short story with surprise ending

In her past life, Mila was abandoned for reasons unknown. Many years later, she was found by the Brown family. However, rather than receiving the love and care expected as the youngest daughter, she was relentlessly tormented by her adopted sister, Claire. Claire plotted to frame Mila, causing her to be constantly punished by the family and subjected to both physical and emotional abuse. Despite this, Mila remained warm and kind toward every member of the Brown family, but all she received in return were coldness and scolding. In the end, the prolonged mistreatment led to Mila developing uremia, and she missed her chance for a kidney transplant. Tragically, she died at the hands of Claire’s scheme. Just before her death, it seemed like she saw someone rushing toward her. Reborn, Mila must now face the family that betrayed her, the cruel stepsister, and the man who once promised to save her.

Mia's world turned upside down when her first love, Logan Henry, re-entered her life with his young daughter, Jade Henry. As Jade became a constant presence in the family, Mia's relationship with her own daughter, Molly Justin, grew increasingly strained. Feeling overshadowed and repeatedly pushed aside, Molly slowly closed off her heart until one day, she left with her father, Mason Justin. Only after their departure did Mia awaken to the pain she'd caused. The weight of her indifference and the void left by her daughter's love began to consume her, plunging her into a spiral of irreparable remorse.

Three years ago, Mabel witnessed her father being killed in a car accident by Sharlene, the heiress of the Quinn family. Her mother was brutally beaten to death, leaving the family in torment. Three years later, Sharlene became engaged to the wealthy Frost family but sought true love with a punk. Seizing the opportunity, Mabel took on Sharlene's identity, marrying into the Frost family. Using her new status as the Quinn family's heiress, she planned to exact revenge and make the Quinn family pay for their blood debt.

To save her father's life, Alicia Bennett is forced into a dangerous game of deception, swapping places with Sabrina Knight to "pretend" to be intimate with Sabrina's powerful husband, Ethan Clark. What begins as a desperate bargain to secure money for surgery soon spirals into a deadly web of secrets and manipulation, with Alicia trapped as a pawn in the ruthless Knight family's control. By day, she's Ethan's dutiful assistant; by night, she's a "stranger" in his bed, caught in a whirlwind of passion, power, and betrayal. As their complex, forbidden connection deepens, Alicia is drawn into a world where nothing is as it seems—until the shocking truth is finally exposed… Will Alicia escape the tangled web she's been caught in, or will the Knight family's plans destroy everything she's fought for?

On Christmas Eve, James Halper visits his wife's family, only to be treated with disdain. Little do they know, he is the new Chairman of Empyrean Group, one of the world's leading companies.

After losing her husband in a car accident, Imelda Tobin shoulders the burden of raising their two children alone. She works tirelessly to secure their future, eventually building the Frey Corp—but at the cost of her health, ultimately leading to late-stage stomach cancer. She loves both of her children deeply, but her strictness with her stubborn son, Joshua Frey, often makes it seem like she favors her daughter, Jade Frey. Under the influence of her husband, Chad Archer, Jade begins to feel excluded from the family's future and fuels tensions between her mother and Joshua, deepening their rift.

When Melody Lowe was young, she saved Michael Pond, leaving a scar on her face. Hoping he would recognize her, she was heartbroken when he mistook Sharon Bright for his savior. Despite her love for him, she was misunderstood, but they eventually married—only because she offered him financial support during his lowest point. Melody devotes herself to their marriage, but their relationship remains cold. After being diagnosed with cancer, she passes away shortly after—only to be reborn. Determined to fight back, she seeks revenge against Michael and his mistress. Just when she thinks she can find happiness with her child, she discovers that it is her daughter who saved her life. Overwhelmed by loss, she finds solace in someone who truly loves her, while a little kid begins to cultivate on a distant mountain.

Kimberly Harmon sacrifices herself to save her sister, Jennifer Harmon, and is rescued by Old Mr. Chapman, who adopts her as Ellie Chapman. Twenty years later, now CEO of Chapman Group, she discovers through a pendant that Todd Harmon is her father. Initially abandoning her father to marry into wealth, Jennifer ultimately regrets her actions and saves their father, leading to a joyful family reunion.

Leola Dawson returns home from abroad for her brother Tyrone's proposal to Helen Miller. At the proposal, Helen mistakes Leola for "the other woman." Helen and her family mistreat Leola based on this misunderstanding. Tyrone, influenced by Helen's family, turns against his sister. Finally, Leola and her parents clear up the situation, and she becomes the heiress to Dawson Group.

Lyra Donovan, wealthy heiress and Aurenya Arts Academy graduate, joins her father's corporation at her parents' request. Orion Harding, her childhood companion whose family has long-standing ties with the Donovans, intends to marry her. After Luna engineers a car accident killing her own parents, she manipulates her way into being adopted by the wealthy Donovans. While working alongside Lyra and plagiarizing her artistic ideas, Luna secretly plots to eliminate Lyra and claim everything, including Orion. But fate intervenes with a second chance: Lyra is reborn.

Yvonne, the daughter of billionaire Mel, was abducted by traffickers at a young age. Mel left everything behind to search for her for years, even resulting in a disability in one of his legs, but he ultimately found her. To celebrate Yvonne's return, Mel planned a welcome party where he intended to reveal his true identity and hand over his empire to her. However, Mel's girlfriend, Judith, mistakenly believed Yvonne was his mistress and confronted her violently, leading to a series of events until Mel finally revealed the truth.

In the 1990s, Trenton Zoller, the director of Windi Factory, was suddenly diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Feeling disheartened by his wife Madelyn's cold violence, Trenton refused the doctor's proposed treatment plan and decided to conceal his illness. He resolved to help the factory undergo reorganizing before losing all memory, ensuring the workers would not lose their jobs. Eventually, he planned to pass away with dignity once his memory faded completely. Misunderstood by his wife and the factory workers, Trenton had to sadly depart as his factory reorganization plan was misconstrued. Madelyn, upon learning the truth, was consumed with remorse, left only with Trenton's ashes. A decade passed in the blink of an eye, until one day Madelyn saw a person in the newspaper who bore an uncanny resemblance to Trenton Zoller...

Priscilla Lewis grows up in a family that favors sons over daughters. To evade family planning laws, her parents falsely claim that she and her younger brother, Quincy Lewis, are twins. From childhood, she and her older sister, Paige Lewis, endure unfair treatment while their brother receives the best of everything. When Priscilla excels in the college entrance exam and earns a spot at a top university, her parents refuse to let her attend, insisting that the opportunity belongs to her underperforming brother. They try to force her into marriage, but Paige helps her escape. In her place, Paige endures humiliation in an unwanted marriage. Years later, Priscilla returns, reclaiming the dignity and justice owed to both her and her sister.

Leon Johnson had been working when he suddenly collapsed. After being diagnosed with cancer and given only three months to live, he decided to keep the diagnosis a secret from his wife, Rachel, not wanting to burden her. That evening, Rachel insisted he accompany investors for a drinking session that left him vomiting blood. Despite his condition, Rachel was constantly defending her first love, Yosef Lloyd. Leon managed to land a major contract and, excited about his success, rushed home, only to find Rachel feeding Yosef porridge, which sparked a heated argument. When Leon vented his frustrations to Rachel, she stormed out and climbed into a car with the drunk Yosef. In a tragic accident, Yosef crashed the car and killed Rachel's mother. Leon took his mother-in-law to the hospital, but the delay in getting there led to her death. The loss of his mother-in-law, who had always treated him like a son, hit Leon hard. But when he revealed the truth to Rachel, the wife he had once loved deeply refused to believe him, accusing him of lying.

After the devastating earthquake, Susan Lewis lost her left arm while shielding her children. Her third son, Ash, went missing, and her eldest son and second daughter promised to honor and care for her. However, over twenty years later, they broke their word and tried to force Susan out of their lives. At this moment, Ash, now the CEO of the Stone Group, unexpectedly reunited with his mother, who had been cast aside.

Born into opulence, a wealthy family's infant daughter was unknowingly exchanged with the offspring of an inept collector. A relentless quest to reclaim their own led to a startling revelation—both youngsters, now students at the same institution, had developed into bitter rivals.

Flora's son and daughter both gained admission to Jarren University. She managed to scrape together enough tuition for one person by collecting trash and selling blood. However, due to her bias towards her son, she allowed him to attend university, which caused her daughter to run away from home in anger. After her son graduated, he constantly despised Flora for her lowly status, subjecting her to various forms of verbal and physical abuse. Meanwhile, her daughter worked hard abroad, establishing a successful career. Eventually, she returned to express her gratitude to her mother for raising her.

Esther Yale grew up relying solely on her father, Edmund Yale, after her mother, May Dayne, left the family. Years of overwork took a toll on her health, and Esther developed cancer. Struggling to afford her father's medical expenses, she reluctantly sought help from her estranged mother, who had built a new life for herself. However, her attempt to reconnect was met with staunch opposition from her grandfather. After Edmund's tragic passing, Esther, burdened by grief and resentment, accepted a job as a caregiver in the Dayne Residence. Immersed in her mother's world, she began to uncover the depths of May's hidden love and sacrifices. Slowly, Esther's hatred gave way to understanding and forgiveness. When faced with a terminal diagnosis, Esther made the ultimate sacrifice to save her younger brother, leaving behind a legacy of love and reconciliation.