1 On the eve of the college entrance exam results, my childhood-sweetheart-turned-gold-digger fiancé, Julian Sterling, decided to publicly auction off 365 of my most intimate photos in a shady underground club. To save my reputation, I was forced to bet everything I owned. But Julian’s “white moonlight,” his true love Sarah Snow, always bid exactly one dollar more than me. Cornered, Julian suggested I bet my SAT score. In the end, I won back my photos with a perfect 1600 score and the entire fortune of the River family. I thought this absurd auction would never hold up in the real world. But the next day, every asset my family owned was legally transferred to Julian’s name. And me? The valedictorian, the Ivy League hopeful? My SAT score came back as a zero. Meanwhile, Sarah Snow, a girl who struggled to pass basic algebra, suddenly had a perfect 1600 and was the top scholar in the state. I requested a rescore, but the result claimed I had turned in a blank test. Worse still, Julian didn’t keep his end of the bargain. He leaked my private photos anyway. They spread like wildfire. Unable to bear the shame, I jumped from a building. In my final moments, I learned the truth: Julian was bound to an “Auction System.” As long as the auction concluded successfully, whatever was wagered—money, property, abstract concepts like test scores—would be forcefully transferred by the system. He designed the entire auction just to goad me into betting my SAT score, stealing my future to give it to Sarah. Reborn, I found myself back at that nightmarish auction. Facing my treacherous fiancé and his smug lover, I decided to go all in. “I light the Sky Lantern!” …… “Whoa, look at that figure, that tiny waist! The River heiress really lives up to her name as the city’s top beauty!” “Hmph, looks innocent on the surface, but clearly she’s wild in private.” “I told you she was easy, but you didn’t believe me. And she thinks she’s good enough for our Julian?” Wolf whistles and crude jeers erupted from the stands filled with trust-fund babies. On the big screen, hundreds of my private photos were displayed. Some were candid shots from my bedroom; others were blatantly Photoshopped fakes. The architect of this humiliation, Julian Sterling, sat in the VIP box, his arm around Sarah Snow, looking down at me with amusement. “Oh, Sister River,” Sarah cooed, feigning distress but eyes gleaming with triumph. “How could you take such indecent photos? Some even with… well, you have quite the heavy taste! There must be a misunderstanding, right? Explain it to Julian!” I ignored the green tea bitch and stared daggers at Julian. “Julian Sterling, have you forgotten who built the Sterling family? You’re just a dog raised by my family!” Years ago, the Sterling family faced financial ruin. To save themselves, they sent five-year-old Julian to my family as a “child groom.” Basically, he was my charity case. His current status was entirely thanks to the River family lifting him up. But my words struck a nerve. Julian slammed the table. “Evelyn River! Do you still think your family rules this city? You’re confused. Right now, you are the dog we’re playing with!” “Let the auction begin! 365 private photos of Evelyn River. Starting bid: one dollar!” The crowd went wild. “Haha, one dollar? That’s humiliating. I’ll start with ten thousand!” Others chimed in: “One million! Just an appetizer, don’t fight me for it!” Just then, Sarah raised her hand. “I can’t bear to see Sister’s photos fall into the hands of perverts. I’ll buy them for her. Five million!” I sneered internally. She wasn’t being kind. She was baiting me. Julian’s “Auction System” meant that whatever the winning bid was—cash, assets, or otherwise—would be forcibly transferred. They wanted to swallow the River family whole! And to ensure I couldn’t make a comeback, they needed me to bet my future—my SAT score. I treated them like family, and they repaid me with ruin and humiliation. Rage burned in my veins. You like bidding wars? Fine. Let’s play. “I light the Sky Lantern!” I announced, my voice cutting through the noise. “I bet all my savings, my real estate, my cars, and every single share and company owned by the River family. Total value: ten billion dollars! I’m all in!” 2 The room gasped. “Evelyn, are you insane? Over a few photos?” Julian yelled. I ignored him, locking eyes with Sarah. “Do you dare to call?” Panic flashed in Sarah’s eyes. She looked to Julian for help. Her family was nouveau riche, barely scraping into high society thanks to her looks. She didn’t have that kind of money. And the other playboys weren’t stupid enough to bet their inheritance on nudes. “Hmph, it’s just ten billion. I call…” Julian started, but I cut him off. “Playing referee and athlete? I’ve never seen an auction host bid. If you bid, the money just goes from your left pocket to your right. What’s the point?” Julian scoffed. He pulled out his phone, transferred over a billion dollars to Sarah, and signed over several of his own companies and shares on the spot. Total value: over fifteen billion. Sarah, now flush with cash, giggled triumphantly. “Hehe, I said I’d buy them back for Sister, so I will! I call! Ten billion… and one dollar!” Laughter rippled through the crowd. Raising by a single dollar was a blatant insult. “Miss River, can you even scrape together two more dollars? Tell you what, bark like a dog and I’ll toss you a couple bucks,” Julian jeered. I had bet everything. I literally didn’t have another dollar. But I remained calm. “You all want to see my private life? Fine. I raise. I bet 365 private videos. Custom made! How about that?” The crowd exploded, whistling and cheering. Julian froze, frowning deeply. “Evelyn River, do you get off on being exposed? I didn’t know you were this cheap!” His insults and the crowd’s mockery felt like slaps to the face. My dignity was gone, but for my family, for myself, I had to keep going. Sarah glared at me viciously, then gritted her teeth. “Videos? Fine! I call! For every video you make, I’ll make one too!” The atmosphere hit a fever pitch. Whether it was the fallen heiress or the playboy’s lover, the crowd was eager for the show. Seeing the excitement, Julian grinned cruelly. “Since Miss River is so open, I should let the boys have some fun! Let’s preview some of her classics!” Uncensored photos of me appeared on the big screen. 3 The room erupted. Lust filled every pair of eyes staring at me. “Damn, that’s top tier!” “So young but that body is demonic! A natural stunner!” “Way better than flat-chested Sarah over there. I’m bidding!” Blood rushed to my head as I looked at the naked images. “Julian, you bastard! You have no right!” He felt zero guilt. “What? I thought you liked being watched. Stop pretending, you’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Another wave of laughter. I wanted to disappear. “What’s wrong, Miss River? Still bidding?” “But videos are boring. Why don’t you service the boys right here? There’s at least sixty guys. One night with each, charge a thousand bucks… that’s sixty grand right there!” The crowd cheered at Julian’s suggestion. “I’ll pay two thousand!” “Get lost! No driving up the price! One thousand max!” “Yeah, maybe the first few are worth a grand, but used goods depreciate fast!” I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms. Julian, you can hate me, you can kill me, but why humiliate me like this? I swear, I will make you regret being born. I slammed the table, enunciating every word: “Betting money is boring. Sarah Snow, do you dare to bet your life?” The room went silent. Sarah stammered, “L-life? What do you mean? You want to commit suicide here?” “No. I mean the rest of our lives. As long as we breathe, the loser becomes the winner’s slave. The slave owns nothing; everything belongs to the master. The slave must obey every command, even if the command is to die.” You could hear a pin drop. Everyone was shocked by the stakes. Julian whispered furiously to Sarah. My back was soaked with sweat. They could have stopped here. They had already stripped the River family of everything and ensured I could never recover. But I was gambling. Gambling on Sarah’s greed. If I was wrong, I was doomed to eternal hell. Sarah bit her lip, ignoring Julian’s warnings. Her eyes burned with unwillingness to lose. Finally, she stood up and screamed at me. “Just a life? I call!” 4 My knees almost gave out. Thank god she took the bait. “Sarah, are you crazy? This is enough!” Julian shouted. But Sarah pouted, stamping her foot. “No! It’s not enough! I want that! This auction is my only chance! If I don’t get it now, I never will!” Seeing Julian hesitate, she unleashed her ultimate weapon: whining. “Julian baby, you’re the best. Besides, she lit the Sky Lantern. She has to match the bid. It’s the rules.” The “rules” of the System. If I didn’t follow them, the consequences would likely be fatal. Since I lit the Sky Lantern, they knew I couldn’t back out. Julian nodded. I laughed, mocking Sarah. “Everyone knows a bid has to be higher in value than the last. But you, Sarah Snow… your looks, body, height—all inferior to me. Your family wealth and connections—inferior. Your IQ is practically non-existent. Do you really think your life is worth more than mine?” “What did you say?!” Sarah looked ready to attack me. But the Auctioneer nodded in agreement. “As Ms. River said, Ms. Snow’s value is significantly lower than Ms. River’s. The bid is invalid.” Sarah was furious, stomping and demanding Julian fix it. Julian panted, conflicted. Finally, he gritted his teeth, grabbing Sarah’s hand. “Then I’ll add my life to the pot! Is that enough?” Instantly, the Auctioneer presented life-and-death contracts. Sarah and I signed without hesitation. Julian hesitated, then signed his name with a savage stroke. He threw the pen down, looking manic. “Now! How will you match that? Don’t forget, you lit the Sky Lantern! If you don’t win, I guarantee you’ll suffer.” I was stripped bare of assets. I had nothing left of value. Was I going to lose? Suddenly, Sarah spoke up. “How about this? Bet your SAT score. I remember the Ivy League admissions office contacted you. A perfect score is basically guaranteed. Bet 1600 points. That should be enough.” I looked at the Auctioneer. He nodded. “Betting test scores?” “Can a score even transfer to Sarah?” “Sarah, maybe let it go?” Whispers filled the room, but Sarah ignored them, taunting me. “Well? It’s the last valuable thing you have, you stray dog. Dare to bet it?” I almost laughed out loud. I was waiting for this line! In this life, I didn’t take the SATs! The admissions office contacted me because I had already been accepted via early action based on my Olympiad wins! I didn’t have a 1600 score to give. Let’s see how you handle a zero. “I bet it! I bet 1600 points!” The moment I bid, Sarah waved her hand, relieved. “I fold. Sister Evelyn, the photos are yours. But your money, your company, your score, and even your life… are now mine! Hahahaha!” Sarah laughed at the sky like a victor, looking like a lunatic to everyone else. Going once… “Evelyn River, your family was kind to me once. I’m fair. If you strip naked, kowtow to me, and promise to be my dog, maybe I’ll spare your parents,” Julian said excitedly. I treated his words like barking. I stared at the gavel. Almost there… Going twice… “Boys! You can play with this bitch anytime you want! Free of charge! Film it! She wants to act like a saint? I’ll rip that mask right off!” Jeers erupted again. Someone reached for my skirt. I slapped his hand away, eyes glued to the gavel, sweat slicking my palms. Julian was ecstatic. “Haha, you think you’re still the high-and-mighty Miss River? You’re a slave now! Everything you have is mine!” My heart felt like it was being squeezed by a giant hand. If I miscalculated, my life was over. Finally, the gavel came down for the third time. Sold! Under their triumphant gazes, the Auctioneer spoke slowly. “Congratulations to the winner of the private photos—Ms. Sarah Snow!” The color drained from Julian and Sarah’s faces. “What?! I won?!” “Impossible! Absolutely impossible!!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388188”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My mother killed herself over five dollars. All because she used five dollars to buy me a notebook for school. My father beat her bloody in front of hundreds of people at the farmers’ market. Never mind that the family’s main income came from my mother waking up before dawn to wholesale vegetables at that very market. In the end, my mother borrowed five dollars from Mrs. Song at the next stall to buy me the notebook. That night, my mother hanged herself. My father said I drove her to suicide. “Just three notebooks,” he said. “The teacher wouldn’t have killed you for not doing homework.” He dumped me at my uncle’s house and disappeared for twenty-three years. After I made my fortune, ignoring my uncle’s curses, I immediately brought him home—penniless and scammed by a woman—to live with me. 1 My father sat on my sofa, legs crossed, sipping the tea I just bought. “At least you have a conscience,” he said. “You know to bring me back to enjoy life now that you’re rich.” “Clear out the master bedroom for me. And give me a $1,500 monthly allowance.” “My stomach is bad, I need small, frequent meals. Make sure you cook me a nutritious meal every four hours.” “If I bring a girlfriend home, go stay at a hotel. Don’t disturb our quality time.” I looked at my biological father, whom I hadn’t seen in twenty-three years, with a cold, fake smile. The wall clock ticked to 6:30. My uncle should be home from work soon. The door creaked open. As soon as my uncle walked in and saw my father, he grabbed a shoe from the rack and hurled it at him. “Who let you in?” “You drove my sister to suicide! You took her hard-earned money and ran off with some woman for twenty-three years! Now that Sophie is rich, you come crawling back?” “Have you no shame?” My father’s obese body dodged clumsily. The shoe landed squarely on his well-maintained face. I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing. “My daughter is filial. She brought me here to enjoy life. Mind your own business.” My uncle was heartbroken, his lips trembling with rage. “Sophie, I’m so disappointed in you. Have you forgotten how your mother died?” Of course I haven’t forgotten. I wouldn’t dare. Countless sleepless nights, I forced myself to recall every detail of that day. The clearer the memory, the stronger the hatred. I was seven. It was the first day of school, and I needed notebooks. I cried and begged him for a long time. He had played mahjong all night and lost. He didn’t give me money; he gave me a slap. I ran crying to the market to find my mother. My mother wholesaled vegetables. My father said labor was too expensive, so he made her do it all herself. That morning, she unloaded ten tons of cabbage alone. I urged her anxiously, “Mom, hurry, it’s eight o’clock. I’m going to be late.” My father came every morning to collect the money, checking every cent. If a penny was missing, my mother got slapped. My mother bit her cracked lips and bravely took out five dollars for me. “Study hard. Don’t be useless like Mom, oppressed by a man your whole life.” The next second, a fist like a sandbag smashed into her head. “Bitch! Who said you could touch my money?” My mother was pressed into a pile of rotting vegetable leaves, beaten until blood flowed. I threw the money at him, crying and screaming that I didn’t want the notebook anymore, begging him to stop. But the more I cried, the more excited he got. “Wastrel! Steal five today, you’ll steal five hundred tomorrow. I’ll beat you into submission once and for all.” Like every time before, my mother curled up, holding her head, silent. Letting him beat her. Because begging only made it hurt more. My father took the five dollars and all the earnings from that morning. My mother crawled up, wiped the blood from her face with her sleeve, and borrowed five dollars from Mrs. Song, who sold apples at the next stall, to buy me the notebook. She took a half-melted fruit candy from her pocket and stuffed it into my mouth. “Go to school. Mom can’t pay back this five dollars. You’ll have to pay it back yourself in the future!” Those were the last words she ever said to me. Unfortunately, I didn’t understand them that day. When I came home from school, my mother had hanged herself in the bathroom. My father cursed at home all day. “Damn it! Daring to kill herself in my house! My hard-earned house is now a murder scene, how can I sell it!” “So unlucky. I knew I shouldn’t have married her.” He pulled my thin hair and cursed me repeatedly. “Money-loser! You drove your mother to death. Buying notebooks… would you die if you didn’t write?” As soon as my mother was buried, he sent me to my uncle’s house. I heard that the afternoon I arrived at my uncle’s, he brought another woman home and bought her a $30,000 car. From then on, it was like he died in my world. He never visited, never sent a cent. 2 “Uncle, he’s my biological father. He’s old, sick, useless. If I don’t take care of him, who will?” My father leaned back on the sofa smugly. “No matter how much effort you spent raising her, she’s still my seed. She’s close to me.” “This is my daughter’s house. Get out!” After I bought this 3,000-square-foot villa, I asked my uncle’s family to move in with me. My aunt and cousin hadn’t gotten off work yet. My uncle’s face turned red with anger. “Sophie, is this what you want?” I quickly helped my uncle sit down, poured him tea, and massaged his back. “Uncle, you raised me. How could I chase you away?” “We’ll all be one family from now on. How nice to live together happily!” My father and uncle shouted in unison: “No!” My gaze towards my father turned cold. “If you don’t agree, I’ll send you back to your bridge.” My father immediately shut up. When I found him, he was fighting with other homeless people for a spot under a bridge. I whispered in my uncle’s ear, “Uncle, this house is so big. It’s perfect to have him clean it.” “With my cousin here to supervise, what trouble can he cause?” My uncle’s eyes lit up. He said no more. I took my father to the storage room on the first floor. It was full of pungent chemicals. I work in R&D; having chemicals at home is normal. “You’ll live here from now on.” “My house doesn’t support idlers. After we go to work, you must clean the house inside and out every day. No slacking.” “My cousin will check when he comes back. If it’s not clean, no food for you.” My father instantly exploded. “What? Didn’t you bring me back to enjoy life?” I looked at him innocently. “I’m letting you live in a big villa. Isn’t that enjoying life?” My father pointed at the massive house with his loud voice. “Cleaning a 3,000-square-foot villa every day? My body can’t take it.” My lips curled into a sneer. “When I was little, didn’t you make Mom clean our house and Grandma’s house every day? If it wasn’t clean, she couldn’t eat.” “What? Now you can’t do it?” “If you can’t do it, get out. Plenty of people would be willing.” Seeing I was angry, he said meekly, “Then how much will you pay me a month?” “It’s your own home. What salary do you need, right, Dad?” My father couldn’t say a word. He never expected the slap he swung years ago would land on his own face. 3 When my cousin and aunt came home, they both walked straight in with their shoes on. I coughed lightly. My father immediately grabbed a broom and mop, following behind them to clean the floor. At dinner, my father was the first to sit at the table, taking the main seat. I pointed at him. “Go wait in the kitchen. Eat after we’re done. And remember to wash all the dishes.” My father’s hand holding the chopsticks froze in mid-air. He looked at the nanny, Mrs. Wang. “Why can she eat at the table and I can’t?” My cousin grabbed him and threw him aside. “I hired her. She gets paid.” “You’re different. You don’t earn money. You’re freeloading. You can’t eat at the table.” “Isn’t that the rule you set?” Indeed, that was the rule he set for my mother back then. The table was silent. Seeing no one paid him any attention, my father went to the kitchen alone. At 1 AM, I woke my father up. He looked at me, eyes barely open. “What are you doing in the middle of the night?” I threw a set of durable, dirty work clothes at him. “It’s not early. It’s 1 AM.” “I have a stall at the market wholesaling vegetables. Go help.” “You have ten minutes to wash up. Any later and the business will go to others.” My father finally couldn’t take it anymore and cursed at me. “Sophie, are you sick? You’re treating me like your mother!” “Am I the same as your mother?” “I’m a man, the pillar of the family. Your mother, as a woman, was supposed to do that work.” He couldn’t handle it already? This was just the beginning. “What’s so great about being a man? Just a few extra ounces of meat in your pants.” “You played cards, drank, and slept with women all day.” “Why did my mom have to work so hard selling vegetables, give you all the money, and get beaten by you?” My father screamed with his rasping voice, “Because I’m a man! I’m the head of the household! She had to serve me unconditionally!” “When you get married, it’ll be the same. Even if you’re a tiger now, you’ll have to kneel in your husband’s house.” I laughed. I haven’t met anyone who could make me kneel. I turned and called my cousin. “Bro, kick him out.” My father instantly backed down. “I don’t want to sleep under the bridge. I’ll go work right now.” I warned him, “After work, remember to come back and clean the house inside and out. If it’s not clean, no food.” I followed him and watched him unload the truck alone. Ten tons of cabbage. He hadn’t even unloaded a third before he was squatting by the road, crying and holding his waist. “Sophie, this isn’t work for humans. If I keep going, my back will break.” I urged him, “Don’t be lazy. It’s just ten tons of cabbage. How could my mom, a woman, do it, but you, a big man, can’t?” Mrs. Song deliberately said, “When you bullied your wife back then, you didn’t expect this day, did you?” “People need to build good karma.” My father cried for a while, took off his jacket, and threw it on the ground. “I quit! Whoever wants to do it can do it.” After my father left, the stall owner laughed and said to me, “Next time you have free labor like this, send them over. Slow, but free!” My father walked a few meters, then turned back. “Sophie, you want revenge for your mother, right? Then no one will have a good life.” “I’ll drive you to death just like I drove your mother to death.” I was waiting for him to explode! People make mistakes more easily when they are impulsive. Three months later, I was working at the company when my uncle called. “Sophie, come home quick! Your dad has caused a huge disaster!” 4 I rushed home. A crowd was gathered at my door. I knew them all. They were suppliers and clients of my company. They held IOUs in their hands. As soon as they saw me, they surrounded me. My biggest supplier, Manager Zhao, questioned me first. “Ms. Tong, your father took $1.5 million worth of goods from our company in your name. He said he’d pay in a month. It’s been three months.” “Look, settle the bill!” My biggest client, Mr. Tang, showed me a thick stack of contracts. “Your father took a team and accepted my order in your name at one-third below market price. It’s a month overdue, and he can’t deliver. What do we do?” I looked at their IOUs and contracts one by one. In total, my father had scammed about $12 million. “You believed him just because he said he’s my dad?” “Coming to my house to demand payment… where’s the shrewdness you usually have when bargaining with me?” They looked at each other. “He has your contact info, photos with you, and your assistant was with him. We believed him.” No wonder Assistant Huang was always asking for leave recently. He was helping my father run scams. Manager Zhao got anxious. “Ms. Tong, you aren’t going to ignore this, are you? He’s your dad.” I calmly explained, “You may not know my personal situation.” “My father abandoned me when I was seven. He never cared for me in twenty-three years. I have zero relationship with him.” “His personal actions have nothing to do with me.” “I advise you to call the police immediately. The sooner you report it, the better chance you have of recovering some losses.” An old man with nothing to his name—if he spent all the money, where would they get it back? Mr. Tang, who worked with my company, always prepaid 50%. He lost the most. “Sophie Tong, even if you have a bad relationship with your dad and ignore him, are you going to ignore your company?” “Do you want to do business with me in the future?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388187”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

When I got my very own smartphone at the age of five, I started receiving strange messages every day. The stranger on the other end called me “Mom.” At 3:00 AM this morning, she texted again. “Mom, I dreamed of you again. The attic is leaking. My stepmother told me to soak it up with a rag, but the rag is too small. I’ve been wiping all night and it’s still wet. Mom, I’m so cold and hungry. I miss you…” I tilted my head, watching the rain pour against my window, and typed out a serious reply with my tiny fingers: “Don’t be scared, baby. Where are you? Mommy will send you some yummy food!” 1 “Who are you?” The reply came instantly. I was confused. I blinked my big eyes and pouted. “Didn’t you call me Mom?” Why was she asking who I was now? To show I was a responsible mother, I added a cute, patient emoji at the end of my sentence. (◕‿◕) But I waited a long time. My daughter never replied, and I eventually drifted off to sleep. The next morning, I rubbed my sleepy eyes and instinctively reached for my phone. There was a message on the screen: “You aren’t my mom. My mom passed away five years ago.” I looked down at my round little tummy and put my hands on my hips, puffing up my cheeks. “That’s rude! I’m five years old this year, alive and kicking!” Then, it hit me. Her mom disappeared five years ago. My mommy says when people disappear, they get reincarnated. I am exactly five years old. Maybe I really am her mom! When we play house at preschool, I’m always the Gold Medal Mommy! Just as I was about to explain this logic to her, a new message popped up. “I don’t know who you are, but thank you.” “This was my mom’s old number. Today is my 18th birthday. If it’s not too much trouble, could you wish me a happy birthday?” I slipped into my bunny slippers and sent a voice note in my milky, toddler voice, which converted to text: “Happy Birthday, baby! Be happy and eat lots of candy!” Then I thought about it. Every year on my birthday, Mommy and Daddy give me big presents. My daughter needs a big present too. So I texted: “What gift do you want from Mommy today?” “Mommy likes cute dolls and chocolate. What do you like?” The girl on the other end hesitated for a long time before replying: “Could you send me some painkillers?” I didn’t really know what painkillers were. But I knew people only took medicine when they were sick. I quickly asked, “Baby, are you sick?” “Actually, my stepmother locked me in the attic last night…” She seemed afraid I would misunderstand and started explaining. “She said I stole money. She locked me up and beat me. I hurt all over. I just want the pain to stop.” Stepmother. That sounded bad. Like the Evil Queen in Snow White. Furious, I typed back: “Your stepmom is so bad! She’s a monster! Don’t be scared, baby. My Daddy is a Bulldog in the Chinese zodiac… wait, no, he’s just fierce! I’ll tell him to bite her for you!” I asked for her address, then ran downstairs to find our housekeeper, Mrs. Higgins. “Mrs. Higgins, I need a delivery service!” Then I opened the cabinet and sprawled out on the floor, my little butt in the air, rummaging through the boxes. There were so many colorful boxes. I didn’t recognize any of them. Mrs. Higgins saw my face scrunched up in confusion and asked kindly, “Lily, honey, what are you looking for?” I looked up at her. “Mrs. Higgins, which one is the painkiller?” She looked worried, picked me up, and checked my forehead. “What’s wrong, honey? Do you feel sick?” I shook my head obediently. “Lily isn’t sick. But Lily’s daughter is having a birthday today, and I need to send her painkillers!” Mrs. Higgins thought I was playing pretend with my dolls. She laughed. “Lily, you eat cake on birthdays, not medicine.” I slapped my forehead. Right! Birthdays need cake and candy. That way, the medicine won’t taste bitter. 2 I begged Mrs. Higgins to order a cake for me. Even though she was confused, she helped me order a cute one with a purple bunny on it. I packed two boxes of Tylenol and my secret stash of gummy bears—the ones I couldn’t bear to eat myself—into a pink gift bag. Then I called a TaskRabbit runner to deliver it to my daughter’s high school. “Dearest baby, Mommy prepared lots of gifts. Remember to eat a gummy bear after the medicine so it won’t be bitter. Happy Birthday!” After the order was complete, I messaged the delivery guy: “Sir, is my daughter okay?” The delivery guy texted back: “The girl had bruises on her arms. She looked like she’s been having a hard time. Her clothes were old and patched. She looked very pale. Poor kid.” My heart squeezed tight. What mother wouldn’t worry about her child? Later, my daughter sent me a photo of her eating the cake. “Thank you. This is the first birthday cake I’ve had since my mom died. It’s delicious. The candy is sweet too.” “It’s okay! Mommy will buy you cake for every birthday from now on!” “Thank you, Mom.” I happily opened Google and searched: How to raise a daughter. The internet said daughters need to be spoiled and given the best things in the world. I nodded wisely. My gaze drifted to my pink piggy bank. When Mommy walked into my room with a strawberry milkshake, I was smashing the pig with a toy hammer. Crash! Coins and bills scattered over the carpet like confetti. I crawled around picking them up. “This is for candy… this is for a dress… this is for new toys… and this is for Daddy, to pay him to bite the bad stepmother!” Mommy leaned against the doorframe, amused. “Lily, why did you break your favorite piggy bank? Do you want a new toy?” I hugged her leg excitedly. “Baby has a daughter now! I have to raise her!” Mommy jumped. “Where did you get a daughter?” I showed her the phone screen. “I found her myself! She has no mom and a bad stepmom bullies her.” “The internet says raising a kid is expensive. I have to work hard!” Mommy looked at me, speechless but patient. “Lily, there are bad people in the world. Not everyone loves you like Daddy and I do. It might be a scammer.” I shook my head. “No! A scammer would ask for lots of money. My daughter only asked for a painkiller.” “Her mom left her. If I, her new mom, don’t help, the bad stepmother will hurt her!” Mommy sighed. “The police will help her.” “The police can’t help everyone,” I said solemnly. “But I’m her mom. I will protect her.” Daddy walked in and dropped his briefcase. “What? Lily is a mom?” “But honey, you’re five. You can’t even tie your shoes…” “Moms don’t need to tie shoes!” I argued, tilting my head. “Moms just need to wipe tears, share candy, and…” I stood on my tiptoes to kiss both their cheeks. “And say ‘I love you’ 100 times a day!” “I know I can be a good mom!” 3 My parents couldn’t argue with my logic. They sighed. “Okay, we believe you.” “But we need to ensure your safety, so we’re going to run a background check on this girl…” I didn’t understand what that meant. But I knew my daughter was good. They would like her. That night, my daughter sent a photo. A dark, cramped attic with a thin blanket on the floor. “This is where I sleep.” I felt so sad. I took a picture of the star-shaped nightlight in my room. “Don’t be scared, baby. I’ll share my stars with you!” She replied: “Okay.” Then she sent a photo of a faded family portrait. A woman holding a baby. The woman had a distinct mole on her ear. I scrambled out of bed and looked in the mirror. I ran to Mommy. “Look! My ear has the same mark as her mom!” I took a picture of my ear and sent it. “My grandpa said people who leave come back with gifts. Look, my ear matches your mom!” The phone was silent for a long time. Then: “Will you stay with me? Mom.” “Of course!” I knew this wasn’t a game. I had a real daughter now. That night, Grandpa sent me a digital red envelope with money. I immediately transferred it to my daughter. She was shocked. “Why are you giving me money?” “You’re my daughter! Moms give allowance!” She returned the money immediately. “Thank you, but I can’t take it. My dad is a sailor. He sends tuition and living expenses to the school. I can eat there…” “Mom, just talk to me. That’s all I need.” My eyes got hot. My daughter was so sensible. “Okay. Tell Mommy everything.” My phone buzzed. A call! I panicked. If she hears I’m five, will she fire me as her mom? I hesitated, then answered. Rain drummed in the background. A teenager’s voice came through. “Hello. Thank you for being willing to play my mom.” I deepened my voice, but I still sounded like a chipmunk. “It’s what Mommies do!” Her voice trembled. “Thank you. Besides Ginger, you’re the only one who talks to me now.” “Who is Ginger?” “My mom’s old cat. She’s nine now. An old lady.” She sent a picture of a round orange tabby with white whiskers. “Wow! What a cute kitty! With me and the kitty, you won’t be sad anymore!” “Okay. I won’t be sad.” We talked every night. She told me about school, about the challenges of growing up. I read her fairy tales from my new books. Daddy and Mommy stood at my door, jealous. “Our daughter has a kid and ignores us old folks now.” “Lily, aren’t you sleeping with Mommy tonight?” I lifted my chin. “Mommy, my daughter’s name is Chloe. Isn’t that pretty?” “Sounds like a princess!” Daddy sighed. “Yes, yes. Your daughter is better than mine!” I pouted. “Your daughter isn’t bad either!” 4 But then, things went wrong. For three days, no calls. No texts. I had a bad feeling. Was my daughter in trouble? Just as I was panicking, a message came through: “Help me!!” I screamed, waking up my parents. “Mommy! Daddy! My daughter is in danger! We have to save her!” It was my first time at Chloe’s apartment complex. It was late, but a crowd had gathered downstairs. “Did you hear? Chloe’s stepmom tried to set her up with some old guy for marriage. Chloe refused, so the stepmom threw the cat off the balcony!” “That woman is venomous! What is the dad thinking, leaving his kid with her?” “He’s a sailor, gone all year. It’s a domestic issue, nobody interferes.” In the center of the crowd, a thin girl hugged a bleeding cat, begging for help. “Please, someone save my cat! Please!” Her voice broke my heart. A sharp-faced woman stepped out, sneering. “I told you to listen. It’s just a stupid cat!” “You want to save it? Fine! Forget the SATs. Marry that man like I said!” Chloe cried, hopeless. “Please let me go. I only have this cat… I want to take the test. I want to go to college!” The woman smirked. “College? Not up to you! I’m your guardian!” She stepped on the cat’s tail with her high heel. The cat was too weak to move. Chloe hit the woman’s leg in desperation. “Call your dad right now,” the woman hissed. “Tell him you want to get married, not study. Or the cat dies, and your future dies with it!” Chloe slumped, eyes dead. “Okay. I’ll call him.” I was furious. My precious treasure was being bullied! I broke free from my mom’s hand and charged through the crowd. I stood in front of the bad woman, hands on my hips. “What are you doing! Don’t you dare bully my daughter!” The woman laughed hysterically. “Where did this brat come from? Kid, are you crazy? I’m her mother! Her legal guardian!” “Disciplining my daughter is none of your business!” The crowd laughed at me. The bad woman stepped toward me. “Go drink some milk, kid. Don’t play hero.” Chloe looked at me, shocked. “I didn’t think… you were actually a child…” She wept. “And you actually came…” Before she could finish, the woman grabbed her. Chloe trembled. “I’m okay, don’t worry about me. Please… can you take Ginger?” She handed me the bloody cat. “Thank you for coming.” I held the weak cat and started wailing. I was a useless mom. I couldn’t protect her. Suddenly, my real Mommy’s voice rang out behind me. “Mrs. Stepmother, everything you just said can be used in court. As a senior partner at Horizon Law, I suspect you of fraud and child abuse!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388186”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I accidentally fell into the lake while boating and was rescued by a fisherman. My parents were furious, claiming I had lost my purity and demanding I marry him. My sister, standing by, smirked with triumph. “The title of Lady Sterling is mine now!” But inside, I was overjoyed. “That bisexual psychopath? Whoever wants him can have him! I’m off to live a normal life!” 1 I first realized Julian Sterling was a monster after a banquet at the Sterling estate. I waited by the side entrance for a long time until the servant boy who had accompanied me was carried out. His face was ghostly pale, his breathing faint, hanging on by a thread. Blood trickled down his legs from under his trousers. Lifting his shirt revealed a body covered in scratches and bite marks. Around his neck was a shocking, purple bruise from strangulation. I stumbled back in horror. “What… what happened?” The servants who carried him averted their eyes, hesitant to speak. I understood instantly. In the dignified Sterling estate, during a banquet, the only person who could commit such atrocities was their master. The servant boy was delicate and handsome. My parents, knowing I was visiting my future in-laws, had specially chosen the most presentable servant to accompany me. Little did they know he would become prey for a demon. Julian dared to act so brazenly before we were even married. If I actually married him… The thought sent a shiver down my spine. No wonder the prestigious Sterling family chose a daughter from a modest official’s family like mine. Other noble families probably wouldn’t be so easily manipulated. When my parents found out, they simply paid off the servant and his family with a few silver coins and instructed me and the servants present that day to keep quiet. “Every noble heir has their quirks, Clara. Don’t make a fuss.” I knew my parents had worked hard to secure this marriage. In their eyes, nothing mattered more than the immense wealth and status it brought. They would never agree to break the engagement. So, on the day my sister, Bianca, arranged for someone to kick me off the boat, what I felt wasn’t fear, but relief. 2 When I was born, my father was just a poor county clerk, so he left me with my grandmother in the countryside. Later, his career flourished, and he became an official in the capital. Bianca was born then and raised by their side. It wasn’t until the Sterling family proposed a marriage alliance that my parents remembered me, the daughter forgotten in the countryside for years. I was the eldest legitimate daughter, and the matriarch of the Sterling family had an old friendship with my grandmother, specifically requesting the granddaughter raised by her. Bianca cried for days when she found out. She had always been the apple of our parents’ eyes, the only young lady of the Miller household for years. But such a prestigious marriage fell to the sister far away in the country, long forgotten. How could she accept that? In my opinion, Bianca was spoiled rotten by our parents and had no brains. Such a mismatched marriage clearly had something fishy about it. But Bianca stubbornly believed I was blocking her path. “If only you didn’t exist!” She often looked at me with resentment in her eyes. I knew she wouldn’t let it go. Until that day, when Bianca pestered me to take her along to Julian’s boating invitation. Seeing the flicker of calculation in her eyes, I knew she was about to make her move. On the pleasure boat, Bianca’s voice was soft and sweet, her smile charming. She cast flirtatious glances at Julian frequently, causing the young lord to look her way more than once. I sneered internally. She really had no idea what she was getting into. Just then, a breeze kicked up small waves, rocking the boat. It was just ordinary movement, but the servants around me suddenly surged toward me. “Miss Clara, be careful!” I felt a kick to my waist, and I tumbled into the water. The moment I surfaced, I saw Bianca throw herself into Julian’s arms with a look of terrified panic. “Lord Sterling, I… I’m scared!” 3 Fortunately, growing up in the countryside, I learned to swim early, so my life wasn’t in danger. But amidst the chaos, I saw a particularly wretched-looking servant jump into the water and swim toward me. “Miss Clara, I’m coming to save you!” He wore a lewd grin, looking like he was about to succeed in some dirty scheme. My heart sank. This must be Bianca’s arrangement. If I were “saved” by him, I would be forced to marry him due to the compromise of my reputation. I turned and swam desperately in the opposite direction. The servant didn’t expect me to swim and paused. “Miss Clara, don’t run! I’m here to save you!” He shouted as he swam. I ignored him, intent on getting as far away as possible. Suddenly, a fishing net covered my head, and a voice said: “Miss, grab the net! I’ll pull you up!” I wiped the water from my face and looked up. A young fisherman stood at the bow of a small fishing boat. His trousers were rolled up high, revealing strong calves. His bronze skin gleamed healthily in the sun. “Brother, are you married?” I shouted from the water. He wasn’t prepared for such a question in a life-or-death situation and stammered: “N-no.” “Do you have someone in your heart?” “No, no one. Miss, you…” I glanced back at the servant swimming closer and said: “Alright, you’ll do!” Then, I grabbed the net tight. The moment the fisherman pulled me up, I threw myself into his arms. 4 The capital was abuzz with the scandal. The fiancée of the Sterling heir, the eldest Miss Miller, fell into the water and was saved by a fisherman. In front of Lord Sterling and hundreds of onlookers, Miss Miller, soaking wet, was embraced by a fisherman. Shameless. When my parents found out, instead of caring about my safety, they were furious. “You should have died to protect your virtue rather than let another man touch you!” They were more worried that the engagement with the Sterling family would be annulled. Bianca stood by, smirking. Although things hadn’t gone exactly to plan, my reputation was ruined all the same. My parents locked me in the ancestral hall, waiting anxiously for days. Finally, word came from the Sterling family. The eldest Miss’s virtue was compromised; she could not marry into the Sterling house. However, the young lord stated he wished to maintain the alliance with the Miller family. If the elder sister wouldn’t do, the younger sister would suffice. It seemed Bianca’s throw-herself-in-his-arms tactic worked that day. My parents were overjoyed. They had always favored the younger daughter raised by their side. It was only the Sterling matriarch’s preference that forced their hand before. Now, the Miller family could keep the alliance, and with their favorite daughter no less. How could they not be happy? Bianca came to the ancestral hall to gloat. “Sister, now the position of Lady Sterling is mine. What a pity for you!” I looked at her calmly. “Then I congratulate you, sister. May you get what you wish for and live happily ever after with the young lord.” Seeing I wasn’t disappointed or angry, Bianca became annoyed. “Are you content to rot in a nunnery for the rest of your life?” I looked at her in surprise. “Why would I go to a nunnery?” Her eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you’re actually going to marry that lowly fisherman?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388185”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My sister is actually my mother. Locked in our basement are over a dozen of my “fathers.” Limbs broken, eyes gouged out, they pickle in large glass jars of liquor—the secret ingredient to my mother’s eternal youth. Today, my mother brought home a new “father.” I knew she was planning to brew a new batch. But this new father… seemed to be a woman. 1 “Chen, say hello to your brother.” My mother clung to the arm of a strikingly handsome man, laughing like a schoolgirl. The man stared at me with a half-smile. There was something unsettlingly familiar in his eyes that made me freeze. Seeing my gaze linger on him, my mother kicked me hard in the stomach. “You little brat, already thinking about men?” “Keep staring and I’ll gouge your eyes out!” I clutched my stomach in pain, falling to the floor. I watched as my mother fawned over him. Her low-cut dress brushed against his arm as she whispered, “Shawn, my little sister has a bad habit of eyeing my men. Don’t let her seduce you.” She wasn’t lying about one thing. I was interested in every man she brought home, but not for the reasons she thought. The man dismissed me immediately. “I don’t like scrawny bean sprouts.” He slapped my mother on the rear. “I like women like you!” My mother giggled, looking even more radiant. It was impossible to tell she was pushing fifty. Her skin was porcelain white, her face retaining the baby fat of a twenty-year-old. In fact, as long as I could remember, she hadn’t aged a day. If anything, she looked younger. “Dinner’s ready, right? Go pour some wine,” she ordered, glancing at the darkening sky. I pushed myself up from the floor and headed toward the basement. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her trace circles on his chest. “Shawn, I can hardly wait.” He pulled her closer, whispering something that made her eyes glaze over with lust. Only I knew what she really couldn’t wait for. Every man she seduced and brought home would taste her special “Handsome Man Wine.” After a few rounds of drinking and intimacy to establish a “connection,” they wouldn’t live past sunrise. They would become the next batch. This wine was her fountain of youth. This was the eighteenth man. If this succeeded, she would be young forever. 2 The dark basement smelled of strong alcohol mixed with the stench of rotting flesh. Seventeen men were preserved in semi-transparent glass containers. The secret to the wine was simple: it only required the body. So, the men in the jars had been eviscerated, blinded, and their limbs broken to fit into the twisted glass shapes. Seeping blood dyed the liquor a dark crimson. Years of soaking had bloated their bodies, rendering their once-handsome faces unrecognizable. My mother’s angry voice echoed from the entrance. “Little bitch, hurry up or I’ll break your legs!” I quickly grabbed a pitcher, ladled out some wine, and hurried upstairs. For a second, I thought I saw one of the bodies in the jars twitch. But when I looked back, everything was still. After dinner, my mother swayed her hips into the bathroom. The sound of running water soon followed. I learned from her that this new man was named Shawn. I kept my head down, clearing the table. Shawn, already half-drunk, suddenly lunged at me from behind, wrapping his arms tight around me and inhaling deeply at my neck. “Little sister, you smell just as good as your big sister.” I struggled, terrified but silent. If my mother heard, I’d get another beating. “Let go!” I hissed, my voice trembling. Shawn didn’t care. His hand slid under my shirt, grazing the fresh wounds on my back. Pain shot through me, triggering an instinctual fight response. My body was a map of my mother’s bad moods. When she was drunk, she used me as a punching bag. If I fought back, she’d throw me into the wine vats, letting the alcohol burn my open cuts. My wounds never really healed. I clawed at Shawn’s clothes, ripping his jacket open in my panic, exposing his neck. He froze, shoving me away violently and frantically adjusting his collar. A suspicion flashed in my mind. I scrambled into my bedroom and slammed the door. My hands shook as I touched my own chest. Wait. He was different from the men in the basement. He… didn’t seem to have an Adam’s apple. I shook my head, recalling the soft sensation I felt when he pressed against my back. A realization hit me. He seemed to be a woman. 3 “Then why did she…?” I muttered to myself, cracking the door open. My mother had just come out of the bathroom, wearing a red silk nightgown, her damp hair loose over her shoulders. She straddled Shawn’s lap, her back to me. Shawn closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. “Darling, you smell amazing.” He scooped my mother up and carried her into the bedroom, his gaze lingering on my door for a few seconds before kicking his own door shut. Just then, a chaotic whimpering noise came from the basement, followed by the sound of shattering glass. Crap. If a jar broke and the wine spilled, my mother would kill me. I didn’t think twice before rushing down to the basement. But when I got there, I froze. The seventeen jars that had been lined up on the floor were gone. Panic set in. The entrance to the basement was narrow, barely wide enough for one person. The jars were larger than a grown man. How could they all disappear in such a short time? As I stood there bewildered, the iron door at the top of the stairs slammed shut. Darkness swallowed me. A strange male voice echoed in my ears: “Chen, you can’t escape.” “You and your mother both deserve to die.” Cold sweat broke out on my forehead. I scrambled up the stairs and pounded on the iron door, but it was locked from the outside. The sinister voice grew closer, then stopped right next to me. Silence. Absolute silence. Then, from outside the door, came the muffled sounds of intimacy. It was my mother’s voice. I paused. For over a decade, every time my mother brought a man home, I heard these sounds. I wouldn’t mistake it. But… wasn’t Shawn a woman? I leaned against the wall, my mind racing. After a long while, the sounds stopped. The iron door creaked open. I swallowed hard and stepped out. My mother’s bedroom door was ajar. Through the crack, I saw the messy bed. Something was wrong. Usually, after the deed was done, my mother would kill the man and drag him to the basement. But today, it was strangely quiet. Did she fail? Impossible. She hadn’t failed in years. Suddenly, a piercing scream tore through the house. “Ahhh!” I ran to her room. My mother sat naked on the bed, her pale skin mottled with red marks. But Shawn was gone. 4 “Where is he?” she screamed, eyes bulging. I huddled by the door, too scared to speak. She grabbed a vase and hurled it at me. It shattered against my forehead, warm blood trickling down. “Are you mute?!” The pain nearly knocked me out. I shook my head, trembling. My mother stood up like a madwoman, throwing on clothes. She picked up a shard of glass and slashed my face. “Useless thing!” Blood ran into my mouth, the metallic taste making me gag. Watching her frenzy, I didn’t dare tell her the wine jars were gone. Her eyes darted around the room, then landed on the open basement door. She lunged for it, but I grabbed her leg. She kicked me away, storming down the stairs. “Come out! I know you’re hiding down there!” I gulped, backing away in fear. But when she entered the basement, everything was normal. I followed her down and saw the jars lined up perfectly, exactly where they should be. Not a single one missing. Did I hallucinate? My mother tore the basement apart but found no sign of Shawn. I knew he wasn’t there—I had been locked in the whole time. Suddenly, her face twisted in agony, and she collapsed to the floor. I rushed to help her, but she shoved me away. She plunged her head into one of the open wine vats, drinking greedily. “Thirsty… so thirsty.” She clawed at her neck as she drank. Her fingernails tore her skin, drawing blood. She screamed as her skin began to sag visibly. The youthful fullness in her face vanished, replaced by wrinkles and age spots. At the same time, her stomach began to swell rapidly. It looked like she was suddenly… pregnant.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388184”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

In our past life, Julian and I were husband and wife. He never hid the fact that another woman held his heart, only occasionally offering me looks of pity. Everyone said I loved him desperately, enduring rumors and gossip to manage his household and secure his legacy. No one knew I was just doing it out of spite. On my deathbed, he sat beside me and sighed, “You’ve worked hard in this life, Autumn. If there is a next life, I will share a little love with you.” I died too quickly, the words “I don’t want it” stuck in my throat. When I opened my eyes again, I saw floating text scrolling before me: [The male lead is reborn. Seeing how dedicated the female lead was in her past life, he’ll still give her a position as a secondary wife.] [It’s a pity. The main couple loves each other so much, but they can’t be together properly because of the supporting female character.] [Whatever, let’s just pity the supporting female. She loves the male lead so much, she’d die without him.] Before I could recover from the shock of rebirth, I heard my parents’ angry shouts from the front hall. It was Julian. He had come… to make me his concubine. 1 “Heartless! My Autumn won’t marry at all before she becomes your concubine!” I heard my mother’s cursing from afar. “When your family was poor, you pestered our Autumn every day, saying you’d marry no one but her, eating and drinking at our house. Now that you’ve been recognized by your rich father, you want our Autumn to be your concubine? Keep dreaming!” My mother’s words were blunt. Usually, my father would have stopped her, but this time he just glared at Julian, looking ready to punch him. The neighbors all knew Julian and I were childhood sweethearts. His behavior was shameful, and many pointed fingers at him. Julian was clearly embarrassed. But he regained his composure the moment he saw me rushing over. His face returned to confident arrogance. “Uncle, Auntie, why deny this marriage so quickly? Why not ask Autumn? I’m sure as long as she can be with me, she’d be willing even as a concubine.” The floating text scrolled faster: [See how gentle the male lead is? If he wasn’t afraid the supporting female would kill herself if he abandoned her, he wouldn’t even be here.] [Exactly. The supporting female’s family can’t see the reality. Look at the male lead’s status, then look at theirs. He’s going to inherit a title. Liking a merchant’s daughter is already a huge blessing for her.] [Yeah, he could have just walked away. He only stayed because he was afraid she’d die for love.] Yes, in the past, my love for Julian was his biggest asset to trample on me. But that love died in my previous life. I stopped loving Julian a long time ago. But he didn’t know. He thought I still adored him. To him, I would die without him. That’s why he looked at me so arrogantly, speaking as if bestowing charity: “Autumn, although you’ll enter as a concubine, once my marriage with Sarah is settled, she will elevate you to secondary wife. Don’t worry, with Sarah’s character and generosity, she won’t let you suffer any grievances.” He claimed I wouldn’t suffer, yet he humiliated me in front of everyone. Seeing my silence, the text scrolled furiously: [No way, the male lead said all that and she’s still putting on airs? Is she waiting for him to beg?] [Does she really think this will get her the position of main wife? Naive and laughable.] 2 In my last life, Julian did marry me as his main wife. He was poor and alone as a child, surviving on the charity of the neighborhood. He ate the most at my house. My family had been merchants for generations, wealthy even by capital standards. My parents had no son, only me. My mother was soft-hearted. That winter, Julian stood barefoot at our door in ragged clothes, staring at the fresh pastries in my hand, swallowing hard. I gave him all my food that day. He ate so fast his stomach hurt, alerting my mother. Seeing the bag of bones that was Julian, she cried out in pity and brought him inside. That day, Julian left wearing my father’s old winter clothes, altered to fit him. He came often after that. At first, just to eat. As he grew older and learned shame, he said he came to see me. I knew it was an excuse. Julian was just hungry. He called me his best friend in the world, but his eyes were glued to the meat buns. Later, older and more shameful, he swore an oath to me. If he, Julian Thorne, ever made it big, he would never betray me. That oath bound him for half a lifetime. After being recognized as the lost son of Baron Thorne, he was quickly brought back to the fold. He was already twenty. Rejecting the women his father’s concubines tried to push on him, he married me with grand ceremony. Julian was spirited that day. In our bridal chamber, he patted his chest and boasted, “See, Autumn? A gentleman keeps his word. I said I wouldn’t forget you if I lived a good life, and I haven’t.” Julian didn’t love me then either, but he kept his promise and treated me well enough. If he hadn’t met Sarah White, we might have lived harmoniously forever. 3 But fate led him to Sarah, the woman he fell for at first sight, the one he wanted to protect for the rest of his life. Sarah was the illegitimate daughter of a government minister. She shouldn’t have had it so hard, but the Minister’s wife was notoriously cruel. She couldn’t stop her husband from bringing women home, but she could torture them in the backyard. Even so, Sarah’s mother, Concubine Snow, managed to gain favor with the Minister. Sarah wasn’t treated poorly, but after meeting Julian, she cried to him about her suffering. She claimed Julian was her only lifeline. Julian, immersed in the fantasy of saving his beloved, publicly defended Sarah multiple times, disregarding propriety. Soon, rumors about them filled the capital. They were illegitimate lovers, yet Sarah refused to be a concubine, claiming she wouldn’t follow in her mother’s footsteps. But Julian couldn’t divorce me. He wouldn’t break his promise to care for me, and I had been a faultless wife, serving his family and using my family’s wealth to pave his career path. Even his father, who initially despised my merchant background, acknowledged my virtue. I even offered to let Julian take Sarah as a concubine. But Sarah refused. Not only did she refuse, she tearfully accused me of hypocrisy in public. She claimed she and Julian were soulmates, their connection beyond worldly definitions, and that my suggestion insulted their love. Her shocking words moved Julian deeply. The world gossiped about Sarah, but Julian only cherished her more. In the end, Julian kept Sarah outside, setting up a home for her, neglecting his wife. They bore the insults but lived together for a lifetime. Only I remained, guarding the empty Baron’s estate, refusing to leave out of spite. I didn’t love Julian anymore, but I wouldn’t make it easy for them. To the world, it was proof I loved him desperately. So on my deathbed, Julian sat by me, repenting, saying he would give me a little love in the next life. Of course, only a little. Most would still go to Sarah. This time, Julian seemed determined not to let Sarah suffer any indignity. I looked at his confident, determined face and smiled faintly. Baron Thorne had many children. In the end, Julian, with no maternal family backing, inherited the title. Did he think that without my family’s wealth pouring into the Baron’s estate, he could have stood out among his brothers? Seeing my smile, Julian relaxed, his tone turning affectionate. “Autumn, I knew you were always the most sensible. You understand me.” The floating text cursed me: [What is the supporting female pretending for? She was holding back before, now she’s smiling like a dog.] [Look how eager she is walking towards the male lead, throwing herself at him in public. Shameless.] [Watch, she’s going to cry in his arms…] Slap! A crisp slap interrupted the scrolling text. Everything seemed to freeze. The only response was the bright red handprint on Julian’s face. He stared at me, unable to comprehend what had happened. “Get out!” My shout brought him back to reality. After being a high-and-mighty Baron for half a lifetime, Julian hadn’t been humiliated like this in years. His face turned colors, his eyes filled with rage. But the neighbors cheered. Here, his title meant nothing. Finally, he glared at me and threatened, “Autumn, I’ve done my best by you. Even if you beg me later, I won’t let you in the door.” I raised my hand again. Julian, muttering about shrews, fled with his servants. 4 After he left, my mother held my hand, her voice choking. “Autumn, you’ve suffered.” “But although you vented your anger today, the news will spread, and it’s bad for you. In this world, a man’s words can ruin a woman’s reputation. If Julian makes up lies to justify breaking the engagement, what will you do?” Looking at my mother’s gentle, loving face, remembering how she died with eyes open in my last life because of my situation, my heart ached. Why did I waste my life spiting Julian? I spent a lifetime punishing a man who didn’t love me. Never again. I leaned into my mother’s embrace, comforting her softly. I told her, no, the world wouldn’t blame me for this. The text was still scrolling: [The male lead is going to find our baby protagonist.] [In this life, they will meet early. The male lead will protect the protagonist, so she won’t suffer anymore.] Yes, in the last life, Sarah often cried to Julian after they got together. The day he came to propose to me was the day she was pushed into the water by her legitimate sister. They didn’t know each other then, but Julian, loving her, blamed himself for that regret. He said it was his fault for not appearing sooner to save her. In this life, he could finally fulfill his promise and be Sarah’s hero. I just wondered if Sarah, currently flirting with several noble sons, would acknowledge this illegitimate son of a Baron who had just been recognized and had no status.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388183”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I got a call from the police station out of the blue, asking if I had bought a latte last month and accidentally dropped it. I admitted I had. The officer said I was in trouble and needed to come down to the station. I thought, It’s just a latte. How much trouble could I be in? When I arrived, the officer looked at me sternly. “Miss, last month, someone slipped on the latte you dropped and suffered severe injuries. They were rushed to the ICU.” I was stunned. The officer led me into a mediation room. Inside sat a young woman, her arm in a cast, gauze wrapped around the back of her head, crying her eyes out. While my brain was still rebooting, the officer turned on a TV and showed us the security footage. The video showed the paper bag holding my latte tearing, the cup hitting the floor, and me walking away looking upset about my ruined drink. About ten minutes later, this young woman walked by. Anyone who’s been to a mall knows how distracting the displays are. No one looks at the floor. She stepped right into the puddle, slipped, and slammed the back of her head and arm onto the hard tile. The officer handed me the medical report. “Her right arm is broken, and she fractured her skull. They had to perform a craniotomy to remove bone fragments from her brain. Frankly, you’re lucky she survived, or you’d be in a holding cell for manslaughter right now.” I stared at the woman. She was pretty, but the officer’s words were clear: her life was ruined. Part of her skull was gone, replaced by a metal plate. Hair would never grow there again. She sobbed hysterically. A deep sense of guilt and self-blame began to consume me. I just dropped a latte, but I destroyed a beautiful woman’s life. “The victim is asking for $700,000 in compensation,” the officer said. “We’re just mediating. If this fails, she’ll sue you in court.” $700,000. I couldn’t save $700,000 in a lifetime. My entire savings amounted to $30,000. That was money I scraped together for a used Honda Civic so I wouldn’t have to brave the rain on my commute. But before my dream could come true, a $700,000 mountain crashed down on my head. 1 The officer advised me to settle privately. He said he’d seen this before, and I would definitely lose in court. “Why should I pay?” I whispered. “Doesn’t the mall have a duty to keep customers safe?” “But customers don’t have the right to spill drinks and walk away without cleaning it up,” the officer countered. “The mall shares some liability, but you bear the primary responsibility.” “But I told the janitor!” I protested. The officer paused. “You notified the cleaning staff?” “Yes,” I insisted. Immediately after dropping the latte, I told a janitor. I remembered that day clearly because I was already having a bad day. The latte splashed on my new dress. I rushed to the restroom to clean up and saw a cleaning lady there. I told her about the spill. The officers exchanged glances and told me to wait while they contacted the mall. They called the mall management to check the schedule and identify the cleaning lady on duty that day. They asked her to come in for questioning. The mall manager arrived quickly. He was a man in a suit named Mr. King. Behind him stood a timid-looking older woman. I recognized her immediately—she was the one I spoke to. “I’m going to ask you a question, and you need to be honest,” the officer said to the cleaning lady. “Did this young lady tell you she dropped a latte and ask you to clean it up?” I relaxed, feeling vindicated. But just as I let out a breath, Mr. King turned to the cleaning lady. “Think carefully. If she told you, the mall is fully liable, and she walks free.” The officer barked, “Watch your mouth! Are you threatening the witness?” “I’m just telling her to think clearly,” Mr. King said smoothly. The officer pointed a finger at Mr. King. “One more word like that, and I’ll kick you out!” Mr. King shrugged. Then, the cleaning lady whispered, “No.” I froze, staring at her in disbelief. “How can you say no? Think harder! I remember you were leaning against the sink in the women’s restroom playing on your phone!” “Really, no,” the cleaning lady said hurriedly. “She never told me.” The moment she denied it, I snapped. I grabbed her collar and screamed, “Why are you lying?! I told you! I know I did!” The cleaning lady trembled, pursed her lips, and burst into tears. 2 “I really didn’t hear her tell me anything,” she sobbed, wiping her eyes. Mr. King pushed me away, sneering. “What are you doing? Trying to assault my employee? Officer, did you see that? She’s violent!” I gasped for air, rage flooding my brain. I looked at this crying old woman. The intense emotion nearly broke me. I looked like the villain; she looked like the victim. But she was lying! I told her! The officers separated us. One asked the old woman seriously, “Think again. Did it happen or not?” “Really, no!” she wailed. “If she told me, I would have cleaned it up!” “You liar!” I roared. “Have some conscience!” Mr. King blocked me from her. “Officer, we’re here to cooperate, not to be threatened.” I was so angry I could scream. A lump formed in my chest. They were lying, but one acted righteous and the other played the victim, making me look unreasonable! The surveillance footage proved I dropped the latte, making me liable. If footage also proved I notified the staff immediately, I wouldn’t be responsible. But there are no cameras in restrooms! Mr. King looked at the officer with a nonchalant expression. “Officer, the burden of proof is on the accuser. If she claims she told our staff, she needs evidence, not just talk.” A chill ran down my spine. I had no evidence. Who records themselves telling a janitor about a spill? It’s such a trivial thing. But this trivial thing was enough to ruin my life. The officer told me not to panic and to discuss it with my family. “How can I tell them?” I muttered. “My mom will lose her mind.” The injured woman suddenly spoke up through her tears. “You think you’re the only one with parents? The day I went into the ICU, my mom had a stroke from the shock and is paralyzed! What did my family do to deserve this?” I couldn’t refute her. I knew she was innocent. But so was I. As a daughter, I hated telling my parents about trouble I caused. But this trouble was too big. I couldn’t handle it alone. 3 With trembling hands, I called my mom and asked her to come to the police station. Hearing “police station,” she panicked, asking if I was in a fight or hurt. I didn’t know how to explain, so I just asked her to come. Her voice choked up. She didn’t ask who was right or wrong, only if I was okay. When I said I wasn’t hurt, she sighed in relief and said she was on her way. The officer told me to sit and think if there was any way to prove I contacted the mall staff. Sadly, I couldn’t think of anything. No video, no recording. A small event decided my future, and I had no way to fight back. Mom arrived on her electric scooter, helmet still on, keys in hand. She pushed open the door nervously, scanning the room for me. She pointed at me and whispered to the officer, “That’s my daughter.” When the officer beckoned her in, she entered, clutching her keys, asking, “What happened to my girl?” The officer sat her down and patiently explained the situation. Mom listened, then said anxiously, “My daughter doesn’t lie. She’s never lied since she was little.” In her desperation, she grabbed the officer’s arm. “She volunteered in Wuhan during the pandemic! Her character is excellent!” Mr. King scoffed. “So that means we’re lying? Just because you say she’s noble? Oh wow, volunteered in Wuhan, so impressive!” The officer glared at Mr. King. “Can’t you speak civilly?” 4 “I’m just afraid my employee will get shortchanged,” Mr. King said innocently. “Dragging out good deeds for sympathy points? Is this a place for evidence or feelings? Let’s skip mediation and go to court!” He started to lead the cleaning lady out. My mom rushed over and grabbed the woman’s arm. “Ma’am, please tell the truth! My daughter wouldn’t lie. Please, just tell the truth!” “I really didn’t lie,” the cleaning lady sobbed. “She didn’t tell me.” I watched them leave helplessly. The injured woman sighed. “Thank you for mediating, officers. I’ll sue. Let the judge decide.” Mom turned to her. “Child, my daughter didn’t lie to you.” “That doesn’t matter,” the woman said. “I’m the most innocent victim here, aren’t I?” Mom opened her mouth but couldn’t say a word. Since mediation failed, we signed the papers and left. The officers advised me to think hard about any potential evidence, promising to look for some themselves. Outside the station, Mom told me to hop on the back of her scooter. She turned back. “I know you wouldn’t lie. Don’t be afraid. Mom believes you. There is justice in this world.” My nose stung. I held back tears. She told me not to be afraid. But as she rode, I saw her wiping tears from her face. That night, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. I went to get a beer from the fridge to help me sleep. But when I opened my door, I saw my parents sitting in the living room. They were holding their bank book, looking at it again and again, as if staring would make the numbers grow. Mom bit her hand to stifle her sobs. She kept asking Dad what to do. Dad smoked silently, saying nothing. I retreated into my room and closed the door softly. A sleepless night. I contacted many lawyers. They all told me I would lose. But I refused to sit and wait for death. I knew the cleaning lady was lying. I stopped going to work. I followed her. I stalked her.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388182”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

1 My mother was dying. In a moment of lucidity in the ICU, she decided to make her will. “Mrs. Lewis, you want to draft your will?” “Yes, while I’m still clear… I need to settle my estate.” Mother took a deep breath. Her voice was weak, but every word was clear. Mr. Lee, the lawyer, took out his pen and notebook, his expression serious behind his glasses. “Alright, Mrs. Lewis. Go ahead.” “Besides the house, I have $200,000 in my bank account.” The sentence was a bombshell. I stared at my mother in disbelief. When did she save $200,000? She was a retiree living on a small pension of $1,500 a month. “The house goes to Daniel.” My brother, Daniel, smiled slightly. He expected this. That house was worth at least $300,000. “As for… the s-savings… that also goes to Daniel. The jewelry in my old chest goes to Sarah.” Mother finished trembling, but her tone was firm. The air in the room solidified. My breathing stopped for a second. I stared blankly at my mother, ears ringing, sounds distant and unreal. “Mom…” “What… did you say?” I opened my mouth, but my voice was dry and barely audible. Mother’s gaze remained on Daniel, as if she hadn’t heard me. Her fingers gently stroked Daniel’s hand, eyes full of tenderness. “Daniel has had it hard these years, struggling out there,” she said weakly but firmly. “The house and savings are for him. It’s the least I can do as a mother.” Daniel was hit by the jackpot! Eyes shining, he hugged Mother excitedly. “Mom, Mom, I don’t want it… You have to live a long life. I haven’t been filial enough yet.” My heart felt squeezed, breathing difficult. I looked at Mother’s pale face and suddenly felt she was a stranger. Growing up, she never looked at me this long, let alone spoke to me so gently. “Mom, what about me?” I couldn’t help but ask, voice trembling. “I’m your daughter too.” Mother finally turned to me. Her eyes lacked the warmth I hoped for. Her gaze was sharp, even impatient. “Sarah, you’ve always been sensible. I don’t need to worry about you.” Her voice was cold. “You have a stable job, good income, you can take care of yourself. Daniel is different. He needs this house.” My eyes burned, throat blocked. I wanted to say something, but my voice choked. “Mrs. Lewis, are you sure about this distribution?” Mr. Lee pushed his glasses up, calm and professional. “Legally, children have equal inheritance rights. Without special reason, this could lead to legal disputes.” Mother’s eyes sharpened. She stared at Mr. Lee, tone unyielding. “This is my decision. Daniel is my son. House and savings go to him. It’s only right.” Daniel stood by, expression complex. He looked at Mother, then at me, wanting to speak but ultimately lowering his head, gripping Mother’s hand. “Mom, don’t say that.” He finally spoke, voice hoarse. “Sarah is your daughter too, I…” “Daniel, say no more.” Mother cut him off, sounding tired. “This is my decision. No one changes it.” My heart sank. Looking at her familiar yet strange face, I realized I never truly entered her heart. No matter how hard I tried, her gaze always rested on Daniel. I thought being excellent would make her see me. Now I knew, some things never change. “Mom, I understand.” I spoke, surprisingly calm. “Don’t worry, I won’t fight for it.” Mother seemed surprised, a flicker of complexity in her eyes. I opened my mouth to speak but just sighed. “Sarah, don’t blame Mom.” Her voice softened, tired and helpless. “Mom just… wants Daniel to live a little better.” I nodded silently. My eyes were hot, but I held back the tears. I had to be strong. Mr. Lee looked at me, then at Mother, and recorded the will. The room was heavy and oppressive, the ticking of machines loud in the silence. “Mrs. Lewis, the will is recorded.” Mr. Lee closed his notebook. “If there are no other requests, I will process the paperwork.” Mother nodded, smiling wearily. “Good. Thank you.” Daniel stood by, joy mixed with complexity on his face. He looked at Mother, then me, wanting to speak. But he just lowered his head and held her hand. “Mom, rest well.” He whispered, choking up. “I’ll stay with you.” Mother’s eyes softened. She patted his hand, smiling with relief. I watched silently. My heart felt stabbed, pain making it hard to breathe. I knew I had lost the last shred of hope. “Mom, I’m going out. Rest well.” I whispered, exhausted. Mother didn’t answer, just nodded slightly. Her gaze remained on Daniel, forgetting my existence. I turned and left the room, closing the door gently. The hallway lights were harsh and cold. I leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath to calm down. 2 Mom, why are you always like this? Daniel is your child, am I not? Why do you always favor him? He gets whatever he wants. And me? I care for you in old age, clean up your mess. Forget inheritance, I don’t even get a kind word! I stood in the hallway, trembling, tears welling up. I wanted to rush in and question her. But I couldn’t… Thinking of Mother in the hospital bed, I felt wronged and confused. I didn’t understand why she always doted on Daniel and was cold to me. I remember when we were kids going to school. Every morning, Mother prepared a hearty breakfast for Daniel, while I ate leftovers. Once, I asked: “Mom, why does Daniel get eggs and milk, and I only get toast?” She didn’t look up. “You’re the older sister, you should yield to your brother. He’s growing, he needs nutrition.” I lowered my head, eating dry toast, feeling wronged. In middle school, my grades were top tier. I thought being excellent would make her look at me. It didn’t. Once, I ran home with a perfect test score to share my joy. “Mom, I got a perfect score!” I said excitedly. She was peeling an apple for Daniel. Without looking up, she said “Mmhmm,” then handed the apple to him. “Danny, eat fruit, it’s good for you.” I stood there, the test paper heavy in my hand. Watching her wipe Daniel’s mouth gently, my heart ached. Since then, I never shared my grades with her. 3 After high school, I got into a top university. I thought leaving home would free me from her bias. But distance didn’t change her coldness. Phone calls were brief and rushed, as if I was irrelevant. Daniel, with bad grades, was always her concern. When he failed his SATs, she pulled strings and spent money to get him into a private college. Knowing this, I felt even more unbalanced. Why did my years of effort mean nothing to her? After graduation, I found a good job and stabilized my life. I thought I finally escaped her shadow. But a phone call shattered my peace. “Sarah, your brother is getting married. We don’t have enough money. Can you help?” Mother’s voice pleaded. I held the phone, bitter. She never called me unless it was about Daniel. “Mom, I have my own life. I can chip in, but I can’t pay for everything.” I tried to sound calm. Silence, then coldness. “You’re the older sister. You should help him. Marriage is a big deal. Don’t be selfish.” My heart felt pricked. Why were Daniel’s needs always first, and my feelings ignored? In the end, I paid $20,000 for the wedding and banquet. But less than a year later, the bride divorced Daniel for being useless and broke. My $20,000 was gone. That was my blood and sweat money, saved dollar by dollar. 4 To care for Mother, I brought her to live with me for ten years. I gave her the best I could. In hard times, my husband and I lived in the basement to rent her a sunny room. But she still complained. I worked harder, often overtime. Coming home late, I’d find her sleepy on the sofa. Nagging: “Always waking me up at night… come home earlier, don’t disturb me…” I apologized profusely. Then ate a quick meal in the kitchen and slept. Work was hard. But eating Mother’s cooking still warmed my heart. It was one of the few times I felt her care. Until a year ago. She fell ill. I rushed to the hospital daily. Smelling disinfectant, I sat on the bench, emotions tangled. Seeing her frail on the bed, I still hurt for her. “Mom, how do you feel?” I asked softly. She opened her eyes, glanced at me, then said flatly: “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” Heartache. Why was she still so cold? Then Daniel rushed in. “Mom! Are you okay? I heard you were sick and came right away!” He rushed to the bed, anxious. Mother smiled instantly. “Danny! You’re here? I’m fine, don’t worry.” I watched her tenderness toward him, heart aching. She patted his hand lovingly, as if he was her only concern. And I stood there, an outsider, my breathing superfluous. I quietly left the room, tears falling in the hallway.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388181”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My husband, Adrian, and I are known for our mutual hatred. I just suggested we sleep in separate rooms, but then I saw a row of comments floating in the air. [Is the female side character stupid? Bringing up separate rooms out of the blue is suspicious.] [Over a hundred chapters in and still sleeping separately? This story is meaningless without some action.] [Don’t worry, sis. After the male lead agrees, the side character tries to elope with her boy toy. The male lead goes dark, and they’ll be doing it non-stop.] [But the male lead has such long fingers… I’m afraid she won’t be able to handle it.] Terrified, I scrambled back under the covers and quickly changed my tune: “Actually, let’s keep sleeping together. I think I kinda like you.” Hearing my insincere words, Adrian chuckled in disbelief. “Playing with me again?” 1 “Don’t you like it when I play with you?” My fingertips traced down his collarbone. Adrian’s abs tensed up immediately, his breathing growing heavy. “Ha, I’m not one of the fish in your pond. You think I’ll take the bait that easily?” The comments in front of me scrolled frantically. [Male lead, keep being stubborn. Every time she teases you, you kiss her.] [Honestly, the male lead’s body is nosebleed-worthy. Broad shoulders, narrow waist. I’d trade souls with her just for the free luxury cars and mansions.] [Why are you so greedy upstairs?] [Ahhh, don’t stop! Look at the veins popping on his abs! He’s losing control!] I yanked my hand back, cheeks burning. My flustered expression didn’t escape Adrian. He chuckled, leaning in to lock eyes with me. Those bottomless eyes seemed to see right through me. “Scarlett, didn’t you want to kill me before?” “Why so forward all of a sudden?” 2 Adrian was right; I did want to kill him before. We were the famous “hate couple” of high society. After a wild night, we were forced to get married. Post-marriage, we were at each other’s throats, exploiting every weakness. He cut off my numerous romantic prospects; I embarrassed him publicly multiple times. But everyone gets tired of fighting eventually. I didn’t want to battle Adrian anymore, so I planned to elope with a college student under the cover of night. After all, he was a 20-year-old innocent college boy. Until a few minutes ago, when I saw the comments. To avoid being investigated, I tearfully abandoned my elopement plan. Seeing my silence, Adrian’s aggressively handsome face suddenly leaned in, millimeters from my lips. The air was thick with tension. I snapped back to reality, blushing as I spouted nonsense: “I just recently realized you’re actually pretty great. Handsome, fit, and willing to spend money on me.” “Compared to those flowers outside?” “No exaggeration, those mediocre guys don’t compare to one ten-thousandth of you.” Adrian stared at me, a fake smile on his face. “Is that so? Then delete all those male models from your WeChat.” I froze. Adrian really had to say things that made me want to die in the most ambiguous moments. Under his murderous gaze, I deleted over a dozen male models. Adrian raised an eyebrow. “Not deleting the college boy? Saving him for your elopement tonight?” My hand trembled. Adrian really knew everything. I secretly thanked my lucky stars that I saw those comments before eloping. I painfully deleted the college boy’s contact. The corner of Adrian’s mouth lifted slightly as he ruffled my hair. “Good girl.” I ignored him. I just buried my face in his massive chest muscles and secretly wiped my tears. 3 While Adrian took a cold shower, I quietly opened another chat app. I messaged X: [Hey, it’s night… the photo…] X was the white moonlight I’d been longing for over seven years, my first love. Although it was just an online relationship, he saved me time and again. When my stepmother beat me within an inch of my life, he called the police, saving me. When I couldn’t afford surgery and was desperate, he paid for it. If not for that night with Adrian, maybe X and I… A notification pulled me back. X: [I’ll take it in a bit.] He suddenly asked: [Scarlett, who do you like more, me or him?] I knew “him” meant Adrian. I didn’t hesitate: [Do you even need to ask? I like you, not Adrian. No matter how good he is, I’ll never like him.] Read, no reply. I said I liked him, why is he mad again? Men are so hard to understand. The comments scrolled. [Tsk tsk, X is jealous even of this?] [I always look forward to X’s thirst traps. Is he not sending one today because he’s mad? I’m gonna cry.] *[I ship the side character with the male lead, but her and X are cute too. Whatever, I’ll ship anything. Besides, the male lead and X are both ***.] [Another spoiler alert taken away. RIP sister.] Based on my extensive reading experience, the censored words were probably… sexual. My brain spun. Well-endowed? Good in bed? Or… My cheeks burned, and I couldn’t stop smiling. Oh my, what could it be? So hard to guess. Since X wasn’t replying, I watched the comments to pass the time. From the comments, I pieced together the plot of the novel. I was in a melodramatic romance novel. Adrian was the male lead, Sophia was the female lead, and I was just cannon fodder to push their relationship forward. After the female lead returned from abroad, my hate turned to love for the male lead, and I tried everything to stop them from being together. I humiliated the female lead, framed her for stealing company secrets, causing misunderstandings. Eventually, the male lead discovered my evil deeds and had an epiphany. His last bit of affection for me vanished, realizing he truly loved the female lead. He sent me to prison, where I couldn’t handle life and bashed my head against the wall, dying. I stared at my death description for a few seconds. This side character’s fate was too pathetic, wasn’t it? [Side character, stop daydreaming! Look at your phone, X sent the photo.] I snapped back and opened the photo. My face went red instantly. The photo was taken in a bathroom. The man wore only a loose towel around his waist. Broad shoulders, narrow waist, pecs and abs on full display. The veins on his lower abdomen were faintly visible in the mist, making my heart race. The comments exploded. [As expected of X, quality is always top-tier. Pant pant, licking the screen.] [Bro, sorry for what I did to your photo.] [The side character is eating good tonight!] [Thank you, side character. Just say the word, and we’ll vote you as the new female lead.] [No need. With all the evil things she does later, making her the lead would be disgusting.] [But she’s not following the plot now, is she?] 4 Early the next morning, the phone rang, waking me up. It was the college boy. I hung up in a panic. “Who was that?” Startled, I turned to look at Adrian. He was in a black suit, tall and slender. Behind gold-rimmed glasses, his peach blossom eyes were lazy yet sharp—full “refined scum” vibes. I lied: “Spam call.” Adrian frowned. The comments scrolled. [Oh no, male lead’s darkness level is rising.] [Better flirt a little to survive.] I grabbed Adrian’s tie, forcing him to bend down to eye level, and stared straight at him. “What? You think another man called?” “Jealous?” A blush crept up Adrian’s ears, and his breathing grew heavy. He looked down, avoiding my gaze, voice icy: “Ha, only you could come up with such a clumsy seduction.” Despite his words, he let me pull his tie like a leash. I traced circles on his chest with my fingertip, feigning frustration. “Oh well, I’m definitely not as smart as you. “So, Adrian. “Do you like clumsy seductions or not?” Adrian froze. He was silent for a moment, but seeing my expectant gaze, he rasped: “I like it.” The comments went wild. [What has she turned the male lead into?] [Suddenly reminded of a fitting line: As long as I can stay by the young miss’s side, I’ll do anything, even be her dog.] [Forget the male lead, I’m falling for the side character. Who doesn’t love a beautiful, flirtatious bad girl?] I leaned in close, millimeters from his lips, teasing him. Adrian’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his heartbeat audible. Just as he closed his eyes, I held up my phone: “Adrian, it’s 8:30.” Implying he needed to go to work. Adrian laughed angrily, desire still burning in his eyes. “Playing me?” I shrugged nonchalantly: “Not the first time.” Adrian adjusted his tie. “I’ll be back at six. You can play however you want then.” The comments were full of innuendo. [Is this “play” innocent? Sounds dirty to me.] [But the male lead’s fingers are so long, I feel like she won’t be able to handle tonight.] [Who said long fingers are bad? They’re amazing.]

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388180”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I am the mother of the villain. After my awakening, a system tasked me with giving the villain a happy family. I scooped up the villain, who was still just a toddler, and stormed into my high-cold, hateful husband’s house. “Honey! Do you not want me and our child anymore?” “Honey, say something!” Later, I pondered getting the villain a stepfather. My husband bit my neck, jealousy oozing from every pore. “In your dreams.” 1 I am the villain’s mother, but I’ve awakened. The villain, Sebastian, is my son. Sebastian became a villain because his unhappy family warped his personality, creating a dark and twisted character. His parents, me (Vivian) and Julian, were in a loveless business marriage. I had someone else I liked, but family pressure forced the union. My mother even drugged Julian and me, leading to a one-night stand and Sebastian. Julian hated my family for drugging him, so he ignored Sebastian from birth. Due to my own family issues and unrequited love, my temper grew strange, and I was cold to Sebastian. Sebastian lacked love growing up, his personality became extreme, and he eventually became the villain of the story. But I, Vivian, the cruel mother, suddenly awakened. Memories of the past replayed in my mind. Things I had done felt strangely foreign. Before I could react, I gained a system. The system gave me a mission: Give Sebastian a happy family and let him grow up happily. Me: “…” I looked down at the soft, white toddler at my feet and was speechless. He clutched a teddy bear, looking up at me pitifully. I asked uncertainly, “…Are you my cub?” Sebastian’s face crumpled, his mouth quivered, and tears threatened to fall. “Mommy, do you not want me anymore?” “Yes, yes, yes!” I panicked, rushing to comfort him. “You are Mommy’s precious heart, of course I want you!” Sebastian’s eyes lit up. “Really?” I nodded. “Really, really truly.” “That’s the first time Mommy called me precious!” Sebastian’s mood flipped instantly, eyes curving into crescents. “Hehe, I’m Mommy’s precious.” I felt a pang of sadness. Just a simple sentence made him so happy. How cold had I been before? Kids’ moods change like the weather. Just as he was happy, Sebastian’s face fell again. He asked cautiously, “Mommy, I miss Daddy. When can I see him?” Me: “…” Good question. Where is your dad? Where is my husband? 2 Julian, my husband who purely hates me. Cold personality, bad temper, but handsome enough to make up for it. In the original story, Julian and I separated immediately after marriage. He had his own villa, and we didn’t live together. My mom drugging us happened at a banquet we both attended. She spiked our drinks when we weren’t looking. One shot, one kill. Thinking about it, Julian’s pretty potent. My thoughts were straying, so I shook my head to get back on track. The system wants me to give Sebastian a happy home. That includes: A strong dad, a loving mom, a happy baby. A key link is missing. Action speaks louder than words. I immediately got Julian’s address, grabbed Sebastian, and rushed over. Arriving at Julian’s villa, the gate was open. We crossed the front yard and stopped at the door. I didn’t know the code, so I tried facial recognition. I tried mine first. Verification failed. Then I picked up Sebastian and let him try. Failed too. I fell silent. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine we three strangers are a family. No choice, I had to use the primitive method: ringing the doorbell. After a dozen seconds, the door opened. Julian’s punchable handsome face appeared. Seeing me, he frowned. Before he could say “Scram,” I beat him to it. “Hi! Nice to meet you, I’m your wife!” Julian looked at me like I had finally lost my mind. Then slam, the door shut. Me: “…” Failure is the mother of success. I rang the doorbell again, then picked up Sebastian. “You do it.” When Julian impatiently opened the door again, Sebastian smiled sweetly. “Daddy, I’m your son!” Strike two. Sebastian looked sadly at the door Julian closed again. “Mommy, does Daddy not like us?” “How could that be?” I lied through my teeth. “Your dad is afraid we aren’t full, so he’s serving us a ‘closed door special.’ Haha, haha, haha.” I couldn’t keep laughing. After shivering in the cold wind for a while, I pressed the doorbell a third time. Julian opened the door furiously. “Vivian! Is your brain…” I covered his mouth quickly before he could finish. “Don’t say it!” I signaled with my eyes. “The child is here! Bad influence!” Julian: “?” I picked up Sebastian and slipped into Julian’s house with lightning speed. Julian had a Border Collie named Max, very obedient. Seeing Max, I immediately entrusted Sebastian to him. “Max, quick, take your brother to the backyard to play. I need to talk to your dad.” Max looked at me, then at Julian. Then he actually grabbed Sebastian’s shirt and led him to the backyard. Julian was so angry his mouth twitched. “Vivian!” He gritted his teeth. “What the hell do you want?” “Don’t use my full name, it’s not intimate.” I tried to calm him down. “Hubby, I was wrong before. Let’s make up!” Julian’s icy face looked like an avalanche. “Whoever you are, get out of Vivian’s body right now.” “…” I thought for a moment and used the classic parent line. “Listen to me, I’m not thrilled either. But isn’t this for the child?” “A child’s childhood can’t lack parental companionship!” “Everything for the child, for the child’s everything. Let’s just make do and tolerate each other, okay?” “What do you think, Hubby?” Maybe it was an illusion, but I felt steam rising from Julian’s head. He: “Get out.” Me: “Yes, sir.” 3 I rolled out swiftly. Because Julian would soon discover he threw out the big one but forgot the small one. Sure enough, not even 5 minutes later, Julian’s call came. I naturally didn’t pick up. It wasn’t until an hour later that I returned to Julian’s villa. I rang the bell, and this time the door opened quickly. Julian stood there holding Sebastian by the collar, then tossed him into my arms. “Take him and go. Don’t come back!” Then he slammed the door. I took Sebastian home. On the way, I asked Sebastian, “What did you do at your dad’s?” Sebastian thought for a moment. “I ate cookies, played hide-and-seek, and played fetch in the backyard!” My eyes widened in surprise. “Your dad played with you?” He shook his head. “No, Max played with me. Max brought me the cookies too. Daddy was working in the study.” “I even brought washed grapes to Daddy while he worked, and he didn’t refuse me!” Me: “…” Such a sensible dog and baby. Such an insensible Julian. But anyway, this counts as Sebastian getting a bit familiar with his dad. So a week later, I used the same trick and dropped Sebastian off at Julian’s again. To prevent Julian from shutting the door on me, I left Sebastian at the door, rang the bell, and hid behind the gate to peek. The door opened. Seeing Julian, Sebastian immediately followed my instructions, holding up a bag of fruit. “Good afternoon, Daddy! I brought you apples and bananas. Wishing you peace and no banana-nxiety!” “…” Julian was silent for two seconds. “Did your mom teach you those puns?” “What puns?” Sebastian blinked. “Can I come in, Daddy?” “Where’s your mom? She left you here alone?” Julian seemed certain I was nearby and raised his voice. “Vivian, come out! Do you think I won’t lock him out?” Me: “!” What a cruel father! Julian started counting down. “Three, two—” Just as I was about to run out, Julian was bumped by something, stopping him from closing the door. It was Max. Max barked angrily at Julian, then grabbed Sebastian’s shirt to pull him inside. “Max!” Julian looked incredulous. “Who is your master anyway?” Max ignored him, dragging Sebastian inside without looking back. Julian slammed the door in frustration. Watching from afar, I gave a silent thumbs up to Max. Is this Paw Patrol to the rescue? With Max there, I went shopping with peace of mind. I accidentally shopped a bit too long. Afraid Sebastian would annoy Julian, I hurried back. Feelings need to be cultivated slowly. But when I rang the doorbell and the door opened, I saw a teary-eyed Sebastian. “Seb?” I was surprised. “What’s wrong? Where’s your dad?” Sebastian pulled me towards the bedroom. “Daddy has a fever. He looks really sick, boohoo…” I went into the bedroom and saw Julian lying in bed, looking pale and frowning. “Julian?” I called him. “You okay?” Julian opened his eyes. Seeing it was me, he looked even worse. “I’d be fine if you weren’t here. Take Sebastian and get lost.” “You’re sick and still driving people away.” I suspected his mouth was poisonous enough to kill himself. Neither Julian nor I took his illness seriously, but Sebastian was frantic. “Mommy, is Daddy okay? Will he die?” I saw a towel on Julian’s head and asked Sebastian, “What’s this?” “I put it on Daddy. I also made him a cold remedy drink.” He pointed to an empty cup on the nightstand. “Daddy drank it, but he’s still sick.” I was surprised. “He drank it?” Julian actually let Sebastian put a cloth on his head? And drank Sebastian’s concoction? “Hubby.” I leaned into Julian’s ear mischievously. “You drank the cold medicine our son made? Seems you don’t hate him that much!” Julian kept his eyes closed, coldly spitting out “Get out.” Seeing him like this, I doubled down on the mischief, leaning closer. “Let me tell you some good news. The cloth your son put on your head is the rag used to wipe the living room floor. Hahahaha.” “Vi! Vi! An!” Julian couldn’t take it anymore, opening his eyes to yell. However, maybe because we were too close, the moment our eyes met, something felt off. Julian is very handsome. His fever-flushed cheeks gave him a pitiful look. I could even feel his breath. I gulped. Something’s wrong. Need to run. However, just as I tried to get up, I was bumped by something furry. It felt like the butt of a giant fat dog. I fell uncontrollably. And just like that, my lips brushed against Julian’s cheek. Holy… After freezing for two seconds, I realized what happened and jumped two miles away. Julian seemed stunned too. Even his ears turned red. He didn’t even scold me. Sebastian was grinning ear to ear. “Hehe, hehe, hehe.” And the culprit—Max—was wagging his tail like a windshield wiper, looking proud. I was in despair. Max! Bad dog! No treats for you! 4 I ran. I grabbed Sebastian and ran fast. Sebastian was reluctant to leave his cheap dad. “Mommy, Daddy is all alone, poor him.” I said righteously, “He’s an adult. He’ll be fine after some medicine. What if you catch it?” “I’m not afraid.” Sebastian’s little head was filled with big worries. “Will Daddy die alone at home?” Even after driving Sebastian home, his face was scrunched up all evening, as if Julian might kick the bucket any second. Sigh, what a sin. Late at night, I had to take Sebastian back to Julian’s villa. After putting a mask on Sebastian, I rang the doorbell again. Half a minute later, Julian’s hoarse voice came from the intercom. “Vivian, is my house a tourist attraction?” “Don’t be a stranger, Hubby. What yours and mine? It’s ours.” I faced the camera. “Our son wants to show filial piety at your sickbed. What’s the passcode?” Julian was clearly too angry to speak properly. “I think you’re the one with the fever. Why would I tell you my passcode?” “Fine, if you won’t tell me, come down and open it yourself.” I was getting annoyed. “Hurry up, stop being fussy.” Sebastian’s milky voice chimed in. “Daddy, are you okay? Mommy and I are here to take care of you.” “…” Another ten seconds passed. Just as I was losing patience, Julian gave the code. “246754.” Once inside, Sebastian’s short legs carried him fast to Julian’s room. “Daddy, I’m here! Are you still alive?” Julian looked better but still weak. “Why are you back?” “Mommy and I came to keep you company.” Sebastian held Julian’s hand and mine. “When I’m sick, I hate being alone. I really want you and Mommy with me.” “So I thought, if you’re sick, you’ll be lonely too, and want me and Mommy.” Julian and I both froze. I could imagine how indifferent I was to Sebastian when he was sick before I awakened. Julian was silent. He probably thought the same. I nudged Sebastian to go play with Max, saying I’d take care of Julian. “How about it, Hubby? Feeling the pang of conscience?” After Sebastian left, I leaned towards Julian. “It’s okay, it’s not too late!” I sincerely invited him. “Want to join me in building a civilized, loving model family?” Whether from illness or annoyance, Julian looked like he had a headache. “Vivian, what right do you have to lecture me? Your family drugged me and irresponsibly brought Sebastian into this world.” His words were heavy and irrefutable. I lowered my head dejectedly. “I was wrong.” “You…” Julian was shocked. “What’s wrong with you? Aren’t you always proud? You never apologize.” If giving Sebastian a happy family was just a system task before, now I genuinely wanted him to be happy. Sebastian is so good. He doesn’t need me to worry about anything. He eats, sleeps, and plays obediently. If he breaks something, he’s terrified I’ll be mad and cries begging for forgiveness. I had a bad temper, and Julian wasn’t much better, but Sebastian is completely different from us. It’s hard to imagine such a good kid turning into a paranoid, dark villain. “I was wrong, really wrong.” A great woman knows when to yield. I grabbed Julian’s hand. “Hubby, it was all my fault. Let’s love each other starting today!” Julian looked at me. I looked back with deep affection. Half a second later, his mouth twitched: “Dream on.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388179”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel