My son, Andy, and I were on our way to confront my husband about his affair when we got into a car accident and lost our memories. Meanwhile, Steve, my husband and a psychologist, prioritized caring for his depressed first love, Olivia, and her daughter, Chloe, traveling the world with them. When Andy and I finally regained our memories, Steve was surprised to find us quiet, sensible, and incredibly independent. At first, he was pleased, believing he had perfectly balanced everything. That was until Christmas, when he went to celebrate with Olivia and Chloe again, only to overhear Andy and me talking outside the door. “Mom, is that man really my dad? Every time I call him ‘Dad,’ it just feels weird.” I nodded. “I think it’s strange too. He doesn’t seem like my type at all. How did I even end up marrying him?” Andy cleverly chimed in, “Mom, your type is Mr. Anderson, my teacher, right? Every time after school, his ears turn bright red when he sees you, and he always finds excuses to drive us home… I think you’ve got a real shot!” Before I could answer, my face flushed, Andy leaned closer to my ear. He whispered what he thought was a quiet suggestion, loud enough for anyone outside the door to hear: “Mom, how about… we just get a new dad?”

At dinner, I’d ordered two plates of hot wings, and Andy and I were sweating as we devoured them. A familiar yet strangely distant voice suddenly spoke from behind us: “You didn’t wait for me?” We jumped in fright. Turning around, we saw it was Steve, my husband. He walked closer, saw our chili-stained mouths and the spicy wings on the table, and his brow furrowed. “Six years of marriage, and you don’t know I have a sensitive stomach and can’t handle spicy food?” Andy, munching on his wings, blurted out, “We didn’t order any for you, these are for us.” Steve froze. I gave a dry laugh and quickly tried to cover. “Um… I saw on Ins that you were at the amusement park with Olivia and Chloe. I thought you’d eat with them…” “Emily.” He cut me off, his tone habitually impatient. “I’ve explained this. Olivia and Chloe were abandoned by their husband and are severely depressed. I’m a doctor; I’m just doing my job.” “But what about you? As a wife and mother, you not only caused a scene at my workplace, but you’ve also taught Andy to be nothing but jealous and petty.” He paused, his voice colder. “Was the car accident not enough for you both to reflect and change?” Memories flooded back. I remembered discovering he’d been ‘caring for’ his high school ex-girlfriend day and night. I’d taken Andy with me to confront him. He’d just pulled us aside, looking exasperated. “I didn’t tell you because I was afraid you’d overthink it. As a doctor, abandoning my patients would be irresponsible.” “Don’t bring Andy here and act out in front of my patients.” His calm tone made Andy and me seem like hysterical fools. So, I hired people to display signs outside his hospital that read: “Olivia and her daughter are trying to hook up with a married man.” Andy ran around the kindergarten with a megaphone, chasing Chloe and yelling, “She’s the other woman’s daughter! Don’t play with her!” Later, Olivia and Chloe cried and threatened self-harm. To force us to back down, Steve got me fired and made Andy an outcast at kindergarten. I completely broke down, threatening divorce. He finally relented, promising to keep his distance from them. Andy and I believed him. We even booked a trip for our fifth wedding anniversary, counting down the days for his rare vacation. That day, we joyfully went to the hospital to pick him up, only to receive a cold FaceTime call: “Urgent business trip, vacation postponed.” Andy and I left the hospital heartbroken. But around the corner, we clearly heard his colleagues chatting, laughing: “Dr. Steve is really devoted to Ms. Olivia, isn’t he? He took half a year off to help them with their therapy!” “Tell me about it. I heard he’s already on his way to the airport to personally escort them.” My ears rang, and my heart felt like it was being ripped out. Before tears could fall, I saw Andy’s pale little face, big tears rolling down, his voice trembling: “Mom… is Dad really… abandoning us?” That single sentence shattered my composure. I immediately grabbed Andy, and we chased after them, desperate for an answer! We needed to understand! Did he still want this family? But before we could catch up, the car accident happened. When I woke up, the world was a blank slate. Except for each other, we didn’t remember him. And he conveniently put us aside. The memories faded. Andy and I exchanged awkward glances. Even though our memories were back, our feelings weren’t. In fact, we couldn’t understand why we had been so hysterical back then. We could only reassure him repeatedly that we really wouldn’t bother them again. Steve’s face grew even darker. After a long moment, he regained his usual air of being in control. “Tomorrow, I’m taking them to the forest park for therapy. Remember to prepare packed lunches for three.” “Andy, help Chloe organize an extra set of class notes.” He turned, then added lightly, “It would be best if you truly kept your word and stopped doing… those embarrassing things.” The door closed, leaving Andy and me to look at each other, then simultaneously shrug. Then, I pulled out my phone and ordered a deluxe takeout for three. Andy sent a message to his teacher, politely asking for a backup of the class materials. As for tomorrow? We already had plans to go hiking with Mr. Anderson. Who had time for them?

Early that morning, Olivia’s soft voice drifted from the living room: “Steve, are we going alone? Or… should we still invite Emily and Andy? I’m afraid they’ll overthink things. I’m fine, but Chloe is still young and can’t handle more stress…” Chloe whispered in agreement, “Mom, I’m okay. Andy… he didn’t mean it.” Steve’s voice was gentle: “Chloe, honey, don’t overthink it. Taking them would just cause more trouble, and it’s not good for your condition.” I sighed, rolled over, and drifted back to sleep. When I opened my eyes again, I was brutally pulled from the bed. Steve practically dragged me into the living room. “Look at what your good-for-nothing Andy has done!” His voice was barely controlled rage. “Look at Chloe!” Olivia was holding a trembling Chloe, who was covered in food stains, her eyes red. Andy was sitting amidst the mess, clutching three insulated lunchboxes, his little face beet-red, tears falling in big drops onto the floor. “I didn’t push her!” he cried. “She’s a thief! She stole the lunch Mom made for me! I just wanted to get it back!” Steve didn’t even look at him. He was carefully wiping Chloe with a wet wipe, whispering words of comfort to Olivia. Only after he finished did he turn to me, his eyes filled with a weary, knowing look, as if to say, “I knew it.” “Emily, just because I asked you to make a few extra lunches, you got resentful and taught Andy to do such despicable things again?” “You made a promise last night. Are you already going back on your word?” I took a deep breath, patiently explaining: “I really didn’t. And I believe Andy isn’t lying. I already left your lunches on the dining table. Maybe Chloe accidentally picked up the wrong one…” “Enough.” Steve interrupted impatiently, his eyes like he was watching a pathetic act. “Stop acting. I haven’t forgotten what you’ve done before. You should really reflect on how to be a competent mother.” All my words caught in my throat. We had agreed to meet each other halfway; as long as he kept his distance from Olivia and Chloe, we would be fine. After that, Steve did come home on time and reported his whereabouts. But if Chloe got even a tiny scratch at kindergarten, he would always show up immediately, unilaterally demanding Andy apologize. When Andy was unable to defend himself, Steve would just coldly look at me: “Emily, are your promises so worthless? Stop making a fuss. Don’t exhaust all my patience and feelings. If it comes to that, there’ll be nothing left for us to say.” The worst time, he just dropped a line: “An Andy with such malicious thoughts? I don’t want him.” Young Andy couldn’t bear such words. He chased after him barefoot, his feet bloody from the pavement, grabbing his shirt and admitting to all the groundless accusations: “Dad! I’m sorry! It’s all my fault! I won’t ever do it again! I apologized to Chloe!” “Please don’t abandon Mom and me!” From then on, Andy never dared to defend himself. I sighed softly. What was the point of explaining? In his eyes, we were already repeat offenders with a record. I hugged Andy tight, my voice low and calm: “Andy, give them the lunchboxes.” Andy’s body stiffened, then he wiped his face hard, no longer arguing, and silently pushed the tightly protected lunchboxes toward them. Steve no longer looked at us. He bent down, picked up Chloe in one arm, and with his other hand, gently guided Olivia’s back, shielding them by his side as he turned and left. “Bang—!” The door slammed shut, clean and sharp, and the house suddenly became terrifyingly quiet. Only Andy and I were left, amidst the scattered mess on the floor. I silently picked up a cloth and began cleaning. Andy also knelt down, helping me pick up the overturned items. After a while, I quietly asked: “Andy, if one day, Mom and Dad separate…” “Who would you want to live with?” When things were at their worst with Steve, I had asked him this, and back then he had cried his heart out: “I don’t want Mom and Dad to separate. I want our family to be together forever.” But now, he barely hesitated. He looked up, his eyes clear and firm: “I’ll stay with Mom.” “No matter what happens, I’ll only stay with Mom.” I looked at him and suddenly smiled. The last bit of chill in my heart instantly melted into warmth. I stroked his head. “Okay.” Then there was nothing to be afraid of.

After cleaning up the last of the mess, the doorbell rang. “Emily? Andy? Are you home?” Andy’s eyes lit up. “It’s Mr. Anderson!” He ran to open the door. Outside, a clean-cut and handsome young man bent down, catching the child who rushed into his arms. Seeing Andy’s red and swollen eyes, Mr. Anderson’s voice immediately softened. “What’s wrong, Andy? Did you cry?” Andy buried his face in his shoulder, whimpering miserably, “Mom’s lunch… it was taken…” “It’s okay,” Mr. Anderson gently patted his back, his voice warm. “I made new ones, all the things you and your mom love to eat.” He was very good at coaxing children, and with a few words, he made Andy smile through his tears. Mr. Anderson then looked up at me, smiling apologetically. “I’m sorry, Emily. Didn’t get an answer when I called, so I got a bit worried and just came over.” “Please don’t say that,” I quickly replied. “You’re a lifesaver for Andy and me. Just call me Emily.” Half a year ago, during that car accident, it was Mr. Anderson who pulled us from the mangled car and ran red lights to get us to the hospital. Later, when he learned we had partial memory loss and were a bit slow to react, he voluntarily took on the task of providing our daily meals and taking Andy to and from school. When our memories returned, he discreetly stepped back to a respectful distance. But not long after hearing the full story of the accident, he became Andy’s new teacher at kindergarten. Mr. Anderson’s ears tinged red as he softly said, “Emily, I’ve planned all the hiking routes. Shall we head out?” Indeed, everything was perfectly organized, just as he said. He naturally took all the heavy items and put them in his backpack. When Andy got tired of walking, he naturally knelt down. “Andy, hop on.” I felt a little guilty. “Don’t spoil him too much, Mr. Anderson. You’re already carrying a lot.” He just smiled, his hand hovering gently at my side. “It’s fine, I work out regularly. I’ve got enough strength.” For some reason, looking at his clear profile, my heart skipped a beat. Even when we reached the rest area and he took Andy to buy water, that flutter hadn’t subsided. Just then, a childish yet familiar voice came from afar: “Dad! Let’s go!” Followed by Olivia’s laughing voice: “Chloe, slow down, be careful not to fall.” Finally, Steve’s smiling reply: “Chloe, I’m going to catch you!” I turned my head, and my gaze met theirs across the distance. The air froze instantly. Olivia’s face paled. She suddenly pulled Chloe into her arms, her voice trembling. “Mrs. Steve… are you, are you tracking us again?” “Steve and I really have nothing going on. Chloe just wants a dad so badly, that’s why she spoke out of turn… Whatever issues you have, take them out on me, don’t hurt the child…” Steve immediately stepped forward, completely shielding Olivia and Chloe behind him, as if I were some kind of monster. His jaw was tight, his brows deeply furrowed. “Emily, I told you this is therapy. Their emotions are very fragile, and they can’t handle stress. How many times do I have to tell you to get rid of your suspicious tendencies?” I looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar face before me, and this scene that had countless times made me lose control and break down. Yet, my heart was utterly calm, almost finding it absurd. You can’t even empathize with your past self. I don’t even know what feelings I have for this man anymore. If I loved him, I should be angry. But I waved my hand, my tone light. “I understand, it’s your duty as a psychologist. You don’t need to explain it to me.” “I’m just here to hike and happened to run into you. You guys carry on. Just pretend I’m not here.” Steve visibly froze, his gaze fixed on me. “Chloe called me Dad. You’re not angry?” I was a little confused. “Angry about what?” He stared intently at my face, trying to find a trace of pretense, but found nothing. His face grew increasingly grim, his entire demeanor colder. After a long silence, he seemed to reach a conclusion, his voice cold and firm. “Stop acting, Emily. I know you’re pouting. We’ll talk properly later, but for now, you should go home. I won’t hold this against you this time.” I was about to speak when a clear, pleasant male voice came from behind me: “Emily, what’s wrong?” Steve looked in the direction of the voice and suddenly froze. “What happened?” Mr. Anderson, holding a sticky-faced Andy who was covered in candy, walked quickly to my side. I stepped forward. “What took you so long? Did Andy get greedy again?” Catching Andy’s pleading gaze, Mr. Anderson smiled, rescuing him. “Just one small marshmallow for energy. Here’s yours.” He said, conjuring a larger marshmallow from behind his back and handing it to me. I instinctively smiled, just about to take it— “Emily,” Steve’s cold voice cut in. “Who is he?” Chloe, peeking out from behind him, whispered, “Why is Mr. Anderson here?” I paused, realizing that since Olivia and Chloe appeared, Steve had never been to the kindergarten, nor had he ever cared who helped us after the car accident. This was the first time he had seen Mr. Anderson. “This is Mr. Anderson,” I introduced. “He saved Andy and me after the car accident six months ago.” When it was time to introduce Steve, Mr. Anderson had already naturally extended his hand with a smile. “You must be Chloe’s father, then? Pleasure to meet you.”

As the words left his mouth, Steve’s face instantly turned livid. He looked at Andy and me, saw our lack of reaction, and his voice grew colder. “I am Andy’s father. But Mr. Anderson, why are you with my wife and child?” “Mr. Anderson came to hike with us!” Andy hugged Mr. Anderson’s neck, his voice full of affection. “He’s super strong! He carried me for a long time and didn’t get tired!” Steve seemed to be trying hard to suppress his anger. He pulled back the hand that was protectively around Olivia and Chloe, stepped forward, and reached out to Andy. “Come here, I’ll carry you. Don’t bother outsiders.” Andy’s smile instantly froze. He twisted his little face and buried it tightly in Mr. Anderson’s arms. “It’s no trouble at all,” Mr. Anderson said, his arms steady as he held the child, his smile still gentle. I spoke softly, “Don’t you still need to continue therapy with Olivia and Chloe? Don’t delay your important work. Go on. Andy will understand.” Steve, however, seemed glued to the spot. No matter how Chloe tugged at his sleeve, he didn’t move, just stared intently at me, his eyes filled with incredulous anger. “Emily,” his voice was hoarse. “Are you… truly so indifferent?” “Work is important,” I replied blandly. Steve scoffed, laughing in anger. “Fine. Don’t regret this.” Seeing this, Olivia’s eyes immediately reddened. She pulled her daughter close, her voice trembling: “Steve, don’t be like this… Emily and Andy must still be angry with us. You should spend time with them. Chloe and I… can just go back by ourselves…” “No need,” Steve sneered, then his voice instantly softened as he turned to her. “Didn’t you say you learned a new dish? I’d love to try it. And I can still draw with Chloe.” He said, naturally putting his arm around Olivia’s shoulder and taking Chloe’s hand. Before turning away, he gave me a deep look. “I’ll be home late tonight. Don’t call to disturb us.” I was very obedient. I didn’t call him once. It wasn’t until late at night that my phone screen lit up. It was a message from him: “Emily. Good, you are very good.” Then, for two weeks straight, Steve didn’t come home. His Ins, however, constantly showed photos of him traveling with Olivia and Chloe. The location was the Maldives—the very place we had planned for our wedding anniversary trip but never went. The scenery was indeed beautiful. I instinctively tapped ‘like’. That same night, Steve called. His voice held a hint of suppressed triumph: “Emily, stop pouting. I saw your like. Isn’t Andy’s birthday the day after tomorrow? I’ll buy him presents and rush back.” I was half-asleep. “No need to bother. Andy’s birthday was the day before yesterday. Mr. Anderson celebrated with him and gave him lots of presents.” The other end fell silent. “I… I got it mixed up.” His voice was tight. “I’ll be back tomorrow to throw Andy a make-up party.” I was about to refuse, but he hung up. Oh well. He is the child’s father, after all. The next day, I took Andy to the hotel, following the address Steve had sent. The party was grander than any before. He came forward, bending to hug Andy. “Happy birthday, Andy. All the gifts I bought you have been sent home. Do you like them?” Andy instinctively shifted, avoiding his touch, and nodded. “Thanks. I like them.” Steve’s outstretched hand froze in mid-air, a flicker of disappointment crossing his face. He led us into the banquet hall, where a giant screen displayed scrolling photos of Chloe. He quickly explained, “It’s also Chloe’s birthday today, so I thought the two kids could celebrate together. You know, her father left them after she was born…” “It’s okay,” I cut him off. “I understand.” Chloe’s birthday celebration was first. She wore an expensive, limited-edition princess dress, dancing gracefully on stage, holding a microphone, and thanking Steve for filling the void left by her father. I looked down at Andy, who was just quietly eating his cake, completely unfazed. I smiled softly, wiping the cream from the corner of his mouth. Before it was Andy’s turn on stage, Olivia called me to the hotel poolside. She had shed her usual gentleness, a triumphant smile playing on her lips. “Emily, do you see? Even if you’ve been married for six years and have Andy, as long as I’m around, in Steve’s heart, you and your Andy will always come second to us.” “Whether it’s the trip you looked forward to, or Andy’s birthday… guilt isn’t love. It’s just pity.” “Are you suggesting I divorce him?” I said calmly. “Don’t worry, I’ll find a chance to bring it up.” She paused, looking confused. “You’d give him up? You even gave up a chance to study abroad for him back then.” I vaguely remembered that in college, Steve was a campus celebrity, handsome and brilliant. But his personality wasn’t my type. Until that one time, he saved me from a dangerous situation. After that, I became completely obsessed with him, convinced I couldn’t live without him, and pursued him all through college. I even had a huge fight with my parents, gave up my career prospects, and desperately wanted to marry him. But now, looking back, my heart was completely calm, and I even felt that my past self must have read too many romance novels back then, which led to so many embarrassing actions. I shook my head, my voice sincere. “It’s nothing. If you like him, you can have him.” “Emily, what are you saying?!” Steve stood behind us, his face ashen, his eyes slightly red. Olivia glanced behind me and coldly snorted. “Keep up the act. I’ll make you give up.” Before I could react, she suddenly fell backward! I instinctively reached out to grab her, but the momentum pulled me with her into the cold swimming pool! “Emily!” “Mom!” Cold water suddenly filled my nose and mouth. I struggled desperately. Through my blurry vision, I saw Steve hesitate for a moment, then swim without hesitation… toward Olivia. The pool water completely submerged my head, cutting off all sound. In the chaos, a firm arm suddenly lifted me, and I was pulled into a warm embrace.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “384841”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

As the top sales rep, I was “downsized.” Reason for termination: Rarely in the office, failed to clock in on time. Me: “???” Bro, if I stayed in the office 24/7, where would my $3 million monthly quota come from? I didn’t understand it, but I respected the company’s decision. I immediately ripped up a $50 million contract that was just waiting for a signature, and took my clients and my elite team straight to a rival company. Half a month later, my former boss called, his tone desperately humble: “Sloane, I didn’t think things through before. Attendance really isn’t important. Can you come back?” I put him on speakerphone: “Boss, the failing company across the street is trying to poach your new partner.” 01 “Sloane, get back to the office right now.” I frowned as I read the message from our company’s HR manager. I quickly typed a reply and hit send. [I’m in a meeting. It’ll have to be later this evening.] I had just set my phone down when the HR manager called. I gave an apologetic smile to the client sitting across from me, stood up, and stepped aside to take the call. “Hello? What’s so urgent?” The woman on the other end, Ashley, suddenly shrieked, “Surprise!” Her voice was ear-piercingly shrill. I quickly pulled the phone away from my ear. “Sloane, congratulations! You’ve been optimized!” I froze, unable to process her words for a moment. Then it hit me. Optimized. She meant I was fired. I pressed my lips together, my mind racing to figure out if this was some kind of sick joke. I had been at Vertex VR for eight solid years. I watched it grow from nothing into an industry leader, establishing a firm foothold in the virtual reality sector. Unfortunately, our former CEO, for reasons known only to him, sold the company to a venture capital firm without warning any of the employees. He just packed his bags and went traveling around the world. He left a group of veteran employees staring at each other in confusion. Later, the VC firm stepped in and brought in a new management team to run Vertex. And this Ashley? She was the new CEO’s niece. A fresh-out-of-college grad installed directly as the HR Manager. It wasn’t that I looked down on recent grads. After all, everyone starts as a blank slate. But shouldn’t she at least have some relevant background? Ashley knew absolutely nothing about Human Resources. Her degree was in Supply Chain Management—completely unrelated. Since taking the job, she hadn’t done much of anything productive. Instead, she just kept firing veteran employees. The old-timers she let go all had plenty to complain about when it came to Ashley. But everyone knew whose idea this really was. If it weren’t for the team I managed, I would have left Vertex a long time ago. In the adult world, loyalty and sentimentality are just empty words. I just didn’t know what to make of this new CEO. Firing me? The top sales rep? Hilarious. 02 I glanced at the person sitting nearby: “Reason for termination?” Ashley covered her mouth and giggled on the other end of the line. “Oh, Sloane, listen to you! This isn’t a termination, this is optimization~ “As for the reason… well, because you’re rarely in the office, you don’t clock in on time, and your attendance hasn’t met the performance targets.” Me: “???” Was she even listening to the garbage coming out of her mouth? “Bro, if I was always in the office, where the hell would that $3 million monthly quota come from?” “Oh, Sloane, I’m a woman, you shouldn’t call me ‘bro.’ Besides, I’m younger than you, you should be calling me ‘little sister.’” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. I didn’t want to argue with her, so I asked point-blank: “Does Gavin know about this?” “Manager Gavin certainly knows.” I let out a soft chuckle, suddenly feeling a surge of relief that I hadn’t told Gavin about the massive contract I was about to sign today. “Fine. Let’s leave it at that. I’ll be back to discuss my severance.” Ashley laughed out loud again on the other end of the line. She pinched her voice and said: “Oh, I’m so sorry, Sloane. You’re being optimized, not terminated. There is no severance.” I laughed out loud. “Ashley, do you think I’m legally illiterate, or are you legally illiterate? What kind of nonsense are you trying to pull?” I didn’t bother engaging with her anymore and hung up the phone. I let out a breath, walked back to the table, picked up the contract lying there, and smiled at the man sitting across from me. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Mitchell. It looks like we won’t be able to sign this contract today after all.” “You heard it yourself. I’ve just been ‘optimized’ by my company.” I paused for a moment, then asked tentatively, “How about this… I’ll send someone else over to sign with you?” After all, I had negotiated this deal while at Vertex. If they used this against me later, it could have a huge impact on my career. Mr. Mitchell refused without hesitation. He handed his copy of the contract back to me. “Don’t bother sending someone else from your company to sign with me. This deal isn’t urgent. I’ll wait until you’re at your new company, and I’ll sign it with you then!” I raised an eyebrow and smiled, satisfied. “Thank you for your trust, Mr. Mitchell.” “Then I guess I better hurry up and find a good company. I wouldn’t want to keep you waiting.” 03 After exchanging a few pleasantries with Mr. Mitchell, I left his office and prepared to head back to Vertex. I glanced at my phone and realized Ashley had already removed me from the company’s Slack workspace. She really wasn’t wasting a single second. I put my phone away, turned my car around, and made a quick stop at an electronics store to buy a voice recorder. When I got back to the company, I could see Ashley standing by the entrance from far away. I smiled, clicked on the voice recorder in my pocket, and walked toward her. When Ashley saw me, her face was full of disdain, but only for a few seconds before she plastered on a fake smile and said: “Sloane, you’re back! Your keycard has been deactivated. I was worried you wouldn’t be able to get in through the main doors, so I specifically waited for you. “But this will be the last time. Hurry up, pack your things, and leave.” I gave her a flat look, shoved my empty coffee cup directly into her hands, and walked right past her into the office without saying a word. Ashley quickly followed me from behind, yelling indignantly: “Sloane, what the hell is your problem?! Throwing your garbage at me? Are you insulting me?!” The surrounding colleagues heard her voice and turned to look at us. I didn’t care. I kept walking toward my office. As soon as I entered the sales department, my entire team rushed over. “Sloane! You’re back!” “Sloane, we all heard! This is outrageous! You’re the top sales rep at Vertex! How could they possibly fire you?!” “Shh.” I pressed a finger to my lips, signaling them to keep quiet. I didn’t want my situation to negatively impact their future careers. I patted Lauren, who was standing next to me, on the shoulder and asked: “Where’s Gavin?” As soon as the words left my mouth, I heard a greasy voice fake a cough. I looked up and saw Gavin. Gavin waddled over with his prominent beer belly, smiling greasily at me. “Oh my, if it isn’t our Sloane. Looks like you’re looking for me? “Even though you’re about to leave the company, I’m still the Sales Manager now. How can you just call me by my first name? You should be calling me Manager Gavin. “Oh, it’s such a shame. Who would have thought our top sales rep would end up like this! The new CEO is just so… unsentimental. “Sloane, my hands are tied. I pleaded your case, I really did. But the CEO was adamant. I can’t protect you.” Ashley, who was standing next to him, nudged him in annoyance. Gavin instantly shut his mouth and didn’t say another word. If I couldn’t see what was going on here, I’d have to apologize to my years of professional experience. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Gavin had been whispering in the CEO’s ear. Gavin and I joined Vertex around the same time. Like me, he started from the very bottom. But he could never outperform me. His numbers were always lower than mine. However, the guy did have one redeeming quality that made bosses and managers like him. He was a world-class kiss-ass. And sure enough, relying on his formidable brown-nosing skills, he managed to instantly transform himself into the Sales Manager the moment the new CEO arrived. After he became manager, he constantly targeted me and made things difficult for me. But because I brought in millions of dollars in revenue every month, he couldn’t touch my position. So if he couldn’t shake my position, he’d just kick me out of the company altogether? 04 I raised an eyebrow at Gavin: “Weren’t you trying to fire me? Tell me, what’s the severance package?” Gavin gave a greasy smile and glanced at Ashley beside him. “Oh, Sloane, why are you asking me? That has nothing to do with me. And this isn’t a firing, it’s just a company optimization. You’re just being optimized.” I scoffed and slammed a folder onto a nearby desk. “What’s your problem, Gavin? I’m trying to have a civilized conversation, and you’re insisting on playing games! “If you don’t want to handle this properly, then we can have a nice, long chat right here about that $2 million deal you signed when you first joined the company.” Hearing that, Gavin immediately pulled me aside, all his previous arrogance completely gone. “Oh, Sloane, didn’t we agree to never bring that up again? There are too many people here, let’s… let’s go to my office to talk.” I let out a cold laugh and strode purposefully toward Gavin’s office. As soon as we entered, Ashley coldly held out her hand. “Sloane, please hand over your phone. The conversation we’re about to have involves company confidentiality, and we need to prevent any unauthorized recording.” Gavin piled on the fake smiles beside her: “Sloane, just do what HR says so we can move on to the next step, right?” I sneered and tossed my phone to Ashley. “You haven’t grasped the basics of HR, but your paranoia is off the charts.” Ashley smugly lifted her chin and flipped her hair. “Hmph, of course.” Gavin looked a little embarrassed and nudged Ashley. Ashley finally realized what was happening and glared at me indignantly. I beamed at the two of them. They were still too young. They couldn’t even tell an insult from a compliment. “Spit it out. Skip the bullshit. What’s the severance?” Ashley’s face instantly dropped. She picked up a file and flipped through it. “Sloane, you were frequently absent from the office and failed to clock in. Management was very dissatisfied. This is a dereliction of duty on your part. What kind of severance are you expecting?” Gavin chimed in from the side: “Yeah, Sloane. I talked to management, but the CEO was determined to optimize the company. He felt the sales department was overstaffed and needed to be streamlined.” Ah, streamlined. They ‘streamlined’ me right out, the top sales rep. I didn’t say anything, just stared at them blankly. Gavin and Ashley exchanged a glance, and then he said: “Sloane, as your colleague, let me give you some honest advice. Look at your age. You’re almost thirty. If you suddenly get married and have a baby, what is the company supposed to do? “As employees, we definitely need to consider the company’s interests. The company is our home. “You’re a veteran employee, you need to think about the company, right?” I laughed out loud. Did he think I was a naive new grad, trying to gaslight me like this? “What’s wrong, Gavin? Is the company discriminating against me because I’m a woman?” Seeing my attitude, Gavin dropped the act and crossed his arms contemptuously. “How is this discrimination? Isn’t what I’m saying the truth? “You’re a woman nearing thirty. You should just go back home, get married, have kids, and be a housewife. What are you doing out here showing your face? This society isn’t a woman’s world! “You need to step aside and give opportunities to young people. Besides, your sales job is simple. “Don’t think that just because you negotiated a $50 million contract for the company, you can strut around like you own the place. They didn’t sign because of you; they signed because of Vertex’s reputation. Anyone else could have closed that deal!” I suddenly understood everything. No wonder they were in such a rush to kick me out. They wanted to swallow that contract for themselves. I smiled slightly, looking straight at that son of a bitch, and said slowly: “According to the Fair Labor Standards Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, women enjoy equal employment rights with men. Employers may not discriminate against employees based on race, sex, age, or religious beliefs. “I’m not going to waste any more breath on you. According to the regulations, a company terminating an employment contract without cause must compensate the employee. “I’ve been at Vertex for eight years, going on nine. Less than six months counts as half a year. That means the company owes me severance pay. “Oh, right, and there’s my unused PTO for this year. According to the rules, that should be paid out as well.” 05 As soon as I finished speaking, both Gavin and Ashley’s faces changed. Gavin was so angry he slammed his hand on the desk and pointed at me, yelling: “Sloane, don’t push your luck! Who do you think you are? “Making such outrageous demands! Did you not hear a single word of what I just said? Do you think the company can’t function without you? You’re way too full of yourself! “You’re a woman in sales. All you do is go out and drink with clients. Anyone can do this job! If Ashley were in your position, she’d do it even better!” Ashley scoffed coldly and chimed in ominously: “Sloane, don’t blame me for not warning you. When you look for a job in the future, if they do a background check, they’ll definitely have to contact us.” I raised an eyebrow: “What, are you threatening me?” Ashley giggled, her voice as grating as a crow’s. “Sloane, I’m just reminding you of the facts. “How about this? The company appreciates your years of service. On behalf of the company, I can offer you standard one-month severance pay. How does that sound?” Gavin sneered from the side: “Sloane, I know what you’re thinking. You’re just upset about missing out on the commission for the $50 million deal, right? Let me tell you, even if we gave you another month, you wouldn’t be able to close it! “Ashley already contacted them. They specifically requested that only Ashley handle the account, and they’ll sign immediately! Stop dreaming! “Offering you any severance is a gift. You should be grateful!” I raised an eyebrow. Ashley had already contacted Mr. Mitchell’s team? And they specifically requested Ashley to handle the account? But Mr. Mitchell is the CEO of his company. If it hadn’t been for their interference today, I would have already signed the contract. He wouldn’t lie to me. Look at how confident they are… I couldn’t help but ask, “Who did you contact?” “None of your business! Why are you asking so many questions?! You’re no longer a Vertex employee. This is company confidentiality! No comment!” I didn’t press further. I stood up and stretched my wrists and neck. This move clearly intimidated Ashley. She quickly hid behind Gavin, stammering: “Y-y-you… what, what are you trying to do!” Gavin puffed out his chest, pointed at me, and yelled: “Sloane, don’t try anything crazy! If you dare lay a hand on me, I’m calling security!” I quietly picked up my phone and glanced coldly at Ashley: “Please present my termination notice.” Both Ashley and Gavin breathed a sigh of relief. They quickly handed over the termination notice they had prepared. Gavin thought I was compromising. He immediately changed his tune, smiling as he patted my shoulder. “Sloane, this is the right move. A smart person knows when to adapt to the circumstances.” I paused the recording and coldly swatted his hand away. “Gavin, Ashley, be prepared for an arbitration lawsuit!” Gavin and Ashley froze, clearly not expecting me to pull this move. “What do you mean? Did you not listen to anything we just said?” Ashley stared at me menacingly, threatening: “Sloane, if you dare file a lawsuit, I guarantee you won’t find a job anywhere in this city!” “Bring it on. We’ll see about that.” 06 I went back to the sales department and started packing my things. My team members all gathered around. “Sloane, are you okay?” “Sloane, what are you going to do about them treating you like this?” I looked up and smiled at them. “Nothing. I’m leaving. “There are some things I can’t say, but you guys keep working hard. Let’s get together when we have time.” Lauren quickly pulled me aside and whispered: “Don’t wait until we have time. We’ve already booked a place. Let’s get together tonight.” I nodded, not refusing. “Okay. Hurry up and get back to work. It won’t look good if you’re seen.” My team was entirely handpicked by me. The hardest part was leaving this group of people. But I couldn’t just tell them to quit and come with me right now. Some of them had mortgages and car loans. Some were getting ready to get married. They couldn’t afford to be jobless right now. I hadn’t even found my next job yet. Waiting until I was established and then bringing them over was the safest approach. I casually packed a few things and left the company. Colleagues walking by glanced at me, then buried their heads back in their work. No one wanted to get caught in the crossfire. This was completely normal, especially in a tough job market. I walked out of the building, holding my cardboard box, and sighed. Eight years at Vertex, and in the end, my belongings didn’t even fill a single box. Logically speaking, I had been a bit impulsive. Daring to challenge the company before securing my next job. But I wasn’t willing to let it go. In the VR industry, while I might not be at the very top, my influence wasn’t small either. I was easily in the top five. My performance was the source of my confidence. If they dared to use such a ridiculous reason to fire me, I certainly wasn’t going to let them slaughter me without a fight. Otherwise, if this got out, what would my clients think of me? People would start questioning my professional capabilities. I got back into my car, took a picture of the cardboard box, and posted it on LinkedIn. [Got optimized! (Facepalm emoji) Any kind souls out there willing to take me in?~] I glanced at my phone. It was still early, so I drove home first. As soon as I got home, I found that many people were already asking me about it. Before I could reply, my best friend, Paige, called. I quickly answered. “Hey, Sloane, what’s going on? You got fired?” “Yeah, just now.” I briefly explained today’s situation to her. Paige snorted coldly: “This stupid company must be blind, firing you! They’re really getting ahead of themselves, thinking they can thrive without you! Sloane, what are you planning to do next?” “Go to arbitration first, and take a little break. Oh right, Paige, do you know any reliable lawyers? Recommend one to me.” “Sure, I’ll send you their contact info later. By the way, do you remember my cousin, Grayson?” I thought for a moment: “Yeah, I remember. I’ve met him a couple of times. Why?” Paige’s tone was somewhat excited as she said: “It’s like this. He started a company a while ago, and it’s right in your wheelhouse. They do VR too. “Don’t you still have a contract that hasn’t been signed? Go to my cousin’s company! If you go there and immediately land that contract, your compensation will definitely be better than before!” I thought about it and said to Paige: “Okay, send me a link to their company website. I’ll take a look first.” After chatting with Paige, I checked LinkedIn. The post I had just made already had a lot of likes, but no one was saying anything negative in the comments. Most were congratulating me, and then they turned around and sent me private messages. I started replying to them one by one. I organized today’s recordings and clipped the part where Gavin and Ashley talked about the $50 million contract and sent it to Mr. Mitchell. Less than an hour later, Mr. Mitchell sent a voice message. “Sloane, I’ve figured it out. The people at your former company contacted a scammer! He pretended to be my relative, convinced them he could secure the contract, and collected quite a bit in kickbacks from those two! “I’ll handle that scammer through legal channels. But don’t worry! I’m only giving this contract to you! Never mind anyone from Vertex—even if their CEO came, I’d only sign it with you!” Hearing that this was the reason, I couldn’t help but laugh. Let’s set Ashley aside for a moment, seeing as she’s a recent grad with no professional experience, it’s normal for her not to see clearly. But Gavin is an old pro. How could he not distinguish true from false? Or maybe, in the face of massive profit, he was too dizzy to care. 07 As soon as I got home, I received a call from an unfamiliar number. I checked the time. It was 10:00 PM. I was afraid it might be a client, so I quickly answered. “Hello?” A cool voice came from the other end of the line: “Sloane, this is Grayson.” Grayson? How did he get my number? I suddenly realized—it must have been Paige who gave it to him. “Hi Grayson, what’s up?” Grayson said calmly: “Paige told me you were let go by Vertex. Why don’t you come to my company? “As for compensation, I won’t have you working for me. You can come on directly as a partner. 20% equity, annual dividends. You can also continue doing sales. A base salary of $20,000 a month, and a 10% commission on every deal. How does that sound?” I was stunned, unable to speak for a moment. When I didn’t respond, Grayson continued: “If you feel that’s not enough, we can negotiate in person.” Me: “…” How is that not enough? That’s more than enough! You have to understand, when I was at Vertex, my commission on each deal was only 1%! Not to mention the 20% equity. This is a complete game-changer! I quickly replied to Grayson: “No, no, no, Grayson. That’s not what I meant. “It’s just so sudden, I couldn’t process it for a moment.” Grayson on the other end of the line audibly sighed in relief and said slowly: “Then are you free tomorrow? Why don’t you come to my company to take a look, and we can discuss the details in person.” “Sure. Send me the address.” After hanging up the phone, I still hadn’t recovered from the shock. I lay blankly on the sofa, staring at the ceiling. Grinding in the city for eight years. After rent and daily expenses, I really hadn’t saved much money. At least, not enough to buy a decent apartment in a prime real estate area. According to the terms Grayson offered, in less than a year, I’d probably be able to buy a luxury apartment downtown. Thinking of that $50 million contract, I suddenly felt very grateful for Gavin’s decision. Thank goodness they didn’t get their hands on it. I knew Grayson had probably heard about the $50 million contract from Paige, which is why he offered a high price to poach me. But this was completely normal. There are many sharks and little blood in the water; you have to fight for it. I didn’t think Grayson sought me out just for Paige’s sake. After all, what I possessed was real capability. Gavin thought things were simple, believing that even if I left, the client contracts would still belong to Vertex. Changing the person who maintained the client relationships would be the same. But the fact that I was able to sit in the position of top sales rep wasn’t just because of drinking and kissing ass. As a woman in the tech industry, I definitely was at a disadvantage. Many clients wore naturally tinted glasses, believing that a woman like me wouldn’t understand any professional jargon, yet still dared to sell virtual products. When I first entered the industry, a client poured red wine over my head to mock me. I didn’t confront him publicly. I didn’t yell or make a scene. Instead, I silently improved my professional knowledge. I went through all the tech industry knowledge that those arrogant men thought only men could understand, ensuring that I could comprehend and converse about anything the clients discussed. When treating clients, I was on call 24/7. Not just during holidays, but usually, as long as the client needed me, I was there whenever called. I treated them with sincerity, and only then would they treat me with sincerity. Because of this, my clients trusted my capabilities. They introduced me to their friends, bringing me even more resources. I sat in the position of top sales rep, and I deserved it. And the client who poured the red wine earlier? His company collapsed and went bankrupt less than two years later. The client resources I held in my hands—Gavin and Ashley couldn’t steal them.

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My son returned from his Harvard graduation to attend my birthday party. With his right hand, he held his biological mother, and with his left, his girlfriend. He poured a glass of red wine over my head and said that the person he hated most in this life was me, and he wished I were dead. In the moment of agonizing heartbreak, his cold, disgusted eyes became my last memory. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to five years ago. 1 “Hello, Mrs. Vance, please come down to the school. Ethan, he…” Receiving the familiar phone call, I felt a bit dazed, my heart racing as if I’d had a long dream. “Mrs. Vance, Ethan happens to have a math competition this Friday, but he suddenly pulled a stunt like this. Please talk some sense into him. His future is on the line.” The homeroom teacher adjusted his glasses, looking at the two people in the corner with frustration. Ethan Vance and his girlfriend. The two were caught dating by the teacher, and showing no signs of remorse, the parents were called in. I watched my son glare at me with sheer hatred. His little girlfriend hid behind him, her lip gloss and eyeshadow shimmering as she pouted with grievance. “I don’t need you controlling me. You aren’t even my real mom! You’re just a homewrecker.” The teacher’s expression drastically changed, and the other teachers in the office looked up at me. Ethan didn’t spare me an ounce of dignity. “Mr. Davis, I’d like to take him outside to say a few words. Sorry for the trouble.” In my previous life, I forced the two to break up, compelling Ethan to participate in the competition that was crucial for his early admission to Harvard. He didn’t disappoint, taking home the gold medal and securing his spot. But his girlfriend suddenly transferred schools. He hated me for tearing them apart. On my birthday, he intentionally brought that girl to me. The two looked at me with disgust and poured red wine all over me. Ethan gnashed his teeth and said: “You just can’t stand to see me happy. You tore my parents apart, and now you want to tear us apart. Go to hell. I will never forgive you.” Coming back to my senses, I looked at the two holding hands in front of me. “I won’t…” “I won’t oppose you guys, just don’t embarrass me in front of the teachers. I don’t want to be called to the school for this kind of thing again.” Before Ethan could speak, I beat him to it. My son stared at me in disbelief. I ignored them, nodded to the homeroom teacher, and left the office. This Friday, that girl would make Ethan choose between celebrating her birthday and taking the math competition. Obviously, no matter what, he turned eighteen last month. This time, I was handing the choice back to Ethan himself. Let him choose! 2 The homeroom teacher still didn’t give up and called me again. Half an hour before the exam, the two had skipped class. I drove to the amusement park and could faintly see their backs—youthful, unrestrained, and reckless. I checked my watch, waited until the exam start time had completely passed, and drove away. The first time I met Ethan, he was only two years old, a tiny little thing. His mother divorced his father, Richard Vance, because Richard was always busy with work. She quickly found a new love and didn’t even take him with her. Ethan’s little hand gripped my thumb, and he spoke sweetly. Though it was slurred, he said: “Mom… Mom…” I hugged him tightly. Even though he wasn’t my biological child, I decided then and there that I would treat him as my treasure and be good to him for the rest of my life. He started growing up and went to school. I didn’t yield an inch to Richard on the issue of his education. I strongly disagreed with his free-range parenting style. I read countless books on child psychology and cognitive development, yet I was afraid of applying them incorrectly on him. Worried that my lack of expertise would hold him back, I entrusted him to professional tutors. I rejoiced at his every progress and lost sleep over his every setback. I had a gentle and kind personality, but I forced myself to play the strict mother. I loved him dearly and couldn’t bear to see him cry, but I was merciless when it came to correcting his mistakes. He once made a wish to me, saying he wanted to go to the best university in the country, to Harvard. That was his dream. I etched that firmly in my heart. Ethan’s natural talent was limited; he was a bit lazy and not very self-disciplined. So, I willingly became the stepping stone beneath his feet. Even if he complained about me and resented me, I wanted to lift him up to achieve his dream. In my previous life, after discovering Ethan had a knack for math, I swallowed my pride to seek out renowned professors to tutor him. I took time off to accompany him to summer camps and traveled across the country for tests. Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on tutoring fees, which caused me to miss out on several career promotions. But in the end, he said he hated me. He said he didn’t like math at all, and even without the competitions, he could have gotten into Harvard on his own. Now, I just wanted to see how he would get into Harvard on his own. When Richard called from overseas, nine out of ten sentences were questions about his son. “Audrey, thank you for taking such good care of him. I know it’s been hard on you all these years. Deep down, Ethan treats you like his real mom. I’ll make it up to you properly. I love you.” I coldly hung up the phone. One said he loved me; the other said he treated me like his real mom. Yet, in the end, I was humiliated by them and died full of resentment. Late that night, Ethan still hadn’t returned. I turned off the lights and fell asleep peacefully. I used to stay awake all night when he came home late, full of worry and anxiety, waiting up for him. He complained and accused me of restricting his freedom, saying my strict control was suffocating him. Now, I was setting him free. 3 When I received the call from the police precinct the next day, I wasn’t surprised. In my previous life, this same event occurred, but I had aggressively intervened and bailed Ethan out of the entire mess. The center of this incident was his crush, Chloe Harper. “Whose parent are you?” I scanned the dejected teenagers and said, “Ethan Vance’s.” “They got drunk and started a brawl. One kid got his head smashed and is in the ER right now. Nobody is admitting to throwing the punch, so we…” On Chloe’s youthful face, her makeup was heavy, her hair styled in big waves, yet she leaned pitifully against Ethan. Ethan glanced at me, lowered his head, and said stubbornly, “I want my dad here. I don’t need you!” I called his dad right in front of him. It just rang busy; no one answered. The police officer suddenly asked sternly again, “Who exactly threw the punch?” Chloe suddenly burst into tears, hugging Ethan tightly. He looked up, and our eyes met. I knew who did it, and Ethan knew too. How would he choose? “It was me. I threw the punch. I smashed the bottle over his head.” Ethan lifted his chin, his voice echoing firmly, taking the blame entirely. This was his defense of his true love, a display of his courage. He shielded Chloe in his arms like a real man. At that moment, Chloe’s mother arrived. Highly emotional, she slapped Ethan across the face: “You delinquent, ruining my daughter! Now you didn’t just end up in the precinct, you put someone in the hospital. One look at you and I know you’re a thug. You’re gonna end up in prison!” “Stay away from Chloe, do you hear me?!” Ethan’s face turned pale. As a proud, privileged boy, this was the first time he had ever been cursed at like this. He looked at me, lost and confused, unable to understand why I—who usually coddled him—was just watching him get insulted. Without a single ripple of emotion. Chloe hid behind her mother at this moment, not saying a word. Ultimately, because it was his first offense, he was a high school student, and the other party had fought back (resulting in minor injuries overall), the situation was deemed mild. As long as we actively paid compensation, it could be settled out of court. He was still wearing a ridiculous studded leather jacket, ripped jeans, and reeked of cheap alcohol. I rolled down the car window. “You, why did you…” he started blankly, looking at my reflection in the rearview mirror, a swollen red slap mark still on his face. He didn’t finish his question. After I finished handling the paperwork, we headed back to the school. 4 He used to hate me coming to his school. He wouldn’t even allow me to attend parent-teacher conferences. From the moment he started school, he never once called me Mom. Once he realized the existence of his biological mother, he stopped calling me entirely and instead began to hurl insults. He firmly believed I was the one who ruined his parents’ marriage, that I was a despicable homewrecker. I explained to him countless times that his dad and I dated normally; they had already been divorced. I was not a mistress. But Ethan clung to his own judgment. Combined with his rebellious teenage phase, he embarrassed me multiple times. He even directly invited his birth mom to family gatherings. Mother and son would sit together and pull his dad in, making me look utterly redundant. When introducing me to his friends, he would say: “Look, that’s my stepmom. She’s the mistress.” I truly loved and protected him, treating him as my own child. How could a mother hold a grudge against her kid? But then, I caught him slipping birth control pills into my water. When confronted, he made ridiculous excuses. He didn’t want me to have a child of my own, thinking I would start abusing him and that my child would fight him for the inheritance. I finally couldn’t hold back and slapped him, demanding to know why he harbored such messed-up thoughts. He glared at me, like he was looking at a sworn enemy. When I was heartbroken and in despair, Ethan suddenly apologized. He said he was wrong, and our relationship temporarily softened. I gave in again. I watched him grow from a tiny toddler into a tall, strapping young man; he was my child. He said he wanted to get into Harvard, and I did everything in my power to help him, sacrificing my own career to manage his diet and schedule. Getting into an Ivy League is no easy feat. If he could win gold in the national competition, he’d secure early admission. If he failed the competition and his SAT scores weren’t enough, I planned to arrange for him to study abroad. I had planned everything out for him, hoping his future would be smooth and brilliant. He achieved his dream; his future was bright. But it turned out he had always despised me deep down. I was a stain on his life. His warmth towards me was nothing but a fake facade, a scheme brewing to humiliate and take revenge on me. At his graduation, which also happened to be my birthday party, he was the golden boy, the envy of everyone. With his right hand, he held the birth mother who abandoned him, and with his left, the girlfriend who had once blackmailed me for $200,000. He looked at me with eyes full of pure hatred. In front of everyone, he called me a wicked stepmother with a venomous heart who abused him constantly, tearing him away from his true love and destroying his happiness. I was painted as an unforgivable, malicious woman. In front of the entire crowd, he poured red wine over my head and said he wished I were dead. In the moment my heart seized in agonizing pain, Ethan leaned close to me. He whispered that he had poisoned my medication, causing my body to fail day by day, because he truly wanted me to die. 5 I poured everything into raising him, yet he refused to attribute even a fraction of his success to me. But now, I was frequently heading to the school to clean up his messes. The homeroom teacher’s expression was one of absolute heartbreak: “Ethan, how did you end up like this? The school has always treated you as a top Ivy League prospect! And you? Now you’re dating, fighting, and ending up in the police precinct. What are you trying to do?!” “Mrs. Vance, as a parent, you have to care and discipline your child! You can’t just let them run wild! Both the school and the family need to take responsibility.” I patiently listened to the teacher’s lecture. I used to understand this logic better than him, but this was Ethan’s own choice. This time, I decided to respect all of his choices. I wanted to see if, by following his own desires, he could live a better life than in his previous one. He wasn’t expelled, but he received a major demerit and was transferred from the AP classes to the regular classes. Studying is like rowing upstream; not advancing means falling back. He was already failing to keep up with the AP curriculum anyway. Due to my outstanding work performance, I was scheduled to travel for a very important corporate meeting that week. Ethan mentioned that the class was holding a parent-teacher conference. He lowered his eyes, seemingly already knowing my choice, assuming I would choose him. I used to want to go to his parent-teacher conferences so badly as his mother. I wanted to witness his honors, to proudly show everyone the gem I had carefully polished. But he never allowed me to go. He never gave me that chance. In my past life, when he got his first top-tier grades, I turned down a major promotion from my boss just to watch him receive his award. But Ethan intentionally gave me the wrong time and place. I waited there all day like an absolute fool. I wouldn’t be a fool in this life. The next day, at his class’s parent-teacher conference, only his seat remained empty. I chose my job, fulfilling his wish from the previous life. When I walked through the door, Ethan smashed a glass cup at my feet. His eyes were dark and bloodshot: “Why didn’t you go to the school for the conference?! I was the only one in the whole class without a parent!” I looked at him silently. The scene was so strikingly similar. In the past life, he had roared at me just like this. “What right do you have to go to my school? Do you deserve to? You aren’t my mom; you’re just a disgusting homewrecker!” Time and space overlapped, shadows merging. I walked past him without a shred of emotion. In my past life, I was devastated, my heart pierced by the person I viewed as my own son. That feeling made me constantly doubt myself, wondering where I went wrong, where I had failed him. But now, my heart was completely indifferent. I wasn’t his mom, so why should I go to his parent-teacher conference? His dad finally found the time to deliver a long, trans-oceanic lecture. In the past life, he was an absentee father. He left all the “bad cop” parenting to me, occasionally popping up to play the “good cop.” It was so easy for him to become the tolerant, open-minded, ultimate good dad in his son’s eyes. “Audrey, Ethan’s teacher told me his grades have been slipping lately, and he’s not studying properly. He’s been doing all sorts of nonsense. What’s going on?” “My ability to educate him is lacking. Why don’t you come back and parent him yourself? Ethan misses his dad very much.” The man immediately changed the subject: “Sigh, studying is ultimately his own responsibility. I’m too busy over here, I want to come back too, but I really can’t get away. Audrey, you’ll have to put in more effort. I’ll call the boy and scold him too.” This was an outcome I had anticipated long ago. His son was important, but not as important as his job. Only the old me, blinded by self-righteous maternal love, willingly sacrificed everything for him. Only to receive not a single ounce of gratitude in the end. 6 My career skyrocketed, and I quickly became the general manager of the branch office. The truth is, I was never inferior to anyone; I had just poured all my time and energy into Ethan before. Meanwhile, Ethan had completely degenerated into a delinquent. Skipping class, fighting, dating, and receiving multiple school-wide disciplinary warnings. His teachers stopped calling me. If even the parents had checked out, what could a teacher possibly change? We all gave up on Ethan. He finally got to choose the freedom he desperately wanted. He didn’t have to be forced by me to drink milk every day or eat a balanced diet. He didn’t have to wake up early for study hall, didn’t have to shuttle between SAT prep classes on weekends, and didn’t have to wear the same boring uniform every day. He no longer had to endure my nagging, my supervision, or my “unnecessary” care. He started fighting with his dad: “You were always busy with work and never cared before! What right do you have to interfere in my life now?! I make my own choices!” “You ungrateful little brat! If I don’t make money, who supports the family? Who feeds you, clothes you, and apparently raises an enemy?! You better study hard and listen to me, do you hear me?!” “You guys never actually cared about me! You just treated me like a mindless puppet to satisfy your own control issues!” “What nonsense are you talking about?!” “…” “You little punk, if your teacher calls me again to say you’re failing, I’ll break your legs…” Crash— Ethan smashed his brand-new smartphone onto the floor. With bleached blonde hair and a black ear stud, he had completely transformed into a different person. He shot me a cold glare, left the house, and didn’t return all night. Time refreshed day by day, and the countdown to the SATs and college admissions had begun. My professional performance was stellar, and I was successfully transferred back to corporate headquarters, promoted to senior management. “Ms. Collins, I’d like to request some time off. My son’s school is having a parent-teacher conference. He ranked first in the entire school this time.” My subordinate, Linda, asked for leave with a proud expression. Her child sent a voice memo at that moment. “Mom, you have to come! I want you to watch me get my award.” I gladly approved her request. “Ms. Collins, your son must be taking his college entrance exams soon, right? I haven’t heard you mention him lately. Ethan, wasn’t it? You used to say he was so smart, he might just be the valedictorian this year!” I smiled. “I hope so. Hard work never deceives anyone.”

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My sister was a child prodigy. She started talking at six months and could recite the multiplication tables up to twelve backwards by age four. My whole family treated her like a precious treasure. As the older sister, I advised our parents: “Talent only takes you so far; hard work and education are just as important.” But they thought I was just jealous of her. Because of my diligence, my teachers loved me. My sister, on the other hand, slacked off and was frequently called into the principal’s office. Over time, she grew to resent me and eventually killed me in a deliberate hit-and-run. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the summer before eighth grade. This time, I smiled and flattered her: “My sister is way smarter than me. We should listen to her.” 1 “Mia, what do you think?” Mom’s voice suddenly echoed in my ears. I opened my eyes and realized I was actually wearing my middle school uniform. My younger sister, Chloe, was sitting on the couch scrolling through Amazon, while Mom looked at me with pleading eyes. The exact same scene from the past vividly played out in my mind. I realized I had been reborn. I had returned to the first day of summer vacation before eighth grade. In my past life, Mom wanted to enroll us in a summer prep program to help us test into the state’s elite magnet high school next year, but Chloe refused to go. She smugly scrolled on her phone and said, “I just have to glance at the textbooks to understand everything. Testing into an elite high school will be a breeze. I don’t want to do summer prep.” Back then, I kindly advised her that hard work was just as important as natural talent. The speaker had no ill intent, but the listener took it to heart. I didn’t realize the seeds of hatred had been planted right then. Both of us ended up testing into the top high school, but Chloe claimed she got in without needing any prep. In high school, I spent extra time going to teachers’ offices to ask questions, while she repeatedly feigned having “important things” to do to get out of studying. Under my constant pushing and supervision, Chloe relied on her talent and a tiny bit of effort to get into a prestigious university. She even studied abroad and returned as a PhD graduate. However, her fiancé dumped her, claiming her education made her too intimidating and difficult to control. Chloe blamed it all on me and ran me over with her car. And my family? To protect their precious “genius” genes, they paid someone to take the fall for her crime. Chloe walked free. The three of them lived happily ever after, completely forgetting I ever existed. But God gave me a second chance. This time, facing Mom’s question, I looked at Chloe and offered a sycophantic smile. “Chloe is way smarter than me. Let’s listen to her.” In this life, I wouldn’t spare a single drop of sisterly affection! I would watch with my own eyes as she plummeted from her high pedestal, never to climb back up! 2 Neither of them expected me to actually agree. Mom looked at me in confusion. “Mia, do you really not want your sister to go with you?” Her eyes were practically begging me to give a different answer. But I shook my head. “No, I don’t need anyone to keep me company.” A look of disappointment washed over Mom’s face. It was only after being reborn that I realized the mother I loved so much had always used me as her scapegoat. She obviously wanted both of us to attend the prep classes and get into the elite high school so she could brag to her friends. But she repeatedly asked me, forcing the harsh words out of my mouth, so she could keep her own hands clean. Perhaps from the moment Chloe first showed her “genius” traits, our weights in her heart had fundamentally shifted. Knowing she didn’t have to go to summer prep, Chloe bought a few more dresses on Amazon. She even begged Mom to take her on a vacation to Hawaii. Mom always gave in to Chloe. With just a few sweet words, she convinced Mom, who booked the flights overnight. Before leaving, Chloe tossed her summer reading and math packets at me, just like in my past life, telling me to do them for her. In my past life, she always claimed she already knew how to do the problems, saying she was “doing me a favor” by letting me practice the questions twice so I could “learn by repetition.” And like an idiot, I believed her. She was just lazy. This time, without missing a beat, I shoved the homework packets back at her. “I have to go to the prep academy this summer, and they give us homework too. I don’t have time.” Seeing her refuse to give up, she yelled loudly, “Mom, Chloe wants me to—” Before I could finish, Chloe yanked me into her bedroom and threatened me. “Try snitching on me, I dare you!” I laughed and shoved the packets back into her hands. “You’re a genius, Chloe. A mere summer packet should be a piece of cake for you, right?” “If I do it for you, people might think you’re bullying me. Since you’re so considerate of me, I obviously have to be considerate of you.” Hearing this, Chloe’s face turned as black as coal. She snatched the packets and slammed the door as she stormed out. Her furious, flustered expression was absolutely hilarious. In this life, I was done being the thankless fool! 3 Mom and Chloe spent the whole summer partying and vacationing, while I spent it reviewing all the knowledge from my previous life. Hard work always pays off. On the back-to-school placement test, I ranked second in the grade. First place was still Chloe. Even though I had lived a whole extra life, I hadn’t touched middle school textbooks in years, and I had forgotten a lot. But it didn’t matter. I didn’t believe that hard work was worthless in the face of talent. When we got home, the whole family cheered for Chloe’s test scores, completely ignoring the fact that I had won the “Most Improved” award. Mom bragged to anyone who would listen that Chloe was a prodigy. Even her Facebook cover photo was a wall of Chloe’s academic awards. Glowing with pride, Mom kept piling food onto Chloe’s plate. “Oh, Chloe, Mommy loves you so much.” I kept my head down and ate, automatically filtering out their picture-perfect family moment, silently reciting Shakespearean soliloquies in my head. It was fine. I would love myself. After dinner, Mom took Chloe out to buy a reward. I went back to my room, pulled out the Magnet School Entrance Exam Prep Book, and started doing practice problems. In my past life, I barely scraped past the cutoff score for Oakridge Academy. But while Chloe was placed in the honors program, I was stuck in the regular classes. This time, my goal wasn’t just to get in. I was going to proudly march right into the top honors class! 4 Time slipped through my fingers, and my eighth-grade year flew by. In the blink of an eye, there was only one month left until the high school entrance exams. I had buried my head in my books all year. For the entire second semester, I deliberately maintained a rank exactly one spot below Chloe’s. I had to admit, having a master-level grasp on the material and easily manipulating my test scores felt incredibly satisfying. Meanwhile, relying on her “talent,” Chloe slacked off all year. Her mind wasn’t on studying at all. Without my constant nagging in this life, she started hanging out with juvenile delinquents outside of school. Smoking, drinking, getting into fights—she didn’t miss a beat. Yet, Mom still claimed Chloe had a “great personality” and was highly sociable, mingling well with both guys and girls. While praising her, Mom never forgot to put me down. “Look at your sister. She gets good grades and has tons of friends. Look at you. All you do all day is read like a dead fish! You’re so thick-headed!” “You’re twins, but you’re as dumb as a pig. How can you be so stupid?!” In my past life, facing these words, I would only cry secretly, blaming myself, thinking everything was my fault and that I was an embarrassment to the family. But I had already died once. This time, I fired right back at her. “No matter how dumb I am, I’m still your biological daughter. If I’m a pig, what does that make you? The mother pig?” “Instead of spending your time insulting me, you should go look at your precious younger daughter’s latest mock exam scores. The door is on your left. Don’t let it hit you on the way out.” Mom was so furious she clutched her chest and rolled her eyes, nearly passing out from rage. Then, she stormed out of my room. A moment later, I heard yelling from outside. “Chloe, how did you do so poorly this time?! Your class rank dropped by a whole hundred spots!” While the argument raged on in the living room, I sat in my bedroom looking at my own report card—ranked number one in the grade—smiling so hard my cheeks hurt. Sorry, but I didn’t hold back my scores this time. I wanted to slap her right in the face. 5 However, the fire was quickly put out. When I went downstairs, I saw the mother-daughter duo had already returned to their picture-perfect harmony. Mom warmed up some milk for Chloe and even held it up to her lips. “I’m sorry, sweetie. Mommy just got a little too emotional. I believe you can definitely get into Oakridge Academy!” Chloe drank the milk reluctantly, pouting. “I told you, I only did bad this time because I forgot to bubble in the Scantron sheet! Even without the multiple-choice section, I still ranked in the top 20 of my class. If I had those points, I’d definitely be number one in the grade. Testing into Oakridge is a piece of cake.” Mom believed her nonsense, but I knew the truth. That was Chloe’s actual level. I was the one handing out the exams; how could I not see whether she bubbled the Scantron or not? But I didn’t expose her. After all, the higher she was placed, the harder she would fall. This time, I wanted to see exactly how long her “talent” could carry her. I grabbed some cold milk from the fridge, warmed it up myself, and headed upstairs. Chloe sneered at me while watching TV. “Mia, don’t think you’re better than me just because you got first place this time. Don’t forget, in the face of absolute talent, all your hard work is useless. You want to get into Oakridge Academy? I suggest you save your breath.” Facing her provocation, I felt absolutely nothing. I poked a straw into my milk carton, turned my head, and replied coldly. “Really? Then let’s wait and see.” With that, I went back to my room and did another set of practice exams. This was the third time I was going through this prep book. I had the answers memorized backwards. Oakridge Academy was already in the bag. Chloe continued watching TV downstairs. The volume was blasted, and the living room echoed with her laughter. This time, I didn’t beg her to study and prepare for the exams. Instead, I quietly put on my noise-canceling headphones, set my alarm, and crawled into bed. I dropped my savior complex and respected her fate. Everything would be revealed in two weeks after the entrance exams. After all, slapping someone in the face personally is always much more satisfying. I wanted to see if she would still be able to laugh then. 6 Dappled shadows, the hum of cicadas, the sun baking the pavement. The massive entrance exams concluded in the sweltering heat of June. The AC in my testing room was broken. By the time I walked out, the back of my uniform was completely soaked in sweat. Outside the school gates, Mom was massaging Chloe’s shoulders while holding a portable fan to cool her down, completely ignoring me standing right next to them. “Sweetie, did you know how to do all the questions?” Chloe rolled her eyes at her. “Mom, what kind of question is that? What do you mean ‘did I know how’? I crushed every single one. Just relax.” Mom’s face lit up with joy. “I knew my Chloe was the best!” The surrounding parents praised Mom for raising such a wonderful daughter. Chloe always enjoyed being worshipped. While soaking in the spotlight, she didn’t forget to drag me down. “Sister, how did you do?” The answer keys for all subjects had been posted online right after the exams finished. During their little chat, I had already checked my answers. Everything was exactly as expected. Facing Chloe’s taunt, I said casually, “We’ll know when the scores are posted, won’t we? What’s the rush?” My nonchalant attitude deflated Chloe’s ego. Unable to throw a fit in public, she resorted to passive-aggressiveness. “Don’t tell me you did so badly you’re too scared to say it. Fine, I’ll wait until results day to see if you can still act this calm and collected!” Great. I was looking forward to that day, too. 7 There was no homework over the summer before high school. From the moment the exams ended, Chloe had been partying non-stop. Once, at home, I even saw her bring back some punk with bleach-blonde hair and sleeve tattoos, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He took one look at me and strutted straight into my sister’s bedroom. At the end of the day, we shared the same blood. To say I didn’t feel a sliver of pity watching Chloe stray down the wrong path would be a lie. But then I remembered how, in my past life, she had shown zero sisterly affection and hadn’t hesitated for a second to run me over with a car. That tiny shred of pity vanished instantly. It’s hard to save someone who’s hell-bent on ruining themselves. She had to walk her own path. You only feel the pain when the whip strikes your own skin. In this life, I wouldn’t interfere with her at all. 8 The exam results were released. Not only did I rank first in the grade, but I was also the top scorer in the entire state. Oakridge Academy not only begged me to enroll but promised a full-ride scholarship covering all tuition and fees if I did. On results day, the house phone was ringing off the hook with media outlets wanting to do exclusive interviews with me. As soon as Mom hung up the phone, a bizarre silence descended upon the house. Chloe was sitting on the couch, sobbing. She had smashed most of the vases and decorations in the house; the floor was covered in shards. Mom was frantic. “Didn’t you say you had it in the bag? How did you not even meet the cutoff score for Oakridge?!” Wiping her tears, Chloe exploded like a firecracker when her sore spot was poked. “I was one point away! How am I supposed to know how the graders scored it?! I knew how to do all those questions! Even though I didn’t check the answer key, I guarantee I got them right! I probably just forgot to bubble the Scantron again.” Mom always blindly believed Chloe’s words. After Chloe spoke, Mom shot me a suspicious look. “Could they have mixed up the scores? You two are twins, you look so much alike. Maybe the scores were swapped.” I literally rolled my eyes. The exams are graded based on student ID numbers, not by what you look like. Besides, the graders can’t even see whose test they’re marking. How could there be a mix-up? Obviously, Mom couldn’t accept that her “genius” daughter had bombed the test. She consoled herself with this delusion, refusing to believe I could score so high, completely disregarding the entire year I had spent staying up late studying. Refusing to give up, Mom dragged Chloe to the school district office to demand a recount. After checking the scores again, the personal information matched perfectly. That was Chloe’s true score. The mother-daughter duo finally admitted defeat and started stressing over finding a high school. Meanwhile, I was doing TV interviews while prepping for the upcoming high school curriculum. The road ahead was long, but I knew my future was bright. As for Chloe. Her “talent” was about to run its course very soon. 9 Chloe’s score wasn’t terribly low; it was more than enough for a regular public high school. But her pride wouldn’t allow it. She insisted on going to Oakridge Academy just like me. Mom pulled every string she had and finally paid a massive $15,000 “donation” fee to squeeze her into the school. But this time, she was only placed in the regular classes. In her class, everyone knew she was a “bought” student, and rumors swirled around her constantly. Chloe was used to being the center of the universe. Unable to handle the slight, she constantly used her “genius” status to belittle others. Over time, everyone isolated her. With no friends at school, she started hanging out with even more delinquent teens off-campus. Whenever someone dared to bring up her bought-student status, she’d have her thug friends corner them. She acted one way in front of her classmates and completely differently in front of the teachers. She played the bullying game perfectly. Chloe thought no one could touch her. But her little tricks were used in the wrong place. Finally, disaster struck. The father of the girl she bullied happened to be a police officer. Chloe kicked a steel plate. She was detained at the police station for two weeks before being released. The school also issued a final warning. “Chloe was never a legitimately admitted student, and she has repeatedly violated school rules. If this happens again, she will be expelled.” Chloe was hit with a major disciplinary mark on her record. Awards, competitions, college recommendations—she was barred from all of it. Not only that, but one more mistake meant expulsion. Mom was worried sick. But Chloe didn’t think it was a big deal. “Mom, even without those extra credits, I can get into a good college just on my pure SAT scores alone. Don’t forget, I’ve been a genius since I was a kid.” “Besides, this whole thing wasn’t my fault. She kept talking trash about me first! Am I not allowed to fight back when I’m being bullied? Even if no one else believes me, you’re my own mother. Do you not believe me either?” Chloe’s eyes reddened with fake tears. Mom, remembering all of Chloe’s early childhood brilliance, quickly changed her tune. “Mommy believes you. Our Chloe started talking at six months and knew the multiplication tables backward at four. The doctors said you had a high IQ. Of course I believe you.” Mom went right back to coddling her. I stood off to the side, watching the whole thing coldly. Mom probably didn’t even know that Chloe’s test scores had tanked again. And I doubt Chloe told Mom anything about her ties with those street thugs. I smirked. Looked like my good little sister was keeping plenty of secrets from our mother. 10 Chloe laid low for a while and didn’t cause any major trouble, but turning 18 didn’t make her focus on her studies. More than once, I saw her bringing different guys into the house the moment Mom left. She was visibly spiraling into depravity. Our quiet life was soon shattered. Dad’s company ran into severe financial trouble. To secure funding, he needed to arrange a marriage between his daughter and the heir of the Sterling family. When Chloe found out the arranged match was a wealthy heir, she immediately volunteered without hesitation. “I’m smarter than Mia, and I know how to sweet-talk. All my sister knows how to do is study; she’s boring and dense. Let me marry him. Once I marry in, I’ll definitely know how to keep my husband happy.” The Sterling heir? I remembered now. It was Chase Sterling, Chloe’s fiancé from my past life. Back then, when Chloe returned from studying abroad, Chase immediately broke off the engagement. I would never forget his smug, mocking face. “Chloe’s education is way too high, and she’s seen too much of the world. Once she marries in, she’ll be too hard to control.” “Why don’t we switch brides? I think her older sister is pretty good. She’s pretty, soft-spoken, and docile. If I keep a few mistresses on the side, she definitely won’t complain.” Chase’s rejection pushed Chloe’s hatred for me to the absolute limit. That very night, she ran me over on my way out. In this life, Chloe was still babbling endlessly about the benefits of her marrying into the family. Mom finally remembered I existed. “Mia, what do you think?” Earlier, Mom had told Chloe quite a few unsavory rumors about Chase, worried that her precious sister would suffer in the marriage. But she conveniently forgot that I was also her flesh and blood. Before I could answer, Chloe grabbed Mom’s arm. “Mom, why are you asking her?!” “Don’t you love me the most? When something this good comes along, why is she the first person you think of?!” After all, this was a lifelong commitment. For the first time ever, Mom didn’t listen to Chloe. “Mia, Mom is asking you. Are you willing to marry into the Sterling family?” Chloe glared at me. “You better think carefully.” She didn’t need to remind me; I had made my decision a long time ago. I was still in school. The higher I climbed, the further I would see. What kind of good man wouldn’t I be able to find later? I wouldn’t take the Sterling heir even if they gift-wrapped him for free. I shook my head. “I don’t want to.” “Since Chloe wants to marry him so badly, let her.” 11 Chloe happily got engaged to the Sterling family. The two met over the summer, hit it off, and were soon joined at the hip all day long. Every time the Sterling heir visited, he brought luxury caviar and expensive vintage wines, making Mom beam with joy. She completely forgot all his past rumors and genuinely adored her new son-in-law. “Thank goodness Chloe was the one who got engaged. Seeing how well Chase treats her puts my mind at ease.” Chase brought thick stacks of expensive gifts for the family every time he visited, including for me. But I flat-out rejected them every single time. I had lived a past life. The way Chase looked at me wasn’t the way a brother-in-law looks at his sister. It was the way a predator looks at prey. My repeated rejections constantly ruined his mood. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore, and his true colors slipped out. When I went to the bathroom, he sneaked in behind me and locked the door. Without a word, he grabbed my waist from behind. Before I could react, he pinched my cheeks, trying to force a kiss on me. His disgusting face reflected in the mirror. I threw a harsh elbow back into his stomach, making him groan in pain and loosen his grip. Still undeterred, he tried to rip my clothes. I turned on the sink faucet and sprayed water all over him. “Get out!” Chase wasn’t scared at all. Instead, it ignited the filthy desires he had been hiding. “Who would’ve thought a girl who looks so soft and sweet could be this fiery?” “Good, I like it. I wonder if you’re as wild in bed as your sister, or if you’ve got a totally different flavor.” As his disgusting words hit my ears, I grabbed the heavy soap dish and smashed it right into his face. The dish caught him square on the nose. Instantly, blood gushed out, and he reflexively grabbed his face. Remembering how he had just touched me, I delivered a swift kick straight to his groin. “If you want a beating, just ask. Don’t act like a creep in front of me.” The house didn’t have great soundproofing. The bathroom door was quickly thrown open from the outside. When Chloe opened the door, she saw the two of us with soaked clothes, and Chase clutching his face, wiping away a bloody nose. Chloe quickly pulled Chase away and screamed at me, furious. “Mia, are you out of your mind?!” “He’s your future brother-in-law! What the hell are you doing in here with him?!” I threw the faucet hose on the floor, calmly grabbed a towel to dry my hair, and sneered. “Oh, so you do know he’s your fiancé.” “If you can’t keep your own man on a leash, what right do you have to yell at me?” “Instead of screaming at me for no reason, why don’t you ask your fiancé exactly what he was trying to do!” Even if Chloe was stupid, seeing my messy clothes and furious expression should have given her a pretty clear picture. But she was so madly in love with Chase that she firmly believed it was entirely my fault. “You shameless tramp! Trying to seduce your own sister’s fiancé! Mia, you’re a natural-born slut! A bitch!” As Chloe cursed me out, Chase smirked triumphantly at me from the shadows. My younger sister wasn’t just stupid now; she was completely, hopelessly brainwashed by love. There was no saving her. Idiot. Wait until Chase brings a whole harem of mistresses home. Then we’ll see who’s crying. 12 Chase was a master manipulator. Seeing how wild and empty-headed Chloe was, it only took a few sweet words to coax her into bed. By the time my sister found out she was pregnant, I had maintained my rank as number one in the grade for two and a half years straight. But no one in the family knew. They didn’t care, and I deliberately never brought it up. I wasn’t about to trade my success for their fake affection. Outside in the living room, while Mom and Dad were screaming at each other over Chloe’s pregnancy, an academic competition prize of $3,000 hit my bank account. At the exact same time, I received another piece of great news. My homeroom teacher texted me to say I had been accepted early into an Ivy League university with a full-ride scholarship. While they were wailing in despair outside, I was grinning ear to ear behind my closed door. Dad smashed an ashtray. “Cry, cry, cry! What’s the use of crying now?! You’re a teenager, and you let yourself get knocked up?! Where am I supposed to put my face now?!” Mom shielded my sister in her arms. “Stop hitting her! It’s already happened, what’s the point of beating her?” Furious, Dad slapped Chloe across the face. “You disgrace! So young and completely devoid of self-respect! Let’s go! While you’re not showing yet, come with me to the clinic and get an abortion!” Holding her cheek, Chloe shot back rebelliously. “Why should I?! It’s my baby! What right do you have to decide if it lives or dies?!” “You want me to get rid of it, but I’m having it! With this baby, my position as the Sterling family’s daughter-in-law is secured! Why should I throw away a perfectly good future?!” Chloe’s words had some logic to them. If this child secured her marriage into the Sterling family, it would massively benefit Dad’s company. If she gave birth to a son, as the father-in-law of the Sterling heir, his status and power would skyrocket. Seeing Dad’s expression soften slightly, Mom chimed in. “Don’t forget, the doctors said Chloe is a genius! Her genes are incredible. Her baby is bound to be a prodigy, too.” “When your grandson grows up to be someone important, you’ll be glowing with pride as his grandfather.” “We can’t get rid of this child. We need to take careful care of her to make sure he’s born safely.” “Honey, you have to think this through!” Dad’s eyes darted around calculatingly. Finally, he sighed, his expression softening. “Does Chase know about this?” Chloe shook her head. “I haven’t had the chance to tell him yet.” Hearing this, Mom quickly pulled Chloe onto the couch, pacing anxiously. “You silly girl, go call Chase right now and tell him you’re pregnant.” “Oh, wait, no. Don’t call him. Call his mother directly!” It turned out Mom knew Chase was unreliable, too. If Chase found out and forced her to get an abortion, that would be bad enough. But if he started messing around while Chloe was pregnant and grew tired of her, it would be a total disaster. But Mrs. Sterling was different. Chase was the only heir to the Sterling family, and she wanted a grandson more than anything. As long as they won over Mrs. Sterling, Chase wouldn’t dare disobey his mother.

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The spoiled heiress of New York’s elite circle went out to clear her head when her “first love” left the country. She set her sights on my brother, threatening to make him her toy. When my brother refused, she ruthlessly destroyed his career and forced his fiancée to leave him. She even used our entire family’s lives as leverage. After three humiliating years of my brother being forced to stay by her side, her first love returned, wealthy and powerful. To win back her true love, she callously allowed our entire family to be murdered in a hidden basement, leaving no trace behind. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day before she ever met my brother. Without hesitation, I chopped off my long hair, put on men’s clothes, and approached her myself, playing her like a fiddle. Later on, everyone said the untouchable New York heiress had lost her mind, desperate and completely obsessed with a woman. 1 A drunken, arrogant rich kid stumbled over to me. “Hey, kid, you’re lucky. Chloe has her eye on you. Name your price.” I wasn’t drinking. I just gently swirled the liquid in my glass. “Sorry, I’m not interested in her.” The rich kid threw his drink right in my face. “Don’t be a fool!” “Do you know who she is? Do you really think you have the right to refuse?” I was slammed to the ground. Through the overlapping shadows and flashing lights, the woman sitting in the center of the VIP booth tilted her head and smiled at me, looking perfectly innocent and pure. Of course I knew who she was. Everything I was doing here today, this entire act, was just for her. Chloe Sterling, the spoiled princess of New York’s high society. As the only daughter in a massive dynasty, she was treated like royalty. No one in the city dared to cross her, and everyone fought to flatter her. Everyone knew she had a “white moonlight”—a first love. It was Julian Montgomery, the heir to the Montgomery empire, whom she had been promised to since childhood. But Julian didn’t care about her at all. And today, her fiancé had left for Europe without a word, with no return date in sight. The little princess was furious. In a fit of rage, she came to this club, declaring she was going to buy herself a man. In my past life, she ran into my brother on her way home. He was just leaving the library. She fell for him instantly. More importantly, my brother looked remarkably like Julian Montgomery. So, she latched onto him. Even knowing my brother had a fiancée, she didn’t care. She completely destroyed the business my brother had worked so hard to build and used despicable tactics to force his fiancée away. Finally, she threatened him with the lives of our entire family. “If you don’t agree, your little sister is next. Do you really want people calling her a cheap slut who seduces men for money?” And just like that, my brother endured the humiliation, staying by her side for three years, waiting for the day she would finally get bored of him. Sure enough, when Julian returned, Chloe’s attention immediately shifted back to him. But to punish Julian for his past coldness, she deliberately acted intimate with my brother in front of him, making Julian harbor a deep, lethal grudge against him. Our entire family was sacrificed for their so-called “epic romance.” None of us survived. The night of their grand wedding was the same night our bodies went cold. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day before Chloe ever met my brother. I decisively cut off my long hair, put on men’s clothes, and took the initiative to approach her. This time, I was going to destroy them both. 2 Chloe held a cigarette between her fingers, took a drag, and blew the smoke directly into my face. “You don’t like me?” “I’m gorgeous. If you don’t like me, then who do you like?” The coldness slowly crept across the woman’s stunning face: “Whoever you like, I’ll make them disappear.” I had taken a pretty bad beating. My face was fine, but I had two broken ribs. Luckily, this body was trained; I could push through the pain. “Miss Sterling, I have no interest in the drama of high society. I just want to live a quiet life.” “Let me go, please?” She was relentless, laughing loudly: “Beg me.” “…Please.” “…” Her friends laughed, mocking me for having no spine. Chloe shot me a look of disgust: “Are you even a real man? Guess I picked wrong. You’re just a spineless coward.” She didn’t want to look at me for another second and ordered her guys to throw me out. She was the one who dragged me here, and she was the one who discarded me. True to her title as the spoiled princess, she did whatever she wanted. 3 I naturally didn’t head toward my real home. As soon as I realized I had been reborn, I made up an excuse to send my brother and his fiancée on a trip to Europe, and sent my parents to a quiet house in the countryside to relax. Now, I was alone, with plenty of time to carefully calculate my next move. My brother looked like Julian, and since we were twins, my features were a near-perfect copy of his. So, I also carried the shadow of Julian Montgomery. It was hard for Chloe to find someone who resembled her precious first love. Naturally, she wasn’t going to let me go that easily. She had people following me. I rented a run-down room in a crumbling apartment building. The moment I walked in, I called out, “Mom.” Then I locked the door, looked through the peephole, and watched the two suspicious guys following me exchange a look. They knocked on the neighbor’s door across the hall, asking about me. The new neighbor was someone I had hired. Following the script I gave her, she put on an emotional, dramatic performance. “That poor boy, Liam… his dad drank himself to death, and his mom was bedridden for years before passing away just recently. I hear him crying in the middle of the night all the time…” An orphan with no family, a tragic past, and a face that looked just like her first love. Wasn’t this the perfect setup for a brooding male lead in a novel? Chloe always loved comparing herself to the heroine of a romance novel. She craved a dramatic, earth-shattering love story and unforgettable encounters. I was lucky she was so obsessed with that trope in my past life. She used to pay people to act as character models for her, forcing wealthy scions she fancied in New York to play roles in the cringe-worthy fanfiction she wrote. So, I molded myself into the exact archetype she needed: a brooding, affection-starved boy waiting for a heroine to save him. I went to acting school. Playing a guy wasn’t hard at all. The bait was set. Now I just had to wait for the fish to bite. 4 The day the fish bit, I was being harassed by a “client.” He was an NPC I had specifically chosen. A low-level director at Sterling Corp, a guy named King. He looked friendly enough, but he was notorious for preying on young men, especially pretty, delicate-looking boys like me. This sleazy man was reaching his greasy hand toward my face. “Hey cutie, has anyone ever told you how pretty you are?” I remained entirely unresponsive, perfectly calm. An ashtray flew out of nowhere and smashed directly into his head. “You disgusting old creep, has anyone ever told you how nauseating you are?” Chloe appeared, looking down at him from her high horse, wiping her hands as she clicked over in her designer heels. … As Director King wailed in pain, Chloe tilted my chin up, lifting her head to flash a radiant smile. “See? I have money and power. Wouldn’t it be better to be with me?” I frowned and stepped back: “Miss Sterling, please respect yourself.” The woman puffed her cheeks and put her hands on her hips. “Liam! I had my people look into you! You’re an orphan with absolutely nothing. You’re so broke you can barely afford to eat. What are you being so arrogant for? What exactly do you want?!” I want your life. You idiot. My expression didn’t change. “That’s none of your business.” Chloe was angry now, her tone turning nasty: “Do you believe I can make it impossible for you to survive in this city?” Of course I believed her, but if I acted scared, the play would be over. “Miss Sterling, stop trying to insult me with your money. I’m not the kind of guy you think I am.” I raised my hand and lightly brushed a strand of hair from her head, making sure my eyes held the right amount of emotion, and gave a soft chuckle. “I’m just not interested in you, understand?” Chloe was stunned by the sudden flirtation. By the time she recovered, she was flustered and angry, chasing after me toward the back exit. “Liam!” I walked fast, and she trailed about thirty feet behind me, yelling my name, refusing to give up. This area wasn’t exactly safe. There were plenty of street thugs around, and seeing a beautiful woman alone at night naturally invited unwanted attention. I vanished into the deep shadows of an alleyway. Chloe was too scared to follow. She hesitated, unsure which way to go, and then, a group of guys surrounded her. 5 “Hey little girl, want to grab a drink with us?” “A pretty thing like you in a neighborhood like this? Looking for a thrill?” Chloe screamed at them to get lost. The situation instantly turned chaotic. I lit a cigarette, watching the drama unfold through a cloud of smoke. Honestly, I could have just destroyed Chloe right then and there, but there was more than one person responsible for my family’s death. I had to play the long game. I crushed the cigarette under my shoe, stood up, and casually picked up a brick. “Stop.” The blonde guy in front took a brick to the head, clutching his skull and howling. These guys weren’t pushovers either. They instantly surrounded me. The fight dragged on for a bit, and it even started raining. Finally, I kicked one of them into a muddy puddle, making him beg for mercy. I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth with the back of my hand. “Get lost! If I see you again, you’re dead.” The guys scrambled away in terror. Chloe was crouched in a corner, hugging her knees, looking up at me pitifully. “Liam, my ankle hurts.” I remained unresponsive, even turning as if to leave. Her face darkened: “If you ignore me, I’ll call the cops and tell them you assaulted me.” “You know I have the power to put you away for years.” I dropped the brick, wiped my hands on my clothes, and crouched down in front of her. “Get on.” She smiled and hopped onto my back. It seemed that after surviving that danger, she was starting to depend on me. Without realizing it, her usual arrogance had faded. “You risked your life to save me. Admit it, Liam, you like me.” “Liam, I’ve decided. I’m never letting you go.” I turned my head away, my voice flat. “Whatever.” —— I transferred some money to a contact saved as ‘Tiger’. “Sorry I hit you so hard earlier. I sent extra for the medical bills. Make sure you go to the hospital.” Tiger was a guy I knew from the underground, undocumented, so he couldn’t be easily traced. “No worries, man. You could hit me with a gold brick and I’d be fine. How was it? My acting wasn’t too bad today, right?” I replied with a “Thanks.” And turned off my phone. The fish took the bait. No need to rush reeling her in. I had to feed her first. I had to make her so dependent on me that my status in her heart surpassed Julian Montgomery. Only then could I catch them both in one net. 6 The rumor that the esteemed princess of New York high society had fallen for a broke nobody spread like wildfire through their circle. Every day, people found excuses to come and see what kind of guy I was. Most were just there for the gossip, but a few took it seriously and actively tried to humiliate me. “I can’t believe Chloe actually likes a guy like you. No money, no power, average height, and your only redeeming quality—your face—looks kind of feminine. What does she even see in you?” “Did you put some kind of spell on her?” “She is way out of your league. Be smart and get lost. If we find out you’re just playing with her feelings, you’re dead meat!” My eyes flickered. I saw Chloe walking toward us from behind, looking displeased. Then, the tray of drinks in my hand conveniently slipped and crashed to the floor, right as one of the guys shoved me, sending me tumbling to the ground. “Get away from him!” Chloe’s furious roar made everyone freeze. Before anyone could react, I picked out the guy who annoyed me the most and started throwing punches. I beat him relentlessly. They were all frat-boy buddies. Seeing me beat up their friend, they swarmed me. I was pinned to the ground, kicked, and stomped on. Finally, someone got so angry they grabbed a glass bottle and smashed it over my head. Blood bloomed across the floor, mixing with the shattered glass. In that moment, my brain short-circuited. I felt nothing. “STOP IT!” Chloe ordered her bodyguards to pull them off me. She had been coddled her entire life, protected by everyone around her. This was the first time she had ever seen something so brutal. She rushed over to me but stopped a few feet away, unsure of what to do. “Liam?” “Liam, are you okay?” I weakly shook my head, saying I was fine, and staggered to my feet on my own. She pointed at me, afraid to get closer: “You’re bleeding so much.” I looked down. My white t-shirt was almost completely dyed red. “Are you done having your fun, Miss Sterling?” Chloe’s face froze. “You think I intentionally hired these people to mess with you?” I sneered: “Didn’t you? Isn’t this exactly the kind of thing you do? Just like last time?” Her face twisted with a mix of grief and anger. She raised her hand to slap me, but I caught it. Then, gripping her wrist, I forcefully pushed her against the glass wall nearby, pinning her in a ‘kabedon’ pose. She struggled. “Let me go!” The cut on my forehead was bleeding steadily, the blood dripping onto my eyelashes and sliding down the corner of my eye. Reflected in the glass, I looked overly dangerous and captivating. I tilted her chin up, my tone casual, yet laced with a teasing gentleness. “Chloe.” She went silent, completely quiet. Because this was the first time I had ever called her by her name. Her face slowly flushed red, her eyes darting around. Being this close, I could hear her heart pounding. Being a woman myself, I knew exactly what she was thinking. She was attracted to me. “Did you hear what they said?” She asked blankly, “What?” “I have nothing. I can’t give you what you want. You might say I can give you my feelings, but feelings are the cheapest, most fickle thing in the world.” “How long can you hold on? How long can I hold on? I swore an oath that I would only ever have one relationship in my life, and it has to lead to marriage. Can you promise me that?” Before Chloe could answer, the guys who had just beaten me up started laughing mockingly. “Are you out of your mind, kid? Our Chloe is just using you as a toy, and you’re actually dreaming about dating her? Marrying her? Delusional!” I ignored them, looking only at Chloe with a faint smile: “I want to.” She furrowed her brow, her pupils dilating for a split second. 7 That night, Chloe made an excuse and left early. But from the way she retreated, it looked like she was running away. After that, I had a few days of peace. “Look at you. You just got back, and you completely changed your look, got yourself beaten up… did she take the bait?” Savannah was my best friend. She was a doctor. She was the only one who knew I was reborn, and she had been coming over these past few days to change my bandages. She shooed the nurse away, changing the dressing on my forehead while asking about my plan. “That group of friends of hers needs to be dealt with. Otherwise, my family and hers have a lot of overlapping business interests. I’ll have to go trip her up myself.” I only felt comfortable enough to drop the act and be myself around her. “Soon. She’ll crack.” Chloe’s every move was part of my calculation. “I found a really pretty girl for you. Her acting is top-notch.” Savannah waved her hand dismissively: “Why bother? I’ll act with you.” I frowned: “That won’t work. What if she targets you?” “Joke’s on her. The Reynolds family is just as powerful as the Sterlings.” True. The Reynolds family had massive influence overseas; they just kept a low profile in New York. Compared in sheer power, they were definitely a step above. But I was still worried. I knew firsthand how ruthless Chloe could be. Savannah scratched her head sheepishly: “Don’t worry, even if the sky falls, my fiancé has my back.” “He even said that as long as I don’t cheat on him, he’ll cover for me no matter what.” I understood. Savannah’s fiancé was incredibly powerful. And more importantly, he was totally whipped… And just like that, she became my scene partner. On the very first day of our act, Chloe appeared. She came to the breakroom where I worked—a tiny, cramped room—where I was eating my lunch. “Savannah Reynolds, what are you doing here?” Savannah stepped forward, looking smug and arrogant: “He’s my boyfriend. I’m bringing him lunch. Why wouldn’t I be here?” Chloe’s face changed drastically. She looked at me in disbelief, her eyes accusing me of being a massive player. “She’s just a friend.” I kept eating my soup, completely unfazed. Savannah deflated, complaining loudly: “Whatever. Who told you to reject her anyway? You made her fly all the way back from Europe just to chase you.” No matter how you look at it, hearing that it didn’t work out made Chloe breathe a sigh of relief. “Liam, I’m here to apologize to you.” Rare. To push this arrogant princess into apologizing. I pretended not to care: “You weren’t the one who hit me. What are you apologizing for?” She carefully chose her words and spoke slowly. “They are my friends. They only did it for my sake. I should be the one apologizing.” I sneered internally. “Miss Sterling, you don’t need to apologize. Just stay away from me, and I’ll suffer a lot less.” Savannah crossed her arms, leaning against the wall: “If loving someone means making them suffer like this, then if I were you, I’d feel too guilty to sleep. I’d either distance myself from the friends making things difficult for him, or I’d give up on the relationship.” Chloe bit her lip. For the first time ever, she left without saying a word. Savannah turned to me, palms up: “Will she do it?” I smiled. “Just a little more heat, and she’ll break.” 8 The next time I saw her was at the hospital. She had followed me. Savannah was standing very close to me, applying medication. But from Chloe’s angle at the door, it looked like we were kissing. She kicked the door open, screaming my name: “What are you two doing?!” But when she saw the situation clearly, she froze. Because on the other side of the room, in a corner she couldn’t see from the hallway, stood several medical interns. Savannah shoved her hands in her pockets: “Miss Sterling, this is a hospital, not your private club. Please keep your voice down.” Chloe blushed in humiliation and looked at me pleadingly. “Liam, I was just so worried about you, I had to come see you.” I didn’t say anything. I said goodbye to Savannah and led Chloe away. She followed behind me, explaining frantically. “I wasn’t stalking you. I was just afraid you didn’t want to see me, but I was worried about your injuries, so I snuck over.” “You’re not mad, are you?” In a quiet, deserted corner, I stopped and turned around. “I’m not mad. I just think… since we have no future, why are you still coming to see me?” “Your friends look down on me. They say I’m just a toy you found to kill time. I don’t want to live that kind of life. Can you please just let me go?” “Can you?” She took a step toward me, forceful and proud. “Also, I like it when you call me by my name. From now on, don’t call me Miss Sterling. Call me Chloe.” I feigned confusion, frowning: “From now on?” “Yes.” She threw herself into my arms, hugging me tightly. “I’ve decided. I want you to be my boyfriend. Just in name, nothing messy or complicated. Just a boyfriend.” My eyes were ice-cold, but I let her hug me. “But your friends don’t like me. Your family won’t either. What do you even get out of being with me?” She said she didn’t care. “As long as you’re by my side, I don’t care. I’ll cut ties with them if I have to. My life, the person I love… I don’t need them dictating it for me.” I smiled in satisfaction, patronizingly stroking her hair. “Silly girl.” Perfectly executed.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “420138”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I’ve been bullying my childhood friend, the heir to the Pierce family, for over a decade. Who knew that the day after he went abroad, I was exposed as a fake heiress and kicked out of my home overnight? Later, at the real heiress’s birthday party, Liam Pierce, freshly returned from overseas, confessed his love on the spot. The onlookers were moved to tears. The very next second— “What the hell, who are you?! Where’s Maya Woods?!” Thanks for asking. I was busy selling hotdogs at the night market. 01 When Liam found me, the night market was at its peak. The streets of the old downtown were bustling with people, lively, and filled with the smell of street food and smoke. He wore a custom-tailored suit vest and thin-rimmed glasses resting on his nose. A pampered young master of a wealthy family since birth, he was immaculate from head to toe, down to every single strand of hair. He looked completely out of place in this entire night market. “Maya Woods?” He stared at me in disbelief. I glanced up at him, not surprised in the least. “Oh, you’re back?” Then I looked down, skillfully flipping a hotdog on the grill. “I’m busy right now, no time to catch up. Give me a minute.” Hearing this, he instinctively frowned, then raised his voice: “Maya Woods!” I didn’t even look up. “Three bucks for one hotdog, five bucks for two. How many do you want?” Silence on the other end for two seconds, before he finally choked out: “…Two.” “You got it.” Two minutes later, he and I were crouching behind the stall, eating hotdogs. The young master, pampered his whole life, had probably never eaten something this cheap. After taking a bite, his eyebrows immediately knitted together, but under my gaze, he obediently swallowed it. Looking totally pathetic. I, on the other hand, scarfed down a hotdog in three quick bites, ready to turn back and continue my hustle— “Maya.” He called my name again. I turned to look at him. “What?” He looked at me seriously. “I went to your house to find you. You weren’t there.” “Oh, I haven’t had the chance to tell you, but I left the Woods family.” I thought for a moment, then asked: “Did you meet Chloe?” “Yeah.” “Is she pretty?” Liam frowned slightly. His lifelong elite upbringing prevented him from saying anything derogatory about a girl, so he pouted and said: “She’s alright, I guess.” After a second thought, he added. “But she’s not as pretty as you.” I nodded. “Okay then, remember this. She is the real Woods family heiress. The person who was supposed to grow up with you. She had a hard life all these years and finally managed to return to the Woods family. You have to treat her well.” At the very least, don’t make an enemy out of her because of me again. That way, you won’t end up with that tragic ending. After saying that, I turned to leave— But I couldn’t move. I was exasperated. “What is it now? Young Master?” “You said once I came back, you’d agree to be my girlfriend.” Liam grabbed my arm, blinked, and his eyes instantly turned red, like a wronged puppy. “Does that still count?” Only then did I remember. Back when Liam refused to go abroad, to coax him, I seemed to have promised some conditions. Liam and I grew up together. Relying on our childhood bond, I bullied him for over a decade. The dignified young heir of the Pierce family, sitting at the very top of the wealthy elite pyramid, was incredibly obedient only to me. Back then, I already considered Liam my property. But who could have imagined that in just two short years, the gap between us would be like heaven and earth. However… this was an ending I had anticipated long ago. “It doesn’t count anymore.” I reached out and removed his hand from my arm. Seeing the look in his eyes like he was going to cry any second, I lowered my gaze. “Liam, our statuses now are no longer equal.” So, this time, you have to live a good life. 02 In my previous life, my ending was incredibly tragic. From the day Chloe returned to the Woods family, I was obsessed with going against her, like I was possessed. Relying on my status as the childhood friend of the Pierce family heir, I tried every possible way to trip her up. In the end, everyone abandoned me, and the Woods family, unable to tolerate me any longer, worked together to throw me into a mental asylum. Chloe, on the other hand, went from an innocent little white flower to the beloved darling of the Woods family. Later, she even took the initiative to break off her engagement with Liam, turning around and slapping him in the face by marrying his shrewd and capable uncle. She ended up having triplets in one go, becoming the cherished treasure of the Pierce family’s patriarch. Chloe and I were like contrasting characters in a satisfying revenge novel. Going from being surrounded by admirers to being utterly abandoned, it was as if everything was following a pre-written plot. From beginning to end, only Liam stood firmly by my side. He defied his engagement for me, publicly went against the family elders several times, and showed no courtesy to Chloe, who was his fiancée. As a result, his position as heir was snatched away. He went from being the Pierce family heir to an outcast. Later, on the day I was sent to the asylum, he got into a car crash while trying to save me. He could have had a great life—carefree and a happy future. If it weren’t for me… So, upon being reborn, I didn’t hesitate to persuade Liam to study abroad. And on the day I was exposed as a fake heiress, I didn’t choose to kneel and beg the Woods family to let me stay. Instead, I took the money, quickly packed my things, and left. This time, I didn’t want Liam to see all my wretchedness and misery. I would rather the image he had of me in his heart forever be the bright and proud Maya Woods from our youth, the little childhood friend he grew up with. 03 I changed into my uniform and walked out of the locker room. My part-time job tonight was as a waitress at a high-end club. In the past, as the Woods family heiress, I often hung out here with other wealthy heirs, but this was my first time here as a waitress. The manager arranged for me to deliver drinks to a VIP private room. I didn’t expect that the first thing I’d see upon pushing the door open was Chloe. Just like in my previous life, she sat in the center of the crowd, wearing a white dress, surrounded by admirers. According to the timeline, she should have already adapted to the wealthy lifestyle by now. Relying on her innocent and kind personality, she had gained the approval of the Woods family and was the undisputed little princess of the Woods family. Sitting next to her were all familiar faces—my former wealthy playmates. I frowned slightly, lowered my head, and walked in. Originally, I just wanted to drop off the drinks low-key and leave because I had more important things to do. But I didn’t expect to be recognized the moment I turned around. “Maya Woods?” The person who spoke happened to be holding the microphone. As his words fell, the private room instantly went quiet, and everyone’s eyes turned toward me. “It really is you!” That person seemed to have found some entertainment, chuckling lightly. “Our great Heiress Woods, when did you get so pathetic?” As soon as he said this, laughter erupted in the room. “Sure enough, fake is fake.” “Hilarious. To think she’d see this day.” And that wealthy heir who spoke first, Chase, leaned in next to Chloe and said: “See, Chloe, I told you Maya is inferior to you in every way.” “Liam was just putting on a show for the sake of your childhood friendship. Don’t worry, over time, he’ll naturally fall for you.” Chloe glanced my way and said timidly: “But I think Liam still prefers her.” Hearing this, I instantly understood. He did it on purpose. Because at the birthday party the day before yesterday, Liam confessed on the spot and only then realized he had the wrong person, making Chloe the laughingstock of the wealthy social circles. So this group of people, to flatter Chloe, deliberately kicked me while I was down. So childish. I sneered inwardly, but my gaze fell on a girl in the crowd. My former best friend, Sarah. In my previous life, before I was exposed as a fake heiress, her family went bankrupt. They sold all their real estate just to barely pay off their debts, and the whole family moved to another city to survive. Later, after the true and fake heiress incident was exposed, although I stayed with the Woods family, my allowance was cut in half. Even so, I still gave half of my allowance to help her, helping her family get through their hardest times. Just because she was my only best friend. In this life, her family’s company unexpectedly received a massive injection of capital. Not only did they not go bankrupt, but over the past two years, their business thrived, and their assets were catching up to the Woods family. However, meeting my gaze, she shrank back unnaturally, as if she was feeling guilty. In the end, she still didn’t speak up to say a single word for me. Expectation gradually turned into disappointment. I opened my mouth, wanting to ask her, Why? But I found I couldn’t even ask. “Maya, are you okay?” Seeing this, Chloe took the initiative to walk over. “I’m sorry, they didn’t mean to mock you.” Putting on the act of a considerate little white flower. Logically, I should now put down the drinks, feeling “unable to bear the humiliation,” and turn to leave— “Hey, hey, hey, where are you going? Is this how your club trains its staff? Hurry up and pour my drink!” Chase looked like he was deliberately picking a fight, smiling incredibly smugly. “Maybe if I’m in a good mood, I’ll even give you a few thousand bucks as a tip.” “Maya, life must be really hard for you since you left the Woods family, right?” Seeing me remain silent, his eyes darted around, and he went even further: “It just so happens I need someone to warm my bed.” “I see you still have some looks, and your body is pretty hot. Why don’t you get with me…” Seeing him take it further and further, the other people in the room also showed expressions of enjoying the show. Only Chloe frowned slightly, just as she was about to speak— Bang! The door to the private room was kicked open. Liam, arriving late, with a cold face, walked in briskly under everyone’s gaze. He stopped right in front of Chase, his eyes sharp as knives, asking through gritted teeth word by word: “Who did you just say had some looks?” There was a moment of dead silence in the room. Even I was a little surprised. Liam liked peace and quiet. In the past, unless he was following me, he rarely came to these kinds of places. “L-Liam…” Chase didn’t expect Liam to suddenly appear, and his legs instantly went weak from fear. “I-I was just joking…” In front of Liam, he didn’t dare act out. “Oh?” Liam tilted his head, his face expressionless. “Who gave you the guts to joke with her?” At this time, someone next to him tried to smooth things over. It was a wealthy heir who used to be on good terms with Liam. “Hey man, Liam, we know you and Maya used to be close, but things are different now. We all grew up together, why do you have to, for her…” Before he could finish, he was cut off by Liam. “So you also know we all grew up together?” Saying that, he glanced at that heir, then looked around at the different expressions of everyone in the room. “What did she do wrong? Did she choose to be the fake heiress? Did she ever do anything to wrong any of you in the past?” “The person I treated like a princess, is this how you trample on her?” He frowned fiercely. “Are you all out of your damn minds?” 04 Actually, it wasn’t just Liam; even having lived two lifetimes, I couldn’t understand it either. Why would childhood playmates, upon learning my true identity, immediately turn around and kick me while I was down? Why would a best friend who promised to be sisters for life refuse to say a single word for me when I was at my lowest? This world seemed to have a pre-set order. Over a decade of affection vanished the moment I was exposed as a fake heiress. From beginning to end, only Liam always stood firmly by my side. So, the more it was like this, the less I wanted him involved. But unfortunately, this guy Liam, like a husky off its leash, was completely out of control. The other people in the room were stunned by his scolding. The next second, Liam, who had an intimidating two-meter aura just a moment ago, turned to look at me and instantly shrank back. “Don’t be scared, I wasn’t yelling at you.” He thought for a second, then added. “Yelling at people isn’t good. It’s a manners issue. You shouldn’t learn from this.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the others looking at me with complicated expressions. My mouth twitched, and I quickly dragged Liam out of the room. “Hey, I wasn’t finished! How could they treat you like—” “Shut up.” It wasn’t until we reached the stairwell that I turned to look at Liam. “Why are you here?” “To find you,” he looked at me, innocent. “Didn’t I tell you, our statuses aren’t equal anymore, you don’t have to follow me around…” “Maya.” He interrupted me, looking at me seriously, and asked: “So, for the past two years, on the days I wasn’t around, was this the kind of life you were living?” Hearing this, I fell silent. “Maya, I regret it. I shouldn’t have listened to you and gone abroad to study.” His eyes were full of heartache as he looked at me, making me think of my previous life in a daze. Back then, he looked at me like this too, whispering: “Maya, my heart breaks for you.” If there was anyone in this world who would love me unconditionally and without reservation. Then that person could only be Liam. Taking a deep breath, I said softly: “Liam, just give me a little more time.” I would work hard to walk back to your side once again. 05 I was waiting for someone to appear. According to the timeline of my previous life, he would appear here tonight to discuss a business deal. Ultimately, he would be schemed against, accidentally drink spiked liquor, and stumble upon Chloe, who was drinking alone after being neglected by her fiancé. Then, they would have a one-night stand. And then, it would be the sweet, face-slapping plot of having triplets in one go. Following my memories of the previous life, I waited by the stairwell. Before long, sure enough, I saw that familiar figure. However, before I could make a move, Liam, who was following me, spoke up first: “Uncle?” I was just about to remind him that this person would be his formidable rival for the heir position in the future, and he must never underestimate him… “So you’re here today waiting for my uncle?” Liam looked at me in shock, and the next second, the jealousy in his eyes was overflowing. “How is he better than me?!” My face instantly went blank. And Liam kept spouting sourness: “Fine, fine, fine, I admit my uncle still has some charm.” “But he’s already in his thirties! Do you like older men now?!” “No, what am I lacking compared to him? My uncle is old. You should look at me instead!” I reached out and pinched Liam’s babbling mouth shut. “Shut up, or I’ll kill you.” Liam nodded pitifully. Just in that short delay, Ethan had already walked closer. Now, even Liam could tell something was wrong with him. “Why is my uncle’s face so red? He’s walking weirdly too. Is he drunk?” “No, he was drugged.” I didn’t plan on hiding it. “Someone schemed against him.” “What?!” Liam was shocked like a little puppy. “Then should we go help him?” “Of course.” I smirked slightly. “Go on, you’re up.” Originally, I was worried about how I alone was going to stop a grown man like Ethan. Now, having Liam made things much easier. Receiving the order, Liam immediately went to work. In the previous life, a drugged Ethan still retained his last shred of rationality. He barely managed to escape the private room, only to bump into a drunken Chloe, sparking a fiery encounter. But this time, intercepted halfway by me and Liam, Ethan was settled into a room found by Liam. Seeing Ethan’s eyes turn bloodshot from suppressed desire, starting to struggle frantically, Liam simply carried him to the bathroom, filled the bathtub with cold water, and tossed him in. “Uncle, I’m doing this for your own good,” he said earnestly. “You’ll understand me, right?” The answer he got was Ethan shivering from the cold: “Liam, you dare… glug glug glug…” Before he could finish, his head was dunked into the cold water by Liam. “Uncle, calm down a bit.” Ethan choked on a few mouthfuls of cold water. When he looked up again, his eyebrows were twisted in anger. “You little brat, you… glug glug glug…” “Looks like you’re still not sober enough.” Liam shook his head in regret, then turned to look at me. “Leave it to me here. Don’t worry.” “It’s getting late. You can clock out now, right? Go back and get some rest.” Me: “…” Although Ethan was indeed miserable, recalling the scenes from my previous life, I couldn’t muster an ounce of sympathy for him. So, I turned around and left. Pushing the door open, the cold winter wind hit my face, instantly clearing my head quite a bit. Thinking for a moment, I dialed a number. “It’s me.” I paused, then continued, “Notify everyone, convene a shareholder meeting next week.” The person on the other end was a bit surprised: “What’s wrong? Why so sudden…” “Nothing, just feeling a little disappointed.” I pursed my lips and continued, “Find someone to report Sarah’s dad for embezzling company funds. I’m going to remove him from his position at the shareholder meeting.” In my previous life, the reason Sarah’s family went bankrupt was because her dad embezzled company funds. “You haven’t shown your face all this time. Are you going to attend this time?” “Yes.” I said softly. “I will attend this shareholder meeting.” It turned out, living a second life, without her family going bankrupt, she was no different from anyone else… After a self-deprecating laugh, I hung up the phone and looked up at the woman standing at my doorstep. “So, what brings you here?” Chloe, dressed in a white dress, stood smiling in front of me. Meeting my gaze, she gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Then, taking two steps forward, she suddenly dropped to her knees, sliding over and hugging my legs tightly, the whole motion fluid and seamless. “Supporting Character Sis, save me!” She wailed. “I really don’t want to marry an old man and have triplets!” 06 This world was a massive CEO romance novel. This was what Chloe, who had transmigrated into the book, told me. “Let go.” “I won’t!” Chloe hugged my legs, crying like a screeching kettle come to life, so loud that my head, just cleared by the cold wind, started buzzing and spinning again. So, when Liam arrived, what he saw was Chloe hugging me, screaming, “Supporting Character Sis, how can I live without you!” “Y-You two…” He pointed at me, then at Chloe, his voice trembling, looking as if he was about to shatter. “Not only do you like old men now, but you also like girls?!” Facts proved that the screeching kettle spirit didn’t disappear; it just transferred. Liam cried louder than Chloe, like an abandoned, resentful little husband. “Is it a crime to be young and handsome?!” Me: “…” “I don’t care, I’m Maya’s most loyal lackey! You have to get in line behind me!” Chloe: “…” Before I could explain, Chloe frowned, realizing things weren’t that simple. “What do you mean by that?” I was just about to tell Liam, Please, mind your image as the heir. “I am the person who understands Maya best in this world!” At this moment, Chloe was terrifyingly confident. “Did you know Maya hates cilantro? I do!” “What?!” Liam was shocked, while his competitive spirit was simultaneously ignited. “You actually know that?” The next second, he smirked dismissively: “That’s nothing. I also know Maya hates green onions and ginger, doesn’t eat offal, and hates soup!” Liam was incredibly smug. Over a decade of childhood friendship and spending day and night together made him equally confident. However, Chloe wasn’t going down without a fight. Chloe: “Maya likes sweet and spicy food, but hates sour!” Liam: “Maya likes summer and autumn, but hates winter!” Chloe: “Maya wears size M for shirts and S for skirts!” Liam: “Maya prefers pants over skirts!” Seeing that she was running out of things to say, Chloe instinctively looked at me. Her gaze landed on my chest, and without thinking, she blurted out— “Maya’s bra size is 32C!” Me: “!” Liam stopped talking. Liam’s face instantly exploded in red. “Y-You…” He pointed at Chloe, stuttering for a long time. Finally, his gaze couldn’t help but land on my chest. Once he realized it, he immediately covered his eyes shyly. “I-I didn’t…” He still wanted to explain to me. “Hmph hmph, can’t say anything to that, can you!” Chloe was triumphant, leaning in to claim credit from me. “Look, Supporting Character Sis, look! I am the person who understands you best in this world!” I smiled faintly. Ten minutes later, holding her forehead, baring her teeth and glaring, Chloe reluctantly and fiercely said to Liam: “Sorry, Supporting Male Lead Bro. I shouldn’t have provoked you.” I nodded in satisfaction: “No bullying Liam.” Liam immediately raised his chin, like a favored, arrogant puppy. “Tch, male vixen.” Being under someone else’s roof, Chloe had to bow her head, unwilling to look at Liam again. Then she looked at me eagerly: “So, about the original plot I just told you…” Thinking for a moment, I asked: “You mean, you want to escape your fate from the original book, right?” Chloe nodded frantically like a chicken pecking at grain. I suddenly felt that this so-called original plot wasn’t something I couldn’t use. So I looked at Chloe with a smile: “Do you want to get rid of the original plot and, at the same time, make tens of millions and become a wealthy, beautiful boss lady?” Chloe’s eyes instantly brightened: “Supporting Character Sis, I would walk through fire for you!” “Alright.” I nodded. “Tomorrow, go seduce Ethan.” “Huh?” Chloe was confused, pointing at herself uncertainly and asking: “Me?” “Yes, you.” I cupped her face, starting the brainwashing. “Baby, you’re the female lead! Grasping a mere Ethan is a piece of cake for you, right?” “Since the original plot is like this, why don’t we use it?” After listening to my plan, Chloe’s eyes gradually lit up. “An innocent little white flower, right? No problem, playing an innocent little white flower is what I do best!” Seeing this, Liam shook his head, unable to watch. “Tsk, there’s no need to even act for that.”

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In my past life, on the day I finally reached the pinnacle of my career, I exposed the horrifying bullying I had endured in high school. The girl who had tormented me, Vanessa, couldn’t handle the crushing weight of public outrage and legal consequences, ultimately ending up in a federal prison cell. But shortly after her downfall, my fiancé, Miles, had a massive, public psychotic breakdown right outside our wedding venue. He completely destroyed his own life and was committed to a psychiatric facility. Before he lost his mind, he left me a single message: “All these years, I only stayed with you to atone for her sins. Why couldn’t you just let her go?!” It was only then I realized: when Miles rejected Vanessa’s confession and she retaliated against him, I was the idiot who stepped in to save him. This time, I absolutely refuse to suffer through a nightmare for someone who was never worth it. 1 Vanessa’s life was over. It all started with an interview. Right after winning Best Actress, sitting in front of the cameras for my first exclusive interview, I opened up about the dark, suffocating days of being bullied in high school. The moment the interview aired, the internet exploded. Millions of netizens flocked to the story. My fans started digging deep, desperate to uncover the mastermind behind the abuse. Thanks to anonymous tips from former classmates, the bullying scandal that had been buried by time for eleven years was finally dragged into the harsh light of day. [I know that girl! She was the “Queen Bee” of our graduating class, Vanessa Sterling. I had a friend who was targeted by her just for being pretty. Vanessa cornered her in the bathroom and almost permanently scarred her face!] [She constantly used her family’s wealth to terrorize people at school. Her dad always just threw money at the problems to make them go away.] [I remember this scandal! It blew up back then. It almost cost someone their life. Vanessa was supposed to be expelled and sent to juvie, but somehow she got out of it. I think she was held back a year and then got into some prestigious university.] [Bullies deserve to rot! I can’t even imagine how much courage it took for our Best Actress to rip open her old wounds in front of the whole world.] [Exactly! Put her behind bars! Justice for Aria!] The online backlash stripped Vanessa of every defense she had. A tidal wave of condemnation and fury crashed down on her. Anyone remotely connected to the incident was dragged into the spotlight. Vanessa’s family business collapsed and filed for bankruptcy. Her husband of only a few months promptly filed for divorce to distance himself from the scandal. By the time I realized the situation had spiraled completely out of control, it was too late. Vanessa’s mind broke. She posted a single “I’m sorry” on her social media before she was arrested and sentenced to years in federal prison for her past and present crimes. On the night the news of her sentencing broke, I was busy preparing for my wedding the next day with my closest friends and family. That’s right, I was getting married. I had chosen to marry the man who had walked with me through the darkest days of high school, right at the peak of my career. When a friend told me about Vanessa’s fate, I didn’t know how to feel. For a moment, I wondered if I had done the wrong thing. Should I have kept my past trauma out of the spotlight? But I couldn’t swallow the bitterness of the past. That bullying had nearly cost me my life. I couldn’t even remember how many nights I woke up screaming from nightmares, or how long it took me to step out of that suffocating shadow. While I was agonizing, fighting tooth and nail to overcome the trauma she inflicted on me, what was Vanessa—the instigator—doing? She had left everything behind, traveling the world, vacationing on private islands, holding an acceptance letter to a top-tier university, and posting inspirational quotes on Instagram. The person who nearly ruined my life hadn’t paid a single price. She was living freely and lavishly. How could I ever let that go?! If Miles hadn’t been by my side back then, I probably would have drowned myself in the campus lake during the freezing winter of my sophomore year from severe depression. I definitely wanted Vanessa to pay, even if I hadn’t expected the internet to tear her life apart quite so thoroughly. Unsure if I had made a mistake, I instinctively grabbed my phone to text Miles. Miles, did I do the wrong thing? I waited anxiously for his reply, but my screen remained dark. A bridesmaid patted my shoulder, telling me not to overthink it. “This isn’t your fault. It’s karma. You did nothing wrong, so stop stressing.” “Besides, we agreed! No contacting the groom on the last night of being single!” “Relax and enjoy your bachelorette night!” She snatched my phone and tossed it onto the sofa, pulling me into a conversation with the other girls. I wasn’t in the mood that night. Staring at my phone abandoned on the couch, still open to my chat with Miles, a deep sense of unease settled in my chest. Facts proved my instincts were right. Miles snapped. Right outside our lavish wedding venue, he suffered a severe, violent psychotic break, completely destroying the venue lobby and his own career before being subdued by security and committed to a psychiatric ward. When I rushed to the hospital in my wedding dress, eyes wide with horror, all I was handed was the phone he had dropped at the scene. On the screen was a message he had typed but never sent to me. “All these years, I only stayed with you to atone for her sins. Why couldn’t you just let her go?!” 2 I didn’t have time to process what that sentence meant, because I blacked out. When I woke up in the hospital, it was three days later. As the newly crowned Best Actress, I was trending at #1 on X and TikTok—but for all the wrong reasons. The internet was tearing me apart because my groom had lost his mind and destroyed our wedding. That’s right, I was being cyberbullied. It started because some eagle-eyed netizens discovered Miles’s secret “burner” Twitter account. An account named SilentlyLovingV. The account was created ten years ago. For a decade, it documented his deep, unforgettable, unrequited love for a girl. But that girl wasn’t me. Ten years. 3,650 days and nights. 3,500 tweets. Every single post ended with the exact same sentence: To the love of my life, Vanessa. The fiancé of the new Best Actress was secretly obsessed with her high school bully. This was explosive news. As the scandal escalated, countless conspiracy theories flooded the internet. One theory in particular gained massive traction. [Am I the only one who thinks Aria purposely exposed the bullying to the media? Did she find out her fiancé was in love with Vanessa, and did it out of spite?] [Aria’s fiancé is her manager! According to her past interviews, they’ve been together since high school. But her fiancé was already in love with Vanessa back then! I bet there’s a hidden truth here. Who knows who was actually bullying who back then!] [Let me spill the tea! Vanessa and Aria were in the same class. They both liked Miles in high school. The tension between them started way back then. Read between the lines, people!] … The malicious speculation surrounding me grew louder and louder. With the exposure of Miles’s secret account, the narrative of the bullying incident suddenly flipped. The people who had actively participated in my torment, who had previously been doxed and shamed by the internet, now used this wave of public opinion to spread rumors about me. They claimed I was the one who came between Vanessa and Miles. They said the so-called “bullying” was just me playing the victim to build my Hollywood persona. The accusations and insults were enough to break anyone. But lying there, I didn’t have the energy or the desire to clarify anything. Why did it have to end up like this? I scrolled through the posts on Miles’s secret account. I desperately wanted to find a clue, a loophole, anything to prove this account didn’t belong to him. But it was futile. Eleven years together. I knew his tone too well. The specific details he posted about his high school interactions with Vanessa were undeniable proof of his identity. It was almost funny. He wrote that Vanessa was different from every other girl around him. He said she was bold yet delicate, arrogant yet sensitive. Every word, every sentence was saturated with his intense love for her. He remembered every look she gave him, every expression, every smile with perfect clarity. He wrote that the biggest regret of his life was rejecting her confession. But he conveniently forgot to mention what happened after he rejected her. Who was it that got cornered in an alley by her out of humiliation? Who was it that couldn’t stand seeing what she was doing and called the police for him? Who was it that took the brunt of Vanessa’s wrath, enduring two full years of her vicious bullying, just to protect him? So, eleven years of companionship… he was only doing it to atone for Vanessa’s sins. All my pain, all my gratitude, all the sacrifices I made over the years—it was all one massive, humiliating joke! The day before his breakdown, he posted his final tweet. [I ruined my life to avenge you. If I could do it all over again, I would walk toward you without a second of hesitation.] Fucking psychopaths! They belong together! If I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t waste a single second being the audience to their twisted romance. The abuser and the masochist. You two should lock yourselves together forever! 3 I never thought that when I opened my eyes again, I would be sitting in my high school classroom. Looking at the familiar scene, my mind went blank for a second. It wasn’t until I saw the Drama School application form tucked under my arm that I finally snapped back to reality, my eyes filling with sheer shock and joy. I was actually reborn! But the joy didn’t last long before it was interrupted by a commotion at the front of the class. “Miles, I like you.” “So? Want to consider being my boyfriend?” Vanessa’s voice was exactly as I remembered it—brimming with absolute confidence and arrogance. On her beautiful, striking face was a smile of inevitable victory. Miles was blocked by her and her entourage. His young, handsome face was practically expressionless, as if the chaos around him had nothing to do with him. But I saw it clearly. His ears were burning beet red. Watching this scene, my eyes turned icy cold. I bet he was thrilled right now. After all, his secret Twitter account clearly stated that this was the exact day he fell in love with her. Since you like her so much, why not just be together? A mocking smirk touched my lips. Was it because he was shy? Or just a coward? If that’s the case, I don’t mind giving him a little push. Everyone’s eyes were glued to the two of them, watching the drama unfold. No one noticed me, sitting in my seat. I suddenly stood up, waving a textbook in the air, and shouted at the top of my lungs toward the front: “Miles! What are you waiting for?! Vanessa is confessing to you! Do you know how lucky you are? Are you really going to reject our school’s Queen Bee?!” “Say yes! Say yes! Get together! Get together!” My sudden outburst drew everyone’s attention. Seeing someone leading the charge, the rest of the class quickly joined in the hype. “The Queen Bee and the Valedictorian! A perfect match!” “Exactly! You guys look great together! Say yes! Say yes!” Seeing me acting as her wingman, Vanessa shot me a surprised look. She clearly hadn’t expected me—someone who had never interacted with her—to help her out. But as the cheering grew louder, she didn’t dwell on it. Instead, she lifted her chin proudly at Miles. I watched with satisfaction as the chants of “Get together” echoed through the room. I wondered if, with me hyping them up so much in this life, he would actually say yes. In a daze, I felt Miles’s gaze linger on me for a fraction of a second. In those cold eyes, there seemed to be a flash of incomprehensible shock and panic. Or maybe I was just seeing things. When Miles still didn’t answer, Vanessa’s smug smile began to slip. A threatening glint crept into her eyes. Just as she was about to speak, Miles finally opened his mouth: “I’m sorry. I refuse.” “You’re very pretty, but I don’t like you.” The exact same two sentences from my past life. But for some reason, I didn’t feel any regret this time. Instead, I felt a strong urge to distance myself from him entirely. Vanessa’s face instantly changed. Seeing his absolute rejection, a dark cloud passed over her eyes, and she threatened him: “Are you sure you want to reject me in front of all these people?” “Miles, I’ll give you one last chance. Think very carefully!” “There’s no need. I’m sure. I don’t want to date in high school; it’ll affect my studies.” With that, Miles pushed past the students surrounding him and walked back toward his desk. “Fine! Miles! No one has ever dared to reject me!” “You’ve got nerve!” Vanessa spat the words through gritted teeth at his retreating back, then stormed out of the classroom with a dark expression. Everything was playing out exactly as it had in my past life. What shocked me was that even with me actively cheering him on, he still rejected her. He was clearly thrilled on the inside, yet he chose to say no. What is this? Self-sabotage? I sneered internally as I watched Miles step down from the podium and head toward his seat. I instinctively looked down to avoid eye contact. I absolutely did not want to have any interaction with him in this life, nor did I want to endure over a year of bullying because of him. But as the old saying goes, speak of the devil and he shall appear. Miles actually stopped right in front of my desk. “Why did you do that?” Miles stood in front of me and spoke. For some inexplicable reason, I felt like his question carried a hint of grievance and anger. I froze for a second, then looked up into his eyes. In a fleeting moment, I felt like there was something very wrong with him today. But when I saw his eyes return to their usual deadpan, emotionless state, I completely threw that thought out the window. “What?” I raised an eyebrow at him, then feigned realization: “Oh, you mean the cheering.” “No underlying meaning. I just thought you two looked like a great match.” “Come on, we’re all classmates. It was just a joke. You’re not actually mad about that, are you?” Let’s just say, after years in the entertainment industry, I was an expert at being passive-aggressive. Miles pursed his lips, seemingly disdainful of arguing with me, and walked back to his seat without another word. The bell for class rang at that exact moment. For the entire period, I could feel a lingering, almost piercing gaze on my back, as if trying to burn a hole right through me. Vanessa never returned to class. I knew exactly what was waiting for Miles, and honestly, I was more than happy to let it happen. 4 I spent the morning adjusting to the high school curriculum. After school, I carefully placed my Drama School application form into a folder and tucked it into my backpack. In my past life, I worked myself to the bone in Hollywood for eight years before finally winning Best Actress. But even then, I carried a massive regret. I wasn’t a classically trained actor. In my past life, Vanessa deliberately shredded my application form the day before the deadline, making it impossible for me to transfer to the Drama track. Later, when I finally found a backdoor channel to audition for an acting conservatory, she had her goons beat me half to death and locked me on the school roof the night before. Because I didn’t have the connections or the formal, systemic training, I had to take a lot of painful detours in my career. So, when I realized I had been reborn, my very first thought was to seize this opportunity. I was going to test into my dream film academy! As for Miles and Vanessa in this life? I couldn’t care less about them! Didn’t Miles fall in love with her at first sight? Didn’t he regret not being with her? Since he’s practically begging to be abused, I certainly wouldn’t step in and steal his chance to be “close” to her like I did last time. He can enjoy every ounce of her passionate “love”! With that thought, I put on my backpack and walked out of the school gates. As I passed the narrow alley near the school, I heard the familiar sound of insults and muffled groans of pain. I couldn’t help but stop. I peeked into the alley. I saw Vanessa and her gang of lackeys pinning a battered, bruised Miles to the ground. “Any guy Miss Sterling sets her eyes on should be grateful. No one has ever been ungrateful enough to reject her.” “Miles, who the hell do you think you are? You’re just a scholarship charity case. Miss Sterling liking you is a blessing.” “Not only did you say no, but you rejected her in front of the whole class! You completely dragged her pride through the mud!” Vanessa had a cigarette hanging from her lips. Her thuggish demeanor completely contradicted her innocent, beautiful face. She rested one foot on Miles’s chest, looking down at him like he was a stray dog. But I could see that her eyes were still burning with an intense desire to conquer him. For someone like Vanessa, things that come easy are worthless. Only the things she can’t have keep her intensely stimulated. Honestly, in terms of sheer psychotic behavior, these two were evenly matched! They were truly made for each other. In my past life, because I couldn’t stand seeing Vanessa bully him like this, I didn’t hesitate to pull out my phone and call 911. I even jumped out and stood protectively in front of him. After helping him scare Vanessa away, I thoughtfully took him to the hospital. Since I couldn’t reach his mother, I stayed and took care of him all night. I admit, my help back then was partly driven by a crush, but it was mostly out of admiration. The fact that Miles was a low-income scholarship student was no secret. His father died when he was young, and his mother struggled to support them. He had the highest test scores in the city. He could have gone to the elite prep school, but because of the tuition, he chose our public school instead. The principal promised him that if he came here, his tuition would be fully covered for all three years, and the school would give him a two-thousand-dollar monthly stipend. If he got into a top-tier university after graduation, there would be a massive bonus. Since enrolling, Miles’s grades were consistently ranked number one. Paired with his handsome, aloof face… He quickly became the school’s most popular guy. He was poor but resilient, brilliant but humble. What teenage girl wouldn’t be drawn to a boy like that? But that was only enough to attract the me from my past life. Whether in my past life or this one, Miles did not deserve to be saved! I retracted my gaze, pretending I hadn’t seen a thing, and turned to walk away. But as I took my first step, I heard his pitiful plea from behind me. “Aria… help me—” I didn’t quite catch what else he said. I furrowed my brow and sprinted away. It was as if I had never walked past that alley. When I got home, I locked the door, grabbed a handful of coarse salt, and threw it over my shoulders to ward off the bad luck. What a nightmare! 5 To prevent any further complications… First thing the next morning, I handed my Drama School application form directly to Mrs. Robinson, the teacher in charge of the arts program. Mrs. Robinson looked at the form and smiled warmly: “Aria, I’m so glad you didn’t choose to bury your talent.” “I believe you’ll become a legend, setting a new standard for our arts program.” Mrs. Robinson had incredibly high expectations for me. In my past life, she was the one who discovered my acting talent and suggested I pursue systemic training. She was also the one who, unable to bear seeing my talent wasted, pulled every string she had to get me an audition slot after I missed the deadline. It’s just a shame I disappointed her in the end. “Mrs. Robinson, I promise I won’t let you down. I will definitely get into the Film Academy!” My voice was firm, making a solemn vow. In this life, I would absolutely never disappoint her again. When I got back to class, morning study hall had already started. Miles wasn’t in his seat. For some reason, the homeroom teacher wasn’t there either, and the classroom was buzzing with loud chatter. I took out a textbook, trying to quiet everyone down and lead the study session. But before I could reach the podium, my phone buzzed. I opened it to see a message from my homeroom teacher, telling me to go to the Principal’s office immediately. I was a bit confused about what was happening. But when I walked into the office and saw the familiar scene, my vision went black. In the office, Miles’s mother stood with her hands on her hips, demanding the Principal give them an explanation. Vanessa’s parents weren’t there; instead, her father’s executive assistant was present, frowning, unsure of how to handle the aggressive woman in front of him. Vanessa stood off to the side. Her face showed absolutely none of the arrogance she had when beating Miles up yesterday. Her eyes were red, making her look like a terrified baby deer. This was her usual disguise. And Miles… his handsome face was covered in bruises. His left arm was in a sling. He looked as pathetic as humanly possible. But even so, I noticed that his injuries in this life were actually much worse than in my past life. Guess my loud cheering yesterday really did the trick. Seemingly sensing my gaze, Miles immediately looked over at me. Maybe it was an illusion, but I swear I saw his eyes light up the moment he saw me, carrying a faint glimmer of expectation. That unsettling feeling crept up on me again, but this was no time to dwell on it. “Sir, you called for me.” Seeing me arrive, the homeroom teacher looked like he had just seen his savior. My right eyelid twitched. A bad premonition settled over me, and sure enough, the very next second, the teacher pulled me aside and asked the question that made my blood boil. “Aria, Miles said he saw you walk past the alley where he was attacked last night.” “Did you happen to see who was beating him?” “Was it Vanessa, like he claims?” I felt a wave of dizziness, but mostly, I felt sheer disbelief. Because everything happening right now was playing out exactly as it had in my past life. In my past life, I called the police for Miles, preventing Vanessa’s goons from continuing their assault. The next day, Miles’s mother brought him and his medical report to the school, determined to make Vanessa pay. They also sought me out—the kind-hearted witness—hoping I would testify on the spot about who had attacked him. In my past life, I was naive. Even knowing I would offend Vanessa, I stood up for Miles and for “justice,” testifying that she and her gang were the attackers. But who could have predicted that Miles’s mother would ultimately choose to settle the matter with Vanessa’s family in exchange for ten thousand dollars? Vanessa then turned all her wrath onto me, unleashing the anger she originally had for Miles entirely upon my shoulders. I had assumed that today’s events wouldn’t happen. After all, I made sure that under the dim streetlights, while he was getting beaten half to death, there was no way he could have recognized me standing at the entrance of the alley. So what the hell was happening now?! Miles’s mother, desperate to protect her son, grabbed my hand and urged me: “Sweetie, I can tell just by looking at you that you’re a good student, not like this vicious little brat who’s trying to deny everything.” “Tell me, did you see this little brat hitting my son in the alley?” I felt a surge of disgust as she pulled on my arm, causing me pain. In my past life, I never liked Miles’s mother. She was incredibly arrogant. Even later on, when I became a somewhat famous actress, she still thought I wasn’t good enough for her son. After Miles’s breakdown, she unreasonably blamed me for destroying him. I still remember how, after accepting a massive payout from Vanessa’s family, she sat in front of the news cameras and lied, saying I forced Miles to marry me and that I drove Vanessa to her ruin. It was shameless! Thinking about this, my face turned ice-cold. Under her expectant gaze, I forcefully yanked my hand away and said slowly: “Ma’am, I didn’t see anything.” I kept my expression perfectly calm as I spun my lie. “I do walk past that alley every day after school, and I did hear some noises coming from inside last night.” “But I didn’t go in. So I have no idea what actually happened.” My expression was neutral. With my strong psychological fortitude and years of acting experience, I was flawless. No one could detect a single lie. “I was walking home alone. It’s not safe for a girl at night. Why would I purposely walk into a dark alley to investigate strange noises?” “I’d love to help Miles, but I can’t just lie and falsely accuse Vanessa.” “Besides, Vanessa is a girl. If she’s falsely accused, it would be terrible for her reputation.” I forced down my disgust to keep myself out of it. I didn’t actually want to defend Vanessa, but knowing how much it would piss off Miles’s mother made me feel a lot better. I firmly maintained that I hadn’t seen anything. The homeroom teacher and the Principal asked me multiple times, trying to find a crack in my story, but eventually had to let me go back to class. But from the moment I walked out of that office, Miles kept staring at me with a look of profound, agonizing betrayal.

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Everyone at school knew about my pact with Ethan Wright, the valedictorian. If I beat his test scores just once, we would date after graduation. Just when our classmates were eagerly waiting for our academic rivals-to-lovers story to unfold, Ethan started online dating. He stayed up all night carrying his “pocket healer” in ranked matches, skipped classes to meet her in person, and became half of a viral gamer-couple on TikTok. He even intentionally bombed the last three math questions on our finals just so his score would drop enough to attend a college in her city. Later, at our high school graduation, someone asked me a question. “You finally took the valedictorian spot, but Ethan fell for someone else. Do you regret it?” Holding my diploma, I shook my head. “Not at all. Men only drag down my GPA.” 1 Ethan Wright had been spacing out in class a lot lately. Even after being scolded by the teachers a few times, he showed no signs of changing. Just as I was trying to figure out what was wrong with him, I caught him sneaking his phone out of his pocket. Ethan slowly scrolled through the screen, a faint, doting smile playing on his lips. Seeing this, a bad feeling washed over me. I tapped on his desk, cleared my throat, and said seriously: “Ethan, midterms are coming up.” “This time, I’m definitely going to beat you and take the number one spot in the grade.” Issuing a challenge like this was nothing out of the ordinary for Ethan and me. As the eternal runner-up, I would playfully “provoke” him before almost every major exam. Usually, he would confidently tease me for wishful thinking, then pull his practice quizzes out of my desk. He would patiently help me find my weak spots and review my mistakes. In those moments, the usually aloof and composed Ethan would always show a gentle expression. It was as if he was looking forward to the day I finally surpassed him and took first place. But for some reason, this time, he didn’t even lift his eyes. He simply listened to my words and replied with a cold, impatient tone. “Take it if you want. Just leave me alone.” With that, he kept his head down, typing away on his screen. The early autumn sun filtered through the gap in the blinds, hitting his fingertips. I accidentally glanced over. It looked like he was typing the word “Babe” on his keyboard. And the person he was chatting with had a pink, aesthetic anime-girl profile picture. 2 A week later, the midterm rankings were posted. A crowd instantly swarmed the bulletin board. When everyone saw clearly that the name in the very first row of the first column was not “Ethan Wright,” a ripple of shock went through the crowd. But when they confirmed the first place was me, the crowd erupted into a chorus of teasing and playful cheers. “Chloe, you actually beat Ethan this time!” “Doesn’t that mean you won the bet?!” Hearing this, I slowly pulled my gaze away from the number one spot on the board. After a few seconds of stunned silence, I nodded awkwardly. I hadn’t expected the people around us to still remember that bet. A wave of panic hit me, but it was overshadowed by a hidden sense of anticipation. About half a year ago, standing right here by the bulletin board. When the junior year spring rankings were posted, I had lost to Ethan again by a mere 3 points. That was the 45th time I had lost to him. From freshman year to junior year, I hadn’t beaten Ethan a single time. Seeing my red, teary eyes, he suddenly had a spark of inspiration to comfort me. Right in the middle of the crowd, he said: “Chloe, if you can beat my score even once…” “I’ll agree to any request you have.” I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes and mumbled: “Really?” Ethan’s sincere, gentle gaze fell on me, and he nodded. I don’t know if it was that look that gave me courage, but I somehow found the nerve. I publicly confessed the crush I had been harboring for five years: “If I beat you, you have to date me after we graduate.” Amidst the roaring cheers of the crowd around us, Ethan looked at me with a smile and agreed. “It’s a promise.” From then on, I gave every exam everything I had. And Ethan did his best to help me. We had an unspoken understanding; we were just waiting for that final piece of paper to be torn away. However… My thoughts snapped back to the present. Half a year later, amidst the same teasing cheers from our classmates. I was met with a pair of angry, freezing eyes. Ethan sternly shut down the chants of “Date her!” from the crowd. He stood in front of me once again. Only this time, the words that came out of his mouth plunged me into an ice bath. “I already have a girlfriend.” “Chloe, that bet was just a joke. Please stop deliberately leading people on.” Ethan’s words left me with absolutely no dignity. He used the cruelest words to shatter that unspoken understanding into a million pieces. The anticipation vanished into thin air. Inappropriately, I suddenly remembered that pink profile picture on his phone. So the signs had been there all along. Amidst the whispers of my classmates, I used the excuse of needing to go to the bathroom and fled in a panic. Like a total clown. That day, I went to our homeroom teacher and asked to switch seats. From then on. My crush withered and died before it could even bloom. 3 Ethan falling from the number one spot was just the beginning. After that midterm, he actively requested to be moved to the back row. During class, aside from spacing out, he would constantly look down to secretly play on his phone. In just two months, he plummeted from being the top student in the grade to outside the top 300. It was also during these days that I overheard classmates gossiping. Ethan was addicted to an online multiplayer game. He was online dating a “pocket healer” he met in the game. When people looked up their match history, they saw that the two of them were still playing ranked duo matches at 3 AM. No wonder his dark circles were getting heavier, and he always looked so drained. “I really don’t understand what Ethan is thinking. Senior year just started, and he’s suddenly obsessed with online dating.” “He’s clearly Ivy League material, but with these last two midterm scores, he’ll be lucky to get into a state school.” A few girls next to me sighed and lamented. “Yeah, and that girl he’s playing with is apparently a minor streamer on TikTok.” “Look, she goes to a community college in the next city over. Her name is Lexi Carter.” My gaze fell on the screen they were holding. In the video, Ethan’s character was hard-carrying Lexi’s support character, securing a team wipe. He would run all the way back to spawn to pick her up, give her all the best loot, and let her take the final kills. He would even relentlessly hunt down the enemy team whenever Lexi got targeted. Countless details of favoritism and sweet interactions filled the clips. My eyes locked onto the “Couples” icon on their game profiles for a long time, unable to snap out of it. Her page was already flooded with these sweet gaming montages, some of which included screenshots of their text messages. Finally, in one of the chat screenshots Lexi posted, I saw that familiar pink anime profile picture. Sure enough, the person Ethan had been keeping his head down for, smiling warmly at all day, was Lexi. The comment section under the video was full of envy. “Kill me now, I’m so single it hurts.” “I’m so jealous of Lexi. She has money and such a handsome, cracked boyfriend.” “I heard her boyfriend is a total genius at a top high school in the city, super smart…” “Lexi, when are you going to show us what he looks like?!” Under that comment, Lexi replied: “The 25th of this month.” My heart skipped a beat. Because the 25th of this month was the first day of our senior year winter finals. 4 Ethan missed the exams. He used catching the flu as an excuse, but the reality was he went to meet Lexi in person. After finals were over, I lay in bed and watched the two of them flaunt their relationship online. In the video, Lexi was wearing a pleated skirt uniform. Her left hand was linked with Ethan’s. Because of the height difference, his face wasn’t in the frame. Then the camera panned to Ethan’s side profile. Seeing that chiseled side profile that used to sit next to me every day, now appearing on a screen… I felt a momentary daze. What followed was Lexi leaning in for a kiss. A bright smudge of lipstick suddenly appeared on that sharp jawline. It was jarring and an eyesore. For some reason, I had a premonition. The Ethan Wright who was like a bright, untouchable moon, had completely vanished from this world. I sighed, but my heart didn’t ripple the way it used to. His blind obsession made me suddenly realize something. I hadn’t admired Ethan himself; I admired the pride and academic brilliance he embodied. For five years, it had always been like this. It was my rational admiration for excellence. But once he fell into the mud and revealed a vulgar, pathetic side… I instantly went from his most loyal supporter to a cold, indifferent bystander. Ethan, you’re so disappointing. I frowned slightly, lifting my hand to swipe away the video. But unexpectedly, my cat suddenly rubbed against my right hand. Under Lexi’s pink profile picture, a word popped up. “Following.” Annoyed, I immediately tapped to unfollow. Then I grabbed my cat and continued scrolling through other videos. I didn’t take that little mishap to heart. Senior year breaks always go by fast. In just a day, we were back at school. On Monday, the final exam scores were posted. I took first place again. Without Ethan, my grip on this spot was practically guaranteed. No suspense whatsoever. After organizing my mistake notebook from the finals during evening study hall, I packed my bag and headed home alone. It was only a quarter-mile walk. It usually took a few minutes. But just as I was about to reach the entrance of my neighborhood… A group of people blocked my path. It was Lexi, Ethan, and her little entourage. I slowly eased my pace, pulled my phone out of my pocket, and discreetly hit record. Then I hesitated and asked: “Can I help you?” Lexi scoffed coldly. She immediately slapped me hard across the face. Her long, acrylic nails dug deep into my skin. With a burning, stinging pain, I could feel a streak of blood drawn across my cheek. “It was you who snitched to his homeroom teacher, wasn’t it?” The sharp pain on my cheek made my head spin for a moment. Snitched? Oh, it must be about them meeting up in person. I wondered what Ethan faking the flu to meet her had to do with me. If they got reported, why would they blindly blame it on me? But before I could even figure it out. Seeing no reaction from me, Lexi’s anger flared even hotter. She reached out and shoved me to the ground with all her might. “Still trying to play dumb? Is this account named ‘Chloe’ not you?!” Lexi cursed as she shoved her phone screen in my face. It was a screenshot of my accidental follow from a few days ago. It clicked in my head. Ethan must have told her that account belonged to me. Because on that app, Ethan and I were the only classmates mutually following each other. I let out a cold laugh. Looking up at Lexi, I said: “Just because I watched your little meet-up video, that makes me the snitch?” “Your messy drama is already known by half our class.” “Why do you suspect me?” I raised my eyes contemptuously, scanning Lexi’s heavy “innocent” makeup, before finally looking at Ethan. Compared to Lexi, I despised him even more. He was cowardly and disgusting. Ethan was staring at me with a completely indifferent expression, though his eyes carried a faint trace of resentment. A light chuckle broke our stare-down. “Stop playing dumb. Ethan already told me you’ve been secretly in love with him for years.” “He said you’re the number one suspect.” “As a girl, can you have absolutely no shame? I got Ethan, which means I won. You’re still pulling these petty tricks behind my back, have you no dignity?” With my palms pressed against the pavement, the gravel dug painfully into my skin. I slowly wiped my hands and stood up. The 11 PM wind carried a biting chill down the alleyway. I ignored Lexi. Instead, I walked right up to Ethan and tilted my chin up. “Ethan, I did have a crush on you. But ever since you publicly humiliated me, those feelings have been dead and gone.” “Tell me, why would I bother snitching when I don’t even like you anymore?” “I was second place for so many years. I wanted you to crash and burn more than anyone. With you being this pathetic, no one can steal my number one spot.” “And one last thing.” “Liking you was the most disgusting thing I’ve done in my entire life.” As the sharp, icy words left my mouth, Ethan’s previously detached, bystander-like expression finally began to crack. He looked at me in slight shock. His eyes carried not only disbelief but also a flash of anger. Who was Ethan Wright? He grew up as the golden child. Even now, throwing his future away for “love” despite the criticism, he probably viewed himself as some tragic romantic hero. So hearing words like that from me definitely pierced his ego. But was that enough? I shifted my gaze to Lexi and spoke up. “Having a few impressionable fans on the internet makes you think you’re tough?” “You brought a few friends to back you up, so you think you can just assault people in the street?” “A piece of trash like Ethan is only good for having you clean up his messes. If you offered him to me to tie my shoes, I wouldn’t even take him.” “Trash belongs with trash.” I stared at Lexi with undisguised mockery, tearing her down. Amidst my sneers, Lexi finally exploded. She grabbed my hair tightly. Then, she and her friends shoved me back to the ground. Punches and kicks rained down on me. I curled up, desperately shielding my head. From above came a barrage of vile, filthy insults and spitting. “You little slut, trying to act all high and mighty?!” “Lexi is a famous influencer, who the hell are you compared to her?!” “You think being a pocket healer is cheap? Those skins cost thousands! Could your family make that much in a year?” “All you know how to do is read a book, stop acting superior.” … I felt wetness hitting the top of my head. They were spitting on me. Half an hour later. It was finally over. My arms, which had been shielding my head, weakly fell to my sides. I tried to get up but found it incredibly difficult. My entire body was likely covered in bruises and swelling. With trembling hands, I pulled my phone out of my pocket. The screen showed over a dozen missed calls. I called back. “Mom, Dad… take me to the police station.” 5 There was a police precinct not far from the school. When filing the report, I handed my phone to the police. The recording was exactly forty minutes long. Most of it was pitch black. Because of the beating, I had kept it in my pocket to prevent it from being smashed. But the very beginning clearly captured the faces of Ethan, Lexi, and her followers. This recording became ironclad evidence. “You can also pull the security footage from the surrounding area.” “I didn’t fight back a single time.” “It was a completely one-sided assault by them.” I stated calmly to the officer. The officer watched the video, then looked at my injuries. Based on the information I provided, they immediately began tracking them down. The blood on my forehead still hadn’t completely stopped. At this moment, my condition was far from good. My entire body throbbed with pain, and I couldn’t even straighten my knee, but I forced myself to stay conscious. I had my parents take me to get a forensic medical evaluation. As long as it was classified as a ‘minor injury’ legally, no one would be able to save Lexi. 6 “Fractured patella, mild concussion, perforated eardrum.” The attending doctor looked at me on the hospital bed, listing off my specific injuries one by one during his rounds. When he had finished briefing me. He looked at my mother with deep sympathy. “How did she get hurt this badly?” My mother, her eyes red and swollen, choked out a reply. “She was beaten up by a gang of street girls.” “Her dad is already at the school trying to figure out what happened.” The doctor nodded gently and sighed. “Seeing her uniform, she goes to the city’s magnet school, right? My son goes there too.” “It’s such a good high school, how could something like this happen?” Hearing this, my normally poised and composed mother finally burst into tears. She kept repeating that she was sorry, that it was all her fault. The originally noisy hospital ward gradually quieted down amidst her crying. But how could this be her fault? I painfully raised my hand and patted her leg to comfort her. After all, I was the one who chose to take a massive risk… 7 The next afternoon, my father brought several of my close classmates to the hospital room. They brought flower baskets and fruit baskets. They looked into the room with worried faces. When she saw that almost half my body was wrapped in bandages, the soft-spoken Mia Brooks instantly burst into tears. “Chloe… How could Ethan do something like this?!” “He used to be so nice to you, how could he…” She choked on her sobs, unable to continue. She just stood by my bed, wiping away tears. Caleb Hayes, our usually calm and collected class vice president, comforted her, then looked at me with suppressed anger. “Chloe, don’t worry. The school will definitely handle this.” I nodded in response. I honestly didn’t have much hope for how the school would handle an incident like this. Ethan, who didn’t physically participate in the beating, wouldn’t be as easy to deal with as Lexi and her crew. Just then, having calmed down, Mia leaned in closer to me. She whispered: “Chloe, did you know? Yesterday at school, your dad punched Ethan’s dad several times.” “His dad didn’t dare say a word, and our homeroom teacher didn’t even try to stop him.” “Ethan is honestly disgusting.” “He swore up and down that he didn’t know the girls who attacked you. He said you brought the trouble on yourself outside of school.” “But when your dad dropped Lexi’s name, he completely panicked.” Hearing this, I raised an eyebrow. He probably assumed that because the lighting was bad last night and there were no cameras in that exact spot, there was no way to prove who attacked me. If that had been true, he could have helped his little girlfriend escape criminal charges. But he didn’t expect that I had recorded it all, and had already filed a police report. And now, the medical evaluation was out. A fractured patella officially constituted a ‘minor injury’ under criminal law. I would immediately press criminal charges against Lexi and her gang. And from what I knew, Lexi was a year older than Ethan. She was already 19 this year. She wouldn’t be able to escape a single punishment she deserved. “Chloe…” Mia looked at me lost in thought, her expression looking troubled. It seemed like she wanted to say something else. “What is it, Mia? Do you have something to tell me?” She tugged at the hem of her shirt. She hesitated but finally made up her mind to speak. “Chloe, could you let me take a picture of your medical evaluation?” I looked at her, a bit confused. Of course, she could take a picture, but what did she need it for? “Sure, but you have to tell me what you’re using it for?” I asked softly. Mia nervously pulled her phone out of her pocket. She scrolled for a bit, eventually stopping on a page. She handed the phone to me. “That girl Lexi posted a video about you online last night.” “She’s publicly trashing you…” “I spoke up for you in the comments, saying they jumped you, but no one believed me.” “I want to take a picture of this and post it online as proof.” My eyes fell on the phone resting on my blanket. It was Lexi’s video. White text on a black background read: “Chloe Adams from City High is a shameless b*tch.” “She tried to steal my boyfriend and act like a homewrecker, then purposely snitched to the school about us meeting up.” Right below that was my school ID photo, and she even tagged my social media account. My left hand, hidden under the blanket, clenched tightly into a fist. Because of my injuries, I had spent the last few days either sleeping or resting. Except for taking calls from the police, I hadn’t looked at my phone at all. I didn’t expect Lexi to so quickly use her influencer privilege to rally her fans to cyberbully me. The comments under the video were a barrage of insults and attacks aimed at me. Mia’s attempt to defend me was completely drowned out by the filth and proved entirely useless. With a trembling hand, I clicked into my own direct messages. There were already thousands of hateful messages. Every single one was vile and unbearable to read. Caleb, who had been silent by my side, borrowed the phone and saw the video. He frowned, looking puzzled. “The person who snitched about them meeting up was Ethan’s mom.” “She admitted it herself in the office this morning.” “How are they pinning this on you?” Caleb explained that his mother admitted she was checking Ethan’s phone and accidentally found out he was dating online. Then she saw the texts about them meeting up in person. So she complained to the teachers, asking why they weren’t keeping a closer eye on Ethan and letting his grades plummet. That was how the school found out about Ethan and Lexi. So, as far as I was concerned… This was a complete and utter disaster that had absolutely nothing to do with me. 8 “Mia, can you hand me my backpack?” I dug through my bag and pulled out the police report filing and the medical evaluation. I took screenshots from the video I recorded the night they assaulted me. Then I called my homeroom teacher. I confirmed the situation with him and asked him to verify that the person who exposed Ethan and Lexi’s meetup was Ethan’s mother. Not me. I also explained to him that I was being cyberbullied and needed to use this phone call recording as evidence to clear my name. At the same time, the police called. They informed me that they had issued summons for Lexi, Britney, Riley, and Ethan. I then requested a copy of the summons record from the police. With that, all the evidence I could gather at this stage was ready. I picked up my phone. I drafted a response video. “In response to the defamatory rumors spread by Ms. Lexi Carter about me last night, I have the following points to make:” “First, the person who reported Ms. Carter and her boyfriend Ethan Wright meeting up was not me, but Ethan’s own mother.” Then I attached the recording of my phone call with my homeroom teacher. “Second, Ethan and I are merely classmates. I am not a ‘homewrecker’.” “Third, Ms. Carter, Britney, Riley, and others subjected me to a 30-minute physical assault on the night of the 10th. I have full video evidence, a medical evaluation confirming ‘minor injuries’ (a felony threshold), and the police report and summons records. I will legally pursue criminal charges against all individuals involved.” I attached the screenshots and documents as evidence. “Fourth, Ms. Carter’s video last night constitutes a violation of my portrait rights and defamation of character. I will be filing a separate civil lawsuit against her.” “Lastly, to the ‘big influencer’ Lexi, I hope you won’t be begging me for mercy later. Xoxo.” The moment my video went live, it caused a massive uproar online. Complete and indisputable evidence was far more convincing than a few inflammatory, text-only claims from Lexi. After the video hit a million views. The fans who had been relentlessly screaming and the random internet users who jumped on the bandwagon were instantly silenced. Only a few incredibly immature, die-hard fans continued to leave comments: “We don’t know the whole story, reserving judgment. Waiting for Lexi’s response.” “Won’t take sides until the dust settles.” Hypocritical, double-standard garbage. Faced with hard evidence, they claim they “don’t know the whole story,” but when it was a baseless frame-up, they were quick to pick up their pitchforks of justice. It seems they just wanted to hack me to pieces. The narrative online rapidly shifted. It went from unanimous support for Lexi… To overwhelming condemnation and insults directed at her. Some insiders even stepped forward to share their own experiences of being bullied by Lexi in the past. They exposed her terrible behavior at school and the fact that she was actually the one with a history of homewrecking. Someone from Lexi’s inner circle even posted leaked chat logs: “The money she spent carrying Ethan on games was all from predatory payday loans. She’s been overdue for a long time.” “If she doesn’t pay it back next month, she’s going to end up on a debt defaulter blacklist.” In just two or three days, Lexi’s painstakingly built following of 170k dropped to barely 80k. Her persona as a young, beautiful, rich girl completely collapsed. I hadn’t originally planned to post all the details online. Seeing Lexi face legal justice was the part I cared about most. But since Lexi was so used to acting like a god on the internet, weaponizing her fans to enact her twisted “justice”… Then I didn’t mind using her favorite method to destroy the very capital that made her so arrogant. Over those three days, various commentary channels in the gaming community began to embellish the feud between Lexi and me. “Rich e-girl streamer used payday loans to buy skins, and led a physical assault against a top high school student?!” “Former wealthy e-girl influencer facing prison time for gang assault.” They added clickbait titles and spread the story even wider. Any viewer with a functioning moral compass and logical netizens understood this was a morally bankrupt case of an influencer using her platform to bully an ordinary student. The online crusade against Lexi reached new heights. Yet even backed into such a corner, Lexi still hadn’t come forward to deny it or apologize. Because. She had much bigger problems to deal with right now.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “420135”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The night I found out I was dumped, I stood outside the Vance estate for half the night. Preston Vance walked past me with his arm wrapped around his new flame, scoffing coldly, “What? Here to ask for a breakup fee?” He took off the ring I gave him and threw it on the ground. As I bent down to pick it up, Sienna Hayes ground her stiletto into the back of my hand. Preston acted like he didn’t see a thing. Later, I moved into the Sterling estate next door as its rightful mistress. During the day, I tended to the flowers and fed the cats in the garden. At night, I kissed Roman Sterling passionately on his balcony. Preston looked up and saw us. He crushed a thorny rose in his palm, his cold eyes looking as if they were dyed in blood. 01 I stood at the gates of the Vance estate, waiting for Preston. Late into the night, a Rolls-Royce drove past the gates and pulled into the garage. A moment later, Preston walked past me, his arm wrapped around the hottest new starlet in Hollywood, Sienna Hayes. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye and sneered, “What? Are you here to ask for a breakup fee?” Before this, Preston had never once mentioned breaking up with me. Three hours ago, paparazzi had leaked photos of Sienna and Preston leaving a high-end French restaurant. As the rumors spread, Sienna responded on Twitter: [It’s just a normal relationship. Everyone can calm down now.] Preston had ‘liked’ her tweet. That was how I found out I had been dumped. Just last night, the person lying in his arms was me. He had made me look into the bathroom mirror, caressing my face from behind, murmuring, “Eden, do you have any idea how beautiful you look right now?” My cheeks had flushed. “Hmm? How beautiful?” His hot breath tickled the back of my ear: “More vibrant than the roses on the balcony. It makes me want to be completely ruthless with you.” Last night he couldn’t keep his hands off me, and in the blink of an eye, he had a new girl? I didn’t believe it, so I came to ask him myself. “Preston, I came to ask you… since when have you and Sienna been together?” Preston replied coldly, “We got together today. Is there a problem?” My eyes fell on the ring on his finger. We had given each other promise rings. If he had a new girlfriend, what did it mean that he was still wearing the ring I gave him? Preston pulled the ring off his finger and handed it to me: “Take it. And don’t ever come bothering me again.” Before I could even reach out to take it, he dropped the ring onto the ground. It was the ring I had bought him with my very first paycheck after graduating college. It wasn’t expensive, but it held deep meaning. I remember when Preston received that ring, he couldn’t stop smiling. That night, he used hundreds of drones to confess his love to me in the sky, wanting to announce to the whole world that I was his woman. Now, that same ring was thrown on the ground like garbage. Pushing down my emotions, I bent over to pick up the ring. Preston turned and walked toward the mansion with Sienna. As Sienna walked past me, she deliberately stepped her foot down, her heel grinding into the back of my hand. “Hiss—” I cried out in pain. Sienna was wearing impossibly high, sharp stilettos. I knew she was doing this on purpose to humiliate me. She moved her foot and chuckled lightly: “Oops, sorry. It’s too dark, I didn’t do it on purpose.” Before, if I got even a tiny scratch, he would be sick with worry. But right now, Preston acted like he didn’t see a thing. I shoved Sienna, and she conveniently fell right into Preston’s arms. “Eden, that’s enough,” Preston said. He wrapped his arm around Sienna’s waist and stepped through the grand front doors of the mansion. 02 I turned and walked away. I hadn’t gone far when it started to rain. I ran to take shelter under the eaves of the neighboring mansion. Looking up, I could see Preston’s bedroom. It was on the second floor, and the lights were now on. Sienna walked out onto the balcony, surveying the area around the front gate, as if checking to make sure I had actually left. A moment later, Preston walked up behind Sienna, holding his suit jacket. He wrapped the jacket around her and hugged her from behind. Sienna turned her head and rested her cheek against his chest. This scene was entirely too familiar. The Vance estate had practically been my second home. The roses on that balcony had been planted by my own two hands. He and I used to kiss passionately on that very balcony. I looked away, not daring to watch anymore. I was afraid of seeing something that would shatter my heart completely. Preston was my first love. I had taken our relationship incredibly seriously. I had even fantasized about our wedding day and our happy life afterward. Being dumped so suddenly, apart from being caught completely off guard, left me feeling like a massive chunk of my heart was missing. The cold wind of the rainy night blew into the gaping hole in my chest. When I looked up again, Preston had already pulled Sienna back into the bedroom. The motorized curtains slowly drew shut, hiding everything that left so much to the imagination. 03 Not only did the rain not stop, it started pouring harder. My phone was completely dead. Preston’s mansion was in an exclusive, gated community in the suburbs. In the middle of the night, it was impossible to get an Uber out here. Preston had changed. Before, he would never treat me like this. Even if we were fighting, he would still make sure I got home safe. I debated internally over and over: should I go ring his doorbell and swallow my pride to beg him to let me stay for one night? To be honest, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I don’t know how much time passed, but suddenly, a blinding light cut through the dark. A sleek Ferrari pulled into the garage of the mansion where I was taking shelter. I followed the car into the garage, hoping to borrow his phone to call an Uber. The man who stepped out of the car looked to be around twenty-six or twenty-seven. He was incredibly handsome. I had actually seen him a few times before. He was Preston’s neighbor, Roman Sterling. Sometimes, when I stayed the night at Preston’s, I could see Roman’s garden and balcony from ours. In the mornings, he would water the plants in his garden and then sit on his balcony drinking coffee. My impression of him was that he was noble and highly disciplined. Roman saw me standing there, completely soaked, and paused in surprise. “Why aren’t you going to your boyfriend’s house to get out of the rain?” “He changed the passcode on the lock,” I said dejectedly. “We broke up.” Roman looked up at the balcony of Preston’s bedroom and blurted out, “But weren’t you two just last night…” He seemed to realize something and quickly stopped himself. My face flushed bright red. He was right. Just last night, Preston and I were making out on that balcony. In the heat of the moment, he had even said to me, “Should we try it out here on the balcony?” I blushed. “No, the neighbors might see…” “Mhm, then let’s go inside.” Preston had carried me into the house. Had Roman seen us? This was incredibly awkward. I said bitterly, “He has a new girlfriend.” “That fast?” Roman looked thoughtful. “Do you want to come inside my house first? You can dry your clothes, and I’ll drive you back in the morning.” I hesitated for a moment. It was the middle of the night, and I lived forty minutes away. Having him drive me back in this weather was asking too much. Besides, even if I borrowed his phone to call a cab, it wouldn’t be safe. I nodded. “Okay, thank you.” 04 I took a shower at Roman’s house. Wearing a plush bathrobe, I put my soaking wet clothes into his high-end washer-dryer combo. I slept in his guest room for the night. Early the next morning, his housekeeper was making breakfast in the kitchen. He insisted I stay for breakfast, saying he would drop me off at work since he was heading to his office anyway. As we walked out the front door, we ran straight into Preston and Sienna. Roman went to the adjacent garage to pull his car out. When Preston saw me walking out of Roman’s house, his face instantly darkened. Sienna looked me up and down and let out a scoffing laugh. She turned to Preston and said, “Preston, you were so worried about her being unsafe going home alone last night, but she didn’t even go home. She moves on pretty fast, doesn’t she?” Preston’s face grew even darker. He marched over, grabbed my arm, and pulled me aside, furious and humiliated. “Eden, did you sleep with him last night?” “I’m not as easy as you are. I was just taking shelter from the rain at his house.” As soon as I explained, I realized we were already broken up. I had no obligation to explain anything to him. Hearing my explanation, Preston’s expression softened slightly. I quickly added, “But, I kind of want to see what it’s like to move on instantly. It’s probably pretty nice, right?” Preston gritted his teeth. “Don’t you dare!” “Preston, I know you think you’re God’s gift to women. Well, newsflash: I don’t think you are either. If I meet someone who’s a good fit, I’ll absolutely go for it.” With that, I shook off his hand and got into Roman’s Ferrari. In the rearview mirror, Preston’s eyes were glued to me. Until the car drove out of his line of sight. I knew he couldn’t stand it. He couldn’t stand the fact that I had hooked up with another man so quickly. 05 When I got back to the office, everyone already knew the news of my breakup with Preston. Walking past the breakroom, I overheard colleagues gossiping about Preston and Sienna’s new romance. I pretended not to hear. My colleague and best friend, Kendall, came to comfort me. “It’s just a breakup, it’s not the end of the world. Tonight, I’m taking you out to the club. We’re going to drink, dance, and order some hot VIP hosts for bottle service.” When night fell, Kendall and I changed into club-ready outfits and headed out. We happened to walk in just as the club was hosting a challenge. It was a promotion aimed at single women: if you could finish a dozen cocktails within a time limit, you won a free night with a VIP host—drinking and partying. If you hit it off, you could even take him home. When I was with Preston, he never let me drink. Now that we were broken up, I had no one tying me down. It was time to let loose. Both Kendall and I signed up for the challenge. Kendall’s alcohol tolerance was way better than mine. She quickly finished her dozen cocktails. She picked out a stunningly handsome VIP host. I rarely drank before, so I had no idea what my tolerance was. By the time I finished my dozen cocktails, the room was spinning. The world was tilting and swaying. The event manager lined up the VIP hosts for me to choose from. I raised my hand, waving it unsteadily, and pointed at the guy who looked the most handsome and pleasing to the eye. Then, I collapsed onto the table, passed out. In my hazy state, I heard Kendall’s voice in my ear: “LMAO, Eden, the guy you pointed at isn’t a host, he’s a customer.” She leaned in closer and whispered, “But I gotta say, his body and face are way better than any of the hosts here.” “Ahem, he’s walking over to you.” Just as Kendall finished speaking, the man I pointed at walked over. “Eden, why did you drink so much?” His voice sounded familiar, but I was so drunk I couldn’t remember who he was. Or maybe, for a split second, Roman Sterling’s face flashed through my mind, but I quickly forgot it. The man was indeed Roman. Kendall chatted with Roman for a bit. He said he was my friend, and since I was drunk, he would take me home. Kendall asked me, “Eden, do you know a guy named Roman Sterling?” I mumbled groggily, “Yeah, I know him. I… stayed the night at his house.” Kendall’s eyes lit up. She leaned in and whispered, “He’s way hotter than Preston. Since you guys are so close, I’ll let him take you home, okay?” The alcohol had completely taken over. I didn’t hear a word Kendall said. I just instinctively mumbled, “Mhm.” Roman wrapped his arm around my waist and helped me out of the club. He put me into his car, buckled my seatbelt, and asked, “Where do you live?” “You’re my prize, I won you fair and square! Why are we going home?” I grabbed his tie, looking at him with blurry eyes. “To a hotel. We’re getting a presidential suite. We’re going to keep… keep drinking.” 06 Once we got to the presidential suite, I clung to Roman, demanding he open more wine. He humored me and opened a bottle of red wine. I swirled the wine in my glass, looking through the glass at him sitting on the leather sofa. He was calm, composed, and incredibly attractive. I leaned forward and held the glass to his lips. “You’re not being proactive enough. Your customer service skills… are failing.” Roman pushed the glass away, looking at me seriously. “Do you know who I am?” “Of course I do. You’re a host. The hottest host in the whole club.” I said, trying to force him to drink. “Tonight you belong to me. Come on, drink.” “I am Roman Sterling.” He turned his face away. The wine spilled down his collar, staining his crisp white shirt a deep red. “Roman who? Don’t know him. I don’t care who you are, as long as you make me happy.” I pressed half my body weight onto him and kissed him. Our lips met, and it felt like an electric shock. Just like the alcohol, it went straight to my head. Roman’s voice was hoarse. “Eden, I am not a host. If you mess with me, you have to take responsibility.” “Fine, I’ll take responsibility. I’m going to keep kissing you.” I said, diving back in. When it came to kissing, he seemed to lack experience. At first, I was taking the lead. Once he gradually got used to it, he turned from passive to active. Later, when I was practically gasping for air, he carried me to the bed and tucked me in. I heard the water running in the bathroom. He was taking a cold shower. Roman was just as intoxicated as I was. He turned the shower all the way to cold, shaking his head as if trying to suppress the heat I had ignited in him. By the time he came out of the bathroom wearing a robe, I was already sound asleep. He didn’t wake me. Instead, he sat on the leather sofa, poured himself a glass of red wine, and drank it slowly. 07 When I woke up the next morning, my head was throbbing and heavy. I was the only one in the presidential suite. I had blacked out last night. My memories were fragmented. I only remembered the VIP host driving me to the hotel. I remembered making out with him on the sofa. What happened after that, I couldn’t recall. I threw off the covers and checked. Thank God, nothing had happened. That host had excellent professional boundaries and self-control. To be able to resist me when I was acting like that… impressive. I felt a pang of guilt. I shouldn’t have drank so much last night. If something had actually happened, I would have regretted it forever. I took a shower and went down to the hotel’s buffet for breakfast. It really is a small world. Preston and Sienna were also eating breakfast in the restaurant. It looked like they had stayed at this hotel last night too. When I woke up earlier, I was actually regretting going to the club and letting loose. But seeing Preston and Sienna parading their new relationship, an inexplicable wave of bitterness and vindictive pleasure washed over me. Next time I go to the club, I’m going to request that exact same host again. Preston froze when he saw me. He noticed there was no other man with me and subtly breathed a sigh of relief. Sienna smiled and greeted me. “Eden, what a coincidence! You stayed here last night too? All by yourself?” I smiled back. “Not by myself. I was with my boyfriend, but he already left for work.” Preston casually sipped his coffee, but his eyes betrayed him. When he heard me say the word “boyfriend,” his eyes darkened. “Ha, is it that Roman Sterling guy from last time?” Sienna smiled meaningfully. “It’s great that you were able to move on from your last relationship so quickly.” “Right? Preston.” Sienna turned to ask Preston. Preston slammed his half-finished coffee down on the table, stood up, and coldly threw out: “I’m full. I’m going outside for a smoke.” Sienna called after him, “Okay, I’ll come find you when I’m done.” Sienna moved her half-eaten breakfast to my table and lowered her voice to whisper to me. “Eden, I really have to thank you. You trained Preston so well. I’m really enjoying it.” I frowned. “What do you mean?” Sienna smirked. “He’s very much a gentleman, and he’s extremely generous with me.” She flashed the diamond watch on her wrist, showing it off to me. “A diamond watch worth millions, and he bought it for me without a second thought. Was he this generous with you before?” My eyes swept over the diamond watch on her wrist. I remembered seeing this exact watch in an in-flight magazine when Preston and I flew to Scandinavia for a vacation. I had looked at it a couple of times, and Preston had asked, “Do you like it? If you like it, I’ll buy it for you.” I shook my head. “No need. It’s too expensive.” I never expected he would actually buy it and give it to Sienna. Saying I wasn’t jealous would be a lie, but I no longer had the right to be jealous. Seeing me stay silent, Sienna lifted her hand to tuck a strand of long hair behind her ear, revealing a hickey on her neck. She said with a smirk, “He’s also very satisfying in that department.” Sienna’s words forced my brain to picture her and Preston in bed together. I used to think his preference for me was unique. It turns out, any other woman will do just fine. My heart felt bitter. I stood up and dropped a single sentence: “I’m full.” I walked out of the buffet restaurant. As I passed the corner of the hallway, I saw Preston standing in the shadows. Tall and striking, his tailored suit accentuating his noble elegance. The CEO of the Vance Group. Young, wealthy. How many starlets like Sienna in their circle wanted to climb that branch? Once, his every move captivated me. Now, this man no longer belonged to me. I looked away, unwilling to spare him a second glance. I walked quickly away. Who knew that as I passed him, he grabbed my arm and yanked me into the stairwell. I said angrily, “Let me go!” Preston pinned me against the wall, his deep eyes unreadable. “Did you get a room with Roman last night? Did you two sleep together?” I fired back, “We’re two consenting adults in a hotel room. Whatever happens, happens. What, did you think I was going to save myself for you?” Preston’s eyes blazed with anger. He grabbed my waist, dripping with jealousy. “Eden, I know you’re not that kind of girl. You’re doing this to force me to come back to you, aren’t you?” 08 Before I could answer, he rationalized it to himself. “Fine, you win. I admit I haven’t gotten over you.” I was stunned. “So what?” “I’ll break up with Sienna. From now on, you stay the hell away from Roman Sterling.” He finished speaking, leaned down, and quickly pecked me on the lips, declaring his territory: “You’re mine.” I snapped back to reality and slapped him hard across the face, furious. “Preston, do you think I’m a dog you can whistle for and shoo away whenever you please?” “Whether you break up with Sienna or not, it is completely impossible for us to ever get back together.” I pushed him away and walked out of the stairwell. Sienna was standing at the entrance to the buffet, staring at me in shock. She didn’t say a word, but her eyes told me she had heard everything. When I left, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a look of pure hatred bloom on her face. I went to the front desk to check out. The receptionist told me that the room had been paid for last night. I thought to myself, That VIP host must be experiencing life outside the club. A presidential suite is two thousand dollars a night, and he actually paid for it himself? I walked out of the hotel lobby and saw a familiar Ferrari pulling up in the distance. Roman rolled down the window and said to me, “Get in. I’ll drop you off at work.” I got into his car, feeling a bit guilty, not daring to look at him. Last night I clearly went back to the hotel with a male host. Why is it that when I woke up today and tried to recall making out on the sofa, the face that popped into my head was Roman’s? Could it be that I subconsciously have inappropriate thoughts about him? Or is he just too handsome, and my brain automatically substituted his face? Roman drove and asked me, “Are you still dizzy? Do you need to take a sick day?” Huh? How did he know I drank too much last night? I answered casually, “I’m fine. One more day until Saturday. I won’t take a sick day.” Roman added, “Don’t drink so much next time.” I finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and laid my cards on the table. “Wait, how do you know I drank too much last night?” We hit a red light. Roman stopped the car, turned, and looked at me. “With the way you were acting, you wouldn’t call that drunk?” The way I was acting? “How was I acting?” I was even more confused. Roman smirked, his tone meaningful. “I thought you were a good girl. I didn’t expect you to be so wild.” Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a hickey on his neck. That image perfectly overlapped with the memory of me forcing a kiss on the male host last night. My face turned beet red. It turns out the man who took me back to the hotel last night wasn’t a male host; it was Roman. It was a bit mortifying, but at the same time, I felt a little thrill of joy. It was better him than some stranger. When I got back to the office, Kendall hadn’t arrived yet. I went to make a cup of coffee. When I came back, I saw her walking in right behind our CEO. I pulled her into the breakroom and asked, “Are you okay from last night? Did you get drunk?” Kendall’s face was flushed. “I got drunk. After you left last night, I ran into Mr. Cole at the club. He carried me back to his place…” The Mr. Cole Kendall was referring to was our CEO, Harrison Cole. This was a completely unexpected turn of events. I turned on my gossip radar. “So, did anything happen between you two?” “I stayed at his place last night…” Kendall covered her face, looking both embarrassed and annoyed. “Ugh, if my brother finds out, I’m dead.” Kendall was a wealthy heiress who had just returned from studying abroad. Her brother was in the process of taking over the family business. He had sent her to work at our rival company as a corporate spy to gather intel. I didn’t expect her to end up having an unspeakable romance with our CEO. Interesting. 09 After that day, I heard Preston and Sienna broke up. Paparazzi caught Sienna drowning her sorrows at a bar, calling it the fastest breakup in history. She and Preston had only been together for two days. Preston started pursuing me again. He sent people to deliver flowers to my office every day. He tried calling and texting me, but I had already blocked him. He even came to my office and my apartment building to find me a few times, but I always took a detour when I saw him, refusing to give him a chance to explain. After I had been dating Roman for a while, he took me back to his family’s estate to meet his parents. His parents were prominent local entrepreneurs. The Sterling Group and the Vance Group were both leaders in their respective industries, equally matched in power and influence. Roman was an only child. He had started working in the family business two years ago and was poised to take over as the new head of the Sterling Group once he gained enough experience. When Mrs. Sterling saw the jade bracelet on my wrist, she smiled warmly. “This jade bracelet is an heirloom I’ve kept for my future daughter-in-law. It seems Roman is very serious about you.” So the jade bracelet wasn’t just bought at a store; it carried a much deeper meaning. Mr. Sterling asked about my college major and then invited me to work at the Sterling Group. I politely declined, stating that I still had ongoing projects to finish and would consider it later. It was clear that Mr. and Mrs. Sterling were quite pleased with me. When they found out Roman and I were together, they had someone look into my family background and education. While my family wasn’t as wealthy as the Sterlings or the Vances, we were still well-off. My family just lived in a different city. This was also why Preston had once said I was the perfect fit to be Mrs. Vance. Apart from my personality and looks, my family background and education were impeccable. I also took Roman to meet my parents. When Preston found out, he lost it. Because we had dated for two years before I took him to meet my parents, and now I had only been dating Roman for six months and we had already met each other’s families. He had always been incredibly competitive. When Roman and I returned from visiting my parents, I moved into his mansion, and we started living together.

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After high school graduation, my illegitimate sister trended on Twitter and TikTok. Everyone was saying the wealthy Kensington family produced brilliant daughters. The older sister was the state valedictorian and an Ivy League admit, while the younger sister was the top recruit for Juilliard’s dance division. Just as that illegitimate daughter tried to use this wave of clout to force her way into our home… I had someone break her legs. 1 It was the night of my college acceptance gala. My father brought his illegitimate daughter to the banquet, where she dropped to both knees. Tearfully, she begged my mother to let her into the family. The surrounding guests gasped in shock. Just as the bodyguards stepped forward to drag her away, my mother stopped them with a single glance. I stood to the side, arms crossed, watching the show. I wanted to see what kind of nonsense this illegitimate daughter could spit out. She cried, looking like a fragile, rain-soaked flower: “I have Kensington blood flowing through my veins! Please, have mercy and let me through the doors!” “I can sing and dance, and I’m not ugly. I won’t embarrass the Kensington family!” After saying that, she shuffled forward on her knees. Just as she was about to speak again, Liam Sterling, the heir to the Sterling family standing next to me, recognized her. He pointed at the illegitimate daughter, his voice filled with unconcealed surprise: “Aren’t you that girl who got top marks in Juilliard’s admissions this year? The one who danced that viral ‘Swan Song’ piece?” Seeing that someone remembered her, Chloe nodded eagerly. She had hoped Liam would say a few more complimentary words. Instead, Liam clapped his hands and laughed out loud: “My grandma was just saying your dancing had a noble, unyielding spirit to it. I didn’t expect you to drop to your knees this fast.” Hearing this, snickers erupted from the surrounding crowd. Chloe’s face instantly turned pitch black. Seeing her look as if she were about to faint from humiliation, I didn’t step in to defend her. Instead, I stood there holding my champagne, smiling as I watched her make a fool of herself. Amidst the surrounding mockery, my father’s face darkened. He was the one who brought her; Chloe being mocked meant he was losing face too. He looked around, but not a single person stepped forward to smooth things over. After all, my father had squandered his side of the Kensington family’s wealth long ago. It was my mother’s family who had seized the market trends over the years, propelling us into Manhattan’s upper-crust elite. Everyone attending my gala was here out of respect for my mother. Father bringing his illegitimate daughter to publicly force my mother’s hand was a foolish move. Even for the sake of future business ties, no one was going to speak up for him. I watched coldly from the sidelines until Chloe had been humiliated enough. Only then did I leisurely set down my champagne glass and clap my hands. The bodyguards waiting outside immediately entered the room, dragging the limp Chloe up by one arm. I first smiled and apologized to the surrounding guests: “I am truly sorry. Our security was a bit lax tonight, and you all had to witness a farce.” Then, I gave the bodyguards a look. Understanding perfectly, they hauled the struggling Chloe away, marching her straight out the doors and tossing her out of the Kensington estate. Father watched Chloe being handled with an ashen face, but he was powerless to stop it. He could only smash his glass in anger and storm out of the venue. Meanwhile, my mother, sitting at the head of the room, maintained a look of amiable grace. She smiled warmly as she watched me take out the trash. 2 The gala ended. I changed out of my heavy, intricate evening gown and slipped into a comfortable silk dress. I loosely pinned up my hair and was led back to the living room by the staff. In the living room, my father and mother sat opposite each other. Kneeling on the floor to the side was Chloe, the very girl who had just been thrown out. She was currently wearing a white dress, crying pitifully. Seeing me come downstairs, Mother waved me over to sit beside her. She looked at Chloe kneeling on the floor and said casually: “Do you want to enter the Kensington family that badly?” Chloe nodded eagerly, just about to start begging again. Unexpectedly, Mother agreed immediately: “Of course you can.” With that, Mother narrowed her eyes, a smile playing on her lips: “If you’re willing, I’ll hold a press conference tomorrow and announce that you are my biological daughter.” A flash of shock crossed my father’s eyes, and he moved to stop her. But Chloe agreed without hesitation: “I will! I’m willing!” The moment the words left her mouth, Mother smiled and turned to my father: “But she isn’t my biological flesh and blood after all.” “If you want me to claim her, you must hand over every single cent of the assets your father left for my daughter in his will.” The atmosphere in the living room instantly grew tense. Father gritted his teeth, glaring at Mother. Mother just smiled fearlessly and took a sip of her tea. I lowered my eyes, remaining silent. Years ago, knowing my father was incompetent, my grandfather arranged a business marriage between him and my mother, a woman with immense capability but a slightly weaker family background. And the daughter my mother gave birth to—me—inherited her brilliant mind. Grandfather was incredibly pleased. He even considered bypassing my idiot father entirely and handing the Kensington Corporation directly to me. Unfortunately, before he could do so, he passed away from cancer. Fortunately, he left a will stating that once I turned eighteen, 20% of Kensington Corp’s shares would be transferred to me. Until then, my father was to hold them in a trust. But three months had passed since I came of age, and my father acted as if nothing had happened, delaying the transfer. Looking at it now, wasn’t he just trying to save those shares for his illegitimate daughter? Seeing my father remain silent, Mother let out a light chuckle. She turned and instructed the butler: “Since Mr. Kensington is unwilling, please escort this young lady out.” Seeing her chance to enter high society slipping away, Chloe cried out to my father in a panic: “Dad, please think about me… Ah!” Before she could finish, Father, as if making a painful decision, grabbed the butler who was stepping forward. Gritting his teeth, he hissed: “Fine! I’ll give them to her!” Mother nodded in satisfaction, then clapped her hands. A lawyer who had been waiting in the next room stepped forward. He pulled the documents from his briefcase, waiting for my father to sign. Seeing the matter practically settled, Mother patted my shoulder with a smile: “Victoria, you’re going to be an older sister.” “Since we have some free time, why don’t you take Chloe for a tour around the estate?” I smiled, nodded, and extended a hand to Chloe, who was still kneeling. No matter how reluctant Chloe was, she had to play the part of a sweet, obedient girl in front of my mother. She took my hand. The sharp diamonds on my bracelet dug viciously into her scraped wrist. She struggled slightly, but I held her in an iron grip. While my father was busy arguing over clauses with the lawyer, I dragged Chloe out of the living room. 3 Before my father tanked his side of the business, the Kensingtons were Manhattan royalty. Thus, the estate was nothing short of magnificent. I dragged Chloe down the long corridors until we reached the courtyard. Seeing that there were no servants around, she dropped her mask instantly, violently swatting my hand away. I leaned lazily against a pillar, watching her agonizingly inspect her injured wrist. Dancers are most afraid of leaving scars on their bodies. Chloe was no exception. Seeing her panicked expression, I feigned surprise: “Oh my, look how clumsy I am. I didn’t even notice my dear sister was hurt!” I took a step forward, but she slapped my hand away again: “Back off! You hypocritical bitch!” She hit me hard. I looked at the red mark on the back of my hand, my expression unreadable. Finally, I looked up at her and let out a cold laugh: “Who do you think you are? You dare lay a hand on me?” “An illegitimate bastard who was just kneeling on the floor, kissing my mother’s feet to get through the door, and now you have the nerve to call me a hypocrite?” As I spoke, I looked Chloe up and down with mocking disdain. Chloe had been spoiled and arrogant her whole life. Hearing my words, she almost exploded with rage. Forgetting my father’s instructions to endure, she sneered: “Victoria, don’t get too smug.” “So what if I’m illegitimate? Don’t you know marriage is a woman’s second reincarnation?” “I’m beautiful, and I’m the top recruit at Juilliard. Father can pick any elite family for a marriage alliance, and I’ll live a much freer life than you!” “What are you? Just a boring valedictorian. You’re not as pretty as me, you have no charm, and in the end, no one’s going to want to marry you!” She looked me up and down like a victor, clinging to her delusion as a lifeline. I watched her smug face, too lazy to argue. I twisted the ring on my finger, turning the sharpest edge toward my palm. Then, I grabbed Chloe by the hair with one hand, and with the other, I slapped her across the face, hard, several times! The sharp edges of my jewelry slashed her delicate, pretty face, leaving ugly, red handprints. She immediately squatted on the ground, covering her face. Taking the opportunity, I kicked her off the veranda and straight into the flowerbed. Amidst the chaos, I heard her furious, hysterical screaming. Lazily, I watched her struggle to climb out, and then I kicked her right back in. Only then did I speak: “You’re new here, so you probably don’t know yet. I, Victoria Kensington, am not someone you want to mess with.” “So what if your last name is Kensington now? In my eyes, the Kensingtons on your father’s side are just beggars.” “You’re nothing but a dancing toy meant for others’ entertainment. Relying on the half of our blood we share, you actually think you can covet what belongs to me?!” I stepped heavily on the hand she used to grip the stone paving, grinding my heel down. Unsurprisingly, she wailed in pain. Through her sobs, Chloe stammered: “If you treat me like this, Dad won’t let you get away with it!” Looking at her pathetic state, I laughed out loud: “He’s a nobody. Just a piece of trash who ran his company into the ground. Threatening me with him is less intimidating than threatening to take a dump in our living room.” With that, I stood up straight. I dusted off my clothes, though there was no dirt on them. Leisurely, I said: “No one is coming to save you tonight. If you can climb up, climb up. If you can’t, sleep in the garden.” “Everyone in this estate works for me. You better learn your place.” I grabbed a decorative fan left on the veranda and fanned myself as I walked back to my room. 4 Chloe had been pampered her whole life. She had never suffered such humiliation. The very next day, she ran to complain to our father. When I was called down to the living room, I found my furious father and a pitiful, teary-eyed Chloe covering her face. Father pointed at Chloe’s face and interrogated me: “Victoria, why did you hit your sister?” “How could you be so vicious!” I had just woken up. Ignoring my raging father, I looked at Chloe hiding behind him: “Didn’t I tell you?” “Instead of whining to Dad, you’d be better off taking a dump in the living room. It’s way more intimidating.” Father grabbed my arm: “Answer my question!” “Stop provoking your sister!” I rolled my eyes to the ceiling and slapped his hand away: “She’s an illegitimate bastard. I hit her. So what? Do I need a reason?” “Instead of interrogating me here, you should be figuring out how you’re going to explain to the shareholders of your last remaining company why you’re bankrupt again.” Sure enough, a look of guilt flashed across my father’s face. I let out a scoff and flipped off the illegitimate daughter before walking away. Seeing my completely shameless attitude, Father nearly popped a blood vessel. When Mother returned, he complained to her again. But Mother brushed it off with a few light words. When he tried to push the issue, she smiled and struck his weak spot: “If you keep talking nonsense, I was planning on hosting a welcome gala to introduce Chloe to society.” The moment she said that, Father shut his mouth. Even Chloe, hiding behind him, stopped her whimpering. I knew why Chloe was so obsessed with her face. Mother’s company was launching a new product line soon. Her Manhattan connections were supposed to be smoothed out at my acceptance gala. But my idiot father ruined a perfectly good networking opportunity by bringing his illegitimate daughter. To fix this, Mother was using the excuse of welcoming the illegitimate daughter to host another gala and rebuild those connections. And Chloe genuinely thought she was the star of the night. Smug and delighted, she immediately started preparing. On the afternoon of the gala, she even booked an emergency appointment at a high-end medspa to salvage the face I had ruined. I, however, stayed at the estate. My phone buzzed endlessly with messages from the elite group chat. [I heard the Kensingtons are officially letting the illegitimate daughter in. True or false?] [True. Tonight’s gala. My mom got the invite directly from Mrs. Kensington.] The questions in the chat quickly shifted from curiosity to disbelief: [Wait, Victoria didn’t skin her alive? Since when is her temper that good?] Laughter emojis flooded the chat. I typed back, exasperated: [I slapped her face so hard it swelled up like a balloon. She’s at a medspa getting emergency repairs right now.] I added a few more insults for good measure. The wealthy heirs in the chat clearly understood my attitude toward Chloe. They knew exactly how to treat her tonight. 5 When Chloe returned from the medspa, the butler was just bringing in the haute couture gown she requested. I was sitting in the living room drinking tea. When I looked up, I saw Chloe staring at the dress with thrilling excitement. She was just a brainless fool greedy for wealth and status. Destined to be cannon fodder in high society. Thinking about this, my eyes filled with pity. A pawn meant to be used from the moment she logged on. Truly pathetic. Half an hour before the gala started, I threw on a simple, elegant gown and went downstairs to wait. Chloe came down wearing a magnificent, overly elaborate dress. The luxurious fabric wrapped tightly around her curves, making her look undeniably beautiful. Adorned with diamonds, she really did look like a high-society heiress. But that was only what she thought. Once the gala began, Mother gave her a brief, perfunctory introduction before taking me, dressed in my understated elegance, to network with the VIPs. The scenario Chloe had imagined—being surrounded by admirers—never happened. Holding my wine glass, I stood a short distance away, smiling as I watched Chloe sit entirely alone on a sofa. The young heirs and heiresses clustered in small groups around her, pointing and whispering. After the first round of networking ended, Mother finally let me go, telling me to catch up with the younger generation. I smiled and nodded, walking toward the smaller banquet hall where the heirs had gathered. Harper, a girl from a family closely allied with ours, saw me and immediately rushed over to link arms with me. I raised an eyebrow, looking at the isolated Chloe on the couch: “Why are you all leaving my ‘good sister’ hanging like that?” Chloe astutely looked up at me. I smiled and raised my glass to her, not missing the flash of hatred in her eyes. Harper curled her lip: “She’s just a bastard daughter, yet she acts so high and mighty, expecting us to initiate a conversation with her.” “She even looks down on the smaller families. A guy from a lesser tier tried to chat with her, and she literally rolled her eyes at him.” I glanced at the pretentious Chloe and played along: “Exactly. Does she really expect us to suck up to her?” Then, as if suddenly remembering something, a smile curled on my lips. I whispered to Harper: “Let’s go mess with her.” I quickly gave Harper a few instructions. Harper understood perfectly. While Chloe went to the restroom, Harper briefed the group chat on the plan. When Chloe returned, she suddenly noticed a change. Several heiresses, as if suddenly enlightened, warmly linked arms with her and started chatting. Dazzled by the sudden attention, she didn’t even sense anything was wrong, comfortably accepting their fake goodwill. During their chat, Harper suddenly pointed at a handsome young man standing not too far away and casually introduced him: “That’s Carter Harrington, the eldest son of the Harrington family, and the sole heir to his generation.” “The Harringtons are one of the top elite families in New York, and Carter himself is incredibly outstanding.” “We were all just joking around, wondering who the future Mrs. Harrington will be.” Harper side-eyed Chloe, easily catching the eager, calculating look on her face. To add fuel to the fire, Harper added: “I heard your mother is very fond of Carter and is planning to arrange a marriage between him and Victoria!” Hearing this, Chloe couldn’t sit still anymore. A man approved by my mother? He was an absolute golden ticket in the marriage market! She had to seize this opportunity. If Carter Harrington fell for her, she could leap to the top of society as Mrs. Harrington. Then even that bitch Victoria would have to smile and bow to her! Harper watched Chloe practically vibrating with eagerness and almost burst out laughing. She added: “Carter loves ballet, by the way. I heard you’re a dance major?” Chloe nodded modestly. Harper dramatically clapped her hands together: “That’s perfect! Why don’t I introduce you two?” Feigning reluctance but secretly overjoyed, Chloe let Harper lead her toward Carter. Chloe was already mesmerized by Carter’s handsome face. She completely missed Harper turning her back to hide a massive grin. 6 The upper crust of Manhattan is a very small circle. We had all known each other for over a decade. We knew exactly what everyone else was really like. On the surface, everyone pretended to be proper and sophisticated, but in reality, they were just a bunch of wicked kids who loved playing pranks. I had just told Harper to set this up in the group chat, getting everyone to help Chloe act out a cliché romance novel trope. And Carter Harrington, the “male lead,” was the unlucky guy who rolled the lowest number in the group chat’s dice game. Watching Chloe approach Carter, the messages in the group chat exploded: [What do you guys think her first sentence will be?] [I don’t know, ‘Venmo me $50 for Taco Tuesday’?] [To the person above, stop.] I smirked and casually typed: [I bet a pack of spicy Cheetos she says: ‘Are you my sister’s fiancé?’] Carter immediately replied with a question mark in the chat. [When did I become the fiancé of the Grim Reaper?] Harper quickly explained: [I just gave you a backstory to make your character more compelling!] Sure enough, Chloe walked up to Carter. Carter discreetly put away his phone, and the very first sentence he heard was: “Are you my sister’s fiancé?” Carter’s mouth twitched. Victoria, the ultimate prophet. Just like that, under the group chat’s instructions, Carter chatted with Chloe. From high art to the mundane, they eventually even talked about the price of canned tuna at Whole Foods. Chloe didn’t sense anything amiss. She just joked: “I didn’t expect Mr. Harrington to be such a domestic man, knowing the price of tuna.” Carter forced a smile. He didn’t seem to want to accept her compliment. Meanwhile, Harper, acting as the conductor on the other side of the phone, was dying of laughter on the couch. I couldn’t watch anymore and nudged her: “Be serious, or she’ll notice.” Carter roared in the group chat: [Please, let’s talk about normal things! How the hell would a young master like me know the price of canned tuna?!] A wicked heir immediately replied: [Just say you’re the king of seafood. After all, your reputation as a ‘player’ in New York is pretty well-known.] The chat erupted into laughter, leaving Carter to awkwardly deal with Chloe. It wasn’t until a Harrington family servant came looking for Carter that he politely ended the conversation. Harper immediately texted: [Chloe looks really smug right now. Why don’t we give her and Victoria a chance to interact and see what she says?] The chat was full of chaos-loving instigators. The motion passed unanimously. I laughed and told them to wait in the upstairs restroom so we could watch a showdown. 7 Seeing me excuse myself to the restroom, Chloe quickly followed. When I came out of the stall to wash my hands, she blocked the door: “Sister, did you see that just now? Your fiancé and I had a lovely chat.” I leisurely shook the water off my hands, slowly stood up straight, and met her eyes: “And what exactly are you trying to say, Chloe?” She thought I would panic and threaten her for stealing my man. Instead, I looked completely unbothered, observing her like a monkey in a zoo. She gritted her teeth and laughed arrogantly: “I’m saying, you’re nothing special after all.” “Your friends are nice to me, and your fiancé is attracted to me. You’re just a clown throwing a tantrum.” “You don’t deserve to be the Kensington heiress!” “I want you to watch me take your inheritance, marry your fiancé, and become the most outstanding lady in the Kensington family!” I looked at her like she was an idiot and burst out laughing. Then, I swaggered out. I waited outside, casually inspecting my manicure. This illegitimate daughter was playing at such a low level, I couldn’t even be bothered to fight her. The heiresses hiding in the stalls pushed the doors open. Every single one of them wore an expression of utter boredom. Harper rolled her eyes: “With that IQ, she got top marks at Juilliard?” I shrugged: “Dancers use their feet, not their brains.” “With that pig brain of hers, if she had to take a real academic test, she’d be waiting tables.” When we returned to the banquet hall, the heirs gathered around to review Chloe’s performance. “This batch of illegitimate kids generally has pretty low IQs. That kid from the Miller family was the same. Took the bait effortlessly.” A guy standing nearby laughed and chimed in: “People who dream of climbing the social ladder in one step are never that smart to begin with.” “They fantasize about using their newfound status to hook a golden ticket, but in reality, they’re just clowns.” I nodded in agreement. After chatting a bit more, Mother sent someone to find me, taking me to meet another group of VIPs. It wasn’t until the gala ended that I saw Chloe again. She was still keeping up her glamorous facade, glowing as she stood by the door seeing guests off. When she saw Carter, the affectionate, longing look she gave him gave me goosebumps. Mother wasn’t an idiot. After the guests left, she asked me what happened. I told her exactly how the night went down. When I got to the part where Chloe threatened me in the bathroom, even my usually serious mother couldn’t help but laugh. After laughing, she patted my shoulder, telling me not to play too hard, lest Chloe die of anger when she found out the truth. I nodded and chatted with Mom for a while longer.

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