A devastating car crash ripped Ashton’s world apart, turning a brilliant future into a broken present. He tried everything – jumping, cutting, a desperate, endless search for oblivion, determined to turn himself from a broken man into nothing at all. It wasn’t until I came into his life that Ashton found a reason to live again. He threw himself into grueling physical therapy, even undergoing procedures to minimize the jagged scars on his wrists. He diligently relearned the ropes of corporate management, all because I’d once whispered, “I just want you to live, Ashton. Really live.” Everyone said I’d pulled Ashton back from the brink of death, that I *was* his life. But in the four years we’d been together, while Ashton showered me with countless treasures, he never once publicly acknowledged our relationship. Then, on our four-year anniversary, I suddenly received a call from Ashton’s friend, Liam. “Aurora, Ashton’s gone insane! He’s risking his life for a stupid badge, insisting on trying that extreme alpine skiing challenge!” My hand trembled, clutching the phone. I knew exactly what that challenge was. Rushing down an impossibly high snowy mountain – one wrong move and he could die on the spot. “Put Ashton on the phone!” But Ashton never came to the phone. The call abruptly disconnected, leaving me with a gut-wrenching sense of dread. Ignoring everything, I sped towards the ski resort. But the moment I arrived, the scene before me made my mind go completely blank. “Ashton, are you really going to get that badge for me? Won’t it be too dangerous?” A girl who looked eerily like me, a solid six or seven out of ten resemblance, stood beside Ashton. Though her words feigned concern, her clear, bright eyes betrayed her, fixated on that badge with an undeniable longing. “Wait for me.” Ashton looked at the girl, the raw affection in his eyes was so thick, so palpable, it felt like it could never melt away. That intense emotion, witnessed by me, was incredibly piercing. He was risking his life for a badge that *this* girl wanted! I rushed forward, blocking Ashton’s path. “Ashton! Your legs just barely recovered! You can’t afford another accident, don’t go!” Ashton’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly when he saw me, but in the end, he still raised a hand and pushed me away. “Don’t get in my way.” Amidst the gasps of the crowd, Ashton stepped onto the ski platform. I watched Ashton, so stubbornly set on his path, and my heart went cold, dropping like a stone. Since Ashton confessed his feelings to me four years ago, he had never dismissed my existence so completely, nor had he treated his life so recklessly. My eyes were locked on Ashton, terrified to even blink. I was so afraid something terrible would happen to him. Thankfully, Ashton had a smooth run, with only the final stretch of the cliff remaining. That’s when everything changed. Ashton’s right leg suddenly buckled. I instantly realized it was his old injury flaring up. Before anyone could even process what was happening, I broke through the safety barriers at the finish line, pounced forward, positioning myself to break Ashton’s fall. “Ugh!” I managed to break Ashton’s fall, but the combined weight of him and his equipment, along with the impact of the fall, slammed into me. A choked gasp escaped my lips, and I uncontrollably coughed up a mouthful of blood. Ashton had just started to check on me when someone hugged him from behind. “Oh, Ashton! Ashton, you were incredible!” The girl stood on her tiptoes and kissed Ashton’s cheek. I watched Ashton’s retreating figure, never coming closer to me, and then I completely passed out. In and out of consciousness, I heard voices. “Liam, you protected Seraphina in that car accident, but she abandoned you and went abroad. Now that she’s back, you’re risking your life for her again.” “You even hurt Aurora. She broke five ribs protecting you. Are you really going to abandon her and go back to Seraphina?” A heavy silence stretched between them before I heard Ashton’s voice. “My heart has always belonged to Seraphina.” “As for Aurora, she filled a void these past few years, a stand-in for Seraphina. I’ll make sure she’s compensated.” 2. “Seraphina twisted her ankle on the way here. I’m going to check on her first. As for Aurora, you guys make sure the doctors take good care of her.” When my consciousness fully returned, there was only one man visiting me in the hospital room. “Mr. Julian.” “You’re awake?” Julian handed me a glass of warm water and pressed the call button by the bed. I didn’t take the water. Every breath I took felt like steel needles piercing my lungs. I remembered the conversation I’d overheard while unconscious. Suddenly, everything clicked into place. Why, out of all the students the Pei family had sponsored, Julian had specifically picked me to get close to Ashton. I was just a substitute for Seraphina. And now, the real one was back. “Mr. Julian, Ashton doesn’t need me anymore. The person he truly loves is back.” “Our contract is up in seven days. Please arrange for me to leave then.” Julian seemed surprised by my decision to leave, but after Ashton’s callous actions, he didn’t object. “In seven days, I’ll have everything arranged for you.” I stared at the stark white ceiling, lost in thought again. Four years ago, I graduated with Julian’s sponsorship, the CEO of the Pei Group. After graduation, Julian only made one request of me. “Spend four years by my nephew’s side, help him overcome the trauma of his car accident. If you succeed, I’ll give you fifty million.” I’d heard about the accident. Months earlier, the news had reported that Ashton Pei, the young heir of the Pei family, had been in a severe car crash. He had virtually no sensation in his legs, and the doctors offered little hope for recovery. Julian had been kind to me, and fifty million was a massive reward. I had no reason to refuse. Under Julian’s arrangement, I became a nurse at the hospital where Ashton was recovering. The first time we met, a flicker of light returned to Ashton’s eyes. From that day on, Ashton began to pursue me. Whatever I desired, fame or fortune, Ashton was ready to lay it all at my feet. But whether it was jewelry worth millions, or public displays like a sea of roses that had the whole city talking, nothing moved me. It wasn’t until my fingers brushed against the jagged scars on Ashton’s wrist that I finally spoke my first wish. “Ashton, I just want you to live well.” Ashton froze for a long moment, then responded with his actions. Even when physical therapy left him sweating profusely from the pain, Ashton never gave up, because I was there by his side. In just six months, Ashton’s legs had fully recovered—it was nothing short of a medical miracle. That same day, I moved into Ashton’s mansion, and we officially became a couple. From then on, I became the key to Ashton’s compliance, his every action hinged on my word. Ashton was completely obedient and gentle with me. I believed we would be like this forever. Now, it seemed all that special treatment was only because I was Seraphina’s stand-in. Everything I received was merely a proxy for her. After Julian left, I couldn’t hold back my tears any longer. I’d fallen for my target, and that was my biggest mistake. Ashton no longer needed me, and I wouldn’t cling to him. Leaving was the best choice. I recuperated in the hospital for half a month. The day I was preparing for discharge, Ashton, who hadn’t contacted me at all, suddenly sent a message. “Come to the Cloud Terrace Hotel immediately.” Before I could even reply, a group of burly bodyguards burst into my hospital room. “Ms. Aurora, Mr. Ashton sent us to escort you.” Though they said “escort,” their actions were anything but gentle. The IV needle was violently ripped from my arm, tearing my skin and leaving a trail of blood. They forcibly dragged me into a car. 3. When we arrived at the Cloud Terrace Hotel, I realized Ashton was hosting a welcome party for Seraphina there today. Ashton saw me, still in my hospital gown, and his brow furrowed slightly. “What happened to you?” Ashton’s tone was sharp, but not directed at me. He simply saw my pale, sickly face and the bloodstains on my hand, and an inexplicable anger flared within him. The bodyguards exchanged glances, unsure how to reply, when Seraphina, who had been the center of attention, walked over. She casually linked her arm through Ashton’s. “Ashton, didn’t you say you invited Ms. Aurora here to make an announcement?” I, who had been silent, looked up at Ashton. He had ignored my physical condition, forcibly bringing me to Seraphina’s welcome party. What exactly did he want to announce? More and more guests gathered, and seeing me, who bore a striking resemblance to Seraphina, they couldn’t help but whisper. Hearing their chatter, Ashton suppressed the confusing swirl of emotions in his chest and walked over to me with Seraphina. “There have been some baseless rumors circulating about me, and I need to set the record straight.” “Aurora was merely the nurse who cared for me during my recovery. There has never been anything more than a friendship between us.” “Seraphina and I have known each other since we were kids, and our families have always intended for us to be together. You could say we’ve been unofficially engaged since childhood.” “All these years, Seraphina has been the only one I’ve been waiting for.” “Now that my fiancée is back, I don’t want her to be upset by any false rumors.” Ashton’s last sentence held a veiled threat, but I couldn’t respond. The word “friendship” completely erased any blurred lines between Ashton and me. So, all these years without a title, it was just Ashton clearing the path to openly give that title to another woman. Even calling me here today was just to “clarify” our relationship and prevent Seraphina from being upset. But in those four years, when had Ashton and I ever kept to the boundaries of “friends”? His words were like a blunt knife, slowly, agonizingly carving into my heart, leaving me raw and bleeding. My fractured ribs flared with pain again, and my face grew even paler. But no one cared about my feelings. The guests applauded enthusiastically. Amidst the applause, Seraphina, feigning emotion, flung herself into Ashton’s arms. “Ashton, thank you for waiting for me all this time.” Ashton gently wiped away Seraphina’s tears, his charming eyes gazing at her with profound affection. “My heart has always belonged to you.” I stood there, stunned, watching Ashton and Seraphina’s interaction. At some point, tears blurred my vision. The two in front of me looked so perfect together. And I was merely a witness to their happiness. Though my four years with Ashton had begun as a transaction, through our daily interactions, I had long since given him my heart. I couldn’t bear to watch another second. I turned to leave, but several strangers blocked my way. “You, a mere stand-in, occupied Seraphina’s place for so long. Letting you just walk away is too easy.” Sensing their malice, I turned to run, but they caught me anyway. They dragged me towards a less crowded area. I screamed for help, but the guests who saw me were unwilling to offend these people for my sake. Ashton, the only one who might have saved me, was engrossed in kissing Seraphina and didn’t notice the commotion. “What do you want?” “Just to teach you a little lesson, so you’ll know to stay away from Ashton.” As soon as she spoke, I was roughly shoved into a nearby pond. I struggled to surface, but they fiercely held my head down, forcing me deeper underwater. The intense pain of suffocation gradually stole my ability to fight. More and more water flooded my already injured lungs and chest. Before I completely lost consciousness, I dimly saw a figure plunge into the water, rushing desperately toward me. 4. “Cough, cough…” I awoke with a violent cough. Staring at the stark white ceiling, the antiseptic smell reminded me that I had been saved. The doctor stood nearby, a hint of pity in his eyes. “Ms. Aurora, fractured ribs, lung infection. Another incident like this, and we might not be able to save you.” I heard his words but couldn’t make a single expression. The doctor shook his head and left. Only then did I feel like I’d found my breath again. I gasped for breath, looking at the empty room, and realized I was still that unwanted orphan, utterly alone. “Did you jump in on purpose?” Ashton’s voice came from the doorway. He leaned against the doorframe, his gaze icy as it fell on me. “What?” Ashton saw my pale face and somewhat bewildered expression, and his face actually darkened further. “You knew that party was for Seraphina. After I confessed my feelings to her, you chose to ruin the party in *this* way.” Hearing Ashton’s words, I felt an incredulous surge of disbelief. I had been pushed into the water, even held down, almost drowned in that pond! And now Ashton was here accusing me of malice! “I didn’t!” “I was pushed into the water! If you don’t believe me, check the surveillance footage!” Ashton’s gaze grew even colder, laced with impatience and even more disappointment. “The surveillance around the pool conveniently broke down two days ago. I asked everyone there, and they all saw you jump into the pool willingly. What else do you have to say for yourself?” I felt like my breath was completely choked off. My face grew even paler. My fingers dug so hard into my palms, leaving deep crescents, I could almost feel the skin break. My aching lungs and fractured ribs still throbbed with relentless pain. I’d thought after four years, Ashton would trust me, even just a little. Just a little. But without evidence, Ashton still chose to believe strangers over me. Ashton’s eyes filled with increasing disappointment, already convinced my reaction was the silence of someone caught red-handed. “You ruined the party. You need to apologize to Seraphina.” I stared at Ashton, aghast. Seraphina’s friends pushed me into the water, I almost lost my life, and now I had to apologize to *Seraphina*? But in Ashton’s eyes, this was me being unrepentant. “I originally wanted to spare you some dignity. Now, it seems completely unnecessary.” Ashton let out a cold laugh. Bodyguards streamed in, and despite my struggles, they forcibly dragged me out of the hospital room. Ashton had intended to take me to Seraphina’s family to apologize, but just outside the room, he saw Seraphina in the hospital corridor. “Seraphina, why are you here?” “I had the housekeeper make some soup. I wanted to come see Ms. Aurora.” “Perfect. I was just about to bring her to you to apologize.” At Ashton’s signal, the bodyguards forced me to my knees before Seraphina. Many passing doctors, nurses, and patients in the hospital corridor stopped to watch the spectacle. My dignity was trampled into the ground. “Apologize.” As Ashton’s words fell, my forehead was pressed down hard against the floor. Pain and shame intertwined, and my tears flowed uncontrollably. The crisp thud of my forehead hitting the tiled floor echoed through the hospital corridor. Seraphina watched for a moment before finally speaking up to stop it. “Alright, alright, I don’t blame Ms. Aurora. I think what happened last night was just an accident.” Seraphina walked closer to me. The bodyguards released their hold. “Ms. Aurora, please get up.” As Seraphina moved to help me up from the floor, her heel landed squarely on the wound on my hand. 5. I cried out in agony, instinctively trying to pull my hand away. Seraphina, however, lost her balance, spilling the entire contents of her thermos of hot soup all over me. “Seraphina! Are you okay?” Ashton steadied the falling Seraphina. Seeing a splash of hot soup had reddened her hand, his eyes filled with distress. “I’m fine, it’s just Ms. Aurora…” Prompted by Seraphina, Ashton finally saw my wretched state. The skin on my neck and shoulder was scalded red, covered in large blisters. It was just a fraction of an inch away from scalding my entire face. Ashton’s breath hitched, a wave of concern churning in his chest, but he forcibly suppressed it. “I saw everything. If she hadn’t tried to push you away, the soup wouldn’t have accidentally spilled.” “She deserved it.” My tears and blood mingled, dripping onto the floor. Listening to their conversation, my heart shattered completely. I leaned against the wall, enduring the pain, and left without a word of protest. Ashton’s heart had always, from the very beginning, belonged to Seraphina. He would believe anything she said. All I could do was wait until the contract ended and leave for good. After having my burns treated at the hospital, I went to the house Ashton and I used to share. I packed up all my belongings. There were matching toothbrushes, identical towels – all couple’s items Ashton had insisted we use together. Thinking of that phrase, “she deserved it,” I expressionlessly threw them all into the trash. I opened the closet, looking at the array of gentle, feminine dresses. I suddenly felt a pang of disorientation. This wasn’t my usual style of clothing, but Ashton had always insisted on buying these kinds of dresses for me. I’d once asked him why, and Ashton had replied that these dresses suited me. Then I remembered that Seraphina always wore similar styles when she appeared. So, when Ashton bought me these clothes, did he truly think they suited me, or was he just trying to see more of Seraphina’s reflection in me? The thought flashed through my mind for a brief second, but I didn’t dwell on it. Ashton and I had no connection anymore. I also gathered every piece of jewelry Ashton had given me, from million-dollar gemstone necklaces to hundred-thousand-dollar earrings. Ashton had said these things, once given, were mine. I planned to sell them all and donate the money to orphans who, like me, had a tragic past. As I was organizing, I heard Julian’s assistant’s voice from the doorway. He hadn’t found me at the hospital, so he’d tracked me down here. “Ms. Aurora, these are the things you’ll need.” Because of Julian’s instructions, the assistant was extremely polite to me. I looked at the plane tickets and visa in his hand, a little surprised. I thought Julian would wait until the very last day to send these. “Thank you.” “Please don’t mention it. Mr. Julian instructed me that if you need anything else, just ask. This is the Pei family’s way of making amends.” “I don’t need anything else. This is enough.” I clutched the plane tickets and visa tightly. “Alright.” After clarifying the departure time and arrangements, the assistant left. I looked at the plane tickets and visa in my hand; they represented my future. The items felt heavy in my grasp, but my heart felt lighter than ever before. I finished packing and was about to leave the mansion when Ashton returned. Seeing the luggage I’d packed, his face didn’t look too good. “What are you doing?” 6. I looked at him, subtly hiding the plane ticket in my hand. “My belongings.” “After all, Seraphina is back. She wouldn’t be happy if I continued to live here, would she?” Ashton looked at my face, nodding slightly. “Hmm, you’re right.” “Seraphina is back. It’s truly not appropriate for you to stay here.” “I can find you another place.” Ashton didn’t hear my reply, finding my silence unusual. He was about to say something else when he caught sight of the plane ticket in my hand. Ashton grabbed my hand and snatched the ticket away. The ticket clearly showed the destination: France. “You’re going abroad?!” “Why are you going to France? I don’t recall you having any reason to leave the country.” I didn’t understand Ashton’s meaning. Seraphina was back, and I was leaving according to his wishes. Shouldn’t he be happy? Ashton waved the ticket, staring intently at me, almost as if he wanted to drill a hole through me with his gaze. “Ashton, Seraphina is back. Don’t you want me to leave?” My words struck a chord with Ashton, stirring up emotions he couldn’t quite sort out himself. He looked at me, then tore the ticket to shreds. “Are you doing this on purpose? Are you trying to get my attention this way?” “Aurora, I’ve already announced that Seraphina is my fiancée.” “Don’t cross that line.” I stared at the shredded ticket, my lips pressed together, unable to speak. I was truly leaving; I wasn’t playing games. “Just be good. Don’t do anything else unnecessary.” “I…” At that moment, a phone call interrupted my impending goodbye. Ashton answered the phone. After he hung up, his face darkened considerably as he looked at me. “Aurora, I warned you not to do anything else unnecessary. Why are you making things difficult for Seraphina?” I didn’t understand why Ashton’s topic had shifted so abruptly. When had I ever made things difficult for Seraphina? “What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything to her.” Ashton looked at me, his eyes full of disappointment. “Seraphina is missing right now! Seraphina’s friend said she went to meet you before she disappeared!” My heart seized in my chest as I met Ashton’s disappointed gaze. I’d been by Ashton’s side for four years; I thought he knew me, that I would never do such things. But Ashton would never believe me, just as we had never truly understood each other in those four years. “I didn’t.” “You can check the surveillance. I only came here after leaving the hospital; I haven’t seen Seraphina.” Ashton clenched my hand tightly, his eyes bloodshot. “Aurora, I’m giving you one last chance.” “Where did you take Seraphina?” I swallowed the bitterness in my heart and spoke each word clearly: “I don’t know.” “I told you, I haven’t seen her!” “You’re clearly not interested in dignity.” I was dragged to the mansion’s basement. It was dank and gloomy, filled with an array of chilling torture devices. “Ashton, what are you going to do?!” My voice was hoarse and trembling as I looked at the instruments. But Ashton merely stood coldly by the doorway, watching me. “Tell me when you’ll talk, and I’ll let you go.” The bodyguards grabbed my hair and dragged me to the center of the basement, fastening a finger vice onto my hand. “Let me go!” I struggled, and my defiance only made the bodyguards more aggressive. They yanked hard, and the vice tightened. I could feel my fingers being squeezed inch by agonizing inch. The pain was excruciating, shooting straight from my fingers to my heart. A guttural scream tore from my throat. “Ah—” “No, please, I really don’t know! I didn’t kidnap Seraphina…” 7. Wave after wave of agonized screams echoed from the basement, chilling anyone who heard them to the bone. I couldn’t understand why Ashton could treat me like this. Even without love, could he be so heartless? Ashton, meanwhile, had left the mansion as soon as he locked me in the basement, determined to find Seraphina himself. An hour later, Seraphina suddenly appeared in his office. “Ashton, look! I specially bought you a gift!” Ashton was momentarily stunned to see her. Hadn’t I kidnapped her? “Seraphina, where were you?” “Why couldn’t I reach you?” “Didn’t your friend say you were going to meet Aurora?” Ashton clutched Seraphina’s shoulders, staring at her. Seraphina seemed startled by his intensity, her eyes welling with tears, looking somewhat wronged. “I was going to meet Ms. Aurora, to ask if your preferences had changed over the years.” “But I didn’t see her at the hospital…” “Ashton, you’re hurting me.” As Seraphina spoke, a single tear fell perfectly. Ashton, seeing her tears, panicked and quickly tried to comfort her, afraid she would be upset. “I was too anxious.” “You suddenly disappeared and I couldn’t reach you. I thought you…” As he spoke, Ashton suddenly remembered me, still locked away. Ashton’s face changed slightly. He quickly called someone to release me. But the news he received was that I had been tortured unconscious in the basement. When I vaguely awoke, I was back in my room. My mind was still sluggish, unsure what had happened. I tried to raise my hand to turn on the bedside lamp, but my fingers throbbed with excruciating pain. “Ugh…” A moan of pain escaped my lips. I looked at my bandaged hand, wrapped like a mummy, and then recalled everything I had endured in the basement. In that dark, gloomy basement, I had been tormented by those bodyguards. No matter how much I cried for help, no one came to my rescue. The agony of having my fingers slowly crushed was unforgettable. I had never wished so desperately to leave that place. I couldn’t understand why Ashton could be so cruel to me. Even if it was for Seraphina, how could he inflict such torture on me without even bothering to check for evidence? My tears silently soaked into the pillow, leaving a large damp patch. I lay on my side, my back to the door. At some point, Ashton had appeared in the doorway. “Aurora.” Hearing Ashton call my name, I instinctively flinched. At some point, I had developed a physiological fear of Ashton. “This time, it’s my fault. I misunderstood you.” “There’s an auction tomorrow. I’ll send someone to pick you up.” “You’ve suffered. I’ll compensate you.” I remained with my back to him, not turning around. Ashton stood in the doorway for a long time. Seeing my unwillingness to acknowledge him, he didn’t say much more. He simply closed the door, leaving me to my space. I curled up on the bed. Ashton’s starkly contrasting attitudes confused me. He had been so cruel to me, and now suddenly he had changed. I didn’t need compensation. I just wanted my life to return to peace. The next day, Ashton still arrived on time to take me to the auction. After Ashton forcibly led me into the car, I realized it was just the two of us. I was a little dazed. Was Ashton taking me to an auction behind Seraphina’s back? “At the auction, you can have anything you want. Consider it my compensation.” Ashton glanced at my bandaged hand, a flicker of irritation in his eyes. I keenly caught the change in his expression and instinctively shrank my fingers. I lowered my head, no longer looking at Ashton. I didn’t want to see emotions I disliked in his eyes again. 8. When the car stopped, I keenly picked up the sound of high heels outside. “Ashton!” Seraphina rushed into Ashton’s arms. She leaned over, smiled, and greeted me. “Ms. Aurora, you’re here. Ashton accidentally hurt you because of me, so I specifically asked him to invite you.” “It’s all his fault. Go ahead and bid on whatever you want later. Spend his money lavishly!” So, this was all Seraphina’s doing. A hint of bitter smile touched my lips. I nodded and softly hummed in agreement. I had no choice but to agree. At the auction, there were countless precious jewels, paintings, and calligraphy, but I didn’t want any of them. I wasn’t after Ashton’s money; these things were useless to me. I spent the entire time absentmindedly, completely unaware of Ashton’s frequent glances my way. “Next is the final item of this auction.” “It’s said that those who acquire this pair of rings will be happily married until old age with their beloved.” “Starting bid, fifty million.” Hearing those words, Ashton immediately raised his paddle. “No matter the price, I’m in.” The auction ended before it even began, with Ashton’s declaration. I recognized those rings. They belonged to an elderly couple. Ashton and I had met them two years into our relationship, during a trip to the seaside. That couple had started from nothing and built their way up to become the wealthiest in the city, enduring over sixty years of ups and downs. They had never once quarreled and were deeply devoted to each other. “Aurora, I hope we can love each other until old age, just like them.” I still remembered Ashton’s sweet words to me then. At that moment, looking into Ashton’s sincere eyes, all I could hear was my own heartbeat. After the couple passed away, these rings were donated to be auctioned for charity. To me, these rings represented Ashton’s promise to me. A promise of forever. But now, I could only sit by, watching Ashton place the female ring on Seraphina’s finger. Under the gaze of everyone at the auction, he expressed his love for Seraphina. “Seraphina, the true value of this ring lies in its symbolism.” “Seraphina, I love you.” The entire room erupted in applause, celebrating Ashton’s declaration of love. My mind was filled with a ceaseless buzzing. The Ashton who had confessed his love to me under the sunset was completely gone. The man standing before me now was Ashton, deeply in love with Seraphina. The day after the auction was the last day of our contract, and my day to leave. I took nothing with me, only the new plane ticket Julian had arranged, and headed to the airport. “Aurora, where are you right now? Ashton’s going to challenge giant wave surfing! We can’t talk him out of it, come quickly!” I received a call from Ashton’s friend on my way to the airport. The other end of the line was chaotic and unclear. Before I could say another word, the call was disconnected. I couldn’t just leave Ashton to his own devices. Today was the last day, and I couldn’t breach my contract with Julian. I sent a message to Julian. “Ashton is surfing at the beach. I might arrive at the airport a little late.” After sending the message, I told the driver to change course and head to the beach. “Ashton!” As soon as I got out of the car, I saw Ashton, about to set off. The weather was bad today; the waves were churning, and the deep sea exuded a dangerous aura. I rushed to Ashton, gritting my teeth against the pain, and grabbed his arm with my injured hand. Ashton looked at me, frowning slightly. Before he could speak, I cut him off. “I know this time, you’re doing it for Seraphina again.” “But this challenge is too dangerous. I’ll go instead.” 9. Ashton’s face changed slightly, but I didn’t give him time to hesitate. I pushed him off the surfboard. I quickly and efficiently had the staff prepare safety measures for me. Ashton had never seen me so decisive. I had always been gentle and warm in front of him. This was the first time he’d seen such determination and unquestioning resolve in me. Ashton was somewhat stunned. This version of me felt strangely unfamiliar to him. Before Ashton could even react, I had already stepped onto the surfboard and was riding the waves. Ashton remembered I was still injured, and his face instantly paled. He was about to tell someone to pull me back. But Seraphina rushed from behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her head in his back, whining playfully. “Ashton, you’re so good to me!” Seraphina’s words made Ashton pause. He instinctively placed his hand on Seraphina’s arms around his waist. When he looked up again, I was already far out. It was too late to call me back. The waves out at sea were considerable. Even though I was giving it my full attention, it was still exhausting. A sharp, piercing pain in my chest – my old injury had flared up again. My head spun. By the time the pain subsided, a ten-meter-high giant wave was towering before me. There was no escaping it. I was swept under by the oncoming wave, swallowed by the seawater. Salty seawater continuously poured into my mouth. I struggled desperately but was carried further and further away by the waves. I screamed for help towards the shore, but no one seemed to notice I had been swept away by the sea. Ashton stood with his back to me, tightly embracing Seraphina. Seraphina was on her tiptoes, her head tilted up, and they looked like they were passionately kissing. Watching this scene, I realized I was on my own. I struggled to swim towards the shore. But just as I managed to fight my way to the surface, Another colossal wave crashed over my head, submerging me completely in the seawater. Ashton seemed to suddenly realize something. His heart clenched, and he abruptly turned to look at the sea. The surface was empty. There was no sign of me anywhere. Only a lone surfboard was washed back to shore by the waves. I was gone.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “298941”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn

My Obsession, His Apathy I stood outside Julian Blackwood’s bedroom door, my fingertips digging into my palms. Suppressed moans and the crisp shatter of glass filtered from inside. Pushing open the door, I saw Julian half-reclining on the bed in the dim light. His tie was loose, his shirt unbuttoned to his chest, revealing reddened skin. Sweat plastered his fringe to his forehead, his breathing was heavy, and a thick, primal desire swirled in his eyes. But the moment he looked up and saw me, those eyes instantly turned cold. “Get out.” His voice was hoarse, yet it carried an undeniable authority. I didn’t move. My voice was barely a whisper: “Uncle Julian, you’ve been drugged. I can help you…” Before I could finish, Julian seized my wrist, his grip so fierce it felt like my bones would shatter. The desire in his eyes had been replaced by fury, his voice as cold as ice: “Do you have any idea what you’re saying?” I looked up at him, my eyes red-rimmed: “I do.” “I failed to raise you properly all these years.” He released me, his tone laced with bone-deep disappointment. “You’ve gone astray, developed these disgusting fantasies.” Disgusting. The word was a knife, plunging savagely into my heart. My face went pale, as if I’d been slapped hard, my cheeks burning, yet I stubbornly refused to leave. But the next second, Julian, right in front of me, picked up a photo of Scarlett Vance. She was his first love, a stunning, graceful woman who was a globally renowned pop sensation. Julian’s gaze lingered on the photo, the coldness in his eyes gradually replaced by another emotion. His thumb gently stroked Scarlett’s face, his breathing growing heavier. I froze, watching as his other hand unbuckled his belt. The movement was practiced and controlled, as if he’d done it countless times. My heart clenched painfully. He’d rather find solace with a photo of Scarlett than touch me. Julian closed his eyes, then suddenly picked up his phone and dialed. “Scarlett, come over.” His voice was deep and tender, a tone I’d never heard him use before. He hung up, and when he looked at me again, the warmth on his face vanished instantly: “Mr. Henderson, take Miss Evans to The Vault.” I gasped, my pupils constricting: “Uncle Julian… no!” I hated the dark, I hated enclosed spaces, especially that room. My parents’ urns were kept there. But Julian was unmoved. Mr. Henderson silently gripped my wrist, dragging me towards the door at the end of the hallway. I struggled, looking back, but only saw Julian’s cold, unyielding back. “Bang!” The moment the door slammed shut, darkness swallowed everything. I curled up in the corner, trembling uncontrollably. My parents’ urns sat in the center, chilling me to the bone. Just beyond the wall, in the bedroom, violent sounds erupted. 2. The creaking of the bed, a woman’s soft moans, a man’s low gasps. Scarlett had arrived. I clamped my hands over my ears, but the sounds seeped in everywhere. I bit down hard on my lip, tears streaming silently down my face. I remembered ten years ago, when my parents died in a car crash. Everyone had pointed fingers, calling me a jinx, but Julian had taken me in, spoiling me into the city’s most celebrated little princess. Julian had been an orphan brought back by Old Master Blackwood on a whim, enduring endless cold shoulders in the Blackwood family. They were polite on the surface but called him an illegitimate child behind his back; even the servants dared to boss him around. As an adult, he’d left the Blackwood family without hesitation. He started Blackwood Enterprises from scratch, carving his own empire in the business world with the most ruthless tactics. Those who once looked down on him now needed to book an appointment months in advance just to see him. No one expected him to adopt me. When my parents died and all my relatives were busy trying to exploit me, it was he who brought this helpless little girl home. He bought me the most expensive art supplies, hired the best teachers for my painting. When I was writhing in pain from my period, he flew back overnight from abroad, personally preparing me soothing tea. When I received my first love letter, he coldly forced the boy to transfer schools, and from then on, no one dared to approach me. His control over me bordered on the pathological, yet on some nights, he would wipe away the cream from my lips with his thumb, his gaze dark and unreadable. I thought it was love. A young girl’s heart was irrevocably caught. I had been infatuated with him for ten years, confessing my feelings 999 times. Each time, Julian pushed me away harshly, punishing my foolish infatuation. Until Scarlett Vance, his first love, a pop sensation, returned to the country. Julian began to stay out frequently. When he occasionally came home, he always carried the scent of rose perfume. He stopped caring about my art exhibitions, stopped asking about my life, and even… deliberately let me hear his intimate moments with Scarlett. The first time, I fainted outright. The second time, I hid outside the door, crying until I couldn’t breathe. The third time, I stood numbly in the hallway, listening to the sounds from inside, my heart turned to ash. And now, I was locked in here, listening to the man I loved being intimate with another woman. I bit my hands until they bled, but it was barely a fraction of the agony in my heart. Night passed, and dawn broke. The door to The Vault was pushed open, and blinding light streamed in. I knelt in the corner, my face streaked with tears, my hands clamped over my ears. Julian carried Scarlett past me. Scarlett’s body was covered in bruises, and she had passed out. He didn’t spare me a single glance, walking straight to the bathroom to personally clean her. I swayed to my feet and returned to my room. From a drawer, I pulled out a diagnosis report. Stage IV stomach cancer, one month at most. I stared at the paper and suddenly smiled. “Uncle Julian, as you wished.” “I won’t cling to you anymore. Soon, I’ll leave, disappearing forever.” 3. My packing was slow. I carefully placed each art supply into the box, my fingertips tracing the paints and brushes, every single one personally chosen by Julian. Now, they would never be used again. I planned to spend my final days quietly abroad. In my next life, I never wanted to be tangled with Julian Blackwood again. I expected to cry, but my eyes were dry and aching; not a single tear would fall. My phone rang just then. “Uncle Julian” flashed on the screen, my fingers trembled slightly, but I finally pressed the answer button. “Seven tonight, The Grandview Hotel.” Julian’s voice came through the receiver, cold and devoid of warmth. “Scarlett and I are having our engagement party. You must be there.” I remained silent, my nails digging deep into my palms. Blood oozed from between my fingers, but I felt no pain. “Mia, obey.” His tone was an unyielding command. “…Okay.” I whispered my assent, then hung up. I knew I had to give up completely. The ballroom of The Grandview Hotel glittered with lights, guests smiling, chatting, and toasting one another. I stood in a corner, watching Julian, with Scarlett on his arm, walk step by step towards the central platform. Scarlett wore a vibrant red gown, radiant and beautiful, her smile so bright it seemed to illuminate the entire night. Julian was in a black suit, his expression stern. Yet, when his eyes met Scarlett’s, they softened, a rare sight. “They look so perfect together…” “Scarlett Vance waited for Julian Blackwood for so many years, and she’s finally getting her happy ending.” “I heard Julian didn’t marry all these years just to wait for her to come back.” The whispers around me drilled into my ears, every word like a blunt knife, slowly carving away at my heart. Yes, Scarlett’s love was grand and known to all. And mine? My love had to be hidden deep within, even speaking it aloud was a sin. “Mia, why are you alone over here?” A syrupy sweet voice sounded, and I looked up to see Scarlett approaching me with a glass of champagne. A victor’s smile played on her lips. “Congratulations.” I said softly, my voice so calm it felt unfamiliar even to myself. Scarlett extended the champagne to me: “Have a drink, to wish Julian and me well.” I shook my head: “I’m allergic to alcohol.” Scarlett’s smile faltered, but she wouldn’t let it go: “Just one glass, it won’t do anything. If you don’t drink it, you’d be disrespecting your future sister-in-law.” I pursed my lips, my gaze involuntarily drifting towards Julian not far away. He was surrounded by a group of guests, and he seemed to have noticed the commotion here. But he only cast a cold glance, then looked away. “Obey.” His lips formed the word silently. My heart sank heavily. He knew. He knew I was allergic to alcohol, that even a drop would quickly bring out a rash, make my breathing rapid, and could even lead to shock. But right now, he only cared about Scarlett’s mood. I smiled silently and reached for the glass. But just as my fingers touched the rim, Scarlett suddenly cried out, “Oh dear!” and stumbled backward. The massive champagne tower crashed down. Glass shattered on the floor, fragments scattering, champagne drenching me. My body was cut by the shards, blood trickling down my calves, while Scarlett merely scraped her finger. “Scarlett!” Julian noticed the commotion and rushed to Scarlett without hesitation, catching her in his arms. “How could you be so careless?” He murmured, comforting Scarlett with a tenderness I’d never heard from him. So that’s how Julian acted when he loved someone. He had always been cold towards me, never even willing to smile. A cold breeze swept through, the champagne-soaked dress clinging to my body. Many gazes, both overt and covert, were now fixed on me. Contemptuous, mocking, malicious stares poured over me. Only Julian’s was missing. He looked only at Scarlett with tender concern. The wound on my leg burned, but it was barely a fraction of the agony in my heart. I stood there, mortified, my whole body trembling slightly. Scarlett looked at Julian with feigned vulnerability, “Julian, my hand hurts so much…” Julian looked up, his gaze falling on me, his voice sharp and cold: “When did I ever teach you such vile tactics?” His expression was grim, he looked at me like a stranger: “Don’t think I didn’t see it, you pushed Scarlett just now. Drink this entire champagne tower as an atonement to Scarlett.” My pupils constricted slightly, my fingertips trembling. An entire champagne tower, dozens of glasses. If I drank it all, I probably wouldn’t survive. “Julian Blackwood, are you insane?!” My best friend, Chloe Adams, rushed over, shielding me. “She’s allergic to alcohol, it could kill her!” Julian scoffed: “I am her guardian; it’s only right for me to discipline her. Did the Adams family not teach you manners?” Chloe seemed to have her throat clutched, unable to make another sound. Julian Blackwood was untouchable in North City, his influence absolute. No one dared cross him. I pushed Chloe away, shaking my head slightly. I walked to the champagne tower, picked up the first glass, and tilted my head back, downing it in one gulp. My throat felt like it was on fire, my stomach churning. But I was expressionless, and picked up the second glass. One glass, two glasses, three glasses… My skin began to flush red, my breathing became rapid, and my vision blurred. But I didn’t stop, not until I had emptied the entire champagne tower. As I finished the last glass, my vision was already blurry, my legs gave out, and I collapsed. Before completely losing consciousness, I heard Julian Blackwood’s icy voice: “I’m so disappointed in you, Amelia Evans.” “It seems The Vault didn’t make you give up that disgusting idea.” But I no longer had the strength to argue. Darkness swallowed my consciousness, leaving only a cacophony of voices and a fading heartbeat in my ears. 4. When I woke, my head throbbed. I struggled to open my eyes, and as my vision gradually cleared, I realized I was lying in a familiar room. Julian was sitting by my bed, propping his head with one hand, eyes closed, seemingly asleep. There were obvious dark circles under his eyes, and his shirt was wrinkled, clearly indicating he hadn’t slept all night. My heart gave a sudden tremor, and a warmth surged through me. I remembered times past, when I was sick, Julian would sit by my bed just like this, never leaving my side. Memories flooded back. When I was ten, I had a high fever that wouldn’t break. Julian flew back overnight from abroad, personally feeding me medicine and coaxing me to sleep. His palm was warm and dry, gently patting my back, his voice deep and tender: “Mia, be a good girl. You’ll feel better after the medicine.” When I was fifteen, I broke my leg at school. Julian dropped all his work, picking me up and dropping me off every day, carrying me down long hallways. His back was broad and strong, and as I lay on it, listening to his heartbeat, I felt incredibly safe. These memories made my eyes well up. It was these warm memories that had me trapped, tightening the ropes, suffocating me to the point where I couldn’t imagine a world without him. A slight vibration interrupted my thoughts. Julian’s phone lay on the bedside table, its screen lit up, SnapChat messages popping up one after another. His phone was never locked, and my gaze involuntarily fell on the screen. It was Scarlett’s messages. “Julian, when are you coming back? I miss you.” “I can’t sleep without you.” “Oh, by the way, did you check on her today? How is she?” “Don’t punish her, she’s just a little girl being jealous, my hand hurts but it’s really nothing.” Her tone was self-righteously forgiving, she was unilaterally forgiving me. But she was the one who knocked over the champagne glasses. Julian had replied to every single one of her messages. Julian, who was always so busy in front of me, too busy to ever have time, could reply to Scarlett’s every message. My fingers curled slightly, my chest felt like something had sharply stabbed it. I continued to scroll down, and the last message made my blood run cold. Julian had written: “Today she dared to push you; who knows what trouble she’ll cause later. I can’t afford to be embarrassed by her.” “I’ve already decided to send her to The Horizon Academy for a few days.” Scarlett asked again: “Are you sure you want to?” This academy, disguised as a “reform school for troubled youth,” was actually a notorious facility where the elite sent their inconvenient children. Once admitted, all contact with the outside world was cut off until they were “reformed.” “If I can’t control her twisted thoughts, it’s better to let professionals handle it.” Julian’s reply was brief and cold: “I only took on this burden for the shares anyway. Just like keeping a pet cat or dog.” Scarlett offered a few half-hearted words of persuasion, and seeing that Julian was serious about sending me to the academy, she ended the conversation, satisfied. My breathing stopped. I felt as if I’d plunged into an ice cave. All the warm illusions of these years shattered in that instant, like a glass tower crashing down. They pierced me, leaving me bleeding and heartbroken. So that was it. All his kindness over the years was merely a calculation for my parents’ inheritance. He watched me grow up, only to suddenly withdraw all his tenderness. Hot and cold, always condescending. All of it because, in his eyes, I was merely a dispensable pet. 5. Tears streamed silently, my stomach churned, as if a fire was burning inside. I dug my nails into my palms, blood oozing from between my fingers, but I felt no pain. “Seen enough?” A cold voice suddenly cut through the air. Julian had woken up at some point and was staring at me with cold eyes. There was no hint of panic or guilt in his gaze, only disgust and indifference. He reached out and retrieved his phone, his movements swift and decisive. My lips trembled, I wanted to say something, but no sound came out. Julian stood up, looking down at me, his voice devoid of warmth: “I’ve done more than enough for you. Your jealousy towards Scarlett is sickening.” I finally found my voice, my throat raw as I yelled: “I didn’t set Scarlett up! I never did!” Julian scoffed, saying nothing, but his eyes were filled with cold mockery. He didn’t believe me. He never believed me. Julian turned and left, the door slamming shut, making my eardrums ache. I was alone in the room again, tears flowing like a broken dam, unstoppable. I curled up on the bed, as if to ward off the icy despair in my soul. I don’t know how much time passed. I tremblingly picked up my phone, compulsively opening Scarlett Vance’s Ins account. I used to secretly look at it; it was filled with Scarlett and Julian’s daily romance, every photo, every caption exuding sweetness and showmanship. For Scarlett’s casual remark, “I want cake from the west side of town,” Julian drove across half the city in the middle of the night to buy it. To make Scarlett smile, Julian spent a fortune at an auction, commissioning a private fireworks display for her. The internet was filled with envious comments. “Mr. Blackwood spoils Ms. Vance rotten!” “I heard Ms. Vance studied abroad back then, and Mr. Blackwood didn’t marry for years, just waiting for her.” “So sweet!!” Today, however, the comment section wasn’t praising a fairytale romance, but filled with vicious curses. They were all asking: Amelia Evans, why doesn’t she just die? My fingers trembled so violently I almost dropped the phone. I didn’t know what had happened, so I clicked on the trending topics. A glaring headline immediately caught my eye: “Blackwood Heiress Accused of Jealousy and Setting Up Scarlett Vance, On-Site Video Exposed!” It was last night’s scene. The video was cleverly shot, the angle intentionally misleading. In the footage, the moment I reached out, Scarlett stumbled backward, and the champagne tower crashed down. Anyone watching would think I had pushed her. At the same time, Scarlett posted a victim-playing message on her Ins: “I never expected something like this to happen at my engagement party… my hand is hurt, it’s so painful. But I don’t blame her, she’s still young, it was just an impulsive act.” At the end of the text, she added: “I understand a young girl’s feelings, but such affection is ultimately wrong.” The post was accompanied by a photo of her bandaged finger and a love letter. It was my naive confession to Julian when I was eighteen. He actually showed that to Scarlett. I twitched my lips, feeling only immense irony and ridicule. Even more glaring was Julian Blackwood’s comment: “I’ll handle it.” Those brief words, four of them, instantly ignited the fury of netizens. The comment section exploded. “Holy hell! She actually has *those* kinds of thoughts about her own uncle?!” “That’s disgusting, this is incest, right?!” “No wonder her parents died young, she has no upbringing!” I scrolled through my phone, my fingertips trembling over the words “twisted obsession.” I clicked on the trending topics. The hashtag #AmeliaEvansJulianBlackwood was followed by a blazing red “trending” icon. The page was filled with black and white images of me, like mocking funeral portraits. My fingers trembled as I scrolled, every comment like a knife, cutting me deeply. I tried to explain, but as soon as I typed a few words, my account was reported and banned. My private messages were filled with curses and insults. 6. I put down my phone, my stomach churning, a metallic taste rising in my throat. I bit my lip hard, swallowing the blood. The hospital room door opened, and the doctor walked in, holding my test results, his brows furrowed: “Miss Evans, your condition has worsened. Stage IV stomach cancer is already fragile, and you drank so much alcohol…” He paused. “Moreover, your depression has worsened significantly, and you need to start chemotherapy immediately. Last time, why did you ask me to keep it from Mr. Blackwood? Your current situation…” I gave a desolate laugh: “No need.” “But your family—” “What’s the point in telling him now?” I interrupted the doctor, my voice as faint as a fallen leaf. “Anyway, I’m leaving soon.” The doctor looked like he wanted to say more but finally sighed: “Chemotherapy can prolong your life…” “I don’t like chemotherapy.” I shook my head, touching my straw-like hair. “It’s too ugly. Just let it be.” The doctor gave me a helpless glance, then turned and left, as if I were already a corpse. I stayed in the hospital for a few days; no one visited except my best friend, Chloe Adams. Julian’s phone was unreachable; I even suspected I’d been blocked. Until the fifth day, Chloe called, her voice urgent: “Mia, something terrible has happened!” “Your parents’ headstone… it’s been vandalized.” My breath caught in my throat. “Those people surrounded your parents’ grave, holding protest signs, taking photos, saying they wouldn’t leave until you publicly apologized to Scarlett Vance…” She tremblingly opened her SnapChat. The hashtag #MyParentsGravesite was blazing across the trending topics. In the video, my parents’ joint headstone was defaced with red paint, “Failed Parenting” scrawled across it, and offerings to the dead were kicked and scattered. The voice on the other end of the phone blurred, leaving only a sharp buzzing in my ears. My gaze fell on the bedside table, where a family photo sat—my parents hugging a young me, all smiles. And now, where they lay buried, they couldn’t even rest in peace. I mechanically hung up the phone, slowly got out of bed, and changed into my only clean clothes. 7. As I left the hospital, the sky was so overcast it felt like it was pressing down on me. I hailed a taxi and gave the address of the cemetery. Soon, I arrived at my destination. Media vans were parked outside the cemetery gates, and a crowd of people holding up their phones gathered there, as if waiting for something. I pulled my hat low and quietly slipped in through a side entrance. From a distance, I saw the crowd. They held banners that read “Amelia Evans Apologize,” and some shouted through megaphones, their voices piercingly loud in the silent cemetery. At my parents’ grave, red paint covered the words “Jinx,” and their photos were slashed beyond recognition. Offerings lay scattered, and the flowers were trampled to pulp. I stood frozen, my legs heavy as lead, unable to take another step. My stomach twisted in pain, and cold sweat drenched my back. The crowd spotted me and instantly swarmed forward. “Bitch! You finally dared to show your face?!” “Hurry up and apologize to Scarlett Vance!” “How could your parents raise a daughter like you? They deserved to die early!” Amidst the harsh shouts, someone shoved me. I staggered backward, hitting the cold headstone, and blood immediately streamed from my forehead. I looked up at the defaced photos of my parents, and my tears finally broke free, a torrent. “Apologize!” The crowd shouted in unison, phone cameras aimed at my pale face. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. My gaze swept over the crowd, landing on a distant tree. Julian Blackwood stood there, watching coldly. My last sliver of hope completely shattered. In that moment, I suddenly laughed. I laughed until my whole body trembled, until tears streamed down my face, laughed so hard that the crowd exchanged glances, calling me “crazy.” Under everyone’s watchful eyes, I slowly knelt down. “I’m sorry…” My voice was barely audible. The crowd fell silent for a moment. I lowered my head, my fingers digging into the ground, blood seeping from under my nails. “When I was ten, my parents died in a car accident…” My voice trembled. “Before they left, they held me tight and told me not to be scared…” My tears splattered on the ground. “Mom would knit sweaters for me, Dad would secretly buy me candy… They never thought I was a jinx.” My throat tightened, as if something was blocking it. “They loved me so much… truly loved me…” Someone scoffed: “What are you doing, playing the victim? Do you think that’ll make up for what you did to Scarlett?” I didn’t look up, just continued: “If you hate me, come at me… please, don’t disturb my parents anymore… they didn’t do anything wrong…” My voice grew weaker, as if it could break off at any moment. “I’m sorry…” I suddenly raised my voice, tears mixing with blood as they flowed down. “I’m sorry!” I cried out again, my voice hoarse beyond recognition. A few scattered voices still jeered: “What a pathetic act!” “Do you think this will clear your name?” My vision began to blur, and my stomach burned. “I’m sorry…” I cried out once more, my voice utterly broken. Suddenly, I retched, a large mouthful of blood spewing out. The blood splattered on the ground, a shocking red. My body swayed, my vision spun, and I collapsed heavily. My whole body ached. In my ears, there were chaotic shouts of alarm, someone yelling “Call an ambulance,” and others scoffing, “She’s such a good actress.” My consciousness gradually faded, and before I completely sank into darkness, I seemed to see Julian Blackwood pushing through the crowd and rushing towards me. His face was filled with a panic I’d never seen before, his brows furrowed, his lips trembling as he called my name. I thought, this must be a hallucination. How could my Uncle Julian show such an expression for me? Darkness consumed me. 8. When I woke, everything was stark white. I moved my fingers with difficulty and found a needle in the back of my hand, blue-green bruising visible under the skin. The hospital room door suddenly opened, and Julian Blackwood strode in. His face was grim, and he held a piece of paper, his knuckles white from his grip. My gaze fell on the paper, and my pupils constricted sharply. It was my stomach cancer diagnosis. “What is this?” Julian’s voice was ice-cold, as he flung the paper onto the bed. The sheet fluttered lightly onto the covers, and my heart sank. I had never imagined he would find out. I had planned to leave quietly, without alarming anyone. I forced down my panic, looked up, and spoke calmly: “It’s exactly what you see.” A faint flicker of hope sparked in my heart. Perhaps he would feel sad for me for just a second? Even a momentary flicker of emotion would be enough to bring me some comfort in my final moments. However, Julian scoffed, then suddenly raised his hand and slapped me hard. “Slap!” The sharp sound echoed in the room. My face snapped to one side, a fiery pain instantly spreading across it. I froze, my ears ringing. “Still lying to me.” Julian’s voice was filled with disgust. “You’re perfectly fine. If Scarlett hadn’t specifically brought in an expert to examine you, I would have really fallen for your trick.” I felt like I’d plunged into an ice cellar, my face deathly pale. I slowly turned my head, my eyes filled with disbelief as I looked at Julian. In his eyes, I was such a liar, someone who would even use cancer to play the victim? My heart grew completely cold, and tears streamed silently down my face. A sudden metallic taste filled my throat, and I coughed violently. A mouthful of fresh blood gushed out, staining the pristine white bedspread. Julian’s pupils constricted sharply, his gaze fixed on the blood I had coughed up. Before him, I was skeletal, my face gray and withered, as if a gust of wind could scatter me. A flicker of hesitation crossed his mind, but it was quickly suppressed by reason. He thought of Scarlett. She was kind and gentle; she had donated a kidney for his illness all those years ago, waited for him for so long, and now she was being framed. He couldn’t soften because of my pathetic act. “Because of what you did at the cemetery, Scarlett’s reputation is now very poor, caught in a media storm.” Julian said coldly. “She was so depressed she wanted to commit suicide. If I hadn’t found her in time, you would have to atone for her your entire life!” My heart felt like it was being sliced by a knife. When I was being cyber-bullied, did Julian worry for me even for a second? Now that Scarlett suffered a minor grievance, he was rushing to accuse me. “I told you, I didn’t do it.” My voice was hoarse, filled with shattered despair. “You don’t believe me. Do you want me to kneel again?” Julian’s anger ignited instantly. He grabbed my wrist, his grip so strong it felt like my bones would be crushed: “Unrepentant! Just because you like me, you would frame Scarlett like this. Julian Blackwood can’t afford to be embarrassed by you!” I suddenly laughed, a desolate and desperate laugh. I violently flung his hand away, yelling with all my might: “I don’t like you! I haven’t liked you for a long time!” Julian froze. My eyes held none of the usual infatuation, only cold detachment and shattered despair. In that instant, his heart felt as if something had pierced it, but it was quickly replaced by anger. “Good, very good.” He sneered, turning towards the door and shouting, “Guards!” Two bodyguards immediately pushed open the door. “Take her to The Horizon Academy.” Julian’s voice was unquestionable. “Release her when she admits her mistake.” My breath hitched, and my body trembled uncontrollably. The Horizon Academy, that place rumored to break people, body and soul. Once inside, all contact with the outside world was severed until one was “reformed” to their liking. The bodyguards stepped forward, grabbed my arms, and roughly dragged me off the hospital bed. The IV needle was ripped out, and blood immediately welled up on the back of my hand. I didn’t struggle; I just stared fixedly at Julian, my eyes terrifyingly vacant. “Julian Blackwood.” My voice was as faint as a fallen leaf. “If one day you know the truth, will you regret it?” Julian frowned, but didn’t answer. The bodyguards dragged me out, my figure so frail it seemed I could vanish at any moment. The hospital room door slowly closed. Julian stood there, a sudden, inexplicable irritation welling up in his heart. He glanced down at the blood-stained bedsheet, his brows furrowed. A moment later, he took out his phone and dialed Scarlett Vance, his voice instantly softening: “Scarlett, it’s handled… Don’t worry, I’m here.” On the other end of the line, Scarlett’s voice was tearful: “Julian, those people online are saying such terrible things… I can’t take it anymore…” “I’ll be right there.” He forced himself to look away and strode out of the room. In the hallway, medical staff hurried past with a medicine cart, no one noticing the grim-faced man. Julian walked to the elevator, pressed the button, but the image of me coughing blood kept replaying in his mind. The elevator doors slowly closed, swallowing his figure. 9. When I was dragged into The Horizon Academy, it was already dark. The iron gate slammed shut behind me, emitting a dull clang. My wrists were roughly held by bodyguards, and I was stumbled into a pitch-black room. “Get in.” A bodyguard coldly tossed the words, then slammed the door shut. Darkness swallowed everything. I curled up in the corner, trembling uncontrollably. I didn’t know what would happen next. Footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by a blinding flashlight beam directly onto my face. “Amelia Evans?” A middle-aged man’s voice echoed, his tone filled with condescending scrutiny. I struggled to look up and saw a cold, indifferent face. It was Director Thorne, the head of the academy. “I hear you have inappropriate feelings for your uncle?” He scoffed. “Not very old, but quite bold.” I didn’t answer, just bit down hard on my lip. Seeing my silence, Director Thorne sneered and turned to the person behind him: “Take her to the Rehabilitation Chamber.” Two burly men immediately stepped forward, grabbing my arms and dragging me out. The Rehabilitation Chamber was a cramped room, its walls lined with electroshock devices and restraints. I was forced into a chair, my hands and feet firmly bound by leather straps. “First rehabilitation session, just to make you recognize reality.” Director Thorne looked down at me. I was strapped into the electroshock chair, and currents repeatedly surged through my body, the intense pain almost making me lose consciousness. Again and again, until I completely passed out. The days that followed plunged me into hell. I was confined in a sunless room, given only a bowl of watery gruel each day. If I didn’t cooperate with the “rehabilitation,” even that meager food was withheld. Once, I was so hungry I couldn’t bear it, and I trembled as I crawled towards the door, only to be kicked over by a guard. “Want food?” The guard sneered. “Crawl over here and bark like a dog.” My stomach cramped, and my vision blurred. I bit my lip hard, but eventually, driven by hunger, I slowly crawled over. “Woof…” My voice was so weak it was barely audible. The guard laughed loudly and casually tossed a piece of moldy bread onto the floor. “Eat it.” I tremblingly reached for it, but just as my fingers were about to touch it, another foot stomped hard on my hand. “Beg me.” I trembled all over from the pain, tears hitting the ground, but I stubbornly refused to speak. The guard sneered, adding more pressure. My fingers were almost crushed, but I clenched my jaw, refusing to beg. Finally, the guard released his foot, bored, and walked away, cursing. I curled up on the ground, trembling as I picked up the dust-covered bread and slowly shoved it into my mouth. My stomach churned, but I didn’t dare to vomit. Because if I threw up, I would truly have nothing left. Two weeks passed, and I was gaunt, a shadow of my former self. My eyes were vacant; no matter how much they hit or cursed me, I was like a soulless shell, unresponsive. Director Thorne finally panicked. “What’s wrong with her?” he frowned, asking his subordinate. “Don’t know, she’s been like this for two days, not eating, not drinking.” Director Thorne impatiently waved his hand: “Find someone with medical knowledge to check her.” Soon, a man in a white coat walked in. After a brief examination, his face changed. “She already has stage IV stomach cancer. Now her body has completely collapsed. I estimate… she won’t last much longer.” Director Thorne paused, then sneered: “Julian Blackwood clearly doesn’t want her. He didn’t even come to pick her up for his wedding tomorrow. He probably won’t ever think of her again.” He pondered for a moment, then waved his hand: “Give her some medicine, just don’t let her die here.” The subordinate nodded: “What about after that?” Director Thorne glanced at my dying form and said blandly: “Once Ms. Vance is satisfied, we’ll ‘take care’ of her.” Their conversation clearly reached my ears. My pupils constricted slightly, but I didn’t even have the strength for fear. They would kill me. And I didn’t even have the strength to resist. Everyone left, and the room plunged into darkness again. I curled up in the corner, freezing cold. I could no longer cough up blood, my breathing so shallow it seemed it could stop at any moment. Would I die? I hugged my head, trembling incessantly, muttering to myself: “I was wrong… I was wrong…” I didn’t know what I was wrong about, but if I didn’t admit it, those people would hit me, they wouldn’t give me food. In a daze, I seemed to feel a warm hand gently caress my hair. My body trembled, thinking it was those people. I instinctively recoiled, incoherently repeating: “I was wrong… I’m sorry…” But the voice was silent for a long time, finally sighing softly and saying to me: “Mia.” “Let me take you away.” 10. On the eve of the wedding, Scarlett Vance’s social media was practically flooded. She posted over a dozen Ins updates, each meticulously curated with photos. From the delicate lace details of her wedding dress to the dazzling facets of her diamond ring, everything announced the upcoming wedding of the century to the world. “Tomorrow, I’ll be Mrs. Blackwood, thank you for all your blessings!” The post was accompanied by a side profile of her in her custom wedding gown, the shattered diamonds on the skirt shimmering in the light. The comments section was filled with envy: “This is a true high-society wedding!” “Mr. Blackwood’s devoted husband image holds strong!” “Scarlett Vance must have saved the galaxy in her last life!” Scarlett looked at the continuously rising popularity with satisfaction, then tapped her finger and posted another update: “Our wedding will be live-streamed tomorrow. Everyone is welcome to witness our happy moment~” Meanwhile, Julian Blackwood stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, expressionlessly looking at the constant stream of notifications on his phone. For the past two weeks, he had been distracted. Marrying Scarlett was something he had planned for years, yet now that the day was truly here, he felt an inexplicable emptiness. “Julian, do you think this wedding dress looks good?” Scarlett’s voice drifted from the walk-in closet, interrupting his thoughts. Julian looked up and saw Scarlett emerge in a magnificent wedding gown, the crystals on the skirt glittering blindingly in the light. “It’s beautiful.” He replied mechanically, his gaze involuntarily drifting outside the window. In a haze, he seemed to see eighteen-year-old me. That year, I had secretly tried on his white shirt, laughing like a child who had stolen candy. “Uncle Julian, do I look good in your clothes?” The girl’s voice was clear and sweet, with a hint of playful charm. “Julian? Are you listening to me?” Scarlett frowned, displeased, and waved her hand in front of his eyes. Julian snapped back to reality, suppressing the strange emotion in his heart: “Sorry, something came up at the office.” Scarlett pouted, then turned to look in the mirror, not noticing his suddenly dark expression. Julian walked onto the balcony and lit a cigarette. In the swirling smoke, he remembered when I was fifteen, how I had secretly tried his cigarette out of curiosity and choked, tears streaming down my face. He had been furious and swatted my hand. But later that night, he had quietly gone to my room to apply medicine. The young girl, with red-rimmed eyes, had said: “Uncle Julian, I was wrong.” What had he replied then? “Mr. Blackwood, Miss Adams is here again.” Mr. Henderson’s voice interrupted his memories. Julian frowned: “Tell her to leave.” “She said…” Mr. Henderson hesitated. “If she doesn’t see you today, she’ll cause a scene with the press.” Julian’s eyes instantly turned cold. In the reception room, Chloe Adams had red eyes, and rushed towards him as soon as she saw him: “Julian Blackwood, where did you take Mia?!” “That’s none of your business.” “How can you be so heartless? You raised her yourself, you—!” Chloe’s voice almost tore. “Don’t you know she…?” “Enough!” Julian cut her off sharply. “What kind of charade are you two planning now?” Chloe stared at him, then suddenly smiled: “You’ll regret this.” Julian looked at her coldly: “I never regret anything.” Chloe left, but not before throwing one last sentence back: “You’re just banking on her loving you.” “Have you ever considered what if one day, she completely disappears and never comes back?” Julian’s heart sank suddenly. For some reason, he remembered the several missed calls he had received from a funeral home these past few days. His time was precious, and he never answered such nuisance calls. No, that’s impossible. He forced himself to calm down. It had been two weeks; Mia must have reflected enough at the academy. Tomorrow was his wedding to Scarlett, it was time to bring me out. He wanted me to witness his marriage, to completely sever those inappropriate feelings. After that, he would give me the best life, compensate me well. Julian picked up his phone and dialed his subordinate: “Go to The Horizon Academy and bring Miss Evans out. Bring her to the wedding tomorrow.” After hanging up, his phone rang again. It was that funeral home number again. Julian’s finger hovered over the answer button, but he didn’t press it. “Julian! Come try on your suit!” Scarlett called from upstairs. He ultimately did not answer that call. The next day, the wedding venue was breathtakingly luxurious. The entire hotel was booked, from the entrance to the ceremony hall, overflowing with imported roses, their scent so dense it was almost suffocating. Media stood with long lenses and microphones on either side of the red carpet, flashbulbs popping incessantly. Scarlett, linked arm-in-arm with Julian, walked down the red carpet, her radiant smile and long train trailing behind her. Julian walked beside her, his expression impassive, his gaze occasionally sweeping towards the entrance. Why hadn’t Amelia Evans arrived yet? “And now, will the bride and groom please exchange rings.” The emcee’s voice brought his thoughts back. Julian mechanically picked up the ring, just about to place it on Scarlett’s finger, when his phone rang again. It was the funeral home. This time, as if by a strange impulse, he pressed the answer button. “Mr. Blackwood, Miss Evans…” He didn’t hear the rest, because the doors of the ceremony hall were suddenly flung open. Mr. Henderson stumbled in, his face streaked with tears, clutching a small box tightly in his arms. The butler, steady as a rock for decades, now looked like a helpless child, crying so hard he could barely stand. The entire hall erupted in murmurs, and live broadcast cameras swung to capture the unexpected interruption. “Sir…” Mr. Henderson choked, barely able to form a complete sentence. “Miss Mia… she…”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “298940”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

The Mayor’s son was held captive in an abandoned slaughterhouse by a deranged killer. I had my sniper rifle set up, aiming squarely at the madman. But just as my finger hovered over the trigger, my husband, Commander David Thorne, suddenly cut the comms. “Hold your fire! Wait for Dr. Hayes to arrive for psychological negotiations!” In my past life, it happened just like this. The criminal psychology expert rushed in and spouted forty minutes of utterly useless psycho-babble at the killer. It only enraged the madman, who promptly severed one of the hostage’s ears. I couldn’t take it anymore. I shot the killer dead, and Dr. Hayes threw up and passed out on the spot. From then on, she was publicly shamed as an “incompetent expert,” her reputation in tatters, her spirit crushed. And my husband? He had me transferred to an organ trafficking unit as an undercover agent. On the night of the operation, he deliberately called my secure line. “Aren’t you always so capable, Valerie? Well, let’s see how you like being vivisected!” In my final moments, I saw him appear, arm wrapped around Dr. Hayes, his face a mask of fake grief. Reborn back to this exact moment, the killer’s blade was still pressed against the hostage’s throat. I slowly lowered my sniper rifle, a cold smirk playing on my lips. This time, let’s see how you play this out.

Dr. Hayes’ voice, soft and soothing, came through our radios, reaching every ear. It was gentle, like she was trying to calm a petulant child, not a mentally unstable kidnapper holding a blade to a man’s throat. “I understand you’re in pain right now… I understand your anger. We’ve heard your demands…” “But harming others won’t truly solve your problems. We can find a better way, together…” “Damn it!” Through my earpiece, Captain Miller, positioned on the flank, couldn’t help but snarl, his voice laced with fuming rage. “What the hell is she blabbering about? Can’t she see that bastard’s knife is practically slicing him already?!” “Command, target’s emotional state is clearly deteriorating! Negotiations ineffective! Requesting authorization to fire!” Another urgent voice cut in; it was Agent Davies, our spotter. A second of silence hung in the channel, then my husband, Commander David Thorne – our current lead – spoke, his voice unnervingly calm. “Maintain patience. Dr. Hayes is establishing trust! No one moves without my direct order!” “Trust, my ass! If we wait any longer, the hostage will be ice-cold!” The team member kept his voice low, but the fury was unmistakable. Dr. Hayes’ voice resumed, still unhurried and deliberate. “Your current actions… perhaps they are a re-enactment of childhood trauma you experienced? We can talk about it…” “Son of a bitch!” Someone in the channel couldn’t hold back a curse. The kidnapper seemed provoked by her words, roaring, his voice hoarse. “Shut up! Who the hell are you to lecture me? Keep blabbing and I’ll kill him right now!” The killer’s blade pressed another fraction of an inch into the Mayor’s son’s trembling throat. A thin line of blood snaked down. The young man let out a suppressed whimper, his pupils dilated with extreme terror. Mayor Thompson’s hoarse roar practically tore through the comms. Chaos erupted around him, filled with shouts of restraint. “David Thorne! If my son loses even a single hair, you can kiss that uniform goodbye! Shoot! Save him!” After a brief, tense silence, David’s voice finally returned. “Valerie, report target’s real-time status.” Everyone’s earpiece went quiet for a moment. Usually, in times like these, I’d give the most calm and professional assessment. It would be the basis for his decision, taking the main responsibility off his shoulders. But now… Through my high-powered scope, I watched the trembling young man. And I watched the madman, visibly growing more agitated with every word Dr. Hayes spoke. I replied, my voice steady, devoid of any ripple of emotion. “My expertise is marksmanship. I don’t analyze madmen.” “That’s a call you’ll have to make yourself, Commander.” The channel went dead silent. I could picture David’s expression right now. That usual calm mask suddenly frozen, perhaps a flicker of disbelief in his eyes. “Valerie! Watch your tone! This is an active mission!” His voice was laced with a reprimand, an attempt to regain control of the situation. I responded immediately, my tone respectful, but my words hard as iron. “Yes, Commander. My finger will not touch the trigger until you give the order.” “After all, I wouldn’t want to be responsible for disrupting Dr. Hayes’ crucial trust-building.”

Last life, my shot was clean, a headshot. The hostage was saved, Mayor Thompson was eternally grateful, and I became a hero. That life-saving act brought me a promotion and commendations, but it also became the catalyst that pushed me into hell. David couldn’t tolerate a wife who wasn’t perfectly controlled, who might even surpass him. Especially since I’d ruined the reputation of his beloved Dr. Hayes, driving her to a breakdown. So, he threw me into the dirtiest, most dangerous organ trafficking ring as an undercover agent. And then, at the critical moment of the bust, he deliberately made sure I was exposed. I still remember that last look he gave me – smug and insidious. A scream dragged me back to reality. It was Dr. Hayes. Her face was a mask of panic. “You… don’t get agitated! I’m just trying to help you! You’re making it very hard to communicate…” “Help me?” The kidnapper let out a grating, cackling laugh, then slashed viciously! “Aaah!” A shrill, distorted scream echoed through the air. The next second, a blood-soaked finger, severed and grotesque, rolled onto the ground. Mayor Thompson’s son’s left pinky finger had been cut off. He rolled his eyes, on the verge of passing out. “Lunatic, you psycho! How could you do that?!” Dr. Hayes’ scream rang out simultaneously, tearful and filled with incredulous condemnation. She’d completely lost her professional composure. “I was trying to help you! Why didn’t you listen?” Her shrieking was undoubtedly pouring fuel on the fire. The kidnapper’s facial muscles twisted frantically, as if her accusation had completely enraged him. The blood-stained blade lifted again. This time, it was aimed at the hostage’s eyes. “Help me? You send some bitch here to piss me off, are you messing with me?! I’ll gouge out his eyes right now, I swear to God!” Everyone’s blood seemed to freeze in that instant. However, the expected decisive order from Commander David Thorne for an assault or a shot never came. “Cassandra, fall back! Watch your safety!” His priority was that useless woman. Mayor Thompson’s furious roar almost shattered my eardrums. “David Thorne! My son’s hand! Do you see it?! Shoot! Kill that madman now! Or I’ll have your badge and your hide!” David’s breathing grew heavy in my earpiece. “Cassandra, immediately retreat to a safe distance!” He prioritized her safety again, then, as if forced, gritted his teeth and squeezed out the command. “Sniper team, prepare to…” “David!” Dr. Hayes’ tearful voice was full of grievance and resentment, and a certainty that bordered on delusional. “They just don’t understand, this is typical trauma response!” “Violence only escalates tragedy! What we need is empathy, to build a bridge of trust!” “Enraging him now will only make him more extreme!” She seemed to have completely forgotten who had just enraged him, leading to the finger being severed. “They’re all so mean to me… Even you don’t trust my professional judgment anymore?” She even had the nerve to whine to David. Just then, Agent Davies’ urgent voice cut in. “Commander Thorne…” “Recon just reported that the kidnapper’s feet and the surrounding area… might be rigged with explosives!”

“Bombs?!” A collective gasp echoed through the channel, and David’s breath hitched. Agent Davies’ voice was urgent and clear. “Wires extend from his feet, covering an unknown area! Direct assault carries extreme risk!” The situation instantly escalated. It had just been a hostage crisis; now it was a powder keg that could blow everyone to pieces. “Damn it…” A team member cursed under his breath, his voice filled with a sense of helplessness. Dr. Hayes seemed terrified by the news, her sobbing abruptly cut short. Only faint, startled sniffles remained. But the next second, her voice suddenly regained that irritatingly professional tone. “See… see? I told you not to provoke him!” “He lacks security, he’s extremely afraid, that’s why he’s resorting to these extreme measures for protection!” “We must first understand his inner world, establish trust and security…” “Trust your mother!” A suppressed, furious roar suddenly erupted in the channel. It was Captain Miller, positioned closest to the front. “I wanted to put a bullet in that bastard’s head earlier! And now? We’re all in a goddamn bomb crater because of this ‘psychology expert’!” “Shut up!” David barked, but his voice clearly carried a faint, almost imperceptible hint of panic. He took a deep breath. “Cassandra, continue trying to communicate, keep him calm!” “Bomb disposal team! Assess the situation! Assault team, fall back, find cover!” His orders were chaotic, both asking Dr. Hayes to engage and ordering his team to retreat. Clearly, this sudden development had thrown him off balance. Dr. Hayes, receiving her instructions, seemed infused with a supreme mission, and her voice rose a few more decibels. “You don’t really want this, do you? We can help you…” “Just release the hostage…” The kidnapper’s facial muscles twitched, his eyes wildly scanning his surroundings. His knife pressed harder against the hostage’s throat, and beads of blood began to seep out. The kidnapper’s crazed laughter abruptly stopped, replaced by the furious roar of someone thoroughly humiliated. “Understand me? Help me? You’re full of shit!” He spat, his emotions running wild. “You all act so righteous! Is there anything else in your brains besides trying to kill me?” “You send some bitch to lecture me! Do you really think I’m an idiot?” Dr. Hayes’ face paled from his yelling, and she instinctively took half a step back. But then, as if to prove something, she forced herself forward again, her voice sharp. “How can you talk like that! I’m trying to save you! Your antisocial personality…” “Go to hell with your antisocial personality!” The kidnapper suddenly kicked a rusted metal架 near him, creating a deafening clang. “Get lost! Or I’ll slit his throat right now!”

He pressed down with his wrist, and the hostage let out a choked whimper. “Aaah!” Dr. Hayes shrieked, terrified by the direct death threat, completely losing her composure. She suddenly turned towards the comms, her voice high-pitched and sharp, completely devoid of any supposed professionalism. “David! Did you hear that?! He cursed at me! He actually cursed at me like that! I was trying to help him!” “He’s utterly hopeless, a barbaric and vulgar psycho!” “You have to arrest him! Show him who’s boss!” The channel went utterly silent. Only her aggrieved, angry sobs and the kidnapper’s heavy breathing intertwined. David’s voice immediately rang out, filled with blatant favoritism and urgency. “Cassandra, evacuate immediately! Assault Team One, cover Dr. Hayes’ retreat!” His orders were clear and decisive, a stark contrast to his hesitation during the hostage crisis. Several assault team members quickly moved into position, forming a shield. They escorted Dr. Hayes rapidly back behind cover. The kidnapper watched the scene, letting out a series of mocking cackles. “Hahahaha… The little princess is upset, her bodyguards are rushing to her aid!” “Damn it! I despise you self-righteous phonies the most!” His gaze returned to the almost-paralyzed hostage, the madness in his eyes growing even more intense. “Show’s over, little lord. Looks like your life isn’t as important as a pretty expert’s whine.” He licked his dry lips, the blood-stained blade slowly moving down from the Mayor’s son’s neck towards his chest. Mayor Thompson’s roar in the comms channel had turned into a primal scream. David Thorne’s voice was taut as a wire, desperately trying to suppress the chaos. “Bomb Disposal Team! Report! How much longer??” “Complex wiring, too wide a coverage area. At least ten minutes to locate the core detonator!” “Ten minutes!” David’s voice almost broke. Dr. Hayes was practically dragged back behind the temporary command cover by the assault team members. Her hair was disheveled, tear tracks still on her face, her eyes filled with humiliation and resentment. “He dared… he dared to do that to me!” Her voice trembled as she grabbed David’s arm. “David! I can’t just let this go! He has to pay!” David’s brow furrowed. He watched the bomb disposal team’s progress while trying to calm her. “Cassandra, calm down first. It’s very dangerous here…” “No!” Dr. Hayes suddenly yanked her arm away, a flicker of madness in her eyes. “I want to take care of him myself!”

She suddenly pointed at me, where I lay ambushed not far away. “Valerie! Give me your sniper rifle!” Every team member’s breath hitched in the channel. David Thorne also froze. “Cassandra, stop it, this isn’t a joke!” “I’m not joking!” Dr. Hayes straightened her back, trying to appear professional and calm, but she couldn’t hide the tremor and excitement in her voice. “Criminal psychology also includes behavioral prediction!” “I’ve studied his micro-expressions and body language. I know what his next move will be! I’m confident I can hit him!” She looked at David, her tone wheedling. “David, tell her to assist me!” “Isn’t Valerie the best sniper? Have her help me calculate wind speed and distance.” “Working together, we can hit him before he harms the hostage!” “Nonsense!” Captain Miller couldn’t help but growl into the comms. David, however, was silent. He looked at Dr. Hayes’ stubborn, tear-stained face, his eyes filled with a blind indulgence and trust. He was actually considering it. In his mind, perhaps this was the only chance to salvage Dr. Hayes’ dignity and confidence? Or perhaps he simply couldn’t refuse any of her requests? “Valerie.” David’s voice came through the channel, carrying an undeniable command. “You will assist Dr. Hayes in the shot. She will judge the timing, and you will provide data support.” “Ensure a one-shot kill, and rescue the hostage.” The sheer absurdity almost made me laugh out loud. Me, the police department’s three-time consecutive sniping champion, to assist a psychologist who probably couldn’t even hold a rifle steady? Last life, he led me to a gruesome death. This life, he still wanted to drag everyone down with him to salvage Dr. Hayes’ ego. “Commander, I refuse.” My voice was cold as ice. David’s voice suddenly rose, laced with anger. “Valerie! That’s an order!” My words were steady, each one clear. “Dr. Hayes does not possess the qualifications of a sniper. Her emotional state is highly unstable. Allowing her to lead the shot is tantamount to murder.” “Valerie! You!” David was furious. Dr. Hayes’ sharp voice cut in, tearful and accusatory. “David! Look at her! She’s just jealous of me!” “She’s afraid that if I succeed, it’ll make her look incompetent! She doesn’t even want to save Mayor Thompson’s son!” “I don’t have time to listen to your arguments.” I cut her off coldly, my scope never leaving the target. “Commander, if you insist on Dr. Hayes taking the shot, please explain the situation to all personnel involved and to Mayor Thompson himself.” “State that Dr. Hayes is solely responsible for this shot, and all consequences will be jointly borne by you and her.” My words were like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing David’s impulse. Jointly bear the consequences. Would he dare? He wouldn’t. He knew better than anyone that Dr. Hayes couldn’t do it. He just wanted her to try. If she succeeded, it would be his credit. If she failed… he’d probably still pin it on me. Sure enough, David’s end of the channel fell into a terrifying silence. Dr. Hayes continued to whine relentlessly. “David! You promised me! Let her help me! I can do it…” “Enough!” David finally roared, his voice filled with irritation and internal struggle. Just then, Agent Davies’ urgent voice sounded again. “Commander Thorne! The kidnapper has the detonator out! He’s counting down! Ten! Nine! Eight!” The bomb disposal team’s startled cry came simultaneously. “No! Not enough time!” “Seven! Six! Five!…” Everyone’s heart was in their throat. “Four! Three!…” In that split second. “Bang!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “298939”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

I started dating Scarlett Song, known for being extremely flirtatious and having countless boyfriends. Everyone thought I was madly infatuated with her. When she skipped class to go shopping, I helped her take notes. When she flirted with other guys, I covered for her relationships. For three years, I acted as her devoted admirer, doing everything in my power to help her get into Harvard University. But right before the semester started, I was dumped. She had a haughty attitude and looked down on me, saying, “I know you’ve liked me for a long time, but all you think about is studying. Compared to Chris, you’re too boring. Let’s break up. I want to be with Chris.” Everyone was waiting to see me fall apart. I glanced at the $50 million that had appeared in my bank account and sincerely said, “Okay, congratulations.” No one knew that my unconditional pursuit of her was purely because her father had offered me so much money. Now that the money was in my account, it was naturally time for me to leave.

“He just said ‘congratulations’ after being dumped by the campus beauty?!” “He hung up in less than a minute, so quickly. Could he be going crazy from the pain?” “It doesn’t look like it. He’s too calm. It seems more like he’s been looking forward to this breakup.” As these words fell, someone cautiously glanced at Scarlett Song. She was leaning against her new boyfriend’s arms, but her beautiful face looked very angry. That person hurriedly said, “Bailey has liked Miss Song for so many years, everyone can see that. How could he not care? He must be holding it in and not saying anything!” “I bet it won’t be more than three days before he comes back begging Miss Song not to abandon him!” Scarlett Song’s gloomy face softened a bit. “If he comes back begging me, I might consider forgiving him. We’ll see what he does.” I was completely unaware of their discussion as I pulled my suitcase to the train station. Even if I had heard their mockery, I would have only responded with a cold smile. If it weren’t for my parents believing that school was useless for kids and that I should work at a construction site while I was young… If it weren’t for my college acceptance letter being torn to shreds, and me nearly being beaten to death by my alcoholic father, only to have Scarlett’s father find me at that moment and make an offer— As long as I could help Scarlett get into Harvard University, not only would he pay for my high school tuition, but he would also give me $50 million… I wouldn’t have followed behind Miss Scarlett Song, coming whenever she beckoned, doing whatever she asked without complaint, acting as her devoted admirer. For three whole years. I used every means possible to turn her from a student who failed every subject into a straight-A student, successfully getting her into Harvard University. Now that everything had been achieved, I could finally take the money and leave. How could I be heartbroken over her changing boyfriends? From the very beginning, I only wanted to struggle and fight my way out of hell, to strive for a better future for myself. Love had never had anything to do with me. After the semester started, I didn’t report to the university that had accepted me. My parents wouldn’t let me go anyway. After all, a student who could get into Harvard could earn a high salary working manual labor. If I was going to leave, I had to go further away. Over the summer months, I achieved fluency in French. I successfully applied for overseas study. As I boarded the flight to Paris, Scarlett sent me a reconciliation text, “Why did you delete all my contact information?” “Bailey, haven’t you thrown enough of a tantrum this whole summer? Even if I’m with Chris now, we can still be friends. Stop acting out and add my contact information back.” These words still carried that haughty, looking-down-on-me attitude. As if she was certain that I would return to her side like a dog wagging its tail, no matter how willful she was or how much she trampled on my feelings, just like I had for the past three years. I simply took out the SIM card, snapped it in half, and casually tossed it into the airport trash can. Along with all the humiliation, calculations, and memories I didn’t want to recall that the SIM card carried, I discarded it all. The plane flew across the sky, covering up all my past experiences. Later, I heard from a friend that Scarlett had left comments on all my previous social media platforms. The content was basically along the lines of “Haven’t you had enough?” “It’s just dating, why are you so angry?” “Hurry up and add my contact information back!” and so on. He said, “At first, Scarlett was certain you would come back to her. When you didn’t, she gradually became more and more irritated. Sometimes just mentioning your name could make her angry.” It felt like I was listening to someone else’s story. I had no thoughts about it. Using the $50 million Mr. Song had given me, I started anew in Paris. I chose a top design school. Language, culture, heavy coursework, Everything was a new challenge, but there was no Scarlett Song to please, no suffocating original family. There were only paintbrushes, drawings, and endless aspirations for the future. Several years flew by quickly. With the dual effects of talent and hard work, the clothes I designed began to show impressive results at various fashion weeks, and I won several prestigious international awards. I was also assigned as the newly appointed chief designer of Lumina, sent back to my home country to expand the North American market. On my first day back. While having lunch at the restaurant downstairs from the branch office, a hesitant voice sounded behind me: “Bailey? Is that you?” I turned around to see a somewhat familiar guy. It seemed to be Tommy Lu, who sat in front of me in high school. He stared at me with wide eyes, not hiding his up-and-down appraisal, his eyes full of amazement and disbelief. “My God! It really is you! You’ve changed so much!” Gone was the timidity and deliberately ingratiating submissiveness of high school. Time and experience had given me a calm and composed demeanor. “Long time no see.” “It really is you! What a coincidence!” Tommy Lu seemed very excited. “There happens to be a class reunion tonight, just at the restaurant upstairs. A lot of classmates are coming, including Scarlett! You must come! Everyone probably won’t recognize you!” Scarlett? This name was like a distant symbol that hadn’t appeared in my mind for a long time.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “298938”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

After summer break kicked off, my twin sister, Hazel, announced she was heading out to sea with some “hot shot” she’d met at a club, working as a yacht girl. I scrolled through my Ins feed and found a post from that exact girl, Nancy. “Tomorrow, an 18-year-old, fresh-out-of-high-school girl is joining me for a yacht trip. Dark-skinned gentlemen, reserve your spots now!” In my previous life, I was so worried about Hazel going down the wrong path that I tried everything to stop her. But she just laughed at me, calling me an old fossil, saying I deserved to be broke my whole life. I couldn’t control her, so I secretly told our parents. Hazel was grounded for the entire summer. But Nancy, that yacht girl, ended up pregnant with the CEO’s child during her gig. She transformed into a rich socialite overnight, even coming to brag in front of Hazel. Hazel went absolutely insane with jealousy, convinced I had ruined her chance. Our parents also came to hate me for losing out on a CEO as a son-in-law. They stripped me naked, tied me up, and left me on our outdoor balcony, exposed to a scorching 104-degree heat all day. I died from severe heatstroke, my organs cooked alive inside me. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day Hazel said she was going for that gig. I looked at Hazel, her eyes holding that look of pure, unadulterated stupidity, and I smiled. This time, I’ll watch you fall, becoming a toy for those “dark-skinned gentlemen” with my own eyes. ***** “Betty! I was only born three minutes after you, can you stop trying to control my life?!” Hazel’s furious, humiliated voice made me flinch violently. My consciousness snapped back. One second ago, I was on that scorching metal balcony where you could fry an egg. Now, I was in a club, every pore radiating a sense of cool comfort. I’d actually been reborn! In my previous life, after seeing Nancy’s post on Ins, I dug through her profile. That’s when I realized she operated in the gray area as a “yacht girl,” often taking on different groups of clients. And this time, it was a bunch of rough, dark-skinned men with… specific tastes. For Hazel’s safety, I tried everything to stop her from getting on that yacht. For that, she verbally abused me for two months straight. That hatred reached its peak when Nancy became the CEO’s wife. Hazel stubbornly believed she was younger and prettier than Nancy, And if she had taken that yacht girl gig, the CEO would surely have noticed her instead. She was confused, but my parents were even more clueless. To punish me, they stripped my clothes and locked me on that metal-plated balcony. It was 104 degrees Fahrenheit outside, and I was exposed to the sun all day. My internal organs were cooked through. The agony before my death sent shivers down my spine, making me tremble. “Hazel, your sister here is a straight-A student, practically drowning in scholarship funds. Of course, she wouldn’t stoop to earning money herself.” “Let me tell you, if you ditch me this time, finding another gig won’t be so easy.” Nancy’s words, half sarcastic, half threatening, rang out above my head. Hazel stamped her foot in anger. She was already jealous that I got into a top-tier university and received so many scholarships. Hearing that, she panicked. “Nancy said one yacht gig pays at least ten thousand dollars! You wouldn’t buy me a designer bag, so I’ll earn the money myself, what’s wrong with that?!” I chuckled as if I’d heard the funniest joke. Hazel wanted me to give her twenty thousand dollars from my scholarship money to buy a designer bag. But Mom and Dad had already declared that after college, Hazel would get five thousand a month for living expenses, but I wouldn’t get a single dime. That twenty thousand in scholarships was my tuition and living expenses. How could I possibly give it to her for a bag? My parents had always favored Hazel since we were little, which is why she grew up so vain, superficial, malicious, and selfish. Now that I had a second chance at life, I wouldn’t interfere with anyone else’s fate again. Thinking this, I offered Hazel a small smile. “You’re right, I was too narrow-minded. Go ahead. If you want to earn your own spending money, I really shouldn’t stop you.”

Hazel froze for a moment, then her face lit up with wild joy. The music in the club was pounding, giving me a headache, so I frowned, wanting to leave. But as soon as I stood up, Hazel and her little posse of friends pushed me back down onto the booth seat. A sharp pain shot through my shoulder as she yanked my bag off, pulling out my phone. Seeing the phone still on the recording interface, her face instantly changed. “I knew you weren’t that nice! You act all sweet in front of me, but you’re secretly recording me, planning to run home and tell Mom and Dad, aren’t you?!” I sighed. “You can delete the recording. I promise I won’t tell Mom and Dad.” In my previous life, I had indeed used that recording to convince Mom and Dad that this job wasn’t legitimate. That’s why they locked Hazel at home. But this time, I was determined to just observe, so the recording no longer mattered. Hazel quickly deleted the recording and was about to hand my phone back when Nancy snatched it away. “Your sister is so smart. They say a cunning rabbit has three burrows, she probably doesn’t just have one recording device, does she?” Hazel suddenly understood, pointing at me and cursing, demanding I hand over all recordings. I was pinned to the seat, trying my best to calmly explain to her. Hazel turned my bag inside out but didn’t find any other devices. Nancy smirked, a cold smile playing on her lips. “We have quite a few clients on the yacht who hide tiny cameras on themselves. Could it be…?” Hazel’s face instantly darkened. She pounced on me, tearing off my dress. The little tough girls nearby cheered, pulling out their phones to take pictures. “Whoa, Hazel, your sister has a banging body!” Humiliated, I desperately covered myself, an overwhelming sense of shame washing over me. It wasn’t until I was completely naked that Hazel finally snorted and let me go. “Hazel, you came to the club to meddle with me, so you brought this humiliation upon yourself!” I huddled under the table, trying to cover myself with the dress, begging them to let me leave. Nancy’s gaze lingered on my body, full of meaning, and she suddenly suggested I come along for the yacht gig too. She hesitated for a rare moment. “But… wouldn’t that be a bit much?” Nancy flashed a wide smile. “Twin yacht girls as gorgeous as you two? The price would be at least five times higher, you know.” “Besides, if she comes with us, we can make sure she won’t run back and tell tales, right?” Hazel was instantly convinced. Then, under Nancy’s direction, the tough girls force-fed me a large amount of alcohol. My limbs felt weak from the drunkenness. Nancy had Hazel and me pose for a set of sexy twin photos. “If you don’t want your family, friends, or even your future college classmates to see these photos, You’d better behave tomorrow and perform well, understand?” That idiot Hazel even seemed a little displeased. “Nancy! You said I’d be the main attraction tomorrow!” Nancy casually brushed her off, a hint of disdain in her eyes. By the time I fully sobered up, it was already late into the night. Everyone lay sprawled across the sofas, deeply asleep. Thinking of the consequences of being taken onto that yacht, I gritted my teeth and knocked over the drinks and scented candles on the table. The club room was filled with highly flammable items, and the flames quickly turned into billowing smoke. Security guards rushed in frantically with fire extinguishers. The moment the room door burst open, I crouched low and dashed out. Ignoring the roars and piercing screams behind me, I ran like mad, tearing out of the club. After running for what felt like ages, I finally reached home. Before my tensed nerves could relax, the living room lights suddenly flickered on. “Why are you back alone?! Where’s your sister?!” They seemed oblivious to my disheveled appearance, relentlessly hounding me about Hazel’s whereabouts. I was just about to speak. Dad raised his hand and viciously slapped me across the face. “Don’t tell me your sister met bad people out there! I’m telling you, Hazel *has* to go out to sea! She’s going to be the CEO’s wife…” In that instant, I confirmed that Mom and Dad had also been reborn. They showed no remorse for having caused my death. All they wanted was to send Hazel off to sea. Mom quickly nudged Dad’s arm, signaling him not to let slip. A mix of bitterness and resentment swelled in my heart. I took a deep breath and insisted I had no idea where Hazel went. They exchanged confused glances. The next second, the phone rang. A strong sense of unease rose within me. While Dad was on the phone, I quietly began to retreat towards the door. “What! You’re taking your sister to the gig tomorrow?!” “No, you can’t take her! You go alone… Dad means that kind of good fortune isn’t for your sister…” I immediately turned to run. Unexpectedly, Mom mercilessly kicked me hard in the lower back. I cried out in pain, clutching my waist as I collapsed to the floor, tears streaming down my face. After Dad hung up, he whispered a few words to Mom. Mom immediately turned and fetched a plate of peanuts. Alarm bells screamed in my head.

  “Hazel says if you two sisters go out to sea together, you can make at least fifty thousand dollars.” “This is such a rare opportunity, you wouldn’t intentionally steal your sister’s thunder, would you?” Mom’s voice was gentle as she approached me, while Dad flanked me from the other side. One of them held my body down, the other pried open my mouth, frantically stuffing peanuts into it. I struggled with all my might. “No! I… I’m allergic to peanuts… I’ll die…!” By the time I swallowed the last peanut, the final shred of kinship in my heart vanished. They knew I was deathly allergic to peanuts, which could cause anything from full-body rashes to death. The allergic reaction hit fast; I could barely breathe. I desperately clawed at Mom’s pants leg, struggling to speak: “Why… I’m your daughter too…” Mom forcefully kicked my leg away, the flash of disgust in her eyes piercing me deeply. They locked me in the room, refusing to give me medicine or water, no matter how much I begged. Only when dawn broke did Mom open the door and make me change into a swimsuit. It wasn’t until I was shoved into the back seat of the car, and Mom and Dad squeezed in after me, that I realized they actually intended to come out to sea with us. Watching them excitedly fantasize about becoming the CEO’s in-laws, I couldn’t help but turn my head, a cold sneer playing on my lips. They still didn’t know that in my past life, Nancy wasn’t actually chosen by the CEO. She got pregnant after this particular yacht trip, which attracted a group of men with peculiar tastes. She took on jobs day and night, earning a lot of money, but her body simply couldn’t handle it. So, she set her sights on Hazel, trying to trick her into working with her again. My parents and Hazel were so blinded by wealth that they couldn’t even see through such a clumsy lie. They were still dreaming of becoming the CEO’s wife. When we got out of the car, Nancy saw me covered in red rashes and frowned deeply. She furiously slapped Mom. “Who told you to mess her up like this?!” “If this ghastly appearance scares off the clients, can you afford to pay for it?!” “Either fix her, or give me back my money!” Mom and Dad were stunned by the sudden turn of events. They stammered for a long time, repeatedly promising that if I took allergy medicine, I’d recover in half an hour. After much pleading, Nancy finally agreed to let me board the extremely luxurious super yacht. Dad glanced back at me, saying haughtily, “You better behave. Once your sister marries the CEO, all this will be ours!” “Then you can drop out of college and become the CEO’s wife’s nanny. It won’t be that bad for you.” I nodded, feigning obedience. About ten minutes later, Nancy walked into the guest cabin to select the first batch of yacht girls. She looked at my still not fully subsided rashes with disgust and clicked her tongue. Ultimately, she only took Hazel and eight other young girls. After they left, only Mom, Dad, and I remained in the guest cabin. I feigned surprise, pointing at the red wine in the wine cabinet. “Oh my god, each bottle of red wine in this cabinet is at least five hundred thousand dollars!” They half-believed me, half-doubted, and spent a long time searching online. When they discovered I was telling the truth, they excitedly opened the most expensive bottles and chugged them straight from the bottle. Not long after, both of them were dead drunk. I quickly got up and left. I hadn’t gone far when Hazel’s heart-wrenching scream suddenly echoed. “No! Let me go! Waaah…!” “It’s too big… it’ll tear…!” “Nancy, save me! Ahh…!” Then came a few extremely miserable shrieks. Followed by Nancy’s nonchalant warning. “Keep it down, don’t disturb the VIPs upstairs.” The screams from inside the room instantly died down, replaced by muffled sobs. Fearing I’d be discovered, I didn’t pause and continued quietly walking towards the upper deck. In my previous life, I had seen some incredibly revealing comments under Nancy’s Ins post. “Hope this batch is more durable; they sent a lot of people to the hospital last time.” “Some guys are kinky, they like older women, can you arrange that too?” “Treat these dark-skinned bodyguards well, and you’ll be rewarded handsomely.” Unfortunately, she deleted that post just a few minutes after posting it. When we boarded, Nancy specifically instructed us to only move around on the yacht’s lower deck and not go to the third floor or higher. After that, over a dozen dark-skinned men dressed as bodyguards entered the lower deck. These yacht girls were just “appetizers” to distract the bodyguards. The real VIPs were on the top deck of the yacht. Just as I was about to step onto the third floor, I heard Mom’s incoherent cries for help from below, along with the lewd laughter of men with exaggerated accents. I didn’t look back and continued upward. I just wanted to find a safe place to hide until the ship docked, then leave. But the moment I stepped onto the third deck, the scene before me nearly scared me out of my wits: A tall man raised a pistol at another person. “Bang,” the suppressed gunshot was barely a whisper, and the man dropped. “Bang,” a second shot, and a bullet whizzed past my arm. I instantly froze, my limbs rigid with terror. The man who fired the gun was none other than Mike Peter, the CEO! The true owner of this yacht! Oh no, am I about to be silenced…? But when Mike Peter saw my face clearly, his pupils instantly dilated. He staggered and lunged towards me. I was already rigid with fear, so he just turned my head, revealing the red mole behind my ear. After a long moment, he embraced me, tears streaming down his face. “I’m so sorry, daughter, Dad scared you…”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “398286”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #Rebirth #FamilyDrama #FalseIdentity #Revenge #PoortoRich

After I got pregnant, my husband, a notorious playboy, utterly transformed. He not only cut off all his flirtations but also showered me with affection. Until one day before my due date, I accidentally overheard him talking to his buddy, Jake. “Michael, that young woman you’ve been sponsoring, is she still bothering you? She’s younger and prettier than your wife. Don’t you feel anything for her?” Michael scoffed, a sneer twisting his face. “What is she? She’s not even fit to shine my wife’s shoes. I’m just doing something good to earn some good karma for my wife. The sooner she’s gone, the better.” A wave of sweetness swelled in my heart. I thought I’d finally found true happiness. But who would’ve thought? The very next day, as I was on my way to the hospital, that girl drove her car straight into us. She held a terminal diagnosis in her hand, tears streaming down her face, unable to stop them. “Michael, I don’t have much time left. If you won’t have me, are you forcing me to die to finally feel at peace?!” I was already bleeding, kneeling in the car, begging Michael to rush me to the hospital. But he ruthlessly kicked me away and locked the car doors. “Get out! If Novia gets hurt, neither you nor the baby in your Belly will live!” I was trapped in the car for an entire day and night. By the time someone found me and pulled me out, my baby’s heartbeat was gone. At my lowest, Michael actually called. “Let’s get divorced first. Novia’s condition can’t wait. I need to take her abroad for treatment as her husband.” Tears streaming down my face, I agreed to his demand. I clutched my baby’s ashes and left that heartbreaking place. Five years later, I was living in a remote fishing village, scavenging for junk to survive. I never expected to see Michael again. His gaze fell on my three-year-old daughter in my arms, and his eyes actually reddened. “Didn’t I tell you to wait for me at home? And what do you do? You’re out here picking up trash with my daughter! Look how thin she is! Are you even fit to be a mother?” ***** “A five-year-old kid is so thin. Elma Pollitt, how exactly do you take care of her as a mother?” “I thought you were so principled, not contacting me for five years. Turns out you’re just out here picking up trash with the kid, huh? Don’t tell me you knew I was coming for an inspection today and decided to put on this show for me?” My little daughter was in my arms, and my mind went blank, being yelled at by the man who’d suddenly appeared. It took me a while to realize who he was. It was Michael Dryden, my ex-husband from five years ago. And the woman clinging to his arm, dressed in designer clothes, was none other than Novia Camilla, the young woman he’d sponsored back then. Seeing them so intimate, I instinctively hugged my daughter tighter. My mind spun, memories dragging me back five years. Back then, I’d just gotten pregnant. Michael, who was always cold and distant, suddenly started sponsoring a high school girl from an orphanage and even let her move into our home. The first time I saw Novia, pale and in worn-out clothes, my heart softened. Even with my baby bump, I cooked her nutritious meals. I’d stay up late, helping her with her studies, tutoring her often. Under my care, Novia brightened up significantly, smiling more often. Her grades skyrocketed from last in class to first in her grade, and she eventually got into a prestigious university. But I never imagined that the first thing she’d do after turning eighteen was to hook up with Michael, betraying me! Seeing that I hadn’t spoken, Michael’s eyes fell on my daughter. His brows furrowed, and he said with clear dissatisfaction, “Why is it a girl? My mother has been hoping for a grandson for years, and she was already unhappy with you. Now you have another daughter? How am I supposed to explain this to her?” Only then did I realize he thought the child in my arms was his. I couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh. He had the nerve to bring that up? That child, our child, had died five years ago, suffocated to death inside me. And the one responsible for the baby’s death was *him*, the biological father! Anger churned in my chest. I took a deep breath and stepped back, hugging my daughter tightly. “You’re mistaken. This child isn’t yours…”

  My clarification was cut short. Novia suddenly interrupted me, shaking Michael’s arm as she purred, “Michael, I can give you children! My illness is long gone. I can have as many as you want.” Michael affectionately pinched her nose, smiling. “You’ve just recovered, sweetheart. I can’t bear for you to go through that right now. You just need to be my little princess.” Then, he turned to me, looking utterly disdainful. “Elma Pollitt, for the past five years, Novia has suffered so much abroad, endured so much pain. And you? All you know is to compete with her, throwing tantrums all day, not even a single word of comfort. Someone as cold and heartless as you truly doesn’t deserve her kindness.” I rolled my eyes at his words, completely speechless. For the past five years, my email had been flooded with photos and videos Novia sent from all over the world. In those pictures, she looked rosy-cheeked and full of life. Where was the sick patient? I had no interest in saying more. I picked up the garbage tongs beside me and waved them in front of him. This gesture instantly scared Novia, and she started crying. Michael looked me up and down, pinching his nose and frowning as he took a step back. “Look at you now, a complete mess! You reek of garbage. What’s the difference between you and a homeless person? So you pretended to be dignified for five years? In the end, you still came crawling back to me, didn’t you?” “Don’t think bringing a child here will make me take you back or start over. We ended things the moment you impulsively blocked me.” My daughter in my arms was startled by his tone and burst into tears. Michael’s expression softened slightly, and he reached out to her. “Shh, don’t cry, sweetie. Daddy will take you home. Don’t stay with this crazy woman.” What he got in return was Nina’s even more heartbroken scream: “I don’t want you to hug me! You’re not fit to be my daddy! You’re a meanie who bullies Mommy! I hate you the most!” Publicly humiliated, Michael’s face instantly darkened. He glared at me and said coldly, “Is this how you raise her? She has no manners whatsoever! I lived with you for five years, no wonder you’re full of flaws! My family won’t acknowledge such an ill-mannered child. Don’t show your face to me again until you’ve sorted yourself out.” No one can tolerate someone speaking ill of their child like that. I clenched my fists and spoke coldly, “You’re wrong. This isn’t your daughter. She has nothing to do with you.” Michael froze for a moment. Then he scoffed, completely uncaring. “Elma Pollitt, always so quick with your words, aren’t you? I hate that fake innocent act of yours. It’s disgusting.” “Still pretending at a time like this? If you don’t get down on your knees and beg me, then just get lost and spare me the sight of you!” With that, he pulled a few bills from his pocket and slapped them against my face. “Look at how poor you two look. Take this and buy yourselves some decent clothes. Don’t go around embarrassing yourselves.” Then, he put his arm around Novia and walked away. I looked down at my old, orange work uniform and couldn’t help but curse his ancestors in my mind. Michael, of course, had no idea that the T-shirt I was wearing underneath was a limited-edition design by world-renowned designer Krena, priced at a staggering one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. My daughter’s cartoon jacket was also a high-end luxury brand. As for me, I had remarried four years ago and had another child. How could I ever go back to the past? My special ringtone rang. I collected myself and answered. A gentle, deep voice came from the other end: “My dearest wife, you must be tired from your business trip. I’ve arranged the lounge for you. Take the baby in and get some good rest.” “I really want to see you right now. I’ll come over right after my meeting this afternoon.” My usually reserved husband was actually whining like a big kid, and my heart warmed. After hanging up, I led my daughter to the lounge door. From inside, I heard faint, intimate sounds of heavy breathing…   Pushing the door open, I saw Michael and Novia entangled on the sofa, in a very intimate embrace. I quickly covered my daughter’s eyes and ears. Michael angrily picked up a nearby water glass and threw it at me. “Get out! Who let you in? Is this a place for a beggar like you?!” The glass hit my forehead, and the pain made my vision swim. Before I could even recover, Several project managers rushed in, politely apologizing to Michael. “We’re truly sorry, Mr. Dryden. We were negligent. We’ll take her out immediately.” Furious, I shook off the person holding me and shouted, “This is *my* lounge! What right do you have to kick me out?” The scene fell into a sudden silence. Then, a few people started laughing. Seeing they didn’t believe me, I was about to pull out my phone to prove myself. But Michael rushed over, snatched my phone, and violently smashed it on the floor. The screen shattered into several pieces. Before I could speak, He sneered coldly, “Have you been dreaming for too long? Is your mind not clear? This lounge is exclusively for Richard Bill, one of the wealthiest men in the country. Even I can only sit here to discuss business. Who do you think you are, spouting such nonsense?” “You’ve gone this far to seduce me. You really have no shame.” A few stout middle-aged men eyed me with strange looks. “Mr. Dryden, who is this woman?” Michael chuckled coldly, casually saying, “Don’t know her. But looking at her, she’s probably selling herself, isn’t she?” Novia leaned against him, giggling, her fingers tracing circles on his chest. “Michael, you’re so mean to my sister.” After hearing Michael ruthlessly humiliate me, The project managers’ faces immediately twisted with disgust. A barrage of nasty comments followed. “This kind of woman actually dares to come here and seduce Mr. Dryden, and with a child! She has no shame. Be careful not to catch anything.” “With your pathetic appearance, you can’t do anything else. You might as well go beg for food.” “We’ve seen plenty of women like you. They’re full of tricks, willing to do anything for money. If Mr. Dryden doesn’t want her, you can give her to me to play with. I haven’t seen a piece of trash like this in ages.” I kept my daughter tightly hugged, not letting her hear those vulgar words. “Don’t go too far! There’s a child here!” But it still scared Nina. The little girl cried out. Michael seemed to think it had gone a bit too far. His face darkened, and he roared, “Who told you to talk like that? Are you looking to die?!” The men exchanged glances and quickly shut up. I ignored him, focusing on comforting my daughter in my arms. Just as I finally managed to calm her down, I looked up and saw Michael staring at me thoughtfully, a hint of complexity in his eyes. He seemed about to say something, but Novia spoke first, putting on a generous and gentle facade: “Sister Elma, it must have been hard for you raising a child alone all these years. My body is still recovering, and I just happen to need a nanny. Why don’t you come and take care of me? I’ll pay you two thousand five hundred a month. It’s much better than picking up trash outside.” As soon as she finished speaking, Michael pulled her close and kissed her deeply on the lips. “Novia, you’re so considerate. You really break my heart.” Novia blushed and buried her head in his chest. Watching them being so sickeningly sweet, I felt goosebumps all over my body. Suppressing my disgust, I refused: “Thank you for your kind offer, but I really like my current job.” With that, I ignored Michael’s grim face, hugged my daughter, and walked straight out. These two lunatics. If I can’t deal with them, I can at least avoid them, right? Behind me, I heard the sound of things smashing, mixed with Michael’s furious roar: “Elma Pollitt, are you really that useless? You’re still a complete failure, aren’t you? And you still think you can remarry me? No way!” I slammed the door shut.

  My phone was shattered, so I had no choice but to find a shady spot to rest with my daughter. The little one leaned softly against me, asking in her tender voice, “Mommy, who were those people just now? Why were they saying mean things? When is Daddy coming to pick us up?” I gently kissed her forehead, softly telling her, “Those were bad people, Nina. Don’t mind them. Daddy will be here soon to pick us up. Let’s wait patiently, okay?” She nodded vigorously, and her expression made me kiss her little cheek again. The weather was getting hotter. I told my daughter to sit quietly here and wait while I went to get some water. But when I came back with the water, I suddenly heard my daughter crying loudly, “Mommy, help me! Let go of me!” The sight before my eyes broke my heart. Novia was clutching my daughter by the neck, slamming her onto the ground. Seeing this, my rage erupted. All reason vanished. I lunged forward and slapped Novia hard across the face. Just as I snatched Nina from her grasp, Michael rushed over. Novia was already crying uncontrollably, snot and tears running down her face as she threw herself into his arms. “Michael, I saw her alone there and just wanted to be nice and keep her company. But then this child suddenly bit me! I only said a few words to her, and Sister Elma rushed over and hit me!” Michael looked at the red mark on her face and the teeth marks on her hand. His face instantly turned cold, his eyes blazing with fury. “Elma Pollitt, how dare you lay a hand on my woman?! You truly don’t respect me!” He grabbed my hair and ruthlessly kicked me in the chest. The kick was so heavy that I coughed up blood. My chest throbbed with excruciating pain, as if my whole body was falling apart. “Mommy! Mommy!” My daughter’s heartbreaking screams came from behind me. Michael didn’t seem satisfied. He turned and slapped my daughter, sending her sprawling onto the ground. “You little brute! If your mom can’t control you, I’ll teach you a lesson!” Hearing my child’s cries, my heart twisted with pain. I struggled to crawl towards her, but Michael stepped on my head, pinning me to the ground. Novia walked over, hugged my crying daughter, and clamped her hand over Nina’s mouth, forcibly muffling her cries. Nina’s face turned bright red from holding her breath. “Sister Elma, since you don’t know how to raise a child, making her suffer so much, why don’t you let me take her?” Michael looked down at me with a cold sneer. “Stop talking nonsense. This woman doesn’t deserve to be a mother. The child belongs to me today. You’ll never see her again.” His leather shoe pressed down heavily on my back, and he continued with his cruel words: “She can’t even control a child. If this keeps up, this little brat will grow up to be just like you, causing trouble. Might as well get rid of her now.” “Michael!” I shrieked, suddenly grabbing his ankle, my nails digging into his flesh. I screamed the truth hysterically— “She’s only three! She’s not your child at all! She’s Richard Bill’s child! And I’m Richard Bill’s wife, the current Mrs. Bill!”   As my voice echoed. Everyone’s faces instantly changed. Then, piercing laughter erupted. “Hahaha, Mr. Dryden, what is this woman spouting? If she’s Mrs. Bill, then I must be the richest person in the world! Are you serious? Is she out of her mind?!” “What nonsense! Everyone knows Mr. Bill’s wife is a beautiful, elegant woman. This tramp, picking up garbage, thinks she can compare?” “Yeah, and the Bill family only has one young master. That little girl beside her isn’t even fit to carry Mr. Bill’s son’s shoes.” Amidst the noisy laughter, Michael grabbed me and yanked me off the ground. “Elma Pollitt, you really don’t prepare your lies, do you? Someone as high-and-mighty as Richard Bill, do you think he’d even glance at a woman like you, a woman I tossed aside?” Michael’s eyes were full of contempt, as if I were a piece of dirt on the ground. “I was actually wondering if you were genuinely remorseful, if I could take you back. But it turns out you’re not only unrepentant, you’re also trying to cling to Mr. Bill. Elma Pollitt, your very essence is worse than this trash. No matter how much you wash, you’re still garbage.” Before he finished speaking, Michael picked up a nearby garbage can and dumped it over my head. The putrid smell quickly enveloped me, making me gag. The surrounding managers pinched their noses and laughed. “Well done! That’s how you teach people like her a lesson.” One man offered a suggestion. “Mr. Dryden, rumor has it that Mr. Bill is extremely protective of his wife. If he knew someone was impersonating his wife, he certainly wouldn’t let her off easily. I know there’s a cold storage nearby. Let’s lock her in there and let Mr. Bill deal with her personally when he arrives. Then our collaboration project will surely be a go.” Looking at this group of ugly-faced people, my heart filled with hatred. Michael stared at me and sighed. “Elma Pollitt, I’m giving you one last chance to apologize. Just kneel down and apologize to Novia in public, and I’ll let you go. Otherwise…” “You wish!” Seeing my defiance, Michael’s expression turned completely cold. He gave a look, and several burly men immediately swarmed me, binding my hands and feet before tossing me into the cold storage. In the freezing cold storage, below ten degrees Celsius, my entire body quickly became covered in frost. A strong will to survive made me incessantly bang on the door, desperately scratching at the metal with all my might. My nails were ripped off, exposing raw, bloody flesh. My daughter cried out for Mommy from outside, only to be slapped several times. “Who do you call ‘Mommy’? From now on, *I’m* your only mommy! You little thing!” Seeing Nina continue to cry uncontrollably, Novia simply stuffed a foul-smelling rag into her mouth. Suddenly, a roaring sound came from a distance. A black Maybach screeched to a halt beside them. A pair of perfectly tailored long legs stepped onto the ground, and a custom suit outlined the cold, handsome figure of the newcomer. He was holding a cute little boy in his arms. In the split second before my consciousness faded, I heard someone shriek: “Mr. Bill and the young master are here!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “398285”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G #Betrayal #Hurt #Pregnancy #regret

My wife Delilah Reyes was having an affair with Owen Reed, a personal trainer. Delilah was completely mesmerized by Owen’s muscular physique and spent a million dollars to boost his performance metrics. My daughter Emily Lopez, just like Delilah, had also fallen for another trainer named Jacob Taylor. When I sensed something was wrong and banned them from going to the gym, Delilah accused me of being narrow-minded: “Women dress up for those who appreciate them. If I get in great shape, you’re the one who benefits in the end, aren’t you? Don’t interfere with an independent woman’s freedom.” Emily said I wasn’t a qualified father: “Dad, aren’t you being too conservative? Girls my age are already having babies. You’re way too controlling!” The mother and daughter teamed up to deceive me. Later, for the sake of those men, they even wanted me dead. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day I discovered Delilah’s chat records. This time, I wouldn’t confront them directly. Instead, I would lead them step by step toward their downfall. Delilah said to me, “Christian, the trainer at the gym downstairs has such a sincere attitude. I’d like to work out there every day. Is that okay?” Christian Lopez is my name. I smiled and nodded: “Of course. Whatever makes you happy.” ***** When I opened my eyes, I was standing in the bedroom. The sound of running water came from the bathroom. Delilah’s phone was in my hand. I realized I had been reborn. The phone screen was still lit, displaying chat records. The initial messages seemed normal enough, just discussing personal training rates. But after Owen sent a muscle photo, the entire tone of their conversation changed. Owen: [Sorry about that, Delilah. I sent that by mistake. I’ll delete it right away.] Delilah sent a sneaky laughing emoji. Then replied: [You can send more. I like looking at them.] After that, Owen really did send several more photos, with less and less clothing. When the photos revealed his sculpted abs and chest muscles, Delilah was completely hooked. Delilah: [Oh my God! Your body is incredible! I’ve always been into muscular men. My legs are literally weak right now.] Owen: [Delilah, I like your type of woman. Let me tell you a secret – if you become my exclusive member, I can fulfill any member’s needs.] Finally, they even had a video call. The water in the bathroom suddenly stopped. I quickly put the phone back where I found it. Delilah emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel. When she saw me, panic flashed across her face. She asked, “Christian, how come you’re back?” Delilah glanced at the phone on the bedside table, looking particularly nervous. I replied, “Nothing much. I came home and didn’t see you, so I came in to check.” With that, I returned to the living room. Shortly after, Delilah came out dressed. She said, “Christian, I tried out the gym today and it felt really good. I’d like to work out there during the day.” I had no reason to refuse: “Of course you can.” Delilah smiled brightly: “Christian, you’re so sweet.” In my previous life, when I discovered those chat records on her phone, I lost my temper on the spot. I even banned her from going to the gym. At the time, Delilah thought I was narrow-minded: “Women dress up for those who appreciate them. If I get in great shape, you’re the one who benefits in the end, aren’t you? Don’t interfere with an independent woman’s freedom.” Later, she waited for Emily to get home from school and told her about it, getting our daughter to take her side. Since I’d always spoiled Emily, I didn’t insist on stopping them. But I never expected Delilah and Owen’s relationship to become intimate so quickly. During that period, I was working my ass off at the company. Meanwhile, Owen was having an affair with my wife. Delilah even spent a million dollars boosting Owen’s performance metrics. I wanted revenge but had no solid evidence. This time, I wouldn’t tip them off early. I would lead Emily and Delilah step by step toward their downfall.

Delilah and I started dating in college and eventually got married. During college, she did a great job hiding her true nature, which only fully emerged after we tied the knot. After marriage, Delilah volunteered to become a full-time housewife. She told me: “I want to be a modern independent woman. I don’t want to waste my life scrambling to make ends meet. I hope to explore the true meaning of life in the future.” All of Delilah’s so-called “goals” required my financial support. I worked hard every day, only to fund her leisurely lifestyle. But I thought this was for her own good, so I put up with it. I just hoped she would develop some hobbies and take classes in subjects she enjoyed. But whenever I made suggestions, she’d use having children as leverage against me. She’d say: “I gave you a child, so it’s only natural that you support me. Don’t tell me what to do – I know what I want.” Over time, Delilah’s weight began spiraling out of control. Right around then, a new gym opened downstairs from our place. The good-looking guy handing out flyers at the entrance, Christian, was handsome and had a great physique. The thing Delilah did most at home was watch videos of attractive men on her phone. So her being drawn to the gym didn’t surprise me at all. This gym appeared to operate as a fitness business on the surface, but actually specialized in scamming money from wealthy women. In my previous life, when I discovered Delilah had spent $100,000 on Owen, I demanded she get the money back. But Delilah just complained: “You’re not hurting for that $100,000. I gave you Emily – isn’t she worth $100,000? I’m going to the gym for the good of this family. Once I get in shape, won’t you benefit too?” When I insisted she get a refund, she called Emily over and even let Emily experience being pampered by the fitness trainer Jacob. Emily also thought I was being too controlling: “Dad, you know what? You’re suffocating me. Mom and I aren’t your puppets – we need to live freely. My poor grades are because you won’t let me go to the gym to relax, otherwise I wouldn’t be dead last in my class.” Back then, I felt life had to go on and we had a long road ahead. I thought temporarily putting up with things would prevent conflicts from escalating and let things settle down. But I never expected that my tolerance would only lead to increasingly outrageous behavior from them. Eventually, both mother and daughter ended up having inappropriate relationships with the fitness trainers. Now I see clearly that Emily’s values are becoming more and more like Delilah’s. This child has very likely already gone astray. For a child who’s already gone bad, there’s no point in wasting effort trying to discipline her – it’s better to just give up.

I went to work as usual, while Delilah spent the entire day at the gym. When she came home, I could tell immediately that her day hadn’t been simple. Her face was flushed, and she reeked of heavy perfume. In the past, when I came home from work, she’d always been cold toward me. But today, she was unusually enthusiastic. I knew that perfume was just meant to mask another man’s scent. She was already cheating. Delilah said to me, “Christian, I want to go hiking with my good friend Mila Wright tomorrow. You don’t want me staying home all day, do you?” How could she possibly be going hiking with Mila? They were both lazy. She was just looking for a reasonable excuse for her affair. I replied, “Sure, that’s a good thing.” Delilah was particularly happy and even gave me a light kiss on the forehead. She was already looking forward to tomorrow’s passion. The next day, Delilah didn’t rush out until noon. I took the day off from work. My wife was with another man—how could I possibly focus on work? For this kind of woman, I had to expose her shameful behavior. As soon as it got dark, I called Delilah. I called three times in a row, and she didn’t answer. It wasn’t until the fourth call that she picked up. Delilah’s voice sounded rushed, and she was breathing heavily. She said, “Honey, what’s up?” I asked, “What are you doing?” She replied, “I’m running. No, I need to speed up. Let’s not talk right now.” Over the phone, Delilah’s breathing became more and more labored. I could even hear a man’s breathing mixed in. Then she quickly hung up. I called several more times after that, but Delilah didn’t answer. I calmly posted a missing person notice on four social media platforms. The content read: [My wife went hiking but suddenly lost contact. Hope kind people can provide information about her whereabouts.] I also spent $100,000 on traffic promotion. In just one hour, the keywords “hiking” and “missing” became trending topics. Even the local police were alerted. About half an hour later, the police contacted me saying they had found my wife, and that she and a man were now both in a hotel lobby. I drove to the hotel the police mentioned. When I arrived, I found that many media outlets and reporters had already gathered outside the hotel. Camera shutters were clicking constantly. Delilah looked pale, her clothes wrinkled and disheveled.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “398284”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G #MaleLead #Rebirth #Betrayal #MarriageInTrouble

The day I got my promotion notice, my sister, Harper, celebrated by gifting me a Rolex watch I’d been eyeing for ages. But my fiancée, Tiffany Hayes, saw it and absolutely flipped out. She insisted I sell the watch and warned me not to get too ahead of myself. “What’s the point of a man like you getting promoted and making so much money? You’ll still end up getting married and settling down, won’t you? Sell the watch, give me all your savings, and I’ll hold onto it for you. We can use it to buy a car later.” “If you really like watches, I can find you some on Wish. They’re like fifty bucks each, I’ll buy you three or four. You can wear whichever one you want.” I sneered. Her bad ideas were exploding everywhere like fireworks, showering me with her true intentions. “Are you out of your mind? Dream on! If I didn’t get promoted and earn money, I’d be stuck with someone like you? My parents spend money on me, and I’d have to look at *your* face for approval?” Tiffany saw my face darken and immediately switched to a gentle tone. “Oh, Liam, I was just a little worked up. Please don’t be mad.” She moved to hug me, but I frowned and blocked her with my car keys. “Alright, what do you want? If it’s nothing, I’m going home.” With that, I turned and headed for the parking lot. I had planned to celebrate with a nice dinner, but Tiffany’s behavior today genuinely disgusted me. As I turned, she grabbed my arm. I looked back, frowning, and told her to let go, but she put on a ‘deeply affectionate’ act. She pulled two crumpled plastic flowers, like the ones handed out at a supermarket promotion, from her bag. “Liam, these are for you.” I took the flowers with my fingertips, mumbled “Thanks,” and practically sprinted to my car. As soon as the car left the complex, I tossed the flowers out the window. Back home, my friend Aiden Miller had already prepared beer and barbecue skewers to celebrate my promotion. All the unpleasantness from earlier instantly vanished from my mind. After a shower, as I leaned back on the couch, I realized Tiffany had called me a dozen times. Annoyed, I turned off my phone, hoping to catch a nap to the sound of the wind outside, but Aiden knocked on the living room door. “What’s up? Just say it.” I couldn’t help but chuckle at his hesitant expression. “Uh, Tiffany seems to be shouting your name downstairs.” I threw off my blanket, walked to the window, and pulled back the curtain. Tiffany really was standing in the wind, calling my name. That annoyed me even more. I grabbed an old jacket from the entryway and headed downstairs, intending to tell her to get lost. Tiffany and I were college acquaintances. She was pretty, with a decent personality, and quite popular on campus. Honestly, I didn’t feel anything special for her. I only agreed to be with her because she publicly confessed her feelings to me at graduation, and I was put on the spot and felt too awkward to say no in front of everyone. If she hadn’t been relatively easy to get along with, I would have broken up with her ages ago. Even after graduation, I didn’t notice any major flaws. But today, this whole thing really made me want to dump her. The moment she saw me come downstairs, her face was flushed and wind-blown from rushing over, and she tried to rush at me. I quickly used my jacket to block her. Her expression stiffened, but she forced a smile. “Liam, I was wrong today. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I’m sorry, please don’t be mad at me, okay?” Wrapped in my jacket, I stared coldly at her as she made a scene in the wind. She seemed oblivious to my coldness and continued. “Liam, I didn’t mean it like that. Even though we’re still young, getting married and settling down will cost a lot, right? Your current position is already good enough, there’s no need to burn yourself out just for a promotion.” “My dad said that if men get married too late, their energy won’t keep up, and raising kids will be tough. You’d have to hire help, which costs even more. It’s better to settle down while you’re young and still have the energy.” “Spending tens of thousands on an impractical watch is such a waste. You should save it for our future kids.” “Besides, none of your colleagues wear such expensive watches. If you stand out too much, and get ostracized, I’ll be the only one who cares about you.” The more I listened, the more I felt something was off. A suspicion started gnawing at me. My family’s well-off. My parents own a company. We’re not billionaires, but we’re definitely worth tens of millions. I’ve always kept a low profile at school, and I didn’t use family connections to get into this company after graduation. Just because I got promoted and bought a Rolex, Tiffany thinks I’m different from others. There was a controlling vibe in everything she said. I started to wonder if she was trying to brainwash me. I sneered, glancing at her. “You make a good point. So how about I return the watch tomorrow and stop saving my salary?”

As soon as I said that, Tiffany’s face lit up like a flower. “That’s more like it! Sell the watch, give me the money, and give me all the bonuses you’ve saved over the years. I’ll manage it for you.” “From now on, I’ll give you $800 in allowance every month. How does that sound?” I stared at her triumphant face, my stomach churning. I almost threw up the coffee I had this morning. Her calculations were practically slapping me in the face! I sneered, gripping my jacket tighter. “Alright, I’ve saved quite a bit of my own money over the years, probably a few million. How about I hand that over for you to manage too?” At that, Tiffany’s eyes lit up like spotlights, her voice trembling with excitement. “Really?” I honestly wanted to kick her across the street. I was done playing along. I casually shrugged off my jacket and shoved her hard. “Dream on.” Tiffany looked utterly bewildered, asking me what I meant. I gave her a cold stare. “You spend all day scheming, have you thought yourself stupid? Do you think I’m your personal ATM? I’m not an angel; I have no desire to help someone like you.” She froze for a few seconds, her face turning crimson, then she yelled at me: “Liam Reed! Are you messing with me?!” I rolled my eyes, not bothering to respond. I casually tossed the jacket, now tainted with her grossness, into a nearby trash can. “Tiffany, we’re over. The engagement? Forget about it.” With that, I turned and walked upstairs without looking back. Guess I forgot to check the forecast today; serves me right for running into this crap. While waiting for the elevator, I ran into my colleague and our mutual college acquaintance, Kyle Jensen. Aiden, who was worried about me, also came downstairs. Kyle glanced at Tiffany, who was storming off, then looked at me. “Had a fight with Tiffany?” “No, we broke up.” Actually, my bad mood wasn’t because of the breakup, but because Tiffany’s whole scheme had sickened me beyond belief. “Seriously?” Both of them looked completely shocked. Besides the shock, I also caught a flicker of schadenfreude in Kyle’s eyes, like he was waiting for a show. “Why did you break up?” Aiden asked curiously. I just briefly told him about what happened today. Aiden listened, gritting his teeth in anger, finding Tiffany utterly ridiculous. He immediately blasted her: “That woman is really something else.” Kyle, however, stroked his chin and said lightly: “But Tiffany didn’t say anything wrong, did she?” I turned to him, frowning. I hadn’t expected him to defend Tiffany. “You and Tiffany were about to get engaged, you’ll need a lot of money in the future. Besides, what’s the point of a man getting such a high position? Having a stable life after marriage is the most important thing.” “And what’s the use of such an expensive watch, besides showing off? You and Tiffany are engaged, your money is her money. It’s perfectly normal for her to manage it for you.” Aiden, who was still holding my arm, flared up at his words, sneering: “Dude, is your brain running on fumes? That’s some serious carbon monoxide poisoning! If you’re so humble and love serving others, go do it yourself. Don’t tell others what to do here.” “Though with your finances, even if you paid to be with Tiffany, she’d still be wondering if you’re worth it.” Kyle, however, muttered nonchalantly: “It’s just the truth.” Aiden snorted, glaring at him sideways: “It’s windy outside; is there a tornado in your brain right now? Did it just blow away your common sense? My man Liam’s family is super well-off, his folks are happy to spend money on him, what business is that of yours?” “Now that Tiffany and Liam are over, aren’t you totally into her? Go ahead, take your pathetic savings to her, tell her you’re her savior and you’re willing to give her everything you have. She’ll surely be moved to tears.” That’s why Aiden and I get along; his sharp tongue is unmatched. I patted Aiden’s hand, signaling him not to argue with Kyle. As the elevator approached the first floor, I looked at Kyle: “My money, I’ll spend it how I want. My life, I’ll live it how I want. It’s none of your damn business. Stop trying to tell me what to do.” I glared at him, then pulled Aiden into the elevator.

The next day, as I headed out, my sister Harper was leaning against her flashy Porsche, waiting for me. The moment she saw me, she smiled and opened the car door for me to get in. I strode over and plopped down into the passenger seat. She was so considerate to open the door for me, of course I’d enjoy the VIP treatment. As soon as I buckled my seatbelt, she handed me a watch box, a triumphant smile on her face. “I saw this Cartier watch on a business trip recently and thought it’d suit you. So I just picked it up.” “Why isn’t Tiffany with you today?” She glanced at the rearview mirror, asking. My relaxed mood instantly soured at the mention of Tiffany. “Don’t even mention her. We broke up.” Harper, upon hearing about the breakup, first clapped her hands in delight, but then immediately pressed for the reason. I didn’t really want to revisit that whole mess, but she was insistent, so I reluctantly told her everything. After hearing my story, Harper’s face darkened, practically a storm cloud. Her eye twitched, as if she was suppressing immense anger. She told me very seriously: “You should’ve kicked that trashy woman to the curb ages ago.” Then she added: “Don’t take any of her bullshit to heart. Mom’s money will all be yours eventually, and you can have half of mine too. Why put up with that kind of crap from her?” Her words warmed my heart, and my eyes got a little misty. I nodded emphatically. Perhaps worried I was overthinking things, she changed the subject: “Alright, I have a flight abroad this afternoon to sign a contract, so don’t dwell on it. If anything comes up, just tell me. Hurry and get out, don’t be late for work.” While waiting for the elevator, I ran into Kyle Jensen, who had a smirk on his face. I didn’t think much of it and just got into the elevator. But once I got to the office, I noticed my colleagues seemed to be whispering and pointing at me. My usual lunch buddy, Lucas Davies, grabbed me and pulled me to my desk, then showed me his phone. Someone had posted an anonymous message in the company SnapChat, spreading nasty rumors about me. A picture of me getting out of Harper’s Porsche, chatting with her by the roadside, was circulating everywhere. The message had only one line: “Newly promoted manager Liam Reed suspected of finding a rich girlfriend.” Even more outrageous, it included screenshots of that person’s SnapChat conversation with Tiffany. He claimed I looked down on her, and said I was greedy and had no bottom line, willing to do anything for money. She even claimed she deeply loved me, and didn’t care even if I broke up with her for a rich girlfriend. She even said she wanted to “pull me back” and prevent me from going down the wrong path. After reading all this, I was so angry I wanted to laugh but couldn’t. Did Tiffany really think I was some pushover? Whispers gradually filled the air. Lucas, who has a short fuse, was about to stand up and argue, but I pulled him back. I picked up the coffee from my desk, walked over to Kyle, and splashed it right on his head. He jumped up, yelling, asking what I was doing. I sneered: “Just cleaning up your nasty mouth and filthy mind. Don’t mention it; a simple ‘thank you’ or a little groveling will do.” Lucas asked why I didn’t explain. I patted his shoulder and said that the real priority was to expose the mastermind behind all this.

Close to quitting time, I found the contents of my drawer ransacked and piled on my desk. My watch was gone, with only a flimsy plastic bag left behind. Lucas stood beside me, about to say something, when Kyle walked in, looking guilty as hell. Seeing his expression, everything clicked into place for me. I’d bet anything he took my watch, and he had the nerve to be so blatant about it. Lucas and I exchanged a look, and I knew he was thinking the same thing. He grabbed Kyle’s arm. I followed them to the stairwell. Lucas blocked Kyle’s escape, and I stepped forward, grabbing his collar. “Did you take my watch?” He struggled, swatting at my hands, still trying to play tough. “Liam Reed, don’t falsely accuse people.” Kyle was really stubborn, wasn’t he? You won’t give up until you’re completely cornered, will you? I wonder if he’d still be so tough in front of the police. I snorted and told Lucas: “Lucas, call the cops. Let them investigate who stole my watch.” Lucas nodded and pulled out his phone. Kyle seized the chance, shoved me, pushed past Lucas, and ran towards the end of the hallway. Lucas and I chased after him and heard him making a phone call in the corner. He was crying as he told the person on the other end that I had called the police. Standing outside, I faintly heard him say, “Tiffany.” It seemed Tiffany was involved in this too. After the stairwell fell silent, my phone immediately rang. It was Tiffany. Before answering, I told Lucas to stand by and record the call, to save it as evidence of her instigating theft. Before I could even speak, Tiffany’s furious yell came through the phone: “Liam Reed, are you insane?! It’s just a crappy watch, do you really need to call the police?!” Tiffany really handed herself over. I sneered: “Well, well. I just confronted Kyle, and you call me. What, did you tell Kyle to steal my watch?” “Liam Reed, don’t say such nasty things! What do you mean, ‘told Kyle to steal your watch’? I’m your fiancée, isn’t your stuff mine? Can’t I manage your spending?” “Spending tens of thousands on a crappy watch, my parents couldn’t save enough for that in years. I had Kyle take your watch for your own good. You’re about to marry into my family; if you’re so irresponsible with money, people will gossip.” “Besides, if you sell the watch, I’ll give the money to my dad, and he’ll save it for us. It can even be our children’s education fund later.” Tiffany’s shamelessness amazed me; my chest felt tight with anger. “Tiffany, are you a damn broken record? Can you ever shut up? Didn’t your parents teach you to speak properly, or are you too old to even learn sign language? My money is none of your damn business! I’ll spend it however I want, I’d even burn it for fun.” “Calling you pond scum is an overestimation. Are you living in some twisted family fantasy? And me marrying you? Your audacity is so monumental, it could probably win a Nobel Prize for wiping out all shyness on Earth!” “You’d be lauded for curing humanity’s ‘cringefest’ with your sheer nerve! The government, the World Peace Organization, they’d all give you a lifetime achievement award for that!” “And also, let me say this one last time: we’re broken up, and *I’m* the one who dumped you. Second, I’ve already called the police. They’re on their way to the company building to take your little crony away for questioning. I’m giving you 15 minutes to get your ass down here.” Tiffany was still cursing up a storm on the other end, but I just hung up. Lucas stopped recording, looking at me with admiration. I pushed open the stairwell door, grabbed Kyle by the arm, and dragged him towards the elevator, attracting numerous stares. I didn’t care about any of them. If someone messed with me, I’d make sure they knew what ‘no mercy’ meant. The moment I pulled Kyle out of the elevator, I saw Tiffany standing in front of a couple of police officers, trying to charm them. As I got closer, I heard her trying to stop the officers from doing their job. I thought, she went to a decent university, how can she be like a complete legal illiterate?

“Officers, I’m really sorry. My boyfriend and I had a small misunderstanding, and I didn’t mean to trouble you. How about this, I’ll apologize on his behalf for making you come all this way and wasting your time.” As she spoke, she pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket, took out two, and tried to hand them to the two officers in front of her. The officers waved away her gesture, stating they had to see the person who reported the crime and confirm the situation before leaving. Tiffany still wouldn’t give up. A younger officer frowned and said: “Ma’am, this is our duty. Please don’t interfere with our work.” I gave Lucas a look, telling him to keep an eye on Kyle, then I pushed through the onlookers and walked over. “Officers, I’m the one who called you. I’m Liam Reed.” The moment Tiffany saw me, her fawning expression vanished. She tried to drag me away, but the young officer stopped her. She could only force a dry laugh and apologize to the police, then she turned and hissed at me in a low voice: “Liam Reed, don’t push your luck! It’s just a crappy watch, do you really want to embarrass everyone in front of so many people?” I folded my arms, gave her a cold stare, and snorted: “Why should I be embarrassed? I haven’t done anything shameful. What, are *you* scared? Scared everyone will know you told your little lapdog to steal my watch, huh?” I couldn’t be bothered with her, so I turned and told the two officers, in detail, about Tiffany conspiring with Kyle to steal my Rolex watch. They advised Tiffany to return the watch to me. But Kyle, beside her, was still talking tough. “Liam Reed! You say I stole your watch, do you have proof?!” “Exactly, Liam Reed! Don’t talk nonsense without proof! It’s just a crappy watch, do you really need to make such a big fuss?? Hurry up and apologize to me and Kyle, and say sorry to the police, then we can drop this.” As if! I wanted to kick Tiffany and Kyle both so hard they’d never get up. But in front of the police, I had to swallow my anger for now. Lucas stepped forward with his phone, saying he was not only a witness but also had a recording of my call with Tiffany, plus security camera footage of Kyle sneakily taking the watch from my desk. With the evidence laid out for everyone to see, Tiffany and Kyle’s faces instantly went white as paper. I asked Lucas where he got the video. He said while I was in the stairwell confronting Kyle, he’d gotten his buddy in security to pull it. A moment later, Tiffany snapped back to reality, her face red and cursing, she tried to rush forward and snatch Lucas’s phone. “Bastard! You even dared to record it!” The two officers immediately stepped between Lucas and me, sternly warning Tiffany: “Step back! What are you trying to do?!” The police gave Tiffany a stern reprimand, but Tiffany still refused to admit her mistake, stubbornly arguing: “Officers, Liam Reed is my fiancé! It’s just a crappy watch, what’s wrong with me taking it? He spends tens of thousands on a watch; he’s such a vain man, can’t I control him?!” I snorted: “Tiffany, did you hit your head or are you just naturally this delusional? I’m not your fiancé; we’re already broken up.” “And while I’m at it, let me give you a helpful lesson: stealing is against the law. For large amounts, you’re looking at up to three years in prison, detention, or public surveillance. What, are you two so tough you’re eager to get a prison uniform and a new job making license plates?” At my words, Tiffany, who had been jumping up and down, went silent. Kyle’s face was as white as freshly painted drywall. The officers gave them a cold look: “No matter who you are to him, taking someone’s belongings without permission is theft. If the amount is substantial enough, it can be prosecuted by law.” “As for how much the watch is worth, that’s none of your business. It’s his property, and he’s free to use it as he pleases. Neither in terms of emotion, reason, nor law, do you have any right to control it.”

Tiffany was rendered speechless by the police, her eyes burning with rage. The police turned to ask me how I wanted to handle it. Before I could speak, several department heads and managers rushed over, having heard the commotion. They all tried to persuade me, saying it was best not to blow things out of proportion and to settle it amicably. Considering that a huge scene would negatively impact the company, I ultimately decided against sending Tiffany and Kyle to jail. “Alright,” I told them. “As long as Tiffany returns my watch, I won’t pursue this any further.” The police also urged Tiffany to quickly return my watch. But Tiffany’s eyes darted around, and she stammered: “That watch… I already sold it.” I was so mad I almost blacked out. That watch was a limited edition, really hard to get. Harper specifically went out of her way during a business trip to find it. And she just sold it without permission! I suppressed my anger and asked her: “Where’s the money? The money from selling my watch?” She mumbled: “I… I spent it.” I suddenly remembered her earlier clamoring about wanting the latest iPad and a bunch of makeup. Did she use that money to buy them? I really couldn’t stand her double standard. It was wrong for me to spend tens of thousands on a watch, but perfectly righteous for her to spend tens of thousands on electronics and cosmetics. I kept my rage in check and told Tiffany: “I’m giving you two choices: first, return my watch. Second, return my money. Otherwise, you’ll be going to jail!” Under the police’s persuasion, Tiffany finally agreed to return the money. She made a few calls to scrape together the cash, then, witnessed by the police, transferred fifty thousand dollars to me. As soon as the money hit my account, I immediately contacted the Omega boutique and ordered a new sixty-thousand-dollar watch, then called Cartier to order a forty-thousand-dollar necklace. Tiffany’s eyes practically bulged out of her head with rage, and she ground her teeth, threatening me: “You think you’re smart, huh, Liam Reed?!” I put on a scared face, leaned closer to the officers, and half-jokingly said: “Officer, she’s still trying to scare me.” The police pulled Tiffany aside and lectured her again, then took Kyle away. Before Tiffany left, I gave her a challenging eyebrow raise and silently mouthed: “If you’ve got the guts, don’t run. This is just the beginning!” The next day, HR and my superiors took turns talking to me. They suggested that next time I encounter something like this, I shouldn’t rush to call the police. It’s better to solve it internally to avoid affecting the company’s image. I didn’t back down. I replied very seriously: “Calling the police is my legal right as a citizen. I don’t believe I did anything wrong.” I understood they were afraid of the company’s reputation being damaged, but this ‘brushing things under the rug’ approach was something I couldn’t stomach. Unexpectedly, that same evening. Rumors about me spread throughout the company, getting more and more exaggerated. Some even posted the incident online. Faced with these inexplicable accusations, I chose to remain silent, offering no explanation. Then I contacted a friend from college who studied computer science and asked him to help trace the source of the rumors and gather all the evidence. The next day, my parents and Harper somehow heard about it. My mom gifted me a Vacheron Constantin watch worth $120,000, and Harper gave me a new iPhone, comforting me not to take it to heart. Lucas saw the watch on my wrist and laughed, calling me “Mr. Fancy Pants.” To thank him for his help yesterday, I gave him my Saint Laurent sunglasses, which I’d only worn a few times and were worth over thirty thousand dollars. Just then, Kyle shamelessly waltzed over. “Hey, Liam, we’re college buddies and colleagues. Can’t you give me something too?” I sneered. Kyle’s thick skin was truly identical to Tiffany’s. I pulled out a plastic bag from a convenience store out of my drawer and threw it in his face. “I’m counting to three, get the hell out of my sight!” He gritted his teeth in anger, stomped his foot, and ran out, clutching his phone. I was about to call my parents to thank them, but Tiffany’s call came through first.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “298937”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #惊悚Thriller #魔幻Magic

After finishing physicals for all the students, I implanted explosive chips into every single one of their brains. Heavily armed SWAT teams had me surrounded. My voice was terrifyingly calm: “As long as you fulfill my birthday wish, I’ll disarm the chips.” “Otherwise, every fifteen minutes, one chip will randomly explode!” All the parents panicked, desperate to know my wish. I clenched my jaw, trembling all over. “I can’t tell you! A wish spoken aloud never comes true.” “Time is running out; you’ll have to guess it yourselves.” … Everyone erupted. “Are you out of your mind?! How are we supposed to make your wish come true if you don’t tell us?!” “It’s five already! I need to pick up my kid and get back to work! You’re having a meltdown on your own time, but you’re wasting *all* of ours!” “I bet those explosive chips are a bluff! Just let the kids go! If you want to celebrate your birthday, go home and do it!” As they shouted, the SWAT teams tightened their cordon. Some officers looked ready to storm the school. I chuckled and pressed the button without hesitation. A deafening blast. The school nurse’s office turned into a pile of rubble. Everyone went silent instantly. If a reinforced concrete building could be reduced to ruins in an instant, imagine what it would do to a human head. From the crowd outside the school gates, a man stepped forward, hands raised high: “Dr. Hayes, please, let’s just calm down.” “I’m here to help you. Just tell us your demands, and we’ll do everything we can to coordinate!” I knew this man. Detective Miller, the city’s most famous negotiator. Many parents, their voices trembling, chimed in: “Dr. Hayes, you’ve been our school doctor for over twenty years. We’ve all seen your dedication.” “Someone who treats these kids like your own wouldn’t do something like this unless you were truly desperate.” “Whatever your hardship, just tell us! We’ll support you!” Their eyes were red and swollen, filled with terror for their children’s safety. But I just stroked the button in my hand, my voice cold. “Didn’t I just say?” “As long as you guess and fulfill my birthday wish, I’ll release the children.” A few furious parents couldn’t take it anymore. They started screaming obscenities, their curses echoing. Detective Miller glared at them, his expression severe, clearly afraid I’d be provoked again. I shrugged. “These chips are incredibly powerful. Once they detonate, a person will be completely disintegrated.” The parents’ eyes were bloodshot with rage, wanting nothing more than to tear me to shreds. The school’s digital marquee, usually displaying inspirational quotes, now flashed a blood-red countdown. “Time is running out. I advise you not to waste it cursing at me.” “You have ten minutes left.” They had no choice but to compromise, huddling together for a frantic discussion. A minute later, dozens of armored vans sped towards the intersection. “Dr. Hayes, we know you’ve struggled financially your entire life. Your parents are bedridden, and their medical bills run into thousands every month!” “We understand your difficulties. Here’s fifty million dollars! Is that enough?” Everyone’s eyes lit up like stars, their faces full of desperate hope. I spoke slowly: “I don’t want money.” My husband, who had been silent in the crowd, pounded his chest in frustration. “That’s fifty million dollars! If you just take the money, Mom and Dad’s illnesses, and our hundreds of thousands in debt—all gone!” “Don’t worry, the officers promised me they won’t touch a cent of it!” Detective Miller’s voice was calm, persuasive: “Dr. Hayes, don’t be afraid.” “If you let the children go now, we won’t pursue any legal action against you!” My tone was flat: “Sounds tempting.” “But that’s not my birthday wish.” “You have five minutes left.” Detective Miller gritted his teeth. “One hundred million dollars! Is one hundred million enough?!” Silence was my only response. The countdown continued to shrink, and the crowd grew more agitated. “Just shoot her! One bullet, and all this craziness will be over!” “Yeah, even if she has a reason, she’s still a kidnapper, toying with human lives! She deserves no sympathy!” Snipers were already in position. I stood right in the center of the square, with no cover around me. Detective Miller’s expression was grim: “Dr. Hayes, this is your last chance!” I raised the button again. “The moment you shoot me, I’ll hit the master switch and take every single one of the thousands of students in this school down with me!” A sniper slowly aimed their laser sight at my right hand. I smiled scornfully: “Crippling me won’t work.” “I’ve implanted hundreds of trigger chips throughout my body. Any injury, any shot, and they’ll activate the explosives!” “If you don’t believe me, you can try.” No one dared to breathe. These were thousands of lives; they couldn’t gamble. Three minutes remained on the countdown. Mayor Thompson shouted loudly: “I’ll give you the National Medical Excellence Award! With that recognition, you could work at any hospital in the country!” This was an honor every doctor dreamed of. Since its inception, only two people had ever received it. But I still shook my head. The parents were frantic. “She doesn’t want fame, she doesn’t want money—what *does* she want?!” They pressured my husband to recall my preferences. They even brought me a birthday cake, expensive designer dresses, luxury cosmetics… but I rejected everything. Two minutes left. My husband, who’d been racking his brain, suddenly yelled: “I know what you want!” He frantically searched the backseat of my car and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from the gap. Everyone suddenly understood.

A diagnosis for late-stage liver cancer. To survive, a liver transplant was the only option. “Valerie, you want a matching liver, don’t you?” “That’s something money and power can’t just buy!” Before I could answer, they immediately accessed a confidential database, searching for a suitable liver. In just one minute, a match was found. Before, afraid of burdening my family, I had kept silent about my cancer, barely clinging to life with painkillers. But now, if I just agreed, I could have the surgery for free, extending my life by at least thirty years. Everyone thought I would agree. Yet, I still shook my head. “That’s not my birthday wish.” “You have one minute left.” The crowd erupted into a chaotic argument. A specialized team had already scoured all my recent browsing history and call logs, but found no clues. Detective Miller frantically flipped through the stack of documents, thicker than a brick, trying to find any tiny lead. Thirty seconds on the countdown. Detective Miller suddenly received a call, his voice filled with excitement: “I know! You want revenge for your daughter!” “Three years ago, your daughter graduated and got a job at a big corporation, but she quit after six months, not even asking for her wages!” “On paper, it was a voluntary resignation, but in reality, she was sexually harassed by her superior!” “You fought for justice, but every attempt was shut down, swept under the rug. He not only denied the crime but even sent you death threats!” Someone in the crowd sighed: “So that’s it. A mother’s love knows no bounds.” “I knew it. Dr. Hayes wouldn’t kidnap these kids unless she was pushed to the absolute brink.” Detective Miller’s eyes were full of sincerity: “We just apprehended him. Don’t worry, he’ll face the full force of the law!” I curved my lips into a smile. “He was rich and influential. You’re really impressive for finding him in such a short time.” “It’s a little… poignant. The nightmare that haunted me for three years, and you solved it in mere minutes.” “So why, then, in the past three years, could I not get any justice?” Detective Miller’s face paled, and he tried to explain, feigning composure. I gently raised a hand, cutting him off. “Forget it, it doesn’t matter anymore.” “Unfortunately, that’s not what I want either.” Ten seconds remained on the big screen’s countdown. All the students in their classrooms were engrossed in a movie, occasionally bursting into laughter. They had no idea that death was at their door. I picked up the loudspeaker, connected to the school’s PA system, my voice gentle: “Students, watching movies for too long isn’t good for your eyes.” “Everyone, close your eyes and rest a bit.” “And please, *please* don’t open them—” 10, 9, 8… Just then, my exhausted daughter suddenly rushed in. “Mom, no—” My body jolted violently. Three years ago, Chloe had been drugged by her superior, suffering severe neurological damage ever since. Doctors had declared she might never speak again. I stared at Chloe, stunned. Her voice was hoarse, her pronunciation slightly awkward from years of disuse. “Mom, I know you must have a terrible reason.” “But no matter what, as long as we’re together, as long as we’re a family, we can get through anything!” “Mom, please don’t do anything foolish, okay?” “Your daughter can’t lose her mother!” Chloe spread her arms, pleading for me to put down the button. A gentle embrace awaited me, and countless people in the crowd wept openly. I clenched my jaw, trembling all over. *Drip.* The countdown hit zero.

I shivered violently. No turning back now! *Click*. The button descended. Almost instantly, the windows of the third-grade, second-period classroom turned crimson. Thick, viscous flesh splattered down the glass, snaking like venomous tendrils. The students were splattered with blood, frozen in place. It took several minutes for someone to react, screaming and frantically banging on the door. But I had already locked the doors and windows. The school’s soundproofing was excellent, too. Their desperate screams, to anyone else, would sound like nothing more than a faint buzzing. The other classrooms continued watching their movies. Only the third-grade, second-period classroom was a hellscape. The countdown reset to fifteen minutes. Chloe passed out from shock. The parents of the third-grade, second-period class cried heartbrokenly. From so far away, they couldn’t tell if the child who had just exploded was their own. Parents from other classes visibly relaxed, relieved that their darlings had escaped. I secretly chuckled. “You probably don’t know this, but I mixed up all the students’ classes.” “So, guess who that unlucky child was?” Everyone erupted instantly. Cries, prayers, and furious curses erupted into a chaotic cacophony. Detective Miller’s gaze grew cold. “Valerie, nerve-paralyzing agents are on their way.” “I advise you to give up and surrender.” I laughed bitterly: “What good would surrendering do? Will you let me go?” Detective Miller forced himself not to look at that blood-red window. “We can push for leniency…” I cut him off directly. “I have late-stage liver cancer anyway. Death row or life imprisonment, what difference does it make to me?” “We have ten minutes left. Let’s continue our game.” Everyone went mad. Enraged parents turned their fury directly on my family. The police couldn’t stop the furious crowd. Robert and Chloe were pelted with mud and garbage, looking as wretched as beggars. I fought back tears, my voice trembling. “Five minutes left.” Chloe, still weak from just regaining consciousness, was sobbing uncontrollably. “Mom, you always said you loved children more than anything.” “When a kid had a fever and their parents brushed it off, you’d pay out of your own pocket to take them to a specialist, wouldn’t rest until you knew they were okay.” “If a child’s parents were going through a messy divorce, you’d bring them home to stay with us, afraid of the trauma they were facing.” “Thousands of kids in this school, and every single one calls you ‘Mama Valerie’!” “Mom, I’m begging you, please tell me why you’re doing this? Please?” “What do you *really* want?!” Chloe’s cries were raw and desperate. I trembled all over, almost biting through the soft flesh inside my cheeks, but the words I spoke were still cold: “I can’t say.” “A wish spoken aloud never comes true.” “Four minutes left.” Chloe screamed, grabbing a fruit knife from a nearby stall and pressing it hard against her carotid artery. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll die!” Chloe had been battling severe depression for three years. With her psychological trauma and neurological damage, she’d wake up dozens of times every night, barely getting two or three hours of sleep. But no matter how difficult, hope always shone in Chloe’s eyes. She never spoke a word of surrender. She even planned to prepare for grad school, to restart her life. And now… The blade bit into her skin, a string of blood pearls welling up. “Enough!” “Come here, I’ll only tell you.” Detective Miller squeezed Chloe’s hand, a silent signal not to be afraid. Chloe walked towards me, her frail body as thin as a withered leaf. I leaned close to her ear and slowly whispered my wish. Chloe froze, the color draining from her face like a tide. Even when Detective Miller screamed himself hoarse, she only nodded blankly, then walked back in a daze. Back in the crowd, everyone clamored to know what I had said. Chloe slowly turned, giving me a deep, meaningful look. Suddenly, with an almost inhuman speed, she bolted towards the school fence! She threw herself onto it! No hesitation, utterly resolute. The sharp picket speared directly through Chloe’s neck, blood gushing everywhere. Yet, a strange smile spread across her face. Robert instantly broke down: “What did you tell her?!”

Tears streamed down my face as I stared blankly at the countdown. “Three minutes left.” Robert’s face was a mask of utter despair. He spat out one word – “Divorce” – before frantically pushing Chloe towards the waiting ambulance. My bedridden parents, who’d been watching the live feed, called me directly, demanding to disown me. Abandoned by everyone—I had expected it. Two minutes left on the countdown. I suddenly pressed the pause button. Everyone strained their necks, wondering if I’d finally snapped out of it. I stared intently at the pool of blood Chloe had left on the ground. The iron fence wasn’t particularly sharp, yet it had pierced directly through her throat. How utterly resolute was Chloe in her desire to die? “Let’s observe three minutes of silence for my daughter.” I burst into tears. In that moment, I wasn’t a kidnapper; I was just a wretched mother who had witnessed her daughter’s tragic death. The crowd watched me coldly, as if I were a madwoman. As soon as the three minutes were up, I instantly wiped away my tears, returning to that cold, detached state. I had long understood that since I chose this path, this was what I deserved to endure. The countdown resumed. *Thud.* A mother in the crowd suddenly fell to her knees. “Dr. Hayes, my child has severe epilepsy.” “She has to go to the hospital for a special injection before 6 PM every day, even one minute late could be life-threatening!” “Please, have mercy! Let me take my child to the hospital!” I remembered that child. Her name was Lily, well-behaved and thoughtful. Every time she saw me, she would share one of the fruit candies she’d saved up. “Dr. Hayes, you work so hard. Have a candy and you won’t be so tired.” A faint smile touched my lips at the memory. But just as quickly, my resolve hardened, and my face went rigid. “Have a doctor bring the special injection here! Administer it right here!” Saying this, I paused the countdown again and used the loudspeaker to call Lily to the main entrance. Lily looked bewildered: “Dr. Hayes, why did the nurse’s office collapse?” I gently took her hand, trying to guide her forward. “It’s nothing. The school wants to build a bigger and better nurse’s office.” I personally handed Lily to her mother. The special injection arrived quickly. Also brought along was a brain CT machine. They swiftly set up a temporary medical tent, pushing Lily into the machine, attempting to remove the explosive chip. Save one if you can. Everyone was sweating nervously, as if the child lying there was their own. I stood leisurely to the side, arms crossed, watching them bustle about with a cold gaze. The countdown remained stuck at two minutes. I gave them time. Over ten minutes later, Dr. Aris, the city’s top neurosurgeon, ripped back the curtain. Everyone surged forward, clamoring: “Well? Did you get the chip out?” Dr. Aris gritted his teeth. “Valerie is lying! She didn’t implant any explosive chips at all!” The entire scene fell silent. “Doctor, are you sure?” Detective Miller’s face was grim. If all of this was fake, then everyone in the city, scrambling and panicking over my “birthday wish,” was nothing but a joke! Dr. Aris thumped his chest, guaranteeing: “These are the scans we just took.” “The child’s brain is perfectly normal! There’s no chip whatsoever!” Other parents were still unconvinced: “Could the chip be somewhere else? Like… her heart?” Dr. Aris shook his head firmly: “We just did a full-body CT scan on the child. There’s not a trace of a chip, not even in her toes.” “And there are no wounds on the child’s body, no sign of any implantation surgery.” Everyone present breathed a sigh of relief. Immediately followed by an erupting volcano of rage. “She dared to make fools of us! Kill her!” “Flay her alive and hang her naked from a pole for everyone to see!” The police no longer held back. At a single command, all the SWAT officers breached the main gate, rushing towards the school building like madmen. I looked somewhat helpless: “The explosive chips *are* real.” “If the chips detonate simultaneously, the entire school will be leveled.” “The more people you send in, the more horrific the casualties will be when those chips explode.” Their curses grew louder. If the police hadn’t been holding them back, they would have charged at me and torn me to shreds. I ignored their curses, directly tossing Dr. Aris a USB drive. “This contains the detailed schematics of the explosive chips. You’ll understand after you see it.” By now, SWAT officers had their guns pressed against my forehead. Just one pull of the trigger, and everything would end. Dr. Aris shot me a dismissive glare, then carelessly jammed the USB into his laptop. For a full ten seconds, the data was still loading. Dr. Aris spat in disgust: “Liar! The chips are fake, and the USB is fake too!” “You cold-blooded monster! You don’t deserve to call yourself a doctor!” The SWAT teams all chambered their rounds. One command, and I would be riddled with bullets. “Valerie, this is your last chance.” “Surrender!” Detective Miller yelled at the top of his lungs. I shook my head firmly. “The moment I’m shot, all the chips will detonate simultaneously!” “You wouldn’t dare fire!” Saying this, I whipped out the kitchen knife I’d hidden in my jacket. The police chief’s face went white with shock, and he immediately ordered: “Open fire!!!” I squeezed my eyes shut. Was I going to fail this time too? But the searing pain I expected never came. I snapped my eyes open. Dr. Aris, who had just been mocking me, had actually shielded me from the gunfire. He thrust the laptop overhead, his eyes wide with a desperate, guttural shout. “Order the SWAT teams to retreat immediately!” “The explosive chips are real!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “298936”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #惊悚Thriller #魔幻Magic

“Evelyn, could you draft my divorce papers for me today, please? Is it possible to rush them?” Hearing the laughter and chatter of a man and woman from inside the villa, I couldn’t help but dial my lawyer’s number. The night wind blew colder, but it couldn’t chill my heart as much as he did. This was *our* home, wasn’t it? And today was *our* fifth wedding anniversary. Yet, I’d been sent out by my own wife, all to make space for her male secretary, to avoid any ‘awkwardness.’ A sigh echoed from the other end of the line: “Mr. Reed, let’s meet and discuss this in person.” An hour ago, I’d rushed home, exhausted. Sitting at the dining table, looking at the brightly colored dishes before me, a weary sigh escaped my lips. “Victoria, you know I can’t eat seafood…” I’ve never been a picky eater. But on this entire table, there was almost nothing I could safely consume. Even if I wasn’t picky, I couldn’t risk my life just to eat, could I? Victoria knew about my severe seafood allergy. That’s why, for years, most of the meals I prepared were simple and light. Yet, this time, Victoria had ordered a whole table of intensely flavored dishes, every single one of them loaded with seafood. She pushed the only bowl without seafood – a simple tomato and egg soup – towards me, her tone impatient. “You know how busy I am with work, I don’t have time for these little things. This huge company relies on me to keep it afloat. I finally carved out some time to eat with you today, don’t make a big deal out of nothing. Besides, isn’t this tomato and egg soup free of seafood?” Though I knew her heart had strayed. Or perhaps, Victoria had never truly cared for me at all. But I never imagined she could be so heartless, utterly disregarding five years of our marriage. It was our fifth wedding anniversary, a table laden with twelve dishes, and I was only deemed worthy of one. I was about to speak. But Victoria’s phone rang, interrupting me. A smile blossomed on Victoria’s face. She spoke welcoming words into the phone, then went to the kitchen to retrieve an extra set of plates and cutlery, placing them beside her seat. Only after she hung up did she turn to me, asking. “Leo is home alone, and his power went out. He has nowhere to go, so I told him to come over for dinner. Julian, I’m sure you don’t mind.” It was phrased as a question, yet Victoria delivered it as a statement. I smiled bitterly. Victoria had already gone this far, even setting out the extra place setting so meticulously. Would my refusal even matter now? “Oh, right, Julian, what were you about to say earlier?” Victoria suddenly remembered I’d been about to speak before her phone rang, so she asked. Today was our fifth wedding anniversary. I cherished this rare opportunity for us to be alone, eating together, and naturally, I didn’t want anyone else to intrude. Though I knew my words would displease Victoria, I thought it over and decided to say it anyway. “Victoria, today is our fifth wedding anniversary. I just hoped it would be just the two of us, to talk properly, and have a nice dinner…” Just as I expected, Victoria cut me off before I could finish. She frowned, her displeasure evident, and slammed her cutlery onto the table. “I know it’s our fifth wedding anniversary! You don’t need to buzz around me like a fly, constantly reminding me.” “I ordered so many dishes, and you can’t possibly eat them all by yourself anyway. Leo works his tail off with me all day, he’s probably starving. It’s like a bonus meal for him.” Seeing Victoria’s resolute tone, I could only lower my head. I didn’t say anything else, just lowered my gaze and began to quietly eat the bowl of tomato and egg soup in front of me. My eyes welled up without me realizing it. Tears dripped into the soup, which I then swallowed. So many dishes, and I really couldn’t finish them alone. Not even if I ate until I burst. I quickly finished the bowl of tomato and egg soup. When I looked up again, I’d regained my composure. Only my slightly reddened, swollen eyes might give me away, if Victoria bothered to look closely. “Victoria, maybe we should get a divorce.” Victoria, sitting opposite me, had her eyes glued to her phone. Her thoughts seemed elsewhere, a faint smile playing on her lips. She didn’t seem to hear my words, or perhaps just didn’t register them. She merely let out a questioning “Huh?” without lifting her head. My face remained expressionless, but a bitter ache swelled in my chest. I took a deep breath, suppressing the surge of hurt. I was about to repeat myself, but Victoria interrupted me. “Leo’s here. We can talk about whatever you want later tonight.” My mouth was still open. But Victoria didn’t even wait for me to utter a single word, hurrying out of the room. Watching her determined back, I forced a small smile. I tapped my phone screen a few times, sending a message. “I’ll be at the lawyer’s office later.” From now on, Victoria would no longer have to worry about me interrupting her relationships with other men. The five-year term was up. Victoria’s mother’s dying wish, after all this time, had ultimately remained unfulfilled. But I truly couldn’t wait any longer. ***PAYWALL BREAK HERE***

Not long after, Victoria returned to the house with a young man. I knew him. The young man was Leo Maxwell. They were colleagues at the same company. Victoria was the company’s owner, and Leo was her male secretary. I was the company’s CFO. However, to avoid suspicion, no one in the entire company knew about our relationship. Even coming and going from work, Victoria would deliberately stagger our times. “Mr. Reed, you’re here too! I thought Ms. Sterling was just pulling my leg.” Leo stepped forward and grabbed my arm. His tone sounded friendly, but it was laced with cunning. “Mr. Reed, tell me, what’s your real relationship with Ms. Sterling?” I uncomfortably pulled my arm away, about to truthfully explain my relationship with Victoria. But Victoria spoke first, her voice full of a mixture of fondness and resignation. “Julian and I are just colleagues. We happened to be reviewing the company’s financial status today, and you just walked in on it. Not everyone gets to lounge on the sofa watching TV after work like you do.” Victoria casually dismissed our relationship as mere colleagues. I stood opposite her, watching her intently for a long moment, my entire body stiffening. Though we always maintained a professional facade at the company, referring to each other as colleagues, hearing Victoria utter those words, one by one, felt like a knife slicing through my heart. I gritted my teeth, opening my mouth in bitter defiance. “Victoria, we are clearly…” “Shut up!” Victoria cut me off before I could finish, giving me a cold, emotionless glance. “There’s no need to say things that shouldn’t be said. I still have the right to decide this matter, don’t I?” I shook my head in disappointment, the last flicker of hope deep in my eyes slowly extinguishing. Leo smirked triumphantly. Hearing that Victoria and I were just colleagues, he sat down at the dining table right beside Victoria without any hesitation, his voice brimming with delight. “Wow, all my favorites! You’re really good to me, Victoria.” As he spoke, Leo leaned in and pecked Victoria on the cheek. Victoria froze for a moment. When she recovered, she cautiously glanced my way out of the corner of her eye. Only when she saw that I seemed to be staring at my lap, as if I hadn’t witnessed the scene, did she visibly relax. “Eat your food. I know you like these, they were all ordered for you.” Leo’s mouth was full of food, his voice muffled, tinged with a hint of complaint. “Victoria, you love to tease me. You knew my rental apartment would have a power outage tonight, but you didn’t tell me in advance. I almost fell when I was showering.” “Oh no, did you get hurt? My fault, I didn’t expect it to be such a coincidence.” “Heh heh, I was just kidding. I’d already finished showering by the time the power went out.” “This was a surprise I prepared for you today. Do you like it?” … The two chatted as if they were the only ones in the room. I hadn’t realized their conversations were so intimate, so boundary-less. It wasn’t until Victoria piled Leo’s plate high with food that I belatedly realized all the dishes on the table were Leo’s favorites. My much-anticipated fifth wedding anniversary was merely a backdrop for Leo. Victoria had rushed home early today, arranging this feast, not for me at all. In that instant, I felt as if I finally understood when Victoria’s heart had changed. A terrifying weight pressed down on my chest, leaving me breathless. I stood up, bitter, preparing to leave. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going now.” Leo remained seated. “Mr. Reed, aren’t you going to eat something before you leave?” “No, it’s fine. It’s not appropriate.” “Then I’ll walk you out.” Leo started to stand, as if he were the man of the house. But Victoria gently pressed him back into his seat. “He knows his way. You don’t need to see him out.” Those were Victoria’s last words to me as I left the villa. There was no hint of a plea for me to stay. I stood outside the villa, the cool breeze washing over me. I knew the way, alright. This was *my* home. But now, I couldn’t even go back inside. Perhaps my time living here wouldn’t be much longer. 4. A light rain was falling. A cool breeze rustled the tree branches along the roadside. But it didn’t stir my heart. I made a purposeful phone call and headed to a law firm. I took the elevator, making my way to the office with a familiar ease. Clearly, this wasn’t my first visit. “Evelyn, can you finalize my divorce papers today? Do you need any more documents?” The lawyer opposite me frowned, flipping through previous records. “It’s about halfway done. If I work overtime today, it should be ready.” “But according to your previous requests, you were planning to file for divorce next month. Why the rush now?” I offered a faint smile. “Better a short pain than a long one, right? It was bound to happen sooner or later.” I stayed at the law firm until late into the night. When I left, I carried a black folder in my hand. Since leaving the law firm, my brow had been furrowed, never relaxing for a moment. “This divorce agreement requires signatures from both parties.” I had already signed my name the moment I received it. But the next, most crucial step was how to get Victoria to put her name on it. Suddenly, my phone rang, interrupting my thoughts. It was Victoria. “Julian, where are you? Why aren’t you home so late? Give me your address, I’ll come pick you up.” After a moment’s thought, I gave Victoria an address. “Alright, come pick me up. I also have something to tell you.” I thought that if Victoria truly came to pick me up this time, I would lay all my cards on the table, have an open and honest conversation with her, including my intention to divorce. But an hour, then two hours, slowly passed. I still hadn’t seen Victoria. When I picked up my phone to call her, I discovered a new photo on SnapChat. Leo’s apartment was pitch black, lit only by a single candle. The faint candlelight illuminated Victoria’s left hand. Although it was too dark to see faces, I knew it was her. I couldn’t be mistaken about the wedding ring on her finger. [Power outage at home, my big boss is keeping me company by candlelight!] I froze for a moment, then let out a bitter laugh. No wonder Victoria hadn’t come; she was occupied elsewhere. I “liked” Leo’s SnapChat post, then slowly walked home. I returned home, showered, and lay in bed. It wasn’t until I was half-asleep that Victoria finally came back. As soon as she got into bed, she naturally reached for my hand. Victoria pressed herself close to my chest, pulling my hand to her waist. Her cold, thin lips brushed against my neck. “Julian, it’s been a while since we’ve been intimate…” The moment Victoria spoke, An unfamiliar scent of men’s cologne hit me, making me sneeze involuntarily. Coincidentally, it was the exact same cologne Leo wore. It made me feel a little disgusted. I wearily pushed Victoria away, my voice calm. “Not tonight. I’m not feeling well.” It was the first time I had ever rejected her. A flicker of surprise crossed Victoria’s face. However, after I sneezed several more times, Victoria remembered her broken promise from earlier, and her face softened with guilt. “Julian, are you catching a cold? I should take you to the hospital to get checked.” “I’m sorry, Julian, I broke my promise today. Something came up at the company; I was going to pick you up, but then I got too busy and missed it.” I closed my eyes, nodded, mumbled “No, it’s fine,” and then said nothing more. The woman I had shared a bed with for five years no longer spoke a single truth to me. Any lingering guilt I had about secretly drafting the divorce papers vanished. 4. The next morning, we both left the villa one after the other for the company. As I arrived downstairs, I saw Victoria getting out of the car with Leo. Victoria would explain her relationship with me to everyone, but she never shied away from her intimacy with Leo. In her words, they were innocent, and there was nothing to hide. Our relationship, however, was like something stolen, something that couldn’t see the light of day. Seeing me, Leo jogged over and handed me a bag of breakfast buns. “Mr. Reed, what a coincidence! These are for you, consider them a thank-you gift for liking my post yesterday.” Victoria, following behind Leo, heard this and her curiosity was piqued. “What SnapChat post?” It wasn’t until Leo opened his phone, revealing yesterday’s post, that Victoria’s pupils contracted slightly. Perhaps she remembered her lie from yesterday, as a hint of panic flashed in her eyes as she looked at me. But seeing me calmly accept the breakfast buns from Leo, she visibly relaxed. Victoria reassured herself. Perhaps I hadn’t connected all the dots. I took the buns, smiled, said “Thanks,” and squeezed into the elevator. Victoria frowned after I left. She felt something was off about me today, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was. When Victoria arrived at her office, she called someone from the finance department to inquire about my recent work performance. “I saw Mr. Reed at Evelyn Hayes Law Firm yesterday evening. I wonder if something happened at home that needed legal attention.” That single sentence tugged at Victoria’s heart. We were a family, she reasoned, so she’d know if I needed a lawyer. Victoria planted a seed of doubt in her mind. She recalled the address I’d given her yesterday, which happened to be near the law firm. She was about to call me in for questioning. Unexpectedly, I knocked on her office door myself. “Ms. Sterling, this is last month’s employee payroll report. I need your signature.” I took a black folder from my bag and handed it to Victoria. Every page requiring a signature was marked. “Ms. Sterling, the places that need your signature are on these pages…” “I know, I’ll just take a quick look.” I didn’t know what had gone wrong. Victoria, who usually didn’t scrutinize things too closely, was examining this document with unusual care. “I heard you went to a law firm yesterday?” Victoria’s sudden question made my heart leap. If Victoria knew this was a divorce agreement, would she sign it? I didn’t dare to gamble on that probability. I just wanted to get away from Victoria as quickly as possible. “You know the company is about to sign a big project. I asked the lawyer to check the contract for any loopholes.” Perhaps my calm demeanor dispelled Victoria’s suspicions. She flipped to the last signature spot and quickly frowned again. “What kind of contract is this? Why is there only a last page?” There wasn’t much information on it, just the usual boilerplate about contracts being in triplicate. But I was prepared. My face remained impassive, though my voice held a hint of urgency. “I just discovered a mistake in this contract this morning, so I took it in for corrections. Please sign it quickly; this contract is urgent.” Victoria looked up at me. She believed I wouldn’t lie to her, but something still felt off. Unbeknownst to her, my heart, which had just relaxed, tightened again as I saw her hesitate. Although the contract didn’t contain much content, a careful look would reveal the faint words “Law Firm Divorce Agreement” in the upper left corner. “Victoria, I think Leo just fell outside.” I used Leo to distract Victoria. Just then, a soft sound came from outside the door, unsettling Victoria. She didn’t have time to scrutinize the contract further, hastily signing it. I breathed a sigh of relief, satisfied, and left. As I walked away, I saw Victoria carefully examining Leo, turning him over and over, as if he were a precious treasure, though he’d only knocked over a water bottle. This time, I felt calm. The moment I decided to divorce, I had already let Victoria go. 5. That afternoon, I immediately contacted Evelyn Hayes. “Once the divorce agreement is signed, there’s nothing else to do. However, the agreement takes a few days to become legally effective. During this period, if either party disagrees, they’ll have to continue negotiations.” I was already well aware of these divorce procedures. Returning to Victoria’s villa, I immediately began packing my bags. I decided to keep it a secret from Victoria. Living in this villa for five years, at first glance, there were traces of my life everywhere. But as I gathered my belongings, I realized how pitifully few they were. It made me realize once again that Victoria’s marriage to me had been truly reluctant. Otherwise, our five years of marriage wouldn’t have been filled only with resignation, but with happiness. When Victoria returned, I was bitterly placing a towel into my suitcase. She frowned. “Julian, are you packing? Where are you going?” I hadn’t expected Victoria to come home so early today. But I remained composed, calmly continuing to pack. “Nowhere. Just some clothes that have gotten moldy or old. I’m going to donate them.” “Donate them? Why?” I smiled and looked up. “Didn’t I tell you? Actually, I grew up in…” Before I could finish, Victoria cut me off. A phone call, ringing at just the right moment, diverted Victoria’s attention, leaving her no time to delve deeper. The instant Victoria picked up her phone, I saw the number and name displayed on the screen: [My Golden Boy]. A unique nickname, full of affection and intimacy. Unlike me, in Victoria’s phone, I was simply noted as “Julian Reed.” “I’m home already. Just wait for me patiently, I’ll be right there.” With that, Victoria hung up, smiling. She looked up and realized I had overheard the entire call. “Leo is looking for you?” I asked. Victoria immediately became flustered, explaining. “Julian, don’t misunderstand. It’s just that Leo’s power went out again. He’s not safe alone at home; it wouldn’t be good if he accidentally fell or bumped into something, so I…” I quickly cut off Victoria’s incessant chatter. I smiled and said I understood. But the more I did, the more uneasy Victoria became. My recent unusual behavior made her feel increasingly frustrated. It was like a sheet of paper in front of her, ready to tear at the slightest touch. Yet, she couldn’t quite reach the paper, couldn’t find the answer. She watched me finish packing my suitcase, then looked around. The entire house seemed to be just as it was, unchanged. The clothes she needed to wear each day were pressed and neatly arranged. Even the jewelry matching each dress was meticulously placed beside it. Victoria couldn’t find an answer, suspecting she had been too busy lately and was imagining things about me. “Oh, Julian, what were you about to say earlier? Why don’t we go to Leo’s place together?” I was silent for a moment. I had actually been about to tell Victoria that I grew up in an orphanage. My occasional departures over the years were to return to that orphanage, to visit the headmistress and the children. But now, it seemed unnecessary to say any of that. As for her suggestion to go to Leo’s place together, I quickly declined. I patted the suitcase I’d just packed. “I won’t go. I still need to find a place to donate these clothes.” This reason of mine again left Victoria with no room for suspicion. However, this time she didn’t let it end there. “Then I’ll go with you. It’ll be easier to drive.” She looked at me intently, as if trying to read my thoughts. But this time, I lowered my head and didn’t refuse. I knew Victoria well. I knew she had already sensed something was amiss. Only thirty days left. I didn’t want all my efforts to be in vain. We got into the car, one after the other. Just as I was racking my brain for a way to get rid of Victoria, A message from Leo called Victoria away again. Victoria looked at me apologetically. “Julian, I’m so sorry, I can’t go with you to donate the clothes this time. Something came up at the company that needs my attention.” I smiled and nodded. Victoria always thought she was keeping everything perfectly hidden. As she was about to get out of the car, I suddenly asked her. “If I hadn’t saved your mother six years ago, would you still have married me?” This question didn’t catch Victoria’s attention. Her mind was entirely focused on Leo now; she wished she had wings to fly to his side. “Of course, not! We got married because I loved you.” “Is that all?” “That’s all!” I suddenly laughed. I chose to let go of Victoria, whose mind was already elsewhere. To let go of this person who spoke to me with such obvious indifference. It wasn’t until the tail lights of Victoria’s car vanished in the distance that I shed a tear, my eyes reddened. I softly whispered: “Liar.” 6. The story of how Victoria and I met was full of coincidences. When I first arrived in this city, I searched and finally rented a room from Victoria’s mother. On my very first day, Victoria’s mother suddenly collapsed, unconscious, due to an unexpected illness. Thankfully, I discovered her in time and rushed her to the hospital. Later, Victoria’s mother’s surgery was successful, but her health was compromised. And she required long-term care. As I had just arrived in the city and had no job, At Victoria’s mother’s and Victoria’s urging, I took on the job of caring for Victoria’s mother. However, sadly, Victoria’s mother passed away a year later due to her severe illness. And Victoria, honoring her mother’s dying wish, married me. Five years had flown by since then. Back then, full of ambition, I always believed that one day I would melt Victoria’s cold heart. But after five years, I was exhausted. I couldn’t fight anymore. I slowly pushed my suitcase back to the villa, then picked up my phone and made a call. “Mark, could you help me rent an apartment? Nothing too big, just enough for one person. Ideally, I’d like to move in in about a month.” Mark’s puzzled voice came through the phone. “Rent an apartment? Julian, don’t you have a few properties listed for sale? Why are you looking to rent?” Mark was the real estate agent who had helped me find Victoria’s mother’s house all those years ago. Over the years, I’d entrusted him with managing the properties I’d accumulated. He was one of the few friends I had in this city whom I could truly talk to. “If you don’t have a place to stay and want to clear your head, you could go to the old lady’s previous old house.” “It’s quiet there, the environment is good, and it’s not far from your workplace…” Of course, I wouldn’t accept Mark’s suggestion. I wanted to sever all ties with Victoria. Why would I stay in a place connected to her? “Mark, please find me a place somewhere else!” My tone was calm but firm. On the other end of the line, Mark seemed to sense my intentions and sighed, saying no more. Just then, Victoria’s voice came from behind me. “Julian, who are you talking to on the phone?” I flinched. I quickly said my goodbyes into the phone and hung up. I turned to Victoria, my face impassive. “Haven’t talked to Mark in a while. Just arranging to grab dinner with him this weekend.” My words, half-truths, made Victoria frown. She knew Mark was one of my few friends, and we’d contact each other occasionally. But I was usually quite reserved and never had much enthusiasm for going out. The number of times I’d gone out with others in these five years was minimal. “Why suddenly decide to have dinner together?” Victoria took off her jacket, turned around, and looked at me, sitting on the sofa without moving. Her frown deepened. Before, whenever she came home, I would always greet her immediately, taking her coat and hanging it in the closet. But lately, she hadn’t received that treatment. This time, Victoria’s heart began to panic. “You always said you didn’t like going out, didn’t you?” I looked down at my phone. “I just donated all my clothes, and the weather’s changing. I need a couple of new outfits, and thought I’d catch up with Mark at the same time.” Victoria stared at me intently, as if trying to find a flaw in my words. This feeling of knowing something was off but being unable to pinpoint it made Victoria thoroughly uncomfortable. “I should have time this weekend. Why don’t I go with you? It’s been ages since we went shopping together.” I finally looked up at Victoria, a flicker of wariness in my eyes. After a moment, I spoke, my voice edged with a hint of pique. “You’re too busy with work. Let’s not. After all, such a big company, so many people are waiting for you to lead, to support them.” This was the excuse Victoria used most often to refuse me in the past. Hearing it from me now, Victoria actually relaxed a little. Victoria smiled and linked her arm through mine. “Are you still upset?” “I know I’ve been too busy lately and ignored your feelings. I promise I’ll spend quality time with you this weekend.” But Victoria didn’t see the disappointment that flashed in my downcast eyes. I whispered in my heart. Soon. Soon, I’ll be free of you, Victoria. 7. Soon, the weekend arrived. Twenty-four days until the divorce. These past few days, Victoria had noticeably spent more time at the villa. But she was also increasingly distracted. Under my subtle concealments, She hadn’t noticed a single thing out of place in the entire villa. Even the suitcase, full of clothes and leaning against the front door, had sat there for a whole week, unnoticed. Today, Mark and I had an appointment to look at apartments. Victoria stayed by my side, as if determined to fulfill her promise. Unable to do anything else, I took Victoria to the mall. The mall was bustling, but neither of us had much enthusiasm. I was solely focused on escaping, while Victoria was preoccupied with trendy clothes meant for younger people. “Victoria, why don’t we call Leo to come shopping with us?” At these words, Victoria’s eyes seemed to light up. “Really? Is that okay? I said I’d spend the whole day with you and not talk about work.” I sighed inwardly. Victoria had already taken out her phone and started dialing. Why bother with the reluctant, self-deceiving act then? Leo arrived quickly, in less than ten minutes. I wasn’t stupid; I could guess Leo had probably been waiting in the mall for a while. And who would have called him? This was exactly the kind of thing Victoria would do. A three-person outing, but only two people were truly happy. Suddenly, the mall alarms blared. Fire! Thick black smoke billowed, and the crowd in front rapidly retreated. Victoria tightly shielded Leo. Meanwhile, in the surging crowd, I was pushed and shoved, nearly falling to the ground. I turned back, and my gaze met Victoria’s across the chaos. Victoria’s face was anxious, wanting to move forward, but under Leo’s insistent urging, she hardened her heart and turned away. “Julian, wait for me! I’ll get Leo out, and I’ll come back for you immediately!” I was expressionless, quietly watching Victoria and Leo disappear into the crowd. Under the cover of the panicked masses, I quietly left the mall. I met up with Mark and we went to look at several apartments. By the time I returned home, it was late. I hadn’t expected Victoria to still be waiting for me. Seeing me enter the house, Victoria rushed over. After only half a day apart, Victoria’s face looked much worse. “Julian, where have you been? Your phone was off. I was so worried about you.” Victoria grabbed my arm, checking it all over. Until she noticed a faint red mark on my neck. She suddenly slapped herself across the face. The crisp sound made me momentarily lose focus, then quickly turned to a feeling of regret. “I’m sorry, Julian, it’s all my fault today, all my fault…” I let out a mirthless laugh. I felt no real emotion, just a sense of boredom. “I’m fine. I just wasn’t paying attention when I was out with Mark, and my phone died.” Then I suddenly stepped forward, evading Victoria’s attempt to hold my hand again. “I’m a bit tired today. I’m going to bed now.” Victoria stood rooted to the spot, looking a little lost. She suddenly felt me slipping further and further away, making her unable to grasp me. 8. In the following days, I stayed quietly at home. To avoid arousing Victoria’s suspicion, I didn’t go anywhere, just waited patiently for time to pass. The apartment I was supposed to move into had already been settled. But on the very last day to sign the contract, the landlord changed their mind. Mark called me. “The landlord said a woman named Sterling offered a higher price for a young man named Leo, and the apartment was rented out on the spot.” I knew my relationship with Victoria. Coupled with my strange behavior lately, I had a suspicion. I didn’t say much, just asked Mark to find another apartment. That evening, I deliberately probed Victoria. “I heard you rented an apartment for Leo?” Actually, I had no other intention in saying this. I just wanted to confirm it so I could deliberately avoid that area in the future. Victoria, however, seemed flustered, her hands nervously fidgeting. “Julian, don’t misunderstand. You know Leo’s previous rental was in a really bad environment, with power outages every other day.” “I just considered that Leo is a company employee, and this counts as a company benefit.” I nodded, indicating understanding. I didn’t argue or make a fuss, even sharing a light joke with Victoria. Victoria looked at my unusually calm demeanor, and a flicker of fear suddenly appeared in her eyes. “Julian, are you hiding something from me?” My hand, playing with my phone, paused slightly, but quickly returned to normal. I smiled and looked up, “No, why would you say that?” Victoria remained silent. She had a nagging feeling that I was hiding something from her. But she couldn’t find any evidence, so she forced a smile and said, “It’s nothing.” In the following days, with Mark’s help, I found an apartment far away from that area. Once it was settled, I immediately moved all my belongings from the villa into the new apartment. I didn’t leave a single towel or a pair of slippers in Victoria’s villa that belonged to me. That night was my last night in Victoria’s villa. I had sent Victoria a message early on, planning to tell her everything tonight. I cooked a table full of dishes, intending it as our last dinner before the divorce. Unfortunately, Victoria broke her promise again. As the clock struck ten at night, Victoria still hadn’t returned home. I took out my phone and saw Victoria celebrating with Leo on SnapChat. Only then did I realize that today was also Leo’s first day moving into his new apartment. I calmly watched it all. For Leo, she wouldn’t even spare a little time for me? All the dishes on the table were poured into the trash. Victoria, if you knew that after tonight, our agreement would become effective, Would you regret breaking your promise again today? I left a letter for Victoria. But then I thought, since we were divorcing, there was no need to bring up old matters. I tore the letter into shreds and threw it into the trash, leaving only a copy of the divorce agreement. And my wedding ring. I erased every trace of my existence from the villa. Finally, I closed the door and left. It wasn’t until I had left that Victoria belatedly arrived. She habitually tidied her makeup, checked herself up and down, then put on an apologetic smile. She pushed open the door and immediately began to apologize. “I’m so sorry, Julian, I was just on my way back when I ran into Mr. Davies, a big client, and we chatted over dinner.” But this time, in the empty house, there was no sound other than her own echo. Victoria called my name several times more. The house remained eerily silent. Her face quickly changed, becoming somewhat distorted with fear. A cold draft blew through the house. It rustled the divorce agreement and resignation letter displayed on the coffee table. The scattered divorce agreement revealed her handwritten signature.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “298935”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #惊悚Thriller #魔幻Magic