Author: Momo Chan

The day I was taken into the operating room, my family and boyfriend were all with my adoptive sister, watching her competition. That day, my surgery had complications. The tumor in my brain was removed, but my nerves were damaged. I lost the ability to feel emotions like a normal person. ****** I had a tumor in my brain. I initially wanted to tell my parents and boyfriend about it. But my parents were busy buying plane tickets to accompany my adoptive sister abroad for a dance competition. My boyfriend was also working overtime a lot lately. My finger hovered over the message for a long time before I chose to delete it. I knew that anything about me, even if I said it, wouldn’t matter to anyone. After all, in everyone’s eyes, my existence isn’t even a fraction as important as my adoptive sister’s.   My adoptive sister Rose is the daughter of Dad’s comrade. When she was six, a car accident unexpectedly took her parents’ lives. Rose was driven away and shunned by her relatives. She ended up dirty and wandering the streets until Dad, who came to pay his respects to an old friend, found her. From then on, she became the second daughter in our family. That year, I was ten, and Rose was six. Dad and Mom told me, “Crystal, you’re already a big kid. You need to learn to take care of your sister.” I wasn’t sure how to take care of a sister. All I knew was that Rose always seemed so fragile. She didn’t have to do anything but stand there and look at me with her tear-reddened eyes. Everything of mine would become hers. At ten, I lost my bedroom and moved into the guest room. At twelve, my piano lessons were canceled, and the piano at home was sold. The empty music room became Rose’s dance studio. After fifteen, I never wore new clothes again, always alternating between two school uniforms. My parents didn’t care. They dressed Rose beautifully and praised her looks to everyone they met. From that time, I rarely went home. The year I was about to graduate from college, Rose went to another city for university. My parents briefly remembered me. They often called to ask about my life, sometimes sending me job postings from my city. Raising a comrade’s orphan to college was Dad’s greatest achievement. He was in high spirits, saying he wanted to visit me in my city and help me see if my boyfriend of three years was reliable. I no longer had any expectations of them. But I still booked a hotel and restaurant for their visit, not expecting Rose to show up with them. That day, her smile was as pure as when she first came to our home. She smiled at my boyfriend like that all evening. Later, I saw Rose’s avatar pinned at the top of my boyfriend Tom’s Snapchat chat.

Before being taken into the operating room, I couldn’t hold back and called my parents. The call only lasted three seconds, with Mom and Dad’s anxious voices on the line: “Crystal, we’re about to board. Your sister’s competition is important. Whatever it is, wait until we get back.” I didn’t even manage to say a word before the call was cut off. I stared at my phone screen, dazed. Just then, I saw a new post from my boyfriend Tom. He said he was off to chase his dreams, with a picture of a plane ticket showing the country where Rose’s competition was. I stared at the screen until Aunt couldn’t stand it and took my phone away. ” Aunt has signed the consent form for you. Don’t worry, whatever happens, Aunt will take care of it,” she lovingly patted my head and sighed, “Brother has been foolish all these years, poor you… Go on, child, I’ll be waiting for you outside.” I was taken into the operating room as the anesthesia gradually took effect. Before losing consciousness, I couldn’t help but wonder if I died in this surgery, would my parents shed a tear for me? And Tom, I thought, once I come out, I must tell him. I knew he had changed his heart long ago. This time, I decided I don’t want him anymore.   The story of Tom and me wasn’t very dramatic, but back in college, it was well-regarded among teachers and classmates. The story started typically. The student council president, who had a great family background and looks, helped an exhausted logistics member who fainted from low blood sugar at an orientation event. The second time we met, he had two candies in his pocket just for me. From then on, keeping candies in his pocket for me became Tom’s habit. He saw me as fragile. He would always look at me worriedly and say, “Crystal, I’ve never been so afraid of losing someone.” He said I meant something different to him than anyone else. There was always a special place for me by his side. Just like he always had candies ready for me in his coat pocket. But the last time, after pulling two all-nighters for meetings, I reached into Tom’s coat pocket. All I found was a strange lipstick, Chanel silver tube 116, Rose’s favorite shade. Silently, I put the lipstick back in his pocket and learned to carry my own candies from then on.

My life changed drastically with ten as the dividing line. From ten, I was trying to get used to living without relying on anyone. I lowered my expectations of everyone. As long as I didn’t have expectations, I wouldn’t be disappointed, nor would I fall into despair when disappointments piled up. But after all, I’m human and can’t be as carefree as I imagined. Tom pursued me for a year and cared for me for the next three. In total, he spent four years gradually moving me, making me feel I had someone to rely on. But stories are always so cliché. Just when I thought I had found someone I could truly trust, he changed his heart. He fell for my adoptive sister. Initially, it was sympathy for her childhood background. Then it was her lively and charming personality, which deeply attracted his attention. Later, listening to Rose talk about her passion for dance and witnessing her excellence on stage, he realized his true feelings. Tom said he had never seen someone so special, as sincere as a flame. Because of her, he discovered that love should burn passionately. With me, it was more of a familial attachment and a habit in life. This was Tom’s drunken confession. After that, he started preparing to pursue Rose and break up with me. Of course, I was also preparing for the same thing. I would exit their world, just trying to do it as gracefully as possible. This was something I often did in the first twenty years of my life, getting used to being unnoticed and quietly stepping back. But these thoughts changed entirely the moment I opened my eyes after surgery. I realized it shouldn’t be me who steps back.   Aunt was the first to notice my change. She sat by my hospital bed, peeling an apple and sharing stories to comfort me. Then she realized I didn’t seem to need comforting. In her eyes, I was always quiet and rarely expressed my needs. But she could always see from my eyes that I still longed for my parents’ attention, for the complete family affection that should have been mine. But now, that longing was gone.

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“Cassidy, Julian’s been hurt. He’s at St. Mary’s Hospital! Get here, now!” The sudden ring of my phone ripped me awake from my sleep. I threw on the first clothes I could find and bolted out the door. The night was deep and heavy with dew, and a biting wind slapped my face. By the time I reached the hospital, a bone-deep chill had settled in my entire body – and it wasn’t just from the weather. I didn’t even stop to fix my messy hair or catch my breath. Just as my hand reached for the doorknob, a rush of voices, loud and jarring, suddenly spilled out from inside the room. “Julian, your wedding to Cassidy is next month, man. And you pulled that death-defying stunt, racing for Blair’s necklace? You almost got yourself killed, totaled your car! Aren’t you worried your obsessed little puppy, Cassidy, will finally wise up and ditch you?” My hand, already gripping the cold metal doorknob, froze solid. I didn’t move. I just stood there, holding my breath, waiting for *his* answer. It wasn’t long before I heard Julian’s familiar, arrogant scoff. His voice dripped with pure, venomous mockery. “Run? Her? Leave me? You gotta be kidding. She’s head-over-heels obsessed. I could literally kick her out, and she’d still find a way back!” His words weren’t surprising. Not at all. I pressed my lips into a thin, grim line. With a surge of newfound strength, I pushed the door open and stepped inside. The sudden creak of the door snagged everyone’s attention. A few guys, lounging or standing in their racing gear, glanced over. Far from appearing flustered at being caught, their eyes glinted with mischievous amusement, their voices rising with a taunting edge. “Well, well, Aria Hayes, the hospital’s at least thirty minutes from your place, isn’t it? You made it here in fifteen. Guess you’re really scared something might happen to Landon, huh?” My gaze locked onto Landon Montgomery, who was sprawled on the hospital bed. I didn’t flinch or blush at their mockery. Instead, I simply nodded. “Yes. He’s very important to me.” My words unleashed a torrent of laughter from the group. One of them, a smirk plastered on his face, spoke up. “Landon just told us he’s bored out of his mind lying here. Since you love him so much, Aria, why don’t you entertain him? Do a little dance!” As soon as he finished, another chimed in, practically bouncing with excitement. “Just dancing? How dull! How about a striptease?” Their blatant malice stunned me. I knew Landon’s friends despised me, finding endless amusement in my humiliation. But I never imagined they’d demand something so… depraved. My lips parted, a refusal already forming on my tongue, but Landon’s voice cut me off, cold and sharp. “What, you won’t? Didn’t you say you loved me, that you’d do anything for me?” I stared at him, my head snapping up. His expression was utterly devoid of emotion, yet his eyes held an unnerving certainty. He clearly wouldn’t back down. It was obvious. If I didn’t perform this striptease, they wouldn’t let it go. Thinking of our wedding, now just a month away, I couldn’t risk any more complications. I swallowed hard and nodded. “Fine. I’ll dance.” The moment the words left my mouth, the shouts and catcalls erupted, louder than before. With them came a wave of crushing shame. Years of loving Landon had taught me to crush my own dignity, offering it up for their amusement, calmly enduring the brazen insults from him and his friends. But this was a hospital. Even with the door closed, his friends were here. The shame of dancing a striptease in front of them washed over me, making my body tingle with dread, each step I took stiff and unwilling. One by one, my clothes came off, a biting chill seeping into my bones. I bit my lip, silently repeating a mantra: *It’s okay. Just bear it a little longer, and it will all be over.* Finally, my trembling fingers reached for the last scrap of fabric covering me – a thin camisole. Amidst the whistles and jeers, Landon’s harsh voice suddenly cut through the air. “Enough! You’re truly shameless…” Landon’s face was a mask of disgust, his voice laced with a barely concealed snarl. When he spoke again, it was with pure arrogance. “I’m hungry. Go get me something to eat.” I kept my head down, his cruel words barely registering. I just let out a long, silent breath, gathered my clothes, and nodded as I walked out. “Seriously, Landon, she’s the city’s most notorious doormat. You’d think she’d be mad, but she’s still running off to get you food.” Their harsh taunts faded as I walked away. There were plenty of places to grab food outside the hospital, but I bypassed them all. Landon was particular. He only ever ate from a select few restaurants. By the time I returned to the hospital with his meal, his room was empty save for Landon, now fast asleep. I gently placed the food container on the bedside table. Then, I heard him murmur in his sleep, “Blair, if only you’d give in, if only you’d say you still love me… I wouldn’t marry her…” Hearing those words, my blood ran cold, a chilling torrent through my veins. My face drained of all color, turning ashen white in an instant. I stood there, utterly frozen. All I wanted was this one wedding. After it, he could do whatever he pleased. Was even that too much to ask? In the silent darkness of the night, a voice suddenly echoed in my mind. 【Host, mission progress has reached 99%. As soon as your wedding with Landon Montgomery is successfully completed, you will receive your reward.】 The system’s voice jolted me back to reality. I let out another long, shaky breath, trying to calm myself. *It’s okay. He’s just thinking out loud. He hasn’t actually suggested canceling the wedding.* I opened my phone, staring at the wedding countdown on the screen. Landon Montgomery was the golden boy of the city’s elite, and Blair Kingston, the darling socialite. Everyone in their circle called them a perfect match, a destined couple. They were each other’s first loves. Perhaps it was because they loved too fiercely, their relationship had been a whirlwind, and their breakup even more devastating. Blair, in a fit of rage, had gone abroad, leaving behind a chilling declaration: whoever crawled back first was pathetic. Landon, a man of immense pride, no matter how desperately he still loved her, refused to lower himself and chase her. He’d spend his days drowning his sorrows, claiming he didn’t care, yet he couldn’t stop obsessing over her updates – until he heard Blair had found a boyfriend overseas. That very day, out of spite, he’d agreed to marry me, me, Aria Hayes, who had always chased after him, always the object of his friends’ mocking “doormat” jokes. In the days that followed, Blair never returned home. Instead, she posted daily declarations of love with her new boyfriend on Instagram. Landon, consumed by a frenzied jealousy, escalated their silent war by announcing his engagement to me. Everyone laughed, saying I had been hopelessly in love with Landon for years, willing to sacrifice anything, even my life, for him. And through sheer stubbornness, I had actually waited for the day he would agree to marry me. But then, on the eve of our wedding, Blair came back. Years of devoted companionship vanished in an instant. He started abandoning me again and again. Everyone mocked me, saying all my efforts had been for nothing. But I didn’t care. I didn’t care whom Landon loved. I didn’t care if he would eventually cast me aside. All I cared about was whether this wedding could proceed as planned. Because that was the mission the system had given me when it brought me to this world – *Conquer Landon Montgomery and have a wedding with him.* For this, I had pursued him relentlessly for ten years, without complaint or regret. All because the system told me that completing the mission would grant me one wish. And my wish, my deepest desire, was to bring back my true love – Liam Thorne. I couldn’t remember when I’d fallen asleep. The next time I opened my eyes, it was already early morning. “Landon, thanks again for helping me get that necklace yesterday. To show my gratitude, I’ve rounded up the guys for a party at The Velvet Lounge tonight. You absolutely *have* to be there!” The sound of voices filtered into the room. I groggily opened my eyes to see Landon holding his phone, a soft, tender expression on his face – an expression I’d never seen directed at me. He was agreeing to Blair Kingston’s utterly unreasonable demand. “Okay.” He never showed me that kind of warmth. The call ended, and it was then he noticed I was awake. The softness on his face vanished, replaced by his usual indifferent mask. His voice, unlike his tone on the phone, was flat. “Go arrange my discharge.” I remained seated on the edge of the bed, hesitant. My face showed a hint of doubt. “You just got injured. You should really rest for a few more days…” I offered my quiet advice, but Landon’s face instantly hardened. “What, you’re not listening to me now?” It was as if one more word of defiance from me would make him cancel the wedding on the spot. I couldn’t risk it. After a moment of heavy silence, I finally rose and left the room to handle his discharge. Before long, we were both in a car, heading for The Velvet Lounge. By the time we arrived at the private room, everyone was already there. Blair, beaming, pulled us over to the table and pushed a few drinks towards us. “You’re late! According to the rules, you both owe three penalty shots!” Six brimming glasses sat before us, and everyone else immediately began to cheer. Watching Landon actually reach for a glass, an alarm blared in my mind. I quickly snatched them away. “You’re allergic to alcohol, you can’t drink. I’ll drink them for you.” With that, I picked up a glass and downed it in one go. The cheers grew even louder. “Amazing, Aria! Again, again!” Glass after glass, all six were quickly emptied. But the group, as if they’d found a new toy, started inventing reasons to get Landon to drink. Without exception, all those drinks ended up in my stomach. Over the years, I’d accompanied Landon to countless parties, always shielding him from drinks. I’d built up a strong tolerance, but even the best tolerance couldn’t handle this kind of onslaught. Soon, my stomach began to churn violently. Waving them off, I rushed to the bathroom again, throwing up until I felt empty. Enduring the burning pain in my stomach, I splashed water on my face and looked up. My reflection was ghastly, completely drained of color. I took a few deep breaths, not waiting for the nausea to subside before heading back. I was still uneasy leaving him alone in the room for too long. Landon’s allergic reactions were severe. If he succumbed to their badgering and drank, his injuries would only worsen. But our wedding was in a month. I couldn’t let his health become an obstacle to that. Sure enough, when I returned to the room, a fresh pile of drinks already sat in front of Landon. Blair saw me come in and glance at the drinks. She smiled, her eyes glinting with amusement as she turned to Landon. “I used to hear people say it, but I never believed it. Now that I see it, she really does love you, Landon. She’ll drink until she pukes just so you don’t touch a drop.” “Yes, she really does love me.” Landon’s lips curved upwards slightly. “Whatever I say, she does. Why else would I marry her?” Hearing his words, I quietly let out a breath of relief. *Thank goodness. It was just a dream. Thank goodness, he hasn’t actually planned to cancel the wedding.* Before I could fully relax, his voice started again. “But no matter how much she loves me, she’s still just a doormat. Blair, we’ve been playing this game for years. If only you would just…” He didn’t get to finish. Blair suddenly chuckled. “What a coincidence? I’m getting married too.” As she spoke, she pulled a stack of wedding invitations from her bag, handing them out one by one. The last one, she personally gave to Landon. “I wrote this one just for you. You absolutely have to come.” My gaze shot to Landon. Just as I expected, his face had turned dark as thunder. His eyes were fixed on Blair. After a long moment, he laughed, a cold, humorless sound. “Fine! Fine! Blair Kingston, you really are something else!” The party eventually broke up in discord. I quickly followed Landon out of the room and straight into the car. Just as he was about to drive away, I saw Blair step out of the building a short distance away, walking briskly. She got into a car, escorted by a man in a crisp suit. I’d seen him before. He was Blair’s boyfriend from abroad, now her fiancé: Rhys Sterling. “VROOM—” Landon’s face was grim as he floored the gas pedal, jolting me back to attention. I could tell he was furious. Furious that Blair had gotten into another man’s car right in front of him, even more furious that she was marrying someone else. I silently gripped the grab handle above the door, saying nothing, only watching as he repeatedly tried to cut off their car, then sped up in a fierce competition. The trees along the median blurred past. The nausea from all the alcohol surged back. I endured it for a long time, finally preparing to tell him to slow down just as I thought I couldn’t take it anymore. But the moment I turned my head, my eyes snapped wide open in horror! A deafening “CRASH!” exploded in my ears. I instinctively threw myself towards Landon. The excessive speed combined with the violent impact sent our car airborne before it slammed back down. The airbags deployed instantly, shards of glass slicing through my body. Pain flared everywhere. Fortunately, the intense pain also sharpened my senses, keeping me fully conscious. The distinct sound of dripping fuel from the gas tank warned me to get out of there, fast. I couldn’t just wait for rescue, so I tried to break the window and escape. Even after I struggled out of the mangled car, I didn’t dare rest. I pulled my cracked phone from my pocket, dialing 911 while trying to drag Landon out of the wreckage. “Landon, hang on, I’m getting you out!” Thankfully, thanks to my protection, he wasn’t seriously injured. But as soon as he was free, he bolted straight for the other utterly destroyed car. “Blair… Blair!” He stumbled towards it, just in time to see Rhys Sterling clambering out, disheveled and shaken. When Landon looked inside the car, he saw Blair, unconscious and covered in blood! Rage instantly consumed Landon’s reason. He lunged forward, grabbing Rhys Sterling by his collar, his eyes bloodshot. “How could you let this happen to Blair?!” “When it’s life or death, who doesn’t save themselves first? I’m the only heir of the Sterling family!” Rhys, still reeling from the shock, shoved Landon’s hand away and quickly ran to the roadside to flag down a car, desperate to get to the hospital. Landon was left alone, struggling to pull Blair out and hold her tightly in his arms. A second after he pulled her free, both cars erupted in a fiery explosion! The ambulance arrived quickly. We followed the vehicle to the hospital. I silently watched Landon pace frantically in front of the operating room, his face etched with anxiety and worry, yet he didn’t spare me a single glance. Finally, the doors swung open, and a nurse hurried out. “The patient is hemorrhaging badly and needs more blood, but the hospital blood bank is low. Who here is A-positive?” The words had barely left her mouth when Landon quickly volunteered. “I am! Take mine!” “No!” But just as quickly, I cried out, stopping him. I grabbed his arm, my gaze fiercely resolute. “You just got discharged. It’s not safe for you to donate blood.” He was about to snap at me, but then I continued. “I’m A-positive too. Take mine.” The nurse looked at my mottled injuries and blood-stained clothes with hesitation. “But you’re injured too. You shouldn’t donate blood…” “It’s fine. Take mine!” I stood stubbornly in front of Landon, and because of this, I missed the complex expression that flickered in his eyes. He truly hadn’t expected me to go to such lengths for him. I eventually followed the nurse to the blood donation room. Already injured, my lips growing progressively paler, the nurse tried several times to stop, but I refused. “It’s okay, I can hold on.” When it was finally over, my vision kept whiting out. I fought off the dizziness, leaning on the wall as I left the donation room, just as Blair’s surgery also concluded, and she was wheeled out of the operating room. Landon rushed to her side, his eyes overflowing with tenderness. He stayed by her, accompanying her all the way to her room, doting on her every whim. Behind him, I watched it all unfold. The exhaustion from blood loss made my body sway. I almost collapsed. As I was about to faint, the nurse who was supporting me sighed softly, unable to resist asking, “Do you really love your boyfriend that much, willing to hurt yourself for him? But I can clearly see that his heart is only with that girl who was rushed into the emergency room!” I smiled faintly, saying nothing, but in my heart, I had my answer. *No, I don’t love him at all.* But only this way could I ensure the wedding would proceed. Only this way could I save my true love. After that day, Rhys Sterling never reappeared. Landon naturally remained by Blair’s side. With each passing day, their relationship genuinely softened, no longer as antagonistic as before. My contact with Landon also dwindled significantly. The few calls or messages I did receive were always requests for me to prepare and deliver meals to Blair. But I continued to care for both of them without complaint, until one day, as I once again brought two portions of soup to the hospital, Blair looked at me and suddenly spoke. “Landon, none of the nurses are taking good care of me. Aria seems quite good at it. Why don’t you have her take care of me for the next few days?” Though it was a question, Blair’s eyes seemed to hold the certainty that Landon would agree. And she was right. He didn’t hesitate for a moment, didn’t even ask for my opinion, and simply agreed. “Aria, I’m entrusting Blair to you for the next few days. Take good care of her.” I paused, then quietly agreed, offering no protest. But it became clear that Blair’s intention wasn’t merely for me to care for her. I didn’t know what I had done to offend her, but she didn’t let up, coming up with all sorts of ways to torment me even in the hospital. On the very first day, Blair had someone bring over a bowl of nuts, handing it to me with an air of superiority and disdain. “I want to eat nuts. There are no tools here, so you’ll have to peel them by hand.” I lowered my head, said “Yes,” and dutifully squatted by her side, beginning to peel the nuts bare-handed. The shells were hard, and most were difficult to open. No matter how careful I was, my fingers inevitably got scratched. As soon as I painstakingly finished one bowl, a new one would immediately appear. All day long, my fingers were raw and bleeding, aching until they were almost numb. But when Landon appeared, I still discreetly hid my mangled hands, watching as he gently spoon-fed Blair and told her stories. The next day, Blair deliberately threw her necklace out the window. It arced through the air, landing with a soft splash in the man-made pond outside. “Oh no, my hand slipped! I lost my necklace. Go find it for me.” Step by step, I walked into the pond. It was late autumn, and the water was bone-chilling. The pond was large, and I shivered, groping inch by inch. Occasionally, I’d look up and, through the window, see Landon, who was always so domineering outside, gently wiping Blair’s hands in the hospital room. I lowered my head and continued searching. My hands were almost frozen when, as dusk settled, I finally found the tiny necklace in a corner. On the third day, a Golden Retriever appeared in Blair’s hospital room. I instinctively kept my distance, but the Golden Retriever was incredibly energetic, bounding around the room. I tried my best to hold it in, but I couldn’t stop a sneeze. The sound drew Blair’s attention. As if oblivious to my discomfort, she had someone hand me the leash. “Fluffy is very lively and needs to be walked for two hours every day. But I’m not really up to it right now, so you can take her.” I knew Blair had noticed my dog allergy and was deliberately making me walk the dog. I swallowed the words, “I’m allergic to dog hair,” forcing myself to nod. I took the leash and walked out of the room. Fluffy was very friendly. For anyone else, this might have been a pleasant task, but for me, with my dog allergy, every approach from Fluffy felt like a trial. Dog hair swirled everywhere, sticking to my clothes. I tried my best to cover my mouth and nose, but I still started to feel short of breath. Not only that, but my exposed skin began to itch, large red rashes appearing alarmingly. My eyes became bloodshot, and tears streamed down my face uncontrollably, yet I never let go of the leash. Finally, the agonizing two hours passed. Fluffy had had her fill of play, and someone came to take her. I hurried back to the room. In stark contrast to my disheveled state, the room was filled with laughter and cheerful chatter. Landon saw my miserable appearance, but there was little pity in his gaze. He merely glanced at me before turning his attention away. “Go clean yourself up. Don’t spoil Blair’s eyes.” “Okay.” I quietly agreed, then retreated from the room. Behind me, the laughter and playful voices continued. “Look at how pathetic she is! Isn’t it hilarious?” “So funny! Honestly, don’t you guys think Aria is like a personal maid on call?” “Like? She *is*! Hey, do you think Landon will just dump her and get back with Blair?” I anxiously awaited Landon’s answer. Thankfully, he said nothing. I let out a shaky breath, then turned and left. The day Landon discharged Blair, I finished the paperwork and instinctively opened the back passenger door of his car. As soon as I sat down, Blair’s face suddenly contorted. “Who told you to get in Landon’s car? I don’t want to ride in the same car as you!” I instinctively looked at Landon, and sure enough, heard his emotionless command: “Take a cab home yourself.” The rain poured down, drumming against the car windows. My fingers gripped each other, turning white. As I stood there in silence, he pressed the unlock button, his intention to kick me out undeniable. Under their mocking gazes, I miserably got out of the car. Without an umbrella, I was instantly drenched by the heavy rain. “Landon, I sent her out into the rain. You’re not mad, are you?” Though it was a question, I heard a note of triumphant gloating in Blair’s voice. “Of course not.” He replied with absolute certainty. As his words hung in the air, the car sped away. Watching the car disappear into traffic, I tried to hail a cab, but the rain was too heavy; not a single car would stop. Helplessly, I started walking home in the pouring rain. By the time I reached the villa, three hours had passed. The accumulated weakness and exhaustion of the past few days, compounded by the rain, completely overwhelmed my body. I found some medicine, took it, and vaguely lay down on the bed, soon falling into a deep sleep. In a daze, I thought I heard a sigh. I opened my eyes, and the face I’d yearned for day and night was right before me. He leaned in, his arms loosely around me, his gentle voice filled with heartache. “Aria, what happened to you?” “This is all my fault. I failed to protect you.” His words, meant to be caring, shattered my composure. All the grievances and sorrows I had bottled up poured out, tears streaming down my face. “Liam, I miss you so much. I was so close, so close to giving up…” “Liam…” I don’t know how long I slept, but the intense fever finally broke, and I woke up. Opening my eyes, I was met with Landon’s grim face. “Who is Liam?” I had clung to that name through countless agonizing days and nights over the past ten years, never imagining that one day, it would escape Landon Montgomery’s lips. My heart plummeted, a chill spreading down my spine. My throat felt tight, but I forced myself to remain calm, feigning confusion. “What’s wrong?” Landon’s deep-set eyes seemed to pierce through my pretense, straight to my soul. After a long moment, he replied, “You kept calling out ‘Liam’ in your sleep.” I felt a pang of annoyance, but kept my face carefully blank, even forcing a faint smile. “He’s my brother. Our parents died when I was young, so we grew up relying on each other.” “Then why have I never seen him?” “He passed away.” My voice grew mournful as I spoke. Fortunately, Landon, though sensing something was off, didn’t press for more details. He remained silent for a moment, then turned to leave, but paused before disappearing through the door. “There’s medicine for fever at home. Make sure you take it.” With that, his figure vanished completely. A few days later, Landon suddenly handed me a gown, telling me to change into it for an event. But when I arrived, I realized it was Blair Kingston’s birthday party. Soon after we walked in, he ditched me again, heading straight for Blair. As the city’s darling socialite, Blair’s birthday party was attended by the city’s most prominent figures. Guests mingled in small groups, clinking glasses, yet all of them, by unspoken agreement, avoided me. I was an outcast, isolated from the crowd, and I welcomed the solitude. I found a corner and watched him, always trailing Blair, attending to her every need with meticulous care. Soon, it was time for gifts. Landon was the first. He waved his hand, and several people carried in a castle made entirely of crystal. The entire castle was dazzlingly clear, without a single blemish, obviously crafted from carefully selected, expensive, high-quality materials. Gasps rippled through the room. “I heard Mr. Montgomery bid nearly ten million for a piece of crystal at an auction recently. Could it have been for this castle?” “One piece? No way! I heard he bought many pieces, all of top quality. The total value must be close to a hundred million!” “Look at this castle, doesn’t it resemble the master artist Huang’s work from a couple of days ago? Between the materials and the craftsmanship, some people probably haven’t seen this much money in their entire lives!” “You’re not talking about that doormat, are you? She’s got the title of fiancée but can’t capture Mr. Montgomery’s heart. What an embarrassment to women!” The guests’ whispers reached my ears clearly, their pointing fingers never ceasing. But when they looked at me, they didn’t see the sadness or forced endurance they expected. I looked as if I cared nothing about anything happening at the party. Others might have thought I was merely putting on a brave face, but I knew the truth: I genuinely didn’t care. After all, I didn’t love Landon, so it didn’t matter to me whom he loved. As long as he didn’t call off the wedding, I could ignore anything else he did. “Landon, it’s a bit stuffy in the ballroom. I’m going out for some fresh air.” The party was only halfway through when Blair waved to Landon, then walked out of the ballroom, leaving him to host. But it wasn’t long before a phone call shattered the calm. “Landon, a few thugs cornered me in the restroom! I’m so scared, please come save me!” Her tearful plea instantly contorted his face. He abandoned the business partners he was talking to and bolted towards the restroom. My heart inexplicably leaped when I heard that. A sense of foreboding rose within me. When I hurried after him, I arrived just in time to see Landon carefully putting his jacket around Blair, whose clothes had been half-torn off. Blair, nestled in his arms, was weeping like a wilting flower, but every word she spoke pointed directly at me. “I heard those thugs with my own ears, they said Aria paid them and brought them in, all to ruin my reputation! I know she doesn’t like me, but couldn’t she just say it to my face instead of resorting to such cruel tactics?” Landon, seeing her tear-streaked face, felt a mix of anger and heartache. Hearing her words, a wave of fury surged through him. He turned his head at the sound of my footsteps, and seeing it was me, his rage instantly doubled. “Aria Hayes, I only got with you because I thought you loved me too much and were kind and gentle. I never imagined you could be so vicious, to actually lay hands on Blair! From this day forward, our engagement is off!” He condemned me without even hearing a single word of explanation. My premonition of disaster had come true. Panic filled my eyes. Seeing Landon pick up Blair and start to leave, I frantically grabbed his sleeve, trying to explain. “No, Landon, please listen to me! I don’t know anything about any thugs, I didn’t do it!” “Landon, you can punish me however you want, hit me, scold me, I’ll take it all! I just beg you, please don’t cancel the wedding… Landon!” The hand clutching his sleeve was cruelly shaken off. He refused to listen to my pleas, striding away with Blair in his arms, leaving my desperate cries behind. I chased him all the way out of the ballroom, practically ready to fall to my knees and beg for forgiveness. But no matter how much I pleaded, he never looked back, leaving me abandoned outside the banquet hall. After that day, Landon avoided me completely, but I never gave up. I knelt outside the Montgomery family’s mansion day after day, repeating the same words. “Landon, I know I was wrong, I truly know I was wrong. Punish me however you want, please, just don’t cancel the wedding…” Staring at the perpetually closed gates, despair filled my heart. I longed to end my life, but I dared not. If I died too, the mission would fail, and Liam Thorne would truly lose his last chance at resurrection… At first, Landon ignored it all. But eventually, seeing me plead for forgiveness until my forehead was bruised and bleeding, scabs forming and breaking again, he finally frowned and opened the door, his voice filled with complex emotions. “Don’t you have any self-respect?” Tears blurred my vision, making Landon’s figure indistinct. Days of kneeling had almost drained all my strength, but hearing his voice, I felt as if I’d finally grasped a lifeline. “As long as I can marry you, I don’t need my self-respect!” My voice was hoarse, yet I desperately wanted to prove my resolve. Landon knew I loved him deeply, but he hadn’t realized it was to this extent. His eyes were complex, and after a moment of contemplation, he said, “Alright. You want me to forgive you? Then go atone for your sins to Blair.” Seeing that he was relenting, I was overcome with joy and relief, nodding repeatedly, afraid he might change his mind the next second. I followed him into the car, watching as it drove further and further out of the city, finally stopping at the foot of a mountain. He waved his hand, and several people began carrying bags up the mountain. Then, they scattered the contents downwards. I looked closely, and thumbtacks glinted coldly in the sunlight. The next second, Landon’s voice came from behind me. “Blair said that if you kneel all the way up here, three thousand steps, and finish, she’ll forgive you. And I won’t hold it against you either.” The words had barely left his lips when I took a step forward, without a hint of hesitation, and knelt down on the thumbtack-strewn stairs! Landon was instantly stunned. His original intention was just to scare me. After all, anyone seeing such a sight would naturally feel apprehensive and refuse. Looking at my slender yet determined back, he truly *saw* me for the first time. It was hard to imagine how deeply I must love him to go to such lengths. Just as he was about to pull me up, his phone suddenly rang, interrupting his thoughts. Seeing Blair’s name on the screen, he answered without a moment’s hesitation. “Landon, my head hurts so much…” Her tearful voice from the other end of the line made him forget everything else. He turned, got into his car, and sped off towards the hospital. Meanwhile, I continued my ascent, one knee after another. Thumbtacks pierced my flesh, but I seemed to feel no pain, crawling onward. Blood stained my knees, leaving crimson imprints on the steps. I knelt for an entire day, finally reaching the top of the three thousand steps. But I didn’t rest. I stumbled to my feet, ignoring the gruesome wounds on my knees, and immediately started asking for directions to the hospital. Through the small window on the door, I saw the scene inside clearly. Landon was gently holding Blair in his arms, softly coaxing her and feeding her medicine. It was an image I had pursued for ten years, yet had never once seen directed at me. My numb legs suddenly seemed to regain sensation, and waves of pain spread throughout my body. If Liam Thorne were still alive, I would be a pampered princess, cherished and loved. He wouldn’t let me suffer so many grievances, nor would he abandon me in such a wretched state. But at this moment, I lowered my eyes, suppressing all emotion. I pushed open the door and stumbled in, my voice choked with tears as I looked at him. “Landon, I finished kneeling. Can you please not cancel our engagement? As long as the wedding isn’t canceled, I’ll do anything…” Landon suddenly remembered he had forgotten about me. What shocked him even more was that I had actually completed the entire climb! Seeing the dark red stains on my knees, his heart stirred faintly. But he still didn’t plan to go through with the wedding. The marriage had been born out of spite, after all, and lately, he had spent a lot of time with Blair; their relationship was almost back to how it used to be. “I…” *Don’t love you.* He had barely started when Blair, still in his arms, suddenly pushed him away. “She’s so badly hurt, you should go take care of her. Rhys has already apologized to me, saying he failed to protect me last time, and I’ve forgiven him. He’ll be here soon, so you two should hurry and leave.” Her words struck him like a bolt of lightning. “Blair Kingston, what do you mean? You’re still marrying him?” Landon’s voice was full of disbelief. Blair, however, looked at him as if he were being strange, her expression matter-of-fact. “Of course. Before, I was just trying to spite him, that’s why I had to ask you to look after me. Besides, your girlfriend found those thugs to bully me, so it’s only right that you took care of me for a few days, isn’t it?” Landon trembled with rage, his eyes bloodshot. “Blair, I thought we…” “You thought what? You didn’t think we were getting back together, did you? We said whoever went back on their word was pathetic.” She interrupted him before he could finish, then feigned surprise. “Landon, you’re not trying to be pathetic, are you?” At her words, the anger in Landon’s chest surged even higher. He gritted his teeth, glaring at her. “Fine, Blair Kingston, you’re truly something.” After a long pause, he grabbed my hand. “Our wedding will proceed as scheduled.” Then, he turned back to Blair, a cold sneer on his face. “Blair Kingston, don’t you dare regret this.” Over the next few days, Landon acted as if he were in a fierce competition with Blair, becoming even more ostentatious in his actions. One day, Landon took me to try on wedding dresses. As soon as I changed into one and emerged from the fitting room, I saw his gaze, dark and brooding, fixed on another direction. Following his line of sight, I saw Blair Kingston, her arm intimately linked with a man’s, walking towards the bridal shop. When she entered and saw us, her expression was perfectly composed, as if she’d never had any conflict with Landon. She even greeted us. “Rhys and I are getting married next Wednesday. You’re both welcome to come…” At this point, her voice suddenly paused, as if she’d just remembered something. “Oh, I forgot, isn’t that your wedding day too? What a shame.” His face grew increasingly dark with her words. He didn’t reply, but his gaze never left her. After she finished speaking, a salesperson came to assist her, and Blair and Rhys Sterling moved away. But just as her hand pointed to a dress, asking the salesperson to take it down, a voice from behind her spoke. “Take that one down for her to try on.” Soon, a salesperson retrieved that very dress. Blair’s hand paused. She turned to Landon, and sure enough, saw undisguised provocation in his eyes. I simply watched as Blair picked out a dress, and Landon would quickly demand it for me. This continued until our side was piled high with wedding dresses, and Blair could no longer maintain her smile. The atmosphere instantly became tense, but then Rhys Sterling spoke up, smoothing things over. “Blair, I own another bridal shop we could check out. It’s a bit smaller, but the advantage is, no one will be causing trouble there. If you don’t like anything, just tell me, and I’ll have them alter it.” Blair’s expression finally softened. She looped her arm through his and shot Landon a triumphant glance. “Then let’s go quickly!” Watching them leave, despite having “won,” Landon showed no sign of happiness. He’d even lost his interest in looking at more dresses. I pretended to know nothing, picked up a wedding dress, and went back into the fitting room. After a few tries, Landon’s patience wore thin. “This one.” He impatiently pointed to a random dress. “No more trying.” He glanced at his watch, planning to head straight home, but just as he pulled out his phone, a trending topic popped up on the screen. 【City’s Darling Socialite Spends Fortune for Love: Books Giant Downtown Screen to Loop Pre-Wedding MV with Fiancé!】 His face changed. He abruptly stood up and stormed out of the bridal shop, completely forgetting that I was still in the changing room. When I finished changing and came out, his figure was nowhere to be seen. Just as I was about to call him, that trending topic appeared on my screen. The answer was obvious. I sighed, quickly hailed a cab, and chased after him. By the time I reached downtown, the roads were completely jammed. People were cheering excitedly, seemingly scrambling for something. I pushed my way through the crowd with great effort, only to find Landon throwing money into the air. “Next Wednesday is my wedding to Aria Hayes! Today, I’m celebrating, so everyone come share in the joy!” But it wasn’t long before a stretched limousine sped up from the other side. With bodyguards clearing the way, a distinguished middle-aged man walked over. It was Mr. Montgomery, Landon’s father. The cheers of the onlookers gradually faded with his appearance. Mr. Montgomery’s face was grim, radiating an oppressive aura. “Landon Montgomery, have you made enough of a scene?!” “I don’t care who you marry, but to marry into the Montgomery family, the woman *must* sign a prenuptial agreement. If you divorce, she won’t get a single penny from the Montgomery estate. Even if you don’t divorce, the family assets will have nothing to do with her!” At his words, the entire place fell silent. No one, not even Landon, had expected Mr. Montgomery to say such a thing. He instinctively glanced in Blair’s direction, but she remained silent, not speaking. The next second, my voice reached his ears, incredibly firm. “I’ll sign it!” I walked out from the crowd, took the agreement from Mr. Montgomery’s bodyguard, and carefully signed my name, stroke by stroke. After signing, I smiled at Landon. “I told you before, I only want to marry you. I don’t need anything else.” Meeting Landon’s stunned gaze, I merely smiled, looking to all the world like a woman utterly consumed by love for him. Only I knew that once the wedding was successfully completed, my mission would be over, and then I would be leaving. Other things held no meaning for me. All I ever wanted, from beginning to end, was to bring Liam Thorne back to life. After that day, Landon and Blair never caused such a public scene again, but their spiteful games never ceased. Blair would post a video flaunting her love with her fiancé, and immediately Landon would take me to spend a fortune on wedding rings. Blair and her fiancé would be photographed kissing, and immediately Landon would take me to choose wedding venues and have dinner together. Landon and Aria’s wedding, fueled by his rivalry with his first love, eventually grew lavish, with hundreds of millions invested, becoming increasingly grand. On the wedding day itself, he even launched a global live broadcast, declaring he wanted the entire world to witness it. The wedding was finally set at the most luxurious hotel in the city, with guests comprising top-tier celebrities and influential figures. I put on my wedding dress, looking at my perfectly made-up reflection in the mirror, feeling a sense of unreality. I had been in this world for ten years, chasing Landon Montgomery for ten years. Now, I had finally reached the wedding I’d sacrificed all my dignity for. Soon, everything would finally be over. A server knocked on the door, reminding me it was time to head to the ballroom for the entrance. I nodded, gathered my skirt, and walked out. The long train swept across the floor, making me appear particularly petite. Following the officiant’s directions, I walked alone towards Landon, who stood at the very front of the stage. Everything was going smoothly, but watching Landon’s distracted expression, a faint unease still gnawed at me. I was still afraid. Afraid Blair would call him. Afraid he wouldn’t be able to watch Blair marry someone else, and would abandon me to go to her. Most of all, I was afraid this wedding, in the end, would still not go as planned. “Now, will the bride and groom please exchange rings!” Only when I heard the officiant’s voice signaling the next part of the ceremony did I finally let out a breath of relief. Landon said nothing, taking the ring from the flower girl. The massive diamond glinted as it hovered over my slender finger. Just as he was about to put it on, his phone suddenly rang, a jarring sound. My heart instantly sank. I instinctively glanced at his face. His expression didn’t change at all, as if he hadn’t heard it, but the movement of his hand paused involuntarily. In that moment, I could almost hear my own heart pounding, threatening to burst from my chest. Thankfully, the call went to voicemail without him answering. But then came the second call, then the third… I could clearly see his expression shift from feigned indifference to hesitation, until finally, he couldn’t resist. He picked up the phone. A sob echoed through the phone, audible to both of us. I watched his face turn to panic. The ring, which had been frozen at my fingertip, was abruptly pulled back. He turned to leave, but his hand met resistance. When he looked back, he met my eyes, which were starting to redden. “I know you’re going to see Blair. I won’t stop you, but at least finish putting on the ring first…” His lips thinned. He reached out and painstakingly peeled my fingers off his arm, one by one. His answer sent my heart plummeting to rock bottom. “No, Blair says she needs to see me urgently.” “No, finish the ring first.” The system said that once the ring was on, the mission would be complete. But he refused, rushing to leave. I relentlessly clung to him. Landon was in a hurry, so he roughly shoved me away. The force sent me stumbling, and I crashed heavily into the corner of a table. Blood welled up. Ignoring the pain, I scrambled to my feet and chased after him, then, in front of all the guests present, I knelt down before him without hesitation. Panic seized my mind, tears streaming uncontrollably. I had no dignity left; now, only one thought remained in my mind: *At least, let this wedding have an ending.* “Landon, please…” My sobs were heartbreaking, causing a stir among the guests. “Kneeling at her own wedding just to get the groom to put on the ring—she truly is the city’s most desperate doormat!” “To go to such lengths, it’s truly astounding.” “I’d only heard rumors of her devotion before, but seeing this today, she’s really gone all out…” Landon was equally stunned. A flicker of unbearable compassion crossed his face. He couldn’t just leave like that. He pulled the ring from his pocket, hurriedly slipped it onto my finger, then turned again, leaving me with one last sentence before he left. “The wedding will continue when I get back.” But I knew the wedding wouldn’t continue. A sense of relief washed over me as I looked at the diamond ring on my middle finger. The system’s voice chimed in as promised. 【Wedding completed. Mission progress reached 100%. Mission reward has been issued. Liam Thorne has been revived. As soon as the host’s current body dies, you may exit this world.】 A genuine smile, one I hadn’t shown in ages, spread across my face. Ignoring everyone’s stunned looks, I raced out of the ballroom, took the elevator straight to the hotel rooftop. I ran towards the edge of the rooftop, my dress and veil rustling in the wind. Without a moment’s hesitation, I spread my arms and leaped! “CRASH!” Amidst screams of horror, I slammed heavily onto a car. Through the shattered glass, my eyes met Landon’s. “Someone died!” “Someone jumped!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “298728”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn

My wife had a best guy friend, and I hated it, but she just brushed it off, claiming there was such a thing as pure friendship between men and women. One day, this best guy friend invited Stella to an overnight private party. I said no. Stella threw a massive fit, calling me petty and disgusting. The next day, news broke: the best guy friend was arrested for attending a wild party. I was so relieved I’d stopped Stella. I asked her if she finally saw his true colors. She just shrugged it off, arguing that he only went astray and got lured into that kind of place because *she* wasn’t there to keep him company. I called her stupid, thinking she was just trying to argue. But I never imagined she genuinely believed it. After Brandon was released from jail, he lost his reputable job, his fiancée left him, and everyone looked down on him. Stella felt incredibly guilty. She secretly withdrew all our savings and gave it to Brandon as compensation. Brandon got a taste of taking advantage of her. He claimed I’d ruined his life and demanded Stella sleep with him once. She hesitated, then agreed. From then on, they started sleeping together behind my back. Brandon even manipulated Stella into transferring all my business funds. Eventually, my company went under due to a lack of capital, and I was buried under massive debt. Brandon urged Stella to divorce me, cut ties, and save herself. She obediently listened. That’s when I finally learned the whole truth. I was on the brink of collapse. In the end, I couldn’t bear the pressure and jumped off the rooftop. I opened my eyes again. I was back on the day Brandon invited Stella to that private party. This time, I decided to send Stella and her best guy friend to hell!

“Ryan! You clearly promised I could go to this party, so why are you backing out now? Yes, I admit, I only said I was going with a friend, not a *guy* best friend, but a best guy friend is still a best friend! You can’t question our friendship just because he’s a guy! You’re so narrow-minded, don’t you know that?!” “Besides, I’ve told you countless times, he likes men, not women. That’s why I’m his best friend! He wouldn’t have any improper thoughts about me. When are you going to stop being so insecure?!” Her resentful voice echoed in my ears, and my consciousness slowly sharpened. When I saw myself sitting on the couch in our freshly renovated living room, I realized it: I had been reborn. And the sweet-faced, soft-voiced woman beside me, who even looked a little cute when she was pouting in anger, was my wife, Stella. Watching her stand there, so self-righteous and argumentative, I couldn’t help but smile. If I hadn’t witnessed her depraved behavior with that man, I might have actually believed her. And the thought of her tearing our once happy and loving home apart for that so-called best guy friend sent a sharp pang through my heart. Stella and I met through a blind date after graduation. By the time I reached dating age, I no longer believed in things like “love.” After all, in today’s society, everyone is very realistic. When you go on a blind date, the first thing people look at is financial stability. But I have to admit, the moment I saw Stella, I felt like spring had arrived. That sudden flutter in my heart made me believe Stella was the woman I was meant to cherish for life. So, I pursued her relentlessly. Stella was the kind of innocent, guileless girl. And at the time, my startup was just beginning to see success. I wouldn’t call myself a hotshot, but I was definitely a rising star, and I wasn’t bad-looking either. By all accounts, winning Stella over should have been easy. Yet, she kept me waiting for a whole year before agreeing to be with me, putting me through all sorts of tests. If I hadn’t been so deeply smitten, I probably would have given up. Later, I learned it was all because she had a “best friend” coaching her from behind the scenes. Initially, I thought it was normal. Girls are emotional, and it’s natural for them to ask their friends for advice when they’re unsure. It wasn’t until she mentioned her “best friend” was a guy that I realized something was off. After we got married, I playfully asked her why she agreed to marry me. I expected her to say it was because of my persistence and devotion, or that she was moved by my deep affection. Instead, she said her best guy friend told her I was “a rich fool” and a good catch, so she went for it. At first, I thought she was joking and didn’t take it seriously. But now, reborn, recalling all the awful things she did for that best guy friend, I realized she was probably telling the truth. My longed-for happy life had been utterly destroyed by that best guy friend.

Stella’s best guy friend was Brandon. He worked at a big, stable company and had a beautiful fiancée. They had known each other for years, long before I ever came into the picture. Stella knew about Brandon’s fiancée, but Brandon’s fiancée had no idea Stella existed. According to Brandon, he wanted his and Stella’s friendship to be a secret, exclusive to just the two of them. Stella was thrilled about this. Someone willing to share a secret with her meant she was important to them. When I first learned about Stella’s best guy friend, I subtly expressed my discomfort. But that made the usually gentle Stella explode. She accused me of insulting her “pure” friendship with Brandon and emphasized that Brandon didn’t like women. I retorted, “If he doesn’t like women, why does he have a fiancée?” Stella claimed he was forced into it by his family, that he had no choice. She insisted that was why she understood how much pain he was in, that she was the only one in the world who could truly understand him, and without her, Brandon might not survive. I felt bad for Brandon’s fiancée, but seeing that Stella genuinely seemed to consider Brandon just a friend, I temporarily held back. However, after I found out about the best guy friend, Stella stopped being discreet. She started FaceTiming Brandon in front of me, chatting on the phone for hours, telling him about her day, and even texting him “goodnight” while lying next to me. They were as close as a couple, and I felt like the outsider. Still, to maintain the happiness of our little family, I endured it all. But Stella began to escalate. She started going shopping and to the movies with Brandon, leaving me out. Her excuse was that she needed to “bond” with her best friend, and I wouldn’t fit in. She started rushing to Brandon’s house to take care of him when he caught a cold, while completely ignoring me, even after I’d worked all day, my back aching, and nearly fainted from low blood sugar. She started accompanying Brandon to bars and clubs, claiming she just “liked the atmosphere.” It wasn’t until I saw pictures on her phone of her and Brandon posing face-to-face that I finally reached my breaking point and exploded. I confronted Stella: “Why are you so close to a man who isn’t me? Why is it that every time you come back from a business trip, you don’t call me first to say you’re safe, but Brandon? Why, every time something fun happens, do you not share it with me first, but instead grab your phone and smile like an idiot while texting Brandon? Why, every time you’re sad or upset, do you not come to me first, but Brandon for comfort? Do you even consider me your husband?!” Stella just stared at me coldly and said, “Because you don’t understand me.” Her answer crushed me. If she said she was hungry, I’d drive thirty miles to get her favorite spicy ramen. If she said she was tired, I’d massage her back and shoulders until two or three in the morning. If she said she was feeling stressed, I’d cancel all my engagements, get in the car, and drive her all the way to a cozy cabin getaway in the mountains. But she said I didn’t understand her. Everything I did couldn’t compare to a simple word of concern from her best guy friend. I told Stella how I felt and begged her, for the sake of our happiness, to keep her distance from her best guy friend, or at least not let him affect our relationship. But my humble plea was met only with her cold reply: “If that’s how you want to think, there’s nothing I can do.” It was because of Brandon’s presence that our once happy life became a chaotic mess, and my hopes for the future vanished without a trace. It was in this situation that Stella told me Brandon invited her to an overnight party. I refused her and told her if she dared to go, we would divorce. That’s what finally stopped her. However, I never imagined that this incident would eventually lead to my family’s ruin and my tragic end. Reborn, I finally understood how foolish I had been. From the very beginning, I shouldn’t have had any expectations for Stella. She didn’t deserve the happiness I offered.

“What are you laughing at? Do you think I’m joking? If he really wanted to do anything to me, he would have done it ages ago. Why would he wait until now?” “I feel like you have absolutely no respect for me, no respect for my friends! Do you think because I married you, I’m supposed to be your slave, with no freedom at all?!” Stella tried every trick in the book to accuse me, hoping I’d agree to let her go to the overnight party with Brandon. I looked at this woman, who saw my care and concern as a restriction on her freedom, and suddenly felt a sense of release. Even if I stopped this foolish woman once, there would definitely be a second time. Besides, her actions had already left me utterly disappointed. Reborn, I wasn’t going to waste any more energy on her. If she wanted to go so badly, then let her go. According to the previous timeline, she and Brandon would be arrested together and end up in jail. That would be a good thing for me. Then I could file for divorce and ensure she wouldn’t get a single penny. Thinking about that, I felt a little better. If we divorced normally, by law, I’d have to split half my assets with Stella. Over the years, I built this company alone. This entire foundation is my hard work. Stella, in these past few years, not only quit her job to be a stay-at-home mooch, but she also constantly secretly took my money to spend on Brandon. How could I ever bring myself to give half my assets to someone like that? So, I smiled at Stella and said, “Alright, don’t be angry. I’ll let you go.” Stella’s eyes instantly lit up. “Really?” I nodded. “Really.” Stella immediately threw herself into my arms. “Oh, honey, you’re the best! Don’t worry, I promise I won’t do anything to betray you!” I felt a surge of nausea, but to avoid suspicion, I kept quiet. Stella finished her perfunctory embrace, then quickly pulled out her phone and sent Brandon a voice message: “My husband agreed to let me go to the party with you! Come pick me up quickly before he changes his mind.” Not long after, Brandon’s car pulled up outside our house. I saw Stella out. She immediately got into the passenger seat and winked at Brandon playfully, as if boasting about successfully pulling off a lie. She rolled down the window, turned to me, and said, “Darling, go back inside. Don’t worry about me. Brandon will take good care of me. Besides, we’re going to a respectable party, not the kind of dirty party you have in your head. Just relax.” With that, she urged Brandon to drive away. The moment the car pulled away, I saw Brandon glance at me through the window, a look of mockery, triumph, and a hint of disdain on his face. I knew that was the look of a man who successfully stole someone else’s beloved woman. But I smiled too, because I knew that before long, that despicable duo would be rotting in jail.

After Stella left with Brandon, I went back inside, looked at our wedding photos on the wall, and felt an overwhelming bitterness. I used to think that as long as I was more tolerant and understanding towards Stella, our happy little family could thrive. But I underestimated the importance of that best guy friend in her heart. Perhaps she was truly happy only when she was with Brandon. Maybe she only married me for my money. Scene after scene of our past flashed before my eyes, like bubbles popping, and my last shred of feeling for Stella vanished. I began to pack Stella’s things. Starting tomorrow, this house would no longer hold any trace of her. I bought this house to celebrate our third wedding anniversary. To surprise Stella, I waited until it was fully renovated before telling her, so only my name was on the deed. The first time I brought Stella here, the surprise I expected wasn’t on her face. Instead, she questioned whose name was on the house. I told her it was my name, but since it was bought after we got married, it was considered marital property, and she shouldn’t worry about it. But Stella complained about it for a long time, saying I didn’t love her because I wouldn’t put her name on the deed, treating her like an outsider. Now, I was somewhat glad her name wasn’t on it. According to the rules, as long as I could prove I bought the house with my own money, it would be my sole property. Even with a divorce, Stella wouldn’t get a dime. I carefully took down all the wedding photos and started thinking about what came next. With Stella in jail, my chances of filing for divorce were very high. Even if she was unwilling, with my connections and methods, I could easily get her to sign the divorce papers from behind bars. And reborn, with my memories of the future, I possessed information no one else could know in advance. With this knowledge, I could undoubtedly grow my company to an unprecedented scale! Maybe by the time Stella got out of jail, I would already be a top-tier magnate. I wondered how she would feel then, seeing me. Just as I was envisioning my bright future, my phone suddenly rang. It was Stella. A flicker of confusion crossed my mind. Based on the time, she should be having a blast with Brandon right now. Why would she suddenly call me? Could they be playing some twisted game, and she called me on purpose? I hesitated for a moment, then answered the call. “Honey, quick, come find me! I need your help with something!” Stella’s voice was panicked, as if she’d just been scared. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Oh, I’ll tell you when you get here! Just come over, and be fast!” Stella was frantic. After giving me her location, she abruptly hung up. I was baffled, unsure what kind of game she was playing. Could she have discovered Brandon’s true colors and had a sudden change of heart? Regardless of what Stella was planning, I felt I should go. At the very least, I needed to see what was happening. So, I quickly tidied up and headed to the location Stella had given me. It was a small road, not exactly secluded, but usually empty at night. When I arrived, I saw Stella and Brandon standing by the roadside. Brandon’s car was parked nearby, hazards flashing. As I got closer, I noticed a person lying in front of Brandon’s car, with a puddle of blood on the ground. Brandon’s face was pale, his eyes wide with horror and lingering fear. “What happened here?” I walked up to Stella and Brandon, distinctly smelling alcohol. Both of them must have been drinking. Stella looked at me anxiously. “Honey, Brandon got distracted while driving and didn’t see someone on the road. He just hit them! We could have just taken them to the hospital and paid compensation, but Brandon was drinking today. If the police find out, this is going to be a huge problem…” I immediately guessed what Stella wanted me to do, and my face instantly turned cold. “So, why did you call me here?” Stella looked at me pleadingly. “I want you to help him! When the police arrive later, you can say *you* were the one who hit them. Otherwise, Brandon, with drunk driving and hitting someone, will go to jail! He’s still so young, and he’s getting married soon, and he’s about to get a promotion at work. If he goes to jail, everything will be ruined! Please, for my sake as his best friend, help him out, okay?” Brandon also chimed in, “Man, please, help me out! I’ll be forever grateful for your kindness, I’ll repay you in my next life…” My face darkened to an extreme. My eyes fixed on Stella. “You’re afraid of *him* going to jail, but you’re not afraid of *me* going to jail?” Stella quickly said, “No, it won’t happen! I asked a friend, and you haven’t been drinking. Even if you hit someone fatally, you just have to pay compensation, it’s fine…” “You mean I’ll have to pay for him too?” I clenched my fists. Stella bit her lip. “Brandon’s getting married soon and needs money. We can just front it for him. He’ll pay us back when he has money later. Anyway, you make a lot, so it’s not a big deal for you.” I nearly slapped Stella right then and there. This woman, for her best guy friend, was utterly shameless! But this was good. If you’re so heartless, then don’t blame me for being ruthless! I looked at Brandon, a cold smirk flashing in my eyes. A brilliant plan for revenge formed in my mind.

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I deleted my social media account with over a million followers. Almost instantly, the internet exploded with speculation, wondering if my account had been hacked. Then Emma Jenny, another influencer in the same niche, messaged me directly. [Why would you just quit out of nowhere? Are you out of your mind?] Even so, I shut everything off and went on a solo trip to see the beauty of the world. In my last life, Emma and I had posted the exact same kind of video content. People accused me of copying her and called me a knockoff clone doomed to fade. I got bombarded with hate publicly and privately, and even in real life. To prove my innocence, I shared screenshots of my scripts, behind-the-scenes content, and timestamps. But they called it fake and said I staged it all. The constant cyberbullying pushed me into a deep depression. So, I ended up alone in my apartment, slitting my wrists. But then, I woke up. To my shock, I was back on the very day Emma and I had first posted those identical videos. —— My finger was literally hovering over the post button. One second later, I would’ve hit it and sealed the fate I already knew. As such, my body jolted like I’d been pulled from deep water. I yanked my hand away just in time, chest heaving as I gasped for breath. Looking around the familiar room, at the camera, the lights, and the draft of the video, I realized I had been reborn at the moment when I first tried to pivot my content. After calming down, I saved the video to my drafts and immediately searched for Emma’s social media. It didn’t take long, and her latest post popped right up. And this one was nothing like her usual style. Her old videos were clunky, poorly edited, and barely scraping a few hundred likes. But this new one had racked up tens of thousands of likes in just thirty minutes. The comment section was also full of praise. [Imagine this look in a survival game setting—unstoppable.] [She’s doing million-follower work on a tiny account.] [God, is this level of beauty even humanly possible?] [Wife, my wife. Who the hell stole my destined wife?!] …and on and on. The dark background, the bold styling, the cinematography, music, and script, every single detail matched the video I had just saved to my drafts. If I didn’t know that I got the idea from watching a British drama and stayed up countless nights writing that script, I might have thought I copied her. But the truth was clear. Somehow, she posted it first. And just like that, she went viral overnight. In my past life, that exact video destroyed me. I remembered feeling excited, thinking the internet would finally recognize my work when I posted it. But when I checked the comments, the joy quickly turned to dread. Everyone said I was a copycat. They even linked the original, which was Emma’s video. When I clicked it, I found the same concept, same angles, and same style. A 99.9% match. But I swear. I never copied a single thing. I was instantly furious then. Desperate to prove I was the true creator, I posted all my drafts and BTS footage. But it didn’t help. Because Emma also posted her process, and somehow, her timestamps were earlier than mine. Then came the backlash. [She planned this ‘evidence’ in advance just to drag Emma down!] [Support originality! Say no to plagiarists!] [Jennifer, get out of the beauty community! You don’t belong here!] [LMAO. You came looking for proof and got slammed by it.] Even Emma’s team and management released official statements saying they didn’t copy anything, that everything was planned in-house. I, on the other hand, was just an independent creator. No team, no manager. Just me, working on every piece from start to finish. So, no one stood up for me. Not even my boyfriend. In fact, he posted a video too, announcing publicly that he was breaking up with me. Said all my content was stitched together from other creators, and that I was a serial plagiarist. And that was the final blow. The internet dragged me harder than ever. My comment sections were flooded with hate. My DMs were bombarded with unreadable and disgusting content. The pressure crushed my creativity, and brands pulled away. As such, I hardly got by. Eventually, I started hurting myself and soon visited a psychiatric clinic, where I was diagnosed with severe depression. And one sunny afternoon, in a cramped little rental apartment, I decided to end it all. But then, I opened my eyes, only to find myself back at the beginning, where none of that had happened yet. But this time, I was going to find out the truth behind all of it.

Jennifer’s POV Clinging to a sliver of hope, I logged into a side account and started digging through Emma’s other social media profiles, hoping to find something that might explain things. But, as expected, she wasn’t the type to share behind-the-scenes details about her work. I was about to give up when something in one of her live photos caught my eye—a familiar figure in the background. I zoomed in and tapped on the image. It captured someone’s left hand, and on that hand was a ring I knew all too well. It was my boyfriend Nelson Holt’s hand. I’d given that ring to him for our one-year anniversary. I had it custom-made, so there’s no way anyone else could have the same one. That was when it hit me. At some point behind my back, Nelson had gotten involved with Emma. No wonder when my world crumbled, he so quickly and cleanly cut ties with me and threw his support behind her instead. I didn’t have time to wallow in heartbreak over a cheating scumbag. I needed to think clearly. Looking back, I used to vent to Nelson all the time about work, about how hard it was, about the creative sparks I’d get in the middle of the night. Was it possible he leaked my ideas? Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me. But he’d been on a “business trip” lately and hadn’t been around. And even if I could get to his phone, he’d never just hand it over. I had no proof he told Emma anything. Still, this felt like a lead, so I wasn’t about to let it go. I pulled out my phone, sent him the photo, calmly explained what I’d seen, and told him we were done. Then I blocked him without hesitation. After that, I changed every lock code and password in my apartment. The last thing I needed was him letting himself in when I wasn’t around. With that chapter closed, I turned my attention back to what mattered—coming up with a new video idea. This time, there would be no mistakes. Just to be safe, I decided to switch up my style again. That last video had been my first time stepping out of my comfort zone, ditching the sweet and delicate “fair-skinned, skinny” aesthetic for something bold, glamorous, and confident. Since that look had been so well received, I figured going even further would only make things better. I spent hours brainstorming, refining, and finally writing out my new script. When I looked at the finished result on my laptop, I couldn’t help but smile. No way anyone was beating me to the punch this time. To avoid leaks, I filmed and edited everything at home. No outdoor shoots. No helping hands. Just me and my gear. When I watched the final cut, I couldn’t help but think—damn, maybe I was born for this self-media life. Still feeling cautious, I even went to Emma’s latest video and left a comment. [Can’t wait for your next one, queen! Please drop it soon!] Not long after, she replied to my comment. [That last video drained all my creative energy, so I probably won’t be posting anything new anytime soon.] I sent her back a crying-cat emoji and finally let out a breath of relief. Looked like she wasn’t planning on posting anything new for a while. So I was right. Last time, she must’ve heard about my concept from Nelson and rushed to beat me to it. Still, was it really possible for two people to come up with the exact same idea? It felt hard to believe, but I had no choice except to chalk it up to coincidence for now. Sometimes people just think alike, right? With that, I uploaded my new video and drafted the caption. I was just about to hit publish when a notification from my alt account popped up. I tapped it open, and immediately went pale.

Jennifer’s POV Emma just updated her page. She reposted my comment where I was begging for her next video, and dropped a brand-new one of her own right after. In the comments, she added, [I originally wanted this to be a surprise for my fans, but someone warned me that this idea might’ve been stolen. So I had no choice but to post it early to clear my name. If I waited and someone else released it first, people would think I copied them, and I’d never be able to explain myself.] My hands were shaking as I tapped the video. Then I looked back at my own video draft sitting open on my laptop. They were so identical from scene to scene, down to the exact minute and second. What the hell was happening?! I held my head in my hands, completely lost. I never told a single soul about the concept for this video. How did she end up with the exact same idea? Did being reborn still mean I couldn’t escape the shadow of my past? Was I doomed to repeat it, to be cyberbullied to death all over again, just like last time? Unsurprisingly, her video blew up. It was already climbing the trending charts. With the back-to-back viral hits, her follower count shot from tens of thousands to nearly a million on a completely different level now. But thanks to her statement, the comment section wasn’t just filled with praise. It was also crawling with suspicion. [Who copied our queen’s idea? I’m all ears.] [I’ve never seen this concept before. If anyone else posts a similar video now, we’ll know who stole it.] [People who plagiarize should just rot!] Everyone wanted to be the first to dig up the tea. Then Emma responded to the top comment. [Sweetie, the other person is a big-name influencer with millions of followers in the same space as me. So, I won’t say who it is, but she recently stopped posting because she was trying to rebrand. I guess she hit a wall and decided to steal a small creator’s idea like me.] She didn’t drop names, but she didn’t have to. That comment gave people more than enough to go on. The internet didn’t need much to put two and two together. It didn’t take long for users to connect the dots and come straight to me. Quickly, my comment sections turned into war zones full of accusations, insults, and endless doubts. But my fans did their best to defend me. Since there was no solid proof that I plagiarized, the hate was quickly buried beneath waves of support. Still, I was exhausted. Mentally drained. Physically done. Between the sleepless nights and nonstop stress, I eventually collapsed into bed and passed out without even meaning to. I didn’t know how long I was out before a loud knock jolted me awake. “Jennifer! I know you’re in there. Open the door!” “You hear me?! Don’t make this harder than it needs to be!” I opened the door and found myself staring straight into Nelson’s eyes. “What’s the meaning of this silent breakup?! I just happened to run into Emma that day. You’re being paranoid!” he barked, dragging a suitcase behind him as he pushed past me. I snapped out of it and shoved him back toward the door. “We broke up. I don’t want to see you again.” “Enough with the drama,” he said. “I came back to give you a way out. Just admit you were wrong, apologize to Emma online, and this whole thing goes away. Don’t make it uglier than it needs to be.” Hearing that, I lost it. “I didn’t copy her!” I screamed. “She stole my idea!” Nelson laughed like I’d told a joke. “Oh, so the person who plagiarized managed to post before the one who didn’t? That’s a new one. Impressive.” “Everyone knows you copied her,” he added. “You’re the only one still lying to yourself.” I pointed to the door, voice shaking with fury. “If you don’t leave right now, I’m calling the cops and reporting you for trespassing!” That finally made him back off. He picked up his suitcase, but not before throwing one last comment over his shoulder. “Pathetic. You’ll be crawling back to me before long. Just wait.” I slammed the door behind him so hard the walls shook. But it didn’t take long to figure out what he meant. Not even an hour later, he posted a video of his own, talking about our relationship and heavily implying he was ashamed of me for stealing someone else’s work. Of course, Emma jumped into the comments to say, [Thanks for speaking up, bro.] Then she followed up with a statement on her own page. [I still believe in the power of originality. As long as we stand firm, there’s always hope. I wish everyone would join me in standing against plagiarism.] Jennifer’s POV Thanks to those two, I was instantly pinned to the wall of shame, labeled a plagiarist. I wanted to defend myself, but I had no idea where to start. What was I supposed to say? That the video Emma “created” was originally mine? That somehow, by some bizarre twist of fate, the two videos turned out exactly the same, even down to the second? Who would believe me? No one. Not a single person would buy that story except me. Then, to make matters worse, some sharp-eyed internet sleuths dug up my alternate account and found the comment I left urging her to post. [So that comment wasn’t about excitement. It was fishing for material to steal?] [She really had the audacity to ask for an update. She basically treated Emma’s work like her personal content library.] Reading those comments hit me like a punch to the gut. I had no idea what to do next. Even if I came up with a great idea now, what was the point? Emma would always get there first. She’d post before me every time. That crushing feeling of helplessness wrapped around me tighter than ever. Looking at my channel, the one I had worked so hard to build up, I knew what I had to do if I wanted to avoid falling into the same pit I had in my past life. I deleted my account with over a million followers and posted one final message on social media. [I can’t prove that I didn’t plagiarize. There are things I simply can’t explain. I’ve deactivated my channel, and I’ll be stepping away from this platform for good. All I want to say is this: I, Jennifer Houston, have never copied anyone’s work.] Then I turned off the comments, disabled private messages, uninstalled the app, and forced myself to stop thinking about it. If I couldn’t fight it, then maybe it was better to just walk away. I packed my bags and gave myself permission to take a long break. I needed to breathe, to rest, to reset. I figured if I stopped posting, I’d finally see what Emma would come up with on her own.

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While I was giving my wife a bath after we got intimate, I accidentally touched her new tattoo. My wife, who was always so sweet-natured, absolutely exploded at me. “What are you doing, touching there? What if you scratch off my tattoo? Are you just taking out your frustrations on my tattoo because *you* can’t perform? A good tattoo costs thousands, you know! My money doesn’t just magically appear!” She absolutely *despised* anyone with tattoos, and now she’d spent thousands on one herself. My wife, something was definitely wrong with her. After sex, as I was giving Chloe a bath, I accidentally brushed against her new tattoo. My usually sweet-natured wife, who rarely raised her voice, suddenly unleashed a torrent of anger at me. “What are you blindly touching? What if you scratch off my tattoo? I just got it done, it cost thousands!” “If you ruin it, I swear I’ll never forgive you!” She lowered her head, carefully, almost reverently, tracing the tattoo on her shoulder. Only after confirming it was perfectly fine did she finally let out a long, shaky breath. She glared daggers at me. “Good thing it’s fine,” I heard her hiss, “otherwise, you’d be in for it, big time!” Just moments ago, when I carried her into the bathroom, she was so sleepy she could barely keep her eyes open. But the second I accidentally touched the tattoo on her arm, she was like a startled cat, all claws out. And wasn’t she the one who *hated* tattoos more than anyone? When I was younger, I thought tattoos were cool too. I even got one behind my parents’ backs. But later, when Chloe and I started dating, she accidentally discovered it. I can still vividly recall the look of disgust on her face. She frowned, her voice dripping with disdain. “What *is* that hideous thing you’ve got tattooed? It’s so gross! I absolutely *loathe* tattoos. If you want a future with me, you’ll get it removed, like, yesterday! Otherwise, I’ll just be disgusted every time I look at you.” I was absolutely ecstatic when she said that. It meant she was serious about us, about a future together. So, just because she disliked it, I endured the pain and had every tattoo on my body removed. But now, *she* had gone and gotten a tattoo herself. The sheer hypocrisy! Her unusually protective attitude towards this tattoo kept screaming one message at me. My wife, something was definitely wrong with her. I tried to lean closer, to get a better look, but she immediately clutched her arm defensively, demanding, “What are you staring at, Liam? I knew you’d find a way to make it an issue.” I froze. We’d been married for three years! And now she was telling me I had “bad intentions”? That was just… insane. Totally out of line. I pulled on my clothes, my voice laced with annoyance. “Chloe, what the hell is that supposed to mean? We’ve been married for years! What on earth haven’t I seen of you?” “It’s just a tattoo. Why are you acting so weird about it?” Then, something clicked. My voice changed, a cold edge creeping in. “Or are you hiding something from me?” I scoffed. “I knew it. Why else would you suddenly decide to get a tattoo, out of the blue? So *this* is what you’ve been up to.” A faint flicker of panic crossed her face, vanishing so fast I almost convinced myself I’d imagined it. She snapped at me, then shoved her arm in front of my face. “There! I showed you! Now what? Did you figure something out?” “Always being so nosy. I just didn’t want to show it to you because it was expensive, so I kept it hidden, alright?” “You’re so annoying. All you ever do is suspect everyone and everything. Don’t you have anything better to do?” She shoved me away and wrapped in her robe, yanked open the bathroom door. Her strength wasn’t considerable, but for a split second, I was completely disoriented. I stumbled back, my lower back hitting the sink with a painful thud that made me wince and grit my teeth. By the time I recovered and walked out of the bathroom, Chloe was already lying on the other side of the bed. The faint glow from her phone screen lit up her face, a face beaming with a smile. And for some reason, it just felt… jarring. Almost blinding. It had been a long time since she’d smiled like that in front of me. When she saw me, she quickly turned off her phone and burrowed deep under the covers. She was angry again. I still couldn’t understand why she was so angry. I’d just accidentally touched her tattoo. And what were those bizarre things she had tattooed anyway? What kind of sane person gets such a hideous, tacky thing tattooed on their arm?!

I lay awake in the dark for a long time, silent, before finally breaking the quiet. “Chloe, why did you suddenly decide to get a tattoo?” She didn’t answer, but I knew she wasn’t asleep. Just a moment ago, a faint light had flickered from under her blanket. The next morning, when I woke up, the spot beside me was cold. She was already gone. My back was still throbbing from hitting the sink last night. After much tossing and turning, I decided to take the day off work and call a cab to the hospital. But I never expected such a coincidence. Chloe was already there, bright and early. When she saw me at the registration desk, a flash of panic crossed her face, immediately morphing into fury. “Liam! Are you actually stalking me, you jerk?!” Her voice involuntarily rose several octaves, causing quite a stir in the quiet hospital. Curious eyes from all around turned to me, and my face felt like it was on fire, burning with embarrassment. I forgot all about registering. I grabbed her arm, intending to drag her out, but she wasn’t about to let me. She sneered, stepping back a few paces, her sarcastic voice drilling into my ears. “I never knew you were so clingy! When did *that* happen?” “Or are you just hoping to catch me cheating?” The crowd, ever sensitive to the scent of gossip, had already pulled out their phones, ready to record the explosive drama unfolding in the hospital. I could practically hear them, in their SnapChat groups, vividly recounting the juicy spectacle to their friends and family. “Chloe! What are you talking about? Who’s stalking you? I should be asking *you*! What are you doing at the hospital this early?” My heart dropped. A wild, absurd thought suddenly shot through my mind, and I struggled to suppress my excitement as I asked her. “Are you… pregnant?” She’d always said she didn’t want kids, and we always used protection. Did we… hit the jackpot this time? She froze, then became even more infuriated. “What are you talking about, you idiot?! Who the hell is pregnant?!” Her reaction was extreme, far more than I’d anticipated. In my memory, she had always been sweet-tempered. Even when we had disagreements, she was willing to sit down and calmly resolve them. What was going on with her now? She put her hands on her hips, taking a few deep, forced breaths before her voice finally, barely, steadied. “A friend of mine is sick. I just came to the hospital to check on him.” “But you, weren’t you supposed to be at work today? Why are *you* at the hospital?” I lowered my eyes, contemplating. What kind of friend, I wondered, could possibly make *her*, a notorious night owl who practically lives for late mornings, drag herself out of bed at this hour? Before I could piece anything together, she answered a phone call and then dashed off without a backward glance. By the time I processed what was happening, she was already fifteen or twenty feet away. She didn’t even stop to hear why I was at the hospital. I had no choice but to pull out my phone and message her. **[Chloe, I accidentally hit my back on the sink last night in the shower. I wasn’t trying to follow you to the hospital.]** **[Which friend is sick? Are their family members not around? You seemed so rushed.]** Chloe was on my ‘close friends’ list, so I’d get a notification the second she messaged me. But I didn’t get a single reply, not until I had taken my number and seen the doctor. I tried calling her, but it just rang and rang. Left with no other option, I texted her again. **[Are you coming home for dinner tonight? I’ll pick up some of your favorite dishes?]** **[Or is there anything specific you’d like to eat?]** But all my messages vanished into the void. So, I just cooked a huge meal based on her preferences. It wasn’t until six in the evening that she came home, humming a carefree tune, silhouetted against the setting sun, the whole meal long since gone cold. I sat at the dining table, staring at the untouched, cold food, my expression unreadable. She walked in, flipped on the lights, acting as if nothing was amiss. “Why is it so dark in here? Why didn’t you turn on a light?” The sudden brightness made my eyes sting. Then she seemed to notice the food on the table, and she complained, “Why would you make so much food for just one person, Liam?” “Money doesn’t just grow on trees, Liam! And didn’t we agree we were saving up to get *me* a new car?” I slowly raised my gaze to meet hers. Unlike what I’d seen at the hospital earlier, she was wearing a completely different outfit now. She had time to visit a friend in the hospital. She had time to go shopping at the mall for new clothes. But she couldn’t spare two minutes to reply to my messages.

“Why didn’t you reply to my messages? I sent you so many, asking if you were coming home for dinner, and you couldn’t even bother to respond to one.” “You don’t answer calls, you don’t reply to texts. Chloe, how dare you ask *me* why I made so much food for myself?!” I rarely yelled at her by her full name, and she knew I was truly furious this time. Her face went pale. She pulled out her phone, a look that might have been guilt, or perhaps relief at finding a new excuse, flashing across her features. “My phone died. That’s why I didn’t see any messages.” “Liam, you know I didn’t do it on purpose.” Bullshit, I knew! “You had time to shop at the mall, but no time to charge your phone? Your phone had enough battery to pay at the checkout, but not enough to call me back?” “You always have so many excuses! Just look at the past few days – have you honestly bothered to read any of my messages?” “You clearly don’t care about me! So who *do* you care about? Tell me, who was that person you went to see at the hospital today?” “Don’t think I don’t know, Chloe. None of your ‘besties’ have been in the hospital lately, I know that for a fact.” It seemed I had hit a nerve. She stiffened, her voice defiant as she shot back. “My friend was hurt, and I went to see him at the hospital – what’s it to you? I married *you*, I didn’t become your puppet, expected to obey your every command!” “I have my own life too! I can’t revolve around you every single day!” “Besides, you don’t even believe me anyway! Otherwise, why would you secretly follow me to the hospital?” She clearly hadn’t read my messages. She hadn’t seen me tell her I went to the hospital because of my back pain. Right. All my rambling, unanswered messages were just a burden to her, I guess. By a cruel twist of fate, if I hadn’t hit my back yesterday, I might never have known she had run off to the hospital so early in the morning. “I wasn’t following you to the hospital! How many times do I have to tell you I’m not a stalker—” She cut me off, rubbing her temples wearily. “Forget it. We’re both too upset right now. Let’s talk about it properly when we’ve both calmed down.” The front door slammed shut. I had no idea where she could possibly go at this hour. At eight in the evening, the dinner I’d cooked lay mostly untouched. I picked at a few bites before dumping the rest into the trash. Chloe had blocked my number and all my social media. I couldn’t reach her, so as a last resort, I called her friends. My neighborhood was pretty isolated. It wasn’t safe for a woman to be out alone so late. But from eight to nine, I called a dozen or so friends, and every single one said they had no idea where she was. Where else could she possibly be at this late hour? I was just about to throw on a jacket and go look for her when I received a text from my buddy, Jake. **[Hey man, why are you in the hospital? Everything alright?]** My mind raced with questions. Who was hospitalized? I’d hurt my back, but it wasn’t serious enough to be admitted. **[?]** I texted back a question mark. Jake immediately responded with one of his own. **[Wait, dude, you’re *not* in the hospital? Then who the hell is with Chloe? I was about to go say hello to you both.]** **[But my wife was rushing me, so I didn’t even get a chance to say hi.]** **[Good thing I didn’t say hi, or I don’t know how awkward it would have been.]**

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I ate a snack bar because I was starving from working overtime, and my manager slapped me with a $600,000 fine! She pointed a finger right at my face, absolutely fuming. “Alex, don’t think you’re hot stuff just because you closed that deal!” “This is a workplace, not your kitchen! Eat your food at home!” “Company policy explicitly forbids snacking! You knew this and did it anyway, so your offense is even worse!” “Your $600,000 commission for that contract? Canceled!” I just looked at her, cool as a cucumber, and said, “Whatever.” I figured, why bother? I was already giving up, and that’s when she really lost it. Victoria was absolutely furious with my attitude. “Alex, write a public apology, you’ll deliver it at the all-staff meeting!” I looked at her face, crimson from anger, and clenched my fists. Then, calmly, I said, “Fine by me!” My colleagues all stared at me, disbelief written on their faces. Victoria spun around, high heels clicking, and went up to the 23rd floor. I stayed at my desk. A little while later, a notice popped up in the company-wide SnapChat group. “Sales Department’s Alex has repeatedly violated company policies. After careful consideration, it has been decided to deduct this month’s commission, totaling $600,000, and she is required to present a public apology at today’s all-staff meeting at 2 PM as a warning to others!” My colleagues looked at me in shock. Leo, at the desk opposite mine, sent me a private SnapChat: “Victoria’s having a total meltdown, don’t argue with her. Just suck it up, that’s $600,000!” I just smiled. Sucking it up wouldn’t do any good; she wanted to kick me to the curb after I’d served my purpose. She’d been eyeing my position for ages. When Mr. Sterling, the old chairman, headhunted me, he promised I wouldn’t have to clock in or out, I’d have complete freedom, and could eat or drink as I pleased, as long as I delivered results. I practically ran half the sales department on my own. This Monarch Corp. contract, worth billions, I handled the renewal myself, and wrapped it up in just a week. Victoria probably thought my job was too easy and was just green with envy! I SnapChatted back to Leo: “Just wait. This afternoon isn’t just my public shaming; someone’s also going to try and take my place.” Leo looked shocked, but I ignored him, calmly sitting at my desk, organizing and printing all my client files. Then I formatted all the data on my work phone. After doing both, I started writing my apology. Victoria came down at one point, saw me writing, and couldn’t help but flash a smug smile. At 2 PM, she arrived with some people. The all-staff meeting in the 23rd-floor conference room, with over a hundred people, was packed. Victoria’s voice was sharp and clear. “I’ll reiterate: a company is a company. Don’t think it’s your home. Despite countless warnings, some people just don’t listen!” “Don’t think you’re so special just because the chairman personally hired you. Anyone can close a deal just by schmoozing and having a fancy dinner!” “Alex, get up here and deliver your apology. Let everyone see how you messed up!” I stood up and walked to the front, under a mix of confused and secretly gloating stares. “Manager Victoria is right. I shouldn’t have eaten that snack bar in the office. From today forward, I will strictly adhere to company discipline and never cross the line again!” “Manager Victoria, I’m not much for words. If you don’t want me to eat, I won’t eat. Being a salesperson isn’t such a big deal anyway.” “Good to know! Given your repeated offenses, the senior management has decided to revoke your position as Sales Director, effective today, and demote you to a regular sales associate.” “This is our new Director, Brandon. He’s an MBA from abroad and will lead us to new heights!” A smattering of applause broke out. Victoria pulled a smarmy-looking guy forward. Leo and I exchanged glances; he was completely floored. Finally, Victoria added, “Alex, organize all your client files and hand them over. They’ll be reallocated!” I readily agreed, printed everything out, and handed it over immediately. These clients? If you can handle them, go right ahead! Seeing my cooperation, Victoria seemed a little suspicious. She checked everything carefully, ensuring nothing was missing, and finally let it go. Brandon, meanwhile, was strutting around like he owned the place. He came straight from the 23rd floor to my desk and tapped on it. “Alex, hurry up, pack all your things right now. Otherwise, if anything goes missing, you’ll be held responsible.”

I understood perfectly. As Sales Director, my desk was in the same area as everyone else, but I had a whole row to myself, with an open view, allowing me to see everyone opposite me. Now, it was different. He was eager to push me out, and my new spot was directly opposite him, by the window. Even with air conditioning in summer, we weren’t allowed to close the blinds. The scorching sun blared through the glass, not only reflecting off the computer screen but also making it unbearably hot. But none of that mattered. I quietly packed my things and was about to move my computer to the new spot when he stopped me. “Hold on. We need to check everything on your computer carefully. What if you’re taking client data with you?” “Fine, check it!” I opened my computer and let him search through everything. Mr. Sterling himself had personally headhunted me. At the time, he’d told me, “Alex, you have absolute authority in this company!” Mr. Sterling’s health had declined in recent years, and he’d gone abroad for treatment. Everything they were doing now struck me as utterly ridiculous. I knew exactly what Victoria was thinking: kicking me to the curb to cut costs. But unfortunately, costs aren’t that easy to cut. Brandon found nothing suspicious and could only wave me off. Leo sent me a message: “Don’t worry, Alex. We’re all rooting for you!” I sent back a smiling emoji. What good was their support? I didn’t believe for a second that the senior management on the 23rd floor was unaware of what Victoria was doing to me. They were tacitly approving it. That meant Mr. Sterling, far across the ocean, must also know. If that was the case, there was no point in arguing with them. I clocked out at the end of the day, just as usual. I didn’t know what their previous expectations were, but from now on, I’d strictly follow company procedures. That couldn’t be a problem, right? According to my old routine, I’d usually meet clients for tea and chats after work. But not anymore. I drove straight home, lay on my long-missed bed, and watched the sunset, feeling fantastic. Normally, I’d always be out entertaining clients, with endless social obligations. Now, I finally had time to myself. I opened my phone, searched for theater tickets, and booked one for myself. My favorite theater actor had performed hundreds of shows, but I’d never been to a single one. Now, I finally had the time. Soon after, I was added to a new sales group. Brandon was the group admin. “Attention All Staff: From now on, all sales personnel must write daily sales logs. You need to report who you met, what was discussed, and if there’s any potential interest, for my review.” “You must secure 5 potential clients each month. If you fail to meet this, your end-of-month evaluation will be reduced by 20%.” Leo messaged me privately: “Look at him! Says he came back from overseas, but he’s using all these outdated methods on us?” “Has he ever even worked in sales? Potential clients aren’t that easy to find! Five a month? The entire company only closes deals based on old clients these days!” “The economy’s rough now, it’s not that simple. And the big clients aren’t ones *we* can handle. For small clients, this city only has so many people. He really doesn’t want to give us any breathing room.” Seeing Leo’s rant, I just comforted him, “Take it easy. Just do whatever your boss tells you to.” “Alex, are you really just going to let him push you around? I wouldn’t stand for it! If it were me, I’d have quit ages ago! I can’t take this crap!” Leo was always outspoken. I smiled at his messages but didn’t reply. I wasn’t in a hurry. They’d find out soon enough.

The next day at work, I submitted my annual leave request. I’d been with the company for eight years and hadn’t taken a single day of annual leave. When I submitted the request, Brandon looked at me. “What’s the meaning of this, Alex? I just started, and you want to take time off? Are you deliberately trying to go against me?” “Director Brandon, you’re overreacting. Under your leadership, I’m sure we’ll turn things around. I haven’t had a break in so many years, I just can’t take it anymore. I plan to take some annual leave to truly relax and recover. My body can’t handle it.” He sized me up, his eyes full of disdain. “Right, I suppose you do have to service all those big clients. People over thirty certainly can’t keep up.” His words had a hidden meaning, I knew. He was implying I’d used improper methods to land those clients. Once people form a prejudice, it’s hard to change their minds. But for now, I wouldn’t explain myself further. Brandon still signed it. “Remember the end-of-month evaluation! If you don’t meet it, your base salary will be docked!” “Fail for three consecutive months, and you’ll be packing your bags and out the door!” “Understood. Don’t worry, I’m not leaving.” Because the ones leaving would have to be them! After completing the paperwork, I packed my things and started my vacation. First stop: the state capital. Today was the day of the show I’d been waiting for; I couldn’t miss it. Two hours later, as soon as I got off the high-speed train, Leo sent me a message: “Alex, the Luminar Group contract is finalized, and Victoria says the credit for this achievement will go to Brandon.” “By the end of the year, they’re going to push for Brandon to be the head of the sales department. That way, Victoria herself can get another promotion!” “The nerve! Are you just going to let them get away with it?” “Not yet. They can’t handle it. Just wait!” I sent that message and smiled. Renewing the Luminar contract wasn’t something you could just achieve by wining and dining. I ignored it, put my phone on silent, and sat in the auditorium, looking at the stage just a meter away. I felt incredibly excited. My emotions ebbed and flowed with the play, laughing at times, crying at others. Two hours later, I walked out of the auditorium, pulled out my phone, and saw over a hundred missed calls and countless SnapChat messages. The most recent one was from Victoria, sent just moments ago. “Alex, Mr. Miller from Luminar Group says there’s a problem with the contract, and they’re backing out! The direct loss is over $3 billion! You can expect to be fired!” I scoffed, and simply replied, “The contract was handed over to Brandon. If he can’t handle it, am I supposed to take the blame?” “Manager Victoria, if you want to fire me, remember to give me my severance.” After sending it, I shoved my phone back into my pocket. Even Leo couldn’t reach me. I wandered around, eating and shopping, and the constant stream of messages on my phone gave me a pretty good idea of what was happening. After I left, Brandon decided to “build rapport” with the major client and went to Luminar Group, bringing gifts. He ran into Mr. Miller, who, upon learning he was the new director, asked a few technical questions. Brandon couldn’t answer a single one. Mr. Miller felt the company was unprofessional and insisted on an on-site visit. I’d personally taken him to that site 800 times. Brandon had never been there. When they arrived, they happened to find a machine broken. Brandon told an engineer to come fix it. But no one could fix the new machine. Whenever there was a problem, I was the one who called in my contacts to repair it. Brandon used this as an excuse, claiming I had deliberately sabotaged the machine. Mr. Miller immediately declared that our company was a fraud and he wouldn’t renew the contract. Not only had Brandon botched the contract, costing the company $3 billion, but Mr. Miller also ridiculed Brandon, and it even reached Mr. Sterling, the old chairman. Just then, Leo called. “Alex, you need to come back! They’re about to call the police, saying you committed malicious fraud!”

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I found myself in a novel as the malicious supporting character. But I haven’t done anything wrong. I’ve even become friends with the heroine and married the gentle second lead. I always thought I was happy until I stumbled upon my husband’s diary. It turns out he was reborn. All these years of kindness were just to prevent me from harming the heroine… ****** Holding the pregnancy test result and touching the tiny life inside me, I felt an unprecedented sense of security. I’ve been living in this world for 13 years, and at this moment, it feels like I’ve finally found a complete sense of belonging and attachment. I transmigrated into this novel world after my death, becoming the malicious supporting character with the same name as mine. But I thought I was lucky. I arrived before the story unfolded, so I hadn’t done anything to wrong the main characters. In fact, because of the female lead’s cheerful personality, we became best friends who could talk about anything. I turned into a guardian of love, encouraging her to pursue her romantic interests actively, watching her fall in love with the male lead, and sending her off as a bridesmaid when she married the man she loved. The female lead is the second person I want to share my good news with; as for the first, it’s obviously my husband. My husband, Andrew, was originally the gentle second male lead in the novel, always silently protecting the female lead. Perhaps due to the butterfly effect of my changes, he no longer follows the female lead but focuses all his attention and affection on me. Walking together for 13 years, I truly felt loved, so I married for love without hesitation. Now, our little family is about to welcome a new life, and I can’t wait to share this good news with him.   I thought about it, and instead of saying it directly, I decided to let him discover it himself. I sneaked into the study, sat in his chair, and casually opened a drawer. An old notebook caught my eye. It stood out because it didn’t match the neat and uniform files around it. It should have been at the bottom, but a corner was accidentally exposed in the owner’s rush. I carefully picked up the notebook and couldn’t help but laugh. It was the type of girly notebook cover we used in our school days, worn with age, but the owner likely opened it frequently to record things, as the edges were curled, and the pages were yellowed. We never had secrets between us as a couple, so I opened it without any hesitation. On the title page was written in large English handwriting: Forever Love. I lowered my head with a shy smile, my face flushing. Could this be a love letter he wrote for me? I took out the pregnancy test result, planning to place it inside. I wanted to give him my most precious “love letter.” I carefully opened the first page and was instantly dumbfounded—my eternal love, Tina. Tina is the female lead in the story. Suddenly, I felt my blood reverse, and my whole body froze as if my throat was stuffed with heavy cotton, making it hard to breathe. My fingers trembled, yet uncontrollably, I read page by page. With a kind of obsessive self-torture, I read the entire diary word by word. Rather than a diary, it’s more like a love letter that can’t be sent, summarized in just a few words: Andrew loves Tina but can’t be with her. It turns out Andrew was reborn; it turns out Andrew always loved Tina deeply; it turns out all of Andrew’s care and affection for me was just an act! He needed to keep an eye on me to prevent any possibility of me harming the woman he loves. The joy of being pregnant vanished, leaving only bitterness in my heart. For 13 years, I never thought of harming Tina, but at this moment, I truly envied her. I envied her for the brief kindness and warmth she once gave, which made a man remember her deeply for 13 years, even at the cost of entangling with the malicious supporting character to ensure her happiness. My heart was in turmoil, tangled with pain and despair, and I couldn’t even remember how long I cried, just feeling that everything around me turned into a terrifying illusion.

Exhausted, I fell asleep on the sofa until Andrew came home and woke me up. He was reeking of alcohol, staggering as he walked. “Honey, I’m back…” he said with a smile. “Sorry, I had a business dinner tonight, so I came back late.” I smiled bitterly, the smile not reaching my eyes, yet I still fulfilled my duty as a wife. I went to help him, undoing his tightly buttoned tie and loosening the collar. “Thank you, honey, you’re so good.” I gazed at Andrew, realizing his gratitude was very perfunctory. If he paid a bit more attention, he would have noticed the redness and swelling in my eyes. Perhaps pretending to deal with me has become a habit for him. I helped Andrew to the bed, undressed him, and prepared to clean his face and body. Drunk, Andrew’s willpower slackened, as if he let down his guard, revealing his true feelings with weary vulnerability. “Tina…” I flinched, thinking I was hallucinating. I stared at Andrew, my nails digging into my palms. “Tina.” The cruel reminder echoed again. In a self-destructive manner, I subconsciously imitated Tina’s tone. “Andrew.” Andrew suddenly grabbed my hand tightly, his drunken eyes filled with tenderness and affection. “Tina, as long as you’re happy, everything I do is worth it.” A short sentence fixed me once again in the cage of deception. I felt breathless, everything before me becoming bizarre, and I fled from the bedroom in a mix of running and hiding. It turns out the love I chose without hesitation was a joke from start to finish.   I didn’t sleep well. The various things the malicious supporting character Amelia did in the novel replayed crazily in my mind. Amelia bullied the female lead with her group, hired thugs to humiliate the female lead, and used her family background to oppress the female lead, and so on… In the dream, Amelia suddenly turned back, with a face identical to mine. That face was twisted and ferocious, even I found it terrifying. In dreams, time flies, the male lead and the second male lead quickly grow and then take revenge on me. Andrew’s cold, indifferent eyes calmly stared at me, as if looking at a dead object. “Since you like ruining others’ innocence, go experience it yourself.” In despair, I was humiliated to death and discarded by a filthy garbage pile, dying in agony. “No!” I shouted, waking myself up! I looked up into Andrew’s concerned eyes, overlapping with the brutal and fierce image in the dream, and I trembled in fright. Andrew was covering me with a blanket, looking confused. “Honey, what’s wrong? Why are you sleeping on the sofa, you’ll catch a cold.” “Honey, are you mad at me for drinking too much last night? Sorry, the client was important.” I shook my head, engulfed in fatigue and fear, not wanting to say anything. There’s no guest room in our house. Andrew once promised he would never make me mad enough to send him to sleep in a guest room. Even if he did upset me, he’d be sensible enough to sleep on the floor beside me. But when conflicts really arose, I didn’t even have a space of my own. I was indeed under his watchful eye. Andrew didn’t notice anything unusual about me, frowning pitifully. “Honey, I had a tough time at the business dinner yesterday, my head hurts a lot, where’s the hangover soup?” “I forgot.” I didn’t make any at all. Andrew’s family isn’t wealthy, while I’m a typical rich second generation. He always said he wanted to earn my father’s approval through his own efforts, to achieve more to deserve me. So Andrew worked hard. He didn’t accept help from the Aiden family, choosing to start his own business. In the early years, to secure projects, he drank heavily with partners, almost getting a stomach ulcer. I loved Andrew deeply, and as his wife, I always took care of him personally. For the sake of his health, I found many remedies and often stayed up all night to help him recover from hangovers. If I were unaware of his true feelings, I might have continued being a dutiful wife. However, in reality, my efforts were all one-sided. [Amelia used her family background to harm Tina, I can’t let her have any chance to harm Tina. I must achieve success in the business world, have enough power to rival Amelia’s old man. If they harm Tina like the last life, I’ll make the Amelia family pay a painful price!] Andrew’s desperate efforts were merely to gain real power, to protect his true love.

“Honey, what’s wrong today? You don’t look well. Are you feeling unwell? Let me take you to the hospital.” I stared blankly at the man before me, wondering how much sincerity was in his concern. I hesitated about confronting Andrew when suddenly my phone rang. The caller ID showed two big words—Tina. Andrew quickly picked up the phone and handed it to me, signaling with his eyes, “Take it.” I numbly pressed answer, and Tina’s cheerful voice came through. “Amelia, darling, remember we’re going to the art exhibit today?” “I remember.” “Let’s meet at the Coffee Shop in front of the Art Gallery, okay? Old Ho is dropping me off on his way to work.” “Okay.” Before I could speak, Andrew said, “You have plans with Tina today, let me drive you there.” “No need, your office isn’t on the way.” Andrew lovingly touched my cheek. “Silly, driving my wife anywhere is on the way. Go change your clothes!” Andrew went back to the room to freshen up, his back radiating happiness. He’s going to see his beloved, of course, he’s thrilled. “Remember.” “Let’s meet directly at the Coffee Shop in front of the Art Gallery. He can drop me off on his way to work.” “Alright.” I hung up the phone, and before I could say anything, Andrew spoke first, “You have plans with Tina today? Let me take you there.” “No need. Your office is out of the way.” Andrew affectionately touched my cheek. “Silly, taking my wife anywhere is always my pleasure. Go get changed!” Andrew got up to freshen up, his back radiating happiness. Of course, he’s thrilled to see the one he loves. He seemed to have forgotten that he just mentioned taking me to the hospital because I looked unwell. In Andrew’s world, nothing is more important than Tina. — When Andrew dropped me off at the Coffee Shop, Tina was happily sipping a Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino. She naturally handed me a cup of hot milk, greeting me cheerfully. Andrew gently reminded me, “Girls shouldn’t drink too many cold beverages. It’s bad for your health and can cause discomfort at certain times. You’re not a kid anymore; you should be more careful.” Tina teased with a smile, “Wow, showing off your affection right in front of me.” Andrew replied with a smile, “You too, drink less cold stuff!” So much preamble for a simple reminder to her. The hot milk in my hand felt uncomfortably warm. Actually, I don’t like cold drinks. His concern was never really for me. “Got it, got it. You’re so naggy. Only Amelia can put up with you.” Andrew chuckled and turned to me, “I’ll pick you up for lunch. I remember you saying you wanted to try the new Spanish restaurant in Amelia City.” Once doubt creeps in, you realize how insincerely his concern is acted. It wasn’t me who wanted to try the Spanish restaurant; it was Tina. But I was blindly in love, and he played his part well. Now that the truth is out, I see I was just blinded by my own ignorance. Tina held me close. “Okay, okay, you should go. Don’t interrupt our girl time.” She pulled me inside, mumbling non-stop. “Amelia, I’m so excited for Master Gu’s work…” I instinctively looked back at the man in the distance. He was watching us with a scrutinizing gaze, but when our eyes met, he quickly hid his emotions. He put on a performance of deep affection, acting all affectionate. Andrew, aren’t you tired? Certainly!

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The moment I opened my eyes, my father, John, snatched the university acceptance letter right out of my hand. “Alright, what’s there to look at? Even if you got into a top-tier university, you’re still a worthless drain on resources.” “I finally managed to feed you for eighteen years, hoping you’d start earning money to support the family and help your brother, but you just *had* to keep studying. You’re a truly ungrateful, white-eyed wolf.” My mother, Sarah, was cracking sunflower seeds nearby, her expression sour. “Avery, don’t think just because you got into a fancy college, you’re suddenly some hotshot. Let me tell you, Dylan’s the only one with a future in this family.” “This girl is far too ambitious. It’s a curse.” Seeing my silence, my younger brother, Dylan, his bloated stomach protruding, shoved me hard. I stumbled to the ground, my elbow hitting the floor with a piercing pain that made me gasp. He just bared his teeth and chuckled with glee. “Hey, sis, you haven’t given me my allowance this month. You used to give me five hundred, but since you got into that university, it’s good news, so let’s make it a thousand this time.” Dylan was half a year younger than me, a good-for-nothing. He constantly demanded money, and if I refused, he’d beat me mercilessly. My parents always favored him, watching my bruises and cuts with cold indifference. So, for years, I worked odd jobs after school, not only saving for my tuition but also feeding Dylan, that bottomless pit. But this time, I shook my head and refused him. “I don’t have any money.” As expected, Dylan threw a fit, grabbing the broom from the corner, ready to strike me. My mother, who always indulged him, quickly intervened. “Whoa, my little darling, have you forgotten? Your sister can’t have any more scars on her body right now!” 2. Hearing my mother’s words, Dylan’s fury instantly shifted to a mocking smirk. “Right, sis is too precious now.” “Whatever, it’s just a thousand dollars. Give it or don’t.” John patted Dylan’s shoulder, praising him for being sensible. “My oldest son is the only one who understands things. A thousand dollars? What’s that? I’ll buy you anything you want in a couple of days.” In my past life, I actually believed that because I was the valedictorian of our district, my parents had finally developed a conscience. I never knew they’d already decided to sell me to an old, repulsive bachelor in the county suburbs, Mr. Henderson. My hard-won acceptance letter became not a lifeline, but my bill of sale. Mr. Henderson, though wealthy, was riddled with sores, monstrously ugly, and nearly sixty years old, yet still unmarried. When my parents approached him, he grinned ear to ear. Two hundred thousand dollars for an eighteen-year-old top student as a wife? He couldn’t have been happier. In the dead of night, when my parents delivered me to his house, I struggled in despair, begging him to let me go. After finally escaping with my last ounce of strength, I was hit by a truck and died instantly. After my death, I became a wandering spirit, watching my parents use the money from my sale to feast and drink with Dylan. Mr. Henderson loudly demanded his money back, and that’s when they learned of my death. But they refused to claim my body. “Once a daughter is gone, she’s gone for good—like water poured from a cup. Even without papers, she was yours the moment we handed her over. What does her death have to do with us?” “Avery, that damn girl, deserved her bad luck. She wasn’t meant for a good life. Just bury her wherever.” “We made it clear the money and goods were settled. We handed you a perfectly healthy young woman. If you couldn’t keep an eye on her, don’t blame us.” Recalling all the horrors of my previous life, I pretended not to notice John hiding my acceptance letter. And Sarah’s unsettling smile. I knew that tomorrow night, they’d send me away again. But they didn’t know the apocalyptic heatwave was coming in three days. This time, I would have my revenge, ensuring every person who wronged me would die a gruesome death. 3. The next day, as expected, Sarah burst into my room in the middle of the night, a length of rope clutched in her hand. But she found me already dressed in a simple dress, sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for her. “Mom, I’m going to wear this to meet Mr. Henderson later. Does it look appropriate?” Sarah was stunned for a moment. “You knew we were sending you tonight?” I smiled faintly. “I overheard Dad talking on the phone yesterday.” “Honestly, I’ve had a change of heart. Instead of struggling through hard work and scholarships, it’d be much more comfortable living with Mr. Henderson.” “I heard he saved a lot of money from his business years ago. If I marry him, I’ll have delicious food, nice clothes, and endless blessings.” Sarah seemed unconvinced. “Don’t you dare try to fool me, you little brat. For years, you were so high and mighty, determined to get into that university in the capital. Now you’d give up so easily?” “Don’t even think about sneaking away!” Seeing her outward toughness but sensing a slight softening in her attitude, I leaned closer and whispered. “Mom, I heard Dad asked Mr. Henderson for two hundred thousand dollars, but he lied to you and said it was only one hundred thousand. The other hundred thousand… guess where he plans to use it?” If I hadn’t died once, I would never have known John and Ms. Miller from next door had been together for ages. He was secretly keeping it from Sarah, planning to use that hundred thousand to fix up Ms. Miller’s house. Sarah’s teeth gritted in fury when she heard this. But she had no concrete proof, so she didn’t dare confront John outright. I seized the opportunity to persuade her further. “Mom, Dad is completely infatuated with that woman now; he’s been spending a lot on her.” “Dylan is still in high school, and everything in this family costs money. Right now, Mr. Henderson is the only source of easy cash.” “But if I’m tied up and delivered to his door like a piece of merchandise, he’ll look down on me and won’t be willing to spend much more on me.” “If I go happily, willingly knocking on his door, I can charm him. Then, forget one hundred thousand; he’ll give us five hundred thousand later.” After my speech, Sarah was finally swayed. She put down the rope and quickly frisked me. Then, she dragged me out the door. John was waiting in the truck downstairs. Seeing I wasn’t tied up, he was about to erupt in anger. Sarah leaned over and whispered a few words to him. When he turned back, John was all smiles. “That girl actually has some sense.” 4. Mr. Henderson had bought a two-hundred-square-meter single-story villa in the county suburbs, not far from the city. When the door was knocked, he eagerly flung it open, revealing a wrinkled, smiling face covered in age spots. And a forehead glistening with sweat. “Oh, so this is Avery? She’s even prettier in person.” “Come here, let Grandpa feel your little hand.” He extended his bony hand, grabbing my wrist and refusing to let go, stroking my soft palm over and over. I forced a smile, fighting down my revulsion, and gently pushed him away. “Grandpa, stop messing around. My parents are right here.” John fawned, presenting my university acceptance letter. “Mr. Henderson, here’s the merchandise. My daughter is the real deal, the valedictorian of our district.” “You won’t lose out on this deal.” He certainly wouldn’t. Mr. Henderson was grinning ear to ear. He promptly transferred the money to John, then impatiently pulled me into the house. The moment the door closed, I heard John’s triumphant laugh. “After raising this worthless girl for eighteen years, today, at least, I’ve recouped my investment.” I turned back to see Mr. Henderson, his eyes filled with sickening greed, eager to pounce. I desperately dodged him, gripping his hands. “Grandpa, why don’t you take a shower first?” Mr. Henderson refused, leering as he tried to kiss me. “Girl, don’t play games with your Grandpa. Your old man just took two hundred thousand dollars from me.” At this point, I couldn’t show even a hint of disgust. I just pretended to be shy, turning my face away. “But it’s my first time, and I just want to create a beautiful memory.” “Besides, I came to your door willingly. How much more sincere can I be?” “We’re going to be husband and wife living together from now on. I won’t lie to you.” After I sweet-talked him for a bit, Mr. Henderson’s heart swelled with joy. He had been disliked by everyone his whole life, plagued by illnesses, and had never been with a woman. Let alone an eighteen-year-old girl. “Fine, a shower it is. We’ll shower together.” I chuckled softly, guiding him into the bathroom, then dimmed the lights and told him to start running the water to prepare. Then I turned and walked into the bedroom, pulling out the electric fish stunner I knew was hidden under the bed. 5. In my past life, I was tied up and thrown into Mr. Henderson’s house. Seeing my fierce resistance, he had a twisted look on his face as he pulled out the electric fish stunner. “I spent two hundred thousand dollars to buy you, the valedictorian, not to put you on a pedestal!” “If you don’t willingly sleep with me and give me babies, I’ll electrocute you to death!” With that, he used it to shock my calf. The intense, searing pain made me scream. The more I cried out in agony, the more he leered in excitement. When I desperately tried to escape through the door, the spasms in my calf made me lose strength, and I couldn’t run to the other side of the road in time. That’s how I was struck dead by the oncoming truck. My ribs pierced my lungs, and even in death, the pain was excruciating. Now, I pushed open the door and looked at Mr. Henderson in the bathtub, his face beaming with spring-like delight. I gave him a gentle smile. “Mr. Henderson, close your eyes first. Let Avery give you a surprise.”

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After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, I locked myself away, waiting for death. Every day, waves of agonizing pain tormented me endlessly. To distract myself, I downloaded an AI digital avatar app. This AI was peculiar; it seemed to know everything about me, startlingly in tune with my thoughts and feelings. Until one day, I had a deeply intimate FaceTime call with it that soothed both my soul and my body. Afterward, I collapsed on the bed, utterly exhausted yet feeling a rare, long-lost sense of satisfaction. I thought, maybe God was pitying me, allowing me to steal a moment of pleasure before I died. However, in the digital avatar app I had forgotten to close, a conversation suddenly started playing. “Blake, are you serious? That idiot really thought you were an AI?” “I told you, these low-class types, they’re always so devious. Look at her, moaning like that to an AI.” “Chloe, that was a brilliant idea. Using your family’s app, we exposed that poor trash’s true colors.” Then, my ex-boyfriend’s voice cut through the static, cold enough to chill me to the bone. “She dumped me because I was ‘poor.’ Now she’s so desperate, she’d go for an AI? She’d literally take anyone.” “Tomorrow, I’m uploading the video and audio online. She’ll regret ever crossing me!” Blake Harrison, you swore up and down back then that you were an orphan with nothing to your name. I broke up with you precisely because I had a terminal illness; I didn’t want to burden your life. And now, you’re telling me this multi-billion dollar app is *yours*?! Fine. You think I’m a joke? I’ll give you a show you won’t forget!

The phone’s ringtone pierced the deathly silence. On the caller ID, the name I thought I’d never see again flashed frantically: Blake Harrison. I slid to answer, remaining silent. On the other end, his voice sounded frantic, carrying a raw panic he hadn’t even recognized himself. “Willow! Something happened! Your… your video and audio, someone uploaded them to the dark web, and they’re about to be publicly auctioned off!” I lay on the bed, feeling the agonizing gnawing of cancer cells through my very core, my insides utterly desolate. Video? Auction? Oh, so that’s the stuff they tricked me into recording with their digital avatar app. They were finally making their move. Seeing my lack of reaction, Blake’s tone grew more urgent: “Willow! Are you even listening?! If that video leaks, your entire life will be ruined! Do you understand?!” My ‘life’… I tugged at the corner of my mouth, a ghost of a laugh escaping my throat. A cold, bitter sound. Blake Harrison, do you even know how many ‘days’ I have left of this so-called ‘lifetime’? I used every ounce of my remaining strength, forcing a single word from my dry throat: “Oh.” I knew he was waiting for me to break down and beg. Waiting to see me crawl at his feet like a whimpering dog. Too bad for him, he miscalculated. On the other end, a sharp female voice erupted, just as I expected: “Blake, I told you! These poor people don’t care about dignity, only money!” It was Chloe Sterling. “Shut up!” Blake roared at her, then, suppressing his anger, said to me: “Willow, I talked to the seller. He can pause the auction. I’ll give you one night to come up with a million dollars and buy it back. This is your last chance!” A million dollars. He was testing me. Testing if I would cry and beg him, beg my ex-boyfriend to be merciful, to generously open his wallet. Then, he could stand on the moral high ground and openly mock my materialism and my vanity. How many days did I have left to live? These elaborate farewell gifts you so painstakingly planned for me. It was utterly laughable. “Oh.” I said it again. This time, Blake completely lost it. “Fine! Fine, Willow! I must have been damn blind! I thought you were just materialistic, but I never imagined you’d have no shame left!” He roared hysterically, then slammed the phone down. Listening to the dial tone, I slowly closed my eyes. It was over. Let it be. However, not long after, my phone rang again. An unknown number. I answered, and a middle-aged man’s voice came through the receiver: “Is this Ms. Willow? I’m from the property management of your mother’s old residence. We’d like to confirm that your mother has sold the property. When would be convenient for you to come and clear out her belongings?” …What? Mom sold the house? A powerful wave of unease shot through me like a jolt of electricity. The physical pain was instantly overshadowed by this dread. I sprang from the bed like a madwoman, pulling on whatever clothes I found and tearing out the door. I hailed a cab and sped towards Harrison Tech Tower. That was Blake Harrison’s company. Before the car even stopped, my gaze cut through the crowd and fixated on the center of the plaza. There, on the polished, reflective floor, under the indifferent or curious gazes of countless people. My gray-haired mother, Eleanor, was on her knees, kneeling before Blake Harrison and Chloe Sterling.

I lunged through the onlookers like a maniac, rushing to my mother. “Mom! Get up! What are you doing here?!” But the whispers around me drowned me out first. “Well, look who finally showed up, the main attraction!” “Is that her? She looks so innocent, but she’s quite the player, isn’t she?” “No self-respect, and she makes her old mother clean up her mess. How filial.” Those poisoned words, like invisible steel needles, pierced my soul, leaving it riddled with holes. I didn’t want to listen. I just wanted to drag my mother away from this place of utter humiliation immediately. “Mom, let’s go home! There’s nothing to say to them!” But Eleanor clutched my hand with all her strength, her nails almost digging into my flesh. She cried and shook her head: “No, Willow! I can’t just watch them ruin you! Those videos… they absolutely cannot get out!” My tears instantly broke free, a torrent I couldn’t stop. “Mom!” I practically shrieked, “I don’t have many days left! What do I care about reputation?!” At that, Blake’s face darkened, enough to wring water from stone. He stepped forward, his initial shock quickly replaced by contempt and disgust. He pointed a finger at my nose and demanded sharply. “Willow! To save a few bucks, you’d make up a lie like that, cursing yourself? Saying you’re dying in front of your mother? How could your heart be so cruel! You’re not just materialistic, you’re utterly vicious!” Eleanor was sobbing brokenly, her heart utterly shattered. “Willow, don’t say such nonsense! Listen to me,” she pulled a sweat-wrinkled bank card from her pocket, trembling as she handed it to Blake, “I’ve sold the old house, and I took out your father’s pension. I’ve gathered nine hundred thousand. We’re only ten thousand short… Please, I beg you, give my daughter back her videos…” Dad’s pension… his life’s sacrifice, Mom’s last shred of security. Now, that money had become the ransom for my shame. My heart felt crushed by an invisible hand, a dull ache making it almost impossible to breathe. I took a deep breath, wiped away my tears, pulled my own bank card from my bag, and threw it at Blake’s feet. “Here’s ten thousand. The PIN is six zeros.” That was the money I’d set aside for my painkillers and my funeral arrangements. “Now, the million is complete.” I met his gaze, the last trace of warmth in my eyes gone, replaced by a cold, as if I were a lifeless object. With that, I didn’t look at him again. I turned, helped my trembling mother to her feet, and led her away. Behind us, Chloe’s acidic mockery echoed: “Blake, see that? That’s your ‘perfect’ ex. Your taste is really something.” Back in the dingy, sunless rental apartment, shielded from the outside world. Only then did I dare to hold my mother, letting my body tremble uncontrollably. “Mom… you sold the house, and gave them Dad’s pension… What will you do now?” Eleanor held me, tears streaming down her old face. “My Willow is almost gone. What future is there for me alone…?” Just then, my phone chimed. A push notification popped up, the icon for that digital avatar app.

The phone screen suddenly lit up, a push notification appearing with a cheerful sound effect: 【Congratulations! You’ve been selected as this week’s lucky user! Claim your $100 lucky bonus now!】 A hundred bucks. What exquisite irony. What a malicious crumb of charity. They took my mother’s entire life’s savings, and now they were using a hundred dollars to buy my dignity. I wanted to uninstall it immediately, but my fingertips searched my pockets, only finding rough fabric and a few specks of dust. Mom had given them all her money; we were penniless, and even a decent dinner was a luxury. I swallowed a towering wave of hatred and humiliation, and clicked 【Claim】. The money instantly hit my account. The next second, Chloe’s call came through. “Willow, I just bet Blake you’d take it. He didn’t believe me; he said no matter how pathetic you are, you wouldn’t take money from the app that ruined your reputation. And? Haha! Not even a second! You poor trash, you’ll do anything for money, won’t you?” My dead silence apparently bored her. “Whatever, you’re silent as a dummy, no fun at all. I’m going to bet Blake again!” The call didn’t disconnect. I could clearly hear her walk over to Blake, her voice laced with provocation: “Blake, let’s bet again. I bet if we set a ‘bark like a dog for $10’ task, she’ll still do it! Want to bet?” On the other end of the line, Blake’s silence was heavy. Seconds later, a new pop-up appeared on my phone screen, stark and unmistakable. 【Fun Challenge: Impersonate a dog’s bark to receive a $10 cash reward.】 I stared at the words, my blood froze in my veins, then exploded a second later. I wanted to smash the phone. But at that very moment, a fresh wave of agonizing pain seized my insides without warning! My abdomen felt clamped by red-hot pincers, twisting and tearing me apart. I gasped, my vision blurring, and cold sweat instantly soaked my clothes. I stumbled towards the pill bottle, only to discover in despair that the painkillers were empty. I had no money. Not a single cent. I didn’t even have enough to buy the cheapest box of painkillers. The pop-up on the screen, like a devil’s eyes, silently sneered at me from the darkness. I stood there for three minutes, which felt like three centuries of torment in hell. Finally, I trembled, clicked the record button, and two dry, raspy sounds rolled out of my throat: “Woof… woof…” On the other end of the line, Chloe’s hysterical, utterly triumphant laughter instantly erupted, followed by the dull thud of a fist hitting the table from Blake. I didn’t care. I claimed the $10, rushed downstairs, and bought the cheapest painkillers at the pharmacy. I didn’t even wait to get home, swallowing a handful of pills dry and desperately. Before the medication fully kicked in, the pain still raged wildly inside me. I couldn’t hold on any longer. I squatted on the dirty roadside, clutching my knees, and sobbed uncontrollably. Just as my consciousness blurred, the screech of brakes ripped through the air, deafeningly close. A black van slammed to a halt beside me, aggressively. The door slid open with a loud WHOOSH. Before I could react, strong arms clamped down on me, dragging me roughly inside! 【Cut-off Point】

When the blindfold was ripped from my eyes, the heavy scent of rust and mildew instantly choked my nose and mouth. I was in an abandoned factory, cold ropes digging deep into the flesh of my wrists. Several figures closed in like predators, their bodies reeking of stale cigarettes, cheap liquor, and sweat, making my stomach lurch violently. “Help… help…” I shrieked in terror. One man grabbed my chin, a lecherous grin on his face: “Little girl, you were moaning like that for an AI. We’re real men, we’ll make you even happier!” With that, they ripped my clothes. I struggled desperately, but my cancer-ravaged body was utterly helpless against their brutality. Blows and kicks rained down, numbing me. Finally, I was pinned down hard on the cold, rough concrete floor. The moment the first man pressed down, my consciousness seemed to detach from my body. My senses became numb, only a buzzing sound filling my ears. Humiliation, excruciating pain, despair… countless emotions were crushed, ultimately forging into a single thought: I just wanted to die, right now. I don’t know how much time passed. I lay curled on the ground, barely clothed, like a discarded, broken doll. I stared blankly at the peeling paint on the ceiling, until a crisp “tap, tap, tap” sound approached from afar. Chloe Sterling walked in. She wore a dazzling, star-spangled dress and delicate rhinestone heels, her makeup perfect as if she were attending a grand ball. She looked down at me, a high-and-mighty queen, looking down at the pathetic mess I was. “Oh, Willow, darling,” she exaggeratedly covered her mouth, her eyes glinting with venomous glee, “Did you enjoy the little gift I sent you? Isn’t playing with real men much more fun than with an AI? It’s been a while since you had such a good time, hasn’t it, ever since you broke up with Blake?” I looked at her, my cracked lips trembling, squeezing out a few words: “…Just kill me.” “Kill you? That’s too easy.” She slowly squatted down, her nails, painted a vivid crimson, tapping maliciously on my face. “I want to turn you into the most depraved, disgusting piece of trash in Blake’s mind.” “Tomorrow is Blake and my engagement party. I’ll bring you there, so everyone can get a good look at what kind of woman Blake’s ex-girlfriend really is.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “298723”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn

Julian Blackwood was a name whispered in fear across the city’s underworld. The night before he was set to finally leave that life behind and marry me, Isabella Hayes, I stumbled upon a phone in his closet I’d never seen before. The wallpaper showed a sweet-faced girl. No suspicious messages, no explicit photos – nothing overtly intimate. I wasn’t about to play dumb. I slammed the phone down in front of him, my voice shaking with rage. Julian didn’t say a word, didn’t try to soothe me. He stayed in his study all night, only walking into the bedroom as dawn broke. He pulled me into a hug. “She’s someone I owe a debt to, a debt I can never truly repay. That’s all there is to it.” Twelve years we’d been together, through hell and high water, from a life of danger to finally finding some peace. And he expected me to just let go, based on a few innocent-looking chat logs? No way. The next day, I tied his tie for him and let the wedding proceed as planned. But just as we were about to exchange rings, one of his men burst in. “Mr. Blackwood! Chloe Davies knows you’re getting married… she jumped!” My hand froze in mid-air. Julian, without a single backward glance, spun around and rushed out. My eyes burned with tears as I screamed after him: “You step out that door today, and you’ll never see me again!” He hesitated for a split second, then left, his back a cold, unyielding wall between us. … My hands trembled as I stared at the chat logs on the phone, my wet hair clinging to my cheeks. I scrolled through every single message. Not one was overtly intimate. Just mundane good mornings and good nights, daily shares, an occasional song recommendation. My wet hair and tears dripped onto the screen as I tortured myself, re-reading every single message. It wasn’t until Julian walked into the study and gently pulled me into his arms. “What are you looking at? Why didn’t you dry your hair after your shower?” “Want me to do it for you?” Before all this, I would have dragged the girl out, thrown her in front of Julian, publicly exposed his infidelity, and then, completely unburdened, told him I never wanted to see him again. But now, I’d spent twelve years by his side, helped him leave his dangerous life, finally putting an end to those tumultuous, uncertain days. Tomorrow was my long-awaited wedding day. Trembling, I handed the phone to Julian. He didn’t offer a single word of explanation. Instead, he just slowly wiped away the tear stains from the girl’s face on the screen, then walked out of the room without a backward glance. He didn’t return until dawn the next day, slowly stepping into the study, reeking of the familiar scent of stale cigarettes. Julian’s voice was hoarse. “Her father died protecting me. His dying wish was for me to look after Chloe.” “I admit, I felt a deep sense of pity for her, a responsibility.” My heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice, every breath a fresh stab of pain. Julian held me in a desperate, bone-crushing embrace, his searing hot tears soaking into my back. “But Bella, we’ve been through too much to just give up now. I promise you, I’ll keep my distance from her from now on.” Twelve years. He had already become an inseparable part of my life. I choked back the agonizing pain and chose to forgive him. But now, the wedding was at its most crucial part—the exchange of rings. Just as he was about to slide the ring onto my finger… He casually tossed the ring to the floor because of one panicked sentence from his subordinate. The wedding instantly dissolved into chaos. He left me there, humiliated and abandoned, without a moment’s thought. He had broken his word after all. 2 The guests’ hushed whispers were like a thousand tiny needles, pricking at my heart, over and over. Both sets of parents rushed to my side, looking utterly bewildered. Jason, Julian’s right-hand man, stood awkwardly to the side, his face bright red, completely lost. “Bella, Mr. Blackwood was set up by some old rivals. Chloe was alone at the villa, and only Mr. Blackwood could sort it out. He had no choice…” Jason had been with Julian for ten years, always greeting me warmly as “Boss’s wife.” But now, his eyes darted nervously, and his words stumbled out. I wondered how many secrets he’d kept about Julian and Chloe. Perhaps, from the very beginning, I was the only fool kept in the dark. I numbly picked up the ring from the floor. My parents quickly came to embrace me. “What on earth happened? Who could possibly be more important than you today? Did he just leave you here alone?” Mr. Blackwood Sr. anxiously called Julian, while Mrs. Blackwood Sr.’s eyes turned red with guilt. “Bella, this is that ungrateful son’s fault! I’ll make him come back and apologize to you right now!” I clutched the diamond ring so tightly it cut into my palm. I stared blankly at my bleeding hand. It was already a bloody mess. My dream wedding, fantasized countless times, had turned into this humiliating disaster. Eight long hours, 199 missed calls. Julian answered none of them. Suddenly, I felt dizzy, and the last thing I heard was my mother’s frantic cry. When I opened my eyes again, the pungent smell of disinfectant hit my nose. A nurse was changing my IV drip. Seeing I was awake, she gently said: “You’re two months pregnant. You need to manage your emotions carefully; don’t let it affect the baby.” I gave a bitter smile, watching both sets of parents struggle to hide their excitement. Tears silently streamed down my temples. At ten that night, Julian, who had been missing for eight hours, finally appeared. A flicker of guilt crossed his eyes. Julian’s parents, standing at the doorway, solemnly urged him to explain himself to me, to apologize properly. Julian knelt beside the bed, holding my cold hand, his voice raspy. “Canceling the wedding was a mutual decision, Bella. It has nothing to do with Chloe.” “She’s not like you, Bella. You forged a strong heart surviving that life. She’s never been through any of that. Chloe just woke up, we can’t upset her anymore.” His true priorities, his raw instincts, always showed first. In the first moment he saw me, he didn’t ask about my bloodied hand, nor did he mention leaving me alone to face the chaotic mess. His words were entirely focused on protecting Chloe. Tears rolled down my pale cheeks, landing heavily on the back of his hand. In twelve years, I could count on one hand the times I’d cried in front of him. I mustered every ounce of my remaining strength and nodded. He visibly relaxed. “Chloe’s very emotional right now. We’re postponing the wedding.” “She’s always depended on me. I need to stay by her side for a while. In three months, we’ll have a makeup ceremony in Switzerland, like we always wanted.” Julian’s words weren’t a question; my opinion clearly didn’t matter. I had waited twelve years; what was another three months? But then I thought of the cherished photos in my safe, and suddenly, I felt it wasn’t worth waiting anymore. I slowly caressed my lower abdomen. This was the child we had so longed for, but now, it felt like he had nothing to do with it. I pulled my hand free, wincing from the pain, my voice calm. “Julian Blackwood, when I first met you, I was just as innocent and clueless as her.” “I remember the first time you taught me to hold a gun, how I trembled all over. You held me close, whispered reassurances until I felt safe.” “I remember, to mark our love, you tattooed our initials onto my hip with your own hands. That night, you kissed it, and me, over and over.” “These years, you shaped me, made me who I am – from a sheltered girl to a woman who could stand her ground. You promised you’d always love the strong, passionate woman I’d become.” “Through all the turmoil of these twelve years, I never felt it was hard, because we were in love.” I buried my face in my hands, helpless, letting tears seep through my fingers. “But today, I suddenly feel… you don’t love me anymore…” Twelve years of memories flashed before my eyes in a whirlwind; we had been through so much. Julian’s eyes, for once, welled up. He sighed deeply. “She’s the complete opposite of you, Bella. She needs my protection so much more.” That sentence utterly shattered the last shred of hope I had. I suddenly laughed, tears streaming down my face. “Then you take good care of her.” He lightly kissed the top of my head, then turned and walked away without a backward glance. 3 On the day I was discharged from the hospital, I saw them both at the nurses’ station. Julian, usually so cold, gazed with pure tenderness at the girl in his arms. She was frail, dressed in a hospital gown, with big, Bambi-like eyes and a cascade of dark hair. So this was the girl who made him abandon me at our wedding. My gaze must have been too intense, because her eyes, timid and wide, met mine nervously. She cautiously shifted behind Julian, gently clutching his pinky finger. Only then did Julian turn to look at me. He instantly rushed to my side, his voice edged with accusation. “I told you Chloe’s not like you, Bella! Are you deliberately trying to make a statement, to intimidate her?” Chloe, behind him, looked like her eyes were about to well up. “Sister, Julian and I really have nothing going on… You’re scaring me.” I tucked the pregnancy test results behind my back and offered a small, detached smile. “Nothing. I’m just getting discharged.” With that, I ignored them and turned to leave. A strange flicker crossed Julian’s eyes, and a sudden, inexplicable emptiness hit him. As I walked out of the hospital, he suddenly rushed after me and grabbed my hand. I instinctively looked down, and the first thing I noticed was a stain on the scarf he had bought me. I casually pulled it off, and he reached out to take it. “Give it to me, you love that scarf. I’ll send it for cleaning.” I ignored him completely, dropping the scarf straight into a trash can. “I’ve worn it for years; it’s just gotten… dirty. Time for a new one, you know I don’t like anything that’s not clean.” Julian’s hand froze in mid-air at my words. He knew I wasn’t just talking about the scarf, but our relationship. He opened his mouth as if to say more, but I had already turned and walked away. When I reached my doorstep, my phone vibrated. It was Julian. “I bought you that sweet pudding from the place downtown. Remember to drink it, don’t be mad.” Julian used to love bringing me this. Even if he had to wait in line for three hours. Holding that bowl of sweet pudding, my eyes suddenly stung. I took a bite, numbly. It was too sweet, sickeningly sweet. Over the next few days, Julian didn’t come home. But I heard through mutual friends that Chloe had caught a cold, and Julian hadn’t left her side. Ending a twelve-year relationship felt like ripping out a part of my soul. I looked at our meticulously decorated home, and my nose burned. I started packing all my belongings, memories washing over me like a tide. The year I met Julian, he lived a life on the edge. Two years later, he’d earned the respect—and fear—of most, and he handed me a Desert Eagle and a set of keys. “Bella, this gun proves my life is yours. I am yours. You’ll always be the lady of this house.” That day was cloudy and rainy, yet it felt warmer than the brightest sunshine. We ran wild in the rain, kissing with reckless abandon. I knew he didn’t want me to live a turbulent life; he wanted to give me a home. We designed every corner of our house together, with our own hands. We’d laugh, curled up on the sofa watching romantic movies. He helped me fill the balcony with the roses I loved. His cheeks were smudged with dirt, but his eyes sparkled like constellations. “Bella, I will always protect you, keep you vibrant and free, never fade, never wither.” But now I realized, this home no longer had a place for me. 4 The setting sun cast long, slanting shadows as I packed the last item into a storage box, three days later. When I called for a moving truck, both sets of parents showed up. I hadn’t told them about Julian’s infidelity, so they still couldn’t understand how people who had been together for so long could bear to separate. Mrs. Blackwood Sr. grabbed my suitcase, refusing to let go. “Bella, please give Julian another chance, okay?” “I’m sure he has a reason…” I ignored her, just told the movers to keep going. Just as Mrs. Blackwood Sr. was about to fall to her knees, begging me not to leave, Julian suddenly returned. And he brought Chloe with him. She wore Julian’s jacket, clutching his hand tightly. Mrs. Hayes stepped forward, trying to separate them. “Julian… who is this girl? Are you… How am I supposed to face your parents?!” Mr. Hayes trembled with rage. “You! What exactly do you think you’re doing!” Julian didn’t respond. His gaze landed on my suitcase, and he spoke calmly. “You’re going home?” He showed no other reaction, as if everything was under his control. He thought I was generous, generous enough to accept him bringing another girl home. I nodded lightly. “Yes, just going home for a bit.” Julian gave my hand a brief, dismissive squeeze. “Be careful. I’ll pick you up before the wedding.” He dismissed it so casually, then began to formally introduce Chloe. “This is Chloe Davies. Her father entrusted her to me on his deathbed. She’s been very emotional lately, so I’m looking after her for a while.” He sounded so matter-of-fact, as if absolutely nothing had happened between them. Chloe flashed a saccharine smile and handed Mrs. Hayes a bouquet. “Mrs. Hayes, Julian has been taking such good care of me. It’s all thanks to you and Mr. Blackwood Sr.’s wonderful upbringing.” “These are the flowers I picked for you, but next to you, they pale in comparison.” Mrs. Hayes’s face was a complicated mix of emotions. She slowly pushed the flowers back. Chloe’s face instantly crumpled into a wounded expression, and she looked up at Julian. “Julian, is Mrs. Hayes misunderstanding something…?” But then she turned her head, looking at me, her lips forming two silent words: *You lost.* She was right, I had lost. But I didn’t care anymore. I ignored her, turning to walk away. But the next second, Chloe let out a piercing scream. My eyes widened in shock, watching my mother shove Chloe to the ground and slap her across the face. “Mom… you…” My mother’s tears streamed down her jaw, her voice trembling. “You’re my daughter, how could I not know you?” “You’ve been with him since you were seventeen, for twelve whole years!” “Do you really think I didn’t know what Julian did? You got hurt for him, you put yourself in dangerous situations every day just so you wouldn’t hold him back… Unless it was a matter of fundamental betrayal, would you truly have been able to let him go?” “I accepted him because I thought he treated you well. But now? He brings another woman to our home, right to your face. I won’t stand for it! You don’t want to make a scene? I’ll do it for you!” My mother’s voice was low, but it vibrated with an undeniable authority. Chloe huddled in the corner, whimpering softly. Julian immediately pulled Chloe into his arms, his eyes bloodshot. “Isabella Hayes! I told you, don’t drag Chloe into this! She’s innocent!” I didn’t wait for him to finish. I slapped him several times across the face, then pulled out that Desert Eagle and pressed it against his forehead. “Julian Blackwood, *you’re* the one who deserves to die!” With that, I pulled a pregnancy test result from my bag and slapped it hard across his face. “Julian Blackwood, open your eyes and look at what this is!” 5 Julian picked up the paper, and as his eyes registered the words, he looked at me with an expression of pure disbelief. “Bella… I… I’m going to be a father?” He released the trembling Chloe from his embrace and strode towards me, opening his arms as if to pull me into a tight hug. “That’s wonderful! Bella! We’re having a baby! Why didn’t you tell me sooner!” His breath, smelling of his usual stale cigarettes, ghosted over my face, and for the first time, it made my stomach churn. The second before he touched me, I lurched back, avoiding him with every ounce of my strength. “Don’t touch me!” My voice was sharp and cold. “Julian Blackwood, who are you putting on this show for? Don’t you think it’s utterly pathetic?” His outstretched hands froze in mid-air, the wild joy on his face instantly replaced by hurt and confusion. “Bella, what are you talking about? We’re having a baby! We’ve waited so long for this!” I laughed, a bitter, empty laugh, as if I’d heard the funniest joke, tears welling up in my eyes. “Do you even have the right to say ‘we’? When you left me alone at our wedding, did ‘we’ even cross your mind?” My words were like ice-cold blades, plunging deep into his heart. Chloe, whom he had cast aside, was now crying her eyes out, tears streaming down her face. She clutched his jacket, as if it were her only lifeline. She sobbed, inching closer to Julian. “Julian, I’m so sorry… It’s all my fault… I shouldn’t have come and disturbed you.” As she spoke, she forcefully pushed the jacket back into Julian’s hands, shaking her head as she cried. “Sister is pregnant; it’s wonderful news. I shouldn’t be here making her angry… Take this jacket back, thank you for taking care of me these past few days.” “I… I won’t bother you anymore.” Every word she spoke was meant to absolve herself, yet every word was also a subtle reminder to Julian of how understanding, how wronged, she was. Sure enough, Julian’s expression instantly changed. He unconsciously tightened his grip on the jacket, his gaze at Chloe filled with guilt and heartache. He looked at my cold face, then back at Chloe’s resolute, tearful figure already at the doorway, clutching the frame. The conflict in his eyes was almost palpable. He finally called out to Chloe. “Stop right there!” I watched it all unfold, the last flicker of warmth in my heart vanishing completely. I spoke calmly, interrupting their sickening emotional tug-of-war. “Do you actually think that with this baby, everything you’ve done can just be wiped clean?” He turned back to me, his explanation rushed. “Bella, I didn’t mean that! I just…” Fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead, his lips pressed into a tight, grim line. He looked at my unyielding eyes, then glanced back at Chloe, sobbing uncontrollably at the doorframe. Chloe’s sobs were soft, but they were like a needle, precisely piercing his fragile sense of responsibility. Finally, he gave me a deep, complicated look, one I couldn’t decipher. There was pain, reluctance, but more than anything, a helpless, resigned compromise. He uttered words I would never forget. “Bella, just calm down for a moment.” “Chloe’s very fragile right now, I’m scared she might do something stupid. I just need to check on her, I’ll be right back. The baby… we’ll talk about the baby when I return.” With that, he didn’t even dare to meet my eyes again. He clutched the jacket in his hand and rushed out, without a backward glance. ***截断点*** In that moment, I laughed. A bitter, empty laugh. My heart was utterly broken, completely resigned. Twelve years of love, it was all just a cruel joke. 6 I went back to my parents’ house.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “298722”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn