At our high school reunion, the class president was drunk off his ass. He suddenly leaned in with a conspiratorial whisper: “Let me tell you guys a secret. Holly didn’t kill herself back then. I saw someone push her off the roof with my own eyes.” My heart skipped a beat. Instinctively, I looked across the table at my old desk mate. He was looking right back at me. In that split second of eye contact, we saw the same unspeakable terror reflected in each other. Because we were the ones who pushed Holly off that roof. 1 The laughter at the dinner table died instantly. Dead silence replaced the conviviality. But the quiet didn’t last long before a burst of raucous laughter shattered it. “Dude, President, did you drink some bad moonshine? What kind of nonsense are you spouting?” “Yeah, Holly’s suicide is a fact. The police closed the case ages ago.” “Speaking of which, Holly’s been gone for almost fifteen years. Time flies.” Chatter resumed, drifting back to high school memories. Seeing no one believed him, our class president, Ben, slammed his hand on the table. “I’m not talking nonsense! I really saw someone push her!” “Not only that.” He paused, took a deep breath, and spoke again: “The person who pushed her is one of you!” His gaze swept over us one by one, scrutinizing. My heart sank. He didn’t look like he was just drunk-talking. But on that day, we had locked Ben in the bathroom. Did he sneak out? No! Ben and Holly were childhood sweethearts. Their parents were best friends. After Holly died, Ben was devastated. His grades tanked, he went to a mediocre college. After graduation, he rushed into a marriage arranged by his family. Now, at our company, he’s even my subordinate. Holly’s death changed the trajectory of his entire life. Moreover, Holly’s mother nearly died from grief back then. If he had really witnessed the crime, he would have called the police immediately, not waited until today. I didn’t know why he was doing this. But I was certain: Ben was lying. Realizing this, I secretly let out a sigh of relief. I straightened up involuntarily, meeting his desperate gaze. He looked at me like I was a lifeline. “Lin, do you believe me?” Everyone knows people instinctively seek help from those closest to them when helpless. After college, we coincidentally joined the same company, so I was his closest friend here. But right now, I couldn’t tell if he sought comfort or was testing me. I forced a smile, ready to speak. A confused female voice came from behind: “If you saw it back then, why didn’t you tell the police?” 2 All eyes focused on Ben again. He clearly hadn’t expected the question. His face flushed red, and he froze. After a while, he rasped: “I didn’t dare.” “That person had leverage on me. If I went to the cops, I was done for.” My pupils dilated. I involuntarily glanced at Tyler. No wonder Tyler had sworn to me back then that Holly’s case would be closed as a suicide. So there was a secret I didn’t know. Holly’s case was closed as a suicide mainly because of Ben’s testimony. Actually, we didn’t intend to kill Holly. It was her fault for being a busybody. It was the day before finals. After the usual boring homeroom lecture, the teacher directed us to arrange the desks for the exam. Exams meant different things to everyone. For good students like Holly and Ben, it was time to shine. They cooperated fully. For the kids by the trash can, it just meant sleeping in a different seat. The most nervous were mid-tier students like me and Tyler. Tyler was a rich kid who hated studying, kept in line only by his dad’s money. If he failed, his allowance would be cut, and he’d get a beating. Usually, he bribed students in his exam room to pass him answers. But last time, he bombed and ended up at the bottom. This time, the kids in his room were even dumber than him. So he had another idea. He dragged me to the stairwell when the teacher wasn’t looking. “What’s your plan for the exam?” I shrugged. “Same as usual. Copy off neighbors. Can’t waste my 20/20 vision.” “Damn, the guys in my room are useless.” Complaining, he had a brainwave. “Lin, let’s steal the test papers.” 3 Fifteen years ago, security wasn’t as tight, especially in our small town. I stepped back. “Are you crazy? We’ll get expelled.” Tyler launched into a persuasive speech. He guaranteed nothing would go wrong. Thinking of the mixed doubles beating I got from my parents the last time I failed to cheat, I impulsively agreed. That night, the chemistry teacher was on duty. We spiked his water with laxatives. When he ran to the bathroom, we snuck into the office. We thought it was seamless, but we ran into Holly. She stood at the door, staring at us with wide eyes. We begged, practically knelt. The little bitch finally relented, giving us three days to confess to the teacher or she’d report us. Watching her leave, Tyler said: “Let’s just kill her.” My eyes nearly popped out. But Tyler argued that Holly had been whining about depression for ages. We had even found a note she wrote before. If we were discreet, it would look like she ended her own life. “Expulsion or kill her. You choose.” Three days passed. We asked her to meet on the roof to negotiate. We found out she had also asked Ben to come, planning to tell him. While Tyler pretended to negotiate, I locked Ben in the bathroom. Tyler offered her ten grand, but Holly was relentless. She insisted on exposing us. Tyler and I exchanged a look. Then she fell. We rushed back to the internet cafe we had pre-paid for, pretending we never left. The case closed quickly. Holly had severe depression; it was ruled a suicide. Her note was exposed, detailing insomnia and anxiety from academic pressure. Ben stepped up to testify that Holly had mentioned ending it multiple times. For a while, people talked about her. But gradually, everyone forgot. Until tonight. 4 “Leverage? You were the one who testified she was suicidal. What kind of leverage could make our high-and-mighty Ben commit perjury?” The mocking voice spoke again. Ben seemed triggered, holding his head and choking up: “He had proof I cheated. I was waiting for a recommendation to a top university. If exposed, I was ruined.” “I didn’t want to, but I had no choice.” “It was me. I killed Holly. I failed her.” Someone stood up. “Alright Ben, if you really saw it, go to the police. We were just classmates, we’re not here for your drama.” “Yeah, haven’t seen each other in ages, and you start with this nonsense.” People started leaving. Ben panicked, running to block the door. “No one leaves!” “I’m telling you! I know you’re in here. I’m not afraid anymore. I’m giving you a chance to turn yourself in with me, or else…” He scanned the room: “We die together.” “It’s karma. My wife left, my daughter is sick. This is my retribution.” Chaos erupted. Tyler and I stood at the back. I signaled him to check his phone. “You did this?” Tyler looked at me in disbelief. Before he could speak, someone called my name. “Lin, you’re close to Ben. Get this drunk out of here, we want to go home.” I pushed through the crowd and dragged Ben out. Ben passed out drunk. In the car, he kept muttering “I’m sorry.” Driving home, I was deep in thought. Based on tonight, he didn’t seem to know who threatened him back then. Or that there were two of us. But if he traced it to Tyler, would Tyler cover for me? Absolutely not. With Tyler’s petty mindset, he was probably planning to throw me under the bus right now. No. I worked too hard to get here. I couldn’t let this fat bastard ruin everything. How to shut him up? Unless he could never speak again. The thought scared me.

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My mother was a tiger mom, grooming me from birth to be the perfect heiress to her empire. Strict was an understatement. So, when my dad and his mistress showered me with affection and let me do whatever I wanted, I made my choice. When my parents divorced, I chose my dad. My dad used my custody to extort a massive alimony settlement from my mom and lived the high life with my stepmom. My mom warned me not to regret it. I just laughed and said, “How could Stepmom Brenda ever hurt me?” Three years after my mom moved abroad, I was assaulted and murdered by my stepbrother, my body dumped in the wilderness. When I opened my eyes again, my mom was standing there with her lawyer, facing off against my dad and his mistress. Her expression was cold as she asked me: “Lily, do you want to live with Daddy or Mommy?” I scrambled across the floor and clung to my billionaire mom’s leg for dear life… 1 My name is Lily Sterling. Today is the day my parents get divorced. It is also the first day of my second life. “Lily, think about it. If you go with your mom, it’s endless worksheets, private tutors, and extracurriculars you hate.” “She controls who you’re friends with. If you go with her, you’ll just be her puppet for the rest of your life!” “Think about me and Brenda. Have we ever forced you to do anything you didn’t want to do?” “If you live with Dad, you never have to take another piano lesson if you don’t want to.” “You can be friends with whoever you want. Brenda and I will always respect your choices.” My dad, Michael, was pleading with me earnestly. Next to him, my future stepmom, Brenda, watched me with a gentle, loving gaze. In my past life, these were the words that swayed me. I chose to live with my dad and Brenda. My betrayal cost my mom dearly in the divorce. My dad had married into the Sterling family with nothing. Even the money he used to spoil his mistress came from my mom. When she found out about the affair, she wanted him to leave with nothing. But because I chose him, she softened. She couldn’t bear the thought of me living in poverty. So, in the divorce, my dad got a five-thousand-square-foot villa, twenty million dollars in cash, and fifty thousand dollars a month in child support. The thought that my mom’s money had funded the lifestyle of my murderers made me shake with rage. Looking at Brenda’s fake smile and my dad’s triumphant grin, I suddenly laughed. “Dad, what if Mom says you have to give up all the assets and leave with nothing to get custody of me? Would you still want me?” My dad’s face changed instantly. Brenda’s smile froze. “Victoria! Did you tell her to say that?” my dad roared at my mom. “I knew it! You only care about money!” My mom, Victoria Sterling, paused. Then she crossed her arms and said coldly: “That’s right. Didn’t you say you’re the one who truly loves Lily?” “Leave with nothing. Sign the agreement right now, and you can have custody.” Yes! I cheered internally. That’s my mom, the ruthless businesswoman! In this life, I wanted to see if this “loving” father of mine would give up the Sterling fortune for his precious daughter. 2 The negotiations stalled. My dad put on a pained expression and told me Brenda was pregnant. He couldn’t disregard his unborn child’s future just for me. I almost laughed out loud. So, you fought for custody just so you could use my child support to raise your new kid? Dream on! My dad left with his mistress. I happily followed my mom into her Rolls-Royce. As soon as we got in, I hugged her arm and burst into tears. “Mom, I’m sorry!” Back home, seeing all the things my mom had bought just for me, I realized what a blind fool I had been. My dad and stepmom said they loved me, but their house had nothing for me. My mom never said she loved me, but every inch of this house—from my custom slippers to the grand piano—was chosen with me in mind. In this life, I was going to listen to my mom. I was going to study until my brain hurt! I wanted to see how long my dad and Brenda’s “true love” would last without my mom’s money. I guessed right. My dad and Brenda barely had time to sit down in their villa before the lawyers arrived. “Mr. Michael Han, Ms. Victoria Sterling has filed for asset preservation. Please vacate this property immediately!” Brenda was stunned. “You can’t do this! This house is in my name!” The lawyer smiled thinly. “Oh? Did Mr. Han not tell you whose credit card he used to buy it?” My dad came from a poor rural family. He couldn’t even afford college without my grandfather’s sponsorship. Where would he get the money for a villa? My grandfather had liked my dad because he seemed hardworking and honest, unlike the rich playboys my mom usually dated. But wealth corrupts. After marrying my mom, my dad got lazy. He used my mom’s money to buy a house for his parents, and secretly, for his mistress. He bought Brenda a villa, luxury cars, and gave her a five-thousand-dollar monthly allowance. Brenda thought she had snagged a billionaire. She was about to find out he was just a leech. 3 “Brenda, don’t worry. Lily loves me best. If she wants to live with me, Victoria will have to pay up.” “She’ll want her precious daughter to live in luxury. The villa, the cars, the monthly allowance—it’ll all come back.” After comforting his pregnant mistress, my dad snuck into my school to find me. “Lily, have you forgotten how your mom treats you?” “You failed one math test, and she made you do twenty practice exams!” “When you were in the hospital, she had your homework sent over so you could study while on an IV drip.” “She’s a control freak!” “She just wants to turn you into a puppet.” “Do you think I wanted to cheat? I did it for you, to give you a warm, loving home!” “Lily, come live with Dad. Brenda only has a son. She’s always dreamed of having a beautiful daughter like you.” “Live with us, and you can do whatever you want. No one will force you to study ever again.” My dad pleaded with me. I sneered internally. Don’t force me to study so I grow up useless? So when Mom dies and I inherit the company, you can easily manipulate me and take over? Brenda dreams of having a daughter? I wanted to vomit. In my past life, before I died, her son confessed that Brenda knew I was the sole heir. She wanted her son to get me pregnant so he could marry into the fortune. She didn’t want a daughter. She wanted a daughter-in-law she could control. Fearing my dad would try something else, I pretended to hesitate and said I needed to think about it. Then I immediately told my mom. “Good. It seems the Han family is tired of the good life.” My mom made a call to her legal team. The next day, Brenda received a legal letter demanding she return everything. The allowance, the jewelry, the designer bags, even the money spent on their trips to Paris and the Swiss Alps—my mom had the bank records for all of it. It was all marital property. My dad had no right to give it away. Then, all of my dad’s relatives who worked in my mom’s companies were fired. The Han family exploded. 4 My grandparents rushed over from the countryside that night. My grandpa slapped my dad across the face as soon as he saw him. My grandma grabbed Brenda by the hair and started hitting her. “You home-wrecker! You ruined us!” “Mom, stop! Brenda is pregnant! It’s a boy!” “You’re going to have a grandson!” “What?” My grandparents froze. The only thing my grandparents hated about my mom was that she hadn’t given them a grandson. The Sterling family was rich, so why not have more kids? If my mom was too busy running the company, they argued, she could just hand the company over to their son to manage. Any other daughter-in-law would have been beaten for not producing a male heir. But the entire Han family depended on my mom for their lifestyle, so they never dared to say it to her face. Looking at Brenda’s slight bump, my grandma pulled my dad aside. “I heard you get half the assets in a divorce.” “Just divorce Victoria. Even a few hundred million is enough for our grandson.” “Who told you that?” When my dad explained that the Sterling fortune was all pre-marital property and he would get nothing, my grandma nearly fainted. “So what do we do?” “Don’t panic. I’ve thought about it. As long as Lily wants to be with me, Victoria won’t let her suffer. She’ll secretly give Lily money.” “I’m her dad, you’re her grandparents. Lily’s money is our money.” That’s exactly what happened in my last life. Because I cried and begged to be with my dad, my mom gave him twenty million and the villa just so I wouldn’t suffer. But it wasn’t enough. He kept using me to ask for more. When my mom got pancreatic cancer, they tried to set me up with my stepbrother, Jason. They wanted him to marry me to secure the inheritance. But I didn’t like Jason. When their plan failed, they panicked. If I married someone else, they’d lose access to the Sterling money forever. That’s when they came up with the plan to have Jason rape me. They didn’t expect me to fight back so hard that he’d accidentally kill me. In this life, my dad was waiting at the school gate with my grandparents, playing the victim. They told everyone who would listen that my rich, powerful mother was stealing their child. Looking at their hypocritical faces, I sneered internally. Then I put on a hesitant face and asked my dad: “Dad, are you really willing to leave with nothing just to keep me?” My dad paused, a flicker of struggle on his face. But quickly, his eyes filled with determination. “Lily, I love you more than anything!” “I’d give up everything for your happiness.” “Really? That’s great…” I got into the car and told the driver to take me straight to my mom’s office. “Mom, I’ve decided. Let him leave with nothing. I’m willing to go with him.”

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I died when I was five. Ten years later, on Children’s Day, I was granted a reward: a chance to return to the living world, still in my five-year-old body. The condition was simple. If either my mother or my older brother recognized me within three days, I could stay. As soon as I arrived, my brother—now so much older and serious—took me to the hospital for a check-up. He kept calling me “little sister” and brought me home. But he didn’t let me see Mom. And the King of Hell didn’t say I could stay yet. That night, I snuck into his room to give him an origami cloud badge—something I used to fold for him—to praise him for recognizing me so quickly. But then I heard him on the phone, his voice gentle and coaxing. “I’ll make up for Children’s Day tomorrow, okay? Don’t be mad.” “Don’t be scared, Cloud. I found a matching bone marrow donor for you. Just wait for the surgery.” “She’s locked up. She can’t run away.” My heart felt like it was being pricked by a thousand needles. My brother is so stupid. If he doesn’t recognize me soon, the King of Hell will come to take me back the day after tomorrow. 1 Tears streamed down my face. I didn’t understand. When did my brother get another “Little Cloud”? My sobbing grew louder, and soon enough, my brother found me. “Who’s there?” His voice was sharp, commanding. I shouldn’t have been scared, but as he stepped out of the study, backlit by the lamp, I was terrified and slumped to the floor. “You heard everything?” He looked down at me coldly. “Since you heard, you better behave. Donate the marrow obediently. I’ve already lost one Cloud; I can’t lose another.” He squatted beside me, studying my face intently, as if looking for someone else through me. My fear made him look away, a flash of guilt crossing his face. When he turned back, I saw tears in the corners of his eyes. “Are you worried about that sick Cloud?” I asked softly. He didn’t answer. I reached out a small hand, just like I used to, and patted his head. “Don’t be sad, big brother. I’m willing to save your other Cloud.” He slapped my hand away, leaving a red mark on my skin. “Stop the act. Whoever made you look like my five-year-old sister… what are you trying to scam me out of this time? You’re all in on it!” 2 He stood up and dragged me roughly back to my room. “Go! From today on, you are not allowed to leave this room!” His grip was strong, his hand so big it wrapped around my wrist with room to spare. He wasn’t the boy who used to get cornered by bullies for lunch money, waiting for “Cloud the Hero” to save him. He grew up. He could protect himself now. That was good. My world was small. It only had room for my brother, my mom, and my dad who had become a star in the sky. But my brother had another Cloud now. He didn’t need me anymore. That night, I dreamed of monsters stealing my mom and brother, and swallowing the star that was my dad. When I woke up crying, there was a commotion downstairs. Through the crack in the door, I saw my brother giving a pale little girl a piggyback ride, running around the living room. That used to be my exclusive throne. But his eyes were full of joy. Maybe I shouldn’t have come back to disturb them. At lunch, the pale girl snuck into my room. I don’t know where she got the key. Seeing me, she froze. “You… you really look like his sister. I saw her in photos.” She looked even paler now, scared and awkward. “Of course. Who are you? Did Mom have another baby?” I asked curiously. She looked so frail, like she hadn’t eaten well. “I’m Rainie. I’m not your mom’s baby. I have the best parents in the world.” “Didn’t you go to be a star in the sky? Will Julian still want me now that you’re back?” She looked like she was about to cry. 3 “Oh, no. I didn’t become a star. I was a bad kid. My death made Mom and Julian sad, so I couldn’t be a star. Only good people become stars.” I changed the subject, trying to sound cheerful. “I came back to give you my bone marrow so you can get better. Then Julian will be happy forever.” She relaxed and sat on the rug with me to play with dolls. We became friends that afternoon. I told her many stories about Julian and Mom. Just in case they never recognized me, at least they’d have another Cloud to keep them company. She told me about her leukemia. It hurt a lot. She was always sick. Her parents cried in the bathroom so she wouldn’t see. Her biggest wish was to go to an amusement park. Just as I was about to pat her fuzzy head to comfort her, the floor shook violently. “Earthquake! Run!” “Cloud! Where is Cloud?” Julian was the only one running towards danger. He found us in my room and froze. Then he grabbed Rainie. “I’m here. I’ll protect you!” My outstretched hand hung in the air, empty. So “Cloud” wasn’t me anymore. It was okay. I had experience with earthquakes. I scrambled to follow them, but they were too fast. I tripped over a doll and when I looked up, they were gone. I hugged the wall and started down the stairs carefully. But the shaking was too violent. Halfway down, the stairs collapsed. 4 I fell hard onto the floor below. Through the dust, I saw Julian’s back. He was shielding Rainie, dodging falling lights and vases. I reached out with my chubby hand, grasping at the air as if I could catch him. But there was nothing. My leg throbbed with pain. I couldn’t move. I crawled towards a corner with all my might. Mom and Julian hadn’t recognized me yet. I couldn’t die. Not again. When I woke up, I was in a hospital. My right leg was in a huge white cast. I was alone. Perfect for sneaking out. I hopped around, searching for them. Finally, I found them in a luxury suite that smelled of fruit and soup instead of disinfectant. Julian was feeding Rainie soup with a spoon. Even from the door, I could smell it—sour radish and duck soup. His specialty. He must have made it himself. I hadn’t tasted it in ten years. “One more sip, and I’ll take you for a walk,” Julian coaxed. Rainie’s parents stood nearby, nodding. “Yes, honey, drink a bit more. Thank Julian.” “It smells so good, baby, drink some more.” Watching them pamper her, my leg hurt even more. Tears welled up in my eyes. I was jealous Rainie was alive. Jealous she had loving parents. Jealous my dearest brother worried about her more than me.

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Since kindergarten, Holden Sterling and I had never gone more than three days without seeing each other. But ever since our families discussed getting us engaged. He hid from me for a solid year. He blocked me on every contact platform; the security guards at his company stated that “unauthorized personnel and Elara Vance” were forbidden from entering. Whenever I appeared in his line of sight, he would immediately turn and walk away. Eventually, even his friends couldn’t stand it anymore and snuck me in to see Holden. When I arrived, Holden’s cold voice drifted through the crack of the private booth’s door: “She’s just a little toy that comes running whenever I beckon.” “No capability, no personality. Honestly, getting engaged to her feels beneath me.” 1 My hand froze on the doorknob. I didn’t push it further. Standing behind me, Carter immediately covered my ears. “Elara, don’t listen to Holden’s nonsense. He’s had too much to drink; he isn’t thinking straight!” “I’ll go in there and yell at him for you!” He made a move to push the door open. I tugged on Carter’s sleeve and shook my head. For so long, I just wanted to ask Holden why he was so resistant to our engagement, to the point of making a scene known throughout our entire social circle. I had called him “brother” for nearly seventeen years. But he wasn’t my real brother. We were going to marry someone eventually, so why couldn’t it be me? And now, I finally knew the answer. It wasn’t that I wasn’t accomplished enough, or pretty enough. It was that he had never seen me as anything more than a “pet” he’d raised since childhood. Something amusing? A way to pass the time? Or maybe just something pretty to keep around. Carter wiped my tears away with his handkerchief, muttering under his breath, “What are Ben and the guys talking about in there? None of them are reliable…” “It’s okay now, Carter.” I took a deep breath. “Can you take me home? I don’t want to find him anymore.” “Okay, alright…” Just as we turned to leave, the booth door opened from the inside. We froze, stunned, coming face-to-face with Ben, who had opened the door. Ben, unclear on the situation, grabbed my arm and pulled me inside. This drinking gathering was supposed to be their chance to persuade Holden to reconcile with me. Ben pulled me down to sit across from Holden. “Holden, even if you want to rebel against your family, don’t treat Elara like this.” “We’ve all watched Elara grow up. Just talk to her nicely. Don’t let your sharp tongue cause misunderstandings.” From the moment I entered the room, Holden hadn’t looked up once. But the veins on the back of the hand gripping his glass were bulging. Carter followed us in, shaking his head and signaling with his eyes to Ben. Before Carter could pull me back up, Holden finally spoke. “Elara Vance, why won’t you listen to me?” “Didn’t I say that until my grandfather and parents change their minds, we shouldn’t meet?” “Why are you so selfish?” I lowered my head, not knowing what to say. The atmosphere in the room stagnated. The last time Holden was this angry was when an older student he was on good terms with confessed his feelings to me. Carter sighed, walked over, and patted my head. Then he motioned for the other guys in the room to leave, letting Holden and me talk alone. 2 Holden distractedly took a sip of his drink. “Elara, can’t you have a little self-respect?” “I told you I’m not interested in you. I’ve never looked at you as a woman.” “Instead of clinging to me all the time, couldn’t you go improve yourself?” “All day long, you just revolve around men…” “Are you pathetic?” “When I fully take over the company later, I’ll be traveling for meetings constantly. I can’t just drag you around with me.” I felt like I was sinking into the icy depths of the ocean. My whole body went cold, drained of the strength to speak. So, for all these years, this is how he saw me. “So be a good girl and stay away from me. Grandfather will probably give up on the engagement soon anyway.” “I understand.” “You won’t pester Carter and the others to help you find me anymore?” “I won’t.” Images from my childhood flashed through my mind like a revolving lantern. I used to treat these memories as my most precious treasures. Now, it seemed I was just ridiculous. I had ignored Holden’s increasingly impatient attitude toward me since high school. I ignored his undisguised disdain for how I dressed. I ignored the subconscious comment he made when he found out his senior liked me: “Someone actually likes her?” … I looked up and gazed at Holden earnestly. “Holden, I am very grateful that you saved me when I was small.” “From now on, I’ll learn my lesson. I will never bother you again.” I stood up and left without looking back. 3 Back at the mansion, I turned on the lights. The entire house was, as usual, familiarly empty. My parents were rarely home, and Grandfather lived in the mountains focusing on his wellness. I heard from Holden’s mother that since I was born, only a nanny had taken care of me. When I was three, the nanny went out to buy groceries and forgot to close the door. I ran out of the mansion and fell in the middle of the road. Holden, who was playing in his yard, heard crying and brought me back to the Sterling house. For the next decade or so, I grew up trailing behind Holden. I went to the same elementary school, middle school, and even university as him. When I was bullied for being withdrawn, it was Holden who stood up for me. He taught me how to protect myself. Calculating it out, Holden had spent far more time in my life than my so-called parents. I was too dependent on him. So when he first started hiding from me, I panicked and searched everywhere for him, feeling like the whole world was terribly empty. A year isn’t long. But it was harder to endure than the previous dozen years combined. I sat in front of my computer, staring blankly at the acceptance email for my exchange student application. My therapist suggested a change of environment and cultivating new hobbies to shift my focus. I had originally wanted to tell Holden… Thinking of this, I let out a self-deprecating laugh. He was probably desperate for me to stay far away from him. When I left, I only sent a text message to my parents, even though they wouldn’t really care. … Touching down in Italy, I stumbled through the various procedures and renting an apartment. It wasn’t as difficult as I imagined. While waiting for school to start, I traveled to nearby cities to sketch. It was just as the therapist said. Getting out and walking around really does change your mindset. Habits change too. After being pickpocketed three times and harassed countless times, I decided to learn self-defense. No one would protect me in the future; I had to learn to protect myself. 4 Two months into the semester in Italy, I suddenly received a call from Carter. “Elara, why didn’t you tell us you went to Italy? We only found out because we bumped into a classmate of yours.” “Yeah, I just came abroad to study and clear my head. I’ll be back in a few months, don’t worry.” “How is your daily life there? Is the place you’re living safe?” “Everything is fine, very safe.” “That’s good. Shouldn’t you tell Holden? He has friends over there.” “No need. I’m doing great, I don’t need to trouble anyone else.” “Alright, well, if anything comes up, contact me… uh, or Holden immediately.” In the Sterling Corporation office, Carter waited until the call ended before locking his phone screen. “She’s growing up.” Holden twirled a lighter, his face dark. “Come on, man. You were the one who told her not to find you.” Carter sat slouched on the sofa, looking at Elara Vance’s exchange student application form. “Not finding me doesn’t mean she can’t make a call or send a text.” “Oh my god, look at your blocked list.” “You said you had to make it look real, so bam, you blocked her. How was she supposed to tell you?” “If it were me, I wouldn’t bother with you either.” Carter rolled his eyes. He was Holden’s childhood friend and had also watched Elara grow up. He knew a bit about the Vance family’s situation. Unloved by her dad, unloved by her mom, didn’t talk much, but just clung to Holden. But Holden didn’t have romantic feelings for her. Now that she was far away, he was clearly worried, but too stubborn to admit it. This whole mess… Let them figure it out themselves! After Carter left, Holden rubbed his temples. There was a frustration in his chest that wouldn’t settle. It was worse than when he saw all those portraits of himself in Elara’s art studio. Both grandfathers were applying combined pressure, wanting him and Elara to get engaged. Elara was just a junior in college, a kid who had never dated anyone. What could she possibly know? Holden swiped at his phone screen. After hesitating for a moment, he pulled the contact “Elara” out of the blocked list. Then he dialed the internal line for Ms. Davis, his secretary. “Mr. Sterling, you wanted to see me.” “Elara ran off to Italy on her own.” The corner of Ms. Davis’s mouth lifted, a smug look appearing for an instant before being suppressed. “This shows that the ‘tough love’ approach I suggested is working.” “Miss Vance grew up with no discipline; no one corrected her when she did wrong.” “She’s a junior in college and still only knows how to revolve around you all day. What kind of future could she have?” “For a girl with no sense of self like that, if you don’t speak harshly to her, she’ll never grow a backbone and walk independently.” Ms. Davis explained with a smile. “Besides, Miss Vance going abroad doesn’t necessarily mean progress. She might just be playing hard to get, learning tricks from romance novels.” “I’m a woman too; I understand these little games.” “To correct her obsession with relationships, you must maintain your distance.” Holden looked thoughtful. “But she’s never traveled far on her own before…” “Miss Vance is a junior in college; what could she possibly not know? When I graduated high school, I was younger than she is now, and I ran to a strange city for college. It’s not that difficult. Girls don’t need to be coddled so much.” Holden thought about it and realized she made sense. Elara had probably seen too few men, confusing her familial affection for him with love. It was time to let her fend for herself out there. He told Ms. Davis to cancel the flight to Italy he had just booked, and turned back to dealing with company affairs.

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I am the sole heiress of the Sterling dynasty, yet my greatest flaw, apparently, is being a woman. Everyone said the three wards my father selected and raised—my potential suitors—were the true successors. Yet, they never once looked at me with anything other than indifference. I flirted with Ethan Cole a hundred times, only to be met with countless looks of disdain. I thought he was just cold to all women, until I saw him holding the hands of the housekeeper’s daughter, Mia Banks, swearing an oath: “I only agreed to the engagement to repay the Sterling family for raising me. Once I take control of the company, I will marry you with all the glory you deserve. As long as Serena doesn’t hurt you, I’ll give her a few million to go live her life abroad.” “You are the only wife in my heart.” On the eve of the shareholders’ meeting, my father asked me to make my choice. I thought of the evasive eyes of those three men and smiled: “I’m a Sterling, after all. Marriage should be about maximizing benefits.” “I choose Adrian Hale of the Hale dynasty.” My father frowned deeply. “Adrian Hale was paralyzed in a car accident five years ago. He’s not only disabled but rumored to be incapable of intimacy. Are you sure?” …… 1 My tone was soft but firm. “In our social class, true love is a fairy tale. Since it’s all about interests, naturally, I should choose the Hale family, who offer the greatest advantage.” My father’s face was grave. “That may be true, but the three young men I raised for you… did none of them catch your eye?” Father loved Mother deeply, but she passed away from a sudden brain aneurysm the year I was born. He couldn’t bear to remarry, yet he couldn’t rest easy leaving the colossal Sterling empire in the hands of a daughter. Taking a friend’s advice, Father adopted three orphaned boys. He wrote his will early: whichever one I chose would rule the company alongside me, suppressing the other board members. Father loved me, but that didn’t conflict with his belief that a woman couldn’t hold up the sky of the Sterling empire alone. I looked at him. “Although Adrian is paralyzed and supposedly impotent, modern medicine is advanced. I can have his heir through IVF. He is the sole heir to the Hale fortune. Rather than choosing an orphan to help the Sterlings, I’d prefer a powerful ally.” Father nodded slowly. “Since those three didn’t have the skill to keep your heart, there’s no need for them to stay at Sterling Industries.” If I merely said Ethan didn’t love me, Father would have forced Ethan to his knees, questioning what right an adopted son had to refuse me. I didn’t want Father to use years of gratitude to kidnap Ethan morally, nor did I want to force a loveless marriage. Besides, Ethan’s words had already frozen my heart. A clean break was the greatest mercy I could offer. As we walked out of the office, Father shot a sideways glance at Ethan. After Ethan dutifully saw Father off, he turned to frown at me, his eyes filled with disgust. “What did you tattle about this time?” I hadn’t even spoken when Caleb Reed, standing nearby, scoffed. “Isn’t it obvious? Probably complaining that we didn’t play with her or pamper her.” Leo Pierce, the third of them, looked at me with undisguised contempt. “Serena Sterling, the era of royalty is over. Do you really think having money makes you a princess who the world must revolve around?” The three of them stood united, using sharp words to pierce me. I was genuinely puzzled. “If none of you wanted to marry me, why did you never tell my father?” Father had groomed them, yes, but he never forced them. If they had said “no,” Father would have given them a sum of money and sent them abroad to live freely. In the end, they just couldn’t let go of the wealth behind the Sterling name. Leo, the most temperamental, clicked his tongue impatiently. “Easy for you to say. You know we’re living under someone else’s roof. We’re practically dogs raised by the Sterlings. What right did we have to refuse?” Ethan looked at me with a grim expression. “If you’re going to choose me, just get it over with. I only hope you won’t make life difficult for Leo and Caleb.” 2 Hearing this, Leo and Caleb looked visibly moved. Watching Ethan’s expression of self-sacrificing martyrdom, I felt nothing but bitterness. Before I could speak, Mia Banks suddenly appeared. The moment she saw me, she shrank behind Ethan as if terrified. Ethan instinctively shielded Mia. “She didn’t do anything. Just let her go today.” I looked at them in confusion, realizing that the three men who were supposed to protect me were now forming a human wall around Mia, terrified I would bully her. Five years ago, when Mia first came to the estate, she gave me a hair clip. I reciprocated with a bracelet worth a hundred thousand dollars as a welcome gift. But the moment I opened the jewelry box, Ethan snatched it away. He shouted, “You’re trying to take the only keepsake her mother left her?” I looked at Mia, wanting her to explain that she had given it to me voluntarily. Instead, Mia suddenly burst into tears. “It wasn’t Miss Serena who took it… I gave it to her voluntarily.” “Miss Serena is very good to me. She even gave me a bracelet. I’m really not aggrieved.” She cried so pitifully that the three men, reminded of their own status as orphans, saw red. They questioned me with righteous indignation: “Even if you’re the Sterling heiress, you have no right to force someone to give up their mother’s legacy!” “The hair clip might be cheap, but its meaning is far greater than this expensive bracelet. Give it back to Mia!” “You’re as domineering as ever, only caring about your own happiness.” My face fell. Thinking it was a misunderstanding, I suppressed my anger and handed the clip back to Mia. But when she reached for it, she didn’t hold it firmly. The clip fell and shattered. She bit her lip and screamed at me: “If you’d rather destroy it than return it to me, why put on this show?” Ethan, who hated seeing the weak bullied, threatened me coldly: “Apologize to Mia right now, or don’t blame me for calling off the engagement!” Back then, I had already confessed to Ethan, telling him I wouldn’t marry anyone else. Ethan used that against me, forcing me to bow my head to Mia. I was too young and too afraid of losing the love of my life to defend myself. So I apologized. And that apology lasted for five full years. Since then, whenever Mia saw me, she acted like a mouse meeting a cat—either trembling in fear or bursting into tears. 3 But I hadn’t done anything… I looked at Ethan coldly. “If you’re so afraid I’ll bully Mia, maybe you should tie her to your belt.” Ethan frowned at my sarcasm. “Are you threatening me? What do you want to do to Mia?” Leo clapped his hands, pointing at me. “Is it because we gave the ‘Ocean of Stars’ to Mia? Are you planning to use that as an excuse to torture her?” Caleb looked at me with cold eyes. “You have everything, Serena. But no one has ever celebrated Mia’s birthday. It’s just an aquarium project. Do you have to be so petty?” My eyes turned icy. “The Ocean of Stars?” The Ocean of Stars was an underground aquarium project that started construction the year I was born. In the southeast corner, there was a massive panel of imperial green jade. Through the shimmering water, it reflected light like a cosmic galaxy. It was nearing completion six months ago. Father had given the finishing task to Ethan, intending for him to present it to me at my birthday banquet next month. But now, the gift that belonged to me had become Mia’s. My gaze landed on Ethan. He was in charge of the final phase. Without his permission, no one could enter the unopened aquarium. Ethan looked guilty under my scrutiny and turned his head away in annoyance. “Mia grew up in the countryside working for a living. She’s never seen a proper starry sky. I just wanted to grant her a wish. Besides, doesn’t the ownership still belong to you?” “Stop being unreasonable. Fine, I’ll announce our engagement at your birthday party next month. Are you satisfied now?” Looking at Ethan’s charitable expression, I almost thought I was the adopted one. Yet no one present felt anything was wrong. Instead, they felt sorry for Ethan. “Why make such a sacrifice? Serena is spoiled and vicious. Marrying her is worse than becoming a monk.” “Serena is probably dizzy with joy right now. Her wish is finally coming true.” “Sob… Ethan, please don’t ruin your life for me. I’ll kneel and beg Sister Serena. I’ll be her servant. I’ll do anything…” My throat was dry as I spat out a sentence: “I won’t marry you.” Ethan raised an eyebrow in surprise and skepticism. Leo and Caleb looked at each other, terrified I might say I wanted to marry them instead. Being so despised by the three people I grew up with… if I didn’t leave now, I wouldn’t be able to hold back my tears. 4 I turned to leave, but Mia grabbed my wrist. Her eyes were red as she begged me: “Please don’t make things hard for Ethan. The three of them were adopted by your family; they already feel inferior. If you’re angry because they gave the Ocean of Stars to me and want to tell Mr. Sterling, I’m willing to apologize.” She looked ready to make a scene, her forehead already red. Ethan helped her up with a pained expression and glared at me. “You say you won’t marry me, but you better mean it! Using retreat as an advance to bully Mia—what kind of skill is that?” “You just want to use this to complain and force Mia away, don’t you?” I looked at Ethan coldly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but rest assured, I will absolutely not choose you as my husband.” I thought Ethan would drop it, but he grabbed my hand. “If not me, who? Caleb? Leo?” “Leo loves art and needs to study abroad. Caleb yearns for freedom. Isn’t ruining me enough? You want to ruin them too?” Ethan took a deep breath. “As long as you promise not to target Mia from now on, I will marry you. Stop making a scene, okay?” His eyes were filled with exhaustion, as if I had been torturing him for ages. I looked deeply at Ethan. “Everything will be as you wish.” He was afraid I would bully Mia, and he didn’t want to marry me. Once I married Adrian Hale, all his worries would be solved. I didn’t seek Ethan out for the next month. It wasn’t until the day of my birthday banquet that he appeared with a cold face. Caleb and Leo followed him, looking equally unhappy. I frowned at my assistant. I had explicitly said that the engagement announcement today wasn’t about them, so there was no need to invite them. But the assistant shook her head frantically, signaling she didn’t know—they had come on their own. I sighed helplessly and pretended not to see them. The guests were more enthusiastic than I was, greeting the three of them warmly. “Young Mr. Cole is truly promising. The project you secured last month brought in millions, didn’t it? No wonder Miss Sterling is devoted only to you.” But I was the one who negotiated that project. Ethan just signed the papers. “Young Mr. Pierce has a temper, but he hates evil. Miss Sterling surely won’t suffer any grievances with you.” I laughed internally. Leo was the one who bullied me the most, viewing me as a viper he wished he could exterminate. “Young Mr. Reed is handsome and talented. Miss Sterling can’t go wrong choosing you.” The three of them moved through my birthday party like fish in water, acting like the hosts. I frowned, wanting to stop this farce, when all three of them suddenly looked down at their phones.

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Just because I peeled some shrimp for my husband, I was secretly filmed by Harper Sloane, a massive “feminist” influencer, and framed as a “brainless trad-wife” with no self-respect. Before I knew it, thousands of filthy comments flooded my social media. My husband, Liam, was heartbroken. He wanted to mobilize his legal team to get justice for me, but I stopped him just in time. In my past life, we did exactly that. We used the weapon of law to defend ourselves. But just as we were about to win, Harper livestreamed her suicide attempt. Instantly, public opinion flipped, and we were branded as murderers. In the end, the pressure of online mobs destroyed Liam’s law firm. His parents died of heart attacks induced by the stress. And I was pushed into oncoming traffic by one of her fanatical followers. After I died, Harper miraculously “survived,” gained six million followers, and became the queen of the livestreaming platform. Only then did I realize it was all a calculated stunt to gain clout. And she only picked me because earlier that day, the guy she liked rejected her, using me—a stranger passing by—as his excuse. When I opened my eyes again, the first thing I did was put on my best “battle armor”—a soft, hyper-feminine dress—and apply the perfect “no-makeup” makeup look. I was going to be the ultimate “fragile wife.” This time, I’m going to use her as my stepping stone to the top. …… 1 When I got home, my social media notifications were blowing up, just like in my previous life. The same filthy comments, filled with insults involving my mother. Liam was furious. He wanted his lawyers to demand justice immediately, but I stopped him. He looked confused. “Babe, this influencer, Harper Sloane, is clearly using us for clout at the expense of our reputation. Are we really going to do nothing?” I smiled and shook my head. “Of course not. But we can’t get defensive. We need to do the exact opposite.” Seeing his confusion, I threw together a compilation of clips where I looked my absolute best. In every video, my skin looked like a peeled hard-boiled egg—smooth and glowing. I looked soft, delicate, the kind of woman who triggers an immediate protective instinct. “Explaining makes us look guilty. Instead, we lean into the aesthetic. Beauty is justice. I am the ultimate Trad Wife.” Liam didn’t get it, but he trusted me. I didn’t waste time. After he left for work, I set up the best lighting, made sure I looked ethereal, and started a livestream. Because of the controversy, people flooded in. Some I didn’t know at all immediately started typing, calling me a “gold digger” and a “disgrace to women.” I didn’t get angry. I just apologized softly, constantly emphasizing that I was sorry for “embarrassing other women.” I adjusted my angle to show my best side, sniffled, and said through tears that I shouldn’t have served food to the man I loved. The aggressive comments instantly slowed down. Half the viewers lost their steam. Many started commenting, telling me not to cry, saying that peeling shrimp wasn’t a crime. Of course, there were still haters. I saw a familiar burner account spamming hate and immediately recognized it as Harper. I leaned closer to the camera, maximizing the impact of my teary eyes. Seeing the comments shift to praising my looks, I choked back a sob and read a hate comment aloud. “This… princess… I don’t know you… You can insult me… but please… don’t talk about my family…” My face, stained with tears like a flower in the rain, sparked pity. The netizens turned their fire on Harper, throwing the insults she had incited back at her. I waved my hands frantically, crying out: “Guys, please don’t be mad for me. She thinks she’s doing the right thing. If you get angry because of me, then it’s my fault.” Being this understanding made people love me even more. Countless comments flooded in, saying I wasn’t a “brainless wife,” but a soft, sweet angel. I widened my eyes, red as a rabbit’s, and pouted. 2 “Ah, thank you everyone… thank you for believing in me… To thank you, I…” I paused deliberately, looked around, then pattered away to fetch a plate of shrimp. “I like peeling shrimp for people I like… Can I peel them for you guys?” The internet was charmed. They started teasing me just to see me smile. The “Shrimp Peeling Wife” scandal had unknowingly become the stepping stone for my own traffic. One livestream, and I gained 100,000 followers. Looking at the numbers, the smile never left my face. I was so stupid in my last life. Why fight force with force? Water can float a boat, but it can also capsize it. If I used the traffic Harper sent me correctly, it would become the weapon that destroyed her. The next morning, I went viral again. Marketing accounts clipped my livestream, and I looked simply too beautiful in them. Anyone who saw me couldn’t help but follow. My DMs were filled with a few haters, but mostly girls asking how my skin was so perfect. To engage with them, I posted my first video, introducing my skincare routine. I studied medical cosmetology, and combined with my naturally good skin, the video quickly surpassed 300,000 likes. The niche skincare products I recommended sold out instantly. Seeing my purchasing power, brands started reaching out for sponsorships. I didn’t rush. I declined them for now. But to piss off Harper, I took screenshots of all the offers and posted them. Caption: [All the products I use are ones I bought myself! If I ever do a sponsored post, I promise to tell you guys. ❤️] Seeing this, Harper went insane. Her burner account went on a rampage in my comments. [You slut, it’s not enough to seduce men, now you want to steal everything else? You really look like a fox.] [Don’t get cocky. The higher you climb, the harder you fall!] [Just you wait. I will ruin you. I’ll send you and your family to hell.] … In my past life, I would have argued back. Now, I just screenshotted everything as evidence. When Harper starts to crumble, this will be the lethal blow. She was furious. She posted two videos emphasizing that my act of peeling shrimp was “self-degradation,” putting myself in a lower position for a man’s love. She also claimed my love for makeup and skincare was “serving the male gaze,” a severe form of objectification, turning myself into a tool to please men. 3 Listening to her jealousy dripping through the screen, I just found it laughable. In my past life, on International Women’s Day, she was exposed for getting a nose job at a clinic, accompanied by a sugar daddy ten years her senior. Back then, the trending topics were suddenly removed. She cried and claimed she was framed, eventually winning her fans back. It was March 5th now. Only three days left. I was going to watch her destroy herself, and then pour gasoline on the fire. But before that, I had to get close to the man she was obsessed with—her crush, Tyler. The other murderer who sent my family to our deaths. The first time I heard of this man was the day my family was ruined by Harper. I asked her why she wouldn’t let me go. She said I stole the person she loved. I explained I didn’t even know him. She paranoidly asked why, if I didn’t know Tyler, he would say I was beautiful and that if he got a girlfriend, she had to look like me. I couldn’t answer. It wasn’t until my soul was fading after death that I heard Tyler’s friend ask him why he used me as an excuse to reject Harper. “She’s insanely jealous. She hates when I say other people are prettier than her. If I reject her like that, she won’t blame me, she’ll blame the girl. And she won’t ask me to pay back the money I owe her.” His friend called him smart. I shook with rage. Just because of this random disaster, my family ended up dead or insane. The intense unwillingness to accept this fate made me want to tear that trash apart. But I could only watch as my soul dissipated. Thank God the universe gave me a second chance. This time, I wouldn’t just punish Harper; I’d drag Tyler down to hell with her. Harper fell in love with Tyler at her lowest point when he “saved” her. She spent money on him endlessly, granting his every wish. Tyler was a master manipulator. He used her money to play the rich heir outside, mixing with the wealthy crowd and sleeping with different women. Harper was too afraid he’d get mad to monitor him, obeying his every word. But now, to guard against me, she had people watching me. I was going to use that. I would deliberately appear in front of Tyler, forcing her to see who he really was. Let them destroy each other. The location was The Midnight Lounge. Tyler was known as “Young Master Tyler” here, often picking up the tab for everyone. Every night, he booked VIP Room 302. Harper knew this, but she didn’t know what Tyler actually did inside. So when I appeared at the bar, she automatically assumed I was there to seduce Tyler. Half an hour later, hearing the roar of a Porsche, I handed a red receipt to the bartender. “If anyone asks where I went, make sure to tell them Room 302.” The bartender took the tip and nodded. When Harper asked, she stormed over and kicked open the door to Room 302. 4 When the door flew open, Tyler was making out with the women next to him. Not one. Five of them. Harper had a mental breakdown. She grabbed a glass and smashed it against the sofa. Alcohol splashed everywhere. Tyler’s degenerate friends looked furious. “Tyler, where did you find this psycho? She has no manners!” “Yeah, how can we let a woman ride on our heads? If you’re this whipped, we can’t hang with you anymore!” Harper exploded at the word “psycho.” She grabbed a bottle and threw it at the man who said it. Luckily, Tyler pulled him away just in time. From a distance, recording everything, I sighed. A pity no one got seriously hurt. “Have you caused enough trouble, Harper?!” Tyler raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face, his voice cold. “If you keep acting like this, you never need to see me again.” That slap brought her back to reality. She lowered her head and apologized meekly. Tyler’s friends whistled, praising him for being a “real man” who knew how to control his woman. To regain his dignity, Tyler pushed Harper to sit next to Damon, the man she had almost hit. “Toast him. You can leave when Damon forgives you.” The woman who preached independence and female empowerment in her videos didn’t say a word. She tilted her head back and drank. After downing three full bottles, she ended up hugging the toilet, vomiting and having diarrhea. But this didn’t earn her a shred of Tyler’s sympathy. While she was passed out, he shoved her into Damon’s car. Watching the car drive away, I felt nothing. This is what she owed me. What she owed my family. I smiled coldly and anonymously sent the photos I took to Damon’s fiancée. The next day, Damon’s fiancée, Miss Cao, stormed a villa to catch the mistress. The video hit #1 on the trending list. The mistress’s face was captured clearly—it was a terrified Harper. A feminist blogger who taught women self-love and independence was exposed as a homewrecker. The irony was suffocating. The internet exploded. Her fans felt humiliated and demanded the truth like a pack of mad dogs. But Harper vanished. She didn’t dare respond. It’s a common internet tactic: assume silence will make people forget. She thought she could make a comeback after the storm passed. But she underestimated how many enemies she had made this year, and how terrible her character really was. Soon, other bloggers came out to expose her, one after another. Stories of her getting plastic surgery, stealing other people’s boyfriends, and maliciously body-shaming other influencers piled up. She stank to high heaven. I also released the screenshots of her burner account abusing me, adding “cyberbullying a civilian” to her list of sins. But she had plenty of paid bots. They flooded the comments claiming she was framed. They even listed the charity work she had done over the years. Many netizens commented: [I don’t believe someone who loves charity can be that bad.] [Exactly. We need to trust her. We refuse to tear down another woman.] [Always remember: Girls help Girls.] I scrolled through the comments, feeling a pang of sadness. The rise of feminism is already hard enough. But there are always people like her who exploit the movement for traffic.

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Jasper Thorne posted a video of me walking out of the bathroom, wrapped only in a towel, to the group chat. All the rich trust-fund babies who used to chase me were in there. And Jasper was the prettiest of them all. 【That’s Jasper for you. What’s the Ice Queen taste like? Let us have a turn?】 【Jasper sacrificed a lot for this. Seducing the valedictorian just to get revenge for his little stepsis.】 【Cold-hearted man. Telling the genius he has cancer right before Finals. I saw her eyes were red for days.】 【He’s dumping her right after graduation.】 I heard Jasper send a lazy voice memo in response. His voice sounded completely different from the pitiful act he put on in front of me. I had been skipping school frequently to stay with him at the hospital. My grades were free-falling. Jasper lay weakly in the hospital bed, pulling out a forged cancer diagnosis report, his eyes swimming with fake deep affection. “Audrey, I’m sorry. I’m dragging you down. Don’t spend any more money on my treatment.” He knew that to pay for his “medical bills,” I was already penniless. Jasper was waiting for me to give up on him. He never expected me to pull out another $50,000 in life-saving cash. The group chat pinged again: 【That bitch! What does he have besides a pretty face?! Why did Audrey fall for him!】 【Audrey sold her apartment for him! That was her mother’s only inheritance!】 【Shameless piece of trash. Holden, did you tell Audrey the truth yet?】 【WTF! Idiot! Wrong chat! Jasper is in this one! Delete it, quick!】 The messages were frantically deleted one by one. On the hospital bed, Jasper’s face turned ghostly pale. 1 Academics came easily to me. Since childhood, as long as I wanted to, I could be number one in my grade. I also inherited my mother’s good looks. Except for being poor, I had almost no flaws. In middle school, my mother married a wealthy businessman. She left me a bank card. “Don’t contact me in the future. I will deposit money for you every year.” She claimed to be single to the public. She didn’t want my existence to affect her second marriage. I felt nothing. I took her card and told everyone I was an orphan. I was born emotionally detached. My mother didn’t like me. She preferred daughters who sweetly called her “Mommy,” even if they were stepdaughters. Her social media was soon filled with photos of another girl—the businessman’s daughter from his previous marriage. Her name was Chloe Zhao. She had bright, flashy looks. My mother would half-hug her, while Chloe pouted, showing a very reluctant fake smile. For the first time, seeing someone else’s smile felt blinding to me. Life was bland and boring. My only pleasure was finding people who could stir my emotions. So, I moved. I bought a small, six-hundred-square-foot apartment in the best school district and transferred into Chloe’s high school. 2 Just as I felt when I first saw her photo, Chloe hated me on sight. She led her little clique to constantly bully me. I didn’t argue with her. I simply bailed on school the week before the critical Statewide Mock Finals. Our school had been ranked second to the crosstown rival for too long. My grades were consistently number one. The administration would never want to see me skip the test. When my homeroom teacher called, I mustered up a timid voice: “Mrs. Davis, can I change classes?” “Change classes?” The teacher quickly picked up on the wrongness in my tone. She softened her voice. “Is someone in class bothering you? Don’t be afraid, I’ll handle it for you!” I stammered, “No, no. It’s just… I don’t get along very well with the class.” I hung up the phone and put away the feigned anxiety and cowardice. I knew I had never been a good person. I always return a favor. Two days later, the teacher called me into the school. Schools have cameras. The teacher spent a whole day reviewing footage. After realizing Chloe had been targeting me, both subtly and overtly, for two months, she immediately reported it to the administration. The school took it very seriously. Chloe stood in front of the entire assembly, eyes red, choking back tears as she read her apology. She lost all face at school. From then on, she hated me venomously. “It’s all her fault! If she didn’t have good grades, the teachers wouldn’t protect her like that!” “Fake! Total pick-me!” “Holden! Speak up! Are you going to help me or not!” Outside a corner coffee shop, Chloe was crying and clinging to a guy. The guy whispered comfortingly, “Don’t cry. Jasper and I will definitely help you.” “Really?” Chloe looked up, her nose bright red from crying. “What do you want me to do?” “Find someone to ruin her reputation, then post the photos in the group chat. I want to see what right that bitch has to be arrogant then!” Chloe’s voice was poisonous. The guy was tall. He pulled her into his arms and smiled with playful cruelty. “A sheltered poor girl is worth my princess crying like this? Wait till I train her. I’ll make her crawl on the ground and lick your shoes.” 3 My boring life suddenly got a lot more interesting. For example, many people suddenly wanted to be my friend. They were all either rich or noble. “Audrey, that new Michelin star place is great. Let me take you.” Holden was in Class 11. He was 6’1″ and skilled at flirting. He was one of the people Chloe turned to for help—her cousin. He had good looks, a good family background, and loved fooling around with girls. He made his pursuit of me public. Because he was the only guy I occasionally replied to, rumors spread in class that we were dating. My teacher called us into the office. The teacher from Class 11 was sitting next to her. Holden’s teacher was a stern man. He looked coldly at Holden and said, “Focus on your studies. If your own grades are bad, don’t influence others. I’ve already called your parents. Write a 1,000-word reflection by tomorrow.” “Also, I talked to your parents yesterday. They don’t agree with you studying art. Don’t think art is a shortcut. Your art teacher told me your ideas are too chaotic and not suitable for exams.” Holden clenched his fists tightly. His teacher was rattling off like a machine gun. It was noisy. When his teacher said one more time that Holden shouldn’t affect my studies, I interrupted him. My eyes held no other emotion. “Mr. Evans, he won’t have any impact on me. I will get first place.” The Class 11 teacher choked on his words. Just as he was about to explode, my teacher blocked him like a protective mother bear. “Alright, alright, you both go out now.” 4 After that, Holden pursued me even more fiercely. He sent bags, money, and looked for various boring topics to talk about. If he were chasing my mother, it would have worked. A pity. My mother had numerous suitors in the past. I was tired of seeing these tricks long ago. I looked at Holden wearily and rejected his advances. “Your grades are too low.” Holden looked aggrieved. “Audrey, not everyone can learn as easily as you.” “But you have talent in painting.” Holden’s expression changed. The playful look dissipated, and he sat up straight. “Do you really think I have a talent for painting? The teachers all say I draw randomly and don’t follow the rules.” “Yeah.” I responded. “You don’t think it’s me being a degenerate?” He asked again. Then, he began to complain that his family wouldn’t let him touch a paintbrush and wanted to send him abroad. I interrupted him. “Okay, I’m going home.” If he were an experienced old player, he would know not to reveal his weaknesses to a woman who didn’t love him yet. He would be manipulated. “Audrey, do you want me to teach you how to paint?” Holden’s eyes were the best feature on his face—a pair of passionate peach blossom eyes. I liked beautiful things. I looked at him and said with a smile, “Your eyes are very beautiful. Teach me how to draw your eyes.” His ears turned bright red, and the hand holding the paintbrush trembled for a second. No matter how much of a player he was, he was only eighteen. Occasionally, he revealed a touch of innocence. I looked at his ears and chuckled lightly. This was the person who said he would make me kneel on the ground and lick shoes? Nothing impressive. I compared his artwork with the horrible thing I just drew and said regretfully, “It seems I don’t have talent for painting.” Holden laughed. “Audrey, you are really cute.” I put down the paintbrush. “The painting got dirty. I don’t like dirty things. The same applies to men.” Holden’s face changed. He looked into my eyes. I was looking at the new painting under his hand. The eyes in the painting were mine. Those eyes were calm, without any love or ripples. He forced a smile and left in a panic. I detected a malicious gaze. Chloe was staring fixedly at the paintbrush that had fallen on the ground. Holden treated his paintbrushes like treasures, but today he left one behind. I picked up the brush and threw it into the trash can. Maybe the person would change later. I hoped it would be more interesting.

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I saw a girl from the arts class being assaulted by a guy in a weird costume. I stepped in, saved her, and called the cops. The next day, she claimed I was the assaulter. She even said I forced her to give a false statement the day before. Later, I was taken away by the police, losing my guaranteed admission to Yale. My father, who had a disabled leg, wrote a blood letter to prove my innocence and committed suicide in front of the girl’s house. Because of insufficient evidence, I was eventually released, but I lost my Yale admission and missed the college entrance exams. My life was effectively over. I lived in a daze for six months until I saw that same girl walking hand-in-hand with the real assaulter. Filled with rage, I rushed over to confront her, asking why she repaid kindness with enmity. The assaulter shoved me, and I was hit by a speeding car. When I woke up again, I was back on the night of the incident. 1 “Don’t touch me, or I’ll scream!” “Help! Help me!” “Someone, please save me?!” I should be dead. Why could I still hear those cries for help from six months ago? In the flowerbed not far away, a man in a bizarre costume was assaulting a pitiful woman. The scene wasn’t just familiar; it was identical. I stood dazed by the roadside. A sedan flashed its hazard lights and honked, snapping me out of my trance. I quickly moved to the other side. In my past life, I saw Layla Jones from the arts class being assaulted. My sense of justice exploded, and I rushed over, throwing my backpack at the guy’s head. Clutching his head with one hand and pulling up his pants with the other, the man cursed as he left, not forgetting to threaten me: “Lucas Reed from Class 1, right? I’ll remember you. Just you wait!” It turned out to be the school bully, Brody Carter. I didn’t take his threat seriously. I took off my shirt to cover Layla, comforted her traumatized soul, and encouraged her to call the police. When I got home, I told my dad about my heroic deed. Dad had his leg broken years ago for being a Good Samaritan, but he never regretted it. He patted my shoulder with pride and said, “That’s my son. Good job.” But the next day during class, Layla brought the police to arrest me. True to her acting major, she cried her heart out, looking utterly pitiful. “Yesterday, it was Lucas Reed who assaulted me. He threatened to kill my whole family if I dared to tell anyone.” She wiped her tears, looking at me with hatred. “The worst part is he played the hero, forcing me to lie and say he saved me. He even wanted my family to present him with a banner in front of the whole school.” I felt like I’d been hit with a club, completely stunned. It wasn’t until I was taken away in the police car that I reacted. “It wasn’t me! I chased that guy away and comforted you. How can you betray me like this?” Her eyes were red as she started crying again. “A girl’s purity is the most important thing. I wouldn’t joke about this.” Everyone thought she made sense. 2 I became the rapist everyone wanted to beat. Rumors spread like wildfire, especially since almost everyone sided with her, the “vulnerable victim.” Netizens cyberbullied me and my dad. They even claimed my dad’s past act of heroism was only because he knew the kid was from a rich family and wanted a reward. I lost my guaranteed admission to Yale and was expelled from school. Dad wrote a letter in his own blood and committed suicide in front of Layla’s house. Public opinion exploded, and the heat rose. The police reopened the investigation, and I was acquitted due to lack of evidence. But no university wanted me, and more importantly, I had lost the father I depended on. I lived in a daze for six months. At the entrance of an apartment complex, I saw Layla walking hand-in-hand with Brody, the real assaulter. Filled with rage, I rushed over to confront her. “I’m just a nobody. Can I fight against the heir of the Carter Corporation?” “If I didn’t do as he said, my whole family would die. I couldn’t resist, so I had to frame you.” I screamed, “Do you know you destroyed my entire life?” “Aren’t you alive and well? So what if you went to Yale? You’d just end up working for rich people anyway.” “But my dad is dead!” She showed no remorse. “Everyone dies eventually. Earlier death just means earlier reincarnation.” Enraged, I strangled her. Brody, who hadn’t spoken, grabbed my collar. “Pauper, don’t touch my girlfriend!” He shoved me hard. I stumbled into the path of a speeding car, hit the curb, and died instantly. Hearing the cries for help nearby now, I smiled. I wouldn’t be stupid this time. 3 I arrived at the night market. Dad was serving customers at his grilled cold noodle stand. I hurried over to help. Mom died giving birth to me, and Dad never remarried. After his leg was broken, no company wanted him, and he refused help from the person he saved. He set up this stall every night to support my education. Seeing Dad’s thin, busy figure, my heart ached. In my last life, I caused your death. Not this time. I will turn things around, go to the best university, get the best job, and let you enjoy a peaceful old age. But things didn’t go exactly as I hoped. The next day at the school gate, Layla grabbed me and slapped me hard. “Why didn’t you save me last night?” I took a deep breath and slapped her back. I’m a guy, and I hit hard. She was stunned, covering her face. “You… you dare hit me back?” “I’m not a doormat. Just because you hit me doesn’t mean I have to take it.” “Why didn’t you help me yesterday?” “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Class is starting soon. Please stop bothering me.” I looked cold and distant, hugging my books and walking inside. She rushed from behind, grabbed my books, threw them on the ground, and stomped on them. “Are you in cahoots with him? Were you keeping watch for him?” “Disgusting people like you who don’t help deserve to die just like him!” I pushed her away and bent down to pick up my books. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “Because you didn’t help, my purity is ruined forever! Don’t you know you were wrong?” She vented all her frustration on me, charging like a mad bull to push me down and scratch my face. Naturally, I didn’t give her the chance. I used my hands and feet to push her away. Furious, she charged again. Passing students rushed over to separate us and called the Dean. 4 The Dean was tall, dark, and imposing. Students were terrified of him. Just standing there was enough to silence everyone. In my past life, everyone doubted me, but he was the only one who comforted my bewildered father. His sharp eyes swept over us. “What is this? The SATs are in a month. Are you trying to stop everyone from studying?” “Lucas has been guaranteed admission. What about you? You didn’t get a guarantee, and you only got an art qualification for a third-rate college. What are you making a fuss about?” Layla immediately got angry and acted aggrieved. “Dean, even though I’m an art student, I want to study hard too. You can’t cover for Lucas just because he’s going to Yale!” “Cover? I won’t cover for anyone. Come to my office and explain yourselves!” In the office, Layla embellished the story of last night. “So you mean, Lucas realized you were being assaulted but ignored it. You were resentful, so you blocked him at the school gate this morning, leading to an argument?” Layla nodded. I said, “First, I didn’t hear any cries for help. Second, even if I did and knew it was you, saving you is a kindness, not saving you is my right. Now you’re trying to morally kidnap me? Is there no justice?” Thinking of what she did in my past life, I added, “You didn’t catch the culprit, so now you’re turning around to say I’m the assaulter, right?” I wanted to block her path before she could take it. Layla’s face turned red, and she shouted, “You scumbag! How can you think of me like that? And you call yourself a top student going to Yale? You’re worse than a pig!” “No matter how angry you get, I don’t know about things I didn’t see, and I won’t admit to things I didn’t do.” Furious, she rushed over to scratch me… The Dean shouted coldly, “Enough! If you can’t clear this up, call the police! Idle hands do the devil’s work. Look at the time, act your age.” Perhaps the Dean just said it casually, but Layla’s face turned pale, her hands trembling. “If I call the police, my life is over.”

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On the day my sister, who had been missing for thirteen years, was finally found, my parents and brother, their faces beaming with joy, suddenly heard my inner thoughts. 【It’s great that Mia is finally back. It’s just a pity that Dad’s project is about to be intercepted by someone else. Should I remind Dad now?】 Mom looked at Mia with tears in her eyes, preparing to give her the family heirloom jade bracelet worth millions from her wrist. 【Sigh, once this leaves Mom’s hand, it’s gone forever. In a moment, Mia will pretend to accidentally break the jade bracelet just to test her status in Mom’s heart. What a pity for such high-quality jade.】 My brother excitedly moved to pick Mia up. I tilted my head and looked at him. 【Big brother is pitiful too. His girlfriend is currently sitting on his best friend’s lap. Tonight, when big brother gets told by his girlfriend that she’s pregnant and he’s going to be a father, I wonder if he’ll still be as happy as he is now!】 The next second, Dad’s phone rang. 1 My gaze remained fixed on my sister, as if I hadn’t noticed the stiff expressions on Dad, Mom, and my brother’s faces. Dad hesitated for two seconds before answering the phone. A moment later, his expression changed drastically. “What? Okay, I understand.” Putting down the phone, the joy on Dad’s face from Mia’s return instantly turned peculiar. Even Mom trembled as she spoke. “Honey, what’s wrong?” Dad glanced at me again and said dryly, “I just got news that the company’s key project for the first half of the year has been snatched by a rival company. It seems there’s no room to maneuver.” I shook my head, feeling a bit unbearable. 【Dad and big brother have been so busy with this project that they haven’t come home much for half a year. Now it’s all for nothing. Big brother was even mocked by the rival company’s son for a long time because of losing this project. So humiliating!】 Instantly, two gazes bore into me. I watched Mom’s hand resting on the bracelet she was about to take off, sitting casually to the side. Now, Mom was stuck, neither taking off the bracelet nor leaving it on. She just froze there. Instead, it was Mia who noticed Mom’s movement. She actually stepped forward joyfully and forcefully pulled the jade bracelet off Mom’s wrist, ignoring the flash of pain on Mom’s face. “Mom, are you giving this bracelet to me?” Mia held the bracelet intimately with two fingers, hugging Mom and acting coquettish. “When I was little, you said you would leave all your good things for me. Mom, you’re the best!” Mia didn’t see the sudden tension in Mom’s eyes and made a move to put it on. An accident happened. The jade bracelet that was just in Mia’s hand instantly fell to the ground. The bracelet that Mom cherished so much shattered into several pieces. Now, even Mom’s face couldn’t help but twitch uncontrollably. “Oh my, Mom!” Mia pouted, feigning horror. “My hand slipped and I accidentally broke it. Mom, you won’t blame me, right?” As Mia said this, a flash of smugness crossed her face, as if she was certain their love and longing for her could outweigh this jade bracelet. But when she looked up smugly, she realized the undisguised shock on Dad’s and my brother, Liam’s, faces. “Damn it!” Liam suddenly turned pale, grabbed his phone, and rushed out, seemingly making a hasty call to his girlfriend. “Mom, Dad, are you angry? Mia really didn’t mean to.” Seeing that Mom and Dad’s expressions were a bit off, Mia’s big eyes immediately misted over, and she began to apologize pitifully. 【Here we go again. I guess Mia is going to start playing the victim to Mom and Dad, saying how miserable her life was after being kidnapped… Poor Mom and Dad are so kind-hearted, giving her a huge sum of money as compensation, not knowing that Mia spent all that money on male models!】 Sure enough, the next moment, Mia’s tears began to fall uncontrollably. She delicately spoke about how much she missed Mom and Dad after being kidnapped when she was little, how she was often beaten, with scars that would never heal, and how she even had to sleep in a dog cage and eat moldy food, almost being sent to a scam park. “Mom, Dad, seeing you again makes me feel so happy!” 2 I picked at my nails absentmindedly. 【Mia is about to show off her so-called “scars” now, but those scars were all inflicted by herself just to gain sympathy.】 Mom fell for it as expected. She grabbed Mia’s wrist and carefully examined the scabbed scars, her voice trembling, “Mia, these injuries… did they do this?” Mia shrank back, her eyes flickering, but she nodded and choked out, “Yes… they beat me. They often beat me, saying I was a money-losing goods, hard to sell…” She hugged Mom tightly again. “It’s good that I’m back. Mom, I missed you so much.” I curled my lips. 【Her adoptive parents treated her better than their own. They gave her a large allowance every month, yet she bites the hand that feeds her. Disgusting. She spent all that money chasing stars.】 Mom and Dad exchanged a look, their faces grim. Dad patted Mom’s hand and stood up. “I’m going to make a call to the company.” I glanced at Dad’s back, hiding the sneer at the corner of my mouth by raising my hand to fix my hair. Only I knew that Dad wasn’t calling the company at all. He was just getting someone to investigate what had really happened to Mia all these years. Dad was such a suspicious person; how could he trust Mia without reservation like before after hearing so many inner thoughts? After Dad left, Mia performed even harder, crying about how she didn’t have enough to eat or wear and had to do a lot of work after being sent to her new family. Mom, however, was clearly not as emotional as in my past life. she just gently patted Mia’s back, comforting her somewhat perfunctorily. I watched this scene with no expression. 3 In my past life, Mia and I, both young, went out to play. I just went to buy ice cream, and my sister left with a trafficker who looked wealthy. At that time, I chased desperately but couldn’t catch up. When Mom, Dad, and Liam found out, they blamed everything on me. Even I felt like a sinner. Because of this, I endured thirteen years of torture and verbal abuse from them, living a trembling life at home, worse than a pig or dog. Until the year I turned twenty, my sister was found. As soon as she returned, she easily gained the love of the whole family, and my guilt for not watching her properly and causing her abduction was alleviated. But my sister looked at me and pointed her finger. “The reason I got lost was that my sister sold me to traffickers, saying I was the extra child in the family. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been separated from Mom, Dad, and big brother for so long. I really missed you guys!” When these words came out, my family’s faces changed instantly. They believed Mia, who had been pampered since childhood, without a doubt. They took turns slapping me and forcing me to kneel and kowtow to Mia to admit my mistake. My life afterward was even more miserable, without a single day of peace. It wasn’t until I was tortured to death that Mia triumphantly told me the reason. “It’s just my good fate! When I was little, the family was poor and I didn’t want to live a hard life, so I went with the traffickers and got a bunch of rich parents.” “It’s just a pity that they went bankrupt as soon as I became an adult. Luckily, I saw the news in the newspaper that Mom and Dad had made a fortune, so I came back. Otherwise, you would have enjoyed all the good life alone!” I didn’t expect Mia to be so scheming and vicious. I died with resentment, unexpectedly waking up reborn in the year Mia returned, and discovering that I could manipulate the content of my inner thoughts and designate who could hear them. I looked at Mia, snuggling in Mom’s arms with an unconcealable smirk, and I wanted to laugh a little too. In this life, I also want to see how Mom, Dad, and Liam will maintain their doting on Mia after seeing through her true colors! 4 When Dad finished his call and pushed the door open with an ashen face, he saw Mia crying pitifully while Mom gently patted her back to comfort her. I lowered my eyes. Seeing him like this, I knew Dad had already found out what had happened to Mia after she got lost. 【Sigh, next, Mia is going to frame me for her abduction just to get the family’s attention.】 Mia didn’t disappoint me. After Dad came in, she sobbed and spoke, “Dad, actually, when we were little, it was my sister who pushed me to the bad guys when I wasn’t looking! She said I was the extra child in the family, and you guys would be happy if I disappeared.” Mia looked up at them, her eyes red, her voice timid. “Is that really true?” If she had been a bit more observant right now, she would have noticed that Mom clearly withdrew her hand patting her back, and even Dad frowned. I shrank back, my eyes instantly turning red. Dad’s tone was heavy. “Mia, your sister couldn’t possibly do such a thing.” Mom echoed, “Yes, your sister Harper has always been a well-behaved and obedient child.” Well-behaved and obedient? I thought they didn’t know! Hearing this evaluation, I felt a wave of irony in my heart. Two lifetimes, and this was the first time I heard a compliment about me from their mouths. I thought they always called me a jinx, a scourge, a troublemaker, and really couldn’t see what kind of person I was! I sniffled and said with obvious grievance, “Mia, how can you frame me like this? It was clearly you who disliked the family being poor when we were little and deliberately left with the traffickers… What does it have to do with me?” After saying this, I subconsciously covered my mouth, as if I had accidentally spilled a secret. Mia’s face changed drastically, and she blurted out, “How did you know?!” The room instantly fell silent, and Mom and Dad’s faces turned ugly. Mia also realized she had said the wrong thing and tried to explain in panic, but only made things worse. Seeing Mom and Dad’s faces as dark as ink, Mia gritted her teeth, rolled her eyes back, and fainted directly.

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On the eve of my engagement, the wolf pup I raised with my own hands pinned me to the bed. He pulled a smile that looked innocent, but vicious words spilled from his mouth. “Uncle, if you dare to get engaged to that woman, tomorrow I’ll release our little video at the banquet.” 1 When I was twenty-two, I adopted twelve-year-old Julian Thorne. For six years, I took meticulous care of him as he grew up. If he wanted the stars, I gave him the stars; if he wanted the moon, I gave him the moon. I believed I treated him well. But on the eve of my engagement, he secretly drugged me. I watched as he skillfully set up the video camera, the black lens aimed straight at me like a bottomless well, sending a sudden chill down my spine. Born with a silver spoon in my mouth, a big shot in the elite circle of the capital, I’ve had smooth sailing all my life. I’ve never suffered such grievance. Immediately, I cursed in anger: “Julian, do you want to fucking die? I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself. Take me to the hospital right now, immediately. Otherwise, when I wake up, I’ll skin you alive, chop you up, and feed you to the dogs.” Just saying this made me short of breath. The drug was potent, burning my eyes red, not to mention the other obvious changes in my body. So my words had no deterrent effect and didn’t scare Julian at all. The corners of his mouth hooked into a faint smile. Turning a deaf ear to my threats, he turned on the camera and then walked towards me. Looking at my state, his Adam’s apple rolled a few times. He raised his hand and tugged somewhat urgently at the tie around his neck—the same tie I had personally tied for him when we tried on suits together. Julian’s voice was very low, sounding like a question, but more like stating a fact. “Uncle, even if I send you to the hospital now, you won’t let me off, right?” I have to say, Julian knows me too well. Once the drug wears off, I will immediately beat this bastard until he’s looking for his teeth all over the floor, making him regret the messy thing he did. I also regretted not seeing Julian’s abnormality earlier. If I had noticed earlier, I definitely wouldn’t have taken the glass of milk he handed me. While I was pondering, Julian had already sat on the edge of the bed. I almost scrambled back to the head of the bed in a pathetic manner, looking at him warily. I took a deep breath, suppressing the raging fire in my heart, trying to make my tone sound sincere and reliable. “This time, I mean it. As long as you take me to the hospital, I can let bygones be bygones about you drugging me.” He sneered, his tone suddenly intense: “Heh! Let bygones be bygones? Uncle, you forgot, you promised me that we would live together for the rest of our lives! You clearly said you wouldn’t find me an aunt, but you’re getting engaged tomorrow! “You lied to me first, what right do you have to say let bygones be bygones?!” Julian’s face was hideous and twisted, as if trapped in his own logical loop and unable to break free. Before I could speak, he lunged forward, grabbed my ankle, and dragged me over. I wanted to struggle, but the cool touch on my ankle made me dazed for a moment. By the time I came to my senses, I was already pinned under Julian. He pulled out his belt and firmly tied my hands to the headboard. His legs firmly suppressed my resistance. I was like fish on a chopping board, at anyone’s mercy. 2 Unwilling to give up, I continued to persuade him: “If you don’t want me to get married, Uncle won’t get married. It’s no big deal, no need to make it so ugly. Be obedient, untie the belt.” You bastard, you better untie it for me, or I will definitely whip you to death, tear your face apart, chop you into mincemeat, and throw you into the sea to feed the fish. “Too late.” Julian raised his hand to touch my face. I jerked my head to avoid it. The bed shook violently, and the ring box on the bedside table was knocked to the ground. Seeing the ring rolling on the ground, Julian suddenly went crazy. He pinched my face, leaned down fiercely, and blocked my lips. The cold and soft touch made me greedily want to take more. I rubbed the skin on the back of my hand hard. The pain gave me a moment of clarity. Then, taking advantage of his intoxicated kiss, I bit the tongue he stuck in. Julian suddenly got up, covering his mouth, staring at me. I looked at him with disdain: “You dare glare at me? Careful I don’t gouge your eyes out. Ungrateful wolf, all your education went to the dogs. Do you know what you’re doing? I’m your fucking uncle. Seriously counting, I should be considered your adoptive father. “All these years, without me, you would have been beaten to death in that dark alley like a dog long ago. It was me, I saved you, I gave you money, let you study, and this is how you fucking repay me?!” Julian covered his mouth, looking down without saying a word. I thought he found his conscience. Just as I wanted to shout for him to let me go quickly, the potent drug made my consciousness chaotic again. This was not a good sign. If this continued, I would definitely not be able to bear it and would humbly and pathetically beg that bastard. “Forget it, let’s not talk about this, you untie first… mmm…” This madman Julian kissed me again as if he didn’t know pain. I tried to bite him but failed; instead, I bit my own tongue until it bled. He kissed fiercely and aggressively, as if he wanted to swallow me whole. My desperate struggles couldn’t escape his movements of unbuttoning my clothes. Realizing that I couldn’t avoid tonight’s matter, I simply closed my eyes in resignation, only struggling one last time to negotiate with him nicely: “Turn off… the camera.” He panted heavily, his hot breath spraying on the side of my neck. He turned his head and bit me lightly. That was the common carotid artery. I felt like my lifeline was being held, instantly stiffening, daring not move. His voice was hoarse: “No.” He looked up at me, revealing an innocent smile that an eighteen-year-old should have, but his words made my hair stand on end: “Uncle, if you dare to get engaged to that woman, then tomorrow, I will release our little video at the banquet. Uncle knows what to do, right?” Do your mom! I was burning with anger, completely mad. Before I could start cursing, Julian, as if expecting it, immediately lowered his head to seal my lips, blocking all my dirty words in my throat. 3 My consciousness gradually blurred with Julian’s movements. In a trance, I saw him take my phone and dial a familiar number. I instantly sobered up and tried to snatch it. Julian’s face darkened instantly, and he slammed me back onto the bed with his hand. “Uncle.” He moved his body threateningly, and I immediately groaned. “You should know what to say, right?” The threat was strong. I knew it was best not to provoke him now. The call connected, and Claire’s cool voice came from the other end: “Damian, what’s wrong?” I cleared my throat and answered her: “Tomorrow’s engagement party might need to be canceled. I have something to deal with now, I’ll explain to you later.” There was silence on the other end for a moment, then she said: “Okay.” Julian hung up the phone with satisfaction, the expression in his eyes softening, inexplicably gentle. He leaned down and kissed the corner of my mouth, smiling: “Uncle is so good.” I gritted my teeth and ground my molars. A tiger down in the plains is bullied by dogs. It doesn’t matter. Wait until the drug wears off, I’ll see how long you can smile. You bastard, laugh all you want. When the time comes, see if I don’t break all your white teeth. Julian seemed to know what I was thinking, ingratiatingly licking my lips that were red, swollen, and hot from sucking. “Uncle, don’t be angry anymore. As long as you don’t get married, you can punish me however you want. I’ll take it gladly.” He looked at me, the look in his eyes very serious. I knew he meant it. But I also knew that after tonight, we wouldn’t be in a simple uncle-nephew relationship. Once a dog tastes meat, it will turn into a wolf, let alone a wolf pretending to be a dog? I could foresee what would happen between us. Either coaxed into bed by him or tied into bed by him, using both soft and hard tactics, using all means. I turned my head slightly, avoiding his overly passionate gaze, and didn’t answer him. My attitude completely angered Julian. He narrowed his eyes, then forcefully gripped my chin, turning my face back to look at him. His eyes were icy, and the surrounding temperature dropped instantly. We looked at each other for a long time. Suddenly, Julian laughed, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes, making me feel creepy. He lowered his head close to my ear and said sinisterly: “Uncle, still thinking about getting married, huh?” He looked like he was about to lose his mind. I knew I shouldn’t provoke him at this time, but I really didn’t want to agree with his words. Because a promise is a lifetime thing. Julian would take it seriously, just like when I promised him I wouldn’t get married, and he took it seriously. 4 At that time, Julian had just arrived at the Sterling family. At twelve years old, he had suffered a lot. His father was a gambler who disappeared after owing a huge debt. His mother remarried immediately, leaving Julian to grow up alone and helpless. The day I met him, I happened to close a big deal, successfully shutting everyone else up and becoming the head of the Sterling family. So, in a good mood, I meddled and saved Julian, who was beaten half to death for stealing money. I asked him: “Why steal money?” He was stunned for a moment, seemingly embarrassed, his face slightly red. He pursed his lips and spoke after a long time: “Because I was hungry. Restaurants don’t hire child labor, and I couldn’t beat the homeless for trash cans. I was so hungry that I couldn’t stand it, so I thought of stealing money.” I had nothing to say. Because I had never lived a hard life, I couldn’t understand. But I was in a good mood that day, so I simply took him home, treating it as a good deed for the day, accumulating some virtue for myself, striving to be born into a rich and good family in the next life. Getting along gradually, I found Julian to be very considerate. No matter how late I came back from social engagements, he would get up and thoughtfully prepare honey water for me and massage my temples. Later, a psychologist friend told me that Julian was deliberately pleasing me, probably because he had been abandoned by his parents before and was afraid of being discarded again. So, when I came home at 3 a.m. again, and Julian heard the noise and ran downstairs, I stopped him: “Don’t need you, go to sleep.” Julian’s face turned pale instantly, and tears suddenly fell in big drops, looking pitiful and fragile. I was stunned on the spot. I just thought of that friend’s words and wanted him not to deliberately please me anymore. I didn’t know if my tone was too fierce or if this kid thought of something else. Anyway, he shrank at the top of the stairs, crying pitifully. I immediately scratched my hair and walked over, patting his shoulder somewhat clumsily. I’m not good at comforting people. After racking my brains, I said to him: “Not chasing you away. You don’t need to be so cautious and cramped, nor do you need to please me. Don’t worry, as long as you do your own things well, I won’t abandon you.” He looked at me with red eyes, a hint of choking in his voice: “Then if you get married in the future and have children, will you not want me anymore? If the little aunt doesn’t like me, will you also hate me and then abandon me?” That year, I was twenty-two, just the right age for marriage. Many people who wanted to climb up to the Sterling family tried to introduce partners to me. For me, marriage or love had to be ranked after my career. Although the Sterling family was strong enough, it wasn’t without rivals. For me, the most important thing was to continuously expand the power of the Sterling family, making other families unable to catch up, making people tremble just hearing the name “Damian Sterling.” At that time, I only had a career in my eyes. Illusory things like love were not within my consideration at all. So when he asked that, to coax him and stop him from crying, I promised him: “Don’t worry, there won’t be a little aunt.” He raised his teary eyes and asked me: “Then in the future, will it be just the two of us living together?” I thought Julian was young and had been abandoned, so he lacked security. When he grew up, he naturally wouldn’t be so dependent on me, so I nodded. But I didn’t expect that after his feelings changed, this casual promise would become a sharp blade stabbing me, making even my defense seem pale and weak. I watched his face getting darker because he didn’t get an answer for a long time, chuckled lightly, and answered: “Yes.” Sure enough, Julian went crazy again. His eyes turned red with anger, and he punished me unrestrainedly all night. He didn’t let me go until the sky turned slightly white.

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