I pointed at Gracie, a smile playing at the corners of my mouth. "Don't worry. I've already called the cops." Lex stared at me in disbelief. "Samantha, are you insane? You called the cops over the ownership of a house?!" I glanced at him coldly, as if he were a child unworthy of my attention. I no longer had the patience for his stupidity. Gracie, still oblivious to what lay ahead, smirked with exaggerated triumph. "Go ahead! Let the cops come and see how ungrateful you are. You think they care whose name is on that house? We're family. The cops won't meddle in family matters!" I nodded as if I agreed."Gracie, I used to think the 'family' you spoke of referred only to the Hampton family. After all, I was just an outsider." I paused. The air grew still. "But now I couldn't agree with you more. The four of us—we are, indeed, one family." I spoke with the calmness of someone dropping an unbearable truth. "Especially you, Gracie, your son Lex, and me. The three of us share
Had I not glanced at Lex's phone by accident, I would never have come so close to the truth. It was a few months ago, while he was in the shower. A message had popped up on his screen, and without really meaning to, I caught a glimpse. That was when I discovered his betrayal. He had been flirting with another girl online. My first instinct had been to confront him immediately, but as I scrolled through their chat, I stumbled upon something that gnawed at me even more. Lex told the girl that although he loved me, we were not meant to last. He wanted children, he said. I frowned at that. Wasn't he the one who insisted on being child-free? If he, Gracie and Nicholas wanted kids, and I had no objections myself, then why was he seeking someone else behind my back? I drew my conclusion: the problem lay with me. It wasn't that Lex didn't want to have a child with me—he simply didn't dare to. Soon after, I uncovered more clues: a ledger of expenses and property deeds that had bee
Just as I had expected, the Hampton family never made it to court. Their psychological defenses crumbled in the first trial, and they confessed to everything. My mother had always been a top student, a stark contrast to Gracie. Back then, my mother became the first university student from our town and later married my father, her classmate. They were the picture of a perfect couple—talented, good-looking, enviable in every way. And I became the happiest child in the world. Gracie, on the other hand, married Nicholas, a man who didn't even finish elementary school. Together, they gave birth to a natural-born delinquent. I had met Gracie, Nicholas, and Lex a few times when I was young. But the sudden loss of my parents shattered me. A high fever burned through me for days, and when I recovered, I had no memory of my life before. For the Hampton family, that was nothing short of a gift from heaven. Almost immediately, they took me in. Looking back now, I can't imagine how a po
My mother-in-law, Gracie Hampton trembled as she rushed forward, grabbing hold of my sleeve. "You know… You know better than anyone that only you can save Lex! I'm begging you… Please, save him…" This small county had not many hospitals, and the one I worked at was the best hospital in the area. Bringing in reinforcements from a hospital outside the county wasn't a realistic option. I raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Suddenly, Gracie dropped to her knees, her voice choking with desperation. "Samantha, I know you can do it! Please, save Lex!" I pulled a lipstick from my bag, carefully selecting a shade that would complement my look, and replied indifferently, "Have you forgotten? I'm currently on forced leave. If I perform the surgery without authorization, I'll lose my job." Dr. Harry Henley, the surgeon assigned to the case, stepped in front of me, his face pale as a sheet."Dr. Warhol! Have you forgotten our principle of providing unconditional aid to patients?" I ex
The old couple's cries pierced the air, raw and unrelenting. Suddenly, a surge of anger coursed through me, and I hurled the powder compact in my hand to the ground. It shattered, scattering fine particles across the floor like dust over a battlefield. "Can you two just shut up already?!" I shouted, my voice slicing through their wails. "God, you're driving me insane! If it weren't for all your flailing around, do you think I'd have wasted my false lashes? Do you even understand how essential false lashes are to eye makeup?" Their sobs quieted momentarily, stunned into silence by my outburst. I seized the chance to continue, my tone sharp and scathing. "Do you have any idea how expensive they are these days? And these—these are daily disposable contact lenses! Do you know what that means? It means if you don't stop whining, you can all get the hell out of here!" Before I could unleash more fury, a commotion from the operating room snapped everyone's attention. A nurse burst o
Hearing Lex's message from the nurse, Gracie and Nicholas nearly collapsed. They lost all strength and slumped to the ground, mumbling incoherently, "Please, I beg you... I know you can save him. Whatever it costs, we'll pay... Lex is our only son!" Watching the two elderly figures crumpled on the floor, I felt a brief flicker of hesitation. My parents passed away when I was young, and I dropped out of school before finishing elementary. Lex had been my childhood companion—we'd known each other since we were kids. If Gracie and Nicholas hadn't been kind enough to take me in temporarily, I'd probably have ended up in an orphanage, fighting over scraps with a pack of stray kids. Gracie and Nicholas were good people. They never gave me less to eat because I was an outsider. Later, when distant relatives tried to snatch the house my parents had left me, it was Gracie and Nicholas who fought the case on my behalf, driving those people away. Gracie had held my hand back then, her v
The sharp, sterile smell of disinfectant pulled me out of unconsciousness. I opened my eyes to find myself in an empty, stark-white hospital room. Outside the door, I could hear the faint voices of nurses murmuring. "Dr. Henley's incredible skills saved Mr. Hampton's life…" "Didn't you hear? His heroic act is trending online. The hospital even gave him a raise and recognition from the higher-ups!" "But do you think Dr. Warhol will get fired over this? After all, it caused such a big scene…" Their voices faded as they moved away from the door. My face darkened, but a soft laugh escaped my lips. Lex, you got lucky this time. But as long as I'm alive, this isn't over. I struggled out of bed, clutching my still-throbbing stomach and head. My movements were clumsy, but determination pushed me forward as I staggered toward Lex's ward. Before I could get far, a doctor on duty blocked my path, his eyes filled with disdain. "Your injuries aren't healed yet. Go back and res
I steadied my breath, my gaze sharp and mocking as it locked onto Lex. "My dear husband, if I'm not mistaken, you've always proudly sworn off having children, haven't you?" Lex's already pale face turned a shade lighter. He fumbled with his words, stammering, "I... I am. But what does that have to do with you refusing to save me?" Dr. Henley suddenly stormed toward me, his hand gripping my shoulder as he bellowed, "Get out of here! The patient hasn't fully recovered yet, and now you're here stirring up trouble again?!" I sighed and brushed his hand off coldly. My expression darkened. "Who invited you to speak? Leave. Now." Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of the livestream comments. There were already over a million viewers watching this spectacle, with 99% of them hurling insults at me. "Someone tell me the hospital's address—I'll go teach that bitch a lesson myself!" "Is she out of her mind? Insulting a doctor like that?" "Guys, call the cops! This live
Just as I had expected, the Hampton family never made it to court. Their psychological defenses crumbled in the first trial, and they confessed to everything. My mother had always been a top student, a stark contrast to Gracie. Back then, my mother became the first university student from our town and later married my father, her classmate. They were the picture of a perfect couple—talented, good-looking, enviable in every way. And I became the happiest child in the world. Gracie, on the other hand, married Nicholas, a man who didn't even finish elementary school. Together, they gave birth to a natural-born delinquent. I had met Gracie, Nicholas, and Lex a few times when I was young. But the sudden loss of my parents shattered me. A high fever burned through me for days, and when I recovered, I had no memory of my life before. For the Hampton family, that was nothing short of a gift from heaven. Almost immediately, they took me in. Looking back now, I can't imagine how a po
Had I not glanced at Lex's phone by accident, I would never have come so close to the truth. It was a few months ago, while he was in the shower. A message had popped up on his screen, and without really meaning to, I caught a glimpse. That was when I discovered his betrayal. He had been flirting with another girl online. My first instinct had been to confront him immediately, but as I scrolled through their chat, I stumbled upon something that gnawed at me even more. Lex told the girl that although he loved me, we were not meant to last. He wanted children, he said. I frowned at that. Wasn't he the one who insisted on being child-free? If he, Gracie and Nicholas wanted kids, and I had no objections myself, then why was he seeking someone else behind my back? I drew my conclusion: the problem lay with me. It wasn't that Lex didn't want to have a child with me—he simply didn't dare to. Soon after, I uncovered more clues: a ledger of expenses and property deeds that had bee
I pointed at Gracie, a smile playing at the corners of my mouth. "Don't worry. I've already called the cops." Lex stared at me in disbelief. "Samantha, are you insane? You called the cops over the ownership of a house?!" I glanced at him coldly, as if he were a child unworthy of my attention. I no longer had the patience for his stupidity. Gracie, still oblivious to what lay ahead, smirked with exaggerated triumph. "Go ahead! Let the cops come and see how ungrateful you are. You think they care whose name is on that house? We're family. The cops won't meddle in family matters!" I nodded as if I agreed."Gracie, I used to think the 'family' you spoke of referred only to the Hampton family. After all, I was just an outsider." I paused. The air grew still. "But now I couldn't agree with you more. The four of us—we are, indeed, one family." I spoke with the calmness of someone dropping an unbearable truth. "Especially you, Gracie, your son Lex, and me. The three of us share
The notebook wasn't a diary at all. It was a ledger. And it wasn't the property of Nicholas or Gracie, but of my parents. After they died, Gracie and Nicholas took me in. When I left home, I took nothing with me except for that green notebook. Just looking at my parents' handwriting in that notebook made it feel like they were still here with me. At that time, I was too young to understand the complicated numbers inside. Before long, the notebook disappeared, and I mourned its loss for a long time. "Lex, why don't you open this notebook?" I pressed him, almost daring him. "Are you afraid?" Lex's face went as white as a sheet. His hands shook uncontrollably as he clutched the notebook. I stepped forward and snatched it from him, flipping it open to display it to the livestream. "This notebook is my parents' legacy. It records all their income and expenses for that year! Do you see it? Every page in this notebook shows a sizable amount of money flowing out, all of i
I steadied my breath, my gaze sharp and mocking as it locked onto Lex. "My dear husband, if I'm not mistaken, you've always proudly sworn off having children, haven't you?" Lex's already pale face turned a shade lighter. He fumbled with his words, stammering, "I... I am. But what does that have to do with you refusing to save me?" Dr. Henley suddenly stormed toward me, his hand gripping my shoulder as he bellowed, "Get out of here! The patient hasn't fully recovered yet, and now you're here stirring up trouble again?!" I sighed and brushed his hand off coldly. My expression darkened. "Who invited you to speak? Leave. Now." Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of the livestream comments. There were already over a million viewers watching this spectacle, with 99% of them hurling insults at me. "Someone tell me the hospital's address—I'll go teach that bitch a lesson myself!" "Is she out of her mind? Insulting a doctor like that?" "Guys, call the cops! This live
The sharp, sterile smell of disinfectant pulled me out of unconsciousness. I opened my eyes to find myself in an empty, stark-white hospital room. Outside the door, I could hear the faint voices of nurses murmuring. "Dr. Henley's incredible skills saved Mr. Hampton's life…" "Didn't you hear? His heroic act is trending online. The hospital even gave him a raise and recognition from the higher-ups!" "But do you think Dr. Warhol will get fired over this? After all, it caused such a big scene…" Their voices faded as they moved away from the door. My face darkened, but a soft laugh escaped my lips. Lex, you got lucky this time. But as long as I'm alive, this isn't over. I struggled out of bed, clutching my still-throbbing stomach and head. My movements were clumsy, but determination pushed me forward as I staggered toward Lex's ward. Before I could get far, a doctor on duty blocked my path, his eyes filled with disdain. "Your injuries aren't healed yet. Go back and res
Hearing Lex's message from the nurse, Gracie and Nicholas nearly collapsed. They lost all strength and slumped to the ground, mumbling incoherently, "Please, I beg you... I know you can save him. Whatever it costs, we'll pay... Lex is our only son!" Watching the two elderly figures crumpled on the floor, I felt a brief flicker of hesitation. My parents passed away when I was young, and I dropped out of school before finishing elementary. Lex had been my childhood companion—we'd known each other since we were kids. If Gracie and Nicholas hadn't been kind enough to take me in temporarily, I'd probably have ended up in an orphanage, fighting over scraps with a pack of stray kids. Gracie and Nicholas were good people. They never gave me less to eat because I was an outsider. Later, when distant relatives tried to snatch the house my parents had left me, it was Gracie and Nicholas who fought the case on my behalf, driving those people away. Gracie had held my hand back then, her v
The old couple's cries pierced the air, raw and unrelenting. Suddenly, a surge of anger coursed through me, and I hurled the powder compact in my hand to the ground. It shattered, scattering fine particles across the floor like dust over a battlefield. "Can you two just shut up already?!" I shouted, my voice slicing through their wails. "God, you're driving me insane! If it weren't for all your flailing around, do you think I'd have wasted my false lashes? Do you even understand how essential false lashes are to eye makeup?" Their sobs quieted momentarily, stunned into silence by my outburst. I seized the chance to continue, my tone sharp and scathing. "Do you have any idea how expensive they are these days? And these—these are daily disposable contact lenses! Do you know what that means? It means if you don't stop whining, you can all get the hell out of here!" Before I could unleash more fury, a commotion from the operating room snapped everyone's attention. A nurse burst o
My mother-in-law, Gracie Hampton trembled as she rushed forward, grabbing hold of my sleeve. "You know… You know better than anyone that only you can save Lex! I'm begging you… Please, save him…" This small county had not many hospitals, and the one I worked at was the best hospital in the area. Bringing in reinforcements from a hospital outside the county wasn't a realistic option. I raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Suddenly, Gracie dropped to her knees, her voice choking with desperation. "Samantha, I know you can do it! Please, save Lex!" I pulled a lipstick from my bag, carefully selecting a shade that would complement my look, and replied indifferently, "Have you forgotten? I'm currently on forced leave. If I perform the surgery without authorization, I'll lose my job." Dr. Harry Henley, the surgeon assigned to the case, stepped in front of me, his face pale as a sheet."Dr. Warhol! Have you forgotten our principle of providing unconditional aid to patients?" I ex