MTL - Tomb Raider: Storytelling and Writing, The Mystic Nine is Confused - Chapter 120

“That baby is mine, and so are you,” He declared, pointing at Kate’s belly while his deep green eyes gazed at Kate, like a viper ready to strike.Kate couldn’t believe that he– Henry Grant, her new boss eight years younger than her, was the father of her unborn child.“We should be together by default. But I will give you a choice. Go and suffer with your deadbeat husband, or come with me, I will show you the fun you’ve missed.”=====For the past five years of her marriage, Katherine “Kate” Woods, 32, had always believed she was infertile. She was unable to conceive a child and her deadbeat husband Matt always insulted her for it, calling her a useless woman despite never finding a job himself, forcing Kate to be the sole breadwinner of their family.Yet, he still had the nerve to cheat on her with her own sister!Heartbroken, Kate escaped to her office late at night with four bottles of strong red wine. To her surprise, she wasn’t alone.A handsome young man stood in her office, watching her.He refused to give her his name, but offered to keep her company for the night. With lust and booze coursing through her veins, Kate readily abandoned herself to her basest, most repressed instincts, seducing the nameless but willing visitor.In her drunken stupor, she boldly declared, ”If my husband wants to sleep with every woman on earth, then two can play that game.“She didn’t care if they did it raw, as she always thought she was barren. Only to find herself staring at a positive pregnancy test a month later.Kate Woods, the supposedly ‘barren woman,’ was pregnant.The stranger had accomplished in one night what Matt could not in five years.Now that Henry has given her a choice, would Kate leave her deadbeat husband and jump into the sea of uncertainty with this young man?Or would she stay with Matt, her husband who cheated on her for the sake of their families?

[Female Protagonist Synopsis]:Mia Ginger experienced a trial marriage.Before the trial marriage--Dad said: “Koa Jackson is a postdoctoral fellow, watch your words and deeds.”Mom said: “Since you don't like him anyway, why not let your sister have him.”Brother said: “Shameless, stealing big sister's beloved.”Sister said: “Why didn't you come back a month later!”Mia Ginger didn't understand, she was already seventeen years late, late enough that the whole Ginger Family completely forgot her existence, late enough that the adopted sister occupied seventeen years of affection, late enough that the man she was betrothed to almost became someone else's groom, how much later should she be?Mia Ginger curved her lips: “Grandpa Jackson, I will strive to be worthy of Brother Jackson.”She thought it was out of spite, unaware that upon meeting him again, she discovered he was the big brother lingering in her heart for nearly ten years.At two years old, she got lost, falling from a Rich Family's Daughter to a street beggar, picked up and raised by a masseuse for seventeen years, and upon returning home, she was determined to become the first socialite in upper-class society.[Male Protagonist Synopsis]He is Koa Jackson, the third son of the Jackson Family, elegant and upright, with outstanding looks, the youngest neurosurgery professor in the domestic medical field, known by all.Simply because, at twenty-seven, he remains single.All young ladies want to marry into the Jackson Family, unaware the nobleman was betrothed since birth.In his entire life, he need only remain pure, waiting for one girl to grow up.Before the trial marriage, Koa Jackson had seen his future bride twice.The first time, he was eight, she was eight months. He stood by the bed watching her crawl with her little bottom, finding it amusing, he wrote his name on her sole and said with a smile: “Brother will stamp you.”The second time, he was eighteen, she was ten. He stood by the road watching her sneakily stealing, feeling pity, he took her hand and gave her a hundred yuan, helplessly saying: “Not stealing is a good child.”He's always remembered the first time, long forgotten the second.Unexpectedly, the little girl whose foot he tickled at home always regarded the second time as her life's salvation.[He couldn't partake in her turbulent past, but wholeheartedly takes on her prosperous future; companionship is the most touching confession.]

Chu Ning transmigrated into a novel as a fake young lady who was switched at birth. The real young lady, Ye Ting, was supposedly in Chu Ning’s original poor family, and was forced to drop out of school to work and raise Chu Ning’s seven brothers. In the original story, once the real young lady was reclaimed by the Ye family, the fake young lady’s life fell apart.

She started going against the real young lady without knowing that the real young lady was the female lead. The latter even had seven brothers to support her, and she eventually made a comeback with her overwhelming advantage. Meanwhile, the fake young lady had resorted to every scheme she could, even faking suicide, only to end up tragically with everyone hating on her. Chu Ning transmigrated over at the crucial time when the real young lady just returned, and the fake young lady was fighting to stay at the Ye family by threatening suicide.

Outside the door, her foster mother spoke in an icy tone, “I don’t care. She has to return to the slums. I get annoyed whenever I look at her now. Why does she get to live a lavish life while my biological daughter had to suffer in the slums? She even had to stop schooling to work and raise her brothers!” Her foster father said, “Still, we’ve raised her all her life, and our family can afford to feed another. Now that she’s threatening suicide, let’s just let her stay.” Chu Ning rushed out of the ward. “I’ll leave! I’ll discharge today and go back at once. I’m not a member of the Ye family, so I have no reason to insist on staying.”

Her foster mother was surprised, and her foster father was puzzled. Chu Ning ignored them. After knowing how the original plot went, she set three goals for herself. One, to stay away from the female lead! Two, to stay away from the male lead! Three, to live a good life in the slums! Yet, to her surprise, after being successfully abandoned by the Ye family, her biological brothers all became tycoons in their respective industries. Chu Ning effortlessly made a comeback all of a sudden! Even the male lead who had called off their marriage now forced her into a corner, saying, “Ningning, be mine!”

When Fang Zheng opened his eyes, he was surprised to find himself reborn in a fantasy world of magic, dragons, knights, and princesses. Not only that, but even the game system that Fang Zheng had designed before also followed him into this world. Then, his next step would be to traverse thousands of plains, gain endless strength, become a brave hero, defeat the devil, marry the princess, reach the apex in life… wait, wait, wait, before all that, why was he reborn as someone who everyone called a cultist?