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1388 Words
Ethan subtly curled his fingers, his expression unchanged.
Just now, this woman hadn’t even opened her mouth.
Looking at Ethan, who remained as still as a mountain, Grace swallowed nervously.
[Why isn’t he reacting? Did I mishear?]
[Is Ethan actually here to get hemorrhoid surgery?]
“......”
A global tycoon who controls the world’s destiny doesn’t get hemorrhoids.
Hearing her outrageous and even audacious thoughts, Ethan hesitated. The sharp contrast between her pitiful, tearful appearance and the bold inner voice made him unsure.
Better to wait and observe.
Sniffling, Grace shifted her position under the guise of wiping away her tears. She glanced at the bodyguard standing beside Ethan, winking at him through her sleeve.
[Come on, buddy! My legs are numb. Is his hemorrhoid pain affecting you too? Move and throw me out already!]
Without Ethan’s order, the bodyguard wouldn’t act rashly.
Ethan was sure now.
That voice was definitely hers.
Years of experience controlling global empires had taught him that the best course of action in the face of the unknown was to remain calm.
“Why are you here?”
His voice was deep and rich, like the low hum of a grand cello, laced with the familiar coldness Grace had come to know.
Grace immediately resumed her sobbing performance, crawling on her knees and clutching his pant leg, her pale, slender wrist slipping out from her sleeve.
“Of course, I’m here because I’m worried about you…”
[Obviously, I came to hear your last will and testament~]
The voice inside her head rang out again, and the corners of Ethan’s mouth pressed into a tight line.
“Warren, call the doctor,” he ordered in a low voice.
The bodyguard standing by silently left the room.
Two minutes later, a foreign doctor with blue eyes entered, his face filled with concern.
“Mr. Quill, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
It was a serious matter for someone like Mr. Quill, who never got sick, to suddenly start coughing.
Ethan remained seated calmly and nodded slightly. “Shortness of breath.”
Grace glanced at him, confused.
[Are you sure it’s not from being so passive-aggressive all the time?]
“And hallucinations,” Ethan added after a brief pause.
The doctor was stunned.
This wasn’t just about a cough anymore—something was wrong with his brain.
Grace had known Ethan for two years, and this was the first time she hadn’t been thrown out by a bodyguard. Instead, a bunch of frantic doctors physically shoved her out of the way.
By the time she came to her senses, she was already outside the hospital.
Who would’ve thought that she, once a humble corporate slave, had died suddenly one night while tipping a male streamer?
When she woke up again, she had become Grace in this world—
A modern-day Cinderella married into a wealthy family.
Her husband, Ethan, was the head of the Quill family, San Francisco’s most powerful and influential household. In fact, he was the embodiment of a CEO who controlled the world’s destiny—a character straight out of a novel, feared by everyone.
But despite his wealth and power, Ethan had a rare genetic disorder. He had a body that would never fall ill, but the price was—
He could only live until the age of fifty.
Ethan didn’t love Grace, but out of a sense of duty, he planned to leave half of his fortune to her upon his death to compensate for her lost youth.
When Grace first heard this after she transmigrated into this world, it was like hitting the jackpot, and she trembled with excitement.
But the first time she met Ethan, her excitement was doused with cold water.
It turned out her brain was also bound by an "OOC Zero Tolerance" system.
Whenever she got close to the male lead, this system would automatically activate.
It required Grace to act exactly like the original character—a foolish, love-struck girl who only adored Ethan and didn’t care about his money.
If she didn’t, she would be struck by lightning as punishment.
Having experienced the agony of being unable to live or die, Grace had no desire to face that again. She had no choice but to act like the original dumb girl for two years, successfully convincing the entire world that she was Ethan's loyal lapdog.
Feeling rather pleased with herself, Grace walked into the underground parking garage, where a light green Volkswagen passed by her.
She thought the owner had good taste—it was exactly like her own car.
As she thought this, she reached into her pocket to summon her "Knight XV."
But her hand came up empty.
Startled, Grace’s phone suddenly buzzed.
“Ma’am, it’s Warren.”
“It seems there are a lot of reporters outside for some reason, and Mr. Quill found your car keys. We’ve driven your car back.”
Without giving her a chance to respond, Warren hung up.
Grace took a deep breath.
God! If you don’t deal with this bastard, I will!
But why didn’t the OOC system trigger when Ethan passed by her in the car earlier?
...
Back at Quill Manor, Ethan was greeted by Martha’s warm welcome.
As she helped him out of his suit jacket, Martha took in the sight of the Quill family head, who hadn’t been home for nearly six months.
He seemed to have lost quite a bit of weight—maybe he coughed all his nutrition away.
While Martha observed Ethan, he was quietly staring at her as well.
Only when her face flushed under his gaze did he slowly ask, “What has Grace been up to lately?”
Martha was genuinely surprised.
This was the first time Mr. Quill had ever asked about his wife.
Choosing her words carefully, Martha replied, “Nothing out of the ordinary, except… she’s been raising a small pet.”
Ethan’s gaze sharpened.
That woman, who couldn’t even take care of herself, was raising a pet?
Five minutes later—
Standing before a half-man-tall, round, and robust black pig, Ethan: “......”
Even Warren, the bodyguard, was speechless.
This was a “small” pet?
The backyard, which was meant for rare plants and flowers from all over the world, had now been overtaken by this massive pigsty.
The once-prized flowers were now squished into a corner, looking pitiful and withered.
Martha awkwardly explained, “The Madam’s tastes… are a bit unique.”
The air instantly chilled.
The pigsty was impeccably clean, with only a faint smell of disinfectant.
It was clear the owner had taken great care, separating the areas for excretion, sleep, feeding, and drinking—so tidy, a person could practically live there.
But Ethan, with his obsession for cleanliness, couldn’t tolerate it.
His face impassive, he turned around and coldly spat out two words: “Get rid of it.”
Martha quickly pleaded, “Sir, please reconsider! The pig just gave birth to some piglets. Isn’t it a bit cruel to drive it away now?”
“Then let Grace ride it away.”
With that harsh remark, Ethan turned and left.
Meanwhile, Grace, unaware of what was happening, was staring at the $20 left in her bank account.
It cost $50 to take a cab back to Quill Manor—if only she hadn’t tipped that male streamer so much.
After walking to the commercial street opposite the hospital, she stood at the entrance of a shop and used DoorDash to order a pizza.
After a while, a delivery guy rushed in and came out holding a hot, fresh pizza.
Quickly, Grace stepped in front of him.
“Is that delivery for Quill Manor?”
Surprised by her sudden approach, the delivery guy paused. After taking a moment to register her looks, he was a little stunned.
“The pizza you’re holding is my order, right? Since you’re already delivering it, why not take me along too?” Grace smiled sweetly, flashing a neat row of eight pearly whites.
Delivery Guy: ?
What the…
This was the first time he’d ever seen such a bizarre request. Glancing at the order information on his phone, he hesitated before looking at the frail girl standing before him.
“Are you… ‘WittyBootyCat’?”
- Writer
