On Tristan’s birthday, his friends started teasing me. “Hey, what does your sister look like when she has an epileptic seizure? Let us see.” Tristan raised his ice-cold eyes. “You want to see?” The crowd nodded eagerly. Tristan grabbed a bottle of liquor and poured it directly over my head. The intense stimulation instantly triggered a violent reaction. I collapsed to the floor, convulsing and foaming at the mouth. It wasn’t until I was on the verge of suffocating that Tristan finally knelt down to give me first aid. He looked at me with a twisted, playful smirk. “Still dare to say you love me?” I gasped for air, shaking my head frantically. “I don’t. Never again.” After that day, I truly stopped loving him. But he ended up completely losing his mind. 01 When I was thirteen, my mother and I moved into a massive mansion, and that was when I met the owner’s son, Tristan Vanderbilt. Tristan, just like his father, never showed any disgust toward my illness. The first time I had a seizure in front of him, even though he was visibly terrified, he obediently stood by Mr. Vanderbilt’s side and helped administer first aid. That day, the foam I coughed up ruined his favorite Persian rug. Tristan wasn’t angry at all. After I recovered, he even made me a bunch of delicious snacks. Mr. Vanderbilt said that since Tristan was five years older than me, he was my big brother and would take good care of me. He told me not to feel anxious and to treat this place like my own home. Eventually, I really did start treating this place as my home. And, without asking, I started treating Tristan as my entire world. Because of him, I was no longer terrified when kids at school bullied me. I even started to look forward to it, anticipating the moment Tristan would appear like a hero, stand up for me, and tell me not to be afraid because he would always be there. But sometimes, I felt a strange disconnect. In the hazy depths of my memory, it felt like someone else had been my hero first, though I could never remember his face. So, I just projected that blurry silhouette onto Tristan. As time went on, I realized my feelings for him were no longer pure. So, on the day I turned eighteen, I confessed my love. For the first time ever, Tristan’s perfectly sculpted brows knit together in deep disgust. With a look of pure repulsion, he snatched the cake I had spent hours baking for him and threw it straight into the swimming pool. I was paralyzed with panic. He grabbed me roughly by the chin. “Hazel, don’t ever say something like that again. It makes me sick. I have absolutely zero desire to kiss a mouth that foams.” I was terrified. Tristan had always been so gentle. His sudden, vicious hostility suffocated me. Right there by the pool, I went into a full-blown seizure. After that, I never mentioned my feelings again. I buried them deep in my heart all the way through my college graduation. Until the day my diary somehow ended up in his car, and I had to go to his birthday party to get it back… “Happy birthday,” I said as I walked in. I immediately spotted Tristan sitting in the center of the VIP lounge. He was wearing a festive birthday hat, but his expression was so freezing cold that no one dared to get too close. I didn’t dare approach him either. I quietly placed my gift in an inconspicuous corner and sat in the seat closest to the door, ready to slip out at a moment’s notice. The group sang a few songs and started playing drinking games. Taking advantage of the noisy crowd, I prepared to sneak away. But the moment I stood up, a guy dressed in a flashy, obnoxious shirt blocked my path. “Tristan, what does your sister look like when she has an epileptic seizure? Let us see.” As soon as the words left his mouth, the entire room turned their eyes toward me. My body tensed violently. I shot a panicked glance at Tristan. Tristan raised his ice-cold eyes, glaring at the guy with a hint of irritation. The guy instantly shut his mouth. But then, a delicate, feminine voice spoke up from beside Tristan. Because the lighting was so dim, I couldn’t see the woman’s face clearly. “I kinda want to see it too. You’re not going to be stingy and hide it from us, are you?” Tristan looked at me, then turned to the woman leaning against his shoulder. “You really want to see?” The woman hummed in agreement, and the rest of the sycophants in the room nodded eagerly. Getting his answer, Tristan picked up a bottle of high-proof liquor from the table and, without a second of hesitation, poured it directly over me. The overpowering scent of alcohol was a severe trigger for me. Instantly, my body went into shock. I collapsed to the floor, convulsing violently and foaming at the mouth. The crowd laughed. They pulled out their phones to record. Someone even nudged my calf with their foot. I seized uncontrollably, my body contorting into rigid, terrifying positions. It wasn’t until I was on the verge of suffocating that Tristan finally pushed the woman off his shoulder and walked over to give me first aid. His technique was practiced, but his eyes were full of a twisted, sadistic amusement. He leaned in and whispered in my ear: “Still dare to say you love me?” Gasping desperately for air, I shook my head frantically. “I don’t.” Satisfied, he stood up, walked back to his seat, and softly asked the woman who was now pretending to tremble in fear: “Did that scare you?” His voice was sickeningly doting. He tenderly wiped a fake tear from the woman’s cheek. She nodded, playing the victim perfectly. “It was so scary. I’m going to have nightmares tonight.” Tristan gently tapped her nose. “Little ghost. If you want me to stay with you tonight, just say so.” I froze on the floor. He used to tell me that “little ghost” was a nickname reserved exclusively for me. I looked at him with bloodshot, tear-filled eyes. Tristan met my gaze, and then deliberately leaned down and kissed the smug smile right off the woman’s lips. The room erupted in cheers, chanting, “Kiss her again!” The woman smiled shyly and nestled deep into Tristan’s chest. “Stop looking at me. You guys should keep watching Hazel. Her pathetic, humiliating state is way more entertaining.” Tristan pinched her cheek affectionately, calling her a clever girl. Then, he shot a look of pure apathy at me, still trembling by the door. “Let it go,” he said casually. “If we play with her anymore, she might actually die.” He picked up the bottle of liquor and poured the woman half a glass. She was visibly annoyed that he stopped the “game.” Taking advantage of Tristan coaxing her, I fled from that suffocating room. The moment I stepped outside, my tears finally broke through the dam. Tristan knew better than anyone how terrifying and helpless it felt when I had a seizure, yet he still used me as a cheap party trick to amuse his friends. He had made his point. I wouldn’t dare. I truly didn’t dare to love him anymore. Let this pathetic, one-sided devotion end completely today. 02 At eleven o’clock that night, he knocked on my bedroom door. “Come out.” I leaned against the doorframe and asked, “What do you want?” I heard the distinct rattle of pills in a plastic bottle from the other side of the door. “Take your medicine.” He was certainly doing his duty. Ever since I graduated college, Mr. Vanderbilt handed his company over to Tristan and, by extension, handed me over to him as well. Then, he took my mother and moved to Europe for their retirement. Tristan obediently took care of my every need. He was no longer the gentle older brother he used to be, but at least he had never made me suffer any real grievances. Until today’s incident. I opened the door just a crack and reached my hand out to take the pill organizer. But with a sudden burst of force, he shoved the door wide open. Tristan jammed his foot in the doorway, casually opened the pill organizer, and handed me the medication and a glass of water. He looked completely indifferent, as if the horrific humiliation I suffered just hours ago had never happened. I didn’t say a word. I swallowed the pills, drank the water, and prepared to shut the door. He didn’t move out of the way. Instead, he asked flatly: “Don’t you want a piece of candy to wash down the bitter taste?” Normally, that was exactly what I needed. But not anymore. Compared to the pills, my heart was infinitely more bitter. “No need.” I forcefully yanked the door shut. Walking back into my room, the voice call I had minimized earlier was still active. The sound of someone typing on a keyboard drifted from my phone speaker. I walked over to the desk, feeling incredibly apologetic. “I’m sorry, Dr. Hayes. You had to hear all that.” A soft “Mhm” came from the other end. He said one last thing before hanging up: “Let’s stop here for today. Go get some sleep. When you wake up, it will be a new day.” He was always like this. His words always had a way of bringing me a profound sense of comfort, making me feel like my condition was just a minor cold that wouldn’t ruin my life. His name was Dr. Asher Hayes. He was the neurologist my mother had hired to treat my epilepsy. Every time I had a seizure, I would talk to him afterward about my physical state and emotional triggers. Asher meticulously adjusted my treatment plan based on those conversations. Under his guidance, my condition had improved dramatically. I locked my phone and crawled into bed. But the moment I closed my eyes, I heard the click of the door lock turning. Followed by the squeak of the hinges. The door opened. Tristan was standing next to my bed, holding the purse I had left behind at the club. His face was dark with fury. “Who was the man you were just talking to?” I was startled by his aggressive expression. He pressed further. “Why is he calling you this late at night?” He reached out and flicked on the bedroom light. Still wearing his suit from the party, he stalked over to my bedside. I deliberately looked away from him, letting my gaze fall on the painting hanging on the wall. “His name is Asher Hayes. He’s my neurologist. Every time I have a seizure, I talk to him about the specific details.” Tristan grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. “So, after you left the club, you’ve been on the phone with him for three hours straight?” I gave a short “Mhm.” Tristan let out a dark, mocking chuckle. “Do you have a crush on him?” I couldn’t comprehend his twisted logic. I pulled the blanket up to cover my face, my voice muffled and cold. “You’re overthinking it, brother.” I don’t know what it was about that sentence that set him off, but he violently ripped the blanket off my head. His eyes were bloodshot as he slammed his fist into the mattress right next to my ear. “I forbid it.” I let out a cold scoff, treating his jealousy-laced demand like absolute garbage. “Based on what? You don’t love me, yet you want to hoard me like property. What kind of sick control freak behavior is that? Do I need to spell it out for you?” My tone must have been too fiercely indignant. He froze for a second, then seamlessly reverted to his usual, detached demeanor. “Go to sleep.” 03 I really did want to go to sleep. But the noises coming from him and that woman in the room next door made it impossible. When I finally dragged myself out of bed in the morning, I saw her wearing Tristan’s dress shirt. With her top buttons suggestively undone, she was busy in the kitchen, frying eggs and pouring milk. Seeing me come downstairs, she paused. Then, she covered her mouth and giggled, flashing a coquettish smile at Tristan, who was sitting at the dining table drinking coffee. “Pfft, sorry. Seeing your sister just reminded me of her lying on the floor twitching last night. It was pretty hilarious.” Tristan glanced up at me, didn’t say a word, and went back to looking at his iPad, discussing business through his earpiece. I felt incredibly awkward. The emotional distance I had carefully built up was completely shattered by her mockery. She, on the other hand, was entirely unabashed. She strutted over to me and handed me a glass of milk. “Let’s formally introduce ourselves. I’m Sloane. Sloane Sterling. I’m Tristan’s girlfriend. From now on, I’ll be living here to help Tristan take care of you.” Her tone was arrogant, and she gritted her teeth aggressively on the words “take care.” It felt like she was moving in specifically to monitor me, to ensure I didn’t harbor any lingering delusions about Tristan. I didn’t have the patience to be polite. I took the glass of milk and threw it directly into her face. Sloane shrieked, jumping back and frantically wiping the milk off her face. “I don’t need your care. I’ll move out.” With that, I turned around and went back to my room to pack my things. This place was suffocating. I decided to move back into the old, rundown apartment my mom owned before she married Mr. Vanderbilt. Even though it was far from the city center, at least I wouldn’t feel like I was suffocating every second of the day. Out of sight, out of mind. I packed a large suitcase to the brim and dragged it downstairs. At the front door, Tristan and Sloane were standing there, blocking my path. It looked like they were waiting for me. Tristan hooked his finger, motioning for me to come closer. “Come here. Apologize to Sloane.” Sloane leaned against Tristan, looking like the ultimate victim. I suddenly understood that old saying. A man’s idealized ‘first love’ is an illusion; the reality never measures up. How did the quiet, determined boy who protected me turn into someone so dark and disgusting? I walked up to them and let go of my suitcase handle. “I can apologize.” The moment I said that, the smug, triumphant look returned to Sloane’s face. “But regarding what happened last night,” I continued, “who is going to apologize to me?” Tristan’s brow furrowed deeply. Sloane quickly interjected. “Everyone was just drinking and having fun yesterday. Besides, it was your brother’s birthday. What’s wrong with providing a little entertainment for the guests?” Tristan avoided my gaze. I fired back without hesitation. “In that case, on my birthday, how about you perform a striptease to provide a little entertainment?” SMACK! Before the words even settled, Tristan slapped me hard across the face. “You’ve crossed the line.” A persistent ringing echoed in my ears. Tristan’s expression slowly morphed into one of panicked regret. I clutched my stinging cheek and stared at him with unwavering resolve. “This slap repays you for taking care of me all these years. From now on, I owe you absolutely nothing. And I will never harbor any pathetic, inappropriate feelings for you ever again.” Tristan grabbed my wrist. “Little ghost, I’m sorry.” I let out a cold scoff. “Are you sorry for humiliating me last night, or are you sorry for the slap today?” 04 As soon as I arrived at my old apartment, I got a call from my mom. “Hazel, why did you move out? Did you and Tristan have a fight?” Her tone was incredibly cautious. Half of her was worried about my well-being, but the other half was terrified of ruining her image in front of Mr. Vanderbilt. Ever since we moved into the Vanderbilt mansion, my mom had constantly lectured me. She told me we were guests living under someone else’s roof. We had to be extremely careful and absolutely never cause trouble for Mr. Vanderbilt or his son. I knew my mom loved Mr. Vanderbilt deeply. But because of her humble background and my medical condition, she always felt intensely inferior in his presence. Even though Mr. Vanderbilt never cared about any of that, human nature is complicated. The deeper you love, the more insecure you become. I told her, “He brought his girlfriend home to live with him. It’s not convenient for me to be there, so I moved back to our old place. Don’t worry, I’m perfectly fine.” My mom let out a relieved “Mhm.” “You’re right. We shouldn’t interrupt his personal life.” “But you living alone… it’s not safe.” “Here’s what we’ll do. Go find Mrs. Hayes. You can stay with her for a while. Once I have time, I’ll fly back, sell the old apartment, add my savings to it, and buy you a new place.” “Mrs. Hayes’s son, Asher, is also living there. That way, if anything happens, he can look after you.” I wanted to argue, but she hurriedly hung up the phone. A moment later, she texted me Mrs. Hayes’s address. I didn’t want my mom to worry, nor did I want to be a burden to her. For so many years, she had taken care of me all by herself. It was exhausting. Now that my health was stable and she finally had a life of her own, I couldn’t drag her down again. I grabbed the handle of the suitcase I had just unpacked and walked right back out the door. Mrs. Hayes lived in the city center, very close to the main hospital. Probably so Asher could commute to work easily. But it was very far from where I was now, and getting an Uber in this run-down neighborhood was nearly impossible. I waited for ten minutes, and not a single driver accepted my ride. Just as I was starting to panic. A message from Asher popped up on my phone. “Where are you? I’m coming to pick you up and bring you home.” I opened the message, and another one followed immediately. “Have you eaten breakfast yet?” Asher and I almost exclusively communicated online. In person, he mostly talked to my mom. Honestly, I felt a bit awkward agreeing to move into his house. But he always seemed to know exactly how to ease my anxiety, acting as the perfect calming presence. I texted him back. “Not yet. I’m at the corner of 6th and Elm.” He typed fast. It felt like he replied before I even hit send. “Go to Mrs. Davis’s diner at the end of the alley and grab some oatmeal. I’ll be there in about twenty minutes.” I always followed my doctor’s orders. If I didn’t, my condition wouldn’t be as well-managed as it was. So, I dragged my suitcase to the diner and ordered a bowl of oatmeal. Asher arrived. He wasn’t rushed or panicked. He scanned the small dining area, locked eyes with me, and walked over. “Did you not sleep well last night?” His question caught me off guard. My mind instantly flashed back to the sounds I had been forced to listen to all night. I felt a rush of embarrassment and anger. I didn’t know how to respond. Then he spoke again. “Make sure you get plenty of rest from now on.” “Are you done eating? I’ll take you home to meet my mom.” I nodded. But to my surprise, his face suddenly turned bright red. “Dr. Hayes, why is your face so red? Do you have a fever?” “N-no. I don’t.” He stood up, grabbed the handle of my suitcase, and started walking toward his car. It was only then I realized that his phrase, “Take you home to meet my mom,” carried a slightly different, more intimate connotation. I never expected a guy pushing thirty to be so easily embarrassed. 05 I had only been living at Asher’s house for a week when Tristan tracked me down. Mrs. Hayes was staying at her best friend’s house, and Asher was working a night shift. I had just put down my GRE prep books. The doorbell rang. When I opened the door, before I could even speak, Tristan grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the elevator. He was much stronger than me. Struggling would only end up hurting myself. So I just let him drag me. “You’re coming home with me.” I replied lazily. “No thanks. I need to study, and you need to build a relationship with your future wife. Me living there would just be awkward for everyone.” Tristan smirked. “You’re jealous.” I kept my lazy, detached tone. “I’m not. You’re overthinking it. I already told you I won’t have feelings for you anymore, so jealousy doesn’t exist for me. But if you drag me back there, your future wife might actually get jealous.” “And with my condition, I definitely can’t handle providing any more ‘entertainment’ for you guys. Be a decent human being and let me live. When you’re old and grey, I’ll attend your funeral.” Tristan’s grip on my wrist tightened painfully. “Why are you being so sarcastic? Didn’t I explain it to you? Sloane is the heiress of the Sterling Corporation. My company needs a massive contract from them. My relationship with her is purely business.” He had indeed sent me a text. Exactly one sentence. He said: I don’t actually like her. I’m doing this for the good of the company. Just endure it for a while. Hah. I laughed out loud when I read it. I did endure it. And it cost me half my life. Then I took a screenshot of his message and sent it directly to Sloane, hoping it would help her see what kind of garbage she was dating. I leaned against the elevator wall and yawned. “Brother, you don’t need to explain anything to me. We’re just siblings.” “You don’t like me, and I don’t like you. I know you’re only rushing to drag me back because of your deep, brotherly concern.” That finally pushed Tristan over the edge. If this were the past, I would have been desperately clinging to him, my heart racing with joy just at the thought of him caring whether I was jealous or not. But now, all I wanted to say was: If you don’t love me, get the hell away from me. … When the elevator doors opened, Tristan dragged me out and practically threw me into the passenger seat of his car. He drove fast. I barely had time to close my eyes before we arrived at his mansion. Sloane was waiting for us, her face twisted into a furious scowl. I don’t hold grudges, so I smiled and greeted her. “Good evening, sister-in-law. My brother and I have such a deep sibling bond, I’m just coming back to stay for one night.” “Don’t worry, I’ll get the hell out at the crack of dawn. To be honest, Dr. Hayes makes much better oatmeal than you make milk.” Before Sloane could snap back, Tristan grabbed my arm and dragged me upstairs to his study. He looked down at me from his towering height. His tone was incredibly impatient. “Hazel, be a good girl and stay here. I’ll figure out a way to explain this to Sloane.” I couldn’t take it anymore. “Tristan, what is actually wrong with you?” Hearing my words, his eyes went wide. “Are you cursing at me?” I rolled my eyes. I just wanted to say the one phrase that thoroughly disgusted both me and him. “You string me along while you’re hooking up with someone else. You want the best of both worlds. What kind of psychological disorder is that?” Tristan’s face went black. He paced the room, aggressively rubbing his jaw, his brow furrowed deeply. Then, his eyes landed on a half-empty bottle of liquor sitting on his bookshelf. He walked over, grabbed it, and slammed it down on the desk in front of me. The threat was unmistakable. “Are you going to stay, or not?” I stared directly into his eyes, looking completely fearless. But only I knew the truth. Just the smell of the alcohol triggered a violent physiological response. Before the bottle even touched me, my muscles started to twitch. “This again. So, what is it for this time?” “To force me to obey you? To make me act like a good little pet and stay by your side?” “Using my medical condition as a weapon to control me. You really are a wonderful brother.” As soon as the words left my mouth, my head began to uncontrollably jerk toward my left shoulder. Seeing that my symptoms were severe, Tristan made no move to help me. He just stood there, making sarcastic remarks. “You never used to talk to me like this. Have you really fallen for that doctor?” My eyes rolled back. I frantically reached for a pen on the desk, intending to bite down on it to prevent myself from biting my tongue when I completely lost consciousness. But things rarely go as planned. Tristan callously swiped the entire pen holder onto the floor. I glared at him with icy eyes. “What do you think?” “Asher is here to save my life. But you… you’re here to kill me.” With a dull thud, I collapsed onto the floor. My eyes rolled back as the convulsions took over. Then, the study door was suddenly shoved open. Sloane stormed in, looking furious. But when she saw the scene on the floor, she froze in horror. She frantically pulled out her phone to dial 911, simultaneously shoving Tristan. “Tristan, what the f*ck are you doing?! Save her!” My eyelids were fluttering at a high frequency, so I couldn’t see Tristan’s expression. It wasn’t until I started foaming at the mouth and my tongue lolled out… That I finally felt someone supporting my head. I survived another day. 06 When I regained consciousness, the first thing I saw was Tristan. He was sitting by the bed, trying to feed me medication. Seeing my eyes open, his tone was arrogant and triumphant. “I saved your life again. You can’t survive without me. Just stay by my side and be a good girl. You’re not going anywhere.” “Stop saying those cruel things just to make me angry. I know you still can’t let me go. Just be obedient. I’ll treat you well.” I rolled over, turning my back to him, thoroughly disgusted. Tristan wanted to say more, but Sloane knocked on the door and called him out into the hall. When I was finally alone in the room, my tears flowed uncontrollably. It was happening again. He was treating me like a pathetic toy to be humiliated and manipulated. As I was crying, my phone rang. It was my mom. “Mom.” I tried my hardest to keep my voice steady. It wasn’t the first time, anyway. She never noticed when I was crying. “Hazel, how is it living at Mrs. Hayes’s house? Are you getting used to it?” I wiped away the tear stains at the corners of my eyes and launched into a long, upbeat ramble. “Mrs. Hayes’s house is incredibly comfortable! She treats me so well, and her cooking is amazing. She even gives me plenty of alone time to study. I’m completely used to it. You don’t need to worry about me. How are things in Europe? Are you and Mr. Vanderbilt doing okay? Are you guys planning on giving me a little brother?” My mom let out a girlish laugh. “You silly girl, what kind of nonsense are you talking about?” Then, my mom brought up Asher. “By the way, what about Asher? How are you two getting along? I watched Asher grow up. He has a great personality, he’s reliable and mature. He is a bit older than you, but he looks very young. You’d never guess he’s almost thirty. What do you think of him?” “What do I think?” My mom hummed in agreement. “Yeah, what do you think of Asher?” I finally understood what she was doing. She wanted me to get closer to Asher. “Mom, Dr. Hayes is a wonderful person, but I’m not good enough for him. I don’t want to be a burden.” “Please don’t mention this again, okay? I don’t want Mrs. Hayes to think I’m living in her house with ulterior motives and stop making me delicious food.” My mom gave a disappointed “Mhm.” After a few seconds of silence, she asked cautiously: “Hazel, what about you? Are you happy lately? Do you want to talk to Mom for a bit? Mr. Vanderbilt went fishing with his friends, so Mom has plenty of free time.” The emotional wall I had carefully rebuilt instantly shattered. I covered the phone receiver and let out a quiet sob. Once I composed myself, I finally spoke. “I’m doing great! I’m just a bit stressed about my grad school applications. I’ll be fine after I watch a few episodes of my favorite show.” There was another pause on my mom’s end of the line. Then she said: “Okay. If you want to take the exam, then take it. If you don’t get in, just come home. Since Mom could raise you for the first half of your life, she can definitely support you for the second half.” “Alright, you go rest. I’m going to prep some food for Mr. Vanderbilt.” After she hung up, Sloane walked into the room. She didn’t say a word. She just walked over and ripped the blanket off me. I panicked, crossing my arms over my chest. “What the hell is your problem now?!” Sloane frowned, then looked incredibly embarrassed as she said: “I’m sorry, Hazel. I just realized how utterly pathetic I’ve been. Scheming against you, intentionally triggering your medical condition… all just to fight over a piece of trash.” “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have seen what a monster Tristan truly is. Thank you for the wake-up call.” “I formally apologize for everything I’ve done to you. And I swear, I will never, ever use someone’s medical condition as a joke again.” “From now on, I, Sloane Sterling, will protect you. If you ever need anything, just say the word.” I looked at her in sheer bewilderment. “Is this a new manipulation tactic?” She gave an awkward laugh. “No, it’s the truth.” “When I think about the fact that I, the heiress of the Sterling Corporation, pretended to be a manipulative ‘pick-me’ girl and bullied an innocent person just to chase a toxic loser… I feel completely devoid of humanity.” Sloane actually looked incredibly sincere. I believed her. Good for her. She snapped out of it fast. I asked her: “If you’re apologizing, why did you rip my blanket off?” Sloane sighed. “To take you out of here, obviously.” “You don’t actually want to keep living in this hellhole, do you?”

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My parents bought a condo near my college for me and my younger brother. Just because I brought my best friend over to crash for one night, my brother’s girlfriend threw a massive fit on the spot: “You’re already freeloading off your brother every day, and now you have the nerve to bring your friends here too? Do you have no shame?” I turned right around and threw her luggage out the front door: “Listen to me, little girl. From now on, if you ever step one foot inside this house again, I will make you regret it.” 1 My twin brother, Liam, and I got into the same university. It wasn’t far from home—just an hour away by train. The campus was right by the beach. My parents didn’t hesitate to buy a spacious three-bedroom condo nearby, making it convenient for Liam and me to live off-campus if we wanted. They figured whenever they missed us, they could drive down and stay for a bit too. Even though the dorms weren’t great, I was a total extrovert. I got along perfectly with my three roommates, so I chose to live on campus most of the time. I only occasionally went to the condo to spend the night. Today, after eating lunch in the dining hall, I suddenly got the urge to check on the condo. After all, the semester was more than half over, and I hadn’t been back once. The condo my parents bought was very close to campus—just a fifteen-minute walk. Standing in front of the door, I expertly punched in the passcode Liam and I had set together. To my surprise, after trying twice, the lock kept flashing “Incorrect Passcode.” Confused, I called Liam. When he answered, he sounded noticeably tense: “Haven’t you been living in the dorms the whole time? Why did you suddenly decide to go to the condo today?” My tone sharpened a bit: “What, am I not allowed to go to my own place? Why did you change the passcode on the smart lock?” “Chloe, don’t get mad. We’re waiting for the elevator right now, we’ll be right up. I’ll explain when I get there.” It wasn’t until Liam came rushing over that I understood who “we” was. Standing next to him was a girl with flawless, full-glam makeup. She was pretty enough, but her expression was totally blank. Even when she saw me, she kept a sour look on her face, as if my appearance was incredibly annoying to her. Liam hurried over, looking a bit embarrassed as he introduced her: “Chloe, this is Mia, my new girlfriend. She’s been living here with me recently.” Wow. My own brother got a girlfriend, and they even moved in together, and I, going to the exact same school, had absolutely no idea? “Mia, this is my sister, Chloe. We go to the same school.” Mia finally glanced at me, greeting me with a lukewarm: “Hey.” 2 It turned out the passcode had been changed—to Mia’s birthday. The reason? Mia complained that the passcode Liam and I originally set was too complicated and she couldn’t remember it. I was honestly speechless. Why on earth should the passcode to my house be changed just because she couldn’t remember it? But figuring this was our first time meeting, I didn’t show too much emotion. It wasn’t until I walked inside that I realized changing the passcode wasn’t even the craziest part. The craziest part was—my brother actually swapped my room with his. When my parents bought this three-bedroom place, my dad explicitly stated that the master bedroom with the en-suite bathroom was for me, since I was a girl and it would be more convenient. But now, what was supposed to be my room was piled high with a stranger’s clothes. I scanned the room, then walked into the en-suite bathroom. Seeing the state of it, I almost laughed out of pure anger. The expensive skincare products I had left here were all completely empty. You didn’t even have to guess to know who used them. Changed my passcode, took my bedroom, used my skincare. Wasn’t this girl crossing a line? Noticing my displeasure, Liam immediately switched to suck-up mode, sidling over: “Chloe, I’m so sorry. Mia and I have been staying in your room lately. But you’ve barely stayed here a few times this whole semester, and I thought it was a waste to leave such a big room empty.” Liam kept apologizing with a forced smile, while Mia sat in the living room eating fruit, acting as if no one else was there. She didn’t show the slightest intention of apologizing for taking over my room and using my things. Seeing this, I looked at Mia with a fake smile: “Could you please let me know when you finish someone else’s skincare products in the future? Otherwise, what am I supposed to use tonight?” Hearing this, Mia finally lifted her eyelids. Her tone was dripping with passive-aggression: “Sorry about that, Chloe. If you really care that much about those little sample sizes, I’ll just have Liam buy you new ones.” 3 I was absolutely mind-blown. When I vented to my three roommates about it, they all urged me to move back into the condo for a while. “Who lives in someone else’s house and changes the passcode to their own birthday?” “Taking your room, using your stuff… fine, she used it. But to be so unapologetic about it? That’s insane. She really thinks that condo belongs to her, doesn’t she?” “Chloe, if you don’t go back and live there for a bit, that girl is probably going to assume that place belongs to her and your brother, and that it has nothing to do with you.” After hearing that, I immediately packed my suitcase and moved to the off-campus condo that very night. It was only after I moved back that I discovered Liam had somehow picked up a part-time job. To be honest, the allowance our parents gave us wasn’t massive, but it was still a solid $1,500 a month each. That was plenty for me, a girl who needed to buy skincare and makeup. Liam didn’t smoke or drink, so why on earth did he need a part-time job to make money? I planned to ask Liam what was going on that night. At 11:30 PM, my brother finally got home, carrying a container of fresh strawberries. “Chloe, you’re not asleep yet?” He looked surprised, then smiled. “The strawberries at the convenience store where I work were on sale. I know you love them, so I brought some back for you.” I let out a soft hmph. Maybe it was because I had bossed him around since we were kids, but Liam had developed a really good temper and knew how to take care of people. I ate the strawberries he washed for me and asked: “Are you really that strapped for cash? Why are you working a part-time job?” “I have no choice,” Liam said, leaning tiredly against the sofa. “The new iPhone 15 just came out, right? Mia’s been begging me to upgrade her phone. She’s my girlfriend; of course, I want to give her what she wants.” “…” To that, I could only express my “respect” and wish him luck. I never expected that during class the next day, I would suddenly receive a text message from Mia: [Usually, older sisters spend money on their younger brothers, but not you. Strawberries are expensive, and you actually have the nerve to eat the ones your brother bought you? Liam works hard for his money. If you really cared about him, you wouldn’t let him buy things for you anymore. Thanks.] 4 I actually laughed out of anger. My own brother bought me some strawberries, and this not-even-engaged girlfriend thinks she has the right to dictate things? Knowing that Mia and I didn’t get along, my brother was caught in the middle and in a tough spot. I could tell Liam really liked this girl; he catered to her every whim. So, I tolerated what I could. But the real explosion between Mia and me happened because I brought my roommates home to crash for a night. It was my roommate Sarah’s birthday. The four of us went out to a club to celebrate. By the time we headed back, it was past midnight, and the dorms were locked. I suggested we crash at my condo. Sarah looked worried and said: “Is that a good idea? Won’t your brother’s girlfriend get mad?” I knew my friend was just looking out for me, but that sentence triggered me. My parents bought this condo for us. Why should I have to walk on eggshells around my brother’s girlfriend? At my strong insistence, my three roommates followed me home. Even though everyone had been drinking, my friends were considerate. Knowing it was late and Liam and Mia were asleep, they tried to be as quiet as possible. We slept peacefully through the night. The next morning, the moment I walked out of my bedroom, I saw Mia stomping toward me, looking furious and ready to interrogate me: “Chloe, what is your problem? It’s bad enough you freeload off us every day, but now you’re bringing your whole crew of friends to spend the night? Do you have no sense of boundaries?” Perfect. My friends were still right there, and she just aggressively threw that in my face. If I tolerated this, I’d change my last name! I didn’t say a word. I turned around, marched into her bedroom, grabbed her suitcase, and rapidly shoved all her clothes inside. Then I opened the front door and forcefully threw it outside! The suitcase wasn’t zipped properly, and her clothes scattered all over the floor. “Have I been too nice to you these past few days?” I pointed at the door, speaking calmly, “Get out. You are no longer welcome in our home.” Mia clearly hadn’t expected me to actually do this. She froze for a second, then sneered mockingly: “Who do you think you are? Let me tell you, Chloe, your brother is the only son in the Thorne family. Everything in this house belongs to him. Once you get married, you’re an outsider. What right do you have to tell me to get out?” 5 I was absolutely dumbfounded by Mia’s words. It was hard to imagine that this garbage was coming out of the mouth of a woman my own age. She hadn’t even married into the family yet, and she was already calculating that everything my family owned belonged to her and my brother? I laughed: “Listen to me, little girl. From now on, if you ever step one foot inside my house again, I will make you regret it. And if you actually manage to marry into our family, I’ll admit defeat.” I could tell Mia was furious. I glanced at her: “Still not leaving? Are you waiting for me to call security?” “I’m leaving.” Mia gritted her teeth. “I’ll wait for your brother to beg me to come back. Chloe, just you wait.” SLAM. I forcefully shut the door. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I opened our family group chat and recounted exactly what had just happened, sending it directly to the group. This was a small group chat with just the four of us: my parents, Liam, and me. We chatted in it often; Liam and I popped in almost every day. As soon as the message was sent, my mom immediately jumped in: [Liam has a girlfriend? Since when? I’ve never heard that brat mention it.] My dad zeroed in on the main issue: [They’re living together? Is he ready to take responsibility for that girl, moving in together like that! [If he wants a girlfriend, your mom and I won’t stop him. But look at what she said! How are you an outsider? To me, she’s the complete stranger who has absolutely nothing to do with this family!] My dad went even harder, issuing an ultimatum: [Listen to me, boy. We won’t stop you from dating, but take a good look at what kind of person you’re with. If you still want to be with her, I won’t stop you, but you’re packing up and moving out today. From today on, this condo belongs solely to your sister. Figure it out yourself!] 6 The group chat was filled with my parents venting their anger. My brother never showed up, and I couldn’t reach him when I called. It was already past midnight. Normally, Liam would be back from his shift by now, but today he was nowhere to be found. It was fall, the rainy season. Outside, lightning flashed and thunder roared. It had been raining heavily all day. A chill breeze blew in from an open window, making me shiver. I felt a twinge of regret. Should I have handled this privately with Liam? Was it a bad idea to drag our parents into it? Just as I was thinking this, the sound of the passcode being entered came from the smart lock. I turned and saw Liam. He was soaking wet because he didn’t have an umbrella. I grabbed some paper towels and walked over: “Where have you been all day? You weren’t answering your phone either.” Liam didn’t speak, but I guessed he had seen the messages in the group chat. Our parents had been scolding him all afternoon; he definitely wasn’t feeling great. I dried his hair with the towels, trying to figure out how to comfort him. To my surprise, Liam turned his head away. When he looked at me, his eyes were full of resentment: “Chloe, did you really have to do that to Mia?” I froze. Liam continued: “Even if you didn’t want her living here, did you really have to pick a day with this kind of weather to kick her out?” Honestly, I never expected that my brother, whom I’d rarely fought with since we were kids, would one day argue with me over a girlfriend. In that moment, I was so angry I laughed: “Are you blind to the things she said to me? Can’t you see it? It’s clearly her fault for overstepping, and now you’re blaming me? This is my house. Do I need to pick a specific date to kick a stranger out?” “This is your house, but isn’t it my house too? Do I not have the right to use it?” Liam’s voice rose, getting agitated. “I know you look down on Mia and judge her because she comes from a rural family. But our family isn’t exactly billionaires either, right? What’s there to be so arrogant about? Did you have to humiliate her like that? Do you know she had a fever and cried all day? Her family doesn’t have as much money as ours, but she’s still her parents’ precious daughter. When has she ever suffered like this!” With that, Liam bumped past me: “I just came back to grab some essentials. Mia is waiting for me at a hotel.” 7 When did I ever look down on Mia or judge her for being from a rural family? I did know about her family background, but my objection to them being together had nothing to do with that! It was Mia who acted entitled, assuming everything in this family would belong to her and my brother. She occupied the condo my parents bought for both of us, yet scolded me for lacking boundaries. Her character was the problem! After that argument, Liam and I didn’t speak for two days, and he didn’t come back to the condo to sleep. A few days later, while eating alone in the dining hall, I unexpectedly ran into Liam and Mia. As soon as she saw me approaching, Mia immediately looked away—I don’t know if she did it on purpose—and turned to whine to Liam, asking to eat the ribs from his plate. Liam, on the other hand, looked guilty when he saw me. He quickly stood up, his tone trying to appease me: “Chloe, what do you want to eat? I’ll go buy it for you.” I didn’t say anything. Liam persisted, acting shameless: “Chloe, don’t ignore me. I was wrong for what I said before. Tell me what you want to eat, and I’ll buy it for you. Anything you want, consider it an apology, okay?” I still didn’t say a word. Just then, my phone rang. It was my dad. I turned and walked a few steps away to answer it. As soon as I picked up, I heard Mia’s displeased voice faintly drift over: “Why are you buying her food? Does she not have her own money? She’s always spending yours.” “How much could one lunch cost? The pair of sneakers my sister bought me for my birthday cost more than a month’s worth of meals, okay?” As he said this, Liam was already pulling out his meal card. “You’re not allowed to go.” Mia seemed determined to argue with him, pulling Liam back. “This isn’t about money. Does she not have hands or feet? Why is she ordering you around? And what was that coaxing tone you used just now? Seriously, you’re both adults, that tone is so inappropriate. Shouldn’t she keep her distance?” “Babe, can we please stop arguing? What’s inappropriate about me buying my own sister lunch?” The dining hall was pretty loud; I could only catch snippets of their conversation. Within a few sentences, Mia turned and stormed off in a huff. “Mia—” Liam hurriedly stood up and said to me in a panic, “Chloe, Mia hasn’t fully recovered yet, I need to take her to get an IV drip. I can’t buy your food today. Use my card, get whatever you want.” Saying that, he shoved his meal card into my hand and chased after Mia’s retreating figure. 8 It was evident that Mia had some serious manipulation skills, or maybe it was because this was Liam’s first real relationship and he was incredibly lovesick. Either way, he was completely under her thumb. After I kicked Mia out, Liam followed right behind her. They rented an apartment together in a complex near campus. I don’t know if Mia did it to spite me, but they rented a place in the exact same building as our condo. Occasionally, I’d even run into Mia in the elevator. Mia seemed very satisfied with her achievement of successfully convincing my brother to move out with her. She smiled and said to me: “Maya, how does it feel knowing your own brother doesn’t even side with you? Liam would rather move out of that condo for me. Must feel pretty awful going home to an empty place, right? Oh, by the way, Liam paid for our new apartment all by himself. He even sold the shoes you gave him to make rent. You’re not mad, are you, sister?” Awful? I felt fantastic. “The only thing awful is that I didn’t kick you two out sooner. You have no idea the joy of living alone.” Mia’s expression changed: “You’re truly shameless. That condo was clearly bought for your brother by your dad. Stop pretending your family doesn’t favor sons over daughters. I’ve never seen a family that doesn’t. You’re just riding his coattails. I was the one who let you live there. Did you really think you could live there in peace?” Wow. She was calling my family’s condo “letting me live there.” Did she really think she was being understanding and generous?

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My dad’s secret son, hidden for eight years, was finally discovered by my mom. My mom swore she would cut all ties with him, even if it meant walking away from the marriage with absolutely nothing. This time, I stopped her. Because I was reborn. My dad was diagnosed with a terminal illness and was dying. As long as we outlived him, every single cent to his name would belong to me and my mom. 1 “Riley, if Mommy and Daddy split up, do you want to come with Mommy?” When my mom asked me this question again, I didn’t hesitate for a single second. I looked her dead in the eye and said, “Mom, don’t get a divorce.” Her eyes grew red with unshed tears. “Did you know your father has a child out there who is only six months younger than you? How am I supposed to swallow this? If we divorce, at least I won’t have to look at him and feel sick. Come with me, okay? You’re all I have left.” “No, Mom!” “Why?” she asked, her voice trembling. Because I lived this life once already. In my past life, when they divorced, my mom fought desperately for my custody. To get me, she agreed to walk away with nothing. The houses, the cash, the company they built from the ground up—all of it fell into the hands of that mistress and her son. Just two months after the divorce was finalized, my dad died of late-stage stomach cancer. The only reason he let my mom find out about the mistress was because he knew he was dying. He wanted to pave the way for his illegitimate son, but he couldn’t bear the thought of my mom taking half his wealth in a standard divorce. So he held my custody hostage. My mom, wanting to protect me, sacrificed the empire she spent years building. The day after the divorce papers were signed, he married the mistress. When he died, that woman and her son legally inherited everything. And then, they hunted my mom and me down. Whatever business my mom tried to start, whatever job she got, they ruined it. Even when she tried to sell trinkets on the street, they hired local thugs to trash her stall. To keep me fed, my mom was forced to work at seedy nightclubs, eventually spiraling into the darkest corners of the sex trade. The mistress tormented her for ten years. Finally, on my eighteenth birthday, my mom jumped from the roof of a 21-story building. After she died, the mistress still wouldn’t let me go. She paid kids at my high school to violently bully me. She twisted the truth, telling everyone I was the illegitimate child and that my mother was the homewrecker who ruined her life. I was an orphan with nowhere to turn. One blurry, disorienting night, I was struck and killed by a speeding semi-truck. And the capital that mistress used to destroy us? It was the exact wealth she inherited from my father. In this lifetime, I will protect my mother. I will never let that cheating scumbag win. 2 “Mom, do you believe in prophetic dreams?” I recounted every single horrific event from my past life to her, detail by detail. She muttered to herself in shock, “I would never degrade myself to do that kind of work… and I would never abandon you by taking my own life.” I knew that. But when you are pushed to the absolute brink of starvation and despair, who can guarantee they won’t grab the only lifeline available, even if it’s covered in filth? Because of my dad’s betrayal, my mom had been heartbroken and stopped managing their company. My dad was using this exact window of time to pretend he wanted her back, making her think he still loved her. Meanwhile, behind her back, he was rapidly consolidating power, aiming to take full control of the corporation. My mom was skeptical of my “dream,” but her love for me ran deep in her bones. Even if it was just a nightmare, she was going to verify it. She went back to the office. That night, when she and my dad came home together, his jaw was clenched. He looked furious. I trotted up to him. “Dad, are you a dirty trash bag?” He choked, his chest heaving as he gasped for air in pure outrage. “People on the internet say men who cheat are just dirty trash bags, and nobody should want them.” My mom immediately slapped a hand over my mouth. “Stay off the internet. Don’t repeat that garbage you read.” I nodded innocently. She let go, and I asked, “Are you and Dad still getting a divorce?” My mom smiled sweetly. “Of course not. I’ve already forgiven your dad. We’re going to live happily as a family of three.” My dad’s face turned a spectacular shade of purple. He scolded me for a few minutes, skipped dinner, and slammed his bedroom door. My mom’s phone buzzed. She was in the shower, so I expertly unlocked her screen. It was the mistress, Vanessa. She was actively trying to provoke my mom, sending a barrage of intimate, disgusting photos of her and my dad in bed. Her texts mocked my mom, goading her to sign the divorce papers immediately. She called my mom a sterile, frigid prude, bragging that my dad preferred her because she was much better in bed. She claimed that she was my dad’s true love, and if my maternal grandfather hadn’t pressured my dad into marriage, she and my dad would have been the legitimate family all along. I typed a reply for my mom: “I don’t believe you. Did you Photoshop these? I remember Richard has a massive mole on his left butt cheek. Your photos don’t show it.” Vanessa took the bait and immediately sent a highly explicit video. To prove her point and traumatize my mom, she filmed it in high-definition, 360 degrees. The mole on my dad’s left cheek was glaringly obvious. It made me want to throw up. Suppressing my nausea, I downloaded the uncensored video and sent it to my own device. After dinner, I opened my laptop and imported the media. I slapped massive, thick mosaic blurs over their private parts and posted it directly to my Facebook and Instagram stories. My caption: “This lady says she’s way better in bed than my mom, and now Dad wants to divorce us! What do I do? Riley doesn’t want to grow up without a dad! (Loud Crying Emoji)” I was only nine years old. Posting this kind of stuff wouldn’t land me in juvenile detention, right? 3 My dad was trying to play the loving, remorseful husband to my mom, while Vanessa was trying to trigger her into a hasty divorce. They thought they were so incredibly smart. I knew my dad would be angry, but I underestimated his absolute, explosive rage. He slapped me across the face so hard I flew backward. Two of my baby teeth were knocked straight out of my mouth. Good god, it hurt. But compared to the agonizing pain of a semi-truck crushing my bones, this slap was just a light drizzle. My mom screamed and tackled him, clawing wildly at his face. She left deep, bleeding scratch marks all over his cheeks. He looked like a monster. He screamed at me to delete the post. I obediently did. But deleting it was useless. It had been up all night. Who knows how many people screen-recorded it? My mom had dozens of wealthy, gossipy housewives on her friends list. I was confident their ability to spread drama wouldn’t disappoint my dad. My dad roared at my mom, “Look at the psychotic daughter you raised!” He slammed the door and left. My mouth was full of blood. My mom was sobbing, trying to drag me to the emergency room. I refused. “Mom, when you’re in danger, you call 911.” She was heartbroken over my injuries but couldn’t stop me as I dragged her directly to the local police precinct. Spitting a mouthful of bloody saliva into a tissue, I walked into the station and finally let out a loud, gut-wrenching wail. With blood staining my lips, I shakily reached out my small hand to a pretty female police officer. In my palm sat the two teeth I had clutched the entire way there. “Officer… Riley wants to report a crime…” My dad had coasted through life on easy mode for years. This was his first time ever sitting in a police interrogation room. And it was for domestic battery against his nine-year-old daughter. He was a prominent, wealthy CEO. He had never experienced this kind of profound humiliation. His face cycled through a rainbow of colors as he sat there with his scratched-up cheeks. My face was swollen to the size of a balloon. The officer explained that my injuries constituted assault. If my mom and I pressed charges, my dad would be facing at least five days in jail, plus fines. Getting him locked up was exactly what I wanted. It bought my mom five crucial days to secure her assets. My dad tried to defend himself by bringing up the explicit video I posted. I immediately pulled out my kid-friendly iPad, opened the blurred video of him and Vanessa, turned the brightness all the way up, and showed it to the entire precinct. “This is the video my dad is talking about. The lady said my dad likes her because she’s good in bed, and she said she gave him a son so my mom needs to divorce him quickly. “Even though my dad is a cheating scumbag, Riley doesn’t want my parents to divorce. “Riley doesn’t want to lose her dad. Riley just wanted the aunties on Facebook to give her advice…” Hitting the emotional climax of my performance, my tears flowed like a broken dam, washing over my swollen, bruised cheeks. If there were a crack in the floor, I’m sure my dad would have shoved his head into it. After a highly uncomfortable silence, the officers gently explained that posting such explicit content online violated platform guidelines. However, since I was a child who didn’t know better and had already deleted it, they let me off with a gentle verbal warning. But now, the entire precinct knew about his disgusting infidelity. The officers looked at him with undisguised contempt. Because my mom and I adamantly refused to drop the charges, and the physical evidence was right there on my face, my dad was hauled off to spend five days singing the blues in a holding cell. 4 Trading two baby teeth for five days of uninterrupted time for my mom was the best deal I ever made. Now wasn’t the time to coddle me. After seeing the dentist, I pushed my mom to go straight to the corporate headquarters. I warned her that several key managerial positions were occupied by Vanessa’s relatives. My mom didn’t waste a second. She hired two towering, intimidating female bodyguards to watch over me, then rushed to the office to clean house. My dad was the classic definition of a gold-digger. He grew up in absolute poverty, raised by a widowed mother who worked herself to the bone to put him through college. My mom’s family wasn’t exceptionally wealthy, but my grandfather was a respected academic who owned a nice house in the city. After my parents graduated and got married, my grandfather sold that house to give them their startup capital. Using that seed money, they grew a tiny two-person operation into a massive tech manufacturing firm worth nearly a hundred million dollars today. My mom was brilliant. She handled the complex operational side of the business flawlessly. But her fatal flaw was her bleeding heart. In my past life, my dad manipulated her empathy, guilt-tripping her into walking away with nothing. She genuinely believed she could just start over from scratch. But the world is cruel. Dragging me along as a single mother, while Vanessa used my dad’s wealth to actively hunt and destroy her… Forget starting a business. We barely had enough to eat. Children are almost always a mother’s greatest weakness. If it weren’t for wanting to secure my custody, my mom never would have surrendered her life’s work. I refused to let history repeat itself. This time, I was the one protecting her! 5 Those five days in a cell must have made my dad hate us to his core. When he was released, he didn’t even bother coming home. He moved straight into the luxury mansion he had bought for Vanessa and his son. Because of the video I posted, he was the laughingstock of his own company. My mom said that on his first day back in the office, he looked like a zoo animal. Employees stared at him, whispering in the hallways. Some of the older, no-nonsense female managers even rolled their eyes and muttered curses as he walked past. Having just gotten out of jail only to face this humiliation, he exploded in a rage, threatening to fire everyone. Naturally, my mom stepped in and vetoed his orders. Discovering that my mom had already fired all of Vanessa’s relatives, my dad had a screaming match with her in the boardroom. The mask was completely off. He knew playing the “remorseful husband” wasn’t going to trick her into leaving empty-handed anymore. He offered a standard 50/50 split of the assets if she agreed to an uncontested divorce. But my mom had already spoken to his private doctor. She knew about his cancer. She knew that even if he underwent surgery, he didn’t have much time left. She absolutely refused to divorce him. These facts validated everything I told her in my “dream.” She would never trust him again. My dad knew his clock was ticking. He couldn’t afford to drag this out for years. But since my mom refused to sign, he had to file a contested divorce lawsuit. In court, my mom held my hand and wept beautifully to the judge. “Your Honor, even though he made a mistake, my daughter and I are willing to forgive him. We’ve built a life together. I won’t abandon our marriage just because he strayed once. “They say you should always try to save a family. I beg the court to dismiss his petition.” I cried on cue. “Daddy, please don’t leave Riley!” My dad looked like he wanted to vomit. He couldn’t produce any evidence of irreconcilable differences, and his affair with Vanessa only proved he was a cheating scumbag, not that my mom was at fault. And yet, my mom and I were publicly declaring our willingness to forgive him. My mom showcased her saint-like capacity for forgiveness, begging him to return to our loving home. After months of legal delays, his first divorce petition was dismissed by the judge. If he wanted to file again, he had to wait a mandatory six months. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t have six months to spare. 6 My mom told me my dad was secretly siphoning funds out of the company accounts. He was preparing a nest egg for Vanessa and his son. He was terrified that if he died while still married to my mom, Vanessa would get nothing. He even secretly drafted a will, attempting to leave his half of the corporate shares to his illegitimate son. I asked my mom anxiously, “Why aren’t you stopping him?” She told me not to worry. She said she was tracking every penny and building a legal case, and she absolutely wouldn’t let strangers steal what belonged to us. I had told my mom every horrifying detail of our past lives. She wasn’t blinded by love anymore. I trusted her competence implicitly. My mom and I suffered far too much in the past. I wasn’t being heartless; I just refused to give a single cent to that homewrecking duo. My dad’s actions were truly despicable. He refused to come home, so I had to go to his and Vanessa’s love nest to find him. I knew exactly where they lived. He had set them up in one of the most exclusive, gated communities in the city. I had been there in my past life too. But back then, I went to beg. I had kneeled on the concrete driveway outside their mansion, pleading with Vanessa to show mercy and let my mom live. Instead, she kicked me to the ground. She ground the stiletto heel of her designer shoe into my cheek, smiling radiantly. “This is karma,” she said. “Your mother was a shameless bitch who got in the way of our true love.” The heel dug into my flesh until I bled. The neighbors who gathered to watch spat on me, calling me a bastard child. She promised that if I knelt and bowed my head, she’d let my mom go. I actually did it. But she just laughed louder, clutching her son’s shoulder as she shook with amusement. That plain, unremarkable face of hers made me want to violently throw up. But today, I was here to collect some interest on that debt. 7 Flanked by my towering female bodyguards, I held up a photo of my dad and Vanessa, asking every neighbor I saw until I found their house. The front gates were wide open. The woman who had strutted triumphantly over my bleeding face in my past life was currently watering the rosebushes in the front yard with her son. A picture of perfect, suburban peace. “Auntie Vanessa.” Vanessa froze the second she saw me. When she noticed the crowd of wealthy, gossip-hungry housewives gathering behind me, sheer panic washed over her face. “Tsk, tsk. I always wondered why her ‘husband’ was never home. She told me he was a busy CEO always flying first class. Turns out she’s just a dirty mistress. How shameless!” “She acts so sweet and polite in the neighborhood. Who knew she was such garbage behind closed doors?” “You really can’t judge a book by its cover. I’m telling my kids to stay far away from her son.” The whispers snapped Vanessa out of her shock. She pretended she didn’t know me, insisting I had the wrong house. She was trying to gaslight me in broad daylight. But I had already shown the photos to everyone. No one believed her. As the neighbors’ comments grew more hostile, she lost her temper and yelled at us to get off her property. I aggressively wiped at my eyes, turning on the waterworks. “Auntie Vanessa, please don’t make my daddy divorce my mommy! “If you just leave him alone, I’ll give you all my money! Don’t you just like my dad for his money? I have a lot of allowance saved up!” I dramatically slammed the porcelain piggy bank I brought with me onto the driveway. It shattered, sending quarters and dollar bills scattering across the pavement. I dropped to my knees, frantically scooping them up and shoving them toward her. The crowd’s disgust toward her reached a boiling point. Her son, Tyler, charged at me, raising his fists. I immediately grabbed his ear and twisted it hard. He shrieked in pain. Vanessa tried to rush me, but my bodyguards easily pinned her arms behind her back. I cried while cursing, and while cursing, I kicked, scratched, and pinched. Like a feral animal, I unleashed every ounce of my pent-up rage directly onto Tyler. “If it wasn’t for you, my dad wouldn’t abandon me! You stole my dad! It’s your fault! It’s all your fault!” Girls hit their growth spurts earlier. Tyler was half a head shorter than me and stood absolutely no chance. I beat him until he was wailing on the ground. He wasn’t my brother. He was a demon. He and his vile mother stole everything from us and then sadistically tortured us for fun. In my past life, as he grew older, he paid kids at my high school to spread rumors that my mom was a deranged stalker who ruined his parents’ lives. He orchestrated having me locked in bathroom stalls, my textbooks shredded, and my assignments destroyed. He even had thugs throw garbage water on me while I walked home. He was rotten to his very core. I wasn’t going to let him off the hook just because he was a “kid.” 8 By the time my dad rushed home, Tyler’s face was bruised and battered. Vanessa clutched her son, weeping beautifully. My dad raised his hand, furious, intending to strike me. My bodyguards immediately stepped in front of me, glaring at him, fists clenched, ready to drop him if he moved an inch. I poked my head between their shoulders and craned my neck toward him. “If you want to go back to a jail cell, hit me! Do it! Kill me right now!” “You knocked out two of my teeth last time! Are you trying to do it again?!” “I’m just trying to protect my family! What did I do wrong?! You have no shame, cheating on my mom! I have the worst luck in the world having a father like you!” There were too many people watching. We were surrounded. They chattered endlessly, condemning Vanessa and my dad’s disgusting behavior. The very people they had tried to impress in this neighborhood were now publicly shaming them. My words struck my dad’s fragile ego so hard he clutched his chest, swaying dizzily. Finally, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed face-first into the rosebushes. I didn’t expect him to be this fragile. He literally passed out from anger. I immediately cried and screamed, dialing 911. When the ambulance arrived, Vanessa tried to climb in with her bruised son. I forcefully shoved her out the back doors. My dad’s extreme surge of anger triggered a cascade of severe medical complications. He was admitted to the hospital immediately. His cancer had spread aggressively. The doctor said that if he didn’t have surgery immediately, he wouldn’t even survive the month. If he opted for the surgery, there was a 30% survival rate. And even if it was successful, it would only buy him six months to a year. When my dad woke up, the first thing he saw was me. He opened his mouth to curse me, but my mom instantly slapped him hard across the face. “Since you’re already bedridden, shut your mouth and behave!” My dad’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull in rage, but he was so weak he couldn’t even walk without gasping for air. How could he fight my mom? I pinned his shoulders to the mattress, relayed the doctor’s exact words, and asked him what he wanted to do. I have no idea if he got the surgery in my past life, but he died shortly after regardless. His face turned an ashen, deathly gray. He was clearly terrified. But what did that have to do with me and my mom? Whatever he chose, he wasn’t escaping the grim reaper. 9 He ultimately chose the surgery. I wasn’t surprised. A coward like him would cling to even a 1% chance of survival. His mother had passed away long ago, leaving me and my mom as his only legal next of kin. My mom signed the surgical consent forms. Before the operation, he demanded to see Vanessa and Tyler one last time. My mom adamantly refused. He demanded his phone to call them, but my mom had confiscated it. He cursed and screamed, throwing everything he could reach off his bedside table. I grabbed my mom’s hand. “If he wants them here so badly, let them come.” My mom didn’t understand. She just found the sight of them nauseating. But seeing my insistence, she agreed. Vanessa brought Tyler to the hospital, throwing herself onto his chest and weeping loudly. Just as she was mid-sob, the attending doctor led a group of nurses in for morning rounds. I proactively introduced Vanessa’s identity to the entire medical staff. Under the judgmental stares of a dozen professionals, Vanessa’s pale, delicate “innocent” face flushed bright red with extreme embarrassment. Especially since the illegitimate son standing next to her looked almost my exact age. My dad’s face was equally horrifying to look at. The reputation and dignity he had spent a lifetime building were completely annihilated. I looked at the doctors with teary, red eyes. “Even though my dad did terrible, unforgivable things, Riley doesn’t want him to die. Please, doctors, you have to save him.” My dad looked like he wanted to die on the spot. But this was only the beginning. My mom contacted several senior executives and board members from the company to “visit” him. As soon as the doctors left, the executives filed in. Vanessa grabbed Tyler, desperate to flee, but my bodyguards blocked the door. “Since Dad wanted you here so badly, you’re going to stay and let everyone get a good look at you.” After the corporate team left, it was his old classmates. Elementary school, middle school, high school, college. Anyone my mom could dig up from his past, she invited. Wave after wave of visitors poured in. And every single time, my mom politely and thoroughly introduced Vanessa and her son to the room. My dad was stripped of his dignity down to his very bones. Social death in its purest form. Vanessa fared no better, and her son Tyler shrank into the corner, hiding his face in shame. My mom calmly unscrewed her thermos and took a sip of tea. “We have a few distant relatives back in our hometown. If you’d like, I can have Vanessa bring the boy to meet them tomorrow too.” My dad weakly croaked for Vanessa and Tyler to get the hell out.

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To save my father, who was dying of leukemia, I aborted my five-month-old baby and donated my bone marrow. But I accidentally discovered that my younger brother was also a perfect match. Everyone had been lying to me. Later, I was reborn. Reborn to the very day I was supposed to donate my marrow. 1. When I was five months pregnant, my dad was diagnosed with leukemia. Out of our entire family, I was the only one who was a match. My mom fell to her knees on the floor, begging me: “Maya, you can always have another baby later, but you only have one dad.” My brother, Noah, called me back-to-back: “Sis, you haven’t even met the baby yet. There’s no real emotional connection. But Dad raised you for over twenty years.” After days of agonizing tears and sleepless nights, I finally made the devastating choice to give up my baby and save my dad’s life. Because getting pregnant had been incredibly difficult for me, my husband naturally fought me tooth and nail. Ridden with guilt, I took the initiative and divorced him. Then, without looking back, I went to the hospital. My dad was saved. But as for me? Between the late-term abortion and the bone marrow donation, my health rapidly deteriorated. Eventually, I was too weak to even hold down a basic desk job. I had to quit, moving back into my parents’ house, where I spent my days doing laundry and cooking for my mom, dad, and brother. Until one day. I found a medical report tucked inside a drawer. It had my brother Noah’s name on it. The conclusion: A Perfect Match. They had been lying to me this whole time. My brother was a viable donor, yet they manipulated me into aborting my baby, destroying my marriage, and living a pathetic, half-dead existence just to protect him. Clutching the report, I stormed out to confront my mom. Blinded by rage, I missed a step. I tumbled down the stairs. But I didn’t die. I was reborn. A groggy haze lifted, and the sharp scent of rubbing alcohol flooded my senses. I opened my eyes. I looked around at the stark white walls. It was a scene I knew too well: I was in the hospital, sitting beside my dad’s bed. I looked down at my slightly rounded belly, and tears instantly blurred my vision—my baby was still here. Perfect. I had been reborn to the time right before the donation. This time, I will fight to the death to protect what is mine. My mom, Susan, was pacing the hospital room, waving the test results. “Old man, you’re saved! I knew Maya would be a match for you!” My dad lay in his bed, his face pale, but a sudden spark of life returning to his eyes. He nodded in deep satisfaction. In a flash, my mom was right in front of me, practically dancing with joy. “Maya, you’re the only one in the family who’s a match! You are our lucky star! Let’s get the doctors to take your marrow right now and save your dad!” she babbled excitedly, her cheeks flushed. I glanced at the report with feigned indifference. Maya Evans, Perfect Match. But looking at it now, it was an absolute joke. I used to think my mom was forced into an impossible corner. That between her unborn grandchild and her husband, she could only choose her husband. That was somewhat understandable. Just like I had agonized over choosing between my child and my father, ultimately leaning toward my father. But now? Not a chance in hell. I stared coldly into my mom’s eyes. “But, Mom, I’m pregnant. Donating marrow means I have to abort the baby. Here, touch your grandchild. You’re literally asking me to commit murder.” I grabbed Susan’s hand and forced it onto my belly. She yanked it back like she’d been burned. “What are you doing?! I’m not asking you to kill anyone, I’m asking you to save a life! Maya, you can always have another baby, but your dad… you only have one dad.” She started breaking down, her voice escalating into a theatrical wail. It was the exact same script as my past life. Hearing it now was just laughable. “But Dad has more than just me. Shouldn’t we take a look at Noah’s results?” “What did you just say?” The color instantly drained from my mom’s face. “Noah got tested ages ago. He wasn’t a match. You know that.” “Really? Let me see the report then,” I pressed relentlessly. “What are you trying to imply?” My mom’s eyes bulged wide. My dad, who had been lying weakly in bed, suddenly struggled to prop himself up, shouting at me: “If you don’t want to donate, then get the hell out!” Gladly. I stroked my belly, supported my lower back, and walked out of the hospital room with my head held high. Behind me, I could hear my mom cursing: “You shameless, ungrateful bitch! I always knew we couldn’t rely on you.” 2. I took an Uber straight to my parents’ house. My parents were at the hospital, and my brother was at work. The house was completely empty. Relying on my memories from my past life, I found Noah’s compatibility report buried deep in a study drawer. Seeing the truth staring back at me again, an overwhelming wave of grief and rage erupted from my chest. These were my “loving” parents. My “loving” brother. I quickly folded the evidence and shoved it into my purse. Right on cue, Noah’s phone call came through. The moment I answered, he started his self-righteous lecture: “Sis, I heard you abandoned Mom and Dad and walked out? Do you have any idea how lost Mom is trying to navigate the billing department by herself? How could you just leave…” I waited for him to finish his long-winded rant before asking, “And what about you? Since Dad got sick, how many times have you actually visited?” “I have to work,” he snapped, clearly annoyed. Two years ago, he landed a cushy government job. According to my mom, he brought “honor to our ancestors.” He was the golden boy. Since my dad fell ill, Noah hadn’t spent a single night at the hospital. I was the one handling the registration, the payments, the medication pickups. “I have a job too. Besides, isn’t your government job supposed to be super relaxed?” I wasn’t going to coddle him anymore. “Fine, fine. I’ll make time to see Dad.” Noah quickly pivoted to the real issue. “But I just found out you’re a match. You can’t just leave him to die.” “Noah, you know I’m five months pregnant. The baby won’t survive the procedure,” I said, playing the emotional card to see his reaction. Noah exploded: “Sis, a five-month-old fetus is just a lump of meat! You haven’t even met it yet. What kind of emotional connection could you possibly have? Stop being so dramatic. Dad raised you for over twenty years. Show some conscience.” I pretended to sound conflicted. “Let me think about it.” “Think about what? What is there to think about?! If I were a match, I would have donated immediately. Would I even need to think about it?” Thank God this was a phone call and not FaceTime, or Noah would have seen the massive, triumphant smirk spreading across my face. “Is that so?” I smiled, snapping a photo of his positive compatibility report and texting it to him. “Then I’ll step aside and let you be the hero.” I hung up the phone, feeling incredibly liberated. Then I headed back to my own apartment. Right now, my husband, Connor, was probably at home sulking. When my dad was first diagnosed, my mom practically forced everyone we knew to get tested—aunts, uncles, cousins, everyone. She even made Connor, who had absolutely no blood relation, get tested. In the end, she tragically announced that not a single person was a match. The only person left was me. My mom begged me to be the final attempt. Connor, usually the most patient man in the world, lost his temper. “Mom, Maya is pregnant! How can she even get tested? And even if she’s a match, what then?” My mom didn’t even glance at him. She just kept crying to me: “Maya, just go try. The chances of matching are so slim anyway, so don’t worry. But it’s the thought that counts. Do you want your dad to die feeling abandoned?” I wavered. Connor stared at me, his eyes red. “Maya, think about this carefully. You know how hard it was for us to get this baby.” I knew better than anyone. I had severely blocked fallopian tubes. We had been married for years without getting pregnant. As we approached thirty, everyone around us was anxious. Whenever my in-laws made passive-aggressive comments, Connor always deflected and covered for me. When they pushed too hard, he even lied and said he was the one with fertility issues and was receiving treatment. His parents finally shut up, and never brought up kids in front of us again. But ironically, without the pressure of being hounded for a baby, I miraculously got pregnant this year. Even the fertility doctor we had seen for years was overjoyed for us. I had cried and asked my mom, “Mom, can we wait? Just wait five more months. After I give birth, I’ll…” My mom’s face turned to ice. “What do you think? With your dad’s condition, he can’t even wait two months. I’m just asking you to get tested. The odds of matching are tiny, and you’re already acting like this. How did I raise such a cowardly daughter? Either you come with me right now, or you’re an unfilial disgrace, and you are never stepping foot in the Evans house again.” In my past life, she practically dragged me to the hospital by force. Connor sighed in utter defeat. Ultimately, our marriage reached a dead end. I thought that after moving back to my parents’ house, they would at least treat me well. I was incredibly naive. My parents were furious. They felt that since I wasn’t bringing in any money, I was just a freeloader. From then on, I never saw a single warm smile from them. My mom would say: “When you divorced, why didn’t you demand more money? What kind of woman divorces and just leeches off her parents?” My brother complained: “My girlfriend is coming over soon. Sis, you should just go rent a place outside.” Even the father whose life I saved with my body chimed in to mock me: “I only have one kidney too, but I’m not nearly as fragile and dramatic as you.” Heh. These were my “loving” family members. 3. So, when Connor saw me walk through the door, his eyes widened in absolute shock. He even stammered, “Maya, you… why are you back? Weren’t you supposed to stay at the hospital to take care of your dad?” “Why wouldn’t I come back? I’m exhausted carrying this baby around, okay? Let Noah and Mom take care of him.” My casual, IDGAF attitude seemed completely incomprehensible to Connor. In the past, I would have been running myself ragged back and forth to the hospital despite his hundreds of attempts to stop me. “Actually, you really do need to focus on your own health.” Seeing me finally give up on being a martyr, Connor was secretly overjoyed. I tentatively asked, “Honey, I have something to tell you, but you have to promise not to get mad.” He nodded. I then told him the truth: I was a match, but my mom was trying to force me to abort the baby to donate my marrow. His jaw practically hit the floor. It was only after I swore up and down that I would never sacrifice our baby that Connor finally let out a massive sigh of relief. He gently pulled me into a hug. “Wife, the fact that you made such a difficult choice… I’m so incredibly moved. I swear, I will use every connection I have to help find a compatible donor for your dad.” I rolled my eyes. “Actually… they already found one.” I pulled Noah’s compatibility report out of my bag and slammed it onto the table. Connor glanced at it, disbelief written all over his face. “This report is dated September 28th. The results came out over a week ago?” “Yep. Exactly.” That’s right. My parents had known the results for a long time. “Then… then why did they… why did they make you go get tested?” Connor’s voice trembled slightly. I flopped onto the sofa, casually popping a cherry into my mouth, completely unfazed. “Simply put, they didn’t want Noah to go through the procedure. So they targeted me, fully willing to sacrifice our baby.” Connor was furious. If I hadn’t stopped him, he probably would have stormed back to the hospital to start a war. “Are they even human?” Connor sounded like he was about to cry. I spat the cherry pit into the trash and said seriously, “You could say they barely resemble humans anymore. But honey, since they had this plan from the start, I don’t think they’re going to give up easily. You need to stay close and protect me.” “As long as I’m here, no one is touching you or our baby.” Exactly as I predicted. My mom’s phone calls started coming in relentlessly. For the sake of my own peace of mind, I muted my phone entirely. Dozens of 59-second voicemails flooded my inbox in minutes. I didn’t even bother listening to a single one. To ensure the safety of my pregnancy, I took an extended leave from work. I stayed indoors, absolutely determined to bring this baby into the world safely. On a bright, sunny weekend, with Connor supporting me, I went downstairs for a walk around the apartment complex. And was immediately ambushed by my mom. I hadn’t seen her in days. Her hair was a mess, and her eyes were bloodshot. When she saw me, she lunged like a starving wolf. “Maya Evans! What the hell are you trying to do?!” Connor immediately shifted his body, standing like a wall between us, terrified I might get bumped or shoved. “What do you mean?” I asked, keeping my chin high. “Are you really going to stand by and watch him die?! That is your biological father!” Her voice escalated several octaves. The neighbors walking by stopped and stared, eager for some neighborhood drama. I immediately called out her lies. “Mom, stop pretending. Noah is a match too. Go beg him.” My mom grew even more enraged. “You don’t just want your dad to die, you want to destroy the entire Evans family!” That was a massive accusation. Even I was a bit stunned. Seeing my reaction, my mom suddenly dropped to her knees right there on the pavement. I frowned. “What are you doing? Everyone is watching.” She didn’t care. She started aggressively bowing, her forehead hitting the stone path. Her voice grew even louder. “My daughter! I’m begging you! Save your father! If he dies, I won’t survive either!” 4. A few elderly women who were watching their grandkids nearby felt their gossip sensors tingling and started inching closer. My mom cried even harder. There was even a faint smudge of blood on her forehead. She was really going all out for this performance. Connor and I took a few steps back. We had no interest in playing along with her theatrics. She immediately jumped up, grabbed my arm, and screamed: “You can’t leave! Look at this woman, everyone! Her own father is lying in a hospital bed waiting for her to save his life! And she? She’s hiding here, refusing to lift a finger!” The elderly women instantly transformed into self-righteous judges, pointing fingers at me. “Young lady, your mother is literally bowing at your feet. This… even God would find this unacceptable.” “She looks so pretty, but how can her heart be so ugly?” “You’re pregnant! You need to build good karma for the baby in your belly. How can you refuse to save your own parents?” … The gossipy women unleashed a barrage of judgment. Seeing people taking her side, my mom looked emboldened. But I wasn’t intimidated. I looked at the grandmas, my face calm and my heartbeat steady. “My mom wants me to abort my baby to save him. If this were your daughter-in-law, would you agree? Mrs. Miller, I heard your daughter-in-law is pregnant with her second child. If her parents came begging at your door, would you say yes?” I targeted the loudest one in the group. Mrs. Miller practically fled. “Are you crazy?! Why would you curse my family like that?!” Connor stared at my mom with nothing but resentment. “The worst part is, her own son is a perfect match and could donate. But she insists her daughter must kill an unborn child to save him.” The other bystanders lost interest in lecturing me and slowly dispersed. My mom sighed, switching to a pleading tone. “Noah… he has a girlfriend. She’s the daughter of a high-ranking official. We were planning on him bringing her home this year. The girl’s family didn’t even mind that your dad was sick. It was such a great match! But when they heard Noah might have to donate marrow, the girl refused to marry him. She was afraid it would damage his health.” The moment the words “damage his health” slipped out, my mom looked instantly regretful. I smiled sweetly at her. “So, you’re not afraid it will damage my health?” She looked guilty. “That’s just ignorant people talking. The doctors said it’s perfectly fine.” I calmly tore down her logic. “The doctors said it’s fine for a young, healthy man. But I am a pregnant woman. Never mind the procedure itself—a late-term abortion is incredibly damaging to a woman’s body.” Connor stepped forward. “Mom, if Noah’s girlfriend isn’t willing to risk it, then I am absolutely unwilling to let my wife risk it.” “Good heavens! They aren’t even married yet! I can’t ruin your brother’s lifelong happiness!” She wiped her tears and snot, continuing, “But you two are married. We are one family. Your father-in-law is like your own father. What is there to be unhappy about?” “Then aren’t you afraid Connor and I will divorce? What about my lifelong happiness?” I asked bluntly. She fell silent for a long time. We turned to leave. But to my surprise, my mom still refused to give up. “But if both men in the house damage their health, how are we supposed to survive? Maya, just help the Evans family out. You always loved your little brother the most when you were kids.” My mom desperately clutched my shirt. I violently yanked it out of her grip. “I didn’t love him the most; the entire family ONLY loved him. Now, you can finally ask him for a little payback. As for my bone marrow, don’t even think about it. I will never agree.” My mom stared at me blankly, finally realizing that I truly wasn’t going to give her what she wanted. She suddenly started laughing maniacally. “Hahaha, I raised you all these years, and you turn out to be a vicious, ungrateful snake. Do you really think you’re going to carry that baby to term? Aren’t you afraid of a sudden miscarriage? Aren’t you afraid you’ll give birth to an idiot or a cripple?!” 5. Hearing her violently curse my unborn child, my heart pounded wildly, and my ears started ringing. I could barely stay on my feet. Seeing I was unwell, Connor immediately supported me and started walking me back inside. My mom tried to stick to me like a leech again. Connor threw his arm out to block her. “Ouch!” My mom conveniently collapsed to the ground. “My foot! My foot!” She kept screaming that her foot hurt so much she couldn’t stand up. Connor instinctively reached out to help her up. She refused, lying flat on the pavement. The HOA board members had been watching us ever since my mom started causing a scene. Seeing her fall, they were afraid someone might actually get hurt, so they quickly called an ambulance. As my mom was being loaded onto the stretcher, groaning dramatically, she still managed to reach out and grab both me and Connor. “Don’t let them leave. They pushed me.” We went with her to the hospital. A fractured toe. The doctor said she could be admitted or recover at home. My mom insisted on being admitted. The doctor cast a slightly sympathetic glance at us. My mom snapped: “What are you looking at? My son-in-law pushed me. It’s only right that they take care of me.” Connor defended himself: “Mom, I swear I didn’t push you. You bumped into me yourself.” “What are you implying?!” Although her toe was broken, her upper body was still as fierce as ever. She grabbed Connor by the collar and screamed, her spit flying directly into his face. “Are you saying I don’t care about my own life? That I would joke around with my own safety?!” The doctor quickly intervened. “Ma’am, please keep your voice down in the hospital.” My mom rolled her eyes at him and settled comfortably into the hospital bed. For the next few days, we had no choice but to take care of my mom. But my dad still needed someone too, so we had to hire a private nurse for him. I reluctantly footed the bill. I had no choice. Both the elderly people were bedridden. Honestly, all I wanted was to live my life in peace. I didn’t care about the money. I didn’t want to get tangled up in their drama anymore. A few days later, my mom was discharged—or more accurately, she was “kicked out” by the hospital. Hospital beds were in high demand, and my mom spent every night loudly video-chatting with my dad, severely disturbing the other patients in her room. I thought the ordeal was finally over and that Connor and I’s night-shift nursing duties were finished. Who could have predicted that my mom would pull another ruthless stunt? She called my husband directly. “Connor, let me tell you this. You pushed me and broke my bone. I’ve already consulted a lawyer. It counts as an assault, and you can face criminal charges. It’s up to you. If Maya still refuses to donate her marrow, you can go straight to jail.” Connor had put the call on speakerphone. Listening to her, my face burned with intense shame—this was actually my mother. Connor was just as fierce. He fired back immediately: “Even if I go to jail, I will never let Maya do it. Give up that fantasy.” My mom cursed him as an “ungrateful bastard” and viciously hung up the phone. Not long after, we received a court summons. Accompanied by my brother and a lawyer, my mom sat at the plaintiff’s table, tearfully accusing us. “Your Honor, I just went to see my daughter to ask her to visit her sick father. And what happened? My son-in-law wasn’t happy about it. He violently shoved an old woman like me, and I instantly collapsed in excruciating pain.” The lawyer submitted the ambulance dispatch record, the hospital medical records, and the injury report as evidence. Seeing that we, the defendants, hadn’t even hired a lawyer, he flashed a smug, guaranteed-victory smile. Back when my mom was still in the hospital and cursing Connor every day, I had gone down to the building management office in front of her. I requested they pull the security footage from that specific corner to prove Connor’s innocence. But the management told me explicitly: that area was a blind spot for the cameras. My mom had heard that too. So now, she believed she could completely fabricate this crime against Connor just by acting. 6. Unbothered and unhurried, I presented my witness and evidence. I spoke calmly and clearly: “When the incident occurred, we were indeed in a camera blind spot. However, that doesn’t mean no one recorded the truth.” That day, my mom’s behavior was completely unhinged. Not only did she attract the attention of the elderly women strolling downstairs, but she also caught the attention of Jessica on the second floor of the building across from us. Gossip is human nature. Jessica happened to be free that day, doing yoga in front of her floor-to-ceiling windows. When she saw my mom’s theatrical performance, she completely forgot her poses. She immediately grabbed her phone and started recording. The video clearly showed that Connor was only protecting me, blocking the space between me and my mom. It was my mom who charged forward, slammed into Connor, stumbled, and fell to the ground. From beginning to end, Connor didn’t make a single aggressive move. I knew my mom too well. Thank God I had a backup plan. When I found out there were no security cameras, I was worried my mom would try something malicious. So, I immediately posted in the community Facebook group asking for help. I asked if anyone had witnessed the argument and begged them to come forward as a witness. Jessica immediately added me on WhatsApp and sent me the video. “So that’s what was happening with your family. That old lady’s acting skills are Oscar-worthy.” Jessica had a strong sense of justice and was more than willing to testify in court. So, in the courtroom, the evidence was ironclad. My mom, however, refused to accept it, screaming: “They live in the same apartment complex! They know each other! She’s obviously covering for them!” My brother, sitting next to her, added with an eye roll: “Who knows if that video was deepfaked.” The judge repeatedly yelled “Order in the court,” but couldn’t stop them from shouting. I saw the opposing lawyer helplessly massage his temples—this paycheck is not worth the headache. The witness, Jessica, stated proudly: “I am fully willing to bear legal responsibility for the evidence I provided. If the video is authentic, do you have the courage to admit you are committing perjury?” Finally, the judge ruled that Connor was not at fault. As we walked out of the courthouse, my mom and brother were waiting for us on the steps outside. My mom’s jaundiced eyes were filled with pure venom. “Consider yourselves lucky this time. But there’s always a next time. Oh, I forgot to tell you. The doctor said your dad’s condition is stabilizing. He can hold out for another three months.” Of course, I understood her underlying threat—for the next three months, she would use every vile tactic imaginable to destroy us. My brother stood nearby, speaking with passive-aggressive sarcasm. “Sister, I really don’t understand what you’re holding onto. Does turning this family into a warzone make you happy?” My mom spat on the ground. “To me, she’s not even a part of this family anymore. She just loves causing chaos. She fed her conscience to the dogs.” I didn’t let their words faze me at all. I brushed past them and kept walking. When we got home, Connor looked deeply regretful. “Maya, I’m actually terrified thinking about it now. If we didn’t have that video evidence, I would have been completely screwed. And the scariest part is, if I went to jail and wasn’t by your side, I’m afraid they would resort to physical violence against you. Why don’t I send you away for a while? You can go stay with my parents out of state.” I refused. Their shameless actions had officially crossed my bottom line. I wasn’t going to let them off the hook that easily. So I said firmly, “I’m not going anywhere. From now on, I’m facing them head-on. No, wait… I’m taking the offensive.” “What are you going to do? Don’t do anything rash. I’m worried you’ll overexert yourself. Your health is the most important thing,” Connor said, frantic with worry. “Don’t worry. I absolutely will not make a move unless I know both me and the baby are completely safe,” I assured him. To kill a snake, you must strike its heart. No one understood Susan and Robert Evans better than me. Their most precious heart was naturally Noah. They would rather jump through endless hoops and cause massive destruction than force Noah to draw a single tube of blood. The most ridiculous part was, when they hid that compatibility report, they didn’t even tell Noah about it. They did it to ensure Noah wouldn’t bear a single ounce of psychological guilt. Well then, I was going to target their precious golden boy. 7. I set up a poll on an online forum and bought some promoted traffic to boost its visibility. “An elderly father dying of leukemia VS A baby conceived after six years of struggling with infertility. To save the father, you must abort the child to donate bone marrow. Who do you choose to save?” To be honest, it was a genuinely grueling ethical dilemma. The vote ratio hovered around 50/50, and the comments section was an absolute warzone. Neither side could convince the other. “No one is more important than my parents. I would only choose to save my father.” “Trying to get pregnant for 6 years? Ladies, if the poster aborts this child, she might never be able to conceive again for the rest of her life.” “Upstairs, is a fetus really that important?” “I’m a mother, and I would probably choose the child. Looking at it from another angle, the father is older and has lived a full life, but the child hasn’t even seen the world yet.” … I sat in front of my computer, watching the comment count rapidly climb, closing in on 2,000 comments. On the third day, I decided to host a live stream. Simultaneously, I announced my personal answer to the public. “Poster, is this a real situation you are currently facing?” the viewers in the live stream asked curiously. I admitted it: “Yes. I am currently over five months pregnant. It truly took six years of struggling to finally conceive. However, very unfortunately, my father was diagnosed with leukemia.” Instantly, the live chat flooded with messages of comfort and sympathy. I faked a sorrowful, bitter smile. “However, this situation has already been properly resolved.” The viewers immediately pressed for my decision. I said: “Thank you all for your concern. I don’t have to choose anymore, because my younger brother is also a perfect match.” I pulled out the medical report and displayed it on the live stream. I didn’t even bother to cover Noah’s name. Yes, I did that on purpose. I continued: “But right now, my mom and brother are probably wrestling with the decision. After all, donating bone marrow is no small matter, and it does take a toll on the body…” Someone in the chat immediately corrected me: “For a healthy adult male, donating a few hematopoietic stem cells is perfectly safe. He’ll recover in a few days.” Someone else commented: “Even if it did affect his health, he has to save his own dad! The poster is pregnant and still stressing over her father.” And then, someone noticed: “Wait… this brother, Noah Evans… I think he’s a coworker at my agency.” This live stream hit around 20,000 viewers. After logging off, I sent the live stream replay to a few friends, asking them to spread it as aggressively as possible. We live in a relatively small city. Even a minor piece of gossip can become common knowledge overnight. So a story like this? How could people not relish the drama? Then, I turned off my phone and went to sleep peacefully. When I woke up the next morning, my phone showed over a dozen missed calls. All from my mom and brother. What was going on? Back when they were begging me to donate marrow, they only called about 7 times a day. Are they really this impatient? My mom called again, and I answered without hesitation. “Maya Evans, what the hell are you trying to do?! You are going to drive your brother to suicide! If anything happens to your brother, you won’t survive either! I will drag you to hell with me!” I smiled and said: “What’s wrong? Escalating straight to murder and arson? I haven’t done anything.” My mom screamed: “You haven’t done anything?! Right now, everyone is pressuring your brother to donate marrow! Strangers are calling his phone! He’s being driven insane!” I said nonchalantly: “Then he should just donate it.” “He’s been terrified of pain since he was a kid! And he still needs to get married and have kids to carry on the Evans family bloodline…” My mom’s shrieks continued piercing through the phone speaker. To protect my eardrums, I held the phone far away from my ear. “You guys figure it out yourselves. One is your husband, the other is your son. Either way, it has nothing to do with me,” I said dismissively.

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While filming a reality show, an actress and her crew ignored the “Do Not Pick” sign in my yard. They broke through the fence and ate the hybrid tomatoes I had spent two years researching. Afterward, she cried and played the victim, and the production team encouraged her fans to attack me for making a fuss over nothing. That is, until I tagged her using my official National Academy of Sciences account, and the internet exploded. 1 The moment I heard the alarm go off, I immediately shut my laptop and walked out into the yard. What met my eyes was a bustling crowd of people surrounding my planting base. The fence, which had been standing perfectly fine, had been violently broken in half. The once-pristine grove was now a mess, with fruit from the trees thrown everywhere. Several burly men carried cameras, filming a delicate young girl from every angle. She looked innocently at the unripe tomato in her hand and sighed: “These fruits are so small, they look sour. Aren’t there any bigger ones?” She smiled ruefully at the camera, her dimples faintly visible. I recognized her as Mia, an actress who had recently become popular from a sweet romance drama. I usually know nothing about the entertainment industry. But during my classes, I often saw students secretly watching her shows. They said Mia was a rare beauty, kind-hearted, and polite. Looking at what was in her hand, those were experimental seedlings that could delay the onset of cancer. After years of hard work, I finally found out that the soil here was the most suitable for these small tomatoes to survive. Carrying my suitcase, I worked day and night in this dusty little village, conducting experiments, collecting specimens, and recording data. It wasn’t easy to get this single surviving seedling. I took a deep breath, afraid I might pass out from anger: “Didn’t you see the sign I put up? Do not pick!” My tone was harsh. Mia was clearly stunned for a moment. Used to being pampered and praised, tears immediately welled up in her eyes. She pouted and said angrily: “It’s just a tomato, isn’t it? “You’re just a yard keeper, how dare you scold me like that!” Mia glanced down at my dusty, worn clothes and muttered a quiet retort. The crew around her immediately noticed what was going on. They ran over to shoo me away. The director, holding a megaphone, said: “This is a filming set, no unauthorized personnel allowed.” I was so angry I almost laughed. They break into someone’s home, make a mess, and then try to kick the owner out. Where is the logic in that? 2 While I was arguing with the director, Mia, throwing a tantrum, had been coaxed to rest on the other side. Just then, two male celebrities walked over. One had a baby face and carried a bamboo basket filled with some wild greens. The other was a cold-looking man, carrying nothing. He had an assistant holding a heavy black umbrella over him. When he looked at me, he instinctively frowned. Seeing that I wasn’t very old, he probably assumed I was an obsessive fan: “Are you a stalker fan? You people really are everywhere, it makes me sick just looking at you.” As soon as he finished speaking, the baby-faced guy tried to smooth things over: “Julian, there must be some misunderstanding. She doesn’t even look like an adult.” Julian snorted coldly, noticing Mia in the shade in the distance. He walked straight over there. The baby-faced guy hopped over to me: “Little girl, is this your house?” I was busy trying to save the broken tomato seedlings and didn’t have time to answer him. Seeing I wasn’t speaking, the baby-faced guy crouched down to help me organize them. After learning that the production crew had broken into my house, he looked apologetic. The baby-faced guy told me this was a reality show about country life. They had invited guests to gather food in the village and divided them into two teams for a competition. The losing team had to cook dinner. Mia was their teammate. They had agreed to go together, but the moment the director said start, she ran off. The baby-faced guy’s apology was sincere, and he even promised to compensate me for the loss privately. Seeing that there was still a chance to save the tomato seedlings, although the results would be delayed by a year or two, my mood improved slightly. The baby-faced guy working diligently beside me had mud on his white shirt, and his perfect makeup was ruined by sweat. Not only did he not have a celebrity’s arrogance, but he also had the rustic charm of a farmer. Seeing me looking at him, the baby-faced guy wiped his sweat: “It’s okay, I’m free so I might as well help you. I’m not famous anyway, the director won’t come looking for me.” I found him much more agreeable: “The wild greens in your basket shouldn’t be eaten together. That weed that looks like okra is called Jimsonweed, it’s poisonous.” He looked terrified and threw the wild greens away: “Thanks, I thought it was okra I had eaten before, almost ended up in the hospital.” 3 When the production crew left, a cold-faced staff member came over. He was Mia’s assistant. Expressionless, he threw two thousand dollars in cash at me: “Consider this compensation. It can buy dozens of pounds of your broken tomatoes. Don’t talk nonsense about what happened on the show, or just wait for a lawyer’s letter.” I remembered what the baby-faced guy had just explained to me. “Be careful of Mia, her fans are crazy. A normal person was cyberbullied into suicide just for saying Mia’s acting was bad. “You know that guy just now? His family is very powerful, and he’s just one of Mia’s suitors. “She has a huge financial backer, Marcus Sterling. It’s said that if he stomps his foot, the whole entertainment industry trembles.” I smiled and ignored the staff member’s threat: “I’ll be waiting for your lawyer’s letter.” 4 After everyone had left. I opened my phone and scrolled to the family section. I clicked on Marcus Sterling’s number: “Hey, brother, I need to ask you about someone…” Before the dial tone even finished, the call was picked up instantly. A deep male voice sounded, carrying a hint of grievance. “Maya, you finally decided to call me. Do you know I’ve turned over every nook and cranny in the country looking for you? “How’s your stomach? Did you skip meals again for your experiments? I’m telling you, don’t stay up all night. You’re young now, but when you’re older you’ll know…” I quietly moved the phone further away. Who would have thought the man acting like a nagging mother on the other end was the cold-faced CEO, dressed in a sharp suit and gold-rimmed glasses in the financial magazines? Years ago, I developed stomach issues because of my research. My brother specifically got a nutritionist certification. When working from home, he would be on a ten-million-dollar phone call while cooking. Wearing a pink frilly apron, looking extremely serious as he used a digital scale to accurately measure the grams of salt. This time, I had gone into isolation for a few years to extract an anti-cancer element from small tomatoes. Except for reporting my safety to my brother, I basically had no time to chat. Originally, we could have proceeded to clinical trials, but now we can only postpone it. Those patients waiting hopefully for my research results will have to wait a long time again. Marcus and I have depended on each other for decades. He clearly heard the exhaustion and sadness in my tone. When I asked about Mia, he immediately noticed something was wrong. I heard him quietly asking the secretary next to him who Mia was. The next second, my brother asked casually: “You don’t like her?” I looked at the fruit scattered on the ground that hadn’t been picked up yet, and sighed: “I don’t have a good impression of people who waste food.” 5 An hour after I hung up the phone. The entertainment news app on my phone pushed the latest news about the Sterling Group. I opened Twitter, which my brother had downloaded for me. On the trending list, the topic of the Sterling Group deleting the announcement of Mia as the spokesperson for the next season exploded. The Sterling Group, rich and powerful, changing spokespersons like changing clothes, always offered high endorsement fees. They only chose top-tier celebrities. For Mia, who had been in the industry for years and wasn’t yet a top star, this was a premium resource. Faced with bystanders who were eager to watch the drama unfold. A group of her fans were aggressively defending her: 【It’s just a bug with the official account that hid it. What are you haters barking about?】 【Who doesn’t know the relationship between Mia and the Sterling Group? Being a wealthy heiress is no joke!】 Some people even tagged Marcus Sterling, 【Why aren’t you doing anything! This is your own sister! What kind of brother are you!】 I was completely confused reading this. Fortunately, there were hardcore Mia fans to explain. It turned out that on the day Mia won the Best Newcomer award, she landed on the number one trending spot. The second trending topic was Marcus Sterling using his official account to congratulate his sister on achieving her wish. He generously gave away hundreds of red envelopes worth over a hundred thousand dollars on the platform. Mia grabbed the largest one, ten thousand dollars. She posted: 【Thank you, brother, love you】. The comment got tens of thousands of likes. Because Marcus didn’t name his sister, and Mia’s comment was pushed to the top. Many uninformed people assumed they were siblings. Someone asked why the brother and sister had different last names. They were brainwashed by hardcore fans, “The sister took the mother’s last name, the brother took the father’s. Doesn’t this just show how much their parents love each other? It means the family is harmonious.” I facepalmed. My parents were indeed very loving. When my mom gave birth to us, it was almost a difficult labor because we were twins. My dad was scared to death. To show gratitude, he let us both take our mom’s last name. Unfortunately, they later died in a plane crash. My brother protected me, heartbroken. Amidst a pack of predatory relatives, he guarded our parents’ legacy. He grew the company to what it is today. He protected me even more carefully, wishing he could keep me tied to him at all times. He kept my information well hidden on the internet. To this day, no one knows I am Marcus Sterling’s twin sister. As a known sis-con, when I became the youngest professor at A University, his pride had nowhere to vent. He wanted to order a giant red celebratory banner and hang it on the front of the company’s headquarters in the bustling city center. I, having some sense of shame, refused him. I could tell with my eyes closed that my brother didn’t read the comments. Or rather, he read them but didn’t care. In his world, besides his beloved mom, dad, and sister, no one else mattered. However, Mia’s fans made a fuss for a long time. Some couldn’t sit still and went to curse at the official account: 【Why hasn’t the bug been fixed yet? The staff in charge of Sterling’s operations should come out and apologize!】 【Offending the CEO’s sister and still expecting good things? Keep dreaming.】 The next second, the official account responded. 【From now on, all subsidiaries and related fields under the Sterling Group will completely cut off all cooperation with Mia.】 Well, there you go. Be careful what you wish for. I chuckled, my mood improving slightly. 6 The negative impact of the endorsement cancellation was too great. Mia’s studio immediately released behind-the-scenes footage of the rural reality show. Under the sunlight, in a fenced yard far from the city’s hustle and bustle, a girl in a floral dress played with water by a small stream. Paired with sweet BGM. When Mia’s signature dimples appeared, the comments were filled with: 【Corporate slave cured, sweet girls are forever the best!】 【Mia is having so much fun, I want to go there too.】 The next second, the cozy vibe took a sharp turn. It was Mia holding a green tomato, facing off against a woman whose face couldn’t be clearly seen. My face was blurred out. My pant legs were rolled up, covered in mud, and my tone was fierce, scolding her for what she was doing. I looked like someone hard to get along with. On the contrary, Mia had red eyes, looking like she had been scared to tears. Her pitiful little bunny look made the fans explode: 【Who is this rural auntie? So classless. Seeing our Mia alone, she’s bullying her, right!】 【I’m so angry. Mia is crying so pitifully. Where did the staff go? Hurry up and drive this idiot away!】 My eyebrows twitched. This footage was taken out of context. It didn’t show at all how she let people destroy my fence or how she wreaked havoc in my yard. Netizens only saw me bullying a little girl. Even at the end of the footage, there was a shot of a staff member handing me two thousand dollars. 【This production crew is so useless, giving her money. How many pounds of tomatoes can two thousand dollars buy?】 【No choice, Mia is just too kind. Luckily there are mom fans. My cousin lives in a village nearby, wait for my news, everyone.】 The comments below were all in agreement. 【Waiting for you. Mia’s fans are not to be messed with. We’ll protect our baby!】 The internet was in an uproar, and it hung on the trending list for a long time. The production team comfortably enjoyed the heat and added fuel to the fire. They re-posted the studio’s behind-the-scenes video on their own account. The views exceeded ten million. They completely ignored the fact that I was an ordinary person with nothing to do with the entertainment industry. I put down my phone. I sent an email to my pharmaceutical company, and in the afternoon, an expert team arrived from out of town. To assess my losses. The cost of drug development is always high, from research to clinical trials to hitting the market. The funds invested range from millions to hundreds of millions. Especially for anti-cancer drugs. A day later, I received a lawsuit for an amount exceeding ten million. The lawyer told me the lawsuit could begin at any time. The director of the program suddenly showed up at my door. 7 That day, I had just had the tomato seedlings sent back to the lab by professionals. Their roots were damaged, so they couldn’t be planted in soil for the time being. I finished packing and was just about to leave. The director suddenly barged in very rudely. He looked at my empty room and was stunned for a moment: “Hey, why are you moving away? Good thing I got here fast.” The director came over in the hot sun, sweating profusely, the fat on his face gleaming with oil. He reached out to pull me. I dodged him. I frowned and said: “I’m a germaphobe.” The director was a bit angry, “What kind of country bumpkin has germaphobia? Hurry up and come with me.” He explained impatiently. “Your interaction with Mia last time had a great effect for the show. Go again today, maintain the previous style, the more unreasonable the better.” After he finished speaking, he gestured: “I’ll give you two hundred a day, fair enough? You wouldn’t make that much farming for a month.” I understood. The director felt that the previous program’s popularity had been hyped up, and wanted to strike while the iron was hot, calling me over to help set up a persona for Mia. To highlight her purity and innocence. It could also manipulate her fans’ emotions and increase attention. I was just about to refuse. The director suddenly received a call. “What? Marcus Sterling is coming to our show to find his sister? In this middle of nowhere, what sister could there be?” He paused: “Could it be Mia? Quick, send someone to the airport to pick up Mr. Sterling! This is a massive stroke of luck, the show’s ratings will skyrocket!” The wrinkles on the director’s face bunched together in a smile, revealing only a pair of sleazy, squinty eyes. I got goosebumps. I hope he smiles this happily when he receives the court summons.

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My sister wanted to conquer Hollywood, but she ended up pregnant by mistake. To save her career, my mother announced to the world that I was the one who was pregnant. My boyfriend threatened to break up with me, forcing me to raise her child in secret. She climbed to the top amidst applause and roses, eventually winning the Oscar for Best Actress. Meanwhile, I, notorious and disgraced, was lured to a rooftop by her “genius” daughter and pushed to my death. Opening my eyes again, I’m back to the day my sister found out she was pregnant. In this life, I refuse to be a silent extra in her movie! 1 “Your sister is going through a crisis, and you’re out there living it up? Get your ass back here right now!” My mother’s shrill voice blasted through the phone, vibrating against my eardrum. I remained unmoved. I even took a slow sip of my favorite watermelon juice, letting the cold liquid soothe my throat before I spoke. “What good would me coming back do? If something happened, you should call the police. Do you want me to dial 911 for you?” My calm tone clearly triggered her. There was a brief silence before an even sharper scream erupted. “Clara Miller, are you trying to ruin your sister? If this gets out, how is she supposed to show her face in this industry?” I took another long pull through the straw. “Again, what does that have to do with me?” “Stop asking questions! If you still consider me your mother, get home right now!” She slammed the phone down. I knew exactly what she was planning. My “dear” sister, Sienna, was pregnant. I’m only a year older than her, and we look remarkably alike. My mother wanted me home so I could act as a decoy—to let the world believe I was the one with the baby, preserving Sienna’s “pure” image for her upcoming roles. How pathetic. We are both her daughters, but in her eyes, only Sienna’s life matters. Mine is just a disposable prop. I only realized the truth after I died in my first life. I was living in a world where Sienna was the “Mary Sue” protagonist. She had the “golden girl” aura, the world’s adoration, and a path paved with stardust. And I? I was the tragic supporting character who gave everything and received nothing. I wasn’t even the villain; I was just the foil used to highlight Sienna’s perfection. On the day she accepted her Best Actress trophy, her seven-year-old daughter—a supposed “prodigy”—tricked me onto a balcony and pushed me off. My body lay in the morgue for six months because they were “too busy” with award season to bury me. To make matters worse, they leaked stories to the press claiming I had died because I was a drug addict who neglected my “own” child. My soul lingered beside Sienna for ninety years, watching her live a magnificent, blissful life. When she finally died in her sleep, surrounded by loving grandchildren, a white light sucked me in. And now, I’m back to the day she tested positive. I don’t care if this world is a novel or reality. I refuse to follow the script. If fate gave me a second chance, I’m taking the lead. In my last life, I took that phone call and rushed home. I lost my position as the lead dancer. Eventually, thanks to my mother’s meddling, I lost my career at the National Dance Company entirely. This time, I turned off my phone. I followed my troupe to Paris. I landed a solo at a prestigious gala, went viral, and was dubbed the “Prima of the New Age” by critics. By the time I finished my world tour and returned, Sienna’s stomach was already showing. It was time to head back. Rule number one for a supporting character: keep your distance from the protagonist. I needed to legally and socially sever my ties with them. To the people here, I had only been gone for five months. But to a soul that had been trapped beside Sienna for nearly a century, it felt like an eternity since I’d stood in this familiar, suffocating neighborhood. “Oh! Is that you, Sienna? You’re back?” I turned to see our neighbor, Mrs. Henderson, carrying a bag of groceries. She squinted at me with a judgmental smile. “Sienna, I saw you on the news! You’re doing so well! Not like that sister of yours—disappearing for months, getting knocked up by some random guy, and now she’s back parading her belly around like it’s a trophy. So embarrassing for your family.” I blinked. So, even without me being there to agree to the plan, the rumors had already been planted. Because I used my stage name “Karina” abroad and haven’t shown my face to the local press, and because Sienna and I are nearly identical, the neighborhood assumed the pregnant girl staying at home was “the bad sister.” I smiled at Mrs. Henderson. “Mrs. Henderson, I’ve only been gone five months. Have you forgotten me already? I’m Clara, not Sienna.” 2 “That’s impossible! Your mother said…” Mrs. Henderson didn’t believe me until I pulled up my sleeve to show her a faint scar on my forearm. I got that scar years ago when I caught her son after he fell out of a tree. She was the one who bandaged it. She stared at me, her jaw dropping. “You really are Clara? Then the one who’s pregnant is…?” I let out a bitter laugh. “It’s my sister. My mother was so worried about Sienna’s acting career that she… well, you know.” Some things don’t need to be spelled out. Her expression shifted instantly from judgment to deep pity. she squeezed my hand. “Oh, you poor thing. To have your own mother do that to you.” I forced my eyes to turn red, looking like I was trying to stay strong. “It’s okay. Mom has never really liked me. I’m used to it.” In my last life, I was too stupid to explain. I spent my short life being stabbed in the back by whispers. This time, I wouldn’t be so passive. I walked to my front door and knocked. I didn’t have a key; mine had been taken away years ago. In the original “story,” Sienna was the center of the universe. To make her shine, the “author” made the lives of the supporting cast miserable. Every bit of mud thrown at Sienna eventually turned into a flower. In the last life, when her one-night stand at a bar was leaked, the guy ended up being the billionaire male lead. They were “destined” for each other. But without me to carry the mud for her, let’s see how well those flowers grow. “Who is it?” The door was opened by Silas Vance, my boyfriend—at least, he was when I left. He was wearing a baby carrier with a practice doll in it, holding a bottle of warm formula. He was learning how to be a father. I wasn’t surprised. Silas was the classic “Beta Male” of the story—Sienna’s most devoted admirer, or more accurately, her ultimate “simp.” In the last life, I stayed home to care for Sienna. Silas was there every day, constantly criticizing me for not being “attentive” enough. Eventually, he took over the primary care. He took her to every prenatal checkup. He was there for the delivery. When she was bedridden post-op, he carried her to the bathroom and sponged her down. He even washed her silk underwear and hand-fed her every meal. Once, I caught him massaging her legs and felt a pang of jealousy. I said, “Silas, there are boundaries. She’s my sister, but you’re my boyfriend.” He exploded. In front of the whole family, he screamed at me: “She’s your sister! I’m just helping out because you’re incompetent! Clara, your heart is so twisted that you see filth in everything!” Sienna had just smirked, resting her bare feet on Silas’s arm to dry them. “Clara, don’t be so old-fashioned. Silas and I have nothing to hide. We’re doing this right in front of you, aren’t we?” And my mother had shoved me aside. “You’re just jealous of your sister! If you can’t take care of her properly, don’t stop Silas from doing it! I honestly doubt you’re my daughter. Why can’t you be as open-minded as Sienna?” Back then, my emotions were so suppressed that I didn’t even know how to fight back. I just watched my boyfriend treat my sister with a tenderness he never showed me. Silas froze when he saw me. Then, his face twisted into a sneer. “Oh, the ‘Star Dancer’ finally graced us with her presence?” My soul had wandered for nearly a century. I felt nothing looking at him. “The season ended. I came back to see Sienna.” My mother heard my voice and charged toward the door. She raised her hand to slap me. “You’re finally back! Why didn’t you just die in Paris?” I stepped back. Her hand slapped the doorframe with a loud crack. “You dared to move!” she shrieked. Sienna’s voice drifted from the living room. “What’s going on?” She strolled out, wearing a tight maternity mini-dress, sucking on a popsicle. She looked at me with an expression of pure entitlement. “Clara, perfect timing. I’m due soon. You’ll need to take over childcare. I have a major audition coming up, and I can’t have a screaming baby on set.” 3 Looking at her shameless face, I replied coldly, “I won’t.” “What did you say? Say that again!” My mother’s face turned a shade of purple I’d only seen on eggplants. She stared at me, unable to believe that her formerly submissive daughter was saying no. I repeated myself. “I’ve worked too hard to become the lead. I’m not quitting my career to be a nanny.” Sienna frowned. Silas glared at me. “You chose to have this baby,” I said to Sienna. “You should be the one responsible for it, not dumping it on someone else.” My mother slammed her hand on the table. “How can you say that? You’re her sister! Sienna is going to be a superstar. She can’t have the scandal of a child out of wedlock!” “So you recognize it’s a scandal?” I countered. “I’m the lead at a National Dance Company. I care about my reputation too.” Sienna rolled her eyes and patted her stomach. “Clara, don’t be so narrow-minded. It’s the 21st century. Having a baby isn’t a scandal if you have talent! You’re already a lead; who cares if you have a ‘secret’ kid?” I looked at her. “If that’s the case, why don’t you just tell the truth?” She choked for a second. “I’m different. My career is just starting.” “If you have talent…” I threw her words back at her. Silas interrupted, his voice dripping with disgust. “Clara, I never realized how cold-blooded you were. Sienna is your sister. How can you let her dreams fail? It’s just one child. How hard is it to just do this for her?” I looked at him for a long moment. He eventually looked away, sensing my gaze. “Since you put it that way…” I started. Sienna immediately lunged forward to hug me. “I knew you were the best, sis!” My mother’s face softened, though she still looked grumpy. “About time. Talking to you is like pulling teeth. Such a waste of my breath!” Silas smiled. “I’ve already mapped out a growth plan for the baby from birth to eighteen. Just follow it.” I knew that plan. It involved me paying for everything—roughly five thousand dollars a month. He was very generous with other people’s money. “Wait,” I said, breaking their little fantasy. “I wasn’t finished.” “I meant, since Silas thinks it’s so easy and noble, he can raise the child. I have a world tour starting. I don’t have time. I just came to check if you were alive. I’m leaving now. Goodbye.” They were stunned into silence. My mother grabbed a glass and threw it at me. “Don’t you dare walk out that door! You think your wings are strong now? You don’t listen to your own mother? If you leave today, don’t you ever come back! I will disown you!” I didn’t stop. This house had stopped being mine a long time ago. My mother had packed all my clothes into trash bags and moved them to the basement, claiming they took up too much room. My bedroom had been converted into Sienna’s “glam room.” When I came back, I realized even my dishes were gone from the kitchen. The family photos on the wall were all Sienna—her headshots, her “aesthetic” pregnancy photos. There wasn’t a single trace of me left in this house. Funny. I was too blind to notice it in my first life. Silas shouted a final threat. “Clara, if you don’t do this for Sienna, we’re over!” I turned back to look at him. He looked smug, certain his threat would work. “Fine. Let’s break up. I was going to bring it up anyway.” He gaped at me. He couldn’t understand how the woman who had worshipped him, who would do anything to keep him, was suddenly walking away. “Silas,” I said, “I’ve wanted to say this for a long time. The way you date me while acting like Sienna’s lapdog? It’s pathetic. You’re gross.” Sienna screamed behind me that they were “just friends.” Whatever. It didn’t matter anymore. Severing ties with them felt like dropping a hundred-pound weighted vest. “You’ll regret this, Clara Miller!” Silas roared. No, Silas. You’re the one who’s going to regret it. I hadn’t forgotten. In the last life, he stayed single for Sienna his whole life. When he died saving Sienna’s grandson from a car, his last words to her were: “Sienna, if Clara were still alive, things would be different. Clara, I’ll marry you in the next life.” I wanted to vomit. Who wants a used simp for a husband? 4 I went back to the theater. I practiced, I performed, and I lived. Maybe it was because I had seen so much in my ninety years as a ghost, but my mentor said my dancing had a new depth. It was more haunting, more magnetic. A month later, my partner, Ezra, and my teammates came running into the studio with their phones. “Karina, you have to see this!” I looked at the screen. I was the headline. The “anonymous source” was my mother. She had written a long, poorly phrased “expose” on Twitter. She claimed that the girl dancing on stage wasn’t Clara, but Sienna Miller. She said “Clara” was at home pregnant and that I had stolen my sister’s identity to steal her fame. She wanted to blacken my name while elevating Sienna’s. But she was naive. In a high-stakes professional theater, you can’t just “swap” people. “Hilarious,” Ezra laughed. “Does she think anyone can just do what you do?” “Wait, Sienna Miller?” another teammate asked. “Isn’t that your sister’s name?” I didn’t hide it. “Yeah, it is.” “My sister got pregnant out of wedlock. My mother was so worried it would ruin her acting career that she decided to tell everyone the pregnant one was me.” Ezra stared at me, horrified. “Is she insane? I don’t mean to insult your mother, but… is she okay in the head? Sienna’s reputation matters, but yours doesn’t?” My teammates were furious on my behalf. See? Any sane person could see how messed up this was. But to a “supporting character” tool like my mother, it seemed perfectly logical. The scandal barely had time to trend before it was crushed. My neighbors, led by Mrs. Henderson, posted a video response. They told the truth about my mother’s favoritism. “The mom always favored the younger one. She raised the elder one like a servant,” Mrs. Henderson said to the camera. “Clara has been a dancer since she was a kid, and her mom used to call it ‘trashy’ and ‘begging for attention.’ She used to lock Clara out of the house for practicing.” “Sienna wanted to be a star, so the mom converted Clara’s bedroom into Sienna’s closet. Clara didn’t even have a bed to sleep in when she came home. The girl on TV is definitely Clara. Sienna can’t even stand on one leg, let alone dance.” Listening to them, I felt like I was watching a movie of my own life. A hollow, gray movie where I was just a pawn moved around by a player who didn’t care if I broke. My teammates and the theater’s PR department officially backed me up. My mother was forced to delete her post. But she didn’t give up. She showed up at the theater. She looked at me with pure hatred, as if I were her mortal enemy rather than her child. “Sienna had her baby,” she commanded. “It’s your fault she’s being mocked online now. You have to fix it.” “You’re going to quit this job, come home, and serve her while she’s in recovery. You’re going to raise that baby.”

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My younger brother, the heir to a billionaire empire, fell madly in love with our maid’s daughter. At a high-society gala, wearing an obscenely expensive haute couture gown, she whined to me with practiced innocence: “Sister, a woman’s ultimate goal is finding a good husband. If a woman is too aggressive and ambitious with her career, no man will ever love her.” I just gave her a calm, empty smile. That very night, I ordered my secretary to freeze every single one of my brother’s credit cards. 1 Everyone in our elite circle knew that Ashton Kensington, the crown prince of the Kensington empire, was hopelessly obsessed with the maid’s daughter. Rumor had it that for her, the billionaire heir had street-raced, gotten into brutal fistfights, and ruthlessly crushed his rivals. At Sotheby’s auctions, he would drop millions without blinking just to make her smile. He even secretly bought her and her mother a luxury penthouse and a fleet of sports cars. Later, he completely changed his ways. He stopped partying at exclusive nightclubs and avoided the city’s wealthy heiresses like the plague. In private, he catered to her every whim, treating her like absolute royalty. Everyone was dying to know what kind of bewitching, otherworldly beauty this woman possessed to make the Kensington heir so blindly devoted. But I knew the truth. Because right now, this very woman was wearing the custom gown I had pre-ordered six months ago, strutting gracefully toward me at my own birthday gala. “Sister, I am so sorry. If I knew this was your dress, I never would have worn it. Now I’ve stolen your spotlight, it’s all Ashton’s fault.” Chloe’s voice was sickeningly sweet, her eyes welling up with tears as if she had been deeply wronged. Meanwhile, the ill-fitting, plunging sweetheart neckline of the gown was clearly struggling to contain her spilling 36E cleavage. The moment she entered the ballroom, she drew countless stares, especially from the men. Naturally, Chloe reveled in the sensation of being the center of the universe. “Sister, you won’t blame me, right?” Look at that. The maid’s daughter, feigning guilt while attempting to publicly humiliate the legitimate heiress. Does this make any logical sense? Yes, it does. Because the world we inhabit is actually the setting of a cheesy, billionaire romance novel. A story where my brother, Ashton, and Chloe are the star-crossed, destined lovers. And I? I am just the villainous, cannon-fodder supporting character. A perfect tool meant to be used and discarded to highlight their beautiful, flawless love story. When Chloe wanted to break into Hollywood, Ashton forced me to drain our corporate resources to hand her an Oscar on a silver platter. When she got pregnant, my mother ordered me to personally cook and serve her meals. When my own fiancé fell in love with her, he threatened to break our engagement unless I took good care of her. And my ultimate fate? I would be bankrupted after her three-year-old “genius hacker” son breached my company’s mainframe, tanking our stock overnight. I would die utterly penniless. At that exact moment, Chloe would be nestled in Ashton’s arms, giggling, “Ashton, isn’t our son just amazing?” And then the two of them would live happily ever after in shameless bliss. Does any of this make sense? Obviously not. As the proud, aristocratic eldest daughter of the Kensington family, would I ever willingly play the sacrificial lamb just to end up in a ditch? Absolutely not. I am the main character of my own life, and the things they want? I will make sure they never, ever get them. 2 “Victoria, you’re crossing the line. It’s just a dress. There’s no need to make such a huge scene.” The man speaking was my fiancé, Declan Vance. He was also the deeply devoted second male lead of this absurd novel. In the storyline, when Chloe faked her own death upon hearing of Ashton’s arranged marriage, it was this handsome, wealthy fiancé of mine who hid her away and warmly comforted her for two years. But now that the female lead had been “found” by Ashton, Declan was reduced to guarding her under the guise of an “older brother figure.” As for me, his actual fiancée? He had never once truly looked at me. After graduating college, Chloe got a job at Declan’s company. Because of her “clumsy and scatterbrained” personality, she constantly spilled coffee on Declan’s custom suits, messed up financial spreadsheets, and brought the wrong documents to board meetings. Whenever she made a mistake, she would look up with tear-filled, misty eyes, her voice trembling as she apologized to him. After being forgiven, she would joyfully stick her tongue out and promise never to do it again. This kind of bubbly, erratic girl was something the strict, methodical CEO Declan had never encountered in his life. Falling willingly into her trap was inevitable. He started bringing Chloe to high-society events, introducing her to elite networks, and eating lunch with her alone in his office. They would stand inches apart, accidentally brush hands, and share lingering, meaningful smiles. When I caught them, Declan’s face would flash with panic before he quickly masked it with self-righteous anger. To cover up his own budding feelings, he would aggressively yell at me. “Victoria, why is your mind so filthy? Chloe is just an innocent girl fresh out of college. What’s wrong with me looking out for her?” “What exactly are you throwing a tantrum about? Do you just want to force me to admit I’m sleeping with her?!” “Fine. I admit it. Are you happy now?” “Victoria, can you stop being so unreasonable and hysterical? You’re being incredibly annoying.” … At those moments, Chloe would stare at me stubbornly, tears threatening to spill: “Victoria, Mr. Vance and I are completely innocent. You can’t falsely accuse me like this.” Then, she would cry. Just like she was doing right now. Wearing the haute couture gown I had waited months for, standing in front of my fiancé, her eyes rimmed red, looking fragile and sparkling. I methodically cut a piece of cake, lifted it, and took a bite. “Did I say a single word? Hmm?” I raised my eyes and looked at Chloe. I knew she was waiting for me to throw a vicious, aristocratic temper tantrum, which would perfectly compliment her pure, innocent victim act. “You wore the dress. You got the pity of the men in the room.” “What? Do you expect me to apologize to you on top of it?” The cake plate in my hand was suddenly and violently smacked to the floor, splattering sticky frosting everywhere. “Victoria, watch your tone!” Declan roared at me, his chest heaving with anger. The commotion quickly drew a crowd, including my biological brother, Ashton, who had been socializing nearby. He marched swiftly to Chloe’s side, wrapped an arm around her to comfort her, and glared at me with deep dissatisfaction. “Apologize.” Look at that. This is the protagonist’s halo. Whenever she suffers even a perceived slight, someone will always leap out to champion her cause. Like Declan. Like Ashton. My silence only made the hidden gleam of triumph in Chloe’s eyes shine brighter. She seemed to really enjoy watching me fall from grace into the mud. “Sister, a woman really shouldn’t be so aggressive and overbearing. It’s not a good look.” Chloe spoke up, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness as she lectured me: “A woman’s ultimate goal is finding a good husband. If a woman is too ambitious and career-driven, no man will ever love her.” Having delivered her speech, she obediently rested her head against Ashton’s chest, a picture of flawless domestic bliss. Standing off to the side, Declan watched this display, his eyes dark and unreadable. He was clearly jealous. I gave a faint smile and walked straight toward the elevated stage in the center of the ballroom. They wanted an apology? Fine. Let’s play for real. 3 I stood on the stage and turned on the microphone I had prepared in advance. Meeting the gazes of the hundreds of guests, I smiled and spoke: “Today, I want to thank all my friends who came to celebrate my birthday. Your presence makes me very happy. Now, I have some official business to announce.” “First, my engagement to Mr. Declan Vance is hereby permanently annulled.” Declan’s face changed instantly. He stared at me, eyes wide with utter shock. “Second, I know you are all incredibly curious about the identity of the true love my brother, Ashton, has pledged his life to. Yes, it is the delicate, fragile Miss Chloe standing right beside him.” “However, the doors of the Kensington family will never, ever open for Miss Chloe.” In the crowd, Chloe’s face turned deathly pale. She looked like she couldn’t even stand steady. It was hilarious. She had been so blinded by her own smugness that she forgot who actually held the power in the Kensington family. It was fine. I didn’t mind reminding her. I am Victoria Kensington. Tutored by industry titans since childhood, I entered an Ivy League university at sixteen, graduated with top honors in business, and took over the family empire at twenty. I have successfully driven our corporate dominance to its absolute peak. As for an alliance with the Vance family? Given our respective corporate influence, Declan marrying me was him climbing the social ladder, not the other way around. And as for Ashton? Wealth rarely survives past the third generation. With a useless, love-struck parasite like him in the bloodline, the downfall of the Kensington family would be practically guaranteed if I weren’t here. Ignoring the collective gasps and shocked whispers echoing through the ballroom. I stepped down from the stage, stopped in front of the three of them, lifted my chin slightly, and turned sideways: “Are you satisfied with this apology?” Chloe was absolutely dumbfounded. She had never imagined the story would take this turn. In her fantasies, I was supposed to throw a hysterical, jealous fit, after which I would be publicly humiliated and condemned by her protectors, earning her the crowd’s awe and sympathy. Not this. I hadn’t played along. I had dropped a nuclear bomb on her head from the very start. She wasn’t the only one stunned. Declan was too. He seemed unable to process that the woman who had supposedly chased him for years and desperately wanted to marry him was now publicly dumping him. Declan’s usual icy, composed demeanor completely shattered. He exploded, demanding to know why I was canceling the engagement. “Why are you being so insanely petty?! Chloe and I have a completely innocent dynamic! There is nothing shady going on!” Seeing my eyes mockingly staring him down, Declan doubled down, raising his chin as if he were bestowing an act of charity upon me. “Take it back! You just want to get married, don’t you? Fine, I’ll marry you!” I shook my head, genuinely speechless. I couldn’t comprehend where he got his sheer, unadulterated audacity. “Declan, your narcissistic delusions are genuinely repulsive.” Declan’s face turned an even paler shade of white. I ignored him and prepared to walk away. But suddenly, Chloe reached out and gripped my wrist like a vice. Chloe was undeniably beautiful. Her face was vibrant and delicate. But right now, it was twisted with fury and a sliver of deeply hidden terror. “Victoria, I respect you as Ashton’s biological sister, so I’ll call you ‘Sister’ for now. Ashton and I love each other. Our relationship is none of your business, and we certainly don’t need you dictating our lives.” “Yes, I’m the maid’s daughter. I know I’m not high-class enough for the Kensington family, but you have no right to humiliate me like this!” She lifted her chin, letting a single, flawless tear trace down her cheek. She looked the picture of tragic, stubborn beauty. What a pity. “Miss Chloe.” “What?” Chloe froze, looking confused. I patiently peeled her vice-like fingers off my wrist. “Please call me Ms. Kensington. I don’t believe any sisterhood exists between us. And naturally, there won’t be any ‘in-law’ relationships in the future either.” I shot Ashton a pointed, side-long glance. Chloe stood frozen for a moment. “You can’t treat me like this! If it wasn’t for me that year…” She choked back a sob, ultimately burying her face in Ashton’s chest, crying with an air of absolute superiority. Ashton comforted her, his eyes glaring at me with dark, venomous hostility. “Victoria, don’t think too highly of yourself. You don’t get to call the shots in the Kensington family.” Honestly, having a love-sick idiot for a brother was a massive failure on my part. He couldn’t even address me with basic respect anymore. What a rude, ungrateful brat. Whether I call the shots in the Kensington family or not, he was about to find out very soon. As for the sentence Chloe didn’t finish. My eyes darkened. She wanted to say that if she hadn’t dragged Ashton out of that roaring fire years ago, he would be dead, and the Kensington family owed her a lifelong debt of gratitude. Oh, I definitely plan on repaying her for the rest of her life. 4 Shortly before I returned to take over the company, the old Kensington estate caught fire. Chloe was eight years old when she moved into our house with her mother. When Ashton was a little boy, he was kidnapped. No one knew how he managed to escape, but after a terrifying run, he was taken in and hidden by Chloe and her mother. My father, out of immense gratitude, gave them a large sum of money. To secure a better future, Chloe’s mother begged my father. She said Chloe’s father was a violent gambling addict who beat them whenever he drank. She pleaded for a job so she could take Chloe away from that nightmare. Chloe and Ashton were the same age. My father, seeing how well-behaved and polite Chloe was, felt pity and enrolled her in the same elite private school Ashton attended. They practically grew up together as childhood sweethearts. At first, Ashton always bullied her and ignored her when she spoke. They bickered constantly until they turned sixteen. Until that night, when a massive fire engulfed the old estate. My father died in that fire. Yet Ashton, whose room was the furthest from Chloe’s, was the one she managed to save. From that moment on, Chloe was permanently branded onto Ashton’s heart. The most dramatic, angsty plot point in the novel happens later, when Ashton discovers that the fire was actually started by Chloe’s mother. Torn between intense hatred and uncontrollable love, his treatment of Chloe becomes erratic and toxic. He even uses his engagement to another woman to mask his true feelings for her. On the day of Ashton’s engagement, Chloe fakes her own death. Hidden by Declan for two years, the plot reaches its climax. For her sake, Ashton did countless insane things during those two years. He violently broke off his engagement, spiraled into alcoholism, and even attempted suicide. The agony of losing her made Ashton realize he was irreversibly in love with Chloe. He completely forgot about his father’s tragic death, only remembering that Chloe risked her life to save him. Look at that. What a grand, deeply moving love story. All it required was the sacrifice of his father’s and sister’s lives to highlight its beauty. We only lost our lives; they almost lost their love! But now, my father is still dead, and I intend to walk a path that completely annihilates the logic of this fictional universe. Chloe stood her ground, looking defiant as tears streamed down her flushed face. She gripped Ashton’s lapels tightly, hiccuping through her sobs: “Let’s go! We’re never coming back! Your family doesn’t welcome us anyway!” She shot me a triumphant, provocative glare. Ashton gently wiped her tears, his heart breaking for her: “Okay, we’ll leave. We’ll never come back.” That is absolutely fantastic news. I wanted nothing more than for them to stay as far away from me as possible, to spare me their toxic stench. If they wanted to play hard-to-get with me, I would gladly grant their wish. I pulled out my phone and dialed my secretary. “Ms. Hayes, freeze all credit cards under Ashton’s name. Confiscate all his vehicles and real estate properties.” “Yes, all of them.” Ashton: “…” Chloe: “…” I thoroughly enjoyed watching the color drain from their faces, shifting through a spectrum of panic and shock. I hung up the phone, walked up to Ashton, and patted his shoulder: “My dear brother, you’d better hurry back home right now. Yes, the luxury penthouse where you’ve been hiding your little princess. If you’re too late, you won’t even have a place to sleep tonight.” Ashton gritted his teeth: “Victoria, you are ruthless.” I shrugged, entirely unbothered. I was incredibly thankful that, upon awakening to the reality of this world, Ashton was still just a useless trust fund baby who relied entirely on our ancestors’ wealth and spent his days chasing women. I wanted to see how he planned to support his precious princess without my money. I smiled, turned, and walked away. Behind me, Chloe screamed that she didn’t love Ashton’s money, she loved him, and even if he had nothing, she would still love him forever. So moving. I practically applauded her. 5 As soon as I got home, my mother intercepted me. She was wearing an elegant, custom silk dress, her face flushed with anger. She demanded to know why I froze Ashton’s cards, screaming about how he was supposed to survive without money. Looking at this pampered, sheltered trophy wife who had never known a day of struggle in her life, I suddenly felt a twinge of envy. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, raised like a delicate flower, and smoothly married my father, living a life of absolute ease and luxury. When the company was in crisis after my father’s death, she was vacationing in the Maldives with her socialite friends. My father was dead, and the corporation was in chaos. Other than crying and pulling at my sleeve to wail about my father’s death, she and the young Ashton were entirely useless. I ignored her and dove straight into saving the company. Once the company stabilized, she dried her tears and went right back to shopping, getting facials, playing cards, and having high tea with her friends. Happily returning to her life as a gilded canary. She used to rely on my father. Now, she relied on me. And even now, she still hadn’t figured out who truly held up her sky. “Sure,” I said. “How about I freeze your cards too and give them to him?” My mother choked, tears instantly spilling from her eyes. “I knew it. Since your father died, you’ve viewed me as an inconvenience.” I finally understood why she liked Chloe. Besides the fact that Chloe saved Ashton’s life, they were cut from the exact same cloth. They were both parasitic vines whose only ambition was to cling to a man. They had plenty in common. In this novel’s universe, men were always positioned as the ultimate authority. Especially men with vast social resources like Ashton and Declan. They were the ultimate prizes that countless women would endlessly scheme and fight to obtain. My mother, Chloe, and even the pre-awakened version of myself were all just microcosms of this pathetic reality. “Sister, a woman’s ultimate goal is finding a good husband. If a woman is too aggressive and ambitious, no man will ever love her.” What a toxic, brainwashing manifesto. What a perfectly rigged game. As long as a woman captured a man’s heart, she was considered a “winner.” Just like right now. I listened to my mother say: “Victoria, I know you’ve worked hard these past few years, and you’ve managed the company beautifully. But all of this belongs to your brother eventually. You’re going to get married sooner or later. You can’t treat your brother like this.” I laughed. A genuine, unrestrained laugh. Regardless of whether I get married or not, I will absolutely never conquer an empire just to hand it over to someone else. I said: “Mom, does your empty-headed, useless son give you this much confidence? This mindset of yours is genuinely terrifying. Does he have the ability to let you buy out entire designer boutiques on a whim? Or do you actually believe your wealthy socialite friends invite you to their parties because you birthed a son? “You are so wrong. It is because of ME. I am the reason you have the audacity to stand in front of me and make demands!” And I am a woman. My mother froze, her expression completely blank. I knew the psychological impact my words would have on her. Because in the original storyline, I actually listened to her toxic lectures. I even went to the kitchen to brew soup for Chloe when she got pregnant. But I should have done this a long time ago. I didn’t look at her again and walked straight upstairs. I knew she wouldn’t just drop it, but that was fine. We had plenty of time. We could take it slow. A few days later, Declan stormed into my office and threw a stack of contracts onto my desk. “Victoria, what is the meaning of this?” I looked up at him lazily and didn’t speak. “Why are you canceling all corporate partnerships with the Vance Group?” I have to say, his question was incredibly stupid. “The contracts expired. I don’t want to renew them. Is there a problem?” There was no problem. I’m not an idiot. I wouldn’t pay massive breach-of-contract penalties just to throw a petty tantrum. Declan was speechless. He paced back and forth in my office before glaring at me furiously. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to prove. Canceling the engagement, canceling the corporate partnerships. “Are you just trying to get my attention this way? Victoria, is this your way of manipulating me? Playing hard to get?” Before I could answer, he nodded to himself, answering his own delusion. “Fine, you win. We’ll get married. Bring your ID, we’re going to City Hall right now. Stop throwing this tantrum.” I rolled my eyes and fired back: “Declan, come on. Tell me, exactly what outstanding qualities do you possess that make you think I’d be desperate to cling to you?” I scoffed, laughing at his staggering narcissism. Rich boys like him, raised in luxury, inherently believed they were flawless. They assumed it was only right for hordes of women to throw themselves at their feet. But if you actually asked him to list his redeeming qualities, he wouldn’t be able to name a single one. Money? I have money. Looks? Sorry, I have those too. Intelligence and capability? I’m just as competent as he is. He doesn’t have the qualifications to brag in front of me. Because I still remember clearly: when I first took over Kensington Corp, surrounded by corporate wolves ready to tear me apart, how all these men waited to watch a woman fail. They wanted to see me hit rock bottom, struggle, cry, and finally admit that as a woman, I was weak and powerless. Declan’s face flushed rapidly between white and red. His mouth opened and closed, but he couldn’t form a single word. Finally, driven to anger out of sheer embarrassment, he threw down a “You’ll regret this” and stormed out. I picked up the contracts on my desk, flipped through them, and made a phone call.

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On a family reality TV show, my son logged into my gaming account and accidentally crushed the esports team owned by the young heir of the elite Vance family. A popular actress posted a thinly veiled tweet: “Bullying teammates at only five years old? I sure hope he doesn’t grow up to do anything illegal!” Instantly, I was dragged to the top of the trending topics and cursed at by netizens. They said my son was addicted to video games, that we had offended the powerful Vance family of New York, and that we were absolutely finished. But I just didn’t understand! Both of these kids are mine. One inherited my gaming genes, and the other inherited Liam Vance’s business acumen. What’s the problem here? 1 The esports team owned by the young heir of the New York elite, Leo Vance, was absolutely crushed by a little “Jungle King.” #FiveYearOldJungleKingCrushesProTeam# #Shocking!LittleJungleKingIsChloeThorne’sSon# The trending topics exploded, and my gaming ID swept across every Twitter feed. Lucas Thorne is insanely good at video games, carrying the whole team while speaking in an adorable, childish voice. I’m a controversial, “love-to-hate” actress in Hollywood. I’m not a massive A-lister, but I have had some breakout roles. And Lucas Thorne is my son. This gaming incident caught the attention of the entire internet, with media outlets scrambling to cover it. Rumor had it that after the esports team Leo Vance invested in was crushed, he cried his eyes out right there on the spot. Now, the netizens were more worked up than the people actually involved! [Chloe Thorne really needs to discipline her son. He’s so young, skipping school to play games all day! This was Leo’s first time playing with a pro team; it’s normal he didn’t play well! Who knew some blind idiot would come out of nowhere just to show off!] [Liam Vance is notoriously ruthless and incredibly protective of his kid. Throwing millions around for fun. Chloe’s son actually dared to offend Leo Vance? They are definitely finished!] [Who even is Chloe Thorne? Just a D-list actress. She must be crazy to mess with the little prince!] Meanwhile, the culprit, Lucas, was standing in front of me, looking deeply wronged: “Mommy, you can’t blame me for this. I just inherited it all from you!” … I thought the heat would die down quickly. I didn’t expect that the very next evening, paparazzi would release photos of the top-tier actress, Serena Sterling, appearing at Leo Vance’s private piano recital. Leo loves the piano, so his doting grandmother, Mrs. Vance, threw him a small, exclusive recital, inviting many close friends and family. As the recital ended, the media interviewed Serena. She looked at the cameras and gave a slight smile. “Being good at video games isn’t necessarily a good thing. What’s so great about a teenager addicted to the internet? Mrs. Vance said that Leo, just like his father, understands business and plays the piano. He’s a true little prince!” With just one sentence, Serena instantly positioned the two boys as direct comparisons. Suddenly, a stark contrast was drawn between the “piano prodigy” and the “internet-addicted teen.” Lucas was subjected to a torrent of abuse from haters. While Leo was praised to the heavens by the netizens! But I just didn’t understand! Both of these kids are mine. One inherited my gaming genes, and the other inherited Liam’s business acumen. What’s the problem here? 2 Shortly after, Serena appeared on camera, arm-in-arm with Mrs. Vance. “It was just a game. Everyone shouldn’t focus on it too much! Mrs. Vance asked me to take Leo on a family reality show. I look forward to seeing everyone there.” Everyone knows that the heir to the Vance family, Liam, is 28 this year and still unmarried. Mrs. Vance was worried sick about it, until he suddenly brought a child home a few years ago, which finally made her stop nagging him. Now, this was solid proof that she was about to marry into the Vance family. [A woman about to marry into a billionaire family is so classy! Leo is going to have a great mom!] [Serena’s fans are eating good today! No way, could she be Leo’s biological mother?] [Looking at it this way, Chloe Thorne is so pathetic. She’s still playing deaf and dumb. She’s probably so scared she’s about to quit the industry!] I ruffled Lucas’s hair, lost in thought. Liam and I were actually each other’s first loves. But my family was dealing with severe internal conflicts, and my grandfather’s dying wish was for me to study abroad. At that time, Liam and I had a disagreement. I didn’t want a man to hinder my progress. So, I initiated a breakup with Liam. It wasn’t until I went abroad that I realized I was pregnant. From then on, I had two sons: Leo Vance and Lucas Thorne. By the time Liam scoured Europe and finally found me, both boys were already over a year old. Even so, I still didn’t agree to get back together with him. It was just that since both of us were workaholics, raising the children became our respective, unspoken responsibilities. Putting the past aside, I received an invitation from a reality show director via Twitter DMs. They wanted Serena and me on the same family reality show! An opportunity to slap some faces? I’d gladly take it. Lucas had a weak constitution since childhood. To prevent him from catching the flu, I bundled him up tightly on the way to the airport. He was very resigned: “There’s a kind of cold called ‘your mom thinks you’re cold’.” However, I didn’t expect to be on the same flight as Serena. Serena looked down on me, her eyes flashing with disdain. “Chloe, are you so desperate for money that you dare to take on a family reality show? Believe me or not, with just one word from Liam, your career in the entertainment industry stops here!” It’s common knowledge that Serena and I have hated each other since we entered the industry. It was because Serena once bullied a stunt double on set. I stood up for the double, and Serena targeted me ever since. Lucas went to the bathroom and hadn’t returned. I looked all around Serena but didn’t see Leo. Finally, Lucas and Leo came out of the bathroom together. Serena immediately rushed to fuss over Lucas. Then, she looked at Leo with utter disgust. “You bundled your son up so tightly, is he ugly or something?” I was speechless: “Are you blind?” The two kids had merely swapped clothes, and she couldn’t even tell them apart. She’s blind enough to mistake them! And she dared to call my son ugly! 3 Lucas had taken all his outer clothes off and given them to Leo. They had loved each other since they were toddlers. He probably thought Leo was dressed too lightly and swapped clothes with him. So, Serena held Lucas’s hand and mocked Leo: “Chloe, you better discipline your son. Kids who are addicted to the internet are useless when they grow up! Keep him away from our Leo.” I was uncharacteristically silent for a moment, instinctively looking at Leo. Leo sighed like a little adult and said, sounding very tired: “So, this is the kind of person you are.” Lucas winked at me secretively, and then seamlessly walked away with Serena. The family reality show was presented entirely as a live broadcast. I held the hand of the masked Leo and appeared on camera, while Lucas was led by Serena. The production team naturally assumed Serena was holding “Leo Vance.” They are twins, looking incredibly alike. People who aren’t familiar with them simply can’t tell the difference. But their personalities are completely different. Facing the camera, Lucas was totally at ease, a bright, passionate smile blooming on his face. “Hello everyone, I’m the big brother, Leo Vance!” Seeing him so lively and cheerful, a proud look immediately appeared on Serena’s face. After everyone had introduced themselves, it was Leo’s turn. Before he could even speak, Serena threw shade at him. Even though her smile was warm, she couldn’t hide the arrogance and disgust in her bones: “Is Chloe’s son this timid? He was so brave when he was bullying our Leo online!” She sounded like she was joking, casually making fun of him: “Two-faced at such a young age. It’s true what they say: the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!” And the host, instead of smoothing things over, chimed in: “Yeah, Chloe’s child is too quiet. He could easily become a gloomy teenager. Not like Leo, who is so lively and outgoing!” In the past, when Leo didn’t talk much, they praised him as a cool, quiet little prince. Now, with his identity swapped, he was being criticized for being a gloomy teenager who talks too little. Before I could retort, Lucas went on the offensive: “Auntie, do you live by the ocean? You’re not even my brother’s mom, and you’re not my mom, why are you managing so broadly?” (A Chinese idiom meaning “why are you being so nosy?”) With just one sentence, the entire set fell silent. Serena’s face changed drastically, her gaze snapping to the live-stream camera. 4 The netizens in the live stream realized something was wrong. [So Leo’s mom isn’t Serena! Then who is his mom?] [Don’t you guys know Liam Vance has a rich, beautiful first love? It’s highly likely it’s her child.] [That doesn’t make sense. Then why would Serena bring Leo on a family show? You guys are talking nonsense! So what if she’s the first love? Can she beat Serena?] Seeing the public opinion about to burn her, Serena quickly deflected the fire: “Chloe, isn’t your kid hot? He still doesn’t dare to show his face. Are you that insecure about your child’s looks?” Since the show started, Leo hadn’t taken off his mask or hat, only revealing his eyes. Serena smiled lightly, pretending to be considerate: “If you’re really that worried, you can have the production team blur his face in post!” I gave a slight twitch of my lips. If I made my son take off his mask, wouldn’t it scare her to death? Another female guest next to Serena, Sarah, chimed in: “Chloe, we’ve never heard you mention getting married before, and now you suddenly produce such a big son. Does this child’s looks take after your husband?” The netizens in the live stream were led astray by the rhythm. [Chloe’s son is already on a reality show, and he’s still acting so pretentious, not even daring to show his face. Who knows whose kid it is?] [Could this child be the illegitimate son of some sugar daddy? She’s probably afraid that if he takes off the mask and is compared to other kids, he’ll feel even more inferior!] I reached out and stood in front of him. “Is it really fun for several of you to target a child like this? It’s his right not to take off the mask!” No one said anything else, but the disdainful and disgusted looks couldn’t be hidden. 5 Next, the production team placed a day’s worth of food in a box. All the children had to take the food from the box and bring it back to the kitchen to complete the day’s task. During the transportation process, Lucas ran extremely fast. After emptying his own box of food, he went to help his brother. Serena stepped forward, cheering Lucas on: “Leo, you’re doing great!” She glared at me and complained: “Kids who stay home playing video games all day have terrible stamina. Staying up late and not exercising, he can’t even carry a few bottles of water. And he calls himself a little man!” My mouth twitched, and my face went cold. “Remember what you said today!” Serena smiled very disdainfully. She stepped forward to help, and as she passed by Leo, she subtly stuck out her foot. Leo, who was earnestly moving food, was completely focused and didn’t notice his feet at all. He tripped and fell hard onto the ground! Thud. His small body hit the dirt. “Baby!” My heart jumped, and I ran over frantically! The cameraman followed closely behind. Leo’s body slid forward for several meters, half of his face scraping against the ground. Tears welled up in his eyes instantly from the fall, and his mask was pulled down significantly. When his red nose and half of his face were exposed to the camera, everyone was dumbfounded! 6 The camera slowly zoomed in on the half of Leo’s face. When that face abruptly appeared on screen, everyone was startled. Half of Leo’s face was covered in blood, and his entire mask was soaked. As his body slid forward, his cheek rubbed against the ground, scraping up beads of blood! Sarah gasped: “Oh my god! Is he going to be disfigured?!” “Can you just shut up!” My heart ached terribly, and my trembling fingers didn’t dare to touch his face. “Baby, does it hurt?” Tears shimmered in Leo’s eyes as he stubbornly lowered his head. Soon, his gaze fell on Serena. Serena let out a sigh, looking concerned: “His face is scraped so badly, aren’t you going to take the child to see a doctor? He wasn’t very good-looking to begin with, and now it’s even worse!” I was too lazy to waste words with Serena for the moment; I needed to treat the child’s facial injuries first. Fortunately, the director had the foresight to know how easily children get injured from falls. So, he arranged for a private doctor to be on standby during filming. While the doctor was treating Leo’s wounds, the camera focused on his profile. Suddenly, the netizens in the live stream all turned into detectives! [Wait… why does the profile of Chloe’s son look so much like the little prince? If this face gets ruined, it might be a good thing. Our little prince Leo is one of a kind!] [Are you all blind? Where is the resemblance? The injury is so severe, and Chloe still wants her son to leech off the little prince’s popularity.] [I bet Chloe has a secret crush on Mr. Vance, deliberately found a boy-toy who looks like him, and had a baby! The profile just looks similar!] When the doctor finished bandaging Leo’s wound, that half of his face was wrapped in gauze again. Serena stared straight at him, the smile on her lips gradually fading. “Your face…” Could it be that Serena suddenly grew eyes and figured it out? 7 Who knew, Serena’s gaze instantly turned sharp, and she mocked me with a smile. “Chloe, you made your son look like this, don’t tell me it’s to imitate our Leo?” My heart sank, and I reminded her coldly: “You’re not just blind right now, you really have no eyes. After the recording is over, hurry up and go see an ophthalmologist!” A flash of displeasure crossed Serena’s face, but she feigned nonchalance and smiled. “Chloe, did I hit a nerve? You made the child imitate our Leo. Isn’t it just to get close to Liam?” She said, thinking herself clever: “You first deliberately crashed into the esports team, and now that you’re on the family show, you’re scheming to get close to Leo. Isn’t it just because you want to marry into a wealthy family?” The netizens in the live stream were completely swayed by Serena’s rhythm. [Chloe is so disgusting, she doesn’t even look in the mirror! She thinks she can marry into a wealthy family. Does she think a billionaire family is a farmer’s market? Anyone can get in!] [Serena is so smart, she saw through Chloe’s tricks at a glance. The show just started, and this little brat is already causing so much trouble. He definitely wants to leech off Leo’s popularity.] [She lives up to her reputation as someone riddled with scandals. A woman like this is so scheming, she should be cast as the villain in a soap opera.] Serena revealed a shallow smile, a hint of smugness flashing in her eyes. “The popularity of our Leo isn’t something just anyone can leech off of.” I couldn’t stand it anymore and was about to retort her words. Not far away, Lucas suddenly came running, shouting as he ran: “Mommy!” Lucas crashed into my arms, looking at Leo with eyes full of heartache. “Mommy, Leo… is little brother’s face okay?” His one “Mommy” left all the netizens dumbfounded! Serena was even more blown away. 8 Leo and Lucas were born one after the other. Lucas has always fought to be the older brother since he was little. This time, playing the role of the older brother, Lucas took the opportunity to call him little brother. I rubbed Lucas’s cheek and said softly: “The doctor just said it’s fine, it won’t leave a scar.” Serena, finally reacting, immediately stepped forward and gently scolded: “Leo, don’t just call anyone ‘Mom’. That’s a very bad habit!” Lucas frowned in dissatisfaction and explained seriously: “Mommy is Mommy, she is my Mommy. Auntie, you are really weird. You don’t understand, yet you talk nonsense!” Being lectured by a child, Serena’s face looked extremely awkward. The netizens in the live stream were even more bewildered by Lucas. [Leo actually called Chloe Mom! It seems he fundamentally rejects Serena!] [Is Leo’s eyesight bad? He actually treats Chloe as his Mom! Our Serena is beautiful and kind, how is she not worthy of him calling her Mommy?] [People upstairs, are you questioning the little prince’s taste? Chloe is clearly the prince’s ultimate choice.] The public opinion in the live stream was gradually shifting. Serena glared at Leo dissatisfiedly, and snorted coldly in defiance: “Leo, I am the fiancée personally chosen for your dad by your grandmother. In the future, I will be your only mother!” “And Liam is abroad right now. He has already agreed to get engaged to me when he comes back, so you should start calling me Mom now.” Everyone knows Serena and Mrs. Vance have a good relationship, and there have indeed been rumors about the engagement. But Liam Vance has never personally admitted it. Unless the Vance family personally confirms that they are planning the engagement ceremony, otherwise, the credibility is not high. Just as Serena was full of anticipation, waiting for Lucas to call her Mom. Who knew, Lucas pursed his lips and said unceremoniously: “Fine! Then from now on, I’ll call you bad woman!” 9 Seeing how much Lucas hated Serena, netizens began to doubt the engagement. [The Vance family members are all notorious for spoiling their kids. Leo hates Serena this much, can she really enter the Vance family?] [Serena and Mr. Vance are deeply in love, how can a little kid stop them? When it comes down to it, it’s all Chloe’s fault!] [It’s definitely Chloe’s fault. Little kids are the easiest to deceive. Chloe deliberately ruined their relationship and tricked the little prince. Serena has always been very genuine!] Just as the internet was in a dark, chaotic uproar. The director saw Lucas’s resolute attitude and, for a moment, didn’t dare to offend me, so he gave me some extra screen time. Serena immediately became dissatisfied! She immediately called Mrs. Vance. Coincidentally, Mrs. Vance was near the production set. When she arrived at the scene, Serena was more enthusiastic and excited than anyone else, acting as if she had met her ancestors. “Mrs. Vance, welcome to our family reality show!” Serena deliberately emphasized the word “family,” as if silently proving that they were a family. “We are all very united and friendly, except for some who are unsociable, speak very little, and seem to have a little attitude.” When the netizens in the live stream saw the matriarch of a top-tier wealthy family, they immediately began groveling: [This is the first time Mrs. Vance has appeared on a variety show. She must be here to back up her future daughter-in-law. Now, Chloe is dead meat!] [Serena truly deserves to be the woman who will marry into a wealthy family. Her aura doesn’t lose out to Mrs. Vance at all. Chloe standing on the side looks so petty!] But there were also clear-eyed netizens speaking up for me: [Are there any normal people in these comments? Chloe’s aura is clearly calm and powerful, casually outshining Serena, okay?] The newly arrived Mrs. Vance wore a smile on her face. But as she walked closer step by step, the smile on the corners of her mouth gradually disappeared, and her face became increasingly gloomy. Her gaze fell on Leo, whose half face was covered in a bandage. Her eyes were filled with uncontrollable heartache and regret. She asked with a trembling voice: “His face? What happened!” Serena didn’t notice Mrs. Vance’s expression and said casually: “Mrs. Vance, I forgot to tell you! This kid was bullying our Leo in the game!” “That’s fine, but playing games on the internet all day makes him physically weak. He falls whenever he walks. It’s all because his parents didn’t teach him well. Our Leo is the smart and clever one!” Serena thought she was praising “Leo,” but didn’t notice that Mrs. Vance’s expression had drastically changed. Her pupils contracted, her expression unable to hide her shock. She asked, full of doubt: “Who did you say this child is?” 10 Actually, Mrs. Vance only knew about the existence of one child, Leo. Back then, Leo got into a minor car accident crossing the street. Liam, who was nearby, rushed him to the hospital. As a result, he was photographed by the media, causing a scandal that he already had a son. Liam admitted it openly, which also led to Leo’s identity being exposed. However, I didn’t let him mention Lucas’s identity to the Vance family. I originally agreed to let Leo occasionally stay at the Vance house, but only after Liam, pressured by his parents, begged me in every possible way did I finally agree. I narrowed my eyes, unable to hold back a sneer. With Serena’s stupidity, introducing Leo’s identity in front of Mrs. Vance was simply digging her own grave! Sure enough, Serena said carelessly: “This child is the one Chloe had with some unknown man. He could be the child of her sugar daddy, some coal boss, or maybe some boy-toy.” “I just pity this child. His looks probably take after his father, so he’s not very good-looking. This time he fell on his face, he’s probably disfigured. He’ll be even more insecure in the future.” Hearing her words, Mrs. Vance trembled with anger, her face changing color. She shouted angrily: “Shut your mouth!” The entire set fell silent. Even the director and the other guests could tell something was wrong. Only Serena looked at Mrs. Vance in confusion and continued: “Mrs. Vance, everything I said is a fact. This child suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He talks little, is insecure, and loves playing games. He could easily be a bad influence on Leo. I didn’t do anything wrong!” I couldn’t stand it anymore. Furious, I walked right up. Right in front of the camera, I slapped her hard across the face! My slap completely stunned Serena. It instantly shocked the netizens in the live stream. 11 The angry slap resounded loudly. There was a glaring handprint on half of Serena’s face. She was slapped so hard tears welled up in her eyes. After half a second of shock, she immediately looked at Mrs. Vance aggrievedly. “Mrs. Vance, look! What kind of good child can a parent who only knows how to hit people raise?” “Mrs. Vance, you must stand up for me!” Everyone thought Mrs. Vance would stand up for Serena and drive me out of the entertainment industry. The whole internet was waiting to watch me make a fool of myself! [Holy crap! That slap left me bewildered! Is Chloe crazy? She actually dared to hit someone in public. That’s the future young madam of a wealthy family!] [That slap was fast, accurate, and ruthless. Bewildering, but not brain-damaging. Chloe, you really are something.] [Chloe is finished! Just wait to be dealt with by Mrs. Vance. She actually dared to hit her favorite daughter-in-law! Also, is there no one in the entertainment industry managing this violent maniac?] Seeing that Mrs. Vance didn’t speak, Serena immediately became anxious, her voice turning whiny as if she were acting spoiled: “Mrs. Vance, hurry up and say something for me!” After speaking, Serena looked at me triumphantly. That look of hers seemed to be telling me that I was definitely finished! The next second. Mrs. Vance let out a long breath and sneered: “Good hit!” Those three simple words slapped Serena in the face. I felt embarrassed for Serena. But how could this be enough! My precious Leo was definitely set up by Serena! If they said the person who fell to the ground was Lucas, I wouldn’t have anything to say. Lucas has been naughty and mischievous since he was a child. Tripping on flat ground was a daily occurrence. But Leo is different. He has been steady and cautious since childhood. Since he learned to walk, he has never fallen again. Except for that time he saved Lucas crossing the street. So, there must be something fishy about Leo’s fall this time! “My baby doesn’t trip on flat ground. Please pull up the surveillance footage and let me see.” My words were already tactful and gentle enough. Unexpectedly, I was rejected by the production team. “I’m sorry, Chloe. It’s really unfortunate. The surveillance camera in front seems to be broken.” The director added: “It’s normal for little kids to fall. Hasn’t the wound already been treated?” After finishing his sentence, the director looked at Serena intentionally or unintentionally. I twitched the corners of my lips and sneered coldly. I’m afraid Serena had bribed the director a long time ago. “Chloe, you’re not mistakenly thinking that someone harmed your child, are you? The netizens across the entire internet are watching. If someone really laid a hand on him, wouldn’t they be dead meat?” Serena revealed a thin smile. The smile didn’t reach her eyes, which were filled with smugness. She covered her microphone, avoided the camera, lowered her voice, and mocked me: “It’s already over, and you’re still making a fuss about every little detail. Do you really treat your child as a treasure?” Her words revealed a faint threat. But the person standing next to her wasn’t just me; it was also Mrs. Vance. I could hear it, and Mrs. Vance certainly could too. Mrs. Vance’s expression darkened, her gaze sharp and cold. She ordered in a deep voice: “Check! It must be checked!” 12 “If you can’t figure it out, there’s no need for your show to keep recording!” Mrs. Vance’s aura was powerful. One sentence made everyone present tremble with fear. The production team dared not neglect Mrs. Vance and hurriedly called someone to repair the surveillance camera. During the repair process, the director suggested having the children play small games to ease the atmosphere. “Let’s pair up, two people in a group, and play dodgeball, okay?” The children scrambled to agree. Lucas grabbed Leo’s hand and smiled brightly: “I’ll be in a group with you.” Lucas is a game master and protected Leo throughout the game. In the end, Lucas’s team scored the highest. Leo revealed a bright smile, his eyes full of joy: “Mom, we won the championship!” This was the first time Leo had smiled since coming on the variety show. My heart softened, and before I could step forward to hug him and celebrate. A mocking voice came from behind: “It’s just children playing games. Is it really necessary to be so excited about winning a championship? The little ugly duckling is so competitive. He probably wants to find comfort for his low self-esteem in winning and losing, right?” My heart sank, and I suddenly clenched my hands. Leo finally had a moment of happiness. How could I let this jinx ruin it? Just as I was about to teach her a lesson, a scream suddenly came from behind! A bad premonition instantly surged in my heart. I turned around abruptly and looked at Leo, my pupils trembling. “Henry, who told you to pull the gauze off his face!” Yes, just now. The gauze bandaged on Leo’s face was pulled off directly by someone! The scratches on half of his face were bright red again. I held my baby in the palm of my hand and never let him get hurt. Now, on a program, he was repeatedly targeted! When Leo’s full face was exposed to the camera, everyone was shocked! All the doubts around suddenly turned into astonishment and shock. Because this face, apart from the scratches, looked exactly like Lucas. With that, the live stream completely exploded, shocked to the point that Twitter crashed!

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When Chloe moved into my house, my mom split her love in half. Chloe took the lion’s share, and I got the scraps. “You still have a dad, but Chloe has no one.” So she justified her blatant favoritism. Later, I stopped wanting my mom. Unlike my mom, I couldn’t divide my love. I gave all my love to my new mom. 1 My mom said she couldn’t attend my parent-teacher conference. “Why?” My voice was thick with unshed tears. “Didn’t you promise?” Over the phone, her voice was cold: “Just because I promised doesn’t mean I have to go. Chloe’s homeroom teacher called; I have to go to hers, and it conflicts with yours.” “Chloe, Chloe, Chloe!” I finally lost control, yelling into the phone. “All you see is Chloe! You haven’t been to my parent-teacher conference in three years!” Three years. From middle school to high school. The high school entrance exams were fast approaching! My mom hadn’t attended a single parent-teacher conference during my middle school years. This time, my usually gentle homeroom teacher had a serious expression: “Maya, you must have your mother come this time. With the entrance exams only a hundred days away, your grades have dropped too much.” I had told my mom about this five days in advance. I thought she would care at least a little. But once again, she chose Chloe. On the other end of the line, my mom’s voice was full of coldness and impatience: “Maya, Chloe has no parents. Are you really going to fight her for her aunt? Why are you so ungrateful?” “But…” Tears welled in my eyes, and my throat tightened so much I couldn’t speak. But, Chloe’s aunt… is my mother! I didn’t cause Chloe to lose her parents, so why do I have to give my mother to her as compensation? When I handed the phone back to the bookstore owner, he looked at me with a strange expression. I handed him a dollar. I had two hundred dollars left in my pocket. I had saved it up over months of skipping breakfast, originally planning to buy test prep books. Thankfully, I had asked my mom a day in advance, giving me time to prepare. I was going to use this two hundred dollars to hire a mom to attend my parent-teacher conference. 2 The mom I hired didn’t look like a good person. She wore heavy smoky makeup, leaned against the school’s iron fence counting the money, and reeked of cheap perfume. Even as the Dean of Students walked by, she was still grumbling, “All these small bills? This is so annoying.” I had saved this money dollar by dollar; of course, it was in small bills. I thought she was unreliable and was about to ask for the money back and find someone else. But she quickly backed away to a safe distance and waved the wad of cash: “It’s a deal! Tomorrow afternoon, third period! I’ll come find you! “Room 308, right?” “Don’t wear that makeup tomorrow!” Too unreliable. That was my two hundred dollars! Maybe I should try to find someone else? But she had already run off. I wanted to call out to her, but the Dean was walking toward me— He spotted the money in the woman’s hand and asked with concern, “Student, are you being extorted by someone from outside the school?” “No, no,” I answered quickly. “That’s my mom. She was going to give me some pocket money, but I said no.” Good thing she ran fast. 3 “Your name is Sarah Smith,” I told her to put it in her phone’s notes app. “My name is Riley Jones,” she said, blinking her large eyes. She was dressed just like yesterday: exaggerated smoky makeup, pale foundation, a brown leather jacket, and the same cheap perfume. Only when her thick, fan-like fake eyelashes fluttered could I catch a glimpse of her beautiful eyes. But that look didn’t move me. “My mom’s name is Sarah Smith, so your name is Sarah Smith.” I mimicked my mom’s tone when haggling at the grocery store. “Be professional. Didn’t I tell you yesterday not to dress like this?” “I have to dress like this,” she mumbled. A moment later, she smiled and said, “Take me to your classroom. Room 308, right?” On the way, she wouldn’t stop talking. “Will your homeroom teacher keep me after to lecture me? I’m telling you, the two hundred bucks doesn’t cover getting lectured.” “You didn’t say that earlier!” I stopped in the hallway. “That’s the going rate, okay?” she said impatiently. “Ugh, fine! Consider it a freebie! “Consider it my charity work for the day, okay?” She had a very casual, street-smart attitude: “Don’t be so fierce, kid.” I wasn’t being fierce. I was just a little anxious. She didn’t know that the two hundred dollars was all the money I had. I had to skip lunch to save up for the test prep books. If she charged more, I’d have to skip dinner too. But her sudden generosity made me breathe a sigh of relief. Standing at the classroom door, I awkwardly mumbled, “Thanks.” “Hey, don’t mention it.” She waved her hand and was about to walk in. But I suddenly remembered something— “Um… Riley,” I called out to her. “Yeah?” My face flushed slightly: “Could you do me one more favor?” She gave me a look that said “don’t push your luck.” But I guess my desperation overrode my shame, and once the words were out, the rest flowed easily: “There are two students in my class, one named Jason and one named Lily. “Could you talk to them and their parents? Just say you’re my mom, you know what they’ve been doing to me, and if they dare do it again, you won’t let them off easy…” “Fuck!” Riley cursed. I didn’t know why she was swearing. “Is this extra? How much? Let me think…” Before I could finish my sentence. “You’re being bullied?” Her face darkened. With a wave of her hand, she marched into the classroom: “This service is free of charge!” 4 Riley was not professional at all. During the parent-teacher conference, all the students waited outside. I watched Riley rummage through my desk through the window. The teacher glanced at her a few times, but she just scowled and flipped through my books and notebooks, ignoring everything going on around her. The more she flipped, the heavier the hostility in her expression grew. I questioned myself again whether hiring her to play my mom was a mistake. This doubt reached its peak when Mia, from the class next door, walked out. The “hire-a-parent” service was actually introduced to me by Mia. She was the slacker of the class next door, but her parents were very strict. Terrified of them scolding her after the conference, she hired someone to go in their place. To avoid being caught, she even left the “fake parent’s” phone number with the teacher. She peered through the glass at my seat: “That’s who you hired? Look at her, what, fifty or sixty bucks tops?” Fifty or sixty? I stood frozen. “Don’t tell me you gave her a hundred!” Mia exclaimed. “I paid 80, and that included answering phone calls from the teacher!” Me: “…” 5 The parent-teacher conference ended. Before Riley rushed to confront Jason and Lily, I thought to myself: I need to get at least a hundred dollars back. But when she found those two students’ parents to reason with them, I realized eighty dollars would have been enough. Especially Jason’s dad, a large, burly man who tried to argue back. But Riley quickly shut him down, brandishing my textbook and attacking him with sharp, pointed words… The classroom was chaotic, and her loud voice drew a crowd of onlookers. The two parents, feeling embarrassed, grabbed their kids and ran. Riley walked out of the classroom looking victorious. “Wait, the teacher will probably want to see us in a minute. Leave after everything is done,” I told her. I didn’t ask for a partial refund right away. I wasn’t stupid. If I asked for the money back now, what if she refused to cooperate when the teacher wanted a one-on-one chat? “Those parents will definitely lecture them when they get home.” The homeroom teacher was surrounded by parents at the podium and didn’t have time for her, so she stood in the hallway chatting with me: “But they’ll definitely hold a grudge, and they might try to bully you again. Do you want to hire me to scare them a few more times?” she eagerly pitched her services. “Only thirty dollars a pop.” I recalled her fierce demeanor just now. Jason and Lily were definitely intimidated by her. I highly doubted they’d try to bully me again. She probably just wanted to squeeze more money out of me. I knew what she was doing, but to ensure she performed well shortly, I nodded in agreement. “Hey!” she snapped her fingers. “Told you I’m high quality and reasonably priced, right?” “High quality and reasonably priced” my foot! We didn’t have to wait long. Soon, the homeroom teacher came out of the classroom. Seeing Riley, she frowned first, then asked: “Maya’s parent?” She stood up straight in a second: “Yes, teacher! I’m Sarah Smith!” The homeroom teacher gave her a strange look: “Come to the office. We need to talk about Maya.” “You got it!” Riley happily trotted into the classroom and brought out my books and notebooks— 6 I actually had a vague idea of what Riley was going to say to the homeroom teacher. I was even a little expectant. “Maya’s parent, a child’s education isn’t just the school’s responsibility. Since Maya joined our class, I’ve never seen you. I understand you’re busy—” She glanced at Riley’s attire. “But, the child’s grades have dropped severely, from the top ten in her grade to past the top hundred. Don’t you care at all about what’s going on with her?” Riley shrugged. Thinking she was being defiant, the homeroom teacher was about to say more. But Riley spread open my textbooks: “I probably don’t care enough about Maya. But her drop in grades has nothing to do with that.” The teacher stared at her, seemingly shocked that a parent could be so irresponsible. But Riley tapped her finger on the pages: “Teacher, did Maya talk to you? “About her being bullied?” Those were the most disgusting pages among all the scribbled-on books. In the margins, between the formulas, it was filled with vile insults— [Bitch!] [Who are you trying to seduce?] [Do you have no shame?] Riley read them out loud, one by one: “This is just one page. Teacher, did Maya show you these? “Being insulted like this, how could she not have a mental breakdown? How could it not affect her studies? How strong a heart would it take to endure this? “Don’t tell me you didn’t notice?” The homeroom teacher hadn’t noticed. When I sought her out, when I told her I was being verbally humiliated and bullied… I showed her the pages, and she looked at them. But she just casually said: “Okay, okay, I’ll talk to them later. I’m so busy. Can’t you just get along with your classmates? Why is there so much drama?” Now, she was left speechless by the questioning. It took her a long time to ask: “You… you just now…” It turned out she had also seen Riley confronting the two parents for an explanation. But Riley ignored her response. “Yes, earlier I did what a mother is supposed to do. “And you, teacher? Have you done what a teacher is supposed to do? “Teacher, if you had, you wouldn’t have had to specifically ask to speak with me. “She would have adjusted her mindset herself, and might even be first in the school right now!” 7 After leaving the teacher’s office, I was still hesitating whether to ask for some of the money back. She did a great job, better than I imagined. But it was too expensive. A hundred dollars would make my life much easier for the next few days. She walked forward with her head down, mumbling to herself, completely oblivious to my inner struggle. “Your books are ruined, just buy a new set. They wouldn’t dare draw on your books again. “What kind of weirdo is your homeroom teacher? She really doesn’t care at all? How is she even a homeroom teacher?” I didn’t answer. Actually, the homeroom teacher didn’t completely ignore everyone. She had intervened when other students were bullied before. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have sought her help when I first started getting bullied. Later, after I pestered her several times, she finally agreed to help resolve the issue. But the ultimate solution was just vaguely criticizing the behavior in front of the class without naming names. As soon as that class meeting ended, Lily cornered me in the restroom and even got physical: “You little bitch! You told the teacher, huh?” Later, I wondered why the homeroom teacher would extend a helping hand to others but was so impatient with me. After thinking about it, I figured it was because my grades had dropped too much, and she didn’t like me. Also… she had asked to see my parents multiple times, but they never showed up. So, subconsciously, she probably realized I was a child no one cared about. A child whose own parents didn’t care about. She had no obligation to care either. “By the way,” Riley suddenly asked me, “has your mom really never been to a parent-teacher conference? Is she dead?” I didn’t have time to answer. Because the next moment, someone grabbed my sleeve. “Maya.” Chloe revealed a gloating smile. “Who is she? Why are you walking with someone dressed like a delinquent? “And why isn’t she scolding you for saying your aunt is dead?” 8 Slap— A sharp pain exploded on my cheek, instantly turning it burning hot. My ears rang. My mom did manual labor, and she was strong. It took me a long time to recover from that slap. “Auntie,” Chloe called softly. “Chloe, don’t stop me.” My mom yanked me so hard I stumbled. She looked at the homeroom teacher, an apologetic smile on her face: “I’m so sorry, teacher. This child has been a handful since she was little. I didn’t expect her to hang out with people outside of school, let alone have the nerve to bother you.” “What are you doing?!” Riley reacted and tried to stop her. But before she could get close, my mom shoved her away. Riley’s frame was too small. No matter how sharp her words were, they were useless against a “mature” woman like my mom, who resorted to vulgar curses and low blows. My mom cursed her out, then pointed at her: “I’m disciplining my own daughter! Is it your place to interfere? Just you wait, I’m calling the cops right now and pressing fraud charges! How much money did you scam out of Maya?” She glared at me again: “Where did you get the money? You have spare cash? Everyone in the family is strapped for cash, and you have money to hire someone to play your parent?! “Where did you get the money? Have you been doing shameless things?!” I couldn’t bear to listen anymore. I hadn’t cried from her slap just now, but seeing Chloe standing nearby with her arms crossed, looking at me with a detached, mocking gaze, I finally couldn’t hold back my tears. I felt ashamed. My mother was using the ugliest words to insult me. While the spoiled girl she doted on stood aside, watching me—her closest blood relative—being treated like I meant absolutely nothing to her. Just a moment ago, they figured out Riley was hired by me. My mom dragged me all the way from the hallway to the homeroom teacher’s office. During that time, Riley couldn’t help but laugh out loud: “So your mom isn’t dead!” My mom became even more furious. She clamored about calling the police, wanting to throw Riley in jail! “Call them!” Riley yelled back. “Call the cops and let them see! You’re a mother who doesn’t even know her own child is being bullied at school! A teacher who turns a blind eye to toxic behavior in the classroom! What a great role model! “I earned this two hundred dollars with my labor! I suffered emotional trauma! I was disgusted by you people! “What? You act like you’re dead and refuse to attend your daughter’s parent-teacher conference, and you won’t even let her hire someone to do it?!” The homeroom teacher quickly said there was no need to call the police. “Maya! Look what kind of friends you make! How can she talk to your aunt like that?” When the argument was at its fiercest, Chloe shouted loudly, trying to shift the focus back to me. And my mom, predictably, gave her exactly what she wanted. “She cares? How could she care? Those words are probably what she wanted to say!” My mom snapped her head toward me and grabbed my hair tightly. “Others don’t get bullied, only you get bullied, right? “Why are you the only one causing so much trouble? “Chloe and you go to the same school, she’s even a grade below you. Why doesn’t Chloe get bullied, only you? “You hang out with these lowlifes in society, of course you get bullied! Why should the teacher care about you? It’s up to you to be good at school. Does the teacher owe you?” “You motherf—!” Riley interrupted from the side. “You have time to attend your niece’s parent-teacher conference, but no time for your daughter’s, right? “Could this niece be your illegitimate daughter?” she lunged forward, trying to free my hair. “Let go, let go of her, you bitch!” Initially, I felt complete despair. When my mom called me a worthless person. When she demanded to know why others only bullied me. When even the homeroom teacher looked at me with pity. But, the moment Riley lunged forward and pulled my hair outward, for some unknown reason, I felt a surge of strength… It felt like… all the pent-up resentment of years finally found an outlet… With one hand, I shoved my mom hard just as she was about to slap Riley. Despite her strong build, my mom stumbled backward. “Auntie!” Chloe moved to support her. “Enough!!” My scalp throbbed with pain. I screamed with all my might. “What do you want to do? Keep making a scene! Keep going! Make a scene until security comes! Call the police right now!” “Are you crazy?” My mom was stunned by my roar. No wonder. She had seen countless versions of me. The gloomy me, the insecure me, the me begging for just a tiny bit of motherly love. But the stubborn, loud, rebellious me had disappeared long ago, right after Chloe moved into our house. The classroom fell silent. The look my mom gave me was a mix of shock and grievance. What did she have to feel aggrieved about? My heart ached, and I spoke hoarsely through tears: “You just asked me why they don’t bully anyone else, only me? “Mom, it’s all thanks to you. “Do you remember when I asked you to help me buy a bra? “Do you remember what you said?” 9 I had an unfortunate nickname: “Bunny.” And it didn’t mean cute and cuddly like a real bunny. It referred to the “bunnies” bouncing up and down on my chest when I ran. The first time I felt insecure about my chest was during a P.E. class. The gym teacher had us run the 800 meters. I was in the last group to run. By the time I started running, the finish line was already crowded with my classmates. My eyes were only fixed on the finish line, so I didn’t pay attention to the classmates standing there—both boys and girls—who were already laughing uncontrollably. Before I even caught my breath, Jason, whom I rarely interacted with, came right up to my face, making exaggerated gestures: “Maya, let me give you a nickname. How about ‘Bunny’?! “You know, the ‘bunnies’ jumping up and down when you run!” At first, I didn’t understand, but his gaze drifted downwards, slimy and gross. Other classmates burst into jeering laughter. Like a flash of lightning, I instantly realized what he was talking about and shoved him hard. The bullying initially started with this simple nickname. The next day, my desk was covered in scribbles. In the quiet classroom before class started, I stood up, scanned the room, and saw Lily staring at me self-righteously, her gaze meeting mine head-on… My desk mate, Emma, gently tugged my sleeve and whispered: “Lily wrote it. Everyone saw, but no one dared to say anything. “I heard she and Jason are dating, and she said you were seducing him when you were running yesterday. “But seriously, you should wear a bra!” If her first sentence left me feeling baffled, her next sentence left me mortified. “I… I am wearing one!” I explained. “That’s a training bra!” she whispered even lower. “I mean a real bra! A training bra can’t support you! Didn’t your mom teach you any of this?” “I…” My face turned even redder. “I’ll try…” Actually, who notices physical development earlier than oneself? I had noticed a long time ago that my training bra was feeling a bit tight. I nervously told my mom, asking her to buy me a bra with padding. But as soon as I finished speaking, she frowned and said fiercely: “Money, money, money! We only have so much money, raising the two of you. You don’t know how to be frugal. Do you want us to starve?” But it was only ten dollars. A bra at the wholesale market cost ten dollars at most. And my mom said “raising the two of you,” but I hadn’t had an allowance outside of lunch money for half a year. Before Chloe came, I got ten dollars a week for allowance. I could at least buy some snacks or something. That wasn’t a problem. After Chloe arrived, it was as if my mom forgot about me. She would buy Chloe pretty clothes and sign her up for extracurricular activities… I used to have extracurriculars too. But the month Chloe was signed up for hers, my dad’s paycheck happened to be a little short. “Maya, I feel like your swimming class isn’t doing much. Let’s pause it for a bit, okay? “Yield to Chloe a little,” she said. “Chloe just came to our family, just consider it being considerate of mom. It’s not easy for mom either.” But I never thought that this “yielding” would last for three whole years. From the tutoring classes at first, to my bedroom, to my home, and finally, even the money for my bra had to be yielded. My mom didn’t take me to buy a new bra. So, I figured out how to save money from my breakfast allowance to go buy a bra myself. The owner at the wholesale market wouldn’t let me try it on, and I had no experience haggling. The bra I bought was a bit small. When I went back to the seller, she refused to exchange it. But it was fine, it was much better than the training bra I had before. However, after wearing it for three years, the straps inevitably became loose, and it couldn’t keep up with my developing body. I thought it was time for a new one. But I never expected that I had already reached the point where I needed to wear a real bra.

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During my last live interview, the host asked me, “If you weren’t in the entertainment industry, what would you be doing?” I answered casually, “I’d go home and inherit my family’s billion-dollar fortune.” With that one sentence, I immediately trended on Twitter. Everyone was mocking me, a D-list, no-name actress, for having such delusional fantasies. But after I left the industry, I actually became a major player behind the scenes in Hollywood. 1 Live interview. Chloe and I were on a show together because of a TV drama we co-starred in. We debuted at the same time. Five years in the entertainment industry, and I was still that lukewarm, D-list actress, while Chloe had long become an A-list superstar. During the interview, almost all of the host’s questions revolved around Chloe. I sat on the side like a prop. But after all these years, I was used to it. The live chat was also filled with cheers for Chloe. The occasional comment about me was just mocking me. [They debuted at the same time, but one is in heaven and the other is in the dirt. How does Maya have the nerve to be on the same show as Chloe? Isn’t she embarrassed?] [I heard Maya even had rumors with Liam, the Best Actor, back then.] [LMAO, how could Liam be with Maya? Maya definitely just wanted to create ship buzz with our Best Actor!] [Liam and Chloe are the perfect match.] Perfect match?! Looking at the comments in the live stream, I couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. Back then, I was dating Liam. But because he and Chloe worked together on a TV drama, I got cheated on. And from beginning to end, Liam never publicly acknowledged me. Now, people still dig it up to mock me, saying I threw myself at him and he didn’t even care. “Chloe, if you leave the entertainment industry, what would you do?” the host asked Chloe. “A housewife, maybe,” Chloe hesitated for a moment, answering with a soft smile. The live chat went crazy again. [Ahhhhh, are Chloe and Liam going to announce something?] [I heard they’ve already met each other’s parents.] [My OTP must make it to the end, otherwise, I’ll never believe in love again!] [Some people really need to know their place and stop trying to be the other woman.] “The chat is saying you and Liam might have some good news coming up,” the host teased. “No, you guys are misunderstanding,” Chloe quickly clarified. “Although things are very stable between Liam and me right now, we are still focusing on our careers. If there really is any good news, Liam and I will let everyone know immediately.” “Then why do you have the idea of becoming a housewife?” the host asked smoothly. “Because housewives are very great. My mother is a housewife. I admire her very much. Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today. So if I ever really leave the industry, I will return to family life.” [Chloe has such good values. Whoever marries her is lucky.] [Chloe comes from a wealthy family. The education she received from a young age is different from ordinary people.] [Genuine question: Is Chloe’s family background really that good?] [Just search up the Vance family of Los Angeles online and you’ll know. Not the richest in L.A., but definitely top three on the wealth list.] I frowned. When did the Vance family of Los Angeles have anything to do with Chloe?! At this moment. The host suddenly turned and asked me, “Maya, if you leave the industry, what will you do?” Probably feeling a bit guilty for ignoring me the whole time. I thought for a moment and answered very seriously, “Go home and inherit my family’s billion-dollar fortune.” 2 “What?” The host thought she misheard. She repeated the question, “I just asked, what do you want to do after leaving the industry?” “Go home and inherit the family business,” I said frankly. The five-year deadline had arrived. When I insisted on entering the entertainment industry, I made a three-point agreement with my family. If I didn’t make any progress in the industry within five years, I had to go home and inherit the family business. A few days ago, my billionaire father even called to remind me. “May I be so bold as to ask, what does your family do that requires you to go back and inherit it?” the host asked me, amused, her tone carrying a hint of sarcasm. Sitting next to me, a flash of mockery also passed through Chloe’s eyes, though it was fleeting. After all, it was a live broadcast. In front of millions of netizens, Chloe had to maintain her persona, so she naturally wouldn’t show any real emotion. “A little bit of everything. Mostly commercial investments,” I answered. It really did involve too many fields to explain clearly at once, so I spoke in general terms. But in the eyes of others, they felt I was lying and being evasive. At this moment, the live chat went crazy again. [What exactly is Maya competing with Chloe for? Just now someone said Chloe comes from a wealthy family, and now Maya says she’s going home to inherit a billion-dollar fortune?] [You can’t even joke like that. She just can’t stand that Chloe is better than her in every way, right?] [If she has a billion-dollar fortune, I’ll eat shit live!] [So disgusting. She can’t compare to Chloe, so she starts scamming, saying her family has a billion-dollar fortune? LMAO, who would believe that?!] Watching the comments, I also got a bit angry. I wanted to explain. The host directly said, “Maya is very humorous and knows how to liven up the atmosphere in our live stream. Fans shouldn’t take it too seriously.” It seemed like she was helping me out, but in reality, she just didn’t believe me. She even slapped me in the face publicly. “I’m telling the truth…” I was speechless. “Next up, Chloe’s fans really want me to ask you some questions.” The host didn’t give me a chance to speak at all. “They really want to know how your skin is so good, what’s your skincare routine?” Chloe answered the host’s questions one by one, and the atmosphere between the two was very harmonious. For the next almost half an hour of the interview, I didn’t get to say another word. The live stream ended. Everyone walked out of the studio. Chloe’s agent and assistant were all waiting for her, as was Liam. He held a giant bouquet of roses and gave it to Chloe in front of all the staff. The sweetness between the two of them was truly enviable. I walked away from them coldly. For a D-list actress like me, naturally, no one was waiting for me. However, my brother just called and said he was coming to pick me up, but there was a bit of traffic on the way. Fully disguised, I stood by the door waiting for him. “Maya, you really don’t have to compete with Chloe on everything.” Behind me, a familiar voice suddenly sounded. I turned around and saw Liam, who had just been embracing Chloe deeply. 3 Liam and I were from the same talent agency. He debuted two years before me. When I met him, he was also a nobody, barely getting any work. As soon as I joined the agency, Liam said it was love at first sight. At first, I refused. I had finally convinced my family to let me develop in the entertainment industry, and I didn’t want dating to affect my career. But in the end, I couldn’t resist Liam’s excessive attentiveness and agreed to date him. However, the agency didn’t allow artists, especially new ones, to date, so we could only keep it “underground.” During our secret relationship, Liam’s acting career progressed by leaps and bounds. But what he didn’t know was that I helped him secure most of his jobs through my family’s connections. Especially that movie that made him explode in popularity. To get him the male lead, my dad directly became an investor. However, who would have thought that after he blew up, he would officially announce his relationship with Chloe, the female lead of the movie. At first, he lied to me, saying it was just for PR and hype. It wasn’t until later, when paparazzi caught him spending the night at Chloe’s house, that he confessed, saying he hid it from me because he was afraid I would be too heartbroken to accept it. The truth is, I knew perfectly well that Liam was just worried I would expose our relationship out of anger. He had always maintained a single persona before. He had finally made it big, and he was afraid of a scandal. I didn’t have that strong a desire for revenge. Even though I was indeed very angry at the time, thinking about how I hadn’t considered myself at all over the past two years just to support him… Of course, I admit that my main goal in entering the entertainment industry wasn’t to become famous, but to understand the market for future project investments. Sooner or later, I was going back to inherit the family business. Therefore, as an artist, I didn’t have huge ambitions. But that didn’t mean I should be the fall guy, unconditionally accepting Liam’s betrayal. I even never told him what I had done for him behind the scenes, afraid it would burden him… But in the end, I still chose to let it go. After all, everything I did for Liam was willing, and I never expected him to repay me. Moreover, life is so long, who can guarantee they won’t meet a scumbag or two? I just treated it as a lesson learned. And most importantly, I will be doing business in the entertainment industry in the future. Harmony brings wealth, and I didn’t want to make enemies with anyone. So after being cheated on, I still broke up with Liam peacefully. After breaking up, we had no contact or overlap. Even though Liam’s fans often sarcastically said I was throwing myself at him, I never responded. Until today, when Liam took the initiative to speak to me. I looked at him coldly. From the day we broke up, this person was meaningless in my life. “I know you’re uncomfortable that I’m with Chloe, so you try to compare yourself to her everywhere,” Liam said helplessly. “But someone like Chloe, born with a silver spoon and favored by God, looking at the entire entertainment industry, who can compare to her, let alone you who has nothing.” I was so angry I laughed. Chloe was born with a silver spoon? I have nothing?! He probably didn’t know how many times Chloe had been subjected to the “casting couch” to get a role. He even more didn’t know that if my family’s assets crushed down, they could crush this pair of scumbags into mush! “Don’t blame me for speaking harshly. We loved each other once, and I don’t want you to be too embarrassed. You should also know how ugly the outside voices mocking you are now.” Liam looked well-intentioned. “Although bad publicity is still publicity, a person still needs to have some dignity.” 4 “You still know what dignity is?” I fired back. “When you cheated, why didn’t you think about finding your dignity?!” Liam’s face instantly changed. He said, frustrated and angry, “Maya, do you know how busy I am right now? Do you know how full my schedule is? I’m telling you this for your own good. Do you think I have nothing better to do than waste my time on you all day?” “Then get lost, as far away as possible! It’s best if you never appear in front of me again, you’re an eyesore!” I snapped back at him. For this kind of scumbag, there’s really no need to give him any face. “Do you still not have any self-awareness?! Look at what you’re like now. I’m taking the initiative to care about you. Not only are you not grateful, but you’re acting so arrogant?!” “I originally thought if you still wanted a place in the entertainment industry, remembering our past, I’d introduce you to some resources. Since you don’t know what’s good for you, then forget it.” Liam looked arrogant. I snorted coldly. Who cares. If I want resources, if I want to pull strings, do I need your help?! I couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to Liam anymore. At this moment, my brother had already arrived in his Rolls-Royce to pick me up. I was about to walk right past Liam. “Maya!” Liam suddenly blocked my path. Being ignored by me like this, he looked like he was burning with anger. “No wonder you haven’t made any progress in the entertainment industry for five years. Someone like you who doesn’t seek improvement will never make it in the industry in your entire life. In fact, not just the entertainment industry, you won’t have a good life anywhere!” Liam said angrily. “Now I’m truly incredibly glad I chose Chloe instead of wasting time on someone like you!” “Liam, don’t speak too absolutely, it’s easy to get slapped in the face!” I mocked coldly. “But you’re actually right. I am very glad I didn’t waste too much time on you!” “You!” Liam was furious, and said viciously, “Maya, I’ll tell you straight. I’m about to take on an S-tier TV drama. Seeing you struggling so much, I wanted to help you out, introduce you to the director, and let you play the third female lead.” “Heh.” I sneered, my face full of disdain. “I really don’t care.” Liam still wanted to say something. I was truly out of patience. “Move! Good dogs don’t block the way.” I glared at him angrily. Liam was grinding his teeth in anger. But at that moment, he still didn’t move. It must be that psychologically he still couldn’t accept me being so cold to him. He probably thought that with him doing so well in the entertainment industry now, I should be fawning over him like a simp. Just like when we broke up, Liam always thought I would cling to him desperately. But unexpectedly, I was even more decisive and neat than him. During the stalemate. Liam was suddenly shoved hard from behind. The movement was a bit rough. Liam almost fell flat on his face. He turned around and angrily looked at the person who pushed him. My brother didn’t even look at him, just asked me, “Who is this guy?” “A stray dog,” I replied. “Maya!” Liam was exasperated. “Warning you, stay away from Maya! Otherwise, I’ll kill you.” My brother pulled me into his arms, threatening coldly. Liam looked at me and my brother fiercely. At that moment, naturally, he also saw the two tall and burly bodyguards standing behind my brother, and didn’t say another word. Moreover, Liam was a public figure and didn’t dare to cause trouble. He could only watch through gritted teeth as my brother and I got into that black Rolls-Royce and drove away. 5 Sitting in the car. Liam sent me another message. When we broke up, it was very clean, so we didn’t get to the point where we had to block each other’s contacts. [Maya, I really didn’t expect you to be subjected to the casting couch. I still felt guilty and worried about you, but it turns out I was flattering myself.] Even through the screen, I could smell Liam’s sourness. I ignored him. I was currently talking to my brother about me leaving the industry. But Liam was relentless. The message notifications didn’t stop, and his tone was getting nastier. [I really didn’t expect you to sink this low?! Don’t you feel cheap acting like this?] [You can’t even compare to Chloe. No matter how bad things get for Chloe, she would absolutely never do something like this.] [You really have subverted every image I had of you in my heart. I always thought you were very pure, but I overestimated you.] I was annoyed by the message sounds, and unable to take it anymore, I replied: [If you’re not afraid of me sending our chat history to the media, shut up!] That one sentence shut Liam up immediately. I sneered. It was truly ironic. For Liam, his career is more important than anything. Choosing Chloe back then was also out of vanity and social climbing, right?! Of course, I had no expectations of him. I had long seen through what kind of person he was. After finishing with Liam, I received a call from my agent. She asked coldly, “Where are you?” “On my way home.” “What nonsense were you spouting during the live interview today? Who do you think you are to compare yourself to Chloe?” The agent scolded me harshly. “Do you know you’re trending now because people are cursing at you?! I warned you long ago, our agency doesn’t need infamous artists. You insist on doing this, do you want the agency to completely give up on you?!” “Then give up.” I originally intended to terminate my contract with the agency anyway. Moreover, the agency indeed hadn’t promoted me. “What, are you threatening me?” The agent’s voice rose significantly. “Why do you think I signed you back then? If I had signed Chloe, who debuted at the same time as you, I would have made a fortune long ago!” “So who’s to blame?! Blame yourself for being blind?!” I mocked. “Enough, Maya, I don’t want to waste words with you. Hurry back to the agency now and record a video apologizing to the public, saying you were just joking to liven up the atmosphere during the live stream.” “I wasn’t joking.” I said, word by word. “You mean your family really owns a mine?” The agent mocked me. “If your family owns a mine, why haven’t I seen them spend money to promote you? If your family owns a mine, how could you still be such a loser after all these years?!” “I’m a loser, shouldn’t you look for the reason in yourself, as my agent?” “You!” The agent was speechless. “I don’t want to argue with you. Come back now and record the video.” “I’m not recording it.” “Maya, have you lost your mind? You dare to refuse the agency’s arrangement?! Believe it or not, the agency will freeze you out immediately!” “There’s no need for that much trouble. We can just terminate the contract,” I said coldly. “Terminate the contract? You think you can terminate it just because you want to? You still have half a year left on your contract. If you terminate early, can you afford the penalty?” “You don’t need to worry about that.” I didn’t want to waste words with her. I said directly, “I’ll come find you at the agency tomorrow.” Then I hung up. And turned off my phone. My brother watched my actions and asked with a smile, “Finally feel that the entertainment industry is boring?” “I felt it was boring a long time ago. I just stayed longer to investigate the market.” “Do you need me to go with you to terminate the contract tomorrow?” “No need.” “Indeed my family’s child, naturally domineering,” my brother praised. 6 The next morning, I went to the talent agency. The news of me saying I was going to inherit a billion-dollar fortune in the live interview yesterday was still hanging at the number one spot on the trending list. The comments below were all cursing me for being shameless. The few fans I had also turned on me, saying they wouldn’t support a liar. I didn’t care. I was leaving the industry anyway. When I arrived at the agency, besides the agent waiting for me with a cold face, Liam was also there. He looked at me with a half-smile. He was clearly here to watch me make a fool of myself. Really, a petty man gloating. “The young heiress of the Thorne family is willing to come to the agency herself?” The agent opened her mouth with passive-aggression. As soon as she spoke. Other staff members and some artists in the agency couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “I’m here to terminate my contract.” I remained unmoved, my expression cold. “Sure.” The agent unhurriedly took out my contract. “According to the contract, if an artist breaks the contract early, they must pay the agency thirty million dollars in penalties.” My brow furrowed slightly. I wasn’t scared by the figure, but in my memory, I simply didn’t need to pay that much. As a qualified businesswoman, how could I suffer such a loss?! I casually picked up the contract and started reading. Seeing my expression, the agent began to mock: “What, doesn’t your family have a billion-dollar fortune to inherit? You can’t even produce a mere thirty million?! But seriously, Maya, you’ve been in the industry for five years, have you made thirty million? Not even three million!” She was certain I couldn’t produce that sum of money. She continued chattering: “Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not! There are still ten months left on your contract. If you be a good girl and listen, the agency might still renew your contract. Otherwise, with your commercial value right now, no agency will sign you…” Smack, I threw the contract in front of the agent. The agent jumped in fright. She stared at me blankly, yelling with lingering fear: “Are you crazy?” “It’s written very clearly here. With less than a year left on the contract, the penalty is only 60%, which means I only need to pay eighteen million.” “Can you even produce eighteen million? LMAO…” “Swipe it!” I took out a black card and placed it in front of her. The agent looked at me in disbelief. “Eighteen million, and from now on, we have nothing to do with each other.” “Where did you get the money?” The agent looked at my card and asked me. After all, I really hadn’t made much money in the entertainment industry. “Where else could she get the money? The sugar daddy behind her,” Liam spoke up, seemingly casually. “Yesterday when I went to pick up Chloe, I happened to see her get into a top-of-the-line limited-edition Rolls-Royce…” “Maya, you really are something!” The agent flared up. “Back then, when I asked you to go to dinner parties to accompany executives, you refused. Now you turn around and latch onto a big shot, and you just flip the table, right?!” “That’s my family’s money.” I was utterly speechless. “You want to be a whore and erect a chastity monument?! If you had listened to me back then, you could have been as famous as Chloe. But in the end, you still went down this path?!” The more the agent spoke, the more disdainful she became. “I wasted five years on you for nothing.” “Wasted five years on me?!” I raised my voice, no longer indulging her. “Ever since I refused the casting couch, you completely ignored me! For the past five years, I negotiated countless jobs on my own. You have the nerve to say ‘wasted’? If anyone’s wasted anything, it’s me feeling sorry for myself!” 7 “Maya!” the agent screamed. In front of so many people in the agency, I didn’t give her any face at all. “Don’t think that just because you have a sugar daddy, you can be arrogant in the entertainment industry. I’ve been in the industry for twenty years. If I want to blacklist someone, it’s a piece of cake,” the agent threatened loudly. “Then, let’s wait and see.” LMAO. The capitalist big shot she was currently fawning over was my own father. Would I be afraid of her?! After terminating the contract with the talent agency, I left. Liam blocked my way at the door again. I really don’t understand how thick someone’s skin must be to appear in front of me so self-righteously. “Maya, do you want to offend everyone in the entertainment industry?” Liam asked me with a cold smile. “You offended me, offended Chloe, and now you’ve offended your talent agency! Isn’t it just because you latched onto the eldest son of the Sterling family? But if I remember correctly, the eldest son of the Sterling family is married.” The eldest son of the Sterling family Liam mentioned was my brother. Maya Thorne is my stage name. My real name is Maya Sterling. I changed it to my mother’s maiden name mainly because I didn’t want to cause unnecessary trouble in the entertainment industry. “I didn’t expect you to actually look into it, did you?” Liam saw I wasn’t speaking and smugly continued, “The Sterling family is the only one in all of Los Angeles with that limited-edition Rolls-Royce.” “And then?” I looked completely indifferent. “Once you’re exposed, who do you think the eldest son of the Sterling family will choose between you and his original wife?” “Me.” I said firmly. “Maya, you really think too highly of yourself! Do you think you can do whatever you want just because you’re pretty? Wealthy families aren’t as simple as you think!” “You know what wealthy families are like?” “Chloe comes from a wealthy family, of course I know.” “She comes from a wealthy family?” I really laughed out loud. “If she comes from a wealthy family, has she ever taken you to one?” “We haven’t reached the point of discussing marriage yet.” Liam made an excuse. “Now the whole internet knows how good your relationship is. Even at this point, you still haven’t met Chloe’s parents?” “Chloe’s parents are very busy. Do you think everyone is like you, with nothing to do?” “Don’t you think you’re deceiving yourself? Liam, you’ve been dating Chloe for three years, not three days. No matter how busy someone is, they can’t spare half a day in three years?!” The more I spoke, the more sarcastic I became. “My business with Chloe is none of your concern!” Liam was getting angry. “Likewise, my business is none of yours either!” “I’m doing this for your own good!” Liam said angrily. “I don’t care! If you have that much free time, you’d be better off focusing on your goddess Chloe. Who knows, you might get an unexpected surprise.” “What do you mean?” Liam obviously caught my insinuation. “Figure it out yourself.” “I’m telling you, Maya, no matter how hard you try, you’ll never be able to compare to Chloe in your entire life. With her background, you can’t even dream of catching up to her.” I smiled coldly. Before, I really never thought of using my background to show off. But right now, I kind of wanted to see what kind of expression Liam would have when he found out I was the daughter of the richest man. “Just wait and see.” I dropped that line and walked away from Liam. Right now, talk is cheap. Liam wouldn’t believe me. Anyway, he’ll be slapped in the face soon enough. 8 My contract termination with the talent agency hit the trending topics again. The comment section was filled with negative remarks. [Didn’t she have a billion-dollar fortune to inherit? Yet she was dropped by her agency for running her mouth? This is literally the biggest joke to start 2024!] [I was still waiting for Maya to make a comeback. LMAO, I definitely overestimated her.] [Some people are just too vain. The entertainment industry shouldn’t encourage this toxic behavior.] [She used to leech off Liam’s popularity, which gave her some recognition. Otherwise, who would know this D-list actress? Now she wants to leech off our Chloe’s popularity. Who knew she’d actually crash and burn? Serves her right!] Meanwhile, Chloe and Liam happened to have a New Year’s live stream for their fans. My trending topic actually brought a wave of traffic to their live stream. The live chat was all asking Chloe and Liam to comment on me having a billion-dollar fortune to inherit and getting dropped by my agency. Liam responded first: “I have the same agency and agent as Maya. Regarding her being dropped by the agency, there might be a misunderstanding. Maya requested the termination herself. The agency never mistreated her.” [What? Maya actually dared to terminate her contract? Who would sign her now?] [If an artist voluntarily terminates, shouldn’t they pay a penalty?] [Does she have the money to pay the penalty?] “I’m not too sure about the rest. I’m just telling everyone what I know. I hope you guys don’t spread rumors,” Liam said to calm the excited fans. The fans weren’t listening at all. The live chat kept scrolling— [Does Maya have a sugar daddy behind her? Otherwise, where did she get the money to pay the penalty?] [Forget the penalty, with her current status, how dare she terminate her contract? With her reputation, who would dare hire her?!] Because of Liam’s words. The news of #MayaPaysMassivePenalty,SuspectedSugarDaddyBehindHer# rushed to the top of the trending list again. I really didn’t expect that after leaving the industry, I would actually blow up. At this moment, Chloe also responded to my situation in her live stream: “I debuted with Maya and collaborated a few times before, but we’re just acquaintances, so I’m not clear on her specific family background. But since she says her family has a billion-dollar fortune, I think it’s not entirely unbelievable.” As soon as Chloe said this, the live chat filled with compliments— [Chloe’s personality is so great. Everyone knows Maya is a fake heiress, yet she’s still willing to believe her.] [Chloe is from a wealthy family herself, so she doesn’t think being wealthy is anything extraordinary.] [Why is there such a huge gap between people? I’m proud of my idol.] [Chloe, can you show us what a wealthy family’s home looks like? Can you do a live stream touring your mansion?] That last comment was spammed all over the screen. Chloe kept trying to change the subject, acting as if she didn’t see the live chat. Liam, who was co-streaming with her, suddenly spoke up: “Chloe, just fulfill the fans’ New Year’s wish.” With Liam saying it so bluntly, Chloe really couldn’t play deaf and dumb anymore. She smiled and said, “Of course I can fulfill my fans’ New Year’s wish. Once the time is confirmed, I’ll take my fans on a tour of my home.” [Chloe spoils her fans so much.] [Being Chloe’s fan is just too lucky.] [Looking forward to touring Chloe’s new home…] I watched Chloe’s awkward smile. The Vance family of Los Angeles has never had a daughter named Chloe; they only have one named Lily, and she is my cousin. I’d really like to know how she’s going to cover up this lie of the century. 9 After the two finished their live stream. I was pushed to the trending topics, and #ChloeSpoilsFansAgreesToTourMansion# also hit the trending topics. The whole internet was looking forward to touring Chloe’s mansion. And because of this sudden surge in popularity, talent agencies reached out to me offering work. I refused them all. I had already taken over the family business and become a major player behind the scenes in Hollywood. I had invested in several highly anticipated shows and was incredibly busy every day. I almost forgot about Chloe’s live stream touring her mansion. If Liam hadn’t smugly sent me a message: [Maya, didn’t you always envy Chloe and slander her? Today at 3 PM she’s live-streaming a tour of her mansion. Aren’t you going to watch?] Chloe really had guts! I thought she would just brush it off, but she’s actually live-streaming after barely half a month? Isn’t she afraid of getting exposed?! [Thanks for the reminder, I’ll tune in right on time.] I replied to Liam. Since Liam insisted on throwing himself onto the muzzle of the gun, I obliged him. I turned around and sent a message to my cousin: [Does your dad really have an illegitimate daughter?] [Are you kidding me? I’ve been putting up with that woman Chloe for a long time! Let’s see what kind of stunt she pulls today. If she pisses me off, I’ll tear her apart right then and there.] Even through the screen, I could feel Lily’s anger. 3 PM. Chloe indeed started her live stream as promised, taking fans on a tour of her “mansion.” It was fake at a glance. Where was this the Vance family estate? I don’t know what unknown, third-rate villa in what obscure area it was. The live stream went online. The fans started mindlessly praising her. [Wow, Chloe’s house is so big and beautiful!] [Worthy of the Vance family, ranking top three on L.A.’s wealth list. So luxurious!] [Chloe really peaked right out of the gate.] [Reminds me again of a certain unknown actress who claimed she had a billion-dollar fortune to inherit!] I was working while watching Chloe’s live stream. Seeing so many fans flattering her, it became increasingly hilarious. Chloe very “professionally” led the fans on a tour of her “mansion.” The fans were very supportive. The gifts in the live stream were even more extravagant. Chloe considerately asked people not to send gifts, saying helplessly that she didn’t know how to turn off the gift feature, which triggered another wave of frantic spamming from fans. My phone suddenly rang. It was Liam. He said smugly, “Maya, do you finally see the gap between you and Chloe now? You can’t even dream of a mansion like Chloe’s in this lifetime.” “Are you still hung up on me?!” I was truly running out of patience with him. “Me, hung up on you? Why don’t you look at the massive gap between you and Chloe? Am I blind?” “Then why do you keep bothering me?” “I pity you.” “Totally unnecessary.” I glanced at the live stream. “You better go pity your goddess Chloe!” After all, right now, the live stream was starting to get chaotic. Liam seemed to have noticed it too and quickly hung up the phone.

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