Two years after I died, I reincarnated as a stray cat. My cat mom carried me by the scruff of my neck to a familiar house. I looked up at the building I knew by heart, then at my ex-boyfriend—and his eight-pack abs—and swallowed a mouthful of kitty drool. My ex squatted down, scratching my mom’s chin, and muttered to himself, “I really want to adopt it, but she is afraid of cats.” Wow. He moved on that fast? I widened my kitten eyes and glared at him. “Babe, what’s wrong?” A familiar male voice drifted out from behind my ex. Wait a minute. Hold on. His current partner is a guy? 1 It was the second year after my death when I came back as a stray. I was the only kitten in the litter to survive. When I could finally wobble around on my paws, my cat mom stared at me with her big, round eyes for a long time. Then she started grooming me obsessively, meowing while she licked. I understood her. She was saying, You need to be clean. That way, a nice human will adopt you, and you’ll have a good life. I asked her if she would come with me. She didn’t answer. She just grabbed my scruff and dragged me out the door. Even though I was getting used to walking on four legs, I was still terrified of heights. I’d watched cat livestreams before, but experiencing “parkour mode” in first-person view was dizzying. Mom agility-jumped us into a gated community and didn’t drop me until we reached a specific door. My head was spinning. I spun in a few circles and flopped over. Mom scratched at the door until it opened. I looked up. It was the same layout I remembered. And there stood Liam, my ex, dripping wet, wearing nothing but a towel. “???” I exploded into a fuzzball on the spot. Liam must have just stepped out of the shower. Water droplets were racing down those abs. He crouched down, petting my mom with one hand and opening a can of wet food with the other. “Sorry, got caught up with something today. Didn’t put food out. Starving, huh?” The towel gaped a little as he squatted. Cover your shame, man! I tried to shout, but it came out as a soft, sticky “Meow.” That’s when Liam noticed me. “Is this your baby? It’s so cute. I think we still have some goat milk powder. I’ll go make some.” He headed to the kitchen. I stood at the door, peering inside. The furniture, the clutter—it was exactly how I left it. I wondered how he was doing. Did he still… think of me? While I was lost in thought, Liam came back with the milk. His warm palm covered my head, rubbing gently. I purred involuntarily. The last time we touched like this, I was in a hospital bed. Liam had covered my eyes and whispered, “Don’t be scared. Our Riley is the bravest girl in the world.” Deep-seated emotions bubbled up. I let out a stifled meow, my eyes getting wet. I had planned to find him once I could walk properly, but I didn’t expect my cat mom to bring me straight here. To let him adopt me. Driven by that thought, I stumbled toward him. My cat mom nudged me from behind, encouraging me. Liam paused, seeming to understand her intention. He scratched her chin and whispered, “I really want to adopt it, but she is afraid of cats.” I had just rubbed my face against his ankle. Never mind. Cat head retraction initiated. 2 My cat mom didn’t know what Liam said, but she could read the room. She meowed anxiously, nudging me to rub against him again, trying to show off how clean my fur was. I wanted to speak, but how could I explain? As far as I knew, no one in Liam’s circle was afraid of cats. I loved them. When I was alive, stray cats used to escort me home, and Liam would always smile and give them treats. So who was afraid of cats? His new partner, presumably. It’s been a year. He has his own life. He had to start over. No one stays in the past forever. I looked up at him. He looked tanner than before, with dark circles under his eyes. Only those eyes were as bright as I remembered. Too bad the reflection in them wasn’t me anymore. I wanted to leave, but Mom wouldn’t let me. She grabbed me and dropped me at Liam’s feet again, standing guard outside. Liam sighed. While we were in this standoff, a familiar male voice came from behind him. “Babe, what’s wrong?” Wait. Why is it a guy? Then, my arch-nemesis Wes’s big, stupid face leaned into view. “You’re feeding strays? Remember, don’t bring them inside. They’re full of bacteria. Filthy.” Liam didn’t say anything, but his expression was resigned, like he was used to this. He might be used to it, but I wasn’t. I launched myself at Wes with a combo of fury swipes. Filthy?! Who are you calling filthy?! Wes, you piece of garbage! You fought me when I was alive, and now that I’m dead, you stole my boyfriend?! My paw pads smacked against him with a satisfying thud-thud. Afraid Wes would hurt me, Liam scooped me up. “The kitten knows you’re bad-mouthing it.” Damn straight. I started yelling at Liam in cat language too. If you found a nice girl, I’d accept it. But my nemesis? And a guy? Are you trying to kill me twice? I swung a paw at Liam, but my legs were too short. I missed. Liam laughed and poked my head. I hissed. Wes frowned, looking at the spot where I’d hit him, lost in thought. “If you touch the cat, wash your hands. Or don’t even think about getting in bed tonight.” Wes dropped that bombshell and went to the bathroom. Soon, I heard the shower running. “I know,” Liam replied, good-natured as always. Great. Just great. One year after my death, my boyfriend and my enemy are together. Judging by that tone, they’re sleeping together??? When did this start? After I died? Or were they colluding while I was still here? No matter what, I had to make Liam adopt me. I needed to see what the hell was going on. 3 That night, I patrolled my new territory. Wes, wearing rubber gloves, pointed a finger at me and yelled, “Liam! It’s me or the cat! One of us goes!” Hearing Liam’s footsteps, I immediately flopped over and let out a weak, pathetic meow. Liam panicked, scooped me up, and put me in the cat bed. “Keep your voice down. The kitten is new; it’ll get stressed.” “Then send it back! I’ll buy extra cat food for the strays tomorrow, okay?” Absolutely not. “Meow~” I shivered. I was weak. I was helpless. I wobbled to my feet and put my paws together in a begging motion. Liam immediately blocked me from Wes’s view. “Wes, calm down. We need to talk.” “There’s nothing to talk about.” Wes turned and slammed the door to the guest bedroom, locking it. I gritted my teeth. I hand-picked every piece of furniture in this apartment. How dare he slam my door? Liam looked upset. He turned to comfort me, then went to the guest room. He knocked and spoke quietly for a long time before Wes opened the door. They both went inside. I hesitated, then tiptoed to the door to eavesdrop. Thanks to my superior cat hearing, I caught bits and pieces. “…Are you crazy? That’s a cat!” “I know, but she might…” “You’re seriously sick. Send it away tomorrow!” “…” It was like they had a censor filter on. I couldn’t hear the keywords. I spun around anxiously, trying different poses to hear better. Suddenly, the door opened. I tumbled into the room, limbs splayed. “Meow?” Wes sneered down at me. “Look at that. Eavesdropping? I thought it was ‘stressed’?” “What does a kitten know?” Liam picked me up and carried me out. “It understood when I insulted it earlier, but now it knows nothing?” “Wes! Listen to yourself. It’s a cat! It’s not even a month old!” “You better hope it’s just a cat.” I didn’t understand what they were arguing about, but I knew Wes was up to no good. Liam carried me away, looking downcast. He was angry. I extended a paw toward Wes, who looked equally annoyed. I stretched my toes, retracted the others, and left one specific claw out. The middle one. Being flipped off by a kitten must be a first for him. But Wes didn’t get mad. He just stared at my claw, stunned. What’s his deal? Is he a masochist? When I’m cute, he hates me. When I abuse him, he shuts up. I was put back in the cat bed. Since I arrived at night, they didn’t have supplies. Liam rummaged around and finally pulled out a big red scarf to cover me. Hey! Liam! It took me half a month to knit that scarf! You’re giving it to a cat? Even though the cat is me, I still felt salty about it. “Have a good sleep. Goodnight.” Liam kissed my head, his tone sickeningly sweet. If I weren’t a cat right now, I’d think I’d traveled back to the old days. 4 My name is Riley (Yan Nannan). I grew up in foster care. Wes was in the same group home, a year younger than me. We fought from day one. The worst time, I broke my arm, and he got his head split open. The director told us if we fought again, we’d be kicked out. So we dialed it back. After high school, I got into a university up North, a thousand miles away. Before I left, we fought again because Wes hid my suitcase. He blocked the door, glaring at me. “Riley! Didn’t you apply to schools in the South?” “Yeah, but my grades slipped, so I got into the Northern one. Are you sick? Give me my suitcase or I’ll pound you!” He didn’t speak. He just stared at me. So I punched him. I grabbed my suitcase and left, nursing a sore hand. Later, I found out Wes got accepted to a school in the South, a thousand miles away from the home. Whatever. It had nothing to do with me. Further the better. Looking at him made me angry. I never went back to the group home. I worked part-time through college to survive. After graduation, I worked days and hustled nights. Because I had to feed myself and my cat. I found the cat by the road, soaking wet like it had been fished out of a river. I wrapped it in my scarf. Just as I was about to leave, I heard splashing from the nearby pond. More cats? I rushed over. I saw a guy clinging to the bank, half his body still in the water, too exhausted to pull himself up. I put the cat on the grass and went to pull him out. He looked up. His dull eyes suddenly lit up when he saw me. “I’ve got you. Don’t let go.” He nodded and scrambled up. Luckily, I’m strong. I yanked him onto the grass in one go. He collapsed on the slope, gasping for air. “Do you need an ambulance?” “Is the cat okay?” We spoke at the same time, then smiled. “No, I just need to rest.” “Okay.” I picked the cat up and sat next to him to show him. The cat was shaking, but conscious, looking at us timidly. The guy drove us to the vet. Luckily, the cat was fine, just scared and had an ear infection. I happily shoved the medical report into his hand. “Good news! Father and son are safe!” He paused, then laughed. “Yeah. Father and son are safe.” My eyes lingered on the wet business card in his hand—”Song Huixun” (Liam).

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386230”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My husband, the man who claimed to love me more than life itself, is keeping an eighteen-year-old mistress on the side. His excuse? She looks exactly like I did when we were young. He claims he’s just “letting true love continue.” Ridiculous. The day I found out I was pregnant, I went to his office to surprise him. instead, I walked in on the girl sitting on his lap, feeding him wine mouth-to-mouth. She asked him, “Am I just her replacement?” He pulled her tighter and sneered, “Is she even worthy of being compared to you?” I turned around, walked out, scheduled an abortion, and called my aunt overseas. “Aunt Sarah, I’ve decided. I’m moving to Australia.” Aunt Sarah paused for a second before her voice burst with relief. “Claire! You’ve finally made up your mind! I’ll have your uncle start the paperwork immediately. It should take about ten days. Wait for my update.” I hung up and drove straight home. When I walked through the door, Nathaniel was already sitting in the living room. There was a rare look of panic in his eyes. “You’re back late. Where were you?” I held up the pharmacy bag in my hand, my voice flat. “Nowhere special. My stomach’s been acting up. Went to the doctor, grabbed some prescriptions and herbal supplements.” My health has always been fragile, and getting pregnant was a miracle. After the abortion procedure today, the doctor specifically prescribed these supplements to help my body recover. Seeing my expression remain calm, Nathaniel finally got to the point. “Did you stop by the office today? Why did you leave right after you got there?” I guessed the receptionists had told him they saw me. But he wasn’t sure if I’d seen them. In reality, they were only intimate for those few seconds. The little assistant fed him a sip of wine and then hopped off his lap. “I was just passing by. I saw you were busy with your assistant, so I didn’t want to interrupt.” He visibly exhaled, the tension leaving his shoulders. My heart gave a sharp, dull throb. We’ve been married seven years. To everyone around us, we were the power couple, the soulmates. I thought we’d grow old together, but I never expected his heart to wander so quickly. “She was just giving me a report! You know how it is,” he laughed nervously. “She’s young, fresh out of school. She doesn’t know the rules yet, so she stood a little too close.” Nathaniel walked over and wrapped his arm around my shoulder, his tone dripping with tenderness. “Babe, we haven’t been back to our college campus in ages. I’m free tomorrow. Why don’t we go take a walk? Relive the old memories.” He looked relaxed, eager even. We were college sweethearts. From hoodies to wedding gowns. Every anniversary, we’d go back to campus. But this year, Nathaniel said work was too crazy, so we skipped it. Now I realized he wasn’t busy with work. He was busy entertaining an eighteen-year-old. I sighed and shook my head. “Maybe later. The doctor put me on these meds for ten days. I have to brew the herbal tea every night. It’s a hassle.” He hummed an acknowledgement, his fingers gently stroking my long hair. I turned my body slightly, subtly dodging his touch. His hand froze in mid-air. “Claire, you seem… unhappy. Is this about Mia standing too close today?” “Mia’s just a kid. She didn’t mean anything by it. You wouldn’t hold a grudge against an eighteen-year-old girl, would you?” My heart seized painfully. Once upon a time, I was an eighteen-year-old girl, too. I looked up, my eyes empty. “No. I’m not holding a grudge.” His face brightened immediately. “That’s my girl. Hey, there’s a luxury jewelry auction next week. Pick whatever you want; I’ll win it for you.” Just an hour ago, I had seen Mia’s update on Instagram. My Silver Fox said he’s taking me to the auction next week to show me the world. He promised to win the grand finale piece just for me! I love my man so much. <3 Below the caption was a photo of two hands making a heart shape. In the photo, the wedding band on Nathaniel’s ring finger was blindingly obvious. I gave him a cool glance. "No thanks. Win it for someone else." Nathaniel’s eyes darkened. He was about to say something when his phone pinged. It was a message from Mia. Just a photo. A bed covered in various... toys. He glanced down, and I saw his Adam’s apple bob. "Claire, a new deal just popped up. I have to go out of town for a few days." He rushed out the door, unable to hide the excitement in his eyes. I remembered the countless nights before this. The "urgent meetings," the "sudden business trips." Just then, a message from Aunt Sarah popped up on my screen. Claire, your uncle finished the immigration application. Everything is approved. See you next week! Nathaniel came back a week later. I thought he’d go straight to the office, but he came home during the morning rush hour. Mia had been posting non-stop on social media all week. The latest photo showed her in a sheer, white negligee. It was the perfect mix of innocent and provocative. The caption read: My Silver Fox loves the new battle armor. He said he wants to rip it off with his own hands! I laughed dryly and typed a comment: It’s definitely his style. Moments later, the post was deleted. As soon as Nathaniel walked in, he was on the offensive. "Claire, I already explained everything! Mia is just a kid. Why are you targeting her?" I paused, realizing he must have seen the comment on the deleted post. Sure enough, seeing my silence fueled his anger. "She just posted about being lucky to have a good boss, and you leave such a nasty comment? Insulting a little girl?" "Claire, you’re thirty years old. Are you not embarrassed to be bullying a teenager?" I pressed my lips together and didn't defend myself. I let Mia paint me as the villain. I was leaving in three days. I didn't have the energy to care about what he thought anymore. Seeing that I wasn't fighting back like I usually would, Nathaniel’s guilt started to creep in. His tone softened. "Claire, you used to be so understanding. Why are you being so difficult lately? Is it because you’re not feeling well?" He placed a thermos on the dining table and ladled out a bowl of hot porridge. "I had the chef at the family estate make this stomach-soothing porridge just for you. I told them to make it fresh every day. I’ll pick it up for you every morning." He blew on a spoonful and held it to my lips. "Every time you’re sick, I wish I could take the pain for you." I frowned and kept my mouth shut. Nathaniel’s patience snapped. "Claire, enough is enough. You aren't eighteen anymore. Do you really expect me to baby you like we’re teenagers?" "Mia is the granddaughter of an old business partner. He asked me to look after her on his deathbed. Isn’t it normal for me to take care of her? Can’t you be a little more mature?" My lips curled in a sneer. Look after her? "Look after" her right into bed. Nice. Nathaniel always said he loved how sensible and obedient I was. I always put his feelings first. Even when I was hurt, if he offered a tiny olive branch, I’d take it. No drama, no scenes. Just like now. He thought that by lowering himself to feed me porridge, I should be grateful and move on. Fine. I was leaving for Australia anyway. No point in making him suspicious. "It's too hot. Put it down, I'll eat it later." Perhaps sensing my coldness, Nathaniel switched to his charming mode.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386229”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Before I could even process the grief of my miscarriage, I accidentally overheard Ethan Vance talking to the doctor. “Find a way to remove my wife’s uterus. Make sure she can never get pregnant again.” Then, he gently stroked another woman’s stomach, his voice softening into something tender. “Create the best prenatal care plan for her. I want her child to be the heir to the Vance empire.” I recognized the woman. She was the new star streamer Ethan’s company had just signed. My blood ran cold. I never imagined the man who once loved me more than life itself could betray me like this. So, I left a divorce agreement on the table, granting them their twisted version of a happy ending… 1 Walking back to my hospital room, I felt like a zombie. My brain kept replaying the scene I had just witnessed. My husband, who treated me like a princess and loved me to the bone, was cheating on me behind my back. He was ordering doctors to remove my uterus. And he did it knowing full well that all I ever wanted was a child. A nurse passing by shot me an envious look. “Her husband rented out this entire floor just so she wouldn’t be disturbed. He hired private nurses for her every need, and that wasn’t enough—he insisted on staying by her side 24/7. I’ve never seen a man love his wife so much.” “When she miscarried and hemorrhaged, his eyes were swollen from crying. I heard they were high school sweethearts. To marry her, he even transferred all his family assets into her name.” If this were the past, hearing this would have made me feel like the luckiest woman alive. But now, it felt like a fly was stuck in my throat. Nauseating. Just then, Ethan’s furious voice erupted from a nearby room. “Useless! All of you! You couldn’t even watch one person? If anything happens to Sarah, I’ll kill you all!” Ethan rarely lost his temper. The last time he got this angry was when I fell seriously ill. He took me to every specialist, nearly smashed up a hospital in frustration, and even threatened to die with me if I didn’t make it. I watched the veins bulging on his forehead, but I couldn’t feel the same emotion I once did. I just said flatly: “Ethan, I’m here.” The moment he saw me, Ethan’s eyes lit up. He rushed over and pulled me into a tight embrace. “Sarah, where did you go? Why didn’t you tell me? I thought something happened to you.” His voice trembled with genuine fear. There wasn’t a hint of falsehood in it. I pushed him away gently. “The room was stuffy. I just went out for some air.” He finally exhaled, but he didn’t let go of my hand. Then, he took a bowl of medicine from a nurse and spooned it gently to my lips. “Babe, time for your medicine.” Looking at the dark brown liquid, a chill ran down my spine. The scene from earlier flashed in my mind. “It’s bitter. I don’t want it.” In the past, Ethan never refused my requests. But this time, he was strangely insistent. “If you don’t take your medicine, you won’t get better, and we won’t be able to have a baby. Didn’t you always want to give me a baby?” He knew a baby was my weakness. He was betting that if he used a child as bait, I would bite. But I didn’t trust him anymore. I slapped the bowl away. “I said I don’t want it.” Ethan’s gentle face froze, a flicker of displeasure crossing his eyes. I thought knocking the medicine away would save me, but the next second, everything went black. I lost consciousness. When I woke up, it was the next morning. A sense of dread washed over me. I lifted the blanket and looked down. Sure enough, there was a fresh surgical scar on my stomach. My world collapsed. I wanted to scream at Ethan, but before I could, he explained: “Babe, you fainted last night. The doctor found cancerous cells in your uterus, so I had them remove it.” Afraid I wouldn’t believe him, he showed me a pathology report. It clearly stated my uterus was cancerous. If I hadn’t heard him give the order myself, I might have been fooled. Staring at the angry scar on my belly, my heart felt like it had been ripped in two. Only despair remained. Ethan hugged me, his voice full of pain. “Babe, I know you wanted a child, but your health comes first. I can’t lose you. If it comes down to it, we can just adopt.” 2 I opened my mouth to speak, but the door pushed open. Nina walked in carrying a fruit basket. “Sorry to interrupt. I’m here representing the company to visit Mrs. Vance.” Nina was the new streamer Ethan’s entertainment company had just signed. She was beautiful, had a perfect body, and was incredibly charismatic. Every stream she did brought in millions for the company. No wonder Ethan liked her. Ethan’s expression didn’t change. He nodded coolly at Nina, then turned his attention back to me. But I knew that beneath this calm surface, turbulent currents were raging. I turned my back to them and lay down, suppressing my emotions. “I’m tired. I want to rest.” I thought Nina would leave, but she stayed. She sat quietly next to Ethan, watching over me. Ethan sat on the edge of the bed, massaging my legs. Nina sat obediently nearby. It looked like a harmonious scene of a loving couple and a respectful employee. But no one saw what was happening under the bed. Nina was rubbing her leg against Ethan’s. Ethan didn’t pull away. He let her touch him until she got too bold. Only then did he grab her thigh to stop her. But Nina didn’t give up. She hugged Ethan from behind, nuzzling him like a cat. Ethan glanced at me to make sure my eyes were closed and my breathing was even. Once he was sure I was asleep, he grew bold. He spun around, pressed Nina onto the side table, grabbed her neck, and kissed her. He pulled away quickly, his cold eyes warning her to behave. But Nina was fearless. She wrapped herself around him again. Ethan couldn’t resist any longer. He glanced at me one last time, then took Nina’s hand and led her out of the room. The moment the door clicked shut, I opened my eyes. Ethan would never have guessed that the glass window reflected everything. I saw it all. I followed Ethan and Nina to a secluded corner. Hiding behind a pillar, I peeked out. Ethan had his hand around Nina’s throat, his voice low and angry. “Didn’t I warn you to behave in front of Sarah?” Nina didn’t flinch. She rubbed her cheek against his arm coquettishly. “But you’ve been so busy with her these last two days. The baby missed you.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, her voice dripping with sweetness. “Mr. Vance, didn’t you always want to try it outside? Let’s do it. There are no cameras on this floor, and your wife is asleep. No one will know.” Before Ethan could respond, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. Ethan froze for a second, then cupped the back of her head and deepened the kiss. “Ethan, be gentle… the baby…” “Shut up. I know what I’m doing.” I didn’t dare watch what happened next. As I fled, the sounds of their intimacy echoed in my ears. My heart felt like it was being shredded. The pain was excruciating. The man who said he only loved me, who promised to spoil me for a lifetime, was hooking up with another woman behind my back. It felt like an invisible hand had slapped me across the face. The shame was overwhelming. My legs gave out, and I collapsed to the floor, pathetic and broken. 3 A passing nurse rushed over to help me up. Seeing the tears on my face, she assumed I was in pain from the fall. “Mrs. Vance, please don’t cry. If Mr. Vance sees you like this, he’ll be heartbroken.” Looking at the nurse’s concerned face, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I broke down sobbing. When I finally cried myself out, I went back to my room and slept. When I woke up, Ethan still wasn’t back. But Nina was standing at the foot of my bed, her face dark. Gone was the respectful employee. She looked at me with disdain and sneered. “You saw what happened, didn’t you? Ethan loves me. I’m already pregnant with his child.” I clenched my fists, trembling. “How long have you been together?” Nina held up three fingers, smugly. “Three years. He met me at a dinner party three years ago and fell in love at first sight. He spent the whole night with me. He only transferred his assets to you because he felt guilty. That money belonged to me and my baby. You stole what was ours.” I bit my lip hard to stop myself from slapping her. Seeing my restraint, Nina grew bolder. “Do you think he loves you? Actually, he comes to me every night after you fall asleep. Even though I’m pregnant, he won’t stop. To be honest, the day you miscarried, he wasn’t at a business dinner. He was in my bed. He can’t live without me now. If you’re smart, you’ll divorce him.” Her words triggered a memory from the day I miscarried. I was in so much pain I passed out multiple times, almost dying from blood loss. The doctor called Ethan ten times. He didn’t answer. Eventually, he turned off his phone. When he came back the next day, he knelt by my bed, claiming he was at a dinner, slapping himself for not being there for me. In reality, while I was screaming in agony, he was enjoying himself with another woman. The last shred of hope I had vanished. My heart turned to ash. Seeing my defeat, Nina gloated even more. Hands on her hips, she announced: “Ethan is throwing a wedding for me tomorrow. It’s going to be grander than yours ever was. Make sure you come drink to our happiness!” With that, she strutted out like a victorious rooster, chin held high. Watching her leave, a sharp pain pierced my chest. The world went black, and I fainted again. When I woke up the next morning, Ethan was sitting by my side, eyes red. He pulled me into a hug, his voice choked with emotion. “Sarah, you’re finally awake. You scared me to death.” The image of them in the supply closet flashed through my mind. Nausea rose in my throat. I pushed him away. “I’m fine.” Ethan froze, hurt flashing in his eyes. I looked at his tear-filled eyes and asked the question that had been weighing on me for days. “Do you remember what I told you before we got married?” Before the wedding, I told him: If he ever fell in love with someone else, just tell me. I would step aside. But if he lied to me, I would disappear from his world forever. Ethan nodded without hesitation. “Why are you asking that? Did I do something to upset you?” He stood up abruptly and barked at the nurses behind him. “Bring every woman I’ve had contact with recently in here!” Moments later, my room was filled with over a dozen women—nurses, maids, and Nina. Nina stroked her belly, looking at me with triumph. Ethan clasped his hands behind his back and ordered sternly: “Tell my wife exactly how you interacted with me recently. Be detailed!” “Mrs. Vance, the last time I saw the Young Master was to hand in your meal plan.” “Mrs. Vance, I only saw him when he asked me to bring incense from home to the hospital.” “Mrs. Vance, the boss called me to change your IV drip.” One by one, they reported. Every interaction revolved around me. They looked at me with envy. When it was Nina’s turn, she said coolly: “I haven’t seen Mr. Vance since I dropped off the fruit basket yesterday. Don’t worry, Mrs. Vance. The boss only has eyes for you.” 4 It sounded like a compliment, but I heard the mockery loud and clear. I laughed bitterly and signaled them to leave. Having “proven” his innocence, Ethan relaxed. He sat on the bed, took my hand, and said earnestly: “Sarah, you know I only love you. I would never look at another woman.” I hummed a flat response, ignoring the disappointment in his eyes as I pulled my hand away. Ethan seemed to remember something and added: “Sarah, I have to go on a business trip tomorrow. I can’t be with you. But my phone will be on 24/7 for you. Call me if you miss me.” His confession of devotion seemed flawless. I suppressed my disgust and nodded. “Drive safe.” I caught a flash of guilt in his eyes before he whined: “But I don’t want to leave you. Even though it’s just one day, I don’t want to be apart for a second.” “When we adopt a kid, I’ll just hand the company over to him so I don’t have to travel and leave you.” If I didn’t know he was spending the next 24 hours marrying Nina, I might have been moved. Finally, Ethan kissed my forehead reluctantly and left the room. The moment he was gone, I checked myself out of the hospital. I went home, packed my things, left a signed divorce agreement on the living room table, and boarded a plane to Switzerland. Before takeoff, I deleted and blocked all of Ethan’s contact information. I cut him out of my life completely. Sitting on the plane, watching the city I had lived in for thirty years shrink beneath me, the heavy stone on my heart finally lifted. Ethan Vance, goodbye forever. I arrived in Switzerland the next morning. After doing some research online, I picked a bed and breakfast to stay in. Meanwhile, Ethan was holding his wedding with Nina. Moments before entering the chapel, he called the doctor to check on me. The doctor told him I had been sleeping since he left and had asked not to be disturbed. They were waiting for me to wake up. Hearing this, he finally entered the chapel with peace of mind. But for some reason, his mind was filled with images of me. Last night, he even dreamed that I divorced him, waking up in a cold sweat. He only relaxed after confirming I was still “sleeping.” But the uneasiness lingered. As time passed, it grew stronger. His mind drifted so far he didn’t even hear the officiant ask if he took Nina as his wife. It wasn’t until Nina shook his hand that he snapped back. Looking into Nina’s adoring eyes, all he could see was my face, looking at him with disappointment. Startled, he shook off Nina’s hand and ran out of the church. “Mr. Vance! The wedding isn’t over! Where are you going?” He realized then that I was too important to him. How could he marry another woman behind my back? Sarah, please wait for me. Ethan rushed back to the hospital. He ran straight to my room. Seeing a figure under the blanket, he breathed a sigh of relief. He pushed the door open, a gentle smile on his face. “Babe, I’m back!” The person on the bed didn’t move. Ethan carefully lifted the blanket. His smile froze. Under the covers wasn’t me. It was a pillow. Where was Sarah?

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386228”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

In my past life, on the day I married Ethan Vance, the love of his life, Sarah James, jumped off a building. From that moment on, he hated me to his core. He locked me in our home, humiliated me, and made my life a living hell. I endured it until I couldn’t anymore. I took my own life to escape. My soul drifted through the world, watching the aftermath. I discovered that Sarah’s suicide attempt was nothing but a manipulative act. Meanwhile, Ethan’s sworn enemy, Lucas Cole—the untouchable heir of New York’s elite—grieved for me until his hair turned white overnight. Now, I’ve been given a second chance. Reborn, I swore to chase my own happiness. But when Ethan found out I was marrying a good man, he fell to his knees, begging me to come back like a madman. 1 Lucas Cole, the ruthless “Prince of New York,” didn’t waste a second. When he heard I was willing to marry him, he froze for exactly three seconds. Thirty minutes later, everything was done. When he handed me the marriage certificate, his face was calm, but the tips of his ears were burning red. “I’ll handle the wedding. Don’t worry about a thing. Just wait for me to come get you.” He practically fled the scene, using work as an excuse, terrified I might change my mind. I smiled, clutching the red booklet, and headed home to break the news to my family. The moment I stepped through the door, a bucket of ice water hit me squarely in the face. Before I could react, Ethan’s entourage started pelting me with cake. My carefully done hair and makeup were ruined instantly. I stood there, soaked and sticky, looking like a drowned rat. The group erupted in laughter, phones out, recording my humiliation. “Surprise! It’s an engagement party for you and Ethan! Just helping you loosen up!” “Everyone knows you threw away your dignity to marry Ethan. Can’t take a little joke? Better get used to it. You’ll be swallowing a lot more than this in the future.” I shivered in the cold draft, water dripping down my neck. Ethan looked at me with a smirk. “Don’t be a buzzkill, Riley.” “Just because our parents pressured me into this doesn’t mean I have to like it. Being Mrs. Vance isn’t going to be easy.” Even though I had lived this before, hearing these words from the man I had loved for twenty years still made my chest ache. Ethan and I grew up together. I loved him with a desperate, blinding devotion. Ten years of being his shadow, giving him everything. And all I got in return was cold ridicule. Well, not this time. I wasn’t going to waste my second life on a man who didn’t love me. I wiped the frosting from my face and spoke calmly. “I don’t plan on being Mrs. Vance.” Ethan froze. His friends laughed even harder. “Ethan, you lucky bastard! She’s playing hard to get before she’s even through the door. This little wife of yours is something else!” “Who cares? Everyone knows Riley is just a dog following Ethan around. Since when does a dog get a say in its owner’s business?” Ethan’s disdain deepened. “Cut the act, Riley. No matter what you do, I won’t love you. You can have my name, but you’ll never have my heart.” “After the wedding, Sarah is moving in. You can pretend to be the wife, but remember—in that house, you’re lower than the help.” “And I’ve already had the lawyers draft a prenup. You won’t get a dime of my money.” I was stunned. In my past life, after Sarah jumped, Ethan tortured me because he blamed me for her death. But before that, he had always treated me decently. When we were kids and my parents were busy, he was the one who read me bedtime stories. When I was bullied in school, he defended me and took me for rides on his motorcycle. Twenty years of friendship. Even if he didn’t love me, he had always been like a big brother. His sudden cruelty made me suspicious. Had something changed that I didn’t know about? Seeing my silence, Ethan assumed he had hurt me. He cleared his throat, seemingly feeling a twinge of guilt. “Look, Sarah has suffered more than you. You need to make sacrifices to balance things out.” “As long as you don’t give Sarah a hard time, I won’t mistreat you in public.” Before I could respond, Sarah started sobbing. “Ethan… are you going soft on her? If she hadn’t been so jealous and interfered, we wouldn’t have been forced apart!” “Forget it. I know Miss High-and-Mighty looks down on someone like me. I didn’t realize you were ashamed of me too, Ethan. I… I should just go die!” She turned and ran. Ethan’s face filled with panic. He shoved me aside and chased after her. My back slammed into the door handle. Pain shot through me, tears pricking my eyes. The others, having had their fill of the show, left me standing in the mess. I watched them leave and let out a bitter laugh. In my past life, shortly after our wedding, the Vance family business hit a crisis. Their so-called friends vanished. To win Ethan’s heart, I secretly used my entire dowry to bail him out. Billions of dollars, gone. And it didn’t buy me a single ounce of his affection. This time, without my money, I wondered if his precious Sarah could save him. 2 I took a shower and changed into clean clothes. When I came out, I found Ethan and Sarah cuddling on the sofa. He was whispering to her with a tenderness I had never received. Seeing me, his face went cold. “This mess is your fault. Apologize to Sarah.” “And clean this place up. Clear out your room for her. It’s late; it’s not safe for her to go home alone.” I had been in the shower for maybe thirty minutes. They couldn’t even wait that long. Ethan’s shirt had lipstick stains. Sarah’s lipstick was smeared, her dress wrinkled. I didn’t care about their sordid affair. I just looked at him. “This is my house.” Our families had prepared two houses for us. Ethan liked peace and quiet, so we usually hung out at my place. I used to let them treat me like a maid because I loved him. Not anymore. Ethan scoffed, thinking I was just throwing a jealous tantrum. “If it wasn’t for Sarah, do you think I’d be here? If you still want to marry me, do as I say.” “You might be my wife in name, but Sarah is the real mistress of the Vance family! You have no right to give her attitude.” Sarah smirked, leaning into Ethan’s chest provocatively. I didn’t want to argue. I didn’t want to stay in this trashed house another second. I grabbed my bag and headed for the door. Ethan blocked my path. “Where are you going this late?” “Home.” He stared at me for a moment. “Running home to tattle? Typical spoiled brat. Do you think that scares me?” I pushed past him, ignoring his insults. He stumbled, surprised by my strength. Then he grabbed my wrist, his tone softening slightly. “Alright, stop it.” “You’ve always been so dramatic. If you really want to go, I’ll drive you.” He reached for my bag and turned to get his car keys. Sarah looked up at him, eyes wide and teary. “Ethan… are you leaving me here alone?” “I’m scared. What if Riley is jealous and hires someone to hurt me?” Ethan’s hand froze in mid-air. His face darkened. “Riley, I underestimated you. You’re more manipulative than I thought.” “Creating a scene just to get me away so you can hurt Sarah?” He threw my bag back at me. The heavy metal buckle slammed into my forehead. Blood trickled down my face. Dizziness hit me. I swayed. Just as I was about to fall, Ethan caught me. A flash of guilt and confusion crossed his eyes. But before he could speak, Sarah hugged him from behind. Her blouse was unbuttoned enough to be suggestive. “Ethan, don’t go…” Ethan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He let go of me. I looked at the two of them, disgusted. I picked up my bag and walked out without looking back. As soon as I got into the car, a message from Sarah popped up on my phone. 3 It was a one-minute video. Fifty-nine seconds of them entangled on my sofa. Riley, so what if you’re a rich heiress? You lost to me in the last life, and you’ll lose to me in this one too! Reading her message, realizing why Ethan had been acting so strange today… It hit me. Sarah was reborn too. I didn’t know what happened after I died in my past life to make her change her strategy from “playing hard to get” to being this aggressive. And honestly? I didn’t care. I blocked her number. In this life, I just wanted to live for myself. When I got home, I told my family I was calling off the engagement with Ethan. They were shocked, staring at the wound on my forehead. My dad’s eyes turned red. “The Vance family has leeched off us for years, and this is how he treats my daughter? If he doesn’t cherish you, we won’t beg him! Just wait, I’ll make them pay!” I stopped my dad. Tears streamed down my face. In my past life, my parents exhausted everything trying to save me. When I was trapped in the Vance house, they offered their entire fortune to get me out. Ethan refused. He said he’d rather drag us all to hell. After they died, he hung Sarah’s photo above our bed. Whenever he missed her, he would choke me, forcing me to look up at her picture. “You drove Sarah to death for the title of Mrs. Vance. Now you’ll wear that title in agony for the rest of your life to atone for her!” He crushed my dignity and my love, piece by piece. Until death was my only escape. Remembering my parents’ heartbroken cries after my death, my heart shattered all over again. I took a deep breath and pulled out the marriage certificate with Lucas. “Mom, Dad… I’m sorry. I’ll handle the Vance family. I promise I won’t make you worry about me ever again.” They stared at the name Lucas Cole. Shock turned to joy. Lucas was in a league of his own. The Cole family was royalty compared to us and the Vances. Ethan was proud. He couldn’t stand that Lucas was better than him, that the Vance family had to bow to the Coles to survive. He hated Lucas. I slept soundly in my own bed for the first time in two lifetimes. The next morning, I went back to my apartment to pack and sell the place. But the passcode didn’t work. I had a bad feeling. I used the spare key. The apartment was a wreck. Used condoms littered the living room floor. Moans drifted from my bedroom. I walked over. Sarah was wearing my silk pajamas, wrapped around Ethan. “Riley…” Seeing me, she pretended to be scared and pushed Ethan away. Ethan looked flustered for a second, then shielded Sarah behind him. I ignored the hickeys covering Sarah’s neck and looked around. My belongings were destroyed. My couture dresses shredded. My Hermès bags covered in graffiti. Even the jade love-lock my grandmother got for me and Ethan on her deathbed was smashed on the floor. “Ethan said you upset me yesterday, so you needed a lesson.” “Tell you what. Kneel and apologize to me, and I’ll ask him not to cancel the wedding!” I didn’t hear a word she said. I picked up the pieces of the jade lock. I remembered my grandmother holding our hands, refusing to close her eyes until we promised to be happy. “I saw the wedding designs in the safe. Not bad. Sarah’s birthday is coming up. Refine the plans and use them for her birthday party.” “As for our wedding… we’ll see when you learn to behave.” Once, I would have trampled my own pride to please him. But after living through hell? Never again. I put the broken jade in my pocket. I picked up the scattered design sketches one by one. “No need. My wedding will happen, with or without you.” The man I loved was trash. But my love wasn’t. I had been working on these designs since I was eighteen. They were my heart and soul. I wouldn’t let anyone defile them. Ethan frowned, trying to snatch the drawings. But when he saw the tears streaming down my face, he froze. 4 These weren’t the tears of a bratty girl throwing a tantrum. They were the tears of a woman whose heart had finally turned to ash. Ethan looked away, guilty. He pulled out a credit card and shoved it into my hand. “Stop crying. It’s just clothes. Buy new ones.” “Sarah didn’t mean it. You have plenty of money, can’t you just let it go?” Sarah kissed his cheek, beaming. I threw the card in his face and walked out. Ethan was stunned. “Riley? You’re not jealous? You’re not mad?” I didn’t answer. I texted Lucas to come get the designs. Just as I hit send, Sarah screamed. “Ethan! Our video… it’s online! Riley, why did you do this? Do you want me dead?!” She ran to the window, threatening to jump. Ethan grabbed her, looked at his phone, and turned pale. “Riley! You are more vicious than I thought!” “You’d ruin us to force me to marry you? I won’t let you get away with this!” He slapped me. Hard. My ears rang. Before I could recover, he grabbed me by the throat and dragged me toward the bed. “You like filming videos? Fine! Let’s make you the star of one!” He started tearing at my clothes. Sarah stood by, phone recording, smiling. The terror of my past life crashed into the present. As my jacket ripped, I screamed, shaking uncontrollably. “Ethan! I didn’t do it! You can’t do this to me!” Just like before. He didn’t believe me. He didn’t care. Fear turned to rage. I bit my lip until it bled, my hand grasping for the scissors on the nightstand. If I was going to die, I was taking him with me. BANG. The front door was kicked off its hinges.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386227”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My husband and I had planned a ski trip for Christmas. It was supposed to be our getaway. But then, he bailed. He rented out an entire ski resort for the “one who got away”—his first love. She sent me a video from the slopes, her voice soft and feathery in the background: “I had no idea Julian would ditch you for me. I feel terrible. Maybe next time, I’ll tell him to make it up to you.” I replied calmly: “Have a blast. Don’t worry about the cost.” Oh. She probably didn’t know that the resort Julian rented out? I own it. 1 When Julian came home, I was reviewing the resort’s quarterly revenue on my laptop. He walked in and handed me a gift box. “Chloe, I brought you a present.” It was a green box. The standard complimentary souvenir for anyone who spends over $15,000 at the resort. I didn’t even need to open it to know it was the limited-edition Christmas snow globe with the green glitter. I looked up. “Did you have fun with Bella?” Panic flickered in his eyes for a second, followed by a sigh of relief. “So, you know. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to overthink it. Bella is going through a messy divorce. She’s depressed. I just took her there to clear her mind. It meant nothing.” “Okay,” I nodded, my eyes returning to the spreadsheet. He stared at me, brows furrowing. “Are you mad? Over this?” His tone shifted to impatience. “Chloe, drop it. I just got back. I’m exhausted.” He turned and went into the bathroom to shower. His phone, left on the coffee table, lit up. A message from Bella. [Julian, is Chloe mad? Should I explain it to her?] [I’m scared she’ll be even angrier if she sees me.] It was the first time I saw the contact name he had for her: Little Fragile One. Unlike mine. In Julian’s phone, I was permanent and static: Chloe Yu. Full legal name. 2 I picked up his phone and replied to Bella. [No need to explain. An apology will do.] [Cash transfers show the most sincerity.] I sent it as a voice memo. Bella didn’t reply for a long time. She didn’t send any money, either. When Julian came out of the shower, he checked his phone. Then he glanced at me. Just then, Bella finally replied. She sounded cautious and timid. [Chloe? Why are you replying? Are you guys fighting because of me? Please… don’t fight. It was my fault for asking Julian to keep me company…] Julian listened to her message, then clicked on mine. “No need to explain. An apology will do. Cash transfers show the most sincerity.” He listened to it twice. His face darkened completely. “Chloe, is money the only thing you care about?” “What else should I care about? You?” I looked at him, genuinely surprised. I opened the green box he gave me, tracing the cheap green roof of the snow globe. “Should I care about the free gift you got for spending money on another woman?” Julian froze. His anger stalled, replaced by awkwardness. “The flight was tight… I didn’t have time to shop. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow.” “Okay,” I nodded. “Cash is fine too.” “Chloe!” His voice rose. I looked at him, perplexed. I didn’t understand where his sudden indignation was coming from. We stared at each other for a long moment. Finally, Julian gritted his teeth. “You’re unbelievable.” He stormed into the guest bedroom and slammed the door. Psycho. 3 Early the next morning. I was packing a bag for a business trip. Julian opened the guest room door, his face instantly sour. “Chloe, what are you doing? Running away from home first thing in the morning? Are we doing this?” I frowned. “I have a business trip.” Julian’s expression softened slightly, but he stayed silent. He turned and went to brush his teeth. By the time he was ready, I was dressed in my suit. “Let’s go.” He blinked. “Where?” “To your office. I need to pick up the bid documents.” He finally remembered. The original plan was for us to go skiing because I had a bid meeting for the Snow Village development project in Aspen. Halfway there, Julian signaled to turn left. The car’s display screen lit up. Incoming call: Little Fragile One. He glanced at me instinctively. “Inconvenient to answer?” I asked, not looking up from my tablet. “Don’t be passive-aggressive,” he snapped. He answered via Bluetooth. A woman’s voice, bright and cheery, filled the cabin. “Julian, where are you? I’ve done my makeup and I’m waiting!” Julian cleared his throat. “You should call a heavy Uber. It’s not convenient for me right now.” Her voice paused, then turned frantic. “Julian, what’s wrong? Did something happen?” In the car, the atmosphere solidified. I chuckled softly. “Yeah, something happened. His wife is sitting in the passenger seat.” Dead silence on the other end. Then, Bella’s panicked voice. “Chloe? Oh god, I’m sorry to cause trouble, I really didn’t mean anything by it, don’t misunderstand…” “Enough.” Julian interrupted her, frowning. He paused, then his voice softened. “Just call a car. Go to the office first.” He hung up. At the red light, he glanced at me, hesitating before explaining. “Bella lives in a remote area now. It’s hard to get a cab.” I laughed. “Do you want a gold star for being so considerate?” Julian’s face shut down. He didn’t say another word. 4 I was printing the bid documents in Julian’s office. While I was drinking tea, the office door burst open. Bella stood there, eyes red-rimmed. “Julian, I still couldn’t get a car…” She looked at him with wet, puppy-dog eyes, hesitating. “Did Chloe throw a tantrum today? Can you… can you still come pick me up?” She looked down, dejected. “And… can I still work at your company?” I was sitting on the sofa with my back to the door. I set my teacup down on the saucer with a crisp clink. “Good tea,” I said aloud. Bella’s face went pale instantly. She looked at Julian for help. “Chloe.” Julian’s voice was low, warning. “That’s enough.” He called his secretary right in front of me to settle Bella in. Then he locked the door and rubbed his temples. “Stop treating her like an enemy. She’s divorcing, unemployed, and homeless. I’m just looking out for her.” I laughed out loud. “Just looking out for her?” “Familiar enough to barge into your office without knocking? Are your security guards and secretaries dead? Do they just let strangers waltz in?” Julian’s face twitched. “Save it, Julian. It’s disgusting.” I sneered, grabbed my documents, and walked out. Bella was standing by the secretary’s desk. Our eyes met. The corner of her mouth lifted slightly. It was a look only another woman would understand. It said: Look, I’m stealing your man. I stopped walking and raised my voice. “Miss Yao, what are you smiling at? Are you proud of yourself?” Her expression shifted to panic in a split second. Julian pulled the office door open behind me. Bella nervously tugged at the hem of her shirt. “I… I wasn’t smiling…”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386226”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

On my very first day at my new school, the resident bad boy decided to make my life hell. All because I accidentally wore a similar outfit to the school’s “Queen Bee.” Suddenly, I was labeled a “pick-me girl” and a “try-hard.” The bad boy, Jace, deliberately poured a carton of milk over my head. Then, with fake sincerity, he apologized while roughly messing up my wet hair. When he noticed my mismatched eye color, he sneered. “Wow, wearing colored contacts on the first day? Who are you trying to seduce?” I looked at him calmly. “It’s not a contact lens. It’s a prosthetic.” 1 “What?” Jace looked like he hadn’t heard me right. He frowned, his expression shifting from arrogance to something weirdly unsettled. “What did you just say? If it’s not a contact, what is it?” I sighed internally. The one thing I dreaded about transferring schools was happening immediately. Calmly, I swatted Jace’s hand away. I slicked my milk-soaked hair back, wiped the white streaks from my face with a tissue, and revealed my pale forehead and bloodless complexion. I locked eyes with him. “Watch closely.” Jace’s brow furrowed in confusion. The next second, with practiced ease, I lifted my eyelid. Right there in front of the entire class, I popped the prosthetic piece out of my left eye socket. I placed the golden-hued artificial eye on the desk in front of a now pale-faced Jace. I repeated myself, my voice flat. “This isn’t a contact lens. It’s a prosthetic eye.” “Was I clear enough?” The rowdy classroom instantly fell into a deathly silence. Jace stared at my empty eye socket for a long time, then stumbled back two steps in disbelief. “How…?” He looked dazed, his hand instinctively reaching out as if to touch my face, but I blocked him. I lowered my head and quickly slipped the piece back in, adjusting it until it sat right. I knew I must look pathetic right now—soaked in milk, blind in one eye. But it didn’t matter. I’d been through worse. This was nothing. When I looked up again, Jace was staring at me with a complicated expression. “I thought you were…” His lips trembled, like he wanted to say something else. But the bell rang. I didn’t wait. I walked right past a stiff-as-a-board Jace and went to my desk. My hair was dripping wet. I wiped it silently with tissues, but it didn’t help much. It just left that gross, sticky feeling of drying milk. I ran out of tissues quickly. I ignored the mess on my hoodie and pulled out my textbook. Jace stood by my desk, frozen. He watched me try to clean myself up without saying a word, his hand still gripping the empty milk carton. When I finally stopped wiping, his gaze lingered on my damp hair. After a long pause, Jace kicked the chair of the girl in front of me—Chloe. “Give me a pack of tissues,” he rasped. Chloe glared at him. “Jace, what is your problem? The teacher’s coming. Sit down.” “I said, give me the tissues!” Jace’s voice suddenly spiked. “Do you not speak English?” 2 The room was already quiet, waiting for the teacher. Jace’s shout made everyone jump and turn to look at him. Chloe flinched, looking scared. Her eyes turned red as she dug a half-used pack of tissues out of her bag and threw it at him. “You’re crazy! Why are you yelling at me?” Jace ignored her. He grabbed the tissues and thrust them toward me. I didn’t reach for them. His hand hung awkwardly in the air. “Take them. Use them,” Jace said, his face pale, his tone laced with frustration. I slowly looked up and met his eyes. The moment Jace saw my golden pupil, he flinched like he’d been stung and jerked his head away, avoiding eye contact. “Stop staring at me,” he barked, trying to sound tough. “Just take the damn tissues.” It dawned on me then. After I took out my eye, Jace’s attitude had done a complete 180. Looking at how awkward he was acting, a ridiculous thought crossed my mind. “Is this… your way of apologizing?” I asked calmly. Jace froze. His fingertips trembled slightly, betraying his panic. “If accepting your tissues means I have to forgive you, then no thanks.” I stared at his furrowed brow. “I have no intention of accepting your apology. So please, take your stuff and stay away from me. Thanks.” Jace’s face dropped. He looked dark and stormy. Seeing he couldn’t talk me into it, he didn’t explain. He just shoved the tissues into my desk drawer. I immediately took them out and dropped them on the floor. Jace silently picked them up and tried to hand them to me again. Just then, the teacher walked in. Chloe, watching this tug-of-war from the front row, looked like she was about to explode. Before the teacher reached the podium, she stood up and yanked Jace’s arm, dragging him to the back of the room. “She doesn’t want to talk to you. Why are you simping so hard?” She pulled him away, deliberately bumping my desk hard as she passed. I didn’t look at them. I stared straight ahead. Halfway through class, a loud, crisp slap echoed from the back row. It sounded like someone had hit themselves—hard. Heads turned. Even Chloe kept looking back at Jace, shocked. Every time she looked at him, she’d turn around and glare at me with pure venom. Like I had committed some unforgivable crime. I ignored them both. 3 I barely made it to the break. The sticky milk feeling was unbearable. I stood up to go to the bathroom to wash up, but as I moved, someone’s foot shot out and tripped me. I lost my balance and pitched forward. I threw my hands out to catch myself, but my palms skidded across the rough floor. “Ah,” I hissed. The skin on my wrist tore open, blood immediately oozing out and staining my sleeve. It looked worse than it was. I was about to push myself up when someone shoved through the crowd. Without a word, strong arms wrapped around my waist and legs, scooping me up into the air. I wasn’t ready for it. In my panic, I grabbed the person’s shoulders. “You okay?” Jace’s voice rumbled near my ear. He saw the blood on my arm and frowned deeply. “Don’t move. I’m taking you to the nurse.” “It’s my hand that’s hurt, not my feet,” I said calmly. “Put me down. I can walk.” Jace acted like he was deaf. He tightened his grip on my waist. “I can carry you,” he muttered. “Stop trying to be tough.” I almost laughed at the absurdity. I opened my mouth to argue. But right then, Jace seemingly tripped over nothing. Gravity took over. The sickening feeling of falling washed over me, triggering a flash of bad memories. My body went rigid. “Jace!” I screamed, terrified. He reacted fast, trying to cradle the back of my head with his hand. But momentum won. We hit the ground hard. Because he was holding me, Jace landed on top of me, crushing me with his full weight. My head smacked against something hard. Thud. My ears rang. The world went fuzzy. Right before I blacked out, I heard Jace yelling frantically at the crowd. “Chloe! Get over here! Your cousin fainted!” My heart sank. So, Jace knew I was Chloe’s cousin. No wonder he hated me. 4 I woke up at an awkward time. “You promised you’d help me teach her a lesson!” Chloe’s shrill voice pierced the air. “Why are you backing out now?” I kept my eyes closed. I could hear the rhythmic tapping of fingers on a desk. Jace. “I said I’d help you teach her a lesson,” Jace said, clicking his tongue impatiently. “But you didn’t tell me she was disabled.” “I’m not bullying a disabled girl, Chloe. What do you think I am? An animal?” Chloe’s aggressive tone choked off, turning into a whiny sob. “She’s just a crippled bitch!” Chloe’s voice spiked, hysterical. “If she ruined your life and stole everything from you, I bet you wouldn’t be sitting here acting all high and mighty about forgiveness!” Jace went silent. The tapping stopped. “Jace,” Chloe said, her voice low and intense. “You promised. You owe me for taking the fall for that suspension last semester.” “I don’t want anything else. Just help me destroy her.” I heard her footsteps approach him. She whispered, venomous. “Destoy her. I don’t care how you do it.” A long silence filled the nurse’s office. I could hear the breeze rustling the curtains. Then, Jace sighed. “Fine. I’ll do it.” Chloe instantly switched from rage to delight. She didn’t even care about his hesitation, happily offering to buy him lunch. They left the room together. As the door clicked shut, I opened my eyes. My head throbbed, but it was manageable. I sat up, stopped the recording on my phone, and saved the file. I knew Chloe didn’t like me. When I first moved into my aunt and uncle’s house, her hostility was thinly veiled behind fake smiles. But I didn’t realize she hated me this much. Enough to ask the school bully to “destroy” me. I thought back to the slap Jace gave himself in class. And his reluctant “Fine, I’ll do it.” It was almost funny. Actually, I was kind of curious. I wanted to see exactly how Jace planned to “destroy” me.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386225”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I died. In my second year after death, I was reincarnated as an orange tabby cat. In my past life, I was an orphan. It was my cat mom who finally taught me what motherly love felt like. One day, she grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and carried me to a house. When the door opened, I saw a familiar layout… and a familiar set of eight-pack abs. Swallowing a mouthful of drool, I realized: this was my ex-boyfriend’s apartment. My ex skillfully opened a can of wet food and scratched my chin. “I really want to adopt it,” he murmured, “but she is afraid of cats.” It seemed he understood my cat mom’s intentions. But wait… did he move on that fast? I wanted to curse him out, but all that came out was a meow. “Babe, who’s at the door?” A male voice drifted from behind my ex. And it sounded… familiar. Wait a minute. Your current partner is… a guy? 1 I died and came back as a stray cat. I was the only kitten in the litter to survive. As soon as I could wobble around on four legs, my cat mom stared at me with her big, round eyes for a long time. Then she groomed me obsessively, meowing as she licked. I understood her. She was telling me to be clean so a kind human would adopt me and give me a good life. I asked her if she would come with me. She didn’t answer. She just grabbed my scruff and carried me out into the world. Even though I was getting used to walking like a cat, I was still terrified of heights. I had watched cat POV videos online before, but doing it in real life was dizzying. My mom expertly navigated the complex and dropped me in front of a specific door. My head was spinning. I stumbled around in a circle and flopped over. Mom scratched at the door until it opened. I looked up. I saw the apartment layout I knew by heart. And my ex-boyfriend, Liam, with his eight-pack abs. “???” I exploded into a fuzzball on the spot. Liam must have just stepped out of the shower. He was wearing a towel, water droplets racing down his abs. He crouched down, petting my mom with one hand and opening a can of food with the other. “Sorry, I got caught up with something today and forgot to leave food out. Starving, huh?” The towel gaped a little as he squatted. Cover your shame, man! I tried to yell, but it came out as a soft, sticky “Meow.” That’s when Liam noticed me. “Is this your baby? It’s so cute. I think I still have some goat milk powder. I’ll go make some.” He went to the kitchen. I stood at the door, peering inside. The furniture, the placement of everything—it was exactly how I left it. I wondered how he was doing. Did he still… think of me? While I was lost in thought, Liam returned with a bowl of milk. His warm hand covered my head, rubbing gently. I purred instinctively. The last time we touched like this, I was in a hospital bed. Liam covered my eyes and whispered, “Don’t be scared. My Luna is the bravest girl.” Deep emotions surged from my subconscious. I let out a stifled meow, my eyes getting wet. I had planned to find him once I could walk properly, but I never expected my cat mom to bring me straight to him. To let him adopt me. Driven by that thought, I stumbled toward him. My cat mom nudged me from behind, encouraging me. Liam paused, seemingly understanding her intent. He scratched her chin and muttered, “I really want to adopt it, but she is afraid of cats.” I had just rubbed my face against his ankle. Never mind. Retract cat head immediately. 2 My cat mom didn’t know what Liam said, but she could read the room. She meowed anxiously, nudging me to rub against him again, trying to show off my clean fur. I wanted to explain, but I couldn’t. As far as I knew, no one in Liam’s circle was afraid of cats. I loved them. Back in the day, stray cats used to escort me home, and Liam would always smile and give them treats. So who was afraid of cats? His new partner, presumably. It had been a year. He had his own life. He had to start over. No one stays in the past forever. I looked up at him. He looked tanner than before, with dark circles under his eyes. Only those eyes were as bright as I remembered. It was a pity that the reflection in them wasn’t me anymore. I wanted to leave, but Mom wouldn’t let me. She grabbed me and dropped me at Liam’s feet again, standing guard outside. Liam sighed. While we were in this standoff, a familiar male voice came from behind him. “Babe, what’s wrong?” Wait. Why is it a guy? Then, my arch-nemesis Wes’s big, stupid face leaned into view. “You’re feeding strays? Remember, don’t bring them inside. They’re full of bacteria. Filthy.” Liam didn’t say anything, but his expression was resigned, like he was used to this. He might be used to it, but I wasn’t. I launched myself at Wes with a combo of fury swipes. Filthy?! Who are you calling filthy?! Wes, you piece of garbage! You fought me when I was alive, and now that I’m dead, you stole my boyfriend?! My paw pads smacked against him with a satisfying thud-thud. Afraid Wes would hurt me, Liam scooped me up. “The kitten knows you’re bad-mouthing it.” Damn straight. I started yelling at Liam in cat language too. If you found a nice girl, I’d accept it. But my nemesis? And a guy? Are you trying to kill me twice? I swung a paw at Liam, but my legs were too short. I missed. Liam laughed and poked my head. I hissed. Wes frowned, looking at the spot where I’d hit him, lost in thought. “If you touch the cat, wash your hands. Or don’t even think about getting in bed tonight.” Wes dropped that bombshell and went to the bathroom. Soon, I heard the shower running. “I know,” Liam replied, good-natured as always. Great. Just great. One year after my death, my boyfriend and my enemy are together. Judging by that tone, they’re sleeping together??? When did this start? After I died? Or were they colluding while I was still here? No matter what, I had to make Liam adopt me. I needed to see what the hell was going on. 3 That night, I patrolled my new territory. Wes, wearing rubber gloves, pointed a finger at me and yelled, “Liam! It’s me or the cat! One of us goes!” Hearing Liam’s footsteps, I immediately flopped over and let out a weak, pathetic meow. Liam panicked, scooped me up, and put me in the cat bed. “Keep your voice down. The kitten is new; it’ll get stressed.” “Then send it back! I’ll buy extra cat food for the strays tomorrow, okay?” Absolutely not. “Meow~” I shivered. I was weak. I was helpless. I wobbled to my feet and put my paws together in a begging motion. Liam immediately blocked me from Wes’s view. “Wes, calm down. We need to talk.” “There’s nothing to talk about.” Wes turned and slammed the door to the guest bedroom, locking it. I gritted my teeth. I hand-picked every piece of furniture in this apartment. How dare he slam my door? Liam looked upset. He turned to comfort me, then went to the guest room. He knocked and spoke quietly for a long time before Wes opened the door. They both went inside. I hesitated, then tiptoed to the door to eavesdrop. Thanks to my superior cat hearing, I caught bits and pieces. “…Are you crazy? That’s a cat!” “I know, but she might…” “You’re seriously sick. Send it away tomorrow!” “…” It was like they had a censor filter on. I couldn’t hear the keywords. I spun around anxiously, trying different poses to hear better. Suddenly, the door opened. I tumbled into the room, limbs splayed. “Meow?” Wes sneered down at me. “Look at that. Eavesdropping? I thought it was ‘stressed’?” “What does a kitten know?” Liam picked me up and carried me out. “It understood when I insulted it earlier, but now it knows nothing?” “Wes! Listen to yourself. It’s a cat! It’s not even a month old!” “You better hope it’s just a cat.” I didn’t understand what they were arguing about, but I knew Wes was up to no good. Liam carried me away, looking downcast. He was angry. I extended a paw toward Wes, who looked equally annoyed. I stretched my toes, retracted the others, and left one specific claw out. The middle one. Being flipped off by a kitten must be a first for him. But Wes didn’t get mad. He just stared at my claw, stunned. What’s his deal? Is he a masochist? When I’m cute, he hates me. When I abuse him, he shuts up. I was put back in the cat bed. Since I arrived at night, they didn’t have supplies. Liam rummaged around and finally pulled out a big red scarf to cover me. Hey! Liam! It took me half a month to knit that scarf! You’re giving it to a cat? Even though the cat is me, I still felt salty about it. “Have a good sleep. Goodnight.” Liam kissed my head, his tone sickeningly sweet. If I weren’t a cat right now, I’d think I’d traveled back to the old days. 4 My name is Luna (He Yueyue). I grew up in foster care. Wes was in the same group home, a year younger than me. We fought from day one. The worst time, I broke my arm, and he got his head split open. The director told us if we fought again, we’d be kicked out. So we dialed it back. After high school, I got into a university up North, a thousand miles away. Before I left, we fought again because Wes hid my suitcase. He blocked the door, glaring at me. “Luna! Didn’t you apply to schools in the South?” “Yeah, but my grades slipped, so I got into the Northern one. Are you sick? Give me my suitcase or I’ll pound you!” He didn’t speak. He just stared at me. So I punched him. I grabbed my suitcase and left, nursing a sore hand. Later, I found out Wes got accepted to a school in the South, a thousand miles away from the home. Whatever. It had nothing to do with me. Further the better. Looking at him made me angry. I never went back to the group home. I worked part-time through college to survive. After graduation, I worked days and hustled nights. Because I had to feed myself and my cat. I found the cat by the road, soaking wet like it had been fished out of a river. I wrapped it in my scarf. Just as I was about to leave, I heard splashing from the nearby pond. More cats? I rushed over. I saw a guy clinging to the bank, half his body still in the water, too exhausted to pull himself up. I put the cat on the grass and went to pull him out. He looked up. His dull eyes suddenly lit up when he saw me. “I’ve got you. Don’t let go.” He nodded and scrambled up. Luckily, I’m strong. I yanked him onto the grass in one go. He collapsed on the slope, gasping for air. “Do you need an ambulance?” “Is the cat okay?” We spoke at the same time, then smiled. “No, I just need to rest.” “Okay.” I picked the cat up and sat next to him to show him. The cat was shaking, but conscious, looking at us timidly. The guy drove us to the vet. Luckily, the cat was fine, just scared and had an ear infection. I happily shoved the medical report into his hand. “Good news! Father and son are safe!” He paused, then laughed. “Yeah. Father and son are safe.” My eyes lingered on the wet business card in his hand—”Ren Shuyu” (Liam).

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386224”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

But at the very last minute, I discovered the truth: I was never the beloved daughter. I was a decoy, adopted solely to shield the real heiress from danger. This wedding? It’s just a stepping stone, a game designed to pave the way for her by trampling over me. In a moment of desperation, I texted the contact in my phone saved as “6’4, 22, Dead Broke”: “Coming to crash the wedding tomorrow?” He replied instantly: “I’m not that desperate.” My phone died right after, so I didn’t reply. The next morning, a video went viral online: a Shanghai billionaire, decked out in a groom’s tuxedo, sprinting down the highway in the dead of night with a look of pure fury on his face. 1 The night before the wedding, I realized the dress was wrong. Not only was the size off, but the style was completely different from the one I had chosen. I confronted the staff, but they insisted there was no mistake. They said Mr. Vance had personally given the instructions. Two dresses. One delivered to the penthouse on the 68th floor, one to the 67th. Since both brides had the last name “Ji,” they had double and triple-checked. There was no error. Ethan wasn’t answering his phone. I decided to go upstairs and ask him myself. But when I saw the scene inside the room, I froze. The wedding dress that was supposed to be mine was currently being worn by another woman. My mother was hugging her, cooing over her as she pouted playfully. My father and Ethan sat nearby, their eyes soft, practically dripping with affection. I stood in the doorway, stunned. I don’t know how long I stood there before Ethan’s phone rang. He picked it up, and the smile vanished from his face. He didn’t even have the patience to listen, cutting the caller off with a curt, “Ignore her.” When he hung up, my father asked, “Is Ji Shu causing trouble again?” Ethan nodded, annoyed. “Just the imposter. She actually thinks I’m going to marry her. So much drama.” The woman in the wedding dress started to ask a question, but they quickly made up an excuse to send her away. Watching her leave, the smile on my mother’s face disappeared, replaced by a chilling coldness. She shot Ethan a reassuring look. “Just bear with it a little longer. After tomorrow, the decoy won’t be of any use to us.” The “decoy” they were talking about was me. I gripped the doorframe, knuckles white. I was about to turn and leave when a soft voice called out to me. “Do you need something?” It was the woman. As soon as they saw me, the blood drained from my parents’ and fiancé’s faces. 2 Ethan dragged me back to my room. He towered over me, looking down with cold eyes. “I planned to tell you after the wedding, but since you couldn’t wait, you might as well know now.” Ethan pulled up a photo on his phone. An old family portrait. It showed my parents holding a baby. His gaze softened as he looked at the photo. “The Ji family business wasn’t always clean. They made enemies. Their only daughter was kidnapped constantly. One time, it almost cost her her life.” “So, they hid their real daughter in a different city and adopted another girl to raise as the ‘Ji Heiress’ in the public eye.” I wanted to laugh. But as soon as my lips twitched, hot tears rolled down my cheeks. No wonder. No wonder my childhood was filled with car accidents and kidnapping attempts. Every time I was in danger, Mom and Dad would show up with a gift, take one look at me, and then rush off to “another city for business.” No wonder they were always traveling. If I cried and begged to go with them, they would slap me across the face, call me selfish, and have the nanny lock me in a dark room to “reflect.” Ask once, get locked up once. No food, no water. If I cried too hard, the nanny would “discipline” me for them. When they returned from their “business trips” and heard I hadn’t reflected properly, I’d get beaten again. They said ungrateful children deserved it. They said they were running around the world to give me a luxurious life, yet I was rotten to the core. Traveling became my biggest trigger. I didn’t dare bring it up. Even that specific city became a nightmare for me. In high school, when a field trip was announced to that city, I had a panic attack on the spot. I curled up under my desk, hyperventilating, screaming that I wouldn’t go. Word got back to my parents. They sponsored the trip and forced the school to change the location. But the new location was terrible, and the trip wasn’t fun. My classmates started resenting me. They called me a princess, a psycho. Those labels stuck to me all through high school, suffocating me. Ethan continued, articulating every word. “From start to finish, the only person I ever intended to marry was Ya-Chun.” “Marrying you is just a PR move. We need a transition to let Ya-Chun integrate into this circle smoothly.” The real Ji daughter returns. Everyone will know I’m the fake. Many of our high school classmates are in this social circle. They’ll bring up the old “psycho” rumors. Compared to me, the beautiful, gentle, and cultured Ya-Chun will be instantly accepted. And I will carry the label forever. Seeing the blood drain from my face, Ethan softened his tone slightly. “As long as you cooperate, for the sake of our years together, I won’t treat you poorly.” Years together? What years? Wasn’t the affection, the family dinners—wasn’t it all just a performance for the kidnappers? I wiped my tears aggressively and forced a grin. “Sure. I’ll cooperate. I’ll tell everyone how you used a child as bait to protect Ya-Chun. How shameless you—” Before I could finish, Ethan grabbed me by the throat. Before he could speak, Ya-Chun rushed in from the hallway. “Ethan! Let her go!” she screamed. Ethan acted like he didn’t hear her. He shifted his grip to my jaw, forcing me to look at Ya-Chun. He smiled reassuringly at her, then looked back at me with dead eyes. “Look at yourself. In what world do you compare to Ya-Chun? In what world do you deserve to marry me?” “If it wasn’t to protect her, I wouldn’t have spent a single second with you.” Ya-Chun pried at his fingers, begging him to stop. Ethan shoved me away violently. He ordered the bodyguards to watch me, then grabbed Ya-Chun’s hand and dragged her out. Moments later, I heard a heated argument erupting in the hallway. 3 I curled up in the corner, running through every possible escape route in my head. Suddenly, the quiet click of the door lock echoed in the room. I walked over. It was my phone. There was a sticky note on the back, three words written in large, hurried letters: I AM SORRY. I glanced at it, too drained to care who sent it. I unlocked the phone and scrolled through my contacts until my finger hovered over: “6’4, 22, Dead Broke.” I bit my lip and hit dial. He picked up instantly. But there was silence on the other end. Just the faint sound of breathing. I steadied my voice. “Leo… can you come steal the bride tomorrow?” There was a loud crash on the other end, like something heavy falling. A long silence followed before Leo let out a cold laugh. “Ji Shu, I’m not that desperate.” I bit my lip so hard it tasted like iron. A sob escaped before I could stop it. Before he could speak again, I choked out, “Sorry to bother you,” and hung up. Less than a minute later, he called back. My vision was blurred with tears. My hand shook as I tried to accept the call. The second it connected, my battery hit 0%. The screen went black. 4 At 5:00 AM, the makeup team barged in. I was groggily pushed into the chair in front of the mirror. The assistant set up her tools and left her phone propped up on the counter. It was playing a video on loop. The makeup artist glanced at it and laughed. “Look at this. ‘Shanghai Billionaire in a Tux Sprinting Down the Highway at 2 AM.’ Rich people are so dramatic.” She shook her head. “Another ‘she runs, he chases’ soap opera.” The assistant giggled, grabbing the phone. “It’s like a Wattpad novel come to life.” She stared at the screen and sighed. “But imagine not wanting to marry Leo Kai. With a face like that? I don’t care if he’s a tycoon, I’d say yes.” Hearing the name, my brow twitched. “Who?” The assistant repeated it. “Leo Kai.” She had a heavy accent and a stuffy nose from a cold. The way she said it… it didn’t sound exactly like my Leo. I stared at the blurry back of the man in the video, lost in thought. Just a similar name. The Leo I knew couldn’t afford dinner, let alone a bespoke tuxedo. There was no way he was a billionaire. I let out a bitter laugh. If he really was that powerful, maybe he wouldn’t have suffered so much because of me.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386223”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I have a chronic condition that requires daily injections. The medication is incredibly volatile and needs to be kept strictly between 36°F and 46°F. Because of this, my parents bought me a medical-grade mini-fridge for my dorm room. The moment the fridge arrived, my roommate, Sarah, threw a fit. “You bought something that sucks up so much power? Do you think we’re here to subsidize your lifestyle?” I explained that the fridge was energy-efficient, but just to keep the peace, I offered to pay half the dorm’s electric bill for the month. The other two roommates, Jessica and Mia, still grumbled. Since I was planning to move out the following month anyway, I promised to cover the entire electric bill for the month. That was a mistake. After that, they kept the AC blasted at 60°F, 24 hours a day. They forbid me from touching the thermostat. Finally, moving day arrived. I had my bags packed. But my roommates blocked the door, physically dragging my suitcase back. “You want to leave? Sure. Pay the electric bill for the next four years first.” “Last month was $60. A semester is roughly $250. For four years… let’s just round it up. You owe us $2,000. Pay up.” 1 I stared at Sarah, who was blocking the doorway, wondering if I was hallucinating. She had her arms crossed, chin tilted up like a rooster ready for a cockfight. “$2,000? Are you robbing me?” “How is it robbery, Lexi?” Jessica chimed in immediately, her voice shrill. “We calculated it. You’re so rich; don’t tell me you can’t afford a little pocket change?” Sarah wore a look of triumphant greed. “Last month, because of your stupid fridge, the bill was $60. Before you came, it was barely $10! That extra $50 is all on you.” “A semester is four months, so that’s $200. Plus damages for the emotional distress of you suddenly moving out… let’s call it $250 a semester. Fair, right?” “Four years of college…” She pretended to count on her fingers, then waved her hand impatiently. “Anyway, it’s $2,000! Not a penny less. If you don’t pay, you aren’t taking a single thing out of this room today!” I laughed out of sheer disbelief. The “power-sucking” fridge they hated was my lifeline. My medication costs a fortune and spoils if the temperature fluctuates even slightly. My parents bought a specialized medical fridge. It uses less energy than a desk lamp. I had shown them the manual. I had shown them the specs. I even agreed to pay the whole bill. But my compromise only fueled their greed. Ever since I agreed to pay the bill, the dorm had turned into an icebox. If I touched the thermostat, Sarah would leap from her bed, crank it back down to 60°F, and make passive-aggressive comments. “Ugh, it’s so hot. Some princesses don’t have sweat glands, but us mortals need to cool down.” Jessica would echo her: “Exactly. Just because you pay the bill doesn’t mean you own the room. We have the right to use the AC!” I watched them shivering in heavy hoodies, wrapped in blankets in the middle of September, just to spite me. It was absurd. I didn’t want to fight. I just wanted to leave. But now? I took a deep breath, pulled out my phone, and dialed the Hall Director. “This is extortion. I’m calling the RA and the Director.” Sarah moved fast. She snatched my phone and smashed it onto the tile floor. “Call someone? Let’s see who you call now!” The screen shattered into a spiderweb of glass. Rage exploded in my chest. I stepped forward to grab my phone, but Jessica shoved me hard from the side. I stumbled back, tripping over my suitcase and landing awkwardly on the floor. Sarah stood over me, sneering. “Trying to fight me? You’re too soft.” “Pay the money, or crawl back into your bed. You aren’t leaving.” They kicked my suitcase over. My belongings spilled out. Several bottles of expensive skincare my mom had bought me rolled across the floor. Sarah stomped on them. The glass crunched, and the expensive serum pooled on the dirty floor. “Oops. My foot slipped.” Her mouth said sorry, but her eyes were laughing. 2 “What is going on here?!” A sharp voice boomed from the doorway. Mrs. Higgins, the Hall Director, stood there scowling, a few curious students peeking from behind her. Sarah’s face transformed instantly. Her eyes welled up with tears. “Mrs. Higgins! Please help us!” She pointed a shaking finger at me. “Lexi is using her money to bully us! She brought in this huge industrial fridge that jacked our electric bill up to hundreds of dollars!” “We just asked her to split the cost, and she refused! She even tried to hit us! Boohoo…” Jessica immediately joined the performance, clutching her arm. “It’s true! Look at my arm, she shoved me! We just wanted her to pay her fair share, and she accused us of extortion!” Mrs. Higgins frowned, her gaze landing on me with undisguised annoyance. “Lexi! You again? I’ve heard rumors about you acting entitled because of your background. Now you’re getting violent?” She convicted me without asking a single question. “They just asked you to split the bill. Your family is well-off; why are you being so stingy? You have zero community spirit!” I stood up, dusting off my pants, and looked at them coldly. “I told them I’d pay the entire bill for this month. They are the ones who keep the AC at 60 degrees while wearing winter coats. They are wasting electricity on purpose.” “Now that I’m moving out, they are demanding I pay for the next four years of electricity. Two thousand dollars.” “Mrs. Higgins, does that sound reasonable to you?” Mrs. Higgins didn’t find it absurd. Instead, she turned on me. “Two thousand? You probably pushed them to the brink, and they’re just trying to teach you a lesson!” She scoffed. “Besides, if you hadn’t brought that appliance in, none of this would have happened. You need to reflect on your own actions!” She turned to Sarah and Jessica, her voice softening. “There, there, don’t cry. I know you girls have been wronged.” Seeing the Hall Director take her side, Sarah decided to go all in. She sat down on my suitcase. “I don’t care! If she doesn’t apologize and pay for our mental anguish, she isn’t leaving!” Mrs. Higgins crossed her arms and gave me an ultimatum. “Lexi, did you hear that? Apologize to your roommates and settle this. Do you really want me to write you up and put a mark on your permanent record?” She and Sarah were practically a team now. 3 I looked at Sarah sitting on my luggage, looking like she owned the world, and suddenly, I felt calm. You can’t reason with thugs. I smiled. “Okay. I’ll pay.” Sarah and Jessica’s eyes lit up. Even Mrs. Higgins looked surprised. I continued, “Two thousand, right? Fine.” “But I need you to write me a receipt. It needs to state clearly: ‘Received from Lexi: Pre-payment for four years of dormitory electricity, totaling $2,000.’” “Then, take that receipt to the University Bursar’s office and get it officially stamped. Or get it notarized.” “Once I see the official stamp, I’ll transfer the money immediately.” Sarah’s smile froze. “What… what do you mean? Why do we need a stamp?” “Of course I need it,” I said, deadpan. “It’s a large sum of money. I need a paper trail.” “What if the school accuses me of bribing students? An official stamp proves this is a legitimate university fee.” “I pay with peace of mind; you receive with peace of mind. Right?” “I…” Sarah stammered, looking at Jessica for help. Jessica had no idea what to do. “We… we aren’t the school! We can’t get a stamp!” “Then I can’t give you the money,” I shrugged. “What if you take the money and deny it later? Or ask for more next month? Who would I complain to?” Sarah’s face turned black. She shot up from the suitcase. “You’re playing me!” Before I could speak, she pivoted back to victim mode. “We don’t even want the money! We want an attitude check! Shouldn’t you compensate us for the stress? We can’t sleep, we can’t study because of you! Look how haggard I am!” She touched her face dramatically. I almost laughed. She slept until noon every day and ate more than anyone. Haggard? Please. I was done. I bent down, picked up my scattered clothes, and put them back in the suitcase. “Since I can’t leave today, forget it.” I stood the suitcase up and rolled it back to my bed. “I just cancelled the new lease. We’re still roommates, guys.” “Electricity bill? Old rules apply. I pay it all. Keep the AC as low as you want. Don’t hold back.” Now, it was their turn to be dumbfounded. They staged this whole scene because they knew I was desperate to leave. They wanted a quick payout. They didn’t expect me to stay. “You… didn’t you already rent a place?” Jessica asked, confused. “Cancelled it,” I lied smoothly. “It was $2,500 a month. Too expensive. The dorm is cheap, and I have you guys to keep me company.” I opened a bag of chips and offered one to Mia, the quiet roommate who hadn’t said a word. “Mia, chip? We’re going to be living together for a long time. Let’s get along.” Mia stared at me, terrified, and didn’t move. Sarah and Jessica looked like they had swallowed a fly. I sat in my chair, pulled out my backup phone, and started watching Netflix. Let’s see what you do now. 4 It was late. The AC hummed, pumping out freezing air. I was wrapped in a duvet, pretending to be asleep. Whispers came from the other side of the room. “Is she serious? She’s not moving?” Jessica sounded panicked. “She’s bluffing,” Sarah hissed. “Rich girls can’t handle discomfort. She’s just trying to wait us out.” “What if she doesn’t pay? We wasted all this time.” “Relax,” Sarah sneered. “Look at her, she’s already coughing. A few more days of freezing, and she’ll be begging us to take her money.” “But… what if she refuses?” “Then we ruin her,” Sarah said, her voice dripping with malice. “Tomorrow, I’ll post on the university forum. I’ll say she’s a rich bully abusing poor students. Let the whole school drag her.” “Will that work?” “Of course. Rich people care about their reputation. She can’t outlast us. When she pays the $2,000, I take 70%, you take 30%.” “What about Mia?” “Her? She’s a mute. Give her fifty bucks to shut up.” I lay in the dark, cold to the bone. So they had it all planned out. Even the split. The next morning, I “fell ill.” I coughed violently, gasping for air like I was dying. Sarah and Jessica exchanged gleeful looks before putting on their concerned masks. “Lexi, are you okay? Should you go to the hospital?” “Yeah, you look pale. Maybe you should move out…” I waved my hand weakly. “No… it’s an old condition. Just… hard to breathe.” Then, in front of them, I called my dad on speaker. “Dad… cough… I think… I’m sick. The dorm is too cold…” My dad’s voice was instantly panicked. “Lexi?! What’s wrong? I’m coming right now!” “No, Dad… doctor said not to catch a cold… cough…” “This is ridiculous! I’m sending Mr. Chen to get you immediately! We are not staying in that dorm!” I hung up and gave my roommates a weak, apologetic smile. “Sorry guys. My dad overreacts.” Less than an hour later, there was a knock at the door. A man in a sharp suit stood there, flanked by two burly movers. It was Mr. Chen, my dad’s executive assistant. “Miss Lexi, are you alright? The boss sent me.” He turned to Mrs. Higgins, who had followed him up, and handed her a document. Her face went white. Mr. Chen signaled the movers. “Pack Miss Lexi’s things. Be careful.” The movers worked fast. Sarah and Jessica realized their payday was leaving. They rushed forward to block the movers. “What are you doing?! You can’t just take her stuff! Stop!” Mr. Chen’s eyes went cold. “We are acting on Miss Lexi’s medical diagnosis and the legal notice our legal team just served to the university.” “Any attempt to obstruct us,” he paused, enunciating clearly, “will be treated as unlawful imprisonment and endangerment. We will pursue legal action.” Sarah and Jessica froze, terrified into silence. My things were packed. Two large boxes stood by the door. “Miss, we can go,” Mr. Chen said. “Leave the medication in the fridge for now. I have a refrigerated transport van arriving shortly to transfer it safely.” I nodded, grabbed my backpack, and didn’t even glance at my roommates. Just as I stepped one foot out of the door— Zzzzt. The lights flickered and died. The hum of the AC stopped. Total silence. Total darkness. “Power’s out! What happened?” someone screamed down the hall. “The breaker tripped!” My heart dropped into my stomach. I spun around, staring into the dark room at the mini-fridge. The little green power light was gone. Inside that fridge was a month’s supply of life-saving medication. Medication that cost nearly half a million dollars. If the temperature rose for more than ten minutes, it would all be useless. I couldn’t see Sarah’s face in the dark, but I heard her voice. It was dripping with venomous joy. “Oh no,” she drawled. “Why did the power go out all of a sudden? Lexi… what’s going to happen to your stuff in the fridge?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386222”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

After my family went bankrupt, my mother, my younger sister, and I signed up for a survival challenge. The rules were simple: Each person starts with exactly $100. We had to survive for a month—eating, drinking, and existing—on just that bill. The winner would walk away with $100 million. Mom looked at my sister standing beside her, her smile dripping with indulgence. “Don’t you worry, sweetie. Your sister and I won’t spend a dime. You’ll have three hundred dollars all to yourself. If you’re thrifty, that should be plenty.” My sister hugged Mom’s arm, whining playfully. “Oh, Mommy, you’re the best! We’ll stick together and survive on the three hundred bucks!” I watched them, this portrait of deep maternal love, neither of them sparing a single thought for whether I lived or died. Silently, I tucked my hundred-dollar bill into my back pocket. 1 We were broke. Destitute. That’s when my sister, Chloe, found this “Budget Survival” competition. She claimed that if we could survive 30 days on a hundred bucks, the last one standing would win a fortune. She dragged Mom and me to the registration center without asking. Now, we were standing in a massive, sterile white arena along with ninety-seven other desperate souls, waiting for the clock to start. “Chloe, my precious girl, don’t worry,” Mom’s voice was soft enough to melt butter. She pinched Chloe’s cheek affectionately. “When we win first place, I’ll buy you that new Chanel set you wanted. And the Himalayan Birkin? It’s yours.” “Moooom,” Chloe drawled, leaning her head on Mom’s shoulder. “I don’t want you to suffer. We’ll work together. When we win, you manage all the money.” It was a touching scene. Heartwarming, really. If only I wasn’t the other daughter. Mom’s gaze finally shifted to me. The smile vanished instantly, replaced by a cold, hard indifference. “Harper, listen to me. You lived like a princess in our house for years, eating our food, wearing the clothes we bought. It’s time you paid us back. When the challenge starts, you know what to do.” I lowered my eyes, looking down at my washed-out, thrift-store t-shirt. Then I looked at Chloe. Even here, she was wearing a designer jacket worth five figures—something I wouldn’t dare touch with clean hands. A princess life? Did I ever have that? Suddenly, the massive screen in the center of the arena lit up. A screeching, high-pitched voice echoed through the hall. “Welcome, challengers, to Extreme Survival! I am your host, Goldie!” On the screen, a fat, golden piggy bank mascot danced around, its voice eerie enough to make my skin crawl. “The rules are simple! You each have $100 start-up capital. You must survive the next 30 days with this money!” “Every day at 5:00 AM and 5:00 PM, a pop-up supermarket will appear in the arena. It stocks everything you need, at real-world prices!” Goldie’s voice pitched up an octave, trembling with manic excitement. “One month later, among the survivors, the one with the highest remaining balance will be the sole winner of the $100 million grand prize! The remaining survivors will split a consolation pot of $100,000!” “Good luck!” As the voice faded, one hundred red envelopes rained down from the ceiling, landing precisely in front of each person. I picked mine up. Inside was a crisp, single $100 bill. Before I could even put it away, Mom’s voice barked in my ear, commanding and absolute. “Harper, give me your money. Your sister can’t handle hardship; she needs the extra cash.” I looked up. Mom had already shoved her own bill into Chloe’s hand, her face full of tenderness. “Chloe, listen to me. Harper and I won’t spend anything. You take the three hundred. If you’re careful, you’ll make it to the end.” Chloe’s eyes instantly welled up. She grabbed Mom’s hand. “No, Mom! I want us to make it together! We’ll survive on the three hundred as a team!” I watched them, feeling my heart sink into ice water. It froze, then cracked. Their plan was for “us” to survive on three hundred. That “us” clearly didn’t include me. They hadn’t spared a single thought on how I was supposed to survive without spending a penny. I gripped my hundred-dollar bill, took a silent step back, and put some distance between myself and that toxic pair. Suddenly, a commotion erupted in the crowd. “The store! The store is open!” Everyone’s attention snapped to the corner where a convenience store had materialized out of nowhere. Mom and Chloe were no exception; they craned their necks, already discussing what to buy. Now. While everyone was distracted by the store, I turned around. And I ran. I ran toward the shadows where no one was looking. 2 I ran for my life. The wind roared in my ears, and my heart hammered against my ribs like it wanted to break out. I didn’t dare look back. I knew if I did, I’d see Mom’s face twisted in disappointment and rage. She would grab me like she did when I was a child, pry my fingers open, take the money I was clutching, and shove it into Chloe’s pocket without hesitation. Because in her world, only Chloe mattered. Like that time at the theme park. We were a family of three then. The cable car stalled mid-air, dangling precariously over a valley. Mom held Chloe in a death grip, screaming at the first rescuers to arrive to take them down. She repeated it over and over: “Save my daughter! She’s little, she’s scared!” I was left alone in the swaying metal box, the wind howling through the cracks like ghosts. If I hadn’t screamed for help until my throat bled, maybe no one would have remembered there was another “daughter” up there. To my mother, Chloe was her child. I, Harper, was just a spare part. A tool. The arena was massive, empty like a giant warehouse. Luckily, the organizers had some humanity; there were clear signs pointing to “Supermarket #2” in the opposite direction. I burst into the store, gasping for air, and scanned the shelves. My brain was running like a supercomputer. One month. One hundred dollars. Rice and flour seemed the most cost-effective, but no. I noticed the fine print on the price tag: “Kitchen facility usage fee: $10/use.” Cooking was a luxury tax I couldn’t afford. Plus, heavy bags of flour would weigh me down. In a place where anything could happen, mobility was survival. Instant noodles were out, too. In high school, when Mom “forgot” to send my allowance, I survived on dry ramen bricks for months. The bloating, the indigestion, the acid reflux that burned my throat—I never wanted to feel that again. I survived, but my stomach didn’t. My eyes finally locked on my targets. A gallon of water: $1. A bulk pack of beef jerky and vacuum-sealed hardtack: $5. A multipack of toilet paper: $3. I paid immediately. Total: $9. Water is life. Jerky is protein and stays fresh. The crackers fill the void. If I rationed, this could last me five days. The toilet paper… well, in an emergency, it had multiple uses. As long as I minimized movement and kept my calorie burn low, I could live. I stuffed my supplies and my remaining $91 into my innermost pocket, keeping my hand pressed over it. Only then did I feel a faint sense of security. Leaving the store, I started hunting for a place to sleep. Passing a rest area, I stopped. 3 Not far away, a mother and daughter were huddled together. The young mother was tearing a small piece of bread. She gave the larger half to her daughter. “Eat, baby. You need strength.” The little girl shook her head sensibly and pushed the bread back. “Mommy eat. If Mommy doesn’t eat, I won’t eat.” The scene was blindingly wholesome. I could almost picture Mom and Chloe at the other supermarket right now. Mom would give all the best food to Chloe, watching her eat with a satisfied, doting smile. And Chloe would probably tear up, say something sweet like “Mom, let’s share,” and then guiltlessly consume the love meant only for her. Once, I naively asked, “Mom, why do you only like my sister and not me?” Now, I don’t ask. There is no why. Just like the sun doesn’t rise in the west, some people are just born without the right to be loved. I looked away, expressionless, and walked in the opposite direction. I found a corner under the bleachers of an open-air stadium. A large awning overhead blocked the dew. It was secluded enough to avoid most eyes. I shoved my water and paper into the corner, hugged the vacuum-sealed food to my chest, and curled up. The concrete floor was icy hard, hurting my bones, but I didn’t have time to complain. I closed my eyes, forcing myself to sleep. In this place, saving energy meant extending life. In a haze of sleep, I felt a weight on my chest. Hands groping. Wrong. I snapped my eyes open. A gaunt, sallow face was inches from mine. A man was trying to pull the food packet from my arms! Seeing me wake up, panic flickered in his eyes, followed by viciousness. He lunged, snatched the crumpled wad of cash from my pocket, and turned to run. “Give it back!” My brain buzzed. Blood rushed to my head. I didn’t think; I just tackled him, wrapping my arms around his legs. He tripped. Enraged, he turned and kicked me hard in the stomach. “Let go, you bitch! You wanna die?” Pain blinded me for a second, but I didn’t let go. I went feral. I used my nails, my teeth, anything to stop him. Back when I worked in a kitchen, a kind older woman taught me: If you meet a thug, don’t hit the face. It’s useless. Hit the weak spots. Incapacitate them. I saw my opening. I gathered every ounce of strength I had and kicked him squarely in the crotch. 4 “ARGH—!” The man let out a sound that wasn’t human. He curled into a ball, clutching himself. I scrambled over, pried his fingers open, and snatched back my $91. I gripped it so tight my knuckles turned white. “My money…” The man was sweating from pain, but he still tried to crawl toward me. My eyes went cold. I stomped down hard on his knee joint. CRACK. His leg bent at a sickening angle. I exhaled, pushing myself up. Only then did I realize a circle of people had gathered, pointing and whispering. The crowd parted. Mom and Chloe walked in. They had heard the commotion. “Harper! Are you insane?!” Mom saw the man on the ground, then looked at me with pure disgust. “How could you beat someone like that?!” Chloe chimed in, looking terrified, pointing a shaking finger at me. “Sis, you’re so violent… look at him, he’s bleeding!” I looked at them coldly. “He tried to rob me.” “He tried to rob you, so you break his leg?!” Mom’s voice screeched, as if I had committed a war crime. “Look at you! No manners, no heart! How did I give birth to something like you?!” “Our family might be broke, but we haven’t lost our conscience! You hurt him, you have to compensate him!” I clutched my money, silent. Mom pointed righteously at the food in my arms. “Forget money. Just give him the food you bought, and we’ll call it even!” I finally laughed. A dry, bitter sound. In my mom’s world, if Chloe is there, Chloe comes first. If Chloe isn’t there, strangers come first. I am always last. Sometimes I wonder what great sin I committed in a past life to deserve this mother. “No,” I said, the word hard as stone. “You dare talk back?!” Mom trembled with rage. “You ungrateful brat! You selfish wolf!” Chloe stepped forward, wearing her mask of saintly kindness. She reached out to take my food. “Sis, just listen to Mom. Look how pitiful he is. We can’t just leave him…” She reached for me. Just as her fingertips were about to touch the food package, the man on the ground began to convulse violently. His limbs twisted at impossible angles. A guttural gurgle rose from his throat. His eyes bulged, nearly popping out of their sockets. SNAP. A bone-chilling crack echoed through the silence. Under everyone’s horrified gaze, his neck snapped back 90 degrees on its own. His head lolled to the side. One second he was groaning; the next, he twitched and died.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386221”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel