New Year’s Eve, two in the morning, I rushed home through the snow. The moment I pulled back the covers, a strong scent of perfume hit me in the face. This wasn’t my perfume. Then I felt something sticky on the bed, and beside the pillow lay a long strand of blonde hair. I stared at my sleeping husband, Warren. He suddenly jerked awake, stammering: “You… how did you get back early?” I forced down my nausea and didn’t lose my temper. Instead, I sent a message to that college girl I’d been supporting for four years, who was currently sleeping in the guest room: [Are you asleep? I prepared a New Year’s gift for you—fifty thousand in cash] My phone vibrated. Mia’s message popped up immediately. [Thank you! I just woke up, Happy New Year!] Just woke up? Two minutes ago, I clearly heard sounds of someone getting dressed and coughing from the guest room next door. For fifty thousand dollars, she wouldn’t even bother pretending. I left the bedroom. Warren sprang up instantly, reaching out to grab me: “Honey, where are you going this late?” His palm was covered in cold sweat. The feeling reminded me of the bed sheets I’d just touched. “To give Mia her gift.” I avoided his hand and grabbed a stack of cash from the nightstand. “It’s New Year’s. Of course I should give a gift.” Warren’s face turned pale, his eyes darting toward the door: “You could give it to her tomorrow… she must be sleeping…” “She’s awake. She just replied to my message.” I ignored his attempt to stop me and pulled open the door. Walking through the hallway, I found the guest room door slightly ajar. I pushed it open. A wave of cheap perfume hit me, mixed with the smell of bodily fluids after sex. Mia was wearing a silk nightgown I’d bought last year, sitting cross-legged on the bed. Seeing me come in, there was no shame on her face. Instead, a trace of a smile appeared: “Hey, why are you back so late?” The sheets were rumpled, there was an indentation on the pillow, and a half-full glass of water sat on the nightstand. I walked to the bedside, looking at this girl we’d been supporting for four years. Her face was indeed young, with an innocence that hadn’t been beaten down by society yet. “Take it.” I raised my hand and threw the fifty thousand dollars right at her face. Bills flew through the air, landing on her hair, her shoulders, falling into her low-cut neckline. Mia froze. The next second, she crawled on the bed, picking up the money piece by piece and clutching it to her chest, her face all smiles: “Thank you so much. You’re so good to me.” As she bent down, her neckline slipped, revealing a small red mark on her chest. I forced down the urge to tear these two apart. “You’re welcome. After all, some money isn’t easy to earn—you have to trade your body for it.” Mia’s movements paused. She looked up, her eyes venomous but quickly switching to innocent: “What are you talking about? I’m using knowledge to change my destiny.” “Is that so?” I glanced at the bed sheets. “I think what you’re learning isn’t knowledge—it’s positions.” With that, I turned and left without looking at her expression. Back in the master bedroom, Warren stood by the window. He’d already rolled up the electric blanket into a ball. “Honey, this blanket’s a bit old. I just saw some dirty stuff on it. Let’s get a new one tomorrow.” “Dirty stuff? It is pretty filthy.” I walked to the bed and yanked down the sheets, duvet cover, and pillow cores in one motion. “Throw it all away. I don’t like things other people have touched. Disgusting.” Warren didn’t dare argue. He carried the pile of bedding out of the room. Watching his back, I pulled out my phone and opened an app. It was for the miniature cameras I’d installed earlier to observe the cleaning lady’s work. They happened to cover the blind spots in the living room and hallway. On the screen, two people were tangled together, rolling from the living room into the master bedroom. I expressionlessly saved the video.

The next morning, firecrackers sounded outside the window. Warren got up unusually early. The dining table was set with pizza and roast chicken. “Honey, eat while it’s hot.” Warren was wearing an apron. “You worked hard last night. Just rest at home today.” Mia sat across from him, wearing a turtleneck sweater that covered her neck. Seeing me come out, she got up and ladled a bowl of soup, placing it in front of me: “Try this soup. Warren went specially to a restaurant to buy it.” I didn’t touch the utensils, looking at Warren instead: “Rest? You’re supposed to come with me to my parents’ place today. Did you forget?” Warren’s smile stiffened. Then he clutched his stomach: “Oh no, honey, I was fine until you mentioned it, but now my stomach’s cramping.” “I probably caught a chill waiting up for you until midnight last night.” What a performance! If I hadn’t seen the video of him naked and tangled with Mia, I might have believed him. “That’s right.” Mia immediately chimed in. “Warren’s health has never been good. It’s snowing so hard outside—what if it gets worse?” “Why don’t… you go by yourself? I’ll stay home and take care of him.” What a harmonious duet. So this is what they were waiting for. “Fine.” I picked up the car keys. “Since your stomach hurts, stay home and rest. Remember to take your medicine. Don’t die at home—that would be unlucky.” Warren breathed a sigh of relief: “Drive carefully, honey. Come back early.” I walked out. The moment I closed the security door, I heard Mia’s laughter from inside: “Finally she’s gone, that old hag…” I got in the car but didn’t start the engine. Instead, I pulled out my phone and connected to the surveillance feed. On the screen, the second I left, Warren pulled Mia into his arms: “Baby, you scared me. I thought she’d discovered something.” Mia pushed him, then leaned into his embrace: “So what if she discovers it? You already said once we get the money, we’ll run away together.” Warren chuckled, his hand sliding under her clothes: “Just be patient a little longer. The equity transfer agreement for her company can be signed next month.” “When that happens, this whole family will be ours.” Mia pushed Warren away and walked into the master bedroom. A few minutes later, she came out. She was wearing my brand-new haute couture cashmere coat that I’d just brought home, along with my diamond necklace. She spun in front of the hallway mirror: “Warren, do I look good in this?” “This coat is wasted on that old woman. Only I’m worthy of wearing it.” Warren hugged her from behind: “Beautiful, so beautiful! All of this will be yours soon—even this house.” Mia stroked the coat’s collar: “Of course. Oh, that fifty thousand she gave me—can I use it to buy a bag?” “Buy it! Whatever you want!” The two started unbuttoning each other in front of the mirror. I turned off the surveillance and took a deep breath. I hadn’t even cut the tags off that coat yet. I started the car and floored the gas pedal. But I didn’t go to the cemetery. Instead, I circled the neighborhood and parked back downstairs. Since you two are so eager, I’ll grant your wish. Five minutes later, I stood at my front door and took out my keys. I turned the lock directly. The soft “click” echoed through the living room. The door opened. In the living room, two tangled figures sprang apart instantly. Mia was wearing my coat, the buttons half undone, with her sweater pushed up underneath. Warren’s belt was unbuckled, his pants hanging on his hips. Seeing me, both their faces went deathly pale. Warren nearly fell to his knees, stuttering: “H-honey? How… how did you come back?” I ignored him, staring at my coat on Mia’s body, and strode over. I backhanded her across the face. “Take it off.” Mia was stunned, covering her face without reacting. I physically tore it off her. “You think you’re worthy of wearing my clothes?” I looked into her eyes. “Look at yourself. You really think putting on phoenix feathers makes you a divine bird?”

I’d stripped Mia down to just her turtleneck sweater. She huddled in the corner of the couch, crying. “I… I didn’t mean to… Warren said the coat looked nice and told me to try it on…” Warren finally snapped out of it and rushed over to push me away, standing in front of Mia: “Claire! What’s wrong with you?” “It’s just a coat! Mia is a student you’re supporting—she’s like our daughter!” “Daughter?” I pointed at the two disheveled people. “What kind of father rolls around on the couch with his so-called daughter?” “Warren, did you leave your brain in the bedsheets, or do you think I’m blind?” Warren’s face turned red: “We… we were just playing around. You’re thinking dirty thoughts—your mind is filthy!” Just then, the doorbell rang. “Warren! Open up! We came to visit you!” Hearing the voices, Mia’s eyes lit up. She immediately wiped away her tears, fixed her hair and clothes, and rushed over to open the door. “Happy New Year, everyone!” Mia took the local specialties from various aunts and relatives, her face full of smiles. If you ignored her swollen face, you’d really think she was the lady of the house. “Oh my, this must be Mia! What a pretty girl!” “This girl is so thoughtful, up early doing housework. Not like some people who travel for work on New Year’s and don’t care about family at all.” Aunt Grace pursed her lips, her eyes cutting toward me. These relatives had always looked down on me because I didn’t give them money and hadn’t had children. Mia poured tea for everyone and arranged strawberries in the most prominent spot: “Everyone, please try these. These are organic strawberries that Claire specially bought—over a hundred dollars per pound.” “Usually Claire won’t even let me eat them, but today you all get to enjoy them.” Aunt Grace ate while talking: “Of course—she’s a CEO. How could she care about us poor relatives?” “Only Mia is kind-hearted. Warren, you need to think clearly about some things. You should marry someone who cares about family, not someone who only has eyes for money.” Warren smiled apologetically, but his eyes kept drifting to Mia. I leaned against the cabinet, watching this farce. “Aunt Grace is right.” I suddenly spoke, a fake smile on my face. “Mia really is capable. Since she loves doing housework so much, tonight’s dinner is all hers to prepare.” Mia’s smile froze. “Also.” I pointed at the bathroom. “The toilet’s a bit clogged. The cleaning lady is on vacation. Since Mia is so thoughtful, why don’t you scrub it while you’re at it?” Mia looked to Warren for help. Warren was about to speak when I cut him off: “What? Does it hurt your feelings? Didn’t you say she’s like our daughter? Shouldn’t a daughter help out around the house?” In front of the relatives, Warren could only grit his teeth: “Mia, then… help Claire out.” Mia went into the kitchen with red-rimmed eyes. Watching her cough from the cooking fumes, I felt slightly better. I sat on the couch cracking sunflower seeds, listening to Aunt Grace and the others criticize me. Until a bratty kid suddenly pulled something out of Mia’s bag. “Mommy! Look how pretty this is!” It was a limited edition lipstick I’d lost last month. The living room went silent. Aunt Grace looked embarrassed: “This… maybe Mia accidentally took it by mistake…” “Accidentally?” I took the lipstick and looked at Mia, who had just brought out a dish. “This lipstick hasn’t even been opened. What, my things grew legs and walked into your bag?” Mia’s face turned pale, the plate trembling in her hands. Warren immediately jumped in: “I gave it to Mia. I saw you didn’t use that shade much, so I gave it to her.” Mia’s tears came on command: “You gave it to me… don’t you remember?” Magnificent. I tossed the lipstick back into her knockoff bag and wiped my hands. “Fine. Since I gave it to you, I’ll see it through.” Under the table, I sent a message to my lawyer: [Is the agreement ready? I need it tonight.]

The dinner table was covered with food. Mia was exhausted, her makeup smudged, her hair greasy. She forced herself to sit next to Warren and put a piece of pizza on my plate: “Try my cooking.” The sauce looked blackish. I didn’t touch it, just swirled my wine glass. Suddenly, Mia covered her mouth and rushed into the bathroom with a “gag.” Retching sounds came from inside. Aunt Grace’s eyes lit up: “Oh my! That sound… could she be pregnant?” Warren’s chopsticks shook. He gulped down some liquor, his face darkening. Mia came out supporting herself against the wall, her eyes red. “Warren… I…” “It’s okay, I’m here!” Warren pulled Mia onto his lap. “Claire, since we’re already talking about this, I won’t hide it anymore.” “Mia is pregnant. It’s my child.” Aunt Grace glanced at me. “Claire, don’t blame Warren.” “You’ve been married four years and your belly still hasn’t moved.” Aunt Susan chimed in: “Exactly! What man doesn’t want a child?” “Mia is young with a healthy body. Since she’s pregnant, it’s heaven’s will.” “As a wife, you should be magnanimous and let her have the child.” Warren raised his voice: “Mia doesn’t need a title. As long as the child can be born and recognized by the family.” “You’ll still be the lady of the house. The child will even call you Mom.” “You want me to raise a mistress’s child?” I lifted my wine glass and swirled it. “Warren, has your brain short-circuited? You can actually dream this up?” Warren slammed the table. “Claire! Don’t be ungrateful!” “If I hadn’t taken care of you these past years, could you have focused on your career?” “Now I just want a child, and you want to kill us all? You’re so vicious.” Mia huddled in his arms crying: “Claire, I don’t want anything. I just want to repay Warren for his kindness…” “If you really can’t accept me, I’ll leave right now, even if I end up on the streets…” “Leave? Where to?” Aunt Grace stood up and blocked the door. “You’re carrying our family’s child. Who dares let you leave!” “Repayment, huh?” I put down my wine glass. The glass made a crisp sound hitting the table. “Since everyone is so righteous, I have a video of Mia’s repayment here.” “Let’s watch it while we eat. It’ll liven up the evening.” I picked up the remote and pressed the cast button. On the TV screen, Warren and Mia were naked and tangled on the couch. Mia’s voice came through: “Warren, your poor relatives are so annoying, especially that Aunt Grace.” “She wanted me to date her son? She should look in a mirror.” Warren laughed between heavy breaths: “Bear with it, baby. They’re just a bunch of old leeches.” “Once Claire dies and we get the money…” “The first thing I’ll do is cut ties with these poor bastards so they stop clinging to us.” On screen, Mia’s finger traced circles on Warren’s chest: “So… that accident insurance, did you buy it?” “The brake pads on her car—you tampered with them and it really can’t be detected?” Warren’s voice echoed through the living room: “Don’t worry, I’ve arranged everything.” “As long as something happens to her, that’s tens of millions in compensation, plus this house and the company shares…” “Then we’ll take the money and go abroad. Who cares if these poor relatives live or die?” Only the laughter of the two people on screen echoed through the room. Aunt Grace trembled all over, pointing at Warren: “You… what did you say? You want to cut ties? And you want to… murder someone?” Mia had lost all color in her face, collapsing limply to the floor. Warren stared at the screen, his lips trembling, unable to speak. I took a sip of red wine. “This is the New Year’s gift Miss Mia prepared for you all. How about it? Surprised?”

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On Women’s Day, my husband Frederick sent me a muscular man with a bow tie around his neck. “This is the latest companion robot. Let him keep you company from now on. Vivian is pregnant, so I need to spend more time with her. Stop bothering me.” He spoke impatiently, then turned and left. But I looked at the lifelike robot with a face remarkably similar to my childhood friend Xavier’s, and smiled with delight. That evening, I sent Xavier a message: “You knew my marriage contract expires today and I’m single again, so you came early to pursue me?” “Yes.” Xavier replied to my message. “Eight years of repaying a debt—finally over.” With his sigh, my thoughts drifted back to when I was eighteen. My parents both died suddenly in an accident. I couldn’t handle it at the time. My mental breakdown led to several hospitalizations. Then Grandpa Frederick suddenly appeared, arranged for top doctors, and helped me recover. He had only one request—that I help support his good-for-nothing grandson, Frederick. I agreed. From then on, I began my love-hate relationship with Frederick. He went from initially finding me annoying to showing unnatural care and protection. He would clumsily make me necklaces by hand on my birthday. He would make my favorite macarons during my period. His clumsy love moved my heart. So when he confessed with a blushing face at graduation, I said yes. But everything changed when his first love, Vivian, returned to the country just before our wedding. He denied everything between us, publicly claiming I was just a housekeeper his grandfather hired to take care of him. Grandpa Frederick was so angry he nearly died. As he took his last breath, he held my hand and asked me to marry Frederick for three years and protect him for three more. Today is the last day. I rubbed my temples and stood up to pack my things. But unexpectedly, Frederick came back and brought me a small cake. “Eat it. I remember you like these.” I looked at the mango on the cake and smiled bitterly, shaking my head. He forgot—I’m allergic to mangoes. Vivian is the one who likes mango cake. I tugged at the corner of my mouth and just asked him, “Why did you come back?” He said proudly, “It’s all because Vivian is so kind. She insisted that since today is Women’s Day, I should come back and keep you company.” “See, this is the grace a proper wife should have. You should learn from her.” I froze. Vivian always did this—displayed her magnanimity at inappropriate times. But they both forgot that I’m Frederick’s legitimate wife. Not wanting to say more, I just stared at the clock, quietly spacing out, hoping he’d leave quickly. But Frederick loosened his tie and lay sideways on the sofa, showing no intention of moving. His face full of hopeful fantasies: “I hope Vivian has a girl, just like her—kind and lovely.” Then he looked at me critically: “Look at you—your personality is so unlikable, always controlling people. Nobody wants you.” “And I’ve been thinking about the future too. When the child is born, it needs to be legitimate, so you’ll have to give up your position as Mrs. Frederick.” “Don’t worry, I already talked to Vivian about it. You can stay here afterward to take care of Vivian and the child. After all, Grandpa originally had you take care of me, so you should be quite skilled at being a housekeeper.” As his constant belittling continued, my heart still couldn’t help but ache. Just as I was about to tell him about the contract, the doorbell rang abruptly. Vivian had arrived.

