While waiting for my abortion surgery, I scrolled past a post: "What are your regrets?" My mind immediately went to my boyfriend, who died in a plane crash before we even had the chance to hold our wedding. He loved me deeply; his very last message before he died was to me: "Chloe, you must find happiness after I'm gone. I love you." Even my mother-in-law had done everything possible, accompanying me to get the abortion and urging me to start a new life. Just as I was about to reply, the top comment on the trending list made my entire body stiffen: "I chased him for ten years to no avail. He even almost married his pregnant girlfriend." "But luckily, he still couldn't let me go. He faked his death on their wedding day to end things with her, and even had his mom take that woman to get an abortion." "Now he's sleeping right beside me, hehe. My regret has been fulfilled, I'm so happy~" I stared rigidly at the photo she posted. The hand resting on her chest was still wearing a wedding ring. It was the exact matching custom design to the one on my ring finger. ............ The replies under the comment were a barrage of insults: "You're a homewrecker and you're proud of it? What about the other girl? Does she deserve to be deceived by you two? Do you have any shame?" "Does anyone know who the other girl is? Quick, tell her the truth!" With trembling hands, I clicked into her profile, and my mind instantly went blank. I had been dating Arthur for ten years, and she had been chasing him for ten years. From high school graduation to now, they had never stopped contacting each other. I remembered this girl; she was the only one who didn't offer her blessings when we became a campus couple. Red-eyed, she had once blocked Arthur as he was walking me home, stubbornly demanding he break up with me: "I've chased you for so long, why don't you like me? What's so great about her?" The usually gentle Arthur had a dark expression that day: "Chloe doesn't need to do anything; I love her just standing there." "And no matter what you do, I will never love you. Is that clear enough?" Since that day, I had never seen this girl again. I thought that was the end of it. Even when Arthur's phone later frequently received harassing texts from an unknown number, his dismissive attitude reassured me. I never expected that he had secretly been keeping in touch with her the whole time. He even lied on our anniversary just to go see a movie with her. The impact of the truth left my entire body trembling uncontrollably. "Chloe, it's your turn. Let's go, I'll go with you for the surgery." My mother-in-law's gentle voice pulled me from my thoughts. I abruptly looked up, stared at her mild face, and blurted out: "Auntie, Arthur's seven-day mourning period isn't even over yet, and you're this anxious for me to get an abortion?" My mother-in-law froze, the smile stiffening on her lips: "Didn't I already say? I treat you like my own daughter; I can't bear to see you raising a child alone." "Arthur loved you so much when he was alive. Auntie also hopes you'll live a good life in the future. If you have any difficulties, you can come to me—" "Is Arthur actually not dead?" I interrupted her with a trembling voice, shouting uncontrollably. My mother-in-law visibly froze, a fleeting look of guilt flashing across her face: "Child, what are you talking about?" "I know you're grieving, but he's dead, and the living must always look forward—" Without waiting for her to finish, I shoved her aside and bolted out the door. Rushing out of the hospital, I immediately hailed a cab and hurried to the location of Mia's newly posted comment. She had posted a photo of them holding hands, with our high school track field in the background: "Curse me all you want, but I have no regrets now~" "He said he treated me too poorly in high school, so he specially came here to personally take down his photo with that woman and stroll around the campus with me, hehe~" The next second, my best friend sent a picture: "Chloe, didn't you say Arthur died in a plane crash?" "Is there a mistake? He just updated his Moments!" "Hey, if I click on his Moments again, there's nothing there. He probably forgot to block me." I clicked on the picture, and large tears instantly smashed down. "Walking the wrong path for ten years, only to realize the right person has been waiting for me in the same place all along." I fiercely wiped away my tears, the anger surging to my heart before the pain did. As soon as I got out of the car, I saw a couple passionately kissing at the entrance to the track field. I rushed forward and gave a hard shove: "Arthur! Do you have no shame!" The guy looked bewildered, and the girl, just about to get angry, cried out in pleasant surprise: "Chloe!" I froze, only then realizing the person in front of me wasn't Arthur. After hastily apologizing, the girl took my hand, her face full of envy: "Chloe, I was in the grade below you! My boyfriend and I have also been together since high school until now!" "The story of you and Arthur has been circulating for years! The ultimate power couple! Both recommended for admission abroad! Both top of your majors! So amazing!" "Because of you two, the school doesn't even oppose high school dating anymore. They even tell us dating couples to learn from you!" "Are you also here with Arthur to reminisce about your youth? Oh my god, did you guys get married?!" As the girl excitedly recounted the story, my thoughts drifted back to those most passionate three years. The school heartthrob, Arthur, was a terrible student, but he buried himself in studying just for me. For me, he managed to shoot up to second place in our grade in just one month, and for me, he gave up an admission offer from a prestigious university. He said he didn't want a long-distance relationship with me, and fought tooth and nail to get the second recommended admission spot. Teachers who always cracked down on high school dating pretended not to notice when they saw us going to the library as a couple. To this day, I still remember the summer of our senior year, when he received an offer from a top foreign university, he held me and spun me around excitedly: "We can finally be together forever!" The cherry blossoms bloomed late that year, falling right onto us. On graduation day, when we gave speeches together, he proudly held me in his arms: "If it weren't for Chloe, I wouldn't be who I am today. I will love her forever!" The moment my thoughts snapped back, I saw the girl looking deathly pale at something behind me, her voice very soft: "Chlo-Chloe, is that Arthur?" I turned my head stiffly and saw the man kneeling on one knee in the middle of the track field. Mia's eyes were red with joy as she sobbed softly. Arthur's voice was still the gentle one I was familiar with: "I did a lot of things to hurt you before. Please let me spend the rest of my life making it up to you, okay, Mia?" Just a moment before the ring was put on, I called out with a trembling voice: "Arthur?" The man's broad back stiffened, and his face was deathly pale the moment he turned around. He immediately covered his face in a panic and tried to pull Mia away. I rushed forward and grabbed his arm tightly, my voice rising involuntarily: "Arthur!" "How dare you, how dare you lie to me?" "You—" "Sister, if you want to blame someone, blame me, don't blame Arthur." Mia yanked my hand away, standing tearfully in front of Arthur. "It was me, I threatened suicide to make Arthur do this." "I just love him too much, I can't live without him." "You've already had Arthur for ten years, you should be satisfied, Sister. Please, give Arthur to me." As she spoke, she sobbed and revealed the ugly scars on her wrists. The guilt on Arthur's face was instantly replaced by heartache. He hugged Mia tightly and finally looked at me straight on: "Don't blame Mia, I wanted to do this myself." "I originally didn't want to hurt you, so I put on a play to make you give up. Since you found out, I'll just say it straight." "Mia and I are getting married. You'll give us your blessing, right?" "Mia is right. We've been together for ten years, the feelings are long gone. So why not set each other free?" Watching his increasingly self-righteous demeanor, my heart completely died. This scene made it seem as if I were the one who had done something wrong. Before I had time to speak, Arthur's phone rang. He answered the phone for a moment, his face turning ugly, staring unblinkingly at me: "You didn't get the abortion?" "Chloe, stop doing meaningless things. I don't love you anymore, don't bring a child into this world to suffer!" His cold words pierced my heart. I suddenly realized I didn't know the man in front of me anymore. He was like a completely different person from the man who was so happy he couldn't sleep when he found out I was pregnant. I swallowed all the pain, my red eyes instinctively wanting to escape this place. The next second, a heavy force struck my waist, and I fell hard to the ground. Behind me came Mia's anxious voice: "Arthur, you can't keep this child!" "Otherwise, what about the baby in my belly?" My lower abdomen slammed into the ground, the pain making my whole body tremble. Feeling a rush of warm fluid pooling beneath me, I instinctively reached out a hand to Arthur: "Arthur, our child—" However, he simply reached out to cover Mia's eyes, saying in a low voice: "Don't look, it's dirty." My brain felt like it had been struck by lightning. I looked at him in disbelief: "Dirty?" "Arthur, this is our child!" "What did I do wrong that you have to treat me like this?" The man frowned, looking down at me, the heartache in his eyes replaced by disappointment: "Chloe, you have the nerve to ask me what you did wrong?" "You lied to me for ten years. I really thought you were harmless, I didn't expect you to be so vicious!" "Mia just liked me in high school, and you had someone strip her clothes and film a video to threaten her not to bother me!" "After graduating from college and returning to the country, she just coincidentally applied as an intern at my company, and you sent her to a business partner's bed!" "What else is there that I don't know!" "Yes, I admit that lying to you was my fault, but you're no saint yourself!" I shook my head continuously, tears streaming down non-stop: "I didn't, Arthur, I didn't do anything." "How can you doubt me? Don't you know what kind of person I am?" Arthur stepped back two paces to avoid my touch, sneering: "Now I finally know what kind of person you are." "Just like your mistress mother, your head is full of schemes and tricks. It makes me sick!" The blood in my body seemed to instantly freeze. My mind kept replaying the heartbroken look on his face when I told him about my family. He said, being born into such a family wasn't my choice, I didn't need to be sad. He said he would give me a normal family. He said I was wonderful. Memories and reality overlapped, and the immense impact made the blood beneath me flow even more heavily. Arthur simply put his arm around Mia and turned to leave: "Don't drag Mia into your dirty business; she doesn't know anything." "Otherwise, I don't mind telling people that you are a mistress's daughter." "After all, you care about your reputation the most, don't you?" After saying that, he turned and left. No matter how much I cried and begged, he never looked back. Finally, my vision went black, and I passed out from the intense pain. When I opened my eyes again, my best friend, pale-faced, handed me her phone: "Chloe, you're finally awake, look..." The moment I took the phone, my body felt like it had plunged into an ice cave. The video of Mia having her clothes stripped in high school, and the photos of her going in and out of a hotel with a business partner when she was an intern, had been posted online. Coincidentally catching the momentum of the previous video, she was being cursed out brutally. But Arthur, disregarding the reputation of the Vance Group, released a video using the company's official account. In the video, Mia was crying hysterically, begging me to forgive her and let her go. And Arthur issued a statement: "Mia is my girlfriend. She has suffered a lot of undeserved harm, and all this harm was brought upon her by my ex-girlfriend, the very 'poor, deceived woman' you all talk about." "Since things have come to this, I won't hide it from everyone anymore. My ex-girlfriend is the child of a mistress, and therefore she harbors a deep hatred for mistresses. These actions in the video are all things she did because she mistakenly believed Mia was a mistress." "Mia and I had absolutely no contact before I broke up with my ex-girlfriend. Everything happened after the breakup. She is not a mistress; she is my lover." "As for the whistleblower, I am already investigating. If it was my ex-girlfriend, even if she has a mental illness, I will not let her get away with it." "Chloe, I know you will see this video. Please behave yourself!" The last line directly exposed my name. All my social media accounts were flooded by completely biased netizens. They cursed me as a bully who deserved to be cheated on, cursed me as a misogynist who deserved to be a mistress's daughter. My company also fired me directly, even threatening to hold me accountable for bringing negative reviews to the company. All of this was something I had never anticipated, and for a moment, I couldn't even process it. My best friend was the first to slam the table in anger: "How could Arthur do this! He knows perfectly well that these things are your trauma, and he actually spoke about them for a Mia!" "And he threw dirty water on you! What bullying? We were inseparable in high school, how come I didn't know?" "What business partner! Wasn't I the one negotiating with the Vance Group that day? How come I don't remember going in and out of a hotel with her? Where did these photos come from, just making up rumors!" "I'm so mad! You had a miscarriage because of him, and he still treats you like this!" "No, I have to go find him and settle the score right now!" Saying that, my best friend got up to go find Arthur. The next second, my phone rang. I pulled my best friend back, gathered my emotions, and calmly answered the phone. Arthur's cold voice sounded: "You saw the video, right?" "There's a lot of public outcry online now. I've arranged a press conference for you to publicly apologize to Mia and me." "Otherwise, I don't mind blacklisting you in the entire industry." "Chloe, think clearly. You always have to pay the price for doing wrong." I paused, and gave a self-deprecating laugh: "Pay the price for doing wrong? Then why aren't you dead yet?" There was silence on the other end for a moment, followed by the man's cold laughter: "Chloe, no matter how sharp-tongued you are, it's useless in the face of the truth." "Tomorrow afternoon at three o'clock. I'll send you the address." "Come over, apologize publicly, and give me and Mia your blessing, and this matter will end here." The phone was abruptly hung up. I gripped the phone tightly for a long while, looked up to meet my best friend's worried gaze, and smiled reassuringly: "It's fine." "I'll handle it." That night, I contacted the person I thought I would never contact again in this lifetime. The next day, I arrived as scheduled, walking in gracefully under everyone's contemptuous gazes. The camera flashes were blinding, but I maintained a smile throughout. Arthur seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and nodded to me in satisfaction. I walked up to the stage, took the microphone, and pressed the play button on the large screen. A mournful crying sound, identical to the video circulating online, played, and the audience erupted: "Isn't this the video the whistleblower released? Is she beating a dead horse? Won't Miss Mia be traumatized hearing this? How can Chloe be so vicious!" Arthur also tried to stop me with an ugly expression. I, however, let out a light laugh: "Traumatized? Why would she be traumatized?" As soon as I spoke, the crying in the audio abruptly stopped. What followed was the coquettish voice of a young Mia: "Alright, alright, that's enough filming." "Don't tell anyone I staged this video, or I won't let you sleep with me anymore!" The noisy venue instantly fell dead silent, all eyes turning to a deathly pale Mia. Arthur also turned pale, glaring fiercely at the dazed woman. "Mia, you actually staged this all along?!" The woman immediately reacted, anxiously grabbing Arthur's arm and shaking her head continuously: "I didn't, Arthur, you have to believe me. How could I stage my own video!" "It must be, it must be Chloe who can't stand seeing us together and is deliberately trying to drive a wedge between us!" "She's also the one who exposed me online! She's deliberately spreading rumors at the press conference that I staged it. You can't let her fool you!" Arthur frowned deeply, turned, and stared at me, his tone softening slightly: "Chloe, did you leak the videos and photos online?" "And what's going on at the end of this audio today? Explain it to me." I sneered twice and pressed the play button again. The footage from the audio was displayed. It was a steamy scene between a young Mia and some blonde punk. The reporters were stunned at first, then immediately raised their cameras, reporting while broadcasting live. Mia screamed and tried to snatch the remote from my hand. I dodged nimbly and smiled: "Since you say this is a video I fabricated myself, why are you so anxious?" Mia stomped her feet in anxiety and looked pleadingly at Arthur: "Arthur! Can I explain this to you later?" "There are so many people here now, and reporters broadcasting live. These videos cannot be aired! Otherwise, how can I show my face in the future!" Arthur didn't speak; he just stared at me unblinkingly, his face full of shock. After the video finished playing, I laid out the evidence that the business partner negotiating with Mia that day was my best friend. At the same time, I displayed the IP address of the online whistleblower, which was located right at the Vance Group. As for who it was, one could easily guess. Then, I provided the source of this evidence— The top overseas hacker, Julian. Now the whole room was completely boiling over: "Julian?! Isn't he the hacker that even Wall Street giants couldn't poach!" "Oh my god, Chloe actually knows Julian! Then these documents must be real!" "Mia really messed with the wrong person. There's nothing in this world Julian can't find out!" Amidst the clamor, I had already completed my mission and prepared to leave. However, as I stepped down the stairs, I was forcefully grabbed by Arthur. A hint of anger colored his brow: "Chloe, you actually, you actually still have contact with Julian! How did you promise me back then?!" I frowned, gently shook off his hand, and spoke flatly: "Does it have anything to do with you?" "I'm your boyfriend! You promised me you wouldn't contact him anymore!" Arthur blurted out. Looking completely justified. As if he forgot he didn't hesitate to fake his own death to break up with me. I curled my lips into a mocking smile: "I'm sorry." "My boyfriend is already dead, in a plane crash. Didn't you know?" "Now, who I want to contact is entirely my own right." Arthur's face turned completely ashen. His lips trembled for a long time before he spoke with a shaky voice: "There was a reason for that, Chloe." "You still have our child in your belly. You can't let my child call another man 'Dad'!" I threw off his hand in disgust, too lazy to say another word to him. A group of uniformed bodyguards charged through the doors and escorted me out. I heard sounds of shock behind me: "Aren't those Julian's personal bodyguards? Chloe really does know Julian!" "Oh my god, what a huge scoop, write it down, quick!" Mixed in with these discussions was a hint of Arthur's voice, breaking down: "Chloe, if you really leave with Julian, we are completely over!" I paused my steps, then walked even faster. In my heart, the man I loved for ten years was already dead, dead in the plane crash. The current Arthur was just a stranger who shared his name and appearance. Getting into the car, I looked at Julian, whom I hadn't seen in ten years, my heart filled with mixed emotions. After a long while, I said softly: "Thank you for helping me." Julian instinctively grabbed a blanket to cover his disabled legs, still smiling gently at me: "I said, no matter what difficulties you have, I will help you, anytime." "Don't worry, Arthur's retribution won't end just like this. The information I have is enough to make him wish he were dead." I nodded, feeling no ripples in my heart. I knew the information Julian could uncover was enough to damn Arthur beyond redemption. If it had been in the past, I would definitely have tried my hardest to stop him, not wanting him to hurt Arthur. But now, I just smiled and changed the subject: "Don't worry, I'll definitely be a good assistant for you." Julian seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, his handsome eyes shining even brighter: "I thought you would feel sorry for Arthur." "After all, you liked him so much before, liking him enough to give up the opportunity to study in the US, just so you could be with him." I paused, then gave a faint smile. Yes, in everyone's eyes, Arthur was the one who sacrificed the most. Giving up a top domestic university for me to get a recommended spot at a school in Malaysia. But what he didn't know was that I also sacrificed a lot. I sacrificed my language learning time to tutor him, and rejected a recommended spot at a top US university to go to Malaysia. These things were only known by Julian, who was also recommended for admission to the US at the time. He liked me, but he respected my choice. When Arthur and I were inseparable, he would always sit in his wheelchair, smiling gently as he watched us. I used to think it was a gaze of blessing, but looking back now, it was envy. Seeing I didn't answer, Julian instinctively shrank back into his seat, trying to cover his legs. I proactively placed my hand on his leg, my voice very light but resolute: "I didn't choose you back then not because of your disability, but simply because youthful infatuation has no logic." "To avoid suspicion back then, I couldn't tell you. Now I want to tell you, a physical disability is just a flaw in a precious jade, it doesn't matter." "After all, compared to a physical disability, your mind is very sound, and that's something Arthur could never achieve." The man lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes trembling constantly. Finally, with forbearance and restraint, he gently brushed over my hand, his voice filled with relief: "I'm also very happy that you didn't throw your whole life away because of these ten years." "Let's look forward together." The car sped away, the afterglow of the setting sun falling upon us. We exchanged a smile, and neither of us brought up Arthur again.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "394557", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel