Billionaire Alex Thorne suffered from infertility. Desperate for an heir, he kept dozens of women at his estate. He’d announced that whoever could bear him a child would receive a billion dollars. A year later, ten of these women gave birth. But every single one of them was ruthlessly disposed of and buried alive, accused of infidelity. A month after that, I,went into labor. But when I saw the baby I’d just delivered, I burst into tears. At least the women accused of cheating had given birth to human babies. My child wasn’t human at all. It was five little calico kittens. The private doctor who delivered the babies fainted on the spot. Only my housekeeper, Eleanor, stood there, eyes wide, stammering:”Ms. Summers, what—what is going on?” What was going on? I wanted to know too! How could a human give birth to cats?! I fiercely pinched my thigh, desperately wishing this was all a dream. But it hurt. So much. This wasn’t a dream. I was completely doomed. Recalling the gruesome fate of the previous ten women, I collapsed onto the bed, tears streaming down my face. A year ago, I and dozens of other women from all over were brought to this luxurious estate. That day, Alex Thorne announced to everyone: whoever could bear him a child would receive a billion dollars. And so, every woman on the estate began their quest for a child. Medications, acupuncture, trying every fertility remedy imaginable and even seeking spiritual guidance… They tried everything, but no one got pregnant. Until a month later, Sarah Miller, the most ordinary-looking among us, suddenly announced her pregnancy. Alex was ecstatic, showering her with daily attention and an endless stream of jewelry and gifts. In the following month, nine more women became pregnant. I was the last to share a room with Alex. And it only happened because he was drunk and stumbled into my room by mistake, barely coherent. I initially thought I had no chance, but to my surprise, I also tested positive for pregnancy the next month. Just as all the pregnant women were praying for a smooth delivery, Sarah gave birth. It was a boy. Everyone envied her, thinking she was about to claim her billion dollars. Instead, she was ruthlessly disposed of on the spot, along with her child, and buried alive. The reason? She had cheated. The child wasn’t Alex’s at all. After that, one woman after another gave birth. And one after another, they were accused of infidelity, ruthlessly disposed of, and buried alive. I hadn’t understood how Alex found out before. Not until I went into labor myself. Alex, accompanied by doctors and bodyguards, personally stood guard outside my room. The baby was to undergo a paternity test immediately after birth. The previous ten women were all dealt with on the spot because their paternity tests failed. Although they had indeed taken the risk of getting pregnant by someone else for money, I hadn’t! Why had I given birth to five cats?! Right now, Alex, the doctors, and bodyguards were all waiting just outside my room. What should I do? At least those other women had a paternity test they could fail. If Alex saw these five fluffy little calico kittens, wouldn’t he just wipe us from existence? Just as I was pacing anxiously, Alex’s icy voice came from outside the door: “Why is it so quiet in there?” Then, Alex rushed towards the room with his people…

Seeing Alex about to push the door open, I panicked. I frantically grabbed the crawling kittens, shoved them into Eleanor’s arms, and whispered urgently: “Quick! Hide them in the trash can!” Eleanor looked at me in shock. But her hands moved faster than her brain, and she quickly placed all five kittens into the trash can. Just as she finished, Alex pushed the door open. He glanced at the unconscious doctor on the floor, then at my empty delivery bed. His brows furrowed. “What’s going on?” he demanded. “Where’s the child you gave birth to?” Looking at his scrutinizing gaze, I knew if I didn’t give a reasonable explanation, I’d be buried alive the next second! My heart was pounding in my throat, my mind racing. In a flash, I took a deep breath, scrambled out of bed, and bowed deeply to Alex: “Mr. Thorne! I—I’m so sorry!” Alex’s face immediately darkened. “Tell me, what exactly are you sorry for?” As he spoke, the bodyguards behind him already reached for their daggers. I clutched my stomach, feigning extreme shame, my voice trembling: “Mr. Thorne, what I fought to give birth to just now wasn’t a child!” “It was a massive, incredibly foul-smelling…bowel movement!” “That’s what made the delivery doctor faint!” The room fell silent. The doctor and bodyguards stared at me in shock. Alex’s mouth twitched. He eyed my stomach suspiciously: “Who performed your prenatal check-ups?” I quickly replied, “Dr. Davies.” “Mr. Thorne, I never got along with Sarah Miller when I first arrived, and Dr. Davies was Sarah Miller’s lover. I suspect he deliberately misdiagnosed me, hoping to make me offend you!” “It’s all my fault for being foolish and believing his nonsense. These past few months, I’ve been eating whatever I wanted, and my belly just swelled up. That agonizing pain earlier wasn’t labor—it was… a severe case of constipation!” Dr. Davies was already dealt with, so there was no one to contradict me. I could only pin the blame on him! Alex’s face was ashen as he looked at me. “So, I’ve been waiting outside for this long… for you to take a dump?”

Though utterly mortified, I bit the bullet and nodded. “I never imagined such a misunderstanding would occur. I’m truly sorry for disturbing you, Mr. Thorne!” Alex gave me a complex look, then commanded the doctor behind him: “Dr. Evans, examine her. See if she’s telling the truth.” I was finished! Oh, God! My reputation and my life—you weren’t planning on letting me keep either, were you?! Under Alex’s watchful eye, I held out my arm, feeling like Death was breathing down my neck. Dr. Evans carefully examined me, pushing up his glasses. “Mr. Thorne, Ms. Summers’ physical condition is… indeed a bit unusual.” Alex raised an eyebrow. “How so?” Dr. Evans stated gravely: “Her heartbeat is strong, and her vitality is robust. She doesn’t appear to have just given birth at all. From this perspective, she truly doesn’t seem like a woman who’s just delivered a child.” My eyes lit up as I looked at Dr. Evans. I wanted to bow down and thank him a thousand times. Giving birth usually takes everything out of you. But I was different! Those five little calico kittens barely weighed anything at all; delivering them was no different than passing a bowel movement. If Alex hadn’t been here, I could still run a marathon right now! Alex’s face darkened further after hearing this. He was probably picturing himself making a huge fuss, waiting outside, only to be presented with a pile of…well, that. A vein throbbed in his temple. He stared at me, his voice low and cold: “What an idiot.” “From today onwards, move to the storage room in the backyard! You are not allowed out without my permission!” Move to the storage room? I eagerly nodded: “Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Thorne!” It worked! I survived! The joy of escaping death overwhelmed me. I quickly grabbed the bewildered Eleanor and the trash can containing my children, and we moved into the storage room that very night. Although the storage room was old and dilapidated, looking at the five little calico kittens nestled on a makeshift bed, I felt like this was heaven! “Eleanor, quick, get some thin gruel. These little ones must be hungry.” Eleanor quickly brought some gruel. But no matter how we tried to feed them, these kittens wouldn’t drink it. Seeing them curled up, looking so pitiful, Eleanor hesitated before saying: “Ms. Summers, since they are your babies, why don’t you… try feeding them yourself?” A human feeding milk to cats? Was that even rational? Never mind, they were my children after all. I couldn’t just watch them starve, could I? I tried expressing a little milk into a bowl. The five kittens, whose eyes weren’t even open yet, seemed to smell it instantly and eagerly scrambled towards the bowl. The bowl of milk was gone in a flash. My babies, indeed. Their vitality was as strong as mine! As I continued feeding them, I pondered the situation. My life had been completely clean; the only time I’d ever been with a man was that night with Alex Thorne. So why had I given birth to a litter of cats? I carefully recalled every detail from before and after my pregnancy. Diet? Normal! Had I come into contact with anything strange? No! The only unusual thing was that the day before I shared a room with Alex, I’d found a pure white stray cat in a corner of the garden. I’d even given it some meat. Could that cat have been repaying my kindness by sending me five cat babies? Just as I was thinking this, I heard a soft, sweet voice: “Mommy, hungry.” I thought I was hallucinating. I looked down, and nearly wet myself. The five kittens who had just been fighting over milk had transformed into five fair-skinned, chubby little babies!

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The year my boyfriend was broke, I left him for a rich guy. A year later, he topped the Forbes list. His first move? Calling me live on a reality show. He saw me sharing a single pack of ramen, then, with a sense of grim satisfaction, he pulled Sierra into his arms: “If you’d just stuck with me for one more month, you’d be the CEO’s wife right now. Regret it?” I chuckled. “That rich? Wire me half a million. Prove it.” He angrily disconnected the call. My phone buzzed. Half a million, deposited. I called him back immediately: “That good? Send me another half million!” “Dream on!” He was about to hang up again when I tapped the camera with my arm, mottled with purple and blue from the IVs: “Haha, just kidding. I don’t want your money.” “I’m already gone…” My smile slowly faded. I raised my hand and pulled off my waist-length hair. Beneath it, my scalp was bare, completely shaved. I smiled and waved at the camera: “By the time you see this recording, I’ll already be in another world.” “But this, Liam, proves you made it!” “I knew you could do it! Haha~” “Surprised? I knew it. The moment you hit the big time, you’d rush straight here to rub it in. Well? Was I right?” Liam shot up from his seat. He took a step forward, then seemed to remember something, a cold sneer on his face as he looked at the host: “How much did she pay you to play along with this act?” The host looked bewildered: “Mr. Sinclair, if a live connection to her wasn’t possible, using this recording was explicitly stated in Ms. Cassidy’s will.” “Will?” Liam scoffed, rage twisting his features: “That woman was obsessed with money. She hadn’t even enjoyed her wealth and glory yet. How could she bear to die? Is this some elaborate stunt to get me back?” He grabbed Sierra’s hand: “I’m sorry, but she abandoned me when I was at my lowest. Now…” He glanced coldly at the screen: “She doesn’t deserve to stand by my side.” “Liam, I know you hate me.” As he turned to leave, I spoke: “After I left you, my life wasn’t great. You can rest assured about that. “If you’re still not satisfied, consider this recording, my last message before I died, as a way to finally let off some steam. Of course, it’s fine if you don’t want to see me. “Oh, and… congratulations!” Liam turned back. On the screen, it showed my days and nights from when I left him until my death.

【2024.3.12—I’ll come back as a puppy to see you】 “Having my last meal with Mom.” I held the camera, whispering as I waved to it. In the old house behind me, Mom was adding dumplings to a pot of boiling water: “Why isn’t Liam with you? Didn’t you two always come home together?” I choked up. I smiled at the camera: “He… he’s a little busy.” “Oh, you scared me, honey! I thought you two had a fight.” I quietly ate the celery and pork dumplings Mom made, giving her a thumbs-up. When she went back to the kitchen, I spat a mouthful of blood, mixed with the dumpling filling, into the trash. Then, I quickly threw in some paper towels to cover the evidence. I wiped my mouth, giving the camera an apologetic smile: “Stomach cancer… it’s really brutal. Sorry about that.” “Honey, your hair…” Mom came out and showed interest in my wig. I quickly pressed it down: “Mom, I landed a role as a cancer patient, and I’m method acting, you know, immersing myself in the experience. See, I even shaved my head for it.” Mom laughed, shaking her head. I immediately raised the camera to us both: “Quick! Let’s capture a moment with your wig-wearing daughter! Once this role is over, you won’t see it again!” The camera captured Mom’s and my smiling faces. I kept the camera raised for a long time. Mom nudged me: “What are you spacing out for? Doesn’t holding that thing up make your arm tired?” I slowly lowered my arm, staring at Mom’s smiling face in the lens: “Mom, what would you do if I… wasn’t here anymore?” Mom froze. I hugged her arm and leaned on her shoulder: “Hey, Mom, I’m wondering, if I suddenly turned into a cockroach one day, would you recognize me?” Mom stifled a laugh: “What on earth goes on in that head of yours?” I mused: “Right, a cockroach is still too gross. How about a puppy instead! A golden retriever puppy! Smart, and you could cuddle me for warmth in winter. “I promise I wouldn’t have any accidents on the bed! You wouldn’t have to worry about a thing!” Mom patted my hand: “Even if you turned into a cockroach, I’d recognize you. “I’d buy you big treats, big cakes, you could eat all you wanted, whenever you wanted.” I laughed, a loud, empty sound. Until tears streamed down my face. When Mom took the dishes to the kitchen, I went into her bedroom. The money I’d earned from all my bit-part acting roles over the years was in a bank card, with the password written on it, tucked into the corner of *Heart: A Schoolboy’s Journal* (The Education of Love). After a moment, I added a note: 【Mom, I’ll come back as a puppy to see you】 Tears splattered on the floor as I murmured: “I really wish I could just… turn into a golden retriever puppy.”

【2024.4.1—April Fool’s Day, no one fooled me】 “What do you mean Mom’s gone?!” In the video, the neighbors were holding me back, keeping me from rushing towards the man in the white lab coat. “Cassidy, calm down!” Mrs. Henderson from next door held me tight: “Your mom just didn’t want you to worry, that’s why she didn’t tell you. If she saw you like this now, she’d only be more heartbroken watching from above!” My eyes red-rimmed, I looked at her: “You knew?” I looked at the neighbors: “Did all of you know?!” They all looked down. “Cassidy… you and Liam are struggling to make it in the city right now. If you’d known, all your hard work these past few years would’ve gone to her medical bills. Your mom thought of that, which is why she made us keep it a secret…” My eyes red-rimmed, I shook my head: “You’re lying… you’re all lying to me!” I clutched Mrs. Henderson’s hand tightly: “It’s April 1st… April Fool’s Day. You’re kidding me, right? Please, just tell me you’re kidding!” Mrs. Henderson’s tears fell: “Cassidy…” I fell to my knees, tears hitting the ground hard: “Mom!!” April 1st. April Fool’s Day. I lost my mom. What was worse. No one fooled me. I stumbled, clutching the urn, back home. The house was still as neatly kept as Mom always had it. If not for the thin layer of dust on the table, I would have thought Mom still lived here. A book, next to *Heart: A Schoolboy’s Journal*, was half-pulled out of the bookshelf. I opened it, and a bankbook fell out. With a handwritten note from Mom: 【All of Mom’s savings are here. 【My good daughter, don’t neglect yourselves in the city. Mom’s gone to decorate our new home downstairs.】 I don’t know with what willpower I managed to return to the city. For half a month straight, I was a zombie, numb and dazed. On my way back from the hospital after picking up painkillers, I barely registered the rain hitting my face. It wasn’t until I bumped into someone that I frantically snapped back to reality, helping him pick up his ID card: “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry…” Seeing the name “Liam Sinclair,” my hand froze.

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My Husband’s Mistress Kidnapped Our Daughter, And I Snapped! Five years into my marriage, when our daughter was three, I discovered that Damon, my husband, had been seeing his mistress, Chelsea, for the past five years. What was even more insane was that Chelsea, fueled by jealousy over my daughter’s closeness to Damon, had kidnapped Willow and taken her deep into the mountains. “Damon, I can tolerate you having a wife, but I can’t stand you having a spoiled little brat who acts like your manipulative little pet!” “I’ve taken that conniving little pest, Willow. I’m going to make sure she becomes my little slave!” Watching the video, seeing my daughter’s legs broken by Chelsea, her body covered in festering wounds from being pinched, I completely lost it. But Damon’s face remained disturbingly calm. He even mocked me for overreacting. “Chelsea just gets a little jealous, honey. That video was just for show. She’d never lay a hand on our daughter.” My entire body trembled with rage. I gritted my teeth and spat each word at him. “If anything happens to Willow, I swear I’ll make you and your mistress pay with your lives!”

Hearing my threat, Damon angrily tossed his phone onto the bed, then slapped me across the face. “Iris Reynolds, what are you talking about?! Chelsea is so innocent and kind; she’d never break our daughter’s legs. She can’t even bring herself to kill a fly!” He’d used so much force that his glasses slid crooked on his face from the impact. His face was ashen. He pushed his glasses back into place, glaring at me with a cold, piercing gaze. It was as if I was the one who had an affair and whose mistress had kidnapped our daughter into the deep mountains, not him. I stared in disbelief at Damon, who, after thirty years of being mild-mannered, was now raging at me for the first time. “Willow is on her knees, dragging her bleeding legs to serve Chelsea tea, her body covered in festering, oozing wounds that are unbearable to look at – and you say it’s fake?” “Tell me, what app has special effects like that? Or is there a master makeup artist hiding in those mountains? Tell me!” I clutched my swollen, stinging face, screaming hysterically at Damon. When we first got married, I struggled with a condition that made it hard for me to carry a baby, and Damon had a low sperm count. We went through hell and back to have Willow. The day she was born, Damon and I were so overwhelmed with joy we almost fainted. Willow was truly beautiful and adorable, with a sweet, bubbly personality. For three years, we treated her like the most delicate treasure, showering her with love and spoiling her like a little princess. But then Damon posted a picture on his SnapChat of Willow hugging his neck and kissing his cheek, forgetting to block Chelsea. Chelsea immediately went ballistic with jealousy, posting on her own SnapChat that Willow was Damon’s karmic burden from a past life, a conniving little pest trying to seduce him in this one. But Willow was only three! It was perfectly normal for her to kiss her dad and hug his neck. Furious, I replied to Chelsea’s post, demanding a public apology for me and Willow. Instead, she waited until Willow was at daycare, pretended to be her aunt, lured her away, and kidnapped her into the mountains. Even when Chelsea’s video call came in from the mountains, I couldn’t believe she was so sick and twisted. What I couldn’t believe even more was that Damon had told me he’d broken things off with Chelsea ages ago, yet he’d been secretly seeing her all this time. With such a terrifying crisis, he wasn’t rushing to the mountain to find our daughter. He even stopped me from calling 911, insisting that Chelsea would eventually get tired and bring Willow back unharmed. Seeing my hysteria, Damon’s face finally showed a flicker of exasperation. He glared at me impatiently. “Fine, you crazy woman! I’ll go get Willow from the mountain right now, okay?!” “But if Willow isn’t like you say, you will get on your knees and apologize to Chelsea!”

It was called a deep mountain, but it was only about a hundred miles from our city. Still, it was incredibly remote. There were no high-speed trains or even regular trains, and the only way in was by car, navigating winding mountain roads. The desolate mountain village was called Leech Slope. There had even been news reports about hikers getting lost there, found drained of blood. They said only a few households remained, with just a handful of elderly, infirm residents still clinging to the village. I couldn’t imagine how Chelsea knew about such a place, or how she dared to take my daughter there. At first, there was a winding mountain road, but further in, it turned into dirt paths carved out by villagers long ago. It was nearly dark when Damon and I finally arrived at Leech Slope. I immediately spotted the ramshackle hut Chelsea had been in during the video call. I leaped out of the car, rushing towards it. Inside, a heavy smell of damp mold mixed with cigarette smoke hit me, making it hard to breathe. Chelsea was sprawled on a tattered bed covered with a thin quilt, leisurely puffing on a cigarette. Incensed, I grabbed her by the collar, screaming at her. “Where is Willow? Where have you hidden her?!” To my surprise, Chelsea wasn’t shocked to see me. Instead, she yanked my hand away and met my gaze with a defiant smirk. “Hmm… let me think. Oh! I remember! I think I sent her up the mountain to pick tea leaves!” “That little conniving brat is so cheap, isn’t she? Still not back this late. Maybe she’s off flirting with some random guys in the mountains!” Chelsea’s smirk, devoid of any genuine warmth, her eyes mocking, made me feel like I’d been struck by lightning. I finally snapped, seizing her hair, ready to slap her across her smug face. But just as my hand went up, a large hand grabbed my wrist, almost making me stumble. “Iris! We’re here to get our daughter, not for you to start a fight!” Then, with a look of doting concern, Damon pulled Chelsea into his arms, murmuring softly. “It’s okay, honey. Don’t be scared, I’m here. No one will hurt you…” “Waaah, Damon, you heartless man! You finally came for me. If I hadn’t sent you that video, would you never have come to find me…?” These two despicable people, uncaring about my daughter, were flaunting their affection right in front of me. I felt like my head would explode. I shoved Chelsea out of Damon’s arms, screaming hysterically at him. “I came to find Willow, not to watch you two making out like cheap sluts!” Damon, in turn, slapped me again and roared back. “Why are you screaming like a banshee? Can’t you see you’re scaring Chelsea?!” “She just told you Willow went to pick tea leaves. It’s dark now, but she’s not stupid, she’ll come back, right?!” It was then that I noticed a small pile of dry grass on the floor. It was stained with dark, dried blood. A sudden intuition sent a jolt of ice through my heart. I pointed at Chelsea, demanding. “Is this blood Willow’s? It’s freezing in the mountains, and you made her sleep curled up on this pile of grass?!” “Yeah, didn’t you see this tiny shack only has one bed? It’s too small, I couldn’t let her squeeze in with me, could I?” Before Chelsea could finish her sentence, I finally slapped her. “The video… Willow’s broken legs, her body covered in pinched, festering wounds—it was all real, wasn’t it?”

My entire body trembled violently, my heart aching as if it would shatter. Chelsea rolled her eyes, scoffing. “Of course it was real! You think I gave her a makeover? I don’t have that kind of talent!” “Whose fault is it that she’s so young and already seducing men? I bet you taught her—a rotten tree bears rotten fruit!” I truly couldn’t believe such words could come from an adult. I’d heard about Damon and Chelsea’s affair years ago. I knew Chelsea was petty, jealous, and a drama queen, but I never imagined she was such a psychopath! My head reeled. I only wished I had a knife; otherwise, I would have plunged it straight into her heart. “You sick twisted freak! I—I’ll kill you!” I completely lost it, grabbing a half-burnt wooden stick from the ground and swinging it at Chelsea’s head. But Damon’s furious yell stopped me. Chelsea, seizing the moment, snatched the stick and slammed it onto my forehead. “You’re the psycho! I was just ‘disciplining’ that little brat for you, and you want to kill me for it?!” Chelsea glared at me, her face showing no remorse, then feigned hurt and burrowed into Damon’s arms. “Waaah… Damon, it’s all your fault! If your mother hadn’t stopped you from marrying me back then, the daughter I was carrying would be as old as that little brat now. My heart aches so much…” “I’m sorry, Chelsea. I couldn’t help it back then. Don’t worry, if you want kids, my daughter is your daughter—” I clutched my throbbing forehead. Warm, sticky blood was streaming down my face, yet these two despicable people were rekindling their old flames right in front of me. My heart ached with spasms, almost suffocating me. “Willow… where is my daughter? I need to find her!” “Damon, when Willow is back, she’s mine. We’re getting a divorce! Whatever you and your twisted mistress do after that has nothing to do with me!” Suddenly, an unknown animal roared outside, making Damon flinch. That’s when he finally remembered our daughter. “Right, Chelsea, which part of the mountain did Willow go to pick tea? It’s so late, we need to find her.” “Sniffle, sniffle… I just told her to pick tea. This mountain is so big, how would I know which peak she went to…?” Chelsea’s words ignited another surge of furious anger in me, but I knew killing her now would be useless. The most urgent thing was to find Willow. I didn’t have time to waste on these two. I grabbed a random stick from the ground and rushed out. The mountain was pitch black. Forget streetlights, there wasn’t even a single glow. And the animal roars from the mountain were growing louder. I suddenly remembered something and immediately pulled out my phone to dial 911 and 902, only to find no service. Apparently, there were no cell towers built in these deep mountains. Just as despair washed over me, I suddenly heard a child’s terrified scream from the mountainside not far away. “Ah—Mommy! Mommy, help me!” In the silent dead of night, Willow’s scream was piercingly clear. I no longer cared about anything else and charged straight up the mountain. Damon’s voice, however, called out from behind me. “Iris Reynolds, if you want to go, go by yourself. I’m not risking my life. Besides, Chelsea is timid; I need to stay and keep her company!” I froze, stunned. I couldn’t believe these words were coming from the man I once deeply loved, my daughter’s own father. I gritted my teeth, glaring at Damon, who was tightly embracing Chelsea, and spoke each word distinctly. “I told you, if anything happens to Willow, I will make you both pay with your lives!” With that, I plunged into the mountain alone, without a second thought!

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During the F1 Grand Prix, my race car suddenly lost control and careened off the track. But instead of my airbag deploying, a series of balloon-popping sounds exploded right by my ears. And my genius engineer fiancé, Declan Hayes, was there, laughing hysterically with his assistant, Willow Greene: “So this is a top-tier racer, huh? Can’t even tell the difference between an airbag and a balloon!” I clung to my last shreds of consciousness and asked: “Did you tamper with the car?” Declan looked completely indifferent: “Oh, Aurora, don’t blame me. Willow wanted a shot at the race too. If you’d taken first, she wouldn’t have stood a chance.” I stopped arguing. Mustering my last breath, I dialed a number: “Pick me up in seven days. I’ve agreed to your terms.” All cameras instantly swiveled to me. The commentator at the scene gasped: “Oh my god! Top racer Aurora Reed has just made the first major mistake of her career!” “Ambulances are already on site. Could this be the end of Aurora Reed’s racing career?!” All my fans were on edge, worried sick. But Declan snatched my phone away: “It was just a joke! Do you really have to be so dramatic?” Willow, standing beside him, chimed in with a look of feigned hurt: “Exactly! Aurora, you created such a live stream moment! We hit over a million viewers! “You’ll definitely be trending now. With this much exposure, you can snag tons of endorsement deals!” Willow held the live stream camera, zoomed in on her beauty filter, and flaunted it in front of me, making sure more people saw my pathetic state. “She’s so stupid! Can’t even tell airbags from balloons! And she calls herself a pro racer?” “The legendary female racer? She’s nothing special, just riding on men’s connections.” “Get out of the car, you brainless bimbo! Seriously, put a bone on the steering wheel, and a dog would drive better than you!” I watched the live stream comments explode before my eyes. Declan, meanwhile, was happily enjoying the show. I stared at him in disbelief: “So, you just agreed to her replacing the airbags for a live stream gimmick?” Faced with my accusation, Declan grew impatient: “You just signed a brand deal. If you don’t trend, how will the brand get exposure? I’m doing this for your own good.” Willow overheard him and immediately looked heartbroken: “Aurora, why are you talking like that? You’re not blaming me, are you?” Before I could reply, her tears started to fall. Then, she didn’t forget to aim the beauty-filtered camera at herself and sob into the live stream: “I saw Aurora had been in closed training recently and wasn’t getting much exposure, so I wanted to help her boost her popularity. That’s why I thought of this prank.” “A top racer being relatable and funny? That’s amazing for popularity!” “Now the whole platform is buzzing, but she’s not thanking me, she’s yelling at me.” “But why is she doing this to me?” “Guys, you’ve got to help me out and tell me if this is fair!” The comments section instantly filled up: “Willow is so pitiful! Trying to do something nice and getting yelled at. It’s just so hard to be a good person!” “Aurora is totally washed up, right? She blames everyone else because she can’t stay relevant. Classic move for someone who can’t handle not being in the spotlight.” “Seriously, it was just a little prank. Is it really necessary to escalate things? She’s as fragile as glass.” “Aurora crashed her own car and blames others? Why doesn’t she blame her shaky hands?” “I always heard Racer Reed was jealous and bullied the female assistant around Engineer Hayes. Now I see it for real!” I was so furious, my vision blurred. Willow had only become Declan’s assistant because of me. She had just graduated, struggling to find a job, when she bumped into me. Declan had been complaining to me around that time that the team’s workload was too heavy and he needed an assistant. So, I brought Willow back and had her help out with the racing team. But I never expected that over time, Declan and she would get involved. Not only did he protect Willow at every turn, but he was also adamant about helping Willow, who had no racing experience or talent, become a racer. He took the top-tier, fifty-million-dollar engine I bought and put it in her car. Then he gave me a beat-up, secondhand engine for mine, saying: “A true racer is never limited by their equipment.” But I never expected that I would still take first place with that junk car. Willow’s face was utterly disgusted. I didn’t think much of it at the time, focusing solely on my training. I never imagined she would tamper with my car at the World F1 Championship and replace my airbags with balloons! Not just the commentators, but even the fans on site were stunned. They shouted: “Check the car! That’s Aurora Reed! Her car must have been tampered with!” “No cheating in racing! There must be something wrong!” Even the commentator frantically yelled: “Aurora is known for her cautious racing style! How could she make such a huge mistake?!” “Didn’t her engineer notice any issues with the car?” At that, Declan’s face darkened.

As I was being stretchered off the track by the paramedics, I could still hear the uproar from the stands. Some spectators who had bet on me winning angrily hurled rocks and bottles at me. I immediately started bleeding from my head. As I lay there, covered in blood, reporters swarmed, camera flashes exploding. “Aurora, did you intentionally cause this accident because you were jealous of Willow?” “Rumor has it your relationship with Declan is strained. Was this accident a deliberate publicity stunt?” “Netizens are saying your acting is superb, that there was nothing wrong with the airbag. How do you respond?” Before I could even speak, Declan stepped in front of me and declared with a righteous expression: “She’s just been under too much stress, and her mental state has been unstable recently. I hope everyone will stop hounding her.” His words caused a stir among the reporters. “So, you’re saying she does have psychological issues?” “I heard Aurora previously showed symptoms of mental illness due to declining performance. Is that true?” “Engineer Hayes is so considerate, even covering for her.” I stared at him, numb. He didn’t even glance at me when he said that. Willow stood behind him, eyes red-rimmed, murmuring: “Aurora has been really exhausted lately. Last night, she even ripped up all her design plans, saying she wanted to ruin this race.” She looked understanding, pitifully vulnerable. The media cameras instantly focused on her. Someone quietly sighed: “What a thoughtful girl, even defending Aurora.” Declan instinctively pulled her behind him: “Don’t film her. If you want to film anyone, film Aurora. Willow is just an assistant, don’t involve innocent people.” That protective gesture completely ignited the fuse of public opinion. #Aurora Goes Insane# #Racing Goddess Falls# #Declan Protects Willow Like Treasure# In just five minutes, seven trending topics exploded. Mr. Blackwood, the club owner, was so furious he cursed me out right beside my stretcher: “Aurora, do you have any idea how much sponsorship money this accident cost us?!” “Declan warned you repeatedly to check your car, but you wouldn’t listen!” “Three hundred million dollars in breach of contract fees! And it’s all on you!” Coach Miller also had a frosty expression: “I told you your emotions have been too volatile lately; you shouldn’t have been on the track.” “Willow will replace you at the club. You can go scrub toilets for all I care!” “At least Willow listens, unlike you, always doing whatever you want!” The rest of the race crew glared at me, not a single person speaking up in my defense. Reporters’ microphones practically jabbed at my face: “Aurora, are you jealous Willow is taking your endorsements?” “Did you tamper with the car yourself and then try to frame Declan?” I lay on the stretcher, coughing up blood, and let out a desperate laugh: “I almost died on that track, and you’re all making up stories for a trending topic. How creative.” “This was all Willow’s doing—” “Aurora!” Declan cut me off sharply, then turned to the media: “She’s been through a lot; she’s not thinking straight. Please don’t pay attention to her words.” Willow also quickly stepped forward, taking my place, tears streaming down her face: “Declan, don’t blame Aurora. She just misunderstood…” As she spoke, she even clasped my hand: “Aurora, I know you don’t like me, but I truly didn’t mean any harm.” Her voice trembled, as if I were the aggressor. The surrounding reporters raised their cameras in unison. In the lenses, she was tearfully pleading, while my face was a picture of fury. It was clear who looked more like the perpetrator. Suddenly, the entire internet sided with Willow Greene. The club’s board of directors expressionlessly announced: “Effective today, all of Aurora Reed’s racing qualifications are suspended pending an internal investigation.” “Declan and Willow will take over from Aurora to complete the races and promotional events.” This news quickly spread throughout the racing circuit. The commentator exclaimed excitedly: “Aurora’s mistake this time was clearly due to a problem with the car!” “Yet the club’s top brass chose to directly replace Aurora!” “Does this mean Willow will become the new rising star to replace Aurora?!” The fans in the audience were outraged: “This isn’t fair! They made this decision without fully investigating the car!” “Aurora is being wronged!” But their cries were soon drowned out by the applause for Willow. I struggled to take my phone from the paramedics. A flood of comments instantly assailed my eyes like venomous snakes. “Crazy woman still wants to ruin someone else’s future?” “Declan is such a good guy; he’s still sticking by her.” “Willow is so unlucky to be dragged into this mess.” “Aurora, get out of racing. Don’t embarrass the country.” As my head reeled, Declan came over to me. He dismissed all the medical staff. “Aurora, I’ve already suppressed the trending topics about this for you.” “As long as you immediately release a statement, clear Willow of any involvement, and admit it was your own operational error and mental instability, I’ll let you receive treatment.” I looked at him coldly: “If you and Willow hadn’t tampered with my car, I never would have crashed! And I wouldn’t be like this now!” “This wasn’t my fault to begin with. I won’t release any statement!” Declan looked at me coldly, a smile playing on his lips: “Then don’t blame me.” “Aurora, for every day you refuse to speak up, you won’t receive treatment.” “You can just lie here and die!” “No! You almost ruined Willow; I’ll make you suffer more than death itself.” Declan was true to his word. Soon after, the front page of “International Racing Times” featured my terrified, distorted face. The headline read: Aurora Reed’s Loss of Control: A Self-Directed Tragedy. My disheveled appearance was perfectly captured. I became the laughingstock of the world. All my sponsors terminated their contracts, and the club canceled my agreement. Even my fan clubs were all disbanded. They all flocked to Willow Greene, calling her the new “Racing Goddess” and “Racing Darling.”

Collapsing in the lounge, I lay half-conscious and hazy for a long time before I finally came to. When I woke, the stark white lights hit my face, making my eyes ache. Declan walked in. He frowned, glanced at my gruesome wounds, and was uncharacteristically silent for a moment. But then, his voice low and hoarse, he said: “Aurora, just admit your mistake, and I’ll send you to the hospital immediately.” I looked up at him: “What ‘mistake’ are you referring to? That I didn’t die, or that I didn’t kneel and thank Willow Greene for tampering with my car?” “Aurora!” Just as he was about to say something, Willow burst in, clutching her phone. She looked anxious and wronged: “Declan! This is bad!” “All the major media outlets are reporting that Aurora used performance-enhancing drugs during the race, and all her previous achievements are being canceled!” My head snapped up, the color instantly draining from my face. “What?” She held the screen out to Declan, her fingertips trembling slightly: “It’s an official announcement. It says the International Testing Center confirmed she violated rules multiple times.” On the video interface, the red seal of the International Racing Association was glaring. It clearly stated: Aurora Reed repeatedly refused random drug tests, suspected of using performance enhancers to boost reaction time. I almost shrieked: “It’s fake!” “Declan! You know this is all fake!” Even Declan was startled now; his pupils constricted, and a hint of unbearable pity crossed his face. Everyone knew that for a racer, past achievements were more important than life itself. Just then, Willow suddenly covered her mouth and cried: “Declan, this is all my fault.” “I just casually asked a testing official that day if they had Aurora’s sample, and they just…” She couldn’t finish her sentence, choking back sobs. “Act! Just keep acting!” “Willow Greene! Even if you ruin me, you won’t get anything that’s mine!” I had endured too much in these few hours, making my emotions spiral out of control. I shrieked, even pushing myself up to lunge at Willow. “Enough!” Declan shoved me away violently. My body was already beyond its limit, and I crashed against the wall. A sharp bone shard instantly pierced through my wound. “Ah!” I let out a piercing scream. A flicker of heartache crossed Declan’s eyes, but he quickly suppressed it. He was about to speak, but Willow, as if terrified, burrowed into his arms, her eyes red: “Declan, I’m so scared… Aurora is already mentally unstable, can we please not provoke her?” Declan patted her back, saying gently: “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you. She can’t do anything to you.” Then he looked at me, his expression stern: “Aurora, how can you still have the nerve to accuse people now? Could the testing center’s report be fake?!” Before Declan’s angry roar subsided. The race track’s security and several team members burst in, drawn by the noise. They glared at me: “Don’t let her go crazy anymore! At this rate, she’ll ruin the team’s reputation!” “The trending topics are everywhere now, and the International Racing Association is threatening to blacklist our team! It’s all Aurora’s fault!” “Willow was kind enough to help her check her car, but instead of being grateful, she’s now slandering her! When in reality, she’s a criminal who used banned substances, yet she’s still acting like a victim!” They spoke over each other, one after another. Several team members couldn’t take it anymore and rushed forward, pinning me to the ground. I struggled violently, my wrist twisting with a ‘crack,’ the pain making my vision blur. Willow continued to cry pitifully while feigning kindness, speaking up for me: “Please stop scolding Aurora. She must have just wanted to win honor for the team, but she accidentally went down the wrong path…” “Honor? She’s making everyone on the team take the blame with her!” “And ‘top racer’? Now she’s made our entire team an international joke!” “The whole world knows she’s a cheating queen, and she still insists she’s innocent?” “Get out of the club already; just seeing her makes me sick!” They spat insults at me, one after another, completely missing the fleeting look of triumph in Willow’s eyes. Even outside on the track, my former supporters began to change their tune with wave after wave of news. “So all these years, Aurora only got those results with banned substances? This trash should be permanently banned!” “She totally deserves to crash! She’s a disgrace to the racing world; she should have died on the track already!” “When she won the championship back then, I knew it. That quick reaction time? No way without drugs!” “Now we know she relied entirely on drugs. Laughable! No wonder she was so neurotic!” Waves of shouts for “Refunds! Refunds!” echoed in my ears. Declan, with a cold smirk, spoke: “Aurora, I misjudged you. I never thought you’d be this kind of person.” “From now on, our team has nothing to do with you! With your disgraceful conduct, no racing team in the world will want you.” His words made me laugh, spitting out blood. I looked up, a cold smirk on my face: “Declan, do you really think I have nowhere else to go besides this club?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “299393”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #励志Inspiring #后宫Harem

It was the fifth day of the wilderness survival challenge. Our food supply was completely gone, and everyone was sinking into hunger and despair. Just then, my best friend, Chloe Miller, came back, clutching a huge cluster of vibrant red mushrooms. A savior-like glow radiated from her face. “Everyone, come quickly! These are edible red mushrooms; I used to forage for them back home! We’re saved!” Crazed with hunger, the others immediately swarmed around her, showering her with praise. “Chloe’s our lucky charm! Way more useful than some stuck-up beauty queen who’s all looks and no substance!” But I rushed forward, knocking the poisonous fungi from her hands. “These are deadly poisonous mushrooms, the ones that kill you!” I yelled. Blinded by starvation, no one believed me. Chloe, especially, picked up the mushrooms with a wounded expression, ready to distribute them again. Seeing I couldn’t convince them, I snatched all the toxic mushrooms and threw them into the bonfire without hesitation. She froze for a moment, then her eyes welled up, and she turned a tearful gaze to the camera. “Cassie, I know you’re popular, but you can’t bully me like this. I was just trying to help…” Everyone looked at me with disdain. The live chat instantly exploded with comments like “Bitch,” and “Get out of the show.” That night, while I slept, she sneaked a hidden mushroom into my drinking water. As organ failure set in and my consciousness blurred, I heard her whisper mockingly in my ear: “I could have won first place tonight… Why were you stupid enough to compete with me? Remember this in your next life: don’t stand in my way!” When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the moment she was about to hand those poisonous fungi to everyone.

“Cassie, this one’s for you. I picked out the biggest one.” Chloe stuffed the most vibrantly colored poisonous mushroom into my hand. I stared at the bright red mushroom in her hand. I pinched my waist, hard. The sharp pain was real. It wasn’t a dream. I was really back. The agony of my previous death still made cold sweat trickle down my back. A few male contestants around me were still muttering crude remarks. “Look at Chloe, so beautiful and kind-hearted! Unlike some cold beauty, who’s just a pretty face when it really matters!” “She’s probably waiting for us to starve to death so she can hog the five million dollar prize, right?” I clutched the deadly poisonous mushroom, my fingertips ice cold. In my past life, I was too focused on saving these fools, only to be doubted and hated by them. Ultimately, I died because of Chloe’s venomous scheme. The prize money? My dad invested a hundred million dollars in this show. But I couldn’t just stand by and watch people die here. “These mushrooms are poisonous.” I held up the toxic fungi in my hand, my voice cold and hard. “Don’t eat them.” “Nonsense!” An influencer, Chad Baker, immediately jumped out. A mini camera was clipped to his chest, and he yelled into his live stream, “Guys, look at this! Some people get jealous when others are more capable. She’s deliberately saying the mushrooms are poisonous, trying to starve us to death! How disgusting!” “Cassie,” Chloe’s eyes welled up instantly, her voice trembling with a sob. “I know you don’t like me, but you can’t joke about everyone’s lives! These really are edible red mushrooms; I used to eat them back home all the time…” “Oh, really?” I scoffed, done with the pointless chatter. I pulled the multi-tool from my belt. “What are you doing?!” Brock Jensen, a seasoned outdoorsman and Chloe’s blindly devoted follower, immediately stepped in front of her defensively. “Are you going to pull a knife just because you got called out?” I ignored him. My movements were swift, with practiced precision. A pigeon dropped from above. I sliced off a small piece of mushroom, forced a bit into its beak. The whole process took only a few seconds. The pigeon initially flapped, but less than half a minute later, its movements grew stiff, it began to convulse, and then it simply collapsed dead on the ground. Seeing this, everyone froze. They tossed their mushrooms away as if they were scorching hot. “Now, does anyone still think these mushrooms are edible?” “Chloe! You almost killed us!” Someone snapped out of their shock, accusing her sharply. Chloe’s body trembled, tears streaming down her face. She feigned a look of immense sorrow. “I just wanted everyone to eat something… Maybe there are many similar varieties of mushrooms, and I made a mistake…” Her story was full of holes, but paired with her pathetic appearance, it actually cooled some of the men’s anger. Suddenly, she looked up, and abruptly changed the subject: “But Cassie, why do you carry a knife with you? Are you secretly hiding it, planning to use some special trick to win in the finals?” Predictably, the others, who had just been pointing fingers at Chloe, immediately turned their questions to me. “Yeah! Why do you have a knife?” “Bringing a weapon to the competition is against the rules!” Chad Baker yelled excitedly at his live stream, “Guys! We’ve got a major scoop here! A beauty contestant caught with a weapon!” Brock Jensen even took a step forward and shoved me hard. “Hand over the knife! And your bag, we need to check it!” Caught off guard, I stumbled and fell to the ground. Brock unceremoniously snatched my backpack and dumped all its contents onto the dirt. “Enough.” Julian Thorne, the wealthy heir who had been leaning against a distant tree trunk, strolled over slowly. “I’ve seen this kind of charade played out a million times at galas.” “But for a bunch of hunger-crazed idiots, I suppose it’s effective enough.” His words caused the restless atmosphere to quiet slightly. “If she really wanted to harm you, wouldn’t it have been easier to just watch you eat the poisonous mushrooms?”

Chloe, seeing herself being challenged, cried even harder, tears rolling down her face. “I read a report once, someone put razor blades in another person’s sleeping bag, or on the edge of their water bottle… I never thought you could be so vicious. As your friend, I can’t condone this!” Her words were pure manipulation, and the men who already doubted me instantly changed their expressions. I scoffed, my gaze sweeping over the fools. “Are you out of your minds? If I really wanted to harm someone, would I have shown it this early?” “Who knows if this isn’t some kind of reverse psychology!” Brock yelled sharply, clearly now completely on Chloe’s side. I was about to retort when a mournful wolf howl echoed from the distant forest. Everyone’s faces paled. “It’s a wolf!” Someone’s voice trembled. Chloe shrieked in terror, instinctively hiding behind Brock, but not forgetting to blame me. “It’s all your fault, Cassie Blackwood! If you hadn’t wasted everyone’s time with this pointless drama, we’d at least have some strength to run! Now look what happened…” I cut her off coldly. “You see a wolf and you still want to run? Are you insane? Running makes you a sitting duck!” Brock immediately shielded Chloe, glaring at me furiously. “You shut up! If it weren’t for you—” “You want to draw them closer, why don’t you?!” I lowered my voice, warning him sharply, “Are you trying to attract the whole pack? The only thing we need to do right now is find somewhere to hide!” Fear overrode the argument. Everyone frantically began to gather their meager equipment. As Brock packed, he still couldn’t resist questioning me in a low voice. “I just can’t understand why you’d be so kind as to warn us? Shouldn’t you be wishing we’d all die so you could take the prize money?” I stopped, staring at him, and shot back. “What about you? Why are you helping Chloe so much? In just five days, have you fallen so in love with her that you’d willingly die for her?” “Or are you just completely under her spell from her tearful act?” Brock choked, his face turning ashen, unable to speak. Not far away, Chloe was looking at her heroic defender with eyes full of worship and dependence, tears still glistening. After becoming best friends with Chloe, I always thought she only had romance on her mind. And also, some vague, unspoken jealousy towards me. Before, I just thought she was a bit petty, nothing major. But this wilderness trip had completely opened my eyes. We hadn’t gone far when a dark, narrow cave mouth appeared on the side of the mountain, just wide enough for one person to squeeze through sideways. From deep within the cave, a faint sound of flowing water could be heard. “Water!” The influencer gasped in surprise, his parched lips trembling with excitement. He quickly adjusted the camera on his collar, lowering his voice but unable to hide his thrill as he spoke to the camera: “My loyal followers, do you see this? God hasn’t abandoned us! We found a water source! When I win this competition, I’ll hook all my subscribers up with a bonus! Haha!” Desperate for views, he didn’t think to assess the situation before entering. He had barely squeezed half his body into the cave entrance when a loud rustling sound came from inside. “Ah!” A short, sharp scream suddenly rang out, followed by the sound of something heavy being dragged away. Right behind the influencer was Chloe. Half her body was wedged in the narrow opening of the cave entrance, her huge backpack making it impossible for her to move forward or backward. She had clearly seen something inside the cave; her entire face instantly lost all color, and her pupils dilated to their widest extent. “Chloe!” Brock’s eyes widened, and he lunged forward, grabbing her arm and pulling her desperately. “Get out, fast!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “299392”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #励志Inspiring #后宫Harem

Two years into our marriage, the city’s elite still sighed over Julian’s three year battle against his family, all to make me his wife. But the very day I found out I was pregnant, footage of his ex-girlfriend Sera returning to the city went viral. In the video, they passed in the airport terminal. Then both turned at the same instant, their eyes meeting across the crowded hall. The comments painted a unified picture of romantic fantasy: “Now this is real love.” “If Sera hadn’t gotten hadn’t gotten a terminal illness and left him, Aria would never have had a chance.” I tried to dismiss it as meaningless online noise. But then I saw one comment that made my entire body freeze. “He didn’t just love Sera for her face. It was her voice. And his new wife sounds just like her.” Aria POV Two years after our wedding, the city’s elite circles were still buzzing with the romantic tale of how Julian Thorne had defied his family for three years just to make me his bride. But the very day I found out I was pregnant, footage of his ex-girlfriend, Sera Vance, returning o the city went viral. In the video, they brushed past each other in the airport lobby, then turned back, their eyes locking across the distance. The comment section below the video was almost universally gushing with praise. “Now this is real love.” “Sera is even prettier than a Hollywood star!” “She’s also an independent journalist who’s exposed so many social injustices! A real justice warrior!” “If Sera hadn’t gotten a terminal illness and broken up with him, Aria Hayes wouldn’t have stood a chance with Julian!” At first, I told myself not to care about these online rumors. But then I saw one comment that made my entire body freeze. “Julian isn’t like other powerful executives. He’s very particular about women’s voices. He liked Miss Vance not just for her looks, but for her voice. His current wife’s voice is almost identical to hers.” My mind exploded. Julian had this bizarre habit. He liked to turn off all the lights during intimate moments, making me whisper his name over and over. Sometimes, he’d even have me record a news article for him to play on loop in his office. I’d never thought much of it, even believing it was our own special ritual of intimacy. My hands trembled as I dug out those recorded news articles, and that’s when I saw it-each one listed “Miss Vance” as the source. Tears splashed onto the screen, one by one. My heart felt like it had been plunged into a block of ice. I rushed to his company, desperate for an explanation. But just as I reached the door, through the slight crack, I heard laughter. “Julian, Sera’s back and she’s recovered. You still haven’t divorced? You haven’t actually fallen for that substitute, have you?” His voice was indifferent, yet I couldn’t miss the hint of indulgence hidden beneath. “Don’t be ridiculous. I only married her to fulfill Sera’s last wish, just a charade to ease her mind while she got treatment.” I stood frozen outside the door, my legs turning to jelly. The laughter inside the office continued. “Sera was just afraid you’d be all alone if she didn’t make it off the operating table. It just so happened that woman had donated blood to her, so Sera insisted you pursue her.” “Though, her body is incredible. How about you trick her into a fake divorce, and when she’s heartbroken, I’ll go after her? Of course, if you can’t bear to let her go, just forget it.” After a brief silence, his familiar yet alien voice replied. “She’s been with me for so many years, after all. If you’re serious, go for it. But if you’re just messing around, forget it. Sera would blame me if things got messy.” A substitute? My head felt like it had been violently struck. I stumbled back, unable to listen anymore. So, the happiness I thought I had, was nothing more than a play from beginning to end. And I was the only one who had fallen too deeply into the role. He had once fought tooth and nail with his parents for me, giving up his inheritance. He had even moved into a tiny apartment for me, arguing with the landlord for two hours over a trivial amount of rent. He, who never cooked, had made me breakfast for five years. But all of it, a performance! How utterly ridiculous. Back home, I rushed into the bathroom, sinking into the bathtub, trying to calm myself. As I dried my hair, I tried to reassure myself, maybe he was just joking with his friends. Men together, aren’t they always bragging? But that night, he only sent one message. “Tied up with work. Go to sleep.” I sat on the sofa all night. He didn’t return until dawn. He looked relaxed. A grin touched his lips when he saw me. “There’s my sleepyhead. Couldn’t sleep without me? Look, I brought your favorite tarts.” I didn’t move, didn’t speak. He seemed completely oblivious, casually pulled out a document, and handed it to me. “Aria, the company is under federal investigation. I don’t want to drag you into this, so how about we get divorced first, then remarry once the investigation is over?” I stared at him silently, catching the strong scent of roses on him. I never wore rose-scented perfume. How he managed, spending a night with another woman and still conjuring up such a ridiculous excuse to trick me into a divorce.

Aria POV I smiled, incredibly calmly, took the divorce papers, and signed my name. Julian pulled away the signed document, reassuring me. “In a month, after we get our divorce certificate, we’ll go get our marriage certificate.” I stared at him, trying to find a trace of deceit in his eyes. But those eyes, instead, were filled with tenderness and love. My frozen heart, against all odds, thawed slightly. Clinging to that last, irrational bit of hope, I clutched his hand and whispered, “There’s some trouble. How about we just don’t divorce for now?” A flicker of unnatural light crossed his eyes, quickly masked by an air of indifference. “It’s no trouble at all. I’m doing this for your own good.” I lowered my head, my voice hoarse. “Alright. Go take a shower.” A month from now, we’d go our separate ways. We’d be done with each other. “Such a good girl.” He chuckled softly, popped a tart into my mouth, then turned and went into the bathroom. I reflexively took a bite, and the rich cheese flavor exploded in my mouth. I froze, then quickly spit it out. How could he forget I was allergic to cheese? When we first started dating, I accidentally ate some cheese and ended up in the emergency room. When I woke up, the doctor half-jokingly said. “Go comfort your boyfriend. He was practically in tears outside, almost on his knees begging me to save you.” From then on, whenever we ate out, Julian would repeatedly remind the server. “Absolutely no cheese in the dishes.” The memory was still sweet, but now my hands and feet were turning red, hives spreading everywhere, itching intolerably. I let out a self-deprecating laugh, picked up my medicine, and was about to swallow it, when I suddenly remembered I was pregnant. My fingers trembled, and I slowly put the pill bottle back down. Just then, the bathroom door opened. “What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?” He looked at me with concern. Before I could even speak, his phone suddenly rang. He answered it, and the relaxed look on his face instantly vanished, his tone tightening. “Protect her. I’m on my way now.” He hurriedly changed, walked to the door, then seemed to remember something, turning back to glance at me. “A journalist friend of mine got into some trouble while investigating a shady factory. I need to go check on her.” He then reminded me. “Remember to eat breakfast before you go to work.” I nonchalantly pulled down my sleeve, and asked blandly, “What flavor were those tarts?” “Cheese, of course. It’s been really popular lately. I waited in line for ages.” His voice held a hint of irritation, as if he found my questions bothersome. I nodded, only softly saying, “Understood. Drive safe.” He clutched his phone, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes. But before he could figure it out, his phone rang again, and he left without a backward glance. I watched his retreating back, my fingertips trembling slightly. Then, I grabbed a face mask, went outside, hailed a cab, and followed him. The car stopped outside a secluded alley. I watched him from a distance, following him to the very end. That’s when a delicate figure in a red dress rushed into his arms. He immediately wrapped his arm around her waist, his voice cold. “I told you, if you keep risking your life like this, I’ll lock you up.” The woman, Sera, stood on tiptoe and gently kissed his lips. “Julian, how can a journalist be afraid of trouble? Besides, I have you, so I’m not afraid of bad guys.” I watched him push her into the car, locking the door. Then he grabbed her by the back of the head and kissed her fiercely. That kiss was brutal and deep, as if he wanted to devour her. Afterward, she shyly scurried out of the car, and he chased after her, his eyes full of indulgence. Leaning against the wall, I felt utterly disgusted. I stood there stunned for a long time, until my fingers grew numb. I pulled off my silver ring, ripped it off, and threw it into the gutter. Then I turned and walked away, strides long and deliberate.

Aria POV That afternoon, I started running a fever. Drifting in and out of consciousness, my head throbbed with a dull ache. In my dream, I saw Julian, alone, working construction. A privileged rich kid, yet he was ordered around by workers, covered in dirt. But he seemed utterly oblivious, using his hard-earned wages to buy a silver ring, just to come see me. Before coming to find me, he’d even taken a shower and changed into clean clothes. “Aria, I have no money, no power right now. I’m not asking you to accept me. But could you please not date anyone for three years? Just three years, that’s all I need.” I put on the ring without hesitation. “Julian, I’m willing to work with you to earn your family’s approval. But if one day you get tired, just tell me, and I’ll walk away without a second thought.” I woke up from the dream. The high fever made the allergic spots hot and itchy, like a thousand ants crawling all over me. Suddenly, a burning sensation below, and a terrifying realization hit me-the baby… I instinctively dialed Julian’s number. It rang a few times, and then a woman’s voice answered. I knew it was Sera. “Hello? Make it quick. I just saw a kitten hit by a car, and I’m rushing to film it to find the culprit. I don’t have time to chat.” A sharp pain shot through my abdomen. I couldn’t care less about anything else and quickly said. “Please tell Julian I might be having a miscarriage. Tell him to come back immediately and take me to the hospital.” There was a moment of silence on the other end, then her nonchalant voice spoke again. “If it can’t be saved, it wasn’t meant to be. It’s people like you, making a fuss over nothing, that give doctors such a heavy workload.” I clutched my stomach, wondering if I was hallucinating. “Aren’t you a woman? What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Give the phone to Julian, I need to talk to him!” Sera on the other end answered casually. “Miss Hayes, reincarnation is a two-way street. If the fetus wants to leave, you should respect its wishes.” Just as she was about to hang up, I heard Julian’s voice on the other end. Enraged, I shouted, “Julian!” But Julian didn’t respond to me. I only heard Julian and Sera’s conversation. “Sera, what’s wrong? Is your heart bothering you again?” Julian asked anxiously. “My heart hurts so much! Julian, maybe you should go back and talk to Aria. What if something really happened to her baby…” He listened quietly, then picked up the phone, his voice calm but sharp. “Aria, you’re infertile. How could you be pregnant? Stop acting.” “And stop being so dramatic. Sera has a heart condition; you’ll cause her serious trouble like this…” I couldn’t speak. The woman on the other end kept babbling, finally just saying. “I’m too busy these past couple of days, so I won’t be coming back. Don’t call me for such trivial matters.” The phone clicked, and my heart sank deeper and deeper. I had to call emergency services myself, then ask my best friend, Brianna, to rush to the hospital to sign the papers. After the surgery, I was unconscious for three days and three nights before I finally woke up. Brianna said she’d rushed to the hospital after my call, but it was too late. The doctor said if she’d signed just ten minutes earlier, they could have saved the baby. Then, Brianna sat by my bed, cursing that scumbag for half an hour straight before finally calming down enough to buy food. I pulled out my phone to scroll through Ins. Less than a minute later, I saw a video Julian had re-posted. The two-minute clip showed Sera advocating for animal welfare, urging people to cherish life. Below the video, Julian commented, expressing his full support for her philanthropic work. I gently touched my abdomen. My heart was numb with pain, leaving only a bitter irony. At Brianna’s insistence, I rested for two more days before being discharged. When I got home, Julian wasn’t back yet. I didn’t care. I went about my routine of work and home. It wasn’t until the evening of the second weekend that he returned home. When he walked in, I was looking for my lawyer’s license. Julian said mockingly, “Well, look at you. Perfectly fine, aren’t you?” Before I could explain, he grabbed some clothes and went into the bathroom. A short while later, his phone rang in the bathroom. Even though he kept his voice low, I still heard his conversation with Sera. “Mm, don’t worry, she wasn’t pregnant. Probably just being petty.” “Okay, whatever you say. I’ll stay home tonight. Don’t kick off your blanket in your sleep while I’m gone!” I chuckled softly, pretending not to hear, and went about my business. We were divorced anyway. He could think whatever he wanted; there was no point in explaining. It just meant he was staying home tonight, and I’d have to find an excuse to sleep in separate rooms later. The thought of sharing a bed with him now felt utterly repulsive. Lost in thought, he walked into the bedroom and told me, “Sera’s interview ran into a bit of a problem…” I cut him off, saying, “Go check on her.” A flicker of unease crossed his face, but he ultimately just said, “I’ll be back soon.” That night, he didn’t return, and I slept soundly.

Aria POV The next morning, Julian, uncharacteristically, rushed back and insisted on driving me to work. I found it a bit odd, but didn’t refuse. Just as the car turned a corner, we saw a small car hit an elderly man, then speed away. Julian instinctively slammed on the brakes and was about to open the door when I reached out to stop him. “Call emergency services first.” It was a professional reflex. I immediately checked that the dashcam was recording, then pushed open my door and got out. I hadn’t taken two steps when Julian suddenly called out to me. “Sera’s health monitor is alarming; she might be having heart problems. I need to go check on her. You wait here for the ambulance.” Both were life-and-death situations. I didn’t stop him, only reminded him to save the video evidence. The old man’s condition was critical; he was rushed to the hospital and immediately given a critical care notice. I dialed the number saved as “granddaughter” in his phone countless times, but no one answered. By the time the police arrived and needed me to sign special procedures, the old man was gone. The doctors wheeled the body out of the operating room. I stayed behind to handle the follow-up, an ominous feeling suddenly creeping into my heart. By some strange impulse, I logged into the system on my phone and copied the accident footage. Just as I was about to upload it to the cloud, the elevator doors chimed open- Sera burst out, saw the old man, and immediately collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably. “Grandpa! What happened to you? Sera’s here, please wake up!” I froze for a few seconds, a ridiculous thought flashing through my mind-could this really be such a bizarre coincidence? But before I could even speak, she had already risen, rushed to me, and slapped me hard across the face. “Aria, it’s you, isn’t it? You hate me, you can come for me, but what kind of guts does it take to get revenge on an old man!” Fire blazed in my eyes, yet I remained calm. “I’ve already told the police what happened. If you have questions, you can ask them.” She glared at me, her voice trembling and hysterical. “If it wasn’t you, why didn’t you let the hit-and-run driver come forward? If it wasn’t you, how could you be so ‘kind’ as to bring my grandpa to the hospital?” Her logic was so infuriating, it made me laugh. Just as I was about to show her the evidence on my phone, she suddenly lunged at me to snatch it. In the chaos, she pulled too hard, falling over, phone and all. Julian arrived at that very moment, just as he saw Sera and me on the ground. He didn’t hesitate, rushing over and shoving me hard against the wall. “Are you insane!” My back and the back of my head hit the wall almost simultaneously. The intense pain made my vision swim. Before I could recover, Sera had already collapsed into his arms, crying as if her world was ending. “Julian, Grandpa’s dead! I don’t have a grandpa anymore! She’s the one who hit him… Make her kneel before Grandpa and apologize!” I watched him. Watched him remain silent. Watched the hesitation in his eyes. My heart grew colder, bit by bit. I suddenly remembered that year, right after I graduated, when a defendant, unhappy with the verdict, ambushed me in an alley, forcing me to my knees to apologize. It was him. He rushed in bare-handed, fighting them until he was covered in blood. When the police arrived, he forced himself to stand before me and coldly told that group of people- “This fool, to be a good lawyer, she’s read her criminal code thousands of times, can recite all fifty-six thousand six hundred eighty-one words by heart. You think you can use dirty tricks to shatter her dream? Forget it.” At that moment, he was the brightest light in my world. But now, that light stood before me, cold as ice. “Aria,” he said, “go kneel and say goodbye to Grandpa, so the old man can rest in peace.” Sera, still in his arms, looked up at me, a defiant smile on her face. “Not ‘say goodbye’, but ‘apologize’.” I closed my eyes, letting out a cold laugh. “Whether I’m wrong or not, the police will tell you. But, Sera, you’re crying so hard, are you afraid your grandpa’s ghost will come looking for you tonight, asking why you didn’t answer his-” Before I could finish, a sharp slap landed across my face. Then, Julian ordered his bodyguards to drag me, forcibly, to the bedside, kicking my knee. With a sickening thud, I fell to my knees. A tearing pain shot through my knee. I stared at him, my voice hoarse. “Julian, you clearly saw the real culprit.” He froze for a moment, a flicker of guilt in his eyes. Then he bent down, whispering in my ear. “Sera is frail. Grandpa’s death is a huge blow to her. If I don’t let her vent, she’ll get sick. Anyway, you’re always dealing with criminals, you’ve spent plenty of time at the detention center. Consider this a new experience.” I could barely believe my ears. Rage instantly flared to its peak. I shoved him away. “Do you know what it means for a lawyer to have been in a detention center? Disbarment, a lifetime ban from practicing law! Julian, how can you say that so casually-” Before I could finish, he pinned me back to the ground. The bodyguards tore my blazer, bound my hands behind my back, and shoved a wad of fabric into my mouth. Julian bent over, looking at me, his smile gentle yet cruel. “Be good. Your job is dangerous and doesn’t pay well, you’re better off without it. From now on, I’ll take care of you.” With that, he turned and walked to Sera’s side. She was sobbing inconsolably into the camera, repeatedly crying out “hit-and-run” and “murderer.” The crowd gathered, whispering amongst themselves. “How shameless, killing someone and being so cold-blooded.” “Dressed so prim and proper, probably a mistress.” People pointed and cursed at me, but I couldn’t utter a single word. Sera continued to incite the crowd. A family member of a drunk-driving victim nearby completely lost control and rushed over, raining punches and kicks on me. Fists rained down on my face and body, my bones creaking with each blow. I wanted to protect my head, but my hands were tied. I could only curl into a ball, letting the punches and kicks fall upon me. Through the crowd, I vaguely saw Julian’s face. Those eyes, which had once given me such peace, now held only indifference. He was led away by Sera, to “arrange for Sera’s grandpa’s body.” I slowly closed my eyes. Those fists and feet, bit by bit, shattered what little memory I had left. The man who would get flustered by a mere glance from me. The man who couldn’t handle spice but would eat Mexican food with me. The man who rode a train for over ten hours just to bring me breakfast. All of it was brutally ripped from my mind. The pain was so intense I couldn’t catch my breath, and I completely lost consciousness. Julian, it turns out your compassion also had an expiration date. Falling in love with you truly hurt.

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On the fifth of every month, the housing complex management collected our water bills. The amount had been the same for three years, but today, it was three dollars more. I checked the bill and found a three-dollar charge for a washing machine at the Southside Fire Station, exactly the difference. But at the station, payments were automatically deducted from his account; there was no way it could have been a mistake. I followed the address. There, I saw my husband, Chris, with his arm around a young woman. “Chris, I owe you so much. If you hadn’t arranged for Leo to attend school as your son, I wouldn’t have known what to do.” “But what if Evelyn finds out? She’ll be furious.” “And it’s all my fault. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have used your promotion as an excuse to trick Evelyn into keeping your marriage a secret.” Behind them, a little boy held up a new backpack and yelled, “Daddy, can I go to kindergarten on Monday?” I clenched the kindergarten rejection letter in my pocket. Lily couldn’t enroll because she didn’t have a father listed. Recalling Chris’s secret marriage pact with me three years ago, my last shred of hope shattered. I pulled out my phone and called my father, General Reed: “Dad, I’ve decided to transfer to the Headquarters Medical Center. Also, please revoke Chris Miller’s promotion.”

My father had long wanted me to transfer back to the Headquarters Medical Center, but I, wanting to be closer to Chris, insisted on staying here for three years. My colleagues often asked, “Dr. Reed, you’re a medical doctor, what are you doing in this backwater town?” I’d just laugh it off, saying, “It’s close to home, very convenient.” Yes, close to Chris, convenient for doing his laundry and cooking his meals, convenient for being at his beck and call. But what I got in return was him building a new family, supporting another woman and her child. I scoffed at my own foolishness, not only harming myself but also my daughter. Three years ago, when Chris proposed, he said, “The unit doesn’t allow relationships. This is a critical time for my promotion. Once I transfer to Headquarters, I’ll give you the grand wedding you deserve.” I believed him, and in return, I spent three years living without any official recognition. My daughter was left in our hometown, being gossiped about and judged, unable to even attend kindergarten. I had once brought up going public because of Lily. But Chris would always wave his hand impatiently, “Not yet, wait a little longer. We’ll talk about it once the transfer orders come through.” I’d heard that sentence for three years, and I’d waited for three years. Now I finally understood. His “wait a little longer” meant waiting for his son to start school. But now, I wouldn’t wait anymore. The next morning, I received my transfer orders from my father. But as I went to get the signature from my superior, I ran right into Sarah. She was holding her child, her face showing no panic when she saw me, only a triumphant smirk as she approached me step by step. “Hello, Dr. Reed. Chris sent us. He said you should take a good look at his son.” I clenched my fists, staring at her, “What do you mean?” Sarah immediately forced a saccharine smile, “Oh, I misspoke. My son has a fever, and Chris said Dr. Reed here is the best doctor, so we absolutely had to come find you.” I suppressed my anger. Colleagues were all around. I didn’t want to make a public spectacle of myself. “I’m sorry, this is the fire station’s medical clinic, only open to internal staff and their families.” She deliberately raised her voice, “That’s right, we *are* family.” “Dr. Reed, you wouldn’t believe it, but the father of my child was so anxious he didn’t sleep all night. That’s just how parents are, you must understand, right?” I forced a smile, “I understand. I have a daughter too.” She immediately exclaimed dramatically, “Really? Dr. Reed, you have a daughter? How old is she?” My colleagues immediately looked my way. I never discussed personal matters during work, so this was the first time they’d heard I had a child. I replied coldly, “Three years old. She’s supposed to start kindergarten.” “Oh! What a coincidence, the same age as my son! What’s your child’s birthday? Maybe they’re even close!” At that moment, I glimpsed her son’s birthday on his medical record: August 9th. My hand froze. My daughter’s birthday was also August 9th. Three years ago, I had a difficult birth with severe hemorrhage. Chris claimed he had an urgent mission and couldn’t leave. He didn’t show up until the third day after Lily was born. But looking at the medical record, a child born on the same day as my daughter… There was nothing left for me to misunderstand. He wasn’t stuck on an urgent mission; he was obviously with another woman, having *her* child. I squeezed my fists, letting my nails dig into my palms. Just then, a voice called out from behind me. “Evelyn!”

I turned around to see Chris staring at me, his eyes bloodshot: “Dr. Reed, could you step outside for a moment?” I followed Chris to a deserted spot. Once he confirmed no one was around, he didn’t say a word, just raised his hand and slapped me across the face: “Evelyn Reed, are you really that petty? Every time a woman appears near me, you’ll go to any lengths to hurt them.” “Now you’re even going after a child! Let me tell you, if anything happens to Leo, I’m not done with you!” The slap made me laugh out loud. I’d waited three years, and all I got was not an explanation or an apology, but a warning and a slap. I pulled the medical record from my pocket and threw it at his face: “Open your damn eyes and look! What did I do to him? This is the fever medicine I prescribed!” Chris looked at the medical record, confirmed it, and only then believed me. Watching him, my heart felt utterly cold. Chris’s demeanor softened: “Evelyn, I was just too worried.” “Shouldn’t you explain yourself to me?” He sighed, “Evelyn, Sarah is my old friend’s sister. The child isn’t mine. My friend died protecting me, I can’t just abandon them.” “I’m doing all this to repay a debt of gratitude. You’re the most understanding person I know, you can understand, right?” I sneered, “Understand? Fine, as long as you come with me now to officially register our marriage, and give Lily a father so she can go to school, then I’ll understand you!” Chris frowned, his voice full of impatience: “Are you serious? For my sake, what’s the big deal if Lily delays kindergarten for a year?” “This is a crucial time for my promotion. Everything else can wait until after I’m promoted.” “Promotion, promotion, always promotion! Haven’t I waited three years long enough?” I looked at him sarcastically, “Or perhaps you’ve already officially married someone else, and that’s why you keep using the promotion as an excuse, deliberately lying to me.” Hearing this, Chris’s expression froze for a moment. The next second, a storm of fury erupted. His eyes filled with disappointment as he looked at me. “Evelyn Reed, is that how you see me? You’ve truly disappointed me. Have you considered my feelings when you say such things?” Before, whenever he made that face, I’d always back down and apologize. But now, hearing those words, I only let out a cold laugh: “Fine, if I’m supposed to consider your feelings, then let’s break up. That way, you can openly take care of them!” Chris stared at me in disbelief, “Evelyn Reed, are you crazy!” But looking at my emotionless face, a hint of unease crept into his heart. “I don’t talk to crazy people. You need to calm down.” He turned to leave but stopped abruptly. Lily was standing in the corner, I didn’t know when she’d gotten there. “Mommy, Daddy, I won’t go to kindergarten. Please don’t fight, Lily will be good.” Her words were like a needle, sharply piercing my heart. I couldn’t hold back anymore, hitting and kicking Chris: “Chris Miller! Are you even human! Do you deserve to be a father!” Seeing Lily, Chris made a hasty retreat. In his rush, he accidentally bumped into Lily. She fell to the ground, scraping a large patch of skin on her elbow, crying out in pain. He looked back at her worriedly, about to say something. But from a distance, Sarah’s voice called out: “Chris, hurry! Leo’s fever is back!” He rushed off, not looking back at Lily or me, just leaving a message: “Evelyn, you’re a doctor, you’re more professional than me. Lily is in your hands.” “Sarah is a single mom, she needs my support.” Hearing those words, I looked at Lily in my arms, feeling only ridicule. The last foolish flicker of hope in my heart completely died out. “Dad, I’m not just revoking Chris Miller’s promotion; I’m going to sue him!”

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My older sister, Seraphina, had a twisted obsession with cleanliness. She wouldn’t let any man touch me. Once, while shopping, I accidentally got bumped from behind by a man. She declared my clothes dirty, ripped them off me on the spot, leaving me in just my underwear, mortified under the gazes of strangers. I wanted to die of shame. At a dinner party, the man I’d secretly admired asked me to dance. The moment my hand slipped into his, Seraphina stormed over, snatched my hand away, screaming it was ‘dirty’ from a man’s touch. She grabbed a steel wool and dish soap right there, scrubbing my hand mercilessly. She scrubbed until my skin peeled off, leaving me in excruciating pain and utter embarrassment. Yet, she kept claiming she was doing it “for my own good.” I became depressed and withdrawn, locking myself in my room, terrified to step outside. Later, Seraphina was defiled by a homeless man. I thought she would feel ‘dirty’ herself. But to my shock, she declared herself innocent, saying she would forgive the homeless man because he was ‘pitiable.’ She even invited him over, sleeping with him in her room. She got pregnant, but used my name for the abortion, then spread rumors that *I* had slept with the homeless man and gotten an abortion. Mom and Dad returned from overseas, called me a disgrace, and beat the life out of me. When I opened my eyes again, I was reborn. Seraphina, this time, it’s my turn to teach *you* about ‘cleanliness’…

My phone suddenly buzzed, the screen flashing “Seraphina”—a name both jarring and nauseating. I took a deep breath, pushing down the hatred bubbling inside, and answered the call, intentionally mimicking the timid voice I’d used in my previous life: “Seraphina, what’s up?” “Anya, hurry up and get ready. We’re going downtown this afternoon. I spotted a new designer brand store, and I want to take you to check it out.” Seraphina’s voice was as gentle as ever, but I could hear the cold indifference hidden beneath. In my past life, it was this exact shopping trip where I was bumped by a stranger, leading to a humiliation I’d never forget. This time, how could I let history repeat itself? “Okay, Seraphina, I’ll be ready in a minute.” I hung up, a chilling smirk playing on my lips. I opened my closet, not reaching for the light-colored dress Seraphina preferred, as I had done before. Instead, I chose a black jacket, pairing it with a fitted camisole and long pants underneath. I checked myself in the mirror, making sure the jacket zipper was pulled all the way up, covering every inch of exposed skin. And I needed to prepare something ‘special’— A bottle of medical alcohol spray and a pack of disinfectant wipes. Seraphina, you love cleanliness so much, don’t you? Well, I’m going to ‘help’ you live by that standard… to its absolute extreme. Everything prepared, I stepped out of my room. Seraphina was already waiting in the living room. She wore a white dress, her hair perfectly coiffed. Her face was impeccably made up, looking clean and elegant, like a pristine white lily untouched by the world, yet I knew the poison that bloomed within. Seeing my black jacket, Seraphina frowned, a hint of displeasure in her tone: “Anya, why are you dressed like that? Black is so drab, and this style is too casual, not clean at all.” “Seraphina, I feel comfortable in this. Plus, this style is super trendy right now.” I smiled deliberately, a touch of rebellion in my voice. Seraphina paused, seemingly surprised that I, who once always obeyed her, would talk back. But she quickly composed herself, walking over to take my hand: “Alright, let’s go to the clothing store first. I’ll pick out some nice things for you.” I abruptly stepped back, avoiding her hand. At the same time, I quickly pulled out my alcohol spray, misting the arm she almost touched several times, then vigorously wiped it with a disinfectant wipe. My actions were swift and frantic, my face contorted with exaggerated panic and disgust. I raised my voice a few notches, ensuring Mrs. Jenkins, our housekeeper in the living room, could hear: “Seraphina! Don’t touch me!” Seraphina’s hand froze in mid-air, her smile instantly vanishing. She looked at me, bewildered: “Anya, what’s wrong with you?” “Seraphina, when you were talking to the delivery guy just now, did you touch the package he handed you?” I frowned, my tone serious. “Delivery guys touch so many people every day; packages are crawling with germs, so dirty! You touched the package, so your hands must be covered in bacteria. Now you’re trying to touch me? You’ll make me dirty!” Seraphina’s face instantly paled. What she cared about most was ‘cleanliness,’ and what she hated most was indirect contact with strangers. I watched her expression stiffen, a cold sneer forming in my heart, and continued to provoke her: “Seraphina, you need to disinfect your hands right away! Otherwise, the germs will spread! I already feel sticky on my arm, it’s so gross!” As I spoke, I picked up the alcohol spray again, spritzing it into the air several times, my face full of revulsion. Mrs. Jenkins stood by, watching Seraphina with a strange look. She seemed surprised that our usually meticulous elder miss would be ‘unclean’ enough to elicit such disgust from her younger sister. Seraphina’s cheeks flushed crimson then drained white. She stared intensely at my arm, then at her own hands. Her eyes filled with a conflict of disgust and struggle. She spun around, rushing into the bathroom. Soon, the sound of vigorous handwashing and the scent of disinfectant filled the air. I gazed in the direction of the bathroom, a triumphant smile curving my lips. Seraphina, this is just the beginning. The rest of our shopping trip, I’ll make sure you thoroughly ‘enjoy’ what it feels like to be treated as ‘filthy.’ You wanted to humiliate me, didn’t you? This time, I’ll make *you* the most eye-catching ‘joke’ on the entire street.

The taxi dropped us off at the downtown shopping district. The new designer boutique was just around the corner from the alley, bustling with people—the perfect timing for my plan. “Seraphina, look at that store window, the styles are so unique.” I deliberately slowed my pace, gently linking my arm through Seraphina’s, guiding her toward the alley entrance. Seraphina’s attention was fully on the clothes in the display. She stopped, following my lead, and nodded in agreement: “They do look good. We’ll go in and I’ll pick out a few pieces for you.” The moment her words faded, a young man with a backpack suddenly rushed out of the alley. He was clearly in a hurry, his steps quick. Now! I subtly hooked my foot, letting my body lean into Seraphina’s side. At the same time, I grabbed her wrist tightly, using the momentum to push her half a step towards the man. The series of movements happened too fast for anyone to react. Seraphina only managed a short gasp before the young man collided squarely with her back! With a dull thud, Seraphina stumbled forward a couple of steps. A faint gray smudge instantly appeared on the back of her white dress, and the man’s backpack strap left a shallow scrape. The young man also staggered backward, quickly regaining his balance before bowing apologetically: “Oh, I’m so sorry! I’m really rushing for the subway, I didn’t see you. Are you alright?” Passersby were instantly drawn to the scene, gathering around, curious eyes on us. It was exactly like the scene from my past life, when they had all stared at *me*. According to the script of my previous life, Seraphina should have been furious by now. But she merely paused, then reached back to pat the smudge off her dress. She actually forced a ‘magnanimous’ smile, waving her hand at the young man: “It’s alright, it’s alright. It’s just a small thing, and you didn’t do it on purpose. Please go, don’t let me delay you.” Good. Oh, so good. Your cleanliness obsession only applies to *me*, doesn’t it? Well, I’m going to tear apart your fake facade, you bitch, and make you experience *my* past humiliation in front of everyone! Before the young man could thank her and leave, I suddenly shrieked, as if someone had just stepped on my last nerve. My voice was sharp and piercing, instantly drowning out the murmurs around us: “Ah—! Seraphina! How can you be like this! He touched you! He’s a man! You were touched by a man! You’re so dirty!” My reaction was too violent; both Seraphina and the young man flinched in surprise. The surrounding crowd instantly fell silent, all eyes fixed on us. Seraphina’s face changed. She tugged at my arm, lowering her voice to scold me: “Anya! Are you crazy? Keep your voice down!” “I’m not crazy!” I violently shook off her hand, my eyes wide with ‘terror’ and ‘disgust,’ exactly mirroring the way *she* used to look at me in my past life. “Seraphina! How can you be so nonchalant? Men are so dirty! Their bodies are full of bacteria, full of filth! You were touched by him; your clothes, your body—they’ve all been defiled!” As I spoke, I stared intently at the smudge on her back. It was as if I’d seen something utterly vile, my body trembling uncontrollably. Seraphina’s face flushed then paled, then flushed again. She wanted to maintain her composure, but I pushed her relentlessly. She could only force herself to say calmly: “It was just a bump; it’s not that serious. I’ll just pat it off.” “Pat it off?” I scoffed as if I’d heard the most ridiculous thing, my voice suddenly rising. “Seraphina! Have you forgotten what you used to teach me? Things touched by men are never clean, even if you wash them a hundred times! How can you not cherish your own cleanliness?!” I deliberately brought up her past ‘teachings’ to me, every word like a dagger twisting in her heart. The crowd started whispering: “That sister’s reaction is a bit much, isn’t it?” “From what she’s saying, it sounds like her older sister used to be really strict with her?” “This older sister is strange too, so calm about being touched, but her younger sister is freaking out.” Seraphina’s cheeks burned crimson with shame and fury, but she couldn’t lash out. She could only grit her teeth and say: “Anya, stop making a scene here. We’ll talk about this at home.” “At home? No way!” I firmly refused, my eyes resolute. “It has to be dealt with *now*! Clothes touched by a man can’t be worn again! Keeping them is just defiling yourself!” In my past life, she had done exactly this, ignoring my pleas, tearing off my clothes in public. This time, I would return every bit of it to her! Before Seraphina could react, I suddenly reached out, grabbing the neckline of her white dress, and yanked hard! *Rip!* The sound of fabric tearing was shockingly loud in the crowd. Seraphina’s dress neckline instantly tore open, revealing the lace strap of her bra underneath. She gasped, her face turning ashen, instinctively reaching to cover herself. But I held her arm down tightly. “Seraphina! Don’t touch it! Your hands were touched by him too; they’re dirty now!” I shrieked, tearing at her dress with all my might. I put every ounce of strength into it, my fingers white from the effort, the years of suppressed hatred exploding in that moment. *Rip—rip—* The expensive white dress was torn from neckline to hem, jagged rips spreading everywhere. Pieces of fabric fell to the ground, covered in dust. Seraphina struggled desperately, screaming: “Anya! Stop it! You’re crazy! Stop now!” “I’m not crazy! I’m helping you!” My eyes were red, as if I were possessed. “Only by throwing away these dirty clothes can you stay clean! Seraphina, this is all what *you* taught me! This is how you used to ‘help’ me!” With one final, powerful tug, I ripped the entire dress off her body. I flung it violently onto the dusty ground, then stomped on it hard with my foot: “Dirty thing! It’s this dirty thing that defiled Seraphina!” The crowd gasped. Some instinctively turned away. Others stared with curious eyes, the murmurs instantly erupting into a cacophony of chatter. Seraphina stood in the bustling street, clad only in her underwear, stiff and pale as a sheet. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes filled with terror, shame, and disbelief—exactly like me in my past life. Those strange, mocking, probing glances pierced her like needles, making her tremble all over. Her cherished composure, her ‘cleanliness’ that she valued more than life itself, was utterly shredded by me in that moment. “Ah—!” Seraphina finally broke, letting out a heart-wrenching shriek. She clutched at herself, sinking to the ground. Her shoulders shook violently, tears streaming down her face like a broken dam. The young man had long since been terrified into silence by the scene. He stood rooted to the spot, his face crimson, unsure whether to stay or go. I watched Seraphina’s pathetic state, feeling not a shred of sympathy, only an indescribable surge of satisfaction. This is everything you did to me in my past life, Seraphina. You stripped me naked under everyone’s gaze, subjecting me to endless humiliation. Now, I’m simply returning the favor, exactly as you gave it. “Seraphina, don’t just crouch there.” I deliberately squatted down, speaking with ‘concern’ in my voice. “The ground is even dirtier; you’ll get more germs on you. Don’t you value cleanliness above all else? Get up, let’s go home and disinfect.” As I spoke, I reached out to pull her up, but she violently pushed me away. “Don’t touch me!” Seraphina’s voice was choked with sobs, full of venom. “Anya! I’ll kill you!” “Seraphina, how can you say that to me?” I put on a hurt expression, my eyes welling up slightly. “I was only doing it for your own good! Have you forgotten? Last time, when I was touched by a man, you also threw away my clothes like this. You said it was the only way to stay clean. I’m just learning from you, helping you get rid of dirty things.” I purposely raised my voice, making sure everyone around could hear. The crowd immediately started murmuring with understanding: “So her older sister used to do that to her?” “No wonder the younger sister is reacting so strongly; she must have been traumatized by her sister. This is like a post-traumatic reaction, right?” “This older sister is disgusting. So harsh on her sister, but so lenient with herself. Now she’s getting a taste of her own medicine.” These comments were like sharp knives, twisting deep into Seraphina’s heart. She crouched on the ground, her head buried in her knees, crying even harder, daring not to look up, daring not to face the gazes around her. I stood up, watching her pathetic figure, a cold, chilling smile on my lips. I pulled out the pre-prepared alcohol spray from my bag, frantically spraying the ground around Seraphina and the area she had been touched, muttering as I sprayed: “Seraphina, disinfect quickly! Don’t let germs get on you! All these places touched by men are so dirty!” The smell of alcohol permeated the air. People instinctively took a few steps back, their eyes on Seraphina growing even stranger. Seraphina couldn’t take it anymore. She sprang to her feet, clutching her body tightly. She pushed through the crowd like a madwoman, running off into the distance. As she ran, her hair was disheveled, her steps faltering, completely devoid of her usual elegance and poise. Watching her fleeing figure, the years of pent-up resentment in my heart finally dissipated for the most part. The young man walked up to me, a little awkwardly. “I’m sorry. Just now… was it because of me that I caused trouble for you two?” “It’s alright,” I tucked away my voice recorder and phone, smiling at him. “My sister was just making a scene. She was always too harsh on me in the past, so I was forced to react this way. Please go, don’t let this delay your plans.” “Okay, I’ll be going then. Really, I’m so sorry.” The young man said, then hurried away. The crowd, seeing there was no more drama, gradually dispersed. Only the ripped white dress remained on the ground, looking utterly pathetic in the wind. This time, it won’t be me who’s withdrawn and depressed, haha!

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The city’s richest woman was kidnapped and held for ransom by a madman. Our Female Eagle Squad risked life and limb, nearly dying, to rescue her. For that mission, I lost two of my sisters, and another was critically wounded, still fighting for her life in the ER. But just as the billionaire and the High Command were about to award our elite mercenary team with a hefty prize, my fiancé Damon’s mistress, Brittany, stepped forward. She brazenly claimed she killed dozens of the thugs alone and captured the rest by herself. Therefore, the credit, she insisted, was hers alone, and our Eagle Squad had nothing to do with it. I could tolerate being wronged alone, but my fallen sisters would not have died in vain. “You’re full of it! You hid behind us the whole time, a trembling coward with a broken gun, couldn’t even hit the broad side of a barn at thirty meters, and you dare claim you killed the thugs?” Brittany’s eyes blazed with fury. She grabbed a glass and threw her drink in my face. “You have a death wish, Zara! How dare you cross me? If I say I did it, then I did. The entire mercenary group belongs to my dear brother, and he dotes on me more than anyone. What do you say to that?” My fists clenched, knuckles white. I launched a punch straight into her face. When Damon found out, he actually brought hundreds of mercenaries, who surrounded us in a tight circle. “Zara, get down on your knees and apologize to Brittany immediately! Then strip naked and run ten kilometers to calm her down, or I’ll have you arrested for insubordination!”

The massive open field instantly filled with an oppressive aura. My sisters and I were surrounded by hundreds of guns, as if a single ‘no’ would mean our heads rolling. The billionaire and the High Command, initially furious with us, eventually grew so disappointed that they washed their hands of our fate. They left us to Brittany’s mercy. “Zara, maybe we should just give in? She’s always been disgusting, always trying to steal credit. We’re just subordinates, and we don’t have the power to fight them.” Skye pleaded, her voice laced with resentment. But I wouldn’t back down. Not to them. Instead, I stood defiant, ready to fight them to the death. Because whenever I was away, that useless Brittany, with Damon’s backing, constantly bullied and suppressed my sisters. And now, she wanted to steal our credit too. Now I was back, and we’d lost two sisters on this mission. I would never let them die for nothing. And I would certainly never let them be called useless. The mercenaries before me were all strangers, new faces Damon had brought in, specifically to challenge me. He had also secretly sent my loyal people on dangerous missions while I was away, leading to their deaths. Did he truly think I didn’t know? I wasn’t stupid. The mercenary group was founded by my mother. She was the true leader, though Damon seemed to have forgotten that. His current position? I gave it to him. For Brittany to claim the entire mercenary group belonged to Damon was utter bullshit. Brittany, thinking I was intimidated, smirked, a triumphant, arrogant sneer spreading across her face. “See, Zara? This is what happens when you try to steal my glory. You’ll be riddled with bullets.” She walked closer, sneering, and mockingly patted my face. “As long as Damon is here, I, Brittany, can strut around like I own the place. You wouldn’t even dare to blink without my permission, understand?” “You used to be a legend here, so what? Now, Damon calls the shots. The High Command favors him. And while you were gone, we slowly but surely took over your territory, seized control of the mercenaries. They only listen to Damon’s orders. As for you, you’re just a puppet with no real power! Hahahaha!” As soon as she finished speaking, she grabbed a knife and slashed at Skye, deliberately tearing her clothes, just to humiliate us. “Isn’t this just infuriating? You risk your life on every mission, but don’t get a single bit of credit. It all just flows straight to me!” I’ve never been one to act impulsively or lose my temper easily, but this disgusting behavior was beyond unbearable. I was about to throw another punch at that bitch when Brittany pointed her gun at my sisters’ heads. “I know you’re capable, but I’m curious. Which is faster, your fist or my bullet?”

I glared at her, and the more enraged I became, the more triumphant she grew. “Pfft!” She spat at me, using my sisters’ lives to threaten me, warning me not to move. Otherwise, she would have long been dead by my hand. “Looking at me like that, don’t you just want to kill me? Hahahaha!” “I know you’re itching to kill someone right now, but if you move one more inch, I’ll shoot both of them.” Then, she swayed her hips provocatively, looking down at me with disdain. “Who would have thought that a legendary, undefeated warrior like you would be caught in my chokehold, forced to obey?” “I’m telling you, Zara, your era is over. Now, it’s my world. You’d better be sensible. Accept it, whether you want to or not, understand?” “Bang!” She fired her gun at the flag hanging above, the one symbolizing my rank, shooting it down. Then she walked over and stomped on it with her foot. “Whoever needs to take a dump now, I’ll reward them handsomely if they use this flag to wipe their ass. Afterward, I’ll have a big reward for you.” Immediately, everyone rushed forward, eager to humiliate me and curry favor. I wondered where these dogs found such guts. Had they truly forgotten my brutal methods of retaliation? They thought a flimsy gun could force me to submit? Dream on. I suppressed my rage, watching the crowd scramble for the flag, and let out a cold laugh. “You’re so eager to die, you don’t even need to fight over it. Do you really think my era is over? Heh, how could it be?” “Bang!” I raised my gun, sweeping a bullet across the foot of the new recruit who was stepping on the flag. She cried out in pain, collapsing to the ground and writhing. Facing so many gun barrels, I stood calmly and coldly, utterly unfazed. “Zara, you dared to injure my person? Who gave you the audacity?” “Heh, I’ve lived on the razor’s edge since I was a kid. I don’t need anyone to give me guts.” “Don’t think a gun can threaten me. If you really kill me, my friends out there will rip your skin off, believe me.” “Don’t believe it!” “Because our strength is not to be underestimated. We’re more than enough to stand against your people.” “And my reputation as the Venomous Wolf is not to be trifled with.” As my defiant words faded, a cold-faced man in military uniform stepped out. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him – it was Damon, my fiancé. Instantly, all the mercenaries on site respectfully hailed him as “Commander Damon.” That title, “Commander Damon,” was undoubtedly a slap in my face. Because before this, I was the one everyone revered. Hearing their respectful address, Damon grew even more smug. When his eyes met mine, the coldness and disdain in them were no longer hidden; they were openly displayed. He thought his wings had grown strong, that he called all the shots in the entire mercenary group. He no longer needed my help and could bully me as he pleased. “Zara, you are not to steal Brittany’s credit.” “You’ve received so many awards, you don’t need this one. Let Brittany have it this time. I want her to make a name for herself, to let more people know she exists.” “If you refuse, then you’re going against me completely.” “And I will never allow anyone to walk all over me. I’m telling you, anyone who defies my orders is asking for death.” His unspoken meaning was clear: he was threatening me, telling me to swallow this insult. “Damon, this world is about blood. If she’s a capable mercenary, she should earn her stripes and fight her own battles, not hide like a coward and steal others’ glory to make herself look good.” “Understand?”

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My bestie and I were notorious at the orphanage, our resident bad girls, a notorious duo. I was a master of the venomous tongue, could reduce grown men to tears with my words. Skylar had brute strength that bordered on superhuman, always ready to ‘reason’ with her fists. No one in the entire orphanage dared to cross us. Even the guard dog knew better than to cross us, slinking along the walls with its tail between its legs whenever we passed. That year, when we were eight, we were busy messing with an ant hill by the wall when Director Evans walked over with a couple. They said Skylar was the Sterling family’s long-lost real daughter and had come to take her home. But Skylar insisted on bringing me. She sat on the floor, kicking her legs, and bawled, “If it wasn’t for Chloe all these years, I would’ve been bullied to death! If you don’t adopt her, I’m not going back either!” I quickly dropped my stick, put on my sweetest smile, and stepped forward to introduce myself: “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, I’m the best-behaved, most obedient kid in our whole orphanage. Adopting me would be a total win-win!” Director Evans’s face twitched. He looked like he’d just swallowed a whole lemon, or worse. Bullied? Most obedient? Did they even hear what they were saying?! As if terrified of leaving our little devils behind, Director Evans closed his eyes, steeled his heart, and made a desperate, unheard-of decision that probably made his ancestors spin in their graves.

“That’s right! Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, Skylar and Chloe are the best-behaved children in our orphanage. They’re very close and don’t want to be separated, so why don’t you take them both?” The wealthy couple seemed to waver. “It wouldn’t be difficult to raise another child, but we already have an adopted daughter at home…” My bestie and I immediately exchanged an alert glance. A fake daughter? Then there was no way I was letting Skylar go back alone. What if that was a manipulative green-tea wannabe? My sweet, innocent Skylar wouldn’t stand a chance against her! “Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, Skylar gets depressed easily and might do something drastic if she’s alone in a new environment. If you take me too, I promise to stay with her and take good care of her!” The Sterling couple flinched at my words, and Skylar immediately started to cry on cue. “Exactly! If you don’t agree, I’ll hang myself at your front door tonight, boohoohoo…” They immediately caved. Mrs. Sterling looked at me and said, “We can take you back, but there’s another sister,Brittany, at home…” “I’ll get along well with her, Mom, don’t worry!” Director Evans was so moved he had tears in his eyes, practically waving us off with cheers. “That’s wonderful! Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, on gaining two lovely daughters!” After they went to complete the paperwork, I was incredibly touched and grabbed my bestie’s hand: “Skylar, you’re so loyal! You didn’t forget our pact to get rich together!” She rolled her eyes. “I was afraid you’d get yourself beaten to death for offending people with that mouth of yours after I left.” I cackled low. “Love you! That fake daughter didn’t come today; she probably doesn’t want you back. If she’s really a green tea, I’ll deal with her for you!” All these years, we’d been unstoppable in the orphanage because our combined power was unmatched. I’d provoke them until they were spitting mad with my sharp tongue, and she’d just knock them flat. When it came to dealing with manipulators, she had zero experience. My bestie squeezed my hand gratefully. “Chloe, our fortune for the rest of our lives depends on you!” “Don’t worry, I’ve got this!” When the Sterling couple emerged after finishing the paperwork, they smiled, seeing our hands clasped together. “You two sisters are so close. That puts our minds at ease.” Once in the car, Mrs. Sterling gave us a rundown of the family situation. That’s when we learned that, besides the fake daughter Brittany Sterling, Skylar also had a biological brother who was two years older. Skylar went missing when she was three, and it was because of him. The culprit himself hadn’t even come to pick her up, showing he clearly wasn’t thrilled about Skylar coming home. Sure enough, as soon as we got out of the car, we saw a gloomy-looking teenager standing with his arms crossed by the villa’s main entrance. When he saw Skylar and me holding hands and calling him “Brother,” Derek’s face looked like it might crack. “You adopted another one?” He only relaxed when he heard that I, as an adopted daughter, had no claim to the inheritance. “I’m warning you two, don’t you dare bully my sister from now on, or you’ll regret it!” I immediately hid behind Skylar and said timidly, “Skylar, why is he so biased? If he had protected you like that back then, you wouldn’t have suffered so much in the orphanage all these years…” My unspoken meaning was: You idiot, you have no remorse for your biological sister, whom you lost, and now you’re making threats to protect the fake daughter? What is wrong with you?* Sure enough, the Sterling couple’s faces darkened. Derek was furious and wanted to retort, but I quickly pinched Skylar’s waist. She immediately caught on, covering her face and crying, “Since Derek doesn’t like me, I’d better go back to the orphanage. Chloe, let’s go!” Richard Sterling panicked and slapped Derek across the face. “You scoundrel! Is this how you welcome your sister?! Get out of my sight!” Derek clutched his face, glaring at us resentfully, but dared not speak again. Skylar and I exchanged a look. Yes! First round goes to us! However, the moment we stepped into the house, we saw the fake daughter, Brittany, crying dramatically, standing on a stool, about to hang herself. Oh no, a pity play! Before anyone could react, I stepped forward and roared, “Hold it! No swinging from the chandelier indoors!” Skylar executed a perfect sliding tackle, kicking Brittany and the stool out from under her.

Brittany hadn’t even managed to get the rope around her neck before she sprawled on the ground, limbs flailing. “Ah!” She cried out in pain, and the whole family rushed to help her up. Seeing the knot she’d tied and the stool beneath her feet, the entire family surrounded her, tense with worry. “Brittany, what are you doing?!” Brittany looked at me, standing there, tears streaming down her face, looking like a tragic heroine: “Skylar, it’s all my fault for usurping your identity for so many years, for making you suffer so much. I’ll make amends with my life now!” “Please, don’t blame others. Will you promise to take good care of them in my place?” Evelyn hugged her tightly, heartbroken. “Don’t be silly, child. In our hearts, you’re our own daughter, raised by us!” Derek glared at us from the side. “Don’t be stupid, this has nothing to do with you. Let’s see who dares to blame you!” Brittany cried rivers of tears, shrinking into Evelyn Sterling’s arms, her eyes challenging me. Definitely a manipulative green-tea wannabe! Trying to sow discord? No way!* I immediately activated my sharp tongue. “So, this is the adopted sister, Brittany? My bad, my bad, I thought some ill-mannered person was swinging from the chandelier indoors!” “Speaking of which,Brittany,were you actually trying to hang yourself? But who hangs themselves from a crystal chandelier? And with a loose knot that would just slip open? What if you didn’t succeed, and the chandelier fell down, hurting someone?” Skylar picked herself up from the floor and chimed in, “Yeah, how dangerous! Luckily, I stepped in… I mean, kicked in.” Everyone looked up at the ceiling and saw that it was indeed as I had said. Richard’s face darkened. “Nonsense! What if it had fallen on others?” Seeing that both her pity play and her attempt to sow discord had failed, Brittany could only continue to cry at me: “I’m sorry, Chloe, I only wanted to atone…” “Brittany, you’ve got the wrong person. I’m your adopted sister. She’s the sister you should be apologizing to.” I pushed Skylar forward. “Now, apologize again.” Derek, puffed up with anger, stood in front of Brittany and said, “Dad! Brittany only did this because she wanted to atone. It was clearly Skylar and Chloe who intentionally made her fall! They have no manners!” My anger flared instantly. Damn it, you can insult me, but I won’t stand for you insulting my bestie! “Derek, I know you want to be Mr. Protector, but you can’t just open your mouth and spew garbage, can you?” “Why does Skylar have no manners? Isn’t it because you lost her all those years ago? You, the culprit, dare to complain about her lack of manners?” “Skylar’s rightful place as a Sterling heiress was usurped by this thief, so how could she have ‘manners’?” “From your logic, is your brain directly connected to your mouth, or what? Honestly, your thoughts are so repulsive, even a dung beetle wouldn’t touch them!” “If you can’t say anything smart, then just keep your mouth shut and stick to barking!” After I unleashed a torrent of words, the whole room fell silent. Only Skylar was holding my hand, tears in her eyes, full of gratitude. “My girl, I love you!” Derek’s face turned ashen after he processed my words, his voice changed. “You dare to insult me?!” “So what if I insult you? I’m going to insult her too!” I put my hands on my hips and pointed at Brittany. “What are you, some vintage wine trying to act all precious? You’re faker than a three-dollar bill! Even a trash can isn’t as full of BS as you are!” “Didn’t you claim to be too sick to show your face? Your little hanging performance just now certainly didn’t look like it!” “Isn’t your ‘discomfort’ just because Skylar’s back, and you can no longer comfortably be the only little princess?” Brittany, her secret exposed, wanted to argue, but I mercilessly cut her off. “Faking illness, faking suicide, trying to sow discord? Did my bestie ever ask you to atone? We’re all princesses here, why are you the only one with something wrong in your head?” Brittany’s face turned pale from my scolding, and she could only stammer, “You, you, you!” I scoffed, cutting her off, “You what? If you stutter, go to a doctor. If your brain’s acting up, maybe try reading a book or two!” Seeing she couldn’t out-argue me, Brittany started to act the part of the fragile, manipulative green-tea girl again. “Skylar, I’m sorry, I’m just so stupid. I was afraid you’d hate me, that’s why I did that.” “Chloe, you can scold me all you want, just don’t take it out on Brother and Mom and Dad.” Here we go again, this manipulative phony never had any new tricks. I couldn’t be bothered to deal with her anymore. I turned to the gobsmacked Sterling couple and asked: “I heard we’ll be in the same class as Brittany from now on?” They nodded quickly. “That’s great, then we can help Brittany more. Oh, by the way, where are our rooms?” Evelyn Sterling quickly led us upstairs to see the rooms.

Brittany followed behind, red-eyed, pretending to be generous as she pushed open her bedroom door. “If you don’t mind, you can stay in my room. It originally belonged to you anyway…” Derek rushed over, blocking our way, acting up again. “Brittany, this is the princess room Mom decorated for you! Those ill-mannered bumpkins aren’t fit to live here!” Seeing that I was about to unleash another round of insults, Evelyn quickly shot him a glare and gently told Skylar: “Skylar, you can pick any room in the house. Consider it our way of making it up to you.” Skylar gave Brittany’s overwhelmingly pink room a look of distaste, then turned and pointed innocently at another room, larger and with better lighting. “Then we’ll take this one! It’s big enough for Chloe and me!” Derek was nearly insane with rage, his voice rising, “Are you serious?! That’s Mom and Dad’s room!” I smiled sweetly at Evelyn Sterling. “Mom, you just said we could pick any room. You’re not going to go back on your word, are you?” Evelyn’s mouth twitched, but she still nodded. “Great! We’re exhausted from a full day of traveling. Mom, Dad, you two should get some rest too!” With that, I pulled Skylar and slammed the door shut, leaving the petrified family members standing there. For the next week, Skylar and I went on a crazy shopping spree. After eight years of hardship, we finally got to experience the joy of buying whatever we wanted without looking at the price tag! We hauled back several carloads of exaggerated shopping bags, dressed like a pair of opulent socialites. Whenever Brittany would make snide remarks, dripping with envy, about us wasting money, I’d shut her down with my sharp tongue. Unable to win with words, she resorted to dirty tricks. On the first day, she deliberately played weak, throwing a vase from upstairs to try and hit us, but Skylar casually caught it with one hand. On the second day, she intentionally knocked over a soup bowl at the dinner table, trying to scald Skylar, but my bestie flicked it back with a backhand, and Brittany would yelp like a scalded cat. On the third day, she secretly tucked her diamond necklace under our pillow, then brought the whole family to “catch us red-handed,” only for me to pull out surveillance footage of her sneaking into our room. Left with no choice, she had to grudgingly give it up, crying and saying she just wanted to give us a “surprise.” Unable to outwit us with words or dirty tricks, Brittany became much more subdued. But we knew she was plotting something. Sure enough, a month later, at the class assembly at our prestigious private school, she stood there with red eyes and introduced Skylar and me to everyone: “These are the sisters my parents recently brought home from the orphanage. Please take good care of them!” With that single sentence, she made it clear that we were the adopted ones, making it seem like we were the ones who had usurped a place. The students looked at her with sympathy. “Oh, is the Sterling family really that whimsical? Just adopting two more out of nowhere.” “Poor Brittany, how much love will she have to share now…” I smiled and urged Skylar to pull out the paternity test results, then said sarcastically, “Brittany, your words are so interesting. You’ve been here for eight years, stealing someone else’s spot, and you’re still playing the victim? “You’re an adopted daughter just like me, so why the act?” “Hello everyone, I’m Chloe, the best friend of Skylar Sterling, the real heiress! I’m also an adopted daughter of the Sterling family! They adopted me not because they had too much money, but because they were afraid my bestie would be bullied by certain people, so they hoped I would protect her, just like today.” The class instantly fell silent. Everyone looked at Brittany with contempt. “What? So she was just the pot calling the kettle black all along?” Girls who usually didn’t get along with her started to jeer, “Exactly! She acts like she’s the real heiress all the time, but she’s just someone with no class trying to pass herself off as royalty.” The laughter was like a slap in Brittany’s face. She was so angry and humiliated, she almost burst into tears on the spot. From then on, she completely became the school’s resident manipulative fake daughter. To prove herself, she started frantically learning piano and dance, hoping to outshine us with her elegance. Meanwhile, I started taking lessons in stand-up comedy and public speaking. Skylar, on the other hand, signed up for martial arts and Tai Chi, taking her strengths to the extreme. Over the next few years, Brittany’s attempts to outshine us always fell flat. Every time there was a school performance, my stand-up comedy and Skylar’s performance of breaking cinder blocks on her chest always overshadowed Brittany’s carefully choreographed acts. On campus, I gained a huge following with my sharp wit and humor, and Skylar also helped many people with her brute strength. With us around, the school’s atmosphere improved significantly. Bullying and fights almost disappeared. The two former little devils finally grew into well-adjusted and universally admired young women by the time we were sixteen. The Sterling couple grew to love us more and more, planning to hold a press conference to formally announce our presence. “Skylar should be given some shares in the company for her eighteenth birthday. After all, she is our biological daughter. Our group has been heavily impacted by Everhart Industries these past two years, and we desperately need a strategic marriage alliance to stabilize the situation. Fortunately, Julian Everhart isn’t against meeting. We’ll see what kind of connection the girls have then…” Brittany, who had overheard their conversation, clenched her fists. A malicious smile flickered across her face; she seemed to have hardened her resolve.

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