At the family reunion, the fake heiress held my hand with tears in her eyes: “I’m so sorry for taking over your life. Don’t worry, all the family assets will be yours from now on.” I gripped her hand back and pulled out a document renouncing inheritance rights. “Well then, dear sister, why don’t you sign this?” Before she could protest, I threw myself on the ground, thrashing wildly. I pulled my hair, clawed at my neck, screaming and crying as I rolled around. Finally, I started convulsing as if having an epileptic fit, foam bubbling from my mouth. I’m Amelia Carter, the long-lost true heiress of the Carter family. From a young age, I knew my mother didn’t love me. No matter how obedient or understanding I tried to be, she always found reasons to hit me. It wasn’t until the Carters found me that I learned the truth – I wasn’t her biological child. I thought the Carters would be my salvation. Instead, I met a tragic end in a foreign land. My previous life taught me a harsh lesson: if you don’t look out for yourself, no one else will. You can’t rely on anyone but yourself. Zoe stood frozen, not daring to move. She hastily signed the document and pressed her thumbprint to it. I got up, brushed off the dirt, and flashed a perfect flight attendant smile. “Thank you for your cooperation.” Turns out acting crazy works wonders. What was I thinking in my past life, being so careful and accommodating? The art of going berserk hasn’t let me down! I handed the signed document to the lawyer. Professional matters should be left to professionals. People may change their minds, but the law won’t. This time around, you can keep the love. I’ll take the money. Seems fair to me. The next day, my parents came to my apartment. Father tentatively spoke up: “About that document Zoe signed yesterday…would you let me take a look?” This time, I hadn’t moved back in with them. Instead, I chose a riverside apartment for myself. In my previous life, the three of them were one big happy family. I was like a clown coveting something that didn’t belong to me. There’s no point forcing yourself into relationships where you don’t belong. It only makes things awkward for everyone involved. I smiled and said, “No.” Mother was taken aback by my direct refusal. She glared at me coldly. “How can you be so heartless? You may be our biological daughter, but the mix-up wasn’t Zoe’s fault. You’re going too far.” In my past life, I did as they said and didn’t compete with Zoe. But they still thought I was an embarrassment for dropping out of middle school. They barely spared me a glance most days. Even the household maid could walk all over me. Meanwhile, Zoe was their pampered princess under their doting care. Why was I the only one with such a miserable fate? Seeing I wasn’t responding, Father’s face darkened. “Your mother and I are still alive and well. How can you be so cold-blooded, already scheming over the inheritance?” Hearing their words, I silently counted down in my head. Three seconds later, I stood up, channeling my inner madwoman. I frantically patted myself all over while running wild around the living room. “Ahh! Who stole my mom and dad?! Suffering alone for 18 years wasn’t enough, now even my parents have been body-snatched!!!” “Heavens above, Buddha have mercy, please give me back my mom and dad!” My parents were startled by my antics. They didn’t dare bring up the document again.

Just like in my previous life, Zoe suggested we attend school together, claiming it would help foster sisterly bonding. But I had dropped out in middle school. Forcing me to join her in senior year of high school was a recipe for disaster. As expected, I consistently ranked dead last in every exam. I had never even heard of the luxury brands, art, and countries they casually discussed. Gradually, everyone grew to despise me. They said I was living the life of a phoenix despite having the fate of a chicken. Zoe used my inadequacies to highlight her own excellence. Over time, everyone knew the Carters had an embarrassment of a daughter who couldn’t be shown in public. The Carters couldn’t bear the shame, so they chose to abandon me abroad to fend for myself. This time, I won’t let you trample over me again. So when Zoe excitedly introduced me to her friends as her twin, I slammed my hand on the table. I lifted her bangs, cupped her round face, and ripped off her double eyelid tape. “Open your damn eyes and look closely. Do we look like twins?” The surrounding classmates were frightened by my ferocious expression. “Say it! Do we look alike? Who’s prettier? Speak up!” “N-no…you don’t look alike. Y-you’re prettier.” I turned back to Zoe. “What exactly is our relationship? Spit it out.” She held back tears, refusing to speak. I immediately flipped over the table in front of her and started going berserk. “Good lord! This ugly girl dares to claim we’re twins? What sins have I committed?!” “I’m the real heiress, but she’s stubbornly clinging to my rightful place. Is she trying to steal my destiny? Heavens above! I can’t go on living!!!” Seeing all eyes on her, Zoe covered her face and ran out. I sat back down, a chilling smile on my face. The power of public opinion is formidable. News that Zoe was a fake heiress spread like wildfire through the entire high school. She never came back after running out.

That evening, just as I got home, the Carter parents brought Zoe to my place. “What gives you the right to tell everyone at school Zoe isn’t a real Carter? How does that benefit you?” “The benefit is letting everyone know I’m the real Carter heiress. You all better watch yourselves.” Father angrily pointed at my head. “I’m not dead yet, you little brat. I’ll decide who the heir is.” I let out a cold laugh. “Is your head full of bubbles? Do you own this house? Do you have any company shares? What right does a kept man have to bark at me?” Mother and Zoe were stunned into silence by my words. They had always coddled Father’s fragile ego, treating him with deference. After being pampered for so long, Father had started to believe his own hype. Seeing him trembling with rage, I continued twisting the knife. “Everything in this house belongs to the Carters, including what you wear and use. Don’t forget Grandpa is in charge now. Only he can decide if I’m the heir. What say do you have in the matter?” “If you show me some respect, I might throw you a bone. Otherwise, once I take over, you’ll be the first one kicked out.” Father took off his shoe and hurled it at me. “You ungrateful bastard with no manners! I’ll tear that mouth off your face.” I easily dodged it and turned to Mother. “Your husband is trying to hit your biological daughter. Are you just going to stand there and watch? Is this how you make up for 18 years of separation? Is a leech of a husband worth more than the daughter you carried for 10 months?” Under my relentless questioning, Mother remained unmoved. “Your father has every right to discipline you.” Seeing the situation, I quickly threw open the front door and ran out crying. “Help! Murder! Someone’s killing his wife and abusing his daughter!” Neighbors rushed out to see what the commotion was about, surrounding our home. Some even pulled out phones, wanting to record the scene. Father had always cared about keeping up appearances. Seeing the situation, he had no choice but to back down. After these incidents, Zoe realized going head-to-head with me would only backfire. She started trying to create an image at school that I was bullying her, hoping to turn the other students against me. What could I do? Of course, I questioned her, empathized with her, became her – and ultimately helped make it a reality. “Sister, do you dislike me?” “Remove the ‘do you’ and that’s accurate.” “Sister, I brought you some snacks. Why aren’t you eating them?” “Afraid you poisoned them.” … Finally, through our joint efforts, everyone came to know Zoe as kind and understanding. She even gave up her inheritance to wholeheartedly take care of her newly returned sister. Meanwhile, I was seen as overbearing and aggressive, constantly targeting Zoe despite our sisterly bond, just because I had some blood ties to the family. Listen to that nonsense. Without blood ties, where’s the sisterly bond?

That day, Zoe didn’t come home. Our parents anxiously paced the living room, sending out search party after search party, but there was no good news. It wasn’t until morning that the school security guards found Zoe locked in the equipment room. Zoe was shivering from the cold. As soon as she saw our parents, she burrowed into their arms. “Little sister probably just wanted to play a prank on me. Please don’t blame her, Mom and Dad.” Ha! As if I’d do this just for a prank. When I found out she was planning to lock herself up and frame me, I made sure to turn off the air conditioning in the equipment room. In this freezing winter weather, I sent her a special gift. Hearing her words, Father rushed over and slapped me hard across the face. “Such a vicious child at such a young age. Apologize to your sister right now!” I rubbed my stinging cheek. Walking over to Mother, I yanked Zoe out of her arms and slapped her twice across the face, once with the front of my hand and once with the back. A daughter pays for the father’s debt. Buy one, get one free. “Tell me, which of your eyes saw me lock you up?” Zoe started wailing loudly. “Amelia, stop it! I’m so disappointed in you.” Ha! As if I care about your disappointment. I shot back a fearless look and slapped Zoe even harder. I grabbed a fistful of Zoe’s hair with one hand while secretly pinching her flesh under the table with the other. Zoe could only howl in pain. “Stop! Stop! I’ll tell the truth…I accidentally locked myself in. Waaah…” “Why did you lock yourself in? Don’t you dare lie.” I pinched her waist viciously as I spoke. “Waaah…because…because I wanted to frame you.” I let go of Zoe. She immediately scurried to the side like she’d activated a sprint ability. I walked over to Father. “Did you hear that clearly? You should be disciplining your precious daughter, not falsely accusing people left and right.” The teachers in the office pointed and whispered about me. “Ah! They’re slandering me and won’t even let me clear my name!” “Heavens above! They didn’t even check the security footage before spreading rumors! Are they trying to drive me to my death?!” I crawled across the ground, twisting my body grotesquely. After a while, I closed my eyes and pretended to faint. But in the following days, rumors of me bullying Zoe still spread everywhere. I found my homework torn up and paper scraps in my water bottle. How childish. This was child’s play to me. At lunch, I came out of the bathroom to find the door locked from the outside. I could faintly hear muffled laughter. Sister knows no fear and backs down from nothing! I took a step back and kicked the door open with one foot. Then I grabbed the toilet plunger, dunked it in the toilet bowl, and started swinging it at them. Zoe and her gang were so scared they kept backing away. I didn’t care. I swung indiscriminately, aiming straight for their faces, especially their mouths. I’ll make you all sick to your stomachs. A shit-covered spear, whoever it touches dies. In no time, their faces and clothes were covered in filthy stains. “Amelia, I’m not done with y- hurk” The group took turns vomiting in the hallway. It was truly a ridiculous sight. Seeing me laugh, Zoe got angry and lunged at me. I didn’t hold back. I swept her legs out from under her with the plunger handle, sending her sprawling on the ground. Zoe yelped in pain. I leaned against the doorway, one foot propped on the doorframe, blocking their way into the classroom. “No dirty things allowed in the classroom.” We were at an impasse when the homeroom teacher rushed over. Seeing the plunger in my hand, he didn’t dare get too close. “Amelia, how dare you! School is not a place for you to throw tantrums. Apologize to your classmates right now, then write a 3000-word self-criticism.” I scoffed, continuing to block the classroom door. “Young lady, I’m talking to you. Have you no respect for teachers? One bad apple really does spoil the whole bunch. How did the Carters produce a daughter like you?” “Respect for teachers? Hah! You’re not worthy of being called a teacher. Your teaching quality hasn’t improved at all. All you know how to do is suck up to the higher-ups. You’ve divided the students into different tiers, using scholarships and awards as tools to curry favor. Today is your day of reckoning. Better prepare for an investigation.” The teacher was so angry his mustache quivered as he glared at me. “How dare you!” “Instead of wasting time scolding me here, you’d better count up how many bribes you’ve taken. Return them quickly if you want any leniency.” In my past life, he’d taken plenty of gifts from Zoe. That’s why he turned a blind eye to my suffering. The disadvantaged students in our class who were often treated unfairly now looked at me with a glimmer of hope in their eyes. I felt a bit embarrassed by their gazes. The next day, we had a new homeroom teacher who was fully dedicated to helping us prepare for college entrance exams. Without all the toxicity, the learning environment became much more pleasant.

On the weekend, the Carters sent a driver to pick me up for a family dinner. It didn’t take a genius to figure out this was a trap. I deliberately changed into workout clothes that allowed for easy movement. I can’t let my outfit hinder my performance. I had barely sat down and only taken a few bites when Father started lecturing me. He went on and on about how I was selfish, disrespectful, vulgar and materialistic. Then he tried to force me to hand over the agreement Zoe had signed renouncing her inheritance. “You didn’t grow up with your mother and me, so you have some bad habits. But as long as you listen and change, you’re still a good kid. We won’t mistreat you.” I looked at Mother, my birth mother. “Mom hopes you can get along well with Zoe.” To think there are really people in this world who would choose a man over their own child. I stood up and smashed my plate on the ground. “What a joke. When have you ever treated me fairly? Since I came back, have you ever truly cared about what kind of life I had before? I want to get along too, but Zoe keeps targeting me. How many times has she struck first? Have you ever, even once, taken my side?” “Amelia, stop slandering me! Mom, Dad, you can ask around at school. I really want to get along with my sister…” Before Zoe could finish, I dumped a plate of food on her head. “Shut up!” Father: “Amelia, you’ve gone too far! How dare you hit someone in front of your parents.” He called over some security guards who pinned me down. No matter how crazy I acted, I was no match for two grown men. “I’ll beat some sense into you, you rebellious brat.” Father grabbed a stick and started beating me. I was in so much pain cold sweat broke out on my forehead. Mother didn’t try to stop him. She just carefully wiped the food off Zoe’s head. Zoe played the role of the white lotus to perfection, sniffling while comforting our parents and saying she was fine. The scene was truly absurd. I fought back tears. This was nothing compared to my previous life. After several blows, Father saw I wasn’t resisting and thought I had submitted, so he stopped. I slumped to the ground. Seizing the opportunity while he was off guard, I snatched the stick and whacked him over the head with all my might. Father crouched on the ground, unable to get up. The security guards were dumbfounded. Mother screamed. She rushed over and slapped me hard. “Amelia, I don’t have a daughter like you.” Then she immediately went to help Father up. Very well. I don’t want parents like you either. The villa was in chaos. Seeing someone about to make a phone call, I raised the stick threateningly. “Who dares to call anyone?” The maid was frightened into inaction. After all, I had proven I would actually hit people. In my mind, I chanted: Eighty! Eighty!…Eighty! I smashed everything in the house to pieces, one blow after another. Mother was furious. “Amelia, get out!” I left without hesitation, stick in hand. No one dared try to stop me.

In the days that followed, no one from the Carter family contacted me. Zoe would take detours to avoid me at school. I heard Father was hospitalized for several days. Just a few days? I must have gone too easy on him. They cancelled all the cards they had given me and took back the apartment. They even had a lawyer bring over papers to sever our parent-child relationship. I signed without hesitation. Let them be happy for a few days. On our 18th birthday, the Carters threw a grand party for Zoe. I wasn’t invited. So what? It’s not like I don’t have legs. That day, I put on the latest designer gown and made a grand entrance, fashionably late. Zoe looked at me like I was the plague. “You’re not welcome here. Get lost!” Father came over when he heard the commotion. “You signed the papers severing our relationship. Leave now.” “In that case, your family of three needs to leave the Carter mansion. I don’t like strangers in my home.” Father raised his hand to hit me again, but the security guards beside me immediately restrained him. Learning from last time, I had brought over a dozen professional security guards with me this time. I walked straight onto the stage and took the microphone from the host. “Good evening everyone. I’m Amelia Carter, the sole heir to the Carter family. I will be taking over Carter Industries in the future.” All the heavyweight guests invited today had business dealings with the Carters. They had never seen me before, so my words caused quite a stir. Father tried to come on stage to stop me, but my security team was too strong. I dropped my second bombshell: “The board of directors has decided to remove Mr. William Carter from all positions at Carter Industries. We will also be investigating his illegal activities during his tenure.” Hearing my words, Father forgot all propriety and started cursing loudly from below the stage. “Amelia, you little bitch! Without the old man’s approval, you’re nothing. You’re barely an adult. Who gave you such authority to try and kick me out? I’ve been with the Carters for 20 years. I’d like to see who dares listen to you!” “I gave her that authority.”

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I’m the First Love Who Studied Abroad in Replacement Literature My ex-boyfriend fell for a trick. He got together with my replacement. On the day I returned home, he brought his current girlfriend to my welcome party. All our friends in the circle were waiting to see me make a fool of myself. I didn’t prepare any jokes, but I did bring my new boyfriend back with me. The day we broke up, Jack told me on WhatsApp: “I’m sorry, Mia. I broke my promise. I don’t want to wait anymore.” At that time, I still had one year left to complete my studies. We had made it through the first three years, but our relationship fell apart in the last year. There were early signs of his change of heart. So I wasn’t too surprised. Suppressing the bitterness in my heart, I replied: “It’s okay. Let’s just be normal friends then.” “Alright.” But later, I found out he had blocked me. A qualified ex should be like they’re dead. I didn’t blame him, and I blocked him in return. On the eve of my return home, my old friends insisted on arranging a welcome party for me. They didn’t tell me that Jack and his new girlfriend would also be there. It was my best friend who couldn’t stand it and leaked the information to me. “Mia, don’t go! They’re all waiting to see you make a fool of yourself! That current girlfriend of Jack is afraid he still has lingering feelings for you, so she’s putting on this show to claim her territory in front of you.” I replied indifferently: “Besides those two, there are others I know. Forget it, I’ll just do them a favor and go.” “Forget it, they’re all Jack’s buddies. Ah! I happen to have something that day, otherwise I’d go with you and definitely not let you be taken advantage of.” “Thank you for telling me. Someone has set the stage wanting to see me perform, how can I disappoint them? Don’t worry, I have a way to deal with it.” On the day of my return, I went to the appointment as scheduled. The waiter pushed open the door of the private room. As soon as I stepped in, I saw Jack sitting in the main seat. After not seeing him for over a year, he was still as handsome and dignified as ever, with the air of an elite in a high position. Sitting beside him was a beautiful woman, who must be his girlfriend. Emma, a new artist signed by Jack’s company. She looked about 80-90% similar to me. My heart tightened. I still remember two years ago when Jack sent me a photo of Emma. He said: “A new person came for an interview today, it scared me. I thought you had secretly come back to surprise me.” At that time, Emma looked more like me than she does now. Her hairstyle, makeup, and dressing style were all identical to mine. I didn’t take it too seriously at the time, and even joked: “Could she be related to me by blood? No way, I have to go ask my dad.” Jack said: “Probably not, she’s from out of town, both her parents are alive, and she has a twin brother who doesn’t look like her.” “You even investigated her?” “Of course, we need to understand the background clearly when signing new artists.” Who would have thought that the substitute I didn’t take seriously back then would now openly replace my position. Back to the present. Jack’s buddy “Ryan” stood up. “Welcome our talented Mia, returning in glory…” He was in the middle of his opening remarks when his voice suddenly stopped. Everyone looked at the man behind me. I calmly greeted them: “Long time no see, thank you all for still remembering me.” Ryan gave a dry laugh and asked curiously: “Mia, who is this? Won’t you introduce us?” I stepped aside to let them get a good look. I introduced with poise: “This is Leo, my boyfriend.” The word “boyfriend” hit like a bomb, and everyone present looked surprised. Leo flashed a neat row of pearly whites, smiling with two sweet dimples: “Good evening everyone, it’s an honor to join your gathering.” Leo was already stunningly beautiful, and his smile was devastatingly charming. The ladies present couldn’t take their eyes off him. A beauty with long straight black hair said frankly: “Wow, Mia, your boyfriend is so handsome!” The others immediately followed up: “Too handsome! Leo, are you a celebrity or a model?” Before I could speak, Leo immediately flattered them: “Thank you for the compliment, ladies. You’re all very beautiful too. Please, everyone just call me Leo.” Not only was he good-looking, but he was also sweet-tongued. The crowd that was originally waiting to see me make a fool of myself now had their attention completely drawn by Leo. Even Emma couldn’t help but steal glances at Leo. Jack’s expression was visibly displeased. He said in a deep voice: “Let’s all sit down and chat, don’t just stand around.”

After he spoke, the others finally restrained themselves. The waiter added an extra seat, and I sat intimately side by side with Leo. After sitting down, I introduced everyone at the table to Leo one by one. Originally, I was supposed to be the main character today, but everyone gathered around Leo asking him questions. Leo had been studying abroad since middle school, so he was Westernized, outgoing, and lively. I wasn’t worried about him feeling awkward. The beauty with long black hair teased me: “Mia, you really kept it a secret, getting a new boyfriend without a sound.” These words were somewhat subtle. Some people couldn’t resist their gossipy glances, scanning back and forth between me, Jack, and Emma. I smiled gently and said: “People always have to look forward.” Over there, Emma shyly leaned towards Jack. Jack immediately put his arm around her and asked with concern: “What’s wrong?” “I was filming late last night, feeling a bit tired…” After Emma finished speaking, she forced herself to perk up and smiled shyly: “I’m fine, I’ll just take a nap in the car later.” Jack said considerately: “Eat something quickly, I’ll take you back to rest.” He urged everyone: “Let’s order quickly.” Someone teased: “Jack is really a doting boyfriend maniac.” “With such a beautiful girlfriend as Emma, who wouldn’t want to dote on her?” Emma pretended to be shy and buried her face in Jack’s shoulder. “Don’t tease me, everyone…” Some meaningful glances fell on me, seemingly waiting for my reaction. My heart was bitter and salty, but I couldn’t show it. The boyfriend I had dated for many years was snatched away by a substitute who replaced me, and now they were showing affection in front of me. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t affected. There was a feeling of frustration, like the genuine article being defeated by a counterfeit. Doting boyfriend maniac? Huh… The deep affection that was once invested in me could be so easily transferred to someone else. I don’t know if this is my tragedy or his. Ryan politely let me order, turning the lazy Susan with the menu towards me. I tried hard to keep my expression indifferent, and graciously said: “I’m not familiar with this restaurant and don’t know what everyone likes to eat. Let me treat everyone today, please order whatever you like.” Jack said coldly: “This restaurant is members-only, it can be deducted from my account.” I said “Oh” and politely replied: “Thank you, Jack. Then I’ll treat next time.” Leo honestly and unabashedly picked up the menu. He leaned close to my ear and asked: “Mia, what is this fish maw and chicken slice soup?” “It’s a dish for beauty and nourishment, do you want to try it?” “I want to taste it.” He pointed at dishes on the menu and asked me. For everything I knew about, I earnestly answered. When we were talking, our faces were almost touching. The beauty with long black hair couldn’t help but ask curiously: “Leo, are you a bit younger than Mia?” Our way of interacting was obvious. I frankly said: “Yes, Leo is half a year younger than me.” The ladies all said flattering things: “An older woman-younger man relationship, how enviable.” “A younger man is good, young and energetic.” I inadvertently heard two of Jack’s buddies whispering together: “Probably hired a pretty boy to act…” “Must be, deliberately trying to make Jack jealous…” “Thought she really had a new relationship, turns out it’s just a kept man.” “Too concerned about face is also a kind of tragedy.” They were speaking in the local dialect, which Leo probably couldn’t understand. Regardless of whether what they said was true or not, discussing me like this in front of my face showed they didn’t take me seriously. Jack should have heard it too. He had a meaningful smile on his lips, and glanced at Leo with disdain. Emma asked him quietly: “Jack, do you also like older woman-younger man relationships?” Jack pointed at the mulberry but cursed the locust tree, saying: “I don’t like it. I’m more of a macho man, I can’t accept women older than me.” His words were too obviously directed at me. I held back my anger and didn’t react. Leo continued flipping through the menu, unconcerned. When he saw a sea cucumber soup, he said to one of the gossipy men: “Mr. Thompson, why don’t I order a sea cucumber soup for you?” That Mr. Thompson politely said: “Thank you, but how could I…” Leo smiled cheerfully and said: “I noticed your eye bags are quite large, and there’s a grayish-black color around your mouth. You’re probably suffering from kidney deficiency. It’s just right to eat some sea cucumber to nourish yourself.” No man likes to be told he has kidney deficiency. Mr. Thompson’s face changed immediately. He hurriedly denied: “I don’t…” Leo said with utmost sincerity: “Your complexion is dull and oily, and your nose is red. It’s probably a hormonal imbalance. You’d better see a doctor for treatment.”

Mr. Thompson looked embarrassed and didn’t know how to refute. I used a reproachful tone and said: “Leo, whether Mr. Thompson has kidney deficiency or not, his girlfriend would know better, right? Don’t worry about it.” Mr. Thompson’s girlfriend was right beside him. She didn’t know how to respond and just picked up her glass to drink water as a tactical move. Leo immediately apologized: “I’m sorry, Mr. Thompson. I was too direct in my speech. You’re a big person, you shouldn’t mind, right?” Could Mr. Thompson say he minded? He could only swallow his anger silently. The black-haired beauty, enjoying the show, deliberately asked Leo: “Leo, can you read faces too? Why don’t you take a look at ours?” “Not really, it’s just that my grandfather was a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, and I learned a bit from him when I was young…” Leo had just finished being modest when he immediately aimed at the other gossipy man from earlier: “For example, Mr. Davis, your eyebrows and beard are very sparse, but your hair is very thick. This looks like you’re wearing a wig at first glance.” That Mr. Davis had been balding since he was young and always wore a wig when going out to see people. This wasn’t a secret in our circle, but everyone just pretended not to notice. Several people couldn’t help but laugh, then quickly covered their mouths. Mr. Davis’s smile disappeared, and he said angrily: “What do you mean?” Leo continued to pretend to be surprised and said: “Ah? Did I say something wrong again? I’m sorry, I thought you were wearing a wig. I was thinking it looked so realistic, I wanted to buy one for my uncle too. Sorry, so it’s not a wig?” Mr. Davis hated it most when people mentioned his wig, and Leo had said it three times. He was bound to be furious. He was about to explode when I softly added in the local dialect: “Too concerned about face is also a kind of tragedy.” These were the exact words Mr. Davis had said earlier. He immediately deflated, swallowing his anger back down. Leo asked me innocently: “Mia, what did you just say?” I smiled and said: “Nothing, let’s just order the food.” The food arrived, and Leo and I acted as if we were at home, warmly inviting everyone to eat more. Emma was being considerate over there, helping Jack peel his shrimp. Leo was also being considerate here, helping me cut my steak. They were showing off their affection, and so were we. Everything was peaceful, but some troublemakers couldn’t sit still. A man with glasses spoke in a sarcastic tone: “Oh my, times have changed. Men are now doing women’s work.” He then praised Jack admiringly: “Our Jack here has good taste. When finding a girlfriend, you should find one who’s virtuous and can serve you well.” Before Jack could respond, some of the women couldn’t stand it anymore. The black-haired beauty snorted coldly: “Listen to yourself, are you looking for a girlfriend or a maid?” Another short-haired lady chimed in: “So women are just supposed to serve you guys, huh?” I smiled faintly and reminded them: “This isn’t the feudal era of male superiority anymore.” The troublemaker instantly became the public enemy of all the women present. He hurriedly tried to smooth things over: “It was just a joke, you’re all too sensitive.” Now we had become the unreasonable ones. Leo chimed in with a grin: “In my family, it’s natural for men to take care of women. My mom never has to peel her own shrimp, my dad always does it for her. Now my mom is almost fifty, and her hands are still soft and white.” As he spoke, he quickly peeled a shrimp in three moves, even removing the vein. Leo put the shrimp in my bowl, and I thanked him with a smile. The black-haired beauty once again provided support: “Leo and Leo’s dad are the true doting husband maniacs. Being doting isn’t just about saying it, it’s about actions.” Jack, who had just been praised as a doting boyfriend maniac, showed a trace of discomfort on his face. Even Emma looked embarrassed. The dinner went much more smoothly than I had expected. Even seeing my former lover being lovey-dovey with his new flame wasn’t as eye-catching anymore. On the way back, I gazed out of the car window at the night scene, feeling a bit lost. Leo asked ingratiatingly: “Sister Mia, how was my performance today?”

I smiled indulgently and said: “You performed exceptionally well, even better than I imagined.” “Of course, how could I let you be outdone?” “By the way, do you understand the local dialect?” I asked the question that had been on my mind. “Yes, I do.” Leo boasted: “I know four languages and fifteen dialects.” He proudly listed them for me: “The local dialect, Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka… I know them all.” I sighed and said: “You’re really talented. It’s a waste for you to be just an artist.” “Not at all. Being an artist isn’t easy either.” That’s right, Leo is also an artist signed to my company. We were schoolmates; I studied economics, while he was from the art school. Leo is tall and handsome, with a lively and outgoing personality. He has a natural flair for performance, is good at improvisation, and has experience in stage plays. He often posts his daily life on social media and became a minor internet celebrity abroad. Several talent agencies wanted to sign Leo, and he was interested in entering the domestic entertainment industry. After asking around, Leo learned that one of my family’s businesses is a film investment company. So he actively came to seek my support. My family’s company is an old name in the circle, rarely signing new artists, with mostly trained, skilled actors under contract. Although Leo had an impressive educational background, he lacked experience and didn’t quite qualify to be hired. But I happened to need a skilled actor who was also strikingly handsome to accompany me back home to meet Jack and the others. So we hit it off and reached a cooperative relationship. Leo said ingratiatingly: “If you need me to act again in the future, just say the word.” “Thank you, but you’d better focus on your work,” I said, putting on a serious face: “I treat you the same as other employees. I hope you can stay in the company based on your abilities.” “Yes, boss!” Leo saluted me. When I got home and had just lain down after taking a shower, my best friend “Amy” sent me a voice message on WhatsApp: “I heard you brought a new boyfriend today? Wow! When did you start dating?” Even through the phone screen, I could imagine her excited, gossipy expression. I smiled wryly and told her the truth about the situation. Amy chuckled: “So he was really hired to act? Well, that’s not bad either. Handsome guy and beautiful girl, spending time together might lead to real feelings. You never know, it could turn into a real relationship.” I said helplessly: “I would never make a move on an employee. I don’t like mixing personal and professional life, it affects the work atmosphere.” “That’s true, the power dynamic would be off. But what if he has other motives?” Amy changed the subject: “I heard from Sarah that your little boyfriend was incredible, he put Jack’s bunch of old geezers in their place. What a pity, I had something come up today, otherwise I would have gone to see your little boyfriend’s performance!” Sarah was the cool girl with long black hair. “He does have a sharp tongue and quick reactions…” I was just saying this when a friend request notification popped up on my phone screen: “Emma baby, requests to add you as a friend” I clicked to check, and it was actually Emma. My ex-boyfriend’s current girlfriend wants to add me as a friend? I was a bit stunned. She had added me through Ryan’s shared contact card. I thought for a few seconds and finally accepted the verification. While I was busy with this, Amy asked me: “Girl, are you still there?” Me: “Still here, Emma added me as a friend.” Amy: “【Shocked emoji】 What does this woman want?” Me: “I don’t know, maybe she has something to ask me?” Amy: “So dramatic.” Not long after I accepted Emma’s request, she sent me a greeting message. I also politely replied with a 【Hello emoji】. Then she sent me a video clip. Although the lighting in the video was very dim, I could still make out that it was Jack with his shirt off. He was lying on a pillow snoring, and half of the filmer’s snow-white arm was visible. It looked like this person was also naked. I realized what this was and immediately felt sick to my stomach, as if I had swallowed a fly. Emma: “Jack’s snoring is so loud, was he like this before? He hugs me in his sleep, it’s so hot. He’s really clingy, sigh…”

Amy wasn’t wrong, she really was being overly dramatic. I didn’t know how to play along with her performance, so I simply exited the conversation, out of sight, out of mind. Amy was still asking me: “What did she add you for? Did she say anything to you?” I was very exasperated and sent Amy a screen recording of the video and conversation Emma had sent me. After Amy saw it, she sent a bunch of emojis: 【No way, is she sick?】, 【I’ve never seen someone so shameless】, 【Bitches are everywhere】, etc. Me: “I want to delete her.” Amy: “Don’t! Otherwise, she’ll think you’re afraid of her! Keep her, let’s see what other tricks she’ll pull!” Me: “Alright, I’m going to sleep now. You should get some rest too.” Amy: “You can still sleep? I’m so angry at that little bitch! Jack is such an idiot! To cheat on you for someone like her!” Me: “Originally, when I saw them together today, I was quite upset. But now I feel like I’ve let it go. Once unfaithful, always unfaithful. Thanks to Emma for letting me see Jack clearly.” Amy: “You’re right, I really envy you for being so emotionally stable. If it were me, I would have cursed that cheating couple to death by now!” I sent a 【I’m scary calm now】 capybara emoji. Me: “Alright, alright, don’t get angry over people who aren’t worth it.” I never replied to Emma, and she didn’t provoke me again. Only occasionally could I see her showing off her relationship in her Moments, posting photos of her and Jack’s faces pressed together or kissing. At first, I didn’t pay attention, but later I found out that she only made these posts visible to me, blocking everyone else. Wow, is she that concerned about my opinion? I simply blocked her Moments. Back to Leo, he officially became a signed artist of my company. The company was preparing to film a Republican-era spy drama called “Misty Shadows”. I helped Leo secure the role of the third male lead. He wasn’t overly ambitious and was quite satisfied with this. “Sister Mia, I’ve read the script. This role doesn’t have many scenes, but it’s very exciting.” I encouraged him: “You just need to act well. If you take the film route in the future, your status will rise quickly.” The male and female leads of the film were both well-respected, skilled actors who could elevate each other and the film. However, a month before filming was set to begin, the female lead was replaced. And she was replaced by Emma. As the producer, I was actually the last to know. The investor’s representative apologetically told me: “Jack personally came to find me, saying Emma really likes this script and must participate. We hope Miss Pei can be understanding…” If Emma was to participate, she would certainly be bringing investment. I said reluctantly: “Emma’s image doesn’t quite support this role. We could arrange for her to be the second or third female lead.” The investor’s representative said awkwardly: “Jack said it has to be the female lead… The investment platform and distributors have agreed.” This meant he had already arranged everything, and whether I was willing or not, I had to comply. I felt angry, feeling I had let down the original female lead. She had already signed the contract and was now forcibly pushed out. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make the final decision on this matter. I had just taken over the company, and my foundation wasn’t stable. This film was my first big project, and I needed strong financial backing. I couldn’t afford to offend the investors at this point. It felt like being forced to eat something unpleasant. It was extremely uncomfortable. I swallowed my displeasure and said with a stern face: “Since Jack is so wealthy, please inform him that he should also pay the breach of contract fee for the actress.” The representative hurriedly promised: “Of course… Jack said he would cover all losses.” And so, the matter was settled. 11 Before filming began, there was to be a closed training session. Together with the filming schedule, Leo would have to stay with the crew for nearly half a year. As a newcomer in my position, I was usually so busy that I had almost no time to communicate with him. Two months after the film started shooting, Leo messaged me on WhatsApp, acting cute: “Sister Mia, can you come visit me on set?”

I readily agreed: “I was just thinking about that. I’ll come see you all in a few days.” Leo was so happy he squeezed out a cutesy voice: “Wow! Really? I’m so happy!” I knew why he brought this up. I had heard that Jack had visited Emma on set a few days ago. I smiled indulgently and said: “Yes, what other kids have, you’ll have too.” “Thank you, Sister Mia!” As the weather was getting colder, on the day of my visit, I specially prepared plenty of hot drinks for the crew members. Leo had just finished a scene and was still in his costume. He was wearing a well-tailored Republican-era military uniform, which made him look handsome and dignified. When Leo saw me arrive, he was as happy as a puppy seeing its long-lost owner, wagging his tail and bounding towards me. I patted his head and then his shoulder. Even though Leo was only half a year younger than me, I always felt like our interaction was like… Um, mother and son? Or owner and pet? As it happened, there were media here for interviews today. After Leo had some hot coffee, the director pulled him over for an interview. He and Emma happened to be free, and the two of them sat properly in front of the camera holding microphones. After asking some standard questions, the reporter intentionally asked Leo: “Leo and Emma are both newcomers. What do you think of each other’s performances?” Emma went into full green tea mode, acting coy and affected: “Leo, he gets along really well with everyone, he’s sweet-tongued and knows how to please people. Everyone likes him, even our producer came specially to see him today. I heard Leo was personally recommended by the producer to join the crew, and they’re schoolmates too. I believe he must have many outstanding qualities to be so favored by the producer.” Emma might as well have said directly: Leo is just a pretty boy who got his position by cozying up to the boss! I did intend to promote Leo, and he had the ability and talent for it. But Emma herself got in by Jack throwing money around. The pot calling the kettle black, how does she have the face? The reporter gave a dry laugh, then turned to ask Leo: “What about you, Leo? What’s your view on Emma?” Leo smiled brilliantly and said smoothly: “Of course, I have the utmost respect for Miss Emma. Miss Emma has invented a brilliant trick for memorizing lines. She has her assistant write the lines on large poster boards, and during filming, they hold them up for her to read from. Isn’t that just ingenious? No more worrying about forgetting lines, and it saves time on memorizing too! Why didn’t I think of that? Oh my! I’m so silly!” After he finished this exaggeratedly polite speech, Emma’s lips twitched with anger, though she forced herself to maintain a smile. The people around were both embarrassed and trying not to laugh, creating a strange atmosphere on set. Emma smiled with gritted teeth: “It’s not like that… I never actually look at the boards when filming…” Leo cut in again: “Oh! I’m just so forgetful, I can only use meal times and breaks to memorize my lines. Not like Miss Emma, who’s both beautiful and smart. She video chats with her boyfriend during breaks! So sweet, so blissful, I’m so envious of her…” After saying this, Leo pretended to be shocked and covered his mouth: “Oh? Was I not supposed to say that? Can we cut this part?” Emma’s face turned green, her eyes rolling skyward, unable to even maintain her expression management. The reporter quickly changed the subject, finally turning the page on this awkward moment. The media are quite savvy; they wouldn’t easily leak this kind of juicy scandal that could damage both parties’ images. Indeed, the only one who can defeat a green tea b*tch is someone even more bitchy. In my heart, I silently evaluated Emma: Drink some horse piss and you’re high and mighty, mess with Leo and you’re courting death. In the entertainment circle, artists privately tearing each other apart isn’t uncommon. As long as it doesn’t blow up, the company generally doesn’t interfere. But some people can’t stand feeling like they’ve lost out and insist on getting even. Not long after, I accompanied my brother to a business community event and ran into Jack, whom I hadn’t seen in a while. He said he had something to ask me and called me to a corner. Jack bluntly opened his mouth: “You should consider sending your little boyfriend to some etiquette classes, teach him how to behave properly.”

Hearing his sarcastic tone, it seemed Emma had complained to him, and he was here to stand up for his precious. I calmly crossed my arms and said: “Mr. Jack, if you have something to say, just say it openly. Where did you learn these passive-aggressive remarks?” Jack’s eyes flashed with a hint of embarrassment, but he quickly regained his composure and said: “Emma really likes this drama, that’s why I helped her get the female lead role. Since you agreed to let her participate, don’t secretly make things difficult for her. You’ve always been a reasonable woman in my eyes, don’t ruin my good impression of you.” I found this both laughable and irritating. Heaven and earth be my witness, who’s making things difficult for her? Do I really have nothing better to do? Moreover, she was the one who started it, and Leo just retaliated. Of course, I couldn’t expect Jack to view this matter objectively and fairly. It’s human nature to be protective of one’s own. Seeing that I didn’t answer, Jack continued on his own: “I know that Emma and I being together has hurt you… I was wrong about this, and I’ll make it up to you in other ways in the future. But please don’t target Emma, she doesn’t know anything. It was my insistence on being with her. If you want to hate someone, hate me.” This dialogue sounded so familiar. Did he think he was some tragic hero? I couldn’t listen anymore and interrupted with rapid-fire: “Mr. Jack, we ended long ago, and I have no lingering attachment to you. Also, I have never targeted your girlfriend. She was the one who actively added me as a friend and sent me a video of you sleeping. I’m not a part of your roleplay, I’m not interested in what positions you two sleep in. I only care about my company.” “Emma… how could she?” Jack couldn’t believe his delicate flower girlfriend would behave in such a green tea b*tch manner. I immediately pulled up my chat history with Emma to show him. Faced with irrefutable evidence, Jack was dumbfounded. I continued my counterattack: “If you have time, help your girlfriend enroll in more acting classes. As an actress, if she doesn’t properly memorize her lines and improve her acting skills, there will come a day when she falls flat on her face. The audience’s eyes are sharp; they can easily tell whether an actor has put in effort or not. If you’re really afraid of her suffering, just marry her and keep her well-fed at home. Don’t let her out to snatch roles that others have worked hard to get.” After I finished speaking, I ignored Jack’s ashen face and turned to leave. A month later, filming for “Misty Shadows” was completed. The distributor watched the sample and was very satisfied, planning to release it during the New Year season. I also received news that Jack had already found the right connections to secure Emma a Best Actress award. Since this film was invested in by my family, I didn’t mind him adding this extra boost. Leo’s manager asked me: “Should we let Leo compete for the Best Newcomer award?” “We can,” I emphasized, “But don’t spend money to find people. Let him win based on his own merit.” “Alright, he’s just debuted, even being nominated would be great.” I firmly believe in the principle that “undeserved position will lead to great disaster”. We had a clear plan for Leo’s career path. What he shouldn’t get, we wouldn’t go out of our way to fight for. Not long after Leo finished filming “Misty Shadows”, the director recommended him to a well-known international director in the industry, “Director Zhang”. Director Zhang was famous for his unconventional style and never being swayed by capital. After Leo went for an audition, he successfully got a small role. Even if it’s just a bit part, getting to appear in a famous director’s film is an honor. Compared to Leo’s step-by-step progress, Emma was quite different. Her team boldly declared that she would only play lead roles and only accept major productions. After this film, her next resource was an S+ level historical costume TV drama. Jack spared no expense, finding a bunch of popular stars to boost her. On the day the cast list was officially announced, Weibo exploded, with netizens directly calling Emma a resource-grabbing star. Fortunately, Jack had already arranged for water armies to control the situation and promptly deleted comments. This prevented too much controversy from arising. When Amy learned about this, she joked with me: “Emma gets to be the female lead, while your little Leo can only cameo as an extra. Raise girls rich, raise boys poor. You and Jack are quite in sync in this aspect.” I said helplessly: “This role is very suitable for Leo. Even if it’s only a few seconds of effective screen time, it can make him stand out. I don’t like artists who are forcefully promoted. I need him to walk steadily, not quickly.” Amy wholeheartedly agreed: “You’re right, forced promotion invites divine punishment. Don’t take on porcelain work without a diamond drill.” Who would have thought Amy’s words would turn out to be prophetic—

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294523”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #重生Reborn #校园School #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring

I Found a Box of Birth Control Pills in My Widowed Mother-in-Law’s Room. I replaced the birth control pills with ordinary stomach medicine. The reason was simple: since my mother-in-law always wanted to hold a grandchild, why not have one herself? Later, Mrs. Thompson from next door confronted my mother-in-law, throwing a bank card at her: “This is the payment for giving birth to a child for our family.” I installed a tiny camera in the bedroom. After coming home from work, I often found that the neatly made bed was wrinkled, and the alarm clock or glass on the bedside table had subtly moved. But there were only my husband Ryan and I at home, along with my mother-in-law who had just moved in recently. Two years ago, after my father-in-law passed away, my mother-in-law had been living alone. Ryan and I had agreed to live by ourselves before marriage, but two months into our newlywed life, he used a sob story to bring his mother to live with us. He swore solemnly, “My mom is just a little woman. She won’t affect our life together at all.” Unexpectedly, on the second day after my mother-in-law moved in, she came knocking on our door at six in the morning. “Olivia, why haven’t you made breakfast for mom yet?” When there was no response to her knocking, she changed to loud banging, calling for us. I propped up my heavy body and opened the door. “Mom, don’t we have a housekeeper to make breakfast?” “That’s very expensive!” she exclaimed. “Making breakfast isn’t much trouble, why waste that money?” Her head only reached my nose, but her demeanor was imposing as she stared at me intently. Ryan was still sleeping like a dead pig. Considering he had worked overtime last night, I didn’t wake him up. Instead, I resigned myself to going to the kitchen to heat up some bread and then fry eggs and ham to make sandwiches. My mother-in-law pushed the sandwich aside. “Is this breakfast? You little girl, are you trying to fool me?” “This is what Ryan and I usually eat for breakfast. What would you like to eat?” “I’m not asking for much. There must be oatmeal in the morning, preferably not repeating within a week. The side dishes can be anything, but there must be bacon and sausages, right? The protein is nutritious, but it shouldn’t be too greasy. Just like the breakfast at Rosewood Cafe would be fine.” Her spit flew onto my face as she rattled on. I wiped my face and took the keys to go downstairs to buy breakfast for her. She was still talking, “I’m not asking you to buy it, I want you to make it. The bought ones are unhealthy. Who knows what ingredients they use? Hey, you little girl, how dare you walk away while I’m talking…” In the days that followed, she became increasingly overbearing. After driving away the hourly housekeeper, all the housework fell on me. She insisted that clothes couldn’t be thrown in the washing machine, saying they had to be hand-washed to be clean. She unplugged the dishwasher, saying it wasted electricity and water. She would barge into our room in the middle of the night to turn off the air conditioner, reasoning that she was afraid we’d catch a cold… I had bottled up a belly full of resentment. When I saw the surveillance video, I finally exploded. It had been two days since I installed the camera. That day, I had just finished a project proposal and sat at my desk to play back the surveillance footage at triple speed. Unexpectedly, I saw Mr. Thompson embracing and kissing my mother-in-law as they entered my bedroom, then the two of them rolling around on my bed. Mr. Thompson lived next door to us and had a seemingly perfect family. Who could have imagined he would be having an affair with my mother-in-law? Watching the entangled figures in the video, I felt a wave of nausea and ran to the bathroom, throwing up my lunch completely. The two of them moved with practiced ease, clearly habitual offenders. I steadied my slightly trembling hand and prepared to tell Ryan everything tonight, then confront his mother about this together.

After dinner, I fiddled with the USB drive in my hand, which contained a copy of that video. I was trying to figure out how to bring it up. Ryan came out of the bathroom, having just showered. With only a towel wrapped around him and steam rising from his body, he hugged me, rubbing his stubble against my face. He picked up the USB drive. “What’s on this?” I took a deep breath. “Why don’t you take a look?” He curiously plugged the USB drive into the computer, but just as he was about to click on it, I stopped him. Because I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen, more intense than anything I had ever experienced before. My calves began to tremble slightly. I fell to my knees, curling up and clutching my stomach. He panicked and came to support me, massaging my abdomen. “No… hospital…” I managed to say. He quickly threw on some clothes, picked me up, and rushed to the hospital. At the hospital, they drew blood and ran tests. I had already used up all my strength, and my forehead was covered in cold sweat. Before long, I even developed a high fever. The test results showed acute liver damage, cause unknown. I vomited and had diarrhea all night, with a persistent high fever. I even started talking nonsense, calling out for my mom and dad. Ryan took care of me all night, and I felt a bit better the next day. The doctor told us it could be due to improper, unregulated use of medication. Ryan and I looked at each other in confusion. I hadn’t taken any medication recently, and my diet had been quite normal. The only difference was a soup that my mother-in-law had voluntarily offered to cook that night, saying it was to nourish my body, made especially for me. Under Ryan’s questioning, my mother-in-law finally admitted that the soup was actually a medicinal concoction she had obtained from a so-called master. “What kind of medicine?” Ryan demanded. “A fertility soup,” she replied. I was exhausted, both physically and mentally. I had always been frail since childhood, and doctors had advised against pregnancy. Moreover, I personally had decided not to have children, and had thoroughly discussed this with Ryan before marriage. He had firmly told me he supported my decision. To compensate for this in a way, my family had bought our marital home outright for us to live in as a couple. I hadn’t said anything when his mother moved in, and she had tried to make me take various strange medicines several times, which I had always refused for various reasons. I had complained to Ryan about this, but he said older people were all like that and told me not to mind it. Now she had done something like this. If the situation had been more serious, I could have accused her of attempted murder!

I stayed in the hospital to recover for quite some time, and this incident was hastily concluded. Ryan sternly warned his mother not to give me any more unknown substances, to which she reluctantly agreed. On the day I was discharged, Ryan came to pick me up. He went to handle the paperwork. At the corner of the hospital corridor, I unexpectedly overheard his mother’s voice. “Ryan, I’ve asked the doctors. They say Olivia’s body probably can’t bear children.” Ryan already knew this, so he brushed her off with a few words. Then I heard his mother lower her voice: “I’ve found a nice girl for you outside.” “Mom, what are you talking about?” Ryan asked. “I promise I won’t give Olivia any more medicine, but you have to let me hold a grandchild. That girl has wide hips and a strong body, she’s sure to give birth to a big, healthy boy. She really likes you. If you have a child with her and Olivia accepts it, that would be best. If she doesn’t, you can divorce her!” I felt like I was going to be sick again, my head spinning with anger and shock. Not only was my mother-in-law having an affair with Mr. Thompson, but she was also encouraging another girl to be her son’s mistress. She was truly rotten to the core. I barely managed to stand there, leaning against the wall, just to hear Ryan’s response. “I can’t divorce Olivia,” he said. Hearing this, I felt slightly relieved, but his next words shocked me: “I need to squeeze more money out of her family first. When she’s of no more use, I’ll divorce her. Mom, let me see that girl’s photo.” I don’t know how I made it back to the hospital room, then left the hospital and returned home as if nothing had happened. My heart had turned cold, and the flames of revenge were consuming me. I destroyed the files on the USB drive, then went straight to my mother-in-law’s room and replaced the birth control pills I had found earlier with ordinary stomach medicine. The Parker family wouldn’t get away with this easily. Back in college, Ryan had pursued me relentlessly, saying, “With you by my side, I’ll never look at another woman.” I thought I had married for love. But now I realized, if a woman truly believes a man’s sweet talk, she’s nothing but a fool. Just like I used to be. Don’t expect too much from marriage; it’s just two people living together. If you treat him as your true love, you’re bound to be disappointed. It’s better to treat him as an ordinary roommate; only then can you find a small wildflower in the midst of ugly reality. However, I wouldn’t divorce Ryan easily. Because the real show was about to begin.

My mother-in-law’s appetite grew larger and larger. When she filled her rice bowl for the third time at the dinner table, Ryan put down his chopsticks. “Mom, why are you eating so much lately?” His mother also put down her bowl and chopsticks. “What’s wrong? You think your mother eats too much? You think I’m wasting your money?” Ryan shook his head helplessly. His mother looked at me. “I’m old, and I eat more than Olivia. It shows that my body is stronger than hers. Her? Hmph, she can’t even have half a child.” I’m not a pig, why should I have to give birth? Whenever his mother targeted me like this, Ryan would pretend to be busy, not getting involved in the conflict. If it were the old me, I would have put down my chopsticks and argued with her. But now, I just smiled sheepishly and apologized to my mother-in-law. “You’re right, your body is much better. You look like you could still have children.” I acted humbly. “Eh? What are you talking about, child?” she said. “Olivia, how can you talk to Mom like that?” Ryan chimed in. They spoke simultaneously, their angry expressions identical. I was laughing inside, but on the outside, I maintained a look of terror. Suddenly, my mother-in-law pushed her chair back and rushed to the bathroom. Then came the sound of violent vomiting, so terrible it seemed as if she might throw up her internal organs. I drew in a sharp breath and suggested to Ryan that we should take his mother to the hospital for a check-up. He nodded in agreement. There was silence in the car on the way to the hospital. I abruptly spoke up, “Mom, your symptoms are like those of pregnancy.” My mother-in-law, looking pale, just coldly snorted. “Mom, there’s a legend in our hometown,” I continued. “They say that long ago, a woodcutter ate the egg of a snake god. The snake god, filled with resentment, cursed the woodcutter’s mother to become pregnant continuously, giving birth one after another until she died from exhaustion.” Ryan was driving and coldly looked at me through the rearview mirror. “Olivia, you have a master’s degree. How can you talk about such things?” he said. I smoothed my skirt and smiled slightly, saying I was just making casual conversation. My mother-in-law leaned back in her seat, resting with her eyes closed. I stirred up more trouble, “They say that since then, in our hometown, any woman who has an affair meets the same fate. My grandmother told me that people from our hometown carry this curse wherever they go!” Ryan got angry and honked the horn repeatedly, signaling me to shut up. I looked at his mother. Her closed eyelids were trembling slightly, and the back of her interlocked hands had turned blue – a sign of nervousness. My goal achieved, I stopped talking. The rest of the journey to the hospital was silent. While waiting for the results, my mother-in-law’s anxiety was visibly increasing. When her number was called, she wanted to go in alone, but Ryan, looking incredulous, led the way in. We two followed behind. The doctor pushed up his glasses and said, “Advanced maternal age, pregnancy not recommended.” Ryan leaned back and laughed loudly. “Don’t joke with us, doctor. My mom is over fifty, and my dad passed away two years ago. How could she be pregnant?” “We never joke about such matters,” the doctor replied sternly. “Then you must have mixed up the reports,” Ryan insisted. Seeing the doctor’s serious expression, Ryan’s laughter faded away. “Whose is it? Whose?!!!” Ryan shouted at his mother in the hospital corridor. His mother sat on a rest chair, her eyes red-rimmed, wiping tears with a handkerchief. She stammered, “The… the snake god’s.” “Snake god my ass!!!” Ryan exploded in rage. I held back the furious Ryan, kindly trying to persuade him:

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“You married her?!” Lily couldn’t accept it. Ethan had always loved her, so why did he suddenly marry someone he’d known for less than six months?! In the past, she would’ve been thrilled for Ethan to marry someone else and cut ties with her completely. But now, watching her only lifeline, her eternal backup plan, disappear, she felt like her world was crumbling. “You’ve always loved me. Divorce her! It’s either me or her!” Ethan’s expression changed: “Lily, are you insane? I’m just your brother.” Originally, she might have succeeded, but unfortunately, I had entered the picture. Lily’s return home was sudden. She had previously smashed the family photo and cut ties, but barely a month later, here she was again, eyes downcast, looking as fragile as ever. When she saw me sitting next to Ethan, she froze for a good while, clearly not expecting to see another woman by her brother’s side. I looked at her, also shocked. In just one month, life had taken such a toll on Lily that she looked like a different person. The once pampered princess now had chilblains all over her hands, and she had lost a considerable amount of weight. Ethan abruptly stood up from the sofa, his eyes behind the glasses dark with suppressed emotion. “What happened to your hands?” Lily tried to hide her hands in her sleeves, mumbling, “I’ve been cycling to the hospital lately…” After cutting ties with the Harrison family, she had naturally returned the car. She used to have gloves, but unfortunately, they had been stolen by some patient at the hospital. In the past, Lily wouldn’t have even needed to mention it; someone would have automatically bought her a new pair. But when she casually mentioned it to Jake, he immediately frowned, his lips curling into a contemptuous smile: “Once a princess, always a princess. You just can’t handle the life of us poor folks, can you?” “It’s just a pair of gloves, and it’s already making you think of the Harrison family. If that’s the case, why don’t you just go back?” “My aunt gets up at five or six every morning to cycle to the market, and her hands haven’t fallen off, have they?” Lily immediately shut up, not daring to say another word. She looked at Jake’s tense face in the warm orange light, her heart melting: “I know you’re afraid I’ll get tied up with the Harrison family again. You just don’t want to let me go.” After her fallout with her family, her mother, Victoria, seemed to age several years overnight. Looking at the daughter she had doted on since childhood, she was the first to soften: “Lily, sweetie, if you’re willing to come back, we’ll give you back your car, your house, everything…” “Stop, Mom.” Lily’s face immediately changed. She clutched her bag, looking both defiant and vulnerable at Victoria: “I told you, unless you accept Jake, I’m not coming back.” “You’ve already torn us apart once. This time, I won’t let you control me. I can’t change you, but I can die for him!” She was prepared for Victoria’s anger. Her mother had always been like this, making decisions about her life under the guise of having her best interests at heart. If it weren’t for Jake, she didn’t know how long she would have suffered in that gilded cage! But instead of the expected scolding, Victoria’s eyes were filled with disappointment and pain: “You’re willing to cut ties with your own parents for a man?” Lily, lost in thought, blurted out: “Adoptive parents.” Those few words had an earth-shattering effect. The entire Harrison mansion seemed to tremble. That single word, “adoptive,” negated all the years of care and nurturing Victoria and George had given her. “Fine, fine.” Victoria nodded repeatedly, her face gradually hardening into an impenetrable mask, cold and emotionless: “From now on, you have no parents, and no brother.” Lily left in tears, throwing herself into Jake’s arms, while Ethan, who had rushed out, still held a tube of chilblain cream in his hand. “Lily—” “Shut up!” Jake roared angrily, “Lily’s already like this, can’t you just leave her alone? Are you trying to drive her to suicide?!” Lily was cowering behind Jake, her doe-like eyes full of rejection and fear, as if she was facing not the brother she had grown up with, but some mortal enemy. “Ethan Harrison, Lily treated you as family, but what did you treat her as? A pawn, something you could toss aside at will! She’s already in this state, do you want to push her off a ledge before you’re satisfied?” Jake’s brows were furrowed into a deep ‘V’ as he berated the dejected-looking man. Ethan’s hand holding the chilblain cream slowly dropped, disappearing into the shadows. I saw the veins on the back of Ethan’s hand standing out. When had such a dignified and aloof person ever been shouted at by some lowlife thug? “Excuse me, Mr. Jake,” I said, my eyes full of contempt. “This is the Harrison house. You’re the ones who should leave.” I took the chilblain cream from Ethan’s hand and tossed it at Lily’s feet. “Your brother just wanted to give you some medicine. There’s no need to act like you’re at death’s door.” “You two claim to be madly in love, yet he can’t even afford to buy you a pair of gloves. Is this really the life you want?” “What’s wrong with this life?” Lily retorted, her eyes red. Jake let out a cold laugh, his eyes filled with naked disgust and an inexplicable sense of superiority as he looked at me. “Our Lily isn’t as delicate as someone like you!” Someone like me? I looked down at my designer coat, the lambskin boots on my feet, each strand of my hair polished to perfection. Someone like me lives in a penthouse, not crammed into a tiny old apartment with five people, getting up at six every morning to fight for the bathroom. Someone like me has a dozen cars to choose from, not braving the bitter wind to cycle for over an hour, then squeezing onto the subway like a frozen dog. Someone like me has tasted all sorts of delicacies, not moved to tears over a bowl of plain porridge. “Lily, don’t regret it later,” I said. After Lily left with Jake, Ethan and I returned to the Harrison house. Victoria had already composed herself, back to her usual impeccable self. “Ethan, Olivia just got back from abroad and isn’t familiar with things here. Spend more time with her.” Victoria was very pleased with me as a match. My mother had barely been in the door for half an hour before Victoria took my hand and invited me to stay for dinner. “Alright, Mom,” Ethan nodded. When he turned to look at me, his eyes behind the glasses were filled with nothing but unfamiliar detachment. I suddenly reached out, gently brushing away a bit of fluff that had landed on his shoulder. “Mr. Harrison, could you pick me up at City Hospital at 5 PM tomorrow? There’s an art exhibition I’d like to attend with you.”

My mother is the president of the Capital Medical Association and has significant influence in the medical field. After returning from studying abroad, I invested my first pot of gold in a medical research project in the country. The person in charge of this project is Dr. Xu from Capital Hospital, so the next day, I made a special trip to the hospital. Dr. Xu brought me the list of team members. When I saw Lily’s name on it, I raised an eyebrow slightly. “This Lily has less than six months of work experience. Why was she selected?” Dr. Xu’s expression changed slightly as he said, “She… her abilities are outstanding. It was a special admission.” “Outstanding ability isn’t enough,” I put the list aside, my tone indifferent. “I’m looking for well-rounded talents who excel in all aspects. Call all the selected candidates over. I want to interview them personally.” Dr. Xu’s eye for talent wasn’t bad. The candidates he chose were all promising, except for the out-of-place Lily. Even while waiting outside, she stood ten meters away from her colleagues, as if standing with these people would sully her pristine wings. “During your job interview, you said that if a critically ill patient requested a transfer to your hospital for surgery, and you judged the success rate to be low, you wouldn’t accept the transfer to treat them because you didn’t want to ruin your career?” “Yes,” Lily raised her chin, looking at me frankly, not seeing any problem with her thinking. My tone was calm: “Those who heal others should first be human. Have you forgotten the oath you took when you started studying medicine?” “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with my view. I’m the best surgeon in this hospital. Even if you have issues with me, you can’t deny that. I deserve this spot in the research team!” Lily gave me that look again, as if she had suffered a great injustice but was stubbornly refusing to give in. I was speechless. I was simply conducting a routine assessment of the personnel, but in Lily’s eyes, it was a targeted attack on her? I just didn’t want my investment to go to waste. Whether Lily was on the list or not, this interview was a necessary procedure. “Are you really at peace with yourself?” I let out a cold laugh. “I’ve seen your medical records. You’ve been seeing a psychologist for ten years and purchased antidepressants two months ago. Dr. Harrison, you should know that people with depression aren’t allowed to work as surgeons, right?” Anger flashed across Lily’s face as she accused sharply: “How dare you pry into my privacy!” “I’m sorry, but you submitted your own medical history,” I said. Lily was momentarily speechless, but she quickly raised her voice: “I’m not taking medication anymore.” A sweet smile spread across her face: “Ever since Jake came back into my life…” “I don’t want to hear about your cliché street romance,” I cut her off irritably. “Clearly, according to your psychologist’s diagnosis, your depression hasn’t fully improved.” “What if you have an episode while performing surgery? What about the patient then?” Lily argued stubbornly: “I won’t!” “Why should I believe you?” “Because of this hand!” Lily held up her right hand, her gaze determined, her voice firm. I laughed, simply finding it amusing, then heavily crossed out her name on the research team list. After submitting the new list, the deputy director of the hospital quickly found me, subtly mentioning: “This Lily, she’s the young lady of the Harrison Group…” “Not anymore,” I cut him off lightly. “As far as I know, she cut ties with the Harrison family a month ago for a man. Mrs. Harrison has already started the process of terminating the adoption.” Soon, rumors of Lily being abandoned by the Harrison family spread throughout the hospital. “I knew she got in through connections. Now that she’s lost her backing, of course she’s been passed over.” “How embarrassing.” “That’s right, without the Harrison family, how could she have had the chance to work with us…” Lily slammed her laptop shut, saying coldly: “I got into the hospital based on my own ability.” “What ability do you have?” A colleague rolled her eyes. Now that Lily no longer had the Harrison family backing her, they were all much bolder in their speech. “During your job interview, when you said that to Dr. Xu, he rejected you on the spot. If it wasn’t for your mother, do you think you could have gotten in?” Lily’s face darkened. What did that have to do with her? She had already said she didn’t need the Harrison family meddling in her work! Now the Harrison family had caused everyone to look down on her, yet she was still expected to be grateful to them! She packed up her things to leave work, her movements heavy. Thinking of Jake, and the plain porridge waiting for her at home, her face softened again. At least she had Jake. Otherwise, this life of wealth and power would have driven her crazy. Her mind and eyes were full of that man with a face as if carved from stone. She hurried out, her footsteps quick, but when she saw the Cayenne parked at the hospital entrance, the smile on her lips immediately fell. Hadn’t she made it clear enough? Why did Ethan keep pestering her? Even if she died, she wouldn’t go back! Lily learned from Jake to furrow her brows, lowering her head and walking quickly, pretending not to have seen anything as she tried to leave. I caught a glimpse of Lily standing in front, and deliberately put on a bright smile as I walked up to Ethan. “Why did you come so early?” He opened the passenger door for me, his voice low: “The company wasn’t busy, so I came.” I discreetly blocked Ethan’s line of sight and nodded: “Then let’s go.” As the car slowly pulled away, the confrontation Lily had imagined with her brother never happened. She bit her lip

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“Ethan, you married her?!” Lily was stunned. Ethan had always loved her, so why would he suddenly marry a woman he’d known for less than six months? In the past, Lily would have been thrilled for Ethan to marry someone else and sever all ties with her. But now, watching her only lifeline, her eternal backup plan, slip away, Lily felt like her world was crumbling. “You’ve always loved me. Divorce her! Ethan, it’s either me or her!” Lily cried. Ethan’s expression shifted. “Lily, have you lost your mind? I’m just your brother.” He would have given in to her before, but unfortunately for Lily, I had entered the picture. Lily’s return home was sudden. She had smashed the family photo and cut ties barely a month ago, yet here she was again, eyes downcast, looking as fragile as ever. When Lily saw me sitting next to Ethan, she froze, clearly not expecting another woman by her brother’s side. I looked at Lily, equally shocked. In just one month, life had taken a heavy toll on her. The once pampered princess now had frostbite on her hands and had lost considerable weight. Ethan abruptly stood up from the couch, his eyes dark with suppressed emotion behind his glasses. “What happened to your hands?” Lily tried to hide her hands in her sleeves. “I’ve been biking to the hospital lately…” she mumbled. After cutting ties with the Harrisons, Lily naturally had to return the car. She used to have gloves, but unfortunately, some patient at the hospital had stolen them. Before, Lily wouldn’t have even needed to mention it – someone would have automatically bought her a new pair. But when she casually told Jake about it, he immediately frowned. “Once a spoiled princess, always a spoiled princess,” Jake sneered. “You just can’t handle living like us common folk, can you? It’s just a pair of gloves, and it’s already making you think of the Harrisons again. Why don’t you just go crawling back to them then?” “My aunt gets up at 5 AM every day to bike to the market and her hands haven’t fallen off!” he chided unsympathetically. Lily quickly shut up, not daring to say another word. She gazed at Jake’s tense face in the warm light, her heart melting. “I know you’re just afraid I’ll get entangled with the Harrisons again,” she thought. “You don’t want to let me go.” After the fall-out with her family, Lily’s adoptive mother Victoria seemed to age several years overnight. Seeing the daughter she had doted on since childhood in this state, Victoria was the first to soften. “Lily, honey, if you’re willing to come back, we’ll return everything to you – your car, your house…” Victoria offered gently. “Stop, Mom.” Lily’s face immediately hardened. She clutched her bag, looking at Victoria with defiant vulnerability. “I told you, unless you accept Jake, I’m not coming back. You’ve already torn us apart once. I won’t let you control me again. I can’t change you, but I’ll die for him!” Lily braced herself for Victoria’s anger. Her mother had always been like this, making life decisions for Lily under the guise of knowing what was best. If not for Jake, who knew how much longer Lily would have suffered in that gilded cage! But instead of the scolding Lily expected, Victoria’s eyes filled with disappointment and pain. “You’d sever ties with your own parents for a man?” Lost in thought, Lily blurted out: “Adoptive parents.” That one word shattered everything, making the entire Harrison mansion tremble. With that single utterance, Lily had negated all the years of love and care Victoria and George had given her. “Fine, fine.” Victoria nodded repeatedly, her face gradually freezing into an impenetrable mask devoid of emotion. “From now on, you have no parents and no brother.” Lily left in tears, throwing herself into Jake’s arms. Ethan, who had rushed out still holding a tube of ointment for her frostbite, called after her. “Lily-” “Shut up!” Jake roared angrily. “Look at the state Lily is in. Can’t you just leave her alone? Are you trying to drive her to suicide?!” Lily cowered behind Jake, her doe eyes full of rejection and fear as if facing a mortal enemy rather than the brother she grew up with. “Ethan Harrison, Lily treated you like family, but what did you ever treat her as? A pawn to toss aside at will! She’s already suffering so much, yet you want to push her over the edge?!” Jake berated Ethan harshly, his brows furrowed into a deep ‘V’. Ethan’s hand holding the ointment slowly fell to his side, disappearing into the shadows. I noticed the veins popping on the back of his hand. When had this dignified man ever been shouted at like this by some lowlife thug? “Excuse me, Mr. Jake,” I said, eyes full of contempt. “This is the Harrison residence. You’re the ones who should leave.” I took the ointment from Ethan and tossed it at Lily’s feet. “Your brother just wanted to give you some medicine. No need to act like you’re on death’s door.” “You two claim to be madly in love, yet he can’t even afford to buy you gloves. Is this really the life you want?” “What’s wrong with this life?” Lily retorted, eyes red. Jake let out a cold laugh, gazing at me with undisguised disgust and a perplexing sense of superiority. “Our Lily isn’t as delicate as the likes of you!” The likes of me? I glanced down at my designer coat and lambskin boots, every strand of my hair perfectly styled. The likes of me lived in penthouses, not crammed into tiny apartments, fighting over the bathroom at 6 AM. The likes of me had a dozen cars to choose from, not biking for hours in the frigid wind before squeezing into the subway like frozen mutts. The likes of me dined on delicacies from around the world, not moved to tears by a plain bowl of porridge. “Lily, don’t come to regret this,” I warned. After Lily left with Jake, Ethan and I returned inside. Victoria had already recomposed herself. “Ethan, Olivia just got back from abroad and isn’t familiar with things here. Spend more time with her,” Victoria instructed, clearly pleased with me as a match. My mother had barely crossed the threshold before Victoria took my hand and invited me to stay for dinner. “Of course, Mom.” Ethan nodded. When he turned to me, his eyes behind the glasses held only unfamiliar detachment. I suddenly reached out and gently brushed a piece of lint off his shoulder. “Mr. Harrison, could you pick me up at Capital Hospital at 5 PM tomorrow? There’s an art exhibition I’d like you to attend with me.”

My mother was the president of the Capital Medical Association and wielded significant influence. After returning from studying abroad, I invested my first pot of gold into a medical research project. The person in charge was Dr. Xu from Capital Hospital. The next day, I made a special trip there. Dr. Xu brought me the list of team members. When I saw Lily’s name, I raised an eyebrow slightly. “This Lily has less than six months of experience. Why was she selected?” I inquired. Dr. Xu’s expression shifted subtly. “She…her abilities are outstanding. It was a special admission.” “Outstanding ability isn’t enough,” I said, setting the list aside. “I’m looking for well-rounded talents who excel in all aspects. Have all the selected candidates come here. I want to interview them personally.” Dr. Xu’s eye for talent wasn’t bad. The candidates he chose all showed promise – except for Lily, who stuck out like a sore thumb. Even while waiting, she stood far away from her colleagues as if mingling with them would sully her pristine wings. “During your job interview, you said that if a critically ill patient requested a transfer for surgery and you judged the success rate to be low, you wouldn’t accept the case because you didn’t want to risk your career?” “Yes,” Lily replied frankly, seeing no issue with her reasoning. I kept my tone level. “Those who heal must first be human. Have you forgotten the oath you took when you began studying medicine?” “I stand by my views. I’m the best surgeon at this hospital. Even if you take issue with me, you can’t deny that. I deserve my spot on this research team!” Lily gave me that look again, as if she had suffered a great injustice but refused to yield. I was speechless. I had merely been conducting a routine personnel assessment, yet Lily acted as if I was staging a personal attack against her. I simply didn’t want my investment to go to waste. Whether Lily made the cut or not, these interviews were a necessary procedure. “Can you truly be at peace with yourself?” I asked with a cold laugh. “I’ve seen your medical records. You’ve been seeing a psychologist for ten years and purchased antidepressants two months ago. Dr. Harrison, surely you know that surgeons can’t have depression.” Anger flashed across Lily’s face. “How dare you pry into my privacy!” “Apologies, but you submitted your own medical history,” I replied calmly. Lily was momentarily at a loss for words before raising her voice. “I’m not taking medication anymore. Ever since Jake came back into my life…” “I don’t care to hear about your cliché street romance,” I cut her off irritably. “Your psychologist’s diagnosis clearly shows your depression hasn’t fully improved.” “What if you have an episode during surgery? What about the patient then?” Lily argued stubbornly, “I won’t!” “Why should I believe you?” “Because of this hand!” She held up her right hand, gaze determined. I simply laughed, finding it absurd. Then I heavily crossed out her name on the team list. After I submitted the updated list, the hospital’s deputy director quickly found me. “This Lily is the young miss of the Harrison Group…” he mentioned subtly. “Not anymore,” I replied lightly. “As far as I know, she cut ties with the Harrisons a month ago for a man. Mrs. Harrison has already begun the process of terminating the adoption.” News of Lily being abandoned by the Harrisons soon spread throughout the hospital. “I knew she got in through connections. Now that she’s lost her backing, of course she got passed over.” “How embarrassing.” “Exactly. Without the Harrisons, how could she have had the chance to work with us…” Lily slammed her laptop shut. “I earned my spot through my own abilities,” she said coldly. “What abilities do you have?” A colleague rolled her eyes. With Lily’s powerful backing gone, they had all grown much bolder. “During your interview, when you said that to Dr. Xu, he rejected you on the spot. If not for your mother, do you think you could have gotten in?” Lily’s face darkened. What did that have to do with her? She had already said she didn’t need the Harrisons meddling in her work! Now they had caused everyone to look down on her, yet she was still expected to be grateful! Lily packed up heavily to leave, but her steps quickened at the thought of Jake and the plain porridge waiting for her at home. At least she had Jake. Otherwise, this life constrained by wealth and power would have driven her mad. Her mind and eyes were filled with that man whose face seemed carved from stone. But when Lily saw the Porsche parked at the hospital entrance, the smile immediately fell from her lips. Hadn’t she made herself clear enough? Why did Ethan keep pestering her? Even if she died, she wouldn’t go back! Lily had learned from Jake to furrow her brow. She lowered her head and walked quickly, pretending not to have seen anything as she tried to leave. I caught a glimpse of Lily and deliberately put on a bright smile as I approached Ethan. “Why did you come so early?” He opened the passenger door for me, his voice low. “Work wasn’t busy, so I came.” I discreetly blocked Ethan’s line of sight and nodded. “Then let’s go.” As the car pulled away, the confrontation Lily had imagined with her brother never materialized. She bit her lip,

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My boyfriend is the heir to a corporate empire, but he’s pretending to be an amnesiac poor college student freeloading at my place. After my best friend tried to convince me to dump this pretty boy for the 101st time, I still refused. There’s no way I’m breaking up with this pretty boy. Until one night I overheard his secretary’s conversation: “Now that these fish have taken the bait, it’s time for me to reel them in.” “And what about Miss Williams? How do you plan to deal with her?” “She’s just a gold digger. A check will be enough to get rid of her.” Hearing this, I almost laughed out loud. I was finally going to strike it rich. Recently, Ethan has been sneaking out behind my back a lot. Every time before he goes out, he always cooks a delicious meal for me, sweet-talking me with pet names. After I fall asleep at night, he quietly puts on his clothes and sneaks out. What he doesn’t know is that I’m not actually asleep at all. Because day and night, I’ve been waiting for him to betray me. Tonight, after thoroughly wearing me out, he put on his clothes and left. This is the tenth time this month. Even the most patient person would start to feel restless. Taking advantage of Ethan’s absence, I threw on some clothes and secretly followed him out. I hid in the stairwell, pressing my ear against the door. Ethan’s voice came from the other side: “Those old fogies at the company seem to be getting impatient. It’s time for me to reel them in.” Another man responded respectfully: “Then young master, how do you plan to deal with Miss Williams?” Hearing this question, my heart tensed up a bit. After freeloading off me for so long, using my money and sleeping with me, he better not be planning to just up and leave. Ethan said in a low voice: “She’s just a gold digger. A check will be enough to get rid of her.” The man seemed surprised by Ethan’s answer and quickly added: “Miss Williams has taken care of you for so long. Isn’t it a bit cold-hearted to just give her a check?” Ethan seemed annoyed: “What else then? Should I bring her back as your young mistress? Her? A third-rate student from a third-rate school who got a third-rate job at a third-rate company? Is she worthy of entering the doors of the Blackwood family?” The man asked again: “Then how much should we write the check for?” Ethan just threw out four words: “Whatever she wants.” Hearing this, I tiptoed back to the room. I could barely contain my excitement as I kicked the air a few times. “Whatever she wants” This was truly the sweetest thing I’d heard in two lifetimes.

That’s right, two lifetimes. Because I’ve been reborn. In my previous life, I also met Ethan pretending to have amnesia at the hospital. Seduced by his good looks, I brought him home. I fed him, clothed him, slept with him. To be honest, we did spend a very happy time together. And because we were so happy, I thought love was everything back then. Ethan pretended to have amnesia due to a car accident from company infighting, using this chance to hide in the shadows and completely overhaul the Blackwood Group. The day the Blackwood family sent people to pick Ethan up, over a dozen Rolls-Royces drove into my soon-to-be-demolished neighborhood. Such a grand spectacle drew all the neighbors to gather outside my door to watch. I saw Ethan change into a tailored suit and put on a Rolex watch. He lowered his head and signed a $5 million check for me, saying it was to thank me for taking care of him all this time. Back then, I was so focused on Ethan that love was more important than anything else. I refused that check, only wanting to be with Ethan forever. I still remember the look in Ethan’s eyes. It was like looking at a stray dog on the street. Contempt, confusion, ridicule. Later, Ethan broke up with me unilaterally. I couldn’t accept it and went to the media to expose the details of our relationship during the time Ethan pretended to have amnesia. This gave Ethan a reputation for being cold and unfaithful. As the controversy grew, it caused new turmoil in the Blackwood Group that had just settled down from internal strife. In the end, under my pressure, Ethan proposed to me in public and married me into the family. On the second day of our marriage, I saw the headline news of Ethan entering a hotel with a famous model the night before. In the days that followed, Ethan tortured me daily, saying outright that seeing me made him sick. He even acquired the media company I had leaked the story to and revealed to the public that I was the original whistleblower. In an instant, I went from being seen as a kind-hearted wife who stood by her husband through hardship to a scheming social climber. Ethan’s cold violence and the online abuse finally drove me to depression. In the end, I committed suicide at home.

When I woke up again, I found myself lying in the same hospital where I first met Ethan, having fainted from low blood sugar. Seeing Ethan sweetly calling me “sis” this and “sis” that, I rolled my eyes so hard they nearly fell out of my head. This life, I’m going to get back that $5 million that’s rightfully mine! Others who are reborn seek revenge, but not me. I just want the money. Sure enough, in this life Ethan did the same as before, claiming to have amnesia and falling in love with me at first sight. Looking at his chiseled, devastatingly handsome face, I could practically see the words “$5 million” written on it. I rubbed my hands together gleefully and brought him home. Luckily, everything in this life proceeded smoothly along the same path as before. We naturally got together, and I was even more attentive to him than in my previous life. Baby’s tired? I’ll give him a shoulder massage. Baby’s hungry? I’ll cook him some noodles. Baby’s out of money? I’ll transfer him some. Baby wants to sleep with me? No problem, come on then! Even my best friend of many years said I was a fair-weather friend who’d throw her under the bus for a man. Seeing how I took care of Ethan, my neighbor went home to complain to his wife that he wasn’t getting enough love and care. Under my daily affection, my relationship with Ethan gradually heated up. Unlike my past life, Ethan also started learning to cook, learning to take care of me, and often bringing me lunch at work, making all my coworkers envious of my attentive puppy boyfriend. Heh, attentive my ass. The dog part is true though. Ever since taking in Ethan and deciding to get that money, my career had been on the rise, getting promoted three times. But I didn’t care about this small change. I wanted that $5 million. My phone suddenly lit up with a WeChat message from my best friend, Rachel. This was the 101st time she demanded I break up with Ethan. “Sophie! You have to break up with that pretty boy, or we’re not friends anymore! Look at yourself now, obsessed with love. Do you remember our dream of getting rich?” In my past life, Rachel had sent me a similar message. I refused her then because I loved Ethan. This life, I still refused Rachel, but it was for the sake of getting rich! “Rachel, I love Ethan, trust me. But that doesn’t stop us from getting rich. Hurry up and pack your bags, get your passport and visa ready. Your girl’s about to take you flying.” After sending the message, I heard a noise outside the door. Ethan was back. I quickly put down my phone and pretended to be sound asleep. I felt the familiar scent from the side of the bed as he quietly lay down, wrapping his arm around my waist before falling asleep. He may sleep soundly, but I was too excited to sleep because of those four words – “whatever she wants.” The day has finally come! My days of being a slave are over! I’m going to flip the script and sing the song of the common folk!

I had been waiting for this day, watching the stars and counting the months, and another month passed. In my previous life, Ethan had already gone back by this time. Why hasn’t he made a move in this life? When I got home from work and opened the door, I was stunned for a moment. Flowers, balloons, candlelight, food, and music. Um… what’s this? “Sophie, today is the one-year anniversary of our meeting,” Ethan said. I looked at Ethan, all dressed up, not understanding what he was doing. Seeing that I hadn’t reacted, Ethan waved his hand in front of my face. “Sophie, Sophie, what are you thinking about?” I coughed lightly, “I’m thinking about you, of course. Thinking about how much effort my baby put into preparing this surprise for me. I’m so touched I could cry.” I pretended to be deeply moved, nestling into Ethan’s arms and planting a kiss on his chin. Ethan held me tight, rubbing his chin on the top of my head. “For you, this is all I should do.” I pinched my palm hard, the pain bringing tears to my eyes. I looked up at Ethan with misty eyes, “Will you ever not want me? After all, I’m just a third-rate graduate from a third-rate university, working a third-rate job at a third-rate company.” “How could that be possible!” Ethan said firmly. Looking at Ethan’s determined expression, I found it laughable inside. These were the very words you once said. Now you’re putting on this act of undying love, who are you trying to fool? It’s disgusting, truly disgusting to the core. “Really? You really won’t look down on me? Will you marry me? Will we get married?” I pressed on. Hearing my words, Ethan froze for a moment. Heh, man, caught you off guard, didn’t I? “Of course we will,” Ethan replied. I didn’t expect Ethan to agree. If he found me so repulsive, why keep up this charade? He should have gone into acting instead. I lowered my head, pretending to be happy, and buried my face in Ethan’s chest. Ethan pushed me away gently, picking up an exquisite velvet box from the table. Seeing the box, my eyes suddenly lit up. At least the kid knows what he’s doing. It wasn’t all for nothing that I played along with him for a year. Judging by the box, the contents must be quite valuable. “This is for you,” he said. I accepted it with great joy, but when I opened it, I saw a plain red string bracelet. What the hell? Where’s my knife? Is this what the heir to a corporate empire does? Is this how the successor to the Blackwood Group treats me? Are you kidding me? If it weren’t for the habit I’d developed of wearing a fake smile in front of Ethan, I really might have slapped him. “What’s this?” I asked, looking confused as I carefully picked up the red string, examining it closely. Well… it really was just a red string. Not even a gold bead, let alone a silver one. “This is a safety knot I got for you from the temple today. Wear it, and it will keep you safe and sound,” Ethan said. Go to hell! I was cursing Ethan’s eighteen generations of ancestors in my mind, but my face still maintained a touched expression. “Really? I love it so much. You’re so good to me,” I said, hooking my arms around Ethan’s neck and planting a kiss on his lips. Ethan took the opportunity to capture my lips, slowly savoring them like jelly. Another sleepless night followed. In the last moment before I lost consciousness, I was still thinking, this man is so stingy, will he even give me that check?

The next day, I was woken up by a buzz of discussion. I sat up in bed, but Ethan was already gone. I got up, nursing my sore waist, and walked to the window. A whole row of Rolls-Royces downstairs dazzled my eyes. Finally! Finally! The day has come at last. Suddenly, my waist didn’t hurt anymore, my legs weren’t sore anymore, I felt like I could climb five floors in one go. I didn’t even have time to put on my shoes before I flew downstairs. I saw that Ethan had already changed into a well-fitted black suit. His black-rimmed glasses had been replaced with gold-rimmed ones, and on his wrist was a diamond-encrusted Rolex. A crowd of people had gathered in circles around the entrance to the apartment building. Several men dressed as bodyguards approached Ethan, bowing respectfully. Finally, they’re here. You’re finally here. I was so excited I could almost cry, but I still controlled myself, pretending to be scared: “Who are you? Where are you taking my boyfriend?” A man dressed as a secretary pulled my arm away from Ethan. “Miss Williams, please show some self-respect. This is the young master of the Blackwood family, the heir to the Blackwood Group. As a token of appreciation for your care of Mr. Blackwood over the past year, here is a check. You may fill in any amount you wish. Consider it a small gesture from the Blackwood Group.” This voice was the same one I had heard during Ethan’s late-night secret conversation. My lips trembled slightly, tears streaming down uncontrollably. I looked every bit the image of a wife abandoned by her husband. I put my hand back on Ethan’s arm. “Ethan, are you… are you leaving me?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294519”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #重生Reborn #校园School #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic

My boyfriend’s the heir to a corporate empire. He’s pretending to be a poor college student with amnesia, freeloading at my place. My best friend’s told me a hundred times to dump this pretty boy. I always say no. No way I’m breaking up with him. Then one night, I overhear his secretary: “Now that these fish have taken the bait, it’s time to reel them in.” “What about Miss Williams? How will you handle her?” “She’s just a gold digger. A check will be enough to get rid of her.” I almost laugh out loud. I’m finally going to strike it rich. Ethan’s been sneaking out a lot lately. Before he goes, he always cooks me something delicious. Calls me pet names. After I fall asleep, he quietly gets dressed and slips out. What he doesn’t know is I’m not really asleep. Day and night, I’ve been waiting for him to betray me. Tonight, after wearing me out, he puts on his clothes and leaves. It’s the tenth time this month. Even I’m getting impatient. While Ethan’s gone, I throw on some clothes and follow him out. I hide in the stairwell, pressing my ear to the door. Ethan’s voice comes through: “Those old fogies at the company are getting antsy. Time to reel them in.” Another man responds respectfully: “Then young master, how do you plan to deal with Miss Williams?” My heart skips a beat when I hear this. After freeloading off me for so long, using my money and sleeping with me, he better not be planning to just up and leave. Ethan says in a low voice: “She’s just a gold digger. A check will be enough to get rid of her.” The man seems surprised by Ethan’s answer: “Miss Williams has taken care of you for so long. Isn’t it a bit cold to just give her a check?” Ethan sounds annoyed: “What else then? Should I bring her back as your young mistress? Her? A nobody from a no-name school who got a dead-end job at a worthless company? Is she worthy of the Blackwood family?” The man asks again: “Then how much should we write the check for?” Ethan just throws out four words: “Whatever she wants.” Hearing this, I tiptoe back to the room. I can barely contain my excitement as I kick the air a few times. “Whatever she wants” This is truly the sweetest thing I’ve heard in two lifetimes.

That’s right, two lifetimes. Because I’ve been reborn. In my previous life, I also met Ethan pretending to have amnesia at the hospital. Seduced by his good looks, I brought him home. I fed him, clothed him, slept with him. We did spend some happy times together. I thought love was everything back then. Ethan pretended to have amnesia from a car accident due to company infighting. He used this chance to hide and overhaul the Blackwood Group. The day the Blackwood family sent people to pick Ethan up, over a dozen Rolls-Royces drove into my run-down neighborhood. It was quite a spectacle. All the neighbors gathered to watch. I saw Ethan change into a tailored suit and put on a Rolex. He handed me a $5 million check, saying it was to thank me for taking care of him. Back then, I was so focused on Ethan that love was more important than anything. I refused that check. I only wanted to be with Ethan forever. I still remember the look in his eyes. Like he was looking at a stray dog. Contempt. Confusion. Ridicule. Later, Ethan broke up with me. I couldn’t accept it and went to the media to expose our relationship. This gave Ethan a reputation for being cold and unfaithful. As the controversy grew, it caused new turmoil in the Blackwood Group. In the end, under pressure, Ethan proposed to me in public and married me. On the second day of our marriage, I saw headline news of Ethan entering a hotel with a famous model the night before. In the days that followed, Ethan tortured me daily. He said outright that seeing me made him sick. He even bought the media company I’d leaked the story to. He revealed to the public that I was the original whistleblower. In an instant, I went from being seen as a kind-hearted wife to a scheming social climber. Ethan’s cruelty and the online abuse drove me to depression. In the end, I killed myself at home.

When I woke up again, I found myself lying in the same hospital where I first met Ethan. I’d fainted from low blood sugar. Seeing Ethan sweetly calling me “sis”, I rolled my eyes so hard they nearly fell out of my head. This life, I’m going to get that $5 million that’s rightfully mine! Others who are reborn seek revenge. Not me. I just want the money. Sure enough, Ethan did the same as before. He claimed to have amnesia and fell in love with me at first sight. Looking at his chiseled, devastatingly handsome face, I could practically see the words “$5 million” written on it. I rubbed my hands together gleefully and brought him home. Luckily, everything proceeded smoothly along the same path as before. We naturally got together. I was even more attentive to him than in my previous life. Baby’s tired? I’ll give him a shoulder massage. Baby’s hungry? I’ll cook him some food. Baby’s out of money? I’ll transfer him some. Baby wants to sleep with me? No problem, come on then! Even my best friend said I was throwing her under the bus for a man. Seeing how I took care of Ethan, my neighbor went home to complain to his wife that he wasn’t getting enough love. Under my daily affection, my relationship with Ethan heated up. Unlike my past life, Ethan also started learning to cook and take care of me. He often brought me lunch at work, making all my coworkers envious of my attentive puppy boyfriend. Heh, attentive my ass. The dog part is true though. Ever since taking in Ethan and deciding to get that money, my career had been on the rise. I got promoted three times. But I didn’t care about this small change. I wanted that $5 million. My phone suddenly lit up with a message from my best friend, Rachel. This was the 101st time she demanded I break up with Ethan. “Sophie! You have to dump that pretty boy, or we’re not friends anymore! Look at yourself now, obsessed with love. Do you remember our dream of getting rich?” In my past life, Rachel had sent me a similar message. I refused her then because I loved Ethan. This life, I still refused Rachel, but it was for the sake of getting rich! “Rachel, I love Ethan, trust me. But that doesn’t stop us from getting rich. Hurry up and pack your bags, get your passport ready. Your girl’s about to take you flying.” After sending the message, I heard a noise outside the door. Ethan was back. I quickly put down my phone and pretended to be sound asleep. I felt the familiar scent from the side of the bed as he quietly lay down, wrapping his arm around my waist before falling asleep. He may sleep soundly, but I was too excited to sleep because of those four words – “whatever she wants.” The day has finally come! My days of being a slave are over! I’m going to flip the script and sing the song of the common folk!

I had been waiting for this day, watching the stars and counting the months, and another month passed. In my previous life, Ethan had already gone back by this time. Why hasn’t he made a move in this life? When I got home from work and opened the door, I was stunned for a moment. Flowers, balloons, candlelight, food, and music. Um… what’s this? “Sophie, today is the one-year anniversary of our meeting,” Ethan said. I looked at Ethan, all dressed up, not understanding what he was doing. Seeing that I hadn’t reacted, Ethan waved his hand in front of my face. “Sophie, Sophie, what are you thinking about?” I coughed lightly, “I’m thinking about you, of course. Thinking about how much effort my baby put into preparing this surprise for me. I’m so touched I could cry.” I pretended to be deeply moved, nestling into Ethan’s arms and planting a kiss on his chin. Ethan held me tight, rubbing his chin on the top of my head. “For you, this is all I should do.” I pinched my palm hard, the pain bringing tears to my eyes. I looked up at Ethan with misty eyes, “Will you ever not want me? After all, I’m just a nobody from a no-name school, working a dead-end job at a worthless company.” “How could that be possible!” Ethan said firmly. Looking at Ethan’s determined expression, I found it laughable inside. These were the very words you once said. Now you’re putting on this act of undying love, who are you trying to fool? It’s disgusting, truly disgusting to the core. “Really? You really won’t look down on me? Will you marry me? Will we get married?” I pressed on. Hearing my words, Ethan froze for a moment. Heh, man, caught you off guard, didn’t I? “Of course we will,” Ethan replied. I didn’t expect Ethan to agree. If he found me so repulsive, why keep up this charade? He should have gone into acting instead. I lowered my head, pretending to be happy, and buried my face in Ethan’s chest. Ethan pushed me away gently, picking up an exquisite velvet box from the table. Seeing the box, my eyes suddenly lit up. At least the kid knows what he’s doing. It wasn’t all for nothing that I played along with him for a year. Judging by the box, the contents must be quite valuable. “This is for you,” he said. I accepted it with great joy, but when I opened it, I saw a plain red string bracelet. What the hell? Where’s my knife? Is this what the heir to a corporate empire does? Is this how the successor to the Blackwood Group treats me? Are you kidding me? If it weren’t for the habit I’d developed of wearing a fake smile in front of Ethan, I really might have slapped him. “What’s this?” I asked, looking confused as I carefully picked up the red string, examining it closely. Well… it really was just a red string. Not even a gold bead, let alone a silver one. “This is a safety knot I got for you from the temple today. Wear it, and it will keep you safe and sound,” Ethan said. Go to hell! I was cursing Ethan’s eighteen generations of ancestors in my mind, but my face still maintained a touched expression. “Really? I love it so much. You’re so good to me,” I said, hooking my arms around Ethan’s neck and planting a kiss on his lips. Ethan took the opportunity to capture my lips, slowly savoring them like jelly. Another sleepless night followed. In the last moment before I lost consciousness, I was still thinking, this man is so stingy, will he even give me that check?

The next day, I was woken up by a buzz of discussion. I sat up in bed, but Ethan was already gone. I got up, nursing my sore waist, and walked to the window. A whole row of Rolls-Royces downstairs dazzled my eyes. Finally! Finally! The day has come at last. Suddenly, my waist didn’t hurt anymore, my legs weren’t sore anymore, I felt like I could climb five floors in one go. I didn’t even have time to put on my shoes before I flew downstairs. I saw that Ethan had already changed into a well-fitted black suit. His black-rimmed glasses had been replaced with gold-rimmed ones, and on his wrist was a diamond-encrusted Rolex. A crowd of people had gathered in circles around the entrance to the apartment building. Several men dressed as bodyguards approached Ethan, bowing respectfully. Finally, they’re here. You’re finally here. I was so excited I could almost cry, but I still controlled myself, pretending to be scared: “Who are you? Where are you taking my boyfriend?” A man dressed as a secretary pulled my arm away from Ethan. “Miss Williams, please show some self-respect. This is the young master of the Blackwood family, the heir to the Blackwood Group. As a token of appreciation for your care of Mr. Blackwood over the past year, here is a check. You may fill in any amount you wish. Consider it a small gesture from the Blackwood Group.” This voice was the same one I had heard during Ethan’s late-night secret conversation. My lips trembled slightly, tears streaming down uncontrollably. I looked every bit the image of a wife abandoned by her husband. I put my hand back on Ethan’s arm. “Ethan, are you… are you leaving me?”

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I was the beautiful teacher, the unattainable dream for countless students. But the boy I’d bent over backwards to help drugged me. As I hazily mumbled “honey,” his hand slithered under my blouse. Afterward, he couldn’t stop bragging, spreading our intimate videos like wildfire. “Dream girl? Please. I’ve had her. Nothing special.” I plummeted from a pedestal to rock bottom. Soon after, my husband divorced me, my parents became social pariahs, and the school kicked me to the curb. Crushed by the online witch hunt, I took a swan dive off the school’s roof. Then I woke up. I’d gone back in time to the day that boy first transferred to our class. There I was again, standing before my senior class, donning that familiar bohemian dress and white sandals, the epitome of grace. Still the young, drop-dead gorgeous literature teacher. We had a new kid joining us, a charity case. Today was his first day. The moment he shuffled in, all eyes locked onto him, hushed whispers erupting. “Jesus, he looks like he crawled out of a horror movie. What a disappointment.” “I’m not trying to be mean, but I might be sick. Seriously, no offense.” He hobbled in with a noticeable limp. His sallow face was a maze of acne scars, topped off with a nose like a bulbous potato and a mole the size of a quarter underneath. “H-hey everyone. I’m the new guy. Hope we can get along.” As he stammered out his greeting, his eyes never left me. My breath caught in my throat. Ethan Springs. A name that would haunt me for a thousand lifetimes, each syllable dripping with venom. In my past life, I’d pitied this poor, crippled kid. I’d torn into anyone who dared bully him, bought him new clothes, taught him how to carry himself, told him to keep his chin up. But on one stormy night, Ethan Springs stalked me home. Like an idiot, I let him in out of the rain. He repaid me by slipping something in my drink. As I lay on the couch in a daze, calling out for my husband, his shaky hands fumbled with my buttons. Then everything went black. I was helpless as a newborn kitten. I woke up the next day, my body a canvas of bruises. Panicked, I ran to the cops, but the little snake had vanished into thin air. For days, I was a nervous wreck, jumping at shadows. Then I saw it. The high-def video making the rounds in every group chat, captioned: “Some dream girl. I’ve had her. Nothing to write home about.” The woman in the video was me, whimpering, sobbing, begging. In an instant, the internet exploded. See, I’d gone viral before when someone snapped a candid of me. The internet had dubbed me “The Girl Next Door” and “The Unattainable Dream.” #DreamTeacherSeducesStudent #DisgraceToTheProfession He never stepped up to take responsibility. Instead, he skulked in the shadows, giggling like a creep, sending me anonymous texts: “Miss Sophie, now we’re both in the gutter. Be with me. I’ll treat you right.” In the end, I couldn’t take the cyber lynch mob. I climbed to the school’s roof and took the plunge. I was three months pregnant at the time. From everyone’s dream girl to public enemy number one, I’d hit rock bottom. But now, as I stood at that familiar podium again, eyeing the boy in the back row, I felt the gears of fate starting to turn. This was my shot at redemption. He looked up at me, his accent thick as molasses: “‘The bubbling spring is voiceless in its flow; In shadow of the trees, a fountain plays.’ Miss, I’m… I’m Ethan. Ethan Springs.” The class erupted in jeers. “Dude, are you for real? You know our teacher’s name is Miss Sophie Summers, right?” He froze for a second, then flashed me a shy smile.

Our eyes met, and a chill ran down my spine. I forced myself to stay cool. After all, in this life, he was clueless. I could still nip this in the bud. “We’ve got a new face. Anyone want to be his desk buddy?” He’d started school late, already twenty and built like a linebacker. Not to mention his face looked like it’d been through a meat grinder. The class went dead silent. Nobody was jumping at the chance. Then Megan, our class rep, raised her hand. “Miss Summers, as class rep, I should set an example. I’ll sit with the new kid.” Looking at Megan’s kind, honest face, I saw a mirror of my past self. I coldly replied: “I hear your grades were pretty shabby before you transferred. Wouldn’t want to hold Megan back. Why don’t you grab that empty seat in the back?” There were plenty of open spots, but I’d chosen the most blatantly unfair option. He looked bewildered, like he couldn’t believe I was not only giving him the cold shoulder but actively throwing him under the bus. Ethan’s lips twitched, and he mumbled under his breath. “How… Miss Summers looks so gentle. How could she discriminate against me too?” Every word out of his mouth sent shivers down my spine. After class, I practically sprinted back to the staff room. My back was drenched in cold sweat, but I didn’t even notice as I gulped down scalding tea. My mind was racing. Should I quit now? Run away? I’d fought tooth and nail for this teaching position. How many sleepless nights had I spent studying to land this gig? They never let teachers switch classes in the final year, not with college entrance exams looming. Why should I give up everything because of him? I sat there in a daze until it was time to clock out. Jack came to pick me up, waiting in his car outside the school gates for half an hour. When he saw me coming down the steps, he rushed to open the door, pulling me into his arms. “Babe, you look awful. What’s wrong?” As I breathed in his familiar, warm scent, I finally broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. Jack and I had always been rock solid. In my past life, our “divorce” was just a front to shield me from the online hate mob. He whisked me away to a new city where we could start fresh. Later, when he saw how broken I was, he even went after Ethan with a knife. But Ethan used his grandma as a human shield. Jack got played. He ended up bleeding out on the pavement. Now, looking at Jack’s handsome face, still untouched by tragedy, I wiped away my tears and forced a smile. “It’s nothing. Just feeling a bit under the weather. Let’s go home.” Jack was having none of it. He grabbed my hand and made a beeline for the hospital. I couldn’t talk him out of it. An hour later, the rush blood test results came back. I was pregnant. Turns out, I was already carrying Jack’s baby at this point in time. When he found out I was pregnant, Jack swept me up in his arms, spinning me around. “Babe, this is amazing! We’re going to have a little one of our own!” “I hope it’s a girl. I’d love to raise a mini-Sophie, she’d be as beautiful and sweet as you.” I smiled through my tears, making a silent vow. This time, I’d protect our hard-earned happiness at all costs. The next day, I went to class as usual. My voice was hoarse from yesterday, so I brought a clip-on mic. The amplified sound drowned out all the messy emotions. I didn’t even glance at that corner, just taught my lesson like nothing was wrong. Things stayed quiet for a few days. Then, on Thursday afternoon, right after my last class, as I was heading back to the staff room. A group of girls were helping Ethan along, blocking my path. He’d clearly been roughed up. He reeked of toilet water, covered in bruises, his limp more pronounced than ever. But I knew better. This pitiful act was just a mask for the monster underneath. He was actually pretty strong, but he never fought back. He’d let the bullies have their way, never making a peep. His fingernails were long and grimy. His left hand was a mess, skin peeled off his index finger, the wound looking nasty. “Miss Summers, Ethan got beat up! The skin on his finger’s hanging off. What should we do?” The girls in our class were always ready to play hero, standing up for the underdog. Ethan gazed at me with puppy dog eyes, his nose scrunched up in pain, the sheen of oil on it making me want to gag. “Help me, Miss… please.” I was about to brush them off, tell them to take him to the nurse’s office, when our class monitor, Jenny, called out to me. “Miss Summers, don’t you have a first aid kit in your office? The nurse’s office is so far. Maybe we could patch him up real quick?” I paused, looking at his pleading eyes and his bleeding finger. Just then, the bell rang for the next class. I nodded. “Alright, come with me. The rest of you, get to class.” Ethan’s lips curled into a barely noticeable smirk. He followed me to the office. It was class time, so the place was deserted. I casually opened the first aid kit, pulling out alcohol, tweezers, and gauze. “Sit down. I’ll bandage you up.” The wind rustled the curtains, making the seashell wind chimes by the window tinkle softly. I gently cleaned his wound. He suddenly blushed. I asked, “What’s wrong?” “Miss Summers, you’re… you’re really pretty.” Ethan’s face turned beet red as he stammered out the compliment. Then his eyes glazed over, and I realized he was staring at my collarbone. While he was distracted, I smiled and plunged his entire finger into the bottle of alcohol. The skinned finger, raw and bloody, was now submerged in the nearly full bottle of medical-grade alcohol. “We need to disinfect it properly, okay?” He was horrified, trying to pull away, his face contorted in extreme pain. “It hurts! Miss, it really hurts!” But I kept smiling, gripping his wrist tightly, refusing to let go. The bottle’s narrow opening had practically swallowed his finger. I held it there until the blood turned the entire bottle of alcohol red. He’d bitten his lip bloody, eyes bulging, staring at me in utter shock. For the first time, I saw real hatred in his eyes.

But what he didn’t know was that in this life, I was a psycho who was all sunshine and rainbows to everyone else, but pure evil to him. His injury was bad enough that the school nurse sent him to the hospital. For the next few days, Ethan came to school with his hand all wrapped up. He tried hard in my class, always raising his hand to answer questions. I ignored him completely. Even when he won first prize in the school’s computer competition, bringing glory to our class, I didn’t say a word. The look in his eyes went from eager to dark. He once came to ask me directly: “Miss Summers, why don’t you ever acknowledge my efforts, no matter how hard I try?” I swiveled slightly in my office chair, not even looking at him. If compassion and kindness only bred betrayal, then in this life, I didn’t mind being the villain. As long as I could protect myself. “Because you don’t deserve it. Some things can’t be changed by effort alone, like your disgusting inner self, which is even uglier than your face.” Even now, I had good reason to say this. Just a few days ago, on my way home from work, I’d caught him torturing a stray cat. By the time I found them, the little white cat was already lifeless, scalded by boiling water. He’d smiled and said, “This haughty little cat scratched me. How could a cat be nobler than a human?” Now, Ethan glared at me with hatred, his hands clenching under his sleeves. I didn’t care. I kept giving him the cold shoulder. Even the head teacher noticed, frowning as he reminded me: “Sophie, teachers should treat all students equally. We shouldn’t be harsh on special cases, we should give them extra care.” But I didn’t mince words, saying right in front of Ethan: “What’s so special about him? He has hands and feet, he’s mentally sound. If we give him special treatment, is that fair to the other students?” He started to hate me, spreading rumors about me having a wild private life, seducing the principal, that sort of thing. But on the surface, he’d still flash me a grin and say hi when he saw me. As autumn turned to winter, Ethan started wearing shabby coats and ripped jeans, sticking out like a sore thumb. I’d heard he was orphaned young, raised by his grandma who spoiled him rotten. On my 25th birthday, I won the city’s Outstanding Teacher award. Double celebration. I had a great rapport with my students. This was the job I’d always dreamed of. Several students chipped in to buy me a huge, gorgeous bouquet. I accepted with a big smile. “Megan, Jenny, you both made the top ten in the recent mock exam. Didn’t you two want to be desk buddies before? I was worried you’d chat too much and fall behind, but now, go for it.” “Travis, your literature score’s looking up. Try to shift some focus from science and math to memorizing more poetry. Easy points, right?” As I was chatting with the students, I spotted an uninvited guest in the crowd. Ethan had brought me flowers too. Whether by accident or design, it was a single white rose, its petals crushed and oozing sap. Hideous. “Miss Summers, I saved up my allowance for a week to buy this for you. You have to like it, okay?” He held it out to me, hope shining in his eyes. My smile vanished. In front of all the teachers and students in the office, I picked it up with a tissue and dropped it on the floor. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. “Filthy.” Ethan’s lips quivered, but he bent down to pick up the flower without a word and walked away. The dark look in his eyes sent chills down my spine. But I didn’t look back. I wasn’t afraid of his hatred. He always preyed on those weaker than him, cowering before the strong.

Jack had earned a black belt in Taekwondo in his spare time. I’d picked up some self-defense moves from him, just in case. When I got home, my husband was waiting with a massive bouquet of roses, his voice soft and loving. “Happy birthday to my award-winning teacher, my beautiful Sophie!” Despite my excitement, I put on a sour face, feigning disappointment. Sure enough, over our candlelit dinner, Jack brought up his upcoming research trip abroad. “This research opportunity is crucial for my career advancement. Babe, I’m afraid I won’t be able to take care of you for these two months.” He sighed. My adamant refusal took him by surprise. I knew he wouldn’t believe in time travel or reincarnation. So instead, I said: “Jack, I had this awful dream the other day. After you left, someone broke into our home and… and tortured me. When you came back to avenge me, knife in hand, they killed you instead.” “Our family of three was destroyed, but the culprit got away scot-free.” “That’s impossible. We live in a society governed by law. Are you feeling okay? You seem a bit unstable lately.” He clasped my hand, concern etched on his face. In the end, after my relentless pleading, Jack decided to stay, giving up his research opportunity out of worry for me. I felt guilty about hindering his career, but it was getting close. That stormy night when Ethan would break into my home and ruin everything. Even though my attitude towards him was completely different this time, I couldn’t risk fate playing a cruel joke on me. I remembered clearly it was on a Friday. Ethan had followed me after school, begging me to let him in to escape the rain. But tonight, Jack was stuck in traffic and couldn’t make it home after work. After several unanswered calls, I started to get anxious. Soon, Jack sent me a text. “Honey, there are accidents all over due to the heavy rain. The highway’s jammed, I can’t get back. They’re not letting us use phones. Don’t wait up, okay?” By 10:30 PM, there was still no knock at the door. The rain was coming down harder, drowning out my chaotic thoughts. My taut nerves finally relaxed a bit. I was finally feeling sleepy, my body covered in cold sweat. I decided to take a shower and go to bed. The hot water felt good on my skin. In the bathroom mirror, I saw my reflection – delicate features, a straight nose, big doe eyes with long lashes, hinting at sensuality. I caressed my still-flat belly. Jack always said I was beautiful, and he wasn’t bad looking himself. Our baby would surely be a little angel. Lost in thought, I grabbed a towel to dry off. Just then, in the steamy mirror, a dark, grinning face appeared behind me, limping closer. It was Ethan! Sheer terror washed over me. This wasn’t a hallucination. He’d cracked my home security system. In my past life, when I’d let him in to escape the rain, he’d seen my door code. This time, to avoid bad luck, I’d changed the locks and even installed a reinforced security door. Only my fingerprint and Jack’s could open it. Had all my precautions been for nothing? Was I doomed to relive this nightmare? A cold, mud-caked hand reached in. I screamed, but my waist was suddenly gripped tight, another hand sliding upwards. “Miss Summers, it’s raining outside. I’m so cold. Can you… can you hold me?”

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My mom came from another world. She was a “player” sent here on a mission. After Mom successfully won Dad’s heart, she chose to stay in this world forever. Our family lived happily. But then Dad fell for his secretary. Mom told Dad, “If you see her again, I’m leaving.” Dad replied, “You don’t even have a family to go back to. Where could you possibly go?” But when Mom really left,Dad lost his mind. I pushed open the bedroom door. Mom was lying quietly on the bed. She seemed to be asleep. I walked over and called out softly, “Mom.” But she didn’t open her eyes and pull me into her arms like she usually did. I gently placed my hand under her nose, but there was no breath. I knew then that my mom was gone.

Mom had told me before that she was a “player” from another world. Because she successfully completed her mission, she chose to stay in this world forever. Her eyes twinkled when she said this. I didn’t understand what a “player” was at the time, but I still asked, “Mom, what was your mission?” Mom held my little hand and said, “To win your dad’s heart, make him fall in love with me, and then have you!” “So, Lily, you’re Mom’s greatest gift.” She gently kissed my cheek and said she would never regret it. But later, Mom never smiled like that again. Because Dad later fell for a secretary. People said that since Dad had someone else, he would soon abandon Mom and me. I angrily chased them away and hugged Mom. At the time, I thought: Even if Dad didn’t want Mom anymore, it didn’t matter. At least Mom still wanted Lily. Because she was my mom, she would surely stay with me forever.

Usually, it was Mom who took off my pajamas, put on my clothes, and then took me to brush my teeth. Mom said I was already ten years old, and it was embarrassing that she still had to watch over me doing these things. What if my classmates found out and laughed at me? I would pout and say, “They’d only be jealous that my mom loves me so much.” But now that Mom was gone, I had to dress myself. At the dining table, Aunt May had already prepared breakfast. Aunt May asked me, “Why isn’t the madam up yet?” I said, “Mom’s sleeping.” Aunt May was the nanny Mom had hired for me, paying ten years’ salary in advance to take care of my daily needs. Before, we didn’t have a nanny at home. Because Mom did everything in the house. My mom was Superwoman. Every day, after finishing the housework, putting me to bed, and spending time with Dad, she would still go to the study and teach herself law for an hour. Because she was preparing for the bar exam. Dad didn’t understand and said, “You’re so busy and tired every day, why bother?” “I provide for you, isn’t it good enough to just relax and enjoy life?” But Mom would just shake her head gently yet firmly, and say, “Jake, this is my dream.” When she said this, Mom’s eyes would sparkle. I thought Mom looked so beautiful, so beautiful at that moment. I think Dad must have thought the same. He reached out and instinctively pulled Mom into his arms, then buried his face in her neck, nuzzling her like a puppy. Mom blushed and pushed Dad away. “Lily’s still here.” I knew that Dad and Mom were about to play their game again, the one they never let me join. I wanted to beg Mom to include me this time. But Dad’s eyes fell on me, and he said, “Lily, out.” I suddenly didn’t dare anymore. I could only obediently leave. Most of the time, Dad was very good to me. But I was most afraid when he looked at me with those eyes, making me unconsciously agree to things. In the time that followed, the house became very harmonious. Dad encouraged Mom to take the bar exam and would even keep her company late into the night. But on the day before the bar exam, Dad took away all of Mom’s documents and locked her in the room. He only brought me back from the company after the exam time had passed. Mom looked at Dad, her eyes blazing with fire. “Jake, do you know I’ve been preparing for this for a year!” “Do you know how important this is to me?” Dad walked up to her, holding her tight in his arms despite her struggles. He said softly, “Olivia, I’m sorry, but I’m doing this for our family.” “I just want you to stay at home, where I can hold you whenever I reach out.” “Besides, Lily feels the same way, don’t you?” As he said the last sentence, Dad’s eyes turned to me. But I remembered what Dad had told me earlier that day. “If Mom becomes a lawyer, she’ll be traveling all the time, dealing with clients, and she’ll forget about you.” “And if Mom goes out to meet people every day, what if she falls for someone else? She’ll abandon me, abandon you, and abandon this family.” I thought what Dad said was so scary. I didn’t want Mom to abandon me. So I walked up, tugged at Mom’s hand, and said, “Mom, don’t be mad at Dad. I don’t want you to go either.” Mom looked at me, her body seeming to lose all strength, gradually softening in Dad’s arms. Mom’s dry voice came after a long while. “This is the last time.” Dad smiled with satisfaction. Even though things had developed as I wanted them to, Looking at Mom’s eyes, a little dimmer than before, I felt uneasy, like I had done something wrong.

After finishing my meal, I went back to my bedroom, closed the door, and quietly looked at my mom. At ten years old, I could already understand life and death. But I wasn’t afraid. Mom said she was eighteen when she crossed over to this world. In her original world, her body was still lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to machines. She said that when she successfully completed her mission, the system gave her two choices. Return to her original world, or stay here. She wanted to go home to see her mom, but she couldn’t bear to leave Dad, and especially couldn’t leave me, still a baby in the cradle, so she stayed. I asked Mom, “Mom, can you stay with Lily forever?” Mom said, “Of course.” I remembered those two words for a long time. Now I just gently tapped Mom’s nose. Softly, I said, “Mom, you liar.” Suddenly, the doorbell rang. I knew it couldn’t be Dad; he hadn’t been home in a long time. Aunt Rachel’s voice called from outside, “Lily, come open the door for Auntie. Auntie will take you home.” “Auntie will be your mom.” I shouted loudly, “Go away! You’re not my mom. You’re a homewrecker, destroying my family!” After Mom gave up on the bar exam, she devoted herself entirely to taking care of Dad and me. We were very happy. I thought we would always be happy. But then Aunt Rachel appeared. She was Dad’s newly hired secretary, always clumsy and fumbling. During that time, Dad complained about Aunt Rachel more and more often. I was puzzled. If Dad disliked her so much, why didn’t he just fire her? Moreover, because of her, Dad came home later and later, sometimes not coming home at all. Aunt Rachel’s figure also started appearing in Dad’s social media posts. When Mom took me shopping at the mall, we would also see Dad accompanying Aunt Rachel. When Mom saw them, she accidentally dropped a vase. Dad heard the sound and looked over. The expression on his face changed to panic for a moment. Then he let go of Aunt Rachel’s wrist, wanting to chase after Mom. But Mom picked me up, covered her mouth, and ran out. That night, Dad and Mom had a big fight. I crouched behind the door, listening to Dad explain to Mom. Dad said he was just helping Aunt Rachel because she looked so pitiful alone. He said there was nothing between them, that he just treated her like a little sister. I thought Dad’s words sounded so fake. In my class, Tommy was always calling girls his “little sister,” and people said he was playing with multiple girls at once. I saw Mom give a cold laugh, refuting Dad’s half-hearted excuses, and then she said to Dad: “If you see her again, I’m leaving.” Dad, who had been explaining, got angry when he heard this. Dad shouted, “Olivia, you’re going to divorce me over something so trivial?” “Is that necessary? I won’t do anything with Rachel. I still love you. Can’t you be a bit more understanding?” Mom said, “This isn’t trivial to me.” “You broke your vows, betrayed our love. How can I be understanding?” Dad panicked a bit, but he angrily said, “Where would you go if you left?” “Who do you know here besides me and Lily?” Dad knew. He knew Mom was a player from another world, who gave up the chance to return to her original world for him. He knew Mom could only stay here forever, with nowhere else to go. I remember once when Dad made Mom angry. Mom was so upset she grabbed her bag and ran out. I was so anxious, patting Dad’s leg, telling him to go find Mom. But Dad just crossed his legs, looked at his newspaper, and said, “Where else could she go?” In the evening, Mom came back with her bag, her eyes red. She held up the bag in her hand and said, “Jake, I bought food for you guys.” She opened the takeout boxes. Ah. It was my favorite crab roe dumplings and Dad’s favorite chive dumplings. I happily ate the dumplings, but when I saw Mom quietly eating yesterday’s steamed bun with her head down, I suddenly couldn’t eat anymore. I thought, if Mom had a family to go back to, no matter how far, by train or plane, she would go back. But her family was in another world, so she had nowhere to go. Dad took advantage of this point to make Mom obey.

Outside, Aunt Rachel knocked on the door for a while, and soon the sound stopped. I thought she had left. But an hour later, I heard the sound of someone tampering with the lock. On the security camera, I saw an unfamiliar man. I got a bit scared. Mom always said that if a child is home alone and there are strangers outside, they must find an adult. I couldn’t find Mom, so I could only run to the kitchen to find Aunt May. “Auntie, there’s someone outside. I don’t know them.” Aunt May grabbed a knife, swallowed hard, and led me to wait by the door. Until the lock was opened. Aunt Rachel stood smiling at the door, then handed the locksmith twenty dollars. “Thank you, sir.” Aunt May said, “Miss Rachel, how could you do this?” Aunt Rachel said, “Lily, your dad asked me to take you away.” “You wouldn’t see me, so I had to do this.” She stepped forward to grab me. I bit her hand viciously. I shouted, “I won’t go with you.” “Give up on that idea.” Aunt Rachel let out a scream. I tasted blood in my throat. Only then did I let go. Aunt Rachel angrily pushed me to the ground. Then she stormed off furiously. My hand was scratched by a splinter on the floor, bleeding a bit. Aunt May quickly brought the first aid kit. Even though it was Aunt May bandaging me, I couldn’t help but say, “Mom, it hurts.” But my mom, she couldn’t hear me anymore. Before, Mom was with Dad and me every day. But now that she’s gone, I realized, So this is what it feels like to miss Mom. I remember when I was six, during Chinese New Year, Dad took Mom and me back to the ancestral home for a family gathering. The gathering was full of Dad’s relatives. There were uncles, aunts, grandpa, grandma… So many people, bustling with noise and excitement. But only Mom was there alone with me. That day, Mom was busy back and forth, cooking an entire table of dishes by herself. We were all eating while she was still busy in the kitchen. The uncles all said to Dad: “Little brother, you really married a capable and virtuous woman.” Dad smiled proudly. Mom tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear, wiped the flour from her forehead, and lowered her head with a smile. By the time she could finally sit at the table, most of the food had been eaten. Because I said I was full and a bit sleepy after eating, She only ate a few bites hastily, then took me upstairs. But when we reached the stairs, Mom suddenly stopped, turning to look down. I was a bit curious, so I looked too. Grandpa and Grandma were giving red envelopes to the younger generation, uncles were discussing work with Dad, and many aunts were gathered to play cards. They were all one family. Mom looked for a long time. I tugged at Mom’s hand and asked, “Mom, what’s wrong?” Mom came back to her senses and looked at me. Behind her was the bustling noise and the lights of countless homes, but her eyes looked incredibly sad and lonely. “Lily, what do you think your grandmother is doing right now?” So my mom misses her mom too!

After Aunt May finished bandaging me, she looked at Mom’s room with a frown and said, “It’s almost dark, why hasn’t the madam woken up yet?” I said, “Mom’s so tired, let her sleep a bit longer.” Aunt May said again, “Sigh, it’s been several days, and the master hasn’t come back to check on her.” My dad hasn’t been home for a long time. He once said he was on a business trip, but he actually went on vacation with Aunt Rachel. Aunt Rachel proudly showed those photos to Mom, telling her to quickly divorce Dad and make room for her. I saw Mom’s eyes turn red in an instant. Because that place was somewhere Mom had wanted to go for a long time. Mom wanted Dad to take her there, but Dad was always too busy. Unexpectedly, Dad took Aunt Rachel there first. Mom showed the photos to Dad. When Dad saw them, his face changed immediately. Dad said those photos were photoshopped, fake, and didn’t count. At that moment, Mom’s eyes were filled with sadness. Mom said: “Jake, what did you promise me when we got married? To love only me, to be good only to me.” “Otherwise, why would I stay here!” Dad said, “Haven’t I been good to you? A house worth millions, a ring worth hundreds of thousands, clothes worth tens of thousands, I’ve given you everything you wanted.” “Isn’t that good enough?” Mom shook her head, muttering, “There’s just no way to communicate with you.” She threw all of Dad’s clothes and shoes out. Dad felt very embarrassed, so he said he wouldn’t come back. So from that day on, Dad really moved out. Soon after, Aunt Rachel’s house caught fire. So Aunt Rachel moved in with Dad. When we heard this news, Mom didn’t cry. She just hugged me gently. Mom said she now understood that people’s hearts can change easily, love can change, and vows only count when they’re made. It’s just that she understood too late. Now it was too late for regrets. 8 In the evening, I squeezed my own toothpaste, brushed my teeth, and wiped my small body with a towel. Then I climbed next to Mom, hugging her. Even though my mom’s body had already stiffened and her skin had turned cold, as long as she was still lying here, I felt so happy. I once asked Mom. “Mom, what kind of person was your mom?” My mom didn’t seem to have a dad; her mom was her only relative before. Mom said her mom was very strict with her, always hitting her, scolding her, and lecturing her when she didn’t do her homework. I frowned. I didn’t understand. Why, if she was like that, would Mom still miss her mom? Sometimes when Mom had nightmares, she would call out not Dad’s name, but “Mom.” Mom’s tone suddenly changed. “But when I was diagnosed with leukemia at sixteen, my mom never got angry with me again.” “She quit her job, sold our house, and stayed by my bedside every day to take care of me.” “My mom, she loved me very much too.” As she spoke, Mom’s tone was a bit proud, and a bit sad. I knew that my mom had never forgotten her mom. Because when she crossed over to this world at eighteen, she was still just a little girl. The day she discovered Dad was vacationing with Aunt Rachel, Mom sat by the window and cried alone. Mom said she shouldn’t have been blinded by love, giving up everything, including her own mother, whom she could never see again. 9 Mom had actually proposed divorce to Dad before. A month after Dad moved out, Mom sent him a message asking him to come home. Dad wore a black suit, his hair styled with gel, looking even more handsome than before. That day Mom had prepared a table full of dishes. Dad said somewhat smugly: “Thought it through?” I also happily sat at the table, looking at Dad and Mom, hoping they could reconcile. But Mom put down her chopsticks and said: “Jake, let’s get a divorce.” I was old enough to know what divorce meant. Divorce meant Dad and Mom would be separated forever, and we would rarely be together. When Dad heard this, his expression changed instantly. “Olivia, you want a divorce over something so trivial?” “Is it necessary? I won’t do anything with Rachel. I still love you. Can’t you be more understanding?” Mom said: “This isn’t trivial to me.” “You broke your vows, betrayed our love. How can I be understanding?” Dad panicked a bit, but he angrily said: “Where would you go if we divorced?” “Who do you know here besides me and Lily?” Mom choked up and said: “If I don’t know anyone, I’ll go out and meet people. If I have no money, I’ll wash dishes and mop floors for others. I can always manage to survive with Lily on my own.” Dad laughed coldly, throwing down a sentence: “You’re welcome to try.” He turned and walked away hurriedly. Over the next few days, Mom sent out many job applications, but they were all rejected. Mom didn’t give up, sending the same resume hundreds and thousands of times. Until a kind-hearted person told her: “Mrs. Zhou, Mr. Jiang has already spread the word, so no one dares to hire you.” Soon after, a lawyer came to the door with a document for Mom. Mom asked: “What’s this?” The lawyer said: “This is a comparison of your and Mr. Jiang’s assets.” “If there’s a custody battle for your daughter in the future—” He pushed up his glasses. “Unfortunately, you have no chance of winning.” Mom’s face turned pale. I clutched Mom’s clothes tightly, but didn’t dare to say anything. Soon, all of Dad’s relatives came. They surrounded Mom, their tone like an interrogation. “Little Jiang has such good conditions, and you still want to divorce him? You won’t find another opportunity like this.” “Really ungrateful, don’t know what Little Jiang saw in her?” Mom said coldly: “Stop trying to persuade me. I just want to divorce him.” Someone softened their tone, appealing to emotions. “Olivia, look, the child is so big now. If she knows her parents are divorcing, how sad would she be?” Mom’s expression softened a bit. The group immediately said: “Yes, children always need a healthy childhood.” “It’s all for the child, what can’t you endure?” “…” Someone pushed me in front of Mom, then smiled and asked me: “Lily, do you want your parents to divorce?” “If they divorce, you’ll be a child without a mother.” My tears fell instantly. I hugged Mom, saying fearfully: “Mom, please, don’t leave Dad.” “Lily can’t bear to be without you.” Mom looked at me blankly, her eyes seeming to have tears too. “Forget it.” A soft voice. Like a sigh. Mom gave up. I thought this way, I could keep Mom forever. But I didn’t know that some birds can’t be caged, every feather shines with the light of freedom.

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Mom came from another world. She was a “player” sent here on a mission. After winning Dad’s heart, she chose to stay here forever. We were happy, for a while. Then Dad fell for his secretary. “If you see her again, I’m leaving,” Mom warned. Dad scoffed. “Where would you go? You have no family here.” He thought he had her trapped. But when she really left, Dad lost it. I pushed open the bedroom door. Mom lay still on the bed. She looked asleep. “Mom?” I called softly. No response. No hug. Nothing. I touched her nose. No breath. My mom was gone.

Mom once told me she was a “player” from another world. She completed her mission and chose to stay. Her eyes sparkled when she said it. I didn’t get it then. “What was your mission, Mom?” I asked. She squeezed my hand. “To make your dad fall for me and have you, Lily. You’re my greatest gift.” She kissed my cheek. Said she’d never regret it. But Mom stopped smiling like that after Dad’s affair. Everyone said he’d dump us soon. I hugged Mom tight. I thought: Even if Dad doesn’t want her, it’s okay. Mom still wants me. She’ll stay forever.

Usually, Mom helped me dress and brush my teeth. “Lily, you’re ten now. Aren’t you embarrassed? What if your friends knew?” I’d pout. “They’d just be jealous that my mom loves me so much.” But now Mom was gone. I had to do it all myself. At breakfast, Mrs. Davis, our housekeeper, asked, “Why isn’t the missus up yet?” “Mom’s sleeping,” I said. Mrs. Davis was the nanny Mom hired. Paid ten years upfront to care for me. We never had help before. Mom did everything. My mom was Superwoman. After chores, tucking me in, and time with Dad, she’d study law for an hour each night. Prepping for the bar exam. Dad didn’t get it. “Why bother? You’re busy enough. I support you. Just relax.” Mom shook her head. “James, this is my dream.” Her eyes shone. She looked so beautiful. I think Dad thought so too. He’d pull her close, nuzzling her neck. Mom would blush and push him away. “Lily’s still here.” I knew they were about to play their “game” – one they never let me join. I wanted to beg to play just once. But Dad’s eyes fell on me. “Lily, out.” I lost my nerve and left. Dad was usually good to me, but I hated that look. It made me agree to things without thinking. Things were good for a while after that. Dad encouraged Mom’s bar prep. Stayed up late with her. But the day before the exam, he took her IDs and locked her in. Only brought me home after it was over. Mom’s eyes blazed. “James, I’ve been preparing for a year! Do you know how important this is?” Dad held her tight. “Emily, I’m sorry. It’s for our family. I want you home where I can reach you. Lily feels the same, right?” His eyes turned to me. I remembered what he’d said earlier. “If Mom becomes a lawyer, she’ll always be traveling. Meeting clients. She might forget you. What if she falls for someone else? She could leave us all behind.” It terrified me. I didn’t want Mom to leave. I tugged her hand. “Mom, don’t be mad. I don’t want you to go either.” Mom looked at me. All fight drained from her. She went limp in Dad’s arms. After a long silence, she said, “This is the last time.” Dad smiled, satisfied. Things went how I wanted. But seeing Mom’s dim eyes, I felt uneasy. Had I done something wrong?

After dinner, I watched Mom quietly. At ten, I understood death. But I wasn’t scared. Mom said she came here at eighteen. In her world, she was on life support. When she finished her mission, the “system” gave her two choices: go home or stay. She wanted to see her mom but couldn’t leave Dad or baby me. So she stayed. I once asked, “Mom, will you stay with Lily forever?” “Of course,” she said. I held those words close. Now, I just tapped her nose. “Mom, you liar,” I whispered. The doorbell rang. Not Dad; he hadn’t been home in ages. I heard Ms. Wilson outside. “Lily, open up. I’m here to take you home. I’ll be your new mom.” I yelled back, “Go away! You’re not my mom. You’re a homewrecker!” After quitting the bar, Mom devoted herself to us. We were happy. I thought we always would be. Then Ms. Wilson showed up. Dad’s new secretary. Always fumbling things. Dad complained about her constantly. I was confused – if he hated her, why not fire her? But he came home later and later. Sometimes not at all. Ms. Wilson appeared in Dad’s social media. Once, shopping with Mom, we spotted them at the mall. Mom dropped a vase. Dad looked over, panicked. He let go of Ms. Wilson and tried to chase us. But Mom scooped me up and ran. That night, they fought. I hid, listening to Dad’s excuses. He claimed he was just helping Ms. Wilson. Said she was like a sister. It sounded so fake. In my class, Billy called girls his “sisters.” Everyone said he was playing around. Mom laughed coldly. She told Dad, “If you see her again, I’m leaving.” Dad got angry. “Where would you go? Who do you know here besides us?” Dad knew Mom was from another world. She gave up going home for him. She had nowhere else. I remember another time Dad made Mom mad. She stormed out with her bag. I begged Dad to find her. He just read his paper. “Where else could she go?” That night, Mom came back, eyes red. She held up a bag. “James, I bought dinner.” My favorite dumplings. Dad’s too. I ate happily. Then I saw Mom quietly eating old bread. I lost my appetite. I thought, if Mom had family here, she’d go to them. But her family was in another world. She had nowhere to go. Dad used this to control her.

Ms. Wilson knocked for a while, then stopped. I thought she left. An hour later, I heard someone picking the lock. The camera showed a strange man. I got scared. Mom said to find an adult if strangers came when I was alone. I ran to Mrs. Davis in the kitchen. “Someone’s outside. I don’t know them.” She grabbed a knife. We waited by the door. The lock opened. Ms. Wilson stood there smiling. She paid the locksmith. Mrs. Davis said, “Ms. Wilson, how could you do this?” She replied, “Lily, your dad asked me to get you. You wouldn’t see me, so I had to do this.” She reached for me. I bit her hand hard. “I won’t go with you,” I shouted. “Give up!” She screamed. I tasted blood. I let go. She pushed me down and stormed off. My hand got cut. Mrs. Davis brought the first aid kit. Even though she bandaged me, I said, “Mom, it hurts.” But my mom couldn’t hear me anymore. Before, Mom was always with us. Now she was gone. I realized what missing her felt like. I remembered Chinese New Year when I was six. Dad took us to the family dinner. It was full of relatives. Uncles, aunts, grandparents. So lively. But only Mom was there with me. She cooked everything herself that day. We ate while she was still in the kitchen. The uncles told Dad, “You married a great woman.” Dad smiled proudly. Mom brushed her hair back, wiped flour off her face, and smiled shyly. When she finally sat down, most food was gone. I said I was full and sleepy. She ate a few bites and took me upstairs. At the stairs, Mom stopped and looked back. I looked too. Grandparents giving out money, uncles talking work with Dad, aunts playing cards. They were all family. Mom stared for a long time. I asked, “Mom, what’s wrong?” She looked at me. Behind her was noise and light, but her eyes were so sad. “Lily, what do you think Grandma is doing now?” So my mom missed her mom too!

Mrs. Davis finished bandaging me. She frowned at Mom’s room. “It’s almost dark. Why hasn’t she woken up?” I said, “Mom’s tired. Let her sleep.” She sighed. “It’s been days. The master hasn’t checked on her.” Dad hadn’t been home in ages. He said he was on a trip, but he took Ms. Wilson on vacation. Ms. Wilson showed Mom the photos. Told her to divorce Dad. Mom’s eyes went red. She’d wanted to go there for so long. She always asked Dad, but he was too busy. Now he took Ms. Wilson instead. Mom showed Dad the photos. His face changed. He said they were fake. Photoshopped. Mom’s eyes filled with sadness. “James, what did you promise when we married? To love only me, be good only to me.” “Why else would I stay here?” Dad said, “Haven’t I been good? A million-dollar house, expensive jewelry, designer clothes. I’ve given you everything.” “Isn’t that enough?” Mom shook her head. “You just don’t get it.” She threw out all his stuff. Dad felt embarrassed. Said he wouldn’t come back. From that day, he really moved out. Soon after, Ms. Wilson’s place caught fire. She moved in with Dad. When we heard, Mom didn’t cry. She just hugged me. She said she now understood. People change. Love changes. Vows only count when made. She realized too late. No use regretting now. 8 That night, I did everything myself. Brushed my teeth. Washed up. Then I climbed next to Mom and hugged her. Even though she was stiff and cold, having her there made me happy. I once asked Mom about her mother. Mom said her mom was strict. Always scolding and hitting her for not doing homework. I frowned. Didn’t understand why Mom would miss someone like that. Sometimes Mom had nightmares. She’d call for her mom, not Dad. Her tone changed. “But when I got leukemia at sixteen, she never yelled again.” “She quit her job, sold our house, stayed with me in the hospital every day.” “My mom loved me very much too.” She sounded proud and sad. I knew Mom never forgot her mother. She was just a girl when she came here at eighteen. The day she found out about Dad’s vacation, Mom cried alone by the window. She said she shouldn’t have been blinded by love. Giving up everything, even her mom. Now she could never see her again. 9 Mom actually asked Dad for a divorce once. A month after he moved out, she called him home. Dad came in a black suit. Hair gelled. Looking extra handsome. Mom made a big dinner. Dad said smugly, “Thought it through?” I sat happily, hoping they’d make up. But Mom put down her chopsticks. “James, let’s divorce.” I knew what divorce meant. Mom and Dad apart forever. Us rarely together. Dad’s face changed instantly. “Olivia, divorce over this? Is it necessary? I won’t do anything with Rachel. I still love you. Can’t you understand?” Mom said, “This isn’t small to me. You broke your vows. Betrayed our love. How can I understand?” Dad panicked but got angry. “Where would you go if we divorced? Who do you know besides us?” Mom choked up. “I’ll meet people. I’ll wash dishes or mop floors. I’ll survive with Lily somehow.” Dad laughed coldly. “Go ahead and try.” He turned and left. Mom sent out job applications. All rejected. She kept trying. Hundreds, thousands of times. Until someone told her, “Mrs. Jiang, your husband spread the word. No one dares hire you.” A lawyer came with papers. “This shows your assets versus Mr. Jiang’s,” he said. “In a custody battle—” He pushed up his glasses. “You have no chance.” Mom went pale. I clutched her clothes, scared to speak. Soon, all Dad’s relatives came. They surrounded Mom. Interrogating her. “James is such a catch. You still want to divorce? You won’t find better.” “So ungrateful. What did he see in her?” Mom said coldly, “Stop. I want the divorce.” Someone softened their tone. “Olivia, think of the child. How sad she’d be if you divorced.” Mom’s face softened. They pounced. “Children need a healthy home.” “It’s all for the child. What can’t you endure?” Someone pushed me to Mom. “Lily, do you want your parents to divorce?” “You’ll be motherless if they do.” I burst into tears. Hugged Mom tight. “Mom, please don’t leave Dad. I can’t lose you.” Mom looked at me blankly. Her eyes watered. “Forget it,” she whispered. Like a sigh. Mom gave up. I thought this would keep her forever. I didn’t know some birds can’t be caged. Their feathers shine with freedom.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294515”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #重生Reborn #校园School #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic