1 In the company-wide group chat, the Head of Admin suddenly launched an attack. “Just saw a certain intern stumbling out of the CEO’s office, looking disheveled. Didn’t even bother to wipe her mouth clean. Talk about dedication!” The chat exploded. Everyone was guessing which department she was from. The supervisor, Brenda, didn’t stop there. “These Gen Z kids have no shame,” she sneered. “They’ll even stoop to the casting couch just to get a full-time offer. Absolutely no integrity.” “We kill ourselves working on proposals, and she gets an offer just by getting on her knees and opening her mouth.” “Isn’t she afraid of catching something? I can’t believe she’d go for that pretty-boy parachute CEO.” Finally, she sent a voice message, her voice dripping with contempt. “You shameless girl, you make me sick. The CEO just got engaged. You’re nothing but a homewrecker!” I frowned and typed a reply. “You might want to get your facts straight before you run your mouth.” A second later, she tagged me directly. “@Layla Oh, did I hit a nerve? You have the audacity to talk back? You want me to post the picture of you on your knees? You trash!” I was stunned. I was in my own father’s office helping him find a contact lens he’d dropped on the floor. How did that turn into me sleeping my way to the top? … I stared at the messages flooding my screen, my hand squeezing the mouse so hard I nearly crushed it. Brenda, the Head of Admin, was still on a rampage in the chat. “What’s the matter, Layla? Cat got your tongue? You act all innocent, but you’re a real piece of work behind closed doors, aren’t you?” “Everyone, come and see! This is the intern who will do anything to get ahead.” A photo appeared in the chat. The angle was malicious. Taken through a sliver of a gap in the blinds, it showed me kneeling in front of the office desk, my head bowed low. Because I was looking for a contact lens, the posture did look… suggestive. But I was just looking for something! Dozens of new messages popped up. “Oh my god, is that really Layla? She always seemed so quiet.” “You can never judge a book by its cover. Some people will do anything to stay.” “No wonder she got straight A’s on her performance review this month. She slept for them.” I took a deep breath and typed out a response. “Brenda, slander is illegal. I was helping the CEO find his contact lens.” The moment I sent it, Brenda’s sharp, piercing voice came through in another voice message. “Finding a contact lens? Who do you think you’re kidding? Does finding a lens require you to kneel between his legs?” “And you didn’t even wipe your mouth! What was that white stuff on the corner of your lips when you came out? Don’t tell me it was eye drops!” I subconsciously touched the corner of my mouth. It was a drop of milk from the glass I’d had earlier! Before I could explain, Brenda stormed over to my desk with a few of her cronies. Smack. A stack of files was slammed against my face. The sharp edge of the paper sliced my cheek, leaving a sharp, stinging pain. Brenda stood over me, pointing a finger at my nose. “You shameless thing. You still have the nerve to argue in the group chat?” “The entire company saw it. Do you think we’re all blind?” Colleagues started to gather around, pointing and whispering. “So disgusting. How did someone like her get into our company?” “Stay away from her. You don’t want to catch whatever she has.” “And the CEO… what’s he thinking? She’s not even that pretty.” I stood up, pushing the files off my lap. “Watch your mouth, Brenda.” “Do you have any proof? Or are you just going to sling mud with one misleading photo?” Brenda scoffed, crossing her arms. “Proof? I’ll go pull the security footage right now and let everyone see what you were up to!” Then her voice turned sly. “Oh, but there are no cameras in the CEO’s office, are there? That’s why you’re so bold.” She leaned in close, her voice a low, venomous whisper. “Listen to me, Layla. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll pack your things and get out. Don’t wait for me to blow this up. When I’m done, you won’t be able to find a job in this entire industry.” I looked at her twisted face and felt a cold laugh rising in my chest. Blow this up? I was counting on it. I couldn’t wait to see the look on my father’s face when he found out he was being labeled a sleazebag who preyed on interns. “I’m not leaving,” I said, looking her straight in the eye, my voice even. “I’ve done nothing wrong. Why should I leave?” “You, on the other hand, as Head of Administration, are publicly slandering a colleague and spreading malicious rumors. You’re the one who should be leaving.” Brenda laughed, a loud, exaggerated sound. “Ha! Me? You should take a good look at yourself!” “I’m a veteran employee. You’re an intern who hasn’t even gotten an offer yet. You think you can challenge me?” “Fine. You don’t want to leave? I have plenty of ways to make you.” She turned to the gawking crowd. “What are you all looking at? Don’t you have work to do? Is this piece of trash worth your time?” She shoved past me, her heels clicking angrily as she stalked away. The eyes of my colleagues were filled with contempt and disgust. Even the few other interns I was friendly with quietly shifted their desks a few inches away from mine. I sat back down and picked up my phone. A text from the “parachute CEO.” “Layla, did you find the lens? My vision is still a little blurry in this eye.” I typed back. “Found it. It’s next to the leg of your desk. Pick it up yourself.” “And Dad? Your company’s got some real gems working for it.” He sent back a single question mark. I ignored it. If Brenda wanted to play, I was more than ready to join the game. 2 The rest of the afternoon was torture. Brenda rejected all of my work, citing everything from incorrect formatting to half-assed content. She then dumped a pile of miscellaneous tasks on my desk that had nothing to do with my role. “Manually copy all of these archives. They’re needed for the meeting tomorrow morning.” “Also, clean the coffee machine in the breakroom, and the bathrooms are out of toilet paper. Go restock it.” I looked at the mountain of expired files and smirked. “Brenda, I’m an intern in the Operations department. I’m not a janitor or your personal assistant.” “These tasks are not part of my job description.” Brenda leaned back in her chair, casually filing her nails. “Interns have to start from the bottom. What’s the matter? Gotten too used to serving the CEO to do any real work?” “If you don’t want to do it, then get out. No one’s begging you to stay.” She paused, a malicious glint in her eye. “Oh, by the way, I heard the CEO’s fiancée is coming to inspect the company in a few days.” “If she finds out there’s a little fox trying to seduce her man, what do you think will happen to you?” A wave of snickers rippled through the office. “That’s obvious. She’ll be stripped naked and thrown out.” “The wives of these tycoons don’t mess around. Especially a new fiancée. She won’t tolerate any competition.” “Layla, if I were you, I’d buy a bus ticket home right now and hide.” I ignored their taunts and picked up the pile of archives. “Fine. I’ll copy them.” I wanted to see just how far she was willing to take this. I returned to my desk but didn’t start copying. Instead, I opened my laptop and started researching the company’s employee handbook and labor laws. Then, I sent an email to the Director of Human Resources, formally reporting Brenda for workplace harassment and slander. Less than ten minutes later, Brenda stormed over, her face red with fury. “Layla! You dare report me?” She snatched the mouse from my hand and slammed it on the floor. It shattered into pieces. “You think HR will listen to some intern’s whining?” “The Director of HR is my cousin! You want to bet I can have him fire you right now?” I looked at the broken plastic on the floor, my voice calm. “Destruction of company property. You’ll have to pay for that.” “As for firing me, you’re welcome to try.” Brenda’s chest heaved with rage. She raised her hand to strike me. I caught her wrist and threw her hand back. “Don’t get physical. There are security cameras here.” Brenda stumbled back, grabbing a desk to steady herself. She glared at me, her eyes filled with pure hatred. “Fine. You’ve got guts.” “Since you’re so desperate to stay, I’ll grant your wish.” “Tonight, the entire Operations department is working overtime. No one leaves until next quarter’s proposal is finished!” “Especially you, Layla. If you can’t finish it, you’ll kneel at the company entrance and bark like a dog!” Groans of despair erupted from the surrounding desks. “What? Overtime again? It’s all Layla’s fault.” “Yeah, she brings her drama here and drags us all down with her.” “Layla, if you want to crash and burn, do it on your own time! Don’t take us with you!” The blame shifted entirely to me. Brenda watched, a triumphant smirk on her face. “Hear that? That’s the voice of the people.” “You’re a rat, Layla. Everyone wants you gone.” I glanced around at the angry faces of my colleagues without a flicker of emotion. A bunch of fools being used as pawns. I sat down and pulled a spare mouse from my bag. “Overtime it is.” “But we’ll see who’s barking like a dog.” Brenda snorted. “Tough words.” “Tonight, I’m going to show you the meaning of a living hell.” She turned and walked into her office, slamming the door behind her. I watched her go, my expression turning cold. You brought this on yourself, Brenda. 3 At nine o’clock that night, the office was still brightly lit. Everyone was hunched over their desks, the air thick with resentment. Brenda had ordered a feast for herself: fried chicken, milk tea, and barbecue skewers covered her desk. She took pictures and posted them in the group chat while she ate. “Aw, is someone still eating bread? So pathetic.” “As long as everyone works hard tonight, you’ll be eating well with me from now on.” “As for the one dragging us all down, just let her starve. I’m sure she’s already full from sucking up to the CEO.” My colleagues, eager to curry favor, chimed in. “You’re the best, Brenda!” “Not like some people who only cause trouble.” “Brenda, save a drumstick for me! I’m almost done!” I quietly chewed on my whole-wheat bread, my eyes fixed on the data on my screen. This proposal was child’s play for me. My father had been training me in business strategy since I was a kid. I could write a plan of this caliber in my sleep. Ten minutes later, I stood up, walked over to Brenda’s desk, and placed the printed proposal in front of her. “It’s done.” Brenda froze, a chicken wing halfway to her mouth. “What? Done?” She snatched the document and flipped through it haphazardly. “Impossible! This is a month’s worth of work! You finished it in half an hour?” “You must have copied it! Or it’s just a piece of garbage you threw together!” Without even reading a single word, she ripped the proposal in half and threw it in the trash. “Do it again!” “How dare you bring this trash to me? Are you trying to insult my intelligence?” I looked at the shredded paper in the bin, my fists clenching at my sides. “You didn’t even read it, Brenda.” “Or can you not understand it?” My words hit their mark. She shot to her feet, enraged, and pointed a finger in my face. “Are you questioning my professional ability?” “I was a supervisor back when you were still in diapers!” “I said it’s not good enough, so it’s not good enough! Do it again! And you’re not going home until it’s perfect!” She picked up a cup of ice-cold Coke from her desk and threw it at me. The cold, sticky brown liquid ran down my hair and clothes. A collective gasp went through the office, followed by muffled, gleeful chuckles. “Ooh, a wet t-shirt contest.” “Now she really looks the part. No wonder the CEO is into her.” “Brenda’s a legend. That’s how you deal with people like her.” I wiped the soda from my face and took a deep breath. “This is the second time you’ve put your hands on me, Brenda.” Brenda arrogantly slammed the empty cup on the floor. “So what if I did? Go on, report me!” “Where’s your CEO sugar daddy? Why isn’t he here to save you?” “Oh, right, I forgot. His fiancée is coming tomorrow. He won’t have time for a piece of trash like you!” She laughed so hard her face jiggled. “Let me tell you something, Layla. When the CEO’s fiancée gets here tomorrow, I’m going to tell her everything.” “I’m going to let her get a good look at the little homewrecker you are.” “And then, I won’t even have to lift a finger. She’ll be the one to tear your face off!” I looked at her, cold as ice, like she was a clown in a circus. “Fine,” I said. “I’ll be waiting.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389481”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

1 My best friend, an expert at playing the damsel in distress, transmigrated into a novel only to be bullied by her fiancé’s possessive “female bestie.” She called for backup. A system prompt offered me a role: transmigrate as the male lead’s mother or his grandmother. I glanced at my short, boyish hair in the mirror and grinned. “I choose C. I’m going in as myself.” A flash of light later, I stood outside a private karaoke room. Inside, the male lead Declan was kissing his “bestie” Stella while friends cheered. When they pulled apart, Stella shot a smug look at my friend Reina. “Your turn, Reina. If you lose… which of Declan’s friends will you kiss?” Declan smirked silently. As the dice rattled again, I pushed the door open. Reina’s face lit up; she hugged me tightly. Declan slammed his glass down. “Reina, who is this guy?” For years, I’d styled myself as a charming rogue in men’s clothes—the legendary fake playboy to my best friend’s calculated innocence. Keeping an arm around Reina, I smiled faintly. “Same as your little friend here,” I said, nodding at Stella. “I’m her guy best friend.” Stella froze. Declan’s face darkened. Reina, ever the diplomat, smoothed things over and pulled me down to sit with her. For the next round, I guided Reina’s hand, and we easily won. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at me. I turned my gaze to Declan. “You and your ‘bro’ already had your turn,” I said, putting a deliberate emphasis on the word bro. “So now it’s our turn. A little kiss between sisters shouldn’t be a problem, right?” … “No!” Declan’s hand tightened on his glass, looking like he was about to crush it. He shot to his feet, his voice a furious roar. Reina immediately put her skills to use, her eyes welling up with perfectly formed tears. “But… you and Stella were just kissing… Why is it different when it’s us?” Stella rolled her eyes and tightened her grip on Declan’s arm. “How can you even compare? Declan and I grew up together! We were thick as thieves. What’s a little kiss between us?” I fought the urge to roll my own eyes and ran a hand through my short hair. “What a coincidence. Reina and I grew up together too. Wore the same dresses and everything. So what’s a little kiss between us?” Without waiting for an answer, I pulled Reina into my arms and angled my head for a stage kiss. The room fell dead silent. Declan’s friends stared, their mouths hanging open, but no one dared to make a sound. After a moment, I let Reina go. “Well? Applaud,” I said, raising an eyebrow at the stunned group of guys. “You were all so excited a minute ago. What’s the matter? Only like watching the boys kiss? Don’t appreciate a little sisterly love?” No one dared to breathe. Declan’s eyes were fixed on me, blazing and bloodshot. The glass in his hand finally gave way, shattering with a sharp crack. He whirled on Stella. “This is all your fault! It was your stupid idea!” After all, it was Stella who had insisted on the winner-kisses-winner rule. Declan stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Stella, momentarily stunned, shot me a look of pure hatred before scrambling to run after him. The next morning, Reina was scrolling through her phone when she suddenly shrieked. “Alex! You have to see this!” Stella had posted a nine-photo collage to her Instagram. In the pictures, she and Declan were on a yacht, clinking champagne glasses in a luxurious stateroom. Clothes and empty wine bottles were strewn artfully across the floor, creating an atmosphere so intimate it was impossible not to draw conclusions. The caption read: “When I’m the only one still by your side.” Reina let out a laugh that was pure, bitter disbelief. I nudged her shoulder. Our eyes met, and a silent, perfect understanding passed between us. Thirty minutes later, Reina’s Instagram was also updated with a nine-photo collage. The composition was just as intimate. Several dresses were scattered on the floor of a beautifully decorated room. Reina and I were leaning against the bed, wrapped in each other’s arms, feeding each other pieces of fruit. Her caption: “When you’re the only one still by my side.” Less than half an hour after she posted, a frantic knocking echoed through the apartment. On the video intercom, Declan stood outside, his eyes red-rimmed and his chest heaving. 2 The second Reina opened the door, Declan stormed in and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Why?” he rasped, his voice raw with exhaustion. “Reina, why would you betray me?” Reina knew exactly what he was talking about. The tears of a master performer welled up instantly, spilling delicately down her cheeks. “What are you thinking? There was a thunderstorm last night, and I was terrified. I tried calling you until three in the morning, but your phone was off!” Her shoulders trembled as she sobbed. “I had no choice… I had to ask Alex to come and stay with me…” Each word was broken by a sob, yet perfectly clear. Declan froze. He pulled out his phone. The screen was black. Someone had deliberately turned it off. His expression shifted from confusion to dawning fury. “Stella…” he muttered through gritted teeth. When he looked back at Reina, his gaze had softened. “Even so, you can’t post pictures like that online.” His voice was low, laced with frustration. “Reina, I’m a man. I’m possessive of you. Do you understand?” Reina looked up, her eyes swimming with tears. “I’m possessive too!” she cried. “When you and Stella are like that… do you think it doesn’t hurt me?” Her words hit him like a physical blow. He froze, then pulled her into his arms. “Okay, baby, don’t cry. It’s my fault. It’s all my fault,” he murmured, stroking her back gently. Then, his gaze lifted over Reina’s shoulder and landed on me, sitting on the sofa and enjoying the show. His expression turned to ice. “You,” he said, pointing a finger at me, his voice cold. “Get out. Right now.” I shrugged, stood up, and sauntered over. I reached out, gently disentangled Reina from his embrace, and pulled her back into mine. “Why are you mad at me, Mr. Monroe?” I asked with a challenging smirk. “Reina told me that the last time she was at your place, she found Stella sleeping in your bed. Are you two really that close?” Declan’s face grew even darker. “Let her go,” he commanded, his eyes fixed on the hand I had wrapped around Reina’s waist. “She’s my fiancée. Don’t you dare cross the line under the guise of being her ‘guy best friend.’” “Cross the line?” I raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t your ‘female bestie’ doing the exact same thing?” “Stella would never!” Declan blurted out. The words had barely left his mouth when the click of high heels sounded from the doorway. “Declan, I couldn’t find you this morning. I should have known you’d be here with your little wifey.” Stella swept into the room, giving Reina a look of pure contempt. She walked straight to Declan and wrapped her arm around his waist. I raised an eyebrow at him. See? Declan looked deeply uncomfortable. He was about to tell Stella to let go when she suddenly reached down and gave his crotch a casual pat. “Good, it went down.” Her voice was completely nonchalant. “You drank so much last night it stood up. I was worried you’d walk around like that all morning and embarrass yourself.” She then patted his cheek. “See? I’m always looking out for you, aren’t I?” Reina and I both gasped. We exchanged a wide-eyed look. What kind of master-level move was that? Stella shot Reina a triumphant smirk. I just smiled. I pulled Reina closer, my hand moving to cup her breast. “Wow, they really have gotten bigger,” I remarked thoughtfully. “Good thing I was here to help you massage them last night, baby.” 3 The air in the room turned to ice. Declan’s eyes went completely red. He shoved Stella away and lunged at me, yanking me away from Reina. “What else do you have to say for yourself, Reina? What the hell is going on between you and this… this friend of yours?” he roared, his voice trembling with rage. Reina covered her face and began to cry, her small fists beating against his chest. “How can you ask me that? When I couldn’t reach you last night, I called your friends! They told me you were with Stella in a stateroom on a yacht…” Her voice broke with sobs. “I was so angry and stressed my chest felt tight, I could barely breathe!” She hiccupped, her shoulders shaking. “Alex was the one who helped me calm down, who massaged the tension away! Where were you when I needed you?” Declan was stunned into silence. That was my cue. “I only said that to provoke you,” I said calmly, then turned my gaze to Stella. “So, was what she said true? Did he really have an erection while you two were alone last night, or was that just to provoke Reina?” Stella opened her mouth, but no words came out. Declan’s lips thinned into a hard line. He turned to Stella. “Stella,” he said, his voice low and serious. “From now on, you need to watch your boundaries.” Stella’s face went pale. Finally, she managed a tight, reluctant, “Fine.” That evening, Stella invited Reina and me to a party on the yacht. She claimed it was to apologize for the morning’s events. We decided to go. As soon as we boarded, Stella greeted us with a brilliant smile. “Reina, you’re here!” she chirped, taking Reina’s hand affectionately. “I was completely out of line this morning. I’ll drink three shots as punishment.” With Declan watching, Reina had no choice but to play the part of the gracious and forgiving fiancée. Halfway through the party, Stella suggested they go to the top deck for some fresh air, pulling Reina along with her. I saw them go and immediately followed. The wind was strong on the top deck. Stella led Reina to the railing. “Alright, Reina, let’s stop playing games,” she said, her smile vanishing. “Declan and I have known each other for twenty-three years. We were playing together before we could even walk. How long have you known him?” Reina remained silent. Stella took a confident step closer. “Do you really think he’s going to marry you? The Monroe family needs a daughter-in-law from an equal standing, not some green-tea bitch who pretends to be helpless. If you’re smart, you’ll break off the engagement yourself and leave with a little dignity.” “And if I don’t?” Reina asked quietly. “Then you’ll find out,” Stella sneered. “I can make him spend all night drinking with me. I can make him sleep in the same bed as me. Do you really think there’s anything I can’t do?” I was hidden in the shadows. Reina glanced toward me, and I gave a subtle nod. I slipped back downstairs and found Declan. Just as he stepped onto the top deck, Reina suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground. Tears streamed down her face instantly. “Reina!” Declan shouted, rushing toward her. But I got there first, scooping her into my arms. “Let me—” Declan started, reaching for her. But Reina just clung to my shirt, shaking her head and crying. “No… I don’t want you to hold me!” Her voice was a broken whisper. “I never knew you and Stella had that kind of relationship… I thought… I thought it was innocent, like what Alex and I have…” Declan froze. “What kind of relationship?” he demanded, turning to glare at Stella. “What did you say to her?” Stella’s face was white. “I-I didn’t…” Declan tried to comfort Reina, but she just kept crying, refusing to say what happened, like a delicate flower determined to swallow all its pain. This only made Declan more frantic and heartbroken. That’s when I took out my phone and hit play on the recording. Stella’s voice, sharp and clear, cut through the night wind: “…Declan and I have known each other for twenty-three years… Do you really think he’s going to marry you?” “…I can make him spend all night drinking with me. I can make him sleep in the same bed as me. Do you really think there’s anything I can’t do?” The recording ended. Reina’s sobs grew louder. Declan’s face was a mask of cold fury. “Stella,” he said, each word squeezed out from between clenched teeth. “I have never, ever thought of you that way. The only person I will ever marry in my life is Reina.” He bent down and decisively lifted Reina from my arms. He turned and walked away without giving Stella a second glance. With the main characters gone, it was just me and Stella on the deck. I dusted off my hands and stood up, the sea breeze ruffling my hair. Stella walked over to me, her eyes glinting with a venomous hatred. “You win this round, Alex.” she hissed. “But just wait. At Declan’s engagement party in three days, I’ll make sure you and your precious Reina are both ruined for good.” Her threat was vicious. But I just gave her my signature nonchalant shrug. “Oh? Can’t wait to see you try.” 4 Three days later, the entire five-star hotel was booked for the engagement party of Declan Monroe, heir to the Monroe fortune. Crystal chandeliers cast a brilliant glow, and a red carpet stretched from the entrance all the way to the main stage. The hall was filled with guests, the air alive with the constant flash of cameras. Reina, stunning in a white gown, walked the red carpet on Declan’s arm. They were the perfect couple, met with thunderous applause. I sat at the head table reserved for close friends and family, my eyes scanning the room. Stella was nowhere to be seen. Strange. After all that talk of ruining me, how could she miss the party? The evening went smoothly. Declan was doting on Reina, his eyes full of adoration. It wasn’t until the party was winding down, and Declan had taken Reina to greet some other guests, that my phone vibrated. A text from Reina: “Alex, come to the second-floor lounge. Urgent!” I frowned and excused myself. The second-floor hallway was eerily quiet, a stark contrast to the celebration downstairs. The door to the lounge was slightly ajar. I pushed it open. “Reina?” Before I could say another word, something moved behind me. A cloth, smelling cloyingly sweet, was pressed over my nose and mouth. Ether. My consciousness blurred in an instant… I awoke to a piercing scream. My head was pounding, feeling like it was about to split open. I forced my eyes open and found myself lying on a bed, my jacket gone. A group of people were crowding into the room. Reina stood at the front, her eyes wide with horror as she pointed behind me. “Alex, behind you…” I struggled to turn my head. Stella was huddled at the edge of the bed, wrapped in a blanket, her hair a mess, her shoulders bare. Her face was stained with tears, her eyes wide with terror. The moment she saw I was awake, she lunged at me— SLAP! The blow was so hard my head snapped to the side. “You animal!” she shrieked, her voice splitting the air. “You raped me!” She deliberately let the blanket slip further, revealing a shocking splash of bright red on the white sheets. Declan pushed his way into the room. When he saw the scene, his eyes turned blood-red. “Alex!” he roared, charging forward. He grabbed me by the collar and slammed his fist into my face. “You bastard! What did you do to Stella?!” Reina rushed over, trying to shield me. “Wait! There has to be a misunderstanding! Alex would never do something like this!” Stella, sobbing, snatched my phone from the bedside table. “It was a setup! This was all planned!” The screen lit up. She opened the messaging app, found my chat with Reina, and shoved the phone in Declan’s face. The chat log was damning: Reina: Alex, that fox Stella is getting in the way. Alex: What do you want to do about it, baby? Reina: The engagement party is our chance. Get her to the lounge on the second floor. I’ve prepared some drugs. Alex: Are you saying you want me to have a taste? Reina: A little treat for you at my engagement party 😉 Once it’s done, she won’t have the face to cling to Declan anymore! Declan stared at the screen. His face went from furious to pale, then to a dead, ashen gray. He looked up at Reina, his eyes shattered. “Reina…” His voice trembled. “Was it all an act? Your sweetness, your innocence… was it all fake?” The room erupted in shocked murmurs, all eyes and whispers directed at us. Reina shook her head frantically. “No! I didn’t send those messages!” “Liar!” Stella screamed. “Reina, I know you hate me, but I can’t believe you’d use such a disgusting way to ruin me! Are you even human?” Declan looked at Reina, his eyes filled with pain and crushing disappointment. “Reina, I really… I was so wrong about you.” Reina was on the verge of tears. “Declan, you have to believe me! Alex couldn’t have raped Stella! Because she’s a—” “AHHHH!” Stella shrieked again, cutting her off as she scrolled through my phone. “You two have been… Declan, look at this!” She showed him another part of the chat: Alex: I did it. Reina: Ooh, was she better than me? Did you get a video? I want to see. Alex: Of course. I’ll send it to you later. But honestly, she wasn’t as good as you. The room fell completely silent. Declan looked at Reina, the last shred of trust in his eyes crumbling to dust. “You and him,” he said, his voice a horrifying rasp. “You and this so-called ‘guy best friend’ of yours…” “You’ve been sleeping together all this time?” Reina tried desperately to explain. “No! We haven’t—” “Enough!” Declan grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her violently. “Answer me! Have you been sleeping together?!” I tried to get up. “Declan! Don’t you touch her!” But the ether was still in my system. My limbs were weak, and I stumbled. As I tried to get off the bed, Stella launched herself at me from behind, grabbing a handful of my hair. “Don’t even think about it,” she hissed in my ear, before starting to wail again, screaming that I was an animal, her grip on my hair tightening. I struggled to break free. Feeling me resist, Stella yanked with all her might— With a soft rip, my wig came off. The stylish men’s short-cut wig landed on the bed. And in the next second, my real hair cascaded down, a waterfall of black silk tumbling over my shoulders and all the way to my waist.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389480”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

1 At Thanksgiving dinner, my brother publicly accused me of being the fraud. He slammed a DNA report on the table, shoving it toward me. “Look, Audrey! Faye is the real Blackwood daughter! You’re an imposter—what right do you have to sit here?” Then he pulled Faye forward. Her face was the mirror image of our mother. Everyone froze. As I reached for the report, text appeared over Faye’s head, visible only to me: 【Female lead returns to her wealthy family for a sweet romance with the fake young master?】 【Not yet. They still think they’re siblings.】 【Feel bad for the side character—she’s the biggest victim, mistaken for the fake heiress and sent to suffer with the Nolans.】 Faye and I looked like twins, with identical birthdates on our IDs. A slow smile spread across my face. “Ever think,” I said, “that you might be the real imposter?” … I was Audrey Blackwood, the cherished daughter of a wealthy family. Everyone adored me. Everyone except my brother, Adrian. He’d spent his entire life trying to get rid of me. When he was three, he swapped me with the nanny’s daughter. My parents found out and tanned his hide. When he was five, he abandoned me in a park, only to nearly get kidnapped himself before the police saved him. When he was fifteen, he hired some punk to hit on me, but the guy turned out to be into men and ended up harassing Adrian for three days straight. After that, he’d actually calmed down for a few years. I thought he’d finally accepted me as his sister. I guess I was wrong. On Thanksgiving, of all nights, he decided to give me the surprise of a lifetime. “Mom, Dad,” Adrian announced, standing abruptly. “Tonight, I’m exposing Audrey Blackwood for the fraud she is. She doesn’t deserve a single bite of this family’s food!” He produced a small, decorative hammer from his pocket—one of the table setting pieces—and shattered my wine glass. Red wine and shards of crystal sprayed across the tablecloth. My mother gasped, rushing to dab at my dress with a napkin. My father slammed his hand on the table, his brow furrowed with rage. “Adrian, have you lost your mind? Who gave you the right to treat your sister like this!” Adrian shot me a look of pure contempt before turning to the doorway and leading a girl inside. She was wearing the couture gown I was supposed to get for my eighteenth birthday. Around her neck was the sapphire necklace Mom gave me, and on her wrist, the emerald bracelet from Dad. My gaze snapped to the culprit. “Adrian, are you insane? First you smash my glass, and now you’re giving my things away to strangers?” He threw the DNA report at me, the pages fluttering onto my lap. “I can do it because Faye is the true Blackwood heiress, Mom and Dad’s real daughter!” he declared, his voice ringing with triumph. “You’ve stolen the first eighteen years of her life. A few trinkets are nothing! Besides, they were always meant to be hers!” With a flourish, he pushed Faye in front of our parents so everyone could get a clear look at her face. Mom and Dad both stared, stunned. The resemblance between Faye and our mother was uncanny. Mom has aged gracefully, looking like she’s barely in her thirties; seeing her and Faye face-to-face was like looking in a mirror. And me? Standing beside them, I suddenly looked like the odd one out. A knot of anxiety tightened in my stomach. I reached for the report Adrian had thrown at me, but then the text appeared over Faye’s head again: 【Finally, a fresh take on the ‘switched-at-birth’ trope. The real heiress returns and sparks fly with the fake young master.】 【Real Heiress vs. Fake Young Master. I ship it.】 I jerked back in shock, and the comments vanished. I rubbed my eyes. Leaning forward again, they reappeared. 【Is that the real heiress’s unlucky sister?】 【The side character has it rough. One DNA test and the whole family turns on her. The female lead resents her, the fake young master torments her, and her parents grow distant. She gets sent to the Nolan family to be tortured, only to find out it was all a huge mistake. Who wouldn’t turn into a villain after that?】 Real heiress? Fake young master? Unlucky victim? The flood of information left me reeling. Adrian, mistaking my silence for guilt, moved to shield Faye protectively. “Don’t even think about trying anything,” he snarled at me. “If you dare to hurt Faye, I’ll make you regret it.” He locked his eyes on mine. “Remember this: Faye is my real sister, connected by blood. You? You’re just a cuckoo who’s been living in her nest.” And then it all clicked. The fake heiress was actually the fake young master. Adrian was the cuckoo. 2 The comments said I’d be mistaken for the fake heiress, becoming the next victim of Adrian’s stolen identity. I wasn’t about to let that happen. In a move so fast it was a blur, I spun around, grabbed the DNA report, ripped it into a dozen pieces, and tossed the confetti into a nearby wastebasket. I turned back, spreading my hands innocently. “You’re going to need some proof for an accusation like that, Adrian,” I said calmly. “What makes you so sure I’m the fake one?” 【Is she a paper shredder? How did she tear up a whole report that fast?】 【The fake young master’s face is beet red, but am I the only one who finds this satisfying?】 【But now the female lead is even more convinced she’s the evil fake heiress.】 I risked a glance at Faye. Her eyes were red-rimmed, making her look like she was on the verge of tears, but the look she gave me held a sharp glint of suspicion and hostility. Yep, she definitely saw me as the enemy. Adrian, meanwhile, was frantically digging through the trash, trying to salvage the shredded paper. He spent a few moments trying to piece it together on the floor before giving up in frustration. He couldn’t even reassemble the cover page. His fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned white. If our parents weren’t here, I had no doubt he would have already tried to punch me. “Even without the report, I know Faye is a Blackwood,” he insisted, his voice tight. “The moment I saw her, I felt this connection. I just knew she was my sister!” He pointed a trembling finger at me. “And you! An imposter is an imposter. Don’t think destroying the evidence will let you keep squatting in this house!” I let a small, knowing smile play on my lips. “We’ll see who the real imposter is.” Adrian thought I was talking about Faye. He shot me a venomous glare before turning to comfort her. “Don’t worry, Faye. She can’t steal your identity. Your big brother will always have your back.” Faye’s voice was a choked whisper. “Okay. Thank you, brother.” Then she looked up, her eyes shimmering with tears as she faced my parents. “Dad, Mom… I know this is hard to accept, but I really am your daughter.” 【She looks so vulnerable and scared. She must be afraid her parents will choose the side character over her.】 【But the side character is innocent too! She’s also a real heiress. Why do they have to pit the sisters against each other?】 【Isn’t there a plot hole? If the female lead was switched with the fake young master, she’d be the same age as him. Why does everyone think she was switched with the other sister?】 【The female lead was undocumented as a child. When she was finally registered for school, her birthdate was just made up. It was just a coincidence that it ended up being the same as the side character’s.】 I see. Thanks for clearing that up, invisible commentariat. Looking at Faye, my mother’s heart seemed to shatter. Her eyes welled up as an undeniable sense of familiarity washed over her. It was as if Faye truly was her own flesh and blood. She couldn’t stop herself from stepping forward and taking Faye’s hand. Feeling the calloused skin of her palm, a wave of pain and regret hit her. Suddenly, Mom remembered I was still there. If I really wasn’t her daughter… she’d still raised me for eighteen years. How could she choose? They were both precious to her. She turned to my father. “Honey, no matter which of them is our biological daughter, let’s adopt the other one. We’ll raise them both.” “No!” Adrian immediately shot down the idea, his face a mask of disgust as he looked at me. “Mom, she’s a thief! She stole everything that should have been Faye’s. If I hadn’t found Faye, she might have spent her whole life suffering in poverty!” He gestured between us. “While she was living in luxury, Faye was enduring hardship after hardship. I won’t allow her to stay in this house. In fact, she needs to get on her knees and apologize to Faye!” Compared to me, Faye was painfully thin. My gown hung loosely on her frame, and her hair was dry and brittle with split ends. It was clear she’d had a difficult life. The comments above her head exploded: 【How dare the fake young master say that? He’s the real thief! He should be the one kneeling and begging for the female lead’s forgiveness! His real parents beat and abused her. She got into a top university, but they forced her to drop out and work as a hostess in a club.】 【But the male lead is innocent too! He didn’t ask to be switched at birth. And he does a lot to make it up to her later.】 【He’s only saying this now because of the misunderstanding. From his perspective, letting the ‘fake heiress’ stay is unfair to the female lead. He’s not wrong from his point of view.】 【But he’s the one who benefited from it all!】 … The commenters were at war, but my attention was fixed on two phrases: “beaten and verbally abused” and “forced to drop out and work as a hostess.” My own sister had lived like that for twenty years? Suddenly, I understood Faye’s hostility. If I were in her shoes, I wouldn’t be able to forgive someone who had stolen the happy life that was supposed to be mine. But the person she should hate isn’t me. It’s Adrian. I gave Faye a long, meaningful look before speaking calmly. “If I’m the fake heiress, you won’t have to kick me out. I’ll leave on my own.” Adrian scoffed. “Then you’d better start packing.” He turned to our father. “Dad, we have to do another DNA test tomorrow. We need to give Faye the certainty she deserves and make this imposter face reality.” That was exactly what I was waiting for. My father first agreed to Adrian’s suggestion for a new test. Then, his voice sharpened as he addressed his son. “Adrian, you are the heir to the Blackwood family. Where is the composure that comes with that title? And regardless of the test results, Audrey is your sister. Now, let’s eat.” The ever-perceptive butler had already instructed the staff to clear the cold dishes and bring out a fresh course. Adrian let out a cold snort and pulled Faye to the table, directing her to the seat I had just vacated. “Faye, you sit here.” Just as he was about to sit next to her, I slid into the chair myself, bumping him aside. Adrian’s face darkened. “Audrey!” he hissed. I cleaned my ear with my pinky. “What? Are you the only one allowed to get close to her?” He glared. “Don’t think sucking up to Faye is going to convince us to let you stay!” A flicker of something unreadable passed through Faye’s eyes. She glanced at me discreetly before starting to eat, taking small, careful bites. It was obvious she had crammed on table manners. My mother watched me with an approving smile. My father, however, addressed Adrian. “You’re the older brother. Set an example. Be more tolerant of your sister.” Grumbling, Adrian had no choice but to take the seat next to me, shooting daggers at me for the rest of the meal. I acted as if nothing was wrong, happily eating and serving food to my parents and Faye. The rest of Thanksgiving dinner passed in a strangely tense atmosphere. That night, Faye was given a guest room in the mansion. Adrian was not pleased. “Faye has been lost to us for so many years, and the first night she’s home, you put her in a guest room? That’s just cold.” He pointed toward my door. “Audrey’s room is the biggest and has the best view. She needs to give it to Faye!” Faye gently tugged on Adrian’s sleeve. “It’s alright, Adrian. I’m used to small spaces. The guest room is wonderful, really. I’m fine there.” But as she spoke, her eyes drifted to the framed photo on my nightstand—a picture of Mom and Dad kissing my cheeks, my own face beaming with joy. In her gaze, I saw a cocktail of envy, sadness, and longing. I sighed, pushed Adrian out of my room before he could argue further, locked the door, and pulled Faye onto my large, soft bed with me. Faye’s eyes went wide. She instantly yanked her hand away from mine, jumped up, and fled into the ensuite bathroom to wash up. I’m not sure what went through her head, but she did end up sleeping in the same bed with me that night. She kept a wide distance between us, her back turned to me, her head buried under the covers. She was like a hedgehog, curling into a tight ball at the slightest touch, hiding her soft belly. I knew she wasn’t asleep. “I’m eighteen,” I said into the quiet darkness. “What about you?” 3 The next morning, my father pulled some strings and found a private clinic that could run a DNA test on short notice. As our Maybach pulled up to the clinic’s entrance, a figure suddenly darted in front of the car. The driver slammed on the brakes. Faye, sitting across from me, was thrown forward. I reacted instantly, catching her and pulling her into my arms. She blushed, a flicker of surprise on her face. Once she was steady, I looked through the window. The comments were back. 【Didn’t the side character live with the Blackwoods for half a year before her adoptive family dragged her away? Why are the abusive adoptive parents showing up now?】 【The female lead didn’t send money home, so her adoptive parents went to the club looking for her. They found out the fake young master took her, and when they heard the Blackwoods were doing a DNA test, they rushed over to stop them, terrified his identity would be exposed.】 【Oh no, the side character is screwed. After she’s taken back by the Nolans, she gets sold off to some old cripple to be his wife and bear his children!】 My hands tightened into fists. I peered out the window. A middle-aged couple was blocking our way. The man was splayed across the hood of the car, while the woman frantically rattled the door handle and pounded on the window. “Child snatchers!” she shrieked for all to hear. “Give me back my daughter! Everyone, come see! The rich are stealing people’s children!” Faye’s face turned deathly pale. Adrian’s expression was thunderous. He grabbed me by the collar, dragged me out of the car, and shoved me toward the screaming woman, Brenda Nolan. “You want your daughter?” he spat. “Here she is! She’s your daughter. Faye is the precious gem of the Blackwood family!” Brenda froze for a second, but she quickly realized the Blackwoods hadn’t figured out the whole truth. She immediately burst into crocodile tears and lunged for me. “So you’re my real daughter! Come on, let’s go home with Mom.” I sidestepped, and she stumbled past me, nearly smashing her teeth on the pavement. “The DNA test isn’t even done,” I said coolly. “Who knows if you’re really my mother?” Hearing this, Brenda waved her hands frantically. “Oh, that’s too expensive! We’re simple people, we can’t afford things like that. Just test Faye. If she’s a Blackwood, then you must be my daughter.” With that, she and the man, Rick, planted themselves by the entrance, refusing to come inside. They were terrified I’d drag them in for a test too. “Your parents are just dripping with desperation,” Adrian sneered at me before taking Faye’s arm and leading her into the clinic. We paid for a rush job, and the results came back quickly. Two reports. One for Faye and my mother, the other for Faye and my father. Both confirmed a direct biological link. She was their daughter. There was no question of her being an illegitimate child from one side. My mother hugged Faye, both of them sobbing. My father watched his long-lost daughter with a look of profound heartache. Adrian, clearly disappointed by my calm reaction, started his victory lap. “Audrey,” he began, a cruel smirk on his face. “Oh, wait. I should call you Audrey Nolan now, shouldn’t I?” If I were you, I’d be crawling back to that gutter with your hick parents right now instead of sticking around to be humiliated! Brenda and Rick chose that moment to reappear, dabbing at their dry eyes and begging me to acknowledge them. I just shook my head. “I’m not your daughter.” Brenda collapsed to the floor, wailing and beating the pristine tiles. “What a cruel fate! To give birth to a daughter who won’t even recognize her own parents! What are we supposed to do in our old age?” Rick, a brutish-looking man, jabbed a finger in my face. “You ungrateful brat! I bet you just can’t stand to give up the good life. You’re planning to cling to the Blackwoods, aren’t you?” Adrian stood off to the side, arms crossed, enjoying the show. I just tilted my head and gave him a sweet smile. “The fake heiress is an ungrateful brat, you’re right about that. But I’m not the fake heiress.” Adrian’s amusement vanished. “If it’s not you, then who is it?” I leaned in, my voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Have you ever considered that you might be the cuckoo in the nest?” A second later, my father’s voice boomed from behind me. “Adrian, you’re the one who was switched at birth.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389479”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

1 A riot broke out at the city’s largest mall on New Year’s Eve. I grabbed my three-year-old daughter and barricaded us in a bathroom stall, praying for rescue. Thirty-six hours later, I bled out. My husband Daniel’s voice, raw with fury, crackled through my phone’s speaker. “I already explained! Jenna is just my deputy captain! She got hurt on New Year’s Eve, so I went to the hospital with her for a few hours. Did you really have to pull a disappearing act with our daughter over that?” The sound of his yelling made Rosie flinch. Her small voice, thick with tears, cried out, “Daddy, I’m sorry! I won’t ask Mommy to take me out to play anymore.” “Mommy’s sleeping,” she sobbed. “I keep calling her, but she won’t wake up. Doesn’t Mommy want me anymore?” The line went dead silent. A moment later, I heard Daniel’s shattered roar, ordering his team to accelerate the search for casualties. I watched as the girl, Jenna, got closer and closer to where my daughter was hidden. A strange sense of relief washed over me. Congratulations, Daniel. You’re finally getting your wish. A new wife. The panting of search dogs grew louder, closer. I floated in the air, a ghost looking down at my own body, crumpled behind a toilet. I was bent at an unnatural angle, the gunshot wound that had torn through my abdomen gaping open. Blood pooled on the tiled floor. Even in death, my arms were wrapped tightly around my daughter, Rosie. My slender back had shielded her from the chaos. Daniel stumbled through the crowd of first responders, his voice cracking with fear. “Find the child! My daughter is in this mall! Find the child first!” His deputy, Jenna, pried my stiff arms apart and carefully lifted Rosie from my embrace. My daughter’s face was pale, her clothes were filthy and damp, and her eyes were swollen and red from crying. Daniel snatched her from Jenna’s arms, his hands frantically checking her for injuries. He found no visible wounds, only a suspicious, faint smear of reddish-brown at the corner of her mouth. He let out a huge, shuddering sigh of relief. Then, just as quickly, the fear on his face morphed into rage. He started calling my phone, over and over, but of course, there was no answer. Jenna moved to his side, her voice a soothing balm. “Daniel, I think she must have left her phone with Rosie. I was in such a rush, I might have missed it. Should I go back and check again?” Daniel’s eyes were bloodshot with anger. He held up a hand to stop her. “Don’t bother. It’s just a stupid phone. I trust your skills; don’t waste your energy.” He glared in the direction of the bathroom. “Look at how terrified she is. What kind of mother abandons her child in a crisis and runs off to save herself?” He spat the words out. “When she’s done with her little tantrum, I’d love to hear how she explains this!” He punctuated the sentence by kicking a nearby trash can with a deafening clang. The rescue workers rushing past flinched, casting strange looks his way before scattering. I floated above his head. I should have been furious at his misunderstanding, but all I felt was a profound, chilling calm. If he could hear me, I’d tell him. Your precious deputy, Jenna, has already hidden my body. You’ll never find me. Rosie, terrified by his outburst, began to cry again, struggling to climb out of his arms. “I want Mommy! I want my mommy!” she wailed. “That lady threw Mommy away!” Daniel let out a cold, humorless laugh. He set Rosie on the ground and, for the first time in her life, he swatted her bottom. Rosie’s heartbroken sobs echoed in my soul, and a phantom pain pierced my chest. When I was pregnant, Daniel had held me and sworn an oath. He named her Rosie, he said, because he would cherish her above all else. He would rather be hurt himself than ever let his daughter feel a moment of pain. Now, for another woman, he was striking his own child as she cried for her mother. “You still want her to hold you?” he snarled. “She threw you away in a fit of pique, and you still want her? And now you’re lying to cover for her! Why on earth would Jenna see your mother and not rescue her?” Jenna knelt, her voice soft and gentle. “Daniel, don’t hit her. Children this young can get confused, their memories get mixed up. It’s not her fault.” She added, with a sympathetic look, “Besides, she was hiding all alone. She must have been desperately hoping her mom would come save her.” Daniel brushed the dust off Rosie’s clothes. “Did you hear that, Rosie? Jenna is defending you. How can you accuse her of something so awful?” He commanded, “Apologize to her. Now.” Seeing that her father not only didn’t believe her but had hurt her, Rosie’s cries grew louder, tears carving clean tracks through the grime on her face. “I’m not lying! Mommy’s just asleep!” she insisted. “I forgot to wake her up! I’m sorry! I want my mommy!” As she cried, the reddish stain at the corner of her mouth began to dissolve with her tears, revealing its true color. Daniel froze, his brow furrowing in confusion. “Alright, that’s enough crying,” he said, his voice still harsh. “If she was sleeping through all this, she clearly wasn’t looking for you. It’s not your fault, it’s hers. Stop crying. Daddy’s taking you home.” Just then, a section of the damaged ceiling groaned and gave way. A massive slab of sheet metal came crashing down. Instinctively, Daniel swept Rosie into his arms, shielding her with his body. He didn’t spare a single glance back toward the bathroom where I was hidden. I watched as the wreckage landed squarely in the middle of the only path leading to the restrooms. Daniel clutched Rosie tightly, refusing to let anyone else hold her. He turned to his deputy for a final confirmation. “That entire section has been cleared? You’re certain there’s no one else?” Jenna was about to nod when he let out another derisive laugh. “What am I worried about? Her? She’s the most selfish person I know. She would never risk her own skin to protect someone else.” With that, he turned and strode away, carrying our daughter toward the exit and the waiting ambulance. I watched his back, seeing not a single flicker of hesitation or regret. My spectral eyes stung, but it didn’t matter anymore. 2 The hospital was blindingly bright. I never imagined a ghost could still smell the sharp, stinging scent of disinfectant. Daniel carried Rosie to a hospital bed himself, refusing all offers of help. She had cried herself to sleep. I hovered beside her, my heart aching as I reached out to stroke her sweaty forehead. But my hand passed right through her. I could never touch her again. A doctor examined her, his expression growing serious as he looked at the dried blood on her lips. “Captain, aside from the shock, we can’t rule out the possibility of internal bleeding. We’ll need to run some more tests.” Daniel’s hand, holding Rosie’s, tightened. His anger flared anew. “Do it,” he bit out. “Run every test you can. Whatever is wrong, just fix it.” As they wheeled Rosie to the imaging department, Daniel walked alongside the gurney, muttering under his breath. “Our daughter is in this state, and her mother couldn’t care less. No sense of priority. Still throwing a tantrum at a time like this.” I floated near Rosie’s head, a cold dread creeping into me, so overwhelming I could barely register his words. Suddenly, the walkie-talkie on Daniel’s hip crackled to life. After a burst of static, a soft female voice came through. “Daniel, the building is clear. All casualties have been transported to the hospital. Any word on your wife?” It was Jenna again. The same Jenna who had personally hidden my body in the mall’s basement. Daniel snorted. “She’s an expert at playing the victim. She’s probably hiding somewhere, waiting for me to come groveling.” His voice was laced with contempt. “Stop looking for her. It’s a waste of resources. She can come back when she’s ready to stop being so damn jealous and petty.” I drifted listlessly beside him, a bitter smile on my face. So this is what he thought of me. A selfish, contemptible woman who would abandon her own child over some petty jealousy. The tests were finished, and they brought Rosie back, a small IV line in her hand. Daniel clipped his walkie-talkie off and rushed to her bedside, his hands hovering over her, afraid to touch. “Doctor, how is she? Is she okay?” The doctor reassured him that the results weren’t back yet and that the child was just sleeping. Daniel sat by Rosie’s bed all night, his eyes fixed on her sleeping face, never once blinking. Just when I thought the long, silent night would pass without incident, he reached into his pocket and pulled something out. His expression was a mixture of annoyance and weary resignation. He placed the object on the pillow beside Rosie’s head. It was an old silver locket, the chain worn smooth with time, but clearly cherished by its owner. My eyes widened in shock. I had given him that locket when we were first in love. He had just joined the volunteer SAR team and had been badly injured on a mission. For months, he couldn’t walk, and I had stayed by his side, nursing him back to health. When he recovered, we went to a small, quiet church to give thanks. While he wasn’t looking, I had the priest bless the locket before I gave it to him. Daniel had been overjoyed. “I’ll wear this every day,” he promised, his voice thick with emotion. “I’ll never take it off. It will be like you’re always with me.” I believed him. Until I saw a photo from a team dinner and there, around Jenna’s neck, was my locket. I was furious. I stormed into the restaurant and confronted him. “What gives you the right to give my gift to someone else?” Daniel’s face darkened as he glanced at the curious expressions of his teammates. “Are you really going to embarrass me in front of everyone over a stupid trinket?” The words “stupid trinket” were like a dull knife twisting in my heart. I grabbed the nearest ashtray and threw it at him. He didn’t move, but Jenna stepped forward, an apologetic look on her face. She unclasped the locket and pressed it into my hand. “Please, don’t misunderstand,” she said earnestly. “I begged Daniel to let me try it on. Please don’t fight because of me.” I stared at the locket in my palm, still warm from another woman’s skin. Tears streamed down my face. With a cry of rage and betrayal, I hurled it at her. The delicate silver struck the floor and shattered. I saw the locket, engraved with our initials, break into pieces. Just like our relationship, it could never be put back together. I turned to leave, but Daniel grabbed my wrist. His face was a thundercloud. For a second, I thought he was going to hit me. “Apologize,” he snarled. “You can take your anger out on me. God knows I deserve it. But what did Jenna do wrong? Apologize to her!” I don’t remember what Jenna said after that. I only remember that from that day on, our relationship deteriorated into mutual resentment. If it weren’t for Rosie, I would have ended the marriage long ago. I thought if I could just endure, just pretend nothing was wrong, I could give my daughter a complete childhood. I never imagined that he had painstakingly collected every shard of that broken locket and pieced it back together. Just then, one of his teammates came in with a document. “Captain, Jenna’s team has done a final sweep. No more bodies have been found. The higher-ups have scheduled the demolition for tomorrow morning. We just need your signature.” Daniel let out a quiet breath, but his expression quickly soured into one of disgust. He curled his lip. “Taught Rosie to lie for her, too. Said she was taking her out to play. The nerve.” I watched, helpless, as he put his pen to the paper and signed the order that would bury me forever. 3 The next day, Rosie’s test results came back. Physically, she was fine, but the trauma had triggered a high fever in her sleep. Her small body was curled up in Daniel’s arms as she mumbled “Mommy” in her delirium. I anxiously placed my hand on her forehead, wishing I could be the one to change the cool cloth for her. But I could do nothing but watch as my daughter’s face grew flushed and her lips cracked from the heat. Daniel gently patted her back, his brow furrowed in a permanent frown. After a moment of hesitation, he tucked the repaired locket inside her pajamas. A cold laugh escaped his lips. “Aria… what day is it now?” he whispered to himself. “Whenever Rosie got sick, you were always right here. But now, just to accuse me of an affair that never happened, you abandon her? If you don’t want to be a mother so badly…” His voice dropped to a venomous whisper. “Then just get out of the way and let someone else do it!” I was so furious I wanted to slap him. “Daniel, you blind, heartless bastard!” I screamed, though he couldn’t hear. “Rosie is my daughter! How could I not love her?” “You finally admit it,” I raged. “You’ve already found a new mother for her, haven’t you?” Just then, Jenna walked in, carrying a bag of breakfast. She had obviously heard Daniel’s last words. A faint blush colored her cheeks as she placed the food beside him. Then, she efficiently replaced the warm cloth on Rosie’s forehead with a cool one. She bustled around, gently wiping Rosie’s body with lukewarm water. Looking at them, one might think they were already a family. After Daniel finished eating, he took Jenna’s hand, his expression softer than I’d seen it in years. “Jenna, thank you. You worked so late yesterday, and you still made time to come take care of us today.” He sighed. “I wish Aria was as thoughtful and understanding as you.” Jenna’s smile was tender. She sat on the edge of the bed and leaned over to hug him. “Daniel, don’t worry. I’m sure your wife is fine. She’s a survivor. She definitely got out of the riot safely.” She looked at Rosie with pity. “It’s just poor Rosie. When I found her, she hugged me and called me ‘Mommy.’ You can’t imagine how much she must have been wishing for her real mother to save her.” At her words, Daniel’s face hardened again. “A woman who would abandon her own child to save herself? Does she even deserve to be a mother?” He was working himself into a rage again. “It’s one thing to fight with me, but to pull this kind of stunt now? She has no sense of right and wrong. That woman is a lost cause.” He looked at Jenna, his voice filled with a desperate longing. “Jenna… I wish you were Rosie’s mother.” My soul shriveled in the air. I thought I was immune to his words by now, but hearing them spoken aloud shattered my heart all over again. Jenna stroked his back, her smile sweet. “Come on, Daniel. Your wife would be hurt if she heard that. Let’s go. We have to wrap things up at the site.” I knew what that meant. They were going to demolish the building. I was about to be buried forever, lost to the light of day. Daniel was too worried to leave Rosie alone at the hospital, so Jenna held our sleeping daughter while he personally supervised the placement of the explosive charges. Just moments before the detonation, Rosie suddenly woke with a start. She began to struggle wildly in Jenna’s arms. “No!” she cried, her voice hoarse. “Mommy’s still in there! She’s sleeping downstairs!” Daniel’s hand, poised to give the signal, froze in mid-air. His brow snapped together. “I have to save Mommy! I have to wake her up!” Huge tears rolled down Rosie’s pale cheeks, splashing onto the dusty ground. I floated to her side, wanting so badly to wipe away her tears, to hold my daughter one last time. But my hand passed right through her face. I stood there, stunned, for a long moment before covering my own face and weeping silently. My sweet girl. She was only three years old, and out of the thousands of people here, she was the only one who wanted to save me. But Daniel, hearing his daughter’s fragmented words, only grew angrier. “Rosie, how long are you going to keep lying to me?! Did your mother teach you this? To tell lies at your age?” His voice was rough with frustration. “Your mother is not in there! She abandoned you! She ran away during the riot and left you behind, do you understand?” At this point, I no longer cared about his misunderstanding. Because in that moment of distraction, Rosie wriggled free from Jenna’s grasp and, on her short little legs, started running toward the condemned building. A wave of pure terror washed over me. I could only watch, helpless, as it all unfolded. The scene descended into chaos. Daniel’s face was a mask of horror. But before Rosie could get far, Jenna sprinted forward and scooped her up. The next second, the demolition charges were triggered. With a deafening roar, the towering mall collapsed into a cloud of dust and debris. Jenna turned her back to the blast, shielding Rosie from the flying shrapnel. She was hit herself, but she protected my daughter. I floated beside Daniel, watching the mix of relief and barely contained fury on his face. My broken body was now buried deep beneath the ruins. Perhaps it would never be found. The man who was once my husband would find a new wife, someone gentle and supportive, someone who could help his career. My daughter would have a new mother. And as she grew up, the memories of the mother she had before she was three would slowly fade away. I had never been so certain of anything in my life. I was truly dead, my body lost forever. But a small, morbid part of me was intensely curious to see Daniel’s reaction when he finally learned the truth.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389478”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

1 I took in my best friend, Sophie. She was homeless, with a history of self-harm, and I couldn’t just leave her on the street. Liam, my boyfriend, was dead set against it. In his eyes, our life together—our private world for two—was infinitely more important than Sophie’s survival. But after endless pleading on my part, he finally caved. Once Sophie moved in, the two of them were the picture of caution. They practically had “KEEP YOUR DISTANCE” tattooed on their foreheads, avoiding any possibility of being alone together. But Sophie stayed for six months. And six months is long enough to change a person. It was long enough for Liam to decorate our apartment with a sea of flowers and balloons to celebrate my best friend’s birthday while I was away on a business trip. It was long enough to make me, road-weary and exhausted from rescheduling my flight just to get home to him, look like a complete and utter fool. I tore through the room, popping balloons with my fingernails, smashing vases of flowers, reducing their carefully crafted celebration to ruins. All I got from Liam was a cold, hard command. “Enough, Audrey! She has depression. You can’t provoke her like this.” I stared at them, my world tilting on its axis. One was the man I was supposed to marry. The other, my best friend of fourteen years. And standing before them, I was the idiot who hadn’t seen a thing. … “What are you doing?” Liam sat on the edge of our bed, his voice tight with restraint as he watched me tear our bedroom apart. “Oh, just counting the condoms,” I said, my voice unnervingly light. “Making sure none are missing.” “One… two… three…” The only sounds in the silent room were my own neurotic counting and the ragged, suppressed breaths coming from Liam. “Audrey, I’m going to explain this one last time,” he ground out. “I was about to leave for work today when I saw Sophie. She was in a daze, about to swallow a handful of pills. I did something to distract her, to keep your friend from ending up in the ER.” “All I did was celebrate her birthday with her. That’s it! Nothing else happened. No lines were crossed. Do you understand me?!” Is that so? I stopped my frantic search and asked softly, “You didn’t want to, or you just didn’t get the chance?” “If I hadn’t changed my flight, if I hadn’t come back early… would you two be in our bed right now?” Liam shot to his feet. He towered over me, his presence a heavy, suffocating weight. “There are no ‘what ifs’,” he said, each word a block of ice. “Audrey, don’t paint us with such a filthy brush.” I stared at him, the tears I’d been holding back for hours finally spilling over, hot and bitter. But this time, there was no familiar look of heartache on his face, no rush to apologize. He just turned away, his expression cold as stone. Our relationship had always been so solid. Six years together, and I could count the number of fights we’d had on one hand. And every single time, he was the first to give in. But today, he was here, screaming at me, tearing me apart… for my friend. “You two make me sick,” I spat. He let out a short, humorless laugh, as if I’d told a joke. “Sick? Did we do something so shameful? Audrey, what the hell do you want from me? Haven’t you vented enough since you got back? It’s been six hours, from six to midnight, all over some paranoid fantasy in your head! When will it end?!” It will never end. The image of what I saw when I opened that door was seared into my mind, a nauseating lump in my throat. The lights were dim, romantic. They were sitting shoulder-to-shoulder, the wall behind them adorned with a heart-shaped collage of roses and balloons spelling out “HAPPY BIRTHDAY.” Sophie’s eyes were closed as she made a wish, a ridiculous paper crown perched on her head. And my boyfriend, my Liam, was staring at her, his gaze unwavering, a soft, gentle smile playing on his lips. How was I supposed to believe that was nothing? The front door slammed open, then shut. In the wreckage of our living room, a note left by Sophie stood out starkly. I’m gone. Please don’t fight because of me. She was gone, but her things were still in the guest room. Liam let out a ragged breath, crumpled the note in his fist, and instinctively moved to go after her. I grabbed his sleeve. “Where are you going? What does she have to do with you?” He looked down at me, his brow furrowed in disbelief. “It’s one in the morning, Audrey. You’re just going to let her walk out alone? What if she does something stupid?” His words were a physical blow, a sharp, stabbing pain in my chest that left me breathless. Sophie had been living with us for six months, and her emotional breakdowns were a regular occurrence. I’d lost count of the number of nights I’d thrown on a coat and begged Liam to help me find her. And what did he say back then? He’d said, “Your friend is seriously messed up. Just because she’s miserable, does she have to drag everyone else down with her?” He’d said, “What do I care if she lives or dies?” “She’s my friend. Please, just help me this once.” He’d finally pulled on his jacket with a dark scowl. “Make sure she knows I’m only doing this for you. This is the last time.” And now? Now he was saying: “She’s your friend, Audrey. How can you be so cold-hearted?” He ripped his arm from my grasp. “You need to calm down. Go look at yourself in the mirror.” His voice dropped, laced with disgust. “The way you look right now… it’s hideous.” The sound of the door slamming shut was like a slap across my face. The tears flowed freely now. This was the home Liam and I had built together with love, the place we were going to get married in. Now it was empty, cavernous, with only me inside. A notification lit up my phone. It was the recruiter I’d turned down a few weeks ago. Audrey, are you sure you want to pass on this opportunity? The salary and benefits we’re offering are significantly better than your current position. Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider? The reason I’d given him for refusing was simple: My love and my friend are here. I have no plans to move to a new city. But now… My fingers flew across the screen. Yes. I’ll take the job. 2 After sending the message, I stood in the living room for a long time, the emotional rollercoaster of the night leaving me utterly drained. I looked around blankly. The cozy, warm space we had created was now a disaster zone of my own making. The half-eaten birthday cake was smashed on the floor, cream splattered everywhere—on the rug, the sofa… and on Liam. I remembered it clearly now. The moment I’d picked up the cake, he had instinctively moved to shield Sophie. He’d taken the full force of it, ending up a mess, but he had kept her perfectly pristine. The more I remembered, the deeper the pain cut. Six years. Liam and I had been together for six years. Everyone in our lives knew that all it would take was a proposal, and we would seamlessly step into the next chapter of our lives together. He’d even set aside the money for our future—the rings, the down payment—in an account that I managed. So why? Why would the friend I’d known for fourteen years do this to me? Hadn’t I been good enough to her? Her mother died giving birth to her. Her father was a monster who either beat her or screamed at her, and to make things worse, he’d brought home a stepmother with a heart full of poison. When she was starving, I shared my meals with her. When her stepmother kicked her out after a fight, I was the one who gave her a place to stay. Throughout college, the slightest hint of sadness from her would have me dropping everything to be by her side, to talk her through it. Six months ago, when she lost her job and had no income, no savings, I cleared out our guest room for her without a second thought. Even though she’d been living off me ever since, eating my food, using my things, I never once complained. As a friend, I had done everything I possibly could. So why would she do this to me? How could she do this to me? My mind was stuck in a loop of ‘why’ and ‘how could she,’ a relentless, maddening mantra. The dual betrayal from my partner and my best friend was like quicksand, dragging me down into a bottomless abyss of filth and despair. A familiar ringtone jolted me from my trance. It was Sophie. Her tear-choked voice came through the phone. “Audrey, Liam was just helping me celebrate my birthday. I swear, nothing happened between us.” “If you have to blame someone, blame me.” “It’s my fault. I’m the one who should be dead. I shouldn’t have had a breakdown today!” “Audrey, please, can you forgive me?” I was silent for a long time, my nails digging into my palms. She still hadn’t answered my real questions. Seven hours ago, during our three-way confrontation, I had screamed at her like a madwoman. “Why did you read my texts and not reply? Why did you need my boyfriend to comfort you before you could feel better?” “You’ve been living like a ghost in my apartment, always trying to stay out of the way. But somehow, in the three days I was gone on my trip, you managed to leave your personal belongings scattered everywhere!” Her underwear was on the sofa, her half-eaten snacks on the coffee table, her lipstick in our bathroom… she had saturated my home with her presence. Through the phone, I could hear the wind whipping around her. Finally, I just asked, “Sophie… when did things change between you two?” Her sobbing hitched for a second. Then, I heard her shriek, a raw, uncontrolled sound. “Audrey, I’m so sorry! I’ll pay for it with my life, okay?! Is that what you want?!” “Sophie, don’t be a fool!” That was Liam’s voice. It sounded like Sophie’s phone clattered to the ground. After a burst of sharp static, I heard her whisper, her voice filled with a strange, breathless wonder. “It’s so good… you found me again.” 3 I don’t remember how I survived that chaotic, disgusting night. I only know that Liam never came back. And the December nights were so, so cold. I wrapped myself in the thickest blanket, but the chill seeped in from all sides, freezing me to the bone. I barely slept, my mind a battlefield of conflicting thoughts. I had already decided to leave, but I couldn’t stomach the idea of just handing everything over to them. Why should I be the one to give up everything, while their only consequence was… losing me? “Audrey, what’s wrong? You look terrible.” a colleague remarked with a teasing smile. “Did you leave your soul behind on your business trip?” I forced a stiff smile and listened to their idle chatter. They were discussing a novel, talking about the undying love between the main characters. “No matter where the heroine is, the hero can always find her instantly. If that’s not love, what is?” My hand froze mid-motion as I was filling my mug. The little details I’d brushed aside now came flooding back, each one a sharp, painful realization. I remembered the first few times Sophie had a breakdown. Liam had been so reluctant to help, grumbling and complaining until I coaxed him out of the house. But then, somewhere along the line, that changed. He started being the first one to grab his jacket. Our joint searches became more “efficient” solo missions. He’d go one way, I’d go the other. I would call her name until my throat was raw, dialing her number endlessly with no answer. But Liam… Liam could always find her. He’d effortlessly pull her out from some dark corner, some hidden alleyway. They said it was a coincidence. I didn’t question it. I didn’t have the energy to question it. Seeing Sophie standing there, safe, was all that mattered. I was just grateful. Grateful that she was okay, and grateful that Liam was there to find her when I couldn’t. What else had I missed? Oh, right. Sophie’s breakfast. It started as a special treat just for me. Then it became, “Oops, I accidentally made too much,” and Liam would conveniently finish the leftovers. The three of us watching a movie at home, a scene I found completely boring would make both of them burst into laughter at the exact same moment. … How could I have been so stupid? Blinded by what I thought was love and friendship. A complete and utter fool. “Audrey! The water’s overflowing!” Scalding water splashed onto the back of my hand. The pain registered a moment too late. Blisters were already forming on my skin. After a quick rinse under cold water, I told my boss I needed to leave and went to the hospital. Lancing the blisters hurt like hell. But you have to drain the poison for a wound to heal. As I watched the doctor work, my gaze steady, I dialed the number for a moving company. Even if I was leaving, I refused to let Sophie simply waltz in and become the new mistress of my home. Poison like that deserved to be exposed, to fester and rot in the open. 4 Just after my hand was bandaged, I saw two familiar figures down the hospital corridor. It was Liam and Sophie. I followed them, an uncontrollable impulse, and watched as Liam expertly navigated her through the check-in process for a follow-up appointment. The staff in the psychiatry department already knew them well. Two nurses were murmuring to each other. “He’s so good to his girlfriend. So patient. He’s never missed one of her weekly appointments.” “I know, right? Depression is so hard to treat. I honestly thought they’d break up by now, but he’s stuck by her.” My feet froze to the floor. A mixture of rage and grief twisted my voice. “They come here every week?” I asked them. “Yeah, rain or shine. Last month, during that huge storm, the parking lot was completely flooded. We were all betting they wouldn’t show. But then we looked up, and there he was, carrying his girlfriend on his back, not even letting her feet touch the water.” I remembered that storm. It was impossible to get a cab, and I didn’t have an umbrella. I called Liam, asking him to pick me up. He told me he had to work late. So this was the “work” he was doing. If I hadn’t come to the hospital on a workday, I would have never discovered their secret. What else? What else was there between them that I didn’t know? Anger was a smoldering ember that had never truly been extinguished. All it took was a few stray words from a stranger to make it roar back to life. A vicious thought took root in my mind. I strode forward and called out, my voice loud and clear. “Liam. Shouldn’t you be at work? What are you doing at the hospital with my friend?” The hallway fell silent. The two nurses stared, their eyes darting between the three of us. Sophie’s face went deathly pale. “I… I wasn’t feeling well, so…” she stammered. “So you called my boyfriend to keep you company?” I jabbed a finger at her chest. “This sweater? I bought this for you with my very first paycheck.” I grabbed her purse. “And this bag? This was your Christmas present from me last year.” Every word was forced through clenched teeth. “You eat my food, wear my clothes, and sleep with my boyfriend. Have you no shame?” My gaze snapped to Liam. “Do either of you have any shame?!” I must have looked insane. Hair a mess, eyes bloodshot, like a wild woman who had lost all control. Liam wouldn’t even look at me. He was too busy comforting a trembling Sophie, holding her so close he might as well have been cradling her. Only after a doctor led Sophie into an examination room did he grab my wrist, his grip like iron, and drag me into an empty stairwell. “Are you trying to kill her?! She almost jumped off a bridge last night, did you know that?” A mocking laugh escaped my lips. “Well, she’s not dead yet, is she? She pulls this stunt every time she wants attention. How many times has she threatened to kill herself and actually gone through with it? It’s all an act! She just does it to get to you!” My voice rose to a shriek, but Liam’s slap cut me short. My head snapped to the side, my cheek throbbing with a dull, numb pain. His hand was trembling, but his voice was chillingly calm. “Get a grip, Audrey.” Who was the one who needed to get a grip? The look he gave me was devoid of any warmth, so cold it could freeze the blood in my veins. I viciously wiped away a tear and turned on my heel. By the time I drove home, the movers were already there. I threw open the door to the guest room and watched as they packed every single one of Sophie’s belongings into boxes. A twisted sense of satisfaction washed over me. See? As long as I was here, this was my home. She could stay if I wanted her to. And if I didn’t, she could get the hell out. Once the room was completely empty, I took a picture and sent it to both Liam and Sophie, a blatant act of provocation. Sophie didn’t reply, but Liam called almost immediately. “Wait for me. We need to talk.” Fine. We’ll talk. I started calculating my investment in our home, putting six years of love on a scale to see what it was worth to Liam. The last sliver of daylight vanished from the sky before he finally came back. He walked in, went straight to the balcony, and lit a cigarette in silence. I scrolled through my phone mechanically, the volume turned up loud. The cheerful background music from a video filled the space, a stark contrast to the suffocating tension between us. This was a first for us. This heavy, crushing silence. He stubbed out his cigarette and came to stand in front of me. He gently unwrapped the gauze from my hand and began to apply fresh ointment to the burns. Then, out of nowhere, he said, “Let’s get married.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389477”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The layoff wave hit Big Tech, and the company gave us two options. Option one: take the N+1 severance package and leave. Option two: take a pay cut and transfer to the new, godforsaken “Pioneer” department to build it from the ground up. In my last life, I chose the new department. It turned out to be a secret R&D hub for the company’s push into AI. Three years later, everyone’s stock options exploded, and I became financially independent. My best friend, Jessica, took the severance, gambled it all on the stock market, lost everything, and ended up driving her car into mine, sending us both off an overpass to our deaths. Reborn, I found myself back in that meeting room. The moment the HR manager finished speaking, Jessica slammed her hands on the table. “I’m taking the new department! Don’t even think about fighting me for it!” She shot me a venomous glare. “Take your pathetic severance and get lost. The future is mine.” I signed the severance agreement without a second thought. 1 The gazes of my colleagues pricked my skin like needles. Someone whispered, “Is Ava crazy? I heard the new department is the CEO’s pet project. It’ll be tough for a couple of years, but after that, it’s all founder’s stock.” “Short-sighted. What do you expect from a woman?” Jessica’s chin lifted higher at their words, preening like a victorious rooster. In my past life, that same rooster was the one who, just as I was about to cash in my stock options, drove me off that bridge because she was drowning in debt to loan sharks. The feeling of my bones shattering still lingered, a ghost pain in my limbs. I smiled. “Fine, Jessica. This golden ticket to unimaginable wealth? It’s all yours.” I slapped the signed agreement on the table. “N+1. I want every last cent, and I want it in my account by the end of today. Also, I’m taking the money tree from my desk.” Jessica sneered. “So pathetic. You even want a stupid plant.” She didn’t know that buried in the soil of that plant was a hardware dongle I’d tinkered with in my past life—the physical key required to boot the core code. Without it, the new department’s so-called “core assets” were nothing but a pile of gibberish. I started packing my things. My box was only half-full when Jessica strode over and kicked it, sending everything scattering across the floor. My keyboard, mouse, and notebooks clattered loudly. “Oops, sorry. My foot slipped,” she said, her voice dripping with mock apology, her eyes burning with challenge. Then, she shrieked, “Mark! I think Ava has a confidential company hard drive in her box! I just saw it! She’s trying to steal company property!” The HR manager and security guards swarmed over instantly. The manager frowned. “Ava, open your bag. We need to check it.” Everyone was watching, waiting for the show. Getting laid off was one thing, but being publicly searched on your way out was the ultimate workplace humiliation. I looked at Jessica’s triumphant face, feeling no anger, only a detached pity, like watching a clown perform its tired act. “You can check,” I said calmly. “But if you find nothing, then what?” Jessica crossed her arms. “If there’s nothing, I’ll get on my knees and apologize. But if there is, you can get ready for prison.” In the chaos, she had slipped a file labeled “Top Secret” into the inner pocket of my bag. It was a slick move, but amateurish. I pulled out my phone and connected to the office’s smart surveillance system—a little plugin I’d installed myself to test a visual algorithm. No one knew it existed. I mirrored my phone’s screen to the large TV in the conference room. And there it was, in glorious high definition: Jessica, furtively stuffing the file into my bag. The image was so clear you could see the poorly blended pimple on her cheek. The room fell dead silent. Jessica’s face turned the color of raw liver. The HR manager’s face was as black as the bottom of a pot. “Jessica,” he growled. “Care to explain?” She trembled. “I… I was just joking with her…” “On your knees,” I said, my voice cold. Jessica bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes, but she didn’t move. I raised my phone. “Fine. Don’t kneel. I’ll just send this video to every HR group in the industry. And file a police report for false accusation while I’m at it.” Thud. Jessica’s knees buckled, and she crumpled to the floor. “I’m sorry…” she whispered, her voice barely audible. I picked up my box and stepped over her. “Save your knees. You’ll be doing a lot more begging in the future.” Outside, the sunlight was blinding. My phone vibrated. A text from my bank. The severance had arrived. Thirty-five thousand dollars. My startup capital. As I passed the smoking area, I saw a couple of security guards shoving a man. He was a mess—unshaven, his hair greasy and matted, wearing a yellowed white t-shirt. His eyes were utterly dead. Noah. In my last life, he was the company’s Director of Technology. After offending the CEO, he was sidelined and eventually fired for “gross misconduct,” forced to pay the company a fifty-thousand-dollar breach of contract fine. No one knew that this man, who now looked like a homeless person, was the true architect of the company’s AI strategy. The core logic of the new department’s project was all his work. In my past life, he vanished after leaving, sinking into obscurity. The company, meanwhile, rode the coattails of his unfinished code for three years. “Get lost! Sell a kidney if you can’t pay!” a guard sneered. Noah stared at the ground, his fists clenched white, silent. I walked over and stood between them. “I’ll pay his fine.” The guards stared. “Ava, are you crazy? This guy’s a total washout.” Noah’s head snapped up, a flicker of disbelief in his dead eyes. I took out my bank card, the money still warm in my account, and paid the fifty thousand dollars. It was everything I had, plus my savings. I didn’t even blink. After the paperwork was done, Noah stood on the sidewalk, clutching the termination agreement, his voice hoarse. “Why? What do you want from me?” I looked at him and pressed the bank card, now with only a few hundred dollars left, into his hand. “I don’t want you, and I don’t want your money.” “Noah, I want your brain.” “Work with me.” Upstairs, behind a floor-to-ceiling window, Jessica was watching us through a pair of binoculars. She snapped a photo and posted it online with a caption: Trash belongs with trash. It’s hilarious how some people find a piece of garbage and treat it like treasure. I put my phone away and smiled at Noah. “Come on. Let’s go set the world on fire.” 2 I rented a shabby two-bedroom apartment that served as both our living quarters and our office. The living room was crammed with secondhand server racks, the buzz of their cooling fans a constant, tireless hum. Noah sat on a sofa missing a leg, staring at me. “You’re broke,” he stated, not as a question. After paying his fine and renting all this equipment, I didn’t even have next month’s rent sorted. I pulled a cup of instant noodles from my bag and tore off the lid. “As long as the servers have power, I won’t starve. What, is the great Noah too good for this?” He didn’t answer, just stared at the noodle cup. In my past life, I only knew he was a tech genius. I didn’t know he was also the runaway scion of a powerful East Coast family. He’d cut ties with them because he refused to inherit the family business, choosing to pursue technology instead. This time, I was going to make this hidden dragon soar ahead of schedule. “The new department’s project is a trap,” Noah said suddenly, his tone flat. “I wrote the architecture, but I left a back door. Once the concurrent user volume exceeds ten million, the entire system will crash.” I smiled and pushed the now-ready noodles toward him. “I know. And I also know that your back door is actually an infinite loop. Once triggered, it’ll fry the hardware.” Noah’s pupils contracted. He looked at me like I was some kind of monster. “How did you know? I haven’t even finished writing that algorithm…” I didn’t explain. I just sat down at the computer. My fingers flew across the keyboard, lines of code pouring out like a waterfall. It was the same algorithm that had taken him three years to complete in our last life, the core technology that would later have industry giants scrambling. Ten minutes later, I hit Enter. A green “SUCCESS” flashed on the screen. The fork dropped from Noah’s hand, clattering on the floor. He rushed over, his eyes glued to the screen, his breathing heavy and ragged. “That… that’s the logical loop I’ve been trying to solve for six months…” I pointed to the screen. “I want to turn this project into a SaaS platform. I need it online within a month. Any problem with that?” Noah licked his dry lips, a fire igniting in his eyes. “As long as we can pay the electricity bill, I can get it done in two weeks.” The days that followed were a blur of manic energy. We were like two mad scientists, doing nothing but eating, sleeping, and coding. To save money, I sold all my old designer bags. Noah saw it all but said nothing. He just typed faster. In our old work group chat, Jessica was broadcasting her “highlight reel” daily. “Another late night at the office. The coffee in the new department is amazing.” “The boss said I’m the future of the company. So much pressure, lol.” “Heard someone’s been dumpster diving since they left? So sad.” The posts were accompanied by pictures of her posing at her desk in a bright, spacious office. I knew that the screen of her computer actually showed an order page for a freelancing website. She was hiring a ghostwriter. Because before I left, I’d completely wiped my old computer. She couldn’t find a single useful document. One day, one of our graphics cards burned out. We had no choice but to replace it. Noah and I went to an electronics market. And of course, we ran into them. We had just walked into a shop when we heard Jessica’s shrill voice. “I’ll take this A100 graphics card. The company’s paying, money is no object!” She was clinging to the arm of a balding man—her sycophantic boss, Mark, the one backing her in the new department. I glanced at the card. It was the best secondhand one in the store, exactly what we needed. “I saw that card first,” I said, walking over. Jessica turned, and a mocking smile spread across her face when she saw me. “Well, if it isn’t Ava. What, are you scavenging for parts now?” She scanned my cheap t-shirt, then glanced at the scruffy Noah beside me. “Tsk, tsk. Still hanging out with your homeless boyfriend? This card is eight thousand dollars. Can you afford it? You probably couldn’t even get that much if you sold yourself.” She deliberately lifted her high-heeled foot and pressed it down on the graphics card, grinding it against the floor. “Oh, sorry, I got it dirty. But since I saw it first, even if I smash it, I wouldn’t give it to a beggar.” The balding man chuckled. “Jessica, don’t waste your time on these lowlifes. Let’s just have security throw them out.” The other shop owners and customers were watching the spectacle. I clenched my fists, about to snap. But the ever-silent Noah, standing behind me, suddenly moved. 3 When Noah moved, it was like a black flash of lightning. He shoved aside the security guard who was stepping forward, the force of it sending the two-hundred-pound man stumbling backward. Then, he bent down, ignoring Jessica’s shriek as she jumped away, and snatched the graphics card from under her foot. The movement was rough, almost brutal. He used his own yellowed t-shirt to wipe the dust off the card, his eyes dark and menacing. “This technology under your shoe,” he said, his voice low and dangerous, “is an insult.” He looked up, his cold gaze sweeping over Jessica and her boss. “Touch her again. I dare you.” His voice wasn’t loud, but it was filled with a chilling intensity. Jessica, terrified, shrank back into Mark’s arms. Humiliated, Mark pointed a trembling finger at Noah. “You goddamn beggar, do you know who I am? I can make sure you never work in this industry again!” “Oh? And who are you?” Noah shot back with a cold smirk. “Mark Johnson, former deputy manager of the operations department? The one who got promoted by washing the CEO’s car?” Mark’s face went pale. “How did you know…” Noah ignored him and turned to the shop owner. “Chen, I’m taking this card. And give me those two servers you’ve got in the back.” The shop owner, a middle-aged man with glasses, had been enjoying the show. At the sound of Noah’s voice, he jolted. He squinted at Noah, his glasses nearly falling off his nose. “Noah? The… the Legend?” In their circle, the name Noah was just that—a legend. Even though he’d been fired, in the eyes of true geeks, he was a god. The owner’s hands were shaking with excitement. “Noah, sir! What are you… Oh my god! The card is a gift! A gift! And the servers, you can have them for half price! Just… if you have any big projects in the future, please remember me!” Jessica was dumbfounded. “Are you crazy? I’ll pay double!” The owner shot her a disdainful look. “You think money is everything? Get out, get out! Don’t dirty my shop. Do you have any idea who you were just bullying?” Trembling with rage, Jessica pointed at me. “Ava, you win this time! Just you wait! At the product launch in a few days, I’m going to show you the meaning of despair!” She stormed off, dragging Mark with her. On the way back, Noah cradled the graphics card like a precious treasure. I looked at his profile and suddenly found him much more appealing. “Thanks, back there.” Noah grunted. “I was saving the card, not you.” Back at our workshop, the atmosphere grew tense. The “product launch” Jessica mentioned was the new department’s public debut. According to the timeline from my previous life, there was no way they could have a viable product ready. The only reason Jessica was so confident was that she must have found a “shortcut.” Sure enough, at three o’clock that morning, our firewall lit up with frantic red alerts. Someone was attacking our private network. Noah’s fingers danced across the keyboard, code flowing down the screen like a waterfall. “It’s an IP from the old company. They’re scanning our ports.” He sneered. “Trying to steal our code? Not a chance.” Just as he was about to hit Enter to launch a counter-attack, I placed my hand on his. “Don’t stop them.” Noah frowned at me. “Are you insane? This is everything we’ve built.” I stared at the blinking red dot on the screen, a glint of steel in my eyes. “Let them steal it.” I opened a hidden folder. Inside was a code package that looked flawless but was actually riddled with logical bombs. “Put this in the honeypot. And open a small crack in the firewall.” Noah stared at me for a second, then a slow, wicked grin spread across his face. “You, woman, have a very dark heart.” “Takes one to know one.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389476”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

From the moment I can remember, I knew we were poor. So when I suspected I was seriously ill, my first thought wasn’t fear. It was to ask my parents, my voice barely a whisper, “What if… what if I got cancer?” They laughed and told me not to imagine such things, but their tone was unshakeably firm. “If that day ever comes, we’ll sell everything we own to get you treated.” I tossed and turned all night, and by morning, my mind was made up. I couldn’t be their ruin. But after I swallowed a full bottle of sleeping pills, I “saw” them. They were in a luxury penthouse downtown, laughing and chatting. In that moment, I finally understood. The years of hardship that had forced me to be so desperately “sensible” were nothing but an elaborate play they had staged. They were only pretending to be poor. But I… I was really dead. 1. During a break between classes, my nose suddenly started bleeding. It took half a pack of tissues to finally make it stop. My deskmate, Sarah, looked at my pale face and whispered, “My neighbor’s older brother used to get nosebleeds like that. Turned out to be leukemia… His family spent all their money, but they still couldn’t save him…” I laughed and called her a jinx, but a cold dread washed over me. Lately, I’d been feeling so weak. In gym class, I’d be out of breath after just a few steps. A bruise on my knee from who-knows-when had refused to fade for weeks. I tried to convince myself it was nothing, to avoid worrying my parents for no reason, but the panic grew like a weed in my chest. What if… what if it was true? I snuck off to a community clinic for a blood test. After looking at the results, the doctor’s expression turned grim. He said he couldn’t rule out a serious blood disorder and urged me to go to a major hospital for a full workup as soon as possible. My world collapsed. I clutched the flimsy report, my legs feeling like they didn’t belong to me. I don’t even remember how I made it home. Mom was in the kitchen, wearing a faded, washed-out apron. Hearing me at the door, she called out, “Go wash your hands! I made that stew you love tonight.” I quickly crumpled the lab report into a ball and shoved it deep into my backpack. A little later, Dad came home. He looked exhausted, shrugging off his old jacket with its frayed cuffs and slumping into a chair with a long sigh. Mom brought the food to the table. A plate of sautéed cabbage, a bowl of thin meatball stew, and in the middle, a small dish of scrambled eggs—a rare luxury for us. Dad ate quickly, as if he were starving. Mom mumbled about the price of pork going up again. I picked at my rice, the food tasteless in my mouth, the doctor’s words echoing in my head. “Dad, Mom…” I called out softly, putting down my chopsticks. They both looked up. “What if… what if I got really sick?” I stared at the food, not daring to meet their eyes. “Like, with cancer… what would we do?” The table fell silent. Dad’s hand, holding his fork, froze mid-air. Mom’s spoon clinked against the side of her bowl. “Don’t say such things!” Mom was the first to react, her brow furrowed. “A young girl like you shouldn’t be talking about such unlucky things.” “But what if? Just… what if?” I pressed, my eyes starting to burn. Dad put down his fork and ruffled my hair with his rough hand. “Lily, don’t let your imagination run wild. Your only job right now is to study hard. But if that day ever did come…” He paused. “You don’t have to worry. Dad would sell the house, empty our accounts, we’d do whatever it takes to get you treated.” Mom nodded vigorously. “That’s right! We’d spend every last penny on you! Now eat, before your food gets cold.” And just like that, the conversation was over. Dad went back to his meal. Mom put a piece of egg in my bowl. “Eat up. You need to grow.” I listened to their words, looked at their faded clothes, at the meager meal on the table. “Sell the house…” “Every last penny…” I slowly picked up my chopsticks, lowered my head, and buried my face in my bowl. A tear fell, then another, splashing silently into the white rice. I quickly shoveled a large mouthful, swallowing my tears along with it. 2. From the moment I can remember, I knew we were poor. We lived in a run-down apartment with paint peeling from the walls in blotchy patches. Whenever it rained, water would seep in through the corners, leaving fuzzy spots of mold. I never had new clothes, only my older sister’s hand-me-downs. The cuffs were worn shiny and the colors were faded, but Mom always said they were still good enough to wear, that we couldn’t be wasteful. She would stroke my hair and sigh. “Your dad and I work from dawn till dusk at the market. Every penny is hard-earned. That’s why you have to be more grown-up than other kids, understand?” Dad would look at me with serious eyes. “You have to make us proud. Study hard. That’s the only way to make our sacrifices worth it.” I would clutch the worn fabric of my shirt and nod fiercely. And so, life went on, stretched thin. I had no allowance. When other kids bought snacks, stickers, or colorful pens, I just watched. When they talked about having pizza on the weekend or going to an amusement park, I had nothing to say. I would just look down and stay quiet. When my stomach growled, I’d chug glasses of hot water. The warmth and weight in my belly made it feel less empty. I never complained about not feeling well. I just endured it. Last winter, I coughed for a whole month. At night, I’d muffle the sound with my pillow so I wouldn’t wake my parents, coughing until tears streamed down my face. The next morning, I’d get up and go to school like nothing was wrong. My parents always praised me. “Our Lily is the most sensible girl.” Hearing that, I never knew how to feel. The truth was, I wanted to tell them things. I wanted to tell them my throat was so itchy it hurt. That my sister’s old backpack was so worn the strap was about to snap. That for my birthday, all I wanted was a tiny slice of cream cake. But I was scared. I was scared that if I asked for something that cost money, it would just make them more tired. I was scared of the troubled look in their eyes, scared of hearing them sigh. I was scared that my small wishes would be the last straw that broke their backs. That night, I lay in bed, unable to sleep. I stared into the darkness, the doctor’s grave face and my parents’ words—“sell the house,” “every last penny”—swirling in my mind. As dawn approached, I finally made my decision. If treating my illness would bankrupt this family, if it would push them into absolute despair, then I would rather… I would rather disappear. I heard a faint noise from outside my room. My parents were getting up. A few moments later, Mom gently pushed my door open. “Lily, your dad and I are heading to the market. I left breakfast on the stove for you. Eat before you go to school.” I mumbled a quiet “okay” from under the covers, my eyes squeezed shut, not daring to look at her. The door clicked shut, and their footsteps faded away. The apartment was terrifyingly quiet, the only sound my own heartbeat. I slowly sat up and took a pen and paper from my backpack. With careful, deliberate strokes, I wrote a letter to my parents. When I was done, I folded it neatly and placed it under my pillow. I walked to the old dresser, knelt, and pulled open the bottom drawer. It was a mess, but after a moment of rummaging, my fingers found the small, yellowed pill bottle. I remembered when I was little, Mom used to take these when she couldn’t sleep. She had hidden the bottle carefully and told me, her voice serious, “Lily, you must never, ever touch these. If a child takes these… they will leave Mom and Dad forever.” I never forgot those words. Now that I was older, I knew what “leave forever” meant. It meant to die. If I died, they would be free. I went to the kitchen, poured a glass of water, and returned to my bed. I twisted off the cap and poured the white tablets into my palm. Staring at them, my parents’ smiling faces flashed in my mind. My nose stung, and tears splattered onto the back of my hand. For a second, I was scared. I didn’t want to leave. But then their smiles faded, replaced by the deep, weary lines of their constant labor. I closed my eyes and told myself: You can’t be selfish. Leaving was the last sensible thing I could do for them. I took a deep breath, tossed the pills into my mouth, and washed them down with the cold water. They were bitter, but the taste quickly faded. I placed the empty bottle by my pillow, lay down, and pulled the covers up. The heavy feeling in my chest seemed to vanish. The light outside grew brighter. I could hear birds starting to sing. I closed my eyes. I was so tired. All I wanted was to sleep. 3. After a while, I seemed to “wake up” again. My body felt as light as a feather. I looked down and saw another me, lying peacefully in the bed, looking as if she were simply asleep. So… I was dead? But where was I supposed to go now? I had no idea. Suddenly, I thought of my sister, Ashley. I’d last seen her at Christmas. She’d only stayed for three days before rushing off again. I had called her yesterday, but before I could say much, there was a commotion on her end, and she’d hung up abruptly. Before I left for good, I wanted to see her one more time. The thought had barely formed when the world blurred. Suddenly, I was standing outside a bright, airy café. Through the large window, I saw Ashley laughing with a group of friends. She was wearing a beautiful floral dress, her hair perfectly styled. A delicate piece of cake sat in front of her. My gaze fell on the brand-new designer bag sitting beside her. I’d seen that brand at the mall. I had secretly counted the zeros on the price tag. But how could Ashley… I drifted closer for a better look. Her phone rang, startling me. She walked to a quiet corner to answer it, and I followed. “Mom?” her voice was cheerful. “Why are you calling now?” Mom’s voice came through clearly from the other end. “Have you heard from your sister lately? I have a feeling something’s off with her…” “Oh, she called yesterday,” Ashley said, her tone casual. “Said she needed to buy a textbook and asked to borrow a hundred dollars.” “A textbook?” Mom’s voice shot up, thick with undisguised annoyance. “Why couldn’t she just ask us for it? That girl… I don’t know what she’s scheming.” I instinctively looked down, a bitter taste in my mouth. The truth was… I couldn’t afford the co-pay for the hospital tests. The lie to my sister was an act of desperation. “Don’t worry, I didn’t give her anything,” Ashley said with a sly smile. “I pretended I was super busy and hung up. Made her go to you guys for it.” “Smart girl,” Mom’s voice turned serious, with a hint of a warning. “Remember, you are not to give her any money behind our backs. If I find out you did, you can forget about your allowance from us. And speaking of which, you have a job now, you should learn to be more independent…” “Oh, Mommm,” Ashley whined. “I won’t give her any, I promise. After rent, my salary is barely anything. How am I supposed to go shopping without your help?” “Alright, alright,” Mom sighed, her tone softening. “Just be careful around your sister. Don’t blow our cover. That girl is sharp. If she finds out, it’ll be a huge mess.” “I know, thanks, Mom!” Ashley hung up, a smile on her face, and rejoined her friends, chatting about a concert that weekend. But my mind was in turmoil. They were clearly hiding something from me.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389475”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I had a fever and wanted my best friend to come comfort me. I accidentally sent the message to my ex-boyfriend instead. [Baby, I’m burning up so bad, it’s unbearable. Come help me quickly.] In my delirium, I made a typo. Instead of “burning up” (fever), I typed “horny.” My ex, Ethan, replied with snark: [Weren’t you so tough when we broke up? Now you’re begging me in the middle of the night? How lonely are you?] A moment later, I realized my mistake. I quickly clarified: [Sorry to bother you, problem solved.] He replied instantly: [???] [WTF, who did you find?] [Only ten minutes? Didn’t you say you have high standards after breaking up with me?] [Heh, playing hard to get again? You think I’ll fall for it and come running back like a dog? Hilarious.] [Why aren’t you replying? Guilty?] [Hey, what are you doing?] […I’m on my way.] [Wash up and wait. I last way longer than him.] Chapter 1 During the Labor Day long weekend, I went on a trip with my best friend. Maybe it was the change in climate, but I caught a cold the night we landed. My best friend went out to buy medicine. I curled up on the hotel king bed like a cooked shrimp. People are always fragile when they’re sick. Weakly, I opened my messages and texted Sarah, who had just left. [Baby, I’m burning up (fever), it feels terrible.] [Miss you, come help me quickly boohoo.] She has no sense of direction, so I specifically reminded her: [Marriott Hotel 8703, don’t get lost.] After sending it, I threw my phone aside and turned on the TV to distract myself. Maybe my pious summons worked. Sarah soon returned with big and small bags, irreverent as always: “Bought the meds and dinner. After you eat, baby, we can go another three hundred rounds!” I struggled to open my eyes and identify the bags: “…Where’s the fever reducer? Did you not see the message I sent you?” Sarah hissed lightly, raising her hands: “Heaven is my witness, you didn’t send me anything.” I grumpily opened my messages and shoved the phone in her face. Gritting my teeth, I said, “Look again?” Two seconds later, Sarah stared at the screen and burst out laughing: “Holy sh*t baby, you sent it to the wrong person hahahahaha!” Why was this woman laughing so lewdly? I focused my eyes, then was dumbfounded. I had accidentally sent the message meant for Sarah to my ex-boyfriend, Ethan. Both of their profile pictures were blue. I was burning up with fever and saw it wrong. Sarah was still laughing. “Typo: ‘horny’? How is this different from stripping naked and seducing him!” Yes, I not only sent it to the wrong person. I also made a typo. A perfectly normal sentence was turned into something that looked like a shady ad for “door-to-door service.” “Tell me the truth.” Sarah grabbed my shoulders, looking serious: “Are you still not over him and did this on purpose?” My throat hurt and was hoarse. I explained with despair: “Don’t you know me? Over is over. I don’t eat regurgitated grass.” “Don’t speak so absolutely. Ethan was your first love after all… sigh, let me see what he replied.” Ethan: [Playing wild, huh? Going out of state just to hook up?] [Can’t that rich fiancé of yours satisfy you?] [Weren’t you so tough when we broke up? Now you’re begging me in the middle of the night? How lonely are you?] His words were harsh. Through the screen, I could imagine the disgust and mockery in the man’s eyes as he typed these words. Sarah gave me an idea, “Ask him, ask him if he’s singing out of tune.” I didn’t understand, “So?” “No matter how he replies, you say—” She smiled mysteriously, “Let me tune you up.” “…” Chapter 2 I pinched her waist, not too lightly but not too hard. “Damn girl, you just want chaos, don’t you!” “Ow ow ow.” Sarah’s tone was very affected: “Can I be your little bunny? Bunnies are easy to raise, just feed them grass.” Seeing my face getting darker, she immediately tried to fix it: “Sorry, sending dirty messages is really bad. Not only does it not solve the problem, it corrupts the youth. We should send more positive content…” I couldn’t bear it anymore, grabbed a pillow and threw it at her. “Take this, you dirty girl!” We played around for a while, then suddenly remembered I hadn’t replied to Ethan. So I stopped and held down the voice message button. Breathing slightly, I said hoarsely: “Sorry to bother you, problem solved.” Too lazy to explain too much to him. Sleepiness surged, I yawned. Hugged the pillow and fell into a deep sleep. Letting Sarah fake cry in my ear: “It wasn’t easy to come out and play with you, we haven’t even done this and that, how can you ignore me boohoo…” This sleep was very restless. In my dream, I went back to three years ago. The day I broke up with Ethan. I threw the necklace he gave me on the ground. Stepped on it with high heels, crushing it again and again. “Can something this cheap even be called a gift?” Actually, it wasn’t cheap. It was bought with money Ethan earned from working overtime for two months straight. “I’m sorry baby, if you don’t like it, I’ll throw it away.” There was no anger on Ethan’s deep-set face. He knelt on one knee, picked up the red velvet box and threw it into the trash can. Then he held my ankle and kissed the back of my foot. The burning touch made my nose sour. Almost couldn’t hold it back. “My studio is about to turn a profit.” He looked up at me from below, his gaze devout and firm. “Give me a few more years, I’ll give you a better life.” I sneered and kicked him away. “Why should I wait for you?” “You didn’t think I was serious with you, did you? Dying of laughter, look in the mirror. No money, no power, do you deserve me?” “If your service wasn’t decent, I would have dumped you long ago.” After speaking, I didn’t dare look at Ethan’s shocked gaze. Chapter 3 “Baby, what’s wrong with you?” His handsome brows furrowed. “Bad mood? Or were you bullied at the company?” Even at this time, he still cared about me. I lowered my eyes, hiding the bitterness. “Ethan, let’s break up.” “I… am getting engaged.” Ethan froze. Tried to grab my hand. “If there’s a problem, we’ll solve it, don’t say things out of anger baby…” “It’s the young master of the Ning family.” I calmed down, voice very light: “Marrying him, my family’s company revenue can double.” “And you? Besides a broken necklace, what can you give me?” “I’m sorry, I’m not good enough.” “L-Let’s not talk about this first…” Ethan’s expression was a panic I had never seen before. He leaned in to kiss me, eyes red, eyelashes trembling slightly. “You just said my service was decent, let me serve you okay? Baby, I’ll make you comfortable…” I closed my eyes and bit down. The taste of blood spread between my lips and teeth. As if I had touched something dirty, I wiped my lips with force. Sneered, “No wonder people call you a soft rice man (moocher).” Ethan’s Adam’s apple rolled, staring at my movements. After a long time, he forced a bitter smile. “I know I’m not worthy of you, wanted to talk about the future after the studio stabilized, but if you’re in a hurry to get engaged, I can marry you anytime.” “I’ll hand over all my salary after marriage, the money at home is all yours, we can sign a prenup, if you don’t want kids I’ll get a vasectomy…” “Nice pie in the sky.” I interrupted him, “Marry you, and then rightfully dump your dying grandma on me to take care of? How unlucky!” As soon as the words fell, I regretted it. Ethan was an orphan, raised by his grandma since childhood. Later, grandma had a brain infarction and was admitted to the ICU. Ethan resolutely refused a cent from me, splitting one dollar into two, and managed to scrape together the medical fees. It could be said that grandma was his reverse scale. The last sentence Ethan said to me before leaving was: “Spilled water cannot be gathered. Summer Vance, don’t regret it.” I opened my eyes abruptly. Sat up and sighed deeply. Tables turn. Three years later, Ethan became a prominent new business tycoon in the capital. And my cheap fiancé hugged a young model and made a scene at the engagement party, making me the laughingstock of the circle. My dad asked me to win him back, I refused. So my bank cards were frozen and I was kicked out of the house, couldn’t even afford cold medicine. Chapter 4 Sarah was showering in the bathroom. My cold was much better. Just as I was getting ready to scroll through my phone comfortably, a dozen unread messages popped up. Ethan: [???] [Why is your voice so hoarse? Did you give him… forget it, has nothing to do with me, find whoever you want.] Two minutes later. [Fck, so who did you find in the end?]* [Less than ten minutes total? Didn’t you say you have high standards after breaking up with me?] Five minutes later: [Heh, playing hard to get again? You think I’ll fall for it and come running back like a dog? Hilarious.] [Why aren’t you replying? Guilty?] [Hey, what are you doing?] Half an hour later, 1:30 AM. Ethan: […I’m on my way.] [Wash up and wait, I last way longer than him.] I did a carp kip and jumped up. “It’s over, it’s over, it’s over!” Sarah heard the noise and teased me playfully. “Yo, awake?” “Don’t rush concubine, the Emperor will favor you properly after washing up~” …Right, don’t rush. I comforted myself. This is more than 400 miles from the capital. How could he really come. The next second, a knock on the door. I heard Ethan’s nonchalant voice: “Open the door, brought you something good to eat.” Hey, I really didn’t believe in evil. Woosh——I pulled the door open. Then successfully met the eyes of the man outside in a well-fitting suit with deep eyebrows. I froze on the spot. In an instant, all was silent, only the “thump thump” of my heart beating wildly remained in my ears. “Just woke up?” Not seen for three years, Ethan exuded a mature and noble charm in every gesture. His gaze swept over me into the room, his tone as natural as if we had never separated. “Where’s the guy?” I subconsciously thought he meant Sarah. “In… in the bathroom showering.” “It’s early morning, pretty eager.” He snorted with unclear meaning. Long arms wrapped around my waist, pressing down involuntarily. Breath hot, low voice hitting my eardrums. “…While he’s not out, let’s finish quickly.” He lowered his head to kiss. I quickly covered my mouth. The man’s slender fingers carried the temperature of early autumn, rubbing the soft flesh of my waist. “You called me here, now you say no, too late.” My face turned completely red. “Haven’t brushed teeth…” Ethan chuckled low. Fine kisses fell, from my chin to my neck. As my stiff body softened bit by bit, Ethan bit my ear: “Can tell, he didn’t satisfy you last night.” “…” The moment the back clasp was undone, a ringtone rang. Ethan glanced at the phone and answered. A woman’s soft voice broke the ambiguity in the room. “Ethan, when will you arrive in Cloud City, do you need me to pick you up at the airport?” It was like a bucket of cold water poured over my head. The hot blood all over my body instantly turned cold. How could I forget. Tech upstart Ethan, supported by his ex-girlfriend Chloe Song from the trough to today, their relationship is very deep. Last week they were photographed going home together by paparazzi, suspected good news soon.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389474”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I’m married to a man who, by all accounts, has someone else in his heart. Since our wedding, he’s never touched me. Starved for affection and intimacy, I went online to vent and maybe find some advice. Instead, I stumbled upon a forum post. [I’m too big, and I have a high drive. What if I scare my wife?] [It’s been so long, I’m afraid I can’t control myself.] [Not bragging, this is a genuine problem. Seeking sincere advice.] Feeling inexplicably bitter, I left a snarky comment. [You aren’t afraid of scaring her; she probably just doesn’t want you at all.] [Why is an abandoned husband seeking attention here?] To my surprise, he DMed me, clearly defensive. “What do you know?” “Even though she won’t look me in the eye.” “The main reason is I don’t want to scare her.” “That’s why we haven’t consummated the marriage!” Suddenly, I felt a kinship with this stranger. We were both lonely souls in sexless marriages. I decided to help him out. “Why don’t you try testing the waters with something provocative?” “Like… men’s lingerie? Something sheer?” Not long after. My husband, Ethan Vance, knocked on my bedroom door. He was wearing a sheer black silk shirt. Chapter 1 It was my ovulation week. And I wanted a man. I was married, but my husband had a “white moonlight”—a first love he couldn’t forget. He never touched me. Tonight, Ethan actually came home for dinner, which was rare. His chiseled features, tall and powerful build, and that calm, alpha aura… Everything about him hooked me, making my heart itch. He noticed me stealing glances at him. His gaze swept over me coldly, a silent warning. I panicked and looked away. But a man practicing abstinence just looked even sexier. I swallowed secretly. Later that night. I was suffocating. I was practically starving for intimacy. I wanted to ask for help online. Instead, I found that post. [I’m too big, and I have a high drive. What if I scare my wife?] [It’s been so long, I’m afraid I can’t control myself.] [Not bragging, this is a genuine problem. Seeking sincere advice.] Jealousy and frustration ignited instantly. I left a mean comment. [You aren’t afraid of scaring her; she probably just doesn’t want you at all.] [Why is an abandoned husband seeking attention here?] A moment later, I got a DM. The poster seemed triggered. He sent several messages in a row. “What do you know?!” “Even though ours is a loveless arranged marriage.” “Even though she won’t look me in the eye.” “Even though she might have someone she likes.” “The main reason is I don’t want to scare her.” “That’s why we haven’t consummated the marriage!” This guy must be going crazy from holding it in too. My mouth twitched. “If that’s the case, and there’s no love, why not divorce?” He replied instantly. “She has no feelings for me, but I have feelings for her.” “I like her very much.” “I worked hard to marry her.” Was this some kind of forced marriage romance novel trope? Soon, he sent a long paragraph. It was an emotional confession of his love for his wife. And a subtle complaint about the pain of seeing but not touching. Instantly. I thought of Ethan. At that moment, I felt a sense of camaraderie. I was soaking in the rain, so I wanted to hold an umbrella for someone else. I gave him advice. “How do you look?” “If you really are ‘big’ like you say, and handsome, try seducing her. Women like that.” He retorted immediately. “She is the purest woman I’ve ever met.” “That would only scare her.” I found it funny. “So what? You never take your pants off?” Him: “…” I thought for a moment: “Why not test the waters?” “Like men’s lingerie? Or something sheer?” “If your wife takes a peek, your problem isn’t a problem.” He didn’t reply. I switched to another site. But not long after, there was a knock at my door. Ethan stood outside. Wearing a sheer black shirt. Chapter 2 The buttons on his chest weren’t even done properly. A large expanse of skin was visible. I looked away in shock. But I couldn’t help stealing a glance from the corner of my eye. The view was… intense. “Grace.” His cold voice sounded. I looked up at him. “What is it?” Ethan’s brow was furrowed. “Why have the clothes in my room changed to this style?” I felt a bit guilty. Of course, I did it on purpose. Thinking maybe he’d wear one? But I couldn’t admit it. I used my prepared excuse. “I’m not sure.” “Joe came by a while ago, maybe he put them there.” Joe, Ethan’s biological brother. A top international fashion designer. He hated how stiff and serious his brother dressed. He loved messing with Ethan’s wardrobe. As I spoke, my eyes drifted down again. I felt like I was going to get a nosebleed. I quickly looked away. Ethan paused. “Don’t let him into the house freely in the future.” I nodded. Ethan turned to leave. I grabbed his arm. I knew he was looking at me. But I didn’t dare look at him. Summoning all my courage, I whispered. “Do you want to come in?” My palms were sweating with nervousness. Suddenly, a ringtone broke the silence. Ethan glanced at his phone, his voice remaining cold. “What?” I let go instantly. “Nothing, the light is flickering, wanted you to check it.” Ethan didn’t speak. He turned his back to me to answer the call. I heard the person on the other end say, “I’m back, I want to see you.” Ethan hung up, his look at me obscure and unreadable. “I’m going out.” “I’ll send someone to check the light.” So embarrassing. I lowered my head and murmured “Mhm.” Slam. I shut the door. I hid under the covers for a long time before picking up my phone. A news notification popped up. [Actress Bella White returns, Thorne CEO low-key airport pickup.] Bella White. Ethan’s “white moonlight.” So he went to pick her up. I was both cowardly and angry! Fine if he doesn’t touch me. But does he have to humiliate me too?! The poster from earlier sent a DM. “It worked!” “My wife looked at me several times!” “She even asked me for help.” “What should I do next?” Chapter 3 Human joys and sorrows are truly not connected. Why were we both pitiful a second ago? Now he’s about to ascend to heaven. And I’m about to be cheated on and kicked out. I instantly took my anger out on him. “Why do you have that kind of clothes at home?!” “You look like a player at first glance, your wife won’t accept you, give up!” “Scum!” But surprisingly, he didn’t get angry. He typed for a while. Sent a message. “What’s wrong? What happened?” Inexplicably, I treated him as an emotional trash can. Directly said: “Who would be in a good mood watching their husband about to cheat?” He messaged again. “Could there be a misunderstanding?” “Does he need you to tell him how to cheat?” Me: “He abandoned me for his first love.” “He won’t touch me because of her.” “He’s about to kick me out for her.” Poster: “Then divorce him.” Heh, easier said than done. My marriage with Ethan was a business alliance. My family was about to go bankrupt and relied on his. I replied perfunctorily: “I haven’t touched him yet, I’m not resigned.” This time he replied instantly. “You want to touch him? That’s easy.” “Drug him, force him.” “Use him then divorce him.” Chapter 4 “I don’t do illegal things like forcing others.” I post for help online, but I have my principles. Poster: “You are husband and wife, he has an obligation to you.” “Besides, rape is against a woman’s will, he’s not a woman.” “He’s just a scumbag about to cheat.” He amused me. My mood improved a bit. “Forget me, let’s talk about your wife.” “How did she look at you more?” Mentioning his wife. This poster switched modes fast. “My wife is really so pure and shy.” “She just glanced lightly.” “Those lashes were thick and dense, and they trembled.” “How can there be such a beautiful person.” Me: “Is it because you were standing there like a statue, she had to look?” He paused. Poster: “You don’t understand.” “Usually she wouldn’t look at me like that.” “Today at dinner, I looked at her, she turned her head immediately.” “She usually wouldn’t look at me at all.” Suddenly felt he really loved his wife. But also very pitiful. Me: “Then you finally got her attention, keep it up.” Poster: “What next?” “Can you teach me?” “I think your methods are more useful than other netizens.” Well, obviously. Aside from cursing him, the other advice was unreliable. Most asked for pics or truth. Some offered to “help test” his contact info for his wife. Some told him to castrate himself. It wasn’t a serious site after all. Just as I was about to refuse. Poster: “I can pay.” “10 million if successful, okay?” I froze. How much? Did he say how much? If I could really make 10 million, I’d have the confidence to divorce Ethan!

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389472”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My new pen made my genius lab partner blush. When I wrote with it, his breathing grew heavy. When I changed the ink cartridge, he groaned, pulling his hoodie over his lap. “Sadie… don’t… don’t do that…” “I… can’t take it…” Chapter 1 Recently, Caleb Vance has been acting weird. He keeps staring at the new gel pen I bought from the campus bookstore. Whenever I pick it up, his cheeks flush, and his breathing gets heavy. Like he’s trying desperately to suppress something. That look—burning, thirsty. And carrying a strong sense of invasion. I suspected he coveted my pen, so I quickly gripped it in my palm. “What are you doing?” Caleb shuddered and slammed his head onto the desk, exposing only the tips of his ears, which were red enough to bleed. It took him a long time to speak. “Sadie—hiss… sell me your pen…” Me: “???” “I’ll pay anything.” I suspected this academic god had fried his brain from studying too much. This pen, with its perfect grip thickness, didn’t tire my hand even after hours of writing. The ink flowed as smoothly as melted chocolate in a commercial, and it didn’t bleed through the paper. It was truly a dream tool for anyone grinding through practice problems. His own pencil case was full of expensive imported stuff. Now he was eyeing my plain, unpretentious treasure? “Not for sale!” I treasured the pen as I put it away in my pencil case. “I’ll send you the link, buy it yourself.” “Phew—” Caleb let out a long breath, the flush on his face not yet fading. He licked his somewhat dry lips and leaned a little closer to me. “Then can you not use this pen?” Me: “?” Psycho. He manages everything. Now he manages what pen I use? Chapter 2 Something even more ridiculous happened. During calculus class, the pen ran out of ink. I gently unscrewed the cap, preparing to change the cartridge. Suddenly. A muffled groan reached my ear. “Mmh—” Caleb abruptly yanked his hoodie jacket from the back of his chair and draped it over his lap. At the same time, a scorching hot hand shot out and tightly gripped my wrist holding the ink cartridge! “Sadie!” The sound of heavy panting drilled into my ears. Hot breath sprayed on the side of my neck. Causing a patch of goosebumps to rise. “Don’t… don’t do this… please…” He was extremely close. His smiling eyes were watery, the corners tinged with red. “I… can’t… handle it…” Ambiguous tone. Ambiguous words. If we weren’t in a classroom right now, but somewhere else. I would almost think I had drugged him with something improper and forced him to challenge his physical limits all night. “No, did you take the wrong meds?” “If you’re sick, go to the nurse’s office!” I lowered my voice. Caleb took a deep breath, his voice trembling uncontrollably. “No… I didn’t…” “Just… please don’t… touch that pen again… okay?” Question: What makes a cold, aloof academic genius beg with red eyes? Answer: The person involved, Sadie (me), is also confused, suspecting Caleb is possessed. An absurd, preposterous thought flashed through my mind— This guy… could he be… empathizing with my pen?! Chapter 3 Thinking back carefully. Ever since I bought that pen, Caleb’s behavior has become increasingly bizarre. Sometimes when I wrote essays for too long, he would collapse on the desk as if drained of all strength, soaked in sweat, gasping for air. And when I forcefully underlined key points on the paper, he would suddenly stiffen his back, fingers digging into the edge of the desk, knuckles turning white. The most ridiculous was last Friday’s physics quiz. Caleb was trembling all over, the test paper crumpled into a ball in his grip, biting his lip until it turned white. He handed me a note with just three words on it. [Gentler, please.] I was puzzled, thinking I was writing too hard and disturbing him, so I complied. Who knew Caleb would suddenly groan and stand up abruptly. “…Teacher, I… I need to go to the restroom!” The memory ended abruptly. I stared at the pen in my pencil case, feeling only absurdity. Empathy/Shared sensation? In modern society, how could there be something so ridiculous? I must have read too many Wattpad stories. Chapter 4 That night. I tossed and turned in bed. My mind was full of Caleb’s misty peach-blossom eyes and his suppressed panting. Driven by some strange force, I took that pen out of my backpack. Fingertips gently stroked the smooth barrel. Then squeezed its slightly thicker rubber grip. I chuckled to myself, thinking I was really overthinking it. The next moment, the phone rang. It was Caleb. Through the receiver, there was only heavy breathing, suppressed to the extreme. “Sadie…” He finally spoke, his voice terribly hoarse. Every syllable seemed soaked in damp moisture. “What… are you doing right now?” His breath was unstable, asking with extreme difficulty. “Playing with a pen,” I blurted out. “Don’t… let go… don’t touch it… please…” He almost moaned out this sentence. I was instantly struck by lightning. “Holy sh*t!” “Caleb, do you… really share sensations with this pen?” There was a deathly silence on the other end, only heavy and chaotic breathing clearly echoing in my ear. After a long time, a barely audible “Mmh” came through. My brain crashed instantly. “No way! For real?!!!” “WTF, since when!!!!” “Last Wednesday.” He paused. “The first time you used that pen.” I suddenly remembered that day, looking at this newly bought pen, liking it more the more I looked at it, I couldn’t help but kiss the tip of the pen. The next moment, Caleb acted like he was scalded by boiling water, knocking over his water cup, his entire face and neck flushing red instantly, eyes panicking to avoid my gaze. I was completely petrified. “So every time I write…” “Mmh.” “Change the ink…” “Mmh.” “Spin the pen…” “Sadie.” He interrupted me, his voice carrying a trace of shame and annoyance, “Stop talking…” My face burned instantly. No wonder he always looked like he wanted to say something but stopped. No wonder he asked me to write gently. No wonder he reacted so strongly when I changed the ink! “Wait!” I just realized: “Then just now I… squeezed the pen…” A “thud” came from the other end, like the phone falling to the ground. Followed by a flurry of frantic sounds, and then the call was hung up. Chapter 5 The next day, sporting dark circles under my eyes, Caleb and I looked at each other in silence. I was extremely awkward, my toes curling so hard they could dig out a three-bedroom apartment. Until lunch break, when only the two of us were left in the classroom. Caleb took a deep breath: “Sadie, we need to talk.” I turned my head stiffly, eyes darting around, just not daring to look at his face close up. Fingers, however, seemed to have a mind of their own, unconsciously stroking the “culprit” in the pencil case. Caleb suddenly pressed my hand down, trembling: “Don’t… don’t touch.” I yanked my hand back as if burned. “O-Okay, I won’t touch it… I’ll give this pen to you…” But he shook his head, ears completely red. “If you… can control your strength, write… a bit lighter, I… can probably tolerate it.” Me: “?” No, what kind of wild talk is this? You’re empathizing with it, how dare I use it!!! What’s the difference between this and holding a remote control to control him?! I shook my head vigorously: “No need, no need.” “Sadie… I secretly tried it when you weren’t around. It seems I only share sensations with it when it’s in your hand. I want to figure out why.” Caleb leaned down, closing the distance between us. The faint scent of soap mixed with a bit of bookishness lingered around him. Those peach-blossom eyes, which countless girls claimed looked affectionate even when looking at math formulas, reflected my bewildered face. He lowered his voice, coaxing and seductive. “Help me, okay?” The afternoon sun passed through the window lattice, leaving pale golden light on his eyelashes. His school uniform collar was slightly open, revealing a small section of beautifully lined collarbone, gently rising and falling with his slightly nervous breathing. I stared at Caleb’s face close up. My heart suddenly skipped a beat. An inexplicable heat rushed through my body. I flusteredly reached out to push him away, creating some distance, raising my voice to cover up. “Just talk! Why are you so close! My hearing is fine!” Caleb was stunned by my push. Looking at his hand suspended in mid-air. Then looking at my red face. The corners of his lips turned up slightly. Chapter 6 In the end, I confusedly agreed to research the shared sensation with him in an empty classroom during study hall every day. Time was strictly controlled within fifteen minutes. Too long might be too much for him. And for the rest of the study hall, he needed to tutor me in physics. I carefully held the pen, drawing a line gently on the paper. Caleb sat next to me. His back was tense and straight. Adam’s apple rolled. “Feel anything?” I asked nervously. He pursed his lips, voice low and hoarse: “…Yes.” “What feeling?” His body stiffened almost imperceptibly, silent for a few seconds before speaking. “…A bit… tingling.” After speaking, the flush on his ear tips quickly spread to the base of his neck. “…Oh…” My face also heated up, pretending to be calm and coughing lightly. “Well, I’ll continue then.” “Mmh.” I wrote a few words. Caleb’s breathing was obviously more rapid than before, but still steady. Then, out of habit… I used my fingertips to gently flick the pen barrel, spinning it half a circle in my fingers. “Mmh—” Caleb suddenly pressed my hand down, breath hitching, “Don’t spin…” Scared, I stopped immediately: “What’s wrong?” He took a few deep breaths. Trying hard to calm his chaotic breathing. “A bit… too… stimulating…” His body temperature transmitted continuously through his hot palm. Scalding my fingertips until they went numb. My heart also seemed to be seared by that temperature, beating violently. I pulled my hand out quickly as if electrocuted. “O… Okay! Got it, won’t spin, absolutely won’t spin!” Chapter 7 To research the shared sensation. Recently, Caleb and I went to the empty classroom every day for experiments. It wasn’t until the homeroom teacher called us in for a talk that I knew people were spreading rumors that we were dating. Dating? Crazy. Who is Caleb? That’s the god-level academic grinder who treats math competitions as leisure and comprehensive science papers as snacks! His world is full of theorems and formulas, where is there room for romance? As for me? My head is full of 2D anime husbands, okay! Is 3D romance as good as games and novels? Us dating, this rumor is as ridiculous as pigs climbing trees! “Teacher,” Caleb looked righteous, “I asked Sadie to help me with a small experiment. The empty classroom is quieter, not easy to disturb other students studying.” He paused, adding, “It’s related to studies.” I nodded immediately, face sincere: “Yes yes yes! Teacher, Caleb is helping me with physics! It’s convenient to explain problems in the empty classroom.” Caleb’s face, a model student who always topped the honor roll, was the best pass at this moment. The teacher’s furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and finally just gave a few words of advice before letting us go. Chapter 8 Back in the classroom, I rested my chin on my hand and sighed. “Caleb, I think… we should keep some distance.” He was organizing a thick stack of physics papers. Hearing this, his movement stopped abruptly. He accidentally tore a long rip in the test paper. “Why?” He looked up at me, tone calm, but eyes a bit dark. “Why else? Gossip is fearful! Didn’t you hear the teacher’s tone just now? If this continues, jumping into the Yellow River won’t wash it clean.” Caleb didn’t answer immediately. He put down the test paper and turned slightly sideways. The afternoon sun fell on his chiseled profile, gilding his straight nose and slightly pursed thin lips with a soft golden edge. Those beautiful peach-blossom eyes turned to me. “There’s no smoke without fire.” He spoke slowly, fingertips unconsciously twisting the edge of the torn paper, “Maybe… it’s not entirely a misunderstanding?” “???” I almost choked on my own saliva, “What the hell?! That is completely a rumor, okay? Don’t you find it troubling?” Caleb’s tone was indifferent: “The innocent have nothing to hide.” “…You’re amazing.” I sincerely gave him a thumbs up. Truly worthy of being a god, this calmness even when Mount Tai collapses in front of him, I’m afraid I won’t learn in this lifetime. Better read some “Chicken Soup for the Soul” to calm down— The shy boy watches the girl silently every day. The girl notices the boy watching her silently. So she encourages the boy with her eyes. The boy finally gathers courage. “Um, can I ask you something?” “Ask away?” “Do you have a boyfriend?” The boy said shyly. “No!” “Hahahahahaha I do!” Hiss… So cold. I rubbed my arms.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “389471”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel