1 When my boyfriend, whose year-end bonus was a measly $4,000, found out I had bought a $12,000 mink coat for the holidays, he went completely ballistic. “Chloe, are you insane?” “Is this coat plated in gold or encrusted with diamonds? It costs three times my bonus!” He grabbed me and aggressively tried to drag me toward the door. “While the tags are still on, hurry up and come with me to the mall to return it. We can use the refund money to buy holiday gifts for my family.” “My mom’s back is acting up; I want to buy her a massage chair. You aren’t even married into the family yet. If you don’t bleed a little now to show your sincerity, how can you expect my mom to dote on you later?” “And my sister, she might be talking marriage after she graduates next year. As her sister-in-law, shouldn’t you pitch in for her dowry?” Listening to his self-righteous calculations, I impatiently shook off his hand and seriously scanned the already emptied-out rental apartment. After winning the $10 million grand prize, I threw away all my old stuff. It seems the only thing left to toss was this incredibly low-class boyfriend. … Seeing me stand still, Arthur got anxious. “Don’t think you can stall by staying silent. What I say goes.” As he spoke, he reached out, trying to yank the mink coat right off my back. I took a large step backward and smacked his hand away hard. “Why should I return it?” “Do I need to submit an application to you to spend my own money on a holiday outfit?” “What kind of attitude is that!” Arthur clutched his stinging hand, spit flying from his mouth. “We are going to get married. There is no ‘your money’ or ‘my money’, it’s our money!” “Since it’s our money, and you’re spending it wrong, why shouldn’t I say something?” “Tell me, what kind of woman is as extravagant as you, spending twelve thousand on a single piece of clothing?!” The more he spoke, the angrier he got, his finger nearly poking my nose. “Do you have any idea what that twelve thousand could do?” “My mom is complaining about back pain; five thousand could buy a very nice massage chair. Another five thousand could buy a gold necklace for my sister, and the remaining two thousand could be used for holiday groceries!” “And you actually used it to buy clothes. You are truly a spendthrift!” Hearing the word “spendthrift,” I couldn’t hold back anymore and slapped him across the face. Over the past three years, he and his family had thrown that word around countless times. I wasn’t allowed to eat premium jumbo cherries. If I did, I was a “gluttonous spendthrift” in his mother’s mouth. Yet she’d turn around and demand I buy her imported Musang King durians costing hundreds of dollars each, under the guise of “nourishing her body.” I wasn’t allowed to drink a $9.90 coffee from Luckin. If I did, I was a “vain spendthrift” in his sister’s mouth. Yet she would use the Starbucks gift card I gave her to post pictures of her “elegant afternoon tea” on social media every day. I wasn’t allowed to take a cab when it rained; I had to squeeze onto the bus or subway. He said a good relationship means sharing hardships, otherwise, I was an ignorant spendthrift! Yet he’d turn around and demand I withdraw my housing provident fund to pay the down payment on his car. Not to mention Disney, a place I had always wanted to go. Every year on my birthday, when I brought it up, Arthur would criticize me for being too old to play with children’s things, not knowing how to live practically, and being a spendthrift! In this first love of mine, I always believed that giving was the only way to show true feelings, constantly wronging myself. I thought my sacrifices would be seen, that sincerity would be met with sincerity. But what was the result? His family’s life kept getting better and better. Meanwhile, I, who had been consistently promoted and gotten raises over the past three years, earning $20,000 a month—a high earner among my peers—was wearing cheap clearance clothes from discount sites and eating at street stalls. Last month, my dad got sick and desperately needed money. I suddenly discovered that my savings were a mere $5,000! When I asked Arthur for money, he claimed he had put it in a fixed-term deposit and absolutely refused to give me any. In the end, I had to borrow from my best friend. Holding the $30,000 I borrowed, I cried like an idiot in the hospital corridor. After three years of dating, what did I get! I got absolutely nothing. And he still had the nerve to call me a spendthrift! It was utterly ridiculous! Arthur was stunned by the slap. It took him a good while to recover. When he did, he saw that I had already taken a pair of scissors and snipped the tag off the mink coat. As the tag hit the floor. Arthur, ignoring the handprint on his face, shrieked with a contorted expression. “Chloe, are you fucking crazy? Who told you to cut the tag? You can’t return it now!” “How am I supposed to buy gifts for my mom and sister now!” I ignored his ugly demeanor, my tone calm. “If I can’t return it, I can’t return it!” “Besides, I never intended to!” 2 He was completely bewildered by my attitude, slightly dumbfounded. For three years of dating, he had always held the upper hand in our relationship. Ever since he saved me from some thugs, the suspension bridge effect made me think I was desperately in love with him. Before, to save two dollars on bus fare, I would walk three stops with him under the scorching sun. To protect his fragile ego, I scrambled to pay the bill at gatherings with friends, only to eat instant noodles for a week afterward. Even when I first started working and barely had any money myself, if he wanted an iPhone, I would get it for him, even if it meant a 24-month payment plan. It seemed that whenever he frowned, I would reflect on what I had done wrong. He probably thought I was still that soft touch who would obediently fork over money as long as he coaxed me a little or threw a tantrum. But I wasn’t anymore. I didn’t love him anymore. I didn’t even bother looking at him. Instead, I admired myself in the mirror wearing the mink coat, humming a tune. Looking completely disinterested in engaging with him. Arthur couldn’t stand it! He slammed his hand hard on the coffee table. “Chloe, I am very unhappy right now. I don’t like this version of you!” “You used to be sensible, you used to know how to live practically. How did you become so vain and materialistic?” “Acting like this will only make me hate you!” Seeing I didn’t respond, he took a deep breath, pointed at the mink coat I was wearing, and spoke as if he were bestowing a favor. “Since you cut the tag and can’t return it, we’ll let this slide. I won’t hold it against you. But you have to make up for this loss.” “You definitely still have a lot of your year-end bonus left, right?” “Hurry up and transfer twenty thousand to me; I need to go buy the massage chair first. I’ve already talked a big game to my mom. If I don’t produce the goods for the New Year, we’ll both lose face!” “Lose both our faces?” I covered my mouth and burst out laughing. “We aren’t even married; we’re just boyfriend and girlfriend. Your mom is your mom, not mine. Why should I honor her? Besides, have I bought few things for your mom and sister over the past three years?” “Have you ever bought anything for my parents, even once?” Arthur guiltily avoided my gaze. I still refused to let him off, sneering: “Furthermore, you didn’t work hard yourself and only got a $4,000 bonus. You can’t even afford a $5,000 massage chair. What the hell does that have to do with me!” Arthur’s ego was bruised, his face turning the color of pig liver. “Chloe, what do you mean? Are you saying I’m poor, a loser, and not good enough for you?” He thought I would deny it, but unexpectedly, I nodded. “Yes, a man who needs his girlfriend to pay for gifts for his own family is really nothing special.” “These past three years, you truly haven’t been good enough for me.” Arthur went crazy, gasping for air. “Apologize, Chloe, apologize immediately!” “Otherwise, I’ll break up with you right now!” “Break up?” Hearing me murmur these two words, Arthur straightened his back. He thought I couldn’t bear to let him go, waiting for me to compromise like before. After all, he had used this excuse flawlessly over the years. When I refused to buy his sister an iPad, he threatened to break up, and I compromised. When I refused to transfer an $8,888 birthday red envelope to his mom, he threatened to break up, and I apologized and agreed. But this time, I didn’t want to compromise. With $8 million hitting my bank account after winning the prize, my wallet was full, and I felt confident and smart. I thought, being so young and so rich, What kind of man couldn’t I find? I carefully examined Arthur. For the first time, I judged him without the filter of being his girlfriend. 28 years old, no house, and the car was bought with my money. Currently working as a low-level sales rep at a real estate company. Because of all the business dinners, his belly was bigger than a 5-month pregnant woman’s. And because he didn’t maintain a healthy lifestyle, his face was severely bloated. He wasn’t tall, about 5’8″. So average, so greasy. Tsk tsk. How did I ever fall for him? I can’t even remember! Thinking of the photos of college boys my best friend sent me—all 6’1″, sweet-talking, with abs. I despised Arthur even more. He was just like the trash I had cleared out of the apartment before. Needed to be thrown out immediately. 3 Seeing me staring at him, Arthur felt confident and stood even straighter. Little did he know, this made his belly stick out even more, looking hideous. I really couldn’t bear to look anymore, feeling it was an eyesore, and slightly averted my gaze. Arthur thought I was softening, that I was compromising. Just as he was about to reveal a victorious smile, he heard me say. “Okay, let’s break up.” Afraid he would regret it, I had already walked to the door and pulled it open. “Since we’re breaking up, hurry up and leave.” Arthur was dumbfounded. Thinking he was hallucinating, he asked uncertainly again. “You really want to break up with me?” I repeated it very firmly. “Yes, break up.” He became exasperated, “Fine, fine, fine, break up then!” “But Chloe, don’t regret this. Don’t come begging me to take you back like before!” He made a show of leaving, but actually slowed his pace, waiting for me to ask him to stay. When my plea didn’t come, he stopped and started insulting me. “You’re a thirty-year-old woman. Do you think any other man will want you if you leave me?” “Stop dreaming, Chloe. A woman’s prime is shorter than a man’s. You’re worthless at your age!” “As for me, a man at thirty is in his golden years. Without you, a whole bunch of women will be throwing themselves at me.” He coughed lightly, as if giving me a final ultimatum. “I’ll give you one last chance. Either give me twenty thousand and we’ll forget this ever happened, or don’t ever expect to see me again.” Looking at his punchable face, any thought of an amicable breakup vanished. Since we’re breaking up, he needs to spit out all the money I spent on him over the past three years. I wasn’t going to let him off easy! “You’re right!” Hearing this, Arthur thought I was going to get the money and reached out his hand with a smirk. “A woman’s youth is indeed valuable!” “So, as a grown man, you can’t take advantage of me. You have to pay back everything I spent on you!” To his shock, I threw a stack of printed A4 billing statements into his hands. “These are all the expenses I covered for you and your family over the past three years. It totals $405,000. I’ll wave the five thousand; just pay me back $400,000.” “And don’t even think about not paying. I will hire a lawyer, and you won’t escape a single cent.” Before he could react, I yanked him out the door. Before closing it, I deliberately reminded him. “I’m only giving you one week for this money. Otherwise, don’t blame me for getting nasty.” The door slammed shut. Outside, Arthur snapped out of his daze and exploded, pounding on the door. “Chloe, what the fuck do you mean! What right do you have to ask me for money!” “Doesn’t it cost money to hire a gigolo? You took up three years of my life. Isn’t my youth worth anything? Haven’t you heard that men are boys until they die?” “Let me tell you, don’t even dream about me paying this back!” The neighbors, unable to stand the noise, opened their doors and cursed at him. Arthur, tough on the outside but weak on the inside, slinked away. Looking through the peephole and confirming he had really left, I quickly called a moving company. Last week, after cashing in the $10 million prize, I immediately spent a $2 million down payment on a fully furnished luxury penthouse in a high-end complex in the city. Over the past few days, I had bought all the basic soft furnishings, so it was ready for immediate move-in. Now, there were only a few things left in my rental apartment. I would move them all over today. In a few days, I would be able to celebrate the New Year with my parents in a 2,500-square-foot penthouse. 4 Three days later, lying on the $30,000 genuine leather sofa in my new home, my mom was feeding me giant strawberries that cost $40 a pound. I was incredibly comfortable when a call from the contact saved as “Arthur’s Mom” came in. My mom asked if I was going to answer it. I decisively rejected it, my tone filled with disgust. “Mom, your daughter has over five million in cash in her pocket now. I’m a millionaire. Arthur is nowhere near good enough for me.” “Since we started dating, his mother has always treated me with contempt. Why should I offer my face for her to slap?” My mom flicked my nose. “You, oh you. You’ve finally woken up.” “Your dad and I told you Arthur was no good, but you insisted he saved you, that his character was good, and that we were prejudiced.” My dad chimed in, mimicking my righteous tone from back then. “Mom, Dad, I just love Arthur.” “Even though he has no money now, I believe he’ll give me a home for my sake!” Hearing these words, I got goosebumps all over. I really must have had water on the brain! “Dad, stop it.” I transferred $10,000 to my dad. “This is hush money. Didn’t you have your eye on a fishing rod recently? Hurry up, buy it, and go fishing.” My dad swiftly collected the money, laughing heartily. Meanwhile, after discovering her number was blocked, Arthur’s mother panicked and called Arthur. “Son, that wretched girl Chloe, she hasn’t really broken up with you, has she? She’s not even answering my calls!” “Girls these days aren’t easy to fool. It’s rare to find one like Chloe who is obedient, frugal, and willing to spend money on our family. Don’t let her run away.” Arthur’s sister, Mia, quickly leaned in to speak. “Yeah, bro. Last month you promised me you’d make Chloe buy me gold jewelry. The New Year is almost here, and many of my roommates have been showing off their gold jewelry. You can’t let me lose face.” Arthur’s expression was grim, but his tone remained confident. “No rush. Give her the cold shoulder for a few days, let her sweat a bit, and set some rules for her while we’re at it.” “When she regrets it, it won’t just be twenty thousand; it’ll be forty thousand!” Arthur’s mother and Mia started fantasizing. “Right, she has to pay us forty thousand.” “When we get the money, bro, I want a ten-thousand-dollar bracelet.” Arthur’s mother chimed in. “Son, Mom wants a massage chair and a gold necklace.” Arthur agreed to everything. After hanging up, he took the initiative to message me for the first time since our fight. [Chloe, my patience has a limit!] He expected an apology, but only saw a red exclamation mark. I had deleted him! He tried calling me, but I had blocked his number! He started to panic. Could I really want to break up? I knew nothing about this. I was picking out clothes for our family to wear tomorrow. We were picking up the $800,000 Porsche tomorrow, so we definitely had to dress well. Early the next morning, we headed straight to the Porsche dealership. My cousin, the store manager, was waiting at the door early to receive us. Arthur, on the other hand, went back to my rented apartment. When he learned from a neighbor that I had moved out, he was dumbfounded. “Bro, do you know where she moved to?” The neighbor shook his head and added. “Didn’t you two break up? Since you’ve broken up, let it end peacefully. Don’t pester her, it’s undignified.” Arthur was stubborn. “I’m not trying to pester her. I can easily live without her.” The neighbor sneered and closed the door. Just as Arthur was feeling utterly lost, Mia sent him a photo. It was a picture of me hugging my cousin intimately in front of the Porsche. “Bro, I know why Chloe wanted to break up with you!” “She hooked up with a sugar daddy, and he even bought her a Porsche!” “Bro, she must have been messing around with this guy and cheating on you for a long time!” Arthur was furious, yelling uncontrollably. “Fuck, actually cheating on me. I won’t let her get away with this!” He zoomed in and out on the photo a few times, then angrily hailed a taxi. “Driver, to the Southridge Porsche dealership!” After taking photos, the salesperson drove the car outside the store. My cousin, grateful for my parents’ past care, politely insisted on walking our family of three out, saying he wanted to see us off. I enthusiastically waved goodbye to my cousin, and he patted my head. After saying goodbye, just as I was opening the car door to get in, a familiar furious voice exploded from a distance. “Chloe, you shameless bitch! We just broke up, and you’ve already hooked up with a sugar daddy, haven’t you!” Arthur, looking like an angry groundhog, pointed at us and yelled furiously. His voice was so loud it instantly drew the attention of everyone around. In a flash, all eyes were on our family. My cousin, who had served in the military when he was younger and doted on me the most, Immediately stepped in front of me, staring coldly at Arthur. “Watch your mouth!” Arthur was intimidated by his aura and shuddered. But noticing the stares from others and not wanting to lose face, he roared stubbornly. “What’s wrong with my mouth!” He pointed at me. “She just broke up with me yesterday, still living in a rental apartment. Today she’s picking up a Porsche. Doesn’t that prove something?” “Prove what?” My cousin demanded. Arthur felt he was being provoked and became furious. “What else could it mean!” “You adulterous couple. You were messing around behind my back, putting a green hat on me. You are the scum of the modern era!” As he spoke, he caught a glimpse of the gleaming Porsche, and the jealousy and anger in his eyes deepened. To vent his feelings of inadequacy, he turned his crosshairs on me. “Chloe, you really make me sick. Selling yourself for a car!” “Three years of our relationship, and it can’t compare to a car, can’t compare to the money this adulterer gives you. You truly disappoint me.” He pulled a $66 blind box toy from his pocket. “To think I was going to try and get you back today. I specifically went to your favorite blind box store to buy the one you wanted most. I didn’t expect this is how you’d repay me!” Perhaps his acting was too good, because the people around were already pointing and whispering about me. Some people who couldn’t stand it actually spoke up for Arthur. “Young lady, you shouldn’t be so mercenary. He was with you for three years; doing this is too uncool.” “Yeah, money can be earned again, but true feelings are rare. Be careful you don’t regret it when you’re older.” “Exactly. A man’s money isn’t that easy to get. If he’s just playing with you, he can just take the car back!” There was also an influencer at the scene who had just picked up her car. Sensing this would get views, she immediately started live-streaming us. My mom couldn’t bear it anymore and wanted to retort, but I beat her to it. I crossed my arms and looked at Arthur. “Do you have evidence that I cheated?” I looked around at the crowd again. “Is the cost of spreading rumors this low now? Just by yelling that I’m cheating and playing the part of a deeply devoted lover, he can nail me to the pillar of shame?” As they met my gaze one by one, they suddenly realized that from start to finish, it was all just Arthur talking; there was absolutely no evidence! “Yeah, young man, you can’t just make things up without evidence.” “Right, didn’t you say she cheated? Hurry up and show us the evidence. Otherwise, this is spreading rumors, and you’ll be legally responsible!” Arthur seemed to have anticipated my question. He confidently held up his phone. The photo was exactly the one of me hugging my cousin. “Chloe, you’re hugging him right here in the store. What else is there to deny?” Seeing the photo, the crowd’s expressions changed again. But I burst out laughing. I even opened my arms in front of everyone and deliberately said to my cousin. “Cousin, I didn’t get enough of a hug just now. Let’s hug again.” My cousin instantly understood my intention. After hugging me, he specially ruffled my hair, saying dotingly: “Alright, whatever you want.” Arthur jumped up and down in anger. “Look at this! This adulterous couple isn’t hiding it anymore. They’re actually being affectionate right in front of me. So shameless.” The people around also cursed us, including those on the influencer’s live-stream chat. [Despicable. Scumbag and bitch. So shameless.] [Exactly. Feeling sorry for the guy for three seconds. Why can’t good men be matched with good women?] [I can tell from a glance that this woman has a bad face. Looks like a slut.] I wasn’t angry at all. Instead, I blinked and asked the crowd. “Can cousins hug?” The crowd was confused. But someone still answered. “Of course.” I spread my hands innocently. “Well, there you go.” “He’s my cousin. Why can’t we hug?” “And,” I held up my phone, swiping through photos. “My cousin hugged everyone in our family, not just me.” “But you.” I glared coldly at Arthur. “You only showed the photo of me and my cousin. What’s your intention!” Arthur was momentarily stunned but didn’t believe it. “Just because you say he’s a cousin doesn’t make it true. What if he’s a ‘sugar daddy’ brother? Don’t try to brush me off with this.” Our two families took a big family portrait every year we had time. I directly pulled out the photos from over the years. Seeing us together in a photo at 5 or 6 years old. Now the onlookers believed it. “You know, their facial features do look quite similar.” “Indeed, the more you look, the more they look alike.” The bystanders started looking at Arthur with disapproval. “Young man, you’re in the wrong here.” “Yeah, how can you spread rumors wildly without figuring out their relationship first.” “Exactly, you have to apologize for this.” “Right, hurry up and apologize.” As more and more people condemned him, Arthur’s face turned red, and he said stiffly: “Sorry, Chloe, I misunderstood you.” He quickly took out the blind box again. “Please accept my apology gift and let’s get back together.” “I really don’t want to separate from you; I love you very much.” His confession made our whole family physically sick. My dad, who had been holding back for a long time, was the first to step forward. “Don’t mention love. Our Chloe can’t bear your love.” My mom took over. “Dating you for three years, our Chloe lost a layer of skin, her money drained by your family. You latched onto her like leeches. Don’t even think about pulling the same trick again.” Arthur didn’t expect the boomerang to hit him, and the crowd actually started attacking him. Looking at the scrutinizing gazes around him, terrified that I would spill everything, he quickly said he wanted to talk to me alone. Onlookers generally encourage reconciliation, so they suggested we settle our issues ourselves. Arthur thought I would agree quickly to save his face. But I shook my head. “We have no feelings to discuss privately.” “Instead of wasting time cornering me, you’d be better off gathering the money you owe me…” “Chloe, enough!” Terrified I would reveal the $400,000 issue, Arthur raised his voice to stop me, the threat in his eyes becoming increasingly obvious. This scene was captured by the influencer. The netizens were frightened. [Wow, this guy’s eyes are terrifying. It looks like he wants to kill someone.] [Exactly, just like an abusive man. Living with someone like that must be terrifying.] [Am I the only one curious about what can’t be said?] I ignored his threat, enunciating every word: “Don’t interrupt me!” “Did you think that would shut me up?” I looked at the crowd, pointing at Arthur. “Dating for three years, this man gaslit me, making me spend $400,000 on him and his family.” Seeing I was about to blurt it out again, Arthur panicked. He clenched his fist and aimed it at my face. My cousin caught his fist and encouraged me to keep talking. I nodded, raising my voice again and pointing at Arthur. “The man in front of you is poor and stingy. In three years of dating, he played the victim and made me spend $400,000 on him.” “Meanwhile, he spent less than $10,000 on me in three years. I spent my own money, and he still gaslit me!” With that, I played the recording of Arthur demanding I return the mink coat and use the money to buy things for his family. “What kind of woman is as extravagant as you, spending twelve thousand on a single piece of clothing?!” “Do you have any idea what that twelve thousand could do?” “My mom is complaining about back pain; five thousand could buy a very nice massage chair. Another five thousand could buy a gold necklace for my sister, and the remaining two thousand could be used for holiday groceries!” “And you actually used it to buy clothes. You are truly a spendthrift!” As the recording ended, the crowd’s gaze on Arthur shifted from neutral to contemptuous and disdainful. “Disgusting. A grown man not working hard to earn his own money, but staring at the money in a woman’s hands!” “I have to say, this girl is too kind. Faced with such trash, she didn’t even beat him up, just broke up with him directly.” “Exactly, letting him live off her for three years, he got off way too easy.” Someone demanded Arthur return the $400,000 he spent right now. “Right, hurry up and return it, or we’ll report you to your company!” “Exactly, pay up, or we’ll make you trend online!” Seeing the angry crowd about to lose control, Arthur was scared. After scanning the Porsche, he suddenly got an idea and abruptly raised his voice, pointing at me. “Chloe, you say I lived off you, but how much better are you?” “Since this man is just your cousin, the person who bought you the Porsche must be someone else.” “Are you still trying to hide it?” He spoke with absolute certainty, looking as if he had personally seen me being kept by a sugar daddy. He clearly forgot the punishment for speaking carelessly just a moment ago. Hearing his same old rhetoric, many people in the crowd couldn’t sit still. I don’t know who picked up a small pebble and threw it at him first, but more and more people joined in. “This guy has a filthy mouth, hit him!” “Yeah, if we don’t teach him a lesson, he won’t know how to speak in the future.” Arthur yelled in pain, covering his face and exasperatedly trying to run away. Seeing him like this, I covered my mouth and snickered. When he was slandering me, why didn’t he think about the consequences? But it was too late now. As soon as he started throwing mud at me, I had already called the police. And now, two police officers were standing right behind Arthur. Sure enough, when Arthur turned to run, he was dumbfounded to see the police. In the few seconds he was stunned, the police stepped in front of him and showed their badges. “You are suspected of slander, defamation, and picking quarrels and provoking trouble. Please come with us to assist with the investigation.” Arthur frantically shook his head in denial. “No, I didn’t. I didn’t mean to. This is all a misunderstanding.” He turned to look at me, his eyes full of pleading. “Chloe, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have misunderstood you, nor should I have treated you poorly. Please, give me one more chance.” “I swear I’ll turn over a new leaf this time and will never treat you poorly again.” I raised my middle finger and shook it left and right. “No, your character has no guarantee with me. I don’t believe you!” He hastily added: “What about the money? Then I’ll return the four hundred thousand, is that okay!” “Even if I have to borrow it, I’ll give it to you immediately!” Getting him to return the money was the best outcome. Without hesitation, I pulled up my QR code for receiving money and held it in front of him. “Transfer it. Not a cent less of what you owe me!” “If I’m in a good mood, I might just forgive you!” Arthur, acting like he was grabbing a lifeline, desperately scanned the code and transferred the money. First transaction: $50,000 from Chase hit the account. Second transaction: $100,000 from Citibank hit the account. Third transaction: $50,000 from Bank of America hit the account. In 10 minutes, he coughed up all the money in his left and right cards. But it was still short by $200,000! “What are you standing there for? Didn’t you say you’d borrow to pay it back? If you don’t have enough, ask your mom, ask your sister!” Ultimately, after much pleading and pestering, he squeezed the final $200,000 he owed from his mother. As the $400,000 arrived, I no longer wanted to waste time with Arthur. After making him write a letter of guarantee in front of the police, promising not to pester me again, our family of three got into the Porsche and left. In the rearview mirror, Arthur stared at my car, his fists clenched tight.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394608”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

In my past life, Liam’s first love died taking a knife for me. He hated me to the core, so he locked me up, beginning years of day-and-night torment. Until my twenty-second birthday, physically and mentally exhausted, I finally couldn’t hold on anymore. I chose to slit my wrists and commit suicide. Right before I died, I saw Liam’s bloodshot eyes. He warned me, “In your next life, don’t fall for me, and don’t come between me and Chloe.” As he wished. When I woke up again, I was sitting in my senior year classroom. The noise of a basketball game drifted in from the field outside. Liam pushed the door open and casually threw his school jacket into my lap: “Hold this for me. Chloe is coming to watch the game later.” For the first time, I didn’t eagerly run up to him, full of joy. Liam didn’t know yet. In this life, I would automatically stay far, far away from him. 1 The school jacket landed softly on my desk. I instinctively moved my wrists. There was no bone-deep pain. These wrists… in my past life, Liam had tied them to the headboard with a tie for seven whole days. Just because on the anniversary of Chloe’s death, I still refused to admit I was wrong. What mistake was I supposed to admit? Chloe was my older sister, the true biological daughter of the family. As soon as she was found and brought home, she gained the love of everyone in the family. I admit, I was jealous of her once. And for a very long time, I resented her. I resented that the moment she appeared, she stole my mom and dad. Stole my “Brother Liam.” But she was so thin and small. When she was first brought back, her face was pale. She would only gently call me, “Mia.” My heart suddenly softened. I thought, maybe having an older sister… wouldn’t be so bad. Mom and Dad told me that my sister was in poor health. I needed to yield to her in everything. So, she wanted my room. I yielded. She wanted my dolls, I yielded. She liked the pretty dresses I picked out, I yielded them all. But when I entered middle school, I realized my sister also liked Liam. This time, I refused to yield. That was my favorite Brother Liam; we grew up together. I couldn’t yield. But I never expected that the only time I ever fought Chloe for something… Just that once. The cost would be a human life. And four years of absolute darkness for me. … Chloe taking the knife for me happened very suddenly. She fell into a pool of blood. Her last words were: “Mia… I’m giving Liam back to you. Don’t blame me anymore, okay?” At that moment, Liam rushed over and saw this exact scene. Chloe took a knife for me. She hemorrhaged heavily. And because she had a blood clotting disorder, before the ambulance even arrived, She died on the spot. And her ambiguous last words made Liam hate me with a venomous passion. That day, my Brother Liam asked me with a chillingly calm face: “Mia, why wasn’t it you who died?” Only this time did I learn. It turned out that afternoon, Chloe had arranged to confess her feelings to Liam. But unfortunately, she ran into a gang of thugs having a turf war. In the chaos, she pushed me away. 2 It was strange. Everyone was very strange. After learning that Chloe died taking a knife for me, I became the target of everyone’s condemnation. The home I had lived in for over a decade was completely destroyed. Dad aged overnight, his hair turning white. He told me, “You shouldn’t even be alive.” Mom beat me, kicking and punching, screaming in a breakdown: “You are a jinx! You killed my Chloe! Give me my Chloe back!” They stopped letting me go to school. They locked me in the ancestral shrine all day, every day. But… Why not blame the murderer? Why blame me? Wasn’t I a victim too? Is the one who survives automatically the one in the wrong? I didn’t know. I only knew that, just as they said… I owed Chloe for the rest of my life. I owed her a life. … I stayed in the dark, sunless ancestral shrine for a long time. Until my eighteenth birthday. Liam convinced my parents. And finally, they let me out. Seeing the sunlight after so long, my legs gave out. I could barely stand. Liam, without saying a word, carried me on his back. Step by step, we walked to Columbia University. Columbia was the university I wanted to apply to. It was also the one Chloe had wanted to attend. In the season when the bauhinia flowers were blooming, Liam’s voice was very, very soft. “Mia, did you know? This was once Chloe’s dream too. But she can never achieve it now.” I didn’t reply. I just silently cried on his back. That day was my eighteenth birthday. And it was the last time Liam ever showed me any tenderness. After that, I was unenrolled from school. Locked in the attic at home. Mom and Dad went abroad, completely washing their hands of me. Liam no longer had any scruples. At first, I still begged for mercy. “Please let me go, Brother Liam.” But the attic was too dark. Not a sliver of sunlight. I was trapped inside, losing track of time. Losing track of the seasons. Gradually, I started losing my mind. On another anniversary of Chloe’s death, when Liam ordered me to kneel… We erupted into a violent argument. “I won’t kneel!” “I hate her! I hate her! I hate all of you!” “I never asked her to save me!” “Kill me then, Liam! Just kill me!” I was probably a bit crazy by then. Liam kicked me hard in the knee. He didn’t like it when I was disobedient. As punishment for talking back, he dislocated my wrists again. Tying me to the headboard in a humiliating posture. Liam’s tone was cruel. “Don’t blame me, Mia. This is what you owe Chloe.” “Don’t feel wronged. At least you’re still alive.” Oh. So my being alive… Is a mistake. Then I didn’t want to live anymore. On the night of my twenty-second birthday, I couldn’t hold on anymore. Blood soaked the bedsheets. I chose to slit my wrists and commit suicide. Fulfilling their constant refrain: giving my life back to Chloe. 3 Liam’s handsome brow furrowed. He waved his hand in front of my eyes. “Mia?” I snapped back to reality. The boy standing before me had clear eyes. Not the dark malice and hatred from my past life. But I jumped up instantly. Moving far, far away from him. “Um… I have something to do. I won’t go watch the basketball game.” “You guys go ahead.” I was afraid of Liam. Truly afraid. Whenever I got near him, I trembled. The person opposite me was slightly taken aback. Seeming unaccustomed to me rejecting him for the first time. After all, in all our interactions, when had I not been the one eagerly chasing after him? He thought for a long time before speaking: “Mia, are you mad? Because I brought a gift for Chloe a couple of days ago, but didn’t bring one for you?” Mad? I smiled bitterly. What right did I have to be mad? In my past life, although Liam never said he liked me, nor did he say he liked Chloe… He constantly hovered around Chloe. Yet I was blind and couldn’t see it clearly. I even harbored delusional hopes. Fighting with Chloe. No wonder I died so miserably. The school bell rang right on cue. If I remembered correctly, this was a P.E. class. Classes 1 and 2 had a basketball game. Chloe was in the other class and was already standing at the door. Liam ultimately didn’t say anything more. He gave me a look. Turned, and ran toward Chloe waiting at the classroom door. Watching their retreating figures, walking shoulder-to-shoulder. I let out a long breath of relief. However, the reborn me hadn’t even had time to properly enjoy the sunshine. Right before school ended, my mom called me to the hospital. The reason was, Chloe was having an episode. She needed a blood transfusion. Just like in my past life, whenever she needed it. I was still her personal blood bank at all times. Actually, at the very beginning, Mom and Dad said Chloe had a rare disease. She needed frequent blood transfusions. And when my blood type happened to match… I was actually very glad. Because I had lots and lots of blood. I could save my sister. I knew very early on that Mom and Dad loved my sister more. After all, she was their biological daughter. That was understandable. I only thought, if I could just treat my sister a little better, and a little better… Mom and Dad would be happy. And when they were happy, they would love me again. But Chloe was too greedy. She always cried, always needed my blood. The increasingly frequent occurrences left me overwhelmed. Especially when Liam was around, it was even more obvious. Just like right now. I took a cab and rushed over. Before being pushed into the hospital room, Liam hurriedly shoved a gift box into my hands. 4 A long, suffocating silence. Chloe wasn’t far from me. She also saw the gift box. With a pale face, she smiled at me. “Mia, Arthur really is very attentive to you.” “You didn’t come to the basketball game this afternoon. He stopped halfway through, said he had something to do, and just walked away.” “I only found out later that he went to buy a gift for you.” “He was afraid you were upset.” I raised an eyebrow. So this was the reason Chloe was having another “episode” today. Thinking back to my past life, it was the same. Every time Liam treated me even slightly well… Chloe would inevitably feel unwell and get hospitalized. I took a rough look at the gift box. A very expensive, co-branded watch. A limited edition, debuting in New York. No wonder Liam thought I was mad. This was something I had wanted for a long time. I asked Liam to help me snag one. But then Chloe wanted it too. Seeing her poor health, Liam gave it to her instead. I shook my head. Laughing at my own stupidity. Everything reminded me that Liam already had someone he favored this early on. Why was I so stubbornly blind? Drawing blood made me dizzy. Probably seeing that my face truly looked bad, Chloe instantly put on a look of extreme guilt. “I’m sorry, Mia. It’s all because your sister is too useless.” “I always need you to donate blood.” “If it weren’t for me, you definitely would be…” Before she could finish. Right in front of her, without hesitation, I threw the gift box into the trash can. I curled my lips. “It’s just the two of us here. There’s really no need for you to put on an act.” Chloe froze for a moment. As if she didn’t expect me to be so blunt. I was truly tired and didn’t want to play pretend. I pulled out the IV needle and approached her step by step. Looking down at her from above. “You weren’t having an episode this afternoon at all.” “You were just in a bad mood because you saw Liam give me something.” “You wanted to torture me.” “This trick never fails, does it?”

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When my husband’s intern “slipped” for the sixth time and canceled the remarriage application I submitted, Arthur finally showed a hint of displeasure. I, on the other hand, pulled open the door with a calm face: “The little girl is throwing a tantrum. Coax her well tonight.” He suddenly reached out, blocking the doorframe, and stared dead at me: “I thought you cared most about your status?” “Why aren’t you angry?” I was momentarily speechless. The last time we divorced, he had signed the papers with a mocking smile: “Whether a man cheats or not only depends on whether the woman can find out.” So when we reconciled this time, I turned a blind eye to the lace stuffed in his lab coat. Even when the little girl caused a scene at our door because he hadn’t fulfilled his KPI of sleeping with her 12 times a month, I calmly explained for him. “Don’t misunderstand, we’ve been sleeping in separate rooms for a long time.” Arthur smiled and sighed, saying I had finally learned to be obedient. But he didn’t know that all this was only because the night before our reconciliation, old Mrs. Vance came to me holding an old iron box. Back when Arthur went to the front lines seven times, he left behind seven farewell letters. Every word and sentence was entirely about me and our daughter. The old lady, with red eyes, begged me to remarry him and give him seven chances. So these past few days, I became the perfect wife. But when I finally burned the last farewell letter, why was he unhappy again? … “There’s nothing to be angry about.” As my words fell, Arthur’s hand gripping the doorframe stiffened slightly. The air froze for two seconds. “She and I are just colleagues now, don’t overthink it.” I walked towards the kitchen, and his footsteps followed. “She was just too careless…” I washed the vegetables with my head down, giving a perfunctory “Mhm.” I had believed that sentence too many times. Until my daughter’s fifth birthday, Mia came to our door with a smile. She casually stabbed that bright red, two-lined pregnancy test straight into my daughter’s buttercream cake. The stares of all the guests pierced the dignity I had forced myself to maintain like needles. I lunged forward to grab Mia’s hair, but my wrist was violently grabbed and pushed away by Arthur. “She wanted to grab a candle and carelessly grabbed the wrong thing, that’s all.” I was cut by flying shards from a champagne glass and sent to the hospital. Her pregnancy was a joke. But my second child was truly gone. The knife blade slipped across my fingertip, and beads of blood fell. Arthur immediately grabbed my hand, his brows furrowed: “Why are you so careless?” I pulled my hand back: “It’s nothing.” His Adam’s apple bobbed, but before the words came out, his phone rang abruptly. It was a couple’s profile picture, a matching set with Arthur’s. Mia spoke with a crying tone: “Dr. Vance, I’m sorry. I was careless again and messed up Mrs. Vance’s remarriage application…” “I’m going to apologize to her right now…” Arthur caught a glimpse of my slightly furrowed brow, and his tone actually softened a bit: “No need.” He paused, “I’ll make the appointment for the remarriage myself.” His hand reached over my shoulder and took the knife from my hand. “Let’s go pick up our daughter together.” “I made a reservation at a restaurant. Let’s celebrate Joy’s birthday together.” I nodded without speaking. But halfway there, a shrill alarm sounded from his phone. “Alert from the ‘What’s Wrong’ APP.” “Family member’s vital signs are abnormal!” I panicked and looked at the quiet watch on my wrist. After confirming Joy’s vital signs were normal. Seeing the anxiety flashing in his eyes, I instantly understood. I thoughtfully spoke up for him: “You go. Save Mia from wasting her efforts…” “Chloe! Mia is not like you!” He jerked his head up. “You even lied to your own mother. How do you have the face to accuse others of being liars?!” My fingertips went cold. Yes, I had lied to my mom three times. When we were building our life from scratch, I gave Arthur my three years of savings but told my mom it was the bride price he gave. At our wedding, I bought fake gold jewelry and lied to my mom that it was real. After Joy was diagnosed with a severe allergic constitution, I stayed up all night, typing out lines of code to create the “What’s Wrong” APP, binding it to Joy’s health data. But when Joy went into anaphylactic shock, I rushed to the hospital alone with my child in my arms. Only to see Mia walking arm-in-arm with Arthur at a medical gala. Faced with my mother’s questioning, I enunciated every word: “The APP malfunctioned, he didn’t receive the alert.” But I knew better than anyone that the core system I wrote couldn’t possibly be wrong. He had unlinked our daughter from his app a long time ago. Sensing my silence, Arthur took a deep breath and softened his tone. “Mia stopped breathing… I’m a doctor, I have to go.” He closed the car door, looking through the glass: “You pick up Joy first. I’ll definitely be there tonight.” I lowered my eyes and nodded. Just then, a message from my daughter popped up: “Mommy, when will the school transfer paperwork be ready?” I tore up the second-to-last farewell letter in my hand and sent a photo to old Mrs. Vance. “Today the other kids said again… I’m a kid without a dad.” I replied softly. “Baby, very soon.” 【Chapter 2】 Even though the moment Arthur left, I had already changed his reservation from a table for three to a table for two. But watching Joy look toward the restaurant entrance again and again, only to lower her head silently, a dull ache still rose in my chest. The very moment Joy blew out her birthday candles, the wristband on my arm suddenly flashed a piercing red light. My mom’s vital signs were dropping rapidly. I mechanically grabbed my daughter and rushed out the door, dialing Arthur’s phone over and over. Busy signal. Hung up. Busy signal. Finally, on the last attempt, it connected. My voice was dry: “My mom, she…” From the other end of the line came a cacophony of laughter and chatter. Mia’s voice was laced with a smile: “Mrs. Vance? We were just making a bet on whether Dr. Vance would come if I held my breath for a minute.” Her voice paused, the smile deepening: “And, we bet on whether you would… call one after another.” A wave of ambiguous, jeering laughter came from the background. Arthur’s voice was lazy: “What, miss me?” I gripped the phone tightly, my knuckles turning white, and pulled Joy into the car: “Go to my mom’s hospital room. Now.” He interrupted impatiently: “You want to upgrade your mom to a private room again? Getting an eight-person room was already a favor to me. I told you I need to avoid suspicion.” “Besides, you used to stay in a sixteen-person ward yourself. What are you being so delicate about now?” The phone was abruptly hung up. Numbly gripping the steering wheel, the scenery outside the window flew backward. Back when I had brain surgery, I was so poor I could only stay in a sixteen-person room. He wrapped himself in a thin blanket and slept on the floor beside my bed. When I couldn’t sleep from the pain at night, he just held my hand in the dim light, tears falling drop by drop onto the back of my hand as he said: “Chloe, I will never let you suffer like this again.” Now, he had become the best doctor. But he gave all the suffering back to me, multiplied. By the time I rushed to the hospital, my mother had already been covered with a white sheet. I lifted it, trembling, as the doctor approached: “The patient bit off the oxygen tube herself. Our resuscitation efforts failed. My condolences.” I finally found my voice: “How is that possible?!” Joy, crying, went to pull her grandmother’s hand, but accidentally touched the play button on the tablet beside the bed. The screen shook, the lighting dim. Mia’s voice was delicate and melodious. “Dr. Vance, I know… this is our last time.” “I don’t want a status. I just want to have your child.” I violently pressed pause, forcing a smile for Joy. “Mommy will ask your kindergarten teacher to come pick you up. Joy, go play with the other kids first, okay?” The moment the door closed, I took a deep breath and hit play. The man behind the camera was silent, save for heavy breathing. Mia continued: “Chloe’s second child… because I was careless and prescribed abortion pills instead of the pregnancy-preserving injection, resulted in her never being able to have children again.” The hand holding the tablet began to shake. So the diagnosis of an accidental miscarriage Arthur gave me back then was also fake. Mia’s fingers traced across the man’s chest. “Auntie still doesn’t know that the student she sponsored for ten years is me. Your family has been so kind to me.” “I’ll have a child for her to repay you, okay?” In the dead silence. I heard Arthur utter, hoarse but clear: “…Okay.” 【Chapter 3】 Outside the door, the doctor and colleague from just now sighed. “Actually, the best treatment for her mom would be to go abroad, but Dr. Vance has always insisted on conservative treatment.” “And he strictly forbade disclosing it to the family…” Hearing this, I could no longer hold back and rushed to the restroom, dry heaving. Washing down the drain, along with my tears. Was the last bit of rotten affection between Arthur and me. I was about to leave when I ran head-on into someone at the corner of the corridor. Seeing me, a flash of joy crossed Arthur’s eyes, immediately replaced by impatience. “Must you follow me everywhere I go?” “If you want to remarry me so badly, then be good and stop talking about breaking up!” I looked up. My eyes were dead. Arthur seemed pierced by my gaze, his chest rising and falling slightly. He reached out, ruffled my hair, and softened his tone a bit: “After the commendation ceremony in a bit, I’ll give you a surprise.” I brushed his hand away, my mind consumed by a single thought. Hurry up and handle my mother’s funeral arrangements. However, as I dragged myself to process the death certificate. Passing by the conference hall, the gazes of everyone around instantly zeroed in on me. “Is this Mrs. Vance? Why does she look like that…” “I heard she keeps Dr. Vance on a very tight leash. No wonder Dr. Vance would rather sleep in the on-call room than go home.” “Dr. Sullivan is still better. Young, beautiful, and in the same profession…” I walked right through those stares, looking straight at Mia on the other side. Wearing a haute couture gown, standing next to Arthur, the gem necklace around her neck refracted a blinding light. That was the style I looked at over and over again when I got married, but ultimately couldn’t bring myself to buy. I stopped in front of her, raised my hand, and slapped her with all my might! The sharp sound of the slap plunged the entire hall into dead silence. “My mom sponsored your education, hoping you’d become a decent human being,” Staring at the Outstanding Young Doctor trophy in her hand, I enunciated every word. “Not to turn you into an ungrateful, backstabbing snake.” Mia covered her face, tears instantly welling up in her eyes: “Chloe, I was afraid you’d misunderstand, so I’ve already submitted my resignation.” “Dr. Vance is just here to present the award to me, you misunderstood…” Arthur grabbed my wrist, his eyes icy. “I didn’t approve your resignation.” “Chloe! Look at yourself, what’s the difference between you and a madwoman right now!” He shoved me hard. I fell to the ground, my palms scraped raw and stinging. Mia gasped, crouching down to help me up, using the opportunity to lean in and whisper: “Chloe, I forgot to tell you.” “Your daughter… she probably won’t make it to your mother’s funeral.” My pupils contracted sharply, and I snapped my gaze to my wrist. On the APP, the curve representing her breathing rate was plummeting, flatlining! “Joy?!” I panicked, shoving through the crowd of onlookers and running out of the hospital. But by the time I followed the GPS to find Joy, the kindergarten teacher was kneeling by the edge of the pool, incoherently repeating the address to emergency services. Joy’s body was curled up on the tiled floor, her lips cyanotic. I bit my tongue hard, forcing myself to calm down. With trembling hands, I dialed Arthur’s number. “Joy’s in trouble! Acute anaphylactic shock, she needs surgery immediately!” The other end of the line was silent for a moment, then the tone grew stiff: “Are you done causing a scene?” “Mia’s award ceremony needs me on stage for a speech. Stop using the child as an excuse, it’s pathetic.” The call disconnected. A passerby nearby leaned in, sighing softly: “Such a small child, what happened?” “If her dad knew, his heart would break.” The time outside the operating room stretched infinitely. When the doctor said there was only a one-in-three chance of a cure. My vision went black. Just then, a voice came from behind: “I can increase the success rate of her surgery.” 【Chapter 4】 I jerked my head up. Mia stood before me, the corners of her mouth curving up into a smile. Despite the alarm bells ringing in my head, seeing the other doctors nod, I had no choice but to believe her. I struggled to find my voice, dry and hoarse: “What do you want?” Mia just looked at me, smiling. I understood. My knees gave way, and I dropped straight down to kneel before her. My forehead rested on the cold floor, the words squeezed out through gritted teeth: “The title of Mrs. Vance is yours.” “I don’t want Arthur’s love anymore either.” “Please, save her.” I don’t know how much time passed before a young nurse in scrubs ran over in a panic. “I… I just secretly glanced at the medication they took in. Something seems wrong with it.” My brain buzzed with a “ding”. Almost at the exact moment I slammed into the door, the “In Surgery” light went out. The doors opened, and Mia was the first to walk out: “I’m sorry, your daughter… resuscitation failed.” I stumbled and threw myself onto the operating table. Joy lay there quietly, covered by a white sheet, revealing only a small, bloodless face. I whipped around and, with every ounce of strength I had, slapped Mia viciously across the face! Instead of getting angry, Mia laughed: “Chloe, Dr. Vance always says I’m careless, but this time I calculated very carefully.” “The success rate of one injection of the allergen test agent is 33.33%, so.” She held up three fingers and waved them in front of my eyes, her smile sweet: “I gave her three injections. That’s a 99.99% success rate.” “If you have to blame someone, blame your daughter’s rotten luck for hitting that 0.01% failure rate.” She leaned in close, lowering her voice. “Good things come in pairs. Holding two funerals together, maybe you can get a discount.” With that, she gave a cold laugh and walked towards the exit. My fingertips were white. I used all my strength to grab her hair and smash her against the hard wall next to us! The next second, a massive force kicked me hard in the side! I was kicked backward, crashing heavily into the bench in the corridor. Arthur pulled her behind him protectively: “What, didn’t you say you learned to be obedient? Couldn’t even keep up the act for this short amount of time?” “Back to being the jealous shrew you used to be?” I forced myself up: “Your little mistress killed your daughter!” “Why shouldn’t I hit her!” Arthur froze for a second, then gave a cold laugh. “Liar.” He opened a video and held the screen in front of my face. “Joy was just sending me a dancing video, wishing me a successful award ceremony.” “You’d even curse your own daughter to death just to fight for favor?!” “I know you’re blaming me for missing her birthday. By her next birthday, I will definitely make it up to her.” I watched their retreating figures, suddenly remembering the teacher telling me Joy recorded a video to be scheduled to send to her dad as a surprise. My laughter grew louder and louder, shedding tears of blood. Arthur took a few steps, then turned back. “Your mentor’s wife is emotionally unstable. Take her home first. Give her a sedative, let her get a good sleep and calm down.” He paused, his gaze falling on me: “When you’ve truly learned to be obedient, then we can talk about remarrying.” … That night, the celebratory reception lasted until late. His phone was quiet. No calls from Chloe, no voice messages from Joy. Arthur ultimately sent the surprise he prepared to Chloe. “I made the appointment. Tomorrow at 9 AM, meet me at the Civil Affairs Bureau.” No reply. The next second, his assistant sent a message. “Dr. Vance, just received news… Someone jumped off the Riverside Bridge.” “It’s suspected to be a doctor’s family member…” Arthur stared at those lines of text, his breathing stopping. “The personal items salvaged by the rescue team include a suicide note from her husband…”

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Everyone around me thought I should be with Liam. My friends said: “He’s liked you for so many years, everyone can see it. Oh come on, don’t be so picky.” My parents said: “You two grew up together, we know him inside and out. Anyway, he’s the only son-in-law we’ll ever acknowledge!” Even when strangers posted my picture on the university confession page trying to find me, countless enthusiastic people would step up to tell them: “She has a boyfriend! He’s liked her for years, they’re getting married right after graduation!” “If those two don’t make it, I’ll never believe in true love again!” But… I felt absolutely nothing for him. At our wedding, looking at everyone’s smiling faces, I only felt profound alienation. He held my hand, his eyes red, swearing: “Wife, I promise to love you for the rest of my life!” But in the third year of our marriage, he cheated. 1 While slacking off at work, I scrolled past an anonymous post made by my husband. 【I’m a scumbag, go ahead and curse me.】 【In the eyes of outsiders, my wife and I are childhood sweethearts, perfectly matched, approved by both sets of parents, and blessed by our friends. In reality, it rotted away a long time ago.】 【We’ve been married for three years, and I realized the person I truly love is still my ex-girlfriend. Not ending up with her is the biggest regret of my life.】 The internet exploded. 【What did your wife do wrong? If you’re so madly in love with your ex, why did you marry your wife in the first place?】 【Seems devoted, actually a hypocrite.】 Liam was still deeply reminiscing. 【We had a three-month ‘end of the world’ romance.】 【Every day we were together, we lived it as if it were our last.】 【We played video games together, experimented with cooking together, and went crazy under the open sky. She is my soulmate, my brother-in-arms, my lover, the other half of my life.】 【We agreed that after those three months, she would go abroad to study, and I would continue with my life.】 【When we broke up, we promised to hike the Appalachian Trail together. We got lost in the rocky terrain, suffered from hypothermia, and had no cell service. At that moment, we both felt that even dying together there wouldn’t be so bad.】 【When we finally made it down, we both cried. I knew neither of us was willing to let go.】 The comments below were already a bloodbath of curses. 【Stupid scumbag, bless your daddy!】 【Why didn’t you two mutts freeze to death up there?】 Liam replied: 【She returned to the States today. She messaged me saying she still can’t forget me and wants to be together. I’m going to pursue my own happiness.】 【Everyone, wish me luck.】 The netizens lost their minds. 【Algorithm, do your thing! Push this post to the wife!】 【The scumbag’s IP is in Florida, the algorithm pushed it to me in New York. Back! Back! Push it back!】 … There really is no limit to how disgusting people can be in this world. I frowned as I read it. It was exactly time to clock out. A girl in my office, Mia, asked me: “Nora, want to leave together? My boyfriend is driving over to pick me up, we can give you a ride.” Another colleague, Sarah, interrupted her with a laugh. “Why are you worrying about her? Nora’s husband dotes on her so much, he’s definitely coming to pick her up soon.” Mia suddenly realized. “How could I forget? Nora’s husband is the model husband.” They didn’t wait for my answer, chatting and laughing as they left. “Wait…” I sighed and looked down at my phone. On the screen, the WeChat message I sent Liam two hours ago was still hanging empty in the chat box. “Hubby, it’s raining today. Can you come pick me up?” No reply. He was always like this. He never checked his phone while working. People around me always advised me: Liam is such a good man, he doesn’t smoke or drink, what more are you looking for? The rain outside grew heavier. I dashed into the subway braving the downpour, soaking wet. The people around me moved away with a look of disgust, annoyed that I was dripping water on them. I apologized repeatedly. Just then, my phone pinged. The post I was reading earlier had updated. 【Picked her up.】 It was a picture of two tightly clasped hands. I immediately noticed a familiar scar at the base of the man’s thumb, exactly the same as Liam’s. I froze, instinctively calling Liam, but he declined the call. “Busy.” The more I looked, the more familiar it seemed. Looking at the anonymous avatar again, it was a stylized version of the crest of a top-3 university in the country. Liam had only gotten in because of lowered requirements for ROTC students, and his alma mater was always his biggest point of pride. Same IP, same watch, same university, same sudden “business.” Are there really that many coincidences in this world? I felt cold all over. The AC in the subway was freezing, so cold that every bone in my body wanted to curl up. Holding onto the last shred of possibility, I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and sent him a message. “Hubby, my stomach really hurts. Can you come pick me up?” This time, Liam replied very quickly. “The company suddenly sent me on a three-day business trip. Be sensible and manage on your own.” I suddenly lost all desire to communicate with him. A while later, my phone rang. It was my best friend, Chloe. “I heard from Liam that you’re not feeling well. What’s wrong?” “My stomach hurts.” “Get off at the next stop, I’m driving over to pick you up right now.” Chloe was fast. Before long, I was sitting in the passenger seat of her new car. The warmth of the heated seats perfectly soothed my physical discomfort. I was just about to tell her about the post I saw today and my suspicions, when I heard Chloe sigh with emotion. “This is why I say Liam really loves you. Look, he’s out of town on a business trip, but the moment he heard you weren’t feeling well, he called me immediately, going out of his way to have me take care of you.” “What kind of good karma did you accumulate to meet a good husband like Liam!” The words I wanted to say got stuck in my throat. The familiar suffocating feeling surged up again. It had always been like this. From my classmates and friends, to my colleagues after I started working, Liam was the perfect boyfriend in everyone’s eyes. My friends would say: “Liam is so good to you, stop causing trouble!” “I think you two are a perfect match.” Liam’s friends would say: “He’s liked you for so many years.” “We helped him along the way, finally waiting for the day he confessed. Did you really feel nothing?” The most suffocating were probably my parents. “You two have known each other since you were kids, we know his roots. Anyway, we only acknowledge him as our son-in-law!” Everyone around me said Liam was great, a perfect, good husband. What kind of good karma did I have to find such a good man? But… is that really true? 2 After getting home, I felt chills running down my spine. I probably caught a cold. I casually picked up my tablet nearby, only to see 99+ unread messages in a group chat. Clicking into it, I found it was a group created by Liam. It was mostly filled with my friends, but I had never seen this group before. He was asking urgently in the chat: “Emergency! If any of you are free, could you please go pick up Nora? I’m on a business trip and can’t make it back. I’ll treat you to dinner when I return.” Below, my friends erupted in praise. “When it comes to loving his wife, Liam is the man!” “I’m impressed, I’m truly impressed. After all these years, ten dogs would have died from choking on your PDA.” At this moment, Chloe had also arrived home and reported in the group. “Reporting to Liam, I have safely delivered Nora home.” Liam quickly replied with a “fist and palm salute” emoji. “Thanks for being a true friend, Chloe. I’ll treat you to dinner when I get back.” Looking at the group’s creation date, it was actually six years ago. My chest felt incredibly tight. No wonder back then, no matter what I wanted, Liam always seemed to know immediately and deliver it. We always “happened” to bump into each other at various gatherings, and our friends always “happened” to cheer us on at the exact right moments. My chest felt blocked, yet I couldn’t say anything. Say he shouldn’t have added my friends? Say he shouldn’t have gone through the trouble of finding out what I liked? … None of that felt right to say. After getting together with him, this feeling always stuck in my throat, yet I could never articulate it. I casually picked up the tablet, opened Spotify on it, planning to play some music to change my mood. I accidentally clicked into his following list and found he only had one mutual follower. Curious, I clicked on it, only to find he and this person had been mutually following each other for 1,835 days. A string in my heart began to pull taut. The person was Liam’s senior from college, Elena. It seemed she went abroad after graduation, and they hadn’t contacted each other for a few years. But half a year ago, they started talking again. They said good morning and good night to each other every day, and their “recently listened together” history was densely packed. Liam never liked replying to my messages while at work, saying it affected his productivity. But he and Elena chatted from morning till night. Complaining about stupid colleagues who only knew how to pass the buck, complaining about incompetent bosses who only knew how to kiss up to leadership. They had so much to talk about. He would even be reluctant to say goodbye when going into a meeting. “I have to go to a meeting, need to hand in my phone. I’ll contact you as soon as I’m out!” … Just yesterday’s chat log. Elena: “I’m returning to the States tomorrow. We haven’t seen each other in three years, I’m suddenly a bit scared.” Liam: “Scared of what?” Elena: “Scared I’m not as pretty as I used to be. What if you don’t like me anymore?” Liam: “You are always the most beautiful in my heart.” Elena: “Everyone knows how much you dote on your wife, I heard about it even across the ocean. Model husband. emoji covering mouth laughing” Liam: “I’m only with her because she’s suitable.” A moment later, he sent another message. “If you hadn’t insisted on going abroad back then…” Elena: “Well, I’m coming back now, aren’t I? Have you thought about how you’re going to welcome me?” Liam: “Tomorrow, I’ll bring your favorite Gloriosa lilies to pick you up.” “Wait for me.” I instinctively opened that post. Sure enough, it was updated again. They were eating at a notoriously hard-to-book Michelin-starred restaurant in the city. In the corner of the photo was the silhouette of flame-like Gloriosa lilies. I suddenly remembered that last month was our wedding anniversary, and I had gone to great lengths to book that restaurant. I heard that restaurant was incredibly photogenic. I borrowed a Polaroid camera, bought lots of film, and spent two hours doing my makeup beforehand, planning to take beautiful photos. But Liam, complaining it was a waste of money, frowned and told me to cancel it. “We’re already married, why waste money on this?” “We still need to have kids, pay for their education, buy a house in a good school district, and provide for our parents’ retirement. Which of those doesn’t require money? How can you still be as immature as when you were single?” It felt like someone had poured a bucket of cold water over me. But… I was using my own salary, wasn’t I? I dejectedly prepared to cancel it, but Liam suddenly remembered something. “Give me your phone.” I was a bit confused, but I handed him my phone anyway. “I have a friend who’s planning to propose. You can push this reservation back a month, right?” I nodded, not thinking deeply about how he knew that Michelin reservation could be postponed. Then I watched helplessly as he changed the date to today. “Little Liu is going to propose to his girlfriend, let’s not let it go to waste,” he said, smiling playfully as he reached out and hugged me. “I’ll tell him later, he’ll definitely thank you, sis.” “I’ll cook you a meal you like tonight. Why waste money going out?” “Watch your husband show off his skills!” Later that day, I was washing dishes and cleaning a greasy kitchen until midnight. When I complained to my friends later, they actually thought it was my fault. “I don’t think Liam is wrong, he’s thinking about your future.” “That meal is so expensive. Now that you’re married, you’re a unit, of course you have to consider his thoughts. Didn’t he end up cooking for you anyway?” “Don’t be ungrateful. Finding a good husband like Liam is good karma from your past life!” But before I got married, I could go out and have a nice meal with friends for holidays. How come after getting married, I suddenly didn’t deserve anything? I looked at that photo, laughing so hard tears streamed down my face. So changing the date was all for today. She deserves the best. While I only deserve greasy dishes. 3 Unable to swallow this anger, I hailed a cab and went straight to that Michelin-starred restaurant. But when I arrived, the table was already empty, with only waiters clearing the dishes. I stared blankly at that table, feeling as if I had thrown a punch with all my might, only to hit thin air. Perhaps because I looked so lost, the manager came over and asked politely: “Miss, do you need any assistance?” I shook my head, turned around, and went home exhausted. The dizziness I had been forcefully suppressing surged up. When I pushed open the door, I felt my whole body go weak. But I didn’t expect someone to be home. Liam was back? Hearing the sound of the door opening, he turned to look at me, his face full of displeasure. “Where did you go this late?” I stood blankly at the door, wondering if I was dreaming. Shouldn’t he be out on a date with Elena? “What are you spacing out for?” Liam frowned and walked over, but when he saw my face clearly, he froze for a second. The next moment, his hand was on my forehead. “Why is your face so red? Do you have a fever?” My brain was a bit slow to process. “Weren’t you on a business trip?” Liam answered nonchalantly, “The other side canceled at the last minute.” I tried to lift my foot to change my shoes, but my legs suddenly gave out, and I stumbled, almost falling. Liam was quick to catch me. Then, I felt my body lift—he actually scooped me up into a princess carry? “You’re too tired tonight, go rest in bed first. I’ll find you some medicine.” No, he’s acting too unusual tonight. He hadn’t treated me like this in a long time since we got married. My mind was a mess. Did I really misunderstand him? It wasn’t until the unfamiliar scent of body wash on him hit my nose that I regained a shred of clarity. Immediately after, I saw a bright red lipstick mark on the back collar of his shirt. Like a triumphant declaration of war. “Your shirt…” I suddenly spoke. I felt Liam’s body, pressed tightly against mine, noticeably stiffen. “What’s wrong with my shirt?” “There’s a lipstick mark.” I stared intently at his face, wanting to see what excuse he could come up with this time. Liam froze for a second, then laughed. “I got rear-ended on the way to the airport. The company sent a seven-seater, and a female colleague in the back wasn’t wearing her seatbelt and crashed into me.” He answered very naturally, the excuse perfectly flawless. I was certain that even if I went to his company to ask, this incident would absolutely be verified. Liam never told lies that could be exposed. He was always meticulous. He became a department head just three years after graduation. He covered all his bases with everyone, otherwise he wouldn’t have made everyone around me unable to say a single bad thing about him. But when he directed this meticulousness at me, the “bad” person automatically became me. 4 I went home holding onto my last shred of hope. “Liam cheated.” My dad’s first reaction wasn’t to speak up for me, but to scold me. “What crazy fit are you throwing now? What exactly are you dissatisfied with regarding Liam? You’ve been married for three years, why are you still so immature!” My mom was also frowning beside him. “You can’t just say things like that. It’s always better to stick with your first spouse. Besides, Liam is so good to you. He usually does the cooking at home, what more are you dissatisfied with?” “Let me tell you, you need to read less of that nonsense online. They say the divorce rate for your generation is over fifty percent! Everyone is an only child, everyone is selfish, and no one is willing to compromise. Even teeth can bite the tongue sometimes. Who else but Liam would tolerate you so much?” But his so-called tolerance doesn’t make me happy! Before I could even say another word, I was drowned in a tidal wave of accusations from my parents. I took a deep breath. It had always been like this since I was a child. My dad would always say that parents are never wrong, that parents are the most hateful yet most lovable people. While constantly making decisions “for my own good”—insisting I return to them after graduation to do a job I didn’t like, insisting I marry someone they thought was good, insisting I do the right thing at the right time. But, following the script to marry and have kids, living a predictable life until you die with your kids crying by your bed—is that really the “right” thing? I could never hold back my tears in front of my parents. My voice choked up. “I saw a red lipstick mark on Liam’s white shirt.” “He took the Michelin restaurant reservation I made for our wedding anniversary and used it to have dinner with his senior, and lied to me saying he gave it to a colleague to propose.” “I wanted to go out for a meal, but he said eating out was a waste of money and would only cook at home.” The more I spoke, the more disorganized it became. This was my old problem. I could never hit the main point, only list things flatly, hoping the listener would realize along with me what was wrong. Before I could finish, my dad slammed his hand heavily on the table. “When are you going to fix this habit of wasting money?! Liam is being frugal for your future, and you come back crying and demanding a divorce!” “You say he cheated, based on a single lipstick mark? What if someone accidentally brushed against him?” “So he treated someone to a meal, is that some fundamental mistake?” “Are you throwing a tantrum and not giving him a chance to explain again?” “I’m putting this out there right now: I will never acknowledge any other son-in-law besides Liam! If you dare divorce him, get the hell out of this house!” I finally couldn’t take it anymore. I grabbed my bag and stormed out. But I had barely reached the ground floor when my phone rang. It was my mom. Her voice was distorted with panic. “Nora, come back quickly!!! Your dad had a heart attack because you made him so mad!!! Hurry up and call 911!!!” In that moment, I felt cold from head to toe. I practically turned around like a madwoman and took the elevator up. I saw my dad clutching his chest, unable to breathe, slumped on the floor, while my mom supported him, completely at a loss for what to do. “Quick, find his medicine!!!” 5 I sat with my mom outside the operating room. The red “In Surgery” light was cold and indifferent. My mom turned to look at me. My dad was always the one making the decisions at home, and she was used to not having to worry about anything. Now, she was completely lost. “Did you call Liam?” I had just followed the nurses running up and down, registering and paying fees, and I realized I hadn’t thought of calling Liam the entire time. Even though he was the most considerate, perfect husband in everyone’s eyes, when I needed help the most, I instinctively avoided him. “Call him, tell him to come.” “There’s no need, I can handle this myself.” I instinctively refused. My mom reached up and rubbed her face. “Nora, did your dad and I raise you to be too independent?” “You can do everything yourself. Liam is a man too. By doing this, you make him feel completely unneeded. Since he can’t find that feeling with you, he’ll naturally look for it elsewhere.” She looked at me seriously. This was indeed the rule she had lived by with my dad all these years. That sense of powerlessness surged up again. But Mom, people are different. Many of the unwritten rules from their generation are useless now. In their era, they said men work outside and women manage the home. The man earned the money, the woman was a full-time mother, and together they supported the family. It’s not like now, where both men and women have jobs, but the man goes home, kicks his feet up like a king, and says that since ancient times men work outside and women manage the home, so grown men shouldn’t do chores. Just because Liam was willing to do a little housework, he was praised to the high heavens. But I don’t care about that bowl of noodles he makes. I clearly have the means to go out and eat a $30 crab roe noodle soup. I don’t need a carelessly thrown-together fried egg and chili noodle soup, only to be left to wash the dishes and clean up a messy kitchen by myself afterward. I often doubted who was the real child of my parents—me or Liam? Why did they always defend him unconditionally? But my dad was still in the operating room, and I didn’t want to argue with my mom at a time like this. I called Liam and briefly explained the situation. “I’ll be right there.” Seeing I had hung up, my mom was very satisfied. “Your uncle even had an illegitimate child back then, but aren’t he and your aunt still living a good life now?” “Listen to your mom. A second marriage is never the same. No matter what, it’s impossible to find someone as considerate as your first husband. You’ll have a very hard time finding anyone better than Liam later on.” “Do you have any substantial proof of his infidelity? No, right?” “If you two really get divorced, you won’t get a single penny! You’ve been married to him for three years. Are you just going to hand him over to some cheap woman outside?” “Furthermore, if I were you, I would forgive him. Now that you have dirt on him, you can control him even better.” I felt cold all over listening to her. I had never imagined my mom thought this way.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394605”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

A big concert was being held at the local arena. I asked my husband to save two VIP tickets for me. He readily agreed, but later handed me two nosebleed seats. I asked him, “No VIP tickets this time?” Without even looking up, he replied, “I gave them to a friend. She’s pregnant and needs special care.” Curious, I asked, “Which friend of yours is pregnant? Why haven’t I heard of her?” My husband immediately got defensive: “Chloe, are you seriously jealous of a pregnant woman?” 1 If my coworker hadn’t asked me about the tickets, I wouldn’t have even known a concert was coming to our town. My husband, Arthur, owns a liquor store. Whenever the liquor brand he sells sponsors a concert, the company always gives its distributors some tickets for networking and building relationships. A big event like this is rare in our small, overlooked town, so everyone was excited. Thinking of our nanny, who not only helps me take care of our newborn but also cooks for my older daughter in elementary school and my mom with a broken collarbone, I felt she deserved a treat. I figured, if others are getting tickets, my nanny must have them too! And they have to be the good ones! In previous years, when coworkers asked me for tickets, I’d just tally up the number and send it to Arthur. This year, I specifically emphasized that he must save two VIP tickets for me, even if we had to pay for them. So when Arthur said he gave the tickets to someone else, I immediately knew something was off. I wouldn’t say I was angry, but I definitely felt uncomfortable. Concerts are loud, crowded, and chaotic. Would a pregnant woman really be comfortable there? If she’s really worried about her health, she just shouldn’t go. Why does she need VIP seats? Besides, I often told Arthur how hard the nanny works. Leaving our second child in her care means we should show her some appreciation. I racked my brain. Arthur usually just shuffles between his mom’s house and his store. Plus, at our age, very few people are having a second child, let alone a third. I hadn’t heard of any of his friends planning for one. I thought he was joking and asked teasingly: “All your friends just want to drink and party. Which one of them is pregnant? How come I didn’t know?” Arthur, who was looking down at his phone, suddenly snapped his head up, glaring at me: “Chloe, what’s your problem? Are you seriously jealous of a pregnant woman?” I was just asking a question; his extreme reaction was suspicious. Anyone with eyes could see this wasn’t normal… “I’m just curious. Whose pregnant wife needs your special care? Where’s her husband? Also, the nanny takes such good care of our baby, shouldn’t we save two tickets for her?” “Furthermore, I told you about this in advance, and you agreed. Now you’ve gone back on your word. Did you even ask me before giving them to someone else?” Arthur’s eyes darted away slightly, but he still spoke with self-righteousness: “It’s just a multi-artist concert with a bunch of D-list singers. What does it matter where you sit? With Mrs. Lee’s age, can she even understand what she’s watching?” I didn’t back down: “Yeah, it’s just a multi-artist concert, what does it matter where you sit? So why can the pregnant woman go, but the nanny can’t? Arthur, I never realized you were so good at playing favorites!” Arthur was so choked up by my words he looked ready to burst: “Chloe, you! You’re being completely unreasonable!” 2 The tickets for the multi-artist concert, originally priced at two or three thousand dollars, were completely ignored by regular buyers and mostly ended up in the hands of scalpers. I got lucky and happened to see a post on Reddit from someone selling their tickets. I bought two VIP tickets for $299. When I handed the tickets to Mrs. Lee, she was thrilled and accepted them happily: “My daughter was just saying she wanted to go to the concert a couple of days ago. Now we have tickets! Thank you, Ms. Chloe!” Not wanting to waste the nosebleed tickets, I took my daughter, Lily, to the concert. Nosebleed seats are truly nosebleed seats—almost the farthest point from the stage in the whole arena. Usually, sitting high up means you can at least make do and see the stage. Unfortunately, our seats were right in the first row of the nosebleed section. A railing covered in banners directly blocked the view of everyone in the first row. I secretly rejoiced. Thank goodness I didn’t give these tickets to Mrs. Lee; they were too embarrassing to hand over! People in the row in front of us kept walking back and forth. Lily got annoyed and restless. While I was trying to calm her down, Mrs. Lee sent a message: “Ms. Chloe, my daughter just told me she got floor tickets. Hurry and take Lily to sit in the VIP seats!” Hating to waste them, I took Lily on another “long trek,” and we finally sat in the VIP section. Almost the instant we sat down, a familiar figure, with his arm around a woman wearing a low-cut coat, walked into my line of sight. Arthur held the woman tightly, carefully guiding her through the chaotic crowd. Occasionally, a child who couldn’t sit still ran up and down the aisle and accidentally bumped into the woman. Arthur immediately flared up: “Where are your parents? The concert is about to start and you’re still running around here! Didn’t your teacher teach you to follow the rules?” The child was so startled they turned their head and almost cried. The woman wrapped in the coat frowned and shook Arthur’s hand. It was too noisy; I couldn’t hear what she said. I only saw Arthur look at her belly affectionately, pull a small packet of tissues from his pocket, spread them on the seat, and smile as he helped her sit down. The scene was so glaring that my vision quickly blurred as tears welled up. The husband who used “being busy at the store” as an excuse every day to comfortably leave both kids for me to take care of was now accompanying another woman to a concert. I can’t describe the feeling in my heart; I just hoped Lily wouldn’t see it. But of course, what I feared most happened. Lily innocently pointed ahead and yelled in my ear: “Hey! Mommy, look! Isn’t that Daddy? Why does he have his arm around that auntie’s waist?!” Lily’s pure voice struck me like thunder. For a moment, I didn’t know how to answer. If a first-grader knows boundaries between men and women, how could Arthur not know? “Daddy’s so shameless! Teacher said boys and girls should keep their distance. Daddy already has Mommy, but he’s holding someone else’s hand!” The lights flashed. Lily held my hand, her eyes bright: “Mommy, why don’t you divorce Daddy? If Daddy doesn’t love you, Lily will love you!” My forcibly maintained defenses completely collapsed. I pulled Lily into my arms, unable to stop shaking. 3 Actually, Arthur’s changes didn’t start just a couple of days ago. I work in the city center. When I was pregnant with our second child, I commuted back and forth alone on the bus every day. Even in my third trimester, Arthur never once offered to drive me to work. To spend more time with the baby after birth, I gritted my teeth and pushed through, working until the very last moment before taking maternity leave. During my final checkup before giving birth, the baby’s heart rate was consistently too high. I was panicked and anxious, so I called Arthur. I had hoped to get some comfort from the baby’s father, but he dismissively said: “Doctors just like to scare people. You’re so healthy, how could anything be wrong with the baby?” I asked him to drive over and stay with me that night. He let out a heavy sigh: “Chloe, I’m very busy. You can’t demand both my money and my time.” So from that point on, no matter how big or small the matter, I stopped going to him. I had intended to take Lily home first, but her small face was filled with anger, threatening to take revenge right then and there. I touched her little cheek. Since my daughter supported me so much, what did I have to worry about? Halfway through the concert, many VIP seats were still empty. I took Lily and quietly moved to the seats directly behind Arthur and that woman. Arthur was running around, looking exactly like a fawning lapdog. The woman pulled her coat tighter, and Arthur immediately asked: “What’s wrong? Are you cold? I told you to wear more when we left, but you wouldn’t listen. Now you know it’s cold, huh? Good thing I brought a blanket for you!” There was a hint of mild reproach in his tone, sounding just like a married couple flirting. As he spoke, Arthur pulled a bag from under his seat, took out a blanket, and draped it over her. The woman didn’t say anything. Arthur then pulled out a thermos from under the seat, opened it, took a sip himself, and then held it to her lips: “The temperature is just right. It’s cold, hurry and drink a few more sips!” The woman leaned her head back and drank from his hand. Under the stage’s blue lights, the thermos in Arthur’s hand was clearly visible to me. Isn’t that my thermos??? It even has the StellaLou sticker Lily put on it for me. I was wondering why I couldn’t find my thermos when I left the house. Turns out this bastard took it for someone else to use. How disgusting! The woman took one sip and stopped: “I don’t want hot water. I want a Sprite!” “You’re a grown adult, why are you acting like a child!” Arthur scolded her verbally, but his body was already standing up, ready to go: “Since you passed your prenatal checkup today, I’ll buy you a Sprite as a reward!” Arthur returned shortly. Again, he took a sip himself first before holding the spot he drank from to the woman’s lips. He affectionately rubbed her head: “How’s that? Feel better after drinking this?” A pair of small hands gently patted Arthur’s shoulder: “Daddy, I don’t feel good either. Can you buy me a Sprite too?” The hand Arthur was holding the Sprite with trembled. “Ah—” Accompanied by a piercing scream, the Sprite spilled all over the woman’s coat, and many ice cubes slid down her low neckline. “Cold! So cold! I’m freezing to death!” The woman jumped up on the spot from the freezing ice, stomping her feet. Now, I finally saw her face clearly. Mia, the owner of the clothing store next to Arthur’s shop. I remember, she has a husband… 4 Arthur didn’t even keep his eyes on his daughter for a second before his attention was drawn away by the other woman. The VIP section already had fewer people, and with the loud commotion, many people’s eyes were drawn to us. Arthur spun around anxiously. In front of everyone, he actually reached his hand straight down Mia’s collar, then knelt on the ground, lifted her skirt, and shook it. A few ice cubes fell from under Mia’s skirt onto the floor. Arthur was full of concern: “How is it? Are there any more?” Saying that, he pulled Mia’s collar open, ready to reach in again. Mia blushed and shoved Arthur away: “Are you crazy?!” She wrapped her coat tightly around herself, naturally took the thermos, and chugged some hot water. Arthur was at a loss after being scolded. He finally realized that my daughter and I were still sitting in the row behind him. “You… Why aren’t you at home taking care of the baby? What are you doing here? “And you brought Lily too. The concert is so chaotic, what if she gets lost?” I slapped him across the face: “If I didn’t come, how would I have run into you two adulterers? No matter how chaotic the concert is, can it be as chaotic as your relationship?” The audience around us, who were originally holding up their phones to film the stage, turned their cameras towards us. Mia’s face flushed red with embarrassment as she shouted back: “What nonsense are you talking about? Arthur and I are completely innocent. We’re just ordinary friends! Nobody ever said it’s illegal to go to a concert with a friend! Besides, I have a husband too!” Arthur looked at Mia with disbelief, muttering: “Ordinary friends…” I raised an eyebrow and demanded: “Ordinary friends? What kind of ordinary friends dote on each other and reach into a woman’s collar in public without her objecting?” “You… Arthur was just anxious in the moment and didn’t think straight!” “Didn’t think straight? Even my six-year-old daughter knows boundaries. Your subconscious reaction as ‘ordinary friends’ is to grope each other? Since when can ordinary friends do that?” “You… I can’t be bothered to argue with a shrew like you!” Mia was in the wrong and couldn’t win an argument against me. She trembled with anger, her chest heaving, and gritted her teeth as she enunciated every word to Arthur: “Arthur, control your wife. From today on, we have nothing to do with each other!” With that, she bumped past Arthur, trying to get to the aisle. Arthur’s outstretched hand hung in mid-air: “Mia, slow down, be careful of your baby!” The more I looked at his desperate, fawning behavior, the more disgusted I felt. “Wait! Don’t leave just yet!” I yelled. Mia turned around, her eyes full of defiance: “What else do you want?” I pointed at the cup in her hand: “That thermos is mine. It even has my daughter’s sticker on it. Give it back to me!” Mia looked at the cup in her hand, then looked at Arthur in disbelief. Then, she glared at me resentfully and threw the thermos at me. The cup was quite heavy. Seeing it flying straight at my face, I instinctively ducked. The cup smashed directly into Arthur’s forehead. Mia tried to turn around but accidentally stepped on the ice cubes that had fallen on the floor earlier. With an “Ah—”, she fell from the row she was standing in onto the seats in the row in front, landing flat on her face. Arthur grabbed his forehead and scrambled down to her in two steps, nervously hugging Mia. “Mia? Mia? How are you? Are you okay?” Mia clutched her stomach, her face twisted in pain: “My stomach… my stomach hurts so much…” The scene turned into a chaotic mess. The police providing security for the event arrived. Arthur sat on the floor holding Mia, yelling to call 911, as if the child Mia was carrying was his. When he saw the police, it was as if he’d seen his saviors. He eagerly pointed his finger at me: “Officers, it’s her! She made Mia fall. Arrest her quickly!” I stared dead at the man in front of me, my heart turning to ice. 5 At the hospital, Mia had just come out of the emergency room and was lying on the bed with her eyes closed. Back at the arena, I first called Mrs. Lee to come and take Lily away before following them to the hospital. Arthur sat by the bed, looking entirely like a family member. He nervously touched Mia’s head one moment, then used a cotton swab dipped in water to wet her lips the next. Two police officers, a man and a woman, entered. The female officer looked around: “What exactly happened? Who wants to explain?” “It’s her! Officers, it’s all because of her that Mia fell!” Arthur stood up agitatedly once again to falsely accuse me. The female officer turned to look at me: “Is it what he says? What is your relationship?” I laughed self-deprecatingly: “This man is my legal husband, and the woman lying in bed is his mistress.” Hearing this, Mia, who had been pretending to be asleep, immediately bolted upright from the bed: “Who’s a mistress? Don’t you slander me!” Arthur also defended her: “How can you just make things up? Is that how you slander people? Mia would never be a mistress!” I completely ignored them, treating them like two barking dogs, and played the video I recorded on my phone: “Officers, please take a look. When it happened, I was far away from Mia. She threw the thermos to attack me, threw it too hard, lost her balance, and fell. If she could make herself fall like that, imagine how much it would hurt if that thermos had hit me!” The female officer looked shocked, clearly not understanding this mess of a situation either. The male officer pulled out his phone: “We checked the security footage of the area. It shows the two women were indeed at a distance and had no direct physical contact, so there is no suspicion of intentional assault.” Arthur was relentless: “If she hadn’t shown up, would Mia have fallen? You must hold her responsible!” That left me speechless. So, I shouldn’t have been at the arena at all? My own husband wanted to stick a false charge on me for an outsider. Seeing him being so unreasonable, the police also wanted to close the case quickly. But Arthur refused to let it go, grabbing onto them, insisting on putting me in jail. I cleared my throat: “How about this! Since the law can’t handle this, let’s look at it from a moral standpoint. Since many people in the audience and I took videos, why don’t I post them online and let the internet judge? It’ll also give your customers a good look at what kind of people you really are!” Mia immediately panicked, half-propping herself up and digging her nails into Arthur’s arm: “Arthur, do you want to ruin me? If that video gets posted online, how will I ever have the face to live?” Oh, so she knows what she did was wrong. With Arthur, her loyal lapdog, charging ahead to take the bullets for her, she could naturally accept all this with peace of mind. People like her never give up until they hit a dead end. Arthur grabbed her hand affectionately: “Mia, it’s okay, let her post it! We have nothing to hide!” If I were Mia, I definitely would have rolled my eyes on the spot. But she had different tactics. She cried beautifully, looking fragile and pitiful: “Arthur, do you want to see me die?” With Mia threatening her life, Arthur finally backed down. The two police officers looked relieved and left the hospital room feeling much lighter. Arthur had just lowered Mia’s bed when a bald man covered in tattoos walked in. Seeing him, Mia jumped out of bed barefoot and threw herself at him: “Hubby, boohoo, we almost lost our baby!” Arthur was anxious: “Mia, your shoes…” The bald man displayed immense husbandly strength, lifting Mia princess-style on the spot and tucking her back into bed: “Wifey, what happened? What’s going on? Is our baby okay?” He looked at me, then at Arthur: “And who are these two?” Mia averted her gaze: “This is the owner of the liquor store next door and his wife. Thanks to them, I got to the hospital in time.” The bald man patted Arthur’s arm and exchanged some pleasantries, then turned his attention to caring for his wife. I left the hospital room first. Seeing he was no longer needed, Arthur awkwardly followed suit.

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Married for seven years, Arthur’s scandals never ceased. So, when he heard that I wanted a divorce over a rumor, he raised an eyebrow, surprised and contemptuous: “It’s just playing along for the occasion. Is it really worth making a fuss over?” My voice trembled: “And the child? Is that playing along too?” The man froze slightly, then after a long moment, gave a soft laugh: “You saw it?” The pregnancy test report in his pocket was so blatant it stung the eyes. My gaze was stubborn, demanding an explanation. The man stubbed out his cigarette, his tone chilling: “The Sterling family has had only one heir for three generations. It can’t end with me. You can’t have children, but she can. Is there a problem with that?” 1 The night was heavy, the living room terrifyingly quiet. A servant was head down, sweeping up the shattered porcelain on the floor. My face was pale, my palms clenched so tight they bled. The man caught sight of the pregnancy test report in my hand, lowered his eyes, and casually lit a cigarette, showing no intention of explaining. My voice trembled: “I can’t give birth, so you find someone else to do it for me?” He bit the cigarette, his expression brazen: “Isn’t this great? You don’t have to suffer through pregnancy, and you get to keep your position as Mrs. Sterling.” “But two years ago, you clearly said it didn’t matter whether we had kids or not!” The man blew a smoke ring: “Our family has had only one heir for three generations. It can’t end with me.” “After being married for so many years, my mom just wants a grandson. Is there a problem with that?” His self-righteous tone and indifferent attitude challenged my sanity at every turn. How could he have the nerve to spout such high-sounding, bastardly nonsense? A wave of nausea violently surged up my throat. I bent over, dry heaving intensely. He waited for me to recover before looking up, saying airily: “If you’re not satisfied, we can divorce. However, according to the prenuptial agreement, your house, your car, your jewelry… even the cemetery plot I paid to move your mother to, I will take back every single piece.” “The question is, can you bear to let it all go, Chloe?” My eyelashes fluttered violently, and I clenched my bleeding palms tight. The man’s arrogant posture and the disdain seeping from his bones seemed completely unchanged from years ago. I laughed softly, sounding like self-mockery. I asked an incredibly stupid question: “Arthur, do you still love me?” The cigarette at his fingertips burned to the end. He looked up, somewhat impatient: “I gave you the position of Mrs. Sterling. Is that not enough?” During the silent standoff. He answered a call from his assistant, saying the flight to London was about to take off. Before leaving, he left me with one sentence: “Choose for yourself. Walk away with nothing, or continue being the glamorous Mrs. Sterling.” My smile was probably a pathetic sight, and tears fell: “Arthur, you really are incredibly stingy.” Stingy from beginning to end, never changing. His Adam’s apple bobbed lightly, but he said nothing more. After all, back then at the club. He was the most difficult client to serve. A new girl only had to act a little cute, and he’d open bottles of Lafite worth thousands for her. But I stood in front of him holding wine for half the night, and he would only slowly raise his eyes, asking knowingly: “What? You want some too?” Others said he was laid-back and easy to talk to, but I found him malicious and stingy. Not only did he have many demands, but he frequently went back on his word. It wasn’t until he tormented me to the point of passing out. That he would snap his fingers, signaling the bartender to open a few bottles of champagne. I should have seen it earlier. He was a man incorrigibly unruly to his very core. It’s just that no one expected he would later risk breaking with his family to marry me. 2 Four years ago, late at night when I jumped into the river, it was Arthur who fished me out of the water. The river wind was piercing. I hugged my mother’s urn, just wanting to sink. He and his buddies were driving by in a sports car and caught a glimpse of a figure in the water. He hadn’t planned on getting involved. Until he unexpectedly saw the white jade bracelet left on the railing—the first gift he gave me when I agreed to be with him. His buddy joked: “Haven’t heard from your little mistress in a week, right? Did she see you kissing another girl, get depressed, and jump into the river?” Tires screeched harshly against the pavement. Before his buddy could even finish his sentence, Arthur had already jumped off the bridge. I never thought I would be saved. No gratitude, only numbness. This usually laid-back, relaxed young master was soaked to the bone, furious to the extreme at this moment, scolding me harshly. But water was in my ears; I couldn’t hear a word he was saying. I only instinctively tried to break free from him. The result was him pressing me tightly into his chest. “If you fucking dare try to jump again, see what happens!” I closed my eyes, thinking to myself. So unlucky. Didn’t die this time. But it’s fine, there’s always a next time. But the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth time… I was stopped by Arthur every single time. He was clearly the stingiest person in the club, the one who loved to make things difficult for me the most, yet he repeatedly risked his life to save me. Until the seventh time. Arthur finally realized that I truly didn’t want to live. He gritted his teeth and said: “Can’t you survive alone? Chloe, can you fucking have some spine!” Choking on water, my eyes red, I broke free from his embrace without a word and walked toward the riverbank without looking back. The man forcefully yanked me back: “Don’t forget you still owe me hundreds of thousands! If you die, who am I supposed to collect the debt from?!” “Look at how you’ve tortured yourself over a dead person!” I finally screamed hysterically: “You don’t understand at all! What do you mean ‘a dead person’?! That was my mom! My biological mother! The only person in the world who would ever love me!” My voice trembled violently: “You have no idea what my mom meant to me! You only mock her, laughing that she’s an unpresentable hostess, laughing that I’m as lowly as her, following in her footsteps, relying on men for money!” “Do you think I enjoy clinging to you? Enjoy looking at your arrogant face?” “I just… just wanted her to live a few more years…” All my obedience was calculated, just to squeeze out a little more money. Arthur’s face gradually darkened. That time, he didn’t say another word. I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes and turned to walk toward the river. If nothing unexpected happened, I would die in the coldest winter New York had ever seen. But as I was about to jump, footsteps sounded behind me again. Cold knuckles suddenly wrapped around my waist. The man pressed my head tightly against his chest. His breathing heaved violently, our wet heartbeats pressed together. He rested his chin on my head, speaking slowly and with difficulty: “Then let me love you. Don’t die, okay?” “From now on, I will be your closest, closest family. We’ll get married. I’ll stay with you for the rest of my life. Don’t die, Chloe, please?” A lifetime, huh. That really is a very, very long time. I bit down hard on his shoulder. Tears rolled down my cheeks. Why did he have to say such nonsense when I was at my most fragile and helpless? 3 But life is not a fairytale. Moreover, the class divide between him and me was massive. His mother’s words were sharp; she absolutely refused to allow me into the family. At that time, the Sterling family had just emerged from the shadow of bankruptcy. If they married an unpresentable woman, they would be laughed to death in their circle. But Arthur didn’t care. For the first time, he reined in his cynical, laid-back attitude and declared in front of all the media that he would marry no one but me. Later, the day I wore a million-dollar wedding dress and walked down the aisle, I naively thought that God finally took pity on me. It had stripped away my only familial love, but bestowed upon me a steadfast, unwavering romantic love. To prove myself worthy of the title Mrs. Sterling, I forced myself to learn etiquette, how to advance and retreat gracefully. I even repeatedly practiced the exact angle to lift my skirt hem. But that past in the club was still dug up by the media. They laughed at me for being a clumsy clown, their words full of mockery regarding my background. Even Arthur occasionally took pleasure in tearing off my mask. The dignified, proper evening gown was impatiently torn open. The man watched with amusement as my eyes grew red from holding back, pinching my cheek and saying: “It’s fine to pretend with others, but what are you pretending with me for? Like I don’t know what you used to be like?” His nature was inherently unruly. So most of the time, he preferred to lean close to my ear, panting, deliberately bringing up my most humiliating past. Hearing my voice tremble, he would slowly trace the curve of my waist: “What, the games we played at the club before, we can’t play now that you’re Mrs. Sterling?” The reliance a drowning person has on a piece of driftwood is too easily mistaken for love. In the face of the massive class disparity. Only by constantly hypnotizing myself that it was love could I endure those degradations. 4 Late at night, the living room returned to silence. In the early hours, holding my mother’s photo, I controlled my trembling hands and wiped it over and over again. I think I regret lying to her. Before she passed, to give her some peace of mind, I lied and said I had a boyfriend. His name is Arthur. He buys me dresses, bags, and necklaces. He would stay up all night with me when I fainted from a fever. I lied and told her Arthur loves me very, very much. My mom truly believed I had found someone good to rely on. The day she left, she was very peaceful. Tears hit the picture frame, falling faster the more I wiped. It wasn’t until the blood from my palm blurred that gently smiling face that I finally admitted it to myself. There will never be another person in this world who loves me unreservedly and asks for nothing in return like she did. Never. I had asked Arthur countless times before going to sleep— Do you love me? He would only reply perfunctorily that he loved me, very much, and could I please let him sleep. Later, when he got annoyed with the question, he would say: “We’ve been married for so many years, isn’t this childish? Is love really that important?” Important. Of course, it’s important. It was the spiritual pillar keeping me alive. But now, this fake affection had been thoroughly ripped apart by Arthur. He slept with another woman and had a child. A sudden phone ring broke the silence at this moment. It took me a long time to sluggishly realize. It was already broad daylight outside. When the call connected, Mother Sterling’s voice was as cold as ever: “You already know about the child, right?” I clenched my palm, the blood now dried. My voice was so hoarse I couldn’t speak. She paused, her tone softening slightly: “I heard you and Arthur had a fight. It’s fine for a couple to bicker, but that child is the root of the Sterling family. Arthur and I have discussed it, this child must be born.” “I know you’re unhappy about it, but the Sterling family’s rules are laid out here. With such high status, how can we not have a child?” The cold moonlight flowed through the window onto my feet. Listening to her, I felt as if I had returned to the freezing river water. Suddenly, I felt a wave of nausea and dry heaved a few times. But nothing came up. I hadn’t touched a bite of the fish last night. When she finished speaking, I spoke numbly: “Since he is the father of the child, he should be by the child’s side. Why run back and forth?” Mother Sterling immediately became alert: “What do you mean?” My voice was heavy with fatigue. I squeezed my fingers; the blood had dried, so I couldn’t feel the pain anymore. “Nothing. You voluntarily gift me eighty million in your personal capacity. I will divorce him, step aside, go abroad, and never come back.” The prenuptial agreement that ensured I would leave with nothing was painstakingly crafted by over a dozen lawyers she had hired. To ensure I couldn’t exploit any legal loopholes. Her stinginess and calculation were inherited in the same vein; she and Arthur truly were mother and son. Now that I asked for the money directly, it bypassed the agreement entirely. Mother Sterling sneered: “Chloe, I really wasn’t wrong about you.” A selfish, greedy, shameless woman. Anyway, that’s what she had thought of me from beginning to end. The call ended. I slid down the cold wall and sat on the floor. A continuous dull ache from my lower abdomen made the ominous premonition grow heavier. My period was already nearly twenty days late.

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“Wife, you bite so tight…” While doing the deed with my fiancé, I suddenly froze: “What brand are you wearing today? It’s so thin.” The man on top of me worked even harder, speaking faintly: “I’m not wearing one today. Let me stay in a bit longer. Deals have been hard to close lately, and I’m under a lot of stress.” Watching him act so needy, probably no one would believe this was the ruthless, terrifying arms dealer of South America. The only way he relieved stress was by indulging in endless intimacy with me, his childhood sweetheart and fiancée. But tonight might be our last time. It’s all because of the Vance family’s ancestral rule: the heir must personally seek a lucky omen from the ancestral shrine before marrying. However, over the past five years, Arthur Vance has drawn a bad omen 98 times in a row, receiving 98 lashings as punishment. For the 99th time, I decided that if he drew a bad omen again, I would take the punishment with him and beg the Vance family to make an exception and let us marry. When I rushed to the Vance family shrine, Arthur had just drawn a lucky omen—one divining block face up, one face down. But before I could cry out in joy, I saw Arthur flip the face-up block over, turning it into a bad omen! Then, he spoke to his uncle beside him: “Announce to the outside that the omen drawn this time is still a bad one.” I froze in place, my mind going completely blank. The uncle picked up the blocks, looking at Arthur with a complex expression: “Arthur, when you were a kid, you always said that when you became the biggest arms dealer in South America, you’d use ninety-nine arms deals as a dowry for Chloe. Now that you have the power, why do you keep putting it off?” “This is the 99th time you’ve changed a lucky omen to a bad one.” It turns out that the previous 98 times, he had drawn lucky omens! Inside the shrine, Arthur’s voice held a hint of helplessness: “My desire to marry Chloe has never changed. But during the three years Chloe went to Eastern Europe to open up the market, it was Mia who went through life and death with me.” “Mia said the day I got married, she would leave the organization and go to the most dangerous arms circles in Africa. Although I don’t love her, I’m human. After eight years of sharing life and death, I really can’t bear to let her take that risk.” “And what about Chloe Hastings? You change the omen time and time again to delay the wedding. Aren’t you afraid she’ll lose heart and leave?” the uncle pressed. Arthur fell silent for a moment, picked up the whip from the corner, and handed it to his uncle: “That’s why I can never let Chloe know about this. Let the lashing each time be my compensation to her. This time, according to family law, give me ninety-nine lashes.” Outside the door, I covered my mouth tightly to keep from crying out loud. Just then, the phone in my pocket vibrated. It was my mother calling: “Chloe, what was the result of the divination this time? Can you and Arthur get married?” I felt like I had swallowed a dud firecracker; I couldn’t speak. My mother instantly understood and advised me earnestly: “If you haven’t managed to get married in five years, it’s clear he doesn’t truly want to marry you. Listen to Mom, marry into the Thorne family in Europe. The Thornes are no less than the Vances. You definitely won’t suffer any grievances if you marry there. Mom just wants you to be stable and happy.” My eyes fell on the lonely figure dressed in black inside the shrine, and a dense, stabbing pain spread through my heart: “Okay, I agree to marry into the Thorne family.” Chapter 2 Hanging up the phone, Arthur, having just finished his lashing, happened to be helped out of the shrine by his uncle. Seeing me, a flash of panic crossed his eyes: “Chloe, when did you get here?” I forcefully suppressed my surging emotions: “Just as you were receiving the family punishment.” Arthur let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief, grabbed my hand, his face full of guilt: “I’m sorry, it’s a bad omen again this time. Can you wait for me a little longer? Next time, I will definitely draw a lucky omen and marry you.” My nails almost dug into my palms, and I said nothing. The wounds on Arthur’s back were bleeding profusely and needed to be treated at the hospital. In the hospital room, I had just finished applying medication to him and was about to get up when the door was pushed open with a “bang.” It was Mia—clutching an arms inventory list, her eyes red. As soon as she saw the bandages on Arthur’s back, she rushed over, pointed at me, and shrieked: “A bad omen 99 times! It proves the Vance ancestors don’t acknowledge her at all! Why do you insist on marrying her?” Arthur’s face instantly darkened, his voice as cold as ice: “Mia, you are just my second-in-command. Who gave you the authority to meddle in my private affairs?” Mia turned pale and ran out crying. My throat felt sour, and I tried hard to keep my voice steady: “Mia is your second-in-command? Since when?” Arthur’s expression stiffened, then he said with an annoyed tone: “I promised before that whoever secured the arms deal in the Middle East would be my second-in-command. I didn’t expect Mia to be the one to get it.” “It was a public promise; I couldn’t go back on my word and refuse her.” Sensing my silence, he quickly promised: “Don’t worry, as soon as she makes a mistake, I’ll fire her immediately. From the creation of the organization until now, I am truly, truly sick of her.” He says he only loves me, yet he changes the omen time and time again; He says he’s sick of Mia, yet he keeps her by his side as his second-in-command. “I have things to do these next few days. Have the nurse take care of you.” I was afraid I would lose control if I stayed any longer. After saying that, ignoring the disappointment in his eyes, I hurried out of the hospital room. For the next few days, I was busy processing my visa for Europe and handing over the arms deals I was managing. Just as I finished, Arthur called, saying he had a surprise for me. As soon as I got in the car, he covered my eyes with his hands. When we arrived at the destination, I pulled his hands away. Only then did I realize this was the yacht where he had secured his first arms deal and confessed his feelings to me when we were eighteen. A banner hung in the yacht’s restaurant reading, “Celebrating Arthur and Chloe’s 10th Anniversary.” It’s fitting. This relationship started here, and it will end here. Arthur didn’t notice my unusual behavior and put his arm around me as we walked in. He had rented the entire yacht. In the center of the restaurant sat an old-fashioned record player, playing a love song he had recorded himself for me. I looked around: The theme color of the decorations was yellow, a color I dislike. Half of the photos on the photo wall had fallen off. Although it was supposed to be dinner for two, there was only one set of cutlery on the table. Arthur frowned, called the captain over, and demanded: “Why is the setup so terrible?” The captain broke into a cold sweat: “Mr. Vance, it was all done according to Deputy Mia’s instructions. We warned her it was inappropriate, but she said we must do exactly as she ordered…” Arthur looked awful, but his anger quickly subsided. He leaned close to me, trying to coax me: “I’ll punish Mia by making her sweep the armory. Don’t be mad, okay? Today is our anniversary; let’s not let irrelevant people ruin the mood.” I didn’t say anything and sat down silently. When the cake was brought out, I let out a bitter laugh. It was actually a nut and almond cake. It seemed Mia was determined not to let us enjoy this anniversary. “I’m allergic to almonds.” Arthur’s anger finally erupted: “I’m going to find Mia and get this straight!” He stormed out, and I followed him. On the deck, he grabbed Mia’s wrist: “I explained the restaurant setup to you countless times, and I specifically told you Chloe is allergic to almonds. Did you do this on purpose?” Mia shook off his hand, shouting with red eyes: “Yes! I did it on purpose! You wanted me to personally set up your anniversary with her? I couldn’t do it!” Arthur’s eyes softened, but he turned his head away to avoid her gaze: “Chloe and I are childhood sweethearts. I only love her.” Mia gave a miserable smile, her tears hitting the deck: “I really envy her, being able to have your love.” “While I have to watch you two celebrate your anniversary on my birthday. It hurts more than taking a bullet!” Looking at her pained expression, Arthur spoke stiffly: “How about this? I can grant you one wish. After all, you are my subordinate.” “I want to give you my first time, can I?” Mia stood on her tiptoes, kissed his thin lips, and tentatively reached to unbuckle his belt. The moment the belt was about to be unfastened, Arthur abruptly spun Mia around and pinned her against the deck railing. With a rip, fabric tore. The tent that had long been pitched forcefully forced its way in. Even though I had already decided to let go, the scene before me still felt like a bullet piercing my heart. Arthur didn’t return to the restaurant until an hour later, with Mia following behind him. He put his arm around me like nothing had happened: “Chloe, I just punished her severely. Now I’ve brought her to apologize to you in person.” Mia readily admitted her fault: “I’m sorry, Miss Hastings. It was my negligence at work. I hope you can forgive me, considering Mr. Vance has already ‘punished’ me.” With that, she gave me a somewhat smug look, turned, and left. I closed my eyes and forced a faint smile. “Arthur, let’s break up. My mom has arranged a marriage for me in Europe.” Chapter 3 But he didn’t hear me. Because from outside the yacht came the panicked cry of Mia falling into the water. Arthur dropped me and rushed out wildly. Not long after, my phone dinged—it was a message from Mia: [Did you think Arthur making me apologize meant he hated me?] [Let me tell you, he just took my virginity and said he was making it up to me.] [Now I just accidentally fell into the water, and he abandoned your anniversary to take me to the hospital.] [I’ve been more important to him than you for a long time now!] I stood on the deck, watching the familiar Maybach slowly disappear, and laughed self-deprecatingly. Back at my place, I started packing for Europe. Meanwhile, Arthur, who had said he would be “right back,” was completely MIA the entire afternoon. It wasn’t until late at night that he sent a message: [Chloe, Mia got a terrible fright from falling in the water. The doctor says she could spike a high fever at any moment and needs someone with her. This happened because of me, so I can’t just leave her. We’ll celebrate our anniversary in a few days, don’t be mad, okay?] I didn’t reply. Early the next morning, there was a frantic knocking at the door. I opened it to an anxious Arthur: “Why didn’t you reply to my messages last night? Are you still mad?” “I was too tired from packing and fell asleep,” I brushed him off casually. He saw the black suitcase in the living room and grabbed me in a panic: “Where are you going?” “To Europe.” I broke free from his grip. Hearing this, he sighed in relief: “Going to see your parents? When do you leave? I’ll have someone prepare some gifts for you to take. Say hello to them for me.” “Tonight’s flight.” “Okay, I’ll take you to the airport. But come back soon, I’ll miss you.” He added a touch of neediness to that last sentence. Arthur didn’t think much of it and closed the door for me. “There happens to be a gathering of old organization members today. Let’s go together.” I didn’t refuse. Once I went to Europe, I’d probably never see these people again. When getting in the car, I saw Mia sitting in the passenger seat, her leg wrapped in bandages. Arthur immediately explained: “Her leg is injured, she can’t move around easily, so she’s riding with us.” I nodded calmly: “I understand.” The car quickly arrived at the private club. In the private room, we became the center of attention as soon as we entered. “I can’t believe after all these years, our cartel IT couple is still inseparable. Your relationship is as good as ever.” “Yeah, yeah! You guys must be married by now, right? Any kids?” Before we could speak, Mia jumped in: “Don’t talk nonsense, they aren’t married! Mr. Vance’s marriage has to follow the ancestral rules, it’s not set yet!” Arthur’s face darkened. He put his arm around my shoulder, his thumb rubbing the bullet casing ring on my ring finger, which he had polished himself: “I just haven’t drawn a lucky omen yet. Once I do, I’ll invite everyone to my private island for the wedding.” Just then, someone brought out an iron box: “Everyone’s here! Let’s see if the ‘Arms Oaths’ we wrote back then have come true!” As soon as he spoke, everyone became lively. “Come on, come on! Let’s pour them out one by one and read them aloud in front of everyone. That’s the fun part!” The first was Arthur’s: [After taking control of the Vance arms empire, I will immediately use 99 arms deals as a dowry to marry Chloe Hastings and make her my Cartel Queen.] The second was mine: [Be Arthur’s most trusted support, marry him, and have his children.] The third was Mia’s: [Stay by Arthur’s side forever.] Mia smiled smugly: “I’m the only one whose wish came true. I’m his second-in-command now, and I can stay with him forever.” The crowd looked at her with disdain, looking down on her for being a homewrecker. But a drunk arms dealer stumbled over and joined the commotion: “How about this? Since Mr. Vance doesn’t want you, why don’t you get with me? I guarantee you’ll live a life of luxury in the arms circle!” Saying this, he opened his reeking mouth and leaned in. Arthur abruptly stood up, shoved the man away, shielded Mia behind him, and said coldly: “Who says I don’t want her? She is my woman now. Who dares touch her?” Chapter 4 I felt a little breathless and turned to leave the private room. Behind me came Arthur’s panicked voice: “Chloe, listen to me explain! I was just helping Mia out of a tough spot. She’s my subordinate; I couldn’t just watch her get bullied!” I pulled my hand back and smiled calmly: “No need to explain, I understand.” I understood that those were his true feelings. Despite getting the answer he wanted, Arthur didn’t feel relieved. That sense of panic surged within him again, and he reached for my wrist. “Chloe, why are you…” Before he could finish, Mia ran after him, crying: “Arthur, my leg still hurts. Can you take me home…” Arthur hesitated for a second, and the taxi I had called arrived just in time. I didn’t look at them again and got straight into the car. Back home, I shipped my luggage to Europe, keeping only a backpack. The knocking sounded again. Arthur grabbed my wrist and roared: “Why did you bribe Mia’s family to come to the organization and make a scene, forcing her to quit and go back to her hometown to marry some senile old man?!” Behind him, Mia was crying a river of tears: “Chloe, I just wanted to stay by Arthur’s side. Why are you so vicious?” “Do you know how hard it was for me to escape my family and join the organization? I don’t want to leave! I don’t want to go back to the countryside and marry an old man!” I was completely confused: “Bribe her family? I don’t know anything about that!” Arthur was convinced I was lying: “Her family personally said a woman named Hastings gave them money to make a scene! If I hadn’t stopped them, she would have been tied up and taken away!” He suddenly let go, and I fell to the ground, scraping my palms. He looked at my wounds, his hands unconsciously tightening. Back when I got scraped during training, he used to be this nervous too. But seeing Mia’s tears, he hardened his heart: “Apologize to Mia.” I chuckled: “I didn’t do anything wrong, why should I apologize?” Seeing my refusal to bow my head, Arthur’s face grew even colder: “When it comes to the divination, the Vance ancestors won’t let a woman with wicked intentions become my wife. Chloe, you need to think carefully.” With that, he pulled Mia away. The sound of his leather boots clicking against the floor felt like a death sentence for our relationship. My phone chimed—a message from my mother: [Chloe, the marriage alliance is all set up. The other party offered a city as a dowry. You just need to come back and be a beautiful, happy bride.] Turning off the screen, I grabbed my backpack and headed to the airport. From now on, I will walk toward a new, happy life that belongs to me. And in this happy life, there will be no Arthur Vance. … Meanwhile, Arthur stayed by Mia’s side, guarding against her family returning to cause trouble. Suddenly, the cartel group chat exploded with messages: [Did you hear? The mafia godfather in Europe is getting married. I even got an invitation.] [I thought that guy was never going to marry. I want to see who finally managed to tie him down.] Arthur was also curious and scrolled through the messages. Suddenly, his eyes widened as if he had seen something utterly terrifying. The next instant, the names of the groom and bride blazed into his eyes— Groom: Silas Thorne Bride: Chloe Hastings

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The moment my adopted sister pushed me off the roof of that 99-story building, I watched my family rush to protect her, and a sudden, profound realization hit me. All the love and expectations I craved were just chains I used to deceive myself. When those chains shattered, I found myself reborn from a pool of blood, back to when I was fifteen. In this life, watching my parents bring Chloe into our home again, I didn’t throw a hysterical fit fighting for their affection. My parents’ blatant favoritism, my brother’s exclusive indulgence toward her, and the gentle affection of my childhood sweetheart—I didn’t care about any of it anymore. But why, this time, were they the ones crying and begging me to just look at them? 1 I stood at the top of the stairs, running my fingers over the cold handrail. In the living room, my parents were leading a timid-looking girl. She wore a faded, washed-out jacket and anxiously surveyed this unfamiliar, luxurious home. “Don’t be afraid, Chloe. This is your home from now on.” My mother’s voice was gentle and cautious as she lightly stroked the girl’s hair. In the past, that kind of careful, tender affection would have made me crazy with jealousy. Right now, my heart was empty; I felt absolutely nothing. “This is your brother. He specifically took time off from college to come back and meet you.” My father introduced him with a beaming smile. My brother, Liam, who had rushed back from out of town, pulled a beautifully wrapped gift box from his backpack: “Welcome to our family. This is a little something for you.” Those usually aloof eyes were now brimming with an indulgent, doting smile. I watched this scene expressionlessly, like watching a play that had nothing to do with me. No anger, no jealousy, not even a ripple of emotion. Chloe timidly accepted the gift. Looking up, her still slightly chubby face was written with gratitude and nervousness. She was such a good actress. If I didn’t know that ten years later, she would use these very hands to violently push me off the roof of a 99-story building. But even recalling that moment, my heartbeat remained steady. Hatred? I didn’t really feel that either. It was all just an objective fact. “Nora, come down and meet your sister.” My mother finally noticed me standing at the top of the stairs, her tone carrying a hint of expectation. I silently walked down the stairs. Four pairs of eyes instantly turned to me. “Hello.” I spoke, my voice as calm as a pool of stagnant water. There were no hysterical demands of “Why did you bring her back?” like in my past life, nor sharp, crying screams of “This is my house!” Those emotions that once tore me apart felt as if they had never existed. Or rather—they truly didn’t exist anymore. Chloe seemed frightened by my coldness; she shrank back behind my mother. “Nora.” My mother sighed. “It’s Chloe’s first time here. Can’t you say a few more words?” “Nothing much to say.” I turned to walk back upstairs. Behind me, I heard my mother’s awkward explanation: “Don’t mind her. Nora has always been afraid of strangers since she was little. That’s just how her personality is…” I didn’t even have the interest to turn back for a glance. Whatever they said, whatever they explained, it had nothing to do with me anymore. I pushed open my bedroom door, shutting those voices out. The room looked just as I remembered. Everything was paused in the summer I was fifteen, as if the bloody plunge from the high-rise was just an absurd dream. I calmly surveyed the room. There was no warmth of coming home, nor the joy of regaining what was lost. I just felt this was merely a temporary place to stay. In a week, my sophomore year of high school would begin. I planned to board at the school. Knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door. It was Liam. 2 He saw my open suitcase, a look of surprise flashing across his face: “Nora, where are you going?” “Boarding at school.” I kept folding my clothes without looking up, my tone flat. My brother frowned, confused. “Just because of Chloe?” I shoved my last T-shirt into the suitcase. “Freshman year is important for building a foundation. I want to focus on my studies.” I paused, then added: “You can give this room to Chloe from now on.” In my past life, Chloe used all sorts of lame excuses to try and steal my room. First, she said she was afraid of the dark and the guest room was too isolated. Then, she said she wanted to be closer to Mom and Dad to bond with them. Later, she straight-up cried, saying my room had good natural light and she needed the sunlight to regulate her mood. And every time I refused, my parents would call me “petty,” “immature,” and “selfish.” Since the outcome is already predetermined, why waste the effort? Where I live makes no difference to me. My brother was silent for a few seconds. “Nora, do you dislike Chloe?” I stopped what I was doing and looked up at him. “I don’t like or dislike her.” “I just think this will be easier.” My brother stared at me for a good while, finally patting my head. “Nora, I know having someone new in the house suddenly might take some time to get used to. But you have to believe that even with a new sister here, Mom, Dad, and my love for you will never change.” Never change? I zoned out for a second. When I ranked first in my grade, my dad just said, “Not bad, keep it up.” When Chloe went from fifth from the bottom to tenth from the bottom, the whole family celebrated like it was a holiday, praising her “rapid progress.” When I was injured and hospitalized, my parents sent the nanny to take care of me, saying they were too busy with work to get away. When Chloe got a fever from a cold, my parents took turns taking time off to sit by her bed. My mom even said with red eyes, “Chloe has suffered so much since she was little. We need to double our efforts to treat her well from now on.” I pulled myself back from my thoughts, a faint smile curling the corner of my mouth. “Mhm, I know.” After Liam left, I pulled an exquisite wooden box from deep inside my closet. It was a music box, hand-made for me by my grandfather before he passed away. Sadly, in my past life, Chloe smashed it to pieces. It was the first time I got so angry I hit her. She ran crying to Mom and Dad to complain about how wronged she felt. “I… I just had never seen such a pretty music box and wanted to pick it up to play with it. But sister yelled at me and wouldn’t let me touch it. I got scared and accidentally dropped it.” “Mom, I really didn’t mean to, wuuu wuuu wuuu.” My mom didn’t even ask me a single question before tearing into me. “Nora, how could you treat your sister like that! It’s just a music box, couldn’t you just let her have her way a little?” Right. Just a music box. But they forgot, I treasured it like my own life, because it was the last memento my grandfather left me. I closed the lid and gently placed it at the very bottom of my suitcase. Taking away my last keepsake. 3 At 6 PM, my mom knocked on my door. “Nora, come down for dinner.” Her tone carried a forced cheerfulness, as if trying hard to create a warm atmosphere. “It’s Chloe’s first meal here. Let’s have a family dinner together.” I closed my book and went downstairs. The dining table was filled to the brim with expensive dishes. But when I reached the table, my footsteps halted. My usual seat—the one between my mom and brother—was currently occupied by Chloe. She was wearing a newly bought floral dress, sitting there obediently, like a carefully tended flower. Almost all the food on the table was piled in front of her. My dad was looking down, peeling crab meat for her. My brother was serving her soup, and my mom was constantly putting food in her bowl. “Eat more, Chloe. Look how skinny you are.” “This steamed bass was made especially for you. You said you liked fish.” “Eat slowly, don’t burn yourself.” Under the warm yellow light, they sat around the table, their faces covered in smiles. That picture was so warm it stung my eyes. They looked like the perfect, happy family of four. While my appearance was like an untimely intruder, breaking this harmony. Seeing me standing there, my mom paused for a moment. “Nora, hurry and sit down. What are you doing just standing there?” I didn’t speak, just quietly stared at that seat. Sensing my gaze, Chloe looked up, gave me a timid glance, and then lowered her head again. She knew perfectly well that was my seat. But she sat there, motionless, as if she couldn’t understand what I meant. I let out a soft chuckle. Then I walked to the table, put a few pieces of food in my bowl, and turned to head back upstairs. “Stop right there!” My dad called out in a deep voice, his face full of displeasure. “What are you doing?” “There’s no room for me at this table anyway, so there’s no need to add another chair.” “You child, how can you speak like that!” My mom frowned. “It’s Chloe’s first day here. Can’t you be a little more sensible?” “I am very sensible, which is why I’m tactfully leaving.” Chloe’s eyes instantly turned red. She bit her lip, her voice laced with tears: “I’m sorry… Should I not have come? I made Sister unhappy…” “It’s not your fault, Chloe!” My mom quickly hugged her, her tone full of heartache. “It’s your sister being immature. Don’t take it to heart.” My brother also put down his chopsticks, looking at me with disappointment in his eyes: “Nora, what is wrong with you today?” I didn’t say another word. Holding my bowl, I turned and went upstairs. 4 After dinner, my mom brought a bowl of soup to my room. “Nora, you didn’t eat well at dinner. I specifically had the chef make this for you.” She placed the soup on my desk, her tone carrying a fawning gentleness. It was my favorite lotus root and pork rib soup. But looking at that bowl of soup, I couldn’t feel any warmth inside. Because I could see it—the hesitant, conflicted expression on my mom’s face clearly meant she had a favor to ask. “Mom, if you have something to say, just say it.” I cut to the chase to save her the long preamble. My mom paused, smiling a bit awkwardly: “It’s nothing major, really, just…” She hesitated, seemingly weighing her words. “Mom wants to discuss something with you. Could you drop out of the honors class and move to the regular class?” My hand, holding the soup bowl, stopped mid-air. “Chloe came from a small town. She’s new here and doesn’t know anything.” My mom’s tone took on a pleading edge. “You’re her older sister. It would be great if you could look after her at school. Your grades are already good, so it’s the same no matter which class you’re in, right?” I looked down at the soup in the bowl. The steam rose, blurring my vision. In that moment, I suddenly felt that swallowing this mouthful of soup would be a burden. I put down the bowl and looked up at my mom: “No.” My mom frowned. “Just help Mom this one time, okay? Chloe is introverted. If no one looks after her, she’ll be very lonely at school.” “So I have to be sacrificed?” My tone remained calm, but every word was clear. “I worked hard to get into the honors class because I’m aiming for an Ivy League school.” My mom got anxious. “Chloe is different. Her foundation is weak, and she needs someone to help her adjust…” “That’s her problem.” I interrupted her. “I will not pay for her future with my own.” I stood up, cutting off my mom’s desire to continue persuading me. “I’m going to sleep. Please leave.” In my past life, I moved to the regular class so I wouldn’t disappoint my parents. But what did I get in return? She used her pathetic, weak act to gain the sympathy of the entire class, isolating and bullying me. My grades plummeted, and “vicious, scheming bitch” became my terrible label for those three years. Every time I tried to explain or clarify, she would just say, “I knew it, Sister still hates me,” completely dismissing my words. So this time, I will absolutely not let my future be destroyed by her scheming. 5 On the first day of school, I stepped into the honors classroom. The walls were covered with honor rolls of past alumni who had gotten into top universities. Everything here was exactly the same as my past life. Only this time, I wasn’t going to leave. “Nora?” A familiar voice rang in my ear. I looked up and saw Ethan standing in front of me, his face full of pleasant surprise. “It really is you! We get to be in the same class again.” He casually pulled out the chair next to me and sat down, just as close and inseparable as we had been growing up. In my past life, my face would blush and my heart would race when he got close. But in this life, what surfaced in my mind were the words he said in that hospital corridor. “Nora, Chloe really needs me. Please, just let us be together.” “I know this is unfair to you, but I truly love her.” Those words were like knives, cutting into my heart one by one. I suppressed the churning emotions inside me and smiled politely. “Yeah, what a coincidence.” Ethan sensed my distant attitude and clearly froze for a second. “Nora, what’s wrong?” I started organizing my textbooks one by one, not looking up. “Class is about to start. Hurry back to your seat.” “I…” The bell rang, cutting him off. High school studies are intense, especially in the honors class. During the lunch break, a roar of laughter came from the hallway. “Hahaha, I’m dying!” “Oh my god, she actually didn’t know that was an automatic door!” “She thought you had to push it, and ended up walking right into it.” My heart jumped. I walked to the door and looked out. Chloe was standing right in front of the classroom next door, her face flushed bright red, a conspicuous red mark on her forehead. Her backpack was unzipped, and her things were scattered all over the floor. A few worn-out notebooks, a nearly empty ballpoint pen, and a pencil case that had been patched up several times. A crowd of students surrounded her, some covering their mouths to hide their laughter, others whispering. “She doesn’t even know how to use an automatic door…” “I heard she transferred from a mountain region. Her parents are gone.” “No wonder she’s so country.” Chloe crouched down, clumsily gathering her things, tears swirling in her eyes. Right at that moment, Ethan walked over. He crouched down, helping her pick up her scattered books, and said gently: “It’s okay. I walked into it too when I first got here.” His voice was gentle and considerate, like the warm winter sun. Chloe looked up, her tears falling right on cue. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I thought you had to push it.” Ethan handed her a tissue. “Don’t cry. Everyone has a first time.” As he spoke, he even glared at the students who were watching the show. “Break it up!” But instead of leaving, those people laughed even harder. Because they saw that when Chloe took the tissue, she accidentally knocked off Ethan’s watch. It was a limited-edition mechanical watch, worth six figures. The air instantly went quiet. Chloe froze completely. She looked at the watch on the ground, her face white as a sheet. “I’m s-sorry, I didn’t mean to!” Her voice was shaking, and she looked like she was about to cry again. Ethan paused for a moment, but still said gently: “It’s fine. It’s just a watch.” But the people around them had already exploded. “That’s a limited edition! There are only three in the whole country!” “Can she even afford to pay for it?” “She’s from the country, she’s probably never even seen a watch like that before.” Whispers rose and fell, every sentence like a needle piercing Chloe. I stood outside the crowd, watching this scene coldly. My mind was completely clear. This was a script she had meticulously designed. 6 I remember it vividly. My mom bought her a whole set of imported stationery. A Staedtler mechanical pencil, a Pilot fountain pen, Muji notebooks, and a limited-edition canvas pencil case. Those things combined cost at least a thousand dollars. Yet she deliberately hid them all. Just so on the first day, everyone could see how “pitiful” she looked. She calculated that Ethan would pass by here and play the hero saving the damsel in distress. Ethan carefully helped Chloe up, comforting her gently. She accurately caught my eye in the crowd, a flash of satisfaction crossing her gaze. I just didn’t expect her revenge to come so quickly. Right after evening self-study, I was called into the principal’s office. My parents were actually there too, their faces dark. And Chloe, eyes red and swollen, standing with her head down in the corner. My heart sank. I walked in, and before I could speak, my mom said coldly: “Nora, how can you be so insensible?” Her tone was heavy, carrying obvious dissatisfaction. “Chloe had an incident at school. You, as her older sister, saw it but didn’t go help her?” I froze for a moment: “I…” My dad also looked awful: “Chloe is new to the school, everything is unfamiliar to her. You are her only family here.” “People were mocking her, and you just stood by and watched?” “Do you have any sense of being an older sister at all!” Looking at their accusations, I only felt annoyed. Annoyed that they were wasting my time to do practice exams. In my past life, it was like this too. Every time something happened to Chloe, the first person they blamed wasn’t the one bullying her, but me. Because in their eyes, I was the older sister, so I should unconditionally take care of her. Even if she was faking it. Even if she was scheming against others. “Dad, Mom, don’t blame Sister…” Chloe spoke up then, her eyes red. “It’s my own fault for being too stupid to even know how to use an automatic door.” The more understanding she sounded, the uglier my parents’ expressions became. My dad, with a dark face, looked at the principal, then at Chloe’s red, swollen eyes, and suddenly spoke: “Principal Lee, I’d like to…” My heart jumped. Oh no! In my past life, after I was transferred, not only did my learning environment deteriorate, but I also became a joke to the entire school. And Chloe logically inherited my spot and resources in the honors class. “I’m sorry!” My voice suddenly rang out, interrupting my dad. Everyone froze. The next second, I turned to face Chloe, bowed ninety degrees, and said loudly: “I failed in my duty as an older sister!”

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At the most critical moment of my grad school admission interview, my mother suddenly burst into my room, a glass of milk in hand. Instantly, a bold system prompt popped up on my computer screen. [Interview interrupted. Score invalidated.] I slammed my hand onto the keyboard, my voice hoarse: “Mom, let’s cut all ties!” The room was silent for a few seconds. She looked at the black screen, then down at the half-spilled milk. “Just for this?” I closed my eyes, physically and mentally exhausted. “Yes, just for this.” My mother placed the milk heavily on the desk, looking flustered and at a loss. “Chloe… quickly turn on your computer, Mom will apologize to the examiner…” “Mom didn’t know you were interviewing, I just felt bad you were staying up late and wanted to bring you a glass of milk.” My father, hearing the commotion, hurried in, rubbing his hands together to smooth things over. “Yes! It’s all a misunderstanding! Quickly contact the examiner, Mom and Dad will help you explain.” I stood up, the chair legs making a harsh screeching sound. “That was the last question of the interview. I spent a whole semester preparing for this.” “I missed out on Stanford during undergrad, and now my chance for grad school there is ruined too!” My mother covered her face and sobbed. “Mom didn’t know… you didn’t tell me either…” My father put his arm around her: “Your mom is wrong, but her intentions are good. We’re a family, we need to be understanding.” It was always this routine. One admits a fault, the other plays peacemaker. And I, bound by the word “understanding,” was nailed in place. I hadn’t eaten dinner that night. Waking up half-starved in the middle of the night, I got up to find something in the kitchen. Passing the master bedroom, I heard hushed conversation from behind the slightly ajar door. “You overacted. What if she really hates us now?” It was my father. “Hate what? I apologized.” My mother’s tone was light. “I saw the notification on the tablet synced to her phone ages ago.” “This is great, the interview is ruined. Now she can take the civil service exam here in the city…” “You are smart.” My father laughed, sounding approving. I stood outside the door, my body turning ice cold. I suddenly remembered middle school, when she had picked the lock on my door just like this. Always saying, ‘You’re my daughter, Mom is just caring about you.’ I resisted countless times, but all I got was her breaking into my room again and again, controlling my life. It wasn’t until I took a knife and cut my wrist that she, with a livid face, finally put the lock back on. I thought that was in the past. It turns out, over all these years, the lock was never truly replaced. I violently pushed the door open. The two of them jumped. “I heard everything.” My voice was terrifyingly calm. “Mom, you did it on purpose.” The panic on my mother’s face lasted only a second before she immediately plastered on a smile. “Chloe, you misheard, Mom just accidentally…” “Accidentally?” I cut her off: “Accidentally looked at my tablet?” Her smile froze. Then her eyes reddened, and her voice softened. “I really am doing this for your own good, I’m your mother… how could I watch you go down the wrong path?” “What’s the point of going to grad school out of state? Staying near your parents, getting a stable government job, and getting married, that’s the right path!” She reached out to grab me, but I stepped back. “For my own good? Are you paving the way for me?” I stared at her. “Or are you just terrified of me slipping out of your control?” That fragile facade instantly fell away. “I am your mother, would I harm you?!” She stopped hiding it. “I gave birth to you, so your life belongs to me!” My father quickly interjected: “Say less! Your mom has a quick temper, but her intentions are good…” “Her intentions are good.” I repeated softly: “I’ve heard that for twenty years. One of you slaps me, the other gives me a piece of candy. I’ve played along for twenty years.” I looked around at them: “But today, I’m done playing your game!” I turned back to my room and quickly packed my backpack. “Don’t you dare leave!” My mother lunged at me. I threw her off and walked to the door. “Chloe Smith! Apologize right now!” My father’s face darkened. Holding the cold door handle, I looked back one last time. “From today on, we are cutting all ties!” The door closed behind me, cutting off all sound. The hot, humid summer night wind hit my face, but I felt freezing cold. Standing under a streetlight, I checked my phone. Balance: $23.50. 2. In elementary school, I loved to draw, so she tore up my sketchbooks. “What future is there in drawing?” In middle school, I wanted to build model airplanes, so she cut off my allowance. “Will this nonsense get you into a top high school?” For college applications, I put down a top out-of-state university, and she changed it to a local community college. “The outside world is too dangerous, you can’t handle it.” Unable to bear it any longer, I trashed my room. She sat in the ruins, crying heart-wrenchingly. “Mom worked like a dog for you her whole life, and this is how you repay me?” My father chimed in from the side: “Chloe! Would your mom harm you?” Right! I used to tell myself that when I felt suffocated: She’s doing it for my own good. After walking aimlessly for a long time, my phone rang. It was my good friend, Sarah. After hearing me out, she only replied: “Send me your location, I’m coming to get you.” Half an hour later, I was at her house. Her parents asked nothing, just silently set an extra place at the table. That night I slept on the floor in her room, and relying on this shelter, I slowly caught my breath. Since I was little, my mother strictly forbade me from interacting with other students. She said they would be a bad influence and affect my studies. Especially boys. In her eyes, boys were all up to no good, cheap, and only got close to me to seduce me. Once, a male classmate asked me for directions. After she saw it, she went straight to the school that day and hung a banner. Pointing at that boy, telling him to stay away from me. Later, she spread rumors about him everywhere until he was forced to transfer schools. From then on, I was completely isolated by my classmates. Only Sarah was the one person brave enough to approach me during those dark teenage years. Early the next morning, I was jolted awake by a call from the class president, Kevin. “Chloe! Control your mother! If she spreads rumors in the group chat again, I’m calling the police!” I opened WhatsApp. At the top of my chat with Kevin was his message from last night. “We’re just waiting on your part for the group project.” Attached was a smiling emoji. Below that, were over a dozen voice messages from my mother. “You little animal! How dare you try to seduce my daughter?” “I’ll let the whole school see what kind of trash you are!” I suddenly remembered, the WhatsApp on the tablet at home wasn’t logged out. Trembling, I opened our grade’s group chat. At the very top was a post from my account: a photo of Kevin at the beach. Caption: “Who are you dressing like this for?” Followed by a mini-essay, every word vicious. “Dressing like a male prostitute, and you’re trying to sell yourself to my daughter?” “My daughter is destined for great things, stay away from her, you filthy piece of trash!” Below that was Kevin’s counterattack. He posted full screenshots of our chat, proving he was just asking for the assignment, and requested the school handle this seriously. The group chat exploded. Classmates were calling her a “crazy bitch” and saying she “needs to get her head checked.” My mother was actually fighting with dozens of people: “Your parents are the failures! Raising a bunch of little animals!” Until the academic advisor intervened: “Chloe’s parent, please stop immediately and apologize!” She retorted directly: “Who the hell are you? Is it your place to interfere with how I discipline my daughter?” The advisor was furious: “Chloe! Bring your parent to my office immediately! Otherwise, you will face severe consequences!” I gripped my phone tightly and walked out of the room. My parents were having breakfast with Sarah’s parents. “Chloe, let’s go home after you eat these dumplings.” My mother smiled and handed me a pair of chopsticks. “Why did you spread sexual rumors about Kevin in the group chat?” Her smile froze: “Mom was just afraid you’d be taken advantage of by that kind of boy…” “What right do you have to casually spread rumors about others just because you’re ‘afraid’?” I roared, cutting her off. My father slammed the table: “There are outsiders here! Have some decency!” “Since I was little, your way of dealing with ‘fear’ is to destroy the person who makes you afraid.” I looked at my mother, feeling the sheer absurdity of it all. “Just because you’re neurotic, you’re going to ruin someone else’s reputation again?!” Slap! A loud slap rang out. Her hand was shaking: “I gave birth to you and raised you, not for you to disobey me!” I covered my face and laughed. “Right, you gave birth to me and raised me.” I looked at them. “So I deserve to be an object, held tightly in the palm of your hand?” “I am your daughter.” I said softly: “Not a dog you keep, forever chained by the neck, slapped when I’m disobedient.” I got up and rushed out the door. Sarah grabbed my bag and chased after me, her voice dry. “It was my parents… who told yours.” Under the blazing sun, I suddenly stopped. “Sarah, three years ago when you helped my mom change my college application… how did you feel?” The breathing behind me stopped. “The password.” I turned around to look at her. “I only ever showed it to you.” She turned deathly pale, and after a long time, squeezed out a sentence. “Your mom… took a picture of me coming out of a motel with my high school boyfriend.” “She threatened me, saying if I didn’t help her, she’d plaster the photo and our chat logs all over the school!” “Mark was innocent, and his parents were government workers…” “What about me?” My throat tightened, my face full of bitterness. “Three years ago it was Stanford, now it’s grad school, it’s all ruined! You were my only friend!” “What choice did I have?!” She jerked her head up, her eyes red. “Ruin me or ruin you? Your mom had us both by the throat!” “Who told you to have a mom like that!” I felt a violent jolt, a powerless, suffocating feeling making me dizzy. “Sorry, I understand.” I turned and walked away. Her calls were quickly drowned out by the traffic. 3 Before I even walked out of the street, my phone rang. It was the academic advisor. “Chloe!” She sounded troubled: “The school reviewed the final exams and determined you cheated. Your graduate school recommendation is canceled.” “You should really communicate well with your parents about this…” As soon as the advisor hung up, a text message popped up. Mom: [Your Uncle Zhang said the school reviewed the final exams and determined you cheated.] [Be good and come home, only Uncle Zhang can handle this.] Zhang Jianye, a distant relative working in the school’s academic affairs office. I studied so hard for those finals and answered the questions so smoothly, how could I be accused of cheating? I leaned my back against the scorching hot wall. Are they going to strip away my very last chance? After calming down, I used money from a loan app for the first time and checked into a cheap motel. I collapsed on the bed, physically and mentally exhausted. When I was woken up by a call from my older sister, Rachel, it wasn’t even fully light out yet. She was my only buffer in that house. When we were kids, every time I was being scolded harshly, she was the one who pulled me out of the room, giving me a moment to breathe. But the irony is, she herself was my mother’s most successful “creation.” She was accepted into a teaching college out of state, but our mother burned her acceptance letter. “Why does a girl need to run so far away?” She cried all night, and the next day went to the local college our mother had arranged. She went on thirty-six blind dates and finally married after our mother nodded her approval. On her wedding day, she didn’t cry, her eyes were just empty. On the phone, my sister’s voice was as soft as always. “It’s not safe for you to live outside alone, come stay at my place.” I remembered the last time I saw her, the bruises on her wrists, and the phrase: “Your brother-in-law… Mom chose him too.” “No,” I said. “Then… three days from now is the baby’s first birthday party, can you come?” I squeezed the silver bracelet in my bag, bought with my scholarship money, and the toothless smile of my little nephew flashed before my eyes. “…I’ll be there.” On the day of the birthday party, I sneaked into the nursery. Only to see the baby wearing that tacky gold locket my mom kept hidden at the bottom of her chest. She always said she would pass it down to “the most obedient child.” My fingers tightened. The door was pushed open violently, my mother rushed in, and snatched the silver bracelet right out of my hand. “Where did you get the money for this?!” My sister hurried in and picked up the crying baby who had been startled awake. She didn’t dare look at me, just kept her head down, rocking him gently. My arm was grabbed tightly by my mother and I was dragged into the main hall. “Everyone, judge for yourselves!” My mother’s voice was shrill. “She cheated on her exams, she might not even graduate! And now she wants to cut ties with the family!” The gazes of the relatives stabbed into me. I tried to pull my hand back, but she pinched me extremely hard. At that moment, I felt like I had been stripped naked and thrown into a crowd. My mother put on a smiling face and looked towards the main table. “Good thing her Uncle Zhang is here.” “Mr. Zhang, tell us, is there any hope for this child’s exam situation?” The distant relative from the academic affairs office pushed his glasses up his nose. “The expert panel determined she cheated, I’m afraid even her degree is in jeopardy.” He turned to me, his tone “earnest”: “Chloe, listen to your uncle’s advice, go home first and solve the problem.” The room erupted in uproar. “She always looked like such an honest kid.” “This is it, she’s going to lose her degree.” My father pulled at me: “Did you hear that! Uncle Zhang is trying to save you!” My sister stood at the edge of the crowd holding her baby, avoiding my gaze. I looked at the smugness in my mother’s eyes, Zhang Jianye’s hypocritical face, and the disdainful looks from the whole room. “Uncle Zhang, is this expert panel permanent or temporary? When was the review process initiated? What exactly constitutes the cheating?” His Adam’s apple bobbed, but he couldn’t answer. I turned to my mother: “So, you guys arranged this… using ‘cheating’ to force me home?” My mother’s face changed drastically. Zhang Jianye slammed the table: “Nonsense! The procedures are compliant!” “Then make the procedures public!” I scanned the room full of people, finally looking at my sister holding her child. Her fingers were white from gripping so hard. “This isn’t over.” I looked at Zhang Jianye, enunciating every word. “You know exactly how clean the procedures in the academic affairs office really are.” “If this really blows up,” I paused, glaring at him viciously. “I don’t mind flipping the table and letting everyone see what’s hidden underneath.” As I turned to leave, I heard my sister’s trembling voice. “Chloe… please, I’m begging you…” I didn’t look back. The summer night wind hit my face, my palms were ice cold. That gold locket swung in my memory, heavy as shackles. And my sister had already put on her share. 4. I finally waited until the start of the semester in the small motel. On the first day back, I headed straight for the academic advisor’s office. “I want to see all the evidence the expert panel used to determine I cheated. The review records, anomaly markings, signed documents.” The advisor frowned: “Chloe, the result is final…” “If the procedures are compliant, why are you afraid to show me?” I stared at her: “Or is it that those materials don’t even exist?” The commotion drew the department head and Zhang Jianye. Students started gathering in the hallway. “You’re being provocative!” The department head’s face was livid. “Since you’re too afraid to show me the evidence,” I raised my voice: “Then let me retake the exam right here, right now.” Uncle Zhang frowned: “Chloe, stop being unreasonable!” “Whether I’m being unreasonable or not, taking the test will prove it.” I stared at them: “Test, or no test?” The department head and Uncle Zhang exchanged glances. The crowd of students outside was growing. “Fine!” The department head gritted his teeth: “If you want to take it, take it! But this is the last time!” Two days later, a temporary testing room was set up in a small conference room. Four teachers proctored, and the hallway outside was packed with students. The questions were drawn randomly, even harder than the original exam, but I answered them smoothly. I handed in my paper in forty minutes. “Grade it right here.” The department head said to Professor Lee, who was observing. Professor Lee picked up a red pen, the conference room so quiet you could hear people breathing. When she finished grading, Professor Lee was silent for two seconds: “Fifty-nine points.” Dead silence fell over the conference room. A student outside loudly questioned: “Missed it by one point?!” The department head looked relieved: “Chloe, what else do you have to say?” I looked at the test paper, my mind a blank. “I want to see the grading details.” “Haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough?” The department head exploded. Just then, my parents squeezed their way in. My mother rushed up to grab me: “Chloe! Stop this! Come home with Mom!” “Wait.” I suddenly raised my voice. “Professor Lee, you graded very carefully! Especially that last question.” “The solution steps I wrote, the derivation from step three to step four, are you sure you read them clearly?” Professor Lee’s expression changed slightly. “And Director Zhang, what a coincidence you’re here today too… even more coincidental is that Professor Lee, who graded the paper, was your college classmate, right?” The air in the conference room instantly froze. “What nonsense are you talking about!” Professor Lee stood up abruptly. “I demand to see my original exam paper right now!” I didn’t back down an inch. “If the paper stands up to scrutiny, I will apologize and drop out immediately! But if you don’t dare show it to me…” I stared at Zhang Jianye. “Then you have a guilty conscience!” Zhang Jianye’s face turned blue and white. Under the mounting pressure, he suddenly smiled. “Fine, show it to her.” The envelope holding the test paper was torn open and handed to me. I took it, my hands shaking slightly. Looking down, the handwriting actually was mine. Even the specific little hook I make when writing the word “Solve,” and the slight curve when I write the number “7,” were exactly the same. The key derivation in the last question was crossed out with red pen, annotated: “Jump in logic, insufficient basis.” It was my handwriting. “See clearly?” Zhang Jianye’s voice sounded. “It’s your handwriting, right? You wrote it, right?” I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. Uproar outside the door: “She really did write it herself…” “Then what is she making a fuss about…” “What do you have to say for yourself now?” The department head said tiredly: “Chloe, it’s time you apologize!” Professor Lee also stood up, her face full of anger. The accusations from the watching crowd grew louder. My parents came from either side to grab my arms. I violently shoved them away: “Don’t touch me!” In the dead silence, they stepped forward again, shoving me more roughly towards the door. I braced myself against the doorframe, looking back at everyone: “I didn’t cheat!” Everyone froze. I panted heavily, staring dead at Zhang Jianye, staring at Professor Lee, staring at that test paper with the perfect handwriting. Suddenly, I let out a cold laugh: “I know what happened.” My voice wasn’t loud. But it made the entire hallway instantly fall dead silent.

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[Chapter 1] To save my seriously ill mother, I accepted a deadly gamble from a mysterious System: Transfer to a new, elite school, act like a high-profile rich kid, and if I don’t get exposed for three months, I’ll get ten billion dollars. But if I am exposed, both my mother and I will die instantly. With trembling hands, I spent the last two thousand dollars my family had to buy second-hand designer clothes and bags from an online resale platform. I never expected that the very first outfit I bought belonged to the class beauty. The first time she laid eyes on me, she saw right through my act. On the first day of school, I rented a red Maserati and made my grand entrance amidst everyone’s envious stares. As soon as I stepped out of the car, all eyes were glued to me, buzzing with gossip. The System’s praise chimed in my ear: “Yes, just like that! Be high-profile and grab everyone’s attention!” I casually tossed my hair, took off my sunglasses, and strutted through the crowd with an arrogant gait. “What a dump of a school. The drainage system is terrible; it rained the day before yesterday and the ground is still wet.” “And these parking spots are way too narrow. Couldn’t they buy some more land and expand?” Sure enough, everyone’s attention was drawn to me, sizing me up from head to toe. “Another rich girl. Our class is practically a country club for second-generation heirs!” An exceptionally pretty girl walked over, tugged at my clothes, and examined them closely. My heart tightened. Did I buy a fake? But the resale platform has authentication channels; it’s practically impossible. Unless… I coincidentally bought hers? My heart pounded nervously. If that was true, and she found out, wouldn’t I be dead? Just then, Chloe spoke up in a leisurely tone: “This outfit is a custom Chanel piece, isn’t it? Very expensive, right?” “Which prominent family are you from? Why haven’t I seen you before?” I forced myself to stay calm, casually brushing off the spot she had touched: “Just a little pocket change. I liked it, so I bought it.” “My family is from New York. I’ve always wanted to experience life in California, so I came to Coastline University.” Chloe continued probing, “Is that car you just drove your family’s too?” “Yeah, I just grabbed a random one and drove out. It seems a bit too flashy…” “Sigh, but none of the cars in our garage aren’t flashy. Even the nanny drives a Porsche to get groceries.” Several classmates around us widened their eyes. “Looks like she’s the richest one in our class.” “Those guys bragging earlier can’t even compare to her…” Chloe also grabbed my arm with a friendly face: “It seems your family does big business. Please look out for me in the future!” “My stingy dad only gives me a thousand bucks a month for allowance. I’ll be relying on you from now on!” I patted my chest generously: “No problem, no problem.” Chloe returned to her circle of rich kids. I let out a huge sigh of relief. Looks like I passed the test. But the System’s serious voice sounded in my ear: “Bad news, Chloe saw right through you.” I was shocked: “That outfit isn’t really hers, is it?” “It is.” “She accidentally got a drop of oil on it and sold it. She just found that exact oil spot on your clothes.” [Chapter 2] I panicked completely: “What do I do? Did I fail the mission? Are my mom and I going to die?” The System replied, “Not quite. You only fail if you are exposed to your face.” “Although she saw through you, she hasn’t exposed you, so you can still hang on.” “She’s currently telling everyone your background. Do you want to listen?” I nodded frantically. Their conversation filtered into my eardrums. “You think I’d misrecognize my own clothes? That girl is a total fraud.” “I bet her car is sketchy too.” A boy’s voice chimed in, “Let me go check the license plate and have my dad look it up.” Chloe said, “The license plate is A11223. I secretly took a picture of it earlier.” Another boy spoke up, “What? I think that’s a car from my family’s rental agency!” “Let me ask the staff to confirm.” “Look at the renter info my staff just sent. The name is Harper! That car was rented from my family’s agency!” “Hilarious! She picked the wrong place to show off. Our class has the most rich kids in the whole school.” “So pathetic. If she had tried this in any other class, she probably wouldn’t have been caught so fast.” “So, who’s going to expose her? I love watching posers get slapped in the face!” Chloe spoke up smugly: “What’s the fun in exposing her right now? If she wants to pretend, let’s play along.” “She pretends to be rich, so we’ll spend her money. Isn’t that more interesting?” “Oh, by the way, if you guys have any clothes you’re tired of, list them on the second-hand site and set them so only she can see them.” “Preferably items with marks on them, something recognizable.” “Set the price low, so she can afford them.” “When we’re done playing her for a fool, we’ll use these to expose her and make her make a massive fool of herself!” Soon after, my phone chimed continuously with notifications: [New luxury second-hand items you follow have been listed.] Clicking into it, I saw several Dior and Chanel pieces originally priced at tens or hundreds of thousands, now listed for just a few hundred dollars. I decisively placed orders for all of them. The System yelled in panic: “Are you crazy? Aren’t you just handing them evidence on a silver platter?” “If they expose you, you’ll die!” I smiled. “They’re having too much fun playing right now; they won’t expose me just yet.” “If I don’t let them have their fun, that’s when they might expose me at any moment.” Chloe, leading her little clique of rich kids, began to surround me and shower me with praise. “Look at Harper’s aura, totally different from us commoners.” “Compared to Harper, we’re basically peasants!” “Harper, I really want to go to The Grand Pearl for a nice meal, but my allowance is too low. How about you treat us all?” I nodded and agreed, “Sure! Let’s do it this Saturday. Everyone come!” The System shrieked: “Are you insane? Do you know how much a table at The Grand Pearl costs? The cheapest is $60,000!” [Chapter 3] I asked blankly: “If I refused, wouldn’t I be violating the rule about being high-profile?” The System fell silent for a moment, then stammered: “That, that… but where are you going to get that kind of money!” I pointed at the pile of newly bought clothes on my bed: “By using the money they sent me, of course.” I took the clothes and bags I bought from them for a few hundred dollars, selected a few, and listed them online, blocking their IDs. Very quickly, I made $150,000. The System was astounded: “You can do that? You’re so smart…” I said flatly: “I’m not smart, I just want to live.” On the day of the dinner, they chattered away, coordinating their act. “Can I order the Australian lobster? It’s so expensive…” “Can we get a good vintage for the red wine?” “Look how petty you guys are being. Why are you even asking? Just order! Boss Harper isn’t short on cash!” “Right, Boss Harper?” I smiled and nodded: “Of course. As long as everyone enjoys themselves, don’t worry about saving me money.” Soon, a table full of exotic delicacies was served. After we were full, the waiter walked in: “Hello, the total comes to $126,000. Who will be settling the bill?” Chloe and the others looked at me, suppressing smirks, as if waiting for a good show. Under their watchful eyes, I pulled out my card and handed it to the waiter. Chloe’s shoulders were even shaking as she whispered to the boy next to her: “Let’s see how she handles it when the machine says ‘Insufficient Funds’.” But before she even finished her sentence, the waiter successfully swiped the card and handed me the receipt: “Here you go.” Everyone present was dumbfounded. The half-formed smiles on their faces mixed with their current shock, twisting their expressions like clowns. I looked at their stunned faces, pretending to be confused: “What’s wrong with you guys? Haven’t you ever eaten such good food before? Still savoring the taste?” “Makes sense. Seeing you all wolfing down the food earlier, I felt too embarrassed to eat much, afraid I’d steal your share.” Actually, I didn’t know how to eat those high-end foods and was afraid of making a fool of myself, so I only had a few bites of the cold dishes. “Well, you guys take your time savoring it. I’m going to head out.” I turned and left the restaurant. The System spoke in my ear, lingering fear in its voice: “Thank goodness they only ordered $126,000 worth. If it went over $150,000, you would have died!” I raised an eyebrow slightly: “Although they have money, their allowance isn’t that much.” “While they wanted to see me humiliate myself by not being able to pay, they also knew that if I couldn’t pay, they would have to.” “So they’d order a maximum of $120,000 or so. Any more, and they couldn’t afford to cover it themselves. I had it all calculated.” The System, while admiring me, relayed the voices from the private dining room. “Chloe, didn’t you swear she was faking it? How did she drop $126,000 on a meal without blinking an eye?” “Could she actually have a serious background?” “You said we were going to play her for a fool, but look what happened! Instead, we got roasted by her, and we ended up looking like country bumpkins!” [Chapter 4] Chloe’s voice came through, filled with gritted teeth: “Do you really not know if she’s faking it or not? Didn’t the second-hand clothes you guys sold show up on her the very next day?” “I bet she took out some high-interest loan and is just putting up a front.” “Damn it, a poser mocking us? I’ll make her pay!” “You guys look into her thoroughly. Once we’ve gathered all the evidence, we’ll make her lose face in a spectacular way!” As soon as I walked into the classroom on Monday, Chloe and the others surrounded me. “Harper, when is your birthday? Is it November 15th, like on your ID?” I smiled and asked, “Why? Want to give me a gift?” “Of course! You spent so much money treating us to dinner, we definitely have to give you a grand gift!” “And we’re planning to throw you a massive party on the school football field and invite the whole school!” “After all, you’re the Princess of New York; the scale has to be grand!” The System frantically issued a warning: “Bad news, they must have found something out and want to expose you on your birthday!” I ignored the System’s words: “The date on my ID was recorded incorrectly. My birthday is December 1st.” The group exchanged glances and smiled: “Great! We’ll definitely throw you a birthday party you’ll never forget for the rest of your life.” “Oh, wait, it should be a party the whole school will never forget.” I smiled: “Then I’ll thank you all in advance.” On the day of the birthday party, wearing a princess dress, I was ushered onto a stage on the football field, surrounded by people. The spotlight hit me, as if I truly were a noble princess. Chloe and her group handed me a gift box: “Harper, we prepared these for you very carefully. It took a lot of effort and connections.” Smiling sweetly, I opened the box. Inside were photos and documents. My family’s run-down, dilapidated house with soot-blackened walls. The misshapen, cheap clothes from street stalls in my closet. My mother’s unpaid hospital bills. The rental agreement for my car. And evidence of me buying their second-hand clothes. The large screen behind me began to simultaneously display these photos. The entire football field of people stood dumbfounded. “Holy shit, I came here to see a rich person’s birthday party, but it’s an exposé?” “So her designer brands were all bought second-hand, and from her classmates no less! So embarrassing, I’d die of shame.” “Wait, her own mother can’t even afford medical bills, and she still has the nerve to act rich?” “Exactly! Doesn’t renting a car cost money? Doesn’t buying second-hand cost money? Couldn’t she have used that money for her mom’s treatment?” “And dropping $126,000 on a meal? Doesn’t she know her mom is dying?” “Fuck, she’s not just a poser, she’s a piece of trash!” Chloe smiled triumphantly, tilting her head to look at me: “How is it, Harper? Are you satisfied with this gift?” [Chapter 5] “You’ll definitely remember this 19th birthday for the rest of your life, won’t you?” I smiled and spoke: “I love the gift, but today is not my birthday.” “My birthday was half a month ago. I deliberately told you it was today.” Chloe was confused by my reaction: “You did it on purpose? Why?” “What difference does half a month make?” I gently raised the corner of my mouth: “A huge difference.” “Because I knew long ago what you were planning to do on my birthday.” “But still, thank you all for playing along with my act for three months.” “Otherwise, the show would have been over for me.” The System’s voice sounded in my ear. “Settlement complete. Ten billion dollar reward has been fully deposited.” They froze for a moment, then continued looking at me mockingly: “Stop trying to change the subject! Let’s talk about your pretending to be rich, ‘Miss New York’!” “‘Oh, my lambskin soles can’t get wet’, ‘Even my nanny drives a Porsche for groceries’. Hilarious! You’ve probably never even seen a Porsche in real life, right?” “Tell us, is it fun pretending to be a rich heiress? Did spending $126,000 on a meal mean you have to go hungry and eat shit for the next few years?” The crowd roared with laughter. I gave a serene smile: “It was just $126,000. That’s not even enough for me to get my nails done once. You guys are making a fuss over nothing. Are you so poor that it takes you years to spend $126,000?” The people below looked at me as if admiring a clown’s dying struggle, their faces contorted with laughter: “Stop acting, broke bitch! Your own mother is dying because she can’t pay her medical bills!” “Could she have gone crazy from being exposed in public?” “Hilarious, still having delusions! $126,000 for a manicure? This is the grandest imagination a poor beggar like you has of a rich person’s life, right?” “If you’re so ‘rich’, how much is in your bank account? Is it zero?” “Dare to show us?” I ignored their mockery. The money had arrived, and I had more important things to do. I took out my phone, transferred funds to the hospital’s account, and then called the doctor: “Dr. Lee, this is Harper. I’ve transferred the funds for my mother’s treatment and surgery. Please finalize the treatment plan as soon as possible.” “Yes, use the best medication available for everything!” Chloe and the other rich kids laughed so hard they had tears in their eyes. “Still faking it? You really won’t shed a tear until you see the coffin!” “The best medication, hilarious. Do you even know how much the best medication costs?” “Ethan, isn’t her mom at your family’s hospital? Make a call and let everyone hear how much money she owes!” Ethan dialed the number and put it on speaker: “Accountant Wang, that patient with unpaid bills I asked you to check on last time…” A female voice drifted from the phone: “Oh, Mary? Her daughter just paid the bill.” “She transferred two million dollars all at once. The doctors are already customizing the best treatment plan.” “Wh-what?” Ethan was dumbfounded. [Chapter 6] The students gathered on the football field began to speak up: “Are you kidding me? You guys secretly spread the word, telling everyone to come watch the ultimate slap in the face, and even told us to keep quiet so as not to alert Harper, and this is what we get? You guys slapping your own faces?” “You guys are… quite dedicated to entertaining us, huh.” “Hahaha, why complain? I love watching faces get slapped, no matter whose it is!” Having lost face, Ethan glared at me in disbelief: “Where did you get the money to pay?” “Did you steal it or rob someone? I’m calling the police!” I shrugged: “Suit yourself. Every cent of mine is legitimate. If you’re not afraid of being arrested for filing a false police report, go right ahead.” Chloe recovered and sneered: “I bet she either took out online loans or borrowed from loan sharks.” “In a couple of days, the debt collectors will be blocking the school gates, ruining our school’s reputation!” “Harper, just stop trying to hold on! Be honest, apologize, admit you were faking it, and maybe people will even help you.” “Otherwise, when the loan sharks come knocking and you end up crippled at such a young age, tsk tsk…” I smiled and shook my head: “I wouldn’t need to borrow for such a small amount of money, right?” “After all, I have properties all over the country. Do you want to see?” As I spoke, I showed the crowd photos of property deeds on my phone. I didn’t take the entire ten billion reward in cash; I also exchanged some for other assets. Ten property deeds were neatly displayed on the screen, with my name glaringly printed on them. “Impossible, it’s fake! It has to be fake!” A boy whose father worked at the Department of Real Estate pulled out his phone: “Dad, can you look something up for me? There’s a Harper at our school who claims she owns ten properties…” His voice trailed off, and he lowered his phone weakly. “My dad says… it’s true…” Chloe shrieked: “Impossible, there’s something fishy here!” “Harper, if you’re really this rich, why did you buy second-hand clothes?” “Look at these photos, everyone! The clothes she wore have marks we made on them! They are second-hand goods bought from us!” “Stop acting, Harper! The more lies you tell, the more holes there will be…” I explained: “So what if they’re second-hand? When that Chanel set you sold was released, I didn’t like it. Later I decided I did, but it was off the market.” “I happened to see someone selling it, so I bought it, sanitized it, and wore it. What’s the problem?” “Stop making excuses! Even if that set is explained, what about the rest? You bought all of Olivia and Lily’s second-hand bags and clothes too.” I smiled: “Because I knew you listed them specifically for me to buy.” “A $200,000 outfit listed for $500? Why wouldn’t I buy it? Buying it and relisting it for $50,000 is pure profit.” “Although I have money, I don’t mind making more.” “Oh right, the money I made from selling your clothes was more than enough to cover the dinner I treated you to.” [Chapter 7] The faces of the group turned pale: “Are you saying you used the money from selling our clothes to treat us?!” I nodded: “What else? I might have a lot of money, but I’m not a sucker.” “If you guys genuinely wanted to be my friends, I wouldn’t have minded spending the money.” “But I sensed from the very beginning that you had bad intentions. Why should I treat you to a meal then?” “No matter how much money I have, I don’t spend it like that.” The onlookers laughed until they cried. “Holy shit, weren’t they claiming earlier that they were playing the poser poor girl for a fool by making her buy them a huge feast?” “Well, someone definitely got played for a fool, but the real question is, who’s the fool?” “The clown was me all along! Hahahaha, this is too funny.” Having suffered a massive humiliation, Chloe and her group glared at me angrily: “Harper, you played us! You played us!” I raised an eyebrow slightly: “Are you the only ones allowed to play others, but others aren’t allowed to play you?” “Don’t be too smug. Sooner or later, we’ll uncover your illegal gains…” I nodded: “Yes, you are all powerful and influential.” “However, privately looking up a citizen’s personal information is illegal, right?” “Just now, when Ethan, Liam, and the others asked their families to look me up, I recorded it and reported it to the relevant authorities.” “Ethan, your family is just a minor shareholder in the hospital. I wonder if your dad will be able to keep his position now?” “And Liam, your dad’s days as a director at the Department of Real Estate are probably numbered.” Ethan and Liam stood frozen on the spot. Chloe screamed in a breakdown: “Harper, don’t be so smug! Even if you really have some dirty money, so what? We have money too!” “Our families all run companies. Teaming up to destroy you will be easy!” I nodded: “Then you’ll have to ask your parents if they agree first.” “Look, here they come.” Several luxury cars parked at the edge of the football field. Several prominently dressed people ran toward us. Chloe’s father ran at the front. Before she could even speak, he slapped her hard across the face: “Who are you trying to destroy?! This is the God of Wealth for our company, do you understand?!” “You don’t know your place anymore! Apologize right now!” The other parents also pressed their children’s heads down: “Apologize to Miss Harper immediately!” “Do you know how many shares she holds in our company? If you provoke her and she pulls her investment, the company is finished!” “Do you think you’ll still be able to act arrogant then? You’ll all be washing dishes!” Aside from exchanging the ten billion dollar prize for cash and properties, I also exchanged it for shares in their families’ companies. Since they wanted a grand face-slapping scene, I naturally had to cooperate fully in every aspect. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be as satisfying. Chloe shook her head in disbelief: “Our company has her shares? How is that possible?” “Dad, you’ve been scammed, right? She’s a fraud!” “She keeps saying she’s some New York heiress, but my friends who go to school in New York said there’s no such person in their circles!” Her dad looked at her with exasperation: “Scammed? Can shares be fake? Can hard cash be fake?” “Hurry up and bow your head and apologize!”

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