My roommate, Stacy, had this takeout-thieving habit. One day, she went too far – she scarfed the food my online gaming buddy, “ShadowStrike,” had ordered for me. Later, ShadowStrike sends me a screen-grab from the delivery guy’s camera and hits me with, “You look like that? How dare you even talk to me? Gross!” He dumps me and immediately hooks up with “Valkyrie,” the top female gamer in our scene. Everyone starts posting pics of Valkyrie, laughing at me, “Look at the whale who got dumped. Serves you right!” “You’re no match for Valkyrie! She’s gorgeous and a gaming god!” I stare at the picture… and freeze. Isn’t that… me?

My Sister’s Boyfriend Was a Thrill-Seeker. He’d say, “Let’s try something different,” and next thing you know, my sister was getting her ears gauged. It wasn’t long before her ears got infected, and she was in excruciating pain. For her own safety, I told our parents about it, and she finally cut ties with that dude. But instead of thanking me, she held a grudge. One night, while I was sleeping, she straight-up suffocated me with a pillow. I blinked, and suddenly, I was back in time, right when my sister was bouncing around the idea of getting her ears pierced.

Ever since my husband Mike Sterling’s parents, Helen Sterling and Robert Sterling, retired, they’ve been bored out of their minds. So they made a rule: whoever gets pregnant first gets the family heirloom pendant and that vacant luxury apartment. As it turned out, Mike’s sister Amber Reed got pregnant before I did, but it wasn’t long before she was diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy. The doctor said she had to terminate immediately, or her life would be in danger. She came to me, wanting me—a medical professional—to help her save the baby. I patiently explained that ectopic pregnancies can’t be reversed, no doctor would take that risk, and the best course of action was immediate termination. After Christmas, I gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Helen gave me the treasured pendant, Robert transferred the apartment deed to my name, Mike spent all his time doting on me and the baby, and the whole family spoiled me rotten. When Amber came back, the more she thought about it, the more she felt neglected. One day, when no one was home, she actually pushed me off the thirtieth floor. “Aren’t you supposed to be an OB-GYN expert? How could you not treat an ectopic pregnancy? You deliberately refused to help me so you could steal everything that should have been mine!” When I opened my eyes again, I was back to that day—the moment when Amber came to me for help, begging me to “reverse” her ectopic pregnancy. ***** I was standing in the familiar living room again. Amber stood in front of me, furiously throwing a medical report onto the coffee table. “Dora! You know what? That doctor just told me to abort my baby! Does she have no conscience at all! “I spent so much money on that specialist appointment, and she can’t even handle a simple ectopic pregnancy! Those incompetent doctors—I curse them all to have bad luck!” Then she completely changed her tone, putting on a smile as she sat down next to me, her voice becoming entirely different. “Dora, you’re an expert at the city’s top hospital. You’re definitely way better than those people. This little thing should be a piece of cake for you, right?” She said the exact same thing in my previous life. Back then, I took my medical responsibilities seriously and told her that ectopic pregnancies could lead to miscarriage at best, or internal bleeding and life-threatening complications at worst. Her condition was a tubal pregnancy—the most dangerous type of ectopic pregnancy. If it ruptured, the consequences would be catastrophic. So I firmly advised her to follow the doctor’s recommendation and terminate the pregnancy. Amber flew into a rage on the spot. But eventually, after repeated persuasion from me and the doctors, her husband Jason Reed and Helen had no choice but to force her into the operating room. Although the surgery removed one of her fallopian tubes, at least it saved her life. But later, when I got pregnant and had my baby, Robert and Helen transferred almost all the family assets to my name. Amber completely lost it, convinced that I had killed her baby for the inheritance. She actually pushed me off the thirtieth floor with her own hands. Thinking about this, I looked at Amber’s complex expression and smiled slightly. “Amber, I’m not skilled enough to gamble with someone’s life. You should find a more capable doctor.” Amber’s face immediately turned cold, her eyes sharp as knives. “Oh, so now that you’re a big hospital doctor, you look down on us poor relatives?” She suddenly changed her expression again, demanding, “You’re not pregnant yourself, are you? Are you trying to use this opportunity to get rid of my baby so you can take all of Mom and Dad’s stuff for yourself?” She suddenly grabbed my waist like a madwoman, insisting on feeling around my stomach, as if she’d attack me the moment I nodded. Remembering the tearing agony of falling from that high-rise in my previous life, I felt chills all over. I knew clearly that if I continued to get entangled with her, she might really lose control. Then I suddenly remembered her previous life’s fabricated story about our “conflicting star charts.” I went along with it, saying, “Didn’t you believe in that astrologer? He said our zodiac signs are completely opposed and our birth charts don’t match. Do you really still want me to help with your pregnancy?”

When Amber heard me say this, the anger on her face visibly subsided. I quickly continued, “Haven’t you always said that astrologer is the direct disciple of some master in the occult world? His star chart readings must be incredibly accurate! If it weren’t for his protection, how could you have gotten pregnant so quickly?” Amber immediately lifted her chin, looking incredibly proud. “Of course! He said I was destined to live a wealthy life!” She didn’t forget to glare at me after saying this. “Stay away from me. If you mess up the stellar alignment in my belly, I’ll never forgive you! Once my child is born, Mom and Dad’s assets will naturally be mine. Since you still have some sense, I’ll give you a bit of that land back home, but don’t expect anything else.” “Stay away from me. If you mess up the stellar alignment in my belly, I’ll never forgive you! Once my child is born, Mom and Dad’s assets will naturally be mine. Since you still have some sense, I’ll give you a bit of that land back home, but don’t expect anything else.” Watching her smug expression, I nodded and smiled on the surface, but inside I was already rolling my eyes. This time I’ll just watch how you manage to keep your so-called “chosen child.” After that, I used the excuse of “conflicting star charts” to move back to the apartment I’d bought before marriage, taking Mike with me. This time, without the drama of Amber’s ectopic pregnancy, I actually got pregnant two months earlier. The first thing I did was tear up the pregnancy test report from the hospital and throw it straight into the trash, determined not to say a word. Soon it was Helen’s birthday, and I couldn’t get out of it, so I had to accompany Mike to celebrate Helen’s birthday. At the dinner table, everyone had steak, vegetable platters, and red wine, but in front of Amber was a bottle of murky yellow liquid and several swollen dried figs. As soon as I sat across from her, the putrid smell hit me, but Amber was eating with great focus, as if she were enjoying gourmet cuisine. After dinner, I wandered around upstairs and passed by her room, noticing the door was slightly ajar. I couldn’t help but peek inside. What I saw nearly scared me unconscious on the spot. Amber was taking a large handful of dried figs and forcefully shoving them into her private parts. Her face was flushed red, and she was groaning in pain. Not satisfied with one handful, she used a rolling pin to force in a second handful, then a third, her movements becoming increasingly violent. When she pulled out the rolling pin, it was covered in blood streaks and a white substance, making me nearly vomit on the spot. Just then, her phone rang. Unable to free her hands, she put it on speaker. “Hello? Amber, how are you feeling about that batch of prepared figs and the purification liquid you’ve been consuming lately?” A man’s voice came through the phone, with a mystical tone. Amber quickly switched to a flattering voice: “I feel amazing! My whole spirit and energy are completely different!” “Very good. I’ll bring you a new bottle of purification liquid tomorrow. Remember to soak the figs yourself – at least overnight before eating them. There can’t be any mistakes.” “Okay, thank you!” At that moment, I finally understood the source of those disgusting things on her plate. I practically flew out of the room and rushed to the flower bed to dry heave, nearly throwing up bile. I had suspected that so-called “astrologer” might concoct some weird remedies, but I never imagined it would be this revolting. Robert saw my pale face and quickly handed me a bottle of water. “What’s wrong? Did you eat something bad?” I waved him off, telling him not to worry. Actually, Helen and Robert had long noticed something was wrong with what Amber was eating. When they asked her, she stubbornly insisted it was spiritual healing cuisine. I knew they would come to me eventually. Sure enough, not long after, I saw Helen and Robert dragging Amber into the clinic, looking frantic. “Dora, Amber has been vomiting constantly and has bloody stools. We really don’t know what to do. Do you think it might be related to all that weird stuff she’s been eating?” Helen and Robert kept winking at me, clearly wanting me to take the bait. They wanted to use me as their pawn, but I wasn’t stupid enough to be their scapegoat. I feigned surprise and said with forced composure, “Hasn’t Amber always said she’s eating a special diet prescribed by that astrologer? He’s supposedly quite famous in spiritual circles – how could he be wrong? Besides, my star chart seriously conflicts with Amber’s. If it really affects the child and something goes wrong, I can’t take responsibility for that.” Amber immediately exploded: “Exactly! How dare you question the astrologer! This is disrespectful to the cosmic will! If anything happens to me and my child, it’s all your fault! You’re clearly biased and want Mike to inherit the family business, so you don’t want me to have this baby. Are you trying to force me to my death?” Amber immediately exploded: “Exactly! How dare you question the astrologer! This is disrespectful to the cosmic will! If anything happens to me and my child, it’s all your fault! You’re clearly biased and want Mike to inherit the family business, so you don’t want me to have this baby. Are you trying to force me to my death?”

Amber suddenly rushed to the clinic window, making a gesture as if she was about to jump. Fortunately, Helen and Robert desperately held her back, preventing the situation from escalating. After she left, I noticed a pool of blood on the chair where she had been sitting, with several rotten figs scattered nearby. I immediately felt nauseous again and nearly threw up my lunch. Over the next few days, Helen called me daily, crying while begging for my help. She said Amber was no longer satisfied with just one bottle of “purification water” a day—she was now using it as her regular drinking water. She cooked with it, washed her face with it, and even poured it into the washing machine, claiming it would “disinfect and benefit the whole family.” Helen and Robert were being driven to the brink of collapse, living in the pungent, rotten stench day after day. They’d lost several pounds in less than a week. But Amber was eating well and sleeping soundly, with a rosy complexion—she showed no signs of any problems. “If you don’t come back to help us, Amber is really going to drive us insane!” Helen’s voice was almost unrecognizable from crying over the phone. Robert kept calling too, his tone full of pleading. When Mike heard his mother crying, his heart softened and he wanted to go home to check on things. No matter how I tried to dissuade him, I couldn’t change his mind, so I reluctantly went back with him. The moment we opened the door, a stench worse than a garbage dump nearly knocked me out. Amber was sitting with her eyes closed in front of a facial steamer, yellow vapor hitting her face. The smell was so overwhelming it brought tears to my eyes, yet she looked completely blissful, as if she were at a spa. When we walked over, she didn’t bother acknowledging us until Mike offered her some fruit, and only then did she lazily glance up. “Help yourself if you want some.” She casually fished out a soggy fig from a nearby pot and shoved it directly into my hand. Knowing where that fig came from, I nearly jumped and quickly backed away. Amber rolled her eyes dramatically, looking completely disdainful, then popped the fig into her mouth and chewed it with loud crunching sounds. “You really don’t know quality when you see it. No wonder you can’t have a son if you won’t even eat good stuff like this.” I couldn’t stand watching her eat it with such relish and started dry heaving while covering my mouth. Amber immediately looked over with a neurotic expression. “You’re throwing up? Why are you suddenly throwing up? Are you pregnant?” She started trying to grab at my clothes, but fortunately Mike blocked her in time. “You’ve turned the house into this mess—any normal person would throw up coming in here!” He then angrily went to clean up the facial steamer on the table, intending to throw it away. Amber pounced like an angry cat, screaming as she clawed at Mike, leaving bloody scratches on his face. “What are you doing! Do you know how expensive this machine is?!” “Expensive? It’s just a pot of weird water. How expensive could it be?” Amber rolled her eyes and sneered coldly. “What do you know? This is blessed spiritual water personally consecrated by an astrologer. How could it be the same as ordinary water? I’ll have you know, it’s $500 per milliliter!” Mike and I exchanged glances, both shocked. Not because the water was so miraculous, but shocked that Amber had actually been completely fooled by this stuff. “Is this water mixed with gold dust?” Mike couldn’t help but curse. Amber scoffed, her lips curling with smugness. “You wouldn’t understand. Once my child is born, this house will be mine, and Mom and Dad’s inheritance will be mine too. What’s wrong with spending a little money now?” Just then, Helen came home. Seeing the chaotic scene before her, she immediately rushed over to break up the fight. “Stop arguing! Stop fighting!” Mike looked at Helen, his tone turning cold. “Mom, tell me the truth. The money Amber spent on all this spiritual water nonsense—did you give it to her?” Amber hadn’t held a steady job since graduating college, so this money couldn’t possibly be her own. When Helen heard this, she lowered her head, clearly looking guilty. “You let her run wild on one hand, then expect us to clean up the mess on the other?” Even the usually good-tempered Mike was completely furious. “Handle this yourselves and stop bothering us.” With that, he pulled me toward the door and we left. The next day I went to work at the clinic as usual. The moment I walked in, I was hit by that familiar stench and immediately went on high alert. Sure enough, Amber was sitting in that chair against the wall. Hearing the sound of me opening the door, she slowly looked up, her eyes eerily cold, her voice low and menacing. “Are you pregnant?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “398040”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #Rebirth #FamilyDrama #Sister #Revenge #Pregnancy

The first thing I did after being reborn was to schedule an appointment with a doctor for a hysterectomy. In my previous life, my boyfriend’s first love opened a livestream account to establish herself as a “gynecological expert.” When she saw me vomiting, she deliberately diagnosed me as pregnant during her livestream. My boyfriend immediately exposed me on the spot, saying he had never touched me. I tried to explain, but she prescribed me prenatal vitamins and told me to take care of my body and take them on time. The viewers in the livestream chat mocked me for betraying my boyfriend. In a fit of rage, my boyfriend broke up with me, and my personal information was leaked. Countless male netizens called to harass me. Unable to bear the harassment, I jumped off a building and killed myself. My boyfriend’s first love leveraged her identity as a gynecological expert to become an internet celebrity, worshipped by patients. This time, without a uterus, I’d like to see how she plans to frame me for being pregnant. ***** Dragging my exhausted body home from the hospital, I had just opened the door when I saw my boyfriend Evan Hussain sitting on the couch. Seeing me carrying bags of various sizes, he frowned. “I already told you that when your stomach hurts, just drink some water. Why did you go to the hospital and buy so many medications? You’ve been scammed by some unscrupulous doctor! “What woman doesn’t get stomach pain during her period? You’re just being dramatic, skipping work to run to the hospital.” With that, he lifted his chin high with a condescending attitude and pulled over Alisa Good, who was sitting beside him, to introduce her to me. “This is my former classmate, Alisa Good. She’s a gynecological expert who studied abroad for her master’s and doctorate degrees. “Hearing that you’re not feeling well, Alisa is willing to lower herself to take a look at you.” I was almost amused by his shameless behavior and was about to refuse. But seeing Evan and Alisa exchanging flirtatious glances, and noticing that Alisa was livestreaming, I suddenly had an idea. In my past life, Alisa opened a livestream account to establish herself as a gynecological expert, answering questions for netizens online every day. I had been having stomach pain. To boost viewership for Alisa’s livestream, Evan forcibly dragged me over for Alisa to examine. Seeing me vomit, without any proper diagnosis, Alisa immediately declared that I was pregnant. I stared in shock with wide eyes. I had never done anything, so how could I possibly be pregnant? Just as I was about to argue back, Evan said he had never slept with me, so the child in my belly wasn’t his. Alisa thoughtfully prescribed me a bunch of prenatal vitamins and earnestly told me: “No matter who the father is, this child is innocent. You must take good care of yourself during pregnancy!” The livestream viewers mocked me for betraying Evan, calling me a slut. In contrast, Alisa was praised as a “gynecological expert.” They praised her compassionate medical heart, showing sympathy even for an illegitimate child. I suggested going to the hospital to prove my innocence, but Evan refused to listen to my explanation, saying I must have conspired with the hospital. He broke up with me. My personal information was also leaked. Countless male netizens harassed me. All my social media accounts were exposed online, flooded with vulgar and offensive comments. Unable to bear the torment, I rushed to the rooftop and jumped to my death. After my death, Alisa leveraged her identity as a gynecological expert to be worshipped by patients. She and Evan worked together, exploiting countless patients for money. After being reborn, the first thing I did was distance myself from Evan. But I didn’t expect him to still bring Alisa to my home, insisting on sacrificing me to make Alisa famous. Seeing Alisa interacting enthusiastically with her livestream audience, I smiled coldly. I thought: “Alisa, you’re the one who insisted on pursuing me relentlessly. So don’t blame me for pulling you down from your pedestal.”

Seeing me standing there frozen, Evan frowned with displeasure and forcefully pulled me in front of Alisa. “I finally convinced Alisa to come here and examine you. Go prepare some fruit, then tell her properly where you’re feeling unwell so she can check you over.” Evan looked at Alisa with complete tenderness, like a pug wagging its tail behind her. My heart turned cold. Taking in the situation, I lowered my eyes and obediently went to the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee, then cut up an elegant fruit platter and brought it out. I extended my wrist toward her. “Alisa, I’ve been having terrible stomach pain lately. It hurts so much I break out in cold sweats and can’t focus on work. Could you take a look?” Alisa didn’t even take my outstretched hand, not bothering to look up. “Besides the stomach pain, do you have any other symptoms?” I quickly added, “I’ve also been vomiting constantly. Both stomach pain and nausea!” After hearing this, Alisa pointed at me and declared: “You’re pregnant! “The stomach pain is the baby moving in your belly. The constant vomiting is just typical morning sickness! “I’ll prescribe some medication to prevent miscarriage. After taking it, you need to get plenty of rest.” Viewers flooded the comment section with congratulations for Evan and me. But after seeing the comments, Evan’s brow furrowed deeply. “I’m a very traditional man, so I would only do that kind of thing on my wedding night. “Daisy White, why are you carrying another man’s child behind my back?” He spoke with righteous indignation, yet I could clearly see the barely concealed excitement gleaming in his eyes. Alisa had returned from abroad, so Evan couldn’t wait to break up with me. A flood of comments instantly filled the screen again, but this time they were all cursing me. Just like in my previous life, the viewers were all condemning me. Alisa frowned and grabbed my wrist. “No matter who the father is, this child is innocent. As a doctor, I can’t stand irresponsible mothers. “Remember to take the medicine I’m prescribing. You must deliver this baby safely!” Her words completely blocked all my escape routes. First, she declared I was pregnant, and with Evan’s cooperation, determined that I had cheated. Then, in front of everyone, she urged me to keep the child and not harm an innocent life. The viewers would only see me as a woman with a messy personal life, while Alisa appeared to be a compassionate, good doctor. Even if I produced proof that I wasn’t pregnant, they’d say I was guilty and had secretly gotten an abortion at the hospital. There was no way I could explain myself clearly now. The livestream audience kept growing, the popularity rising steadily, and the platform immediately promoted Alisa to the homepage recommendations. Seeing that public opinion had fermented enough, I looked up at them. With an innocent expression, I said, “What pregnancy? How could I possibly be pregnant? “Alisa, aren’t you a gynecological expert? Can’t you tell that I’m still a virgin?”

The live stream’s comment section exploded instantly. More and more people joined this interaction. Some troublemaker stared at my thighs through the camera and said, “Her thighs are pressed tightly together, so she does indeed look like a virgin.” As soon as those words were spoken, Alisa’s fans immediately attacked without mercy. [What do you mean by that? Are you saying Dr. Good’s diagnosis is wrong?] [Stop spreading rumors when you don’t know anything about medicine. Dr. Good is a gynecology expert, and her diagnosis is absolutely accurate!] [Isn’t it obvious? This woman definitely cheated. Those people defending her must be paid trolls she hired, right?] [I agree! Very likely!] ***** There were many more comments like these, with dozens appearing every second. Seeing the comment section supporting her, Alisa smiled confidently, certain of victory. “Daisy, everyone makes mistakes. You just need to acknowledge your error and correct it. There’s no need to be so stubborn. “I’m kindly asking you to focus on your pregnancy for the sake of your health and the baby in your belly. If you have issues with me, you can speak directly, but you shouldn’t question my medical expertise.” The bystanders who had been somewhat doubtful instantly began supporting her after hearing these words. The atmosphere in the live stream grew increasingly heated. My photo was turned into memes with the caption: [I’m pregnant, but I won’t admit it!] My phone was also bombarded with calls. Relatives and friends who had seen the live stream kept messaging me, desperately asking whether I was actually pregnant. Seeing the atmosphere reach its peak, I sneered coldly. “Alisa, so you’re saying you’re certain there’s nothing wrong with your medical skills. In your diagnosis, I am indeed pregnant, correct?” Seeing that I remained completely composed in every word, showing none of the panic she had imagined, a flash of surprise crossed Alisa’s eyes. Then she nodded, maintaining her condescending attitude as she advised me. “Yes, you are indeed pregnant, and you’ve been pregnant for quite some time. “The reason your belly hasn’t grown larger is because you’re deliberately controlling your weight, not wanting the baby to develop too quickly. “But Daisy, whether as a doctor or as a friend, I must advise you. “The child is innocent. You can’t harm a young life because of your own mistakes. You should focus on your pregnancy peacefully!” At this moment, Evan also stepped in front of me, looking at me coldly. “Alisa is right. The child is innocent, so I won’t pursue the matter of you fooling around behind my back. “No matter who this child’s father is, it has nothing to do with me anymore. Let’s break up peacefully.” Evan’s words moved the people in the live stream. They all thought Evan was a good man who magnanimously forgave me even after being betrayed. Many female netizens even said they wanted to marry him. Finally, I nodded. “However, Alisa, you kept insisting I was pregnant without even examining me. Can you take responsibility for what you’ve said? “If I’m not pregnant, then not only is your diagnosis wrong, but you’ve also violated my right to reputation. I have the right to hold you accountable.” After hearing me finish, Evan’s face instantly filled with rage. He shielded Alisa behind him and looked at me accusingly. “You’re still being stubborn at this point! How could Alisa’s diagnosis be wrong? You’re clearly trying to throw mud at Alisa! “You’ll probably just go to some random hospital to get an abortion, then claim Alisa misdiagnosed you. “Daisy, I never thought you were such a disgusting and vicious woman. To cover up your own mistakes, you’re actually going to frame a good doctor!” Seeing him defend Alisa without question, I suppressed the anger in my heart and didn’t step forward to slap them both. Instead, I calmly took out the hospital’s surgical report from the plastic bag and held it up in front of the camera. “I wouldn’t get an abortion, because I never had the ability to get pregnant in the first place.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “398039”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #Rebirth #B×G #Cheating #FirstLove #Bully

On our eighth Christmas together, I took a knife for my doctor boyfriend Joel Lawrence. He promised I could ask for anything in return. Everyone thought I’d use this chance to propose. Instead, I said calmly: “Let’s break up.” Then I turned and walked away. Joel just laughed mockingly and made a bet with everyone: “She’s just trying to get attention. I bet she’ll come crawling back, begging me to take her back within three days.” But he was wrong. Because I had a secret—I’d been reborn. In my previous life, I did propose successfully, but Joel’s first love jumped off a building and killed herself. He took all his anger out on me. On our wedding night, he slashed my face and locked me in a dark, cramped basement. After I got pregnant, he forced me to eat massive amounts of fruit every day. By the time I went into labor, the baby was too big for me to deliver. I died from hemorrhaging and tearing during a difficult birth. I was reborn back to the day I took that knife for Joel. This time, I’d give him exactly what he wanted. ***** In the surgeon’s office, the sharp pain in my arm brought me back to reality. The nurse finished wrapping the last layer of bandage and gently reminded me not to get it wet for the next few days. Joel, sitting in his office chair, sneered: “It’s just a scratch. When did you become so delicate?” I didn’t respond. The other doctors in the office exchanged glances, their expressions telling. They’d all been there when I got stabbed. The attacker was Marc Dean, who’d been released from prison last Christmas. Marc was a big guy with a brutal face. The knife that slashed my arm was 12 inches long, leaving a gaping wound that took over twenty stitches. And Marc’s original target had been Joel’s heart. My silence infuriated Joel. His eyes turned cold, frost covering his handsome face. “Julia Perry, don’t push it. I said you saved me and could ask for anything in return. Isn’t that enough? You’re still going to give me attitude?” I don’t know when it started, but Joel—who’d grown up with me—now only spoke to me with the arrogance and disdain of someone looking down on their inferior. All his tenderness went to Nola Moon, the orphan he’d sponsored during flood relief efforts. I looked away from the pink bunny hair tie around his wrist. Swallowing the bitter pain in my chest, I looked up at him with a smile: “Anything I want?” Joel froze, seeming to think of something. He glanced at the hair tie on his wrist, panic flashing in his eyes before he quickly suppressed it. He gritted his teeth with slight irritation but still nodded reluctantly: “Yes.” Joel’s classmates in the office immediately started cheering: “Then Mr. Lawrence should just marry Julia!” Others joined in with laughter: “Yeah, Mr. Lawrence, you two have been together for eight Christmases. It’s time to get married.” “I’ve already got your wedding gift ready. When’s the ceremony?” Listening to their teasing, I was about to ask Joel for a breakup. Suddenly a young nurse burst in and said to Joel: “Something’s wrong—Miss Moon is trying to kill herself!” I fell silent. Nola was threatening suicide again. If I counted right, this was Nola’s 108th suicide attempt. This was exactly when Nola had threatened suicide in my previous life. The moment the nurse finished speaking, Joel rushed out. He ran to the hospital rooftop. On the roof, Nola’s eyes were red and swollen, her small face pale and delicate. She wore Joel’s white dress shirt, her smooth, slender legs visible beneath it. I suddenly remembered that when Marc attacked Joel, she’d been there too. While I was focused on taking the knife for Joel, he’d held her tightly in his arms. When she came out of Joel’s break room, she’d been wearing this same white shirt—the one I’d given Joel. “Julia took a knife for you, so you promised to grant her any request. Julia loves you so much, she’ll definitely propose to you. And you’ll definitely say yes, won’t you? “I’m sorry, Joel. When I think about losing you for the rest of my life, I’d rather die.” Nola’s tears fell in big drops, each one hitting Joel’s heart like a hammer. “Come down first, let me explain.” Joel was frantic, his deep voice full of heartache. Joel cared about everything concerning Nola. Joel said she was a lovely little girl who liked pink. So the birthday gift he’d originally planned to buy me—a pink Dior bag—became her reward for passing her college finals. She was afraid of thunder. So on countless nights, with just one phone call from her, Joel would rush to her side. Once, when he was attending my grandfather’s funeral, there were no flights that night. Hearing Nola crying on the phone, Joel lashed out at me: “Your grandfather couldn’t even pick a decent day to die!” I remembered when Joel first confessed to me, he said he’d always unconditionally favor only me. But when 26-year-old him met 18-year-old Nola, all his favoritism went to her. In my previous life, I was blinded by jealousy and ended up with a tragic fate. In this life, I don’t want him anymore.

My thoughts were yanked back to reality by Nola’s hysterical sobbing. Joel had saved her. The two of them clung tightly together, their lower bodies pressed close. I felt a wave of nausea. Joel was still shaken. His lips trembling, he kissed the top of Nola’s head over and over again. “Thank God you’re okay…” Nola sobbed uncontrollably, her whole body shaking. “Will you marry Julia? If you will, then you should have just let me die.” Joel gently wiped the tears from her cheeks, his gaze toward me deep and intense. “Marriage doesn’t mean anything. In my heart, you’ll always come first.” With that, he let out a long sigh as if forced into a corner, his eyes downcast. “After all, Julia has been with me for eight years. I don’t love her anymore, but she saved me when I was drowning years ago, and she’s been willing to take care of me ever since. I can’t be ungrateful.” His words left everyone present stunned. I had saved Joel from drowning years ago, which naturally led to us being together. But that was ancient history. He always assumed I’d use that favor to demand things from him, but if I’d known he’d turn out like this, I wouldn’t have saved him then or now. The pitying glances constantly thrown my way were getting on my nerves. I let out a cold laugh. “Joel, I’m busy. When are you going to keep your promise?” Joel sneered at my words, contempt flashing in his eyes. “Are you that desperate to marry me?” He gently stroked Nola’s earlobe to comfort her, then said dismissively to me, “Fine, tell me when you want to get married. Since you’ve used every trick in the book to marry me, then I’ll…” I quickly cut Joel off. “Let’s break up.” Realizing what I’d said, Joel’s head snapped up to look at me, surprise and anger gradually crystallizing in his eyes. “You want to break up?” Ignoring the delight in Nola’s eyes, I looked calmly at Joel, whose brow was deeply furrowed. “Yes.” “What kind of scheme is this now?” Joel didn’t believe me. He sneered. “You’ve been following me around like a dog since high school, impossible to shake off. Now you finally have a chance to marry me, and you’re saying you want to break up? Julia, stop lying, okay? You’re still wearing the ring I gave you.” As if he’d caught me in a lie, his expression was full of smugness. He seemed certain I’d never be willing to leave him. But I calmly removed the ring and casually tossed it off the rooftop. “I forgot to throw it away. Thanks for reminding me.” This was the birthday gift Joel had bought me with his first scholarship money during freshman year. It had both our initials engraved on it. Once, when I was in a car accident and completely unconscious, my hand was still clutching this ring tightly. Joel knew how much this ring meant to me—as much as he himself did. But now, I had thrown the ring away. Joel frowned. Even so, he still didn’t believe I would break up with him. He sneered, “Julia, I don’t care what game you’re playing, but I’m telling you—if you apologize to me right now, I’ll pretend none of this ever happened. If you want to marry me, I’ll still agree.” I smiled faintly. “Joel, I hope we both get what we want from now on.” With that, I turned and walked away. As I was leaving, I heard Nola ask Joel, “Aren’t you going after her?” Joel laughed coldly. “I’m not chasing her. She’ll come crawling back. How could a woman who went to such lengths to get pregnant with my child bear to leave?”

Yes, I was pregnant. That time when Joel and Nola had their fight, he got drunk and mistook me for Nola. We slept together. I got pregnant shortly after. Joel knew about it too. I got pregnant shortly after. Joel knew about it too. In my past life, I used the fact that I had saved him to force him into marrying me, which drove Nola to suicide. Then he kept forcing me to eat. If I refused, he’d pin me down and make me eat. My belly grew bigger and bigger. When it came time to give birth, he wouldn’t take me to the hospital. In the end, I had complications during labor because the baby was too large. I still remember that pain—it made my hands and feet tremble. I screamed at the top of my lungs, my eyes bloodshot, using every ounce of strength I had, but I just couldn’t deliver. Finally, I hemorrhaged to death. When I died, blood pooled beneath me. The baby got stuck and suffocated. Back home from the hospital, I touched the little life still moving in my belly. I thought: “It’s time to end all of this.” I went home and slept for four hours. Four hours later, I received a message from Joel. Joel: [My mom is sick. Come to the house.] Joel was a bastard, but his mother Lily Lawrence was good to me. My parents had been close friends with his parents since Christmas. Later, my parents passed away. Lily treated me like her own daughter. But the tone of this message clearly wasn’t Joel’s. I knew Joel’s texting habits too well—he never used punctuation. There was no way Joel sent this. This was obviously from Nola. Only Nola would dare touch Joel’s phone so casually. Even though I knew it was a trap, I went anyway. When I arrived at the Lawrence mansion and opened the door, a bucket of ice water was dumped over my head. The bone-chilling cold instantly surrounded me, and my lower abdomen suddenly cramped with pain. Mocking laughter erupted from what had been a quiet house. I opened my eyes to find a group of young Christmas men and women standing in the mansion, looking at me with ridicule. Nola stood among them. “Make her kneel.” Someone immediately kicked me down from behind. Nola smiled contemptuously. “Do you know how much Joel hates you? You slut, you secretly got pregnant with Joel’s child behind my back.” She picked up a bottle of liquor nearby. “You only know how to use these tricks to keep Joel tied to you. Today I’m going to make you regret getting pregnant with Joel’s child.” With that, Nola raised the bottle of liquor in her hand. Nola thought I would be scared. But I wasn’t afraid at all. In fact, when Nola forced the liquor down my throat, I obediently drank it. I drank the entire bottle without leaving a drop. I didn’t want Joel anymore, so I didn’t want this child either. After finishing, I asked Nola: “Got any more?” Nola called me crazy. Then she picked up a red-hot curling iron nearby. She raised the curling iron toward my eyes. Just then, someone screamed in terror: “Blood! She’s bleeding so much!” The severe pain in my lower abdomen made my face turn pale. Nola realized something. She panicked for a moment, then became even more vicious. She threw down the curling iron and, while everyone was still in shock, stomped on my belly with her foot. Blood instantly splattered everywhere. I didn’t even have time to cry out before I completely lost consciousness. I didn’t even have time to cry out before I completely lost consciousness. I didn’t even have time to cry out before I completely lost consciousness.   In the hospital office, Joel was reviewing patient files. Just then, a nurse rushed in frantically, clutching a surgical consent form. “Dr. Lawrence, there’s an emergency! Ms. Perry, she…” Joel cut her off immediately. “We broke up. Don’t mention her in front of me.” The nurse looked anxious. “But she was just brought in by ambulance in critical condition. She’s pregnant and hemorrhaging badly. We need to get blood bags from another hospital. You have to sign this consent form right now!” Joel glanced at her dismissively, took the consent form, and tore it to pieces as the nurse watched in shock. “You think I’d fall for such a pathetic lie?” Joel sneered. “Julia’s even bought off the people around me now. She loves me so much—how could she possibly lose my child? Even if she’s dying right now, I won’t sign that consent form.” With that, he brushed off the nurse who tried to grab his arm and walked away. To avoid any further interruptions, he turned on his phone’s Do Not Disturb mode. He stayed out until after ten that night. When he finally turned off Do Not Disturb, over a hundred missed calls instantly flooded his screen. Even Spencer Cox, the director of the hospital where he worked, had called him countless times. This made him frown. He thought, “Julia actually got to Spencer? She’s absolutely shameless!” He called Spencer back to apologize, but Spencer only said coldly, “Get your ass back to the hospital. Now.” Spencer hung up. Though Joel didn’t understand what was happening, he drove to the hospital anyway. He just ignored the pale, anxious expression on Nola’s face in the passenger seat. Joel’s work had always earned Spencer’s appreciation. This was the first time Spencer had ever reprimanded him so harshly, so he was furious and wanted to settle the score with Julia. The moment he stepped out of the elevator, someone slapped him hard across the face. Joel raised his hand to strike back, but froze when he realized it was his own mother. He was stunned. “Mom? What are you doing here?” Lily’s eyes were red and swollen as she screamed at Joel, “You monster! Why didn’t you sign the consent form? Do you have any idea that because of you, Julia hemorrhaged from her miscarriage, and because treatment was delayed, she even had to have her uterus removed?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “398037”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #Rebirth #B×G #FirstLove #Hurt #Independent

In my previous life, I was the commander’s wife that everyone envied. However, on the battlefield, my husband Anthony Moore suffered severe injuries to his vocal cords and groin. He lost his male function and ability to speak. From that moment on, Anthony and I lived forty years of a sexless marriage. I never despised him, spending half my life without complaint alongside a mute man. Until my sixtieth birthday, when I accidentally discovered over five hundred letters in his study. All of them were written to the woman from the military band whom he deeply loved but could never have. It turned out he wasn’t unable to speak—he simply didn’t want to talk to me. He hadn’t lost his male function—he just didn’t want to share a bed with me. This devastating blow killed me with resentment. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to 1984. In this life, I would never compromise myself for any man again. I caught the wave of entrepreneurship. At that time, I was determined to make my mark in San Diego. Since 1980, San Diego’s biotechnology industry had begun to flourish. Transportation from my hometown to there was extremely underdeveloped. There were no planes or high-speed trains then—I could only take the old train to San Diego. Not only did I have to transfer three times, but the earliest train wouldn’t leave until Sunday. I marked a prominent circle on the calendar with a red pen. In five days, I would leave this remote mountain village. I borrowed my neighbor’s bicycle and rode all afternoon, finally reaching the train station before sunset to buy my ticket. However, as soon as I turned around, I ran into Anthony, who had just gotten off the train at the exit. I had been reborn, and he was also forty years younger. Anthony looked tall, strong, and distinguished—the youngest regimental commander in the army. His future was limitless. He was also the man I had loved for decades in my previous life. I had foolishly thought that once we married, we would be family. Even if he couldn’t speak, couldn’t share a bed with me, couldn’t have children with me, I had no complaints. Instead, I devoted my entire life’s love and passion to caring for and warming him. The result was that my life became a complete joke. Seeing me, Anthony merely frowned. He asked with displeasure, “Teresa, didn’t I tell you not to come pick me up at the station?” Only then did I remember that today was the day Anthony returned from the army to visit family. In my previous life at this time, I had called him. We had been engaged for three years, and I was already twenty—no longer young by rural standards. So I told Anthony I wanted to marry him and follow him to the army. In the military, when officers are promoted to a certain level, they can have their families join them. They can also arrange employment and schooling for military dependents. This is what couples separated by distance long for most. Anthony would be promoted to regimental commander next year, fully qualifying him to have family members join him. I had always hoped he would take me with him. But he never agreed. I anxiously called to threaten him that if he didn’t come get me, I would pack my bags and go directly to the army to find him. Only then did Anthony reluctantly return, specifically instructing me not to meet him at the train station. I knew he was deliberately keeping his distance from me. In my previous life, this made me very sad. I felt that since we were engaged, even without a wedding ceremony, we were already husband and wife. I wanted to be with Anthony, looking forward to our wedding and being able to take care of his daily needs after joining him at the army. I also wanted to have children with him. But in this life, I had absolutely no desire to marry him anymore. My heart was set only on struggling in San Diego—I had completely forgotten about Anthony’s return. I was here to buy a ticket to San Diego, not to pick him up at all. Anthony had misunderstood me, his handsome face full of impatience. “Are you really that eager? We’re still young—there’s no need to marry so quickly. Life in the army is very hard, and you’re not going there to enjoy yourself! You’ll only distract me if you come. I still want to continue advancing in rank.” Anthony directly listed many reasons why he didn’t want me to join him in the army. “I’m not here to pick you up. I also think we’re marrying too early now—I won’t be going.” My words instantly filled Anthony’s face with shock. But then he laughed mockingly. “Teresa, when did you learn to lie?” Anthony thought I was deeply in love with him and didn’t believe I would give up the idea of following him to the army. I couldn’t be bothered to explain anything to him. In five days, I would be heading to San Diego anyway. From then on, we would be far apart with no ties between us.

It’s over ten miles from San Diego to the countryside where I live. I borrowed my neighbor’s bicycle to ride there, and Anthony gave me a ride back. He rides much faster than I do, but it still took us over two hours to get back to the village. He didn’t say a single word to me the entire way—we just maintained an awkward silence. It reminded me of the forty years of silent, lonely life we had after our marriage in my previous life. By the time we reached the village, it was already past eight in the evening. The villagers are frugal and don’t turn on lights at night to save electricity, so the entire village looked pitch black. Our arrival into the village triggered a chorus of barking dogs. My mother died when I was very young, and my father passed away ten years ago while saving Anthony’s life. For all these years, I’ve been living with Anthony’s family. Anthony’s parents are very kind and have always cared for me like their own child. Seeing us come inside, Anthony’s mother Patricia Moore was heating up dinner at the stove while nagging Anthony: “Anthony, you should agree to bring your wife to the army base. If you two are together every day, you could have children sooner.” Anthony pressed his lips tightly together without saying a word. He’s an extremely stubborn person. In my previous life, because he couldn’t marry the woman he loved, he’d rather go his whole life without children, disappointing his family. Anthony’s parents both died with regrets. “Be nicer to Teresa—you should repay her! If it weren’t for Teresa’s father saving you back then, you wouldn’t even be alive. How could you have become a regiment commander?” Seeing Anthony getting impatient, his father Brad Moore quickly said to him. “Fine! I said I’d marry her! Stop pressuring me, okay? I am indeed grateful that Teresa’s father saved me, but that was just an accident. I’d rather have died than owe such a huge debt. Do I really have to spend my entire life repaying this favor?” Ten years ago, my father was the village militia captain. That year there was a flash flood, and Anthony was swept into a ravine. My father jumped into the water and desperately pulled Anthony to safety, but he drowned from exhaustion. I became an orphan and have lived with Anthony’s family ever since. “Teresa, from now on you’re our own daughter, Anthony’s wife!” Their promise ruined my entire life. Anthony married me because of that promise, but he felt forced into it. He resented me for disrupting his life and destroying his love. So even after forty years of marriage, he refused to touch me and wouldn’t deign to talk to me. “What are you saying? Stop talking nonsense. Do you really think that just because you became a regiment commander, I won’t dare do anything to you? You bastard! Even if you became a general, I’m still your father!” Brad glared at Anthony. Worried that I’d be hurt, he grabbed a baseball bat and was about to hit Anthony. “Brad, he’s tired. Let’s eat first.” I defused the situation for Anthony. Since I’d be leaving in a few days anyway, I just wanted some peace and quiet—I didn’t want to argue with them. I knew very well that the more Brad lost his temper, the more Anthony would hate me. Someone as stubborn as him would never give in no matter what. “Teresa!” Patricia pulled me aside and whispered, “You need to do something about your husband! You can’t always just do whatever he says!” Although Patricia is indeed very kind, we’re destined never to live together again in this lifetime. We had just sat down at the dinner table and hadn’t started eating when we heard the village party secretary calling. He shouted loudly: “Anthony, the army called saying there’s an emergency! Anthony, I’m telling you again!” Upon hearing this, Anthony immediately stood up. “I have to get back to the army!” He grabbed his backpack and left without looking back. This was exactly the same as what happened in my previous life. After returning home, he only stayed for a short while before Leona Ramirez called him away. Leona worked in the military band—beautiful, talented in singing and dancing, and a poet. She was Anthony’s first love. Though my past life wasn’t romantic, Anthony would do anything for Leona whenever she asked. In my previous life, after Anthony left, his parents sent me to the military and arranged for a division commander to officiate our wedding. Unable to withstand the pressure, Anthony eventually agreed to marry me and let me follow the army. But on our wedding night, Leona called him away again. Then he said he had to go on a mission. When Anthony returned, his vocal cords and groin were injured. So I remained a virgin my entire life. For the next forty years, my husband and I could only communicate through writing and gestures. I could only hold back my tears and devote myself wholeheartedly to caring for him and his parents every day. I was such a fool back then. It never occurred to me that if he had truly become mute, he couldn’t have risen from regiment commander all the way to chief in the military. He should have been medically discharged long ago. He could communicate normally and give orders in the army—he just couldn’t be bothered to talk to me at home. Since I was so obedient and never asked about his military affairs, I was deceived for decades. It wasn’t until my sixtieth birthday, while cleaning his study, that I discovered over five hundred letters in a box. They were all letters Leona had written to him. Leona had later married abroad, divorced twice, and wasn’t doing well. Anthony felt he had wronged his first love, so he wanted to make up for it with forty years of tenderness. He bought Leona a house and car overseas. He wouldn’t have children with me, but treated Leona’s three children from her previous marriages as his own, paying for all their tuition and living expenses. Anthony even attended Leona’s weddings as her family member. I was kept in the dark about all of this. I never asked Anthony where he spent his money. My complete trust in him was repaid with the coldest, most ruthless betrayal. After learning the truth, my world completely collapsed. So I jumped desperately from the balcony. I plan to live again. I’m going to give up on this man who has been utterly indifferent to me.

With four days left before my departure to San Diego, I began packing my belongings. As an orphan, I had no ties holding me back and could leave at any time. I packed a few clothes into my travel bag and sewed a hidden pocket inside my undergarments to hold my passport and thirty thousand dollars in cash. This was my entire life savings. In Christmas 1984, when city workers earned only two thousand dollars a month, thirty thousand was an absolute fortune. This was the compensation money from my father’s sacrifice, which I had saved for ten years without ever touching. In my previous life, when I married Anthony, I used this money to buy him a luxury watch and purchased a sewing machine and bicycle to bring to the military base. But I never saw him wear that watch. In this life, I wouldn’t make such foolish mistakes again. These thirty thousand dollars would be my startup capital for San Diego. Seeing me pack, Anthony’s parents assumed I was going to follow him to the military and were delighted. They offered to see me off, but I politely declined. Patricia gave me another fifty thousand dollars, calling it a wedding gift. I repeatedly refused, but she insisted I take it. I had no choice but to accept the money. My father had given his life for Anthony, so I could take this money with a clear conscience. Three days before departure, I went to my parents’ grave to say goodbye. “Dad, Mom, I’m going to San Diego to start my own business. Wait for me to come back. Don’t worry, even without Anthony, I’ll live well.” On Sunday, I bid farewell to Anthony’s parents and left the mountain village where I had lived for over twenty years. The green train rumbled along, carrying me toward San Diego. The journey was over 600 miles, requiring three transfers and taking three days and two nights. Coincidentally, the first transfer city was exactly where Anthony’s unit was stationed. There was a three-hour layover between trains. I hadn’t planned to use this time to say goodbye to Anthony—it seemed unnecessary, and he probably wouldn’t care anyway. I simply went to a restaurant outside the station for spaghetti, but unexpectedly ran into Anthony and Leona again. In the early eighties, everyone dressed casually, but Leona stood out in the crowd wearing a canary yellow designer dress. They were also dining there. Leona had a large bag beside her containing performance costumes—apparently she was going on tour with the military band. Anthony was there to see her off. Anthony and I made eye contact. I didn’t want to talk and planned to pretend I didn’t know him, but his face flushed red before quickly resuming that superior expression of his, then he strode over to my table. “Teresa! You’re getting more and more outrageous! I didn’t come to pick you up, so who told you to come to the base yourself? Do you think following the military is child’s play? There are tons of procedures to handle! You’re just causing me trouble!” Since childhood, Anthony had always been exceptional. He was also a key candidate for promotion in the military, and I had always regarded him as a genius. So he was confident to the point of narcissism. “Anthony, I’m just passing through here. I didn’t come looking for you.” “Ha ha ha!” Anthony laughed mockingly. “Teresa! When did you learn to lie? Why don’t you tell the truth? A few days ago you said you didn’t want to marry me, and now you’re chasing me to the base. I’ve told you many times—I’m focused on my career right now and don’t want you holding me back!” He was about to continue when Leona beside him spoke gently: “Colonel Moore, you should go outside and cool down. Let me talk to Teresa. Teresa came all this way to see you—you can’t let her leave upset.” Anthony snorted coldly and walked out of the restaurant. Leona walked toward me, her smile vanishing instantly. She lowered her voice, making sure only we could hear, and said provocatively, “You’re nothing but a country bumpkin. What makes you think you deserve to marry Colonel Moore? How dare you chase him all the way to the military? You have no shame! Are you using the fact that your father died saving Colonel Moore to force Anthony into marrying you? Hmph, your father’s life was worthless! He deserved to die!” She was about to continue when I slapped her hard across the face. I had waited two lifetimes to deliver this slap, so I put all my strength into it. Five clear fingerprints immediately appeared on Leona’s cheek. In my previous life, when I first arrived at the military base, Leona had said almost identical words. Though I was furious then, I held back from striking her, worried that Anthony would blame me for it. As a result, Leona deliberately fell down and falsely accused me of hitting her. This time, I slapped her directly, so she wouldn’t need to pretend anymore. Leona was stunned at first, clearly not expecting me to actually hit her, but she immediately put on an injured act, covering her face and crying out, “Colonel Moore, she hit me!” Anthony rushed in upon hearing the commotion: “Teresa, you’ve gone too far! Apologize to her right now!” Leona covered her face, a flash of triumph in her eyes. In my previous life, Anthony had forced me to apologize to Leona. I cried while explaining that Leona had provoked me first, and that I hadn’t even hit her. But Anthony wouldn’t listen to my explanations at all. He refused to believe Leona could say such vicious things: “Leona writes poetry and has read works by Shelley, Goethe, and Pushkin. I don’t believe she would say such cruel words!” This time, I couldn’t be bothered to explain to him. I had no mood to continue dining and got up to leave. For the first time in all these Christmases, I was defying Anthony’s words. He flew into a rage: “Since you won’t apologize, get out! I won’t marry a shrew like you!” I stopped and turned back to look at him: “Anthony, don’t worry. You’ll never see me again.” He suddenly panicked: “What do you mean?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “398036”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #Rebirth #B×G #Cheating #Independent #MarriageInTrouble

As Christmas approached, my five-months-pregnant wife Madeline Stuart accidentally fell into the water. At the time, my neighbor, Police Officer Rita Wilson, jumped in without hesitation to save Madeline, but she ended up in a vegetative state. When I arrived at the scene, it was already crowded with people. Madeline was soaking wet, wrapped tightly in a blanket, with water droplets falling from strands of her hair. “Baby, are you okay?” As soon as I approached, Madeline instantly threw herself into my arms, as if I were her last hope. “Honey, you’re finally here!” I frowned and pushed her away. “What happened? My clothes are expensive—don’t get them dirty.” Hearing my words, Madeline’s eyes filled with shock, but it was quickly replaced by anxiety. She gripped my arms tightly with both hands, crying as she said, “Officer Wilson became a vegetable trying to save me. Transfer me some money right now—I need to thank her for saving my life.” I glanced at Madeline impatiently. “What does her situation have to do with me? Why should I give her money?” Madeline was stunned, clearly not expecting me to be so cold. “Honey, Officer Wilson ended up like this trying to save me and our unborn child! You know her family’s situation. Her husband’s business failed and he owes a huge debt, her mother is over seventy and constantly needs medication. Now that she’s in a vegetative state, how will her family survive?” “That’s not my problem! Don’t call me about trivial matters like this in the future. I’m busy at the law firm and don’t have time for your nonsense!” I turned around coldly and got in my car, planning to return to the law firm. Seeing that I was about to leave, Madeline suddenly ran in front of me, wrapping her arms tightly around my legs, sobbing uncontrollably. Her actions completely drew the attention of the onlookers. “Are you unmoved by your wife and child’s savior? She’s a hero! We can’t let her and her family suffer.” I remained unmoved and shook off Madeline’s hands. She continued wailing, “Zachary, you’re so heartless! If you give her some money, your law firm would get a good reputation too.” I immediately stopped in my tracks. Madeline’s words actually made sense. Unfortunately, I was out of money. I pulled out my phone and waved it in front of Madeline. “I don’t have money right now. I put all my savings into the stock market. I’m definitely going to make a fortune with this bull market!” Madeline stared at me in disbelief, her eyes full of doubt. “Zachary, you said stock trading was unreliable and that you’d never do it! You don’t want to give me money, so you’re deliberately lying to me, aren’t you?” Under her questioning gaze, I opened my phone’s trading interface and pushed it in front of her. “Look clearly—I bought stocks yesterday!” Madeline snatched my phone and looked through it repeatedly. Her hands kept trembling, and her eyes filled with tears. “If you won’t give me money now, what am I supposed to do? Can you bear to watch our savior die?” I turned around and got straight into the car, sitting inside and looking at Madeline coldly. “She’s a police officer. Saving people is her job, okay?” After saying that, I was about to close the car door. Madeline took two steps forward, blocking the car door, her eyes filled with anger and despair. She pounded on the car door with her hands while shouting, “Zachary, now Officer Wilson is in a vegetative state from saving me, and her family has lost their only source of income. Are you going to make me just watch a hero’s family fall apart, or even die from lack of money? Are all lawyers as heartless as you?” Some onlookers pointed at me, while others couldn’t help but secretly wipe away tears. In contrast, I sat in the car, looking down at Madeline with indifference. Just then, my phone rang. In contrast, I sat in the car, looking down at Madeline with indifference. Just then, my phone rang.

I glanced at my phone and saw my boss messaging me on WhatsApp, asking to meet for coffee to discuss an important case. “My boss wants to meet for coffee to discuss another case. You’d better not cause a scene here!” With that, I forcefully pried her hands away from the car door and slammed it shut. As Madeline tried to grab the door handle again, I immediately locked the car and shouted to my assistant Hector Dudley: “Drive!” Hector sat in the driver’s seat, looking helplessly at Madeline outside the window, who was trembling with rage and pounding on the glass. “Mr. Lewis…” I snapped impatiently: “Hurry up! Don’t you want your performance bonus?” As the car slowly started moving, Madeline suddenly stood up and spread her arms wide, blocking the path of our barely moving vehicle. Hector slammed on the brakes in panic, and the sudden inertia threw me forward. I rolled down the window, ready to scold her. At that moment, Madeline pounded on the hood, screaming at the top of her lungs: “Zachary! Rita became a vegetable trying to save me! Without her, you would have lost your wife and child long ago! “She protected your family, and you can’t just watch her go without money for treatment. Even if you don’t have money now, your parents do. Can’t you borrow some from them?” The onlookers were moved by her words and spontaneously blocked the car’s path. Suddenly, a passerby pointed at me angrily. “You’re dressed so well, so why are you treating your wife’s lifesaver this way?” Another passerby chimed in: “I’ve heard that many lawyers nowadays have no moral boundaries, but I never imagined one could be this vicious.” I rolled the window back up and roared at Hector: “Can’t you make a U-turn?” Hector restarted the car, preparing to turn around and leave. Seeing this, Madeline immediately grabbed the megaphone from a nearby security guard and blocked my car again. “Honey, I know you hate trouble most of all, and you’re worried that Rita’s family will hold us responsible. If that’s the case, you should divide our marital assets clearly—half and half. I’ll take responsibility for everything regarding Rita and guarantee I won’t drag you down. “Honey, please! Forgive me for doing this.” After saying this, she stood in front of my car, looking at me intently. I angrily pushed open the car door, got out, and slapped her hard across the face. “My boss wants to discuss business with me, but you keep blocking my way. Someone else has already gone ahead! You stupid woman have ruined my chance for promotion and a raise!” Seeing this, a police officer stepped forward and shouted angrily at me: “How dare you hit her? Do you believe I’ll charge you with domestic violence?” I glanced at the officer with disdain, filled with contempt: He planned to charge a lawyer? Was he even qualified? Madeline held back the officer, the bright red handprint standing out starkly on her pale face. She said to the officer: “It’s okay.” Then she continued pleading with me through her tears: “Honey, is a promotion and raise more important to you than a human life? If we divorce, you won’t have to be responsible. I’ll take the child and help my lifesaver! For the sake of our former marriage, why can’t you agree?” Seeing my indifference, she clenched her fists and screamed hysterically: “Zachary, do you really need me to leave with nothing before you’re satisfied?”

Her words exploded like a bombshell among the crowd. “This man is truly heartless! If it weren’t for this heroic woman stepping in to save them, his wife and child would be dead today. Now he’s afraid of being bothered, so he’s making his own wife leave with nothing.” “And he’s supposed to be a lawyer! Who would dare hire such an irresponsible lawyer for their case?” “Exactly! He even dares to lay hands on a woman. This poor woman is so unlucky to have married such a bastard.” Before I could speak, Madeline slowly walked up to me. She looked at me with pleading eyes. “Honey, Rita is a hero and my savior. Why can’t you give her some money? Besides, I only want my share of the assets!” Madeline’s voice grew louder and more emotional. I sneered and said to Hector, “Hector, go to the hospital and contact Rita’s husband. Tell him that if he wants to divorce his vegetative wife, I have a way to transfer all his debts to Rita, and I’ll represent him for free.” Hector was stunned. Everyone present was shocked by my words. Madeline stared at me in disbelief, her eyes filled with anger and disappointment. Everyone around glared at me with gritted teeth, as if I were an unforgivable criminal. Madeline suddenly stood up and grabbed my suit collar. “Zachary, even if Rita has become a vegetable, she’s still the hero who saved me and our child. How can you do this?” “I’m just maximizing Rita’s final value. Who would demand payment from a hero? This case is bound to be sensational, and I’ll definitely make my mark in the legal world!” “Zachary, you disgust me! You’re not usually like this. Haven’t you always listened to me?” Hearing this, I looked deeply at Madeline. I thought to myself: “She’s right. I used to obey her every word, and everyone in the community knew I treated my wife well. But now, I just want fame…” “I’m a lawyer, and this case will bring me both fame and fortune. Am I stupid? Why wouldn’t I take this case?” I looked at Hector, who was still in a daze. “What are you standing there for? Go!” Hector snapped back to reality, nodded quickly, and got in the car. Seeing my cold ruthlessness, Madeline trembled with rage. The usually gentle woman suddenly stood up and blocked Hector’s path. Then she glared at me and shouted angrily, “Zachary! She’s our neighbor, your friend, your wife’s savior. She needs a lot of money now that she’s a vegetable. What about her family? Are you really determined not to give me a single penny?” I stared directly at her, crossed my arms, and smiled mockingly, “Her husband will naturally handle her affairs and support her mother. Does the law require the husband of the rescued person to bear these responsibilities?” “Even from a humanitarian standpoint, shouldn’t you give them some money?” Madeline pleaded with me, constantly trying to make me feel guilty. Then she gave me a final warning: “I’m asking you one last time, will you give me the money?” However, I said without hesitation, “What’s that got to do with me!”   My words completely infuriated everyone present. “You bastard! I’m definitely posting this online today and letting netizens judge for themselves. How can someone like you be a lawyer?” The man speaking raised his phone, and others followed suit one after another. “I’ve never seen someone so heartless! Everyone post this online – let’s condemn him together!” “We can pressure his company and get his boss to fire him!” “Yes! Fire him! Fire him!” “Your threats don’t scare me…” I wasn’t the least bit worried about these people’s threats. At that moment, an elderly man with a cane hobbled over to me and spat at my feet. “You bastard! You’re so heartless!” “Sir, if you insult me, I can call the police to have you taken away.” “I’m going to curse you, you cold-blooded man! Today I’ll deliver justice!” With that, the old man brandished his cane, planning to beat me up. I leaned forward and said mockingly, “Go ahead and try hitting me. Are you wealthy? Do you have enough money to compensate me?” “I hate selfish young people like you. Today I’m going to teach you a lesson, you bastard – I’m not afraid of going to jail.” Just as the old man raised his cane high, Madeline stopped him. “Please everyone, calm down. I’ll talk to my husband!” She took a deep breath and looked at me. “Honey, is this really okay? I can leave with nothing, but you should help Rita and her family. Otherwise these people will expose you, and you’ll definitely lose your job.” Hearing Madeline mention my job, I panicked a little. Madeline turned to address the crowd around us. “Everyone, our goal is just to get this female hero the treatment she needs and help her family live a good life. Please, delete the videos, thank you all.” The police officers also bowed to the onlookers alongside Madeline. Their synchronized actions deeply moved everyone present. People looked at Madeline with sympathetic eyes, and Hector was so touched he started wiping away tears. A middle-aged woman holding her phone shouted at me, “You bastard, look carefully! I’ve already deleted the video!” Then people began deleting those videos right in front of me. “Everyone has deleted their videos, so you can transfer the money to me now, right?” Madeline looked at me expectantly. “They did delete the videos, but you haven’t signed the divorce agreement stating you’ll voluntarily leave with nothing.” “What if you change your mind after I transfer the money to you?” I became increasingly aggressive. The old man with the cane finally couldn’t hold back and struck me on the head. Blood immediately flowed out, I felt dizzy and collapsed to the ground. Madeline screamed, “Zachary!” But the onlookers applauded and commented. “Well done!” “Let’s upload this black-hearted lawyer’s video online, expose him, and ruin his reputation!” “Right! We can’t let this bastard who insulted a female hero get away with it!” The crowd took photos and recorded videos, posting them online. In no time, everyone knew my name. Lying on the ground, I managed a difficult smile, thinking to myself, “Good! They’d better keep spreading this.” Then I closed my eyes and completely lost consciousness.   When I woke up again, I found myself lying in a hospital bed with a nurse administering an IV drip. The nurse saw me open my eyes, and her contempt was unmistakable as she muttered under her breath, “Just my luck, having to deal with this bastard.” After finishing the IV, the nurse quickly left, as if I were some kind of dangerous creature. I turned to look at Hector beside me, who was shaking his head with a bitter smile. “Zachary, the internet is flooded with your scandals right now. You’ve made headlines.” I picked up my phone and saw my negative news ranking first on Twitter, with related YouTube videos already hitting tens of millions of likes. Seeing all this, I actually felt relieved—everything was going according to plan. Just then, my boss Chris Evans stormed in, shouting angrily, “Zachary!” I looked up toward the hospital room door. Chris angrily pushed the door open, but seeing me with my head wrapped in bandages and my pale complexion, he sighed helplessly. “Look at yourself! How could you go and slander a female hero? Now hundreds of influencers and reporters are looking for you. Come with me right now so we can lay low for a few days!” I smiled gratefully. Before I could speak, a crowd of people rushed in. Leading them were Madeline and Rita’s husband Andrew Johnson, supporting Rita’s mother between them, followed by a group of influencers and reporters. Rita’s mother, Catherine Wilson, walked straight to my bedside the moment she saw me. “Mr. Lewis, it’s all my fault for being useless. I got seriously ill, and Rita spent so much money on me. Now she’s in a vegetative state, and I don’t even have money to pay for her hospital room. I’ve failed my daughter!” I instinctively wanted to help her up, but I bit my teeth and pulled my hand back, clenching my fists and stepping back. “Please, just consider it a loan, okay? Please help us get through this crisis! Even if I have to sell my blood, I’ll pay you back!” With every word she spoke, she bowed to me with her hands clasped together. I crossed my arms and watched her coldly, my tone utterly indifferent. “You don’t need to beg me. As long as Madeline signs a divorce agreement leaving with nothing, I’ll transfer the money to her immediately!” Madeline looked me up and down, her eyes full of confusion. After thinking for a moment, she glanced at Andrew in the crowd, then turned back to stare at me. “Zachary, a few million dollars is pocket change to you. Just take pity on Rita’s family!” Andrew stepped out from behind Madeline, looking utterly exhausted. He walked up to me and said awkwardly, “Zachary, please! Once Rita’s condition stabilizes, I’ll go out and work to pay you back immediately, okay?” I looked down at him condescendingly, let out a cold laugh, and ignored both him and Catherine as they stood there, focusing on my phone instead. “My God! How can he be so cold-blooded? They’re all begging him, and he’s just sitting there playing with his phone.” “Everyone curse this bastard to die soon!” An influencer started criticizing me first, and the onlookers joined in, saying they couldn’t let the female hero and her family down. I remained unmoved as I looked at the headline: “Cold-blooded Lawyer Zachary.” I casually opened the YouTube livestream, where the viewer count had already exceeded eight million, with the chat filled with accusations against me. Watching the continuously soaring viewer numbers, I let out a cold laugh. The reporters exchanged glances with each other. Madeline suddenly burst into tears: “Zachary, let me confirm one last time. You want me to leave with nothing before you’ll give them money, right? You don’t even want your own child anymore?” I glanced at her and angrily urged, “Why won’t you sign? Hurry up!” “Fine, I’ll sign. Since you’ve decided I’m your burden, I’ll sign right now. As you wish!” Everyone pointed fingers at me. Madeline handed over the signed divorce agreement with trembling hands. “Are you satisfied now?” I took the agreement. Thinking about how she would soon leave with nothing, I smiled with satisfaction. Looking at my phone showing the livestream had broken twenty million viewers, I smiled even more happily. “Madeline, since you’ve given me such a satisfying gift, it’s time to reveal the truth to the public!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “398035”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G #Cheating #MarriageInTrouble #punishment #MaleLead

Christmas 1979, at the Florida Hospital morgue… “I agree to donate Maxwell Stevens’ body to the University of Florida Medical School for use as a silent mentor.” Vivian Stevens’ voice trembled slightly, yet carried unwavering determination. “But I demand to sign the donation agreement right now.” After signing the agreement, she watched with her own eyes as Maxwell’s body was loaded onto the transport vehicle. Only then did she feel at ease. Memories from her past life flooded back like a tide—she had just learned that her only relative Maxwell had drowned while saving someone, and shortly after, her fiancé Carlos Lewis told her that she had failed to get into college. Under this double blow, she completely collapsed and fainted. While she was unconscious, Carlos had taken it upon himself to donate Maxwell’s heart to his comrade’s widow, Arya Scott. To appease her, he proposed to her. But throughout their ten-year marriage, Carlos remained cold toward her. Whenever she mentioned wanting to retake the college entrance exam, he would get her pregnant to disrupt her plans. Eventually, she bore him two sons and three daughters, and her body broke down from years of overwork. At thirty-two, she suddenly died in the workshop from breast cancer combined with exhaustion. However, what chilled her to the bone was that after her death, she saw Carlos kneeling before her grave, letting out a long sigh of relief, as if he had finally completed a task. He said: “Vivian, I gave you the marriage and children you wanted. This should settle the debt for your brother’s heart and that college acceptance letter.” Then she watched helplessly as Carlos took the children back to the city and married the woman who had taken her place at university—Arya. Only then did she understand that Carlos had never loved her. In this second chance at life, she finally realized that some things shouldn’t be pursued obsessively. As for Carlos—she didn’t want him anymore! ***** The moment Vivian stepped through her front door, Carlos burst in. His brow was furrowed with anger, his gaze sharp as a blade. He said: “I’ve already stopped the transport vehicle. You need to come with me to the hospital right now to sign the papers. Your brother’s heart can save Arya—this is the only chance!” Without giving her any room to refuse, he grabbed Vivian’s wrist and dragged her outside. Carlos was tall and imposing, leaving Vivian no choice but to follow silently. In the hospital room, Arya had already changed into a patient gown. Seeing Carlos enter, her pale face twitched slightly, her eyes reddening. She sobbed: “Carlos… I’m so scared…” Carlos’ previously stern expression instantly softened. He gently pulled Arya into his embrace, using his fingertips to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, comforting her: “Don’t be afraid. No matter what happens with the surgery, I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life.” From her past life to this one, Carlos always claimed to treat Arya as his good friend’s wife, but his every action had long exceeded the boundaries of ordinary friendship. Standing to the side, Vivian felt a sharp pain pierce her heart. She suppressed the sting in her eyes and looked up to meet Carlos’ slightly furrowed brow. Perhaps because the grief in Vivian’s eyes was too intense, Carlos seemed uncomfortable and looked away. His tone remained authoritative: “Vivian, I hope you won’t be too selfish when it comes to matters of life and death.” Vivian let out a cold laugh: “Carlos, don’t forget that my brother once saved your life too. He’s been dead for less than a day, and you’re already eager to use his heart to save someone else? You’re shameless!” Carlos’ face instantly stiffened, a flash of embarrassment crossing his eyes. Florida’s forests were dense and crawling with snakes and insects. Five Christmases ago, Carlos was bitten by a venomous snake during a mission, and Maxwell happened to pass by and saved him. Maxwell risked his life to suck the venom from his wound, saving Carlos’s life. However, that experience left Maxwell deaf in both ears due to the toxin’s effects, becoming a permanent source of guilt in Carlos’s heart. Seeing Carlos lost in thought, Arya suddenly knelt down before Vivian, her face bearing a bitter smile. “It’s all my fault for being sick and getting this disease. Vivian, please don’t be angry with Carlos. He’s a good man, and I’m not worth using your brother’s heart to save.” The soldiers nearby couldn’t help but speak up for Arya: “Your brother is already dead, and his heart can be used to save lives. Arya’s husband sacrificed himself in the earthquake while rescuing disaster victims, and now she has heart disease. Are we supposed to just watch her die?” The soldiers’ words snapped Carlos back from his memories. He helped Arya to her feet and turned to face Vivian, his eyes fierce as if interrogating a criminal. “Vivian, this is a matter of life and death. If you insist on being selfish and stubborn, I’ll arrest you directly on charges of insulting a martyr’s family!” Arya revealed a satisfied smile upon hearing this, clearly pleased that her scheme was working. Vivian had already anticipated that Carlos wouldn’t give up easily. But she remained composed, speaking coldly: “I’m so scared… But unfortunately, Maxwell’s body has already been sent for cremation.” It turned out that after signing the organ donation agreement, she still felt uneasy, so she chose the option of letting Maxwell find peace as quickly as possible. Upon hearing this, Carlos’s face changed dramatically: “That’s impossible…” Before he could finish speaking, a soldier came running over in panic, holding an urn: “Mr. Lewis, there’s only an urn in the body transport vehicle, no body!” Carlos was stunned, then flew into a rage: “You maniac! What good does this do you?” Vivian met his gaze defiantly, sneering: “No good at all, but I absolutely won’t allow you to harm my brother!” With that, she ignored the fury practically blazing in Carlos’s eyes, snatched the urn, and turned to leave. She didn’t go home, but instead went to her teacher Leonel Freeman. With his help, she applied to Virginia Military Institute. From submitting her application to receiving the acceptance letter would take ten days. After ten days, she would completely leave this place behind and never see Carlos again in this lifetime. “Vivian, I remember you’re engaged to Mr. Lewis. Applying to a university so far away—is he really okay with that?” Leonel asked with concern in his voice. “I know there’s been tension between you two ever since Arya showed up. But I can tell he still cares about you.” Though he said this aloud, Leonel didn’t truly believe it. In Florida, Carlos was known for his impartiality and selflessness. Yet this Christmas, he had repeatedly used his connections and resources for Arya’s sake. This special treatment was something even Vivian had never received. Hearing this, Vivian lowered her gaze slightly. She remembered her past life—after Carlos married Arya, they had a son and daughter together. From then on, he cherished that pair of children like precious treasures. Meanwhile, the five children Vivian bore him were sent to the countryside by Arya under various pretenses. In the end, Arya’s son and daughter became a renowned entrepreneur and professor respectively, with bright futures ahead. But Vivian’s two sons mysteriously drowned in a rural pond when they were barely teenagers. Her remaining three daughters, under Arya’s interference, never even finished high school before being hastily married off to tragic fates. Thinking of all this, hatred surged in Vivian’s heart. She hated how foolish she’d been in her past life, trusting others so easily and ending up in such misery. In this life, she was determined to stay away from Carlos and pursue her own happiness. She took a deep breath, struggling to hide the pain in her eyes. When she looked up again, her gaze had regained its composure. “Mr. Lewis has the life he wants. I can’t force him to stay bound to me.” Her tone was calm, and then she asked Leonel, “I hope you can help me keep this secret. If Mr. Lewis asks, please tell him I didn’t get into college. Also, when the acceptance letter arrives, could you hold onto it for me?” Leonel nodded repeatedly. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.” He felt sorry for Vivian too. Her parents had been lumber mill workers who died tragically in an accident ten years ago, leaving fourteen-year-old Maxwell and eleven-year-old Vivian to fend for themselves. Now Maxwell had finally graduated from college, only to sacrifice his life heroically saving others. He’d originally thought Carlos was reliable, but it turned out he had a new love too. Under these circumstances, he could only hope Vivian would successfully leave this place of heartbreak. Returning home, Vivian had no idea of Leonel’s hopes for her. She walked through the front door and placed Maxwell’s urn alongside their parents’ memorial photos. The three people who had loved her most in this world were all gone now. Vivian felt her nose sting with unshed tears, but she forced herself not to cry. Now she was the only Stevens left. Before leaving home, she had to pull herself together and give Maxwell a proper funeral. Vivian’s parents had died while trying to repair lumber mill equipment, making their deaths work-related. For the past ten years, the family had received compensation money annually. Vivian opened the deepest compartment in Maxwell’s bedroom closet, where a neat stack of bills lay alongside wooden figurines Maxwell had carved by hand. All these years, Maxwell had never touched this money. He’d always said it was saved for Vivian’s future wedding. Looking at the money and figurines, Vivian couldn’t help but cry silently. Suddenly, Carlos pushed through the door and took the money directly. He said, “Though it’s not much, combined with my military allowance from these years, it should be enough for Arya’s heart surgery.” Vivian stared at Carlos in disbelief, anger surging through her instantly. She lunged forward and snatched the money back. “This is the money my parents left for me and my brother. Why should it be spent on Arya?” In that moment, Vivian could no longer suppress her inner resentment and completely exploded. Carlos mercilessly accused her: “It’s because of your selfishness that Arya lost the most suitable heart donor! Now she needs heart transplant surgery. Not only does she have to wait for a suitable organ, but she also has to pay a huge compensation. This is what you owe Arya, and you must take responsibility!” Facing Carlos’s accusations, Vivian sneered coldly: “What about you? Carlos, you once promised my parents and my brother that you would take good care of me. Is this what you call ‘taking care of me’?” Carlos’s expression shifted slightly, his throat moved, and he finally sighed: “So… you’re angry because of this…” He rubbed his weary brow, his tone softening: “Don’t worry, no matter how much I care about Arya, it won’t affect our engagement. As long as you’re sensible and obediently take the money to help Arya with her surgery, I promise I’ll marry you.” But when Carlos said this, there was no genuine emotion in his eyes, only irritation and dismissiveness. As if in his view, being able to marry him was a tremendous blessing for Vivian. Thinking of this, Vivian coldly refused: “What if I don’t?” “You!” Carlos flew into a rage and was about to start cursing when he was interrupted by the sudden ringing of the landline. After answering the phone, his tone instantly became gentle: “Alright, I’ll come pick you up and bring you home right away.” After hanging up, Carlos turned to Vivian and said: “Arya is too bored alone at the hospital. She’s worried that you might be sad and overthinking after just losing your brother, so she wants to come home to keep you company. I’m going to pick her up now. You go buy some meat to cook for her. Also, buy some candy—she likes sweets.” After hastily giving these instructions, Carlos hurried away, but he didn’t give Vivian any money. Vivian rolled her eyes and took out a thousand dollars from the four thousand, planning to choose a good burial plot for Maxwell. To be safe, she hid the remaining three thousand dollars in a more secret place. By the time she finished handling these matters, it wasn’t dark yet. Vivian thought to herself that since this was how things were, she would draw a clear line with Carlos from now on. So she took all the small items Carlos had given her over the past dozen years, whether valuable or not, and threw them all into the dumpster downstairs. Actually, Carlos had indeed been very good to Vivian in the past. He was an orphan from a disaster area that Vivian’s father Kevin Stevens had adopted during his military service. Later, when Kevin was discharged and transferred to Florida, Carlos had been living with Vivian and Maxwell ever since. Maxwell was mischievous and troublesome, Vivian was introverted, and although Carlos was only a year older than Maxwell, he was more mature and steady than other children. Therefore, he was always more perceptive than Maxwell in noticing changes in Vivian’s emotions. He knew Vivian was afraid of the dark, so after evening study sessions ended, on the way home from school, his figure was always there to accompany her. The Stevens family wasn’t wealthy. Every holiday, Vivian’s mother Esther Stevens would take out money she had saved for a long time to buy some sweets. Vivian loved sweets, so every time, Carlos would give her his share without reservation. Vivian and Carlos’s engagement was arranged when Kevin and Esther were still alive. As a child, Vivian simply regarded Carlos as a brother. But gradually, Carlos would prepare small gifts for Vivian when she was feeling down, would teach lessons to bad boys who bullied her, and would seriously save all his pocket money just to buy her a novel she liked. Vivian truly fell in love with Carlos when she was eighteen years old. At that time, Carlos had already enlisted in the military, and Maxwell had also gotten into college. But Vivian unfortunately came down with chickenpox. Carlos somehow learned of this news and took emergency leave overnight to carry Vivian on his back to see a doctor, afraid that she would be left with scars on her face. It wasn’t until after Vivian recovered that she learned that because of that emergency leave, Carlos had been officially reprimanded and confined for nearly a week. From then on, Vivian fell in love with him. She just never imagined that while the human heart is precious, it’s also fickle. The man who once wouldn’t let her suffer the slightest grievance would now, for the sake of another woman, trample her sincere heart underfoot.

Vivian ultimately chose a plot for Maxwell closest to her parents’ gravesite, with a total cost of two thousand dollars. She paid a thousand dollars as a down payment. After signing the contract, she walked home with the receipt in hand. Carlos’s words didn’t bother her at all. In this lifetime, she and Carlos were just good friends. If he wanted to spend money on Arya, that was his business. As for the money Vivian had saved, she would never let Arya touch a single cent of it! It was evening when she neared home, and Vivian spotted Carlos’s military jeep parked under a tree in the distance. Ever since learning about Arya’s heart condition, Carlos had applied for permission to use this vehicle. Arya was the only woman allowed to sit in the passenger seat. Once, when Vivian had acute gastroenteritis and asked Carlos to drive her to the hospital, she was met with his cold refusal. He had said, “This is a military vehicle, reserved for emergency missions only. You’re just a high school student—you don’t need it!” Carlos’s favoritism toward Arya was so obvious, yet in her previous life, Vivian had been blinded by old feelings. Pushing down the last trace of bitterness in her heart, Vivian turned and headed to the spaghetti restaurant at the corner. After enjoying a satisfying meal, she packed a small bag of leftovers before leaving. Vivian deliberately stayed out until late at night, making sure even the late-night snack time had passed before slowly making her way home. However, she found Carlos waiting at the door with a livid expression. The moment he saw her, he frowned with disgust and said, “I told you to buy groceries and come home to cook. Where are the groceries? You know perfectly well that Arya is weak, and she’s our guest. How can you be so inconsiderate?” Vivian couldn’t be bothered to respond and walked past him through the door. But then she saw Arya, whom Carlos claimed was “starving,” sitting at the dining table enjoying a lavish dinner. From the dishes, it was obvious that Carlos had specifically asked the military kitchen staff to prepare it—all of Arya’s favorite flavors. Vivian let out a cold laugh. Arya shrank back in fear. Vivian let out a cold laugh. Arya shrank back in fear. She spoke timidly, “Vivian, don’t blame Carlos. We waited for you to buy groceries and cook dinner, but you didn’t show up until midnight. Carlos was so worried about me that he had the chef specially prepare this meal for me. But Vivian, you’re Carlos’s fiancée—you should consider him more. You always come home so late at night; people might get the wrong idea about you.” In her previous life, Arya had always stirred up trouble under the guise of looking out for Vivian, causing constant fights between her and Carlos, eventually leading to their separation. In this lifetime, while Vivian no longer wanted Carlos, she certainly wouldn’t stand for being bullied by them. Before Arya could continue her manipulation, Vivian sneered and shot back, “Wrong idea? You’re a widow whose husband died less than a year ago. Instead of staying home to care for your parents, you’re squeezing yourself between me and my fiancé. Aren’t you afraid people might get the wrong idea about your relationship with him?” Vivian deliberately raised her voice, causing the neighboring residents to quietly pull back their curtains to eavesdrop. Caught red-handed, Arya’s face flushed crimson. Speechless for a moment, she could only turn to Carlos for help: “Carlos…” Vivian scoffed, showing no fear even when facing Carlos’s displeasure: “Mr. Lewis, please tell me what I said that was wrong?” Carlos couldn’t understand why the usually docile Vivian had become so unreasonable and jealous. He scolded, “I’ve already agreed to marry you, so you don’t need to make things difficult for Arya. Her husband wasn’t an only child—his parents have others to care for them, they don’t need a sick person like her interfering. Besides, Arya is right. What were you doing wandering the streets so late at night instead of coming home? Where are the meat and candy I asked you to buy? Arya needs to take her medicine later, and the candy would help ease the bitter taste.” Vivian lifted her hand and placed the oil paper package she was carrying on the table. Seeing that Carlos would defend her no matter what, Arya’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. She blushed and thanked him, “Carlos always treats me like a child. I’m a married woman—how could I still love eating candy…” Though she said she didn’t want it, she immediately reached out to grab it. But Vivian slapped her hand away, causing her to shriek and pull back in pain. Vivian mocked, “Fighting with a dog for food—you really have no shame.” “What did you say?” Arya nearly lost her composure. Vivian unwrapped the oil paper package, revealing what were obviously just leftovers. Even Carlos couldn’t control his emotions now: “Where are the meat and candy I asked you to buy for Arya?” Vivian put the leftover food into the plate she used to feed stray dogs and asked in return, “You asked me to buy them? Then where’s the money you gave me? If I remember correctly, you haven’t given me a single cent since a year ago.” Carlos fell silent, finally realizing that he had spent all his allowance this past year on Arya. Just as he was about to explain further, he noticed that Vivian had already taken the plate of dog food to the backyard. Vivian quietly stared at the stray dog Coco, lost in thought. In her previous life, shortly after her death, Carlos had moved the entire family to the provincial capital and never returned to visit her grave. The only ones who regularly came to the cemetery to see her were Leonel and Coco, the dog she had fed a few times. Sometimes people really weren’t as loyal as dogs. Vivian smiled bitterly as she petted Coco, who was contentedly rolling on his back. She mentally planned to find him a good home before leaving, then went upstairs to pack her things. However, when she pushed open the front door again, she froze. The originally spacious and tidy living room was now cluttered with miscellaneous items. After getting a clear look at those objects, Vivian trembled with rage. These were all Maxwell’s belongings! Even his urn and portrait had been carelessly thrown on the floor. “Who gave you permission to touch my brother’s things!” Vivian roared. At that moment, Arya emerged from Maxwell’s bedroom, wearing a provocative and smug smile. “Oh my, didn’t Carlos tell you? This bedroom is mine to live in from now on.” Then Carlos walked out of the kitchen carrying a cup of warm honey milk, as if he couldn’t see the fury burning in Vivian’s eyes. He said matter-of-factly, “I told you long ago that Arya would be staying at our house. Your brother’s room is clean and tidy, and now it’s perfectly available for her. What’s gotten into you? When did you become so petty?” His words intensified Vivian’s anger. She recognized that cup of milk as something Maxwell had specifically brought back from the provincial capital for her before his death. And the honey was something Maxwell had risked being stung by bees and nearly breaking his leg to find in the mountains. Now, these heartfelt gifts were being tenderly fed to Arya, spoonful by spoonful, by Carlos. After finishing the drink, Arya didn’t forget to continue provoking Vivian. She gently touched her lower abdomen and said shyly, “I completely forgot when my period was due, but Carlos still remembered…” Vivian wanted to curse them for being shameless, but suddenly remembered the three thousand dollars she had hidden away. Panicking, she rushed to find it. However, the cookie tin that had been hidden among Maxwell’s books had been pried open, and the money inside had long since vanished. Even the wooden figurine Maxwell had carved for her was gone. Vivian’s sanity completely shattered. Clutching the empty tin, she rushed out. “Give me back the three thousand dollars my brother left me!” Upon hearing “three thousand dollars,” a flash of unease crossed Arya’s eyes, but she quickly put on an act of indignant humiliation. “What three thousand dollars? Just because I’m staying in Maxwell’s bedroom, you’re accusing me of stealing money? If that’s how it is, I’ll just leave!” With that, she shoved the table aside, wiped away tears, and stormed out of the house. More than the three thousand dollars, Vivian desperately wanted to retrieve the figurine that belonged to Maxwell and her. Seeing Arya about to flee, she immediately gave chase, but Carlos violently shoved her. Caught off guard, Vivian crashed into the living room wall, where a row of iron nails instantly pierced her back, the pain nearly making her cry out. Carlos remained completely oblivious to this, coldly dropping a threat. “Vivian, it seems your brother and I really spoiled you rotten!” Then he turned and chased after Arya’s retreating figure. Vivian clutched her bleeding back and slowly collapsed to the floor. It wasn’t until a concerned neighbor discovered her that she was taken to the hospital. When Vivian woke up, she saw Carlos sitting by her hospital bed. Seeing her open her eyes, Carlos’s expression remained indifferent. “What, done with your act?” Vivian was breaking out in cold sweat from the pain in her back, and was momentarily stunned by his words. Carlos continued mockingly, “You knew you wrongly accused Arya, so you came up with this self-harm scheme to make me feel sorry for you. Vivian, I never realized you were so calculating.” Vivian no longer expected Carlos to take her side and simply closed her eyes, remaining silent. Carlos went on, “Enough. Arya wasn’t even angry about being wrongly accused by you. She was worried you might be facing some difficulties and insisted on going door-to-door to help you raise money. If I hadn’t convinced her to rest, she really would have stayed up all night borrowing money, regardless of her health!” As he spoke, he pulled a ring made of bent wire from his pocket and handed it to Vivian. With a serious expression, he said, “I know you’ve always liked me and longed to marry me. What Arya and I have is just pure friendship. She’s a good girl who deserves someone better. Vivian, don’t worry—once Arya’s surgery is done, we’ll get married.” Vivian numbly listened to Carlos’s insincere promise. He seemed completely unaware of how tender his expression became whenever he mentioned Arya’s name. Carlos didn’t care about any of this. Seeing that Vivian had no reaction, he assumed she was too happy to speak, so he smiled and personally slipped the crudely made ring onto her ring finger. The broken wire end cut painfully into Vivian’s fingertip, just like her heart that was now riddled with holes and bleeding endlessly. She was useless—she couldn’t even hold onto Maxwell’s final belongings. Carlos had been putting on an act all along. After staying with Vivian for less than two hours, he left under the pretext of having business at the military base. Vivian didn’t care whether he really had business or was going back to be with Arya. She just wanted to heal quickly so she wouldn’t delay her college plans. Three days later, Vivian’s wounds healed and she was discharged from the hospital. The first thing she did after being discharged from the hospital was to use the thousand-dollar deposit she had paid earlier to buy a cheaper burial plot. Though the environment was far inferior to the previous one, at least Maxwell’s ashes finally had a resting place. After taking care of these matters, she dragged her exhausted body home. However, after just three days away, everything related to Maxwell had completely vanished from the house. The bedroom that once belonged to Maxwell had been thoroughly renovated, with not a trace of the past remaining. Carlos wasn’t home. Arya sat on the sofa reading like a true mistress of the house. Hearing the door, she looked up with a smirk that seemed to size up someone destined for failure. Vivian stared at her coldly. “I know you took that money. Take that pink dress you’re wearing—it must have cost quite a bit. With Carlos’s captain’s salary, having to scrimp and save for your surgery, there’s no way he could afford that much.” Moreover, before Arya’s husband died, their family was notoriously poor and couldn’t possibly have had money for clothes. But Arya showed no panic. She slowly raised her hand, letting the light catch a dazzling silver ring on her ring finger. She smiled and said, “I just casually complained that I didn’t even have a decent ring when I got married. So Carlos gave me the silver ring he originally planned to give you, then just bent some wire he found on the street into an iron ring for you…” Her laughter was wanton and grating, echoing throughout the room. Then she lifted her smug face and sneered, “You’re nothing but bad luck! You killed your parents and brother. Even your precious fiancé doesn’t want you anymore.” Vivian acted as if she hadn’t heard these words, simply repeating calmly, “I can let you have Carlos, and I don’t want the money, but I need you to return the doll from that tin box.” Arya put on an expression of sudden realization. “Oh, I remember now! Come with me to get it.” With that, she stood up and walked toward the staircase. Vivian followed skeptically. The next second, Arya pulled out a doll that was already shattered into pieces from her pocket. Vivian’s eyes widened in shock, reflecting Arya’s malicious and twisted smile. Arya roared, “Why should Carlos still marry you when things have come to this? While I can only be his comrade’s widow? Let me tell you, Vivian, I’m Carlos’s future wife! And you will be crushed under my feet, never to rise again!” After saying this, she casually threw the doll to the ground, then pretended to scream in terror, “Vivian, don’t push me! Ah!” At that moment, Carlos was coming upstairs with Arya’s husband’s father Bruce Scott and mother Monica Scott. Witnessing this scene, he couldn’t stop it in time and could only watch helplessly as Arya fell from the fifth floor to the third floor, losing consciousness. In that moment, Carlos looked at Vivian with no trace of tenderness left in his eyes. He turned to the soldiers behind him and barked, “Arrest her!” ***** Vivian was held in solitary confinement for four full days. During this time, Carlos forbade anyone from visiting her. It wasn’t until the fifth day that he walked in with a stack of bills and receipts, speaking coldly, “You deliberately harmed Arya. If I hadn’t fought hard to protect you, you’d already be under arrest. However, Arya suffered a mild concussion as a result. As compensation, you need to give her your family’s house and write a guarantee letter swearing never to harm her again before I can let you out.” During these four days, Vivian had barely had a drop of water. Hearing Carlos make such shameless demands, her eyes burned with pain, yet she couldn’t shed a single tear. No matter how unwilling she was, she was forced to sign the transfer agreement and guarantee letter. She couldn’t delay her college enrollment. After finishing, she clenched her trembling hands and said with a hoarse throat but firm tone, “Carlos, if possible, I really wish you had never appeared in my life.” Hearing this, Carlos’s body visibly stiffened, but he only responded with an even more disgusted cold laugh, “You think I don’t wish the same? Spending a lifetime with a woman as dark-hearted as you is my punishment.” With that, he slammed the door and left, his retreating figure as disheveled as if he were fleeing from something. Watching him leave, Vivian murmured to herself, “Don’t worry, Carlos. In two days, you and I will have nothing to do with each other anymore.”

When Vivian pushed open the front door, the Arya family was celebrating joyfully—they finally had their own home in Florida. Carlos beamed with happiness, his face radiating excitement. He said, “Arya, not only will they be able to live with you in Florida from now on, but we’ve also found a suitable source for your heart transplant. As long as the surgery goes smoothly the day after tomorrow, you’ll recover completely. Arya, you’re naturally kind and brave—all this good fortune is what you deserve.” Carlos beamed with happiness, his face radiating excitement. He said, “Arya, not only will they be able to live with you in Florida from now on, but we’ve also found a suitable source for your heart transplant. As long as the surgery goes smoothly the day after tomorrow, you’ll recover completely. Arya, you’re naturally kind and brave—all this good fortune is what you deserve.” Upon hearing this, the other three people’s eyes welled up with tears, as if Christian and the others were truly unfortunate souls tormented by fate. However, no one remembered that everything they now possessed had been stolen from Vivian. Vivian quietly walked into her room and began packing her belongings. Before long, Carlos entered with a slight buzz from drinking. Seeing Vivian organizing her things, his expression immediately darkened: “What are you trying to pull now?” This time, Vivian didn’t argue with him, only giving a bitter smile: “This house belongs to the Scott family now. I can’t keep staying here. It’s better if I move out quickly.” Carlos was satisfied with Vivian’s compliance, and his tone softened considerably: “Arya is a good girl. When she heard you had nowhere to go, she specifically asked me to let you stay temporarily. She said she’s always wanted to be friends with you. I also need a few days to sort out the military family housing arrangements, so you can stay for now. Come on, let’s go eat. Arya even cooked several dishes for you herself!” Vivian nodded and followed Carlos to the dining table. But when she saw clearly the three dishes in front of the spaghetti, she froze completely. On the plate directly in front of her sat a charred dog’s head. The other two plates contained dog paws and dog meat respectively. Vivian’s body began trembling violently. However, Arya continued to explain with a bright smile: “Vivian, I think you’re too thin. There’s a custom in our hometown that eating dog meat strengthens the body. I made this especially for you with my own hands—you must eat more! I’m sure you’ll love it, right? After all, you seemed particularly fond of it, even gave it the name Coco.” With her final words, the last glimmer of light in Vivian’s eyes was completely extinguished. She asked numbly, “Why did you hurt it? What did it ever do wrong?” Carlos frowned, responding impatiently: “It’s just a dog, isn’t it? Is it worth getting this upset over? I think you’re deliberately causing trouble. Do you want to be confined again?” Vivian said nothing more, simply eating her meal in silence. Throughout the entire dinner, she never touched any of the three dishes on the table. ***** That evening, Carlos took Arya to the hospital for pre-surgery examinations. After dinner, Vivian filled a basin with water and returned to her room to wash herself. However, when she finished changing clothes and opened the door again, she was startled to see Bruce suddenly jump up from the ground and run away. Following his movement, Vivian realized that the gap under the door provided a clear view into her room! This discovery sent chills down her spine, and she instinctively felt that Arya must be plotting something against her again. However, with less than two days remaining before she left this place, absolutely nothing could go wrong. To be safe, Vivian hid a kitchen knife under her pillow before bed and securely locked her bedroom door, then fell into an exhausted sleep. But in the dead of night, there came soft sounds from outside the door. In the darkness, someone quietly unlocked the door with a key. Vivian jolted awake, meeting face-to-face with that leering smile illuminated by moonlight. Vivian jolted awake, meeting face-to-face with that leering smile illuminated by moonlight. It was Bruce! It was Bruce! It was Bruce!   Seeing Vivian wake up, Bruce’s face showed both threat and contempt. “You filthy bitch! Know your place. You think you can marry Carlos? I’m warning you—sleep with me obediently, or I have plenty of ways to make you regret it!” With that, he unbuckled his belt and lunged at her. Bruce, strengthened by years of manual labor, had incredible strength. Vivian was choked around the neck, nearly suffocating. Just as her consciousness began to fade, she desperately grabbed the knife handle hidden under her pillow. Bruce’s agonized scream pierced the silence. Monica, who had been pretending to sleep, was so frightened she immediately turned on the lights and rushed out. Bruce collapsed on the floor, clutching his bleeding arm, while Vivian stood holding the kitchen knife, her face filled with terror. ***** At the police station, Vivian defended herself desperately: “He used a key to open my door in the middle of the night and tried to rape me!” However, Arya, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, cried even more heartbrokenly than she did. She and the equally tearful Monica clung to each other, retorting: “Bruce and Monica have been in love for decades. How could he possibly rape you? You obviously seduced him!” At this point, Bruce, who had already bandaged his wound, nodded repeatedly and defended himself with an innocent expression: “She clearly gave me the key! She said she was sore from being locked in the confinement room and asked me to come massage her back. I brought Arya and Monica with me, but when we went in, she was lying naked on the bed waiting for us! When she saw two people enter, she flew into a rage and rushed to the kitchen to grab a knife to kill someone! Fortunately, we reacted quickly and called for help, or we might not be alive right now…” Carlos trusted the Scott family completely and looked at Vivian with disgust. He pressured Police Chief Mike Larson: “She injured someone with a knife—that’s assault with a deadly weapon. She should be punished according to the law. Don’t go easy on her just because she’s my fiancée! This is what she deserves!” Left with no choice, the police had to temporarily detain Vivian. Only Mike silently watched the Scott family’s departure, deep in thought. However, just one night later, Vivian was released without charges. Mike gently removed her handcuffs and said quietly: “If Maxwell weren’t deaf, he would definitely make a good police officer someday. He was one of my wife’s most admired students in high school. Maxwell always mentioned your kindness and good nature at our dinner table. So yesterday I specifically had someone secretly follow Bruce home, and that’s how we overheard him and his wife proudly bragging about how perfect Arya’s plan was.” He sighed and continued: “Don’t worry, we now have the suspects under control. It’s just that the mastermind Arya is currently in the hospital undergoing heart transplant surgery. But my colleagues have already gone to Mr. Lewis with the evidence to clear things up. I believe once he knows the truth, everything will…” Vivian gently shook her head, interrupting him. “None of that matters anymore. Please don’t tell him where I’ve gone.” Mike was stunned for a moment, then nodded in agreement. He specially arranged for a car to take Vivian home to pack her belongings, then accompanied her to Leonel’s house to retrieve her acceptance letter and the train ticket that came with it. Finally, he personally escorted Vivian to the station and watched her board the train leaving Florida. The morning sunlight bathed the earth as Vivian stood at the station entrance, gazing at this land where she had lived for over a decade. A few minutes later, she removed the wire ring from her ring finger and casually tossed it into a storm drain. Then she turned and merged into the crowd, resolutely stepping toward her future.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “398034”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #Rebirth #B×G #Widow #ChildhoodCrush #Independent

I had a thing for my best friend’s brother-in-law, Professor Ben Harrison. One late night, I texted him: “Babe, you’re seriously gorgeous.” He replied with two words: “Keep it professional.” After a month of chasing, this unattainable hunk wouldn’t budge. Then, the second month, my best friend called, sobbing, saying she wanted a divorce. I puffed up my chest and declared, “I’ll be right there with you!” Then, I texted Ben: “Old man, you’re probably useless anyway!” “Peace out, never wanna see you again!” That night, Ben cornered me in my room, and I ended up tearfully apologizing. “I messed up.” He chuckled darkly, “Too late for that.” **** My bestie, Sarah Evans, was a total goddess. Rich, smart, cultured, kind, and generous. I often wished I had been born a guy. About a month ago, she married the ultimate D.C. socialite, Matt Harrison. As the maid of honor, I cried my eyes out. I was the saddest person in the whole room, because, let’s face it, no guy on earth was good enough for Sarah. And to make it worse, she was married, which meant we probably wouldn’t see each other as much. Matt gave me a smug grin, the look of a guy who knew he’d won. That guy was a well-known playboy. When Sarah and Matt were dating, he and I were like oil and water. I constantly got under his skin. He’d get super mad, but because of Sarah he couldn’t really say anything. On their wedding day, he was all smiles, telling me, “Okay, Taylor James, back off now. She’s mine.” “You’re a third wheel. Be cool.” I was ready to rip his head off. Then I saw this dude who looked vaguely like Matt, walking toward us. This guy was tall, leggy, and had this quiet, refined aura. Even Matt, the cocky one, straightened up and showed some respect. He called him “Bro.” The man nodded and turned his gaze to me. Matt made the introductions, “This is Taylor James, Sarah’s best friend.” “And this is my older brother, Ben.” Ben was a man of few words, just a slight nod in my direction. I stared at him. Then, a lightbulb went off. An idea popped into my head. At the reception, I sat next to Ben. I straight up asked, “You single?” My bluntness caught him by surprise. Besides me, everyone at the table was a relative of the groom’s. They all stared at me, looking a bit shocked. Ben paused, then replied, “Yes.” “Cool, let’s exchange numbers then!” I shoved my QR code at him. He glanced at me. Probably because of the situation, family around, and it being a wedding, he didn’t feel like he could blow me off. He scanned it. I was super happy and chatted with Ben all evening. He was so polite, answering everything I said with a careful, formal tone. I knew he probably didn’t want to deal with me, but whatever, I had my sights set on this guy. Ben was five years older than me. When I found out he was a college professor, I was a little surprised. Given his family background, I figured he’d be in business or politics. But he was in academia. No wonder he had that smooth, polished vibe. “Professor Harrison, you’re really good-looking!” “I’ve never seen a hotter guy.” Everyone at the table looked like they’d been frozen in place. I thought their reaction was weird, but my mind was only on Ben, so I didn’t dwell on it. I just figured I’d shocked them with my forwardness. Ben was drinking some soup. After hearing my comment he looked directly at me. He just said, “That’s quite the compliment.”   Unattainable guys are hard work. To win Ben over, and be part of the family with my girl, I asked one of my friends, who is a total player for advice. She gave me four words: Be direct, be bold. “If you play it coy with this kind of guy, you’re doomed. You have to be upfront.” “The quiet ones like the outspoken ones.” I took her advice and did some online research. I saw a post about calling a guy “babe,” and I suddenly understood everything. I was ready. I’ve got a hot guy. I’m unstoppable. I opened my chat with Ben and just texted him: “Goodnight, babe.” Ben: “Wrong number.” Me: “Nope, you’re my only babe.” Ben: “Miss James, I haven’t dated you, and we’re not married, so please refrain from that.” I was grinning like an idiot. I was loving the formality. Was this what dating an older guy was like? The chase was fun. Me: “Then date me and marry me.” Long silence— Ben: “Miss James, please be respectful.” When I saw that text, I laughed out loud. This was the best. “Babe, I’m gonna be a guest in your class tomorrow.” Ben didn’t reply. From that day forward, I went to his lectures. There, he was, in a suit and tie, gold-rimmed glasses, so hot, so restrained. Every move, every word he uttered was so captivating. During the lecture, Ben posed a question. While everyone was thinking, I secretly texted him: “Babe, so gorgeous.” “Babe, your voice is amazing.” “Babe, let’s grab some food after class?” His phone buzzed. Ben glanced at his screen, then looked at me across the room. I mouthed the word “babe.” His eyes flickered behind his glasses. I saw Ben’s long, slender fingers reach for the black mic. Then, his lips moved, speaking my name. “Miss James, why don’t you answer the question?” That was the first time I heard him say my name. For some reason, my heart skipped a beat. I was so flustered. I was just a guest, and a totally distracted one. I had no idea what he was talking about. He was just trying to teach me a lesson. He wanted me to give up. No way. Everyone turned to see who Ben was talking about. I stood up, looked him directly in the eye, and, with a touch of mischief, I said, loud and clear: “Babe, I have no idea.” The whole place erupted with noise. Everyone was gasping and whispering. Ben’s expression didn’t change, but I saw his Adam’s apple move. He just calmly said, “Sit down.” He didn’t say a word about me calling him babe, and just moved on. That’s how I became famous. Everyone in Ben’s classes knew he had a “fiancée” who was always hanging around. I stopped hiding. I went from the back of the room to the front row. I’d stare him right down. But he never called on me again. He was still cold and distant.

Ben was impossible. After chasing him for a month, I was getting tired. Last time, I braved a storm to get to his lecture, and I caught a cold. Today I was feeling pretty crappy. I laid my head on the desk and fell asleep. I woke up to the sound of Ben saying my name. I lifted my head, feeling foggy. He touched my forehead, looking worried. “You’re burning up.” He started to pull back, but I grabbed his hand. My face pressed against his hand, sighing, “So cool…so nice.” Ben froze up. His lips were drawn tight. I was probably delirious, but I was treating him like my husband. My eyes filled with tears and I said, “Babe, I feel terrible.” Ben picked me up and carried me out of the lecture hall. I was in and out of it. I just knew I was being carried to his car. I was clinging to him so tight that he had to call a driver. In the backseat, I was like a koala bear, wrapped around him. There were lots of red lights and the car kept stopping. I pressed against him for comfort. Ben’s expression darkened. He tried to push me away, but when he did, I was poked by something and grabbed at it, saying, “Stop poking me.” Ben went completely stiff. He was breathing faster. He covered my hand with his, his voice low and controlled. He tried to soothe me, saying, “Okay, let go.” “No.” I buried my face into his shoulder. Ben’s voice had a sharp edge, “Taylor James!” I pressed my luck and said, “Will you be my man?” That was when Ben had enough. He pushed me off him. Up until that point, he’d been tolerating my nonsense. But this time, he was pissed. He took the belt off his waist and used it to tie my fidgeting hands. Then, with those gorgeous hands that got right at my core, he grabbed my chin. His tone was a warning. “If you don’t calm down, I’m kicking you out of the car.” I looked at him, stunned, and the fevered fog lifted a bit. I saw a familiar darkness in his expression. It reminded me of someone. My uncle’s son, I called him ‘Cousin,” the guy involved in some shady stuff, with a dangerous aura. He tried to hide it when he was around us, but he still had this menacing thing about him. I was always scared of him. Ben squeezed my chin a bit tighter. He hissed, “Taylor, stop messing with me.” “And don’t come to the school anymore.” “Nod if you understand.” I winced and nodded. Ben studied me, and then he released me. He stared at my lip and frowned. He muttered, “You’re such a drama queen.” I knew that the spot where his fingers were, was probably bright red. For the rest of the ride, I was quiet. Then, I passed out.   I woke up in the hospital. My best friend, Sarah, was there with me. I hugged her, acting all dramatic. “You finally got back from your honeymoon?” “Did you forget about me now that you have a husband?” She just laughed, “Stop it. You were running a fever of 104. You almost turned into a vegetable.” “You’re still on an IV, lay down.” I lay down and looked around the room. Then, I said, “Wait, how did you know I was here?” “Whoever took you to the hospital, that’s who called me.” Sarah was giving me a hard look. “How did you get mixed up with Matt’s brother?” When she said Ben’s name, the image of the car flashed into my mind. I blushed, all the way to my roots. Sarah was shocked. “Taylor, you don’t like, like, Matt’s brother, do you?” I pulled the blanket over my face. Muffled, I replied, “I wanted us to be sisters-in-law. And Ben is so good-looking and single, perfect!” I explained my campaign of chasing Ben. Sarah laughed. “Taylor, it touches my heart that you care about me so much.” “But this isn’t a game. You have to marry someone you love.” “I should have known, you’ve always had guys chasing you. You never cared about them.” “You were always saying all men are scum. So, now you’re suddenly pursuing someone? And just for me? “You’re like a little kid. That’s not how love works.” I argued, “Ben’s so hot! It’s love! Lust, too!” “He’s always dressed so professionally. It drives me crazy. I wanna see him naked.” “And his hands are my obsession. I want to bite them.” I got carried away. Then someone knocked at the door. Matt was standing there, smirking, and gave me a thumbs-up. Ben was stoic, his cool eyes moving to mine, and saw the look of panic in my eyes. I covered my face with the blanket. 05 Ben had come because my laptop was still in his car. He put the laptop down and left, not saying a word. I stayed hidden until he was gone. Matt came to take Sarah home, and gave me a ride, too. I was done with my IV. In the car, Matt teased me. “Wow, you dared to go after my brother.” “But dude, you’re so not his type.” “Just give it up.” I didn’t like Matt, so I refused to give in. “Whether I’m his type is up to him to decide.” “Just you wait, you’ll be calling me sister-in-law next year.” Matt snorted. “Dream on.” I wrapped my arms around Sarah, who was laughing at us. “Baby, I’m not feeling well. I wanna sleep with you tonight.” “Don’t go home.” She smelled so good. It was such a waste that Matt had her. “Taylor! Get away from my wife!” “No way!” Sarah sighed, “Okay, okay, stop it.” “Taylor’s not feeling well, I don’t wanna leave her alone.” “I’ll stay with her tonight.” Matt was fuming but had no choice but to give in.

Sarah stayed with me for one night, and the next day, Matt picked her up. I might have told Matt I’d be his sister-in-law, but I hadn’t texted Ben again. What happened in the car, and what he had said, still freaked me out. I’d lost my nerve. And to be honest, I was embarrassed. I might talk trash, but I’m a romantic at heart. I’ve never had a boyfriend. And thinking about touching him that day? I just couldn’t face him. After a week of recovery, I decided to ask Sarah out for some shopping. But then a scandal hit the news. Matt Harrison, caught in a hotel with his high school sweetheart! They spent the night at the hotel and didn’t leave until the next day! The photos showed Matt hugging some woman in the hotel lobby. I was furious. I was about to call Matt and tell him off, but he didn’t pick up. Then, I got a call from Sarah. She was crying and saying she wanted a divorce. I did my best to console her and declared, “Okay, I’ll be there with you when you do this.” Then, I went and got her. Her eyes were all puffy and red from crying. I knew it. That Matt was no good. And look what happened, he couldn’t even wait a full year. I didn’t say anything out loud, though. Because Sarah was too upset. I was furious and heartbroken for her. Matt called me, and I blocked his number. Then, I deleted him from my contacts. As I was doing that, I saw Ben’s photo, and I got angry all over again. I texted him: “I won’t bother you anymore.” “You’re just an old man anyway, probably can’t even handle it! No one wants you!” “Bye, never wanna see you again!” Then, I blocked him and deleted his number, too.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “398032”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G #TeacherProfessor #BrotherInLaw #SweetLove #FeistyHeroine

My daughter, Lily, had just started kindergarten when I got a notification from the class group chat: [Hi everyone, I’m Sarah Miller, and my daughter, Tiffany, just transferred here today.] The chat lit up with a string of “Welcomes!” and “Hellos!” Just as I was about to type out my own greeting, a huge block of text appeared. [Important Notice from Tiffany’s Mom: “Girls in the class, please take note: Starting next week, I’ll be posting a picture of what my daughter is wearing each day, please make sure your child doesn’t wear the same thing. “Also, I request that everyone please switch to the same brand of laundry detergent we use, my daughter has a very sensitive nose and can’t tolerate other scents. “Finally, my daughter was a C-section baby and is a bit timid, so I ask you to tell your children not to bully her and make sure she’s always treated with priority.”] Wow. I couldn’t help but think, “This isn’t just a new student; this is a royal princess who’s slumming it with us commoners!”