Every tabloid in New York knew that Roman Sterling would rather sleep with a random club girl than touch his own wife. The daily question: When will Mrs. Sterling finally give away her precious V-card? Facing the paparazzi’s flashing lights, Roman looked at me with fearless arrogance. “Worst case scenario, we each play our own game. If you don’t like it, you can find someone too.” With that, he shoved his hands in his pockets and casually walked away. That same night, photos of him in bed with his latest fling trended on Twitter. Everyone thought I would spend the night crying alone until dawn. Instead, I contacted a paparazzo and booked a trending spot for myself. Then I tore my lace nightgown, messed up the sheets, and took a “candid” photo of myself in bed. I sent an anonymous text to Roman: [Bro, your wife smells amazing. Let me know when you get divorced.] 1 Watching the trending topic I bought shoot straight to #1, I happily got ready for bed. Within half an hour, heavy, hurried footsteps thundered down the hall. “Chloe! Is this how you get back at me? Who the hell is that guy?!” A photo was slammed into my face. One half was my suggestive bed selfie; the other was a passionate shot of Roman pressing his latest fling, Bella, against a window. This was exactly the headline I had the paparazzo publish. [The Sterlings reach a new agreement: Playing their own games within the marriage, no interference.] I sat on the edge of the bed, casually wrapping my robe tighter. “Isn’t this exactly what you wanted?” “You never should have humiliated me by messing around with my father’s illegitimate daughter!” Roman’s breath hitched. He didn’t respond to my accusation, instead gritting his teeth. “Who is he?” “You don’t need to know. That’s what makes it fair.” I used to swear I would dig three feet into the ground to find out everything about his lovers. I was young then; I couldn’t tolerate a speck of dust in my eye. But later I realized… Before I could even lift a finger, he’d already moved on to a new one. So I stopped asking. It was pathetic. Roman let out a sudden, sinister laugh. “You’ve got some nerve!” His gaze landed on a red mark on my collarbone. He pinned me to the bed. I struggled desperately, screaming. A sharp knife pierced the skin of my collarbone, blood covering the “hickey.” “Are you crazy! Let me go!” Roman pressed down on me, eyes bloodshot, veins popping on his forehead. “First time, and last time!” “I’ll take down the trending topic. Before I lose control, you better go back to normal!” The “normal” he spoke of was me remaining impassive while photos of him in bed with lovers flew everywhere. Me happily accepting the used condoms and stained panties they mailed to me. Roman stared into my eyes darkly for a long time. Seeing my face wet with physiological tears, he finally let go and took some gauze from the drawer. I pushed him away violently. “Don’t touch me!” Roman stood up from the bed, his face completely dark. “You put on this show just to piss me off? What are you pretending for now?” “You’re shameless just to get my attention. What else are you capable of?” The knife in his hand accidentally grazed my arm. Blood soaked the silk sheets. I was sweating from the pain. But my heart hurt a thousand, ten thousand times more. Roman didn’t even blink, his gaze almost heartless. “My mother was right. A woman like you who climbed up from the bottom can never do anything classy!” “Why hire someone to put on a show for me? If you have the guts, really divorce me! Your sister is ten thousand times better than you!” Dropping those words, he stormed out without looking back. A moment later, a divorce agreement signed by him was sent to my phone. Even the asset division was 70-30 in my favor. He firmly believed I couldn’t leave him. But I signed it. Then I called a number to confirm my departure time. Roman, what makes you so sure this man doesn’t exist? 2 After hanging up, the tears pooling in my eyes finally fell. When Roman insisted on marrying me, the whole world opposed it. His parents looked down on my ordinary background. The Chamber of Commerce almost expelled him. But he weathered all the public pressure to give me the wedding of the century. They said I was the happiest woman in New York. Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one who wanted this god-like man. On our wedding night, he took a call and never came back. I sat with my eyes open until dawn. He came back drunk in the early morning, calmly patting my head. “You know what’s cutest about you? You’re sensible enough not to cause trouble. The Sterling family needs a wife like you.” In that instant, the anger blocking my heart was extinguished by a bucket of cold water. I learned to be good. No fighting, no noise. Just a decoration. But now, he was playing with the person I hated most in this life: Bella. Back then, my dad brought Bella home and forced my mom to accept her as a “daughter.” My mother, proud all her life, held me silently. She gave my father two choices. Either send Bella away, or she would take me and leave the family. My father said nothing, standing on the balcony in the cold wind all night. When he returned to the bedroom, he found my mother had jumped from the window. It rained heavily that night, washing away the blood on my mother’s body. Roman rushed over and held me, letting me punch him over and over, constantly saying, “It’s okay, it’s okay…” But he chose Bella as his new favorite. What dignity did I have left as Mrs. Sterling? Roman didn’t come back that night. The trending topic I arranged was buried deep by him. It couldn’t be found anywhere online. But he openly took Bella to galas, letting her replace me as “Mrs. Sterling.” He high-profile invited everyone in New York to celebrate Bella’s birthday tomorrow. But he knew in his heart that her birthday was also the anniversary of my mother’s death. He just wanted me to face reality: someone like me could never fight him. Roman sent a private doctor to bandage the wound on my collarbone that exposed the bone. “Mr. Sterling still cares about you. He remembered your constitution is unique and wounds don’t heal easily.” I smiled self-deprecatingly and said nothing. The next second, I received an anonymous video. It showed Bella losing control of her emotions: “That night I went to persuade Auntie to accept me as a daughter, but she hit me and said I wasn’t worthy.” “In the dispute, I pushed her down by accident. It was purely self-defense! Dad, Roman, what should I do now…” Bella slapped her own face frantically, claiming she was sorry to me. My ears rang, the world spinning. My father slapped her hard, clutching his heart in anger. “How did I give birth to a daughter like you! That was my wife!” Bella, with a red handprint on her face, looked stubbornly at Roman’s back. “You’ll help me. You have me in your heart, right?” Silence for a century. My heart was in my throat. In the video, Roman’s expression was unreadable, but his voice was firm and calm. “Go hide for a while. I’ll handle the police.” 3 Every word Roman said was clear and piercing. The whole world was hiding the truth about my mother’s death from me, including Roman, whom I trusted unconditionally. That year, I ran to the police station in the rain. Roman got into a car accident chasing me. He crawled out of the car with difficulty, grabbing my ankle with a bloody hand. “Chloe, go back now. Leave this to me.” I naively thought he would get justice for me and my mother because I never believed she would abandon me. But unexpectedly, my father and husband both betrayed me. The next day, I appeared at Bella’s birthday gala, disheveled and unkempt. She was intimately holding Roman’s arm, enthusiastically showing off the heirloom jade ring he gave her. As if she really was Mrs. Sterling. When I entered, everyone’s eyes fell on me—contemptuous, mocking. Only Roman looked relaxed, thinking I was there to beg for reconciliation like before, opening his arms slightly towards me. But he was destined to be disappointed. “Roman Sterling, Bella killed my mother, right? You were an accomplice, right?!” His breath hitched, but the guilt in his eyes vanished instantly. “Today is Bella’s birthday, don’t make a scene!” Even my father rushed up from the audience and slapped me hard. Seeing the warning looks in their eyes, I finally accepted reality. The content of that video was true. At this moment, Bella threw herself over, crying like a pear blossom in rain. “Sister, I know Auntie hated me enough to kill me when she was alive, but Sister, we only have each other now. Please don’t hurt me anymore…” “I won’t pursue you for abusing me. I’ll be obedient.” As she spoke, she inadvertently revealed scars on her arm, looking pitiable. Seeing this, Roman frowned deeply in distress, his eyes full of disappointment looking at me. “Chloe, she’s your sister! How could you be so cruel!” The crowd gasped and whispered. “Chloe’s mother tried to murder Miss Bella and ended up killing herself? Serves her right.” “I didn’t expect Chloe to be so shameless. Playing the victim to fight for favor. Old virgins just love to cause trouble.” “They mother and daughter are used to bullying others. Trash from the gutter can’t change its smell.” … Endless abuse and accusations washed over me. The scene of my mother falling in despair flashed rapidly in my mind. I couldn’t bear it anymore. By the time I reacted, my hands were already around Bella’s neck. “I want you to pay with your life!” She struggled in my grip. The next moment, a huge force pushed me away violently. Roman raised a trembling hand and slapped my face without holding back. “Chloe, what are you trying to do!” “I order you to clarify to everyone right now that you framed Bella and bullied them mother and daughter, otherwise…” His voice suddenly dropped low, gentle but cruel enough. “Otherwise, I’ll level your mother’s cemetery. Isn’t today her death anniversary?” 4 I looked up in shock. Meeting his almost heartless gaze, seeing the threat in his eyes. His brow was still gentle, but it couldn’t overlap with the face of the deeply affectionate man from the past. I stared at him stubbornly, eyes bloodshot. “No!” Unexpectedly, as soon as the words fell, the man took a remote control from his pocket. “There are bombs buried under the cemetery. Chloe, be good. Don’t force me.” He called me by my nickname, but it sounded more like the whisper of a devil. So he was prepared. To protect Bella, he held my lifeline in his hand at all times. That cemetery was the only thought keeping me alive in this world. I couldn’t watch my mother’s soul be scattered. I swallowed the blood in my throat, pushed him away, shuffled over, and knelt in front of Bella. “Bella, my mother and I wronged you.” “I! Am! Sorry!” I looked up at Bella’s triumphant face, then at Roman. “Is this apology enough?” Roman’s chest visibly heaved for a moment, then he cleared his throat. “As long as you know you’re wrong. You can go. Mourn your mother for me.” Dropping this polite remark, he put his arm around Bella’s waist and turned to continue the celebration. Amidst the laughter, guests whispered. “No wonder Mr. Sterling won’t touch her. Her heart is so dirty. No wonder those bed photos of her came out a few days ago.” “She and her mother bullied others. I didn’t expect she stole her sister’s engagement with tricks. She’s the mistress!” “Married for five years and still a virgin. Who would want her? People might think she has a disease.” … I knelt on the ground in a sorry state, listening numbly. I disdained to keep the so-called “forever and ever.” Just as I was about to leave, a piercing ding sounded in my ear. Not far away, Bella waved the remote control at me from an angle no one else could see. Watching the countdown tick closer, the hair on my back stood up! I struggled to get up and stumbled out of the banquet hall. Roman followed my back deeply. Just as he was about to call me, Bella pulled him. “Come toast with me.” The man twitched the corner of his mouth, his attention returning to Bella. At the cemetery. I dug frantically at the gravestone with my hands, fingers bloody and curled. The next moment, a loud bang exploded in my ears. Debris flew, and my mother’s tombstone shattered into pieces. The urn buried deep underground also exploded. Watching the ashes flying in the sky, my heart died completely. Then, a sudden heat wave hit, and my vision plunged into darkness… Roman didn’t stay for Bella’s birthday cake after all. Instead, he brought a bouquet of flowers to the cemetery. But the moment he stepped in, his pupils dilated instantly!

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My parents were on the brink of a nasty divorce because of my dad’s affair. The only thing stopping them was the custody battle over me. To prove she could support me, my mom got a high-paying job that required travel. On the day she left for a business trip, she made my dad promise to take care of five-year-old me. But the moment his first love called, he abandoned me to go cook for her cats. Before he left, he dumped a case of instant noodles and a pack of water bottles on the kitchen floor. Five days later, I developed a high fever. In my confusion, I swallowed my grandmother’s heart medication instead of Tylenol. With my heart rate spiraling out of control, I called my dad in agony: “Daddy, I’m sick. I took the wrong medicine… I think I’m dying.” His voice dripped with impatience at being woken up: “Why are you lying like your mother? Stop making things up!” “I’ll be back in a few days. Go to sleep.” The drugs made me nauseous. I begged him one last time: “Daddy, please save me. I really—” I heard the phone being tossed aside. A woman’s voice drifted through the line: “Your daughter says she’s dying. Aren’t you worried?” His tone was casual, unbothered: “Don’t listen to her nonsense. If she dies, it saves me the trouble!” “She’s the only reason her mother won’t sign the divorce papers!” I remembered the countless times my mom broke down because of his cheating. He was right. Only if I died could my mom finally be free. 1 I used my last ounce of strength to crawl into bed, clutching the family photo from the nightstand. I huddled under the covers, staring at it. In the photo, Mom was kissing my cheek, her smile radiant. Dad was looking at us with deep affection. Mom said this photo was taken when I was two. That was before Dad’s first love came back. His love was entirely in this home. When I was three, she returned. His gaze toward Mom and me turned into indifference and annoyance. But Dad always said he loved me. I was the extension of his life. Especially after the doctor said an injury made him sterile. I, his only child, became his only hope. Even when Mom offered to leave with nothing but me, letting him visit whenever he wanted… He refused. Tears fell onto Mom’s face in the photo. I lowered my head and kissed her forehead one last time. Suffocation wrapped around me like a heavy blanket. With my last breath, I whispered: “Goodbye, Mom.” As my eyes closed, a memory of Mom kneeling before Dad flashed in my mind. “I beg you! Give me the child!” “You don’t love us at all. Stop torturing us.” She was crying so hard her thin shoulders shook violently. Dad looked at her with disgust: “How do I not love you?” “You’re the one throwing away a good life!” “If you really loved our daughter, you’d give her a complete family!” “I will never give you my daughter!” Desperate and furious, Mom stood up and screamed at him: “You love her? Ha!” “Bullsh*t!” She hated it when Dad claimed to love me while neglecting me. Usually gentle, she exploded during their later fights, listing his sins one by one: “You love her? She was in the hospital for a week with pneumonia, and you didn’t show your face once!” “What were you doing?! You took your mistress to see polar bears in Alaska!” “Not only did you not come back, you spent all our savings on that woman!” “You always wanted to know where the money for our daughter’s treatment came from, right?” “I’ll tell you! I sold myself! I slept with an old man for six hours! That’s how your daughter got treated! Are you happy now?!” “I hate you! You don’t love her! Stop lying!” “I birthed her through twenty-four hours of pain. Why can’t I take her?!” 2 That day, I finally understood why Mom spent so long in the shower. The running water hid her sobs. Whenever I asked why she was crying, she’d smile and say I heard wrong. To stop Mom’s pain, I begged Dad too: “Daddy, apologize to Mom. Stop making her cry.” Dad frowned, picked me up, and wiped my tears. He glanced at Mom impatiently: “Stop acting crazy! You’re scaring our daughter!” “I’m telling you one last time. Give me custody, and I’ll sign the divorce papers right now.” “Otherwise, we stay like this! Stop turning the house upside down over nothing.” Mom wasn’t willing to give up. She grabbed his arm, needing to vent: “Mark Zhou, you’re not a man!” “You claim to love your daughter, but what have you done for her?” “You cook for your mistress’s cats, but your five-year-old daughter has never eaten a meal you made!” “You even stole the birthday money I saved for her to buy premium cat food!” “You buy that woman clothes, bags, even clothes for her cat.” “Have you bought a single piece of clothing for your daughter?” Scenes like this played out every few days. Every time, Dad would just say impatiently: “Go crazy if you want. No one cares!” All the arguments ended with Mom screaming alone like a madwoman. I cried snot and tears, secretly begging Dad: “Please divorce Mom. She has to take pills to sleep now.” “She gets sick all the time, cries every day, and stops eating.” “Daddy, even if I live with Mom, I’ll still love you.” “Please, Daddy, let me go with Mom. I don’t want to see her in pain anymore.” Dad’s eyes reddened. He held back tears, stroking my face with his large hand. He whispered softly: “Mom is just throwing a tantrum.” “Daddy can’t bear to let you go with her. She has no job, she can’t raise you.” “We will always be a family, okay?” Mom heard this. From then on, the woman who had been a housewife for five years pulled herself together and found a job. Mom would cup my face, eyes full of hope: “Baby, once Mom’s job is stable, I’ll sue for divorce.” “Once I have financial stability, the court will give you to me.” “Give Mom a little time, okay?” I smiled and cheered her on every time. I learned from listening to adults that before having me, Mom was a brilliant, talented woman. She became a housewife to take care of me and Dad. In my memory, she worked from dawn to dusk. Cooking three meals a day. Keeping the house spotless. Caring for my sick grandparents. Whenever she had a moment, she read to me and played with me. I often saw her exhausted. After getting a job, she was even busier, leaving early and returning late. Dad complained: “For a stupid job, you neglect your family!” Mom, her heart dead to him, stopped arguing. She focused only on making money, getting that stable income proof to win my custody. 3 Dad didn’t change at all. He would only hug me when he was in a good mood. Less than five minutes later, he’d put me down, smiling at his phone, texting that woman. When he was happy, he’d kiss my cheek and say: “I love my big girl so much.” I couldn’t remember any other warm moments with him. It was mostly him fighting with Mom, smashing things, and me crying in terror. Now, it’s okay. I’m dead. They don’t have to be deadlocked over my custody anymore. Mom came back at night. My soul was floating in the living room. “Baby, Mommy’s home!” She dragged her suitcase in, looking travel-worn. In her left hand, she held a Capybara plushie and my favorite snacks. I instinctively ran to hug her, but I went right through her. My transparent soul passed through her body. I remembered then—I was already dead. Mom looked at the messy living room, instant noodle crumbs everywhere. Empty water bottles on the floor. A foul smell in the air. She wrinkled her nose, put down her suitcase, and walked in. Calling my name as she looked around: “Mumu? Mumu, Mommy’s back.” She muttered under her breath: “Only a few days and the house is a pigsty.” “How does he take care of a child!” “And he wants to fight for custody like this!” I followed Mom, reaching out to hold her hand. Just like when I was alive, her big hand wrapping around my small one. But I couldn’t feel her warmth anymore. I looked up at her face and said: “Mommy, I’m dead.” “You can divorce Daddy now.” “You don’t have to fight anymore.” She couldn’t hear a thing. Not finding me in the living room, she went to the bedroom. She saw my small form tucked under the covers. A happy smile lit up her face. She tiptoed to the bed. She stared at me lovingly for a while, then blew me a gentle kiss, afraid to wake me. My nose stung, and tears fell like broken pearls. I cried, hugging Mom’s leg. I knew clearly. In this world, she loved me the most. And I loved her the most. I wanted her to be free, but I was terrified that finding me dead would break her. In that moment, I understood why Mom always said: “You are my weakness.” Back then, I always told her to leave Dad. Naively thinking that if she left, she wouldn’t be sad or sleepless anymore. Every time, she would hug me tightly, heart aching. Determinedly telling me: “Mommy will definitely take you with me. Mommy won’t leave her baby behind.” But Mom, I’m sorry. I left you behind. She quietly closed the bedroom door. She walked to the bathroom farthest from my room to call Dad. It rang for a long time before connecting. She covered her mouth, scolding angrily: “Where the hell are you!” “Are you with that bitch again?!” “Mark Zhou, you are an animal!” “How could you leave our daughter home alone!” Afraid of waking me, she kept her voice low, her face red with rage. Dad’s voice on the phone was as impatient as ever: “I have things to do too!” “Stop looking for trouble every day!” “Mumu is five years old. She’s good, she can stay home alone!” “If you’re so worried, quit your job and come back to watch her!” Beep. He hung up! 4 Mom angrily called back. But Dad had turned off his phone. She cried in frustration, clutching her chest, wiping tears again and again. Painful sobs twisted her face. She covered her mouth to suppress the sound. I hugged her, heart aching, coaxing her over and over: “Mommy, don’t cry.” “You can leave Daddy now.” Her shoulders shook in my transparent embrace for a long time. Red-eyed, she started cleaning the messy house. Just like countless times before, silently doing chores. I followed her like a little shadow, just like when I was alive. Listening to her sniffle as she worked. I cried silently with her. After cleaning, she opened the fridge and found it empty. Just as she was about to cook for me, her boss called. He needed a proposal urgently. She immediately put down her work and opened her laptop in the living room. I lay on the table, watching her quietly. A while later, her phone rang again. It was Grandma. “You’re wasting your youth! How long are you going to drag this out?” “It’s not like you can’t have more kids. Just give him Mumu and leave! Get divorced!” I had heard these words until my ears bled. Mom, as usual, replied firmly and impatiently: “Don’t worry about my business. I won’t give up Mumu.” Grandma got angry: “You think I want to worry? Mark Zhou, that heartless man.” “He mortgaged your house! He bought that mistress a diamond necklace!” “That woman came to show off in front of your dad and me! Your dad had a heart attack from anger!” “He’s been in the hospital for five days! I didn’t want to worry you!” Mom froze, thunderstruck. She didn’t expect Dad to be so heartless. Her chest hurt suddenly, and she patted it weakly. After a few minutes of silence, she picked up her phone and called a man: “I can be your mistress, but I want a divorce. You have to help me get custody of my daughter.” A man’s cheerful agreement came from the other end. I suddenly remembered—this man was an old grandpa with white hair. Mom was so clean and proud. How could she be with an old man for me? I stomped my feet in anxiety: “Mommy, I’m dead! Go check on me in the room!” “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do for me anymore!” Mom stared blankly for a while until her phone vibrated again. Her boss urging her for the meeting. She hadn’t eaten all day, her stomach hurt, but she only had time for half a glass of water. She grabbed her briefcase and rushed to the office, calling Dad on the way: “I’m going to the office. Get your ass back home and watch Mumu.” “If I come back and find Mumu alone again, don’t blame me for going to that mistress’s mother’s house and making a scene!” Dad never took Mom’s threats seriously. He didn’t come back until almost 9 AM the next day. Just as the kindergarten teacher called him: “Mumu’s dad, Mumu’s mom is busy, she asked me to call you.” “Please bring Mumu to school today.” Dad agreed: “Okay, I’ll bring her now.” Hanging up, he walked into the bedroom. Seeing me still under the covers. He playfully pretended to be a lion: “Which little kid is still in bed at 9 o’clock!” “I’m the big lion, let’s see which lazy bones is sleeping in… is it little Mumu?” As he pulled back the covers, the smile vanished from his face instantly. All color drained away.

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I had always been obedient, doing exactly what I was told. When my wealthy parents finally brought me home, my adopted sister whispered in my ear: “The position of the Sterling heiress is mine. If you know what’s good for you, get lost.” I nodded obediently, turned around, and jumped into the traffic on the highway. My parents were terrified, dragging me back into the car with shaking hands and pale faces. My brother, face dark as thunder, warned me: “If you dare pull another stunt for attention, believe me, I’ll send you back to that hellhole.” I obeyed immediately. That night, I locked myself in the dog cage. My brother was dumbfounded. He dragged me out, grinding his teeth, looking at me like he’d seen a ghost. Later, when my adopted sister faked an illness, my brother forced me to donate blood for her. I obediently took the knife and sliced my wrist without hesitation. When my parents arrived, blood was spraying everywhere. They screamed, lunging to stem the flow. “Doctor! Call an ambulance!” My brother’s face was white. After a long while, he stammered: “Mom, Dad, I just asked her for a few drops of blood for Chloe… I didn’t tell her to slit her wrist…” I blinked. My brother wasn’t lying. He didn’t teach me that. The “counselors” at the reform school they sent me to five years ago taught me that. 1 It took three hours of emergency surgery to stabilize my heartbeat, which had almost flatlined. Seeing my parents’ faces turn green with rage, Chloe Sterling couldn’t keep up her act anymore. “It really wasn’t me… she just suddenly cut herself. I was scared too,” she sobbed, desperate to clear her name. My brother, Liam, immediately stepped in front of her, his tone firm. “Mom, Dad, this has to be another one of Maya’s tricks for sympathy!” “If she really wanted to die, why not just stab her neck? She slit her wrist knowing she could be saved! She’s manipulative!” I opened my eyes from the dizzying darkness just in time to hear that. I slowly crawled to a corner no one was watching and obediently picked up the knife that hadn’t been taken away yet. The sticky laughter and tearing pain from my memories swirled in my mind… I tried to stop my body from trembling and forced a pleasing smile. “Brother, sister, I’ll listen to whatever you say.” Then I pressed the tip of the knife to my neck and stabbed down hard. The family turned at the sound of my weak voice, and their souls nearly left their bodies. The room exploded into chaos—screams, lunges… My parents coaxed and pleaded until they pried the knife from my hand. Liam wanted to say more, but my father slapped him across the face! “Enough!” Dad threw the knife on the floor. His trembling finger pointed at Chloe, then at Liam. “Have you ever seen anyone seek attention like this?!” “Look! Look at what you’ve done to Maya!” Chloe and Liam’s eyes widened in disbelief. Chloe stomped her foot, tears welling up. Liam glared at me, grinding his teeth. “Maya, just you wait! If you make Chloe upset, I won’t forgive you!” I shrank behind my mother, eyes full of fear. My body reacted faster than my mind. I gently tugged Liam’s sleeve, voice weak. “Brother, I’m sorry. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have upset sister… I’ll apologize to her right now.” Before they could react, I slowly moved to the window, opened it, and under everyone’s shocked gaze, jumped. Silence for a second. Then, a piercing scream tore through the room. “Maya!!” My parents stumbled to the window. My mother looked down once and collapsed, fainting on the spot. My father scrambled to find a doctor, tripping over himself. Liam and Chloe stood frozen, completely dumbfounded. Wind rushed past my ears. A warm wetness spread beneath me, followed by shattering pain. Consciousness faded, and I slowly closed my eyes. 2 That night, the fake medical records were slammed at Chloe’s feet by my father. Chloe’s feigned illness and Liam forcing me to donate blood were exposed. Chloe’s tears fell instantly. She gasped for air between sobs. “Mom, Dad, I’m sorry. I was just so scared.” “Maya treated me so badly before. I didn’t know if she really changed, so I just wanted to test her. I didn’t mean to fake being sick.” She grabbed clothes from her closet and stuffed them into a suitcase. “I know I was wrong. I’ll move out now so I don’t annoy you…” Liam rushed to stop her, raising his voice. “Mom, Dad! You hear that? Chloe is just insecure!” “You know how badly Maya bullied her back then!” He glanced at my room, his tone getting agitated. “Did you forget what Maya was like? Arrogant, spoiled, wild!” “She went to ‘learn manners’ for five years and completely changed? Who believes that?” “Does a normal person slit their wrist and jump out a window over a few words? She’s ruthless to herself, which means she’s scheming. I say her acting skills just leveled up…” “Shut up!” Dad shouted him down. My parents glared at him, but his words had planted a seed of doubt. From that night on, everyone looked at me with scrutiny. With my parents’ tacit approval, Chloe’s “tests” escalated. But when she poured a bucket of ice water over my head, I stood still, even smiling up at her apologetically. When she deliberately put seafood, which I’m allergic to, in my bowl, I whispered thanks and ate it all. Watching the rash spread rapidly across my neck, Chloe lost patience. She grabbed a handful of sleeping pills and shoved them into my mouth. “Swallow it! Aren’t you obedient?!” “Let’s see how long you can keep up the act!” Dad paused, looking like he wanted to speak. Mom hesitated, reaching out a hand, then looked away. Liam stood by with his arms crossed, enjoying the show. They were waiting. Waiting for the old, spoiled Maya to smash plates and throw a tantrum. Even Chloe tensed up. But I didn’t fight back. I opened my mouth obediently and swallowed the pills. Chloe froze for a second. Then her face went white. She lunged at me, fingers jamming into my throat. “Are you crazy?! Spit it out! Spit it out!” “Maya! Those are sleeping pills! You could die! Are you trying to frame me for murder?!” By the time the family doctor arrived, the corners of my mouth were bleeding. The induced vomiting was long and humiliating. I curled up on the sofa, shivering uncontrollably. Dad draped his jacket over me with shaking hands, his red eyes glaring at Liam and Chloe. “This is your brilliant idea! Are you satisfied now?!” Mom hugged me, wailing. “Maya, my Maya! What happened to you!” I just stared blankly at the ceiling light, unresponsive. 3 After fainting that day, I had a long nightmare. In the dream, Chloe would scratch her own arm when my parents walked by, then cry into their chests, “Maya hit me again…” She would jump down the stairs when she saw Liam coming, then point at me tearfully, “Maya pushed me.” Whenever my family hesitated, she would choke up, “Since Maya still can’t accept me, let me leave. I’ll survive on my own.” In the dream, I was still the old Maya who couldn’t stand being wronged. Every time I was framed, I would scream and defend myself. Over time, I looked like the crazy one. Until the final straw. Chloe locked herself in her room and set it on fire to frame me. After being rescued, she insisted I started the fire. I went mad with rage and attacked her. And my family finally ran out of patience. They wouldn’t listen to a word of my explanation. They personally handed me over to the traffickers posing as a “wilderness therapy camp.” Brainwashed by the smooth talkers, they quickly bought the pitch about “learning discipline.” They signed a five-year contract to “straighten me out.” When I woke from the nightmare, a psychiatrist’s face filled my vision. I was surprisingly cooperative. “Maya,” she asked softly, “can you tell me why you don’t fight back, or even hurt yourself, when others do things to you?” I blinked. My voice was natural. “Because only if I’m obedient enough, I won’t get beaten.” The sticks, the torn clothes, the dark cellar… I had tasted the price of disobedience enough. The doctor stared at me, speechless. After a while, she tried again. “But you’re home now, Maya.” “There are people who love you here. No one will hit or bully you.” I tilted my head curiously. “No one bullies me?” “Does sister pouring water on me and shoving pills down my throat count as bullying?” “Does brother forcing me to give blood count as bullying?” “Or like Mom and Dad…” I leaned closer and whispered: “One second they’re hugging me crying, but the next, even seeing everything Chloe did, they just watched because they thought I was acting. They even think I’m sick and hired you…” “Does that count as bullying?” I stared at her, enunciating every word. “Doctor, disobedience leads to death.” “I used to have friends like me.” “But they’re gone now.” “Because they weren’t obedient enough… and were beaten to death.” The doctor’s hand froze in mid-air. Her face went pale. She repeated every word I said to my parents. The final diagnosis: Severe PTSD with extreme submissive behavior and emotional dissociation. After the doctor left, my parents locked themselves in the study for a whole day. Until Liam kicked the door open. 4 After Liam kicked the door in, a massive argument erupted. From then on, my parents treated me with terrifying caution. At dinner, I always ate first. Mom would blow on the soup to cool it before feeding me. Dad dug out old photo albums, showing me page by page. “Look, Maya, your third birthday… your first dance recital… you were so cute.” Liam walked by, sneered, and stopped. “Great acting.” “Just playing the victim to push Chloe out, right?” “This act… makes me sick.” My gaze fell on a photo of me and Liam. He used to be so good to me that I dared not recall when it changed. What brought me back was the sound of a slap across Liam’s face. My parents finally snapped. Chloe rushed over, clinging to my parents’ arms, voice soft. “Mom, Dad, don’t be mad. Liam just has a temper. He didn’t mean it.” “We’ll get along with Maya, I promise.” She paused, as if remembering something. “By the way, isn’t there a gala next week? I remember Maya loved dancing!” “I’ll take her. Maybe… it’ll cheer her up.” My parents looked at the smiling little girl in the photo album. After a long silence, they nodded. At the gala, Chloe grabbed my hand the moment we arrived. “Come on, let’s pick the prettiest dress in the back.” I followed obediently, letting her drag me away from the crowd. By the pool, she stopped and whispered viciously in my ear. “You think playing the obedient pet will steal everything from me? Dream on!” “Mom, Dad, and Liam love me. Only me.” She smirked cruelly. “Wanna bet? If I win, you leave the Sterling family and never come back.” Before she finished, a force shoved me from behind! Splash! I was swallowed by the cold water. Chloe watched for a while, then jumped in herself. She screamed, “Liam! Help me!!” When Liam rushed over, he froze. He hesitated for only a second before diving in and swimming toward Chloe. Only after he dragged Chloe to the shore did he hear the guests gasping. “There’s another one!” “That one isn’t moving! She’s sinking!” He whipped his head around, face going white, and dove back in to fish me out. I curled up on the cold ground, coughing up water. Liam pressed his lips together, worry flashing in his eyes. The next second, Chloe’s tearful sobbing cut his concern short. He looked at Chloe’s red eyes, seemingly remembering something, and his face darkened again. “Kneel and apologize to Chloe! Look how scared she is!” I wanted to nod, but my body shook uncontrollably. Seeing this, his eyes went cold. “Maya Sterling! Everyone knows you’re a good swimmer! You won the city championship in elementary school!” “You’re addicted to acting, aren’t you?!” He shouted, grabbing me roughly to force me to my knees in front of Chloe. In that violent tug… I lost my balance and fell forward. That’s when the prosthetic leg detached. The flesh-colored prosthetic with its metal screws rolled across the ground. The air went dead silent. Then, screams of horror erupted from the crowd. Staring at my empty pant leg, Liam’s face went sheet white. He stumbled back, eyes wide with horror, and fell onto his butt.

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At 3 PM, my newly hired colleague, Liam (who went by “Lia” at the office), suddenly tagged me in the company-wide Slack channel with hundreds of people: @SarahVance: You btch in cubicle 203, can you stop banging on your keyboard? The vibration is giving me cramps!* @SarahVance: My baby is sleeping in my belly right now. If your noise gives him a concussion, I will make your whole family pay! I hurriedly explained that I was rushing a proposal due EOD and that I was using a silent mechanical keyboard. But he refused to believe me. I patiently explained multiple times. To avoid conflict, I even applied to work from a desk in the hallway. Unexpectedly, a week later, he barged into the breakroom with a freshly boiled kettle of water and poured it over my head. I collapsed in a pool of scalding water, skin peeling. He still疯了一样 (like a madman) smashed my head with his high heel, screaming hysterically: “It’s all your fault! I miscarried! Your keyboard noise killed my son!!” My vision blurred, and I lost consciousness—dying without understanding how a silent keyboard could kill anyone. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day he cursed me out in the group chat. Facing his familiar abuse, I didn’t back down. I directly questioned him in the group: “What kind of pregnant woman are you pretending to be? If you pulled it out, your d*ck would be bigger than mine!” 1 After I sent the message to the group, the chat, which had been buzzing with hundreds of people discussing projects, went dead silent. A few seconds later, Lia’s messages flooded the screen like a broken dam: @SarahVance: What kind of bullst are you spouting, you dirty whre? I’m three months pregnant! I have the ultrasound right here. How dare you slander me?! @everyone: Come look at this! Sarah in 203 is jealous because she can’t lay an egg herself, so she can’t stand seeing others have babies! @HR @CEO_Zhang: There’s a person like this in the company! I’m calling the police! This is defamation! This is a personal attack! Lia threw a tantrum, crying and screaming. Immediately, colleagues stepped up, pointing their spears at me. Karen from Design: Sarah, that’s too much. How can you talk to a pregnant woman like that? Your mouth is poisonous! Another colleague tried to mediate: Lia, calm down. Don’t get angry for the baby’s sake. Sarah was probably just joking. Lia wasn’t having it: Joking? Is this something you joke about? What do I have to say to her? She’s just jealous I married well and have my husband’s seed in my belly! My pregnancy is high-risk! The doctor specifically ordered bed rest and quiet! But this slt keeps typing like she’s operating a jackhammer! If anything happens to my baby, I’ll skin her alive!* Other colleagues on the floor started chiming in: Exactly. Lia said she’s not feeling well. Can’t you be quieter? It’s already afternoon. Can’t you submit that proposal tomorrow? Why antagonize a pregnant woman? Reading these black-and-white distortions, I laughed out of pure rage. In my past life, this was how they pushed me into a corner step by step. I explained over and over that I used a silent keyboard. To avoid disturbing her, I even took my laptop to work in the stairwell. But what I got in return was her scalding me from head to toe with boiling water. Before I died, with my skin boiled off and my skull crushed by a high heel, Lia’s crazed face was the last thing I saw in this world. I closed my eyes. The searing pain of boiling water seemed to brand my soul. Anger and hatred crashed against my chest. Lia was still frantically tagging me in the group: Cat got your tongue? Why aren’t you talking, you btch? Guilty?* Did you do it on purpose? You don’t want me to have a good life, right? I finally got pregnant, and you just have to kill my son, don’t you? If anything happens to him, can you afford to pay? Will you pay with your life? “Pay with my life?” “Pay for the turd you’re going to birth?” I stared at those words, unable to suppress my fire any longer. I sent a voice message directly to the group, my tone icy: “Fine. Come over here right now. As long as you dare to drop your pants in front of the whole company, I, Sarah Vance, will jump out this window right now to pay for your son with my life!” 2 My voice message made the entire company explode. The group chat was silent for a full minute. Then, a commotion erupted from the direction of my cubicle. I looked up and saw Lia clutching her belly, supported by several female colleagues, marching towards me with red-rimmed eyes. “Sarah!” Her voice was shrill, laced with tears, as if she had suffered the world’s greatest injustice. “How can you be so vicious? How did I ever offend you for you to humiliate me like this?” “I’m carrying a boy! He’s the only heir for generations in our family. Can’t you just tolerate him?” The female colleagues beside her immediately jumped to her defense: “Sarah, you’re inhuman. Lia just joined the company, why are you bullying her like this?” “Exactly! Won’t you have children yourself one day? Can you bear to see your own child cursed like this?” “Messing with an unborn baby? Aren’t you afraid of karma?” Lia was still dry heaving, acting her heart out. Tears came on command as she leaned weakly on a colleague: “I’m going to kill you… You ruined my innocence… I’m going to kill you…” His crying was piercing, stimulating my eardrums and my memories of the past life. Thinking of how I was tortured to death by this gender-confused maniac, my body couldn’t stop shaking. Hearing him say he wanted to kill me, I couldn’t hold back anymore. I stood up abruptly, shoved the female colleague aside, and grabbed him by the collar. “Kill me? You already killed me once in my last life!” “Act! Keep acting! Where’s your belly? Where’s the ultrasound? Show me!” He was frightened by my aura. After freezing for a few seconds, he suddenly clawed at my face. I dodged sideways and tripped him precisely. Thud. He fell face-forward onto the floor. Recalling the agony of boiling water pouring over me in my past life, rage consumed my heart. I stepped on his back, grabbed his silky wig, and smashed his face into the floor. “Keep pretending! Keep acting! Let’s see what kind of thing you really are today!” Lia was pinned down by me, screaming like a slaughtered pig: “Ah! Help! Sarah’s crazy! She’s killing people! My belly… my baby…” His shrill screams attracted more colleagues. Everyone rushed up, pulling us apart. Two male colleagues held me back. I was still panting. Calculating the time, I had only been reborn for half an hour. That means, half an hour ago, I was murdered by this monster in front of me! How could I be calm?! But after pulling me away, the crowd pointed fingers at me: “Sarah, are you insane! It started with your foul mouth, and now you dare to hit a pregnant woman?” “How did we not notice before that our company had such a vicious woman like you!” “I’ve called security! If you dare move again, we’ll call the police directly and let them handle you!” 3 Freed from my suppression, Lia became arrogant again. He was helped up, clutching his belly, crying and pointing at me: “Everyone saw it! She’s jealous of me! She wants to kill my child!” He stumbled towards me, raising his hand to slap me. I wanted to fight back, but I was firmly held by the male colleagues. “Still want to fight?! Can’t you behave?” Seeing I couldn’t move, a smug grin appeared on Lia’s face, and his insults became nastier: “You rotten goods who can’t lay an egg! You should just rot in the ground!” Other colleagues also criticized me for lacking empathy. Karen, who spoke up earlier, comforted Lia while glaring at me hatefully: “You’re an adult, have you no shame? Making a pregnant woman this upset over a proposal, what is your heart made of?” “It’s hard enough for Lia to work while pregnant. If something happens to her because of your tantrum, can you take responsibility?” I struggled, trying to break free, and shouted back: “I’ve explained a dozen times, I use a silent keyboard! How did I disturb him? Telepathy?” “Besides, he says he’s pregnant. Has anyone seen his prenatal checkup reports? Has anyone seen his husband pick him up?” My words made a few people pause, doubt creeping into their eyes. Lia immediately pulled a crumpled paper from his bag: “This is my ultrasound! It clearly says 12 weeks pregnant!” I sneered: “Just now you said my keyboard sounded like a jackhammer and gave you cramps. Now you’re jumping and screaming here, and your precious son is suddenly fine?” Everyone froze. Karen muttered to herself: “Yeah, when I was pregnant, let alone fighting, even a loud noise made my heart race… Is Lia’s fetus made of steel?” Security arrived just then, seeing the tense situation, they quickly interjected: “Everyone calm down! Talk it out!” Lia, who was arrogant just a moment ago, suddenly covered his mouth and started dry heaving. After a while, she said weakly: “I can’t… my stomach hurts so much… She must have hurt the baby when she pushed me!” “I need to go to the hospital! If I lose my baby, Sarah, I won’t let you go even as a ghost!” I wasn’t going to let him off that easily. “Great, let’s go to the hospital! I’ll go with you! I’ll also help you book a urologist to check your prostate!” Lia went berserk, screaming and pointing at my nose: “You… you crazy woman! You’re slandering me! I’ll sue you for defamation!” I immediately addressed the crowd: “Did everyone hear that? Just one check at the hospital and we’ll know. If he really is a pregnant woman, I’ll kowtow and apologize to him in front of everyone, and pay all medical bills!” Then, I turned to Lia: “Do you dare to go?” Saying that, I grabbed him and dragged him toward the exit. “Let’s go, right now! Let the whole company see if you’re carrying a child or just a bag of bad water!” My colleagues and I stared at him, waiting for an answer. Lia’s face went from red to white. He never dreamed that the soft persimmon he crushed in his past life would turn into a prickly maniac in this one. He gripped the desk tightly, refusing to move a step. Then, as if struck by an idea, he suddenly collapsed straight to the floor with a thud. A pool of “blood” quickly spread beneath him. He reached out, pointing a trembling finger at me, eyes full of venom: “My baby… Sarah… you killed my baby!” 4 Lia was quickly taken away by an ambulance, and the company was in chaos. Karen pointed at me, shaking with rage: “Sarah! Are you happy now? You killed someone’s child!” Another colleague had already dialed 911: “Hello, police? Someone here intentionally assaulted a pregnant woman, causing a miscarriage!” I stood by the pool of “blood,” watching coldly. That wasn’t blood at all; it was just red ink. This scammer was certainly well-prepared. Soon, the police arrived at the office. Lia had been sent to the hospital for “emergency treatment,” and I was taken back to the station as the prime suspect. The office surveillance clearly recorded the whole process. From my message in the group chat, to Lia bringing people to confront me, to me pushing him, and finally his “miscarriage.” All evidence was extremely unfavorable to me. In the interrogation room, the officer’s expression was grim: “Sarah, why did you use such heavy hands on a pregnant woman? Just because she asked you to be quiet?” “Do you know your actions constitute intentional assault?” I looked at the officer and said calmly: “Officer, I didn’t. First, I didn’t intentionally hurt him. Second, he isn’t a pregnant woman.” “He is a man.” The officer frowned: “We’ve verified with the hospital. The victim, Lia, female, was indeed 12 weeks pregnant, but has miscarried due to severe impact.” “What else do you want to fabricate?” I laughed: “Hospital? Which doctor did the check? Dare you let him come confront me face to face?” “I said, Lia is a man. What’s in his belly isn’t a fetus, but a silicone pad and a bag of red ink.” My words stunned the police. They probably had never seen such a “stubborn” suspect. A male officer slammed the table: “Sarah! You still show no remorse! Surveillance video, witness testimony, hospital diagnosis, all evidence points to you!” “Do you think spouting nonsense will get you off the hook?” I met his gaze fearlessly: “I haven’t committed a crime, why would I need to get off the hook?” “I demand to see Lia. I want to prove he is a man in front of you.” “If I can’t prove it, I’ll plead guilty and accept the punishment, no questions asked.” My attitude was so firm that the police began to doubt. After deliberating for a few minutes, they decided to take me to the hospital for a confrontation. Arriving at the hospital, Lia was lying in a hospital bed, face pale, hooked up to an IV, looking incredibly weak. Karen and a few colleagues were guarding the bedside. Seeing me, they rushed up like hens protecting their chicks. “You dare to come here! You murderer!” Karen’s spit almost sprayed on my face. I ignored her and walked straight to the bedside, looking at Lia acting his heart out. “Stop acting. You’re overdoing it.” Seeing me, Lia shuddered violently and shrank back in terror: “Don’t come over… you demon… what else do you want? You’ve already killed my child…” He cried hoarsely, attracting the attention of the entire ward.

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Late at night, after finishing a ten-hour surgery, my phone buzzed like crazy in my locker. It was the new intern in our department, tagging @everyone in the main hospital group chat: “I’m getting married tomorrow! Everyone must come and share the joy! No gifts needed, my husband is covering everything!” Exhausted, I replied out of politeness: “Sorry, I have plans tomorrow. Congratulations on your wedding.” The next second, she DM’d me: “Dr. Chase, don’t be ungrateful. My husband is an investor in this hospital. Do you want to lose your job?” “I already reserved a spot for you as a server at the banquet. An unwanted old woman like you just wants to come to high-end places to fish for a rich husband, right?” Then, she posted her wedding photos in the main group chat. When I saw my husband’s face kissing hers in the photo, I laughed out of anger. A trophy husband who climbed the ladder thanks to my family has the guts to keep a mistress and throw a wedding? I replied directly in the main group: “Fine. Since you don’t want gifts, I’ll send you a big surprise instead!” … I turned off my phone and went straight home. The house was a mess. My slippers were kicked aside from when I rushed out this morning. It seemed my husband, Simon, hadn’t been home either. Was he so busy planning the wedding he forgot where he lived? A poor boy who climbed up step by step thanks to the Chase family. Now, he’s the “young and promising hospital investor” in everyone’s mouth. It seems my long-term hands-off approach made him forget who he is. He really thinks he’s somebody. I sneered and dialed my family’s estate manager. “Freeze all assets under Simon’s name immediately. Cut off all his supplementary credit cards.” “Also, prepare a big gift for me. Deliver it to the wedding venue at the hotel tomorrow.” I didn’t sleep all night, but I didn’t feel tired. Instead, I felt a sickly excitement. Just as I was about to leave in the morning, Simon sent a text. “Babe, you must be exhausted from all the surgeries lately. When I get back from my business trip, I’ll give you a good massage.” “I prepared a surprise gift for you!” He pretended to be considerate as always. I replied: “Sure. When you see me, I’ll give you a big surprise too!” As soon as I arrived at the wedding venue. The new intern, Linda, was wearing a wedding dress, smugly welcoming colleagues from the hospital. “Oh, really, no gifts needed. My husband is rich; we don’t need the money.” “He’s the hospital’s biggest investor. We’re all family now; my husband will take good care of you.” Someone sharp-eyed saw me and immediately spoke sarcastically. “Oh, isn’t this Dr. Chase, the ice queen of our department? How did you find time to attend our Linda’s wedding?” “Usually, we can’t even drag you out. Showing up uninvited today… surely not just to share the joy?” A sycophantic nurse next to her chimed in: “I heard Dr. Chase is thirty and still single. She probably saw that Linda’s husband is an investor and came to dig for gold!” “Dr. Chase, you act so high and mighty in the department, but turns out you’re just like everyone else.” I couldn’t be bothered with these clowns. I pushed a gift box as tall as a person straight in front of Linda. A bloody dog’s head was hanging on the box. Linda’s face turned green instantly. “Elena Chase! What is the meaning of this? I was kind enough to let you be a server and meet some elites.” “Who are you mocking with this dog head?” I replied: “My family has a male dog in heat that pees everywhere to mark territory. Maybe he peed on you.” “Doesn’t this dog head suit you perfectly?” Hearing this, Linda started cursing: “Elena! Speak clearly! Who’s the dog? Did you come here today just to cause trouble?” “You’re just an old woman dumped by men. seeing me young, beautiful, and married well, you’re jealous!” “Let me tell you, my husband will be here any minute. One word from him and you’re out of the hospital!” I took a slow step back. To avoid her spit landing on my face. Then I tilted my chin at the tall gift box. “Alright, calm down. Time to open the present.” In front of everyone, I ripped open the packaging. Inside was a massive set of custom banners, like the ones used at funerals, but with twisted wedding wishes. Left Banner: A B*tch Matches a Dog, Forever and Ever. Right Banner: A Scumbag Matches a Wh*re, Stuck Like Glue. Top Banner: Struck by Lightning. Dead silence filled the room. Linda shook with rage: “Elena! You b*tch! Psycho!” “You’re jealous I can marry a tycoon like Simon, so you use these dirty tricks to get attention!” I picked my ear, finding her voice too shrill. “Linda, let me confirm one more time. Are you sure you want to marry this man?” She lifted her chin arrogantly: “Duh! My husband Simon is the hospital’s biggest investor, worth billions! He makes more money by lifting a finger than you, a poor doctor, will make in a lifetime!” “Marrying him makes me Mrs. Smith, someone all of you have to look up to!” The colleagues behind her nodded in agreement. “Linda was born for the rich life. Unlike some people, trying to climb the social ladder at her age.” “Dr. Chase, making such a scene today… how will you show your face in the department?” “Offending the investor’s wife… I think your career as a doctor is over!” Hilarious. Climbing the social ladder? If they knew this “ladder” was planted by my own hands, I wonder what faces they’d make. Saving lives was my only dream growing up. This hospital was a gift from my dad when I graduated medical school. Just so I could pursue my ideal in a pure environment without distractions. Simon, an investor? Just a dog I can kick out whenever I want. Seeing my silence, Linda thought I was scared. Her smugness grew. She took out her phone, dialed a number, and put it on speaker. “Honey, where are you? I’m being bullied, come quick!” “That Elena from our department, she crashed our wedding and brought funeral banners to curse us!” Simon’s voice on the other end panicked: “What? Elena? Baby, don’t worry, I’ll be right there. Don’t get into a conflict!” Hanging up, Linda raised her chin even higher. “Hear that? My husband is coming! Elena, you’re dead today!” “Not only will you get fired, but I’ll also make sure you can’t work in the entire medical field!” Colleagues started pointing fingers at me. “It’s over. She pissed off Mr. Smith.” “Dr. Chase usually looks smart. Why is she so impulsive today?” “Over thirty and still fighting with a young girl over jealousy. Doesn’t she know her place? How can she compare to Linda?” Linda looked at me provocatively: “Elena, I’ll give you one last chance. For the sake of being colleagues, kneel and kowtow to apologize.” “And eat this unlucky thing. I might consider asking my husband not to kick you out.” “Otherwise, you’ll suffer!” I stepped forward, looking straight into her eyes. “Make me kneel?” “Are you worthy?” The next second, I pulled two marriage certificates from my bag and slapped them onto her face. “Open your eyes and look closely. The billionaire Simon you talk about is my, Elena Chase’s, legal husband!” “And you are just a mistress who can’t see the light of day!” The certificates hit Linda’s face and fell to the floor. Linda froze for a few seconds, then laughed exaggeratedly. “Hahahaha! Elena, are you crazy for men?” “Photoshopping fake marriage certificates to fantasize about my husband? Do you have no shame?” She picked up the certificates, didn’t even look at them, and tore them to shreds. “I heard some female doctors in the hospital are loose. Turns out it’s you!” “Knowing my husband is an investor, you lost all shame. When you see him, will you drop your pants and spread your legs?” She turned to the guests and colleagues. “Everyone, judge for yourselves! This woman relies on her seniority to forge documents and claim my husband is hers. Isn’t it laughable?” A doctor who usually sucked up to Linda stepped forward immediately. “Dr. Chase, we’ve known each other for years. I never realized you were so cheap!” “Who is Mr. Smith? How could he look at an old woman like you! I suggest you leave! Stop embarrassing yourself!” A group of people started pushing and shoving me. “Get out! Don’t dirty Linda’s wedding!” “Shameless trash!” I stumbled from the pushing, my lower back hitting the corner of a table. The exhaustion from ten hours of intense surgery made my vision go black. I held onto the wall, barely standing. Linda turned and splashed a glass of champagne in my face. “Kneel and apologize now. I might be merciful and let you keep the server job!” Just then, an unexpected person appeared. “Elena, why are you here?” I looked back and froze. It was my mentor, a titan of domestic medicine. Ignoring the alcohol on my face, I rushed over. “Professor, what are you doing here?” My mentor was the person I respected most. He wrote my recommendation letter for my studies abroad. To me, he was like a father. He patted my hand and sighed. “I heard a junior in the department was getting married, so I thought I’d come share the joy.” “I didn’t expect…” His gaze swept over the banners and Linda’s venomous face, frowning. Linda immediately threw herself at him, crying. “Professor, you have to help me! This woman is bullying me because of her seniority!” The professor was known for being protective, especially of young doctors. “Elena, what is going on? Even if there’s a conflict, you shouldn’t cause a scene at someone’s wedding.” Before I could explain, Linda accused me first. “Professor, Elena is crazy! She has a crush on my husband and came to make a scene! She even sent a dog head and banners to curse me!” The surrounding colleagues chimed in, twisting the truth. Listening to them, Professor Zhang looked at me with disappointment. “Elena, you are the backbone of our department, a role model for young doctors. How could you do something so inappropriate?” “Apologize to her and take the things away.” My heart went cold. Even my most respected teacher chose to believe the seemingly weak Linda without knowing the truth. Linda stepped forward then, smashing a wine bottle over my head. “Destroying someone’s happiness deserves lightning strikes. Didn’t you learn that, Dr. Chase?” “I’m three months pregnant with Simon’s child. It’s too late for you to try and climb into his bed now!”

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I’m the heiress of a capitalist empire, and for three years, I’ve been in an arranged marriage with an icy, aloof commander who has never touched me. During a camping trip in the countryside, I went to his tent to spend the night. He frowned, refusing to take my luggage. “Tonight… isn’t appropriate.” I froze, and suddenly, subtitles appeared before my eyes: [LMAO, the Male Lead’s ‘white moonlight’ is back, and the Second Female Lead is still clowning herself? Does she really think her money can buy his love?] [Does she even know? The cold ML is actually addicted to intimacy, but he’d rather take cold showers for three years than touch her. He saved himself for the FL all this time. He loves her SO much~] [The FL came back just as the arranged marriage contract expires. After abstaining for so long, their reunion s*x is going to be insane! As for the heiress, she’s just a plot device to spice things up.] I gripped my luggage handle and smiled. “Okay. I’ll find somewhere else to sleep tonight.” 1. [Wait, what? The Second Female Lead isn’t clinging to him?] [Playing hard to get, obviously. She’s relentless. Heh, let’s see if the ML even cares!] [Lol, she’s a capitalist heiress. With her background, who would dare take her in?] Sensing the awkward atmosphere, a few of Liam’s comrades tried to smooth things over: “Don’t mind him, sis. Liam’s just a bit of a germaphobe. He never shakes hands, and even eats from a separate tray.” “Yeah, plenty of high-ranking officers tried to set him up with their daughters, and some girls even chased him to the camp. Liam never budged. When he suddenly announced his marriage, we all thought hell had frozen over!” “Some other girls came along on the trip. Why don’t you bunk with them tonight, sis?” I looked at Liam. I said nothing. Liam wasn’t wearing casual clothes. His white shirt was buttoned all the way to the top, meticulous and severe. His dark eyes were deep, cold, and abstinent. His brows furrowed with an impersonal chill. He glanced at Bella standing beside him, his voice flat. “Whatever you want.” My heart ached, and I clenched the hem of my dress. They were right. Liam did have a cleanliness fixation. He never shared personal items and never initiated physical contact. Not even with me, his wife of three years. But there were exceptions. “Oh? Liam has a germ phobia? I didn’t know…” Bella covered her mouth, her voice surprised. She was pale, slender, and graceful, like a delicate bamboo stalk. Dressed simply, she spoke softly and elegantly. She had just returned from studying abroad and was already appointed as a translator for foreign affairs. Her family was scholarly and well-connected. Childhood sweethearts with Liam, a perfect match. She must be the ‘white moonlight’ female lead mentioned in the subtitles. Bella blinked her watery, spirited eyes, looking apologetically at Liam. “Then was it bad that I borrowed so much of your gear just now?” Liam frowned slightly. But he said nothing. It was an era where arranged marriages were being abolished, and free love was the talk of the town. The camping site was near my mother’s hometown. Many locals knew about my arranged marriage with Liam. Seeing this, the villagers’ gazes turned mocking. A wife whose marriage contract was up, publicly refused entry to her husband’s tent. The implication was obvious. To ease the tension, someone suggested with a laugh: “Since we’re splitting up, we’re short on tents. Let’s draw lots for tents tonight. Whoever you draw, you bunk with. How about it?” “Warning you all, I snore like thunder. No take-backs if you get me!” “Count me in! Who else?” The men chimed in enthusiastically. They hadn’t intended for the women to participate. Besides two married couples, Bella and I were the only single women present. I had been publicly kicked out by Liam. And I didn’t want to share a tent with Bella. Biting my lip, I raised my hand. “I’m in.” 2. Silence fell instantly. Liam snapped his head toward me, his gaze cold as ice. His jaw tightened, his voice dark. “Elise, stop it.” He was angry I embarrassed him. Even if he didn’t like the woman. Even if he just kicked her out. A man couldn’t tolerate his wife publicly cucking him. I pressed my lips together and looked away. A comrade tried to intervene. “Sis, you’re a woman, this isn’t really appropriate…” I forced a polite smile. My voice was soft but firm. “Since I’m the reason we’re short on tents, I can’t just take one for myself.” “We’re all comrades here. In tough conditions, there shouldn’t be special treatment. Managing for one night won’t hurt.” I am the heiress of the Jiang family. Even if I was rejected by my husband of three years. I wouldn’t abandon my pride. My words silenced the crowd. They praised my spirit, saying women hold up half the sky. Bella’s eyes darted to Liam, then she blushed and raised her hand too. “Since Elise put it that way, as a translator, I can’t ask for special treatment either.” Amidst the agreement, Liam stared at me, his voice low. “I’m in too.” The subtitles exploded: [Here it comes! This is the scene! The ML and FL draw the same tent, and the ML’s addiction takes over! The smut is going to be amazing~] [The Second Female Lead is a married woman, yet she joins in just to make the ML jealous? Hilarious. Does he even care? He only agreed because our FL joined!] [She’s going to lose it when she doesn’t draw the ML~ She’ll throw a tantrum and demand the FL switch with her, but the ML will shut her down. So sweet~] [She tries to pull the FL’s hair and gets shoved to the ground by the ML. So satisfying!] [It’s 2024, who thinks an arranged marriage makes you the ‘real wife’? Our FL is his true love, his white moonlight for years!] [Later, the Second Female Lead refuses to divorce and threatens them with the ML’s career, making the FL cry. Luckily, the ML destroys her family. She even tries to kidnap the FL and gets tortured to death by the kidnappers. Deserved!] I felt cold all over. I didn’t want to believe it. But my heart pounded. I didn’t know if the subtitles were true. But if I didn’t do those things… If I didn’t stand in their way and obediently divorced Liam… Would those terrible things still happen? 3. The results of the draw came out quickly. “Those with matching numbers share a tent. No take-backs!” Everyone revealed their numbers. Sure enough, Liam and Bella drew the same number. Many present knew their history. Though they didn’t jeer aloud, they watched with anticipation. Bella blushed, looking at Liam shyly. “This… isn’t very appropriate… Maybe I should switch with Elise?” Liam frowned. His dark eyes looked at me with a warning. The subtitles scrolled: [The FL is so elegant and kind. She offered to switch so the ML wouldn’t be in a tough spot. Unlike someone who’s about to throw a fit~] [Lol, just say Elise’s name! But the ML is more anxious than her. Seeing the FL want to switch, he tensed up immediately, afraid she’d be eaten by another man. Omg, shipping them so hard!] [Seriously, the Second Female Lead is pathetic. He rejected her at the start, and she still forced her way into the draw. Embarrassing!] Meeting Liam’s intense gaze. My heart soured. My knuckles turned white gripping the lot. I didn’t want to embarrass myself further, so I smiled deliberately. “No need. Let’s stick to the draw.” The person who drew the same number as me was Mark, my childhood friend from the village. Our parents had jokingly arranged a marriage for us when we were kids. We drifted apart after I got married. I sat next to him, our shoulders touching. Swallowing the bitterness, I avoided looking at Liam. I placed my hand on Mark’s arm and smiled at him, pretending to be calm. “I’m counting on you tonight.” Mark stiffened. He wanted to pull away, but seeing my red-rimmed eyes, he didn’t move. The crowd went silent. The subtitles were shocked: [What’s happening? Why isn’t she throwing a tantrum? How will the ML defend the FL and start their romance?] [Does she think hooking up with her ex will make the ML jealous? Lol, look at him, does he care? It just makes her look like a cheater. Her morals are trash!] [Talking about morals is rich coming from people shipping an affair.] [How is it the same? The ML and FL are true love! The Second Female Lead is just a squatter in the nest! A relic of feudal arranged marriages. After the divorce tonight, she’s irrelevant!] [Disgusting. Flirting with her ex-fiance in public. No man can tolerate that humiliation. Just wait for the ML’s revenge!] Liam’s long fingers clenched into a fist, knuckles white. His voice was deep and magnetic. Calm, but with a hint of threat. “My wife is drunk. I won’t trouble Mr. Chen.” “I apologize on her behalf. Mr. Chen, please exchange your lot with mine.” 4. I looked up in shock. I met Liam’s dark gaze. A storm seemed to brew in his deep eyes. The pressure was suffocating. I had never seen Liam like this. He seemed furious. Even his usual cold facade was crumbling. Thinking of what the subtitles just said… I was terrified of what would happen if he grabbed me. Instinctively, I leaned closer to Mark. Pressing my lips together, I tried to keep my voice steady. “No need. I haven’t been drinking.” Liam’s gaze grew darker. He took a deep breath, his voice becoming softer. Like a snake coaxing its prey. “Elise, come here. Be good.” Sensing the tension, others tried to mediate. “Sis, Liam knows he was wrong. Don’t be mad. Husband and wife shouldn’t sleep apart.” “We were just joking around. Don’t let it ruin the mood.” “Commander Liam hasn’t seen Bella in ages. Even if they’re old classmates, the past is in the past. Don’t overthink it, sis.” Bella smiled sadly. “Yes, Elise. No matter who is in Liam’s heart, you are his wife now. Clinging to Mr. Chen like this…” I froze. Humiliation washed over me. The subtitles were going crazy: [Die, b*tch! So ungrateful, cucking the ML in public!] [Why did the ML switch? Just go to the tent with the FL! I’m a VIP member, get to the smut already!] [The ML is probably afraid the FL can’t handle it. He has an addiction and hasn’t touched a woman in years. It’s going to be rough! Maybe he wants to vent his frustrations on the Second Female Lead first so he doesn’t hurt the FL~] [True. The FL is back, and he’s divorcing the Second Female Lead soon. Might as well use her one last time. Besides, didn’t she always want him? Now she’s playing innocent with her ex? Disgusting!] [Exactly. She’s been throwing herself at him for years. Now she’s acting pure? Can’t she see the ML hasn’t showered and is about to explode?] I looked up. I saw Bella sitting next to Liam, asking him concerned questions. Liam’s pale skin was flushed. Veins popped on the hand clutching the lot. His Adam’s apple bobbed, as if suppressing something. Meeting his burning gaze, I lowered my head like I’d been burned. Holding back tears. In three years of marriage, Liam had been a dutiful husband. Polite, caring. But no matter how hard I tried, he never touched me. I never knew about his addiction. But today, because Bella returned, he came to this gathering regardless of the consequences. Because he was afraid of hurting his precious white moonlight… He wanted to use me to vent… My heart felt torn apart, bleeding. I couldn’t imagine the consequences of being caught by him. Fear and sadness made me want to run.

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The new kid, a brooding transfer student, became my deskmate. Everyone said he was antisocial, violent, and rebellious—convinced he’d bully me mercilessly. I didn’t think so. When I snuck snacks in class, he never snitched. He always smelled faintly of BBQ, making my mouth water. Later, during a school blackout… He turned to me, his handsome face flushing slightly. “Serena, I l…” Suddenly, a loud GURGLE interrupted him. I hugged my bucket of instant hot pot and asked, “What’s wrong? Want some?” The Villain: “…” The bullet comments went wild: [LMAO! The gloomy villain finally falls in love, and it’s with a total glutton!] Chapter 1 It was the start of senior year. When the homeroom teacher led a boy in a school uniform into the classroom, I was hunched over, burying my head in my desk to secretly gnaw on a bagel. Post-summer break syndrome hit hard. I couldn’t sleep last night and couldn’t wake up this morning. But I couldn’t learn on an empty stomach, so I had to sneak-eat. Just as I was chewing with my cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk, the teacher spoke up. “This is our new transfer student, Silas Vance.” I looked up. A boy stood on the podium, expressionless. His features were striking, marred only by a faint scar near his eyebrow, which somehow added a rebellious edge to his look. Whispers rippled through the class. “That’s the ‘Tyrant of North High,’ right? Why did he transfer here? Didn’t I hear he got arrested for fighting? He looks so scary.” “Who knows? Apparently, his grades are really good… but let’s stay away from him. Hey, do you smell something?” “Yeah, kinda weird. Like… smoke?” The teacher scanned the room, gaze landing on the empty seat next to me. “Serena, that seat is free, right?” Instantly, half the class turned to look at me—some with pity, some eager for drama, some gloating. After all, they knew that seat used to belong to Liam, who now refused to sit there. Hearing this, the thin boy standing at the front glanced in my direction. His eyes were very dark, his jawline sharp and cold. Just as everyone expected me to say it was Liam’s seat, I chirped, “Yup! It’s empty.” It wasn’t Liam’s private property. Anyone could sit there. The moment I spoke, Liam, sitting in the back row, frowned deeply. Chapter 2 Silas’s eyes flickered slightly as he walked toward me. His lean figure stopped beside my desk. He put down his bag. I smiled at him. “Hi there, new deskmate.” Silas: “…” He didn’t look at me, just gave a curt nod. His reaction was cold, but I didn’t care. Up close, the boy’s bone structure was perfect. High nose bridge, reddish lips. In the morning light, I could even see the fine peach fuzz on his face. Handsome. Totally my type of intense, dark handsome! Hehe. With a hottie next to me, I’d happily come to school at 8 AM! Chapter 3 Once Silas was settled, class began. I finished my bagel, but my stomach still felt empty. But remembering past traumas, I didn’t dare eat more. I tried to focus on the lecture. By the third period, my stomach was growling, and my vision started spotting. My hypoglycemia was pretty bad; going too long without food made it flare up. A bagel wasn’t enough for this high-intensity studying. So, my sinful little hand crept into my desk. I glanced at my new neighbor. He was staring straight ahead, indifferent. My heart drummed. I remembered when Liam was my deskmate. He was a germaphobe and wouldn’t let me eat in class. Even though we grew up together. Even though he knew about my hypoglycemia. Seeing me eat, he would stand up in disgust. It was during class, drawing everyone’s attention. The teacher asked, confused, “Liam, what are you doing?” I was frozen mid-motion, candy halfway to my mouth, exposed to everyone. Liam looked at me coldly. “Serena, can you stop eating?” One sentence nailed me to the pillar of shame. Laughter erupted. The teacher scolded, “Serena, no eating in class!” My face burned. I wanted to explain about my low blood sugar, but the discomfort choked the words. I just lowered my head, put the candy in my mouth, chewed, and swallowed. The candy was sweet, but tears almost fell. The memory attacked me. I wanted to stop, but the dizziness rising made me carefully tear open a candy wrapper and pop it into my mouth. Silas seemed to notice, but he didn’t react. Relief washed over me. Great! But before I could fully relax, glowing subtitles appeared in front of my eyes. [Baby girl, stop eating! Liam is watching!] [Why is the FL letting Silas sit next to her! A villain can’t be good news!] [But the villain looks like he skipped breakfast too… just powering through. I’d be face-down on the desk by now.] My eyes widened at the scrolling text. I realized belatedly… I was the female lead in a book. Liam was the male lead, and Silas was the gloomy villain. I pursed my lips and glanced at the back row. Sure enough, Liam was staring at me darkly. Meeting my gaze, he looked away quickly, but I caught the coldness and disdain in his eyes. Him… how could someone like him be my male lead? I’m not stupid. Thinking about the subtitles saying Silas hadn’t eaten breakfast, I hesitated, then grabbed a small handful of candies and stuffed them into his desk drawer. He didn’t reject them. I felt safer. Hehe, accept my snacks, and you can’t snitch! I turned back around, missing the way the boy’s hand on the desk tightened into a fist. Chapter 4 Lunch break. I went to the cafeteria. My friend Chloe came with me, whispering advice. “Serena, maybe ask Liam to switch seats with Silas? You don’t know, Silas is brutal. Heard he got into fights all the time at North High…” As she spoke, the subtitles rolled again. [Exactly! Making the ML jealous is enough. Don’t push it too far.] [I want to see the angst and romance between the leads!] [Who actually likes a ML who disrespects girls? With his past behavior, he deserves life without a wife!] But that last comment was quickly buried. I lowered my eyes, confused. “How do you know he didn’t have a reason to fight?” Chloe paused, mumbling, “Who knows?” I patted her shoulder. “Maybe it’s all rumors. Besides, I like a deskmate who doesn’t snitch.” Looking up, I locked eyes with a familiar pair. Silas. The thin boy stood near the cafeteria entrance, backlit, expression obscured. Was it my imagination, or were his cheeks puffing like he was eating something? Caught off guard, he froze, then quickly looked away, face tense. I wanted to look closer, but my wrist was grabbed. A cold voice rang in my ear. “Serena, why did you let someone else sit in my seat?” I turned to meet Liam’s unhappy gaze and shook off his hand. “The teacher arranged it.” Seeing my distant attitude, Liam’s eyes darkened. He sneered, “Fine. Suit yourself.” He turned and walked away. Baffling. He was the one who hated sitting with me. What was his problem now?

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The Dragon’s Blood Gem, a family heirloom rumored to command the respect of the underworld, was stolen after my wife’s male assistant, Leo, was seen playing with it. My father, furious, locked Leo in the basement for interrogation. The next day, my wife stormed a press conference, threatening suicide to prove Leo’s innocence. Her actions enraged my father so much he threatened to fire her and kick her out. In my past life, to protect my wife, Sarah, and her career, I had my bodyguards knock her out and take her away. Leo, for his arrogance, was sunk into the ocean, his body never found. When Sarah woke up, she never mentioned the incident again. We were as loving as ever, and she managed the family business diligently. But three years later, at my father’s birthday banquet, she led a team of mercenaries into our home and murdered him. Then she tied me under a hydraulic press in one of our factories and crushed me into a pulp. As I lay dying, I heard Sarah say coldly: “Leo’s body has never been found, so you don’t deserve to leave a whole corpse either!” “Julian, you owe this to Leo. Use everything you have to be buried with him!” When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the press conference. Since she wants to live and die with Leo, I’ll send them both to hell together! 1 “Sir,” Uncle Chen, our butler, whispered urgently, his face grave. “The Chairman wouldn’t accuse Leo of theft without reason. The Madam threatening suicide here… if this hits the news, the Group will be in the eye of the storm. The Chairman is furious. Please, go talk some sense into her.” My father built the Blackwood Group from nothing in the chaotic Golden Triangle, relying on ruthlessness and an iron fist. If Sarah continued her scene in public, my father would ensure she lost everything. In my past life, I couldn’t bear to see his hard work wasted and his dignity lost. Understanding Uncle Chen’s hint, I had the bodyguards drag her away from the press conference. The result? My father and I died violent deaths three years later. A complete tragedy. Today, I just looked at Uncle Chen calmly. “If Sarah has made up her mind, no one can change it.” Seeing me arrive, Sarah shouted, her voice ringing through the hall. “I saved Leo and his child at the border! They were victims of trafficking! How could they be thieves?” “Julian, don’t try to persuade me! I saved Leo, and I will be responsible for him until the end!” Uncle Chen asked, shocked: “Madam, you are the Group’s CEO. Going against the Chairman for a thief… if word gets out, the Group’s reputation will be ruined in your hands! Besides, Leo confessed. Why blow this up…” Sarah stood up slowly, her back rigid. She looked at me, her gaze a mix of anger and bone-chilling cold. “Julian, your father is powerful and ruthless. Now he’s framing an innocent man and forcing a confession? Can you dare say you haven’t illegally detained and tortured him?” “If your family can do such unconscionable things, how can I not oppose him? I will blow this up! I will clear Leo and his child’s names! I want everyone to know the darkness of the Blackwood family!” My fingers curled slightly. The memory of being crushed by the hydraulic press in my past life awakened in my soul. Deep in my mind, Sarah’s bloodshot eyes overlapped with her gaze now. Looking at me with infinite hatred. I suddenly realized: She was reborn too. Uncle Chen turned pale at her words, rushing forward. “Madam, please lower your voice! If the board hears this…” Sarah hesitated. She probably remembered that with my father as Chairman, she was just a CEO without real power. In the end, she gave me a deep look and ran towards the basement. I calmly arranged for my men to handle the PR with the reporters and disperse the crowd. Only after that did I breathe a sigh of relief and enter my father’s office. An hour later, I had already arranged for a lawyer to file for divorce and walked out feeling light. “Julian, cutting losses in time. You have my boldness from back in the day.” Before I left, my father patted my shoulder approvingly. “The divorce papers will be ready in three days. Nothing to regret. A woman like that isn’t worth keeping. I’ll find you whatever kind of woman you want later.” I held back the urge to cry and nodded firmly. In my past life, the Blackwood family business was destroyed. This time, I will not get involved in Sarah’s mess! As soon as I walked downstairs, Uncle Chen ran up to me, panting, looking panicked, his voice trembling. “Sir, bad news! Go quickly! Since the Madam went down there, security says Leo lost control and started self-harming with broken glass in the interrogation room.” “The Madam rushed to stop him and accidentally got her wrist artery slashed!” I rushed to the basement level. Leo was wailing, hugging his leg. Sarah, ignoring the wound on her wrist, was hugging him and comforting him softly. The child beside them was terrified, clutching his mother’s hem, crying breathlessly. As soon as I entered, Leo looked like he’d seen a ghost. He collapsed to the floor, trembling like a sieve, scrambling backward. “Mr. Blackwood, please don’t kill me! I didn’t mean to hurt the Madam! If you must punish someone, punish only me! Benny is just a child, he knows nothing…” He shrank into Sarah’s arms, acting like he didn’t deserve to live. Sarah helped Leo up, glaring at me like an enemy, gritting her teeth: “Julian, what right do you have to kill him? It’s not your place to judge him!” Leo cried so hard he could barely speak. “Sarah, it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have put you in a difficult position… Please don’t blame Mr. Blackwood!” Sarah held Leo’s hand back tightly, her voice deep. “You did nothing wrong. You are innocent. The ones at fault are those heartless people!” “Julian, when I brought them back, I said I would ensure their safety for the rest of their lives. It had nothing to do with romance. No one could bully them.” “Now, out of jealousy and hate, you and your father pour dirty water on them and want them dead. You are truly vicious!” “You stand at the top of the food chain, high and mighty, ignoring rules, treating human life like grass. Heaven will not tolerate this!” 2 Before I could say a word, Sarah had already decided I framed Leo. She didn’t give me a chance to explain. The humiliation and tolerance I endured over the past two years burned in my chest. I couldn’t help but smirk. “CEO Sarah is so aggressive now. You really have the bearing of the head of the Blackwood family.” Sarah ignored her bleeding wrist and stood up straight. “Julian, do you think I, Sarah Vance, would bow to anyone? Marrying into your family was just going with the flow. Even without you, without the Blackwood family, I can carve out my own place in this industry!” When she said this, her eyes were cold and incomparably arrogant. I suddenly realized that after my death in the past life, she must have held real power in the Blackwood family for a long time. But I don’t know what happened later that caused her to be reborn too. “Worthy of CEO Sarah. Indeed courageous and ambitious.” Sarcastic words slipped out, but she just raised an eyebrow slightly. At this moment, Leo suddenly turned pale and sprayed a mouthful of blood onto Benny. Sarah’s face changed instantly. Ignoring her own wound, she hugged Leo tightly. “Leo, don’t scare me! Hold on, I’m taking you to the hospital right now!” Leo turned his head, blood still at the corner of his mouth, his tone mournful: “Don’t worry about me, Sarah. You gave me a second life. Living until today is enough…” Sarah interrupted him directly. “Don’t talk nonsense! As long as I’m here, you’ll be fine!” I had enough of these two showing off their love in front of me. I turned and left the basement, not wanting to look at them again. But that night, Sarah forcibly moved Leo and his son into the Blackwood villa. A dozen medical experts were hired. They transformed a room into a professional medical bay. Medicine and equipment were sent in like they were free. I asked my assistant to investigate. He came back to report: “Uncle Chen said the Madam swore an oath on her father’s ashes to prove Leo’s innocence. She also used all her shares in the Group as collateral.” “Sir, you know the Madam’s father was kind to the Chairman back in the day. That’s why the Chairman turned a blind eye and let them go for now.” The next evening, I was sitting on the balcony reading. The door was suddenly pushed open, and Sarah barged in. Behind her, several nurses carefully supported Leo and Benny as they walked in. Anger flared in my heart. “CEO Sarah, I remember this is my home, not your private club. I didn’t authorize you to bring any outsiders in.” Sarah stood still, hands in pockets, staring at me sternly: “Leo has been ostracized and bullied because he has no status. Now, announce immediately that you are becoming sworn brothers with him.” I stared at her and sneered. “I am the only heir to the Blackwood Group. You want me to become sworn brothers with a stranger? Trying to use my name to give him a share of the inheritance? You should ask my father if he wants a surprise son!” Leo was wearing haute couture today, looking noble, not out of place at all. But as soon as he sat down, he lowered his head and choked up uncontrollably: “Mr. Blackwood, don’t mock me… I don’t want anything. Status is just a fantasy to me. I’m willing to be the humblest security guard, just please don’t drive me away…” Before Sarah could speak, Leo stood up and took the child’s hand: “Forget it, CEO Sarah. It’s natural for Mr. Blackwood to refuse. Benny, let’s go. Don’t trouble people anymore.” Benny pouted, tears falling pat, pat. “Daddy, don’t go. I like it here. I want to be with Mommy forever!” Leo looked sad, lowering his head to comfort Benny: “This isn’t our home after all. It’s this uncle’s home. Let’s go…” Sarah quickly bent down and picked up the child. “Nonsense. As long as I’m here, this is your home!” I couldn’t help but sneer: “Sarah, get this straight! This is the Blackwood villa. If you want to play mommy, I won’t stop you, but don’t play cuckoo in my nest! Get out together while you can!” Sarah finally darkened her face. The next second, she waved her hand, and two tall, muscular bodyguards stepped forward and held me down. Then they forced me to kneel in front of them. Sarah leaned down, stepped on my shoulder, looked down at me, and ordered coldly: “Julian, what gives you the right to be arrogant? Kowtow and apologize to Leo right now!” 3 Before I could react, she stomped my head into the floor. “Sarah, are you crazy? You dare do this to me?” I screamed, tears of pain flowing uncontrollably. She didn’t stop. A second kick followed immediately. Sarah laughed loudly. “Julian, don’t be naive. You just have a powerful father. What do you have to be arrogant about? But now, I am the General Manager of the Blackwood Group!” “And you are just the man behind me. Men play with women and power all the time. Why do I have to be chaste just because I’m a woman? Who do you think you are? Julian, you are just a stepping stone for me, Sarah Vance.” Sarah’s voice was devoid of emotion. She squatted beside my ear, smiling viciously. “Do you really think you’re nobler than others? In this territory of South City, what I say goes.” Sarah didn’t plan to give me a chance to breathe. “Let me tell you, Leo is my lover. Even if you don’t recognize him as a brother, I will give him wealth and glory!” Leo put on a pitiful look, feigning refusal: “Sarah, don’t say angry words. You and Mr. Blackwood are husband and wife. Why make such a scene? Mr. Blackwood, please don’t take it to heart.” My consciousness blurred. I spat at Sarah and cursed, “Sarah, you animal! Just wait until you’re ruined!” Sarah sneered contemptuously, unconcerned. “Whatever. My father was kind to your family back then. Without the Vance family, the Blackwood family wouldn’t be here today! Without you, I can still be top of the industry!” Sarah kicked me away, turned, and held the father and son’s hands. “Meeting you two, saving you, was the most correct decision I’ve made in my life. I won’t betray your trust!” “Julian, I advise you to enjoy the last good moments of your life. For the sake of our marriage, I’ll leave you a few dollars for food.” With a cold sneer, she led Leo and Benny through the hall ostentatiously. Then she sent dozens of people to pack up valuables, cleaning out the house. Convoys of trucks filled with jewelry and antiques drove out of the villa gate mightily under the cover of night. I could only lie on the ground in a mess, surrounded by debris. In a trance, I remembered the night two years ago. Sarah was inspecting mines in Myanmar. She stumbled upon a dying Leo and a child at the border and brought them home. I softened and felt compassion, providing them with food and clothing, and pulling strings to get them IDs. Who knew this moment of kindness would invite a wolf into the house. Every time they cried, Sarah was convinced I treated them badly, abused them. For two years, I seemed to become the outsider in this home, and they became Sarah’s “family.” Maybe my mistake was insisting on marrying Sarah back then, leading to the later tragedy. My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. My assistant stumbled in, voice trembling: “Mr. Blackwood! All the jewelry has been moved out by the Madam. She ran away with that man.” I gritted my teeth and held onto the table leg. “I know. Notify my father for me. Use the emergency clause to freeze assets. Put out a city-wide warrant for Sarah and Leo.” Before the assistant could nod, a burning smell came from the air vent. Smoke suddenly billowed around us. The fire doors locked automatically. The assistant shouted and ran to push the door, but it was locked from the outside. I dragged my broken body to push the windows. One, two, none would open. The assistant grabbed me, shouting, “The Madam wants to murder us…” Just as he was about to scream for help, the swaying chandelier crashed down from the ceiling, hitting him directly on the head. I stumbled over, but the heat wave burned my arm. My face stung. Sarah wanted to cut off my escape completely to buy time for her defection. I quickly covered my nose and mouth, gritting my teeth. “Sarah, you will die a horrible death!” I roared internally. I wanted to climb out the window, but saw a strange black box placed in front of it. A red light blinked a countdown. Three minutes. It was a bomb! Fear wrapped around me instantly. I felt my scalp tingle. But in this critical moment, an explosion drowned out all thought… BOOM! 4 The blast wave knocked me over. I instinctively covered my ears. Intense pain shot through every limb. I tried to open my eyes. Relying on instinct, I crawled towards the corner using my elbows and knees. The room was engulfed in flames. Sarah, you’re truly ruthless this round. That explosion was no accident. Fire alarms disabled. Security system down. People guarding outside to prevent rescue. I propped up my body and crawled into the bathroom inside the bedroom. Then I heard Sarah’s voice suddenly ring out from the direction of the main gate, cold and suppressed, but with a hint of excitement. “Check if there are any survivors.” Someone outside replied: “One man burned to death. Not sure if it’s Mr. Blackwood. Everyone else ran. Only Mr. Blackwood should still be inside.” Sarah didn’t come in immediately. She stood by my assistant’s charred body, examining it closely. A hint of secret pleasure appeared on her lips. She took out her phone and ordered calmly: “Spread the news. Julian is dead. Now, notify all bodyguards to come with me to find Old Man Blackwood.” Her deputy frowned in confusion: “CEO Sarah, isn’t the rescue team we arranged going in?” Sarah chuckled low, a flash of arrogance and madness in her eyes. “Rescue what? From now on, take our men and follow me to take down the entire Blackwood Group!” “But… the Chairman is powerful. Can our men beat him?” Sarah turned to him, her voice sharp: “Who said it’s only our men? I’ve already made a deal with Myanmar. I can use their mercenaries at will.” She had colluded with Myanmar forces in advance. In my past life, it was the mercenaries she hired who killed my father! Time ticked by. A few bodyguards pried open the escape door and dragged me out, half-carrying me. Ignoring the burning pain, I stumbled up and lowered my voice. “Call everyone! Go to the Group HQ to find my dad! Sarah wants to hurt him!” I pocketed the hard drive and got into the car with them, speeding towards the Group’s skyscraper. As soon as I got out of the car, a group of people gathered downstairs surrounded me. The ones in front were familiar faces—elders from the Vance family branch who were in the jewelry business. “Mr. Blackwood, so many of our Vance family businesses have collapsed. Now our funds are suddenly frozen, all distribution shops are closed, hundreds of people lost their jobs. How are we supposed to live?” “Exactly. We have years of friendship. Sarah is the young mistress of the Blackwood family, practically half your kin. Can’t we sit down and talk? Why make it so big…” “After all, our Vance family was kind to yours. How can you be so ungrateful? Is this how the Blackwood family burns bridges?” I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat and said firmly: “Everyone, this isn’t the time to argue about this. Sarah is leading mercenaries to storm the Group building. If you have any self-awareness, mind your own business and don’t try to help her with any tricks. Otherwise, it won’t just be the Blackwoods who are buried, but the Vances too!” The Vance elders froze. The crowd behind them started to commotion. “What did you say? Sarah is cooperating with Myanmar? Isn’t that bringing shame to the Vance family?” “Yes! She previously proved the innocence of a thief from Myanmar. That already involves international crime!” The Vance uncles turned green and white. “That brat is crazy! Mr. Blackwood, no matter how incompetent we are, we cannot tolerate a traitor. Don’t let Sarah drag the Vance family down with her. We are willing to provide government and military connections. Tell us what to do, we’ll listen to you!”

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I was still basking in the joy of my son, Austin, scoring a perfect 1600 on his SATs when he impatiently dragged his girlfriend in front of me. “Mom, the new ‘Package Deal Admission Policy’ is out! If you’re in the top ten percent, you can pay a million dollars to bring another student with you to the same university!” The girl smirked triumphantly. “Auntie, Austin and I have already linked our application profiles. You can’t stop us from being together anymore. Just pay up!” At the same time, a barrage of glowing subtitles flashed before my eyes: [Here it comes! The Male Lead is finally escaping his controlling mother to fly off to Harvard with Baby Girl!] [You old witch, don’t you dare stop our couple! Or else when the ML inherits the family business, you’ll be the first one he deals with!] I curled my lips. This fool thinks he’s inheriting the family business? He doesn’t know that the prerequisite for this so-called “Package Deal” is averaging their scores. And his girlfriend scored a grand total of 7 points. 1 In his senior year, Austin’s grades slipped, and I was called to the school for the first time ever. The reason? A high school romance. For any parent of a senior, this is devastating news. I tried to reason with him, telling him this wasn’t the time for love. Especially since that girl, Lily, wasn’t just anyone. “Her mother is the mistress your father had! Your father left us with nothing because of her, and she’s held a grudge ever since. Now her daughter is getting close to you. Do you really think that’s a coincidence?” Austin argued back fiercely, “Mom, Lily is innocent! Why should she pay for her mother’s mistakes?” Getting into Harvard had been his dream for years. We were so close to the finish line; I couldn’t watch him ruin it. Seeing he wouldn’t listen, I took drastic measures. I had him strictly supervised, forbidding him from seeing Lily until after graduation. I hired top tutors for one-on-one sessions and a nutritionist to ensure he was in peak condition for the exams. When he finally scored a perfect 1600, I was relieved. But before I could even celebrate, he pulled this stunt. … From the floating subtitles, I learned I was living in a romance novel. My son, Austin, was the Male Lead, and Lily was the Female Lead. They were from different worlds but fell in love at first sight, defying all odds to be together. Eventually, they’d become the CEO and his trophy wife. As for me? I was the “obstacle.” I tried everything to stop their love, only to end up locked in a mental hospital by my own son, dying miserably. … I was busy reading the subtitles when Austin, seeing my silence, narrowed his eyes. “Mom, a million dollars is nothing to you. You wouldn’t stop my happiness with Lily over such a small amount, would you?” That look, that stance—he really thought he was a CEO already. He was the child I raised with blood, sweat, and tears. I still held onto a sliver of hope. “Austin, have you thought this through? Setting aside Lily’s background, are you really planning to go to college with someone who refuses to learn?” Austin pursed his lips, hesitation flickering in his eyes. Seeing this, Lily immediately started crying. “Auntie, I know you’re prejudiced against me. But who says low scores mean I don’t deserve Harvard? Everyone is created equal! This is discrimination!” Listen to that. Does that even make sense? Unexpectedly, the subtitles above them cheered: [Baby Girl is right! It’s 2025, why judge students by scores?] [Choice is greater than effort! As long as she has the ML, Baby Girl can win with zero points!] [Ahhh! Baby Girl is so brave! Fighting the power!] I was almost laughing at these delusional comments. “Right, right. Why shouldn’t people with bad grades go to Harvard? In my opinion, the SAT shouldn’t test knowledge, it should test audacity. Whoever has the thickest skin gets in first.” Lily’s face turned red, then pale. She collapsed into Austin’s arms. “Sob… I told you your mom hates me… Austin, I guess I can’t go to Harvard with you.” Seeing his love wronged, Austin was heartbroken. He glared at me. “Mom, you hate Lily because you’re jealous that Auntie Sarah got Dad’s love, aren’t you? But I’m your son! Why can’t you compromise for me?” The subtitles went wild with [Domineering protection!] and [Love to see it!]. Even though I was mentally prepared, my heart still trembled. “What did you call her? Auntie Sarah?!” 2 Austin was busy comforting the weeping beauty in his arms, his eyes full of tenderness. When he looked at me, his mother, there was only regret for slipping up and undisguised hatred. “Yes! I went to see Dad right after the exams! Auntie Sarah isn’t unreasonable like you say. She’s gentle and caring. She’s taken great care of Dad and Lily all these years. Unlike you—always in meetings and dinners. Besides making some money, what have you ever done for this family?” I shook all over, unable to believe my ears. … When he was seven, his father cheated. The mistress constantly provoked us, spreading rumors, making our lives hell. The husband who vowed to love me forever fought me tooth and nail for assets. I was exhausted trying to stop him from hiding marital property. Thankfully, the outcome was good—he left with nothing, and the mistress got zilch. Looking back, those days were harder than building my business while raising a child alone. I never sugarcoated his deadbeat father to him. He was old enough to remember how the mistress humiliated us, pointing at his nose and calling him a bastard. He shouldn’t have forgotten. … From the subtitles, I got an idea. “I see—you mean, even though I gave you lots of money, what you wanted was lots of love?” Austin’s voice was firm. “Exactly! I got into Harvard like you wanted. Now I advise you to stop while you’re ahead. Don’t block my happiness!” I almost laughed out loud. Going to Harvard was his dream since childhood. How did it become my requirement? Austin was average at best. I poured millions into resources to mold him into a top student capable of chasing that dream. I gave him a prestigious background and endless wealth. But if his dream is to run off with a delinquent, then as his mother, I should support him. “Fine. I agree to let you go to college with her.” Ungrateful wolves deserve a ruined future. Austin, ready for a fight, was ecstatic at my sudden agreement. “Mom, I knew you’d understand! When Lily and I graduate from Harvard, we’ll take over the Gu Group and let you retire in peace!” I sneered internally. A fool wants to inherit the family business? Keep dreaming. 3 Austin was lost in joy, but Lily nudged him urgently, whispering, “The money! The money!” He remembered the main point and held out his hand. “Hurry up and give me the million dollar processing fee!” I raised an eyebrow. “A million? I recall the processing fee for this policy is a hundred bucks. Can’t you even afford that?” Austin was stunned, face flushing. “Really? M-maybe I remembered wrong.” Lily looked unwilling and wanted to argue, but Austin dragged her away in embarrassment. The subtitles faded with them: [Ahhh, the old witch is so cheap! The ML planned to use that money to travel the world with Baby Girl!] [Seriously! Baby Girl even got her passport. How will they go to Greece or see the Northern Lights now?] [Whatever, at least the witch didn’t interfere. Our Baby Girl suffered for years, her good days are coming!] [The ML spoils her so much, the whole Gu Group will be hers soon. Who cares about a million?] [Wait… the Package Deal policy just came out. How did the witch know they were trying to scam money so fast?] Heh. How did I know? Because you idiots spoiled the plot. … After they left, the annoying subtitles vanished. I was pruning flowers in the garden when Austin’s homeroom teacher rushed over. “Austin’s mom, Austin linked his profile with the lowest-ranking student for the Package Deal. Did you know?” I nodded calmly. “I know. He’s an adult. Let him be.” The teacher was frantic. “No! You must not know! The condition is that their scores are averaged! That girl only got 7 points!” Of course I knew. The subtitles screamed it. I knew, Lily knew. Only Austin, the idiot, was in the dark. I also knew the only way to fix this was to use my money and influence to force Lily into Harvard. Everyone assumed that out of love for my son, I would do it to save his future. But why would I? Why would anyone tolerate the child they birthed becoming the knife that stabs them? I calculated on my fingers and smiled. “Averaged out, that’s an 800 roughly. Not bad. Enough for community college.” The teacher looked at me like I was insane. After trying to persuade me in vain, she finally accepted the loss of a Harvard acceptance and left in despair. … My assistant was confused. “Chairman Gu, are you really letting him ruin himself?” “Him?” I sneered. “He’s already sided with his deadbeat father. He’s no son of mine.” The assistant wasn’t sure if I was just angry or serious. “Should we cancel the graduation banquet? If people find out Austin is going to community college, it’ll be a joke.” I thought for a moment. “Don’t cancel.” “Didn’t one of the students we sponsored become the state Valedictorian? Throw the banquet for her.” 4 I visited Sophia personally. She lived in a dilapidated apartment building, alone since her parents died. As I reached the door, the subtitles swarmed again. I stopped my assistant from knocking. The door was ajar. Voices argued inside. Lily and her gang of delinquents pushed a thin girl to the ground. “Keep acting! Why stop now? You love seducing men, don’t you?” “I warned you to stay away from Austin. Why didn’t you listen? Did you think getting top scores and going to Harvard would make him notice you?” Sophia’s voice trembled. “I didn’t…” Lily pinched her chin hard. “Let me tell you—Austin already linked his scores with mine. His mom will do anything to get us both into Harvard.” “You better be smart and change your application to community college. Otherwise, when we get to Harvard, I’ll make your life hell!” What kind of upbringing makes a teenager talk like that? Yet the subtitles cheered: [Wow, Baby Girl declaring sovereignty is so cool!] [White rabbit turns into a wolf! Love it!] Some questioned it: [Isn’t the FL’s character ruined? This is bullying!] [The supporting character doesn’t even like the ML. Why is she always the imaginary enemy?] But rational voices were drowned out: [Don’t like it, don’t read! Why must the FL be a sweet idiot? Why can’t she be a villainess?] [Who told the supporting character to steal the spotlight?] [Careful Baby! Don’t break her hand! If she can’t do experiments later, how will you steal her patents?] I couldn’t take it anymore. I kicked the door open. Lily turned furiously, but froze when she saw me, dropping the stick she raised. I rushed to Sophia, helping her up. “Are you okay?” Sophia stood up shakily, whispering, “Thank you, Auntie Gu. I’m fine.” Lily rolled her eyes. “Stop pretending…” I cut her off with a glare. “Assistant Zhang, call the police!” … The gang spent hours at the station and paid Sophia for emotional damages. It wasn’t much, but enough to hurt them. Coming out, Lily glared at me caring for Sophia. “Just you wait! I’m telling Austin!” I thought the Female Lead had some power. Turns out her move is tattling to my useless son. I glanced at her. “Go ahead. If you don’t, I’ll look down on you.” “You—” Lily choked. She didn’t dare. That’s why only her mom, Sarah, came to bail her out. The reputation of a bully isn’t good for her “fragile flower” act. I hadn’t seen Sarah in years. Rivals should be furious, but I couldn’t care less about them. My focus was on Sophia. “Were you scared? If they bully you again, tell me immediately!” Sophia teared up. “Thank you, Auntie Gu. You’ve helped me so much. I’ll repay you when I can.” The Gu Group sponsored many students, but Sophia stood out. Not just for her grades, but because ever since she found out I was her sponsor, she sent anonymous gifts every holiday. Handwritten letters, knitted gloves, local specialties… inexpensive, but full of heart. I asked why she sent them anonymously. She said shyly, “You sponsored us anonymously too. Who I am doesn’t matter. I just want your kindness to receive a tiny echo.” Plus, the subtitles told me that in the future, when I was in the mental hospital, she fought the leads to save me until she was beaten to death. It’s ironic. A child who received a little help from me was grateful enough to die for me. Yet the son I poured everything into stabbed me in the back without hesitation. … Realizing I was ignoring her, Lily spoke sarcastically. “By the way, Auntie Gu, Austin didn’t tell you? He’s staying at our house for a while. He says he loves my mom’s garlic ribs.” Sarah’s eyes mocked me. “What’s the use of money? Can’t keep a husband when young, can’t keep a son when old. How pathetic.” Sophia didn’t know our history but sensed the hostility. She stepped in front of me. “You aren’t fit to bully Auntie Gu.” Lily scoffed. “Oh, can’t seduce Austin so you’re sucking up to his mom? Look in a mirror!” “You—” Sophia was furious. I pulled her back and looked at Sarah coldly. “I almost forgot. seeing you reminded me—” I narrowed my eyes. “It’s time to settle your debt.”

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On a reality TV show, the host asked us to reveal the most immoral thing we’d ever done. I gave a shy smile. “When I was a kid, my best friend and I stole all of her brother’s pants and hid them.” The other guests looked intrigued, pressing for the aftermath. The Film Emperor sitting next to me smiled elegantly and chimed in, “And later, she turned around and provoked me, threatening to strip my pants off with her own hands.” I froze. My brain completely short-circuited. 1 I owed a favor to a producer, which is how I ended up as a filler guest on this variety show. In the first episode, the icebreaker question was about our “darkest deeds.” I fell silent for a moment. Not because I couldn’t think of anything, but because I was a menace as a child. The list was too long. After the other guests finished, the camera panned to my face. I didn’t have time to hesitate, so I picked the funniest one. “When I was a kid, my best friend and I hid all of her older brother’s pants.” The memory was so vivid that I couldn’t help but chuckle as I recalled it. Mia, the guest sitting next to me, asked with curiosity written all over her face, “Then what happened?” I tried to recall the details, but I was too embarrassed to say the rest. Later, not only did I fail to apologize, but I actually went back to taunt him. To this day, I haven’t dared to appear in front of him again. Seeing my hesitation, Mia’s imagination started running wild. “Did you get beat up?” I shook my head. “Did you guys start dating?” I shook my head like a rattle drum. Mia, being the impatient type, stomped her foot. “So what happened? Spit it out!” I scratched my head, about to speak. That’s when the A-list actor next to me, Julian Blackwood, smiled and finished the sentence for me. “Later, she provoked me and threatened to strip my pants off with her own hands.” I felt like I’d been struck by lightning. He… is… Julian? Mia’s gaze darted back and forth between me and Julian. You could practically hear her brain frying. After a long pause, she asked hesitantly, “So, the unlucky guy who lost his pants… was you?” Then she looked at me. “And the little delinquent who stole them… was you?” I lowered my head, my eyes uncontrollably drifting toward Julian. I couldn’t figure it out. I just wanted to share a funny childhood story. How did I end up sitting next to the victim? 2 It wasn’t entirely my fault I didn’t recognize Julian. Back then, he was going through a phase. He wore black masks all day and acted like a mysterious, brooding vampire. My best friend, Riley—Julian’s sister—used to cry to me daily about how evil her brother was. According to her, he stole her allowance and ate her snacks. Eventually, she invited me over to steal his pants. She called it “teaching him a lesson.” I was at an age where I had an overflowing sense of justice. Hearing Riley’s tragic tales, my blood boiled, and I agreed. Our division of labor was clear. I was the lookout in the living room; Riley infiltrated the bedroom to secure the assets. However, there was a snag in the operation. I was helping Riley transport the bundle of pants to her room when we ran smack into Julian. Thinking back to his cold, deadpan expression, I still feel guilty. But remembering how much Riley had “suffered” under his tyranny, I grew a sudden pair of guts and shouted at him, “If you bully Riley again, next time I’ll strip your pants off myself!” Years later… We were drinking, and Riley accidentally let the truth slip. The stolen allowance? The stolen snacks? All lies. Just stories she made up during her rebellious phase. On the surface, I remained calm. Internally, I was screaming. The stories were fake, but my threat to Julian was very, very real! From that day on, I avoided Julian Blackwood like the plague. 3 Believing that admitting mistakes makes you a good kid, I immediately turned to Julian. “I’m so sorry. I was young and ignorant. I’ve learned a profound lesson since then. Please forgive me, Mr. Blackwood.” How profound was the lesson? Well, since that incident, I only believe about 30% of anything Riley tells me. The live stream comments were going wild. [LMAO, Chloe looks like a school kid getting sent to the principal’s office.] [Mr. Blackwood, please forgive our Chloe. She’s just a little bit… empty-headed.] [Don’t blame Chloe! Being an idiot isn’t a crime!] [I’m crying. I told my bestie my brother bullies me, and she said, “Good job, brother.”] [Okay but, I don’t think Julian is mad. He’s been smiling the whole time.] Seeing that last comment, I looked up at Julian. Our eyes met. Julian seemed to think of something and let out a low chuckle. I was terrified. Riley’s words echoed in my mind: My brother has evolved. He knows how to play dirty now. I pulled out my phone under the table and texted Riley for help. Riley, currently living her best life overseas, replied instantly: [Be careful! My brother texted me hours ago saying he ran into you. I could feel the murderous intent through the screen!] Connecting this with Julian’s meaningful smile, my hands started shaking as I typed: [What do I do?] [Your brother holds grudges like crazy!] [Save me! How do I apologize so he’ll actually accept it?] Riley went silent. I was anxious as an ant on a hot pan. Just then, the director told us to choose partners for the upcoming tasks. Mia, who lived for drama, leaned over to Julian. “Do you want to partner with Chloe?” Julian’s eyes crinkled with amusement. He didn’t hesitate for a second. “Of course.” Before I could panic, he added, “I want to see exactly how she plans to strip my pants.” Me: “!!!” 4 After the teams were set, Julian naturally sat next to me on the sofa. I fought a long internal battle before whispering, “Can I not be on your team?” Julian raised an eyebrow but didn’t speak. According to Riley, this was the precursor to his rage. I lowered my head, speaking fast. “I was young and dumb when I helped Riley hide your pants. I really know I was wrong.” “And I swear, I never actually wanted to strip you. Really!” Afraid he wouldn’t believe me, I even held up three fingers in a scout’s oath. Julian leaned back, relaxed. “You think I picked you because I want revenge for the pants?” Obviously. But I nodded obediently and apologized again. “I really know I messed up.” Julian looked at me for a few seconds, then laughed. “Your attitude is surprisingly sincere.” I quickly ran through Riley’s teachings but couldn’t decipher his emotion. I stole a glance. Okay, he’s smiling. That means his mood should be decent. I relaxed slightly. “So, about the teams…” Julian kept smiling, but his words killed my hope. “We’re sticking together. We’re old acquaintances, after all. Our chemistry should be unmatched.” I tried to smile, but the corners of my mouth wouldn’t go up. Seeing my expression of utter despair, Julian’s mood improved significantly. Before walking away, he messed up my hair and dropped a line: “Since when did you get so timid?” I fixed my hair, staring at his back, thinking angrily: Riley was right. Julian Blackwood is not a good person!

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