened to him and only packed a thin coat and flats. But when no one was looking, I silently searched on my phone: [How long does it take for an adult male to freeze to death in -22°F weather?] 1 Near the end of the year, my husband, Mark, said things were slow at work and planned to take his annual leave to take our family on a trip. Our son had mentioned wanting to see snow in the north many times, so the destination was Aspen, Colorado. A week before leaving, I was browsing down jackets online. Mark glanced at my phone screen, and his face immediately darkened. “You wasteful woman, who told you to buy a down jacket? Why buy a jacket that costs hundreds of dollars just to wear once!” I quickly explained, “It’s minus twenty-two degrees there right now.” “Cold in the north is physical; cold in the south is magical. The north isn’t damp and cold like the south at all.” Where we live, it’s hot all year round. Even when it’s coldest, a fleece jacket is enough. Mark’s face clearly showed impatience. He grabbed my phone and deleted all the down jackets from my cart. He threw the phone back at me unkindly. The phone hit my eye socket, making me cry out in pain, tears streaming down. He smiled triumphantly. “I work hard to make money outside, and you spend it without a care. How did I marry such an unlucky woman?” I didn’t speak. I silently got up and went to the bathroom to rinse my swollen eye with cold water. Because I knew if I talked back to Mark, I would only get a more violent beating. When I returned to the bedroom, Mark had turned off the light and gone to sleep. I tiptoed to the bedside, staring unblinkingly at the sleeping Mark. If I did something now, he wouldn’t know, right? No, for the sake of my two children, I have to endure. They can have a family without a father, but they can’t have a mother with a criminal record. According to Mark’s request, the whole family only packed thin coats and flats. I didn’t even bring thermal underwear. A small suitcase for four people, and there was still space left. On the way to the airport, Mark bragged while driving: “Don’t be like your mom when you grow up, making a big deal out of nothing. We’re used to the damp cold in the south; we’re not afraid of winter in the north at all. You’ll see when we get off the plane.” My son and daughter were still young, at the age where they just wanted to play. Thinking only about going on a trip, they didn’t understand what Mark was saying at all. I smiled gently at Mark. “Hubby, you know so much.” He freed a hand, pinched my cheek hard, and smiled with satisfaction. “That’s more like it.” In his eyes, I was like a doll he could manipulate at will. If the food I cooked wasn’t to his liking, he would dump it directly on my head. Regardless of time or place, if he wanted to, he would force himself on me like a dog in heat. Any slight disobedience, even having a nightmare, would become a reason for him to beat me. Every day living with him was lived in extreme tension and fear. The plane roared, and we flew high into the sky. Mark kept hitting his ears because of the tinnitus. I whispered in his ear: “Hubby, have a safe trip.” 2 The plane landed at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport. Walking through the jet bridge, the cold had already seeped in from outside. Mark’s face turned a bit pale, but he remained stubborn: “See, I said it wouldn’t be cold at all. No need for down jackets.” Passengers getting off with us heard him and looked back at him like he was an idiot. Upon reaching the arrival hall, more tourists from the south were changing into warm clothes in the restrooms. Mark whispered sarcastically that people were doing unnecessary things. My son pulled my hand, saying in a milky voice, “Mommy, I’m cold.” I rubbed his head lovingly. It’s okay, our saviors will be here soon. My best friend, Sarah, brought her boyfriend, Jason, to pick us up. She and Jason were carrying bags big and small. Seeing me, Sarah gave me a huge hug. I heard her choking voice in my ear. “You’re finally here.” I hugged her back, holding back the sourness. “Long time no see. Mark and I have been talking about you.” Sarah, Mark, and I were college classmates. Back then, the three of us were close, almost inseparable at school. Only then did Sarah smile and tease Mark: “Did you lock Moon up? You haven’t let her come play with me for so many years.” Mark always maintained the image of a good husband outside. He gently pulled me into his arms. “Who told you to run so far away? I can’t bear for my wife to travel so much.” Sarah’s complicated gaze went back and forth between Mark and me, finally smiling meaningfully. “You’re still the wife-doting maniac as always.” Sarah took out the things from her two big bags. She said these were the down jackets she prepared for us. Mark looked a bit unhappy, stubbornly saying, “I don’t need to wear it. Your north isn’t cold at all.” “Don’t be polite with me. I already bought them, just do me a favor.” Saying that, Sarah handed Mark his jacket. In college, Mark had a crush on Sarah, but she had a boyfriend then. He settled for pursuing me, and I, dazzled by his sweet words, agreed to be with him. Seeing his white moonlight smiling at him, Mark was mesmerized and accepted the down jacket. The children and I changed into ankle-length down jackets. Looking back, Mark was annoyedly stuffing his arms into the sleeves. Sarah snickered. “Oh my, Mark, you’ve rounded out quite a bit these years. I bought the clothes based on your size in college.” Mark lost face and threw his jacket unhappily on my head. “I’m dying of heat and don’t want to wear it at all. Put away Sarah’s kindness.” My hair was messed up by the hit, looking messy due to static electricity. Sarah wanted to reach out to help me, but I quickly signaled her not to come over. Sarah’s boyfriend, Jason, is eight years younger than her, a tall and handsome puppy dog. Jason thoughtfully came over to help me with the luggage. Although Mark didn’t stop him, his gloomy gaze kept staring at me. I lowered my head, pulled the two children, and hurried outside. When leaving the hall and contacting the real outdoor temperature, I saw Mark freeze for a moment. His whole body stiffened, and every step was extremely difficult. He cared about face; even if he was freezing enough to pee blood, he wouldn’t make a sound. Fortunately, the car was right there, and he was the first to drill in. 3 Sarah took us back to her villa. As soon as we got back, Jason insisted on dragging Mark out for a smoke, and I finally had a chance to talk to Sarah. Once the door closed, Sarah let loose, cursing Mark’s ancestors. “You went through such a big circle, bought down jackets and mailed them here specifically, what is this for?” Actually, the down jackets Sarah brought today were bought by me. “Mark wouldn’t let me buy them, saying I spend money recklessly. If he knew, he would definitely beat me again.” “He treats you like this, why don’t you divorce him?” “I proposed divorce the first time he hit me. He locked me at home and beat me for three days, forcing me to swear never to bring up divorce again.” Mark and I got married right after graduation, and soon had a son. To take care of the child, I haven’t gone out to work, staying at home as a full-time mom. Mark pretended to be a model husband at first, but during my confinement, just because I broke a plate, he grabbed the shards and beat me severely. I was covered in cuts from the shards, and I still have scars now. Looking at the scars on my body, Sarah trembled with anger. “This is murder. I want to call the police to arrest him.” I forced a numb smile, looking at Sarah sorrowfully. “I’ve used every method you can think of… but it’s useless, no one can save me.” I had reached out for help countless times, but those hands only pulled me back and advised me: —Go live well with him. —You have children, bear it for the children. —Every couple fights. A day as husband and wife means a hundred days of grace. Calm down, don’t be impulsive. I consulted lawyers and even installed cameras at home. But Mark wasn’t afraid at all. He said even if I had evidence, as long as he didn’t agree, our marriage couldn’t end. And facts proved so. I fought for half a year, during which I was beaten into the hospital by Mark three times. The last time, he threatened me that if I dared to divorce, he would kill my parents. Since then, I never mentioned divorce again. Soon, we had a daughter. I started pretending to accept my fate, not resisting, not making noise. Mark enjoyed the current days very much. During this time, I secretly worked part-time online. Now I can earn three or four thousand dollars a month drawing illustrations, enough to support me and the children. I also asked my parents to buy a house in Florida and let them stay there for the winter. Everything is ready, just one step away from the good life I imagined. Since Mark doesn’t want a divorce, then let him be widowed. 4 At night, I put the children to sleep. Mark came back smelling of smoke. He smoked with Jason on the balcony and was frozen stiff. I felt a cold body drill into the quilt. I closed my eyes pretending to be asleep. Mark’s side lit up; he was playing with his phone. Squinting, I saw him open WeChat, chatting with a contact named “Little Wild Cat.” [Little Wild Cat]: [Brother Mark, have you arrived in Aspen? I can’t wait to see you.] [No Desire No Want]: [Brother can’t wait to see my Little Wild Cat too. Did you receive the clothes I sent you?] I opened my eyes sleepily and asked him, “Hubby, why aren’t you sleeping yet?” Mark quickly put away his phone and got up to go outside. “None of your business!” After he left the bedroom, I took out a spare phone from the drawer. On the secondary WeChat account, Mark was sending me messages non-stop. Yes, Little Wild Cat is me. That idiot Mark still doesn’t know the person he’s been chatting with for three months isn’t fictional. [No Desire No Want]: [Brother can’t wait to see you wearing that dress. Where do you live? I’ll come find you now?] [Little Wild Cat]: [Annoying, I don’t want to see you.] [No Desire No Want]: [I spent a lot of money on plane tickets just to see you. Are you playing me?] [Little Wild Cat]: [I’m going to sleep, goodnight.] After sending the last message, I put away the phone and covered myself with the quilt to sleep. Sure enough, Mark came back depressed not long after. He slammed the door shut. The room lights turned on brightly. I pretended to wake up startled, looking at him in surprise. “What’s wrong, hubby?” His eyes were red, his eyebrows pressed low, looking fierce. He suddenly rushed over, grabbed my hair, and pulled me from the bed to the floor. I felt my scalp about to tear. Mark was in a bad mood because of being rejected. He would beat me to vent his anger whenever he was unhappy. Just as his fist was about to fall, I suddenly started struggling violently. “If you hit me now, you’ll definitely wake up Sarah and the others. Your image as a good husband won’t be kept!” Maybe because I hadn’t contradicted him for too long, Mark was stunned. He pinched my chin tightly, his eyes locking onto me. He gritted his teeth and said, “Just you wait, see how I deal with you when we get back.” He worked hard to maintain his image of a successful career and harmonious family outside. He would absolutely not leave any gossip for anyone.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389635”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Married to Julian Thorne for a year, we were still practically strangers, yet incredibly compatible in bed. My parents asked if we had plans for children. Julian replied, “We do. We’re letting nature take its course.” My eyelashes trembled, thinking of the box of ultra-thin condoms he just bought. He even opened two just last night. After washing up that evening. Julian unexpectedly helped me blow-dry my hair. I bit my lip. “Thanks, but I don’t want to do it tonight.” He froze. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that.” But halfway through blow-drying, Julian suddenly asked: “Can I ask why you don’t want to?” 1 Julian and I met on a blind date. And it was a flash marriage. As for why it was so quick… According to my mother: “Sarah, you hit the jackpot with this guy.” “Julian Thorne, 28, 6’3″, rich, handsome, doesn’t smoke or drink. His own company is about to go public. What reason do you have not to go?” “It just so happens your mom reconnected with her best friend from high school who just returned from abroad…” My mom’s opinion wasn’t the main factor. The real reason I impulsively agreed to the flash marriage… Was that I fell for Julian at first sight. He was totally my type. Handsome features, broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs. Even a simple black shirt couldn’t hide his good looks. His aura was cold but alluring. Especially the second time we met. It suddenly started raining on a sunny day. Without hesitation, he took off his suit jacket to shield me from the rain. His thin shirt quickly got soaked, clinging to his body. I caught a glimpse of his tight abs at first glance. At least a six-pack, and his pectoral muscles were full and defined. I subconsciously licked my lips. That night, I dreamed of Julian… Anyway, with both parents pushing hard. Julian and I got our marriage license less than half a month after meeting. On the second day after getting the license, there was a huge misunderstanding. Julian came home from work in the evening and didn’t see me. He called me. “Sarah, did something happen tonight? Do you need me to pick you up?” Hearing his calm, deep voice from the other end. I was stunned for over ten seconds. Cheeks slightly hot, I said embarrassedly, “Sorry, Julian. I subconsciously went back to my parents’ house after work.” “It’s too late now. I’ll pack my things, come pick me up tomorrow.” I was a tiny bit embarrassed. Today happened to be Friday. I was so busy I brain-farted and forgot I married Julian. Luckily, Julian didn’t ask much, just gave a faint “Hmm.” “It’s okay, no need to apologize. I’ll pick you up tomorrow. Since it’s the weekend, we can move into our marital home together, is that okay?” Thinking about moving in together immediately. My breathing quickened nervously. But “guilt” made me nod repeatedly: “Yes, yes.” Julian: “Goodnight, see you tomorrow.” 2 The first night moving into the marital home with Julian. I was inexplicably nervous. I decided on the flash marriage because I really had a crush on him. But he… Before deciding to get the license, Julian told me very seriously: “Miss Miller, for some reasons, I don’t really know how to love someone, but I will fulfill the responsibilities of marriage, respect you, and respect this relationship.” My heart trembled slightly then. Thinking the “reasons” Julian mentioned might be related to him growing up away from his parents. So I didn’t ask further, showing respect. I thought. No feelings now, doesn’t mean there won’t be later. After all, feelings aren’t just developed by getting along, but also by doing things together. I took a deep breath and grabbed a bottle of red wine from the cabinet. Poured half a glass, downed it in one go, then returned to the room. When Julian came out of the bathroom after showering. My brain short-circuited, and I asked bluntly: “Julian, are we doing it tonight?” As soon as the words left my mouth. Realizing I was too direct. My face instantly turned bright red. I silently pulled the quilt up, covering half my face. Julian’s Adam’s apple bobbed suddenly. His voice was low and deep, “Sure, I have no problem.” He walked to the other side of the bed and sat down. Turning his head to look at me, he continued: “But we moved all day today. If you’re not tired and still in the mood, we can do it now. If you’re a bit tired, we can do it another day. It’s up to you.” I froze. Julian’s words were too formal. Not like discussing intimacy, more like discussing homework… My gaze involuntarily drifted to him. Falling on the open collar of his pajamas due to sitting sideways, his full pectoral muscles faintly visible. My breathing instantly deepened. Embarrassed to say “Although I’m tired, I crave your body.” I just stammered back. “Oh, oh, then let’s do it another day.” I lay flat instantly. Muffled out two words: “Goodnight.” 3 The first six months of marriage with Julian. He was busy with the company IPO, overtime and business trips were the norm. Often didn’t see him for more than half a month. Our first time was actually the third month of marriage. Heard the first time isn’t great, so I was a bit worried. But the result was, I almost ate too much. Before sleeping. Even though Julian had made an appointment with me in advance. He still asked me gentlemanly and politely: “Sarah, is now okay?” I certainly wouldn’t refuse food brought to my mouth. Blushing, I nodded reservedly. He turned off the main light, leaving only a night light on. Warm kisses landed on the side of my neck. Slowly moving down. Watching Julian get up and take a box from the nightstand, I swallowed nervously. Said to him softly. “Julian… be gentle.” His movement paused, leaning down to kiss my brow. Trying to distract me, he asked: “Did you drink red wine today?” I clutched the pillow tightly, heart beating too fast to speak. The man’s broad shoulders rose and fell, lines smooth, full of power. It was past midnight when it ended. Julian looked down at me, eyes dark. Voice extremely hoarse: “Are you okay? Can I get you a glass of warm water?” My ear tips were red. Cleared my throat and replied: “Pretty good… thanks.” One year into marriage with Julian. We were still not very “familiar.” Although he was overly formally polite to me. But he would actively report his daily schedule to me. Consciously kept distance from other women. Holidays or not, he would send flowers, gifts, and surprises. Not to mention transferring property and cars to my name. After Julian’s company stabilized. We went from two condoms a month to two a week, occasionally even five a week. And always inadvertently, I was swept away. Daily be like. Me: [Overtime today?] Julian: [Overtime, home at 9 PM, arrive in bedroom around 11 PM. Can we exercise today?] Me: [Yes, shower first.] Julian: [OK, expect to carry you to shower at midnight.] Next day. Julian: [Sarah, I’ll be home around 20:00 today. Will pass East Street, saw the shredded chicken noodles you bookmarked is there, want me to bring some?] Me: [Yes, thank you very much.] Julian: [Then as a thank you gift, is tonight okay?] Me: Huh? Five times last week? Although feelings for Julian escalated beyond my expectations. Isn’t this too fast?! 4 Just when I thought. Julian and I were in a “love after marriage” script, he quietly dealt me a blow. New Year’s Eve, Julian happened to be on a business trip. [Transferred 52000, Sarah, happy holidays.] I stared at the message, stunned. Didn’t expect him to send a red packet voluntarily. Surprised and warmed inside. Biting my lip, I called Julian for the first time voluntarily: [Hubby. Happy holidays~ (Kitten kiss)] Julian replied at noon: [Sarah, I’ll be home around 15:00. Tell the maid no need to prepare dinner, we’ll eat out.] [Do you have plans tomorrow?] Me: [OK. No plans, why?] Julian: [Let’s go skiing at Little Loop Mountain, celebrate the New Year.] Rare romance from a straight guy, of course I gladly accepted. But the next day. Not long after getting up, Julian took a call. After hanging up, he turned to me, tone apologetic: “Sorry Sarah, skiing needs to be postponed to tomorrow, is that okay?” He paused, explaining: “A friend just returned from abroad, a rare talent I’ve always wanted to invite to join the company. Originally agreed to chat after the Spring Festival, but her schedule changed, just called to meet me this afternoon to talk in detail.” I froze. I faintly heard a gentle female voice calling him on the other end: “Brother Julian…” Thought it was a private call. Turns out it’s business. I pushed the suitcase back into the cloakroom. Muffled reply. “It’s okay, no problem.” “Business is important.” Julian went out. Dinner alone at home, I simply ordered the super spicy century egg fried river snail rice noodles I hadn’t eaten for a long time. Spicy and smelly. Perfect for emptying my mind. After I finished eating, Julian’s message arrived. [Dinner just ended, preparing to drive home.] [Sarah, it’s still early, let’s go watch a movie later? The one you were interested in, ‘Hidden Murder’. I asked my assistant to secure the limited edition Pop Mart you liked, we can pick it up at the mall later.] I knew Julian was apologizing for standing me up today. The inexplicable stagnation in my heart was mostly digested. I agreed readily. However… After leaving the cinema, I was furious. Complaining about the movie to Julian from the car to home. “Is this a suspense film? Clearly a bloody violent revenge film, plot speechless, felt like reading a fake short story online.” Maybe too much output, I couldn’t open my eyes before ten. Washed up and went to bed, fell asleep immediately. Julian came out of the bathroom half-wrapped in a towel, seeing me asleep, stunned. Then. He took out his phone and gave “Hidden Murder” a 1-star review. [Movie content poor, affects marital relationship.]

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389634”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel