Ethan’s mistress killed my brother. But he pushed a settlement agreement in front of me. “Stella has depression. She can’t handle prison.” “Sign it. Your grandmother’s heart surgery will proceed as planned. Don’t sign, and that heart goes to someone else immediately.” We loved each other for ten years, and now he’s using my grandmother’s life to buy his mistress’s freedom. I signed. Later, Grandma died anyway. Because Stella went to the hospital and told her personally. “I’m the one who ran over your grandson. Oh, and your granddaughter’s husband? He’s mine now too.” Grandma couldn’t catch her breath. Resuscitation failed. I rushed into the Sinclair mansion with a knife. Before I could even reach Stella, Ethan slapped me across the face. “What the hell is wrong with you!” That night, I jumped from a yacht into the deep sea. Cold seawater flooded my lungs. I didn’t struggle. I thought that was the end. Then Adrian Yale saved me. “Some fools will regret losing you.” He knelt on one knee. “And I’ve waited three years for you. Give me a chance, will you?”

Vivian POV My brother Derek’s body was still cold in the morgue, while his killer laughed openly in court. “Vivian, sign this settlement agreement and this case ends here.” A deep, cold male voice sounded in my ear. I stared at the man before me. He was the all-powerful tycoon of this city, and also my husband of three years in a secret marriage. Ethan Sinclair. At this moment, he stood beside the defendant’s seat, his gold-rimmed glasses reflecting cold light as he pushed a document toward me. “Ethan, have you lost your mind?” I trembled all over. “Stella was street racing and ran a red light. The surveillance caught everything! Derek was only nineteen. He was thrown over thirty feet! And now you want me to sign a settlement?” Ethan frowned slightly, his tone impatient. “The surveillance has been destroyed. No one can prove Stella was driving. Vivian, stop making a scene. Stella has depression. She can’t handle imprisonment.” “She has depression, so my brother deserved to die?!” I stood up, my nails digging deep into my palms. I couldn’t understand. Three years ago, Ethan loved me to the bone. If I casually mentioned wanting to see snow, he’d cancel a billion-dollar merger and charter a private jet to take me to Switzerland. When I injured my wrist while painting, this powerful CEO would humbly apply warm compresses and massage it for me every day. To marry me, an orphan with no background, he convinced all his relatives and even took a beating for it. But ever since six months ago, when his childhood friend Stella returned from abroad, everything changed. He said Stella once saved his life, and he owed her an enormous debt. So he could indulge Stella’s arrogance, and now, he was even using my brother’s life to cover for Stella! “Vivian, my patience has limits.” Ethan looked at me coldly, his eyes devoid of warmth. “Your grandmother is still lying in the ICU. Her heart transplant surgery is scheduled for tomorrow. As long as you sign, the surgery proceeds as planned. But if you refuse…” He paused, his voice cruel. “That heart will immediately go to someone else.” I felt like I’d been struck by lightning, my mind going blank. “You’re threatening me with Grandma’s life?” I cried. “Ethan, are you even human!” “I only care about results.” Ethan remained unmoved. “You have one minute. Sign or don’t sign?” The courtroom fell deathly silent. Stella sat in the defendant’s seat, provocatively curling her lips at me. Looking at Ethan’s familiar yet strange face, my heart felt like it was being ground in a meat grinder. I had no way out. My brother was already dead. I couldn’t lose Grandma too. With trembling hands, I picked up the pen and signed my name on the settlement agreement. Every stroke felt like it was cutting my flesh. “Satisfied now?” I slammed the pen onto the table. Ethan collected the documents, handed them to his lawyer, and said indifferently. “That’s better. Go see your grandmother at the hospital. I’ve already paid for the surgery.” Then he turned and walked toward Stella, removing his designer suit jacket and draping it over her shoulders, his voice sickeningly gentle. “It’s over. I’m taking you home.” I collapsed powerlessly into the chair, watching their intertwined figures leave, tears falling silently onto my hands. Ethan, you’ve personally killed the last trace of my love for you.

Vivian POV After visiting Grandma at the hospital, I pushed open the door to the villa. In the foyer, there was an extra pair of women’s high heels. In the living room, Stella was lounging on the sofa in my silk pajamas, casually drinking coffee. “What are you doing here? Get out!” My voice was cold. Stella put down her coffee cup, smiling cheerfully. “Ethan said I was traumatized and needed someone to take care of me, so he told me to move in. What’s wrong, Vivian? Don’t you understand yet? It’s time for you to give up your position as Mrs. Sinclair.” “As long as I don’t sign divorce papers, you’re nothing but a homewrecker who can’t show her face.” I walked over and snatched the cup from her hand. It was a mug Ethan had handmade for me, with our initials carved on the bottom. Stella’s eyes flashed. She suddenly cried out, falling backward and sweeping the nearby floor vase down with her. A loud crash. Shards flew everywhere. “What happened?” The door burst open and Ethan strode in. “Ethan…” Stella sat on the floor, pale-faced, clutching her wrist with tears barely contained. “I just wanted some water. Vivian might be in a bad mood and pushed me… I don’t blame her. After all, with Derek’s situation…” “Vivian!” Ethan cut her off sharply, striding over to scoop Stella into his arms. He turned to glare at me. “What’s wrong with you? Haven’t you caused enough trouble in court?” I looked at his anxious expression and found it absurd. “I pushed her? Ethan, there are cameras here. Check them yourself!” “Enough!” Ethan wouldn’t listen. “Stella’s health is already fragile. Do you have to push her to death before you’re satisfied?” Just then, Stella clutched her chest, her face turning deathly pale as she fainted. “Stella!” Ethan’s expression changed dramatically. He immediately carried her out to the car. Half an hour later, at the private hospital. The doctor came out holding a report, his expression urgent. “Mr. Sinclair, Stella fainted from severe anemia. Combined with her blood clotting disorder, she urgently needs a transfusion. But she has RH negative blood, and our blood bank is critically low. Getting blood from other hospitals will take at least two hours. She can’t wait that long!” Ethan’s head snapped around, his gaze piercing straight at me. I instinctively took a step back. My blood type was compatible. Ethan knew. “Take hers.” Ethan pointed at me, his tone utterly flat, as if discussing an object. “Ethan, have you lost your mind? I haven’t rested properly in days. Drawing blood could kill me!” I looked at him in disbelief. “It won’t kill you.” Ethan grabbed my wrist and dragged me toward the blood draw room. “Stella got sick saving my life. You owe her. Today you must repay it!” “I don’t owe her anything! Who’s going to repay my brother’s life?!” I struggled desperately, but couldn’t match a man’s strength. I was forcibly strapped to the blood draw chair. The cold needle pierced my vein. Bright red blood flowed through the tube. I looked at Ethan’s cold profile, a chill spreading from my heart through my entire body. They drew a full 400cc. My vision darkened repeatedly, cold sweat covering me. When the nurse removed the needle, I didn’t even have the strength to stand. I slumped to the floor. Ethan didn’t even glance at me. He took the blood bag and strode toward the emergency room. I leaned against the cold wall, watching his anxious retreating figure, and laughed. Ethan, what is your heart made of?

Vivian POV I recovered on the hospital corridor bench for a full two hours before I could barely stand. I didn’t return to the villa. Instead, I took a cab to my art studio. In three days, my solo exhibition, which I’d been preparing for three years, would open. This was my dream as an illustrator, the result of countless sleepless nights. Pushing open the studio door, the scene before me left me frozen. The floor was covered with torn sketches, paint splattered everywhere. Several large-scale oil paintings, my main pieces, had been slashed to ribbons with a knife. Stella stood there with several socialite friends, holding box cutters, smiling at me. “Oh my, Vivian’s here.” Stella tossed aside her knife and dusted off her hands. “Sorry about that. My hand slipped earlier and I damaged a few of your paintings. But don’t worry, Ethan will compensate you.” “Stella!” I rushed forward and grabbed her collar. “You psycho! Can you even afford to compensate?!” These were three years of my heart and soul! Every brushstroke contained my spirit! “Let go! You’re hurting me!” Stella struggled, then her eyes flashed. She suddenly jerked backward, her back slamming hard into an easel. The easel collapsed. Sharp wooden splinters tore through Stella’s arm. Blood gushed out instantly. Stella screamed. The studio door burst open at that exact moment. Ethan strode in. Seeing the scene, his pupils contracted sharply. “Stella!” He rushed over and shoved me aside. Already weakened, I slammed into the wall from his push. Pain exploded in the back of my head. My vision went black. “Ethan, it hurts…” Stella leaned against Ethan, crying with tears streaming down her face. “I just wanted to see Vivian’s paintings, but she suddenly went crazy…” Ethan looked at the blood on Stella’s arm, his expression terrifyingly dark. He turned to look at me, his eyes like poisoned daggers. “Vivian, do you think I’ve been too lenient with you?” I steadied myself against the wall, pointing at the destruction everywhere, my voice shaking. “Ethan, are you blind? She destroyed my exhibition! Destroyed my life’s work!” “They’re just some worthless paintings!” Ethan cut me off coldly. “If Stella’s hand scars, you couldn’t repay it with your life!” Just some worthless paintings. My heart convulsed violently. Once, even my casual sketches, he would carefully frame and hang in his study. He said my paintings were priceless treasures. Now he said they were just worthless paintings. “Someone get in here.” Ethan ordered the bodyguards outside. “Burn everything left here. Since she can’t control herself, she shouldn’t paint anymore.” “Ethan, don’t you dare!” I lunged forward but was held down firmly by the bodyguards. I could only watch helplessly as the bodyguards lit a fire barrel and threw my remaining sketches in one by one. The flames reflected in my eyes, burning away my last tears. I didn’t cry. I didn’t struggle anymore. I just stared at Ethan. Ethan carried Stella and left without looking back. “Vivian, you brought this on yourself.” Only the crackling sound of burning flames remained in the studio. I knelt before the ashes and laughed. Laughed until my heart broke, laughed with tears streaming down my face. The exhibition was completely ruined. I locked myself in my apartment for three days. On the fourth day, Ethan’s assistant knocked on my door and handed me a gilded invitation. “Mr. Sinclair is holding an engagement party for Stella next month. Mr. Sinclair said she really admires your artistic style. He hopes you can hand-paint a ten-foot-tall portrait backdrop for their engagement party.”

Vivian POV I looked at that invitation, finding it utterly absurd. “He wants me to paint an engagement portrait for him and his mistress?” I laughed coldly. “Is his brain damaged, or does he think I have no dignity?” The assistant lowered his head, his tone businesslike. “Mr. Sinclair said if you refuse, your grandmother’s private care room might need to be reassigned.” Grandma again. Ethan always knew how to exploit my weakness. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “Fine, I’ll paint it.” For the next two weeks, I stood before the canvas day and night. A ten-foot oil painting required enormous physical strength and wrist endurance. My wrist already had severe tendonitis, and after being forced to give blood, my body was at its limit. Every brushstroke felt like needles stabbing my wrist. Halfway through, Ethan brought Stella to “inspect” the work. Stella looked at the canvas showing the two of them embracing and smiled with satisfaction. “Vivian paints so well. You made Ethan look so handsome. But the color of my dress train here, isn’t it too dark? Could you change it?” My hand holding the brush trembled uncontrollably. Cold sweat soaked my back. I ignored Stella and mechanically mixed colors. The brush slipped from my shaking hand and fell to the floor. Ethan frowned, looking at my trembling hand, annoyance flashing in his eyes. “Vivian, what are you pretending now? It’s just painting. Are you that aggrieved?” I bent down to pick up the brush, my voice eerily calm. “Not aggrieved. Mr. Sinclair pays, I deliver. As it should be.” Ethan snorted coldly. “Better be. The painting must be finished before the engagement party. If you delay Stella’s event, I’ll hold you accountable.” After they left, I collapsed on the floor, clutching my spasming wrist, gasping for breath. I looked at Ethan’s affectionate face on the canvas and suddenly felt nauseous. I grabbed the palette knife nearby, wanting desperately to slash the painting to shreds. But I held back. Grandma was still in the hospital. I couldn’t be impulsive. Two weeks later, the painting was finally complete. My wrist was swollen like a dumpling. I couldn’t even hold utensils. I delivered the painting to Ethan’s assistant, then went to visit Grandma at the hospital. Grandma’s condition had stabilized considerably. She held my hand and asked. “Vivian, why hasn’t Ethan come to see me in so long?” I forced back the bitterness and smiled. “He’s been busy with the company lately. He’ll visit you in a few days.” Walking out of the room, I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes wearily. Soon. Once Grandma finished her final checkup, I’d take her and leave this city. Leave Ethan forever. On the day of the engagement party, Ethan rented out the city’s largest seven-star hotel. I didn’t go. Instead, I stayed in my apartment packing. Suddenly, my phone vibrated frantically. It was the hospital calling. “Vivian, your grandmother’s condition suddenly deteriorated. She’s having acute heart failure. She’s being resuscitated now. We need family members here immediately to sign consent forms!” My mind went blank with a buzz. I nearly dropped my phone. “I’m coming right now! Please, you must save her!” I rushed out of the apartment, only to find it was pouring rain outside. I couldn’t get a cab. Ethan had confiscated my car keys days ago, saying I was emotionally unstable and shouldn’t drive. I bit my lip and ran through the rain toward the engagement party hotel. It was the closest place where I could find Ethan. When I burst into the banquet hall, soaking wet, everyone’s eyes turned to me. Ethan wore a white designer suit, gently placing an engagement ring on Stella’s finger. “Ethan!” I rushed over and grabbed his arm, my voice desperate. “Give me the car keys! Grandma’s being resuscitated. I need to get to the hospital!” Ethan looked at my bedraggled appearance, frowning deeply, and shook off my hand. “Vivian, haven’t you made enough of a scene? Do you not realize what day this is?” “I’m begging you, give me the car keys!” I was crying desperately. “Grandma’s dying. I need to see her one last time!” Seeing this, Stella immediately put on a frightened expression and hid in Ethan’s arms. “Ethan, Vivian is so scary…” Ethan’s eyes went completely cold. “Vivian, you’d make up this kind of lie just to ruin my engagement party? Your grandmother was fine yesterday!” “I’m not lying! The hospital just called!” I sobbed desperately. I tried to grab the keys from Ethan’s pocket, but Stella deliberately blocked my way. As we struggled, Stella screamed and fell to the ground. “Stella!” Ethan flew into a rage and kicked me in the shoulder. I was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into a champagne tower. Glass shattered everywhere, shards piercing my palms and back. Blood mixed with rainwater flowed. “Someone!” Ethan looked down at me, his eyes ice-cold. “Lock her in the upstairs storage room! No one lets her out without my permission!” “Ethan! You can’t do this to me! Grandma’s waiting for me!” I struggled desperately, but two bodyguards dragged me away. The storage room door slammed shut. Inside, there were no lights. Complete darkness. I had severe claustrophobia. The darkness swallowed me like a tide. I pounded on the door, crying until my voice was hoarse. “Let me out… please let me out…” Outside came the cheerful music from the banquet hall and guests’ congratulations. I don’t know how long passed before my phone rang. I answered with trembling hands. “Vivian, I’m sorry. We did everything we could. Your grandmother… didn’t make it.” The phone slipped from my hand. I sat paralyzed in the darkness. I didn’t cry. I didn’t shout. My world had completely collapsed.

Vivian POV The storage room door didn’t open until the next morning. I was curled in the corner. The bodyguard looked at my condition with some sympathy. “Mrs. Sinclair, Mr. Sinclair says you can go now.” I said nothing. I stood up shakily and walked out of the hotel step by step. When I reached the hospital, I only saw a body on a gurney covered with a white sheet. I didn’t cry. I just stood there quietly, looking at Grandma’s peaceful face. The attending physician approached, his expression complicated, hesitant to speak. “Vivian, actually… your grandmother’s condition was very stable. But yesterday afternoon, a woman came to her room. We don’t know what she said to her, but her emotions became agitated, which triggered the heart failure…” I raised my head. In my deadened heart, a towering hatred instantly ignited. Stella! It was her! She killed Grandma! I turned and rushed out of the hospital. At a hardware store on the roadside, I bought a fruit knife and went straight to the Sinclair mansion. At the villa, Ethan was having breakfast with Stella. “Stella, go to hell!” I lunged at Stella with the knife. Stella screamed and dodged. Ethan reacted lightning-fast, pulling Stella behind him and catching the blade with his bare hand. Blood instantly flowed between his fingers. “Vivian, have you completely lost your mind?!” Ethan wrenched away the knife and backhanded me with a vicious slap. He used his full strength. I was knocked to the floor, blood trickling from my mouth, half my face instantly swelling. “She killed Grandma!” I pointed at Stella, screaming hoarsely. “She went to the hospital yesterday and provoked Grandma! Ethan, she’s a murderer!” Stella hid behind Ethan, crying and trembling. “I didn’t… Ethan, I was trying on my dress all day yesterday. I never went to the hospital. Is Vivian hallucinating from too much stress?” “You’re still lying!” I struggled to get up. “Enough!” Ethan cut me off sharply, looking at me with disgust and disappointment. “Vivian, I’m grieved about your grandmother’s death too, but you can’t attack people like a rabid dog! Stella was with me all yesterday. How could she go to the hospital?” I froze. Looking at Ethan’s certain expression, I suddenly understood. He was covering for her. To protect Stella, he could even erase Grandma’s death. “Ethan, you disgust me.” I looked at him and said nothing more. “Since you’re clearly unhinged, go cool off in the basement for a few days!” Ethan ordered the bodyguards coldly. “Lock her in the basement. Without my orders, no one feeds her!” The basement. No windows. No light. It was the place I feared most. Ethan knew perfectly well that I was kidnapped and locked in a dark room as a child, leaving me with severe psychological trauma. The bodyguards dragged me into the basement. The iron door slammed shut with a bang. Darkness instantly consumed me. I huddled in the corner, clutching myself tightly. Ethan, I’ve repaid everything I owed you. The darkness of the basement was like an invisible giant hand, strangling my throat. On the first day, I trembled with fear, sweat soaking my clothes. My mind kept flashing back to being kidnapped as a child, and Grandma’s face under the white sheet. On the second day, I developed a high fever. My wounds became infected. I fell into a semi-conscious state.

Vivian POV In extreme pain, I dreamed of Ethan from three years ago. Back then, because I was afraid of the dark, I had to leave a light on when sleeping. Once during a power outage, Ethan ran through the pouring rain across three streets to buy candles to fill the room. He held me in his arms, kissing my forehead over and over. “Don’t be afraid, Vivian. I’m here. I’ll never let you stay in the dark again.” How ridiculous. The person who said he’d never let me stay in the dark personally pushed me into the deepest abyss. On the third day, my fever broke. Fear and despair were exhausted. What remained was only the calm of stagnant water. I felt around in the dark for a sharp stone and carved marks on the wall. Each mark was a piece of my dying love for Ethan. When the iron door opened again, the blinding light made me instinctively close my eyes. Ethan stood in the doorway, looking down at me. I slowly stood up, brushed the dust off myself. My heart was as calm as a pool of dead water. No hate, no love. “Have you calmed down?” Ethan frowned. “I’ve calmed down.” My voice was hoarse but unusually steady. “Ethan, let’s get divorced.” Ethan paused, then sneered. “Divorce? Vivian, what game are you playing now to get my attention? You think threatening me with divorce will make me forgive you for attacking someone with a knife?” I didn’t argue. I simply walked past him and went upstairs. I returned to the master bedroom, took out a divorce agreement I’d drafted long ago, signed my name, and handed it to Ethan who had followed. “I’ll leave with nothing. Just sign it.” Ethan looked at the agreement, his expression instantly darkening. He snatched it away, tore it to shreds, and threw the pieces in my face. “Vivian, get this straight. When this marriage begins and ends is my decision! You want a divorce? Dream on!” I looked at the scattered paper on the floor. I wasn’t angry. I just said calmly. “Whatever you say.” I turned and walked into the bathroom, washing away the blood and grime. When I came out, I picked up my phone and dialed an encrypted number. “Mr. Yale, it’s me.” “The ‘fake death rescue’ service I booked, can we move it up? I don’t want to stay another day.” On the other end, Adrian Yale’s deep voice came through. “Yes. In a month, at Stella’s yacht party. That’s a good opportunity. I’ll arrange everything.” “Thank you.” I hung up and looked at myself in the mirror. Ethan, since you don’t want a divorce, I’ll just have to become a widow. For the following days, I was abnormally quiet. I no longer argued with Stella, no longer questioned Ethan. Like nothing had happened, I ate and slept on schedule every day. “Ethan, Vivian’s been so strange lately.” I heard Stella lean against Ethan, saying coquettishly. “Is she plotting something? Why don’t you make her move out of the master bedroom? I’m scared looking at her.” Ethan frowned. Looking at Stella’s aggrieved expression, he still nodded. That night, Ethan entered the master bedroom and told me coldly. “Move to the guest room. Stella hasn’t been sleeping well lately. The master bedroom mattress suits her better.” I nodded calmly. “Okay.” I opened the closet and only took a few changes of clothes. I didn’t even glance at the expensive jewelry and designer dresses Ethan once gave me. At the door, I stopped, removed my wedding ring, and casually tossed it in the nearby trash can. “What are you doing?!” Ethan rushed over and looked at the diamond ring in the trash, furious. “It’s dirty. Don’t want it anymore.” My tone was flat. Not just the wedding ring. The trash also contained love letters he once wrote me, dried flowers he gave me, even all our photos together. I threw away everything about him. “Vivian!” Ethan grabbed my wrist, his eyes churning with anger and panic. “What tantrum are you throwing now? I already compensated you for your grandmother. What more do you want?!” “Compensation?” I laughed until tears came. “Ethan, can human life be compensated? Let go of me. You disgust me.” I shook off his hand and walked into the guest room without looking back. Final countdown. Three days. To celebrate her engagement, Stella rented a luxury yacht for a party. She specifically had someone send me an invitation, saying the reason was “the family should be together.” I looked at the invitation and smiled. I’d been waiting for this day for a long time. The night of the yacht party, the sea breeze was cool. I wore a simple black dress, standing in the shadows on the deck. I watched Stella, the center of attention in the banquet hall, with Ethan beside her, looking distracted. I touched the mini voice recorder and camera hidden in my dress. Tonight, I’d make Stella admit she killed Derek and caused Grandma’s death. Then I would jump from this yacht and completely disappear from Ethan’s world. Ethan, get ready for your personal hell.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “407886”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

The first time Sophia Reed met Damien Cross was in the filthiest clinic in Riverside City. She knelt on the floor, clutching the hospital payment slip. Her mother’s kidney failure had reached its final stage. Dialysis cost thirty thousand a month. She had two hundred dollars left. The clinic owner, an old man in a dusty gray suit, slid a contract across to her. “Sign it, and your mother will be transferred to a private hospital. I’ll cover everything.” The contract read: Three years as Damien Cross’s personal caretaker. “Just a caretaker?” Sophia asked. The old man smiled. “You’ll take care of everything for him. Including his needs in bed.” The first time Sophia Reed met Damien Cross was in the filthiest clinic in Riverside City. She knelt on the floor, clutching the hospital payment slip in her hand. Her mother’s kidney failure had reached its final stage. Dialysis cost thirty thousand dollars a month. And in her pocket, she only had two hundred dollars left. The owner of the clinic was named Cross. A man in his sixties wearing a dusty gray suit. He looked at Sophia and slid a contract across to her. “Sign it, and your mother will be transferred to a private hospital immediately. I’ll cover all the expenses.” Sophia took the contract. Her fingers trembled. The contract read: Voluntary agreement to serve as Damien’s personal caretaker for a term of three years. “Just a caretaker?” She looked up and asked. Mr. Cross smiled. “Not just a caretaker. My son has a special condition. You’ll need to take care of everything for him.” “Everything?” “Yes. You’ll take care of everything for him. Including his needs in bed.” Sophia’s face went deathly pale. She understood exactly what those four words meant. Mr. Cross sighed. “My son’s name is Damien Cross. When he was twenty-two, someone poisoned him. The toxins haven’t been completely cleared from his body, and they flare up once every seven days.” “When they do, he’s in excruciating pain, loses control of himself, and needs someone to help him through it.” “I used to hire girls from outside, but he’s become increasingly resistant to that.” “I need someone fixed, clean, and able to keep her mouth shut.” Sophia’s knuckles turned white as she gripped the contract. “Why me?” “Because you’re clean. I’ve investigated you. You’ve never been in a relationship, your mother is your only living relative, and you desperately need money.” Mr. Cross’s gaze was cold. “And you’re beautiful. He’ll like you.” Sophia closed her eyes. In her mind, she saw her mother lying in a hospital bed, tubes running everywhere through her body. She stayed silent for a long time, then finally signed her name. …… Six months later, Damien sat on the living room sofa while Sophia knelt beside his leg, changing his bandages. He had a knife wound on his thigh from last night’s gang fight. Sophia’s movements were gentle, afraid of hurting him. But Damien still frowned and kicked her shoulder. Sophia fell backward from the kick, her forehead hitting the corner of the coffee table. A large bump immediately swelled up. She didn’t make a sound. She got up and continued changing his bandages. “Does it hurt?” She asked softly. Damien glanced at her but said nothing. In the past six months, he’d never really looked at her properly. In his eyes, Sophia was just a tool Mr. Cross had bought with money. A talking sex doll. But Sophia didn’t think of it that way. She remembered that rainy night three months ago. The toxins in Damien’s body had flared up. He curled up on the floor in agony, drenched in cold sweat. She followed the method Mr. Cross had taught her and helped him through it. Afterward, Damien held her and called out a name. “Claire.” He buried his face in the crook of her neck and cried like a child. Sophia held him and gently patted his back. In that moment, she felt needed. Even though the name he called was someone else’s. From that day on, Sophia secretly began to fall for this man. She would tie his necktie for him before he went out. She would make him hot sobering soup when he came home drunk. She memorized all his little habits. Like how he preferred his steak medium-rare, drank his Americano, and hated rainy days. She thought that if she was good enough, one day he would finally see her. But she didn’t know. The woman named Claire was about to come back. …… Damien was on the phone when Sophia was in the kitchen cooking his steak. “Claire’s back?” His voice came from the living room, carrying an excitement she’d never heard before. Sophia’s spatula paused mid-air. “Where are you? I’ll come right away.” Damien hung up and headed straight for the door. Sophia rushed out, still holding the freshly cooked steak. “Where are you going?” Damien didn’t look back. “None of your business.” The door slammed shut. Sophia stood there, looking at the still-steaming steak in her hands. She suddenly felt her eyes sting. Just then, her phone buzzed. It was a message from the Cross family’s private doctor. “Miss Reed, your pregnancy test results are in. You’re two weeks pregnant. I recommend you avoid excessive physical strain in the coming period.” Sophia stared at the message. Her hand trembled. She was pregnant. She hadn’t had a chance to tell Damien yet. And Damien had already left to find another woman. She leaned against the wall and slowly slid down to a crouch. Tears fell onto the floor without a sound. She heard something inside her heart crack open.

Damien didn’t come home all night. Sophia sat on the living room sofa, waiting from eight in the evening until three in the morning. She called him seven times. All went to voicemail. On the eighth call, someone finally picked up. But it wasn’t Damien. “Hello?” It was a woman’s voice. Soft and pleasant. “Are you looking for Damien? He’s in the shower.” Sophia’s throat felt like someone had wrapped a hand around it. “Who are you…?” “I’m Claire Bennett. You’re Sophia, right? Damien told me about you.” The woman’s voice carried a smile. “Thank you for taking care of him all this time. Now that I’m back, I won’t trouble you anymore.” The call ended. Sophia stared at her phone screen showing “Call Ended.” She suddenly felt so cold. Cold down to her bones. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders and sat on the sofa all night. The next morning, Damien came home. A woman stood beside him. She wore a white dress, her long hair flowing over her shoulders. When she smiled, two shallow dimples appeared at the corners of her mouth. This was Claire Bennett. Sophia had seen her photo in Damien’s wallet before. She was even more beautiful in person, more gentle. “Sophia, this is Claire.” Damien’s tone was casual, like he was introducing an ordinary friend. But Sophia saw the tenderness in his eyes. The kind of tenderness she’d never seen in the past six months. “Claire just got back from abroad. She’ll be staying with us for a while.” Sophia opened her mouth, but before she could speak, she heard Claire ask: “Damien, is she your housekeeper?” Damien paused. “Something like that.” Those words stabbed into Sophia’s heart like a knife. She stood in the kitchen doorway, still holding the porridge she’d just finished making. She’d gotten up early to make it for Damien, worried his stomach would hurt after drinking last night. Now she felt like a complete joke. “I’ll go upstairs and tidy the room.” Sophia kept her head down and turned toward the stairs. She heard Claire laughing behind her. “Damien, this housekeeper is quite diligent.” He didn’t contradict her. Sophia bit her lip so hard her nails dug crescents into her palms, drawing blood. She didn’t cry. Her tears had long since dried up.

On Claire’s first day moving in, she took over Sophia’s room. “Damien, I like this room. The sunlight is wonderful.” Claire pointed at Sophia’s room, smiling innocently. Damien glanced at it. Sophia’s room had the best natural light in the entire villa. Mr. Cross had specifically arranged it because she was anemic and needed more sun exposure. “Fine, you can have this one.” Damien nodded, then turned to Sophia. “You move to the storage room on the first floor.” Sophia froze. The first-floor storage room didn’t even have a window. It could barely fit a cot. “I…” She wanted to say she was pregnant and couldn’t live in a place like that. But before the words left her mouth, Claire wrapped her arm around Damien’s. “You’re so good to me, Damien.” Damien looked down at her, a smile on his lips. “As long as you’re happy.” Sophia watched the two of them being intimate and swallowed back everything she wanted to say. She moved her belongings to the first-floor storage room by herself. The storage room was crammed with cleaning supplies and smelled of mildew. She sat on the cot, hand resting on her flat stomach. “I’m sorry. Mommy can’t give you a comfortable place right now.” She whispered. That evening, Damien sat in the living room watching TV with Claire. Sophia prepared dinner in the kitchen. She made many dishes, all Damien’s favorites. When the food was brought to the table, Claire frowned. “Damien, I can’t eat spicy food.” Sophia’s hand paused. Three of the dishes on the table were spicy. Because Damien liked spicy food. “It’s fine. Have her remake them.” Damien pushed the three plates aside. “Sophia, take away the spicy ones and make them again.” Sophia stood there, still wearing her apron. She looked at Damien. The man’s gaze was fixed on Claire. He didn’t even glance at her. “Okay.” She said quietly. She took the three dishes back to the kitchen and started over. The smell of oil made her nauseous. But she held it in. Midway through, she snuck to the bathroom and dry-heaved a few times. No one noticed. When the new dishes were served, Claire took a bite and smiled with satisfaction. “Mm, this tastes much better.” “Then eat more.” Damien served her food with his chopsticks. Sophia stood to the side, watching her husband serve food to his old flame. She suddenly felt so tired. A bone-deep exhaustion. That night, Damien slept in the guest room. Because Claire was afraid to sleep alone at night and wanted him to keep her company. Sophia lay alone on the cot in the storage room, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep all night. She started counting down in her mind. Twelve more days until the contract expired.

The next day, Damien took Claire to the gang’s annual gala. The gala was held at Riverside City’s most luxurious hotel, and all the high-ranking members attended. By custom, Damien should have brought his woman. But he brought Claire. Sophia learned about it from Marcus. Marcus was Damien’s driver and the only person in the Cross household she could talk to. “Sophia, don’t overthink it. Damien just…” Marcus tried to comfort her, but halfway through, even he couldn’t continue. Sophia shook her head. “It’s fine.” She no longer felt hurt. Or rather, she’d been hurt so much she’d gone numb. Three days later, Claire demanded that Sophia hand-wash her underwear. Sophia didn’t refuse. She took Claire’s underwear to the laundry room and scrubbed each piece by hand. The door suddenly swung open behind her. Startled, she turned around and met a pair of cold eyes. Damien leaned against the doorframe, a cigar between his fingers. Through the curling smoke, she couldn’t make out his expression. “Marcus told me you’re pregnant?” Sophia’s hand trembled. She hadn’t wanted Damien to know. At least not yet. She clutched the underwear tighter and nodded. “Yes. Two weeks.” “Why didn’t you tell me?” The man’s voice was heavy. “I was going to wait until after the gala, when things calmed down, and we could…” “Get rid of it.” Sophia froze in place. She jerked her head up, thinking she’d misheard. “What did you say?” “I said, get rid of the baby.” Damien’s tone was flat, like he was discussing something trivial. “But why… It’s your child…” “Claire’s depression is severe. She can’t handle stress.” Damien exhaled a stream of smoke. “If she finds out you’re pregnant, she’ll have a breakdown. You can get pregnant again later. It’s not like this is your only chance.” Sophia felt her blood flowing backward. She opened her mouth but couldn’t speak a single word. So her child, in Damien’s eyes, was something that could be discarded at any time. All because Claire couldn’t handle stress. “I made an appointment with a doctor for you. Tomorrow morning at nine.” Damien turned to leave. “Damien.” Sophia called out to him. Her voice was hoarse. “Let me ask you one question.” “Go ahead.” “In these past six months, have you ever, even for a single day, liked me?” Damien’s footsteps stopped. He didn’t turn around. “My heart only has room for one person.” He pushed open the door and walked out. In the empty laundry room, Sophia suddenly laughed. She touched her flat stomach. Her eyes burned and swelled. “I’m sorry.” She whispered. Then she lowered her head and continued scrubbing the underwear in her hands. Her movements were slow and careful. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, falling on her pale face. Her eyes were dry. Not a single tear fell.

Seven days until the contract expired. Sophia didn’t go to the hospital. She went about her routine as usual. Washing clothes, cooking, cleaning. She just spoke less. Damien didn’t bring up the abortion again. Perhaps he thought Sophia wouldn’t dare disobey his orders. These past few days, Damien spent every day with Claire. He took her to see the night view by the river, went shopping with her, accompanied her to art exhibitions she liked. He never did these things with Sophia. Sophia remembered once gathering the courage to ask Damien if he could take her to a movie. Damien hadn’t even looked up. “I’m busy.” He said he was busy. But now he had plenty of time to spend with another woman. Sophia looked at the photos Claire posted on social media and deleted them one by one. Claire posted new photos. In them, Damien had his arm around her waist. The two of them were kissing against a sunset backdrop by the ocean. The caption read: The best kind of love is when no matter how long you’re apart, you’re still the same to me. Posted thirteen minutes ago. Sophia turned off her phone screen and tossed it on the sofa. She suddenly felt nauseous. She didn’t know if it was morning sickness or if the last bit of hope inside her had finally rotted away. Just then, the living room door swung open. Claire walked in wearing high heels, arms laden with shopping bags from luxury brands. “Sophia, come help me with these.” Sophia walked over and took the bags from her. Claire removed her sunglasses and looked her up and down. “I heard you’re pregnant?” Sophia’s movements paused. “None of your business.” Claire laughed. “Do you know what Damien told me yesterday?” She leaned close to Sophia’s ear and lowered her voice. “He said he’s just waiting for you to have the baby so you can pack your things and get out of the Cross house.” Sophia’s pupils contracted sharply. Claire smiled and stepped back. “So don’t think that just because you’re pregnant, you can hold onto him.” “In his eyes, you’re just a tool.” “A tool that can bear children.” Sophia stood there, still holding Claire’s shopping bags. She said nothing. After a long while, she finally spoke softly. “Are you done?” Claire raised an eyebrow. “I’m done.” “Then move.” Sophia walked past her carrying the bags. Her movements were calm. So calm it was as if every word Claire said hadn’t hurt her at all. But only she knew. Her palms had four bloody crescent marks from her nails. …… That evening, Damien came home. He’d been drinking heavily. The smell of alcohol clung to him. Sophia helped him remove his coat and hung it on the rack. “Did you go to the hospital today?” Damien leaned against the sofa, eyes closed, and asked. “No.” Sophia’s voice was calm. Damien opened his eyes and frowned at her. “Why aren’t you listening?” Sophia didn’t answer that question. Instead, she asked one of her own. “Damien, if I were to leave, would you miss me at all?” Damien froze. He looked at Sophia. The woman’s face was haggard, heavy dark circles under her eyes, lips chapped, her hair just carelessly pulled into a ponytail. She looked nothing like the girl from six months ago. The one who’d knelt in that back-alley clinic with defiant eyes. He stayed silent for a long time. “Where would you go?” He didn’t answer her question. He asked one instead. Sophia suddenly smiled. She understood. “The bath is ready. Go wash up.” She turned and went into the bathroom. Damien stared at her back, feeling something wasn’t right. But he’d drunk too much. His mind was fuzzy and he couldn’t figure it out. He leaned back on the sofa and soon fell asleep. Sophia came out of the bathroom and draped a blanket over him. She crouched beside the sofa, looking at Damien’s sleeping face. She reached out and gently traced his eyebrows. Her touch was light, as if afraid of waking him. “Damien.” She called his name softly. “I know you never cared.” “But I really, really liked you.” “Liked you so much that I lost myself completely.” Her eyes finally reddened. But she didn’t cry out loud. She forced the tears back, stood up, and returned to her storage room. She picked up her phone and dialed a number. “Mr. Cross, I’ve made up my mind.” There was a moment of silence on the other end. “You really want to leave?” “Yes.” Sophia’s voice was calm. “The contract expires in seven days.” “After seven days, I’ll have nothing to do with the Cross family ever again.”

The next morning, Sophia was jolted awake by severe abdominal pain. She opened her eyes. The sheets beneath her were stained red. She froze completely. Fear washed over her like a tidal wave. “The baby…” She braced herself and crawled off the cot, stumbling toward the door. In the living room, Damien and Claire were eating breakfast. Claire wore Damien’s white dress shirt, laughing cheerfully. “Damien, can you take me shopping later? I want to buy…” Her words cut off when she saw Sophia stumble out of the storage room. Sophia’s pants were soaked with blood. It ran down her thighs. Claire screamed. “Ah!” Damien shot to his feet. The coffee cup in his hand fell to the floor and shattered. “Sophia?!” Sophia clutched her stomach, her face white as a sheet. “Hospital… please… take me to the hospital…” Her voice trembled. Damien rushed over and swept her into his arms. The woman in his arms was impossibly light, like a bundle of bones. Only then did he realize how much weight Sophia had lost. “Marcus! Get the car! Now!” Marcus ran in from outside and froze at the sight. “Damien, the car’s right outside!” Damien carried Sophia out. Claire chased after him. “Damien! Where are you going? You promised you’d stay with me!” Damien’s steps faltered. He looked back at Claire, then down at the blood-soaked Sophia in his arms. Sophia’s consciousness was already fading. She clung desperately to his collar, her nails digging into the fabric. “The baby… save the baby…” Her voice was barely a whisper. Then her eyes closed. Her hand went limp and fell to her side. Damien felt something violently wrench his heart. He didn’t hesitate any longer. He got in the car with Sophia. “Drive! Now!” Marcus floored the gas pedal. The car shot forward like an arrow. Damien looked down at the woman in his arms and wiped the tears from her face with his thumb. Only then did he realize his own hands were shaking. “Sophia, don’t fall asleep. Don’t sleep, you hear me?” His voice was hoarse. But Sophia didn’t respond. She lay in Damien’s arms, her face white as paper. When the car hit a speed bump, it jolted. Sophia’s hand slipped from her body, and something rolled from her palm. Damien looked down. It was a ring. A cheap silver ring with worn-down patterns. It was the one he’d carelessly thrown in the trash three months ago. Sophia had secretly retrieved it. Damien stared at the ring. His Adam’s apple bobbed. He picked up the ring and gripped it tightly in his fist.

The emergency room light stayed on all night. Damien sat in a hallway chair, completely still. His white shirt was still stained with Sophia’s blood, now dried to a dark brown. Marcus stood nearby, not daring to breathe too loudly or say a word. Near dawn, the doctor emerged. Damien shot to his feet. “How is she?” The doctor removed his mask. His expression was complicated. “We saved her, but the baby didn’t make it. Her body was in terrible condition. Severe anemia combined with malnutrition. It’s a miracle she lasted this long.” Damien stood frozen. “And…” The doctor added another statement. “She appears to have had a previous cesarean section. The incision placement was wrong. It looks like she went through it without anesthesia. There’s permanent damage to her rectus abdominis muscles. They’ll never fully recover.” Damien’s mind went blank with a buzzing sound. “Without anesthesia?” Marcus spoke quietly from the side. “Damien, Mr. Cross mentioned before that when Sophia was giving birth, you were at an art exhibition with Miss Bennett.” “We called you over twenty times. You didn’t answer once.” Damien completely froze. He opened his mouth but couldn’t speak. The day Sophia gave birth. He was with Claire. She was in the delivery room, shaking from pain, nearly dying on the operating table. And he was at an art exhibition, explaining painting schools to another woman. He remembered now. He remembered coming back to the hospital that day. Sophia was alone in the hospital bed. Not a single family member by her side. When she saw him enter, she smiled. “The baby is healthy.” That was all she said. Damien had nodded, glanced at the baby, and then left. He didn’t even ask if she was in pain. Didn’t ask why her lips were completely bitten raw. He asked nothing. Because at that time, his mind was full of whether Claire was happy that day. Damien’s body swayed. He leaned against the wall and slowly sank down. He buried his face in his palms. “Sophia…” His voice leaked through his fingers, trembling with suppression. Marcus looked at his boss, not daring to say a word. He’d never seen Damien like this. The man who commanded fear throughout Riverside’s underworld, who made swift and decisive judgments. Now he was curled up in a hospital hallway corner like a trapped beast with its spine ripped out.

When Sophia woke up, she smelled disinfectant. White ceiling, white sheets, white curtains. The sunlight was blinding. She squinted. The pain in her abdomen reminded her of what she’d lost. She touched her flat stomach. Her eyes immediately burned. But she didn’t cry. What good would crying do? The baby wasn’t coming back. She turned her face to the side, looking at the bare tree branches outside the window. The window was cracked open slightly. Cold wind poured in, making the curtains sway gently. She heard footsteps outside. Damien pushed the door open and walked in. He looked terrible. Dark circles under his eyes, blue stubble on his chin. He approached the bed and reached out to touch her forehead. Sophia turned her head away. Damien’s hand froze mid-air. After a long moment, he withdrew it. “About the baby… I’m very sorry.” His voice was heavy. “I know.” Sophia’s voice was calm. Damien looked at her, feeling a tightness in his chest. He’d rather she yell at him, hit him, throw things, cry hysterically. But she did none of that. She just lay in the hospital bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, as if her soul had already left her body. “When you’re better, we’ll start over.” Damien spoke. Sophia slowly turned her head and looked into his eyes. “Start over?” She laughed. That laugh made Damien’s heart contract painfully. “Damien.” She called his name, her voice soft, as if using every bit of strength she had left. “My baby is gone.” Damien shut his mouth. He stood there like a wooden post nailed to the floor. After Sophia said those words, she closed her eyes. A single tear rolled from the corner of her eye, silently falling onto the white pillow and spreading into a small wet spot.

Three days later, Sophia was discharged from the hospital. She returned to the Cross villa and immediately began packing her things. Actually, there wasn’t much to pack. She had very little. A few old clothes, a pair of canvas shoes she’d worn for two years, and the silver ring she’d retrieved from the trash. She hesitated, then left the ring on the nightstand. Claire leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, a victorious smile on her lips. “Finally seeing sense? You should have left ages ago. What’s the point of staying at the Cross house? You’re just a housekeeper.” Sophia ignored her and continued packing. Claire spoke again. “Oh, by the way, I know about the contract you signed with Damien. Basically just using you as a tool, right? Now that he’s tired of playing, it’s time for a replacement.” Sophia’s movements stopped. She slowly straightened and turned to look at Claire. “Claire.” “Yes?” “Do you really like Damien that much?” Claire raised an eyebrow. “Of course.” “Then do you know why he broke up with you back then?” Claire’s smile stiffened. “What are you talking about?” Sophia looked at her coolly. “He didn’t break up with you because you went abroad.” “It was because you slept with his best friend.” Claire’s expression changed instantly. “You’re talking nonsense!” “Whether I’m talking nonsense or not, go ask Damien.” Sophia’s tone remained calm, as if discussing ancient history that had nothing to do with her. “You think he loves you that much? He’s only in pain from being betrayed, so he idealized you into a perfect phantom.” “He doesn’t love you. He loves the Claire Bennett in his imagination.”” Sophia zipped up her suitcase. The sound was especially clear in the quiet room. “I’m giving Damien to you. I wish you both happiness.” She dragged her suitcase and walked past Claire. When she reached the door, she paused. She didn’t turn back. “Oh, and when you two get married, remember to send me an invitation.” Her voice was as light as a breeze. “I won’t be coming.” Then she pushed open the door and walked out. In the living room, Damien stood there. He watched her drag her suitcase. His chest felt like someone had punched it hard. “Sophia.” He called her name. Sophia didn’t stop. As she passed by him, Damien reached out and grabbed her arm. “Don’t go.” His voice was hoarse. Sophia looked down at his hand gripping her arm, then raised her head to meet his eyes. “Damien, the contract has expired.” She pried his fingers open one by one. After all these years, she finally saw something indescribable in Damien’s face. Panic.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “407885”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

After getting pregnant by accident, I dragged my suitcase to the door, ready to run. The moment I opened it, a stream of text floated before my eyes. [Why are you running? If you run, you’re dead!] [Raven Smith has no brain. She’s carrying the only bloodline of the Morrison family and she dares to hide?] [After the male lead Matthias Morrison’s car accident, his fertility was damaged. The child in Raven’s belly is the Morrison family’s only heir.] [Once Raven runs, the child will be taken by Juliet White. Juliet will marry into the Morrison family with a ready-made kid and rise to power through her son.] I froze mid-step. Half a minute later, I kicked my suitcase back into the walk-in closet. Clutching the pregnancy test, I stormed into the top floor of Morrison Corporation. Matthias Morrison was in a meeting. I pushed open the conference room doors and slammed the report in front of him. “Matthias Morrison, I’m pregnant. It’s yours.” The conference room fell so silent you could hear a pin drop. Dozens of eyes turned to stare at me. Matthias sat at the head of the table, his black shirt buttoned all the way to the top, his eyes cold and indifferent. Three years ago, a car accident nearly took his life. After he survived, the Morrison family’s private hospital issued a diagnosis. Matthias Morrison would have extreme difficulty having children. The Morrison family had been passing down a single heir for thirteen generations. The old matriarch of the family, Lillian Morrison, was so anxious she consulted every renowned doctor. She even secretly arranged blind dates for him, but he coldly sent them all away. So when I threw out this pregnancy test, the faces of the executives in the room were even more spectacular than mine had been when I first saw those floating words. Matthias picked up the report and looked at it for two seconds. “Miss Raven, please leave.” I choked. “You don’t believe me?” He looked up at me, his gaze utterly devoid of warmth. “What do you want?” That sentence hurt more than a slap to the face. I, Raven Smith, the pampered youngest daughter of the Smith family, had been spoiled and arrogant since childhood. I’d certainly done plenty of outrageous things. Like chasing after Grayson Jones for ten years. Like getting drugged at a party and, trying to make Grayson jealous, accidentally pushing myself onto Matthias Morrison instead. And then, after waking up, crying and cursing him for taking advantage of me. Matthias never explained. He just draped his coat over me and had his driver take me home. Half a month later, I found out I was pregnant. My first reaction was to run. After all, if my parents saw this report, they’d tear apart both the baby’s father and me. But the floating text said if I ran, I would die. The child would be taken by Juliet White. Juliet White was the original novel’s female lead—pure and resilient, gentle and kind. She would become the apple of Matthias Morrison’s eye. And I was just cannon fodder paving the way for them. More text floated by. [Raven, cry now! Cry hard—Matthias responds to softness, not force!] [Don’t back down. She’s the only one who’s ever gotten pregnant with Matthias Morrison’s child.] [Juliet has already been earning favor with Lillian. Wait any longer and you’ll lose both the husband and the child!] I pinched my palm, my eyes reddening. “Matthias Morrison, you sleep with me and then deny it?” Someone in the conference room sucked in a sharp breath. Matthias’s eyes flickered slightly, as if suppressing something. I walked around the table to his side and pressed his hand against my lower abdomen. “You don’t have to believe me… but you need to take care of me first.” Matthias’s fingers stiffened. I looked at him, my heart pounding painfully. His gaze lingered on my face for a long time. “Meeting dismissed.” Everyone immediately lowered their heads and filed out. The door closed. He withdrew his hand and pulled out his phone to dial an internal line. “Send the head of obstetrics and gynecology up here.” I had just started to relax. The conference room door suddenly opened again. A woman in a white dress stood in the doorway, holding a food container. “Matthias, did I come at a bad time?” The floating text exploded instantly. [Juliet White is here!]

Juliet White looked very wholesome. White dress, black hair, soft eyes. Standing next to someone as cold as Matthias Morrison, she really did seem like a ray of light. She saw the pregnancy test in my hand, and her eyelashes trembled. “Miss Raven, are you feeling unwell?” I hid the pregnancy test behind my back, my tone stubborn. “What’s it to you?” Juliet’s face paled. “I’m just concerned.” Matthias asked her, “Who let you come up here?” Juliet bit her lip lightly. “Lillian asked me to bring you soup. The doctor said your stomach hasn’t been well lately.” Matthias’s expression grew even colder. “Put it down and leave.” “Matthias, Lillian also said she wants you to come back to the old mansion tonight.” The text scrolled rapidly. [Here it comes—Lillian is going to set up Juliet and Matthias.] [Juliet saved Lillian’s life. Lillian loves her now.] [If Raven acts up even a little, Matthias will find her annoying.] I immediately moved closer to Matthias. “You can’t go tonight.” Matthias looked down at me. “You think you can control me?” I tilted my face up. “I’m carrying your child. Of course I can control you.” Juliet’s face grew even paler. Matthias looked at me, his expression calm, as if examining a contract full of loopholes. “Raven Smith, you’d better understand the consequences of lying to me.” I was afraid of him. But I was more afraid of dying. I straightened my back, trying to appear righteous. “Then check now.” Ten minutes later, the head of obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. Riley, arrived at the CEO’s lounge with equipment and nurses. Blood draw, urine test, ultrasound. I lay on the bed, my skirt covering my lower abdomen, my palms covered in sweat. Matthias stood by the window, his back straight. Juliet didn’t leave. She stood outside the door, looking in through the half-open entrance. The examination ended. Dr. Riley held the test results, her expression very complicated. “Mr. Morrison, Miss Raven is indeed pregnant.” Matthias froze. Dr. Riley continued, “Based on the gestational age, the timing also matches up.” I immediately sat up. “Did you hear that?” But Matthias kept staring at Dr. Riley. “Can the father be confirmed?” Dr. Riley looked uncomfortable under his gaze. “Invasive testing isn’t recommended in early pregnancy, but non-invasive prenatal paternity testing can be arranged later.” The smile on my face stiffened. “Matthias Morrison, you still doubt me?” He said nothing. Juliet suddenly walked in, her voice as gentle as water. “Miss Raven, don’t be angry. Matthias’s physical condition is special. It’s normal for him to be cautious.” I grabbed a pillow and threw it at her. “Who the hell do you think you are?” Juliet stumbled back half a step, her eyes instantly reddening. Matthias frowned. My heart ached. I immediately threw off the blanket and got out of bed. “Fine. I’m leaving.” My foot had just touched the floor when my lower abdomen suddenly cramped. I bent over in pain. Matthias stepped forward in one stride, scooping me up, his voice urgent. “Doctor!” I gripped his collar, tears rolling down uncontrollably. “Don’t touch me.” Matthias’s body stiffened. The next second, the sound of a cane tapping on the floor came from outside. Lillian had arrived. As soon as she entered, her eyes went straight to my belly. “Who’s pregnant with my Morrison family’s child?”

Lillian was in her seventies, with a full head of silver hair and a very straight spine. Matthias was holding me. I wanted to get down. He tightened his arms. “Don’t move.” Lillian walked quickly to the bedside. “How many weeks?” Dr. Riley immediately answered, “Around six weeks.” Lillian’s hands trembled. “Really pregnant?” Dr. Riley nodded. Lillian’s eyes suddenly reddened. Juliet supported her, saying softly, “Lillian, don’t get excited yet. The child’s paternity still needs to be confirmed.” The joy on Lillian’s face froze. She looked at Matthias. Matthias placed me back on the bed and pulled a thin blanket over my legs. “It’s early pregnancy. Risky tests can’t be done.” My heart gave a small jolt. The man who had just doubted me was now protecting me. Lillian frowned. “Matthias, this concerns the Morrison family bloodline.” Matthias’s voice was cold and low. “Her body concerns a human life.” The room fell silent. The text drifted slowly by. [Matthias is protecting her now. Juliet is panicking.] [In the original novel, Lillian trained Juliet as her grandson’s wife. Now Raven has barged in pregnant.] [Raven, don’t get cocky. The Morrison family branch members are about to fight for inheritance rights.] Lillian sat down beside my bed and held my hand. “Raven, what do you want to eat? Where do you want to live? The old mansion has dedicated nutritionists and doctors.” I was about to say whatever. But Juliet spoke first. “The old mansion is quiet, suitable for pregnancy. I can keep Miss Raven company. I actually studied nursing.” I sneered. “You keep me company?” Juliet nodded. “I’m afraid you won’t be comfortable alone.” I looked at Matthias. “I’m not going to the old mansion.” Lillian’s expression soured. She asked why. My eyes reddened, my voice immediately softening. “I’m scared.” “Scared of what?” I pointed at Juliet. “Scared of her.” Juliet’s face stiffened. Lillian was also stunned. I lowered my head and touched my lower abdomen. “As soon as she came in, she talked about confirming the child’s paternity. Then she wanted me to go to the old mansion. What if I fall asleep and something happens to the baby?” Juliet hurriedly explained, “Miss Raven, you’ve misunderstood me.” I shrank into Matthias’s embrace. “See? She’s glaring at me again.” Juliet: “…” Matthias looked down at me, a hint of amusement seeming to flash in his eyes before he quickly suppressed it. Lillian looked at Juliet, her expression cooling somewhat. “Juliet, you should go back first.” Juliet’s lips turned pale. “Lillian.” “Go back.” Juliet left carrying the food container. As soon as the door closed, Lillian immediately changed her expression, gripping my hand. “Raven, you can live wherever you want.” I looked at Matthias. “I want to live at his place.” Matthias’s brow furrowed slightly. Lillian immediately nodded. “Fine, live at his place.” Matthias said coldly, “I didn’t agree.” Lillian tapped her cane heavily. “You shut up.” I almost laughed out loud. Text floated by. [Step one of rising to power through her son: Success.] [Too bad the Smith family hasn’t made their move yet.] The next second, my phone rang. My mom’s name appeared on the screen.

I didn’t dare answer. Matthias glanced at me. “Afraid of your family?” I spoke stubbornly. “Who’s afraid?” The phone stopped for two seconds, then rang again. This time it was my dad. If I didn’t answer, the Smith family would storm straight to Morrison Corporation. I took a deep breath and pressed answer. My mom’s voice was shrill and terrifying. “Raven Smith, where are you?” I glanced at Matthias. “Shopping.” “Shopping all the way up to the Morrison Corporation top floor?” My scalp tingled. Did Grayson Jones snitch… Sure enough, my mom’s next words confirmed it. “Grayson said you went to find Matthias Morrison with a pregnancy test.” I held the phone away from my ear. She continued yelling, “You’re pregnant?” Lillian’s ears were sharper than anyone’s. She immediately leaned in. I closed my eyes. “Yes.” Silence on the other end of the line for three seconds. My mom started crying. “Have you lost your mind? How old are you? What’s going on between you and Matthias Morrison?” Before I could speak, Matthias took the phone. “Mrs. Smith, I will take responsibility.” My mom on the other end went quiet. Then my dad’s voice came through. “Matthias Morrison, let Raven come home.” Matthias looked at me. I immediately shook my head. He said into the phone, “She’s not in a condition to travel right now.” My dad laughed coldly. “You have no right to keep my daughter.” Matthias’s expression was indifferent. “If she wants to leave, I won’t stop her.” I immediately grabbed his sleeve. “I’m not leaving.” The sound of a glass shattering came from the other end. My mom’s voice shook with anger. “Raven Smith, you just wait.” The call ended. I buried my face in the blanket. I was done for. Lillian patted my hand. “Don’t be afraid. The Morrison family will protect you.” I looked at her wearily. “You wanted me to go to the old mansion and verify the child just a moment ago.” Lillian was rendered speechless. Matthias cleared his throat lightly. “Come back to my place first.” I knew he lived in a luxury home. But when the car drove into the exclusive villa district, I couldn’t help but gasp. My mood improved instantly. “Matthias Morrison, your place is actually pretty suitable for pregnancy.” He loosened his tie. “The master bedroom is yours.” I sat on the sofa holding a cushion. “Where will you sleep?” “Guest room.” I frowned. “If you’re too far away, what do I do if I get hungry in the middle of the night?” Matthias looked at me. “Where do you want me to sleep?” I pointed at the master bedroom’s king-size bed. “The bed is very big.” His eyes darkened. “Raven Smith, don’t provoke me.” I immediately shut my mouth. That night, I woke up hungry and padded barefoot to the kitchen looking for food. The refrigerator was full of premium ingredients. I didn’t know how to cook any of them. I dug out a box of strawberries and had just bitten into one when Matthias’s voice came from behind me. “Why aren’t you wearing shoes?” I was so startled the strawberry fell to the floor. He walked over, lifted me onto the kitchen island, and knelt down to wipe my feet. His movements were very gentle. I looked at his lowered brows and eyes, my heartbeat going out of control for a moment. Text suddenly appeared. [Friendly reminder: Grayson Jones is downstairs.] [He brought the Smith family with him.] The doorbell rang.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “407884”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

I’m a top-tier Hollywood star, the youngest Oscar-winning actress, and the apple of the eye of the Fletcher family’s billionaire heir. He not only opened a talent agency specifically to manage me alone, but even humbled himself to become my assistant out of love. The entire entertainment industry knows that crossing me means crossing the Fletcher family. However, no one expected that in the latest S-tier production film, my role as the female lead that was already a done deal would be stolen by an unknown D-list actress. People placed bets overnight on how long it would take for Charles Fletcher to blacklist that actress named Nia across the entire internet. But instead, what came was an official announcement from Fletcher Family Media: [Welcome our company’s second signed artist, Nia] [In the future, Miss Nia will walk hand in hand with the Fletcher Group.] The entire industry was shaken, mocking me for falling out of favor, forcing a dignified Oscar winner to play second fiddle to a newcomer. On set, watching Nia’s terrible acting, I coldly gave her a stage slap according to the script, but Nia fell to the ground in tears, accusing me of using my position to settle personal scores. Charles ordered people to pin me to the ground, and had the crew add a hundred slapping scenes for me. By the end, I had been slapped until my right ear went deaf, my face swollen almost beyond recognition.

By the fiftieth scene, my right cheek was swollen high, looking terrifyingly grotesque. Blood kept flowing from my nose and mouth, dripping onto my clothes and the ground. The director’s voice trembled slightly, “Mr. Fletcher, shouldn’t we stop here?” “If we keep going and something happens…” “What’s the rush?” Charles curved his lips, he walked over, slowly crouched in front of me, lifted my chin with his hand, and gently wiped the bloody filth from my face, “Bella, I know you’re angry with me for replacing you as the female lead.” “But now everyone knows that Nia is the second person the Fletcher family wants to promote. You deliberately targeting her on set will make me look bad.” “Be good, apologize to Nia, and this will all be over.” I raised my head with difficulty, looking into Charles’s eyes, “I did nothing wrong.” “That scene just now, I stage-slapped her. I didn’t even touch her.” Nia immediately covered her face and started crying, “Since Miss Bella says it was a stage slap, then it was a stage slap.” “I understand, I’m just a newcomer, Miss Bella is an Oscar winner. I deserve to endure some grievances…” “Charles, please don’t make things difficult for Miss Bella. She’s just being professional, she definitely didn’t mean to target me.” I stared at her tear-stained face, couldn’t help but want to laugh. During the scene earlier, she couldn’t even cry, but now she was acting so convincingly. Charles frowned, “Unrepentant. Do you really think you’re some high and mighty Oscar winner?” His tone turned cold, “I could make the first one, I can make a second one too.” He looked at me, “Nia says you’re professional. Since you’re so professional, give the whole crew a demonstration.” “The remaining fifty scenes, continue.” My breathing caught, my heart felt like it was being squeezed tight. Back when I was still a small-time actress, when I accidentally scraped my skin during wire work, Charles was so distressed, warning the director that if I got hurt again, he’d dismantle the entire set. Now, because of one baseless provocation, he wanted me to endure a full hundred slaps. The slaps fell again, a heavy metallic taste filled my mouth. I looked toward Charles. His expression was indifferent, like he was watching a play that had nothing to do with him. By the eightieth scene, there wasn’t a patch of unmarked skin left on my face. “Baby, still won’t admit your mistake?” Charles looked at me with amusement. I pulled at the corner of my mouth, but said nothing. Charles’s eyes darkened further, “Continue.” At the hundredth scene, Charles called for a stop, and walked up himself. He raised his hand high. That hand had once held mine, wiped away my tears, and traced my features over and over again in the deep of night. “Baby, this last scene is to teach you that I don’t like women who make their own decisions.” The force of his palm struck heavily across my face. My right ear rang with a loud buzz, and then I couldn’t hear anything at all. My consciousness gradually blurred. Someone grabbed my hair and lifted my face. The camera focused on my wretched appearance. Charles’s indifferent voice came through, “Post this video online as my debut gift to Nia.” “What about Miss Bella… should we deal with her?” Charles’s gaze swept over coldly, and the person hurriedly lowered their head. “Stop trying to guess what I’m thinking. Today is just to teach her a lesson, so she doesn’t think she can do whatever she wants just because I spoil her.” “However, Bella will still be the Fletcher family’s only lady.” “Oh, and find the best medicine. I don’t want scars left on that face.” Hearing this, I laughed coldly. Then my consciousness completely fell into darkness.

When I woke up again, I was already lying in bed. My face felt cool, clearly medicine had been applied. I looked around, recognizing this as the luxury apartment Charles had bought for me near the set to make filming more convenient. My phone kept buzzing beside me. As soon as I opened it, messages flooded in like a tidal wave. Number one on trending: [Bella Acts Like a Diva on Set and Gets Taught a Lesson] [Bella Slaps Newcomer] [Nia Breaks Down in Tears on Scene] I clicked on the video. It was the scene where I stage-slapped Nia. Edited to remove the beginning and end, only showing the one second where my hand moved toward her face. Then it cut to me being pinned to the ground, slapped a full hundred times. The caption read: [Oscar winner Bella bullies newcomer on set, gets harshly punished by righteous people] The comment section had already broken twenty thousand. “Serves her right, I’ve heard she has a terrible temper.” “What’s so great about being an Oscar winner? Bullying newcomers is shameful.” “I heard she slept her way to the top. She’s been throwing her weight around, and now she’s hit an iron plate.” “Bully girl, ugly freak, get out of the entertainment industry!” I scrolled through one comment after another. An overwhelming wave of hate comments. Normally, Fletcher family legal would have stepped in by now, but now there was only silence. I smiled self-mockingly. At 3 AM, another trending topic shot to the top. #Fletcher Family Media Supports Nia# I clicked in. It was an official statement from Fletcher Family Media, a still of Nia from the show, with only one line of text: “Pearls should not be covered in dust.” Immediately after, Charles’s personal account liked and reposted this statement. The comment section erupted again. “Oh my god, Mr. Fletcher personally got involved. Has Bella completely fallen out of favor?” “It’s about time she was replaced. I’m sick of looking at Bella’s old face.” “Finally someone has noticed our wonderful Nia!” I smiled bitterly. Pearls covered in dust… When Charles and I were at our best, he withstood enormous pressure from his family, insisting that his company would only sign me. He always stayed by my side. He once held my hand, his eyes determined, “Bella, pearls are never covered in dust. I will definitely take you to the top.” I didn’t disappoint his expectations either. I won three major Best Actress awards in one sweep, made his company incredibly profitable, proving his judgment was right. Now, he used those same words on another woman. Charles, you really are sparing no effort to prove that you’re the one in control of this relationship… Just then, someone pushed the door open. Charles walked in carrying a bowl of hot food, “Bella, you’re awake?” I said nothing. He sat down beside me, coaxing like one would an unreasonable child, “I made you some food. The doctor said you need to take good care of your face. I’ve canceled all your upcoming schedules.” “Be good, open your mouth.” His movements were gentle, looking at me affectionately, as if he were a completely different person from the man who had arrogantly slapped me. Too bad I could smell on him the exact same perfume that Nia wore. I knocked the food out of his hands, “Charles, are you done with your act?” “Don’t touch me with your dirty hands that have touched someone else!” Charles was caught off guard and burned his hand. The smile faded from his face, “Bella, you’re too uptight.” “Haven’t I been with you long enough? Look around the industry—who stays faithful to one woman?” His tone softened as he reached out to touch my face, “Stop being angry. I just think the girl is kind of interesting, just playing around. She’s no threat to you.” Just playing around. Those words were like a knife stabbing deep into my heart. I turned my head away from his hand, “Get out.” Charles’s hand hung in mid-air, his eyes turning cold. “Bella, have I spoiled you too much? Do you really dare to order me around like an assistant?” He stood up, “Fine, I’m giving you a way out and you won’t take it. I’ll wait for you to come crying and begging me later.” Watching Charles’s retreating back, my heart suddenly felt empty, aching faintly. After a long while, I reached up to wipe the tears from the corners of my eyes, took out my phone, and scrolled to a number. The call connected. “Mr. Simon Brandt, I agree to the arranged marriage with you.”

On the other end of the phone, Simon’s cool voice came through, “Miss Bella, you’ve made up your mind?” “Yes, I’ve decided.” “Alright, confirm the time and I’ll come to Los Angeles to pick you up.” Inexplicably, I actually detected a hint of excitement in Simon’s voice. Putting down my phone, my thoughts drifted back three years. I’m the only daughter of the Anthony family in Manhattan, New York. My family arranged a marriage alliance with the Brandt family to help me better inherit the Anthony family in the future. I didn’t want to marry a stranger, even though I knew he was of good character, one of the rare clean-living men in high society circles. I came to Hollywood in Los Angeles alone to break into the entertainment industry. But without my family’s support, I couldn’t move an inch in the entertainment world. I could only do bit parts, playing extras without even any lines. During one audition, I was almost taken advantage of. It was Charles who saved me. He not only helped send the producer who harassed me to prison, but also helped me land the first role of my life, though it was just a supporting role. When Charles decided to personally become my assistant, it shocked the entire industry. Everyone speculated he was just acting on a whim, that he’d get bored and move on. But he persisted for three years. My food, clothing, housing, and transportation were all his responsibility. All endorsements and film contracts were personally selected by him and presented to me. Every time I joined a crew, he would push aside all other matters to stay by my side wholeheartedly. Originally, I planned to finish filming this movie, then come clean to Charles about my identity. But I never expected this to happen… Since I’d decided to go home for the arranged marriage, I decided to withdraw from the entertainment industry. I opened my laptop and typed out my retirement statement. But I hadn’t sent it yet. I wanted to finish filming one last movie before leaving. The redness and swelling on my face hadn’t completely subsided yet. As soon as I stepped onto the set, everyone’s eyes swept over to me. There was mockery, pity, and more than anything, schadenfreude. I lowered my head and quickened my pace toward the makeup room. “Miss Bella.” I stopped. A crew member blocked my way, wearing a professionally polite fake smile. “That makeup room, Mr. Fletcher has instructed that it’s for Miss Nia from now on.” He gestured to the side, “Miss Bella, you can use that one over there.” I followed where he was pointing. Next to a pile of miscellaneous items at the far end, a broken door stood half-open. Inside were dusty prop boxes and discarded light stands. I said nothing in the end and walked in. But I waited a long time. The time for my next scene was approaching, but my makeup artist still hadn’t arrived. I got up to find someone, only to see my makeup artist standing next to Nia, touching up her makeup. I froze. Only then did Nia seem to remember something, covering her mouth as she giggled, “Oops, I forgot to tell Miss Bella.” “Charles gave me your makeup artist too. From now on, she’s my personal makeup artist.” “He said my face is precious and needs the best makeup artist and the best cosmetics.” She tilted her head and glanced to the side. Immediately someone threw several paper boxes at my feet, spilling out cheap foundation and eyeshadow palettes. “Charles also said Miss Bella is getting on in years, so just make do with whatever.” Nia looked at me with eyes full of malice. I looked down at the pile of items. Charles knew I had sensitive skin and could only use specific cosmetics. He used to have people test the ingredients even if I switched brands. I stood up and walked toward the studio. “Miss Bella, you haven’t put on makeup yet!” I didn’t look back, only said coldly, “I’m not doing it.” Immediately people started slandering me. “Acting like such a diva.” “Still being difficult even now. No wonder Charles dumped her.” But Nia’s smile remained unchanged. “It’s fine. Once she sees the new script, she won’t be so arrogant anymore.” I walked into the studio. The next scene was supposed to be between me and the male lead. I calmed myself and went through the script, but the actor playing the male lead never showed up. I was about to find someone to ask when I saw the director walking toward me furiously. “Bella!” He grabbed my hand and dragged me outside. “What are you doing slacking off here? We’ve been calling you forever. Are you deaf?!” “Director, isn’t the next scene supposed to be between me and the male lead?” He waved his hand impatiently, “All those scenes have been cut.” “Your next scene,” “is a drowning scene.”

I stood there stunned. When I was young, I accidentally fell into water and nearly drowned. Ever since, I’ve been terrified of water. Once water rises above my chest, I start having heart palpitations. After Charles learned about this, every contract he signed for me included the same clause: prohibiting any form of drowning scenes. “Is there a mistake?” My voice was tight. “This scene isn’t in my script.” The director rolled his eyes. “This was specially added for you by Miss Nia.” “She said she was worried you’d feel you didn’t have enough scenes and feel unbalanced, so she kindly added some screen time for you.” “Charles knows about it too.” Charles… My heart sank to the bottom. This was the largest indoor pool at the studio. I stood by the pool’s edge, my whole body already soaked through. “Cut!” The director shouted. “No good. Bella, that expression just now was wrong. Too fake. Do it again.” I was pushed into the water again. “Cut! Your struggling is too exaggerated. Who drowns like that? Again.” Pushed down again. Climbed up again. “Cut! Not enough emotion. Your eyes need to show despair!” “Cut! Your body is too stiff. Again.” I hung on the pool’s edge, soaking wet, hair plastered to my face, gasping for breath. “Maybe the pool isn’t deep enough, that’s why Miss Bella can’t make it look real.” Nia tilted her head, suggesting innocently, “Why don’t we switch to the deep end? That way we can capture that desperate feeling of drowning.” My heart dropped. “I’m not going to the deep end!” But no one listened to me. Two hands reached from behind, gripping my arms on either side. I struggled desperately as my body was dragged forward, until below me was an unfathomably deep blackness. Nia walked up behind me. She leaned close to my ear, her voice very low, “Bella, Charles is mine. Go die.” She pushed hard. My body fell backward. In that moment the world flipped before my eyes. Water surged toward me from all directions. My body was sinking. Water pressed against my lungs from every side. I kept my eyes open, watching the water’s surface grow farther and farther away. My consciousness began to scatter. My eyelids grew heavier and heavier, my body lighter and lighter. Just as I was about to close my eyes, a pair of arms wrapped tightly around my waist, pulling me out of the water. I struggled to open my eyes and saw the person before me. I was dazed. “…Charles.” “Hahahaha did you guys see how she looked just now?” “Like a drowned rat, so funny.” “And she’s supposed to be an Oscar winner? Can’t even do a simple drowning scene.” Nia clung to Charles’s arm, laughing so hard she was bent over. “Charles, look how scared she was. Your idea was so fun.” Charles laughed too. I stared at him blankly, suddenly feeling cold all over. Charles approached me. “See that? Without me promoting you, you’re nothing.” “In this industry, anyone can step on you.” He crouched down, leaning close to my face, his manner intimate. “As long as you admit your mistake, I can act like none of this ever happened. You’ll still be Bella, still the Oscar winner everyone adores.” He was waiting for me to bow my head. Nia also walked over, opening her mouth falsely, “Miss Bella, I’m not trying to break you and Charles up. I’m here to join this family.” “Don’t be hostile toward me.” I lifted my head and spat right in both their faces. Nia screamed. Charles was furious. “Bella, have you lost your mind!” He turned and left with Nia. That evening, the production’s official account posted a statement. “Actress Bella refuses to follow production management, repeatedly acts like a diva, seriously affecting filming progress. After deliberation, the production has decided to immediately terminate cooperation with Bella. All filmed content will be deleted.” Attached was an image of the termination letter from the production, stamped with a red seal. Immediately after, Fletcher Family Media reposted this statement. “Resist problematic artists. No one is above the rules.” I instantly became a pariah everyone wanted to attack. All endorsements and film contracts were terminated. While Nia, stepping on my corpse, gained countless fans and a good reputation. On my phone, I received a text from Charles. [As long as you beg me, I can suppress all the negative public opinion against you.] I knew Charles was forcing my hand. He was betting that without him, I had no way out. I stared at the retirement statement I’d already drafted on the screen. My finger hovered over the send button. 3, 2, 1. I pressed it. Within seconds, the comment count began to skyrocket. One hundred, one thousand, a hundred thousand, ten million…

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “407883”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

The day I miscarried and hemorrhaged, my parents rushed to the hospital through heavy rain and got into a car accident on the way. I lay on the operating table and signed their surgery consent forms with blood-stained hands. I couldn’t save the baby. I couldn’t save my parents either. The man whose calls I couldn’t get through posted a celebratory Instagram post. 【Congratulations to Mia’s dog for working hard all night and finally becoming a mother.】 I weakly liked the post, and he immediately sent me a text message. “Unlike it.” I sent him my hospital location. “Come to the hospital. I need to talk to you in person.” “I have something important to do, I can’t make it! Get your parents to go with you for the prenatal checkup. They’re free anyway.” “Your so-called important matter is delivering puppies for her dog?” “How did you turn into such a jealous woman just from being pregnant? You’re even jealous of a dog?” I had no strength left to argue with him. Since he wouldn’t come, he could talk to my lawyer instead.

By the time I finished handling my parents’ funeral arrangements, it was already the next evening. I dragged my exhausted body through the door. The carefully tidied house had become a complete mess. Jason was rummaging through things with his head down, carelessly tossing items onto the floor. Like he was used to it, confident that someone would always clean up after him. Hearing the door, he didn’t even look up, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction. “Where have you been all day on the weekend? I even had to order takeout for lunch.” I froze. So he didn’t come home last night either. These past two years, he’d always been like this. When Mia’s apartment light broke, he could get up in the middle of the night to fix it for her. But he’d forget to lock our door properly, letting a drunk stranger stumble in and giving me nightmares for an entire month. When Mia’s dog was about to give birth, he could refuse to accompany me to my prenatal checkup. But he’d take a week off work to stay with her, even though that was supposed to be the vet’s job. Getting no response, Jason finally looked at me, surprise flooding his eyes. “Your face is so pale. Is the baby giving you trouble again?” I stepped back, avoiding his hand reaching toward my abdomen, my tone flat. “I called you seventy-six times yesterday. Why didn’t you answer?” Jason’s hand hung in midair. He frowned at my words. “Hermione, are you interrogating me?” “Mia and I are childhood friends. Her dog Snowball is different from the other pets in her shop—she’s raised it since it was small. They have a deep bond.” “Snowball was giving birth and Mia was worried sick. I had to help with the delivery. At such a critical moment of life and death, how could I have time to answer your pointless calls?” “It’s just a prenatal checkup. Plenty of pregnant women go by themselves. At worst, you had your parents. They’re free anyway. What difference does it make if I’m not there?” Looking at his self-righteous expression. I really wanted to ask—what about my parents? That car accident was terrible. Dad had no vital signs by the time he reached the hospital. Mom was rushed into surgery for emergency treatment, but her injuries were severe and complex. Jason’s colleague said that only if Jason performed the surgery himself would there be any chance of saving her. He said he was too busy to answer my calls, yet when I liked that Instagram post, he immediately ordered me to unlike it. Afraid Mia might read too much into it. “Are you really just childhood friends?” “But Jason, I saw you kiss her.” At the very restaurant where he’d proposed to me. Even sitting in the exact same seats. In my mental haze, I didn’t see the motorcycle speeding toward me. Although the driver braked in time, the tiny life inside me that was barely three months old was still lost.

Panic flashed through Jason’s usually calm eyes. “Mia was too worried about Snowball, so I took her out to relax. She had a few too many drinks and…” His tone softened slightly. “Alright, let’s not talk about this. Next checkup, I’ll definitely go with you.” Here we go again. Using a lame excuse to brush me off, then offering a consolation prize, as if nothing had happened. But Jason, you’ll never need to accompany me to another prenatal checkup. “No need. Let’s get divorced.” Jason froze, then spoke angrily, humiliated. “Hermione, do all you journalists like to blow things out of proportion? I told you it was an accident. Is this really necessary?” “Besides, you’re just doing odd jobs in the TV station’s logistics department now. You’re almost thirty, pregnant, and other than me, who else would want you?” “I work myself to the bone at the hospital every day for this family, not to come home to your unreasonable tantrums!” He stormed toward the door. As he passed the entrance, he suddenly noticed a document peeking out of my bag. The words “Death Certificate” were clearly visible. Jason turned back, confused. “Who died?” Jason was about to pull it out for a closer look. But his phone suddenly rang. Mia’s helpless, choked voice came through. “Jason, one of the puppies seems to be choking on milk, and I still have customers in the shop. I’m completely overwhelmed.” “It’s not going to die, is it? I’m so scared…” Jason’s face filled with concern. “Don’t cry. I’ll be right there.” With that, he rushed off without looking back. He even forgot to lock his study, which he normally never let me enter. As if possessed, I walked in, only to be stabbed in the eyes by what was under the desk. That year, I was the station’s most promising new reporter, assigned to interview the old director. But the old man was arrogant and turned me away. After several days of working overtime, I had low blood sugar and fainted in the garden. Jason was the one who saved me. He said the old director was stubborn and wouldn’t change his mind once it was made up. I hung my head in disappointment. The next second, an orange candy was pushed into my mouth. Jason winked at me playfully. “But I admire people who work hard, so interview me instead.” Later I learned he was the city’s youngest medical professor. So many people wanted to interview this genius heartthrob of the medical world but couldn’t, yet he made an exception for me alone. That’s how Jason and I became connected. Later, we each got busier and busier. Jason looked at me with difficulty. “Hermione, I know becoming a top reporter is your dream.” “But the elders in our family need someone to care for them. Could you resign? I promise I’ll treat you well for the rest of my life.” And I knew equally well that becoming an outstanding doctor was his dream too. So I compromised. I didn’t resign, but transferred to the relaxed logistics department. At least that way I could stay close to the work I loved. On many sleepless nights, I’d trace my reporter’s badge under the lamp. Every time Jason caught me, he’d feel incredibly guilty and promise over and over that he’d treat me well. But now, that reporter’s badge I treasured so much was being used by him to level a table leg. I used Mia’s birthday to open his safe. On top was a thick kraft paper envelope. Inside were all kinds of photos of the two of them together. Hugging, kissing, walking hand in hand on the beach. There were also receipts for him buying Mia a house, funding her business startup, paying for renovations. Even though the shop lost money every month, he kept subsidizing her.

The words on the envelope’s cover were in Jason’s handwriting. “Forever willing to forge ahead through thorns for your dreams.” I stared at those words for a very long time. My mind flashed through these five years of caring for his parents, doing laundry and cooking, cleaning the house. I thought of the envy and heartache I felt watching my former colleagues full of passion, working overtime preparing interview manuscripts. Suddenly I laughed out loud. So he did know how to protect someone’s dreams after all. I photographed everything and put it back in place, finally making my decision. “Hello, Ms. Kelly. I heard the station is selecting someone to go to Central Asia as a war correspondent, and no one has signed up yet.” “If you don’t mind, I’d like to go.” Kelly paused, then said happily. “Great! I thought it was such a shame when you applied to transfer to logistics. This is a rare opportunity. It might be a bit dangerous, but your resume will be completely different when you return.” “Prepare yourself well then. You’ll be leaving in the next few days.” Hanging up the phone, I started packing. There was nothing left in this house that I cared about. Except for the sweater Mom had knitted for me before she died—I had to take that. She’d knitted me plenty of clothes when I was young, but later I grew up and Mom grew old, her eyesight not what it used to be. I didn’t want her to strain herself, so I told her not to knit anymore. After I got pregnant, I suddenly became very sensitive to cold. Mom secretly knitted me a sweater anyway. Her eyes were red from straining them, but she waved it off casually. “Homemade ones are warmer. I picked out good yarn.” “You care about the child in your belly, and I care about my child too.” I was both touched and heartbroken. I’d never brought myself to wear it. But now, that sweater was gone. Remembering the scene when I came home, I was about to call Jason to ask. But then I saw Mia had posted on Instagram. “Hehe, I just mentioned the babies were cold since they were just born, and someone brought over sweaters~ Thanks on behalf of the babies, Daddy~ Of course, this mommy’s alteration skills aren’t bad either, if I do say so myself.” So Jason had gone to celebrate those puppies’ birth with her. In the picture, they had their heads together, bodies pressed close. Each held three puppies in their arms. And I recognized at a glance. The ‘dog clothes’ those puppies wore were altered from the sweater Mom had knitted for me. When I pushed open the pet shop’s glass door, I happened to catch Jason and Mia eating cake with the same spoon. Jason had severe germophobia. At home, his dishes had to be disinfected and stored separately, and serving utensils had to be used when sharing food. Once, after cleaning the house all day, I was exhausted and parched, so I drank from his cup. He didn’t say anything at the time, but that night, the cup appeared in the trash. Afterward, Jason explained to me that it was an occupational habit from working at the hospital. Turns out it depends on the person. Seeing me, Mia raised an eyebrow and smiled sarcastically. “Hermione’s here? Jason and I have never drawn boundaries since childhood—I hope you don’t mind.” “Jason, what did I tell you? There’s no way she’d divorce you.” “After all, a woman who failed in her career and can only rely on handouts from her husband—without you, how would she support her child and take care of her parents? She followed you all the way here. She’s really clingy.” “Sigh, compared to her, I’m just too thin-skinned. Guess I’ll just have to keep being a strong independent woman~” Jason affectionately pinched her nose. “Fine, you’re the smartest, okay? You’ve been clever since childhood.” Then he looked at me, as if forgiving a child who didn’t know any better.

“Alright, Hermione. Since you came to make peace, I’ll pretend I never heard about the divorce.” “Go home and clean up the house first. These puppies were just born and their condition is unstable. I need to stay with Mia for a few more days to observe them.” Listening to these two people talk, I found it laughable. One being a mistress so righteously. One whitewashing his affair so sanctimoniously. I ignored Jason and smiled sarcastically. “Since Miss Mia is so capable, stealing another woman’s man is one thing, but why did you conspire with my husband to steal my clothes?” “Dare I ask what kind of ‘strong woman’ you are? The mistress kind?” Several female customers who were selecting pet supplies looked at Mia in surprise. “So this handsome guy isn’t your boyfriend? But you were using the same spoon… that’s not very appropriate, is it?” “Yeah, I just complimented you two on being a good match and you didn’t deny it. Turns out he has a wife?” Mia’s face flushed red as she was cornered. Seeing her like this, the women curled their lips in disdain, put down the items they’d already selected, and hurried out. Mia’s eyes reddened as she complained to Jason pitifully. “Jason, is Hermione deliberately here to sabotage my business?” “I just thought that sweater was warm and soft, perfect for the puppies. She’s already spent so much of your money—what clothes doesn’t she have? Why does she have to slander me like this?” “Those were all my regular customers. How will they see me now? Can I even keep doing business?” Jason tenderly wiped her tears, then turned to glare at me angrily. “Hermione, I’m the one who took the clothes. Why are you taking it out on Mia? It’s not like it’s worth that much money. When did you become so petty?” “You’ll gain weight later in your pregnancy anyway and won’t be able to wear it. Just have your mom knit you another one.” “It’s not like it’s made by some international master craftsman. Why are you treating it like it’s so precious?!” Looking at his condescending expression and the disdain in his eyes. I couldn’t help but slap him across the face, roaring. “Yes, what my mother made IS precious! Because she can never knit me clothes again!” “While you two were being all lovey-dovey, and you’d rather accompany her dog through labor than answer my calls for help, my parents died!” Jason’s eyes flew wide open. He instinctively released Mia. “What did you say? How could…” Before he could finish, Mia suddenly shoved me hard. “How dare you hit someone?!” “It’s just a crappy sweater! Who cares? I’ll give it back to you!” She stripped the clothes off the puppies and viciously threw them into a litter box the employee was about to take out. “Saying your parents died—I just saw your uncle and aunt at the supermarket this morning!” “I just can’t stand women like you who use pregnancy to lie and manipulate, making scenes and doing everything possible to control your husband. You’re a parasite, a disgrace to women everywhere!” The litter box hadn’t been cleaned yet. The clumped feces stuck to the sweater, giving off a foul smell. Mom’s love had ultimately been ruined beyond recognition. “I didn’t mean to, I didn’t know the boss would…” The employee was frightened by my bloodshot eyes, looking completely helpless. Anger and hatred burned my internal organs. I turned toward the instigator and raised my hand high. But before my palm could land on Mia’s face. Jason’s slap struck me. It made a crisp sound in the quiet shop.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “407882”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

In the fifth year of our marriage, Lucas knelt in the pouring rain, begging me to save him. He said his company had lost a financial gamble and owed five hundred million dollars. If I mortgaged the century-old manor my parents left me, it would save his life. To avoid dragging me down, he proposed a fake divorce. My heart ached so much my whole body trembled. J ust as I was about to sign with the property deed in hand, I accidentally saw a message he sent to his first love: “That idiot Sophia has taken the bait. Once I get my hands on the manor, I’ll tear it down and build a French château with a rose garden as our wedding house.” So there was no bankruptcy, no desperate situation. He just wanted to bleed me dry to pave the way for his first love. I let out a cold laugh, turned around, and knocked on the door of his uncle—the terrifying billionaire of the Blackwood family: “Mr. Blackwood, I heard you need a legitimate Mrs. Blackwood?” Lucas knelt in the pouring rain for three full hours. Lightning tore through the night sky, illuminating his pale, haggard yet still handsome face. I rushed out with an umbrella, my body trembling with heartache as I desperately tried to pull him up from the mud. “Lucas, have you lost your mind? Your stomach condition can’t handle getting soaked in the rain!” He gripped my hand tightly in return, his eyes bloodshot, his voice so hoarse it seemed to be dripping blood: “Sophia, I’m finished.” “The company’s financial agreement failed, and the cash flow is completely broken. A five-hundred-million-dollar hole—if I can’t fill it within three days, I’ll face criminal charges for economic crimes. I’ll go to prison!” I felt like I’d been struck by lightning, my mind going blank. Five hundred million? Lucas only owned a subsidiary under the Blackwood Group. How could he suddenly owe such a staggering debt? He suddenly pulled me into his embrace. Rain mixed with his tears fell ice-cold onto my neck. “Sophia, I’m sorry. I’m useless. I couldn’t protect our home.” “The lawyer said the safest option is for us to divorce immediately. I’ll bear all the debts alone and absolutely won’t drag you down.” He lifted his head, his eyes filled with heartbreaking despair and deep affection. “But Sophia, I don’t want to go to prison… Can you help me? If you just temporarily mortgage that century-old manor your parents left you to the bank, we can get the last bit of lifesaving money. Once this blows over, I swear I’ll redeem it!” I froze. That century-old manor on the hillside was the last keepsake my parents left me before they died in a car accident. It held all my childhood memories, every tree and blade of grass, and the shrine with my parents’ ashes. Five years ago, when Lucas proposed to me, he swore in the manor’s rose garden that he would spend his life protecting me and the manor. But now, he was asking me to mortgage it. “Lucas, that’s where my parents…” My voice trembled. “I know! I know it’s your life!” He suddenly broke down, pounding the ground as muddy water splattered. “If there were any other way, I’d rather die than ask you this! Sophia, are you going to watch me die?” Seeing him in such pain, my heart softened. Five years of marriage—he had always been gentle and considerate toward me. How could I watch him go to prison? “Alright.” My eyes reddened as I nodded through tears. “I’ll mortgage it. We’ll go handle the paperwork tomorrow.” Lucas’s body shook violently. He pulled me into a tight embrace, the force nearly breaking my ribs. “Sophia, thank you, thank you… I’ll repay you for the rest of my life, even if it means working like a slave.” In that moment, I truly believed we were going through a life-and-death trial together. Until that night. Lucas developed a high fever from the rain and fell into a deep sleep after taking fever medicine. His phone slipped into the gap between the bed and the wall, the screen constantly lighting up. Worried it might be an urgent matter from company executives, I picked it up to check. Just one glance made me feel like I’d fallen into an ice pit. On the screen was a message from “Victoria White.” “Lucas, did you sign the divorce papers? That manor from the Hayes family has such a great location. I want to tear it down and build a French château with a rose garden as our wedding gift. You promised me that once I returned to the country, you’d give me the best of everything.” I stared at those lines of text, my blood instantly freezing, my whole body cold as ice. Victoria White. Lucas’s first love who went abroad and whom he could never forget. My fingers trembling, I opened their chat history. I scrolled up. The more I scrolled, the more my heart felt like it was being sliced apart, shattered into fragments on the ground. “That idiot Sophia has already taken the bait. Tomorrow we’ll handle the divorce and mortgage.” “I made the fake five-hundred-million account very clean. Damien won’t notice. Once the money is laundered into the offshore account, I’ll take you far away.” “I’m sorry you had to wait so many years, Victoria. Once I get the manor, that plain-Jane Sophia will have no more use.” Every sentence, every word was like a poisoned blade stabbing viciously into my heart. So there was no failed gamble. No five-hundred-million-dollar debt. No desperate situation. This was a carefully planned scam from beginning to end! He not only wanted to trick me into leaving with nothing, but he also wanted to take my parents’ last legacy to build a new house for his first love! I didn’t cry. When the pain reaches its extreme, tears won’t flow. I calmly took out my own phone and photographed these chat records, page by page, all of them. Then I put the phone back in its place and turned to look at Lucas sleeping peacefully on the bed. His brow was relaxed, and the corners of his mouth even carried a faint smile. He was probably dreaming about marrying Victoria White in a French château. I tugged at the corner of my mouth, revealing a cold smile uglier than a ghost’s. Lucas, you want to use my life to please another woman? Fine. I’ll see who ends up dead with nowhere to be buried.

The next morning when Lucas woke up, I was already sitting on the sofa, holding the divorce agreement in my hands. He froze for a moment. Wild joy flashed in his eyes, but he quickly covered it with guilt and pain. “Sophia, you didn’t sleep all night?” He walked over, wanting to touch my face with concern. I turned my head to avoid him and said flatly, “Let’s go to the law firm. The sooner we finish, the sooner you can deal with the debt.” Lucas’s hand froze in midair, then he sighed. “I’m sorry for putting you through this, Sophia. Once I get through this crisis, I’ll definitely remarry you in a grand ceremony.” I looked at his deeply affectionate face, my stomach churning with nausea. At ten in the morning, we went to the law firm and signed the divorce agreement. As we walked out of the law firm entrance, Lucas’s mother, my former mother-in-law Dorothy Lane, was already waiting beside a black Maybach. The moment she saw me, she immediately put on an anxious expression and rushed over to grab my hand. “Sophia, I know you’ve been wronged! But Lucas is at a critical moment of life and death. Did you bring the property deed for that manor? Quick, let’s go to the bank right now to handle the mortgage!” The greed in her eyes was practically overflowing. I pulled my hand back and looked calmly at this mother-son pair. “Dorothy, I can’t mortgage the manor today.” Dorothy’s expression changed instantly, her voice rising sharply: “Why not?! Sophia Hayes, are you going back on your word? Do you want to watch Lucas die?!” Lucas panicked too, grabbing my shoulder: “Sophia, what’s going on? Didn’t we agree?” I watched their frantic expressions, sneering inwardly. “Lucas, you forgot—that manor is a national first-class historical protected building. According to the latest regulations, this level of asset mortgage requires a thirty-day public notice period and review by a third-party asset evaluation agency. Otherwise, the bank simply won’t approve it.” This was the policy I’d looked up last night. Lucas froze, his face turning pale: “Thirty days? Why does it take so long? I can’t wait thirty days!” “There’s no way around it. That’s the regulation.” I looked at him innocently. “Unless you can find someone with special privileges to smooth things over at the bank. But I’m a woman without power or connections. I can’t do that.” Dorothy stamped her feet in frustration: “What are we going to do! Lucas, don’t you know a lot of people?” Lucas gritted his teeth, his eyes flickering. Of course he knew people, but he didn’t dare use the Blackwood family’s connections. Because the five-hundred-million debt was fake to begin with—if it alerted the real power holder of the Blackwood family, he’d be finished. “Fine, thirty days it is.” Lucas took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the darkness in his eyes. “Sophia, during this time you must cooperate with the evaluation agency. Don’t let anything go wrong.” “Don’t worry.” I smiled faintly. Not only would I cooperate, I’d prepare a big gift for them. After parting with them, I took a cab directly to a top-tier private investigation agency. I had just walked into the lobby when I stopped in my tracks. In front of the floor-to-ceiling window of the VIP reception room stood a man. He wore an impeccably tailored black haute couture suit, his tall figure upright like an unsheathed sword. His hand casually toyed with an antique watch. His profile was as cold and chiseled as a sculpture, radiating an aura of authority that warned people to stay away. Damien Blackwood. Lucas’s uncle, the true helmsman of the Blackwood Group. In the entire business world, no one didn’t fear the name Damien Blackwood. He was ruthless and decisive. At twenty-five, he took over Blackwood Industries and within just five years doubled its empire. Lucas didn’t even dare breathe loudly in front of him. I hadn’t expected to run into him here. As if sensing my gaze, Damien turned his head slightly. Those deep, cold black eyes locked precisely onto my face. He showed no surprise, merely stopped toying with his watch. “Sophia Hayes.” He spoke, his voice low and magnetic, carrying an inexplicable pressure. I took a deep breath and walked forward: “Damien.” “You and Lucas are divorced.” He used a statement, not a question. My heart skipped a beat. How did he know? We’d only finished the paperwork less than two hours ago. Damien looked at me, the corner of his mouth curving into an extremely faint cold smile: “For his fake five-hundred-million account, you’re even planning to hand over your parents’ legacy. Sophia Hayes, is your brain filled with water?” I jerked my head up, staring at him in shock. He knew! He actually knew everything! Damien strode toward me on his long legs. He was a full head taller than me, his aggressive presence instantly enveloping me. He leaned down slightly, his eyes sharp as they bored into mine: “What, got sold out and you’re still planning to help count the money?” I bit my lower lip hard, meeting his gaze, my voice cold and hard: “Since Damien knew it was a fake account, why didn’t you expose him?” “The Blackwood family has too many branch families. Occasionally we need a few clever fools to liven things up.” Damien’s tone was casual, as if discussing trash. “Besides, that’s your husband, your money. Why should I care?” Yes, why should he care? In Damien Blackwood’s eyes, Lucas and I were nothing but insignificant ants. I took a deep breath, suppressing the bitterness and anger in my heart, looking at him without backing down. “What if I don’t want to be the fool who gets sold?” Damien raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly interested in my response. He pulled a black gold business card from his pocket, his slender fingers holding it as he handed it to me. “Tonight at nine, penthouse suite. Figure out what you want, then come knock on my door.” With that, he turned and left, leaving only a cold, retreating figure. I looked down at the business card in my hand. Its edge was sharp, almost cutting my finger. I knew this was a dangerous transaction. But to get revenge on Lucas and Victoria, to protect my parents’ manor, I had no other choice.

At nine o’clock that evening, I stood punctually at the door of Damien Blackwood’s suite. Taking a deep breath, I pressed the doorbell. The door opened quickly. Damien had just showered. He wore a black silk robe, the collar slightly open, revealing a large expanse of firm, hard chest muscles. Water droplets slid down his sharp jawline and disappeared into the depths of his robe, exuding a fatally sexy and dangerous aura. He held a glass of whiskey in his hand, his deep gaze sweeping over me. “Come in.” The suite’s main lights weren’t on. Only the city’s neon lights from outside the floor-to-ceiling windows filtered in, light and shadow interweaving. I stood nervously in the center of the living room, watching as he walked to the bar, poured another glass of liquor, and pushed it toward me. “Want a drink?” “No.” I got straight to the point. “Damien, what do you need me to do for you to help me?” Damien let out a soft laugh, carrying his glass as he walked up to me, looking down at me from his superior height. “Sophia Hayes, what makes you think I’ll help you?” “Because Lucas touched the Blackwood family’s money.” I looked directly into his eyes. “Although his three-billion-dollar hole is fake, he misappropriated project funds from Blackwood subsidiaries to set up his scheme. Damien hates most when people play tricks under your nose. You need an excuse to legitimately clean house.” A flash of appreciation appeared in Damien’s eyes, but it vanished in an instant. He suddenly reached out, gripping my chin and forcing my head up. The man’s fingers carried an icy temperature, the force immense, making it hurt. “You’re a bit smarter than I expected.” His voice was low, carrying dangerous allure. “But to clean house, I have a hundred methods. Why would I choose the most troublesome one to cooperate with your revenge game?” I was forced to tilt my head back, breathing rapidly. His breath completely enveloped me. That intense male hormones and superior’s authority made me almost unable to think. “Because…” I gritted my teeth and steeled myself. “Because you hate Victoria White.” Damien’s eyes instantly turned cold, the surrounding air seeming to freeze. I’d bet correctly. Victoria White’s father had once been a senior executive at Blackwood Group. He was sent to prison by Damien himself for embezzling company funds. Victoria had been abroad these years, constantly using the Blackwood family name to swindle and deceive. Damien extremely detested this woman. “Continue.” He released his grip, coolly uttering one word. I rubbed my reddened chin and quickly said: “Lucas plans to officially announce his takeover as CEO at next month’s Blackwood subsidiary anniversary gala, and simultaneously announce his engagement to Victoria White. If on that day he’s thoroughly disgraced in front of all the city’s elite, Victoria will also become a complete laughingstock. Isn’t that the scene Damien most wants to see?” Damien looked at me quietly, emotions I couldn’t understand surging in those unfathomable black eyes. After a long while, he suddenly smiled. That smile was cold, cruel, yet carried a trace of fatal attraction. “Sophia Hayes, when a dog bites you, not only do you want to kill the dog, you want to skin it, pull out its tendons, make it into a specimen for exhibition.” He turned and walked to the desk, picked up a thick document, and tossed it in front of me. “This is all the evidence of Lucas misappropriating public funds, forging debts, and purchasing private islands abroad for Victoria White.” My whole body shook. I immediately rushed over and opened the file. Every transfer, every forged contract—all clear and shocking. Lucas, how ruthless you are. For one woman, you not only wanted me to lose everything, but you also wanted to climb up by stepping on my bones and blood. “This is just a deposit.” Damien walked behind me, his warm breath spraying on my ear. “To get the more lethal cards, you need to pay a price.” “What price?” I turned my head, but unexpectedly crashed into his deep eyes. We were extremely close—so close I could see each of his distinct eyelashes. Damien’s gaze slowly moved down, landing on my lips, his voice hoarse beyond measure. “Become my woman.” My pupils contracted sharply. I instinctively stepped back. “Damien, what kind of joke is this?” “I never joke.” Damien pressed forward step by step, pinning me against the cold floor-to-ceiling window. “Sophia Hayes, if you want to trample Lucas underfoot, you need someone who stands higher and more stable than him. And I am your only choice.” He reached out, his slender fingers gently caressing my cheek, his eyes deep as the sea. “What’s wrong? Unwilling? Or do you still have lingering feelings for that waste?” “No!” I blurted out, my eyes full of hatred. “I wish he were dead!” “Very good.” Damien’s lips curved with satisfaction. He lowered his head, his thin lips brushing past my earlobe. “Then prove it to me. Go back and continue playing your devoted ex-wife. Keep them stable. When the time is right, I’ll personally bring you out of the game.” I leaned against the glass, my heart pounding like thunder. I knew I was making a deal with the devil. But as long as I could send Lucas and Victoria to hell, I was willing to fall into the abyss. For the next two weeks, I displayed astonishing acting skills. Every day I made soup for Lucas, showed concern about his “debt” progress, and even proactively contacted the evaluation agency, appearing eager to mortgage the manor. Lucas believed me completely and became increasingly gentle and considerate toward me, as if we’d returned to our honeymoon phase. Until that afternoon when I went back to our former marital home to retrieve some forgotten documents. Just as I unlocked the door with my fingerprint, I heard flirtatious laughter coming from the living room. “Dorothy, this sofa set is too dark. I want to change it to cream white. And those floor-to-ceiling window

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “407881”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

Before the school stage play performance, my daughter Betty came home clutching a dingy cardboard costume, secretly wiping tears in the corner. I asked her what role she was playing. She mumbled quietly, “A trash can.” Her teacher posted the program schedule in the group chat, explaining: “Every child is important. Trash cans are also part of urban civilization.” But when I clicked on it, I discovered that the school board chairman’s daughter was playing the princess, and the PTA president’s son was playing the prince. And my daughter’s name was placed at the very bottom of the “Background Props Group.” My daughter’s teacher messaged me privately: “Mrs. James, don’t be too fussy. Your family hasn’t really contributed much to the class.” I looked at the contract on the table that I’d just signed and smiled. That cardboard costume was hastily thrown together from delivery boxes. Square and boxy, painted with a layer of gray, with the words “Trash Can” crookedly stuck on the chest. My daughter Betty stood in the entryway, fingers twisting the hem of her clothes, eyes red as if she’d just been crying. She’s seven years old this year. Usually she’d feel bad for half a day if her dress hem got a little muddy, but now she clutched that dirty cardboard costume, trying hard to act like it didn’t matter. “Mom, Samantha said this role is important too.” Her voice got smaller and smaller. “Everyone needs to protect the environment, so we need trash cans.” I crouched down and took the cardboard costume from her arms. The gray paint wasn’t completely dry yet and got all over my hands. I suppressed my anger and asked her, “Didn’t you say before that you were going to play the little artist with a paintbrush?” Half a month ago, she practiced her lines in front of the mirror every night. “I’m going to paint the sky blue and paint every child into springtime.” One line, she’d practice seriously more than ten times. She even showed me her sketch. Rainbows, stages, balloons, and a group of children standing in the center. She said the teacher praised her drawing as the best and would let her be the opening little artist for Children’s Day. Betty lowered her head. “Samantha said Christiana is more suitable for the little artist.” “Her dad is the school board chairman. The principal said she has to stand in the center.” I picked up my phone and opened the class group chat. The program schedule had just been posted: “Childlike Hearts Toward the Future.” Princess: Christiana. Prince: Mendez. Little Artist: Christiana. Flower Team: PTA members’ children. Background Props Group: Betty, Trash Can. I stared at that line for a long time. My phone buzzed again. Teacher Samantha sent me a private message. “Mrs. James, I know you might feel a bit uncomfortable, but children need to adapt to the group.” “Many parents contributed money and effort for our class’s Children’s Day activity this time.” “You’re usually busy with work, don’t participate in the PTA, and don’t really contribute to the class. The teacher can only consider everything comprehensively.” “The trash can role also has great educational significance. Please don’t let your child misunderstand.” I looked at the words “contribute” and almost laughed out loud. Three hours ago, SUN School had just sent someone to my office to sign the sponsorship contract for the entire Children’s Day event with me. Stage, lighting, live streaming, photography, balloons, interactive gifts. Total price: eight hundred sixty thousand dollars. The contract’s Party A was James Entertainment under my name. The school representative had nodded and bowed, saying this Children’s Day gala was an important window for showcasing the school’s arts education achievements, and hoped we could cooperate long-term. I only made one request at the time. Make sure all the children happily celebrate Children’s Day. The representative smiled and said, “Don’t worry, Ms. James. Our school has always put children first.” Now it seemed they valued not children, but the parents behind the children. I didn’t immediately reply to Samantha. I placed the cardboard costume on the table and asked Betty, “Did anyone laugh at you during rehearsal today?” Tears immediately fell from her eyes. “Mendez said I was just there on stage for them to throw waste paper at.” “He also stuffed his finished yogurt box into my costume.” “Samantha saw it and said it was part of the performance effect.” My fingers clenched bit by bit. Betty hurriedly wiped her tears. “Mom, can I not go tomorrow?” I hugged her. “Go.” Her body stiffened. I gently stroked her head. “But not to be a trash can.”

Early the next morning, I took Betty to school. The stage had already been set up on the playground. The main backdrop featured the rainbow and balloons from Betty’s drawing. Even the little sun in the lower right corner that was slightly crooked was exactly the same as in her draft. But the signature on the backdrop read: Christiana. I stood at the edge of the playground, staring at those words, and suddenly understood. Betty hadn’t just had her role stolen—her artwork had been stolen too. Samantha saw me, and a flash of impatience crossed her face. “Mrs. James, parent viewing doesn’t start until this afternoon. You can’t go backstage right now.” I smiled. “I’m here to help my child change clothes.” Samantha glanced at the clean white jacket in my hands. “Didn’t we already distribute the costumes?” As she spoke, she pointed to the cardboard on the ground nearby. That gray trash can costume had been carelessly thrown in a corner, with footprints from several children next to it. Betty instinctively hid behind me. Samantha frowned. “Betty, what are you hiding from? Didn’t you agree yesterday that you’d cooperate with the teacher today?” Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough for several nearby parents to hear. PTA president Rachel walked over. She wore a champagne-colored suit with a volunteer badge pinned to her chest. “Samantha, you can’t spoil children. If they don’t understand, you have to teach them.” She glanced at me and smiled lightly. “So many of us parents have been working tirelessly. Which child hasn’t followed the arrangements? Some people don’t contribute money or effort, but when it’s time to go on stage, they complain about the role.” “How can there be such a good deal?” Her son Mendez was standing nearby wearing his prince costume. Hearing his mother backing him up, he immediately made a face at Betty. “The trash can is here.” “Later I’ll throw paper balls at you. You’d better catch them.” Betty’s face went pale. I turned to look at Mendez. “Who taught you to talk like that?” Rachel’s expression darkened as she pulled her son behind her. “A child making a joke, and you, an adult, have to make a big deal of it?” Samantha also spoke up. “Mrs. James, today is Children’s Day. Everyone’s happy. Please don’t make the atmosphere awkward.” I asked her, “Can a child be happy being called a trash can?” Samantha’s brow twitched. “It’s just a role name.” “Besides, environmental protection themes need someone to play the trash can. Betty has a quiet personality, so she’s more suitable.” I took out my phone and opened a screenshot of the original program schedule Betty had shown me last night. “Then why did it originally say Betty would play the little artist?” Samantha’s expression changed. “Program adjustments are normal.” Rachel crossed her arms and sneered. “Mrs. James, I advise you not to make a scene.” “This school isn’t run by whoever has the loudest voice.” “Christiana’s father is the school board chairman. Our family handled the gift procurement for this Children’s Day. Other parents also contributed to class activity fees.” She looked me up and down. “And you?” “Besides dropping off and picking up your child on time, what else have you done?” “You don’t contribute resources but want your child to have center stage. Isn’t that teaching your child to freeload?” I suddenly laughed. “So children’s roles are assigned based on parent contributions.” Samantha immediately interrupted. “I didn’t say that.” But Rachel didn’t think she’d said anything wrong. “Pretty much.” “That’s how society works. Letting children understand early isn’t a bad thing.” “Children with resources get more opportunities. Children without resources learn to cooperate. When she grows up, she’ll thank us for letting her adapt to society early.” She said it so righteously. Although Samantha didn’t respond, she didn’t refute it either. I looked down at Betty. She was clutching my hand, her little face deathly pale. I crouched down and smoothed the stray hair from her forehead. “Did you hear that?” “It’s not that you’re not good enough.” “It’s that they’re dirty themselves and call their disgustingness ‘reality.’” Betty stared at me blankly. Rachel’s expression turned ugly. “Who are you calling dirty?” I stood up. “Whoever feels guilty knows who I’m talking about!”

Samantha, probably afraid I’d keep making a scene, reached out to pull Betty. “Go change first. The performance is about to start.” Betty took a step back. “Teacher, I don’t want to play the trash can.” Samantha’s expression completely turned cold. “Betty, what did the teacher tell you yesterday?” “Group activities can’t have problems because of one person.” “Your mother doesn’t understand, so you have to not understand too?” Tears welled up in Betty’s eyes. Mendez quietly laughed nearby. “If you don’t perform, you won’t get a Children’s Day gift.” Rachel lightly patted Mendez’s head. “Mendez, don’t talk nonsense.” But her face clearly showed indulgence. Just then, the backstage curtain was pulled open and a little girl in a white gauze dress ran out. Wearing a crown on her head and holding a paintbrush in her hand—it was the school board chairman’s daughter, Christiana. She saw Betty and wrinkled her nose. “Samantha, why hasn’t she changed into the trash can yet?” “After I finish painting the rainbow at the opening, I need to throw the waste paper in.” “If she doesn’t stand there, where am I supposed to throw it?” Children speak without restraint, but some children’s malice never grows from nothing. Samantha quickly coaxed her. “Christiana, don’t worry. It’ll be ready soon.” She turned to look at me and lowered her voice. “Mrs. James, please don’t make this difficult for me.” “The school board chairman and principal will be here soon. We can’t mess up the program.” I asked, “Who set the program?” Samantha didn’t answer. Rachel clicked her tongue impatiently. “What exactly do you want?” “It’s just a role. If you’re dissatisfied, why didn’t you join the PTA in the first place?” “Our family alone advanced tens of thousands for gift procurement for this Children’s Day.” “Christiana’s family donated a dance studio to the school.” “What right does your child have to compete with them?” Just as I was about to retort, Principal Antoine walked over with several administrators. He was all smiles. “Why is everyone gathered here?” Rachel immediately went up to him. “Principal Antoine, it’s nothing serious.” “A parent is dissatisfied with her child’s role assignment and is making a scene here.” Samantha also added in a low voice. “Mrs. James isn’t cooperating with the school’s work and is interfering with the program.” Principal Antoine looked at me, his smile fading a bit. “Parent, today is the school-wide Children’s Day performance. City officials will also be here.” “If you have any issues, we can communicate after the event.” “Please don’t disrupt normal order right now.” I looked at him. “What if the problem is your order itself?” Principal Antoine’s face darkened. “Parents need to watch what they say.” “Our SUN School has been running for many years. We prioritize children’s comprehensive development above all.” Rachel sneered nearby. “Principal Antoine, don’t waste words on her.” “Some parents are like this—they don’t support the school normally, but make a big deal out of everything.” “We can’t indulge this kind of attitude.” Samantha, as if finding a backer, reached for the trash can costume on the ground. “Betty, go change.” Betty didn’t move. Samantha’s voice rose. “Betty!” “If you don’t change, today’s entire class program will be delayed because of you.” “When your classmates blame you, don’t come crying to the teacher.” Betty was so scared she trembled. I gripped her shoulder. “No need to change.” Principal Antoine frowned. “Security, please escort this parent to the waiting room.” Two security guards were about to step forward. My phone rang. The caller was my assistant. “Ms. James, the lighting team has completed final testing, and the live streaming link is also set up.” “The school is urging us to send the final payment confirmation.” I looked at Principal Antoine and pressed speakerphone. “Don’t send it yet.” My assistant paused. “What do you mean?” I said, “Notify the on-site execution team. James Entertainment is withdrawing all stage, lighting, live streaming, photography, and gift sponsorship for this Children’s Day performance. Now!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “407880”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

For generations, my family has produced high-ranking females who bring good fortune and bear top-tier beast cubs. But after marrying Lion King Emmett for seven years, I showed no signs of pregnancy. During those seven years, his mother treated me like a slave, and the entire tribe mocked me as a useless woman who couldn’t produce an heir. Until that day when Emmett brought back a delicate white rabbit female. He drained a bowl of my heart’s blood in front of everyone and kicked me off Sin Beast Cliff, where bodies are never recovered. “You’re useless trash occupying the Chief’s wife position. Go feed the vultures!” I thought I was dead. But when I opened my eyes, I found myself staring into a pair of dark green, sinister vertical pupils. The legendary bloodthirsty, one-legged psychotic Leopard King was coldly watching me. Later, when divine punishment struck the Lion Tribe and decimated their numbers, Emmett knelt at the cliff’s edge, begging me to return. I looked down at him from above, my pregnant belly protruding: “Get lost. Don’t wake the little black leopard in my belly.”

Wind swept across the Beast Platform like knives. Two strong lion males pinned me against the sacrificial post. My wrists were slashed open, blood dripping down the rough stone grooves into the stone bowl below. Drip. Drip. My blood was almost drained. My whole body trembled from the cold. “Emmett…” My cracked lips moved as I looked toward the man standing on the high platform. The man I’d loved for seven years, served for seven years, and even sacrificed my heart’s blood to cure. He wore the crimson tiger fur I’d sewn with my own hands, looking majestic and imposing. But in his arms, he held a petite, delicate white rabbit female. “Don’t call my name. It disgusts me.” Emmett looked down at me with only revulsion in his eyes. His mother, the tribe’s old witch doctor, hobbled over with her cane and picked up the stone bowl filled with my blood. “Bah! Useless trash who can’t bear children!” The old witch doctor spat a thick glob of phlegm at my feet. “Seven years! Eating our Lion Tribe’s food, drinking our Lion Tribe’s water, and not even a shadow of a cub! Today, draining a bowl of your blood to nourish Grace’s bloodline is the last bit of value you have!” Grace leaned against Emmett’s chest, saying timidly, “Emmett, she’s lost so much blood. Will she die? I’m scared.” Emmett tenderly covered her eyes. “Good girl, don’t look at this filthy thing. Trash like her isn’t worth pitying even if she dies.” Filthy thing. I laughed. Seven years ago, he knelt before my father, swearing he’d treasure me like his own eyes for life. Seven years later, I’d become the filthy thing in his mouth. “Emmett, what did you promise my brother?” I gritted my teeth, staring at him intently. When I mentioned my brother, Emmett’s expression changed, guilt flashing in his eyes before quickly turning to anger. “You dare mention your brother? If he hadn’t traded his eye to make me marry you, you think I’d want a useless woman who can’t bear cubs?” Emmett suddenly drew the bone knife from his waist, pointing it at my nose. “Today, I announce before the entire tribe — I’m stripping Sophia of her position as Chief’s wife! From now on, whether she lives or dies has nothing to do with our Lion Tribe!” The entire crowd cheered. “Should’ve gotten rid of her long ago!” “Exactly! Occupying the position without producing cubs, she’s caused our Lion Tribe’s fortune to decline!” “Throw her off Sin Beast Cliff! Let her die!” Sin Beast Cliff. The tribe’s forbidden land, where poisonous mist lingered year-round at the bottom, filled with disabled, crazed beasts abandoned by the tribe. Fall down there, and not even bone fragments would remain. Emmett walked up to me, his gaze as cold as if looking at a corpse. “Sophia, for old times’ sake, I’ll personally send you off.” With that, he lifted his foot and kicked hard into my chest. Searing pain struck. My body flew like a kite with a cut string, plummeting straight into the bottomless abyss. Wind howled in my ears. I closed my eyes. If there’s a next life, I’ll never be anyone’s stepping stone again.

Pain. Piercing pain. I thought I’d be smashed to pulp or poisoned to death by the toxic mist at the cliff’s bottom. But I wasn’t. I hung on a massive dead tree, its branches piercing through my thigh, blood gushing out. Everything around was dark, the air thick with pungent rot and intense wild beast scent. This was the bottom of Sin Beast Cliff. I gritted my teeth and pulled my thigh off the branch bit by bit. “Hiss–” I gasped in pain and fell heavily onto moss-covered rocks. Before I could catch my breath, several pairs of eerie green eyes suddenly lit up in the darkness. Hyenas. The lowest scavengers at the cliff’s bottom. They’d caught the scent of blood and were drooling as they closed in on me. I fumbled for a rock and gripped it tightly, staring them down. Even if I die, I’m taking one with me. Just as the lead hyena prepared to pounce — “ROAR!” A low, hoarse beast roar carrying terrifying pressure came from nearby. The pack of hyenas fled whimpering with their tails between their legs, as if they’d seen some terrible monster. I looked toward the sound. A tall shadow emerged from the thick fog. It was a man. Or rather, a half-beast. His upper body was bare, muscles coiled, covered with horrifying crisscrossing scars. Most striking was his right leg — below the knee, empty. He leaned on a crude black bone crutch, approaching me step by step. He walked up to me, looking down from above. In the faint light, I finally saw his face clearly. An extremely wild, handsome face, but with a claw mark on his left cheek so deep bone showed through, destroying the beauty and making it exceptionally fierce. He had dark green vertical pupils. A black panther. I recognized him. Dante Blackwood. Once the greatest warrior of Beast Mountain, chief of the Black Panther Tribe. Five years ago, while resisting the beast tide, he lost a leg and his face was ruined. Betrayed by his tribesmen, he was pushed off Sin Beast Cliff. Everyone thought he was dead. I never expected he’d survived and become the overlord of this cliff bottom. “Lion Tribe scent.” He spoke, his voice like sandpaper, ice-cold. He lifted my chin with his crutch, looking at me like garbage. “Are those above throwing down trash like you now?” I bit my lip and said nothing. I didn’t want to explain or beg for mercy. He stared at me for a few seconds, seeming to find me uninteresting. He withdrew his crutch and turned to leave. “Wait!” I don’t know where I found the strength, but I lunged forward and grabbed his good leg. His body stiffened. He looked down at me, killing intent flashing in his eyes. “Let go.” “No.” I held on tight. “Take me with you. I can work. I know herbs. I can sew beast hides.” I knew that at this cliff bottom, an injured female like me wouldn’t survive the night. Dante was my only chance at survival. He sneered. “I don’t need trash.” “I’m not trash!” I raised my head, looking straight into those terrifying vertical pupils. “I just can’t bear children, but I can help you live better at this cliff bottom!” He narrowed his eyes, seeming to assess my value. After a long while, he kicked me away. “If you can keep up, come. Die halfway, and it’s your bad luck.” With that, he walked away without looking back. I gritted my teeth, covered my bleeding thigh, and limped after him.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “407879”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

In my last life, my coworker Leslie begged me to switch shifts with her. “Olivia, I have a date with my boyfriend tomorrow. Let me work today, and you cover for me tomorrow!” I nodded and agreed. I just never expected that Leslie would give the wrong medication that very night, causing the patient in Room 3 to die from respiratory failure. The next day when I covered her shift, the family of the patient in Room 3 suddenly burst into our office. Before I could react, Leslie shoved me into the crowd. She held up the shift schedule in her hand. “She was on duty yesterday. The patient died because of her mistake!” The furious family members tore at my clothes and struck my head. I died on the spot. After I died, I learned that the boyfriend she mentioned was actually my husband! They even took the compensation money the hospital gave me and chose to travel abroad. When I opened my eyes again, Leslie was clinging pitifully to my arm. “Olivia, I have something I need to discuss with you.”

The warmth on my arm made me shudder instantly. I couldn’t help but let my gaze fall on Leslie. She shook my arm and acted cute toward me. “Olivia, please do me this favor.” “Tomorrow is my one-year anniversary with my boyfriend. We already made plans.” She blinked her eyes, looking very innocent. “I know you’re the nicest person in our department. You definitely won’t refuse me, right?” I suppressed the hatred in my heart and gently pushed her hand away. “I’ll agree to it.” “That’s great, Olivia! I knew you were the best.” “But I have one condition.” I interrupted her words rather coldly. In an instant, the enthusiasm on her face vanished completely. Her voice even became somewhat dissatisfied. “What condition, Olivia?” As I spoke, I turned and took out a piece of paper and a pen from the drawer. “I need you to write down the specific time, the reason for switching shifts with me, and then sign your name.” “Then you need to hold this paper and let me take a photo of you.” As soon as I finished speaking, Leslie screamed. “Olivia! You’re going too far!” She bit her lip tightly, her tears threatening to fall. “We’re coworkers. I just want to switch shifts!” “Do you really need to make things so difficult for me?” I raised my eyebrows and pretended to put the paper away. “Since you don’t want to switch, then forget it.” As I said this, I deliberately glanced at her. She became visibly anxious. Seeing that I really didn’t intend to switch shifts, she hurriedly came over again. She gritted her teeth. “Fine, I’ll write it.” Without another word, I handed the paper to her. “Then write it.” The moment she spoke, I knew she absolutely had to switch this shift with me. After all, this was the only way she could get me killed. In my last life, Leslie came to me near the end of my shift asking me to switch with her. Looking at her harmless appearance, I agreed without hesitation. “Okay, I’ll cover for you the day after tomorrow.” I just never expected that my casual agreement would bring disaster upon me! The next day when Leslie covered my shift, she carelessly gave the wrong medication to the patient in Room 3. The patient immediately went into respiratory failure, but she just stood there helplessly at first, not even pressing the emergency bell. Only when the patient was on the brink of death did she pretend to perform a few chest compressions. The person died in the hospital, but she hid it from the family and lied to the hospital until the next day when the patient’s family came and discovered the abnormality. I had just entered the office when a large group of people suddenly rushed through the door. They angrily asked, “Which one of you was on duty yesterday?” I was confused and looked at Leslie beside me. I never expected her to quickly pull out our shift schedule from the drawer. Then she viciously pointed at me. “It was her! She was on duty yesterday.” “This is our shift schedule. You can look at it if you don’t believe me.” I didn’t even have a chance to speak before a man grabbed my hair. “You killed my father. I’ll beat you to death!” Everyone rushed forward, pushing me to the ground, stomping on my head with their feet one after another. “Olivia?” “I’m done writing. Take a look.” Leslie’s voice pulled me back from my thoughts. I took the paper from her. It clearly stated the reason she wanted to switch shifts, the date, and her name. I nodded with some satisfaction. “Okay, now hold up that paper and stand over there so I can take a photo.” Leslie’s face looked somewhat unpleasant, and her tone became much colder. “Olivia, you’re going a bit too far.” “I already wrote it out for you, and now you want me to take a photo. Don’t you trust me?” I laughed coldly. “Yes. If you don’t want to switch shifts, then you don’t need to take the photo.” “I’m going home now.” As I spoke, I started putting on my coat. She quickly came over to pull me back. “Okay, okay, don’t be angry, Olivia. I’ll let you take the photo.” She held up the paper with a resentful expression and stood in the distance, letting me take that photo. I looked at my phone with satisfaction. “Okay, then I’ll leave tomorrow to you.”

When I got home, my husband Manuel had made a whole table full of food. He thoughtfully took my coat from me. “Olivia, it must have been a hard day. Hurry and eat, the food’s getting cold.” I sat down without ceremony and forked a piece of meat into my bowl. “Why did you make such a feast today? Is there some good news?” Manuel, who was about to sit down, showed a flash of unnaturalness on his face. He licked his lips. “I just felt you’ve been working too hard lately, and since I had the day off today, I wanted to reward you.” Then he laughed dryly twice. “How is it? Does it taste good?” I played along with him. “It’s delicious. I really hope I can eat your cooking every day from now on.” His fork paused slightly as he picked up food, not daring to respond. This meal was eaten with both of us harboring our own thoughts. “I’m going to take a shower first.” As I spoke, I left my phone on the table, gave Manuel a few instructions, and went into the bathroom. When I came out, the dining table had been cleaned up. He was also dressed and ready to go. Seeing my confused expression, he spoke with frustration. “The company called in the middle of the night saying there’s a problem with a contract. They want me to go redo it now.” Then he came over, hugged me, and kissed me. “Olivia, you’ll have to sleep alone again tonight.” I smiled and teased him. It wasn’t until the door closed that I could no longer hold back that nauseating feeling and ran straight to the toilet to vomit. If I didn’t know his true face, I would have been moved to tears by his affectionate act long ago. We’d been married for a year and a half. He’d been cheating for a year. In my last life, he was the one who orchestrated Leslie switching shifts with me. “I know that patient in Room 3 you’re watching over.” “His son is a famous hothead in this area. A maniac.” “Do you want to be with me?” Just a few short sentences made Leslie kill someone. And I took the blame for them. After I died, the hospital downplayed the incident. As compensation, they gave Manuel a large sum of money. As soon as Manuel got the money, Leslie quit her job. Later, the two of them sold our marital home, got their visas, and went abroad. Thinking about how the two of them lived the good life with my blood money, my hatred completely erupted. Early the next morning, I went to the bank. To show his sincerity, Manuel had given me his bank card. “Olivia, now that you’re marrying me, I need to give you a complete sense of security.” “You can see all the spending on this bank card.” I trusted him one hundred percent. In all our time married, I never once looked at his phone or checked his transaction records. He also knew I was someone who didn’t like prying into others’ privacy, so he dared to say such things. Looking at the spending records printed out by the bank, I almost laughed until I cried. In just one month, he’d checked into the Harmony Hotel near the hospital fifteen times. The most recent time was last night. There were also purchases of lingerie and various sex toys. Looking at the spending records, I logged into his cloud storage with my phone. Inside, I found a large number of intimate photos of him and Leslie. I downloaded these photos one by one. Everything was ready. I just had to wait until tomorrow! In the evening, Manuel called me. “Olivia, the company has overtime again. I won’t be coming home today.” “Okay.” Compared to him, I didn’t want to see his disgusting face even more.

Early the next morning, I got ready and went to the hospital. Just like in my last life, as soon as I took off my coat, a large group of people gathered at the office door. And Leslie emerged from the back door of the office with a completely unconcerned expression. She raised her eyebrows at me, but her eyes held deep hatred. The patient’s family members were shouting for us nurses to pay with our lives. “You bitches killed my father!” “Who was on duty yesterday?” I quickly spoke up. “Leslie, what’s going on?” “Did something happen during your shift yesterday?” As I spoke, I stared directly at Leslie. The family members naturally heard my words. They followed my gaze and grabbed Leslie. “Was it you, you bitch, who was on duty?” Leslie panicked a bit but still shouted, “It wasn’t me! It wasn’t me!” “We have a shift schedule!” A woman in the crowd spoke up. “If it wasn’t you, then who was it?” “Since you weren’t on duty, then who was?” Leslie quickly broke free from the crowd and then suddenly pushed me. “Her! She was on duty.” She quickly pulled open the drawer and took out the shift schedule. “If you don’t believe me, you can look!” “Look at whether it was Leslie or Olivia on duty yesterday!” Because she was too frightened, her speech became somewhat garbled. The lead man looked at the shift schedule, read out the time, and then read out my name. He angrily threw the shift schedule in my face. “You bitch, how dare you frame someone else!” I covered my head and shouted that it wasn’t me. “It really wasn’t me! Leslie switched shifts with me yesterday!” “I have evidence, evidence that can prove it!” My voice was shrill and piercing. The entire office instantly became quiet. The man was breathing heavily. “Fine, what evidence do you have?” Just as I was about to take out my phone, Leslie suddenly knelt down before me. “Olivia, why are you framing me?” As she spoke, tears fell from her eyes. “Is it because I came here and stole all your spotlight?” I was completely confused by her words. “What are you talking about?” She apologized to me. “I know it was a mistake for me to come here as an intern.” “You’ve been targeting me at work, mocking me openly and secretly.” “I can let all of that go!” She turned and pointed. “But now you’re indirectly responsible for killing a patient!” “Do I have to take the blame for this kind of mistake too?” People always sympathize with the underdog, including the angry family members now. My breathing became rapid, and then I quickly pulled out my phone. “I also have a photo of you begging me to switch shifts yesterday. I don’t understand why you’re trying to frame me now!” The patient’s family members glared at me menacingly. There was even a man in the crowd holding a fruit knife. Just as I took out my phone to prove my innocence, I was shocked to discover that the photo on my phone was gone! “How can this be?” I muttered helplessly. At this moment, Leslie, who was kneeling on the ground, looked arrogant. At an angle only I could see, she mouthed words to me. “Wait to die.” The family members lost patience. “Do you have the damn photo or not?” “Don’t try to deceive us! If I find out you’re lying to us, you better prepare to die!”

I became somewhat panicked, and the sweat on my forehead increased. Leslie had already stood up from the ground. “Olivia, when you make a mistake, you need to admit it.” “You can’t keep using me as your shield!” As soon as she finished speaking, I laughed. Then I showed my phone to the group of fierce-looking people across from me. “I found it.” I found it on my Instagram. “Look, isn’t this her in this photo?” “If you can’t see clearly, I have a close-up of what she wrote.” As I spoke, I swiped left. “Look.” “It’s true that my name is Olivia, but Leslie switched shifts with me yesterday.” “The reason she gave was that she wanted to go on a date with her boyfriend.” “It’s all written here, clear as day.” The man with the knife could no longer contain his emotions. He pushed through the crowd and grabbed Leslie to his side. He casually patted Leslie’s face with the knife. “Damn bitch, I fucking hate it when people lie to me.” With that, he put away the knife and punched Leslie in the stomach. Leslie cried out in pain, and tears fell from her eyes. Looking at her pained expression, my mind was filled with my experiences from my last life. A group of them surrounded me, punching me again and again. When I fell to the ground, they even stepped on me with their feet to vent their anger. Just as the man was about to strike again, the man holding my phone shouted, “Wait, don’t hit her yet.” I felt uneasy. I saw him glaring at me ominously. “This person just said you often bully her.” “How do we know you didn’t force her to write this?” At this moment, Leslie grabbed onto this lifeline and desperately shouted, “Yes, she forced me to write it.” The man seemed to have decided I was the bad person and pressed me step by step. Until I had no way to retreat and was hiding in the corner. “Tell me, what reason do you have that we should believe you?” Another man punched Leslie again. “Don’t waste words with this woman.” “Just beat them both to death!” Just as the man’s fist was about to come down, I quickly cried out. “I have a witness!” “I was home yesterday! My husband can vouch for me!” As I said this, I inadvertently glanced at Leslie in the distance. Her eyes suddenly brightened. But the man was unmoved. “Why should we believe you?” “You’re not trying to stall for time and secretly call the police, are you?” At this time of day, everyone in the hospital was busy with their own tasks. Plus, my office was in the most inconspicuous location, which is what caused the tragedy in my last life. I quickly shook my head. “No.” As soon as I finished speaking, the office door was pushed open. Standing in the doorway was Manuel. He looked at the room full of people and couldn’t help but panic. The man standing in front of me also recognized him. “Manuel, we’ve known each other for quite a while. She’s your wife?” Manuel walked over quickly. “What’s going on here? She’s my wife, Olivia.” “I’m just going to ask you one question. Was she home yesterday?” he asked again. Manuel didn’t dare make eye contact with me for a long time. He hesitated for a long while before finally saying, “No, I didn’t see her at home yesterday.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “407878”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

There are two famous good-for-nothings in New York’s high society. One is me, Celine, who only knows how to eat, drink, and have fun. The other is my childhood friend Tony, the heir to a fortune who has autism and congenital heart failure. But my eldest brother is the mafia boss that strikes fear into everyone’s hearts, and my second brother is the wealthiest billionaire in New York. Tony’s eldest sister is the undefeated queen of the legal world, and his second sister is a medical genius who can bring people back from the brink of death. During a casual conversation: “Raising one waste is still raising, might as well pair them up—easier to take care of.” So Tony and I got married just like that. Until my eldest brother asked us to attend a banquet on his behalf. At the banquet, the heiress Eve Blanchett insisted, based on a similar silhouette photo, that I was the mistress who wrecked her relationship. I explained good-naturedly: “You’ve got the wrong person. I’m married. This is my husband.” Eve exploded instantly, raising her hand to hit me. “Married and still out here hooking men?” Tony instinctively blocked me, taking the slap for me. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. She sneered: “Oh, and he’s an idiot too? Can’t even tell his wife’s cheating, and he’s still protecting her?” “A shameless woman and an idiot—what a perfect match.” She waved her hand, and several bodyguards lunged at us. “Beat them both!” I looked at Tony with distress and immediately called my eldest brother. “Someone’s bullying me.” After all, they didn’t know that messing with us two wastes could be fatal.

“Still making phone calls? I bet whoever you’re calling is just another man you’re sleeping with!” Eve snatched my phone and smashed it hard on the ground. “What, one idiot husband isn’t enough for you? How many sugar daddies have you taken on behind his back?” I stared at my phone on the floor and took a deep breath. “Miss Blanchett, I’ll say this one last time.” “You have the wrong person.” “Leave now with your people, and I can pretend nothing happened.” Eve burst out laughing. She turned to look at the guests watching the spectacle. “Did you all hear that? A mistress who sells herself is telling me to leave?” Laughter rippled through the crowd. “Miss Blanchett, mistresses are pretty arrogant these days.” “Exactly! Even brought an idiot husband as cover. Now I’ve seen everything.” Eve stepped closer in her four-inch heels. She raised her hand, her nails nearly poking my nose. “In New York, I am the law.” “Beat them!” The bodyguards clenched their fists and charged at me. I instinctively closed my eyes. The expected pain never came. Tony was holding me tightly in his arms. “Don’t… hit Celine.” He spoke slowly, his words unclear. He had severe autism and didn’t know what was happening. But he only knew he couldn’t let me get hurt, so he held me tight. The bodyguards’ fists kept landing on his back. Thud! Thud! Each muffled sound hammered at my heart. “Tony!” I struggled desperately to break free from his embrace. “Let go of me! You have a bad heart, you can’t take hits!” Tony stubbornly shook his head. His face turned deathly pale, but his arms around me didn’t loosen even a fraction. “Celine… doesn’t hurt.” “Won’t let Celine hurt. I’ll block it.” He forced out a smile to comfort me. This idiot! He was trembling from pain himself, yet he was still worried about whether I was hurting! “Stop! Stop it!” He had a heart condition and couldn’t withstand this kind of beating. My eyes turned red as I whipped around to glare at Eve. “Stop! If you keep hitting him, he’ll die.” The servants around us whispered among themselves. “Those clothes look real. This girl’s demeanor doesn’t seem like a mistress either.” “Shh, do you have a death wish? Miss Blanchett is furious right now. Who dares cross her?” Eve’s butler wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and reminded her quietly. “Miss Blanchett, that gentleman’s complexion doesn’t look good. He seems to have a heart condition.” “If someone actually dies…” Eve backhanded the butler with a slap. “Shut up!” “An idiot pretending to be precious?” She pointed at Tony, her eyes contemptuous. “Forget one life—even if there were ten more, I could afford the compensation!” “Drag this pair of adulterers to the main hall!” “I want all of New York to see what happens when you try to steal from me!” The bodyguards roughly dragged Tony and me toward the main hall. Tony gripped my hand tightly, his fingers ice cold. His chest heaved violently, fine beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. I struggled desperately, my heels scraping harsh sounds across the floor. “Don’t touch him! He has a heart condition!” “You’ll kill him!” Eve walked ahead without even turning her head. “Then let him die.”

Tony and I were thrown onto the red carpet of the banquet hall. Eve walked toward the stage in the center of the hall. “Everyone, quiet please.” The entire venue fell silent instantly. All eyes focused on Tony and me. Eve snapped her fingers. The massive LED screen behind her lit up instantly. On the screen was a blurry photo of someone’s back. The woman in the photo wore a white haute couture dress. She was getting into a black Maybach. Eve pointed at the screen, then at me. “This woman is the slut who seduced my husband in this photo!” “Married and still out hooking up with men, using an idiot husband as a shield.” “Does she think everyone in New York is blind?” “Everyone look—does she look like her?” I happened to be wearing a white dress today too. But anyone with any sense could tell that the fabric and tailoring of my dress were leagues above the one in the photo. My second brother Henry had it specially air-shipped from Paris for me. But in this hall, no one dared tell the truth. “That dress is identical, even the hairstyle is similar. It must be her.” “Truly shameless times we live in. Looks pure on the outside, but so slutty inside.” “That idiot is pitiful too. Getting cuckolded and still counting money for someone else.” Those vicious comments flooded over me. Tony was already extremely sensitive to bright lights and noise. The surrounding clamor and stares made him cover his ears in pain. “Celine…” He curled up on the ground, his breathing growing more rapid. His lip color visibly drained away, turning blue-purple. I broke down emotionally and threw myself over to him, holding him in my arms. “Tony! Look at me! Deep breaths!” My hands trembled as I searched his pockets. He always carried his emergency medication and portable oxygen pump. The oxygen pump was a device that my second sister Wendy personally developed specifically for Tony’s heart condition. Just as my fingers touched the medicine bottle. Eve had already walked down from the stage and stomped hard on the back of my hand with her heel. She snatched away the medicine and oxygen pump. “Want this to save his life?” Eve tossed the oxygen pump in her hand. “Beg me.” “Get on your knees and admit you’re a mistress, and I’ll give it to you.” “Celine… don’t beg her…” He struggled to get out a few words. “Eve Blanchett!” I raised my head and stared hard at her. “My eldest brother is Theodore Brown, New York’s most famous mafia boss!” “If you dare touch a hair on his head, the Brown family will never let you go!” Eve froze for a moment, then burst into hysterical laughter. “Theodore Brown?” She laughed until tears came out. “Have you been reading too many novels?” “If you’re Theodore’s sister, then I’m God’s daughter!” “You don’t even do your research before lying! No one from the Brown family is here tonight!” True, my eldest brother hadn’t originally planned to attend the banquet tonight. I was just bored playing around New York and heard the Blanchett family banquet would be lively, so I brought Tony along to join the fun and get a free meal. Seeing my silence, Eve laughed even more mockingly. “What? Can’t keep up the lie anymore?” She tilted her chin up. “If the Brown family were really here, my father would have cleared the venue to welcome them!” The butler looked at Tony’s increasingly terrible condition and couldn’t help stepping forward. “Miss Blanchett, the oxygen pump can’t be interrupted. He really doesn’t look good.” Eve’s smile vanished instantly. She glared viciously at the butler. “I said if he dies, I’ll pay!” Right in front of everyone, she smashed the oxygen pump hard on the ground. With a loud crash, it shattered to pieces. “No!” I broke down emotionally and lunged forward, but two other bodyguards held me down firmly. Eve grabbed my hair and forced me to look up. “Does it hurt?” “Then be good and kneel down. Apologize to all of New York on livestream!” “Admit you’re a shameless mistress. Admit you seduced my husband!” “As long as you kowtow and admit your mistake, I’ll be merciful and have someone send this idiot to the hospital.” Tony struggled to open his eyes. He shook his head at me. “Celine… don’t kneel.” But how could I not kneel? This was Tony, who I’d grown up with since childhood. Just as I was about to kneel. Outside the tightly closed heavy mahogany doors of the banquet hall, there was suddenly a deep, muffled bang.

Bang! Bang! One after another. “Miss Celine, are you in there?” Everyone stared at the door in terror. My eyes lit up instantly. It was my eldest brother’s agents planted in New York. They’d come! I struggled free from the bodyguards’ grip and screamed toward the door at the top of my lungs. “I’m here!” My heart leaped with joy as I shouted hoarsely. “I’m here! Save Tony! Save him quickly!” Eve’s expression changed, then she showed even more contempt. “Your lover actually has some backbone? He really came?” She straightened her wrinkled skirt, laughing coldly. “But a bunch of underground thugs who can’t see the light of day dare to crash my Blanchett family’s party?” “They really don’t know what’s good for them!” She picked up her walkie-talkie, her voice low. “Security team! Riot squad! Everyone mobilize!” “Beat those thugs outside to death! Break their legs!” “Activate Level One lockdown protocol. Lock down all electromagnetic doors!” “Not even a fly gets in today!” With her command, metal shutters around the banquet hall crashed down. Completely sealing off all sounds from outside. The heavy doors were locked tight with several steel chains. The sounds of fighting and door-breaking from outside gradually became faint. The hope that had just ignited in me was ruthlessly crushed by these doors. “No! Open the door! Open it!” I rushed frantically toward the door, pounding on the shutters with my fists. My knuckles scraped raw, blood dripping, but I felt no pain. “Tony can’t wait!” “Open the door!” Eve walked up behind me, grabbed my collar, and threw me to the ground. “Scream! Keep screaming!” She looked down at me from above, savoring my despair. “See that?” “This is your backup? Pretty weak~” “In New York, if I don’t want someone to get in, they’ll have to kneel outside no matter who they are!” She pointed at Tony, who had fallen into semi-consciousness on the ground. “He’s dying, isn’t he?” “This is all your fault!” “If you’d just admitted you were a mistress earlier, if you’d just kowtowed and admitted your mistake, how would he be suffering like this?” “Now the door’s sealed. Your kneeling is useless!” I looked at Tony’s purple lips, tears bursting from my eyes. I had never hated anyone this much. Even when I encountered those passive-aggressive socialites before, I just laughed it off. Because I had four siblings protecting me. I didn’t need to fight or compete. I just needed to be a happy little princess. But now my most important Tony was about to die in front of me. And I was powerless. “Eve…” I stared hard at her, my voice hoarse. “If anything happens to him today, I’ll make your entire Blanchett family pay with their lives.” Eve laughed loudly. “Oh my, I’m so scared~” Just then, the butler rushed in. He looked somewhat panicked, lowering his voice to say something in Eve’s ear. Eve’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Aiden’s here?” Hearing that name, a glimmer of hope ignited in my heart. As long as he came forward to clarify, to prove I didn’t know him, to prove the person in the photo wasn’t me. The misunderstanding could be cleared up! Tony could go to the hospital! “Aiden!” Eve immediately went to greet him, her eyes reddening. “Look at this woman. She actually dared to come to my banquet and cause trouble!” “She even brought an idiot to disgust me!” Aiden’s gaze swept across the entire venue, finally landing on me. I forced myself to stand up and pointed at the photo on the big screen. “Mr. Aiden!” “Tell her quickly that I don’t know you at all!” “The person in the photo isn’t me!”

Aiden pushed up his glasses. His gaze swept back and forth between me and the big screen. As long as he said he didn’t know me, this farce could end. However, Aiden remained silent. He lowered his eyes, avoiding my gaze. When he looked up again, his face wore an expression of pained heartbreak. “Miss Celine.” He sighed, his voice gentle yet cutting. “I already told you we could never be together.” “Why do you keep pestering me?” “Even… even chasing me to my wife’s banquet to cause a scene?” My eyes widened, my whole body turning cold. “What did you say?” My voice trembled. “Are you insane? I’ve never even seen you before!” But Aiden no longer looked at me. He turned around and held Eve’s hand. “Eve, I’m sorry.” “She kept pestering me. I was soft-hearted and didn’t completely reject her.” “But I swear, you’re the only one in my heart.” “I’ll handle this. Please don’t be angry, okay?” Eve’s face twisted with rage. “Bitch!” Eve whirled around and kicked me hard in the stomach. Caught off guard, I was sent flying and crashed heavily to the ground. My internal organs screamed with pain, making me convulse. “What else do you have to say?” Eve shrieked, completely losing her mind. “My husband admitted it! You still dare argue!” I clutched my stomach, cold sweat pouring down. I looked at Aiden’s evasive eyes and finally understood. Of course he knew I wasn’t the woman in the photo. Because he wanted to protect the woman he loved. So he didn’t hesitate to push me out as a scapegoat! “Aiden… you’ll die a horrible death…” I stared hard at him. A flash of guilt crossed Aiden’s eyes, but he quickly recovered his cold indifference. “Pick her up.” Eve’s voice was ice cold. “Make her kneel!” Several bodyguards immediately rushed forward, pressed me to the ground, and forced me to kneel toward the big screen. Eve pointed at Tony, who lay motionless on the ground. “Drag him to that display platform!” That platform had an extremely strong electromagnetic field set up to display floating jewelry. “No!” My eyes widened as I shouted and struggled. “He has an implanted defibrillator in his heart! Strong magnets will cause cardiac arrest!” “Please! Spare him!” Eve turned a deaf ear. The bodyguards dragged Tony next to the display platform. As soon as he got close to the platform, the monitoring patch on Tony’s chest emitted a piercing alarm. His body began to convulse violently, his eyes rolling back. “Tony!” I screamed with all my might, my voice breaking instantly. Eve walked up to me and raised her hand. Slap! A resounding slap landed on my face. My cheek swelled instantly, and I tasted blood at the corner of my mouth. Eve rubbed her wrist, her eyes vicious. “This slap is to teach you how to be human.” She raised her hand again. Slap! “This slap is for your shamelessness.” The monitoring patch’s alarm grew more and more shrill. I watched Tony’s face gradually lose its vitality, my heart turning to ash. I bit my lip hard, staring at her intently. “You’d better pray you can kill me today. Otherwise, you’ll regret being born into this world.” Eve laughed loudly. “Regret? I don’t know if I’ll regret it, but I’ll make you regret being a mistress.” “Let’s see what you’ll use to seduce men without this face.” As she spoke, she took a knife from a bodyguard. The blade gleamed with cold light, aimed straight at my cheek. Just as the knife was about to cut my skin, I closed my eyes. Bang! The shutters were torn apart by force. “You dare touch my sister?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “407877”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster