World 1: Sinister Retired Third-Gen X Original Heroine’s Pitiful Coworker 22

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Gu Huai clenched his jaw.

The crystal chandelier cast mottled shadows across the banquet hall, distorting his face.

The boy who once wore a twenty-yuan shirt, washed so often it turned yellow and misshapen, could now afford custom suits from the most elite luxury brands.

He stood confidently among the heirs and heiresses of powerful families, speaking with ease about the affairs of the upper class.

If it hadn’t been for the Chen family as his stepping stone, then no matter how hard he worked—even if he toiled for three generations—he would never have made it to where he was today.

Dignity. Pride. Love. Morals.

All worthless.

Now that Father Chen was dead, leaving behind only Mother Chen and Chen Manzi as a widow and orphan…

The Chen family was practically in his pocket.

Back then, he’d married Chen Manzi just for appearances, to secure a foothold in Deep City’s elite circles.

Now, Chen Manzi’s value had been completely drained.

It was time to find a new target.

Gu Huai’s gentle, affectionate face wore a faint, calm smile—but his hands were brutal and forceful.

He grabbed Chen Manzi’s wrist and dragged her out.

Even as the crowd’s disgusted gazes followed him, he wasn’t afraid.

These third-generation heirs built on piles of wealth valued one thing above all: 利益 — personal gain.

The Chen family had fallen, but Gu Huai now sat at the top of the Chen empire.

Even if they hated him, they couldn’t do anything to him.

“I told you not to cause trouble. This isn’t a place for your nonsense!”

Gu Huai shoved Chen Manzi out of the banquet hall.

“Who’s the one causing trouble, Gu Huai?! I must’ve been blind to ever like you!”

Chen Manzi’s voice was loud enough that everyone inside could hear her even from the doorway.

“This is the one-year birthday party for President Huo’s twins—every elite in the city is here. Even if you don’t care about me, think about yourself. Think about the Chen family! If you’ve got the guts, why don’t you go tell them all how I was just a pawn in your games, how pathetic and low my life has become!”

Chen Manzi bit down on her lip so hard she didn’t even feel the pain when her tongue bled.

Gu Huai knew exactly where to hit her—her pride.

How could someone as proud as her bear to reveal the ugliest parts of her marriage?

In her past life, she had chosen to jump into the sea just to escape Huo Hanting’s control.

But even the agony of drowning couldn’t compare to the pain she felt now.

After all, back then she believed Huo Hanting had loved her with all his heart.

And the man before her now?

He had used affection as bait, feeding her poison one drop at a time.

She boarded his ship, only to be drained dry until there was nothing left of her.

Chen Manzi’s eyes were red, her flawless makeup ruined, looking like a ghost that had just crawled out of the sea.

“I’m pregnant.”

Gu Huai froze. He had no real feelings for her, but still—it was his child.

His expression softened a little. “I understand. Let’s drop your father’s matter—pushing it further won’t benefit either of us.”

“I’ll listen to you for now. I won’t see other women. I’ll stay with you for checkups, okay?”

“Stay with me?”

Chen Manzi stared at him coldly. Then added:

“I already aborted the child.”

“What?!”

Gu Huai’s face went rigid.

That was his first child!

He immediately slapped her across the face.

“How dare you?! What right did you have to kill my child?!”

“Because you’ve got an STD! What—was I supposed to bring a diseased child into this world?!”

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

Everyone had heard rumors of Gu Huai’s escapades after his overnight rise to wealth—but no one expected it had gotten this bad.

“You’re lying!” Gu Huai roared and grabbed her neck, veins bulging in his arms.

Even the nearby bodyguards couldn’t bear watching anymore and stepped in to separate them.

Then Gu Huai noticed the redness in Chen Manzi’s eyes—and suddenly something clicked.

“You got rid of the baby so quickly—was it even mine? Did you cheat during our marriage?!”

In a broken marriage without love, all that was left was two wild dogs tearing each other apart, exposing each other’s filth.

“I cheated? You gold-digging bastard! Once you had money, you changed. You stole my family’s fortune, even took my father’s last bit of emergency medical money, leaving him to suffer until his death. Gu Huai, I swear I won’t let you off!”

Chen Manzi tore off her wedding ring and flung it at him without hesitation.

She had truly believed she had finally chosen the right man—one who wouldn’t imprison her or watch her like a hawk.

But now…

It was all a joke at her expense.

She thought Huo Hanting was the reason her family collapsed—the reason she couldn’t be happy.

But in reality, it had been Gu Huai, the venomous, ambitious “phoenix man” (poor man marrying into a rich family), lurking beside her all along, waiting to suck her dry.

“You? Not let me off?”

Gu Huai had completely lost his mind. He shoved the bodyguards aside, grabbed Chen Manzi by the hair, and pinned her against the railing of the open-air balcony.

He wanted her dead.

“Oh my god—call the police! Gu Huai’s gone crazy!”

Chen Manzi spat out blood, her eyes glowing red. “Do it, Gu Huai! Kill me!”

Elsewhere, Fu Yu watched coldly, tucked in Huo Hanting’s arms the whole time.

She knew very well—both Gu Huai and Chen Manzi were people who hurt the original Fu Yu in the previous life. Not a single one of them deserved mercy.

“System, has their ending been finalized yet?”

[“Revised plotline loaded and currently running…”]

Fu Yu let out a long breath in her heart.

Let this be justice for the original Fu Yu.

In the past life, Gu Huai never once truly loved her.

And Chen Manzi had only wanted to use Fu Yu to distract Huo Hanting long enough to chase her own so-called happiness.

Neither of them ever saw Fu Yu as a real friend—only a tool.

This ending? It’s what they deserved.

Crack! The railing suddenly broke.

Chen Manzi and Gu Huai both fell.

Gu Huai’s head slammed hard into the ground.

Chen Manzi narrowly survived.

She got up in a daze, like she couldn’t feel pain, grabbed a rock, and began smashing Gu Huai’s head with it.

Like she was erasing the filth from her life.

Yes—if Gu Huai died, she’d still be the heiress of the Chen family.

She could still get back with Huo Hanting.

If only Gu Huai died—

Then everything could go back to the beginning.

Suddenly, blood poured from her stomach.

Women are soft by nature—but when they become mothers, they become strong.

Chen Manzi couldn’t bear to kill her child.

But the moment Gu Huai strangled her and tried to kill her, she knew: there was no reason to keep it.

A moment later, the police arrived and arrested Chen Manzi on the spot for attempted murder.

Life is cruelly ironic.

Chen Manzi hadn’t wanted the baby—but the baby stubbornly stayed inside her.

Because of the pregnancy, she was granted bail and held under house arrest in the hospital.

Even so, she didn’t give up.

She tried to escape multiple times, until bail was revoked and she was sent to prison.

Mother Chen, who had been desperately searching for lawyers, turned completely white overnight.

She couldn’t understand—how had her good daughter gone so astray with Gu Huai?

And why did she still believe that a man like Huo Hanting—married with children—would choose her?

The day Chen Manzi was discharged from the hospital, she tried to flee again.

She shoved a guard aside and snatched a passerby’s phone, trying to call Huo Hanting for help—

But to her shock… The screen was playing a clip of Huo Hanting, Fu Yu, and their children happily appearing on a variety show