It had been five years since I became a live-in husband to the Coleman family, and then my brother-in-law passed away. My mom, bless her heart, felt bad for my younger brother, Michael, being widowed so young. She wanted my wife, Ashley, to have a baby for him. I refused, of course, but Mom wouldn’t take no for an answer. She practically had me barricaded in my own room, and I had to watch as Ashley went into the bedroom with Michael, who, by the way, was my half-brother. “He’s your own brother, Ryan! What’s the big deal in helping him out?” she’d said. I thought, even if he was her brother-in-law, she still had some sense of decency and wouldn’t actually do anything. But as time ticked by, my body grew colder and colder… Turns out, I was the only one who cared about what was right. While I was in my room, hugging my daughter and struggling through tears, she was upstairs getting it on with my own damn brother. … Finally, at daybreak, the locked door creaked open. Ashley tried to pull me into a hug, and as she got closer, a whiff of expensive perfume filled my nostrils. “Ryan, honey, I really didn’t see a way out. That’s why I slept with him. Don’t worry, no matter what happens between him and me, you’ll always be my one and only husband.” She was trying to explain, trying to justify her actions. But from the moment she didn’t resist going upstairs with Michael, the Ashley I swore my life to had died in my mind. If we were gonna do the whole surrogate thing, we couldn’t let the kid’s real dad get outed. So Ashley had to get pregnant within a month, and then Michael would adopt the baby. Mom played sick and practically forced Ashley and me to stay at her place for a month. Ashley was sleeping in Michael’s bedroom every night, trying to make a baby. And me, her actual husband? I was stuck in the room next to Mom’s, like some kind of prisoner. Every move I made, there were bodyguards watching me. They were scared I’d mess things up, so Mom took my phone and tablet. I felt like a criminal, being watched like that. Finally, a month later, Ashley got pregnant. Mom was thrilled. She said we needed to celebrate. That night, Ashley came back to our bedroom, acting like she’d just won a war. She got close and wrapped her arms around me. “Honey, I know it’s been tough, but I’m gonna make it up to you.” She reeked of perfume, like she’d been rolling around in it downstairs. It made me dizzy, and I hated seeing her so happy. I pulled away, pretending to fix my hair, and kept my distance. “How are you gonna make it up to me? You’re pregnant,” I said. Ashley brushed her hand against my cheek. “It’s fine. The doctor said it won’t be a big deal.” Then she started to take off my shirt. I was trying to figure out how to say no when we heard Mom and our housekeeper, Mrs. Davis, outside the door. “Where’s Ashley?” Mom asked. “She’s resting with Michael, Ma’am.” Mom’s voice suddenly got louder. “Ryan, Michael’s not feeling well. He wants Ashley to come down and see him.” Mrs. Davis sounded annoyed. “Ma’am, Michael should call 911 and go to the hospital. Ashley and Ryan just went to bed. It’s not right…” “Don’t be ridiculous! Michael’s just worried about Ashley, being pregnant and all. He’s just not feeling good. Ryan, please, just let your wife check on your brother, okay?” “He’s already feeling bad, and now…” Before Mom finished, Ashley rushed out. “He was fine after dinner! What happened? Was it the food? I gotta go see if he’s okay…” She was rambling as she headed out. “Ashley!” I called after her. She turned around, looking guilty and complicated. “Ryan, Michael’s wife just died. He’s gonna be the baby’s dad. I just need to check on him. You’re always so understanding. You won’t be mad, right?” I had to be understanding, or I’d be insensitive. “Of course. He’s my brother, and you’re my wife. It’s no problem to take care of him.” I smiled and said gently, “Take your time. Stay with your brother for a while.” Ashley looked relieved. She smiled back, said, “You’re the best, Ryan,” and rushed into Michael’s bedroom. Watching Mom and Ashley disappear down the hall, Mrs. Davis shook her head. “This is too much…” “Anyone would think Michael was your wife! Ryan, don’t be a fool. You gotta stand your ground.” I smiled weakly. “I don’t want anything someone else has touched. Being a Coleman family husband isn’t that big of a deal, is it?” 2 Ashley didn’t come back that night. She had to be there for Michael’s baby. I tossed and turned all night and finally decided to divorce Ashley. Ever since Dad died, Mom had been favoring Michael, and without anyone to rely on, they didn’t hesitate to take advantage of me. If I wanted a divorce, I had to do it myself. The next morning, I told them I was taking my daughter to preschool, and I left with Mrs. Davis. My dad hired Mrs. Davis to take care of me when I was a kid, and she came back to visit this month. She was upset and worried about everything that was happening, but she couldn’t show it too much. She was afraid Mom would kick her out, and then I’d be all alone. So Mom trusts Mrs. Davis, and I’m glad she’s around. I drove Mrs. Davis and my daughter straight to a lawyer. When I got home, I had a bunch of papers in my bag. “Honey, what are you looking at? I called you, and you didn’t hear me,” Ashley asked, full of curiosity. I hid the papers. “You had an emergency meeting today. Why are you home?” “I took care of it! There was this project that was about to fall through, but Michael’s cousin introduced me to a client who took over the whole thing.” “The upfront profit will be over ten million! If we can keep it going, Coleman Corp will reach its year-end goal way ahead of schedule!” Ashley was excited. “Honey, isn’t that great? Shouldn’t I share the good news?” No wonder she was so happy. If she landed such a big project, her position at Coleman Corp would be more secure. She’d be able to shut up the board members who had been giving her trouble. But she kept calling him Michael, and she forgot he was my brother, the person she should be calling “brother-in-law”. “That’s worth sharing,” I said, but I was disgusted. I knew she wasn’t competent, but I didn’t know she was so incompetent she needed to use her relationships to close a deal. I usually did most of the work at Coleman Corp, but now she was relying on Michael’s cousin. It made my stomach churn. “Honey, I need to enroll Sarah in preschool. I need your education and employment documents. Here’s yours. Can you sign it?” I pulled out some papers and pointed to the blank spots. I hadn’t talked to Ashley much this past month. This was the first time I’d mentioned our daughter. Ashley was happy and sat down, using my knee as a desk. She signed each paper. Michael opened the window on the second floor and saw what was happening. He was jealous. I saw his face. I wrapped my arm around Ashley’s shoulder as she looked up at me and smiled gently. Ashley playfully pinched my cheek. The housekeeper and bodyguards from the front yard saw us and greeted us. “Ryan and Ashley are so happy!” “They’re so in love! That’s why Ashley’s been staying here with Michael while he’s sick.” Michael heard them and got angry! Ashley had his baby, but they couldn’t be together in public. It made him sick. He pretended to be dizzy and called out Ashley’s name. Mom called up from the first floor, “Ashley, Ryan, go see what’s wrong with your brother!” “…Honey, I gotta go check on Michael,” Ashley said awkwardly. I pulled out the divorce papers and folded them so only the blank spots were showing. I wouldn’t let go of her. “I need two more signatures…” Michael was groaning louder. Ashley looked anxious and signed the papers without looking. Then she got up and walked to the front yard. After she left, I touched the divorce papers. I smiled at her signature. I took my daughter Sarah back to the Coleman family mansion and started living my own life. I pretended not to notice Ashley going over to see Michael every other day. I was planning my escape. As soon as the one-month waiting period for the divorce was over, I was going to take my daughter and run. I was done with this messed-up family! On the last day of the waiting period, I was packing when I got a call from the mansion. They said there was something important to discuss and I needed to come over for dinner. I drove over to the mansion, and I saw a familiar car. I froze. I had a bad feeling. What was Michael doing here? 3 The living room was packed. Ashley and my father-in-law, George Coleman, were there. Mom and Michael were also there. He was wearing a white suit that made him look like a prince. Everyone looked at me when I walked in. Michael was looking at me with a smug look on his face. My mom, Linda, was hugging her precious baby boy, Michael, and wouldn’t even look at me. Ashley tried to pull me over. “Honey, Michael took me to my doctor’s appointment yesterday and ran into Dad. So…” She didn’t finish. She sat down, and my father-in-law asked me, “Ryan! How dare you let Ashley have a baby with your brother behind the Coleman family’s back?” I was shocked. “That’s not…” Mom interrupted, “What do you mean? I told you! Your brother could marry someone else and have a baby, but you said you couldn’t have a son and that we’re all family. That’s why Ashley had a baby with your brother!” “Now that the truth’s out, you wanna blame it all on me and your brother?” “Ryan, you’re heartless!” “Mom!” I said. “I never agreed to this! You forced me to do it!” “Lies! If I forced you, would Ashley just stand by and watch? You blackmailed Ashley by crying and threatening to hurt yourself and taking Sarah away!” Mom was so confident that I thought I’d heard her wrong. I knew she favored Michael, but I never thought she’d sacrifice me for him. I was her son too! A chill spread from my heart to my limbs. I looked at Ashley, hoping she would defend me. But she wouldn’t look at me or say anything. My father-in-law said, “Alright, stop arguing!” “Now that Ashley’s pregnant with your brother’s baby, she’ll have the baby. You’ll raise it and pretend it’s your and Ashley’s child.” “As for your brother… he can stay at the mansion for now. He’s the baby’s father.” It was ridiculous. So, after forcing my wife on me, they were going to use me? Just to give Michael and Ashley’s baby a place in the family! What a joke! I stood up and was about to speak when a little girl ran in. “You’re a bad man! You can’t take Mommy away from Daddy!” Sarah ran to Michael and pushed him. Mom slapped her. Ashley stepped forward and slapped Sarah hard. Sarah was only six years old. She was no match for them. They shoved her to the ground, and she hit her head on the coffee table. Sarah’s cheek was swollen, and she had a bump on her head. I held Sarah in my arms and tried to comfort her. Ashley exploded. “Is this how you raise your kids? She’s so young, but she’s already so mean! She’s calling names!” “You haven’t given me a son in five years of marriage! Have I said anything?” “Michael is willing to give you a son. What more do you want?” Sarah shouted, “My dad doesn’t want a son! He can have one himself!” “Kids don’t know anything. Mrs. Davis, take the child away.” Mom said with a sneer. She glared at me and said to my father-in-law, “Kids learn from their parents. Michael is a lot better than Ryan. His son will be successful.” “Just wait for your grandson!” “If Ashley has a son, I’ll take care of Michael,” George said, looking at Michael. Michael smiled shyly and looked at Ashley. They looked like a loving couple. They looked like a family more than me and Sarah. Now I understood. They’d planned this all along. It was all about making Michael look good. Nobody asked for my opinion. George just glanced at me and said, “You and Ashley will move back to the mansion. Michael will stay with Ashley, and you should stay home so people don’t suspect anything.” They were using the same tricks Mom had used. The only one they were imprisoning was me. Sarah was struggling in my arms. Before I left, Michael smirked at me. He knew he’d won. He could use the baby to force me to agree today, and he could use the baby to force me to divorce Ashley tomorrow so he could be the Colemans’ son-in-law. I walked behind them, ignoring him. I didn’t want a dirty woman. But why should my Sarah be abused like this?

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “392247”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

A few weeks before Memorial Day, the cemetery office called to say my mother-in-law’s plot needed to be relocated. I tried calling my husband, David, dozens of times before he finally picked up. “All I’m doing is taking Brittany out for a hike; do you have to be so dramatic?” Before I could explain, he hung up. With no other choice, I brought my mother-in-law’s ashes home. Three days later, David showed up with Brittany in tow. By the time I got back from work, they’d stuffed a dead stray cat into Mom’s urn. I rushed to stop them, but David just gave me an annoyed look. “You’re a pet cremation specialist, Ashley. You’ve got urns coming out of your ears. I just grabbed the oldest one we had lying around.” “Don’t be so uptight, okay?” I could be chill about it, sure. But when we went to move her and David saw there were barely any ashes left he was ready to collapse. 1 David grabbed Brittany’s hand and stormed out the door, not even looking back. The sky, which had been bright and sunny just a minute ago, instantly turned dark and gloomy. I ran after them. “Didn’t you even notice there was something in the urn?” David just rolled his eyes, like I was trying to pick a fight on purpose. “What are you talking about? “I told you, it was an old one. There was nothing in it but dust.” Brittany, flaunting the hand David was holding, chimed in with fake sweetness. “Seriously, that urn was ancient. It took us forever just to clean out all the dust and stuff.” “But David and I took care of it all, tossed the garbage. All done.” I was shocked, felt like I couldn’t breathe. I remembered how Mom had always looked out for me, treated me like her own daughter. And now, her ashes were being treated like garbage by her own son, thrown in the dumpster downstairs. No matter what was going on with him and Brittany, I just had to clear this up. “That urn contained Mom’s ashes!” David blinked, the expression on his face shifting through a dozen changes. He tried to say something, but nothing came out. Finally, he gave me a hard look. “You’re making this up, right?” “Mom’s ashes are buried in the cemetery. How could they possibly be here?” “She was always so good to you, and now you’re using her to start drama?” Before I could answer, Brittany’s voice piped up, all sweet and teary. “Ashley, I know you’re upset that I touched your stuff, but you can’t just say stuff like that. “I’ll Venmo you the money for the urn, okay? The kitty was just so sweet…” “Please don’t fight over this; it’s just silly. You and David should not fight.” She said it with a smile, but there was something smug in her eyes, like she knew she had me beat. Rain started pouring down, and I couldn’t waste any more time arguing. When I got to the dumpster, the rain had scattered Mom’s ashes. I managed to salvage what I could. I was trying to scoop the remaining ashes into a Mason jar when David and Brittany came back. David was soaked to the bone. I glanced at Brittany. Aside from a few fake tears, she was bone dry. I guessed David had kept her pretty well protected. Brittany fussed over David, dabbing his face with her sleeve. David tossed his wet jacket at me and frowned when he saw my hands. “What’s all this gunk on your hands?” “Go wash up and get Brittany a hot bath. Or a foot soak.” “She gets cold easily.” He didn’t even bother to look at me, just barked out the orders like always. When I didn’t move, his voice got a little harder. “You’re still mad about the urn? “It’s not a big deal, right?” “How much do you want for it? Brittany will Venmo you.” “Consider it done.” I couldn’t help myself; I snapped at him. “That urn was Mom’s, David. It’s priceless.” “You can never repay it. Ever.” David didn’t bother to listen, didn’t believe me anyway, and started lecturing me again. “Ashley, can’t you ever just be normal?” I felt so sick. To make Brittany happy, David had thrown away everything – his common sense, his decency. I didn’t say anything, but Brittany seemed to think she’d won. She rubbed her eyes, looking pitiful. “Maybe this urn was meant for one of Ashley’s clients. We shouldn’t have just taken it without asking.” Hearing that, David’s eyebrows furrowed. I shook my head quickly. Because if anyone had a right to be upset, it was my mother in law. Chapter 2 David never really liked my job, thought it was creepy. “So what if it was for a client?” “Cats and dogs, what’s the point of a funeral? It’s just weird.” I gave him a look. “If you think it’s so weird, why did you bother putting that stray cat in an urn?” “Even burying it in the rain.” David’s face went red, like he couldn’t believe I was still arguing. “It’s not the same thing!” Brittany coughed. “David did it for me. I’m sorry… cough, cough.” Seeing Brittany all delicate, David’s face softened. He looked at her like she was made of glass. But he grabbed my hands, shoving them under the faucet, cold and rough. “Wash your hands and go get some hot water!” I clenched my fists, trying to pull away. “I can’t! These are the last of Mom’s ashes on my hands!” Hearing me mention Mom again, David snapped. He stared at me, like he wanted to burn me alive. “You think this is funny?” “If you didn’t want to give Brittany a foot bath, just say so. Don’t drag Mom into it!” “Can’t you at least let her rest in peace?” No matter how I struggled, he was too strong. I knew there was no point in arguing, so I begged and pleaded. “David, we’ve been together for years. When have I ever lied to you?” “These really are Mom’s ashes. I brought them back from her old house yesterday…” David looked like he was starting to doubt himself, so I tried to pull my hands away. “The cemetery called to say the plot needed to be moved…” Brittany cut me off. “Ashley, please. You can’t keep doing this to him.” “If Aunt Susan’s grave really needed to be moved, why didn’t they call David instead of you?” I’d wondered the same thing. The person on the phone sounded really frantic, said they couldn’t get hold of David. And when I called David, he thought I was just being jealous and dramatic. David, who’d seemed to be wavering, suddenly hardened. He glared at me, teeth clenched. “Ashley, enough.” There was no reasoning with him, so I had to watch the last of Mom’s ashes swirl down the drain. Mom’s last connection to this world was gone. I sank to the floor, numb. I’d grown up in a broken home, never really knowing a mother’s love. I’d actually met Mom before I met David. We’d met on vacation. Mom said it was her first solo trip after raising David. She could finally be herself. But she found out she had cancer. She was only diagnosed six months before she passed away. To fulfill her wish, David and I got married. I remember her last words, before she faded away, hoping that David and I would have a good life. David was looking at the foot bath. “I’ll get you a new one tomorrow, okay?” I didn’t think he’d remember I was a clean freak. But he didn’t hesitate. “Don’t even start with me! Brittany doesn’t care, so why should you?” I smiled weakly. “Why bother? Just let Brittany take a shower.” Chapter 3 “What? You’re letting someone else use our shower?” David looked confused, like he couldn’t believe I’d suddenly changed my mind. Because of David’s crush on Brittany, she’d been over to our house three or four times. Sometimes she’d get there early, when no one was home. David even gave her a spare key. I used to fight with David about it all the time. Despite his confusion, David did what I said. He grabbed his pajamas from the bedroom and led Brittany to the bathroom. Afraid she’d be uncomfortable, David stood guard outside the door. I couldn’t stand it. “Why don’t you just go in there? You’re soaked anyway.” David turned bright red, like a kid getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Ashley, what…what are you saying?” “I can’t just shower with Brittany!” “She’s a girl! She’s got her reputation at stake!” Seeing the look on my face, David realized I was just messing with him. His face went from pink to black. “You just can’t stand that Brittany and I are friends!” “You always have to butt in and cause trouble!” “This time, you used Mom’s urn. I’m letting that slide, but what are you going to do next?” Next? There wouldn’t be a next time. The deepest connection between David and me had just been destroyed. He stood by the bathroom door, listening to Brittany call out requests. But he still kept nagging at me. “You should probably quit your job. It’s bad luck.” “I want to start a family soon.” “After you quit, focus on your health, and don’t touch anything spooky.” Just then, Brittany’s voice floated out of the bathroom. “David, the water’s too hot. I can’t figure it out…” “Which one’s the shampoo?” “Can I use Ashley’s body wash?” David forgot all about me, only focusing on answering Brittany’s questions. I rolled my eyes and went back to the bedroom. Seeing me leave, David lost all restraint and strode into the bathroom. I heard the door click shut, and I felt sick. I called my lawyer friend and asked him to draw up divorce papers. I finished talking with my friend an hour later, and there was finally some noise outside. “David, is Ashley still mad? Maybe I should go apologize.” After a while, the bedroom door opened. Brittany stood there wearing David’s pajamas, and of course the top buttons were undone. “Ashley, don’t be mad. I’ll leave as soon as my hair’s dry…” “But David got rained on today; remember to make him some ginger tea.” She wanted me to clean up her messes? No way. David stepped in front of her, like he was afraid I was going to hurt her. I sat on the bed, not saying a word. Breaking the silence was a phone call. It was the cemetery. I accidentally hit the speaker. “Mrs. Davis, we need to discuss the cemetery plot…” David ran at me. “Whose plot?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “392246”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I dated Ethan for eight years. Eight years of missed birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays because his “girl-best-friend” always had some kind of emergency. “Dinner can wait! Jessica’s completely wasted, and who knows what could happen to a girl like her alone at a bar?” He’d said, time and again. I looked him straight in the eye, trying to keep my voice calm. “If you ditch my parents again, we’re done.” He hesitated, his departure momentarily stalled. Then, he scoffed. “Seriously, Chloe? Are you always going to resort to ultimatums every time you don’t get your way? I can’t keep putting up with your drama!” And with that, he was gone. The door slammed shut, and I numbly called my parents to cancel. This wasn’t working. This was Ethan’s apartment. I splashed some water on my face in the bathroom and started packing. I didn’t have much to take – a single suitcase would do. Ethan always acted like I was a spoiled heiress who had no concept of money. He’d given me the cold shoulder, turning me into a ghost in his apartment, when I bought designer things; he once said he couldn’t afford someone like me if I wanted to marry him. But I was only buying my daily necessities. After that, I started keeping my expensive stuff in my own house – a villa downtown – and only kept the cheap things here. I stood in the living room, suitcase in hand, and glanced back at everything I had known. Ethan was right – he couldn’t afford me. Even though he seemed like some hotshot, young assistant professor, he wouldn’t have been able to afford this place if I hadn’t pulled some strings and secretly covered most of the down payment. I couldn’t even brag about it. I was afraid he’d reject the apartment and accuse me of being pretentious. My eyes started to sting, and a wave of hurt washed over me. Taking a deep breath, I pushed down the tears and started for the door. Just then, click-clack – the front door opened from the outside, and a singsong voice chirped, “Ethan! I saw the code you punched in. Next time, I’m just coming right in!” She was being playful. Ethan’s voice, normally so casual, was low and serious. “Come whenever you want, it’s my place anyway…” He didn’t finish the sentence because he saw me. “Chloe…” He frowned slightly, as if about to say something, then noticed the suitcase. “Traveling for work?” His face was flat. “We broke up,” I said. “So I’m moving out.” Jessica’s face was comically exaggerated, and her mouth drooped into an exaggerated frown. “No way! You’re breaking up with him just because he picked me up?” I didn’t want to waste energy on her. Jessica’s act was so transparent. Even the worst “pick me” girl I’d ever met had better acting skills. But it didn’t matter. Ethan always sided with her, and I always lost. I started pushing my suitcase towards the door. Jessica, ignored, gave Ethan a pointed shrug. Ethan’s face instantly darkened. “Who are you giving the stink eye to? When are you going to get over your spoiled rich-girl attitude, Chloe? You can’t always run away when things don’t go your way!” I gripped the suitcase handle tightly, barely managing to hold back the tears. I forced my voice to stay even. “You don’t have to put up with me anymore. Goodbye.” Terrified he’d see me cry, I practically ran out the door. Behind me, Jessica’s voice was shrill. “Seriously, what’s her deal?” “She leaves behind a house full of stuff. She’s overreacting, right?” “Bro, I feel so bad for you. Working your butt off all day and coming home to deal with a diva, how miserable.” My pace quickened until their voices faded away entirely. Back at my house, I saw that Liam had texted. [I land tomorrow at 3 PM. Dinner?] The next second, my mom called, thrilled that Mrs. Thompson told Liam that I was going on a date, and Liam booked a flight home, and made his mom tell my mom to not let me go out with anyone else. Liam and I were close growing up. The year I wanted to bring Ethan home to meet my parents, he left for Europe. We never spoke again. I didn’t know that… I replied. [I’ll pick you up tomorrow.] 2 I had trouble sleeping. I didn’t wake up until 11 AM because the doorbell was ringing. Annoyed, I ran a hand through my hair and headed downstairs. It was Ethan. I was completely awake now, all the sleepiness evaporated. I stared at him, a strange buzzing feeling in my arm. “What…what are you doing here?” Ethan’s expression softened when he saw my disheveled appearance. It looked like he wanted to judge me. I expected him to call me lazy. After a moment, he said, “I came to take you to lunch.” He paused, his tone a fraction gentler. “I was out of line yesterday. I made things difficult with your parents. It won’t happen again.” “There won’t be a next time.” I stopped myself. Saying anything felt useless. I’d said everything I could say. I’d said it a million times. If it made any difference, we wouldn’t be here. “I’m having lunch with a friend. I can’t.” I started to close the door, but he pushed against it. “I thought I told you to stop hanging around with those deadbeats. All they do is drink and party. They’re parasites. Hang around them too much, and you’ll end up just like them!” His contempt stole my breath, but I laughed. “Drinking and partying is what your best friend does, right? And you’re around her all the time.” His face went cold instantly. “Don’t you dare compare Jessica to your lowlife friends, Chloe! I laughed. “Fine. Get out of the way. I’m closing the door.” He pressed on. “It’s almost noon, and you’re still sleeping. You need to be on my watch all the time or else you slack off, you don’t have goals. What’s the difference between that and walking dead?” “Ethan!” I snapped, my voice shaking. “It’s none of your business! We broke up!” He was silent, looking at me as if he couldn’t process what I’d said. After so many years, I’d never said the word “breakup” and never moved out. I’d always been the one on the defensive. Seeing that lost look on his face was something new. He looked at me, then softened his tone. “Just come to lunch. It’s not good to skip meals. We can talk it through.” I balled my hands into fists. “There’s nothing left to talk about.” He closed his eyes, fighting his irritation. “Chloe, stop acting like a kid. We’ve been together for eight years. You’re ending it over one fight? How do you think that makes me feel?” How did he think? He only cared about his “best friend.” It seemed like I had to eat lunch, so I agreed to make a point and leave him for good. I got dressed and walked with him to the parking lot. I reached for the passenger door. Ethan opened the door first. “Sit in the back. Jessica’s still learning to drive, so I need to be in the passenger seat to help her.” I froze. Jessica poked her head out, waving cheerfully. “Hey, Chloe! I’m your chauffeur today!” 3 Ethan glanced at me, waiting for me to move. “Jessica’s here to apologize.” Jessica giggled. “Sorry, Chloe! I got drunk last night, so Ethan bailed on you. I am so sorry! I’m buying lunch as my way of saying sorry, so don’t break up with him.” I took a breath, rolling my eyes as I grabbed my purse and walked towards the house. Ethan grabbed my wrist. “Where are you going?” I smiled at him. “Jessica is buying, right? I know a great restaurant, but it’s hard to find. I’ll drive ahead and lead you. Then, I have to go to the airport to pick up a friend.” He frowned, lowering his voice. “Jessica isn’t a spoiled brat like you, okay? Don’t pick an expensive place.” I ignored him and looked at Jessica. “Jessica, can I pick the restaurant?” Jessica agreed immediately. “Sure!” We stopped at my favorite five-star restaurant. As we got out, I saw Jessica give Ethan a brave, forced smile, before acting defeated. “Let’s go.” Ethan glared at me. I ignored him, and when we got inside, a server handed each of us a menu. Before the meal, Jessica and Ethan ordered salad. I ate heartily, ignoring their glares. When the bill came, it was $3,600. Jessica gasped. “How is that possible?!” The waiter smiled politely. “This bottle of wine was $1,999.99.” She looked pale, slowly pulling out her phone. Her gaze flickered to Ethan. Ethan sighed and gave the server his card. “I’ll pay.” Jessica’s face brightened. I scoffed. That explained why she agreed so quickly. As we left the restaurant, Ethan said to Jessica, “Wait for me in the car.” He caught up to me, grabbing my wrist. “Chloe! Are you only happy when you’re flexing? I thought you were different from those losers, but you’re just like them!” I met his gaze. “I’m not trying to flex. This is just my normal. She said she was paying, so I did what I wanted. Don’t be bitter.” “Don’t you have any empathy? Don’t you know her financial situation?” I raised an eyebrow. “Then why did she say I can pick the place?” He started to shout. I rolled my eyes. “Sorry, I don’t do charades.” I took my arm back and went to the airport. I heard Ethan shouting in the background. Later, when I arrived at the airport, I hugged Liam hello. We got dinner later. It was still early, so I asked him to hang out because he just came back. But, suddenly, it turned into me shopping. Liam was following behind, holding all my bags, without complaining. I just entered a store, and I heard shouting. “I bought it here. The tags are still on. Why can’t I return it?” Jessica? 4 The sales associate kept smiling. “I am sorry, ma’am. Lamerpremen items can only be exchanged within two weeks of purchase. Because you don’t have a receipt, we can’t return the product. Sorry.” “It’s a real product! You can check it!” Jessica and Ethan were by the checkout stand. “Sorry ma’am, we don’t do returns.” Jessica kept yelling. I was over this and wanted to leave. But she was holding a silk blouse, and I paused. When I packed, I couldn’t find this shirt. How did Jessica have it? I was angry, and I interrupted Jessica. “Can you speak English? They don’t do returns, okay? It doesn’t matter if it’s real or not.” Jessica froze. The sales associates looked relieved. Ethan’s face was cold. He probably wanted to yell at me, but he noticed Liam. He turned towards me, confused. “Who is this?” I grabbed the shirt from Jessica’s hand. “Jessica, I lost the same shirt. Where did you get this?” Jessica’s breath hitched. She was guilty. She couldn’t answer. Ethan frowned. “Chloe, are you saying she stole it from you?” Jessica became more aggressive. “Liam gave this to me! He knew this! You’re just mad because I look good in it!” Liam laughed. “Lamerpremen has one of everything.” The sales associate smiled. “Ma’am, this is a real shirt.” Jessica looked pale. Ethan frowned. “I didn’t, I… ” She started crying to Ethan. Liam put the bags down and rapped the counter. “Call the police.” The sales associate nodded, and the phone beeped. “Ethan!” Jessica cried. “I got drunk and threw up. I took a shower and borrowed a shirt. I forgot about it. There were so many shirts; I couldn’t keep track…” Ethan sighed, looking disgusted. He turned to me. “Chloe, I didn’t know she did this. I never cared…” The sales associate dialed 9-1-1, and Jessica jumped and grabbed the phone. “Stay out of it! We can fix this!” The sales associate jumped back, shocked. Ethan’s face became colder. He pinched the bridge of his nose, like he used to do when I had no goals. I said, “The shirt will be paid for. Or go to jail.” Ethan nodded. “She will pay for the shirt. Chloe, I am so sorry.” He looked at Liam, then softened his tone. “Come home. I didn’t like the nights alone.” Liam stared at the sales associate, and smiled. “My girlfriend loves your new shirt. Wrap it up.” The sales associate blushed. Ethan’s face flushed. “Girlfriend?

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “392245”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I was Daniel’s fiancé. The day his family’s company went belly up, Daniel was scrambling, hounded by creditors. I ended up being the one who got him out of the country. Before he left, I even fronted him a million bucks to get started. “Here’s a million. I’ll be right here, waiting for you to come back and marry me!” Five years later, Daniel was the hot new thing in the business world, and he came back, just like he said he would. Only this time, he wasn’t here to marry me. He was here to call things off. Right in front of the cameras, he took Jessica’s hand and made it official. “Five years ago, when my family lost everything, we called off the engagement with the Eleanor family. Jessica’s my fiancé now.” … I sat back in my office chair, lit a cigarette. I looked at Jessica, sitting all dolled up next to Daniel. She was a looker, even more so than in the pictures I’d seen online. I blew out a lungful of smoke, filling the air. Jessica started coughing without even trying to hide it. Daniel was all over her, waving the smoke away from her face and turning back to me with a frown. “Hey, there’s a lady present, Eleanor. Can’t you put that thing out?” Now that he was a big shot, Daniel was less of a kid than he’d been five years ago. His eyes were sharper, and he had a bite to his words. Five years ago, no way he would have talked to me like that. I used to smoke, I used to drink, and he’d just be there, quietly by my side. Then he’d give me gum to get rid of the cigarette smell, make me hangover soup to get the buzz out. Just like he was waving away the smoke for Jessica now. Back then, I was just dumb enough to fall for that sweet, caring act. I practically begged my dad to go to the Daniels family and ask for my hand in marriage. But the good times didn’t last. Not long after we got engaged, the Daniels family went bankrupt out of nowhere, and Daniel’s parents died soon after. Daniel was all alone, with nowhere to go, and creditors chasing him left and right. I gave him a million, got him out of the country, and even said something ridiculous, like I’d wait for him to come back and marry me. Thinking about it now, I had to laugh. Daniel frowned at me. “What’s so funny, Eleanor?” “Do I need to get your approval to laugh, Mr. Daniels?” He stared at me for a long moment, then reached out and handed me a bank card. “Here’s ten million. It’s ten times the million you loaned me five years ago. I hope you’ll keep quiet. I don’t want to talk about any of that again!” I chuckled, then calmly pocketed the card. “One thing at a time, Daniel. The ten million is what you owed me. Keeping quiet is going to cost you extra!” Seeing me negotiate, Daniel seemed relieved. He pulled out another bank card and handed it over. “Here’s another ten million. I hope you keep your word!” With that, he seemed to regain his confidence, standing up straight in front of me. The little bit of hair falling on his forehead fluttered a little, just like the day he said goodbye five years ago. He didn’t look like he’d changed much. He said he’d make it, he’d come back to this city, and he’d never forget how I felt about him. The memories and reality started to merge. Daniel’s brand of gentle, confident arrogance still got to me. I must be out of my mind. Was I about to get all lovey-dovey now? “Ms. Eleanor, the amounts in both cards are correct.” My assistant’s voice snapped me out of it. Daniel looked a little cold, seeing that I didn’t trust him enough to check the amounts on the cards. Before he left, he gave me a solemn look. “Eleanor, you should try to be more of a lady. No one’s going to like you the way you are!” He said it with such sincerity, like he was actually worried about me. But I didn’t care. I am who I am, a one-of-a-kind firework. 2 Honestly, I knew Daniel had changed his mind long ago. Or maybe he never loved me in the first place. Five years ago, when he promised to marry me, he was probably just caught up in the moment. Or maybe it was my million that got to him, and he couldn’t find a reason to say no. So now that he was back, he couldn’t wait to get rid of me, to make things right for him and Jessica. What Daniel didn’t know was that I was way ahead of him. He was out of the country for five years, and I wasn’t there for him. Jessica was. She gave him encouragement when he was down, cheered him up when he was feeling bad. She made a much bigger impression than me, the woman who just gave him a pile of cash. Now, they’d been through thick and thin together, and I was just the rich girl who got played. I handed the two bank cards to my assistant and had her bid on a necklace at an auction. The next day, I showed up at Daniel’s party for the reopening of the Daniels Corporation, wearing that necklace. When I made my entrance, I made sure to rub the brightest pink diamond on the necklace, making it sparkle. Everyone in the room turned to look at me, and the whispers started up. “Isn’t that the necklace Daniel was going to buy to propose to his fiancé?” “Does that mean Eleanor’s the fiancé Daniel’s been talking about?” “No way! Didn’t he say on the news when he got back that they called off the engagement five years ago?” Seeing things get out of hand, Daniel couldn’t stay put. He hurried over to me, his voice low and angry. “Are you doing this on purpose, Eleanor?” “You knew I needed that necklace, so you had someone buy it out from under me!” I lifted my glass and took a sip, ignoring Daniel. But the reporters were like sharks smelling blood. They swarmed around me and Daniel. “Ms. Eleanor, is that the necklace that Mr. Daniels said he was going to use to propose?” “Now that the necklace is on Ms. Eleanor, does that mean you two are getting married soon?” “Ms. Jessica, did you know about this? Mr. Daniels, how are you going to explain this?” Daniel’s face was priceless. He started explaining himself, struggling to say that he had nothing to do with me. As for the necklace, it was just an accident. I waited for him to finish, then calmly set down my glass and added, “I bought the necklace myself, but someone else paid for it, right, Daniel?” Daniel looked like he’d swallowed a bug, his mouth open but unable to say a word. He’d given me the money, but he couldn’t explain why. Whatever I said, he just had to take it. The reporters could smell something fishy, and soon the news about me and Daniel was all over the internet. Everyone was sure that Daniel was the man who gave me the money. He didn’t want to admit it, but he couldn’t deny it either. By the end of the party, most of the reporters had left. Jessica was glaring at me, her eyes locked on the necklace around my neck. “Eleanor, don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you have money. So what if you got your hands on the necklace? Daniel doesn’t love you. He’ll never love you!” “All you ever do is make money. You reek of it. No one will ever like you.” 3 I had to admit, Jessica’s words touched a nerve. I raised my hand and slapped her. I wasn’t done yet, but Daniel ran over and stopped me. He grabbed my right hand, his face dark and his voice mean. “How long are you going to keep this up, Eleanor?” “You stole my necklace, ruined the Daniels Corporation party, and now you hit Jessica. What else do you want?” “Don’t think you’re so special just because you’re Eleanor’s daughter. I’m not afraid of you!” He squeezed my hand harder and harder. Before long, there was a bright red mark on my wrist. Jessica was like a bunny, already in his arms, crying and sniffling. “It’s not Eleanor’s fault. It’s my fault. I just said that the necklace she bought was really pretty, but she misunderstood what I meant.” “It’s my fault for not making myself clear. Daniel, I’m okay. You just got back. You don’t need to make things worse with the Eleanor family.” I finally saw what Jessica was up to. She was putting me down to make herself look better to Daniel. And she wanted to make me look bad in front of everyone. Too bad for her, I didn’t care. Everyone in this town knew that Eleanor was rich and had a nasty temper! The people around us were whispering, but no one dared to come forward. Some of the people who knew me were shaking their heads. I raised an eyebrow, yanked my hand away from Daniel, and rubbed my wrist. I kept a smile on my face, and my eyes didn’t change at all. “You’ve gotten a lot bolder in the last five years.” Five years ago, Daniel wouldn’t have dared to grab my wrist like that, not even if I gave him a hundred reasons. He wouldn’t have dared to go against me like this. He didn’t say anything. After a long moment, he gave me a cold look, then took Jessica and left. I knew he wouldn’t stay and fight with me for long, but I didn’t think Jessica would pull any more tricks. After the party, a video quietly made its way to the trending page. The video started with me slapping Jessica and ended with Jessica sadly pulling Daniel away. It made me look like a villain, and it made her look pitiful. People were standing up for her. In the comments, a lot of people came forward, saying that they had been abused by me. I got people to explain that the video had been edited and wasn’t the whole story. But it seemed like it was too late. Everyone had made up their minds about me. After the video came out, Jessica got a lot of attention and did a lot of interviews. She kept hinting that I should apologize. Daniel also took the chance to launch the first product of the rebuilt Daniels Corporation, using his victim status to push the company into the market. His popularity soared, and the company was making money hand over fist. I was the only one who was taking the heat. I looked at the business evaluation for the Daniels Corporation over the past few weeks. I had to say, I had good taste. Five years ago, I knew Daniel would make it, so I gave him a million without thinking twice. He didn’t let me down. He came back a success. But when he came back, he stood on the opposite side of me. I’d basically helped an enemy! I could make him successful, but I could also drag him back into the mud! After that mess, Eleanor’s company took a hit. Our reputation went down, and other companies were targeting us. My best friend was afraid I would be sad, so she dragged me to a bar. But when I got there, I realized it was a trap. Daniel was there, laughing and drinking with other people. My best friend slammed her glass on the table. “Why didn’t you tell us that jerk was here? We wouldn’t have come if we knew.” Some of the people we knew told us to sit down and talk. They said that we shouldn’t stay mad at each other. Daniel even lifted his glass and toasted me. He stood in front of me, saying, “Eleanor, what’s done is done. The Daniels Corporation has gotten back on its feet. If we keep fighting, it won’t be good for either of us. Even Eleanor has to earn money, right?” I didn’t say anything, and his face started to turn ugly. “Are you going to drag this out until we both lose?” The room went silent. All you could hear was my laughter. “You need to be sincere if you want to apologize, or shut up. And where’s your fiancé? Why isn’t she here to talk? Or are you afraid I’ll hit her again?” “I’ve been getting dragged through the mud online for weeks. She hasn’t even shown her face. You just want me to forget about it?” Daniel’s lips were pressed into a thin line, and he was glaring at me. “What do you want?” “What do I want? I want her to apologize to me online, and say that she twisted the facts!” Daniel didn’t even hesitate. If he did that, Jessica’s reputation would be ruined, and the Daniels Corporation would take a hit. I smiled and said, “Then there’s nothing to talk about. Let’s settle this for good!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “392244”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My sister thought she was the main character in a romance novel. To get the attention of a big-shot CEO, she slapped him across the face. He didn’t retaliate, but she took it as playing hard to get. Then she went and ruined his engagement party. Our whole family was ready to go broke to appease his anger, but instead, she tried to sell us all off to some cartel down in Mexico. After being tortured to death, I woke up again, back on the day my sister slapped that CEO. This time, we weren’t going to repeat our mistakes. 1. When I opened my eyes and saw my sister, I was completely dumbfounded. One second I was in a Mexican prison, violated until I died, and the next, I was back in this glittering banquet hall? I looked over at Mom and Dad, and I couldn’t believe they looked just as lost as I felt. Was I reborn? Was it because our deaths last time were so horrible that God gave us a second chance to make things right? Before I could think about it any further, my sister, Ashley, yanked her arm away from me, pushed through the crowd surrounding Blake Sterling, and slapped him hard across the face. Just like last time, everyone around Blake froze. The banquet hall went silent. Ashley raised an eyebrow at Blake, her voice filled with condescension, though I couldn’t figure out where she got the nerve to be so superior: “Just because you’ve got a few bucks doesn’t mean you can look down on people. Who do you think you are?” That was Blake Sterling, one of the most powerful guys in the city! He could crush you like an ant with one hand, so how did she get the nerve? Last time, my sister slapped Blake like this, but Blake was generous and didn’t hold it against her. My sister, however, thought it was all part of his plan to win her over, and after that, she started harassing him constantly. Eventually, Blake had her thrown down to Mexico, and Mom and Dad spent every dime they had to get her out. But… I couldn’t bear to think about it. I grabbed Mom and Dad and quickly steered them toward the corner of the banquet hall. This time, she could deal with the consequences of her own actions. 2. Blake frowned, and as the woman next to him gasped, he raised a handkerchief to wipe his cheek. You could tell Blake was disgusted. Ashley bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes: “Blake Sterling! You have no manners! Just because you’ve got some money doesn’t give you the right to look at people like that!” Blake scoffed: “Well, Miss, it seems to me like you’re the one lacking manners. People with good manners don’t just walk up to a man they don’t know and slap him.” Ashley looked a little taken aback: “You don’t recognize me?” Blake looked her up and down: “Miss, should I?” Ashley’s face flushed red. Ashley grit her teeth: “Last week at the Town Square, didn’t you look at me? Why would you look at me if you didn’t recognize me?” Even I thought that was ridiculous. People around us started snickering. Blake took a step back, but even with her interrogation, he remained composed: “If my gaze offended you, then I apologize. But last week, I was at the Town Square with my fiancée. I believe I was looking for her, not intentionally focusing on you.” Mom and Dad and I were amazed by the Sterling family’s upbringing. To be able to answer such an absurd question so calmly, and to apologize to a complete stranger in front of everyone. Not just anyone could do that. I thought it was all cleared up, but Ashley suddenly spoke: “Your fiancée is here today too?” Blake smiled, twirling the ring on his finger. His face was warm and gentle, not cold and stern: “Of course.” Ashley nodded as if she had finally figured something out. She looked at Blake with pain and determination: “So your fiancée is here today, so you don’t want to tell me the truth. That’s fine. We’ll be running into each other a lot in the future. I’m going to save you from this business arrangement of a marriage!” With that, she wiped her eyes and walked out of the banquet hall, leaving behind a crowd of speechless guests. Dad stared at Mom with a constipated expression: “…You don’t think we had a dumb kid, do you?” Mom glared at him: “Shut up. You think it would be good for you to have a dumb kid?” 2. Just like Ashley said, her harassment didn’t stop there. I was sorting through gym equipment at school when I got a call from the police. When I got to the station, Ashley was arguing with Blake, her face red. Blake: “I really don’t know her! My fiancée and I were going to go out on a date today, but we parked on the street and were only gone for half an hour, and then this woman smashed my car and started calling my fiancée a… a b*tch.” I could see the anger in Blake’s eyes. His fiancée wasn’t here with him, probably because Ashley drove her away. Ashley yelled: “Your fiancée is already gone, and you’re still telling the cops you don’t know me? Is our relationship so embarrassing you can’t admit it?” The police officer beside them looked like he was enjoying the show. Ashley looked up, and a single tear rolled down her cheek, making everyone feel sorry for her. Blake took a deep breath to calm down, and as all the cops gave him the “jerk” look, he said: “First, I don’t know what relationship you’re talking about. Second, you insulted my fiancée in front of her face and smashed my car. You ruined our date. Aren’t you going to apologize?” Ashley stuck to the principle of “I’m wrong, but I’m right”: “So what? I know that you and your fiancée are just in a business arrangement. Since your fiancée isn’t here, you don’t have to defend her.” Blake almost laughed. He held up a hand to stop Ashley from continuing: “First, it’s true that my fiancée and I are in a business arrangement, but it’s also true that we’re childhood sweethearts. I was the one who asked her to marry me.” As Ashley looked at him in disbelief, Blake continued: “Second, you keep mentioning the relationship between us. Do you mean the relationship where you slapped me for no reason or the one where you smashed my car in front of everyone?” The cops’ expressions changed. Ashley’s eyes filled with tears, and she looked at me for help: “Sis, can you say something to help me out?” Now she wanted to use me as a shield. As Blake glared at me, I looked right at Ashley’s pretty face and said slowly: “What do you want me to say?” 3. Ashley paused. She was always the frail one in our family, so she was always spoiled. We would always do whatever she wanted. But today, my attitude was so strange that it made her uncomfortable. She pointed at me: “You can’t think for yourself? Ashley, are you deaf?” I scoffed and stepped forward, swatting away her finger and slapping her across the face. Ashley was completely stunned. As the police tried to stop me, I grit my teeth: “Do you really think you’re a romance novel heroine, and everyone in the world loves you? Just because Blake looked at you once, you think he likes you, and you even slapped him in the banquet hall to get his attention… Ashley, do you even have a brain?” Ashley was exposed, and with half her face swollen, she yelled at me: “What are you talking about, you little b*tch! What do you mean, ‘I think’? It’s obvious that Blake is playing hard to get! That’s how it always is in novels!” Even if I didn’t understand the twists and turns in romance novels, I knew what manners were. I ignored her. I listened to her threaten to tell Mom and Dad that I was bullying her, and then I turned to Blake: “I’m sorry, Mr. Sterling. My sister caused you trouble.” I bowed deeply to him. Blake’s expression softened a little. I thought quickly, and I was reminded of my life in Mexico being brutalized. When I looked up, my eyes were filled with determination: “Mr. Sterling, since my sister smashed your car, I hope she can pay for her actions. Mom and Dad and I won’t pay a dime. I hope she realizes what she did wrong.” Blake thought for a moment and then nodded: “I can see that your family isn’t well-off. My lawyer will be here soon to discuss payment. I need to go.” With that, his secretary followed him with bags in tow. Ashley, however, was frozen in place, having heard what I said. She always thought that she was a romance novel heroine. Keeping to the innocent characteristics of the female lead in those novels, she was still a moocher at 23. To get her to pay for a Maybach without relying on her parents would be harder than climbing Mount Everest. My family wasn’t rich, but we were well off, and we could afford to pay. But did she really think I was going to give her a cent? No way! I glared at Ashley and walked out of the police station. The police held back the hysterical Ashley, and I called Mom and Dad in the chaos: “Mom and Dad, I need to talk to you…” 4. As expected, Ashley cried when she got home. Young and in debt $200,000. What a bright future. Before Mom and Dad could even ask her what happened, she pointed at me and started blaming me: “Mom! Sis teamed up with outsiders to bully me! She embarrassed me in front of everyone and now I’m $200,000 in debt!” Mom was on the couch watching a soap opera. When she heard this, she put down the remote and looked at Ashley, who was crying: “Aren’t you annoying? You’re saying your sister embarrassed you in front of other people, but if you hadn’t smashed Mr. Sterling’s car and refused to apologize, would your sister have embarrassed you?” I sat nearby, looking at my lesson plans. We spoiled Ashley so much. No one ever said a bad thing to her. So for my mom to criticize her so harshly, she would have thrown a fit. Sure enough, she threw the fruit bowl off the coffee table: “How can you guys be like this? You’d rather side with an outsider than with me! Blake is just playing hard to get. He likes me but he’s afraid to say it! Did my sister have to go in front of him and try to make an impression?” Dad chuckled: “Blake likes you? No one else can see that but you? We have a mirror at home. If you can’t see yourself clearly, then go look in it. Sometimes I wonder if your mom and I had a dumb kid.” I cringed and thought of everything sad that had ever happened to me in the past 3 seconds. Dad coddled Ashley the most. Ashley’s eyes were red, and she whined, giving me the creeps: “Dad, why are you saying that?” Dad rolled his eyes and started to bring up old stories: “The truth hurts. You’re in your twenties and you still think you’re a romance novel heroine. Even I’m handsome, and I don’t think I’m the male lead in a novel. Who are you?” Ashley saw that she couldn’t win against Dad, so she turned her anger on me: “Ashley! Did you say something to Mom and Dad to badmouth me?” I pouted sarcastically: “Did you say something to Mom and Dad to badmouth me?” Ashley was furious. I looked up from my lesson plans: “Tell me, what did I say that badmouthed you? You went and smashed Mr. Sterling’s Maybach on your own. And now you want us to pay for it?” “When you were little, you thought you could hit people to get the school bully’s attention. And now you’re still doing this stuff. Don’t you think you’re stupid?” Ashley was always strange. When she was seven, she brought a homeless man home. When she was nine, she took a forty-year-old to a motel. When she was twelve, she lured a three-year-old to the suburbs. From the time she was little, Mom and Dad and I cleaned up her messes. Once, she thought she was the heroine in a tragic story, so she poured hot tea all over the school bully and slapped him. She almost got killed, and my family had to pay the school bully a lot of money. Ashley looked confused. The people who used to take care of her, love her, and stand by her no matter what had now become her enemies and wouldn’t even say a word of comfort. The more she thought about it, the sadder she got, and she kicked over the coffee table: “Just you wait. I’ll prove it to you. Blake likes me! I’m the romance novel heroine!” She wiped her tears and ran out, leaving behind a mess and Mom, Dad, and I looking at each other. Dad looked at the fruit and the broken coffee table and couldn’t help but swallow nervously. He asked tentatively: “Did we get her checked when she was born?” Mom didn’t follow what Dad was thinking: “What?” Dad pointed at the rotten fruit, his finger and voice trembling: “She’s not… a supermale, is she?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “392243”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

To buy my younger brother a house, my parents constantly squeezed me dry, even going so far as to send me to Africa to make money. It eventually led to me contracting malaria and dying in a foreign land. Even after my death, they refused to claim my ashes, only wanting the fifty grand I’d worked so hard to save. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day my parents were forcing me to either go work in Africa or get married. This time, I ripped up the plane ticket right in front of their faces. I’d make a hard choice to get married. 1 As soon as the words left my mouth, my brother, Mark, stared at me with a mix of surprise and disbelief. “Sis, are you sure you want to marry that disabled guy, Hank Sullivan?” “From what I hear, he’s a man who can’t even take care of himself. Sure, the Sullivans are offering fifty grand for the dowry, but this is about your happiness for the rest of your life.” Hearing Mark’s words, Mom and Dad fell silent, their eyes fixed on me, as if testing the sincerity of my words. After all, I’d vehemently opposed the idea of marrying him before. They could be excused for questioning my sudden change of heart. In my past life, they’d forced me to choose between working in Africa and getting married. I hadn’t hesitated to choose Africa; back then, I thought it would be a better option to get away from them and have my own free life. But just a month later, I contracted malaria in Africa and eventually died. And my parents, upon hearing the news of my death, didn’t shed a single tear and even refused to attend my memorial service. They refused to accept my ashes. In the end, my ashes were scattered in the Congo River, never to return home. They even said, “We don’t want anything that belonged to her; just send back her bank cards and valuables.” My soul floated in the air, watching Mom say those cold words to my boss. At that moment, even though I was already dead, I felt a sharp pain in my heart. I was heartbroken that my parents had never loved me, that in their hearts, I was just a money-making machine. Reborn, I no longer had any affection for them. This time, I would repay them in kind. “Alright, since you’ve made up your mind, we’ll respect your decision,” Dad said, quickly sealing the deal after a moment of silence, afraid I’d change my mind. 2 With Dad’s approval, Mark naturally didn’t say anything more. But Mom still harbored some suspicion about my sudden change. “Amy, haven’t you always prioritized your career? How come you suddenly had a change of heart and decided to get married?” “Besides, you were very much against getting married when you found out about this.” Mom’s sharp words and piercing gaze were fixed on me. “You’re not up to something, are you?!” Her words made Dad frown and look at me with suspicion. “Amy, I’m telling you, you better behave yourself, or I’ll lock you up in the house until your wedding day.” Even though I already knew how ruthless my parents were, experiencing it firsthand still made me feel cold. I was still Mom’s flesh and blood, carried for ten months, so why couldn’t they give me just a little bit of love? From a young age, they had always taught me to give everything good to Mark. Just because I was the older sister. And in my past life, I had done just that; after college, I worked hard to give all the money I earned to Mark. When he wanted an iPhone, I bought it for him with the money I earned tutoring. When he wanted Air Jordans, I subsidized him with my scholarship money. I was like Mark’s endless ATM, providing him with all kinds of financial convenience. Even my parents told me to spend all the money I earned on Mark. In such a twisted family environment, I eventually died in a foreign land to earn money to buy him a house. Seeing my silence and the somewhat ugly look on my face, Mom breathed a sigh of relief and spoke to me. “Amy, don’t blame us. Your parents aren’t capable, so your brother can only rely on you. You’re the older sister in the family, so it’s only natural for you to shoulder this responsibility.” “Think about it, you’re not getting any younger, and it’s time for you to start thinking about marriage. Marrying Hank Sullivan will give you fifty grand in dowry money, which you definitely wouldn’t get marrying someone else; you might even have to pay them.” “But if you really don’t want to get married and want to go to Africa, we won’t stop you. Whatever path you choose, your dad and I will respect your decision.” What beautiful words. On the surface, they were pretending to be concerned for me, but in reality, they were only thinking about Mark. As long as Mark needed something, they would always choose to sacrifice me to fulfill him. Having experienced that cold affection in my past life, I had seen through them. But I knew that now wasn’t the time to show my hand, so I could only hide my emotions and then look up at my parents and speak, catering to their words. “Mom and Dad, I’ve thought a lot about it these past few days. After all, Africa is a foreign country, and I don’t know anyone there. I still want to stay by your side. Besides, what Mom said is true; sooner or later, I’ll have to get married anyway, so I might as well marry Hank Sullivan. That way, we can have fifty grand in dowry money to buy a house for my brother and ease the burden on the family, don’t you think?” Hearing these words, the suspicion in Dad’s eyes faded a little. Even Mark, who was sitting on the side, took the initiative to stand up and agree with my words. “Sis, I’m so glad you see it that way. I knew you were still the sister who loves me the most.” Of course, Mark would be excited, but I knew it wasn’t because he was moved by my sacrifice, but because he was excited to have fifty grand in cash soon. After all, I had always been regarded as his ATM by my family. Even if they blatantly sold me for money, I’m afraid he wouldn’t have any objections. “Amy, it’s great that you can think that way.” “We raised you to be so outstanding because we wanted you to be a good role model for your brother and to lend a helping hand when he needed it. Now it seems you’ve done a great job.” After saying this, Dad turned to Mom and told her to prepare my dowry properly. “Even though our family isn’t wealthy, what Amy said is right; we still need to have the necessary things, so that our whole family won’t be looked down upon after we marry her off.” That’s right, after I finished saying that I agreed to get married, I told Dad that I hoped the family could give me a grand wedding, since marrying off a daughter was, in a way, a matter of pride for the whole family. If my dowry was poor, people who came to watch the show would say that the Zhangs were selling their daughter instead of marrying her off. Dad, a man who cared so much about his reputation, fell silent after hearing my words, but I knew that he was starting to waver. So, hearing his words, I smiled slightly. And this was just the beginning. 4 After Dad and Mark left, Mom walked up to me. “Amy, what are you planning by suddenly deciding to get married?” I knew that Mom wasn’t someone who could be easily fooled. She had been sitting silently all this time not because she really believed me, but because she was trying to figure out how much truth there was in my words. After all, I was her child, and she knew my personality and temper too well; she knew that I wouldn’t easily fall for a disabled man. But they didn’t know that just a week after I married him, Hank Sullivan’s family became millionaires because of the redevelopment of their land. The Sullivan family of four, although they now lived in a ninety-square-meter house in the city, also owned a lot of land in the countryside. Because of government renovations and development, all of the Sullivan family’s land was requisitioned. In this way, a large sum of demolition money fell into their hands, and they became millionaires overnight. And Hank, although disabled, was smart enough to seize the opportunity and start a company, taking advantage of the foreign trade boom. In just half a year, the company went public, and at the same time, his net worth soared. When this news reached my parents’ ears, they were filled with regret. “It’s such a pity. If we had let Amy marry that disabled man, maybe we would have gotten a share of the wealth.” “And you don’t know, that Hank Sullivan went abroad after he got rich, and the leg that was crippled was actually cured, and now he can walk just like a normal person.” “Now that he has money and power, many young girls are eager to marry him, but he doesn’t even look at any of them.” “After all, he’s rich now; what kind of girl can’t he have?” These words from Mom in my past life were still echoing in my mind. Now that fate had given me another chance to be reborn, I had to seize this opportunity. In my past life, I stubbornly wanted to rely on my own efforts to get rid of a family like the Zhangs, but I didn’t know that relying on others might be faster. So, marrying Hank was the best choice for me right now. Although I hadn’t met Hank in my past life, I had met his parents and sister at the wedding. Hank’s sister was fair-skinned, and even though her family wasn’t well-off at the time, her parents were very gentle with her, even speaking in soft voices. It was clear that their family was very warm. And that warmth was exactly what I longed for and pursued. Snapping back to reality, I looked at Mom standing in front of me and smiled slightly. “Mom, what could I be planning? After all, this money is going into the Zhang family’s pocket, isn’t it?” 5 The wedding day arrived quickly. Hank’s parents were very satisfied with me, after all, I wasn’t bad-looking to begin with. Fifty grand in cash was displayed in front of my parents, and I knew that this money could be considered a lifetime’s savings for the Sullivans at the moment. After all, they knew that their son had physical defects, and ordinary girls wouldn’t want to marry someone like that. But I had volunteered to marry and take care of Hank, so they must have felt somewhat guilty towards me. Mark and Mom, seeing the pile of money, rushed over and began counting it. And Dad urged me from the side. “Don’t be so slow, hurry up and serve tea to your in-laws!” I glanced at him, and then respectfully handed the brewed tea to Hank’s parents, who quickly accepted it and happily responded. Actually, it wasn’t just them who should be grateful to me. I should be grateful to them for giving me a home. Even if they hadn’t gotten the demolition money, Hank hadn’t started a company, and hadn’t gone abroad to treat his disability, I wouldn’t have any complaints. As Hank’s wife, I would take care of him wholeheartedly for the rest of my life. After the wedding ceremony, I was sent to the bridal chamber. This was the first time I had seen Hank’s true face, and he was lying quietly in bed as I walked over slowly. With just one glance, I was stunned by his looks, after all, this was the first time I had seen his face. I had always thought that because he had a physical defect, he wouldn’t be very good-looking, but I didn’t expect that his appearance was very cold, with a high nose and a hard face, and even the skin exposed on his arms was somewhat fair. No wonder so many girls were eager to show him favor when they found out he was rich in my past life. When he met my gaze, his earlobes turned slightly red, and then he coughed softly. “It’s getting late, let’s rest.” I nodded, then went to the bathroom to tidy myself up and changed into a set of pajamas. Before leaving, I used a basin of warm water to wash my face and then took a clean towel. Under Hank’s surprised gaze, I directly unbuttoned his clothes and helped him wipe himself down. “I’ll help you wipe down, anyway, I’ll have to take care of you in the future.” He was about to reach out to stop me, but I stopped him directly. Seeing his red neck and earlobes, I couldn’t help but chuckle softly. I didn’t expect him to be so innocent. A week later, everything from my past life happened as scheduled. As soon as the government’s demolition money arrived, I proposed to go abroad to treat Hank, and my in-laws naturally had no objection, and Hank nodded in agreement. Just as we were about to leave, I saw Mom rushing over. The shrewdness in her eyes made me frown.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “392242”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The new intern, to establish his “straight-shooter” persona, had been deliberately stealing my lunch orders for a month, even taking my pre-paid meals to appease the picky boss lady. Because of his “honesty,” he once force-fed me a bowl of scalding hot ramen, nearly burning through my throat. By the time I got to the hospital, they had to remove half my stomach! When I asked for compensation, he put his arm around my girlfriend’s shoulders: “I’m just a regular guy, how am I supposed to notice these things? What’s the big deal if I accidentally take the wrong order? He’s acting like a total drama queen.” “Besides, how much could his cheapo lunch cost? I already made it up to him with my ramen!” My girlfriend, all sympathy for him, didn’t hesitate to hand over my $10,000 Christmas bonus. And my boss, whom I’d worked tirelessly for over a decade, fired me without a penny of severance pay and blacklisted me in the industry. Because I didn’t have the money to pay for my grandma’s urgent surgery, she left this world. He, meanwhile, was basking in the admiration of my girlfriend and my boss. When my body was found, my phone was still playing that trending video on loop: #DouchebagHypocriteKillsGrandmaWithHisTwoTimingSchemes# Then, I woke up on the day he stole my lunch for the nth time! 1. “Oh my god, is Mark okay? Is his blood sugar low or something? Ugh, everyone get out of the way, let me take care of him.” A familiar voice snapped me back to reality. As my consciousness returned, I saw Chad hurrying toward me with a steaming bowl of ramen. My face turned pale. Last time, after Chad snatched my lunch, he saw me collapse and rushed to pour a whole bowl of burning ramen down my throat. The searing heat woke me, but he ignored my struggles and kept dumping the ramen all over my face. I almost had a hole burned through my esophagus, and not only did they have to cut out half my stomach, but I was left with a nasty scar on my face. When I demanded compensation, he turned around and complained to my girlfriend, Ashley. “Mark is being such a baby, not very macho, don’t you think? You women are all have terrible taste or what?” When she found out it was a cheap lunch, Ashley’s face immediately soured. “Why would you let Chad eat that nasty garbage? Are you really that broke? It’s a good thing Chad didn’t get sick, or I’d make you pay!” And Annabelle, my boss of ten years, took his side unconditionally. “Get on your knees and apologize to Chad, or don’t even bother coming back!” To appease Chad, they fired me and cut me off completely. When I tried to sue, they threatened me with my grandma’s upcoming surgery. Desperate, I had to start live-streaming to earn money, but Chad slandered me. He, however, gained a ton of fans by playing the “honest” guy. My grandma and I were just stepping stones for his fame, and I died with unfinished business! As Chad came closer, my stomach clenched involuntarily. “Get away from me! Who the hell thinks it’s a good idea to use scalding ramen to revive someone? Can’t you see I’m having a stomach cramp? Are you trying to kill me?” “And even if I did have low blood sugar, wouldn’t a glass of water be better?” I roared, wanting to unleash all the anger from my past life. A coworker added: “Is Chad doing this on purpose? I’m right next to Mark, and I don’t know what happened, but Chad comes running with a bowl of ramen. That stuff is so hot, it will burn someone’s face off.” Chad didn’t expect me to wake up, and the other coworkers were already pointing at him. His face darkened. 2. “You women are so smart, why don’t you do something? If I hadn’t stepped in, he would have already passed out!” Ashley, my girlfriend, came to the office for an inspection. She was a shareholder, who normally came in twice a month, but ever since Chad arrived, she was coming in 3 times a week. Seeing Ashley, Chad immediately changed his expression and walked behind her with a look of grievance. “Ashley, your boyfriend is so fake. He’s not as honest as me. Be careful.” Ashley’s heart went out to him, and she immediately apologized. When she was sure that Chad was alright, she sighed in relief. Then she glanced at me and rolled her eyes. “Who do you think you are? Chad is a regular guy, he wouldn’t think too much about these things. You’re acting like a baby, and you are ruining the company’s reputation. Half of your pay for this month is gone!” “Ugh!” I threw up. I struggled to a trashcan and crawled next to it. The office filled with the smell of vomit, and Chad said in disgust: “Mark, what are you doing? Why are you throwing up in the trashcan?” My stomach was churning, and I had no strength to say anything. “Oh my god! What is he doing?” I heard a coworker cry out. Before I could even see what he was doing, my mouth was pried open. “Mmmm…” An unbearable stench filled my nose and mouth. Chad was choking me so that I couldn’t turn away. “Mark, don’t move, or else something might happen to you!” I shook my head and pushed him away, but I was too weak. After he was done, I croaked: “What did you… give me?” It was sour and gross, making me want to vomit. He said proudly: “Didn’t you say ramen would hurt your stomach? Your vomit is fine.” “I had to look through the trash, so you better be grateful.” I was dumbfounded. “Did I kill your whole family in my past life? What kind of idiot would do that?” My blood was boiling, and the moment I heard the ambulance’s sirens, I passed out. 3. When I woke up, I was in a hospital. My throat was sore, but my face had no scars, and my stomach had no bandages. For once, I was relieved. But then the door was kicked open. “Stop faking it, Mark. You’re not trying to work, and you’re pushing all your work onto Chad!” “Chad is a regular guy and wouldn’t do this, you better fix things with the clients, or else I’m firing you!” It was my boss, Annabelle. We were childhood friends, and I followed her because she helped my grandma during college. The company had a lot of problems, whether it was a lack of money or connections. She promised me, that once the company grew, I would get a raise, stock options, and that I could buy back my house. Ten years have passed. The company grew, but she didn’t deliver on her promises. “It’s so hard to find a job nowadays, you should be grateful that I gave you one.” I was still making $3000 a month, and last life, my Christmas bonus went to Chad. Whenever I quit, she would bring up my grandma’s medical bills as an excuse. I wish that this company would go bankrupt! “I quit!” “But you have to return the money that I paid for the company, with the interest that is almost 300000, and the Christmas bonus of 100000, and compensation, along with the monthly bonuses.” I opened my phone and showed her the receipts. I had been waiting for this moment! Annabelle stared at me. “Are you crazy? When did you give money to the company? You lost a client, so you shouldn’t be compensated, you should be paying us!” I was about to say something, but Chad said in disgust. “Mark, a man should know his place. Annabelle is giving you a platform to display your talents. Otherwise, as a graduate, how could you find such a good job?” “Apologize to Annabelle. It’s so hard to find a job. Don’t throw it all away.” I scoffed. “You don’t want me to leave, or you’ll have to pick up the slack.” Chad glanced at Annabelle. Annabelle said: “I can cover for Chad! Do you think the company will fall apart?” Okay, I’ll see which department can operate without me! 4. Annabelle said affectionately: “Chad, you can take his spot after Mark leaves.” “Mark works so well, but I am smarter. I’ll be better.” Chad wrapped his arm around her shoulders. They flirted, and Ashley couldn’t bear it anymore. “Annabelle, Mark has been working for you for ten years, and is still not as good as a security guard. Don’t use Chad just because he’s honest.” “Chad, if there’s anything, you can tell Mark to do it. Whenever you mess up, he can cover you.” I laughed. “Impossible!” Ashley sneered. “Look at this, then tell me what you think!” She swiped on her phone. I saw that she had taken nude photos of me while I was asleep! They were edited to look like I was messing around, and the part that was p-ed was so small! “Ashley, are you sick!” Three years ago, I saved her life. But she became obsessed. The company was in debt, and Ashley became the second biggest shareholder. She was always at the company. She was rich and pretty, and I liked her. But after we got together, she started to ignore me. Especially when Chad came in, she became more indifferent. After my death, I realized that she wanted to use me to help Chad. “If you don’t want to, then I’ll show it to your grandma.” She laughed, but she forgot that without me, she wouldn’t be standing here. “Okay!” I wanted to take the money and leave, but I won’t be so nice now. 5. Annabelle gave me a spot next to the bathroom to humiliate me. She commanded me: “Mark, you are close to the bathroom, so you are cleaning it from now on.” Chad acted up, and knocked on my desk. “Mark, are you aware of the time? The presentation is to be used at the meeting. Why aren’t you done yet?” “There are reporters later. This is related to the reputation of the company. You better know what to do!” I scoffed. That work was done months ago, and now he wants me to finish it in one morning? “You ordered this much food? That’s such a waste. Ashley and Annabelle are coming to the meeting, so we’ll help you take care of it!” This isn’t an accident. They are taking it. But I did nothing. I had ordered takeout that my brother added a special ingredient to it. In my past life, my brother had a restaurant. He said it was for brand recognition, so that I can take it easy. I knew that he was just helping me, so I thanked him. Otherwise, why would these guys want to eat that food? Chad saw me, and smiled. The bathroom was broken, and had not been fixed. Annabelle wanted to punish me. I was full of rage, and my coworkers were trying hard. Chad was flirting and making fun of me. Laugh! It won’t be funny soon! “Mark, the customers and reporters are here, they are waiting for the elevator!” Lisa texted me. I responded, and was about to report. I saw the boss walking towards me. I stopped her. “Boss, the customers and reporters are here, let’s greet them.” She wanted to move away, but I held onto her. “What did you put in my food?” Ashley walked over. The coworkers were already paying attention to them. Chad wanted to rage, but he couldn’t do anything. “Annabelle, Ashley, why don’t you use this?” He secretly handed a black bag to them. But they thought that they were above everyone, so they wouldn’t do it. “We can hold it!” The customers arrived. “Ms. Ashley, Ms. Annabelle are great!” Mr. Liu went forward and shook their hands, and the reporters took photos. But then everyone heard a loud noise!

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “392241”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The wedding music swelled, and my fiancé was about to slip the ring onto my finger when some woman burst in. She was huge with child, face as white as a sheet. Looking straight at my almost-husband, she cried out, “Joey, I think I’m going into labor! My contractions are killing me…” Joey went into full-blown panic mode. He tossed the ring aside and bolted off the stage without a second thought. As he scooped her up in his arms to carry her out, I ran after him and grabbed his arm. He just shook me off like I was nothing, his voice cold, “Sorry, I shouldn’t have gotten caught up in the moment and agreed to marry you. The truth is, I’ve always been in love with Cindy.” And with that, he carried her away, not even looking back. I stood there, mortified, feeling the eyes of all the guests on me, holding that ring that would never be worn. I never imagined that on what was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, I’d get stabbed in the back like this. 1 After forcing a smile and saying goodbye to the last of the guests, I collapsed into a chair, staring blankly at the laptop in front of me. The caterer had just handed it to me. It wasn’t a slideshow of Joey and my favorite memories, like we’d planned. Instead, it was filled with photos of him and another woman. Joey always told me he hated having his picture taken, that he didn’t like documenting his life. I had to practically beg him to film that love story video we were supposed to play at the reception. When we were filming it, he looked annoyed the whole time, barely cracked a smile, and even walked off set before we were finished. But this laptop had 9,999 photos, every single one a snapshot of him and this pregnant woman. They were on romantic vacations together, kissing under the Northern Lights. The Joey in these photos was smiling, genuinely happy, not at all hesitant. The photos spanned five years. And I’d only been dating Joey for five years! Suddenly, memories flooded back. Me working my tail off to land him a client, drinking until I ended up in the ER. Me, pounding the pavement day and night, in the scorching sun and freezing rain, working my fingers to the bone for our future. Turns out, while I was busting my butt for “us,” he was happily spending time with someone else. Maybe I was just numb from the shock, but when I saw Joey’s Instagram post, I couldn’t even cry. It was a picture of idyllic bliss: a new mom, looking weak but happy, leaning against Joey’s shoulder, smiling softly, holding a baby wrapped in a blanket. Joey captioned it: “Thank God, mom and baby are safe.” “How nice,” I thought bitterly. He might not be my husband, but he sure succeeded at becoming a dad. Mechanically, I tapped the “like” button, went home, and started packing a suitcase. Our housekeeper, Maria, came in, looking confused. “Honey, aren’t you and Joey getting married today? Where are you going?” I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady. “The wedding’s off, Maria. Don’t call me that anymore.” Maria’s eyes widened in disbelief. She quickly collected herself, though, and squeezed my hand. “Honey, I’ve seen how much you’ve put into this marriage. Five long years! You’ve worked yourself sick, built everything you have. Your law firm is finally taking off. Don’t throw it all away, that’s just crazy!” I just wanted to crawl into a hole, but before I could even answer, I heard laughter and chatter from downstairs. Joey was home. It was only February, still a bit chilly, and Joey’s long coat was draped around a small woman carrying a baby. Joey was lugging bags of baby supplies. The perfect little family. I’d never seen Joey look so gentle. My heart clenched, and I couldn’t help but stare at the woman. I knew who she was, actually. Cindy. Joey’s high school sweetheart. She dumped him when things got tough and moved overseas. Guess they found their way back to each other. Joey saw me and froze, his brow furrowing. Cindy looked at me, eyes welling up, all wide-eyed and innocent. “Sarah, I’m so sorry I ruined your wedding this morning. And that Joey went to the hospital with me. I wanted to come back to apologize as soon as the baby was born. I hope you’re not mad.” I gripped the handle of my suitcase. “How thoughtful of you, just after having a baby, to come back here and apologize to me.” Cindy’s face turned white. She looked helplessly at Joey. Joey looked furious, his voice low and dangerous. “Sarah, don’t be sarcastic. If you’re pissed, take it out on me. I’m the one who skipped out on the wedding. I’m the one who cheated on you. Cindy has nothing to do with this.” “She just had a baby, she’s still recovering. Watch what you say to her.” So he could be caring. My heart felt like it was being ripped out with a dull knife. He left me at the wedding, alone to deal with the whispers and stares, so he could rush Cindy to the hospital. But he didn’t seem to care if I was hurting or how difficult it would be for me to cancel the wedding arrangements. “Didn’t even bother to ask how I handled everything, did you?” Joey just shrugged, “You’re not some newbie fresh out of college. And you’re not as fragile as Cindy. I knew you’d handle it.” “Joey, don’t be so harsh. Be nice to her.” Cindy chimed in, looking pitifully at me, cradling her baby. “I’m sorry. You know Joey’s usually a sweetheart, but he gets worked up when it comes to me, and then he gets a little unreasonable.” Joey was always so aloof around me, rarely showing any tenderness. Except for that one time in college. I almost got snatched off the street by some creeper. He stepped in and saved me. That’s when I fell for him, hard. That’s when my long, drawn-out pursuit began. I naively believed that if I loved him enough, he’d eventually love me back. Recently, Joey’s law firm started to make a name for itself, and he suddenly proposed. He vowed not to take for granted my five years of supporting him and promised to make my dreams come true. I was overjoyed, convinced I’d finally melted the ice around his heart. But reality had other plans. Turns out, he wasn’t an ice cube, he was just someone else’s Prince Charming. I forced a bitter, self-deprecating smile. What had I been clinging to all these years? Cindy spoke, her tone seemingly gentle, but her words sharp, “Honey, Joey and I have a child together. Love doesn’t care about who came first; it’s about being true to each other. At this point, please, step aside. Give him back to me, okay? My baby needs a father.” Joey wrapped his arm around her waist, his voice soft, “You don’t have to apologize. It’s all my fault.” Then, he looked at me, a trace of guilt in his eyes, but mostly cold and resolute. “Sarah, proposing to you was a mistake. I do owe you a lot, and I thought marriage would make up for it. I thought I could settle, but when Cindy walked back into my life, I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I only wanted her.” Cindy’s eyes glistened with tears as she gazed adoringly at him. Watching this, my heart shattered. Maria, who’d been silently observing, finally exploded, “You guys are unbelievable! Joey, Sarah’s been with you for five years! The best years of her life! She ate cheap takeout with you, chased after deals with you, stayed up all night helping you with briefs!” “You can cheat on her, but you can’t erase everything she’s done for you. Where was this ‘settling’ talk when you needed her? Now that you’re doing well, you want to trade up? You’re a jerk! Treating a girl who truly loved you like this…karma’s gonna get you!” Joey and Cindy’s faces flushed crimson. Joey snapped, “Who asked you? This is between Sarah and me. Stay out of it!” Maria scoffed, “Joey, I was wrong about you! Just wait and see, without Sarah, your law firm will be nothing!” Joey’s face turned purple. He threw Maria out, then glared at me, his eyes like knives. “Sarah, is that what you think too? You think my firm will fall apart without you? You were a valuable asset, but we’ll do just fine without you.” Oh really? The only reason his firm was doing so well was because I used my family’s wealth to secretly support him. “I’ll see how well your law firm operates without me!” I unclenched my fists and said, “Fine, have it your way. Let’s end it.” Joey sneered, his handsome face completely devoid of remorse. “Ending it was your idea. Don’t come crawling back. Get out of my house now.” Cindy put on a show of sympathy. “Joey, it’s late. Where’s she gonna go if you kick her out?” Joey hugged her close, comforting her, “Don’t worry about her. She’s just some orphan with no parents, acting all high and mighty. If someone hadn’t taken pity on her, she’d probably still be begging on some street corner.” It was true. Before the family found me, I was an orphan bouncing from foster home to foster home. Joey and I had been classmates since high school, though we weren’t close back then. We grew closer in college after he helped me out that one time. All these years, I thought that even if we couldn’t be lovers, we could at least be friends or family. But to him, I was nothing. Cindy looked at me apologetically, but her words were condescending, “Find a nice hotel, get some rest. No matter how much Joey dislikes you, I still feel like I owe you something.” “Joey and I are getting married in a month. I hope you can come and wish us well. I would really appreciate your blessing.” I couldn’t believe my ears. My fiancé left our wedding to be with another woman, personally destroying my wedding day. Now he was marrying that woman, and she had the nerve to ask me to attend the wedding! It was absurd. This wasn’t just a slap in the face, it was a full-blown humiliation. “Congratulations on finally getting the ring,” I said, forcing a cold smile, laced with sarcasm. “She can come or not, Cindy, you don’t have to beg her.” Joey looked at Cindy with such adoration, like she was the one who had been wronged. He glanced at me, “Sarah, you’re too poor and too ordinary, you don’t even have parents. I could never really marry some nobody from the street. You and I are from different worlds. Stop wasting your time on me.” He acted like he was afraid I’d cling to him forever, like I was some unwanted burden. But the moment he walked out on our wedding, my heart died. After all this belittling, I was finally over it. I just felt foolish for being so stupid, for degrading myself in this relationship. Joey looked down at me, as if he was doing me a favor. “Sarah, you’ve been with me for five years, I don’t want to be completely heartless. Here’s ten grand, call it severance pay for the past five years. Now get lost.” I dragged my suitcase out of there. The cold wind stung my face, but it also cleared my head. I called Grandma. “Grandma, cancel the collaboration with Joey’s firm. Announce it on his wedding day, call it my wedding gift to him.” Just then, a black luxury car pulled up in front of me. A tall, handsome man got out and quickly walked to my side. I looked up at him, my eyes immediately welling up with tears. “Mark…” He gently draped his black coat over my shoulders and tenderly wiped away the tears on my face. His expression was dark and frightening, but his voice was soft, “Don’t be sad. He’s just a loser. I’ll make him beg for your forgiveness.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “392240”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The Golden Globes were here, and I was about to accept the Best Actress award. Suddenly, Tiffany Lynn stumbled onto the stage, covered in bruises and wearing nothing but her underwear. She dropped to her knees, banging her head against the floor. “Sister, I’ve done everything you asked! I serviced those dozen producers, please, don’t send me back to the sticks! I don’t want to marry that seventy-year-old! Just let me stay as Mom and Dad’s adopted daughter, please…” My own parents, furious, ripped my dress to shreds right there in front of everyone. My brother, in a fit of rage, threw me into a high-end escort service. Producers I’d once turned down were now lining up to “book” me. Stalker fans I’d reported were now finding new and twisted ways to humiliate me every night. It wasn’t until six months later, the day before my brother’s wedding to Tiffany, that they even thought of me again. After my last client left, my brother pushed the door open. Without looking at him, I instinctively crawled back into bed, silently spreading my legs. … “Olivia Carter! Have you no shame?!” his angry voice boomed. “Six months, and you haven’t learned a thing! You’ve become so goddamn depraved!” Expecting another beating for upsetting a client, I started trembling and dropped to my knees, begging. “I’m sorry! I’ll do whatever you want, please, don’t be mad.” A black suit jacket was suddenly thrown over my body. I looked up, my body stiffening. It was my brother, Ethan Carter. Ethan’s eyes flashed with something unreadable, but his face quickly hardened. “Playing the victim again? You’re a famous actress, Olivia, a Carter. No one would dare hurt you.” “If it weren’t for Tiffany’s kind heart, offering you to be her bridesmaid, I’d leave you here to rot!” For a moment, I was disoriented. I used to be the most respectable actress in the industry, now Ethan had thrown me into this place to become the cheapest commodity. Anyone with enough money could unleash their darkest desires on me. My shame had long been shattered into dust by countless insults and beatings. Ethan grabbed my shoulder, still healing from a break, and tried to yank me up. The pain was excruciating, but my cries came out sounding like suggestive moans. The drugs they’d pumped into me had turned my body into a machine, making everything I did sound like a dirty come-on. Ethan’s eyes widened, and he recoiled as if shocked. He slapped me hard across the face. “Are you addicted to being a slut now?” My body flinched, and I instinctively knelt and grabbed his leg, tears streaming down my face. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Whatever you want, I’ll do it. Just please, don’t hit me. It really hurts.” Ethan’s voice was ice cold. “You think you can wipe away the damage you did to Tiffany with crocodile tears? Think again!” He dragged me out roughly, and I didn’t dare resist. I knew resistance would only bring worse punishment. Suddenly, a mob of reporters descended on us at the club entrance, raising their cameras like hyenas. The flashing lights blinded me as they eagerly captured my most vulnerable moments. A stalker fan had a fetish for shining a flashlight in my face in the dark, enjoying my humiliated expression. I trembled, trying to shrink away, all the blood draining from my face. “Olivia, we heard you ended up in an escort service after quitting acting. Do you prefer getting paid to spread your legs?” Ethan frowned, his voice sharp. “That’s ridiculous! My sister’s just here as a waitress…” The reporters started their interrogation. “You’re so open now. Was your ‘clean’ image all marketing? Did you sleep your way to win the Golden Globe too? ” “Nah, her daddy’s money and Tiffany Lynn’s favors bought her that award!” Ethan’s eyes narrowed. The next second, he blocked my retreat. “It’s about time you experienced what Tiffany went through.” He shoved me into the spotlight, leaving me nowhere to escape. “You were a top star with a great body. You must get a lot of bookings! Who’s your favorite kind of client? How do you feel about being called ‘the town bicycle’?” “Do you know how many men you’ve serviced? Are you worried about catching something? ” “Why aren’t you answering, Olivia? Are you afraid you’ll just start seducing people again? Don’t worry, we all think you’re dirty.” The reporters burst into laughter, their eyes full of ridicule and disgust. I closed my eyes and endured, just like every other day and night. Then someone got bold and reached for my breasts. My body went limp and soft against my will, a small moan escaping my lips. 2 Ethan’s chest heaved, and he grabbed me, throwing me into the car. “What the hell are you doing? Why didn’t you fight back? Are you that desperate for it?!” When I first arrived, I had resisted. I was beaten mercilessly, then forced to satisfy more than a dozen men at once. After a few times, I learned my lesson. Ethan stared at my blank expression, his face twisting with disappointment. “Tiffany begged us to let you come back. Tomorrow is our wedding. Behave yourself. If you try to hurt her again, I swear I’ll turn you into the town whore.” But Ethan, I’ve already become that the day you dropped me off here. His face darkening, Ethan brought me home. Mom and Dad were inside, fawning over Tiffany as she blew out the candles on a cake. Tiffany was my adopted sister, taken in by my parents after I was kidnapped. Today was her birthday. And mine. My parents gave me a quick glance and nothing more. Ethan, however, shoved the cake in my face, gesturing for me to blow out the candles. “Welcome home, sis. You’re Mom and Dad’s real daughter, the real birthday girl.” The candlelight flickered. My breath caught, my teeth chattering. I remembered the men who had dripped hot wax all over my body. The scars from the low-temperature burns were still there. Fear washed over me. I collapsed, knocking the cake to the floor. Anger flashed on my parents’ faces, veins bulging on their foreheads. “If you’re gonna cause trouble, get the hell out!” Terrified, I curled up in a ball, apologizing and begging for mercy. “I’m sorry, I’ll never do it again! Please don’t hit me…” Tiffany put on a sweet smile and pulled me to the table. “Olivia just got back, maybe she needs time to adjust. Mom and Dad, don’t be mad at her. I got Olivia a birthday present. It’ll help her feel at home.” My parents’ expressions softened. Tiffany, a smirk playing on her lips, held a box out to me. A baseball bat, a baseball, a jump rope, bandages… Tiffany leaned in close and whispered, “I got these just for you, Olivia. All your favorite toys. Do you like them?” Memories flooded back. I remembered the fear of being ripped open by the baseball bat, the client’s leering face as he shoved a baseball into me. I felt the burning sensation of the jump rope digging into my skin, the suffocating feeling of the bandages stuffed in my mouth… Tears streamed down my face. I flinched and knocked the box away. Tiffany screamed and fell dramatically backwards. Mom, Dad, and Ethan rushed to catch her. When they looked at me again, their eyes blazed with rage. Dad, his face red, kicked me to the ground. “You beast! You dare hurt Tiffany in front of me! If you weren’t my daughter, I’d tear you limb from limb!” Ethan threw the toys at me, yelling, “I was going to forgive you, I even considered helping you get back in the industry!” “Just rot for the rest of your life!” I was in so much pain that cold sweat broke out on my skin. I lay on the floor, not daring to move, silently crying. I was already rotten. 3 Dad, seeing my tears, calmed down a little. Mom sighed. “Why are you always so stubborn? You wronged Tiffany back then. Are you still going to keep this up?” Tiffany grabbed Mom’s hand and touched it to her cheek. “It’s okay, Mom, I volunteered. It’s not Olivia’s fault.” But as she said it, a single tear rolled down her cheek. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. Ethan’s eyes turned cold. “It’s a famous director. I was going to have him give you a comeback, but I guess that’s out.” Tiffany stopped him. “Olivia’s been through enough cleaning the club, I’m sure she’ll get better. Give her another chance.” Tiffany’s voice was sweet, but her eyes were full of poison. She led everyone to the garden, claiming she was taking care of my mental state and giving me space to audition. The moment the man spoke, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I just wanted to run! Leon Vance walked up to me, backlit by the sun. His hand trailed over my body like a sticky, venomous snake. I tried to back away, but I was too terrified to move. “You’re my prized possession. Don’t think you can escape me. You have your sweet little sister to thank.” He was a stalker who I had rejected, and for the last six months, he came to the club regularly to get revenge. He was ruthless, and he had brought me to the brink of despair multiple times. Leon picked up the baseball bat, looking displeased. “Didn’t you like my treasures? You threw it on the floor, you think you don’t have to listen to your master at home?” He used the baseball bat to lift my chin, teasing me all over my body. My body had been trained by him, and I automatically struck seductive poses. Tears kept coming, but I didn’t dare cry out or ask for help. Suddenly, the door burst open. I was half-undressed, but Leon’s clothes were still neat. The four people in the doorway froze. Then, there were two angry shouts and two screams. Ethan’s face was red. He marched over and slapped me hard. My ears rang, a current running through my body. I reflexively bowed in apology. Ethan’s rage grew. “Olivia Carter, you’re pretty good at seducing directors! What are you doing now, trying to act innocent! What have you learned at the club? You’ll throw away your reputation to come back?” Dad’s beard bristled with anger. “How could my family have such a shameless daughter!” Mom hid in Tiffany’s arms, looking distressed. Tiffany smiled. “You had me go to work the producers, it’s not cool now that you’re doing it yourself. Even if you’re that eager to come back, you shouldn’t start being so horny in the living room. ” Ethan glared at me. “What are you waiting for? Leon cares a lot about his reputation. Apologize to him!” I was kicked to my knees, trembling, my voice hoarse. Ethan kept putting me down, trying to flatter Leon out the door. Dad clutched his chest, his voice full of anger. “From now on, you can forget about acting! I’ll never let you embarrass the family again.” But ever since I stepped into that club, my career and my life were over. Dad grabbed all the trophies I had won from the display case and smashed them in front of me. Tiffany pretended to stop him but slipped my favorite trophy into his hands. “Olivia made a mistake, but she’s your daughter! She worked hard for those awards. Don’t smash them!” Dad gently pushed her aside. “If only you were my real daughter. I wish I’d never found her!” He slammed the trophy down in front of me. The crash startled me. I felt like I was back in the club being beaten. I didn’t care about the glass shards. I just kept banging my head on the floor, blood dripping from my nose. “Please don’t hit me. I’ll never run again. I’ll be a good girl. I’ll do whatever they want to me. Just don’t hit me! I’m really scared…” Ethan came back in from outside. “What are you talking about? I sent you to the club to clean, not to service clients!” “You think you can fool us with a good show? Do you think you can cry and make us forget about you trying to seduce Leon? Dream on!” “Keep acting! See how long you can keep it up!” I didn’t react. I just kept kneeling and banging my head on the floor. Mom always had a soft spot for me. Sighing, she took out the first-aid kit and cleaned my forehead. “Don’t punish yourself anymore. Do the right thing.” “Tomorrow is your brother’s wedding. Don’t mess it up again.” 4 The next day, Tiffany and Ethan’s wedding was held in the garden behind the mansion. Before the wedding started, Tiffany, in a wedding dress, screamed and ran into Ethan and my parents’ arms, crying as if her heart would break. “I thought the darkness was over, but someone took pictures and posted them online! Today’s my wedding, and they’re trying to ruin me! I can’t live in this world anymore!” They were shocked and angry. Mom covered her mouth in disbelief. Dad’s eyes widened, and he reached for his blood pressure medication. Ethan grabbed my hair and shoved the video in my face. “Tell me! What did you do?!” I shook my head frantically as I watched. “I don’t know! It wasn’t me! I didn’t do anything…” Slaps rained down on my face, stinging my skin. Ethan’s eyes were murderous. “Who else could it be? You made her sleep with producers to help you get to the top. Now you keep targeting Tiffany. She gave up being a Carter to marry me. Why can’t you just leave her alone?” “Today is her wedding. Did you have to ruin the rest of her life? Do you hate her that much?” “Why do you think you’re still a Carter!” Tiffany cried and threatened to kill herself. My parents turned red with grief. Ethan held Tiffany tight. “Don’t worry, I was your brother. Now, I’m your husband. I will always protect you.” Then he called his assistant. “Delete all the videos. Replace Tiffany’s face with Olivia’s. She’s made her bed, now she can lie in it. “ Tiffany sobbed in his arms. Dad supported Mom as they slowly walked up to me, their faces pale. “We’re so disappointed in you. You’ve hurt Tiffany again and again. And you don’t regret it.” “Starting today, we’re through!” “You’re no longer a Carter!” Mom’s body tensed. She looked sad, but when she saw how upset Tiffany was, her eyes turned cold. I felt nothing. I answered dully, “Okay…” After being tortured for six months, I didn’t dare consider them family anymore. I trudged away, exhausted, never looking back. I would never return. No one noticed my departure. The wedding went on as planned. There were many guests at the scene, and the place was very lively. Ethan, as the groom, walked from table to table with a wine glass. In a corner, a drunk man stopped him. His face was full of ugly and disgusting smiles. “Where’s Olivia? Why isn’t she at the club either?” “She’s really good in bed. I’ve never met anyone who can moan like her. She’s been with a lot of people this year, but I don’t care.” “Where is she? Get her out here. I want her body again!” Ethan froze in place, the wine glass shattering on the floor with a “clang!” “What did you say?!” The drunk man was still muttering nasty words. Ethan’s face was pale, and he was trembling. He punched the drunk man in the nose. The drunk man covered his nose and glared. “Who doesn’t know that you sent Olivia to the club yourself? I paid for it. Why do you have the right to hit me!” Ethan’s eyes were red, and his fists rained down. He grabbed a chair and tried to smash it over the man’s head. The people around him rushed to pull the angry Ethan away. Tiffany ran over screaming. “Ethan, today is our wedding. What are you doing!” “Are you going to ruin our wedding?” Ethan pried Tiffany’s hands off him. “I need to find Olivia. I need to figure things out!” “We…wronged her.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “392239”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

It was on our fifth wedding anniversary that my husband, Hank, handed me divorce papers. “My mom’s really sick, like, not long for this world. Her dying wish is for me to divorce you,” he mumbled, avoiding my eyes. “I promise it’s just a temporary thing. As soon as she’s gone, we’ll get remarried, I swear,” he added, pleadingly. Looking at Hank’s haggard face, I caved and agreed. I was such a fool. Barely divorced, and Hank’s already plastered wedding photos with his high school sweetheart all over Facebook! And his supposedly terminally ill mom? Standing right there in the pics, looking healthier than ever! 1 “Sarah, when did you and Hank split up?” My best friend, Chloe, frowned, her eyes filled with concern. “Such a big deal, and you didn’t even tell me?” I was utterly confused, bordering on disbelief. Hank and I were supposed to be faking the divorce, keeping it under wraps. How did Chloe find out? “Where did you hear that?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. Chloe’s eyes widened, her voice rising in disbelief. “Hank posted his marriage certificate with someone else all over Facebook! Where have you been?” She kept talking, but my brain just short-circuited. “Hank and a marriage certificate” kept echoing in my head, blocking out everything else. This couldn’t be happening. A knot of anxiety tightened in my stomach. My voice trembled as I asked, “You’re kidding, right?” Hank and I had a good marriage, at least, I thought we did. The devastated look on his face when he suggested the fake divorce, every expression, every detail was burned into my memory. How could he suddenly be marrying someone else? But Chloe’s reply hit me like a ton of bricks, shattering the last vestiges of hope. “I’m not kidding, Sarah. It’s real!” Panic surged through me. I fumbled for my phone, my fingers shaking as I frantically tried to call Hank. But all I got was that cold, robotic voice: “The person you are trying to reach is currently on another call.” I frantically pulled up our text history, and realized it had been ages since he’d replied. The chat box was filled with messages I’d sent – little updates about my day, sweet nothings – now they just seemed like a cruel joke. Refusing to give up, I opened Facebook, only to find he’d blocked me. Chloe sent me the photo. My hands trembled as I tapped to open it. The woman in the picture was Tiffany, Hank’s high school sweetheart. I remembered seeing her at our wedding. Dressed to the nines, she looked more like the bride than I did, standing next to Hank, radiating confidence. I’d asked Hank if he still had feelings for Tiffany. He’d denied it flatly, a staunch and immediate no. But now, seeing them together in the photo, beaming with happiness, with that bright, celebratory backdrop… it felt like a knife twisting in my gut. Tears welled in my eyes, blurring my vision. “Hank, say something!” “You wouldn’t do this, right? They’re lying, aren’t they? You didn’t marry someone else, did you?” But my messages vanished into the digital void, unanswered. I was completely devastated. I stumbled to the hospital, only to find that Hank’s mom had never even been admitted. When Hank told me she was sick, he’d choked up several times, struggling to get the words out. He’d lost weight in those few days, and it was heartbreaking to watch. Was it all an elaborate lie, a carefully crafted scheme? If he had a change of heart, couldn’t he have just told me? I wasn’t going to chain him to me. I desperately needed to talk to Hank, to get some answers. But it hit me then. Apart from the time his mom stayed with us, I didn’t even know where he lived. Desperate, I went to his office. His colleagues told me he was on leave, prepping for his wedding. When Hank and I planned our wedding, I’d handled everything – buying the house, the renovations, picking the dress, setting up the venue. Hank said he was too busy at work to take time off. Looking back, it wasn’t about being busy. It was about me not being important enough for him to take time off work. The more something remains unanswered, the more driven you are to find the truth. I requested a leave of absence from work and went on a frantic search for Hank. I looked everywhere I could think of, everywhere he might be, but he was nowhere to be found. Finally, Chloe told me the date of Hank’s wedding. And so, after our sham divorce, I saw Hank for the first time. At his wedding. To someone else. I stood in the back, watching Hank slip a diamond ring on Tiffany’s finger. His smile was brighter than the sun, but it felt like a slap in the face. His mom, the one who’d been practically on her deathbed, was standing next to him, looking spry and joyful. She looked nothing like the woman who always looked at me with disdain! “Hank!” My voice was raspy and trembling with anger and hurt. My shout must’ve startled him because Hank froze and slowly turned around. His smile vanished the moment he saw me, replaced by a look of panic and embarrassment. His mom saw what was happening and hurried over, pushing me, saying, “Everyone, carry on, let’s not ruin the happy occasion.” I dodged her hands, my eyes locked on Hank. Tears were already welling up. “What is going on? You said it was a temporary divorce! You said your mom was dying and wanted to see you happy!” With each word, I took a step closer to Hank. Each step added to my pain. I was a mess. The Hank in the tailored suit looked as handsome as the day I met him. But in that moment, he felt like a complete stranger. Time flies. But what hurts most is that he was no longer the man who was head over heels for me. Chloe shielded me from the curious, gossiping crowd, finally clearing a path to Hank. “Sarah, can we talk about this after the wedding? Please?” Hank’s voice was urgent, his eyes darting around. “It’s not what you think. I can explain.” I looked at him, my heart heavy with bitterness and anger. I laughed, a cold, humorless sound. “Hank, are you just trying to get me out of here so you can keep up the charade?” We stood there, locked in place, the air thick with tension. Then Tiffany walked over and linked her arm through Hank’s, the smugness of a victor etched on her face. “Sarah, before you start interrogating Hank, maybe you should look in the mirror,” she said. “He was married to you for five years, and you couldn’t give him a child. My son with him is already five years old.” “What?” I felt like I’d been struck by lightning, my body frozen, my mind blank. Chloe lost it, exploding in rage. “You two are scum! You were cheating five years ago, Hank! You even had a kid with her! You’ve been faking it all this time, marrying our Sarah. What kind of a sick game is this? You son of a bitch!” Hank and I had been together since college. After graduation, I gave up everything in my hometown and moved to his city so we could be together. In the beginning, he was perfect. He took care of the house, and he was so sweet and thoughtful. But over time, things changed. He grew distant, saying our love had turned into a comfortable companionship, and we didn’t need to try as hard anymore. Like an idiot, I believed him. I actually thought love could just naturally evolve into a companionship. Now I realized he’d given his love to someone else. All I got was a lame excuse for a relationship. “Hank, is it true?” A chill ran through me. My need for answers dissipated. He looked down, hesitating before muttering, “Yeah.” “Okay, I understand.” My heart shattered into a million pieces. Turning to Chloe, I said, “Chloe, let’s go.” At this point, the only thing I could do was salvage what was left of my pride. But Hank actually left Tiffany and chased after me, grabbing my arm. “Sarah, I have a reason, don’t be mad.” “I’ll explain after the wedding,” he said desperately. “What’s there to explain!” Chloe shoved Hank’s hand away, pulling me with her. She ranted about Hank the whole way, trying to make me feel better. But I didn’t want to hear anything. When we pulled up to her place, I stopped her mid-sentence, “Chloe, go home. I’ll pack my things and come over later.” “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay with you?” She looked at me, concerned. I managed a smile, trying to reassure her. “I’m fine, don’t worry.” We’d had some good times. Sarah could move on. And now that the temporary divorce had become a real one, there were things I couldn’t let go of. Things that were mine. I needed to get them back. The house I lived in was bought before we were married, and it was mine and mine alone. I decided to sell the house and use the money to go home and be with my parents. When the real estate agent brought someone to view the house, Hank showed up unannounced. He saw the man in the house and started yelling. “Sarah, we’re only temporarily divorced. How can you bring another man into our house?” I couldn’t be bothered to deal with him. I arranged for the real estate agent to come back another day and politely saw him out. But Hank wouldn’t let it go. He blocked the doorway. “We need to get this straight, or nobody’s going anywhere.” When we were dating, I’d only seen the good in him. His flaws were quirky and endearing. Now, without the rose-colored glasses, I realized how awful he was. “We’re divorced. You have no say in my life.” I pushed past him, apologizing to the agent before seeing him out. When I went back inside, Hank was still standing in the entryway, fuming. “Sarah, we agreed it was just a temporary divorce!” I stared at him like he was crazy. “Did you forget you got married again?” “I had my reasons, and Tiffany and I’s wedding was a sham, too. The kid was an accident, I don’t know how it happened.” “My mom found out about the kid and said she was on her deathbed and wanted to spend some time with her grandchild.” Hank spouted excuse after excuse, acting like it was my fault for not understanding. But his excuses meant nothing to me. I didn’t want to hear them. And, from what I saw at the wedding, his mom was doing just fine. “Hank, since the temporary divorce is a real divorce now, we need to divide up the property. I’ve hired a lawyer.” “As for this house, it was mine to begin with. I’m selling it, and you can’t come here anymore.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “392238”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel