My girlfriend locked me on the rooftop the night before the final round of a piano competition, just so her childhood friend could win. She looked me dead in the eyes and said, “You’ll have so many chances in the future. Can’t you let this one go for him?” Later, to ensure he got the spot in the orchestra, she went even further—she broke my fingers with her own hands. I furiously demanded why, when I was supposed to be her partner. She said, “Caleb, Ashton’s mother saved my life. I owe it to him to fulfill her dying wish.” But what she didn’t understand was that losing my hands felt like losing my life. When I decided to stop loving her, she smashed her own hand—begging for my forgiveness. Content “Please, Sienna, don’t hurt my hands!” I begged, tears streaming down my face. I squirmed and struggled, shaking my head desperately. At that moment, I had no dignity left, pleading for her mercy. Tomorrow was the audition for the New Haven Philharmonic Orchestra, the opportunity I had worked tirelessly toward. If I performed well, not only could I join the prestigious orchestra, but I’d have a chance to study under Maestro Fletcher Scott, a living legend in the piano world. For months, I lived in the practice room, working through exhaustion for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It wasn’t just my dream—it was my late mother’s. But here I was, on the brink of everything I’d worked for, and Sienna Hartwell, my girlfriend, had hired two bodyguards to restrain me. She raised a chair over my hands, ready to destroy them. All so her childhood friend Ashton Hale could have a clear path to victory. I knew Sienna had a soft spot for Ashton, but I never thought she’d go this far. Ignoring my desperate pleas, she stepped closer, her face cold and determined. “I’m sorry, Caleb,” she said, her voice steady. “You’re a genius. Everything comes easy to you. But you have no idea how hard Ashton has worked for this. You’ll have more chances. Let this one go for him.” Hard work? As if I didn’t work just as hard? I stared at her in disbelief, my voice shaking with pain and anger. “So you’re going to break my hands for him?” “Do you remember what you promised me?” I said, my voice cracking. “You said you’d love me, treasure me forever. Now, for Ashton, you’re doing this?” Her body stiffened, hesitation flickering in her eyes. Noticing her wavering resolve, I seized the moment. “Sienna, we’ve been together for years. Please, for what we’ve shared, don’t do this. Piano has always been my dream.” Before she could answer, her phone buzzed. I caught a glimpse of the screen: Ashton Hale. My heart sank. She answered the call on speaker, and Ashton’s soft, trembling voice filled the room. “Sienna, I’m so nervous about tomorrow. What if I mess up? This is my dream… my mom’s dream… but Caleb’s always been better than me. What should I do?” Sienna’s eyes softened with guilt and compassion. “Don’t worry, Ashton,” she said in a soothing tone. “I’ll handle it.” I watched in horror as she hung up and turned back to me. Her face was cold again. “Caleb, I owe Ashton’s mom my life,” she said. “I have to make this happen for him.” Her voice wavered, but not with doubt—only determination. “Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you.” I trembled, the terror in my voice undeniable. “Sienna, you… you can’t do this to me!”

But she already had the chair raised high. The sound of it crashing down on my hands made the room spin. “AHHHH!” I screamed, the pain exploding through me like fire. Blood and mangled flesh smeared the floor as I stared at my ruined fingers. It was over. Everything—my hands, my mother’s dream—shattered in an instant. Tears streamed down my face as I sat in shock. Sienna knelt beside me, pulling me into her arms. But her voice was cold, devoid of warmth. “I’m sorry, Caleb. Forgive me just this once.” Her words cut deeper than the pain. “I know this isn’t fair,” she added, her tone trembling slightly. “But Ashton’s mom died saving me. I have to do this for him. Once he’s in the orchestra, I’ll have repaid that debt.” “Debt?” I repeated bitterly, forcing out a laugh. “So your way of repaying it is by destroying me?” Summoning every ounce of strength, I shoved her away. Holding up my bloody hands, I glared at her with unrestrained hatred. “Do you even know how hard I worked for tomorrow? What this meant to me?” I shouted, tears and fury mingling. For a moment, guilt flashed across her face, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. “Enough, Caleb!” she snapped, her voice sharp. “Ashton’s dream has always been to join the orchestra. It was his mother’s dying wish!” At that moment, I knew I was done. I laughed bitterly. “And that justifies ruining my life?” Sienna shrugged, her tone dismissive. “Don’t be so dramatic, Caleb. I’ll take care of you. Once Ashton is in the orchestra, you’ll marry into the Hartwell family and never have to worry about money again.” Her words turned my stomach. I took a deep breath, my voice calm but cutting. “Let me make something clear: I don’t want your so-called compensation. We’re done. I’m breaking up with you.” Her face twisted with disbelief and fury. “You can’t be serious!” Her anger bubbled over, her voice rising. “If you say that again, I’ll make you regret it!” Then she stormed out, slamming the door behind her. Alone on the cold floor, I wept.

I met Sienna Hartwell during college. She saved me once, pulling me back just as I was about to step into traffic while lost in thought. I looked up, heart pounding, and was met with the face of an angel. That moment stuck with me. I couldn’t help falling for her, partly out of gratitude and partly because she seemed so perfect. After months of pursuing her relentlessly, she agreed to date me. But as we grew closer, I noticed something unsettling. In Sienna’s heart, there was always someone more important than me—her childhood friend, Ashton Hale. It didn’t matter what we were doing. If Ashton called, she’d drop everything and rush to his side. The night before the National Piano Championship, she even tricked me into going to the rooftop of our building, locking me there overnight. I spent hours in the cold, pounding on the door, while she ignored my calls. The next day, feverish and completely drained, I missed the competition entirely. Meanwhile, Ashton claimed first place. When I confronted her afterward, Sienna dismissed it with an excuse. “I did it to repay a debt,” she said lightly. Ashton’s mother, Isabel Hale, had worked for the Hartwell family as their housekeeper. After Ashton’s father left, Isabel brought him along to live in the Hartwell mansion. Years ago, a fire broke out at the estate. Isabel had already escaped but ran back inside to save Sienna. Sienna lived; Isabel didn’t. The Hartwells raised Ashton like their own, showering him with love and opportunities. Sienna, feeling eternally indebted, treated Ashton like a prince. She fulfilled his every request—no matter the cost to herself or others. And now, to ensure Ashton’s victory at tomorrow’s audition, she had gone so far as to shatter my fingers. Why? Why should I pay the price for a debt that wasn’t mine? Whenever I questioned her loyalty to Ashton, she flew into a rage, insisting they were like siblings. “Siblings don’t treat each other like that!” I wanted to scream, but I held my tongue. Time and time again, I forgave her. Out of love. Out of gratitude. But this time, as I stared at my bloodied, mangled hands, all I could do was laugh bitterly. My life had been hard enough without this. When I was six, my dad left us. My mom fell apart, sinking into depression and self-harm. She abandoned her own dreams of becoming a pianist, too broken to play anymore. One day, she heard me tapping out a melody on our battered old piano. Something inside her came back to life. She started teaching me, pouring everything into me. She took odd jobs—delivering food, scrubbing dishes—just to pay for my lessons. By the time I entered college, all that sacrifice had taken its toll. Cancer claimed her. Before she passed, she held my hand and whispered her final wish: “Caleb, promise me you’ll follow this path. Join an orchestra. Become the pianist I never could be.” Now, because I loved Sienna, I had failed her dream. My hands, my future—they were all gone. I used to wonder how my mom could waste away over a man who abandoned her. But now I understood. This is the price of loving someone. And I’ll never love again.

The sharp, sterile scent of disinfectant filled the hospital room, stinging my nose. I frowned, glancing at the clock. By now, the New Haven Philharmonic Orchestra auditions had ended. The nurses outside were chattering. “Did you hear? Maestro Fletcher Scott picked Ashton Hale for the orchestra!” “Yeah, I saw the news. Ashton’s amazing—and he’s dating Sienna Hartwell! Can you believe it? A childhood romance straight out of a fairytale.” Their voices faded down the hall. I slumped against the bed, their words cutting deeper than my wounds. The doctor’s earlier statement replayed in my mind. “You’re lucky your hands can heal at all,” he’d said. “But as for piano… even if you play again, you’ll never reach the same level.” His words were like ice water, extinguishing the last flicker of hope. Just then, the door creaked open. Sienna walked in, followed by Ashton, who was holding a bouquet of flowers. I stared at them, my face cold and unreadable. “What do you want? Here to gloat?” “Caleb, don’t say that,” Ashton murmured, looking sheepish. “Sienna told me about your injury. I just wanted to check on you.” He placed the bouquet on the bedside table. “Is that so?” I said with a bitter smile. “Let me guess—you didn’t know Sienna broke my hands for you?” Sienna’s face drained of color. She clenched her fists, her voice trembling with anger. “Hate me if you want, Caleb, but leave Ashton out of this. He didn’t know!” Didn’t know? I almost laughed. How many times had Ashton smirked at me in private, bragging about how Sienna locked me on the rooftop? How he sent people to harass me, warning me to back off? I lifted my bandaged hands and, with all the strength I could muster, threw his bouquet onto the floor. Ashton gasped dramatically, stumbling behind Sienna like a frightened child. Sienna exploded, pointing at me furiously. “You’re insane, Caleb! Ashton came here out of kindness, and this is how you repay him?” I kept my voice calm, sharp as a knife. “I’m allergic to those flowers. You’d know that if you cared.” Her anger faltered, embarrassment flashing across her face. “I… I forgot…” she stammered. I cut her off coldly. “We’re done, Sienna. We’re over.”

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My dad swapped me out with his first love’s child. He told her, “Our child will have a better future if my wife raises her.” Years later, the illegitimate daughter became the elegant heiress of the Chambers family. And I became the lowest of the low. The illegitimate daughter mocked me in front of others, hinting that they should bully me. Seeing me beg for mercy, she laughed even harder. “A mistress’s kid, huh? You’re really good at groveling.” On SAT Day, she tore up my exam pass and sent a group of thugs to block me in Oakridge Alley. She smirked, “Teach her a lesson.” And that was how I died, on SAT Day, only to discover she was my dad’s first love’s biological daughter all along. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of the bullying. Content I was cornered by a group of girls in the restroom. Ivory Chambers stood front and center, gazing down at me with a cold, superior detachment. “Leona, when was the last time you showered? You reek, you know that?” Then, as if flipping a switch, she laughed—sweet and harmless. Her doe-like eyes brimmed with innocence. “Don’t worry. They’ll help you clean up just fine.” At her words, the girls around her grinned wickedly and advanced toward me. In my previous life, I had huddled in the corner, trembling. These girls had dumped a bucket of dirty mop water on me and recorded a video of the entire thing. From that day forward, I became their favorite target—bullied mercilessly. All because I was “the mistress’s child.” Ivory claimed my mother had ruined her parents’ marriage, and my very existence was a sin. Later, on SAT Day, she tore my exam pass to shreds and sent a group of thugs to ambush me in Oakridge Alley. “Teach her a lesson,” she had said with a smug smile. That day, I was violated and killed. It wasn’t until after my death that I learned Ivory was the mistress’s child. My dad, Victor Chambers, had swapped us at birth to give Ivory a legitimate identity and a better future. For years, I suffered under his first love’s abuse and Ivory’s bullying. In what should have been the prime of my life, they uprooted me completely. Rage and hatred exploded within me like a wildfire. This time, they all had to pay. I stood up abruptly and grabbed the mop. Swinging it wildly, I struck at the advancing girls. Screams filled the restroom. No one dared come near me. I charged straight for Ivory. The drenched mop smacked her stunned face, leaving her screaming. But it wasn’t enough. Tossing the mop aside, I grabbed a fistful of her hair, dragged her to the bucket, and shoved her head into the filthy water. “Your mouth stinks more than I do. Let me rinse it for you!”

Ivory’s minions froze, too shocked to move. Ivory thrashed and spluttered, but all she could manage was a pitiful “glug glug glug” sound. Drink up! Even mop water was cleaner than her filthy mouth. Just as Ivory was about to drown, I released her hair. She shot upright, gasping for air and collapsing to the floor. Her chest heaved violently like a fish out of water. Pointing at me, she tried to speak but couldn’t form a single word. Her minions, however, snapped out of their stupor and lunged at me, screaming every curse in the book. Fueled by unrelenting hatred, I fought back. In my past life, I was a meek pushover. This time, I hit hard—taking on all four of them without hesitation. Let loose. Fight like hell. Those who wronged me in my past life wouldn’t get away this time. The result of my outburst? I ended up in front of Ms. Sanders. “Leona Brooks, are you insane? Ivory is still throwing up from drinking mop water! How can someone your age be so cruel? “Aren’t you two sisters? Even if you’re not from the same mom, how could you treat her like this?” “Explain yourself!” I locked eyes with her. “They cornered me in the restroom to attack me.” Ms. Sanders opened her mouth to respond, but I cut her off. “I know I don’t have proof, and it’s their word against mine. But I’m not wrong.” Ms. Sanders wasn’t naive. She knew there was no way I could take on so many if I hadn’t been provoked. Her brows furrowed as she sighed. “Leona, I understand your family situation is complicated.” “Your dad and Ivory’s mom are on their way. Apologize. Say something nice.” “I’m not saying this is your fault, but you… You’re back in that family now. You’ll need to survive there. Until you can support yourself, try to endure it. Just finish high school peacefully.” She, too, thought of me as “the mistress’s child,” born with an original sin. Now that my “mom” was gone and I’d been taken back to that house, it was no surprise I couldn’t hold my head high. Being bullied was something I’d have to endure. If she outright encouraged me to rebel, that would only hurt me more. Who wouldn’t want to fight back if they could? I nodded. “I understand, Ms. Sanders. Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.” Ms. Sanders sighed again. “Stay here for now.”

Within forty minutes, Victor Chambers arrived with Serena Caldwell. His expression was thunderous as his eyes swept the room and landed on me. “Leona, I didn’t bring you back here so you could make trouble,” he hissed, his voice low and cutting. “If you think being part of the Chambers family gives you the right to do whatever you want, I’ll send you away immediately.” Ms. Sanders stood up, trying to intervene. “Mr. Chambers, maybe you should hear Leona out—” Victor cut her off with a cold laugh. “I don’t have time to hear excuses. She’s clearly out of control.” Ms. Sanders glanced at me with sympathy but said nothing further. She was an outsider in this family drama and had no authority to intervene. “Daddy! Mom!” Ivory Chambers entered, supported by her classmates. Her pristine new outfit and freshly washed face radiated elegance. She was every bit the poised heiress. “Ivory!” Serena rushed to her, pulling her into a tight embrace, her concern palpable. Even in moments of distress, Serena exuded calm. Her soft-spoken demeanor made her seem almost incapable of anger. “Mom!” Ivory nestled into Serena’s arms, her teary gaze shifting to me. Though her tears blurred her eyes, I could still see the disdain deep within them. She looked at me like I was dirt beneath her shoes. She had stolen my identity and my rightful place, yet she dared to look down on me, provoke me, humiliate me. The rage burning inside me felt almost unbearable. Serena gently comforted Ivory before finally turning to me. Her expression was icy, her gaze laced with resentment, as though she wanted to say, Your mother destroyed my family, and now you’re bullying my daughter? My patience is at its limit. But with Ms. Sanders present, she held back her words. Victor glanced at Serena, his concern obvious. He quickly stepped forward to calm her. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it. I’ll make sure you’re satisfied,” he assured her. “Dad, you really need to give Mom an explanation,” Ivory said, her voice trembling. “Mom’s too kind to say it, but I know she doesn’t want to see Leona anymore. You should send her away.” Ivory would never reveal her true nature under Serena’s watchful eye. She wanted Victor to send me away, knowing that outside this house, I’d be at her mercy. Victor nodded. “Alright, alright. I’ll send her away tomorrow.” Serena’s gaze lingered on me for a moment before she turned back to Ivory. Stroking her hair, she whispered softly, her every move filled with warmth. She truly was a good mother. The kind of mother I should’ve had. Instead, I grew up with a monster who tormented me relentlessly. It wasn’t until she died that I found even a sliver of peace. Back then, I cursed my cruel fate, never realizing my suffering was orchestrated by human hands. Every tragedy in my life was Victor Chambers’ doing. And now, here he was, playing the roles of devoted husband and loving father. This picture-perfect family sickened me to my core. Serena glanced at me once more, her expression unreadable. She gently patted Ivory’s shoulder before walking over to Ms. Sanders. “Ms. Sanders, I’d like to speak with Leona alone.” Ms. Sanders hesitated, then nodded and left the room, her gaze lingering on me briefly.

With Ms. Sanders gone, the room held only four of us. Serena approached me, her cold eyes boring into mine. *”Leona, I won’t hold the sins of the previous generation against you. But if you hurt my daughter, I can’t forgive you. “After the SATs, you’ll leave. I don’t want to see you again.” Her voice was calm, but her words were piercing. I knew she was furious. I had crossed the line by lashing out at Ivory. She had every right to slap me, but she didn’t. For a moment, I wanted to hug her. I wanted to cry out, Mom, I’m your real daughter. But I couldn’t. Ivory was the one she had raised, and no matter what, her feelings for Ivory would outweigh anything she felt for me. I couldn’t risk telling her the truth—not yet. No matter how much I wanted her as my mother, I knew I had to rely on myself. There was still time before the SATs. Enough time. I nodded. “Alright.” Serena turned away, walking over to Ivory and taking her hand. “Let’s go, Ivory.” She led Ivory out of the office without another glance at me—or Victor. Victor watched them leave, then turned his gaze back to me. His expression hardened. “You’ll pay for this,” he spat. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Fine. I’ll be waiting.” Victor’s face froze for a moment as though something dark crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. With a shake of his head, he walked out. Victor, if I were you, I’d kill me right now. You’re the one giving me the chance to destroy you. And I promise, I won’t disappoint. Ms. Sanders didn’t say much else after that, simply telling me to return to class. As I entered the classroom, Ivory’s minions glared at me, their eyes full of resentment. I stared back, unflinching. “What are you looking at? Do you want to drink mop water too? Or should I livestream all the things you’ve done?” They hadn’t expected me to confront them so boldly in front of everyone. One by one, they shrank back, their hostility crumbling. Bullies like them only preyed on the weak. I pointed at them and spoke loudly. “Everyone, be careful around these girls. They’re bullies. Stay far away from them.” Satisfied, I sat down. A few moments later, Ivory returned. I didn’t even spare her a glance, unclenching my tightly balled fist under the desk. The hair was still there. It was from when I’d shoved her head into the bucket earlier. Carefully, I tucked the strand of hair away and pulled out my math workbook.

My defiance had made Ivory Chambers back off. Though she still glared at me whenever she could, she wasn’t reckless anymore. Each time she thought about coming after me, she hesitated, weighing whether she could handle the fallout. She couldn’t afford the consequences if people found out she was a bully. So, for now, she was quiet. But I knew this peace wouldn’t last. Ivory was undoubtedly plotting something, just like in my past life. On SAT Day, she’d try to destroy me completely. This time, I’d be ready—with a gift just for her. During the break, I paid for a DNA test and got Ivory’s results. Now, all I needed was Serena Caldwell’s. No rush. For now, my focus was on studying. When I was little, Diana Monroe—my supposed mother—used to hit me constantly. I thought if I studied hard and did well in school, maybe she’d like me. But every time I brought home a perfect score, she tore up my test papers in a blind rage and slapped me across the face. Eventually, I realized the better my grades, the worse her fury. So I stopped letting her see my real results. From third grade onward, I purposely came in last in every class. By the time I took the entrance exam for this high school, I intentionally scored just high enough to scrape in. I couldn’t understand why she hated my good grades so much. It wasn’t until after I died that I learned Diana wasn’t my real mother. She couldn’t stand that I was better than her biological daughter. Of course, my success made her furious. If she were still alive, I’d throw my perfect scores in her face and tell her just how much of a failure her precious daughter was. With three days left before the final mock exams, I went to the Chambers Manor to ask Victor Chambers for money. Even if he hated me, it was his obligation. He had to provide for me. While no one was paying attention, I slipped into the master suite shared by Victor and Serena. Finally, I found a strand of Serena’s hair in a corner. Just as I pocketed it, Serena walked in. “What are you doing?” Her voice was sharp and cold. I turned to face her, trying to steady my emotions. I knew she was a victim, too. I shouldn’t blame her. But every time she looked at me with those frosty eyes, it felt like a dagger piercing my chest. The pain was overwhelming, mixed with anger. I couldn’t help but wonder how she would react when she learned the truth—that the girl she had ignored and resented was her biological daughter. Would she regret it? Would she be heartbroken? Would she feel even a little guilt for how she treated me? I wanted her to. But I forced myself not to pin my hopes on her, even if she was my real mother. In my past life, no one had loved me, not until the moment I died. In this life, I would love myself. I could only rely on myself. Taking a deep breath, I swallowed the lump in my throat and said quietly, “I was looking for my dad.” Her gaze shifted to my hand. I opened it and said calmly, “I didn’t take anything. You can search me if you don’t believe me.” Her expression hardened further. “Don’t come into my room without permission.” “If you need money, call your dad. He can transfer it to you.” “I don’t want to see you in this house. Neither does my daughter.” I nodded. “Alright.” As I walked past her toward the door, her voice stopped me again. “Leona, everything in this house belongs to Ivory. None of it has anything to do with you. Don’t get any ideas.” “I’ve given you one chance already. If I find out you’ve hurt my daughter again, I won’t care that you’re just a child—I won’t let it slide.” Her words were laced with venom as she added, “You should know your dad only stayed in this house because Ivory needs a father. He’s a guest here, nothing more.” “Got it,” I replied, then walked out. I went straight to the DNA lab and paid for a test. Three hours later, I had the results: Serena Caldwell’s DNA and mine. Perfect.

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In my previous life, my mother, who worked as a live-in housekeeper for an affluent family, was given the opportunity to send one of her daughters to study alongside their son. They claimed my sister, Ivy, wasn’t as good at academics as I was and insisted she should be the one to study with him. As a result, Ivy went to Oakridge Academy, the elite private school, while I attended Westbrook High, the local public school. Years later, I became a renowned software designer, while Ivy met a tragic end, dying in a foreign country, bruised and broken. On my way to retrieve her ashes, the plane I was on crashed. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day we had to choose schools. This time, Ivy, with fear written all over her face, chose Westbrook High. And I became Spencer Whitlock’s study partner. That’s when I realized: Ivy had been reborn too. Content It was rare for both my parents to be home, but they were today, their faces glowing with excitement as they prepared a table full of good food. I glanced at the calendar—it was the day. “Violet,” my mother said, tugging Ivy toward her, ignoring the way Ivy tried to pull away. “I’ve got great news.” Her smile was wide, nearly triumphant. “Mrs. Whitlock, the lady I work for, said we can send one of you girls to study with her son at Oakridge Academy.” Ivy’s brow immediately furrowed. I stayed quiet, watching from the sidelines. As expected, my father spoke up next. “Rae’s grades are good enough to succeed anywhere. Ivy, this is your chance. You should take it.” Just like my past life, they weren’t even giving me a choice. The only difference this time? Ivy, who had once fought tooth and nail to be Spencer’s study partner, now shook her head violently, panic flashing in her eyes. “I’m not going!” Her voice was so loud it startled me. “Mom, I can’t go. My grades are bad—what if they look down on me? Or bully me? Please don’t make me go! Let Rae go instead!” she pleaded, her hands clutching at my mother’s arms. Mom seemed hesitant, but Dad’s expression turned dark with irritation. “What are you saying? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! How can you—” He stopped mid-sentence, glancing at me. I stayed calm, continuing to eat the rare feast on the table without so much as a glance in their direction. “Dad, I mean it! This is a terrible idea, and if you force me to go, I’ll… I’ll kill myself!” Ivy screamed, tears streaming down her face. Her outburst left our parents momentarily speechless, unsure of how to handle her hysteria. But they couldn’t stand the idea of letting this golden opportunity slip by without someone in the family taking it. It wasn’t until Ivy grabbed a fruit knife and pressed it to her throat that they finally caved. Smirking triumphantly, Ivy shot me a victorious glance from behind our parents. I knew then: Ivy had also been reborn. What she didn’t realize was that so had I.

My mother worked as a housekeeper for the prominent Whitlock family in Crestwood, earning their favor for her excellent care of their son, Spencer. In my past life, she had rushed home with news of the opportunity, eager to share it with Ivy. Ivy had been terrified I might steal her chance to climb the social ladder, practically moving into the Whitlock Estate that same night. Little did she know, I didn’t care about the opportunity at all. I had already secured a full scholarship to Oakridge Academy with my stellar grades. I hadn’t told my parents because I didn’t want to be in the same school as Ivy. But now that she was altering her choice, it worked perfectly in my favor. Once the matter was settled, my enrollment process went smoothly. Before school started, Ivy shot me a cold glare and sneered. “Violet, make sure you enjoy your new life.” I smiled internally. Spencer Whitlock? Ivy, you’ve got it all wrong. He’s just a spoiled, entitled rich kid. He’s hardly worth my attention. This time, I wasn’t just going to change my fate—I was going to rewrite the rules entirely.

“You’re the one my mom brought in as a glorified maid?” Spencer Whitlock’s disdain was evident from the second he laid eyes on me. His words, as rude as his expression, were as shallow as his personality. It was clear Ivy hadn’t had it easy under him in the last life. But that was her choice, not mine. His group of cronies erupted in laughter at his insult and began circling me. “Wow, someone really sent their kid here to be a servant?” “Hey Spencer, is this your childhood bride?” “She’s not bad looking. Why don’t you keep her around?” Their taunts didn’t faze me. I met Spencer’s gaze calmly, which seemed to irritate him even more. “Hey! What are you staring at, you brat?” “At an idiot,” I replied flatly. Before I knew it, I was gripping the finger he had pointed at me, ready to snap it. He yelped, his face contorted in pain, while his entourage froze in disbelief. “Even without your family’s connections, I’d still be here on my own merit. So drop the superiority complex—it makes you look ridiculous.” With that, I turned on my heel and walked toward the principal’s office. Unbeknownst to the Whitlocks, I had been accepted into Oakridge Academy on their prestigious scholarship program. They had bypassed proper admissions channels for me, but I had every intention of claiming what was mine. The principal greeted me warmly, even escorting me personally to Ms. Vanessa Harper, my homeroom teacher. “She’s one of our star students,” he explained with a smile. “Please see to it that she’s given every opportunity to thrive.” Ms. Harper nodded, seating me next to another scholarship student, Skye Langston. Skye was a quiet, frail-looking girl who seemed vaguely familiar, though I couldn’t place her. Regardless, I was determined to carve out a different path this time. Unfortunately, Spencer wasn’t going to make it easy. He pulled one juvenile prank after another. Dead bugs in my locker. Ruined lunches. Random spills of ink or water. But the last straw came when he dumped a bucket of dirty water over my desk. Grabbing a mop, I marched over and shoved it in his face. The shocked look on his smug features was almost worth it. “Violet Sullivan! Have you lost your mind?” he bellowed. I shoved the mop further, cutting off his rant. “Spencer Whitlock, push me one more time, and next time, it won’t just be a mop.” The class went silent as he fled to the restroom. Meanwhile, I calmly cleaned my desk and returned to my seat. Skye looked at me with wide-eyed admiration. That’s when Ms. Harper entered, motioning for me to follow her out.

I followed Ms. Harper silently down the hallway to the office. Inside, Spencer Whitlock stood with his arms crossed, a smug smirk plastered across his face. “Violet Sullivan, Spencer says he needs a one-on-one tutor,” Ms. Harper said, her tone neutral. “He claims you’ve been incredibly helpful and specifically requested you.” I glanced at him. That infuriating smirk deepened, his arched brow practically daring me to react. Such an immature stunt—exactly what I’d expect from someone like Spencer. He’d handed himself over to me on a silver platter. Why would I say no? The first tutoring session was in the library. I walked in with my books in hand, only to see Spencer seated at the table, wearing a faintly mischievous grin. He really couldn’t hide anything. Every thought he had was written all over his face. The moment I sat down, he snatched my pen and stuffed it up his sleeve, adopting an exaggerated look of innocence. “Did you forget to bring a pen?” he asked. I raised an eyebrow, then calmly pulled another pen from my pocket. “I always come prepared,” I replied dryly. Undeterred, he swiped at my books, sending them tumbling to the floor with a loud crash that drew annoyed looks from nearby students. “Oops,” he said with a mock shrug. As I bent to pick up my books, I said, “Do you ever get tired of this?” “Not really,” he replied with an infuriating grin. Just as I straightened, he snatched my notebook and pretended to fling it across the room. I calmly reached into my bag and pulled out a pair of scissors, stabbing them into the table right in front of him. “If you keep this up, my hand might slip next time,” I said coldly. Spencer’s face drained of color, his confidence crumbling under my glare. The second tutoring session was during study hall. This time, he smeared glue on my chair before I arrived. I immediately noticed the faint gleam of glue but said nothing. Circling behind him, I waited for my chance. When his guard was down, I grabbed his backpack and dumped all its contents onto the floor. “Violet Sullivan, are you crazy?” Spencer barked, leaping to his feet. He seemed ready to throw a punch but froze when I held up my scissors, a wicked smile on my face. “You enjoy playing games, right? Let’s see how you like it.” His face turned bright red, but he didn’t dare retaliate. By the time his lackeys scurried to help him gather his belongings, Spencer had completely forgotten about the glue. He sat down without thinking and immediately regretted it. I strolled up and leaned against his desk, grinning. “Remember what I told you? ‘What goes around comes around.’” Spencer gaped at me, unable to form a coherent response. After failing twice to humiliate me, he finally gave up on his childish antics. To my surprise, he started taking his studies seriously. And when he did, the results were astounding. By the next exam, he ranked in the top ten of the class. Ms. Harper practically beamed as she waved his score report in the air. Even the Whitlocks were astonished at his sudden transformation. A month later, I was invited to the Whitlock Estate. It was the first time I’d seen my mother since school began. Ivy was there too, glaring daggers at me with a venomous expression. Spencer, on the other hand, greeted me with a shy, almost endearing smile as he led me to his study. 4. At dinner, I finally met Mrs. Eleanor Whitlock, the lady of the house. She exuded cold authority, but when speaking to me, her demeanor softened into something resembling kindness. I knew better. She only saw me as useful. Spencer chatted with me amiably throughout the meal, while Ivy silently fumed, her hands clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white. Afterward, Ivy pulled me aside into the garden. Her expression was icy, her voice sharp. “How are you doing this?” I tilted my head in mock confusion. “Doing what, Ivy?” Of course, I knew exactly what she meant. In our previous life, she had been sent to Oakridge Academy as Spencer’s study partner. But Ivy had never been good at academics. She couldn’t keep up with the rigorous curriculum, let alone help Spencer. Instead, she had suffered constant pranks and humiliation. Too timid to stand up for herself, Ivy endured everything in silence, terrified of losing the Whitlocks’ support. That fear had only emboldened Spencer, who escalated his torment until it culminated in an unforgivable act. Drunk and careless, Spencer assaulted her before their senior year. The Whitlocks had whisked them both away to Europe, trying to bury the scandal. But Ivy’s suffering didn’t end there. She clung to Spencer like a lifeline, enduring unspeakable abuse until her death. And yet, none of that had anything to do with me. Back then, I’d had no choice—just as I hadn’t been given a choice now. Our parents had always handed Ivy the best of everything, leaving me with scraps. Even this time, Ivy had tried to push me into the fire, hoping I’d burn in her place. But now that Spencer treated me with respect, her carefully hidden malice had finally spilled out. “You think Spencer Whitlock is a good person? The Whitlocks don’t care about you. You’re just smart, that’s all. Stop acting so smug.” I stared at her trembling, furious face. “Is that all you’ve got to say, Ivy?” Spencer appeared out of nowhere, his voice cold. “Whatever you have to say about Violet is irrelevant. She’s under my protection.” Ivy’s face went pale. Her fear of Spencer was deeply ingrained from our past life. Watching their exchange, I felt nothing but disgust. Without another word, I turned and went back inside, leaving them in the garden. Watching my mother flatter Mrs. Eleanor Whitlock, showering her with praise about how “talented” her other daughter was, made me feel sick. She was shamelessly pleading for Ivy Sullivan to be transferred to Oakridge Academy as well. After relentless cajoling, Mrs. Whitlock finally relented, though her furrowed brow showed her displeasure. I stood there, cold and detached, watching this farce unfold. The wheels of fate had already turned. As long as I was in control, nothing would ever go back to how it was. As for my so-called parents? Let them pin their hopes on their favorite daughter. All I wanted was to live my life on my own terms.

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I was working late at the office when I got a call from the hospital in the middle of the night. They said my wife, Serena Hayes, had suffered an ovarian rupture and that I needed to come in to sign the consent forms. Standing in the brightly lit office, I was completely dumbfounded. Content “What kind of husband are you? Do you even know how dangerous an ovarian rupture is? If she hadn’t been brought in so quickly, she could’ve died!” The moment I rushed into the hospital, the doctor lashed out at me. He scolded me for being careless, for apparently being too rough during intimacy and not considering my wife’s wellbeing. I glanced down at the report in my hands. The words “ovarian rupture” practically screamed at me from the page. I was completely stunned. With the year-end approaching, my company was swamped. I had been working endless overtime, leaving early in the morning and returning late at night, even sleeping at the office on some nights. “How…how does this happen?” My voice cracked as I hesitated to ask. The doctor rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed. “You really don’t know? Rough intimacy can cause it. Your wife is hemorrhaging and is still in surgery. She came here by herself, for crying out loud! You didn’t even accompany her! Here’s the bill. Go pay it.” Without waiting for my response, he shoved the payment slip into my hand. Standing at the payment kiosk, I pulled out my phone to look up the causes of ovarian rupture. Moments later, my face flushed red with anger. Serena and I had been married for three years. Back in college, she was the sweetheart of our class, the type of girl every guy wanted to date. It took me ages to win her over, but I finally did when we graduated. Shortly after we started dating, she got pregnant, and we decided to get married. But she had a miscarriage not long after. For the next three years, every time I tried to get close to her, she’d push me away. She said thinking about the baby we lost made her feel guilty, like she didn’t deserve happiness. I respected her wishes. Every time, I’d quietly go to the bathroom to take care of myself. I never let her cook or clean, and I handed over my entire paycheck every month. When she said she didn’t know how to cook, I asked my mom to move to the city and cook for her every day. I worked myself to the bone to make sure she could live comfortably. Finally, I managed to buy us a small two-bedroom house. The car and house? Both in her name. And yet, here I was, paying for the medical bills caused by her cheating. Grinding my teeth, I paid the fees. By early morning, Serena had been moved to a private room after surgery. She was hooked up to an IV, pale and unconscious on the hospital bed. She was undeniably beautiful. Even without makeup, her skin was smooth and flawless, the kind of beauty that seemed innocent and approachable. Marrying her had always felt like the greatest blessing of my life. I’d spoiled her in every way possible. But now, looking at her lying there, she felt like a stranger to me. The thought of me breaking my back working overtime while she was off with another man—enough to land her in the hospital—made my blood boil. After calming myself down, I picked up her handbag and pulled out her phone. Ridiculous—she’d never even shared her password with me. Using her fingerprint, I unlocked it and scrolled through her WhatsApp, contacts, and messages, but there was nothing suspicious. Just as I was about to give up, a notification popped up on her Instagram DM. “Home yet, babe? You were incredible tonight!”

Seeing the message, I glanced back at Serena. Even in her pale, frail state, I felt not an ounce of pity for her. I quickly opened the chat. The profile picture was a cartoon character, giving me no clues about the man’s identity. The chat history only showed today’s messages, clearly wiped clean before. I typed a simple reply: “I’m home.” “Exhausted, huh? Still hurting? I’ll be more gentle next time,” came the response. My hand trembled as I gripped her phone. Grinding my teeth, I deleted the messages and returned her phone to her bag. Sitting beside her, I replayed the years we’d spent together. She’d always avoided intimacy. She’d never acknowledged me publicly on her social media. Whenever I asked about it, she’d dismissively say, “We’re adults. Why does it even matter?” I’d naively believed she was just a private person. Now I realized, the bike I’d been so careful with all these years—someone else had been riding it rough all along. “Cal…why am I here?” Her voice, soft and weak, broke the silence. It sent a wave of disgust through me. Serena groggily sat up, her pale face filled with confusion. “What’s going on? Why am I in the hospital?” As she adjusted herself, her neckline slipped, revealing faint hickeys on her chest. She was still wearing the red bodycon dress I’d bought her. “You really don’t know why you’re here?” I asked coldly. Serena froze for a second, then let out a small, mocking smile. “Hmm, and what about it?” “We’re getting a divorce.” Her expression twisted, caught between shock and anger. “Seriously? Over this? You’re never around, Cal. I have to deal with everything on my own—my bad days, my loneliness, my sadness. You practically live at your office. What am I supposed to do? Pretend I’m not human?” She started crying, playing the victim like it was second nature. I’d studied enough psychology to know what she was doing: framing herself as the wounded party, justifying her infidelity. But for the first time, I saw through it all. Years of hard work, devotion, and sacrifice—none of it meant anything to her. In her eyes, I was nothing more than a fool who handed her everything on a silver platter. “My company’s just getting off the ground. If I’d been home all the time, where would the money for the house and car have come from? Serena, you don’t work. You don’t clean. You don’t cook. You get thousands in pocket money every month, on top of every comfort imaginable. And yet, you cheated on me so badly you ended up in the hospital. Do you even have any shame?” My voice rose as I spoke, startling even myself. Serena looked at me, stunned for a moment, but quickly recovered, dabbing her tears like a seasoned actress. “Money can’t buy everything. Money doesn’t replace love or companionship, Cal. Do you know how hard it is to be a woman, to feel ignored by her own husband?” “You can keep the house, the car, and the money. But you can’t keep me. We’re done, Serena.” For the first time, I walked out on her. I’d recorded our conversation and taken screenshots of her messages. I was finally ready to end this. When I got home, the place was a disaster. Takeout containers piled up, clothes strewn everywhere. My mom had been staying with us, taking care of Serena, but had recently left to visit family. Without her, the house had become a pigsty. I sat down on the couch, exhausted and furious. What was the point of all my sacrifices? My anger boiled over. I texted Serena, telling her to be ready to finalize the divorce as soon as she was discharged. When I placed the divorce agreement on the coffee table, Serena Hayes stared at me in disbelief. Her shock quickly morphed into anger. “All this over cheating? Seriously? You’re really going to divorce me for this? Let’s be real—do you honestly think you’ll find someone like me again? Someone at my level?” She launched into a tirade, her words buzzing in my ears like a swarm of flies. I stared her down and said firmly, “Sign it.” “Ha! Who do you think you are, yelling at me? You think I actually wanted to marry you? Fine, divorce it is. Don’t act like I can’t live without you. Take a good look at yourself!” Fuming, she ripped the agreement to shreds, stormed toward the door, and turned to hurl one final insult. “Calvin Morris, mark my words. Don’t come crying to me when you regret this. I’ll never take you back!” With a loud slam, she was gone. I laughed bitterly, staring at the torn-up papers on the floor, my heart feeling just as shredded. I’d spoiled her rotten, and it had come to this. I had given her all of my love. It was only fair I could take it all back.

Serena hadn’t been gone long when a storm rolled in, lightning flashing and rain pouring down in sheets. I couldn’t help but think about how she’d left without an umbrella. If she got caught in this rain so soon after surgery, her body wouldn’t handle it. Against my better judgment, I picked up the phone to call her, intending to tell her to come back and wait out the storm. But when the call connected, a man’s voice answered instead, breathless and full of urgency. “Babe, what did that pathetic cuckold say?” Serena’s laughter rang out, bright and carefree. She exchanged a few playful quips with him before speaking into the phone. “Why are you calling me, Cal?” “Serena, who is that guy? Is he the one who landed you in the hospital?” I growled through clenched teeth. She burst out laughing. “Oh, Cal, you’re too much! This whole divorce thing is just your way of trying to get my attention, isn’t it? Hoping I’ll care more about you? So insecure. You can’t be here for me, and now you don’t want anyone else to be either?” A sudden crack of thunder outside jolted me. The sound snapped me out of my haze, and I finally saw things clearly. What was I doing? Why was I letting this woman humiliate me over and over? Would I really die without her? Grinding my teeth, I hissed, “Serena, the divorce agreement will be sent to you as a document. I expect you to sign it.” Before she could respond, I hung up. Hearing her voice even one more second made my stomach churn. The house, the car—all of it was in her name. By law, it was marital property, meaning she was entitled to half of everything, including my savings. But given her infidelity, I had grounds to push for her to leave with nothing. With that resolve, I began compiling evidence of her affair, gathering screenshots and call logs before handing everything over to my lawyer. A legal notice was promptly sent to her. Having dealt with the mess, I threw myself back into work, hoping to drown my frustration in productivity. After a long meeting, I returned to my office and froze in my tracks. Serena was sitting on the couch, waiting for me. She was dressed to the nines, her makeup flawless, and her every move radiated calculated charm. But instead of feeling drawn to her, I felt nothing but disgust. “Cal, I went home and found the locks changed. What are you doing? You’re being so childish! Look, I forgive you for threatening divorce. Let’s move past this, okay? We’ve been married for years. Deep down, you don’t want to let me go. Even if my heart isn’t entirely yours, my body is. Isn’t that enough?” She flung her arms around me, feigning affection. “C’mon, let’s stop fighting. You already have me, isn’t that what matters? Drop the lawyer nonsense, and while you’re at it, go clean the house, turn in your paycheck, and don’t expect any allowance this month.” The casual way she said it, like nothing had happened, made my blood boil. I shoved her off me, shouting, “This divorce is happening, Serena. No more games.” Her eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms with a smirk. “Don’t push your luck, Cal. I’m giving you a chance to save face. If you leave me, don’t come crying later when you’re miserable and lonely.” I laughed bitterly. The sheer audacity was laughable now. This was no different from the entitled “princess” mentality I’d seen online. “Stop pretending, Serena. You don’t want a divorce. Everything—the house, the car—is in your name. You think you can walk away without consequence? Dream on.” She raised a manicured hand, examining her nails nonchalantly. “Fine, I’ll give you one more chance. Buy me the latest designer handbag, grovel a little, and I might forgive you. But you’d better make it count, or you’ll regret it when you come begging me later.”

Her words were so absurd I couldn’t help but stare in disbelief. I knew she was spoiled, but this level of entitlement was staggering. Still, I had no interest in arguing with her further—especially not at work. I had actual responsibilities to deal with. I pointed to the door. “I don’t want your ‘chances.’ Leave now. We’ll finalize this on Monday at the courthouse.” She scoffed, her heels clicking as she headed for the door. “Fine, be stubborn. I know you’ll miss me. You’ve got until Monday to win me back, but don’t show up without the bag. Think it over.” With that, she stormed out of my office. I immediately informed my team that she was no longer allowed on company premises. When I loved her, she was everything to me. Now that I didn’t, she was nothing. Love? I’d finally learned: loving yourself and your family is what truly matters. This was just a minor setback in the grand scheme of things. I’d use it to push myself harder. Monday came quickly. I arrived at the County Courthouse early, waiting for Serena. The light rain falling from the sky was a bittersweet reminder of my wedding day. Back then, I’d been so thrilled I couldn’t sleep the night before. Now, that excitement felt like a distant memory. Serena arrived late, stepping out of a flashy red Luxury Porsche with a smug grin and a brand-new Chanel handbag in hand. To make matters worse, she was accompanied by a short, unimpressive man. They were giggling and holding hands like love-struck teenagers. Walking over to me, she made a point of kissing him on the lips before addressing me. “Why so impatient, Cal? We got a little carried away last night. But hey, I’m here now. Don’t be such a nag.” As she adjusted her hair, she made sure I noticed the hickeys on her neck. The sheer disrespect made my blood boil. Forcing a deep breath, I pulled out the divorce agreement and handed it to her. “Take a look. If it’s all good, sign it.” “You’re really serious about this?” Her eyes widened as she stared at me. I nodded, keeping my tone casual. “I don’t keep secondhand trash. With my qualifications, I can do better than wasting time on someone like you.” Her face turned crimson with rage. “How dare you talk to me like that! You wouldn’t be where you are today without me. I’m a blessing to any man I’m with. Fine, divorce it is. Don’t come crying to me later.” She skimmed the document, then let out an ear-piercing shriek. “What’s this? You expect me to leave with nothing AND pay you $20,000? You’ve got to be kidding me!” “The car and house were bought with my money. You didn’t contribute a single cent. And by the way, you’ve transferred over $20,000 to someone named Dominic Bellamy. Let me guess—it’s him, right? Here are the bank records to prove it. What kind of person takes my money and spends it on another man?” Serena smirked but before she could respond, Dominic pulled her closer with a smug grin. “Babe, we don’t need his filthy money. Who cares about the car and house? I’ll buy you new ones.” “Did you hear that?” Serena turned to me, her tone dripping with condescension. “My man is richer than you ever were.” I smiled faintly. “You know you’re in the wrong here, don’t you? I have all the evidence of your affair. Even if you don’t agree to my terms, what can you do? I could easily release all your little messages for the world to see.” “You wouldn’t dare!” Serena snapped.

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Our live-in nanny’s daughter has been acting a little strange lately. She keeps giving me these hateful looks—subtle, but definitely there—and blaring her phone in the living room with videos about “switched heiresses.” My brother, Wesley, couldn’t take it anymore and came to complain. “Natalie, do you think Riley Harper has convinced herself that you and she were switched at birth?” “She’s been looking at me with these weird, ‘maternal’ eyes, and honestly, it’s freaking me out.” I laughed. Did she really think our family’s annual health checkups didn’t include DNA testing? Content I’m Natalie Channing, the only daughter of Victor and Elizabeth Channing, owners of Channing Enterprises. Like most heiresses, my parents are often away for work, so they hired a live-in nanny, Margaret Harper, to take care of me and my younger brother, Wesley. Margaret has a daughter around my age, Riley Harper. She’s lived with us since we were kids, eating, sleeping, and growing up under the same roof. But Margaret doesn’t seem to like her own daughter. It’s painfully obvious to everyone in our family—her disdain is written all over her actions. Once, I asked my parents if we should step in and address their mother-daughter relationship. After all, Riley is often ignored or treated harshly, and it’s honestly pretty pitiful. But my parents told me not to meddle in other people’s lives. And when I tried to stand up for Riley, Margaret—who was usually polite to me—coldly shot me down: “That’s our family business.” After that, I let it go. But recently, Riley’s behavior toward me has become strange. And I mean really strange. First, she kept asking Wesley when our parents, who were on a vacation, would return. Then, she started glaring at me with outright contempt. And finally—Wesley’s personal favorite—she took to blaring “switched heiress” videos in the living room for everyone to hear. As Wesley put it, “It’s like her every thought is just written all over her face.” I couldn’t help but laugh. How ridiculous could she get? There’s no way. Even if we’re close in age, her mom treats me better than she treats her own daughter… Wait. Could I actually be the one who was switched at birth? In a panic, I ran to the study and dug through my eighteen years’ worth of health checkups. Thankfully, my parents were wise enough to include DNA testing in every annual exam. Looking at the reports confirming our family ties, I breathed a sigh of relief. Riley must’ve just overdosed on her “switched heiress” fiction. I decided to drop the matter. At least, until dinner the other night when Riley sweetly asked Wesley, “Hey Wes, don’t you think you and I look a little alike?” Wesley, fork mid-air, froze. “Riley, are you out of your mind? What do I have to do with you? My real sister is sitting right here.” Margaret nearly choked on her food. “You ungrateful brat!” Margaret snapped, smacking Riley on the head with her chopsticks. “How dare you? “Mr. and Mrs. Channing aren’t home, and the fact that Natalie and Wesley let us eat with them is a privilege. What makes you think you can speak so recklessly?!” Riley’s eyes filled with tears. “When Mr. and Mrs. Channing come back, you’ll regret this!” she spat before storming off. What had I even done? Margaret turned to us with an apologetic smile. “Miss Natalie, Master Wesley, I’m so sorry. Riley’s been getting more and more out of hand. I’ll make sure to discipline her.” I raised an eyebrow and said pointedly, “Margaret, maybe you should try a different approach. After all, she is your daughter. Shouldn’t you be treating her better?” I emphasized the words “your daughter” just to see if she was aware of Riley’s delusions. But Margaret only laughed lightly. “You’re right, Miss Natalie. People like me from the countryside don’t know much about raising kids. “Back home, girls Riley’s age would’ve already been married off to help their brothers afford a wife. “But here, Mr. Channing even pays for her to go to school. Instead of being grateful, she’s behaving like this…” I didn’t know what to say to that. Margaret clearly didn’t care whether Riley was really her daughter or not. Curious, I asked, “Margaret, why have you always treated me so kindly?” Her face lit up. “Because Mr. and Mrs. Channing have been so good to me. I’ve watched you grow up, and to me, you’re more important than my own daughter.” At that moment, I actually felt a little bad for Riley. “Margaret, maybe you should start paying more attention to Riley,” I said with a smile. “It might save you some trouble in the future.” With that, I left the dining room, ignoring Margaret’s puzzled expression.

My ears were practically blistered from Wesley’s complaints about Riley Harper. Even though I knew Riley had always found excuses to be around him, things had definitely escalated recently. “Natalie, she’s straight-up stealing my laundry to wash it, lingering outside my study after her late-night showers, and hanging around my classroom at school. I let that slide. “But now she’s acting like some kind of doting grandma—always giving me food and staring at me with these unsettling, ‘loving’ eyes. I can’t take it! What is she up to, Nat?” For the millionth time, Wesley poured out his frustrations. I couldn’t take it anymore either. I promised him that the next time I saw Riley, I’d talk to her. My dad, ever the charitable boss, had enrolled Riley in Fairfield Academy—my high school—as a part of his “employee benefits” program. To top it off, he even put her in my class, saying it would help us “look out for each other.” But in reality, I hadn’t seen Riley in days. It felt like she was actively avoiding me. Whenever I was somewhere, she made sure to be anywhere else. Even at school, running into her felt like a game of chance. Today, though, luck was on my side. The moment I stepped into class, there she was—decked out in designer clothes, surrounded by a curious crowd. “Riley, your outfit! And that bag—those must’ve cost a fortune!” “Oh, not really,” Riley replied with a coy smile. “I just saw them while shopping and figured, why not?” “Wow, I always thought you were, like, from a regular family like the rest of us. Turns out you’re some heiress or something?” Riley gave a humble laugh. “What’s an heiress, really? What’s meant to be mine will always be mine. Unlike some people who force their way in and pretend—only to end up empty-handed.” She cast a pointed glance my way. One of my friends leaned closer to me, whispering, “Isn’t Riley your nanny’s kid? Do the Channings pay their staff that well? Or did her mom win the lottery? She looks like some tacky nouveau riche.” “What’s she trying to say? Switched at birth? Her real parents are loaded?” “Natalie, she’s obviously implying you. What’s her deal?” I didn’t know what to say. More importantly, I had no idea where Riley was getting all this money. Only a handful of classmates who’d visited my house knew Riley was the daughter of our live-in nanny. Everyone else had politely gone along with the assumption that she was just another student. Out of respect, no one ever brought up her actual situation. “She seems… a little delusional,” I finally said. That seemed like the most logical explanation. I walked over and called out to her. “Riley, can we talk outside for a moment?” Riley froze, clearly caught off guard. She’d been avoiding me for so long, she probably didn’t expect me to confront her outright. After all, in her “switched heiress” stories, the imposter usually cowered and avoided eye contact with the rightful heiress. The class erupted into hushed murmurs. “What’s Natalie talking to Riley about? They’ve never interacted before.” “Did you hear what Riley just said? Do you think Natalie and Riley were switched at birth?” “Could Riley actually be the real Channing heiress?” “Don’t be ridiculous. No one benefits from upsetting the Channing family.” “But Riley’s been awfully close to Natalie’s brother, hasn’t she? Would actual siblings act that way?” “Maybe Riley really was just brought home recently. Did you see her outfit? Looks like she’s trying way too hard.” Ignoring the chatter, I strode out of the classroom, and Riley—after adjusting her clothes and regaining her composure—followed. I turned to face her. “You know why I’m here, don’t you?” Riley’s expression shifted into one of smug satisfaction. “Since you already know you’ve taken my place, I suggest you come clean to your parents. If you’re lucky, I might even put in a good word for you. Maybe they’ll give you a decent severance package.” My brain momentarily short-circuited. “Riley, what nonsense are you talking about?” She sneered. “Don’t act clueless, Natalie. You’ve known all along that I’m the rightful Channing heiress. You’ve had eighteen years of my life—eighteen years I suffered through for you. Natalie, you owe me, and you’ll never be able to repay it.” “What proof do you have that you’re the Channing daughter?” I asked, my tone sharp. “Proof?” Riley smirked, confidence radiating off her. “Oh, I’ve got proof. When my parents get back from their trip, the truth will come out. And when it does? You’ll be on your knees, begging. But I’ll make sure you and your pathetic mother are kicked out anyway.” I was about to ask where she got the audacity when a sharp voice cut through the tension. “Riley Harper!” Margaret Harper stormed up to us, her face livid. SMACK. The sound of the slap echoed through the corridor.

The commotion drew the entire class out of the room. I stood frozen in shock, watching as Riley clutched her cheek, tears streaming silently down her face. Her lips trembled, but no words came out. Margaret’s face was flushed, her eyes blazing as she grabbed Riley by the hair. “You little ingrate! Did you steal my money? Did you take everything I had on that card?!” “That money was for your brother’s wedding!” Margaret’s voice broke with a sob. “Do you want to ruin this family? How could I have raised something as selfish as you?” The pieces clicked into place. Riley’s flashy new wardrobe? Her sudden spending spree? It all came from Margaret’s savings. I hurried forward to pull them apart. “Margaret, stop! This is a school.” Margaret, seeing the crowd of onlookers, dramatically collapsed onto the floor. “God, what did I do to deserve this? I worked my whole life to save that money, and she’s gone and squandered it all! How am I supposed to go on?” The whispers around us grew louder. “Wait, that’s Riley’s mom? She doesn’t look rich at all.” “Did you hear her? Riley stole her mom’s savings to act rich.” “She always seemed kind of vain, but this? Yikes.” “She only got into this school because someone sponsored her.” “Enough!” Riley’s furious glare landed on me. “This is your fault, Natalie! I’ve already suffered for your sake, and now you’ve got her humiliating me too? Just wait. I’ll make sure you regret this for the rest of your life.” She shoved past us and ran, tears still streaming down her face. “Hey! Watch your mouth when you’re speaking to Miss Natalie!” Margaret yelled after her. Then, as if nothing had happened, she turned to me. “Miss Natalie, are you alright? I’m so sorry about her behavior.” “Wait…” a classmate murmured. “Is she… Natalie’s real mom? She’s treating Natalie better than her own kid.” “No way. She’s the Channings’ nanny, right?” “Still, doesn’t this kind of favoritism make you wonder? Maybe Riley’s the real daughter.” “Or Margaret switched them on purpose.” Before I could react, a calm, familiar voice interrupted the chaos. “Margaret, maybe you should go check on your own daughter.” Everett Hughes stepped forward, his tall figure commanding attention. “Natalie,” he said, his tone softening, “class is starting.” “OMG, OMG, I’m shipping them so hard!” “Even if Natalie isn’t the real Channing heiress, who cares? She’s still going to be Mrs. Hughes. Talk about living the dream!” “Everett Hughes is just so perfect. Honestly, he and Natalie look amazing together.” Everett Hughes is my boyfriend, and that’s no secret. In fact, both of our families fully support us. With similar backgrounds, education, and looks, we’re practically the perfect match. Plus, a partnership between the Channing and Hughes enterprises is nothing short of a power move. Margaret awkwardly let go of me and hurried after Riley, leaving me to my thoughts. I didn’t care much for the gossip surrounding us, but after everything that had happened recently, I couldn’t help but wonder what Everett thought about it all. Back in the classroom, I turned to him. “Everett, if I weren’t the real Channing heiress, would you still like me?” He looked at me like I’d just said the funniest thing he’d ever heard and burst out laughing. “What’s so funny?” I was genuinely curious. “Given everything that’s been going on, there’s a real chance I’m not the Channing family’s biological daughter.” Everett reached over, gently ruffling my hair. His clear, steady gaze locked onto mine. “Whether or not you’re the Channing heiress doesn’t matter to me. What matters is that you’re Natalie. As long as you’re you, that’s enough for me.” That afternoon, Riley Harper returned to school. But instead of toning things down, she showed up in an even more luxurious outfit than before. Her transformation left everyone scratching their heads. She walked straight toward me—no, not me. She stopped in front of Everett. “Everett,” Riley said, her voice laced with a mix of nerves and newfound boldness. “I’m sure you’ve realized it by now—I’m the real Channing heiress.” The classroom collectively gasped, stunned that she would just blurt it out.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295097”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #重生Reborn #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance

My wife was holding our daughter, threatening to jump off the building. She listed evidence of my alleged affair, demanding I leave with nothing. In reality, I hadn’t cheated – this was all part of my plan… On the rooftop, my wife Lily was holding our three-year-old daughter Emma, standing on the edge. She was threatening to jump. Down below, my in-laws were cursing me as a beast, telling the neighbors that I had a mistress and was unfaithful to their daughter. My brother-in-law Jack was hurling abuse at me. He even grabbed a kitchen knife and tried to attack me, but luckily several security guards held him back. I was the target of everyone’s anger. “Don’t you just want a divorce?” Lily shouted. “Fine, I’ll give you one!” I gritted my teeth, looking at our crying daughter. Lily’s face contorted with rage. She said I not only had to leave with nothing, but also give her all the shares of the company I had secretly started. I pretended to be panicked, but inside I was breathing a sigh of relief. She had finally taken the bait. The whole affair about me having a mistress was actually her scheme. She had hired a woman to seduce me. And I had played along with her plan. This whole drama started three months ago…

I discovered that my wife Lily was cheating on me. She didn’t know that the things she bought showed up in my Amazon recommendations. It was a pair of Stephen & Co. leather shoes worth over $500. At the time, I thought she had bought them for me and felt touched. I thanked heaven for giving me such a caring wife who loved me so much. I also had a little secret I hadn’t told her yet, originally planning to surprise her. When I got home, I pretended not to know anything. But no matter how long I waited, Lily never gave me the shoes. Instead, she started talking about how her brother Jack needed money to get married. The wedding would cost $200,000, and she wanted me to pay for it. I scraped together $100,000 with great difficulty. When I handed her the money, I thought she would be grateful and give me the shoes. But she didn’t even smile, just took the money and hurried off. That’s when I realized, no matter how good I was to her, she would never give me those shoes. She had given them to someone else. Not her brother Jack. Although my wife treated Jack better than me, Jack was young and didn’t like leather shoes. He always wore sneakers. There was a 100% chance Lily was cheating on me! I pretended everything was normal, but my heart was pierced with thorns. These thorns made me bleed. Behind my wife’s back, I secretly checked her bank statements. Sure enough, I found a problem. She had booked a hotel room! A $380 couples hotel, including a pack of Marlboro cigarettes. The evidence was right in front of me. I was so angry I could hear my teeth grinding. We had been married for five years. I had given Lily my heart and soul, just wanting to live a good life with her. My parents even sold their house for tens of thousands of dollars to pay for our wedding. But she was using my money to book hotel rooms with another man. I couldn’t take it anymore! When a man is betrayed by the woman he loves, the potential that erupts is infinite. My mind had never been so sharp and meticulous. Those expensive shoes, being an imported style that had been out of stock for half a year, only came in sizes up to 7.5. This was one characteristic of the adulterer. He also liked to smoke, and preferred Marlboro. I thought carefully about who fit these conditions, and there were a few possibilities. One was the delivery guy who often came to our neighborhood. I waited for him at the package pickup point every day. When he arrived on his electric tricycle, the first thing I looked at was his feet. Although he wasn’t tall, the delivery guy had big feet, definitely not size 7.5. It wasn’t him… Another suspect was the manager at my wife’s company. But when I asked around, I found out my wife’s boss had gone abroad on a business trip a month ago. It wasn’t him either… I was completely baffled. When I got back to the neighborhood, several security guards were laughing and talking loudly about how Old Smith had only worn his new leather shoes for one day before stopping. I was particularly sensitive to anything related to shoes now, and immediately took notice. Afraid of alerting anyone, I waited a couple days before finding Old Huang, one of the security guards. I gave him a few cigarettes to get friendly and chat. I deliberately steered the conversation to shoes, and Old Huang immediately said someone had given Old Smith a pair of shoes. He said they were some brand called Stephen, worth four or five thousand dollars, really fancy. My heart exploded! “Stephen & Co. deerskin? I wanted to buy them too, but they’ve been out of stock for a long time, only size 7.5 left.” I threw out one last question. Old Huang laughed and said Old Smith’s feet were exactly size 7.5. I clenched my fists tightly, my heart erupting like a volcano. Old Huang didn’t notice anything unusual about me and started telling me more about Old Smith. Apparently Old Smith used to be rich, but lost everything due to his gambling addiction. Old Smith was actually very clever and smart, most people couldn’t outsmart him. Old Huang admired him, saying he was a tiger fallen on hard times. I didn’t act rashly. I couldn’t wrongly accuse an innocent person. I found Old Smith to chat and offered him a Marlboro, then said this cigarette wasn’t good and gave him a more expensive brand. Old Smith smiled and waved it off, saying he preferred Marlboro. I understood everything. It was him! I loved Lily so much, how could I possibly be inferior to Old Smith? How could she choose a poor, ugly, old security guard? If Lily had found someone handsome, or a rich and powerful man, I could have accepted it a little more and just gotten divorced. But… In Lily’s heart, I wasn’t even as good as a short, poor, ugly security guard? My heart was in knots, with only two words pounding in my mind. Revenge! I would make Lily and Old Smith pay the most painful price! They would live the rest of their lives in nightmares!

The reason I endured this silently and secretly investigated the adulterer was because I also had a secret. A few years ago, my childhood friend Mike wanted to start a business in Shenzhen and borrowed $50,000 from me. His luck wasn’t good, and after struggling for several years he still hadn’t succeeded. Lily scolded me for being blind. She kept urging me to get the money back so her brother could use it for business. Sometimes, getting rich happens in an instant, unpredictably. In the past two or three months, Bitcoin had been wildly hyped, and countless mining farms had sprung up. Graphics cards were being frantically bought up. Mike had stockpiled a large batch of old graphics cards that no one wanted before, but now he had struck it rich. He called me with the good news, saying I owned half the shares in his company. And he had transferred half the company shares to my name through a lawyer. Mike said graphics cards would keep going up, and we could earn even more if we waited. When I heard that astronomical figure, I wasn’t too excited. I was happier that Mike remembered my kindness and still thought of me. But for Lily to go find another man at this critical moment, if I had a big fight and divorced her, wouldn’t she take advantage and get a huge chunk of my assets? I couldn’t let this woman who betrayed me walk away with a large sum of money. The plan for revenge slowly took shape in my mind. I knew my opponent wasn’t stupid. Old Smith was an extremely clever guy. Otherwise Old Huang wouldn’t have said he was an old tiger…

Old Smith was clever, but he also had a fatal weakness. He was too greedy and loved to gamble. Otherwise he wouldn’t have fallen from being a rich man to a neighborhood security guard. And now, he was in desperate need of money. Money to make a comeback. I installed cameras and listening devices in our home to collect evidence of Old Smith’s improper relationship with my wife. Then I went to find Old Huang the security guard to chat. For a man his age with no woman and no money, I casually told him some hearsay stories about the entertainment industry, which quickly got Old Huang all fired up. He hesitantly asked if I knew any websites. I gave him one, and said you could make money by uploading videos and photos to this site. He was stunned and asked if that was really true. I just smiled without saying anything. Old Huang and that damned Old Smith were good friends. When they chatted, Old Huang would definitely pass this information on to Old Smith. The penniless Old Smith would naturally find a way to take videos and photos to exchange for a good amount of cash. Sure enough, within three days, I saw a video on the website. It was my wife… Although she covered her face, the small red birthmark by her navel gave her away. My hand instantly started trembling. I felt like I had fallen into an ice pit. Lily, the woman I had cherished in the palm of my hand… Yet she was so degraded in front of another man, filming this kind of video! I felt very cold. My heart was also ice cold. Taking a deep breath, I closed the video. This video had a very provocative title. A beautiful young wife’s passionate night… The title attracted many viewers. Lots of people were liking and requesting the next episode, and asking for the female lead to show her face. Old Smith was very happy, constantly replying in the comments, asking viewers to like and tip more. He promised to film a video of Lily showing her face. He wanted to earn more money. Let him make a little money first. Later, he would regret it immensely. His crime would be very serious!

Old Smith’s cleverness wasn’t just reflected in his ability to create catchy titles and attract eyeballs. Before I could fully launch my plan, he made the first move. That night, I was working overtime and came home late. A heavy rain started falling. I was standing at the bus stop holding an umbrella when a woman with a great figure and very sexy appearance suddenly ducked under my umbrella. “I’m so sorry, sir…” she said apologetically, raising her pretty face to me. I was startled, feeling like she looked very familiar. A face from my buried memories slowly became clear, and I unconsciously said, “Is it you?” The woman didn’t recognize me anymore, after all it had been almost 20 years of changes. “You are…” She looked at me for a long time before suddenly remembering who I was. Her name was Lisa. She was my childhood neighbor. Back then when we played house, she always wanted to play the role of my wife, following me around all day. From 3-4 years old until 13-14, we were always together. Feelings of puppy love also sprouted at that time. If it wasn’t for me moving away when she was 14, I might have stayed with her. I was afraid of hurting her, so I didn’t even tell her I was moving. Later I heard from other kids that the day after I moved, it was also raining heavily like this. She stood in the pouring rain, her face indistinguishable between tears and raindrops. I never imagined I would see her again on a rainy night like this. Just like that night when I left without saying goodbye. Tears suddenly welled up in Lisa’s eyes. As if afraid I would notice, she ran out into the pouring rain, heedless of getting drenched. I chased after her and grabbed her hand. The heavy rain soaked us both. I no longer cared about anything else. She cried and threw herself into my arms, telling me how heartless I had been back then. I smiled bitterly. I thought it was just puppy love, but I didn’t realize she had taken it so seriously.

As Lisa told her story, I learned everything. Her later experiences were very unfortunate. Her parents died in a car accident, leaving her alone in the world. Later, she didn’t meet any good men. She struggled to raise her 5-year-old daughter alone, and the young child was chronically ill. The burdens of life almost crushed this poor woman. I walked her home, and she said she wanted to take a shower first. When the water started falling, her graceful figure appeared on the translucent glass. I quickly averted my eyes. She suddenly called me, saying she was out of body wash. I brought it to her, but she pulled me inside. She pressed against me, writhing like a snake. She said when she was little, she had wanted to be my wife, and cursed fate for being cruel. I strongly resisted the fire churning in my heart. I backed out of the bathroom. I said I would take her to see her sick daughter tomorrow. I didn’t have much ability now, but I would give her some money to ease her burden. I had already let her down once before, I didn’t want to let her down again. Hearing these words, she stared at me blankly, then suddenly burst into tears. “I’m so sorry…” “Someone asked me to get close to you…”

Yesterday, a woman had found her and offered her $100,000. The price for getting the $100,000 was to use her body as bait, seduce me, and let me fall for it. Take videos and photos of me being intimate with her, and the task would be complete. She desperately needed money for her daughter’s treatment. But she never imagined the man she was supposed to seduce would turn out to be me. Me, her childhood sweetheart… Lisa finally couldn’t get past her conscience and told me everything. I felt a chill run through me. The coldness in my body was not even a fraction of the chill in my heart. That woman was naturally my wife, Lily! Lily’s purpose was too obvious. She wanted to manufacture evidence of me being with other women, to put me at a disadvantage in the divorce battle. She knew I had two weaknesses. One was my reputation, the other was my daughter. If I wronged her, the court would definitely give her custody of our daughter. Then she could use our daughter to force me to give in, to bow my head. But… From what I knew of Lily, she was an extremely simple-minded woman. She wasn’t this clever. She couldn’t have come up with this scheme. Everything must have been taught to her by Old Smith. That vicious and cunning old fox. Old Smith. Too sly, too crafty. An opponent like this wasn’t an ordinary person to be trifled with. I needed to be on full alert. Sitting by the window as the heavy rain fell, I kept thinking. Wait, something wasn’t right! Since Old Smith had Lisa come seduce me to manufacture evidence of my infidelity. Why would he let me discover his affair with my wife Lily? Someone as meticulous and cunning as him, how could he leave such a big loophole? Thinking back… A trap! This was a trap he had deliberately set! If it wasn’t for that intimate video posted online, all my evidence couldn’t directly prove Old Smith’s affair with my wife. He deliberately let me discover clues, then when the divorce battle came I would angrily throw out the evidence… Like those size 7.5 expensive leather shoes… Did that definitely mean Old Smith wore them? Lily would refute each piece of evidence one by one, making all my proof fall apart. She would come out looking pure as a white lotus, untainted. She would make everyone believe I was the one who wronged her. I felt my scalp tingling. I didn’t think my deductions were wrong. Old Smith’s intentions were so vicious! But I couldn’t mention the video on the website. That was the final card to make them despair and regret. I started recalling my previous conversations with Old Smith, not overlooking any detail. What did I have that was worth him putting in so much effort? I was just an ordinary person, earning a few thousand dollars a month from my job, with only a car and a house to my name. My only wife had also become his plaything. What else was he unsatisfied with, what else did he want to get? Suddenly, I remembered the good news I had been keeping from my wife. Half a year ago, when I was on the phone with Mike talking about those old graphics cards that could make us rich, Old Smith seemed to be not far from me. He had overheard! What he really wanted to obtain… Was my increasingly valuable graphics cards! Old Smith didn’t hesitate to go into debt for $100,000 to hire Lisa. He had her seduce me, then make me leave with nothing in the divorce. The shares in the company I started with Mike would naturally be seized too. Then, graphics cards worth over $5 million would be enough for Old Smith to make a comeback! So that was it…

Lisa looked at me, silently crying. I was very grateful to her. She had a complex expression and said goodbye to me, turning to close the door. But the next moment, I grabbed her cold hand. She didn’t understand. I looked at her somewhat seriously, and somewhat pleadingly: “Help me…”

I repeatedly mulled over the plan in my mind, striving to make it foolproof. In fact, I had even prepared two plans. Old Smith was too difficult to deal with. To outsmart him, I had to consider everything thoroughly. There was no way I would leave with nothing. On the contrary, I would make Old Smith pay an unimaginable price! I needed her help. A counterattack from a desperate position! I went to a hotel with Lisa and left our ID information. We also left some evidence. I imagined Old Smith and Lily would be overjoyed and impatient. I… Was waiting for them!

That evening, Lily carried our daughter to me with an icy expression. “Have you been unfaithful to me?” she demanded bluntly. My face changed and I firmly denied it: “Honey, what’s wrong? I would never be unfaithful to you.” Lily glared at me and cursed: “You went to a hotel with another woman, are you still trying to lie to me?” Like any man caught cheating, I refused to admit it no matter what. She slapped the evidence on the table – a stack of photos of me hugging Lisa and entering a hotel. The evidence was irrefutable. I could only lower my head. “Honey, I’m sorry, I… I was confused, I was momentarily bewitched.” I pretended to be terrified and begged pitifully, which was exactly what Lily wanted. She burst into loud sobs, carrying our 3-year-old daughter and running up to the roof. Below was a drop of several dozen meters. With tears streaming down her face, she accused me of betraying this family. The neighbors were all alarmed and came to watch. Lily’s parents and her good-for-nothing brother happened to appear at this exact moment. The timing was so perfect, not a second off. They seemed to suddenly understand everything. Her parents grabbed the neighbors and told them how heartless I was, how I had wronged Lily, that I was a ungrateful scumbag who forgot his wife as soon as he saw another woman. Her brother Jack was even more enraged. He grabbed a kitchen knife and tried to rush at me. I was the target of everyone’s anger, my reputation ruined. Reputation, I didn’t care about. All I cared about was my daughter… And the assets I had worked so hard to accumulate. I couldn’t let them go to outsiders!

A cheating man can’t just keep begging for forgiveness, he also needs to counterattack to some extent. It takes two to tango. I also had to say bad things about her, point out her faults. Only then could this divorce drama seem like it was really happening. In front of everyone, I angrily took out the evidence of her betraying me. “You have the nerve to accuse me?” “You bought someone else $500 shoes, you also went to hotels with someone else, he even bought a pack of cigarettes!” “We’re both playing around, neither of us wronged the other.” I shouted loudly. All the neighbors were shocked. More and more people came to watch the drama unfold. Old Smith was hidden in the crowd, a contemptuous smile on his face. I knew all this evidence was arranged by him. He was just waiting for me to throw out the evidence. My counterattack was exactly as he had predicted. He was very pleased with himself for seeing through me. “You heartless bastard!” Lily cried, holding our daughter. She said those leather shoes were bought at her father’s request, as a gift for someone else. Her father immediately chimed in to corroborate Lily’s story. Then she said that hotel visit was because her brother Jack had asked for her help with something, and the cigarettes were bought by him too. Jack also loudly said that was indeed the case, and we could check the hotel’s security cameras if we didn’t believe him. I pretended to be ashamed and speechless, just trembling slightly. Everyone looked at me with disgust. Old Smith and Lily stared at me coldly.

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“Do you know, there was never a Esme Winters, much less an Freya Winters. There’s only Zoe Winters, who’s determined to make you maggots pay for what you’ve done.” On the day of the arrest, the man who had forcibly kept me by his side knelt before me, his eyes red as he begged me not to abort the innocent child. I looked at him with the same contemptuous gaze he once used on me: “The child may be innocent, but what makes you think a maggot like you deserves to have a cFreyahild?” “Boss, this batch of goods is from Colombia, top quality.” When the hood was removed from my head, I found myself in an opulent room. A man sitting on a cream-colored sofa, cigar in hand, was being fawned over by another man who had been beating us for days due to our disobedience. He was eagerly trying to sell his ‘merchandise’ – us, the trafficked people. “These two are virgins, and not bad looking either. Want to take a closer look, Boss?” The trafficker pulled me and another girl out of the line, forcing us to kneel in front of the man called ‘Boss’. The Boss’s calm eyes lit up for a moment when he saw me. Though the spark vanished instantly, I caught it precisely. “Keep her. Do what you want with the rest,” the Boss said, indicating me. The girl brought out with me spoke up, somewhat disgruntled, “Why her? What’s wrong with me?” I remembered this girl. She had sat next to me in the trafficker’s van. According to her, she had sought out these traffickers herself, even paying them some money, all for the chance to be brought before this so-called Boss and potentially become his ‘wife’. Because of this, unlike us, she didn’t have to wear a hood except during mealtimes. The Boss glanced at her, and the girl’s face lit up with a bright smile. But his next words sent her plummeting into an icy hell: “Cut out her tongue and feed her to the dogs.” After the trafficker left with over a dozen young men and women, the Boss gestured for all the bodyguards to leave. In an instant, only the two of us remained in the vast room. He tilted up my chin, his narrow phoenix eyes full of curiosity. “What’s your name?” “Esme Winters.” “‘Esme’ – a flower of purity and rebirth. It seems your parents put some thought into naming you. However, from today on, your name will be Freya Winters.” I nodded in compliance. But he wasn’t satisfied. He raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why do I get the feeling you’re not really this obedient?” As he spoke, he pointedly looked at the bruises on my arm left by the trafficker. I laughed coldly, “My life is in your hands now. What choice do I have but to obey?” He sneered, “At least you’re sensible.” Then he released my chin and patted it lightly. A man dressed in a butler’s uniform I had only seen in TV dramas before walked in at his signal, head bowed, awaiting orders. “Prepare a room for Miss Winters.” The butler nodded in acknowledgment and led me away. I was bathed and attended to by three maids. Although I tried to engage them in conversation in both English and Spanish, they acted as if they hadn’t heard me, not even sparing me a glance. Ryan didn’t touch me that night, just held me as he slept, reeking of alcohol. This was the first time in a week I had slept in a bed, so I slept particularly soundly. When I woke up the next morning, he was already gone, leaving only a note telling me I could move freely within the villa. Freedom, but not much of it. There were many servants here, but no matter how much I talked, none except the butler would say even a word to me. The butler, however, promptly handed me a glass of water the first time I swallowed. I figured I probably wasn’t the first woman brought into this villa, and certainly wouldn’t be the last. I had to escape. I didn’t believe that a man who had risen to such prominence in this obviously unsavory place would fall in love with me at first sight. I was also well past the age where I might be enticed by the romanticization of bad guys in novels or other literature, like that girl who was killed on his word. The southern border of this state leads to Mexico. This is a hotbed of crime, a paradise for drug dealers and arms traffickers. As a proper, ordinary girl who had been kidnapped by traffickers, I should try to escape. My first chance to escape came soon enough. I don’t know who they had offended, but on the evening of the thirteenth day of my forced stay in this villa, Ryan’s estate suddenly came under heavy attack. Since Ryan wasn’t staying here tonight, the security wasn’t as strict as usual. The attackers came in force, and even the maid assigned to watch me constantly had fled. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I slipped out of the villa and jumped into the river that ran through the estate. I had been swimming since I was young, earning national athlete certification at sixteen. Although an accident later cost me the chance to become a professional athlete, I had never let this skill lapse. I had noticed this river on my first day of being held here. Over the past few days, I had feigned exceptional obedience, and occasionally the butler would allow me to get some fresh air in the garden under the watchful eyes of the servants. Today, I had just ‘strolled’ to the northernmost part of the estate and discovered that this river connected to the outside. However, the estate’s fence didn’t seem to stop at the water’s surface but extended straight into the riverbed. Sure enough, there was a fence underwater just like above. But fortunately, I was slender enough that, although it took some effort, I managed to squeeze through. Once out of the estate, I didn’t dare relax. I held my breath and swam hard, only daring to surface and rest when the sound of gunfire and explosions was no longer intense. Ryan had lived up to his criminal status; even after swimming for so long after leaving his estate, I was still in the midst of a dense forest. Thanks to the relatively low pollution here, I could see the stars in the sky. If I followed the North Star, I would eventually make it home, or at worst, back to the States. In my haste to leave, I had brought nothing but the clothes on my back. Although I was hungry and tired, I didn’t dare slack off. After all, the firefight on the other side might stop at any moment. If the troublemakers won, that would be fine. But if the butler won, he would surely come looking for me first thing when he discovered I was missing. I don’t know how long I walked, but as dawn was breaking, a hand suddenly grabbed my ankle, and then someone struggled to crawl out from under the fallen leaves on the ground. I struggled, kicking hard at the person’s body with my free foot. “Stop kicking, stop kicking, it’s me,” the person finally poked their head out, speaking in a somewhat familiar voice. I calmed myself and managed to make out the person’s identity from that dirt-covered face – it was the girl who Ryan had ordered to be fed to the dogs that day. “What are you doing here?” I asked. She rolled her eyes at me, “Escaped, of course. Who knew Ryan Carter could be so ruthless, actually having someone take me to feed the dogs. Luckily, that trafficker thought I still had some value and could be sold again, so he secretly saved me.” “Ryan Carter?” I frowned. She rolled her eyes at me again, her tone sour: “You’ve been by his side for so long and don’t even know his real name? Looks like he doesn’t like you as much as it seemed.” I remained silent. Seeing my lack of response, she waved her hand and spoke again, “Well, I won’t say more about what’s between you two. But for you to escape from Ryan’s heavily guarded villa, seems you’re not as weak as you look.” I spoke flatly, “Just lucky, that’s all.” She pulled out a bag from a nearby pile of leaves, taking out an unopened package of compressed biscuits and offering it to me. Seeing that I didn’t take it, she opened it, broke off a piece, and put it in her mouth. “It’s not poisoned. I stole these from the trafficker’s car.” I hadn’t seen a grain of rice since yesterday afternoon, and after walking all night, I was starving. Once I was sure the biscuit was edible, I promptly took it and wolfed it down. Honestly, I had never found compressed biscuits so delicious before. A rustling sound of leaves being stepped on came from the distance. The girl and I exchanged a glance, quickly pocketed the biscuits, and climbed a tree. The trees here were lush and leafy; as long as we controlled ourselves and didn’t make a sound, the people below wouldn’t discover us. Soon, several men in camouflage carrying guns stood in the spot where we had briefly rested. “How did that damn woman run so fast? Just wait till I catch her, I’ll teach her a lesson,” a bald man said through gritted teeth. “She’s the boss’s woman. If you rough her up, won’t we be the ones in trouble?” another man cautioned. The bald man snorted coldly, “She’s just a plaything. You think she means more to the boss than us brothers who’ve been through thick and thin with him?” The man who had cautioned him patted his shoulder, “You’d better give up on that idea. I was in the room that day when Aiden brought them in. Her face, it’s almost identical to Miss Freya Winters’.” The bald man’s attitude changed instantly upon hearing the name Freya Winters. “Really?” The man nodded, “Why else do you think the boss would send us out to look for a woman? Come on, it’s dawn already. That woman’s probably exhausted after running for so long. If we keep going, we’ll likely find her soon.” The bald man stopped complaining and led the small team forward with the other man. Once we could no longer hear their footsteps, the girl and I carefully climbed down from the tree. She scanned me up and down with a strange look. Feeling uncomfortable under her gaze, I took the initiative to ask where she planned to go next. She sighed, “Try to get back to the States, I guess. What else can I do, stay here and run phone scams? What about you?” “I’m going home.” Our goals were the same, but we disagreed on which direction to take. Although any direction would eventually lead to a road if we walked long enough, given her knowledge of Ryan and her idiotic decision to voluntarily get trafficked, I didn’t trust her to lead us out. So we walked in the direction I had originally planned. We encountered that group of men once more, again using the tree-climbing method to avoid them. After walking for two days, we finally heard the sound of car horns. We had finally made it out. But as soon as we emerged from the forest, I saw that familiar face. Surrounded by a group of bodyguards, the scene was identical to when we first met, except for the setting and the characters’ actions. Including his visibly aristocratic demeanor and my disheveled state. He looked at us with a half-smile, merely beckoning with his hand. The girl who had walked with me for two days immediately ran to his side. “Boss, I brought her out safely as you ordered. How are you going to reward me?” Her face no longer bore the bitter resentment she had shown while recounting her escape from the traffickers. Instead, it was full of ingratiating obedience. Ryan nodded to her, “Well done. Go see Butler Brown for your reward.” She pouted, somewhat dissatisfied, but said nothing more. I felt my whole body turn cold, as if all my blood had reversed its flow. Running away now would only anger him and serve no other purpose. I could only stand there, watching as he approached me step by step. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear, his eyes nearly drowning me in their displeasure. “Didn’t I tell you that you could only move around within the villa? Why are you being so disobedient?” As he spoke, the hand that had tucked my hair suddenly gripped my neck. An intense feeling of suffocation enveloped me. But I didn’t try to beg for mercy. I just quietly closed my eyes – dying like this would be fine, at least better than living without freedom. But he wasn’t willing to let me go so easily. Just as I was about to lose consciousness, he released his hand. Taking a handkerchief from Butler Brown, he meticulously wiped the entire hand that had touched me, then carelessly tossed the handkerchief to the ground. “Bring Miss Winters back intact. I’ll deal with her personally when I return.” He particularly emphasized the word ‘intact’. The men who had been chasing us for two days immediately understood his meaning. They beat me at the roadside until I was nearly unconscious before tying me up and stuffing me into the car. Back at the villa, the butler dragged me to a room they had previously forbidden me to enter. Opening the door, I realized it wasn’t a room at all, but a dungeon. There was only a small window opposite the door, letting in a sliver of sunlight so those inside could distinguish day from night. There were four cages in the dungeon. Butler Brown locked me in the one nearest to the door. Fortunately, he didn’t turn off the small lamp that barely provided illumination when he left. I could clearly see the scene in the dungeon. All four cells were covered in mottled bloodstains. Mine was the cleanest, but even here, the remaining bloodstains showed that the previous occupants had suffered no small amount of torture. Various instruments of torture, some familiar and some not, hung on the wall opposite the door. In contrast to the dirty and messy environment here, these torture devices looked spotlessly clean. “Where did you come from?” A woman’s startled cry brought me back to reality. I looked up and saw a person suddenly appear in the diagonal cell. I forced a smile and greeted her. But when she saw my face, she unexpectedly fell to her knees, tears instantly flowing down her face, repeating: “Miss Winters, I was wrong. I’ll never dare to frame you again. Miss Winters, I was wrong…” She seemed to have completely lost the normal demeanor she had when asking where I came from. Unable to get any useful information from her, I walked to the corner straw pile and closed my eyes to rest. After running for so long, I was truly exhausted. I was awakened by cold water. Opening my eyes, I saw Ryan standing in front of me with a cold expression, a wooden bucket that had held water at his feet. He yanked me up from the straw pile, gripping my chin and crouching in front of me, his eyes nearly drowning me in impatience. “I told you that you could only move around within the villa. Didn’t you understand?” I suppressed the unease in my heart and answered word by word: “Those people came so fiercely, how was I to know your men would definitely win? Besides, didn’t you already arrange people to intercept me on the road? Whether I ran or not, what difference did it make to you?” He flung my face to the side and stood up, no longer looking at me. “Since you don’t realize you’ve done wrong, then just stay here until you’re willing to admit your mistake.” With that, he left without looking back. Perhaps fearing I would starve to death, Butler Brown came to bring me food at regular intervals. On his tenth visit with a tray, I asked him to let Ryan come see me. When Ryan came, he seemed to be in a good mood. He looked down at me and asked if I realized what I had done wrong. I said my mistake was going to Mexico for vacation and not immediately jumping out of the car when I realized I had been kidnapped. He left in a rage, turning off the small lamp that had been on day and night, and taking away the crazy woman who had been staying with me. The sky outside brightened and darkened seven more times. My psychological defenses had truly reached their limit. When Butler Brown came to deliver lunch, I begged him again. His response was, “The last time you angered the master, I also suffered and had a month’s salary deducted. This time, I dare not so easily pass on your message.” Without a word, I knelt down on the spot, earnestly promising him that I would never think of escaping again and would stay here to serve Ryan well. Only then did he agree to plead my case when Ryan returned that night. Ryan came back in the evening. As soon as he turned on the light, the tears I had been preparing all afternoon gushed out. My hands frantically reached for his body. He frowned slightly in disgust and turned to instruct Butler Brown to take me out of the dungeon. That night, he no longer just held me and muttered those words of love he hadn’t had a chance to say to the real Freya. Instead, he tore off my dress and vented his desires on my body. Before leaving, he put on his clothes and instructed me without turning back: “Have Butler Brown take you to remove that mole on your left cheek later.” Without that mole, I would truly be identical to the former Freya Winters. Knowing I couldn’t successfully escape on my own, I became increasingly obedient. After being a caged bird in the villa for two years, he finally decided to take me out to meet people. I deliberately acted according to what the servants who finally agreed to talk to me described as Freya’s behavior. The wariness in his eyes towards me decreased day by day, replaced by surging love. When he proposed having a child, I also made the most ‘outrageous’ request in two years. “I want to see the company.” He hesitated for a moment before agreeing. The next afternoon, I went to the company with him. His company was located in the courtyard behind a bank. To get there, one had to pass through the bank’s VIP room. Who would have thought that the headquarters of Mexico’s largest drug trafficking organization would be right behind Mexico’s largest bank? Some people in the company recognized my face. They looked at me with eyes full of pity, yet had to respectfully call me ‘Mrs. Carter’. Although I was just a substitute, Ryan’s willingness to bring me to the company already proved that this substitute held no small place in his heart. Ryan held my shoulders and introduced me to their company’s R&D base. With some pride in his voice, he told me that in recent years, many new drugs had been born in this R&D base. He even said that after I gave birth to our baby, he would name a new drug after the baby. I wore a harmless smile on my face, but inside I couldn’t help feeling sick. Naming a drug after my child? What a vicious idea. Yet he could say it so seriously, as if he thought it was some great honor. The moral compass of these drug dealers truly made me, a normal person, unable to comprehend. As he was talking enthusiastically, a middle-aged man ran over breathlessly. He looked at Ryan, then at me, with a troubled expression. I spoke up tactfully: “You two talk. I should head back anyway.” Ryan handed me over to Butler Brown, who had been accompanying us on the side, instructing him to take me back safely. When we reached the bank’s entrance, I suddenly heard someone call out that name I had almost forgotten myself. “Esme Winters?” I froze for two seconds before turning around. The person who called me ran to my side excitedly. It was Ethan White, my nominal brother. “Esme, it really is you. I just called out on a hunch because your back looked familiar.” He scanned me up and down, and seeing I wasn’t missing any limbs, he tentatively asked: “Why haven’t you called home for so long? Uncle Mark and Mom have been looking everywhere for you.” I glanced at Butler Brown, and seeing he was keeping his head down without any intention of intervening, I replied, “I’ve been out of the country and it wasn’t convenient. Now that we’ve run into each other, help me tell them I’m doing well here and they don’t need to worry. I’ll visit when I have the chance.”

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A Reality Dating Show Came to Film in My Mountain Village and Needed a Tour Guide As the only college student in the entire village, this important task naturally fell on my shoulders. I originally planned to be a low-key and responsible tour guide, but who knew the female contestant would pick on me? My family has been wealthy for generations, but did I say anything about it? It’s the 21st century, yet she still judges people by appearances! These dating reality shows nowadays really know how to stir up drama. They could’ve stayed in the big city, but no, they had to come to our remote mountain village to cause a ruckus. Setting up tents, building bonfires. Stargazing, creating romantic vibes. After all that fuss, they realized they forgot the most crucial part for tomorrow – a tour guide. How can they manage without a guide? If someone gets lost in these wild mountains, that would be disastrous. The director took a while to explain the situation to our village chief. After understanding, their requirements were quite high – “Not too rustic, not too ugly”, after all it’s a dating show. “It’d be best if they’re somewhat educated. You know, on a dating show, things might get awkward when two people are alone together.” “That’s when we need a guide who knows how to keep the conversation going.” And just like that, as the only college student in the entire village, this honorable task of being a tour guide fell to me. When the village chief found me, I was taking an afternoon nap on the heated brick bed at home, dreaming of handsome guys. But the moment I saw Gavin, I knew my dreams were just dreams. The girl paired with Gavin really disliked me. Especially when she saw me grinning like an idiot at her partner. That eye roll of hers nearly popped out of its socket. “This mountain girl isn’t quite what I expected,” she said, covering her mouth and giggling halfway through her sentence. “She doesn’t even know to be shy around a handsome guy. I’ve been to the mountains before, and those little girls would blush red at the sight of a guy.” Hearing her sarcastic tone, I didn’t let her off easy. I looked up at her with an innocent expression and asked, “Sister, you’ve been to the mountains before?” “Is that why you’re participating again this time? Because you couldn’t find someone last time?” As soon as I said this, not just the surrounding staff, but even the aloof heartthrob Gavin couldn’t help but look over. I stared at the girl called Bella in front of me, my big eyes blinking with curiosity, yet not appearing too affected. There was no helping it, the mountain air had nourished me well, making me look even younger than my actual age. Plus, my simple clothes made me look like the epitome of a pure and innocent sweetheart. Bella’s face changed colors, going from blue to white, quite a sight to behold. “What nonsense are you spouting, kid? Don’t you know how to respect others?” Oh ho, I couldn’t bear such a big accusation. I immediately put on a hurt expression, tears about to fall. “Hey, hey, hey, what do you mean? I didn’t bully you!” Bella was startled and quickly took a step back. “I just thought Sister Bella was right, I shouldn’t have spoken like that earlier,” I said, pouting pitifully. “I heard my dad say that it’s hard for young ladies in the city to find partners these days. He said it’s not just about high standards for themselves, but also requirements for family background, education, and such.” “When I said that earlier, was I interfering with your chances of dating this brother?” As I said this, my gaze shifted directly to Gavin. Gavin’s eyes were sparkling, probably because he had been secretly laughing earlier, making them look particularly bright. I had heard about Gavin before the show crew came to the mountain. To be honest, it was because of him that I decided to stay in this mountain village for this vacation before the new semester started. Because he was so handsome! “Daughter, are you really staying in the mountains for some pretty boy?” my dad asked when he heard I had my eye on a guy. He immediately had someone investigate his family background. Rich second generation, graduated from a top university, and handsome to boot. He was only appearing as a dating contestant on this show because it was his family’s program, just there to make up the numbers. But in my dad’s eyes, he was just a pretty face, not good enough for me. “I’m just checking him out, Dad. Your daughter has everything, just missing a reliable man.” Hearing me say this, my dad didn’t argue further, and even thought I had a point. “Alright then, anyway, after the crew leaves, we need someone to settle the final payment with them. You can help Dad collect the money then!” Oh, I forgot to mention, the two mountains where the crew is filming belong to my family. It’s an asset left by my grandfather’s generation. He later felt that making money was meaningless, so he stayed on the mountain and became a forest ranger. I grew up on the mountain with him, so I know everything about this place like the back of my hand. But these city folks don’t know my background. They just think I’m some kid who barely managed to get out of the mountains to go to college. So their offensive questions towards me were just brushed off with a laugh, no one took offense, except for Bella whose face was as awkward as a paint palette. Gavin is the type of person with a cold personality, he usually doesn’t say a word about things that don’t concern him. Just when everyone had looked away, Gavin suddenly spoke up, “Yeah, it’s really hard for young ladies in the city to find partners these days.” I saw Gavin’s assistant’s mouth open slightly in surprise. I saw Bella’s face turn as awkward as if she had eaten something terrible. I saw Gavin smiling with his eyes, staring at me. I straightened my back, feeling a sense of pride and confidence bubbling up from within. “Is that so? Then next time I’ll be more careful when talking to sister,” I said. I’m sweet-tongued and capable, so along the way, I led them to all the scenic spots, saving a lot of time for filming. So after half a day, several staff members from the crew were very nice to me. During lunch, they would even slip me some snacks. Bella had been holding back her temper all along, but seeing people taking care of me, her troublemaking radar turned on again. “Oh my, I didn’t notice before,” she raised her chin at her assistant, signaling her to give me all the snacks, “Little sister, you keep these snacks. After all, they’re not common in the mountains.” At this moment, the cameras were rolling, and she acted like some kind angel. But anyone with eyes could see she was just trying to embarrass me. I blinked my eyes and continued to play dumb, my gaze sweeping back and forth over the box of snacks her assistant handed over. “I’ve eaten all these snacks before. Sister, is this your first time eating them? You seem to find them quite novel.” Bella was stunned for a moment, the smile on her face almost instantly freezing, “No, I eat them often. These are specially for you!” “No need to give them to me specially, I eat them often too,” I continued to smile, my attitude polite and friendly. “Besides, sister, you’re amazing. Eating these kinds of snacks often, you must not have such a good figure,” I lowered my head and pinched my little belly, my expression helpless yet cute, “Unlike me.” Bella laughed awkwardly a couple of times, “Your figure is pretty good too.” “Really? I run around these mountains every day, but my figure just isn’t as… unremarkable as sister’s.” My gaze looked Bella up and down, my expression scrunching up as I said the words “unremarkable”. To be honest, I run in the mountains almost every day. The mountains are shaded by green trees, no sunburn and free exercise. If we’re really comparing figures, I’m way better than the delicate Bella. Ignoring Bella’s expression, Gavin was the first to ask in confusion, “You run in these mountains every day?” I turned to look at him and then nodded matter-of-factly, “Yes!” “I heard this area of mountains is special, it’s private property, right?” Gavin was even more confused. “Yes, private property,” I nodded in agreement with what he said, “It belongs to my family.” There was silence for a few seconds, and all the filming staff looked at me differently. Even Bella was so shocked she couldn’t speak. “Your family’s?” Gavin narrowed his eyes, “All these mountains belong to your family?” I made an affirmative sound, stood up and pointed to the farthest mountain they could see, “Yes, they all belong to my family.” “You guys should come play often in the future, I’ll ask my dad to give you a discount.” I’m probably the first person to invite others to play in the mountains. The staff obviously didn’t expect this outcome either. The camera subtly focused on me, completely forgetting that they were filming a dating reality show. But I wasn’t uncomfortable at all, feeling that we had rested enough, I led them to the next destination. “This place is spacious, you can contact the others to come here and set up camp,” I said with a wave of my hand when we arrived. “Set up camp? How far is this from the homestay? I’m not staying in a place like this at night,” Bella spoke up before anyone else could. After saying this, she rolled her big eyes, heavily made up, at me, as if I was the one who had suggested she sleep in a tent. What’s wrong with this woman? If you don’t want to sleep in a tent, why didn’t you tell the crew beforehand? Why are you throwing a fit at me? Bella’s words obviously stunned the director for a moment. “Miss Bella, didn’t we all agree to stay in tents before we came in?” “Who agreed with you? Isn’t staying in tents just for show in front of the camera? In this wild place, with so many insects, what if I get bitten?” City folks are really troublesome. I’ve lived here for years and never been bitten. What, is your blood especially fragrant? Will mosquitoes and bugs specifically bite you? I rolled my eyes on the side and casually found a place to sit down and wait. I thought this was just a conflict between Bella and the crew. Who knew that after arguing for a while, they would point the finger at me. “Didn’t this little girl just say the mountains all belong to her family? What, can’t even arrange a homestay?” I looked up at the helpless director, not understanding how it had become my problem. Gavin came over at this time. “Bella insists on staying at a homestay. The director said they didn’t book that many days, so she’s dragging you into it,” he explained. “She’s being unreasonable. Don’t pay attention to her.” I didn’t want to pay attention to her either, but even if I didn’t say anything, there would still be people coming to pick on me. “Why aren’t you saying anything? Don’t tell me what you said earlier was all lies?” Bella stood in front of me with her hands on her hips. I stared at her, patted my dress, stood up, and smiled openly, “Fine, you just want to stay at a homestay for a while? Come with me!” Our mountain village is poor. Later, when my family became wealthy, we helped out the neighbors in various ways, leading them to better lives. So sometimes, my words carry more weight than the village chief’s. It’s just staying at a homestay for a few more days. When the village chief heard about it, he agreed without even asking for rent. Bella got her wish, but it allowed me to steal the spotlight in front of everyone, making her look at me with even more displeasure. But what could she do even if she was displeased? This is my territory, I have plenty of ways to teach you a lesson. After settling Bella, almost everyone in the crew was exhausted. The director, thinking of everyone’s well-being, decided to just rest for the day. “Is today’s filming over?” I stood at the entrance of the homestay, looking around, then waved over the village chief. “Yeah, we’ve been busy all day. We’re going back to take a hot shower and then prepare to sleep,” the director said, glancing at Bella beside him, his implication clear. If it wasn’t for her insisting on not staying in tents, everyone could have rested earlier. As we were talking, we saw the village chief slowly driving over in a bus. “Everyone get on the bus, bring all your luggage,” I said. “All our luggage?” The director was confused for a moment. I nodded with a smile, “I’m taking you to a nice place.” The so-called nice place was actually the villa my brother built halfway up the mountain. Five stories high, in a secluded location with few people around, perfect as a base for their crew. When the bus stopped, the director and others were dumbfounded. “Everyone can stay here today. There’s hot spring water in the rooms for a good bath, and there’s a restaurant on the second floor. The food is quite ordinary, so please don’t mind,” I explained. “This… this is your home?” The director reacted, his eyes full of envy as he spoke. “It’s just something my brother built for fun when he had nothing better to do. But there are too many rooms, I don’t dare stay here alone usually,” I smiled slightly, my tone nonchalant. The director’s eyes wavered, but he still rubbed his hands, “This is too much, we can’t impose…” “What’s there to impose? Otherwise, it would just be empty,” I continued to smile, “Everyone will be staying in the mountains for a month, there will definitely be various discomforts. At least the sleeping place should be comfortable, right?”

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My sister was deceived by a married woman, losing both her money and her virtue, and ended up unexpectedly pregnant. She had no job and no savings. I advised her not to keep the baby, but she said she believed in God and absolutely couldn’t abort the child, or it would be sinful and affect her luck. Yet after the child was born, she dumped him on me to raise while she went off to see the world. I spent half my life struggling to raise my nephew until he went to college, then my sister came back! She told my nephew, “You don’t know, back then your aunt kept trying to convince me to abort you. Then after you were born, she hogged you all to herself… You’re the precious baby I gave birth to, how could I not love you?” My nephew hated me bitterly because of this. He got into a car accident. I desperately pushed him out of the way, and ended up being hit and thrown over 30 feet. As I lay dying, the dear nephew I had raised with such hardship cradled my broken body and sneered softly, “You almost prevented me from coming into this world, then kept me apart from my mom for so long, depriving me of maternal love since childhood! Your life and the compensation money can be your atonement!” A white light engulfed me, taking me back to the day my sister Diana knocked on my door, her belly just starting to show her pregnancy. I opened my eyes to find my sister Diana sitting in front of me, sobbing as she asked, “Sam, you’re all I have now. What do you think? Should I keep this baby or not?” I pulled a coin from my pocket and placed it in her hand. “Sis, don’t you believe in God? He’ll guide you to the right answer! Flip it!”

Diana stared at the coin in bewilderment, looking at me in disbelief. Based on her understanding of me, she expected that I would strongly advise her to terminate the pregnancy. But even if she insisted on keeping it, I would inevitably end up taking care of both her and the child. Once I became attached to the baby, she would exploit my guilt over initially suggesting an abortion to manipulate me into sacrificing everything for her. After all, this tactic had always worked for her in the past. Diana and I were only a year apart. Our parents passed away early, so we relied on relatives’ support and my scholarships to get by since middle school. I knew that education was the only way to change our fate, so except for part-time jobs on weekends and holidays, I devoted every minute to studying. Hard work pays off – I consistently ranked at the top of my class and won numerous scholarships. This money was even enough to cover our daily living expenses. But Diana was different. She loved reading romance novels and always fantasized about being the Mary Sue heroine in those stories. She focused all her attention on boys, only going to school to scout for potential “blue-chip stocks” among her male classmates who might be worth investing in for the long term. By the time college entrance exams rolled around, knowing her grades weren’t good enough for university and she could only get into a mediocre vocational school at best, her dreams of finding a campus “blue chip” were shattered. So she set her sights on “falling for a domineering CEO” and turned her attention to the real world instead. “Sam, with my grades, do you think there’s any point in continuing school? I feel like I might as well start working and save some money…” With core subject scores barely over 100 points combined, I judged from our living conditions at the time that there really wasn’t much point in her continuing her education. So I simply said “Okay,” not realizing I would pay a steep price for that one word for the rest of my life! When she couldn’t find a suitable job, she blamed me, saying if I had supported her continuing school, she would at least have a diploma. When she couldn’t find a suitable man, she also blamed me, saying if I had supported her continuing school, she wouldn’t be looked down upon by the guy’s family for her low education level… Out of guilt, I supported her through my work-study program in college. To save money, I didn’t even dare to date. Every holiday I worked multiple jobs like crazy, just so she could live a bit better while unemployed at home. It wasn’t until later that I found out she was using the money I worked so hard to earn, along with loans, to buy designer goods and create a fake rich girl persona to attract men… She had pulled this kind of stunt countless times since we were young – posing tricky questions to set me up, then using emotional blackmail when I fell for it. Unfortunately, in my past life, I valued our blood ties too much and willingly let her control me. But after I died, as my soul floated in the air, I saw that the car accident was actually orchestrated by her and her son. They gambled that I would certainly sacrifice my life for the nephew I had raised with my own hands. They took my compensation money and occupied my house… yet when they received my ashes, they immediately tossed the urn into the garbage. Everything from my past life flashed through my mind. The heartache and bone-deep hatred made me wish I could be reborn to tear them to pieces. Thankfully, heaven is just. My wish for rebirth came true.

“Sis, why aren’t you flipping it? Don’t you believe in God?” Seeing she still hadn’t reacted, I waved my hand in front of her face. She looked embarrassed and reluctantly picked up the coin, saying, “Fine then. God, please guide me – heads I keep it, tails I don’t!” The coin flew into the air and landed on the table. “It’s heads. God wants you to keep it! So go ahead and have the baby with confidence!” Diana used to work at a jewelry store and had an affair with her married boss. That sly old fox brainwashed her into becoming religious, then after she was hooked, he kept coming up with new religious items for her to buy and worship – bronze statues, jade figurines, all kinds of amulets… Not only did she spend all her wages, she often borrowed money from me too. I say “borrowed,” but I was used to her never paying me back. Now that she was pregnant, that man said his wife had found out and told Diana to move out of the apartment he had rented for her immediately. “But if I have the baby, neither of us will have anywhere to live.” Diana’s eyes greedily scanned the house I was currently living in, looking slightly pitiful as she spoke. This house was supposed to be the marital home for me and my boyfriend Kevin. In my past life, when Diana insisted on keeping the baby and had nowhere to go, she pulled out her usual emotional blackmail tactics to make me take her in. I was blind and foolish enough to agree, which led to a whole mess of trouble later on, ending in my untimely death. So this time, I had to nip it in the bud. “That’s easy to solve. Mom and Dad’s old house is still empty. What a coincidence – Aunt Zhang from next door called me the other day saying she opened a small convenience store and wants to hire someone to help run it. You can stay at the old house and help her mind the store. You’ll earn money while being able to rest during your pregnancy. After you give birth, if it’s a boy, won’t that jewelry store boss welcome you back home like a goddess?” Diana seemed to feel I was different from before. She looked at me with confusion in her eyes, but also seemed to think what I said made sense. To prevent her from overthinking it, I immediately called Aunt Zhang to finalize the arrangement. Now we just had to wait for Kevin to get off work and drive her back. “But I still feel…” Diana was still hesitating. I quickly cut her off, “Relax, don’t you think this is God’s will? His arrangements always have a reason. Everything happens for the best. You just need to go along with it…” After all, she used to brainwash me the same way in my past life. She caused chaos in my home with her pregnant belly, single-handedly ruining my relationship with Kevin’s family. In the end, Kevin and I were forced to break up and move out, but he left the house to me. She patted my shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, God’s arrangements always have a reason. Everything happens for the best. He’s telling you Kevin isn’t right for you…” The night Kevin moved out, she immediately occupied my master bedroom, claiming the guest room was too uncomfortable for her big belly. This time, I absolutely would not allow such things to happen. I refuse to give up the man who loved me most in my past life, and the mother-in-law who treated me like her own daughter, for these two ungrateful wolves again.

After sending Diana back to the old house, I immediately dragged Kevin to get our marriage license. Kevin held the certificate, staring at me blankly. “Honey, pinch me. Am I dreaming?” This fool, in my past life after breaking up with me, actually stayed single and never remarried. When he heard the news of my death, unable to find my grave, he took the only coat of mine left at his place and made a simple memorial for me. He would talk to it at the “grave” every day. I had been holding back my emotions while Diana was here, afraid of giving myself away. Now that she was gone, I hugged Kevin and burst into tears. “It’s not you dreaming. I had a big dream, but thankfully I woke up.” I briefly told Kevin about my rebirth. At first, he didn’t quite believe it. I told him the company would send him on a business trip to Jiangzhou in a few days, and he must go no matter what. In my past life, Diana had only been living with us for a few days when Kevin’s mom came to visit. Diana went through our bedroom drawers while we were out and his mom caught her. They got into an argument. His mom held back since Diana was pregnant, but Diana kept pushing and ended up shoving her. His mom hit her head on the table corner… As a result, Kevin had to give up the business trip opportunity to another colleague to take care of his hospitalized mother. That colleague, who was inferior to Kevin in both seniority and ability, signed a multi-million dollar contract on the trip and got promoted upon return. He ended up suppressing Kevin at work for the next 20 years, leaving Kevin depressed and unfulfilled in his career. Sure enough, on the third day after his mother came to stay with us this time, Kevin received notice to go on the Jiangzhou business trip. This time, without Diana here, I got along great with his mom, so naturally there was nothing to interfere with his trip. Now Kevin fully believed my rebirth story. He had always listened to me when we were dating, and now he was even more attentive. To our surprise, just after we sent Kevin off to the airport, we saw Diana standing at our door with her luggage. “Sam! You’re finally back!” “Let me tell you, Aunt Zhang’s cooking is terrible. I’m used to your food!” “And you know what? Her convenience store opens at 9 am. You know I can’t get up that early as a pregnant woman!” “How can a pregnant woman live like that? It’s not right, is it…” She kept rambling non-stop as soon as she entered, until she saw the guest room – the one she used to stay in – now fully occupied with Kevin’s mom’s things. She finally closed her mouth and looked at me. “What’s this?” “Oh sis, I was going to call and tell you. Kevin and I got married! Mom has moved in to live with us!” I said with a smile, holding his mom’s hand. She was stunned for a moment. She had always brainwashed me, telling me that except for her, my in-laws were all outsiders, especially my future mother-in-law – getting close to her would make me miserable. Now that I had invited my mother-in-law to live with us, she looked at me with a “have you lost your mind” expression. Without even greeting Kevin’s mom, she pulled me into the bedroom to talk privately. “Seriously, Samantha? Did you completely ignore everything I told you? Didn’t I say Kevin’s mom is trouble? You even invited her to live here! Are you trying to get me killed?? And this house only has two bedrooms. If she’s staying here, where am I supposed to…” I made a “shh” gesture and pulled her to the bay window. I had set up a small altar there with a $5 jade Guanyin statue I bought online. “Sis, keep your voice down. Don’t disturb the Buddha…” “What’s this?” Diana looked confused again. No matter how she tried to brainwash me before, I always seemed immune to all that superstitious nonsense. I often advised her not to waste money on it. Now how had I suddenly become so devout? “Sis, you don’t know! Thanks to your faith, Buddha has blessed me too! He came to me in a dream and said Kevin is my true soulmate. He also said Kevin must live with his mother and be filial to receive blessings and success in his career.” “Guess what? I followed Buddha’s guidance and invited his mom to stay just a few days ago. Today Kevin was sent on a multi-million dollar project in Jiangzhou. If he closes the deal, not only is his promotion guaranteed, but there’s a big bonus too. We might even upgrade to a three-bedroom place soon…” “His mom is indeed difficult to please, but what can we do? She’s our money tree now. Even if you begged me, I wouldn’t want you to suffer her temper while pregnant.” “Besides, I heard the jewelry boss’s wife is looking for you everywhere. You listed my address when you applied for that job, right? What if she finds you here? All your efforts would be wasted.” “Stay at the old house a bit longer. I’ll bring you out when the time is right.” Hearing my grand promises, Diana’s previously dull eyes suddenly lit up with stars. Given how well she thought she could manipulate me, my husband getting rich was as good as her getting rich. When we came out of the bedroom, she looked at Kevin’s mom like she was the Queen Mother, bowing and scraping, calling her “Auntie” this and that. Now it was Kevin’s mom’s turn to look bewildered…

In reality, Kevin’s mom wasn’t difficult to please at all. She treated me better than my own mother. Thinking of how I had sided with Diana in my past life, disappointing her again and again… Yet even when Kevin wanted to leave me the house he had paid the down payment for after we broke up, she didn’t object. I felt so guilty and ashamed. After getting rid of Diana, I took my usually frugal mother-in-law on a shopping spree at the mall. “You two just got married. You’ll have plenty of expenses. Don’t waste money on me…” “Mom, don’t worry. Kevin and I are both getting promotions soon. Money won’t be an issue. But for the next year, we’ll need to go work in another city. Please help us take care of the house while we’re gone. Don’t let anyone in…” At this point, Kevin’s mom still hadn’t realized how awful Diana was. She only knew from our past interactions that I was a “sister enabler.” She had wanted to advise me through Kevin several times. Now seeing that I had woken up on my own, her eyes were full of relief. She assured us she would guard the house steadfastly while we were away. Soon, Kevin returned from his trip having successfully closed the deal as I predicted. The company wasted no time promoting and giving him a raise. The catch was a one-year training assignment at the Jiangzhou branch. This time, I didn’t hesitate to apply for a transfer to Jiangzhou with my company as well, so we could go together. Firstly, this way our relationship wouldn’t be affected by long distance. Secondly, it would help me avoid Diana’s frequent harassment during this time. Most importantly, I knew from my memories that the newly built industrial park in Jiangzhou would place a big order with our company branch in a few months due to production needs. In my past life, that order had fallen into the lap of a receptionist who happened to be filing her nails at the right time. This time, I prepared all the materials in advance and actively pitched to the procurement team at the industrial park before they even started looking for suppliers. I stayed in close contact with them and submitted my proposal to my company early. Opportunity favors the prepared. A few months later, I successfully landed that order as planned. A six-figure bonus was promptly deposited into my account. Of course, Diana hadn’t stopped bothering me during this time. I fended her off using God’s name each time. Aunt Zhang called me every few days, saying Diana was acting strange. She kept buying jade Buddha statues for the house, starving herself, and using all her wages on constant offerings, hoping God would bless her like He blessed me. A few months later, when she realized God hadn’t helped her at all and in fact made her life worse, she set all those jade Buddhas on fire in a rage! Knowing we had gone out of town and she couldn’t easily come find us with her big belly, Diana secretly went to our house. Who would have thought she’d open the door to find Kevin’s mom playing cards with his two aunts… Kevin’s mom is a smart woman – a retired executive from a state-owned enterprise who was known as an “iron lady” in her younger days. In my past life, she had voluntarily taken on the task of caring for Diana so I could focus on work, squeezing herself onto a tiny bed in less than 20 square feet by the entrance. Yet Diana kept coming up with new ways to make things difficult for her every day, trying to drive her away. To avoid making things awkward for me, Kevin’s mom kept putting up with it. This time, with my blessing, she went all out to fight back. Diana was no match for her at all and kept getting sent away defeated, unable to even set foot inside! A year later, Kevin’s training period ended. I also applied to return and compete for a leadership position in my department, based on my outstanding performance. Diana must have gotten wind of this somehow. She was already waiting at our doorstep with her three-month-old nephew when we arrived…

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After losing passion with my husband, I asked my best friend to take me to relax, who knew that she had taken me to a different club, and experienced a night that I will never forget in my life …… Yesterday, I had a fierce argument with my husband Kevin over his ambiguous relationship with a female colleague. Kevin is an executive at an international trading company. Young, successful, and handsome, he’s often surrounded by women with ulterior motives. We’ve argued countless times about this. Yesterday, I decided to surprise him by bringing lunch to his office. To my dismay, I walked in on a voluptuous woman in a low-cut top, leaning over his shoulder under the pretense of delivering documents. My temper flared, and we ended up in a heated argument. That night, Kevin didn’t come home. He always uses this tactic when we fight. Trembling with anger and feeling lost, I impulsively decided to visit my best friend Rachel. Little did I know that this spontaneous decision would alter the course of my life. Rachel and I are close enough to know each other’s door codes. I called her first, but there was no answer. Assuming she was asleep, I decided to go over unannounced. At her place, I used the code to let myself in. As I reached the living room, I heard passionate moans coming from her bedroom. Confused, I wondered, “Isn’t her husband on a year-long business trip?” Then a shocking thought crossed my mind – Rachel was cheating! Driven by curiosity, I crept to her bedroom door. Through the crack, I saw two entwined bodies. The man’s body was young and muscular, his strong arms gripping Rachel’s slender waist. Her pale skin contrasted with his chocolate-colored body as they moved together rhythmically. Rachel was indeed cheating! And with a younger man! I had only dared to fantasize about such things in my loneliest moments. But beyond my embarrassment, I realized I felt… envious. In all my years of marriage, I had never experienced such passion. Our intimate moments were always rushed and perfunctory. Deep down, I longed for a young, vigorous man to satisfy me thoroughly… As I stood there, lost in my thoughts, I heard the bathroom door open behind me. A startled voice called out, “Who’s there?” Snapped back to reality, I realized the sounds from the bedroom had stopped abruptly. Rachel and her companion were now staring at me. … “I… I didn’t mean to… I called but you didn’t answer, so I…” I stammered, trying to explain to Rachel. To my surprise, she waved it off nonchalantly, dismissed the two young men in her room, and casually pulled me to the couch to chat as if nothing had happened. “Another fight with Kevin?” she asked, seeming unsurprised. Seeing that she didn’t seem to mind what I’d witnessed, I let out a sigh of relief and poured out all my frustrations. To my shock, after listening, she rolled her eyes at me. “If he’s out there fooling around, why don’t you do the same?” she said bluntly. Then, to my amazement, she started telling me about the two young men I’d just seen. She said they were personal trainers. I’d heard of that profession before, but I knew it was often a cover for more illicit services. At first, I refused. But Rachel, undeterred, pulled out her phone and showed me a video she’d taken. In the video, she was lying on a hotel bed. At her feet were several shirtless, muscular men kissing her feet… As Rachel’s moans grew louder in the video, I lowered my head in embarrassment. … I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued. But as an educated adult, I found it hard to justify something that went against my moral principles. “I can’t… I’m married. If Kevin found out…” “You’re so considerate of Kevin, but has he ever considered you?” Rachel interrupted impatiently, then grabbed my hand. “Emily, I can’t stand seeing you so uptight. You’re coming out with me right now!” That night, I reluctantly put on the clothes Rachel had prepared for me, and she took me to a private club in the city center… Rachel gave her name at the front desk, and we were led to a private room. The lighting was soft and intimate, and the decor was luxurious, reminiscent of a five-star hotel suite. In the dim light from the large TV screen, I saw several sofa beds and three scantily clad men. As soon as they saw us, they approached with welcoming smiles, taking our bags. “Hello, ladies,” they greeted us. They all had incredibly fit bodies, clearly the result of rigorous training, and handsome faces too. They were obviously carefully selected for this job. They wore only tight shorts, showing off their strong shoulders and toned abs. Looking at their impressive physiques and the subtle contours beneath their shorts, I couldn’t help but blush. Youth certainly has its advantages. Rachel had been quietly observing my reactions. Seeing my shy demeanor, she smiled with satisfaction. “Come on, don’t just stand there. Why don’t you help this lady relax?” she said, pushing me into the arms of one of the young men, giving me a conspiratorial wink. “Don’t be so uptight. You’re here now, so just enjoy yourself. Stop worrying about that unfaithful man of yours. You might as well have some fun too!” “What about you, Rachel?” asked a dark-haired young man as he stepped forward with a grin. His skin was deeply tanned, and I immediately recognized him as the man from Rachel’s house earlier. Rachel had mentioned his name was Jason. Jason put his arm around Rachel’s neck and asked, “The usual?” “Of course,” Rachel replied, wrapping her arms around his neck, her eyes smoldering. “We weren’t quite finished earlier. Let’s continue.” With that, they began kissing passionately, seemingly oblivious to our presence. Rachel boldly pushed Jason onto the sofa behind them and started to remove her clothes, swaying her hips seductively. She was so daring. The young man was visibly aroused, his eyes reddening with desire. He pulled Rachel down and climbed on top of her. Completely uninhibited, they began their passionate encounter right in front of us. The previously quiet room was soon filled with suggestive sounds. In the throes of passion, Rachel’s pale feet were stretched taut, and she couldn’t suppress her moans of pleasure. I could feel the man holding me begin to breathe more heavily, his body responding to the scene before us. “Does having an audience excite you, babe?” Jason asked teasingly. “You’re one to talk… I’ve never seen you this enthusiastic before…” Rachel replied breathlessly. Although I was married, our intimate life had always been conventional. Witnessing such an erotic scene and hearing the intense sounds of their lovemaking left me breathless. This was a bit too much… Rachel, her eyes hazy and cheeks flushed, noticed my reaction. Between stifled moans, she turned to me and said, “Sweetie, see? There’s nothing to be afraid of. Kevin wronged you first, so why shouldn’t you do the same?” She then wrapped her legs tightly around Jason’s waist. “Honey, let’s go to the inner room. I want to use some toys,” she purred. “Whatever you want, babe,” Jason replied, picking her up. He exchanged a knowing look with the man holding me, and the three of them disappeared into an adjoining room. Soon after the door closed, we could hear Rachel’s excited cries. Hearing their activities, the man holding me, whose name was Mark, finally spoke up. “Would you like to relax here first? Or should we go straight to a private room?” he asked, his hands naturally falling to my hips, his body heat making me shiver. “I… I don’t know,” I replied nervously, lowering my head to avoid his gaze. Mark chuckled softly at my response. “You’re so gentle. It must be your first time here, so you’re probably feeling shy. How about we just go to a private room?” The implication in his words was clear even to the most naive person. I felt my face flush again. But this time, I didn’t refuse. “Okay,” I whispered. The private room was set up for intimacy. A warm yellow light illuminated a large circular bed draped with gauzy curtains. Opposite the bed was a full-length mirror. You could clearly see yourself on the bed… Several pieces of lacy lingerie were laid out on the bed. This kind of sensual setup was something Kevin had never provided for me. Imagining what was about to happen, my heart started racing. Noticing my reaction, Mark smiled and pulled me into his arms. “Your heart is beating so fast. Don’t be nervous. Just think of me as your young boyfriend,” he said soothingly. Seeing his initiative, and considering we were already in the room, I tried to convince myself to go along with it. I turned and buried myself in his embrace. His body really was impressive. It reminded me of my first love from my youth, when we first became intimate. The firm feel of his muscles sent waves of excitement through me. It had been so long since I’d been this close to such a young, testosterone-filled body… “So you like pecs, huh?” Mark whispered, kissing my ear lightly. “But my abs are pretty good too. Want to feel them? Or… maybe you’d like to touch somewhere else?” His words grew more suggestive, his breath on my ear increasingly hot, his large hands beginning to roam over my body. I was starting to lose control. But a small part of my mind still clung to reason. “But… I’m married. Isn’t this wrong?” I asked, my mind still conflicted. Even though we had progressed this far, when I closed my eyes, I could still see Kevin’s cold, disdainful face. This thought prevented me from fully giving in, even though Mark and I were nearly naked. I felt so confused. “Does your husband treat you well?” Mark suddenly asked, his hand sliding to a sensitive area. Feeling the tremors he was causing, I couldn’t help but recall Kevin’s indifference towards me. “I… I don’t know,” I replied hesitantly. “I think you’re just making excuses for him. If he treated you well enough, you wouldn’t be here, would you?” Mark said softly. His words hit me hard, seeming to release all my pent-up tension and guilt. I began to cry quietly. “How about I give you a massage? You’re so tense,” Mark offered. “Okay,” I agreed. At this point, I had started to let go of my inner conflict and accept this somewhat absurd situation. I allowed him to remove the last of my clothing and begin massaging my entire body. Although he called it a massage, his hands never stayed in appropriate places, constantly teasing and arousing me. Just as I closed my eyes, ready to fully enjoy the experience, we suddenly heard Jason’s voice from next door. “Babe, can you wear this?” “I want to try the largest size.” His words were followed by Rachel’s passionate cries. I was surprised they were using such intense toys… But then again, Rachel had studied abroad for years, and her ex was a blonde, blue-eyed foreigner. It made sense that she’d be more open-minded… The two rooms were very close, separated only by a thin wall. Rachel’s increasingly loud cries filled my ears. Combined with Mark’s hands roaming my body, I soon found myself responding… I could no longer suppress my inner desires. I threw myself at Mark, and we became entangled. Soon, I too was lost in passion, just like Rachel. He was truly experienced, knowing more positions than even I, a mature woman, could imagine. After all, I had been somewhat of a campus beauty in college. At first, I was able to maintain some control, matching his movements. But when he opened a nearby drawer and I saw the blindfolds and other toys prepared in advance, I lost all reason. Those things were downright kinky. I tried to shy away, stimulated by the sight, but Mark’s testosterone-filled body pressed me down firmly. “Don’t think about anything, just enjoy,” he whispered. And so, in the end, I blacked out from pleasure. In my hazy state, I only felt Mark lifting me up and walking towards the door. I didn’t know what he was planning. My mind was blank until I felt a cold sensation on my back, slowly bringing me back to awareness. He had carried me out of the room. I was now lying on a table, directly in front of the window of the private room. Mark hadn’t separated from me. Noticing my movement, he smiled slightly. “Exciting, isn’t it?” he asked. “Mmm…” I buried my face in his chest, greedily inhaling his scent. “Ah… if only my husband paid half as much attention to me as you do, I’d be content,” I sighed. At this point, I had completely let go of my reservations, boldly expressing my emptiness to him. This statement seemed to stimulate Mark. His arms tightened around me, and he became even more passionate. Just as I was about to reach another peak, I suddenly heard several gasps nearby. I turned my head to look. Rachel and Jason had also come out, and in other corners of the room, several other couples were entwined. Their cries of pleasure soon drowned out ours. My gaze was fixed on Rachel. Under the efforts of two young men, she had completely lost her senses, her movements and sounds growing increasingly frantic. Compared to Mark, Jason’s skills were clearly superior. Seeing her eyes glazed over and her face flushed, I suddenly imagined myself in a similar situation with Jason. I was certain he was interested in me too. When we first arrived, his gaze had lingered on me, like a predator eyeing its prey. Although I appeared reserved, I secretly craved some contrast. But Kevin could never satisfy me in this way. However, I quickly banished these wild thoughts from my mind. I really couldn’t sink any lower… But Mark beneath me had already been captivated by Rachel’s seductive display. He stopped moving and deliberately held me, waiting for quite some time. It wasn’t until Rachel and Jason had finished that he carried me over to them and said, “Shall we try something new?” “Sure, what did you have in mind?” Jason rolled over and got up, his gaze falling on my half-conscious form. Finally, the two exchanged a knowing look. Seeing Jason’s predatory gaze, I suddenly sobered up, feeling weak in the knees. I understood what they were suggesting. But we had just… I looked pleadingly at Rachel for help, but to my surprise, she didn’t object at all. In fact, she seemed excited, urging the two men to get started. I didn’t want to spoil their fun. After Rachel’s persistent coaxing, I gave in and went along with them…

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