Frederick quickly stood up and carefully helped her inside, constantly instructing: “You should have called me. I would have picked you up.” “The baby didn’t give you trouble on the way, did it?” I watched Vivian, who wasn’t showing much yet, proudly thrusting out her waist and abdomen. I turned to go back to my room. But Vivian spoke with a wronged expression: “Hannah, do you not welcome me?” “Then I’ll just leave.” Before I could say anything, Frederick grabbed my arm forcefully and shouted: “You did that on purpose?! Making Vivian sad.” “Go make soup. Vivian likes the eight-treasure soup you make.” I stood there without moving. Frederick’s face darkened, and he dragged me directly toward the kitchen. “You can come out when it’s done.” “Click”—the door locked. Through the transparent glass, I saw Vivian’s provocative smile and a flash of light in the robot’s eyes. I stood there indifferently for a moment, then started moving. Not just making soup—I fried, sautéed, and stir-fried, preparing a whole table of dishes. Consider it tonight’s farewell dinner. An hour later, when I finished cooking, sweat covering my forehead, Frederick mercifully opened the kitchen door and said: “Wouldn’t it have been better if you’d done this earlier?” Seeing the abundant dishes on the table, satisfaction flashed in his eyes, and he said to me condescendingly: “Alright, bring them out. You can eat at the table with us tonight.” I shook my head, but he grabbed me and forced me into a chair. “Why are you being difficult?!” “This is the only time you’ll eat at the table. From now on, you need to be self-aware of your position as a housekeeper.” Vivian saw me sit down and said sourly: “Hannah, you really care about Frederick. Everything on this table is what he loves to eat.” I paused, quietly picked up food with my chopsticks, and replied, “It’s a habit.” A habit of being good to him, taking care of him, so I reflexively made these dishes while cooking. A trace of emotion flashed in Frederick’s eyes. Just as he was about to say something— Vivian suddenly clutched her stomach and cried out: “Ah! My stomach hurts.” “Hannah, did you put something in the food?” She started crying: “If you have any complaints, take them out on me. Why harm my child?!” I shook my head repeatedly in denial. “No, I didn’t.” Before I could finish, Frederick angrily slapped me hard across the face. “Bitch! I knew you were up to no good!” “Come to the hospital with us. If anything happens to Vivian, I’ll make you pay with your life.” I helplessly followed them. At the hospital, after examination, there were no drug residues found. But Vivian kept crying that her stomach hurt. Finally, the doctor diagnosed that she’d had fetal movement and needed rest. Frederick demanded I stay to take care of her: “You made Vivian unhappy in the first place, so you’re responsible.” “Besides, you’re going to stay as a housekeeper to take care of Vivian and the child anyway. Consider this early practice.” Seeing his self-righteous manner, I laughed in anger and told him directly: “Frederick, our marriage contract has expired. We have no relationship now. I’m leaving, and you have no right to restrict my freedom.” He was stunned by my cold tone. After a moment, he recovered and sneered: “What expired contract? Are you playing hard to get with me? I’m not falling for that.” “Hannah, serve obediently, and I’ll keep you at the Frederick house.” He restrained me in front of Vivian’s hospital bed, instructed me to take good care of her, then kept watching me. I couldn’t find a chance to leave. Until a group of Frederick’s friends arrived.

“Frederick, you really have your wife taking care of your mistress. Impressive.” “Back then, Grandpa Frederick’s small favor got you eight years of Hannah’s devoted care. What a bargain.” “But she doesn’t know her parents’ death wasn’t an accident, does she? It was deliberate, connected to one of your family’s shady companies. After Grandpa Frederick quickly dealt with the company, he discovered Hannah’s talent and extended help. All these years, she’s proven her worth. Grandpa Frederick was truly a businessman—so shrewd.” I froze in the hospital room, quickly covering my mouth to prevent any sound from escaping. Tears kept flowing. The conversation outside the room continued. Frederick said casually: “So what if she knows? An orphan girl—being Mrs. Frederick for three years is already more than she deserves.” “What, Frederick, sounds like you’re planning to divorce her?” “Then I… hehe, honestly, your wife’s figure—curves in all the right places, ass ripe as a peach—I’ve been eyeing her for a while. Can I have a taste?” The air suddenly went silent. After a moment, Frederick replied indifferently: “Whatever.” My clenched fists loosened. I slumped into the chair and closed my eyes. Soon, the hospital room door opened. Frederick and his friends came in. “How are you taking care of Vivian? Sleeping with your eyes closed!” Frederick came in and scolded me first. Then he anxiously checked on Vivian, and seeing everything was fine, breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to say something more to me, I didn’t want to face him anymore and turned to leave. At that moment, his friends stepped forward and surrounded me. One of them looked at me with sticky eyes, constantly moving closer. With nowhere to retreat, I called out to Frederick: “Make them leave.” Frederick was noncommittal, raising his eyebrows and saying: “Weren’t you the one who wanted to leave? I didn’t stop you. I won’t stop my friends either.” “Besides, my friends like you—that’s why they’re keeping you here.” Hearing his shameless words, I gritted my teeth and tried to rush out. But three or four men had me completely surrounded. I had nowhere to retreat. Just as I was about to scream for help, Vivian woke up. Frederick immediately told his friends to stop. “Don’t disturb Vivian’s rest. If you want to fool around, go elsewhere.” I took advantage of the men’s moment of confusion, broke through the encirclement, and left. When I got home and opened the door, I found the lifelike robot had moved to the living room. I remembered clearly putting it in the basement. Just as I was puzzled, the robot extended its hand. “I came to get you.” Touching the warmth of its palm, I knew—Xavier had come. “I saw them bullying you through the robot. I couldn’t stand it, so I flew here.” “I’ll take you away.” I nodded silently, then said: “Wait three more days. I want to give Frederick a big gift before I leave!” Xavier indulged me. That day, he first took me to his local property to settle in. Then, after listening to the truth about my parents, he was equally furious. “So that’s what happened.” “Don’t worry, Hannah. I’ll help collect evidence too.” “And…” He looked at me with heartache: “When your family had that accident, I was abroad and didn’t know, otherwise…” “These years, you’ve suffered.” I smiled and shook my head: “It’s fine. I believe good and evil will always be repaid.” The next day, to make me happy, Xavier took me shopping through all the major jewelry and clothing stores. We accidentally ran into Frederick’s friends. They all contacted Frederick. “Frederick, isn’t this your wife? How is she with a man?” Frederick waved his hand casually: “What man? That’s the lifelike robot I bought for her.” “Hannah will never have another man besides me in this life.” He was drunk, face flushed, tongue thick as he shouted. A second-generation rich kid next to him suddenly looked at the screen and exclaimed: “Is that him?!” “The mysterious Xander family’s grandson they found ten years ago, the current head of the Xander family.” “He’s always been abroad. Why did he come back?” Frederick’s heart trembled. He looked carefully. After a long moment, he said dismissively: “It’s not him. It really is a robot I bought.” “They just have somewhat similar facial features.” “If you don’t believe me, I’ll call Hannah and ask.” The moment he dialed, he paused. It was already 2 AM. At this time, Hannah would be asleep, and she had neurasthenia—she was most afraid of being suddenly awakened. But… Frederick sneered. No matter what time, as long as it was a call from him, she would answer instantly. This was a habit she’d developed over the years. Thinking this, Frederick confidently dialed. But the next second, a cold response came from the phone: “Sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service.”

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The night before the wedding, my fiancé’s foster sister posted a video on Snapchat. In the video, Ethan—who’s always been such a germaphobe—was kneeling on the floor, using my wedding veil to wipe her feet. “Even though he’s about to become someone else’s husband, he’ll always take care of his little sister.” I went to pick up drunk Ethan, and Mia insisted on coming home with us. While I was washing up, she deliberately threw my wedding ring down the drain. I didn’t get angry. Ethan noticed something was off about me, but his face showed only relief. “Vivian, you’re finally learning to be tolerant of my sister.” I didn’t respond. I just smiled and voluntarily gave up the bedroom to Mia, who was demanding to sleep with Ethan. He had no idea that the good days for the Hayes family were about to end. Why would I care about this boundary-crossing sibling relationship anymore? The next day, only ten minutes remained until the wedding ceremony. The officiant had already come to urge us three times, but the groom Ethan was nowhere to be seen. My bridesmaid burst through the door, gasping for breath. “Vivian, stop waiting!” “I heard that on the way here, Mia got a stomachache, and Ethan turned the wedding car around and carried her straight to the hospital!” I called Ethan. The phone rang for a long time before someone picked up. The first sound I heard was Mia’s coughing. “Ethan, go back! Vivian’s wedding can’t happen without you. I can manage alone at the hospital.” Ethan’s voice was full of anxiety and heartache. “Don’t talk nonsense. You’re breaking out in cold sweats from the pain—how can I leave?” Then he spoke into the phone, his tone laced with irritation. “Vivian, Mia’s in really bad shape. I can’t leave.” “Go calm down the guests and tell them the wedding will start a bit late.” Hearing his self-righteous tone, I found it laughable. “Ethan, this is a wedding. Can a wedding just ‘start a bit late’?” “Vivian! Is the wedding more important than someone’s life in your mind?” Ethan snapped impatiently and hung up directly. I stood up and walked toward the banquet hall. The originally noisy hall instantly fell silent, dissolving into whispers. Ethan’s parents approached with embarrassed expressions. Mrs. Hayes grabbed my hand and lowered her voice. “Vivian dear, Ethan went to handle an emergency. Why don’t you just hold the wedding by yourself?” “Both our families care about our reputation. Don’t waste any more time—the guests are waiting.” I coldly pulled my hand away. At that moment, my bridesmaid shoved her phone in front of my face, trembling with rage. “Vivian, look at what Mia posted on Snapchat!” On the screen was Mia’s freshly updated status. In the picture, Ethan sat by the hospital bed, tightly holding her hand. The caption read: “Even if the whole world is waiting for him to get married, he’ll still stop for me.” I walked straight onto the stage and took the microphone from the officiant. “Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend this wedding.” “Unfortunately, the groom has someone more important to be with today.” “Therefore, the wedding is canceled. Please enjoy the food and drinks.” After speaking, I ignored the ashen faces of the Hayes parents, casually tossed the microphone aside, lifted my wedding dress, and walked out of the banquet hall without looking back. I returned to the new house Ethan and I had prepared and began packing my things. The door was suddenly pushed open. Ethan rushed in and slammed his hand down on my suitcase. “Vivian, have you made enough of a scene!” “Didn’t I tell you to calm the guests at the venue? You publicly announced the wedding cancellation—where does that leave my parents’ dignity!”

I stopped what I was doing and straightened up to look at him. “When you abandoned me for Mia, did you think about my dignity?” A flash of guilt crossed Ethan’s eyes, and his tone softened. “Vivian, I explained it to you. Mia’s situation was sudden—I couldn’t just let her die.” “You’re usually so kind. Why are you being so petty about Mia?” My gaze fell on the collar of his shirt. There, clear as day, was a lipstick mark. The exact same shade as the one Mia was wearing in her Snapchat photo. Ethan followed my gaze and looked down. His expression changed, and he instinctively covered his collar with his hand. “Mia was in so much pain she couldn’t stand. She accidentally smudged it. Don’t overthink this.” “Vivian, after all these years together, won’t you even give me this much trust?” I zipped up my suitcase and dragged it toward the door. Ethan blocked the doorway, his eyes reddening. “Vivian, I was wrong, okay?” “We can have another wedding. Stop making a scene.” I ignored him. Ethan panicked and grabbed my wrist. “I won’t let you leave! If you walk out that door today, don’t expect me to ever coax you back!” “The wedding is already canceled. Starting today, we have nothing to do with each other.” I pulled my suitcase and walked out the door without looking back. A few days later, I bought a villa. Just as I finished settling in, my assistant called. “Miss Sterling, there’s an urgent document for a core company project that needs your signature.” I agreed and drove to Hayes Corporation. This branch was a company I established to help Ethan start his business. I pushed open the general manager’s office door. Mia was sitting in my office chair. She was holding a pink notebook, reading it with great interest. I froze. That was my diary. I strode over and snatched the diary back. “Who gave you permission to touch my things?” Mia jumped in fright, looking aggrieved. “Vivian, don’t be so mean.” “I was just looking around. How was I supposed to know you kept your diary in an unlocked drawer?” At that moment, Ethan walked in from outside carrying two cups of coffee. Seeing me, he froze for a moment, then frowned. “Vivian, what are you getting upset about now? Mia’s still not feeling well. Don’t scare her.” I laughed coldly. “She went through my diary without permission, and instead of stopping her, you blame me?” Ethan was dismissive. “You didn’t lock your diary properly. Mia didn’t do it on purpose.” “Besides, it’s not like there’s anything shameful in your diary.” Mia chimed in from the side. “Exactly, Vivian. And those love letters you wrote in your diary are so corny.” She cleared her throat and recited in a mocking tone. “‘Today Ethan drove twenty miles to buy me cake from the north side of town.’” “‘I feel like the happiest woman in the world. I must stay with Ethan forever.’” She covered her mouth and laughed. “Vivian, you always seem so cold and aloof, but I never knew you were such a desperate simp in private.” “Actually, that cake was bought for me. I didn’t want to eat it, so he brought it back to you.” “You actually treasured it enough to write about it in your diary. Hilarious.” Humiliation flooded through me instantly. Those feelings I once cherished were now being trampled under their feet.

Ethan stood to the side, the corner of his mouth turned up. “Vivian, you wrote it so clearly in your diary—you obviously still love me.” “Stop being stubborn and come home with me. I’ll pretend the wedding thing never happened.” I ignored him, turned to the paper shredder, and without hesitation, fed the diary into it. The diary that recorded all my memories with Ethan was instantly reduced to confetti. Ethan’s face turned livid as he rushed over to confront me. “Vivian Sterling! What are you crazy for!” My tone was cold. “Just disposing of some unnecessary garbage.” Mia suddenly grabbed Ethan’s arm. “Ethan, since Vivian doesn’t want to deal with you, let me take over the core bidding project on the south side for her.” “I promise I’ll do better than her.” The south side project—I had pulled three months of all-nighters and used the Sterling family connections to secure that bidding qualification for Ethan. Ethan nodded without hesitation. “Fine. Mia’s so smart, she’ll definitely handle it.” He turned to look at me, his tone commanding. “Vivian, hand over all the core project materials to Mia.” “Since you want to make a scene, go home and reflect. You don’t need to manage company affairs for now.” I looked at him and found it ridiculous. Without the Sterling family, Ethan was nothing. “Fine. Since you want it so badly, take it.” I picked up the documents on the desk, signed them, and turned to leave. That evening, I had just finished showering when Ethan sent me a text. “Vivian, why didn’t you come to the Hayes family dinner tonight?” “My parents are already very unhappy about what you did. This dinner was meant for you to apologize to them.” I felt speechless and typed back. “We’ve already called off the engagement. I have no obligation to attend your family dinners.” The moment I sent the message, Ethan called. “Vivian, do you have to make things so difficult for me?” “You’re just throwing a tantrum like this to force me to send Mia away, aren’t you?” He sighed on the other end of the phone, his tone softening. “You know the person I love is you, but Mia saved my life years ago.” “Without her, I would’ve died. I can’t be ungrateful.” I couldn’t help but laugh coldly. “Ethan, if you want to repay her, go ahead. Give her your life if you want.” “Just stop harassing me.” I hung up directly and blocked his number and social media accounts. But immediately after, I saw Mia had posted something on Snapchat. She was wearing revealing sleepwear in what used to be my wedding house, with an imperial jade necklace around her neck. “A gift from Ethan—worth millions.” The more I looked at that necklace, the more familiar it seemed. It was a relic my mother left me before she died. I had left in such a rush when I moved out of the new house that I’d forgotten it. Without a word, I immediately drove to Ethan’s place. When I arrived, Mia was sitting on the sofa, live-streaming on her phone. She was wearing my mother’s necklace around her neck, showing it off to the camera. “Everyone, this is genuine imperial jade. My brother specially gave it to me.” I walked over to retrieve the necklace and accidentally knocked her phone out of her hand. “Ah! Vivian, what are you doing!” Mia shrieked and jumped up. “Give me back that necklace!” I pointed at it, my voice furious. Ethan heard the commotion and immediately ran over to protect Mia. “It’s just a necklace. Mia just thought it looked pretty and wore it for a bit.”

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In three years of marriage, I had been punished by Frederick Ashton one hundred times. Every single time was because I went to see my terminally ill brother, Marcus. He said Marcus and I were having an affair, forcing me to kneel in the snow and locking me in the basement. Until that night, when I walked to the bedroom door carrying a glass of warm milk, I found him in bed with his adopted sister, Felicity. “I married Vivian just to cover up our relationship, didn’t I?” It turned out he’d known all along that Marcus and I were innocent. He was simply using my suffering to protect the person he truly cherished. The next day, I handed him divorce papers. He had no idea I possessed evidence of his crimes. Vivian’s POV I was only five minutes late coming home, yet my husband stripped me naked and forced me to kneel in the snow as punishment. The cold wind cut through me like knives as I looked up at Frederick Ashton standing on the steps in his black coat, his gaze sharp as a blade. “There’s nothing between Marcus and me. Why won’t you believe me?” Frederick looked at me coldly, his eyes devoid of anger, only calm. “Kneel here for twelve hours, and I’ll believe you.” Kneeling in the snow at ten degrees below zero for twelve hours would kill me, or at least cripple me for life. Yet I slowly straightened my body. “Understood. I’ll prove my innocence.” I’d always known Frederick had trust issues. In three years of marriage, I’d endured ninety-nine punishments from him-slaps across the face, confinement in the basement… And today was the hundredth time. Every single time was because I had visited Marcus. Marcus, the brother who had raised me from childhood. We weren’t blood-related. Two children who’d grown up together, relying on each other. Marcus treated me as his little sister, and he was my only family. But Frederick still couldn’t accept it. He forbade me from calling Marcus my brother and forced me to cut off contact with him. But Marcus was sick now. Terminal stomach cancer. He was only five years older than me, and when we were children, he’d rather starve himself than let me go without that last piece of bread. I couldn’t abandon him. The snowy ground was damp and freezing. I trembled from the cold. Then I suddenly remembered I hadn’t brought Frederick his nightly glass of warm milk yet. After years of marriage, this habit was carved into my bones. Frederick had once held me close and said, “Without milk, I can’t sleep well at night.” Heating up a glass of milk and then coming back to kneel should be fine, right? So I crawled out of the snow and went to the kitchen. But when I reached the bedroom door carrying the milk, I heard two voices coming from inside. “Being able to hold you while I sleep, this is what I’ve dreamed of.” “Silly girl. Why do you think I married Vivian, if not for this?” My heart clenched. I nearly dropped the glass of milk, then immediately clamped my hand over my mouth. What did I just hear? Frederick was actually sleeping in the same bed with his adopted sister, Felicity Ashton! Just like Marcus and me, Felicity had been adopted by the Ashton family as a child and grew up with Frederick. Frederick was incredibly indulgent toward his sister. Even after our marriage, he’d moved her into his villa, her room separated from ours by just a single wall. I never could have imagined, even in my wildest nightmares, that Frederick and Felicity were involved! I bit down hard on my lip. Then Felicity’s voice came again from inside the room. “What if Vivian discovers us someday?” “She won’t.” Frederick’s voice was decisive. “She’s too busy proving her innocence with Marcus. She doesn’t have time to pay attention to us.” “So you’re deliberately making her suspicious?” “Yes.” Frederick gave a soft laugh. “I’ve always known she and Marcus only have ordinary sibling affection. She’s incredibly naive. I’m the only one in her heart. Otherwise she wouldn’t have cried when I proposed… Besides, given how much she loves me, even if she found out, she’d never leave me.” I felt a metallic sweetness in my throat. My heart felt like it was being stabbed with needles, throbbing with pain. Three years. How many times had I knelt on the ground swearing that Marcus and I were innocent? Even when I stripped naked, Frederick only called me filthy. And now I discovered he’d been doing it deliberately all along! This was too much! Too humiliating! I left the villa and found the nearest law office to draft divorce papers. Afterward, I went to the hospital. Marcus’s business partner and friend, Julian, was just leaving the hospital room. He looked surprised to see me. “Vivian, didn’t you just go home? Why are you back?” “I’m worried about Marcus.” I sniffled and forced a smile. “Julian, don’t worry about me. I’ll just sit here for a while.” “That won’t do. The hallway’s freezing. Here, take this.” Julian handed me a warm cup of coffee, accidentally touching my hand. He immediately frowned. “Why are you so cold?” Without another word, he took off his wool coat and draped it over my shoulders. The sudden warmth made me unable to suppress the ache in my nose any longer. Tears broke through like a dam. In this world, only Marcus cared about me. Only his friend would show me concern! Julian looked flustered when he saw me cry. I quickly wiped away my tears. “Julian, can you help me investigate something?”

Vivian’s POV “As long as you stop crying, anything!” What I wanted to know wasn’t anything else-it was about Frederick and Felicity! Four years ago, Marcus and I had barely managed to work our way through college. To give me a better life, Marcus borrowed money from his friend Julian to start a business. In just one year, Marcus became a rising star in the business world, and my life completely changed along with his. At a gala, I met Frederick Ashton, heir to the Ashton family. He fell in love with me at first sight. After three months of passionate pursuit, we got married. Our married life seemed peaceful on the surface, but I knew almost nothing about Frederick’s past! Soon, Julian’s investigation completely shattered my last shred of hope. It turned out that after the Ashton family adopted Felicity, she and Frederick grew up together. As adults, they fell in love with each other. To be with Felicity, Frederick was even willing to defy his entire family. After a year of deadlock, the Ashton family compromised, but with conditions. Felicity could stay by Frederick’s side, but could never be made public. And Frederick had to marry a “suitable wife” within three months to maintain appearances. And I was the carefully selected cover they chose. How ironic. Frederick constantly accused me of impropriety with Marcus, yet the ones truly betraying our marriage were him and his “sister”! I sat in the hospital corridor all night, occasionally dozing off, only to be jolted awake by nightmares. In my dreams, I returned to the orphanage when I was five years old. A sweet-smiled girl led other children to isolate me, using razor blades to shred my clothes. They surrounded me with mockery, calling me shameless. At the end of the dream, I heard them call her Felicity! I frantically flipped through the documents Julian had given me. Sure enough, I found a small note in the corner: Felicity, before being adopted by the Ashton family, came from Red Rose Orphanage. I bit my lip hard. So the person who bullied me as a child was Felicity. And the one who stole my husband as an adult was still her! “Vivian.” A cold voice suddenly rang out. It was Frederick. He approached step by step, his face dark as he gripped my wrist. “Come with me.” “I’m not going!” I confronted him. Frederick’s eyes flashed dangerously, and his grip tightened, nearly crushing my bones! Just then, the hospital room door opened. Marcus’s pale, weak face appeared in the doorway. “Vivian, what’s wrong?” Frederick lowered his voice threateningly. “Are you sure you want me to punish you here?” No… not in front of Marcus! I squeezed my eyes shut. “Fine, I’ll go with you.” His arm was like a steel clamp as he roughly dragged me and threw me into the restroom. The next second, the faucet was turned on. Frederick grabbed the back of my neck and shoved my face violently into the water! For a full seven minutes, I nearly suffocated. He pulled me up, his voice cold as ice. “This is for leaving without permission last night.” Then he shoved my head into the water again! “This is for sneaking off to see your brother.” When he finally released me, I was soaked through, coughing violently from choking, yet I laughed. “Frederick, why?” His eyes darkened. “What did you say?” “I said why can you see your sister whenever you want, but I can’t see my brother? Who’s the one with the real problem here?!” Frederick seemed to freeze for a moment, his expression softening slightly. But just then, a saccharine voice cut in. “Vivian, you’re getting bolder and bolder. How dare you speak to my brother that way?” Felicity walked over gracefully and intimately linked her arm through Frederick’s. “The servants said she didn’t even kneel for the required time last night. She completely ignored your orders!” Her way of fanning the flames was exactly like when we were children. In that moment, I finally confirmed that Felicity had recognized me long ago. She was doing this deliberately! But before I could speak, Frederick’s slap had already struck me hard!

Vivian’s POV I covered my burning face, tasting blood in my mouth, and collapsed to the ground, all strength leaving my body. Frederick looked at me coldly, signaling two bodyguards to lift me up and roughly drag me toward his sports car. A coarse hemp rope wrapped around my wrists as he said coldly, “This is the price for running away last night. Run behind the car all the way back.” The engine roared and the sports car shot forward! I stumbled a few steps before being dragged to the ground. The rough pavement scraped against my skin. I struggled desperately, but the car was going too fast-I couldn’t stand up at all. Suddenly, a hard brake! Crack! Sharp pain shot through my wrist as I screamed. The car finally stopped. I thought he might soften, but Frederick only untied the rope and bound my other hand. “A broken hand can be set. Pain teaches lessons.” He said it expressionlessly. My heart died completely. “So much sweat. Are you too hot?” Felicity’s sweet voice rang out. “Frederick, why don’t you have her take off a few layers?” Before I could react, my coat was torn off, leaving my chest exposed to the freezing air! I clutched my last piece of clothing desperately, my voice trembling. “Frederick Ashton, must you humiliate me in public?” Felicity was unconcerned. “Don’t worry, there’s no one around in the suburbs.” I stared at Frederick. He suddenly looked away. “…Felicity, she is still my wife. If word gets out, it’s the Ashton family’s reputation that suffers.” Just as I held onto my last shred of hope, he turned back to me with a cold smile. “Keep one piece to cover yourself. Remember, this is my mercy.” The engine roared again. I was dragged once more, my skin torn raw and bloody until I finally fell into darkness. When I woke, I was lying in the villa’s bed. Frederick wasn’t there. Only Felicity sat at the bedside peeling an apple. She leaned close, her smile sweet. “Can you do Frederick a favor?” “What?” She handed me a document. “Just sign this and Frederick can secure that contract. You should know… who’s more important, right?” The moment I saw the contents, all the blood in my body froze. She wanted me to falsely accuse Marcus of long-term sexual assault against his own sister! “Go to hell!!” Rage consumed my reason. I lunged forward and grabbed her throat! The door burst open. Frederick rushed in, yanked me away, and slammed me to the floor! “You bitch! How dare you touch Felicity?!” Felicity burst into tears. “I only asked her to sign, and she…” “Hold down her hand,” Frederick commanded coldly. “Make her sign it!” “No! You can’t!!” The servants pinned me down as the pen scratched across paper-a sound like a knife cutting. I screamed in collapse. “Frederick Ashton! I want a divorce!!” But no one listened. Felicity suddenly vomited blood and fainted. Frederick panicked and scooped her up. “Felicity!” “The apple…” she said weakly, pointing toward the bedside table. “From her room…”

Vivian’s POV I was thrown into the basement. Pitch darkness surrounded me. The damp air made my wounds throb with dull pain. The door opened. Frederick stood before me, looking down from above. “Hand over the antidote.” I moved my broken fingers. “I told you, I didn’t poison anyone. What antidote?” He crouched down and grabbed my chin viciously. “Vivian, you’ve been defying me lately. Is it because of your brother?” Before he finished speaking, his iPad lit up with a video- In a familiar hospital room, Marcus was being held down by men in black, coughing violently, blood staining his blue hospital gown. On his right side, an opened bottle of poison sat quietly. I immediately began to struggle. “Frederick Ashton! What right do you have to touch Marcus? He’s my last living relative!” “Because you touched Felicity!” His eyes were ice-cold and piercing. “Anyone who touches her must die.” He leaned in close. “Will you obediently hand over the antidote, or let Marcus drink that bottle?” Marcus had stomach cancer. Drinking that would be a death sentence. I finally stopped struggling. “…Let him go, and I’ll give you the antidote.” Frederick turned off the video with satisfaction. I slowly stood up. “I don’t have an antidote, but I can pay with my life.” With that, I grabbed scissors and stabbed them toward my heart! In the last second before darkness fell, I saw Frederick rush toward me in horror, my body falling into a trembling embrace. “Vivian!” I heard people talking near my ear. “I’m sorry… I just had food poisoning, but I wrongly accused her of poisoning me…” “Food poisoning makes you vomit blood?” “I don’t know either… maybe I was injured somewhere?” Felicity’s voice choked up. “Are you blaming me? She could have explained herself…” “I don’t blame you.” Frederick frowned. “She deliberately opposed me.” “Don’t blame her anymore.” Felicity took his hand. “Go rest. I’ll take care of her.” “Alright.” I woke again two days later. I threw back the covers, ready to get out of bed. This wasn’t my home. I had to leave. But Felicity blocked my way. “Vivian, I’m sorry!” I pushed past her and kept walking. Would someone like her ever repent? I didn’t believe it. But the next second, her words pinned me in place like nails- “Marcus is dead!” She put on a regretful expression. “That day Frederick ordered them to release him, but unfortunately… after the news about Marcus molesting you spread, reporters stormed the hospital. In the chaos, someone forced the drug down his throat.” She waved her phone. “He only managed to leave you a few words before he died. There wasn’t even time to try to save him.” She added cheerfully, “But he had terminal stomach cancer anyway. He was going to die sooner or later. Don’t be too sad.” All strength instantly drained from my body. Marcus, who had been so spirited just months ago, was now emaciated and being held down. “Vivian, I’m sorry for dragging you down… From now on, even without someone to love you, you must love yourself well.” He smiled as he closed his eyes. Even as the poison burned through his organs, he didn’t cry out in pain once. I played the video on loop, tears splattering on the ground. I knelt there trembling. “I’m the one who dragged you down… It’s always been me dragging you down…” “That’s right, he didn’t have to die.” Felicity suddenly agreed. “So strange. I was the prettiest of all those kids at the orphanage, yet the family chose you.” She lowered her voice. “Do you know why the car that came to take you home had brake failure? That was the price for them abandoning me.” That year, a family came to the orphanage to adopt. They had originally chosen Felicity. But just as they were leaving, the mother noticed me in the corner and changed her mind at the last minute. On the return trip, the brakes failed. The car crashed into a fuel tanker and burst into flames. Marcus and I climbed out the window, but our parents were burned alive inside. It turned out… it was never an accident! My hands trembled. Hatred gnawed at my nerves. I wanted nothing more than to drag her down to hell with me right then! I forwarded the video to my own phone and slapped her hard across the face. “Felicity, I will make you pay.”

Vivian’s POV I was about to step out of the villa when a cold voice suddenly came from behind. “Stop.” I turned around to see Frederick with his arm around Felicity, his fingers gently stroking her cheek, though his gaze fell coldly on me. No need to guess-Felicity must have complained to him. I straightened my spine. “What, here to get even for her? Will you slap me, or make me kneel?” “About your brother, I’m very sorry.” Frederick stared at my pale face, a flash of complicated emotion in his eyes. “But don’t worry, I’ll personally hold a memorial service for him and let him be buried with dignity.” I laughed mockingly. What was this? A slap followed by candy, and everything’s supposed to be fine? Seeing my silence, Frederick seemed to lose patience, coldly dropping one line. “The internet is in an uproar over your brother’s case right now. Don’t go out alone. Tomorrow morning, I’ll take you and Felicity to the memorial together.” I believed him. But the next day, I waited from eight in the morning until eleven-and never saw a trace of Frederick! In the end, I had to take a taxi there myself. When I arrived, I discovered the memorial hall was completely empty! This was his idea of a “dignified burial”? I smiled bitterly. I should have known better than to hold any expectations of him. The eulogy, the moment of silence, kowtowing… I completed every ritual alone. The urn was small, yet holding it felt unbearably heavy, crushing me until I couldn’t breathe. Just as the burial was about to begin, the sound of deafening fireworks suddenly erupted outside. Felicity pushed open the doors and announced loudly to a crowd of reporters, “This is Marcus’s memorial service. Everyone’s welcome to pay their respects!” My heart sank. Before I could react, I was surrounded by a swarm of reporters, countless cameras aimed at my face. “Miss Vivian, Marcus molested you. Why are you still attending his memorial?” “How long did he molest you? When did it start?” “Miss Vivian, don’t you hate Marcus? Or were you a willing participant?” My lips trembled. I couldn’t get a single word out. Marcus was already dead… How could I let him bear such slander even after death? “Enough!” I shouted, cutting them off. I pushed through the reporters and grabbed Felicity by the arm. “My brother never molested me! He was innocent! Felicity Ashton forced me to sign that complaint. Everything was her doing!!” Before I could finish, the belatedly arriving Frederick kicked me in the chest, violently cutting me off. “Gentlemen, today’s events have nothing to do with my sister.” He swept a cold glance across the reporters. “As for the rest, do as you please.” I slammed heavily into the coffin, the urn hitting the ground, ashes scattering everywhere! I screamed hoarsely, ignoring the sharp pain in my chest, desperately trying to gather those ashes. But the reporters paid no attention. Their feet trampled through the ashes, crushing them without care. “Mr. Ashton truly dotes on his sister!” “Having a brother like that must be wonderful! Now look at Marcus-a good person on the surface, but molesting his own sister behind closed doors. Absolute scum!” “Vivian, you have a husband like Mr. Ashton and you don’t cherish him. Instead you have an affair with your brother behind his back. Absolutely shameless!” Their words were like knives, carving into my heart one by one. I looked up at Frederick, only to see him holding Felicity tenderly, asking in a low voice if she was hurt. He was indeed a good brother. But he didn’t deserve to be my husband. Blood dripped onto the ground, mixing with the ashes. I finally couldn’t hold on. My vision went black and I passed out. Before losing consciousness, I seemed to hear Frederick’s panicked roar. “Get away! If anything happens to my wife, none of you will escape!” Was he… actually worried about me?

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In my past life, my name was Alice. I donated 10 million dollars and supported 101 children. But when I died of stomach cancer at 37, not a single one of those 101 children came to visit me. In this life, the first thing I did when I woke up was throw that sponsorship list into the trash. With the money I had prepared to donate, I bought ten houses in one go before property prices went up. Soon, I saw familiar faces on the screen. Those boys and girls I had sponsored were wiping away tears during media interviews: “Miss Alice promised she would support me through college, but now she’s disappeared. I heard she bought 10 houses.” “Now, we can only drop out and find work.” “I don’t hate her, I just feel hurt inside…” “We just want to ask one question: Miss Alice, we’ve always thought of you as our mother. Are you really this heartless?” I turned off the TV with an expressionless face. The moment I opened my phone, countless messages came flooding in. First text: “Ms. Alice, I’m a reporter from City Hotline. Why did you suddenly stop supporting those 101 underprivileged students? Would you be available for an interview?” Second text: “It’s Leah! Why aren’t you answering your phone? You said you’d support me through college!” Third text: “Ms. Alice, as a well-known philanthropist, you suddenly acquired ten properties but let these children drop out to work. Can you live with your conscience?” Fourth, fifth, sixth… My phone kept buzzing non-stop like it was exploding. At the same time, chaotic footsteps sounded outside my door. From the noise, there had to be at least dozens of people gathered at my doorstep. Through the door, those voices couldn’t wait to drill their way in— “Ms. Alice! Come out and say something!” “Why did you stop the support?” “The children are all kneeling at the TV station entrance. Do you know that?” I closed my eyes. In my past life, I was a selfless, altruistic good person. My husband Andrew and I owned a building materials store. We worked from dawn to dusk, carefully budgeting every expense. The money we earned—very little went to our own household, most of it was donated. Over ten years, we donated more than 10 million dollars and supported 101 children in our region. Many of them we had sponsored since elementary school. I promised them they could study without worry, that I would support them through college. They wrote letters saying they would definitely repay us properly in the future. We kept every single letter, taking them out to read when we couldn’t sleep at night. Every time we read them, we’d be moved to tears. Andrew and I had no children. We didn’t expect the kids to repay us—we just hoped they wouldn’t let poverty limit their futures. Later, Andrew died. During a delivery, his truck overturned. He left behind one sentence—”make sure to take good care of the children”—and was gone. I cried my heart out, and before I could recover, I was diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer. During that year-plus in the hospital, I lay in my bed waiting for those children to come visit me. Not a single one came. I thought they were busy, that their studies were demanding, that travel expenses were high. I didn’t blame them. Later, when my medical funds ran out, I had no choice but to stop the support payments. That’s when the phone started ringing. “Alice, why hasn’t this month’s living allowance arrived yet?” “Alice, you said you’d support me through college. I’m only a freshman in high school and you’re stopping? Aren’t you screwing me over?” “Ms. Alice, I’m John’s parent. You made a promise back then. Now you just stop without warning? What about our child?” The last call came from a girl named Martha. When I was initially selecting children to sponsor, she had knelt before me, tears streaming down her face, calling me “Mom.” On the phone, she said: “Alice, how long will your treatment take? When you’re better, hurry up and get back to work. So many of us kids are waiting for you.” I hung up and burned all the letters I’d kept under my pillow. Later, a reporter exposed my situation and went to interview those children. Reporter: “Alice is very sick. Won’t you go see her?” One child said: “She promised to support me through college. Now she’s lying in a hospital with no money left. What could I do if I went?” Another child said: “She’s so rich, it’s just treating an illness. Besides, our tuition is nothing, right?” Martha smiled innocently at the camera: “Everyone does things with ulterior motives. What she’s after—I won’t say it, but you can probably guess, right?” I turned off the TV. With my remaining money insufficient for treatment, I was discharged and went home to lie in the bed Andrew had slept in, enduring one day after another. The night I died was New Year’s Eve. Outside my window, everything was lively and festive. I stared at the ceiling and said: “If I could do it all over again—” “I would love myself first.” God blessed me. I was truly reborn.

I was reborn at age 33, when Andrew was still alive and our family was still relatively well-off. Defying fate isn’t easy. That afternoon, I almost couldn’t make it out of my apartment complex. A dark mass of people knelt below my building. About a hundred children in school uniforms, holding banners. “Alice, we need you.” “Alice, don’t abandon us.” Kneeling at the very front was Martha. She held a megaphone, crying out tearfully: “Alice, you said you’d support me through college. Have you forgotten?” Beside them stood countless reporters, all their cameras aimed at the window of my apartment. The moment I stepped out of my building, I heard a crying shout— “Alice!” Martha crawled forward on her knees several steps, then threw herself at me, wrapping her arms around my legs. “Alice, please don’t abandon us! You said we were your children! You said you’d support us forever!” Her tears smeared across my pants, ice-cold. Behind her, those 100 children all started crying in unison. The sound was deafening. Security guards tried to intervene but were blocked by reporters. All around me, cameras and phone lenses everywhere. Some were livestreaming, some were wiping away tears, and others whispered: “So pitiful. How can this woman be so heartless?” I looked down at Martha. This face was exactly the same as in my past life. In my past life, she also knelt before me like this, crying, saying she would take care of me in my old age. Then when I was dying, she told the camera: “Everyone does things with ulterior motives.” I reached out and peeled her fingers off my pants one by one. “Alice!” She clung desperately. I peeled off the last finger. I crouched down, looking straight into her eyes. “Martha, how old are you now?” She paused: “Seventeen.” “Seventeen.” I nodded. “That’s not young anymore.” I paused, then said word by word: “Everyone does things with ulterior motives. What you’re after now—you don’t have to say it. I can guess.” Her face froze. I stood up, walked around Martha, and moved forward. Behind me, Martha suddenly burst into loud sobs: “Alice! You can’t do this! You promised us! You can’t go back on your word!” Those children all cried along with her, even louder than before. Someone started chanting: “Alice, come back! Alice, come back!” Phone cameras followed me, comments flooding in. “What kind of person is this? So many children kneeling and she won’t even look back?” “Too cold-blooded. I used to like her posts!” “Ten houses and she won’t donate even one. I knew her charity was fake all along!” “Alice, can you sleep at night?” Reporters’ cameras were practically in my face, mouths opening and closing, all asking why I stopped the support. Seeing no way to avoid them, I simply stopped and greeted the reporters openly. “Yes, I’ve decided to stop the sponsorships.” “As for the reason, it’s my private matter. I won’t discuss it here.” “But I believe there are more good people in this world than bad. Like all of you—you could easily take over supporting these children.” “You’re all so kind. I believe that even without me, these children will definitely be able to complete their education successfully, right?” I smiled as I looked at these seemingly kind and righteous people. Seeing me redirect the conversation, the reporters immediately fell silent, no longer daring to press me with questions. I seized the opportunity to push through the reporters and quickly made my way to the complex entrance. A car was parked by the roadside. The window rolled down—it was Andrew.

He looked at me, eyes red. “Alice, I saw everything.” His voice was choked. “Those children… they’re so pitiful. Haven’t we always been supporting them? Why did we suddenly…” I opened the car door and got in. Andrew turned his head: “Didn’t we say before that we don’t expect them to repay us, we just hope they’ll be well…” “I changed the bank card password,” I said. He froze. “What?” “Those two bank cards at home—I changed the passwords.” I looked straight ahead. “If you want to withdraw money, you have to ask me.” “Alice, you—” I sighed: “Andrew, I had a very realistic dream. So realistic that I believe it will definitely happen.” “In the dream, you died, and I got cancer. I lay in the hospital for over a year, and not one of those 101 children came to see me. When I stopped the support payments, they called to pressure me, telling me to hurry up and get better so I could go out and earn money. They even said on TV that I had ulterior motives. In the end, I died alone at home on New Year’s Eve. All by myself.” He was stunned. “Andrew,” I said wearily, “in this life, let’s love ourselves first.” He stared at me with his mouth open, looking confused, unable to speak for a long time. Outside the window, a huge advertising screen was playing the news— “Well-known philanthropist Alice abandons 101 underprivileged children. Children kneel in the street begging her to come back…” Many people on the street were looking up at the news. Someone shouted: “Alice, may you die a terrible death!” Immediately, a chorus of voices echoed the sentiment. I let out a cold laugh. The online harassment spread like wildfire. For several days straight, downstairs was packed with people. “Alice! Get out here!” “Bastard!” “What kind of philanthropist? Just a fraud!” Someone threw eggs at my window, the yolk dripping down the glass. Someone spray-painted my door with red paint: “Fake charity worker, real vampire.” Others held up banners: “Punish this unscrupulous businesswoman, give the children justice!” I looked down through a crack in the curtains and saw Martha still standing at the front of the crowd, tears streaming down her face as she gave interviews. “We never wanted her to give us a lot of money. We just want to know why she suddenly doesn’t want us anymore.” Next to her, a boy cried heartbreakingly: “She bought ten houses but makes us drop out to work! My sister is only in middle school, and she has to work in a factory now!” The crowd exploded. “Call the police! Arrest her!” “People like this should be socially destroyed!” “Smash up her house!” Without warning, a fairly large rock smashed through my window, glass shards nearly hitting my eyes. Andrew stood in front of me, his face pale: “Alice, let’s call the police.” I shook my head. What good would calling the police do? They were just a group of “poor,” “helpless,” “betrayed” children. The next day, things got worse. Someone posted my home address online, along with the location of Andrew’s building materials store. By the time I got there, I heard someone in the crowd shout: “Smash it!” Before the words had faded, a baseball bat had already shattered the glass door. The crowd surged in like a tide. Shelves toppled, tiles broke, the cash register was flipped over. Someone even set fire to the advertising sign at the entrance, black smoke billowing. Honest Andrew rushed in with red eyes trying to stop them, but was pushed to the ground. People spat on him, kicked him with their feet. In that moment, blood rushed to my head. But I didn’t rush forward. Instead, I took a step back, retreating to the edge of the crowd, and opened a livestream on my phone.

I aimed the camera at the fire, at the scene of the store being destroyed, at Andrew being trampled underfoot. The comments scrolled frantically: “What’s happening here?” “This is violence, right?” “Has anyone called the police?” “It’s that Alice woman’s store!” “Beat her good! Make this fake do-gooder lose everything!” I stared at the screen, my voice calm with a slight tremor: “Hello everyone, I’m Alice. What you’re seeing now is my husband being attacked.” “For three days, my front door has been vandalized, my store has been besieged, my husband has been trampled on the ground. And all of this is because I stopped supporting 101 children.” “So far, I’ve supported them for three years, totaling about 2 million dollars, with transfer records for every transaction.” “As for why I suddenly stopped the support, I didn’t want to say this—” I pulled out several pieces of paper from my pocket and unfolded them in front of the camera. It was a medical examination report. Dated five days ago. In the diagnosis section, in black and white: Malignant stomach tumor, mid-stage. In my past life, by the time I learned I had stomach cancer, it was already late-stage. After being reborn, the first thing I did was go to the hospital for a checkup. “I stopped the support because I also need money for treatment. I didn’t want to make this public to avoid worrying everyone. But now, I have no choice but to tell you.” “I also want to continue supporting the children’s education and living expenses, but my body won’t allow it. My husband’s health isn’t good either. Our treatment costs will be a significant, perhaps ongoing expense.” By the end, I was crying openly. The comments went crazy: “Wait… stomach cancer?” “She didn’t say this before!” “If she’s sick, of course she needs money for treatment!” “Those people forced her to donate and pushed her to this?” “Wait, if she’s sick why didn’t she say so? If she had, who would criticize her?” “If she said something, wouldn’t she be accused of playing the victim?” “So for three days she’s been cyberbullied and never explained?” Seeing my goal achieved, I turned off the stream. In the distance, police sirens grew closer, and the situation was finally brought under control. Police began registering identities and taking away the ringleaders. I helped Andrew back home. He was amazed to discover that the children who had been coming every day to make a scene had vanished. Only reporters remained, staking out the area. When they saw us, instead of the previous hostility, they showed concern and sympathy: “Ms. Alice, when did you first learn about your stomach problems?” “Ms. Alice, how are you feeling now? What are your plans for treatment?” Andrew’s mouth hung open in shock. Back home, he hugged me tightly. “Alice, when did you get a checkup? Why didn’t you tell me?” “I didn’t want you to worry.” I patted his back. “It’s okay. It’s not late-stage. It can be treated.” When I opened my phone again to check the related news, just as I expected, the online opinion that had been one-sidedly criticizing me had reversed. A senior commentator even wrote an in-depth article specifically about this, stating: “Donating is a favor, not donating is within one’s rights.” “Is this really an unscrupulous businesswoman faking charity, or ungrateful children engaging in donation extortion!?” “Let us wait and see. Waiting for the reversal.”

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The day Payton threw a check in my face, I had just found out I was six weeks pregnant. He sneered at me, his arm wrapped around his sweetheart. “Don’t try to manipulate me with some bastard child.” I smiled and said okay. He didn’t know the child was Dr. Julian’s, the man he looked down on the most. He also didn’t know that the divorce agreement he’d just signed didn’t include a settlement fee, but evidence that would destroy his reputation. Now he’s on his knees in the rain, begging me to come back. I touched my belly and looked at my husband beside me. “Honey, who is this guy?” Senna POV At the end of the private hospital corridor, the wind cut through me like ice. I had just tucked the ultrasound report marked “intrauterine early pregnancy” into my bag when I looked up and met a pair of cold, dark eyes. Payton. A man of overwhelming power and influence. Also the man who had kept me for seven years. Standing beside him was Vivian Shaw. The woman he could never forget. The woman whose return from abroad meant I-the “replacement”-had to pack up and leave immediately. Vivian wore an haute couture snow-white coat. The crocodile leather bag in her hand was worth more than all the “selling price” I’d collected over the past seven years. She leaned against Payton’s side like a delicate vine that needed careful tending. “Senna?” Vivian spoke first, her voice timid, though her eyes concealed daggers. “What a coincidence! Why are you at the OB-GYN? Are you not feeling well?” Payton said nothing. He held an unlit cigarette between his fingers, his narrow eyes slightly narrowed as his gaze swept over my hand instinctively protecting my abdomen like an X-ray. I knew that look too well. Scrutiny, amusement, and condescending contempt from someone high above. “Hand it over.” Payton extended his hand, his voice cold. I gripped my bag strap tightly, trying to keep my voice steady. “Mr. Barrett, that’s my privacy.” “Privacy?” Payton let out a scornful laugh and stepped closer. The oppressive presence of someone used to power instantly enveloped me, making it hard to breathe. “Senna, after being with me for seven years, when have you ever had privacy? Has that ten million dollar settlement made you forget what you really are?” He had no patience and gave a look to the bodyguard behind him. The bodyguard immediately stepped forward and, ignoring my struggle, forcibly grabbed my bag and dumped all the documents inside onto the floor. The ultrasound report fluttered down beside Payton’s polished shoes. He bent down to pick it up. “Six weeks pregnant.” When Payton read those words, his tone was terrifyingly calm, but I saw his fingertips turn white as he gripped the paper. “This timing…” Vivian covered her mouth, looking at Payton with feigned surprise. “Payton, it’s only been three months since Senna left you. This child, could it possibly be yours?” She paused, her eyes immediately reddening, looking like she’d suffered a terrible grievance but was forcing herself to be magnanimous. “If it’s yours, then let’s bring Miss Senna back. After all, it’s a life. I don’t mind…” “Who said I’m taking her back?” Payton coldly interrupted her, his dark eyes fixed deadly on me, with incomprehensible violence churning in their depths. “Senna, you’ve got some nerve.” He threw the report in my face. The sharp edge of the paper sliced across my cheek, stinging painfully. “What did I tell you when we broke up? Take the money, get lost, and don’t get any ideas you shouldn’t have. You think you can force my hand with some bastard child? Look at yourself-do you even deserve it!” Bastard child. Those words were like two nails driven hard into my eardrums. Five years ago, I’d been pregnant once before. Back then, I was so happy and wanted to tell him. What I got in return was his cold “get rid of it.” That’s when I understood-a replacement didn’t deserve to have a child. But I wasn’t the timid Senna from five years ago anymore. I bent down to pick up the report, dusted it off, and raised my eyes to meet his chilling gaze. “Mr. Barrett, you’ve misunderstood.” I curved my lips slightly. “This child has absolutely nothing to do with you.” “It’s my husband’s.”

Senna POV Hearing the word “husband,” a crack finally appeared in Payton’s perpetually icy expression. But he quickly recovered that nauseating arrogance. “Husband?” Payton acted like he’d heard the joke of the year. His tongue pressed against his palate as he let out an extremely contemptuous snort. “Senna, you’ve only been away from me for three months and you’re already this desperate to sell yourself? Who’s blind enough to marry you? Or is this another pathetic lie you’ve made up to raise your value?” In his eyes, I was probably always that gold-digger who would do anything for money, who couldn’t survive without him. “That’s none of Mr. Barrett’s concern.” I didn’t want to keep tangling with him and turned to leave. “Stop.” Payton grabbed my wrist, his grip so strong it felt like he might crush my bones. He yanked me back hard, pressing me against the cold wall, his breath carrying a faint smell of tobacco and biting cold. “Six weeks.” He ground his teeth as he counted the days. “That would be the week before we broke up. I was on a business trip that week, and the night I got back… do you want me to help you remember how many times we did it?” “I don’t believe it’s such a coincidence that you could get pregnant with someone else’s child right after.” I endured the severe pain in my wrist, took a deep breath, and met his sinister gaze. “After that night, I took pills.” Payton’s pupils contracted sharply. “Double dosage. Within 24 hours afterward.” I looked into his eyes, enunciating each word. “Because I knew Mr. Barrett hates trouble most of all, and hates illegitimate children even more. How would I dare leave you with that kind of leverage?” “This child was conceived after I left you, with my current husband. We’re very much in love, and our family planning has gone smoothly.” Payton’s expression visibly darkened, black as the sea before a storm. Seeing this, Vivian immediately came over and tugged at Payton’s sleeve, softly persuading him. “Payton, there are too many people here… Since Miss Senna has said this, maybe it’s true? She has a new life now. We should bless her…” “Bless her?” Payton laughed coldly and shook off Vivian’s hand, his gaze still locked deadly on me. “In this circle, who doesn’t know that Senna is Payton Barrett’s castoff? Who would dare marry her? Senna, do you think I’m dead?” He pulled out his phone and directly called his assistant Jake. “Contact the best paternity testing center. Clear it out in half an hour. I want a paternity test.” After hanging up, he looked down at me like a judge pronouncing a death sentence. “Want to prove your innocence? Then let the evidence speak. If the child isn’t mine, I’ll give you another ten million. Roll away to wherever you want. But if it is…” He paused, his eyes becoming extremely dangerous. “Senna, I’ll make you understand the consequences of deceiving me. The child gets aborted, and that so-called ‘husband’ of yours-I’ll make him disappear from this city completely.” I looked at this man I had loved for seven years, and the last bit of warmth remaining in my heart turned completely cold. “Fine.” I agreed readily. “But Mr. Barrett, I hope you keep your word. If it’s proven the child isn’t yours, please never, ever appear in front of me again.” The moment I finished speaking, a clear, gentle yet firm voice suddenly cut through the tense atmosphere. “No need to wait. You can leave right now.” A warm, broad palm wrapped around my shoulder, rescuing me from Payton’s oppression and protecting me behind him. I looked up to see Julian wearing a white coat with a stethoscope hanging from his chest, looking directly at Payton. “Mr. Barrett, threatening a pregnant woman-is this your idea of manners?”

Senna POV Payton clearly hadn’t expected an actual “husband” to appear. He squinted and sized up Julian from head to toe. Julian was extremely handsome-clean and gentle-looking, completely different from Payton’s sharp, aggressive appearance. Standing there, he was like a pool of water that could embrace everything. “A doctor?” Payton glanced at the name on Julian’s ID badge. “Julian? This is the man you found? Doesn’t look like much. Does his monthly salary even cover one of your bags?” This kind of humiliation came easily to Payton. But Julian wasn’t provoked. He just held my trembling hand tightly, his palm’s warmth flowing steadily. “I certainly don’t earn as much as Mr. Barrett.” Julian smiled faintly, his tone neither servile nor overbearing. “But every penny I earn is clean, and I give it all to Senna. Most importantly, I know how to respect people.” “Respect?” Payton acted like he’d heard a joke, his eyes sweeping over me with contempt. “Ask her. During those seven years with me, did she want respect or money?” I felt Julian’s grip on my hand tighten. “What Senna wanted is in the past.” Julian turned sideways, blocking Payton’s view. “Now, she’s my wife and the mother of my child. Since Mr. Barrett wants a test, then let’s test. We’re not afraid.” The testing center. The atmosphere was oppressively suffocating. Vivian sat on the sofa in the waiting area, holding a cup of hot coffee, her eyes darting back and forth between Julian and me. “Dr. Julian is truly magnanimous.” She took a sip of coffee and sighed as if casually. “Miss Senna made quite a name for herself at the Nightfall club. After being with Payton for so many years… most men would find it hard to accept, wouldn’t they?” She was exposing my past. Years ago, to pay off debts, I had indeed worked as a server at a club. That’s where I met Payton. I felt Julian’s body stiffen slightly. Just as I was about to argue, Julian took the cold water cup from my hand and replaced it with his thermos. “Everyone has a past.” Julian didn’t even give Vivian a glance, just lowered his head to unscrew the cap for me. “Before she met me, that was her suffering. After she met me, I only regret I didn’t appear earlier to protect her.” Vivian’s smile froze on her face like a clown who’d swallowed a fly. And in the distance, Payton was playing with an expensive lighter, his expression so dark it seemed ready to drip water. He stared at Julian fixing my hair and feeding me water, the violence in his eyes growing heavier. Three hours. These were probably the longest three hours of Payton’s life. When the testing center door opened and the doctor walked out with the report, Payton almost instantly crushed his cigarette and strode over. He snatched the report, so roughly he tore the corner. I sat in my chair without moving. Julian held my hand, completely steady. Payton stared deadly at the last line of the report. In that moment, I saw his tall frame sway violently. Payton, who made decisive decisions in the business world, now showed an expression resembling “bewildered helplessness.” “How is this possible…” He muttered to himself, his fingers trembling uncontrollably. Vivian leaned over to look and exclaimed. “Paternity excluded? It really isn’t Payton’s?” She turned to look at me, her expression somewhat embarrassed. “Looks like we misunderstood Miss Senna…” Payton suddenly raised his head. Those eyes that were usually full of arrogance were now bloodshot, churning with shock, doubt, and a barely perceptible… panic. “Impossible.” He bit out through clenched teeth, his voice hoarse. “Senna, you bribed the doctor?” “Mr. Barrett.” I stood up and looked at him coldly. “You chose this testing center. It was cleared out just half an hour ago. Do I have the supernatural ability to fake results right under your nose?” “The fact is, this child has nothing to do with you. He’s Julian’s.” I pulled out a bank card from my bag-the “ten million” he’d just mentioned, and the one he’d thrown at me like alms to a beggar on the day we broke up. I walked up to him and gently placed the card on the nearby table. “Here’s your money back. Payton, we’re even.” Walking out of the testing center, the sunlight outside stung my eyes. Payton didn’t chase after me. But I knew he was still inside, staring at that report and losing his mind. Someone as proud and arrogant as him-how could he accept that something he was so certain about had gone wrong? How could he accept that the plaything who, in his view, couldn’t survive without him, had actually started a new life so decisively? “Tired?” Julian opened the car door and protected my head as I got in. “A little.” I leaned back against the seat and let out a long breath. Julian started the car. He didn’t ask about what had just happened, just played a soothing cello piece. “Senna.” After driving for a while, he suddenly spoke. “Mm?” “No matter what he says, don’t take it to heart.” Julian looked straight ahead, his fingers on the steering wheel slender and strong. “You’re wonderful and deserve to be treated well. That child… if he’s a burden to you, we can also…” “No.” I instinctively protected my abdomen and turned to look at him seriously. “Julian, I’m really looking forward to this child. He’s our family.” Julian glanced at me, gentle affection rippling in his eyes. “Alright, then we’ll take good care of him.”

Payton POV Meanwhile, at the testing center. I kicked over the coffee table in front of me. The sound of shattering glass made Vivian scream and shrink into the corner, not daring to speak. “Get out!” I roared. Vivian’s face went deathly pale. She grabbed her bag and fled in panic. In the huge room, only I remained, surrounded by wreckage. I still clutched that report in my hand. “Paternity excluded…” Every word mocked my presumption. I suddenly remembered that night three months ago. Vivian had returned from abroad that day. To welcome her back, I kicked Senna out. What was Senna doing then? She’d been busy in the kitchen all afternoon, making a table full of my favorite dishes. Because it was her birthday. But what did I say when I got home? I said, “Take the money and get lost.” Senna didn’t cry or make a scene. She didn’t even ask “why.” She just quietly went to her room, packed her things, and disappeared into that snowy, windy night. I always thought Senna was pretending. I thought that after a few days, she would come back crying like before, begging me to forgive her, begging me to let her return. After all, she loved me so much-loved me to the point of having no dignity. But now, the report told me that not only had she left, but on that very night, she’d completely severed all possibilities between us. She took pills. Double dosage. How much did she not want to be pregnant with my child? “Mr. Barrett.” Jake pushed the door open timidly. “I just… just checked. That night after Miss Senna left the villa, she did encounter Julian. Julian had just gotten off his night shift and his car had broken down on the roadside. They… should have met then.” “And then?” I was going insane. “Then… a month later, they went to city hall and got married.” I felt like someone had stabbed my heart and was twisting the knife violently. Married? That woman who was as docile as a cat by my side, who said she only wanted to stay with me for the rest of her life, had turned around and married someone else? “Buy that hospital.” I said. “That guy named Julian-I want to make it impossible for him to work.” Jake broke into a cold sweat. “Mr. Barrett, Julian is an expert in the medical field, and… he seems to be the youngest son of the Reed family. He’s just kept a low profile and never joined the family business…” The Reed family. Although not as powerful as the Barrett family, they definitely weren’t people to be trifled with. I suddenly closed my eyes and crumpled the report into a ball. An unprecedented sense of panic swept over me. I seemed to have… really lost Senna.

Senna POV The next two weeks were eerily calm. Payton didn’t appear again. Julian and I began preparing to move. Julian had applied for a transfer to support development in London for three years. The climate there was perfect for pregnancy and would allow me to completely escape the chaos here. The night before the move, Julian went to the hospital to hand over his work. I packed the last of our belongings alone at home. When I opened a drawer, my movements froze. Inside lay a fountain pen. A limited edition Montblanc, with two letters engraved on the cap. This was Payton’s, left here. In the past, when he was in a good mood, he would occasionally stay overnight at my small apartment. He’d used this pen to sign billion-dollar contracts, then casually tossed it aside. I’d treasured it like a precious object. What a pathetic creature I’d been. I laughed self-mockingly, picked up the pen, and threw it into the trash along with all the photos I’d secretly taken of him over the years and the movie ticket stubs I’d saved. The doorbell suddenly rang. Thinking Julian had forgotten his keys, I wiped my hands and went to answer it. “Why are you back so ear-” I opened the door to a wall of alcohol fumes. The man standing outside had his shirt collar wide open, his hair disheveled, his eyes full of bloodshot veins. His whole being radiated decadent madness. Payton. I instinctively tried to close the door. A large hand slammed against the door panel. “Senna.” He called my name, his voice hoarse and thick, with a pleading I’d never heard before. “My stomach hurts.” I froze. For seven years, whenever he complained of a stomachache, I’d drop whatever I was doing. I’d fetch his medicine and brew him honey lemon tea without a second thought. Even in the middle of the night, even when I was running a high fever. “Mr. Barrett has the wrong door.” I said coldly. “If you want tea, find Miss Shaw, or go to a hospital.” “I don’t want hers!” Payton acted like a petulant child, pushing the door open forcefully and squeezing inside. He staggered to the sofa and collapsed heavily, then closed his eyes and whimpered, “I want yours. Only yours works.” Watching this once untouchable man now acting like a mangy dog on my sofa, I felt only absurdity. “Payton, get up.” I walked over and tried to pull him. “This is my home. Please leave! I’m calling the police!” But Payton grabbed my wrist and yanked hard. I cried out and tumbled onto him. He immediately wrapped his arms around my waist and buried his head in my neck, his burning breath spraying on my skin. “Don’t go… Senna, don’t go…” He was trembling. “I know I was wrong.” Payton’s voice was muffled, with a hint of tears. “That paternity report is fake, isn’t it? You’re lying to me, right? There’s no way you could marry someone else… no way you could stop loving me…” “You love me. You love me so much…” He became incoherent, but his grip grew tighter and tighter, as if trying to meld me into his bones. “Let go! Payton, are you insane!” I struggled desperately. My nails scratched his neck, drawing blood. But he acted like he felt no pain. He suddenly flipped over, pinning me on the sofa, staring at me with unfocused yet obsessive eyes. “Abort the child.” He reached out to stroke my face, his tone gentle in a bone-chilling way. “Abort it, and we’ll pretend nothing happened. I’ll marry you, Senna. I’ll make Vivian leave. I’ll make you Mrs. Barrett, okay?” “I was wrong before. I shouldn’t have treated you as a replacement. I just realized now-I can’t live without you…” He moved to kiss me. Disgusting. Overwhelmingly disgusting. I used all my strength and slapped him hard across the face. The slap was crisp and loud, turning Payton’s face to the side. The air fell deathly silent. “Payton, you truly disgust me.” I pointed at the door, trembling, tears streaming down uncontrollably-not from sadness, but from rage and humiliation. “You think everyone covets that Mrs. Barrett position? Too late!!” Payton slowly turned his head. With half his face red and swollen, his eyes gradually became sinister and crazed. “Disgusting?” He laughed coldly-the roar of a cornered beast. “Senna, since you’re so ungrateful, don’t blame me for…” Just then, the door was kicked open. Before Payton could react, a white figure rushed over. Julian’s face was now covered with frost. He grabbed Payton by the collar and punched him hard in the corner of his mouth. “Don’t touch my wife!”

Senna POV Payton had never been hit like this in his life. Julian looked refined and scholarly, but when he fought, he was shockingly brutal. That punch landed squarely on Payton’s cheekbone, splitting his lip and sending blood dripping down his chin onto the beige carpet. “Ugh…” Payton grunted, the alcohol’s numbing effect dispersed somewhat by the intense pain. He struggled to fight back, but his alcohol-weakened body was limp and powerless. Julian pinned him firmly to the ground. “You dare talk about love?” Julian pressed one knee on Payton’s chest, gripping his tie. “Seven years. You treated her like a housekeeper, like a tool for your desires, like Vivian’s substitute. Now that she doesn’t want you, you come pretending to be deeply in love?” “Payton, you don’t love her. You’re just pathetic.” Every word whipped across Payton’s face like a lash. Payton gasped heavily, staring at Julian with sinister eyes, but his lips curved into a bloody smile. “What do you know… I’m Payton Barrett. She’s mine. As long as I want her, she can’t escape…” “Is that so?” Julian laughed coldly and pulled out his phone, taking a picture of Payton’s wretched face. “If this image of Mr. Barrett gets sent to the board of directors or financial media, I wonder how many points the Barrett family’s stock price will drop tomorrow?” Payton’s expression changed instantly. “You wouldn’t dare!” “You can try me.” Julian stood up and methodically straightened his somewhat disheveled cuffs, returning to his refined, elegant demeanor. “Just because I don’t rely on my family doesn’t mean I don’t have family backing. The Reed family may keep a low profile, but destroying one Payton Barrett who only knows how to throw drunken tantrums is well within our capabilities.” Payton’s pupils contracted sharply. “Get out.” Julian pointed at the door, his voice not loud but carrying undeniable authority. “Don’t make me throw you out.” Payton staggered to his feet. He glanced at me, huddled in the corner of the sofa with tear-stained cheeks but resolute eyes. “Senna…” He opened his mouth, his voice hoarse. “You’re just going to watch him treat me like this?” I looked at him coldly. “Mr. Barrett, attempted home invasion and assault. Julian acted in legitimate self-defense. If you still don’t leave, I don’t mind adding another charge.” The last glimmer of light in Payton’s eyes extinguished. He looked at me deeply, that gaze containing too many complex emotions-unwillingness, regret, anger, and a certain shattered despair. Finally, he said nothing. Covering his injured mouth, he staggered out the door. The moment the door closed, all the strength seemed to drain from my body. I collapsed on the sofa. Julian immediately came over and carefully held me in his arms, avoiding my abdomen. “It’s okay, Senna. It’s okay. I’m here.” His embrace was warm, carrying the reassuring scent of disinfectant and mint. I buried myself in his chest and finally let myself cry out loud. That night, we moved out immediately. Actually, there wasn’t much left. We left all the large furniture and only had two suitcases. Julian called a car, and we drove straight to the airport that night and flew to London. As the plane took off, I looked at the brightly lit city below, feeling only relief. Goodbye, Payton. Goodbye to those absurd, humbling seven years.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “366177”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #重生Reborn

I’m incredibly lazy. My husband Franklin has been keeping a mistress, and I know about it. But I can’t be bothered to deal with it. For ten years, the two of them have been lovey-dovey while I’ve been lying flat at home doing absolutely nothing. The amazing thing is, these two are incredibly capable. They actually took my failing little company and made it go public. I was planning to keep being lazy, but today they came to talk to me. Franklin slid a divorce agreement across the table. “I’ll give you ten million. Let’s get divorced.” I looked at the company now worth over a hundred million and laughed. “I may be lazy, but I’m not stupid.” The air conditioning in the café was blasting. Sitting across from me were Franklin and his mistress of ten years, Lisa. The two sat intimately close, wearing perfectly tailored designer clothes with matching couple’s watches on their wrists. Meanwhile, I wore a loose cotton dress and flat shoes, looking like a housewife who had wandered into a high-level business negotiation by mistake. Franklin pushed a document toward me. Next to it lay a check for ten million dollars. “Ivanka, let’s talk.” Franklin’s voice was calm, carrying that particular condescension of someone in power. “These past ten years, you haven’t managed anything. The company’s success today is entirely due to the hard work Lisa and I put in.” He paused, as if giving me time to process this. “There’s been no love between us for a long time. Dragging this out benefits no one.” Lisa chimed in at the perfect moment with a gentle, slightly apologetic smile. “Ivanka, Franklin is only thinking of your best interests. With this money, you can live comfortably for the rest of your life without worrying about anything.” Her tone was sincere, as if she truly had my welfare at heart. Ten years. Ever since I handed that half-dead company over to Franklin, I’d been living like I was retired. I knew he was having an affair with his assistant Lisa, but I couldn’t be bothered to call them out. As long as they ran the company well and money kept appearing in my account, I didn’t care how many mistresses he had on the side. My best friend Elena said I was stupid. I just smiled. I didn’t touch the divorce agreement or look at the check. My fingers leisurely stirred the coffee in front of me. The porcelain spoon clinked against the cup, making a crisp sound. Once. Then again. In the quiet of the private room, it rang out especially clear. Franklin’s brow furrowed slightly. My calm reaction displeased him. In his script, I should have been crying, shocked, or greedily haggling for more. Not sitting here so composed, as if listening to a story that had nothing to do with me. “Ten million, and I leave with nothing.” I softly repeated the terms, as if savoring the words. “Franklin, after ten years running a publicly traded company, is your vision really this small?” Franklin’s expression darkened. “Ivanka, people shouldn’t be too greedy. Have you contributed even one ounce of effort to this company? You don’t even know which office building it’s in, do you?” Lisa immediately jumped in, her tone laced with contempt. “Ivanka, this company is worth over a hundred million, but that’s all from Franklin’s and my blood, sweat, and tears. Giving you ten million is already extremely generous.” I finally stopped stirring my coffee. I looked up at them. Then I laughed. Not a cold laugh or a mocking laugh, but genuine laughter from finding something truly amusing. “Have you two gotten something confused?” My voice wasn’t loud, but it made both of them freeze simultaneously. “This company—from its inception, I’m the legal representative. One hundred percent of the shares are in my name. You two are my authorized agent and a senior employee of the company.” I watched their expressions gradually change, my smile deepening. “When did I ever say my company became your company?” Franklin’s face flushed red. “Ivanka, without us, it would just be an empty shell!” “So I should thank you.” I nodded. “As thanks, I’ve never shorted you on salary or bonuses. Lisa, your year-end bonus last year was over three hundred thousand. That’s what bought you that watch on your wrist, isn’t it?” Lisa’s face instantly went deathly pale. I stood up and grabbed my bag. “I won’t sign the divorce agreement, and I won’t give up a cent of my assets.” I looked down at them like they were a pair of clowns. “The company’s annual shareholders meeting is next month. When it happens, I’ll attend in my capacity as Chairman of the Board.” “I’d like to see how you plan to spend a single dollar of the company’s money without my authorization.” I turned and left, leaving behind two people with ashen faces. Walking out of the café, the sunlight was blinding. The smile vanished from my face instantly, replaced by icy coldness. I got in my car and made a phone call. “Attorney Jamal, it’s me.” A steady male voice came through the line. “Ivanka, are you ready?” “Yes.” I looked in the rearview mirror at the two figures chasing out of the café, my eyes cold as ice. “They’ve shown their hand. We can begin our plan.” The pigs I’d been fattening for ten years—it was time for slaughter.

My attorney, Jamal, was a top expert in the field. Ten years ago, when I decided to become a hands-off boss, I sought him out. At the time, I had just inherited the company my father left behind. The company wasn’t large, but due to mismanagement, it was drowning in debt and on the verge of bankruptcy. My father’s dying wish was for me to save the company. But I was naturally lazy and had no clue about business management. Back then, Franklin was a dirt-poor nobody with overwhelming ambition. He pursued me obsessively and catered to my every whim. I saw the hunger in his eyes. I needed someone who could do the work. He needed a platform to climb the ladder. We hit it off immediately. Before we got married, I brought Franklin to meet Attorney Jamal. Jamal drafted a prenuptial agreement and a company management authorization agreement that could only be described as harsh. The agreement stated clearly: I owned the company, Franklin only had management rights. As my husband and agent, he could exercise management duties on my behalf, but all major decisions and equity changes required my personal signature. His annual salary and bonuses were spelled out in black and white. At the time, Franklin was dazzled by money and beautiful promises of the future. He signed without hesitation. He thought that once we were married, both me and my company would be his. He was too naive. I’ve never believed in love. I only believe in contracts written in black and white. These past ten years, I seemed completely uninvolved, but every financial statement, every board resolution—Jamal organized them all and sent them to me. Every transaction Franklin and Lisa made, I knew about. I knew they worked together to inflate performance numbers, win over shareholders, and hollow out my authority. I even knew they secretly used company funds to register several subsidiary companies under Lisa’s relatives’ names, attempting to transfer assets. I knew everything. The reason I didn’t act was because I was waiting. Waiting for them to make the pie as big as possible. Waiting for them to think they had victory in hand. Then I would take everything back, with interest. Now, the time had come. “Attorney Jamal, they tried to buy me out for ten million.” My tone on the phone was calm and matter-of-fact. Jamal chuckled lightly on the other end. “Sounds like they’ve completely forgotten who they actually are.” “They’ve forgotten. We’ll help them remember.” I said. “What do you need me to do, Ivanka?” “First step: send a lawyer’s letter. Notify the board and all shareholders that effective immediately, I’m revoking all authorization given to Franklin. All company seals—corporate, financial, and contract seals—are to be secured immediately pending handover.” “Second step: file for asset preservation. Freeze all bank accounts belonging to Franklin, Lisa, and their affiliated companies.” “Third step: notify the financial regulators. I’m reporting current CEO Franklin for embezzlement and illegal benefit transfers.” I issued my instructions clearly, one by one. Jamal recorded everything quickly on his end. “Understood. Ivanka, you still have that founding document, right?” “I do.” That was my final trump card. It was what my father left me—the company’s original charter with the highest legal authority. Buried in an inconspicuous additional clause, it stated: Company founder Ivanka possesses veto power over any company resolution. This clause is permanent, unalterable, and cannot be diluted. Franklin and his people always thought I only had that hundred percent equity stake. They didn’t know I also held this card that could flip the entire table. After hanging up, I drove home. To the villa Franklin and I had lived in for ten years. He probably wouldn’t come back tonight. Fine by me. I couldn’t be bothered dealing with him anyway. I walked into the dressing room and retrieved a sealed manila envelope from the safe in the deepest corner. I ran my fingers over the wax seal, my eyes clear and sharp. Dad, I haven’t failed you. I’ll protect what you left me. Anyone who tries to take it will pay the price. The next morning, Attorney Jamal worked with exceptional efficiency. The lawyer’s letters were delivered at maximum speed to every member of the board. Almost simultaneously, court summons and asset freeze orders were served to Franklin and Lisa. I could imagine the ghostly expressions on their faces when they saw those documents. My phone was blown up with calls. Company shareholders. Franklin. Lisa. I didn’t answer a single one. I changed clothes, put on light makeup, and drove to Elena’s art gallery. She was instructing a student in painting when she saw me and raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Well, well, the sun must be rising in the west. You, the ultimate lazy bum, actually got yourself out of the house?” I smiled and sat down on the sofa across from her. “I’m here to tell you some good news.” “What?” “I’m planning to go to work.” Elena’s paintbrush clattered to the floor. She stared at me with wide eyes, her face full of disbelief. “You? Go to work? Do you have a fever?” “No fever.” I picked up the lemon water on the table and took a sip. “Franklin and Lisa want to push me out.” Elena’s expression instantly darkened. She knew those two cheaters were up to no good. “How dare they?!” “They think because I’m lazy, I’m easy to bully.” I set down the glass and looked at her, my eyes filled with unprecedented determination. “So I’ve decided to stop being lazy.” “I’m going to take back my company and make them leave with absolutely nothing.”

Monday morning. Azure Sea Group. The boardroom. Around the long conference table sat the company’s directors and shareholders. Most of these people were confidants Franklin had promoted over the past ten years, or allies he’d bound to himself through mutual interests. At this moment, their expressions were grave as they whispered among themselves. At the head of the table sat Franklin, his face dark, his eyes bloodshot. Beside him, Lisa—serving as his special assistant—also looked haggard, having lost her usual polished competence. Everything that happened last Friday felt like a sudden tsunami to them. Lawyer’s letters. Asset freezes. Reports to regulators. Three strikes, and they were completely blindsided. Franklin couldn’t understand how the woman who had been lying at home for ten years, completely uninvolved with the company, could suddenly become so ruthlessly efficient, every move deadly. He especially couldn’t figure out how she knew about those affiliated companies. Those accounts had been cooked to perfection. “Franklin, what’s going on? Why is Ivanka suddenly revoking your authorization?” A shareholder couldn’t help but speak up, his tone anxious. With the company accounts frozen, several projects had ground to a halt. The stock price was also beginning to fluctuate abnormally. Franklin took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his irritation. “Everyone, don’t worry. This is just a small family dispute between her and me. It’ll be resolved soon.” He tried to reassure them. “A family dispute?” An older director laughed coldly. “A family dispute that needs to be reported to regulatory agencies? Franklin, you’d better give us a reasonable explanation!” This was an old company employee, someone from my father’s generation. Over the past ten years, Franklin had marginalized him until he had no real power left. Seeing this, Lisa quickly said in a soft voice, “Johnson, please don’t be upset. This really is a misunderstanding. Ivanka… she might just be temporarily upset.” “Temporarily upset?” Johnson looked at her. “I think you two have been harboring improper ambitions for far too long!” The boardroom instantly erupted. At that moment, the heavy double doors of the conference room were pushed open from outside. I walked in wearing a sharp white suit, seven-centimeter heels clicking, accompanied by Attorney Jamal in his black suit. Every pair of eyes instantly focused on me. Shock. Confusion. Scrutiny. Hostility. I ignored all those looks and walked straight toward the head of the table. Franklin sat there, staring at me with eyes that seemed ready to spit fire. “Ivanka, what are you doing here?” I didn’t look at him. Instead, I looked at Lisa beside him. “Lisa, is that a seat you’re qualified to occupy?” I said flatly. Lisa’s face went white as a sheet. She stood up reflexively, looking at Franklin helplessly. I walked to the head seat and stopped, my gaze finally landing on Franklin’s face. “This seat isn’t for you either.” My voice wasn’t loud, but it landed like a hammer blow on everyone’s heart. Franklin’s fists clenched instantly, veins bulging on the backs of his hands. “Ivanka, don’t go too far!” “Too far?” I smiled. “Franklin, who gave you the nerve to spend my money, manage my employees, and then try to push me out?” I pulled out the chair and sat down gracefully. Attorney Jamal distributed a stack of documents to every director present. “Ladies and gentlemen, these are Azure Sea Group’s original founding charter and proof of Ivanka’s equity as the company’s sole founder.” “According to corporate law and the group charter, Ivanka possesses one hundred percent of Azure Sea Group’s equity and is the group’s sole legal controller.” Jamal’s voice was steady and authoritative. “Furthermore, according to additional clause three of the charter, founder Ivanka possesses veto power and has final decision-making authority over any group resolution.” Veto power! Those words brought instant silence to the boardroom. Everyone’s eyes widened, their faces written with disbelief. Franklin’s body swayed violently, as if all his strength had been drained. He knew I had majority shares, but he never knew I had this power. This meant that no matter how many shareholders he’d won over, no matter how many allies he had on the board, as long as I disagreed, no resolution could pass. I was this company’s absolute sovereign. I looked with satisfaction at Franklin’s ashen face. “Now, in my capacity as Chairman and sole shareholder of Azure Sea Group, I announce the first resolution.” My gaze swept across the room before settling on Franklin. “Franklin is hereby removed from all positions within Azure Sea Group, effective immediately.” “As of today, all his access privileges are frozen, and a third-party audit firm will conduct an exit audit.” “Until the audit results are available, Franklin may not leave the city.”

As my words fell, the boardroom became deathly silent. Franklin’s eyes instantly reddened, like a cornered beast. “Ivanka! What gives you the right?!” he roared, his voice twisted with rage. “The fact that this company is mine, not yours.” I leaned back in my chair, relaxed but authoritative. “You don’t have that authority! Removing a CEO requires a board vote!” One of Franklin’s loyalist directors stood up, his voice shrill. Attorney Jamal adjusted his glasses and spoke coldly. “According to the company charter, when the Chairman has sufficient reason to suspect the CEO is damaging company interests, she has the right to remove them first and seek board ratification afterward. Moreover, Ivanka possesses veto power. She herself is the board.” The director’s face turned red, unable to say another word. My gaze shifted to him as I tapped lightly on the table. “James, I recall you own a construction materials company that’s the main supplier for several of Azure Sea’s real estate projects?” James broke out in a cold sweat immediately. “I… that’s normal business cooperation…” “Is it?” I picked up a document and waved it in front of him. “In this procurement contract, your company’s pricing is twenty percent above market rate. The profit margin there is enough for you to buy a new car, isn’t it?” James’s legs gave out, and he collapsed into his chair. Around the boardroom, several other members of Franklin’s faction also showed panicked expressions. They hadn’t expected that I, the lazy one, actually knew the company’s inner workings inside and out. I was making an example of them. I wanted everyone to know exactly who called the shots at this company. “And you, Paul.” My gaze turned to another person. “The money for your son’s overseas education—Lisa helped arrange that, didn’t she? Using the company’s overseas accounts.” “You…” Paul’s face also turned deathly pale. Lisa stood to the side, trembling. The way she looked at me was full of fear. She had always thought I was a clueless waste who could be manipulated at will by her and Franklin. Only now did she understand—I wasn’t unaware. I was just waiting. Waiting for them to personally deliver all the evidence to me. Franklin watched as I called out his allies one by one, his expression changing from dark to deathly pale. He finally realized I wasn’t throwing a tantrum. I had come for a reckoning. “Ivanka, what exactly do you want?” His voice carried a tremor. “What do I want?” I smiled. “I want to take back what’s mine. That’s all.” I looked at Johnson, who had remained quiet. “Johnson, this company was my father’s life’s work, and yours too. Thank you for these ten years.” Johnson’s eyes reddened as he stood up emotionally. “Ivanka, you’re finally back!” “Yes, I’m back.” I nodded, then looked at everyone, my voice clear and firm. “Now, I announce the second resolution.” “Johnson will temporarily assume the position of Group CEO, responsible for daily operations. At the same time, a special audit team will be formed with Johnson as team leader to thoroughly investigate all company accounts from the past ten years.” “Everyone here, every single one of you—whoever has issues, come forward and explain clearly. Don’t wait for me to throw the evidence in your faces.” My gaze swept like a blade across every guilty director. “Let me be clear: this company doesn’t support freeloaders, and it certainly doesn’t support parasites.” “Now, those who agree with this resolution, raise your hands.” Johnson was the first to raise his hand. Then several neutral shareholders hesitated before raising theirs. Then the directors I’d called out raised their hands, trembling, faces ashen. They knew resistance was futile. I held their lifelines in my hands. Finally, only Franklin remained, sitting there rigidly. He looked at me, his eyes full of resentment, hatred, and a trace of fear. The business empire he’d spent ten years building, thinking it impregnable, had been effortlessly dismantled by me in just one hour. He had lost. Utterly and completely. I didn’t look at him again. I said to Johnson, “Johnson, arrange the handover immediately. Clean out Franklin’s office, and Lisa’s too.” “Yes, Ivanka.” Johnson’s voice was strong and clear. I stood up, preparing to leave. At the door, I stopped and looked back at the dejected Franklin. “Oh, one more thing I forgot to mention.” “The villa we’ve been living in—that’s also in my name. You have three days to move out.” “I’ll have the housekeeper pack your things. As for anything that doesn’t belong to you, don’t even think about taking it.”

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I’ve been married to George for five years, and we’ve maintained the habit of getting annual checkups. This year, feeling bad that I’d been working so hard for the family, he booked me a full-body examination worth three thousand dollars. But on the day of the checkup, just as I was about to leave, I got a call from him: “Betty says her breasts are bothering her again. I gave her your appointment slot. Just stay home and get dinner ready!” I froze mid-step. My stomach, empty all morning, churned violently, and my heart sank with disappointment. Betty was George’s childhood friend. Whatever she asked for, he would never refuse. I grabbed my bank card, planning to go to the hospital and book another checkup myself, but was told: “There’s no balance on this card. How can you make a reservation?” I stood there as if struck by lightning. Five years of savings—how could there be nothing left? I immediately called George, and he admitted it without hesitation. “Betty majored in finance. Having her manage the money is the best choice. What would a housewife like you know about it?” I gripped the bank card tightly. In that moment, my heart finally died. “What? Are you sure?!” I stood there clutching the bank card, anxious and confused, my brain completely shutting down. Seeing I didn’t believe her, the nurse swiped the card through the machine again, frowning impatiently: “There’s no money on this card. How am I supposed to charge you for the examination?” “Don’t you have a balance on your phone? Mobile payment works too…” The nurse gently reminded me, but all I had on my phone was the fifty-six dollars George had given me for groceries. Nothing else. Voices behind me in line grew impatient. Embarrassed and flushed, I apologized and hurried away with my card. Only when I stood outside the hospital did my emotions gradually settle. In our five years of marriage, George and I had agreed on how to handle our household savings—all income would be deposited into the card under my name. There was no way it could have zero balance! But where could my eighty thousand dollars in savings from five years have gone? Suddenly, a terrifying thought flashed through my mind. With trembling hands, I called George to demand answers. The moment he picked up, I heard George’s puzzled voice calmly admitting everything: “That’s right, I transferred the eighty thousand in savings to Betty’s name. She majored in finance and knows how to manage money—naturally better than a housewife like you.” I was so angry my voice shook, nearly losing control: “Twenty thousand of that was mine! Who gave you permission to transfer my money to her without asking me!” “You need to transfer my money back right now!” Hearing my near-hysterical voice, George sighed with exasperation, his tone growing sharp: “Is this little thing worth getting so worked up over? Betty’s not a stranger. Worst case, I’ll give it back to you later!” As we reached this impasse, Betty’s voice drifted over from a distance: “George, there are way too many tests! My arm is all bruised from the needles. It hurts so much!” George immediately softened his cold tone, speaking with careful tenderness: “That’s my fault. I was worried about your health, so I scheduled all these checkups. I’ll buy you a bag later to make up for it…” The two of them flirted shamelessly as if no one else existed. George’s mother, Ruth, joined in with playful banter: “If only Betty were my daughter-in-law! Maybe our family would finally have an heir!” I felt like an outsider, left to the side, listening to their family chat. All my anger dissolved into overwhelming grievance. Even before marriage, I knew George had a close friend. I’d been suspicious once, but George held me and coaxed me for a long time, swearing: “I only think of Betty as a sister. Don’t worry, I promise we’ll never cross any lines!” But those promises had now become evidence slapping me in the face. I was such a fool, believing George year after year. Betty seemed to deliberately move closer to the phone speaker, constantly acting cute and pitiful, clearly gloating despite getting everything she wanted. I couldn’t listen anymore. I hung up directly, tears gradually blurring my vision. I used my remaining fifty-six dollars to take a cab home, too exhausted to speak.

Every detail in the house was the result of George and me staying up late designing together. He’d once held my hand, kissed the corner of my lips, and smiled: “You’re the only mistress of this house. There will never be anyone else.” But less than two months later, Betty moved into our home under the excuse of a graduation internship, treating me like a servant to order around. “Christina, can you cut me some fruit? I’m allergic to mango though!” “Christina, where’s George’s bathrobe? It’s too cold after my shower. Can I borrow it?” “Christina, I’m scared of the dark by myself. Can I sleep with George tonight?” When Betty said that last line, she batted her eyes. She knew my opinion didn’t matter. Suppressing my dissatisfaction, I was about to warn Betty not to mess around when I saw George pull her into the bedroom. “Betty’s just a kid to me. You’re not going to be petty with a kid, are you?” This matter that had bothered me for so long ended up being dismissed as me being petty, and I got lectured by the whole family. The coffee table I loved sat in the center of the living room. Our wedding photos on the bookshelf now looked bitterly ironic. Lost in thought, the door suddenly burst open. Betty’s laughter reached my ears, followed by complaints. “Christina, you’re home alone and didn’t even make dinner?” Right. In five years of marriage, this was the first time I didn’t want to cook dinner. I didn’t respond. Standing for so long had made my lower back ache again. George stared at me like I was his enemy: “Christina, you’re so angry about the savings that you won’t even cook dinner?!” Ruth walked in from behind the door. She had severe OCD and couldn’t tolerate even a speck of dust. My chronic back pain had become this severe under her day-after-day nagging. Ruth raised her voice, her hand trembling with anger: “Christina, you didn’t mop the floor again today! Are you trying to make the whole family sick with germs!” “How did our family end up with such a daughter-in-law!” Then Ruth, as usual, started bringing up old grievances, criticizing me inside and out. I’d devoted myself wholeheartedly to serving this family, giving up my career and life, only to receive such differential treatment in return. I laughed bitterly. The last trace of hope in my heart vanished completely. “I’m not hungry, so why would I cook dinner for you? Don’t you have hands?” George’s face turned iron-blue, as if looking at a stranger, his brow furrowed tightly. I turned to look at Ruth, who was still cursing, and said calmly: “Since I’m so terrible, why don’t you have George marry Betty instead? She seems pretty willing.” The moment those words left my mouth, Betty’s eyes turned red, looking as if she’d been completely slandered, and she turned to leave. “So this is how Christina sees me! And I thought of you as family. I’m leaving!” George quickly grabbed Betty to explain, then turned and slapped me across the face. The force was so great I fell directly onto the glass coffee table. My already agonizing lower back felt like it had snapped in two. I cried out in pain. The glass table shattered instantly, shards embedding themselves in my flesh, making me shudder. Seeing my torn and bleeding state, George’s voice softened somewhat, but still carried suppressed anger: “I’ve told you so many times—Betty is just my sister. Can you stop being so unreasonable!” “Consider what happened today a lesson. Don’t make things difficult for me again!” Ruth snorted coldly and stepped over my body to go to the side bedroom. Betty continued sobbing. Just before George was about to leave, I spoke with trembling voice. My tone carried a note of finality: “George, let’s get divorced!”

“Divorced?” George, who had just calmed down, lost his composure again: “We’ve been together for so many years, and just because of some argument about a checkup today, you want a divorce?!” “What am I to you? Is marriage a game to you!” Every organ in my body ached, making it painful to say even one more word. “I’ve thought it through. We have to get divorced!” George thought I was playing hard to get like during our dating period. He laughed and stopped paying attention: “Then go get divorced by yourself. As long as I don’t agree, you won’t succeed!” Betty glared at me coldly, then left for the bedroom with her arm linked through George’s. I struggled to get up from the shattered glass, fortunate that my face and carotid artery were uninjured. I pulled out my phone and called someone I hadn’t contacted in a long time: “You once said if I was wronged, you’d come get me. Was that true?” At ten that evening, I got in Dino’s car, semiconscious as he took me to the hospital. When I woke up, the doctor had practically wrapped me up like a mummy. It looked rather ridiculous. I glanced at the hospital room facilities, lowered my eyes, and laughed bitterly: “Thank you, Dino. I’ll pay you back for the hospital fees as soon as I can!” Dino acted like he’d heard a joke, furious: “Christina, we’ve known each other for over ten years with such a deep friendship, and over a few thousand dollars you say something so cold!” “You’re an only child from a well-off family. When were you ever short on food or drink? How could George let you suffer like this!” “George won’t even give you a few thousand dollars!” My heart ached hearing this. I didn’t want to admit it, but that was indeed the truth. Pampered for over twenty years, after marriage I didn’t even have money to go to the hospital. Remembering the embarrassment of having no money on my card that day, tears streamed down uncontrollably, along with years of resentment. Thinking he’d spoken too harshly, Dino quickly embraced me gently and comforted me: “Christina, don’t cry. I didn’t mean it that way. I just can’t stand to see you wronged…” I shook my head, pulled away from the warm embrace, and sobbed: “I need to ask you for one last favor!” “Help me find a good lawyer. I want to file for divorce!” Dino paused, his eyes growing determined as he solemnly agreed: “Alright, I’ll help you!” After three days in the hospital, some of the bandages could finally be removed. During this time, George hadn’t called once. I knew that without me at home, the two of them could celebrate freely and live it up. But I wasn’t idle either. Through the lawyer Dino found, I detailed my demands. George’s marital infidelity, Betty’s use of my savings—everything that belonged to me, I would claim back in full. That evening, as I was getting out of bed to move around, I suddenly received a message. It contained unabashedly intimate nude photos. Betty was lying on George’s back, sending me a provocation: [George finally decided not to use protection this time. Once I’m pregnant with his child, you’ll have no choice but to pack up and leave!] [What belongs to me, you’ll never take away in this lifetime!] I looked at the provocative nude photos Betty sent, completely unmoved. Whatever love I’d had for George had long been ground away, leaving only endless hatred. This idiot had just handed me concrete evidence of the affair. I’d been worried about not having surveillance to preserve this evidence. I smiled coldly and backed up all these photos and chat records to send to my lawyer. The day I was discharged, Betty sent me another medical report. This time it was a pregnancy test. The ultrasound already showed a gestational sac—pregnancy was imminent. I thought these naked provocations were all there was. But then Betty revealed an important piece of information that left me stunned. [Christina, do you know why you haven’t gotten pregnant in five years of marriage?] [Because your prenuptial medical report was fake. George said you had an infertile constitution, but that was just an excuse because he didn’t want to have children with you!] [You fool, I can’t believe you were deceived for so long haha!]

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“What’s one plus one?” On the highway, my brother Sam suddenly asked. I hesitated. “It’s…” Before I could finish, my mother flew into a rage and slapped me hard across the face. “I have a master’s degree. Your father has a PhD.” “Your brother is a math prodigy who gets perfect scores every time, and you have to hesitate over one plus one? You’re nothing but a useless waste!” My cheek burned. Terror flooded my chest. I shook my head, crying: “Mom, please don’t hate me. I’m not useless. Sam said-” But she wouldn’t listen. She pushed me out of the car “A piece of trash that inherited nothing but inferior genes doesn’t deserve to sit in the same car as us. Walk home yourself!” I ran after them desperately, but my parents drove off with Sam anyway. A massive truck came speeding from behind. Suddenly, my body felt light. I caught up to their car. “Mom, Dad, I’m not useless! My teacher called me a young artist and said everyone has their own strengths!” …… “A child’s stride is is roughly between 0.3 and 0.5 meters.” “I did the math for you. From here to the highway rest stop, you only need to walk 3,000 steps.” “This is your punishment, but it’s also meant to activate your potential. Since you’re not naturally clever, it’ll help you fit into our family.” Once Mom finished, she turned and got into the car without a second glance. I ran after her. “Mom, don’t leave me behind.” The car window slowly rolled down. Mom just tossed a small camera out from inside the car. “This is the latest cloud camera. It’ll record you, so don’t try to slack off and skip counting.” “Be careful on the road. You can only walk in the emergency lane.” Mom left those final instructions, and the window immediately rolled back up. I watched helplessly as the car drove away. The taillights grew dimmer and dimmer until they completely disappeared into the darkness. “Mom, it’s so cold.” The weather lady on the forecast said today’s temperature was 10 degrees below zero. But Mom forgot to give me my coat. I held up the little camera dejectedly and spoke to the lens. “Mom, I’m not useless.” “I’m the best at drawing in my whole class. My teacher said that’s called having different strengths.” But the camera lens couldn’t talk back. I sniffled and held back my tears, then started counting seriously. “1, 2, 3…” But it was so cold. Even the warm breath I exhaled seemed to turn to ice. I counted slower and slower, and my steps got smaller and smaller. When I reached 1,000, my legs felt as heavy as two big stones. I tripped over something and fell to my knees. The pain shot through me instantly. My whole body hurt. I apologized to the camera lens through my tears. “Mom, I’m sorry. It really hurts too much. I’ll just rest for ten counts.” Our family often played counting games. Success brought rewards, failure brought punishment. Sam always got the rewards. I always failed, and Mom would punish me for ten counts. Ten slaps on the hands, ten spanks on the bottom. I used to think ten counts was so slow, but now it felt so fast. When the ten counts ended, I struggled to get up from the ground. I moved my legs bit by bit. The blood from my knees soaked through my pants, and every step hurt so much. I gritted my teeth. Just 1,970 more steps and I could get back to our hometown. My grandparents were waiting for us at the reunion dinner. But my body grew colder and colder. White spots seemed to drift before my eyes. I cried toward the camera. “Mom, I don’t think I can keep going.” She didn’t answer. Then a blinding light flooded in from behind me. I had wandered into the middle of the road without even realizing it. When I woke up, I suddenly realized my body had turned weightless.

My lighter body quickly caught up to my parents. They were resting at a service area with lots of delicious food on the table. Mom was urging Sam to drink some hot water. “It’s too cold today. You must drink some hot water.” Sam reluctantly took a sip. I quietly swallowed, wanting so badly to drink some hot water too. “Mom, I want some too.” I timidly begged, but Mom remained completely indifferent. She fed Sam water and gave Sam fruit. She seemed unable to see me at all. I held back my sadness. Just then, Dad suddenly raised his hand to look at his watch and frowned. “We’ve been waiting at the service area for an hour. Why hasn’t Chloe arrived yet? I hope nothing happened to her.” My heart lifted with joy. Dad-he finally remembered me. “Dad, I met a really big truck. I was too tired to run, and that truck-” I wanted to tell Dad loudly. But Mom said impatiently, “Dylan, it’s only two kilometers. It’s not that far.” “If it were Sam, he would’ve run here already.” “She’s always been lazy since childhood. This is a good chance to let her exercise!” Sam nodded. He wasn’t just good at math-he was athletic too. “She’s already slow. If she doesn’t get some exercise, what are we going to do when she’s always sick?” He snorted coldly. Sam often mocked me. This time in the car, he suddenly asked me a math question. He just wanted to laugh at how stupid I was. Before, I would always grin at Sam foolishly, never holding grudges. After all, he was my brother. But this time I was a little angry. I yelled at him. “I am not! Sam is so mean!” If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have been kicked out of the car. Dad hesitated. He looked at the thick fog outside, then his brow gradually relaxed. “A two-kilometer walk takes adults 20 to 35 minutes. Considering external factors, it’s normal for a child to be a bit later.” Hearing Dad’s words made my heart feel heavy. I’d been sickly since childhood, getting winded after walking just a few steps, let alone walking 3,000 steps in such cold weather. But they seemed to have forgotten. They decided to wait a little longer. They waited another hour, until Sam got impatient. He pestered Dad to drive. Just then, a couple walked in. Their conversation interrupted Sam. “We left at dawn on purpose, but there’s still a traffic jam.” “That accident just now was really terrible. I heard the kid’s brains were splattered everywhere. It was just a child…” At those words, Dad trembled violently. Mom panicked too. She quickly opened her phone. She saw the little dot still moving on her phone and breathed a sigh of relief. The next second, she became angry again. “The camera I bought not only records video but also has GPS tracking.” “Look, she’s moving fast right now. She definitely got a ride and is playing victim. She doesn’t listen at all!” “We’re not waiting for her anymore. Let’s leave now. If she’s so capable, she can have whoever’s driving her take her home!” Hearing this, I became anxious. “Mom, that’s not true.” “I didn’t. That’s an ambulance, not a ride I found.” But Mom couldn’t hear me. She bundled Sam up tightly and pulled Dad to the car to go home. I cried as I followed my parents’ car. The ambulance siren seemed to get closer and closer, but Dad hit the gas and exited the highway. The car soon arrived at my grandparents’house. I rushed toward them feeling wronged, but passed right through them.

New Year was my favorite time every year. The New Year gathering meant I could see my grandparents. But now I felt so sad. My tears wouldn’t stop flowing. Grandma rushed to the back seat and lifted Sam out first. Then she looked into the car again. “Where’s Chloe? Why isn’t Chloe in the car?” “Grandma, I’m here.” I sobbed and tugged at Grandma’s sleeve. Mom said impatiently, “She’s riding with someone else.” “Come on, it’s freezing out here. Sam sat in the car for so long-he’s cold and hungry. Show some concern for your grandson.” Mom’s words immediately silenced Grandma. She looked at Dad. When Dad nodded, she sighed and stopped asking. “Alright, alright. I made apple pie. Try some.” Mom, Dad, and Sam all ate with relish. I clutched my stomach, about to cry. After walking for an hour, I was exhausted and starving. What I wanted most was Grandma’s apple pie. “Chloe loves apple pie. I even saved some especially for her.” Grandma said with a smile, standing up to look out the window again and again. I sniffled. I couldn’t hold back my tears anymore. After everyone finished eating and Grandma cleared the table, she still hadn’t seen me arrive and finally couldn’t help asking my parents about me again. “Why isn’t Chloe here yet? Whose car is she riding in? Why didn’t you all come together?” The living room suddenly fell silent. Dad hesitated. “Soon, I think. She should be here soon.” His uncertain answer puzzled my grandparents. “Whose car is Chloe riding in? Just call and ask. She’s been gone so long-aren’t you parents worried at all?” Dad pushed up his glasses but looked at Mom. Mom angrily opened her phone. my grandparents stretched their necks expectantly. I looked too. She frowned and opened her phone. Seeing that the camera’s GPS showed it wasn’t far from my grandparents’ house, she said, “Fine. She’ll be back in five minutes.” my grandparents wanted to look closer, but Mom immediately closed her phone. “While we’re back, I need to tell you something important.” “Chloe’s about to start first grade. You can’t keep spoiling her anymore. It’s very bad for her future development.” Mom’s tone was extremely stern. I hid behind Grandma in fear. Mom loved smart children. She was always gentle with Sam. But I was too stupid. Mom was always angry. Once I scored 59 on a math test, and she was so furious she slapped me. “Are you even my biological child? How can you be this stupid?” “You got such simple addition and subtraction wrong? What’s in your brain?” To make me learn math well, she frantically created study plans for me. Study a year’s worth of math, do math problems. If I couldn’t learn, she’d hit my palms. Grandma couldn’t stand it and would speak up for me. This time was the same. She said quietly, “Jennifer, I think teaching children shouldn’t be too forceful. Chloe is still young…” Before she could finish, Mom cut her off sharply. “Mom, do you know that Chloe now has to hesitate even when asked what 1+1 equals?” “When Sam was her age, he could already solve third-grade math problems!” Grandma’s face turned pale. In the corner, Sam was secretly laughing. I rushed forward anxiously. “Mom, I didn’t hesitate! It was Sam!” “Sam said 1+1 doesn’t equal 2!” I didn’t understand, but when Sam asked again, I hesitated. But Mom couldn’t hear my explanation. “Everyone, look! Isn’t this Chloe’s coat?”

Dad and Grandpa went to get the luggage. They found my coat. Grandpa held up the coat, looking confused. “If Chloe rode with someone else, why is her coat in your car?” Dad frowned, also seeming incredulous. “Jennifer, when you made Chloe get out of the car, you didn’t give her a coat?” Mom panicked, her eyes shifting. “I… I forgot.” “And Chloe too. She’s old enough-she should know to put on her own coat.” Hearing Mom’s complaint, I felt wronged and hugged myself. Mom kicked me out of the car. She didn’t give me any chance to resist. The bone-chilling cold seemed to return. In this warm, heated room, my body kept shivering. “What?” “On the highway, you kicked Chloe out of the car?” Grandpa’s voice immediately rose in accusation. Grandma clutched her chest. “Are you insane? In weather ten degrees below zero, leaving a six-year-old child alone on the highway-how could you do such a thing!” “What if… what if something happened…” Mom immediately cut off Grandma. “There won’t be a ‘what if.’ I told her to walk in the emergency lane. There’s no danger!” Mom seemed to be trying to comfort Grandma. She even opened her phone. “Look, Chloe’s GPS is still moving. Nothing will happen.” But my grandparents didn’t believe her. They insisted on going to the highway to find me. I shook my head crying, my heart aching. “Chloe’s already back. Please don’t fight…” Sam suddenly ran out. He looked like he’d discovered something new. “Mom, look what I found!” I looked at what he was holding and wanted to snatch it away in fear. But Mom grabbed it first. She seemed to have found powerful evidence to turn things around. She pointed at the thing in her hand and questioned my grandparents. “What is this? You’re such good grandparents to Chloe! Spoiling her so she won’t amount to anything!” “Thank goodness I raised Sam myself. Look how excellent he is-first in his grade, perfect math scores. When it was time to move up, every school fought to have him!” “What about Chloe? She’s useless! A waste that you spoiled!” Her words stabbed into my heart one by one. In the picture of our family that I’d drawn, Sam and I held hands while my parents held ours. We all had big smiles on our faces. I’d titled it “A Happy Family.” “What future is there in drawing? I want them to get into NYU! To have a good future!” She was about to tear up the family portrait. I rushed over begging. “Don’t! Mom, don’t!” “I’ll be good. I’ll study hard. I’ll never draw again.” The next second, Mom ruthlessly tore the picture to shreds anyway. Her face twisted as she yelled at my grandparents. “Do you know how much pressure there is in society now? Degrees are so devalued, and you still spoil her. What will she do when she enters society?” My grandparents’ faces went pale. They looked at my father. He adjusted his glasses. “I also believe Chloe should focus on her studies, not waste her limited energy on meaningless things.” His words broke me completely. Through my tears, I felt myself slowly floating upward. Mom, Dad, I wasn’t the child you wanted. Please don’t be angry. Sam will become your pride… The doorbell rang suddenly. Mom went to answer it, muttering, “That must be Chloe. I told her to walk three thousand steps, but I bet she barely took one!” But outside stood two officers in uniform. They held a bloodstained camera and a photo from the accident. “Excuse me,” one of them asked. “What is your relationship to the child holding this camera?”

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1 After I got pregnant, I kept working. But right before I was about to land a huge client, my boss’s assistant, Tiffany, tried to fire me. Her reason? I threw up too much and went to the bathroom “too often.” Fuming, I marched into my boss Aldrich’s office—my husband’s office. He handed me a termination letter and said, “Company policy allows only five bathroom breaks a day. You took ten. Tiffany has every right to fire you. And you’re pregnant—just stay home and rest.” My eyes dropped to the floor. A corner of a lace thong was sticking out from under his couch. So he was cheating. I said nothing. I slapped the termination letter across his face. The moment I walked out of the building, I called our biggest competitor. “Do you limit how many times employees can use the bathroom? If not, I’ll bring my client to you tomorrow.” …… “Serena, are you messing with me?” Daniel’s voice on the other end of the line was laced with shock. “I’m not kidding,” I said, my voice calm. “If you agree, I’ll bring the Evergreen Holdings deal I secured straight to you tomorrow to sign. Once that’s done, you’ll be the top company in Northwood.” Daniel hesitated. “Are you having problems with Aldrich? Is this call just to spite him?” “Everyone in the industry knows you’re the powerhouse, carrying all the major accounts for Aldrich’s company.” “You sold your parents’ apartment to fund his startup, and you’ve personally landed every single contract for the company all these years.” “For the Evergreen Holdings mega-deal, you pushed yourself so hard you nearly passed out from severe morning sickness. Employees wanted to rush you to the ER, but you were so worried about delaying the signing, you stubbornly…” I froze, surprised he knew about what happened recently. Listening to him, I just managed a bitter smile. Yeah, everyone in the industry knew how much I cared for Aldrich. I once believed we’d build our empire together, side by side, until the very end. But today, I was dealt a blow that shattered me awake from that beautiful dream. Aldrich and I started with nothing, two broke students, determined to carve out our own space in this big city. We built everything from scratch, pushing hard until today, finally owning our own company. Six months ago, when I told him I was pregnant, his hands trembled with excitement. But when I suggested we get married, he fell silent for a long time before finally speaking. “Serena, once we secure Evergreen Holdings, our company will be number one. Our dream of making it big in this city will finally be realized.” “Don’t you want to walk down the aisle when we’re at our peak, at our most glorious moment?” “Let’s get married after we close the Evergreen contract, okay?” I agreed. Yesterday, Evergreen Holdings confirmed the partnership, and the signing date was set. I was so overwhelmed, I collapsed on the street outside the office and ended up in the hospital. When I woke up, I rushed back to the company to prepare for the final signing. But I couldn’t get in. The facial recognition failed; I’d been blacklisted. I found a familiar intern to let me in, only to find my office supplies dumped in the trash. Photos of Aldrich and me were covered in footprints, my smiling face defaced with black marker. And sitting at my personal desk was the new secretary—Tiffany. With her bright red nails, she scrolled through her phone, pulling up three months’ worth of my bathroom break surveillance videos. “New company rule: no more than five bathroom breaks during working hours, each not exceeding five minutes.” “You go a dozen times a day. Who knows if you’re actually working or just taking a break?” “If everyone acted like you, how would the company function?” I was stunned. Since when did the company have such a rule? I went to Aldrich’s office and told him what happened. He simply said, his tone flat: “Tiffany was headhunted from a major corporation. The rules she’s implementing are based on big company experience. We, of course, have to follow them.” I tried to suppress my anger, explaining that my frequent bathroom trips were due to pregnancy and work stress. He waved his hand dismissively. “That’s just your weak constitution; don’t use it as an excuse.” “Today, I’ll make an exception because of your morning sickness. But in the future, if someone takes a break in the bathroom and then claims to be sick with diarrhea, am I supposed to pretend I don’t see it? How can I manage then?” My face flushed with anger, my eyes burning. In his eyes, my pregnancy sickness was no different from an upset stomach. I was about to say something more when Tiffany walked in, phone in hand. “Serena, company policy states pregnant employees should be terminated. I only didn’t fire you out of respect for Aldrich.” “But now you’ve violated the rules too many times. If I don’t act, other employees will lose respect for me. How can I lead my team?” “Besides, you’re expecting at your age; you should be home resting. Constantly running to the bathroom doesn’t just affect efficiency, it makes our company look unprofessional.” I stared at her, my voice icy. “My pregnancy, and my frequent bathroom trips, didn’t stop me from securing the Evergreen Holdings deal for the company.” “I’m also a VP here. This policy was never approved by me, so it shouldn’t have been implemented.” Her eyes welled up, and Aldrich slammed his hand on the desk. “Enough!” He saw the shock and tears in my eyes, frowned, and said impatiently: “I’m the one who set the rules. If you have a problem, take it up with me. You’re already fired. Stop pulling rank on her.” “And don’t bring up the deal. Tiffany told me you’ve been skipping out on work, constantly running to the bathroom. The rest of the team did everything.” “If working while pregnant is too stressful for you, making you run to the bathroom all the time, then isn’t Tiffany doing you a favor by firing you and sending you home to rest? Instead of thanking her, you’re bullying her right in front of your direct supervisor?” He furrowed his brow. “Apologize to Tiffany, now!” 2. Apologize? I took a long, hard look at the man I’d loved for ten years, from college sweetheart to business partner. There was a time when a key employee, disrespectful of a woman in charge, talked back to me. Aldrich, without a second thought for the crucial technology that employee held, told him to pack his bags and leave on the spot. He held my hand, standing firm in front of the entire company. “Serena is my wife and my business partner. Disrespecting her is disrespecting me. Furthermore, our company has no room for employees who disrespect women.” Those words spread online, earning us countless praises, and we were even named Best Enterprise that year. Just one year later, he was tolerating a new assistant, God knows where he found her, being disrespectful to me, and discriminating against a pregnant woman. I took a deep breath, about to speak, when my peripheral vision caught a glimpse of underwear tucked under a couch cushion. Embroidered with small snowflakes. It wasn’t mine. A mix of absurdity and nausea churned in my stomach. My feet swayed, and as I looked up, Tiffany was staring at me, a defiant glint in her eyes. It was hers. The words caught in my throat suddenly lost all meaning. I pulled my ID badge from my pocket and threw it on the couch. “You want to fire me? Fine. But according to regulations, I expect my severance package. If I don’t see the money by tonight, I won’t hesitate to take your ‘rules’ to arbitration. And when that happens, I won’t be the one losing face or paying the fines.” “Also, *I* landed this project. You fire me, and you can forget about the Evergreen Holdings deal.” Watching their faces cycle through shades of green and white, I sneered and walked out of the office. The first thing I did was call Daniel. There was no way I was letting them benefit from the project I worked so hard for while they were busy betraying me. Daniel’s voice came through. “Whether you’re doing this to spite Aldrich or not, I’m taking you seriously. If you come, my VP position is yours. And if you’re worried about managing a baby later, I can help with that too.” “That won’t be necessary,” I said, smiling. But for some reason, his voice on the other end dropped, a hint of disappointment in it. “Alright then. See you at the signing tomorrow.” I hung up and went home to pack. Good thing we weren’t married; otherwise, I’d be figuring out a divorce too. But the baby… I touched my belly. A few seconds later, my gaze hardened. With a father like Aldrich, it was better to raise this child on my own. I got home early and started packing. In the corner of the study was a storage box with a note taped to it: “Aldrich’s treasures, please do not touch.” This was the box he kept all my gifts in. He even collected my old water cups and hair ties. He used to say: “These will all be shown to our precious son someday, to tell him they’re tokens of our love.” I had intended to cut all ties with him, but seeing that box, my heart still ached. I opened it. The moment it opened, I froze. Inside weren’t my old things, but a pile of toys and lubricants. My head exploded with a buzzing sound. On the computer, Aldrich’s SnapChat was still open, and messages with Tiffany kept popping up: “Protecting you is what I should do. If you hadn’t helped me relieve stress these past few months, I would’ve exploded.” “Wear the bunny girl outfit tonight to celebrate the successful signing, okay?” My vision blurred, but I bit back the nausea and saved all the chat logs and videos to my phone. Still furious, I grabbed a bag of fuzzy peaches and rubbed them all over those disgusting items, back and forth. You want to play games? Fine. Play all you want. My things packed, I was about to leave when the door suddenly swung open. Aldrich walked in, saw me with my luggage, paused, then smiled. “What’s wrong? I just said a few things. Is that reason enough to get mad and run away?” “I’m just being professional, you know? You’re my wife, so I have to be even stricter with you for the others to follow rules.” “Alright, stop messing around. I bought your favorite steak. Tonight, we’ll celebrate tomorrow’s signing.” I was about to speak, but Tiffany came in behind him. “Aldrich, I don’t like my steak medium-well, make it medium-rare.” “Right, Tiffany likes it tender. Make sure you cook it well.” “Tiffany’s been so busy, she hasn’t eaten all day, unlike you, who got to go home early.” He pressed a package of fish into my hands, trying to push me toward the kitchen. My face went cold, and I threw the fish back. “I won’t cook it.” His face immediately darkened, and he grabbed my arm. “What’s wrong with you? Is pregnancy making you stupid? You can’t even handle this?” “You embarrassed Tiffany at the office today. I specially invited her here so you could personally cook her a meal as an apology, and you’re still being difficult?” “Aldrich, it’s okay. Serena’s pregnant with your baby, it’s normal for her to be moody. I can take it.” Tiffany cut in. “Just because she’s pregnant, she can act like this?” Aldrich grew even angrier at her words. He dragged me to the kitchen, pushed me in, and locked the door. “You’re not coming out until you cook dinner!” I stumbled and fell. A sharp, twisting pain shot through my belly, and cold sweat instantly drenched me. I pounded on the door, crying out. “Aldrich! Let me out! My stomach hurts so bad… I fell… Take me to the hospital…” “Aldrich, I think Serena’s just mad I’m eating dinner here, and she’s trying to use the baby to manipulate you. Maybe I should just leave?” The footsteps outside paused, then his cold voice came through the door: “I just asked you to cook dinner? Is that reason enough to threaten me with the baby’s safety? You’re crazy!” I couldn’t tell if it was heartbreak or abdominal pain, but I kept knocking, pleading. “Cook if you want, don’t if you don’t. Come on, Tiffany, let’s go to that Michelin-starred place instead.” “Oh, Aldrich, you’re so sweet~” I was in too much pain to speak. “I’m not lying… really… it hurts so bad…” My only answer was the *bang* of the front door closing. My vision went black, and I passed out. 3. When I woke up again, I was in a hospital bed. And the person watching over me was Daniel. He visibly relaxed when he saw my eyes open. “I called you a bunch of times, but no answer. You scared me to death. I thought you and Aldrich had a huge fight and he might have hurt you, so I rushed over.” “Then I found you collapsed in the kitchen. The doctor said you just fell and bruised your stomach; the baby is fine.” I managed a bitter smile. My injury and collapse *were* because Aldrich had effectively “hurt” me, in a way. I gratefully thanked him, then picked up my phone, wanting to contact Evergreen Holdings’ representative. I planned to tell him I’d left Aldrich’s company and jumped ship to Daniel’s. But my phone screen was flooded with texts from Tiffany. And videos. “Bitch, so what if you’re carrying Aldrich’s kid? You still got sent home to be a housewife? Giving your desk and your job to me?” “Aldrich said he’s sick of you, always working, no fun at all. And you smell gross when you’re pregnant. He prefers someone young like me, hehehe. Who knows, maybe soon I’ll be more than just his VP at work.” “Oh, and Aldrich said since you’re a housewife now, how can you be the Evergreen project lead? Don’t come to the signing tomorrow. I’ll go instead. Save them from seeing your disgusting face and throwing up.” I stared at her taunts and videos, expressionless. Before I could even react, Daniel exploded. “What the hell is this? How dare she talk to you like that!” “You’re not even mad? Do you really love Aldrich that much? Enough to just let this trashy woman walk all over you?” Daniel’s eyes were red. “Serena, if I had a wife as amazing as you, I’d cherish you every single day. I’d never let you suffer.” I calmly texted Tiffany back: “The garbage man is all yours. But you can forget about my project.” I looked up at Daniel, bewildered. “What did you just say?” He gritted his teeth. “Nothing. I just said I’m your boss, and if they dare try to steal your project, I’ll make them pay.” I nodded. “Okay.” The doctor recommended strict rest to prevent a miscarriage. I immediately asked Daniel for three months of leave, planning to rest at home after the signing. As I left the obstetrics department, I bumped into a man and a woman. Both were covered in red rashes, constantly scratching at their bodies. When Aldrich saw me, his face instantly paled, and he rushed to question me. “Serena, did you mess with anything in my study? What did you put in there? The doctor says if they can’t find the allergen, we’ll keep itching like this!” I instantly understood. They must have used the clothes that had peach fuzz on them. I said blandly, “What ‘thing’? Tell me, so I can try to remember if I touched it.” He flushed, but dared not explain clearly. I sneered, pulled out the videos I’d saved from his SnapChat yesterday and the videos Tiffany sent me, and laid everything bare. “Oh, you mean this bunny girl outfit? I was eating peaches yesterday, and I think I accidentally dropped some fuzz on the clothes.” “You!” His face was ashen, and he cursed under his breath. “You’re crazy, spying on my computer! And sending someone to record our videos! What are you trying to do?” He pointed at me and yelled: “You did this to us! I’m not letting you get away with it! Get on your knees and apologize to me and Tiffany right now! And transfer the Evergreen project to her!” “Otherwise, the wedding’s off, and you can look forward to being an unemployed single mom!” 4. I looked at him coldly, then pulled out my phone and called the wedding planner directly. “Yes, we’re not getting married. Cancel everything.” As Aldrich’s face turned ashen, I calmly said, “For the past ten years, I was blind. I mistook a piece of trash like you for a treasure.” “Since I’ve finally realized my mistake, I’m willing to give you up and cancel the wedding. But there’s no way I’m handing over the clients I’ve worked so hard for and the Evergreen contract to you.” I said softly, “You should probably start thinking about how to explain this to the investors who thought you’d secured the Evergreen deal. Oh, and don’t forget my compensation, either.” I turned to leave, but Aldrich lunged forward and grabbed my arm. “I’m sorry, Serena, you know I’ve been under a lot of pressure lately, and with you pregnant, I was scared to touch you, afraid of hurting the baby, so I just couldn’t resist…” “It was just a mistake after some drinks. She said it wouldn’t affect us. We agreed it was just for your pregnancy, and once you had the baby, I’d be devoted to you and our child.” I smirked. “Do you really think I’d believe that?” I glanced at my phone. The signing time was approaching. I looked up at the man I’d loved for ten years, and spoke calmly. “Can’t we just part ways amicably, Aldrich? I’m only taking what’s mine. I’m not trying to ruin your company.” His face cycled through shades of green and white. He just mumbled, “But I don’t want to lose you. I never thought about losing you.” I gave him a deep look. “When you were doing all those things, did it ever cross your mind how much pain you’d cause me? If you had, you’d know that with my personality, I would definitely leave you.” His lips moved as if to say something more, but I walked away. He quickly followed. “I was wrong! Serena! Please, give me another chance! For the sake of our child! Give me one chance. If you don’t want me to have contact with Tiffany, I can pay her off and send her away!” “If you still want to work, I’ll give you a position to come back to after you have the baby…” I impatiently pulled away from his grasp when a car suddenly swerved directly toward me. I couldn’t dodge it in time and was sent flying. Blood splattered as I hit the ground hard, a pool of crimson spreading beneath me. I writhed in agony, reaching out to Aldrich, screaming. “Save me! Save the baby!” Aldrich’s face was pale. He was about to rush over, but then Tiffany staggered out of the car, crying, and threw herself into his arms. “Oh no, Aldrich! What do I do? I just saw you say Serena was taking the project and clients, I was so desperate, I just wanted to chase after her, but I hit the wrong pedal!” “I don’t want to go to jail, Aldrich! Please help me!” I struggled, convulsing in pain. “Aldrich…” I pleaded with him. “That’s your child too! You can’t just let him be killed!” A momentary struggle flashed across his face, then he firmly pulled Tiffany to him and spoke to the police who had arrived at the commotion. “I’m the pregnant woman’s husband. She was arguing with me and suddenly ran out into the street, that’s why she was hit. It wasn’t this young lady’s fault.” He rushed over, grabbed my hand, and said. “The baby… is already gone. We can’t drag an innocent girl into this too.” “How about this, consider this compensation for you forcing Tiffany away, okay? And since you can’t make it to the signing now, Tiffany and I will handle the meeting and sign the contract for you.” “After this, I promise to return home and treat you well.” “Aldrich!” My eyes burned with hatred. “You bastard! You’ll regret this!” Doctors rushed to pull him away, urging him to sign the papers to send me to emergency. But he just pulled Tiffany closer and left. “Sorry, we have a very important meeting to attend. Let her rest in the emergency room for a bit; I’ll come sign later.” With that, they got into the car and drove away. I passed out from the pain. Tiffany, specially dressed in a designer gown, walked triumphantly into the conference room, arm in arm with Aldrich. Some people curiously asked, “Where’s Serena? Wasn’t she in charge of this partnership?” Aldrich said nonchalantly, “Serena severely violated company policy and has been fired. Tiffany is now in charge of this project.” The representative from Evergreen Holdings looked astonished. “What did you say? Serena was fired? Then who will be responsible for our partnership?” “Tiffany, of course.” He looked at Tiffany, whose face barely concealed her excitement, and said dotingly, “This partnership was made possible thanks to Tiffany’s new rules, which streamlined many inefficient employees, allowing us to successfully secure the Evergreen deal. With such an excellent employee as the new project lead, she’ll undoubtedly manage the Evergreen project even better in the future.” Tiffany puffed out her chest, her face glowing. “Yes, I will definitely live up to Aldrich’s expectations. I’ll achieve even better results than Serena did in the future.” But the Evergreen Holdings representative across the table stood up, his face cold. “I apologize, but for this project, we only recognize Serena. Since Serena isn’t here, I see no reason to proceed with this partnership.”

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