Author: Momo Chan

At three years old, my brain was flooded with a wave of memories. My overbearing older brother, Leo, was one of the female protagonist’s simps. Ever since he met her, he’d completely neglected me, his little sister. After the nanny locked me in the dark closet for the nineteenth time, I squeezed through a doggy door and crawled to my next-door neighbor’s house. I deliberately showed him the bruises on my wrist, looking pitifully up at him. “Damien, my brother doesn’t want me anymore. Can you take me in?” My neighbor coughed, then the next day, he went to a parent-teacher conference. I narrowed my eyes, thinking, Now, my brother won’t be beyond saving. Because Damien, the villain, was a professional dog trainer, specializing in simps! 1 To avoid the future where my brother would empty his pockets for the female lead and drag me into a cramped, cheap apartment, I, with my limited three-year-old intellect, attempted a series of efforts. These included, but were not limited to, wailing uncontrollably when the female lead called him late at night, claiming she was scared alone, trying to keep him home. When the female lead had her period and stomach cramps, I deliberately spit up milk to make him change my clothes. When the female lead had her graduation performance, I practiced singing “My Brother is the Best” to move him… But I forgot. My family had nannies, while the female lead was an orphan. My brother just dumped me on the nanny to pacify me. Watching him become more and more utterly brainwashed, I made a solemn decision: I needed a new brother. So I chose the little brother from the mansion next door. He was a villain, and my brother’s sworn enemy. He would trip up the female lead’s simps. Cunning and devious. Just like a dog trainer! And he even had a Border Collie. Once, my brother bought fruit for the female lead and forgot me at the grocery store. Damien happened to be there. I pulled an apple from a nearby shelf and offered it to his Border Collie. In return, his dog carried me home. I wanted him to punish my brother. Yesterday was my third birthday. The nanny had specially dressed me in a princess dress, waiting for my brother to come home. But he went to watch a movie with the female lead instead. The nanny tried to comfort me, saying that once Olivia became my sister-in-law, I’d have two people to dote on me. But I knew she wouldn’t become my sister-in-law. The female lead was destined for the male lead! So, I decided to run away! To put some pressure on my simp brother. After nightfall, I successfully dodged the nanny, who was engrossed in a phone call in the bathroom, and squeezed through a dog hole in the garden wall. I clutched my little blanket, walking barefoot towards the neighboring mansion. Twenty minutes later, I stood at Damien’s doorstep. This mansion was even bigger than ours, but the lights were dim, giving it a cold, stark appearance. I took a deep breath, spread my little blanket on the front steps, and curled up to lie down. Just as I was about to drift off to sleep, I suddenly heard a dog barking and footsteps from inside. The door opened, and a slipper nearly hit my face. “What the?!” Damien’s voice cut off abruptly. I rubbed my eyes and sat up, meeting a pair of startled eyes. In the moonlight, his tall figure loomed over me. He was wearing a bathrobe, its collar slightly open, revealing his sculpted collarbones. “What are you doing here?” Damien asked, frowning. Before I could answer, a black and white blur shot out from beside his legs, leaping enthusiastically towards me. Pudding’s wet nose sniffed my face, his tail wagging so hard it looked like it might fly off. “Pudding!” Damien barked. “She’s not a kitten; you can’t keep her!” Pudding whimpered pitifully, but stubbornly rested his front paws on my shoulder, starting to lick my face clean. I giggled, seizing the opportunity to scramble up, directly hugging Damien’s leg. “Brother, carry me!” He stiffened, as if a pause button had been pressed. Pudding, seizing his chance, grabbed my collar with his teeth and started dragging me inside. “Hey! Stupid dog! Stop it!” Damien tried to intervene, but Pudding had already successfully dragged me into the entryway. I took the chance to release my collar, scrambling onto Damien’s body with both hands and feet. “Get down,” he said coldly. I shook my head, burying my face in his neck. “Autumn’s cold…” 2 Damien’s body stiffened even further, but he didn’t try to pull me off. Pudding excitedly circled him, occasionally nudging my feet with his head, as if saying, “Look at me! Look at me!” “Does Leo know you’re here?” he asked. I pouted, tears instantly welling up. “Brother doesn’t want Autumn anymore…” My sleeve slid down, inadvertently revealing the bruise on my wrist. Damien’s gaze immediately sharpened. He grabbed my wrist. “What is this?” I timidly shrank my neck. “Autumn hurts… Brother got angry…” In truth, I had gotten that bruise myself, crawling under a table to retrieve a ball. My brother had been furious when he returned, blaming the nanny for not watching me. The nanny had been neglectful; she was busy watching short videos. Damien’s face was terrifyingly grim. “Leo did this?” I didn’t answer. I just lowered my head, acting out the picture of utter grievance. Damien took a deep breath, seemingly trying to suppress his anger. Just then, Pudding came running, carrying his food bowl, placing it in front of me, then looking at Damien with expectant eyes. Damien looked at his dog, exasperated. “It’s 2 AM.” Pudding stubbornly stood still. I rubbed my stomach. “Autumn’s hungry.” Pudding immediately grabbed a piece of kibble, spit it by our feet, and wagged his tail even more enthusiastically. Damien rubbed his temples. “I’ll go warm some milk for you.” He pointed a warning finger at Pudding. “Don’t hide her in your dog bed.” Pudding tilted his head, wearing an innocent expression that clearly said, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Ten minutes later, Damien returned to the living room with two bowls of milk. Pudding immediately perked up, his tail thumping a cheerful rhythm on the floor. “Sit,” Damien commanded. Pudding instantly sat ramrod straight, front paws together, like a well-trained soldier. I blinked, then mimicked him, giving a tiny “Woof!” and sitting up straight. Damien’s hand froze mid-air, milk nearly spilling. “What are you doing?” “Eating etiquette, of course.” I tilted my head, mimicking Pudding’s expectant expression. “At home, Aunt Lisa always taught me this.” Damien’s brows furrowed. “She made you bark like a dog?” I nodded, recalling. “She said it was noble etiquette. One time, I didn’t bark, and she told my brother I was eating with my hands.” As I said this, I suddenly became sad. My brother had been so angry that day. At dinner, he deliberately put down his chopsticks, then grabbed a chicken leg and fed it to me with his oily hands. “My Autumn can eat however she wants.” My brother was kind to me, but he never had time to get me a new nanny. Only because Olivia said I was attached to this nanny, and I’d be shy with a new one. And later, he became busier and busier, never eating with me again. Damien placed the milk in front of Pudding and me, his face still grim. “That nanny is still working at your house?” “Mhm,” I sipped my milk. “Aunt Lisa also taught me how a pony drinks water. Do you want to see, brother?” His thumb gently traced the bruise on my wrist, his voice barely audible. “Leo, that bastard…” I finished my milk, then hesitated, raising my face. “Brother, my brother doesn’t want me anymore. Can you take me in? I eat very little.” In my dreams, Damien also had a little sister, but she was born with a congenital heart condition and later died prematurely due to neglect. He never had the chance to dote on her. After that, his parents divorced. Coincidentally, my parents also divorced. Theirs was a business marriage; after the divorce, neither wanted children, and they both went off to find true love. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been left with my brother. 3 Damien’s brows knitted together. He looked down at me, clinging tightly to his leg, then at Pudding, who was excitedly circling. A vein throbbed faintly on his temple. “I’m usually very busy,” he rubbed his forehead. “I don’t have time to look after a child.” I immediately held up three tiny fingers. “Autumn will be very good! She can eat by herself, sleep by herself, and play by herself!” Pudding seemed to understand our conversation. He suddenly trotted into the living room, grunting as he dragged his massive dog bed to my feet, then let out a proud “Woof!” his tail wagging like a propeller. Damien looked at him expressionlessly. “She’s not a kitten. She can’t sleep with you. You’ll crush her.” Pudding whimpered defiantly, nudging my hand with his wet nose, as if to say, No, I won’t. Finally, Damien let out a long sigh. “…If you don’t cause trouble, I can reluctantly keep you for a few days.” “Thank you, brother, thank you, Pudding~” I hugged Pudding and gave him a big kiss. Pudding was even more excited than me, grabbing my little blanket and running all over the house, until Damien’s gaze froze him in place. “Sleep.” Damien picked me up by the back of my nightgown, like a kitten, and carried me into the guest room. I obediently burrowed into the covers, watching him turn off the light and leave. The moment the door closed, the room plunged into darkness. The wall clock ticked, and outside the window, tree shadows swayed, casting monstrous shapes on the wall. I clutched the blanket tightly, finally unable to resist climbing out of bed. At the end of the hallway, a sliver of light peeked out from under Damien’s bedroom door. I gently pushed it open, seeing Damien leaning against the headboard, reading documents. The bedside lamp cast a warm shadow on his chiseled profile. Pudding immediately spotted me, wagging his tail happily as he ran over. “What now?” he asked without looking up. I fidgeted with the corner of the blanket, whispering, “…Autumn’s scared of the dark.” Damien finally looked up, seeing me trembling in the doorway. His expression softened slightly in the lamplight, but his tone was still firm. “Three years old and still scared of the dark?” “Aunt Lisa said if I don’t sleep, monsters will come and snatch me away at night!” I said, terrified. Damien stared at me for a full ten seconds, then frustratingly closed his file. “Come here.” My eyes lit up, and I scurried over, hugging my blanket. Pudding was even faster, already jumping onto the bed and claiming the best spot. “Not here.” Damien pointed to the long sofa in the corner. “You sleep there.” I obediently climbed onto the sofa, wrapping myself in the blanket like a silkworm cocoon. Pudding whimpered in dissatisfaction, but still jumped off the bed and lay on the carpet beside me, guarding me. Damien turned off the main light, leaving only a small nightlight on. I wanted to put some pressure on my brother, to make him care about me again. But I didn’t expect that after a whole day of running away, he hadn’t even realized I was gone! He had gone on a business trip with Olivia. Damien sent someone to check, and Aunt Lisa, upon realizing I was missing, didn’t tell my brother first. Instead, she panicked about being held responsible and fled! “Excellent,” Damien scoffed, looking utterly villainous like a character from a cartoon. “Is Sterling Group currently negotiating the Eastside real estate project?” Assistant Ben pushed up his glasses. “Signing tomorrow.” “By midnight tonight, I want that project to belong to the Reed family,” Damien said, throwing the broken pen into the trash. “I’ll pay double the penalty fee.” I was mentally counting on my fingers how much double would be when he suddenly picked me up and placed me on his desk. 4 His hands braced on either side of me, his eyes dangerously narrowed. “Little one, does your brother usually treat you like this?” Pudding eagerly pawed at the desk, barking. I seized the opportunity to use his paw as a handrail. “Brother is just… busy?” In truth, before he met Olivia, he used to take me to Disneyland and ride the Ferris wheel with me. On my second birthday, he even dressed up as a cartoon character to celebrate with me. Damien’s expression grew even more frightening. Three days later, a new card suddenly appeared in my small backpack. Damien was braiding my hair, his skills admittedly not the best, and casually said, “Leo’s lost a third project. The profits from it are in here.” “Wow!” I held up the shiny bank card. “How many cheese sticks can I buy?!” His hand froze. “…That’s the main point?” “Otherwise?” I tilted my head, looking at him. “Then… can I buy a Peppa Pig watch?” Damien choked. “At market price, you could buy the cheese stick factory directly and eat them for the rest of your life!” My mouth dropped open into an ‘O’! This was a dream come true! Damien wasn’t a big villain at all! He was Santa Claus! “Keep it safe.” Damien tucked the card back into my dinosaur-print backpack. “This is yours…” “My dowry!” I interjected, having just learned the phrase from a TV show. “Can I buy Pudding some chew toys?” Damien’s lips twitched. “…Suit yourself.” I suddenly pounced on him, giving him a big kiss. Damien instantly froze. He didn’t even react to me pulling his six-figure tie crooked. “Damien is the best brother!” I hung around his neck, swaying. “Better than my own brother!” The tips of his ears visibly reddened. He stiffly peeled me off, but then reached out and ruffled my hair. I spent three days playing wildly with Pudding at home, almost forgetting about kindergarten. It wasn’t until Damien came home from work and saw the neighbor picking up their son that he realized I had been skipping school for several days. He planned to take me to kindergarten. But I didn’t want to go. Early in the morning, Damien’s voice drifted from outside my bed. “Autumn, come out!” I burrowed further under the bed. From this angle, I could see his shiny leather shoes pacing irritably by the bed, having already turned seventeen times. “If you don’t come out in three minutes, today’s cheese sticks are canceled.” I covered my mouth. Despicable! Threatening a three-year-old with snacks! Pudding’s tail swept across my face. He tilted his head, his black, grape-like eyes conveying, “I told you hiding here was useless.” “Five, four, three…” As I scrambled out on all fours, I met Damien’s eyes as he knelt down. He was wearing a black shirt today, collar slightly open, looking exactly like the big bad wolf from a cartoon who eats children. “Reason,” he said, picking me up by the back of my pajamas. “Why aren’t you going to kindergarten?” I dangled in mid-air, kicking my legs. “…Tummy ache.” “Liar.” Damien narrowed his eyes. “Yesterday, you said you loved the plush bunny at kindergarten the most.” I pouted, and my nose suddenly stung. That plush bunny, named Snowball, had been cut to shreds by Ms. Harris, just because I said it was my only friend. Damien’s expression suddenly changed. He placed me on the bed, kneeling on one knee to meet my gaze. “Did someone bully you?” Pudding seized the chance to crawl out, his wet nose nudging my palm.

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As a notorious paparazzi, famous for digging up every juicy bit of celebrity gossip, I was staking out a hotel garage, following a tip. A black car pulled up, and a man and a woman stepped out. The camera clicked, capturing a clear shot of them locked in a passionate kiss—the celebrity, it was my wife, Olivia Vance. As the man wrapped an arm around her waist and led her into the hotel, she glanced back, her eyes flashing a warning. Before I knew it, a black-clad bodyguard smashed my camera, dragged me to a corner, and broke my arm. “That’s a lesson for you.” I wiped the blood from my mouth, fumbled for the memory card in my pocket, and dialed a gossip blog: “Top-tier actress, late-night make-out photos. What’s your offer?” 1 I lay in a hospital bed for three days. Olivia didn’t show up, didn’t even send a message. It wasn’t until a rival tabloid offered a higher price for the photos that she burst into my room, fully made-up and dressed. “Delete the photos!” Her hand went straight for me, as if she couldn’t see my arm in a cast. “Rumors are flying everywhere, I need to do damage control.” My hand, holding a glass of water, froze. “No explanation for what happened that night?” She looked exasperated. “How was I supposed to know you were there?! It was just a business meeting, my agent was there too. Don’t believe me? Ask him!” Her voice suddenly rose. “Do you know how important that movie deal is? You have to trust me!” I gave a bitter laugh. The glass “slipped” from my hand, splashing water all over her. She jumped back, her eyes reddening. “Just this one time, and you hate me enough to try and ruin me?” “One time?” I stared at her. “Running into you kissing someone, or running into you having your sugar daddy’s bodyguards break my arm?” She clenched her hands, taking a deep breath. “You’re fine, aren’t you? This kind of thing happens all the time in this industry. I didn’t even cross the line.” “So what does count as crossing the line? Do I not even have the right to ask questions?” I pointed to my cast. “I’ve been in the hospital for three days. Did you ask me a single thing? My co-workers even came to visit me. Where were you?” She finally looked at my injured arm, freezing. We’d been together since I was eighteen. She’d never lifted a finger for anything; I’d practically spoon-fed her. After a long moment, she said, “I’m busy. Your injury seems to be healing well anyway. Handle the photos yourself. I’ll come when I have time.” With that, she rushed out. My heart felt a chill. Ten years, and she still acted like this when she felt guilty. 2 When I returned to the studio after my arm healed, rumors of Olivia and Carter Hayes, the second son of the powerful Hayes family, were already rampant—Carter was the man in the photos. My boss, looking apologetic, said, “You’re fired.” “Why?” This was the guy I’d worked with since graduation. “A lot of people’s privacy in the studio has been exposed. Fans are threatening revenge. I have to look out for everyone else…” He sighed. “You should know who you can and cannot provoke in this business.” I looked at the studio logo I’d personally designed—back when Olivia wanted to break into entertainment, I became an entertainment journalist, writing her press releases, taking stunning photos, and digging up dirt on her rivals. Now, all because of her and Carter, I was out. A flashy sports car pulled up outside. Carter stepped out, wearing sunglasses, followed by Olivia. She saw me, her eyes darting away as she hid behind Carter. Carter scoffed, tossing a wad of cash at me. “This should be enough for your medical bills. Stay away from Olivia, or next time, it won’t just be an arm.” I didn’t take the money. Instead, I picked up an old candid photo of Olivia from the ground—back then, she was just a small-time actress, and I’d spent three days staking out the set to get that shot. On the back of the photo, etched in pencil, were the words, “When I make it big, I’ll marry you,” the handwriting already faded by time. I tore the photo to shreds, scattering the pieces into the air. “Carter, Olivia, have fun.” As I turned to leave, I heard Olivia call my name behind me, her voice tinged with panic. But I didn’t look back. Ten years of a relationship, shattered the moment she had her bodyguards break my arm, just like my camera. As for those photos? I’d already sent them to every gossip blog out there—top-tier actress cheating on her husband with a sugar daddy. That’s enough drama to keep Hollywood busy for a while. As for me, it was time to find my own life. The man who came down was Carter. “Well, well, healed up now, have we?” His tone dripped with malice. “You think taking photos can threaten anyone? I found out you’re her husband! What good does that do?” “Of all the people to cross, you just had to cross me for a woman. Do you even know who I am?” He patted my shoulder, squeezing hard. My still-healing arm throbbed faintly. Looking at the man, who was half a head shorter than me, I scoffed aloud. “Then do you know who I am?” I retorted. He looked surprised for a moment, then his eyes filled with contempt. I scoffed. So he thought his identity was so impressive that others would just hand over their belongings. What antiquated notion was this? I grabbed his collar and punched him in the face. Blows rained down on him like a storm. “Who am I? I’m the one hitting you.” At first, Carter was still defiant. “My bodyguards will be here any minute, and you’ll be finished.” “You don’t want to work in this industry anymore, do you?” “Do you want to know how your wife hooked up with me?” All he got in return were relentless punches. The moment he appeared, I judged that he hadn’t brought anyone with him. If I didn’t teach him a good lesson, my name wasn’t Chen. In the end, Carter could only cover his head, trying his best to protect his face from being too badly disfigured. I’d carried cameras for so many years; my arms had plenty of strength. I couldn’t beat professional bodyguards, but this guy, hollowed out by his decadent life? I could definitely take him. “Enough, enough,” Carter weakly cried. He hadn’t felt it was “enough” when he had people harass me. “Now, call off your targeting of my studio staff.” He gritted his teeth and nodded. Before handing him his phone, I warned him. “Put it on speaker. You better be honest, or I promise I can give you a truly unforgettable lesson before your bodyguards arrive.” Once confirmed that it was resolved, I kicked Carter aside. “Get lost!” He wiped his face, then stumbled into his car. He slowly rolled down the window. “Chen, you just wait for my family’s revenge!” “Ha!” I picked up my sunglasses and threw them directly at his face. Blood flowed from his nose. “I’ll be waiting for you, you trash.” He drove away, furious. Soon after, Olivia publicly thanked her fan groups at a movie premiere event. 3 It was her “shipping” fans with Carter. These days, the romance between a powerful CEO and a dazzling actress was the most popular. All the flattering words showered down on them. In the video, Olivia held a bouquet of roses, her eyes teary as she looked at Carter. “Thank you, Mr. Hayes, for your constant support, and thank you to all the fans who support our couple.” “As for the malicious business competition from Mr. Chen recently, I believe the law will provide an answer.” With these words, my social media accounts exploded. Olivia’s company sent me a cease-and-desist letter, publicly released to the media. Fans swarmed me like sharks smelling blood. Then, my gossip account was also dug up. It contained various celebrity scoops, critiques of acting performances. Paparazzi already had a bad reputation, and now fans from every camp were dragged into the fray. Many posts mentioned Olivia, all praising her, which many fans took as proof of a disgusting “sasaeng fan” (obsessive stalker fan). The most combative people on social media converged on my comment section. The insults were varied and relentless; even after years in the entertainment industry, it was unbearable. The last actress who was cyberbullied like this jumped from a building; she’s probably reincarnated by now. The online manipulation was very obvious. My schedule was leaked, and an obsessed fan nearly ambushed me. All this began to affect my daily life. I tried calling Olivia for help. “It’s just some rumors! Carter is furious right now, just bear with it! This movie project is my stepping stone into the film industry. Can you bear to see my long-standing career efforts go to waste?” Before I could say anything, I only heard the busy signal as the call was disconnected. I slammed the phone down. I anonymously posted the blurred image of our marriage certificate online. My face was pixelated, but Olivia’s high-definition photo was clearly visible. News of her marriage quickly rocketed to the top of the trending topics. The server even crashed for an hour. The next day, stacks of contracts were thrown onto my face. This was the first time Olivia had come home since the incident, and the second time I had seen her. “Look what you did! These are all the termination contracts for my endorsements.” “You couldn’t pay for this even if you sold yourself. Do you understand?” “I almost got stabbed by your fans last time. Do you know that?” This last sentence made the furious Olivia calm down. “But… but…” Just my luck, the cat, running wild, turned on the TV with the remote. The TV was playing the footage from that movie premiere, and Olivia’s words once again echoed in the ears of both of us present. “Couldn’t you have waited for me to come back to discuss it, if you were that mad? You know what the industry thinks about marriage.” She finally spoke calmly. But I wasn’t willing. “I can’t do everything, only to be branded a defendant in court by you.” “Do you think you helped me a lot? I think you just invested in the right person and now you want to demand a favor in return.” Olivia pointed at my nose, her suspicion unconcealed. My throat went dry. “You actually think that of me? How could you?” “Fine, fine, fine. Since you say I’m demanding favors, how can I not live up to that?” “What are you going to do?” Olivia looked at me, her eyes wary. “What are you going to do to me? Carter won’t let you get away with it.” “I just want to say, return the three million I gave you, three times over, and remember to calculate the interest from these past few years.” “Is that all?” “That’s all.” She seemed confused, as if this demand was incredibly easy for her. After all, Hollywood is full of walking millions. That initial three million was my entire life savings, a gamble on a slim chance. Fortunately, she succeeded. Thinking this, a hint of guilt appropriately flickered across her face. She left only a bank card and quickly departed. In just two days, all the trending topics about me were taken down. See? Public opinion is just a game of capital. I deleted all my accounts, including the fan page I’d meticulously curated for Olivia. That one hadn’t been exposed, but I no longer wanted to update it. Who knew if the comment section was still filled with people who had insulted me? I met up with my friend, leaving him three hundred thousand as compensation. His studio had suffered significant losses due to the fallout. Back home, Olivia was actually busy in the kitchen. She brought out dish after dish, wiping her hands on her apron. Smiling gently. “Come, let’s eat.” I took a bite and immediately recognized it as from her favorite private restaurant. I said nothing, silently eating. “After this movie, how about I go on a trip with you? We can consider it our honeymoon.” Olivia tentatively asked. “Carter will be marrying soon, so he won’t be able to bother us anymore.” “I knew about this a long time ago, so there won’t be any future between him and me. At first, I was just resentful; all the actresses from my generation had won awards.” “I was just trying to secure a collaboration, and he took advantage. And you just happened to see it…” Olivia picked up a wine bottle nearby and poured me a drink. “I was confused for a while, blinded by greed. It was my fault. You’ve always loved me so much, and when things got difficult, you hit me like that. I just got emotional and spoke without thinking.” Under the lights, Olivia’s eyes, full of pitiful vulnerability, gazed at me. I took the wine from her hand and gulped it down, accepting her unspoken truce. Olivia, fearing I wouldn’t believe her, showed me her agent’s schedule, indicating she had indeed turned down many activities. “Trust me, after this movie is out of theaters, I’ll announce our relationship publicly.” My hand was held by Olivia. She promised me, word by word. I knew in my heart that her popularity was constantly rising, and her current promises would be meaningless then. “I believe you.” I hugged her, my fingers tangling in her long hair. 4 I knew in my heart that everything was beyond repair. The men’s perfume in her hair made me feel almost allergic. She had also become the spokesperson for Carter’s company’s products. She’d renewed her contract for a full ten years, and attending events for new product launches was inevitable every year. Besides her agent, Carter was the top contact in her WeChat. I didn’t intentionally see it; my phone automatically popped up notifications, and I just glimpsed it. Now, I could only say Olivia was as busy as a top. By day, she attended various events with Carter. By night, she came home and drew me all sorts of grand illusions. Perhaps there was a bit of sincerity, but not much. My hard drive, where I’d stored photos, had vanished. All the photos of us, big and small, were slowly disappearing from our home. As for our wedding photos, those were never even taken. Olivia was busy running around for appearances again. At various galas, Carter had already become her designated male companion for holding up her train. This had been widely publicized. That ambiguous marriage certificate from before had been skillfully spun by her company’s PR, painted in a misleading light. Everyone online was guessing Olivia was already with Carter. I could even see their endorsement ads displayed on giant screens when I went shopping. Fans affectionately called them “wedding photos.” At the same time, Carter’s WeChat sent me daily updates with pictures of Olivia’s various times, locations, and makeup looks. “Just a heads-up, I’ve already acquired the studio you used to work at. Let’s see who else in the industry dares to hire you.” I thought back to how my friend had looked so guilty when I offered to treat him to dinner. What a shame, after so many years of friendship. As for being blacklisted by the entire industry, that was just a joke to me. Olivia would occasionally sound me out, subtly. I just pretended not to know anything, even if she secretly slipped out in the middle of the night for events. One day, I received an invitation to a so-called high-society gathering. The place was dazzling, resplendent. I stood in a corner, holding a champagne glass, listening to them casually discussing multi-million-dollar deals. Olivia, arm in arm with Carter, forced a stiff smile, listening as Carter flattered the various moguls. Carter’s obsequious demeanor was unforgettable. The two of them glided through the crowd. Due to Olivia’s celebrity, she even had to go up and share a drink with people. But inadvertently, our eyes met. An involuntary mocking smile crept onto my face. Carter gripped his glass tightly, not even having time to erase his flattering expression. His face stiff, he dragged Olivia towards me. I watched Olivia stumble over her dress several times, pulled along by his speed. “How dare you show your face here?” “If you wanted to come, why didn’t you just ask me? Why did you sneak in?” “Don’t you understand? If you crash this kind of gathering, you’re finished.” Carter feigned kindness, his eyes gleaming with schadenfreude. “Security! Security!” Carter shouted loudly, and everyone’s gaze converged on us. “There’s a thief who snuck in. Security, please deal with this.” “I didn’t,” I said. I looked at Olivia. I couldn’t believe she didn’t know what kind of person I was. “Yes, this gentleman just stole my diamond earring.” Olivia’s red lips uttered a cold sentence. The next second, she splashed wine on me. The icy liquid felt like it drenched my entire body. The people around us watched the farce with disdain. “I didn’t. I didn’t even know you had diamond earrings.” Olivia’s face was cold, her arm linked with Carter’s. “Aren’t you embarrassed enough? Can’t you just leave?” “You claim to despise this glamorous world, so why do you insist on being here? This doesn’t belong to you.” The surrounding bodyguards slowly encircled me. I stood still. Olivia’s words made me realize that she was deliberately getting revenge because she had clawed her way into this world of fame and fortune, losing much, while I had been a constant stumbling block for her. I was held by the bodyguards, my arms twisted behind my back, about to be led away. Under my gaze, Carter turned and put the supposedly lost earring back on Olivia. His face was filled with triumph. I sighed softly. How could anyone be so ungrateful? Just as I was about to speak, the host of the party, who had arrived late, stopped the absurd scene. “Stop! This is my honored guest.”

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At the class reunion, my boyfriend’s mom suddenly burst in, flanked by a crowd. Waving a photo, she screamed that I was a home-wrecker. The picture was taken at my birthday party, showing my dad’s colleague handing me a gift. She stood on a chair, pointing at me, her voice shrill with fury: “This woman is a shameless tramp, a family-wrecker!” With that, she hoisted a chair and hurled it straight at me. I winced, enduring the pain, and tried to explain: “You’ve got the wrong person! I’m your son’s girlfriend!” Her fury only seemed to swell. She slapped me harder. “You trash! Trying to claim kinship with me? Pah! My son and his girlfriend are childhood sweethearts! What in hell are you?” I lowered my gaze, shielding the ice in my eyes. 1 “Riley, that dress must’ve cost a fortune!” At the class reunion, Skylar’s eyes gleamed as she stared at me. I smiled faintly. “My dad got it for me for my birthday.” “Balenciaga’s new collection? Riley, since when did your family hit the jackpot?” Brittany, my long-time rival across the table, sniped, her voice laced with venom. We’d been at odds since high school, and I usually just ignored her. But she kept digging, her words sharp and cruel: “You didn’t, like, land yourself a sugar daddy, did you?” Her words spiraled into absurdity. Just as I was about to shut her down, the private room door burst open. A furious voice ripped through the air: “You shameless harlot! How dare you seduce my husband!” A woman in her thirties stormed in, flanked by a small entourage. The man behind her glanced at a photo, then pointed at me. “Brenda, that’s her.” “You filthy tramp, I’m going to beat you to death today! Get her!” Before I could even react, her hand connected with my cheek, a searing slap. Then a kick to my stomach sent me sprawling to the floor. I clenched my jaw, enduring the pain, and choked out, “You’ve got the wrong person! I don’t even know your husband!” She grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head back. “Oh, I haven’t got the wrong person! Your trashy face, I’d recognize it even if it were dust!” As I finally saw her face clearly, a flicker of familiarity sparked, but I couldn’t place where I’d seen her before. “Open your damn eyes and look! Isn’t that you, you piece of trash, in this photo?” 2 The photo was from my birthday. My dad had invited a group of people to celebrate with me. It showed Mr. Harrison, my dad’s colleague, placing a sapphire necklace in my hand, my face alight with a happy smile as I admired it. “You’re all this harlot’s classmates, right? Take a look! Isn’t this her in the photo?” She thrust the photo towards the classmates huddled in the corner, gawking. Brittany took one look and dramatically gasped: “Oh my god, that is Riley in the picture! I can’t believe she’s like this! How shameless! Hooking up with a married man! She used to flirt with other guys even in high school. No wonder she’s always decked out in designer clothes. I always suspected she was a mistress!” “Mistresses deserve to die! Ma’am, go ahead and hit her! We won’t lift a finger to help her!” Skylar declared, puffed up with righteous indignation. The others quickly chimed in, echoing her words. “Hear that, you filthy tramp? Don’t play innocent!” Brenda snarled, then commanded, “Beat her!” Immediately, her posse swarmed me, raining down punches and kicks. Some even found sticks, brutalizing me. I curled into a ball on the floor, the pain so intense I wanted to scream for help. But I saw the faces of my classmates, warped with schadenfreude, standing by. My heart turned to ice. I couldn’t believe they were just watching, doing nothing. In high school, I’d always kept a low profile. No one knew I was the heiress to ApexCorp. They just thought my family was average. It had saved me a lot of hassle, so I never bothered to correct them. But now, it was causing me serious trouble. 3 “You’re mistaken,” I gasped, pain lancing through me. “He’s my father’s friend. That was my birthday party.” “You damned harlot! You finally admit it! Beat her to death!” Brenda seemed to go berserk, utterly deaf to my explanations. Punches rained down on my head and body like a relentless storm. My throat constricted, and then I coughed up a mouthful of blood. “Stop if you know what’s good for you! My dad is the CEO of ApexCorp!” Revealing my identity was the only way to make her stop now. But she just acted crazier, clawing at my throat and sneering: “Trying to scare me? Who in this room would believe that garbage? You shameless seducer! You deserve this. You classless, unhinged piece of trash!” At that, something snapped inside me. I couldn’t take it anymore. I fought back, lunging for her hair and pulling with all my might. She seemed shocked by my resistance. Her eyes blazing red, she shrieked at her cronies: “Get this trashy harlot off me!” I clung on, refusing to let go. Seeing this, one of her goons grabbed a nearby stool and smashed it down on my arm. A searing pain ripped through me, my arm felt like it had snapped. I curled into a ball on the floor, trembling with agony, fear gripping my heart as I stared at my mangled limb. I was an artist. My right hand was everything. Brenda kicked me again and again, like a maniac. “You trashy harlot, still fighting back? Strip her!” A few of them lunged forward, clawing at my clothes. I clutched my clothes tight, trying to hold them together despite the pain. “Hey, sis, mind if I go live and show everyone this home-wrecker’s true colors?” Brittany asked, a gleam of cruel delight in her eyes as she looked down at me. “Go for it,” Brenda casually agreed, glancing at me. “Good for everyone to see what happens to a mistress.” Her eyes suddenly went wild again, and she lunged, her hands clamping around my throat. “He never gave me a gift like that. But he gave it to you?” I was close to suffocating, my vision blurring. I fumbled in my pocket, found my phone, and pressed the power button five times, sending a distress signal to my dad. Meanwhile, Brittany, her voice sickeningly sweet, aimed her phone’s camera right at me. “Hey, fan fam! Today, I’m bringing you a live broadcast of my high school classmate getting caught red-handed as a home-wrecker!” Instantly, Brittany’s livestream viewership soared into the tens of thousands. “Wow, so juicy!” “How can that woman be so shameless, ruining someone else’s family?” “She looks like she’s selling herself, probably trash through and through.” “Go, Queen! Beat that filthy tramp to death!” The comments section exploded, people furiously cursing me. Brittany watched her follower count skyrocket, her eyes gleaming with unconcealed excitement and thrill. 4 Brenda pulled a pair of scissors from her bag, her lips curling into a slow, chilling smile as she stared at me. “Since you’re so shameless,” she purred, “I’ll just shred your clothes off and throw you out onto the street, stark naked.” Horror seized me. I never imagined she could be so vicious. As her scissors lunged towards me, a sudden realization hit: I knew where I’d seen her before. My boyfriend had once shown me a picture of his mom. The woman in front of me was identical to the one in the photo. A surge of desperate hope filled me. “Auntie,” I blurted, “I’m Riley! Your son’s girlfriend!” She burst into maniacal laughter, as if I’d told the funniest joke. “You filthy tramp! Seducing my husband wasn’t enough, now you’re after my son too? You shameless hussy!” Her face twisted into a grotesque smile, and she started cutting at my top with the scissors. I writhed in pain, still trying to explain: “Your son’s name is Ethan! Call him if you don’t believe me!” She hesitated for a moment, then her eyes glazed over with renewed madness. “My son would never like trash like you! He’s had a girlfriend for ages! Chloe grew up with him! And you still want to break up my son’s relationship? I’m going to teach you a lesson today!” I froze. Ethan and I had been together for three years. How could he have betrayed me? She frantically snipped away at my clothes. My top was in shreds, exposing large patches of skin. I frantically crossed my arms over my chest. In Brittany’s livestream, people were cheering and clapping. “Queen’s so fierce!” “Mistresses deserve a lesson! Serves her right!” “Exactly! And she even tried to seduce the son!” I looked at the cluster of former classmates standing in the corner. Their faces were a mask of morbid curiosity, enjoying the show. My heart felt heavy with dread, but I still begged them to call the police. Not one of them moved. I pleaded again with the woman looming over me: “Auntie, I really am Ethan’s girlfriend. Just call him, please! You’ll see! Ethan told me about you…” She hesitated, then finally dialed Ethan’s number. It rang twice, then someone picked up. “Mom, what’s up?” Ethan’s voice echoed through the phone. I wanted to scream, to call out to him, to beg him to save me. But as I opened my mouth, a hand clamped over it. “Son, tell me, are you dating anyone?” “Mom, you know that already, don’t you? Chloe and I have been together for five years.” At his words, she shot me a smug, triumphant look. 5 I felt a sudden, profound chill. He had betrayed me. All along. “Mom, Chloe’s actually right here with me.” “Hi, Auntie! I was just dropping off some beef jerky my mom made for you.” A soft, cheerful female voice chirped from the other end of the line. My heart shattered into a million icy pieces. “Chloe, honey, I’ll be home in a bit. If that boy gives you any trouble, you tell Auntie, okay?” The call ended. Brenda’s eyes, full of malice, locked onto me, and she raised the scissors again. “You trash! Still lying? This time, I’m going to slash your face. Let’s see you try to seduce anyone then! Hold her down!” I thrashed wildly, pure terror seizing my core. In my struggle, she suddenly caught sight of the bracelet on my wrist. Her eyes widened, and she started slashing wildly with the scissors. “Slut! Slut! That bracelet on your wrist, was he the one who bought it for you too?” With a yank, she ripped it off my wrist. I tried to stop her. “That was my mom’s! Give it back!” But Brenda glared at me, her face a mask of viciousness. “You trash! Still daring to lie? I’ll teach you a lesson!” She flung the bracelet to the floor in a fit of rage, then stomped on it, crushing it under her heel. I watched the pieces scatter, my heart aching with an unbearable pain. It was the last thing my mother had left me. Brenda dragged me out onto the street, then leaned down, her lips brushing my ear. “Say you’re a shameless hussy, that you deserve to die, and I might let you off. Otherwise, I’ll strip you bare.” Brittany followed close behind, her camera still trained on me. The street wasn’t too crowded yet, but passersby stopped, drawn by the commotion, their eyes fixed on us. I was forced to my knees, made to look like I was begging for forgiveness. I had no choice. Choking back my humiliation and tears, I did as she demanded. “I’m sorry,” I choked out, “I shouldn’t have ruined someone’s family.” A wave of disgusted stares washed over me. I thought I was free. But Brenda’s voice, slow and sinister, cut through the air: “I only said I wouldn’t strip you. I never said anything about not slashing your face! Ha ha ha ha ha!” She was a lunatic. She lunged, the scissors arcing towards my face. A searing pain ripped across my face. In an instant, blood and tears blurred my entire vision. I was at my breaking point, on the verge of blacking out, when I heard it – my dad’s voice, as if from a dream. “Riley, Dad’s here.”

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1 My coworker, thinking it was a hilarious prank, slapped a parking ticket onto my car and snapped a photo, texting me that I’d been cited. Believing him, I logged onto the DMV’s online portal to check. What greeted me, instead, was a high-definition photo captured by the traffic camera system just yesterday. In the shot, Chloe’s ex-boyfriend, Liam, sat in the passenger seat, unbuckled, leaning across the console to kiss her cheek. I stared, stunned, at the bright, radiant smile on her face – a smile I’d never once seen directed at me. It was then, in that brutal flash of clarity, that I finally understood: this one-sided devotion, this fervent, lonely love, it was time to let it go. Silently, I handled the ticket. Alone, I attended her ailing grandfather’s funeral, a final, solitary send-off. I drafted the divorce papers, sealing them in an envelope, and mailed them to her company. From this day forward, I would be my own man, navigating my own path, unburdened by her shadow. … My best friend, Tyler, wasted no time. The moment he heard, he was there, a whirlwind of frantic concern. “What the hell happened with you and Chloe? Is she cheating on you?” My eyes, bloodshot and stinging, managed a pathetic, twisted smile. Ten years of chasing, of looking up to her, had only bought me a marriage of polite formality with Chloe. I’d mistaken that distant respect for happiness. Today, it was brutally shattered by a single photograph. Marrying me, Chloe had, in the end, only constrained herself. Tyler, seeing my broken state, felt a surge of frustrated anger. “I told you she wasn’t good for you, Alex! You never listened, always barreling headfirst down this path. It’s for the best, honestly. Every time I saw you pathetically chasing after her, it just made my blood boil!” “Professor Miller has an international project needing a liaison; maybe you should consider it?” I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth, managing a choked “Mmm.” It was then I realized the tears were flowing freely, uncontrollably. I frantically searched for tissues, but Tyler just sighed. “Don’t hold it in, man. Just cry.” Overwhelmed by a sudden, profound sense of injustice, I finally crumbled, sinking to the floor, my head buried in my hands, sobbing. After driving me home, Tyler left, called away by some urgent matter. I rang Professor Miller, asking about the project’s details, and quickly realized I was perfectly capable of handling it. Without a second thought, I agreed. Departure date: one week. All necessary company handovers could be completed online. Washing my face, I caught my reflection in the mirror: a haggard, bitter-looking stranger. For the first time, I felt a wave of self-loathing. As my thoughts swirled, my phone buzzed. “Alex, would you mind dropping off a black suit dress at my office? Thanks!” Chloe’s voice, as polite and distant as ever. Out of habit, I agreed. It was only after she hung up that the words sank in, chilling me. A brief moment of hesitation, but ultimately, I didn’t call back to refuse. Chloe often worked late, rarely coming home. This was as good a time as any to pick up the divorce papers. When I arrived, Liam was leaning close to Chloe, both engrossed in a computer screen. His breath brushed lightly against her face. She looked at him, her eyes soft, her lips moving in a whispered word. Then her gaze flickered to me, her expression hardening, the tender light in her eyes dissolving into cool indifference. A look of reproach settled on her face. “What took you so long?” Liam, with a placating smile, reached out to take the clothes. “Thanks for making the trip, Alex. Chloe’s a bit stressed with her team, so her tone might be sharp. Don’t mind her.” He carried himself with the air of a homeowner, as if I were the shameful intruder. Had this been five years ago, when he first returned from abroad to be Chloe’s assistant, I would have exploded, demanding answers. Now, I merely asked, my voice flat, “Have you signed the papers?” Chloe raised a delicate eyebrow, letting Liam finish adjusting her collar. “Signed what?” “Alright, Chloe, let’s go. We’re running out of time.” Liam’s voice cut in, clearly annoyed by our interaction. She gave a slight nod, tossing a curt instruction my way. “We’ll talk about this later, at home.” They walked out, one after the other. Liam, trailing behind, turned back to look at me, a triumphant, unconcealed smirk playing on his lips. I ignored him, searching his desk for the divorce papers, finding no trace of them. My hand brushed the mouse, and the computer screen lit up. What flashed across the screen was a photo of Chloe and Liam, leaning against a railing by the sea, gazes locked, filled with a profound tenderness. A closeness I’d never experienced with her. I stumbled out of the office, clutching my car keys, a broken man. Back home, I sank to the floor behind the door, tears streaming down my face once more. Letting go was harder than I’d imagined. But it was alright. One day, I would meticulously, painfully, uproot Chloe from my heart. Scrolling through videos to distract myself, a “people you might know” notification popped up. I meant to swipe past it, but my finger slipped, opening Liam’s profile. His latest video was from a funeral. The caption read: “In these tough times, glad I have you by my side.” The deceased was merely a distant uncle of Liam’s. Chloe stood beside him, presenting herself as his lover. Watching her doting, attentive presence in the video, it hit me: Chloe wasn’t always too swamped to spare a moment. Back then, at our own wedding, she’d walked out halfway, citing urgent work. How little she must have cared. Her hesitant, apologetic look, I’d mistaken for guilt. I’d even gently reassured her it was fine. Thinking back now, it was laughable. Perhaps even then, she’d already regretted it. 2 That night, Chloe, true to form, didn’t come home. Yet, the very next day, at the university’s Founders’ Day celebration, I saw her. Hand in hand with Liam, they ascended the stage to present a donation. Hearing her shamelessly introduce Liam to the host as “the most important person in my life,” I felt a sudden, bitter relief that when we married, I’d respected Chloe’s wish for a low-key ceremony and hadn’t invited a single classmate. As if sensing my presence, she turned and looked out into the audience, our eyes locking. A faint frown creased her brow, but her hand remained tightly clasped in Liam’s. I lowered my head, the bitterness a tangible weight, and turned away, walking towards the grassy expanse by Unity Lake. Soon, footsteps sounded behind me. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming to the celebration? I would’ve picked you up.” No mention of holding hands, no explanation, no hint of panic at being caught. I laughed, a harsh, mocking sound. “Is there even room for me in your car anymore?” Chloe rubbed her temples, feigning exasperation. “Alex, do you have to be so aggressive? What happened to the considerate, sensible man you used to be?” Used to be? What was I like before? I was the one who saw her as a goddess, pulling me from the depths of despair. I laughed when she laughed. I worried when she worried. My entire being revolved around her. I’d lost myself, lost my purpose, all to follow in her footsteps. The truth was, if Chloe had just told me she wanted to be with Liam, I would have willingly stepped aside. This marriage, after all, had been her impulsive decision, born from a desire to spite him after their breakup. I, the silent admirer, had seen it all clearly, yet still plunged into that abyss willingly. Now that their old flame had rekindled, she should be desperate for me to leave. But this evasiveness… I couldn’t understand it. “Chloe, there you are!” Liam’s voice chimed, his polished leather shoes making soft thuds as he approached from behind her. He paused, looking at me with feigned surprise. “Alex, you’re here too?” As he spoke, he moved to stand in front of Chloe, casually adjusting her collar. “The university president wants a photo with you. Shall we go?” Chloe glanced at me, seeing no response. She gave a quick, almost worried instruction: “Wait for me, we’ll leave together later.” “Didn’t you forget about your meeting? I’m afraid Alex will have to take a taxi home,” Liam cut in, a seemingly apologetic smile on his face as he looked at me. Chloe hesitated. Then, Liam cried out, “Snake!” Chloe instantly pushed me away, scrambling to pull Liam onto the paved path, panic etched on her face. I, standing so close to the lake’s edge, was shoved straight into the water. The summer water of Unity Lake should have been warm. Instead, it was icy, seeping into my bones, a chilling cold. Through the shimmering surface, I met Chloe’s gaze—guilty and panicked. She rushed toward me, but I pulled myself onto the bank before she could reach me. “Alex, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t looking.” I smiled, a hollow, bitter smile. “It’s fine. I’m used to it.” Without a moment’s hesitation, I turned my back on her, my body and soul soaked, and walked away. Chloe’s hands, clenched at her sides, trembled slightly. For the first time, she felt me so close, yet impossibly distant. She wanted to chase after me, to grab me and demand answers, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave Liam. She only sent a text: “Go home first. I’ll explain later.” I let out a soft, derisive scoff. Explain what? Explain why she instinctively protected Liam? Or why she pushed me into the lake? Whatever it was, I didn’t want to hear it. I was sick of her self-serving excuses. That night, Chloe, her mind swirling with questions, came home early. Seeing the cold, empty kitchen, and me ordering takeout, a strange sense of calm settled over her. “Is this how you take care of yourself when I’m not home?” she said, her voice laced with feigned concern. “Maybe we should hire a housekeeper. All this housework, it’ll wear you out. It breaks my heart.” My hand, holding the chopsticks, paused. What a thoughtful, wonderful woman! She had always used these seemingly caring words to make me believe she’d fallen for me over time, binding me tighter and tighter to her. But a lie, no matter how convincing, is still a lie. I wiped my mouth and spoke slowly. “Let’s get a divorce.” 3 Chloe froze for a second. Then, a helpless smile played on her lips. “Still playing games, huh?” she said, her voice gently coaxing as she reached to touch my head. “Liam and I are history. We’re the couple now; you have to trust your wife.” She added, “I’m a little hungry. Could you make me something to eat?” It was an obvious olive branch, an invitation to return to our old routine. But I didn’t take it. “You make it yourself.” Perhaps it was the first time I’d ever refused her, and she seemed unaccustomed to it. Without intending to explain further, I turned, sidestepping her, and started towards the bedroom. She grabbed my arm, her grip firm. “Alex, are you not feeling well?” Her tone was still gentle, making me feel even more like the irrational one. At my breaking point, I lashed out. “What if I’m not? Do you honestly care, after five years of marriage?” “We’re husband and wife. If I don’t care about you, who do I care about?” “Then tell me,” I challenged, “when’s my birthday?” Chloe’s mouth opened slightly, then closed, speechless. How could she possibly know? It was like the time I’d bought a cake and put it in front of her, and she’d simply assumed I just happened to want cake! “But you know Liam’s!” Tears streamed down my face. I expected her to explode in anger or frantically try to explain her relationship with Liam. But she didn’t. She just sighed, a weary, helpless sound. “You need to cool down. I’ll be working late at the office tonight!” Always the same. Every time I wanted to confront her, she’d retreat with an excuse about “working late.” Chloe was a master of passive aggression, cloaked in a veil of polite distance. I couldn’t take it anymore. I snatched the TV remote and hurled it at her. She didn’t react fast enough; it struck her forehead, leaving a faint red mark. Her eyes slowly ignited with fury. “Alex, there’s a limit to how unreasonable you can be.” She slammed the door shut, leaving behind a profound silence and my own shattered self. In a valley with no echo, shouting further would only exhaust me more. I slid to the floor, my gaze sweeping across our wedding photo on the wall, laughing and crying all at once. I don’t know how much time passed before, in a daze, I heard my phone ring. I pressed accept, and Chloe’s furious voice blasted through the speaker. “Alex, get over here and control your friend!” Hearing Tyler’s name, I hung up and rushed frantically to The Metropolitan Bistro. The moment I stepped through the door, I saw Liam, clutching his bruised mouth, leaning weakly into Chloe’s embrace. Tyler was being restrained by waiters, his face contorted in a silent roar of frustration. I quickly rushed to his side to calm him down. Chloe didn’t spare me a glance, her face dark with anger. “Tyler, don’t think I won’t touch you just because you’re Alex’s friend. Apologize to Liam, now.” “Pfft, don’t you dare accuse me, you shameless woman!” Tyler spat back. “I did want to punch him, hard, but I never got the chance!” Chloe’s face turned ashen, then her fury erupted, aimed squarely at me. “Alex, what kind of nonsense have you been feeding her? I told you, Liam and I are just friends! Are you deaf?” She continued, “Today, neither of you are leaving until you apologize to Liam.” “Fine!” I said, my voice cutting through the tension. “But first, let’s have the restaurant manager check the surveillance footage.” Tyler’s eyes lit up. Liam, however, suddenly looked wounded. He started stalling, “Forget it, Chloe. I didn’t realize Alex misunderstood me so deeply. Maybe you should just stay away from me from now on!” With that, he dramatically stormed out, Chloe rushing after him in a panic. Before leaving, she threw one last threat over her shoulder: “Alex, if anything happens to Liam, I’m not done with you.” My nose stung, and my head bowed in silent pain. 4 Tyler scoffed, an unamused sound. “Want me to go chase him down and kick him a couple of times?” A sliver of light pierced through my gloom, and I managed a wry smile. After dinner with Tyler, I headed home. But at my doorstep, I found Chloe, utterly drunk, clinging to Liam, refusing to let go. Her mumbled words, like a child’s pouty questions, were barely audible: “Why can’t you just be more understanding?” Liam, his lips pressed together, looked faintly wronged. Seeing me appear, his expression shifted. He deliberately leaned in, giving Chloe a light, feathery kiss on the lips. His voice, soothing and soft, held a distinct edge of provocation for me: “Don’t worry, Chloe. From now on, I’ll listen to everything you say.” Watching their undignified entanglement, my old self would have ripped Chloe from his arms and cursed him for his shamelessness. But now, I simply, mechanically, pulled out my keys and opened the door, not sparing them even a sidelong glance. Liam’s mocking smirk froze, as if he couldn’t believe I hadn’t reacted. Yet, I didn’t look back. I let him carry Chloe into the living room and settle her onto the sofa. He, emboldened, continued to push my boundaries. As he finished his charade and moved to stand, he feigned a stumble, a soft cry escaping his lips, and collapsed onto Chloe. Her eyes still closed, Chloe instinctively wrapped her arms around him, a drunken mumble escaping her lips: “Stop messing around!” Liam looked up at me, as I was about to enter my room, and theatrically struggled, softly coaxing, “Chloe, don’t do this. It wouldn’t look good for Alex to see.” Hearing him, Chloe tightened her embrace. “Alex? Which Alex?” With a drunken roll, she pressed her lips firmly against Liam’s. Listening to the unbearable sounds from outside, I stood in my room, my heart bleeding, even though I’d already decided to leave. Chloe, did you two have to be so utterly desperate? Well, perhaps this just made it easier for me to cut all ties. Thirsty, I went to the kitchen for water. Moments later, Liam appeared, his clothes disheveled, his mouth swollen, a smug glint in his eyes. “Look at you, all disheveled and unkempt. No wonder I left for five years and you still couldn’t capture Chloe’s heart. If I were you, I’d be so ashamed I’d just kill myself.” “Then go ahead,” I retorted, my voice dripping with scorn. “Being the other man is far more pathetic.” His face instantly flushed with enraged humiliation. He grabbed the full glass of hot water sitting nearby and splashed it at me. I swiftly shielded my face with my hand, but most of the scalding water hit my neck. A large patch of skin turned red, stinging fiercely. Even the meekest soul has a breaking point. Blinded by fury, I lunged forward, raising my hand and landing a solid punch on his face. I was about to strike again when a drunken Chloe suddenly stumbled between us, shielding Liam, her face contorted in rage, glaring at me. I froze for a few seconds, then a sharp, stinging slap exploded across my face. The burning sensation from my neck spread to my cheek. “Alex, you disappoint me so much! Why do you keep targeting Liam? Are you even a man?” After that day, Chloe vanished. I gathered all my belongings that couldn’t be carried easily and sold them off at a secondhand market. During this time, I tried calling Chloe to discuss the divorce papers, but she only sent a cold text in return: “Liam’s in the hospital because of you. If you can’t admit your mistake and genuinely apologize, don’t contact me again.” On the day of my flight, Tyler’s eyes were red, trying hard to hold back tears. I smiled, reassuring him. I walked confidently towards a brand-new future. From this day forward, I would be my own man, navigating my own path. I would live for myself. Before turning off my phone, I sent one last message to Chloe. “The divorce papers have been mailed to your company. Please sign them as soon as possible. Thank you.”

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My marriage to Ethan had been a symphony, a model of perfect harmony, widely seen as the ideal union of a benevolent ruler and his wise queen. Less than a year after his passing, I followed him. Then, my eyes fluttered open, and we were both back in our youth. This time, he didn’t reach for my hand as he had in our past life. Instead, he turned, knelt before the King, and begged for the decree to be revoked. He wanted to annul our engagement. To marry Isabella, the merchant’s daughter. 1 It was the twelfth year of King Arthur’s reign. A year when the Montgomery family’s influence was at its zenith. And the year I, fully recovered from my injuries, returned to the Capital from the Southern Coast. One moment, my ears were filled with the mournful cries of palace attendants. The next, I was reborn, finding myself walking the familiar path to greet the Queen Mother. Inside the Royal Conservatory, I curtsied gracefully. “Aubrey greets Your Majesty.” “My dear Aubrey, you’re finally back!” The Queen Mother beamed with delight, personally descending from her throne to help me rise. “Seeing you well, my heart is finally at ease. I heard you arrived in the Capital; the Crown Prince has been summoned by his uncle, discussing your betrothal.” I knew this union was the Queen Mother’s own arrangement. A faint smile touched my lips as I lowered my gaze. “Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. But might this be a bit… rushed?” The Queen Mother sighed. “Ah, my child, you suffered such grievous injuries, delaying your life for three years. How could I not be anxious? Besides, Ethan is already sixteen this year. It’s time for him to marry.” She pulled me to sit beside her, her face radiating warmth, her tone unwavering. “Now, don’t you worry. The Crown Prince is a gentle and considerate soul. Marrying him, you will never suffer a moment of hardship.” I recalled my past life. Indeed, I had never suffered any hardship. For decades, married to Ethan, we had lived in perfect harmony, never even a harsh word between us. Even though I was three years his senior, he never held it against me; instead, he showered me with boundless care. Apart from our lifelong lack of children, there were truly no regrets. I offered a faint smile, engaging the Queen Mother in polite conversation. My seat had barely warmed when a palace maid burst in, breathless with urgency. “Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! The Crown Prince is kneeling outside the Grand Throne Room, saying he wishes to… to annul his engagement!” 2 “What?!” The Queen Mother abandoned all pretense of composure, rising sharply from her seat. I raised an eyebrow slightly, a flicker of surprise in my heart. This had never happened in my previous life. Could it be that Ethan had also been reborn? The Queen Mother’s face darkened, and she swiftly led me towards the Grand Throne Room. Outside, Crown Prince Ethan knelt on the stone steps, surrounded by several palace attendants whispering words of comfort. Upon seeing the Queen Mother, Ethan murmured, “Grandmother,” then his gaze swept across my face, dismissively. I was about to curtsy to him, but he abruptly turned his head away, as if he couldn’t bear to see me. In this life, I had only met him once, briefly, from a distance. Returning after three years, he shouldn’t have recognized me. Such an attitude… he had indeed been reborn. Feigning ignorance of his coldness, I performed the customary curtsy. The Queen Mother glared at him, a mixture of anger and disappointment in her eyes. “Ethan, why this sudden talk of annulling your engagement? Has someone been whispering poison in your ear?” A flash of ruthlessness crossed the Queen Mother’s eyes. Ethan’s body trembled, but his voice remained firm. “No one else, Grandmother. This is my own decision.” “Nonsense! You agreed so readily before! If no one has been stirring trouble, how could you possibly think of annulling the engagement? Get up, now! Come with me and apologize to your uncle, the King! Aubrey has returned, perfectly well. Just look at her; what lady in the Capital could compare?” The Queen Mother pulled me forward, presenting me before Ethan. I lowered my head, allowing him to scrutinize me. His cold gaze merely grazed my face before flitting away. “Lady Montgomery is certainly radiant,” he said flatly, “but my heart already belongs to another. I will marry no one else in this life. No matter how exceptional Lady Montgomery may be, in my heart, she doesn’t hold a candle to her!” The Queen Mother’s face paled with fury. She yearned to silence him. “Nonsense! How many noble ladies have you even met, to claim your heart is already taken? I think you’ve lost your mind! The selection of your Princess Consort is for me and the King to decide! You simply return to the Crown Prince’s Residence and prepare for your wedding!” But Ethan, this time, was unexpectedly resolute, kneeling steadfastly, refusing to yield. In the tense standoff, Lord Chamberlain Sullivan emerged from the throne room, conveying the King’s decree: “His Majesty says, if the Crown Prince wishes to kneel, let him kneel there. Let us see how many hours he can endure.” With that, he leaned in, whispering a few words of persuasion to Ethan, urging him to apologize obediently and not displease the King. Ethan remained deaf to his words, continuing to kneel stubbornly, as if truly intending to stay there until the end of time. The Queen Mother’s face was etched with heartache, a flicker of resentment in her eyes. After a moment of thought, I knelt beside Ethan. Seeing this, Ethan turned his face away. “Don’t think that by kneeling here, I will obey the decree and marry you. My heart already belongs to someone else in this life. Your coercion will only make me despise you more.” I shook my head. “I am not here to pressure Your Highness. Rather, I find Your Highness’s words sound. I too wish to ask His Majesty to dissolve our engagement.” 3 His head snapped back, his face a mask of surprise. But I no longer looked at him, addressing the Queen Mother and Lord Chamberlain Sullivan instead. “If His Highness the Crown Prince is unwilling to marry me, then I, too, am unwilling for His Highness to be unhappy. I humbly ask Lord Chamberlain Sullivan to convey to His Majesty that this lady’s fortune is shallow and her fate meager. I beg His Majesty to grant permission for the annulment of our engagement, and to not hold His Highness accountable.” I bowed deeply, my forehead touching the ground. The Queen Mother and Ethan both froze, as if unable to believe I would relinquish the prestigious position of Crown Princess Consort, now within my grasp. Lord Chamberlain Sullivan, though quite surprised, nonetheless entered the throne room to relay my words. A long silence settled over the hall. After a moment, the King bade us enter. I subtly glanced towards the shimmering curtain of pearls. From a distance, the King’s features were indistinct, veiled in shadow, yet his vibrant royal purple robe stood out, deep and rich like an autumn bloom. His voice, clear and cool, yet pleasing to the ear, resonated from behind the curtain. “Lady Aubrey Montgomery, do you truly wish to annul your engagement with the Crown Prince?” I bowed again. “This lady is willing, Your Majesty. I beg your indulgence.” King Arthur remained silent, seemingly weighing his decision. The Queen Mother was frantic. “No! Aubrey risked her life to save Your Majesty! How can you mistreat such a loyal subject?” She shot me a warning glance, urging me to keep silent. But I bowed my head, purposely missing her gaze, and spoke quickly. “Aubrey dares not claim undue credit, Your Majesty. When I shielded you from the assassin, it was out of the same fierce loyalty as my father, not with any intention of clinging to the royal family. If Your Majesty and the Queen Mother truly pity this humble lady, perhaps you might bestow upon me a collection of master scores. Once I have thoroughly studied them, I would then play for Your Majesties the pieces I could not finish that day.” Kneeling there, I subtly brought up the past. It was during the Midsummer Festival celebration, with a grand banquet in the Royal Palace. An assassin, disguised as a dancer, infiltrated the feast, aiming to kill the King. I had been chosen by the Queen Mother to play the lute beside them, and I saw the dancer’s strange expression as she approached. Without thinking, I threw myself forward, blocking the poisoned darts she spat from her mouth. Though King Arthur was unharmed, I was gravely poisoned and sent to a secluded estate on the Southern Coast to recover. The Queen Mother, grateful for my loyal courage, had, upon hearing of my recovery and return to the Capital, specifically petitioned King Arthur for a royal decree to betroth me to the Crown Prince. The decree had already been issued, and I had resigned myself to my fate. Yet, I never expected Ethan to suddenly step forward and refuse. If that was the case, why shouldn’t I grant his wish? Masking the thoughts in my eyes, I quietly awaited King Arthur’s response. Finally, he let out a soft sigh. “The Queen Mother and I arranged this betrothal for you with the intention of compensating you, as your marriage was delayed because of me. Since neither of you desires it, I shall be lenient this once and withdraw this decree. I only hope that neither of you will regret this decision later.” Ethan couldn’t hide the joy that broke across his face. He was the first to speak, “Your Royal Nephew will not regret it!” I gazed at the pearl curtain, my voice just as firm and clear. “This lady will not regret it either. Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness.” 4 The Queen Mother hadn’t anticipated the engagement being dissolved so easily. Her face shifted through several shades, and she spoke to the King with clear displeasure: “Your Majesty, how could you allow them to act so recklessly? The royal decree has already been issued! Is it right to change a royal order so whimsically?” King Arthur replied leisurely, “One is the Crown Prince, the other is the daughter of Duke Montgomery. Why should I make things difficult for them?” The Queen Mother retorted sharply, “But not like this! The Crown Prince is sixteen now; it’s time for him to marry and establish his own household. Are you planning to keep delaying his marriage, Your Majesty?” The words touched on a forbidden subject. Lord Chamberlain Sullivan instantly tensed, and the Queen Mother abruptly fell silent. “I didn’t mean it that way…” Her expression was filled with regret as she anxiously eyed the pearl curtain. King Arthur’s reaction, however, was calm. He set down his vermilion brush. “I understand your concerns, Queen Mother. You are simply worried that I neglect my nephew, that I am not truly looking out for his future, aren’t you?” “I… I’m not…” The Queen Mother’s face blanched, and she wrung her hands. I, too, lowered my head, pretending not to hear the exchange. The current King was not the Crown Prince’s father, but his uncle. The Crown Prince’s biological father, the late King Valerius, had passed away from illness at the age of twenty-six. When he died, Ethan was only four years old, too young to assume the throne. Thus, the crown had passed to his seventeen-year-old brother, Prince Arthur – the current King. King Valerius had entrusted Arthur with raising the young Prince, with the understanding that once Ethan came of age and could rule independently, Arthur would then relinquish the throne, returning it to its rightful heir. Arthur had agreed. But his stepmother, Queen Mother Eleanor, King Valerius’s birth mother, had, under the pretext that Arthur was still unmarried and the royal court lacked a Queen, taken the young Prince, bringing him to her own side to raise personally. It could be said that under the Queen Mother’s interference, Arthur’s affection for Ethan was quite limited. On an everyday basis, they could maintain a facade of familial affection if no one pointed out the truth. But now, the Queen Mother had slipped, accusing him of deliberately neglecting Ethan. If Arthur were to take offense… Cold sweat instantly beaded on the Queen Mother’s forehead. She forced a strained smile. “How could I ever think Your Majesty is not diligent? I merely lament that this child is so unfilial.” She shot Ethan a sharp glare. Ethan understood her unspoken command and willingly apologized. “I have disappointed both my Grandmother and my Uncle.” King Arthur remained noncommittal, merely stating, “Very well. The Queen Mother is simply concerned for you. You have indeed grown, and it is time for you to establish your own family. Speak then. You refuse to marry the Montgomery daughter, claiming your heart belongs to another. Who is this person?” A faint smile touched Ethan’s lips. “Her name is Isabella. She manages The Gilded Butterfly Emporium in the Capital. She is not only beautiful and virtuous, lively and intelligent, but also runs her household with remarkable skill and an unconventional spirit. Though only sixteen, she manages her family’s business with impressive order, earning my profound admiration.” Ethan lavished her with praise, but the Queen Mother instantly pinpointed the crucial detail, a look of disdain on her face. “Merely a merchant’s daughter?” Ethan argued, “Though a merchant’s daughter, her character and appearance are no less than those of a noble lady. Once you meet her, Grandmother, you will see what a captivating person she is, so unlike those stiff and dull ladies of the court!” After his last remark, he cast a quick glance at me. I scoffed internally, remembering how in his previous life, most of the beautiful young women he took into his royal court were from noble families. He certainly hadn’t rejected them. King Arthur pondered for a long while. “A merchant’s background is indeed a little low. Do you insist on her being your Crown Princess Consort?” Ethan didn’t hesitate, bowing his head in supplication. “Yes, Your Majesty. In this life, I wish only to grow old with her.” Seeing his stubbornness, the Queen Mother was almost incandescent with rage. King Arthur, however, seemed indifferent. “Her surname is Dawson? That’s the same as Duke Dawson. Very well then, let Duke Dawson adopt her as his foster daughter. That way, her status as Crown Princess Consort won’t be too unbecoming.” Ethan was overjoyed. “Your Royal Nephew thanks you, Uncle!” With the royal decree issued, there was no turning back this time. The Queen Mother’s face darkened. She deeply felt the Crown Prince’s disregard for her efforts in planning his future, and she left in a huff, utterly fuming. Ethan, however, was lost in the joy of marrying the woman he loved, completely oblivious to any wrongdoing. After all, in his previous life, King Arthur had abdicated, and he had smoothly ascended the throne. Naturally, after rebirth, he felt no sense of impending crisis. I subtly shook my head, a quiet sigh of relief escaping my heart. Not having to marry him truly saved me a lot of trouble. On the way out of the palace, Lord Chamberlain Sullivan personally escorted me. He subtly hinted that I should not repeat what I had heard today, then offered comfort: “Today’s events have certainly caused you distress, Lady. His Majesty asked me to convey a message: should you ever find someone you wish to marry, simply have Duke Montgomery petition the King, and His Majesty will personally arrange the union for you.” A royal betrothal would be far more honorable than an ordinary wedding. My lips curved into a faint smile. I whispered, “His Majesty still remembers my future marriage?” Lord Chamberlain Sullivan chuckled. “Of course. Not only did His Majesty essentially watch you grow up, Lady, but in this matter, the Crown Prince truly acted without proper decorum. During your recovery on the Southern Coast, His Majesty even mentioned you to me, inquiring about your health.” “Is that so…” My heart fluttered, and I unconsciously touched the jeweled bracelet on my wrist. At his words, my heart began to faintly stir once more. If Ethan had been reborn and could be with the person he loved, then why couldn’t I? 5 I thanked Lord Chamberlain Sullivan, then returned to the Montgomery Estate. I omitted the details of the Queen Mother’s argument with the King, telling my father only about the Crown Prince’s annulment. My father was furious. “When the betrothal was first decreed, the Crown Prince swore solemn oaths before His Majesty and me, promising to treat you well in the future. Now, barely two months later, he breaks his word! This act not only disrespects our Montgomery family, but it also disregards your reputation. He truly has no regard for anyone!” A cold glint flashed in my father’s eyes. He told me not to be sad, to stay home, and that he would handle everything. But I had other ideas. “Father, next month is His Majesty’s birthday, isn’t it?” For the King’s birthday celebration, it was customary to hold a banquet in the Imperial Ballroom, inviting ministers, dukes, and royal relatives. I knew he had a deep appreciation for music, so I intended to find a renowned lute as a gift. Coincidentally, the owner of The Muse Gallery in the Capital possessed the famed “Emerald Silk” lute. He had posted a notice outside his establishment, stating that he himself had no musical talent and felt the “Emerald Silk” was wasted in his hands. He decided to gift the lute to someone who truly understood it. And how one proved understanding, naturally, was through a musical competition. On the third day of the seventh month, The Muse Gallery was overflowing. Besides those vying for the “Emerald Silk” lute, many simply came to enjoy the music. My lady-in-waiting and I reserved a private room on the second floor of the gallery. My gaze casually swept over the crowd, and I spotted Ethan, mingling amongst them, accompanied by a charming, lovely young woman. He leaned down, smiling softly at the girl, his eyes brimming with affection. And that girl—she bore a striking resemblance, perhaps six or seven tenths, to Lady Isabella, the most favored of Ethan’s consorts in his previous life. My eyebrows shot up in surprise, and a sudden realization dawned on me. So that’s it. Ethan’s fondness for Lady Isabella, even making her son the Crown Prince, had all been a search for this girl’s shadow. If I guessed correctly, this was Isabella. I averted my gaze, but Isabella seemed to sense something, looking up towards the second floor. Ethan looked up. “What are you looking at?” “Nothing, just… are you really confident you can win that ‘Emerald Silk’ lute?” Isabella asked, a hint of nervousness in her voice. Ethan, however, seemed utterly determined. “Don’t worry,” he assured her. “I will absolutely win this lute. Next month, at my uncle’s birthday celebration, I’ll present it to him in your name. That’s sure to change his opinion of you.” 6 Ethan, brimming with confidence, led Isabella to a private room on the second floor. It was, coincidentally, directly opposite mine. The competition officially began. Each participant had the duration of a tea ceremony to showcase their musical skill. I chose the piece I knew best: “Phoenix Seeks Mate.” This was a classic piece, composed by Lord Symonds for his beloved Lady Wynter, and the very lute he played was none other than the “Emerald Silk.” The piece and the instrument resonated deeply, perfectly suiting today’s competition. Many in the hall shared the same idea, and “Phoenix Seeks Mate” filled the air. I calmed my mind, disregarding outside distractions, focusing my thoughts into my fingertips. The lute’s notes, flowing and clear, like a tranquil stream, spilled over the balcony, instantly eclipsing the sounds of the other competitors. They paused their playing, gazing towards my private room, closing their eyes, seemingly lost in the ethereal melody. “Excellent! Truly excellent! Which gentleman in that private room is playing such a beautiful tune? The ‘Emerald Silk’ today might just be this gentleman’s prize!” Hearing “Phoenix Seeks Mate,” the audience assumed the performer was a gentleman. The buzz of their discussion finally made Ethan, sitting directly opposite, lose his composure. He pulled out his “Phoenix Tail” lute, brought from the palace, and played a fierce, soaring melody. Two vastly different styles of music clashed. Logically, the lyrical piece should have been at a disadvantage. But I had practiced for years, and my heart held unspoken affections. The emotion and technique in my piece reached their peak. Ethan was unaffected at first, but gradually, his performance began to falter. Just as I was about to press my advantage and secure his complete defeat, a familiar melody suddenly drifted from the private room next door—it was “Phoenix Seeks Mate” again. The moment I heard that piece, my fingers hesitated. Ethan, thinking I had made a mistake, redoubled his efforts, playing his lute with even greater fervor. The player next door, observing this, remained unhurried. The lute’s notes, clear and enchanting, unfurled like a true phoenix spiraling into being, its cries echoing, like jade shattering on Kunlun Mountain, like tears on lotus petals, weaving a tale of deep, sorrowful affection that touched the heart. The audience, listening intently, found their eyes welling with tears. The victor of this competition was, without a doubt, clear. Ethan was still struggling, but I had already released my hold. Regardless of whether I could continue playing, I couldn’t compete anymore. Because I had recognized the person in the private room next door. In the fourth year of King Valerius’s reign, my father and Prince Arthur returned from the border. I was scolded by my tutor to my father for playing with lute strings as if they were slingshot elastic. My father was distressed. I wanted to learn riding and archery, not music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. He didn’t know how to convince me and was about to drag me indoors for a lecture when the boy beside him stopped him. The boy said that riding and archery didn’t conflict with music and the arts. He suggested that in my spare time, I could learn martial arts with the family guards to strengthen my body. I stared at his handsome, serene features, unable to look away, and dumbly asked, “Will you learn to play the lute too?” He chuckled. “Why wouldn’t I?” With that, he set down the lute that my tutor had brought and personally played a tune. That piece was “Phoenix Seeks Mate.” Phoenix, oh phoenix, return to your homeland, wandering the four seas, seeking your mate. I was only seven at the time. His playing that piece was merely a whim; it held no deeper meaning. But it was the first time I had ever heard such beautiful music, seen such a handsome young man. From that day on, I never forgot him. Even reborn, I still recognized the player in the next room. It was him. The former Prince Arthur, the current King—Arthur. 7 Why was he here? I ceased playing. Outside, Ethan’s melody had devolved into chaos, and he awkwardly withdrew from the competition. The owner of The Muse Gallery personally delivered the “Emerald Silk” lute to the room next door. I stood at my door, hesitating whether to go offer my congratulations. Just as I decided to feign ignorance, a voice from behind me called out, “Lady, a moment.” I turned. The man cleared his throat lightly and spoke towards the room, “My master requests your presence.” Behind the landscape screen in the private room, a young man in white robes sat on a chair. Hearing my footsteps, he slowly raised his gaze. His features, flawless and handsome, like the crisp light of an autumn moon, clearly etched themselves into my vision. My body trembled. I could barely remember the last time I had seen him this close. My gaze lingered. Though I knew I should bow my head in deference, I couldn’t bear to look away for even a second. Seeing my reaction, the young man showed no anger. He simply curved his lips. “Stunned?” I shook my head, gathered my thoughts, and bowed formally. “Greetings, Your Majesty.” Arthur raised a hand, dismissing my formality. I stood quietly, asking if he had any instructions. Arthur pushed the “Emerald Silk” lute towards me, gesturing for me to take it. “Here.” I froze, not moving for a moment. “This is… something Your Majesty won.” Arthur seemed unconcerned. “It’s fine. You were the one playing in the room next door, weren’t you? Didn’t you want this lute?” I pressed my lips together, answering truthfully. “This lady desired this lute only to present it to Your Majesty on your birthday. Now that it is in Your Majesty’s hands, my wish has already been fulfilled.” “I see.” Arthur paused, shaking his head. “Then I suppose I acted rather unnecessarily. I hadn’t expected you to play so beautifully after three years. I recall you used to fuss and argue with Duke Montgomery, refusing to learn the lute.” A smile played on Arthur’s lips as he reminisced, making me feel a flush of bashfulness. “That was just this lady being foolish in her youth.” I vehemently defended myself, my face turning crimson. Thankfully, Arthur didn’t dwell on the teasing. He simply plucked a few strings, then offered the lute to me. “Take it. Consider it a reward for your progress.” Such a reason left me no room to refuse. As I took the lute, my wide sleeve slipped from my arm, revealing a string of glistening polished stones on my wrist. Arthur noticed them, his gaze pausing. “This is…” Seeing that he seemed to have forgotten, a pang of sadness went through me. I was about to explain, but Arthur spoke softly. “…Is this something I gave you before?” A ripple stirred in my heart, and I nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty. This was a gift from you on my tenth birthday. I have worn it every day since.” Arthur fell silent, his gaze complex as he looked at the string of flawless stones. They glowed with the soft warmth of long handling, clearly treasured and worn by their owner for many years. He spoke gently, “You’ve kept all the things I’ve given you?” I paused, then instinctively clutched the lute closer. “Yes. Anything Your Majesty gives me, no matter what it is, is incredibly precious to me.” Hearing this, Arthur let out a soft sigh. He waved a hand, dismissing me. A knot of anxiety tightened in my chest. I felt that Arthur had sensed something, and I left the private room, my mind distracted. As I was about to return to my room, two figures emerged from the far end of the corridor: Ethan and Isabella. Seeing me there, Ethan froze for a moment. Then he noticed the lute in my arms, and disbelief flooded his face. “So it was you who was competing against me earlier?” I curtsied to him. “Greetings, Your Highness.” Ethan’s brow furrowed deeply, his gaze fixed on the “Emerald Silk” lute in my arms. I understood what he meant, but I had no intention of handing it over. “Does Your Highness have any further business? If not, I shall take my leave.” I brushed past him, clutching the lute, but he suddenly grabbed my arm. “Stop!” I frowned, my voice low. “Your Highness, you’re hurting me.” He realized his grip and instinctively released me. Then, as if it were his rightful due, he said, “This lute is what I chose. I hope Lady Montgomery will transfer it to me. I would be most grateful.” He thought he could just take it with a word, as if he were already King. I scoffed internally, but on my face, I feigned a troubled expression. “I apologize, Your Highness, but this lady is also extremely fond of this lute. I fear I cannot grant your request.” I curtsied again, then moved to leave. But Ethan stepped in front of me, blocking my path, and sneered, “Stop pretending. What do you know about music? In our past life… I never heard you play ‘Phoenix Seeks Mate’ before. That piece just now, you had someone play it for you, didn’t you?”

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On my birthday, my younger brother gave me a 50-gram gold bracelet. That very night, his girlfriend added me on social media and lashed out: “Shameless old hag! If you want a gold bracelet, find yourself a boyfriend! Hurry up and return the bracelet my boyfriend bought for me!” I couldn’t help but let out an angry laugh, then slapped my brother across the face. “Look at the trash you’ve found! Break up with her, now!” 1 On my thirtieth birthday, my younger brother suddenly had a rare moment of conscience. He spent over forty thousand dollars to give me a glittering, massive gold bracelet. That evening, as I was showing it off to my best friend, a social media request instantly doused my high spirits. “Does a gold bracelet from someone else’s boyfriend smell sweet?” ? I paused, stunned. Today was my birthday. The only one who gave me a gold bracelet was my brother, who’s five years younger than me. My hand, quicker than my brain, clicked “accept.” The other side immediately barraged me with a frantic stream of messages. “Shameless old hag! If you want a gold bracelet, find yourself a boyfriend! Hurry up and return the bracelet my boyfriend bought for me!” My breath hitched, and fury surged to my brain. The last vestiges of my sanity made me send back a single question mark after some thought. “Can’t you understand human language? I’m Liam’s girlfriend. I’m giving you until tomorrow to return the bracelet, or don’t blame me for being rude.” I rolled my eyes. Ugh, what a tone. Did she think I was some mistress Liam had found? I tentatively replied, “I’m Liam’s sister. Full-blooded, same parents.” Clearly, I had overthought it. “So what if you’re his sister? Liam is my boyfriend. Don’t tell me you’re his sister—you could be his mother and he still shouldn’t buy you a bracelet. You dared to accept a forty-thousand-dollar bracelet? Aren’t you afraid it’ll burn you?” So, she knew who I was after all. If it wasn’t a mistaken attack, then it was a direct one. I retorted without hesitation: “Do you know who you are? You’re just my brother’s girlfriend, not his wife. And I certainly won’t allow Liam to have such an ill-mannered wife. Otherwise, I’ll break his legs.” She probably blew up, immediately firing back a voice message. The moment I answered, the receiver was filled with a long string of expletives, heavily punctuated by mother-related insults. I tossed my phone onto the sofa, unfurled a face mask, and meticulously smoothed it onto my face. When she tired of yelling, she started threatening me: “Hear me? Return the bracelet tomorrow, or I’ll call you every day and curse you out.” “Tsk,” I scoffed. “Are you done cussing? It’s my turn. My vocabulary is far more extensive than yours…” Beep. She actually hung up. These young people really had no sense of decorum. I dialed back. The message: “The other party has not added you as a friend and cannot be voice called.” She blocked me? Truly, no decorum whatsoever. I was furious! I roared at my brother, who was gaming in his bedroom: “LIAM! I’m giving you three seconds to get over here!” Liam stumbled out, one slipper on, the other hand still clutching his mouse. His face was a mask of terror. “Sis, what’s up? I’m about to take down the enemy’s core.” I tore off my face mask and flung it at him. “Take down your ass! You’d better explain what this is all about!” 2 My brother mumbled, “I wish I had a sister. If I had a sister, I’d never pick on her.” He begrudgingly took the phone I handed him, looked at it for three seconds, and then all the hairs on his body stood on end. He quickly stammered, “Sis, sis, this is definitely a misunderstanding.” I watched him with a mocking smirk. “Oh? How so?” He hemmed and hawed for a long time, then carefully placed the phone on the coffee table, forcing a chuckle. “Sis, sis, don’t get mad first. I’ll ask Savannah what’s going on.” I rotated my wrist. “You’d better get to the bottom of it fast. You know I don’t have much patience.” My brother nodded, then bolted as if fleeing for his life. I curled up on the sofa, growing angrier the more I thought about it. Both my parents were workaholics. Liam, you could say, I raised him from childhood. He was a difficult child, causing endless trouble from a young age. Every time, I was the one cleaning up his messes. During his rebellious phase, he defied them in every way. My parents tried to rein him in but found they couldn’t. Finally, left with no choice, I, a fresh college student, took three months off. With sheer sibling dominance, I disciplined him until he was perfectly obedient. Until he cried, begging me, “Sis, please go back to school. I really know I was wrong.” My mom sometimes brings up those days, shaking her head. “To see you, such a small person, with such incredible strength. You literally beat six-foot-tall Liam until he cried for mercy.” Liam would chime in, “You guys just talk about it, but she really hit, hit to kill, like she didn’t care if she killed me.” From then on, I discovered that reasoning with Liam was useless; only brute force worked. In the entire family, this kid feared nothing and no one, except me. Whenever he acted like a jerk, if my parents just said, “I’ll tell your sister,” he’d instantly turn into a sweet little angel. I hit him, but I was also truly good to him. I made sure he had all the gaming equipment, sports gear, and electronics a boy could want. When he graduated college and said he wasn’t ready to enter society, I defied my parents’ pressure and paid for him to travel for a year. His job was too far from home, so I gave him my brand-new, tens-of-thousands-of-dollars car to drive, taking the subway to work myself. Finally, this kid grew up, wised up. He proactively used his bonus to buy me a gold bracelet. I felt like a diligent old farmer, toiling for decades, finally seeing the fruits of my harvest. And now, I was being cursed at, called a shameless old hag? Forget Liam giving me a gold bracelet; given all I’ve done for him over the years, I’d deserve a whole apartment if he gave it to me. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. I grabbed my phone and called my childhood friend: “Help me look someone up. Savannah Jenkins, Liam’s girlfriend…” 3 The next morning, I woke with dark circles under my eyes. A glance at the clock showed it was already 7:30 AM. After getting ready, I walked to the door and saw my car keys hanging by the entrance. The anger that had somewhat subsided overnight flared up again. I heard Liam picks up Savannah for work every morning, right? I bought the car, and I take the subway, while they drive my car, shielded from wind and sun. And then they complain about the bracelet I gave him? Am I some kind of big-time chump? Let them take the subway. I slipped on my shoes, tossed the car keys into my bag, and humming a little tune, I got into the elevator. When I reached the basement and opened the car door, I couldn’t help but frown. The entire car was stuffed with all sorts of plush toys. The passenger seat was decked out in pink, with a tacky pink bow tied to the headrest. Even more ridiculous, the passenger sun visor had a note stuck to it: “Savannah’s Seat. No Sluts Allowed.” Hmph! She really thinks she’s something. I leaned in, ripped off the note, then found a bag and stuffed all the fluffy toys into it, tossing them into the trunk. Only when all that was done did I look at my car’s original interior, finally satisfied, and nodded. Just as I arrived at the office, Liam’s custom ringtone blared. “Sis, where are my car keys? Did you drive the car away?” I sat down, opened my computer, and said coldly, “What? Isn’t it my car? Can’t I drive it whenever I want? Do I need to report to you?” Liam paused, then switched to a more flattering tone. “Sis, dearest sis, are you still mad? I asked Savannah yesterday. She just loves me too much, so she’s a bit possessive. You, being someone who hasn’t been in love, wouldn’t understand this feeling, so don’t be so hard on Savannah.” Look at him, is he even speaking sense? My fists instinctively tightened. “Someone who hasn’t been in love wouldn’t understand this feeling,” he said. When I was dating guys with six-packs and sweet, innocent smiles, this kid was still immersed in angsty teenage fiction. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. I had a very important meeting this morning; I couldn’t afford to get angry. Anger affected clear thinking. I softened my tone. “Go to hell, you idiot. I’ll deal with you when I get home.” 4 After hanging up, I began preparing materials for the morning meeting. Savannah Jenkins, who had unblocked me, messaged: “You tramp, it’s all because of you that I lost my perfect attendance bonus! You owe me! We don’t even care about driving your crappy car. I order you to immediately buy Liam and me a new car, or don’t blame me for being rude!” I took three deep breaths, but the more I thought, the angrier I got. I dialed her directly for a voice call. She answered and immediately launched into a passionate tirade. “Was your mother just a placenta when she gave birth to you? Are your brain and large intestine switched? How else could your head be so full of crap? Read more books, stop daydreaming all day. Buy you a car? Why don’t I buy a hammer and smash you? You should save the money you spend on game skins and invest in some brains. You act like a total idiot every day. Savannah Jenkins, right? Let me tell you, as long as I’m alive, if you ever step foot in my house, you can take my surname!” The moment I finished speaking, I slammed down the phone and promptly blocked her. My motto: get revenge, no internalizing. Three minutes later, Liam’s phone rang again. I immediately blocked all his contact methods and forced a charming smile at my reflection. But before my smile even faded, my phone tiredly rang again. The moment I answered, Liam’s voice came through the receiver: “Sis, why did you block…” Snap! I cut him off. The general manager’s assistant emerged, announcing, “Ms. Lane, your department’s been called to the meeting.” I smiled, silencing my phone. This project was crucial, tied to our entire department’s quarterly bonus. Absolutely no room for error. I picked up my laptop and walked confidently to the meeting room. There was a lot to report. It was two hours later when it was my turn to summarize. “Sis, sis! Don’t stop me, I have something urgent to tell my sister!” A familiar voice suddenly blared from outside the meeting room. I frowned. Liam, refusing to back down, was making a racket at the door. The general manager’s assistant whispered a few words to the general manager, who glared at me, displeased. I gave him an awkward smile. “Mr. Liu, give me two minutes.” I grabbed a broom from the corner, then pulled open the meeting room door. “Sis, let me explain…” I smiled at him, then immediately swung the broom at him. “Ow, sis, sis, why are you hitting me again?” I said gently, “Go to hell. If this project falls apart, I’ll skin you alive when I get home.” Liam shivered, quickly explaining, “I didn’t know you had an important meeting.” I glared at him. “Now you know. Get lost.” Liam nodded like a pecking chick. “Then I’ll wait for you.” 5 Returning to the conference room, I glanced at my watch. Exactly two minutes. “Mr. Liu, I can present now.” Mr. Liu’s gaze at me was a little uncomfortable. He took a sip of tea. “No, no need. The proposal is quite good. We’ll leave it to your department. That’s all for today.” He finished speaking, stood up, and strode out. At the door, he turned back to me and said, “Oh, about young Liam, skinning someone is illegal, you know.” I froze. After Mr. Liu left, my colleagues in the department gave me a thumbs-up. “Ms. Lane, I never knew you had such a fierce side.” “Yeah, when you were hitting your brother, Mr. Liu said he was glad he never pushed you too hard before.” Me: … Great. My carefully maintained image as a graceful lady had just shattered into a million pieces. 6 At noon, when work ended, Liam was waiting for me in our company lobby. When he saw me, he stubbornly walked up, a hint of complaint in his voice. “Sis, I’m 25 this year. Aren’t you being a bit too disrespectful?” I gave him an unamused glance. “Spit it out.” Liam rolled his eyes at me. “Sis, no wonder you don’t have a boyfriend. Why can’t you be gentle like Savannah? And listen, it’s fine if you hit me or yell at me—you’re my sister. But you can’t insult Savannah. She’s a sensitive girl; you cursed her out so horribly, she cried. This afternoon, when you get off work, go apologize to Savannah and buy her a gold bracelet.” My brows furrowed deeper and deeper, and I looked at him as if he were an utter idiot. I gave him a cold laugh. “I think you’re itching for another beating, aren’t you?” He paused, a hint of anger in his eyes. “Sis, don’t be endless. Do you really think I can’t beat you? I’ve always let you win before, but now I have a woman to protect. If you keep this up, I’ll fight back.” Now it was my turn to freeze. He was right. He was over six feet tall and weighed around 160 pounds. If it came down to a real fight, I truly wasn’t his match. It just stung a little. My little brother, whom I had raised since childhood, was now saying such things to me for a woman he’d known for less than six months. I looked at him mockingly. “Liam, I suggest you get a specialist referral to a psychiatrist and have your head examined. Are you selectively forgetting what Savannah texted me yesterday? So I get cursed at, and I’m not allowed to curse back, is that it?” Liam grew impatient. “Sis, why are you so petty? I’ve already explained that Savannah just cares about me too much. This morning, you drove the car away without a word, and that was wrong of you. It cost Savannah her perfect attendance bonus. It’s only natural for her to be angry and curse at you a little. How could you say such awful things to her?” “Hah!” I actually laughed, genuinely furious. “My car, I drive it away. And I deserve to be cursed at for it, is that it? If you’re so capable, buy your own car and drive her! What kind of trash thinks it’s righteous to leech off me?” “So you’re finally saying what you really think, are you?” Liam’s eyes suddenly blazed red, looking at me as if I were an enemy. “Savannah was right after all. You just use me to flaunt your superiority. It’s just a cheap car, I don’t care for it.” What was he talking about? I couldn’t hold back anymore. SLAP! My hand connected with his face. Liam’s head snapped sideways. He suddenly went berserk, grabbing my shoulders and shoving me. I stumbled backward a few steps, my leg hitting the corner of a table. Instantly, blood streamed down. “Sis…” His face filled with panic as reason returned. “Get out…” My entire being radiated a low pressure. Liam stood rooted to the spot, stunned. I snarled again, “Get out…” Just as Liam stood there, bewildered, his phone rang. After hanging up, he walked towards me, speaking softly. “Sis, you’re not short on money anyway. Can you give me the bracelet you gave me yesterday? I’ll return it when I earn enough…” I snatched off the bracelet and threw it at him, furious. “Get out!” Liam picked up the bracelet, hesitated for a moment, then ran off. I looked at the blood gushing from my ankle, sucking in a sharp breath. However, the pain in my heart was a hundred times worse than the pain in my foot. Just as I was about to leave, my phone lit up. “Old hag, still want to fight me? When I marry Liam, I’ll kick you out of the house.”

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The day the Davies family faced bankruptcy, Finn Davies agreed to an engagement with me, all for a hundred million dollars. But on Valentine’s Day, he stood me up at the amusement park, leaving me to wait alone. It wasn’t until late that night that I happened to scroll past a social media post from his private account—an ultrasound scan, clearly bearing the name of his “first love,” Lily Green. Immediately after, Finn’s message popped up: “I’ve given you the engagement. I can’t choose my wife, but who my mistress is, is none of your business. Lily is pregnant. In public, I’ll be your fiancé. In private, I will only be the father of her child. You must make four days available each week for me to care for Lily and her child, otherwise, don’t even think about having the wedding!” Reading the words on the screen, I let out a furious laugh. Did he really think I had begged for this engagement? He had no idea, men lining up to marry into the Lane family stretched from London to Paris! At the engagement party, ninety-nine elite gentlemen from the city’s wealthiest families stood in a neat row, awaiting my choice. I waved my hand, and announced, “Let’s play rock-paper-scissors. Whoever wins gets the spot.” 1 On Valentine’s Day, a torrential downpour, the likes of which hadn’t been seen in a century, lashed down. I stood outside the amusement park entrance for a full ten hours, drenched to the bone and shivering, until my father’s driver finally picked me up. On the way home, I kept refreshing my chat screen, filled with unread video calls I’d made to Finn. He hadn’t even replied to a single message. As the car pulled into the driveway, my father, his face grim, helped me out. “What’s so special about that Davies boy? Worth standing in the rain for ten hours? The contract’s signed, the hundred million is in the account. Why can’t you see him for who he is…” My father’s words trailed off. I trembled, reaching out to pat his hand. “You’re right, Dad. I don’t want Finn Davies anymore. Someone so ungrateful isn’t worth my sadness.” My father’s comforting expression froze. He looked as if he doubted his own ears. “What did you say?” “I said I don’t want Finn Davies anymore. He humiliates me before we’re even engaged; what will he do after? You can bring out those ninety-nine blind dates you arranged. Let them play rock-paper-scissors. Whoever wins, I’ll marry. The Lane family doesn’t need a son-in-law with bad luck.” With that final word, my vision blurred, and I fainted. When I woke, I was in my bedroom. Finn sat by the bed, his face cold. Seeing me open my eyes, his expression darkened further. “Is this interesting to you? Just because I missed one date, you have to run and tell your family? Do you know Lily was suffering from severe morning sickness today, almost collapsing? In your eyes, is a human life less important than a single date?” He didn’t give me a chance to speak, rattling on like a machine gun. “I’ve already agreed to marry you. Lily is just someone I’m supporting outside. Can’t you tolerate even that? What else do you want? So possessive! Why don’t you just put a leash on my neck?!” When he finished his tirade, I looked at him calmly. “In your heart, is that truly how you see me?” My indifferent attitude completely infuriated him. He shot up, grabbing his hair in frustration. When he looked at me again, his voice was surprisingly softer. “That’s not what I meant. It’s just that Lily has no one to look after her, and I’m worried. Her child is just an illegitimate one; it won’t threaten your position. Why do you have to target her? As long as you agree to give me four days a week to spend with Lily, the wedding will proceed as planned.” His features, once handsome in my eyes, were now utterly repulsive. I closed my eyes, turning my head away. “No need. I won’t marry you. You can spend all your time with her. Congratulations, you’re free.” “Easy to say! If you’re so brave, don’t use money to threaten me! What a hypocrite!” Finn flung those words, then left without a backward glance. Silent tears streamed down my face, soaking the pillow. My eight-year long unrequited love finally came to an end that night. 2 I didn’t sleep a wink, and by dawn, my fever had spiked to 102 degrees Fahrenheit. The housekeeper came with breakfast, touched my forehead, and screamed. My father rushed me to the hospital for an IV drip. The fever didn’t break for another two hours. As I was paying the bill alone, I unexpectedly saw Finn with Lily Green, who was there for a prenatal check-up. Lily leaned weakly into his embrace, her hands gently caressing her not-yet-prominent baby bump, a charming smile on her face. “Baby’s so good today, he didn’t give me any trouble. Do you think he heard what you said yesterday?” Finn’s face held a tenderness I had never seen directed at me. He dotingly pinched her nose. “My silly girl, the baby hasn’t even fully formed yet. How could he hear anything?” “I don’t care, I don’t care! He definitely can hear! You’re not allowed to say anything bad about my baby. My baby is definitely the smartest in the world.” Finn’s composure instantly vanished, and he agreed profusely. “Yes, yes, yes, Lily is always right. The child will take after you, smart and beautiful.” His peripheral vision caught my figure. Lily deliberately stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. I quickly hid behind the corner. My heart ached so much I could barely breathe. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to let go of my feelings for him. But my eyes still welled up, involuntarily. As I paid, Lily walked alone towards me, flashing the dazzling wedding ring on her finger. “Miss Lane, hello. I assume you already know who I am from yesterday. From now on, we’ll both be serving Finn, so I hope you’ll guide me.” The suppressed hurt I felt moments before erupted into anger. My face hardened. “You’re dirty yourself. Don’t assume everyone else is like you. ‘Serving a man?’ How can you even utter such base words? Finn may be a treasure in your eyes, but in mine, he’s less than human!” After paying, I turned to leave. But Lily suddenly grabbed my wrist, pulling me towards the ground. After a struggle, Lily screamed and fell to the floor, sobbing as she pleaded, “I’m sorry, Miss Lane, it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have fought you for Finn. Please, please, don’t hurt my baby. The baby is innocent!” “I met Finn first. I can give him to you. I don’t want anything, I just want my baby to be born safely. Can’t even that be allowed?” Her cries attracted the attention of passersby. The patients’ families present pointed and whispered about me. “Stealing someone else’s man and acting righteous about it? Are mistresses this shameless now?” “I hate home-wreckers most in this life!” “Do you think money makes you invincible? What kind of strength is it to bully a pregnant woman? Apologize!” The torrent of insults drowned me. Before I could explain, Finn had rushed to my side. He pulled Lily into his embrace, then turned, glaring at me with a vicious look. “Alice Lane, were you following me? I already told you, Lily won’t threaten your position. Why can’t you leave her alone?” I looked up at him, my face a mask of disbelief. “I was following you? Finn Davies, are you insane? This is a hospital! I—” My words were cut short by his cold voice. “Enough! Alice Lane, do you know what I hate most about you? I hate how you look down on people just because you’re rich. There are so many people here. Is everyone blind?!” A cold, disdainful sneer curled his lips. “Money can buy an engagement, but it can’t buy true feelings! Alice Lane, someone like you will never find true love!” Watching Finn defend Lily, the crowd erupted in cheers. Finn straightened his back, his voice cold. “That riverside villa of yours, give it up. The air there is good, perfect for Lily to rest and recover during her pregnancy. Then this matter will be over.” 3 Fury devoured my reason, and my eyes instantly burned red. “Are you kidding me? That villa is my mother’s legacy! You want your mistress to live there? On what grounds?!” Lily sobbed hysterically, her voice choked with feigned injustice. “Finn, actually, Miss Lane isn’t—” “You don’t need to plead for her! I know exactly what kind of person she is! If she hadn’t interfered, we would have been married long ago!” With those words, he glared at me viciously, his eyes radiating endless disgust. “Just because you spent a hundred million, you think you can marry me.” My body swayed uncontrollably, and I almost collapsed. This was the man I had secretly loved for eight years. I could only blame myself for being so blind. I wanted to tell him I had already canceled the engagement and had no intention of targeting his Lily. But Finn didn’t give me a chance to speak. He simply ordered his bodyguards to drag me into the car. The Maybach sped towards the riverside. In the car, Finn held Lily tightly, glaring at me. “The key card? Hand it over.” “Dream on!” Finn’s face was so dark it could drip ink. He glanced at a bodyguard, who immediately understood and began to frisk me. “If you don’t know what’s good for you, don’t blame me for not giving you a chance!” My scream almost ripped through the car roof. Finn covered Lily’s eyes with his hand, not sparing me a single glance. Just recovering from a serious illness, I had little strength left. Now, my coat was completely torn by the bodyguard. The gauze dress underneath barely covered my body. My last shred of dignity was brutally trampled into the dirt. Tears of despair streamed from my eyes. It wasn’t until the bodyguard found my wallet that the nightmare finally ended. The key card was handed to Lily by Finn. The black card was given to his bodyguard. “Go to the nearby mall. Bring back everything in the baby store. Nothing under a thousand dollars. Don’t want to hurt the baby or Lily.” With that, he disgustedly wiped his hands with a tissue, as if my wallet were something filthy. The bodyguard was dropped off halfway. My fever relapsed, and I once again fell into a coma. Finn’s disgusted voice occasionally drifted into my ears. My body was kicked twice. “Stop pretending to be pathetic! Get up! Alice Lane, can’t you hear me? Don’t make me throw you out of the car! You’ll stop at nothing to gain sympathy. What, Lily’s pregnant and weak, are you pregnant too? Good. If you’re pregnant, I won’t have to honor the engagement. If you don’t get up now, do you believe I’ll call the Lane family?” Finn’s patience ran out, his face cold as ice. He picked up a cup, about to splash boiling hot tea on me. Lily quickly stopped him, her voice aggrieved. “Finn, Miss Lane doesn’t look like she’s faking it. Could something really have happened?” “Anyway, we haven’t driven far. Why don’t we take her back to the hospital?” Finn’s lips curled into a cold sneer, and he held Lily even tighter. “You’re too kind, that’s why she always walks all over you. People like Alice Lane will stop at nothing to achieve their goals. You don’t know her.” Lily pouted, tears welling in her eyes. “I thought you agreed to the engagement because you had some affection for Miss Lane. She just wanted to help you, you know?” Finn wiped away her tears, and kissed her forehead tenderly. “Affection? Disgust is more like it. If the Lane family wasn’t useful to me, why would I ever agree to marry someone like her? Once this crisis is over, I’ll divorce her immediately. I can’t stand Alice Lane’s temper for a single day! Then I’ll give you the grandest wedding in the world. We’ll take the baby and travel to Paris, okay? Seeing the Northern Lights sounds nice too.” Lily blushed, hiding in his embrace. Finn gently stroked her long hair, his gaze tender, then looked at the scars on her wrist. “Lily, thank you. Thank you for protecting me at school all those years ago. And thank you for giving me a child.” Lily’s expression stiffened, a flicker of panic in her eyes. “You still remember…” Eight years ago, Finn was just an illegitimate son of the Davies family. He endured endless humiliation and scorn from outsiders. The most serious incident was when he was kidnapped and knocked unconscious. The true heir of the Davies family had hired people to kill him. In his unconscious state, he heard a man’s scream. “Crazy! You’re absolutely insane!” When he woke, only Lily was by his side, her wrist still bleeding profusely. From then on, Lily became the most special person in his life. In an unnoticed corner, my body slid down the car seat. Beneath my torn outer garment, the ugly scars on my wrist were exposed. 4 Even after the car pulled into the villa, I remained unconscious. My cheeks were flushed with an unnatural redness. It was then that Finn finally noticed something was wrong. When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in a guest room. Through the open door, in the hallway, I saw Finn meticulously arranging Lily’s clothes with his own hands. His movements were incredibly gentle, as if he were handling not mere garments, but the most precious treasures in the world. I remembered the last time I went with my father to a Davies family banquet to discuss a business deal. I had playfully asked Finn to fasten my necklace for me. His face had been cold, and he had simply replied, “Don’t you have hands? I don’t touch women’s things.” I had thought that was just his personality. But today, I realized that mask was merely his disguise for how much he despised me. With Lily, he had no inhibitions. Noticing my gaze, Finn looked at me. Our eyes met, and his tenderness dissolved into ice. He quickly walked to my side, his voice cold. “To frame Lily, you’d even harm yourself?” I froze for a moment. His face darkened further. “What are you playing at? If you got sick here, would the Lane family let Lily off the hook?” I suddenly laughed, and as I laughed, tears streamed down my face. “Fine, then I’ll leave.” I threw off the covers and rose to go. His hand abruptly pushed me back down. “Stay put until you’re well. If you go back now, the Lane family will think I bullied you.” With that, Finn turned and left. Soon, laughter drifted up from downstairs. Finn was gently asking Lily what she wanted to eat. Lily was playfully nagging him, paying him no mind. My wavering heart suddenly died at that moment. He had his happiness; I would find my own love. He wanted freedom, so I would grant it to him. I quickly changed into a different set of clothes. I called for a taxi on my phone, preparing to leave the villa. But Lily suddenly knocked on the door. Stripping away her facade, her expression was triumphant and challenging. “Miss Lane, you don’t really think money is everything, do you? You might be rich enough, but Finn doesn’t even want to look at you. Marrying you was just a temporary solution. Guess what? Once the Davies family gets through this crisis, you might just find yourself kicked out.” I didn’t back down, staring straight at her. “Yes, money isn’t everything. But not having money is definitely a problem. Guess what? If my family withdraws its investment, will Finn protect you, or will he choose that hundred million?” Lily’s triumphant expression froze. I pressed closer. “Remember this: Finn wasn’t stolen by you. I, Alice Lane, gave him to you.” “A man whose heart isn’t with me? I don’t care to have him.” “And, about what happened at school all those years ago—” Before I could finish, Lily’s face suddenly turned cold. “Shut up!” “I don’t need you to ‘give’ him to me! Your stubbornness is useless. We’re all women, do you think I can’t see through you? Your heart must be shattered, right? I don’t mind helping you out again!” She turned and forcefully slammed into a nearby wardrobe. A scream erupted. Finn kicked open the door, then slapped me across the face. “What did you do?” Lily collapsed into his arms, pleading repeatedly, “Miss Lane, I already apologized to you! Why are you doing this to me? Finn, I don’t want to be a hidden mistress anymore! Let me go, please! I just want to live…” Finn’s veins throbbed on his forehead, his anger reaching its peak. “Alice Lane, get out! Get out!” There was no emotional pain, just a sense of mockery. “Finn Davies, this is my house! You’re the ones who should get out!” As if he hadn’t expected me to say that, intense hatred blazed in his eyes. “Fine. I owe you the engagement. I have no right to argue with you. But remember this: I can marry you, but in this life, you won’t get a single kind look from me!” With that, he picked up Lily and left. For a whole week, he never appeared again, completely cutting all contact. Until the engagement party, where a hundred elite gentlemen, including Finn, awaited my choice. From the moment he entered the Lane family mansion, he was like a puppet, showing no emotion. Guests assumed he was my designated fiancé and came forward to congratulate him. Finn didn’t give them a glance, treating them coldly. Just as the selection process was about to begin, his phone suddenly chimed. After checking the message, his face instantly went ashen. He rushed towards me, ignoring everyone, and slapped me in front of the crowd. “Alice Lane, why did you hire someone to hit Lily with a car?!” “I came as promised today! What else do you want from me?!” “Every second I spend near you, even the air makes me utterly sick!” With that, he left furiously, ignoring his bodyguard’s attempts to stop him. My father’s eyes burned red with rage. He slammed his hand on the table. “That beast! He dares to defy my Lane family for a harlot?!” “Cut all collaborations with Davies Industries! Announce publicly that anyone who dares to help the Davies family is an enemy of the Lane family!” Guests exchanged glances, whispering amongst themselves. They wondered who I would choose now that Finn had left. I smiled, stepped forward, and linked my arm with my father’s. “My apologies for the scene, everyone. However, Finn Davies and I have no connection. His departure simply means the engagement party continues. Gentlemen, please begin your game of rock-paper-scissors. The winner will become my fiancé, maximizing our family’s resources and benefits. But those with bad luck will be eliminated by me!” Three rounds of the game quickly concluded. The final winner was a young man who had just graduated college. He stood on the stage, his expression shy, his ears flushed crimson, unable to look at me. I handed the microphone to my father, then stepped forward and threw myself into his embrace. The hall erupted in applause, and guests offered their congratulations. … At the hospital, Finn’s father called him repeatedly. After Finn hung up on him, his father stormed directly into the hospital room. He slapped Finn across the face, roaring uncontrollably. “You missed the engagement party! Are you insane?! Do you know the Lane family—” Before he could finish, Finn cut him off coldly. “Does it matter if I went? Alice Lane would marry me no matter what. What’s the point of this formality?” His face was etched with exhaustion, his eyes hollow as he gazed in Lily’s direction. His father suddenly let out a bitter laugh, then raised his hand and slapped him again. “Marry you no matter what? Alice Lane is engaged to the Sutton family! Who do you think you are?!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “392706”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I found a ring. The moment I slipped it on, Liam Sterling, the hottest guy on campus, fell head over heels for me, pursuing me with a furious intensity. I was just… average. Yet, he swore I was the most beautiful girl in the world. Even his friends thought he’d lost his mind, scoffing that love was truly blind, that he’d mistaken a dull pebble for a dazzling diamond. After six months with Liam, I gradually began to accept this bizarre reality. My defenses crumbled. I let my guard down, opened my heart, and went home with him. But the next morning, my ring was gone. Liam, his eyes wide with panic, shoved me away. “Who are you?” he demanded, his voice laced with terror. He broke up with me, painting me as some kind of monster to his friends. “The Sarah I knew wasn’t like this,” he snarled, a visceral disgust twisting his features. “It’s sick. I actually spent half a year with that woman.” Time rewound. The ring had flung me back six months. It turned out this magical artifact could transform me into my crush’s ideal woman. I stared at the ring, a profound unease settling in my chest. This time, I didn’t put it on. Instead, I locked it away, vowing never to touch it again. What I hadn’t expected was that Liam had been dragged back in time with me. 1 After ditching Chloe Evans, she surprisingly didn’t go to the party that night. “Liam didn’t even show up,” she mumbled, looking utterly crestfallen. “He’s apparently sick or something…” I paused, then offered a few words of comfort. “Maybe next time, then.” Chloe latched onto my arm, pouting. “Sarah, you have to come with me to the next gathering. It’s always all guys, and I’m the only girl. It’s so awkward.” I chuckled, gently pushing her hand away. “Why don’t you ask Lucy to go with you instead?” Chloe’s expression flickered. “She’s not going. Please, Sarah, please say you’ll come. I’m begging you!” I knew exactly why Chloe was so desperate to drag me along. Lucy Miller was stunning, and Chloe couldn’t stand anyone stealing her thunder. I, on the other hand, was perfectly plain – a dutiful backdrop, easy to overlook. In my previous life, I’d gone with Chloe to that very gathering. But everyone there had been utterly floored. Liam hadn’t even glanced at Chloe. Instead, his gaze had been utterly fixated on me, the unassuming sidekick. After the party, Liam had launched into a whirlwind courtship. At first, I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I figured it was just some twisted game, a prank cooked up by the campus royalty. But Liam’s relentless pursuit and genuine demeanor slowly chipped away at my skepticism. He was undeniably good to me. No matter how much his friends warned him off, he remained steadfast. I saw the sincerity in his eyes, and little by little, he won me over. We became a couple. But the moment I truly gave him my heart, after a night of shared intimacy, Liam transformed. He shrieked, practically throwing me out of his apartment, swearing he’d never seen me before in his life. I felt like I’d fallen straight into hell. Back at the dorm, I realized my ring was gone. I had no choice but to return to Liam’s place to find it. When I got back, Liam was surrounded by his friends. His face was a mask of repulsion, pure nausea etched into every line. “The Sarah I knew wasn’t like this,” he spewed, his voice raw with disgust. “It’s sick. I actually spent half a year with that woman! What the hell happened?!” I stood frozen in the doorway, my soul feeling ripped from my body. The next second, time rewound. I was back before Liam had ever even known me. That very ring, the one that had dropped from my finger, now sat quietly in my desk drawer. I tore open the packaging and pulled out the instructions nestled inside the box. This ring possesses magic. Wear it, and you will become the ideal version of your secret crush. The explanation stated that because my “mission” to win Liam over had failed, the ring had sent me back six months. I stared at the ring, a profound unease churning within me. But I didn’t put it on again. Instead, I locked it away in my closet, vowing never to touch it. 2 A few days later, Chloe was begging me again. Liam had organized another gathering, specifically inviting Chloe and telling her to bring her roommates. “Sarah, please, please, just come with me!” Annoyed, I called out from my bunk, “Liam said you could bring your roommates, right? So everyone in the dorm can go. Why don’t you ask them? Whoever wants to go out with Liam can go.” My words instantly piqued everyone else’s interest. Sure enough, Chloe had kept this a secret from them. Now that everyone knew, they were all buzzing. In the end, everyone in the dorm agreed to go – except for me. Lucy even came over to try and convince me. “Everyone else is going, Sarah. Why don’t you just come along? We’re in college now, it’s time to experience some of that college life!” Lucy’s words made me hesitate. It had been almost a month since I’d come back, and I felt my feelings for Liam had settled, like still water. Maybe a calm approach would help me demythologize him. Besides, this time, without the ring’s magical aura, and with my roommates all being gorgeous, no one would bother me. I could just go for a free meal. Once I agreed, that day I didn’t even bother with makeup. I threw on a hoodie and jeans, pulled my hair into a ponytail, and headed out looking fresh and simple. Liam and his friends had already arrived. It was his buddies who came to pick us up. Just as I’d hoped, I went unnoticed. No one tried to strike up a conversation. I just quietly slipped into the restaurant. Liam was seated in a corner. His clothes were simple, but his handsome face elevated even the most casual attire, making it look like haute couture. He was undeniably good-looking, came from a wealthy family, and there wasn’t a single girl who saw him whose heart wouldn’t quicken. Once I settled into my seat, I heard Chloe’s excited whisper. “Sarah, is Liam looking at us?” I glanced up. My eyes met Liam’s. He was frowning, his gaze sharp and complex, as if trying to bore right through me. My stomach fluttered with an unfamiliar unease. “Yeah,” I mumbled, nodding. “He’s looking at you.” I wasn’t much of a talker to begin with, and once the food arrived, I buried myself in my plate, tuning out all the chatter, utterly detached from the table’s social dance. That was until Lucy nudged me, an awkward flush creeping up her neck. “Sarah…” I looked up. Everyone at the table was staring at me. Liam’s face was dark, a rigid sneer twisting his lips. “Sarah,” Lucy whispered, “Liam just tried to say hello…” Liam chuckled, a hint of mockery glinting in his eyes. “Chloe, is your friend starving? How long has it been since she ate?” A hush fell over the table. Jake Hayes, one of Liam’s friends, was the first to react, quickly jumping in to ease the tension. “What are you talking about, Liam? You just worried there wasn’t enough food, right? Waiter, let’s get a few more dishes.” Liam didn’t respond. I wiped my mouth, then stood up, offering a bland smile to everyone. “My apologies. I skipped lunch and was ravenous. I’ll take a penalty drink. You all just enjoy yourselves, don’t mind me.” I grabbed a soda and chugged it. But Liam’s scowl only deepened. He pressed on, his voice dripping with condescension. “Drinking soda to toast us? That’s not much commitment.” I met Liam’s gaze, my own eyes flat and unreadable. “I’m allergic to alcohol.” Lucy awkwardly tugged at my arm, explaining to Liam, “Sarah really is allergic. One sip and she’s out.” After I sat back down, Liam remained stone-faced, not uttering another word throughout the rest of the meal. I didn’t care what his problem was. After dinner, when they started talking about heading to karaoke, I announced my departure. Chloe offered a hesitant apology. “I’m so sorry, Sarah. I don’t know what got into Liam tonight. Maybe he’s just in a bad mood.” I waved it off, saying it was fine. As I walked out, I saw Jake and Liam standing together. “What’s your deal, man?” Jake was saying. “Did you drink too much? Why were you giving that girl such a hard time?” Another friend chimed in, “Yeah, even if she isn’t super pretty, you could’ve just ignored her. You made the whole atmosphere super awkward.” I happened to be walking by at that moment. The group froze, wide-eyed. Jake was the first to recover. “Sarah, you coming to karaoke with us?” I offered him a small smile. “No thanks, you guys have fun. I’m heading back.” Jake started walking toward me. “I can walk you back.” Before I could reply, Liam’s cold voice cut through the air. “Let her walk herself.” 3 I looked at Liam, a spark of anger igniting within me. “Jake, you can walk me.” Jake blinked, surprised, then followed me. “I’ll see Sarah off. You guys go ahead.” Once we were outside, Jake’s curiosity got the better of him. “Did you two know each other before?” “No,” I replied, shaking my head. I flagged down a taxi, then turned to Jake. “What I said back there was just to be spiteful. You should go back. I don’t need you to walk me.” I got into the cab, but Jake was insistent. “It’s late for a girl to be riding alone. I don’t feel good about it.” I let out a soft laugh. “You’re quite the gentleman.” I didn’t talk much to Jake during the ride. When we reached campus, he asked for my number. I didn’t give it to him. Instead, I put on my best ‘too cool for school’ act. “I’m not really looking to date, so… apologies.” Jake’s face flushed. “I wasn’t…” “See ya.” I cut him off, making a swift exit. I knew Jake couldn’t possibly be interested in me. He was just as handsome as Liam, how could he possibly be attracted to someone as ordinary as me? I was just trying to find an excuse to keep all of them at a distance. But from that day on, Jake seemed to have developed an interest in me. He started contacting me frequently. He got my number from Chloe, then started waiting for me after class. Today was no different. He held a coffee cup, asking me out for a meal just outside the classroom. “Got some free time later? Wanna grab a bite?” Chloe, walking out with me, saw Jake approaching me and looked genuinely surprised. “You’re asking Sarah out?” Jake nodded. I, too, was genuinely curious as to why Jake had taken an interest in me. I agreed to have dinner with him. On the way, I asked him, “Do you think I’m pretty? Am I your dream girl?” My blunt questions left Jake speechless. Once I confirmed he wasn’t under any strange spell, I pressed on. “Probably not, right? I’m pretty plain. So why are you asking me out?” Jake considered it. “I think your personality is… interesting.” I offered a faint smile. “Is that so? I’m not entirely convinced.” We continued our conversation, our closeness seemingly growing. Just then, I saw Liam. He stood in the distance, his eyes cold, locked on us. I met his stare, then casually reached out and took Jake’s hand. Jake froze. At the same instant, Liam stormed over, his anger barely contained. He grabbed my arm, yanking me toward him. “Jake, she’s not who you think she is! Wake up!” Liam’s words sent a shiver down my spine. Jake looked utterly bewildered. “What are you talking about? What’s wrong with Sarah? Let her go, you’re hurting her!” Jake tried to pull me back, but Liam already had a firm grip on me and started dragging me away. My mind was a tangled mess. I tried to pull free, but his grip was unyielding. He didn’t release me until we reached a secluded spot. Liam’s eyes, dark and stormy, glared at me. “What, Sarah? Couldn’t reel me in, so you switched targets? Are you always this fickle, always so manipulative?”

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The piercing shriek of the fire alarm tore through the late-night silence, yet I, Battalion Chief Alice Evans, remained perfectly still, a warm mug cradled in my hands. My gaze, heavy with a knowing weariness, settled on the window, listening as the desperate screams outside were swallowed by the voracious roar of flames. In another life, when the first tendrils of smoke had appeared, I’d immediately dispatched my crews. I’d meticulously orchestrated their attack, sending them from different angles, watching as the inferno yielded, inch by agonizing inch. Only when the last survivor was carried out, charred but breathing, did I finally allow myself to sag, leaning back in my chair, eyes fluttering shut for a brief, earned rest. But then, an icy click. Handcuffs snapped around my wrists. “Battalion Chief Evans, you’re under arrest for intentional homicide. Come with us.” My returning crew, their faces smudged with soot and streaked with blood, their bodies bruised and burned, screamed. Their collective roar was enough to rip the roof off the station. “How could you be so heartless, Alice?! We trusted you! We ran in because we trusted you, and you deliberately misreported the fire! The engines you sent weren’t nearly enough!” “You mixed alcohol into the hoses! A regular fire turned into an inferno! Our brothers were maimed, and not a single soul made it out alive!” The words hit me like a physical blow. Explosion? Lives lost? I’d seen the fire controlled, witnessed survivors being pulled to safety with my own eyes. How could it have morphed into such a catastrophe? Ten or more lives extinguished. When I scrambled to retrieve the station’s security footage, desperate to prove my innocence, I watched in horror as the screen showed me—a version of me I barely recognized—botching every command, making fatal errors. Then, my husband, Tim Miller, stepped forward. He presented a video on his phone, his voice laced with feigned anguish. “She always treated human life with contempt. She hated night shifts, always said, ‘Let them die. Don’t interrupt my sleep.’” I was speechless, trapped in a nightmare. The furious families of the victims, their grief a tangible, burning thing, pushed me, shoved me, until I was flung into the middle of the road. The last thing I felt was the searing impact of a truck, a brutal, bone-shattering finality. And after my death, my apprentice, Chloe Vance, slid into my position. Within weeks, she was living with Tim. He, the grieving widower, publicly wept online, denouncing my “crimes,” earning a tidal wave of sympathy and praise for his supposed “forgiveness” of the driver and families. My body convulsed, a violent tremor that jolted me awake. I was back. Back in my office, the very night the fire began. A soft tap on my desk. I lifted my head, my eyes locking onto Chloe’s sweet, innocent face. My apprentice, who’d been with me since graduation, was pouting, her voice a sugary whine. “Coach, can you switch shifts with me tonight? I have a date, please, please, please?” Her words were a plea, but her eyes held an unsettling glint of certainty, a predatory assurance. In my past life, I hadn’t given it a second thought, readily agreeing. I’d walked straight into the trap she’d dug. The fire had broken out precisely during the shift change. A chilling coincidence. Could she truly have set that fire? Dozens of lives. Watching her pure, guileless smile, a cold dread snaked down my spine. “Coach, you can’t? I’ll give you some of my special gourmet coffee beans! Guaranteed to keep you awake!” Seeing my hesitation, she pressed a small, ornate bag into my hand. My colleagues chimed in, a chorus of good-natured teasing. “Come on, Alice, Chloe’s in love! Be a good sport!” “Yeah, she never lets anyone near those beans! They’re her absolute treasure!” Under their expectant gazes, I wrestled down the swirling chaos in my mind, forcing a slow nod. “Alright, Chloe. I’ll switch.” Chloe’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. She scurried to the break room, practically bouncing, and returned with a steaming mug. “Thank you, Coach! You HAVE to try my special blend. It’s my way of saying thanks!” I took the mug, setting it beside me. But Chloe’s lower lip began to tremble, her eyes welling up, her voice suddenly loud and wounded. “Is Coach mad? I-I promise I won’t bother you again…” My teammates’ eyes flickered with gentle reproach. I had no choice but to lift the mug. The aroma was rich, complex, no hint of anything amiss. Under her satisfied gaze, I drained it. Chloe beamed, a picture of angelic contentment, and practically skipped out. “Tonight’s going to be perfectly fine!” she called out, a seemingly innocuous parting shot. Not long after, Tim, my husband, walked in with a takeout container. “Knew you were on duty, so I switched my own plans to keep you company.” He expertly laid out the meal, his face a mask of loving concern. But seeing him, my heart chilled. Chloe had just left, and he arrived, “just in time.” Was he afraid I wouldn’t play my part in their twisted little drama? This man, who shared my bed, was so eager to push me into the abyss. Last time, he’d been on my crew, following my orders, even rescuing a survivor and waving to me. The fire had been so well-controlled, the hoses personally checked by me. How could alcohol have suddenly appeared? A horrifying theory began to coalesce in my mind. I fumbled for my phone and sent a quick message to a trusted friend at the station closest to the industrial zone. At precisely four in the morning, Chloe’s phone call jolted the silence. Her voice, laced with frantic urgency, was a chilling echo of the past. “Coach! The Riverside Industrial Zone is on fire! Get the crew out there, fast!” Just like before, she’d bypassed central dispatch, calling my private cell directly. Last time, I hadn’t thought twice, immediately dispatching units based on her report, neglecting to have dispatch verify further information. Now, chillingly calm, I detected not just a manufactured panic in her voice, but an unmistakable current of excitement. This fire. She’d set it. I took my time, slowly drawing breath. “You must have the wrong number, Chloe. You should call 911 dispatch first.” Chloe’s incredulous voice, shrill with manufactured outrage, threatened to puncture my eardrum. “Coach, are you insane?! Now’s not the time for procedures! These are real lives! Are you saying I’m lying about a fire? Alice, you think I’d joke about something like this?” She ordered me to open the live monitoring feed. Indeed, it was a massive blaze, screams echoing through the digital static. Yet, I remained unmoving, utterly unfazed. Chloe’s voice escalated, raw with frustration. “How can you be so cold-blooded?! Abandoning lives, letting them die! Are you even fit to be a firefighter anymore?!” “Get everyone out there! Every minute means another life! Please, Alice, I’m begging you!” I held the phone away from my ear, then spoke slowly. “Tell you what, since you’re already on site, you know the situation best. This operation? It’s yours to command. Go for it.” Chloe’s voice was a near-scream. “Alice Evans, where’s your conscience?! Shifting responsibility at a time like this? You’re on duty! I respected you so much!” “My experience isn’t enough! Please, Alice, come save these people!” Just then, Tim burst in, his face a mask of panic. “Alice, isn’t there a fire?! You need to dispatch the crews! There’s no time!” I blew gently on my mug, taking a slow sip. “You two go. Take an extra set of gear. Chloe will lead.” Last time, I’d rushed four engines to the scene. Once there, Chloe had suddenly requested to enter the burning structure, offering to assist. I’d handed her my own rescue gear, commanding from outside. I’d personally watched several firefighters pull survivors from the wreckage, even double-checked that they were alive. The hoses had sprayed clear water, and the blaze had seemed fully contained. Chloe had even run out of the inferno to tell me, “They’re all out, Coach! We’ll be clearing out soon!” It had all felt so incredibly real, impossible to fake. But it was entirely different from the surveillance footage I later saw. In that video, I was indeed outside the building, but the fire itself was completely different. The flames were barely under control when the hoses malfunctioned, spewing alcohol-laced water, instantly triggering the explosion. And the video version of me had calmly walked away from the immediate blast zone before the explosion, settling into my truck to rest. How had they done it? How had they manipulated what I saw, what I experienced, so utterly? Before I could fully process it, my teammates stormed in, their faces a mix of anxiety and simmering anger. “Chief Evans, isn’t there a fire? Why haven’t you dispatched anyone?” I raised an eyebrow. “I’ve already put Chloe in charge. Didn’t you get her orders?” One of the firefighters, a burly man named Mike, slammed his coffee cup down, his voice trembling with fury. “Alice Evans, what are you doing just sitting here drinking coffee at a time like this?!” “Are you treating this job like a joke? Or human lives?” “That’s a fire!” I nodded calmly, agreeing. “Yes, it’s a fire. Chloe’s on site right now. She knows the situation better than I do. Hasn’t she given you orders?” The team bristled, eyes blazing. “Are you kidding us?! You’re on duty tonight! And you’re splitting hairs over this?! Chloe’s command experience isn’t close to yours, and you’re just standing by? Don’t you know how important lives are?!” I spread my hands, a picture of weary resignation. “I’m just not up to commanding right now. I’m willing to go inside and help with the rescue myself, though.” “Don’t worry, after this fire, I’ll voluntarily resign.” Tim sprang forward, pointing a trembling finger at me, his face contorted with theatrical rage. “Alice Evans, you should’ve been fired from command a long time ago! You treat human lives like trash! Even now, you don’t care about them!” He clutched his head, groaning in what appeared to be agony. “It’s my fault. Last time you said you hated night shifts, hated responding to calls, I thought you were joking. I didn’t take you seriously.” “I never thought you actually felt that way!” “I should’ve reported you right then and there, you heartless wretch!” With that, he pulled out his phone, cueing up a video he’d recorded. On the screen, a version of me stared back, her expression one of utter disdain, cold and dismissive. “Another night shift. God, this is annoying.” “If there’s a fire, it’s just their fate. They deserve it! Let them die, just don’t bother my sleep.” “I’ve pulled so many all-nighters, my skin looks terrible. They should all just die off so I can get some decent sleep.” The firefighters gasped, staring at me with a mixture of shock and profound disgust. That was the video Tim had released to the public in my previous life. The camera was aimed directly at my face, every cruel word, every indifferent expression, chillingly clear. The families of the fire victims had used it to hunt me down, swarming me, punching and kicking, venting their furious grief. Until someone plunged a knife into me, sending me sprawling into the path of that truck. The memories flashed, vivid and sickening. I stared at Tim, my hands clenching, trembling. Then, I’d sought out the police, and they’d declared the video authentic, free of any digital manipulation! But those weren’t my words. That wasn’t how I felt. Tim, still playing the role of the distraught husband, still wore that mask of regret, but a flicker of triumphant excitement danced in his eyes. “I should’ve called the police on you then! Saved us all this trouble now!” “Alice Evans, their deaths are on you! You’re the real culprit!” “I’m going to release this video online. Everyone will see your ugly face!” My teammates’ eyes were bloodshot, burning with condemnation. “Alice Evans, we called you ‘Chief’ for so long. Do you deserve that title? Do you deserve this uniform?!” “We were so wrong about you! You don’t deserve to live!” I sighed softly, taking another slow sip of my coffee. I raised my eyes. “Are you quite finished? I never said I wouldn’t save people. Right now, you’re the ones neglecting human lives.” I looked at Tim, my voice even, devoid of emotion. “Just a moment ago, you were frantic, practically beside yourself with urgency. Yet, in this supposedly critical moment, you didn’t forget to pull out a video to stomp all over me. Are you desperate to save lives, or just desperate to condemn me?” Now it was Tim’s turn to fluster, his face reddening. “I was just so furious with you! You’re just sitting here, indifferent, treating lives as meaningless!” I shook my head, a knowing, almost pitying look in my eyes. “I think you’re sharper than you let on.” Tim scoffed. “It’s too late to go there now. Let’s see how you explain this to everyone!” … The fire engine had barely pulled out of the station before police cruisers cut them off. Tim’s eyes flickered, a hint of alarm. “Officer, we’re responding to a fire! Why are you stopping us?” My teammates scoffed behind him, not hesitating to point directly at me. “Officer, has someone reported her? She’s our fire chief, but she doesn’t take her duties seriously. She holds human life in contempt.” “Honestly, with her, I wouldn’t be surprised by any illegal or unethical behavior.” The officer frowned, checking the information on his tablet. “This is the right vehicle, then.” “We received a report of intentional arson and attempted murder.” My teammates exchanged gleeful, triumphant glances, looking at me. Tim, practically vibrating with eagerness, dragged me forward to the police. “Officer, it’s definitely her. Take her in, investigate thoroughly. I have plenty of evidence I can submit.” I took a deep breath, pushing down the surge of anger, and raised my hand. “Officer, I’m the one who made the report. I’m turning myself in.”

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1 My wife, Sarah, a seasoned pilot, had just told me she was pregnant when her plane went down in a catastrophic crash. In her final, desperate moments, she somehow managed an emergency landing. I scoured the wreckage, searching for any sign of her, only to be told there was nothing left—no body, no trace. Besides me, only Sarah’s twin sister, Emily, and her husband, Jake Thompson, had survived the tragedy. I became obsessed, chasing every phantom lead, desperate to find my wife. Then, eight months later, I overheard something that ripped my world apart. My sister-in-law, Emily, drunk and arguing with a friend, her voice slurring, “Jake suddenly lost his wife, and his arm is broken. How could I abandon him?” “Alex’s mother drugged me all those years ago, forced me into marrying him. I’ve harbored resentment for so long. Maybe this is my chance to finally make things right, to fix what was broken, until Jake recovers.” The words hit me like a physical blow. Emily? No. It was Sarah. The woman I’d been searching for, the one I thought was gone forever, stood before me, playing the part of her own dead twin. My heart turned to ash. I walked over to the framed photo of Sarah I’d kept on my bedside table, the one I’d believed was her memorial. I tossed it into the trash, the glass cracking with a sickening snap. Then I called my parents. “Don’t look for Sarah anymore. Just… declare her legally deceased. Erase her from the records. I’m remarrying.” “Even if Sarah really died, there should have been a body, a trace. There’s nothing. Are you truly giving up the search?” my mother’s voice, thick with concern, asked through the phone. I clutched the device, my knuckles white, unable to speak for a long moment. Despair was a lead weight in my gut. From the next room, I could hear Sarah’s friend, Chloe, her voice hot with righteous anger. “You faked your death, fine! But at least you could have left your sister’s body! At least then Alex could have found closure! He’s been out of his mind, searching everywhere, a pitiful sight…” Sarah, lounging on the plush sofa with infuriating nonchalance, her expression a complex mix of emotions, finally spoke. “I was worried Jake would be too upset, so I had Emily’s body cremated immediately. If Alex wants to keep searching, let him. Why should I care? Their family used such disgusting tactics to force me into that marriage. This is just… payback.” As she finished, a fierce, burning resentment blazed in her eyes. She blamed my mother, who, in a desperate attempt to ease my agonizing, unrequited love, had impulsively drugged Sarah on the night of our arranged engagement. It had shackled Sarah to me for five miserable years. Who could have imagined that the wife who had always shown me such warmth and care could harbor such deep-seated hatred for so long, all for that single night? A bitter laugh escaped my lips. Then, against my will, tears welled in my eyes, tracing cold, unforgiving paths down my cheeks. On the day of the crash, all of Sarah’s colleagues from AeroWing Airlines had come to offer their condolences, urging me to find peace. But the suddenness of it all, the brutal finality, had been impossible to accept. I had knelt outside the airline’s headquarters for three days and three nights, begging for a rational explanation. Why was there no trace of my wife’s body? Why was there no clear conclusion to the crash investigation? I’d clung to the desperate belief that she was still alive. Yet, with every fruitless lead, every unanswered prayer, countless nights had found me teetering on the edge, wanting nothing more than to end it all, to follow her into death. Now, I knew the sickening truth. It had all been Sarah’s elaborate, absurd, and cruel charade. She had orchestrated her own disappearance, a grotesque play she’d directed herself. Living under my roof, under my very nose, flaunting her affection with Jake day after day – had she never felt a flicker of remorse? Welcoming me into the Peterson family home as her sister, offering me calculated gestures of sympathy and concern – did she truly believe that could somehow atone for the profound pain she’d inflicted? I slumped against the wall, sliding slowly to the floor, the world suddenly too heavy to bear. It took me a full minute to find my voice. “Mom,” I rasped, “from now on, I’ll focus solely on the Stone family business. If I’m remarrying, then let it be to Chloe Sterling, the Sterling Group heiress.” The Sterling Group and the Stone family were perfectly matched, a strategic alliance. She was the ideal candidate. My mother, despite her reluctance to see me marry a woman rumored to be confined to a wheelchair, quietly agreed after hearing the brutal truth. “But… aren’t you going to tell Sarah about your kidney injury? What if it makes her feel something? After all, you loved her so much back then…” 2 I shook my head, a bitter, self-deprecating laugh escaping me. “I’ll just… secretly have it removed.” If she was so willing to assume a new identity to care for Jake, then I would grant her that twisted devotion. Let the identity of Sarah Peterson, my wife, vanish completely. I had just settled into my car, ready to leave, when I saw Sarah rushing towards the hospital. Moments later, a text message from her lit up my phone: “Alex! Big news for the family! I’m about to give birth!” My wife of five years, the woman who had shared my life and love, was now calling me “brother-in-law” and attributing our child to another man. The sheer absurdity of it all, the cold indifference, washed over me. It felt utterly pointless. I didn’t bother to reply. Instead, I drove directly to the hospital, walking straight to the registration desk to request kidney surgery. A young nurse, her voice kind and gentle, asked, “Is your partner here? We usually need to consult family, you don’t have to face this alone.” My gaze drifted towards the delivery ward, where I saw Sarah, her face alight with tender adoration as she cradled a newborn. A bitter, self-mocking laugh escaped me. “My partner passed away,” I told the nurse, “so I’ll make my own decisions.” The nurse, suddenly awkward, simply mumbled an “Oh,” and quickly registered me. I tried to hide in a quiet corner, waiting for my surgery, but Sarah spotted me anyway. She came bouncing over, her face radiant. “Alex! I had a little boy! Our Peterson family finally has a legacy!” Her smile, so blindingly bright, faltered as she saw the numb expression on my face, a fleeting flicker of guilt crossing her features. “I know you always wanted a child. Actually, I—oh, I mean, Emily, your sister, she really wanted a child too. If only she were still here…” I stared at her now-flat stomach, my heart clenching as if a cruel hand were twisting it. For years, I had yearned for a child. And now, the child was right there, before me, yet I was utterly stripped of the right to claim him. As she spoke, two doctors, standing some distance away, called out to both of us simultaneously. “Ms. Peterson, your partner is looking for you!” “Mr. Stone, it’s time for your surgery!” Perhaps she was too ecstatic, too wrapped up in her new role, to hear my name. I brushed past her, an invisible phantom. She was cooing with delight, tickling the tiny infant in her arms, while I was walking into an operating room to have a kidney removed. Thankfully, the surgery was swift. Fresh out of surgery, Sarah insisted I come into the recovery room to see the newborn. Jake Thompson was there too. He’d sustained injuries in the crash, and even with his arm in a cast, he looked remarkably handsome, clearly well-cared for. I glanced at my reflection in the mirror: my chin was shadowed with stubble, and I looked years older than my actual age. Suddenly, Sarah announced she was hungry and instinctively reached for a mango someone had left on the table. Jake shot her a look, and she immediately, fondly, tossed the fruit into the trash. I used to warn her countless times that I was allergic to mangoes, but she’d always eaten them without a second thought. Jake looked at me, a triumphant smirk playing on his lips. “Alex, my wife listens to my every word. She knows I can’t stand the smell of mangoes, so she never buys them anymore. I guess I really married the right woman.” Jake’s words dripped with possessiveness, a smug challenge in his tone. Did he know? Did he realize this woman, pretending to be his wife, was actually Sarah? I didn’t have time to dwell on it. My parents-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Peterson, rushed in, squeezing past me, eager to see their new grandson. That perfect little family of three, with the grandparents beaming over them, truly looked like a harmonious unit. And me? What was I? Not even a grieving widower to my own wife… Back home, a package from the Sterling family had already arrived for me: several photos of Chloe Sterling, along with samples of wedding attire and diamond rings. I hadn’t expected Sarah, who had returned to retrieve Jake’s jacket, to catch sight of Chloe’s face on my phone screen. Her voice, suddenly tight with nerves, cut through the quiet. “Who is this? Alex, what are you doing?” 3 I ignored her slip, the casual use of my first name that broke her careful facade. My voice was calm, almost bored. “Your sister is gone. My family has arranged for me to meet someone. It’s only reasonable for a widower to remarry, isn’t it?” Sarah’s face darkened instantly. “No! You can’t!” Perhaps she realized her reaction was too strong, too revealing. After a beat, she forced herself to lower her voice, her words strained. “I mean… my sister has been gone for less than a year. You can’t possibly remarry so soon. I’m her twin sister, and you’re my brother-in-law. You two were so devoted when she was alive. How could you change your heart so quickly? I can’t just stand by and watch you leave the Peterson family.” “What if—I mean, what if—she came back someday? We never found her body, after all. She might not truly be gone…” Her frantic, almost desperate demeanor left me bewildered. She clearly hated me, despised me even. So why was she fighting so hard to stop me from remarrying? When I stubbornly returned to scrolling through the photos, Sarah’s frustration boiled over. She snatched my phone, her movements sharp, and furiously deleted the images. “You need to stay here, with the Petersons! Stop thinking about remarrying!” She was so flustered, she even forgot to call me “brother-in-law.” Sarah opened her mouth, about to continue her protests, but her phone suddenly chimed with an incoming call. “Babe,” Jake’s voice, laced with pain, filtered through the speaker. “My arm still hurts so bad after the surgery. Can you please come over? I keep having nightmares about losing it if you’re not here.” Ever since Jake had broken his arm in the crash, it seemed he was constantly battling post-op infections or suffering night terrors. Sarah always rushed to his side at top speed. This time was no exception. Before Jake could even finish, Sarah hastily grabbed a few of his shirts, then bolted out the door, leaving her own jacket behind. It was then that I truly understood. Her pleas for me not to remarry? They were just empty pleasantries, a performance in her role as the grieving sister. A bitter laugh escaped me. I called the Sterling family, asking them to resend the photos. I chose the wedding attire and the diamond ring. Beyond that, I threw out every last photograph, every last memento of Sarah Peterson. It was as if she had never existed. That evening, halfway through my ruthless purge, Sarah returned with Jake, holding the baby. “Alex,” she began, her tone carefully earnest. “After Emily passed, Jake invited you to stay with us, to help you through your grief. Since the crash, he’s been having terrible nightmares. From now on, you can take care of Jake. Think of it as taking care of your brother-in-law for Emily’s sake.” I clenched the trash bag in my hand, unable to utter a single word. Sarah peered through the cracked door of my bedroom, seeing the stark emptiness. She was about to question me when her phone rang, pulling her away. As I went downstairs to dump the trash, I overheard Sarah’s voice, ringing with smug certainty. “They’re just trying to set him up with someone. You don’t know Alex? He’s still completely obsessed with finding me. Even if he can’t, he’d probably try to follow me into death! He’s definitely going to reject any family arrangements!” A cynical laugh escaped me. I returned to my room, continuing to pack. Tomorrow, I was leaving. Unexpectedly, Jake followed me in. He proudly stroked the baby in his arms, a chilling, insidious smirk twisting his lips – a look I’d never seen from him before. “Alex, do you really think your wife died in that crash?” he sneered. “Let me do you a favor. Your ‘sister-in-law’ is the real Sarah Peterson. She’s here, willingly by my side, while you’re just a pathetic, cuckolded widower!” “All those days you were wailing, tearing your hair out, practically ready to kill yourself to be with Sarah? You were such a fool!” He was right. I had been an utter fool. My love for Sarah had been so absolute, it had never once wavered in suspicion. I had believed she would never abandon me in a plane crash. I had believed she would never feel anything for any man but me. But those days were long, long gone. 4 When I remained silent, Jake, as if overcome by a sudden, furious shame, lashed out and slapped me hard across the face. “My wife is dead, so I’m keeping Sarah by my side forever! You’ll never take her from me!” Just then, Sarah rushed in. Seeing Jake’s hand raised to strike my face, she instinctively darted forward, throwing herself between us. Sarah’s eyes landed on the angry red mark blooming on my cheek, and a flicker of anger crossed her brows. “Jake! He’s our brother-in-law! How could you—” Before she could finish, Jake pulled the baby tighter, his voice a quick, panicked defense. “I didn’t mean to! It’s just… Alex hates us for having this baby, and he tried to snatch him and throw him down! I only hit him out of a father’s instinct to protect!” In an instant, Sarah’s allegiance shifted. The supposed “family hierarchy” was forgotten, replaced by a furious glare. “Emily’s death isn’t our fault! Why would you try to hurt my baby? You are utterly heartless!” “A cruel man like you doesn’t deserve our pity! Maybe Emily just didn’t want to see you anymore, that’s why she secretly hid herself away!” My hands fell limply to my sides. This, I realized, was likely the truth she had harbored in her heart for years. Sarah, her eyes blazing red, glared at me, her chest heaving with uncontrolled fury. When I still didn’t speak, her tone softened, a veneer of pity in her voice. “Don’t worry, Emily will come back someday. They haven’t declared her legally dead yet, right? Then, you two can just have another child together.” I numbly shook my head. “I’m not looking for her anymore.” In an instant, Sarah’s face darkened, a look of utter disbelief twisting her features. “How can you just suddenly stop looking? You always said you loved Emily! Are you just giving up so easily? You…” Jake grabbed Sarah’s arm, pulling the agitated woman closer, then roughly tilted her chin up. “Let ‘brother-in-law’ rest. Let’s go back to our room and work on baby number two, my good wife.” Sarah’s eyes lingered on me for a few more seconds, a fleeting, unreadable expression in their depths, before she finally let Jake lead her out of the room. The next morning, as I carried my luggage downstairs, I heard a tremor of panic in Sarah’s voice. “Last night, Alex suddenly said he wasn’t looking for me anymore. I… never mind. Just hurry up and help me. Help me get my old identity back.” Sarah Peterson, I thought, a grim satisfaction settling in. There’s truly no need for that anymore. I walked out of the Peterson home without a backward glance, driving straight to the Sterling Estate to finalize the wedding arrangements. After hanging up the phone, Sarah rushed to my room, flinging the door open, only to find it empty. “Al—” Her heart seizing with a jolt of panic, she started to call my name but stopped short as her mother, Mrs. Peterson, cheerfully bustled in. “Oh, what a wonderful double blessing for our family!” Mrs. Peterson chirped. Sarah paused, a bewildered frown creasing her brow. “Double blessing? Besides me giving the Peterson family a new addition, what else has happened recently?” Mrs. Peterson puffed out her chest proudly. “Hmph! Your brother-in-law is getting remarried, of course! He basically cursed your sister to her death, and now he’s finally willing to get out of our family’s hair!” The words hit Sarah like a punch. Her pupils constricted sharply, and she blurted out, “What? But I haven’t divorced him yet! How could he possibly—” Just then, her phone buzzed again. It was Chloe, her friend from the earlier conversation. “Sarah, someone… someone seems to have voided your identity. If you want to get your original identity back, I don’t think it’s going to happen…”

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