My stepmother is America’s Sweetheart, a beloved A-list celebrity. On the surface, she’s an innocent angel, but in reality, she used the media and public opinion to drive me to my death. My spirit floated in the air— I watched my father weeping bitterly as my stepmother signed away my shares of the family empire. I watched a portion of the internet celebrate that the “toxic daughter” was finally dead! I was filled with utter despair, but… when I opened my eyes again, it was the exact day my father brought the celebrity home. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. In this life, I’m going to live brilliantly! In my past life, just because I called her “Big Sister” instead of “Mom,” she punished me in secret. This time, she stood before me, smiling that perfect camera-ready smile, asking me to call her “Mom.” I immediately burst into tears. My father, Franklin, rushed over and scooped me up. “Icey, sweetie, what’s wrong?” I asked timidly, “Daddy, this lady insists I call her Mom, but my mommy is in heaven. Do I have to call her Mom…?” My mother’s death had always been Franklin’s open wound. Hearing me bring it up, guilt washed over him. He frowned and scolded, “Bella, we just got married. If the child doesn’t want to call you that, she doesn’t have to. Why force her?” My stepmother’s face stiffened for a millisecond, but she quickly adjusted her expression. She gently hugged me. “I’m sorry, honey. I was too impatient. I just wanted your approval so badly.” She sounded so aggrieved that my father’s expression softened. Unexpectedly, with a crisp snap, I slapped my stepmother right across her hypocritical face. Both of them were stunned. My dad immediately yelled, “Icey! What are you doing?!” “Daddy…” I wailed as he yelled at me. “She pinched my waist! It hurts so much…” 2. A flash of panic crossed my stepmother’s face, and she hurriedly explained, “No, honey, I didn’t…” My father lifted my shirt and saw a bright red mark on my skin. His face changed instantly. My stepmother couldn’t explain herself and broke out in a cold sweat. “Icey, I’m sorry. I must have held you too tight by accident.” I sneered internally. In my past life, didn’t she beat me plenty, both openly and secretly? My father suppressed his anger, looking at her with complicated eyes, and carried me away. That night, Bella sneaked into my room and stuffed a credit card into my hand. “Icey, your dad and I are going on our honeymoon. I heard you’ve wanted to travel solo for a long time, haven’t you? Here’s a card. After we leave, you can secretly go wherever you want.” Trying to get rid of me already? Because of my weak immune system, my father never allowed me to travel alone, nor did he give me money to do so. In my past life, I listened to her and went on a trip alone, only to nearly die of a high fever in a motel room. In this life, I still took her card and said obediently, “Thank you, Auntie Bella.” The next day, I brought it up at the breakfast table. “Daddy, I want to go on a trip by myself.” Both of their faces changed. “Go where?! Don’t you dare mention that again!” My father’s face turned red with anger. I retorted, “I’m going! Auntie Bella gave me the money, why are you trying to control me?!” My dad immediately lost his temper at Bella. “Bella, are you out of your mind?! Didn’t I tell you about her health condition?! Are you trying to kill her so you don’t have to deal with a stepdaughter?!” “Honey, I was just afraid she’d be bored alone at home.” She started crying as she spoke, looking wronged and fragile. My dad fell for this act the most, and his anger subsided. “Daddy, just let me go. You and Auntie are going on your honeymoon, and I’ll be really bored alone at home.” I pulled on my dad’s hand coquettishly. “Besides, I have all my medicine ready. Nothing will happen.” Mentioning my fragile health made my dad angry again. “No one is going anywhere!” He told Bella. “What honeymoon?! Cancel everything!” My stepmother’s face was as black as coal. Although she was a national icon, marrying my dad was still marrying up into the billionaire class. This marriage was too high-profile. When news spread that my dad hadn’t even taken her on a honeymoon, everyone speculated whether she was truly favored by him. She was eager to show that we had a good relationship, so she insisted on taking intimate photos with me. At first, I cooperated with her, but then she got the idea of live streaming, thinking it would better show the mother-daughter interaction and establish her persona. On the night of the live stream, she hugged me intimately, calling me “sweetie” and trying to snuggle. I “accidentally” headbutted her face. Crack. Her nose—her famous, “all-natural” nose—shifted to the left. I pretended to be scared and quickly covered her crooked nose— “Oh my god! I’m sorry, Mom! Let me fix your nose for you!” 3. I held back my laughter and reached out to adjust her nose. She was so scared she immediately turned off the live stream. After all, the “America’s Sweetheart” debuted as a “natural beauty,” claiming she never had plastic surgery and rarely wore makeup. Impossible? In her past life, she spent millions of my dad’s money every month just maintaining that face. Now she had her hands full. Bella hated me to the bone, but she spent the next half month busy with PR. It wasn’t until my dad helped her calm the public opinion that she didn’t completely ruin her reputation. Learning about this made me feel terrible again because my dad was willing to help her calm the public opinion, but in my past life, I was killed by public opinion! Perhaps my dad didn’t even believe me about that incident. Sure enough, two years later, Bella proposed to my dad to send me into the entertainment industry. “Honey, Icey isn’t cut out for academics anyway, and she’s always wanted to be a big star. Why don’t we arrange some resources for her and send her to act?” In my past life, I really did want to be a big star, so I worshiped my stepmother and begged her to take me into the industry. At that time, I was about to take the SATs, but despite my dad’s objections, I threatened suicide to go out and film a movie. Unexpectedly, the famous director introduced by my stepmother often touched me inappropriately in private. Finally, I couldn’t bear it anymore and beat him up, but he deliberately filmed it and posted it online. He and my stepmother played good cop/bad cop online, openly and secretly framing me. I was crushed by the internet mob, like a rat crossing the street, with everyone shouting for me to be beaten. My dad was disheartened with me at the time. Although he withdrew the public news stories, he couldn’t control the rumors at school. Under the pressure of public opinion, I lived a life worse than death every day, and had no mood to study. In the end, unsurprisingly, I failed to get into college and was completely abandoned by my dad. The last straw that drove me to jump into the river was the news of my stepmother’s pregnancy. She hugged my dad and smiled sweetly. “Sweetie, you’re going to have a brother.” I felt like I had been struck by lightning, as if I were outside of this family. This was the last straw that broke the camel’s back. I never thought my dad would have other children. He clearly promised me that he would only love me, his only daughter… That night, I jumped from the bridge and died in the freezing river water. 4. Now, in this life, my stepmother proposed to pull me into the entertainment industry again. “Bella, why are you telling the child this now? She’s taking the SATs next year. Do you want to distract her?” My dad was unhappy as soon as he heard it. “I’m just planning for Icey. Besides, Icey has been begging me to take her into the industry. With our family’s strength, can’t we support her?” Seeing my dad about to get angry, I immediately interjected, “Yes! I just want to be a big star! Auntie told me that being a big star means knowing a lot of people and making a lot of money. With our family’s situation, why bother with college?” “What good people are there in that cesspool of an industry for you to know?!” My dad’s words slapped my stepmother in the face. Seeing her bad expression, he realized he had scolded her too. “Bella, are you really doing this for her good?” My dad finally sensed something this time and became suspicious of my stepmother. “Honey! How can you think of me like that! I’m doing this for her good, to fulfill her dream! Boohoo…” This time, my stepmother’s pitiful crying didn’t arouse my dad’s sympathy. I innocently pulled my dad’s sleeve and persuaded, “Daddy, don’t argue with Auntie. I’ll study hard from now on.” My dad was both distressed and angry. “You’re speaking for her. I think she has a lot of schemes!” A crack of suspicion appeared between my dad and stepmother, and I was happy to see it happen. While watching my stepmother pretend to be pitiful, I studied hard. Because I had fallen behind too much, later I even took the initiative to ask my dad to hire a tutor to come to the house at night. My stepmother was afraid I would get into a good university. Because my dad said as long as I got into a prestigious university like Harvard or Stanford, he would hand over the company to me in the future. She wasn’t pregnant yet, how could she be willing!? So she often ordered people to send food in during tutoring sessions. It was all ice cream, milk tea, chips, cakes, and other things kids like to eat to distract me. I ate them all, but I never got distracted by these little things. Later one day, my dad found out I hadn’t gone to class and pulled me out of bed. “Sweetie! Why are you sleeping in again?! Don’t you have school today?” I clutched my stomach, sweating profusely. “Daddy, I’m dizzy, my stomach hurts.” My dad immediately became worried. “What’s wrong? Daddy will call the doctor to see you right away!” After the examination, the doctor said I had eaten something bad, causing gastroenteritis and a slight fever. I had been weak since childhood, and my dad didn’t allow me to eat random things. When he asked the maid, he found out that my stepmother had given me so much junk food, and he was furious! “You ate three tubs of ice cream yesterday?” He questioned me. I nodded timidly. He was going to settle accounts with my stepmother, but I stopped him. “Forget it, Daddy. Stepmom isn’t my real mom. It’s normal that she doesn’t know about these things.” My dad’s face darkened instantly. He thought of my mom again. My mom died of difficult childbirth, leaving me behind as soon as I was born. My dad wanted to give me a complete family. He married my stepmother because he heard she was a breath of fresh air in the entertainment industry. He thought—since she’s America’s Sweetheart certified by the people, how bad could she be? But now he finally began to regret it. I asked him, “Daddy, if you and Auntie have a child in the future, will you not want me anymore?” “Daddy doesn’t plan to have any more children. Don’t worry, Daddy will only have you as a child in this life.” I immediately became suspicious—then what was the deal with the child in my stepmother’s belly in my past life?

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “387846”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My usually stingy best friend volunteered to buy water for the prestigious, heatstroke-stricken heir to the Sterling empire. That’s when I knew she had been reborn, too. In our past life, we took the SATs together and both scored in the top 1% nationwide. We both wanted to go to Harvard or Yale, but admission slots were limited. Not wanting to hurt our friendship, we delayed submitting our applications. On the final day of college applications, just as I was about to submit mine, I encountered Julian Sterling, the heir to a massive business empire, suffering from heatstroke. I not only bought him premium water but also held an umbrella over him until he woke up. By the time Julian woke up, I had missed the application deadline. My best friend, submitting hers on time, was accepted into Harvard. I missed my chance at college entirely. But Julian was moved by my act of kindness and proposed to me. I ended up marrying into extreme wealth, becoming a socialite. Meanwhile, my best friend, though she got into Harvard, was crushed by the academic pressure. Seeing me spend endless money every day, she went mad with jealousy and stabbed me to death at a reunion. When I opened my eyes again, we were both back on the day Julian got heatstroke. Chapter 1 “Boss, give me the most expensive bottle of water you have!” In the campus convenience store, someone shoved me from behind. I snapped my eyes open. Clutching the water, Sarah glared at me warily. She dashed out of the store, heading straight for the bench nearby. Sitting there, pale and sweating, was Julian Sterling, the heir to the Sterling dynasty. Sarah placed the water beside him and used tissues to carefully wipe his sweat. Seeing her urgency, I was certain: she had been reborn too. Sure enough. Sarah turned around, blocking my view of Julian. “Chloe, hurry up and go to the computer lab to submit your applications. I’ll take care of Mr. Sterling. Don’t stand here being a nuisance!” I looked at her coldly. “You’re overthinking it. I wasn’t planning on taking care of him anyway.” Sarah clearly didn’t believe me. She scoffed. “Pfft, who’d believe that! In our last life, it was because…” She stopped abruptly, but I knew what she meant. In our last life, because I took care of Julian, he was touched and proposed. I married into wealth; Sarah went to Harvard. But after graduation, she became a miserable corporate slave while I lived in luxury. At our reunion, consumed by jealousy, she killed me. I didn’t expect both of us to be reborn. The students around us knew Sarah was cheap. They whispered: “Sarah is usually so stingy. Knowing he’s the Sterling heir, she actually bought a $5 bottle of water.” “If he were just an average guy, she wouldn’t even look at him. What a gold digger!” Hearing this, Sarah argued back, neck stiff: “Stop talking nonsense! I just like helping people! What do you know!” “Chloe, I don’t want the spot at Harvard anymore. I’m giving it to you!” Everyone was shocked. Sarah strutted over to me, chin high. “So what if it’s Harvard? In this society, even with a top degree, you’re just working like a dog for someone else!” “For a woman, the best destination is marrying a good man.” She glanced at me coldly. “But you’ve lost your chance. Don’t even dream about it in this life!” I nodded, too lazy to argue, and went with the others to submit my applications. Since she wanted to marry into that family so badly, I’d gladly give her the chance. Ten minutes later, we finished our applications. Passing by Sarah and Julian again, I saw Julian slowly waking up. Sarah immediately threw herself at him, holding his hand with exaggerated concern. “Mr. Sterling, are you feeling better? Should I call an ambulance?” Meeting her intense gaze, Julian was clearly startled. She placed her hand on his forehead, asking worriedly, “Does anything else hurt?” Julian replied, “I’m fine. Thank you. Were you taking care of me?” Sarah smiled shyly. “Yes. I’ll stay with you a bit longer, just in case.” Just then, a Maybach pulled up to the school gate. The Sterling family butler hurried over. Seeing his butler, Julian said, “Sarah, thank you for today. Let me treat you to dinner.” Sarah’s eyes lit up with excitement. She nodded repeatedly. As she left, she shot me a contemptuous look. “Chloe, you’re destined to be a wage slave for life. But me? I’m marrying into billions!” Watching her walk away, I smirked. Sarah, do you really think ordinary people like us can just marry into that kind of wealth? Chapter 2 A few days later, at our graduation party, Sarah arrived late. She came from a poor rural background and usually looked plain. But today, she was covered in luxury logos from head to toe. The scent of money practically radiated off her. She blinded everyone the moment she walked in. Sarah flipped her hair and walked straight to me. As soon as she sat down, she covered her nose, frowning in disgust. “What is this? I’m allergic to cheap wine. Take it away! Waiter, bring your most expensive vintage! Stop serving this garbage!” Then she shouted, “Everything tonight is on me! Eat whatever you want!” The classmates stared in disbelief. Normally, Sarah was incredibly frugal. It wasn’t her fault; her family was poor, sometimes splitting a single bun for two meals. She had never even tasted red wine before, let alone offered to pay for everyone. “Sarah, are you…” Classmates looked at her skeptically. Seeing this, Sarah smugly pulled a black card from her bag and waved it. “I’m with Julian Sterling now.” The room exploded! “Sarah, you’re dating the Sterling heir?!” Sarah showed off her fresh manicure, nodding triumphantly, grinning ear to ear. “Yes. He chased me for days. I hesitated at first, but finally agreed.” Some classmates immediately started sucking up to her. Sarah glanced at me with disdain. “Chloe, why do you still look so poor? High school is over, and you haven’t even bought a decent outfit? Embarrassing.” “But I guess with your nerd brain, this is your life. Destined to be a nobody.” As soon as she finished, someone defended me. “Sarah, that’s not fair. Chloe got into Harvard.” Sarah scoffed. “So what if she got into Harvard? In the end, she’ll just get married, have kids, and work for someone else, barely making any money.” “Chloe, if you make me happy, after I marry into the family, maybe I’ll toss you a bone.” I just smiled faintly. Some classmates couldn’t stand it and whispered among themselves. “She’s dreaming! Why would the Sterling heir marry her? She doesn’t know her place.” “It’s probably just a fling before his arranged marriage. She thinks she’s special.” “Exactly! He’s not blind. Why would he pick her?” But only I knew… Sarah really would marry Julian. For the next few days, Sarah spammed her social media. She was with Julian every day, traveling the world, living the high life early. She sent me countless videos showing off. I didn’t open a single one. I had lived through it all in my past life. Chapter 3 Soon, I received my acceptance letter from Harvard. Sarah was fully immersed in her rich wife lifestyle. Students accepted into Ivy Leagues were being interviewed by the media today. Unexpectedly, Sarah showed up too. She was dressed to the nines in a white designer dress, makeup flawless. Classmates complained, “Sarah, what are you doing? This is for the Ivy League admits. Are you here to steal the spotlight?” Originally, even if Sarah didn’t get into Harvard, she could have gone to a top state school. But she voluntarily gave it up. Our teacher tried to persuade her, “A degree is a stepping stone. You’ll regret not going to college…” Hearing this, Sarah looked at the camera fearlessly and sneered at everyone: “I have something important today. So what if you got into Harvard? When you graduate, you’ll only be qualified to be my maid!” There were many reporters, and it was a live broadcast. Netizens watching the stream went wild. Comments flooded in calling her delusional and arrogant. Sarah didn’t care. She thought they were just jealous. Only I knew why she dressed up. In our last life, today was the day Julian proposed to me. The principal couldn’t take it anymore and stepped up to scold her. “Sarah! This is a live broadcast with reporters. How can you say such things as a student? Leave now!” Before he finished, Sarah shoved him aside impatiently. “You get out! Don’t block my way!” The principal turned red with rage, chest heaving. Just as security was about to drag her away… A familiar Maybach pulled up to the school gate. Sarah smoothed her dress and sneered at the camera: “Forget Harvard. Today you’re lucky to witness my big moment. Record this well; it’s something you can brag about seeing for the rest of your lives!” Julian stepped out of the car. He wore a sharp black suit and held a bouquet of flowers, walking toward Sarah. Reporters turned their cameras to the couple. Everyone’s eyes widened, confused. Seeing their shock, Sarah lifted her chin arrogantly. “I told you I was marrying into billions. Didn’t believe me? Face it! The Sterling heir is proposing to me! Open your dog eyes and watch! This is a glory you’ll never achieve!” The next second, Julian knelt and presented a ring. “Darling, will you marry me?” Sarah wept tears of joy. “Yes! Of course!” They embraced. Sarah showed off the ring, the diamond the size of a pigeon egg, to the camera. “See this? Just this ring is enough to feed you ordinary people for a lifetime!” “Harvard? I’m the Sterling matriarch now. You’ll all be working for me!” Sarah scoffed, face full of triumph. She didn’t know the truth about her marriage was about to be revealed… Suddenly, Julian’s expression changed. He grabbed Sarah’s wrist violently. “Where is it…” Chapter 4 “Where is the red string bracelet on your wrist?!” Sarah was startled. Panic flashed across her face as she stammered: “I… I just thought it didn’t match my dress today, so I took it off.” Julian’s eyes turned red with rage. He roared, “Where is the red string?! Didn’t I tell you to always wear it?!” Sarah turned pale with fright, pointing to her bag. “It’s in the bag! I’ll put it on right now!” Julian’s expression softened only after hearing this. He carefully put the red string bracelet on Sarah’s wrist. “I kowtowed every step up the mountain to the temple to get this, just to bless our love for a lifetime,” Julian said deeply. In my past life, he said the exact same thing to me. The teachers, students, and reporters looked at each other. They came to interview Harvard admits. They ended up witnessing the Sterling heir’s proposal. Sarah smugly flaunted her massive diamond ring at me. “Chloe, see? So what if you got into Harvard? As long as Julian loves me, I get everything. Cars, mansions, designer bags.” “And you? You’ll study bitterly for years, only to work for someone else, exhausted for pennies, never rising above your station.” I smiled and asked, “Have you met Julian’s family yet?” Sarah’s face changed. “None of your business. Stop trying to stir up trouble. We’re getting married soon, he’ll definitely take me to see them. Then I’ll be the Young Mrs. Sterling, and you won’t even be fit to carry my shoes.” I chuckled and nodded. So she hadn’t met them yet. But even if she did, an idiot like Sarah wouldn’t notice anything wrong. “Chloe, we were best friends after all. You have to be my bridesmaid.” “In the future, you’ll only marry a wage slave like yourself. You’ll never have a wedding this grand. Being my bridesmaid is the luckiest thing that’ll ever happen to you.” I sneered. “Lucky? Do you really think you’re marrying a good man?” Wait until you actually enter the Sterling household. That’s when the nightmare begins.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “387845”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I was Julian Sterling’s trophy girlfriend for three years. The day I found out I was unexpectedly pregnant, I overheard his twin brother, Ethan, say: “Julian, I’ve been pretending to be you and playing with your girlfriend for so long. She won’t run away if she finds out, right?” Julian replied nonchalantly, “What are you afraid of? She’s too attached to the lifestyle. Besides, it’s not the first time we’ve swapped. Just don’t get her pregnant. I think that’s disgusting.” Suddenly, a stream of live comments appeared before my eyes: [LOL, the side character is pregnant and happy about it, not knowing Julian never touched her. It was his twin brother, Ethan, who got her pregnant.] [Julian only loves the heroine. Even if the side character is carrying his brother’s child, he’ll kick her out.] I didn’t cry or make a scene. I continued to play the role of the trophy girlfriend for the fake Julian. Secretly, I booked an abortion and a plane ticket to Paris. The day he caught me at the clinic, he went crazy, choking his brother: “Who gave you permission to touch her?” 1 The day I found out I was pregnant, I braved a storm to go to the private club Julian frequented. When I arrived, my hair was slightly damp from the rain. Just as I was about to push open the door to the VIP room, I heard Julian’s cold voice from inside. “Had enough fun? When are we switching back?” His twin brother, Ethan, replied, “Not yet. I’m not bored of her.” Julian frowned. “You didn’t touch her, right? You know the rules.” Ethan paused imperceptibly, then a slow smile spread across his lips. “Relax. I didn’t.” He picked up his drink. “But even if I did, you wouldn’t care, right?” Julian paused, looking slightly unnatural. “Of course. It’s just… unsanitary.” The room erupted in jeers. “Ethan, you even play with your brother’s leftovers?” “Come on, don’t blame Ethan. With a face like Chloe’s, who wouldn’t want a piece?” “Yeah, her body is insane. Curves in all the right places.” “Only Julian here is a saint and hasn’t touched her.” The woman sitting next to Julian laughed. “Chloe sounds like a public restroom. Open for anyone.” Laughter filled the room. I recognized her. Bella Vance. The “Princess of New York,” Julian’s childhood sweetheart, the girl he had always pampered. Someone asked, “Who came up with this idea? Playing so dirty?” Bella raised an eyebrow. “You guys are too dumb. Of course it was me. Chloe would never dream that Julian has a twin brother. You should thank me. If not for me, you wouldn’t have such a good show to watch.” Julian smiled dotingly. “Yes, yes, you’re the smartest.” Someone asked, “I heard you’re marrying Chloe in seven days. Is that true?” Julian smirked. “Of course it’s fake. The little girl wants a title. Just playing along to keep her happy.” Bella suddenly sat up straight, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “On the wedding day, tell her the truth. Tell her that for the past year, you two have been swapping places with her. I want to see her face. Pushing her into the abyss right when she thinks she’s happiest… isn’t that fun?” Julian laughed helplessly. “How old are you? Still so childish.” Bella pouted. “Even if I am, you’ve always given me whatever I wanted since we were kids. But you guys be careful. Don’t accidentally get her pregnant. Those girls from the slums are hard to get rid of once they have a kid.” Julian frowned slightly. “Don’t joke. We never touched her.” Bella tilted her head. “But what if she accidentally gets pregnant?” Julian smiled indifferently. “Then tell her to get lost. Right, Ethan?” Ethan, lost in thought, realized Julian was talking to him and replied belatedly, “Yeah.” The floating comments appeared again: [LOL, Ethan says he didn’t touch her, but he’s been sleeping with her behind his brother’s back.] [The side character is pregnant and happy, not knowing Julian never touched her. It was his twin brother.] [Julian only loves the heroine. Even if she’s carrying a Sterling child, she and the kid will be kicked out.] [I love this! Julian stays loyal to the heroine, and Ethan just uses the side character for practice. This is the drama I signed up for!] I looked at the pregnancy test in my hand. Two red lines. I had run here through the rain, eager to tell Julian the news. I really was pregnant. But now, it seemed unnecessary. 2 That afternoon, I booked an abortion and bought a plane ticket for seven days later. The same day as the wedding. In the meantime, my “sugar daddies” were still sending me allowance, so I could save a bit more. Since they wanted to reveal the truth at the wedding and humiliate me, why shouldn’t I run away first and turn their script into a joke? I’ve saved quite a bit of money being a full-time trophy girlfriend all these years. Especially recently, my savings have doubled. I used to wonder why Julian would “forget” he sent me money and send it again. Mystery solved. Julian sent money to my account, and his brother Ethan sent money too. I patted my little treasury. I got involved with Julian in college. Bella was my college roommate. She loved playing cruel pranks that ruined people’s lives. In high school, she made her rich friend pursue a plain girl. He showered her with roses and designer bags until she fell for him. Right before SATs, Bella told him to dump her. The girl was so devastated she bombed her exams. After graduation, she jumped off a building and ended up in a vegetative state. Bella went on to university and became my roommate. She targeted me because I worked three jobs a day. I worked three jobs because I had a gambling addict father, a deceased mother, and a sick grandmother. I was the “tragic beauty.” This time, I became her new game. Julian was the male lead she chose for me. A math genius at NYU, the campus heartthrob whose candid photos went viral, and the heir to the Sterling empire. His future was limitless. She got Julian to pursue me, to make me his girlfriend. According to Bella’s script, Julian would spoil me with money until I was rotten. Once I got used to the luxury, he would dump me, letting me crumble under the massive gap in lifestyle. Julian was indeed good to me. He showered me with gifts, pitied my background, forbade me from working, and surprised me every day. But I was a hoarder. Whatever money Julian gave me, I saved. I didn’t wear the jewelry he gave me; I sold it online for a high price. I was terrified of poverty. I had low self-esteem. The more money I hoarded, the safer I felt. Besides, I wasn’t stupid. I could feel that Julian seemed to be acting. Every time we held hands, I didn’t miss the flicker of mockery in his eyes. Although I didn’t know why he confessed to me if he didn’t like me, he was indeed rich and foolish. I needed to hoard more. Opportunities like this don’t come twice. We acted like normal lovers—dating, hugging, kissing. In winter, I even knit him a scarf. The day my grandmother fell critically ill, I asked Julian for an expensive birthday gift for the first time. I remember Julian froze, then smiled. I didn’t forget the explosion of ecstasy and amusement in his eyes. Like a viper finally revealing its fangs. They thought I must have been spoiled and corrupted. Everything was going according to plan. Julian broke up with me the next day. Bella waited to see me unable to bear poverty, crying, making a scene, stalking Julian, and embarrassing myself. But she found that I was the same as before—working, studying, returning to a normal routine. I just relaxed a little, cutting down from three jobs to two. Sometimes I added a sausage and an egg to my instant noodles. And a yogurt drink after meals. I even gained three pounds. I didn’t beg for reconciliation or act suicidal over Julian. I even deleted Julian’s contact info immediately after the breakup. Nothing met her expectations. She threw a tantrum, finding the game boring. From then on, she targeted me in the dorm. Putting tacks in my shoes. Pouring cold water on my duvet in winter. Later, my dad lost a huge sum gambling and owed the Sterlings. To pay the debt, he offered me up. That’s how I accidentally became Julian’s canary. Actually, I had planned to live a good life with him recently. Julian had always been aloof and never touched me. But starting early this year, he suddenly started kissing me. One night, he came back drunk. I helped him to the sofa and made him tea. He suddenly pulled me into his arms and kissed me gently. I rarely kissed, and I almost ran out of breath. He laughed softly: “So this is what it tastes like. Sweet. Next time, remember to breathe.” That night, he took my virginity. Later, he liked trying all sorts of exciting things with me. He didn’t like using protection. He liked tormenting me when the housekeeper and maids were around. I could only bite my lip and endure. The more I endured, the more interested he seemed. He had a quirk. When he cooked dinner at night, he liked making me say his name over and over. “What’s my name?” “Julian Sterling. You are Julian Sterling.” “Wrong. Say it again.” “What’s wrong with you, Julian… mmm…” He suppressed the violence in his eyes. The more I called his name, the harder he went. Although he was weird when cooking, like a mad dog needing petting, he loved to act spoiled, loved to kiss me, and made me porridge when my stomach hurt. On my birthday, he set off fireworks all night over the Hudson River. As the grand fireworks exploded in the sky, he stroked my head and said, “Baby, let’s live a good life together.” When I had nightmares, he would wake me up, hold me carefully, and say, “Don’t be scared, baby.” I slowly started to feel like I might like him a little. A few months ago, he pressed me onto the bed, not wanting to use a condom. I asked, “What if I get pregnant?” He kissed me. “Then have the baby. I’ll raise it.” He proposed the marriage. That night, after everything was over, he lay on top of me and said: “Baby, don’t be a lover anymore. Be my wife.” Now I realized, from the first time we rolled in the sheets, that person wasn’t Julian, but Ethan. And the proposal was just a new prank. I really thought about keeping this baby. Now, it seemed unnecessary. 3 Five days until departure. I could already skillfully distinguish the Sterling brothers. Julian: aloof, gloomy, didn’t smile, workaholic. Ethan: affectionate, had a mole on his hip bone visible when naked. I didn’t know if Julian had that mole; he never touched me. When I went downstairs in the morning, Julian was sitting there, reading a newspaper with gold-rimmed glasses. “Chloe, dress up today. Guests are coming.” Reading a newspaper in the morning, glasses, cold tone. It was the real Julian. The floating comments were ecstatic. [Hahaha, she’s going to officially meet Ethan today.] [The side character has been played with by Ethan so much, he knows every sensitive spot on her body, yet she has to pretend not to know him. Must be suffocating.] [Poor people are like that. For money, they’ll endure anything. Our heroine Bella is the best, independent and relying on no one.] [This meeting is just foreshadowing the public humiliation on her birthday. I can’t wait.] [The heroine is such a scheming little diva, I love it.] I went upstairs and changed. At noon, Ethan arrived with Bella. Looking at Ethan, who was identical to Julian, I feigned shock. Julian introduced us: “This is my twin brother, just back from a business trip abroad.” Ethan extended his hand: “Hello.” I shook it. “Hello.” I smiled. “I didn’t expect you two to look exactly alike.” Ethan’s expression didn’t crack. His smile was gentle and harmless. “There’s a lot you don’t know.” Sometimes I really admired Ethan. He had slept with me countless times, yet he could act like a complete stranger. Bella laughed. “No need to introduce me. Chloe and I were college roommates.” She took my hand. “I heard you’re getting married soon. Julian and I agreed, I’ll be your bridesmaid.” Before she finished, the chef announced lunch was ready. At the table, Bella sat between Julian and Ethan. She propped her chin on her hand, asking me with a smile, “Chloe, have you noticed any changes in Julian recently?” I knew why she asked. She wanted to see me make a fool of myself. So I gave her what she wanted. I put down my chopsticks and nodded. “Yes, he has changed a lot this year.” In that moment, the world seemed to pause. They all froze. Especially the Sterling brothers, their expressions stiff. I suddenly laughed, blushing slightly. “He treats me even better. I find myself liking him more and more.” Julian looked at Ethan, his face darkening. During the meal, Ethan naturally put peeled shrimp into my bowl, saying intimately, “Baby, garlic shrimp, shelled, your favorite.” The next second, we all froze. He realized his mistake but kept his composure. “My brother likes calling you that. I got used to hearing it.” I nodded. “You’re strangely nice.” Julian shot Ethan a warning look. I ignored them, stuffing the shrimp into my mouth. Chew, chew. I frowned. Bad. Fishy. Nauseous. I covered my mouth and ran to the bathroom. After vomiting, Bella looked at me meaningfully. “Morning sickness?” Julian and Ethan’s gazes fell on me simultaneously. I said, “No, I ate something bad recently. Throwing up is good, helps with weight loss.” Julian put down his chopsticks, smiling without warmth. “Any thinner and you’ll cut someone.” 4 That day after dinner, Julian and Ethan drove Bella home together. They came back very late. When he returned, he went straight to shower. I wasn’t sure if the one showering was Julian or Ethan. I saw his phone on the nightstand. I picked it up smoothly. The comments cursed at me: [What is she doing? Daring to check her sugar daddy’s phone? Does she have a death wish?] [Relax, there’s a password.] [The password is Bella’s birthday. This idiot will never guess it.] Oh, thanks. As former roommates, Bella made a big deal out of every birthday. Hard not to know. I quickly entered Bella’s birthday. The phone unlocked. I opened WeChat and found the chat between Julian and Ethan. Julian: [Switch back in two days.] Ethan: [No. Not done playing.] Julian: [She says you’ve been good to her this year. Don’t tell me you caught feelings.] Ethan replied after a long time: [No. How could I?] [Didn’t you say, the better you treat her, the harder she falls when the dream breaks?] [I spent most of the year with her. It’s the final days, I’m afraid she’ll get suspicious.] Julian: [Understood.] [You really didn’t touch her?] Ethan: [No. Why? Jealous?] Julian: [No. Just don’t want my toy getting dirty.] [Warning you. Play is fine, don’t cross the line. That’s the rule.] So, the one who came home today was Ethan. Ten minutes later, Ethan finished showering and came in. I played Candy Crush on my phone, ignoring him. Ethan gently took my wrist, implying: “Why are your nails so long again? My back is full of scratches.” I said, “Call the police then.” Ethan paused, then chuckled low. “Baby, why are you so cute?” He cupped my face and kissed me. His hands wandered under my clothes. I pushed him away. “Stomach hurts today.” Ethan frowned. “Stomach ache? Gastritis again?” I shook my head. “No.” His hand moved to my belly. “I’ll rub it for you.” I slapped his hand away. “No need.” Ethan’s hand froze in mid-air. After a long time, he scoffed. “Fine. Suffer then. I don’t care.” We didn’t speak for a long time. At night, my lower abdomen kept aching. I tossed and turned, unable to sleep, curling into a ball. Sometime in the night, Ethan sighed softly. He pulled me into his arms, patting my back gently, his voice husky with sleep: “Baby, it’s okay, it’s okay…” When I was very little, my mom used to pat my back like that. That memory was as distant as a dream. But Ethan doing this… It felt incredibly ironic.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “387844”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Before the college entrance exams, the Billionaire’s heir was abruptly dumped by the campus queen. Gnawing on a plain bun, I approached him while he listlessly stared at his textbooks. “I look like her. Why don’t you chase me instead?” He was silent for a moment, then handed me the roses meant for her. I took his money with a clear conscience. I asked for a million a month; he sent two without a word. After we married, our intimacy was scheduled—four times a week, punctual, thorough, and attentive. Everyone said the young heir had found true love. Until one day, his assistant whispered to me: “That new secretary… I heard she was the campus queen back then. “Madam, Mr. Sterling seems very fond of her. He even gave her your favorite lounge…” 1 I went after Julian Sterling for the money. He was a hopeless romantic, willing to spend on his girlfriends. When I was starving and chewing on dry buns, I envied the campus queen, Chloe, wearing two-million-dollar earrings before even graduating. I couldn’t understand why she would dump the wealthy Julian for a scholarship student. So, when Chloe slapped Julian and walked away, I stopped her at the classroom door. “You really broke up?” She looked at my worn-out uniform with disdain and shook off my hand. “Yes, we broke up.” “Can I pursue him then?” She looked me up and down, laughing at my shabbiness. “Sure, go ahead. If you actually catch him, I’ll give you these earrings.” I stared at the earrings Julian had given her and nodded. But at the graduation party, when she saw Julian walk in with me on his arm, her smile froze. While Julian was in the restroom, she ordered a song for me. When the lyrics “cheating slut” played, the room went silent, everyone staring at me. “Sarah, you’re pathetic,” Chloe sneered. I knew what I was to Julian. But I still opened a bottle of wine and poured it all over Chloe’s head. I snatched her earrings. “A bet is a bet. If you didn’t want me to pursue him, you shouldn’t have gotten engaged to that poor boy.” “Sarah!” Chloe screamed and charged at me, but a strong force pulled me behind a back. Julian took the slap meant for me. He took me away from the bar and didn’t say a word all night. I think his heart was aching. I knew my place. I followed Chloe on Instagram. Every time she posted an outfit, I bought the same one. I wore them on our scheduled intimate nights. Every time he saw me wearing Chloe’s style, the emotion in his eyes was unreadable. I knew he secretly followed her too. Seeing me was like seeing his lost love. My best friend, Lily, was furious for me. “You’re his wife!” But I thought it was fine. I asked for a million a month; he sent two. I pushed my luck and asked for three. He sent five. Who cares about love when you live like this? I came from a loveless, penniless family. For a chance to make money, I would charge forward without shame. While Julian was still interested, I had to do my job. On our first anniversary, Chloe updated her Instagram. She got a butterfly tattoo on her neck. I cried from the pain, but after ten hours, I had the same tattoo on my neck. When Julian came out of the shower and saw the tattoo revealed by my purple lace camisole, he paused while drying his hair. “What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?” “Don’t do that again.” He showed no interest in my butterfly. “Also, throw away all your purple clothes.” My heart sank. Purple was Chloe’s favorite color. Did he not want me to imitate his “white moonlight” anymore? Was my job as a stand-in coming to an end? “I mean, it hurts.” He flicked my forehead. “Even if you don’t imitate her, I’ll still give you plenty of money.” The next day, the maid took away all my purple clothes. I didn’t like purple anyway. The maid filled my closet with black dresses. I touched the exquisite fabric. So, Julian knew I liked black? But if I didn’t imitate Chloe, what about my job? So, I tentatively asked Julian for eight million. He gave me an unlimited black card. A customized couple’s edition. While shopping with Lily, she asked curiously: “Didn’t you say you’d take the money and run after five years? The time is almost up. When are you divorcing?” I stared at the baby clothes in the window, lost in thought. 2 I had been Julian’s stand-in for five years. So I didn’t know what loving someone should look like. I only remembered that before my mom left with another man, the thing she did that made me happiest was knitting me a scarf. Now my fingers were covered in bandaids, and the scarf was finished. But Julian didn’t seem to need it. Because today was our scheduled night, and he was thirty minutes late. I fell asleep on the sofa waiting. I was woken up by kisses. “Sorry, the partners added terms last minute. I’m late.” Julian unbuttoned his shirt, his breath hot yet controlled. For the first time, I pushed him away. “When do you plan to divorce?” His breath hitched. “What are you talking about?” I looked up at him. “I know she’s back. You gave her my favorite lounge. “I checked. My access to that lounge has been revoked.” His muscles tensed. “Julian, don’t worry. I won’t cling to you. I don’t want much alimony, just give me…” He had already picked up his phone, his tone colder than I had ever heard. “Secretary? What secretary? “What about the lounge? “Do you change my staff without my approval now?” On the other end, the HR director’s voice trembled: “Mr. Sterling, she showed photos of you two dating and said the Madam stole her man… “Madam does look like Ms. Chloe, and those photos were indeed you. We thought it was your intention…” Julian’s expression was icy. “Blacklist Chloe from the industry. I want to see Madam’s access restored within an hour. “And you, go to finance and pick up your final paycheck.” The director tried to explain, but Julian hung up. I looked at him in surprise. He turned and hugged me, kissing me hard: “Sorry, I didn’t know. I wasn’t at headquarters these days…” I believed that. He was always flying domestically and internationally. But no matter how far, he never missed our four nights a week. I was still unsure, clutching his lapels tightly. “Blacklisting your white moonlight… aren’t you afraid she’ll be sad?” “What white moonlight?” He kissed me until I was breathless. “I only have you.” “Is this a confession?” “Yes.” “Then, Julian.” I hugged him tight. “Who am I to you?” He paused, then kissed me even harder. “My wife.” I trembled. “Then I’m really going to act like your wife from now on.” “You should have been doing that all along.” That night, neither of us slept. 3 My knitting skills improved. I unraveled the old scarf and made a bigger, warmer one. But Lily sent me a video. In the video, Julian was leaving a mansion in London after a meeting, holding a black umbrella, passing by Chloe. Since being blacklisted, she had nowhere to go. She couldn’t even pay rent. She was soaked, her purple dress clinging to her skin, outlining her curves. She looked at him with teary eyes in the wind. “Julian…” Chloe’s voice trembled. Julian paused slightly. Then walked past her without looking back. “Julian! Have you forgotten our past?” Amidst Chloe’s calls, Julian didn’t turn back. I sighed in relief. He knew his place. But I didn’t expect Chloe to be so determined. The storm raged all night. She stood downstairs all night. Until she fainted. A black umbrella appeared in the frame. Chloe struggled to open her eyes, looking up at the person holding the umbrella. Julian was dry, his pale face emotionless. But the umbrella tilted slightly towards Chloe. Julian flew back to New York the next day as planned. But he gave that mansion to Chloe. “Sarah, what do we do? Julian only spends money on his woman!” Lily panicked. I thought for a moment. “Since he treats me as his wife, I have to act like one.” That day, Chloe was kicked out of the mansion. And that day, Julian didn’t come home. This was the first time he missed our scheduled night since we married. I called a dozen times; he didn’t answer. The next day, he came home exhausted. His eyes were bloodshot. “Did you order Chloe to be kicked out?” I didn’t deny it. “Yes.” “Who gave you the right to be unreasonable?” I was shocked by his questioning tone. I looked up. “You mean, as your wife, I should tolerate your ex-girlfriend living in our property?” Julian didn’t speak. He frowned and threw a video at me. In the video, Chloe was dragged into an alley by a group of men, her purple dress torn. Julian’s voice trembled. “If I hadn’t arrived in time, Chloe would have been violated!” I looked at the video coldly. “What do you want me to do?” “Go to the hospital. Apologize to Chloe.” “Julian.” I pushed the phone back. “I won’t apologize to a mistress.” “Mistress?” Julian seemed surprised I used that word. A sneer I had never seen appeared on his lips. “If we’re talking about that, you’re the mistress, aren’t you?” My breath hitched. He ignored my shock and turned to leave. For the first time, he slammed the door. I sat on the sofa alone until late at night. Messages from friends kept popping up on my phone. [Sarah! What’s happening? Julian cancelled meetings to be with another woman at the hospital?] [They say she’s his first love. Is it true?] [Sarah, come to the hospital! Your husband is becoming someone else’s!] I didn’t reply to any of them. Instead, I packed my luggage and waited for Julian to return three days later. Seeing my suitcase, he chuckled lightly. “What? Running away from home?” I handed him the divorce papers. “Let’s divorce. I don’t want the settlement money.” His hand holding the tea froze. 4 He flipped through the agreement page by page, his expression serious. His hands trembled slightly. “Divorce? Who will give you all that money?” “Thanks to you, Mr. Sterling, I won’t starve.” He paused. “Divorce is fine, but you must return every cent I spent on you.” I froze. Five years as a stand-in, I spent quite a bit. Seeing me stiffen, Julian relaxed a bit. “If you can’t pay it back, that’s fine. Just don’t divorce…” “Okay.” He was stunned. I was very insecure about money. No matter how much I had, I didn’t dare spend recklessly. Even with nine figures in my account, when Julian wasn’t around, I still ate instant noodles with two eggs. In five years, I received hundreds of millions, but only spent two million. I handed over the bank card and took off the two-million-dollar earrings. That covered exactly what I spent. “These earrings were won in a bet with Chloe. They count as mine. Here, it’s all paid back.” I took Julian’s hand and placed the earrings in his palm. As I turned to leave, he threw the earrings away and grabbed my hand. “Don’t go!” “I didn’t really mean for you to pay me back!” The eloquent CEO was speechless. “Julian, don’t stop me…” I was impatient, but when I turned, I silenced myself. A tear fell onto the back of my hand. I spoke in disbelief. “You… are crying?” “I’m sorry.” He looked at me with red eyes. “Don’t do this to me.” I had never seen this man cry. If this was photographed, Sterling stocks would fluctuate. So I sat down and listened to his explanation. Only then did I know he wasn’t at the hospital these past few days. He had his friends send those stimulating messages because he thought I arranged for those men to violate Chloe. He couldn’t accept me doing such a thing. I could kick her out, but I couldn’t drive her to extinction, letting a group of men assault another girl. But he still sent Chloe to the hospital and visited often. Because he didn’t want me to be sued. “Calling you a mistress was out of anger. I’m sorry.” Julian’s eyes were red. I was silent for a moment. “Julian, you really hurt me this time.” Pain flashed in his eyes. “But I can give you a chance.” His eyes lit up. “Julian, I want you to cut off all contact with Chloe. Send her away, far away.” “Okay…” He gripped my hand tightly, as if holding a lost treasure. “I promise you.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “387843”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

At our high school reunion, my old deskmate suddenly walked up to me and asked, “Do you remember how you bullied me in middle school?” The chatter stopped instantly. Everyone looked at me. Even the livestream camera of our classmate, a famous influencer with millions of followers, turned to focus on my face. The whole world was waiting for me to prove my innocence. I smirked and pulled out a notebook, thick enough to be a weapon. Five hundred pages of receipts. “Tell me when and where I bullied you. Let’s check the ledger.” Who keeps a diary like this? A normal person? No. But I, unfortunately, have suffered from persecution paranoia since I was ten. I always felt like someone was out to get me, so I came prepared. 1 In elementary school, I was falsely accused of stealing a hair clip. They called me a thief with nothing but their words and demanded I prove I didn’t do it. The clique relied on their numbers, drowning me in accusations. I had no friends, no one to back me up. I could only clench my teeth and let the tears fall. In the end, the matter was dropped. No one bothered me about it again, but no one cleared my name either. But it left a scar on my heart. Just like that, I developed persecution paranoia. I always believed there were “unruly subjects trying to harm the Emperor”—me. So, starting at age ten, I began keeping a diary. There was no “Today was sunny” or “I felt sad.” It was a record of every grudge, every slight, every conflict. You could call it my “Book of Grudges.” The purpose was simple: if I was ever falsely accused again, I could lay out a clear timeline and leave them speechless. Later, I did plenty of those “mental gymnastics” exercises popular online. One question was: [If someone at a reunion suddenly asks if you remember bullying them, how should you respond?] I skipped that question at the time. With my Book of Grudges, I didn’t need to worry. But that absurd hypothetical became my reality. It had been ten years since middle school. Suddenly, someone in the group chat called for a reunion. As a freelancer, I didn’t have many friends around, so I agreed without thinking. We had just started eating when a girl with short hair arrived late. She was painfully thin. Even with makeup, she radiated a bleak bitterness. The smile on her face was faint and fake, like a mask. Her eyes darted around with a calculating coldness. Having studied some physiognomy, I didn’t want to engage with her. It wasn’t until she introduced herself that I realized she was my old deskmate, Jenny. We were deskmates in name only; we didn’t sit together for long. Seats were rotated monthly based on grades. I didn’t expect that while I ignored her, she would come for me. 2 Among the attendees was a mega-influencer, Chloe. From the moment she walked in, she had been livestreaming. Chloe was a talker. Back in the day, she was the school gossip who couldn’t keep a secret. She sat diagonally across from me, eating and talking non-stop. Just then, Jenny ran up to me, raising a glass of wine. She stepped right into the livestream frame. She didn’t come with good intentions. A hint of sarcasm played on her face, her tone passive-aggressive. “Vivian, do you remember bullying me in middle school?” Jenny looked like the protagonist of a revenge drama who had suffered immensely. Years later, the ugly duckling returns as a swan for a grand entrance. She provokes the perpetrator, savoring their shock. Then pretends to be magnanimous, forgiving, and above it all. It was such a sensitive topic. As soon as Jenny spoke, everyone stopped talking. The noisy private room fell dead silent. Every classmate stared at me, each with their own thoughts. Chloe panned the camera, showing the whole scene. Then she gave my face a clear close-up. Thousands of people flooded the livestream instantly. They were all smirking, waiting for me to defend myself. [Bullies deserve to die! That woman looks mean.] [I grew up being bullied. I know exactly how helpless it feels.] [Does anyone else feel like this is a setup?] [No way, who would joke about this at a reunion? Victim blamers, get out.] [If she didn’t do anything, it’s still hard to prove a negative.] [Are you empathizing with the bully? You must be one too!] Although my face showed confusion, it wasn’t panic or guilt. I was wondering if Jenny was pulling a prank, so I asked: “Are you sure? You say I bullied you. When?” Jenny sneered contemptuously, looked at the ceiling, and sniffled loudly. She looked like she was holding back tears. “You locked me in the bathroom and poured water on me.” “You locked me in the teacher’s office all night.” “You snapped all the pens in my pencil case so I couldn’t take the exam.” “Forget it, why am I telling you this? It’s been so many years. I’ve let it go.” “Vivian, I don’t plan to hate you anymore. Drink this glass, and let’s reconcile.” She tilted the glass toward me. I stared at the swirling red wine. If I clinked glasses with her, wouldn’t that be admitting my guilt as a bully? 3 I extended a finger and pushed her wine glass away. Then I stood up, looking Jenny in the eye. “I never accept false accusations.” “I thought you were joking.” “Now I see you’re serious.” “Jenny, I really can’t compete with people who are naturally talented at being ridiculous.” Jenny came prepared. Her earlier setup was a retreat to advance, forcing me into a corner. How could she be here to reconcile, as she claimed? “Vivian, it seems the internet is right. Villains never know they’ve done evil.” “How can you be so self-righteous! For ten years, I’ve had nightmares every day, dreaming of your ugly face.” “Do you know the psychological trauma you caused me?!” Her eyes grew redder until a tear fell. Trembling fingers, shaking body, twitching facial muscles. Anyone else seeing her state would have felt a pang of guilt. But not me. I straightened my back and answered her with absolute certainty. “Jenny, I did nothing wrong to you. If you want to be an actor, don’t practice on me.” “You’re an adult. You should know there are consequences for spreading rumors.” “You open your mouth with no evidence, just tears falling pat-pat-pat. If that worked, lawyers should just merge with professional mourners.” Jenny raised her volume, delivering a K-drama-worthy performance. “Don’t threaten me! I was threatened by you back then, and now you want to do it again! Do you think I’m still that pushover?!” “You know it’s hard to get evidence for these things, but you bullying me is a fact!” I wiped Jenny’s spit off my face. She suddenly stepped closer, lowering her voice. “Vivian, I gave you an out, you should have taken it. Don’t make this hard on yourself. Can you really explain this away?” “Why can’t I?” I pulled a five-hundred-page diary from my bag. And slammed it onto her face. Since she insisted on embarrassing me, I wouldn’t hesitate to ruin her socially. “Look closely. Everything that happened in the last ten years is recorded here. A dull pencil is better than a sharp memory.” “You said I locked you in the bathroom and poured water on you. Please watch the VCR.” I had already asked someone to project the contents of my notebook onto the wall of the room. “March 11th. Jenny didn’t finish her math homework. Afraid of being scolded by the teacher, she dared not return to the dorm and locked herself in the bathroom.” “She tried to get herself wet to catch a cold so she wouldn’t have to do homework.” “But she accidentally locked herself in the stall.” “Everyone asked her how it happened, but Jenny wouldn’t say.” “Only I knew, because I was in the next stall, constipated.” “My homeroom teacher can testify for me. I was the one who helped her out when my legs went numb.” “May 27th.” “The eve of the placement exam. Jenny went to the teacher’s office to steal the answer key. Unexpectedly, the grade director had been kicked out by his wife that day and slept in the office all night.” “Jenny had no chance to return and called me for help. She asked me to distract the director because I was the class representative. I still have the call logs saved on my hard drive.” I read sentence by sentence. Logical, clear. Every word was a public execution of Jenny. Jenny interrupted me impatiently: “Enough! You even have call logs from ten years ago? You are too sinister!” The word “sinister” seemed so pale and weak right now. Even she seemed to panic, clenching her teeth, unsure how to end this. The livestream chat was buzzing. [Holy moly, who keeps a diary like this?!] [And she listed a clear timeline. The Chronicle of Events. I didn’t even study history this seriously.] [This sister prepared a Book of Exoneration for herself in advance!] [Thought it was ‘The Glory’, turns out it’s ‘The Twilight Zone’.] Even at this point. Jenny still didn’t want to give up. 4 “Maybe I don’t remember those things clearly because it’s been so long.” “But you abusing the stray dog is true!” Jenny started crying to the livestream camera. “That puppy was named Lucky. I fed him every day after school. But suddenly, one day, Lucky never ran to me happily barking again.” “It was this vicious woman! I saw her drug Lucky, beat him, force water down his throat, and finally, Lucky died that winter.” “Since then, there has been a small grave at the school.” “Stop denying it! The school surveillance cameras captured it all!” Jenny wiped her tears, a glint of success in her eyes. This move was clever. Even harder to disprove than bullying, since there was no witness. The vet clinic that treated Lucky had closed down, so I couldn’t get a diagnosis record. I thought my self-defense earlier would calm the livestream audience. Unexpectedly, a wave of bots flooded the chat. All accusing me: [She’s so twisted, who keeps a grudge book like that!] [Is she a serial killer? And she abuses dogs?] [What did the puppy do wrong! Hang in there, short-haired girl! These psychos are usually deep schemers.] I admit I’m dark. Normal people don’t keep ledgers of grudges. But calling me a psycho dog abuser? That won’t stand. Jenny seemed to relax silently, thinking she could proceed with her plan. I pulled out another weapon. No witnesses? Did she think I didn’t have physical evidence? “I knew text could have flaws and sometimes isn’t convincing enough.” “I have terabytes of video.” “Lucky was a dog you couldn’t tame. Every time I fed him medicine, he was fierce.” “To catch him and take him to the vet, I almost fought him. In the end, I had to drug him.” I skillfully connected my phone and clicked screen mirroring. The restaurant’s Wi-Fi was fast. Soon, images from ten years ago appeared. In the video, I faced the camera: “It is 6 PM on the 20th. I am preparing to kidnap the school’s limping dog, Lucky, to take him to the vet.” As soon as I approached, Lucky bared his teeth at me. I had no choice but to return to the camera. “The wound on Lucky’s leg is deep enough to see bone. He needs stitches. But the dog won’t cooperate. Clearly, there is no basic trust between human and dog.” “Now I need to put a pill in a sausage.” Lucky ate the sausage and soon stopped moving. The footage shook as I carried Lucky, preparing to leave for the vet. I ran into a short-haired girl coming down the stairs. She pointed at me and screamed: “I saw you drug Lucky! If you’re hungry, buy food! Why eat dog meat?!” In the video, I froze for a second looking in the direction of the voice. Then I cursed at her. I was a rebellious teen once; I couldn’t take that kind of slander. “If your brain is full of water, shake it out. The sun is so bright, and it still hasn’t dried you out.” She was clearly stunned by my scolding, freezing in place. I rolled my eyes and walked straight ahead. Walking to the school gate, I explained to the camera: “That psycho just now was Jenny, my deskmate.” “Always crying and whining, accusing people of bullying her at the drop of a hat.” “Doesn’t study seriously, eyes red, snot running down, pretending to be a strong little flower.” “I feel like this girl will definitely try to harm me in the future, frame me for dog abuse.” “When that happens, I’ll release the evidence.” And I was right. Ten years later, Jenny really accused me of abusing the dog. When those words appeared in the video, the whole room was shocked. Chloe covered her mouth in disbelief, screaming: “Fifty thousand viewers!” Another classmate jumped up from his seat excitedly. “Trending! Front page headlines! It blew up! It blew up!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “387842”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

At an exclusive charity auction packed with the city’s elite, my intimate photos were the surprise lot. My childhood friend, Julian, wanting to amuse his date, egged his friends on to bid against me, driving the price sky-high. Desperate, I called my other childhood friend, Liam, for help. But during the intermission, I overheard their phone call. “Brilliant move, getting those photos while Lily was drunk. Now that we have leverage, let’s see if she dares to bully Sarah again.” “I didn’t take them. I hired someone.” It turned out that two months ago, when I was kidnapped and tortured for three days, it wasn’t random. It was them, manufacturing blackmail material for Sarah’s sake. “Anyway, it’s just some photos. No big deal. When Lily calls you for help later, make sure you put on a good show. Don’t blow it.” I smiled bitterly, put my phone back in my purse, and returned to the auction hall. When the auctioneer asked if I wanted to continue bidding, I glanced at Julian. “I fold.” I give up everything. I don’t want anything anymore. Chapter 1 My words wiped the smirk off Julian’s face. He never expected me to give up. “Lily, do you have no shame? You’re just going to let strangers buy your nudes?” I looked at him, pain etching my features. “Weren’t you the one who put them up for auction?” Julian choked on his words, then exploded in anger. “What are you talking about? You’re the one who was loose and reckless, getting yourself photographed like that. How dare you blame me?” Sarah, clinging to his arm, chimed in indignantly. “Lily, Julian has been so good to you. How can you slander him?” Her teary-eyed act made Julian’s heart melt. I couldn’t stand their hypocrisy anymore. I turned and walked away. My phone buzzed incessantly in my bag. It was Liam. Liam, are you in such a hurry to join Julian in destroying me? Chapter 2 I answered the call outside the auction hall. “Lily, I heard everything. Why didn’t you call me? I would have helped you.” Liam didn’t know what just happened. He was still playing his part. I spoke coldly. “How?” Liam, immersed in his role, missed my tone. “I’ll get the photos back for you, don’t worry.” “But, you know, Julian and I owe Sarah’s mother a life debt. We just want to repay her kindness.” I knew. They always talked about how, when they were kidnapped as kids, Sarah’s mother died saving them. Since then, they treated Sarah like royalty. Whenever it was a choice between me and Sarah, I had to be the one to yield. They always talked about repaying the debt, over and over again. Leaving me no choice but to sacrifice. I had worked hard to earn a spot at a prestigious research institute, my ticket to a life away from them. But Sarah wanted it. She pressured them to make me give up the only spot available this year. When I refused, they used this tactic. Maybe I really shouldn’t stay by their side anymore. Liam was still talking. “Just give that institute spot to her. With me around, you can have whatever else you want.” I touched the necklace my mother gave me before she died. I remembered her telling me not to blame Julian and Liam. She said she didn’t regret taking a bullet for them because she knew they would take care of me forever. I fought back the tremble in my voice. “Okay. I promise.” Liam hung up quickly, excited. I wiped away my tears. I sent a text. “Professor Moore, I’ll take the field assignment. I’ll leave with you on Saturday.” Chapter 3 I was packing my room when Julian and Sarah came back. Seeing me packing, Julian sneered. “I thought you actually had a backbone and were leaving. Turns out you’re thick-skinned enough to turn down the job just to leech off us.” He thought I was unpacking. Sarah laughed, hugging Julian’s arm. “Oh, Julian, don’t be mean. Lily has just loved you since childhood. She wants to be near you.” Julian looked disgusted. “Being loved by a desperate stray dog isn’t exactly something to brag about.” I didn’t understand why Julian was being so cruel. “How did I offend you?” Julian paused. He didn’t understand either. It was the plan he and Liam agreed on. But the fact that I called Liam for help instead of him really pissed him off. “Am I wrong? You lived off my family since you were a kid. Now you want to leave just to sleep around?” He got more agitated, kicking over a box at the foot of my bed. Contents spilled everywhere. Plushies, trinkets—all gifts from him and Liam. “Tch, I thought you were actually tough. Leaving but still trying to take this junk.” He was focused on humiliating me. He didn’t see the “Donation/Trash” label on the box. Sarah rolled her eyes at me, then cooed at Julian. “Liam already booked a table. Let’s get changed and go, don’t make him wait.” Julian patted her head affectionately. Sarah blushed, then turned to me. “Lily, don’t misunderstand. They’re just celebrating my new job at the institute. There’s nothing else going on.” Julian glanced at me. Seeing no reaction, he got impatient. “Why waste breath on her? A jobless loser. She’ll be begging us for money soon enough.” They left without another word. Chapter 4 The next day, while finalizing paperwork, I ran into a future colleague, Mark. Seeing my documents, he was surprised. “I thought you wouldn’t go. I’m glad you accepted.” The field assignment was grueling. I had hesitated before because I couldn’t let go of my childhood bonds. But now, I had to be responsible for myself. I went to the institute to discuss some details with Professor Moore. At the gate, I ran into them. Liam looked surprised to see me. “Lily, didn’t you promise not to come here?” I didn’t want trouble. “Professor Moore was good to me. I wanted to apologize in person.” But Sarah wouldn’t let it go. “The institute only takes one person this year. Not just any cat or dog can get in. I already met with Professor Moore.” She waved the acceptance packet in her hand. Mark couldn’t stand her attitude. “The institute looks at character as well as ability.” Sarah blushed instantly. Liam looked unhappy. “Lily, when did you meet someone like this? Make him apologize to Sarah.” I spoke expressionlessly. “This is Mark, a senior researcher and one of the project leads.” Hearing this, Sarah immediately put on a smile. “So it’s Senior Mark. Hello, I’m Sarah. I’ll be your junior colleague soon.” Mark ignored her and led me away. Sarah stomped her foot in anger. Liam watched my back thoughtfully. He slowly took out his phone. “The plan stands. But make it fast. I want those photos all over the internet in half an hour.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “387841”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The year I was most desperate with hunger, I latched onto the tattooed guy downstairs. Whenever my stomach growled, I’d throw things down to his patio to lure him up. He’d storm up, knife in hand, kicking my door and cursing. Through the iron gate, I’d clutch his pant leg, tears in my eyes: “Brother, I’m hungry.” Later, I survived by charming him into feeding me. But just when I finally had food and warmth, he said he wanted to die. The thought of going hungry again made me panic. I cried and begged him: “Brother, can you wait until I grow up before you die?” Chapter 1 My dad was a delinquent with bleached hair; my mom was a party girl. They were just kids themselves when they had me. The first time I remember meeting them was at my grandma’s funeral. I was crying so hard I almost passed out. My so-called father, cigarette dangling from his lips, frowned at six-year-old me: “Is this damn kid really mine? Why does she look like she was picked out of a dumpster?” Mom blew smoke rings while scrolling on her phone. “Genetic mutation, obviously. With my looks, how else could I birth such a piglet?” They covered their noses in disgust, standing ten feet away. Neither wanted to take me home. They agreed to leave me in Grandma’s old apartment. When they dragged me to the door, I struggled with everything I had. Seeing me throw a tantrum, they whipped out a belt, tied me up, and beat me. When my face swelled up, I finally stopped crying. Satisfied, they clapped their hands and laughed at me: “Haha, look at her, she looks just like Peppa Pig!” They ransacked Grandma’s house, leaving only a box of nearly expired instant noodles. And a box of crackers half-eaten by mice. I watched helplessly as they locked the heavy iron gate and left, chatting and laughing. I squatted in the dark room, feeling like my whole world had gone black. I lived alone in despair and fear for half a month. Even after I finished all the food, they didn’t come back. I was so hungry I gnawed off a corner of the wooden table. Still, no one came. It was an old apartment complex, mostly empty. No one heard my cries. I couldn’t open the gate, and I couldn’t reach the balcony. In my desperation, I remembered the tattooed guy downstairs. He looked fierce, but I hoped he wouldn’t just watch me die. Crying, I started throwing things down to his patio. Hoping he’d have mercy and come save me. I threw trash for three days straight before someone finally banged on my door. Faint with hunger, I used all my strength to pull open the heavy wooden inner door. But outside the iron security gate, Jax looked terrifying. He slammed his hand on the gate, revealing an arm full of tattoos. The smell of alcohol hit me hard. His eyes were cold as frost, filled with a ruthless determination, like a trapped beast ready to attack. He shouted into the room: “Are you sick?! Why do you keep throwing shit into my yard?!” Not seeing me on the floor, he yelled again: “Where are you? Get out here!” Weakly, I reached out a dirty little hand and grabbed his pant leg. Jax jumped a mile. He cursed: “Are you a ghost?! Let go of me!” He looked down and finally saw my filthy hand. His next words came out an octave lower: “Kid?” “Cough, don’t think being a kid lets you be a jerk!” “Who taught you to throw stuff downstairs?” “Call your parents out here!” Watching Jax’s mouth move, I wasn’t angry or scared. My brain was filled with thoughts of food. Even his face started looking like a giant roast chicken. I wanted to take a bite. Where would I get parents? After Grandma died, I became a stray with parents who birthed but didn’t raise me, about to starve to death. Forgetting to cry, I summoned all my strength to call him: “Brother, I’m hungry.” He froze for a few seconds, then crouched down. Finally, he saw my face and met my eyes. I didn’t know how scary I looked. I only knew Jax stared at me for a few seconds, his pupils dilating. Then he bolted like an arrow. It was over. He wouldn’t save me. In that moment, despair turned everything black. I thought I was going to starve to death! Chapter 2 When Jax came back up, I was leaning against the wall, too weak to speak. He kicked the iron gate and yelled: “Hey kid! Here!” He shoved a box of takeout and a bottle of milk through the bars. He warned me: “Eat this and stop throwing stuff, you hear?” I couldn’t answer. I grabbed the food and lay on the floor, wolfing it down like a starving puppy. When I looked up again, Jax was gone. I wiped my mouth, thinking innocently. Even though he’s fierce, he’s a good person. Grandma told me to find a good man to marry when I grow up. I thought. I swear. When I grow up, I’m going to marry him. … The next day, hungry again, I threw stuff downstairs. This time, Jax came up fast. He had crackers in his left hand and a fruit knife in his right. Banging on the gate, he shoved the crackers through, gritting his teeth: “Didn’t I warn you not to throw stuff?!” Then he shouted inside: “Where are the adults? Can’t you control your kid?!” “Throw one more thing and I won’t be polite!” Hearing no response, he crouched down to watch me stuff crackers into my mouth. “If you don’t want to die, don’t make so much noise that others can’t die in peace, okay?!” he hissed. I didn’t understand what he meant. Didn’t know who wanted to die. Through the gate, I looked up and saw the menacing tattoos on his arm. Strange, looking at those tattoos didn’t scare me. instead, I felt wronged. Tears fell pat-pat. Twitching my mouth, I answered him: “No adults. I’m a stray with parents who don’t want me.” “I didn’t want to throw stuff and bother you, but I’m hungry…” He clearly froze. Through the iron gate, he was silent for a long time. After a while, he kicked the gate hard, click, lit a cigarette. He leaned against the wall without speaking, smoking one after another. From inside, I could only see him crushing cigarette butts with his foot. After a pile of butts accumulated, he grabbed his own hair with both hands, pulling out a handful. He stared coldly at me through the crack, a flicker of anger in his eyes: “Don’t call yourself a stray!” I stayed silent, confused. Grandma died. I was a stray nobody wanted. … On the third day, before I could throw anything, Jax came up. This time, no food. He brought a sledgehammer. Clang clang. He smashed the lock open and called me: “Kid, come with me.” So I carefully followed him downstairs. It was the first time I saw Jax clearly. He was tall, thin, handsome, and aloof. But his beautiful eyes were cold and distant, unfocused, filled with a chilling aura. As if… he couldn’t see the light anymore. Chapter 3 This was an old, run-down neighborhood. Everyone was moving out; rarely did anyone move in. The day Jax moved in, a crowd followed him, pulling at him desperately. But the boy was stubborn. No one could move him. Those people stood there cursing him, throwing rotten eggs, screaming the ugliest, most vicious words in the world. Jax just stood there, a faint, cold sneer on his lips. It was the middle of summer, but that smile made you feel like it was deep winter. I didn’t understand what they were yelling, but Grandma was still alive then. She said: “Another poor child like you. Misery loves company.” I understood that part. So when I was starving, I thought this brother named Jax would save me. Because Grandma said we were in the same boat. Sure enough, he saved me and brought me to his home. I thought Jax’s home would be messy and broken like mine. But it wasn’t messy. It barely had anything in it. So empty it didn’t look like anyone lived there. Curious, I looked around, nervously twisting the hem of my shirt. “What’s your name?” he asked. “Annie.” “Where are the adults?” I lowered my head, silent. But seeing he wasn’t angry, I relaxed. After a long time, he pointed at a table full of food and drink: “Annie, I’m treating you. Eat and drink your fill, then do me a favor, okay?” I looked up and nodded vigorously. The smell of food scrambled my thoughts. I didn’t care what favor he needed. After stuffing myself, I let down all my guards. How was this brother aloof? He was warm enough to fill my stomach! I wiped my mouth and grinned: “Brother, you’re a good person. I’ll marry you when I grow up!” Hearing this, he suddenly choked. He turned away and coughed for a long time, his face and neck turning red. Ten minutes later, he calmed down and turned back. Putting a finger to his lips, he shushed me, saying word by word coldly: “I. Am. Not. A. Good. Person!” He was like a robot, emotionless, expressionless. I didn’t argue, but secretly challenged him in my heart. I think you’re good, so I’m gonna marry you! After I burped a few times, he handed me his phone blankly. He said: “Know how to make a call?” “Yes.” I nodded. Grandma taught me. I was skilled. I had called 911 for Grandma many times. Jax took me to the bathroom, pointed at the bathtub, and said: “Later, I’ll lie in there. The water will turn red, and I’ll slowly fall asleep.” “When I’m completely asleep and stop moving, call 911 for the police. Understand?” “Yes.” I blinked and nodded firmly. Of course I understood. Grandma taught me many times before she left. She taught me how to call while telling me not to cry. So the day Grandma fell asleep, I was very good. I watched Grandma stop moving, her face turning from red to white to grey. I dialed the number skillfully, recited the address I memorized. Didn’t cry, didn’t fuss, just waited quietly by Grandma’s side. Until people took Grandma away. Seeing me answer obediently, Jax added: “Don’t be scared. When the police come, they’ll take you to a place where you can eat your fill every day.” I said okay, but secretly called him a liar. Grandma said the same thing. And? I almost starved to death! Hmph! While I was sulking, Jax started running the water. He stared blankly as the tub filled. After a while, he forced a smile and said: “I really am a bad person.” When he got into the tub, I moved a stool to sit by the door. He ordered me to turn around and not look. My body turned, but my eyes couldn’t help peeking back. I saw him make a cut, revealing a smile of relief. I saw the bright red in the tub bloom like a flower. Catching me peeking, he asked: “Aren’t you scared?” I wasn’t scared. I had seen Grandma die. Back then, I didn’t know what death meant. Until Grandma was covered with a white sheet and taken away, and people held me back from seeing her, I realized. Death means never seeing them again. I asked him: “Brother, are you going to die?” He paused: “Kid, do you know what dying is?” “I know,” I said. “Grandma was like you, then she died…” “Then people carried her away!” I lowered my head, not describing the rest. I wasn’t scared, but I was afraid saying it would scare him. I asked again: “You have food every day, why do you want to die?” “I’m going to marry you when I grow up, why do you have to die?” “I don’t care, this time I won’t let anyone carry you away!” I felt that as long as he wasn’t carried away, he would wake up eventually! As I said this, his lips started turning white. The water in the tub got redder. He had no strength to chat anymore, just gave a weak laugh: “Dead is dead, of course I’ll be carried away…” “Turn around, don’t look…” It hit me then. If he gets carried away, who will feed me? Thinking of starving again, I started crying. I walked over and grabbed his hand, trying to hold his bleeding arm high. Watching the blood flow down my arm, I cried louder. “Brother, can you wait until I grow up before you die?” Chapter 4 My tears fell pat-pat onto his pale face. He struggled to open his eyes halfway, his voice weak and broken as he squeezed out two sentences. He said: “Why the fuck… didn’t you call… earlier?” “Tell them… ambulance… can… you?” Yes, I can! I called ambulances for Grandma all the time. I was better at that than calling the police! With trembling fingers, I dialed 911, reported the address. Secretly praising my own smarts. The ambulance came fast. I skillfully grabbed his phone and got in the vehicle. In the ambulance, the medic asked me what happened. I tilted my head and thought for a few seconds: “Guess he died halfway and changed his mind.” Probably realized he was useful again, I thought. Looking at him motionless on the stretcher, I cursed him for being an idiot. With a full belly every day, still wanting to die. Big idiot! During resuscitation, the doctor needed family. I used his thumb to unlock his phone and dialed the number that called him most often. My calm familiarity stunned the doctors and nurses. They praised me for being amazing. I hopped onto a chair, swinging my legs, silent. What they thought was amazing was actually exchanged for countless resuscitations with Grandma. The first time, I cried my lungs out, lost. Later, I knew the process better than the new nurse. While Jax was being saved, a crowd arrived. Their first sentence was always: “Is he dead?” “Need a signature to stop resuscitation? I’ll sign!” They pestered the nurse, claiming to be Jax’s relatives, all willing to sign to stop treatment. The nurse rolled her eyes. “He’s not dead yet!” Learning I called the ambulance, they came to harass me. “Where did this little bastard come from? Who told you to call an ambulance!” “Meddling little brat!” “I’m telling you, if he doesn’t die, you’re in trouble!” Me: “…” Dizzy from their shoving, arm hurting, I regretted making that call. I stayed silent, just glaring at them. They huddled together cursing, insulting Jax’s whole family. From their words, I pieced it together. They were Jax’s uncle, aunt, and other relatives. All hoping Jax would die so they could split his inheritance. I understood instantly. Everyone wants Jax dead. Only I want him alive. Luckily, Jax was saved. The crowd was disappointed, slapping their thighs: “How did he not die?!” But entering the ward, they changed faces, surrounding Jax with fake concern. Jax hid under the covers, ignoring them. They talked about their hardships, how they were broke. Everyone trying to get money from Jax. No one cared if he was in pain or hungry. In that moment, I felt he was pitiful and stupid. I squeezed through the crowd, spreading my small arms by Jax’s bed. “You’re all bad people! Go away!” “Brother, they wanted you dead just now! They said if you die, the money is theirs!” Instantly, silence. Jax pulled down the covers, looking lifeless, eyes full of impatience and disgust. I said: “Big idiot, they want you dead, so you shouldn’t die!” The crowd reacted and started pulling me. “Where did this little liar come from, talking nonsense!” If they didn’t pull me, fine. But pulling me? I threw a tantrum, wailing loudly: “Help! Child abuse! They’re hitting a kid!” My wailing got them kicked out directly. Leaving, each glared at me, muttering “little bastard.” Only Jax laughed. He smiled miserably, face pale as a sheet, eyes dull. Looking so pitiful! I took his arm, wrapped in layers of gauze with blood seeping through, and asked: “Does it hurt?” I thought it would hurt a lot, but he rasped: “Hurts my ass.” Me: “…” He let me hold his hand, lifting his chin and blinking hard. When I peeked, a tear still leaked from the corner of his eye. I wiped it away, smiled, and scolded him like an adult: “Hmph, still tough talking.” “Okay, okay, stop crying.” “And don’t die.” “Live! Live well! Die after you give me all the money!” I said through gritted teeth. The next moment, a helpless laugh escaped his lips. Good, his furrowed brow relaxed. He poked my forehead: “Kid, young but full of schemes!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “387840”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I was pregnant with the villain’s child. He only married me to protect the heroine. To avoid his cruelty, I gave birth and ran away. Years later, I was flirting with a cute guy at my bar. Suddenly, the bar was raided. A group of men surrounded me. A sophisticated man smiled darkly and patted the child next to him. “Go on, say hi to Mommy.” Chapter 1 The bar was packed for an event tonight. Everyone greeted me as “Boss Lady” when I walked in. A guy in a white shirt sat at the bar, looking lost. I approached him. Rescuing cute, lost boys is a hobby of mine. I bought him a drink. He looked away shyly. We chatted a bit. He blushed easily. He said he just graduated and was having trouble finding a job. Perfect. My bar needed good-looking staff. “Want a job? I guarantee you’ll make more here than anywhere else.” My bar was popular with wealthy ladies. Tips were great. He looked surprised. Just as we were about to exchange numbers, a commotion erupted at the entrance. Before I could react, a fleet of black SUVs surrounded the bar. Bodyguards in suits blocked the door. I thought the police were raiding the place. But when I saw the license plate on the lead car, my blood ran cold. I hit the panic button and ran for the back door. As soon as I opened the alley door, a familiar figure was leaning against a car, playing with a vintage metal lighter. “Chloe, you run every time, but you never get any faster.” Julian Sterling looked up slowly. His smile was faint, but his eyes were terrifyingly cold. Chapter 2 Since high school, I knew I was living in a novel. I was the vicious side character. In the future, I would be obsessed with the male lead, Liam, and constantly cause trouble. I would hurt the heroine, Sophia, ruining her piano career. The villain, Julian, would hate me and marry me just to torture me. I would end up paralyzed in a mental hospital for the rest of my life. After realizing this, I tried my best to get Liam and Sophia together. Julian hated me for it. We accidentally slept together, and I got pregnant. Even after marrying me, Julian remained gloomy and hateful. If I hadn’t been pregnant, he probably would have tortured me according to the plot. Four years ago, I planned my escape on the day I gave birth. In the delivery room, the baby’s cry was my signal to freedom. Chapter 3 I ran for so long. I never thought Julian would find me. Customers scattered. The cute college grad shielded me. “Is he bothering you? Don’t be scared, I’ll call the police.” I smiled bitterly and stopped him. Useless. No one dared to cross Julian Sterling. Julian stared at us, his gaze dropping several degrees. A little boy stepped out of the stretch limo. His eyes were too calm for a child his age. Julian patted his shoulder. “Go on, say hi to Mommy.” “…” The mini-Julian hesitated for a few seconds before walking up to me. He didn’t speak, just quietly observed me. Is this my baby? He’s so big now. In an instant, mixed emotions flooded me, and I wanted to cry. The guy next to me stared in shock. “You have a kid?” “She has a husband, too,” Julian said coldly. The guy met Julian’s dark gaze and instantly shut up, trembling. Chapter 4 Julian took me away. Through the car window, he glared at the staff in my bar. “Chloe, you’re something else. Abandoning your child to run away and keep a harem of men?” His icy stare felt like it could freeze me to death. I gulped. “Julian, let me go. I won’t bother you ever again.” Back in school, I tore up his love letter to force him and Sophia together. He held a grudge for six years. He glanced at me. “Too early to beg.” He loved torturing his prey. He used to lock me in his villa, cutting off all contact with my friends. I never wanted to live that suffocating life again. The car started. The scenery blurred past. I looked at him in panic. “Julian, I’m not going back. My… my daughter is waiting for me at home.” His eyes sharpened. He grabbed me in disbelief. “We aren’t even divorced yet, and you have a child with another man?” Chapter 5 Julian was furious. He took me back to his hillside villa in New York and locked me up. My son, Leo, didn’t speak the whole way. At home, he just quietly played with blocks, occasionally glancing at me. Soon, Julian’s assistant brought Lily over. Lily is my daughter. Seeing me, she ran over with red eyes. “Mommy, who are they? I’m scared.” Julian looked at the little girl who resembled me and frowned. “How old is she?” “…Three.” I lied. Actually, I had twins four years ago. But to escape easily, I could only take one. I took the girl. Social news taught me girls need to be close to their moms. I was fostered by my uncle as a child and bullied by my cousins. That’s why I was obsessed with the male lead’s kindness. Later, I realized I didn’t love him; I just craved the warmth he once offered. Julian’s eyes were frosty. “Less than a year after leaving me, you found someone new? Chloe, you’ve got guts.” Lily shrank into my arms, terrified of the cold man. She whispered, “Mommy, let’s go. I want Uncle Ben.” “Shh, we’ll leave in a couple of days.” I comforted her. The man across from us looked ready to kill.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “387839”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

On a slow-paced variety show, my sister cried, feeling wronged: “When we were little, my mom favored my sister. She could eat candy, but I couldn’t.” “Once, I ate a piece of candy, and my sister immediately dug it out of my mouth and threw it away. My mom even spanked me for it.” I made an indescribable face: “You ate rat poison.” She grabbed two strawberries and stuffed them into her mouth, arguing logically: “What about strawberries? Mom only let you eat them. I couldn’t even touch them. Isn’t that favoritism?” My eyes widened in horror: “You’re allergic to strawberries!” Suddenly, the netizens who were fighting for her justice fell silent. [Wait, what…] [Chloe: Dear God, please distinguish the loyal from the treacherous! I’m not the evil sister!] [Zoey only remembers the hurt her family caused her, but never mentions the hurt she caused her family.] 1 When I received the call from my sister, Zoey, I had just finished filming a period detective drama and was lying on the sofa playing video games. “Sis, want to go on a trip together?” I refused without thinking. “No, I’m exhausted.” “A travel variety show invited me. I heard your favorite singer is going too~” Hearing this, I sat up abruptly and asked eagerly, “When does filming start?” “In three days.” 2 “Travel With You” is a live-streamed travel variety show. This season invited four groups of guests. Me and my sister Zoey, singer Julian and his dad, idol Luna and her mom, actress Vera and her best friend Mia. Soon, the day of filming arrived. When Zoey and I dragged our luggage to the B&B, the comments on the big screen in front were scrolling frantically. [So Chloe is the evil sister who bullied Zoey!] [Appearances can indeed be deceiving. Chloe looks gentle and harmless on the surface, but she’s actually so vicious.] [Can Chloe just leave? I want to puke when I see her face.] I was confused. When did I become the evil sister? While the others hadn’t arrived yet, I took out my phone and opened Twitter. At a glance, I saw the eye-catching hashtags on the trending list. #Zoey’sSisterIsEvil trending #ZoeyLowEQ trending Clicking into the hashtags, I realized the program team had released a teaser last night. In the video, the host asked Zoey: “Why did you choose to bring your sister on this show?” She pondered for a moment: “If I didn’t bring her, she would definitely kill me.” The comments section exploded. [Omg, Zoey’s sister is too evil.] [She has no shame just to get famous, forcing her sister to bring her on a variety show.] [Zoey’s EQ is worrying. Even if she was threatened, she shouldn’t have said it directly on the show!] [With Zoey saying this, her sister will definitely be scolded to death.] Why do people always overanalyze? My sister clearly said it in an exaggerated, humorous tone, but it was maliciously misinterpreted by netizens. Don’t I know what kind of person she is? Kind-hearted, intelligence unknown. She simply couldn’t say such insinuating words. Looking at the abuse in the comments section, I sighed lightly. We sisters were set up. 3 Just as I put away my phone, the second group of guests arrived. It was Julian and his dad. Julian was tall and slender, wearing a white slim-fit shirt and black suit pants. I pretended to be calm and went up to greet them. “Hello, Uncle.” “Hello, Julian. I’m a fan.” After speaking, I realized something was wrong. Just as I was about to correct myself, Julian got emotional and interrupted, “I’m not your fan!” So he believed the online rumors too and thought I was evil. My heart tightened suddenly, and the smile on my face froze instantly. Netizens in the live broadcast room gloated. [Get lost, evil sister! A has-been trying to leech off popularity, how shameless!] [Lol, Julian completely denied her the chance to leech.] [Who understands? Chloe’s smile froze. It feels so good to watch!] The next second, Julian clenched his fist to his lips, coughed lightly, and added: “I’ve been your fan for years.” I smiled faintly and said nothing. The comments scrolled rapidly. [Am I mistaken? Julian has been Chloe’s fan for years?] [Julian is a decent person in the industry, taking the initiative to help the evil sister out of an awkward situation.] Soon, the remaining two groups arrived. After a brief self-introduction, the program team arranged an ice-breaking game—Never Have I Ever. The game had two rounds. The group with the higher total score would choose their room first. The first round was me, Julian, Mia, and Luna. Julian said first: “I’ve sung OSTs for many TV dramas.” A wipeout right off the bat. The guests bent a finger without hesitation. Next was Mia. A shallow smile appeared at the corner of her mouth: “I was bullied by a college classmate.” The three of us bent a finger one after another. Mia smiled at me meaningfully: “Of course you haven’t been bullied.” I was stunned for a moment, then raised the corners of my lips and said: “That’s right, I’m lucky. Everyone I’ve met has been sincere and warm.” The others looked at her with distress. “That person was too bad.” “Seeing how cheerful and smiley you are now, I can’t tell at all that you were once bullied. You’re amazing.” “It’s all in the past. I wish you the best of luck in the future, walking only on flowery paths.” [My heart aches for Mia smiling while telling those painful past events. Luckily, the hard times are over!] [Why do I feel Mia’s tone towards Chloe was weird? She seemed to imply that Chloe hadn’t been bullied, but bullied others instead.] [Me too! I thought I was the only one who felt that way.] [I just checked, they went to the same college! Bold guess, the person who bullied Mia wouldn’t be Chloe, right?] 4 It was my turn. Looking at the three upright fingers, my competitive spirit rose. I racked my brain and said: “I haven’t skipped a class since I was little.” Everyone blushed slightly and bent a finger somewhat embarrassedly. Luna was incredulous: “!” “Sis, you didn’t even skip class in college?” I shook my head. She continued to ask: “Not even the easy electives?” “No.” “You win.” [Pure passerby here, I don’t see Chloe being evil at all. She looks like an honest person!] [Stop trying to whitewash Chloe, fans upstairs. It’s solid proof.] The last one was Luna. “I’m an only child.” Except for Julian, we resignedly bent a finger. Luna’s mom suddenly spoke up: “Luna, I have a question that has troubled me for a long time. Why did you always choose your dad when I asked you who you loved more as a child? Did I do something wrong?” Luna thought carefully: “Because back then I felt Dad spoiled me more. He took my last name, so why didn’t you take my last name?” Luna’s mom: “…” [Hahaha, even celebrities can’t avoid being asked whether they love mom or dad more as children.] [Luna has such a unique brain circuit.] [I’m different. I’ve been a master of balance since I was little. Dad asked, I chose Dad. Mom asked, I chose Mom.] Envy almost overflowed from Zoey’s eyes. “It’s so good to be an only child, having the whole family’s love.” Luna said gently: “Each has its pros and cons. Only children don’t have to worry about parents’ favoritism, but having a sister is so nice! Being crazy together, and having someone to confide in about things you dare not tell your parents.” Unexpectedly, these words triggered Zoey’s sadness. She cried aggrievedly: “When we were little, my mom favored my sister a bit. She could eat candy, but I couldn’t.” “Once, I ate a piece of candy, and my sister immediately dug it out of my mouth and threw it away. My mom even spanked me for it.” Luna’s eyes widened. She glanced at my expression and said to Zoey: “Can you say this on the show? Are you not going home anymore?” I made an indescribable face: “You ate rat poison.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “387838”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The day before the SATs, Ethan, my childhood friend, met a party girl named Bella at a bar. She invited him to celebrate his 18th birthday with her. Ethan, who usually prioritized his studies above all else, surprisingly agreed. Earlier that day, I had accidentally overheard Bella talking to her friend in the restroom: “Tonight, I’m going to make sure Ethan has the time of his life! He won’t even make it to the SATs tomorrow!” So, in my past life, when Ethan mentioned his plans, I tried desperately to stop him. But all I got in return was his mockery: “Maya, Bella planned this party for my 18th birthday. Just because you’re a coward who won’t celebrate with me doesn’t mean you can stop me from pursuing my happiness.” For the sake of his future, I ignored his insults and secretly told his parents. That night, Ethan’s parents locked him in his room and personally escorted him to the exam center the next day. Ethan got into an Ivy League school as he wished. But Bella, because her plan failed, got drunk and was assaulted by strangers. Unable to bear the trauma, she jumped from the 33rd floor and died instantly. When Ethan heard the news, he broke down completely. He invited me to his house, pretended to make amends, and then drugged me to create compromising evidence. After I left, he called the police and accused me of sexual assault. My future was ruined. My parents, unable to withstand the cyberbullying, committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning at home. Ethan stood outside my house, coldly recording my parents’ dying moments. He brought the recording to visit me in prison. “Maya, I want your whole family to pay for Bella’s life!” The shock gave me a heart attack, and I died in prison… When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day before the SATs. I looked at Ethan, who was chatting excitedly about his birthday party tonight, and smiled. In this life, I’ll let him do whatever he wants… Chapter 1 “Maya, what’s with that attitude?! Can you not be so sensitive just because there’s a girl around me?!” The familiar voice snapped me back to reality. I looked down at my hands, free of handcuffs, and then at Ethan, who was pointing at me… I was really reborn! In my past life, today was the day I stopped Ethan from going out with Bella to celebrate his 18th birthday. Ethan got into his dream school, but Bella died tragically. After hearing the news, Ethan pretended to be nice, lured me to his house, stripped off his clothes, filmed a video, and posted it online. Then he called the police, accusing me of assault. I was thrown in jail. My parents, hounded by cyberbullies, committed suicide. Ethan stood outside our door, filming their death throes with a smile, then left. The next day, he visited me in prison, played the video, and screamed at me: “Maya, if you hadn’t stopped me, Bella wouldn’t have died! My grades were always perfect. Even if I went out with Bella the night before, I would have still gotten into an Ivy! You selfish bitch! Bella died for nothing, and I want your whole family to pay!” He knew I had a congenital heart condition. So, the moment I saw the video and my heart gave out, I saw the smile lingering on his lips… The chilling memory made my face pale. “Come on, Ethan, you have to understand Maya. She’s the top student, too scared to go out and have fun. It’s normal for her to be jealous that Bella gets to go out with you…” Ethan’s friend’s words pulled me back. Ethan looked at me with a sneer, then patted his friend’s shoulder proudly: “Bella said she prepared a huge surprise for my 18th birthday tonight. I’m really looking forward to it. Celebrating with such a beautiful girl… I’m sure I’ll perform even better tomorrow…” I laughed inwardly. This morning, I overheard Bella and her friend talking in the restroom: “I’m going to play with Ethan all night tonight. Don’t disturb us!” “He has the SATs tomorrow! Don’t go too crazy!” “SATs? Once he’s my man, he won’t be taking any exams. If he goes to college, he’ll forget about me…” It was because of this conversation that I tried so hard to stop Ethan. This wasn’t a birthday celebration; it was a trap to ruin his life… But Ethan didn’t know good from bad. Thinking of this, I looked up at the smug Ethan and smiled. “Go ahead, Ethan. I also believe that with a beauty like Bella accompanying you tonight, you’ll definitely perform beyond expectations tomorrow.” Chapter 2 Ethan was stunned for a moment by my response. But the thought of his upcoming date quickly brought a smile back to his face. Thinking about preparing for tomorrow’s exam, I picked up my backpack to leave. But as soon as I stood up, Ethan’s friends pushed me back into the chair. Ethan looked at me coldly, snatching my phone and exam admission ticket. “Trying to leave? I bet you’re going to tattle to my parents! I’ll keep these safe for you. I’ll give them back at the exam center tomorrow! If you dare go to my parents, don’t even think about taking the SATs tomorrow!” I looked at Ethan helplessly. “Ethan, you know how important this exam is to me. I promise not to tell your parents, but please don’t joke with my future, okay?” Whether Ethan could make it to the exam center tomorrow was a big question. I couldn’t leave my admission ticket with him. Seeing that Ethan had no intention of returning it, I rushed forward and grabbed the ticket still in his hand. My voice was colder than ever before. “Ethan, give it back.” “Ooh, the top student is angry! Ethan, you were right. Look at her, she’s definitely going to snitch! Don’t give it back!” Ethan’s grip, which had loosened slightly, tightened again at his friends’ jeering. I was frantic, my voice pleading. “Ethan, please don’t do this. You know how important this is…” Seeing me on the verge of tears, Ethan’s hand loosened a bit. But just as I was about to grab the ticket, his friends chimed in again. “Ethan! Think about your date with Bella! Don’t let her ruin it!” Ethan’s eyes changed instantly. He yanked his hand back hard! Rip… My admission ticket tore in half… The friends who had been cheering him on suddenly went pale. Tears that had been welling up in my eyes finally fell. A wave of despair and helplessness washed over me. Reborn, yet I still lost my future… Ethan’s face turned green and white. After a moment, he threw the torn pieces at me. “Maya, it’s your fault for trying to stop my date with Bella! You made me do this!” With that, he grabbed his friends and ran off like a madman. As the classroom door closed, I heard laughter from the hallway. “Ethan, Maya really is your doormat. You tore her ticket and she didn’t even say anything!” “Meh, she’s just weak. Not like Bella, so bold and free…” Ethan’s words pierced my heart like a needle. My tolerance for him was mistaken for weakness… Ethan and I had studied together since middle school. Going to a top university together was our promise for the future. But ever since Ethan met Bella outside of school, everything changed. It seemed Ethan no longer wanted a shared future with me. Thinking of this, I threw the torn ticket into the trash can and knocked on my homeroom teacher’s office door. “Mrs. Davis, I’ve thought about the early admission offer from State University. I think it suits me better…” Mrs. Davis looked delighted. “Good! You shouldn’t have given it up. The physics lab at State U will let you shine.” Back home, my parents were relieved to hear I didn’t need to take the SATs. They had been worried about me giving up a guaranteed spot for Ethan. Now, things had worked out as they wished… Chapter 3 Just after dinner, there was an urgent knock on the door. I opened it to find Ethan’s parents, looking anxious. “Maya, do you know where Ethan went? He sent us a message and then stopped answering calls. He has the SATs tomorrow, where could he have gone?” My mom looked at me too. “Maya, you’re usually with Ethan…” “Auntie, I don’t know.” I interrupted my mom and looked at Ethan’s mother. “Maya, do you know where he usually goes?” I forced an awkward smile. “Auntie, I really don’t know…” Ethan’s mom, getting no leads, shook her head and left helplessly. As soon as the door closed, my dad poked his head out. “Had a fight with Ethan? You really don’t know where he is?” I smiled at my dad and went back to my room. Of course I wouldn’t tell. Let him enjoy his wonderful night with Bella! My mom was the head of the Parent-Teacher Association, so she dragged me and Dad to volunteer at the exam center early in the morning. As soon as we arrived, we saw Ethan’s anxious parents. Seeing me, they rushed over. Mrs. Davis followed closely behind. “Maya, Ethan didn’t come home all night. Weren’t you together at school yesterday? Did he tell you where he was going?!” Mrs. Davis also asked, “Maya, you know how important this exam is to Ethan. It’s about to start, and he’s nowhere to be found. Think hard, where could he be?” Looking at Ethan’s frantic parents, I felt a pang of sympathy. But the image of my parents’ tragic death in my past life flashed in my mind. I gritted my teeth and looked up at them. “I really don’t know…” Mrs. Davis sighed and patted Ethan’s mom on the shoulder. “Maya is a good kid, maybe she really doesn’t know. Let’s try to find him another way…” But I knew they wouldn’t find him… Bella didn’t want Ethan to take the exam. Ethan was probably passed out in some hotel room right now… Sure enough, the exam started, and Ethan didn’t show up… Ethan’s parents were ordinary working-class people. To let Ethan focus on his studies, his mom quit her job to take care of him full-time. His dad worked three jobs, sleeping only three hours a day. They worked hard for over a decade to lift Ethan to this point. But the obedient, sensible Ethan disappeared right before the exam… The moment the exam center gates closed, Ethan’s mom collapsed, wailing in despair… “Mom…” Finally, just as the first exam was ending, a pale, staggering Ethan appeared at the gate. His mom sprang up from the ground and rushed towards him, slapping him across the face. “You bastard! Where the hell have you been…?!” I was cooling off with my parents nearby. Just as I was about to stand up, Ethan spoke. “Mom, it was Maya! Yesterday at school, she confessed her feelings to me. When I rejected her, she held a grudge, drugged me, and took me to a hotel. I just woke up! Maya ruined my life…” Chapter 4 I stood frozen in place. Before I could react, Ethan’s parents charged towards me. Ethan obviously didn’t expect me to be there. Seeing me, he quickly lowered his head. Remembering my parents’ tragic end in my past life, I quickly stepped in front of them. Ethan’s dad’s fist landed heavily on my face. “Animal! Just because Ethan rejected you, you ruined him?! Do you know how much our family sacrificed for today?!” I tried to explain, but his dad was too emotional. Before I could speak, he kicked me to the ground. That punch seemed to use all his strength. I felt my nose break, blood gushing out instantly. My eyes, nose, and mouth were covered in sticky blood. Seeing me hurt, my dad rushed forward like a madman. But before he reached me, he was kicked down by Ethan’s dad. Ethan’s dad had done manual labor for years; he was incredibly strong. “A pair of animals! I’ll kill you both today! You ruined Ethan’s future! Don’t think you’ll have a good life either!” More and more parents gathered around. Many of them knew about Ethan’s academic performance. Hearing that he missed the exam because of my revenge, they were furious. They rushed forward, raining punches and kicks on me and my dad. “Like father, like daughter! We’ll teach you a lesson today! Bad from a young age, you’ll be a cancer to society when you grow up!” “Ethan’s dad, hit them hard! If you kill them, we’ll testify for you!” Enduring the severe pain, I looked at Ethan in the crowd. His crying face had turned into a smug smile. The last bit of affection I had for him vanished completely. I finally realized that this Ethan was no longer the boy who chased after me day and night asking for help with math problems. In that case, there was no need to save his dignity! I mustered my last bit of strength, took out my phone, found the video Bella sent me last night, and pressed play. I turned the volume up to the max…

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “387837”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel