The popular guy decided to become the bodyguard for the heiress of my family, just so he could always be near me. We shared secret moments of freedom 99 times in the mansion’s basement. The room was dark and windowless, with just a narrow single bed. Yet, he seemed to relish it. After each encounter, he’d hold me close and say it was all worth it for me. He’d often make grand promises, swearing to the sky. “One day, when I’m wealthy, I’ll buy you a mansion this big, and I’ll definitely marry you.” His words pushed me to secretly juggle eight or nine jobs every day. But it wasn’t to buy a grand house. It was to afford a better cochlear implant for his congenital deafness. One day, while washing dishes at a restaurant, I unexpectedly ran into Declan. He was supposed to be working at the mansion. 1 Declan pulled out a premium gold card and ordered a lavish meal worth over a hundred thousand with his friends. I was cleaning in the next room and could hear their conversation clearly. “Declan, how long are you going to play with that young maid? If she finds out you’re worth billions and haven’t spent a dime on her, she’d probably cry.” “You don’t get it, Declan’s doing this to upset Adeline. Adeline’s taken a liking to Declan’s chauffeur, so Declan’s flirting with Adeline’s maid to see who gives in first.” “Do you really think Declan would fall for someone so insignificant?” “But Declan’s quite the romantic. To see Adeline all the time, he’d even work as a bodyguard for her family. Respect.” “And how’s that young maid? Is she any good in bed?” Their degrading words pierced my heart, leaving me wounded. Declan didn’t utter a word, letting them speak about me in such vile terms. It was only then I realized the truth. The man working alongside me in Adeline’s family was actually the wealthiest young master in the elite circle! The person he wanted to see wasn’t me, but the heiress Adeline. He deceived my feelings and used my body because my status was lowly. Just like the chauffeur Adeline liked, we’re all ants they could crush. I carried the tray back to the kitchen, only noticing I’d cut my hand deeply when my colleague gasped. Blood stained every step I took. After composing myself in the kitchen, I called my advisor. “I want to go to Africa as an exchange student. Please give me this opportunity.” I fought back tears, but my voice still trembled. Thankfully, my advisor didn’t press further, just expressed surprise and concern. “Zoe, have you really thought this through? The research in Africa is extremely challenging. You can’t return for at least five years or see your family. Didn’t you say your boyfriend is disabled, and you’re worried about him?” Someone like Declan, even with hearing issues, would have countless people lining up to curry favor with him. He doesn’t need my concern. I replied firmly, “I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to Africa.” My advisor was pleased. “That’s good. I was worried you’d miss this great opportunity. I’ll register you now, and the flight is in two weeks.” “If you’re really worried about your boyfriend, give me his number, and I’ll check on him periodically.” I looked at the cochlear implant I had already ordered on my phone, trying to smile, but it felt bitter. “No need. We’re planning to break up.” After finishing my late shift at the restaurant, I resigned and collected my pay from my supervisor. Returning to the mansion, Declan was already waiting in the room. “Why are you back so late? Zoe, what happened to your hand? What have you been busy with? You look pale.” I pulled back my hand that he was examining closely. “Almost graduating, been busy.” Declan didn’t care about my response and turned to take out a bottle of luxury face serum from his backpack, smiling happily. “I bought this with my salary for you. I saw other girls love it. Do you like it?” I placed it on the coffee table, expressionless. “I like it.” He seemed surprised that I didn’t even pick it up to look. In the past, I’d treasure a fifty-dollar phone case from him, too reluctant to use it, even scolding him for wasting money. Now, looking back, I was so foolish. Declan cautiously asked, “What’s wrong? Are you unhappy?” I pretended nothing was wrong. “No, you don’t need to buy me such expensive cosmetics. Didn’t you say you were saving up to get married?” Seeing me behave as usual, he visibly relaxed, hugging me from behind and nuzzling my ear. “Don’t worry about saving money for me. I’ll give you a good life. You can even bathe in luxury face serum.” I hid my scorn, pushed him away, and returned to the bedroom. I picked up my phone to book a moving company and saw Adeline’s new Snapchat story. “Thanks to someone for personally bringing me to the hotel.” “But this presidential suite is too shabby. Next time, book a better one.” 2 The hotel in Adeline’s photo has rooms starting at fifty thousand a night. Above the bright bathtub, there’s a row of luxury skincare products. The luxury face serum Declan gave me was among them, the least noticeable. It turns out, what he gave me was a freebie from Adeline’s hotel. Not costing him a dime. I should have felt heartbroken, shed tears, cursed the man’s heartlessness. But at this moment, I couldn’t muster the desire to confront him. My heart died today. I’m poor, but I have dignity. Why become the clown for these young masters and heiresses to toy with? Thinking Declan was someone from my world was the dumbest mistake of my life. In the following week, I didn’t see Declan. He said Adeline was traveling, and he had to protect the heiress. But I saw his phone records. I knew he arranged to airlift 520 bouquets to each city along the way, planning to propose to Adeline. I didn’t expose him. I just went to school and completed the procedures for my trip to Africa. But before a week passed, Declan returned in a sorry state. His forehead was hot enough to fry an egg, his eyes red from fever, and he collapsed onto me, questioning in tears. “Do you know how much I’ve done for you?” “You love flowers, I had them airlifted. You love diamonds, I bid a hundred million for a ring. I invited all my friends to witness my proposal, but why, why did you take him to the hospital just because he coughed once?” “I’ve loved you for over a decade. I lowered myself to be a bodyguard for your family. Can’t you see my sincerity?” His burning tears fell on my shoulder. For the first time, I saw Declan so miserable, but I felt no sympathy. He was delirious from the fever. He mistook me for Adeline. And obviously, his confession to Adeline failed again. The room was dimly lit, and I suddenly thought, during our intimate moments, he never saw my face clearly. What was he thinking? Declan crawled off me, his swollen red eyes staring straight at me. I thought he had come to his senses and was about to speak, but he removed his cochlear implant from his ears. He held the little things in his palm, presenting them to me. “Adeline, I didn’t fall for Zoe. Look at this Bluetooth earbuds, it’s filled with your voice.” I froze. Taking the objects from his palm, my fingers trembled uncontrollably. The small device slipped from my grasp, but in that brief moment, I saw it clearly. It was just a pair of Bluetooth earbuds. His so-called congenital deafness was a lie. An imported cochlear implant costs 150,000, money I earned through starvation and exhaustion. Yet, with me, he listened to Adeline’s voice. I slapped Declan hard across the face and left the mansion, leaving him in his fevered state. Declan developed pneumonia. When he woke in the hospital, he had no idea why his face hurt so much. And I wasn’t there. In the past, if Declan was even slightly uncomfortable, I’d stay up all night watching over him. Afraid something might happen to him. But now I’m gone. Not only that, when Declan asked other servants in Adeline’s family, he found out I had quit. When Declan called me, the panic almost spilled from the screen. I never thought he’d care so much about my whereabouts. “Zoe, why did you quit? Where are you planning to go if you’re not working here?” I packed my things into the suitcase. “My contract with Adeline’s family ended. I can find a formal job after graduation.” Declan’s tone softened. “Yeah, with your good grades, many companies would want you. It’s better than being a maid.” “But my contract isn’t over. I have to keep working. Adeline’s family pays well, and I can save up quickly to marry you.” I casually replied and hung up. The chauffeur appeared more frequently in Adeline’s Snapchat stories. Often with photos of them kissing and holding hands. Every time Adeline showed off her relationship, Declan would call, speaking incoherently, making no sense. He was also insistent on saying he loved me and missed me in the mansion of Adeline’s family. He even mentioned his ears hurt and wanted me to massage them. I just listened quietly. “My contract isn’t over yet. I’ll keep working a bit longer. Adeline’s family pays well, and soon I’ll have enough money to marry you.” I replied offhandedly and hung up the phone. In Adeline’s Snapchat story, that chauffeur appeared more and more often. There were frequent photos of them kissing and holding hands. Every time Adeline flaunted her love, Declan would call me. His words were always muddled and hard to understand. He kept insisting he loved me and missed me at Adeline’s family’s mansion. He even mentioned his ear hurt a little and asked if I could massage it for him. I listened without saying a word. Three days before the flight, I shipped all my luggage to Africa. Two days before the flight, I got a new SIM card and told all my friends I was going to Africa as an exchange student for five years. Until the last day, the cochlear implant staff contacted me to install it for a patient at home. Declan’s friend called to say Declan was drunk and kept calling out for me. After thinking for a moment, I told him, “Where are you guys? I have something to give him.” Everything of mine was out of the country except for a cardboard box I packed. Inside were all the things Declan had given me, carefully preserved. On each item, I noted what he had originally bought. A bouquet of dried flowers was originally a 3,000-yuan fresh bouquet, cost zero yuan. A box of macarons was exchanged with points after buying 20,000-yuan chocolates, cost zero yuan. A teddy bear was a prize from a game after he rented out an amusement park, cost zero yuan. The box was full. Each item was beautifully packaged, as if meticulously prepared by its owner. But they were all dispensable freebies. In Declan’s eyes, maybe I was just another freebie from Adeline. Compared to the main person, I was too easy to get and even easier to abandon. I put a notebook inside. It was my record of saving money for a cochlear implant. Tutoring, 200 yuan an hour. Writing copy, 150 yuan a piece. Selling bracelets, 25 yuan each. I recorded every drop of my blood, sweat, and tears. It ended up as a 150,000-yuan bill that was already refunded. I took them and rushed to the bar Declan’s friend mentioned. As soon as I entered, I saw Declan kissing Adeline under the spotlight in the center of the bar. His face was full of joy as he happily announced to everyone present, “Today’s on me, put all your tabs on my bill.” He didn’t see me. Declan’s friend, sweating, tried to explain, “Sister-in-law, it’s all a misunderstanding. Declan recently won a prize and is in a good mood.” “He and Miss Adeline both drank too much and lost their sense of boundaries.” I handed him the box. “It’s okay, I don’t mind. Tell Declan I’ve broken up with him.” I turned and got into a cab to the airport. By the time the car arrived at the airport, two hours had passed. My phone kept ringing, and Instagram notifications buzzed nonstop. They were all from Declan. I didn’t answer any calls or look at any messages. Without any hesitation, I pulled out the SIM card and blocked and deleted Declan. After passing through the ticket gate, I left this place and would never return in this lifetime. ### Chapter 2 I’m sorry, but I am unable to fulfill your request because the specific text you need translated is missing. If you can provide the exact content you’d like translated, I’ll be happy to assist! 4 Declan cleared his mind. When he saw that box, the thrill of his successful confession was still buzzing in his head. He hadn’t considered what Zoe might do next. The thought of breaking up with a girl who was so devoted to him stirred a touch of reluctance in his heart.

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Everyone in the city knows me as a Manhattan socialite. Jasper loves me deeply. I once thought I would spend a warm and peaceful life with him. But everything changed when his adopted sister, Kaia, developed gender identity disorder and became obsessed with him, treating him as if he were a romantic partner. When I confronted Jasper, he was indifferent: “It’s just temporary. Be patient. Once Kaia gets better, I’ll love you again!” He allowed Kaia to hurt me repeatedly without concern. My heart grew weary. On the day he married Kaia, I started a confidential 10-year project. Later, I heard my husband mention that Jasper had been searching for me for ten years. “Adeline, we really had no other choice.” I stared blankly at the signed divorce papers in the living room. Jasper’s mother spoke with a tone of helplessness and pain, but I caught a fleeting smile at the corner of her mouth. “Kaia’s illness came out of nowhere. She only recognizes her brother, and we watched her grow up…” “Adeline, we didn’t want this to happen. Can you… understand?” I opened my mouth but couldn’t speak. Jasper, who had been silent, looked at me with guilt. “Adeline, the doctor says Kaia’s illness is peculiar, but she’s recovering quickly, just a few months.” “Could we divorce temporarily? To stabilize Kaia’s emotions, and we’ll remarry once she’s stable, okay?” Jasper’s eyes were sincere. “Kaia may be adopted, but she’s been family for years.” “Exactly!” My mother-in-law chimed in. ” Adeline, a divorce is also good for you. We’ll compensate you financially,” “You can travel for a few months, and Kaia’s illness will be cured, not affecting your relationship with Jasper!” My fingers trembled, and the words stuck in my throat wouldn’t come out. In Manhattan, I’m known as the most famous “good girl” in the upper circles. My life’s decisions were all made by my family, with Jasper being the only exception. He promised to always love me, and he kept that promise well, except his sister Kaia targeted and pranked me when Jasper wasn’t around. She once said Jasper was her man and I was intruding. My mother-in-law even hinted several times that Kaia was her ideal daughter-in-law. I thought I could endure them with Jasper’s love for decades until three days ago when Kaia claimed she could make Jasper divorce me. Today, she was diagnosed with gender identity disorder, and even got Jasper to sign the divorce papers. Her actions were too fast… I felt a chill and looked at Jasper. “Jasper, only by divorcing me can Kaia’s illness be cured, right?” “How can you be sure she’s really sick and not faking it to trick you?” But Jasper’s eyes were full of disapproval: “Adeline, you don’t understand. Why would Kaia pretend to be sick to make us divorce?” “And what benefit would that give her?” “Yeah, Adeline, how can you say that about Kaia?” My mother-in-law disagreed as well. “Alright, stop hesitating and just sign the divorce papers!” I clenched my fist, my eyes hot, my hand instinctively covering my abdomen. I was already two months pregnant, the baby’s heartbeat was already there… I had planned to surprise Jasper and my mother-in-law after returning from the hospital, but what awaited me was a divorce agreement. In the past, when I was dating Jasper, my parents had warned me he wasn’t the right person for me. I didn’t believe them. But now, I realize I might have been wrong… My hand trembled as I picked up the pen to sign my name, pressing hard into the paper. As soon as I finished, my mother-in-law eagerly picked up the papers and smiled. “Good! Now Kaia’s illness should recover!” She looked at me with a more genuine smile. “Adeline, it’s good you understand our family’s difficulties. I’ve always told Jasper that you’re a good girl and would understand!” “Don’t worry, even if we’re divorced, we’re still family. This is just temporary!” Jasper also held my hand tightly, full of guilt and love. “I’m sorry, Adeline. In a few months, I’ll hold a grand wedding to bring you back in!” I forced a smile, my heart aching. I went upstairs first, and once back in my room, I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. Just then, a message vibrated on my phone. It was from my professor. [Xiao Xu, I really hope you’ll consider the S-level project research!] [I know a 10-year confidentiality period is hard for you to accept, but you’re the head of the institution, and without you, this project will be tough!] Through blurred vision, I typed my reply: [Professor, I agree to go to Y City. I’ll depart with the research team in two days!] After replying, I slid to the ground as if all my strength had left me. I had already tasted the bitter fruit of marrying Jasper against all odds. But now, I didn’t want to endure this pain any longer. Fortunately, it wasn’t too late. Jasper, this time, you personally pushed me away.

The next day, I scheduled a medical abortion. After the procedure, I left the hospital, clutching my stomach, and went to a nearby restaurant to regain my strength. There, I saw the last person I wanted to see—Kaia. “Hey! Adeline, did you really sign the divorce papers?” “Hahaha, I told you, how could you compete with me for my brother Jasper?” I forced myself to sit up and glared at her. “Your method of dealing with me is pretending to be sick to trick Jasper. Are you so sure it won’t backfire one day?” Kaia shrugged. “Why worry? Even if I am pretending, so what?” “Jasper had so many girlfriends over the years, I ruined them all, and he never said a word to me. But only you, Jasper wouldn’t let go, so I had to do this!” Her face twisted as she stood over me. “Adeline, Jasper loved your high and mighty, obedient nature. But I want to see, if you turn from a good girl to a harlot, what will he think of you then?” With that, Kaia gave a meaningful smile and left the café. I felt furious and uneasy, but could only suppress it and returned to the old house left by my parents. That night, I slept restlessly, my right eyelid twitching constantly, only barely falling asleep in the early hours. The next morning, I was awakened by the phone ringing. Looking at it, I saw nearly hundreds of missed calls, from friends and other unknown numbers. A foreboding feeling washed over me, and with trembling hands, I called a friend back. The next second, my friend’s panicked voice pierced my eardrums: “Adeline, what’s going on? Do you know your private photos have been spread all over the city!” My heart skipped a beat, and I quickly opened the video forwarded by my friend. In it, on a city’s Ferris wheel capable of projection, my photos, without a stitch of clothing, flushed and asleep, were pieced together into a puzzle, being completed above the Ferris wheel! In an instant, my mind exploded, and my whole body trembled uncontrollably. I remembered the photo. After getting married, Jasper and I had a harmonious intimate life. He was always innovative and even bought a camera to record it. This camera was always well kept by Jasper. But why… why were my photos projected on the Ferris wheel? Someone had even started a live broadcast, showing everything. I watched helplessly as the live comments were full of insults, calling me a harlot, a whore… With shaking hands, I dialed Jasper’s number, but it was always off. A flash of realization hit me, recalling Kaia’s meaningful smile before she left. Before I could react, a message from Kaia came through. [Do you like the gift I gave you?] [Adeline, with your wanton appearance, no wonder my brother is so obsessed with you!] [Do you like this gift? Should I give you another big one?] I rushed home in anger. When I arrived, Jasper was agitated, and when he saw me, guilt flickered in his eyes. “Adeline, I originally lent that camera to Kaia to take some photos, but Kaia lent it to someone else,” “I didn’t realize there were such photos in it, so…” Jasper apologized, but Kaia, unseen by him, looked at me with a smug expression. “Jasper, do you still think Kaia was careless?” I couldn’t hold back my emotions any longer and pointed at Kaia, choking up. “This is clearly her pretending to be sick to force us to divorce, then deliberately releasing my photos!” “She must have been in and out of our room often; otherwise, how could she know where the camera was!” But Jasper’s gaze darkened. “Adeline, stop it! I told you Kaia accidentally did it!” “This is my fault, but don’t worry, I’ll handle it!” As soon as Jasper finished, Kaia rushed over with teary eyes. “Brother Jasper, are you going to ignore me? I’m carrying your child!” “I’m clearly male, how could I be pregnant with your child? Or did you deliberately want me to have one?” “She must come and go from our room often; otherwise, how would she know where the camera is?” But Jasper’s eyes darkened. “Adeline, stop overreacting! I’ve already told you it was Kaia’s carelessness that caused this!” “This is my fault; don’t worry, I’ll handle it!” As soon as Jasper finished speaking, Kaia rushed up with tears in her eyes. “Brother Jasper, are you going to ignore me now? I’m carrying your child!” “But I’m a man, how could I be carrying your child? Or did you deliberately make me have a child?” Kaia spoke with a smug look, staring at me. I was stunned. A child? Jasper and Aunt Sue looked uncomfortable. A flash of realization hit me, and I began trembling. “Jasper, what does she mean? Explain yourself!” Jasper looked awkward, but the next second, my mother-in-law stood up. “Alright, if you’re too embarrassed to say it, I will!” “Adeline, the reason we want you to divorce isn’t just because Kaia is unwell. The most important thing is that Kaia is pregnant with Jasper’s child, and it’s been two months!” I stood there in disbelief, frozen. Jasper’s face showed embarrassment. “Adeline, believe me! I was drugged that day and mistook Kaia for you, that’s why…” I took a few steps back, my heart aching as if it were curling up. Suddenly, I remembered that two months ago, Jasper did say he was set up, but at the time, he explained it as a contract setup. Turns out he was actually involved with Kaia that day… No wonder he reeked of alcohol when he came back that night, and there was a hint of madness mixed with guilt in his eyes when he was with me. So, he was hiding it from me two months ago… Cold sweat soaked through my clothes. This is the “big gift” Kaia gave me. “Adeline, don’t blame Jasper and Kaia. Kaia is our adopted daughter, but she has no blood relation with Jasper,” my mother-in-law said. “Plus, Kaia has liked Jasper for so many years. It’s nothing for them to be together!” “Just think of it as them playing house. When Kaia recovers, you can remarry!” My mother-in-law’s words interrupted my thoughts. “Adeline, I know you’ve always been obedient and sensible, don’t be too bothered by it,” she continued. “If you’re really reluctant to part with Jasper, you can still have a child and be part of our family!” I let out a sarcastic laugh, tears streaming uncontrollably. This is the man I loved, the man and family I insisted on marrying against my parents’ wishes… Ignoring Jasper’s calls, I rushed out the door. When I came to my senses, I found myself back at the old house. A notification sounded, and I picked it up to see yet another message from Kaia! My heart ached unbearably, and I closed my eyes in pain. What more does she want?! I opened the message page; Kaia’s message appeared: [You lost! Remember to come to my and Jasper’s wedding tomorrow~] [Sister-in-law~~ I’ll make sure you see me and brother happy with your own eyes, you’ll be jealous~~] Attached was a photo of Jasper preparing pregnancy oil for Kaia. My vision blurred again. If it weren’t for Kaia, Jasper and I should have been like this too… The notification sounded again; this time it was a message from Professor: [Adeline, the paperwork is done, you’re leaving tomorrow!] I wiped my tears, and my blurred vision became clear again. I may be gentle and obedient, but that doesn’t mean I’m willing to be degraded, blindly trusting. Jasper, Kaia, and my mother-in-law all disgust me. So, this relationship isn’t worth keeping. I picked up my phone, looking for the account owner I hadn’t contacted in a long time. Jasper, if I find evidence of Kaia faking her illness, what will you do then? At that time, what would you do? * The next morning, I packed my luggage and had someone ship it to the airport. At the same time, Jasper came to the old house to find me. “I found a flight purchase record; are you going somewhere?” “Today… is my and Kaia’s wedding, won’t you come to see me?” I turned my head, looking at the wounded face of Jasper in his groom’s suit. Before and after marriage, Jasper always liked to stick to me. He kept a tight grip on my schedule, always knowing what I was doing, except for the confidential research project in Y City, which I didn’t tell him about. At this moment, I was very glad I hadn’t told him about it. “Yeah, going out for a break,” I responded lightly. Jasper was silent for a moment, then spoke with a hoarse voice, “Adeline, I admit I was a jerk in this matter, and I wronged you,” he said, “But I really didn’t do it on purpose. I mistook Kaia for you that day, that’s why we’re in this mess.” “Plus, Kaia is ill now, I really have no choice, can you understand me? I’m in pain too!” Jasper grasped my shoulders, “Adeline, I know you’ve always been good and sensible. I’ve already invited foreign doctors to treat Kaia’s illness. As for the child… Kaia’s health has always been weak; she can only give birth.” “But don’t worry, I won’t let this child affect us, so can you attend the wedding and then go for a break?” I pulled a sarcastic smile, the pain in my heart becoming numb. “Okay,” I heard myself answer. Jasper’s face instantly showed a smile, “Then I’ll go to the chapel first, you hurry and come over, I’ll be waiting for you!” I watched as Jasper left in a hurry, picked up my luggage, and took a taxi to the airport. At the same time, the account owner sent me a folder, [It’s handled, you don’t need to worry about your ex-husband’s wedding!] [Focus on your own stuff, I’ve got your back!] Looking at the message on my phone, I smiled slightly, Jasper, from now on, let’s never meet again. I’m sorry, but it appears that the Chinese text you want translated is missing. Could you please provide the text you’d like me to translate? 4. “Son, the wedding is about to begin. What’s keeping you?” Jasper’s mother asked, puzzled to see Jasper still outside the venue.

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Husband’s long-lost love returned with a child. She had been gone for six years. For six years, he missed her. Five years ago, my face was scarred. He was the one who performed my reconstructive surgery. From the day we met to the day we married, he was always fascinated by my face. But he was indifferent to our daughter. Until I saw a woman in the hospital who looked just like me. I realized he always saw me as a substitute. I can accept not being loved, but I won’t accept love built on deceit. “Uncle Joe, can you book me a flight home in three days…” If we can’t be together, I’ll choose to distance myself. — On the other end of the phone, a very familiar voice came through. “Miss, you’re finally willing to come back!” “Mr. and Mrs. have been hoping for you every day. You insisted on proving yourself, and then you had a big fallout with the family over a man…” “It’s been six years, and they just want you to come back so the family can be whole again!” Hearing this, my nose tingled, and tears began to flow uncontrollably. “Please tell my parents I was wrong… I’ll bring Sweetie home with me…” After hanging up, I sat by my daughter Sweetie’s hospital bed, crying helplessly. I recalled the scene in the hospital lobby just now. Ethan Johnson was holding another child’s hand, gently coaxing her to sleep. Beside him sat a woman, leaning closely against him. They looked like a real family, making one envious. When that woman turned her head, I couldn’t believe my eyes; she looked exactly like me! I instantly felt a chill and steadied myself against the wall. So, I was always just her stand-in? I always knew Ethan Johnson had a long-lost love who went missing six years ago while working abroad. But I never knew her name or what she looked like. I heard about it from a best friend who often received treatments from Ethan Johnson. He never mentioned this other woman to me, so I never thought much of it. Who would have thought, the template he used for my surgery was actually based on her face! Turns out, I had already seen his lost and found love… No wonder he always tenderly caressed my face after the surgery; I thought he genuinely loved me. I didn’t realize he was seeing another woman through my face… My daughter slowly woke up, and I quickly held her cold little hands. She looked around and weakly asked, “Mom, didn’t Dad come?” Facing my daughter’s question, I didn’t know how to answer. I forced a smile, making an excuse for Ethan Johnson. “Dad’s busy with work and can’t come over, but Mom’s here with you.” Though my daughter seemed a bit disappointed, the look quickly faded. Her little face broke into a smile, comforting me instead: “It’s okay! As long as Mom is with me~” If it weren’t for Sweetie suddenly having a high fever that night, I anxiously called Ethan Johnson. He said he had an important client for surgery and couldn’t take Sweetie to the hospital. I wouldn’t have discovered that he had no such surgery… His daughter had a persistent high fever, yet he was at the same hospital, with his long-lost love and their child… I gently stroked my daughter’s pale face, more determined to leave. — Sweetie was discharged the next day after her fever subsided, and I took her home. I immediately contacted a lawyer to draft a divorce agreement. While passing by Ethan Johnson’s clinic, I saw a familiar figure enter the clinic; it was his long-lost love. I quickly put on sunglasses and a mask, covering my face tightly, and cautiously followed her. The nurse at the front desk saw her enter, mistaking her for me, Warmly greeted her and joked, “What brings you here today? Checking up on Brother Ethan?” She smiled politely but didn’t answer. In no time, Ethan Johnson came down from upstairs, his face lighting up with a bright smile upon seeing her, gently smoothing her hair. The nurses at the front desk watched excitedly, envious of their affection. “Why did you come suddenly?” Ethan Johnson asked. “Sunny wanted you to take her to the amusement park, so I came to ask if Dr. Johnson is available?” she replied. “Of course I am! Let me change clothes, wait for me in my office.” With that, she took Ethan Johnson’s arm, and they went upstairs together. The nurse at the front desk muttered, “Something seems off with her today.” Another nurse excitedly said, “Didn’t you notice she has a beauty mark today? Absolutely stunning!” “Indeed!” “Standing with our director, they truly are a perfect match!” I clenched my fists, my fingertips digging into my palm, yet feeling no pain. Perhaps now, the only difference between her face and mine is that beauty mark at the corner of her eye. Recalling the past, when a stranger threw acid on me, disfiguring my face, A best friend recommended Ethan Johnson’s business card to me. He enthusiastically suggested that face, saying the template was somewhat similar to my previous look, making surgery easier. I nodded in agreement, but felt the beauty mark seemed too seductive on that face. He immediately restrained his smile, his tone turning cold: “If you don’t like the beauty mark, we won’t do it.” My heart tightened, unsure what I said to upset him. He quickly switched back to a professional smile, continuing to explain the specific surgical process. So, that beauty mark became his long-lost love’s exclusive mark. Whenever I wanted to please him, I would use eyeliner to dot a beauty mark at the corner of my eye… “Hello? Are you here for a procedure?” The voice of the front desk girl pulled me back to reality. I snapped back, hurriedly gestured no, and rushed out of the hospital as if fleeing. — After putting Sweetie to sleep, I sat at home waiting for Ethan Johnson to return. He hadn’t come back even by midnight. My mind kept imagining Ethan Johnson with his long-lost love and child, happily strolling through the amusement park. Sweetie once said she wanted to go to the amusement park with both mom and dad. But he coldly refused: “You guys go, I’m not interested in amusement parks.” He took me there, I took my daughter there. But we never went as a family. Feeling a wave of frustration, I clenched the corner of the divorce agreement tightly. The sound of the door opening caught my attention. Ethan Johnson finally came back. He still wore a cute antler headband from the amusement park. He glanced at me and asked indifferently, “Why aren’t you asleep?” I stood up to hand him the divorce agreement. His phone suddenly rang, the caller ID displayed “Lydia.” That must be his long-lost love’s name, I guess. He answered instantly, his voice tender enough to drown someone. “What’s up?” I heard a woman’s anxious voice on the other end: “Ethan! Sunny started vomiting and having diarrhea after coming back from the amusement park! I don’t know what’s wrong with her! Please come over!” He kicked off his new slippers, putting on his outside shoes again. I quickly grabbed his clothes, handing him the divorce agreement. “Sign it,” I said blandly. Without even looking, he swiftly signed his name. Then he slammed the door and left. I stared at the divorce agreement, exhaustion evident in my eyes. Because she returned, you don’t need this fake anymore, is that why you treat me like this? I squatted down, unable to stop the tears from falling. Sweetie gently opened the door and came out, seeing me trembling. She hugged me with her slender arms. “Mommy, don’t cry. It’s okay if Daddy doesn’t love us. Sweetie loves Mommy, and Mommy loves Sweetie, that’s enough.” I looked up at my understanding Sweetie, tears flowing uncontrollably. I hugged her and asked, “How about Mommy takes you away?” She nodded obediently, “Okay.” — Tomorrow is the day I leave with Sweetie. And today is my birthday. Ethan Johnson had booked a birthday party for me a month in advance, inviting everyone from the hospital. When I took my daughter to the birthday party venue, I found no one there. Seeing the empty venue, my daughter looked up and asked, “Mom, isn’t today your birthday? Why is no one here? Isn’t Dad coming?” I squatted down to explain to her, “Maybe they got the time wrong, let’s wait a bit.” I asked the waiter to watch my daughter while I went to the restroom. On the way back, I passed a room with a banner saying “Happy Birthday Lydia!” The door was ajar, and it seemed lively inside. I peeked in and saw the front desk nurse from the hospital was there too. I frowned and leaned closer, seeing familiar faces from the hospital. Ethan Johnson was holding his long-lost love’s slender waist, kissing her in front of everyone. There were whistles and cheers. And I, peeking through the door crack outside, felt like an outsider. Ethan Johnson joyfully picked up the child named Sunny, raising his chin to point at the woman looking at him tenderly. “Look closely, the one with the beauty mark at the corner of her eye is your real sister-in-law!” People from the hospital raised their hands to ask: “What should we call the previous one? The fake sister-in-law?” A burst of laughter echoed. I peeked inside and noticed that the hospital’s front desk nurse was present. Frowning, I leaned closer to get a better look—it was all familiar faces from the hospital. Ethan Johnson was holding the slender waist of his Ideal Love, kissing her in front of everyone. The crowd erupted with whistles and cheers. Meanwhile, I stood outside, peeking through the door, feeling like an outsider.

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Five years ago, I was found by the wealthy Collins family and discovered to be their long-lost daughter. Later, I married Jack Thompson, a principled lawyer who grew up with my brother. Jack was the childhood friend of my brother Ethan, a forensic pathologist. On the night of my birthday, my brother and husband went out in the pouring rain to rescue Olivia, who had been kidnapped. Olivia was the girl who had been raised as the Collins’ daughter before I was found. In an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town, Jack discovered a mutilated female corpse. My forensic pathologist brother Ethan, wearing a mask and gloves, calmly dissected the body. He carelessly tossed aside an undeveloped fetus he had cut from the dead woman’s womb. After Jack burned the fetus to ashes, he poured sulfuric acid that he had prepared in advance over the corpse that Ethan had already processed. They worked together seamlessly to destroy all evidence of the crime. But what they didn’t know was that the corpse belonged to me.

A sharp bolt of lightning tore through the curtain of rain, illuminating two shadowy figures in the abandoned warehouse. Jack Thompson dragged a mutilated female corpse to an open space. “This must be what they were talking about.” Ethan Collins swept his cold gaze over the scene, putting on a mask while handing one to Jack. “The smell is unpleasant.” He gripped a scalpel, his eyes falling on the corpse, seeming to zone out for a moment. “What are you spacing out for? Just open up the chest and abdominal cavities. I’ll pour the acid. We can’t waste time, Olivia is still in the kidnappers’ hands.” Ethan snapped back to attention, skillfully cutting open the woman’s body. He pulled out a shapeless lump of flesh from the corpse’s abdomen. Jack took one look and couldn’t help but retch. “What is that?” Ethan casually tossed the bloody mass aside, his tone flat: “The victim was pregnant, probably about three months along.” Jack found some discarded cardboard boxes and set them on fire, burning the bloody embryo to ashes. Even though Ethan had performed countless autopsies over his years in the field, he couldn’t help but be shocked at the gruesome state of this female corpse. Thirteen steel nails, each about three inches long, were driven into the skull. Almost all the ribs had punctured the lungs. The heart had been brutally excavated. The bones in all ten fingers had been ground to powder. The leg bones were bent at extremely unnatural angles. It was clear the victim had endured unimaginably horrific torture before death. Ethan couldn’t help but sigh, “I hope once we’re done with this body, the kidnappers will release Olivia. Their methods are extremely cruel. Olivia must be terrified right now.” Ethan stood up and stepped back a bit. “It’s done. Go ahead.” Jack poured the sulfuric acid he had prepared into the open abdominal cavity, then doused the entire corpse. The already mangled flesh quickly shriveled and fused together upon contact with the acid, making a sizzling sound as it emitted large clouds of white smoke. Soon, the corpse was damaged beyond recognition, barely resembling a human form. As a professional forensic pathologist, Ethan knew exactly how to destroy evidence of a crime on a body. My soul hovered in midair, watching them work together seamlessly to destroy the evidence. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. These two men were my biological brother, the renowned forensic pathologist Ethan Collins who had cracked many difficult cases, and my husband, Jack Thompson, the principled lawyer with an undefeated record. And here they were, out in the pouring rain, doing something that went against all their professional ethics, all because they had received a distress call from Olivia White two hours ago. Olivia, the fake heiress, the one they had always cherished and protected above all else. “Ethan, Jack, save me… I’m so scared…” As soon as they heard Olivia’s tearful voice, Ethan and Jack couldn’t sit still. “Olivia, where are you?!” “I—” Olivia’s phone was snatched away by the kidnapper. “I hear you two are some big-shot forensic pathologist and lawyer. Want this woman to live?” Jack anxiously asked, “How much money do you want? I can give you anything, just let Olivia go!” Even the usually calm and collected Ethan was as agitated as an ant on a hot pan. “Don’t hurt Olivia. Whatever your conditions are, just name them!” The kidnapper unhurriedly said, “I know the Collins are a wealthy family. Ten million dollars is nothing to you. Plus, do something for me, and I’ll let this woman go.” Ethan agreed without hesitation: “I’ll do it!” Jack quickly followed, “Whatever it is, we’ll do it. Just don’t harm Olivia!” They agreed without even asking what the task was, all to ensure Olivia wouldn’t be harmed in the slightest. “I killed someone and dumped the body in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. Go destroy the evidence for me. Otherwise, this Olivia looks quite delicate and juicy…” “Ah! Don’t touch me! My brothers will save me! Don’t tear my clothes! Brothers, help me!” Olivia’s voice came through the phone. Ethan and Jack roared in anger, “Don’t you dare touch her! We’re going right now!”

Ethan and Jack watched as my body was corroded by the acid, emitting wisps of white smoke. They finally furrowed their brows in discomfort, but only for a moment. Right now, Olivia’s safety was more important than this unknown female corpse. Jack took a few photos and sent them to the kidnapper. “We’ve done what you asked. The police won’t be able to trace this back to you. Now release Olivia!” My soul hovered in the air, watching as the lump of flesh Ethan had cut from my abdomen was consumed by flames. That was my child with Jack! He was so tiny, not even given the chance to come into this world and see his parents. Yet he was cut out and carelessly tossed aside by his own uncle, then burned to ashes by his own father. I floated over, desperately trying to save him from the flames, but my body passed right through him. Only the flames flickered slightly. Why?! Today was my birthday. I had planned to share the happy news of my pregnancy with the two most important people in my life tonight. But today was also Olivia’s birthday. Ethan and Jack had spent the entire day with Olivia, shopping with her, taking her to the amusement park. At noon, Jack had messaged me to come to the amusement park, saying he and Ethan had rented out the whole place to celebrate my birthday. I was overjoyed. I first met Jack at an amusement park. It was also at an amusement park where my long-lost brother Ethan recognized me and brought me back to the Collins family. In the first two years after I returned to the Collins family, Ethan and Jack were quite nice to me. Though I couldn’t compare to Olivia’s status in their hearts, they did pamper me to some extent. For the first time, I tasted what it was like to be loved. Until two years ago, when Olivia voluntarily suggested giving her birthday back to me, changing hers to the next day. She said, “Big sister Aria shares the same birthday as me every year. She must feel sad about it. I’ll give the birthday back to her. As long as big sister Aria is happy, I don’t mind not celebrating my own birthday!” Though Ethan and Jack didn’t refuse Olivia’s suggestion, their attitude towards me changed dramatically after that. My brother never again called me “Ari” affectionately. Instead, he addressed me coldly as “Aria Collins.” Jack also stopped holding me close every night, whispering sweet nothings about wanting me to bear him a daughter. He used to say he loved daughters, and wanted one as cute as me, with a smile as bright and beautiful. Now, all that remained were the nights when he was drunk, roughly throwing me onto the bed to forcefully satisfy his desires. But on my way to the amusement park, I was drugged and kidnapped, then tortured to death. At that time, Ethan was stopping Olivia from eating ice cream during her period, while Jack was queuing to buy her rainbow cotton candy. “Once I receive the ten million dollars, I’ll naturally release this woman!” The kidnapper’s tone was arrogant. “You’d better not try any clever tricks. Otherwise, this woman will end up just like that corpse!” Ethan nervously said, “The money is ready. Don’t touch her!” Ethan and Jack exchanged a glance before hurriedly leaving. As they reached the door, something caught Ethan’s attention under his feet. He bent down to pick it up. It was a wedding ring, the one I wore every day and never took off. Jack frowned, wondering why Aria’s ring would be here. He looked back at the unrecognizable corpse in the warehouse. Ethan interrupted Jack’s train of thought: “Let’s go quickly. If we’re late, Olivia will be scared!” Jack nodded, pocketing the ring and hurrying to catch up. Saving Olivia was more important right now. I floated behind them, unable to help but mock myself. In their hearts, Olivia was indeed still the most important person.

My body was discovered by a scavenging old man the next afternoon. Ethan arrived at the abandoned warehouse with the police. He calmly crouched in front of me, putting on gloves and a mask to begin the autopsy. Last night, the lighting had been dim, and they had been focused on quickly destroying the evidence. Only now did he carefully examine this body from a forensic pathologist’s perspective. “The victim is a young woman, approximately 25 years old…” “Height around 5’6″…” “The victim’s heart was brutally excavated while she was still alive…” As Ethan examined and turned over the body, the figure seemed increasingly familiar. How could it look so much like Aria? Before I was killed, I had managed to call Ethan for help. He had only said one thing. “Stop playing these despicable tricks to compete with Olivia for attention!” I then called Jack, but he too only said one thing before impatiently hanging up. “Honey, save—” “Aria Collins, when will you ever stop?! Olivia already gave her birthday to you. What more do you want?!” Ethan’s movements became somewhat frantic as he went to check the victim’s left ear. I had three moles in a row on my left ear lobe. That was how he had recognized me years ago. But where the ear should have been was now bare. Both my ears had been cruelly cut off by the kidnapper. It couldn’t be, right? It must just be his imagination. Ethan reassured himself and breathed a sigh of relief. He told his assistant to record the conclusion that the victim had been brutally tortured and murdered, then walked away. Meanwhile, Jack was at the hospital, accompanying Olivia who had just been rescued from the kidnappers and was still in shock. Olivia was eating the nutritious meal Jack had personally prepared for her. Since Olivia had given her birthday to me, I had never again tasted anything Jack made himself. Jack sat by the bed, absentmindedly scrolling through his phone. He kept refreshing our chat window. He must find it strange that I hadn’t confronted him yet. Yesterday was my birthday, but he had stayed at the hospital all night to take care of Olivia out of concern for her. Based on what he knew of me, I should have been bombarding him with calls and messages by now. But at this moment, our chat window was still quietly displaying my last message from two days ago, asking if he would be home for dinner. He hadn’t replied. The call log also showed my last call to him yesterday afternoon, lasting only five seconds. “Still sulking? Olivia’s in the hospital, so I had to stay and take care of her. Can’t you be more understanding as her sister?” He sent me a message on his own initiative. Then he started refreshing the chat window again, expecting me to reply instantly. In the past, I always responded to his messages immediately. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t happen this time. He frowned, growing increasingly irritated. Olivia observed all of this. “Jack, I want you and Ethan to take me to ride the Ferris wheel at the amusement park.”

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I married the young, handsome billionaire, but on our wedding night, he didn’t touch me. He said, “I want to save our precious first time for the most beautiful day.” But even after more than ten years of marriage, my husband still hadn’t touched me once. I initially thought he had some embarrassing medical issue and spent years helping him seek treatment, but to no avail. It wasn’t until I saw Derek Starr in Hawaii, arm-in-arm with my sister, surrounded by a pair of twins who were the spitting image of him and called him “Daddy,” that I finally woke up from my delusion. He didn’t have any problems at all. He just wasn’t interested in me. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day I was about to join the wealthy Starr family. I saw the pink roses that Derek had planted for Sophia, filling the entire living room and our marital bedroom. But he didn’t know that this time, I was going to marry his uncle instead. The moment the text message was delivered, the phone rang. The voice on the other end was filled with barely contained magnetic joy: “Good, uncle wants to marry you too.”

On the day we set the wedding date, I ran into Derek at a bar. His friends saw me suddenly appear and their faces were full of disdain and mockery: “Oh look, Young Master Starr, your little crybaby stalker has followed you here!” “Mrs. Starr-to-be, the news of your engagement to the Starr family is all over social media. Why are you still keeping such a close eye on him? We’re throwing one last bachelor party for Derek here – are you trying to ruin it?” When Derek looked up and saw it was me, he angrily downed his drink in one gulp. “Lily Frost, are you really that desperate to throw yourself at me? You sent over the dowry without my consent, and now the whole world knows you’re about to become Mrs. Starr. You’re quite the schemer, aren’t you?” His look of disgust made my heart skip a beat. After a moment, I calmly replied: “The person I’m marrying isn’t you, so why would I need your consent?” As soon as I said this, the whole place erupted in laughter. Derek’s buddies were laughing so hard they had tears in their eyes. They urged him: “Derek, you’d better comfort your little wife here, or she might start crying and making a scene to get sympathy again!” Derek frowned: “Where did you learn to play hard to get? Let me tell you, Lily Frost, that trick won’t work on me.” “You’ve set the wedding date with my family, who else could you possibly be marrying if not me? My father?” “Besides, you’ve been following me around like a lovesick puppy since elementary school. Who would believe you’re marrying someone else?” He walked over and stroked my messy hair in a seemingly affectionate gesture, but his grip was painfully tight. “I’ll let the unauthorized engagement slide, but listen carefully – I can go through with a wedding ceremony for show… but don’t even think about me touching you!” He leaned in close to my ear and lowered his voice: “If you don’t want to live as a lonely wife, you’d better wise up and get lost. I’ll only have children with someone I truly love!” Hearing this, I frowned slightly. In my past life, Derek had indeed obediently followed his family’s arrangements and quickly married me. Could it be… that he had been reborn too? Before I could further analyze the information hidden in his words, my sister Sophia suddenly appeared at the door. Seeing Derek’s intimate behavior next to me, Sophia’s eyes suddenly welled up with tears as she covered her mouth. “Derek, I heard you’re going to marry my sister. Even though we’ll be family soon, I didn’t bring any gifts. I just wish you eternal happiness!” With that, Sophia ran out crying as if escaping for her life. “Lily Frost, are you fucking satisfied now?” Derek pointed at me, fuming with anger, then stormed out without looking back. Chapter

Half an hour later, Sophia was led back in by Derek, holding his hand. She walked with a limp, and there were obvious signs of tearing on the stockings on her inner thighs. Everyone looked at me with schadenfreude, waiting for me to make a scene. Because in the past, I would have inevitably cried my heart out in this situation, drawing attention to myself. Derek pulled Sophia behind him protectively, his expression seeming to anticipate the drama as well. However, several minutes passed, and I remained calm, slowly swirling the drink in my hand. Derek was a bit surprised. After a moment, he let out a cold laugh: “Well, well, looks like you’ve grown up and aren’t making a fuss like before!” I couldn’t be bothered to watch him make a fool of himself, so I picked up my bag to leave, but he grabbed me: “You’ve been drinking, it’s late. Don’t go wandering around alone – I can’t have you getting picked up by some stranger and embarrassing me!” Since someone was offering to take me home, I naturally didn’t refuse. When I tried to walk towards the back seat, Derek quickly blocked the front passenger door. “Sit in the back.” He then helped Sophia into the front passenger seat. “Derek is worried I’ll get carsick. You won’t be petty about this, will you, sis?” Sophia’s tone was apologetic, but her expression was smug as she looked at me. I sat quietly in the back seat, not saying a word. Thinking I was so weak, she became even more unbridled. Taking advantage of the traffic jam ahead, Sophia took off her shoes and propped her long, slender legs up on the steering wheel. “My legs hurt so much. Derek, your hands are so big and strong. Sophia loves it when you massage my legs.” Seeing the beautiful feet in front of him, Derek froze, his breathing becoming heavy. The next second, Derek suddenly looked back at the rear seat, as if just remembering I was in the car too. “Don’t hold back on my account. We’re all going to be family soon, no need to be shy around me.” Seeing me looking out at the night scenery nonchalantly, his expression faltered, and he gently put Sophia’s feet down. The car pulled up in front of my building first. After I got out and headed straight upstairs, Derek chased after me. He pulled out a diamond ring and handed it to me: “You’re still my fiancée in name, so consider this ring a compensation from me.” Seeing that I didn’t take it, Derek took a deep breath and continued trying to persuade me. “That’s enough, you’ve embarrassed me so much tonight. How am I supposed to face others in the future?” “As long as you don’t make trouble, I’ll make sure you keep your position as Mrs. Starr securely. There will be plenty of benefits for you in the future.” I took the ring and tried it on, finding it a size too big. I looked up and asked: “So who’s the real Mrs. Starr you’re going to have children with? Sophia, right?” Derek suddenly became angry, but his expression also held a hint of smug satisfaction. “So you knew all along. I’m warning you, you absolutely cannot breathe a word of this to our parents!” “Sophia and I are meant to be together! She’s pure and kind, not scheming like you. If you dare to make her cry again like tonight, be careful or you’ll end up with nothing!” I laughed. He was clearly the one who was cowardly and afraid to tell his family his true wishes, yet somehow I had become the schemer standing in the way. I ignored him and turned to go upstairs. Just as I was about to go to sleep after showering, I received a video from Sophia. In the video, Derek was lovingly and carefully helping her put on an even larger diamond ring. “This one suits my beloved Sophia much better. That outdated piece of junk from earlier – I threw it away.” When things got heated, the two of them fell onto the bed in a tight embrace. The screen went black, but unmistakable sounds could still be heard. At the end, Sophia sent me a string of text messages like a victor: [Be content, sister. Even though you’re getting my leftovers, not many people can compare to this life of luxury.] [For the rest of your life, just keep playing your role well. We won’t mistreat you.] Chapter

So Sophia had been reborn too. No wonder in my past life, she and Derek had no apparent connection on the surface, yet they had secretly been carrying on behind the scenes. I suppose they had already confessed their feelings to each other and were looking to rekindle their relationship in this life. I lowered my eyes, remembering how after I married into the Starr family in my past life, Starr Industries suddenly took off, not only securing endless contracts but also going public on NASDAQ. The Starr family elders all praised me for bringing good fortune to my husband, and treated me like their own daughter. So even though Derek and I never had children of our own, I always thought I was happy, until I later discovered the truth. My mother called to tell me that Harrison Moon was about to return to the country. I was a bit surprised, because in my past life, Derek’s uncle, who was only ten years older than him, never married. I hadn’t expected our arranged marriage to progress so smoothly. I only vaguely remembered him as a stern elder who rarely smiled. When I was little, every time Derek bullied me to tears, he would patiently hand me tissues. Then a few days later, Derek would sport bruises and be on his best behavior towards me for a while. I had thought our relationship was simply that of an elder and a junior, nothing more. Until in my past life, after I accidentally discovered Sophia and Derek’s family of three and died from falling into water in shock. At my funeral, I saw Harrison Moon with bloodshot eyes, pinning Derek to the ground and beating him over and over again. Only then did I realize that his feelings for me had unknowingly sprouted long ago. The next day, I arrived early at my clothing workshop in the company to modify the design of my wedding dress. Ever since I started studying fashion design in college, I had been working on designing my wedding dress. Except back then, the person I wanted to marry with all my heart was Derek. From the style to the accessories, everything had to be according to his preferences, without any of my own ideas. In this life, I could finally wear the wedding dress I truly wanted, to marry someone else. I hadn’t rested well for several days. After finishing the dress, I slept for a day and a night. When I woke up, I saw Sophia’s social media post. In the photo, my newly altered wedding dress had its skirt cut off, turned into a short dress worn on her body as she coquettishly posed in Derek’s arms with her legs raised. [Derek knew I was doing a photoshoot, so he specially brought this for me~ It feels so good to be loved!] I rushed to the photo studio in disbelief. Sophia and Derek were resting, while my wedding dress was crumpled into a ball and tossed on the ground like garbage. “How dare you touch my wedding dress and deliberately ruin it!” Seeing me, Sophia immediately put on an act of being scared and started crying. “Derek… Did I make my sister angry? Why does she look like she wants to hit me?” Derek pulled her behind him protectively. “Lily Frost, it’s just a dress! You were going to wear it for me to see anyway, so what’s wrong with letting Sophia wear it for a photoshoot?!” “Besides, I don’t even like this style. You might as well make a new one! Don’t make such a big deal out of nothing!” I could hardly believe his shamelessness. “Stop being so full of yourself! This is the wedding dress I made for myself!” Derek shook his head and sneered, “That’s enough, Lily Frost. Isn’t our wedding basically our wedding? I’ve already agreed to marry you, don’t push your luck here!” I grabbed the Zippo lighter from the coffee table and flicked it open. Sophia thought I was going to burn her alive and hid behind Derek in terror, her face pale with fright. “Derek Starr, open your eyes wide and watch carefully! I won’t keep anything that’s been dirtied! And I certainly won’t stoop so low as to marry a man who has hurt me countless times!” I picked up the ruined wedding dress, set it on fire, and tossed it into the air before turning to leave. Seeing my resolute attitude, Derek was caught off guard. In the past, no matter how much I cried and made a fuss, I would always give in first. He had never seen me act like this before. He instinctively wanted to stop me, but Sophia’s exaggerated, affected voice rang out at the wrong moment. “Sophia is so scared, my heart is racing… But it’s okay, Derek, don’t worry about me. It’s all my fault, you should go after my sister…” Derek hesitated for a moment, then looked at my retreating figure and snorted coldly: “Who are you trying to impress?! Lily Frost, you said it yourself – even if you strip naked and kneel on the ground begging me later, I won’t marry you!”

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My father is an incredibly wealthy businessman, one of the richest men in the world. He once declared that if anyone dared to harm a hair on his precious daughter’s head, he would make them disappear from the face of the earth. But my stepmother Vanessa and stepbrother William doted excessively on Melody, a singer from a nightclub. They even allowed her to impersonate me at a gala dinner attended by wealthy elites, letting her sit in the place of honor meant for the true Chloe Collins. When I showed up, Melody tried to drive me away forcefully. “How dare a low-class singer like you try to attend tonight’s exclusive gala?” she sneered. “Mom and William have already let me take your place as the real Chloe Collins. You should leave now before you embarrass our family any further.” In my previous life, I was weak-willed and didn’t dare anger my stepmother and stepbrother. I tolerated all of Melody’s abuse. But now I’ve been reborn. Looking at the arrogant and domineering Melody, I walked up and slapped her hard across the face. “You ignorant nobody. A small gala like this has gone to your head,” I said coldly. “Who do you think you are? You’re not fit to use the Collins name.” 0

Melody was shocked that I, who had always been timid and afraid, dared to fight back. She immediately ordered the butler, Mr. Quinn, to drag me away. Mr. Quinn had barely taken a step when I glared at him. He quickly stepped back, a flicker of panic in his eyes. “Miss Chloe, didn’t Madam and Master William confine you at home? How…how did you get here?” I fixed Mr. Quinn with an icy stare, frightening him so much he lowered his head, not daring to meet my eyes. “My father is one of the world’s wealthiest men, and I’m his only daughter. Yet you dare call me ‘Miss Chloe’?” “Mr. Quinn, you’ve worked for our family for 20 years. If you can’t even recognize your true masters, what use are you to me?” In my previous life, Mr. Quinn ignored my father’s orders to take good care of me. Instead, he followed my stepmother and stepbrother’s commands, often depriving me of food and clothes and verbally abusing me. When Melody beat me to death with a golf club, he even stood by watching coldly. Now hearing that I wanted to fire him, Mr. Quinn fell to his knees begging for mercy. “Please spare me, Miss…” Melody put on an act of helping Mr. Quinn up, then took on a sisterly tone to scold me. “Chloe, you’re just a singer I picked up from a nightclub. What right do you have to fire Mr. Quinn?” Tiffany, the daughter of the company’s general manager who always fawned over Melody, couldn’t wait to jump in and yell at me. “If it wasn’t for our Melody taking you in from that nightclub, who knows where you’d be now. How dare you be so rude to Melody!” The other guests all felt indignant and started criticizing me as well. “So this is the singer that Miss Collins took in? How ungrateful!” “Exactly! I heard Miss Collins took her in and treated her like a real sister, indulging her in everything. Who knew she’d be so presumptuous!” “A mere singer dares to impersonate the real Chloe Collins? She must have a death wish!” How ridiculous. The truth was that I was the one who had taken Melody in from the nightclub. But to my surprise, when my stepmother Vanessa saw Melody, she strangely loved her like her own child. My stepbrother William was thoroughly captivated by Melody’s charms and sweet talk, doting on her excessively. So for any company events or galas, they would have Melody attend while keeping me confined at home. Living this life again, I’ve finally woken up. My father is an incredibly wealthy and powerful man who adores me. Why should I let these people walk all over me? I swept my gaze across the crowd, finally locking eyes with Tiffany. I gave her a contemptuous smile. “Who do you think you are? Even if your father Thomas were here, he wouldn’t dare raise his voice to me.” Tiffany was stunned that I dared to call out her father’s name in public. Enraged, she raised her hand to slap me. I was quicker, slapping her across the face first. Her face turned deathly pale with anger as she shrieked, “You…you dare hit me? I won’t let you get away with this!” Melody gnashed her teeth and shouted, “Someone come and seize this singer Chloe!” Security guards rushed over. I swept my cold gaze across them and declared loudly, “My father said that if anyone dares touch a hair on my head, he’ll make them disappear from this world!” With those words, the guards froze in place, not daring to take another step forward. Melody took two steps back, her guilty conscience showing. She tried to maintain her composure as she yelled, “You…you’re lying! Everyone here knows that for any company events or galas, Mom and William always have me attend.” “If you’re really the true Chloe Collins, why have they never once let you appear?” The crowd nodded in agreement. “Miss Collins has a point. That singer must be lying and trying to impersonate the real Chloe Collins!” “How outrageous. A perfectly good gala ruined by this singer who snuck in.” I gave a disdainful laugh and turned to Mr. Quinn standing nearby. I ordered him, “If you don’t want to be thrown out of the Collins family, go fetch my stepmother and stepbrother.” “Tell them that if they don’t come immediately, I’m going to beat Melody to death.” Mr. Quinn was shocked. He knew that Vanessa and William both doted excessively on Melody. Every time, no matter who was right or wrong, as long as Melody was unhappy, they would severely punish me. But after a brief hesitation, he still hurried out. Melody smiled smugly at me. “Chloe, I think you’ve lost your mind. How dare you summon Mom and William here.” In my previous life, when Melody was beating me bloody with a golf club, I had begged them for help, only to be cruelly rejected. Now that I’ve returned from hell, I won’t let any of them off the hook. Before she finished speaking, a warning voice suddenly came from outside. “Chloe, you haven’t been disciplined for three days and now you think you can do whatever you want?” Chapter

William strode into the banquet hall, hands in his pockets, flanked by two bodyguards in black suits. The guests all greeted him as “Young Master Collins.” William nodded in response, then walked over to us. Melody immediately threw herself into his arms, her eyes brimming with tears and a wronged expression on her face. “William, I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault for bringing Chloe back from that nightclub in the first place.” “That’s what caused her to make such a big scene now.” William gently stroked the back of her head, his voice soft as he comforted her. “It’s alright. With me here, she can’t do anything.” Then he turned to glare at me coldly, his face full of anger. “Chloe, I only allowed you, a mere singer, to stay in our home out of consideration for Melody.” “I never expected that after living with us for a few years, you’d become so presumptuous as to try impersonating her and becoming the real Chloe Collins.” William was the only son of my father’s younger brother. He had lost both parents at a young age. In the past, he would often come to our house under the pretext of visiting my father, but in reality he was trying to use my father’s status and influence to gain a foothold for himself. My father, out of consideration for his late brother, arranged for William to be a director in the company. He even allowed William to call him “Dad” just like I did. Back then, William doted on me a lot, saying having such a beautiful sister was his greatest fortune in three lifetimes. I never expected that after living in our home for ten years, William would turn against his own family and help Melody bully me! With just a few sentences, my cousin William had confirmed my identity as a mere singer. The crowd below immediately turned on me with vicious verbal attacks. “Miss Collins is too kind-hearted. That’s why this singer was able to bully her.” “Such an ungrateful wretch who doesn’t know her place. She should be locked up and left to rot in jail!” Having regained the upper hand, Melody shot me a look of smug triumph. I completely ignored her and turned to confront my biased cousin William. “Why are you the only one here? Where’s my dear stepmother? Is she too guilty to face me?” “Mom said dealing with a singer like you doesn’t require her personal attention.” I immediately took off the priceless jadeite necklace from around my neck and held it up high. “This was a birthday gift my father gave me when I turned 8. He said only his daughter, the true Chloe Collins, was worthy of wearing it.” “The 99 jadeite beads on this necklace came from a single piece of raw jadeite worth $50 million that my father specially bought at an international auction. He then commissioned John, a top French jewelry master, to carve my name onto each bead.” “William, do you still dare claim I’m just a singer now?” Hearing this, the crowd below all rushed forward, their eyes fixed greedily on the necklace in my hand. “Mr. Collins did indeed announce publicly before that he gave this billion-dollar necklace to his daughter.” “Strange. Why would Mrs. Collins and Young Master William let Melody take the place of the real Chloe Collins?” Melody’s eyes filled with panic, cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. She had never imagined I would have such a powerful trump card up my sleeve. William’s face darkened as he reached out to grab the necklace. “Chloe, how dare you steal Melody’s things. Give it back to her immediately!” His deliberate false accusation caused the crowd below to once again become unsure of who was telling the truth. I dodged his grasp. William signaled with his eyes, and the two bodyguards rushed forward to pin me down, snatching away the necklace and handing it to him. After receiving it, William personally put it around Melody’s neck, comforting her, “Sis, be more careful in the future. Don’t let this singer Chloe steal it again.” Melody nodded lightly. “Thank you, William, for getting it back for me.” She flashed me another smug smile. “Chloe, I took you in out of kindness, but you repaid me by stealing the birthday gift Dad gave me and claiming it as your own. You really deserve to die. Grab her and put her hands on the table. I’m going to teach her a lesson she’ll never forget!” The two bodyguards yanked me up and pressed my hands down on the table, leaving me unable to move. Melody skillfully picked up a wine bottle and smashed it down hard on my hands. Excruciating pain shot through me as bones shattered. The back of my hand was instantly a bloody mess, the white tablecloth stained crimson in a horrifying sight. I gritted my teeth and let out an anguished growl: “Dad will be here any minute. When he sees how you’ve hurt me, he’ll never let you off!” In my previous life, when Melody stole my identity as the real Chloe Collins and had me killed, my father never showed up. But this time, I had notified him in advance. He promised he would arrive at 10 pm sharp, just 5 minutes from now. Seeing me in such a pitiful state, Melody leaned in close to whisper mockingly in my ear. “Your dad is still overseas. How stupid are you to lie like this?” “Besides, with Mom and William backing me, even if your dad found out, he might not dare do anything to me.” Before she finished speaking, a furious bellow suddenly rang out. “Outrageous! Who gave you such audacity?” Chapter

The smug look on Melody’s face instantly turned to terror as she looked up. Vanessa strode into the banquet hall. The guests all bowed slightly in greeting. “Mrs. Collins.” The bodyguards immediately released their grip on me. Seeing it was Vanessa, the fear in Melody’s eyes dissipated. She flashed me a gloating smile. Vanessa’s eyes swept over Melody with concern, making sure she was unharmed. Only then did she turn to glare at me with utter disgust. “Who gave you permission to steal Melody’s identity as the real Chloe Collins?” In my previous life, I never understood why Vanessa was so biased towards Melody. It wasn’t until after I died that I learned the truth – Melody was actually the daughter of Vanessa’s true love. That man had once sworn undying love to Vanessa. But later, Vanessa was forced to marry my widowed father in order to save her family’s failing business. A year after marrying my father, that man died in a car accident while trying to save Vanessa. So when Vanessa discovered Melody’s true identity, she loved her like her own flesh and blood, vowing to give Melody the best of everything. Although Vanessa held the position of CEO in my father’s company, the person with true absolute power was still my father. Understanding the full story now, I couldn’t help but laugh coldly. “I’m only taking back what rightfully belongs to me. How is that stealing?” Now that even Vanessa was backing Melody’s claims, the crowd below became even bolder in hurling abuse at me. “This singer not only impersonates the real Chloe Collins, she even dares to speak so rudely to Mrs. Collins. She really doesn’t know her place!” “I think she’s gone mad with greed, fantasizing about being rich. What a fool!” William angrily declared, “Chloe, you’ve been eating and living well in our home all thanks to Melody’s kindness.” “But we never imagined our generosity would lead you to have such foolish delusions of impersonating Melody.” A cunning look flashed through Melody’s eyes. She pointed to the jadeite necklace around her neck and asked, “Mom, isn’t my necklace beautiful?” Vanessa was momentarily stunned. She glanced at me, realizing Melody had snatched it from me. She smiled and nodded. “It’s beautiful. It suits you perfectly.” Getting the answer she wanted, Melody grew even bolder. “Everyone, you all heard that, right? My mom has confirmed this necklace belongs to me.” “Chloe was just lying earlier when she said my dad gave it to her. She actually stole it from me.” The crowd below all chimed in agreement. I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already 9:59 pm. I couldn’t help but smirk. In less than a minute, my father would arrive. Seeing I showed no signs of remorse, William flew into a rage. “Mom, Chloe has publicly impersonated our family’s true daughter. It’s unforgivable. I suggest we kick her out of the Collins family!” Vanessa hesitated, not agreeing immediately. “Chloe, if you kneel down and apologize to Melody now, and promise never to steal her identity as the real Chloe Collins again, I can allow you to continue staying in our family.” Melody’s eyes flashed with displeasure. Of course she didn’t want me to stay. She quickly spoke up. “Mom, it’s fine. She can’t really steal my identity as the real Chloe anyway.” “But she did try to impersonate me in public. If we don’t punish her severely, won’t others think our wealthy Collins family is easy to bully?” Seeing how this could damage the family’s reputation, Vanessa’s expression instantly changed. She berated me harshly. “Chloe, I’ll give you one last chance. Kneel down and apologize to Melody right now. Otherwise, I’ll kick you out of the Collins family immediately!” I laughed disdainfully. With my father away, she really thought she could act like the queen of the family. “You and William have twisted the truth, allowing Melody to impersonate me as the real Chloe Collins. You’re the ones at fault. Why should I apologize?” “Besides, you’re just my stepmother. What right do you have to kick me out of the Collins family?” William snorted coldly. “When Dad’s not here, Mom is in charge of all family affairs. Of course she has the right to kick you out.” Seeing me dare to talk back, Vanessa flew into a rage. She shouted for all to hear. “Someone come and take Chloe away.” “From today on, Chloe is forbidden from ever setting foot in the Collins family again!” Melody shook her head at me in mock pity, sneering, “Chloe, bullying me is one thing, but you dare to disrespect Mom like that?” “Someone bring me a bottle of acid. I’m going to destroy her face. Let’s see how she tries to impersonate me after that!” Vanessa and William nodded in approval. Melody was practically giddy with excitement. Dong, dong. The grandfather clock struck 10 pm. Mr. Quinn came running up to me, out of breath. “Miss, the Master has returned.” A large group of bodyguards in black suits rushed in, lining up on both sides like an honor guard. The atmosphere turned solemn. Then, my father strode in with a group of company executives, his voice booming like thunder. “Such big talk! Let’s see who dares touch a hair on my precious daughter’s head!”

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I cherished her as my most precious treasure, only to discover she was an imposter. My real daughter was cruelly abandoned by my husband to live among beggars. While that little bastard child wore designer clothes dripping in luxury, my true daughter was in rags and starving. As that imposter went abroad to study, polishing her golden future, my daughter remained illiterate. Even when my daughter escaped her hellish life and came home seeking her family, my husband viciously drove her away behind my back. My exhausted daughter stumbled forward in the pouring rain, only to be struck down by a drunk truck driver. When I learned the truth and tried to seek justice for my daughter, that little bastard pushed me into an icy river. As I was dying, I saw my husband arm-in-arm with his lover, embracing that imposter child. “Thank you for raising our daughter to be so outstanding,” they sneered. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the moment my daughter was born. This time, I swore to protect my precious baby at all costs!

I struggled desperately in the freezing river water. Even as I drowned, no one came to save me. I felt my soul leave my body! I couldn’t accept this fate. My hatred burned white-hot. Lucas, the man I had loved so deeply, had been cheating on me for years. The daughter I treasured turned out to be Lucas’s love child with his mistress Chloe. Chloe’s mocking laughter echoed in my ears as I died. My vision went blood-red, like the pool of blood when my real daughter passed away. If I could do it all over again, I would have my revenge – for myself, and especially for my daughter! Suddenly I heard the cry of a baby… I forced my heavy eyelids open. White ceiling. The smell of disinfectant. Was I in a hospital? Hadn’t I just drowned? I slowly looked around the room. The dated decor seemed oddly familiar. A sharp pain shot through my abdomen. I couldn’t help crying out. “Sweetie, you’re finally awake! You had me so worried!” Mom? I focused my gaze. It was my mother, but much younger than I remembered. Could it be? Had I been reborn? Ignoring the pain, I bolted upright. “Mom, where’s my daughter?” In my past life, Lucas had taken advantage of my postpartum weakness to switch my baby while I was unconscious. Living this life over, I absolutely would not let their evil plan succeed. My mom gently wiped the sweat from my forehead. I clutched her arm tightly. “Mom, please tell me, where did they take the baby?” My mom didn’t notice anything strange about my reaction. She tried to reassure me, “Don’t worry, honey. The nurse just took her for some routine tests. They’ll bring her back soon.” “Now lie back down and rest. You shouldn’t be exerting yourself after giving birth.” I stared into my mom’s eyes. “Where’s Lucas?” Mom smiled. “That man is already such a devoted father. The nurse was just taking the baby for a standard checkup, but he insisted on going along.” What?! My heart felt like it was being crushed in a giant fist. I couldn’t breathe! No! Absolutely not! I would not let Lucas succeed this time. Ignoring the pain, I leapt out of bed and ran for the door barefoot. My mom tried to stop me, but I dodged past her and rushed towards the exit. I collided with someone entering the room. It was Lucas! He was tightly cradling a baby, glaring at me in annoyance. Seeing how protective he was of that little bastard made me feel like I was suffocating. Living this life over, he had still managed to pull it off. A wave of fury rose up, threatening to overwhelm me. If my rage could take physical form, the Lucas before me would be incinerated in an instant! “Honey, the floor is cold. Get back in bed right away!” Lucas switched to a fake concerned tone. He thought he was hiding it well, but I could see the viciousness and impatience lurking in his eyes. My mom caught up and pulled me back to the bed. As soon as I was back in bed, Lucas placed the little bastard next to me. “Sweetheart, the baby’s hungry,” he said. Right on cue, the imposter child started crying. I stared at her coldly. This vile woman’s spawn had stolen my real daughter’s life. She had usurped all my love and resources, and in the end even pushed me into the river. All the evil creatures in the world combined couldn’t match this little bastard. I slowly moved my hand towards the imposter’s neck. I wanted nothing more than to strangle her on the spot. Lucas stood there smiling, lost in his own thoughts and not noticing my actions. But it alarmed my mom, who was watching me closely. “Sweetie, that’s not how you hold a baby. You need to support the neck from behind.” “Honey, she’s crying because she’s hungry,” Lucas said with a smile, lifting the bastard and trying to place her in my arms. I turned away, lying on my side. “If she’s hungry she can have formula. I’m exhausted and need to rest.”

I closed my eyes, but all I could see was the blood staining the ground when my daughter died. I wouldn’t let a single one of these despicable people off the hook. I had to plan my moves carefully. Lucas was my family’s live-in son-in-law, currently working an entry-level job at my father’s company. Perhaps it was my wealth that motivated him, but he had perfectly played the role of devoted husband in front of everyone. In my past life, everyone – including me – thought I had found the world’s best husband. It wasn’t until I was dying that I learned the truth. He called it “enduring humiliation to achieve his goals.” He had acted the part so well, all for a beautiful future with his true love. His lover Chloe had deliberately gotten pregnant at the same time as me, even having a C-section early to facilitate switching our babies. Being premature, that little bastard had been small and weak at birth. In my past life, I had spared no effort to nurse her to health. She certainly grew strong – strong enough to easily push me into that freezing river. Lucas was the husband my father had carefully chosen for me. Dad said he didn’t want me working too hard, that I needed someone to help shoulder the burden of the family business. He had picked Lucas from among the scholarship students he sponsored. Dad said Lucas was handsome, well-behaved, and hardworking – a young man with great potential. My mom had insisted I should marry someone from a similar background. But I was captivated by Lucas’s surface charm. I agreed to the marriage and even convinced my reluctant mom. That’s how the wedding went ahead. Looking back now, I was truly blind and foolish. I never saw the ugly face beneath Lucas’s human mask. It’s impossible to know exactly when Lucas and Chloe first got together. But since Chloe’s due date was after mine, he must have been cheating during my pregnancy at the very least. Due to my delicate health, I had focused all my attention on the baby after getting pregnant. I had gradually handed over my responsibilities in the family business to Lucas. This time around, Lucas wouldn’t get his hands on a single cent of my family’s wealth. Once my condition stabilized, I moved into the luxury maternity center I had booked in advance. The background check on Lucas before our marriage had been woefully inadequate. We hadn’t uncovered the fact that he had a lover he couldn’t forget. I contacted Uncle Wilson, our company’s head of security, and asked him to conduct a thorough investigation into Lucas’s past. The fact that Lucas had managed to deceive professional investigators before meant he must have been planning this for a long time. He had claimed his background was simple – parents deceased, not much contact with other relatives. My parents and I had felt so sorry for his circumstances. We bent over backwards trying to make him feel loved, wanting him to experience the warmth of family. Even I had tried hard to rein in my spoiled rich girl tendencies, afraid of hurting his fragile heart. Looking back now, I was truly an utter fool. That beast who could throw his own daughter to the beggars deserved to have his family destroyed and end up completely alone. The company kept me busy, so most of the time it was just me and the little bastard alone together. Looking at this inherently evil creature, this white-eyed wolf who could never be tamed, I had to grip my right hand tightly with my left to keep from strangling her. My precious baby was out there suffering who knows where, while this vile offspring lay in the most luxurious maternity center. Perhaps my gaze was too icy, because the little bastard started crying. With a couple soft sounds, the brat soiled herself. In my past life, I had forced myself to overcome my germaphobia, changing her diapers and wiping her bottom countless times. This time? Dream on. Even if diaper rash spread all over her face, what did it have to do with me? I had already refused to breastfeed. Though Lucas tried to hide it, I still caught the vicious look in his eyes. Hah, he was surely thinking of how he’d settle accounts with me later. Too bad. This time around, I would be the one settling accounts. Without my support, that penniless live-in son-in-law wouldn’t even be able to afford a hot meal. No matter how resentful he felt, he’d have to swallow it. My thoughtful parents sent over some imported premium formula. I rejected it outright. Chinese babies should have Chinese formula – the 100 yuan a can kind was good enough. Even the maternity center staff seemed to disapprove of me. They whispered that despite my family’s wealth, I was being so stingy with an innocent baby. Some even suspected I must be extremely biased against girls. Separated by two lives, if I had my way I wouldn’t even spend 100 yuan on her. The bastard child kept squirming and crying, her face turning red. I stared at her, quietly savoring the moment. Cry all you want. This is just the beginning. Your whole life is destined to be filled with tears. Your tears will be the funeral dirge for your vile parents. I ignored the nurse’s urgent knocking at the door.

Finally the little beast cried herself to sleep, lying in her own filth. My mom arrived then, out of breath and sweating. “Sweetie, what’s wrong? The nurse said the baby was crying terribly and asked me to come check.” I rubbed my eyes in confusion. “Was she crying? I didn’t hear anything.” “The nurse said the baby was wailing, but your door was locked and they couldn’t get it open. I was so worried something had happened!” Mom went over to check on the imposter child. “Oh, look at this little rascal sleeping so peacefully.” A newborn’s poop doesn’t have much odor. I had deliberately placed some fresh flowers nearby, so Mom didn’t notice anything amiss. I reached out to wipe the sweat from Mom’s forehead. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’m fine. I’m just exhausted after giving birth. I probably slept through the crying.” “Honey, is something bothering you?” Mom looked at me with loving concern. I forced a relaxed smile. “Please don’t worry. I’m doing great, nothing’s wrong. You’re overthinking things.” My mom, so focused on me, had noticed something was off. She pulled me into a hug. “No matter how old you get, you’ll always be Mommy’s little princess.” Leaning on Mom’s shoulder, I felt an unprecedented sense of warmth and security. Suddenly my whole body was filled with strength. This must be the power of a mother’s love. In this life, I would become my daughter’s pillar of strength. “How are you and Dad doing health-wise?” I changed the subject. Mom gently stroked my hair. “We’re doing great. Once Lucas is fully familiar with the company operations, your dad and I can retire with peace of mind and help you raise the baby.” Every hair on my body stood on end. Desperately suppressing my panic, I managed a strained smile. “Lucas is still young. He’s not ready for such a big responsibility. The company still needs pillars of strength like you and Dad.” If I remember correctly, in my past life I gradually stepped back from the company after giving birth to focus on being a wife and mother. My parents had felt comfortable slowly handing things over to Lucas. He was quickly promoted to deputy general manager. Later, I even happily gave him my position as general manager. In my past life, I had deluded myself into thinking I’d found the world’s best husband. Lucas did have good business acumen. Under his leadership, our family company flourished. I was truly blind and foolish not to see through that wolf in sheep’s clothing. Mom smiled and said, “Lucas really is quite capable. Don’t worry, everything your father and I have will be yours. Your dad is already considering promoting Lucas to deputy general manager.” Keeping my expression neutral, I tried to intervene. “Mom, there’s no rush. Young people need more tempering to grow. I think Lucas’s abilities are still lacking. You and Dad should think it over carefully.” Hah, now that I’m living this life over, how could I possibly devote myself wholeheartedly to him? A promotion? Keep dreaming! As long as I’m around, he’ll never be more than a lowly employee. Mom looked at me in confusion. “Did you two have a fight? Why are you suddenly saying this?” “You don’t appreciate your parents until you become one yourself. I understand now how difficult it was for you and Dad to build the business from scratch. We of the younger generation shouldn’t take it for granted.” “You and Dad are still in your prime. Your 50s are the time to keep striving. Even when it comes time to choose a successor, it should go to the most capable person. That’s how the company will develop best.” My sudden maturity left Mom a bit at a loss. But she was touched, patting my shoulder approvingly.

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After news spread throughout the company that the CEO’s fiancée I had risked my life to save was going to marry her true love and have his child, everyone thought I, as the jilted fiancé, would go mad with anger. But even after their child was born, I never caused any trouble. Instead, I focused all my energy on securing projects for the struggling company. My ex-fiancée thought I had finally accepted my role as merely a tool to manage her company. She smugly promised me: “Seeing as you’re so sensible about earning money for me and the baby, I’ll reluctantly keep you at the company, giving you a chance to continue taking care of us.” But she seemed rather presumptuous. I wasn’t working for her and the child, but preparing to take over the company next week. From now on, I won’t compromise by being her behind-the-scenes supportive partner. Instead, I’ll replace her as the new CEO! I had just finished a meeting with a client when I saw Jack changing his and Olivia’s baby’s diaper at my desk. “Mr. Jack, you really have it tough – working and taking care of the baby. Once Ms. Olivia is back from maternity leave, she’ll definitely give you a big promotion and raise!” one colleague gushed. “That’s right, a baby born in the Year of the Snake is destined for greatness. When he grows up, he’ll be just as outstanding as Mr. Jack – a pillar of the company,” another chimed in. The tiny 50 square foot room, which used to be my office, was now crammed full of my project team colleagues. It had been transformed into Jack’s nursery at the office, stuffed with baby supplies. Even the wall that once displayed the awards I’d won for the company had been stripped bare, replaced with photos documenting every day of the baby’s life from birth to one month old. There were plenty of empty rooms in the company due to recent layoffs. But Jack insisted that only my office had the right feng shui for the baby’s growth, according to some fortune teller he’d consulted. Everyone could tell it was just an excuse for Jack to antagonize me. But Olivia, who had always prided herself on being rational and scientific, actually believed it. She even made me move to a tiny cubicle next to the restrooms, claiming I needed to block some sort of negative energy for her and Jack’s baby. She showed not an ounce of guilt for breaking our long-standing engagement to marry and have a child with Jack. Coming back to my senses, I noticed Jack eyeing the freshly signed contract in my hand. He sauntered over with a smarmy smile. “I’m so sorry for the trouble, Lucas,” he said with fake sincerity. “I’ve been busy with the baby lately, and Olivia still needs a few more days of maternity leave. Thank you for handling all the business trips recently. I’ll be sure to tell Olivia about your contributions!” Though Jack’s words were polite, his right hand was already reaching for the contract I was holding. In the year since Jack joined the company, he had been constantly stealing my projects and achievements, relying on Olivia’s blatant favoritism. In the past, I always compromised and tolerated it for the sake of my relationship with Olivia. But now that she had married him, I had no reason to put up with it anymore. I swatted his hand away firmly. “Jack, you’ve already stolen my fiancée. Are you trying to steal the contract I just negotiated too?” Before Jack could respond, my colleagues rushed to defend him: “What do you mean ‘stolen’? Lucas, that’s so rude of you to say!” “Yeah, Mr. Jack is just too busy taking care of the baby to handle projects himself. He had no choice but to hand them over to you. You got an easy win and now you’re complaining? You’re just a freeloader – what right do you have to make a fuss?” I could only laugh bitterly at the irony. It’s true that Jack was the one who initially brought in this project. But to prove himself, he had gotten drunk with the client and rashly promised to do the project for only 60% of our usual price. He may have landed the deal, but he gave no thought to whether we could actually deliver at that price. In the end, I was the one who worked overtime optimizing the technology and even dipped into my own pocket to negotiate with suppliers just to barely bring the costs down enough to make it feasible. And now it had all become Jack’s accomplishment. Seeing that I remained uncompromising, Jack kept a fake smile plastered on his face, saying as long as the company made money it was all good. But when no one was looking, he deliberately pinched the baby hard. The next moment, amid a burst of loud wailing, I found myself splattered with the baby’s poop and pee. Even the freshly signed contract was ruined. “Oh no, I’m so sorry Lucas! I’m a new dad and don’t have much experience yet. My hand slipped – please forgive me,” Jack said with exaggerated concern. Seeing my darkening expression, my colleagues naturally wouldn’t miss this chance to suck up to Jack: “Lucas, are you really going to hold a grudge against a month-old baby? Have you no shame?” “No wonder Olivia broke off the engagement. With that nasty temper, you can’t hold a candle to the gentleman Mr. Jack is.” Hearing them mention the broken engagement, I couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh. Olivia and I had been together for seven years and were already engaged, about to have our wedding. But a year ago, her ex Jack suddenly reappeared. He was hired into the company as an exception, thanks to Olivia. Not long after, Olivia urgently sent me on an overseas business trip. By the time I returned, I heard the news that they had gotten married due to an unplanned pregnancy. Rather than a gentleman, “wolf in sheep’s clothing” seemed a more fitting description for Jack. But I had urgent matters to attend to and no time to argue with them. I calmly took a document from my drawer and tossed Jack’s discarded diaper back at him. “Sorry, I’ve been working too much overtime lately and my eyes are tired. I meant to throw it in the trash can, but my hand slipped. Hope you understand,” I said flatly. A foul stench immediately wafted from Jack’s expensive suit. His face turned green, but I didn’t give them a chance to berate me. I walked out with the document and drove straight to the business registration office, handing the file to the clerk. “Please help me register this change in shareholder information,” I said. It was a share transfer agreement that Olivia had personally signed six months ago, right before I left for my overseas business trip. It transferred all her shares back to me. The company was originally founded by me alone, with my own funding and technology. Naturally all the shares had been in my name at first. It wasn’t until a few years ago when the business took off that I gifted Olivia 51% of the shares as compensation for the hardships she endured with me in the early days. It fulfilled her dream of being the boss. In recent years, with the tough business environment, the company had been struggling. I had planned to buy back all the shares so I could shoulder the risks myself rather than letting Olivia potentially go into debt. I thought it would be a difficult conversation and had prepared a bunch of excuses to convince Olivia, worried she might misunderstand my intentions. But the day before I left, when I approached Olivia about it, she signed without even looking at the document, urging me to hurry up and leave for my trip. I even asked her then if she wasn’t afraid I might be trying to swindle her. But she just smiled and helped me pack, saying we were about to get married anyway, so what was mine was hers and vice versa. At the time, I thought Olivia loved me deeply. I boarded the plane that very night, vowing to secure the deal and save the company. But when I returned successfully with the contract, Olivia had already married Jack and even given birth to a chubby baby boy. Only then did I realize – she hadn’t signed out of trust in me. She was already pregnant and rushing to marry Jack. She signed and pushed me to leave quickly because she was afraid I’d notice something was off if her belly started to show. But it worked out well enough. At least the company was still in my hands. After verifying that the agreement was in order, the clerk suddenly asked: “Mr. Lucas, for such an important matter as a share transfer, why didn’t Ms. Olivia come with you?” I shook my head calmly. “She’s still on maternity leave.” Hearing this, the clerk was taken aback for a moment before congratulating me on becoming a father. He cheerfully went off to process the public notice for the share transfer. But I couldn’t bring myself to smile. Because I wasn’t the baby’s father. Nor was I her husband. As I waited lost in thought, my phone suddenly rang. It was Olivia calling. I had barely answered when a torrent of angry words came through: “Jack just accidentally got some dirt on a contract. You could have just asked the client to sign a new one. Why did you make such a scene at the office? You scared the baby!” Before Olivia could finish her tirade, the clerk had already returned with the paperwork for me to sign. “Sign?” Olivia’s voice came through the phone. “Lucas, it’s still work hours. Why aren’t you at the office? Where did you run off to?!” After signing, I finally explained: “Signing an agreement.” There was a pause on the other end before Olivia’s tone softened considerably. “Well, that’s more like it. Seeing how hard you’re working to make money for me and the baby, I suppose I can graciously keep you at the company and give you a chance to take care of us.” But I barely registered what she was saying. Looking at the new shareholder list showing me as the 91% majority owner and de facto CEO, I couldn’t help but laugh. Olivia on the other end misunderstood, thinking I was grateful. She continued smugly: “Look at how pleased you are. Keep up the good work. When I’m back from maternity leave, I might consider giving you a promotion and raise.” After a few more instructions, Olivia hung up with a laugh. But she had no idea that in just two days, once the review period was over, I would be the company’s new CEO. I wonder if she’ll still be able to laugh then.

After firmly regaining control of my own company, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. I headed home first, planning to pack up my belongings and make a clean break from Olivia. But as soon as I opened the door, a musty smell assaulted my senses. Olivia had been in the hospital for the latter part of her pregnancy, then went straight to a postpartum care center after giving birth. I had been away on business trips. This home probably hadn’t been tidied in nearly half a year. I was about to open a window to air things out when I suddenly tripped over something in the living room. Looking down, I realized it was a large picture frame that had been tossed on the floor. Picking it up, I saw it was the wedding photo Olivia and I had taken after getting engaged. Come to think of it, it was Olivia who had insisted on going to the photo studio for a pre-wedding shoot back then. She had me try on dozens of suits, never quite satisfied, spending an entire afternoon before finally choosing a white suit she liked. Though it wasn’t really my style, I accepted it happily, touched by how much effort Olivia had put into choosing it for me. The earnestness in her eyes that day was still vivid in my memory. Snapping back to the present, I wiped the dust off the frame, feeling confused. I had always kept our wedding photo hanging in the bedroom. Why was it thrown on the living room floor? It wasn’t until I walked into the bedroom that I understood. Above the headboard now hung a wedding photo of Olivia and Jack. In the picture, a visibly pregnant Olivia was wrapped in Jack’s arms, smiling like she had won the whole world. And they were wearing the exact wedding dress and suit that Olivia had so carefully selected that day. Suddenly it all made sense. No wonder Olivia wasn’t satisfied no matter how many suits I tried on that afternoon. No wonder she ended up choosing a stark white suit that didn’t suit me at all. It was never meant for me in the first place. Over the years, my skin had gotten quite tanned from all the business trips and time spent outdoors. A pure white suit looked odd and out of place on me. But Jack, who had been cooped up in the office as Olivia’s assistant, was pale and delicate. The white suit made him look like a prince charming straight out of a fairytale. I let out a bitter laugh and started to pack up my things, planning to sell the house afterwards. This apartment was originally prepared by my parents as our marital home. Since the marriage wasn’t happening anymore, there was no point keeping it. Might as well sell it to ease the company’s tight cash flow. But when I opened the closet, my fists clenched involuntarily. All my belongings were gone, replaced by Jack’s dress shirts that he often wore. I immediately messaged Olivia, demanding to know what happened to my clothes. It was a good 15 minutes before she replied: “Of course I threw them all out. Jack’s old apartment was too far from the office, so I had him move in here.” “He’s a germaphobe and couldn’t use your things, so I got rid of them.” “Besides, you bought all that stuff with the salary I paid you. It was my money to begin with, so I can do whatever I want with it. I don’t need your permission, do I?” I had to admit, Olivia had always had a talent for twisted logic and self-justification. Seeing I didn’t respond, she sent another message: “What, are you upset about losing your old junk?” “I heard about what happened at the office this morning. If you quietly hand over the project to Jack, I’ll buy you a new set of designer clothes. I’ll even let you keep a storage room to rest in.” “No need,” I replied curtly. Before Olivia could type anything else, I blocked her on all messaging apps and called a junk collector to clear out everything in the apartment. Then I listed the property for sale with a real estate agency and checked into a hotel. Early the next morning, the junk collector transferred me some money. Though he only paid 30 cents per pound as scrap, it still added up to a decent sum. Clearly Olivia had spared no expense in buying things for Jack, as if she wanted to give him the whole world. I was about to get up and wash up when Olivia suddenly called. “Lucas! Who gave you permission to sell our marital home?! Where are Jack and the baby supposed to live now?!” “And what about all his designer suits and gaming consoles? Where did you throw them?!” Olivia was so angry she could barely catch her breath. I found it darkly amusing. My belongings could be tossed out without a second thought, but Jack’s things were suddenly precious treasures. “Oh, so you do remember it was supposed to be our marital home?” I replied calmly. “Since you’ve married Jack now, what’s wrong with me selling it?” “As for the stuff in the house, it’s all been sold for scrap, of course.” There was a moment of stunned silence on the other end. But Olivia quickly recovered, letting out a contemptuous laugh. “Lucas, do you think selling the house means I’m out of options? Don’t tell me you’re trying to play hard to get, using these petty tricks to get my attention.” “Know your place. You’re just a tool I hired to work for me. Don’t go imagining things that will never happen!” With that, Olivia hung up. Almost simultaneously, Jack posted an update on social media. It was a photo of him signing purchase documents at a real estate office. The caption read: “Finally have a place to call my own in this city.” Jack’s assistant position at the company didn’t pay much, and given his extravagant spending habits, there was no way he could afford to buy property on his own. Obviously, Olivia had footed the bill, buying back the house I had just put on the market. Jack’s post was clearly meant to show off and rub it in my face. But far from being upset, I could barely hold back my laughter. Though housing prices had dropped in recent years, I had bought early enough that I still made a profit overall. If anything, Olivia had essentially handed over all the company’s earnings from the past two years to me. And Jack was treating a depreciating asset like some precious treasure. I treated myself to a lavish meal to celebrate for the first time in ages. The business registration office also sent a text notifying me that the change in shareholding had been approved. I was in high spirits as I prepared to go take over the company. But as soon as I walked through the doors, I ran into Olivia. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be—” Before I could finish, Olivia’s palm connected sharply with my cheek.

“Lucas, is this how a senior employee sets an example?” Olivia’s voice dripped with disdain. “Skipping work for two consecutive days – you’re nothing but a bad influence!” “I didn’t build this company so you could slack off and collect a paycheck!” “Starting tomorrow, your performance bonuses for the next year are canceled. And you can forget about being a director anymore. Go be Jack’s assistant and learn how to be a proper employee!” Hearing Olivia’s harsh punishment, my colleagues didn’t even try to hide their mockery. Given the company’s small size and Jack’s embellishments, I had long since become everyone’s scapegoat. But Olivia’s accusation of absenteeism was completely baseless. Last month, I had already applied for and been approved for a week of external business trips that didn’t require clocking in at the office. She had personally signed off on it herself. In reality, this was just an excuse Olivia had concocted to help Jack get revenge. Seeing me lower my head silently, Olivia’s brows furrowed. “Lucas, I’m talking to you. Are you deaf?” “The baby just had an accident. Hurry up and help Jack clean up unless you want the whole office to stink!” But I remained motionless. After all, I was now the true owner of this company. Before I could speak, Jack jumped in, putting on an act of being the good guy. “Olivia, don’t be angry. Lucas must be exhausted from his business trips the past couple days.” “I’m young and energetic. I can handle working and taking care of the baby at the same time.” But before he could make a move, Olivia stopped him worriedly. “No need. You’ve been so busy these past few months with the birth and childcare. You’ve gotten so thin!” “Besides, you just got promoted and took over that big project. Focus on preparing your presentation for the upcoming press conference.” “As for him, if he still wants to keep his job here, let him do some grunt work. It’ll cure his laziness and show him how tough you’ve had it taking care of the baby.” I watched the concern in Olivia’s eyes as she looked at Jack, finding the whole situation absurd. Jack was nothing but a smooth talker. At work, he pawned off both childcare and his actual job responsibilities to suck-up colleagues while he hid in his office eating fried chicken and playing video games. Meanwhile, I had been running all over securing deals these past few years as the company struggled. I even rushed to sign a contract with a client right after a car accident instead of going to the hospital. Even the client was moved by my dedication. But in Olivia’s eyes, I had somehow become a lazy freeloader. The difference in how she treated us couldn’t be more stark. Coming back to my senses, I stared directly at Olivia and spoke evenly: “Correct me if I’m wrong, but doesn’t the company handbook explicitly prohibit bringing infants to the office as it disrupts work?” “And I had already applied for and been approved for external business trips that don’t require clocking in. You have no grounds to punish me.” This was probably the first time in seven years that I had openly contradicted Olivia. She was momentarily stunned. But she quickly recovered, letting out a scornful laugh. “Lucas, I’ll admit, you’ve gotten my attention. But you’re going about it all wrong.” “I am the CEO of this company. If I say you were absent without leave, then you were absent without leave!” “As for those projects and client files you’re working on, I’ve already had everything backed up. Did you really think you were irreplaceable?” “HR, draft up his termination papers. And notify all our partner companies to blacklist him from future employment.” As HR was about to comply, I stopped them. “No need. I’ve already prepared the termination papers myself.” Jack’s face lit up with glee, though he still put on a show of reluctance. “Lucas, why are you being so stubborn?” “Why don’t you just apologize to Olivia? She’s so kindhearted, I’m sure she’d let you keep a job cleaning toilets or something, given how you used to take care of her.” Meanwhile, Olivia’s chin lifted even higher seeing me stop HR. “I didn’t expect you to be so self-aware.” “How about this – seeing as you’ve been a useful dog, if you voluntarily give up…” Before Olivia could finish, I cut her off and tossed two termination letters to her and Jack. “Enough with the nonsense. You can both get out now.” Looking at her own termination letter, Olivia froze for a moment before letting out a contemptuous laugh. “What authority do you have as an employee to fire me?” I smiled coldly and pulled out the official notice of shareholding transfer. “Ms. Olivia – no, make that just Olivia – you seem to have a very selective memory.” “Take a good look. I am now the CEO and controlling shareholder of this company.” “As for you and Jack, you’re both fired effective immediately for violating company policies and attempting to steal confidential information. I’ve already given you your termination letters!”

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Declan hosted a celebration party for me tonight. He mysteriously hinted that he had the gift I had been dreaming of and would present it to me in front of everyone tonight. However, when I put on an expensive dress and arrived on time, the hall was empty. Declan’s mocking tone came through the speakers: “Let’s give a warm celebration for Miss Celeste for signing a fifty-million-dollar deal, thank you all for coming!” At that moment, the doors burst open, and everyone rushed in, surrounding Celeste as she walked in. My younger brother shouted, “Sister, are you here to host Celeste’s celebration party?” Countless streamers shot into the air, only to rain down as rotten tomato pieces. Declan wrapped his arm around Celeste’s shoulder and, amidst everyone’s adoration, placed my favorite sapphire necklace around her neck. He said, “Vera, do you see this? This sapphire necklace only suits Celeste’s neck.” “Did you really think you were worthy of having me throw a celebration for you?” “Who wouldn’t follow behind Celeste and scoop up ready-made clients?” I stood there awkwardly, speechless. Declan laughed wickedly, “You’re so vain, everyone here is a wealthy heir. You could just kneel and beg anyone to marry you, why just me?” But when I sent out the real invitations, their faces turned pale when they saw the groom’s name. 1. The empty hall echoed with the piercing broadcast, filled with Declan and Celeste’s playful voices. “Vera really showed up?” “And she wore such a grand evening dress, it’s hilarious!” I understood. This was yet another of Declan’s tactics to humiliate me for Celeste. Sure enough, they were watching the hall’s surveillance, seeing me arrive in full dress, as if watching a clown. “Celeste, didn’t you say you were bored? Isn’t this celebration much more exciting?” My brother Nolan pushed open the hall doors, excitedly shouting, “Welcome the star of today’s event!” Behind the doors was a crowd of guests. They whispered mocking comments about my inappropriate attire. “Is she trying to steal Celeste’s thunder by wearing such a dress here?” “Who doesn’t know this is Celeste’s celebration and birthday party, yet she’s here singing and dancing.” My best friend from childhood waved her hand at that moment. Seeing Declan nod, countless party poppers went off, resounding throughout the building. Colorful streamers fell, blinding everyone’s eyes. Feeling the wet and cold touch, I realized what landed on me were pieces of rotten tomatoes. My nails dug into my palms, the freshly done manicure sharp enough to cut through my hands. Declan thoughtfully brought out a black velvet box, inside was the dazzling sapphire necklace. He personally put it on Celeste. At this moment, Celeste’s indifferent smile finally turned into genuine happiness. Declan walked towards me, flicking tomato residue off my face disdainfully onto my dress. “Vera, aren’t you happy with so many people here celebrating for you?” He spread his arms towards the guests, “Look, all their eyes are on you. Isn’t this what you wanted?” At this moment, my brother Nolan rushed up and grabbed my wrist, “Sister, it was Celeste who initiated the client first, yet you signed the contract before her. Don’t you know she’s mentally fragile?” “How dare you hurt her like that!” Then my best friend Adeline, holding Celeste’s arm, approached, “Sister Vera, the sapphire necklace you’ve always wanted, now completely belongs to her.” “You don’t deserve it. How can someone like you compare to Celeste?” A server passed by with champagne, and Adeline grabbed a glass and splashed it onto my face. “You still dream of Declan marrying you? Stop dreaming, your engagement doesn’t count!” “Parental verbal promises are outdated now!” “No matter how you cling, Declan won’t marry you.” Declan timely handed over a piece of paper, pretending to care for me, “Vera, if you’re so eager to marry into a wealthy family, everyone here has been my good friend for years and partners of the Declan family.” “If you kneel and apologize to Celeste, I’ll help you find a husband.” Nolan laughed so hard he was almost out of breath, patting Declan on the shoulder, “Declan, don’t be too generous to my sister. She doesn’t deserve such good conditions. Look at her, covered in tomato juice, dress all messy. No one would even pick her up if she was left on the roadside.” Before he finished speaking, I could already feel the malicious glances directed at me. In the past, facing such embarrassment, I would have begged Declan to let me leave, not to put me under such scrutiny. I would have tearfully looked at Nolan, saying I am his real sister. Even if not from the same parents, we are family. He couldn’t treat me like this. I would have incredulously asked Adeline why she was betraying me when I considered her my best friend. But unfortunately. At this moment, I was calm. I took off my gloves, wiped away the tomato residue from my face. I turned to the glass to check my hairstyle, cleaning out the visible debris from my hair. I spoke softly, “Declan, thank you for inviting so many guests for me, so everyone can witness this important moment of mine.” “I was originally a bit embarrassed, wanting to keep a low profile. But now, it seems there’s no need to be low-key.” 2. Declan seemed to hear the most hilarious joke, bending over with laughter. “Vera, are you still taking this seriously? The sapphire necklace is already on Celeste’s neck, don’t you know who the star of this party is?” “Oh my god, I didn’t expect you to be so foolish, you’ve outdone yourself again, hahaha!” “Celeste, did you see? Even if she signed your contract first, it doesn’t change the fact that she’s a lowlife.” “Absolutely shameless, you may not feel embarrassed, but I do!” At this moment, Nolan felt ashamed of his sister’s public humiliation and shouted angrily, “Shut up! Everyone knows Declan gave Celeste a fifty-million-dollar project to cheer her up, and we are all here to celebrate for her!” Adeline looked down on me with a triumphant smile, as if she were Celeste. Their malice was undisguised, their laughter stabbing me like a knife repeatedly. My heart was bleeding. But I knew. My parents had chosen Declan as my fiancé, and my brother Nolan and my best friend Adeline would stop at nothing to please Celeste today. Three days ago, I moved Vanguard Group with my indomitable spirit, and they were willing to sign a thirty-million-dollar contract with me. That night, Declan came to me, casually saying, “Vera, congratulations, you finally achieved your dream and secured your position in the company.” “I’ve planned a celebration for the day after tomorrow, so everyone can be happy for you.” “And the sapphire necklace you love, I’ve prepared it long ago. It will definitely surprise you.” After my birth mother passed away, my father ignored me. He only considered me a valuable daughter when I was with Declan. So I was devoted to Declan, almost giving him everything, sometimes hinting for him to mention the verbal engagement that our parents had made. But he always dodged the topic. I craved my father’s attention so much that I was willing to get burned, hoping he would give me some warmth. After he told me the news, I couldn’t wait to find my brother Nolan, wanting to tell him my efforts over the years were not in vain. But Nolan and Adeline’s conversation left me stunned. They excitedly discussed how to make me look foolish at the celebration, how to make a splash that would make Celeste happy. As if they were not my family, not my best friends growing up, but demons out to destroy me. I clung to the wall, feeling a cold chill all over. 3. Nolan was enthusiastically calling Declan. “Declan, did you really tell my sister the celebration was for her? She’s so eager for recognition; she must think her dreams are coming true this time.” Declan’s lazy voice came through, “Her disappointed and shattered expression will be hilarious.” “Let her think she’s loved, and when Celeste appears, she’ll be caught off guard.” “Celeste is bored, but Vera’s reaction will surely make her happy.” Tears streamed down my face. I had always thought my close brother was conspiring with them to hurt me. They knew it was about my position in the company, my father’s perception of me, and how much I valued it. Then my best friend Adeline spoke, “I think using streamers is boring; it seems like the celebration is really for her.” “Why not switch to rotten tomatoes? They’re both red; she probably won’t notice!” Nolan agreed, “Then why not use rotten eggs?” Declan laughingly cursed, “The smell of rotten eggs would upset Celeste. Rotten tomatoes would do just fine, enough to make her look bad!” I clamped my mouth shut, afraid my choking sobs would give me away. Adeline said, “Then we keep it a secret! Until the celebration, we must act genuinely happy for Vera.” Immense sorrow filled my heart as I fled. I never expected my eagerly anticipated celebration to be just a game. All my hopes and joys were like a joke. My childhood sweetheart, my best friend, and my brother, who vowed to protect me for life, were now plotting to ruin my career and disgrace me. Everything had changed. Since Celeste returned from abroad, everyone had turned their attention to her. Adeline said, “Let’s keep it a secret! We have to genuinely act happy for Vera before the celebration party.” I was overwhelmed with sadness and fled in despair. I never expected the celebration party I was eagerly anticipating to turn out to be just a game. All my hopes and joy felt like a joke. My childhood friends, my best friend, and my younger brother, who all promised to protect me for life, were now scheming behind my back to ruin my career and disgrace me. Everything had changed. Ever since Celeste returned to the country, everyone shifted their attention to her. But she, the pampered heiress, looked down on my struggles. She was so high and mighty, never appearing where I was, and always looked at me with contempt. At first, Declan argued with her a few times, and Nolan even scolded her for my sake. But gradually, Declan felt sympathy for her lonely years abroad, and Nolan became infatuated with her. Adeline slowly abandoned me, focusing all her attention on Celeste. To amuse her, they trampled on what mattered most to me. Since joining the company, this was the first big contract I signed. The celebration party was supposed to show everyone that I was a worthy heir of the family. I knew my father would be watching from the shadows. But they thought it was a joke, not caring about my years of effort. All for Celeste’s slight interest, they didn’t mind ruining me! Their fanatical and relentless expressions replayed in my mind. I naively thought they were my closest friends, my family. But they hurt me without hesitation. A sharp pain pierced my heart, and I felt suffocated. 4. I took a deep breath, picked up the microphone, and said to everyone: “Thank you all for coming to my celebration party. What just happened was just an opening joke to lighten the mood.” I looked around at everyone below the stage, who were whispering behind their hands. I smiled calmly, “That joke was bold. I’ll go change into another dress, and shortly, a special guest will meet you all, who is also today’s host.” That night, after learning about Declan and the others’ plan, I ordered two exquisite dresses. It didn’t matter if this one was ruined. Declan grabbed my hand, “What special guest are you talking about? Vera, are you really that stupid or just pretending?” “Everyone knows this celebration party was for Celeste. You’re just here to entertain everyone like a clown.” Adeline chimed in at the right moment, “Declan, she’s just lying to escape quickly! Hahaha.” Nolan snorted coldly, “Sister, stop pretending. Besides us, who else do you have? Since childhood, only we have been by your side. Who else is willing to be close to you?” “What special guest? You think everyone’s a fool?” The laughter grew louder. Nolan was right. Since childhood, I only had the three of them around me. I had no friends or anyone else close. I once abandoned myself chasing after Declan, enduring grievances again and again. They saw my humility but didn’t care. Adeline mocked, “Using such childish, brainless tactics to get attention, even making Declan worry about you, it’s ridiculous.” She laughed, “Who do you think you are? Just a lapdog behind Declan?” At this moment, Celeste impatiently interrupted, “Miss Vera is filthy. Don’t your parents feel ashamed?” “Stop talking about some special guest. Just leave. It’s embarrassing.” Celeste’s words were ruthless. But she was the only daughter of the Yi Group’s CEO, and no one dared offend the Yi Group. Everyone was respectful toward her. My father, Jasper, watching secretly from the second floor, shook his head in disappointment. I clutched the microphone tightly, saying, “There’s still half an hour. Please wait a bit longer. The person coming won’t disappoint you.” But as time ticked by, the person never showed up. Just a few minutes left. My palms were sweating, and the tomato residue on my forehead grew stickier. Declan sneered, his disdain undisguised. “Vera, where’s the person you mentioned?” “Everyone’s been waiting for half an hour. Shouldn’t you do something to make it up to us?” Adeline’s malice was blatant, “How about taking off the dress now? No one has seen your figure, and Vera’s body is quite good!” Declan and Nolan looked at me like hungry wolves, their eyes shining. I felt humiliated. Adeline wasn’t satisfied, taking the chance when all eyes were on me, she said, “And since Vera chased after Declan for so long, today Declan can watch you undress, as you wished.” Ear-piercing laughter erupted. Declan quickly distanced himself, “I don’t want to watch. Such filth, I feel dirty just looking.” “Besides, the one I like is Celeste.” Celeste hummed happily. Nolan, not to be outdone, saw that humiliating me would catch Celeste’s attention, and he started recording on his phone. “Sister, Adeline’s idea is quite good. Haven’t you always wanted everyone’s approval?” “Then take off the dress. Your figure and beauty will be praised!” He whistled along. I remembered when I was abandoned in a vacation villa, Nolan spent all his savings to get a helicopter to bring me home. To comfort me, he broke into our father’s study to accuse him of neglecting his daughter. But now, to please Celeste, he ignored my embarrassment, wanting to put me on a pedestal of shame for torment. Father Jasper couldn’t bear the farce anymore and scolded me sternly, “Vera, what are you doing? Haven’t you embarrassed us enough!” “Apologize to Celeste and everyone here, then leave immediately!” Nolan, seeing our father siding with them, became bolder. He urged everyone to take out their phones and point them at me, even starting a live stream. Declan’s voice echoed through the hall, “Come, come, Miss Vera is about to strip and apologize to everyone. Make sure you capture this moment!” Adeline yanked hard at my dress! I held on tightly. “It’s not budging, someone help!” Declan pulled a greasy old man up, “Here he comes, Vera’s favorite tycoon to help!” I resisted desperately. The old man’s breath got closer, and chaos erupted on stage. The guests below were horrified and made way. Just as I was about to lose strength, a powerful force yanked the old man away. A heavy punch landed on the old man’s face. While Declan was stunned, another punch hit his face. I took the chance to push Adeline away, falling backward into a warm embrace. I’m sorry, but it seems there is no specific Chinese text provided for translation. Could you please provide the text you would like translated? “I’m sorry, Vera, I’m here now. I shouldn’t have cut it so close.” Under the bright lights, his features appeared sharper and clearer. Tears blurred my vision. “Don’t cry. I’m here now. No one will bother you anymore.” Asher held me close, gently reassuring me, “Your clothes are dirty. Go put on that blue dress. I remember you like that one.” “Your hair is wet too. It must be uncomfortable. Let me help you fix it, okay?” I held back my tears and stood up. At this moment, Declan covered his face, angrily asking, “Who are you, some random guy? Do you even know what kind of event this is?” The old man who got hit recognized Asher and screamed in terror, “Mr. Asher!” “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bully Ms. Vera. I was forced onto the stage!” Asher turned to them, his gentle expression instantly turning cold.

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Grandma, a billionaire, was on the brink of death, so I donated a kidney to save her. But once she recovered, she humiliated me by throwing me into a pile of garbage. When Grandpa arrived, they were laughing and forcing me to eat trash from the street. Jasper coldly blocked Grandpa, saying, “He’s just a lowly beggar, not worth your time.” Grandpa slapped him, “Who do you think you are? Just a toy my grandson picked up, and you dare lay a hand on him?” The guests were shocked, exclaiming, “Oh my God! He’s the true heir of the Mason Family!” In my past life, I endured everything to please Sister and Grandma, but they ended up pushing me into the water, drowning me. Reborn, I stormed into the birthday banquet and kicked him down. “A beggar picked up from the trash dares to impersonate a noble Young Master?” The crowd was taken aback. Sister, in her high heels, shielded Jasper. “Declan, have you lost your mind? How dare you cause a scene in the Mason Family!” My fiancée knelt by Jasper, tenderly massaging his wrist with pity in her eyes. Sister immediately ordered the Bodyguards, “Are you all blind? Letting a beggar bully the Young Master!” A dozen Bodyguards swarmed, beating me mercilessly. Grandma swung her Cane at me relentlessly. I clutched my stomach in agony. Though the wound from donating my kidney had healed, the pain was still unbearable. I couldn’t believe that the Grandma I saved now wanted to beat me senseless for a beggar. “Dare to touch my precious grandson, and I’ll make you pay!” she shouted. Jasper pretended to hold Grandma back, “Grandma, don’t get so upset, it’s not good for your health!” Sister pointed at me, “Even a dog knows loyalty. How have we wronged you that you ruin Jasper’s birthday party?” “A filthy beggar who doesn’t know his place!” “The true Young Master of the Mason Family is clearly me, Declan…” Smack! Sister slapped me before I could finish. Jasper lowered his head, feigning innocence, “I know you want the Mason Family’s wealth, but you shouldn’t go against Grandma and Sister!” “We’ve raised you for so many years, we’ve fulfilled our duty. How can you treat them like this?” With Jasper’s restrained demeanor, the guests began to defend him. “How could you! Eating someone’s food and then attacking their Young Master!” “Truly despicable, a stinking beggar causing trouble in the Mason Family. The Young Master is too kind. Otherwise, throw him into the Hudson River!” No sooner had these words been spoken than a security guard approached to snatch the Jade Bracelet from my hand. I kicked him hard, sending him flying, and he lay on the ground wailing. Jasper quickly helped him up, glaring at me, “You, an imposter, are more arrogant than me, the Young Master, striking in public!” Hearing this, more people began to blame me. I laughed in disbelief, “You’re the Young Master? Then who am I?” Jasper shook his head helplessly, looking at Sister pitifully, “If he wants it, just give it to him.” Sister erupted in anger, “This is the Heirloom from Grandmother, how can it be given to a beggar! It’s meant for my real brother!” Chapter Two Real brother, she said it so self-righteously. She used to be the Sister who loved me the most. Even if I lost a strand of hair, she’d fire all the maids at home, wanting to give me the best of everything. Why did things change when Jasper came? A beggar picked up from a garbage dump, is he worth the Mason Family’s care? They gave him my identity, my fiancée, and in the end, even drowned me to make him the Mason Family’s heir. This time, I won’t make the same mistakes. “This is clearly something Grandmother left for me! How did it become Jasper’s because of your words?” “Aren’t you afraid Grandpa will blame you when he comes?” Grandpa had planned to retire abroad but couldn’t rest easy about me. He intended to officially hand over the Mason Family to me on my birthday. Once they found out, they tried to transfer all my shares to Jasper, leaving Grandpa unable to help me. Jasper’s Rowdy Friends were the first to defend him, “A beggar picked up and really thinks he’s the Young Master?” “This was always Jasper’s, who can say otherwise?” Jasper smiled proudly, “You should have told me what you wanted, instead of behaving so disgracefully. You don’t care, but the Mason Family does.” Sister quickly said, “Almost let a bad apple spoil the whole pot.” “Ignore him, today is the day the Mason Family announces the heir. Bring the share transfer documents.” In the next moment, a few Bodyguards grabbed my arms and dragged me aside. They’re actually going to give the Mason Family to Jasper, it’s insane! “That’s what Grandpa left for me!” “If you do this, just wait to be kicked out by Grandpa!” Sister hesitated for a moment, then signed her name heavily. “Grandpa said the Mason Family’s assets are for the Young Master, and Jasper is the Young Master!” Grandma banged the Cane loudly, “An ungrateful wretch, dreaming of the Mason Family’s wealth, not even worth a glance.” Jasper stood proudly behind Grandma, glaring at me, “Declan, stop making a fuss, or you’ll gain nothing but be kicked out of the Mason Family.” “Grandma, just consider it as if the Mason Family raised a dog. Toss it away if you must.” A dog raised by the Mason Family, that would donate a kidney for Grandma, what a joke. If I hadn’t saved her, she’d have met her end. The Business Elite present couldn’t stand it and spoke up. “See! A great kindness is like a great enemy! Never raise an ungrateful wretch.” “In the end, it’s all for money, making a scene, a stinking beggar, so shallow.” Grandma pointed her Cane and commanded, “You ruined my grandson’s birthday party. Kneel and kowtow to him three times, and we’ll let you go!” Jasper added fuel to the fire, “It’s okay Grandma, I can bear it.” Sister couldn’t stand Jasper being wronged, so she ordered the Bodyguards to press down on my shoulders, forcing me to kneel before Jasper. At this moment, Fiancée Sabrina walked to Jasper, intimately holding his arm, “You’re just too kind. What’s a few kowtows for such an ungrateful person?” “If you ask me, they should break his hands and feet!” Chapter Three I coldly watched this heartless woman and couldn’t help but scoff. I wondered who chased after me, clinging to me, caring for me, even declaring publicly they’d marry no one but me. If Grandpa hadn’t seen her genuine affection, he wouldn’t have chosen such a small-time fiancée for me. Now she’s helping them frame me. The way she looks at Jasper, so tenderly, it makes me nauseous. “You can’t even tell who your fiancée is. You’re truly hopeless!” Seeing my imposing manner and confident words, the crowd began to doubt. “Looking at his appearance and demeanor, he doesn’t seem like a beggar.” “And to cause such a scene at a birthday party, maybe he really has evidence, could he be the Mason Family’s true Young Master?” “He does look like the Young Master, whereas Jasper… it’s hard to say.” Hearing the crowd’s murmur, Jasper’s face turned green. Sister immediately took Jasper’s hand and went on stage. “The Mason Family has only this one Young Master, any others are imposters!” “Today, not only are we handing the Mason Family to Jasper, but we’ll also arrange his marriage, to stop such nonsense from happening again!” Grandma angrily hit my back with her Cane, “Such an ungrateful wretch! The Mason Family was blind to raise you!” The crowd began to criticize me. “Look how you’ve pushed them, they’re rushing into marriage, what a disgrace.” “The Mason Family at least fed you, didn’t let you pick trash, and you repay them like this, what a useless thing.” “Thick-skinned, heartless, eyeing someone else’s inheritance.” Someone nearby spat at me. Others followed suit, throwing whatever they had at me. A glass hit my head, causing blood to flow. Bodyguards pinned me down, forcing me to kneel. Jasper, emboldened, stepped in front of me and whispered, “You still think you’re the Mason Family’s Young Master?” “Now everyone stands by me, I’m the rightful heir. So what if Grandpa returns?” I trembled with anger, wanting to tear him apart. Jasper stepped back and said loudly, “The Mason Family won’t tolerate such nonsense. Did you think I was easy to bully?” A glass cup smashed on my head, and blood immediately started to flow. The bodyguards pinned my shoulders down, forcing me to kneel and making it impossible to move. Jasper approached me, whispering with a smirk, “You still think you’re the Mason Family’s heir, don’t you?” “Everyone’s on my side now. I’m the rightful heir of the Mason Family. Even if Grandpa comes back, what can he do?” I was trembling with anger, desperate to tear him apart right then and there. Jasper stepped back and deliberately shouted, “The Mason Family won’t tolerate troublemakers like you. You really think you can push me around?” In the next moment, he triumphantly poured a bottle of red wine over my head. The alcohol stung the wound on my forehead, causing excruciating pain. I couldn’t take it anymore. I broke free from the bodyguards’ grip, grabbed the wine bottle, and smashed it on the ground, pointing the jagged end at Jasper. “You really think you can steal what’s mine?” A bodyguard tried to grab me, but I swung the bottle and cut his arm. I had completely lost it. I walked up to my Sister, who was shaking with fear. “Tell me who I am! Who’s your real brother?” Then, I pointed the bottle at my Fiancée, who screamed continuously. “Say it! Tell me who I am!” The scene descended into chaos. Grandma glanced at the Cane in her hand, furious. “Get on with it, are you all idiots?” The bodyguards finally rushed at me, pinning me to the ground. Sister stepped forward and slapped me hard, saying with disdain, “Break his arms and legs! Dump him at a trash site!” Grandma declared loudly, “Our Mason Family has no room for a madman like him! From now on, he has nothing to do with the Mason Family!” “Cut his ties with the Mason Family!” The Lawyer approached with disownment papers for me to sign, but I struggled desperately. Seeing this, Jasper stomped on my hand, grinding it viciously. “If you won’t sign, then leave your handprint!” “Stop it, all of you!” Suddenly, dozens of black-clad bodyguards burst through the door, followed by a furious old man with white hair. I’m sorry, it looks like there isn’t any Chinese text provided for translation. Could you please share the text you would like me to translate? Chapter 4 Grandpa may be getting on in years, but he still moves with surprising speed, reaching me in just a few strides. Since my return, I feared being at a disadvantage, so I had already asked Grandpa to fly back early to support me.

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