Author: Momo Chan

I wasn’t pregnant at all, yet I was popping abortion pills like candy. In my previous life, after my husband Joseph Price’s brother Cooper Price died, his wife Sofia Price got pregnant and somehow transferred all her pregnancy symptoms onto me. She’d happily munch on seafood tacos with her growing belly while I’d be rushed to the hospital from severe morning sickness and stomach pain. She’d strut around in crop tops all day, showing off her smooth, flawless skin, while my stomach was covered in ugly stretch marks. When I went to Joseph and told him what was happening, he impatiently shoved me away. He said, “Even if you want my attention, there should be limits. Cooper’s dead, and Sofia’s carrying Cooper’s only child. It’s perfectly normal for me to be good to her. Do you really have to cause trouble on purpose?” After that, Sofia’s behavior became even worse and more vicious. During her pregnancy, she started doing crazy dangerous things and even ate mango cake that she was allergic to. From the severe allergic reaction, I went into shock and was hospitalized, my life hanging by a thread. When I went to the hospital for tests, the doctors couldn’t explain why I was sick and could only conclude that my intense jealousy was causing psychosomatic symptoms. Later, to create her image as a hot single mom, Sofia started livestreaming workout sessions while heavily pregnant. After she danced frantically for three hours, my uterus literally fell out, I bled profusely, and died. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Sofia announced her pregnancy. ***** After Cooper’s death, Sofia used her pregnancy with Cooper’s child to demand that Joseph take care of both her and me simultaneously. Joseph’s mother Ella Price was naturally thrilled and immediately agreed, even bringing Sofia corn chowder that had been simmering for hours. But the moment Sofia took a tiny sip of the corn chowder, my stomach immediately felt terrible. I couldn’t help but dry heave. Sure enough, living through this again, my situation hadn’t changed. I wasn’t pregnant at all, yet the morning sickness that should have been Sofia’s was happening to me instead. While I was lost in thought, Sofia pushed away the corn chowder in disgust, demanding super spicy seafood tacos. She said, “Joseph, this soup is too bland. I’m carrying a baby and want something with more flavor. Please?” Joseph looked at Sofia’s coquettish behavior with indulgent eyes and sighed helplessly. “Fine. Besides seafood tacos, what else do you want?” Sofia smiled and said, “Great! I also want mango cake and pickles.” Hearing Sofia rattle off a list of unhealthy foods, I immediately stepped in front of her. If I let her mess around like this, just one bout of morning sickness would torture me to the point of not wanting to live. I quickly said, “Joseph, Sofia’s pregnant now. How can you let her eat these nutritionally empty foods?” Ella, who had expected me to make a scene about her making Joseph care for both Sofia and me, was stunned when she heard me showing such concern for Sofia’s health, then immediately agreed with me. She said, “Exactly. When a woman’s pregnant, she should eat light, nutritious foods. How can she eat such unhealthy junk? Joseph, don’t spoil Sofia.” But after hearing this, Sofia’s eyes immediately welled up with tears and she started crying loudly. She said, “Ariana, why do you have to deliberately make things difficult for me? I’m just pregnant and want to eat something that’ll help my appetite.” Ariana Myers is my name. After a pause, Sofia continued, “Are you mad that I stole Joseph from you, so you’re treating me this way? Fine. I’ll schedule an abortion right now, get rid of the baby, and leave.” It was the same situation as my previous life. Ever since Sofia got pregnant, I’d been experiencing all sorts of pregnancy symptoms, so I immediately suspected Sofia was behind it. But because Sofia was pregnant and really good at playing the victim, Joseph didn’t believe a word I said. He said, “Are you making up these lies because you’re jealous that I’m paying more attention to Sofia, trying to get me to believe you? Even if you want my attention, there should be limits. Cooper’s dead, and Sofia’s carrying Cooper’s only child. It’s perfectly normal for me to be good to her. Do you really have to cause trouble on purpose?” After that, Joseph moved out with Sofia and took care of her attentively. Whenever he caught me going to their place, he’d ruthlessly kick me out. Several times, I collapsed from morning sickness right at their doorstep. Joseph would carefully hold Sofia while mocking me, “When you’re done with your act, get lost. Sofia’s carrying a child and can’t see someone as unlucky as you.” Joseph and Sofia lived outside for three months. During this time, I was hospitalized fifty times for strange reasons like morning sickness, allergic reactions, and signs of miscarriage. Later, to create her image as a hot single mom, Sofia started livestreaming workouts at six months pregnant. After she danced frantically for three hours, my uterus literally fell out, I bled profusely, and died. When I opened my eyes again, I had actually been reborn. This time, I had to find the key to solving this predicament. With that thought, I met Sofia’s currently hateful gaze and proactively bowed my head to apologize. I said, “Sofia, I didn’t mean to make you angry. Since you want those things, I’ll personally go buy them for you.” Though I said this out loud, I secretly decided to pick up a bottle of abortion pills while I was at it. Since Sofia could use pregnancy side effects to torture me, I might as well give her an even harsher taste of her own medicine.

Joseph didn’t expect me to be so cooperative and swallowed back the harsh words he was about to say. Even Ella and Sofia standing nearby were stunned. Before they could react, I grabbed my things, turned around, and ran out of the house to the supermarket 3 miles away. When I returned carrying a large bag of groceries, Sofia frowned. She inspected the snacks in the plastic bags one by one. Then she said with disgust, “Ariana, I wanted the extra spicy seafood taco. Why did you only buy the mild one? And this cake—I wanted mango flavor, but you bought strawberry. Are you deliberately going against me?” But I completely ignored her complaints, staring intently at her belly instead. Because on my way back, I had already drunk an entire bottle of abortion pills. I wanted to see if she would be affected by my taking the medication. But Sofia remained calm with no reaction whatsoever. Was the dosage I took not enough? Just as I was puzzling over this, Sofia smiled maliciously, “Ariana, it seems you didn’t take my words seriously at all.” She deliberately put on a pitiful act: “Sigh, it’s all my fault for only discovering I was pregnant after Cooper died. If I had known you hated me this much, I shouldn’t have kept this child.” With that, Sofia began frantically hitting her own belly. Immediately, sharp, needle-like pain shot through my abdomen. She was doing this on purpose. I endured the pain and put on a sincere apologetic expression: “Sofia, I was thinking about your health. I remember you became allergic to mangoes after getting pregnant, so I switched to a different flavor cake. You’re pregnant now—if you had an allergic reaction and it affected the baby, that would be terrible. Cooper only left behind this one child, so please don’t be stubborn.” Hearing me say this, Ella remembered her deceased eldest son Cooper and quickly urged Sofia not to go too far. Ella even praised me for being thoughtful and considerate. Sofia wanted to act coquettish and seek help from Joseph, but he was also worried about something happening to the baby, so he went along with persuading her not to make a fuss. He said, “Ariana is doing this for you and the baby’s good. Be good—once the baby is born, I’ll take you to eat whatever you want.” Watching them interact intimately right in front of me, I fought back nausea and ran to the bathroom, where I swallowed another entire bottle of abortion pills. But Sofia still showed no reaction. How infuriating! I hadn’t expected this side effect transfer to be one-way only. By this time, Joseph had already unwrapped the seafood taco for Sofia and was hand-feeding her the strawberry cake. Fortunately, I had switched everything Sofia wanted to eat to relatively safe options this time, so the morning sickness wasn’t as severe as before. I also didn’t go into allergic shock from the mango cake again. I finally breathed a sigh of relief and dragged my exhausted body back to the bedroom to rest. But lying in bed, I couldn’t sleep at all. As long as I couldn’t figure out what was really going on, Sofia could control me at any time. Just as I was thinking about how to solve this predicament, my stomach began to feel uncomfortable. The next moment, I suddenly threw up. The vomit even contained blood streaks and bile. I hugged the toilet, vomiting continuously, carefully trying to recall if I had eaten something I shouldn’t have. Just then, I suddenly remembered something and quickly opened my phone to find Sofia’s Instagram account. I discovered she had actually gone out alone with her big belly to eat barbecue. She had even posted a video showing off, with the caption: [Got cravings while pregnant with the baby, so I had to sneak out alone to eat something delicious.]

In the video, Sofia held spicy barbecue in one hand and an ice-cold Coke in the other, laughing with pure joy. My usual preference for bland food, combined with morning sickness, had already left me breaking out in cold sweats. Seeing this, I angrily called Sofia directly. When she answered, Sofia pretended she knew nothing. She said, “Ariana, it’s so late—why aren’t you asleep yet? I’m still out having barbecue. If there’s nothing important, don’t bother me. Oh, and I hope you’ll keep this secret from Ella. You know how she tends to worry about everything.” Before she could finish, I lowered my voice and snapped, “Sofia, what exactly did you do to me? Why are all your pregnancy side effects transferring to me after you got pregnant?” But Sofia on the other end deliberately ignored my question, even calling out to the owner for several more orders of extra-spicy barbecue. I felt incredibly nauseous, vomiting violently, my whole body trembling with weakness. Sofia pretended she had no idea what I was talking about: “Ariana, do you have some kind of persecution complex? What could a pregnant woman like me possibly do to you? You’re not trying to compete with me for Joseph’s attention by pretending to suffer because I’m pregnant, are you? Just admit you’re putting on an act, and I’ll stop eating all this stuff.” Hearing her deliberately order more spicy, greasy barbecue, my stomach cramped violently. I could only cry and admit, “Yes, you’re right. I’m just acting. Please stop messing around, okay?” Unexpectedly, the next second, Joseph’s angry voice came through the phone: “Ariana, you’ve disappointed me beyond words.” Immediately after, Sofia hung up with a loud laugh. After another bout of violent vomiting, I used my last bit of strength to call 911. Fortunately, the ambulance arrived in time. After being unconscious for 8 hours, I finally woke up. This time, I had gone into shock from severe dehydration due to the morning sickness. However, looking at my medical chart, the doctor couldn’t find any cause for my illness. He said, “I performed an endoscopy and ran blood tests, but found no problems. Do you have any thoughts? Any idea what might be causing this?” I didn’t answer the doctor’s question. Instead, I immediately asked him to process my discharge papers and rushed straight home to confront the person who had really made me this way. The moment I saw Sofia, I pressed a knife to her throat. Sofia screamed, “Ariana, what are you doing?” I stared intently at her belly. Then I said coldly, “I don’t have time for your games. Tell me now—why do all your pregnancy side effects transfer to me?” Sofia said pitifully, “Ariana, what are you talking about? Do you really have a persecution complex?” I moved the knife closer to her belly: “Stop pretending. Talk.” Sofia screamed in terror: “Okay, I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you.” But the next second, she put on a pitiful expression and started crying, shouting, “Joseph, come save me!” Joseph actually snuck up behind me while I wasn’t paying attention, snatched the knife from my hand, and kicked me in the chest. He roared, “Ariana, you dare hurt Sofia? Do you want to die?” Ella also rushed forward and slapped me hard across the face. She cursed, “Damn it! You evil woman! I thought you’d finally grown up. Turns out you had such wicked intentions all along. You actually dared to harm my grandchild? I’ll beat you to death!” Joseph and Ella immediately called the police, saying they had to teach me a lesson. Facing a room full of police officers, Joseph directly played the recording from that night when he accompanied Sofia to eat barbecue. He said, “My wife Ariana insists that Sofia transferred all her pregnancy side effects to her. But she clearly admitted with her own mouth that all these reactions were fake. She was deliberately trying to compete with Sofia for my attention. Today she even dared to threaten Sofia with a knife. Please arrest this vicious woman immediately.” The police were initially somewhat skeptical of Joseph’s claims. But when they clearly heard me say in the recording, “Yes, you’re right. I’m just acting,” their expressions immediately changed. They put handcuffs on me directly and warned me sternly, “Just because of jealousy, you actually went this far. You’re truly incomprehensible.” I struggled desperately, trying to explain to the police, but out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Sofia smiling as she bit into a piece of mango. Instantly, a severe allergic reaction gripped my throat like invisible hands. My limbs began convulsing uncontrollably, and I could only tremble as I begged everyone present for help. But Joseph just sneered coldly, completely indifferent. He said, “Look, this woman is acting again. Today I’ll let you all witness it firsthand.” I clenched my fists tightly, mustering my last breath of strength as I collapsed into the arms of the female officer beside me. I told the officer, “I’m not acting. Please, get me to a hospital.” Seeing my pale complexion, the officer finally realized something was seriously wrong and quickly moved to support me as we prepared to leave. However, Joseph and Ella blocked our path, demanding that I apologize to Sofia before I could go anywhere. Joseph even said to me, “If I ever catch you trying to hurt Sofia again, we’re getting divorced immediately.” After hearing his words, I completely lost consciousness. When I woke up in the hospital again, the doctors were frantically scratching their heads. They couldn’t understand why all my test results came back normal when I had clearly suffered from anaphylactic shock for no apparent reason. In the end, they could only recommend that I see a psychiatrist. I let out a bitter laugh and told them to just prescribe me some sleeping pills and painkillers. Having no other options, they reluctantly complied, giving me a handful of pills before discharging me. The police classified our incident as a domestic dispute and didn’t pursue any serious charges against me. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I quickly packed my belongings and decided to return to my parents’ house. Fortunately, my parents believed me completely. They took me to the hospital for comprehensive tests, but once again, no problems were found. Afterward, they patiently comforted me and told me to rest well. I smiled and nodded in agreement. But suddenly, a sharp, dropping pain shot through my lower abdomen. It felt like invisible hands were violently tearing at my uterus. Blood began flowing out as well. Instinctively, I searched for Sofia’s social media account online. There, I saw she had started a weight-loss livestream under the banner of “Single Hot Mom.” In the video, Sofia, nearly five months pregnant, wore a tight corset and was jumping around energetically in front of the camera. She even said to the camera, “If women don’t stay thin, men won’t love them. Even when pregnant, we need to maintain good body management.” Clutching my agonizing stomach, I trembled with rage, wanting nothing more than to kill Sofia. Just then, I received a mysterious phone call. This time, I finally understood what was really going on.

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Years after my husband James Lewis’s brother Daniel Lewis passed away, Daniel’s wife Grace Lewis claimed that their child Luca Lewis was the reincarnation of Ares, the god of war. She insisted that Luca was blessed by heaven with an incredibly resilient body that couldn’t be harmed. But in reality, Grace was transferring all the injuries Luca should have suffered onto my daughter Ruby Lewis. Luca was born with a congenital heart condition, yet this disease miraculously disappeared within a single day. Despite being so young, he could participate in all kinds of extreme sports without getting hurt at all. Meanwhile, my daughter Ruby’s originally healthy body grew weaker and weaker. She would suffer inexplicable full-body fractures, leaving not a single part of her uninjured. I couldn’t help but connect these two events. So I shared my suspicions with my husband James and James’s mother Hannah Lewis. But they said I was mentally unstable and accused me of being jealous that Grace had given birth to a genius son while I only had an ordinary daughter. Later, Luca challenged himself to trek across the Sahara Desert and became a hugely popular child star. But my daughter Ruby mysteriously developed heat stroke and suddenly died. Grace even posted on her social media platform, accusing me of slandering her out of jealousy. Because of this, I was stalked by Grace’s fanatical fans and eventually dismembered by them. When I opened my eyes again, I had somehow returned to the day Grace claimed Luca was a genius. This time, in my capacity as an expert physician, I put on my gloves and said to Grace, “Grace, let me examine whether Luca’s condition has truly been cured.” Grace replied, “Penelope, are you suggesting I’m lying? What would be the point of faking something like this?” Penelope Moore is my name. She held the hand of Luca, who had just emerged from the ICU looking energetic and bouncing around, and gave me a mocking expression. I clenched my fists tightly but tried my best to appear calm. I said to Grace, “I’m just concerned about Luca. After all, he needed IV fluids yesterday, and today he’s suddenly fine. I’m worried about him.” Grace said dismissively, “Fine, examine him all you want. Don’t you think I know whether my son is cured or not?” With that, she patted Luca’s back and had him walk over to me. I gave Luca a comprehensive physical examination, but the results sent chills down my spine. Luca was now four years old and had been kept alive in the ICU until now. He was born with a congenital heart condition and was so frail that he might go into shock the moment he left the hospital. But to my amazement, all his test results were now normal. His previously thin arms had grown thicker, as strong as a calf’s legs. Seeing my shocked expression, Grace impatiently pulled Luca back to her side. She said, “I told you my son is the reincarnation of Ares, the god of war. His body is incredibly resilient and can’t be harmed. What’s a heart condition to him?” How was this possible? A patient nearby couldn’t help but laugh, not quite believing Grace’s words. He said with a chuckle, “Can’t be harmed? Are you kidding me? He’s still just a little kid.” As soon as he finished speaking, Grace whispered something in Luca’s ear. Immediately, Luca ran to the window and jumped straight out. The patient shouted, “Oh my God! Someone go check if he’s okay!” Even James and Hannah were worried, but Grace wasn’t anxious at all and leisurely walked downstairs. Incredibly, Luca was standing completely unharmed at the hospital entrance. Everyone who had followed downstairs was stunned: “How is this possible? He fell from the fourth floor and doesn’t have a scratch on him?” But just then, I received a call from the kindergarten teacher. Ruby had suddenly collapsed. Moreover, after Ruby fainted, the teachers had only gently moved her, which somehow caused both her legs to fracture. I quickly asked James to go to the kindergarten and bring Ruby to the hospital. But Grace wasn’t having it. She said, “My son just recovered from his illness and wants to try something thrilling. James already promised to drive us bungee jumping.” Thinking of Ruby’s tragic fate in my previous life, I instinctively shouted, “No! You need to go pick up Ruby first!” Suddenly Hannah slapped me across the face. Hannah glared at me angrily and said, “You go get your daughter. We’re taking my grandson out to have fun. If you don’t agree, I’ll cause a scene here until you lose your job.” I was so angry my chest ached. The car at home was bought with my money, but James had been hogging the car keys, claiming he needed to frequently drive Grace to the hospital. Grace’s son had just recovered, and Ruby had an accident. What are the odds of such a coincidence? Grace must have done something. After what happened in my previous life, I knew I couldn’t count on James and Hannah to help me. I had to find the truth and ensure that Ruby and I wouldn’t die such tragic deaths again. I didn’t want to waste time arguing with them here, so I borrowed a colleague’s car and rushed to the kindergarten. I opened my phone and saw that Grace had already started a live stream. In the video, Luca leaped from a fifty-meter-high platform, and the bungee cord wasn’t properly secured, making me feel both scared and anxious. Sure enough, when Luca descended to about ten meters, the rope came loose. But Luca landed smoothly on the safety mat, completely unharmed. At that moment, I arrived at the kindergarten and saw Ruby, unconscious and with blood all over her legs.

After I rushed Ruby to the hospital, the chief of staff was worried I might make mistakes due to my panic over Ruby’s condition, so he personally came to examine her. He emerged from the examination room with a troubled expression and asked me reproachfully, “Does your daughter have congenital heart disease? Then why did you let her participate in PE class?” I was on the verge of tears and quickly said, “That’s impossible!” Ruby was born at our hospital. Right after her birth, I had my colleagues run comprehensive tests on her. She was perfectly healthy with no congenital conditions whatsoever. He continued, “Also, your daughter’s fracture was caused by significant impact force. You should ask the kindergarten teachers what happened and get to the bottom of this. This poor little girl will need at least three months to recover.” A chill ran through my entire body. I had actually already reviewed the kindergarten’s surveillance footage. But strangely, the video showed no one had touched Ruby at all. The other children were just running normally. Ruby simply started crying and complaining of pain halfway through her run. A teacher quickly called the school nurse, but the nurse couldn’t find anything wrong and had to call me immediately. Shortly after, Ruby completely passed out on the kindergarten’s couch. When the teachers tried to move Ruby to a bed, before they could even lift her, Ruby’s leg started bleeding externally, looking as if it was broken. My head was splitting with pain, and I couldn’t figure out how Grace had managed to do such a thing. When Ruby woke up, I hurried to her bedside and asked, “Baby, how do you feel? Are you still in pain?” Instantly, Ruby burst into tears, saying, “Mommy, my hands hurt too, and my body hurts. Everything feels uncomfortable.” Only then did I notice her hands and saw they were already swollen. I instinctively opened Grace’s social media and found her account had become incredibly popular. She now had around 500,000 followers. The video clips of Luca bungee jumping were still gaining traction online. Everyone was shocked by this four-year-old child taking on extreme sports. [Did evolution skip the rest of us? That’s a 164-foot platform!] [Not only did he land smoothly, he wasn’t hurt at all. This is absolutely incredible.] Riding this wave of popularity, Grace launched a series featuring Luca challenging 100 extreme sports. One fan suggested that since Luca wouldn’t get hurt, they should have him arm-wrestle with a giant lobster. I’d seen videos online showing lobster claws crushing phone screens. But Grace agreed to the suggestion without hesitation. In the video, Luca used just his chubby little hands to fend off the lobster’s attacks. His hands didn’t have a single pinch mark. I could only quickly bandage Ruby’s wounds. Then I took a deep breath, tried to calm myself, and organized what I knew so far. Grace had transferred Luca’s congenital heart disease to Ruby, and even the injuries Luca should have sustained could be transferred. Even when Ruby did nothing, the pain would still transfer to her. This was utterly bizarre. How was Grace doing this? Was it simply because Ruby and Luca were related? I had no choice but to call James directly. I said coldly, “Let’s get divorced.” James’s impatient voice came through the phone: “Just because I didn’t pick up Ruby, you want to divorce me? Do you know how many people are sending Luca gifts? You’re truly narrow-minded and ignorant. I’m thinking about our entire family’s future. You’re just unreasonably jealous of others.” To expedite the divorce, I even agreed not to take any property with me. The house and car were all purchased by me. James’s salary over the years wasn’t even enough to cover his cigarettes and alcohol. So James came back without hesitation to divorce me. Afterward, he moved into the mansion Grace had rented with the money earned from Luca’s livestreams. James even told me, “You stupid woman, even if you beg me in the future, I won’t spare you a second glance.” Grace even made our divorce a topic for her livestream. She said, “Because Luca is so talented, I wanted him to earn more money so everyone’s life could be easier. But I never expected Penelope to have such a dirty mind, actually suspecting something between James and me, and wanting to divorce James. She even lied to James about her daughter having a serious illness. I think she just doesn’t want Luca to succeed and wants to steal their affection for Luca.” Grace also said I lacked medical ethics and that I was incompetent and only knew how to be jealous of others. Suddenly, the label of being “jealous” was pinned on me. My work information was also posted online, and no one wanted me to treat them anymore. The hospital had no choice but to put me on temporary leave. But work was no longer important to me. Looking at Ruby covered in injuries, I took her back to my home and even changed her surname to mine, Moore. We had severed all ties with the Lewis family. I didn’t believe Grace could still transfer Luca’s injuries to Ruby.

I kept a close eye on Grace’s livestream activities. I learned that in three days, Grace would have Luca challenge waves dozens of feet high. But Luca was only 4.6 feet tall, not even as tall as a surfboard. Three days later, my parents and I watched the livestream with tense expressions. After hearing my suspicions, they didn’t show a hint of disbelief, completely different from James. My eyes slowly welled up with tears, and I felt deeply regretful. I should have listened to my parents from the beginning and never married that poor guy James, let alone work so hard to earn money to improve his life. Just then, sounds came from my phone. Grace and the others had already reached the beach. Luca, holding a surfboard taller than himself, rushed quickly into the sea. As expected, he was soon knocked down by the waves. But after just a moment, he swam back up without any sign of choking on water. I immediately went to check on Ruby in her room. Seeing her still sleeping peacefully, I couldn’t help but feel relieved. But the next second, Ruby started crying and spitting up water, her face instantly turning pale. I quickly called my parents over to help perform CPR on Ruby. However, Ruby continued showing signs of drowning. I hurried to check the livestream and realized that Luca had been falling and getting back up in the water until he finally succeeded at surfing. Being so small, he failed hundreds of times before succeeding. Everyone praised him as a true child prodigy, with perseverance and determination, saying even such deep seawater couldn’t harm him. I was filled with confusion. Why was this happening? How exactly was Grace doing this? Listening to Ruby’s painful cries, I truly couldn’t forgive this. After much thought, my parents and I pooled all our savings to buy the right to designate Luca’s challenge projects. To avoid exposing ourselves, I even used my friend’s account. Our family was fairly well-off, so we put up $10 million at once. Grace was tempted by the money, so the challenges she arranged for Luca next were harmless projects like “picking out ten thousand green beans.” Ruby was finally able to recover gradually and no longer had to suffer. But I still didn’t expect that despite taking my money, Grace would still decide to have Luca trek across the Sahara Desert on foot a week later. I was so angry that I immediately went to confront her, only to be blocked by her. Grace even said: “$10 million is only enough to buy naming rights for ten projects. Everyone finds these current projects boring as hell. Someone has already offered $50 million to watch Luca trek through the desert.” Rational people tried to persuade Grace after hearing this: “He’s such a small child, having to cross such a vast desert. Even if he truly won’t get hurt, his body won’t be able to handle it.” But Grace just shrugged, saying carelessly: “Don’t worry about it. Just save up money to send Luca gifts. Wait and watch Luca, this ‘God of War Ares,’ cross the desert.” I was instantly plunged into despair. What could I do? As long as Luca went to the desert, Ruby would definitely die again. Looking at Ruby lying in bed, her whole body wrapped in bandages, I cried out in grief. But Ruby reached out her little hand to comfort me: “Mommy, don’t cry. It’s my fault for always being sick.” “No, it’s not.” I said through my sobs, a flash of determination in my eyes. I couldn’t let Ruby die inexplicably again after being given a second chance at life. I convinced my parents to sell our house in the city and move to the countryside. Then I took out $5 million and contacted Grace again. Grace replied: [This amount isn’t enough to make me give up the desert challenge.] I quickly responded: [You don’t need to give up the challenge. I just want to see up close how the ‘God of War Ares’ crosses the desert. Just have Luca bring a phone mount and livestream in first-person view in real time.] This was basically free money, so Grace immediately agreed. On the day of the challenge, I stared intently at Luca’s first-person livestream on my phone. He walked step by step across the desert, and you could feel the heat waves even through the screen. Even Grace, sitting in an air-conditioned car, was sunburned red all over her face from the scorching heat. But Luca showed no reaction at all. At that moment, Ruby’s voice came from the room: “Mommy, I’m so hot, I feel so uncomfortable.” Even though the air conditioning in the room was set to 32 degrees Fahrenheit, Ruby’s face was still flushed red, her whole body looking as if it had been sunburned. Then I looked at Luca’s feet in the camera feed. I finally knew exactly what Grace had done, and how she was transferring Luca’s pain and illness to Ruby.

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Before my best friend Mia Sanchez married the wealthiest man in town, Weston Thomas, she asked me, Emma Jackson, to help her with her premarital medical examination. After the tests, I discovered she had contracted AIDS. Considering patient privacy rights, and since Mia told me that Weston didn’t mind her having AIDS, I didn’t tell Weston about the test results. Later, Weston also contracted AIDS, but Mia went online crying and blaming me. She said, “If Emma hadn’t deliberately withheld our test results, my husband wouldn’t have gotten AIDS. This is all her fault.” Even my boyfriend Asher Wood came forward to accuse me. He said, “This isn’t the first time Emma has hurt Mia. The reason Mia got infected with AIDS is because Emma used a needle that had been used on an AIDS patient to draw her blood.” No matter how I tried to explain, no one believed me. To escape the overwhelming online attacks, I had to move to another city with my parents. But Weston was furious and drove his car into our family, killing us all. After Weston was sentenced to death, Mia inherited all of his wealth. Then she and Asher lived a luxurious life like the wealthy elite. Unexpectedly, when I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day Mia came to me for her premarital examination. Mia said, “Emma, hurry up and draw my blood. Weston and I are still waiting to get our marriage license.” Seeing Mia extend her arm toward me, I was stunned for a moment, then instantly realized I had been reborn. “Emma, you need to be thorough with the examination. If Mia didn’t trust only you, I wouldn’t have brought her here,” said Weston, Mia’s boyfriend. Weston’s family had assets worth over a hundred million dollars, and he was extremely demanding about his partner. He absolutely wouldn’t allow his girlfriend to have lived with anyone else before marriage. Mia had pretended to be an innocent girl for over half a year before finally getting Weston to agree to marry her. In my previous life, hearing Weston say this moved me deeply. I really thought Mia had deep feelings for me, but I never realized she came all this way to find me for the examination solely to pin the blame for Weston getting AIDS on me. Thinking about this, I refused without hesitation. I said, “You just ate something, and blood draws require fasting. You two should go do other tests first.” As soon as I finished speaking, Asher came running over quickly. He said, “Why are there so many rules? Mia is waiting to apply for a marriage license. Emma, can’t you be flexible? Just finish their blood test quickly so we can get the results sooner.” Seeing his face, the hatred in my heart instantly reached its peak. I still clearly remember that before I died, he walked up to me and stomped hard on my head with his foot. He said, “Emma, are you regretting not telling Weston about the test results now? “Actually, your regret is useless. Even if you had told him about Mia having AIDS back then, preventing her from marrying Weston, we still could have taken you to court for violating patient privacy rights. Your fate wouldn’t have been any better than it is now. So just go die in peace.” So since I’m living again, I must make sure they get the punishment they deserve. I suppressed the intense hatred in my heart and looked at Weston. I said, “If you get blood tests now, the results might not be accurate. Mr. Thomas, you came all this way, so you certainly don’t want the blood test results to be problematic, right?” Hearing me say this, Weston nodded seriously. He said, “Mia, Emma is right. Let’s go do other tests first.” After watching them walk away, I immediately sent a text message to the director, Hudson Ortiz, telling him I wanted to resign. Only after doing this did I breathe a sigh of relief. But looking at Asher, who had been staying by my side the whole time, I still frowned. I said coldly, “Why do you keep staring at me? Don’t you have to go to work?” Asher flashed a cheerful smile, but it made me feel incredibly afraid. He said, “I took the day off, perfect for spending time with you.” Asher said he was keeping me company, but even when I went to the bathroom, he followed me every step of the way. Obviously, he was afraid I would escape and ruin his and Mia’s scheme. Finally, at noon, Mia came rushing over with Weston. She said, “Emma, hurry up and draw my blood. I’m starving to death.”

I pretended to feel dizzy and said to Mia, “Sorry, I didn’t eat breakfast this morning and I’m feeling a bit hypoglycemic. I can’t draw blood for you right now. How about I get someone else to do it?” “No.” Two voices spoke in unison. I looked at Mia and Asher in surprise. “What’s wrong?” Asher quickly smiled and put his arm around me. “Emma, Mia came all this way to find you because she trusts you. You wouldn’t want to disappoint her, would you?” Trust? I couldn’t help but smile bitterly to myself. In my past life, it was because I believed in that word that I lost my life. It was out of trust in Mia that after discovering she had AIDS, I didn’t tell Weston about the premarital examination results. But what about her? After Weston was infected with AIDS by her, she desperately cried and accused me of ruining her. She said, “If Emma had told us the results on the day of the premarital examination, I definitely would have broken up with my husband. I love him so much, how could I bear to let him get infected with AIDS? This is all Emma’s fault. She just wanted to destroy all of us!” What made me even more desperate was that even Asher, who had been with me for so many years, actually stood against me. He said, “This isn’t the first time Emma has harmed Mia. Mia got infected with AIDS because Emma used a needle that had been used on an AIDS patient to draw her blood.” With Asher’s testimony, all my explanations and rebuttals seemed powerless. No one believed me. The hospital fired me, and my house was burned down by arsonists. Finally, to survive, I had to take my family to live in another city. But at Mia’s instigation, Weston drove a big truck and killed our entire family. After I died, I saw Mia move into Weston’s villa with Asher. Only then did I finally understand that these two had been together behind my back all along. Coming back to my senses, I coldly pushed away from Asher’s embrace. “Since Mia trusts me so much, I need to be in my best condition. It’s lunchtime anyway, so I’ll go eat first.” “I have a protein bar.” Afraid I would leave, Mia immediately took a protein bar out of her purse. I didn’t take it, and Mia looked a bit embarrassed. Weston said, “Since I’m getting married today, let me treat you all to lunch.” This was exactly what I was waiting for Weston to say. Because of my insistence, Weston drove us to a restaurant. As soon as the server saw Mia, she enthusiastically approached us. “Ms. Sanchez, welcome! How come you didn’t come with your boyfriend today?” Weston looked at Mia with confusion. Mia glared at the server angrily. “What’s wrong with you? My boyfriend is standing right next to me!” “But…” the server wanted to say more. But Mia pushed her and said angrily, “This is my first time at this restaurant. You must have mistaken me for someone else.” Hearing this, the server could only keep apologizing. I almost laughed out loud. I chose this restaurant precisely because Mia used to date her ex-boyfriend here frequently. But that alone wasn’t enough. I immediately took out my phone and anonymously sent a text message to Mia’s ex-boyfriend, Dylan Cook. He probably still didn’t know that he had been infected with AIDS by Mia. After all the dishes were served, Mia finally spotted Dylan, who was constantly looking around at the restaurant entrance. Her face immediately changed. “Mia, what’s wrong?” Weston looked at her with concern. Mia lowered her head and buried her entire face in her arms, pretending to have stomach pain. She said, “Honey, I think my period just started. Could you go to the pharmacy and get me some painkillers?” I took out the ibuprofen I always carried in my bag and handed it to her. I said, “I happen to have some. Take this.” Mia glared at me fiercely, her eyes full of resentment. But she still forced a smile. “Emma, thanks for your kindness. But ibuprofen doesn’t work for me. I need naproxen.” Then she acted coquettishly toward Weston. “Honey, please. Didn’t you say you’d spoil me and love me forever?” “Alright, I’ll go right now,” Weston said. He took the car keys and left the restaurant. Just then, Dylan, who had been looking around, finally spotted Mia. He rushed over with a kitchen knife. Then he roared, “Mia, you b*tch! You infected me with AIDS!”

Mia quickly hid behind Asher in terror. However, she didn’t admit it. “Don’t make things up. I don’t have AIDS at all, so how could I possibly infect you? If you don’t believe me, just ask Asher. He works at the hospital.” Hearing Mia mention his name, Asher raised his hand and swore. He said, “That’s right, I can swear that Mia absolutely doesn’t have AIDS.” “If it wasn’t you, then why are you hiding?” Dylan roared. He was a notorious bully who had always been the one picking on others, never the one being schemed against. Even when Mia dumped him back then, he only let her go after taking tens of thousands of dollars as breakup money. After I sent him the text, he immediately went to get tested for AIDS. As soon as the results came out, he rushed over with a knife. Not wanting to be exposed, Mia quickly defended herself: “You’ve slept with so many women, what makes you think I’m the one who infected you? Besides, if I had AIDS, how could the richest man Weston still marry me?” But Dylan’s rationality had long been drowned by hatred. He raised the knife and slashed down. The blade struck Asher’s shoulder. Instantly, blood splattered everywhere, covering Mia’s face. Realizing he’d hit the wrong person, Dylan finally came to his senses. Seeing all the blood on the ground, he panicked, dropped the knife, and ran out of the restaurant. Witnessing this, the waitstaff immediately called 911. Looking at Asher who wasn’t quite dead yet, I felt disappointed. I thought to myself, “Why wasn’t he killed on the spot?” After getting the news, Weston rushed to the hospital. Mia threw herself into his arms crying, saying, “Honey, it’s all my fault. If it weren’t for saving me, Asher wouldn’t have been slashed like this by that thug.” “What exactly happened?” Weston pressed. The waiter who came to the hospital with us eagerly spoke up: “That thug said Ms. Sanchez infected him with AIDS, so he came with a knife to kill her.” Upon hearing “AIDS,” Weston’s eyes widened instantly. He pushed Mia away and his expression became extremely grave. Weston asked, “You have AIDS? Didn’t you say you were a virgin?” Mia cried even louder. She said, “Honey, how could I possibly have AIDS? That man is framing me. He pursued me multiple times before and I rejected him every time. I don’t know how he found out about my wedding, so he made up this excuse to try to kill me. If I really had AIDS, wouldn’t you know once Emma finishes my pre-marital medical exam?” Mia cried pitifully. Seeing her like this, Weston gradually let his guard down. He said, “You’re right. If you really had AIDS, you would have been eager to infect me long ago.” Watching their loving display, I just thought Weston was an idiot. However, Mia’s fabricated lies were about to be exposed. After learning about the surgery from the doctor, I put on a distressed expression. I grabbed Mia’s hand and pleaded, “Mia, you must save Asher. Asher has lost too much blood, but our hospital doesn’t have enough Type B blood in stock. Among all of us here, only you have Type B blood. You’re the only one who can save him now.” A nurse immediately stepped forward and said to Mia, “Ms. Sanchez, to ensure blood safety and patient health, please come with me for a blood test.” “No. I can’t go!” Mia looked terrified and without thinking, shouted out loud. For a moment, everyone looked at her in confusion. Even Weston frowned. Suppressing my inner satisfaction, I asked her in confusion, “Mia, are you unwilling to take the blood test because you really do have AIDS?”

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After my rebirth, I immediately signed up for a tourist group to Antarctica. I did this for one reason only: in my previous life, my boyfriend Bennett Foster’s adopted sister Emilia Foster had used a “system” to forcibly exchange our sense of touch with mine. She could feel my sensations, and I could feel hers. Back then, Emilia deliberately went out to do good deeds in 108-degree Fahrenheit heat, delivering water to outdoor workers. While I was clearly staying in a 61-degree air-conditioned room, I suffered heatstroke and passed out from the heat. I begged Emilia to stop the touch exchange. But she looked at me innocently and said, “Abigail Jones, if you’re going to lie, at least come up with a decent excuse.” Bennett’s tone was full of disdain. He said, “You’re so selfish. You have good conditions and hide in your air-conditioned room enjoying yourself every day, but you can’t stand Emilia helping others.” Later, Emilia deliberately stayed outside in the sun for a month. Someone filmed her “doing good deeds” and posted it online, moving countless netizens. Meanwhile, I died of heat stroke in my air-conditioned room, and no one even discovered my body. Since that’s how it was, in this life, I’ll let them experience the “coolness” of Antarctica’s minus 185 degrees Fahrenheit. ***** After the successful registration message popped up on my phone, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. The tour group would depart in three days. In this life, I would definitely make those bastards pay. At this moment, my body was already burning up like it was about to explode. Sweat poured down like a waterfall, soaking through my pajamas. I simply turned off the air conditioning, grabbed my phone, and walked outside. Standing under the blazing sun, I let out a cold smile. I thought, “Emilia, do you think you’re the only one who can sunbathe?” “Abigail, why are you standing outside?” Bennett asked. He was carrying a large watermelon, running toward me with both anxiety and concern. Today was the first day Emilia and I exchanged sensations. In my previous life on this day, I hadn’t had time to go to the hospital for a checkup, nor had I discovered that Emilia was behind it all. Back then, the moment I complained about the heat, Bennett immediately ran to the fruit store at the community entrance to buy watermelon. He deliberately put on a show of caring about me in front of me. I didn’t want to deal with him at all. I simply turned around and continued basking in the sun. Since I could only feel heat now, I wanted Emilia to experience it too. Bennett kept trying to persuade me: “Abigail, come back inside with me. If you keep standing in the sun, what if you get heatstroke? You’re usually most afraid of heat. What’s wrong with you today?” So he knew I was most afraid of heat. Then in my previous life, when I swallowed my pride and begged him and Emilia to stop the sensation exchange, why did they both just mock me? Emilia even secretly filmed me begging them and posted it online. Because what I said about “exchanging sensations” was too bizarre, no one believed me, and I was even called a “drama queen princess” by netizens. Looking at Bennett, I said, “Bennett, didn’t Emilia say I was being dramatic? Didn’t she say that since I have money, I don’t work and just stay home enjoying air conditioning? I took her words to heart, so I came outside to get some sun.” Actually, from the moment she met me, Emilia had always looked down on me. These were all things she complained about to Bennett privately on WhatsApp. Bennett was left speechless by what I said, only able to stammer, “You… you…” Our commotion attracted a group of elderly people who were enjoying the air conditioning in the lobby downstairs. One elderly person said, “Young girls these days really know how to make a fuss.” Another elderly person said to Bennett, “Wives need to be disciplined to listen. If Abigail doesn’t appreciate your kindness, you should teach her a lesson. Men these days are really too oppressed. Society has changed.” Yet another elderly person said, “He kindly told her to go back and enjoy the air conditioning, but she’s still throwing a tantrum. She really doesn’t know how to be grateful.” These people looked at me with particularly unfriendly eyes, as if I were some disobedient child from their family. I rolled my eyes directly. Not only did I not listen to them, but I started jogging in the 108-degree heat. I thought, “Emilia, I don’t believe you can still endure this heat.” Bennett turned red with anger, pointing at me with a trembling finger. He said, “Fine. You must be possessed by some evil spirit today.” After saying that, he turned and left. My expression grew cold. I thought, “Looks like he still doesn’t know that I’ve discovered the sensation exchange.” I shook my head, pushing those thoughts away, and ran even faster. Usually when I ran fast, I’d feel a dull pain in my lower abdomen, but now I felt nothing at all. Just then, my phone suddenly rang. I smiled coldly and calmly answered the video call. Emilia on the other end looked absolutely terrified. She shouted, “Abigail, why are you outside?”

I carefully observed Emilia’s disheveled state. Her face was flushed red, looking like she was about to explode, her clothes soaked with sweat, and her breathing so labored it seemed like her lungs might burst. Then, covering my mouth with a laugh, I said, “Emilia, why the sudden concern for me today?” “I just wanted to get some exercise. Honestly, running in summer feels pretty great.” Emilia was so furious she was about to explode. Today, she had deliberately gone to the construction site to bring water to the workers, even hiring an assistant to film her, wanting to document her “good deed.” At first, she felt comfortable. Despite enduring the scorching sun and walking around the construction site for hours, she didn’t feel hot at all. Instead, she felt refreshingly cool, as if she were in an air-conditioned room. But just as she was secretly celebrating the magic of this “sensory exchange system,” the sensation suddenly changed. All the previous coolness and comfort vanished, replaced by sauna-like stuffiness that left her barely able to breathe. Watching Emilia’s constantly changing expressions in the video, I suddenly lost interest in teasing her. I warned her directly: “Emilia, give up those underhanded tactics right now, or you’ll end up dead!” Emilia’s expression kept shifting, then she immediately hung up the video call. When I tried calling back, I found she had blocked me. Soon, the burning sensation on my body disappeared. Emilia must have escaped into an air-conditioned room. I also stopped running and headed home. As soon as I walked in, Bennett came over with ice water, looking “doting” as he said, “Abigail, drink some water quickly. Don’t do this anymore.” I frowned, feeling wary, and directly refused him. But the next second, someone struck me hard on the back of my neck, and I passed out immediately. When I woke up, I found Bennett had taken me to a mountain resort at over 3,000 feet elevation. It was always cool here, with temperatures never exceeding 77 degrees Fahrenheit. My heart sank. Soon, Bennett pushed open the door and entered, grinning at me: “Honey, come out with me. Everyone’s waiting for you.” With that, he dragged me outside. A pool party was being held outside, attended by all of Bennett’s friends. I rarely interacted with them normally, always feeling like their gazes held some vague malice. One man said to me with a grin, “Abigail, thanks for the treat. We’ve never been to such an expensive resort before.” Though he was smiling, his expression made me very uncomfortable. I turned to Bennett and asked directly, “What’s the meaning of this?” He was just an ordinary office worker – he must have used the family card I had linked for him. Bennett took my hand, looking tender as he said, “Abigail, aren’t you afraid of heat? This is my surprise for you.” With that, he jumped into the swimming pool and pulled me into the water. I was furious and slapped Bennett across the face. For Emilia’s sake, he was really pulling out all the dirty tricks! I was starting to feel hot and dizzy again – Emilia must be playing the good Samaritan again, delivering water to people in the blazing summer heat. That’s how it was in my previous life. Emilia went viral online with her “kind” persona while I was literally burned to death in an air-conditioned room. Now that I refused to be controlled by them, Bennett had trapped me in this mountain resort. “Get lost!” I roared. I pushed Bennett away forcefully, trying to climb onto the shore. But he pressed me down hard, holding me firmly under the cold water. The “gentleness” finally disappeared from Bennett’s face. He smiled viciously, his movements rough and forceful. Bennett said, “Abigail, since you insist on opposing Emilia, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” I was trapped in the water, my hands and feet bound, completely unable to move. If my sense of touch hadn’t been swapped, being submerged in water should have felt comfortable right now. But my body still felt dry and hot as usual. Several men brought ice cubes and kept forcing them into my mouth. One man laughed and said, “Abigail, I heard you’ve been complaining about the heat. We’re here to help cool you down. Actually, I have an even better method—how about we try it with Abigail tonight?” Another man chimed in, “You want to keep her all to yourself?” The first man replied, “I wouldn’t dare. How about we all try it with Abigail together tonight?” The men kept making disgusting comments. Bennett finally spoke up to stop them: “Enough.” The men immediately fell silent, but their eyes continued to roam up and down my body with revolting gazes. Bennett stood on the shore, looking down at me from above. There was a trace of sympathy in his eyes. Bennett said, “Abigail, just behave yourself and stop making a fuss. Things will get better in a while.” His tone was full of fake concern that made me sick. I understood what he meant. In my previous life, after I died, my body slowly rotted while my soul floated in mid-air, unable to move. Two months after my death, my bedroom was finally opened. Emilia covered her nose and disgustedly ordered someone to remove my corpse. Once they were alone, she said, “System, cancel the touch swap now. Abigail, your greatest use in this lifetime was helping me become an influencer with a million followers. Now that I’ve succeeded, it’s time for you to go.” Only then did I realize that all the abnormalities in my body were caused by her. Once she became an influencer, she would swap our senses back. Bennett said things would get better in a while? I refuse. I said, “Bennett, the biggest regret of my life is being with you.” It was my choice to be with a bad person that cost me my life. But in this lifetime, I will never let them off the hook. The trace of sympathy on Bennett’s face instantly vanished, his expression turning cold and vicious. Ever since being with me, he’d been called a man who lived off women. Bennett thought, “Abigail has been spoiled since childhood—pampered and willful. Who else but me could tolerate her?” He said angrily, “In that case, you can just stay in the water.” Trapped in the water, the dry, burning sensation on my face combined with the suffocating feeling of drowning. My skin was also swelling from being soaked. I shouted with all my strength, but they showed no reaction. Bennett’s thug friends mocked me. One man said, “Stop screaming. Even if you shout until your voice gives out, it won’t help.” Another added, “Are you trying to get our attention? Your voice sounds so sweet, it’s getting me excited.” I was so angry my chest felt tight, my heart ready to burst out. Finally, I passed out. When I woke up, I still felt unbearably hot and breathless. The next second, I realized this was a basement. Bennett stood at the doorway, expressionless. He said, “Abigail, this basement is constantly maintained at 61 degrees Fahrenheit. You’ll be staying here for the next month.” After saying this, he left without looking back. The heavy door closed with a dull thud. In my rage, I threw everything within reach at the walls. The objects crashed against the walls with shattering sounds. I gripped the diamond bracelet on my left wrist, preparing to take action. Just then, the surveillance camera on the wall suddenly flashed red. A wave of unease washed over me, and I immediately stopped my movements, pretending to look fearfully at the camera.

The screen on the wall suddenly lit up. Emilia looked particularly smug, her provocative gaze seeming to pierce right through the screen and onto me. She smiled and said, “Abigail, how’s your little ‘vacation’ going? I’m so jealous. I still have to put on this whole masculine energy act to deliver water to those poor people at the bottom.” Every word Emilia spoke was dripping with malice. I closed my eyes, not wanting to look at her for even a second. But that only made her more excited as she continued flaunting in front of me: “Abigail, once I become an influencer, I’ll definitely treat you to dinner. After all, you’ve been such a huge help to me.” She was absolutely reveling in this moment. I let out a cold laugh: “Emilia, everything you’ve gained by stealing from others will never truly belong to you.” As if she’d heard something incredibly amusing, Emilia burst out laughing. She said, “Abigail, you really won’t give up until you’re completely defeated. I stole from you? That’s hilarious! If you hadn’t stolen Bennett away from me, you bitch, would I have targeted you?” I frowned deeply. So that’s what this was about? In that moment, all those things that had felt off to me before came flooding back into my mind. The first time I went to Bennett’s house, Emilia hid in her room and wouldn’t come out. His parents awkwardly explained, “She’s being difficult. Don’t mind her.” I actually believed them. After that, every time I went shopping, I’d buy gifts for Emilia, trying to improve our relationship. But she would always smash the gifts I gave her to pieces and throw them in the trash. Every time I went to their gatherings with Bennett, his friends would show subtle hostility toward me. All these things had confused me before. “Emilia, I’m warning you one last time. If you don’t make those weird spells of yours disappear, I’ll make your life miserable,” I said seriously. But Emilia completely ignored what I said. She deliberately pulled out her phone in front of me and dialed a number. Emilia’s voice turned sickeningly sweet and coy: “Bennett, I’m so upset. I just told Abigail I wanted to treat her to dinner, and she threatened me, saying she’d make sure I come to a bad end.” Emilia’s lies were pathetically obvious. But Bennett’s voice on the other end was filled with a tenderness and affection I’d never heard before. He said, “Emilia, don’t be upset. Once that bitch has no more use, I’ll sell her off to some mountain village, okay?” My emotional defenses completely crumbled. Even though I’d known what kind of person Bennett was, hearing him say something so vicious and absurd with my own ears still filled me with pain and anguish. My nails dug deep into my palms, but I felt no physical pain at all. After all, no matter how much that hurt, it couldn’t compare to the pain in my heart. Emilia laughed, showing her triumphant expression: “See that? In Bennett’s heart, you’re not worth even a strand of my hair.” Then the screen went dark. The silence around me was terrifying. I clenched my fists and suppressed that feeling of humiliation in my heart. Then I spoke to the tracking device disguised as a diamond bracelet: “Come get me.” After that, I was secretly rescued. Tomorrow was the day I’d board my flight to Antarctica. I rushed to the airport as fast as I could. The next day, Bennett had just woken up when his heart suddenly filled with panic, as if something important was about to slip out of his control. But he couldn’t figure out what it was. Bennett carried his breakfast and opened the basement door. With just one glance, his heart sank to the very bottom. Bennett thought, “Abigail is gone?” Just as my phone started ringing, I had already finished checking in for my flight. I hadn’t blocked Bennett’s number. Instead, I watched with great interest as the incoming call notifications kept appearing on my phone. I could imagine how frantic he must be. After reaching my destination, I didn’t wait a moment and immediately video-called Emilia. I smiled and said, “Surprise! Guess where I am?” Emilia felt like she’d suddenly fallen into an ice cellar and was about to faint.

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I was married to Elara for twenty years, and for ten of those years, I cared for her bedridden mother, Mrs. Albright. I put my own life on hold, helping Elara’s mother rise from a local community college instructor to a renowned university professor. Everyone praised me as the perfect husband, the greatest asset to the Albright family. On her deathbed, Mrs. Albright clutched my hand, her voice weak but firm, wishing I could be her son-in-law again, even in the next life. Elara hugged me tight, her voice thick with gratitude. “Leo, you’ve sacrificed so much for us these past years. I promise, I’ll make it all up to you.” I thought my suffering was finally over. But before Mrs. Albright’s grave was even settled, Elara shoved a divorce agreement into my hands, then turned and embraced Caleb, my supposed best friend, the guy I’d grown up with. She said, “Leo, I’ve tolerated you for twenty years. I’m finally free.” “The man I truly love has always been Caleb.” I walked away with nothing but the clothes on my back. I ended up on the streets, lost and broken, until a car accident brutally cut my life short. Then I opened my eyes again, and I was back. Back at my blind date, twenty years ago. Ms. Gable, the matchmaker, was practically gushing, rattling off Elara’s virtues: “This young lady is a real catch, a diamond in the rough! She’s got a wonderful heart, so dedicated to her family. Any man who marries her will be set for life!” I looked at the refined, seemingly sincere woman across from me, and a cynical smile touched my lips. Then I crumpled the profile sheet in my hand and tossed it straight into the nearest trash can. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think we’re a good match.”

The smile on Elara’s face froze. She adjusted her glasses, her tone still mild. “Mr. Hayes, have I given you the wrong impression?” “We can take our time getting to know each other. No need to rush to conclusions.” Ms. Gable looked frantic, grabbing my arm. “Oh, Leo, what are you thinking?!” “A brilliant young woman like Ms. Albright? They don’t make them like her anymore! You’d be lucky to find someone half as good!” “Don’t mess this up!” I gently pulled my hand away, my gaze calm as I looked at Elara. In my last life, that gentle, refined demeanor had fooled me for an entire lifetime. I believed her humble background was just a temporary hurdle, and that her integrity was beyond reproach. So I emptied my savings, passed on my scholarship to art school, and settled down with her in that quiet town. I cooked, cleaned, entertained her superiors, and navigated the politics, paving every single step of her path to success. And what did I get? Once she achieved everything, she just kicked me away like a worn-out stepping stone. I curved my lips into a slight, bitter smile. “Ms. Albright, it’s not a misunderstanding. You’re a wonderful woman. I simply don’t deserve you.” With that, I stood up, grabbed my bag, and walked away. “Leo!” Elara grabbed my wrist. I turned back, my gaze cold. She seemed to realize her lapse in composure and loosened her grip. “Mr. Hayes, I just feel it’s a shame.” “I promised my mother I’d find a reliable and caring husband, just like you.” “I…” “Then you should keep looking,” I interrupted, shaking her hand off forcefully. “Ms. Albright, please stop following me. It’s a bad look.” I walked out of the noisy coffee shop without looking back. The early summer breeze kissed my face, carrying a hint of warmth. I exhaled slowly, a long, deep sigh of pure relief. It felt good. Everything could still be changed. Just then, my supposed best friend, Caleb, called. I swiped to answer, and his voice, thick with feigned concern, immediately came through. “Hey, Leo, how did the blind date go?” “Ms. Gable said Ms. Albright is a really wonderful woman. Did you meet her?” I leaned against a sycamore tree on the sidewalk, watching the dappled shadows dance. A cynical chuckle escaped me. “I did.” “That’s great! How is she? Is she everything Ms. Gable said?” “Yeah, she’s a diamond in the rough,” I said, my voice deliberately flat. Caleb on the other end seemed to let out a breath of relief, his voice overflowing with thinly veiled excitement. “I knew it! Leo, you have to seize this opportunity!” “A man, you know, getting a good wife and settling down is more important than anything!” “Don’t worry. If you and Ms. Albright get together, I’ll definitely treat her like family and get along with her well.” He’d said the exact same thing in my last life. Then, while I was overwhelmed caring for my mother-in-law, he, in the very shirt I’d bought him, went to ‘comfort’ Elara in my stead. While I was scrambling, practically begging for her research grants, he, posing as her intellectual confidant, escorted her to academic conferences, hobnobbing with the elite. Finally, he stood there, arm in arm with my wife, and had the audacity to tell me, “Leo, I’m sorry, but you can’t control who you fall in love with.” I closed my eyes, forcing down the bitter, searing hatred that clawed at my gut. “Caleb, if you think she’s such a catch, why don’t I just pass that ‘blessing’ on to you instead?” On the other end, Caleb’s breathing hitched, a sharp gasp.

“Leo, you… what are you talking about?” Caleb’s voice suddenly sounded flustered. “We’re best friends, how could I possibly…” “Between brothers, good things should always be shared.” I cut him off, my voice dangerously light. “Didn’t you always say you wanted an ambitious woman, someone dedicated to her family, someone who’d be good to you?” “Elara checks every single one of your boxes.” “But, but she’s your blind date!” “I already turned her down.” I looked at the bustling street, feeling as if the whole world had brightened. “So, she’s a free agent now.” “You have Ms. Gable’s number, right?” “Don’t drag your feet. A ‘diamond in the rough’ like her won’t last long on the market.” With that, I hung up before he could even react. I could picture Caleb on the other end of the line, a mixture of shock and glee plastered across his face. In my last life, he’d sung Elara’s praises countless times, urging me to settle down quickly. He just wanted me to clear all the thorns from her path, to do all the heavy lifting, and once I’d helped Elara climb to the top, he’d swoop in and steal all the glory. This time, I’d let him have it. I’d love to see how, without my family’s support and savings as startup capital, without my network and sacrifices paving the way for her, Caleb will manage to build that ‘good life’ he dreams of with his beloved ‘diamond in the rough.’ Back home, my mom, Carol, was waiting for me on the sofa. Seeing me, she quickly asked: “Well, how was it? Is Ms. Albright alright?” My dad, Robert, also poked his head out of his study. My parents were working-class, a bit old-fashioned. They always believed the most important thing for a man was a stable family. In my last life, they were incredibly pleased with Elara as their cultured daughter-in-law. I sat down next to them, speaking calmly. “Dad, Mom, I wasn’t interested in her.” “What?” My mom’s face fell in disappointment. “Why not? Ms. Gable said she was…” “She mentioned her mother’s poor health, needing medication year-round. And a younger brother in college, with her salary being the sole support for all of them.” I stripped away Elara’s carefully constructed image of ‘family dedication’ and ‘responsibility,’ exposing the harsh reality of her situation. My mom’s expression visibly changed. “That’s… that’s a lot of burden, isn’t it?” “Yeah,” I nodded. “Besides, I don’t want to get married so early.” “Dad, Mom, I want to pick up my paintbrush again. I want to apply for grad school for art.” This was a dream I’d buried deep in my heart for twenty years. In my last life, for Elara, I gave up my guaranteed scholarship for grad school. She had solemnly promised, “Leo, once I’m settled, I’ll fully support you going back to school.” Later, when she was settled and a professor, she told me: “You’re almost forty. What’s the point of stirring things up now? Wouldn’t it be better to just settle down at home?” My dad listened to me, silent for a moment, then finally nodded. “Alright. If you want to apply, then apply. Don’t worry about things at home.” My dad had always been more open-minded than my mom. My eyes welled up, and I nodded emphatically. The next day, I was at the bookstore, poring over grad school application guides, when Elara suddenly appeared, blocking my path. “Mr. Hayes, I know this is audacious, but I wanted to try again.” I closed my book and looked at her. “Ms. Albright, I think I made myself quite clear.” “I know,” she said with a bitter smile, her voice laced with a hint of plea. “My mother, she found out yesterday that you weren’t interested. She didn’t sleep a wink all night and woke up sick this morning.” I smirked inwardly. In my last life, I was too soft. When her mother ‘fell ill,’ I went to visit, only to be ambushed by their entire family, guilt-tripped and emotionally blackmailed until I reluctantly agreed to marry Elara. I met her gaze directly, speaking each word with deliberate clarity. “Ms. Albright, if your mother is sick, she should be in a hospital, seeing a doctor.” “Not coming to me, a stranger you’ve met once. I’m not a doctor, I can’t cure her.”

Elara’s face instantly darkened. She took a deep, shaky breath, her voice weighted with desperation. “Leo, I just want to beg you to see her.” “She truly adores you. She hasn’t stopped talking about how you’re exactly the son-in-law she always dreamed of.” “Just… out of pity for an old woman, could you please just go see her?” Her voice trembled slightly, and her eyes were a little red. I put my book back on the shelf and turned to leave. “Leo!” Elara’s voice suddenly rose sharply. “Are you really so heartless?!” Heads turned, eyes drawn to our little scene. I stopped, my gaze calm as I met her slightly displeased stare. “Ms. Albright, please watch your words.” “Between us, there’s nothing but a single, failed blind date.” “Your public outburst right now is making me incredibly uncomfortable.” Her chest heaved, a clear sign of her barely contained rage. “Fine. Fine. Fine.” She spat out the words, a dark, unsettling glint in her eyes. “Leo, I’ll remember this.” With that, she turned and hurried away, her back radiating a certain defeat. That night, I received a call from an unknown number. On the other end was a frail, elderly woman’s voice. “Is… is that Leo, dear?” I instantly recognized the voice: Elara’s mother, Mrs. Albright. “Mrs. Albright, hello,” I replied politely, a hint of detachment in my tone. “Oh, Leo, dear.” Mrs. Albright sighed heavily on the phone. “Auntie knows. It’s our Elara who’s simply not good enough for a wonderful young man like you.” “But, but I just desperately want to see you, to say a few words to you in person.” “Otherwise, my heart will feel so heavy, so choked up, I’m afraid… I’m afraid I won’t last much longer.” As she spoke, her voice started to break with sobs. I gripped the phone, a heavy silence hanging in the air. She was just like this in my last life. Every single time Elara wanted something from me, Mrs. Albright would conveniently fall ill, claim her heart was heavy, or say she couldn’t go on. And I, time and again, would soften, time and again, I’d compromise. “Leo, dear, Auntie doesn’t ask for anything else. Just please, come to the hospital and see this old woman, alright?” “Just… out of pity for me.” Her voice was full of pleading, as if I had no choice but to agree. I took a deep breath, knowing that if I didn’t deal with this once and for all, they’d cling to me like a stubborn stain, forever. “Alright,” I agreed. “Send me the address. I’ll come tomorrow afternoon.” After hanging up, I stared out at the inky black night sky, my gaze growing colder with each passing second. Elara, if you and your mother insist on performing this little drama, then I’ll be more than happy to play my part. But this time, the script is mine. The next afternoon, I arrived at the city hospital as promised. Just as I reached the hospital’s main entrance, I saw Caleb waiting there. He was dressed in a crisp white T-shirt, wearing an expression of perfectly calibrated concern. The moment he saw me, he rushed over. “Leo, you finally made it! Mrs. Albright, she… she hasn’t eaten anything since this morning, just keeps asking for you.” He instinctively reached out, trying to sling an arm around my shoulder, as if we were still the closest of brothers, sharing every secret. “Really?” I subtly sidestepped him. “Then let’s go in quickly. We shouldn’t keep an elderly person waiting.” Caleb’s eyes flickered, a momentary lapse, before he smoothly slipped back into his ‘helpful friend’ persona, guiding me toward the ward. As he pushed open the病房 door, a heavy, cloying scent of antiseptic and stale medicine instantly assaulted my senses. Mrs. Albright lay weakly on the hospital bed, Elara perched on a chair beside her, gently offering her water. The moment she saw me enter, Mrs. Albright’s eyes lit up, and she struggled to sit up. “Leo, dear, you’re here…”

“Mrs. Albright, please lie still.” I pulled up a chair and sat down a comfortable distance from the bed. Mrs. Albright grabbed my hand, tears instantly welling up in her eyes. “Such a good boy. I knew you had a kind heart.” “See? Our Elara, aside from her humble origins, what’s not to love about her?” “She’s smart, dedicated to her family, and she’s going to achieve great things, I promise you.” “Will you… just give her another chance? Please?” The moment she finished speaking, Caleb, though a flicker of irritation crossed his face, quickly piped up in support. “That’s right, Leo. Elara really is a wonderful woman. It would be such a shame if you two missed out!” Elara, meanwhile, kept her head down, feigning an expression of guilt and helplessness. Three actors, one pitiful play. I looked at Mrs. Albright and spoke slowly. “Mrs. Albright, there are many successful women out there. But I’m not interested in charity work.” One sentence, and the entire room fell silent. Mrs. Albright’s tears were still clinging to her face, but her expression had frozen. Caleb’s mouth hung open, looking utterly bewildered. Elara suddenly snapped her head up, her face instantly flushing crimson. “You… what did you say?” “I said, I’m not interested in charity work.” I repeated, meeting her furious gaze with unflinching calm. “Ms. Albright, what’s your monthly salary?” “Is it enough to buy your mother’s medication, pay your brother’s tuition, and support an entire household?” “My parents raised me for over twenty years, not for me to marry some woman and struggle through life right alongside her.” “Leo!” Elara shot to her feet, pointing a trembling finger at me. “You, you’re practically insulting me! Don’t you dare mock the less fortunate! I…” “I’m not mocking you. I’m simply stating facts,” I cut her off. “And besides, Ms. Albright, you’re talking to the wrong person.” “The person who truly appreciates you and is willing to fight alongside you… isn’t me.” My gaze slowly shifted to Caleb, who stood nearby. “Caleb, didn’t you always say Ms. Albright was a diamond in the rough, a woman of good character, and that whoever married her would be set for life?”

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Anya had her cherished fantasy, and I, Liam, just pretended not to notice. While she was sending jewelry and bidding on collectibles for her beloved, I was holding our son, Kai, watching the stars. When she celebrated her lover’s birthday with a drone show that lit up the entire city, sparking rumors, Kai and I were quietly vacationing in Zurich. When she brought her lover, Jade, into her office for steamy sessions, I’d watch the security footage, my face emotionless, and then simply switch it off. It wasn’t until Jade, consumed by jealousy, kidnapped our son, and both of them tumbled down a cliff, ending up in the hospital. Anya rushed there, and I heard the doctor informing her, “Blood supply is critical. We can only save one—the child or the adult.” Anya hesitated for a moment. Under my piercing gaze, she finally said, “Save the child.” … I watched her sign the consent form, her pen trembling slightly, pausing for a full thirty seconds. In the end, she wrote our son’s name. A wave of relief washed over me. Then, I turned back to Anya, the woman I’d loved for ten years. “Anya, what did you promise me back then?” My gaze burned with fury. I had pursued her for ten years. If she said she hadn’t eaten enough for dinner, I’d scour the entire city to buy her favorite porridge. When she was injured and bleeding after a race, I nearly drained myself to donate blood for her. But no matter how much I did, she only found it annoying. It wasn’t until Anya’s corporation faced an economic crisis that she reluctantly agreed to marry me, a marriage of convenience to survive the difficult times. That day, I went to her, overjoyed, only to be met with her cold words: “A marriage between powerful families is just about getting what you want. I’ll never give you real feelings. Just give up on that thought.” Before our wedding, I was forced to sign a contract, making us contractual partners. We would fulfill all marital duties and enjoy all marital rights – except for the one about mutual loyalty. The only condition was that whatever happened outside, it shouldn’t affect our family. For years, we had upheld this principle perfectly. Even when Anya found one lover after another, I never questioned it. But I absolutely could not tolerate her hurting our son. “I’m sorry, I didn’t expect Jade to be so extreme. She saw our family photos today, and in a moment of panic, she got agitated…” Anya tried to explain. My palms were clenched white. Finally, I just said, “If you can’t control your lover anymore, I will do it for you. Don’t blame me if I show no mercy then.” Anya mumbled, “Okay, I understand.” Then, she stood up and walked to the corridor to smoke. For so many years, we’d been like this – appearing to be a perfect couple, but in reality, complete strangers. Two hours later, the doctor emerged from the operating room, regretfully informing me, “The child’s life was saved, but her brain sustained a severe concussion. She’s currently in a vegetative state. Ms. Jade Meng, however, was a bit luckier and has already regained consciousness.” … I stumbled into the hospital room. My eyes immediately fell on Kai’s pale, little face. I looked around; Anya was nowhere to be seen. She must have gone to Jade. Fighting back tears, I gently wiped my son’s face. From the open door of the hospital room, I overheard nurses whispering, “I just passed the stairwell and saw the CEO Anya talking to the doctor, telling him to save the adult, not the child.” “No way? Who would do that to their own child?” “Why would I lie? I saw them re-sign the consent form with my own eyes!” My heart felt colder than ice. I closed my eyes, two lines of tears rolling down my cheeks. A towering resentment towards Anya rose within me. That same evening, I called Anya’s mansion. Her private secretary, Mr. Davies, answered. “Find the agreement Anya and I signed when we got married. Take a photo and send it to me. Remember, don’t alarm anyone.” … Fifteen minutes later, my phone pinged. I opened the image in the chat and clearly saw the words: “Any party breaching this contract must unconditionally agree to a divorce, leaving with nothing and forfeiting all assets.” I saved it, archived it. Then, I forwarded it to a lawyer friend and a contact at the registrar’s office. Soon, I received replies. [This contract remains valid long-term.] [The registrar’s office has an open slot tomorrow; you can apply for divorce anytime.] I stared at the lines of text. Just as I was about to hit delete, a deep female voice drifted over. “Liam, why aren’t you asleep yet?” I jumped, instinctively snapping my phone shut. Anya walked towards me, her gaze falling on Kai’s face. She sighed, “Although this was Jade’s fault, I’ve already had the doctors give her full treatment, and the blood bank prioritized Kai. It’s just a shame the child is so small, her body couldn’t keep up…” I said nothing, only watched her with a mocking gaze. Anya frowned slightly, uncomfortable with my stare. She found an excuse and left. I knew she was going to take care of Jade. But I hadn’t cared before, and I certainly didn’t care now. Over the next few days, apart from taking care of Kai in the hospital, I quietly returned to Anya’s mansion to clear out my things. On the first day of our stay, Anya spent the entire day in Jade’s room. I went back to Anya’s mansion and burned all our joint photos and keepsakes. On the second day, Anya came to be with Kai for an hour but was called away by a phone call from Jade. I went back to Anya’s mansion and cut up the half-knitted sweater I was making for Anya, tossing it into the trash. On the third day, Anya came to visit Kai, and she brought Jade with her. From the surveillance footage, I watched them embrace passionately, entwining themselves next to Kai’s hospital bed. I returned to Anya’s mansion and took photos of all Anya’s corporate confidential documents, saving them to a private folder on my phone. On the fifth day, Kai was discharged. Anya brought Jade back to the mansion with us. “Liam, Jade is injured and can’t take care of herself right now. She can’t manage without me.” I looked at her, devastated. “Anya, have you forgotten our agreement?” You can do whatever you want outside, but you can’t bring your lovers home. That was my bottom line. Anya had always respected that line before. But this time, she shook her head, her tone edged with annoyance. “Liam, Jade really needs someone to take care of her. Just be understanding; she won’t bother you.” She paused, then added, “I promise you, no matter what Jade and I do, it won’t affect your status.”

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**Chapter 1** On Valentine’s Day, I slipped and fell in the bathroom. My husband, Daniel, said he was on a business trip and couldn’t come with me to the hospital. As I was about to be wheeled into the operating room, I received a notification for my exclusive black card membership with the airline. “Dear Black Card member, thank you for booking a first-class family suite with our company to the Maldives. Points have been credited to your account.” I felt like I’d been struck by lightning. I sat straight up on the examination table. Just as I was about to send my assistant to investigate, a new post popped up on her SnapChat story. “Thought I’d be stuck living in someone’s shadow forever. Thank you, my darling husband, for giving me and our child a sweet night, just the three of us.” The accompanying picture showed two large hands cradling a tiny one. On the wrist of one of the larger hands was the Rolex watch I’d given Daniel for Valentine’s Day. I couldn’t believe it. The girl I had sponsored and promoted to be my assistant was having an affair with my husband. The doctor’s urgent voice broke through my daze. “Ms. Evans, if we don’t start the procedure soon, the baby’s life could be in danger.” “Perfect. Schedule an abortion for me.” I was just getting ready for the doctor to wheel me in for my check-up. My phone vibrated several times in quick succession. “Dear Black Card member, thank you for booking a first-class family suite with our company to the Maldives. Points have been credited to your account.” After reading the message, I felt like I’d been struck by lightning. I hadn’t booked a flight to the Maldives. And besides, my baby wasn’t even born yet; how could I have booked a family suite? I thought the airline had made a mistake, so I called them to inquire. “Hello, ma’am, the points were indeed added to your black card. The passengers are a Mr. Daniel Hayes and…” Before she could finish, the surgeon sternly urged, “Ms. Evans, we can’t delay any longer. Even though it was just a bump and there’s no bleeding, we still need to do a thorough check-up.” At her words, my mind was a chaotic mess. I opened Chloe Miller’s SnapChat, intending to ask her to help me look into it. But then, her latest post suddenly popped up on her story. “Thought I’d be stuck living in someone’s shadow forever. Thank you, my darling husband, for giving me and our child a sweet night, just the three of us.” The accompanying picture showed two large hands cradling a tiny one. But before I could look for another second, the post was deleted. In an instant, I couldn’t even see her previous SnapChat stories. Even so, I had clearly seen one of the men’s hands. On the wrist of one of the larger hands was the Rolex watch I’d given Daniel for Valentine’s Day. Just because Daniel had casually mentioned his wrist felt bare. I had pulled every string, spent all my savings, and sent someone to buy that one-of-a-kind, limited edition Rolex. This sudden news left me utterly disbelieving. Immediately, I dialed Daniel’s number. My heart was pounding frantically. He answered quickly. “Wife? What’s wrong? I’m about to take off. I’ll call you back when I land.” He hung up in a hurry before I could say anything. But I still heard a familiar female voice gently coaxing a child in the quiet first-class cabin. “Lily! Don’t bother Daddy while he’s on the phone!” My heart turned cold. In an instant, I dialed Chloe Miller’s number. She didn’t answer for a long time. The next second, another message from the airline came through. “Thank you, esteemed Mr. Daniel Hayes, Ms. Chloe Miller, and young Lily Hayes, for flying with us. We wish your happy family of three a pleasant journey.” *** **Chapter 2** Seeing that message, my eyes widened. I couldn’t believe it. Chloe Miller, the girl I had sponsored and promoted to be my assistant, was secretly involved with my husband, Daniel Hayes. “Ms. Evans, if we don’t start the procedure soon, the baby’s life could be in danger.” I gave a wooden, hollow laugh. “Perfect. Schedule an abortion for me.” After the procedure, I returned home, feeling the emptiness in my womb. My heart was utterly frozen. This child was supposed to be born into Daniel’s and my hopeful anticipation. But now, Daniel had betrayed everything. He was the one who had been ecstatic when he found out I was pregnant, cheering, shouting my name from the streets of Barcelona. He was the one who promised to love me and our baby forever. That’s why I, despite my deep-seated fear of pregnancy, willingly carried his child. But now, he didn’t deserve it. I hired a private investigator, sending him on an overnight flight to the Maldives, to where Daniel and Chloe were staying. Looking at the photos the private investigator sent back, my heart plummeted. There was Daniel, holding a little girl, about three years old, in his arms, while Chloe smiled sweetly, linked to him by the hand. The Maybach I had gifted him during our honeymoon in the Maldives, which we’d driven together, was parked quietly nearby. I had given him more than one car in the Maldives, but he specifically chose this one with its special license plate. He had paid a fortune for that custom “Our Love” plate, and now it felt like a searing brand on my soul. He had insisted, no matter the cost, that he had to have that plate, and he’d personally promised that this car was exclusively for picking up his wife. Now, he was holding another woman’s hand, with another woman’s child, getting into that very car. The pain in my heart was unbearable. Immediately after, Daniel checked Chloe into the overwater villa I owned in the Maldives. That night, the smart assistant in the overwater villa was activated multiple times throughout the night. Having spent my honeymoon there, I knew exactly what that meant. Suppressing the fury raging inside me, I dialed Daniel’s number again. It took a long time for him to answer. Then came Daniel’s slightly breathless voice. “Wife? What’s wrong?” “Where are you?” “On a business trip.” My voice turned icy. “Is that so? Because I received a message from the airline about a flight to the Maldives.” “On Valentine’s Day, you’re on a business trip to the Maldives?” Daniel clearly froze, then a hint of panic crept into his voice. “Ava, listen, let me explain. I was actually preparing a surprise for you. You’ve been so down these past few days with the pregnancy, I thought I’d get everything ready and then bring you over.” Listening to his pathetic lie, I laughed out loud. “Daniel Hayes, have you forgotten? I own that overwater villa.” The moment those words left my mouth, Daniel surprisingly got angry first. “Ava, I know you’re mad that I wasn’t with you at the hospital on Valentine’s Day, but after all these years of marriage, are you really just going to accuse me like this? Is this all the trust you have in me?!” At his words, I laughed, but it was a bitter laugh. My heart ached terribly. I could abandon my own flesh and blood, so what was one Chloe Miller? I could nurture one Chloe Miller; I could cultivate many more, even better talents. “Daniel Hayes, don’t you dare play the victim card with me. And while you’re at it, tell Chloe Miller she’s fired.” “As for you, when you’re done playing around, come home and we’re getting a divorce.” With that, I hung up. I looked at the DNA test results sent by the private investigator. Upon seeing that Lily, the child, had a 99.99% match with Chloe Miller and Daniel Hayes, I scrambled out of bed and retched into the toilet. Daniel and I had been married for two years, yet he had a three-year-old child with Chloe. *** **Chapter 3** Daniel rushed back home that very night. When he opened the door, Chloe Miller stood beside him, her eyes red from crying. I frowned, about to close the door. Daniel barged in. “Ava! Listen to me, it’s not what you think!” Chloe cried, “That’s right, Ava! It’s really not what you think!” “It’s true that I flew to the Maldives with Daniel yesterday, but I only did it because I’m your closest assistant, Ava. I know your preferences, so I was just helping him prepare the surprise for you!” “Exactly, Ava! I only got to go because I was helping Daniel with *your* surprise! I was just lucky enough to see the beautiful scenery of the Maldives because he needed an extra pair of hands.” Listening to their rehearsed back-and-forth, I felt nothing but intense irritation. Suddenly, Chloe dropped to her knees in front of me. She was sobbing, her face a mask of pitiful vulnerability. “Ava! I can’t lose this job!” “You’ve sponsored my education all these years, you know my family situation. If I lose this job, my gambling addict father will surely beat me to death!” Daniel frowned, looking conflicted. “Ava, this is just a misunderstanding. Are you really going to abandon an assistant you’ve poured so much effort into cultivating for years, all because of a misunderstanding?” Hearing that, I couldn’t help but laugh. But my heart felt incredibly bitter. I could give up my own unborn child, so what was one Chloe Miller? I could nurture one Chloe Miller, and I could cultivate many more, even better talents. “Yes, Ava, I’ve been working with the company’s core confidential information with you. Are you really sure you want to just dismiss me like this?” “Are you threatening me?” Seeing my expression change, Chloe cried even harder, terrified. “No, I didn’t mean that. I’m not.” She looked up at Daniel pitifully. “Mr. Hayes, I didn’t mean it that way.” Chloe suddenly slumped to the side, revealing her bruised and scraped knees. She instinctively glanced at me, then quickly pulled down her skirt. Daniel’s face softened with concern. He pulled her up. “Alright, Ava, Chloe has apologized. It’s just a misunderstanding, why drag it out like this?” “A misunderstanding?” I threw the photos taken by the private investigator at his face. “Holding hands? A misunderstanding?” “Chloe Miller, do you dare to show me the SnapChat story you posted?” At my words, Chloe’s face went white. Daniel, too, looked utterly humiliated after seeing the photos I’d thrown at him. I forced myself to calm down. “Do you have anything else to explain? That overwater villa also has 24/7 surveillance recordings.” “Should I pull them up for you two to enjoy?” Chloe and Daniel’s faces completely panicked. My heart ached with unbearable pain. Actually, there were no surveillance cameras installed in the overwater villa. I was just testing them, lying to them. But now, their panicked faces had thoroughly betrayed them both. Looking at the man I had deeply loved for two years, I smiled in disappointment. “Daniel Hayes, let’s get a divorce.” At my words, Daniel, who had been momentarily stunned, exploded. His eyes blazing red, he grabbed my neck, pinning me against the wall. “Divorce? Ava Evans, what right do you have to talk about divorce?!” Daniel calmed down and pushed me away abruptly. “Ava, don’t be unreasonable.”

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At the party, my asthma flared up. I fumbled for my emergency inhaler. But the bottle was empty. Brandon explained: “Layla said she had a really scratchy throat, so I just handed her your inhaler. You know, for a quick fix. Chew on some throat lozenges, it’ll help.” My breathing was already getting harder and harder. “She has a dry throat, can’t she just drink some water? You guys are trying to kill me!” He frowned, annoyed. “Can you just stop being so dramatic? You always make yourself out to be some delicate flower. Layla’s right, you’re just playing victim.” I didn’t argue anymore. I sent a message to my mom: “My asthma’s acting up, but Brandon gave my inhaler to Layla.” Brandon saw the message and brushed it off. “You’re doing this again? Always running to your mom, are you in elementary school?” He snatched my phone, held it high above his head, looking down at me. I tried to get it back. The moment I stood up, my vision went black, and I stumbled back down. “My asthma’s attacking, please, help me!” I gasped, trying to explain. Just then, Layla walked over, not forgetting to wave my inhaler in her hand. “Oh, Avery, my little princess, are you *really* that bad off? Or are you just trying to get some attention?” “Ugh, I told Brandon we shouldn’t have girls at our guy’s night. Always so emotional, always trying to stir up drama between each other.” I gasped for air, staring intently at Layla. She was Brandon’s childhood friend. She was always one of the guys, super comfortable hanging out with them, even calling them “bros.” Brandon had mentioned Layla to me more than once, always praising her for being a “true tomboy.” At first, I actually had a good impression of the easygoing “guy’s girl” Brandon talked about. After our relationship became stable, Brandon took me to meet his circle of friends. Layla would always act so friendly towards women. “Oh, Brandon, you’ve got good taste! Where did you find this little angel?” “Aww, girl, come here for a hug! Let’s ignore these stinky boys.” But I always felt Layla’s eyes on me, subtly, with a hint of malice. Her methods were clever. She talked about female solidarity, but her actions always subtly isolated me. For example, she would always bring up their childhood memories at parties. I couldn’t interject and could only sit silently to the side. Then, she’d casually joke with me. “What’s wrong, princess? Are you upset because I’m talking to Brandon?” I had mentioned to Brandon that I felt uncomfortable. But Brandon would just call me petty. He’d say Layla was just trying to lighten the mood, and I was too sensitive. Now, however, Layla’s malice was completely undisguised. “A princess will always be a princess, won’t she? Are you upset that we’re not all fawning over you, so you’re faking being sick?” The guys around us burst into snickers at her words. “I’m really not feeling well, give me the inhaler!” I raised my voice. Seeing my state, the room went silent for a second. Then, a more explosive round of jeering erupted. Layla placed her hand on Brandon’s shoulder. She watched me struggling to breathe, laughing so hard she almost fell over. “Oh, wow, she’s putting on quite a show, Brandon. Are you actually feeling sorry for her?” The others egged Brandon on. “Yeah, Brandon, you’re not going to be scared of your wife after you get married, are you?” “Don’t embarrass us, man! You’re the one in charge. If your girl acts up, you gotta put her in her place!” Brandon couldn’t stand being provoked like that. He stiffened his neck, not looking at me. “Who feels sorry for her? She needs to be taught a lesson, always looking for trouble.” I couldn’t breathe. I desperately pulled at Brandon’s sleeve, guttural “hoarse” sounds escaping my throat. “Help… me…” Seeing me like that, Brandon hesitated. But Layla spoke up again. “Alright, alright, Avery, we’re all just straight-up guys here. Nobody’s falling for your damsel-in-distress act.” Knowing it was useless to talk to him, I tried to leave the room. But as soon as I managed to get my body up, Layla shoved me back down. “The party’s not over yet, how can you leave? That’s just rude!” Her grip was strong. Before I knew it, the back of my head hit the wall. *CRACK!* My head spun even more. I didn’t even have time to react. Layla screamed first.

She covered her mouth, speaking dramatically. “Oh? You’re so manipulative, aren’t you?” “I barely touched you, and you intentionally hit your head against the wall just to frame me.” Hearing that, Brandon’s eyes grew even more impatient. “Avery, you’re going too far.” I bit my lip, trying to stay conscious. “I have severe asthma. If you don’t want someone to die, then stop this right now.” My throat burned, every breath felt like inhaling shards of glass. But Layla dangled the inhaler in front of my eyes, tauntingly, then dramatically took a deep puff. “Can’t give it to you, my throat’s dry.” “And I gotta say, you get what you pay for. This thing feels amazing.” I struggled to raise my hand to snatch it. She laughed, raising her hand high to avoid me. “No. Not giving it to you.” I was so enraged that my vision went black again. Brandon stood by, arms crossed, watching. “Look at you, acting like a beggar. Layla’s just using it for a bit, don’t be so petty.” “Layla’s seen your medical report. You don’t have asthma; you’re just a little short of breath.” I forced myself to calm down. “Brandon, you’ve seen me during an asthma attack, haven’t you? Why would I lie about something like this?” Before Brandon could answer, Layla interjected. “Of course, for attention! In this day and age, there are always those attention-seekers faking illnesses.” “Heh, Avery, are you like those ‘little angels’ online who also claim to have depression?” Hearing that, Brandon’s friends burst into even louder laughter. Someone whistled. “Brandon, your girlfriend is so petty and uptight. She’s nothing like Layla’s easygoing vibe.” “Yeah, you’ll have your hands full if you marry her.” I gasped for air, using my last bit of strength to reach for the inhaler in Layla’s hand. But just as my fingertips were about to touch it, she deftly dodged backward. I lost my balance and fell forward onto the carpet. “Oh dear, what a realistic performance!” Layla exclaimed dramatically. Then she crouched down and whispered, in a voice only I could hear. “Hehe, hurry up and die. Once you’re gone, Brandon and I can finally be together.” She stood up, intentionally raising her voice. “Avery, stop messing around, get up! Everyone’s waiting for you and Brandon to do a shot together!” Brandon started to feel something was wrong. He stepped forward and helped me up. “What’s wrong with you? Are you really not feeling well?” “Help… me…” I struggled to utter a few words. My hand gripped Brandon’s wrist hard, only broken gasps escaping. “In… inhaler…” Brandon’s brows furrowed tightly, his eyes finally showing a hint of panic and struggle. He looked at Layla. “Layla, maybe give her the thing.” Layla’s face immediately fell. She stubbornly hid the inhaler behind her back, stamping her foot in annoyance. “Brandon, are you blind? She’s clearly faking it! Have you forgotten how she used to throw tantrums like a spoiled brat?” Then, she suddenly yelled at the others. “See? These women always act like this to compete with each other. Brandon totally fell for it!” The guys around us immediately chimed in. “Brandon, Layla and us grew up together. She wouldn’t try to hurt you, would she?” “Girls like her, you know, they just like to make trouble. Can’t spoil her.” Brandon’s expression changed. His hand supporting me loosened a bit. I could feel his hesitation. On one side, my agonizing illness. On the other, Layla and their provocations. “But… her face looks really pale…”

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My mom, Lorelei, couldn’t handle my dad David’s cheating. She tried to take her own life by opening the gas valve. She didn’t die, but I, Aubrey, was burned and disfigured saving her from the fire. Seven years later, Lorelei found a new boyfriend, handsome and rich. A week before her wedding, she started packing my bags. “Look, don’t blame me for being heartless, okay?” she snapped. “You look like a monster. What if you scare my boyfriend’s daughter?” “I’ve raised you for years; I’ve paid my dues. It’s your dad’s turn to take responsibility now.” Then, she dropped me and my luggage at my dad’s apartment complex. I was terrified waiting there because I’d dropped my mask and hat in Lorelei’s car. When I thought to chase her, she sped up, eager to get rid of me. I stumbled and fell while desperately trying to catch her, making my already disfigured face look even worse. After scrambling back to my feet on all fours, Lorelei’s car was gone. So I could only crouch on the ground, burying my face deep in my knees. But thankfully, it wasn’t long before a middle-aged man ran over, panting. He called out tentatively, cautiously. “Aubrey.” I quickly looked up. What met my eyes was a stranger. Seeing my face, the man paused for a moment. But after a brief second, he said, “Hello, I’m Mr. Thompson, your dad’s good friend.” “Your dad’s away on a business trip today, so he asked me to pick you up.” The man’s voice was quite loud at first, but maybe it was because I was staring at him. His voice grew softer, almost a whisper. I’d encountered this scenario many times. Ever since I was disfigured saving Lorelei from the fire, it’s always been like this. The first time I returned to school after being discharged from the hospital, with my face covered in twisted scars, Ms. Davies, my homeroom teacher, was on the podium, trying to prepare the class emotionally. She was telling them not to give me strange looks or treat me differently. She spoke passionately and fiercely, but the moment I stepped into the classroom, Ms. Davies was just like this man; her voice hitched, then she stammered a few times, finally forcing the words out to the class. “Okay, cl-classmates… let’s give Aubrey a round of applause for re-returning to school.” A scattered applause echoed through the classroom. But no amount of clapping could hide the shaken, terrified stares that followed me. After that, there were two kinds of people in my class. Some felt sympathy for what I’d been through. Others were terrified, saying I looked like a horrifying monster and were scared if I even looked at them. But no matter what kind of person they were, in the end, no one was willing to interact with me. Even my best friend, my best deskmate, grew distant. I once overheard them talking in the restroom. “Ugh, it’s not that I don’t want to be Aubrey’s friend anymore, but I’m genuinely scared. Every time she looks at me, I have nightmares when I get home.” So, already used to such gazes, I calmly bent down, picked up my luggage, and said, “Let’s go.” The man paused for a second before snapping out of it and quickly followed me. “Aubrey, is your suitcase heavy? Uncle Thompson can help you with it, okay?” I simply shook my head slightly and then lowered my head again, pulling my collar up to hide my face. Seeing my action, the man quickly rushed ahead of me. Watching him, I felt a pang of derision. I wondered why he was so silly. Did he think his large build would somehow make me less noticeable? But he didn’t know that every step of the way, I was met with stares from children and adults alike, stares that openly labeled me a monster.

The man took me to a two-bedroom apartment. It wasn’t large, but it was exceptionally clean. The room was filled with family photos of my dad, a woman I didn’t know, and a little boy. Even with a quick glance, I could tell it was a warm, loving home. It was exactly like the cozy scene with Lorelei, her boyfriend, and his daughter eating at McDonald’s. As soon as we entered, the man invited me to sit on the sofa and eagerly went to pour me some water. But he fumbled around, but couldn’t find the kettle. Seeing his frantic search, I calmly spoke up. “I don’t like interacting with strangers. You can go now.” The man froze slightly, the smile on his face stiffening. But after a moment, he tried to appease me. “Alright, alright, if that’s the case, then I’ll head out.” Then the door slammed shut. It wasn’t until I heard the man’s footsteps fade away that my rigidly upright posture finally softened. After a moment of daze, I pulled out my phone, intending to send Lorelei a SnapChat, to tell her I had arrived at my dad’s. But as soon as I opened my phone, I saw Lorelei’s SnapChat post. “Waiting for my daughter to get out of school.” The accompanying picture was of a little girl with a backpack walking out of school. My fingers tightened around my phone. A suffocating, bitter ache rose in my chest. I held it back, forcing myself to switch from the SnapChat interface to a food delivery app. Just as I was about to order some masks and hats for myself, I remembered Lorelei hadn’t given me any money. Three days ago, she told me she’d already spoken to my dad, and that he would be responsible for all my future tuition, miscellaneous fees, and living expenses. So, she wouldn’t be giving me my allowance for the month. My eyes felt raw, and I had to lie down on the sofa to swallow back my tears. With nothing else to do, I started to daydream. Thinking of nothing, yet seemingly everything. It wasn’t until the sun had set that a little boy’s voice suddenly echoed from outside. “Mommy, is my big sister really coming to live with us? That’s great! I’m definitely going to show her my new Ultraman!” Hearing the noise outside, I immediately sat up on the sofa, straightening my back. Remembering I wasn’t wearing my mask, I frantically pulled my collar up, trying to hide my face in a messy scramble. But I was too late. As a hurried sound of the door opening echoed, It was immediately followed by a startled scream. “Ah! A ghost!” Then came the sound of a boy wailing. My heart seized, and I scrambled to my feet. The woman who entered was a bit plump, dressed in clothes that weren’t particularly trendy. She glanced at me frantically, then picked up the wailing child. She must have been scared too, her voice trembling slightly. “I… I’m so sorry, Aubrey. I… I didn’t know you were already home.” “Your dad called me and said… said you weren’t coming until tonight.” After saying that, she turned to gently comfort the little boy in her arms. “Leo, don’t cry. What did Mommy tell you before? Do you remember?” “This is your big sister, Aubrey! Weren’t you most excited for her to come?” The boy’s crying subsided with the woman’s soothing, but after cautiously peeking at me, he clung to his mom’s neck even tighter and started crying again. His mom looked at me apologetically. “I… I’m so sorry, Aubrey. Your little brother, he’s just a little boy, he doesn’t understand yet.” Actually, she didn’t need to explain. After Lorelei found a boyfriend, she once brought his daughter home. That day, I was sick with a cold and hadn’t gone to school. As soon as the little girl saw a “ghost” in the house, she was so scared she started wailing like a banshee. Lorelei immediately panicked, rushed over, slapped me, and angrily picked up the little girl, storming out of the house. When she came home that night, she made a rule for me. Whenever I was home, except for using the restroom or eating, I had to stay in my room. Not wanting to be annoying anymore, I spoke up amidst the little boy’s cries. “Where’s my room?” The woman’s eyes flickered slightly, then she pointed to the bedroom closest to the bathroom. I pursed my lips, said nothing, and turned to drag my suitcase to the room Elara had assigned me.

For the next three days, other than eating and using the restroom, I hardly left my room. I spent my days either studying or reading. Occasionally, the happy shouts of the little boy from outside would make me pause my pen. It made me think of when David hadn’t cheated yet. Back then, every day when he came home from work, my dad would carry me on his shoulders, and I’d hold a doll in my arms, shouting with joy that Dad’s shoulders were my very own pumpkin carriage. Then, from the kitchen, I’d hear Lorelei’s nagging. She’d ask David why he wasn’t taking me to clean up yet. She’d say I was always getting into mischief all day long. Back then, I’d always giggle with laughter on Dad’s shoulders. Perhaps life was too beautiful back then, so beautiful that even now, tears welled up in my eyes. Staring at the blurred words, I hastily pulled at my sleeve to wipe them away. But the more I wiped, the more the ink bled on my homework, the more the words blurred on my page. It seemed I don’t deserve good memories. Two more days passed. One afternoon, there was a knock on my door. The moment I heard it, my body instinctively tensed. I straightened up, stood, and went to open the door. Elara was standing there, holding the little boy’s hand, looking at me with an appeasing smile. “Aubrey, Auntie Elara bought you something.” Saying this, she handed me a plastic bag. I looked down and saw sanitary pads. She saw my expression and quickly said, “Aubrey, Auntie Elara saw you were using toilet paper in the bathroom, I’m sorry, so I took the liberty of getting you some.” “Oh, and do you not have any money on you? Can I get your SnapChat to send you some money via PayPal?” I looked at her plastic bag, hesitating. But thinking about how uncomfortable it was using toilet paper, I finally took the plastic bag from her hand. I also complied, pulling out my phone to add her on SnapChat. After doing everything, I closed my door. But within a few minutes, Elara knocked again. “Aubrey, Auntie Elara made you a warm herbal drink for your cramps. Would you like to open the door and drink some? It can really help ease the pain.” “Girls your age often get bad cramps.” Listening to Lorelei’s voice through the door, I clenched my fists tightly. This reminded me of two years ago, when I first started my period. My periods were irregular, and the cramps were so bad I’d be rolling on the floor in agony every time. Back then, I cried and begged Lorelei to take me to the doctor. I told her I was in so much pain, so much pain. My mom snapped at me, annoyed: “You’re so dramatic! It’s just period pain, what’s the big deal? “When do I have time to take you to the doctor? Even if I did, I wouldn’t want to. “Ever since you were disfigured, every time I take you out, I feel like a criminal. Strangers stare at me all the time; it’s utterly humiliating! “And besides, I’m going on a trip with my boyfriend today, I don’t have time.” “If you’re really in so much pain, there’s some brown sugar in the fridge. Just mix it with hot water and drink it.” After saying that, Lorelei grabbed her bag and walked out the door. That night, due to severe cramps and a persistent high fever, I almost died at home. It wasn’t until I crawled out and knocked on a neighbor’s door that she took me to the hospital, and I barely clung to life. When Lorelei was called to the hospital, Her first reaction wasn’t to comfort me. It was anger. “Aubrey, why are you so much trouble? I leave for a second and something happens to you.” “I must have been cursed in a past life to have such a jinx for a daughter!” Thinking of the despair I felt lying in that hospital bed back then, A sudden surge of anger, I don’t know why, erupted in my chest. Loudly, angrily, I yelled at the woman outside the room. “I don’t want it! Go away!” It was a long time before I heard the woman’s retreating footsteps outside. And the moment those footsteps disappeared, tears streamed down my scarred face. That night, I didn’t go out for dinner. Elara came to my door several times. Each time, I thought she was going to knock. But each time, she only stood at my door for a moment before leaving. It wasn’t until midnight that I suddenly saw a SnapChat post from her. “Hey ladies, any advice on how to communicate with a teenage daughter?” My fingers tightened around my phone. The word “daughter” hit me like a ton of bricks, stabbing deep into my heart. Ever since I was disfigured, Lorelei had never publicly acknowledged me as her daughter. Even when she took me out, she wouldn’t let me call her mom. When others asked, she would only introduce me as a relative’s child. When we were alone, she explained it to me. She said if people knew she was my mom, they would condemn her, saying what kind of mother lets her young child get so horribly burned. She also said that my disfigurement was all David’s fault. If David hadn’t cheated and divorced her, she wouldn’t have tried to take her own life, and I wouldn’t have become… this monster. So, I couldn’t guilt-trip her, my mother. If I wanted to hate someone, I should hate David. And hate the woman who was now posting on SnapChat, calling me her daughter.

I initially thought after I yelled at Elara yesterday, She wouldn’t bother with me anymore. After all, she and I were essentially rivals, and now I was like a burden, intruding on her happy family. But to my surprise, the next morning, she knocked on my room door again. First, she told me breakfast was by the door. I didn’t answer. Around mid-morning, she knocked again, saying she’d prepared some fruit for me and left it outside my door. I still didn’t answer. It wasn’t until almost noon that the door was knocked on again. I was incredibly annoyed. I climbed out of bed and went to open the door, ready to shout, when I saw the little boy standing there, looking pitifully, his eyes brimming with tears, holding an Ultraman figure. “Big sister, my Ultraman’s leg is broken! Mom won’t fix it for me, but she said you can!” With that, the little boy rushed forward and clung tightly to my leg. “Please, big sister, help me fix my Ultraman! My Ultraman is broken, I’m going to be so heartbroken!” My pant leg was smeared with the boy’s snot and tears. Just as I stood there, flustered, Elara stood at the end of the hallway, holding a spatula, yelling at me. “Aubrey, quickly go comfort your brother! He’s being so annoying!” “I’m cooking right now, I don’t have time!” With that, Elara disappeared back into the kitchen. My hands clenched slightly. It took me a few seconds to find my voice. “Give me the Ultraman.” The boy, like a seasoned actor, instantly stopped crying. Fearing he’d see my face and start crying again, I took two steps back, ready to close the door. The boy, however, zoomed past me, darted into the room, kicked off his shoes, and rolled twice on my bed. “Big sister, come here quickly! Fix my Ultraman on the bed!” My fingers tightened around the Ultraman figure again. But seeing that the boy hadn’t been scared into crying, I sat down sideways on the bed, my feet on the floor, my upper body stiff. As soon as I picked up the Ultraman, the boy suddenly launched himself into my arms. “Big sister, I want you to hold me while you fix it!” The sudden warmth against my chest made my body instantly tense. Even my fingers holding the Ultraman trembled. Ever since I was disfigured, I hadn’t had such close physical contact with anyone. After all, Lorelei wouldn’t even look at me after I was disfigured, let alone hug me. And everyone else just found me repulsive, a monster. They would even walk several feet away from me if we were on the same path. But before I could react, the boy kissed my scarred face. “Big sister, I like you.”

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Everyone in their circle knew Asher Blackwood had a kept woman, an almost identical copy of his first love, Seraphina Thorne. Early one morning, at the city airport, I rushed out, dragging my suitcase, dusty and exhausted. My eyes lit up when I spotted that limited-edition Mercedes sedan. Pulling open the door, Asher Blackwood was indeed waiting for me inside. “How do you have time to pick me up?” I asked, my bright, lively eyes on my delicate, pale face seeming to hold the entire starry sky as I looked at Asher. Asher Blackwood always hated my eyes. My face was at least ninety percent similar to Seraphina Thorne’s, but my eyes were different. Seraphina’s gaze towards him had always been cold and detached. “Close your eyes.” I obeyed, closing my eyes, a hint of allure curving my lips. Asher stared at my face, so like Seraphina’s, and kissed me fiercely. My soft lips were bruised and tormented, as if he could, through me, possess the other woman. The car started smoothly, slowly pulling away from the airport. Half an hour later, Asher Blackwood forced me out of the car. I stood by the street, clutching my suitcase, watching him in the car with a pang of hurt. “Drive.” Asher’s face was cold, unmoved. The car door slowly closed. I watched the black Mercedes drive further and further away, until it merged with traffic and vanished. I wiped my eyes, swallowing my grievance. I called for a ride. After more than ten hours of flying, I was utterly exhausted. Back home, I showered, removed my makeup, then chugged a large glass of red wine before crawling into my soft bed, ready to sleep. My phone rang. I opened it to see a message from Asher: “9 PM tonight.” I smiled and replied, “Waiting for you in bed.” It was as if the unpleasant morning had never happened. It was our unspoken agreement. At 9 PM, Asher Blackwood was always punctual. There was never any tenderness between us; he was direct, almost brutal. “You’re hurting me,” I whispered, but still, I moved to meet Asher’s force. Asher didn’t say a word, just drove into me harder. My body was like a ripe peach, soft and juicy, or perhaps a fresh-baked cake, warm layers enveloping him, giving him the most comforting solace. He didn’t love me, but I had to admit, he loved this body. I often felt that Asher’s feelings for Seraphina were incredibly complex. Beyond unrequited love, there seemed to be a hint of hatred. In bed, Asher shed his usual restraint and coldness. His heat threatened to consume me. I could only cling to him weakly, letting him carry me into a dizzying whirlwind. I felt like a leaf caught in a storm, lost and disoriented. The room echoed with the most beautiful music a man and woman could make, even the air grew scorching hot. Over an hour later, the symphony finally struck its last note at the climax. Asher withdrew abruptly. “I’m going to shower.” I lay softly on the bed, watching his muscular back. I couldn’t help but inwardly appraise him. Asher Blackwood truly was a catch: broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs, a strict, controlled aura when dressed, but pure primal release when not. Especially that face… Just as I was lost in my thoughts, Asher’s phone rang. I picked it up and glanced at the screen. “Seraphina?” I walked to the bathroom door, holding the phone. “Boss, your goddess is looking for you~” Asher, wrapped in a towel, opened the door. His eyes, cold and piercing, glanced at me as he took the phone. “Hello?” Naked, I brushed past Asher and closed the bathroom door, starting my shower. I didn’t want to hear what they were saying. Anyway, by the time I came out, Asher would certainly be gone. Sure enough, when I emerged, toweling my hair dry, Asher had left. I picked up my phone to find a massive transfer, as usual. In that moment, I felt incredibly cheap, but also incredibly valuable – the kind of cheap that costs a fortune. I pocketed the money and tucked away the lingering bitterness in my heart. What did I have to complain about? I tapped a few buttons on my phone, transferring the money I’d just received back out. Checking the time, it was midnight – the perfect hour for some fun. Slipping into a sparkling slip dress, high heels, smoky eyes, and a bold red lip, I transformed into the most captivating siren on the dance floor tonight. In the noisy club, I effortlessly became the center of attention. I stretched my body with abandon, releasing my charm with the rhythm of the music. Tonight, everyone loved me! “Boss, look at that chick, isn’t that the one Asher Blackwood likes?” a man in a VIP booth pointed at me on the dance floor. “Boss, I think it actually is! The one called Seraphina something!” another man chimed in. “I’ve seen photos! It’s her!” “Why would Seraphina Thorne be here?” Redmond glanced at me. “Most likely his stand-in.” “A stand-in? Then she’s no use! I thought we could snatch her and get some revenge for you, Boss!” Redmond stroked his chin, his eyes leering as they swept over my body. “Forget it, let’s not provoke Asher Blackwood.” “Redmond, are you scared?” A young man appeared outside the booth, smiling innocently under the flashing, multi-colored lights. I emerged from the club, pulling on my jacket. I was always sober; I could have my fun, but I never touched alcohol at bars. “Sweetheart, why don’t you come play with us?” