I lost my eyesight while saving Lily Evans. She swore to heaven that she would be my eyes for life and never leave me. I actively cooperated with the doctors’ treatment. On the day my eyes recovered, I ran home happily to tell her the good news. But I saw Lily passionately kissing my best friend Lucas on our marriage bed. “Lily, why don’t you divorce that blind man? I’m the one who understands and loves you the most,” Lucas said. “James Carter is just a useless cripple now.” “Wait a bit longer. I still can’t bear to let him go, after all, he became blind because of saving me,” Lily replied. At that moment, my blood froze. I turned and fled in embarrassment. Heartbroken and disillusioned, I booked a flight to the remote north to join my mentor in researching project C999. I decided to let Lily never find my whereabouts again. … After booking the flight, I returned home once more. Through the crack in the door, I saw that Lily and Lucas hadn’t stopped. The two were locked in a passionate embrace, kissing fervently. Lily knew I had come back, but didn’t stop what she was doing. Her lust-filled eyes looked at me, and she bit her lip to keep from making a sound. But Lucas deliberately teased her, trying to make her cry out. “Lily, don’t worry. James is blind, he can’t see us,” Lucas whispered in her ear. Then he gave me a contemptuous look, his eyes full of disdain. Lily pinched him. “Don’t be naughty. James can’t hear anything strange. I’m still his wife and you’re his best friend. What we’re doing is already wrong.” “Heh, but I find this so exciting!” Lucas smirked. Lily didn’t reply. Her displeasure made Lucas restrain himself a bit. He stood up, but was still unsatisfied. He glanced at me. “We can go to the bedroom, but James is sitting on my pants.” Suddenly, he grinned mischievously at Lily. “You tell him to bring them to me, or I’ll go get them myself. Your choice.” Lucas looked at me challengingly as he asked Lily’s opinion. “Can you not do this?” Lily said in a low, displeased voice. “Fine, then I’ll go get them.” Lily quickly stopped him. “James, you’re sitting on my scarf. I’m feeling a bit tired and want to rest in my room. I think I might be coming down with a cold, so I’ll sleep in the guest room tonight.” “Can you bring the scarf over to me?” After hesitating, Lily decided to go along with Lucas’s wishes. I stared at Lily with a pale face as she spoke. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes hazy. Her arms were still tightly wrapped around Lucas, unwilling to let go and come down. I tried my best to control my emotions, clenching my fists tightly. I had been so focused on them that I hadn’t paid attention to what I was sitting on. When I stood up and looked down at the couch, I nearly vomited in disgust. The so-called “scarf” was clearly Lucas’s pants. Lily was asking me to bring his pants to him. I originally wanted to explode and confront them directly. But thinking it through, what good would that do? It would just end in a divorce agreement and endless arguments. My face ashen, I pretended to still be blind. My nails dug into my palms so hard they broke, my veins bulging in anger. After an internal struggle, I picked up Lucas’s pants with trembling hands and held them out to him. He hugged Lily tightly and flipped me off with one hand, muttering under his breath, “Blind idiot, having to bring me my pants. Sweet.” Afraid I would hear, Lily quickly covered his mouth with her hand. At that moment, it felt like my soul had been ripped out. I collapsed weakly back onto the couch. But I still had to pretend to care and ask her like before: “Are you not feeling well? Is it serious?” My voice shook, my heart desolate. But she couldn’t tell. “It’s- it’s nothing. I’ll take some medicine and sleep it off.” Lucas fondled her intimately. Lily glared at him coquettishly. Her eyes signaled for him to stop. Then Lucas picked her up and carried her to the guest room. When they couldn’t see me, I secretly took out my phone and snapped photos of them cheating. Lucas looked back at me and made a face, calling me a “blind man.” In that moment, I almost couldn’t hold back from rushing over to fight him. But in the end, I restrained myself. After they left, my nose stung and tears welled up in my eyes. Even though I had already decided to leave and let her go, I still couldn’t help but feel heartbroken. Lily had promised she would never lie to me or betray me. But in the end, she broke her word. I picked up my phone and called my mentor. “Master, James is willing to go to the base with you.” “Are you sure? Once you decide to come, you won’t be allowed to leave the base for years. It’s like being cut off from the world. Can you bear to leave Lily?” I answered without hesitation: “I can.” My mentor was silent for a long time. “Does she know?” I used to hesitate because I couldn’t bear to leave Lily. Now, she had made the choice for me. I glanced coldly at the closed guest room door, from which came the sound of a man and woman panting. “I’ve wasted many years, squandering my talents when I could have been contributing to society. Now I’ve decided to take on this heavy responsibility and help ease your burdens, Master.” “My decision doesn’t require Lily’s approval.” “Good, you haven’t disappointed me, my good disciple!” After exchanging pleasantries with my mentor, I hung up the phone and walked back to my room. Just then, Lily came out of the guest room wearing Lucas’s oversized shirt. Her neck and body were covered in hickeys, old and new. It seemed she had been cheating for a long time. She wasn’t afraid of me seeing, because I was blind and couldn’t see. “Honey, did you forget our goodnight kiss? You haven’t kissed me goodnight yet!” Lily pouted at me coquettishly. I suddenly felt nauseous and started retching violently. Seeing my reaction, Lily anxiously came closer to me. As she approached, I felt extremely repulsed by her, finding her disgusting. The nausea intensified and I pushed her away roughly. Still pretending to be blind, I groped my way to the bathroom. I had already started to reject Lily’s proximity. I stood over the sink, dry heaving as my stomach churned. Inwardly, I felt incredibly bitter. Looking at myself in the mirror, I felt pathetic and wretched. Back when we first met my mentor, Lily had knelt down and sworn to him that she would love me forever. Only then did he agree to let her take me home. I never imagined it would all turn out to be empty words. I lowered my head weakly. Only then did I notice there was an extra men’s towel on the rack, an extra pair of slippers that weren’t my size on the floor, along with an extra cup, toothbrush… Had Lucas been living here the whole time while I was blind? No wonder Lily always left our bed in the middle of the night. Every time I reached out, I couldn’t feel her there. So she spent the first half of the night with me, and the second half with Lucas. She moved between two men, utterly shameless. Since I lost my sight, Lily and I hadn’t been intimate for six months. She used my blindness as an excuse to avoid getting close to me. So it was because she found me repulsive and unable to satisfy her. Lily anxiously followed me, hugging me from behind with a panicked expression. “James, what’s wrong? Are you sick?” “When you suddenly pushed me away just now, I got so scared.” Her hands trembled slightly as they encircled my waist, as if afraid I would disappear at any moment. She held on tighter. The more she acted like this, the more disgusted I felt. One moment tangled up with Lucas, the next professing her deep love for me. Lily, you’re quite the actress. I yanked her hands off me, putting some distance between us. “My stomach’s probably acting up. Lately I’ve had trouble keeping anything down.” Somehow I had learned to lie. I used to hate people like that, but now I had become the very thing I despised. Hearing this, Lily looked extremely alarmed. “I’m so sorry. I’ve been so busy with work lately that I haven’t had time to take care of you. You’ve been eating alone and not looking after yourself properly. It’s all my fault.” She cupped my face, her brows furrowed with concern. Then she led me back to the bedroom and took out fresh clothes for me to change into. I stopped her and put them on myself. Lily froze. This was the first time since we got married that I hadn’t let her help me. Her heart seemed to skip a beat. She lowered her head, almost kissing my lips. “James, it’s been so long since we’ve made love. Let’s do it.” Lily pressed her body against mine. I pushed her away again. She was tainted now. I no longer wanted her. But Lily grew nervous. Being pushed away a second time, she feared I no longer loved her. I had already lain down on the bed. She carefully pulled the covers over me. “James, are you angry with me? For not spending enough time with you?” “I won’t work tomorrow. I’ll stay with you all day, okay?” The ruthless queen of the business world, feared by all, actually had such a humble side. I smiled bitterly. Was this my fortune or misfortune? I was about to flatly refuse her when her phone rang. She quickly silenced it, not daring to answer. Then she sat next to me, looking at the messages Lucas was sending her. “You little wildcat, you tore up my underwear. Get me a new pair right now.” “Wait, I think I’m out of underwear.” “Do you mind if I wear James’s?” “Fuck off. I’ll sleep with his woman but don’t even think about the rest.” “Come over now.” Lily glanced down at me, then gently caressed my face before getting up and walking away. I clenched the bedsheets, tears finally breaking through my defenses. Back when Lucas’s company went bankrupt, I had begged Lily to help him. She clearly despised him then and told me to stay away from him. In the end, she only helped for my sake. Now he repaid that kindness with betrayal, sleeping with my wife while I was blind. He truly was an ungrateful bastard. I tried hard to comfort myself. It’s okay, just 7 more days until I leave. Then Lily and I will be done for good. The next day, thinking I was still sulking, Lily carefully tended to my mood. After breakfast, she forcibly took me out. She had rented out a bar and invited many friends, under the pretext of cheering me up. The whole way there, Lily held my hand tightly, afraid I would fall. She kept reminiscing about our sweet memories from the past. I didn’t say anything, feeling a mix of sarcasm and pain in my heart. I once thought we would grow old together, never parting. But in the end it was all a joke. Lily found me inadequate because I was blind and couldn’t satisfy her desires. She craved excitement and younger flesh. Now that I was over 30, and Lucas was 4 years younger, she had transferred her affections. She had already forgotten the vows we made on our wedding day. What pained me even more was the banner hung up to celebrate. “Happy birthday to my darling Lucas!” I pried Lily’s hands off mine finger by finger. How ironic – she had said it was just to cheer me up, but it was all lies. Lily’s friend snapped at me in displeasure: “James Carter, what are you putting on airs for, you blind man? How dare you push Lily’s hand away.” Lily silenced her with a glare. Then she picked up a fruit tea from the table and handed it to me. “Honey, smile! It’s too bad you can’t see, but this is the same private room where I proposed to you back then. I was so in love with you at the time.” Lily reminisced about the past with a wistful expression, her eyes even turning red as she took my hand and placed it on her cheek to caress her. She may have loved me before, but now she had given that love to Lucas. Just then, Lucas walked in. Lily, who had been focused on me, lit up when she saw him enter. Lucas was wearing my custom-tailored suit – the one I had worn at our wedding. He had brazenly taken it for himself, openly stealing my things. Lily’s friends flocked to greet Lucas when they saw him arrive, surrounding him as if he were Lily’s husband. I knew I didn’t fit into her social circle, nor did I want to. Lily let go of my hand and walked towards Lucas with a pleased expression, forgetting all about me. They sat together chatting, with Lily perched on Lucas’s lap. Her friends teased them. Afraid I would hear, Lily switched to speaking German with them. “Don’t speak English, James will hear.” “Don’t worry, we understand.” Lucas suddenly kissed Lily on the mouth. The others gasped, looking at me with pity. “Poor blind James Carter. His friend and wife are being affectionate right in front of him and he has no idea.” “Lily, aren’t you afraid he’ll find out? I mean, you even brought Lucas home. It’s so risky and exciting!” Lily’s lips were swollen from Lucas’s kiss. “He’ll never know. I spend time with him during the day and with Lucas at night. I’ve got it all worked out.” Everyone burst out laughing at her words. “Lily’s so clever!” Just then, the glass slipped from my hand and shattered, drawing their attention. Lily jumped out of Lucas’s arms and rushed over to me. “Honey, what’s wrong? You don’t look well. Are you coming down with something?” I stared at her coldly. What she didn’t know was that I had learned multiple languages to fit into her social circle long ago. I had understood every word they said. I pretended to feel unwell and made an excuse to leave the bar. But Lily was reluctant to part with Lucas. She just called the housekeeper to take me home. At the entrance, I dismissed the housekeeper and took a taxi to the civil affairs bureau to cancel my identity. When the official asked me repeatedly to reconsider, warning that once cancelled, James Carter would cease to exist, I insisted without hesitation. An hour later, I walked out holding the cancellation papers. It felt like a heavy stone had finally been lifted off my chest. If I asked Lily for a divorce, she would never agree. Cancelling my identity was the only way to leave her. Next, I returned home. Five days left on the countdown. Each day after they left, I cleared out everything related to Lily and me. Our wedding photos, wedding rings, gifts she had given me… I took it all to the garden, dug a big hole, threw it in and set it on fire. The flames consumed all the memories between Lily and me. I no longer felt any tenderness. “Lily Evans, we have no future together anymore.” On the seventh day, I printed out the intimate photos of Lily and Lucas and plastered them all over the living room. Before leaving, I decided to say goodbye to the doctor who had cured my eyes. Unexpectedly, I ran into Lily and Lucas in the hallway on my way out. Lily didn’t dare greet me, since she had always told me she was working overtime. We all pretended not to see each other. I walked past her with my white cane. As we brushed shoulders, I realized my heart no longer ached. I had truly let her go. After I left, Lily grew anxious. She pushed Lucas away and rushed into the doctor’s office to ask about me. “Doctor, what’s wrong with James? Is his eye hurting again?” Lily’s face was full of concern, but the doctor’s words left her stunned. “Nothing’s wrong with James! His eyes recovered 7 days ago and he can see fine now. Didn’t you know, Mrs. Carter?” “He came by today to say goodbye. He’s leaving town.” “No, that’s impossible. Why wouldn’t James tell me if he could see again?” Lily nearly collapsed, her whole body trembling as she slumped against the wall, filled with panic. The doctor was puzzled by Lily’s extreme reaction. He pushed up his glasses and took out a document from his drawer, placing it in front of her. “Mrs. Carter, this is James’s recovery notice. Take a look. His eyes really have healed. You should have seen how happy and excited he was at the time. He cried tears of joy and thanked me in German. He said he had learned German for you even while blind, and worked hard to cooperate with our treatment, all to give you happiness.” Lily could no longer support herself against the wall. She slid to the ground, her face deathly pale. She opened her mouth but no words came out, only tears falling. Her mind was in turmoil. “So he knew everything, saw everything, didn’t he?” Lily asked herself, shaking her head frantically. “Mrs. Carter, what’s wrong? Isn’t it good news that James can see again? Oh right, he’s leaving town today. Did you know that?” Lily suddenly stood up, her eyes wide as she stared at the doctor. “What did you say? James is leaving town today? I had no idea!” Lily suddenly remembered how James had paused when they brushed past each other earlier. At the time, she had been afraid he would discover her presence and tried to hide. “J-James.” Lily turned and ran. Just as she reached the door, Lucas appeared with a hurt expression. “Lily, you’re abandoning me for that blind man again.” Lily kicked Lucas away. He fell to the ground, staring at her in disbelief. “Shut up! Call him a blind man again and I won’t let you off easy.” Lily snapped before hurrying away, leaving a confused Lucas sprawled on the floor. “Lily, what’s wrong? Come back!” But Lily didn’t look back at him again. I had just arrived at the airport when I received a call from Lily. “James, did your eyes recover a long time ago without telling me?” Lily’s voice trembled, choked with sobs. “Yes, the night you asked me to bring Lucas his underwear.” There was a deathly silence on Lily’s end. I thought I heard a crashing sound and someone cursing Lily for being blind. After a long while, Lily began to cry. “James, please come back. We can talk about this face to face. You can even kill me if you want, just don’t leave.” “I can’t imagine how to go on living without you.” I rejected her without hesitation: “James Carter can’t come back. He’s dead. Forget about him.” The airport announcer’s voice reminded passengers it was time to board.

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Dressed in a stunning white gown, I arrived at the graduation ceremony with my friends by my side. As we entered the grand hall, I heard Scarlett Reed and her posse burst into laughter. “Look at her! Is she trying to force someone into marriage? I’ve never seen such a desperate woman,” Scarlett sneered. Scarlett Reed was the heiress to Reed Mining Corp. As an only child born with a silver spoon in her mouth, she was the epitome of a spoiled princess. She was also my rival in love, having pursued my boyfriend Liam for over two years. My roommate Luna Taylor wanted to stand up for me, but I held her back. I smiled at the group of mean girls, unfazed. “Hey Scarlett, has your hair grown back yet?” The last time Scarlett and her gang cornered me in the ladies’ room, intending to bully me, I turned the tables on them. I knocked Scarlett to the ground, pressed her face against the floor, and swiftly plucked a bald spot on the back of her head. After all, I had plenty of experience plucking chickens during my part-time job at a restaurant kitchen. Perhaps recalling that painful memory, Scarlett’s face darkened. She pointed at me, speechless with rage. “Aria, Liam’s here,” Luna whispered, tugging at my sleeve. I turned to see Liam Foster walking in from the entrance. He looked dashing in a crisp black suit, carrying a large bouquet of roses. My heart raced as he approached. But as he drew closer, he brushed past me without even a glance, as if I were a stranger. In that moment, I froze. I heard gasps and exclamations from the crowd around us. A sense of foreboding washed over me. I turned to see Liam presenting the roses to Scarlett. Scarlett accepted the flowers with a smug smile, feigning shyness while unable to hide her triumph. Liam smoothly dropped to one knee, pulled out a ring, and proposed to Scarlett. Scarlett eagerly accepted, urging Liam to put the ring on her finger. After slipping on the diamond, she dramatically waved her hand, deliberately showing off to me. When our eyes met, Scarlett, like a victorious conqueror, wrapped her arms around Liam’s neck and kissed him passionately. In an instant, my blood boiled. My fists clenched so tightly my knuckles cracked. I glared at the man before me with ice-cold eyes, then swung my hand and slapped him hard across the face. Used to manual labor, I had quite a bit of strength. The force of the slap made Liam stagger. A clear red handprint appeared on his right cheek, swelling up immediately. “Congratulations on your study abroad opportunity. Here’s a little sendoff gift. Enjoy the fireworks,” I said with a bitter laugh. “Aria Bennett, have you gone mad?” Scarlett lunged at me. I grabbed her by the hair at the back of her head and yanked her backward. Unfortunately, it was a hair extension that came off in my hand, exposing her bald spot. It seemed she had been too busy stealing my boyfriend to get hair implants. The onlookers wasted no time snapping photos of the heiress’s shiny bald patch. She screamed, frantically trying to cover the back of her head. Liam rushed to protect Scarlett, taking off his suit jacket to shield her. But I wasn’t about to let him have his way. I tossed aside the fake hair, grabbed Scarlett’s elbow with one hand, and kicked Liam away with my other foot. The kick sent him crumpling to the ground with a cry of pain. At that moment, the rose-tinted glasses I had worn for him for eight years shattered into a million pieces. I looked at the pathetic Liam with disgust, wondering how I could have loved him for so long. “Aria Bennett, you just wait! I won’t let you off easy, you orphan bitch!” Scarlett, completely oblivious to the situation, continued to shout and stir up trouble. I slapped her hard across the face twice. “There, now you two have matching couple looks,” I said. With that, I tossed her aside like garbage, right next to Liam. Liam hurried to help Scarlett up. “Scarlett, I dumped Liam. If you like my trash, feel free to pick it up,” I said. My eyes blazed as I looked at the cheating couple, lamenting the eight years I had wasted. The hall was buzzing with whispers, and people were secretly taking photos. Soon this drama would become the talk of the town. Becoming the subject of gossip probably wouldn’t sit well with Liam. He had worked so hard to stay at the university and secure a visiting scholar position. Now his reputation was in tatters. He must be devastated. After all, Liam had always been extremely prideful since childhood. Having achieved my goal, I dusted off my hands and made a graceful exit. Once outside, I made a phone call, my heart heavy with sorrow. The call was quickly answered. I forced myself to sound cheerful: “Ethan, can you come pick me up and take me home?” Ethan Bennett, on the other end, immediately sensed something was wrong. He asked urgently, “What happened? Who bullied you?” Knowing he couldn’t see me, I still shook my head: “It’s nothing. I just miss you all and want to go home.” Ethan didn’t press further: “Alright, where are you?” I heard him sternly instructing his secretary to pause the meeting, then he said to me softly, “Wait there, I’ll come get you right away.” I was the long-lost daughter of the wealthy Bennett family, and the beloved little sister of the overprotective Ethan Bennett. I should have grown up like Scarlett, cherished like a precious gem. Instead, I had struggled to survive in foster care, like a weed. Life works in mysterious ways. After the high school fire, the hospital’s test results matched my biological information with data in the missing persons database. When I woke up in the hospital room, I opened my eyes to see Mr. and Mrs. Bennett and Ethan keeping vigil by my bedside. Their eyes were full of concern and joy at finding their lost child. They said they were my family. During my hospital stay, they went to great lengths to nourish me back to health, constantly bringing me ginseng, bird’s nest, and all sorts of nutritious foods and soups. But I felt awkward and wary of these suddenly attentive family members who had appeared out of nowhere. I was very uncomfortable. I didn’t believe anyone would be kind to me without reason. Like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, I avoided them by hiding in Liam’s hospital room. Liam sat in bed, looking pale but focused on his studies. Seeing me, his eyes lit up and he warmly invited me to sit down. He handed me all the canned peaches, apples, and milk that the foster care director and staff had pooled money to buy for him. At the time, I foolishly thought that this heartfelt gesture worth a few dollars was more precious than millions of dollars worth of supplements. Back in foster care, Liam and I had been very close. That’s because he was the one who had brought me to the foster home. According to the director, I was about 5 years old at the time, barely clinging to life due to a high fever. Fortunately, I pulled through. But I had forgotten all my memories from before arriving at the foster home. “Aria, we’re both unwanted children. From now on, we’ll rely on each other,” Liam had said. He told me I was a gift sent to him from heaven, so he gave me a new name: Aria Bennett. Because we would be together forever, day after day. The ugly burn scar on his elbow made me even more devoted to him for his self-sacrificing rescue. “Aria, let’s be together,” he said. It was the third time he had asked as I carefully changed his bandages. His gaze was intense. I felt shy under his stare, but finally nodded. He hugged me tightly with joy, as if wanting to merge me into his very bones. “Aria, we’ll be together morning and night, forever,” he said. I was hopelessly trapped in Liam’s web of love. And because Liam had always resented the wealthy and put on airs about being above it all, I deliberately kept my distance from my newly found family. Who could have imagined that it would be Liam, the one who claimed to love me so deeply, who would betray our relationship! Men’s words are full of lies. Seeing me return home with Ethan made Mr. and Mrs. Bennett happier than anyone. The elderly couple personally prepared a big feast. Mom held my hand, her eyes reddening, repeating over and over: “My dear girl, I’m so glad you’re back.” I couldn’t help feeling wistful. The strong front I had put up all day crumbled at that moment. I hugged Mom and burst into tears. Dad, Mom, and Ethan were heartbroken. They cursed Liam vehemently. My brother Ethan rolled up his sleeves, ready to go teach Liam a lesson. He made me laugh through my tears. Seeing me smile, Dad also started making declarations to help me get revenge. “Sweetheart, I’ll send someone to Reed Corp to water their money tree to death,” he said. “Why not overfeed their koi fish while we’re at it?” Ethan chimed in. “Reed Corp just started a livestream channel. We could cut their power so they can’t broadcast,” Dad suggested. Dad and Ethan went back and forth like a comedy duo. I gradually relaxed. This was my real family.

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I had a crush on James Sullivan for seven years. In my past life, I saved him during his lowest point. I married him and was willing to be his devoted wife. I let him run my company, allowing him to shine. But in the end, he ran off with my money and cheated on me with his first love. Later, his enemy kidnapped both me and his first love. I thought five years of marriage would soften his heart. But he unhesitatingly chose to save his first love, while I was brutally assaulted and killed by the kidnappers. In this new life, I’ve returned to the year when James was at his lowest point. My car stopped at the end of the alley, just in time to witness James being chased by several armed men in black. It was exactly the same as in my past life. I suppressed the complex emotions surging within me. “Frank, drive,” I said. Frank cleared his throat, hesitating. “Miss, Mr. Sullivan is up ahead. It looks like someone’s trying to kill him.” I glanced over. James was being chased, covered in wounds, and collapsed in front of my car door. He desperately knocked on the car door, begging me to help him. The door opened. I looked down at him from above. My mind flashed back to my past life, when I unhesitatingly saved him from danger and married him, caring for him in every way for five years. I thought true love could be reciprocated. But in the end, I met a tragic death. As my thoughts returned to the present, seeing him like this still tugged at my heartstrings despite everything. His handsome face, even covered in blood, couldn’t hide his good looks. He crawled to my feet, looking up at me with pleading eyes. Weakly, he said: “Chloe, please help me. I’ll do anything.” In my past life, he had begged me just as pitifully. I didn’t even hesitate before taking him away. I fed and cared for him, used money to rescue his brother, and kept him safe for five years. On second thought, I slowly replied: “Alright.” I would save him, but I couldn’t let him dirty my car. I kicked him away. I ordered my bodyguards to protect him. “Frank, let’s go,” I said. “Miss, isn’t Mr. Sullivan the man you’ve liked for so long?” Frank asked. I snorted. “Not anymore.” When I saved him in my past life, I didn’t expect anything in return. I only hoped he could like me, even just a little. But sadly, it didn’t end well. Back at the mansion, I saw James huddled in a corner, shivering. He crawled over to me like a dog. I brushed off my pants where he had touched them. Looking at him with disgust, I said: “James Sullivan, since you like being a dog so much, why don’t you stay by my side as my pet?”

Today was the first time James asked me for time off. “Chloe, I have something to do today. I need to go out, so I won’t be able to have dinner with you,” he said calmly over the phone, with no hint of anything unusual. “What is it?” I asked. “Chloe, I may be your husband in name, but I’m still a person. Can’t I have my own private space?” “You don’t deserve it,” I said coldly. “If you don’t listen, I can send you back to those men.” My tone was icy. He immediately deflated on the other end of the line. In this life, I still saved him, but I had no hopes for him. I only kept him by my side to torment him. He sighed and answered, “I’m going to see my mother.” “Is that so? You’d better not be lying to me.” When I rescued him back then, he begged me like an obedient puppy. “I’ll do anything you want,” he had said. An idea came to me, and I raised an eyebrow with a smile. “Marry me, so my family stops pressuring me.” He agreed. I used money to rescue his brother, And at the same time, I bought him for myself. To the outside world, I claimed he was my husband. In private, he was just a dog by my bedside. His enemies still wouldn’t let him go, so he had no choice but to rely on me to stay alive. This time, I once again bound him to me with a contract. The agreement stated that we would each get what we needed, and after five years when things blew over, I would set him free. For these five years, he never left my side for a moment. Whether as a husband or a bedmate, he was impeccable. At dinner time, James wasn’t there. The housekeeper made my favorite dishes. I picked up my chopsticks but had no appetite. “Miss, this is the cake Mr. Sullivan asked me to give you before he left. He waited in line for hours to buy it,” the housekeeper said, bringing over a slice of cake. It was my favorite flavor, very hard to get. I took a bite with my fork, then tossed it straight into the trash. Suddenly, I felt a bit lost. Today was my birthday. Thinking back to my past life, it was the same desolate scene. That day, he had gone to see his first love, Olivia. As I was lost in thought, my phone suddenly rang. “Hello,” I answered. An arrogant female voice came from the other end.

“Miss Morgan, thank you for taking care of my James these past five years.” I frowned. “Who are you?” “Never mind who I am. James loves me.” Before I could respond, she hung up. I collapsed onto the sofa, memories of my past life flooding back. James had been with me for five years, pretending to be devoted to me on the surface, while secretly carrying on with Olivia behind my back. Back then, I had spent five years trying to make him love me, but failed. In this life, I wouldn’t be so foolish again. If I can’t be happy, no one else will be either. I was the most notorious rich heiress in South River City. Wild and unrepentant. I’d been with countless men, living a life of debauchery. But they were all just passing fancies. James was the only one I truly loved. He used to be a young master from a family of equal status to mine, but fate was cruel and brought him to rock bottom. I dialed James’ number. “Where are you?” I demanded. His voice sounded tired. “I’m busy.” “Are you with another woman?” I asked shakily. “Chloe, don’t overthink it.” I suddenly lost my temper, raising my voice much louder, startling him. “I’m asking you, are you with another woman or not?!” “James Sullivan!” He sighed, speaking in a tone I’d never heard before. “Chloe Morgan, I thought we only had a contractual relationship. My private life is none of your business.” I was furious and heartbroken, at a loss for how to respond. “You said five years was the limit.” “Chloe, shouldn’t we follow the rules of the game?” In this life, I viewed men’s hearts as worthless. I thought I could play men like puppets. But once again, I was harshly slapped in the face. I lowered my voice, adding somewhat pitifully: “Today… is my birthday.” “Can you…” Before I could finish, he hung up. Starting over, James was still just as cruel.

In my past life, I had investigated Olivia. She was my high school deskmate, and we were very close back then. My crush on James was something only she knew about. Later she went abroad to study, and we lost touch. I never imagined she would turn out to be James’ first love. In this life, as soon as the five-year period was up, James stopped pretending with me. He moved out of my mansion overnight, throwing away the ring I had given him. The trash can in his room was stuffed full of gifts I had once given him. Even during our last intimate moment, I had to initiate everything. The last thing he said to me was: “Don’t make things difficult for her.” Those five simple words set me on fire. “Are you really that eager to leave me?” I asked. He turned his back to me, his voice hoarse: “Chloe Morgan, we were never meant to be together.” For many days after he left, I couldn’t sleep. In the cold early hours, I stubbornly drove out of the mansion. The housekeeper heard the commotion and tried to stop me. “Miss, should I call the driver? It’s too late for you to drive alone. Where are you going?” I didn’t know what to say. I cleared my throat. After a long silence. “Martha, it’s fine. I have some business to take care of.” Martha nagged for a while but couldn’t convince me. She ended up calling the driver to follow behind me. At 5:30 am, I arrived outside James’ apartment.

I knocked on the door, but there was no response for a long time. I thought he must be fast asleep and was about to leave to find somewhere to wait. Suddenly, the door opened. “Chloe?” James said sleepily as he opened the door, looking at me in disbelief. As if on cue, a figure appeared behind him. Olivia, wearing sexy pajamas, had one hand pulling on James. “James, who is it?” she asked. She turned to look at me, her eyes full of meaning. “Long time no see. I’m Chloe Morgan,” I introduced myself. After that, all three of us stood there awkwardly. “You investigated me?” James asked. I thought he would have a lot to say to me. But he opened with an impatient accusation. My heart sank. Looking into his eyes, I said slowly and clearly: “I just want to ask you one thing – did you ever love me during these five years?” Olivia’s expression changed. She clung to James’ arm intimately, her tone full of mockery: “Miss Morgan, James told me everything. You did save his life, that’s true. But he’s repaid that debt over the years. Now that the five years are up, shouldn’t you let him go?” “Besides, it was just a contractual relationship. Don’t tell me you actually thought it was love, Miss Morgan?” “Shut up, I wasn’t asking you!” I raised my voice to scold her, startling Olivia. “James, look at her. What kind of person bullies others just because they have money?” Olivia said, burrowing into James’ arms pitifully. “Chloe, no, Miss Morgan,” James said. “The five-year period is over. Let’s go to the civil affairs bureau sometime to handle the paperwork.” Without needing to ask further, James had made his stance clear. “Fine, don’t regret it!” I said angrily as I left. Behind me, I could hear Olivia’s mocking laughter. “James, after all these years apart, you still have such charm. Looks like I’ll have to keep a close eye on you from now on.” I couldn’t hear what James said in response. I returned home in a daze.

The next day, we went to the civil affairs bureau to handle the divorce procedures. I rushed back to the mansion and cleared out everything related to James. Then I contacted my assistant. “I heard James is trying to start a business recently. Cut off his funding sources, remove him from the company, blacklist him in the industry, and have him sign an IOU for the $500,000 used to rescue his brother.” “Also spread rumors that the Parker heiress seduced a married man. Make sure her reputation is ruined.” “Lastly, what’s the latest on the Grant family, James’ old enemies?” My assistant replied: “I heard they’ve been looking for James everywhere recently.” “Then leak information to the Grants. Let them handle it as they see fit.” After making all the arrangements, I finally lay down in bed with peace of mind. My sister Vanessa rarely called me. “Chloe Morgan, congratulations on being yourself again.” “Sis, I just got divorced. Is congratulations really necessary?” “Oh please, there are plenty of men out there. I’m coming back at 10 pm tomorrow night. I’ll introduce you to some guys then.” Vanessa is my mom’s daughter from her previous marriage. People say she’s just like me – we both inherited our mom’s genes. Things like being unfaithful, fickle, enjoying playing with men. I’ve become numb to hearing it all. As soon as my sister got back, she dragged me to a bar. The whole way there she kept criticizing my outfit. “Look at you, did getting married turn you into some housewife? This won’t do at all.” She pulled out a low-cut black dress from her bag and cajoled me into putting it on. “Now that’s more like my sister,” she said approvingly. “Chloe Morgan, you’re a rich heiress. Why be so traditional? You used to be way more fun.” I rolled my eyes at her. “Vanessa, is this how you’re supposed to be teaching your little sister?” “Haha, don’t tell Mom.” When I was James’ dutiful wife in my past life, I never set foot in a bar. Just because James said he didn’t like noisy places like bars. “I heard there are some hot guys here tonight. It’s on me – I’ve ordered them all for you.” “Consider it celebrating your single status, and a belated birthday party.” The memory of eating cake alone on my birthday flashed through my mind, leaving a bitter taste. But I quickly pushed it away. Remembering that scene was quite a mood killer. My sister had her arms around two cute young guys, laughing heartily. The boy sitting next to me was very shy, but he mustered up the courage to say: “Hi beautiful. You’re so pretty.” His words were awkward, but I enjoyed hearing them.

He clumsily lifted his glass to my lips. I wasn’t paying attention, and the cold alcohol trickled down my lips onto the young hottie’s fingers. He shivered, looking at me a bit embarrassed. There was an indescribable emotion in his eyes. In the dim light, his tall muscular physique was barely visible. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. When we were leaving, I tossed the young hottie my business card. He called me “big sis” and waved goodbye reluctantly. “We’ll meet again,” I said. I’ve never had a high alcohol tolerance, but tonight I had a few extra drinks. As soon as I stepped outside into the cold air, I started stumbling. My sister got distracted and ran off with one of the guys, leaving me alone. I turned back and ran to the bathroom, hugging the toilet and throwing up for a while until my head cleared a bit. I heard a familiar voice from the next stall. “Olivia, I heard your ex-boyfriend got divorced?” Olivia laughed coldly and said: “Yeah, if I hadn’t heard he inherited his grandfather’s billion-dollar fortune, who would bother with used goods like him?” “True, Olivia never uses anything second-hand.” I hid in the bathroom stall without coming out. In my past life, I never heard about James inheriting a fortune. Could he be using this to win back his first love? Another possibility is that the so-called inheritance is actually my money. I was such a fool. Thankfully in this life, I didn’t let him into my company. And I didn’t give him a penny. I only gave him a small allowance each month, out of pity. The gossip continued. Olivia chuckled and went on: “But now there’s a tricky problem – his ex-wife turns out to be Chloe Morgan.” “Who? Your high school bestie? I remember she had a crush on James back then.” “That bitch Chloe, anything she wants, I have to snatch it away.” Olivia said through gritted teeth. Back then, Olivia was our high school beauty queen, stunningly gorgeous even at 16. I was quiet and antisocial. She actively befriended me, giving me my only friend in high school. When I liked James back then, she encouraged me to persist. Olivia was outgoing and straightforward. She helped me gather a lot of intel on James at the time. Back then, rumors spread that the school beauty Olivia and the school heartthrob James were getting close and probably dating.

Everyone said they were a match made in heaven. I had considered the possibility of James liking someone else, but I never imagined my best friend would also like James. I don’t know how long I stayed in the bathroom, but Olivia and her friend had long since left. I got up and walked out, my legs numb and wobbly. I looked at myself in the mirror – red-eyed and disheveled. I washed my face, preparing to head home. As soon as I walked out the main door, I found the young hottie from earlier standing there. “You…” The young hottie was wearing a sporty outfit, carrying a gym bag. He exuded the sunny vibe of a college athlete. “Waiting for you,” he said. As I walked over, I stumbled in my high heels, nearly falling. “Careful!” he said, catching me just in time. I took out a wad of cash from my purse and handed it to him. He hesitated, then took it and stuffed it back in my bag. “No need to pay, big sis,” he said. I narrowed my eyes slightly, smiling. “Consider it a tip for keeping me company today.” Without waiting to see his reaction, I took out my car keys to open the door. But he snatched the keys from me. “I haven’t been drinking. I’ll drive you home,” he said. I was taken aback for a moment, then pulled out a few more bills from my purse to give him. He took them this time, smiling. “Consider it a chauffeur fee then.” He drove very carefully the whole way, stealing glances at me in the rearview mirror. “My name is Leo Grant, big sis,” he said. My head was spinning a bit. I just responded lazily. “Mmhmm, got it.” I closed my eyes, dozing off without realizing. When I opened my eyes, I was…

“Where is this?” I asked, rubbing my aching temples. A light male voice came from outside the door. “Big sis, you’re awake?” The voice sounded familiar. It was Leo. He was shirtless, his skin taut, broad shoulders tapering to a narrow waist. His lean muscular build somehow had an eight-pack. I was mesmerized for a moment, not even noticing him walking closer. “Had enough of looking, big sis?” he teased. I blushed bright red in embarrassment. “I didn’t expect you to look so young but have such a great body.” Leo gave a mischievous smile and pulled me into his arms. “So big sis, have you thought about how you’re going to take responsibility for me?” I panicked internally, desperately trying to remember what happened last night. Last night I met him outside the bar, then he drove me home, and I fell asleep in the car… So why am I here? “Let me help you remember. You fell asleep last night before telling me where you live. I had no choice but to bring you back to my place,” he explained. “Did we… you know?” I asked hesitantly. Leo leaned in close, his gaze intense. “What do you think?” My mind was in chaos. Suddenly I remembered feeling strange about the drinks at the bar last night. Usually my alcohol tolerance isn’t bad. I shouldn’t have gotten drunk so quickly. “It must have been Vanessa,” I thought. I frantically took out my phone to call her. “Vanessa! You set me up!” A lazy male voice answered. “Vanessa’s still sleeping. What do you need?” “Damn it…” I hung up. Leo, standing in front of me, burst out laughing. “Big sis, you were drugged. Last night was my first time.” “Don’t worry if you can’t remember. I’ll help you recall.” Leo pressed me down onto the bed.

Looking closely, beneath his boyish charm, he had incredibly cold eyes. His facial features were stunningly handsome, with lips red as cherries, begging to be kissed. Coming back to my senses, I found myself breathless at our intimate position. I pushed him away forcefully, clearing my throat. “Ahem… well, we’re both adults. Since this is your job, let’s just settle up.” I took out a black card from my purse and handed it to him. “This is your payment.” With that, I got up to change my clothes. “Big sis, the name you called out last night – was it your ex-husband?” Leo asked suddenly. My heart skipped a beat and I clenched my fists. “Shut up!” “I don’t mind. If big sis needs me again, just call anytime.” He made a phone gesture by his ear, the corner of his mouth curling into a slight smile. As I left Leo’s apartment, I ran into James downstairs. I lowered my head, covering my mouth, afraid he would see me. “Chloe Morgan!” He strode over. Dressed in an all-black suit, he exuded an intense aura. “What are you doing here?” he demanded. I composed myself and stood up straight. “That’s none of your business.” He grabbed my bag, pulling me closer. “Who said you could stay out all night? Where were you last night?” James’ tone was displeased. “James Sullivan, we’re divorced,” I said with a cold laugh. “I’m single now. I can stay wherever I want.” “Chloe, I know you’re still angry, but can you not misunderstand me? Olivia was just dealing with depression recently and needed someone with her. She has no family here, so as her…” “As her ex-boyfriend, you had to divorce me within 24 hours to be by her side!” I cut him off. James frowned, his eyes impatient. “Chloe Morgan, can you stop throwing your rich heiress tantrums? Our divorce has nothing to do with Olivia, okay?”

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I found myself once again pinned beneath Zachary Young’s body. In my previous life, after Zachary drunkenly slept with me, we were forced to marry when the media exposed us. But after the wedding, he pointed at me accusingly and shouted, “You schemed your way into marrying me and drove Sarah away. Are you satisfied now?” Only then did I realize the one he truly loved was Sarah, the poor student he had been supporting. To get revenge on me, he bankrupted my family and destroyed us completely. This time, I firmly pushed him away and went to open the door. “I’m in the wrong room. My boyfriend is across the hall.” The door opposite opened at that moment. Jason Harper, Zachary’s rival, was standing there. I threw myself into his arms. “Honey, I missed you so much!” Zachary’s face darkened. At the same time, I closed the door behind me. Surrounded by the heavy scent of alcohol, I was pinned beneath Zachary Young. He was as passionate as he had been in my previous life. His heavy breathing fell on my temple as he called out emotionally, “Sarah…” My whole body tensed as I suddenly came to my senses. In my past life, I had a secret crush on Zachary. When he drunkenly pinned me to the bed, my excitement and anticipation outweighed my fear. Hearing him passionately call my name, I thought Zachary must have feelings for me too. But on our wedding night, when he kicked me out of the master bedroom despite all my careful preparations, I finally understood – the “Sarah” he called out wasn’t me at all. The one he loved had always been Sarah Zhang, the poor student he sponsored, not me, Sophia Thompson. How ridiculous that I had gone along with this marriage just because of that one night of passion. I thought it was a romance we both wanted, not knowing I was walking into hell on earth. Zachary took cruel revenge on me, destroying my family and ruining us completely. The feeling of being pinned down by that despicable man was vivid in my mind. It felt like countless greasy hands were roaming over my body. In my past life, I was tortured to death by those men. Surrounded by humiliation and shame, I forcefully pushed away the person on top of me. Zachary froze beside me, but I didn’t even look at him as I stumbled towards the door. As I grabbed the doorknob, he called out my name from behind. “Sophia—” So he knew who I was after all. He knew, yet he still went along with the mistake and blamed everything on me after we married. How laughable. I didn’t even turn back as I opened the door and said coldly, “I’m in the wrong room. My boyfriend is across the hall.” The door opposite opened at that moment. Jason Harper, Zachary’s rival, was standing there. Sensing footsteps behind me, I gritted my teeth and threw myself into his arms. Then I put on the most affected voice I could muster: “Honey, I missed you so much!” “Sophia.” Zachary’s voice came from behind, seething with anger. I clung to Jason without letting go, secretly glancing back from his embrace. Zachary’s face had darkened. At the same time, I closed the door behind me. As the door shut, Zachary’s furious voice squeezed through the crack. “Don’t you dare regret this!” Of course I wouldn’t regret it. In my past life, I had done plenty of things I regretted. This time, I absolutely would not repeat those mistakes.

Just as I closed the door, a commotion of footsteps sounded from around the corner of the hallway. I suddenly remembered something and frowned, instinctively pushing Jason into his room. Soon after we closed the door, the footsteps stopped outside. “Is this the room?” “Yes, hurry and knock!” It was those reporters. In my past life, photos of me sleeping with him were leaked by these unscrupulous media outlets. Under pressure from all sides, Zachary was forced to marry me. At the time, I was overjoyed and completely failed to notice his reluctance. It wasn’t until after the wedding, when he berated me to my face and treated me coldly, that I realized. Not only that, Zachary also schemed to destroy my family’s company. After we went bankrupt, my father committed suicide by jumping off a building, unable to bear the pressure. My mother followed soon after by slitting her wrists. I became an orphan overnight, and was then sold to rich businessmen to pay off debts. Used by countless men. Those days were like hell on earth. Even now, the memory makes my whole body tremble uncontrollably. I was like a toy, an ornament, enduring their endless torture. I still remember when they first captured me. I was still naive then, and warned them with a trembling voice: “My husband is Zachary Young. If he finds out how you’re treating me—” Before I could finish, the leering man opposite burst into laughter. Then he slapped my face over and over, telling me the cruel truth. “Zachary Young? Don’t be so naive. He’s the one who sold you to us.” I knew Zachary had always loved Sarah, but I never imagined he could be so heartless towards me. Fortunately now, I had a chance to start over. I avoided the reporters and didn’t sleep with Zachary. Clutching my chest in lingering fear, the joy of my rebirth made me forget where I was for a moment. Until the man in front of me spoke teasingly. “Boyfriend?” I was stunned, then looked up. Jason Harper was raising an eyebrow at me. This was the first time I had observed him up close. His looks were completely different from Zachary’s pretty-boy appearance – harder and colder, with thick eyebrows and bright black eyes. No wonder he made countless girls in the city swoon. But now wasn’t the time to be starstruck. Hearing the door open across the hall, I quickly lowered my voice and pleaded with him: “Can you help me? Just pretend to be my boyfriend in front of Zachary for a few days. I’m leaving the country soon, you can say you dumped me then.” Jason’s expression remained neutral the whole time. After hearing me out, he just glanced at the door with an ambiguous smile. “What if I say no?” My heart leapt into my throat. I knew this was no joking matter. If Jason opened the door now and revealed what he had seen, I would be falling back into the same trap as my previous life. Thinking of this, I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, there was a hint of resolve in my gaze. “What would it take for you to agree? I’ll accept any condition.” Perhaps it was the seriousness in my tone, but Jason was taken aback for a moment. Then he stepped further into the room. “I never thought I’d see the day the high and mighty Miss Thompson would lower herself to beg.” My heart loosened a bit, knowing there was hope. I quickly followed him. By now Jason had walked over to sit by the window, dramatically picking up a glass of red wine from the table. “I suppose I could help you, but you’ll have to do something for me in return.” I nodded without hesitation: “Of course, what is it?” He held the glass by the rim, tapping it lightly with his finger. “I haven’t decided yet. Let’s say you owe me one, to be determined later.” Jason was true to his word. Those reporters didn’t get any useful information from the room across the hall, but they still refused to leave the hotel lobby. Jason snuck me out through the service elevator and we escaped unnoticed through the parking garage.

I didn’t expect the news to still break. Someone had photographed Zachary and me entering the hotel together from behind. Combined with Zachary’s state when he opened the door, the reporters were convinced he must have been on a date. But the mystery woman had only been captured from behind before vanishing without a trace. The love lives of the city’s most eligible bachelors were always a hot topic. In less than a day, news of Zachary’s secret lover spread like wildfire. Meanwhile, he was hospitalized for alcohol poisoning. The next day at breakfast, my parents scrolled through their phones and asked me, “Is it true Zachary’s dating someone?” I played dumb: “I don’t know, we haven’t been in touch lately.” I scrolled through my own phone for a while, only relaxing after confirming Zachary hadn’t revealed my name to the cameras. Right after, a message from him popped up on my screen. “Come see me at the hospital.” His tone was as commanding as ever. I instinctively wanted to refuse, but thought better of it. If I angered him, he might leak my name to the media and cause a whole new mess. That afternoon, I got ready and went to the hospital. When I pushed open the door, I saw Zachary recklessly working on his laptop in the hospital bed. Seeing me enter, he immediately closed the laptop and pushed his gold-rimmed glasses up his nose. His face was pale as he coldly questioned me. “When did you start liking Jason Harper?” Without waiting for my answer, he continued firing accusations: “Do you know what kind of person Jason Harper is? Everyone in our circle says he’s gay, always surrounded by male escorts. You—” “I’ve liked him since I was little,” I said softly, cutting him off. I forced myself to ignore the shocked expression on Zachary’s face. Though they ran in the same circles, Zachary and Jason were well-known rivals. Zachary was the typical golden boy – excelling at everything, perfect in every way. In contrast, Jason was a troublemaker. Yet from childhood through adulthood, Jason’s grades had always surpassed Zachary’s. Even when they started their own businesses as adults, the two remained competitors in the same field. The one I had liked since childhood was actually Zachary. When I was young, my parents were always busy with work. We had just moved to the city from out of state, and I wasn’t familiar with the area yet. One day I snuck out of our mansion to play, but accidentally got lost. I couldn’t find my way home even as it got dark, and ended up crying by the roadside. That day, Zachary appeared before me like an angel, gently wiping away my tears with a tissue. “Don’t be afraid, I’ll take you home,” he said. He held my small hand and really did bring me back to my front door. From then on, I became Zachary’s little shadow. My childhood crush gradually became a habit, and I secretly loved him all this time. Hearing my response, Zachary’s expression grew increasingly ugly. “Sophia, this isn’t a joke. Of all people, why would you like that plague—” Just then, there was a polite knock at the door. It was Sarah Zhang. Seeing me, her expression didn’t change at all as she set down the thermos she had brought on a nearby table. “I saw the news that you were hospitalized and rushed over. This is soup I made myself, it’s very good for you. Drink it while it’s hot.” Sarah spoke unhurriedly in a soft, pleasant voice, a smile constantly on her face. Such a caring demeanor – what man wouldn’t like it? Seeing her, Zachary’s expression softened. “You didn’t have to go to the trouble of making it yourself.” Sarah sat down beside him, inadvertently squeezing me to the side. I took the hint and excused myself from the room. In this life, I hoped the two of them would end up together for good.

Zachary and I could be considered childhood sweethearts. After he rescued me that day, he introduced me to his other friends. Growing up, we attended the same elite schools and were seen as an ideal couple by others. When I first arrived, it was Zachary who repeatedly stood up for me, firmly telling others: “She’s with me, don’t you dare bully her.” In high school when classmates tried to give me love letters, Zachary would rush out to intercept them, warning: “She’s mine, back off.” We went to school together, came home together, and were part of almost every big and small moment in each other’s youth. I always believed Zachary had feelings for me too. Until Sarah Zhang appeared.

Sarah Zhang was a charity case sponsored by Zachary’s family. He paid for her college tuition at the same university as us. I’m not sure when it started, but Sarah gradually infiltrated our lives. Zachary began attending club activities with Sarah, taking her to off-campus English training camps, and even inexplicably getting called away to tutor her when he was supposed to be in class with me. I was slowly pushed to the outside, suddenly becoming a third wheel. In a panic, I couldn’t help wanting to confess my feelings to Zachary. But before I could get the words out, he cut me off coldly. He said: “Sophia, don’t. I’ve always seen you as a sister.” After that, he started appearing with Sarah even more frequently. They became the Cinderella and Prince Charming of campus, while I was cast as the evil stepsister in their story. For a group project in our major, Sarah was absent and didn’t submit her research. I truthfully reported this to the professor, but when I returned to the classroom, I found her in tears in front of everyone. “Sophia has always disliked me. I can accept being ostracized by her, I just want to graduate in peace.” That day, the way Zachary looked at me – I’ll never forget it for the rest of my life. That evening, I went to pick up my best friend Rachel from work. In the car, when Rachel heard I had given up on Zachary and was now with Jason, she nearly dropped her jaw in shock.

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Mia Lawrence became a household name after starring in a script I wrote. We had been together for three years. Zoe Sanders, Parker’s assistant, posted on Instagram while playing with our engagement ring. Parker’s voice could be heard in the background, sounding affectionate. “Zoe, stop playing around. You’re hungry, and it breaks my heart.” Parker’s manager commented below: “Are you two not hiding it anymore?” So, the office dinner was actually a sweet date for the two of them. Later, Parker caught me kissing his arch-nemesis, both of us half-naked and reluctant to part. Parker’s eyes turned blood-red as he demanded, “What are you doing?” I was scrolling through my phone on the couch when a news notification popped up: “Popular actor Parker Sullivan spotted holding hands with a woman late at night. When discovered by paparazzi, he lashed out at them.” I opened the full-size image. Under the streetlight, Parker was holding Zoe Sanders’ hand. Zoe was looking at Parker with stars in her eyes. The comments were flooding in rapidly. “OMG, big star x little assistant, I ship it so hard!” “Parker Sullivan’s emotions seem really unstable. He’s yelled at paparazzi twice this month.” “Don’t the paparazzi deserve to be yelled at? Celebrities have private lives too, you know?” I met Parker on a film set. I was the head writer, and he was a newcomer auditioning for a role. Parker’s acting was impressive. Against everyone’s advice, I replaced the studio-backed second male lead with him. When Parker found out, he came to thank me. With his curly hair and handsome, cool demeanor, he looked exactly like the male lead I had envisioned for my new script. This was my first time writing a romance, and I was struggling to find inspiration. Looking at Parker, I blurted out, “Parker, do you have a girlfriend?” Parker coughed awkwardly and glanced away, “No, I don’t.” I asked him seriously, “Then would you like to date me?” Parker’s ears turned red as he pressed his lips together and said, “Let’s give it a try.” That “try” lasted three years. At first, I thought Parker didn’t have deep feelings for me and was just dating me to star in my scripts. Two years ago, I went to a small town in the south to find inspiration for a new script. Unexpectedly, I got caught in a major flood and was stranded in a remote bed and breakfast. There was no signal, and I was far from any populated areas. Parker, ignoring everyone’s warnings, paddled a canoe by himself to find me. When we finally reached safety, he held me tightly, shaking and thanking every god he could think of. After he calmed down, Parker said in a hoarse voice, “Mia, I was so scared. The news said there was a flood here, and I couldn’t contact you. I was terrified of losing you.” Since then, Parker would accompany me whenever I went out to write, even if it meant canceling all his other engagements. Last month, on our third anniversary, I told Parker the time and place I had planned for my research trip. Parker hesitated for a while, looking conflicted, “Mia, I have a work commitment that day that I can’t reschedule. Can you go by yourself this time? I promise I’ll go with you next time.” Knowing that Parker had just been promoted to B-list and needed the exposure, I nodded understandingly. Parker’s tone was full of regret, “Mia, I promise, this is the last time.” Afraid that Parker would worry, I constantly sent him photos during my trip. Parker replied promptly to every photo I sent. When I blew out the candles on our anniversary cake alone, my wish was for Parker and me to remain as sweet as we were in the beginning. That night, I saw photos of Parker and Zoe on her social media. It turned out that Parker had refused to come with me because he was attending her graduation ceremony. Zoe was holding onto Parker’s arm, Parker was smiling freely, and Zoe was beaming sweetly. They looked exactly like a loving couple. I tried to tell myself they were just friends. But the intimacy in their photos and my uncontrollably shaking hands betrayed my true thoughts.

As I was scrolling through the comments, Parker came home, storming in with a dark face and marching up to me. “Mia, did you see what those reporters posted? Don’t pay attention to them, they’re always talking nonsense.” I sat up and smiled at him, “Next time, be nicer to the reporters. Otherwise, they’ll be even more eager to follow you around.” Parker frustratedly ran his hand through his hair and scoffed, “It’s so annoying! There’s nothing between Zoe and me. She just lost her balance, and I helped steady her.” Then, a smile appeared on his face, “That little girl is always so clumsy. She’s only five years younger than you, but she doesn’t have an ounce of your maturity.” I nodded and smiled, not feeling like responding. Parker looked at me suspiciously, “Why aren’t you saying anything?” Parker had been talking about Zoe non-stop lately, and I was tired of hearing it. I suddenly asked, “Where’s your ring?” Parker didn’t react at first, then furrowed his brow and thought for a moment before saying, “The ring didn’t match my outfit today, so I left it at the office.” I nodded, pretending to believe him. Parker thought I didn’t have Zoe’s contact information, so he lied to me without hesitation. What he didn’t know was that Zoe had found an excuse to add me on social media the first time we met. Seeing how innocent she seemed as she was just starting her career, I didn’t refuse. Parker, still uncertain, said, “I’m going to take a shower. We had a office dinner today, and Zoe insisted on having hot pot. Now I smell like it.” Parker only liked light flavors and avoided all strongly flavored foods. I loved hot pot and often asked him to try new hot pot places with me, but he always refused. I never thought he’d make an exception for Zoe so easily. I nodded indifferently.

Zoe was a new intern assistant who had joined Parker’s studio two months ago. She had a pure and sweet appearance. During her interview, she claimed to be Parker’s high school junior and also his fan. I advised Parker not to get too close to fans. Parker impatiently retorted, “You make the decisions for your scripts, insisting on casting James Hudson as the male lead. I make the decisions for my studio.” Before I could speak again, he continued. The male lead in my new script was completely different from Parker’s personality, so I chose the A-list actor James Hudson. Parker was still resentful about this and often used it to argue and sulk with me. Zoe, with teary eyes like a little white rabbit, timidly pleaded, “Senior, I’ll work hard, please give me a chance. I’m young, I don’t want to go to jail.” Parker glanced at me and said to her meaningfully, “You’re hired.” I didn’t say anything more, just silently sighed in my heart. My best friend Natalie Quinn called me, her tone full of anger, “Mia, I saw the trending news. What’s Parker thinking? Holding hands with another girl and making such a big scene.” I laughed nonchalantly, “I’m planning to break up with him and move back to Harbor City to develop my career.” I had moved to Capital City with Parker for his career. Now that he didn’t need me anymore, I wanted to go home. Natalie exclaimed happily, “If you come back, I’ll have a companion again! You don’t know how I’ve survived these three years!” I laughed and patiently explained, “In a few days, I need to attend the opening ceremony for the new movie. You know how important this film is to me.” Natalie laughed loudly, “I know, I know, it’s your transformative work, right?” After chatting for a while, we hung up. Parker came out toweling his hair and asked, “I thought I heard you mention Harbor City earlier? Hasn’t your career all moved to Capital City?” I calmly replied, “I was just talking to Natalie about the past.” Parker nodded and didn’t ask further. He yawned tiredly and said, “Mia, let’s go to bed. I have an event tomorrow and need to get up early.” I said softly, “I’ll sleep in the guest room. You rest well.” Parker’s hand stopped in mid-air as he was drying his hair, frozen in place. I ignored him and went to the guest room, closing the door behind me.

Since I had decided to return to Harbor City, I started handling things here first thing in the morning. The house we lived in was Parker’s first property purchase. I still remember him hugging me in this place when it was still just a shell, looking at me expectantly and saying, “Mia, when I save up a bit more money, let’s get married, okay?” I hugged him back, smiling with pure happiness. Now Parker owned many properties but had never proposed to me. Looking at each object now, each with its unique memory, my eyes stung, but I couldn’t shed a single tear. As I was packing things, Parker came back in a hurry, his face dark as he strode up to me. “Mia, did you see what those reporters posted? Don’t pay attention to them, they’re always talking nonsense.” I didn’t look up and continued packing, “I forgot, it’s been about two months.” Parker’s expression became panicked as he explained, “Don’t mind what Zoe posts. She’s just young and innocently admires me, there’s nothing else to it.” Parker always used this excuse to placate me. If I was older, I should be more understanding; otherwise, I was being immature. I nodded indifferently and continued packing. Seeing my apparent lack of concern, Parker grabbed my arm, forcing me to look at him. “I was wrong to lie to you about the ring yesterday. Zoe really liked the style of our rings, so I just let her wear it for a bit. You won’t hold it against her, right?” I calmly said, “I won’t hold it against her. I’m older than her, I’ll be understanding.” Parker seemed to remember something else and lowered his stance to continue explaining, “She begged me to go to her graduation ceremony, saying her family was out of town and she envied her classmates who had someone to accompany them. I was wrong not to tell you the truth, please forgive me, okay?” I found him ridiculous and casually agreed, “Okay, I forgive you.” Parker finally relaxed, a smile appearing on his face, “The day after tomorrow is your birthday. I’ve booked your favorite restaurant.” I nodded slightly. Parker, finally at ease, said he still had work to do and hurriedly left.

I shipped most of my luggage to my house in Harbor City, then contacted a friend at a car dealership to sell this car. As I was driving, my mind was still on Parker’s anxious explanations earlier, and I was a bit distracted. Suddenly, an electric bike darted out from a small alley. I couldn’t avoid it in time and crashed into the roadside barrier. My heart was pounding, and my throat felt tight, but fortunately, the other person wasn’t injured. I rarely drove myself and this was my first time encountering such a situation. After immediately calling the police, I dialed Parker’s number. As soon as the call connected, I started explaining what had just happened, my voice choked with tears. But Zoe’s sweet voice came through, “Sister Mia, Parker is still working. I’ll tell him when he’s done. ” Before I could say anything, the call was hung up. The police arrived quickly and investigated the scene. After questioning me and the electric bike rider, they quickly determined the accident responsibility. The insurance company contacted me, saying they needed the real-time video from the dashcam at the time. I went home and started checking the card on my computer. When adjusting the time, there was an error, and last week’s recording appeared. Parker had parked the car in our community parking lot and was reaching for something in the back seat when Zoe suddenly leaned in and kissed his face. Parker dodged a bit, instinctively looking around, and Zoe pouted coquettishly. “What are you dodging for? Mia Lawrence is out of town on a business trip, she’s not here.” Parker’s expression was helpless as he said, “Zoe, I only see you as a little sister.” Zoe’s eyes reddened, and she was about to cry. Parker immediately changed his tone, coaxing her gently, “Okay, okay, I shouldn’t have been harsh. I was wrong.” Zoe broke into a smile, reaching out to wrap her arms around Parker’s neck and kissing him on the mouth. Parker didn’t know that my dashcam had a two-way camera. His expression changed from calm to passionate, his hands instinctively and skillfully caressing Zoe’s body, reaching to the back seat to grab the condom he hadn’t taken out earlier. The computer froze on this scene, and I didn’t want to watch any further. I remembered when I came back from my business trip, Parker had boasted to me, “Mia, I know you like things clean. While you were away, I had someone clean the house and your car.” I had always thought Parker was only emotionally unfaithful, but I never imagined he had already physically cheated. Parker would drive my car for his private engagements to avoid paparazzi following him. The pain in my chest was unbearably sharp. I pressed hard against my heart, bending over and gasping for air. The tears that hadn’t fallen while packing now flowed uncontrollably. The door lock clicked, and Parker came back carrying a bouquet of flowers. As he took off his shoes and jacket, he said, “Mia, I’m back. I specially went out of my way to buy you your favorite blue roses.” Blue roses were my favorite flowers, symbolizing the impossible, precious, and rare. Now it seemed that Parker’s true love was the impossible thing for me. I didn’t respond, just staring straight at the screen. Parker’s gaze passed over me and fell on the computer screen, freezing in place. Parker’s face turned pale, and he rushed over in a panic, slamming the laptop shut. He knelt beside my feet, desperately trying to explain, “Mia, I lost my head for a moment. I was wrong. Can you give me another chance? I’ll fire Zoe tomorrow, no, I’ll fire her right now!”

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When I was getting divorced, I voluntarily gave up custody of my daughter. It was because on the day we went to the court to file for divorce, she clung to her father’s neck and cried, “Bad mommy, bad mommy, I hate mommy!” “If you insist on divorcing daddy, I’ll stay with him and let you grow old alone!” In my previous life, I ignored her childish threats and fought for custody. I raised her with all my heart. But she hated me her whole life, never calling me mom again until the day I died. On her wedding day, she even invited her father’s mistress on stage to give a speech of thanks. When I opened my eyes again and saw that malicious little face in front of me, I nodded indifferently, “Fine by me. I don’t want an unlikable child anyway.” 0″Fine by me. I don’t want an unlikable child anyway.” As soon as I said this, the two people in front of me froze as if struck by lightning. They looked at me in disbelief. Jack was stunned for a moment, then reacted and started cursing at me. “What nonsense are you spouting in front of the child!” I glanced at Annie, who was hiding in his arms, and repeated, “I said if she doesn’t want to stay with me, that’s fine. I don’t want such an unlikable child either.” “If you still don’t understand, I can say it more clearly.” “I. Don’t. Want. Her.” I enunciated each word forcefully. As soon as I finished speaking, Annie, who had been burying her head and throwing a tantrum to try to force me to change my mind, suddenly looked up. She looked at me and burst into loud sobs. Her face was covered in tears and snot. “Bad mommy, bad mommy, I hate mommy!” She cried while struggling in Jack’s arms. She almost fell. Jack had no choice but to lower his head and frantically try to comfort the child. “Mommy’s just joking. She carried you for nine months, gave birth to you, and took care of you. How could she not want you?” “We all know you’re her favorite.” Under his gentle coaxing, Annie’s cries gradually subsided. She clung to Jack’s arms like an octopus, tightly hugging his neck, and asked in a small voice, “Really?” “Of course it’s true. Don’t you want to ask your mom yourself?” Jack comforted her while giving me meaningful looks, wanting me to take the child and comfort her. Annie also looked over with tear-filled eyes, full of expectation. But I remained unmoved, not even raising an eyelid. Still maintaining that cold attitude. Annie seemed to have been stung, her mouth twisted as if she was about to cry again. Jack lost his patience and glared at me with a dark face, “What’s wrong with you? It’s bad enough you want a divorce, but now you don’t even want the child?” “Are you still fit to be a mother!” I sneered and said indifferently, “Wasn’t she the one who said she didn’t want me as her mother first? Of course I have to respect her wishes.” Annie’s small body stiffened for a moment, then she glared at me fiercely. She shouted, “You were the one who didn’t want me and daddy first!” “If you respect my opinion, why do you still insist on divorcing?” “My biggest opinion is that you shouldn’t get divorced. Why don’t you listen! You just don’t want us. You want to make me a child without parents!” 0

In my previous life, she accused me the same way. She called me selfish and self-centered, threatening that if I dared to divorce, she would never acknowledge me as her mother again. I didn’t argue with her, considering her young age. Instead, I patiently explained to her. I said it was because her father had another woman outside, that’s why I chose to divorce. I thought saying this would make her understand. But what I got in return was her naive yet vicious question, “Is it because you’re not good enough, so daddy had to find someone else outside?” “My classmate Rosie’s mom is beautiful and capable, and her dad would never look for anyone else.” “You’re not good enough, daddy doesn’t want you, and I don’t want you either!” At that moment, I felt as if I had fallen into an icy pit. A sense of frustration and despair I had never felt before welled up in my heart. I always thought that even if I wasn’t a successful wife, I was at least a successful mother. Since Annie was born, all my energy and time had been spent on her. I was afraid she would be cold or hungry, or feel wronged. I did everything myself. But after I had given all my heart and soul, all I got in return were eight words. You’re not good enough, I don’t want you. My heart trembled violently, but not for a moment did I think of giving up. I thought it would be better when she grew up. When she grew up and became sensible, she would understand my difficulties and my love for her. So I treated her even better. Until her wedding day. She invited Jack and his wife, who was Jack’s mistress, on stage. Calling them “Dad” and “Mom” in every sentence, giving a speech of thanks. In front of all the guests, she knelt before that woman and said, “You are the person I should thank most in this life.” “I want to thank you for bringing my dad out of that failed marriage, and thank you for your care and concern for me over the years.” “Without you, there wouldn’t be who I am today. Please allow me to call you Mom.” After she finished speaking, the woman pulled her up and hugged her. Jack also walked up. The family hugged together harmoniously. I stood below the stage like a joke, my heart feeling as if it had been cut by a knife. 0

The scenes from my previous life were still vivid. I couldn’t help but look at Annie with some disgust. Annie was frightened, thinking I was angry because of what she had just said. She shrank back in Jack’s arms. She argued in a small voice, “I… I didn’t say anything wrong.” “Isn’t it good for our family to stay together? Daddy has begged you so much, but you still insist on divorcing. You don’t consider my feelings at all!” I pulled at the corners of my mouth, my mocking gaze falling on her, “Your dad begged me not to divorce because he cheated. He’s the one at fault, and divorce doesn’t benefit him one bit.” Just thinking about it made me laugh. In my previous life, in order to get custody of my daughter as soon as possible, I made a lot of concessions when dividing the property. Jack schemed to take away all the cash flow, leaving me with just an empty shell of a company. This time, I won’t be so foolish. I can give up the child. But the money, I must get it all. Hearing what I said, Annie was a bit dazed. She looked up at Jack in confusion, not understanding what cheating meant. Jack’s face turned black and red when I tore off his fig leaf in front of our daughter. “Have you no shame, saying such things to our daughter!” “You had the face to do it, why shouldn’t I have the face to say it?” I looked at our daughter who still hadn’t come to her senses and asked the same question as in my previous life. “Even so, do you still disagree with me divorcing your dad? Do you still insist on staying with him?” Annie was frightened by my serious and cold voice and didn’t speak. Jack squeezed her hand. The next second, the hesitation on Annie’s face disappeared, instantly turning into determination. “Yes!” Indeed, she was Jack’s good daughter. I showed a mocking expression on my face, picked up my bag and turned to leave. 0

After leaving the Lakeside Villa, I returned to the apartment near my company. As soon as I entered the door, I received a call from my mother. She asked how the divorce proceedings went today. I said it didn’t go through. “It didn’t? Why?” Mother asked, puzzled. “Is it because Jack disagreed, or did Annie make a scene again?” “Neither. I want to draft a new divorce agreement,” I said. Mother hesitated, “You’re not planning to give up the company to get custody of Annie, are you?” She sighed, “It’s not that I don’t like Annie, but she’s all for the Jiang family. It’s not good to force her to stay with you.” In my previous life, mother had said similar things. After seeing me sacrifice my own interests for Annie time and time again, she pointed at my nose and scolded me. She said I must have been hit on the head, giving away the fortune my father had earned in his lifetime to others for an ungrateful brat. She had disagreed when I married Jack, who was from a different social class. Later, when I almost gave away the company for Annie’s sake, she was even angrier. She demanded more than once that I send Annie back. “If you want a child, you can have another one.” “If you don’t want to have one yourself, you can adopt. Annie has already been spoiled by the Jiang family and can’t be changed.” Back then, I couldn’t listen to her advice at all. Now, even without my mother’s persuasion, I’ve come to my senses. I explained, “No, the previous agreement wasn’t drafted well.” “In the new agreement, I want Jack to leave with nothing.” Mother was stunned for a moment, then tentatively asked, “What if Annie disagrees?” I snorted coldly, “If she disagrees, she can go back to the Jiang family.” In this new life, I want to cherish those who are worth cherishing. 0

After proposing new terms to the lawyer, I worked non-stop at the company for several days. Finally, on Saturday, I drove to an orphanage in a neighboring state. When I arrived, I learned from the director that the person I was looking for wasn’t at the orphanage these past few days. “That little girl is very good at studying. She was chosen by the school to participate in a math competition.” The director took out an album from the cabinet and handed me a photo from inside. I looked down at the photo of a short-haired little girl. She looked about seven or eight years old. Her body was a bit thin due to malnutrition, but her eyes were bright and spirited. I raised my hand, my fingertips gently brushing over her little face. In my previous life, when I was 46 and diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer, bedridden and unable to move, it was this little girl who took care of me. She was an orphan I had sponsored long ago. Her name was Lily. After seeing the news of my illness online, she specially took time off to come and take care of me. She would take me out to bask in the sun, cut my nails, and braid my hair for me. When I couldn’t sleep at night because of the pain, she would tell me stories. She even spent all her savings to pay for my medical expenses. She said if it wasn’t for my kindness back then, she wouldn’t have been able to continue her studies. So she wanted to repay me. How ironic. The daughter I had raised like a precious pearl treated me like an enemy and colluded with others to swindle all my money. Yet a strange little girl would come to take care of me, feeding and cleaning me, because of a little kindness I had carelessly spread. Hearing that I was this little girl’s sponsor and wanted to adopt her, the director was very happy. “Lily is both obedient and smart. If it wasn’t for her being a bit older, many families would want to adopt her.” “If you don’t mind her age, I can give you a call when she comes back. If you two meet and there’s no problem, we can start the procedures.” I nodded, indicating that I didn’t mind. After agreeing on the details, I drove back. Before going home, I went to the mall first. When leaving the orphanage, I had asked the director for Lily’s measurements. I planned to buy a few sets of clothes and shoes first, so the child could wear them directly when she came. Thinking that all little girls are the same, I bought a lot based on what Annie used to like. I didn’t expect to run into Annie when I was about to leave. 0She was holding Jack’s hand with one hand and a strange woman’s hand with the other. I glanced over – it was Jack’s mistress. Wendy.

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During a meeting, my online boyfriend sent me a shirtless photo. In my excitement, I accidentally sent a message meant for him to my boss instead. “Honey, I’m really broke this month. My paycheck hasn’t come through yet.” My boss’s face darkened as he growled, “Get out. I’m not your ‘honey’.” My coworkers thought the boss hated me and started mocking me behind my back. Little did they know that after I had an abrupt breakup with my online boyfriend, my boss pulled me onto his desk, his whole body trembling. “Baby, I’m not your boss. I’m your husband.” “Please don’t hate me, baby. I love you so much. Don’t break up with me, I’m begging you.” Bored during the meeting, I decided to chat with my online boyfriend. “Work’s been so stressful lately. Thank goodness my husband is understanding and ran off with someone else. The kid’s well-behaved too, since it’s not mine.” My online boyfriend sent a “pat pat” sticker and replied: “My poor baby, you’re so busy and tired. I wish you could get paid without having to work at all.” “Can I buy your company?” “I want to be there with you at work.” My boyfriend was being so cute, I decided to tease him a bit: “Show me your abs, babe!” “I’m in a meeting, love. Can we do this later?” I was about to reply that I was just joking when he quickly changed his mind: “Wait for me, baby. I’ll take a photo now.” Was he really going to sneak out of his meeting? He might get his pay docked if he gets caught. I was frowning, about to warn him not to do anything rash, when my coworker nudged me: “Look at the boss! His face is all red! And for once it’s not because he’s angry.” Just as I looked up, I saw Marcus stand up with a spring in his step: “Excuse me for a few minutes.” As soon as the boss left, Lily leaned in to gossip: “I heard from the marketing team that the new brand ambassador our company signed last month might be the boss’s girlfriend. You know, that actress Emma. Do you think she’s the one who got our boss all flustered just now?” Lily sighed after finishing, “Emma’s pretty popular though. He probably can’t go public with her while her career is taking off. Looks like they’ll have to keep it under wraps for a few years. Poor boss.” I wasn’t particularly interested in the boss’s private life and was trying to figure out how to brush off the topic when my online boyfriend sent over a few shirtless photos. Great! Looks like my slim, toned boyfriend might be worth meeting in person after all! I couldn’t help but smile as I zoomed in on the photos. While admiring my boyfriend’s great physique, I absent-mindedly responded to Lily: “Different industries, different worlds. I hope it works out for him.” I couldn’t hold back a laugh when I saw my boyfriend’s amazing body. But before I could properly compliment him, Lily peeked over. “Watching a funny video?” Afraid she’d discover I was in an online relationship, I quickly switched to a video feed and said with a grin: “Yeah, smartphones are so much fun.”

When Marcus pushed open the door, he wore a grim expression. The meeting room instantly turned into Silent Hill. Everyone lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes. After sitting back down in his chair, he pulled up last month’s ad exposure stats on the projector. Even though the returns had multiplied several times over, he just sat there frowning without saying a word. I guess it’s understandable. All bosses are greedy. Who cares if he’s happy or not, I was feeling pretty excited myself. I happily teased my online boyfriend: “Honey, let me just say, I’m really broke this month. My paycheck hasn’t come through yet.” I couldn’t even imagine how flustered my online boyfriend would get. After sending the message, I didn’t realize I had sent it to the wrong person. I was still furiously typing in the input box: My hubby is so handsome and sexy, I want to slide down those abs. Just as I was about to hit send, Marcus’s angry, agitated voice suddenly rang out in the meeting room: “Get out! I’m not your ‘honey’.” I clicked my tongue in disdain and whispered to Lily: “What’s his problem now? Menopause? Is his temper getting worse with age?” Lily froze, speaking through gritted teeth: “I suggest you faint on the spot.” I was stunned, catching a glimpse of the chat window on the display screen out of the corner of my eye. I had a bad feeling about this. Turning my head to look, sure enough, the sky had fallen! All the colleagues in the room were staring at me with wide eyes. An office worker’s breakdown happens in an instant. I had forgotten to switch accounts. Sneakily sending messages on your phone under the table is just asking for trouble! I really couldn’t understand why the boss’s profile picture was exactly the same as my online boyfriend’s. When people are embarrassed, they tend to get busy. I pretended to organize the files on the table, but eventually stood up and apologized with a choked voice: “I’m sorry, honey. I sent that to the wrong person.” No! My stupid mouth, don’t say that! This is so embarrassing, maybe I should just run away. Before I could take a step, I caught sight of Marcus glaring at me coldly: “How unprofessional!”

After this social suicide, I became infamous in the company. The employee group chat gossiped about me all afternoon. “Have you all heard about Olivia from the strategy department?” “LOL, looks like even the boss has fangirls now!” “Isn’t the boss dating Emma? Is Olivia trying to be the other woman?” “Just because she’s pretty, she thinks she can take shortcuts. Now she’s crashed and burned!” “Could it be that she meant to send it to her boyfriend and accidentally sent it to the wrong person?” “No way it was sent to the wrong person. I’m in her department and I’ve never heard of her having a boyfriend. I’ve never seen a boyfriend send her flowers or pick her up after work or anything. Besides, even if it was meant for her boyfriend, how could she mistake the profile picture? She’s not blind! No matter how you look at it, it’s impossible!” “Haha, what a schemer! Pretty women always have tricks up their sleeves. She’s probably dreaming of becoming the boss’s wife.” After lurking for a while, I was about to sulk quietly when Lily passionately jumped in: “You lot sure know how to run your mouths! If you’re not acting like donkeys, you’re croaking like frogs. If your mouths are so idle, go lick a toilet bowl instead of spreading rumors here! Get lost!!” Immediately, a “righteous judge” in the group spoke up: “Your words are too crude. Our company culture is to be tolerant of others. Is it necessary to be so aggressive? If there are messages you don’t like to see, can’t you just ignore them?” Lily: “You get lost too!” “We’re all colleagues here. Is there any need to be so hostile in your speech? Can’t you be a little more polite?” Lily was very receptive to the advice: “OK, please get lost!” The gossip group quieted down for a while, then started spreading rumors that I had a crush on Marcus. It made me laugh angrily. I typed forcefully: “Yes, at my purest, I could have crushes on 80 people in a semester.” “Also, I have depression and I’m quite sensitive. Let me spread the rumors myself, I don’t trust you guys to do it.”

That night, unable to sleep from frustration, I told my best friend about what happened during the day. She laughed so hard she pounded on the bed: “Be careful not to slip up again. I’m really afraid he’ll fall in love with you. The boss will think, ‘She called me honey, I should take care of her.’ Then let’s see how you deal with it.” “He seems to have a girlfriend, and you don’t know how fierce he sounded when he told me to get out!” I kept replaying the boss’s “Get out” in my head, and the more I thought about it, the more I felt he must hate me. After much deliberation, I decided to formally apologize to the boss. “Boss, I want to talk to you” “??? I have a girlfriend. I love her to death. If you want to talk, find someone else. Get lost, don’t bother me.” “No, boss, let me explain. I was in a hurry just now and left out a word.” The message was followed by a big red exclamation mark, indicating that the other person was no longer my friend. He had deleted me! Great, now I’ve offended the boss. After a sleepless night of overthinking, I was late the next day and got caught by the boss. It was all because I was lazy. Even though I was late, I still insisted on waiting for the elevator. As a result, the private elevator next to me opened, and I came face to face with the boss. And to make matters worse, I happened to catch Emma clinging to his arm and acting coy. The smile on Marcus’s face immediately disappeared as he glanced at his watch: “Nine minutes and fifty seconds.” Just my luck, not only was I nearly ten minutes late, but I also interrupted his romantic moment. Of course the boss would be angry. I quickly admitted my mistake, “I’m sorry, Mr. Meng. I won’t look next time. If there’s a next time, you can gouge out my eyeballs.” Marcus frowned, clearly unhappy. I honestly acknowledged my error: “I won’t be late again either. If I do it again, you can dock my attendance bonus.” “No need.” “Boss, you’re so kind…” “I mean there’s no need to wait for next time.” He finished and instructed his assistant nearby: “Tell accounting to deduct $300 from her bonus.” “But doesn’t the company allow one or two late arrivals a month? I’ve always been early before, never late.” “Mm, before we turned a blind eye, but today I saw your lateness with both eyes.” “…” Just because he caught me seeing him being lovey-dovey with his girlfriend? Is it really necessary to target me like this! But I really didn’t expect Marcus to be so petty! In the afternoon, when each department reported on their projects, he commented on everyone’s work. When it came to mine, he didn’t say a word, not even sparing me a glance as he moved on to listen to the next person’s report. His disregard for me was very obvious. Just before clocking out, my team leader threw the proposal I had submitted a few days ago back onto my desk. “Olivia, the boss rejected your proposal.” I sighed: “Did he say what was wrong with it? So I can revise it.” “He thought it was garbage, unusable. Work overtime and redo the whole proposal.” The team leader had so many people in that meeting, and he just called my work garbage in front of all of them? This is too much!! I pressed my lips together, feeling a wave of bitterness. Docking my pay is one thing! But to deny my abilities! Damn capitalist! At eleven o’clock that night, I was the only one in the department working overtime. After finishing the project proposal and shutting down my computer, I posted on social media complaining about the boss exploiting his employees. My brother commented: “Quit that job, go have some fun. Your big bro will earn money for you to spend.”

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I was the fake young miss, and after the real young master was found and brought back… I couldn’t wait to show him the life of luxury. “Look! A huge mansion! All yours!” “Look! 108 supercars, all yours!” “Look! A fabulously wealthy older brother! He’s yours too!” … Meanwhile, I was getting ready to make a run for it. Ha! Who would want to be a young miss? Not even a dog would want that life! I was in the alley behind school, fighting over street food with Aaron, when the bodyguards mercilessly dragged me back home. I thought I was done for, but when I got back to the living room, I saw a gloomy crowd surrounding a fair-skinned young man. Mom and Dad said he was the real young master of the Johnson family, and I was just a fake. “Really? Are you sure I’m not your real daughter?” I asked shakily, feigning disbelief. “Of course not. I’m their real son, you need to step aside!” the real young master said disdainfully. “Alright, alright! Young Master Johnson, I’ll get out of your way right now!” While everyone looked on in confusion, I started the handover ceremony with the real young master. “Look! This is your room! A whole 1000 square feet!” “Look! There are 108 sports cars in the garage, take your pick!” “Look! Your fabulously wealthy older brother, all yours!” … Meanwhile, I hurriedly packed my bags and bolted out of the house. Thank heavens! I’ve finally waited for this day! From now on, I’ll never again be that young miss whose life was more miserable than a 996 worker! I’ll never again be enslaved by that freak Lucas Johnson! Hot pot! BBQ! Spicy noodles! Crawfish! … Here I come!

The first thing I did after escaping that hellhole was rush to Aaron’s place and order a huge feast. As soon as I took a bite, I couldn’t help but tear up. “What are you, a starving ghost?” Aaron looked at me with disdain. “You don’t understand! I’m finally free!” I chugged a big gulp of Coke. It felt so good! At the Johnson house, I had to get up at 5 AM every day to do all kinds of exercises with Lucas, followed by an unappetizing healthy breakfast. At 6 AM, I’d start two hours of foreign language study – English, French, Spanish… At 8 AM I’d go to school, and after classes I’d have to learn all the skills expected of a wealthy young lady – violin, painting, calligraphy… On weekends I had to learn horseback riding, golf, rock climbing, scuba diving… I also had to attend all sorts of fancy parties. Every day I was exhausted like a dog. As soon as I mastered one skill, the next one was already waiting for me. It was endless, learning non-stop until I turned 20. Even in college they wouldn’t leave me alone. In my free time I still had to complete all kinds of tasks Lucas assigned and work like a slave at the company. Is this the life of a wealthy young miss? It’s even more miserable than being a 996 worker! Every night before bed I would pray to the heavens, and I couldn’t believe how generous they were, directly giving me a new identity. “You’re celebrating too early! Do you really think Lucas will let you go that easily?” Aaron’s words extinguished my enthusiasm. “Hmph! You think I’m afraid of him?!” “Before I was the Johnson family’s young miss, his sister. Now I’m not anymore, he can’t control me!” That “wonderful” life of luxury has nothing to do with me anymore! “I hope you’ll still have that backbone when you see Lucas.” Aaron had a schadenfreude look on his face. Damn! If I didn’t know him for so many years, I’d really suspect he was Lucas’s spy. “He’s too busy to deal with me now, gone overseas for business. He won’t be back for a month.” By the time he gets back it’ll be too late! Just thinking about his freakish ways sends chills down my spine. 20 years of enslavement has seeped into my bones! I must have committed all kinds of heinous crimes in my past life to end up as his sister in this one! And I’m not even his real sister.

After a few blissful days at Aaron’s place, a call from my academic advisor shattered my dreams. No choice! I still had to go to school. It had taken everything I had just to get into college. But I didn’t expect to see the real young master in the alley behind the school. He was surrounded by a group of people, like a lamb waiting for slaughter, glaring at them tearfully without any intimidation. I pretended not to see and strode towards the school. Having finally left the Johnson family, I didn’t want to get involved with them again. But I couldn’t get that tearful face out of my mind. He looked so much like Lucas, truly brothers. “Fine, fine! He’s still a Johnson after all. I’ll help him this once, for old times’ sake.” I turned back and charged into the circle, pulling the real young master behind me. “What’s going on here? Bullying someone in broad daylight?” “Mind your own business, or we’ll beat you up too!” The thugs talked big while leering at us. “You’re not hooking up with this pretty boy, are you? Protecting him like that.” Damn! How dare they slander me! “Just go! They only want money, give them some and it’ll be fine,” the real young master tugged at my clothes. “Pretty thing, he’s such a wimp. You’re better off with me.” Seeing the thug’s grimy hand reaching for the young master’s face, I grabbed his wrist and flipped him! Finally all those skills I learned came in handy. Lucas never let me fight, but forced me to learn lots of self-defense. What’s the point of being a hero with no chance to use your skills?! But now I was saving his precious brother, so he couldn’t blame me. After a flurry of punches and kicks, the thugs fled in disarray, leaving the young master staring in shock. Seeing his dumbfounded look, I couldn’t resist reaching out my evil hand. So cute! I just had to pinch those cheeks! He looked so much like Lucas. I could never pinch Lucas, but I could pinch his little brother. “W-what are you doing?” The little bunny had a frightened expression. “Shouldn’t I get some reward for saving you?” I raised an eyebrow smugly and gave another pinch. Hahaha… That felt so good! It was like pinching Lucas himself. My life is complete! “Why are you here alone? Didn’t the driver drop you off?” “I’m not like you, needing to be chauffeured around at this age.” The little bunny tried to act tough. Looks like even such an obedient son couldn’t move that couple’s hearts. I thought they’d pay more attention to him. “Alright, alright! You’re a mature adult. But don’t walk alone in the future, or you’ll get bullied and cry again.” With that, I sprinted off to class. Behind me came the little bunny’s angry shout: “I wasn’t crying!”

After a morning of classes, it was finally time to eat. I eagerly dragged Aaron to get some spicy noodles. Seeing Aaron strolling leisurely, I couldn’t help but curse: “Walk faster! We won’t get any if we’re late.” “Your phone,” Aaron said expressionlessly. “Who is it? Why are they calling you? Don’t mess with my meal time.” I grumbled as Aaron silently mouthed a name. “Hang up quick!” I snatched the phone in panic, about to end the call when a magnetic male voice came through the speaker. “Lily.” The voice sounded gentle but was full of threat. “Big brother! What can I do for you?” My sycophantic voice came out automatically. Aaron gave me a side-eye. This was just conditioned reflex, okay! “Having fun these past couple days? Looks like you’re so happy you’ve forgotten all about me, not even answering my calls?” “How could that be, I just lost my phone.” “Is that so? Then I must have wrongly accused you?” “No no, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have lost my phone and made you worry.” Passive-aggressive bastard! “Tomorrow morning at 10, come to the airport to pick me up.” “I…” “You know the consequences of not showing up. Enjoy your remaining happy times, don’t say I don’t care about you.” “Thank you for your love, big brother.” I said through gritted teeth as he hung up. “Aaron, you did that on purpose, didn’t you?” “How could I not answer your brother’s call? He could bankrupt me in a second.” Aaron looked helpless. Damn it! I really know how to pick my friends! He’s definitely Lucas’s spy. “No way, I need to hide first.” “Weren’t you the one saying you weren’t afraid of him? I think he treats you pretty well, just behave yourself and stop causing trouble.” “He’s a total freak, okay?” I glared at him. No, I need to hide for a year or two before Lucas gets back, or I’m doomed if he catches me. Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck me. At 2 PM, I rushed into my academic advisor’s office. To my surprise, the little bunny was there too. The scene looked oddly familiar. How should I put it? Just like when he was surrounded by thugs earlier, except now he was encircled by a group of teachers, plus a balding principal. “It’s her! I saw her bullying Noah with my own eyes,” a girl angrily pointed at me. Me? Bullying the little bunny?

“No, Professor. Lily didn’t bully me,” the little bunny anxiously explained. “Noah, don’t be afraid. The teachers will stand up for you.” “The school absolutely does not tolerate any bullying.” Everyone looked at Noah with sympathy, then turned to glare angrily at me. What’s with this differential treatment? “Lily, did you or did you not bully Noah?” My advisor pulled me into the circle. “When did I ever…” “It was her, I have a photo on my phone.” Before I could explain, the girl suddenly pulled out her phone and showed a picture. In the photo, I was smugly pinching Noah’s face while he looked at me with red eyes, clearly unwilling. Uh… It did look a lot like a bullying scene, but I just pinched his cheeks! “Lily! How could you bully a classmate? I’m so disappointed in you!” The balding principal angrily berated me, completely different from his previous fawning attitude. After all, Lucas had donated several buildings to the school. He knew very well about my identity, naturally knowing who was the real young master and who was the fake young miss between me and Noah. “Expulsion! You must be expelled!” Talk about a quick change of face. They were eager to stand up for Noah without even investigating properly? “Principal, Lily really didn’t bully me. I was bullied by some thugs from outside school, and Lily helped chase them away,” Noah explained anxiously. The little bunny was running around in circles trying to explain, but no one was listening. They were convinced I had bullied him and started criticizing me one after another. So annoying! If this drags on any longer I won’t have time to run away. Might as well go with the flow. “It was me! I did bully Noah!” “If you don’t expel me, I’ll beat him up every time I see him!” I yelled arrogantly at everyone. “Lily, why are you talking nonsense? It’s clearly…” The little bunny was so kind. The more I looked at him the cuter he seemed. I couldn’t help but pinch his cheek again. But in everyone else’s eyes, this was blatant bullying. They quickly took Noah away in shock. I effortlessly got the expulsion notice, and couldn’t help but laugh. Everyone looked at me like I’d eaten shit. “What are you looking at? Never seen someone go crazy before?” Next step is to run away! I sprinted to Aaron’s place. That bastard had bought an apartment near campus just to pick up girls. After just a few days he complained I was in the way, saying I was interfering with his dating. Such a fragile friendship – in the future I wouldn’t stay even if he begged me!

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I worked part-time jobs to support my boyfriend Jack through college. Once, I even bought a 10-hour standing-room-only train ticket to visit him when we were in a long-distance relationship. I wanted to surprise him, but instead, I caught him intimately strolling arm-in-arm with a rich heiress. Devastated, I confronted him: “Why are you doing this to me?” He just sneered and said, “Let’s break up. You have nothing to offer. She can give me so much more.” However, the very next day, my life took an unexpected turn – I discovered I was the daughter of a billionaire. When Jack broke up with me, I was still holding a bouquet of flowers in my hand. The rich girl in the red dress beside him looked at me disdainfully and asked, “Jack, who’s this?” Jack seemed surprised to see me and nervously withdrew his arm from the rich girl’s. “It’s nothing, just a friend of mine.” “Friend?” I stared at him in disbelief. I looked disheveled and travel-worn, having rushed here straight from the train station to give him a surprise. “Jack, you told me you were working overtime at the company. I wanted to surprise you, but you’ve ended up giving me such a big surprise instead?” The rich girl seemed to catch on and asked unhappily, “Jack, didn’t you say you were single? Is this your girlfriend?” Jack looked annoyed. “What girlfriend? I stopped liking her ages ago.” Then he turned to me, “I don’t like you anymore. Stop clinging to me.” His eyes were so cold, as if he couldn’t wait to get rid of me. It was as if the eight years we’d spent together meant nothing to him. It felt like a bolt from the blue. I blinked in disbelief, unable to process that the person looking at me with such disgust was the same one who had been talking about celebrating our eighth anniversary just yesterday on the phone. Jack turned to the rich girl and said softly, “Chloe, it’s cold out here. Why don’t you wait in that coffee shop over there? This girl is clingy. I’ll deal with her.” Chloe wasn’t stupid. She sensed that our relationship was far from ordinary. She looked me up and down haughtily, then laughed and said in a coquettish tone, “Alright, but hurry up and deal with it, okay?” Then she strutted off to the nearby coffee shop in her high heels. A light drizzle had started. I was dressed thinly, but as the night wind blew, I couldn’t feel the cold. The person in front of me had become a stranger, making my heart feel ice-cold. “Pursuer?” I sneered, throwing the flowers at him forcefully. “Some pursuer, Jack! Which pursuer would stay with you for eight years? Which pursuer would be discussing engagement plans with you just two days ago? I was so excited to come and be with you, and this is how you treat me!” Jack’s expression darkened as he silently watched me. The person standing before me was someone I had been with for eight years, someone I had wholeheartedly wanted to marry. I had once believed that even long-distance couldn’t hinder our love. Yet here he was, calmly watching me break down and go crazy, completely unmoved. “Are you done?” Jack frowned impatiently. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” I found it absurd and laughed through my tears. “Tell you? So you could have time to prepare and continue deceiving me?” Jack suddenly started laughing, looking at me with mockery in his eyes. “Emily, don’t you get it yet? You’re just an orphan. What can you offer me?” “Chloe is a rich heiress. Her dad owns a big company, with mansions and yachts. She’s got a great figure too. What do you have?” I stood there, stunned. “Jack, I’ve been with you for eight years. Yes, I’m an orphan without a degree, but don’t forget that your college and master’s degree were funded by me working two jobs and doing part-time work every day.” “Haha, wasn’t that all voluntary on your part?” Jack’s expression was strange. “So you do know I graduated from a top university? I’ve got a good job now, and plenty of girls like me. Look at yourself, Emily. You’ve got no money, no looks. You’re just a high school graduate. How can you compare to her? How are you worthy of me?” “She’s very rich and she likes me. I finally have this opportunity, and I don’t want to live that hard life anymore. We’re not a good match. Just let me go.” I opened my mouth but couldn’t say a word. The fine rain fell on my head, blurring my vision. I felt like I was truly seeing this person for the first time. With the gentle facade stripped away, all that remained were shocking scars. An umbrella appeared over Jack’s head. Chloe was holding it for him. She smiled, “Jack, is this the orphan ex-girlfriend you mentioned who keeps clinging to you? She really doesn’t match up to you.” Ex-girlfriend? I nodded and calmly said, “Yes, I’m the ex-girlfriend now. But Chloe, this Jack beside you isn’t a good person. Rich lady, open your eyes and take a good look. This guy has been living off me for years while studying. He ate my food, wore clothes I bought, and spent the money I earned from part-time jobs. He was happy to be a kept man, and it wasn’t a small expense.” I opened my bag, took out a pen and paper, wrote down my payment details, and slapped it onto Jack’s chest. “Want to get rid of me? Fine. Pay back every cent I spent on you over these years. Not a penny less. I want it in my account within three days, or we’ll settle this in court.” I then turned to Chloe, “You like this scumbag? Well, I was blind. He’s all yours now. If you really like him, you can pay me back on his behalf.” With that, I turned and walked away.

I’m an orphan. I was abandoned at the doorstep of an orphanage when I was still a baby. The kind-hearted director took me in and raised me. Some charitable people sponsored my education. But because I had no parents, I was often bullied at school. The other kids would gang up to mock me for wearing patched clothes, saying I was an uncultured wild child without parents. When I couldn’t take it anymore, I told the teacher, but they didn’t care. I couldn’t even afford the school uniform fees and often had to work part-time jobs or collect recyclables for pocket money, which led to poor grades. So those bullies became even worse. They were like a pack of wolves that had found a weak rabbit and felt excited. They would pour ink on my books, my desk was always covered in messy graffiti, and after school, I’d be cornered and forced to hand over my pocket money. That day, I was cornered again. Their tall shadows loomed over me, making me feel terrified. Suddenly, an angry voice came from behind: “What are you doing?” That was the first time I saw Daniel. He threatened to call the police if they bullied me again. Only then did they reluctantly disperse. Daniel asked me with concern, “Are you okay?” The boy’s clean shirt smelled of laundry detergent. At that time, he was full of righteousness, with gentle features. He was a model student at school, shining like a deity in my eyes. Later, I started to frequently “bump into” him. I deliberately created every opportunity to meet him. He said, “Emily, you’re very pretty.” He kissed my eyes and held my hand on the playground. So we naturally became a couple. Everyone said I was lucky that Daniel liked me, but this made those bullies target me even more. However, Daniel’s family suffered a setback and fell on hard times just as he was about to start college. I stepped up, just as he had once saved me: “Daniel, I’m not going to continue studying. My grades are far worse than yours, and we can’t afford to support both of us.” So I started working several jobs a day to support his studies. He would always hug me tenderly, whispering sweet nothings that made me willingly fall into his honeyed words and devotedly give everything. He said, “Emily, when I graduate and find a good job, I’ll marry you.” He was good-looking, and when we were in a long-distance relationship, many girls at his school liked him. But he said he only liked me and wanted to be with me forever. Now I see it was all just sugar-coated bullets. He just needed a fool to pave the way for his future. I deleted everything related to Jack and hid in a hotel, slowly accepting the fact that I had been betrayed. On the third day of my stay in this city, I suddenly received a payment in my account, along with a text message from an unknown number. [The money has been repaid. Don’t come looking for Jack again. You’re not good enough for him. He’s my boyfriend now.] It was that rich girl. I could only laugh. Looks like another girl fooled by Jack’s sweet talk. I was feeling like a lost goose, not knowing where to go, when I suddenly received a call from the orphanage director. “Emily, there’s a couple here who say they’re your birth parents.”

My heart sank. The word “parents” was foreign to me. In countless dark moments, I had hoped they would appear in my life, but I was always disappointed. Despite this, I still traveled overnight to the city where the orphanage was located. Before me stood a well-dressed middle-aged couple. The man wore a suit and tie, while the woman was dressed in an expensive fur coat with perfect makeup. The moment she saw me, the woman’s eyes welled up with tears. She rushed forward and hugged me excitedly, “Daughter, we’ve finally found you!” It felt surreal. The middle-aged man beside her took off his glasses and wiped his tears, “Emily, we’ve been looking for you for so long.” The woman’s name was Sarah. She looked at me carefully, with a gaze I had never experienced before – gentle and filled with heartache. The middle-aged man was called Robert. He looked at me with relief, “Your mom and I were quite young when we had you. We didn’t have much money then, so we took you north to find work. But the train was so crowded, and in a moment of carelessness, you were stolen by a trafficker. Your mom nearly cried her eyes out. We reported it to the police, and after a long wait, the trafficker was finally caught. But he said the buyer had changed their mind at the last minute, so he just left you at the doorstep of an orphanage.” “But he had done this so many times that he couldn’t remember which orphanage it was. By the time we found out, we were told that you had moved from the old orphanage. It’s taken all these years for us to finally meet, father and daughter.” Robert’s eyes were a bit red as he looked at me excitedly, “They named you Emily, right? Now you have a surname. Your name is Emily Yan.” “Emily Yan…” I murmured. It all felt so unreal, as if I were in a dream. Sarah affectionately held my hand, “My dear child, you must have suffered a lot all these years. I heard from the director that you’ve been very strong and capable. Your dad and I have had some success in our business over the years, and we can give you a good life now. Come home with us.” The director nodded approvingly, so I went home with them. It was only then that I realized their “some success” was far more than just a little. Robert, my father, was the director of the city’s largest venture capital group, with countless businesses under his name. When the car pulled up to a high-end villa complex, I still couldn’t believe it. This area was known for its exorbitant property prices, with many top celebrities choosing to buy luxury homes here. In the past, this was something I couldn’t even dream of. As we entered, an elegant young woman came down the stairs. When she saw me, her eyes lit up, and she quickened her pace, rushing over to grab my hand. “Mom, Dad, is this my sister?” she asked. Her eyes were bright, and her features were similar to mine. She was fair and beautiful, and I immediately took a liking to her. Sarah smiled and pulled me closer, “This is your sister, Lily. She’s been looking for you with us all these years. When we went to pick you up, she kept talking about you.” I felt awkward due to the unfamiliarity, but Lily was excited. She pulled my hand and led me upstairs, “Come on, sis, let me show you your room. I decorated it myself.” As she opened the door, a grand crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, with a huge princess bed in the center. Lily hadn’t let go of my hand. She chattered away, “Sis, here’s the walk-in closet. It’s all filled with the latest seasonal fashion. I picked them out for you, but I’m not sure if they’ll fit. Oh, and we’ve booked a designer to come and take your measurements in a few days. And look, this is my favorite bunny plushie. I’ve put it on your bedside table.” As I listened to her, I felt a lump in my throat for some reason. “Thank you, Lily.” Lily pursed her lips and frowned, “Sis, have you been through a lot of hardship?” I didn’t say anything. She looked at me with concern, “When I held your hand just now, I felt a lot of calluses.” “But don’t worry, I’ll protect you from now on. You won’t have to suffer anymore,” she said with a smile.

Robert said that in a few days, there would be a birthday party for him, with invitations sent to various celebrities and influential people. He planned to announce my return at the party. Over these few days, I truly felt the love of my parents, and my sister loved to stick close to me. At night, we would often squeeze together, and she would listen to stories about my past. The blood ties quickly dissolved the sense of unfamiliarity, and Lily happily helped me choose an evening gown. “Lily, I’m a bit nervous,” I said, feeling anxious at the thought of facing so many people. “Oh, don’t be nervous,” Lily squeezed my hand reassuringly. “Sis, just remember you’re our dad’s daughter. There will be a lot of media there too, announcing your identity to the world.” Soon, the day of the party arrived. I changed into a carefully designed red evening gown, with flawless makeup and hair styled in big waves. The person in the mirror looked so beautiful, I hardly recognized myself. The party was set in a grand hall, with champagne and wine glasses filling long tables covered in red cloth. Men in suits escorted their partners, clinking glasses in conversation. I had only seen such scenes on TV before, but I never expected to see Jack here. He was standing not far from me, with Chloe intimately holding his arm. As Jack turned, he clearly saw me and was visibly stunned. Chloe, the rich girl beside him, was talking to some socialite. Noticing his odd expression, she followed his gaze and saw me, also looking surprised. Then Chloe smiled, her red lips curving as she held her wine glass. With a challenging look, she strutted over in her high heels. She looked me up and down and sneered, “What? Are you working as a waitress here? Do waitresses need to dress up like this?” Jack beside her also looked at me quizzically, though there was a hint of admiration in his eyes. In the past, I had always been weighed down by life’s pressures. This was the first time I appeared so glamorous in front of others. I looked at the couple in front of me and smiled without saying a word. Jack frowned, “Emily, where did you borrow this evening gown from? Are you doing some kind of part-time job?” “This kind of place requires invitations. Ordinary people can’t just waltz in,” Chloe looked me up and down. “Don’t tell me you rented an outfit and are pretending to be some socialite? Or have you hooked up with some rich young master?” Her words unintentionally stung Jack, who was there precisely because he had hooked up with her. “She doesn’t need to pretend, nor does she need to hook up with anyone,” a voice rang out. Lily, wearing a deep red cocktail dress, walked over like a proud swan. She looked Chloe straight in the eye, took my hand, and smiled lightly, “Let me introduce you properly. This is Emily Yan, my elder sister. She’s the long-lost daughter of the Yan family, whom we’ve finally found!” Chloe’s hand holding the wine glass trembled, and Jack beside her turned pale. “Listen, Chloe,” Lily said, her usual warm and lively demeanor replaced by a serious expression. “You brought this kept man to my family’s event and insulted my sister. Are you sure you want your family’s business to continue?” Chloe’s face turned from red to white. “Lily, you…!” At this moment, Robert walked over. He had witnessed everything with cold eyes. He took my hand – the first time I felt the warmth of a father’s broad palm – and led me to stand on the raised platform in the grand hall. He announced to everyone: “Ladies and gentlemen, I have something else to say. My long-lost daughter, Emily Yan, returned to my side a few days ago.” There was a commotion below, and camera flashes went off, dazzling my eyes. But I didn’t shy away, facing head-on what should have been mine all along. I caught sight of Jack staring at me in a daze from below. He was now looking up at me from a slightly lower angle. “How is this possible…” he muttered, seemingly regretting his misjudgment. Chloe’s fingers gripping the wine glass turned white as she noticed Jack’s expression. She spat out bitterly, “Like what you see?” Jack snapped back to reality, cleverly concealing the regret in his eyes. At the party, those people I used to only see in business reports and finance magazines were all praising me for how beautiful I had become. For a moment, I felt like the moon surrounded by stars, though I understood they were only saying it for my father’s benefit. Lily pulled me over to a group of socialites to introduce me. Jack remained silent, drinking alcohol with half his face hidden in shadow. Chloe was fuming inside. She sneered, “Does everyone know? This Miss Emily was just a factory girl who barely graduated high school, living at the bottom of society before she was found. She used to cling to my boyfriend, but unfortunately, my boyfriend didn’t like her.” People around started to whisper. Lily’s brows furrowed, about to say something, but I gently patted her hand to calm her. Then I spoke up: “Miss Chloe, you keep mentioning that I only graduated from high school. So why did you eagerly pick up what this high school graduate discarded?” Chloe’s face immediately darkened. I felt she was easy to provoke, so I continued, “You’re a guest in my home, yet you’re so rude to the host. Is this the kind of upbringing you’ve had, Miss Chloe?” The socialites around, who probably had long disliked Chloe, chimed in sarcastically, “That’s right, some people think they’re all that just because their daddy made some money riding a trend. Now they’re causing a scene on someone else’s turf.” Provoked, Chloe exploded in anger: “Emily, don’t think you’re so great just because the Yan family found you! Deep down, you’re still just an orphan with no parental guidance!” Her words caused a stir, directly slapping Robert in the face. Lily, furious, stepped forward and grabbed her hand, looking like she was about to hit her: “Who are you calling an orphan with no parental guidance?” Robert walked over, his aura intimidating as he glared at Chloe: “You’ve really gone too far! Your father begged and pleaded yesterday to do business with us, and now you dare act so arrogantly! Do you really think I, Robert Yan, have been eating vegetarian dishes all these years?” “Get out of my birthday party right now. You’re not welcome in our home! Go back and tell your father that the business deal is off. We won’t be associating anymore. By calling my daughter an orphan, aren’t you cursing our whole family? Get out of here right now!” Chloe had never faced such a situation before. Her face turned red, and with everyone around watching her like a spectacle, she couldn’t bear to stay any longer. She picked up her dress and ran out crying. Jack hadn’t expected things to turn out this way either. He gave me a deep look before chasing after her. Robert raised his voice, essentially giving a message to the media: “The Zhao family can’t control their daughter. She came to my house today and greatly embarrassed my daughter, which is like slapping me, Robert Yan, in the face. From now on, our Yan Group will have no more dealings with the Zhao family’s investment bank.” For the first time, I felt the confidence of having a strong backing. After years of struggling alone, I now had a safety net. Lily whispered in my ear, explaining, “Dad’s meaning is clear. He’s drawing a line between us and that Chloe’s family. Sis, our family is the industry leader. If we make this statement, other families probably won’t dare to go against us. Anyone who does business with them will be seen as opposing us.” I was shocked, not realizing the Yan family’s influence was so powerful. I was also amazed that my father would go to such lengths for a daughter he hadn’t seen in years. Sarah arranged the best private tutors to teach me, and even suggested that if I was willing, I could study abroad with Lily for a while, taking the opportunity to travel and clear my mind. Studying abroad was something I had never dared to dream of before.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296041”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring #校园School #重生Reborn

Three months before our wedding, my fiancé Ryan posted photos on social media of his marriage certificate with my stepsister Chloe, along with pictures of her pregnant belly. The caption read: “Legally welcoming our little one into the world.” Chloe commented with a shy emoji. My mom liked the post and commented: “Once the baby is born, I’ll take care of it so you two can enjoy your time together.” I couldn’t help but reply with a question mark. Immediately, Ryan’s harsh rebuke came flooding in. “She’s just borrowing my name for a year of marriage. Once the baby is born, I’ll come back to you.” “Don’t be so petty. My mom also said we should only get the marriage certificate after you give birth to a son. It works out perfectly to have the wedding first and get the certificate later.” I let out a faint “mm” in response, then deleted all my social media posts related to Ryan before posting a new one: “Need a new groom. Who wants to marry me?” Ryan was the first to reply. [Olivia Young, are you out of your mind? I’m just marrying her, why are you making such a big deal out of it?] [You don’t actually think posting on social media will make me jealous, do you? That’s laughable. I’m warning you, stop causing trouble for no reason, and don’t give Chloe a hard time.] Chloe quickly followed up on Ryan’s comment. [Sis, Ryan just wants our child to be born legally. I won’t steal him away from you. After you and Ryan get married, my child can call you mom too.] My mom scolded me for being ungrateful. [You get to have a child without suffering. Chloe is helping you so much, shouldn’t you be thanking her?] Several of Ryan’s friends chimed in to agree. [You and Chloe are sisters, so it doesn’t matter who Ryan marries, you’re all family anyway. How about Chloe gets him Monday, Wednesday, Friday and you get Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday!] Everyone was joking and laughing. I stood there stunned, tears welling up in my eyes. Until they could no longer be contained, dripping down my chin onto my phone screen. They were clearly in the wrong. Yet they had the audacity to turn around and blame me. How ridiculous. These people weren’t worth my tears. I wiped my eyes forcefully and noticed an eye-catching comment amidst the chaos: It was from Ethan Shaw: “Can I be your new groom?” Ethan and I grew up together. After college graduation, I stayed in the city while he chose to study abroad. We had avoided close contact since I started dating Ryan in college, and it had been a long time since we last spoke. As I was pondering this, Ethan called me directly. “Olivia, I’ve liked you for a long time.” “You know I’ve always disliked your stepsister, so I would never have anything to do with her. I don’t have any messy group of friends either. All these years, I’ve been focused on my career and haven’t had any ex-girlfriends.” As he spoke, I suddenly received a contract. When I opened it, I saw it was the transfer rights to all his assets and shares. While I was still surprised, Ethan nervously continued. “Olivia, this is all my sincerity. Will you give me a chance?” My nose stung with emotion. I suddenly remembered when we were kids, the teacher rewarded us with two candies he loved. Even though he really wanted them, he didn’t eat a single one and gave them both to me. He had always given me his utmost sincerity. I choked up a bit as I said: “I will.” Love had seemed so intangible. I once tried to grasp it, only to end up hurt all over. I had thought… Thought that being alone would be fine. But my grandmother’s dying wish was to see me married, to know that someone would take care of me from now on. Ryan wasn’t worthy. But I thought, if the groom was Ethan, grandma would be really reassured. Ethan’s voice was full of joy. “Then I’ll wrap up work and come back to marry you within two weeks.” “Olivia, you’ll wait for me and won’t change your mind, right?” His tone carried a hint of puppy-like pleading. I suddenly remembered promising as a child that I would be his bride when we grew up. I made an affirmative sound. Suddenly feeling the urge to cry. “Ethan, let’s pinky promise.”

After hanging up the phone, my mom pushed open my bedroom door. “Where’s that sapphire necklace your father left you before he died?” I remained silent. Mom frowned in displeasure, “What’s with that attitude? Your sister just thought it was pretty and wanted to borrow it for a few days. Hurry up and get it out, don’t be so stingy!” Chloe hung onto Mom’s arm, saying dejectedly: “It’s okay, Mom. Olivia has never seen me as a real sister. If she doesn’t want to, I won’t force her.” “She wouldn’t dare not recognize you! This necklace belonged to my husband, who was also your father. I’ll make the decision today and give it to you.” Mom hugged Chloe and glared at me sternly, “If you don’t hand it over, don’t blame me for having people search your room.” I stared at her blankly, my smile more painful than crying. The once gentle and loving mother in my memories. Had ultimately become this harsh-faced figure in front of me. But I was about to leave this place forever anyway. I no longer had the heart to engage in meaningless arguments with her. I silently took the sapphire necklace out of its box and handed it to her. Mom smiled with satisfaction, “That’s more like it. Chloe is your sister, so you as the older sister should let her have the nice things.” After Mom left, Chloe put on the necklace right in front of me. “Sis, don’t blame Mom for favoring me. To be honest, this necklace looks better on me anyway.” “Just like how Ryan is more suitable as my boyfriend.” “Things that belong to me, others will never be able to get.” Seeing Chloe’s smug expression. I didn’t say a word. People like her, the more you engage, the more they push it. I picked up my bag and walked past her down the stairs, treating her like thin air. “Ah! Sis, why did you push me…” Chloe suddenly darted in front of me, pretending I had pushed her as she stumbled backwards towards the stairs. Although I disliked her, I instinctively reached out to grab her. After all, falling down over 20 steps was no joke. “Olivia Young, you vicious woman!” Ryan violently slapped away my hand that was holding Chloe’s arm. My hand smacked hard against the railing with a loud “thud”. I broke out in a cold sweat from the pain. “Ryan, thank goodness you came in time, or else I…” Chloe hid in Ryan’s arms, her face tearful and frightened. “It’s okay, don’t be scared. I’m here.” Ryan stroked Chloe’s head, gently comforting her: “I won’t let anyone bully you.” I looked at my own hand, which was bruised, swollen and possibly fractured from the impact. Then I looked at Chloe, who had only been startled but was now being tightly held and fussed over by Ryan. Suddenly it all felt so ironic. The boy who once doted on me endlessly and promised to be good to me for life. The man who was supposed to marry me in just three months. How could he have suddenly changed his heart?

After comforting Chloe, Ryan glared at me darkly, “I know you’ve been unhappy about me marrying her and having a child behind your back. You can take it out on me if you want, since I didn’t tell you in advance.” “But you can’t hurt Chloe. Her health is poor, she’s pitiful enough already.” “She just asked me to give her a chance to be a mother, is that wrong? Why should she bear the brunt of your anger?” He angrily pointed at me, “You must apologize to Chloe today!” I struggled to control my trembling body. Hissing: “Then what did I do wrong?” “What exactly did I do wrong?” Ryan stared at my reddened eyes, taken aback for a moment. “Forget it, Ryan. Even though I almost fell to my death…” “I don’t blame Olivia, and I don’t need her to apologize to me.” “You and Olivia are still getting married in the future. I don’t want you to argue because of me.” Chloe cried sorrowfully. Ryan sighed, saying tenderly: “Chloe, your understanding sometimes really breaks my heart.” He looked at me coldly, “In the end, you’re just jealous of Chloe and can’t stand to see her doing better than you.” “I’ll let it go today since Chloe spoke up for you. But if you dare hurt her again in the future, I won’t let you off so easily.” He picked up Chloe and said disappointedly before leaving: “You’re not even half as good as your sister.” Only I was left in the silent living room. I stared blankly at the falling leaves outside the window. Finally unable to hold back, I crouched down and buried my face in my hands, sobbing. This is the last time… The last time I’ll cry over Ryan Cooper. That afternoon, Ryan posted on social media. It was a set of nine photos. The photos showed nine different corners of a home. The caption read: “Every room, every piece of furniture, every decoration here was carefully chosen and arranged by me, hoping to give my baby a warm and comfortable home.” Many people offered their congratulations in the comments. “Congratulations to Mr. Cooper on having a son so soon!” “So Mr. Cooper and Olivia are having a shotgun wedding! Congrats!” “To have such a good husband like Ryan, Olivia is so lucky! I’m so envious!” “Even if I had to turn down a billion-dollar deal, I absolutely wouldn’t miss your wedding three months from now.” Just as the comment section was bustling with congratulations, Chloe suddenly chimed in, “Everyone please don’t misunderstand, this isn’t Ryan’s marital home, it’s my house.” The comments suddenly turned awkward. I was the first to break the silence, posting: “Three’s a crowd. I’m out. Wishing you two happiness.” After that, I couldn’t be bothered to see what else they would say. I directly deleted Ryan and Chloe from my friends list. Within minutes, Ryan called me. “Olivia Young, have you had enough of this nonsense?” I calmly replied: “I’m not being nonsensical.” Ryan fumed: “What you said in my comments section was clearly trying to smear dirt on Chloe.” “Do you have to label Chloe as the other woman to be satisfied?” “If you keep slandering her, let’s just call off the wedding!” I listened to his cold and heartless accusations, my heart like dead water, calm and undisturbed. “Ryan Cooper, what makes you think I would still want something second-hand?”

I hung up the phone. Perhaps the words “second-hand” stung him. He called me countless times after that. When the calls wouldn’t go through, he sent all kinds of messages. I ignored them all. In ten days I would be marrying Ethan. These people would all become part of my past. I had hoped to spend the remaining days peacefully coexisting with them, but I never expected Chloe to knock over my father’s urn. The ashes scattered on the ground. Not only was she not remorseful, she even let her pet cat urinate on them. Then she looked at me happily. “Sis, look, the ashes can even be used as cat litter for my kitty!” In that moment, the grief and anger pent up in my heart exploded. I suddenly grabbed the baseball bat behind the door and swung it viciously at Chloe. She took one hit and ran away screaming, her face pale. “Olivia Young! You’ve really gone too far! How dare you hit your sister!” My mom’s appearance made Chloe feel like she had found a savior. She hid behind Mom, looking terrified. Choking back sobs, she said: “Mom, I’m scared. Olivia tried to kill me!” Mom shielded Chloe like a mother hen protecting her chick, sternly rebuking me: “I’ve let it slide when you bullied your sister before, treating it as harmless squabbling. But this time you’ve gone too far.” She was my mother, yet she always stood in opposition to me, defending an adopted daughter with no blood relation to her. Nothing could be more heartbreaking than this. I stared at Mom with tear-filled eyes, “She knocked over Dad’s urn!” “That was Dad! That was my Dad! Why? Why!” Why, even though I had already been so tolerant, did they have to destroy the memento Dad left for me? Why didn’t my mom love me? Chloe quickly knelt down to explain. “Mom, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, waaah… I’m so sorry Mom. If Olivia won’t forgive me, I might as well die!” Chloe cried heartbrokenly. “Chloe Wilson, don’t you dare-” “Slap!” Before I could finish speaking, Mom slapped me across the face. “Enough!” “It’s just ashes! The person is already dead, are ashes more important than the living?” “If you bully Chloe again, you can get out of this house.” This slap shattered any last shred of attachment I had for her. This was for the best. I could leave without any lingering feelings.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296040”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring #校园School #重生Reborn