Author: Momo Chan

When I arrived at the club, Adrian Fu sat at the head of the table, his expression restrained, his eyes slightly red. A circle of rich second-generation kids dared not breathe loudly. Seeing me was like seeing a savior; they stood at attention: “Hello, sister-in-law.” The girl sitting next to him panicked when she saw me, her eyes red as she said to him: “Adrian, I’m back, are you still going home with her?” I walked over and picked up the red wine bottle on the table. “Adrian Fu, go home or get your head bashed in. Pick one.” 1 The only sound in the private room was the rise and fall of breathing. Adrian lifted his eyelids to look at me. With just that one movement, I clearly sensed his impatience. The rich kids standing in a circle, afraid of being caught in the crossfire, silently retreated to a safe distance. I stood steadily in front of the two of them, gripping the wine bottle, motionless. After a long while, Adrian curled his lips: “Who called your sister-in-law?” As soon as the words left his mouth, the color drained from the girl’s face next to him. She looked like she was about to shatter. Clinging to Adrian’s arm, she asked with a trembling voice: “Adrian, are you going home with her?” I laughed in anger, pulled up a chair, sat down, and looked her in the eye. “Bella, while I can still hold back, you’d better get lost.” A tear rolled down from the corner of her eye. “Since you know me, do you know…” I interrupted her. “I know. I know you are his ‘white moonlight’—his first love. His study still has your photo.” A shy blush crept up Bella’s face, and her eyes suddenly lit up. She gently rested her head on Adrian’s shoulder. “Adrian, I’m back. Divorce her. After all these years, marrying you is still my biggest dream.” “I know you’re not happy. These years, you’ve suffered too much.” Although Adrian tried his best to maintain his usual poker face, the veins popping on his forehead betrayed the turmoil in his heart. He raised his hand, wanting to gently stroke Bella’s back. I sneered, interrupting their tender moment. “Mr. Fu, it seems you don’t want to go home.” “Then I’m sorry.” I raised my hand high, and the red wine bottle in my hand smashed straight towards Bella’s head! 2 Crash! Along with the sound of the bottle exploding, screams erupted in the private room. Bella looked pale as she watched Adrian, who shielded her in his arms. Blood mixed with red wine gushed from his forehead. “Adrian, Adrian, are you okay, are you okay…” Bella stood up from Adrian’s arms, her hands trembling as she helped him sit down. She frantically grabbed the tissues on the table, desperately trying to cover the wound on Adrian’s forehead. The tissues were quickly soaked with blood. Bella turned around and screamed at me like a madwoman: “You crazy woman!!!! Are you trying to kill someone??? How could Adrian marry a lunatic like you!!” Adrian recovered for a moment, picked up the tissues himself, wiped the blood and wine seeping into his eyes, and held Bella back. “Bella, don’t provoke her.” “Are you hurt anywhere?” Bella pouted and extended her hand. There was a cut about 1cm long from a glass shard. Adrian immediately stood up nervously, carefully holding her hand, and led her out. “Why didn’t you say you were hurt? Quick, I’ll take you to the hospital.” I looked down at my hand hanging by my side. Blood dripped from my fingertips drop by drop, disappearing into the carpet. Busy all day at the corporation, hosting important clients, I only had time for a few bites of bread at lunch. Finally enduring until off work, seeing the message someone sent me, I rushed to the club frantically. Adrian, I am tired, hungry, and sleepy. I am hurt too. How did the Adrian who scraped his hands raw and got beaten bloody to save me from kidnappers when we were kids become this stranger? Waves of dizziness hit me. I felt the world spinning, instinctively grabbed the edge of the table, and slumped into the chair. I heard someone call him: “Bro, sister-in-law is hurt too. She doesn’t look good!” Adrian’s voice came from afar. “She’s so tough, she can handle it herself.” I looked up at him. his retreating figure was so decisive. Good. This way, when I close the net, I won’t feel too guilty. 3 Looking up, the notorious playboys of the capital stood obediently, their eyes full of concern for me. I smiled and waved my hand: “Hungry. Be smart.” “Yes! Sister, coming right up!” Wang Siqi is the crown prince of the club. He was the most active, immediately arranging people to clear the table and serve new dishes. I watched them bustling about, looking just like when they were kids following behind Adrian and me, calling us “brother and sister.” Since when did “brother” remain “brother,” but “sister” became “sister-in-law”? Was it when I was kidnapped by the nanny at age 5, and Adrian, 3 years older than me, found me before the police by analyzing the traces left by the nanny? When I woke up from a coma and found myself on Adrian’s thin back, watching him grit his teeth and carry me, staggering out of that terrible abandoned factory, the scene was engraved in my heart forever. The elders joked that for the rest of his life, Adrian would always favor and make exceptions for Tangtang. But later, later Adrian had his “white moonlight.” Unlike me, who lost my mother since that kidnapping and was strictly raised to heir standards, doing everything for the family business and revenge. Bella wouldn’t raise her voice at Adrian, wouldn’t demand Adrian read financial magazines and learn eight languages. She would quietly stay by his side, watching him smile gently. She would be willing to cook for him. Willing to spend lots of time accompanying him to classes she didn’t understand at all. I couldn’t do any of the things she did for him. The environment I grew up in taught me to weigh pros and cons, gains and losses. Until Bella broke up with Adrian because he was too rich. She said she could never fit into his world. After turning around, she went far away to a foreign country, and Adrian didn’t chase her. I knew he had great ambitions. He wanted the Fu family, and he wanted the Shang family too. Before getting the Fu and Shang families, he wouldn’t give me up for Bella. So, when Adrian proposed to me, I agreed without hesitation. Adrian gave me all the romance money could buy. I enjoyed it with peace of mind. I knew better than anyone that the Fu family and the Shang family would eventually be mine. All the beauty he piled up with money was just my advance enjoyment. I lowered my head to eat, quickly reviewing my plan in my mind. plotting for more than ten years, I wouldn’t allow any flaws. Maybe I was too silent; Wang Siqi couldn’t take it first. He slammed the table and stood up. “Sister! You’ve never been soft-hearted towards women around my brother!” “Why did you back down today!” Touching a sore spot. The dinner table suddenly quieted down. I smiled and said, “Because she is Bella.” The lethality of a first love is fatal with one blow. I took out my phone. The screen was clean, no calls, no messages. I thought, by now, Bella’s wound should have healed. 4 As I expected, Adrian didn’t come back all night. I guarded the living room all night, quietly watching the city from midnight to 7 AM. I knew, the era belonging to me had come. When the clock struck 8, I dressed neatly, covered the dark circles under my eyes with heavy foundation, and got into the car picking me up for work on time. I never expected to see Bella in the company. She was wearing a brand new business suit, sitting in the outer office of Adrian’s office. Seeing me pass by, she immediately stood up and greeted me with a smile. “Good morning, President Shang.” The corners of her mouth curled up in a triumphant arc, matching her harmless face, which I found very dazzling. My face darkened. I called the HR manager on the spot and loudly questioned what was going on, asking if any Tom, Dick, or Harry could be stuffed into the company now. Bella was so embarrassed she wished she could bury her face in the ground. Her face flushed red, tears in her eyes. Under my aggressive questioning, she couldn’t say a word. When I got angry, no one dared to provoke me. After saying a few harsh words, I suddenly felt bored. Waving my hand, I said to the HR manager: “Fire her. Pay Miss Ruan every penny of the compensation due.” Bella, who had been submissive, suddenly looked up at me, tears falling like broken pearls. “President Shang, I beg you, I really need this job. Please, don’t fire me.” “Your world is high above, I can only survive on your charity. Does President Shang want to deprive me of even this right?” Such familiar “tea art” (manipulative behavior pretending to be innocent). I looked up, past her thin shoulder, at the door behind her. As I expected, the door opened, and Adrian appeared at the door with a cold face. “Shang Tangzhi, you have a good background, but that’s not your capital to bully others.” “This is my special assistant, not yours.” Just one sentence, the weight was judged instantly. He stepped forward, held Bella’s hand, looked around, and said in a deep voice: “From today on, Miss Ruan is my special assistant. I take full responsibility for what she says and does.” Is this the exception and preference? I didn’t speak, took two steps back, turned and returned to my own office. Near the end of work, my assistant reminded me that I had to attend an important dinner with Adrian tonight. Whether the project I followed for half a year could be clinched depended on tonight. Taking a deep, deep breath, building up my psychological defense, I changed into an evening gown, redid my makeup, and went to find Adrian. Just as I wanted to knock, the door opened from the inside. Bella, wearing an evening gown, held Adrian’s arm, and the two walked out talking and laughing. I froze on the spot. It was early autumn. The wind blowing in from the window brushed over my bare shoulders, a bit cold. Adrian stopped and looked at me indifferently. “Special Assistant Ruan can accompany me to such social events in the future.” “No need to trouble President Shang.” The two passed me and walked towards the elevator. “Adrian Fu, this is the project I’ve been following for half a year.” Adrian’s voice drifted away. “From today on, it’s handed over to Special Assistant Ruan.”

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Jasper Hayes came to the orphanage to pick out a little sister. All the girls crowded around, praying to be the chosen one. I was the only one who hid in the closet and fell asleep. I thought I could escape the fate of my past life—becoming the adopted daughter of the Hayes family, and eventually, Jasper’s wife. I wanted to live freely and happily this time. But when I woke up, I saw Jasper standing in front of the closet door. He smiled and asked me, “Lola, will you come home with me?” 1 When I saw Jasper’s face appear before my eyes, I thought I was still stuck in that nightmare. It wasn’t until the director called me with a stern face: “Lola, why are you sleeping in here?” Only then did I sober up, realizing that everything in front of me was not a dream. Seeing me frozen in place, the director reached out and pulled me out of the closet. She straightened my collar and pushed me in front of the Hayes couple: “You fell asleep. Master Hayes told us not to wake you.” “Everyone has been waiting for you for a long time.” Jasper, who was named, was standing in front of his parents with a faint smile on his face, looking at me. At this moment, he was somewhat different from the Jasper in my memory who was always cold to me. He greeted me proactively: “Hello, Lola.” I don’t know why, but hearing my name from his mouth felt indescribably weird. I frowned and looked away, avoiding his gaze. But I was wondering in my heart, they could have chosen anyone else, why did they have to wait for me? “Waiting for me? For what?” The director bent down to explain to me: “They want to adopt you. Lola, you’re going to have a home, parents, and a brother.” The usually unsmiling director rarely smiled at me at this moment. I guess she was happy for me. For children in the orphanage, being adopted is lucky. But the director didn’t know that I was reborn. I knew long ago that Jasper would come to the orphanage today to pick a sister, so I deliberately hid in the closet. “Lola, will you come home with us?” Mrs. Hayes held my hand and said gently, “Jasper has always wanted a sister. You can be his sister from now on.” This scene was exactly the same as in my previous life. Memories of my past life flashed through my mind like a slideshow. I immediately withdrew my hand and looked up at the director: “Director, I don’t want to be adopted by them.” As soon as the words came out, everyone was surprised. The one with the strongest reaction was Jasper. He frowned and asked me, “Why?” “Because I don’t want to be your sister.” Even though I rejected him, there was no trace of anger on Jasper’s face. Instead, his tone became gentler, with a hint of imperceptible indulgence. “Then don’t be my sister. Just come back to the Hayes house with me and live together, okay?” The director tugged at my sleeve secretly, but still couldn’t stop me from rejecting Jasper again. “No.” I thought Jasper would give up. But when the director asked the Hayes couple if they wanted to pick another girl, Jasper suddenly said loudly: “Mom, I just want her.” He said, “Only she looks most like my sister.” 2 In my last life, Jasper chose me among many girls because I looked somewhat similar to his late sister. At that time, knowing I was chosen, I felt that God really favored me. I was taken back to the Hayes family, renamed Lola Hayes. And I had my own room in the huge villa. Even if that room didn’t truly belong to me, I was satisfied. Mrs. Hayes said: “Children from orphanages are inevitably petty and can’t present themselves well.” So I changed my old habits and became less and less like myself. Mrs. Hayes was strict with me. I had to practice piano for more than twelve hours a day. Even though the teacher explicitly said I had no talent for learning piano, Mrs. Hayes still accompanied me to practice every day. But some things cannot be forced. “I’m sorry, Mom, I still can’t play well.” Every time I apologized, Mrs. Hayes would look at me even more dotingly and comfort me. “It’s okay, as long as Lola works hard, you will be able to play well in the future.” Later I learned that playing the piano was the hobby of Mrs. Hayes’ deceased daughter. Mrs. Hayes treated me like this just to find the shadow of another person in me. But I didn’t care. A fish lacking water doesn’t care if the water it gets is clean; it just needs to survive. Water to fish, love to me. Having it is enough. I studied piano harder and tried harder to please Mrs. Hayes. We looked more and more like a real mother and daughter. Until Jasper’s engagement party, he was drugged, and I happened to break into his room. Mr. Hayes fainted from anger when he saw me and Jasper. Mrs. Hayes slapped me in the face: “I shouldn’t have brought you to the Hayes family in the first place.” Jasper looked at me silently, with emotions in his eyes that I couldn’t understand. But I think he probably regretted it too. Regretted choosing me as his sister in the beginning. “I don’t know what happened. I didn’t drug my brother.” I tried hard to explain for myself, but no one believed me. So much so that later, whenever Jasper betrayed me and our marriage countless times, he would say: “You didn’t hesitate to drug me to marry your own brother. All this now is your retribution.” Jasper hated me. So after marriage, he always liked to slap my face in public and embarrass me. Many people in our circle were betting on how long my marriage with him would last. “At most a year. Once the child is born, Jasper will kick her out.” Unfortunately, the result surprised everyone. Jasper and I were entangled for nineteen years. Even after I died, the words “Wife of Jasper Hayes” were engraved on my tombstone. “Lola, tell me, why don’t you want to be adopted by the Hayes family?” After Jasper left with his parents, the director called me to the office. I was silent for a long time before making up a random reason: “I don’t want to leave you and everyone else.” The director sighed and advised me to think it over. I knew she meant well and hoped I would live a good life in the future. But I didn’t want to repeat the same mistakes, nor did I want to have anything to do with Jasper anymore. However, a fire that night shattered all my plans. 3 “Did you set the fire?” In the hospital, I looked at Jasper coldly and questioned him. “No.” Jasper hurriedly explained: “The fire department has found out that it was caused by aging wiring.” After speaking, he laughed self-deprecatingly. “Lola, you think too badly of me.” I had only met him two or three times in this life, but Jasper’s attitude towards me had an indescribable familiarity. “I just want to help you.” “As long as you agree to come home with me, I will pay all the treatment costs for the director.” The orphanage caught fire last night, and the director was severely burned trying to save us. I snorted coldly and mocked: “Taking advantage of someone’s danger, do you count as a good person?” Jasper didn’t explain anything for himself, only said: “Lola, it doesn’t matter if you don’t want to be my sister.” “You can just be fostered in the Hayes family.” He guided me patiently and compromised repeatedly. But I was even more curious: “Why do you insist on me going back to the Hayes family with you?” Jasper said: “Because my mom misses my sister very much these days, and you look very much like my sister.” “I want to take you home to accompany her.” I was skeptical about his words, after all, Jasper was too abnormal towards me. I asked him: “Is that all?” Jasper hesitated for a moment, then nodded: “That’s all.” Although I didn’t want to get involved with Jasper, the director was still lying in the hospital bed. On the way back to the Hayes house, Jasper kept talking to me, but I remained silent. He probably knew he was annoying, so he softened his tone to make up for it. “The Hayes family can provide you with better conditions. No matter what, it’s better than being in the orphanage.” “Lola, don’t blame me. I’m doing this for your own good.” I’m doing this for your own good… Jasper in my past life also said this sentence. Jasper hated me for most of his life. Only when I was dying did his attitude towards me soften a bit. But by then, I was beyond cure, with only a kitten to accompany me every day. On a whim, Jasper suddenly came back to the villa to see me and had the cat I raised for half a year thrown away. I asked him: “Why?” He looked at me askance then and also said: “I’m doing this for your own good.” At that time I knew, him saying it was for my own good didn’t mean he really wanted what was best for me. This sentence was just an excuse for him to satisfy his selfishness and desire for control. Or perhaps it was another way for him to torture me. After all, he was always like this. Whatever I liked, he destroyed. … As soon as the car arrived at the Hayes home, I saw Mrs. Hayes standing at the villa door. Jasper told her in advance that he would bring me back. So she had the room on the second floor cleaned up early. “Lola, this is your room from now on.” Mrs. Hayes held my hand affectionately: “Do you like it?” I looked down at the hand held by Mrs. Hayes, stunned for a moment, then withdrew it. I was no longer the Lola who longed for motherly love in my previous life. “Mrs. Hayes, this is your biological daughter’s room, right?” “There are many of her old things in the room, and you have preserved them very well.” “I can tell you cherish these things very much.” “If I live in this room, you will definitely be sad if I accidentally break these things.” “I see there is a guest room downstairs. I’ll live in the guest room.” Mrs. Hayes looked at me and wanted to say something: “But…” But was interrupted by Jasper: “Mom.” “Lola wants to live downstairs. Ask the maid to tidy it up.” I looked at Jasper who spoke for me. He probably didn’t know that the bigger reason I didn’t want to live on the second floor was actually because his bedroom was right next door. In my past life, before Jasper got engaged, we got along harmoniously. Even during adolescence, when Mrs. Hayes asked me “What kind of boys does Lola like?” I looked at Jasper who just came back from running and smiled: “I like someone like brother.” This unintentional joke became the testimony of me drugging my own brother many years later. Every time I explained for myself: “I didn’t drug you.” Jasper would choke my neck and refute me: “You said you liked me when you were sixteen.” “Liked me for so many years, and finally even used means like drugging to force me to marry you. Why don’t you dare to admit it now?” 4 Probably because I returned to this villa, I dreamt of things from my past life at night. During the last period of my life, the doctor said: “It’s not good for you to stay alone all day like this. Call your family and friends to accompany you more.” “I have no family.” As for friends… My best friend before was Jasper’s fiancée, named Serena Xu. In the fifth year of my marriage with Jasper, Serena returned to the country. Jasper went to pick her up at the airport personally and organized a welcome party for her. Someone deliberately recorded a video of the party and sent it to me—the two sitting in a corner, kissing passionately. A video of only a few seconds, I watched repeatedly all night. It was also that night that I made up my mind to give up the second child of Jasper and me and propose a divorce to him. He asked me: “The reason?” I showed him that video. “Jasper, I know you were forced to marry me back then.” “But now that Serena is back, and it seems she has forgiven you, let’s divorce and go our separate ways.” Actually, before this, I had proposed divorce to Jasper many times. But I was rejected by him every time. I thought, with Serena back, he would agree this time. But Jasper still tore up the divorce agreement I prepared and deleted the video on my phone. … “Lola? Lola?” I woke up suddenly and slapped Jasper in the face. The teenage Jasper looked at me, showing a wronged look in his eyes. “I heard you crying outside the door, so I came in to check.” After speaking, he turned and walked out. He turned back at the door and said: “Get up quickly for breakfast, you’ll be late for school.” Just like in my previous life, the Hayes family transferred me to Jasper’s school. Seeing me follow him into the classroom. Someone asked him: “Jasper, who is she?” Jasper introduced me to them: “Her name is Lola, currently fostering in my home.” In a trance, I thought of my past life. Before the drugging incident, when Jasper introduced me to people, he always said: “My sister Lola.” I looked at Jasper, who was a step away from me, and suddenly realized that he seemed different from the Jasper in my memory. Neither like the teenage Jasper in the past life, nor like the Jasper who always retaliated and tortured me later. My heart skipped a beat, and I suddenly thought of something. “Jasper.” “Jas.” Just as I stopped Jasper and was about to ask my doubt, someone called him at the same time as me. Jasper glanced at me, then looked up behind me. I also turned back. The person standing at the classroom door calling him was Serena. “Jas, wait for me after school, I have something to tell you.” After speaking, Serena noticed me standing next to Jasper. Her eyes were not friendly. She looked me up and down as if sizing me up: “You are the girl fostering in the Hayes family?” After all, she was my best friend in my past life. Almost the moment Serena looked at me, I felt her obvious hostility towards me. This was completely different from the past life. In the past life, after knowing I was Jasper’s sister, Serena affectionately held my arm, called me Lola, and brought me into her social circle. But now, her attitude towards me was very similar to the last time I saw her in the past life. That meeting was very unpleasant. I asked her: “The surveillance showed that only you and I entered Jasper’s room that day. I didn’t drug him, so it was you, right?” At that time, I couldn’t figure it out. She liked Jasper so much, why did she ruin their engagement party. “Her name is Lola,” Jasper answered for me. Serena looked at me, gave a perfunctory smile, and said nothing more. Later, sitting in my seat, I sensed Serena looking back at me frequently. Even though I felt strange in my heart, I had to ignore her, withdraw my gaze, and force myself to listen to the class carefully.

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After infiltrating an enemy spy organization for five years, I was exposed. To survive, I sold out my childhood sweetheart, Lucas Lu. He dragged a crippled leg and barely escaped with his life. When he was awarded the Medal of Honor, first class. Lucas limped onto the stage with a cane. The Commander asked him if there was any wish the organization could fulfill for him. His eyes were cold as ice, his thin lips curling into a cruel sneer: “Bring Chloe Jiang back.” “And execute her.” The organization then raided the entire spy den but found no trace of me. They only found a videotape left for Lucas. 1 When Lucas received the videotape, he scoffed. “This is evidence of her crimes.” “She will be nailed to the pillar of shame in history.” His eyes were cold, and the corner of his mouth twitched with thick sarcasm. The guard pushed his wheelchair through the park and spoke cautiously. “General, won’t you watch the content?” After receiving the First Class Merit, Lucas had been promoted to General of the Military Region. His broken leg became a badge of honor that would follow him for life. He sneered again. “Watch what?” “Watch how she sold out her country and begged the enemy like a dog?” “I’m afraid it will dirty my eyes.” The guard was choked for a moment, silent for a few seconds before steeling himself to speak. “But the envelope containing the tape specifically mentioned your name.” “To be opened by Lucas Lu personally.” “This tape is specifically for you.” Lucas paused, his narrow eyes narrowing slightly, a sharp glint passing through them. The enemy spies had not yet been completely eliminated; remnants still remained. Perhaps there were clues in the tape? “Hmph, fine. I want to see what tricks they’re playing.” “Most importantly, Chloe Jiang hasn’t been found.” “A traitor like her won’t appease the public anger until she’s dead.” He had to find Chloe and watch her be executed with his own eyes. 2 December 15, 1986, 3:10 PM. Chloe was stripped naked, her body blue from the cold. A masked man in black stood beside her, holding a basin of cold water. Splash, he poured it over Chloe. Her body shook violently, and her hanging hair froze almost instantly. “Kill… just kill me!” Her teeth chattered, her lips purple as she growled. But the man in black acted deaf, pouring basin after basin of cold water on her. Until Chloe completely passed out. Only then did a sinister voice ring out. “Drag her back. Don’t let her freeze to death.” Then a group of people untied Chloe from the wooden stake and dragged her away. The screen went dark briefly. Lucas sat in front of the screen, his gaze colder than the frost outside the window. “A bitter meat trick?” (A ruse where one inflicts injury on oneself to win confidence). “Heh, this is all a conspiracy by the enemy.” “A traitor deserves whatever torture she gets.” The guard stood by, pursing his lips lightly, his tone low. “General, should we continue playing it?” Lucas leaned back on the soft sofa, speaking leisurely. “Play it.” “I want to see how long she can keep up the act.” 3 December 16, 1986, 3:10 PM. This time it was in a dark room. Chloe was still naked, her body covered in whip marks. That exquisite, pale face had been disfigured, skin torn and flesh gaping, blood oozing out constantly. “Will you talk?” It was that sinister voice again, coming from off-screen. Chloe curled her lips into a smile, her eyes resolute and fearless. “Lucas has already wiped out your nest.” “You’re just grasshoppers after autumn; you won’t be hopping for long.” After speaking, she grinned, laughing so hard she trembled. “Keep hitting.” As soon as the sinister voice fell, the whip lashed viciously onto Chloe’s body again. She trembled all over, her pearly teeth clenched tight. “We have already won!” “You… you just… wait for death…” She refused to submit even unto death, her beautiful almond eyes flashing with sharp, fierce light. Outside the screen, the guard held his breath, a look of pity on his face. “General, could Chloe be wronged…” He frowned as he spoke, not daring to look at Chloe’s flesh tearing open bit by bit anymore. Lucas glanced sideways, looking at the guard with disdain. “Just this?” “You’re still too inexperienced and naive.” “They want to use my feelings for Chloe to threaten me.” “Does a traitor deserve my heartache?” 4 December 17, 1986, 3:10 PM. Chloe’s teeth were gone. Inside her pink lips was emptiness, only bloody gums remained. “Will you talk?” Still that cold voice, unchanged from yesterday. Like a repeating machine. Chloe hung her head, blood mixing with saliva dripping slowly from her mouth. “Never betray the country.” Her eyes were stubborn. Even without teeth, her articulation was still clear. “Do you regret letting Lucas go?” That voice finally fluctuated a bit. Chloe was stunned, and a warmth finally dyed her originally cold eyes. “No… regrets.” “He must hate me now. It doesn’t matter, as long as he’s alive.” With that, she closed her eyes, two lines of clear tears sliding from her sockets, washing away the blood on her face. The screen went dark. The guard’s face looked grim. “General, there must be a hidden story here.” Lucas frowned, but his falcon-like sharp eyes still revealed ruthlessness. “She was discovered after lurking for five years after all.” “They won’t let her off.” “This kind of fence-sitter won’t be spared by either side.” Lucas said, a trace of contempt flashing in his eyes, leaning back on the sofa again to watch the tape. 5 December 18, 1986, 3:10 PM. One of Chloe’s hands was gone. Blood was everywhere, her face pale as paper. “General!” The guard finally couldn’t help but exclaim. “They chopped off Chloe’s hand!” His eyes reddened, even his voice trembling. As Lucas’s guard, he naturally knew the story of Lucas and Chloe. They were childhood sweethearts, originally about to get married, but later received a temporary mission from the organization to infiltrate the enemy, gone for five years. In the eyes of everyone in their military region, Lucas and Chloe were a heroic and patriotic couple. He didn’t believe Lucas had no feelings for Chloe at all! On the sofa, Lucas’s palm resting on his knee clenched slightly. Knuckles turning slightly white. The eyes staring at the screen had a hint of crimson. After a while, he stretched his stiff body and sighed, “Too fake.” “Where did they find these actors?” “Someone as afraid of death as Chloe must have confessed all the organization’s secrets. Would she still have a hand chopped off?” “Laughable.” Although he said so, his gaze unconsciously fell on Chloe’s severed arm. The empty forearm had no continuation. Blood so red it was blinding soaked the gauze, dripping onto the ground, forming a mirror-like puddle. He unconsciously furrowed his brows, a place in his heart aching dully. But soon, remembering the scene of being betrayed by Chloe, that softness in his heart vanished. He exhaled, his eyes clearly saying: “Chloe, if you knew this would happen, why did you do it back then?” 6 December 19, 1986, 3:10 PM. Lucas finally believed this was the enemy’s interrogation video of Chloe. This time, a naked man wearing a black hood got off Chloe’s body. Then, another one got on. Still that sentence, “Will you talk?” Chloe cried heart-wrenchingly, biting one man’s ear, but without teeth, the other party felt no pain or itch. “Animals!” “I’ll kill you!” Her mouth full of blood, screaming until her voice cracked. The hatred bursting from her eyes was like a raging fire, threatening to burn the whole world to the ground. Lucas, sitting on the sofa, tried to stand up abruptly but lost his balance and fell to the floor. “General!” The guard rushed to help. Lucas trembled all over, his face paler than Chloe’s. “It must be fake, fake!” “Chloe already surrendered, how could they still treat her like this!” He gripped the guard’s sleeve tightly, tears falling continuously. His heart felt like it was being squeezed hard, suffocating him. He could only breathe desperately. The recording didn’t stop; Chloe’s screams continued. “Lucas! Save me!” “Save me!” “Lucas… boohoo…” Her helpless voice was like a knife, carving out Lucas’s heart piece by piece. He crawled all the way to the screen, protecting Chloe’s image with both hands, sobbing uncontrollably. “Chloe, where are you, where are you!” “I forgive you, I forgive you, I’m coming to save you!” “Wait for me to save you…” He pounded the screen hard, hating that he couldn’t rush in. No matter how he shouted, those beasts wouldn’t stop until they tortured Chloe half to death before giving up. And at this moment, Lucas had completely fainted in front of the screen. 7 When he woke up again, Lucas could no longer hate Chloe. He would rather be betrayed by Chloe again than have her suffer, just wanting her to live well. “Where’s the tape?” Lying in the hospital bed, he spoke with a hoarse voice. The guard advised him with a pained expression, “General, don’t watch it anymore.” “I think Comrade Chloe must have been killed.” “Today is already December 30th.” More than ten days, Chloe was probably more dead than alive. Lucas’s heart ached, eyes reddening. He tried his best to hold back tears, but they broke through. “Show me.” He ordered masochistically. “General…” The guard wanted to persuade him more but was scolded by Lucas. “Show me!” “Chloe must still be alive!” His eyes widened, filled with stubborn obsession. The guard sighed and continued playing the tape for Lucas. 8 December 20, 1986, 3:10 PM. Chloe, covered in scars, had completely lost the light in her eyes. She was like a piece of lifeless meat, tied to a wooden stake, left to be slaughtered. “Will you talk?” That voice sounded again. Chloe didn’t speak. Her dry, blood-stained lips moved, but ultimately no sound came out. “Is it worth suffering so much just not to implicate Lucas?” “He escaped, will be promoted and get rich, living the good life.” “What about you?” This was the soft approach after the hard failed, a common interrogation tactic. Lucas’s hand gripping the sheet tightened, even his breathing stagnated. In the picture, Chloe’s eyes stared straight at the ground, but the corners of her mouth lifted easily. “If I expose him, where will Lucas have a way to live?” “Better I be the bad guy, cut off his longing, and win him a chance at life…” As her voice fell, she closed her eyes, tears mixed with blood sliding from her eyes. Lying in bed, Lucas wept a river, raising his hand to slap his own face fiercely. “Lucas Lu! You bastard!” “Why are you so stupid!” “Why didn’t you take Chloe with you!” “The one who should suffer is you! It’s you!” Lucas cried until he passed out again.

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My sister hated “trophy wives.” Even when our mother secured a huge contract to pay for her medical bills, after recovering, she just sneered: “Even if you drank until your stomach bled for that contract, it was still an opportunity given by a man. “A strong, independent woman should step over men to rise, not beg for their charity!” Later, when Mom was framed and thrown into prison, the billionaire heir to the city’s most powerful family reached out to her: “Be my woman, and I’ll help your mother with the lawsuit.” My sister slapped his hand away: “Even if Mom dies in prison, I won’t be a parasitic flower dependent on a man!” I begged the best lawyer to help me, promising to marry him. But my sister tore up the key evidence right in court: “With our mother in prison, instead of trying to turn the tide yourself, you used her misfortune as an excuse to cling to a man. I don’t have a sister like you!” Mom died unjustly in prison. I became the unfilial daughter everyone despised, ending up on the streets. My sister, however, caught the eye of a famous movie star because of her “heroic” stance in court, and was pampered by him daily. Facing my questions, she just sneered: “We are true love. How am I dependent on him? “You, on the other hand, are a shameless, love-struck trophy wife, a disgrace to our family!” I died with resentment. When I opened my eyes again, my sister was slapping away the billionaire heir’s hand, scolding him. I pushed her aside and hugged the heir’s leg: “She won’t, but I will!” 1 My sister, Sarah, sat in the rain, staring at me in a daze. She didn’t really mean to reject Julian Shen. She just didn’t expect Julian to actually leave after she slapped him. Julian was indeed interested in a challenge, but not to the point of complete submission. Julian Shen, the billionaire heir, was stunned for a moment: “You will?” I grabbed his hand and placed it on my face, looking up at him from the most pitiful angle: “As long as Mr. Shen fights the lawsuit for my mother, I’ll do anything.” I wasn’t as stunningly beautiful as my sister. But I had a gentle, girl-next-door look, perfect for playing the victim. Julian frowned: “You…” “Slut!” A slap landed hard on my face. Sarah pushed me into the rain: “You’d stoop so low to cling to a man! Can’t you rely on yourself when Mom is in danger? Do you want to save Mom or just be a trophy wife!” Seeing another slap coming, I didn’t yield like in the past. I grabbed her hand and slapped her back. Then, not giving her time to react, I flipped over and sat on her, grabbing her collar and shouting: “Then tell me what to do! “Don’t forget why Mom was framed! “If you hadn’t accused Mom of clinging to power and wanting to be the partner’s trophy wife in front of them, would his wife have targeted Mom? “You created this mess and can’t fix it, yet you won’t let me save Mom!” She covered her face, incredulous: “You hit me… You dared to hit me! You’d hit me just to be a trophy wife!” Slap! Another slap landed on her face, silencing her. I pulled her collar closer: “This slap is for Mom. “As long as I can save Mom, call me a trophy wife, love-struck, or a slut all you want! I’ll be it! “If you don’t have another way, don’t stop me from saving her!” Thunder roared as rain pounded the ground. My body suddenly stiffened— In the heat of the moment, I lost my composure in front of Julian. What if he was disappointed in me? I looked up; the rain no longer fell on me. Julian was holding an umbrella over me. I knelt on the ground, looking up at him. “Come with me.” His voice was calm. But unquestionable. 2 Getting out of the car, I wrapped a dry towel around myself and looked at the estate before me. Butlers and servants were already waiting at the door with awnings. Julian held the umbrella for me. Still wet, I stumbled as I lifted my foot. “Careful.” Julian’s voice was as steady as his demeanor. He glanced at my bare feet and scooped me up into his arms. The rain on me soaked into his bespoke suit. Seeing he didn’t mind, I wrapped my arms around his neck. He stiffened briefly but quickly resumed his pace. “Mr. Shen, can you really save my mother?” “I can.” He placed me on the sofa, looking down at me: “Then, are you with me willingly, or forced?” This question was tricky. Because obviously, I was acting out of necessity. But if I answered honestly and he wasn’t satisfied, what if he refused to help? I looked at him with wet eyes: “I dare not answer.” “Why?” “I’m afraid you won’t believe I truly love you.” He let out a low chuckle: “Go, take a shower.” Then he turned and left. I thought he went to prepare too. But after I washed up and waited for a long time, he didn’t return. Thinking of my mother in prison, I ran out without even putting on shoes. Guided by the butler, I pushed open the study door. 3 “Why are you here?” He opened the file in his hand. I walked up, pressed down the file, straddled his lap, took off his rimless glasses, and kissed him. Julian’s breath hitched, pushing me away slightly: “So impatient?” I hugged his neck: “Didn’t you bring me back for this?” He glanced at my feet and lifted me up: “I don’t make a habit of taking advantage of people in danger.” I kissed his Adam’s apple: “I’m willing, Mr. Shen.” Fine kisses landed on his neck. I heard his heartbeat quicken. I didn’t care about my sister’s “trophy wife” accusations. If he didn’t go further, I couldn’t ask him to find a lawyer for Mom. A reciprocal relationship makes it easier to ask for things. He finally grabbed my wandering hand: “Don’t touch randomly…” “Mr. Shen…” I whispered in his ear: “I’m willing to do anything for you.” The hand holding mine tightened. The next second, he picked me up and walked silently towards the bedroom. 4 The next day, a team of professional lawyers from the Gu family contacted me. Ignoring my aching back, I rushed to meet them. But not far from the door, I was suddenly dragged into an alley. Before I could see who it was, my collar was ripped open: “Chloe Song, you slut! What did you do with Mr. Shen last night!” My sister pulled down my collar, revealing the hickeys on my neck: “What, you love serving men that much? Can’t live without a man, huh? How can I have such a cheap sister!” I didn’t cover my neck, just sneered at her: “I never understood why you always preach that women should be independent and not rely on men, yet when you scold women, it’s full of male gaze and misogyny. “Oh~ I get it, you’re just a ‘pick-me’ girl using the anti-trophy wife persona to attract men.” Slap! A slap hit my face. Sarah’s chest heaved: “It was you who climbed into Mr. Shen’s bed, not me!” “So you’re jealous?” “Chloe! You!” Seeing her hand raised again, I caught it and slapped her back. This slap was merciless. Carrying the resentment from my past life. Sarah leaned against the wall, covering her face, stunned. Finally, she gritted her teeth and sneered: “You don’t think you really got Mr. Shen, do you? “He’s someone who won’t be satisfied until he gets what he can’t have. Bringing you back was just to provoke me. “Believe it or not, as soon as I turn back, he’ll kick you out immediately?” I paused. Actually, she wasn’t entirely wrong. Julian and I had only met once, but he had had his eyes on my sister for a long time. It wasn’t impossible that he brought me back to provoke her. If she was like me, willing to sacrifice everything to save Mom, I wouldn’t fight her for a man. But she loved to refuse urgent help under the banner of being a “strong independent woman.” I dared not yield Julian to her. I had to hold onto Julian no matter what. Until Mom was saved! “Remember, Julian is mine now, and he will only recognize me. “I am effectively the mistress of the Shen household now. If you don’t know what’s good for you, I won’t care about our sisterly bond.” Sarah choked me: “Who do you think you are? Since when is it your turn to show off in front of me?” Just as I was resisting, her eyes widened. She grabbed my hand and slapped herself hard, falling to the ground with a cry. Before I could react, my wrist was grabbed from behind. Julian’s voice came from above: “What are you doing?”

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Top-tier movie star Sebastian Hayes posts on Twitter: “Who stole my dog!” An hour later, my alt account posting pictures of the dog was doxxed. Soon, netizens discovered: “Isn’t that Sebastian’s dog?!” “This kid actually dared to steal the movie star’s dog? Everyone knows that dog is his precious baby!” “He’s done for. Wait for the lawsuit!” But no one knows, the dog followed me willingly. Because it was the token of love I gave to Sebastian. 1 It’s common knowledge that movie star Sebastian Hayes loves dogs. Especially the one he raised himself, named “Moon.” He can go a month without posting a selfie, but he absolutely cannot go without posting a picture of his dog. His fans say if you want to capture Sebastian’s heart, you first need to capture Moon’s heart. But that night at nine, Sebastian suddenly tweeted: “Who stole my dog!” The exclamation mark at the end practically screamed his rage through the screen. Fans and passersby were stunned. [OMG, who dares to steal Moon? They’re dead meat!] [Dog thief! Give Moon back to Sebastian!] [I can imagine Sebastian thinking about Moon being gone and losing sleep all night.] [If I can find Moon, will… Sebastian date me? Hehe.] [I feel like he’d give you his life if you did.] Meanwhile, the “dog thief” everyone was talking about—me—was happily walking the Samoyed outside. This dog was the love token I gave Sebastian, but after we broke up, he forcibly kept the dog. He wouldn’t let me see it and posted pictures all day to tempt me. As one of the dog’s owners, could I tolerate this? So, on the 38th night of him hogging the dog, I found out his schedule, sneaked into his house, and vowed to steal the dog back. Who knew the moment I opened the door, I locked eyes with Moon’s round, bulging eyes. Moon’s pupils dilated instantly. He obediently held the leash in his mouth and spun around excitedly, as if he knew I was there to pick him up. I patted his fluffy head with satisfaction, took the leash, and carefully slipped away. Moon was super excited the whole way, tail wagging non-stop. I smirked triumphantly. Seems Moon still likes me more. Sebastian can have the dog’s body, but he can’t have its heart. Besides, the dog followed me willingly. How can you call that stealing? 2 Watching the dog frolic and act cute on the grass, my heart felt warm. I couldn’t help but snap a nine-grid photo set with my phone. After taking them, I specifically posted these nine photos to my alt Twitter account with the caption: [The cutest baby in the world is with me.] This alt account had zero followers and followed no one. It was purely for my unhinged rants. Usually, no one comments, but today my notifications were blowing up. Ding dong, ding dong, non-stop. Does everyone else think my dog is super cute too? Makes sense, but something felt off. Confused, I clicked open the comments. [Isn’t that Sebastian’s dog?!] [This kid actually dared to steal the movie star’s dog? Everyone knows that dog is his precious baby!] [He’s done for. Wait for the lawsuit!] I kinda understood, but also kinda didn’t. My dog theft was discovered so quickly? It had only been an hour. I found Sebastian’s Twitter, clicked in, and saw his pinned tweet about the stolen dog. I was silent for a moment, then hurriedly deleted all content on that account and deactivated it. Terrified anyone would find out any info. Then I took the dog back to my place, played with him for a bit, and fell asleep. 3 The next day, before I even opened my eyes, there was a bang bang on the door. I rubbed my sleepy eyes and opened the door to see my manager’s angry face. I raised an eyebrow: “Early menopause? Who pissed you off?” Just then, the Samoyed trotted over on his little legs, white fur flying in the air, staring blankly at my manager. My manager pointed a trembling finger at the Samoyed, his voice filled with grief like he was terminally ill: “What is this? I’m asking you, what is this?” I grinned mischievously, rubbing Moon’s head vigorously: “My dog! Cute, right?” I raised my eyebrows, signaling him to give a compliment. Instead, my manager had a breakdown, screaming right there, his sharp voice piercing through the floors: “Ahhh! Cute my ass! Who told you to steal the movie star’s dog? Ah! Now the whole internet knows you’re a dog thief.” I pondered for a second. Who could know? I already deactivated the account. Thinking of this, I lay calmly on the sofa and said leisurely: “Don’t worry, I handled it perfectly.” The next second, my manager pulled out his phone, opened a page, and shoved it in my face. I stared for three seconds. Huh? What! Sebastian, you bastard! On the screen was Sebastian’s new tweet with a video attached. In the video, a man sneakily arrived at the door, skillfully entered the passcode, and entered the room. About 30 seconds later, he led a chubby Samoyed out. The Samoyed in the video was obviously very happy, grinning from ear to ear, tail wagging non-stop, and kept rubbing against the man’s leg. He even specifically tagged me in this tweet with the caption: [Dog thief, give me back my dog @TylerXu] I’m a D-list celebrity. Before this, I participated in a variety show and got maliciously edited, resulting in my social media being full of haters. But since I flopped pretty hard, there weren’t that many haters. Sebastian’s move pushed me straight into the eye of the storm. At this moment, I was as devastated as my manager. But after a moment’s thought, I realized: dog in hand, world in hand. I don’t care what people say about me. Thinking of this, I clicked open the comments directly. [Can I say the dog looks like it went willingly… sorry, should I not say that?] [Can I say the man in the surveillance video looks kinda hot? Which star is he? I’m gonna follow him rn.] [This guy looks like he knows his way around. Is there a story between them?] [I can only say the internet has no memory. This guy bullied male guests on a variety show before, and now he dares to steal the movie star’s dog. His character has always been rotten.] [For real… then I’m unfollowing. Stealing dogs isn’t cool.] 4 Looking at these comments, I couldn’t help but smirk. Seems many people noticed the dog was willing. I am the dog’s owner! Besides, I don’t rely on the internet or variety shows to eat. What use are fans to me? And with so many haters already, what’s a few more? Thinking of this, I replied directly under Sebastian’s comment section: “Who are you? Stop clout chasing.” Less than three seconds later, Sebastian replied: “You better not be home tonight.” I could even feel him gritting his teeth behind the screen. That’s the effect I wanted. So I replied: “Moved already.” Sebastian: “…” Seeing Sebastian speechless, I tossed my phone aside and laughed out loud. My manager looked at me like he wanted to die, finally shaking his head helplessly: “How can you choose to completely rot just because of malicious editing?” I patted his shoulder to comfort him: “My brother inherited the family business. I don’t need to manage anything and still have endless money. Why must I stay in show business?” “I only joined that show for fun. Who knew it would be so boring and I’d get slandered. Talking about it just brings tears.” “Just rot with me in peace. My brother’s money won’t treat you badly.” “And my brother works abroad all the time, so don’t bother him with these small things.” My heartfelt speech made the manager nod repeatedly, finally choosing to rot with me. Rotting is an attitude, and I’ve implemented this attitude perfectly from the start. Just then, there was another knock on the door. Sebastian’s reply suddenly popped into my mind. Could he have found me? Impossible, impossible. I already moved, and only my manager and brother know this new location. I hesitated, walked up to the peephole, and saw nothing outside. Is it a prank? There are many kids in this neighborhood who like to knock on doors randomly. I’m used to it. Thinking of this, I rolled up my sleeves, planning to teach the prankster a lesson. I swiftly opened the door and looked out. The next second, a large hand grabbed my wrist. I couldn’t help but let out a sharp scream. The sound just came out when it was blocked by Sebastian’s other large hand. My pupils dilated in shock. How did Sebastian find me?

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After transmigrating into a novel, the System ordered me to suppress the male lead. The original lines were: “Loser, with your measly salary, being with me is the greatest gift you’ll ever receive.” “Other people’s boyfriends drive luxury cars, what do you have? You’ll never give me a good life.” However, what came out of my mouth was: “If my sweet boyfriend can treat me this well with a few thousand dollars, imagine how happy I’d be if he made tens of thousands!” “With you treating your girlfriend so well, success is just a matter of time. I’ll be right here waiting for that day, won’t I?” The System sputtered in panic: [Host, you’re supposed to suppress him to make him stronger, not act coquettish!] I rolled my eyes: “Who says you have to suppress someone to make them stronger?” 1 I transmigrated into the role of the male lead’s vicious ex-girlfriend and was forced by the System to follow the plot. My mission was to constantly put down the male lead, Liam. Once it reached a certain point, I had to dump him ruthlessly. In his misery, the male lead would work hard and achieve great success in just three years. Then, the destined female lead would appear and heal him with love. However, at this point, I was supposed to regret my actions, turn around, and pester him endlessly, using every means to break him and the female lead apart. In the end, the male lead would fall into depression and commit suicide at the age of 30. A qualified ex should stay dead. The System said that as long as I successfully completed the mission, I would receive a reward of five million dollars, a new identity, and a fresh start in a strange city. 2 At this moment, Liam just came back from delivering food. He worked three jobs a day to support me, his lazy girlfriend. The System urgently came online. [Host, start the plot.] [Your line is: You make peanuts all day and come back so late, are you trying to starve me?] Yes, I didn’t lift a finger and waited for Liam to come back and cook for me every day. After Liam entered, I said the line given by the System. As result, the corners of Liam’s mouth turned down, and he innocently took out a cup of hot milk tea from his pocket. “Drink this first, I’ll go cook.” I cursed inwardly: This character setting is too vicious. Liam busied himself in the kitchen, stir-frying shredded potatoes and boiling shrimp. Probably because shrimp was too expensive, there were only nine in the dish. After peeling all the shrimp, Liam pushed them all in front of me and said carefully: “Eat up, the shrimp is very fresh today.” My heart felt like it was scratched hard. No one had ever peeled shrimp for me since I was little. The System’s untimely voice appeared. [Your line is: You’re only good for this, otherwise who would want you.] [Then eat all the shrimp.] I thought for a moment and blurted out: “I want you so much. Good things should be shared.” So I put four shrimp in his bowl. A trace of joy overflowed on Liam’s face, but he then put the shrimp back. “I like shredded potatoes, don’t give them to me, eat them while they’re hot.” My throat suddenly tightened. I remembered when I was in the orphanage, I could only eat good food during festivals. Damn it, even after dying and transmigrating, I still couldn’t have a good life. At this time, the System finally reacted. [Host, what are you doing?] [Not following the plot will result in punishment!] “What punishment?” I asked back. [You only have three chances to make mistakes, otherwise you will be electrocuted.] “Oh, remind me when it’s the last time.” 3 Before going to work every day, Liam would make breakfast in advance and keep it warm in the pot for me to eat when I woke up. I asked the System and learned that the original owner usually got up at eleven, ate, and then played games or went shopping. She demanded good food and clothes. Liam’s salary of eight thousand was often not enough for her, plus rent and utilities, forcing Liam to take two part-time jobs simultaneously. “What’s the difference between this and a parasite?” The System coughed twice: [Host, you are that parasite now.] I really wanted to curse. In the afternoon, following the System’s prompt, I went to the most prosperous shopping street in the city. I looked around roughly; any piece of clothing here cost one or two thousand. Forget it, it’s not that I can’t afford it, but Temu is more cost-effective. After walking around for a long time, I finally bought two pairs of socks for Liam. If I saw correctly yesterday, his socks had holes in them. At this time, the System asked me to call Liam and ask him to transfer money to me. But since Liam hadn’t been paid yet, he had no money, so he would get a scolding from me. System: [Just say: You can’t even take out this little money, what kind of boyfriend are you?] However, as soon as the call connected, I didn’t follow the System’s instructions but smiled and said: “I’m a scammer, send me money quickly.” Liam on the other end recognized my voice and said somewhat dotingly: “Yes, my little scammer.” I’m crying, he’s just too good. The System urgently spoke up: [Host, if you don’t follow the plot, you’ll really cry.] I couldn’t help but retort: “Do I have to say those nasty words? The meaning is the same, isn’t it enough to achieve the goal?” [Our goal is to suppress the male lead. Only after you leave him will he climb up step by step in unwillingness.] “But isn’t he working hard enough now?” “Getting up early and working late for three jobs every day, and coming back to take care of me.” “Is it possible that he just hasn’t met his opportunity yet?” [Host, I advise you not to be too rebellious.] 4 Liam eventually managed to gather three thousand dollars and personally delivered it to me. “Afraid something happened to you, I specifically asked the boss for two hours of leave.” I clutched the three thousand dollars in my hand, my heart sour. Liam currently works in a financial company, does internet promotion in his spare time, and delivers food after work. These three thousand dollars take him half a month of part-time work to earn, but in my hands, it might just be the cost of a piece of clothing. Sensing my mood was wrong, Liam rubbed my hair and asked: “What’s wrong?” “Nothing, since you’re out, accompany me for a stroll.” While holding Liam’s arm, I listened to the System arrange the next plot point. [Later you will meet a college classmate, and this classmate’s boyfriend is a rich second generation driving a luxury car worth millions. After seeing this, you felt unbalanced and went back to have a fight with Liam.] Just as the System said, not long after strolling, we met that classmate. She sat in her rich boyfriend’s luxury car and greeted us. “Isn’t this Jenny? You’re still with Liam? Can a poor boy like him afford to support you?” After speaking, she looked at us with disdain. I was angry and cursed: “None of your business, mind yourself.” She laughed instead of getting angry: “Oops, I originally thought for the sake of being classmates, I’d introduce my boyfriend’s brothers to you. Now it seems you don’t need it.” Then she dropped a “Serve you right for being poor” and rolled up the window. After they left, I secretly observed Liam’s expression and breathed a sigh of relief when I found nothing unusual. Unexpectedly, the System started causing trouble again. [Host, you need to start getting angry, and then say angrily: Other people’s boyfriends drive luxury cars, what do you have? Following you, I will never live a good life.] [Then start a cold war with Liam.] Not only did I not get angry, but I also deliberately changed the subject. “Liam, treat me to something delicious, okay?” Liam stared at me for a while, a smile blooming on his face. “Okay, let’s have a good meal today.” Saying that, he took me to a Western restaurant. Just looking at the decoration inside, I knew it must be expensive. I tugged at Liam’s sleeve and whispered: “Let’s go eat hot pot instead. Treat me here when you get a raise.” A trace of self-blame flashed in Liam’s eyes, and then he pulled me into his arms forcefully. “Sorry, I’m useless, making you hesitate even for a meal. Believe me, I will work hard to give you a good life.” I pulled the corners of my mouth and smiled: “Okay, I’ll wait for you. You must do your best.” As soon as I finished speaking, I heard a sizzling sound in my mind. Then the System’s countdown: [Number of plot violations exhausted, punishment will begin, 3, 2…] Didn’t I ask it to remind me? Soon, a strong electric current rushed through my body, and I instinctively screamed: “Ah—” It hurts so much. Liam didn’t know what happened to me, his face full of panic. “Jenny, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me…” The punishment wasn’t over, and I couldn’t speak from the pain. I only saw Liam’s eyes were scary red. “I’ll take you to the hospital, don’t be afraid, I’m here.” I opened my mouth, really wanting to tell him I was fine, it would pass soon, don’t waste that money. Damn System!!!

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Three days after I died, Aaron Sullivan got the call to ID my body. He carelessly held another woman in his arms and said, “If she’s dead, she’s dead. Call me after she’s cremated.” After my body was sent into the furnace and turned into ashes, the staff called Aaron again. He clicked his tongue impatiently. “Got it. Coming.” 1 When Aaron arrived, it was already two hours later. His clothes were a bit messy, with a glaring lipstick stain on his collar. It wasn’t hard to tell he just came from a ‘battlefield.’ Finding the staff, he sneered, “Where are Chloe Shen’s ashes? Didn’t you call me to pick them up?” After confirming his identity, the staff handed him the box containing my ashes. Aaron took it carelessly, his eyes full of mockery. “Is this really Chloe Shen’s ashes? You didn’t just scoop up some cat or dog remains to fool me, did you?” The staff was shocked. “Mr. Sullivan, these are indeed Miss Shen’s ashes. There are records. Would you like to see them?” Aaron curled his lips. “No need. I trust you.” I breathed a sigh of relief. For some reason, I was dead, but my soul remained. Thinking about it, maybe it was because I hadn’t been properly laid to rest. Now that Aaron believed I was dead, even if he hated me, for the sake of our past, he should bury me casually, right? But before I could be happy, the next second, Aaron suddenly exclaimed. The urn slipped from his hand, and my ashes scattered on the ground. Aaron smiled cruelly. “Oops, slipped.” Saying that, he extended his foot, grinding his shoe sole wantonly on my ashes. My breath hitched. Meeting his half-smiling eyes, I opened my mouth but couldn’t make a sound. Until my ashes completely disappeared into the cracks of the ground, mixed with dust. Only then did Aaron withdraw his foot satisfied. Amidst the staff’s shock, he laughed, “Remember to tell Chloe Shen, this trick is very novel, but also a failure.” “My mom’s death anniversary is in a few days. She better go obediently to my mom’s grave to atone. Otherwise, even if she’s really dead, I don’t mind digging up her body myself to whip it.” The last few words were full of chill, making people tremble with fear. But I knew he really could do it. I was suddenly glad my body had been cremated. Otherwise, that scene would be very ugly. Before the staff could argue with him, Aaron was called away by a phone call. Strangely, my soul followed him. Forced to sit in the passenger seat, I listened to him chatting with the woman on the other end. I knew that voice. It was Bella Su, the adopted daughter of the Sullivan family. When Aaron and I were still in love, she came to me and asked me to leave him. I refused, so she started targeting me, spreading rumors in my company, and having people corner me. After Aaron found out, he taught her a harsh lesson and threatened to kick her out if she dared to bully me again. Bella finally behaved herself. Mentioning me, the expression on Aaron’s face turned colder. “Why mention her? Bad luck. It’s not like she’s really dead.” “What if she really died? Aaron, what would you do?” Bella’s probing voice came over. 2 My heart tightened, and I subconsciously turned to look at Aaron. If it were the old Aaron, let alone death, even a scratch on my hand would make his heart ache unbearable. He said I was his treasure and would pamper me in his palm for a lifetime. But now, Aaron sneered, “Then I would definitely hold a banquet for three days and three nights, and set off fireworks all over the city to celebrate.” I widened my eyes in disbelief. Only now did I understand that Aaron hated me to this extent. Hated me so much that my death was something worth celebrating for him. But Aaron, I really died. You just don’t believe it. The car stopped at a bridal shop, and Aaron strode in. He was so eager, just like the day he brought me to the bridal shop after we secretly got our marriage license. At that time, he couldn’t wait to see me in a wedding dress. He excitedly held me in his arms, saying I was the most beautiful bride in the world. But now, he looked at Bella in a wedding dress with the same tender eyes. Brushing away the broken hair by her ear, he said softly, “Beautiful.” Bella lowered her head shyly and smiled. When she looked up again, there were tears in her eyes. “Aaron, I finally waited for you.” I was full of shock, watching helplessly as Bella kissed Aaron’s face. I couldn’t wait to stop all this. But my hand passed right through Aaron’s body. I stared blankly as he put the ring on Bella’s middle finger. How could he? Why Bella? She was the one who killed his mother. Aaron! I opened my mouth, throat hoarse, filled with grief and indignation. I watched all this numbly. Bella looked in the mirror excitedly and suddenly asked, “By the way, Aaron, is she okay?” We all knew who “she” referred to. Aaron was expressionless, even a bit annoyed. “What could happen? Just a petty trick.” “Then for our wedding, shall we invite her?” Aaron lowered his eyelashes, hiding the emotions in his eyes. Suddenly, the corner of his mouth curled into a malicious smile. “Of course we have to invite her. She’s a key figure.” I instantly understood. Aaron wanted me to witness his wedding with my own eyes. After all, this was the scene I had always looked forward to. Because we didn’t get Mrs. Sullivan’s approval back then, we only got the license and didn’t hold a wedding. Later, a wedding became my extravagant hope. 3 Because Mrs. Sullivan died. Heart attack, incurable. The night she died, the last call was to me. So, Aaron naturally suspected I angered her to death. On the day of Mrs. Sullivan’s burial, he forced me to kneel in front of the grave for a day and a night. It rained heavily that day. We looked at each other in the rain. His eyes were full of gray defeat and hatred. He said, “Chloe Shen, from now on, we are mortal enemies.” Since then, I went from Aaron’s lover to his enemy. He hated me, humiliated me, but wouldn’t let me leave him. He even brought women home overnight. Seeing my red eyes, he chuckled and patted my face, mocking, “Chloe Shen, is it hard? But you asked for this. Who can you blame?” I tried my best to explain, but it only made Aaron worse. He didn’t doubt his conclusion because he knew Mrs. Sullivan didn’t like me. She even threatened never to let me into the Sullivan family in this life. Aaron argued with her many times for this, even breaking with the family just to be with me. But the woman he loved killed his biological mother. How could he accept it? Sending Bella away. Aaron seemed to just remember me. He mercifully pulled me out of the blacklist, tapping the steering wheel with one hand and dialing my number with the other. After a while, I watched his relaxed brows gradually furrow. Watched him slap the steering wheel as if venting. “Chloe Shen, daring not to answer my call, you’re looking for death.” But little did he know, I wasn’t refusing to answer his call. I could never answer again. Half a month later, Aaron finally returned to our home. He violently pushed open the door, shouting, “Chloe Shen, get out here.” He pushed open door after door but never found me. Aaron’s already gloomy face became even darker. While ordering his subordinates to find my whereabouts, he said sinisterly, “Chloe Shen, since you want to run, you better run far. Otherwise, when I catch you, I will definitely break your legs.” 4 However, the woman whose legs he wanted to break was right in front of his eyes. Not long after, a subordinate sent a location. The expression on Aaron’s face gradually became terrifying. I looked confusedly and realized it was Julian Ji’s home. “Mr. Sullivan, the Madam’s last call was to Mr. Ji. But Mr. Ji said he hasn’t seen the Madam. We suspect he kidnapped her.” Aaron said coldly, “Wait for me there.” Aaron raced all the way to Julian’s house. With a sullen face, he kicked the closed door hard. Once, twice. On the third time, the door opened. Julian looked calm, with dark circles under his eyes. “What’s up?” Aaron sneered, “You hid my wife, and you ask what’s up?” Julian remained expressionless, as if he had no attachment to this world. “I didn’t hide her. She’s already dead. Didn’t the crematorium notify you to pick up the ashes?” “She even got you to help her act? Heh, seems Chloe Shen is determined to hide from me this time.” Aaron didn’t believe I was dead. He stubbornly thought this was still my trick. He looked up into the house and shouted, “Chloe Shen, don’t think you can escape my mom’s death anniversary just because Julian protects you. I’ll count to three. If you don’t come out, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” Three, two, one. As the words fell, Aaron kicked Julian fiercely and ordered his subordinates to search the house for me. Julian was kicked to the ground, a trace of anger appearing on his calm face. “Aaron Sullivan, Chloe Shen is already dead. You picked up the ashes yourself. Have you forgotten?” “She’s dead, dead for several days.” Julian angrily grabbed Aaron’s collar, pinning him against the wall. Aaron looked gloomy and mocked, “At this point, you still want to hide her. Julian, you really are deeply devoted to her. Pity, she’s been worn out by me long ago. When I get bored, if you still like her, maybe I’ll consider giving her to you.” “But not now. She still has to kowtow and atone at my mom’s grave. Can’t keep you company.” Julian flushed red from his face to his neck. He gripped Aaron’s collar tightly and gritted his teeth, “Aaron Sullivan, you’re a fucking bastard.” He punched Aaron in the face violently. Aaron grunted in pain. For a moment, the two exchanged punches and kicks, wrestling together. Elders used to say people have no feeling after death. But for some reason, I felt my chest swelling, as if it was about to explode.

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I was scrolling through Reddit when I hit a trending post on r/jobs: [My son is interviewing for a summer internship at a corporate firm. What questions should I ask on his behalf?] The comments section was already tearing the OP apart. [u/JobHuntWarrior]: Wait, is it your interview or his? Does he not have a mouth? [u/CorporateDrone]: If he’s still attached to the umbilical cord, maybe he should stay home. A grown man should know what to ask. [u/HiringManager]: If these are my competitors, I’m feeling pretty good about my chances. The original poster (OP) got triggered immediately and started clapping back in the edits: [Edit: There are so many scammers out there! How can I rest easy if I don’t go with him? You people are just jealous because you clearly don’t have mothers who love you.] [Edit 2: Any legitimate company allows parents to sit in. We’ve accompanied our son to several interviews already.] I just laughed, shook my head, and locked my phone. At that exact moment, our receptionist, Jenny, rushed into my office looking like she’d seen a ghost. “Sarah, the 2:00 PM candidate is here early.” She paused, her eyes wide. “And… he brought a whole tribe with him.” 1 That Reddit post flashed through my mind. I looked at Jenny, skeptical. “You mean, like, his parents drove him and are waiting in the car?” Jenny shook her head, looking traumatized. “No. I mean the parents, the grandparents, the sister-in-law, and a toddler. Even the grandma is on a walker. They’re all in the lobby.” My stomach dropped. I’ve been in HR for years. I’ve seen helicopter parents drop their kids off. Usually, they sit in the Starbucks across the street or wait in the car. But a full-on invasion? That was a first. I frowned, checking my watch. “It’s noon. Lunchtime. Put them in the guest lounge for now. Why are they two hours early?” Jenny looked like she was about to explode. “They showed up demanding service immediately! I tried to get him to fill out the application, but his mom kept interrupting me.” “First she complained that he shouldn’t have to give personal info before he’s hired. Then she screamed about why we weren’t providing lunch since they traveled ‘all this way’ during noon.” Jenny’s voice cracked. “Then she asked if I had a boyfriend. She said that even though being a receptionist is a ‘low-tier job,’ she’d ‘reluctantly accept’ me as a daughter-in-law.” “With that short, potato-looking son of hers? The audacity!” I sighed, rubbing my temples. I hate dealing with these “failure-to-launch” cases. “I’ll handle it. If they’re this unhinged, I’m cancelling the interview.” I stood up, but Jenny grabbed my arm. “Sarah, be careful. They aren’t normal. They started recording video the second they walked in.” “I told them it’s against policy, but they refused to put the phones away.” I nodded. understood. There are people who do this for clout—baiting companies into ‘discriminating’ against them to go viral on TikTok. I decided to play it cool. Ten minutes. In and out. Kill them with kindness, then show them the door. I walked into the guest lounge. The family was huddled around a young man, barking instructions as he tried to fill out the form. “Don’t put your real number there,” the dad said. “Put a fake one. What if they sell your data to scammers?” “And height? Why did you write 5’7? You have good posture. With shoes on, you’re basically 5’10. Write 5’10.” “Don’t leave the experience section blank,” the sister-in-law chimed in. “You watched your brother’s kid last summer. That’s ‘Childcare Management.’” The guy, Liam, was sweating bullets. He looked like he wanted to disappear but didn’t dare speak up. Meanwhile, the toddler was using the sofa as a trampoline. He knocked over a glass of water, soaking the application form. Chaos ensued. “Watch where you’re going!” “I was busy helping Liam! It’s fine, it’s just water. They can still read it.” “Liam, you’re so careless! Why didn’t you move the cup?” “Honestly, what would you do without us?” Liam buried his head lower, accepting the verbal beatdown like a statue. I stepped in to stop the suffocation. “Liam Patterson? I’m Sarah from HR. Let’s head to the conference room.” Liam looked at me with pure gratitude and shot up from his chair. But before we could take a step, his mother blocked my path. 2 “You must be the manager.” She grabbed my hand, shaking it aggressively. “Our Liam just graduated. He doesn’t have much experience, so don’t ask him any tricky questions, okay?” The grandma, leaning on her walker, shouted from the couch. “My grandson is a genius! Ivy League Master’s degree! Handsome, too! Honestly, you should just skip the interview and let’s talk numbers.” The dad nodded. “Right. I have a number in mind. You can just set up the direct deposit to go to my bank account.” The sister-in-law (SIL) scoffed, crossing her arms. “Liam’s brother is a VP at a major corporation. He knows all the dirty tricks you HR people pull. Liam has a Master’s. If the offer is anything less than $100k, don’t waste our breath.” Wow. Where did they assemble this Avengers team of red flags? It didn’t matter how talented Liam was. Hiring him would mean hiring them. He had zero independence. They gave me an out, so I took it. “Unfortunately, the budget for this entry-level role doesn’t reach $100k. If that’s a dealbreaker, I won’t waste your time.” The room went silent. “So… no interview?” the mom asked, stunned. I looked at Liam. “Since we can’t meet the salary requirement, I wish you the best of luck in your search.” Liam understood immediately. His eyes reddened. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, defeated. But his SIL wasn’t having it. “A company this big can’t afford $100k? Why did you make us come down here? You’re wasting our time on purpose!” “We took an Uber! That was fifty bucks! Are you going to reimburse us?” Grandma slammed her walker on the floor. “Fifty? What about my health? It’s hot outside, I almost had a stroke getting here. You need to pay my medical bills!” I kept my face neutral. “I discussed the salary range on the phone during the screening. You accepted the interview based on those numbers. My time is also valuable. I’m not the one wasting it.” “Please see yourselves out.” They didn’t budge. The SIL realized I wasn’t going to be bullied, so she pulled the “Do you know who I am?” card. “Your company works with Sterling Corp, right? My husband is a senior executive there.” “We were going to just ask him to get Liam a job, but we wanted Liam to do it on his own merit. We’re giving you face by being here.” The mom puffed up her chest. “That’s right! My older son manages all their contracts. Aren’t you guys bidding on a new project with them?” “One word from him, and your contract is dead.” 3 I hesitated. Sterling Corp was our biggest strategic partner. We were in the middle of a massive bid that would double our profit margins. If this was true, it was a problem. I turned slightly and texted our Marketing Director. He replied instantly: “Sterling Corp? No one named Patterson in executive leadership. Procurement doesn’t have anyone by that name either.” I breathed a sigh of relief. Total bluff. “Are you the decision-maker or not?” The grandma banged her walker again. Thump. Thump. “Stop stalling! Call your boss!” I kept my voice calm. “We have a strict compensation structure. Since Liam is ‘overqualified’ and has such powerful connections, he shouldn’t settle for us. Please leave.” The SIL stepped in front of the grandma. “We came all this way. And you’re kicking us out before even asking a question?” “Fine. We’ll go. But you need to pay us $1,000. For the Uber, the emotional distress, Grandma’s health risk, and the cost of printing the resume.” “That’s the ‘friends and family’ discount because of my husband’s connection. Otherwise, I’m putting you on blast online.” She tapped the phone hanging around her neck. “I’ve been recording since we walked in. I have footage of you discriminating against young talent and exploiting workers.” The mom nodded smugly. “My older son taught her well. Pay up, or we ruin your reputation. Your new project with Sterling? Consider it toasted.” I was done. I pulled out my phone to call security. Suddenly, a raw, guttural scream tore through the room. “ENOUGH!” It was Liam. “Do you want me to be unemployed forever?!” The family froze. Liam walked past them, trembling, and stood in front of me. “Sarah… Ms. Manager. I am so sorry.” His voice broke. He took a deep breath, fighting back tears. “I really want to join this company.” “Please. Just give me a chance to interview.” 4 I looked at him, feeling a mix of pity and frustration. His resume was actually impressive. Ivy League, high GPA, difficult certifications. I had been excited about him. But this baggage? Seeing my silence, tears started rolling down Liam’s face. “Ms. Manager, since I graduated… I haven’t had a single real interview. They ruin it every time.” “Just one chance. If I fail, I fail.” His dad recovered from the shock first. “You spineless worm! Begging for a job? Have some dignity!” The SIL sneered. “Just let your brother make a call. Stop acting like a beggar.” His mom started crying. “My baby, don’t be upset! We don’t need this trash job anyway!” Liam ignored them, staring at me with desperate, pleading eyes. I sighed. I’m too soft for this job sometimes. “Fine. But the interview happens in the conference room. Alone. No family allowed.” Liam’s face lit up. He frantically wiped the water off his resume and followed me. Behind us, the family stood there, jaws on the floor. “How can he go alone? What if she bullies him?” “Yeah, we need to be there to make sure it’s fair.” “Liam is getting rebellious. I bet he has a crush on that manager.” “Hmph. She’s cold. The receptionist was cuter.” I ignored the commentary. Inside the conference room, Liam calmed down. I was right about him. He was sharp. Once the initial panic faded, he answered technical questions with confidence. His eyes actually started to shine. Then, a phone rang. Loudly. I keep my phone on silent. It was his. Panic returned to Liam’s face. He fumbled to decline the call. Immediately, it rang again. Like a siren. “You can silence it,” I said gently. Liam, flustered, just powered the phone off completely. Bam. The conference room door flew open. The mom charged in. “We agreed to keep the line open! We were listening! Why did you hang up?” “Why is the phone off now?!” 5 The whole clown car emptied into the room. “Yeah, if we can’t hear, how do we know she isn’t tricking you?” “You can’t handle this alone!” “Did she make you turn it off? I knew it! Sketchy!” I looked at these people—these “experts” on life—and felt a headache coming on. “Get out,” I said, “or the interview is over.” Grandma shook her walker at me. “Why can’t we watch? You made him turn off the phone! Are you trying to seduce him?” “Is that the only way to get a job here? Doing something dirty?” The mom sneered. “Desperate single women… always trying to trap young men. Is that standard HR protocol?” I looked at Liam. He had reverted to his “quail” mode—head down, silent. “Liam,” I said sharply. “If you can’t manage your own interview, you can’t manage a job here.” He looked up, a flash of shame in his eyes, but then he slumped. “It’s no use… it’s no use…” he muttered. I sighed. “Okay. Interview over.” The SIL jumped in, phone camera pointed at my face. “I’m recording! Since you’re done, give us a tour. We have rights.” “Refuse, and I’ll post this. ‘HR Manager Kicks Out Family, Refuses Transparency.’” I almost laughed. I glanced up at the corner of the room. Our new 4K security camera with high-fidelity audio recording. You want to post online? I have terabytes of content right here. “Sure,” I said, voice dangerously calm. “What do you want to know?” Thinking I had folded, they puffed up again. “That’s better. Give us a good offer, and we might even say nice things about you online.” “Right. The commute is too far. Does the company have a shuttle? Actually, just send a driver for him.” “And food. Liam only eats organic, gluten-free, non-GMO meals. Don’t feed him cafeteria slop.” “And he’s an introvert. He needs a private office. Corner suite preferably.” Grandpa grunted. “Stop blabbering! Ask about the money!”

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Mom has a best friend who, to this day, has never married. I once naively asked my mother, “Why doesn’t Aunt Brenda ever get married?” Mom smiled, booping my little nose. “Because your Aunt Brenda has incredibly high standards. She doesn’t think anyone is good enough.” I casually replied, “I wonder who could possibly meet such high standards?” I didn’t get it until one day, while I was out shopping with friends. I watched Aunt Brenda, looking all dramatic and fragile, holding hands with a man as they walked into a boutique hotel. That’s when it hit me. “So, her standards are so high because she had her eyes on my dad.” 1 That night, I was lounging on the couch playing Candy Crush on my mom’s phone. A text message flashed across the top of the screen: “Accidentally got some lipstick on your hubby’s collar. Make sure to wash it.” “Mom! Why isn’t Dad home yet?” “Let’s just lock the deadbolt and leave him outside!” I shouted toward the kitchen while swiping left to delete the message. “Chloe! Watch your mouth,” Mom called back, spatula in hand. “How can you lock your father out? You little ingrate.” “Your father works himself to death to make money for you!” Looking at my mom—defending the man who was currently betraying her—I shook my head helplessly. “Yeah, yeah. Your husband is the hardest worker.” “Best man in the world. Thanks for finding me such a great dad.” “That’s more like it.” Mom looked satisfied and marched back to her battlefield in the kitchen. I looked at her. She was nearly forty but still had the innocence of a teenage girl. I sighed. How could someone this pure ever compete with a white lotus like Brenda? Just as I was about to lose my temper for the third time, the front door opened. “Honey! You’re finally back! It’s our baby girl’s twentieth birthday!” “If you were any later, she was going to tear the house down!” Mom practically skipped to the door, taking his briefcase and pouting like a newlywed. Dad chuckled, gave her a quick peck on the cheek, and walked over to me. “Oh no, is our Princess upset? What are we going to do?” “Blame Daddy. If I hadn’t flown to LA to pick up your gift personally, I wouldn’t be late.” “Look at that pout. You could hang a coat hanger on it.” I narrowed my eyes at him. It wasn’t until he pulled the keys to a Mercedes G-Wagon out of his pocket that I let out a dry laugh. “Truly a model father and husband.” Even when he goes out to buy his daughter a gift, he doesn’t forget to take his side-piece along for the ride. The internet is right: When men cheat, they become master time managers. Dad beamed, thinking I was genuinely praising him. “Come on, let’s eat. Let’s celebrate my daughter entering her twenties.” At the dinner table, I raised my glass. I stared at his crisp, white collar. When I leaned in, I could smell the faint scent of hotel shower gel. So he went back to the hotel after landing? That’s why he was late. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. Then, the doorbell rang. “Oh! That must be your Aunt Brenda.” Mom tapped her forehead. “I almost forgot.” Mom rushed to the foyer and opened the door. “Hey bestie! Long time no see!” Brenda hugged my mom enthusiastically, just like always. But her eyes were darting back and forth between me and my dad. Dad brought his fist to his mouth and cleared his throat awkwardly. The food tasted like wax in my mouth. “Chloe is getting prettier every day,” Brenda cooed. “Really growing into a woman.” I looked at this woman—smiling with fake kindness—and the corners of my mouth turned down. “Chloe, what’s wrong with you? Aunt Brenda is talking to you. Where are your manners?” My disgust must have been too obvious because Mom shot me a warning look. 2 Ever since I saw Dad and Brenda walking into that hotel, I couldn’t unsee it. Every time I saw them in the same room, my brain involuntarily conjured up images of them rolling around in bed sheets. I literally gagged. “Chloe? Chloe, are you okay?” I was hugging the trash can, dry heaving. Mom looked terrified. She patted my back gently. “Did you eat something weird outside again?” She immediately poured me a glass of my favorite watermelon juice. Looking at my mom’s worried face, I felt a lump in my throat. I glanced over at the two of them exchanging looks. I clenched my fists under the table. Mom and I are right here, and they’re still making eyes at each other? Do they have no respect for us? I almost screamed, “Mom, divorce him! Dad is cheating on you! Your best friend is a snake!” But I stopped myself a second before the words left my mouth. Exposing them now would be too easy. Too cheap. “Dad,” I said, composing myself. “Remember you promised that once I started college, you’d buy me a condo near campus?” “I want to move out. It’ll be easier for when I start prepping for grad school.” “After all, I’m your only daughter. I have to inherit the company one day, right?” Dad nodded happily. “Of course, of course. If my daughter wants to study hard, I support it 100%.” “Tomorrow, I’ll take you to look at condos.” Mom smiled, looking proud of my ambition. But my eyes were locked on Brenda. Sure enough, as soon as she heard “buy a condo,” her face turned green. Hah. People would think she’s the one paying for it. She gritted her teeth but forced a smile. “Richard…” “You just bought Chloe a G-Wagon. You shouldn’t spoil children like this.” “What if she gets entitled?” Mom’s expression shifted slightly. Before she could speak, I cut in. “Listen to Aunt Brenda,” I said sarcastically. “Making me sound like a delinquent.” “I’m their only child. If they don’t spend money on me, who should they spend it on?” “I was Valedictorian. I’m trying to level up so I can help Dad run the business sooner so he can retire.” “What? Does Aunt Brenda disagree with my parents buying me things?” “Strangers might think you’re the lady of the house.” The faces of the three adults changed instantly. Dad turned red. Mom gave Brenda a complicated look. Brenda, feeling the heat, went pale. She waved her hands frantically. “No, no, Chloe, you misunderstood.” “I watched you grow up. How could I not want your dad to buy you things?” “I was just worried you’d be stressed living alone. You’re young; you should enjoy life.” I sneered at her clumsy attempt to backpedal. 3 The atmosphere, once lively, was now suffocatingly awkward. For the rest of the meal, Brenda kept her head down and didn’t say a word. Dad, clearly annoyed by the tension, stopped joking around with her. I, on the other hand, felt fantastic watching them suffer. Halfway through the meal, I dropped my chopstick. As I bent down to pick it up, my eyes went wide. I saw Brenda slip her foot out of her heel and rub it against my dad’s calf. Rage shot through me. I wound up my leg and kicked her high heel as hard as I could, sending it sliding across the floor. Brenda felt her shoe vanish and panicked. Dad looked at me, terrified. Luckily, Mom was in the kitchen getting soup. When she walked back in, she didn’t see the shoe… until she tripped over it. “Ouch! Why is there a shoe here?” Mom looked down at the black stiletto in confusion. “Brenda… I told you. You can wear slippers in the house.” “I don’t get why you wear heels all day. Doesn’t it hurt?” Mom picked up the shoe and walked it over to Brenda. “Here! Don’t leave them lying around. Someone could get hurt.” I have never seen a human being turn red that fast. Brenda muttered a weak “Sorry” and glanced at me fearfully. I raised an eyebrow and smirked. That was probably the most indigestion she’s ever had at a dinner. The next morning, I dragged Dad out to buy a luxury condo right across from my university. Fully furnished. Ready to move in. Maybe it was the guilt from last night. While Mom was signing the paperwork, Dad pulled me aside. “Chloe… last night… your Aunt Brenda accidentally bumped into me.” “Don’t tell your mother. You know how she gets.” I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt. Accidentally? Do you think I’m three? Before I could roast him, he pulled out a black credit card. “Here. You’ve been working hard. Treat yourself.” “Don’t be afraid to spend it. I make money so my two girls can spend it.” Adopting the philosophy of “take what you can get,” I snatched the card. I immediately posted a photo on Instagram: Thanks Daddy for building the empire for his past-life lover. You keep grinding, I’ll keep spending. Forever your little princess. That night, I heard Dad call Mom saying he had to work late. I scoffed. Honestly, at this point… I hated the mistress, but I hated my shameless father even more. One was my Mom’s “sister,” the other was her “soulmate.” And they were stabbing her in the back simultaneously. Mom hung up and tried calling Brenda. But surprise, surprise—no answer. “Chloe, do you think your Aunt Brenda is dating someone?” “I can’t reach her. Last week I saw a hickey on her neck.” “Hmph! She’s not a real friend. Keeping secrets from me.” I rubbed my temples, looking at my mom pouting on the sofa. 4 My mom has been pampered her whole life. She’s forty going on fourteen. Dad was a scholarship kid from a rural town. If he hadn’t met Mom, he’d probably be digging ditches. Grandma and Grandpa had foresight, though. All the family assets are in Mom’s name. They signed a prenup: If Dad cheats, he leaves with nothing. But over the years, the company grew. Dad ran the operations. Nobody knows how much money the company actually makes now. Nobody knows how much Dad has stashed away in offshore accounts. I have to take my time. One wrong move, and we lose the leverage. For the next few days, I used my “internship” as an excuse to haunt the office. I saw Brenda picking him up and dropping him off constantly. Finally, I caught them in the parking garage. “Wow, Aunt Brenda! You have so much free time,” I said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Did you apply to be Dad’s chauffeur?” “Dad kept this quiet. I need to tell Mom what a great friend you are.” I had spent the last few days digging into the company financials. Dad was cooking the books. Massive tax evasion. He was funneling money into private accounts. I glared at the man in the suit. I couldn’t believe this scum was the hero I looked up to as a child. “Chloe, honey,” Dad stammered. ” The driver is… busy.” “Your Aunt is just doing me a favor. Your Mom always says we should look out for her.” I laughed out loud. Look out for her? You’re looking out for her all the way to the bedroom. I shot a cold glare at Brenda, who was staring at her shoes, silent. I left the office and drove straight to my grandparents’ estate. They were retired now, living the good life. They never really liked Dad, but tolerated him because the business was doing well. As soon as I walked in, I collapsed into their arms and started sobbing. “Nana! Pop! What do I do? I think Dad is cheating!” They jumped up. “Baby, is that true? You can’t joke about that!” I nodded, tears streaming down my face. “Yes! I saw them!” “What if I lose my family? What if Dad gives all the money to someone else?” “Will Mom and I be homeless? Will I have to beg on the streets?” My grandparents, seeing their precious granddaughter in distress, went into war mode.

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The day after I found out I was pregnant, my husband Shane’s entire family descended on our house. They brought groceries, tonics, and a whole lot of unsolicited advice on how to “keep the baby safe.” In the middle of the chaos, Shane’s nephew, Tyler, took a shine to my dog, Bear. He was hugging him tight, not letting go. He asked me, “Auntie, how old is the puppy brother?” I smiled and told him, “Well, if you want to count it like that, he’s actually your puppy grandpa. Bear is fifteen years old.” My mother-in-law, Joyce, made a face. “Don’t talk nonsense. How can you call a dog a brother or grandpa? You’re gonna give birth to a puppy if you keep that up.” After lunch, I was exhausted. I made myself a cup of milk tea, went into the bedroom, and lay down. They chatted in the living room for a while longer, then left. But after they were gone, the silence felt wrong. Bear was a clingy old boy. He hated when people left. Usually, he’d be scratching at the door or whining. But today? Silence. He hadn’t come to nuzzle me since the guests walked out. I got up and searched the apartment. No Bear. A bad feeling hit me in the gut. I rushed to the window and looked down. There, in the driveway, was little Tyler, climbing into the backseat of their SUV, holding Bear in his arms. I lost it. I threw the window open and screamed, “Put my dog down!” The whole family looked up. Joyce immediately started waving her hands, signaling her eldest son—my brother-in-law, Travis—to drive. “Go! Go!” she mouthed. Travis actually started the engine. I didn’t think. I just reacted. I grabbed my half-full cup of milk tea and hurled it out the window. It was a perfect shot. The cup exploded against the front windshield, splashing sticky brown liquid everywhere. Travis slammed on the brakes; he couldn’t see a thing. Shane, seeing the mess, yelled up at me from the sidewalk, “Are you crazy?!” “I’m coming down!” I screamed. I sprinted down the stairs. Joyce tried to block me, babbling excuses, but I pushed past her and started banging on the car window. “Open the door! Give me back my dog!” Joyce grabbed my arm. “The kid likes the dog! Just let him raise it for a bit! You raised it for years, that’s enough. You’re pregnant now, you shouldn’t be around animals anyway!” “Bear is fifteen!” I shouted, shaking. “He’s geriatric! He is not a toy for a child!” Inside the car, Travis looked at his mom, annoyed by the sticky windshield. He cracked the window an inch. “Ma, just get a rag and clean this up. Calm her down.” That patronizing tone snapped something inside me. I pulled out my phone and smashed it against the glass. Thud! “Put the damn dog down!” I roared at Travis. “That is my dog! Your mom had no right to give him away, and you have no right to take him!” I kept smashing the phone against the glass until spiderwebs formed. Shane rushed over and grabbed my arm, digging his fingers in hard enough to bruise. He hissed through his teeth, “Have you lost your mind? You’re embarrassing me in front of my family.” I was shaking with rage. “I’m crazy? You’re crazy! You’re my husband, and you let them steal my dog behind my back?” “I Googled it!” Shane yelled back. “Do you know what toxoplasmosis is? Dog poop carries parasites! It affects the baby! I’m doing this for our child!” “Shut up! Your mouth is filthier than dog shit right now!” Travis, worried about his precious car window, finally unlocked the doors. I yanked the back door open. Tyler was clutching Bear, wailing at the top of his lungs. “I want the puppy! Auntie, give him to me! Please!” “No!” I reached for Bear, but Tyler turned his back, shielding the dog. He looked at his parents, sobbing. “I want the doggy!” My sister-in-law, Brenda, was the only one with half a brain. She sighed. “Tyler, give the dog back to Auntie. Mommy will buy you a new puppy tomorrow.” “I don’t want a new one! I want this one!” Tyler screamed. Joyce clutched her chest, acting heartbroken. “Look at you, making my grandson cry. You’re a grown woman fighting with a child!” I ignored her and held out my hand to the kid. “Give him back. I won’t ask again.” Tyler bit his lip, sobbing uncontrollably. Bear, sweet old Bear, didn’t understand he was being kidnapped. He licked the tears off the boy’s face. Then, Tyler snapped. Instead of handing Bear to me, he lifted the dog up and smashed him onto the asphalt. “Fine! Take him!” the kid screamed. My heart stopped. I watched Bear hit the pavement. He let out a high-pitched yelp of pain. He was fifteen. His bones were brittle. He struggled to stand, whimpering, holding one paw up. He was limping badly. The red mist descended. I didn’t think about consequences. I grabbed Tyler by the collar and slapped him across the face as hard as I could. Slap! Silence. Absolute silence. Shane stared at me, mouth agape. Joyce raised her hand to slap me back, but she froze mid-air. I knew why she stopped. Not because of me, but because of the incubator in my belly. I scooped up Bear. He was shaking, whining in a low, pained rhythm. Everyone swarmed Tyler. Shane was cooing at him, promising toys, promising McDonald’s. No one looked at the dog. I walked back upstairs, tears blurring my vision. Bear was twitching in my arms. I grabbed my car keys. I needed to get him to the vet immediately. Shane followed me in, slamming the door. “You go downstairs right now and apologize to Tyler!” I stared at him coldly, keys in hand. “You broke Mom’s heart, and you humiliated me! How are we supposed to have family dinners after this?” he ranted. “We don’t,” I said. “I’m taking Bear to the vet, and then I’m going to my parents’ house. Tomorrow, I’m filing for divorce. I don’t need you to raise this kid. It’ll have my last name.” Shane looked like I’d slapped him. I packed a bag one-handed, holding Bear close, and walked to the door. Shane grabbed my purse and ripped it away. “Put it down. Go to your room.” I looked at him and felt nothing but pure, unadulterated disgust. He really thought he was some alpha male, didn’t he? It’s funny how love dies. It doesn’t always fade. Sometimes, it just turns into nausea in a split second. “Keep the bag,” I said. I opened the door, clutching my dog. Shane lost it. “You’re divorcing me over a dog?” I turned back. “When I got 100% on a test in third grade, my mom bought me Bear. He was there when I graduated high school. He was there through college. He was there when I married you. He’s been with me for fifteen years. I’ve known you for four. How dare you give him away?” “You’re being dramatic!” “Just now, when I was alone against five people, did you stand by me? No. I’m done arguing. Let’s just divorce. I wanted a man who could protect his wife and child. You aren’t him.” His face twitched. “Fine. Divorce. But you pay me back every cent I spent on the wedding.” “I Venmo’d you while you were screaming downstairs. Check your phone.” He checked. His face twisted further. “You really act like this over a mutt?” Suddenly, Shane lunged. He snatched Bear from my arms. And just like his nephew, he threw Bear onto the floor. Hard. Bear hit the tiles with a sickening thud. He tried to scramble up on his little legs, slipping on the smooth floor, wailing in agony. “Get away from him!” I shoved Shane, trying to get to my dog. Shane grabbed my arm—hard. “I’m sick of your princess attitude! You want a divorce? Fine! Let’s make it permanent!” He dragged me into the kitchen and grabbed the chef’s knife from the block. My blood ran cold. “Are you going to kill me?” “I don’t hit women,” he sneered. He dragged me toward Bear. Panic, primal and overwhelming, flooded my system. “Bear! Run!” I screamed. Bear always listened to me. But he was old, and he’d been smashed into the ground twice in ten minutes. He tried. He scrambled toward the door, dragging his back legs, whimpering. Shane let go of me to catch him. He took two steps and brought the knife down. Blood sprayed. Bear convulsed and collapsed. Shane didn’t stop. He hacked at the dog. Again. And again. “This is for your twisted priorities!” Chop. “This is for hitting a child!” Chop. “This is for threatening divorce!” Chop. I watched my dog being butchered. He wasn’t dead yet. He was suffering. “Shane, I’m going to kill you!” I grabbed a heavy wooden dining chair and smashed it over Shane’s head. His scalp split open. Blood poured down his face, into his eyes, making him look like a demon. But he didn’t stop. He was going to chop Bear into pieces. I remembered my self-defense class. Go for the groin. I gathered every ounce of strength I had and kicked him squarely between the legs. Shane froze. His eyes rolled back, and he crumpled to the floor, clutching himself, making a sound like a deflating balloon. Just then, Joyce walked in. She saw her son on the floor, the blood, the knife. She screamed and shoved me aside. “My family! You’ve ruined my family!” she wailed, cradling Shane’s bleeding head. I ignored her. I crawled to Bear. He wasn’t making noise anymore. He was… gone. Just a pile of fur and ruin. Shane, gasping for air, grabbed the dog’s severed head in one hand and the bloody knife in the other. He panted, looking at me. “Welcome to the real world, princess. Nobody’s gonna coddle you here.” He tossed Bear’s head at my feet. My legs gave out. I collapsed to my knees. Bear. My Bear. Since I was eight years old. Waiting at the school gate. Waiting at the bus stop. Licking tears off my face when I had my first heartbreak. Now, he was in pieces. I picked up his head. It felt so light. I remembered lifting him when he was a puppy, telling him, “You’re getting so heavy, buddy.” I packed what was left of him into a plastic trash bag. I left. Shane didn’t stop me—he couldn’t stand up. I drove to my parents’ house. I had arrived at my wedding in a limo with Bear on my lap. I came home with him in a bag. We buried him in the backyard, along with his favorite squeaky toys. My parents cried with me. They told me the backyard was going to be a garden soon. Bear would like that. I touched my stomach and told my parents, “Tomorrow, I’m getting an abortion.” I had planned to keep the baby, raise it alone. But not anymore. That man’s DNA didn’t deserve to exist. My parents agreed immediately. “A man who uses a knife in an argument isn’t a father. He’s a monster.” I cried all night.

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