Ethan’s little canary had run away again. This time, he forced a high-speed train to make an emergency stop just for her. That night, he hurried home and saw the divorce papers in my hand. He let out a muffled laugh. “The little girl was being disobedient. It took a lot of effort to catch her and bring her back. Honey, you understand, right?” I still handed him the pen. He sneered: “You can’t be serious. You really want a divorce?” “You signed a prenuptial agreement. If we divorce, you won’t get a single cent!” I nodded: “I want a divorce.” Ethan’s smile faded. “You’re not going to treat your mom’s illness anymore? You’re just going to watch her die?” He threw out the trump card that had never failed him before. I calmly shook my head. “I’m not treating it anymore.” Ethan’s face completely darkened. He didn’t know yet. My critically ill mother had been lying on that very high-speed train. The hours of delay caused her to miss the critical window for her treatment. From now on. This place could never trap me again. 1 Ethan was very arrogant. He was certain I couldn’t leave my mother. After all, she was severely ill, and the medical bills were incredibly expensive. And my pockets were completely empty. As long as he had a hold on my mother, it was like he held my life in his hands. So no matter how far he went, even having an affair with my mother’s former student, I never dared to mention divorce. But this time, not only did I bring it up, but my attitude was also incredibly calm. So even he was taken aback. We remained at an impasse for a few seconds. Ethan was the first to break the silence. He chuckled lightly and patted my head: “Alright, don’t make yourself sick with anger.” “Are you still mad that Chloe ran to the hospital last time and disturbed Mom’s rest? I promise there won’t be a next time, okay?” “Besides, didn’t you get your revenge in the end? The poor girl was terrified of you.” The “revenge” he mentioned… Referred to the time Chloe, just to provoke me, barged into my mother’s hospital room and showed her a bunch of intimate videos of her and Ethan. My mother couldn’t catch her breath and almost died right there. I was furious to the extreme. I brought people to block her at her workplace, beat her until she was crying and begging for mercy on her knees, and even got her fired. That was the second time I had completely lost my mind. “Don’t touch me! You’re filthy!” I scoffed, slapping Ethan’s hand away: “Ethan, your promises are just like you—worthless!” Ethan pulled his hand back in pain, his eyes suddenly turning sharp. Obviously, being repeatedly rebuffed by me today had ignited a fire in him. Right at that moment, his phone rang. He glanced at me and answered it. It was Chloe’s aggrieved voice. “Ethan, I wanted to go apologize to Mrs. Davis, but the nurses said she was transferred…” “But all the specialists you hired are at this hospital! Does Chloe hate us so much that she’d risk Mrs. Davis’s health just to spite us? And Mrs. Davis, too, how could she let her daughter act so recklessly!” Ethan gently comforted her for a while. When he put away his phone and looked at me again, he had resumed his usual careless demeanor. “Olivia, you colluded with Mom just to get back at me? Tsk, Mom really is getting old and senile from her illness.” He lazily held a cigarette in his mouth: “Are you mother and daughter so sure I wouldn’t dare pull the medical team?” Countless times in the past. This was how Ethan forced me to compromise. Using my mother as a bargaining chip, forcing me to obey, even making me bow my head to the mistress he was keeping. It was a tactic that never failed him. But now. Looking at his posture, thinking he was in control of everything. I suddenly wanted to laugh. And as I laughed, my eyes uncontrollably turned red. I violently grabbed an ashtray and hurled it at him as hard as I could. “Pull them! Pull your medical team right now! My mom and I don’t need your charity!” Blood seeped from Ethan’s forehead. The veins on his forehead bulged. After a long silence, he stood up, walked toward the door, and said indifferently: “Olivia, you might not have a conscience, but I can’t be without one.” “After all, a teacher’s grace is as heavy as a mountain. I can’t be as reckless and willful as you and delay the teacher’s treatment.” What answered him… Was another vase I hurled fiercely at his back. 2 The door slammed shut heavily. I collapsed onto the sofa, drained of all strength. My eyes fell on the shattered pieces covering the floor. Remembering Ethan’s phrase, “A teacher’s grace is as heavy as a mountain,” I let out a mocking laugh. Exactly how shameless do you have to be… To say such weighty words so lightly, and so self-righteously? And exactly how much of a failure was I… To have let my life turn out like this? Ethan was, indeed, once my mother’s student. Back then, he wasn’t the heir to the Sterling family; he was just a kid who had nothing. Raised by a single, violent, gambling-addict father, he had a gloomy personality, terrible grades, and was a problem student that no teacher wanted to deal with. Later, my mother noticed the bruises on him. As his homeroom teacher, she did home visits time and time again, but they always ended in vain. Pitying him because he was skin and bones, my mother frequently invited him to our house for dinner. That year, we were in high school. Two miserable kids from single-parent homes ended up crossing paths. Those years, my mother, a senior teacher, personally tutored Ethan, helping him transform from a despised underachiever into a top student, eventually getting into a prestigious university. This led to Ethan later following his biological mother back to the Sterling family, and with his knowledge and the halo of a top university… He managed to earn a place and recognition within the Sterling family. Later, he changed completely. I asked my mother if she regretted it. She only shook her head: “At least it gave a child a different life.” But as she shook her head, tears fell: “My only regret is letting you marry him!” When she was critically ill, she gripped me tightly: “If I don’t make it, you should head to New York. Don’t keep holding on for my sake.” “Do whatever you want to do. My Livvy shouldn’t be trapped here.” Only then did I realize that my mother had known everything all along. I forcefully wiped my face and looked at the message popping up on my phone. [Olivia, that cruel woman who always stopped us father and daughter from seeing each other is finally gone. No one can stop you now!] [Your little brother is still young and can’t handle things. You’re my only daughter. If you’re willing to come home, everything I have in the future, including the company, will be yours!] Even though we hadn’t been in contact for years, the selfishness and coldness in the bones of my biological father hadn’t changed a bit. Even hearing that the wife who had shared his hardships in their youth had passed away, he didn’t show a hint of sadness. He even had to kick her while she was down. I lowered my eyes, staring quietly at the words on the screen. I only felt it was ridiculous. All mine? That brother of mine was the precious son this man had longed for, the son he didn’t hesitate to abandon his wife and daughter for. Would he really be willing to let me, his daughter, take half of the family fortune? I’d be the biggest joke if I believed his nonsense. But since leaving was a foregone conclusion, there was no reason not to use this stepping stone delivered right to my door. I twitched my lips and replied: [Okay, I’ll go back.] 3 As if trying to teach me a lesson… Ethan never came home again. I didn’t care. I handled my mother’s funeral alone. My mother was an only child. My grandparents had passed away long ago, and we had no other relatives. Everything was kept simple. After everything was done, I went home to pack my bags. I didn’t expect that right after I stepped through the door, the keypad lock chimed again. The moment I locked eyes with Chloe. I was still a little incredulous. “How did you get in here?” She even had the passcode to my house? Since when? Did Ethan give it to her? Or, during those days and nights when I was running to the hospital taking care of my mom, had he already moved this woman in? Sleeping in our bed? Thinking of those possible scenes… I felt a moment of nausea. “Oh, Mrs. Sterling is home?” Chloe smirked, her red lips curling. She walked in with practiced ease, acting as if she were the lady of the house: “Mr. Sterling left a jacket behind, I’m just here to grab it. I’m used to just walking right in, I forgot you might be home. You don’t mind, do you?” Before I could answer, she seemed to remember something and let out an “Oh”: “I almost forgot. You’re a full-time housewife, with no work to keep you busy. Aside from holing up at home, you really don’t have anywhere else to go.” After she finished speaking, she turned and strutted into the bedroom in her stilettos. Soon, she came out carrying Ethan’s clothes. Seeing that I was calmly watering the plants, completely ignoring her behavior, it was like a punch landing on cotton. Her face instantly darkened: “Some people spend all day guarding a few pathetic plants, unable to hold onto their man’s heart, not even having a decent career. What a pathetic way to live! Wouldn’t you agree, sister?” I put down the watering can, looked at her, and chuckled. “Career? You mean being a sugar baby whose only job is to warm someone’s bed?” I clapped my hands loudly: “Well, I guess it takes skill to lick a sugar daddy until he’s comfortable enough to hand you a job, right?” Back when I got Chloe fired from her job… Ethan turned around and hired her as his secretary, which was undoubtedly a harsh slap in the face to me. Chloe’s face instantly flushed bright red. She pointed at me, her voice shrill: “It’s still better than being a piece of trash like you! Even with a degree from a top university, you’re still blacklisted by the entire industry. Olivia, tell me, who in this entire city would dare to hire you?” My face went pale. What Chloe said was the truth. The day I found out Ethan was cheating, I had brought up divorce. The very next day, I lost my job. To pay for my mother’s medical bills, I also thought about starting my own business. But the reality was, any project I was involved in would eventually fall through, or even inexplicably blow up, leaving me with piles of debt. Over time, no one in the entire industry dared to hire me, let alone anything else. Until that day, when I broke down again because I couldn’t afford my mother’s medical bills, Ethan looked at me and smiled. He said: “Olivia, this is your punishment for bringing up divorce. Be a good Mrs. Sterling, and what could you possibly lack?” From that day on. I never dared to think about it again. It was also from then on. That I realized how cold-blooded this man truly was. He could use his power to severely punish the thugs who used to bully me. And he could use the same methods, without breaking a sweat, to crush an ordinary person like me into the mud. 4 Probably because she saw me lose my composure. Chloe felt she had won a round and said smugly: “Did I hit a nerve? I’m just telling the truth.” She flipped her hair and leaned in close to me: “Olivia, you must be so mad, aren’t you? Mad that a country bumpkin you’ve always looked down upon crawled into your husband’s bed!” She said hatefully: “You and your mother looked down on me, thinking I should rely on your charity and live at your mercy, humiliating me. So I stole your man! I stole her son-in-law!” My eyes turned icy, and I said coldly: “My mother genuinely helped you. But you? Your mind is twisted, and you actually use such absurd lies as an excuse for your own shamelessness!” Chloe used to be an impoverished student in my mother’s class. She lived with relatives in the city and always wore a torn coat. My mother was always soft-hearted, so she frequently bought her clothes and shoes, and gave her my lightly used clothes. I never imagined that this kindness would be seen as humiliation in her eyes. “What kindness? Your mother just used helping me as an excuse to show off that she had a daughter who was better than me in every way!” “But so what? In the end, your man was still seduced away by me!” Chloe smiled, her eyes full of malicious delight: “You don’t even know. That day when your teacher fell asleep, Ethan and I were right by her bed… The look on her face when she woke up was absolutely fascinating.” “It’s a pity, though. We couldn’t piss that old hag to death.” My brain buzzed. Blood rushed to my head. I turned around and, amidst Chloe’s screams, viciously grabbed her by the hair. Bang. Her head smashed heavily against the wall. “Ah! You dare hit me!” Wearing a short skirt, Chloe was no match for me at all. Pinned down by me, she could only scream and curse: “I’m going to make Ethan cut off your mother’s medical funds and make that old hag croak early!” My eyes were bloodshot. I held her down and smashed her head against the wall, over and over again. “If you don’t know how to speak like a human, I’ll teach you!” At this moment, I didn’t care about anything. I just wanted to shut her up and make her pay! Until a massive force violently threw me away, accompanied by a man’s disbelieving, furious roar: “Olivia! What the hell are you doing?!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394865”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The day I found out I miscarried Arthur’s child, my best friend Mia gasped over the phone. “Did he cheat on you?” “No. At least, I haven’t caught him.” “Then… are his parents causing trouble again?” “My in-laws live abroad. We see them once a year. It’s very polite.” “It can’t be domestic violence, can it?!” “He rarely even raises his voice.” Mia was completely baffled. Arthur Sterling. The most outstanding heir of his generation in the Sterling family, the young and successful CEO of a major construction conglomerate. Tall, refined, elegant, and emotionally stable. In our three years of marriage, he hadn’t fooled around outside, he hadn’t let me suffer any financial grievances, and he even remembered to buy birthday gifts for my parents. Everyone said, Chloe, you are so lucky. I lay in the hospital bed, staring at the stark white ceiling. The anesthesia was just wearing off, and a hollow ache emanated from my lower abdomen. It was probably late at night, three days ago. Clutching the lab results, I waited for him in the living room for four hours. When he pushed the door open, he carried the smell of alcohol, and a faint, almost imperceptible scent of gardenias. It wasn’t the perfume I used. I said, “Arthur, I’m pregnant.” His hand, pausing as he loosened his tie, stopped. He looked up at me for two seconds. Then he spoke calmly: “Chloe, now is not the time for a child.” “I’m bidding on the Bayview International Center project next month. This project is very important to me.” “Take care of it first. We’ll talk about this later.” After saying that, he walked straight to his study. He didn’t even ask how far along I was, or if I was feeling unwell. In that moment, I suddenly remembered. When we got married, he had someone design our new home. The designer asked him if they should leave space in the master suite for a nursery. He had replied in the same calm tone back then: “No need. We don’t have plans for the near future.” You see. It turns out some endings are written right at the beginning. 1 The procedure was scheduled for Friday morning. A private hospital, VIP floor, so quiet you could hear the IV fluid dripping. The nurse came in for the third time to confirm. “Ms. Miller, has your family arrived yet? The surgical consent form needs a signature.” I glanced at my phone. The screen was as clean as freshly wiped glass. Yesterday, when I told him the procedure was today, he was tying his tie, not even looking up. “What time? I’ll try my best to make it.” “Nine o’clock.” “Mm. I’ll have Secretary Chen go with you.” You see. Even his rejections are so proper. “No need.” I spoke calmly. “I can do it myself.” The nurse hesitated. “Then… you’ll sign it yourself?” “I’ll sign it.” The pen tip scratched across the paper, making a rustling sound. It turns out that when a person’s heart is completely dead, their hand doesn’t shake. When the doors to the operating room opened, I took one last look at my phone. 9:07 AM. My social media feed refreshed with a new post. Posted by Sierra. Arthur’s chief designer, his capable right-hand woman who had been with him for five years. The photo showed the office in the early hours of the morning, dawn breaking outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. The caption: “Another all-nighter fighting side-by-side with the boss. It feels so good to give it your all for a dream. P.S.: Thanks to someone’s gardenias for keeping me awake~” Location: Sterling Group Headquarters. In the corner of the photo, a hand with distinct knuckles was in the frame, wearing the Patek Philippe watch I gave him on the wrist. I suddenly remembered that hint of gardenia scent from the other night. I remembered his increasingly frequent “overtime” over the past six months. I remembered the way Sierra looked at him. The moment the anesthesia was pushed into my vein, I closed my eyes. An icy feeling spread up my arm. Like this marriage. From the very beginning, it was cold. 2 I woke up in a hospital room. A private suite, the sunlight outside the window blinding. A dull ache came in waves from my lower abdomen, empty, as if a very important piece had been dug out of my body. The door was pushed open. Arthur walked in, carrying a fruit basket. His iron-gray suit was impeccable, his tie straight, even his hair was neatly combed. He looked as if he hadn’t rushed over from outside the operating room, but had just finished an important board meeting. “You’re awake?” He placed the fruit basket on the nightstand. “How do you feel?” His voice was steady, devoid of emotion. I looked at him and suddenly really wanted to laugh. “You came.” “Mm. Just finished a meeting.” He glanced at his watch. “I can only stay for twenty minutes. I have a lunch meeting with the city officials this afternoon.” “Is that so.” I turned my head to look out the window. “Then go do your work.” Silence spread through the hospital room. He stood for a while, finally speaking. “Chloe, the Bayview International Center project is really important to me. If we win this, Sterling Group can completely open up the East Coast market—” “Arthur.” I cut him off. My voice was very light, as if afraid of startling something. “Our child is gone.” He paused. Then he said, “I know. We’ll have more in the future.” Even his comfort sounded like he was discussing business. The door was pushed open again. Sierra walked in holding a bouquet of white lilies, smiling gently and appropriately. “Mr. Sterling, you are here. I’ve prepared the materials for this afternoon’s lunch meeting.” Seeing me, she showed a perfectly measured look of concern. “Ms. Miller, are you alright? Mr. Sterling was so worried last night he didn’t sleep well, and rushed over right after the meeting today.” How considerate. She even thought of an excuse for him. Arthur took the documents from her hand, flipping through them quickly. “Have the numbers been verified?” “Yes. Also, we’ve taken care of Director Lee. He likes vintage wine; I’ve prepared a thirty-year-old Macallan.” “Good.” They stood side-by-side by the window, discussing the details of the project in low voices. The sunlight spilled over them, like a golden halo. The talented man and the beautiful woman, fighting side by side. What a matching picture. While I lay in the hospital bed, my whole body cold, having just lost a child. A child he didn’t care about at all. 3 On the day I was discharged, I handled the paperwork myself. Arthur called. “I’ll have the driver pick you up.” “No need.” “Chloe, don’t throw a tantrum.” “Arthur.” I stood at the hospital entrance, watching the bustling traffic. “I’m not throwing a tantrum.” “I just suddenly realized that for the past three years, I’ve been living in an illusion.” Silence on the other end of the line. “I thought we were husband and wife.” “But actually, I’m just an expendable decoration in your life.” “And now this decoration is broken, taking up space. You’re starting to find it troublesome, aren’t you?” “Chloe!” His voice dropped. “Do you have to speak like this?” “Then how should I speak?” I laughed. “Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to let me have an abortion? Thank you for having your secretary come to the hospital to perform ‘concern’ for you?” “Sierra is just my subordinate.” “Is that so.” I said softly. “But the way you look at her has much more warmth than the way you look at me.” I hung up the phone. I flagged down a taxi. The driver asked, “Where to, miss?” Watching the rapidly retreating street scenes outside the window, I suddenly didn’t know where I should go. That three-thousand-square-foot luxury condo, equipped with the top-tier smart home systems, a temperature and humidity-controlled wine cellar, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the river. But it had no warmth. No signs of life. No feeling of home. Finally, I said, “To Pine Lake Apartments.” That was the small apartment I bought myself before I got married. Five hundred square feet, one bedroom, one living room. In our three years of marriage, I had only been back there twice. The last time I went back was for my birthday last year. He forgot. I sat there until dawn, and he didn’t even notice I wasn’t home. 4 I lay at home for three days. Arthur didn’t call once. But Mia came every day, bringing soup she had simmered, along with a bellyful of curses. “That bastard Arthur! I saw him at the Plaza Hotel the other day, having dinner with a client, accompanied by Sierra. The way Sierra was acting, she practically wanted to glue herself to him!” “Also, do you know what Sierra has been saying in our circles lately? She says Mr. Sterling is going to marry her sooner or later, and that your current position was originally meant for her.” “Chloe, you can’t keep putting up with this!” I took small sips of the soup, not saying a word. Yeah. I had put up with it for three years. I always thought, wait until the company stabilizes, wait until this project is over, wait until he’s not so busy… Then he would see me. Then we would be like he promised when we got married. “Live a good life together.” But I forgot. People like Arthur are born to conquer. His battlefield is in the business world, at the negotiation table, in every opportunity to expand his business empire. Marriage, to him, is just a necessary step in his life plan. A KPI that needs to be completed. “Mia.” I put down the soup spoon. “Do me a favor.” “Tell me!” “Help me clear out the studio in my Pine Lake apartment. I want to start painting again.” Mia’s eyes lit up. “You’ve figured it out?!” “Mm.” I looked at the gray sky outside the window. “For the past three years, to be a good Mrs. Sterling, I practically abandoned my paintbrushes.” “Now I’ve figured it out.” “Being anyone’s wife is not as good as being myself.” 5 During the first week of picking up the paintbrush again, my hands felt incredibly rusty. In college, I was the acknowledged genius of the oil painting department at the fine arts academy. My graduation piece, “Urban Breath,” was collected by an art museum. My mentor said my brushstrokes possessed an “architectural sense of structure” and a “flowing vitality.” That was when Arthur had just taken over his family’s business and came to the academy looking for collaborating artists to create art installations for Sterling Group’s new real estate developments. We met in my mentor’s studio. He was wearing a white dress shirt, sleeves rolled up to his forearms, looking at my portfolio. The sunlight shone through the window behind him, giving him a soft, golden halo. He looked up at me, his eyes very bright. “Ms. Miller’s paintings are very powerful.” Later, he said it was at that exact moment he decided to marry me. “Your talent, your composure, are exactly what I need.” Even his reason for proposing was so pragmatic. After we got married, he stuffed me into the Sterling Group’s branding department, giving me the empty title of “Art Consultant.” Calling it “utilizing your talent.” In reality, my job was to accompany him to art exhibitions when he needed me, explain artworks to clients, and play the role of a “Mrs. Sterling with good taste.” I brought up wanting to continue creating art. He said, “Chloe, you are Mrs. Sterling now. Your time should be spent on more valuable things.” What is valuable? Accompanying him to social engagements is valuable. Maintaining client relationships for him is valuable. Playing the loving couple when he needs it is valuable. What about my dreams? What about my paintbrushes? Not important. Just like that child. Not important. 6 On my seventh day back at Pine Lake Apartments, Arthur finally appeared. At ten o’clock at night, there was a knock on the door. Through the peephole, I saw him standing outside. His tie was loose, his hair a bit messy, and there were faint dark circles under his eyes. I opened the door. The smell of alcohol on him hit me in the face. “Why are you here?” I didn’t let him in. Arthur looked at me, his expression complex. “Chloe, how long are you going to keep throwing this tantrum?” “I’m not throwing a tantrum.” “Then why haven’t you come home?” “This is my home.” He frowned. “You bought this apartment yourself; it’s small, and the location is average. It’s not comfortable to live in.” “Arthur.” I leaned against the doorframe. “Do you know why I like it here?” “Why?” “Because everything here is my own.” “The paintings on the wall I painted, the books on the shelf I picked out, even that dying pothos plant on the balcony I brought from my college dorm.” “But in that luxury condo of yours, I feel like a renter.” He was silent for a moment. “If you don’t like the interior design, we can remodel. I’ll have the designer—” “I don’t need a designer.” I cut him off. “What I need is a husband.” “Not a boss assigning me tasks.” Arthur’s face darkened. “Chloe, I’ve been very tired lately. The bidding for the Bayview International Center is at a crucial stage, and there’s a ton of stuff going on at the company. Can’t you be a little considerate?” Considerate. There’s that word again. These past three years, I’ve been far too considerate. So considerate that I lost myself in the process. “Arthur.” I looked at him, enunciating every word. “The day I lost the baby, I was on the operating table, the anesthesia had just worn off, and I was shivering from the pain.” “At that moment, I was thinking, if only you were here.” “If only you could hold my hand and tell me not to be afraid.” “But you didn’t come.” “You were working overtime with another woman, accepting the gardenias she gave you, fighting side by side with her.” His pupils contracted slightly. “Sierra is just—” “I know she’s just a subordinate.” I smiled. “But Arthur, you care about her way more than you care about me.” “At least you remember she’s allergic to pollen, you remember she takes two scoops of sugar in her coffee, you give her limited-edition design sketches for her birthday.” “And me?” “On my birthday, you were at a meeting in New York. Even the ‘Happy Birthday’ message was sent by Secretary Chen on your behalf.” Arthur opened his mouth. But ultimately, he couldn’t say anything. Because he knew that every word I said was true. “I’ve mailed you the divorce agreement.” “If you don’t sign it, I’ll file for a contested divorce.” “You wouldn’t want that either, would you?” 7 That night, Arthur stood outside the door for half an hour. Finally, he said, “Chloe, we both need to cool down.” “After the bidding is over, we’ll have a good talk.” I closed the door. Leaning against it, I slowly slid down to sit on the floor. The tears finally fell. Not from sadness. From relief. I finally said everything I had been holding in for three years. It turns out that being yourself feels this incredibly satisfying. The next day, I formally submitted my resignation to Sterling Group. Secretary Chen called, his tone sounding conflicted. “Madam, Mr. Sterling says your position was specially created, there’s no resignation procedure…” “Then terminate the contract.” I said. “I signed an employment contract with Sterling Group; I’ll pay whatever penalty the law requires.” “This… shouldn’t you speak with Mr. Sterling yourself?” “No need. Tell him that from now on, my relationship with Sterling Group is solely that of a former employee and a former employer.” After hanging up, I blocked all of Arthur’s contact information. Except for one number. His mother’s. That elegant lady recuperating in Switzerland would call every few months for a routine, business-like greeting. In the afternoon, her call came as expected. “Chloe, Arthur mentioned you two are having a little disagreement?” Her voice was gentle, but carried a condescending aloofness. “Mrs. Sterling.” For the first time, I didn’t call her “Mom.” “We’re not having a disagreement; we’re getting a divorce.” There were a few seconds of silence on the other end. “Because of the child?” “Not entirely.” “Then why? Is Arthur not treating you well?” I laughed. “Mrs. Sterling, what do you consider ‘treating someone well’?” “Is it providing an ample allowance? Is it providing excellent material conditions? Is it giving you face in public?” “If it’s those things, Arthur has done very well.” “But the ‘well’ I want is for him to see me, to hear me, to treat me like a living, breathing human being.” A sigh came from the other end of the line. “Chloe, Arthur has been like this since he was a child. His father passed away early, and he had to learn to manage the company in his teens. In his eyes, there are only goals and efficiency.” “Emotions are too foreign to him.” “I know.” I said softly. “That’s why I’m tired.” “I don’t want to use my warmth to try and warm up a stone anymore.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394864”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My brother accidentally sent a text meant for his mistress to my phone. “Babe, Night Carp Hotel, midnight. Have the red lingerie ready.” A cold sneer crept onto my lips. I immediately replied to his message. “Five million. Hush money.” My brother called me right away. The moment I answered, he started screaming at me. Calling me shameless, accusing me of extorting money from my own flesh and blood. I just smiled and didn’t argue back. I simply hung up the phone. Five minutes later, a transfer of five million dollars hit my account. Along with another text message. “I’m begging you, don’t tell your sister-in-law. She’s pregnant right now, and it hasn’t been easy for her.” 1 I didn’t reply to his text. I just calmly transferred three million dollars to my sister-in-law, Clara. Once she confirmed she received the money, I asked her, “The baby is five months along now, right? Being pregnant, you probably can’t get a divorce right away?” Her reply was not what I expected. “That’s why I’ve decided to get an abortion. Your brother doesn’t even want this baby anyway. What about you? What’s your plan?” Me? My gaze fell on the framed photo of me and Ethan on the coffee table. It was taken during our college years by a passing stranger. But in that single captured moment, as we looked into each other’s eyes, our gazes were overflowing with deep affection. But now… A bitter smile touched my lips. “I’m planning to get an abortion, too.” She didn’t reply immediately. Half an hour passed before she finally texted back. “Your brother just got home.” “Okay, if you’re also planning to abort, I’ll go arrange a private clinic right now. What time works for you?” “Seven days from now. Seven days from now is my seventh wedding anniversary with your brother, and your third anniversary with Ethan. We both started on that day, so let’s both end it on that day.” She sent a “thumbs up” emoji. And just as I cleared our chat history… My brother texted me again. “Glad to see you know what’s good for you. Thanks for keeping your mouth shut.” Know what’s good for me? Of course I do. After all, this is the same brother who, when I was eighteen, tore up my Harvard acceptance letter and destroyed my academic records, forcing me to study abroad. All because Mia, the girl who had taken my place in this family for ten years, didn’t score as high as I did. She cried. And fueled by his misguided sense of justice, he destroyed the future I had fought so hard to secure for myself. And now, in the third year of my marriage to his best friend Ethan, while I’m three months pregnant… That woman, whom I had managed to chase away with sheer stubbornness, was back. Simply because she claimed she “still couldn’t forget Ethan.” My wonderful brother played matchmaker, constantly creating opportunities for her to seduce Ethan. Honestly, I’ve never understood why my brother is so ruthless toward me. Is it just because when I was lost as a child and finally found, I pointed him out as the one who intentionally lost me? When my dad was whipping him with a belt until his skin bled… Mia cried and threw herself in front of him to protect him. So I, his actual sister, became his enemy. And Mia became the apple of his eye. To the point where he’d viciously destroy my life and my marriage, all just to help Mia. 2 As I sank deep into these painful memories, the sound of the door opening jolted me back. It was Ethan. Seeing me curled up on the sofa, he froze for a second before instinctively asking: “Why aren’t you asleep yet?” He quickly took off his shoes, walked over, and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “Is the baby keeping you up again?” He reached out to gently stroke my still-flat stomach and began softly singing a lullaby. Listening to his gentle voice, my grip on the blanket tightened. Sometimes, I really couldn’t help but want to interrogate Ethan. How exactly did he manage it? He came home smelling like the shower he took after sleeping with that girl, yet he still managed to make it back right on time for the 10 PM curfew I set for him. Then he’d kiss my cheek. Then he’d sit with me, doing prenatal bonding exercises for our baby. I suppose it makes sense. After all, when I was first brought back to the family, he managed to cautiously approach me and listen to me recount the trauma of those five years I was lost. Yet, he was also capable of taking Mia out for midnight motorcycle rides just because she called him. He was always so compartmentalized, unable to let go of me, and unable to let go of Mia. Even back when my brother ruined my life, forcing me to go to college abroad alone and helpless… When I called my parents asking for living expenses, they were too busy vacationing with Mia and my brother to answer or pay attention to me. I cried and called Ethan. He only heard two sobs from me. That very night, he unhesitatingly flew overseas, giving me money and the emotional support I needed. But when he returned to the States, he showed up at my family’s New Year’s party, holding Mia, looking like a golden couple in my family’s portrait. I always thought I had won. After I returned from abroad, I threw tantrums and forced my parents to send Mia away. I forced Ethan to ultimately choose me. But only now do I realize that I lost. I lost completely. The pain was so overwhelming that tears involuntarily streamed down the corners of my eyes. Seeing me cry, Ethan immediately panicked. “What’s wrong, Chloe? Don’t cry. Tell me what’s wrong.” I looked at the man before me through a blur of tears, his eyes filled with concern. For a split second, I really believed I was his everything. But as he turned his head to grab a tissue to wipe my tears, I saw the dense cluster of hickeys exposed on his neck. My heart violently seized. No wonder Ethan had been sleeping in turtlenecks lately. When I was asleep, he was still “working” in the study. When I woke up, he was already dressed in a suit. I had always thought Ethan was feeling guilty about betraying me, but only at this moment did it suddenly click. All his elaborate cover-ups were just hiding the evidence of his affair. But what was there to hide? On the day Mia returned, she made a vow to me. This time, she was going to take back everything that belonged to her. So all these days, the photos of Ethan and Mia in bed were already stuffed into the drawer where I kept my wedding ring. The moment Ethan noticed I wasn’t wearing my ring and impulsively decided to put it on for me, he would open that drawer and see them. Before, if I didn’t wear my ring for even a single day, he’d act all hurt and complain that I didn’t value our marriage. Since Mia came back, not only did he fail to notice that I had long since taken off my ring… I also noticed that the wedding ring Ethan was wearing had changed. It was a ring that looked almost identical to mine overall, but the details were completely different. I even slipped it off his finger while he was sleeping to check. The engraving inside the band had changed from “ZX” to “ZQ.” My heart ached suffocatingly. As Ethan reached out with a tissue to wipe the tears from my face… A sudden wave of nausea rose in my chest. I instinctively slapped his hand away. Ethan, holding the tissue, froze slightly. I quickly scrambled for an excuse: “Sorry, my morning sickness must be acting up. I’m going to go lie down.” After that, I didn’t care what Ethan’s expression was like. I fled back to my room in a panic. The moment the door closed, I slumped over the toilet and threw up violently. For the past three months of my pregnancy, this baby had been incredibly considerate; I hadn’t experienced any morning sickness at all. But now, it hit me. So it wasn’t just me who was disgusted by Ethan’s two-faced, clingy affection. The baby inside me was disgusted, too. 3 I didn’t sleep a wink all night. After the violent vomiting, my stomach even started to ache with a dull pain. If it were in the past, I would have frantically rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night. After all, having been unloved by my father, unloved by my mother, and unloved by my brother… I desperately wanted a child whose eyes would only ever hold me. But this time, like a masochist, I didn’t move an inch. Just as Clara said, if his father doesn’t love him anyway, him choosing to leave might be the best option. That night, Ethan never returned to the bedroom. I heard the front door close at midnight, and I heard it close again at six in the morning. Where did Ethan go? It goes without saying. Because at 2 AM, I received a photo from Mia. She and Ethan were cuddling on the bed in my childhood bedroom. On the nightstand sat the stuffed bear I used to sleep with every night as a kid. But in front of the bear was a photo of Mia in a princess dress. After all, from the moment I returned to this family after being lost for five agonizing years… My room became Mia’s. My brother became Mia’s. My parents became Mia’s. The most painful memory was when I woke up crying from a nightmare about my abusive, incarcerated foster father. I got out of bed, crying, looking for my parents… Only to find my parents and brother gathered around a complaining Mia, who had a stomachache in the middle of the night, their faces full of heartache. “The guest room is drafty. Mia must have caught a chill; that’s why her stomach hurts.” As soon as my mom finished speaking, my brother immediately chimed in: “It would be better if Chloe hadn’t come back. Then Mia wouldn’t have been kicked out of her room. You guys clearly didn’t want Chloe back either. Look how hard she is to get along with now. But you’re all too proud to admit it.” “And you gave the room that belonged to Mia to Chloe. Do you really think she deserves it?” The moment my brother finished, my dad slapped him on the back of the head. “Shut up! Be careful Chloe doesn’t hear you, or she’ll throw another tantrum.” After that, the living room was filled with soft voices coaxing Mia to stop crying. That night, after I returned to my room, I developed a high fever. But the three people outside knew nothing about it. It wasn’t until I had been lying there for four days that my cold naturally broke. I took the initiative to suggest moving out of that room that once belonged to me, and suggested moving to my grandmother’s house. Only then did they seemingly realize that they hadn’t seen me leave my room for four days. Thinking of that painful past, a suffocating ache washed over me again. I struggled out of bed. I had just brushed my teeth and walked out the door when I saw Ethan wearing an apron, preparing a prenatal breakfast for me. The scene stung my eyes, making them red. Seeing me appear, Ethan took off his apron and walked toward me. “I saw you throwing up last night. I didn’t want to disturb your rest, so I slept in the study.” As he spoke, Ethan guided me to sit down at the dining table. “I read online that pregnant women need to eat well to avoid morning sickness.” Saying that, he turned and went to the kitchen to pour me a glass of milk. But looking at the breakfast laid out on the table—all dishes made with eggs—my heart seized again. I’m allergic to eggs. My eyes started to sting again. The next second, my phone chimed with a message notification. It was a text from Mia. “Do you like the egg feast I had Ethan prepare for you?” “Consider this meal a reward for sleeping alone last night.” “I hope after you eat it, you and the little bastard in your stomach end up in the hospital, dead and buried.” “Oh, right. Ethan should be telling you about a business trip soon. But actually, he promised to accompany me to visit my parents’ graves.” “You know, I just got back from abroad. I have to go visit my biological parents.” “By the way, your parents and brother are going too.” My fingers gripped the phone tightly. After pouring the milk, Ethan walked back toward me. He placed the milk on the table, kissed my cheek, and said: “Baby, I have to go on a business trip today. There’s an emergency with a project in Seattle.” Saying that, he reached back and untied his apron. “You and this little troublemaker stay home and be good. I’ll be back in a couple of days.” With that, regardless of how pale my face was. Regardless of whether I had taken a single bite of his meticulously prepared egg dishes. He hurried back to the bedroom, grabbed his pre-packed suitcase, and walked out the door. Throughout the entire process, he didn’t even say goodbye to me. He didn’t even ask why my eyes were so red before he slammed the door shut. Listening to the sound of the door slamming echoing in the apartment, tears fell drop by drop. And the knife and fork Ethan had handed me had, unknowingly, pierced into the flesh of my palm. Bright red blood dripped down the blade, drop by drop, into the milky white glass, swirling into a pinkish cloud. 4 I sat at the dining table for two whole hours that day before I regained my senses. That very day, I made an appointment with Clara to go to the clinic early for the abortions. I didn’t expect her to be like me; as soon as I suggested it, she agreed. When we met at the private clinic, her face was as ghastly pale as mine. Before I even had a chance to ask her how she was doing. She walked over and hugged me tightly, her scalding tears threatening to burn my neck. “Don’t ask. I don’t want to talk about it.” Chapter 2 Stroking the trembling back of the woman in my arms, I felt a deep ache in my chest. She and my brother were college sweethearts. She had put so much effort into pursuing him. I will never forget the happiness and joy on her face when my brother first brought her home to meet our parents. But it had only been a short seven years. That once innocent, sweet girl had been ground down like a withered rose, devoid of any brightness. After holding me tightly for several minutes, she finally let go. “I’m so glad that in my most painful moment, I still have someone with me.” With that, she resolutely walked into the doctor’s office. Looking at her retreating back, I wiped away the tears that had involuntarily fallen from my eyes. Yes, I’m glad that in my most painful moment, at least there is someone by my side. After that, I followed her example. Resolutely, without a hint of hesitation, I walked into another doctor’s office. Three hours later, Clara and I were lying in the same recovery room. I didn’t speak. Neither did she. The only sound was the hollow beeping of the heart monitor in the room. I don’t know how much time passed before muffled sobs came from behind the white privacy curtain. “Chloe, you know what? I always thought that once I aborted the baby, I’d be fine.” “I wouldn’t love your brother anymore, and I wouldn’t be in pain anymore. But why… why does it hurt so much now that this baby, who was in my stomach for five months, is gone?” As soon as the woman finished speaking, the sound of her loud, agonizing wails filled the room. Listening to her tragic and desperate crying, I cried silently too. Yes, why does it hurt so much? Clearly, this was the best choice. Clearly, his father didn’t love him anyway. Clearly, as long as I severed this final tie with that family, I would be completely free from Mia’s vortex. But why does it hurt so much? It felt like my skin was being peeled off, my flesh scraped away. My heart felt like it was suffering a death by a thousand cuts. Clara and I spent our 7-day post-abortion recovery in the clinic. During those seven days, the man who constantly claimed he loved me to the marrow of his bones didn’t send me a single text. He didn’t make a single phone call. But Clara’s phone notifications pinged constantly. Afraid she would be in pain, I took her phone from her. Looking at the endless stream of messages from my brother. Telling her to help pick up Mia’s packages. Telling her to go to the jewelry store to pick up a limited-edition bag he had pre-ordered for Mia. More tears fell from my eyes. Just as my trembling fingers were about to type back a string of curses, Clara opened her lifeless eyes. “It’s pathetic, isn’t it?” “Sometimes I think I’m so pathetic.” “Actually, back when I was dating your brother in college, I knew he had a sister he doted on deeply.” “He would transfer money to her every month, buy her pads regularly, and every holiday, he would just disappear without a word.” “At the time, I thought that girl was you. I was even jealous of you for a very long time.” “But it wasn’t until I married your brother that I realized the girl wasn’t you. He doted on a sister who shared absolutely no blood with him.” “But me, I was just so stupid. So stupidly thinking that if I just tried hard enough, if I gave my all, your brother would love me.” “But if he doesn’t love me, he just doesn’t. Even if I throw away all my pride to please him, to love him… he still won’t love me. He’d rather go out and find a hundred look-alikes of Mia than love me.” Listening to Clara’s tearful voice, my heart ached suffocatingly. I quickly tried to comfort her: “It’s all in the past. Once we get our divorces, we’ll leave this place.” “If you don’t know where to go, you can come with me.” “Those people who only have Mia in their hearts—we don’t need them anymore, okay?” Clara agreed with a trembling voice, then pulled the covers over her head. After that, Clara and I spent another half-month recovering in the clinic before we were discharged. As soon as I was discharged, I received a call from Ethan. He told me my parents wanted to host a family dinner to celebrate Mia’s birthday. What a hilariously absurd phone call. My parents planning a family dinner didn’t inform me; they informed my husband. And perhaps not only my parents forgot, but even my husband forgot that today was my birthday, too. My sister-in-law received a similar call. Her situation was even worse than mine. Aside from telling her to attend the dinner… My brother also gave her a whole list of errands. Go to the bakery to order a cake. Get his suit and dress shoes ready. He even demanded she go to the airport to pick them up. They were going back to my mom’s villa, so he wanted my sister-in-law to take their luggage home first. Seeing my brother’s text. My sister-in-law and I exchanged a glance. “Are you ready?” My sister-in-law nodded. “I’m ready.” So she immediately replied to my brother on her phone: “I’m busy today. I don’t have time to be your maid.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394862”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

When my husband’s first love’s daughter was kidnapped, she banged her head against the floor until she bled in front of me. “Lily is just a child. If you want to kill someone or torture someone, come at me!” Eight months pregnant, I had no idea what she was talking about, but my husband’s face darkened. “Have I spoiled you so much that you would actually do something like this?” My usually doting husband choked my neck viciously. As my consciousness blurred, I finally realized they believed I was the one who hired someone to kidnap Lily. Failing to receive the ransom in time, the kidnappers brutally killed her. The first love, holding Lily’s broken body, nearly sought death herself. My husband, with bloodshot eyes, hired the top biologists and worked tirelessly for a month until he finally obtained a viable cloned cell from Lily. Unfortunately, the first love had suffered a difficult labor when she gave birth to Lily and had long lost the ability to have children. So, his gaze fell upon my pregnant belly. 1 I shook my head in terror, clutching my stomach as I backed away step by step. “Arthur, I sympathize with what happened to Mia, but I had nothing to do with Lily’s kidnapping. You can’t do this to me.” “Chloe, Mia’s husband died young. Lily was her only reason to live. Even if you were jealous, you shouldn’t have touched her child.” “This is what you owe Lily.” Refusing to listen to my pleas, he forced an induced labor upon me. Our baby was already full-term. When he was taken out, he could still cry, but he was smothered to death right there. Before I could even catch a glimpse of the child nurtured in hope and love, I was tied back onto the operating table. Having just lost my baby, I was now being forced to incubate the flesh and blood of my enemy. I struggled madly on the table, fighting the heavy dose of anesthesia to stay awake. Due to my resistance, the surgery couldn’t proceed. Seeing that Lily’s hard-won cell was about to lose its viability, Arthur walked in carrying the lifeless body of our baby. Looking at my baby with his eyes tightly shut, looking as if he were merely sleeping, my heart ached so much I wept tears of blood. Arthur clamped his hand around our baby’s neck. “If you don’t cooperate and Lily’s cell dies, causing the surgery to fail, don’t even think about your child leaving here in one piece.” “Arthur! He is your flesh and blood too!” I screamed hoarsely, but my body grew heavier and heavier. “You’re a mother too. How could you be so cruel to Lily?” Arthur looked at me with deep sorrow and indignation. I didn’t do it. But no one believed me. My body slowly lost the strength to fight the anesthesia. Amidst profound grief, I unwillingly closed my eyes. When I woke up again, my hands and feet were firmly strapped to the hospital bed. I looked down at my now-flat stomach, truly realizing that my baby was gone forever. And the warm bed that once held him was now nourishing the bloodline of his murderer. Having lost all will to live, I bit down hard on my tongue. Arthur pushed the door open. Seeing the pristine white sheets covered in the blood I had coughed up, he rushed over, pinching my cheeks to force my mouth open. I clamped my jaw shut, watching him chuckle darkly. With bloodshot eyes, he summoned all the doctors in the hospital. I thought he was worried about my health, but after the emergency treatment, he slapped me hard across the face. “I’m warning you, until Lily is safely born, don’t even think about committing suicide to escape your punishment.” He looked down at me from above. I stared at the canine tooth he had knocked onto the floor, my heart a barren wasteland. To prevent me from attempting suicide again, he ordered someone to put a bite guard on me. Chapter 2 I lost a small piece of my tongue and could no longer speak clearly, but it didn’t matter. After all, no one would listen to what I had to say anyway. Once my tongue completely healed, I didn’t have to eat a liquid diet anymore. Arthur personally brought over a bowl of nutritional soup. He sat down beside me in silence, gently removing the bite guard. I had no strength left to resist. Like a lifeless doll, I let him do as he pleased. He scooped up a spoonful of soup, blowing on it softly, just as gentle and careful as when I was first pregnant. “Chloe, making you carry Lily is your punishment. As long as Lily is born smoothly, Mia might not pursue charges against you.” He rambled on, but I gave no response whatsoever. “Inducing our child was to teach you a lesson. Life is not a game. If you admit your mistake, I can have another one with you.” I couldn’t hold back anymore and turned my head to look at him. Before I could say anything, my gaze locked onto the contents of the bowl. It was my placenta. 2 I threw up violently. Arthur used a wet wipe to carefully clean the vomit from the corners of my mouth. The next second, he pinched my cheeks and forced the placenta down my throat. “Chloe, this is highly nutritious. It’s very good for both you and Lily.” I wanted to struggle, but my limbs and head were restrained. I could only let the boiled placenta slide down my esophagus. Seeing me swallow it all, Arthur let go. “Mia’s mental state is still poor. I’m going to take her abroad to relax. Take good care of the pregnancy during this time. Don’t cause any more trouble.” “As long as you behave, I’ll find a good burial spot for our baby. But if anything happens to Lily, don’t even think about getting his complete ashes.” “Wasn’t he your child too?” I couldn’t help but ask. Salty tears slid into the corners of my mouth, more bitter than my heart. His footsteps paused, but in the end, he didn’t look back. “With a mother like you, even if he grew up, he would only be a menace.” The door closed, and the last shred of feeling I had for Arthur extinguished with it. He was gone for exactly nine months. During these nine months, Lily gradually took shape in my belly, while I gradually stopped looking like a human being. She seemed to feel my hatred for her; my pregnancy symptoms were incredibly severe. Morning sickness plagued me throughout the entire pregnancy. I rapidly wasted away, yet my stomach protruded terrifyingly. Arthur video-called every day, not to see me, but to look at Lily through my belly. Mia even did prenatal education for Lily over the video call. To prevent me from harming Lily, my hands and feet were firmly restrained for nine months. The wounds from my struggles had long since healed over the shackles. Bedsores had almost rotted away my entire back, but no one cared, as long as Lily was healthy. In the month I was due, Arthur and Mia finally reluctantly returned from abroad. “Why are you so thin?” This was the first thing Arthur said to me after not seeing me for nine months. “If you’re this thin, will Lily be malnourished?” Hearing that Lily was very healthy, Arthur nodded in satisfaction. “After Lily is born, I’ll properly nurse you back to health.” “Lily, Mommy finally gets to see you again. In this life, Mommy will never leave your side. I will never let you get hurt again.” Chapter 3 Mia looked at my belly with maternal love in her eyes. “Arthur, could you leave me alone to talk to Lily for a bit?” Arthur immediately looked at me warily. After confirming that I, barely clinging to life, posed absolutely no threat to Mia, Arthur left the room, looking back anxiously with every step. Mia instantly dropped the gentle facade from her eyes. “I orchestrated Lily’s kidnapping myself.” 3 She looked at me with a smile, but there was no warmth in her expression. “Do you know why I did it?” Mia leaned in close, almost touching my nose. She carried the distinct woody scent from Arthur’s clothes, a cologne I had personally chosen for him before I got pregnant with our baby. My eyes remained indifferent, giving her no reaction. “Five years ago, to tear Arthur and me apart, his mother hired someone to pose as my husband, forcefully taking me and sending me abroad. Arthur swore he would never marry anyone else. But when I finally escaped his mother’s control abroad and rushed back to find him, I found out he had already married you a year ago.” Mia’s expression turned fierce. “I suffered so much abroad, but he never proactively contacted me. I thought his mother was controlling him, but who knew he had forgotten all about me!” “I clearly had Arthur first. What right did you have to steal him?!” “I thought you were the daughter of some prestigious family, a perfect match for Arthur. Turns out you’re just an orphan whose background isn’t even as good as mine!” The more Mia spoke, the more agitated she became, eventually slapping me across the face. The taste of blood filled my mouth. I spat the blood directly onto her face. As if she couldn’t believe I would dare do such a thing, she wiped her face fiercely. Her expression, smeared with blood and grime, looked even more grotesque. “Just to make a scumbag change his mind, you would even sacrifice your own flesh and blood?” She froze. Then she started laughing. “What’s the point of a cheap life living without even a legitimate status?” “Since she was useless, I might as well use her for a gamble.” “I originally just wanted to use her to get rid of you and the bastard in your belly. Who knew Arthur cared about me so much that he’d use cloning technology to bring Lily back. Even I didn’t expect him to go this far for us.” “The ‘scumbag’ you’re talking about has enough power to bring the dead back to life. Do you still think it wasn’t worth gambling my own flesh and blood to win him back?” Her fingertips gently traced my belly. “If you had been a bit more cooperative, Arthur might have saved some of your baby’s hair or fingernails. Too bad he rushed to burn it all to ashes~” At the mention of my baby, my emotions uncontrollably surged. I roared, trying to lunge forward and bite Mia. She stepped back with a smile, but a shriek of terror escaped her throat, completely contradicting her expression. “Mia!” Outside the door, Arthur’s anxious footsteps grew closer. Mia unhesitatingly bit down on her own palm. My breathing grew rapid, my belly tightening in waves. Triggered by Mia, I went into premature labor. With a loud bang, Arthur kicked the door open and rushed in. Mia successfully managed to bite her right hand until it was bleeding profusely, putting on a tearful, pitiable expression. However, Arthur’s tense expression only lingered on her injured hand for a second. Chapter 4 He strode purposefully toward me. 4 Without even looking down, I knew my water had broken. Arthur was anxious about Lily inside my belly. Even so, a venomous look flashed across Mia’s face. What a terrifying woman, jealous even of her own daughter. Arthur assembled the top obstetricians in record time, but upon seeing the injury on Mia’s hand, he commanded coldly: “C-section. No anesthesia. Make her watch the child be born smoothly while fully conscious.” “I’m sorry, Ms. Hayes.” Watching Arthur leave with his arm around Mia, the doctor put on his gloves and whispered sympathetically: “Don’t blame me. I’ll try to finish the surgery as quickly as possible so you suffer less.” The moment the cold scalpel sliced into my abdomen, the pain shook my very soul. For the first time, I realized a person could be butchered like a piece of dead meat without a shred of dignity. I screamed until my throat bled, passing out several times. To keep me conscious, the doctor had to inject me with adrenaline. By the end of the pain, I had completely lost my mind, even forgetting I was human. Lily’s cries felt like my pardon. The moment she was carried out of the operating room, the female doctor assisting rapidly injected me with a painkiller. “Ms. Hayes, it’s all over. Get some good sleep.” The moment I closed my eyes, the pain all over my body instantly vanished. I thought her painkiller had worked. My body gradually felt lighter. I relaxed, only to realize I was floating up uncontrollably. When I opened my eyes again and saw myself looking down from above at my mutilated body on the operating table, I realized I was already dead. If I weren’t the only one left in the operating room, I wouldn’t have believed the person on the table was me. Since losing my baby, I hadn’t looked in a mirror. My once chubby cheeks were deeply sunken. My belly, which I had taken such good care of during my pregnancy with my baby that not a single stretch mark had appeared, now looked like blackened, shriveled fruit peel, covered in deep and shallow grooves. My limbs were emaciated. On my wrists and ankles were permanent scars from long-term restraints, where wounds had healed into the shackles only to be torn open again. I gazed at my broken self for a long time. The operating room door opened. The person who walked in was actually Arthur. Even in death, my soul trembled uncontrollably. What was he doing here? Did he think he hadn’t punished me enough? If he found out I was dead, would he feel sad and heartbroken, or would he blame me for dying too soon, saying the punishment wasn’t enough to atone for Lily? He brought in a basin and a kettle of boiling water. Did he think I was sleeping instead of breastfeeding Lily right after giving birth, and wanted to scald me awake? He poured in the boiling water, then added cold water, repeatedly checking the temperature with his hand. I was starting to get confused. Seeming satisfied with the temperature, Arthur took out a soft towel, soaked it in the basin, and wrung it out. He lifted one of my arms and began to carefully wipe it with the towel. Arthur was giving me a sponge bath. I laughed in disbelief. He tortured me to death over crimes forced upon me, and now he’s putting on a show of tender affection? I couldn’t wait to see the expression on his face when he realized I was already dead. To my surprise, the next second, my corpse opened its eyes. Chapter 5 5 Seeing “me” wake up, Arthur spoke. “Lily will need you to take care of her until she’s weaned. To make it easier for Mia to see the baby, you’ll live in the annex attached to her bedroom. As long as you behave, I’ll gradually loosen the restrictions on you.” With that, he gently stroked the wounds on my wrists and sighed. “I,” naturally, didn’t reply, merely staring at him blankly, eyes as clear as an innocent child’s. “Once Lily is weaned, I’ll compensate you with another child.” “I” still showed no reaction. Seeing my continued silence, Arthur’s face instantly darkened. He probably thought I was still throwing a tantrum. He ordered someone to bring Lily in, with Mia following closely behind. In front of everyone, Arthur shoved the crying Lily into my arms. To prevent me from hurting Lily, he once again locked my hands in the shackles. Starving, Lily latched onto me and began sucking greedily. “I” showed no expression or movement, my face a mask of numbness and emptiness. I understood my situation now. The agony of a C-section without anesthesia had exceeded my limits. My body’s self-defense mechanism had triggered dissociation. My consciousness and emotions had left the body; what remained in front of Arthur was an empty shell driven only by biological instincts. I realized with sadness that he seemed to prefer this shell, unresponsive to external stimuli. Because Lily sucked too hard, my blood seeped from the corners of her mouth. “I” acted as if I couldn’t feel the pain. Seeing the blood, Arthur grew anxious. He quickly snatched Lily away and examined her thoroughly inside and out. Only after confirming there were no wounds in Lily’s mouth did he realize the blood was mine. Arthur looked grimly at the wound on my chest; Lily’s toothless gums had actually bitten off a small piece of my flesh. Noticing Arthur’s gaze, “I” stared blankly at him. In the moment our eyes met, a fawning smile actually crept onto “my” face. Interrupted from her feeding, Lily immediately began to wail impatiently. Mia scooped Lily up, cooing and patting her sympathetically. “Her temper hasn’t changed a bit. When I raised her alone abroad, she was like this too. If she bit me on the left, I’d let her feed on the right. Often, the wound hadn’t even healed before she sucked it open again…” Arthur frowned deeply. Mia attempted to guide Lily toward my other side. “It’s going to be hard on Ms. Hayes for a while.” “You know it hurts the mother, yet you still indulge her? Can’t she just drink formula?” Arthur pushed Mia so hard she stumbled and nearly fell to the floor. A flash of disbelief crossed her face before she forced a smile: “Back abroad, I didn’t have much money for formula. Even if it hurt, I just had to endure it. Now that Ms. Hayes’s situation is different, Lily can certainly try formula. It’s just that, as a cloned baby, her constitution is naturally weak. I worry that formula won’t provide enough nutrition, and if something happens to her again…” “Let her try formula first. If it really doesn’t work, I’ll find a wet nurse.” With that, Arthur ignored her. He took cotton swabs and iodine from the nurse, crouched down, and carefully treated my wound. Mia held Lily, biting her lower lip as she stood by, the resentment in her eyes practically spilling over. Unable to nurse, Lily cried her heart out in Mia’s arms, but Mia turned a deaf ear. Chapter 6 6 “The child is crying her eyes out, can’t you hear her? What are you standing there like an idiot for? Waiting for Chloe to make her a bottle? Who is the mother here anyway?” Startled by Arthur’s scolding, Mia trembled and quickly carried Lily out of the room. For the next few days, Arthur practically lived at the hospital, guarding me day and night. If it weren’t for the shocking wounds on my body, I would have thought we were back to the days before Mia returned. He ordered the family chef to make different nutritious meals for me every day, personally feeding me bite by bite. He also personally changed the dressings on my limbs and chest every day. Once they healed, he found the best plastic surgeons in the country to remove my scars. The bedsores on my back were so severe that the skin had completely rotted away; there was no better solution than a skin graft. But my rejection reaction to other people’s skin was too severe; the worst episode almost killed me with a high fever. When the operating room light went out and he learned I was safe, Arthur pulled me into his arms, afraid to hold me too tightly, his eyes filled with the profound cherishing of regaining something lost. To make me better, after testing that I had no obvious rejection to his skin, Arthur resolutely donated skin from his own back and thighs to me. “From now on, we are truly one, Chloe.” He held my hand tightly. I stared at him blankly, still not speaking. Arthur finally realized something was wrong with me. “Chloe, you haven’t spoken to me for so many days. Have you still not forgiven me?” Arthur sat properly in front of me, our fingers intertwined. I was as quiet as a porcelain doll; only my eyes would blink. “No matter what, Lily is a life. You had her child kidnapped and even killed just because you were jealous of Mia. I only treated you that way to teach you a lesson.” Seeing no response from me, Arthur grew anxious. “Now the punishment is over. I gave our baby a proper burial long ago. We’re still young, we’ll have many more children. Once you recover, I’ll take you to Iceland to see the Northern Lights, and travel to all the places you’ve always wanted to go to relax, okay?” At the mention of our baby, the “me” in front of Arthur still showed no reaction. “Chloe, don’t scare me. Say something.” Arthur reached out a trembling hand to stroke my head. In the past, I would happily nuzzle my head into his palm. But now, even when his hand completely covered my head, I just sat there quietly. He pulled his hand back as if electrocuted. Due to inertia, I fell straight backward. With a smack, my still-healing back hit the headboard heavily, and the pristine white sheets instantly stained red. Yet, I didn’t utter a single groan of pain, only staring blankly at the ceiling. Arthur, a man who would remain unfazed even if a mountain collapsed in front of him, showed an expression of pure terror. 7 To figure out what exactly had happened to me, Arthur hadn’t left the hospital for a full month. The top neurologists and psychologists in the country were all brought in. After a series of evaluations and tests, the final results would take another three days. Arthur’s physical and mental state had reached the breaking point. Under the doctors’ half-advising, half-forcing suggestions, Arthur finally agreed to go back and get some proper rest so he would have the mental fortitude to face the results.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394861”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Mom and Dad brought me to the city to buy an apartment. I walked up to a dilapidated, tiny old house and refused to leave. No matter how much they tried to persuade me, I stood my ground. Helpless, Mom and Dad had no choice but to buy it. Three days later, a red “Demolition” sign appeared on the wall of our newly purchased house. Mom and Dad were shocked. 1. Right after dinner, my cousin and I were running around the yard. “Chloe, come here and let me wipe your sweat. Look at your little face, it’s as dirty as a little kitten,” my mom said, smiling as she walked over, hugged me, and wiped my face. Our neighbor, Mrs. Smith, walked by and smiled. “Chloe is such a lucky charm! It’s rare for a little girl to be loved this much.” “But, Sarah,” she continued, “a woman still needs a son to secure her future. It would be great if you and Chloe’s dad had another baby and gave Chloe a little brother.” Hearing Mrs. Smith’s words, my mom looked a bit displeased. While tickling me with one hand, she replied politely, “We are perfectly happy with just Chloe. You don’t need to worry about us.” Seeing me laughing heartily as my mom tickled me, Mrs. Smith shook her head and walked away. My grandmother came out of the house. “Don’t listen to that old busybody. Having Chloe is perfectly fine for our family.” My mom smiled too. “Mom, Chloe’s dad and I are planning to go to the city tomorrow to look at houses. We’ve saved up quite a bit these past two years, and for the sake of Chloe’s future education, we want to move to the city as soon as possible.” Grandma smiled warmly and patted my head. “Alright, as long as you find something you like. I’ve saved up a little bit too; if it’s not enough, I can chip in!” My parents wouldn’t actually take my grandmother’s money. After all, I still had an uncle, and she needed to be fair to both her sons. In rural areas, favoring boys over girls wasn’t uncommon, and my grandmother originally held those views too. When I was first born and she heard I was a girl, she showed obvious disappointment on her face. But from the moment I was born, I loved to smile. Seeing me swaddled like a little white dumpling, grinning widely at everyone, my parents and grandmother couldn’t help but smile too. They held me in their arms, unable to put me down. Add to that my sweet talk, and with this skill, I gained a lot of love in the family. But what truly elevated my status was another incident. When I was a year old, my parents had something to attend to, and my grandmother was watching me at home. After feeding me lunch, my grandmother was working in the yard while I played on the bed by myself. Not long after, I suddenly started crying loudly. My grandmother held me, trying everything to soothe me, but it didn’t work. My cries grew louder and louder, my voice becoming increasingly hoarse. For someone like me, who naturally loved to smile, this was extremely unusual. My grandmother didn’t dare delay and hurriedly carried me to the local clinic. The doctor at the clinic couldn’t find anything wrong with me and just told her to take me home and observe me. My grandmother carried me home, and on the way, she saw black smoke billowing from the direction of our house. “Fire… there’s a fire…” When my grandmother finally ran back carrying me, she found that several nearby houses, including ours, were on fire. The fire was quite large, and the villagers were all helping to put it out. My parents also rushed back, and seeing that my grandmother and I were safe, they finally breathed a sigh of relief. It took the whole afternoon to put out the fire; it wasn’t extinguished until nightfall. Later, we heard that people in several of the nearby houses were severely injured, and even after being saved, they were left disabled. Our family was the only one that didn’t suffer much loss, and no one was hurt. Hearing this news, my parents were silent for a long time. My grandmother held me tightly, her eyes still showing lingering fear. “Thanks to Chloe! Our Chloe is a little lucky charm, Grandma’s sweetheart.” 2. Since that incident, everyone in the family favored me even more. My grandmother and mother even fought over who got to take care of me, making my aunt, who had two sons, green with envy. My parents also gave up the idea of having a son; they only wanted to take good care of me. When I was two, my dad was laid off and started his own business. Unexpectedly, his first venture didn’t lose money; instead, he paid off all the money he borrowed to start the business in just one year. Not long after, my mom also quit her job to help my dad, and a year later, they made a neat little profit. As our family’s life improved day by day, my parents started thinking about moving to the city. After all, the educational and medical facilities in the city were relatively much better. Early the next morning, my mom picked me up from bed. “Chloe, are we going to the city to look at houses with Mommy and Daddy today? Does that sound good?” With my eyes closed, I let my mom dress me and groggily washed my face. After eating the breakfast my grandmother prepared, my parents and I set off. My parents had been making frequent trips to the city for their business over the past few years, so they had some knowledge of the well-known neighborhoods. When my parents brought me to a sales office, I instinctively disliked the place. The houses sold here were considered upper-middle-class in the city, and many people were buying them. While my parents were listening to the sales lady’s introduction, I sat in my mom’s lap, looking around. Just then, I saw an elegantly dressed couple walk in through the door with a little girl. The couple looked very kind; the man was tall and handsome, and the woman was gentle and beautiful. However, the woman looked pale, as if her health wasn’t very good. The little girl with them was wearing a princess dress and delicate white leather shoes, but she looked unhappy. Seeing them, the sales manager hurried out to greet them. “Mr. Sterling, Mrs. Sterling, what brings you here personally today? And this must be your daughter?” The little girl glanced at the sales manager expressionlessly. The man referred to as Mr. Sterling spoke: “Today we want to pick out another villa for ourselves. My wife isn’t used to living in the one we bought previously.” Seeing Mrs. Sterling coughing softly, the sales manager nodded in understanding and personally began showing them around. But the little girl didn’t seem very close to the couple; she just sat impatiently on the side by herself. My parents picked me up, ready to go look at the houses in the neighborhood. As my mom picked me up, the family next to us also noticed us. The woman called Mrs. Sterling froze for a moment when she saw me. Noticing her gaze, the man also looked at us. Seeing my face, the man, like the woman, was stunned for a moment, but soon returned to normal. Both of their gazes lingered on us. It wasn’t until my parents and I left that their line of sight vanished. My parents were very satisfied with the house they viewed. But ever since I walked in, I didn’t like it. I shook my mom’s hand: “I don’t like it here, Mommy. Let’s look somewhere else.” “Chloe, be good. Look how big this bedroom is! You can have your own room from now on.” But I still shook my head, my face showing my reluctance. My parents looked awkwardly at the salesperson and said they would think about it. After going outside, my dad picked me up: “Does Chloe really not like it there?” “I don’t like it!” I immediately replied. “Then we’ll keep looking. There are plenty of houses anyway.” “You just spoil her,” my mom said, smiling and shaking her head. My parents decided to take me to get something to eat first. We came to an alley where the road was full of potholes and very difficult to walk on. My dad, holding me, looked up. There weren’t many houses here, and the layout was scattered. When we reached a certain house, I struggled to be put down. After my dad set me down, I scurried over to the house and took a look. I didn’t know why, but I really liked it here. “Mommy, Daddy, I want to live here!” My parents were shocked by my words: “Chloe, it’s too run-down here. It’s not even as good as our house in the country. Let’s live in a new house, okay?” “No, no, I want to live here!” A “For Sale” sign was posted on the mottled gate of the house. My mom tried to coax me for a long time, but I refused to leave. Having no choice, my dad called the “For Sale” number posted on the gate. Hearing that we wanted to view the house, the owner excitedly said he would be right there. When the gate opened, we could see the yard wasn’t small, but it was piled high with junk. Upon entering the house, the overall appearance was even more dilapidated. My parents really didn’t think much of the place, but since coming in, I found myself liking the house more and more. I hugged my mom’s thigh. “I want to live here. I like it here.” My mom looked at my dad, conflicted. After all, I had been very sensible since I was little and rarely stubbornly demanded anything. My dad looked at my hopeful little face. “Buy it! If my daughter likes it, we’ll buy it! Worst case, we save up and buy another one later!” My dad made the final decision. Hearing this, my mom didn’t object either. Afraid we might change our minds, the owner offered an at-cost price and rushed the transfer of ownership. Looking at the property deed in our hands, our family of three stared at each other in disbelief. 3. There was too much junk here, making it a hassle to clean up. My parents decided to pack up our things from the country and move them over little by little. After returning home, the neighbors heard that my parents had bought an old house and gossiped while snacking on sunflower seeds. “The Davis family must have lost their minds! Listening to a little girl!” “They finally saved up enough money, and they go to the city just to buy a house like that? I wouldn’t live there even if they gave it to me for free!” “Tell me about it! Last time I suggested Chloe’s mom have another boy, she gave me such a dirty look!” Mrs. Smith said, spit flying. “No matter how lucky this girl is, she’s still not a son! Just wait and see! There will come a day when the Davis family regrets it!” My grandmother also disapproved a bit when she heard, but her attitude completely changed when she heard I liked it. “Since Chloe likes it, then we bought it! Don’t listen to their nonsense. At least we own a house in the city now!” My parents felt the same way and started packing up the things at home. The next day, my dad received a phone call and walked home looking like he was sleepwalking. “Richard? What’s wrong with you? Did you lose your soul?” My mom waved her hand in front of my dad’s face. My dad recovered after a while and said, “Sarah, the old house we just bought is going to be demolished.” “What… what nonsense are you talking about?!” My mom looked doubtful. “It’s true, that call just now was from the demolition office!” My mom and grandmother still couldn’t quite believe it, afraid they had encountered a scammer. The family rushed to the city in a panic. It wasn’t until they negotiated with the demolition office, signed the contract, and saw the red “Demolition” sign painted on our newly purchased house that it finally felt real. “Oh my, I told you our Chloe is a little lucky charm!” My grandmother hugged me and happily kissed my cheek. My parents were also smiling, looking at me with absolute adoration. After all, trading the price of a dilapidated house for a massive demolition payout was something they wouldn’t have even dared to dream of. Since the house was going to be demolished, it couldn’t be lived in. Striking while the iron was hot, my parents took the fresh demolition payout, gritted their teeth, and bought a small villa in the city center. Soon, our whole family moved to the city. The villas here were divided into Zone A and Zone B. Zone B was sold to families with a little bit of money, like ours. Zone A villas, on the other hand, were priceless; only the wealthiest and most prestigious people in the city lived there. On our very first day moving in, we ran into the family from the sales office. It turned out their family had also moved here, but they lived in Zone A. Mr. Sterling wasn’t there. Mrs. Sterling still looked pale, but it didn’t detract from her beauty. Mrs. Sterling was holding the hand of the little girl from last time. The little girl was dressed like a little princess, even wearing a small tiara on her head. When she saw our family, she didn’t look friendly and muttered “hicks” under her breath. My parents didn’t notice, and I turned my head away, ignoring her. We found out later that they were the Sterling family. The Sterling family enterprise was a leading corporation in the city. Mr. Sterling was famous for doting on his wife, and they only had this one daughter, Lily Sterling. Lily had been spoiled since childhood; calling her a princess wouldn’t be an overstatement. I thought this was just a minor interlude, never expecting our two families’ fates to be intertwined forever. Not long after moving, I was getting ready to start elementary school. I adapted to the new school pretty well, but I saw Lily Sterling here too. She and I didn’t know each other, so I didn’t approach her. But Lily wasn’t happy about that. Since she was little, wherever she went, she was always the center of attention. Her peers would try their best to please her. And yet I, someone she had disliked from the very first glance, hadn’t taken the initiative to approach her. So, during recess one day, Lily and her little followers came looking for me. “Hey, Chloe Davis, who told you to wear this hairstyle?” I touched the half-up princess style my mom had just done for me that morning, looking confused. Lily stared at me unkindly, as if trying to burn a hole in my face. Seeing that I didn’t speak, another follower next to her spoke up. “We’re talking to you! Are you mute? Who told you to wear this hairstyle?” “Why do I need your permission?” I asked seriously. “Don’t you know Lily is the little princess of our school? Are you trying to steal her thunder by dressing up so elaborately?” Listening to this illogical nonsense, I didn’t want to talk to them anymore and put on a cold expression: “Sorry, I don’t know you guys.” I didn’t expect this sentence to completely infuriate Lily. She ordered her followers to lunge at me and mess up my hair. But having grown up in a village, I was also a little boss no one dared to mess with. Seeing this, how could I just take it? I nimbly dodged their attacks, grabbed firmly, and yanked the hair clip right off Lily’s head. A strand of Lily’s hair was still clinging to the fallen clip. They were completely enraged by me and were preparing to all jump me to teach me a lesson. The farce only ended when the teacher walked into the classroom. After school, both my mom and Mrs. Sterling appeared at the school. Mrs. Sterling recognized me and was clearly surprised to see me. My mom put her arm around me and looked angrily at Lily. I was actually fine, my hair was just a bit messy. But Lily’s hands had several red scratch marks from me. After Mrs. Sterling heard the whole story, she pulled Lily forward to apologize to us. Lily looked incredibly resistant, glaring at me with anger in her eyes. “I’m not apologizing to her, that hick!” Lily refused to cooperate. “Lily Sterling!” Mrs. Sterling gave her a warning look. Lily turned and ran, completely disregarding Mrs. Sterling’s presence. “I’m so sorry, Lily has been spoiled since she was little. How about this, you leave me your address, and we’ll come to your house another day to formally apologize?” My mom didn’t care for her apology and led me away, turning her back on them.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394860”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

1 Working overtime late into the night on New Year’s Eve, I slumped in my cubicle, mindlessly scrolling through my phone to kill time. I stumbled upon a trending thread about how to manage employees, and one comment under it caught my eye. It was glaring. [My husband’s methods are truly brilliant. He specifically targets his most capable female employees for a secret office romance, using emotional manipulation to make them work themselves to the bone for the company.] [That woman is dreaming of becoming the boss’s wife, but in reality, she hasn’t taken a single vacation day in three years. She’s still working overtime at the office on New Year’s Eve. Right after he sleeps with her, she’s kicked out of bed to go make PowerPoint presentations.] [Working like a horse and treated like a whore. A work-whore, if you will.] Below it, someone spoke up for the female employee, cursing the original poster and her husband for being vicious. But she casually replied with a photo, completely unbothered. In the photo, a man wearing an apron was cooking in the kitchen, his back to the camera. He looked sharp and handsome. The caption was a blatant provocation: [What’s the use of cursing me? She’s still pulling an all-nighter at the office right now, unlike me, who just has to wait in our mansion for my husband to cook New Year’s Eve dinner~] My breath caught, and the hand gripping my phone suddenly tightened. I could never mistake that back. The silhouette in the photo was unmistakably my CEO boyfriend, whom I had been secretly dating for five years. … I placed my phone face down on the desk and took a few deep breaths. When I flipped it over again, my fingertips trembled slightly as I zoomed in on the photo, bit by bit. The navy blue apron he was wearing was the New Year’s gift I bought him after saving up my bonuses for three months. His sharp, short haircut was the exact style he got at the barbershop the day after I casually mentioned I liked clean-cut hair last month. Even the tiny red mole behind his right ear was identical to Ethan’s. In the comment section, someone asked, [He’s dating two women at once, and the female employee never suspected anything?] She replied smugly, [Every time I call him while he’s with her, my husband tells her I’m his mom. A few times, he even coaxed that stupid woman into calling me ‘Mom’ a few times. She didn’t even stop to think—is my husband’s mother someone she could just casually talk to?] The cold light from the screen made my eyes sting. A few days ago, after answering a call, Ethan suddenly smiled and turned to me. “Chloe, my mom wants to say a few words to you.” I froze, hurriedly took the phone, and softly called out “Auntie” a few times. The other end of the line remained dead silent. Ethan stood beside me, teasing me with a smile. “My mom wants a daughter-in-law. She’s waiting for you to change how you address her.” Although I felt it was abrupt, I couldn’t withstand his soft coaxing, and finally whispered, “Mom.” As soon as the word left my mouth, an uncontrollable burst of laughter erupted from the other end of the phone, followed by three quick “good, good, good”s before she hurriedly hung up. I felt something was off at the time, but Ethan coaxed me out of overthinking it with just a few words. Only now did I realize that the person on the other end of the line that day was his legal wife. My fingertips trembled uncontrollably as I clicked into that woman’s profile. Her latest post was from two weeks ago: [My husband’s New Year’s gift to me! It was just too expensive, cost a cool seven figures~] But on that exact same day, Ethan told me: “The company isn’t doing well this year. As the future boss’s wife, you shouldn’t ask for a year-end bonus. And your overtime pay… we’ll have to wait until the company recovers to backpay you.” My hand shook even harder as I continued to scroll down. [Heading to the Maldives for a vacation with my hubby! Life without work is just too good!] But during that same period, I pulled three consecutive all-nighters to land a major contract, ultimately ending up with a bleeding ulcer from drinking too much at a business dinner. Even after the contract was signed, I pushed all the credit onto Ethan, who hadn’t lifted a finger, just to help him establish authority in the company. The next post down: [Moving into our new home! Hubby specially bought a riverview mansion for me and the baby.] The photos showed a spacious, brightly lit living room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a dazzling river view. And I hadn’t even been assigned a spot in the employee dorms. In a city as expensive as Seattle, I was renting a run-down, tiny studio in a remote suburb, commuting at least two hours a day. It was laughable how much I trusted Ethan before. I gullibly believed his nonsense about the “company not doing well and being on the verge of bankruptcy.” I didn’t spend his money, didn’t ask for a raise, and worked my fingers to the bone, all just so he could have it a little easier. Five years of dedication, and in the end, it was all just paving the way for his happy life with another woman. Tears fell without warning. I hurriedly raised my hand to wipe them away, but accidentally knocked over the cold takeout box on my desk. Leftover food and rice spilled all over the floor, a complete mess. I finally couldn’t hold it in anymore, crouching on the floor and bawling my eyes out. Ethan was in a riverview mansion with his wife and child, eating a New Year’s Eve dinner made of seafood and abalone. Perhaps after eating, they would cuddle by the window to watch the fireworks, or curl up on the sofa to watch the lively New Year’s countdown shows. But I was working overtime in a pitch-black office building. Not only did I not have overtime pay, but even my meal was a cheap ten-dollar combo. I don’t know how long I cried before my phone rang. After I answered, Ethan’s voice came through the receiver. “Chloe, Happy New Year!” “I’m still out of town trying to secure investments. I handle the outside, you handle the inside. Next year, we’ll work together to make the company bigger and stronger!” 2 I sniffled hard, suppressing the bitter lump rising in my throat. “What are you doing right now?” Ethan’s voice carried its usual exhaustion and dependence. “Just finished a business dinner. Drank so much my stomach is killing me.” “If only you were here.” If it were the old me, hearing those words would have broken my heart, and I would have immediately said, “I’m here for you.” And then he would naturally push a pile of even more difficult work onto me. This time, I didn’t reply. The phone was quiet for a few seconds before he spoke up again. “Oh, right, Chloe, you probably still can’t leave tomorrow.” “Mr. Wang from the Apex Group is bringing his wife and kids to Seattle for a vacation the day after tomorrow. I need you to host them for the entire trip.” The train ticket I originally booked to go home before the New Year, I had changed and canceled, canceled and changed. I couldn’t remember how many times my trip home had been delayed. I only remembered my grandmother cautiously asking on the phone several times: “Chloe, can you make it back this year? Grandma cured that bacon you love so much.” My voice trembled uncontrollably as I asked him, “Why is it me again? I haven’t had a day off all year, and I haven’t been home in a long time.” “And Grandma is sick. You know I have to go back and see her.” Ethan’s tone instantly turned several degrees colder, and he started with his usual old rhetoric: “The company belongs to both of us. I’m out here busting my ass to get investments, so of course you have to guard the home front for me.” “Whether this partnership works out entirely depends on this hosting job. You’re the only one I trust with it.” Seeing that I didn’t respond, he softened his tone to coax me again. “Be good. Once we land this partnership, I’ll go back with you.” “Doesn’t your grandmother want to see you settle down more than anything? Once we’re stable, I’ll take you back in style, okay?” Before I could say another word, the call was disconnected. This wasn’t the first time he had made such a promise. In the third year of our secret relationship, after he found out I only had my grandmother left in the world… “Going home with you to see Grandma” became the empty promise he drew for me, one he never intended to fulfill. The summer before last, when he needed me to deliver a contract across town in the pouring rain while I was running a high fever, he said, “Deliver it, and we can sign the contract. Once it’s signed, I’ll go home with you to see Grandma.” During our fourth Spring Festival, when he wanted me to give up my vacation days, he said, “Work some overtime this New Year’s Eve. Once we’re through this busy period, I promise I’ll go back with you.” And even now, he was still saying, “Wait until we work hard enough to buy a house in Seattle and stabilize. Then we’ll go back to see Grandma and bring her here to live with us.” But in reality, he already had a house. A brightly lit riverview mansion. And the woman of the house wasn’t me. My phone buzzed suddenly. A message from Ethan popped up on the screen. [Don’t be unhappy during the holidays. Take this money and buy yourself something nice to eat. I’ll make it up to you when I get back.] [The company’s accounts are tight this year, sorry you have to suffer. I’ll definitely give you more next year.] Then a red envelope notification popped up. I didn’t open it, but I knew the maximum amount was only two hundred dollars. At the exact same time, that woman updated her status: [My husband transferred the company’s entire net profit for the year to my card, not a penny less~] Attached was a screenshot of a bank account balance. Behind the first digit, there were eight neat zeros. A netizen who, like me, had dug into the woman’s profile from the “managing employees” post asked, [Your husband made so much this year, how much did he give that female employee to make her work so hard for him?] She replied mockingly, [Two hundred is plenty. Honestly, I couldn’t bear to watch, so I told him to send it to that work-whore pulling an all-nighter outside, hehe.] 3 I locked my phone screen, wiped the tear tracks from my face, and decided to just go home first. The streets on New Year’s Eve were completely deserted. The subway had stopped running long ago, and the buses were off schedule due to the holiday. I stood by the side of the road for almost half an hour, my hands and feet numb from the cold, before I finally hailed a taxi. The driver rolled down his window and held up three fingers. “Holiday rate. Extra three hundred bucks.” The cold wind bit at my neck. I gritted my teeth and got in anyway. The warmth from the car’s heater brought me back to life a little. I instinctively reached for my phone, wanting to complain to Ethan like I had countless times before. But my fingers stopped in mid-air. Things like this had happened before. Getting price-gouged by a cab driver, getting rudely cut in line, having my takeout order messed up. I would always complain to him, feeling wronged. He would always brush it off with a single, light sentence. “If you can make do, just make do. You should be forgiving whenever possible.” Back then, I always thought it was because he was broad-minded and didn’t like to hold grudges. Until I saw that woman’s profile. She complained about how hard it was to get a cab; Ethan turned around, bought her a car, and hired a dedicated driver. She casually mentioned that the wait at an Instagram-famous restaurant was too long; Ethan directly gave everyone in line ahead of her five hundred bucks so she could go in first. As for takeout… She never had to eat takeout. Ethan thought outside food was unhealthy, so he specifically learned how to cook for her, personally making her three meals a day. All the grievances where he told me to “just make do” became “major issues” that had to be solved immediately when it came to the person he truly loved. The line between love and not love was so starkly drawn. I turned my head to look out the window, watching the city lights blur past. Every household exuded the warmth of reunion. Except for me, displaced and alone. I couldn’t hold back the tears anymore; they fell silently. Later, I actually started crying louder and louder, my whole body trembling. The driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror several times. When he finally stopped at the entrance to my apartment complex, he sighed. “Forget it, miss. It’s the New Year… Keep the three hundred. Hurry up and go home.” Pity from a complete stranger. While the man I had poured my heart and soul into loving for five years, the man I saw as my entire future. Watched me like a fool, draining my youth for the happiness of him and another woman. After returning home and haphazardly washing up, I was so exhausted I collapsed on the sofa and fell asleep instantly. Near dawn, a frantic ringing from my phone yanked me from a nightmare. I answered groggily, but the moment I heard the voice on the other end, I jolted completely awake. It was Mrs. Davis, my grandmother’s neighbor, her voice trembling with anxiety. “Chloe, you need to come back right now!” “Your grandma got up early to use the bathroom, slipped on some ice in the yard that hadn’t melted completely, and fell! We just brought her to the county hospital!” My brain buzzed, and my hands and feet instantly went ice cold. I didn’t have time to think. I hastily threw on a coat, grabbed a few pieces of luggage, and rushed to the train station. The station was packed with people. I squeezed my way to the ticket gate, but my ticket wouldn’t scan at the turnstile. I tried several times, but the machine just coldly repeated the error sound. I panicked and turned to the service desk. “Hello, could you please check my ticket?” The staff member took my ID, typed on the keyboard for a few seconds, and looked up at me. “I’m sorry, ma’am, I don’t see any booking information for you.” I froze, then anxiously leaned in closer. “How is that possible?” “Could you please check again carefully? I just changed my ticket a few days ago! It’s the earliest train today!” The clerk checked again, but still shook his head. “There really isn’t one.” My throat tightened, and I asked, my voice breaking, “Can I still buy a ticket now? Any train is fine!” “I’m sorry, all trains are sold out.” The people in line behind me started getting impatient and urging me to move. I shuffled away numbly, getting jostled back and forth by the crowd. Suddenly, a thought struck me. I pulled out my phone with trembling hands and dialed Ethan’s number. “Ethan… my train ticket… did you cancel it?” 4 On the other end of the line, Ethan seemed to have just woken up, giving a groggy “mm.” “I knew you hadn’t given up on going home.” “So I canceled the ticket for you. Stay in Seattle and focus on the hosting job, that’s what’s important.” My voice cracked with panic, and tears immediately welled up. “Ethan, do you know my grandma fell?! She’s in the hospital right now! I have to go back immediately!” There was a two-second silence on the other end, followed by a short, mocking scoff. “Chloe, since when did you learn to lie to me like this?” “Making up an excuse like your grandma being sick just to go home?” “I’m not lying! It’s Mrs. Davis…” “Enough.” He cut me off impatiently. “Stop making a scene and go prepare for the hosting job. I was drinking until midnight last night and I’m still not fully awake.” But before the call disconnected, I clearly heard a woman’s lazy, soft moan. Tears hit the screen, blurring the display. I paced frantically in the main hall of the train station, opening every single ride-hailing app with trembling hands. A trip back to my hometown county was nearly two hundred miles. I kept increasing the tip, from two hundred, to five hundred, to eight hundred… The system kept showing “No drivers available.” In desperation, I called Ethan again, wanting to beg him to drive me back. But the phone rang twice before being brutally hung up. Immediately following, a message popped up, the tone icy cold. [I have a business meeting later, don’t bother me. Take the hosting job seriously.] But that woman’s latest profile update showed otherwise. Ethan took her to see a blockbuster holiday movie and checked in at an Instagram-famous restaurant that required reservations six months in advance. He catered to her every need. But to me, he offered nothing but neglect. I bit my lip, suppressing the stinging in my eyes. First, I transferred some money to Mrs. Davis, begging her to take good care of my grandmother for the time being. After agonizing until the afternoon, Mrs. Davis video-called me. On the screen, my grandmother was lying in a hospital bed, looking a bit pale, but in good spirits. She tried hard to smile at me, her wrinkles bunching up together. “Chloe, Grandma is fine. The doctor said I can go home in a couple of days.” “You focus on your work, you don’t need to rush back.” Looking at her forced smile, my throat felt sour and blocked. I could only nod vigorously, unable to say a single word. After hanging up the video call, I opened the ticketing app again and unexpectedly managed to book a ticket home for the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. My fingertips paused, and a plan slowly took shape in my mind. On the third day of the New Year, I tucked away all my emotions. Following Ethan’s instructions, I meticulously hosted Mr. Wang from Apex Group and his wife. I kept a smiling face the entire time, was attentive and thoughtful, and didn’t make a single mistake. Ethan was very satisfied with my performance. He proactively sent a message saying he had reimbursed me for my train ticket home. [See, it’s not that I didn’t want you to go back. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have gone out of my way to reimburse you.] [Keeping you in Seattle for a few extra days is all for our company, for our future together.] I didn’t reply with a single word. I just accepted the transfer. On the fifth day of the New Year, ticket in hand, I boarded the high-speed train back to my hometown right on time. Upon returning to the county hospital, I stayed by my grandmother’s side, taking meticulous care of her. Over those few days, Ethan sent a few intermittent messages. On the surface, he was asking about my grandmother’s health, but in reality, he was urging me to return to the company sooner. I treated them all as if I hadn’t seen them. He wasn’t in a hurry anyway. After all, in the past, no matter how bad our fights got, I always ended up running back to him. Unfortunately for him, this time, he miscalculated. It wasn’t until after the Lantern Festival that I returned to the company, following his repeated urging. As soon as I entered the office, he knocked on his desk with a cold face. “Being late for so many days, your perfect attendance bonus for this month is gone. According to company policy, your salary will also be docked.” I smiled, unbothered. I pulled a piece of paper from my bag and slapped it onto the desk with a smack. “I quit.” “Also, I want all my unpaid overtime, performance bonuses, and year-end bonuses from the past few years paid out in full.” He pinched the paper in his hand, making a crisp sound. He stared at the number at the bottom for a few seconds and laughed out loud. “Three million, six hundred and forty thousand? Chloe, there’s a limit to throwing a tantrum.” Seeing my serious expression, his face slowly darkened. “You really want to quit? Fine. Do you think the company will stop running without you?” “But you won’t get a single cent of this money.” Before he finished his sentence, the office door was pushed open, and his assistant ran in, face pale. “Mr. Sterling, this is bad!” “All the partners from last year are saying they want to terminate their contracts! And Mr. Wang, who we met with before the holidays, also said he’s not signing the contract!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394859”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I am very rich. My dad says there is no problem in this world that money can’t solve. If there is, it just means you don’t have enough money. But my boyfriend, Arthur Vance, was an exception. When I drove my supercar to pick him up, he complained I was too flashy. When I suggested eating at a Michelin-starred restaurant, he said I didn’t understand the hardships of everyday people. To “temper my character,” he forced me to live like an ordinary student. For three years, I wore cheap clothes from street stalls, squeezed onto the subway with him, and ate at the cheapest cafeteria window on campus. But all I got in return was his endless nitpicking. This time, to celebrate him winning a scholarship, I secretly booked a slightly nicer restaurant. I didn’t expect him to publicly reprimand me for “refusing to change my ways.” When he threatened to break up with me again, trying to force me to apologize to his ridiculous ego, I was just tired. “Then let’s break up!” … Hearing my answer, Arthur’s knife paused as he cut his steak, and then he let out a contemptuous laugh. “Chloe, are you serious?” He clearly didn’t take my words seriously. After all, over the past three years, whenever we disagreed on anything related to money, it always ended with my compromise. I would cry and return a newly bought limited-edition bag, or swear I would never eat a meal that cost more than thirty dollars again, just to beg him to take back his cold threat of “breaking up.” But this time, I was truly tired. A while ago, when the class president hinted that there was a spot for me on the need-based financial aid list and told me not to worry, I suddenly realized what a massive joke I had made of myself. The dignified eldest daughter of the Sterling Group had actually lowered herself to the dust for Arthur Vance. I looked up, met his eyes directly, and repeated: “Arthur Vance, I am serious. We are breaking up.” A rare look of bewilderment flashed across Arthur’s face. Realizing what I had said, his voice suddenly turned cold. “Just because I didn’t let you waste money, and criticized you a bit, you’re throwing a tantrum?” “Chloe, I took you on the subway and to street food stalls to cure you of your spoiled, entitled habits, to teach you to be grounded. Your attitude right now is extremely disappointing.” In the past, hearing the word “disappointing” would have made me panic immediately. But now, I only found it laughable. “Yes, I’m very disappointing to you. Since that’s the case, let’s go our separate ways. You find a girlfriend who meets your standards, and everyone will be happy.” I considered myself to be quite reasonable. Since our values didn’t align, it was best to part amicably. The designer watches and sneakers I’d given him over the years added up to at least a few hundred thousand dollars, but I wasn’t planning to haggle over it. Arthur, however, turned red with anger and stood up abruptly. “I always thought you were just a bit spoiled, but I didn’t expect you to be so stubborn, actually using a breakup to threaten me now.” “I was doing this for your own good. Yes, your family has money, but did you earn a single penny of it? I was trying to teach you not to squander your parents’ hard-earned money. If you had even a tenth of Emily’s frugality and simplicity, I wouldn’t have to constantly remind you.” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. He brought up breaking up, and I simply agreed, yet somehow I was the one threatening him. I shot him a cold look: “Since you think Emily is so simple and frugal, then go pursue her. Why should we make things difficult for each other?” Emily Chen was Arthur’s junior in his major. Ever since she enrolled, Arthur constantly compared me to her. Even taking me to eat at street stalls and squeezing onto the subway during rush hour were Emily’s suggestions, claiming it was to “help the senior rid herself of her arrogant and extravagant aura.” I never wanted to go in the first place. At the mention of Emily, Arthur bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He aggressively grabbed his backpack, the chair scraping harshly against the floor, drawing side-glances from several nearby tables. “Chloe, you are simply unreasonable!” “Reflect on yourself for this meal today. Don’t come looking for me until you’ve written a five-thousand-word self-reflection and realized your own vanity.” With that, he strode away without looking back. This was the first time I had ever seen Arthur this angry. He was the school’s famous, aloof “Academic God,” and I was the stereotypical “dumb blonde” with a rich family. I had only gotten into the school because my dad donated a building. When I first stepped onto campus, my head was full of sweet romance, and I fell for Arthur at first sight in the crowd. Even though we were dating, he nitpicked everything about me. I felt very wronged. It wasn’t my fault my family had money; being born wealthy was a gift from my parents. Yet he treated it as an original sin, constantly belittling and suppressing me. For the past three years, I walked on eggshells every time I saw him, terrified of accidentally showing my wealth and displeasing him. I used to think his lofty disdain for money was a rare and precious quality in this world. Only now did I see clearly that it was just arrogance born of extreme inferiority. He gained a psychological sense of superiority by suppressing my lifestyle. I had had enough of this kind of life. I unlocked my phone and sent a message to my dad. “Dad, I agree to your previous proposal.” I had fought with my dad plenty of times over these three years because of Arthur. A while ago, my dad cautiously asked if I wanted to meet the young man from the Sinclair family who had just returned from abroad. If I didn’t want to, he would decline for me. At that time, I shouted about “freedom of love.” Thinking back, I was adorably stupid. Instead of lowering my worth and being despised in every way, it’s better to find someone of equal social standing. At least our values would align, and we wouldn’t have to fight to the death over a fifty-dollar dinner bill. My dad’s efficiency was terrifyingly high. Early the next morning, I received a detailed profile of Julian Sinclair, along with an invitation to a charity gala. Following that, my mobile banking app popped up with a deposit notification. A string of zeros so long I couldn’t even count them. My dad’s message was simple and crude: Buy whatever you want. Having unloaded the mental baggage named “Arthur Vance,” the first thing I did was call the housekeeper. I pointed to the pilling hoodies and the ten-dollar jeans bought on group-deal apps in my closet—all the so-called “high-cost-performance, good-value items” Arthur had forced me to buy over the past three years to “temper my character.” “Mary, throw it all away.” For three years, Arthur had subjected me to a comprehensive “poverty transformation.” If I wore something slightly expensive, he called me “materialistic”; if I wore makeup, he called me “vulgar”; even when I took an Uber to school, he would frown and painfully accuse me of being “spoiled.” Afraid of making him angry, I constantly sought to please him, forcibly turning myself from the “Eldest Daughter of the Sterling family” into an “impoverished student.” But now, this lady is no longer playing along. I changed into a limited-edition, current-season Chanel suit and put on the sapphire necklace that had gathered dust in my jewelry box for three years. Looking at the radiant version of myself in the mirror, I smiled in satisfaction. After three years, the pink supercar that had been collecting dust in my garage finally saw the light of day again. The roar of the engine exploded at the school gates, instantly attracting countless stares. Unfortunately, the coolness didn’t last even three seconds. “Chloe Sterling!” It was Arthur! My heart skipped a beat, and I instinctively wanted to run. In the past, whenever I showed my wealth, Arthur would punish me by making me write a several-thousand-word self-reflection, or even give me the silent treatment for days. But on second thought, we were already broken up. Why should I be afraid of him? In the moment I froze, Arthur had already strode over. Behind him was Emily, panting heavily while carrying a tall stack of books. His gaze swept over my dazzling sports car and my outfit, looking at me as if I were some bloodsucking vampire from the exploiting class. “Are you crazy? Dressing like this and driving this kind of car to school?” “Everyone else is walking or biking to school. You driving this thing around is just trying to let everyone know you have a few filthy bucks? Your behavior will corrupt the school’s atmosphere!” I almost laughed out of anger. Just as I was about to retort, I caught sight of Emily behind him out of the corner of my eye. “I didn’t steal or rob, what am I afraid of?” I raised my eyebrows and looked at them meaningfully. “The school rules don’t say dating isn’t allowed, nor do they say driving to school isn’t allowed, right?” Hearing this, Arthur’s face darkened even more: “What nonsense are you talking about!!” Emily also peeked out timidly from behind her stack of books: “Senior Chloe, you misunderstood. Arthur was just helping me because I was too tired carrying these books… I didn’t expect you to think that way.” “Have you caused enough trouble?” Arthur suddenly reached out and grabbed my wrist, his grip so tight it felt like he was going to crush my bones. “Since you’re here, help Emily carry these books to the office. It’ll cure you of your laziness!” A sudden sharp pain shot through my wrist. I struggled desperately: “I’m not going! Arthur Vance, let go! We’re already broken up, why should I listen to you!” “Chloe, this is an order! As the President of the Student Council, I have the right to discipline this kind of toxic behavior from you!” Arthur didn’t back down because of my resistance; instead, he put on an official, authoritative stance, reaching out to forcefully shove that heavy stack of books into my arms. I shook his hand off, rubbing my reddened wrist, and let out an unceremonious, cold laugh. “Student Council President? Arthur, do you really think you got to be Student Council President on your own merits?” “If my dad hadn’t pulled strings with the administration and donated five million dollars, do you think with your abilities back then you had any right to defeat a bunch of more qualified candidates and take this position?” Arthur’s face instantly went deathly pale, as if he had been publicly slapped. His lips trembled, but before he could retort, Emily suddenly rushed forward like a madwoman. “Shut up! You’re not allowed to slander Arthur like that!” Before I could react, she shoved me hard. I was completely caught off guard. In my thin stilettos, I couldn’t keep my balance. My center of gravity shifted, and I fell heavily onto the concrete floor. “Hiss—” A burning, stinging pain instantly radiated from my palm. I looked down; a large patch of skin had been scraped off the palm of my hand by the rough ground. Beads of blood mixed with gravel were eagerly oozing out, hurting to the bone. The sapphire necklace fell to the ground and was crushed under Emily’s foot. Before I even had a chance to get up, she had already preemptively opened her mouth. Looking down at me from above, a flash of imperceptible satisfaction crossed her eyes, yet her mouth cried out in a whining tone. “Senior Chloe, how could you do this? You’re the one who had a change of heart, yet you publicly ruin Arthur’s reputation!” She pointed at the pink sports car behind me and my designer clothes, her voice piercingly sharp, as if she were judging me in the name of justice. “Everyone, be the judge! Chloe used to not even be able to afford the basic meat-and-veggie combo at the cafeteria. How could she suddenly afford a million-dollar sports car overnight?” “Don’t you know where this money came from? Must you force everyone to say it out loud?” “Arthur just didn’t want to see you degenerate. He painstakingly advised you to turn back before it’s too late. Not only are you ungrateful, but you also bite the hand that feeds you just for a moment of vanity!” This statement contained an overwhelming amount of information. The crowd of onlookers, initially just watching the drama, instantly exploded in an uproar. Those probing gazes instantly turned into disdain, and the whispering buzzed into my ears like flies. “Oh my god, so she’s a sugar baby…” “I knew it. How could someone who usually wears street clothes suddenly become rich? So she took that path.” “So shameless. And she has the nerve to show off at the school gates. If I were her parents, I’d die of anger.” The direction of public opinion was instantly skewed, and everyone believed Emily’s nonsense. I trembled with anger, my fingernails digging deeply into my flesh, but I couldn’t feel the pain. I could only stare dead at Arthur. He was the only person in the entire place who knew my true identity. Even if we broke up, even if he hated me, as long as he told the truth, this ridiculous rumor would collapse on its own. “Arthur, say something!” I gritted my teeth, questioning him with red eyes: “Tell them whether my money is clean or not! Did I become like this out of vanity?!” Arthur looked at me sitting pathetically on the ground, a complex struggle flashing through his eyes. But he looked at the surrounding students, and then at Emily, who had stepped forward “to defend him.” Ultimately, the shame of being exposed as someone who relied on a woman overpowered his conscience. He supported the “tottering” Emily and sighed with an expression of deep heartache, as if he were utterly disappointed in me. “Chloe, although Emily’s words are harsh, they aren’t wrong. Vanity is the most terrifying poison in the world.” “Although we have broken up, I really don’t want to see you sell your soul and body for material things, making yourself so dirty.” “Listen to my advice. Return the car, cut ties with that person. It’s still not too late to turn back now.” At that moment, I simply couldn’t believe what I was hearing. To protect his pathetic ego, he actually tacitly agreed to this despicable accusation, and even hypocritically pinned the label of “sugar baby” on me. With the “official seal of approval” from the Student Council President, the look in everyone’s eyes completely changed. Disgust, disdain, loathing—as if looking at some nauseating piece of trash. “Hurry up and take a picture to post on the confession wall to warn others! This kind of gold digger is a disgrace to our school!” Someone shouted, and several phones were shoved in my face, the camera flashes blinding me. Some even started a live stream right there, broadcasting wildly to the camera. “Hey guys, look at this! This is the ‘luxury car girl’ who became a sugar baby for an old man for money. She got exposed on the spot by her ex-boyfriend and even tried to hit people!” “People like this should be expelled! So disgusting!” Sitting on the ground, hearing words like “degenerate,” “gold digger,” and “escort” thrown at me like stones, I only felt it was utterly absurd. Some people even rushed forward trying to get physical with me. “What are you all doing! Gathering and causing trouble, what does this look like!” A booming, angry roar pierced through the crowd. The spectating students seemed to hit the pause button, automatically clearing a path. The Dean of Students, his face dark, strode in with his hands behind his back. Seeing me sitting pathetically on the ground, and that glaring pink sports car, his brows instantly knotted tightly. “What’s going on? Who brought this kind of societal toxicity onto campus?” Before I could open my mouth, Emily, like a frightened little bunny, spoke up first with red eyes. “Dean, you’re finally here. Senior Chloe… she’s bringing so much shame to our school.” As she spoke, she vaguely pointed out my sports car to the Dean. “Senior Chloe, out of greed for pleasure, not only is she being kept by an older man outside of school, but she also brazenly drove this dirty car onto campus to show off.” “Arthur kindly advised her to turn back, but she not only refused to listen but also tried to hit him, and even falsely accused him of getting his position through connections.” This bucket of dirty water was poured flawlessly. It not only solidified my crime of “being a sugar baby” but also kept her and Arthur completely clean. The Dean’s face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot, his disgusted gaze scraping over my body like a knife. “A sugar baby? Simply corrupting public morals!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394858”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

At a grand academic conference, I publicly released the laboratory security footage showing my fiancé and his female student. The passionate scenes played out, sending the entire hall into an uproar. A week ago, while lurking on an obscure overseas academic forum, I came across an advice-seeking post: [My professor keeps holding me while we do experiments. Is this normal?] Someone commented below: [What kind of experiments?] She replied: [He guides my hand to use the micropipette, hugging me from behind. His body is so hot I can’t even align the pipette tip with the well plate…] Someone immediately responded: [That’s a bit beyond the scope of normal instruction.] She was quick to defend him: [But he said I’m the most special student he’s ever mentored, not like that block of wood who only knows how to study and has no romance in her.] [His fiancée is also in research. All she cares about are data and papers; she has zero sex appeal. He’s been sick of her for a long time. He said that only when he’s with me does he feel truly alive.] The post included a blurry profile picture. The cuff of the man’s lab coat revealed a silver wristwatch with a tiny scratch on the edge of the dial. It was exactly the same as the one I gave Arthur Vance. 1 He scratched it while setting up the lab, moving equipment himself. At the time, he laughed, ruffled my hair, and said that even with a mark, it was still his favorite watch, our exclusive memento. Even more glaring was the chromatography machine in the background of the picture. The side of the machine still bore the engraved initials of our names. Back then, I traveled to nine different countries just to finalize the model. It was the only one of its kind in the country, my engagement gift to him, which I personally carried to his dedicated lab bench. My blood froze, and even breathing became difficult. Arthur had truly betrayed me. But years ago, I was also his student. With trembling fingers, I refreshed the post. Many netizens were expressing their doubts: [Are you actually seeking advice, or just bragging about your affair with your professor?] She immediately retorted: [What affair? The professor and I have a mutual appreciation for each other. He arranged for me to be in the lab, right under his fiancée’s nose. He even gave me the Chief Scientific Officer’s debut project, helped me publish it, and paved the way for me.] Someone cursed below: [I hate abuse of power the most. And this isn’t called ‘taking’, it’s stealing! Does what you’re doing do justice to that Chief Scientist?] She replied: [What’s there to be sorry about? The professor just loves me more. He needs an understanding flower like me, not a cold, research machine.] Every word was like a poisoned needle plunging straight into my heart. Ten days ago, I received an instruction from Arthur: “Your proposal and experimental approach have already been published by someone else. You need to dig up a new one.” Always the same excuse. I was deceived by him time and time again. I never thought he was taking my blood, sweat, and tears—my experimental project—to use as a stepping stone for the other woman. He used to be the one who followed the rules the most, exuding an aloof and ascetic aura. People in the industry said he was as pure as the purified water in the lab. When I was still his student, he would intentionally maintain an arm’s length distance when discussing experimental data with me. When teaching me how to use a micropipette, he merely steadied my wrist, and his ears turned bright red. He had also said I was his most special and outstanding student. After we secretly developed feelings for each other, he was terrified of people gossiping about me. So, he waited until I graduated, until I stood at a height equal to his, before he dared to hold my hand openly. That restrained tenderness and innate righteousness once made me fall deeply for him. The day he proposed, he said that researchers value sincerity and perseverance above all else, and his sincerity and perseverance were reserved solely for me. Now, looking at the diamond ring on my ring finger, and then at the bodies intimately intertwined in the post’s photo, a cold chill ran down my spine. The words and vows he once spoke had turned into cheap, vulgar pickup lines for his female student. My dedication and persistence to research, which he once treated as a precious treasure, had become what he called an “unromantic block of wood.” It wasn’t until the photos in the post refreshed, and the image of Arthur lowering his head to bite her earlobe suddenly struck my eyes. I couldn’t bear it any longer. My stomach churned, and I vomited until my internal organs ached. But the fiercer the curses in the post got, the more smug and arrogant she became: [I won’t say any more. The professor’s fiancée is sick, and he’s afraid of catching it and passing it to me, so he specifically took me abroad to relax.] And this morning, before Arthur left, he held my sickly self in his arms, his tone gentle and heartbroken: “While I’m abroad attending the seminar, I’ll definitely help you find some new experimental ideas. You stay home and rest like a good girl. Don’t overwork yourself; it makes my heart ache.” He knew perfectly well that this was my last year for a title promotion. Yet he cruelly stole my experimental proposal and gave it to someone else. I was forced to work day and night, racing against time to polish a new project before the end of the year, ruining my health in the process. When I dropped him off at the airport, I was still wiping away tears of guilt, blaming myself for being too sick to accompany him and making him worry and work so hard for my sake alone. I never expected that not only would he stab me in the back, but he would also take his lover on a romantic getaway abroad during my most difficult time. Ring— My phone suddenly rang. It was Arthur. Whenever he traveled, he always called me the moment he landed to let me know he was safe. On the other end of the line, his voice was full of concern: “Chloe, why is your voice so hoarse? Have you not been resting and taking your medicine again?” Seeing that I didn’t reply, he seemed to have made a major decision: “I’ve thought about it. Even if you can’t come up with a new experimental project, I’ll use my connections to guarantee your promotion this time.” Hah, the illustrious Professor Vance is really willing to pay a high price for me. But how could he not know that if he really did that, I would be forever nailed to the pillar of shame as someone who got in through the back door and had no real talent? “Arthur, didn’t you say you didn’t want my talent to be obscured, and even more so, didn’t want me to be gossiped about…” He sighed softly and interrupted me, his tone incredibly sincere: “But I can’t just watch the person I love most struggle. Besides, in my heart, you are the best. Even if people say I’m abusing my power, I accept it!” He spoke with such genuine emotion, but my heart sank inch by inch. A moment later, a soft, coquettish female voice faintly echoed from the other end of the line. I gripped my phone tightly and asked in a low voice: “Who’s outside your door?” He caught off guard, gave a light cough, hiding his panic: “It’s room service. I asked them to bring some paper and pens.” “Alright baby, you must take good care of yourself. There are pastries I bought for you in the fridge. Even if you don’t have an appetite, try to eat a little.” It seemed that his eagerness to report in every time he landed at a hotel wasn’t out of thoughtfulness, but merely out of fear that I would randomly check up on him and ruin the good time he was having with his lover. Five years of being together day and night, my wholehearted devotion, had ultimately turned out to be a massive joke. Late that night, I reopened that post. She had updated her status again: [The aloof flower has finally been pulled down from his pedestal by me. In life, he remembers my tastes; in academics, he guides me hand-in-hand to publish papers. Being with him now is just a natural progression. He said tonight was his most unforgettable night.] I closed my eyes, took a few deep breaths, and closed the post. Suppressing my churning emotions, I opened the fridge. The pastries inside were completely covered in crushed peanuts. And I am allergic to peanuts. The daily logs in that post recorded Arthur’s attentiveness to her; he searched several streets just to buy her peanut rice cakes. These pastries were what that female student loved to eat, not me. In the end, I still sent a message to Arthur: [Arthur, are you really going to use public office for private gain like this?] He thought I was talking about the promotion and replied earnestly: [Chloe, who in the industry doesn’t know you’re my fiancée? Even if I do nothing, it’s inevitable that people will gossip when you get the promotion. It’s better if I actually pull some strings for you, at least you get a tangible benefit out of it.] Yes, even if he did nothing, and I reached the top of the industry step by step through my own efforts, taking the position of Chief Scientific Officer, people would still view me through colored lenses. Just like how he and I only confirmed our relationship after I graduated, but we were still reported by someone with ulterior motives. They claimed I had an improper relationship with my professor while I was in school. The criticism online was so harsh that it became unbearable to read. Over the years, to break free from these shackles, I threw myself into the lab. Working day and night for results and research, I was finally recognized by everyone and recommended as the Chief Scientific Officer of the research institute. He saw all of this; the countless late nights I endured to earn my dignity and confidence bit by bit. And now, he just said it so lightly, crushing everything I fought so hard to protect. The person who once faced layers of investigations from the university, the disciplinary committee, and the petition office for me, yet remained uncompromising in defending me. The person who would rather give up an easily attainable fellowship title than agree to break up with me, no longer existed. All that was left was a sickening and sleazy shell. My computer screen popped up an email notification once again. It was an offer letter from the largest overseas research institute. They kept raising the salary and benefits just to poach me for their core lab. But all I wanted was to stay by Arthur’s side. When Vance Labs was first founded, it relied on the projects I had in hand. In five years, it went from a three-person workspace to being listed on the tech board. His most frequent phrase was: “Chloe, my eyes didn’t deceive me. You truly are the most outstanding, and the greatest contributor to Vance Labs.” Yet he secretly squeezed a female student into the lab, flirted under the guise of conducting experiments, and climbed up by stealing my projects. Those security camera malfunctions that happened at just the right times, and how my experimental concepts always seemed to lag one step behind. All the suspicions now had the most sordid answers. I dragged my sick body to the research institute, only wanting to copy back my original data. But I was stopped at the door of his office area. The secretary stammered: “C… Chief Chloe, this office area is managed by Mr. Vance’s graduate student, Ms. Mia Harper.” It was utterly ridiculous. I couldn’t even enter the office area of the research lab I built from scratch. Unable to bear it any longer, I sent a message to Arthur: [Maybe you should just get a new fiancée. That Ms. Harper by your side seems very suitable.] The message sank like a stone in the ocean, and the calls went unanswered. The gazes of the colleagues around the cubicles were full of probing and sympathy. The bitterness welling up in my heart was wrapped in a chill that seeped straight into my bones. Finally, I received a provocative message from Mia: [It seems Chief Chloe has a premonition that she’s about to become an abandoned wife? Professor Vance is taking a shower, and I have his phone. He has no time for you.] [Oh right, he said you’re nothing noble either, just a slut who seduced her professor while still in school.] [I’m not like you. The professor pursued me actively. He said he didn’t know what uncontrollable love meant until he met me.] A dull pain struck my chest. I coughed violently, and tears fell uncontrollably. Back then, the overwhelming rumors nearly broke me. It was Arthur who held me tightly, guarding and encouraging me day and night. Now, not only did he plunge the knife into my deepest wound, but he also gave the authority to an outsider who had usurped the nest. This was a thorough calculation and defense against me, and an extreme humiliation. I stumbled home to a cold, empty house, never to feel its former warmth again. It wasn’t until the middle of the night that his call finally came. “Chloe, why didn’t you contact me at all today? I’m feeling a bit disappointed.” His tone was sugar-coated, but it only sounded absurd to me. He didn’t even know Mia had texted me using his phone. My voice was exhausted: “I sent you messages and called you; you just didn’t see them.” He paused, then laughed awkwardly: “I must have been too busy today and missed them. But I do have some good news to share with you.” “The graduate student I’m mentoring this time has your style from back then. She spoke eloquently at the seminar, and she’s exactly the person who proposed the same experimental concept as you.” “I plan to make her the Chief Scientific Officer of Vance Labs, and you can be her deputy. This way, you two can complement each other, and she can leave your name as a co-author on the project. With my maneuvering, your promotion this time shouldn’t be a big problem.” “Chloe, are you listening? You really have to thank her this time. Her name is Mia Harper. It is the fortune of my life to have you two as my beloved students…” It’s his fortune, but my disaster. His shamelessness angered me. I gritted my teeth and asked: “Arthur, what if I don’t agree?” He gave an impatient “tch” on the other end of the line. “Stop being stubborn. Besides, the position of Chief Scientific Officer belongs to the capable. You can’t even squeeze out a single project right now, so why humiliate yourself?” I stood on the balcony, letting the cold wind blow over me, reflecting on my contributions to Vance Labs over the years. Every big and small item in the lab, from a small beaker to every instrument, was set up by my own hands. When I worked around the clock to rush projects, I was once so exhausted I was hospitalized for recovery. I poured my heart and soul into it, staying up countless days and nights to lift the lab to the top of the industry. Only to quietly become someone else’s stepping stone. I wiped the tears from my face. I took out my phone, opened that offer letter, and replied accepting the position. A few days later, Arthur finally returned to the country. The first thing he did was eagerly drag Mia to the lab bench for some thrills. Meanwhile, the power outlet of that chromatography machine was flashing a nearly imperceptible red light. I watched the monitor in my hand, found the right moment, and pushed the door open. Arthur’s face changed, and he immediately shoved Mia away. I handed him the documents as if nothing had happened: “The progress of the previous project needs your signature.” He felt guilty, and seeing it was a routine document, he signed it without even looking. Resignation letter, done. I turned to leave. Arthur hurriedly called out to me, walking slowly over with a concerned tone: “Look how thin you’ve gotten. Didn’t I tell you to take time off and rest well at home?” “I heard about you going to my office area. It’s Mia being immature; she forgot to give you access.” I smiled indifferently: “If she’s that immature and you still keep her around, it really must take a lot of your effort.” Just as I was about to leave, I was stopped by Mia again. “Chief Chloe, stop being so passive-aggressive. I was just worried about ungrateful backstabbers in the company…” “Shut up!” Arthur violently pulled her away, placed his hands on my shoulders, and said with utmost sincerity: “Chloe, don’t listen to her nonsense. You are my fiancée, the person I value most.” I curled my lips, only finding it laughable. Arthur continued: “At the 13th Scientific Academic Exchange Conference this time, I decided to personally announce Mia Harper as the Chief Scientific Officer of Vance.” “This is the only way to establish her authority in the institute, to make it easier to manage the team. But don’t worry, I’ll have you co-lead that key project with her.” I raised my eyes and cast a cold glance at him. “Fine, you arrange it then.” It was the first time Arthur had seen me look at him with such an expression. He panicked and tried to make amends: “That day is also our fifth anniversary. Once the exchange conference is over, we’ll go get our marriage certificate!” My footsteps halted. He thought I was overwhelmingly surprised and stepped forward to pull me tightly into his embrace. With a face full of deep affection: “Chloe, from now on, entrust your life to me. I will definitely love you even more.” The fresh scent on the man was still the cologne I had personally blended. But it couldn’t cover the cloying sweetness mixed in from another woman. I frowned and tried to push him away, but he hugged me tighter: “From now on, we’ll share three meals a day and grow old together.” This had once been my dearest wish. Now I’m only thankful that I finally saw his true colors. After returning to my own office, I turned on the monitor. In the lab, Mia buried herself in Arthur’s embrace again, but he dodged her. “Mia, from now on, you are not allowed to run your mouth at Chloe. She will be my wife. She absolutely cannot know about what’s between us. That is a principle.” Mia immediately shed tears of grievance: “Professor, she clearly gave me attitude the moment she walked into the office. She hates me. If she finds out that the Gene Vector Construction project was originally hers, she’ll definitely kick me out.” “When that happens, I’ll leave you and go far away.” Arthur hugged her back tenderly, his tone doting: “Don’t talk nonsense. If you leave, who will be the Chief Scientific Officer of my research institute?” Mia sniffled: “But what if she discovers we plagiarized her experimental project?” Arthur’s voice was certain: “Don’t worry, I made it watertight. I even packaged her original documents for you.” Mia rejoiced secretly: “I heard there are other teams constantly trying to poach her. We definitely can’t let her take any projects away when the time comes.” Arthur scoffed and nodded: “She is utterly devoted to me and won’t leave me. Besides, who in the industry doesn’t know she slept her way to her accomplishments? Now she even has to rely on my backroom deals for her promotion. Once those teams know, none of them will accept her.” After listening to their conspiracy, I gritted my teeth to calm myself down. So he knew clearly what kind of predicament I was facing. He knew that the academic witch hunt against me all those years ago had never stopped. My eyes stung, and the last shred of expectation I had for him vanished into thin air. Mia’s post also updated at this moment: [Soon I will become a rising academic star in the industry, and I have prepared a grand gift for my future mentor’s wife at the academic exchange conference. I’m really looking forward to that day.] I was looking forward to it too. I hoped she could still be this brazen on that day. The grand academic exchange conference took place as scheduled. I stood beside them like a prop, watching Arthur lead Mia around, just as he had led me back then, introducing her talent to various industry heavyweights and major investors. However, as more heavyweight figures arrived, the academic elites raising their glasses to me also increased. Mia walked over to my side and disdainfully bumped my shoulder: “You don’t have much time left in the spotlight. I’ve prepared the main event for you.” As soon as the words fell, a large group of reporters swarmed in. They instantly surrounded me, and sharp questions were thrown at my face: “Ms. Davis, there are reports that you threw your weight around as a senior to force the new scientific genius, Ms. Harper, to give up co-authorship on an experimental project. Is this true?” “Out of all your past experimental projects, how many of the paper authorships did you obtain through such methods?” The crowd continued to press in, and I stumbled back into a corner. With such baseless accusations, any defense would be twisted. I spoke firmly and righteously: “These are all rumors. I advise the media to speak carefully, otherwise, I will definitely pursue legal action to the fullest extent.” But the reporters had no intention of letting me go. They pulled out stacks of paper, and sharp questions rang out again: “We have the love letters you wrote to your professor when you were a graduate student. Did you use an improper relationship with your professor to grab research resources back then? Now you’re plagiarizing a newcomer’s work. Do you deserve to talk about the original intentions of a researcher?” I stared blankly at the yellowed papers, speechless. Every word and sentence on them was in my own handwriting. It was my first awakening of love, what I thought was a mutual pursuit. These love letters, on our first anniversary of marriage, he personally framed, hugging me and saying they were his most precious collection in this life. How did they end up in the hands of reporters now?

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394857”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

When we went to the impoverished mountain area to sponsor a child, my best friend, Chloe, couldn’t wait to choose the autistic boy. “This kid looks so pitiful. Mia, you have a weak constitution, you should sponsor that genius boy. You’ll enjoy a good life with him later!” Everyone praised my best friend’s loyalty, but only I knew she had been reborn. In our previous life, two children in the mountain area stood out. One was an exceptionally intelligent genius, and the other was a silent, autistic child. Chloe rushed to take the genius boy. But the boy turned out to be an ungrateful wretch. After getting into an Ivy League university, he completely ignored her. When he eventually became a billionaire doctor, he even played the victim, accusing her of molesting and abusing him. My best friend was cyberbullied, lost her job, went bankrupt from lawsuits, and her parents died of anger because of her. Meanwhile, the autistic child I sponsored later became a renowned designer, winning countless international awards. When Chloe had nothing left, seeing the respectful and loving way the boy treated me drove her mad with jealousy. She hit me with her car and killed me. Opening her eyes again, she definitely wouldn’t repeat her past mistakes. But looking at her smug face, I couldn’t help but laugh. Doesn’t she know that autism, when it reaches a certain level, can turn into psychopathy? 1 “Liam has had autism since he was little. It’s not just that he doesn’t speak; his emotions are highly unstable. He hits people over the slightest displeasure. The teachers at the orphanage have been beaten by him several times.” “He also suddenly screams and cries at night, staying awake all night. You really need to think this through.” As she spoke, the orphanage director pushed the straight-A student, Arthur, forward. “This child has been incredibly smart since he was little. Not only are his grades top-notch, but he also knows how to handle things and is very sensible!” Arthur, wearing a white shirt and jeans, smiled brightly at Chloe, looking exactly like the male lead in a campus romance novel. But Chloe backed away repeatedly as if she had seen a ghost. “No!!” “Arthur is so excellent, he should go to Mia. Taking care of Liam is too exhausting, I couldn’t bear to see her suffer.” I rolled my eyes hard inwardly at her hypocritical display. In our previous life, Chloe wasn’t like this at all. Back then, she couldn’t wait to pull Arthur to her side, terrified I would fight her for him. Arthur indeed lived up to expectations: he got into an Ivy League, earned his Ph.D., started a business after graduation, and became a billionaire doctor at a young age. During that time, Chloe showed off to me every chance she got. “Mia, what can the kid you’re raising do besides hit people and scream?” “I guess this is it for you in this life—serving an idiot, with no hope of ever getting ahead.” “Unlike me. Arthur is worth hundreds of millions now. I won’t have to do anything from now on, just lie back and enjoy life.” But no one expected that the glamorous Arthur was actually an ungrateful wretch. He accused Chloe on camera of molesting and abusing him since childhood, and later forcing him to marry her. Overnight, Chloe became a pariah. Netizens photoshopped her pictures into funeral portraits and splashed paint all over her front door. Her company couldn’t withstand the pressure and had to fire her. On her way home, she saw her own parents killed in a hit-and-run. Finally, Arthur sued her for a massive sum in compensation. She emptied her savings but still couldn’t fill the hole, eventually ending up on the streets, begging to survive. Meanwhile, the Liam I sponsored not only stepped out of the shadow of autism but also became a famous designer, eventually gifting all his assets to me. Chloe went mad with jealousy and drove her car straight into me, killing me. Reborn into this life, she naturally couldn’t wait to get rid of Arthur. I looked at Chloe in front of me and asked softly: “If you choose him, aren’t you afraid you’ll regret it?” Chloe immediately waved her hand dismissively, her face full of contempt. “What do you know! Liam looks quiet, but he’s definitely a genius in his bones. Don’t fight me for him!” “Only certain people look like decent human beings but are actually ungrateful, backstabbing wolves. I wouldn’t want that.” I sneered inwardly at her determined look. Fight her for him? I couldn’t wait for her to take him away quickly. No one knew that behind Liam’s glamorous facade was an endless nightmare I endured. After he recovered from his autism, he developed a severe, paranoid possessiveness. He would secretly delete all male contacts from my phone while I was asleep, calling it “afraid you’ll get scammed.” He installed bars on all the windows in the house under the guise of safety, keeping me trapped like a bird in a gilded cage. When I was sick, he stayed by my side constantly. But then he turned around and fired a male doctor who had just handed me a cup of water. He always said: “Only I can protect you.” Yet, when I tried to contact my family, he smashed my phone and roared with red eyes: “You have me, that’s enough! You don’t need anyone else!” The suffocating feeling wrapped in that “gentleness” made me despair even more than his fists did when he was a child. Even if Chloe hadn’t run me over with her car, I wouldn’t have lasted much longer in that kind of life. Since Chloe wanted a paranoid psychopath in this life, I’d let her have him. I absolutely didn’t want to suffer the pain of being imprisoned and abused again! 2 As soon as we got home, Arthur put down his luggage and started studying. But when I woke up from my nap, I found that dinner, with meat and vegetables, was already laid out on the dining table. Looking at the cautious and eager-to-please Arthur in front of me, I felt incredibly comfortable. In my previous life, when I first brought Liam through the door, he suddenly went crazy. He not only smashed everything in the house to pieces but also strangled me tightly. If I hadn’t prepared a sedative in advance, I wouldn’t have survived that day. Now, having an obedient, sensible, and good-looking Arthur, how could I not be happy? Seeing me staring at the food without moving, Arthur lowered his voice even more. “Is it not to your taste? Should I go make something else?” I quickly shook my head, picked up my chopsticks, took a bite, and nodded, saying: “It’s very good, no need to change it.” “If you need anything in the future, just ask me. I will help you with whatever I can satisfy.” Hearing this, Arthur’s eyes lit up. He hesitated for a few seconds before saying, “I want to participate in the National Physics Olympiad…” I instantly remembered that in my previous life, Arthur won the gold medal in this very competition, earning him an exceptional admission to a top Ivy League school. From then on, his reputation as a physics genius spread nationwide, and he only had coldness and disgust for Chloe. I hesitated for a moment, but then thought that sponsoring a child was a good deed to begin with. Cultivating a talent is a good thing; I never expected him to repay me with anything. I nodded immediately. “Of course you can. I’ll help you prepare, and I’ll handle whatever you need.” A bright smile immediately bloomed on Arthur’s face. He turned and headed back to the kitchen: “Then I’ll get you another bowl of soup, drink more to nourish your body.” Looking at his joyful back, I really couldn’t figure out how he turned into the ungrateful wretch he became later. Just after I finished eating, a video call from Chloe popped up on my phone. When connected, the screen showed Liam sitting at a desk, holding a paintbrush. On the paper was a crude drawing, messy lines showing absolutely no talent. Chloe leaned into the camera and said triumphantly: “Mia, look how good Liam is! He can even draw!” “What’s the use of a physics genius? He might just turn out to be an ungrateful wretch. You’ll regret it sooner or later.” “Liam is a true genius. I’ll stick with him from now on and enjoy endless good days.” I rolled my eyes at her incessant chatter. Even though she deliberately angled the camera away from the smashed-up house, the bright red slap mark on her face was still clearly visible. I truly couldn’t endure the “blessing” of being tortured by a psychopath. Besides, she probably didn’t know yet that Liam’s later talent in painting was all thanks to my father, a master of traditional painting, guiding and teaching him bit by bit. Without the guidance of a professional teacher in this life, given his condition, he probably wouldn’t even be able to speak complete sentences, let alone become a famous designer. I couldn’t be bothered to waste my breath on her, just gave a few perfunctory responses, and hung up the phone. 3 In the following days, I used my family’s resources to find many physics experts to tutor Arthur every week, and even managed to get him exclusive competition exercise books. Arthur studied exceptionally hard and became increasingly considerate of me in daily life. He would prepare meals in advance morning and night, remembering I don’t eat cilantro, and even rushed to do chores, never letting me worry too much. Watching him handle everything so thoughtfully, I became even more confused: how could someone so sensible suddenly turn into a backstabbing wretch in the previous life? Before I could sort out my thoughts, my phone suddenly rang. When I answered, Chloe’s heart-wrenching crying instantly came through. “Mia, come quickly to the police station! Save me!” When I rushed to the police station and asked around, I found out that Chloe had insisted on sending Liam to learn painting. The result? On his very first day, Liam went berserk, grabbed an inkstone, and broke two of the teacher’s fingers! The other party demanded a ten-thousand-dollar compensation. Chloe couldn’t come up with the money, which was why she frantically called me for help. I didn’t hesitate much, fronted the medical expenses for her, and told her to take Liam away first. Before she left, I couldn’t help but remind her: “His emotions are completely unstable right now. He’s not suited to interact with the outside world. You need to find a professional for intervention first.” Unexpectedly, Chloe flew into a rage out of humiliation, pointing at my nose and cursing: “Mind your own business! You just can’t stand that Liam is a genius!” “What do you have to be so smug about? That ungrateful wretch Arthur will turn on you sooner or later, and then you’ll taste what it’s like to have your family destroyed!” As soon as she finished speaking, Liam, who had been silent all along, suddenly stepped forward and hugged her waist, rubbing his fuzzy head against her neck. Chloe immediately beamed with joy. “See? Look how clingy he is with me now. His autism is much better.” I shivered, terrified by the fleeting look of resentment I caught in Liam’s eyes. This wasn’t an improvement; it was clearly the onset of twisted paranoia! I was afraid of getting burned, so I didn’t say another word, turned around, and headed home. From then on, every time I heard news of Chloe, it was either her being beaten into the hospital by Liam, or Liam smashing up another art class. I felt she was a total jinx and even avoided walking near her. 4 But I never expected that during Arthur’s first summer break after getting into an Ivy League, Chloe would actually show up at my house uninvited. As soon as she walked in, she raised her chin, her tone full of mockery. “Mia, what did I tell you?” “That ungrateful wretch Arthur stopped contacting you after he started college, didn’t he? He doesn’t even come home; he doesn’t care about you at all!” I froze for a moment, and thinking carefully, it really was as she said. After Arthur reported he had arrived safely at school, there had been no news from him. All the messages I sent were left on read with no reply. Seeing that I didn’t refute her, Chloe grew even more smug. “Liam is much better than him. He sticks to me every day and is completely obedient to me.” “You better watch out. When Arthur needs startup capital in the future, who knows how badly he’ll scam you!” “When the time comes, you’ll become a rat everyone wants to beat. Don’t regret choosing the wrong person when your family is destroyed.” After she finished, she smiled even more triumphantly. Although I never asked for anything in return when I sponsored Arthur, Chloe’s words were like a thorn, making me feel extremely uncomfortable. I took out my phone, wanting to call Arthur to ask about the situation, only to find out when I dialed that he had already blocked me. Clicking on his social media, it was full of photos from college activities. He was smiling brightly, living a very exciting life. And his latest post prominently read: [Getting ready to start a business with my best friend. Let’s go!] I suddenly remembered my previous life. When he first started his business and was short on cash, he smoothly borrowed money from Chloe. But once the money was in his hands, he immediately blocked her. For five years after that, he completely ignored Chloe. And the next time he came looking for her, it was when he had become one of the top, wealthiest doctors in the country. To expand his hospital’s reputation, he wildly proclaimed online that he had been abused and molested by his sponsor. Chloe tried to find him to clear her name, but was blocked in the hospital by reporters he had hired, thoroughly cementing the narrative that she was an abuser. Before I could recover from my shock, my phone suddenly vibrated. Arthur had sent a message. “Sister, I want to start a business, but I’m still a bit short on startup capital. Can you lend me some money?” Chloe leaned over, saw the message on the screen, and instantly burst into uncontrollable laughter. “I told you he was an ungrateful wretch! Asking for money as soon as he starts college; he’s a bottomless pit!” “Who knows what he’ll do to you for money in the future!” I stared at the screen, hesitating for a few seconds, but still replied: “How much do you need?” The smile on Chloe’s face froze instantly, and she stared at me as if I were an idiot. “Are you crazy? You actually believe the nonsense this little animal says?” “He just treats you like a sucker, a walking ATM!” I ignored Chloe’s words. Since I sponsored him, I should fulfill my responsibility. Without saying much, I directly transferred ten thousand dollars. Chloe was stomping her feet in anger beside me. Just as she was about to speak, her phone suddenly rang. When she answered, the art teacher’s voice was loud enough to hear even without speakerphone. “Come pick up Liam immediately! This kid can’t be a genius; he’s a piece of trash!” “He can’t even distinguish basic colors, and he’s always throwing tantrums! No one can teach him!” Chloe’s face instantly turned green. She hung up the phone, glared at me fiercely, grabbed her bag, slammed the door, and left. That same day, I saw on the news that Chloe caused a huge scene at the art institute for Liam, resulting in her being taken to the police station again. Only this time, she couldn’t find me to rescue her. It wasn’t until half a month later that the two were released, looking disheveled.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394856”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I worked four jobs a day to save up for my boyfriend’s tuition, while he always “worked his way through school” at the campus swimming pool until late at night. Until I saw him on someone else’s Instagram story, laughing in a Porsche: “Pretending to be poor and tricking her is so satisfying! She actually believes my family owes a million dollars, and transfers all her hard-earned money to me!” I rushed to the swimming pool to confront him, but suddenly, floating text appeared before my eyes like a livestream chat: [The male lead is holding your roommate, hooking up in the swimming pool’s sauna!] [His bro is keeping watch at the door, specifically to block you, the female supporting character!] Sure enough, his bro blocked my path: “There’s no one inside. Go look somewhere else!” The floating text continued to scroll wildly: [Good thing he stopped her, wouldn’t want to ruin the male lead’s good time!] I smiled and casually posted on the university’s anonymous confession board: “Emergency! My boyfriend works at the swimming pool and might be trapped in the sauna!” “The temperature is already 185 degrees Fahrenheit, and I can’t reach him! What should I do?!” 1. The swimming pool was right in front of me. Newly built, very grand, it even had a sauna that was free for students. Suddenly, a few lines of text drifted across my vision: [Holy shit! The male lead’s reaction time is insane! He grabbed the female lead and ducked into the sauna!] [The door is locked from the inside! Spicy! This temperature, this humidity, they really know how to play.] [The male lead pinned the female lead against the wall and kissed her, his hands are already inside her clothes… The female lead’s moans are so slutty.] I stared at the tightly shut wooden door at the end of the corridor. The digital display next to it showed a glaring red number: 176°F. The floating text continued: [Don’t worry, Jake is keeping watch. Once the vicious female supporting character leaves, they can come out.] I looked up and, sure enough, saw the vice president of the swimming club, Jake, walking toward me. He was Ethan’s best bro. The text scrolled rapidly: [Quick! Jake! Hurry up and stop her!] “Chloe? Swimming this late?” His smile was a bit stiff. “Is Ethan in there?” My voice was hoarse. He threw his hands up, but his body firmly blocked the path to the sauna area: “Ethan? Haven’t seen him. Maybe he finished his swim and left? You should check somewhere else.” It felt like my heart was being squeezed. I remembered the photo I saw just a little while ago on the Instagram of a guy I had recently added during a dorm sweep. Ethan was leaning against a black Porsche, the Rolex Submariner on his wrist gleaming coldly. The caption read: “Congrats to Mr. Ethan on the new ride.” Scrolling further down, there was another video. He was in a VIP lounge, laughing with his friends: “Pretending to be poor and tricking her is so fucking entertaining. You guys haven’t seen it, she works four jobs a day just to save money for me.” “Hauling luggage in the morning, sorting packages at lunch, running errands in the afternoon, and sweeping dorms at night.” “Her hands get blistered and bleed, she just wraps them in tissues and keeps going.” He laughed so hard he bent over: “The best part is, she actually believes my family is a million dollars in debt. Every month when her paycheck hits, she transfers half to me first, saying she’s helping me pay off the debt.” “I use her money to buy you guys drinks, and she even tells me to drink less because it’s bad for my health.” I watched that fifteen-second video ten times. My stomach churned. Then my phone vibrated. It was a message he had just sent: “Chloe, I just finished studying and left the library. I’m going to the pool to relax a bit. Go to bed early, don’t overwork yourself.” So I rushed over, wanting to demand why he lied to me. But now, the floating text told me he was holding another woman, hiding in a high-temperature sauna. I stared at Jake: “I thought I heard voices coming from the sauna. Do you hear that?” Jake’s face paled slightly, then he shook his head: “You’re imagining things. It’s the sound of the steam generator working.” I took out my phone and dialed Ethan’s number. I heard the busy signal through the receiver. The floating text provided a real-time commentary: [The male lead glanced at his phone, saw it was the female supporting character calling, and hung up immediately! He looks totally annoyed, then put his head back down to keep kissing the female lead…] I put my phone down and smiled at Jake: “Maybe I am just imagining things. I’ll get going then.” As I turned around, I opened the university’s anonymous confession board. Ethan, Mia. One stole my money, the other stole my trust. You guys like excitement, right? Alright, let me make things a little more exciting for you. 2. My fingers flew across the screen. Post title: “URGENT! Is there a problem with the pool’s sauna? The temperature is terrifyingly high!” “I was just walking past the new pool and noticed the sauna temperature display is hitting 185°F! And there are weird noises coming from inside, like something banging against the door? My boyfriend said he was coming to swim tonight, and now I can’t reach him. I’m really worried he might be trapped inside!! PLEASE SHARE!!!” I attached a photo of the temperature display: 180°F. The floating text: [The female supporting character made a post! Did she figure something out?!] [This is going to blow up! The male lead’s phone buzzed again, it’s a warning message from Jake!] [The temperature is 185°F! The female lead, Mia, is starting to cough, saying she can’t breathe. The male lead is still comforting her, ‘It’s okay, just hold on a little longer, we can go out once she leaves’.] My fingers trembled violently, almost dropping the phone. The person hooking up with my boyfriend was my roommate, Mia! I remembered how she would always link her arm affectionately through mine and say: “Chloe, Ethan treats you so well, you’re so lucky!” Even last night, she told me: “Chloe, working so many jobs is too hard on you. Forget about Ethan, I’m heartbroken for you!” My heart felt like it was gripped by an icy hand, hurting even more than when I saw Ethan’s video. The feeling of double betrayal made me nauseous. Jake’s phone vibrated as expected. He pulled it out, glanced at it, his face instantly turning white. His fingers flew as he typed a reply. “Chloe, you should go back. There’s really nothing going on here. The administrator will be here to check soon, you’re just in the way.” His tone grew urgent, trying to push me toward the exit. I stood my ground, my voice not loud but firm: “I’m not leaving. My boyfriend might be inside. I won’t leave until I see him come out safely.” “You!” Jake was getting desperate. Just then, footsteps approached from the pool entrance. Two guys in basketball jerseys poked their heads in. “Hey, are you the one who posted about the sauna having a problem?” One of the guys asked, holding his phone with the screen glowing, showing the confession board page. Like grasping at straws, I pointed at the temperature display: “Yes! Look, it’s 182°F! And I heard banging sounds from inside!” The two guys exchanged a look and moved closer. The floating text provided a live broadcast from inside the sauna: [Temperature is 182°F! The male lead pinned the female lead on the bench… they’re making a lot of noise.] [The wooden walls are thumping… no wonder it can be heard outside.] [Mia is moaning, can’t tell if it’s from pain or pleasure…] Sweating, Jake blocked the two guys: “Don’t listen to her nonsense! It’s a machine malfunction, the temperature display is wrong! I’ve already called maintenance!” “We still have to see if anyone is inside!” the guy in the jersey frowned. Jake yelled, “I said there’s no one! The sauna is closed at night, the doors are locked!” I seized the keyword: “Locked? Then why did my boyfriend say he was at the pool, but now I can’t reach him? Why are there banging sounds from inside?” Jake choked on his words. The other guy had already walked up to the sauna door and pressed his ear against it: “It seems… there really is a sound? Very muffled, a thud… thud…” A crowd began to form, students who had seen the post and come over. A girl asked me quietly, “Hey, does your boyfriend… treat you really well? You seem so worried about him.” I lowered my head, tears instantly welling up: “His family’s financial situation is really bad, it’s very hard for him. I just want to work a few extra jobs to help lighten his load…” I held up my hands, covered in band-aids and old and new scars. “It’s nothing, really. It’s just that sometimes when I’m too tired, it breaks his heart and he tells me to stop working… even though he’s exhausted himself…” “Oh my god, what happened to your hands…” the girl gasped. “I’ve seen her! She sorts packages at the mailroom, crouching there all afternoon!” a bystander chimed in. “I’ve seen her too! She always eats the cheapest food at the dining hall!” Sympathetic gazes fell on me. Jake, isolated and unsupported, could only stand firmly in front of the sauna door, repeating: “Maintenance will be here soon! Everyone disperse! Don’t crowd around!” The temperature display jumped to 185°F. 3. The crowd kept growing. Over a dozen students gathered outside the sauna corridor, whispering amongst themselves. Some were recording videos, others were calling their friends to come watch the “drama.” The frequency of the floating text surged: [Temperature is 185°F! The female lead is screaming that she can’t take it anymore!] [The male lead is still moving… incredible stamina.] [But they’re both sweating profusely, like they’ve been pulled out of a pool.] “Jake! Move! Let someone check inside!” A tall athlete couldn’t stand it anymore and stepped forward to push Jake aside. Jake stood there like a pillar, his face flushed red: “No! Nobody goes in without the administrator’s permission! That’s the rule! Who takes responsibility if something goes wrong?!” “Then call the administrator!” “I did! They’re on their way!” “By the time they get here, whoever is inside will be steamed alive!” The athlete pointed at the display: 187°F. Jake grew hysterical: “I said there’s no one inside! It’s a machine malfunction!” “If there’s no one, what are you afraid of? What’s wrong with letting us take a look?” During the scuffle, the pool manager and a maintenance worker in uniform finally arrived in a hurry. The manager, a middle-aged man, frowned deeply at the sight of the crowd. “What’s going on? What’s everyone doing here?” Jake looked like he’d found his savior: “Mr. Wang! You’re finally here! This student insists there’s someone in the sauna, says the machine is broken and the temperature is high. I tried to stop them from going in…” Mr. Wang looked at me, then at the display showing 187°F, his face turning serious: “Miss, how can you be sure someone is inside?” I wiped away tears and showed him my chat history, my voice thick with crying and anxiety: “Manager, my boyfriend told me over an hour ago that he was swimming here. Then I couldn’t reach him.” “I really heard banging and faint cries for help from inside just now!” “The temperature is so high, what if… what if he really is in there? Please, open the door and check!” The surrounding students chimed in: “Manager, just open the door and take a look, it won’t hurt!” “Yeah, what if there really is someone? This temperature can kill!” “This girl is so good to her boyfriend, working so many jobs, she wouldn’t make a scene for no reason!” Mr. Wang hesitated, looking at the maintenance worker: “Lee, look at this temperature…” Lee, the maintenance worker, leaned in close to the door to listen, touched the door panel, and his face changed: “Manager, the door is scorching hot! And… there really seems to be movement inside! Like… a body hitting the wall?” The floating text: [Temperature 190°F! The female lead passed out!] [The male lead finally stopped, he’s barely hanging on himself.] [He’s looking for his phone to call for help!] Mr. Wang finally gave the order: “Open the door! Lee, hurry!” Jake still tried to stop them: “Manager! The keys are in the administrator’s office! It’s too late to get them now!” “Then pry it open!” the athlete shouted. Jake spread his arms wide: “You can’t pry it! This is university property! You’ll have to pay for the damage! Wait for the keys!” “Is money more important than human life?!” questions erupted from the crowd. “I said there’s no one inside! What human life?!” Jake’s eyes were bloodshot. I cried even harder, my body trembling slightly: “Manager, if something happens to my boyfriend… I won’t live either! I worked all those jobs just so we could have a future together! If he’s gone, what am I supposed to do…” These words, coupled with my miserable appearance and scarred hands, completely ignited the crowd’s emotions. “OPEN THE DOOR!!!” “If you don’t open it, we’re calling the cops!” “Take pictures! Record video! Post it online! The university is leaving them to die!” Sweat beaded on Mr. Wang’s forehead as he roared at the maintenance worker: “Lee! Get your tools! Pry it! I’ll take responsibility if anything happens!” Lee hurriedly ran to grab a crowbar. Jake’s face was ashen, retreating to the side, muttering: “It’s over… Ethan is finished…” Right at that moment, the university president hurried in, looking stern: “What’s going on? Who’s trapped in the sauna?” 4. The arrival of the president quieted the scene for a moment. Mr. Wang quickly went to greet him: “President, here’s what happened. This student suspects her boyfriend is trapped in the sauna, we’re currently handling it…” The president glanced at the temperature display: 190°F. His brow instantly furrowed. “This is nonsense! With the temperature this high, what are you waiting for?!” He looked at me, his gaze sharp: “Miss, are you certain your boyfriend is in there?” My tears fell even faster, my voice shaking violently: “I’m not sure, but he said he was swimming here over an hour ago, and now I can’t reach him by call or text. I heard sounds coming from inside, and I’m so scared! His name is Ethan, a junior in the law school.” “Ethan?” The president seemed to recognize the name. The floating text rolled frantically: [Temperature is 194°F! The male lead is banging on the door! His hands are red from the heat!] [He turned his phone on! But it shut down immediately due to the heat!] [The female lead is completely unresponsive…] [The male lead is starting to bash his head against the door! He’s gone crazy!] I raised my scarred hands, crying so hard I could barely breathe: “President! I worked all those jobs just so I could help him a little… Nothing can happen to him…” Several girls nearby had started wiping away tears as well. “Director, open the door!” “Yeah, this is terrifying!” The president’s face was grave as he issued the order immediately: “Mr. Wang, open the door right now! Whether there’s someone inside or not, we must confirm it immediately!” “Yes! Lee, the crowbar!” Mr. Wang yelled. Lee finally ran back with the crowbar. The crowd automatically parted to make a path. Jake was pinned against the wall by two guys, his face ashen, still muttering: “Don’t open it… you can’t open it…” “Pry it open!” the president said decisively. Lee forcefully wedged the tip of the crowbar into the door seam. The wooden door was already somewhat warped from the intense heat. Just as he was about to apply force, a guy in a baseball cap at the back of the crowd suddenly muttered in confusion: “Ethan? Wait… that name sounds familiar…” He frowned, seemingly trying hard to recall something. Lee pushed down for the third time. Creak! The door lock groaned under the immense pressure. At the exact same moment, the guy in the baseball cap suddenly slapped his forehead: “I remember now!” He looked at me, his expression bizarre: “Miss, the Ethan you mentioned… is that the rich kid Ethan?” Just then, Lee gritted his teeth and forcefully pried the door completely open.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394855”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel