I returned from studying abroad to find a future sister-in-law in my house. She proclaimed herself the future lady of the Sherman family, the young mistress. She even threatened to put this never-before-met little sister in her place. But no one told her my brother was adopted. Being the sole heir of the Sherman family, I even had my brother tread carefully around me. When my brother, Rylan Sherman, picked me up from the airport and brought me home, my parents were eagerly waiting. Due to the pandemic, I hadn’t been home in ages, so everyone was overjoyed. After exchanging warm greetings and catching up, Rylan pulled a strange woman toward me. With slight awkwardness, he introduced her, “This is my girlfriend, your future sister-in-law, Kenna Burke.” Then he tilted his chin at her. “This is my sister, Adeline Sherman. Just call her Ada.” “Hello,” she said with a polished smile, extending both hands. Still buzzing from the reunion, I greeted her briefly before turning back to chatter with my parents. That night, curled up with Mom, I learned Kenna was an intern at a branch Rylan managed, sweet, uncomplicated, and utterly adored by him. Within weeks of dating, he’d brought her home, already talking about marriage. “Seriously? He’s really getting married?” I gasped, thrilled by the gossip. “Your father and I hoped for someone of equal standing,” Mom sighed. “But if he’s set on her, we won’t interfere.” Mom had always been open-minded, so I wasn’t worried. Until the next day, when I realized I’d underestimated Kenna. Jet-lagged, I woke in the late afternoon. Heading downstairs for food, I was halfway through breakfast when a voice drawled behind me. “You just woke up? Your brother’s already put in half a day at the office.” Excuse me? My brain short-circuited. I turned to see Kenna. “Uh… were you talking to me?” I asked, incredulous. She rolled her eyes so hard I swore they’d get stuck. Arms crossed, she sauntered down the stairs like she owned the place, a far cry from her demure act yesterday. “Who else? Or do you see a third person here?” The hostility was unmistakable. So I hadn’t misread her. After a stunned pause, I laughed, “Thought you were talking to a ghost. We’re not close. Don’t mind my business.” I dismissed her and went back to eating. What did Rylan see in this train wreck? She marched over, ready to snap back, until the front door swung open. Instantly, Kenna morphed into a wounded fawn. “Don’t be mad, Ada. If you hate it, I’ll stop…” Wow. A textbook mean girl act. Did she even hear herself? Mom and Rylan walked in. Noticing Kenna’s pout, Mom hurried over. “What’s wrong?” Seizing the moment, Kenna summoned tears. “Ada hates it when I say she woke up late. I just wanted to be close… Don’t worry. I’ll never do that again.” Her voice trembled. Oscar-worthy. I gaped. Twenty-plus years alive, and I’d never met a real-life drama queen. Mom waved it off. “It’s not a big deal.” Rylan shot me a look. “She’s jet-lagged and grumpy. Don’t take it personally.” Arm around his “distressed” girlfriend, he whisked her away to comfort her. My appetite vanished. When Mom asked what had happened, I shrugged. Let’s see what else this clown had up her sleeve.

Fresh back from abroad, I was like a starved animal, reuniting with old friends every day and eating like there was no tomorrow, determined to make up for all the meals I’d missed over the years. During this time, I had no intention of dealing with Kenna. But then, a friend brought her up unprompted. “So how’s your future sister-in-law? Not your average girl, huh?” It was my childhood friend, Bruce Wall, wearing that smug look he always had, the one that said, “I know something you don’t, but I’ll wait for you to beg me to spill it.” Typical of him. I shot him a glance and played along. “Just spit it out already.” His grin turned downright conniving. “That girl was just an intern at your family’s company. Barely started working before she had your idiot brother wrapped around her finger.” I scoffed, “That’s it? Everyone knows that. Give me something new.” Unfazed, Bruce leaned in. “Did you know her only goal from day one was to seduce your brother? Now she’s parading around as the young mistress of the Sherman family.” That got my attention. I turned fully toward him as he pulled out his phone, triumphant, and showed me screenshots of Kenna’s chats with her friends. Kenna: [Rylan Sherman’s already mine. Rich boys like him? They fall in line for someone like me. He took me home to meet his parents. The Sherman Villa is huge, maids and all. I’m locking this down. His sister’s coming back soon. Girls from these families like hers are always trouble. I’ll put her in her place the second she steps through the door.] I thought to myself, “Pathetic. Bragging about this? She’s got no self-control.” I side-eyed Bruce. “And how did you get these screenshots?” He chuckled, utterly shameless, “What’s the big deal? Mutual benefits. Not everyone’s as clueless as your brother.”

I had no choice but to keep an eye on Kenna. From what I observed, she was very ambitious. On the surface, she played the sweet, unassuming girl, never asking for a thing. In reality, she’d maneuvered Rylan into promoting her, transferring her to a cushy department job, and practically moving her into our house. She was a master at playing the victim and at winning people over. Everyone in the family adored her. Everyone except me and the maid. She buttered up my parents, her future in-laws, and coaxed Rylan, her ticket to becoming Mrs. Sherman. Only with me, her sister-in-law, did she drop the act entirely. One night, when the housekeeper, Marina, brought me a late-night snack, Kenna threw a fit demanding the same. It was past midnight. The soup had been simmering for hours; no time to make more. And Marina needed to sleep. When Marina hesitated, Kenna planted her hands on her hips and snapped, “What, I can’t even get soup now? Are you the maid here or some pampered lady? Since when do I need your permission?” Marina had no choice but to obey. That was Kenna. Tyrannical when no one was watching, yet playing the martyr in front of my parents. I refused to humor her charades, which only made me look like the petty one. Once, I cautiously asked Rylan, “Are you sure you want to marry her? Do you even know who she really is?” He brushed it off as childish tantrums. “We’re getting married. Try to get along.” My parents doted on her more each day. Kenna accompanied Mom on shopping sprees, gushing over every handbag she picked out until Mom was preening with delight. Naturally, she also walked away with lavish gifts, trading flattery for luxury. A win-win. Rylan was thrilled at their “harmonious” dynamic. I was the only one who saw through her. The contrast grew starker. Now I looked like the villainous sister-in-law. Emboldened, Kenna escalated her antics, especially when our parents weren’t around. “Your room is so spacious,” she mused one day, her tone dripping with faux innocence. “Once your brother and I marry, we should swap. You’ll move out eventually anyway, and this room has the best light. Such a waste to leave it empty.” It wasn’t a request. It was a declaration. She’d had her eye on my room all along. I glanced at Rylan. He stayed silent. Livid, I laughed coldly, “Oh? You’re not even married yet, and you’re already claiming my room? Can’t Rylan afford a real home for you? Or are you just mooching off us?” “Ada! Enough.” Mom stormed over. “Kenna, ignore her.” She soothed Kenna first, then scolded me, “Apologize to them. Now.” Not a chance. Even if I regretted my words, I’d never back down in front of her. Kenna smirked, emboldened by Mom’s defense. “It’s okay. Ada’s just upset. We’d never move out. Rylan and I will take care of you forever.” Her saccharine tone was a slap in my face. Rylan played mediator. “Kenna was just teasing about the room. Don’t take it seriously.” He turned to me, placating. “She was joking. No hard feelings, okay?” Mom piled on. “She’s so mature. Why are you so petty? It was just a joke.” The wedding preparations were actually underway now, and I started to panic. I couldn’t let her marry into our family. Living under the same roof with that drama queen was out of the question. I seized a day when Kenna wasn’t around to call a family meeting with my parents and brother. “I object to Kenna marrying into our family.” The moment I said it, everyone turned to stare. Mom chided, “Ada, stop causing trouble.” Rylan looked unsurprised. “Just as Kenna predicted, you’d oppose it.” Wow. She actually saw this coming. He sighed, exasperated, “What’s your problem with Kenna? You’d had it out for her from the start. She warned me, but I didn’t believe her. Yet here you are, making things difficult.”

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On Christmas Eve, my husband, Jonathan Perez, and I fought because of his brother’s wife, Stella Perez. Stella had bought his mom a gold necklace, but I didn’t prepare anything. Jonathan felt I made him lose face in front of his family. I didn’t cut him any slack and retorted, “You never gave me an engagement gift!” My words totally shut him up. My husband, Jonathan Perez, and I were college classmates. When we were planning to get married, and my family asked for an engagement gift worth one hundred and eighty thousand dollars, Jonathan got annoyed right away. He said, “No way. Your parents are selling you. I don’t have the money, and I’m not about to ask my parents for such a huge sum. They’ve saved up their money with so much trouble. If I take it all, I’ll be a total jerk. If you want it, I’ll borrow the money, and we’ll pay it back together later.” He kept trying to convince me that we shouldn’t use our parents’ savings and said he couldn’t bring himself to use his parents’ life savings to marry me. Finally, he came up with what he thought was a brilliant idea: that we could adopt a two-sided marriage, in which the couple maintained close ties with their respective families of origin after marriage, without being forced to fully integrate into each other’s families, and there were no engagement gifts, no wedding gifts, and an equal sharing of household chores. At that time, I just thought Jonathan was so filial and sensible. Without thinking twice, I agreed. At first, things were nice. We kept our finances separate and shared the housework equally. But a few months later, conflicts started. It all began when my mother, Penelope Bennett’s birthday was approaching. I asked Jonathan what gift he was planning to give Penelope. For some reason, that question set him off, and he yelled, “Emilia Bennett, have you forgotten? We have a two-sided marriage. We agreed to take care of our own parents. Now, you’re trying to get money out of me again. Is your family that broke? You’re always eyeing other people’s wallets.” Jonathan’s words were so mean that my face turned red with anger. “Why are you being so nasty? You married me, so my parents are your parents, too. Can’t you do something on their birthdays?” To be honest, I had no clue what a two-sided marriage really was. At first, I thought it was just like a bare-bones marriage. After being scolded by Jonathan, I was completely dazed. He said, “I can do something willingly, but you can’t ask for that. Besides, with our two-sided marriage, we agreed to handle our own relatives. It’s not my duty to give gifts. If I do, it’s just out of kindness.” Seeing my unhappy face, Jonathan finally softened his tone a bit. “Sorry. I know I was a bit harsh, but I made it clear before we got married. You can’t break the rules.” Seeing how sure of himself Jonathan looked, I finally realized something was off. “Are you saying that with our two-sided marriage, I don’t have to do anything for your parents on their birthdays or during holidays?” “Of course. We agreed to take care of our own parents. I’m not going to break the rules,” Jonathan said, raising his chin, looking all cocky. “Then why didn’t you say anything when I bought your mom clothes and supplements on Mother’s Day?” I asked. Jonathan blushed under my gaze. After a while, he tried to argue, saying, “That was just your kindness to my mom. After all, you’re my wife.” “Well, you’re my husband. Aren’t you going to show your kindness on my mom’s birthday?” I was so angry that I shouted. “I already told you. I can do it willingly, but you can’t ask for that. I was going to. But since you asked, I won’t. Figure out what to do for your mom’s birthday by yourself. I won’t show up that day,” Jonathan said with a cold face, trying to intimidate me.

I didn’t want to bother with him and just said, “Suit yourself.” Sure enough, on Penelope’s birthday, Jonathan didn’t show up. He didn’t even send a WhatsApp message to wish her a happy birthday. To keep Penelope’s birthday party from being spoiled, I muddled through with vague excuses. After all the relatives had left, I told my parents the whole story. At first, I could tell it calmly. But as I went on, my tears streamed down. I shouted, “Mom, Dad, I had no idea a two-sided marriage was like this before. I thought it just meant no engagement gift or wedding gift. The last time his family came over, I did everything, from booking the hotel to showing them around. I never thought that when it came to our family matters, he’d just say I couldn’t ask him to do something. He’s such a jerk!” That night, the more I talked, the angrier I got, cussing like crazy. I thought my parents would angrily side with me against Jonathan. But to my surprise, they were much calmer than I expected. Penelope said, “Don’t cry. Isn’t this a good thing? From now on, you don’t have to worry about what to give Jonathan’s parents during the holidays. Let him handle his family’s affairs. That’s pretty great, isn’t it?” I never thought my parents would be so open-minded. They broke it down for me, and I suddenly saw the light.

After that, I completely changed my attitude toward Jonathan’s family. No more gifts and no more greetings; I even left their family group chat. The moment I left, Jonathan got upset. “Emilia, why’d you leave the group chat? What if my parents need to reach you?” Jonathan burst through the door after work, demanding answers. I retorted, “Why would they need me? They have you, don’t they? We agreed on a two-sided marriage with no interference. Besides, you never joined my family’s group chat.” Jonathan was completely stumped by my logic, unable to come up with a response for quite a while. Finally, he gave me a long look before disappearing into the study to make a call. I didn’t know what he said, but he stopped bugging me about the group chat after that. Once I stopped dealing with Jonathan’s family affairs, I felt relaxed. After work, I’d cook if I was in a good mood or just order takeout if I wasn’t. One day, Jonathan came home to find I’d ordered Fish and Chips. His face immediately became serious. “Takeout again? That’s so unhealthy. My doctor just told me I have liver issues and shouldn’t eat such food. Can’t you think about me for once?” “Then don’t eat it! The kitchen’s right there. Cook something yourself!” I snapped, rolling my eyes. Hearing that, Jonathan completely got angry. “I’m already exhausted from work, and now I have to cook? Can’t you be like other wives, handling things at home and giving me a comfortable place to come back to?” Hearing Jonathan’s demands, I rolled my eyes and sneered, “Please, dude. Other men’s wives got fancy engagement gifts, so naturally, they went the extra mile. You never gave me anything. We have a two-sided marriage. You can’t just have everything you want.” Jonathan’s face turned ashen again, completely stunned by my comeback. Finally, he slammed the door and left.

After that, Jonathan and I pretty much ignored each other. But right before Christmas, Jonathan finally gave in and sent me five hundred dollars. I was shocked when I saw the notification. “Why did you send me money?” During the three months we were married, we kept our finances super clear. So, honestly, after getting such a big transfer out of nowhere, my first thought wasn’t joy but suspicion. I thought, “What’s he planning now?” “My year-end bonus came in. Can’t I send you some money?” Jonathan rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed. His words made my suspicion just now seem petty. I felt a bit embarrassed and awkwardly scratched my head. That transfer was the start of us warming up again, like before we got married. But that didn’t last long. A week later, new problems cropped up. One night, just as I was about to fall asleep, Jonathan suddenly whispered in my ear, “Honey, how about spending Christmas with my family this year? Next year, we can go to yours. How’s that sound?” He sounded so careful like he was worried I’d say no. Honestly, I didn’t care where we spent Christmas. My parents’ place was just a neighborhood away, and I often went there for meals. However, with the tension between Jonathan and me, I hadn’t thought about getting along with his family. Now, going there for Christmas… My expression was a bit mixed. Jonathan noticed my hesitation and quickly added, “Honey, even though I said we’d do our own thing for Christmas, this is our first year married. If you don’t come with me, my parents will feel embarrassed in the village.” Jonathan sounded so pitiful that I couldn’t help but agree, “Alright, we’ll go to your place this year. But remember, it’s my turn next year. After Christmas, I’m heading back home. You have to come with me, and don’t even think about backing out.” Jonathan nodded eagerly, patting his chest to promise he wouldn’t. Jonathan’s place wasn’t too far from where we worked, just about 40 miles away. It would take around an hour to drive there. Since it was not that far, I didn’t bring much. But I didn’t expect Jonathan to look so annoyed when he saw me getting into the car with just one bag. “Only one bag?” Jonathan circled me a few times before hitting me with the question. “What? Your place isn’t that far. What’s wrong with just one set of clothes?” I asked back. He shouted anxiously, “I saw you buying a bunch of stuff yesterday, like fish oil, high-end red wine, and lobster. Where are those? Are you planning to let them rot at home?”

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Life handed me beauty, wealth, and privilege. But with all of that came a curse. I was a simp. In my last life, I ruined myself trying to please Gavin Winston. He was my everything, but it ended with me imprisoned in a dark basement, tortured until I met my end. This time, everything is different. Out of nowhere, the live chat started popping up in my head. [Hazel, never forget. Simping gets you nowhere.] [Your childhood friend is just a whiny masochist. Don’t hold back. Call him out.] [If you scold him enough, he’ll be all yours.] I wiped my tears, took a shaky breath, and met his eyes. “You… you’re nothing but a pathetic bastard.” The live chat appeared again. [Nice, but not quite there. Give him a slap.] I reached out, trembling, and slapped his face. It wasn’t hard, but the sound was sharp. Gavin’s gaze shifted, his eyes turning darker. Now this was getting interesting… Gavin, the youngest of the Winston family’s three sons, had always been the center of attention. As the youngest general manager in the business world, his success was nothing short of legendary. But all it took was one scandal to bring him crashing down. It was revealed that he wasn’t his father Leo Winston’s biological son, but the product of an affair between his mother and her childhood sweetheart. The fallout was brutal. Leo lashed him thirty times before throwing him out of the house. Gavin, once celebrated, was now homeless and disgraced. I was the little girl next door who always tagged along behind him, tearful and needy. He found my constant crying unbearable. I thought I was meant to be the one to comfort him during his lowest moments and to save him. But the live chat had other plans. [Stop crying. Your childhood friend is hurt, but tears won’t fix anything.] My hands trembled as I held the medicine. “But Gavin’s injuries… They’re terrible. He must be in so much pain.” Gavin’s face, once delicate and handsome, was now sharp and hostile. His cold glare made him hard to approach. Even kneeling, his posture was straight, his muscles tense. His back was covered in angry welts, blood streaking through the cuts. It was terrifying to look at. The live chat appeared again. [Your childhood friend’s physique is… impressive.] Was that really the focus? I hesitated for what felt like forever before stepping forward. The boiling water spilled out, scalding my hand and leaving blisters. My grip faltered, and the pain was overwhelming. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I forced myself to hold it together. I finally reached him. “Gavin, does it hurt?” The live chat appeared again. [Stop. He hates it when you cry. Be firm.] Fine. I would be firm. I gathered my courage and poured the medicine over his wounds. My hand shook so badly, that the liquid splashed onto his thigh instead of his back. Gavin’s face darkened. Before he could speak, my tears broke free. The live chat was relentless. [You’re an idiot. Can’t even pour medicine properly. How do you expect to win his heart?] [Being a spoiled brat isn’t that hard. Stop failing.] [No wonder he’s annoyed. Who likes a girl who cries all the time?] I lowered my head. “I’m sorry. I’ll be tougher next time.” The live chat didn’t stop. [Do you want Gavin to like you? Stop being soft. He’ll only hate you more. Be ruthless. It’s the only way into his heart. If you don’t change, Gavin will turn dark and make you all disappear. You’ll be the first to go.] My heart raced. Memories of my past life flooded back: the basement, the torture, the despair. My shoulders shook as I sobbed. Gavin’s patience snapped. “Get out!” His voice was icy, his presence suffocating. I froze, unable to move. The live chat screamed at me. [Fix this. You’re supposed to be a spoiled brat. Kick him. Hard. Do you want to change your fate? Then act like it.] I lifted my foot and kicked his thigh. The live chat wasn’t satisfied. [Is that all you’ve got? Put some force into it. Don’t stop there. Crush him. Break him. Drag him down with you.]

The live chat wasn’t exactly helpful. With a deep breath, I pressed the tip of my shoe against Gavin’s thigh, applying just enough pressure to make him flinch. Gavin’s expression didn’t change much. His fists tightened, but he stayed completely still. His Adam’s apple bobbed faintly, and his bloodshot eyes locked on me, as if trying to read my every move. The live chat mocked. [Not bad, crybaby. Now go harder. Say something he won’t forget!] I hesitated but managed to say, “I was just trying to help, and this is how you’re acting? “You’re not Sir Winston’s real son, so you’re not my fiancé anymore. You don’t have the right to yell at me now.” My voice wavered, but I added, “If you listen to me and behave, maybe… maybe I’ll talk to my dad about keeping the engagement.” Gavin’s eyes grew sharper, darker with each word. The live chat teased relentlessly. [Crybaby, was that supposed to be a kick? Even a child could hit harder!] [And that’s your idea of a threat? Sounds more like you’re begging him. He’s not the type to fall for weak threats. Make it count.] The mocking stung, but I refused to cry. Not again, not in front of him. Trying to recover, I moved my foot away, but Gavin suddenly grabbed my ankle, his grip firm and steady. “Hazel,” he muttered, his voice low and rough. “Try harder.” I hesitated, then kicked him harder. But as I did, I noticed his ears flush a faint red. Was he… angry? “Did I go too far?” I whispered to the live chat. The live chat replied, unhelpfully vague. [Uh-oh. Could he be feeling something now?] Feeling something? Pain? Gavin’s sharp gaze held me in place. “Hazel, do you even realize what you’re doing?” His tone sent a chill through me, dredging up memories of the suffocating darkness from my past life. My legs felt weak, and I stammered, “I’m sorry,” trying to pull away. But Gavin didn’t let go. His hand slid across my ankle, the warmth startling me. The sudden contact made me lose my balance, and I fell to the floor, tears slipping out despite my best efforts to hold them back. Gavin glanced down at me, his expression unreadable. “Next time you try something like this, it won’t end with just a fall.” The threat was clear, but I couldn’t look at him. Instead, I awkwardly patted the spot on his thigh where I’d kicked earlier. “I’m not scared of you. You’re just… just a stray dog now.” My hand brushed against something hard. Did he have a weapon? I quickly pulled back. “Let me go,” I demanded, my voice weak. Instead of letting go, Gavin’s grip tightened. For the first time, a faint blush spread across his face. His tone dropped further, darker. “Hazel, do you even know where you were touching?” Panic rose in me. “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know!” I stammered. Gavin let out a slow, sharp exhale, his gaze almost burning. “Get out of my sight.” The sheer intensity in his voice made my legs tremble. The moment he let go, I scrambled up and ran, not stopping until I was safely back in my room. Slumping against the door, I asked the live chat, “How did I do this time? I poured hot water on him, and I kicked him. Does that count as being a spoiled villainess?” The live chat paused before delivering its judgment. [Crybaby, you’ve got no idea what being a villainess means. You need to lock him up, whip him, humiliate him. That’s the job.] I blinked at the live chat, speechless. I… I didn’t even know how to do any of that. [Fine, just follow our lead next time.]

Kicked out and covered in wounds, Gavin had nothing but the pendant his mother left him. I thought he’d just leave, but he surprised me by asking the servant, “Where’s Hazel Clark?” The servant froze. “You’re no longer Ms. Clark’s fiancé. Her schedule isn’t your concern.” Gavin’s gaze darkened, a sneer on his lips. “Good riddance to that crybaby. From now on, the Winston and Clark families are nothing to me.” Hearing this from my hiding spot, my heart sank. In my past life, Gavin turned ruthless, taking just five years to crush both families and rise as a power in the capital. His revenge spared no one, not my loving parents, not the Winston family. Bloodshed marked the end of both clans. This time, I’ll stop it. I’ll save my family, my friends, and myself. [Go on, crybaby! Grab the stick, knock him out, and lock him up!] The live chat urged me on. Summoning all my courage, I rushed forward and swung hard at the back of his head. He went down instantly. The live chat praised me. [Not bad, crybaby.] [Guess we taught you well.] Following their lead, I dragged him toward the dark little shed in the garden, murmuring, “Sorry, Gavin, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” He was thinner than I’d expected, his sharp jawline like a sculptor’s masterpiece. If someone asked why I loved him across two lifetimes. Okay, I would admit it. It was shallow. But his face and that body? Total my weakness. With great effort, I got him into the shed. When I adjusted his face, he accidentally ended up leaning against my chest. He was out cold anyway. Not like he’d know. I tried to ignore how hot his breath felt against my skin. After laying him down, I froze. “Is Gavin running a fever?” His face was bright red, almost absurdly so. The live chat lit up. [Is he actually unconscious?] “He is, for sure,” I answered, my voice soft and sugary. [Hurry, tie him up. Just like how he tied you up in the last life.] “Okay.” I started with the iron collar around his neck, then locked cuffs onto his wrists and ankles. He didn’t react. Not a twitch. He had no idea I’d already taken off his clothes. Apparently, in this book’s setting, the male lead only fell for the villainess. If that was the case, all I needed to do was become one. [Pour cold water over him to wake him up, then hit him until he begs for mercy. Got it?] [And step on his face, make him call you master. Understand?] I nodded, again and again. This time around, I would stick to the role. New life, new me. No more softie. Just pure villainess energy. I gritted my teeth and lifted the basin of cold water. But when I turned around, Gavin was already sitting up, the ropes still holding him. He glared at me coldly. “What are you trying to do?” Caught off guard, I blurted out, “I was going to splash you awake.” Something felt off. I looked up, and hostility was radiating from him. Panicking, I stumbled backward, slipping, and the cold water spilled all over me. My shirt clung tightly to my skin. So cold. So cold! I couldn’t stop trembling. Gavin tugged at the chains, trying to approach me, but they held him firmly in place. His dark gaze locked onto me. “Hazel, what are you up to now?” The live chat was livid at my disheveled appearance. [How did you even mess this up? You’re the hardest student to teach as a villainess!] [All you ever do is stammer and trip over your own feet. Are you an idiot?] [You tied him up! What are you scared of? Do you even want revenge?] I quietly protested to myself, “But he’s awake now. Splashing water in his eyes would be uncomfortable for him.” The live chat gave up. [Fine, skip the water. Say this. Gavin, you’re nothing now. Here’s your chance to be my dog.] “Got it.” I hugged my shivering body and tried to sound wicked. “Gavin, as long as you become my dog, I’ll give you everything.” But when he looked at me, his eyes softened. I must have looked like a little rabbit with watery red eyes, easy to bully. The live chat didn’t understand. [Hazel, why does everything you say sound like it’s coming from a simp?] Instead of getting angry, Gavin’s gaze darkened, the hostility draining away. “Hazel, if I become your dog, will that include you?”

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I paid with my husband Daniel’s payment card at a boutique, spending 30,000 dollars on a designer bag. When Daniel’s mother, Nora Howard, saw this, she immediately rushed over, snatched the bag from my hands, and slapped me across the face. “You bitch! Daniel works so hard for his money, and you’re spending it so recklessly! “You dress yourself up so beautifully every day. Tell me, are you carrying on with other men?” With these words, she picked up the scissors and slashed the bag open before throwing it into the trash. She even threatened to have Daniel divorce me. I shrugged my shoulders and gave her an indifferent look. After all, this bag wasn’t for me. It was a gift Daniel had asked me to buy for his client. When I got home, Nora was just coming out of the bedroom. It looked like she had just gotten up. Before I could greet her, she immediately spotted the bag in my hand and rushed over to grab it. “You bitch! Daniel works so hard for his money, and you’re spending it so recklessly!” My lips moved slightly as I was about to explain, but she slapped me across the face first. She looked at me with a twisted expression, then scolded, “I’ve always known you were a spendthrift woman. If Daniel didn’t like you so much, there’s no way I’d let you marry him! “In all the years that you’ve been married, you’ve never contributed anything to this family. You just stay at home every day, spend Daniel’s money, and expect me to take care of you.” With that, she spat on the floor. “You dress yourself up so beautifully every day. Tell me, are you carrying on with other men?” I was furious, unable to believe how shameless she was. What did she mean, I only stayed at home and spent Daniel’s money? Why was she accusing me of having an affair? I stayed at home because my job was running a social media account. Now I made over 10,000 dollars a month. Aside from regular savings, I spent all of it on the family. I knew Daniel was busy with work, so after finishing my video editing tasks, I took on chores like grocery shopping and cooking. I also knew he was a filial person, so when he said he wanted to bring his mother to live with us, I didn’t object. If anyone hadn’t contributed to this family, it should be Nora.

I covered my face, which was slightly swollen. Although I was really angry inside, I didn’t lash out. After all, I still had to live with Nora in the future, and she was an elder. I tried to explain, “Nora, this bag wasn’t for me. It was for Daniel’s client…” Before I could finish my sentence, she angrily slapped me again. The force of the slap was so strong that I stumbled back. Now, both sides of my face were burning with pain. I had explained everything clearly, but she wouldn’t listen. “Do you think I’ll believe your excuses? “Yesterday, I asked Danny for money to shoot some craps, and he told me that the money from his payment card went to you to buy this bag!” Her eyes were filled with resentment as she glared at me. “It’s all your fault, spending all of Daniel’s money, leaving me without money for shooting some craps. “You’re such an unfilial, spendthrift wife. Back in our hometown, they’d tie you to a tree and beat you!” That was when I realized why she was so furious. It turned out that she hadn’t been able to get the money for the craps yesterday. She was just taking out her anger on me. Even the calmest person would be enraged by those two slaps. And with her constantly interrupting me and wrongfully accusing me, I couldn’t take it anymore. I yelled at her, “What do you mean I’m unfilial? “I give you money for craps once a month, and this month I already gave you 3,000 dollars. You lost it all yourself! “Look around the house—these health care products, the massage chair—didn’t I buy all of these for you?” I stormed into her room and grabbed a few boxes of healthcare products from her drawer. “You were scammed out of tens of thousands of dollars for them. You were afraid that Daniel would find out, so you had me pay for all of it. “How have I treated you badly? “Don’t even say this bag wasn’t for me. Even if it was, so what?” After hearing all that, her face grew even darker. When she saw the boxes of medicine in my hand, it seemed like she couldn’t take it anymore. She rushed over and knocked the boxes out of my hand. The pills scattered all over the floor.

“It’s your duty to spend money on me, but spending Daniel’s money is wrong.” Nora was being unreasonable, hands on her hips, her neck flushed red. Her face was twisted with anger as her eyes darted to the scissors on the living room table. She strode over. Realizing what she was about to do, I rushed to stop her, but she shoved me away. Without hesitation, she grabbed the scissors and slashed the surface of the bag. “How could you buy this! How could you spend Daniel’s money! “Today, I’m going to show you who’s in charge of this house!” After slashing the surface, she snipped the strap off the bag and then casually threw it into the trash can. She looked at me smugly. “I bet you won’t dare buy another bag again! This is the consequence of defying me!” I stood there, my mouth agape in shock. A 30,000-dollar bag, just like that, was tossed away. Seeing me frozen in place, she grew even bolder, not the slightest bit remorseful. It seemed like she wasn’t done yet; she stormed into my bedroom, her eyes fixed on my vanity. With a swift motion, she knocked the entire vanity over. My cosmetics and skin care products shattered on the floor. “Nora! What are you doing?” I screamed, unable to believe the scene unfolding before my eyes. I bought these cosmetics last week. I’d barely used them, and now they were all broken! “Don’t you love makeup? You always spend so much of Daniel’s money on it. I’ve hated it for a long time! “Today, I’m going to clean all your stuff out! “Without these, let’s see if you can still seduce other men!” She said this as she looked around the room, her eyes landing on my wardrobe. She opened it, grabbed the scissors, and began cutting my clothes, one by one. In no time, every piece of clothing was ruined, shredded into tatters. She kept cutting, her jealousy almost palpable as she looked at me. “Look at you, Stella. Buying so many clothes I’ve never seen before! “Tell me, did some man buy these for you? Are you carrying on with other men?”

Looking at the twisted expression on Nora’s face and then at the shattered cosmetics and shredded clothes all over the floor, I couldn’t hold back my anger anymore. It felt like I lost my mind. I grabbed her by the hair and slapped her face, one slap after another. My hands shook with rage, and I had no idea how hard I was hitting her. “Stella! You dare hit me… you bitch!” She struggled, but I held her tightly, slapping her over and over again. With the combined pain in her scalp and cheek, her arrogance from before turned into begging. “Stell… stop hitting me, please! It’s my fault. It’s all my fault! “Please stop. My head hurts… my face…” Hearing her groaning, I finally regained some control. I let go of her, and she fell onto the broken glass scattered on the floor. “Ahh!” Immediately, her hands were cut by the shards of glass. She stared at her hands in disbelief, then shot me a vicious glare, as if she wanted to tear me apart. “Stella! You bitch! You’ve beaten me like this. Daniel will never forgive you! “When he comes back, I’ll make sure he divorces you!” I took a deep breath, trying to suppress my fury, and picked up my phone to call him. The moment the call was connected, she grabbed my phone like a mad woman. “Daniel! I’m at home, and Stella’s going to kill me! If you don’t pick up now, you’ll never see me again! “Come back and divorce this bitch!” I just turned on hands-free, so I could hear him impatiently saying, “I’m at work right now. Why do you keep stressing me out every day?” She kept complaining on the phone, insisting that he come back right away. Finally, he relented. “I’ll come back after work.” She instantly wore a triumphant expression, looking at me smugly. “When Daniel gets back, you’re toast!”

After Nora realized she was holding my phone, she immediately threw it to the ground. The screen flickered a few times before going black. “Ugh! Who gave you permission to use such an expensive phone? “Just so you know, those clothes you’re wearing, Daniel bought them for you. Once you’re divorced, you won’t be able to take anything with you!” I was absolutely furious. At this point, nothing she said would surprise me anymore. I was more curious to see Daniel’s reaction when he came back. After all, this bag was something he had asked me to buy for his client, and it was a limited edition. The one I bought was the last one in the boutique. His company had recently faced a financial crisis, and the client he was gifting the bag to was the only one who could save his company. I’ve always had a love for designer bags, and I know the salespeople at the boutique. After begging me for three days, he finally convinced me to help him buy it. Now, the bag was ruined. Without that bag to win over the client, his company was probably doomed. “Fine, let’s see who Daniel will blame when he comes back.” Seeing that I still wasn’t backing down, she became even angrier. She pointed at me as if to scold me, but in the end, she held back. It seemed like she realized that, being elderly, she couldn’t win against me. But she wasn’t ready to give up just yet. She tilted her head, thinking for a moment. And then, as if coming up with a devious plan, she quickly walked to the door, opened it, and sat down in the hallway outside. She started crying loudly, “My life is so miserable! At my age, being abused by my son’s wife! I must have had the worst luck in the world! “Someone, help me! If I hadn’t run out of there, this bitch would have killed me! “She’s abusing me! She’s trying to kill me!” As she said this, she slapped her thigh and then suddenly screamed in pain. It seemed she had forgotten that her hands were covered in broken glass, and blood was still oozing from her palm. Though I was still very angry, I couldn’t help but be amused by her actions. She shot me a glare and, seeing no neighbors come out, got up and started knocking on doors. “Someone’s going to die! Someone’s going to die!”

Nora kept banging on the door and shouting, and the neighbors could no longer pretend they didn’t hear. They cracked their doors open just enough to peek outside. Mary Nelson, a neighbor who was friendly with Nora, immediately gasped. “Oh my God, what happened to you? Why are your face and hands all bruised? Who did this to you?” Nora looked at Mary like a savior, almost moved to tears. She pointed at me and yelled, “She’s the one who did it. “She spends all of Daniel’s money on useless luxury items. I only said a few words to her, and she hit me! “Look, my face and hands are all bruised from her! “I’m so old. How can I stand this kind of abuse from her?” People love gossip. Soon, several other neighbors came out to watch the drama unfold. They looked at her, bruised and battered, and then at me, who appeared completely unharmed. They believed her words, and one by one, they shot me looks of disgust. Mary started accusing me, “She’s your husband’s mom. How could you abuse her? “You’re just a stay-at-home wife. How can you be so shameless to spend all your husband’s money?” Two other neighbors also started murmuring about me, “She’s really a wolf in sheep’s clothing. She seemed so gentle, but who would have thought she’d be so cruel to her husband’s mom?” “Daniel’s really pitiful, marrying a woman like her. What bad luck!” “If I were Daniel, I’d break her legs and lock her in the house to make her reflect on her actions. What kind of wife hits her husband’s mom?” “I’ve always said she’s not a good woman. Look at how she dresses up so brightly every day. She probably has an affair!” Listening to their slander, Nora almost laughed out loud. I felt my face go dark, barely holding back my anger. I was about to shout back at them when the elevator dinged. Daniel walked out from inside.

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On the day of my daughter Skylar Cooper’s sixth birthday, I was having an appendectomy in the hospital. I begged my husband, Oliver Cooper, to pick her up from school, but he refused on the grounds that he had to attend a transnational meeting. “Ms. Anderson, Skylar fell off a building at school! She…” I was so shocked that I couldn’t hear the teacher’s voice on the phone. I pulled out the IV tube in my hand and rushed to the school, but I was still too late. Skylar was on the verge of death and said, “Mom, I miss Dad. Can you ask Dad to come and see me?” She was so badly injured that her face was unrecognizable, and she was covered in blood. I held her body and cried bitterly. At this time, the campus screen was showing the news. [Oliver, the richest man in Enilota, held a press conference and announced the return of Kayla, the young lady of the Watson Group, and the two rekindled their old love.] Before Skylar died, she only longed to see her father, but he ignored us while hugging his ex-girlfriend! I was shaking all over. Finally, I dialed his phone number and said, “Oliver, is this the urgent meeting you left Skylar for?” His tone showed undisguised disgust. “Melissa, are you crazy? Skylar is safe at school, but Kayla is sick and needs me more!”

“Oliver, you bastard. Let’s get a divorce!” I roared with all my remaining strength and smashed my phone. The school called an ambulance, and the medical staff arrived soon. Looking at the doctor, I pleaded like a madwoman, “Doctor, please save my daughter. She’s only six years old. She’s a child!” I couldn’t help but break down and cry. The doctor just sighed and said that the girl couldn’t be saved and asked me to accept the loss. They carried Skylar onto the stretcher. I just watched her gradually disappear from my sight, as if she had never appeared. At that moment, I rushed forward desperately, trying to snatch her body back, but I fainted due to exhaustion. When I woke up again, I was in the mortuary of the hospital. Skylar’s body had already been dealt with. I was so desperate that I couldn’t shed any tears. “I’m sorry, baby. I shouldn’t have brought you into this world.” When she was buried, her body had already been cremated into ashes. It was pouring heavily under the dim sky. I suddenly remembered the beginning of this tragedy. I met Oliver on a rainy afternoon. That year, he failed the SAT, and his family went bankrupt. He was alone on the street, drinking his sorrows away. But I knew that what made him the saddest was the betrayal of his ex-girlfriend. Because of the bankruptcy, his ex-girlfriend, Kayla Watson, completely abandoned him and chose to go abroad, pretending that she was going for further study. At that time, he was very desperate. No one knew that I had been secretly in love with him. Once, he had been like the bright moon in the sky, making me look up to him. Now that he was down and out, I just hoped that he could be happy. I quietly got close to him, hoping that he would cheer up and regain his confidence. Finally, from the age of 18 to 28, it took me a full ten years to move him and help him return to the peak of his life and revive his family business. In these ten years, I didn’t live a single day for myself. I worked hard, just wanting him to fall in love with me. Ten years later, we got married. I thought he loved me, but the reality shattered all my hopes. Oliver had always only loved Kayla, even when I was pregnant with his baby. When I gave birth to Skylar, I had a difficult labor and severe bleeding. I hoped he could take care of me, but he said coldly that I was an adult and since I chose to have a child at an advanced age, I should take responsibility for myself. It was he who said he wanted to have his own child, so I took the risk to give birth to Skylar. After we had our daughter, he never once took care of her in six years. I was used to being humble, and he enjoyed being loved. This marriage and love that spanned sixteen years was just my wishful thinking. But today was his daughter’s birthday! He refused her request without hesitation, went on a date with Kayla, and said that Skylar was safe at school. But Skylar was dead, leaving this world with the regret of wanting to see him just once! I shouted in my heart, “Oliver, you are a devil!” I hated him so much! Then, I thought, “Why should Skylar die a miserable death on a rainy night while they are acting like a loving couple in front of all the celebrities in the city?” I fell awkwardly in the rain, covered in mud. I limped forward in despair. At this moment, I just wanted to avenge my daughter.

The venue of the press conference that Oliver held for Kayla was in the busy city center. With my hair in a mess, I came to the entrance of the venue. I looked like a homeless person who didn’t fit in. The passers-by were all talking about me, but I turned a deaf ear. Skylar was dead, and I didn’t care about anything. At the press conference, Kayla and Oliver were snuggling closely together. All the media were taking pictures of them and widely publicizing their love story. I rushed forward and slapped Oliver in the face. He was stunned. When he saw it was me, he immediately roared angrily, “Melissa, are you out of your mind? Do you know where this is?” I shouted in pain, “I am crazy; that’s why I fell in love with a scumbag like you!” Oliver frowned and said unhappily, “Are you done? You inexplicably said you wanted a divorce on the phone, and now you’re causing trouble here. Do you really want to get my attention so much?” The guests and reporters at the scene didn’t expect such a thing to happen. They stopped paying attention to Kayla and turned their cameras towards me instead. Kayla was very angry, but she forced a fake smile and came over, saying, “Melissa, long time no see. I’m back in the country after all these years, and Oliver took the time to accompany me. Don’t be angry.” Her tone and her smile were as if she was saying that Oliver had always been her man, and I was nothing. “Never mind. My husband is a perfect match for you. I’m giving him to you,” I said calmly. All the reporters at the scene were shocked. For them, this was a huge piece of news. The richest man, Oliver, was actually married and having an affair during the marriage. He warned me in a low voice, “Melissa, can you have some sense of propriety on such an important occasion? Kayla is still sick. It’s not easy for her to come back to the country. Stop acting up.” Sixteen years had passed, and he was still willing to protect the woman who had abandoned him in the first place. I felt disgusted even to explain one more word to him. Pushing Oliver away, I limped towards the stage. I wanted to expose them completely. Skylar was dead, and I wanted to take revenge on them. Once, I would be jealous if he even glanced at another woman. This time, I didn’t care at all that he was embracing his ex-girlfriend. He seemed to anticipate what I was going to do and chased after me to stop me. “Melissa, you’re already a mother. Be mature! Have you thought it through about getting a divorce from me? Don’t you think about Skylar? How selfish you are!” He actually still remembered Skylar! I raised my hand tremblingly, wanting to slap him in the face, but he grabbed my hand. He said, “I just didn’t buy a birthday cake for Skylar. Instead of coming here to make a scene, you should go and buy one for her! When I finish here, I’ll go back!” I couldn’t hold back my tears. Seeing me crying, Oliver said impatiently, “Kayla has suffered alone abroad for sixteen years. This time she’s back, I have to spend more time with her. Skylar is very sensible and will understand me. Don’t be angry, okay?” This was Skylar’s father. Even if he had paid the slightest bit of attention to her, he would have known that Skylar had fallen off a building and that Skylar was dead. Maybe he only cared about Kayla. “It’s too late.” I broke free from his hand and felt disgusted. “What? I can promise you that I’ll spend one day a week with Skylar from now on. Are you satisfied? Stop making trouble!” Oliver made a promise for the first time in sixteen years. I said, “Put away your hypocrisy! Oliver, you don’t deserve it! I said I wanted a divorce! I wish you and your ex-girlfriend never be happy!” It was all too late. It was the end for me and Oliver. “Oliver, is Melissa crazy? Why don’t we send her to the hospital? She spoils everyone’s good mood,” Kayla held Oliver’s hand and leaned against him, saying. Seeing how abnormal I was, Oliver nodded and asked the security guards to take me away. But he didn’t expect that I already had a plan. I shook off the security guards forcefully and, under the gaze of everyone in the hall, scattered the marriage agreement between me and Oliver and the photos of their affair all over the hall.

“Mr. Cooper, is what this lady said true?” “Are you really in a secret marriage and even have a six-year-old child?” “What’s the relationship between you and Ms. Watson?” But before Oliver could answer, Kayla fainted. I saw her wink at me. She was faking it again. “I won’t answer private questions. Kayla has fainted. The press conference is stopped today. She can’t be hurt in any way!” Oliver stopped the commotion and said coldly to me, “Melissa, it’s too much of you to deliberately stimulate Kayla like this!” After that, he pushed me aside, picked up Kayla in a hurry and rushed to the hospital. He said to his assistant, Yohan Anderson, “Yohan, send Melissa home and buy a birthday cake for Skylar. She’s grown up now. Let her take care of Melissa and don’t cause any more trouble.” I returned to our home, Maldiary Villa, in a daze. Looking at everything familiar in front of me, I missed Skylar desperately. But Skylar had already gone. I couldn’t help but twitch and cry. Just then, the person in charge of the cemetery suddenly sent me a message: [Ms. Anderson, something terrible has happened. Skylar’s grave was destroyed!] I stood up in horror and rushed towards the cemetery regardless of everything. When I got there, Skylar’s grave had already been dug up, and standing beside it were Oliver and Kayla. Kayla asked the bodyguard to throw Skylar’s urn out in disgust, and then she carefully put the body of a cat into the grave. The small urn was knocked over by the roadside, just like Skylar’s broken body. She really would never come back! I shouted, “What are you doing? I’m going to kill you!” They were all scared by my crazy behavior. Kayla let out a scream and hugged Oliver tightly. Oliver said, “Melissa, what’s wrong with you? Why did you follow me here? Didn’t I ask you to go back and celebrate Skylar’s birthday?” I laughed so heartbreakingly. He had destroyed his daughter’s grave with his own hands. “Oliver, what right do you have to talk about me? When Skylar was most helpless, where were you as her father? You were sleeping with your ex-girlfriend and humiliating your wife!” Kayla’s face turned red with anger because of my words. “Melissa, what have I done to you? You’re slandering my innocence. I will sue you for defamation!” “You can just go ahead!” I looked at them as if they were a pile of garbage. I shouted, “Go away! Both of you! You don’t deserve to be here!” I threw the cat’s body away forcefully, and then, little by little, I carefully picked up Skylar’s scattered ashes. Kayla let out a terrified scream. “Ah! Oliver, she actually threw our precious son away! Will was the birthday gift you gave me, the boy we raised together. How could she…” She looked on the verge of tears, as if she couldn’t stand the shock and was about to faint at any moment. Oliver quickly held her up tenderly and said to me, “Apologize to Kayla and Will!” Looking at Kayla’s tear-stained face, he dragged me down and forced me to apologize. I felt a sharp pain in my knee, but it couldn’t compare to the pain in my heart. Because the little bit of ashes was blown away by the wind. I sat on the ground in despair. “Oliver, my heart hurts so much! Didn’t you say Melissa is gentle and sensible? She’s just jealous of me! Since she doesn’t like me, then I’ll leave…” Kayla tried to provoke Oliver. He grabbed my shoulders and questioned me, “Melissa, Will’s death has already made Kayla so sad. Why can’t you leave her alone? Stop that! You want a divorce, right? Fine! From now on, Skylar will live with me. You don’t deserve to be her mother! She’ll be the happiest girl in the world!” I laughed loudly and said, “Fine!” Hearing Skylar’s name, I looked at Oliver sorrowfully and said, “Oliver, do you know that Skylar is already dead? The ashes you scattered just now were hers. Why does my poor baby have a father like you? If there’s a next life, I’m sure Skylar will stay far away from you and me.” “Melissa, stop talking nonsense! Just because I didn’t take Skylar to celebrate her birthday, you’re even cursing her!” Oliver completely lost his patience and kicked Skylar’s urn hard. The ashes spilled all over the ground.

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When my husband Lucas Graham was kidnapped by a gang, they demanded that I come to exchange places with him. For the sake of our son and the company, I didn’t hesitate to take Lucas’s place, enduring cruel torture in the den of criminals. “I’ll take good care of our son, and don’t worry about the ransom. I’ll find a way to raise the money,” I told him before I left. But a whole year passed, and Lucas seemed to have vanished into thin air, never showing up to rescue me. When I finally managed to escape, I discovered that he was in the middle of a wedding ceremony with his childhood friend, Chloe. Our parents and in-laws were there, offering their warm congratulations. Among the crowd, I spotted Jack “The Blade” Thompson, the gang leader who had tortured me for a year, raising a glass and drinking merrily. And my precious son, Leo, had been turned into a servant, his expression blank as he served tea and water to the guests, constantly kneeling and begging for forgiveness at the slightest provocation. Swallowing my bitterness, I turned and called the person who had saved me: “If you can help me rescue my son, I promise to help you bring down Graham Enterprises!”

As I pushed open the door, the cheerful music inside came to an abrupt halt. All eyes turned to me. The moment Lucas saw me, his hand, holding the ring, froze in mid-air. But he quickly composed himself. “Whatever it is, we can discuss it tomorrow. It’s a joyous occasion today. Have you looked in a mirror? You’re a mess. Don’t spoil the guests’ mood!” I could hardly believe my ears. Shouldn’t he be explaining the situation to me? Why was he standing there in a tuxedo, happily exchanging rings with Chloe? And why was Jack Thompson, the gang leader who had kidnapped and abused me, attending their wedding? My mother’s shrill voice snapped me back to reality: “Where have you been, you ungrateful girl? Lucas was so good to you, and you ran off with that gang leader for a whole year! If you have no shame, at least think of the Evans family’s reputation!” Affair? How ridiculous. So this was how Lucas covered up his betrayal. At that moment, Jack Thompson put his arm around me, squeezing my shoulder painfully as he smiled coldly: “Still hiding our relationship from everyone? You really are disobedient.” His voice seemed to come straight from hell, full of naked threat and warning. I shrank back, my gaze becoming unfocused. Seeing this, the guests began to whisper among themselves: “No wonder Mr. Graham is marrying Miss Reed. It turns out this shameless woman had an affair first. The Evans family must be so disgraced.” “Having an affair for a year without coming home once? I’ve never seen someone so brazen. The Evans family is poor and incompetent, but who would have thought their daughter would be even worse!” “Hmph, her mother has been running around preparing for Mr. Graham and Miss Reed’s wedding, trying so hard to please them. And her son is working as a servant at the wedding. Like mother, like son, I suppose.” … Hearing the commotion, Lucas finally walked over to me, whispering impatiently: “Couldn’t you have come back tomorrow? I’m just giving Chloe a wedding ceremony. I’ve been planning this for a year, and we’re so close to finishing. Are you deliberately trying to embarrass us?” Just a wedding ceremony… But what about me? For a year, I had been beaten and tortured, my body covered in old and new wounds. When I was hungry, I had to crawl on the ground like a dog to lick up rotten food. So all my suffering and torture, even bearing the shame of being called an adulterer, was just to pave the way for their grand wedding. I closed my eyes in despair and moved to pull Leo away. “Come with Mommy, let’s leave this place.” But my son recoiled as if electrocuted, suddenly falling to his knees and kowtowing to me in panic, muttering: “No, no, no! Leo can’t leave. I have to stay and serve Mr. Graham and Miss Reed well. I want to be their most obedient little dog!”

Seeing my son so fearful and self-abasing, I was shocked. He was only seven years old… As he kept kowtowing, I noticed the bruises and scars hidden under his clothes, and the marks of a dog collar on his neck. I quickly went to help Leo up, but he started slapping himself, seemingly feeling no pain. “Leo did wrong, Leo deserves to be punished. I’ll go to the cold storage room for three hours right away!” I slowly turned my gaze to Lucas, hoping for an explanation. Before he could speak, Chloe rushed to embrace Leo, putting on a motherly act. “You’ve misunderstood, Scarlett. Leo and I often play house like this. Sometimes I’m the servant, sometimes he is. It’s just his turn today.” Trembling, I pointed at the marks on my child’s neck and demanded: “Are these injuries also part of your game? Is this how you treat my son?!” Seeing Chloe’s expression darken, Lucas pushed me away, his eyes full of reproach: “What are you making such a fuss about! Do you have to act like a shrew? Do you think Chloe is as scheming as you?” “Those marks are from when Chloe was drawing with Leo. They just won’t wash off. You haven’t been fulfilling your duties as a mother, and Chloe has been kind enough to take care of your son. Is this how you repay her kindness?!” Seeing Leo’s obvious fear of Chloe, my heart ached to the point of suffocation. I looked up at Lucas with tears in my eyes: “Can’t you see how scared our son is? How can you still think this is just a game!” Lucas fixed his gaze on our son, observing him for a while. A flicker of doubt passed through his dark eyes. At this moment, Chloe burst into tears: “I thought if I treated Leo well, I could easily become part of this family. I never imagined that as an outsider, I’d never truly be accepted into the Graham family. I’m destined to be gossiped about. We shouldn’t get married after all. I’m just a complete joke…” With that, she took off her veil, stuffed it into Lucas’s arms, and ran towards the bedroom, covering her face. Seeing the bride run away, the scene descended into chaos. But the guests’ words were all accusations against me, calling me a “troublemaker” and a “jinx.” Watching Chloe leave, Lucas’s brow furrowed with displeasure: “Is this the example you set for our son? It’s just a formal wedding ceremony. Do you have to turn everything upside down before you’re satisfied?!” “And the son you raised yourself, acting like he’s been abused by Chloe in front of all these people. Such good acting skills at such a young age, he could be a movie star when he grows up! He’ll have to thank his mother for that!” With these words, Lucas hurried after Chloe to comfort her. Seeing him berate me in public, my parents only beat me, cursing me for my “affair” and for not being able to keep my man. I didn’t argue anymore. I just held Leo tightly in my scarred arms, tears streaming down my face: “Don’t be afraid, Leo… Mommy will take you away soon. I won’t let anyone hurt you again.” I immediately messaged my lawyer to draft divorce papers and called the person who had rescued me. “Help me this one last time, and I’ll help you bring down Graham Enterprises…”

Back in Leo’s room, I quietly packed all our documents and some essential items. Just as I lay down to sleep with my child in my arms, I heard footsteps stop by the bed. “Still angry with me, hm?” Lucas’s lazy voice poured into my ears as he pulled me into his arms, coaxing in a low voice: “Scarlett, I only planned that fake kidnapping because I was afraid you’d be petty and cause trouble for Chloe. Besides, Jack Thompson is my friend. He wouldn’t dare harm you even if I gave him permission.” The man looked utterly confident, as if boasting about how well he had protected me. But if he had bothered to look at me closely, he would have seen that there wasn’t a single uninjured spot on my body. I turned away, unable to bear it, deliberately keeping my distance as I asked calmly: “So from now on, I’m supposed to stay with the gang as the mistress, while Chloe becomes our son’s stepmother, is that right?” Noticing my attitude, the man clearly lost his last bit of patience, though he didn’t show it too obviously: “Don’t put it so crudely. If Leo calls Chloe stepmom, people will gossip even more. I’m just having a wedding ceremony with her so people won’t spread rumors about her seducing me.” He thought my words were crude only because I called Chloe a stepmother, not because I referred to myself as a mistress… Tired of his ridiculous excuses, I couldn’t be bothered to respond. Lucas looked around the room, confusion crossing his face: “Why are you packing? Where are you going?” As I was thinking of how to brush off his question, Chloe suddenly called. Her pitiful crying voice came through the phone: “Lucas, as soon as Scarlett came back, she posted about me online. She said I stole her husband, that I’m shameless, that I’m ruining the Graham family’s peace. She’s trying to force me out of the family…” “Please, help me beg for forgiveness. I know I was wrong. I’ll never mention having a wedding again. If I offended Scarlett today, I’ll go out and apologize to her right now, even if I have to do it naked. Please don’t kick me out…” Lucas clicked on the link Chloe sent, his eyebrows knotting together. The post was made using my profile picture, and every word was a threat against Chloe. I was about to explain when a sudden slap exploded across my cheek. “Chloe grew up in an orphanage, with no parents. How dare you tell her to get out! Where is a young girl supposed to go? You think too highly of yourself!” With these words, Lucas walked out, struggling to control his anger as he comforted Chloe in the gentlest voice. The stark contrast left me stunned. I wondered if he had ever thought about how I would survive when he threw me to Jack Thompson. Had he ever worried about the dangers I might face? I laughed bitterly, tasting the iron flavor spreading in my mouth, my heart already numb. I sat there all night, patting my restless son with one hand. The next morning, Lucas knocked on the door a few times and spoke in a commanding tone: “Chloe has specially prepared a yacht party for you, first to apologize, and second to welcome you back. Hurry up and bring Leo downstairs.” The time has come… It’s finally about to end.

Seeing me carrying a large bag, Lucas suddenly became uneasy, asking cautiously: “I wanted to ask yesterday, why are you packing? Where are you going?” I made up a lie to brush him off: “I feel bad for Leo, so I’m bringing him some treats and toys.” The man immediately relaxed. When we arrived at the yacht, I realized this was just another form of wedding celebration. Chloe was showing off in a short wedding dress. But now, I had no energy to deal with this. I was constantly looking for a chance to leave. In the blink of an eye, Leo, who had been following me, suddenly disappeared. At that moment, a child’s scream came from one of the yacht’s cabins. My heart skipped a beat, and I rushed towards the sound. Jack Thompson was gripping Leo’s collar tightly, ordering someone to lock the door from the outside. “If you have a problem with me, come at me. Please, let my son go,” I pleaded. Jack habitually rubbed the scar on his forehead, a sign that he was angry and calculating how to deal with me. “I fed and housed you, and you dared to run away from my territory? Quick, tell me, did you snitch to Lucas Graham or not?!” “If not, I’ll chop up this little brat!” I hurriedly waved my hands. “No, no, I didn’t say anything. Think about it, if I had told him, would he still invite you to this party?” The man smiled at me, satisfied, then gave a look to his men. Understanding his signal, they started beating and kicking me violently, as usual, to vent their anger. Blood slowly trickled down from my head, blurring my vision, but I was already used to it. I forced a smile as I looked at Leo, my voice trembling as I tried to comfort him: “Mommy doesn’t… doesn’t hurt… Don’t be scared…” I crawled towards him with difficulty, leaving a trail of blood behind me, a horrifying sight. Seeing that I could still move, one of the thugs put his foot on my back, saying with cruel amusement: “Look at her, covered in blood. If Lucas Graham sees her like this, we’ll be in trouble. Let’s throw them into the sea to wash off, they stink!” The next second, Jack smashed the glass on one side of the cabin, revealing the churning sea below. “You want to save your son? Go find him yourself!” He grabbed Leo and threw him out the window. My son didn’t even have time to cry for help. “Leo!” Without hesitation, I dragged my battered body and jumped into the waves. Underwater, I hugged my son’s small body. “Baby, Mommy’s taking you away now. We’ll never come back…” At that moment, Lucas and Chloe were surrounded by guests in the center of the yacht, receiving congratulations from all sides. Chloe leaned shyly against Lucas’s chest, taking the ring out of its box. “We didn’t get to put on the rings yesterday. Today, at least make it up to me?” As she said this, she held out her hand amidst the cheers of the guests, quietly waiting for Lucas’s response. Lucas took the ring and was about to put it on her finger when he suddenly looked up, instinctively searching for Scarlett in the crowd. “Where’s Scarlett? And where’s Leo?” Chloe tried to stop him, but Lucas had already pushed through the crowd in panic, looking around frantically. As Lucas passed by a cabin, he overheard one of Jack’s men reporting nervously: “Boss, we’re in trouble. Scarlett Evans and her son haven’t moved for a while. I think… I think we might have drowned them!”

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My dad’s new girlfriend was coming over for dinner to meet me for the first time. But when she saw my Hermès bag, her face darkened instantly. She threw down her fork and stormed out. When my dad asked why, she said, “How can someone so young afford such an expensive bag? She must be living off her parents!” I couldn’t help but laugh. “You have a point. We shouldn’t leech off our parents or our children. So I guess I’ll have to cancel my dad’s credit card!” I had just finished a company meeting when I received a call from my dad. “Honey, are you free tonight? I’ve been dating Autumn for almost a year now, and she suggested we have a formal dinner together. What do you think?” I checked my calendar and saw I had no plans for the evening. “Sure, let’s have dinner at home. I’ll be there.” My dad was thrilled to hear I was coming home. He excitedly told me he’d ask the housekeeper to make my favorite chicken stew before hanging up. My mom passed away in a car accident when I was six. Since then, my dad had been both working and taking care of me on his own. People had tried to set him up, but he always refused, worried it might affect me. It wasn’t until after I graduated from college that he finally started dating someone introduced by a friend. I had been too busy with work to ask much about it, but I occasionally heard from my dad’s calls about how gentle and caring this woman named Autumn was. Thinking this would be our first meeting, I asked my assistant to buy a Chanel handbag as a gift. After work, I drove straight to my dad’s house. After he retired, he moved back to our old family home. I had been living near my office for convenience and realized it had been almost six months since I last visited. As soon as I opened the door, I came face to face with a well-maintained woman. She looked startled for a moment but quickly put on a smile. “You must be Lydia! I’m your father’s girlfriend. You can call me Aunt Autumn!” Before I could greet her, I noticed her gaze shift to my bag. It wasn’t until my dad’s voice came from behind that she slowly moved aside to let me in. It had been two months since I last saw my dad. He was clearly happy to see me, asking non-stop about how I’d been and if there were any developments in my love life. I found it amusing. “Dad, just take care of yourself. I’m in no rush!” Dad chuckled, his gaze naturally drifting towards Autumn, who was busy in the kitchen with the housekeeper. At the dinner table, I took out the gift I had prepared. My dad immediately said, “See how thoughtful my daughter is! She bought you a bag for your first meeting. Quick, see if you like it!” Autumn, whose attitude had been somewhat cool since I arrived, suddenly beamed. She eagerly accepted the gift box, giving me a coy look. “Oh, you shouldn’t have! I feel terrible, I forgot to bring a gift for Lydia. I’ll make it up to you later, I promise!” I just smiled in response. I didn’t really care about gifts; as long as my dad was happy in this relationship, that was all that mattered to me. I lowered my head, sipping the soup the housekeeper had made, when I heard my dad’s confused voice. “What’s wrong? Why do you suddenly look unhappy?”

Hearing this, I instinctively looked up. Autumn, who had been all smiles just moments ago, now wore a displeased expression, her eyes filled with discontent. “It’s nothing. Let’s eat,” she said, roughly shoving the bag back into the gift box and tossing it on the floor. The action was so forceful and loud, it was clearly meant to express her dissatisfaction. By now, I realized she had an issue with the gift. “Aunt Autumn, don’t you like the Chanel bag?” I asked directly, not bothering to hide my confusion. Autumn paused, put down her spoon, and sat up straight, looking at me. “Lydia, I shouldn’t say this on our first meeting, but don’t you think you’re being too obvious?” she said, pointing at the bag on the floor. “This bag isn’t even a tenth of the price of the one you’re carrying. As a younger person, giving an elder a gift that’s worth less than your own – aren’t you looking down on me?” Honestly, I hadn’t thought about it that way at all. My dad was clearly taken aback too. He quickly tugged at Autumn’s sleeve, whispering, “Lydia didn’t mean it like that! Besides, it’s the thought that counts when it comes to gifts. What are you doing?” “Your daughter is looking down on me, can’t you see?” Autumn turned to my dad, her face full of grievance. “If she really respected me, she would have bought me a Hermès bag too! Besides, it’s all your money anyway, so why is there a difference?” Autumn seemed genuinely upset and kept going. “And why is a girl in her twenties carrying a Hermès bag anyway? She’s so vain, who would want to marry her? Robert, you can’t spoil Lydia like this. If she keeps living off you, this child is going to be ruined!” “Are you done?” I said coldly, slamming my chopsticks on the table, startling even my dad. “If you don’t like the bag, I’ll take it back. And by the way, did you think my dad bought this bag for me?” Autumn snorted, “How else could a young girl like you afford it?” I smiled, “You’re right. Since you say we shouldn’t live off our parents, we also shouldn’t let our parents live off us. So I guess I’ll have to cancel my dad’s credit card!”

As soon as I said this, I prepared to leave. Autumn seemed stunned for a moment, then quickly grabbed my dad when she realized what was happening. “What do you mean? Your credit card is your daughter’s?” “Yes,” my dad said with a helpless expression. “Lydia is good with finances, so I let her manage my money. She opened a credit card for me, and my expenses are charged to her account.” Autumn was still a bit confused. Seeing me pick up the gift box from the floor, she quickly pressed her hand on mine. Her expression was a strange mix of anger and flattery. “Lydia, it was all a misunderstanding. I actually really like the bag you bought for me!” “Really?” I smiled. “Well, I don’t want to give it to you anymore.” I pulled the bag away forcefully and waved goodbye to my dad before leaving. On the drive home, I felt a knot in my chest. Every time my dad had mentioned Autumn, he’d always praised her non-stop, making me believe she was a genuinely nice person. But today showed how one bag could reveal her greedy nature. Who knows what other trouble she might cause in the future! I made up my mind to find an opportunity to talk to my dad alone. This relationship definitely needed careful reconsideration! Surprisingly, before I could contact him the next day, my dad showed up at my company. After graduating from college, I had started an investment company with a few friends, and it had been quite successful. That’s why my dad felt comfortable letting me manage all his savings. He had never come to my company before, saying he didn’t want to interfere with my work. When I got the news, I rushed to the reception room to find my dad lost in thought on the sofa. He only snapped out of it when I entered. “Lydia,” he started to stand up, but I gently pushed him back down. He continued, “Autumn was just in a bad mood yesterday, she didn’t mean anything by it. After you left, she cried for a long time, saying she had said the wrong things. Don’t be like her.” Seeing my dad still defending Autumn, I felt helpless. “Dad, I don’t want to interfere with your love life, but you saw it too. One bag was enough to make her start comparing, and now she’s accusing me of living off you and saying hurtful things. If she moves in, will I even be able to come home anymore?” Hearing this, my dad quickly said, “It’s my fault, all my fault. I hadn’t told her what you do for a living. We cleared everything up last night. She’s a good person, just afraid of being poor and always wanting to live better so others won’t look down on her. But Autumn genuinely likes me, I know that.” I could see the obvious anxiety on my dad’s face, and it made me feel bad too. After all these years, my dad had finally found someone he liked, and he had told me more than once that he wanted to marry Autumn. If it was just a bit of greed, I could handle that. I wasn’t short on money, and she couldn’t cause much trouble even if she tried. At worst, I could just visit less often. Seeing my attitude soften, my dad cheered up visibly. He even suggested having dinner at a restaurant in the city the next evening, saying it was Autumn’s way of apologizing to me. I reluctantly agreed and had someone escort my dad out. The next day, I arrived at the restaurant address my dad had sent me and headed straight for the private room. When the door opened, I saw not only my dad and Autumn but also a short, chubby guy sitting nearby, stuffing his face with food. His eyes lit up when he saw me. I frowned instinctively at the presence of a stranger and the fact that they had started eating without me. Just as my dad was about to speak, Autumn rushed over, pulling me to sit next to her, which was also next to the chubby guy. “Oh, Lydia, you’re finally here! We’ve been waiting for you for so long!” What did she mean by that? Was she implying I was late? I chuckled and showed her my phone screen. “There was no traffic today, so I got here in fifteen minutes. I didn’t expect this restaurant to be so efficient, serving all the dishes in just fifteen minutes. Sorry to have kept you waiting.” The screen showed my chat with my dad, where he had told me fifteen minutes ago that they had just arrived and that I shouldn’t rush. Autumn looked a bit embarrassed and sat back down. But she quickly thought of something else and enthusiastically said, “Lydia, your dad never told me what you do for a living, which led to my misunderstanding. I had no idea that someone so young could already be the boss of a company. That’s amazing!” Autumn’s eyes darted around, and she leaned forward, trying to appear intimate. “Lydia, I heard from your dad that you’re still single, right? A young woman like you should be thinking about marriage! You know what? I have a nephew who’s also single. Why don’t you two get to know each other? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could have a double wedding? It would be a double celebration!” As soon as she finished speaking, the chubby guy next to me reluctantly put down his chopsticks, wiped his greasy mouth with his hands, and grinned at me, extending his hand. “Hi, I’m Greg. You have a great figure!” I looked around the table, finally fixing my gaze on my dad, who was avoiding eye contact. Suddenly, I understood what this dinner was all about.

Some people say that when you get a stepmother, you also get a different father. I never believed this saying. I had even asked my dad before if he would stop loving me when he fell in love again. Back then, my dad got angry and said no one in the world would ever be more important to him than his Lydia. Now it seemed that someone had become more important. “That’s none of your business,” I said, standing up and suppressing my anger. “I thought this was a family dinner, but it turns out it’s an ambush blind date. I’m not interested in playing along. I’m leaving.” Seeing me leave, Autumn panicked and ran to block my way. “What ambush? How can you say such hurtful things, child? Robert, say something!” Autumn’s shrill voice called out my dad. My dad, who had been quiet like a quail, finally looked up, his smile obviously forced. “It’s just… just a dinner, and a chance to meet your Aunt Autumn’s family. As for the future… being friends is fine too!” “Wait, what?” Greg looked displeased. “Aunt, didn’t you say you were introducing me to a rich beauty to be the mother of my children? How did it turn into just being friends? Didn’t you say she had to be better than my ex-wife?” I laughed bitterly. So not only had they secretly arranged a blind date for me, but they had also set me up with a divorced man looking for a second marriage.

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On the day I held Alexander’s urn at our wedding ceremony, I moved alone into what was supposed to be our new home. Little did I know that as soon as I stepped through the door, his younger brother Lucas would pin me against the wall. “My mother blames you for my brother’s death,” he hissed. “She says I have to father children with all my brothers’ widows to continue the family line.” Margaret, my mother-in-law, had people guarding the main entrance. My sisters-in-law rushed in to hold down my legs as they dragged me kicking and screaming into the bedroom. I fought with every ounce of strength, slamming my head against the wall until blood ran into my eyes. But even then, they wouldn’t let me go… After the memorial service for Alexander and his two older brothers, I was shoved into the bedroom. Lucas sat on what should have been my wedding bed, his eyes filled with lust as he loosened his tie. “I’ve been waiting for this moment,” he said with a smirk. “You’re finally mine.” The room, still decorated with wedding symbols, suddenly went dark. I felt like a fish on a chopping block as my clothes were torn away. “Lucas! Have you lost your mind?” I screamed. “Your whole family has gone crazy! I’m your sister-in-law!” “So what?” He laughed coldly. “I’ve already had my way with my other two sisters-in-law. You’re no different.” His rough lips traced my forehead, mouth, collarbone, and chest. His hands groped my frail body mercilessly. I was paralyzed with disbelief, unable to process what was happening. Was this the same man who had been sobbing uncontrollably at his brother’s funeral just two weeks ago? “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you in my brother’s place,” he whispered. I stared at his face, so different from Alexander’s, and struggled with all my might. I banged my head against the floor, desperate to escape. “Get off me! Don’t touch me!” A storm raged outside as Lucas lost patience. He lifted me up and tied my hands to the bedpost. “Don’t touch you? My mother says I’m the only son left. I have to ‘sacrifice’ myself to give all of you children for my dead brothers.” “I suggest you cooperate,” he threatened. “Or do you want to see what happened to my other two sisters-in-law?” Of the four sons in the family, including my husband, three had died. I couldn’t believe Margaret wanted Lucas to father children with all of us widows. How could they propose something so immoral without fear of divine retribution? From outside the room, Margaret’s voice drifted in like a ghost’s whisper. “Stop pretending to be pure. Women’s bodies are made for men to use.” “Listen here, you sluts killed my sons. You owe me grandchildren as compensation. Otherwise, this old lady will kill you herself, and no one would blame me.” Cold air seeped into the room. I tried to curl up, but Lucas stopped me. The chill spread from my chest to my limbs as I bit my lip, filled with murderous rage. If Alexander’s spirit was watching, how could he bear this? The assault continued. “What, afraid someone will hear? My brother is dead. He can’t hear anything anymore.” “Acting like a whore but still pretending to be virtuous.” The pain was excruciating, but I refused to make a sound. He grabbed my hair and slammed my forehead against the floor repeatedly. “If you won’t behave, I’ll teach you a lesson!” I clenched my jaw, letting the tears flow silently. Death would be preferable to this hellish existence. I closed my eyes, praying for a swift end. The torment lasted all night. As dawn broke, the room finally fell silent. Heaven had ignored my fervent prayers. I hadn’t died, but remembered every detail of the previous night’s horrors with painful clarity. After Lucas fell asleep, I dragged my battered body out of the room. They had taken my phone, leaving me no way to contact the outside world, but I had to find a way to call for help. The few steps from the bedroom to the staircase felt like miles. With each step, I left a trail of blood on the carpet, my strength rapidly fading. Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream pierced the air. I looked up to see several women standing at the corner of the hallway. Two of them, disheveled and gaunt, were the sisters-in-law who had helped Lucas restrain me. My gaze fell on a woman huddled in the corner. When I recognized her face, a chill ran down my spine. It was Emily, Lucas’s wife. Emily stared at me blankly before bursting into maniacal laughter. Veins bulged on her forehead as she shrieked, “Die! Die! Die!” She lunged at me like a madwoman, but a chain around her neck kept her tethered to the railing. “You…” Before I could finish, a fist flew past me and struck Emily in the stomach.

She collapsed to her knees but didn’t try to stand. Instead, she looked up at Lucas with a twisted smile. The other two women crawled over, nuzzling Lucas’s ankles like dogs. He grabbed one by the collar and sneered, “Come on, bark for me.” The woman obediently barked twice, even wagging her nonexistent “tail” like an animal. Lucas seemed pleased and lightly slapped her face. “Are you hungry?” She cupped her cheek, her eyes misting over. “I’m so hungry… so hungry…” Her emaciated body looked as if it would shatter at the slightest touch. Lucas ordered someone to bring leftover food, which was dumped on the floor in front of them. The women lapped it up with their tongues like dogs, pausing only to thank Lucas between bites. “Thank you, master. Thank you, master.” I couldn’t believe my eyes. Was this really Emily, the vivacious socialite I had once known? My hands trembled uncontrollably at my sides, but even in the depths of my terror, I refused to cry. Alexander had taught me never to let the enemy see my fear. Lucas approached me, smiling as he whispered in my ear, “Enjoying the show, sister-in-law?” “Want to know what it feels like to be a dog?” His threat was clear. They had no shame, no limits to their cruelty. Shivering, I couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t you afraid of karma for doing this?” “If your brother were still alive…” Before I could finish, a powerful force slammed me against the wall. Lucas’s face contorted with rage as he pinned me there. Like a wild beast, he looked ready to tear me apart. “Don’t you dare mention that dead man to me,” he snarled. “Alexander is rotting in his grave. Say his name again, and I’ll grind his bones to dust.” The hatred in his voice shocked me. Memories of the past flooded my mind. Since college, Alexander had worked five part-time jobs, toiling day and night. “My two older brothers are sickly, and my younger brother is still a child. I’m the family’s only hope,” he used to say. I worried about his health, but he never complained. “My mother struggled to put four kids through school. As the eldest, I should help support the family.” At just over twenty, his hands were already as calloused as a middle-aged laborer’s. Yet despite all his efforts, Margaret never showed him any kindness. After his death, Lucas shamelessly took credit for Alexander’s research projects, using them to advance his own career. They were never a real family. They were just parasites feeding off Alexander’s hard work. Noticing my hateful glare, Lucas smirked and ordered the servants to keep me under strict surveillance. “If anything happens to her, I’ll break your bones and feed them to the dogs,” he threatened. I was now a prisoner in my own home. For seven days, I tried everything to escape, only to be met with Lucas’s increasingly sadistic abuse. Yet even as they tormented me, they made sure to feed me regularly, never allowing me the chance to take my own life. “Wake up, sleepyhead. How long are you planning to rest?” After another night of torture, I had passed out. When I came to, I found Margaret standing before me with two men in white coats. A sense of foreboding washed over me. “What are you planning?” Margaret said nothing, motioning for the men to hold me down on the bed. “Just give her the injections. Two shots of estrogen should be enough to get her pregnant.” The needle pierced my skin, sending the drug coursing through my veins. The dose was potent. My entire body ached unbearably. “How can you do this without fear of damnation?” I gasped. “Damnation?” Margaret lifted my chin. “If I hadn’t sent him to bring you dinner that night, he wouldn’t have gotten into that car accident.” “You’re the one who caused my son’s death. If anyone’s going to hell, it’s you!” That night, I had been working late. Alexander, worried about me, called to say he was bringing me some soup. I waited happily in my cubicle for him to arrive. But the next call I received was the news of his death. “Only 26 years old, found clutching a lunchbox. Such a tragedy,” they told me. I knelt in the morgue for two days straight, not eating or drinking. I never even got to see his face one last time. “You say I caused Alexander’s death?” I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity. “You lost your husband young, and now three sons in middle age. Who has the cursed fate here, you or me?” “People like you and Lucas don’t deserve children. Your bloodline deserves to end!” If they had cared even a little for Alexander or his brothers, they could never treat us this way. Once, I had hoped to be a good daughter-in-law and sister-in-law after marriage. But these inhuman monsters didn’t deserve to be called family. “I’d rather die than give your family an heir!” I spat. Margaret’s face darkened as she glared at me. I met her gaze unflinchingly. “Increase her dosage,” she ordered. “We’ll see if you can resist getting pregnant then.” A new wave of pain washed over me. I curled into a ball, whimpering. Margaret slapped me hard across the face. “You bitch. I’ll only tolerate you until the baby is born.” “If it weren’t for my son’s sake…” She snorted and left the room without finishing her sentence. I closed my eyes, feeling utterly drained. The pain in my abdomen threatened to consume me. At last, I could no longer hold back my tears.

I was pregnant. When the constant nausea and missed period coincided, I knew there was no escaping it. My blood ran cold. I slapped myself hard, wanting to cry but finding no tears left. Despite taking cold showers and forcing myself to vomit up the prenatal vitamins, I couldn’t prevent the pregnancy. I stared at my still-flat stomach in the mirror, remembering how Alexander and I used to dream about having a baby someday. His greatest wish was to give me, an orphan, a real family of my own. But now… the life growing inside me wasn’t a blessing. It was the product of a heinous crime. “Alexander, if you knew I was carrying your brother’s child, would you hate me?” “No… you’re too good. You’d never blame me…” I crouched in the bathroom, shivering despite the rising temperatures outside. I couldn’t keep it. I submerged my face in the sink, letting the water wash away my tears. No matter what it took, I had to get rid of this baby. “Hiding in the bathroom again? What are you plotting now?” Lucas suddenly pushed open the door, eyeing me suspiciously. “I’m warning you, don’t try anything stupid. You’ll never escape.” His hand caressed my back, making my skin crawl. A crazy idea flashed through my mind. Fighting back nausea, I turned and draped my arms around his neck, forcing a smile. “What could I possibly be plotting? Why don’t you find out for yourself?” Lucas was stunned for only a moment before chuckling. He swept me up and carried me to the bedroom. He stripped off my clothes efficiently and entered me without any preparation. I batted my eyelashes seductively, my delicate arms encircling his neck. But even as I forced myself to play along, I couldn’t truly give myself to someone I despised. I closed my eyes, desperately pretending the man above me was Alexander. This was all just a nightmare. He had never left me. Tears slid down my cheeks. Lucas, misinterpreting my reaction, seemed pleased. “Finally come around, have you?” “Realizing how good I am to you?” I suppressed the urge to strangle him, the discomfort in my body reaching its peak. “Harder, please?” I whispered. Encouraged, Lucas increased his efforts. Suddenly, I felt a warm liquid flowing from within me… “What the hell? You’re on your period and you still seduced me?” Lucas noticed something was wrong and shoved me away. There was a lot of blood. As my body relaxed, it gushed out steadily. I smiled at him serenely. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. This isn’t menstrual blood.” “It’s your child’s life.” I laughed grimly as darkness engulfed me. … Outside the emergency room, Lucas berated Margaret. “You senile old hag! How could you not know she was pregnant?” Margaret defended herself, “I was planning to take her for a checkup in a few days. But she said she had her period, so I didn’t think…” “No excuses. The child must be saved at all costs. If not, I won’t let either of you off the hook.” The light in the emergency room went out, and the doctor emerged. “We made it just in time. The mother and child are safe, but you must be very careful from now on. No more intercourse.” I was still unconscious, but I vaguely heard the doctor’s words. Why? Even after all that, the baby was still alive? It clung to me like a malignant tumor, impossible to remove. Endless despair consumed me. The physical pain paled in comparison to the anguish in my heart. No, I couldn’t give up hope. While the mother and son were away, I caught the eye of the nurse who came to give me an injection. “Excuse me, I need to use the restroom. Could you please take me there?” She nodded and helped me into a wheelchair. The hospital corridor bustled with patients and visitors. No one paid me any attention. The main entrance was so close. My heart raced with anticipation. Just a little further… “Where do you think you’re going?” Lucas stood guard at the door. Tall and imposing in his crisp suit, he radiated an aura of authority. As the nurse began to explain that she was taking me to the bathroom, I suddenly stood up, shoving the wheelchair away. I ran frantically towards another exit. The searing pain made me stumble, and Lucas quickly caught up to me. He bent down, his gold-rimmed glasses glinting. His hands gripped me tightly as he smirked, “Did you really think you could escape?” I couldn’t. Despair washed over me. Was I doomed to spend the rest of my life with this monster? Never. I bit down hard on Lucas’s fingers. He yelped in pain and loosened his grip. Seizing the opportunity, I used my remaining strength to climb onto the window ledge of the corridor. Without hesitation, I jumped.

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I was born with the gift of prophecy. Whatever I say comes true. When I first learned to speak, I babbled that my dad would become rich. That night, he won the lottery jackpot of $100 million. When I was six, I said our neighbor’s missing grandson would return home safely. The next day, he was found dirty but unharmed at the town entrance. At eighteen, I commented online that the nearly bankrupt Chen Corporation would make a comeback against all odds. Sure enough, two weeks later, their stock prices skyrocketed, returning them to their former glory! Because of my gift, I became an honored guest of the Harrison family. But as soon as I stepped into their mansion, someone grabbed me by my hair and dragged me across the floor. “You slut! It’s not enough that you seduced my fiancé outside, now you’re throwing yourself at him in his own home? You must have a death wish!” a shrill voice accused. Wrongly accused, I tried to explain, but they were convinced I was the other woman and began beating me mercilessly. As my bracelet shattered with a crisp sound, I tasted the metallic tang of blood in my mouth. What they didn’t know was that besides my gift of prophecy, I also bore the curse of misfortune. Whoever made me bleed would be plagued by bad luck. It seemed the Harrison family was destined for a complete downfall.

“Miss Sullivan, please have a seat. The head of the family is on his way back from the office,” Mrs. Wilson, the housekeeper, said with a respectful smile. “He’ll be here any minute now.” I waved my hand dismissively. “Alright, no need to fuss.” I was born with the gift of prophecy. Whatever I say comes true. Mr. Harrison was initially skeptical about my abilities. Two years ago, he tested me by asking about their stocks. I simply said they would rise. That very night, their stock prices soared. The Harrison family, once on the brink of collapse, managed to stay afloat for two more years thanks to my single statement. Since then, Mr. Harrison knew I was the one he had been looking for. To get me to use my gift again, he pulled out all the stops. He even offered to make me an honored guest of the Harrison family, with a promise of lifelong respect and care. Only then did I reluctantly agree. After Mrs. Wilson settled me in, she went to the kitchen to prepare some fruit. The other servants treated me with utmost respect, their eyes filled with reverence. As I sat on the couch waiting for Mr. Harrison to return, a sharp pain suddenly shot through my scalp. I frowned and turned around, only to have a glass smash against my head, leaving me bloody and dazed. Clutching my forehead, I saw Vanessa Chen’s twisted face through the haze of blood. Seeing me injured, the two nearby servants immediately panicked. “Miss Sullivan is our master’s honored guest. Who are you?” one of them demanded. Vanessa gritted her teeth. “Don’t you dare touch me. I’m your young master’s girlfriend!” “You shameless hussy, how dare you seduce Lucas!” she spat at me. Her friends surrounding her all looked at me with contempt. “Look at her, so poor and pathetic. How could she compare to our Vanessa?” “Anyone with eyes can see who the better choice is.” “You cheap homewrecker, we’re going to teach you a lesson today.” They took turns calling me a mistress, reducing me to nothing. I frowned, my voice cold. “I’m not a mistress. Stop spreading lies.” As I turned to leave, Vanessa’s hand whipped across my face with a resounding slap. “Shameless bitch, don’t think I haven’t seen you hanging around my boyfriend all the time,” she snarled. “You’re probably scheming to seduce him every day, aren’t you?” Her long nails jabbed towards my eyes as she shrieked. Suddenly, I remembered Lucas Harrison. To get me to use my gift to help the Harrison family, he would come to me every day, showering me with attention. I had no idea Vanessa was his girlfriend. The servants around us quickly realized the situation and surrounded me, carefully trying to tend to my wounds. My voice was icy as I spoke, “Mr. Harrison invited me here to help. I have nothing to do with your boyfriend.” One of the servants timidly spoke up in my defense. “Miss Sullivan has the gift of prophecy. Whatever she says comes true.” Upon hearing this, Vanessa doubled over with laughter, tears streaming down her face. “You claim to have the gift of prophecy? Well, I might as well say I’m a fairy from heaven!” “You’ve said so many things, but I haven’t seen any of them come true.” I sighed inwardly. Although I did have the gift of prophecy, it only worked once a year. I wouldn’t use this ability carelessly. Vanessa sneered, crossing her arms. “Do I look like some fool who would believe such nonsense?” “You dare to be the other woman to me, Vanessa Chen? I’ll make you pay for this.” Her eyes bore into me like a venomous snake. The people around her took a step forward, their eyes filled with mockery as they looked at me. She was here for me. I took a step back, my voice hoarse. “If you lay a hand on me, the Harrison family won’t let you off.” Vanessa was the first to lunge at me, grabbing my head and slamming it against the floor. “You little whore, how dare you!” “Girls, let’s teach this homewrecker a lesson!”

I frowned as blood dripped from my forehead. Now thoroughly angered, I glared at Vanessa with cold eyes. “I’m an honored guest of the Harrison family. Who do you think you are?” “Leave now, and I’ll pretend this never happened.” Though you’ll still have a streak of bad luck, I thought to myself. Seeing that I didn’t take her seriously at all, Vanessa could no longer contain herself. With bloodshot eyes, she pounced on me, pinning me to the ground and raining blows on me. I was pressed against the floor, completely unable to fight back. But as she leaned in close, I managed to bite her ear hard. Vanessa clutched her ear, glaring at me with murderous intent. Her friends rushed over, pinning me down firmly, each of them slapping me across the face. A searing pain tore through my scalp as I was thrown backward onto the gravel path. I let out a muffled groan. A circle of pointed high heels surrounded me, forming an impenetrable barrier. As a heel ground into the back of my hand, I heard the faint crackle of my joints. The first slap made my right ear ring. “That’s what you get for being a homewrecker, you shameless bitch.” The second blow left my left cheek stinging and swollen. “Slut, I hate people like you who seduce other people’s boyfriends. You’re disgusting.” By the third slap, I could taste iron in my mouth. “Someone like you doesn’t deserve to live in this world.” They took turns yanking my hair back, my blood-matted strands sticking to my swollen cheeks. Their nails deliberately raked across the corner of my eye, warm droplets of blood rolling down into my collar. Their assault was so vicious that the two nearby servants were terrified. I looked at them and shouted, “Quick, call Mr. Harrison!” Gasping for air, I warned Vanessa coldly. “Let me go now, or I swear you’ll never set foot in the Harrison house again.” Vanessa let out a derisive laugh, kicking me repeatedly. “You think I don’t know anything? You’re just a country bumpkin. Gift of prophecy? Ha!” “You’re just trying to seduce Lucas while I’m not around. I’ve seen through your little plan.” She kicked me in the ribs with the tip of her shoe. As I curled up, my forehead hit the edge of the cement, and blood immediately covered my right eye. Finally, she grabbed the back of my neck and slammed me against the edge of the coffee table. As the porcelain cut into my chin, drops of blood splattered on the floor. She laughed coldly and delivered a savage kick to my stomach. “Bitch!” I clutched my stomach, curling up into a ball. “What are you doing?!” Mrs. Wilson finally emerged from the kitchen with a fruit platter. Seeing my pitiful state, her pupils constricted sharply. She hurried over to help me up. “Miss Sullivan is the master’s honored guest! The master instructed us to treat her well!” “Who dared to lay hands on Miss Sullivan?” She turned around and met Vanessa’s eyes. Vanessa let out a light chuckle. “Mrs. Wilson.” “Miss Chen, why are you here?” Mrs. Wilson asked, surprised. Vanessa looked at her coldly. “What honored guest? She’s just some country girl trying to climb the social ladder.” “Let me tell you, I’m going to be the future Mrs. Harrison.” Mrs. Wilson looked at Vanessa, then at me. Finally, she reluctantly let go of my hand. I couldn’t stand steady and fell back onto the floor. Vanessa sneered, her face full of triumph. “What gift of prophecy? I’d say she’s just a con artist!” “You tell me, does what she say really come true?” Mrs. Wilson’s eyes darted back and forth. She walked up to Vanessa. “What gift of prophecy? She’s just a fraud.” My heart sank.

Vanessa was very pleased with Mrs. Wilson’s flattery. I was bleeding all over and had no strength left to resist. I could barely breathe, let alone speak. Vanessa’s long nails dug into my chin, her gaze falling on the necklace around my neck. Before I could cover the necklace, she reached out and yanked it off my neck. “Give it back,” I cried out hoarsely, disregarding the bloody scratch on my neck. This necklace was the only thing my late mother had left me. I gritted my teeth. “Give it back to me!” I tried to get up to snatch the necklace back. But the two people holding me down on either side beat me again. Vanessa dangled the necklace in front of me. “This necklace means so much to you, huh?” “I can give it back to you. Why don’t you kneel down and beg me?” “If I’m in a good mood, I might just return it to you.” My eyes were bloodshot, my fists clenched tightly as I glared at her with hatred. Vanessa looked indifferent, holding the necklace with disgust. “Looks like you don’t care about this necklace that much after all.” “In that case…” She held the necklace, ready to throw it away. I released my bloodied lips. “I’ll kneel!” After saying those words, it felt like all the strength had been drained from my body. She bent down and patted my face. “I didn’t expect you to be so sensible.” “If you’re going to kneel, do it quickly. Time waits for no one.” I looked at the necklace in her hand, closed my eyes, and knelt down. Once I get back what’s rightfully mine, I’ll make her pay dearly. I knelt on the ground, my gaze fixed on her. “Give it back to me.” Vanessa looked triumphant. “You think I’ll give it back just because you tell me to?” “Let me tell you, this is what you get for being a homewrecker.” With that, she threw the necklace on the ground and ground it under her foot. I watched helplessly as the necklace shattered into pieces. My voice was hoarse. “I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you!” I got up from the ground and lunged at her, grabbing her throat. “Crazy bitch! She’s crazy!” Soon, I was pulled away by the people around her. Filled with hatred, I gritted my teeth. “Vanessa Chen, I won’t let you get away with this.” As soon as I finished speaking, they all burst into laughter. Vanessa laughed so hard she nearly fell over. “Oh my god, did I hear that right? You, a country bumpkin, won’t let me get away with this?” “Oh, I’m so scared! I’d love to see how you’re going to make me pay.” “Looks like you haven’t learned your lesson yet. Since that’s the case, give her another good beating.” The group surged towards me once again. This time, I didn’t resist at all. I quietly curled up on the ground, allowing their fists to rain down on me. “Hahaha, look at her! Has she been beaten stupid? She doesn’t even know how to fight back anymore.” Vanessa laughed so hard tears came to her eyes. I looked at the blood pooling on the ground and the corners of my mouth curved into a smile.

Seeing me smile, Vanessa flew into a rage. She roared, “You bitch, what are you smiling at?” “Do you believe I can make it so you never smile again in your life?” My voice was soft, laced with a hint of coldness, as I just looked at her. “You’re about to have your face ruined.” Hearing my words, Vanessa’s eyes widened in shock. Her face turned darker than the bottom of a pot. “You whore, how dare you curse me!” “I won’t let you off the hook.” She rolled up her sleeves and walked towards me. But in the next second, she fell to the ground. “Ah!” She screamed, her hand tightly covering her face. “Vanessa, your face…” one of her friends couldn’t help but speak up. Vanessa pulled out a mirror and screamed even louder. She covered the bleeding side of her face and glared at me viciously. My gaze fell on the razor blade that had suddenly appeared on the ground, and I curled my lips into a smile. Vanessa was furious. She pounced on me. “You evil-mouthed witch, who told you to curse me!” “Since you say such nasty things, I’ll make sure you can never speak again.” My nails dug into my palms as I spoke hoarsely, “You wouldn’t dare!” She raised an eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t I dare? I’m going to be the future Mrs. Harrison. You’re just a nobody from the countryside. Why wouldn’t I dare to touch you?” She gave a signal to the people around her. I was immediately restrained. She took out two needles about the length of a forearm from her bag and walked towards me step by step. “Today, I’ll do justice for heaven and clean up that evil mouth of yours.” “Even if you pierce my throat, I’ll recover,” I said. As soon as I spoke these words, a golden light flashed in my pupils. But it was too fast for anyone to notice. She moved quickly, aiming the needle at my throat and stabbing down. I writhed in pain but couldn’t make a sound. Seeing me like this, Vanessa was extremely pleased. “This is what happens to whores like you.” Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably, and cold sweat broke out all over my body from the pain in my throat. My vision darkened, and I felt like I couldn’t hold on much longer. Mrs. Wilson ran up to Vanessa. “Young madam, this is exactly how we should deal with shameless women like her.” “Back in our day, we used to dunk these husband-stealing sluts in pig cages.” I bit my tongue, the taste of iron keeping me alert. Vanessa dusted off her hands and raised an eyebrow. “You’re right. Such a dirty woman should be dunked in a pig cage. Let’s take her to wash her clean.” She looked at me on the ground as if looking at garbage, her eyes filled with disgust. “Grab her,” she ordered. Just as she finished speaking, a voice came from behind. “Who are you? What are you doing at the entrance of my Harrison family home?” “Emma!” Mr. Harrison’s voice rang in my ears.

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As the real daughter of the Anderson family, I was the top prodigy investor on Brooks Street. My biological parents found me, and I immediately saw how many of the Anderson family’s businesses were headed for disaster. Only if they handed over their businesses to me and stayed away from my arranged marriage partner, Parker Ward, could they turn the tide. But their adopted daughter, Gianna Anderson, thought I was trying to snatch her power. She teamed up with Parker and decided to teach me a lesson. In just the time I stepped out for a bit, the two of them beat the dog that had been with me since I was a kid to death. Gianna said with a meaningful look, “If this dog was trying to steal from me, wasn’t it right to kill it?” I held my already cold dog in my arms, and my eyes gradually turned icy cold. Such being the case, the Anderson family had no reason to exist anymore. Coco lay limp in my arms, not reacting at all. It was just a dog, and living for over ten years was already quite a long life. But it should have passed away peacefully. I held it a bit tighter, my gaze turning cold. Seeing my expression, Gianna and Parker only mocked me more. Gianna crouched down slightly, meeting my eyes. “Eleanor Anderson, you still haven’t answered my question.” I looked down at Coco and nodded silently. They looked even more smug, but I thought, “My dog might have deserved to die for stealing from you, but you killing it means you won’t end well either.” Gianna couldn’t guess my thoughts and leaned in to warn me, “I’m warning you, Eleanor. If you were smart, you wouldn’t have come back to the Anderson family. If you keep trying to take power from me, I can’t guarantee what might happen next time besides this little dog.” I stared into her venomous eyes while Parker chimed in, “Exactly. I don’t know what Mr. Colton Anderson and Mrs. Layla Anderson were thinking. Gianna and I have been close since childhood. I never wanted to marry you. Just because you’re the long-lost daughter, you get to be the one in this arranged marriage? Why?” I clenched my fists tightly, trying hard to hold back the urge to strangle them. After taking a deep breath, I gritted my teeth and nodded. “Yeah, why?” Honestly, I never had this in mind at first. It was just that my father, Colton Anderson, and my mother, Layla Anderson, found me after so many years, so I thought I’d do something for the Anderson family. I got lost when I was five, sold abroad by traffickers, and adopted by my current parents. The only reason I could come back was because of the compassion I felt for Gianna, who was adopted by the Anderson family. But I never expected that the well-behaved and sensible little sister I remembered would turn out like this now. Seeing my attitude, they seemed quite satisfied. Gianna shot a disgusted look at my dog, then stepped back. “Alright, hurry up and get rid of your dog. It’s such bad luck.” I could hardly hold back my anger. If I stayed there for one more second, I wouldn’t be able to control myself and would do something. So, I immediately left the Anderson family’s villa, holding Coco in my arms. I dug a hole by myself, wrapped Coco with my clothes, and placed its favorite snacks with it. Tears finally welled up in my eyes, and I choked out with a sob. “Coco, don’t worry. I will make them pay for this.” When I got home after calming down, Colton and Layla were already back. Colton looked at me with a rather unpleasant expression. “Eleanor, don’t keep those ungrateful animals anymore. It almost hurt Gianna today. It deserved to die.” Seeing Gianna’s pitiful face, I knew she had successfully twisted the story and managed to convince them it was my dog who had acted up and bit her first. Gianna noticed my sour expression and nervously said, “Sorry, Eleanor. I was just too scared and accidentally hurt it. Can you forgive me?” I stayed silent, and Colton chimed in, “What’s with the attitude? Gianna is apologizing to you out of kindness. This whole thing was your fault anyway. I think we should put off discussing the business stuff you mentioned earlier.” Layla looked at me and quickly tried to smooth things over. “Come on. Calm down, everyone. Eleanor, I just found out about Coco. How about this? We’ll go to the pet store and pick out another dog with a good personality sometime. As for the family business, you just got home, and there are a lot of things you don’t understand yet. We can’t let you do things recklessly.” They were so out of touch, living comfortably here for too long, forgetting how the market outside had changed. Just then, Parker’s phone rang. He took it out and was overjoyed when he saw the message. He quickly showed it to Colton and Layla. “Mr. Colton Anderson, Mrs. Layla Anderson, look at this. The projects I asked you to invest in last week are now soaring in value.” “Really?” Colton and Layla were overjoyed. Parker even held his phone in front of me to show me the financing report, looking proud and mocking. “Eleanor, didn’t you say that these investments were going to crash? But it seems that their future prospects are pretty promising.” I just glanced at his phone and replied coldly, “That’s just smoke and mirrors, designed to fool someone like you who’s done a few years of finance and thinks they’re a know-it-all.”

They looked displeased as soon as they heard what I said. What I said was basically a public slap in their faces. They had more or less looked into my background before. Although they couldn’t find much beyond my graduation from a finance department at some overseas university, they knew I wasn’t just making things up. Parker’s face turned from red to pale as he criticized me, saying, “What do you know? Just because you studied abroad, you think you’re all that, Eleanor? Do you even know the domestic market trends? You’re just talking nonsense, trying to mess things up.” Gianna stood by, playing the pitiful and weak card. “Eleanor, you don’t understand the family business. Maybe you shouldn’t say such things. Isn’t business investment all about hoping for good fortune?” I ignored their comments and turned to Colton and Layla. “Mom, Dad, I hope you can trust me. I’m not just making this up.” But they also looked grim. Colton rubbed his temples and looked at me coldly. “Are you trying to make me angry? How many years have you studied finance and economics? I’ve been in the business world for so many years. Do you think I don’t know what I’m doing?” Layla sighed softly, reaching out to hold my hand, “Eleanor, even if you have a point, it’s just your guess. How about learning a bit more at the family company first?” I gently pulled my hand away from Layla, went to my room, and brought out my tablet to show them a chart analyzing the cash flow and stock market trends of Parker’s project. I just took one look and mapped out the future path. “See here. It quickly raised funds at the very start. Right now, you’re in the lending phase. This is a classic pyramid scheme, using small profits to lure big money. When you move more funds in, it’ll just gobble it up like a greedy beast, taking in but never letting out.” Colton and Layla’s expressions showed they were swayed by my words, but Parker just sneered, “Learned a few tricks and think you really know something? What do you know after wandering around all those years?” Colton and Layla initially seemed curious about what I’d say next. But after hearing Parker’s comment, they snapped back to disbelief. I sighed, tempted to reveal my true identity. I thought, “A so-called ‘low-tier’ university? You may find it to be world-ranked if I mention it. What do I know? If I didn’t know anything, I’d never have made it on Brooks Street.” But before I could continue, Colton interrupted me, “Your ideas are really naive and need more refinement. You should stick with Parker and Gianna to learn more.” Gianna beamed at his words, feigning modesty. “Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll definitely teach Eleanor well.” She won Colton and Layla over, but her gaze towards me was full of smug satisfaction. Parker seized the moment to say, “Mr. Colton Anderson, Mrs. Layla Anderson, there’s actually something I’ve been wanting to discuss with you, and it’s also what my family has in mind.” As soon as Colton heard this, he said, “Just say it straight. I’ve been friends with your parents for ages.” Parker nodded, giving me a knowing glance. “After spending some time with Eleanor, my family and I think that Gianna, who grew up with me, is a better match for an alliance. We know her well. As for Ms. Anderson…” He dragged out the words, looking at me with disdain, but everyone there knew what he meant. Someone who had been wandering for over a decade like me wouldn’t be of much use in a marriage alliance. Gianna, though not their biological daughter, was as good as the Anderson family’s real heiress. Hearing this, Gianna looked expectantly at Colton and Layla. In the past, Colton and Layla might have tried to persuade them. But this time they said nothing, a stark contrast to their previous insistence that I was the only candidate for the marriage. They just chuckled and said they’d discuss it later. But I knew this was a shift in focus. I sighed, keeping my thoughts to myself, thinking, “This family is utterly clueless.” Meanwhile, Colton’s phone rang with an invitation for him and Layla to attend a business gala. Upon hearing this, Gianna narrowed her eyes and shot me a condescending look. “Mom, Dad, why not bring Eleanor along? She could learn a thing or two.” Colton agreed immediately.

“At the party later, don’t go babbling about pyramid schemes. Everyone there is someone important. Don’t embarrass me. Got it?” On the way, Colton warned me not to speak recklessly. I turned my head to look out the window and nodded slightly. Once we arrived, Colton was the first to put on a polite smile and start schmoozing with all the big shots. I wasn’t really interested in this kind of scene. I was supposed to be in the world of fame and fortune, or at least in the consulting room of one of Brooks Street’s financial giants. These small gatherings didn’t really cut it for me. Parker then brought over a middle-aged man with a friendly face and introduced him to Colton. “Mr. Colton Anderson, this is Samuel Price, the partner I mentioned to you last time.” Samuel shook hands with Colton in a friendly manner and got straight to the point, introducing the project. He spoke with such professionalism and grandeur. But as I listened, I was getting uneasy. I could spot at least three schemes in his pitch. How could Colton be listening to his spiel with such admiration? And he even seemed almost convinced. I couldn’t just stand by and watch our hard-won family fortune crumble. So, I politely stepped forward during a pause in Samuel’s speech and seized the opportunity to say, “Hello, sir. I’m Mr. Colton Anderson’s eldest daughter.” Samuel was taken aback, glancing at Colton and Parker, whose expressions had instantly become gloomy, and instinctively nodded politely. “Mr. Colton Anderson has such a grown-up daughter. You’re really beautiful.” I cut through his superficial niceties, getting straight to the point. “I heard what you mentioned about the project. To be honest, I know a bit about finance, too. Could you tell me where the network IP address for this project is? You kept talking about returns but didn’t mention this part.” Samuel was momentarily at a loss for words, surprised that I went straight for the project’s weak spot. But a scammer was indeed responsive. After a brief pause, he kept his cool, smiling, “Ms. Anderson, you’re asking about the server’s IP, right? It’s set up in a separate base abroad. If I may say, jumping straight to this question is a bit impolite.” After our discussion, I noticed some eyes subtly turning towards me. I pretended not to notice and chuckled, “Yeah, if it’s set up abroad, you guys could easily launder money and disappear with a new identity, right? Who do you think you’re fooling with such a clumsy scam?”

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