Nine years ago, my three-year-old sister died in an accident at home. In public, my parents wailed and lamented, as if they wished to follow her into the grave. But behind closed doors, they’d only twist my thigh viciously, screaming, “You worthless piece of trash! Why didn’t you die with that little bitch?!” And my younger brother, who seemed to have a monstrous streak born into him, would nonchalantly rip apart the only floral dress my sister had owned, muttering, “Who told you not to give it to me?” I heard my mom’s hysterical screams as soon as I reached the apartment building entrance. “You useless brat! Where the hell have you been?!” The moment I slid the key into the lock, she yanked the door open. Her hand shot out, grabbing my hair with a brutal force, pulling me inside. “Goddammit, you little tramp! You dare play disappearing acts on me?! I’ll show you today…” My mom had always been a woman of swift and brutal action. She was the same when she hit me now, striking without a second thought. She didn’t care if the door was open or closed, how many neighbors were watching, or that I was a twenty-five-year-old woman with a right to some dignity. I took it silently. Wherever she dragged my face, I followed, my body swaying like a rag doll under her blows. It wasn’t until she tired herself out that I finally got the chance to collapse on the floor, gasping for air. She turned to spit a few times at the nosy neighbors in the hallway, then slammed the door shut and kicked me. “Speak up! Where have you been these past two days? Huh?!” Every inch of my body was burning with pain, so I tried my best to press myself against the cold concrete floor, answering her in a voice that was surprisingly calm. “I had a minor surgery, in the city. My phone got lost, so I couldn’t…” “Surgery?” My mom sneered, grabbing my hair again, and warned me, “Don’t you dare try anything funny!” I didn’t say a word, keeping my eyes fixed on the clumps of dull, yellowish hair she’d ripped from my scalp, scattered on the floor. “Go cook,” my mom said, assuming I’d surrendered. She rolled her eyes, turned, and plopped back onto the sofa. “Your brother’s about to be home from school. Hurry up.”

My name is Alice, and I’m a mukbang influencer. My mom named me Alice. She always said it came from the word ‘worthless’ or ‘bitch’ because that’s what I was to her. When I was born, she tried to suffocate me in the fields, but a local official saw her and fined our family five dollars. When I was six, the village mandated compulsory schooling, and my mom was forced to pay the fifteen dollars for my textbooks that semester. When I got my first period at twelve, I cried, thinking I was dying. My mom kicked me once before tossing me a tattered rag. She said it cost five cents a foot. It wasn’t until my brother was born that my mom stopped calling me ‘worthless’ every single day. Sometimes, when I held my baby brother and he bit my face, giggling afterward, my mom would actually praise me, saying I was at least useful for something, for comforting her precious boy. But honestly, I never liked my brother. My favorite was always my sister, a little girl who was soft and pink when she was born, who never bit my face, and whose first word was “big sister.” But she died, nine years ago. My mom said she crawled into the washing machine herself and was shredded to death. My mom even went to the appliance store in the city and caused a huge scene, sitting by the storefront for an entire month until she extorted fifty thousand dollars in compensation. Then, she and my brother moved into a new house in town. Even my dad, who’d been working out of state for years, rushed back, smoking premium cigars in the new house. They were overjoyed, practically feasting on blood money, celebrating as a family.

But unfortunately, my parents were only good at spending money, not earning it. So, they quickly set their sights on me. They wanted to sell me off to some old widower in the village, but my brother, fiddling with his new phone, coldly suggested I cash in on the mukbang trend instead. He said it would bring in money more consistently in the long run. He held up my sister’s old possessions, almost as a threat, and looked at me with contempt. “She was worthless anyway, always eating weird things. It’ll make great content for your streams.” I just stared at the things in his hand and silently agreed. My streams took off, just as they’d envisioned. They reveled in the growing numbers in their bank account each day, but they couldn’t see the scrolling insults and abuse that filled my live chat. The surgery I had this time, the one I kept secret from my mom, was because I’d eaten too much plastic. When I was discharged, the doctor told me to take good care of my body. I just smiled, not saying a word. Because I knew my mom and the others wouldn’t tolerate it. Sure enough, on the third day after I got home, my mom threw a handful of sunflower seed shells at my head. “Hey, useless! Why aren’t you streaming yet?” I was sitting on a small stool in the kitchen, washing dishes, not daring to shake off the shells from my hair. “I had surgery. The doctor told me to…” “Don’t you give me that,” she scoffed. “Tomorrow, I’m buying you a pig’s head for your stream. Oh, and your brother’s school needs tuition for his extra classes. Transfer the money to him right away!” I nodded silently. “And,” my mom added, without even looking back, “you still need to cook dinner on time. Don’t think that just because you’re making a little money from streaming, I’ll be serving you.” I scrubbed hard at the grease on a plate, lowering my head. “Okay.”

The next morning, I sat down in front of my computer and started streaming. On the table was the pig’s head my mom had carefully chosen, its skin singed and blackened, looking massive and greasy. I put on my practiced smile, ignoring the scrolling comments, and exaggeratedly said, “Oh, my darlings, looking at this pig’s head, aren’t your mouths watering? But don’t rush, don’t rush! For just one sports car, your streamer can eat it for you!” My mom sat behind the computer, her eyes filled with undisguised greed. She eagerly anticipated the stream of gifts from previous broadcasts, but to her dismay, today’s viewers weren’t buying it. They just spammed random comments, and not a single sports car appeared. So I kept repeating the same phrases, trying to entice them, while my mom stared at me, her gaze a silent pressure. I knew that if the camera weren’t there, she would have pounced on me, hitting me and screaming about what a worthless piece of trash I was. Perhaps from years of beatings, I unconsciously started to tremble in front of the camera. 【Is this girl poisoned from eating? LOL, why is she shaking?】 【Who knows, she’s disgusting to watch!】 【Can the mod ban her? This pig’s head is making me sick.】 I scanned the comments line by line, my smile unwavering. While repeating my lines, I subtly glanced at my mom. She signaled me to eat first to attract more traffic. So I smiled flatteringly at the camera, putting on a sweet, high-pitched voice. “My darlings are chatting so happily! You all forgot to send Alice a sports car! But it’s okay, today’s a big giveaway stream! Alice will take a bite for all of you first, okay?” 【Is this girl blind?】 【She’s got some nerve.】 I adjusted the camera, zooming in on my bright red lips, and slowly bit into the singed, blackened ear of the pig’s head. But in the next second, my brother burst in, and right in front of the camera, he slammed his hand across my face, hard. “Worthless bitch!” I stumbled, collapsing to the floor. The pig’s head, with a smudge of my lipstick, rolled onto the ground.

Caleb was furious. Slamming me to the ground wasn’t enough. He kicked me several times, spitting out the most vile insults. My mom rushed forward, immediately turning off the stream, then tenderly picked up the pig’s head, dusting it off. Her face darkened as she stood by, watching me writhe in pain on the floor. After Caleb finally vented his anger, she came over and added another slap, punishing me for my poor streaming performance that day. She called me a “worthless good-for-nothing” before turning to ask Caleb, with concern, what was wrong. Blood dripped steadily from my nose onto the floor. I didn’t bother to wipe it, just watched it slowly collect into a small pool. “She transferred the money directly to my teacher!” Caleb shouted hysterically at my mom. “Didn’t I tell you to make her transfer it directly to ME?!” He kicked over the ‘fairy chair’ I used for streaming, pacing furiously. “Now look what happened?! Jax and his guys were looking for me outside, demanding their money back! What am I going to do?! Huh?!” He roared several more times, then his tone shifted, and he started to cry, pulling my mom’s hand and kneeling. “Mom, Mom, Mom, save me, save me… They’ll kill me! Please save me, please…” I remained with my head turned, unmoving, but I knew my mom was surely heartbroken for Caleb right now, maybe even shedding a few tears. “Okay, okay, Mom, Mom will save you,” my mom promised repeatedly, quickly helping Caleb up. After comforting him for a few more minutes, she came over and, without a word, started patting down my pockets. My entire body ached so badly that I had no strength to resist. In the end, I could only watch helplessly as my mom took the six hundred twenty-five dollars I’d hidden in my bra. She gave it to Caleb, telling him to use it for an emergency, to go plead with Jax for a few more days of extension. “Three days, just three days!” My mom held Caleb’s hand, her eyes filled with aching tenderness. “Mom will make sure this worthless good-for-nothing gets all the money for you, okay? Don’t be afraid, my little Caleb.” Caleb and my mom left. As he walked out, he didn’t forget to kick me one last time. I lay on the floor, I don’t know how long, before struggling to get up. I reopened the computer, watching the rolling comments in the live stream room. A notification chimed in the bottom right corner. —My virus is pretty good, huh! Guaranteed your mom won’t know you’re still streaming ( ･⊝･∞) I stretched my lips into an ugly smile and replied: Good.

Caleb gambling wasn’t anything new in my family. In fact, my mom often secretly gave him money to cover his debts. All because he was the son she held dear. As for me, I was forced to display my severe pica to everyone daily, endure online abuse, and earn money for them, simply because I was a daughter. And my three-year-old sister, even after being tragically shredded to death in the washing machine, they weren’t sad at all. Her makeshift funeral was only for the sake of the reporters, also because she was a daughter. They shamelessly enjoyed all the benefits my sister and I brought them, yet they were too stingy to give us anything in return. Why? I calmly displayed my fresh wounds to the camera, without saying a word, then simply turned off the stream. I made a rare post in the fan group the platform had created for me. [Alice]: Darlings, see you tomorrow night!

The next morning, I handed my mom a crumpled bankbook. My mom was overjoyed, quickly flipping it open. “How much is in here? Enough for Caleb to pay off his debts?” I nodded. “Enough…” “Good!” My mom excitedly stood up, clutching the bankbook, and put on her coat to leave. But as she was about to close the door, she turned back and shot me a venomous glare. “I knew you were hiding money! Just you wait till I get back, I’ll deal with you!” I stood meekly in place, head bowed. Once my mom truly left, I picked out a gaudy, floral dress my mom had bought for my streams, put it on, and pushed open the front door. This neighborhood was full of old apartment buildings, and a maze of alleyways snaked out the back. As I stepped into one, someone eagerly wrapped their arms around me from behind. The man’s scent instantly filled my nostrils, his stubbled face pressed tightly against mine. “Baby, you’re finally here. I missed you so much.” I remained stiff in his embrace, my voice dripping with honey. “Here I am, aren’t I?” The man chuckled, then moved to face me, lifting my chin to kiss me. But his eyes widened when he saw the bruise on my lip. “Caleb did this?” His eyes filled with concern. I lowered my gaze, not answering. The man understood my silence and cursed loudly. “He came begging me for an extension this morning! And he dared to hit you! If I don’t beat the hell out of that bastard, what’s my name, Jax, even worth?!” But I gently covered his mouth with my hand, shaking my head. “Don’t, Ash. He’s my brother.” Jax held my hand, caressing it carefully. “Baby, you’re too kind! You treat him like a brother, but he doesn’t see you as a sister. He hit you so hard, it breaks my heart to see it!” My face showed distress. After thinking for a moment, I stood on my tiptoes and lightly kissed the corner of his mouth, comforting him. “Be good.”

When I got home, my mom still wasn’t back. I went into the bathroom and stared blankly at my reflection in the mirror, then began scrubbing viciously at the spots Jax had touched. So dirty, too dirty. I didn’t stop until my skin was raw and broken. Only then did I feel a sense of relief. Jax was the ‘Blade’ Caleb had mentioned. He was just a petty thug from our old village. After our family moved here, he followed, and he only got deeper into the underworld, becoming a small-time loan shark in this area. But no one knew that Jax had liked me for many years. A few years ago, when I met Jax again here, he saw with his own eyes how Caleb was beating me. He scared Caleb away, but I stopped him from retaliating. After Caleb fled in a panic, for the first time, I didn’t resist Jax’s touch. Instead, I weakly collapsed into his arms, crying and telling him how much I hurt. Jax was startled and immediately wanted to take me to the hospital. But I told him all I needed was for him to hold me and stay with me. From then on, this unspoken relationship was established. Although I never let Jax directly confront Caleb, every time I showed him my injuries, I knew Caleb would suffer a brutal beating. In fact, Caleb’s frequent visits to underground casinos and his reliance on high-interest loans since junior high were all Jax’s doing. It’s quite laughable. Jax wasn’t a good person, yet he fell for someone like me, who only pretended to be good for him.

hat evening, the live stream started on time. Tonight, my mom had given me a bag full of leaves. She’d picked them from the locust tree downstairs at the apartment building on her way back from the bank. Many of them still had dirt clinging to them. But my mom said that made them fresh, more interesting. 【Is this girl eating leaves today? Is she crazy?】 【Her pica is so severe, someone help her see a doctor.】 【She’s probably just using this for clicks! So shameless!】 I smiled, reading the comments, repeating my usual lines, but still, no one seemed willing to send gifts. My mom’s face grew anxious. She even stood up, as if she wanted to rush to the camera herself and urge the viewers to send gifts. “Eat! Eat first!” she mouthed to me. My smile didn’t falter. I immediately picked up a leaf, choosing the one with the most dirt on it, put it in my mouth, and chewed it with relish. 【Holy crap, she really ate it! Savage!】 【Won’t that cause health problems? Doesn’t she have family to stop her?】 【You must be new. Didn’t you watch last night’s stream, LOL?】 The strong, earthy taste of dirt spread in my mouth, but I didn’t even flinch. I had eaten dirt before, the gritty sand from our old village home. Because there was simply nothing else to eat. My sister had just been born then, and my dad, working out of state, had been furious on the phone, yelling at my mom. So my mom was in a bad mood too. She ignored my sister’s wailing for milk and instead bought half a chicken to make soup for Caleb. All I had was half a chicken head, earned with a slap to the face, which I traded with the grandma next door, who raised two sheep, for a small bowl of goat milk for my sister. But I was so hungry. So, in my desperation, I scooped up the dirt from the ground and ate it. That’s when my pica tore open its first crack. In front of the camera, just as I swallowed the leaf, someone finally sent a sports car. My mom’s face lit up with delight, signaling me to quickly thank them. So, I stretched my throat, hoarse from the dirt, and recited the long string of thank yous without pausing for breath. My mom wanted me to press on, to keep eating, but then, my stream was suddenly shut down. In the end, my mom didn’t hit me, probably because of the sports car. She just gave me a cold glare and muttered “worthless good-for-nothing” as she closed the door. I sat in the chair, staring blankly at the black screen of my computer. The room was eerily quiet. But not long after, I heard my brother’s cursing from his video game, followed by my mom’s solicitous fussing over him, and then, a faint aroma of chicken drifted in. I sniffed for a while, then couldn’t hold it back anymore and started to vomit. My stomach churned and lurched until I thought I’d thrown up all my stomach acid, then it finally stopped. My phone, its screen cracked like a spiderweb, lit up. It was that person from yesterday, sing. —I reported it just in time, right? ₍˄·͈༝·͈˄*₎◞ ̑̑ I ignored the message, then reopened my computer and posted in the fan group. [Alice]: Darlings, I got reported! See you in three days, don’t miss it!

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297399”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

In my past life, my sister forced me to marry an ugly, poor thug. Ten years later, that thug became a billionaire stock market genius, and I enjoyed a life of luxury alongside him. After being reborn, my sister rushed to grab the thug’s hand first, determined to marry him at all costs. But she didn’t know. I was the real stock market genius. Her man knew nothing – he was just a puppet I put on display. 0 I regained consciousness in the dim equipment room of the school gym. In front of me was Zack Shaw, my husband from my past life. He had torn open my clothes and pressed his face against my neck. I felt weak all over. Through the chaos, I struggled to realize that time had reversed – I was back to when I was 17 years old. Back to the day my sister Yvonne Quinn drugged me. Just as Zack was about to completely rip off my clothes, the door of the equipment room suddenly burst open from the outside. Someone rushed in. It was Yvonne. She looked like she had sprinted here, her hair matted to her face with sweat. Without bothering to fix her appearance, she threw herself at Zack and hugged him tightly. “Zack! Don’t be with her, you’re mine!” I suddenly understood. Yvonne had been reborn along with me. In my past life, Yvonne had a crush on the most popular boy in school, but he wrote me a love letter instead. Yvonne went mad with jealousy. She drugged me and forced me to marry Zack Shaw, the worst delinquent in the whole school. But over a decade later, Zack became a billionaire investment tycoon known as “The Wolf of Wall Street”. As his wife, I lived a life of luxury, carrying rare Hermès handbags and driving a $700,000 Rolls-Royce. Everyone envied me. They said: “Olivia really married well.” “Back when Zack was down on his luck, Olivia had the foresight to see his potential. Now it’s time for her to enjoy the good life!” Meanwhile, Yvonne’s rich husband had gone bankrupt and become a deadbeat chased by debt collectors. He would even suck up to Zack: “Brother-in-law, you’re the Wolf of Wall Street, right? I’m such a big fan! Could you give me some investment tips?” Every time Yvonne looked at me, her eyes were filled with barely concealed jealousy and deep regret. Sure enough, at a family gathering, after Zack said he was going to the restroom, I saw Yvonne follow him from the corner. In the hallway, I hid in the shadows and heard my sister’s drunken sobs through the thin door. “Zack, you liked me back then!” Yvonne threw her arms around Zack, trying to kiss him. Zack inhaled sharply and shoved her away. He said stiffly: “That was over a decade ago.” Yvonne fell to the ground but still cried out desperately: “Don’t you remember? You used to bring me breakfast every day, take me out on your bike, say I was your goddess forever, that you’d do anything I asked… Zack, you were supposed to be mine!” Zack didn’t respond. He straightened his clothes that Yvonne had messed up and hurried out the door. His expression was like he was fleeing from a plague to be avoided at all costs. Yvonne lost all hope and slumped dejectedly on the cold bathroom floor. I pushed open the bathroom door and looked down at her coldly. “Don’t sit there like that. People who know will think you failed to seduce your brother-in-law. Those who don’t might think you’re filming some angsty teen drama.” Yvonne jerked her head up to look at me, her eyes full of hatred. “Why you, Olivia Quinn? “How are you better than me? Why did you get to marry into wealth?” I coldly shook off her hand. “Sis, get it straight – I ended up with Zack because of you. “Now that you see Zack’s made it big, you regret it? Too bad, it’s too late.” My sister glared at me fiercely. After a moment, she shook her head and laughed viciously. “Olivia, you’re wrong. It’s not too late at all.” 0

At the time, I didn’t understand what she meant by those words. But now, looking at my 17-year-old body, I understood. Yvonne must have activated some kind of system that allowed her to be reborn, bringing me back in time with her. With a second chance at life, she wanted to win back the man who should have been hers. Now, in the equipment room, Zack was panting heavily. He looked at me: “I…” Yvonne forcefully turned Zack’s head, making him look at her instead of me. “Zack, I love you,” she said. She leaned in and kissed him. I struggled to my feet and stumbled out. Thank heavens. Thank you, Yvonne. I never dreamed I’d get a chance to relive my life and escape this nightmare. In my past life, Yvonne had drugged both Zack and me, locking us in the equipment room. Then she brought our parents and neighbors to catch us in the act. The neighbors witnessed Zack and me in a compromising position. My parents felt utterly humiliated and decided no other man would want me, so they forced me to marry Zack. When I refused, they imprisoned me at home, denying me food and water, beating me daily. Yvonne would cry and plead: “Little sister, just marry Zack. Otherwise, to save the family’s reputation, they’ll have to beat you to death.” In the end, on the brink of death, I was forced to marry Zack. Later, even with all our wealth, this incident remained a lifelong trauma. Now, I had finally escaped that shadow! 0

At dinner that night, Yvonne came home. As soon as she walked in, she eagerly announced that she was going to marry Zack. When our parents heard this, they nearly dropped their chopsticks in shock. “Yvonne, why on earth would you do that? “Zack has been held back so many times, he’s in his 20s and still retaking high school. How could he be good enough for you?” Yvonne shook her head firmly. “Dad, Mom, I promise you, Zack may be down on his luck now, but he’ll be hugely successful in the future!” Our parents couldn’t believe it and tried even harder to dissuade her. Mom even started crying. Finally, Yvonne got fed up and shouted: “It doesn’t matter if you try to stop me, I’m already Zack’s woman.” Our parents were stunned. Seeing their shocked and despairing expressions, Yvonne calmly smiled. She sat down next to them, affectionately putting her arms around their shoulders to comfort them: “Mom, Dad, you have to trust your daughter. “Remember when I told Dad not to do business with Uncle Liu, and told Mom not to go to that clinic on the east side? Now it turns out Uncle Liu ran off with the money, and that shady clinic had a medical accident. “You see, everything I say comes true – don’t you remember the fortune teller said I was born under a lucky star?” After Yvonne finished speaking, our parents’ expressions softened considerably. She pressed on: “So you should trust my judgment about men too. Zack has incredible financial luck. In the future, our whole family will benefit.” Mom was the first to be swayed: “Really?” Yvonne smiled. “Of course.” Dad was also gradually convinced by Yvonne’s confidence. He even started worrying in advance: “If Zack becomes successful, will he mistreat you?” Yvonne laughed lightly. “He won’t. Zack is clearly the doting husband type.” She must have been thinking of our past life. After Zack’s identity as the Wolf of Wall Street was revealed, countless young beauties threw themselves at him. But he always kept his eyes straight ahead, treating me, his original wife, better and better. He’d open car doors for me, serve me food at meals, and never dared to disobey me. Meanwhile, although Yvonne’s rich husband was drowning in debt, it didn’t stop him from openly ogling pretty young girls on the street. The contrast made Yvonne green with envy. Now, listening to Yvonne sing Zack’s praises to our parents, I kept my head down and focused on eating, pretending not to hear. But even though I didn’t want to engage with Yvonne, she insisted on getting my attention. That night, Yvonne pushed open the door to my room. She stared at me as I concentrated on my homework, a cold smirk on her face. “Olivia Quinn, don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to – acting all quiet on the surface, but inside you’re scheming how to steal Zack back. Am I right?” How should I put this… My sister’s mindset was so small, I was almost embarrassed to admit we came from the same mother. But I was happy to let her misunderstand. Let Zack occupy all her attention – that way, she wouldn’t compete with me for what really mattered. As Yvonne spoke, she walked over and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at the mirror beside us. “I advise you not to waste your energy. Look at yourself – how could you possibly compete with me?” The mirror showed a skinny, dark-skinned girl wearing thick-framed glasses and an old, baggy school uniform. Next to her stood Yvonne with her fair, porcelain skin, silky black hair, and trendy new dress – the kind of stunning beauty that turned heads wherever she went. I did look less refined than Yvonne. Plus, our parents favored her, giving her the best food and clothes, which made me look even more malnourished and sickly in comparison. “Look at yourself. You really think any guy would like you?” Yvonne kept taunting me relentlessly by my ear, as if venting all the frustrations she’d suffered in her past life. “Zack was originally my loyal puppy. He only married you last time because he couldn’t have me. “This time, I won’t give you the chance. “I’ll marry him as soon as I’m old enough. Then when he becomes the Wolf of Wall Street, half of his fortune will be mine!” Yvonne’s eyes gleamed as she said this. Indeed, at his peak, the Wolf of Wall Street had billions in assets. Getting half in a divorce would be enough to live in luxury and date young studs for the rest of her life. I twirled the pen in my hand, keeping my head lowered. Yvonne thought I was crushed by her words. But in reality, I was lowering my head to hide my smile. My dear sister, I quite enjoy your contempt for me. It’s precisely because of this deeply ingrained contempt that even if you were reborn a million times, you’d never guess – I was the real Wolf of Wall Street. Yes, I was the one who built an empire from scratch through wisdom, courage and luck. I first made a fortune in the stock market, then invested heavily in Bitcoin at the perfect time, achieving true financial freedom. Since my username on investment forums was “qwertyu” – just random keys I’d hit on the keyboard – people called me the “Q God”. So many were curious about Q God’s true identity. I knew I couldn’t hide behind the scenes forever. So I pushed Zack out as my front man, making him my puppet. Or rather, my scapegoat. After all, our world of high finance was full of dramatic ups and downs. The nouveau riche became targets of universal envy, while the suddenly destitute attracted desperate characters. Over those years, Zack was kidnapped three times and violently beaten by enemies four times. When he came back with me to visit relatives, he had just been beaten up, with a broken rib. That’s why when Yvonne hugged him, he not only gasped in pain but immediately pushed her away. But even though he bore all the attacks as the public face, Zack absolutely didn’t dare reveal the truth. He couldn’t afford to offend me. As a puppet, he could at least enjoy the glory. Without me, he truly would be nothing. Now, looking at the clueless Yvonne, I gave a sincere smile. “Sister,” I said softly, “I wish you and Zack a lifetime of happiness.” Go ahead and tie yourself to him. Meanwhile, I’ll focus on acing my college entrance exams, saving money, going to university in Beijing, and leaving this family behind forever. 0

I sincerely hoped Zack would stay with Yvonne. However, after school, Zack cornered me. He rode his bike in front of me and whistled crudely: “Olivia, looking pretty today. Where are you off to all dressed up?” I stepped back, feeling disgusted. I knew Zack’s true nature all too well. He was a complete scumbag through and through. In the world of scumbags, the one they couldn’t have was always the most enticing. In my past life, that person was my sister. Now it had become me. Gritting my teeth, I tried to dodge around him: “I’m going to work. Get out of my way.” I’d recently started a part-time job as a cashier at a supermarket, wanting to save up some capital for myself. The boss was very kind. Seeing me in an ill-fitting school uniform with pants that were too short, he even gave me some of his daughter’s clothes to wear. The light blue cardigan and white skirt made me look much prettier than usual. But now it had attracted Zack’s attention. He leered at me, moving closer. “Work? I’ve got a job for you right here. Want to try it?” As he spoke, he tried to press his body against mine. Fighting back nausea, I silently reached into my bag, gripping the scissors I kept for self-defense. But before I could pull out the scissors, a figure rushed out from the side. She shoved me away hard, planting herself protectively in front of Zack: “Olivia Quinn, what are you doing rubbing up on Zack?” Her voice was loud as she pointed her finger in my face: “You’re trying to seduce your own sister’s fiancé. Have you no shame?” Zack stood off to the side, rubbing his nose and playing along: “I was just riding by and happened to run into Olivia. She wouldn’t let me leave.” Hearing this, Yvonne became even more enraged. “Olivia Quinn, you just won’t give up, will you? Have you looked in a mirror? How could you possibly be good enough for Zack? “I’m marrying Zack in this life no matter what. If you dare try to seduce him again, I swear I’ll have Mom and Dad sell you off to the mountains!” With that, Yvonne grabbed Zack’s hand and stormed off. But clearly, she was still uneasy. That night when I got home, I found my room had been ransacked. The metal box where I kept my savings had been found and was lying open in the middle of the room. Inside had been the wages I’d saved from my supermarket job. Now the box was empty, and Yvonne was holding the cash in her hand. Yvonne looked at me smugly, waving the bills in one hand while pointing at my nose with the other, her long nails nearly scratching my face. “So this is Olivia Quinn’s secret stash. “She’s always out and about these days, turns out she’s been sleeping with the supermarket boss for money. “I saw the boss give her cash with my own eyes, and even buy her new clothes.” Yvonne gestured at the cardigan and skirt I was wearing, her lip curled in disgust. “Tsk tsk, now everyone probably knows our family has produced a homewrecker.” Before I could say anything, my father rushed over, his face dark with anger, and slapped me hard across the face. My mother cried nearby, complaining: “The fortune teller said this girl would bring bad luck from the start. I took so many abortion pills but just couldn’t get rid of her. Now look, she’s completely ruined our family’s reputation…” My parents were always like this. They unconditionally favored my sister. Yvonne could do no wrong in their eyes. Meanwhile, I had been labeled an ill-fated child by a master even as a fetus. Not long after I was born, my father’s business went bankrupt. So everything I did was wrong in their eyes. Now, my father confiscated all the money I had saved and started whipping me with his belt. Yvonne’s lips curved in a triumphant smile, but her voice took on a tearful tone as she stood to the side, fanning the flames. “Olivia, don’t blame Dad for hitting you so hard. “If he doesn’t teach you a harsh lesson, you’ll never learn. “Girls need to value themselves. Please don’t ever try to earn that kind of dirty money again.” Finally, I passed out from the intense pain. When I woke up, I was lying in the yard. My parents had taken Yvonne out shopping. Yvonne was getting engaged soon, so they wanted to buy her a nice dress. Meanwhile, I had lost all my savings and didn’t even have medicine for my injuries. I struggled to my feet and stumbled out of the yard. The neighboring yard belonged to my cousin. Only my cousin’s wife Wendy was outside doing laundry. She was startled to see me so weak I could barely speak. “Olivia? My goodness, what happened to you?” Wendy dropped the clothes and came over to help me up, her hand coming away bloody. “Wait here, I’ll get you some medicine.” I lay on the empty ground in the yard, looking up at the sky. The moon was bright, but there were always dark corners of the world it couldn’t reach. Wendy was applying medicine to my wounds. “How could your parents be so cruel? No matter what, you’re still their own daughter…” Wendy wiped away tears. She was a kindhearted person with a difficult life. Barely literate, she had to quit school in third grade to help with housework and care for her younger brother. Later, her father sold her to my cousin to raise money for her brother’s bride price. Now she was tenderly treating my wounds, while I touched her arm, also covered in scars. My cousin often beat her. In my past life, Wendy had died before she even turned 30. After a long silence, I suddenly spoke up: “Wendy, do you have any savings of your own?” Wendy hesitated for a moment. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell my cousin.” She relaxed a bit: “I have 2,000 yuan. Why? “Is it because you need money for school and your family won’t give it to you? “If so, you can have it. Education is important, girls should go to school.” My nose stung as I forced back tears. At life’s most bitter moments, the unfortunate try their best to offer each other a bit of sweetness. I said softly: “That’s not it, Wendy. I don’t need you to support me – I want to help you make money. “I can turn your 2,000 yuan into 20,000, even 200,000…” Wendy burst out laughing. She clearly didn’t believe me, and humored me like a child: “Alright, you just take this 2,000 for school. When you graduate college you can pay me back. We’re family, I’m not going to charge you interest or anything.” I said nothing, gazing at the endless night sky. In my past life, I had made my fortune too late. By the time I returned home, Wendy had already died of depression. This life, I was determined to help her. And in doing so, help myself. Sister, you’re too foolish. Given the chance to travel back in time, all you can think about is snatching a man. Meanwhile, my mind is filled with stock ticker symbols. Do you even realize what kind of golden opportunity you’ve given me? 0

Early Monday morning, I took the money Wendy had given me to school, planning to sneak out during the long break between classes when no one would notice. I needed to go to a brokerage firm to open an account. But just as I had ridden my bike a short distance from the school gates, a figure suddenly darted out from an alley ahead. The person swung a spiked wooden club at me. I hurriedly tried to dodge but fell off my bike, hitting the ground hard. Ignoring the pain, I clutched my backpack protectively. It contained all the money Wendy had given me. A pair of shiny designer shoes appeared in front of me. Looking up, I saw a round face leering down at me with a malicious grin. I recognized him. He was Quincy Young, my sister’s husband in her past life. Quincy had been Yvonne’s devoted lapdog since middle school. He was a rich kid whose father did business down south. While the rest of us were still wearing drab school uniforms and cheap sneakers, Quincy could rattle off the names of luxury foreign brands. Quincy had pursued Yvonne for many years. Yvonne found Quincy’s looks distasteful, but she couldn’t give up his wealth. So throughout her teenage years, she strung him along hot and cold, keeping him as her number one backup plan. Later when Yvonne got older and hadn’t found a better man, she ended up marrying Quincy. Who knew that soon after the wedding, Quincy’s family would go bankrupt. Yvonne, who had invested with them, was also implicated. The whole family became deadbeats who couldn’t even take the high-speed rail. But no matter how down on his luck the future Quincy would be, right now he was still that arrogant young master from a prominent family, someone not to be trifled with. So I hugged my backpack tightly and carefully inched backwards, not wanting to provoke a direct confrontation. But Quincy wouldn’t let me go. He kicked my face with the toe of his shoe, sneering: “Yvonne’s always telling me what a dishonest little bitch her sister is. Looks like I caught you red-handed – sneaking out of school like this, what are you up to?” I said quietly: “Just buying some things.” “Buying things?” Quincy laughed. His smile suddenly vanished as he roughly grabbed the strap of my backpack, dumping out all the contents. Pencil case, books, and papers scattered on the ground. An envelope fell out with them. I tried to grab it, but Quincy was quicker, snatching up the envelope. “Well well, look at all this cash,” Quincy said, waving the bills. “What exactly are you buying? Wedding candy for your sister and me?” He pocketed the envelope and said coldly: “Don’t think I don’t know. Yvonne told me all about how you’re so vain and jealous of her that you’d even become someone’s mistress just to buy pretty dresses. So, did you steal this money or con someone out of it? I’m telling Yvonne.” Quincy kicked me into the corner of the wall. As dust flew up, making me cough, my mind suddenly became clear. Quincy had followed me on Yvonne’s orders. She had been reborn along with me. Even though she’d already snatched Zack, she still didn’t trust me. So she sent her lapdog Quincy to keep tabs on me. But that wasn’t the important part. The key was what Quincy had inadvertently said just now. “Wedding candy for your sister and me.” I suddenly burst out laughing. Perfect. Quincy clearly didn’t know that my sister was already with Zack. Come to think of it, he still had value to Yvonne. If she told Quincy she was engaged to someone else, how could he still be useful to her? Quincy had been about to leave, but seeing me smile, he frowned: “What are you laughing at?” My smile grew even brighter: “I’m just happy for my sister.” “You love her so much, always protecting her. I’m sure I’ll have a great brother-in-law soon.” I said softly. “I can’t wait for you two to get married.” This was music to Quincy’s ears. His expression softened, though he still eyed me suspiciously: “Saying nice things now to get me to let you off the hook?” “You don’t need to let me off. I haven’t done anything wrong,” I said, standing up and brushing the dirt off myself. “This money is from my cousin’s wife. She heard about my sister’s happy news and wanted me to buy some gifts for her.” Quincy’s expression suddenly changed. He frowned: “What happy news?” I feigned confusion: “I’m not sure either,, but I heard our parents say they’re planning to arrange an engagement for my sister before she goes to college. After all, in our hometown where everyone knows each other, childhood sweethearts are better than risking her getting tricked by some bad guy in the big city.” I studied Quincy’s expression, then smiled: “Silly, haven’t you figured it out yet?” Quincy looked bewildered: “Figured out what?” “The one my sister’s engaged to must be you, of course,” I said with a smile. “Think about it – everyone knows you like my sister. My parents mentioned childhood sweethearts, so out of all the guys around here, who could be a better match for my sister than you?” Quincy’s face lit up, but he still hesitated: “Why hasn’t Yvonne ever mentioned this to me?” I chided him: “My sister’s shy, of course she’d be embarrassed to say it. But she should tell you in the next few days – oh, I’ve often seen her running to that little grove behind the school lately. She must be preparing some surprise for you.” Quincy’s lovesick brain went into overdrive: “Really?” “Why don’t you go see for yourself?” I held out my hand to Quincy: “Give me back the money. I still need to pick out a dress for my sister – brother-in-law, do you prefer pink or blue? I’ll choose based on your taste.” One “brother-in-law” was enough to make Quincy’s heart soar. Without thinking, he slapped the envelope into my palm: “Pink!” With that, he took off running towards the school. He must have been eager to see what surprise Yvonne had prepared for him. I smiled and got on my bike, whistling cheerfully. This surprise… would surely be unforgettable for Quincy. 0

I rushed to the brokerage firm. Wendy was already anxiously waiting at the entrance. It was her first time in a trading hall. Looking at the screens full of flickering colors and numbers, she felt completely lost: “Olivia, can you really understand all this?” I didn’t even need to look. From the moment I bought my first stock, the market trends for decades before and after were etched in my mind, impossible to forget. I didn’t tell Wendy this, just smiled and said: “I understand it. Just trust me.” At the brokerage firm, I also saw a familiar figure. Quincy’s father, Mr. Young. He had been handling some business with his secretary, but after receiving a phone call, his expression changed drastically. He hurriedly got into the black sedan parked outside and drove off in the direction of our school. I stood at the entrance, silently watching the car disappear. Wendy finished the paperwork and came to my side: “What are you looking at?” I glanced at the sky: “Nothing, just looks like a storm’s coming.” … Sure enough, a storm hit. With my encouragement, Quincy had eagerly rushed to the grove, excited to see Yvonne’s surprise for him. But as soon as he entered the grove, he heard unmistakable sounds. Looking closer, he discovered the protagonists were none other than his goddess Yvonne and that lowlife Zack Shaw he’d never bothered to notice before. This was probably the biggest shock of Quincy’s nearly 20 years of life. By the time he came to his senses, the sound of ambulance sirens filled the air. He had beaten Zack so severely that Zack was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. When I arrived at the hospital, Zack had regained consciousness. He was wrapped in bandages like a mummy, lying motionless in bed. This scene was quite familiar to me. After all, in my past life when I pushed him out front to take the hits for me, he often ended up beaten to this state. But Yvonne had never seen anything like this before. She sobbed uncontrollably by the bedside, nearly hyperventilating. Quincy was dragged into the hospital room by his father, Mr. Young. Originally, Mr. Young was afraid his son would go to jail and came to negotiate a private settlement. But Quincy was like a raging bull. As soon as he entered the room, his eyes went red and he charged at Zack. If Mr. Young’s two secretaries hadn’t quickly restrained him, Quincy probably would have thrown Zack out the window. “Quincy! Apologize now!” Mr. Young was frantic. “Apologize for what? I didn’t do anything wrong!” Quincy panted heavily, pointing at Zack in the hospital bed. “He raped Yvonne, that’s why I beat him!” Poor Quincy. As an ordinary person without the perspective of being reborn, of course his first assumption upon seeing Zack with Yvonne was this. Now, Quincy looked pleadingly at Yvonne: “Yvonne, back me up. I was trying to save you.” Mr. Young also saw a glimmer of hope and turned to Yvonne: “Miss, you’re the eyewitness. Tell everyone the truth.” Suddenly, all eyes in the room were on Yvonne. She bit her lip, caught in a long moment of indecision. Finally, she said in a small voice, her face red: “It was consensual.” The color drained from Quincy’s face. “What? Yvonne, you couldn’t possibly…” Though his whole body was in a cast, Zack still managed a smug smile from the hospital bed. This gutter rat of a delinquent had never had the chance to make a rich young master like Quincy eat dirt in his life. Yvonne had actually given him this opportunity – he was practically giddy with joy. “That’s right, Yvonne and I are in love,” Zack declared loudly, ignoring his painful injuries. “Quincy deliberately assaulted me! He should go to jail!” Mr. Young’s expression darkened. He stepped forward, ignoring Zack in the bed and trying to pressure Yvonne instead: “Young lady, I suggest you think carefully before you speak…” The Young family was wealthy and influential. Even my parents started to get scared and hinted to Yvonne: “Yvonne, maybe you should reconsider…” Yvonne was clearly torn. But she couldn’t afford to offend Zack. Not only could she not offend him, she had to firmly hold onto his heart. After all, he was the Wolf of Wall Street. Compared to those future billions, the current Young family seemed insignificant. So she gripped Zack’s hand tightly: “What’s there to reconsider? Zack and I are truly in love. Anyone who hurts Zack should face the consequences!” Quincy couldn’t hold back anymore. He broke free from the secretaries’ grasp and rushed forward, slapping Yvonne across the face: “Yvonne Quinn, are you blind?” In her past life, Quincy had gone bankrupt soon after marrying Yvonne. He became quite pathetic in front of her, and Yvonne always looked down on him. This was the first time she had been slapped by this man she utterly despised. She immediately went berserk. “Quincy Young, who do you think you are?” She shoved Quincy hard. “Just a good-for-nothing rich kid. You think you’re so great because your family has money? Let me tell you, in a few years you’ll all be bankrupt!” As soon as the words left her mouth, even Mr. Young standing nearby turned ashen-faced. In the end, Mr. Young stormed out, slamming the door. Quincy chased after him, leaving just our family in the hospital room. My dad wrung his hands anxiously: “This… this, Yvonne, why did you have to offend the Young family?” My dad had recently started a small business using the Young family’s connections. With Yvonne burning bridges like this, my dad’s business was doomed. Yvonne impatiently furrowed her brow: “Dad, don’t be so short-sighted. So what if the business is gone?” She gazed at Zack with adoring eyes, as if looking at a priceless treasure: “With Zack, we’ll have everything.” 0

In the days that followed, my parents were busy dealing with the Young family’s interference in their business. My sister was busy visiting Zack in the hospital to show her devotion. I was busy studying and making money. Everyone had a bright future ahead. When Yvonne came home to make soup for Zack, she caught me diligently doing practice problems. “Study all you want,” she sneered. “Even if you get into a top university, you’ll just end up with a dead-end salary job.” I ignored her and focused on my work. In my past life, I was forced to marry Zack and lost my chance to go to university. Later I got a degree through adult education, but it left me with too many regrets. Yvonne didn’t understand that not all actions are motivated by money. Money is a tool for happiness, not happiness itself. For example, I wanted to experience four years of campus life, have an innocent college romance untainted by society,, gossip about the future with my roommates, organize events with club friends and go for late night snacks afterwards. These were all joys I never got to experience in my past life. After Yvonne left, I met up with Wendy. She had a scarf covering half her face, while I had pulled my baseball cap low. We both looked like we were up to no good. “I bought and sold exactly as you instructed,” Wendy said. “Here’s your money.” She handed me a bank book. I was surprised to find that besides the original 2,000 yuan capital, Wendy had given me all the profits. “What are you doing?” I said. “These profits came from your capital. It’s your money. I should just take a commission.” Wendy waved her hand: “I didn’t do anything. Why should I take the money? You just borrowed my 2,000 yuan, and now you’ve paid it back. I can’t take your earnings – I’d be struck by lightning!” I sighed and argued with Wendy many times, but she refused to budge. “How about this, Wendy,” I said. “I’ll hire you.” Wendy blinked: “Hire me for what?” “I still need to prepare for exams, so I need you to help me with a lot of things. Plus, I can’t open my own account until I’m 18, so I still need to use your account to operate,” I explained. “You should charge me a commission for all of this.” Wendy waved her hand again: “We’re family…” I grabbed her hand: “And you know, after I graduate, I’ll have my own business. I hope you’ll come work for me as my BD then.” Wendy’s eyes widened: “What’s BD?” I said: “Business Development. You’re outgoing, good with words, likeable, skilled at building relationships. I think this job would suit you well.” Before Wendy could respond, there was a commotion at my front door. Yvonne and Zack had returned. Wendy and I immediately exchanged a look and silently dispersed, each heading home. This was something we had agreed on beforehand – we now had a huge sum of money in our hands, like children carrying gold through a busy market. It was extremely unsafe. So before I became powerful enough, I absolutely couldn’t let anyone find out we had made money. I returned home alone and heard Yvonne and Zack happily chatting in the bedroom. Zack’s voice was filled with excitement, as if he was about to reach the pinnacle of life: “Mr. Li said that while everyone else was mediocre, he could tell at a glance that I was extraordinary. So he decided to teach me everything he knows about investing.” Yvonne was thrilled: “Zack, I knew this day would come!” I peeled an apple in the kitchen, eating it nonchalantly. Ah, Mr. Li. I knew what was going on. In her past life, Yvonne had been sent by our parents to a private prep school in Beijing, so she never met Mr. Li. But I had encountered him. This Mr. Li always dressed impeccably in a three-piece suit, spoke fluent English, and claimed to have returned from Wall Street. He had incredible charisma and was skilled at giving captivating speeches. In his talks, Mr. Li said he had already achieved complete financial freedom, and his current life goal was to help his fellow countrymen get rich together. Mr. Li’s appearance perfectly fit Yvonne’s expectations. After all, Zack had started as an ignorant delinquent, yet became the billionaire Wolf of Wall Street in the future. This kind of transformation was like a talentless youth suddenly becoming a great martial arts master. Surely there must have been some catalyst like finding a secret manual or meeting a wise mentor. Now, after waiting and waiting, Yvonne thought she had finally found this catalyst. “Tomorrow we’ll go see Mr. Li again. Zack, you focus on learning from him. Don’t worry about anything else,” Yvonne said. Zack looked troubled: “But Mr. Li mentioned a 60,000 yuan tuition fee…” Yvonne gritted her teeth: “I’ll get it for you!” The apple in my mouth nearly chipped my tooth. I knew Yvonne wasn’t very smart. But I didn’t realize her brain was this smooth. Then again, someone who blamed all her past life’s failures on not choosing the right man would naturally believe that all opportunities for redemption lay with a “Wall Street expert” Mr. Li who charged 60,000 yuan in tuition. In my past life, I had also encountered this Mr. Li. At the time, Zack was also incredibly excited, desperate to study under Mr. Li to get rich. I had stopped him. Back then, I was also just a young girl without much social experience. But I could still tell something was off about Mr. Li. People who can really make big money value their time immensely. Why would they come teach us how to get rich? And if he was already so wealthy, why did he need to charge us 60,000 yuan in tuition? At the time, Zack cursed me for being small-minded. “Don’t use your petty mindset to judge Mr. Li’s realm. He doesn’t care about making money anymore – he just wants to help us get rich. This is him accumulating good karma for his next life.” “Then why is he still charging 60,000 yuan tuition?” I had asked. “That’s just a screening process. Mr. Li wants to see our sincerity.” In the end, since I adamantly refused, Zack went to find Mr. Li on his own. He didn’t have money for the tuition, but Mr. Li didn’t insist on it. He even said he was willing to take Zack as a disciple. This made Zack feel Mr. Li was even more magnanimous. He wanted to repay Mr. Li’s kindness for life. Later Zack followed Mr. Li down south. I lost contact with him for over a year. When I saw him again, he had escaped from a pyramid scheme den and called me in tears: “Olivia, save me.”

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In my past life, my sister was adopted by a wealthy family, while I was taken in by a cleaner. It turned out the rich family was embroiled in fierce internal power struggles. Their parents were cold, and the brother was a bully. In the end, my sister left with nothing. My home, however, was warm and harmonious. The wealthy young master even fell for me, the poor but pure-hearted girl. Everything unfolded just like a romantic movie. My sister, consumed by hatred, killed me, and we both returned to the day we were adopted. This time, she threw herself into the cleaner’s arms first: “Sister, this time, the teen movie lead is mine.” But she didn’t know that the lead became the lead not because of her background. My sister and I were reborn, back to the day we were to be adopted from the orphanage. Two families stood in Director Hayes’s office: the Sterlings and the Finches. All three members of the Sterling family were impeccably dressed. The man wore a tailored suit, the woman was dripping with diamonds. Their only son, Julian Sterling, wore a high school uniform, but his feet were shod in limited-edition, global-release sneakers. This was the city’s most prominent Sterling family. Mr. Sterling was a business magnate, his enterprises contributing the largest tax revenue to the city. Mrs. Sterling was a socialite, frequently seen at jewelry auctions and charity galas, rubbing shoulders with A-list celebrities. Their son, Julian Sterling, was known as the city’s golden boy. In contrast, the Finch family next to them looked rough. The man and woman’s hands were covered in the marks of manual labor. Their clothes were probably their best, but still showed unwashed sweat stains. According to Director Hayes, both husband and wife worked at the city’s top high school; the husband was a janitor, and the wife was a cleaner. In my previous life, my sister, Seraphina, had unhesitatingly chosen the Sterlings. Yet, in this moment, almost as if afraid to be late, she dove into the cleaner’s embrace: “Mom, please take me! I want to be your daughter!” “From now on, my name is Seraphina Finch!” Amidst my sister’s excited cries, I walked towards the Sterling family. And so, the choices were made, and we were taken away by our respective families. As I left the orphanage, I heard Director Hayes murmuring to herself in confusion: “Strange, Seraphina has always been fiercely competitive, always wanting to be on top. Before, with other potential adopters, if they were plainly dressed, she wouldn’t even glance at them.” “This time, the real wealthy family came, but why did she refuse them?” Director Hayes didn’t understand. But I did.

In the last life, my sister went to great lengths to be adopted by the Sterlings first, becoming Seraphina Sterling. She believed a princess-like life awaited her. Not to mention Julian Sterling, the city’s golden boy, becoming her brother. After all, a wealthy young master and an adopted daughter — that was the most common pairing in romantic novels. Living under the same roof, it was easy for feelings to develop over time. However, Seraphina never expected that Julian would not only show no hint of a gentle older brother, but on the contrary, he detested her: “I hate opportunistic people the most in this life. Don’t think I can’t see through you, you manipulative little schemer. All you want is our family’s money, isn’t it?” At home, Julian bullied Seraphina. At school, he brought a group of followers and tormented her. Even if Mr. and Mrs. Sterling knew, they would at most reprimand him half-heartedly. They had no affection for Seraphina. They adopted her only because a fortune teller told Mr. Sterling that adopting a daughter would bring him great fortune for the next decade. Between an adopted daughter and their biological son, the Sterlings naturally favored their son. While Julian bullied Seraphina, he was incredibly kind to me, who had been adopted by the Finch family. He saw me receiving scholarships, always ranking first in exams, attending school during the day, and helping my adoptive mother clean at night. I lived a tough life but never complained. “Anya Finch, that girl, she’s really something.” Just like in a teen drama, the rebellious rich boy fell for the resilient, poor but pure-hearted girl. Later, when Mr. and Mrs. Sterling passed away and the inheritance was being divided, Julian, with his team of lawyers, completely outmaneuvered Seraphina, leaving her with nothing. She walked away empty-handed, without a single penny of the family fortune. Months later, Julian married me. He even openly declared at the wedding, “Anya Finch, from now on, what’s mine is yours.” Unfortunately, I never got to enjoy Julian’s wealth either. Because a few days later, Seraphina, driven to desperate madness, ran me over with her car. Reborn into this life, my sister unhesitatingly chose the Finch family. Though there was no immense wealth, there was also no scheming or infighting. She could enjoy her parents’ complete love and grow up in a happy family. And because of this background, she would be pitied and protected by the rich young master, eventually getting a fairy tale wedding of the century. She smiled at me, saying: “Sister, this time, the romantic drama lead is mine to play.” “And you, you should taste everything I went through.”

Seraphina’s prediction wasn’t wrong. In fact, Julian’s bullying came even earlier than in the previous life. At school, my head was shoved into a sink, surrounded by the mocking laughter of a group of boys. Just as I was about to run out of breath, someone grabbed my neck and pulled me up. Julian looked at me with a smirk: “You want my family’s money? Fine.” “Drink all the water from the toilet. Drink one gulp and I’ll give you ten thousand. How about it?” His followers cheered, excited. I looked at Julian. This person, who had gently declared his love for me in the previous life, was now unrestrainedly unleashing his malice upon me. But Julian wasn’t looking at me. His gaze swept past me, looking behind me. I knew Seraphina Finch was there, bending over to scrub the floor. “Isn’t that Seraphina Finch?” “Why is she still scrubbing the floor?” One of his followers told Julian, “Seraphina’s mom is the school cleaner, you know. She goes to school during the day, but at night, she has to help her mom with work.” A flicker of shock, then a hint of pity, crossed Julian’s eyes. He called out loudly to Seraphina, “Hey! It’s so cold, stop scrubbing. Nobody’s checking anyway.” Seraphina straightened up, her black hair cascading over her shoulders, a stubborn expression on her delicate face. She shook her head, “I can’t.” “If someone comes to check and finds the floor isn’t clean, Mom will have a hundred dollars deducted from her pay.” “I know a hundred dollars is nothing to a rich kid like you, but for my family, it’s a week’s worth of groceries.” With that, Seraphina bent down and continued scrubbing the floor. Honestly, Seraphina’s intentions were obvious. With so much floor, she specifically chose to scrub in front of Julian. She even deliberately let her hair down and found the right angle to present herself in the most beautiful way. Too bad for her, Julian fell for it completely. Sure enough, Julian walked over, gently helped Seraphina up, snatched the rag from her hand, and tossed it to his followers: “You guys, help her scrub the rest of the floor.” He glanced at Seraphina’s red, frozen hands, then, after a moment’s thought, draped his jacket over her shoulders: “It’s too late. How are you getting home later?” “I’ll bike.” “You’re biking in this freezing weather?” Julian was shocked, then said without room for argument, “Go wait downstairs. I’ll have my driver take you home.” Seraphina left, shielded by Julian. As she walked away, she didn’t forget to discreetly glance back, giving a mocking smile to my disheveled self. A moment later, everyone dispersed, leaving only me by the sink. Struggling to get to my feet, I used my sleeve to wipe the water dripping from my hair. “Use this.” A cool, clear voice sounded from behind me. I turned my head. It was Hazel, our class representative. She was a quiet girl, very diligent in her studies, always wearing long sleeves regardless of the season. In my previous life, she had also helped Seraphina when she was bullied. She offered Seraphina a towel and advised her to expose Julian’s bullying. But Seraphina slapped her hand away: “What do you know? He’s my brother!” At that time, Seraphina was still dreaming of making Julian fall in love with her. So later, Hazel stopped bothering with her and continued her silent, solitary existence. Even later, just before graduation, Hazel took her own life. It was then we learned her family was incredibly poor. Her grandmother had been bedridden for years, and her father was a gambler who not only regularly abused her but also tried to sell her to pay off debts. Now, she stood beside me, a clean towel in her hand. I paused, then took it. She said nothing more, turning to leave. She probably felt there was nothing to say to a rich girl like me. Just as her back was about to disappear, I suddenly spoke: “Hazel!” Her steps halted. I scratched my head, “Uh, listen, I just transferred, and I don’t know my way around yet.” “Where’s the cafeteria? Can you take me there?”

On the cafeteria table were four dishes and a soup. Braised pork ribs, steamed minced meat with egg, Coca-Cola chicken wings, stir-fried greens, and clam and winter melon soup. It truly was the best high school in the city; their cafeteria food was always something to be proud of. I scratched my head again, “Ah, I accidentally ordered too much.” “Waste is shameful, and you haven’t had dinner yet, have you? Want to eat with me?” Hazel was silent for a moment, then finally picked up her forks and began to eat in small bites. I looked at her wrist, peeking out from her school uniform sleeve, so thin it looked fragile. Honestly, girls like Hazel were the ones who truly needed help. But they weren’t pretty, they didn’t cry out in pain, so they would only become barren weeds in the memories of youth, not even qualifying to be the lead in a romantic drama. This life, I wouldn’t just save myself; I would save her too. My mind made up, I spoke: “Ugh, conic sections are just so hard, I completely don’t get them.” “Hazel, you’re so good at studying, why don’t you tutor me?” Hazel, with a piece of braised pork rib in her mouth, looked utterly shocked, as if to say, “Are we even that close?” I didn’t give her a chance to refuse. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders cheerfully, “It’s decided then! I’ll pay you for tutoring!”

I gave a portion of my allowance to Hazel, calling it “pre-paid tutoring fees.” She stared at the hundred dollar bills in the envelope, too stunned to speak. In both my past and present lives, the Sterling family never skimped on their adopted daughter’s basic necessities, living expenses, or allowance. But what was pocket change for Julian was enough for Hazel to buy medicine for her grandmother and pay hospital fees. She could even rent a small apartment off-campus, away from her abusive father. After arranging a tutoring time with Hazel for the next day, I returned home. The luxurious villa was empty. Mr. Sterling was out on business, and Mrs. Sterling was at the beauty salon. As for Julian, he was probably having dinner at the Finch’s house right now. In my previous life, Julian had the driver drop me off at home, and when my adoptive parents, the Finches, saw him, they enthusiastically invited him to stay for dinner. Then, just like a standard scene in a romantic drama, one dinner allowed the young master, who had grown up in the cold, opulent world of a wealthy family, to experience the strong family warmth of a modest home. The simple smiles always on the Finch parents’ faces. The cramped, rundown but lively room. All these made Julian yearn for their life, and he grew even fonder of the pure-hearted, struggling girl from such a family. At this moment, even though he and Seraphina were eating simple, unadorned food, they were probably both very happy. I slowly put on my Hermès bathrobe, washed my face with Chanel cleanser, and ate a bowl of rock sugar bird’s nest soup brought by the housekeeper, a cold smile playing on my lips. No one knew that the Finch couple, though poor, were not simple-hearted. The couple favored sons over daughters and had originally wanted to adopt a boy. But there were no non-disabled boys in the orphanage, so they settled for a beautiful daughter, hoping she’d attract a promising son-in-law someday. When they saw Julian dropping their daughter off, the couple’s blood must have boiled with excitement. They immediately “captured” this potential high-flying prospect for a son-in-law and treated him lavishly. The so-called warmth, the so-called lively atmosphere, it was all just an act. After all, to impress a young master from a wealthy family, these were the only things they had to offer. And in my previous life, when I told them I didn’t want to marry Julian, my adoptive mother locked me in my room, and my adoptive father beat me half to death with a table leg and a belt. Seraphina thought this life she had entered paradise, but she didn’t know there was no true paradise in this world. The Sterling home was a rich hell, and the Finch home was a poor hell. And who could crawl out of hell alive, that depended on one’s own capabilities.

In the days that followed, Julian’s malice intensified. The lunch prepared by the housekeeper, when I opened the lunchbox, was filled with thumbtacks. My facial cleanser and toothpaste would have dead spiders squeezed into them. My dresses in the closet were covered in cigarette burns. And every time I was startled and looked up, I’d meet Julian’s malicious grin. He mouthed to me: *Anya Sterling, you deserve it.* Julian thought I would cry. But I calmly poured out the thumbtacks, threw the spiders into the trash, and folded the damaged dresses neatly away. Julian’s smile vanished. He stared at me, almost gritting his teeth as he said, “Let’s see how long you can keep up this act.” … Fortunately, this time, although I had to endure Julian’s malice, the Sterling family’s resources were entirely at my disposal. I no longer had to spend my days at school and my evenings helping my adoptive mother work. Instead, a housekeeper took care of me, a driver picked me up and dropped me off, and I only needed to focus on my studies. In my previous life, to buy extra study materials, I had to save money for a long time, and still had to worry about my adoptive father taking my money to buy alcohol and gamble. Now, my closet was filled with designer dresses, and my jewelry box held Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier pieces, all casually given by Mrs. Sterling, requiring no money from me. In addition, at the beginning of each month, I received fifty thousand dollars in cash allowance and a credit card with a hundred thousand dollar limit. If I spent it all, I only needed to tell the butler, and new funds would be transferred to the card within half an hour. And the difficult life I had experienced in the past now completely fell upon Seraphina. I saw her sleeping through classes, utterly exhausted from helping her adoptive mother with work at night. Gradually, she stopped doing homework and started submitting blank test papers. In my past life, I lived on black coffee, and when I was truly exhausted, I’d prick myself with a pen to stay awake, studying with all my might. But Seraphina had lived a life of pampering and comfort in her previous life; she lacked that drive and perseverance. Not to mention, she didn’t care about her studies. In her view, becoming the Sterling heir’s fiancée was far more valuable than getting into any top-tier university. So, Seraphina focused all her energy on making Julian like her more. She didn’t listen in math class, instead secretly writing a diary meant only for Julian. She skipped dance rehearsals, sneaking out of school to drive around and stargaze with Julian. The result was, on the eve of the dance showcase… She sat outside the rehearsal room, crying. I assume Seraphina had specifically studied how romantic drama leads cry: gazing up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, tears welling in her eyes, stubbornly refusing to fall. And then, Julian happened to pass by and saw her. The moment Julian asked what was wrong, Seraphina’s long-suppressed tears finally spilled over. She threw herself into Julian’s arms and burst into sobs: “Julian, I lost my spot on stage.” “All the girls in the class are performing, but Anya wouldn’t let me participate…” Julian already hated me to the core, and hearing this, he immediately flared up: “Why?” Seraphina bit her lip, trying desperately to stop crying, but still couldn’t help but whimper: “She said my mom is just a cleaner, and my dad is just a janitor.” “She said I couldn’t even afford a costume, and didn’t deserve to be on stage.” Julian’s face grew uglier and uglier. He looked at Seraphina, who was gasping for breath from crying, and whispered, “It’s just a costume, isn’t it? I’ll buy it for you.” Seraphina shook her head, radiating the righteous aura of a pure-hearted, struggling girl: “No, one costs eight hundred dollars. I can’t accept such an expensive gift from you.” Julian was absolutely furious and heartbroken: “How dare Anya Sterling do that?” He blurted out in anger. Seraphina, teary-eyed, shook her head: “She is your sister, after all, the Sterling heiress.” “Several buildings in the school were donated by your family, and your father is an honorary school board member. Even if the teachers know she bullies, what can they do…” Seraphina didn’t notice that at that moment, a reporter conducting interviews at the school happened to pass behind her. Peeking his head in, the reporter, like a shark smelling blood, sensitively asked: “Bullying? What bullying?”

Things suddenly escalated like that. In the school’s largest conference room, a crowd of people stood silently. The principal, vice principal, dean of students, and homeroom teacher. Reporters from various news agencies. Both the Sterling and Finch parents were present. Mr. and Mrs. Finch stood in a corner of the conference room, protecting a tear-streaked Seraphina, their faces filled with grievance and indignation. Mr. and Mrs. Sterling had initially received the call and heard it was about me, and they hadn’t wanted to come. It wasn’t until they heard that even the newly appointed Director of the Education Board had arrived that they rushed over. The city’s top high school was a prime example for the Education Board. Mr. Sterling and the Director of the Education Board clearly had a past acquaintance. As soon as he entered, Mr. Sterling went to the Director’s side and smoothly began: “Such a small matter, it even disturbed Director Miller.” “Actually, it’s just children having a spat…” But Director Miller was very principled and completely unmoved: “Mr. Sterling, bullying is never a small matter.” “I know Anya Sterling is your daughter, but to me, all children are students, they are saplings. I cannot stand by and watch them grow crooked.” With words spoken to that extent, Mr. Sterling could say no more, only offering a smile: “Yes, yes, we are also unclear what happened. Please investigate thoroughly.” Returning to Mrs. Sterling’s side, the two exchanged a silent glance. I understood. If my bullying was truly confirmed, the Sterling family would immediately abandon me, their adopted daughter for whom they felt no affection, and completely cut ties with me. If Mr. and Mrs. Sterling’s attitude was already like this, what about Julian… He stood beside the constantly sobbing Seraphina, softly comforting her, occasionally raising his dark eyes to give me a cold glance. Seeing that everyone had arrived, the principal spoke, asking Seraphina: “Seraphina, please tell us what happened.” Seraphina raised her red, tear-filled eyes and quietly repeated what she had told Julian. The reporters were already indignant. One person quickly said: “Our preliminary investigation shows that Anya Sterling and Seraphina Finch were once friends from the same orphanage, even calling each other sisters.” “Later, Anya Sterling was adopted by the Sterling Group, while Seraphina Finch’s adoptive parents were just ordinary school employees.” “Anya Sterling, just because you entered a wealthy family, does that mean you can bully your former friend and steal opportunities that originally belonged to her?” A heavy silence fell. All the reporters’ eyes were on me, and the red lights of the cameras flickered incessantly. No one wanted to miss out on a sensational scoop. After all, this was a very sensitive social issue – in an era where social strata were gradually solidifying, if children from wealthy families continued to steal educational resources that originally belonged to impoverished children, blocking their path upwards, it could provoke considerable public outrage. Not to mention the protagonists of the news story were me and Seraphina, a dramatic contrast. In the pin-drop silent office, I suddenly let out a small laugh, the sound surprisingly abrupt. All the reporters exchanged confused glances. “Esteemed reporter, I read in a book that news professionals need to cross-verify and fact-check all information they receive.” “Why? Are you now skipping work steps just to rush out a sensational news story?” Immediately, the reporter’s face turned beet red. I stood up and pointed coldly at Seraphina: “Right now, she is the only source of information. Everything is just her side of the story.” I looked at Seraphina, whose face was pale from crying. I did once consider you my sister. But in the past life, you killed me out of jealousy. In this life, you climb by framing me. So if I destroy you, it’s your own doing. “Since the esteemed reporter is asking me now, I’ll tell you what I know.” “Seraphina is jealous of me. She feels that even though we both started the same, and she’s even prettier and smarter than me, why do I now live a better life than her?” “Out of jealousy and hatred, she fabricated this story to frame me.” At these words, Julian immediately retorted: “But…” He wanted to say that Seraphina had actively chosen the poor Finch family. Therefore, she couldn’t be someone who only cared about wealth, and my explanation was clearly twisting the facts. But before he could finish, the principal’s office door was suddenly flung open. Standing outside was a thin figure, with short hair, silent, like an inconspicuous weed. Our homeroom teacher recognized her: “Hazel? What are you doing here?” In the previous life, Hazel had already taken her own life by this time. But in this life, she was alive. Step by step, Hazel walked in and stood beside me. She said softly, “I’m here to testify.”

She entered so abruptly that the reporters were momentarily stunned. Someone asked, “Student, are you here to testify that Anya Sterling bullied Seraphina Finch?” After all, judging by her appearance, Hazel was clearly not from a wealthy family. At a glance, she seemed more like Seraphina. Hazel looked at the person who asked the question and shook her head. She said, “I’m here to testify *for* Anya Sterling.” I looked at Hazel in surprise. To be honest, I had prepared a lot for today’s confrontation. But Hazel was not a witness I had planned for. After all, we weren’t really that close. The last time I gave her money, she looked up the current market rates for tutoring, calculated it based on an hour a day, and then returned all the excess money to me. She taught me math for one hour every day, then promptly packed her bag and left, like some perfectly programmed AI robot. In my previous life, Hazel had jumped from a building right before college entrance exams. All her hopes were pinned on getting into a good university and earning money quickly to treat her grandmother’s illness. But a month before the exams, her father lost money gambling, drank a few bottles of rotgut alcohol, came home, and gave Hazel the worst beating of her life. Hazel’s right hand was broken. It was her writing hand. No one knew what else Hazel’s father did that day, or what else the bruised and battered Hazel endured. When people found her again, this perpetually silent girl had already jumped from the rooftop. In this life, even though Hazel and I hadn’t become close friends, I still wanted to save her. So, I paid two thugs to beat Hazel’s father into the hospital. That way, at least until the college entrance exams were over, that man wouldn’t be able to abuse her. To meticulously plan this, I had, for the first time, missed an evening study session. When I returned, Hazel, who was in charge of attendance records, caught me red-handed. She asked me, “Why did you skip evening study?” I scratched my head, desperately trying to think of an excuse. After all, I looked perfectly healthy, no sickness or injury, so I couldn’t exactly tell her, “Skipped class to beat up your dad.” Just then, Hazel was called out by the reception teacher: “Hazel, you have a call.” It was news about Hazel’s father. Five minutes later, Hazel returned, her face still bland and expressionless. She picked up the attendance sheet again, then put it down. “I won’t mark it this time,” she said calmly. “Don’t be absent again.” At that time, I breathed a sigh of relief and scurried back to my seat to study. Now, as Hazel used that same calm tone to say, “I’m here to testify for Anya Sterling.” It was then I realized that perhaps she knew. Facing the gazes of everyone in the room, Hazel pulled out a stack of forms and placed them on the table. Seraphina’s face instantly turned ashen. To enter the dance studio for rehearsal, according to school regulations, one had to fill out a form: what time the room was borrowed, who used it—everything was on the form. But this rule wasn’t strictly enforced, and filling it out was a hassle, so later, almost no one bothered; they just notified the dance teacher and went. No one expected that Hazel meticulously filled out the form every single time and kept all the records. So, under everyone’s watchful eyes, they could clearly see that out of over thirty forms, Seraphina’s name appeared in the “Users of the Classroom” section on only two. Meaning, out of more than thirty rehearsals, she had only attended twice. Hazel saw that everyone had clearly seen the forms, and then she slowly began to speak: “Seraphina said that Anya Sterling mocked her for not being able to afford a costume, and that’s why she wouldn’t let her on stage.” “But when I told Anya Sterling I couldn’t afford a costume and didn’t want to participate, she told me to continue rehearsing.” “The next day, I found out she had bought costumes for everyone.” “Seraphina also said that Anya Sterling bullied her because her father is a janitor and her mother is a cleaner.” “But my father doesn’t even have a proper job. My whole family relies on my grandmother’s meager pension.” Hazel looked at me: “If you bully poor people, why didn’t you bully me?” This kind of self-deprecating confession stunned everyone present. In the silence, I sighed, took out my phone, and played a video on speaker. In this video, everyone could see Seraphina missing beats, forgetting moves, and falling behind. Among everyone, she was clearly the worst. Well, after all, during previous rehearsals, she had been out stargazing with Julian. Actually, Seraphina hadn’t really wanted to participate in this showcase, but seeing that I had dropped her, she went to Julian to twist the truth and play the victim, making Julian like her more and hate me more. She hadn’t expected the matter to escalate so much, nor that I would have such complete human and material evidence. “Originally, I shouldn’t have taken the liberty of dropping Seraphina.” “However, this dance showcase offers special admission points, and two girls in our group are specialty students who are relying on these points for college admission.” “If I still let Seraphina participate, it would jeopardize the future of those two girls. Therefore, I had no choice but to make this decision.”

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For a decade-long contract marriage, I was bound to the Sterling empire, one of the wealthiest families in Veridian City. For ten years, Julian’s playboy ways were legendary, a new woman on his arm every other week, all because he couldn’t get over his first, unattainable love. Today, heavily pregnant, I was handling the welcoming ceremony for his newest mistress. I’d just stepped out when I was abducted, then brutalized by multiple men. But Julian Sterling? He abandoned me, bleeding out, for his new fling. By the time Mrs. Gable found me, the baby had been delivered, but there was no sign of life. My heart shattered. I begged Mr. Sterling, his father, to end this decade-long nightmare. “Ten years are up. Let me go!” After I left, his “white moonlight” returned. Yet, Julian Sterling lost his mind. **01** Mr. Sterling took a deep drag from his cigar, his brows tightly furrowed. “That boy, Julian, he’s too stubborn!” He looked at me, a hint of sorrow in his eyes. “Seraphina ran off with someone else, but it was you who suffered through all of this. Don’t you resent me?” I numbly kowtowed, my voice a whisper. “Just… let me go.” In an instant, blood bloomed across the plush carpet. Mr. Sterling gasped, wide-eyed, immediately summoning the family doctor and frantically calling Julian to return. Julian’s response was cold, devoid of emotion: “Dad, I’m busy.” From the other end of the line, a woman’s soft, alluring voice cooed. “Honey, who is it?” Then, sounds that made my stomach churn filled the air. Mr. Sterling, furious, slammed the phone down. The family doctor rushed in. After a thorough examination, he sighed, his voice heavy. “Mrs. Sterling, you have multiple injuries, especially to your abdomen. Your uterus… it’s prolapsed. You might not be able to conceive again. If we had treated you sooner, there might have been hope, but now…” The doctor trailed off, his sighs the only sound in the room. Even Mr. Sterling, usually so stern, had a flicker of pity in his eyes. The doctor continued, “Mrs. Sterling can’t move around freely right now, or she might lose this leg. It’s best you stay here and rest for at least two weeks.” I was about to settle into the old mansion when two bodyguards roughly seized me. “Mr. Sterling said you must return to arrange the welcoming ceremony.” They ignored my protests, pulling me towards the door. They turned to Mr. Sterling, explaining: “Sir, Mr. Sterling insists that Miss Miller’s welcoming ceremony cannot be delayed. He wants everyone in Veridian City to be invited. Mrs. Sterling’s health can be taken care of later.” Mr. Sterling roared, slamming his fist on the table. “Is he out of his mind?! Does he want everyone in Veridian City to laugh at us?!” The bodyguards remained impassive. “Mr. Sterling’s orders.” With that, they hoisted me onto a stretcher, ready to carry me out. Mr. Sterling, boiling with rage, hurled an ashtray across the room. He let out a long, heavy sigh, then spoke, his voice weary. “Ten years… it’s time to set you free. I thought he’d come to his senses, but instead, he’s destroyed you. In two weeks, you can leave. I’ll handle the divorce. Just… keep Seraphina’s secret, please.” I nodded weakly. He handed me a phone. “It has your sister’s contact information. She’s healthy.” Seeing the familiar number, I clutched the phone tightly to my chest, tears streaming down my face. **02** Ten years ago, Julian went camping in the remote mountains at Seraphina’s invitation. But instead, she eloped with another man. Julian got lost in the wilderness for three days, eventually collapsing in front of a small cabin in the woods. I was cleaning up the area when I found him, unconscious. I carried him back to safety. Mr. Sterling, a firm believer in old superstitions, was convinced I had a unique resilience, a rare strength that could shield his family from whatever darkness plagued it. And I desperately needed eight hundred thousand for my sister’s kidney transplant. Eight hundred thousand dollars. It bought my ten years of youth. When Julian woke up, I told him I’d saved him, and my only wish was to marry him. He wasn’t angry, nor did he look down on me. Instead, he treated me with courtesy, never forcing me to do anything. He always comforted me, telling me to be myself. But the elite circle of Veridian City’s old money isn’t easy to enter. While they said nothing to my face, behind my back, they sneered at my humble background. Julian, however, always found a way to shut down those rumors. I also tried my best to fit into their world. Even with household staff, I always personally prepared his three meals. When he first came back, he was so traumatized. He’d wake up screaming in the dead of night, needing someone to comfort him. I would hold him in my lap, lulling him back to sleep. This went on for six months until he gradually got used to sleeping alone. He held my hand, his voice full of gratitude, “Without you, what would I have done?” In that moment, my heart absolutely swelled with joy. I thought my suffering was over, that I’d finally found a good man. But on his birthday, in front of everyone, he called me a “cleaning lady.” He smashed cake in my face, then turned and took a girl’s hand, kissing her passionately in front of the stunned crowd. I stood there, utterly humiliated. I looked down, tears blurring my vision, begging him to let me go. He looked at me with cold eyes. “When you drove Seraphina away, why didn’t you think of this day?” My phone rang. Seraphina’s tearful voice came through. She kept apologizing, saying she shouldn’t have reappeared, that she’d leave far away, but she just missed Julian too much and had to call. Then, the line went dead. Julian frantically redialed, but her phone was off. From that day on, he never smiled at me or spoke a single word. He began a frantic search for Seraphina. At the same time, he kept finding her substitutes. Everyone in Veridian City knew: as long as a woman bore even a slight resemblance to Seraphina, she could soar to the top. And I? I was in charge of their welcoming ceremonies, preparing banquets, jewelry, and arranging their lives in the mansion. He even forced me to watch them being intimate, to “learn.” Ten years passed. My heart, once raw and bleeding, had turned to stone. I thought if I just endured these ten years, everything would be okay. Until one day, Julian, drunk, mistook me for Seraphina. That night, he took me by force, and I became pregnant with his child. When he found out about the pregnancy, he changed. He stopped his partying, occasionally even talking to me. I thought, finally, I had reached the end of my suffering. But then… A call came from an unknown number. It was that familiar voice. **03** She claimed I was scheming behind her back, that I’d hired someone to poison her, causing her to be infertile. Julian completely lost his mind. He lashed out, kicking my belly viciously. Again, another kick. I could feel the baby fighting inside me. I struggled, making as much noise as I could. Mrs. Gable rushed in with a mop, trembling as she stood in front of me. Julian froze, glared at me fiercely, then slammed the door shut. Mrs. Gable collapsed onto the floor, taking a long moment before she numbly helped me up and called a doctor. To our relief, the baby was okay. But later, I still couldn’t protect him. Maybe it was for the best. With a father like that, it was better he didn’t come into this world. The car stopped, jarring me back to reality. The bodyguards roughly tossed me onto the ground. “Mr. Sterling said, since you love to tattle so much, your leg can just stay broken!” I pushed myself up with my hands, gritting my teeth, dragging my legs, crawling inch by agonizing inch into the living room. The short five-hundred-meter distance took me an hour to cover. My blood stained the garden path and the stairs. Julian Sterling, meanwhile, was half-reclining on the sofa, his arm around his latest fling, Celeste Miller. He looked at me, a sneer of disgust on his face. “Mrs. Gable, slap her! Let’s see if she still runs her mouth after this!” Mrs. Gable hesitated, rooted to the spot. “Mrs. Gable, are you forgetting who signs your paychecks?!” Julian’s voice was a low snarl. I managed a weak smile at Mrs. Gable. She closed her eyes and slapped me. My lip split, and a stream of blood trickled from the corner of my mouth. Celeste Miller cowered behind Julian, whispering, “She’s so scary.” Only then did Mrs. Gable, tears in her eyes, stop. “What’s with the dramatics? It’s just a little blood, isn’t it? Look what you’ve done, you’ve scared Celeste! Get over here and apologize!” My head spun, pain searing through every inch of my body. Gritting my teeth, I dragged myself forward, propped up my upper body, and bowed my head slightly. “I’m sorry, Celeste.” Julian’s expression was hard to conceal. He looked genuinely surprised. For almost ten years, I had never caved. Even when I was abandoned on that deserted island, beaten, I refused to confess to anything I hadn’t done. But to a man who didn’t love you, crying and pleading that you were innocent was utterly foolish. They only needed to whisper a few lies, and my life was instantly dragged through hell. Since he was convinced I was a liar, a villain, any further explanation was useless. I slowly moved my body, preparing to go rest. He suddenly grabbed my shoulder, staring at my stomach with confusion. “The baby? Where is the baby?” I slowly raised my eyes, meeting his gaze directly. “At the old mansion.” Of course, Mr. Sterling wouldn’t let me take him. After all, he was a Sterling, meant to be buried in the Sterling family plot. They’d even calculate the burial time, choose an auspicious location. I had no right to decide where my baby was laid to rest. He sneered, his voice dripping with venom, “Why so careful? You think everyone is like you, who won’t even spare a child?” That was a child he’d had with one of his many women. She accidentally fell and lost the baby, then claimed I’d pushed her. He didn’t care, immediately locking me in the solitary room for three days and three nights, without food or water. I was so lightheaded from hunger, I started seeing my great-grandmother, her hand waving to me. The door was kicked open.

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The day of my wedding, I watched my husband’s sister jump from a high-rise building. From that moment on, he believed I was the killer. I was thrown into the basement, left for others to trample on. Only after I got pregnant and then miscarried, did he sneer, “This is just the beginning.” That blood-stained diary held the truth, carved deep into the soul— But my husband, after plunging the knife into my heart with his own hands, finally realized he’d hated the wrong person. Yet some scars, even the stark truth can’t heal. Julian dragged me back to the mansion and immediately tossed me into the basement. Faintly, I heard him tell the housekeeper to give me only one meal a day. Anyone who dared to sneak me extra food would be out on the street instantly. The dim, sickly yellow light of the basement felt like a chill seeping into my very bones. A wave of humiliation and injustice washed over me, but I didn’t even have time to cry. I knew screaming my lungs out wouldn’t do a damn thing down here. My only hope was the housekeeper. But it didn’t take long for me to lose all hope. Who would give up Julian’s generous salary for me? Slowly, I adapted to the dark, damp days. But then, my worst fear came true: I was pregnant. Before, I had dreamed of having a child with Julian. But now, this child was an unwanted one, without a name or place. Every day, I deliberately tripped, I jumped as hard as I could. But this baby, it seemed determined, clinging stubbornly inside me. When I felt the first flutter of life, I bit my lip and decided to keep him. For months, this unborn child was the only one who kept me company, giving me something to hold onto. Sometimes, I’d recall the kindness Julian once showed me, but with time, those memories blurred. Suddenly, as the due date approached, I saw Julian again. “Julian, why won’t you divorce me?” “Divorce? That would be too easy on you. I need you to taste what it’s like to lose a loved one.” I stared at his terrifying, bloodshot eyes, completely unable to guess what he was planning. The next second, he kicked me hard in the stomach. I felt that tiny life slowly draining from my body. I didn’t even get a chance to look again before my vision went black, and I passed out. When I woke up, seeing my belly deflated, my heart felt like it was being ripped to shreds.

I hadn’t seen sunlight in a long time. My body and mind were both incredibly weak. Lying in bed, I looked up and saw Julian sitting on the couch. There was no guilt on his face. Instead, he wore a playful, cold smile, completely different from the Julian I once knew. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll call the police?” I asked, gathering my courage. Julian stood up, walked over to me, and looked down with disdain. “Chloe’s death… you think that can just be forgotten?” I shook my head frantically, tears streaming down my face. “It really wasn’t me. I didn’t do anything like that.” “This child,” he said, his voice chilling, “consider it a small punishment for you. Even if it was some random kid, it was in your belly. As a mother, you failed to protect him. That’s your responsibility.” “Oh, I forgot to tell you. The one you lost was a boy.” My already weak body broke out in a cold sweat. My hands clutched the bedsheets tightly, fighting back tears. Julian’s parents passed away early; he practically raised his sister, Chloe, all by himself. That little girl was like a princess, adored by everyone she met. Three years ago, Julian and I met and fell in love. The first time I visited their family’s estate, a bright and beautiful girl embraced me. She welcomed me as her sister-in-law with such genuine warmth. I loved her no less than Julian did. Julian treated her like his own child. It was a unique kind of love, one no one else could ever hope to share. But even a girl as protected as Chloe would eventually grow up. In college, Chloe fell madly in love with a man. Even Julian’s disapproval couldn’t stop her from getting deeply involved. It wasn’t until she brought the man home that I froze. It was Blake, the guy who’d confessed his feelings to me back in college. Blake acted like he’d never seen me before, even joining Chloe in calling me ‘sister-in-law.’ My reaction didn’t go unnoticed by the perceptive Julian. “Do you two know each other?” I quickly shook my head, but I caught a flicker of displeasure in Blake’s eyes. I tried my best to avoid Blake, but he still found a way to get me alone. “Aubrey,” he said, a sneer on his face, “this is the man you rejected me for? What’s so great about him besides his money?” “Blake, let’s not bring up the past. I hope you treat Chloe well. She’s a good girl.” During that time, I felt like I was walking on eggshells whenever Blake was around. It wasn’t just because we knew each other. I had this bad feeling, afraid of causing Chloe to misunderstand. That sweet girl was crazy in love, but I couldn’t see any love for Chloe in Blake’s eyes. My premonition came true. After a few misunderstandings, Chloe still insisted on marrying Blake. I thought it would be a happy ending, but instead, it pushed me into an endless abyss.

This forced miscarriage meant I would never have the chance to be a mother again. I thought Julian’s revenge had reached its limit, but he said, it was just the beginning. He knew I was an orphan, that even if I died in his family’s home, no one would come looking for me. So he was determined to see me dead. Back at the mansion, Julian took me to Chloe’s room. Her memorial photo was prominently displayed, as if just yesterday she had been alive, calling me “Aubrey.” “Julian, Blake and I really had nothing going on. I never did anything to betray you or Chloe.” The words had barely left my mouth when Julian slapped me hard, knocking me to the ground. The metallic taste of blood stung my nostrils. “Do you think Chloe and I are blind? You were having an affair right under our noses, Aubrey! How could you be so vile! Killing you now wouldn’t even satisfy my hatred!” His face was contorted, his eyes burning with a rage that threatened to consume me. It was clear how deep his hatred ran. When Chloe died, I mourned for a long time too. Even though I hadn’t caused her death, it was true that so many things had happened because of me. Blake was a big deal back in college, charming countless girls on the basketball court. Any girl who went to watch the games would steal a few glances at him. He was a total heartthrob. But he wasn’t my type. I don’t know when it started, but I kept running into Blake in different places. Too many coincidences are never coincidences. Sure enough, he started openly pursuing me. When that news spread, I didn’t get many blessings, but I certainly gained a lot of jealous haters. I directly rejected Blake when he tried to serenade me with a guitar under my dorm window. From then on, Blake became the laughingstock of the school and stopped bothering me. Seeing him at Julian’s family home, I certainly felt awkward. But Chloe had told me many times how much she liked him. However, Blake was not as simple as I thought. In front of Julian and me, he spoiled Chloe like a child. Later, I found out he often went home with Chloe, but he always looked for opportunities to get close to me, to be alone with me. When Julian wasn’t around, he’d dismiss Chloe, and that poor naive girl just thought he was tired. The first time Chloe caught us, Blake’s hand was on my waist. I struggled to break free, but he pulled me back forcefully, and his lips brushed my head.

Chloe froze, watching us, and the cup in her hand dropped, shattering into pieces. I quickly pushed Blake away and ran after Chloe. She was crying so hard, she couldn’t hear me. I gripped Chloe’s shoulders and shook her. “Chloe, it’s not what you think! Don’t misunderstand!” Chloe’s lips were bitten raw and bleeding. I understood her love for Blake, and I understood her feelings right then. Blake casually walked out, stepping forward to put a hand on Chloe’s shoulder. “Don’t you even trust me? Your sister-in-law almost fell just now. I grabbed her, and the momentum made us bump into each other.” Teary-eyed, Chloe looked at Blake and choked out, “Is that true?” Blake shrugged. “What else could it be?” Chloe, thinking the misunderstanding was cleared, playfully punched Blake’s chest and told him to be more careful next time. Only I knew it wasn’t a misunderstanding at all. Blake actually used Chloe to threaten me. “You’ve seen how much your sister-in-law loves me. If you don’t want me to hurt her, you won’t make a fuss.” After saying that, his hand actually brushed my back. Luckily, Chloe walked in, otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable. Blake was like a bomb, planted in Julian’s family. Julian made me kneel in front of Chloe’s photo and wouldn’t let me get up. “The person who made Chloe kill herself wasn’t me, it was Blake. Why aren’t you going after him?” I asked, bewildered. Julian kicked me in the stomach again, and I doubled over in pain. “Because Chloe told me herself that Aubrey seduced Blake.” I was too much in pain to speak, but I truly believed Chloe wasn’t the kind of girl who would lie or twist facts. It was just that I couldn’t confront her now. “Julian, after years of our relationship, why won’t you believe me? I loved Chloe too. How could I not want her to be happy?” “Shut up! I must have been blind to choose you. You caused my sister’s death. If I had never met you, Chloe wouldn’t have died. How I wish you could bring her back.” Julian’s words pierced my heart like needles. I knelt on the floor, numb. He wouldn’t commit a crime by killing me, but he couldn’t bear to see me alive either. I thought, the day I finally gave up and took my own life, the whole thing would be complete.

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In the third year after Liam Hayes lost his memory, I finally agreed to a divorce. After his memory loss, he was forever trapped in the suffocating humidity of that particular spring when he was seventeen. Back then, his heart belonged to Chloe Miller, the good girl. And I? I was his sworn enemy, the one who always made him frown. Until the three-year survival period for my heart failure ran out. I stood before the ruins of that old house, damaged in the earthquake all those years ago, and it hit me. My Liam, the one I truly loved, might have died in that earthquake years ago. I had loved the wrong person. “Mr. Hayes, happy divorce!” “If you don’t agree to the amicable divorce, there’s nothing more to discuss. We’ll just have to meet in court!” His face remained stiff, as usual. He reached out, trying to snatch the divorce papers off the table. I smiled, doing something totally out of character, and pushed the papers back to him. “Already signed.” Liam froze. He looked at me with a disbelief that was almost comical. “What?” “I said, the divorce agreement is already signed. This is the property division statement. Take a look, any objections?” Liam took the divorce papers, half-believing, half-doubting. My delicate handwriting was indeed inked at the bottom. He flipped through the property division statement, then looked up at me. “You only want that old villa?” “That house was practically condemned after the big earthquake three years ago. It’s unlivable, doesn’t even have a property deed!” Maybe, in the past, if Liam had said that, I would have been furious, stomping my feet. I would have stubbornly argued with him. *That’s not condemned. That’s our wedding home, the one we bought together. You just don’t remember.* But now, I just smiled peacefully at him. “Is that so? Doesn’t matter. Just leave it to me.” “If you have no objections, sign it, and we can head to the County Clerk’s Office.” Liam across from me fell silent for a moment, then abruptly stood up and walked out. He moved fast, not even pausing to listen to me speak, as if he were running away. “I have an urgent matter. Let’s talk later.” I watched his retreating back, feeling a strange sense of detachment. I shook my head with a bitter smile. Still the same as always, couldn’t even tell a convincing lie. His phone screen didn’t even light up, and he couldn’t even look me in the eye before claiming he had something urgent. Outside, the sky was draped in endless dreary clouds. It looked like another typical downpour of the rainy season. Still, I wanted to go out. I had my driver take me to the mall. I needed to pick up my wedding dress. “Miss Blackwood, your wedding dress has been fully restored. Would you like to try it on?” I ran my hand over the soft fabric. The stitching was perfect. You couldn’t see a single trace of the damage it had sustained when the house collapsed. This was the dress Liam had picked out himself, right before the earthquake. *“I had it custom-made. Do you like it?”* *“I knew you’d love this style. You’ve always loved wearing spaghetti straps since college.”* *“That’s why back then, I hated it when you’d bug me to tutor you in advanced math. The humid spring was hot and stuffy, and you’d always be walking around in front of me in those little tank tops. Your skin was so fair it practically glowed, and it drove me crazy.”* … Suddenly, a tear splashed onto the back of my hand. Then, tears flowed like an unending rain. I choked back a sob. “I won’t be needing it.” “Please pack it up for me and mail it to this address.” As I was about to leave, I didn’t expect to run into Liam and Chloe. Chloe was trying on a wedding dress. Liam looked distracted, sitting on a nearby sofa, frowning at his phone screen. But whenever Chloe turned to speak, he would always respond gently with a word or two. I had no intention of disturbing their happiness. I lifted my foot, ready to leave. But Chloe suddenly called out to me. She clutched the wedding dress, looking a little nervous. “Riley!”

I had no choice but to stop and greet her. “Chloe? What a coincidence.” “You have good taste. That wedding dress really suits you.” Liam saw me and instinctively stood up. He started to explain to me. “I…” I shook my head, smiling, signaling that it was fine. “It’s okay, I understand.” “Picking out a wedding dress is a top priority, and as the groom, of course you should be here. Since you’re busy today, let’s do it tomorrow. We’ll go to the County Clerk’s Office and get things done. If we drag this out any longer, I might not have the time.” Chloe tilted her head, a hint of surprise in her voice. “Riley, you finally agreed?” Then, as if she suddenly realized her tone sounded a little too triumphant, she apologized to me. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. I just…” I chuckled, walking over to straighten her veil. “You don’t need to apologize. I’ve just recently had a change of heart. If the twenty-eight-year-old Liam had shown up when he was seventeen, with all his memories, I definitely wouldn’t have given him up to you either.” “Because love is selfish.” By the time I got into the car, it was already raining. I sat in the back, then spoke suddenly. “To the old villa, please.” The driver instinctively started to turn his head to advise me against it. Because of my heart failure, my body had been particularly frail recently. Forget getting caught in the rain, I couldn’t even stand a slight breeze. It seemed even the smallest illness could become my death knell. But seeing the determined look on my face, he eventually said nothing. The security guard at the old earthquake site, Mr. Henderson, already knew me. The moment he saw my license plate, he promptly lifted the barrier. He was a widower who had lost his wife in the earthquake. He watched the rain, murmuring. “It’s raining. I’m afraid some of the old houses might collapse.” I stood in the rain, umbrella in hand, looking at what used to be our wedding home. Three years ago, I was abroad on a business trip when a major earthquake hit the city. When Liam was rushed to the hospital, covered in blood, I sat numbly outside the emergency room. The hospital walls heard more fervent prayers than any church. At that moment, I wished, I swore I would give up ten, twenty, even thirty years of my life, just for Liam to wake up. Later, I thought fate had finally favored me. Now, I just felt that everything was destiny, and I had no control over any of it. I felt like a wax figure, slowly burning away these past three years, leaving only half of myself. Yet my thoughts were still fixated on the time when Liam and I were most in love. As if to confirm the security guard’s prediction, just as I was leaving. Our wedding home collapsed. With a thunderous crash, the already precarious walls crumbled down. I turned back to look. What was once recognizable as our home was now just a pile of rubble. When Liam walked out of the mall, he received a phone call. On the other end was a German man, speaking broken English, sounding very excited. “Hey, Liam! I finally got a hold of you.” “I finished your ring a long time ago, just as you requested, but then you never came to pick it up. I heard something bad happened on your end. How are you doing now? I’ll ship it to you.” Liam’s mind was suddenly slammed by the words “ring.” It was like something was trying to break free from deep within his memory. A single tear fell, calmly, from his eye. He wiped it away, then replied quickly. “I’ll send you the address.” Liam had never felt such panic. His mind flickered with chaotic, unclear memories. Strange yet familiar, the last image was of my eyes, red from crying, by his hospital bed. He felt like he was on the verge of remembering. Perhaps right after he saw that ring. But suddenly, a text message popped up on his phone: “You have successfully booked your divorce registration application at the City County Clerk’s Office. Please arrive on time!”

The day we were scheduled to file for divorce was a rare sunny day during the rainy season. Last night, my heart palpitations were severe, and I hadn’t slept well. I had to put on extra makeup to cover my exhausted face. Liam was uncharacteristically late. Just as I checked my phone for the third time to confirm the time, he finally arrived. I breathed a sigh of relief and spoke to him. “Let’s go in. Good thing we haven’t missed our number.” “There are quite a few people getting divorced, so we might have to wait a bit.” Liam looked at my face, then suddenly leaned in close. “Blackwood Industries has been doing really well lately, and your… convenient brother will be back in the country soon. You shouldn’t have to work so hard at the company. Why do you look so pale recently?” “Actually, if you don’t want a divorce, maybe we could just…” I held up a finger, pushing him away. “No, let’s do it today. If we drag this out any longer, I truly won’t have the time.” My eagerness seemed to annoy Liam, and he started to make wild guesses. “It’s just a divorce. Why won’t you have time?” “Did you fall in love with someone else?” His words made me a little angry too. “No divorce? So you want Chloe to wear a wedding dress and follow you around like a mistress? Whether I love someone else or not, haven’t you had any idea these past three years? And besides, haven’t you always wanted a divorce? Now that I agree, why are you getting mad at me?” “I love you. I’m letting you go. What else are you not satisfied with?” I don’t know which sentence pierced Liam. His emotions flared up even more violently. He grabbed my wrist, accusing me. “You’re lying!” “You don’t love me at all!” I froze, looking at him. His eyes were red, his voice filled with grievance. “Riley Blackwood, you love the twenty-eight-year-old Liam. Not *me*!” “From the day I woke up, my heart recognized you before my memory did. But why, why do you always look at me like that? As if you’re always looking *through* me, at someone else! I’m not him!” “Riley Blackwood, when will you finally realize! I’m not the *him* from your memories!” Tears streamed down Liam’s face. His expression was fragile, something I’d never seen before. “I didn’t experience five years with you! I didn’t tutor you in advanced math, I didn’t take you to see the sunrise on a snowy mountain, I didn’t order a ring for you.” “You don’t love me; you’re just using me as his substitute.” I stared at him blankly, able only to offer a weak explanation. “But you are the same person.” He slowly released my hand, his gaze complex. “Riley Blackwood, I always thought I hated you. Hated you for binding me to you, hated you for forcing your past onto me, hated you for being stuck in memories you couldn’t escape. But only now do I understand.” “I don’t hate you; I just loved you so painfully.” “In the end, I just hated that you didn’t love *me* enough.” Liam said nothing more. He didn’t agree to the divorce. He turned and left. I sat in the back of the car, staring blankly, remembering the wedding home that had collapsed yesterday. Stubbornly, I wanted to go see it again, but this time the barrier wasn’t raised in advance. The security guard I saw was a completely unfamiliar face. I asked about Mr. Henderson. The man took a drag from his cigarette and sighed. “You mean Old Man Dave? He’s gone.” “He said his wife was afraid of thunderstorms. She went to visit a grave during the rain last night, fell, and passed away on the spot.” He looked at me, advising. “Little lady, you should come to this place less often from now on.” “You can come back, but there’s no one left here.” The security guard’s words hit me like a heavy punch to the heart. It dawned on me, belatedly: my three years of tangled love, hate, and longing for Liam, and this return to our old haunts, were nothing but a futile attempt to cling to a ghost. The person I loved had died in that earthquake three years ago. Liam was rescued, but what truly died was my love. I didn’t get out of the car. I had the driver turn around. “Let’s go back. I won’t be coming here again.” *Boom!* Thunder rumbled in the distance. It was during the third year of this muggy spring season that I finally accepted Liam’s amnesia. That very night, I was rushed into the emergency room due to heart failure. 5 Marcus’s sudden trip abroad was also because of my illness. Cardiac internal medicine started late in our country, and research in this area was still lacking. So Marcus chose to go abroad to help me contact doctors, but there hadn’t been any success.

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I’d been in love with Liam Hayes for seven years. Three years after our wedding, the one I’d wished for more than anything, I wanted a divorce. On our anniversary, Liam ditched me to be with his first love. My heart utterly crushed, I prepared the divorce papers the very next day and handed them to him. He didn’t even hesitate before signing. But when it truly came down to it, Liam’s eyes turned red, and he begged me not to leave. It was the third year of my marriage to Liam Hayes, and I wanted out. “Mrs. Hayes, this is the third-anniversary gift Mr. Hayes prepared for you.” Three years married, and Liam barely came home. Even on our third wedding anniversary, he just had his assistant send a gift. I barely glanced at the exquisite jewelry box sitting in front of me, not bothering to pick it up. “Where is he?” “Mr. Hayes is away on a business trip.” I pursed my lips, a bitter ache twisting in my chest. Looking back, I’d seen Liam’s assistant more times than I’d seen Liam himself over these past three years. I casually took the jewelry, just about to call my besties to blow off some steam, when suddenly, rows of pop-up comments flashed before my eyes. 【Chloe, you’re so clueless! Your husband’s never home, but you have unlimited spending money every month, and you still want a divorce?!】 【OMG, girl, the male lead loves you SO much! He just doesn’t know how to say it. He’s too shy!】 【Exactly! He just loves you too much, that’s why he’s scared to see you!】 【Baby girl, Liam really is busy! If it weren’t for the branch office crisis, he would’ve been back already! You know, the male lead started preparing for your third anniversary a month ago!】 【The male lead became an orphan when he was young, he used all sorts of schemes to get his company back. It’s natural for him to feel insecure facing a girl he loves so much. If only the female lead could be more understanding!】 I was skeptical. Liam loved me? That’s a joke! Liam and I were in a strategic alliance between our families. But what Liam didn’t know was that, even before we got married, I had silently loved him for seven years. The first time I saw Liam was at the freshman orientation for high school. Liam was giving a speech as an outstanding senior student representative. While all the other guys around him were pimply and loud, Liam’s cool, detached demeanor was like a splash of cool green on a scorching summer day. What’s more, Liam’s looks were top-tier, perfectly fitting my aesthetic. Liam was a big deal at school, not just for his incredible looks, but also for his off-the-charts intelligence. He was the academic powerhouse everyone talked about. Falling for Liam was almost inevitable. It’s just that the distance between us felt too vast, something I couldn’t bridge no matter how fast I ran. So, when I heard Liam was to be my husband in a business marriage, I was practically ecstatic. In the early days of our marriage, I was full of passion, eager to make things work with Liam. I’d never lifted a finger in the kitchen before, but after we got married, I worked tirelessly honing my cooking skills. After cutting three fingers and enduring countless oil burns, I finally cooked my first dish. Full of excitement, I rushed to Liam’s office, hoping he could have my special homemade lunch early. But the moment I arrived, his secretary blocked me. “I’m sorry, Ms. Chen, Mr. Hayes is busy. You can’t go in without an appointment.” I called Liam again and again, but he didn’t pick up. I waited for over an hour in the busy lobby, standing there as people bustled around. I could even hear the whispers of those nearby. Eventually, Liam’s assistant came downstairs to deliver some documents, saw me, and finally led me to Liam’s office. But the moment I saw Liam, all my sadness vanished. I joyfully arranged the dishes I’d cooked in front of him. “Taste it! I made it especially for you!” Compared to my excitement, Liam was merely indifferent. He took one bite, frowned, and didn’t touch his forks again. “From now on, the housekeeper can handle these things.” “My assistant also prepares lunch for me. You don’t have to bother bringing it.”

My eager enthusiasm was instantly doused with ice water. Later, I tried various ways to get closer to Liam. But… The thoughtful gifts I painstakingly chose always ended up gathering dust in a cabinet. My messages to him went unanswered, like stones dropped into the ocean. At company galas, Liam preferred to bring his secretary instead of me. Even in bed, Liam seemed uninterested. He’d often finish in a rushed two or three minutes, even if he clearly wasn’t satisfied. Everyone outside knew that I, Mrs. Hayes, was nothing more than a title without substance, someone anyone could step on. … After a while, even an idiot would have known that Liam didn’t love me. Yet now, the pop-up comments were telling me that Liam loved me, even loved me to his core. I scoffed. As if I’d believe those comments. I immediately called Zoe and went to a bar. My best friend, Zoe, raised an eyebrow, looking quite surprised when she saw me. “Well, well, look who it is! Isn’t today your third wedding anniversary with Liam? How do you have time to come out drinking?” I gave a bitter smile, trying to hide the disappointment in my eyes. “He’s on a business trip.” “Zoe, I’m planning to divorce him.” Zoe’s eyes widened in disbelief. She knew how much I loved Liam, so hearing about the divorce, she looked stunned. She even tugged at my cheek, suspecting I’d been possessed. I slapped her hand away and smiled. “Liam, he just doesn’t love me.” “I used to think that even if he didn’t love me, as long as I was Mrs. Hayes, I could be tied to him forever.” “Even just being by his side, I felt content.” “But Zoe, people are greedy. The longer I stayed by his side, the more I wanted. But he can’t give me what I want. It just makes me more miserable.” “Instead of making us both suffer like this, it’s better to part ways amicably.” Zoe sighed, pulling me into a comforting hug. “Chloe, I’ll support you no matter what you do!” “Out with the old, in with the new! We’ll find someone way better next time!” More comments floated across my vision. 【My poor girl, Chloe! If only she could give the male lead more time!】 【If the male lead doesn’t speak up soon, he’s going to lose his wife!】 【Nooo, baby girl! No one loves you more than the male lead!】 【Don’t panic, comments! The male lead rushed over as soon as he heard his wife was at the bar! He’s quietly protecting her from behind right now!】 Liam came? I froze, instinctively turning to search for him. He was there, at a booth not far away, raising his glass and chatting happily with the woman next to him. He was definitely *not* quietly watching me, as the comments claimed. “Liam? Why is he here? Wasn’t he on a business trip?” Zoe clearly saw Liam too. Fuming, she grabbed my arm and dragged me towards him. As we got closer, I finally got a good look at the woman beside Liam. She wore a striking red dress, her features bright and captivating. At that moment, she was clinging to Liam’s arm, playfully begging him to drink for her. Their posture was intimate. I could even see her hair draped over Liam’s arm, creating an undeniable, suggestive aura that spoke volumes of their closeness. It was a closeness Liam and I had never shared.

Perhaps he didn’t notice me, or perhaps he simply didn’t care, but Liam looked at the woman, a gentle smile on his face, and took the glass from her hand, downing it in one go. 【Oh no, oh no, the female lead is definitely going to misunderstand! Male lead, hurry and look at Chloe!】 【Baby girl, Chloe, this is just a classmate of the male lead’s. His heart is only for you.】 Watching the words on the screen, I pursed my lips. The way Liam looked at her was so tender it was practically dripping with affection. Only an idiot would believe there was nothing between them. He had never looked at me that way. If I had to rely on pop-up comments to know if Liam loved me, to find evidence, then I was truly pathetic. Besides, I was more than good enough. I didn’t *need* Liam. “Liam Hayes, is this what you call a ‘business trip’?” Seeing me, a flicker of discomfort crossed Liam’s face. He cleared his throat, about to speak, when the woman beside him stood up and generously extended her hand to me. “You must be Chloe Chen, Liam’s business marriage partner! Hello, I’m Victoria, Liam’s ex-girlfriend.” Victoria stared at me intently, her eyes filled with a mix of triumph and mockery. I knew who Victoria was. She was Liam’s high school classmate, the only one who could rival him in their academic achievements. She was his “first love,” the one everyone called the perfect couple. Their passionate high school romance was always a talked-about topic until she went overseas. Liam was reportedly in a slump for a long time because of it. Rumor had it, he even underperformed on his college entrance exams and missed out on his dream university. From the looks of it now, Victoria must have reconnected with Liam the moment she returned to the country. I didn’t shake Victoria’s hand. I just stared at Liam, unblinking. Victoria, however, pouted, then turned to Liam with a look of feigned hurt. “Liam, I told you not to come so late just to see me. Look, your wife is upset.” “Chloe, don’t be mad. I just got back to the country, and I haven’t reconnected with any of my old friends except Liam… I’m sorry, but Liam and I truly have nothing going on. Please don’t be upset…” I smelled the sickly sweet act in the air and scoffed. My eyes still on Liam, my voice was devoid of any warmth. “Liam Hayes, do you have nothing to say to me?” Liam frowned, his face unreadable. “Go home early.” My nose suddenly stung, and tears threatened to spill. At that moment, the comments section exploded. 【Ahhh, baby girl, Chloe, don’t misunderstand! It’s clearly the rival female lead who’s throwing herself at him!】 【Baby girl, you HAVE to believe the male lead! He was tricked into coming here by her! And he’s fuming right now because he saw you here and worried other guys might hit on you! Go comfort him!】 【Baby girl, Chloe, just sweet-talk the male lead, call him ‘honey,’ and he’ll give you his life!】 【Can the rival female lead just get lost already?! Spreading rumors about her intense love affair with the male lead in high school wasn’t enough, now she has to interfere in the male and female lead’s relationship!】 Upset? I scoffed again. Liam told me he was on a business trip for our anniversary, but he was here with his high school first love, and *he* was upset? What about me? Was I supposed to just accept it? Perhaps before, I still felt a tiny bit reluctant about this marriage, but at this moment, my decision to divorce was rock solid. “Liam Hayes, come back tomorrow.”

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Seven years into my marriage, my husband brought home a kept woman. He didn’t even try to hide it. “I’m only playing around for ten years, Scarlett. After that, I promise I’ll come back to you, settle down, and be a good husband.” He was so sure I wouldn’t dare refuse. My father had given all the family assets to my half-sister, Chloe, and we’d always been at each other’s throats. I’d been a stay-at-home wife for seven years; I couldn’t imagine surviving without him. I managed a desolate smile. “Whatever makes you happy.” He looked pleased, then leaned down and kissed my forehead. “Wife, I knew you’d understand me.” The moment he left, I ripped off my wedding ring, packed my bags, and walked out. My childhood friend, Liam, couldn’t wait to swoop in. “Hey, heiress. I’m handsome, loyal, and loaded. Care to give me a chance?” Before I left, I looked around the house I’d lived in for seven years, a wave of bitterness washing over me. Julian and I were college sweethearts. I stood by him through thick and thin, from nothing to having everything. He’d once sworn eternal love, promising to put the house in my name. He said if he ever changed his heart, he’d be homeless. Now, his heart had changed. But he had countless homes. As I reached the front door, my phone rang. Habitually, I answered it. “Bianca’s having cramps, Scarlett. Make some red date and bird’s nest soup and bring it over.” I was about to refuse, then remembered I still needed his signature on the divorce papers. Stepping into the lavish villa, I found Bianca Stone draped in a sheer, almost see-through nightgown, nestled in Julian’s arms. She pouted, her voice soft and sweet. “I hope Scarlett won’t be mad, will she?” “She’s the legitimate Mrs. Hayes. I’m just a nameless, status-less golden canary. How could I possibly deserve…” Julian lowered his head and kissed her lips, effectively shutting her up. After a long moment, his thumb gently traced the corner of her tear-filled eye. He looked utterly content. “Without me, she’d have starved long ago.” “Besides the title of Mrs. Hayes, what else does she have? Just looking at her makes me sick.” My nails dug into my palms. Three years of dating, seven years of marriage, and he called me disgusting? I gritted my teeth and walked up to them. Julian’s face instantly darkened. “Where’s the soup?” Bianca deliberately tugged at her flimsy nightgown, revealing a landscape of kiss marks and damp patches beneath her. Her fair hand quickly covered his mouth. “How could I possibly trouble Mrs. Hayes? I should be serving her.” My gaze flickered to the photos in the living room, and a sharp pain pierced my heart. Julian never let me meet his friends, nor would he meet mine. But here he was, taking Bianca on picnics with his friends. He’d always said he hated flowers, calling them wasteful and impractical. Yet, everywhere I looked, there were vibrant roses of every color, even rare, priceless Juliet roses. He said he was too busy to go on a honeymoon. But the photo wall in the living room was covered with pictures of him and Bianca traveling the world. I suddenly wanted to laugh—to laugh at how blind I’d been. Seeing my smile, Julian’s rage intensified. He grabbed an apple and threw it at me. “Funny? You’re really starting to disrespect me, aren’t you? Your allowance for next month is gone.” Bianca suddenly began to dab at her eyes, looking utterly pitiful. “Mr. Hayes, no, please.” “I’ve already stolen your love, I’m so sorry to Scarlett. Don’t be angry with her because of me. I don’t deserve it.” Julian’s voice was cold as he commanded me. “Come here and explain it clearly to Bianca. Tell her you approve of us, and that you’ll willingly take care of her.” Meeting his urgent gaze, I let out a cold laugh. “Julian Hayes, what century are you living in? Still dreaming of having a harem?” “I’ll never, ever share my man with a shameless mistress.” I turned my gaze to Bianca. “Stop faking it. You’re a mistress hiding in the shadows, yet you want a good reputation? You’re truly delusional.” She immediately shrank into Julian’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably, as if she’d suffered the greatest injustice. “Mr. Hayes, I… I just admire you. If Scarlett can’t tolerate me, then I’ll leave right away! I’ll never bother you two again.” She made a move to leave, but Julian held her tight. “If anyone’s leaving, it’s her.” “Scarlett Sterling, you’re getting more and more out of control. You need to be taught a lesson!” He motioned for his bodyguards to pin me to the ground and ordered them to slap me. Rough, powerful slaps soon swelled my cheeks, and blood streamed from the corner of my mouth. It hurt, but my heart hurt more. “When you realize your mistake, when you’re willing to bow down to Bianca, then they’ll stop.” “Mr. Hayes, it’s a good thing you care about me so much~” Julian’s restless hand roamed over her body, eliciting a soft moan from her. “Naughty~ Mrs. Hayes is still here…” His voice grew even more triumphant: “Good. She can learn how to seduce me from you.” The decadent, sickening sounds brutally assaulted my ears, leaving me almost deaf. I refused to bow down or apologize. Julian ordered me locked in the basement to reflect. He didn’t let anyone treat my wounds, leaving my face to fester and rot. That night, my fever soared, and I began to ramble. He got scared I’d die and had me sent to the hospital. In a haze, I heard him say, “You still think you’re some high-and-mighty heiress, do you? The Sterling family has nothing to do with you anymore. You’re completely dependent on me now, why can’t you change your temper?” “If you were even half as obedient and sensible as Bianca, I’d be satisfied.” Opening my eyes, I found my face heavily bandaged. My lower abdomen throbbed with intense pain. A nurse walked over, her voice soft. “Don’t move. You just had a miscarriage, so you need to be very careful.” I was pregnant, but the medication for my wounds posed a risk of fetal deformity, so they had arranged an abortion. Julian’s face was resentful, filled with impatience. “Would it kill you to just admit you were wrong?” “We’ve been married seven years and finally had a child, and you just threw it away!” I couldn’t hold back any longer. Hot tears welled in my eyes. It was naturally difficult for me to conceive. For seven years, I’d seen countless doctors and taken countless medications. Finally, I had a child, and it was gone just like that. Most likely, I could never be a mother again. Seeing me cry, he suddenly panicked, his tone softening considerably. “You can have another child later, or when Bianca has one, you can raise it.” Looking at the man I’d loved for ten years, he suddenly felt like a complete stranger. Years ago, my father had chosen Liam, my childhood friend, as my arranged marriage partner. But I stubbornly fell in love with Julian, who had nothing. I poured most of my fortune into supporting his startup, begging and pulling strings everywhere to land him projects. His eyes red, he held my hand, his face full of devotion. “Scarlett, I promise I’ll make sure you continue to live like a pampered princess.” Now, he’d completely forgotten those vows. I recoiled from his touch, my voice as cold as a stranger’s. “Julian Hayes, let’s get a divorce.” He panicked, then laughed with anger. “Scarlett Sterling, I hate being threatened.” I added, “I’m serious.” He smiled, gritting his teeth, then sighed, seeing me as utterly delusional. “You won’t get much of the Hayes’ assets. The Sterling family won’t take you back, and you haven’t worked in seven years. Just feeding yourself will be a problem.” “If we divorce, you’ll barely survive.” I said calmly, “You don’t need to worry about that.” His finely-boned hand rested on my lower abdomen, but I felt a chill run down my spine.

His words were cold and dangerous. “You deliberately provoked me, got yourself hurt, and conveniently got rid of the child. You wanted me to feel guilty so you could divorce me.” “You wanted everyone to think I rose by relying on the Sterling family, then abandoned you, so they’d condemn me.” “It’s all carefully planned.” I suddenly understood why my father had so vehemently opposed my marriage to him back then. He was clearly the butcher, yet he was packaging himself as the victim. “You really should learn from Bianca’s gentleness. She doesn’t have your malicious thoughts; she only tries every way possible to please me.” “Out of consideration for our marriage, I won’t pursue this. But if there’s a next time, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” I gently shook my head and slowly spoke. “Julian Hayes, I will never learn the shamelessness of a mistress, nor the lack of shame of someone who cheats.” “Either we get a divorce by agreement, or I’ll sue you for it.” Julian was completely enraged. He pointed at me and roared in public. “Don’t use divorce to threaten me! Bianca is a thousand times better than you. I would never leave her, so you might as well give up!” “For a man of my status and position, having three or five mistresses is perfectly normal. I’ve already been very discreet. You’re just too ungrateful.” I wanted to laugh. How blind must I have been to fall for him? He would never realize that I couldn’t tolerate him, not just Bianca. With that, he walked away without a backward glance. I felt no reluctance; instead, the air seemed to clear. Yet, there was still an empty ache in my heart, as if a piece was missing. For the next half-month, he never appeared before me again. He and Bianca were kissing under the Northern Lights, exploring rainforests, vacationing on islands, and splurging on jewelry at auctions. I didn’t want to pay attention to them, but their exploits frequently topped the news trends, making it impossible to ignore. I looked down at the wedding ring on my hand. It was bought three years into our marriage. On our wedding day, I wore a rented dress and cheap, online-bought jewelry, willingly marrying him. He’d wept and promised that once he was rich, he’d make it up to me with a grand,世纪婚礼 (century wedding – a grand, once-in-a-lifetime wedding). Later, when he had money, he said jewelry was expensive and useless, so why waste money? I nagged him for a long time before he finally bought this less-than-one-carat diamond ring. He never wore his own. Whether to get back at me or to make Bianca happy, I don’t know. He really did prepare a lavish, grand wedding. Sadly, I wasn’t the bride. He hired a professional photography team to document every step: choosing wedding rings, trying on wedding dresses, and so on. Their wedding ring was made from a pigeon-egg-sized diamond auctioned off in a Southern country, the diamond alone worth $300 million. Bianca’s wedding dress was encrusted with tiny diamonds, shimmering under the lights like a fairy descending from the Milky Way. It sparkled even more brilliantly in the sunlight. Chloe, my sister, threw an invitation in front of me, angrily demanding, “Is this the man you were so determined to marry? You’re truly an embarrassment to the Sterling family.” My stepmother, Eleanor, nearly fainted from anger. I begged them to attend the wedding. If the Sterlings didn’t go, those high-society families definitely wouldn’t. The day before the wedding, Julian was unusually pleasant to me. “Bianca wants a wedding of her own. Don’t cause any trouble.” I nodded. On the wedding day, I announced my divorce in front of all the guests. “My husband, Mr. Julian Hayes, is holding a grand wedding with his mistress today. I choose to grant them their wish.” “We’re getting a divorce.” He quietly warned me, but I wasn’t fazed. “Either we divorce, or I’ll sue you for bigamy.” His face flushed from green to red. He had no choice but to sign the divorce agreement in front of everyone. That day, Julian Hayes dominated the trending topics. 【Hayes Group CEO Holds Century Wedding for Mistress!】 【At the Wedding, the Original Wife Announces Divorce!】 【Relied on Wife for Wealth, Now Flaunts Affair with Mistress!】 His high-profile photos and videos with Bianca, showing off their affection, became the damning evidence that nailed him to the pillar of shame. I went home to get my luggage, but I heard Bianca’s heart-wrenching screams. Rushing in, I saw her being assaulted by two men, blood flowing freely from beneath her. I was frozen in shock, standing there, unsure what to do. Julian rushed in, frantic. The two men, startled, quickly scaled the wall and fled. Bianca lay in a pool of blood, sobbing almost to the point of collapse. “Our baby… it’s gone…” “Ms. Sterling, you can hate me, hit me, curse me, even kill me if you want.” “But why would you hurt my baby? If you’d just said the word, I would’ve taken the baby and left the country, never to return.” “Why…” Julian held Bianca, crying like a fountain. When my baby was gone, he hadn’t shed a single tear. He stayed by her side in the hospital, sleepless for three days and three nights. Every day, while she slept, he’d personally go home and cook soup for her. Seven years of marriage, and I never knew he could cook. On the fourth day, Bianca’s emotions finally stabilized. He ordered his bodyguards to tie me up and take me to an abandoned factory on the outskirts, where they threw me onto the ground like trash. The rough gravel dug into my body, hurting everywhere. I stared at him, incredulous. “Julian Hayes, how could you do this to me?” He raised his foot and cruelly stomped on my lips until they were a bloody mess. “It’s all because I was too soft on you, which emboldened you to harm my child.” I shook my head frantically, the back of my head bleeding from being scraped by the gravel. “I didn’t! It wasn’t me!” “Still trying to deny it?!” He gathered all his strength and delivered a savage kick to my lower abdomen. My face turned pale from the pain, and sweat poured down me. But he felt it wasn’t nearly enough. Punches, kicks, and sticks rained down on my abdomen. Soon, it was a bloody, mangled mess, and the blood beneath me stained the ground. Gradually, I stopped feeling the pain. All I felt was cold. My consciousness faded, and the footsteps seemed to grow distant. They didn’t take me with them. I was going to die. When I woke up again, everything was white. Perhaps this was heaven. Liam Anderson, my childhood friend, was watching over me, his eyes red. Seeing me awake, he couldn’t help but cry again. “Scarlett, you’re finally awake! You scared me to death!” I didn’t speak, tears streaming down my face and soaking the pillow. He carefully held me, and a wave of warmth passed through my hospital gown. “I’m sorry, I came too late.” After he heard about my divorce, he caught the next flight home, only to learn I’d gone missing. The Sterling family and the Anderson family had moved mountains to find me, barely rescuing me when I was on the brink. After my surgery, Chloe and Eleanor arranged for two nurses to care for me, and they made time to visit me every day. Liam stayed by my bedside, refusing to leave for anything.

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Seeing my billionaire CEO husband in bed with another woman, I finally filed for divorce. Alex scoffed, “Cut the drama. Didn’t you always say I was your world?” But all I did was throw a signed divorce agreement at him. For three whole years, a transmigrator had been living in my body, absolutely obsessed with him, practically worshiping the ground he walked on. Now, she was finally gone. From this moment on, I was taking back control of my life! I don’t know when it started, but one day, I suddenly realized I couldn’t control my own body anymore. My consciousness felt trapped in a void. I could see, hear, and speak, but I couldn’t move. Then, I heard a voice. That’s when I learned it was a transmigrator who had taken over my body. After she accidentally discovered my existence, she said she couldn’t help it; a system was forcing her. She told me this was actually a novel world. Just because some “Main God” didn’t like the original ending, they sent a system to grab someone to do tasks and change it. She said my billionaire CEO husband, Alex, was the male lead of this world. She also said the Main God loved seeing the sweet, naive type and the CEO get their HE (happy ending), but loved seeing rich and powerful women like me, who were on equal footing with the CEO, get a BE (bad ending). She commented that the Main God must have the brain of a rusty doorknob. The system’s task for her was to make Alex fall in love with Lily—the sweet, naive type who was useless except for being kind. Apparently, the ending only counted if the two of them ended up in bed together. Hearing this, I couldn’t help but secretly agree with her assessment of that Main God. It seemed that Main God wasn’t just a total simp for romance, but also constantly dreaming up filthy fanfiction scenarios. In the kitchen. Chloe, the transmigrator, was sweetly but frustratingly trying to make a difficult latte art coffee as required, all while complaining to me, “Look at your taste! How could you marry such a high-maintenance jerk?” “If he likes handmade latte art so much, why doesn’t he just hire someone to make it at home? He’s not broke!” “But speaking of which… how much money does he actually have?” At her words, I couldn’t help but fall into thought. Even if I didn’t know his exact net worth, a typical billionaire CEO in a web novel world would definitely be loaded enough to rival a small country. Otherwise, how could he be the male lead? Just because of that… chiseled, almost unreal face of his? After much frustrated fiddling, Chloe grumbled, poured the coffee down the drain, and started over. But this time, while making it, she started complaining about *me*: “You actually make him a latte art coffee every single day, and with different designs!” “How in the world do you keep that up?!” “Seriously, do all you rich socialites have your heads in the clouds or something?!” I immediately countered that maybe he just… got used to it. I started making him a latte art coffee every day ever since we moved in next door to each other, over a year before our actual marriage, as a trial. But I wasn’t desperate to impress him. Because every day, he’d also bring me a different, exquisite, and expensive collector’s item. To me, it was a fair trade. I just didn’t know why, after Chloe arrived, Alex stopped sending me figurines. Though, maybe it was because… Chloe had never made a single decent latte art coffee? The sound of the door opening meant Alex was back. Chloe wanted to keep complaining, but she had to constantly maintain her “devoted, virtuous wife” persona. So, she twisted her smile into a welcoming one and sweetly, gently called out, “Alex.” However, Alex, dressed in his perfectly tailored suit, actually flinched. He turned to look at her with a horrified expression, as if she were some kind of monster. Seeing her make a move to pounce, he even took a few wary steps back. “Stay right there!”

As a transmigrator, Chloe was absolutely enraged. She cursed at me repeatedly, “I’ve been kissing up to him for a whole damn year, and he still won’t let me near him?!” “What, is he gay or something?!” “How am I supposed to do tasks like ‘getting owned by the female lead’ and ‘successfully playing the jealous harpy’ later?!” “Ugh, this is too hard. Just let me die, I want to go home!” “…” I wanted to speak, but in the end, amid Chloe’s furious ranting, I silently slipped into my memories. I had to admit, Alex’s reaction was a bit unexpected. Because, in my memory, he wasn’t actually averse to my closeness. Like on the day I lost control of my body—which was also our wedding night. The guests had tactfully left after the celebration, and he stumbled toward me, bending down, his face flushed slightly. He closed his eyes and leaned in as if to kiss me. A faint scent of wine and crisp cologne enveloped me, but I didn’t dare move. Yet, his breathing had quickened, and the veins on his hands were bulging. So I couldn’t help but wonder, for a moment, if he was… nervous too? But just as he was about to touch me, there was a *boom* in my head, and I lost consciousness. When I became aware of Chloe’s presence, it was already the third day. Chloe said that when she woke up in my body, she was in a hospital. At the time, Alex’s face was terrifyingly grim, watching the doctor meticulously give her a full body check-up. She was so scared she didn’t dare say anything, so she just continued to feign sleep. But ever since then, Alex’s attitude toward “me” had been consistently distant. Though, he’d always been a bit distant with me. He was just that type of person, always keeping a certain distance. I had no idea how he would be conquered by a clumsy, sweet-but-useless type like Lily. Perhaps, that’s what they call a “contrast effect.” Is this… the charm of CEO novels? Seeing Alex retreat to the door with a wary, almost panicked look, as if terrified Chloe would take advantage of him in the slightest… I found it both amusing and, strangely, a little sour in my heart. Did he really not want to be close to me? I shook my head, trying to get my thoughts back on track. This was about Chloe’s mission and my future, after all! So, I wondered again, could it be that my unexpected fainting that night had scared him, leaving him with a psychological shadow? I don’t know what the system said, but Chloe took a deep breath, then feigned sadness. “You, you… what’s wrong with you?” Alex frowned, a look of distaste on his face. “What did you do to yourself?” Chloe: “…?” Alex impatiently rubbed his temples. “Go clean yourself up.” Chloe followed his gaze down and finally saw the coffee stains all over her clothes. …Right. Alex, like me, was a bit of a germaphobe. Sure enough, he said coldly, “If you can’t make coffee, don’t force it. If you break the coffee machine, remember to pay for it yourself.” After saying that, he picked up his briefcase and went to the guest bedroom. Looking utterly heartless, as if out of sight, out of mind.

Yep, he and “I” had always slept in separate beds. Of course, Chloe didn’t actually want to sleep with him either. Because Chloe had someone she liked in her own world. She could fake it for the show, but she couldn’t let it become real. Chloe glared at his retreating back, growing even more irritable. “Ugh, this CEO is so cheap! What the hell?” “It’s just a coffee machine! Is it that big of a deal?!” “…” If you asked me, yes, it was a very big deal. After all, that coffee machine was worth tens of thousands of dollars. CEOs in novels might throw money around without a second thought. But a real CEO? They wouldn’t waste anything casually. They could abandon or exchange things, but they would never waste. Because they knew that only by developing cautious habits could they make relatively precise and decisive choices. At least, that’s what my successful businessman father taught me. And as the rich socialite Chloe called me, I was the same. Whatever I decided to learn, I would learn it seriously, giving it my all. For example, making latte art was something I excelled at because I had a strong foundation in art from a young age. So, I could directly free-pour latte art onto finished coffee, doing it in one smooth motion. But Chloe clearly had no artistic talent or interest, nor did she put any effort into it, so she naturally only produced failed “impressionist” works. Chloe glumly chugged the coffee, then washed herself clean, and finally holed up in the room, sighing dramatically to me, eventually tossing and turning all night. The next day, she forced herself to perk up and rushed to Alex’s company. Because today was the day Lily, the sweet, naive female lead, was supposed to officially catch the CEO’s eye. Lily, a freshly graduated intern, would naturally fall head over heels for the successful, tall, and handsome CEO Alex at first sight. Her character was clumsy, kind to stray animals, yet also brave enough to love. Even knowing that CEO Alex was already married, she didn’t hide her feelings. So what if he was married? Who could control their heart? Besides… they were just in a marriage of convenience anyway! Lily not only didn’t proactively distance herself from Alex, but she also wouldn’t do something decisive like immediately quitting her job. As she put it, she was just young and fearless, not wanting to regret it when she got old, so she chose to follow her heart. Chloe, following the script provided by the system, called Alex’s driver and secretary and learned of this “affair.” In a fit of rage, she dressed herself in an undeniably opulent manner, then stormed into Alex’s office, clutching the homemade lunch our housekeeper had lovingly prepared. Lily, in a fresh and bright white dress, had a hint of pure, unadulterated naivety lingering in her eyes. She was holding a stack of files, leaning to look at Alex’s computer. However, as Alex patiently explained something, he suddenly looked up at her, and she flinched. Naturally, the files tilted. In a panic, she quickly tried to grab them, but accidentally… stumbled and landed right on his lap. Lily’s face flushed crimson, but for some reason, she couldn’t seem to stand up. From an outsider’s perspective, she was squirming around on him, making the whole scene look incredibly… suggestive. Alex’s forehead veins pulsed, and he gripped her shoulders tightly, his gaze fixed on “me” with a strangely… panicked look? Was he not trying to hold her, but rather push her away, because he was afraid “I” would misunderstand? No, no, how could that be? This was his destined female lead; how could he possibly push her away? I thought with a bitter smile.

Looking at Lily, she was awkwardly flailing, her limbs soft, moving around on him, all while constantly apologizing with a red face, “Mr. Alexander, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry.” Seeing this, Chloe excitedly roared, “What are you two doing?!” Only then did Lily seem to suddenly regain her courage, springing upright. She nervously tucked her hair behind her ear, feigning composure. “You, who are you?” “Who am I?” Chloe scoffed, pointing at Alex imperiously. “I’m his wife!” Lily looked down incredulously, her face full of disappointment. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” Chloe was utterly stunned, she couldn’t help but rant to me, “Oh my god, she can’t even hold files properly, and all she does is apologize?! She’s a… a total waste! And *she* gets to be the female lead?!” “Seriously, where’s the justice in that?!” I was speechless, feeling just as annoyed. Yes, where was the justice? And why did this system even exist? Lily bit her lower lip, her eyes reddening, looking utterly pitiful. Chloe had told me that she *hated* women like this the most. Because she herself had been in a car accident, left hanging by a thread, and then forced by this damn system to do these tasks, all thanks to a woman like that. So she just sneered and launched into a series of rapid-fire questions: “You didn’t know?” “Who in this company doesn’t know what the boss’s wife looks like?” “At the very least, our wedding photos are all over the internet…” “What, is this your first day online, or your first day in this company? Don’t try to play innocent with me!” Alex adjusted his suit, walked around his desk, and looked at Chloe with displeasure. “Why aren’t you managing your charity foundation? What are you doing here?” I froze for a moment. He actually knew about my charity foundation? No, it had to be just an excuse. I couldn’t believe that in such a short time, he had reverted to his cold CEO persona, so composed as he protected the woman he supposedly loved. Love truly makes one’s potential limitless, I thought, a hint of bitterness. “I came to catch… to bring you a loving lunch! But who knew…” Chloe snorted, reading her lines with feigned anguish. “I love you so much, I’m so good to you! And this is how you treat me?!” “That was just an accident, don’t overthink it. We were just discussing work.” Alex’s voice was dangerous, yet strangely pleasant to listen to. Chloe was furious. She pointed at Lily and spat, “You two were discussing work by hugging and cuddling? Why don’t you just kiss already?!” Lily’s face turned red. “Mrs. Alexander, you’ve misunderstood. How can you slander someone so unfairly?” “I’m slandering you? Your intentions are practically written all over your face! You…” “Enough.” Alex reached out and stopped the increasingly agitated Chloe, saying with displeasure, “Go back home. Don’t let your imagination run wild.” However, Chloe continued to unleash a torrent of curses at both of them until she felt satisfied, then turned and walked away with her head held high.

Once in the car, she immediately changed her expression, beaming. “After I reamed him out, the female lead will definitely cry to him for comfort. That way, their relationship will warm up faster, and I can go home sooner!” Not wanting to spoil her mood, I agreed repeatedly, though I wasn’t entirely convinced. After all, a CEO’s every second at work was precious; on average, millions of dollars could pass through their hands each second. A competent CEO shouldn’t be too distracted during work hours. But… I couldn’t help but feel a little sad. This was a novel world, after all. Maybe he *would* abandon a million-dollar deal for a smile from his beloved? In the evening, Alex called to say he had a work dinner and wouldn’t be home for dinner. Chloe was secretly thrilled, but she pretended to be angry, taking the opportunity to sarcastically remark about him before agreeing. “Do you think he’ll get tipsy tonight and end up getting intimate with Lily?” She chattered on, making continuous guesses. It was clear she was desperate to speed up the plot and go home. But I never liked to jump to conclusions about uncertain things, so I mostly remained silent. Chloe suddenly stopped, then carefully asked: “Vivian, I’ve known you for a while now. Why don’t you talk much?” “You don’t… actually love Alex, do you?” I was stunned. To be honest, that question… I hadn’t really thought about it. Chloe thought she’d hit the nail on the head and sighed wistfully: “Then you must be really sad every time you see them together.”

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The day I was critically injured in a car crash and begged the system to change my assigned targets, they barged into the operating room, ignoring all warnings, to force me to donate my heart. Just because the son of our long-time family assistant was suffering from a critical illness, his wife demanded they drain every drop of blood from my body. “Julian! If you stop this surgery now, I’ll die! Please! Don’t!” Hearing my desperate plea, the woman who once claimed to adore me, the one who had orchestrated the downfall of my entire family because of my abused childhood, her eyes blazed red. Yet, she still brutally cut open my chest and ripped out my heart. My heart had turned to ash as I lay on the operating table, waiting to die. When the system was about to erase me, my three former assigned targets, with bloodshot eyes, cradled my bloodied body and buried my remains. Their affection levels, which had been at zero, suddenly skyrocketed to a hundred. After avenging me, they ended their own lives, following me into death. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day I changed my targets. This time, I wouldn’t give them up. But in the first year after my rebirth, the three targets who had once loved me fiercely suddenly changed. They forced me to donate a kidney, then my heart, turning me into Liam’s personal blood bank. With red-rimmed eyes, I asked them why they no longer cared about me. All three women scoffed in unison, “Julian, not everyone has to revolve around you forever.”

“System, I’m abandoning the mission.” “If the host chooses to abandon the mission, you will be erased by the system. Do you confirm?” A bitter laugh escaped my lips as I listened to the system’s cold, mechanical voice. “I confirm.” Just as I came to my senses, the hospital room door burst open with a kick. Eleanor walked in, leaning on Liam, her voice like shards of ice. “Liam is still sick, and you’re making him cook you porridge! You really think you’re something, don’t you?!” I couldn’t even bothered to lift an eyelid, scoffing, “Liam is someone my family pays to work for us. If he doesn’t cook, do you expect me to trouble your highness, Miss Eleanor, to do it herself?” Then, I looked at Vivian and Chloe, who stood a little further from my bed. “Or… do you two sisters want to step in?” My subtly mocking words instantly made their faces fall. Vivian got angry, pointing at me as she harshly rebuked, “Julian! All we’re asking for is one of your kidneys!” “You won’t die without one kidney, and this one is to save Liam’s life!” I was so furious, I laughed. To get a kidney for Liam, they had knocked me out and dragged me to the hospital. If I hadn’t woken up on the operating table in time, my kidney would probably be inside Liam right now. I scanned the three of them, a slow smile forming on my lips as I articulated each word. “Please get this straight, all three of you. First, you are my arranged marriage partners, not Liam’s.” “Second, I am the primary heir of the Hayes family. Liam is just a staff member. How dare he take my kidney? Are you out of your minds?” Liam carefully brought a thermos to my bedside, his eyes red as he said, “Master, I know my place. How would I ever dare to take yours…” I impatiently waved him off. “Get that away from me. I wouldn’t dare drink anything from you!” The next second, Liam unexpectedly stumbled and fell to the floor, the scalding hot porridge spilling all over him. He shrieked sharply, “It’s burning! Ah!” Eleanor reacted first, rushing over to embrace Liam with a heartbroken expression. Vivian and Chloe also anxiously crowded around him. Watching this scene, I froze. I hadn’t even touched Liam. How could he have fallen? But in that brief moment of stunned confusion, Eleanor immediately rose. She furiously grabbed my neck, her voice razor-sharp, “Julian! Why did you hurt Liam?!” I choked, struggling to pry Eleanor’s fingers off. “Let… go. I didn’t touch him! He himself…” Just as the words left my mouth, Liam surprisingly knelt in front of the spilled porridge, his hands trembling as he scooped it up and fed it to himself. “Master, I just cooked this porridge this morning. I truly didn’t do anything to it…” “Please, don’t kick me out, okay? This is the only job I have to support myself!” Liam’s actions completely ignited Eleanor’s rage. Her eyes practically wanted to gouge me out. “Julian! Today, you’re drinking this porridge whether you like it or not! Otherwise…” “I will break off the engagement with the Hayes family!” Vivian and Chloe echoed her with harsh voices, “If Eleanor doesn’t want you, then we won’t marry you either!” A searing pain suddenly shot through my chest. I swallowed back the tears threatening to spill, gritting my teeth as I said, “Do you really think you three are the only ones I can marry?” Before I could finish, my arms were pinned down by Vivian and Chloe, one on each side. Eleanor went back, scooped the porridge from under Liam into a bowl, and once again seized my jaw. My body instinctively recoiled from the bowl of porridge. My pupils constricted, and I yelled, “Eleanor! Stop! Don’t you know I’m allergic to yams?!” Eleanor’s hand visibly paused, a flicker of doubt in her eyes. But Vivian and Chloe didn’t believe me, scoffing with disdain. “Stop lying! We’ve never heard of you being allergic to yams!” An expression of disbelief slowly spread across my face. How was that possible? In the first year after my rebirth, I had clearly told them all three about my yam allergy. They were so worried the staff might make a mistake that they had even written it down themselves on a sticky note on the fridge. How could they not know? Unless…

Unless they had all been reborn too? But why would their attitude towards me be so different from my previous life? Liam was still whimpering softly, as if he had suffered the greatest injustice. Eleanor’s hand suddenly moved. She forcefully shoved the bowl of porridge down my throat. “So what if you’re allergic? It’s not like it’ll kill you!” Hearing Eleanor mention the word ‘death,’ I could no longer suppress my emotions. My eyes red, I roared at her, “Eleanor! I’m really dying!” The moment the words left my mouth, the muscles in my throat convulsed and swelled. A suffocating sensation washed over me. Even as I desperately gasped for air, I still couldn’t breathe. Seeing me in such distress, Vivian and Chloe instinctively let go of my arms. Eleanor frowned, her hand by her side clenching into a fist, knuckles white from the pressure. I struggled to force out a few words, my survival instinct making me grab Eleanor’s wrist. “Call… call the doctor. Quick.” At the same time, all three of them reached to press the call button by the bed. In that moment, I actually saw a strong flicker of… concern in their eyes? Liam pulled on Vivian’s sleeve, whimpering, “Is Master still mad at me, so he’s pretending to be allergic? Does he want to kick me out, that’s why he’s doing this?” They instantly believed Liam, and that flicker of concern felt like a mere hallucination. Eleanor looked at me with disgust. “Julian! You truly are as cunning as ever!” My lungs felt swollen with anger, making it almost impossible to speak. My face, my neck, even every patch of skin on my body broke out in red rashes. Eleanor seemed to realize I wasn’t faking it. Just as she was about to check on me again, the hospital room door was kicked open. Several doctors rushed in, their voices anxious. “Miss Anya sent us. How’s the patient?” Eleanor’s demeanor grew even colder at those words. I was rushed to emergency. When I came out, the doctor spoke to Eleanor. “The patient is experiencing an allergic reaction, and… and his body’s various functions are deteriorating, but we can’t find the specific cause.” “Our recommendation is to seek treatment abroad. There might still be a glimmer of hope.” But the three of them seemed indifferent. After the doctor left, Eleanor scoffed at me, “Julian, you already arranged for someone to conspire with the doctors, didn’t you? Next, are you going to use death to beg us to marry you?” I instinctively wanted to deny it. But suddenly, Liam knelt before me, banging his head on the floor repeatedly. “Master, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know you were allergic to yams!” In no time, Liam’s forehead was already bruised and bleeding. I looked at Liam coldly. “You didn’t know? All my preferences are posted on the fridge! You’re a Hayes family employee, how could you not know?!” “A severe allergy can kill someone, do you even know that?!” Eleanor tenderly helped Liam off the floor, a vein pulsed angrily on her forehead. “Enough! Julian, you’ve had more than enough since birth. Do you really need to constantly remind us of the difference between you and Liam?!” As if I’d heard something hilarious, a few low laughs escaped my throat. “Eleanor! He’s *my* family’s employee. Since when do *I* need *your* permission to discipline my own staff?!” Vivian and Chloe trembled with rage. “You’re *you*, and your father’s *him*! Liam just didn’t know your preferences. Can’t you be a little more lenient with him?!” “It seems we’ve clearly spoiled you rotten!” Liam, who was on the floor, scrambled up and cried out, “Master! I’ll just pay you back with my life!” He shouted as he lunged towards the fruit knife on my bedside table, gripping the handle tightly and pressing it against his arm. Eleanor’s face changed first. All three women’s gazes were fixed on Liam. Eleanor was quick, snatching the knife from Liam’s hand. I couldn’t help but sneer. “If you really wanted to pay me back with my life, you should be aiming for your neck!” A heavy slap landed across my face, the force so great that half my face went numb. After a jolt of sharp pain, blood slowly seeped from the corner of my mouth, and my ears rang incessantly. Eleanor glared, her voice cold. “Shut up! Are you trying to drive Liam to suicide?!” Even Chloe, usually the most mild-tempered, had her chest heaving violently. “Julian! Eleanor has already agreed to the engagement with you, why do you keep targeting Liam?!” The system in my mind blared a warning. A metallic taste filled my throat, and a mouthful of blood forcefully erupted from my mouth. In the last moment before losing consciousness, I heard three panicked voices. “Julian!”

When I regained consciousness, I found myself not in the hospital. But in… Anya’s house, where she and I lived in my previous life? I immediately struggled to get up and leave. Anya saw I was awake, her face filled with relief. She quickly pulled me back, her voice earnest. “Julian, please don’t go back, okay? I won’t hurt you like I did in our previous life. Can you please stay?” Seeing my photos covering the bedroom walls, a chill ran down my spine. “Anya, I refuse.” After my rebirth, I hadn’t changed my assigned targets, so I should have had no more dealings with Anya. But she showed up at my door in the second year of my rebirth, offering the Hayes Group as a betrothal gift to marry me. At that moment, I knew Anya, like me, had also been reborn. Anya desperately grabbed my arm. “I know you don’t trust me now, and you’ve refused me many times, but it’s okay, I’ll slowly prove myself to you!” Mid-struggle, her bedroom door suddenly crashed open. Eleanor was stunned when she saw me. “Julian, why are you here?” Before I could even process how they found Anya’s house, Vivian angrily yelled at Anya, “Anya! Where did you take Liam?!” My blood froze instantly. How did *they* know Anya? That absurd thought, like a lightning bolt, struck my mind again. Had they all been reborn too? Just as I wanted to press for answers, Liam burst into the bedroom, covered in blood. “Eleanor! Master tried to kill me! He wants me to pay him back with my life!” I watched Liam’s hysterical cries, utterly at a loss for words. “I have no idea why he’s here. I…” Eleanor didn’t listen to my explanation. Her eyes blazed with furious anger. Anya tried to protect me but was pinned to the ground and brutally beaten by Vivian and Chloe. Eleanor dragged me home like a sack of potatoes, going straight to the top floor of the villa. My body scraped against the ground the entire way, the pain making me almost pass out. Eleanor’s voice was devoid of warmth. “Julian! You will pay the price for what you’ve done!” She personally tied the rope around my wrists. I cried out, “No! Eleanor! Don’t do this to me!” “Let go!” With that command, my back, pressed against the cold marble exterior wall, dropped sharply. The rope rubbed my wrists raw and bloody. A biting wind whipped past my ears. The extreme fear made it impossible to keep my balance, and my body swayed even more violently. Eleanor put her arm around Liam, looking down at me from above. “Do you know you’re wrong now?” Vivian and Chloe’s cold gazes were like they were looking at a complete stranger. I screamed, tears pouring uncontrollably. Humiliated, I bit down on my lower lip. Crimson blood seeped from my bitten mouth, and my heart throbbed with a dull ache. Why, why were Eleanor and the others doing this to me? Even if they no longer loved me, no longer cared about me, they shouldn’t be so cruel! After what felt like an eternity, Eleanor finally untied me and dropped me to the ground. I crawled back to my room, curled up on the floor, and cried silently. After a long silence, I finally made up my mind. I dialed Alexandra, the wild card heiress from the city’s most powerful circles. “Marry me. The Hayes Group will be yours. And, I want to see the Hayes and Green families completely ruined!” Just as I hung up, Eleanor kicked open my door, raging. “What did Liam ever do to you? Why do you want to kick him out?” Vivian and Chloe chimed in from the side. “Do you have any idea how much effort Liam put into this job?!” “You already have so much, why can’t you stand to see Liam doing well?!” Their condemning tone was like a harsh slap across my face. The system’s warning of rapidly dropping life points echoed in my brain, and I violently coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood. The warm blood splattered on Eleanor, Vivian, and Chloe’s faces. All three of them instantly blanched. Enduring the searing pain in my chest, I suddenly wanted to know the question that had always puzzled me. “Did you three also get reborn? But why, after being reborn, do you no longer care about me?” Their pupils constricted slightly, and their breathing grew heavy. Eleanor, in particular, avoided my gaze, her voice hoarse. “What rebirth? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

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