My boyfriend, Mason, was crippled and deep in debt after a brutal attack. In just one month, he tried to end it all four times: slashing his wrists, jumping from a building, carbon monoxide poisoning, and even mixing prescription pills with liquor. Every single time, I found him just in time to stop him! To make him abandon his suicidal thoughts, I worked multiple jobs and even pawned my mother’s heirloom jade bracelet to pay off his debts. To get him back on his feet, I decided to be a living donor, offering my own spinal cord stem cells. Just as I was thrilled about his improving health, I accidentally discovered that his legs were never paralyzed, and he wasn’t in debt at all. Turns out, he was actually Mason Blackwood, the heir to the colossal Blackwood Conglomerate. His poverty, his paralysis, our entire relationship… it was all a sick, drunken bet among his trust fund friends: A “pauper’s love test”! Ha! Well, I’d give *him* a test. But then, why did *he* suddenly crack?

I pushed open the door and saw Mason, a bottle of liquor in one hand, a handful of pills in the other, lifting them to his mouth. My heart seized. I practically flew across the room, swatting the deadly combo from his grasp. “What are you doing?!” I cried out, my voice trembling with a raw, panicked sob. Mason’s voice was dead, his smile a tragic grimace. “What am I doing? Isn’t it obvious? I’m dying…” His eyes pleaded with me, filled with tears. “Please, Riley, have a heart, just leave me alone! Let me die!” “I’m ruined. There’s no point in living.” I buried my face in his chest, shaking my head frantically. This was his fourth suicide attempt this month. The last time, he tried carbon monoxide poisoning. Before that, he tried to drown himself. And before that, he tried to slash his wrists. Every single time, I found him just in time. I couldn’t bear to imagine what would happen if I were even a moment too late. “Mason, please don’t do this.” I cupped his face, my voice shaking. “We’ll face this together, okay?” Mason shoved me away roughly. “Face what? The debt collectors?” He pounded his fists on his own legs. “Look at these legs! They’re useless, they can’t move! How can I work like this? How can I earn money?” “Don’t you get sick of looking at these useless legs every day? Because I do!” My heart ached as I watched him. Ever since that brutal attack by the debt collectors, he hadn’t been able to stand. Mason aggressively reached for the pills and liquor I’d knocked over. “Better to just end it quickly now, and get it over with! I won’t drag you down!” I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his hands. “You’re not dragging me down! You’re all I have in this world! If you leave, what will I do…?” I desperately tried to convince him he was still needed, still useful. “Without you, how can I live?!” Tears blurring my vision, I choked out, “If you can’t work, I can! It’s just money! I’ll pay it back, I’ll pay it back with you! I’ll even get your legs fixed, I’ll get you back on your feet…” “So please, just don’t die!” Mason scoffed, a cold, cynical laugh, calling me naive. “You’ll pay? You’ll even fix my legs? Do you know how much five million in debt, plus medical costs, adds up to? At least six million!” He pointed at me, then at himself. “Look at you, then look at me. You earn next to nothing! Even if we saved every single penny, it would take us over a century to clear five million! Do you honestly think we’d live that long? Do you think those loan sharks would wait that long?” I bit my lip, silent. Mason continued, “You say you’ll pay off my debts now, but what about later? When you’re exhausted, when you crave something decent to eat but can’t afford it, when you have to pinch every single penny… you’ll resent me! You’ll resent why I’m such a cripple! You’ll resent ever trying to save me!” His voice suddenly turned icy. “Wealthy people stab each other in the back for profit. What makes you think *our* love, as commoners, is any different?” “Wake up.” I gripped his hand, my eyes locked on his. “That’s not how it works, Mason. Yes, I’m barely making minimum wage now, but I’ll get promoted. My salary will increase. And I can pick up extra jobs…” “Mason,” I said firmly, “we’ll figure this out together.” Mason turned his head away, refusing to look at me. I stood up, grabbed my bag, and headed for the door. “Where are you going?” Mason asked. “To find work,” I said, without looking back. From that day on, I plunged into a frantic work-life. During the day, I worked at the office. In the evenings, I tutored. On weekends, I delivered food, even squeezing in errands for colleagues to earn extra cash during my work breaks. I was like a wound-up machine, working non-stop. I slept only three hours a day, for a solid month. I calculated my earnings for that grueling month: $36,880. The number was auspicious, but it made my eyes dry and ache. It wasn’t even a fraction of five million.

I collapsed my head onto my desk, softly banging it against the surface, choking out, “Only thirty thousand… just thirty thousand…” It wasn’t even a fraction of five million. If I couldn’t pay off the debt, Mason would try to kill himself again. Mark, a colleague, passed my cubicle and sighed when he saw me. “Riley, you can’t keep going like this,” he said softly. I looked up, my eyes red-rimmed. Mark hesitated, then lowered his voice. “If you’re really desperate for money, I have some freelance design projects. Do you want to take them on?” I shot up from my seat. “Yes!” Mark was startled by my reaction. “I’ll take them under my name. We can negotiate a higher fee, but I’ll take a commission.” “Don’t get the wrong idea, I’m not—” I nodded vigorously. “I understand. Taking them under your name means you’re taking a risk on a newcomer like me. I won’t get the wrong idea. I’m incredibly grateful you’re helping me, Mark. Thank you.” And just like that, I had yet another job. Once again, I went three days without sleep, finally completing five design drafts that satisfied the clients and sending them over. My phone chimed with the notification of the payment hitting my account, and I managed a tired smile. In that year, at my peak, I worked seven jobs simultaneously, sleeping three hours a day. I earned almost five hundred thousand. Finally, it was a respectable fraction of five million. I was about to accept another project when, with a breath, a sharp pain shot through my chest, as if someone was violently twisting my heart. My body broke out in a cold sweat, my ears rang, and my vision swam. “Riley! Are you okay? Riley!” I vaguely heard Mark calling my name, but his voice drifted, now close, now far away. Then everything went black. When I regained consciousness, I saw white walls everywhere and IV lines connected to my arm. I realized I was in a hospital, and no one was beside me. I pressed the call button. A young doctor with glasses and a nurse came in, their faces stern, to examine me. “How do you feel now that you’re awake?” I nodded blankly, a little guilty, and mumbled that I was fine. “Hmph!” Dr. Alex scoffed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “You’ve been asleep for two days, of course you feel fine!” “Stress-induced coma! Gastritis, myocardial ischemia… You’re practically a walking medical textbook at your age! Impressive dedication to self-destruction!” The nurse was startled by his sharp tongue, discreetly tugging at his shirt to remind him to be gentler, while offering me appeasing smiles to prevent me from complaining. Two days! I quickly latched onto the key point. I hadn’t been home for two days. What about Mason, alone at home?! I panicked, wanting to demand discharge, but facing the doctor’s cold gaze, all my words caught in my throat. My eyes darted away, and I obediently listened to his lecture, burning with impatience. “No matter how important the job, no matter how much money, you need to be alive to do it, to spend it…” He continued to scold me as he checked my symptoms, finally clicking his tongue in dissatisfaction. “Stay for a few days for observation to see if there are any other issues. And you better explain how you managed to run yourself into the ground like this!” I suddenly raised my head, ready to protest, to refuse hospitalization. But under the doctor’s oppressive gaze, I offered a sheepish smile. “Dr. Alex…” “You stay put, young lady! You’re staying here to save your sorry hide!” Dr. Alex shot me a stern look, then warned the nurse that I was prone to ‘pulling stunts.’ I lowered my head, looking miserable and silent. Just thinking about the hospital bills made my chest ache again. Just as I was mentally plotting eight hundred escape plans to avoid Dr. Alex and the hospital, Mark arrived. I excitedly grabbed his hand. “Mark, Mark, please help me with the discharge papers.” Mark refused. He said the doctor had informed him of my terrible condition and advised me to listen to Dr. Alex, to stay for a few days of observation. “Just relax for a few days. I’ll count it as paid leave for you.” I insisted on being discharged. Not only was I worried about Mason being home alone and paralyzed, but I was also incredibly reluctant to spend money on hospital fees when I usually didn’t even buy medicine for a cold. Mark frowned, clearly unable to accept my attitude. “Riley, Mason is an adult. And he’s in a wheelchair, not missing his hands! He can order takeout, he can take care of himself.” But I still insisted on going back. “Riley, you’re too much with him…” He cut himself off mid-sentence. He looked like he was searching for the right words, then finally just patted my shoulder gently. “Sometimes, what you see isn’t the whole truth. You need to open your eyes and really *see* people. Don’t believe everything you’re told.”

After Mark spoke, he walked out of the room with a complex expression to handle my discharge papers. I didn’t understand what he meant, and my urgency to get back home left me no time to ponder his words. I shakily stood up and quickly gathered my belongings. I slipped out, slinking past the nurses, and headed straight home. As I rushed home from the hospital, I tried calling Mason, worried something might have happened, while also mulling over Mark’s cryptic words. “Open your eyes and see people”? Was someone betraying me? Was someone trying to trick me? Or was he trying to hint at something? I shook my head, discarding those chaotic thoughts. Mason still wasn’t answering my calls, making me even more worried that something had happened to him. The most important thing now was to get home and check on Mason. The moment I pushed open the front door, my already anxious heart pounded even harder. The apartment was a disaster zone, shattered fragments everywhere, furniture overturned like a hurricane had ripped through it. Mason lay sprawled next to his wheelchair, unmoving like a dying fish. A group of men surrounded him. One of them banged a stick against Mason’s overturned wheelchair. “Pay up, or we’ll carve out your kidneys!” “Mason!” My voice cracked, a desperate shriek. I rushed forward to help him up, but a rough hand seized my wrist. “No money to pay, but you’re still wearing jewelry!” The man glared at me, menacingly reaching for the jade bracelet on my wrist. “No! That’s from my great-grandmother!” I struggled desperately, but his strength was overwhelming. He easily ripped the jade bracelet from my arm. “Fine, we won’t leave empty-handed today. This bracelet will serve as collateral. We’ll hold off on the kidneys for now.” I told them it was genuine antique jadeite and, at market value, it should clear a million of their debt. The man laughed, calling me naive. He said collateral never goes by market value. “And it’s a dead person’s jewelry, bad juju! We’ll give you thirty-five thousand for it, at most.” I opened my mouth to say something, but ultimately, I remained silent. After the men left, I quietly began cleaning up the mess. Suddenly, my phone rang. It was the rehab hospital where Mason was getting treatment. “Ms. Riley… International rehabilitation specialist Richard… next month… Yes… you can book an appointment…” The nurse’s excited voice came through the receiver. “If we can get him to see Mason, the chances of recovery will be much higher!” Finally, a piece of good news amidst all the bad! I nodded excitedly, agreeing to book the specialist’s appointment. My gaze involuntarily fell on Mason. His dull eyes subtly shifted, meeting my tear-filled, hopeful gaze. His expression was complex, with a look I couldn’t decipher, but at least he seemed a little more human. I hung up the phone, my heart hammering, a frantic drumbeat against my ribs. Finally, there was hope.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296979”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

My boyfriend, Daniel, never lied. He said I had a ‘fat gene’ that would shorten my life, so I needed to diet. I bit back my protest and agreed. He told me I was a bad omen for my parents, that my presence could harm their health, so I had to stay away. After much agonizing, tears blurring my vision, I agreed. Then he claimed my features weren’t ‘right’ for our future, that they needed to be ‘adjusted’ for our marriage to work. After agonizing over it, I still said yes. The day of the surgery, lying in the operating room, it suddenly hit me: I was allergic to a certain anesthetic. As I got off the bed to find a nurse, I accidentally overheard voices just outside the door. “It’s been six years since you broke up, and you still can’t let go of Lily?” Daniel’s voice, sickeningly familiar, came from just beyond the door. “Yeah, Lily’s etched into my very soul. I can’t let go.” “Since I’m destined to marry someone else, I’ll just try my best to make Chloe look more like Lily, then even more…” After a long silence, Daniel’s casual, almost dismissive voice floated back. “Honestly, Chloe is so easy to mold. I tell her anything, and she just goes along with it.” In that instant, I felt like the most ridiculous fool alive. Luckily, it wasn’t too late. The wedding plans could still be adjusted. “Hello, wedding plans have changed. Please replace the bride with a scarecrow.”

All these years with Daniel, he knew I was an introverted social recluse, always needing someone by my side. So this morning, he’d woken up early and prepared everything. When I woke up, all that was left was to eat breakfast and follow him to the plastic surgery clinic. Before he led me into the operating room, he even kissed my forehead, his eyes overflowing with what looked like deep affection. “Chloe, as soon as this surgery is done, we’ll make it official.” “Chloe, you know? I can’t wait to tie the knot with you!” Looking at the man before me, I felt so incredibly lucky and happy, convinced I’d found the perfect guy. Lying in the operating room, I suddenly remembered I was allergic to a specific anesthetic. Just as I reached the door, I saw Dr. Miller, the plastic surgeon, in his white coat. I opened my mouth to speak, but then I heard Daniel’s familiar voice from just outside. “Seriously, I can’t believe it. It’s been six whole years since you broke up, and you still haven’t moved on from Lily? She’s married now, her kid’s two years old! You’re not still fantasizing about her, are you?” After a few seconds of silence, Daniel’s voice came through, filled with a bitterness I’d never heard before. “Yeah, Lily’s etched into my very soul. All these years since we broke up, I’ve dreamt of her every single night. How am I supposed to let go?” “Since I’m destined to never marry Lily, I might as well find a woman who’s easy to mold and reshape her into Lily’s image.” “And honestly? This Chloe, she’s the easiest woman I’ve ever met to string along.” “She believes everything I say. She even believes I never lie? It’s actually hilarious. Who in this world never lies?” Dr. Miller’s voice came again. “But you clearly love Lily, yet you’re marrying Chloe. Is that fair to Chloe?” Just seconds later, Daniel’s indifferent voice replied, “Fair or not, what’s it matter? I’ll treat her well after we’re married, won’t I?” “Besides, Chloe likes me so much. The fact that I’d even agree to marry her? She should buy a lottery ticket, she’s so lucky.” I leaned against the cold wall, and in that instant, I felt my body temperature drop even lower than the frigid surface beneath my back. Before I met Daniel, I never believed anyone in this world truly never lied. But then, I saw him risk everything to speak the truth for an old lady hit by a car, or choose to lose millions to be honest about his company’s finances. Time and again, in countless crises, even life-or-death situations, he always chose the truth. I’d known Daniel for seven whole years, and I’d only ever seen him lie once. And that single lie, though it was for me, almost cost him his life. That’s when I learned that since birth, whenever he lied, his body would break out in rashes, severe enough to be life-threatening. Yet Daniel’s casual ‘easy to string along’ comment effortlessly negated seven years of my love for him. Their conversation wasn’t over. Clenching my teeth against the searing pain in my chest, I picked up my phone and hit record.

“Are you really going through with this? If you do this surgery, you’ll owe Chloe even more!” Daniel’s voice, now tinged with impatience, retorted, “Owe her? What’s there to owe? It’s not like I dragged her here against her will, is it?” “This was *her* decision, okay? What does it have to do with me?” “Even if I *do* owe her, I’m compensating her with marriage. Isn’t that enough?” Daniel’s voice was so familiar, yet utterly alien. All this time, the Daniel I thought I knew—kind, warm, thoughtful—deserved every beautiful word in the dictionary. Now, I realized that even the most profound, uncontrollable love could be faked. He truly was a brilliant actor. The marriage I’d dreamed of, to him, was nothing more than meaningless compensation. At this point, I had no more courage left to listen. I didn’t want to imagine what other ‘surprises’ I’d overhear if I stayed. Ignoring the two outside, I grabbed my coat from the side table and quietly slipped out through another door in the ward. I saw Daniel’s car parked at the entrance, and a bitter, twisted smile pulled at my lips. I’d always wanted to get my driver’s license, but Daniel, under the guise of ‘it’s for your own good,’ insisted he could drive me everywhere, always on call. Now, it dawned on me: he was probably just used to chauffeuring his ‘true love,’ Lily, and didn’t want to change his routine. I walked past the car, standing at a crossroads, watching the vehicles come and go, momentarily lost, not knowing where to turn. Just as I was about to step away, a hand clamped onto my wrist from behind. I knew that touch too well. I didn’t even need to turn around to know it was Daniel. I’d never really liked his cologne; it was always too sweet, too cloying. I could never understand why Daniel, of all people, would wear such a strong, sugary scent—it completely clashed with his aura. But he liked it, and after so long, I’d just gotten used to it. Now, it all made perfect sense. That cologne was probably Lily’s favorite, wasn’t it? The moment my eyes met Daniel’s, a jolt of shock went through me. The man who was always so gentle and patient was now seething with rage. As if sensing my shift, Daniel reined in his anger, forcing his usual gentle smile back onto his face. “Pear,” he said. “Why are you running off?” “Pear, the surgery isn’t done. Let me take you back, okay?” “Pear, I know you’re scared of surgery, but if you don’t do it, how can we tie the knot? Didn’t you want to marry me more than anything, huh?” Hearing ‘Pear’ over and over again, I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. Soon after Daniel and I started dating, he started calling me ‘Pear.’ I’d asked him, confused, why he called me that. Everyone else just called me Chloe. He’d ruffled my hair, his eyes full of what I thought was adoration. “My favorite word is pear, and you’re my favorite woman. Of course, that’s what I’ll call you.” Back then, I’d just shyly buried my face in his chest, repeating his special nickname over and over. Now, I realized. All these years, he’d only been using me as a stand-in for Lily.

“Daniel,” I said softly, my voice barely a whisper, “Did you forget? I’m allergic to anesthetic.” I quietly took half a step back, tears stinging my eyes. My words made Daniel frown, but I distinctly saw a flicker of guilt flash in his eyes. He took two steps forward, pulling me into his arms, his voice laced with obvious remorse when he spoke again. “Baby, I’m so sorry. It’s my fault.” “How about we skip the surgery today? I’ll talk to the doctor later and adjust the plan. Will you wait for my call?” I pushed him away, my voice barely a choked whisper. “Daniel, can’t we… just not do this surgery?” “No, we can’t.” His tone was as gentle as always, but his eyes held a rare, unyielding resolve. “Didn’t we agree? As soon as the surgery’s done, we’re tying the knot, babe!” “Alright, just sit in the car and wait for me, okay? I’m going to call the doctor.” His tone was supposedly ‘negotiating,’ but Daniel didn’t wait for my answer. He simply pushed me into the car and casually shut the door. I leaned against the car window, watching him on his phone, a strange, bitter ache coiling in my gut. I pushed the door handle, trying to get out, but found he’d locked the doors. As I sat there, stunned, voices suddenly filled the car. It took me a moment to realize Daniel had forgotten his phone was still connected to the car’s Bluetooth. “What? Daniel, are you insane? You know she’s allergic to anesthetic, and you still want to go through with the surgery? Do you have any idea how painful plastic surgery is without it? Forget her, no one could stand that!” Daniel’s indifferent voice replied, “She can just bear with it.” “What am I supposed to do? Stop the surgery just because she’s allergic to anesthetic?” “It’s fine. She listens to me. I’ll just sweet-talk her later. You just schedule the surgery as planned.” I sat in the car, the heater blasting, yet I felt like I’d plummeted into an ice cavern, shivering uncontrollably. I couldn’t believe it. The man who used to tear up if I just scraped my knee could be so utterly cold-blooded. And there Daniel stood, just a short distance away, mouthing the most tender ‘I love you, baby’ at me while simultaneously uttering the cruelest, most heartless words. I couldn’t even manage a fake smile. Bitterness seeped into every cell, flowing through my veins, poisoning me from the inside out. My phone buzzed in my pocket, perfectly timed. My hand trembled as I pulled it out. It was the wedding planner, asking if there were any last-minute adjustments or additions I wanted for the approaching wedding. Holding my phone, I stared at the man outside the car. After a long moment, I spoke softly, “Yes, an adjustment. Please replace the bride with a scarecrow.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296978”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

On the day of the graduation ceremony, I mustered up the courage to confess my feelings to my long-time crush. But I accidentally got hit by a car. When I woke up, my crush was standing in front of me, looking at me with a cold expression. “You’re awake? Perfect timing. Let’s discuss the divorce agreement.” Me: ??? I haven’t even confessed yet, how did we end up talking about divorce? 0On the day of my college commencement ceremony, I finally mustered up the courage to confess my feelings to Aria, my long-time crush. Across the street, Aria was taking photos in her beautiful graduation gown. Excited, I ran towards her, not noticing the red light at the crosswalk. A loud “BANG!” echoed, and I was struck by a car. Everything went black. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself staring at a stark white ceiling. To my surprise, Aria was standing by my bedside. She was as beautiful as ever, and this was probably the closest we’d ever been. Aria stood there, her gaze shifting from the IV drip to my face. As I looked at her, I noticed a ring on her left ring finger. My heart sank. Had the girl I’d loved for so long already found someone else? Swallowing my disappointment, I forced a smile and greeted her, “What are you doing here?” As I tried to sit up, I realized my arm was wrapped in thick bandages. Aria sat down on the chair beside my bed, her voice cold and distant. “Mr. Liam, you really know how to make a scene. Risking your life for a divorce? That’s a bit much, don’t you think?” I stared at her, completely bewildered. Divorce? I hadn’t even graduated yet, let alone gotten married. Where did this talk of divorce come from? Just then, a nurse entered the room, carrying a tray of bandages. “Dr. Aria, you’re still here? Sir, you’re so lucky. When you had the accident, Dr. Aria happened to be passing by and gave you emergency treatment. Otherwise, you’d be dealing with more than just a broken arm.” The nurse carefully cleaned my wound as she spoke. As she gently placed my hand down, I noticed something shocking – there was a ring on my right ring finger too! And it clearly matched Aria’s ring. Panic and confusion flooded my mind. After the nurse left, I grabbed Aria’s sleeve. “Your name is Aria, right?” Aria frowned, looking annoyed. She jerked her sleeve away from my grasp and stared at me coldly. “Since you’re awake, let’s discuss the divorce agreement.” 0

This was absolutely insane! I was certain I had been on my way to the commencement ceremony when I got hit by a car. How did I wake up to this scenario where I was supposedly trying to divorce Aria by “risking my life”? I was convinced that either I had gone mad, or Aria had. “Wait a second!” I started, but before I could finish, a little girl suddenly appeared in the room, running straight into Aria’s arms. I was stunned. What an adorable child! I reached out with my uninjured hand, wanting to pinch her chubby cheeks, but she shyly hid in Aria’s embrace. “Hey sweetie, I’m sorry. You’re just so cute, I couldn’t help myself,” I said, trying to sound friendly. Aria looked at me disapprovingly, reminding me that I had called her to wait but hadn’t explained why. “Look, this might sound unbelievable, but I have no memory of what you’re talking about. The last thing I remember is going to the commencement ceremony…” Aria impatiently cut me off. “So, you’re saying you have amnesia now?” Amnesia? Yes, that must be it. It was the only explanation for why I had no recollection of all this. I nodded vigorously and sincerely. Aria’s face remained icy as she pulled out a document from her bag and tossed it in front of me. “This is the divorce agreement. All the terms are as you requested. If you have no objections, sign it quickly.” I opened my mouth to speak but couldn’t find the words. The little girl in Aria’s arms looked at me with a pout when she heard Aria mention divorce. “Maybe we shouldn’t discuss this in front of the child,” I suggested. “It might not be good for her. Perhaps we could put this on hold for a while?” Aria scoffed. “The child? Liam, you’re really playing this amnesia act well. This is our daughter.” I hadn’t even processed her first statement when she continued, “And when you were having dinner with another woman, did you consider whether that was good for our child’s well-being?” My mind went blank as I tried to absorb this information. Not only was I married, but I had a child too? And apparently, I had been unfaithful? The little girl didn’t even look at me, burying her face in Aria’s neck. It was too much information. My brain crashed like an overloaded computer. 0

It took me an entire day to process the situation in my head. It seemed I really did have amnesia. I was still me, and Aria was still Aria. The only difference was that we were married and had a baby. But the divorce papers on the hospital bed silently conveyed another message: our marriage was clearly in trouble. The problem seemed to be that I might have cheated? But how was that possible? Why would I cheat on someone as beautiful and intelligent as Aria? Had I lost my mind? Where did things go wrong? How could I regain my memories? I scratched my head in frustration, feeling completely lost. “Daddy.” I looked up at the sound of a soft knock. The door opened slightly, and the little girl’s cute face peeked in shyly. “Mommy said to remember to disinfect your hand. Here’s the antiseptic. She said you should do it yourself.” Her tiny hands clutched a bottle of iodine solution. I reached out to her, gesturing for her to come in. “Daddy’s hand hurts a bit. Can you bring it over for me?” The little girl looked at me hesitantly but eventually nodded. She timidly ran to my side and placed the bottle on my bedside table. I picked her up with my good arm and sat her on my lap, studying her features closely. She had my eyes – big, round, and bright. Her nose was like Aria’s, high and straight. She had Aria’s oval face shape too. She was absolutely beautiful. This was my daughter with Aria. I couldn’t help myself. I hugged her close and planted a big kiss on her cheek. The little girl smelled like milk, and I found her utterly adorable. When I looked up, I saw that her face had turned bright red. She froze in my arms for a moment, then wrapped her little arms around my neck and hugged me tightly. She whispered in my ear, “Daddy, you smell nice.” She was the sweetest thing in the world. As I basked in the joy of being complimented by my baby, the door opened. Aria’s familiar figure appeared in the doorway and walked towards us. “Mommy!” The little girl in my arms immediately ran to Aria, stretching out her arms to be picked up. Aria had clearly just showered, wearing casual home clothes that made her look both sexy and relaxed. Her hair fell naturally over her forehead, with droplets of water sliding down her neck into her collar. I swallowed hard, feeling the allure of her beauty. As she came closer, my heart began to race even faster. However, Aria’s words quickly doused my excitement. “Mr. Liam, don’t you think it’s a bit late to start being nice to Coco now?” “I’m not… I…” I wanted to explain, but one look at Aria’s cold expression told me she wouldn’t believe anything I said. In the end, I chose to remain silent. “Never mind. You can go about your business. I’m leaving,” she said. As I walked out of the study, Coco peeked out from Aria’s neck and glanced at me. Seeing how close they were made my heart ache. What good was having a wife and child if my wife wanted to divorce me and my child was closer to her mother? I started to wonder why we had chosen to get married in the first place. Outside on the balcony, a full moon hung high in the sky. The night breeze blew in, scattering my thoughts. Everything else remained the same. It seemed I was the only one who had changed. 0

The master bedroom had only one large bed. The room’s decor was minimalist, with a simple black, white, and gray color scheme. Apart from that, the room was kept immaculately clean, with a faint scent of gardenia wafting through the air. I remembered that this was a fragrance I liked. I walked to the walk-in closet, hoping to find some of my pajamas, but all I saw was a sea of black clothing. … With no other option, I knocked on the study door. “Honey, I’m sorry to bother you,” I said, trying to sound as respectful as possible. Aria, who was working at her computer, looked up at me. “Do you know where my pajamas are? I looked in the master bedroom closet but couldn’t find any.” Aria stared at me for a few seconds without saying anything. Just as I thought she wasn’t going to answer and was about to leave, she suddenly stood up from her chair and walked towards me. Aria smirked, hands in her pockets. “What, are you planning to keep up this amnesia act?” I swallowed hard, not knowing what to say. The problem was, even if I told the truth, she wouldn’t believe me. Fortunately, she didn’t press the issue this time and walked past me towards another room. I stood there, unsure of what to do. She glanced back at me. “Aren’t you coming?” I immediately followed her like an obedient puppy, making sure to keep a respectful distance. “Thank you.” Two minutes later, when I happily opened the closet door to get my pajamas, I immediately slammed it shut. My face turned bright red. It was too embarrassing to look at! “This is…” I didn’t finish my sentence, but I was sure Aria understood. She was leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed, silently watching me. Her eyes seemed to say, “Go ahead and keep pretending. I’ll just watch without saying a word.” … I took a deep breath and slowly opened the closet door again. The clothing style inside was so revealing that I could hardly believe it. The worst part was that Aria was still standing there, showing no intention of leaving. I tried my best to ignore her gaze. With my back to her, I rummaged through the clothes from top to bottom, unable to find a single “normal” piece of clothing. … I sighed inwardly, turned around, and not knowing what came over me, I asked Aria, “Honey, which one do you… prefer me to wear?” Then, I clearly saw Aria’s eyes darken. She scoffed and walked out, slamming the door shut behind her so hard it made me jump. Why did she get angry? As I took my pajamas to the bathroom, a thought suddenly occurred to me. Could our impending divorce be due to problems in our intimate life? After showering, I put on a robe and went to Coco’s nursery. The nursery was decorated warmly, showing that Aria cared a lot about the child. I tiptoed in. Coco was already in a sweet dream, hugging a stuffed animal. I gently tucked the kicked-off blanket back around her and carefully removed her thumb from her mouth, wiping it with a tissue. It was at this moment that I truly felt like a father. But I only knew her name was Coco; I didn’t even know how old she was. I looked at my marriage certificate with Aria. The date was four years ago. So Coco must be around three years old. I stroked her head and then left her room. As soon as I closed the door and turned around, I saw Aria standing in front of me. My heart started racing so fast I thought it might jump out of my throat. “Are you done?” she asked. “Yes,” I replied. The atmosphere was awkward, and I didn’t know what to say. “So… are you going to bed?” I asked. Aria didn’t respond or make any move. “I’ll go to sleep then,” I said, and quickly escaped to the master bedroom. Without another word, I lifted the covers and lay down, keeping myself as still as possible. Not long after, the bedroom door opened, and Aria walked in. Seeing me lying in bed, she paused for a moment, her footsteps stopping as she just stood there looking at me. Her gaze made my scalp tingle. “Honey, which side do you usually sleep on?” I asked. She didn’t answer. I was starting to feel that Aria’s personality had become quite strange in the years I couldn’t remember. She always liked to stare at people coldly without saying a word. I forced a smile and got out of bed. “You choose first,” I said. Petty Aria! I cursed her in my mind, knowing she couldn’t hear my thoughts. But this time, she moved. She walked to the other side of the bed, lay down, and ignored me, turning off the bedside lamp with a sharp click. I… I fumbled in the dark, getting back under the covers. The person beside me was breathing evenly. Everything around was quiet, but I couldn’t sleep at all. I couldn’t even think straight; my mind was a jumbled mess. But I could feel that she was very close to me, so close that our breaths seemed to mingle silently in the air between us. “Honey, are you still awake?” I asked softly. “What do you want?” she replied. “What?” “You were the one who wanted to get married, and you were the one who went to great lengths to get a divorce. Now you’re lying here with me, trying to seduce me. Liam, I don’t have time to play your games. If you want something, just say it.” “Seduce?” I stared at her with wide eyes, suddenly feeling a chill run through my chest. I looked down and realized how revealing the outfit I was wearing actually was. No wonder Aria thought my current behavior was an attempt to seduce her. “I… I didn’t mean it that way. I’m sorry,” I stammered. But Aria clearly didn’t want to continue sharing a bed with me. She got up and left the bedroom, leaving me with these parting words: “Liam, I don’t care what you’re thinking right now. I have no feelings left for you. I hope you understand that. Whether you’re pretending to have amnesia or trying to seduce me, it doesn’t matter to me anymore.” “I’ll sleep in the guest room tonight. Do whatever you want.” Aria left. In the vast space of the bedroom, I was left alone with nothing but my sorrow. 0

I couldn’t sleep. I lay there, wide awake until dawn. Around seven, I heard Aria talking outside, along with another woman repeatedly saying “okay, okay.” I guessed it must be the housekeeper. A moment later, the front door closed, and the sound of a car engine starting up told me Aria had left for work. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, my mind in chaos as I began to reflect. I had never been an outgoing guy; otherwise, I wouldn’t have secretly harbored a crush on Aria for so many years. But now, finding out that not only had my crush been successful, but I had become her husband, I felt shocked, yes, but more than that, I felt an undisguised joy. I thought this was a chance given to me by fate, but I never imagined I’d mess up this marriage so badly. Low emotional intelligence really is a fatal flaw. Lost in my thoughts, the bedroom door suddenly opened. A woman wearing a housekeeper’s uniform walked in. Seeing me, she quickly apologized. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize anyone was in here.” “It’s alright, I was just about to get up,” I said with a smile. She seemed relieved and slowly entered the room. “Ms. Aria left for work. I thought this room was empty. Didn’t you used to sleep in your own room?” she asked. My own room? I suddenly remembered that when I went to get clothes yesterday, there was indeed a bed in that other room. So, I had been sleeping in a separate room all along. Does this mean we were living separately? Thinking about it this way, all of Aria’s unusual behavior yesterday started to make sense. I felt utterly embarrassed. I buried my face in my hands, already regretting my actions many times over. Coco must have heard our conversation because she came running to the bedroom door, barefoot. She looked at me expectantly but didn’t dare to come in. “Coco, come here to Daddy,” I said gently, holding out my arms to her. Hearing this, the little one excitedly ran towards me. She pounced on me, knocking me back onto the bed, and flashed her little tiger teeth in a big smile. “Daddy,” she said, nuzzling her head against my chest. My heart melted. She really was my adorable baby girl. No matter how much Aria might hate me right now, Coco was still my daughter, and I was determined to be a good father to her. I said goodbye to the housekeeper and took Coco out for a day just for the two of us. We went shopping, and I bought her lots of pretty clothes. I also bought some normal clothes for myself. After all, my post-marriage style was a bit hard to accept. I carried Coco in my arms as she happily ate ice cream, her face covered in cream. I gently wiped her face clean. “Coco, what was Daddy like before?” I asked. Coco looked at me, pouted a little, and said in a slightly hurt tone, “Mean to Coco.” Then she added, “Grumpy.” Children don’t lie, and her words made my heart ache. It seemed the old me had changed so much that even I couldn’t recognize myself. So why did Aria choose to marry me? Was it because she liked me? If so, she must have had quite unusual taste. “Daddy, I want that!” Coco suddenly pointed her chubby little hand at a poster for the latest McDonald’s family meal deal. Ah, the irresistible appeal of fast food to kids. “Sure, let’s get it!” I said. An hour later, Coco and I sat with our heads down on the couch in Aria’s office, looking very much like two kids who had been caught doing something wrong. The cause of our predicament was the aromatic family meal deal sitting on the coffee table in front of us. It all started with Coco’s filial piety. She felt that while we were out having fun, her mom was working hard alone, so she wanted to share her “delicious food” with her mom. Aria’s workplace happened to be near the mall, and I couldn’t bear to refuse the little one’s request. So, we cheerfully went to Aria’s office. But in Aria’s eyes, Coco’s “delicious food” was nothing but “junk.” And that’s how we ended up in this interrogation.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296977”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

Clock Out. Or Die. As quitting time approached, a pop-up notification flashed across everyone’s screens within the company network. **[Please log off promptly at 6:00 PM. Otherwise, you might die!]** I thought it was just some lame prank and was about to click it away when, the next second, a notification from our never-seen boss appeared: **[All departments will work until midnight tonight.]** Only a few high-level executives had the permission to @everyone. But this message came from an anonymous sender with a blank profile picture. There was no way to tell who it was. Were they just rage-quitting? “???” “Who is this?” **[@Sherry, HR Director, what the hell is going on?]** **[Who enabled anonymous access?]** … Sherry, HR Director: **[I’m sorry, I’m checking immediately!]** The group chat fell silent. Dead silent. Ten minutes later, the company’s big boss, Mr. Harrison, who’d never once shown his face in the internal chat, finally popped up. Just one sentence: **[All departments will work until midnight tonight. Project Alpha needs to launch ahead of schedule. Everyone, let’s push through. Your hard work is appreciated.]** *Whoosh whoosh whoosh!* Immediately, a flood of replies followed: **[Got it!]** Mr. Harrison added another line: **[HR will calculate overtime pay as per policy.]** Suddenly, the group chat was flooded with praise and adoration. Even in the dead of winter, the brown-nosers were popping up faster than dandelions in spring. Especially those thumbs-up emojis – every single one of them was used with sickening, masterful skill. Right after that, I heard Ms. Davenport, the HR VP, roaring: “Who was that anonymous sender?! Find them for me, now!” I was just pulling my keyboard closer, resigned to bury myself in work, when the pop-up appeared again. **Alert: [Dear diligent workers, quitting time has arrived!]** **[If you insist on working overtime, please strictly follow the rules below!]** **[1. Unless absolutely necessary, please avoid moving around. Outside your workstation, any other location may pose a fatal danger.]** **[2. No smoking in public areas! Warning: The former smoking lounge poses extreme danger and is currently unusable!]** **[3. Do NOT eat employee meals! Do NOT eat employee meals! Do NOT eat employee meals! Ordering takeout is permitted!]** **[4. Be wary of takeout delivery personnel.]** **[5. Do NOT make coffee! Do NOT make coffee! Do NOT make coffee!]** **[6. These rules are active from 6:00 PM to midnight. Death quota: 4 people. May you survive!]** **— Anonymous User!** At this moment, the clock struck 6:00 PM—the exact time we were supposed to log off. … Mr. Preston, our tech department head, was yelling: “Which damn jerk did this?! I’ll rip their hide off!” Chad, at the desk to my right, and I exchanged glances. Chad pursed his lips, then turned to our team lead, Derek: “Derek, should I go at him?” Derek pushed up his glasses, not even bothering to look up: “Mr. Evans’s team is already on it.” Chad shoved his keyboard away, clearly annoyed. Derek used to be such a workaholic, leading our team to outperform others and earning serious respect from Mr. Harrison. Too bad that was in the past. To my left was Chloe, a new intern. She was in her early twenties, full of life, and even in this cold weather, she was rocking a cute, trendy schoolgirl-style outfit with white stockings and pigtails. Let me put it this way: in our tech field, women are already a rare gem, like finding a unicorn. And Chloe? She was a unicorn with a unicorn’s rare blood type. As far as I know, at least a dozen male colleagues were constantly trying to get her attention. But Chloe was sweet and well-behaved. She stuck by me after joining the team and wasn’t high-maintenance at all. Chloe cautiously looked up at me: “Alex, is this company into these kinds of games?” “Don’t sweat it, it’s clearly just a prank. We just need to keep doing our jobs.” I said it easily, but my heart was thumping a bit too. “Check your OKR progress. It’s perfect for a bit of overtime, isn’t it?” Suddenly, Derek stood up and clapped his hands. The ceiling lights cast a cold, stark white glow on his lean face. “Stop discussing, everyone. Just focus on your work. Alex, pass me the topic list.” “Oh, right. Sure.” I gestured: “Chloe, can you print this for me? I’ll send you the file right away.” Chloe pulled back her neck, a little scared, and mumbled softly: “Alex, the rules said not to leave our workstation…” I almost laughed out loud. The girl was really taking it seriously. “You actually believe that? Fine, I’ll print it myself then.” “No, no, Alex! It’s just a small thing, you don’t need to do it. I’ll go, I’ll go…” That’s more like it. “Go on, then. Hurry up.”

Chloe had been with me since she started her internship, acting as both an assistant and a general helper. Honestly, whether she’d get her full-time offer in two weeks depended entirely on my signature. Chloe received the file, remotely sent it to the printer, grabbed her water bottle, and headed to the print room, apparently intending to get some water as well. Three minutes later, Chloe placed a stack of documents on my desk. I stared at the code on my screen, grunted, and planned to give them to Derek later. First, the new project topic list needed more discussion. I still needed to think it over and talk about the specifics with Derek. Second, since the beginning of the year, our team lead had become surprisingly chill. He dragged his feet on projects even more than we did. I figured he wasn’t in a hurry. I’d heard a rumor that he landed a massive side gig last year and raked in a fortune! Honestly, working when you’re broke, that’s sacrificing your soul! But working when you’re loaded? It’s just… a lifestyle choice. To be honest, if I weren’t broke, I’d probably be just as chill… “Al-Alex…” Chloe hadn’t left, her voice thick with tears. “What’s wrong?” I looked up and asked. “Alex, look…” My eyes scanned the printed documents, and I instantly flared up: “What the hell? Why did you print it in red ink? If I give this to Derek, he’d totally ream me out!” “I didn’t, Alex!” Chloe cried, her voice trembling. “I really didn’t! I don’t know how, but it just printed like this!” “Is the printer broken? Then switch to another one and print it again!” “I… I don’t dare…” “Huh?” I glared at Chloe again, but the next second, I realized something was wrong, and my heart sank. The words on the document were vivid red, abnormally so. Something wasn’t right! I ran my finger over the paper, and a bright smear spread! This wasn’t red ink at all. It looked more like… blood! I shot up from my chair: “Which printer?” “Number 3!” “I’ll go check!” I took a step, but then my body tensed, and I froze: “Chloe, go back to your desk first.” Chloe meekly nodded, pulling her neck in, and sat back down. “…Outside your workstation, any other location may pose a fatal danger!” That warning echoed in my mind. Could it be… “Ah…!” Suddenly, a piercing scream erupted from the direction of the print room! “Someone’s dead!”

I didn’t have time to react. Those closest to the print room had already rushed in. Then came the terrified shouts: “Quick! Someone! Call an ambulance!” I instinctively followed the crowd towards the print room. Just as I turned, I saw Chloe huddled in her chair, head buried. Curled up like a pathetic little quail. By the time I reached the print room, a chaotic crowd had already gathered. The deceased, I remembered seeing him around, but I couldn’t recall his name. Everyone immediately confirmed there was no point in trying to save him. He was sprawled over a standing printer, his right hand clenched into a fist, pressed against his throat. A ballpoint pen was plunged into his throat. A small section of it had even pierced through the back of his neck! His death was like something out of a crime thriller, or those old-school detective shows where someone gets a pen jammed into their throat. It was exactly the same. A large amount of fresh blood covered the printer, pooling onto the floor. His shirt collar was hooked on the corner of the printer’s lid, which was why he hadn’t slid off after collapsing onto it. And at his feet, there was a streak of water. I could almost visualize the scene! He was standing by the printer, waiting for documents, holding a pen, idly tapping it on the printer lid. Perhaps he got tired and shifted his weight, inadvertently slipping on the water. His foot slid backward, and he pitched forward! The upright pen in his hand pierced his throat! It seemed perfectly logical. But also far too coincidental. Suddenly, someone yelled: “Why is there no signal?! I can’t call 911!” “Then go outside and call! Someone died in the company, what the hell is going on?!” “Everyone back to your workstations! Don’t panic! I’ll handle things here! Forget a dead body, even if the sky falls, Project Alpha *must* launch by midnight!” The speaker was Trevor, whom we all called Big Trev. He held the title of General Office Assistant, which was basically a useless position, only handling miscellaneous stuff. He was a busybody, always riding on Mr. Harrison’s coattails, and incredibly reckless… In short, he was a universally despised jerk. But what could we do? He was Mr. Harrison’s cousin. That bastard. This was his chance to really throw his weight around! I quietly exited the print room. Outside, the atmosphere was already explosive. “Damn, this is seriously messed up. Someone died in the company late at night, and we’re still not allowed to leave?” “Do you think it has something to do with those rules in the chat? About not leaving your workstation because other places are fatally dangerous?” “Stop BS-ing, you actually believe that?” “Just wait and see how the company tries to hush it up if someone dies during overtime.” “Our tech department is freaking amazing, they managed to jam all the signals in the entire company!” Hearing that, I quickly pulled my head back. I’m in the damn tech department too!

I thought that after someone died, everyone would be terrified and want to leave the office. To my surprise, their panic didn’t last more than three minutes. They were all eager to gossip, their eyes practically glued to the print room. Just then, the window on the south side of the office space suddenly blew open with a bang! The frigid winter wind rushed in like a blade. “Quick, close the window! I’m freezing to death!” Looking at the eerie green glow of the ‘Emergency Exit’ sign above the door, my heart tightened. Chloe slid her chair closer, leaning over. There were tear streaks on her face, and her nose was red. “Alex, can I go home? I’m too scared…” It was cold, and Chloe’s lean exposed a glimpse of her thermal shirt underneath her cute schoolgirl-style uniform collar, but even so, my eyes couldn’t help but wander. Still, my resolve was firm. “Chloe, I understand you’re scared, but if you really leave now, whether you get your full-time offer might not be my call anymore…” I subtly gestured towards Derek, our team lead. Chloe froze, then lowered her head and sat back down. Faintly, I heard Chloe’s sniffles. My heart softened. I looked up and asked Derek, who was three workstations away: “Derek, it’s getting too late. Chloe’s just a young girl, it’s not safe for her to go home alone. Besides, I don’t really have anything for her to do, so maybe…” Derek pushed up his glasses, the light casting a cold, stark white on his face. His voice was just as cold: “Either work overtime, or resign.” I could only give Chloe a helpless look.

“Alex, did you get a good look? I couldn’t squeeze in! I heard the pen went all the way through his neck, blood was everywhere on the printer, and there were even blood spatters on the ceiling!” Chad slid his chair next to me and whispered, leaning in. “Man, that’s wild! Alex, do you know who died?” “I’ve seen him before, but I can’t remember his name. I just remember… he always wore a blue plaid shirt, carried a thermos like an old man, and was balding at such a young age…” Chad slapped his thigh: “???! The King of the Grind died?!” The mention of “King of the Grind” made my mind buzz, and I remembered too. The King of the Grind was Kyle. He was a textbook example of the ‘overzealous underachiever.’ Constantly teetering between promotion and promotion failure. He held the record for failing six promotions in one year! “Ugh, well, that’s a relief. The group chat will be a lot quieter now. I was so sick of seeing his damn thumbs-up! Right, Alex?” Every time overtime was announced, Kyle was always the first to respond with a thumbs-up emoji. And he’d drag everyone else down with him. His work intensity was comparable to two full-time employees and a caffeinated dog. He wasn’t even a programmer in our tech department, but at such a young age, his head was balder than Chad’s. I thought, the man’s dead, why keep mocking him? I didn’t take Chad’s bait. *Boom!* From the direction of the print room, a dull explosion suddenly roared! Then, a cloud of black smoke drifted out. Across from me, Chloe jumped up with a start, tears streaming down her face. “Holy crap, was his grudge so strong he blew up the printer?” Chad clicked his tongue playfully, dragging his chair back. My heart was pounding like it was caught in a snare, twitching harder with every beat. *Click!* Just then, all the lights in the entire company suddenly went out! Everyone’s computer screens went black too! “Ah!!!” “It’s haunted!” “What a crappy company! I’m out! Screw this!” Instantly, screams and angry shouts erupted. At first, when someone died and we weren’t allowed to leave, everyone held it in. But now that the lights were out, even if nothing was wrong, it was enough to terrify everyone! In the darkness, I felt a hand blindly reaching out, grabbing mine!

I considered myself pretty brave. I grew up in the sticks, and my grandma used to tell me all sorts of spooky old tales. I thought I’d heard it all. But this time, it still scared the living daylights out of me! “Alex, please, talk to Derek again. Let me go home, I want to go home, boohoo…” I instinctively tightened my grip, clutching Chloe’s soft hand. “Chloe, don’t do that, you almost scared me to death!” Honestly, my head was buzzing too, a complete blank. Even though I’m usually a rational guy and don’t believe in ghosts, I was seriously creeped out. Could it really be haunted? “Everyone shut the hell up! The printer shorted out, the circuit breaker popped! I’ll just flip it back on. Everyone, sit down! Mr. Harrison said if the project launches tonight, everyone gets a two-thousand-dollar bonus!” Hearing that, the restless colleagues actually quieted down quite a bit. *Click!* As power was restored and the lights came back on, everyone looked at each other, unsure what to do. Chloe pulled her hand back, glanced awkwardly at her bag, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn’t leave. She sat back down. Money truly makes the world go ’round, or at least makes people forget their fears. Two thousand bucks was roughly a month’s pay for Chloe as an intern before she even got her full-time offer. Like puppets, everyone rebooted their computers and went back to work. “Alex, look, who’s that? Why is someone covered in blood coming back from outside?” Chad pointed towards the entrance. I turned my head and, sure enough, a man, covered in blood, stumbled in. “Mr. Preston? What happened to you?” a colleague asked, startled. Mr. Preston was our department head! My boss’s boss! “It’s real! Those rules are real! Everyone, don’t run! Don’t run, just stay here, don’t move! It’s real!” With that, Mr. Preston crumpled to the floor.

Luckily, Mr. Preston wasn’t dead. He was covered in cuts, drenched in blood. They laid him on a lounge chair, and he gasped for air for a good while before he finally recovered. Thank goodness. If two people died within such a short time, everyone would probably freak out. Colleagues exchanged uneasy glances. I forced myself to stay calm and restarted my computer. After the computer rebooted, several windows popped up from the internal software again. Without exception, they were all from the VP of Human Resources and Finance! **@everyone: [There’s an unexpected situation at the company. Everyone stay calm and don’t move. Someone will handle it!]** **@everyone: [Tonight’s project *must* launch on time. Any slip-ups will be traced to individuals!]** **@everyone: [Considering tonight’s special circumstances, the company has decided to give every employee who clocks out after midnight a $2000 cash subsidy. $200 will be paid directly after logging off, and the remaining amount will be deposited into your bank account along with your salary over 9 months.]** **@everyone: [After power is restored, ensure orderly work. Strictly forbidden to take photos or videos. Do NOT leak videos or images outside the company. Violators will be held accountable!]** … “Tsk, I knew it! The higher-ups are all the same, aren’t they? Two thousand bucks, and they’re paying it in installments? Why don’t they just go broke themselves!” Chad muttered beside me. “Alex, let’s go grab a smoke! It’s too stifling in here.” Chad stood up, motioning for me to come with him. He was right. All this back and forth had my nerves shot. I needed a break. “Let’s go, let’s just tough it out until midnight, then I’m taking five days off tomorrow and just chilling!” As Chad and I walked past the door, we got a pretty good idea of how Mr. Preston got his injuries. “Ugh! Serves him right!” Chad spat. He’d disliked Mr. Preston, our department head, for a long time. To the left of the company entrance were the restrooms and the smoking lounge. Straight ahead was the corridor and the shared elevator lobby. To the right was the fire shutter leading to the stairwell. We smokers sometimes used the stairwell when we were too lazy to go to the smoking lounge. Normally, the fire shutter wasn’t lowered. But now, it was not only half-lowered but severely damaged. The rolled-up metal sheets were covered in blood, and there were blood spatters on the floor and walls. Several grotesque bloody handprints were slapped on the wall, tearing chunks out of the drywall. “Mr. Preston must have tried to go to the stairwell for a smoke and got hit by the shutter. He got caught in it, but luckily, he didn’t die.” I felt a surge of relief for Mr. Preston. I glanced at Chad and whispered: “It might be that what the group message said is true…” “Alex, don’t scare me. Dude, I’m a millennial barely making rent, the only thing I’m terrified of is going bankrupt. You think I’m scared of a prank?” “I was just saying.” Chad cursed: “You watch. That idiotic rule said the smoking lounge was dangerous, right? I’m gonna go try it! It’s all just the higher-ups messing with us!” *Flick!* Chad lit a cigarette and put it in his mouth. Suddenly, I vaguely thought I saw a red dot on his forehead, which then vanished. I shook my head, assuming I’d imagined it. The red dot must have been the lit end of his cigarette… It was then that I felt something like a gust of wind on the back of my neck. But when I turned around, there was nothing there… “Don’t smoke here! Let’s walk to the bathroom, quick, hurry!” At this point, I was subtly starting to believe the anonymous rules in the group chat! Rule 2: **[No smoking in public areas! Warning: The former smoking lounge poses extreme danger and is currently unusable!]** I pulled Chad along, heading from the corridor towards the restroom, which was right across from the smoking lounge. Chad, true to form, refused to believe in bad luck. He took a step and walked right into the smoking lounge. “Ha, Alex, just watch. Nothing’s gonna happen. I bet Chloe was scared for nothing, hahaha.” I paused for a few seconds. Seeing Chad was fine, I didn’t think much of it and started lighting my own cigarette as I walked in. But… *CRASH!* A grating sound tore through the air! And then, I noticed Chad wasn’t moving! His eyes were slits, and a faint tremor ran through his jaw. The cigarette clenched between his lips dropped. “Chad?” The source of that horrific crashing sound was the metal trash can in the corner of the smoking lounge. The trash can was bouncing wildly on the floor, completely split open, its metal sides covered in blood.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296976”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

The moment Isabelle filed for divorce, a single call was all it took for Marcus to drop everything, abandoning me to rush back to her side. I tore the pregnancy test result from my hand, walking away without a single glance back. Five years later, we ran into each other at the airport. She was clinging to his arm, a dazzling smile, an ethereal beauty. A perfect family of three. The way Marcus looked at them—it was filled with a tenderness, a devotion he had *never* once shown me. I gripped Leo’s hand, wanting to leave, but we were stopped. He looked at my son beside me, his eyes widening in a mixture of shock and something unreadable. “Where did you get a child?” In the crowded departure lounge, little Leo tugged at my sleeve, leaning in to whisper conspiratorially. “Mommy, when can I have a daddy? I really envy that little girl.” He spoke softly, gesturing towards the open hall not far away. A tall man was holding a little girl, his strong arms tossing her up repeatedly. Then catching her safely, simulating a game of flying. The little girl’s crisp laughter, like little chimes, echoed through the entire lounge. Every passerby who looked their way wore a warm, envious smile. Only I, the moment I recognized that figure, felt like I was plunged into an ice storm. Every nerve tightened, my scalp prickled with dread. One thought consumed me: *escape*. I grabbed Leo, fleeing like a criminal, but accidentally bumped into a stranger’s camera. The man roared in distress, grabbing my coat, demanding compensation.

I never imagined my next meeting with Marcus would be so utterly humiliating. I was being yanked back and forth by his grip on my collar, my hair a wild mess. Leo, frightened, hid behind me, jostled back and forth by my violent movements. His eyes red-rimmed, he timidly but bravely cried out, “Don’t bully my mommy! You’re a bad man!” The man frantically accused me of breaking his camera, spinning me around again. Just then, a warm hand suddenly clamped onto my wrist, steadying me. The man was startled by the sudden force, looking up at the person behind me. “Who are you?” He was agitated, glaring hostilely at the person beside me. From above, that familiar deep voice was as steady and cold as ever. An undeniable authority. “Bullying a woman? What kind of strength is that?” The man wouldn’t let up, ranting about how I’d shattered his camera – what a prestigious brand, such a high-end lens, how it cost ten thousand dollars. Marcus gave him a brief, dismissive look, then turned to signal Isabelle. Isabelle immediately handed over several stacks of fresh cash from her purse. Marcus took the money, glancing at it – ten thousand dollars, not a penny more, not a penny less. He coldly eyed the broken lens on the ground, his eyes still holding that sharp, unyielding intelligence no one could fool. “More than enough to compensate you for this.” The man realized Marcus knew photography and wasn’t easy to swindle. He quietly took the money and left. But I had just landed, in the most humiliating, disheveled way possible, owing them money. I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh, mocking my own fate. Embracing my utter disgrace, I feigned nonchalance, smoothing my messy bangs back and greeting them with a bright smile. “Hi, Marcus, hi Isabelle. Long time no see.”

Isabelle hadn’t recognized me at first, thinking Marcus was just being a chivalrous Samaritan. The moment she saw my face, she was stunned for a split second. Then, her regret became painfully obvious. She cautiously glanced at Marcus, but didn’t respond to me. I dared not look at Marcus. But even without looking, I could feel his gaze, sharp as a blade. His stare made my skin crawl, my scalp tighten. I didn’t dare to look his way. And he, very quickly, noticed the small figure hidden behind me. Leo was already curious about Marcus. To a child, an adult who could lift them high, tossing them into the air for a game, was practically a superhero. The immediate tension had subsided. He rubbed away his tears, secretly poking his little head out to look up. And his eyes met Marcus’s. In that moment, my heart hammered, a frantic drumbeat in my chest. I felt lightheaded. This was it.

Anyone with eyes – even a blind man – could see Leo was Marcus’s son. Because standing together, they were a perfect adult and mini-me. The same nose, the same eyebrows, even the same soft, perfectly shaped ears looked like they’d been cast from the same mold. Even their daughter noticed it, tugging on Marcus’s sleeve. “Daddy, that little boy looks just like you.” Marcus’s face darkened further. Strangely, Isabelle wasn’t angry. Instead, she seemed worried, clinging to Marcus’s arm, her eyes misting over as she looked up at him, feigning helplessness. “Marcus…” Marcus snapped back to reality. His Adam’s apple bobbed. He gave me a murderous glare. His gaze was murderous, as if he wanted to devour me, or choke the life out of me a dozen times over. He was so furious, he didn’t even register Isabelle’s feigned fragility. He yanked her hand away, coldly saying, “You go back first.” Isabelle didn’t dare say more. She gave me a deep look, her eyes filled with resentment and unwillingness. But before leaving, she gently nudged her daughter. The little girl, cunning even at her young age, mimicked her mother’s innocent, vulnerable look as she spoke to Marcus, “Daddy, come home soon.” Marcus’s expression softened. He gently looked down, responding, “Okay.”

Marcus called his assistant, Ben, and handed Leo over to him. Then, we sat in the car together, in silence. He rested an arm on the window, his fingers idly stroking his lips, a deep frown etched on his face as he watched a distant plane take off. I knew his concern. “It’s fine. I won’t ask you for child support, and you don’t need to be responsible for Leo.” Suddenly, Marcus exploded. He snapped back to reality, seizing my wrist, pressing me back into the seat. His eyes were blazing red with fury, his voice shaking with raw anger. “…You think I’m worried about child support? Aria, five years! You disappeared without a trace for five whole years! Do you have any idea how long I’ve been looking for you? I’ve needed sleeping pills every night just to get some rest! Every moment, every second, I’ve been terrified, dreaming of you being cruelly murdered, trafficked to some island, or having your organs harvested! Do you know how scared I was?!” Scared? I never thought those words would come from the formidable, legendary CEO Marcus. But the bloodshot intensity in his eyes was real, not an act. His reaction completely threw me off. I was utterly bewildered. This bewilderment only infuriated him again. But this time, he looked deeply hurt. “What? In your eyes, am I truly that heartless? That I wouldn’t care if you vanished?” I scoffed. “You’re married. Why are you putting on this ‘devoted lover’ act?”

When Marcus married Isabelle, I was on an operating table. For this child, I worked five different jobs, even delivering food right up until I was seven months pregnant. The constant strain led to complications, and even a C-section was touch-and-go. As I lay there, bleeding profusely, fighting to save the child inside me, I heard the television from outside. The TV was broadcasting a lavish, ‘wedding of the century’ ceremony. The protagonists were Marcus and Isabelle. I screamed, my voice raw from the pain, as they walked down the aisle. My womb was cut open, a bloody mess, as their eyes met. I lay on the operating table, pale and barely clinging to life. They exchanged rings, gazing deeply into each other’s eyes, speaking vows of ‘never leaving.’ The way he looked at her was pure adoration. In that moment, I felt like I had died. The heartbreak was a searing pain, worse than childbirth. But after the pain, a strange calm settled over me. The nurse, wiping sweat from her brow after a frantic shift, wheeled me back to my room. The wedding on TV was slowly drawing to a close. Marcus and Isabelle embraced, kissing. The audience applauded thunderously, tears streaming down their faces as they blessed the couple. Even the nurse who was administering my IV couldn’t help but sigh, “What a perfect match.” Yes, what a perfect match. Ever since high school, ‘perfect match’ had been synonymous with Marcus and Isabelle. The whole world seemed to be rooting for them to get married, saying if they didn’t, love itself would cease to exist. Isabelle, however, fell in love with someone else. Marcus was heartbroken and furious. He drowned himself in alcohol, spiraling into self-pity, and then he confessed his feelings to me. He was truly pathetic then, sobbing in my arms, asking if I’d be with him. Against my better judgment, I said yes. And just like that, we were together, our relationship surprisingly uneventful. He did everything a boyfriend was supposed to do. But whenever he saw anything about Isabelle, his handsome brows would furrow, and he’d fall silent for the entire day. I foolishly believed he’d eventually get over her. But even more heartbroken than him were the people who desperately wanted him and Isabelle to be together. They were furious with him, demanding to know why he was with me, why he wasn’t fighting to win Isabelle back. Marcus, clearly annoyed, retorted, “She chose to be with an ordinary man, so I’ll choose to be with an ordinary woman. If this fairytale is going to be shattered, let’s shatter it completely.” So that was it. I had just found out I was pregnant when I heard him say that. I was in the room, carefully and excitedly holding the ribbon-wrapped gift box with the pregnancy test inside, planning to show it to him. The moment I heard his words, my blood ran cold. The ribbon-wrapped gift box in my hand suddenly felt incredibly ironic. How could I have thought he truly liked me, that he’d want a child with me? How could I have ever believed that *he* would fall in love with a woman like me? I didn’t have Isabelle’s beauty, or the privileged background of a socialite, or her reputation. I didn’t have the idyllic childhood she shared with Marcus. Why did I ever think he truly wanted to be with me? I had once believed he held at least a little affection for me. But at that moment, I snapped to a harsh realization: he was only with me out of spite. Out of spite against Isabelle.

That brief moment of clarity saved my life, and yet, it also shattered it. I turned and threw the pregnancy test into the ocean. Then, I went to the clinic and had an abortion. I had to leave him. Even if I wasn’t Isabelle, even if I didn’t possess her unique beauty, I wouldn’t willingly be a pawn in his spiteful games. I had my dignity. That day, I went to the clinic alone, had the abortion alone, and left the clinic alone. Dragging my weak, exhausted body back to the resort we were staying at to pack my bags. When Marcus learned I wanted to leave him, he went ballistic, snatching my things and throwing them aside. He gripped my hand tightly, so hard. “What’s wrong? What don’t you like about me? Just tell me!” It was the first time I’d seen him so furious. His anger usually simmered, a cold, silent threat that sent shivers down your spine without a single word. But that time, when I said I was leaving, his fury erupted, threatening to incinerate me. He kept asking what I disliked about him. I couldn’t say it. I couldn’t tell him he didn’t love me at all. That he saw me as a mere pawn in his petty feud with Isabelle. How could he possibly admit it? If he were that honest, he never would’ve confessed his feelings to me in the first place. If he’d seen me as a human being, he wouldn’t have played games with me, deceiving me for so long! It was my own fault for being so foolish. How could I have believed he’d ever truly let go of Isabelle? I didn’t explain anything, I just kept packing my bags. Then, he proposed to me. He got down on one knee, directly sliding the ring he had prepared onto my finger. His voice was softer and more resolute than ever. “You think I won’t marry you, don’t you? Fine, I’ll tell you now: I, Marcus Sterling, will take responsibility for you until the very end. I’ll spend my entire life with you.” Every word reeked of ‘responsibility.’ Who needs your sense of ‘responsibility’? I couldn’t help but laugh. “When I went for the abortion today, the doctor told me I might have trouble getting pregnant again. Your family, with you as the only son, needs heirs. I’m not fit for that.”

When Marcus learned I’d secretly had an abortion, his anger morphed into something far more complex. For a moment, I thought he wanted to strangle me. But then, reason seemed to pull him back. He hated me, hated me for killing his child. Disappointment, confusion, sadness, and even a flicker of fear flashed in his eyes. His thoughts tangled, making his dark eyes seem even deeper, but in the end, it all just turned to ice. He roared in fury, slamming his fist into the wall beside my head, drawing blood. He gasped for air, so consumed by hatred he probably wanted to kill me, but all he could do was gasp. I thought, with things like this, we could finally end it all. But who would have thought? Instead of letting me go, he held me captive in the hotel. He kept me there, refusing to let me see anyone or contact the outside world. Then, one night, he appeared, completely wasted, and took me roughly. —His fierceness felt like it was tearing me apart. And after that, he came every day. Every day, he acted like he wanted me dead. As if all his pain and hatred needed to be released this way. He’d attend events with beautiful young women on his arm, but he refused to end things with me. It was his twisted way of constantly trampling my dignity, watching me helpless as people ridiculed me, treating me like an idiot. I tried to break up, he refused. Every time I tried to sneak away, his bodyguards and Ben would block me. That lasted for six months, until the news of Isabelle’s divorce broke.

Isabelle got divorced. He left immediately, flying non-stop to Japan that very night. He went straight to her Tokyo home, beat up the man who had wronged her, and it made international headlines. The news showed a photo of him escorting Isabelle from her house. Isabelle’s face was bruised and tear-streaked from domestic violence, and she clung pitifully to his chest. His eyes were full of tender pity, laced with regret for not having protected her. It was a perfect opportunity. The first time in six months of trying to escape that his bodyguards and Ben weren’t around. But I didn’t leave immediately. I was still holding onto a sliver of hope. I called his cell phone. At first, no one answered. Then, finally, he picked up, only to say “What?” impatiently before hanging up. Later, I called again in the dead of night. The phone was answered, but there was no sound. After a while, I heard Isabelle crying, and Marcus’s gentle comforting words. He said, “It’s okay, I’ll take care of you from now on.” I didn’t listen any further. I threw away the cell phone Marcus had bought for me. I pried open a drawer, snatched every dollar he’d left behind, and left that very night. The car’s AC wasn’t on. It was cold. His breath plumed white in the cold car, his eyes bloodshot, as if he were holding back tears.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296975”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

In the midst of a zombie outbreak, my girlfriend insisted on delaying our evacuation. All for the sake of her cowardly, useless childhood friend to catch the last rescue helicopter. This was the final evacuation operation after the zombie outbreak, and our only chance of survival for our group of survivors. Seeing that her friend wasn’t coming, I had no choice but to knock my girlfriend unconscious and carry her onto the plane. Her precious childhood friend ultimately died in the zombie horde. I, however, managed to survive thanks to this opportunity and lived a happy, peaceful life with my girlfriend in the safe zone. But on the eve of me taking control of the district and preparing to lead the human army in a counterattack… My girlfriend drugged my water and threw me into a horde of zombies. She stood on the wall, sneering: “If it weren’t for your selfishness, Jake should have had a chance to live too.” “The pain he suffered, you must experience it yourself, and pay for it with your life!” Given another chance at life, I returned to the day my girlfriend insisted on delaying the evacuation. Since she’s so eager to live and die together with her childhood friend… I’ll send her to feed the zombies along with him!

“This is our last chance to evacuate. If we don’t leave now, we’ll all die here!” Several team members were shouting themselves hoarse trying to persuade Mia, who was blocking the exit with her body. “Jake hasn’t arrived yet. What’s wrong with waiting just five more minutes?!” Mia’s face was cold as ice, refusing to budge an inch. “You want to risk all our lives just to wait for him?! Mia, don’t be so selfish!” The team members were anxious to the point of panic. Someone who couldn’t stand it anymore rushed forward to pull her away. But in the next second, Mia raised her gun and fired. The bullet grazed past everyone’s scalps, instantly causing a chorus of shocked cries. “Are you crazy?!” Faced with everyone’s condemnation, Mia snapped back: “You’re despicable! Shameless! Selfish!” “Jake hasn’t arrived yet, so no one’s getting on that plane today! You cowards who are afraid of death, how can you bear to abandon a comrade at the critical moment? Do you even deserve to live?” Hearing this, the deputy commander looked at me with a troubled expression: “Alex, the military chopper is about to close its doors. If we delay any longer… I’m afraid we might…” I smiled slightly, gesturing for everyone to calm down. Then I walked over to Mia’s side and gently put my hand on her shoulder: “Mia’s right. Our team has always upheld the principle of never abandoning anyone. Although Jake didn’t make it to the meeting point on time, how can we just leave him behind?” Hearing these words, everyone present was dumbfounded. They couldn’t believe I would say such a thing. “Captain, what… what are you saying? How can you side with Mia just because she’s your girlfriend?” “Shut up!” Mia raised her gun and fired another burst into the air. “Alex has spoken. We must wait for Jake to arrive before evacuating together. Why are you all talking so much?!” Armed with the truth and my support, Mia was unbearably smug at this moment. She leaned close against my shoulder and said in a soft voice: “Alex, I knew you were different from those guys. You always stick to your principles no matter what.” I smirked and patted her head. “Jake and I are brothers who’ve been through life and death together. How could I possibly abandon him?” But Mia didn’t know that I actually didn’t need to squeeze onto this helicopter at all. As a top virologist, I only needed to make one phone call, and the military would send an armed force and a private plane to pick me up at any time. And in my team, except for Mia and Jake, everyone else was a top talent in their field. If it weren’t for wanting to bring the weak and incompetent Mia along to evacuate in my previous life, I could have easily chosen a safer private plane and gone to the camp with my teammates. In this life, I want to make her pay the most brutal price for her stupid and selfish decision. Let her be dragged down to hell along with her precious childhood friend, whom she kept thinking about but who repeatedly almost caused the team’s downfall. Seeing that no one dared to rebel, Mia became even more smug. And so, time ticked by minute by minute, as the dark mass of the zombie horde gradually approached in the distance. Until Jake finally arrived late. “Mia, I knew you’d wait for me!” Jake was panting heavily, his eyes full of excitement. Given his physical condition, it was almost a miracle that he managed to run from the east side of the city to the helipad. Mia let out a long sigh of relief and smiled. However, at that moment, a deafening explosion came from the distance — the last line of defense had been breached by the zombie horde.

The rescue helicopter also closed its doors at this moment, flying away from the helipad with some of the evacuees on board. The team members left behind cursed loudly in anger. “Mia, you f*cking psycho! You’ve cut off our last chance of survival!” “And that good-for-nothing! Why the hell did you have to run back home to grab a guitar the night before evacuation? Who were you planning to play for, the Grim Reaper?!” A chorus of curses filled the helipad. Jake was so frightened his face turned ashen. “I’m… I’m sorry, this guitar is my most treasured possession. I didn’t think it would delay everyone’s evacuation…” Seeing the hateful glares from everyone around, he quickly hugged his guitar and hid behind Mia. The team members were also quite dissatisfied with me at this point, giving me looks of disapproval. “Alex, you’ve led us through life and death situations so many times before. We trusted you as our leader, but how… how could you be so foolish?” I put on a guilty expression and patted the team members’ shoulders: “This time it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have let emotions cloud my judgment. But there’s no use talking about this now.” “Don’t panic everyone. I know of a temporary shelter nearby where we can take refuge for now.” Mia, arm in arm with Jake, snorted disdainfully: “Bunch of cowards. Isn’t Alex still here? He’s the one who’s led us through three zombie hordes before. So what if we missed this evacuation? There’ll be another one next time.” Hearing this, the team members became even more furious. But given the current crisis, they had no time to waste words arguing with Mia. Half an hour later, our group finally reached the temporary shelter. As the heavy blast doors slowly closed, the roars of those zombies were shut out. “Finally safe…” Everyone let out a long sigh of relief, collapsing to the ground in exhaustion. But at this moment, one team member suddenly cried out: “This is bad! I just received news that today was the last batch of evacuation helicopters. The military… the military is abandoning this area!” “Does that mean the military’s evacuation operation is completely over and we’re trapped in this godforsaken place forever?!” The team members’ faces turned pale, their voices trembling. At this point, Mia dismissively pursed her lips: “Look at how pathetic you all are. The shelter’s food supplies are sufficient to last us at least three months. Even if the military doesn’t come to rescue us, we can always migrate on our own later.” I opened the military communication device and skillfully entered the password: “Everyone, don’t panic. I’ve already contacted the military high command. They’ve promised to send special forces to pick us up in three days. Let’s all rest up and adjust our condition these few days.” Hearing this news, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Mia was also beaming with joy, holding Jake’s hand excitedly: “Jake, that’s great! We’ll be rescued in three days!” Seeing the two of them cheering jubilantly, the team members’ faces all darkened. “Alex.” The deputy commander lowered his voice and pulled me to a corner, “Is the number of rescue spots you applied for from the military enough? Including those two, we have a total of eight people.” I nodded slightly: “That’s right, but I only applied for seven spots.” Hearing this, the deputy commander first looked confused, then seemed to understand something. He probed in a low voice: “Then doesn’t that mean one of us won’t be able to get on the plane?” I glanced at Mia, who was feeding water to Jake, a cold smile tugging at my lips. “Don’t worry, your spots are secured. As for this extra person, we’ll see how she chooses when the time comes.” We exchanged knowing looks, while the oblivious Mia was gently wiping the sweat from Jake’s forehead: “Jake, don’t worry. I’ll make sure you get to the safe zone safely.” Watching this scene, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of anticipation. When the new round of rescue arrives, how will Mia choose? Will she keep her promise to Jake as she swore? Or will she expose the ugliest side of human nature when faced with a life-or-death decision?

With rescue on the way and ample supplies in the shelter, Mia completely let her guard down over the next few days. She started wasting resources recklessly with Jake. Using purified water from the water purifier to wash clothes, taking antibiotics meant for emergencies as health supplements, and even dismantling electronic equipment for batteries to power a music player. Until the evening of the third day, just half an hour before rescue was due to arrive. Mia suddenly barged in, interrupting my meeting with the team members. “Alex, give me the serum quickly.” She ordered bluntly. I frowned and looked up: “What do you need the serum for? Has someone been infected?” But Mia’s answer made everyone’s jaws drop. “No! But Jake has a fever. It’s up to 102°F now. I gave him fever reducers but they didn’t work!” “Stop wasting time and give me the serum. I need to inject it into him.” I slowly stood up, my voice turning cold: “Do you know what this serum means? I spent three years developing it. It can stop the zombie virus from spreading within five minutes of infection.” “Although it’s still in the experimental stage, it’s humanity’s last hope right now, and I only have one dose left.” “Oh come on, I know!” Mia waved her hand impatiently. “But the anti-virus serum can kill all viruses, right? Jake is in a lot of pain right now. Stop dawdling, will you? Hurry up!” The entire meeting room suddenly fell deathly quiet. The deputy commander couldn’t bear to watch anymore and slammed the table as he stood up: “Mia, did you lose your mind? You want to waste such precious serum on a mere fever?!” “What do you mean waste?!” Mia shrilly retorted. “Jake has always been weak. What if the fever causes complications? Besides… isn’t the serum meant to save people?” Seeing that I remained unmoved, Mia’s eyes suddenly turned vicious. She actually raised her gun and aimed it at my forehead. “Hand it over. Don’t make me do this!” “Mia, have you gone crazy? How could you…” Just as a teammate was about to step forward to stop her, he was nearly shot by Mia. Looking at this woman I once loved deeply, I suddenly felt incredibly absurd. In my previous life, I had escaped death so many times to protect her. And now, she was actually threatening my life for the sake of Jake. As unwilling as they were, my teammates had no choice but to hand over that sole dose of serum. We watched helplessly as Mia injected it into Jake.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296974”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

On the day we were supposed to get married at the courthouse, my boyfriend Samuel Lee had someone kick me out and brought in Rachel, his childhood sweetheart. He looked at me nonchalantly and said, “Rachel’s child needs legal custody. After we divorce, I’ll marry you.” Everyone thought that I, being so in love with him, would willingly wait another month for him. After all, I had already waited for him for seven years. But that very night, I accepted my family’s arrangement for an international marriage and disappeared from his world. Three years later, I accompanied my husband back to the country for ancestor worship. My husband had some urgent business, so he arranged for the local branch company to pick me up. Unexpectedly, I ran into Samuel Lee, whom I hadn’t seen in three years. “You’ve made enough of a fuss. Come back… Rachel’s child is about to start kindergarten. You’ll be responsible for picking him up and dropping him off.” In the arrival hall, I saw someone holding a sign with my English name. As I walked over, I realized it was Samuel Lee, whom I hadn’t seen in three years. He was there with Rachel and a few of his good friends, all craning their necks and looking around expectantly. “Sam, isn’t that your doormat Olivia?” one of them said. Samuel looked surprised to see me too, but quickly pretended to be indifferent and said, “See? I told you she’d come crawling back.” The group snickered and looked at me: “Olivia disappeared without a word back then. Now that she sees Sam’s successful, I bet she cries herself to sleep every night regretting it!” “But Olivia, if you wanted to pretend to bump into him, why did you just wear casual clothes? Couldn’t you have dressed up a bit?” “Don’t tell me you can’t even afford decent clothes without Sam? You must be in a really bad state!” In the past, whenever I went out to see Samuel, I would always put on my most exquisite makeup and choose the most flattering clothes, presenting my best side to him. But now, there was no need for that anymore. Because of my pregnancy, my husband doesn’t let me wear makeup and wants me to dress comfortably. This casual outfit was specially customized for me by someone he hired. However, hearing their words, I realized they only knew my English name but didn’t know that I was the person they were supposed to pick up. Seeing that I remained silent, someone who used to be closer to me quickly tried to smooth things over: “Olivia, it’s good that you’re back. Actually, Sam has been looking for you all these years… asking around for news about you!” Samuel’s smile froze, then he pretended to be nonchalant and said: “Rachel’s child is about to start kindergarten. From now on, you’ll be responsible for picking him up and dropping him off.” Samuel was still his same arrogant, self-righteous self. But I was no longer that young girl who always accommodated him. Seeing him again, all I felt was annoyance. Not wanting to waste time with them here, I was about to reveal my identity when Rachel spoke first: “Olivia, don’t blame Sam. He did this to take care of you too. After all, who knows what you’ve been up to during these three years you disappeared?” “Now that you’re in such a poor state, you couldn’t even handle being my personal assistant if he offered you the job.” “Don’t worry, no one will look down on you if you help me take care of my son.” Three years later, Rachel was still as arrogant as ever, still able to make me frown in disgust. Samuel misunderstood my expression as jealousy and anger towards him, a hint of smugness flashing in his eyes. “Alright, enough with the fuss when you can’t even make it out there anymore,” he said. “Just take care of the kid properly and stop causing trouble. You need to know your place.” “Don’t worry, we still have a room for the maid at our place.” As soon as he finished speaking, the people around burst into malicious laughter. “Olivia, see how good Sam is to you? He’s afraid you’re suffering out there, so he’s arranged food and lodging for you.” “It’s just helping Rachel take care of the kid, isn’t that much better than your current poor life? Hurry up and thank Sam.” Rachel touched her earrings, pretending to be considerate: “Olivia, don’t worry. If my son misbehaves and doesn’t listen to you, I’ll discipline him for you. I won’t let you suffer any grievances.” Samuel snorted with laughter, glancing at me. “What grievances could she have? She disappeared over a trivial matter back then. Now that she can’t make it on her own and has come back, it’s only right for her to suffer a bit.” Hearing these words, my heart skipped a beat. Even now, did he still think that getting married to Rachel was just a trivial matter? It turns out that the Samuel who once loved me was long gone. He was no longer that boy who, covered in wounds, carried my injured self across half the city. Nor was he that young man who, with nothing to his name, loudly proclaimed his love for me and promised me everything. And he certainly wasn’t that successful man who was willing to cook for me with his own hands. But it’s fine. It’s all in the past, no need to bring it up. After all, I’m about to have my second child soon.

Suppressing my thoughts, I didn’t want to argue with them here. It was pointless. I looked at Samuel and said calmly: “Weren’t you here to pick me up? Let’s go.” The scene went quiet for a moment, and they exchanged glances before suddenly bursting into laughter. Rachel sneered coldly: “Wait for you? Who do you think you are?!” She pointed at the sign, “Look carefully, we’re waiting for Olivia. Do you know who that is?” This was my English name, of course I knew. “Olivia is Mrs. Young, the lady of the Young family, and the legal wife of Mr. Young.” “Mr. Young is decisive in the business world, but he’s actually quite the romantic. They say he refused to marry for years, just waiting for Olivia.” “Everyone in the circle knows that rather than trying to please Mr. Young, it’s better to please Mrs. Young. She’s the apple of Mr. Young’s eye.” Hearing their chatter, a happy smile appeared on my face. After three years of marriage, Gabriel’s business had grown bigger and bigger, and his reputation as a wife-doting maniac had spread far and wide. Rachel, always trying to one-up me, couldn’t resist showing off in front of me: “Mr. Young once bought a ‘True Love Forever’ bracelet at Christie’s auction for $20 million… US dollars, just to please Mrs. Young.” “Mrs. Young is the envy of women all over the world.” She paused, then pointed at my wrist and said shrilly: “It’s this one!” The scene suddenly went quiet, with everyone looking at my bracelet. Samuel grabbed my hand abruptly, examining it for a moment before saying mockingly: “The imitation is quite exquisite! Which delivery guy bought this for you? Giving fake gifts.” “Trash.” I shook off his hand, curled my lips into a smile, and gently caressed the bracelet. Seeing my happy smile, Samuel’s pupils constricted, and he suddenly grabbed my wrist, roughly rubbing the bracelet. I hadn’t expected this to happen and was caught off guard. Rachel stepped forward to examine the bracelet, taking it from Samuel’s hand and playing with it. “It is indeed more exquisite than the imitation I bought, but I would never wear it out. It’s embarrassing.” “The imitations from abroad are really different, the feel is quite nice.” “Or are you saying, Olivia, that you’re Olivia, that legendary Mrs. Young?!” As she finished speaking, the people around burst into laughter. After all, it was too absurd for them to believe. Gabriel Young was a world-renowned financial genius, cold and ruthless in the business world, decisive and unforgiving. And I was still hanging out with them three years ago, a nobody whose wedding was called off by Samuel. No matter how they thought about it, it seemed impossible. Rachel twirled the bracelet around her finger. “Olivia, why don’t you give me this bracelet? I’ll pay double for it.” Afraid she might drop the bracelet, I quickly said: “Give me back the bracelet, it was given to me by Gabriel…” Before I could finish, Samuel slapped me hard across the face, making my head turn and drawing blood from the corner of my mouth. “Shut up!”

Samuel looked at me with some annoyance and said: “Olivia Johnson, you dare to mention Mr. Young’s name? You’re even daring to spread rumors about having a relationship with him. Are you trying to get me killed?” Samuel’s good friends also looked indignant, glaring at me angrily. “Olivia, do you know that we barely managed to get the chance to pick up Mrs. Young today?” “Sam’s company was acquired by Mr. Young last year. We all depend on Mr. Young for our livelihoods now. Only by pleasing Mrs. Young can Sam’s position be secure.” “Now you’re here spreading rumors about having a relationship with Mr. Young. Are you trying to ruin Sam?” I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and slowly turned my head, meeting Samuel’s gaze. Perhaps my look was too frightening, as Samuel frowned, a flash of panic crossing his eyes. Seeing Samuel’s strange look at me, Rachel shot me a venomous glance and pointed at my nose, cursing: “Olivia Johnson, you ungrateful wretch! Sam has already agreed to take you back, don’t be so ignorant and ungrateful, getting above yourself.” “Even if you have some resentment towards Sam, you can’t use this method to get revenge on him, can you?” Hearing this, I felt like I was back three years ago. No matter what I did, Rachel would always misinterpret my intentions and explain them to Samuel. At first, Samuel would scold Rachel. But later, he would follow Rachel’s words and blame me. Just like now, Samuel scolded me in a tone of disappointment: “Jealous woman.” But this time, he didn’t continue to scold me as he did in the past. After a moment of silence, Samuel took out a check for $200,000 and placed it in front of me. “For the sake of our past relationship, I won’t do anything to you.” “Take the money and buy yourself some decent clothes. If you don’t like taking care of children, I’ll find you a respectable job in a few days.” “Don’t worry, since Mr. Young acquired the company, this amount of money is nothing to me now.” Samuel’s patronizing attitude made me sick. Looks like he’s been doing quite well lately. Under everyone’s surprised gaze, I pushed away Samuel’s hand holding the check, retrieved my bracelet from Rachel’s hand, and said with a smile: “No need, Mr. Lee. I don’t accept things from strangers.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296973”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

After my wife was reported for embezzlement by a business rival, I took the blame and went to prison for her. She promised she would wait for me at our home, but she never visited me even once. I thought she was just busy and didn’t think much of it. Until the day I was released, I saw my wife leaning against another man’s chest, happily watching a boy and a girl playing in the yard. No wonder she had no time to see me – she was too busy living her happy new life. I sacrificed four and a half years in prison, thinking I was protecting her. But she didn’t care at all. The little boy made eye contact with me as I crouched behind the iron fence. He turned and shouted excitedly: “Mommy, Daddy, look! There’s a homeless man begging!” The man looked over at me, and I felt my heart turn cold. Wasn’t he Henry Shaw, the one who had reported my wife all those years ago? … Henry pulled the two children behind him and looked up warily. “Go play with mommy, kids.” The two children bounced over to my wife’s side. Claire just frowned as she stared at me. Henry reached out to pat my shoulder, hesitated for a few seconds when he saw my ragged clothes, but still completed the greeting between men. “Next time you come to our house, remember to call ahead. You showing up like this… almost scared the kids.” “I remember you weren’t supposed to be out of prison this early.” Henry pulled out a cigarette and offered it to me. I didn’t take it. “Got out early for good behavior,” I muttered, the words tasting bitter. “The deed to this mansion is in my name.” The fruits of my years of hard work had become Henry’s gift, handed to him on a silver platter. Henry fell silent. He lit the cigarette and smoked it himself. Claire walked over, and Henry’s free hand naturally draped over her shoulder. Claire looked me up and down, making me uncomfortable. She let out a soft sigh, her expressive eyes gazing at me: “You’ve lost weight.” As if we were long-lost lovers reuniting. I wanted to ask her if she still meant what she said years ago, if she had thought of me at all in these long days. Henry suddenly clapped his hands, cigarette dangling from his lips. “I almost forgot! Look at my scatterbrain. It’s all because your son riled me up.” “Sweetie, stop eating.” He picked up the dog bowl covered in the family pet’s drool and tossed it arrogantly at my feet. He blew a contemptuous puff of smoke in my face. “Lambert, I’m not trying to insult you. Our dog’s monthly food budget is definitely way more than what you got in prison. The quality is much better too.” “I just want to satisfy my curiosity. I heard that people who’ve been in prison for a while will eat even rotten vegetable roots with gusto. I want to see if it’s true that you’ll eat anything now.” I had come on an empty stomach, rushing over as soon as I was released because I wanted to see Claire quickly. But I certainly wasn’t so desperate as to eat rotten vegetables with relish, like he claimed. I just never imagined that Claire already had two children. She had long forgotten me and my sacrifices. Henry treated me like less than human, and Claire smiled along indulgently. [Paywall] I angrily grabbed Henry’s collar with one hand. “What are you so smug about? Setting up my wife, stealing my family – I haven’t even settled accounts with you for that yet!” Claire’s nails scraped my arm as she impatiently said: “Andrew Lambert, Henry was just joking with you. Why are you overreacting like this?” I forced down the bitterness in my heart and let go. As soon as I released him, Claire hurried to Henry’s side, carefully straightening his collar. “Claire, aren’t you going to explain anything to me? Him and those twins…” Claire glanced at her watch, her tone cold and distant. “We’ll discuss this minor issue later. It’s time for Nathan and Haley’s swing session at our house.” They treated me like I was invisible, walking away hand in hand. My anger felt like it was hitting cotton – no one cared. Claire pulled out a $100 bill from between her phone and case, tucking it into my hand. “Thanks for your hard work these past four years. Treat yourself to something nice.” I stood there stunned, holding the $100 bill. Keeping cash between the phone and case was a habit I’d had for years. It started when Claire and I were on vacation once. She fainted from heatstroke, my phone was dead, and I had no cash on me. I had to ask many passersby before borrowing money from a girl who had issues with Claire. Her condition was slapping me once for $5. From then on, to be prepared for emergencies, I would check every morning that we both had cash behind our phones. Claire’s actions still had traces of my influence, but she no longer loved me. Only this house we had lived in for years told me that our loving past had truly existed. I swallowed the acid in my heart, found the key under the doormat, and prepared to go inside to change into slippers. The housekeeper suddenly loudly scolded me. “Mr. Lambert, what are you doing? There are muddy footprints all over the tiles. Can’t you think about how hard it is for us to clean?” The housekeeper was someone I had hired from my hometown. She had been very grateful to me at first. I never imagined that in four and a half years in prison, it wasn’t just Claire whose heart had changed. I ignored the housekeeper and picked up a pair of slippers. She exclaimed again: “Mr. Lambert, you’re breaking the rules again. Those slippers are for guests!” I was about to lose my temper when she ran back and brought me a pair of my old shoes, along with two red plastic bags to use as shoe covers. She patted my back like an elder. “Mr. Lambert, don’t be angry with me. I have to follow the orders of whoever pays my salary, right?” “Your things… the madam had me pack them all in the storage room. You should take that pile of junk and move out quickly.” I shook my head and went to the storage room. Expensive watches and custom suits were carelessly piled on the floor. But on the spotless top shelf of a glass cabinet sat a shoebox. I carefully took it down, only to find shredded cloth shoes inside. The uppers had several burn holes, with traces of cigarette ash. When I came out holding the shoebox, the happy family of four had returned. Seeing my unhappy expression, Claire came over and felt my forehead. “You don’t have a fever. Why do you look so unwell? I’ll have the housekeeper make you some chicken soup later.” “I just discussed it with Henry. We’ve known each other for so many years, so you can continue living in our home. We won’t force you out onto the streets.” I stepped back to avoid her touch and opened the shoebox. “Who ruined my shoes?” Claire glanced at them. “The ones your mom made for you, right?” I nodded. Claire pointed at me and let out a clear laugh. “Henry, he’s treating a pair of $20 cloth shoes like a treasure.” “Who could stand this mama’s boy, wearing the same ratty shoes every day, putting them in the safe when it rains. Why doesn’t he just live with his mom forever.” The little boy who had been hiding behind Henry bravely stepped forward, raising his hand high. “I did it! Don’t blame my mommy.” He seemed very proud. Claire gently ruffled his hair. “If you break someone’s things, you have to pay for them. Go buy him a new pair.” Then she said to me resignedly: “Andrew Lambert, don’t quibble with a child. He’ll buy you a new pair, so let it go.” The chubby boy ran over with an alligator skin wallet, taking out a handful of coins and scattering them on me. He grinned, looking very much like Henry when he smiled. Claire praised the boy for being sensible, but when she looked at me again, her brow furrowed. “This matter is over now. What child isn’t naughty sometimes? Your old-fashioned cloth shoes – $20 is already generous of him.” Henry gestured mysteriously with his cigarette. The shoes were placed too high for a 3-foot-tall child to reach. And there were cigarette ashes on them. Claire followed my gaze, playfully punched Henry, then turned to me with an icy expression. “You don’t suspect Henry did it, do you? Even if he knew that ratty shoe was your family heirloom, Henry wouldn’t bother touching your junk. Just have your mom make you another pair.” She won’t be making any more. This was the last pair of shoes my mom had sewn for me. In those bitter years I spent in prison, only my mom visited once. She specifically instructed me to treat Claire well in the future. But was it me who didn’t want to have a good life with Claire? In the five years I longed for her… She was laughing in another man’s arms. Claire ignored me and picked up her child. “Baby must be hungry. Let’s go eat. Honey, you come quickly too.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296972”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

The night before the college entrance exam, my stepsister poured boiling water all over me. My forehead, face, and hands were all burned to varying degrees. The doctor told me I needed to be hospitalized immediately. I refused. I still had to take the exam. This was the biggest turning point in my life, and I couldn’t miss it. The doctor shook his head as he prescribed burn cream and antibiotics. My dad impatiently scolded me: “Why did you provoke her in the middle of the night?” I was already in pain, and years of pent-up resentment finally burst out! Standing on the empty street, I shouted: “How did I provoke her? I was sound asleep, how could I have provoked her?” “Dad, your favoritism is too much! That kettle in our house had just boiled water! She was trying to kill me!!!” “People in hell always try their best to drag others down with them!” My dad slapped me across the face. I was stunned. The burn layered with the slap, and I was in so much pain I could barely breathe. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. I was just a child no one cared about. In the eyes of my dad and my birth mom, I was always unwanted… I kept thinking over and over: “Why didn’t I just die? All these years, why did I fight so hard to stay alive?” My trembling hand touched my face. The burning, stinging areas had indeed broken skin. My dad didn’t continue scolding me. He turned and walked towards home, and I silently followed behind him.

My dad had a mistress. I knew about this since kindergarten. My mom would cry and threaten suicide every other day. Later, one afternoon, she heard my dad was at a hotel with that woman and rushed over. But then a once-in-a-century earthquake struck. My mom was crushed under a concrete slab and lost a leg. My dad and his mistress escaped unscathed. It was May 12, 2008, in Hanwang, Sichuan province. That year, there were many heartwarming stories in the news. Influenced by the overall atmosphere, my dad didn’t divorce. But my mom lost her job due to her disability. Her personality became even more volatile and weak. She would threaten suicide frequently, saying she wanted to die to spite my dad. The following year, my dad divorced my mom against all odds and married that woman, moving to a new city. I went with my dad. First, because my dad was in a better financial situation, while my mom had no job. Second, my mom didn’t want me. She said I was from the Parker family, so why should she raise a Parker child? As for that woman… Her name was Bella White. She was my mom’s best friend. When she got together with my dad, she was already married. In other words, she and my dad were having an affair with each other. When she married into our family, she brought along a daughter who was the same age as me, just two months younger. She claimed the girl was my dad’s child. From then on, I had a stepmother and a stepsister. What’s it like having a stepmother? Like the evil queen in Snow White, always plotting to kill the daughter of the original wife? Or treating the original wife’s daughter like her own, no matter how much the daughter hates or mistreats her, always having a kind and forgiving heart, leading to a happy ending? Reality isn’t so extreme. It’s hard for anyone to be completely fair, let alone a woman who had an affair and even stole her best friend’s husband. What could you expect? Those years… Whatever my stepsister had, I had too! Whatever my stepsister didn’t have, I still had! My stepsister’s clothes would eventually become my clothes. When they were old, short, or no longer liked, they became mine. My stepsister was a picky eater. The dishes she didn’t want to eat, leftover snacks, stationery she thought was ugly or didn’t like – those all became mine. We were in the same school and same class. Everyone knew we were sisters. Some people secretly asked me: “Zoe, were you adopted?” “No.” “If not, why do you always take Olivia’s leftovers?” I explained over and over that I was my dad’s biological daughter, that my mom was my dad’s legal wife, and that Olivia’s mom was the mistress who stole my dad. This spread quickly, passing through countless mouths, embellished countless times. By the time it reached my ears again, it was completely distorted. Because of this, Olivia became famous at school. Many people cursed her for being the daughter of a mistress, stealing what belonged to others. My dad and stepmom beat me harshly. They said I was an ungrateful wretch, that when they divorced they shouldn’t have kept me, they should have left me to fend for myself with my crippled mom. They transferred Olivia to the best and most expensive private school in the area. Her clothes, shoes, and stationery were all replaced with better ones. My stepmom said to give me the old ones. Olivia screamed, smashing the old stationery on the ground, using scissors to cut up the clothes, poking holes in the shoes, saying she’d rather destroy them than give them to me. I stood at the bedroom door. Not waiting for Olivia to finish her tantrum, I turned and went back to my room. This was my and Olivia’s room: “Two closets, one bed, one floor mat.” The bed had a pink mosquito net and matching pink bedding. The first time I lay on that bed, it felt so comfortable! Lying there, I felt like I had become a princess. A few minutes later, Olivia screamed again: “Zoe Parker! You rotten person, how dare you sleep on my bed? Get off right now!” My stepmom ran in with Olivia. Together, they grabbed my hair and dragged me off the bed, throwing me to the floor. I clutched my aching scalp, looking at them defiantly and angrily: “I’ve been sleeping on the floor for 4 years. It’s time I slept on the bed!” Back then, when we first moved to this city and this home, my dad and stepmom had told me and Olivia to discuss who would sleep on the bed and who on the floor, or to take turns. I was so stupid! I volunteered to let Olivia have the bed. My dad and stepmom praised me greatly, saying I was sensible and knew to let my sister have it. To get their praise, many things after that followed the same pattern. New clothes – Olivia wears them first. New stationery – Olivia uses it first. New toys – Olivia plays with them first… Whatever Olivia doesn’t want, don’t waste it, just give it to me… In this family, I was basically treated like a beggar. My stepmom walked up to me and kicked me, looking down at me condescendingly: “Zoe Parker, people need to know their place. In our family, you’re just a dog.” “If we want to keep you, you’re a house dog. If we don’t want to keep you, you’re a stray dog.” Her voice wasn’t loud, but every word dripped with viciousness.

I didn’t want to be a dog. I’d rather fend for myself with my mom. I took the $300 I had stolen from home and returned to my hometown. My mom lived in resettlement housing, still unemployed, surviving on welfare. My mom didn’t welcome me. She snatched away the $300 I had, then told me to get lost, to go find my dad. In that moment, my whole world collapsed. I was unwanted. In my mind, the thoughts of ‘suicide’ and ‘clinging to life’ were like two little people pulling desperately at each other. In the end, I gritted my teeth and returned to the place where I was treated like a dog. Waiting for me were cold mockery and sarcasm. My dad beat me, saying I was up to no good, running away from home. A few days later, Olivia finally discovered her allowance was missing. My dad was about to beat me again, telling me to hand over the money. I shouted that my mom had taken the money, if he had the guts he should go ask her for it! My dad fell silent and let go of me. That night, Bella covered my mouth with one hand and viciously pinched my thigh over a dozen times with the other. I was in so much pain I broke out in a cold sweat. I struggled and bit down hard on the webbing between her thumb and index finger. I asked her: “My mom was your best friend. Aren’t you afraid of going to hell for treating me like this?” She sneered: “Your mom doesn’t even care about you. What do I have to be afraid of?” I was momentarily speechless. I went to the bathroom and took off my pants to look. My thigh was covered in bruises. After that day… It was as if Bella had discovered a new world. Whenever she was in a bad mood, she would pinch my thighs. This spot was good – hidden, wouldn’t be seen by others. Olivia’s grades weren’t good. She had been below average in our class before, and remained below average at her new school. Bella felt embarrassed, especially after comparing Olivia’s grades to mine. She would curse loudly at home… “Look at you! All the family’s money is spent on you, and what’s the result? As stupid as a pig! Can’t even do better than Zoe! I’m telling you, if you don’t score higher than her next time, don’t call me mom anymore!”… Olivia hated me. Besides secretly cutting holes in my pants, hiding needles in my coat, she would also steal my homework notebooks, tear up my textbooks, pour ink on my books… This went on for several years. One night, after I finished washing up and was about to apply face cream, I noticed obvious signs of tampering in the baby lotion, with a faint smell of nail polish remover. I hesitated for a moment, then decisively scooped out a dollop of cream and applied it to my face. My face immediately felt like it was on fire. To be honest, compared to my dad hitting me or Bella pulling my hair, this really wasn’t much. But I screamed and ran into the bathroom to look in the mirror. My cheeks turned red at a visible rate, with countless small rashes appearing on the skin surface. I angrily ran back to the bedroom, scooped out a large glob of cream, and lunged at Olivia to smear it on her face. Olivia screamed too. My dad and Bella rushed in and pulled me away to save Olivia. I shouted at my dad, accusing him of favoritism, asking if he would only be happy once Olivia killed me. Bella was very calm. She interrupted me, saying we should go to the hospital first, that a girl’s face couldn’t be ruined. My dad nodded. Then they took me to a clinic. Again, a clinic… They had just said we’d go to the hospital, but we ended up at a clinic. Hah, all these years, every time Olivia got sick it was the big hospital, while for me it was always the small clinic. That’s right, Olivia was the precious darling who couldn’t risk anything going wrong. I was just a pebble on the roadside – keeping me barely alive was enough. The doctor asked what I had used. I angrily pointed at Olivia and shouted that it was the baby lotion she had poisoned. Bella rushed forward and slapped me across the face, saying I was talking nonsense, that I was just a child making baseless accusations without seeing anything! The clinic fell silent. Everyone looked at us. I planted both hands on the doctor’s desk, my chest heaving violently. I bit my lip as big teardrops fell onto the desk… People around us pointed and whispered, saying Bella had hit me too hard. Bella panicked and explained that things had happened so suddenly, that she was just worried I would develop bad habits. The result of this incident was… Bella gave me $50 to buy a new bottle of baby lotion, telling me to keep the change as pocket money and not to talk about this outside. My dad finally gave up the facade of family harmony and fairness, telling me to live in the school dorms.

I laughed. I had traded a brief allergic reaction on my face for a degree of freedom, no longer having to see those three people every day. In the years that followed… In 8th grade, my grades plummeted from the top 3 in the class to the bottom 5-10, especially in math and science. I was always last on every test. I often cried under the covers on weekends at home. I wouldn’t speak during the day, and would pull my hair out while doing homework. Every time I couldn’t finish my homework, a clump of hair would fall out. Bella sneered countless times: “Hmph, I thought you were some kind of academic genius. Now you’re showing your true colors!” “Whether you’re a donkey or a horse, you only find out after running a few laps!” In 9th grade, my grades stabilized at second to last in the class. Why second to last? Because the last place was firmly occupied by the king of underachievers in our class, Ethan. On 100-point tests, I would hover around 60 points. But him? He didn’t even hover. He was always below 60, occasionally in the 30s. Very eye-catching. During this time, without the pressure of my academic superiority, Olivia had an easier time at home. Then came the high school entrance exam. I scraped by, accidentally performing poorly and scoring just a few points higher than Olivia. My dad couldn’t bear to send his precious daughter to a regular high school, so he spent $5000 to get Olivia into a key high school. As for me, of course I went to a regular high school. In my dad’s words, Olivia had underperformed, while I had overperformed. In 10th grade, as luck would have it, Ethan and I were classmates again. On registration day, he whistled at me, his smile incredibly smug: “What a coincidence! Eternal second-to-last.” I finally understood. He was like me – those terrible grades we got all year were deliberately achieved. With our actual scores, we couldn’t have gotten into high school at all. I walked over and looked him up and down: “Mr. Method Actor, what score did you actually get?” He told me a number. Wow! My score was already barely scraping by. His was even lower, just barely above the admission cutoff. “You didn’t do your research, did you? The admission scores for the past 5 years have varied by less than 3 points.” His smile held a hint of mockery: “We’re in high school now. Want to keep competing with me?” “For last place?” I smiled back. He raised an eyebrow. High school material was much harder than middle school, especially math. For some people, it was like entering hell mode. Olivia’s grades plummeted. No matter how much Bella watched her study, how many tutoring classes she signed her up for, how many practice books she bought her, it was all useless. I still went home every weekend. First, to maintain my image as a student driven crazy by poor grades. Second, to see how Olivia was doing, and to witness Bella turning into a roaring beast every time she heard about Olivia’s grades. Olivia would occasionally rebel. “You’re so amazing, why don’t you do it? You can’t even do middle school math, what right do you have to yell at me? Zoe’s a bad student too, how come you don’t yell at her?” … “Are you just projecting what you can’t do onto me?” … “I hate studying, and I hate you!” My dad couldn’t stand it anymore. He pointed at me countless times and told Bella: “Don’t push too hard. Let the kids find their own way. Don’t drive Olivia crazy!” Bella was both distressed and exasperated. She turned to take out her anger on me, her claws swooping towards my waist. Did she think I was some pushover who would be afraid of her? As soon as her hand reached out, I slapped it away. Then I curled up in a ball in the corner, pulling my hair and screaming hysterically. “Aunt Bella, have mercy, have mercy!” Bella cared about face to some extent. Afraid the neighbors would hear and spread rumors of an “evil stepmother”, she had no choice but to back off. After that, my life got a little better. I would scream.

Ethan shamelessly held onto last place in the entire grade. Converting to a 100-point scale, he would score in the 30s for math, physics and chemistry each time. His language, English, history and politics were slightly better, in the 50s! I really didn’t want to comment, but I had secretly flipped through the “5 Years of College Entrance Exam, 3 Years of Simulations”, “Golden Exam Papers”, “Must-Do Exam Questions” and “Dragon Gate Special Topics” hidden in his drawer… Damn, this guy was doing even more practice problems than me! His handwriting was messy and rushed. “Ethan, what exactly are you doing?” I asked one day at lunch when no one else was in the classroom, drumming on his desk. “What’s the point of scoring so low every time?” “There is a point,” he suddenly looked up and stared at me intently, his eyes bright. “More valid than your reasons.” I couldn’t help but clench my jaw, wanting to ask if he had investigated me. Before I could speak, he smiled. … “Zoe, want to make a bet?” … “Bet on what?” … “See who can get into Clearwater University.” Clearwater was my goal too. I had been preparing since elementary school and had some confidence. “Alright, loser buys dinner.” “Let’s add one more condition – loser has to be the winner’s girlfriend.” Me: “…” Ethan and I weren’t dating, except for that vague hint of attraction. Olivia knew how to dress up and was pretty. She often had many boys surrounding her like stars orbiting the moon. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t envious at all. Occasionally when we ran into each other on the way to and from school, Olivia would roll her eyes at me and whisper something to the group of boys. The boys would hiss at me and throw trash at me. One time, on the way back to school on a Sunday, a group of people were waiting for me at a street corner. They started walking towards me as soon as they saw me. Olivia was chewing gum as she walked in the middle. I took two steps back and turned to run. But I couldn’t outrun them… Someone grabbed my clothes from behind and flung me hard to the side. I slammed into a wall. The group swarmed me. Some kicked my legs, some punched my stomach. I was in so much pain I could barely scream. After the group finished beating me, Olivia told them to hold me down. She took out a razor blade and walked towards me. She said she was going to cut up my face. That day I was lucky. Among the people who shouted and tried to stop them was a teacher from their school. He yelled: “Which class are you from?” I vaguely heard someone say “Mr. Song” with a hint of fear in their voice. The group scattered. I slid down the wall. My body hurt and my legs were weak. I couldn’t stand up at all. “Young lady, are you alright? Should I take you to the hospital?” Mr. Song asked. I curled up in the corner, shaking my head as tears streamed down my face. Olivia and the others received major demerits at their school. Everyone in town was gossiping about this incident. Bella pinned Olivia to the bed and beat her viciously with a clothes hanger. However, she still felt I was the root cause. She thought I shouldn’t have run at the street corner, shouldn’t have screamed, and most of all, shouldn’t have freeloaded in their home all these years, making people dislike me. When she beat Olivia, she would beat me too, cursing me for being vicious. By now she no longer feared the reputation of being an evil stepmother. I avoided them whenever I could, and gradually stopped going home on weekends. Teenage boys and girls are at their most rebellious stage in life. Olivia didn’t feel there was anything wrong with getting people to beat me up. On the contrary, she thought it was cool! She grew even closer with that group of boys. I hid at school. Without all the chaos at home, I frantically did practice problems every day. If I wanted to change my fate and leave this family, studying was the only way.

There were three days off before the college entrance exam. I reluctantly returned home. To create a good study environment for Olivia, my dad and Bella tiptoed around like cats. Olivia was a poor student. She sat at her desk either spacing out or chewing on her pen, frowning. I couldn’t be bothered with these people. I just sat cross-legged on my floor mat and read. No matter what happened, once the exam was over, this family would have little to do with me. Two days later, the night before the exam. As if summoned by fate, I woke up in the middle of the night. A huge shadow inches away startled me! Olivia was standing next to my floor mat, holding a kettle of water motionless in both hands. I shot up… “What are you doing?” Olivia let out a piercing scream, as if she was the one who had been frightened. A large kettle of freshly boiled water splashed towards my face. I instinctively pulled up the blanket to shield myself… This was my first time in a hospital since 2008. My dad brought me. Bella stayed home to comfort the “traumatized” Olivia. My forehead, face and hands all had varying degrees of burns. What do burns feel like? It’s like the flesh under a thin layer of skin has been scalded and cooked. It’s a constant, unrelenting pain that no nerves can block out. You can’t sleep, and it’s a living hell! Even with my writing skills, I still can’t fully describe it. The doctor told me I needed to be hospitalized immediately. I refused. I still had to take the exam. This was the biggest turning point in my life, and I couldn’t miss it. The doctor shook his head as he prescribed burn cream and antibiotics, telling me to be very careful these two days and not let the skin break, to avoid infection. Afterwards, on the way home, my dad impatiently said: “Why did you provoke her in the middle of the night?” I was already in pain, plus I was anxious and worried about not getting enough rest affecting the exam tomorrow. On top of that, years of pent-up resentment finally burst out. My temper flared up like a volcano erupting. Standing on the empty street, I shouted: “How did I provoke her? I was sound asleep, how could I have provoked her?” “Dad, your favoritism is too much! That kettle in our house had just boiled water! She was trying to kill me!!!” “People in hell always try their best to drag others down with them!” My dad slapped me across the face. I was stunned. The burn layered with the slap, and I was in so much pain I could barely breathe. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. I was just a child no one cared about. In the eyes of my dad and my birth mom, I was always unwanted… I kept thinking over and over: That year, when my mom snatched away the $300 I had stolen and told me to get lost, why didn’t I just die? All these years, why did I fight so hard to stay alive? My trembling hand touched my face. The burning, stinging areas had indeed broken skin. My dad didn’t continue scolding me. He turned and walked towards home, and I silently followed behind him. That night, the moon was high, clear and bright. The shadows were long. I didn’t sleep at home. I took my exam admission ticket, packed my bag and left. I didn’t have money for a hotel, so I found some steps outside the exam school and sat there all night, hugging my knees with my eyes closed. The next day, exam takers started arriving early. I didn’t want to move at all. Exhaustion swept over my whole body, and my mind was foggy. “Zoe Parker!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296971”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic

The day after I had a fight with my husband over his first love, a young, energetic guy showed up at my door soaking wet. “Please, can I stay here?” he begged. Without hesitation, I let him stay for three months. During those three months, he did everything he could to make me happy and win my affection. Everyone said he had ulterior motives and was getting close to me for some other purpose. They warned me not to fall for him. Sure enough, as soon as I agreed to be with him, Jason smirked and told me he was Jessica’s childhood friend, and he had only gotten close to me for her happiness. But I already knew that, and I had collected evidence of my husband’s affair with his first love. “Thanks for helping me gather evidence. Now you can get lost.” Three months after a big fight with my husband Ethan, I returned to our home of three years for the first time, having collected all the evidence of his affair with Jessica and discussed divorce plans with my lawyer. “That old hag is wrapped around my finger now. If I tell her to kneel, she wouldn’t dare stand up!” Jason’s familiar voice came through the door. It was different from his usual pitiful tone when talking to me – arrogant and smug. I paused as I was about to open the door. Ethan and Jessica’s voices followed. “You’ve got her trained like that in less than three months? I thought Rachel loved me so much, but turns out she’s such a slut.” “Jason, you’ve suffered for my happiness. Once Ethan successfully divorces that old cow, I’ll make it up to you!” I quietly pushed open the door and saw Jessica sitting in Ethan’s lap. Jason sat nearby, surrounded by his buddies who used to joke about me and him. “Rachel said it’s her birthday today and she has a surprise for Jason. We all know the old hag can’t hold back anymore. Once she takes her clothes off, we’ll burst into the room and take photos of her in heat as evidence of cheating.” “If it weren’t for that old cow stubbornly clinging to Ethan, we wouldn’t have to set her up to cheat and force a divorce.” “Isn’t she supposed to be so successful in her career? When we post the video online, everyone will see what a slut she is. It’ll be payback for Jessica!” “After the truth comes out, the old hag will probably go crazy. She might even kneel and beg us to let her off!” “Jason, you take one for the team tonight. If she’s not bad, maybe let the rest of us have a go too.” My husband of seven years and the man who had been devoted to me for three months were unfazed by the other men’s blatant insults towards me. I quietly closed the door. My feelings of guilt towards Jason instantly turned to anticipation and excitement. I knew it was too good to be true – a handsome guy in his early 20s showing up at my door in a soaking wet white tank top, pitifully begging me to take him in. So Jason was Jessica’s childhood friend, and he had appeared to seduce me so Ethan could catch us in bed, get evidence to ruin me, and kick me out penniless in the divorce. Three months ago, Jessica had returned from abroad and moved in with us, using the excuse that she couldn’t find a place to stay. My husband of seven years, married for three, didn’t take my side. Instead, he told me to sleep in the guest room. “Jessica has nightmares if she doesn’t sleep in a big bed. Can’t you make this small sacrifice for me instead of being so unreasonable?” I put up with it for a week, but Jessica showed no signs of leaving. Every morning, Jessica acted like the perfect wife, wearing an apron and making Ethan breakfast. “Rachel, a man is a woman’s sky and earth. A man’s hands are only for making money, how can you let him do housework?” “I’m so envious of you, marrying such a good husband like Ethan. If I were Ethan’s wife, I would never let him step foot in the kitchen.” Knowing I was allergic to tomatoes, Jessica deliberately squeezed tomato sauce all over my sandwich. I broke out in hives and passed out at work from difficulty breathing. When I woke up, Jessica was crying in Ethan’s arms. I pointed at Jessica, my hand shaking. “Either she goes, or I go.”

Ethan frowned, acting like I was being unreasonable. “It’s just an allergy, why are you making such a big deal out of it? I’ve never heard of anyone dying from allergies. Jessica almost fainted when she heard what happened to you.” Ethan and I had a huge fight. He threw our wedding rings on the ground. I packed my bags and left that night, moving into another rental apartment. The next day, Jason appeared at my door. “Can I stay here for the night? Don’t worry, I have money and I’ll be good.” Actually, I already knew Jason was Jessica’s childhood friend. After finding out she was coming back, I had looked up all her social media accounts and found many photos of Jason. Whenever she fought with Ethan or was upset, there were always photos of Jason quietly by her side. Without a doubt, Jason was Jessica’s loyal puppy dog, the devoted second male lead. Thanks to Jessica, I received the attentive care of this devoted second male lead for three months, and got to play the female lead for once. Two months in, Ethan and I ran into each other while shopping. He glared at Jason beside me. “Who’s this guy? It hasn’t been that long and you’re already with someone new. You’ve really disappointed me!” I gave him what he wanted, acting haughty and replying, “None of your business!” I pulled Jason into the mall. He pushed me against the wall in a changing room. “Your husband doesn’t treat you well at all. He’s old and ugly, totally unworthy of you. Not like me – I only want to cherish you.” I grabbed Jason’s collar, squeezing out two pitiful tears. “I know, right? And that vixen still has the nerve to seduce him. I guess trash attracts trash!” Hearing me talk that way about his beloved, Jason clenched his jaw but had to keep comforting me. Pretending to be delighted by his comfort, I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him. His eyes widened in panic as he jerked backwards. For the past month, although Jason had acted very fond of me, he was reluctant to get too physical. I knew he found me less attractive than Jessica, being two years older. But he seemed to have forgotten that Jessica had sent him to sacrifice his body to seduce me. Since that was the case, why keep up the act? I pretended to be disappointed and let go of his collar, pouting with red-rimmed eyes. “I thought you said you liked me? Why won’t you even kiss me?” Jason’s eyes were a mess of emotions. He clenched and unclenched his fists before finally forcing out a stiff smile. “Of course I’ll do anything to make you happy.” I eagerly went to kiss him. He closed his eyes with a look of grim resignation. But I deliberately missed, brushing past the corner of his mouth before shoving him away. I ran out of the changing room with a coy expression, and sure enough saw Jessica outside with a thunderous face. Seeing my flushed face and the lipstick mark on the corner of Jason’s mouth, Jessica nearly ground her teeth to dust. “Broad daylight in a public place – have you no shame?!” “Jessica, you’re the one who should be asking yourself that question. After all, you’re the one who’s taken shamelessness to new heights.” Jessica’s face turned red. She sneered, “I’m standing up for Ethan! He works himself to the bone at the office to support you, while you’re lazy and now fooling around with some boy toy!” The irony was, I had bought our house in cash, my salary was twice Ethan’s, and I paid for most of our expenses. That’s why Ethan did housework – he felt guilty about freeloading. I deliberately pulled the uncomfortable-looking Jason closer, saying haughtily, “Jessica, you already have Ethan. Don’t tell me you want to steal this one from me too?” Seeing that I seemed to have genuinely fallen for Jason, Jessica finally relaxed a bit. She looked at Jason and me like we were adulterers. Afterwards, I went on a shopping spree in the mall, making Jason pay for everything. His face got paler and paler as he hesitantly pulled out his card again and again. After all, his job was mediocre, and I had nearly wiped out half a year of his savings in one go. But he had no choice – wasn’t he pursuing me? Hadn’t he said he’d do anything to make me happy? As we were leaving the mall, Jason said he needed to use the restroom. I nodded and followed him secretly. At a corner, I saw him standing unhappily in front of Jessica. “How much longer do I have to keep this up? I can’t stand that old hag for another day. Having to act cutesy with her makes me want to puke!” Jessica stroked his head, swinging his hand back and forth. “Bear with it a little longer for my happiness, okay? Didn’t you promise to be my knight in shining armor forever?” Seeing Jason was still upset, Jessica bit her lip and gave him a quick kiss. Comforted by this, Jason cheered up and treated me even better in the following days. But what people fear most is getting used to something. Over our three months living together, Jason had grown accustomed to taking care of my daily life – cooking, doing laundry, picking me up from work, taking me out for nice meals. At first he would stiffen uncomfortably when I took his arm, instinctively rejecting it. Now he would buy me gifts just to see me jump into his arms and kiss him. The acting in his eyes grew less and less, while my calculations became clearer and clearer. After learning his password and being able to freely check his phone, I looked through his group chat with his buddies more than once. Jessica was the only girl in the chat. Jason reported on his progress pursuing me every day. At first, he would boast in the group: “I’ll have that old hag wrapped around my finger in no time. She already obeys my every word.” “Took the old hag shopping today. She tried to kiss me – I got goosebumps, it was so gross. If it wasn’t for Jessica, I’d want to kick her to the curb!” “Sigh, thinking about how devoted the old hag is to me, when I’m going to utterly ruin her reputation…I feel a tiny bit guilty.” His buddies would cheer him on in the chat, saying there was no woman Jason couldn’t conquer. They even planned that after Jason had me under his mental control, the group of them would take turns using me. Jessica would also message him privately, acting concerned: “I’m sorry, Jason. You have to put on an act with that disgusting slut for my happiness. If only I had fallen in love with you instead.” Those words had Jason over the moon. But gradually, Jason took longer and longer to reply to messages. “Rachel just fell asleep so I couldn’t check my phone. Nothing special today, just did chores as usual.” “Was making a midnight snack for Rachel earlier so couldn’t see the messages. She seems to like me a lot now. She even praised me for how neatly I peeled the crab for her today.” “Taking videos is fine, but I should be the only one filming. She’s still a woman after all, that would be going too far. Isn’t there another way?” Not just Jason’s buddies, but even Jessica started to sense something was off. She began interrogating Jason. One night, I heard Jason on the balcony taking a call. Jessica’s crying voice came through. “Why are you always doing laundry and cooking for that bitch? Have you fallen for her? Don’t forget you’re supposed to be seducing her, making her kneel and beg us for mercy! Not being her personal chef!” Jason, who had always cared deeply about Jessica’s feelings, was silent for a full 30 seconds before answering. “How could I possibly love that slut? I haven’t forgotten my purpose. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely torment her until she’s utterly ruined, as a birthday gift for you.” “But from now on…don’t call me late at night anymore. She’s been under a lot of work stress lately and is a light sleeper. I’m afraid she’ll overhear.” “Are you afraid she’ll overhear, or afraid of disturbing her sleep?!” Jessica’s accusation followed immediately. I deliberately rolled over, making a small noise that caused Jason to instinctively hang up. He quietly came back to bed. Seeing I was still asleep, he let out a long sigh of relief. Over these three months, despite his coaxing, I had never gone further physically with Jason. But I did allow him to sleep in my bed. Jason carefully lifted the covers and got in bed. He gingerly put his arm around my waist and whispered in my ear: “Rachel, I’m sorry.” After he fell asleep, I opened my eyes, a mocking smile on my face.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296970”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic