My flight was overbooked, and the flight attendant asked if I could take the next one. She offered me half the ticket price as compensation, and I happily agreed. But when the next flight arrived, it was overbooked too. I got compensated again, thinking this was a great way to make easy money. That was until the big screens showed mass flight disruptions. News reports flooded in: a chemical plant near the airport had exploded, and the entire airport was gradually being engulfed by spreading toxic gas. I realized then, I had been played by capitalism. 1 Toxic gas spread for dozens of miles around the airport. Public transportation was completely paralyzed; cars couldn’t get through. If we wanted to leave, the only way was by plane. A man from my original flight stormed up to the counter, confronting the flight attendant. “With something like this happening, I demand you put me on a plane right now!” The flight attendant patiently tried to calm him down: “Mr. Lewis, please stay calm. The crew is handling the situation. We will make an announcement as soon as we have specific information.” The man wouldn’t let up. “What kind of attitude is that?! I’m filing a complaint! If I’m not the first one on a plane, I swear I’ll report you!” I felt a growing unease. What if every flight was overbooked? Would I be stuck here forever? I walked up to the flight attendant, gathering my courage. “I was bumped from the 8:30 flight. I’ve already missed two flights. I’m in a bit of a hurry. Can I get on the next one?” The flight attendant kept smiling. “Please rest assured, I will do my best to arrange for you to board.” Her official response didn’t ease my worries. Behind me, other passengers stranded due to overbooking started mocking me. They all believed the airport would have emergency plans and that I was worrying over nothing. A young couple was the loudest. The guy sneered at me: “Has she never flown before? pestering the flight attendant like that. Planes don’t run on the ground; they’ll definitely take off on time.” The girl chimed in: “My baby is so smart! I feel so safe flying with you.” I was outnumbered and had no intention of arguing. But my anxiety wouldn’t go away, so I confirmed with the flight attendant again: “I’m in Business Class, so I’ll definitely get priority boarding, right?” The mocking behind me continued. Someone even questioned if I looked like someone who could afford Business Class. Normally, I wouldn’t spend that much, but this was a reward from my company for a month of overtime. Who knew I’d run into overbooking? “Of course, Ms. Lee. When the plane arrives, we will arrange priority boarding for you.” I sat in the seat closest to the gate, anxiety growing as the time approached. The noisy airport gradually quieted down, like the calm before a storm. A kind grandmother from a tour group came over to comfort me: “Don’t worry, dear. We’ll all get on a plane eventually.” “Flight to Denver is now boarding. Passengers, please line up in an orderly manner…” Finally, boarding began. The complaining man from earlier cut in front of me. As he handed over his ticket, he was stopped. “What did you say? I can’t board?!” 2 The flight attendant, wearing her signature smile, apologetically informed him: “Mr. Lewis, I’m sorry. Due to the sudden public emergency, we have to prioritize evacuating passengers from the original flight. We’ll check for available seats after everyone else has boarded.” Mr. Lewis exploded: “You just said it could take off, now you’re saying I can’t go! Are you playing me? I’m filing a complaint!” Fearing he would disturb other passengers, the flight attendant pulled him aside. I was in the same boat, but calmer than him. I tried to negotiate with the flight attendant: “There are fewer Business Class seats. I can downgrade to Economy, as long as there’s a seat for me.” The flight attendant looked helpless. “I can’t decide that. I need to ask my supervisor.” The young couple from earlier was also stopped. “Sorry, Ms. Taylor and Mr. Wang, your flight is a connecting one. Since the previous flight was canceled, this one can’t take off. You’ll need to rebook.” Mr. Wang freaked out: “What? I have another flight after this!” Ms. Taylor lost her coquettish demeanor. “I told you not to be cheap and buy a connecting flight! Now look! What if we can’t refund or catch the next one?” I squeezed to the front of the line, but the flight attendant gave me the same answer: “No seats, please wait.” Suddenly, I lost the mood to watch the drama. With a few people overbooked on every flight, more and more passengers were stranded. Complaints echoed throughout the terminal. Before I knew it, I looked around. There were at least a few dozen people stuck here. And my overbooking compensation had accumulated from $300 to $900. From morning to night, three full flights had no room for me, and I was getting increasingly irritable. The news said the toxic gas outside the airport hadn’t dissipated, and the situation was unclear. Many people said they wouldn’t wait anymore and demanded refunds. The flight attendant readily agreed. She handed out liability waivers one by one. “After refunding, we will not be responsible for any consequences of your staying at or leaving the airport.” The crowd instantly went silent. Everyone was stunned. Mr. Lewis reacted first. “What do you mean? There’s poison gas outside, and you’re just going to abandon us?” “Sorry, I’m not clear on the follow-up procedures either.” The flight attendant’s robotic smile could no longer soothe the crowd’s accumulated anger. The crowd erupted, quickly splitting into two factions. One side believed the gas must have dissipated after so long and wanted to refund and leave, unwilling to waste more time at the airport. The other side believed the airport was the safest place and wanted to wait for a plane. I was squeezed to the back of the crowd and glimpsed other flight attendants hurriedly leading a man in sunglasses through, bypassing ticket checks and entering the jet bridge directly. Something was wrong! Very wrong! Boarding hadn’t been announced, so how could he get on? I rushed to the front and pointed at him: “Why can he board?” The flight attendant looked troubled. Avoiding the question, she invited me to wait in the Business Class lounge. A businessman next to me, who had been silently working on his laptop, spoke up slowly, his words hitting like thunder. “You aren’t just arranging for the rich and powerful to leave and planning to leave ordinary passengers here to die, are you?” 3 The smile on the flight attendant’s face froze. She was clearly unable to handle this attack. She explained politely: “Of course not. That gentleman is a special passenger who meets the criteria for priority boarding…” The businessman pushed up his glasses and pressed on. “What criteria does he meet? Is there any legal basis for this?” “He…” I quickly stood with the businessman. “Yeah, we were bumped from earlier flights and haven’t left. Why does he get priority? You have to give us an explanation, or let us board now.” The businessman reminded her: “I wasn’t bumped; I rebooked.” Realizing we weren’t easily fooled, the flight attendant could only take us to the Business Class lounge, saying someone would come to handle it later. But after waiting for a long time, no one came. The businessman had already started contacting other airlines. As an ordinary office worker, I was still worried about not being able to get back to work tomorrow to cancel my leave. Suddenly someone outside shouted: “It’s over! It’s all over!” I learned that some of those who refunded tickets and left fainted from the gas within ten meters of the airport exit. Foaming at the mouth, bleeding from orifices. Leaving meant death. The remaining people who had refunded but hadn’t left yet dared not leave easily. They demanded to rebook tickets. But when they opened the booking apps, they found pitifully few flights. A single ticket had skyrocketed to $7,000! The silent waiting hall became noisy again. I stood in front of the glass and saw a large cloud of smoke drifting towards the tarmac. 4 “The gas is drifting over!” Everyone panicked, terrified of being left behind. Ground staff came out to maintain order, telling everyone to calm down. An announcement came over the airport broadcast: “We have received notice that due to the accelerated leakage of toxic gas, please evacuate orderly to the departure hall and wait for boarding arrangements.” Staff in hazmat suits guarded both sides of the boarding gates. Everyone swarmed towards the hall. I followed the crowded flow out, but something felt wrong. A question lingered in my mind, refusing to dissipate. If the situation is so urgent, why not arrange for us to board planes and leave directly? All passengers evacuated outside the security checkpoint. I have good eyesight and noticed many uniformed crew members entering from the other side, which was originally closed. Were they going to sneak away without us? Someone else discovered this too. Shouting from the line: “Why are they going that way? You’re not going to leave us behind, are you?” They rushed into the security checkpoint, trying to break in. “You can’t leave us!” Turns out, I guessed right. When we ran in, we saw a shocking scene. Most of the staff, wearing masks, were boarding planes one after another. The planes were actually taking off without us, without any notice. The sensitive passengers, already physically and mentally exhausted, exploded emotionally. The scene spiraled out of control. They grabbed flight attendants and ground staff, preventing them from leaving. Most boarding gates were already closed. The flight attendants were being pulled and tugged, constantly explaining. But no one wanted to listen. The tarmac was shrouded in toxic fog, the way ahead unclear. I was still hoping for a miracle. I hurriedly dialed emergency numbers, but the lines were always busy. Posting for help online, I realized the lines had long been blown up. Finally, the person next to me got through. “We are trapped at the airport now… What? The gas is spreading too fast, no manpower available? Too many places need rescue? You want me to wait for rescue here?” The person next to me hung up the phone in exasperation. I looked around, estimating there were about a few hundred passengers left. Are we all going to die here? The broadcast suddenly sounded. Everyone went quiet in unison. “Passengers who haven’t refunded their tickets, please do not panic. Wait where you are. We will arrange for your orderly boarding shortly.” Some rejoiced, some worried. That meant those who refunded had to stay. “We are at the airport, you have to escort us safely away!” Those who refunded earlier argued with the flight attendants. Those who didn’t refund had calmed down and become silent. In times like this, everyone only looks out for themselves. Who has the energy to care about others? I watched those making a scene being taken away by security, separated outside the security check. I didn’t know what awaited them. At this moment, Grandma sent me a voice message: “Lisa, are you on the plane now? What time do you land?” Hearing Grandma’s voice, my nose tingled instantly, eyes getting wet. I forced myself to be calm and told her not to worry. I’ll be home soon. The businessman sitting opposite me finished his call and came back. Just as I looked up slightly. Our eyes met, a bit awkward. He silently looked away. Next to him, a little boy pointed at me and asked: “Mommy, why is the sister crying?” His mother immediately covered his mouth, smiling apologetically at me. “Children don’t know better, sorry for the trouble.” I noticed the child’s hand was covered in needle marks. At first, I thought it strange that a seven or eight-year-old was being coddled so much, his mother holding him tight the whole time. Talking to them, I learned they were traveling for medical treatment. The boy, Henry, had a serious genetic disease. This was her last hope. I watched the little boy show me the needle marks on his hand, grinning at me with pale lips. I couldn’t help but feel heartache. I searched my pockets and found a few candies, placing them in his palm, telling him: “Don’t worry, you’ll get better.” Henry unwrapped one and fed it to his mom, then one to me. He turned sideways to offer one to the businessman. The businessman scrolled through his phone without changing expression, not taking it. I marveled at his coldness and quickly sat back. The broadcast played again: “Boarding is now beginning. Passengers, please take your luggage.” But looking out, there was only one plane left. Could all these people fit? I walked to the front and asked the flight attendant: “Are we all getting on that plane outside? It won’t fit everyone. If we don’t get on this one, will there be more planes coming?” The flight attendant shook her head slightly, still smiling. “No, this is the last plane.” What! Before I could ask more, the broadcast announced: “Due to limited seating, some passengers’ tickets will be refunded. Please board with a valid purchase screen.” Mr. Lewis behind me suddenly screamed: “Ah! My ticket was refunded!” People in line immediately checked their phones. Many had been refunded. “How could this be…” Henry’s mom looked at me in disbelief, then fainted directly. She and Henry were both refunded!

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Before the final exam of my senior year, my daughter threatened that if I didn’t buy her the entire Apple ecosystem, she wouldn’t take the test. For her future, I gritted my teeth and agreed. After she successfully finished her exams and got her Apple products, she came home and presented me with a graduation gift wishlist. It added up to nearly $15,000, money I simply didn’t have. She turned around and shamed me online, ranting that “if you can’t afford to raise a child, don’t have one,” and threatened that if I didn’t buy her these gifts, she would refuse to apply for college. I was cyberbullied to the point of a mental breakdown and had to take out loans to satisfy her demands just so she would go to college. Little did I know, this was just the beginning. In college, she constantly competed with her classmates—demanding luxury clothes and bags, renting a high-end apartment, asking for expensive plastic surgery… I couldn’t afford it. In a fit of rage, she pushed me into the river, claimed a huge insurance payout, and squandered it all with a delinquent boyfriend. When I opened my eyes again, I was back before the final exam of her senior year, listening to my daughter threaten not to take the test. I smiled brightly: “Fine, don’t take it! Go straight to work in a factory and save me the tuition.” 1 “Mom, everyone in my class is getting the full Apple suite for graduation. I don’t care, if I don’t have it, I’m not taking the last History exam.” “I might as well not go to college and just work to buy it myself. Using a cheap phone is embarrassing anyway, I’d rather be dead.” Hearing my daughter Chloe’s familiar threats, I realized I had been reborn. Checking my phone, it was exactly noon on the last day of the college entrance exams in my previous life. Less than half an hour before the final History exam. Looking at my daughter sulking outside the exam center, I felt no anxiety. After all, the despair of being pushed into the river by her without hesitation in my past life was too deeply etched in my memory. I closed my eyes, mourning the ungrateful wretch I had painstakingly raised. When I opened them again, I wore a look of relief. “Chloe, you’ve grown up. You know how to feel sorry for your mom.” She was confused: “What do you mean? You agreed?” I smiled brightly: “Fine, whatever you say. Don’t take the exam! Go straight to work at a factory tomorrow and save me a fortune in tuition.” “Perfect, I’ll use the money I saved for your college to go on a trip. It’s been years since I relaxed.” My daughter’s face fell, looking even uglier than before. “Mom, how can you think like that? If you use the tuition for travel, how will I go to college?” See, she didn’t really want to skip college. She just knew too well that for a mother, nothing was a better bargaining chip than her child’s future. I looked surprised: “Didn’t you say you weren’t going? I have to respect your decision. You’re an adult now, anyway. My job raising you is done.” In my past life, she often complained to teachers, classmates, and relatives that I didn’t respect her opinions, and that her father divorced me because I was too controlling. Even though she knew perfectly well that we divorced because her father cheated. She made everyone stereotype me as a controlling single mother who became twisted after losing her husband, suffocating her daughter. So later, when I died “accidentally,” many people thought I deserved it and even comforted my daughter, saying she was finally free of her suffocating mother. “Mom, if I don’t go to college, I won’t find a good job. How will I support myself? I’ll still have to come back and mooch off you.” Seeing my nonchalance, my daughter got anxious. I waved my hand dismissively: “It’s fine. Didn’t you say you wanted to work in a factory to buy whatever you want? That means you can definitely support yourself.” “If it really doesn’t work out, and one day I can’t work anymore and you have no money, we’ll just die together. I’ve lived long enough anyway.” Threatening with death? Like I don’t know how to do that. Threats only work if you care more than she does. But now, I didn’t care. 2 My daughter’s expression was priceless; she was speechless for a long time. But since I had centered my life around her for so many years, she bet that I wouldn’t really abandon her. So she sat under a tree and started playing games on her phone, acting like she really wouldn’t take the exam. Fortunately, I was more resolute than her. While she wasn’t looking, I took her exam admission ticket from beside her and tossed it into a nearby trash can. “Let’s go, Chloe. Before checkout time, let’s go back to the hotel for a nap.” Her eyes widened, unable to believe I actually threw away her ticket. She even forgot her game. After reacting, she screamed. “Mom, what are you doing?!” “Hurry up, it’s too hot. Since you’re not taking the exam, that piece of paper is useless.” I urged impatiently, pulling her to walk back. She was dragged along by me, but her steps were heavy as lead, looking back at that trash can every few steps. As the exam time drew closer, we were getting farther and farther away from the exam center… Her breathing became more anxious, her forehead and palms sweaty. I, on the other hand, felt lighter and lighter, even humming a tune. When we were almost at the hotel, she finally couldn’t take it anymore and flung my hand away. “Why do you get to decide if I take the exam or not? What kind of heartless, selfish mother are you! I won’t let you have your way!” She threw these words at me and ran back toward the exam center. Our hotel was diagonally opposite the exam site, a few hundred meters away. I watched her sprint to the trash can, dig out her admission ticket, and then dash towards the school. Finally, she made it into the exam center a second before the gates closed. So she knew how important the exam was for herself. And here I thought she was taking it for me. I sneered and went straight back to the hotel. I planned to take a nap and then carefully plan my future. Because I was done with this ungrateful wretch. 3 Taking care of my daughter for the exams had exhausted me physically and mentally. But lying in bed, I couldn’t sleep. Closing my eyes only brought regret. I couldn’t help but wonder, what did I do wrong to raise such a heartless child? Chloe’s dad gave $500 a month in child support, and not always on time. I bore almost all the major expenses. Money wasn’t tight, but I was never stingy with what she needed. Worried that a single-parent household disadvantaged her, I prioritized her needs, even if it meant skimping on myself. Thinking back, perhaps it was this lack of financial concept and my constant compromises that made her appetite grow bigger and bigger. In my past life, before entering the exam room, she demanded the Apple suite. To give her peace of mind for the exam, despite my tight budget, I gritted my teeth and agreed. Even though I was still using a $200 Android phone from three years ago. The latest iPhone, MacBook, iPad, AirPods, and Apple Watch cost nearly $4,000, which was three months of my salary. With my income in a second-tier city, it didn’t seem completely unbearable. But after paying for our daily expenses, mortgage, car loan, and utilities, there was barely anything left. Spending three months’ salary at once meant I had to find other ways to fill the hole. But I was just a nurse working shifts day and night. My income was hard-earned; where would I find extra channels and time to make more money? But since I promised, I delivered. I bought her the Apple suite that day. The college entrance exam happens once in a lifetime. Seeing my daughter happy, I thought the hardship was worth it. Little did I know, this was just the beginning. 4 Her happiness lasted only two days. She found some guide online and gave me a graduation gift wishlist, telling me to buy everything on it. Looking at the list totaling nearly $15,000, I felt dizzy. I couldn’t come up with that much money immediately. My daughter was furious. She went online and shamed me, saying “if you can’t afford to raise a child, don’t have one.” She even threatened that if I didn’t buy these gifts, she would refuse to apply for college. I was cyberbullied to the point of a breakdown. I had to use my savings and take out loans to barely scrape together enough money for the gift list before she would agree to go to college. Later, she became more and more excessive, constantly competing with classmates in college— Demanding luxury clothes and bags, renting high-end apartments, asking for expensive cosmetic surgery… I couldn’t afford it at all. In a fit of rage, while we were taking a walk, she pushed me into the river. Then, with the $500,000 insurance payout, she lived it up with a delinquent boyfriend. Fortunately, dying once made me see people’s hearts clearly and woke me up. Besides being a mother, I am myself. Why can’t I live for myself just once?

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Julian Thorne is bipolar, with a volatile temper. Yet, he ended up in an arranged marriage with me—a cowardly fake-good-girl. That day, Julian smashed everything in the living room. He yelled at his father, “You old fossil! How dare you make decisions for me? She’s got guts smaller than a mouse! What’s the use of being pretty?!” “Marry her? Ha! Over my dead body!” Then he turned around and bumped into me, shivering at the top of the stairs. Julian’s breath hitched. Suddenly blushing, he changed his tune, his voice softening. “Dearest father, marriage isn’t entirely out of the question. How about we set the date for next month—no, next week… actually, let’s just make it tomorrow.” 1 By the time I arrived, Julian had already trashed the living room. Expensive antiques from auctions were thrown like toys, shattering all over the floor. I stood at the door with my oversized suitcase, unsure whether to enter or flee. Just yesterday, I was informed I’d be marrying Julian Thorne. Everyone in our circle knew Julian had severe bipolar disorder. The worst incident was when he dislocated a rich kid’s arm over a joke, sending him straight to the hospital. The guy still hasn’t fully recovered. And me? I’m known as the timid, well-behaved girl. Cowardly, weak, prone to tears. The complete opposite of Julian. As an illegitimate daughter, I had no say in this arranged marriage. The very next day, I was kicked out with my luggage. I had no choice. To maintain my victim persona and gain some leverage, I had to start with Julian. The servants stood trembling on the side. Trying to minimize my presence, I dragged my suitcase slowly under the butler’s signal. But as soon as I reached the stairs, I heard Julian’s furious roar. “You old fossil! How dare you make decisions for me? She’s got guts smaller than a mouse! What’s the use of being pretty?!” “Someone saw her at a party the other day, tripping over nothing and crying on the floor for half an hour. Tsk, I hate crybabies.” “If you’re so obsessed with marriage, go be a matchmaker! The fees alone could boost the family business!” “Fifty is a great age for remarriage. Go get a new wife and have another son so you can stop nagging me!” “Marry her? Ha! Over my dead body!” Julian grabbed the last vase and threw it. It grazed his father’s forehead and smashed at my feet. Startled, I let out a scream. “Ah!” Julian, still fuming, turned around impatiently at the sound. However… I witnessed the volatile, spoiled prince freeze the moment he saw me. A flush spread rapidly from his ears to his neck. Huh? Wasn’t he supposed to hate me? This wasn’t going according to the script. Julian stared at me for a long time, only snapping out of it after his father called him several times. Suddenly blushing, he changed his tune, his voice softening. “Dearest father, marriage isn’t entirely out of the question. How about we set the date for next month—no, next week… actually, let’s just make it tomorrow.” 2 I was assigned the room next to Julian’s. Originally, I was supposed to stay in the guest room on the second floor. But Julian claimed the guest rooms hadn’t been used in ages and might have mice. I lowered my head, pretending to hesitate. Julian lived up to his reputation for being volatile and gloomy. My plan was to make him hate me. That way, I could maintain my pitiful persona and easily sabotage the marriage. But the current turn of events had me confused. Julian didn’t give me a chance to refuse. He picked up my suitcase and carried it upstairs himself. He kept stealing glances at me, muttering, “If you get scared and start crying again, I won’t have time to comfort you…” I stood frozen, looking helplessly at Mr. Thorne senior. He looked equally confused but patted my shoulder, telling me to settle in. Julian was extremely territorial; no one was allowed in his space without permission. This meant only the two of us lived on the fourth floor. He placed my huge suitcase gently on the floor. He wanted to help me unpack, but I stopped him just in time. The suitcase was filled with my personal items. If he saw them, my persona would crumble. My hand accidentally brushed his. It was cool. The next second, Julian spun around, quickly taking off his jacket and tying it around his waist. He cursed under his breath. “F*ck.” Me: “?” Is the prince this innocent? Julian kept his back to me, stiff as a board. I blinked and whispered an apology, sounding like I was about to cry. “I’m sorry.” Sure enough, Julian whipped around, stammering. “Why apologize? I should be the one apologizing. Sorry, sorry, was I too loud just now? Did I scare you? I’ll be quieter next time, please don’t cry…” He bent down, clumsily trying to comfort me. Seeing I stopped tearing up, he asked tentatively. “W-what’s your name again?” “Chloe.” I whispered. This dummy. He didn’t even know his fiancée’s name. I looked up, meeting his nervous gaze. Julian held it for a second before blushing again. 3 Before leaving, Julian left a sticky note with his number, telling me to call him if I needed anything. Watching his expectant look, I hid behind the door and nodded obediently. Once the door closed, my innocent act vanished. I rubbed my sore eyes and tossed the note into the trash. Then I opened my suitcase. I took out my strap dresses, tongue ring, and toys. Finally, I grabbed my tablet, opened my favorite site, and started enjoying some “content.” Meanwhile, Julian’s phone rang as soon as he got back to his room. It wasn’t Chloe, but his best friend, Zack. “Julian, Chloe isn’t as simple as she looks.” “Yeah, she’s got some moves.” “She’s not just a pretty vase. Some guys saw her at a club a few days ago—” Before Zack could finish, Julian cut him off impatiently. “Who the hell allowed you to badmouth Chloe?” “She’s not a vase! She’s clearly… a cute little hamster!” Julian’s ears burned as he spoke. “Forget it, can’t explain it to a single dog like you. Just wait for the wedding invitation!” He hung up. Julian opened his hand. In his palm lay a small sticker. He had secretly swiped it while carrying her luggage. The pattern was unclear. White with some pink. It carried Chloe’s unique gardenia scent. F*ck. Julian cursed himself and headed to the bathroom, turning the shower to the coldest setting. For the first time in his twenty-something years, his heart raced for a girl. There was no sound from next door. Julian pressed his ear against the wall, patiently listening. The air around him smelled strange. He listened to the faint, happy sounds coming from the girl next door. Late at night, still caught in the afterglow, Julian thought to himself: “Love at first sight is actually f*cking real.” 4 Over the next few days, Julian canceled all his plans. He just stayed home obediently. To be precise, he followed me wherever I went. His only private activity was calling people to rush the wedding preparations. I suspected he was possessed. But he justified it by saying: “Cultivating feelings with my fiancée.” Having a tail was annoying. Outwardly, I pretended to be scared, hoping Julian would get bored and kick me out. Preferably with a hefty “emotional damage” fee. To my surprise, instead of getting bored, Julian took me to a gathering. He claimed he wanted his bros to meet their sister-in-law. I stood outside the private room, hesitant to enter. To maintain my good-girl image, I wore a plain white dress with minimal makeup. Completely out of place in a noisy club. “I’m a little scared…” Scared of what? I knew these idle rich kids well. Colorful hairstyles, foul mouths, smoke everywhere. But when the door opened… A dozen guys in suits sat upright on the sofas, glasses of orange juice on the table. The air smelled of fresh gardenias. Everyone was smiling, hair gelled back neatly. It looked less like a club gathering and more like an elementary school assembly. Julian looked even more nervous than I was. “Babe, are you still scared?” I swallowed my prepared excuse and shook my head silently.

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The day I was due to give birth to twins, I bought out every dose of tocolytics in the hospital, forcing my body to delay labor. I held on until the next day, watching Julian Sterling announce that his 10th mistress, Sophia Lin, had given birth to his child first. Her child would be the future heir of Sterling Enterprises. Only then did I let out a breath of relief and give birth to my twins right there. In my past life, Julian was diagnosed with congenital low sperm count. To ensure an heir, he kept ten mistresses and declared that whoever gave birth first, her child would inherit the empire. He told me that if I gave birth first, he would dismiss all the mistresses and let my child inherit everything. I believed him. When I unexpectedly became pregnant with twins, I was overjoyed. But on the day of delivery, I was met not with his smile, but with his rage. Ignoring my screams, he forced the babies back inside me and stitched me up. I watched helplessly as they slowly suffocated within me. He dragged me to a fresh grave and forced me to kowtow until my head bled. “Sophia came from nothing. I just wanted her child to be the heir so no one would dare bully them. But you, you had to try and steal even that.” “She died in childbirth, taking the baby with her. I want you to pay with your life.” I was beaten to death in front of Sophia’s grave. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on that day. This time, I’ll let the three of them be a happy family. Chapter 1 I called the nurse and demanded the last injection of tocolytics. Chapter 2 The nurse screamed in protest, “Mrs. Sterling, you must deliver now! Any further delay could be life-threatening!” Before I could speak, Julian’s bodyguards burst in and forcibly dragged me away. The doctors and nurses shouted desperately behind us, “Her heart rate and blood pressure are dropping! Moving her now could cause a massive hemorrhage! It could mean three lives lost!” But the bodyguards turned a deaf ear, roughly dragging me to the press conference. Julian’s mistresses were also brought to the scene, some already visibly pregnant. Then, everyone, including me, was forced to drink a bowl of abortifacient. Screams and wails filled the venue, the stench of blood spreading rapidly. “Even if the wife gives birth, it’s not like us mistresses have a chance. Why make us miscarry?! Ah, it hurts! Help!” I was forced to drink the whole bowl. The labor that had just been halted turned into a hemorrhage. My screams alarmed the other women, who panicked: “Mrs. Sterling was forced to drink it too? She was about to give birth!” “If it’s not her giving birth, then who? Who wants us all dead?” I rolled on the floor in agony, gritting my teeth and shouting, “Call a doctor! Someone’s going to die!” Just then, Sophia Lin, dressed in a white gauze dress, walked in arm-in-arm with Julian. Her face was rosy, showing no signs of having just given birth. Chapter 3 As Julian entered and saw the mistresses lying on the floor, his face changed instantly. Sophia covered her nose and screamed, “Oh my, why have all these sisters miscarried? Who is so cruel as to deny them their children?” Before she finished speaking, Julian glared at me and kicked me hard in the stomach. “You bitch! Taking advantage of my absence to drug them! Your jealousy drove you to kill them and their unborn children!” I couldn’t stand up from the pain. Seeing her standing behind him with a smug look, I gritted my teeth, “I didn’t… it must be her—” “Still denying it?” He roared. “This isn’t the first time you’ve hurt people out of jealousy! This time, I won’t indulge you.” He ordered the bodyguards, “Everyone gives her a slap. Afterward, I’ll send you to the best hospitals and postpartum centers.” The bodyguards pinned me down in the center of the venue, ignoring the blood flowing from my lower body. The girls walked up crying, slapping me with tears in their eyes: “I’m sorry, Mrs. Sterling…” One after another, slap after slap, until my ears rang and my vision blurred. Only after everyone was sent away did Julian satisfy himself by taking the baby from the nanny and leading Sophia to me. He looked at my bloodstained body and face, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. But the next moment, he lifted his chin and said coldly: Chapter 4 “Don’t blame me for letting them hit you. I have to teach you a lesson. Let you know the consequences of jealousy and harming others.” “Just so you don’t think about stealing the heir position from Sophia and her son again.” I trembled and looked up at him. So, I wasn’t the only one reborn. No wonder he immediately blamed me as soon as Sophia spoke. No wonder he said I did this “not for the first time.” Because in the past life, he also wrongly accused me and sentenced me to death for Sophia. My eyes reddened. He said coldly: “Joanna, playing the victim won’t work. Giving birth early won’t help either.” “I’ve already had the doctor induce labor for Sophia. This time she will definitely beat you to it. Whoever gives birth first, their child is the heir. Even if you give birth, it’s useless.” I laughed miserably, clutching my bleeding lower body, and whispered: “I already took the inhibitors to delay labor, making way for your family of three. But why won’t you let me give birth to my children? Why force me to drink that medicine, to kill my babies…” He froze, frowning deeply. “Don’t talk nonsense. Your due date was yesterday. I asked the doctor, you gave birth long ago.” Cold sweat poured down my face. I kept crying in pain, pulling him to look closely at my still swollen belly. He looked disgusted, impatiently shaking off my hand, refusing to look at my stomach. “Stop acting. If you want to prove you didn’t try to harm Sophia, admit at the press conference tomorrow that you couldn’t conceive and asked Sophia to carry the child for you.” “Then transfer all your shares and assets to her and her child, and serve them well in the future.” “If you dare play any tricks or touch a hair on her head, I’ll deal with not just you and the bastard in your belly—your critically ill father won’t be staying in the VIP ward either.” Chapter 5 I stared wide-eyed at Julian, my cries heart-wrenching: “Julian Sterling, you bastard! My father is in a coma because he saved you! How can you threaten me with his life?!” Julian said impatiently, “As long as you serve Sophia during her confinement and take good care of them, I won’t touch him.” With that, he left with his arm around Sophia. “Sophia, thank you for giving me an heir. I’m going to reward you well.” My lower body was hemorrhaging. I begged the bodyguards guarding the venue to take me to the hospital, to save the children in my belly. My mother-in-law rushed in. Seeing the pool of blood and my state covered in foul amniotic fluid, her face turned pale. “Send her to the hospital quickly! If anything happens to my grandchildren, I won’t spare any of you!” I was sent to the hospital, but the doctor was nowhere to be found. My mother-in-law was furious, demanding to know where my assigned doctors were. The nurses said awkwardly: “Mrs. Sterling, all the doctors in the city were called to the Riverside Villa by the CEO. Miss Sophia pricked her finger during a blood test, and Mr. Sterling was afraid of complications, so he ordered all doctors to be on standby.” “Right now… there are no doctors in the city.” My mother-in-law was so angry she kept calling him: “He’s crazy! His wife, whom he begged to marry, is hemorrhaging giving birth to his children, and he calls away all the doctors for a mistress? Does he not care if his wife lives or dies?!” Chapter 6 After the tenth call, Julian finally answered, asking impatiently what she wanted, if I was making trouble again and looking for her support. My mother-in-law shouted excitedly: “Joanna is hemorrhaging and in a coma! The babies are suffering from hypoxia! And you took all her doctors away! Do you want to kill your wife and children?” Julian sneered: “Did Joanna make you call me? She gave birth yesterday, why pretend to be critically ill now?” “Alright, alright, I still have to take birth photos of Sophia and my son. She wants a doctor? I’ll send someone.” My mother-in-law hung up, gripping my hand tightly. “Don’t be afraid, Joanna, the doctor will be here soon.” I clutched my belly, feeling the life inside weakening. Thinking of my past life, my children sewn inside me by Julian, suffocated to death. I trembled all over, pulling my mother-in-law’s hand, speaking with difficulty. “Mother, three years ago, my father went into a coma to save Julian. You promised me you’d treat me like your own daughter, and if Julian mistreated me, you’d help me divorce him.” “I beg you, let me divorce him. I won’t stand in the way of his beloved woman’s son taking power. I just want my children to be born safely.” Chapter 7 My mother-in-law was already in tears, nodding repeatedly. “Although it was to repay your father’s life-saving grace, I only said I’d adopt you as a goddaughter. Confessing and proposing was all Julian’s own doing. He loved you so much, how did it come to this? It’s all that bitch Sophia’s doing. If she hadn’t suddenly appeared, you wouldn’t be like this.” I smiled tragically. Yes, childhood sweethearts, first love, how did it become like this? The man who blushed at his coming-of-age ceremony, saying he’d love me forever and would deserve a thousand cuts if he betrayed me. Now he’s cutting me into a thousand pieces for another woman. “Please, Mrs. Sterling,” I said through gritted teeth, word by word. Listening to my weak pleas, she finally nodded. “Okay! When you got married, I made him sign a divorce agreement just in case you drifted apart, so I could help you get away. I’ll go back and process it urgently right now!” “Tomorrow, I’ll announce that you are my sole heir. As for that ungrateful son, I won’t acknowledge him anymore!” My mother-in-law left immediately to handle the matter. I lay on the hospital bed, pain flooding my abdomen, wailing. The young assistant left by my mother-in-law anxiously waited for the doctor sent by Julian. Finally, someone came. But it wasn’t a doctor, it was a delivery guy. Seeing the bloody scene in the delivery room, he awkwardly handed over a bag. A sanitary pad and a band-aid fell out. “Mr. Sterling said it’s just postpartum lochia, not life-threatening. Tell her to wipe it herself and stop disgusting him with this stuff.” The assistant cried, smashing the bag. “Madam, I’ll take you to a hospital in another city right now. You must hold on.” I wailed continuously, my vision went black, and I finally passed out. Chapter 8 I woke up to a bucket of freezing water dumped on me. Before me was Julian’s disgusted face. “Stop pretending now that you’re awake,” he looked down at me. “You knew I was announcing the heir and Sophia’s status tomorrow, yet you made a scene going to a hospital in the next city. Do you want everyone to think Sophia is bullying you?” Sophia stood behind him holding the baby, tears streaming down her face, looking pitiful. “Madam, I know you hate me. But revenge on me is one thing, why did you have your mother-in-law try to take my child?” “The assistant was shouting before being dragged away, saying your mother-in-law went back to process documents to have my child adopted by you, saying I’m not fit to be the heir’s mother…” I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I could only shake my head with all my might, trembling and begging: “I… didn’t… take me to the hospital… the babies… can’t hold on…” “Lying again!” Julian frowned impatiently. “My mom left the hospital in a hurry and brought lawyers to work overnight. Wasn’t that your doing? You think stealing Sophia’s child will secure your position as the heir’s mother?” “Didn’t you give birth yesterday? Why pretend to be critically ill in labor? Trying to trick me into pitying you? Dream on!” My whole body was in agony. The blood below had dried, sticking to my skin, emitting a strong stench. Chapter 9 Sophia covered her mouth and retched, eyes teary: “Sister, you know I can’t stand the smell of blood after giving birth, yet you refuse to clean up. Are you trying to make me faint on purpose?” She cried until her face was pale, shrinking into Julian’s arms, provoking pity. “Look at you now!” Julian looked disgusted. “Like a madwoman, stinking. Such an embarrassment!” He waved his hand, ordering bodyguards to pour bucket after bucket of cold water on me until I was pale and shivering, completely hypothermic, before he told them to stop. Sophia nestled in his arms, crying and begging: “Madam, I beg you, don’t separate me from my child… If you insist on taking my son, I’ll jump out this window!” She acted like she was going to jump, and Julian quickly held her back. Finally furious, he turned around, kicked away my hand grasping his pant leg, and leaned down to shout coldly: “Don’t think you can stay the heir’s mother by manipulating my mom. I’ve already locked down the old mansion. No matter what you plan, it won’t work!” “As for you—I warned you so many times not to bully Sophia and her child, but you wouldn’t listen! Since that’s the case, I have to use special measures.” He turned sharply, ordering the bodyguards coldly: “She drove Sophia to almost jump off a building; she should pay the price. Go, pull her father’s oxygen tube and throw him off the building!” Chapter 10 “Julian Sterling!” I screamed, tearing my throat. “Are you crazy! That’s my father! He saved your life!!” “So what!” Julian sneered. “To force you into a wealthy family, to make your child the future heir of Sterling Enterprises. He schemed to save me, used that favor to force me to marry you. Now you’re married into wealth, and I got you pregnant. If you can’t give birth to my first child, that’s your own uselessness. I’ve repaid my debt. I owe you nothing!” “Do it!” I threw myself at the bodyguards, trying to stop them, but was kicked to the ground. The blood that had dried below suddenly gushed out due to the violent impact, like a burst dam, instantly staining the entire floor red. I screamed in agony, curling into a ball. Julian was about to drag me, but suddenly he saw my high swollen belly exposed by the beating, and then the floor full of crimson. His face turned pale. He subconsciously rushed to my side, held me, and turned to question Sophia. “What’s going on?! I put you in charge of Joanna’s delivery. Didn’t you say she gave birth successfully yesterday and the child was sent to the nursery?!” “Then why is her belly still so big?! Why is she still bleeding!!!” Chapter 11 Sophia’s face changed slightly. But her eyes darted around, and she quickly squeezed out tears, crying as she took out her phone: “Madam did give birth yesterday, the child has been in the nursery.” “I knew Madam would try to make things difficult for me… so I specifically asked the doctor to take a video of the child.” She handed over the phone. On the screen was a baby clearly a month old. The video was crude, obviously fake. But Julian believed it with just a glance. The next second, he furiously lifted me from the ground and slammed me onto the cold, hard floor. The back of my head hit heavily, blood spraying instantly. “You dare lie to me!” He roared. “To make me softhearted, you even faked a belly and blood?! How disgusting, how cheap are you!” “Think I’ll fall for it this time? Dream on!” He lifted his leg and kicked my stomach mercilessly, again and again. Blood and screams splashed with every impact. “Ah… no… don’t…” I begged with a torn throat, but my body grew colder and stiffer. Until I had no strength left to beg, I could only curl up in my own pool of blood, trembling silently. He threw off his bloodstained jacket, turning to Sophia with an apologetic face. “Sorry, Sophia, for making you smell this disgusting scent. I’ll deal with her. After that, I’ll take you to an island for our honeymoon, as compensation for wrongfully blaming you, okay?”

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Before college applications were due, the most popular girl in our class, who claimed to be the daughter of the richest man in the city, suddenly announced she could get everyone into Ivy League schools. “My parents donated several buildings to those schools. Getting you guys in is a piece of cake.” Most of my classmates’ grades were far from Ivy League standards, but they believed her and gave up on applying, relying on her connections to get them into college. In my past life, I realized her promises were unreliable and immediately urged them not to give up on applications, advising them to have a backup plan. I even called their parents one by one. But this only angered her. She mocked me for being poor and not understanding how the upper class works, accusing me of ruining everyone’s future. My boyfriend also raged at me: “I think you’re just jealous that Bella is rich. You can’t stand the thought of us all going to Ivy Leagues. So what if your grades are good? A lifetime of effort can’t catch up to three generations of accumulation!” For the sake of our three years as classmates, I didn’t hold it against them. Before the deadline, seeing they still hadn’t applied, I called the police and exposed her fake identity. She was condemned by everyone and, in despair, jumped into the river. My classmates said she deserved it and thanked me for saving their futures. But at the graduation dinner, my boyfriend poisoned my drink. The entire class watched coldly as I struggled in pain. “At worst, we wouldn’t go to college. But Bella lost her life!” When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day she claimed she could get us in through the back door. Chapter 1 In the private room of the restaurant, after I was poisoned to death, my boyfriend, Tyler, was still not satisfied. He took my phone and contacted my parents. Hearing something happened to me, my parents rushed to the restaurant without a second thought. Seeing me lying on the ground, bleeding from my eyes, nose, and mouth, they cried until they couldn’t breathe. Tyler and other classmates helped them sit down: “Uncle, Auntie, don’t get too excited. The ambulance is on its way. Drink some water first.” My parents didn’t suspect anything and drank the water they offered. But soon, they felt a sharp pain in their chests, followed by vomiting a large amount of blood. At this moment, they finally revealed their true faces: “Your precious daughter was poisoned by us too. She killed Bella, so she must go to hell to atone for her sins!” “You two old things can go down and accompany your daughter too. If you want to blame someone, blame Sarah for her vicious heart that dragged you down.” My family of three died on the spot. My soul floated in the air, wishing I could take them with me, but I was powerless. But the next second, a familiar voice rang in my ears: “Wow, Bella, your family driver dropped you off in a Rolls-Royce again today.” I stood in the corner of the classroom, looking at everything in disbelief, finally realizing that I had been reborn. “No, that’s my dad, not the family driver.” This made everyone even more excited: “Oh my god, your dad treats you so well, dropping you off personally even when he’s so busy.” Bella smiled, accepting it by default, but I knew everything she said was a lie. Thinking of the pain before my death in my past life, I looked at her with hatred. Perhaps sensing my unfriendly gaze, Bella looked at me: “Sarah, your grades are so good, you don’t need my help to get into an Ivy League, right?” I withdrew my gaze, about to speak, when Tyler interrupted: “Bella, don’t worry about her. Look at her poor appearance. Even if she gets in, she can’t afford it. She should just go to community college.” “Yeah, she probably can’t even pay tuition. Even if Bella is kind enough to get you into an Ivy League, you won’t have money to live in the city. Bella can’t take care of you forever.” At this moment, my classmates firmly believed Bella’s words, thinking she could definitely get them into Ivy League schools through the back door. Last night, I checked my scores; they were above the cutoff, so as long as I didn’t mess up the application, I would definitely get in. Hearing this, Bella’s eyes lit up: “Actually, my family often does charity to help poor students. If you kneel and kowtow to me now, I can pay for your college.” I clenched my fists, resisting the urge to punch her: “No need. Things obtained by force that don’t belong to you will eventually backfire.” Bella’s expression froze, then she immediately squeezed out a few tears: “I’m doing this for your own good. After all, if you go to an Ivy League, maybe your destiny will change in the future. If you don’t appreciate it, forget it.” Seeing her like this, Tyler immediately stepped forward and kicked my knee: “Sarah, don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Bella willing to sponsor you is a blessing you earned over eight lifetimes. Hurry up and kowtow to thank her!” “Yeah, what’s the use of saving face when you’re this poor? Can dignity be eaten?” My leg hurt, but I held on and didn’t kneel, just glaring at him hatefully. So many eyes were watching me, waiting to see me kneel humbly. “No need. Although my family is poor, we have money for school. Besides, there are student loans. There’s always a way to survive.” “As for you, trying to get in through the back door with insufficient scores, be careful not to outsmart yourselves.” Chapter 2 Tyler and I met at school. Because my grades were among the best in the class, I often tutored him, and we gradually developed feelings. We had agreed that even if we couldn’t go to the same university, we would be in the same city. But everything changed after Bella transferred to our class in senior year. After her high-profile transfer, Bella started flaunting her wealth non-stop, revealing to classmates that she was the daughter of the richest man in the city. School was just for show; her future path was already paved. Not only that, she also gave luxury goods to classmates to show off her financial power. Now most of the class started fawning over this rich girl, including Tyler. Bella gave Tyler the latest gaming console. Since then, Tyler became addicted to games, and his mock exam scores got worse and worse. I saw it and was anxious, advising him to put down the games for a while and focus on studying. He could play all he wanted after the exams. But he didn’t listen to me at all, instead blaming me for disturbing his game: “Do you know how expensive this console is? Enough to buy your life! Get lost.” In my past life, I couldn’t bear to see him fall, so I meddled and told the teacher. Thinking back now, I was really stupid. People like this deserve to rot! “Hahahaha, dying of laughter. Sarah, you’re too naive. Do you understand the rules of high society? Getting into an Ivy League is just a word from the richest man.” Tyler laughed as if he heard something funny. Other classmates laughed along, the classroom filled with a cheerful atmosphere. “Exactly, three generations of business beat your ten years of hard study.” “What’s the use of good grades? You’ll just work for others after graduation.” “Bottom-feeders like you will never understand. What you fight for your whole life might just be a word from the richest man.” I smiled. Some of what they said was true, but only if Bella was really the richest man’s daughter. “Then I wish you all success,” I said. After speaking, I strode out of the school. After walking a block, I got into a Rolls-Royce on the side of the road. The car took me all the way to the villa area. Back home, my parents were waiting for me. “Baby, Mom knew you could do it. Look at the gift Mom prepared for you, do you like it?” My mom took out a box and placed it in front of me. Inside was a large diamond necklace, sparkling dazzlingly under the light. “This is a property deed for an apartment near the university. You can commute directly, no need to squeeze into dorms with other students.” My dad placed a property deed in front of me, his expression full of relief. Looking at my living parents, tears burst from my eyes. Fortunately, fortunately, everything was still in time. Chapter 3 Seeing me cry, my parents immediately asked with concern what happened. I looked at the servants at home and wiped my tears: “Let’s go to the study and talk slowly.” In the study, I told them everything that happened today. Hearing the name Bella Huang, my parents were stunned for a few seconds. “Is Bella Huang Old Huang’s daughter?” My mom reacted first. Among our servants, only one had the surname Huang, and that was my dad’s driver. That’s right, Bella was not the richest man’s daughter at all. Her dad was just one of my dad’s several drivers. My dad had several drivers. Bella’s dad had been here the shortest time, so he hadn’t seen me. Shortly after he arrived, he asked my dad about his daughter wanting to transfer schools. Seeing that he was diligent and honest, my dad helped him out and let Bella transfer to our school. Unexpectedly, he raised an ungrateful wretch. “Bastard, I’ll fire him right now!” My dad was so angry he swore. I quickly stopped him. Exposing their father-daughter identity now would undoubtedly alert them. Moreover, what they did was more than just faking their identity. “They dare to bully my daughter like this, they must pay the price!” My mom said firmly. I nodded and told them my plan. After finishing, my mom patted my shoulder: “Alright, stop talking about these unhappy things. Now that the scores are out, hurry up and fill in your application. But if you don’t want to go to college in the country, it’s fine. Mom has contacted schools abroad for you.” Last night, the Ivy League admission scores were released. I was thirty points above the line, safe. I immediately told my homeroom teacher the good news and indirectly asked about others’ scores. It was difficult for others to get into Ivy Leagues, but getting into a good university was decent. As for Tyler and Bella, their scores were at most enough for community college. I opened my computer, filled in my application, chatted with my parents for a while, and went to sleep. Early the next morning, the homeroom teacher posted a lot of notices about filling out applications in the class group chat, telling students not to miss the deadline, otherwise they would have to repeat the year. No one spoke in the group, but in another group without the teacher, they were mocking the teacher for being old-fashioned. They didn’t need to fill out applications at all; Bella would solve everything for them. Bella posted a photo of a foreign attraction in the group a while later. “I’m abroad right now. Don’t worry, I’ve talked to my dad. Just wait for your acceptance letters.” Now the group was boiling again, everyone kissing Bella’s ass. I silently exited the group. Anyway, I finished my application, booked my flight, and was ready to travel abroad. Chapter 4 Soon it was the deadline day. I was sleeping in the hotel when my mom called. “Baby, the deadline is tonight. Log in to your account again, don’t let anything go wrong. I saw on the news yesterday that a kid’s application was changed to community college by a relative last year. Check it quickly.” I didn’t tell anyone my account and password, so it shouldn’t be changed, but I took out my computer to be safe. But when I logged in, I was dumbfounded. The Ivy League university I originally filled in had somehow turned into an unknown vocational school. My heart almost jumped out of my chest. I couldn’t help thanking my mom. I immediately changed the application back and called my parents. They were both startled but calmed down quickly, instructing me to change my password and tell no one. A while later, my dad sent an IP address. Seeing it, I immediately understood. Sure enough, it was that bastard Tyler trying to drag me down. Most of my passwords were related to my birthday. He probably guessed my password and changed my application. Fortunately, my mom was one step ahead and changed it back in time. Although I was abroad now, I wished I could fly back immediately and kill that bitch. I didn’t want to go anywhere that day, so I stared at the website in the hotel until the deadline, afraid of problems again. When the deadline arrived, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. But before I could relax, my phone rang. Bella sent me two photos. One was a screenshot of my application. “Since you can’t afford an Ivy League anyway, I helped you change it to a community college. Low tuition, perfect for a poor ghost like you.” The other was a photo of her and Tyler kissing. “Have to thank Tyler too. If not for him, I wouldn’t know your password.” I just glanced at it and immediately blocked her. Anyway, I changed my application back, and these people wouldn’t be smug for long. Getting into an Ivy League was a big deal. The day before picking up the acceptance letter, the homeroom teacher notified me to pick it up at school the next day so they could share the glory. I did as told. When I arrived at school, I found many people there. “What are you doing here? Today is for Ivy League acceptance letters. Community college ones won’t come until next month.” A burst of malicious laughter erupted from the crowd. “Forget it, let her stay. Let her see what an Ivy League acceptance letter looks like. She probably only has this one chance in her life to see one.” Listening to their ridicule, my heart was calm. After all, the truth would be revealed soon. Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted: “The letters are here!” Students looked outside and saw the homeroom teacher walking towards us with an acceptance letter. “Why only one? Didn’t our whole class get into Ivy Leagues?” Tyler rushed up first: “Why only one letter, teacher? Where are the rest? Too many to carry? I’ll help you.” Although holding an Ivy League acceptance letter, the teacher’s expression was very ugly: “What’s wrong with you guys? I asked the leadership, you weren’t admitted at all!”

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To the outside world, I chased Asher Sterling for three years without success. But only he and I knew that we were in a secret relationship for those three years. At a gathering, everyone asked me if I planned to be single forever since I couldn’t catch Asher. Even Asher himself laughed and said: “I know a lot of people. Want me to introduce you to someone to play with?” In my past life, on this day, I impulsively revealed our relationship. The transfer student, Chloe Summers, ran out crying. Asher didn’t say anything publicly, but privately he grew colder and colder towards me. After we married, when I was pregnant and got into a car accident, being rushed into surgery, he was in the Maldives comforting Chloe. When I died with our unborn child and was sent to the crematorium, he was celebrating Chloe’s birthday at a Michelin-star restaurant. Only then did I realize he never loved me. Reborn, I smiled: “No need, I’m already engaged.” 1 Everyone fell silent, almost instinctively looking towards Asher. Asher leaned back on the sofa, his lazy posture stiffening for a moment, then he scoffed: “That’s good. Saves me the trouble of having you chase after me every day.” I smiled faintly and didn’t respond. The atmosphere grew awkward. A friend trying to liven things up shouted: “Come on, let’s continue the game! It’s Ash’s turn! “The task is—choose one of the opposite sex present and kiss for 30 seconds!” It should have been a flirty game that got everyone cheering. But the room fell silent again. Because there were only two girls present. One was me. The other was the transfer student, Chloe Summers. Everyone knew that since the first day Chloe transferred here, we didn’t get along. The friend leading the game laughed awkwardly: “Ash, how about we just drink instead…” “No need.” Asher extinguished his cigarette without hesitation, turned around, cupped the back of Chloe’s head with one hand, and kissed her. Chloe let out a small gasp like a startled deer, then shyly closed her eyes the next second. After the kiss, Asher leaned back on the sofa, but his eyes were fixed on me: “It’s just a game, don’t be a sore loser.” People around us laughed and agreed. The friend sitting next to me shot me a comforting look. Just as I was about to say something, the phone in my pocket vibrated. It was a text message. [Are you home yet?] Seeing this, I stood up from the sofa and said to everyone: “I have something to do, I’m leaving first.” Without wasting any time, I left the private room. 2 I was reborn a month ago. The first thing I did upon returning was break up with Asher and accept the family arrangement to get engaged to Julian Thorne, a famous second-generation heir from New York. In my past life, my family also arranged for me to be engaged to him, but I was so focused on Asher that I refused directly. But when I died on the operating table, Asher was traveling the world with Chloe. It was Julian who collected my body… I looked down and replied to his message. [Not yet, getting ready to head back now.] Julian’s grandfather’s birthday is in a few days. Tonight, I agreed to video call Julian to pick out a gift for his grandfather. The phone vibrated a few more times. I looked down; it was from Asher. [What’s wrong? Can’t handle it and leaving?] [You were pretty bold just now, lying about being engaged just to piss me off?] My gaze fell on the messages before these two. A month ago, the breakup message I sent Asher remained unanswered. I lowered my eyes and didn’t reply, putting the phone away. By the roadside, a black Maybach was waiting. [It’s not safe to go back alone at night. I called a car for you.] [Sorry, I have business in New York recently and can’t pick you up personally.] I smiled and replied: [It’s okay, you go ahead.] 3 The Thorne family is powerful. Grandpa Thorne’s birthday banquet will be grand. Julian had prepared a gift for me, but to show my sincerity, I wanted to choose one personally. The moment the video connected, a handsome face appeared on the screen. He was dressed in black, with a high nose bridge and deep, dark eyes. Under the light, his thin lips had a beautiful and sharp curve. Julian’s voice didn’t quite match his appearance. He looked cold, but spoke gently. I showed him the gifts I selected based on Grandpa Thorne’s preferences one by one, and he was very patient. Unknowingly, we chatted for over an hour. Ending the conversation, he said: “Serena, I’ll have someone pick you up this weekend.” I nodded and replied: “Okay.” After hanging up, I went to wash up. Back in bed after washing, I picked up my phone and found a message from my friend. [Serena, are you okay? Today’s gathering was meant to set you and Asher up, I didn’t expect…] I sent a cheerful emoji to indicate I was really fine. After thinking, I sent another message. [I’m really engaged. I won’t have anything to do with Asher Sterling in the future.] “Typing…” appeared on my friend’s side. After a while, she replied: [As long as you’re okay with it.] I twitched the corner of my mouth, exited the chat, and scrolled through my social media feed. The latest post was from Asher. [Let me introduce my new little girlfriend, love her the most~] The photo was of Asher and Chloe. The tone of the text and the emoji clearly showed it wasn’t posted by Asher himself. It’s funny to think about. In the three years I was with Asher, he never let me touch his phone. Let alone post on his social media. But now… It has nothing to do with me. I fell asleep shortly after turning off my phone. But I was woken up by a ringing phone. Squinting, I fumbled to answer, and the next second, Asher’s voice rang out: “Serena, I’m drunk, come pick me up…” I woke up instantly, cursing internally. Should have blocked him! Seeing I didn’t speak, Asher laughed: “Still angry? Saw the post? Hmm?” His voice rose at the end, sounding cheerful. “Lost a game, just fooling around. I’ll delete it in three days.” I said coldly: “None of my business.” But I don’t know which nerve this touched; the amusement in his voice deepened. “Alright, stop throwing a tantrum. I’ll buy you those soup dumplings you love from the east side tomorrow morning. Save your stomach, be good.” The last word made me nauseous. I hung up directly, blocked him, turned off the phone, and went back to sleep. 4 Early the next morning, I arrived at the classroom. Chloe was sitting in her seat eating breakfast. Seeing me, she smirked at me and spoke to Asher, who was sleeping on the desk next to her: “Ash, thank you for running to the east side early in the morning to buy me soup dumplings. I’m so happy.” Asher lifted his eyelids: “If you like it…” He stopped abruptly when he saw me. I passed them without looking sideways, sat in my seat, and started reading. Until class ended and I went to the restroom, Asher blocked me in the corner. “Serena, Chloe said her stomach hurt this morning, so…” “Oh.” I interrupted Asher with a nod before he could finish, trying to bypass him. Asher frowned and grabbed my wrist: “Serena, don’t be so petty. If it were you encountering a classmate feeling unwell, you would do the same.” I shook him off, a sneer curling my lips. This kind of thing has happened many times. Chloe always used various reasons to snatch things Asher promised me. She was innocent and gentle as water. Every time she would apologize to me with red eyes: “Serena, I’m sorry, it’s my fault…” In contrast, I was unreasonable, bad-tempered, and liked to make a fuss. Asher rubbed his brow: “Alright, don’t be angry. I’ll take you out of town this weekend, dinner and a movie.” Whenever our conflict escalated in the past, he would do this. Never apologizing, never solving the problem. Just taking me to a movie or dinner, glossing over it easily. I ignored him and walked away. 5 Early the next morning, when I woke up, the Thorne family car was already waiting downstairs. I was slightly surprised because they didn’t intend to wake me up. Just as I was about to say something, I received another text from Asher. Sent from a new number. [Serena, something came up this weekend, can’t take you to the movies. Be good, take care of yourself, remember to eat well. If I find out you’re not listening, I’ll spank you!] [Also, unblock hubby’s number!] Asher’s words made me gag, almost vomiting. Such bad luck early in the morning! I think I need to get a completely new SIM card when I have time!

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The system tasked me with saving the destitute male lead, but I’m a spoiled, high-maintenance heiress. Walking into that damp, run-down apartment, the system urged excitedly: “Hurry, warm his heart, heal him!” Instead, I covered my nose and pointed arrogantly at the gloomy man. “You, come here and change my shoes.” 1 I’m precious. I only drink water that’s exactly 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. I only eat food fed to me. My parents raised me like a princess, yet the system wants me to save a poor male lead. I refuse to accept this. 2 Stepping into that dark, damp apartment building in my lambskin heels, my frown was deep enough to trap a mosquito. The system chattered in my ear. “The male lead lives on the sixth floor. He’s so pitiful, you must save him!” Pitiful? I looked up at the endless stairs, clutching my small pink purse, thinking I’m the pitiful one. “Go in quickly! He didn’t lock the door; he’s lost the will to live!” I pushed the door open grumpily. My gaze fell upon a room even shabbier and darker than the hallway. In the corner slumped a handsome man. His eyes were dull and lifeless, black hair falling over his brows, lips pale, and body bruised. Light from the hallway spilled in. He looked over, his breathing weak. “So beautiful.” “So angels look like princesses in fairy tales…” What is he mumbling about? My feet were sore from climbing all those stairs. I walked in. Heels clicking on the concrete floor, clack clack clack. The room was so damp. I sat on the sofa, covering my nose, my diamond-encrusted manicure sparkling. The system was excited. “Quick, redeem him, apply medicine to his wounds!” Instead, I pointed a finger at the gloomy male lead, arrogant and commanding. “You, come here and change my shoes.” The man froze, motionless. I glanced at him. “Hey, are you deaf?” He seemed to snap out of it, slowly pushing himself up, hesitating before walking toward me. I hadn’t realized while he was sitting, but standing up, he was incredibly tall. Nearly 6’3″, yet incredibly thin. Like a bamboo pole. He stopped in front of me. Dark eyes stared straight at me. I didn’t like being scrutinized like that. I ordered coldly. “Squat down.” He hesitated for less than three seconds before kneeling on one knee. “What’s your name?” “Caleb.” He looked up at me, voice hoarse. That’s right, I deserve to be looked up to. I nodded in satisfaction. “Listen well, my name is Vivienne. From now on, you are my servant.” The system slowly typed a question mark. “Shouldn’t you be warming his heart, saving him? Why are you making him your servant?!” Ignoring the system, I pulled a card from my wallet. “Take this. There’s ten thousand dollars on it. In the days to come, you must take meticulous care of me.” Caleb held the card, a flicker of light in his eyes. “Why…” “Why help me?” I just crossed my legs, swinging the tip of my shoe in front of his eyes. “What are you waiting for? Change my shoes.” Caleb’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He lowered his eyes and grasped my ankle. His hands were cold. He leaned down, silently undoing the buckles. My sore feet finally relaxed. There were no slippers, so I simply rested my feet on Caleb’s knee. His hands were nice enough—distinct knuckles, pale and slender. When he exerted force, veins popped on the back of his hand. Perfect for… Giving me a foot massage. The system looked skeptical. “The male lead hasn’t eaten in days, and instead of taking him to eat, you’re making him massage your feet!” “Besides, having not eaten, where would he get the strength!” I just hummed lightly and kicked Caleb’s shoulder. “Gently! You’re hurting me!” Caleb’s hand paused. He lowered his eyes and apologized softly. “I’m sorry.” System: ? Looks like he has plenty of strength to me. 3 While Caleb massaged my feet, I asked the system about the plot. “Caleb is a destitute and pitiful male lead. His parents died in a car accident due to brake failure. Without money, he had to drop out of college. He worked odd jobs but got stiffed on wages and was beaten up. When you found him, he hadn’t eaten for almost three days.” “I detected he had lost the will to live, so I found you to save him.” I asked the system why me. The system said it didn’t know; the program just indicated it so. “Maybe this is destiny.” Seeing my lack of interest, the system quickly added. “Caleb is the male lead. Being by his side will keep you beautiful, rich, healthy, and long-lived.” I looked at Caleb, who was meekly massaging me, and my mood improved slightly. “Fine.” After a while, my feet finally felt better. I ordered Caleb to put my shoes back on. Then told him to come home with me. Before leaving, I took a candy from my bag and handed it to Caleb. And told him to eat it. The system was very gratified. “You’ve finally started the redemption arc.” But fell silent the next second. Because I ordered Caleb to carry me down the stairs. “So you gave him candy because you were afraid he wouldn’t have the strength.” Leaning on Caleb’s back, I retorted to the system. “Yeah, if he drops me, it’ll hurt.” Caleb carried me down six flights of stairs. When he put me down, he was panting, face flushed. Like he was exhausted. The system popped up. “The male lead looks so pitiful, praise him.” I looked disdainful. “Panting just from going downstairs, how can you be so useless?” Caleb lowered his head in shame. 4 The driver took Caleb and me back to my villa. Getting out, the driver opened the door for me. Caleb stared, deep in thought. I walked ahead, ignoring him completely. Because I was hungry. I sat at the dining table, Caleb standing silently aside. “This doesn’t taste good, you eat it.” I took one bite and put down the cutlery. Caleb didn’t hesitate, devouring everything like a wolf. His face looked less pale. I directed the butler in formal attire. Told him to teach Caleb how to be a servant and treat his wounds while he was at it. After giving instructions, I went for my beauty sleep. Caleb stared at my retreating back. It was a long time before he looked away. The next day, when I saw Caleb, he was wearing a suit. He looked much better than yesterday. He pulled out the chair for me. “Miss, breakfast is ready.” The food today was much better than yesterday’s. I ate a few more bites and saw Caleb’s brow relax. So Caleb made this meal. He had worked in a restaurant before. “You’re somewhat useful.” Caleb pursed his lips. “I’m glad Miss likes it.” After eating, I took Caleb to afternoon tea. 5 In the socialite circle, I have a nemesis. We compete over everything. If I bring ten bodyguards, she brings eleven. If she buys a new Hermès, I give that model to my maid. And so on. This afternoon tea was bound to be another battle. Sure enough, when I arrived, Tiffany was showing off her new boy toy. “Isn’t he handsome? Look at that nose, those eyes.” “Just average. Worse than my new servant.” I pulled Caleb forward. Tiffany stared at Caleb’s face and sneered. “So what if he’s good-looking? Probably not clean! My new guy is a virgin.” I looked at Caleb. Caleb lowered his eyes and spoke, ears turning red. “Miss, I am also a virgin.” I became arrogant again. “Hear that? He’s a virgin too.” Tiffany pulled her boy toy closer. “Not only is he a virgin, but he’s also a student at C University. What about his education?” Caleb pursed his lips. “Miss, I’m sorry…” Tiffany smiled triumphantly. “Vivienne, your servant is just so-so.” The boy toy wanted to join in the mockery. Tiffany glanced at him. “Since when is it your turn to speak between us?” Despite that, my face darkened. I stomped away in my high heels with Caleb in tow. As soon as we were out the door, I pointed at Caleb’s face. “You made me lose today.” Caleb spoke cautiously. “Miss, I used to study at A University, but I dropped out.” A University is better than C University. My anger suddenly vanished. I immediately arranged for Caleb to go back to school. Preparing to slap Tiffany in the face next time. The system popped up. “If Caleb goes back to school, he’ll meet the female lead. What if he falls in love with her?” I examined my manicure, unconcerned. “What’s it to me? I’m saving him, not dating him!”

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On the day we submitted our college applications, I knelt at home, while Caleb knelt at his company. Two days and two nights, just to beg our parents to call off the arranged marriage. Everyone was confused, but only I knew the truth. In my past life, after marrying Caleb, I worked tirelessly for our family, standing with him at the peak of the business world. Yet, he forced me to take the fall for the fake heiress, Layla, and go to prison. He looked down on me with indifference. “If you hadn’t forced me to get engaged to you right after you got into Harvard, my wife would have been Layla. You deserve to pay for your greed.” My parents chimed in, “Fiona, you always stole Layla’s things. Now, you finally get your karma!” The engagement was clearly demanded by both our parents. I vomited blood and died of anger. After my death, my body rotted in the morgue while they held a grand wedding banquet at a five-star hotel to celebrate their union. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of college application submissions. In this life, I decided to let them have what they want. Chapter 1 The homeroom teacher pushed the application form towards Caleb and me, pride evident in his voice. “The Harvard admissions office called. You two tied for the highest score in the city. You can apply anytime.” “I don’t want to go to the same university as Fiona.” Caleb twirled his pen nonchalantly, his eyes arrogant. “I’m going to apply to the same school as Layla.” The teacher stood up abruptly, glasses sliding down his nose. “Are you crazy?” “Layla’s score isn’t even enough for a decent state college! Caleb, you’re joking with your future!” Caleb ignored him. He stood with one hand in his pocket, back straight, exuding an air of aloofness. “Teacher, Layla’s SAT score might be low, but she’s more excellent than Fiona. She has special talents, just wait and see!” Saying this, his gaze went past me and settled on the office door. Layla was standing there, timidly twisting her fingers. I noticed Caleb’s eyes soften instantly, a tenderness he never gave me. “As for Fiona,” he withdrew his gaze, his voice returning to its usual indifference, “she is excellent, but too conventional. I want a soul that can stand equal to me, not a nerd who only knows how to study.” The teacher was shaking with anger: “Do you know what you’re saying? Everyone says you and Fiona have a good relationship. Isn’t it great for you both to go to Harvard?” “Even if you don’t go to Harvard together, there’s no need to lower your standards. The difference between a community college and a top-tier university isn’t just about the faculty.” Caleb adjusted his collar, his every move radiating the arrogance of a top student. “Fiona treats me well, but our relationship is average.” “I only want to be with someone who has real talent and learning, to create our own world together. Layla is the one I want.” His gaze followed Layla at the door, eyes shining with a fervor I couldn’t understand. At this point, I understood. Caleb was reborn like me. In his past life, he didn’t get enough time as a couple, so in this life, he’s eager to start over with his true love. If it were my past life, I would have been heartbroken, but now, my heart is exceptionally calm. The teacher was furious, “Do whatever you want, just don’t regret it later.” Caleb was confident, glancing at me, “Choosing Layla is something I will never regret.” He left side by side with Layla. Only then did I speak slowly. “Teacher, are you really not going to interfere with Caleb’s application?” The teacher patted my shoulder, sighing. “Fiona, I know you like Caleb. Do you want to go to the same university as him?” “But forced love isn’t sweet. The university he wants for Layla is too much of a downgrade. You don’t need to go to a community college for him.” I was stunned for a moment, then laughed, my eyes clear and firm. “Teacher, you misunderstood.” “I won’t give up my future for anyone, nor will I be anyone’s sidekick.” The teacher paused, nodding with relief. “Good! Good! I knew you were always the most sensible one.” I smiled, put the application form into my folder, and left the office. On this day in my past life, Caleb and I applied to Harvard together. Our parents clamored for us to get engaged. He didn’t object, so I thought he agreed. Who knew he loved Layla? His parents just required his wife to be someone who could stand equal to him. Layla later shone at the International Youth Art Exhibition and was specially admitted to Harvard, missing him just barely. Because of this, he hated me for ten years. And made me take the fall and go to jail for his beloved. In this life, I won’t have any involvement with him. I’ll let them be. Walking to the grove, I suddenly heard Layla and her best friend laughing. “Layla, you’re amazing!” “Not only did you steal the love of Fiona’s parents at home, but now even Caleb is devoted to you.” Layla scoffed: “What’s that? Why does that nerd always get first place?” “It’s also my nanny mom’s fault for being soft-hearted back then. She swapped us, but why didn’t she just sell that little bitch Fiona to the mountains?” “If she were in the mountains, the Lin family definitely wouldn’t have found her back, and she wouldn’t be fighting me for the position of the Lin family daughter!” So, we weren’t “accidentally switched at birth,” but maliciously swapped. My blood froze instantly, a chill running down my spine. I remembered my foster mother’s belt after drinking, my foster father’s lecherous gaze, and the tuition fees that could never be gathered. These sufferings I shouldn’t have endured. Because of her and her mother’s greed, their desire for a good life, they pushed me into hell. If I hadn’t been ambitious, getting into a key high school from a small town and reuniting with the Lin family, I might never have found my biological parents. Hatred surged like a tide. I clenched my fists, nails digging deep into my palms. Just as I was about to step forward, a hand grabbed my arm. “Fiona, looking for trouble with Layla again?” Caleb had walked up to me at some point, frowning, eyes full of disgust and impatience. I looked up coldly: “Did you hear what she just said?” His gaze swept over Layla not far away, “What could she say? That she and I will be together soon, and you’re jealous?” Looking back at me, his tone carried a warning. “Layla is kind-hearted. If you’re angry about the college application, take it out on me, don’t harass her!” Kind-hearted? I almost laughed out loud. “Caleb,” I stared into his eyes, “are you blind and deaf?” His face darkened, tone arrogant: “Fiona, don’t think good grades give you the right to be arrogant. In three days, you’ll know who truly deserves to go to Harvard!” Seeing my eyes turn red, his tone softened inexplicably. “Of course, if you still can’t let go of me, after we start college, I can discuss with Layla to spare a day each month to accompany you.” I looked at him quietly, suddenly finding it laughable. The boy I once looked up to was now full of arrogance, stupid beyond belief. “Caleb,” I smiled slowly, “you make me sick.” His face changed drastically, but I didn’t bother to look at him again, shaking off his hand and walking away. At the corner, I made a call: “I want all birth records from City Central Hospital on June 15th eighteen years ago, including surveillance and duty rosters.” After hanging up, I dialed another number: “Principal Zhang, about this year’s International Youth Art Exhibition, I’m participating.” I looked at the WeChat moment Layla just posted. She and Caleb holding hands, captioned “Destined encounter.” I laughed softly. Layla, don’t you love stealing my things? Caleb, don’t you think she’s pure and kind? Good, very good. Then I will tear off your masks in front of the whole school. I will make you ruined and forever wanting what you can’t have. Chapter 2 Three days passed quickly. What Caleb told me to wait and see was this year’s International Youth Art Exhibition. Ostensibly an exhibition, it was actually a chance for the Harvard School of Art to specially admit talented painters. Every student with some painting talent in the country was there. In my past life, Layla shone at the exhibition with a painting titled “Spring Day,” earning a personal meeting with the Dean of Harvard Art. She then received a special admission qualification to Harvard, bringing glory to the Lin family. It also made my parents and Caleb look at her with new eyes. They didn’t hesitate to criticize and neglect me for her. Finally, they took revenge on me. I walked into the exhibition hall with a calm expression and a straight back. Everyone’s eyes fell on me. Whispers around me were clearly audible. “Isn’t that Fiona? Heard she scored much higher than Layla in the SATs, but her parents spoil Layla more.” “She’s pitiful too. The biological daughter of the Lin family, but lost for years. No matter how capable, she can’t compare to the fake heiress raised by the parents for so many years.” “Not just the Lin parents, Caleb also ignores the top student to revolve around Layla all day. Strange.” “You don’t understand. Layla’s grades are average, but she has artistic talent. Heard this exhibition is aimed at her.” Ignoring these discussions, I walked straight to my booth. Just as I finished arranging my paintings, Caleb walked over with Layla. “Fiona, you’re participating too?” “Well, that’s fine. When Layla’s painting gets selected later, you can share some of the glory.” Without looking up, I adjusted the frame and said indifferently: “Caleb, you spread the news everywhere that Layla is a genius painter, using my grades to build momentum for her. You really put in a lot of effort.” “But have you ever thought, the higher you lift her, the harder she falls?” “It’s fine if she succeeds, but if she fails, she’ll probably become a laughingstock.” Caleb looked at me sideways and sneered. “You think she’s you? What can you do besides taking exams?” “Let me tell you, Layla’s painting has already been chosen internally. She will be the genius specially admitted to Harvard Art, the focus of everyone.” “I know you’re jealous of Layla, but for the sake of being classmates, I advise you to be polite to her.” He pointed at my painting: “Or, admit now that Layla is better than you, and I won’t hold your past actions against her against you.” “I can even tell Layla to allow me to spend two days with you when I’m free.” People around couldn’t help whispering, many watching for the drama. I knew what they were discussing. Sophomore year, the student council president confessed to me. I said I only liked Caleb. Even if his grades were bad, I was willing to be with him. Since then, everyone thought I was Caleb’s simp. Willing to be a spare tire just to be with him. Someone in the crowd jeered: “Fiona, just admit it. Don’t make Caleb angry, or he won’t play with you anymore.” Layla couldn’t hide her smugness, then looked at me, considerately saying: “Everyone, don’t make it hard for my sister. She’s the top student after all, how dare I compare with her.” Caleb hugged Layla’s shoulder, heart aching for her. “You’re just too kind. You are clearly the most dazzling one, no need to yield to her.” Watching them singing the same tune, trampling on me wantonly, I couldn’t help laughing. “Since you’re so confident, I’m curious about three questions.” “First, Layla, do you dare to compare real talent and learning with me?” “Second, Caleb, what makes you think I still like you?” “As for the third, do you really think the guaranteed admission spot for this exhibition belongs to Layla?” Everyone looked at me, instantly silent. Seeming to ponder the meaning of my words. At this moment, a teacher from the organizing committee walked over. “Student Layla, the Dean has seen your work and would like to invite you for a detailed talk.” The surroundings exploded. “Layla is being met privately by the Dean, looks like she really has talent!” “Caleb has a keen eye, spotting the pearl from the fish eyes immediately. Many get into Harvard, but few get specially admitted for art.” “If I were Fiona, I’d admit defeat and leave now to save face.” Caleb and Layla glanced at me coldly. Layla left triumphantly. Caleb looked at me, tone arrogant. “I told you Layla is a genius, but you wouldn’t believe it.” “Alright, since it’s come to this, as long as you admit Layla is better than you,” “After graduation, I can give you one of my children as a reward.” The crowd roared with laughter. As if the exhibition result was settled, and I was the pitiful loser. My best friend Summer stomped her foot in anger: “Fiona, I’ll go call the homeroom teacher to uphold justice!” I shook my head calmly: “No need, someone will come for us soon.” Just as I finished speaking, the organizing committee teacher came over again: “Student Fiona, the Dean wants to see you.” I didn’t move, just asked: “Teacher, could you ask the Dean to come here? Some things need to be clarified in public.” Soon, the Dean came personally. Holding two paintings, he frowned. “Student Fiona, why is your work so similar to Student Layla’s?” Red-eyed Layla stared at me, voice choked. “Sister, I trusted you so much, I didn’t expect you to plagiarize my work!” I stood my ground calmly. This scene was expected. Because in my past life, Layla used my painting to participate in the competition. And was specially admitted to Harvard because of it. In my past life, worried that sisters turning against each other would embarrass our parents, I didn’t expose the truth. Unexpectedly, it became the fuse that killed me. Now, I don’t need to wrong myself anymore. “In this world, playing the victim doesn’t make you right.” “Accusing me of plagiarism, do you have evidence?” Layla bit her lip and looked at Caleb. He immediately said coldly: “Dean, I can testify. Last week I went to the studio to find Layla and saw Fiona sneaking around Layla’s easel.” “She must have peeked at Layla’s work then!” The Dean looked troubled: “Student Caleb, we can’t conclude based on just that…” Caleb said decisively: “Because I know Layla, she has real talent and learning.” “As for Fiona, although her grades are good, her artistic talent can’t compare to Layla’s at all.” I looked straight into the Dean’s eyes, “In that case, why not ask the judging panel to set a topic on the spot, and let us paint right here to see who is better?” Layla’s face changed drastically, panic-stricken as she tugged at Caleb’s shirt. But he responded confidently: “Just what I wanted.” “Save you from constantly slandering Layla.” In my past life, for Caleb’s so-called “peace,” I willingly hid my talent and gave the opportunity to Layla. But in return, I got betrayal and contempt from everyone. Reliving this life, I just want to live for myself. With this commotion, several senior professors from Harvard Art arrived and set the topic. “Impromptu creation on the theme of ‘Youth’, time limit 30 minutes.” Hearing the topic, Layla visibly relaxed, a smug smile curling her lips. She picked up her brush and started painting fluidly on the canvas. Caleb watched from afar, face full of pride. Time’s up. Layla displayed her work first. A charcoal drawing drew gasps of admiration from the crowd. When it was my turn, the canvas was empty. Whispers erupted around us. Caleb sneered: “I told you, Fiona only knows how to study, what artistic talent does she have?” Layla looked at me, “Sister, it’s okay if you can’t draw.” “I can overlook the plagiarism, after all, we are family.” “When we get into Harvard, I’ll ask Caleb to look after you too.” Onlookers also advised me to admit defeat. “How embarrassing. If I were Mr. Lin, I’d leave all the family property to Layla.” “Exactly. Even though she’s not the biological daughter, at least she’s generous, presentable, and promising.” Caleb’s eyes suddenly lit up. “That’s a good idea.” “Fiona, let Uncle and Auntie leave the inheritance to Layla, and we’ll pretend today never happened.” Layla pretended to say: “Caleb, I don’t care about that. As long as I can continue painting and bring glory to the Lin family.” “But if sister is willing to reconcile this way, I can accept it.” I laughed too, no mirth in my eyes. I looked into the distance and saw Summer bringing in a middle-aged woman. My smile became genuine. Finally here. I looked at Layla, “You should know this head nurse, right? Eighteen years ago, your mother gave her ten thousand dollars to switch my birth certificate with yours.” “So you could live the life of a rich young lady, while I had to grow up in the slums.” Layla’s face turned pale instantly, the brush in her hand falling to the ground with a clatter. “You’re lying!” “Sister, I know you’re jealous of me, but you can’t fabricate such lies!” Caleb’s expression changed slightly, “Fiona, you’ve gone too far! To win a competition, you’d tell such a lie?” The Dean picked up the microphone to speak. I calmly held up a document: “This is the birth record from back then, the head nurse’s testimony, and a recording of Layla letting it slip.” “She hates me, blaming her mother for not throwing me into a ditch, ruining her good fortune as a rich girl.” The crowd was in an uproar. Caleb turned to look at Layla in shock. She was full of panic, trying desperately to explain. I walked to the center of the stage and picked up the microphone. “Dean, regarding today’s competition, I have one more thing to explain.” “Layla’s painting ‘Spring Day’ is actually my work from last year.” Under everyone’s gaze, I slowly raised the sketchbook in my hand: Opening it, inside was a striking charcoal drawing. In the drawing, a girl knelt before an easel, but the brush in her hand was broken; Behind her stood two blurry figures, laughing triumphantly. “The title of this painting is ‘Stolen Youth’.” My voice was clear and firm. “The painting ‘Youth’ Layla just submitted is a plagiarism of this work—” Chapter 3 Caleb was completely confused, scrambling to pick up the drawing paper on the ground to examine it closely. But after looking for a long time, he couldn’t see the problem, so he could only look to the Dean for help. The Dean signaled the staff to project the painting onto the big screen. At first, the students in the audience were as confused as Caleb: “Isn’t this painting pretty good?” “The composition and colors are very professional!” Seeing that no one could spot the flaw, Layla grew bolder. Red-eyed, she said to the Dean: “Dean, let’s put aside my sister slandering me for now.” “But this painting was indeed created by me on the spot. Every stroke is my heart’s blood.” I looked at the professors on the judges’ bench with solemn expressions and reminded softly: “What the Dean wants to ask is not about painting skills.” “But the creation time of this painting.” Layla glared at me viciously, turned her head and vowed: “Of course it’s an on-site creation! The topic was just given by the Dean, how could I prepare in advance?” The Chair of the Art Department pushed his glasses and asked in a deep voice: “Are you sure it’s an on-site original?” Layla nodded decisively: “Absolutely true! Including my painting ‘Spring Day’, it was also created on site. Many classmates can testify for me!” Just then, the Dean took out a portfolio from his briefcase and slammed it on the exhibition stand. “What a coincidence!” “Your ‘on-site creation’ has the exact same composition as last year’s International Youth Art Exhibition winning work ‘Rite of Spring’!” “Even the color matching is exactly the same!” Layla’s face instantly turned pale. Of course she recognized that portfolio. It was the collection she stole from my room. Caleb stood far away and couldn’t see the contents of the portfolio clearly. Thinking Layla was scared, he hurriedly stood up to defend her: “Dean, artistic creation inevitably has similarities. This could be a coincidence.” “Coincidence?” The Dean sneered. “What’s more coincidental is that the judge of that competition last year happened to be me!” “Caleb, do you know what kind of liar you are defending?” Caleb froze, looking at Layla in disbelief: “Layla, what is this?” Layla shook her head in panic: “No, Caleb, listen to my explanation…” I said: “Do I need to tell everyone why Layla knows these paintings?” “Because last month she secretly sneaked into my dorm and took photos of all my works.” Layla retorted shrilly: “You’re lying! Do you have evidence?” My roommate suddenly raised her phone: “I can testify! I went back to the dorm to get something that day and took a picture of Layla rummaging through your desk.” The big screen immediately showed irrefutable evidence. Layla was holding a phone, taking pictures of my portfolio. The audience was in an uproar. Caleb stood there dumbfounded as if struck by lightning. Layla had collapsed on the floor, her carefully prepared dress stained with paint. “There’s more.” I opened another file. “About the baby swap case in the hospital eighteen years ago…” At this moment, the judges’ bench interrupted me. “Wait, I have something to say.” Everyone’s eyes focused on the judges’ bench. The Chair of the Art Department slowly stood up and pushed his glasses: “I can verify the facts stated by student Fiona.” “Last year, when the Dean and I served as judges for the International Youth Art Exhibition, we saw the original work of ‘Rite of Spring’.” “At that time, the signature on the painting was indeed Fiona.” The scene erupted. Layla’s face was white as a sheet, lips trembling but unable to speak. Caleb looked at the judge in disbelief: “This, this is impossible! Layla she!” The Department Chair interrupted him coldly: “Even more ridiculous is that student Layla’s so-called ‘on-site creation’ painting has the exact same brushstrokes and details as the original.” “This is no coincidence, but a blatant copy!” Layla finally broke down crying: “No! I just, just wanted to win too much.” She suddenly turned to Caleb, grabbing his arm: “Caleb, believe me! I did this to go to Harvard with you!” Caleb shook off her hand as if burned, voice trembling: “So you’ve been lying to me all along?” “Genius painter, guaranteed admission qualification, all fake?” Just then, my phone chimed. I tapped the screen, corners of my mouth raising slightly: “Thank you, Chair, for being my witness.” “Just in time, the DNA test results are out.” The big screen displayed the test report: “DNA comparison confirms biological parent-child relationship between Sample A Layla and Sample B Nanny Liu Qiuhua.” I looked calmly at Layla paralyzed on the ground: “Now, do you still want to argue?” Layla looked like death, but still struggling: “Sister, I know I was wrong! Please forgive me.” “We lived together for a while after all!” Caleb suddenly rushed to me, tone urgent: “Fiona, Layla knows she’s wrong, just forgive her.” “As long as you’re willing, I, I can pursue you again!” I sneered: “Caleb, do you think I still care about your choice?” “Now, it’s time to settle another account.” I turned to the Dean: “I have submitted all evidence regarding Layla’s mother swapping babies in the hospital eighteen years ago to the police.” Just then, the auditorium doors were pushed open, and two police officers walked in: “Student Layla, please cooperate with us in investigating a baby abduction case from eighteen years ago.” The hall went silent. Caleb stood dumbstruck, while Layla had collapsed on the floor, unable to utter another word. Chapter 4 Perhaps the scene was too chaotic. Caleb stopped abruptly, looking at Layla in shock: “Did you really swap Fiona’s life?” Layla’s face was pale as paper, lips trembling in defense: “It wasn’t me. I was just a newborn then, how could I?” Caleb seemed convinced by her, turning to me: “Fiona, Layla has a point. How could a newborn baby mastermind such a thing?” “I know you found this evidence just to prove her plagiarism.” “Now that the truth is out, stop being so aggressive.” Seeing Caleb failing to distinguish right from wrong, I was completely disappointed in him. I finally understood that some people never change. The sunny boy from my past life, Died the moment he chose to stand by Layla. Now he is just a confused fool blindly protecting the wrong person. Unwilling to entangle with him further, I said to the head nurse: “Please repeat the situation back then.” The head nurse nervously clutched her clothes: “That night, when I was on night shift, Layla’s mother stuffed a thick envelope into my hands.” “She said the money came from trafficking children, and if I didn’t take it, she would frame me as her accomplice and drag me to prison with her.” Layla suddenly seized the loophole in the head nurse’s words, interrupting eagerly: “That’s just her side of the story!” “Who can prove what she says is true?” She turned to the judges, teary-eyed: “Teachers, my mother passed away years ago. Dead people tell no tales.” “My sister fabricated this lie to frame me because she’s jealous of my relationship with Caleb.” The Dean and several professors exchanged helpless glances. They knew that the head nurse’s testimony alone was indeed insufficient to conclude events from years ago. Seeing this, Caleb sighed in relief and said to me: “Fiona, I understand your feelings, but this might really be a misunderstanding.” “If you really can’t accept Layla, I can reduce my contact with her in the future.” Before he could finish, the auditorium doors opened again. My adoptive father walked in supporting an elderly woman with a cane. Seeing the visitor, Layla’s face turned ashen, legs giving way, nearly kneeling. I supported the old woman and introduced her to everyone: “This is Auntie Wang, the hospital cleaner back then.” “Also, the only witness who saw the entire swapping process.” The Dean looked at the old woman’s blind eyes in shock: “Your eyes.” My adoptive father’s voice choked: “Not just her eyes, her right hand was also crippled.” “Just to stop her from telling the truth!” The audience was in an uproar. Caleb looked at Layla in disbelief: “This, your mother did all this?” Auntie Wang tremblingly raised her crippled right hand, pointing straight at Layla: “It was her mother, to silence me.” “But I will always remember the scene that night when she swapped the two babies.” Layla finally broke down, screaming hysterically: “No! They made it all up!” “Caleb, believe me!” But no one believed her anymore. Caleb stumbled back a few steps, As if truly seeing the girl in front of him for the first time. And right then, Two police officers stepped forward: “Student Layla, please come with us immediately.”

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Since I was young, I was skilled at using my kind-hearted childhood friend. I relied on him for errands and pocket money. He never complained, always spoiling me endlessly. Until the day we got engaged, and we both “awakened” at the same time. I was the cannon fodder in a novel, and he was the male lead, destined to fall in love and live happily ever after with the heroine. I was stunned and wanted to back out, but he gritted his teeth in anger, grabbed me, and dragged me straight to get married. “To hell with the novel and the script! All I know is I love you, and I’m going to grow old with you!” After marriage, he was meticulous in his care for me. We built our careers together, becoming a famous power couple in the business world. The events of the book faded into memory, and my love for him deepened. Three years later, the youngest daughter of a real estate tycoon came to interning at our company. That day, a fire broke out in the office. In the chaotic escape, the girl knocked over a shelf, sending it crashing straight towards my husband. Without thinking, I blocked the fatal blow for him, blood instantly gushing from my head. The girl, scared and disheveled, fell to the ground screaming, “Brother Alex, help!” My husband’s face paled in horror. He ignored everything and sprinted towards her: “Elaine!” I was struck dumb, the color draining from my face. The heroine of the book was named “Elaine”. 1 Alex’s frantic shouts echoed in my ears, my heart feeling like it was being sliced into pieces. Blood streamed from my head, but I ignored the pain, my eyes following him. I saw him holding Elaine tightly, panic written all over his face. “Is your leg hurt? Elaine, don’t be scared, just hold on, I’ll take you to the hospital right now!” My wound wouldn’t stop bleeding, my breathing grew heavy. Enduring the pain, I gasped weakly: “Husband… help, help me…” However, the man so close to me seemed not to see me at all. Anxiously, he picked up Elaine and rushed downstairs. “Someone’s hurt, call an ambulance!” Only when his figure disappeared did I feel like I had fallen into an ice cave, pierced through the heart by an arrow. In the face of danger, my husband abandoned his wife, who had taken a fatal blow for him, and ran off with the person he cared about. People around me were fleeing in panic, no one paying attention to my situation. I was abandoned in a corner, helpless. The pain intensified, my eyelids grew heavier. I bit my lip until it bled, desperately telling myself: “Fiona, you can’t sleep, you have to hold on…” I swallowed the metallic taste surging in my throat and screamed with all my might. “Help… help…” What felt like a heart-wrenching scream was actually incredibly faint. My vision blurred. Before I fainted, for some reason, I remembered our wedding day. Witnessed by friends and family, Alex knelt on one knee, devoutly proclaiming his love. He hugged me tightly, promising: “I don’t believe in fate. I only know that you are the love of my life.” The affection of the past was vivid in my mind, yet now he had abandoned me without hesitation for another woman. I didn’t understand. Is this so-called “fate” truly irresistible? Driving him to fall in love with Elaine regardless of everything? Pain shot through my body. I couldn’t tell if it was heartache or the wound. Darkness fell before my eyes, and I completely lost consciousness. When I regained consciousness, I found myself lying in a hospital bed. My best friend, Chloe’s familiar voice rang in my ears. “Doctor, doctor, she’s awake!” Then she looked at me with red eyes, “You stupid girl, how did you get hurt so badly? Do you know there’s a huge hole in your head!” I was too weak to respond. At this moment, Assistant Lee rushed over with a young doctor. His eyes held the unique clear stupidity of a college student, a large intern badge hanging on his chest. Chloe exclaimed: “Why an intern? Where’s Dr. Chen?” Assistant Lee looked embarrassed: “Mr. Miller had the director call all the chief physicians for a consultation on Miss Elaine. I looked for other chief physicians, but they were all unavailable.” “What?” Chloe was dumbfounded: “Did you tell him Fiona is seriously injured and needs immediate treatment?” “I did.” Assistant Lee said awkwardly: “Mr. Miller said… Miss Elaine fell and hurt herself. She’s delicate and weak, he’s afraid of lasting effects, so he wanted the experts to give her a thorough check-up.” The assistant looked at me with increasing pity. I felt exposed and cold all over. Alex and I were a famous loving couple in our circle, partners working side by side. Everyone knew Alex treated me like his life. Once when I was kidnapped, he went alone to exchange himself for me. Even with blood streaming down his head, he shielded me without hesitation. No one could understand why the person who would give his life for me would now ignore me completely. Even worse, knowing I was seriously injured, he took away all the chief physicians. Only I knew why. Because Alex had fallen in love with Elaine, just like the plot in that book. The male lead prioritizes the heroine’s needs above all else. My heart ached as if being torn apart. My breathing became rapid, heart rate fluctuating violently. “Not good, the patient is critical,” the young doctor said anxiously. “We can’t wait, we must operate immediately!” I was pushed into the operating room. Disinfectant washed over my wound, burning and stinging like fire. I couldn’t help but groan. It hurt, it really hurt. The young doctor comforted me gently while stitching: “Hold on, it will be over soon, you’ll be fine.” The surgery lasted ten hours. Medical staff went in and out, critical condition notices issued one after another. And I had long lost consciousness. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the ward. Chloe looked distressed: “You’re finally awake, how do you feel?” My body ached, mouth dry. I instinctively wanted to ask if Alex had come to see me, but on second thought, I felt there was no need to humiliate myself. But Chloe understood my hesitation and said angrily: “That scumbag stayed by Elaine’s bedside for a whole day and night, never once coming to see you. He’s not human!” Chloe realized she misspoke and fell silent, then said: “The soundproofing in the VIP ward is very good. I think maybe Alex has bad hearing and didn’t hear the assistant. I’ll go ask him!” I spoke weakly: “No need. It doesn’t matter if he comes or not.” Chloe looked at me with heartache: “But you’re hurt so badly. Your head was injured, full of blood. The doctor said if the surgery was any later, you might have become a vegetable…” I lowered my eyes, “Mm, lucky.” The events of that day made me realize clearly that it was time for Alex and me to end. That shelf didn’t just hit my head; it smashed my love-struck brain. I was bloodied, a mess. In the afternoon, I leaned back in bed, resting my eyes. Two young assistants were whispering. “I really envy Miss Elaine. The boss is so handsome and loves her so much!” “Yeah, Miss Elaine just got a small scratch, and all the good doctors in the hospital went to see her. Such a big fuss!” “More than that, this morning Miss Elaine wanted pastries from Sweet Tooth. Mr. Miller drove there without a word. You know how hard it is to buy from that shop.” “Sigh, Fiona’s life is bitter too. If she wasn’t lucky, she would have died in that fire. Mr. Miller usually likes Fiona so much, but when something happens, he completely forgets his wife. Fiona is pitiful.” The voices faded away. I smiled bitterly. I had been waiting for Alex to come see me, to hear him say he fell in love with someone else, to hear him ask for a divorce, or even an explanation. An explanation of when the person who swore eternal love had a change of heart, and how he got involved with Elaine. Unfortunately, I never expected that he wouldn’t even remember me, running off to buy pastries for his “white moonlight.” In that case, I’ll be the one to let go. I called Assistant Lee: “Draft a detailed divorce agreement. Tell Alex I want a divorce.” Assistant Lee looked surprised, “Okay.” Not long after, I received a call from Alex’s assistant. He greeted me respectfully, then conveyed Alex’s message. “Fiona, Mr. Miller says Miss Elaine is the daughter of a major client. Entrusted by others, he naturally has to prioritize the company’s interests. He hopes you won’t throw a tantrum or mention divorce just because he saved someone.” “Yesterday, Mr. Miller wanted to explain to you in person, but you weren’t in the office, so he went to handle business.” “Today he has to follow up on other cooperation matters, so company affairs will trouble you to helm. Mr. Miller said he will apologize to you personally when things settle down.” Hanging up the phone, I laughed in anger. He didn’t even know I was injured! Not only that, he didn’t know I was critically injured, fighting for my life in the hospital. And on top of that, he thought I was playing the jealous wife card, threatening divorce. It was truly absurd, absurd to the point of speechlessness. But I couldn’t suppress the heartache, tears falling like rain. This time, I was completely disheartened with Alex. The doctor said I must rest well, or there would be lasting effects impacting my life. I wanted to live a few more years! Fortunately, I had a piece of warm jade that was good for health. Before I could rejoice, Alex’s assistant came again, this time eyeing the jade in my hand. “Fiona, it’s hard for me too. Mr. Miller said to give Miss Elaine whatever she wants.” “She’s in poor health and wants that piece of jade to nourish her body…” Elaine was that important in Alex’s heart. I almost lost half my life this time and urgently needed this warm jade to recover. And he, regardless of everything, wanted to snatch my things to give to Elaine to play with! With his wealth today, what couldn’t he get? Why did he have to target my things? I darkened my face, tone unfriendly: “I need the warm jade for my health. If he wants it, let him come get it from me himself.” Alex’s assistant nodded and turned to leave. A moment later, Elaine pushed open my ward door and walked in. She wore a loose patient gown, radiating a delicate pitifulness. But her words were very rude, “Fiona, Alex sent me. Give me the item, I need it for my health.” I looked at her, “Why should I give you my things?” “Because I am the one Alex holds dear.” She looked at me mockingly: “I tried so hard to start that fire. Pity, your life is tough, even that didn’t kill you!” My heart sank. That fire was her doing! “Aren’t you afraid I’ll call the police?” Elaine was fearless: “Do you have evidence?” “Let’s put it this way, from the first moment I saw Brother Alex, I knew he was the one I’ve been waiting for!” “And he knows clearly that I am the heroine of his life, and he can’t do without me!” “With his protection, I can naturally be safe and sound.” I knew she was telling the truth and fell silent. Alex was deeply in love with her now, as if bewitched. For her, he could abandon colleagues who fought alongside him, travel thousands of miles just for her smile, and for her, give me up. She glanced at the wedding diamond ring on my hand disdainfully: “Brother Alex gave you that, right? Pity, the diamond is gone.” “The wedding ring is broken, your relationship with Brother Alex is about to end too. I advise you to be sensible and leave Brother Alex proactively!” She glanced at me sideways, showing off her not-yet-showing belly. “Besides, I’m pregnant with Brother Alex’s child.” “You haven’t gotten pregnant after being married to Brother Alex for so long. Maybe your marital life isn’t very harmonious. But it’s normal. After so many years, even the best food gets boring. No wonder Brother Alex says holding your hand is like holding his own left hand with his right.” After speaking, she covered her mouth and laughed loudly. To my surprise, she had slept with Alex and even had a child! My chest prickled with pain. I stared deadly at the triumphant Elaine in front of me, enunciating each word: “Is being a mistress something to be proud of?” “In the whole city, who doesn’t know that I, Fiona, am Alex’s wife? If I release word that you are the mistress destroying my marriage.” “Do you think you and your Brother Alex will be like rats crossing the street, everyone shouting to beat them?” Elaine’s smile froze on her face. She glared angrily, bluffing: “You dare! Aren’t you afraid Brother Alex will get angry?” I smiled brightly: “You can try and see if I dare.” Elaine glared at me resentfully and left unwillingly. Just as she went out, she ran into Alex returning. She frowned and cried like a pear blossom bathed in rain. “Brother Alex, I’m so sad. The doctor said warm jade can nourish the body and is good for me.” “I was just curious to see if that warm jade is really that magical. But that person refused and scolded me out.” “Boohoo, if she doesn’t give it, fine, why scold me!” Alex’s face darkened immediately: “Who dares to bully you like this? I’ll stand up for you!” He pulled Elaine, striding towards my ward. “How much is that warm jade worth? Name a price, I’ll pay double. But you must apologize to my woman!” Before entering, Alex’s interrogation came through the door. “I also want to see who is so arrogant to touch my person!” He embraced Elaine and pushed the door open decisively. He saw me sitting on the hospital bed, cooperating with the nurse cleaning my wound— 2 “Fiona?!” Alex subconsciously let go of Elaine, looking at me in surprise. “Why are you injured?” His expression didn’t look like he was lying, but I found it laughable! We were husband and wife, yet he knew nothing about my situation. “We were at the fire scene together. How do you think I got hurt?” When the shelf fell, I protected him without thinking. If not for me, he would be the one in the hospital bed now. Alex looked at me in panic, then strode to me, nervously checking my injury. My wound reopened, bloody and terrible. Alex was heartbroken, wanting to touch but daring not to, afraid of hurting me again. “Fiona, Elaine was injured at the time. I was anxious and didn’t think much…” Look, Elaine. How affectionately he called her. Even right in front of me, he didn’t know to avoid it, or maybe he didn’t think he needed to. I glanced at him with a faint smile: “I think you didn’t even remember I existed.” “No… I just thought you’ve always been disciplined and healthy, while Elaine is delicate and weak, needing more care, so…” He carefully explained the reason, but I found it incredibly piercing. His high-sounding excuses turned into swords, ruthlessly piercing my riddled heart. I clutched my chest, unable to hold back tears amidst the dense pain. Just because Elaine is weak, I deserve to be abandoned by him without looking back? But I am his lawfully wedded wife, the one Alex promised to grow old with. Most heartbreakingly, how did Elaine get inserted into the company by Alex without anyone noticing? HR rules are strict, the manager was promoted by me. How much effort did Alex spend to achieve this? Moreover, his current rhetoric, no matter who he tells it to, no one would really believe it. I don’t understand. Since the person in his heart has changed from me to Elaine, why bother weaving lies to deceive me? Maybe he forgot, I was never a flower raised in a greenhouse. I have the ability to distinguish right from wrong. I’ve always been strong, never willing to show weakness. When I stayed up all night modifying design plans only to have them stolen, I laughed it off. Accused of plagiarism, I gritted my teeth and opened new chapters, speaking with capability. Even hospitalized from a car accident, I remained calm and composed. But these days, experiencing these things forced my tear point ridiculously low. My eyes haven’t been unswollen since the accident. Alex knew my nature well. Seeing my reddened eyes, he panicked completely. He nervously took out tissues, gently wiping my tears, deep affection in his eyes. “Fiona, why are you crying? Don’t be like this, it’s all my fault. Hit me, just don’t get sick from anger!” I looked at him, tears falling drop by drop. This was the person I loved for so long! But at this moment, he was unrecognizable, terrifyingly strange. Not far away, Elaine stared at me with a cold face, while I was immersed in my own world, unaware. Sadness aside, I didn’t forget his original intention of bringing Elaine to find me. I couldn’t understand him. At this point, was it necessary to be hypocritical in front of me? I stared at him silently, patiently waiting for his explanation. Alex looked away first, unable to hide the guilt in his eyes. He knew what I wanted to know, just as I was clear about his distraction. We confronted silently for a long time before he spoke. “Back when I returned to school for a speech, by chance, I saved Elaine who was being harassed.” “Since then, she got my contact info from somewhere and kept pestering me to chat. If I ignored her, she would cry heartbreakingly. I softened and…” “She graduated a while ago, fought with her dad claiming independence. She was alone outside, I was afraid something would happen to her, so I let her work in the company.” Returning to school for a speech was two years ago. So they had contact that early, and shamelessly entangled behind my back. And Alex hid all this seamlessly. I don’t understand. Is the plot’s magic really irresistible? Even though I made so much effort, even tried hard to miss the node of their meeting. Even so, I couldn’t stop them from meeting, nor stop them from falling in love regardless. As a CEO with assets over hundreds of millions, Alex had so many ways to settle someone. But he chose to do it himself, which meant he couldn’t let her go, nor did he trust anyone but himself to take care of her. So, they had an affair under my nose and created a life. I was in a trance. Is this fate? No, I don’t accept it! The lover who held me, promising “three thousand waters, only taking one scoop,” finally turned into a bubble and vanished without a trace. And I, having accumulated enough disappointment, completely gave up. Heartbroken to the extreme, I felt unprecedented exhaustion. The past was vivid, but I had no strength to love him anymore. I pushed his hand away distantly and firmly, saying seriously: “Alex, let’s divorce.”

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1 I had just donated an entire building to the university campus of my son’s private school to serve as their new gymnasium. But the very next day, my son ran home crying, telling me he’d been beaten up by a pair of twin college athletes from the university division. I took my son straight to the school and demanded the Dean pull the security footage. I never expected the two college jocks to smirk and pull out two identical black credit cards. “Dean, how about we each donate a hundred grand to the school? Maybe the security cameras could just… happen to malfunction?” The Dean hesitated. My son was furious. But I smiled. Those two supplementary cards were the ones my wife had begged me for a while back. She said she liked the new card design and asked for two of them. It turns out it wasn’t the card design she liked; it was the twin brothers holding them. I turned away with a cold sneer and immediately called the bank to freeze those two cards. Then, I sent a message to my company’s legal department: “My son was assaulted. Get a team down here immediately. I want them to pay a heavy price.” “Also, pull the prenup. Draft a divorce agreement. Serena gets nothing.” “Spending my money to keep a couple of toy boys and letting them bully my son? Keep dreaming.” … Right in front of me, the Carter twins, Jax and Jace, each handed a sleek black card to the Dean. The students gathered around gasped. “Holy cow, I’ve never seen real Centurion Cards before. And they have identical ones!” “Those require a massive spending history and liquidity. You need millions in cash just to qualify!” The Dean swallowed hard, respectfully taking the two cards with trembling hands. My son, Lucas, was crying tears of rage. “Dean Miller, you can’t just let them get away with beating me because they have money!” Dean Miller hesitated, his hand hovering in mid-air, caught between greed and duty. Jax and Jace looked at us with pure disdain. “Dean, even if you pull the footage and prove we beat him, what’s the worst that happens? We pay some medical bills.” “But if the cameras ‘break,’ we donate that money to the school instead. Isn’t that a win-win?” Other students, desperate to suck up to the wealthy twins, started lying through their teeth. “It was Lucas who started it! I saw it!” “Yeah! I was there too. Lucas threw the first punch!” Lucas was shaking. First, he gets beaten, and now he’s being framed and isolated. He couldn’t swallow this injustice. “This is unfair! If this happens to me today, it could happen to any of you tomorrow!” Lucas shouted. But Jax and Jace just laughed maniacally. “Fair? Kid, fairness is a luxury for the rich.” “Your dad is broke, and so are you. That’s fairness! Wait until you graduate; I’ll give you a job as a doorman at our Sugar Momma’s company. We’ll teach you all about the real world then!” Lucas wanted to argue, but the surrounding students told him to face reality. The Dean, hearing this, made up his mind. He praised the students for being “sensible” and swiped Jax’s card through the machine. But the moment he swiped it, the machine let out a harsh, mechanical beep. “Transaction Denied. Account frozen due to suspicious activity.” He tried again. Same result. The Dean looked at Jax awkwardly. Jace immediately handed over his card. “Use mine.” Beep. “Transaction Denied.” The twins looked confused. “Impossible. The school’s machine must be broken!” The crowd agreed. It had to be the machine. The finance director was called in with a new terminal. Swipe. Beep. Denied. Sweat started to bead on the twins’ foreheads. The Dean’s attitude shifted instantly. He glared at them. “You two punks, did you bring expired cards to play games with me?” Jax snorted. “These cards belong to our… god-sister. We’ll call her and ask what’s going on!” They pulled out their phones to video call their “god-sister.” The call connected. I glanced at the screen. The woman on the other end was my wife, Serena. 2 They started putting on a show, cooing and flirting with the rich woman on the screen, completely ignoring everyone else. The Dean and the students, though internally judging them, understood the rules of the game. Money talks. Listening to the ambiguous flirting, everyone knew the money was coming one way or another. What they didn’t know was that my wife, Serena, used to be a housewife. Every cent she gave these twins was money she had wheedled out of me. After hanging up, the twins shot me a provocative look. A minute later, my phone rang. It was Serena. Her tone was icy, as if she were my boss, not my wife. “Leo, I just finished lunch with the girls. I tried to pay, and the card declined!” “Do you have any idea how embarrassed I was? Go to the bank right now and fix it!” I sneered internally but kept my voice calm. “Our son got beaten up at school. I’m handling it. I’ll go to the bank when I’m done.” “Lucas? He’s a boy, he’s tough. A few bruises won’t kill him. Go to the bank now!” She hung up on me. I clenched my jaw. The urge to destroy her was overwhelming. Since marrying me, I supported whatever she wanted to do. Money flowed like water. She wanted a title, so I let her be the figurehead General Manager of one of my subsidiaries. I even jokingly called her “The Duchess” because of her spending habits. The nickname stuck. Now half the city called her “The Duchess.” And this is how she repays me? Cheating on me, neglecting our son, and funding two college bullies? A moment later, the twins shouted at the phone again, calling out “Sis, Sis!” My phone started blowing up with calls and texts from Serena. I ignored them all. I stared coldly at the twins. I wanted to see exactly how they planned to pay. But then, the twins held up their phones triumphantly. “Look! The money’s here!” “Dean Miller, we weren’t lying! Forget a hundred grand; we can drop a million right now!” The Dean immediately bowed and scraped, a disgusting smile plastered on his face. He waved me away impatiently. “There is no footage! They didn’t hit anyone! I’m the Dean, and what I say goes!” The twins looked at me, then at Lucas. “Kid, you’re kinda cute. I know an investor who likes young boys like you…” Lucas’s chest heaved with anger. The crowd immediately started sucking up. “As expected of the campus kings. Handsome, rich, and connected!” A chill radiated from my eyes. I pulled out my primary Black Card and handed it to the Dean. “Five million dollars.” Everyone froze. The Dean took the card. The silence in the room was deafening as he swiped it. Ding! “Approved.” The crowd gasped. “Lucas’s dad is the real tycoon!” The Dean’s face turned pale. “The footage! Yes, the footage is available! Our surveillance system is top-notch, donated by our esteemed alumnus, Mr. Leo Sterling!” I smirked. I am Leo Sterling, you idiot. The twins’ faces turned ugly. They frantically texted their “god-sister.” Then, they both held up their phones, showing bank transfer screenshots. One million each. The crowd gasped again. “They just matched two million!” “Maybe Lucas’s dad isn’t as rich as the Duchess after all!” “I mean, look at them. Tall, athletic… I can see why a rich female CEO would sponsor them.” Serena really had some nerve. Spending my money on boy toys without blinking an eye, letting them bully my son. But this is all marital property. Every cent they took, I will make them vomit back up. But for now, I needed to humiliate these parasites. The Dean looked at me nervously. He knew if I didn’t outbid them, the cameras would “break” again. I raised my card again. “Double it.” 3 The entire office went dead silent. “Double? That’s ten million dollars! Ten million for a security tape?” I glanced at the twins. Ten million was nothing to me. It was the price of a business dinner. But for these college kids? That was a lifetime of debt. Students started whispering. “Justice prevails! These twins have bullied so many people. Finally, someone is stopping them!” Jax gritted his teeth. “You’re spending ten million for a video? Even if it proves we hit him, the medical bills are only a few thousand!” Before he could finish, the Dean’s terminal beeped. “Ten million dollars approved.” I looked at them coldly. To them, this was about money. To me, this was about my son’s dignity. Jax and Jace weren’t giving up. “Our money comes from the Duchess! Your money is probably your life savings, old man!” Lucas looked up, face beaming with pride. “My dad makes millions while he sleeps. He doesn’t care about this pocket change!” He wasn’t wrong. But that five million I just spent? I’m going to make sure the twins spend the rest of their lives paying it back to me. The Dean was trembling with excitement. He rushed over to shake my hand. “I had no idea we had such a titan of industry among our parents!” He turned to the twins, his face stern. “Are you going to outbid him?” “Our school has strict rules. If you really beat up a minor, you will be expelled immediately!” The threat was clear. Pay up or get out. The twins gritted their teeth. “We’ll add more!” They looked at my faded t-shirt and jeans and seemed to regain confidence. “Our god-sister is ‘The Duchess’ Serena! No matter how rich you are, you aren’t richer than her!” “See the donor wall outside? She’s a distinguished alumna. That’s our sister!” “You better take your kid and run. If you offend her, you won’t just leave this school; you’ll be run out of the state!” The crowd murmured. “I wondered who that mysterious female donor was. It’s Serena!” “The library and science center were donated by her!” “This dad and son are screwed. Why mess with the Duchess?” The Dean’s face flipped again. He poured water for the twins apologetically. Then he turned to us. “Kids lie because parents teach them poorly! Accusing these fine young men of violence today, accusing someone of murder tomorrow!” The crowd swayed like grass in the wind. ” Flashing a few million when you’re up against real old money? Pathetic.” “You offended a big shot. You better kneel and apologize to the twins now!” I laughed. “My son and I will wait right here for this ‘Big Shot’.” The money Serena donated to the school was money I gave her to build a reputation. I never thought it would be used as a weapon against our son. The twins called Serena, whining and exaggerating the situation, begging her to come save them. Before hanging up, they threatened me: “Our sister is coming. She has a security team like the Secret Service. They’ll chop you two up and feed you to the dogs!” Hearing Serena was coming, the Dean organized the students into a welcoming line. He even sent someone to buy flowers. I watched the circus act, suppressing a laugh. Soon, Serena walked in, wearing a tight designer dress and high heels, radiating authority. As soon as she entered, everyone bowed. “Hello, Sister Serena!” 4 The twins ran to her, faces full of fake grievance. As expected, Serena didn’t even notice me in the corner. She rushed to them, looking concerned. “Who dared to bully you? I’ll handle them!” Damn it. Her own son was beaten, and she didn’t care. Two boy toys spend money fighting, and she’s heartbroken. Lucas recognized his mother immediately. But he didn’t run to her like usual. Instead, he looked at me with teary eyes. “Dad, is that Mom? Why is she hugging the bad guys who hurt me?” I patted his back, whispering that I would make it right. Seeing “The Duchess” in person, the students went wild. “She’s so beautiful and young!” “No wonder the campus kings are fighting over her attention!” After the praise, Jax and Jace flanked Serena, pointing at me. They put on whiny voices. “It’s those two! They don’t know their place. They claimed we beat up his kid!” “He forced the Dean to pull the tapes and wants us expelled!” “Sister, destroy him!” Serena straightened up, eyes flashing with anger. “Who has the audacity to bully my boys?” Following their fingers, she looked past the crowd and finally saw us. The arrogance on her face vanished instantly, replaced by pure shock and gray fear. “Leo… what are you doing here?”

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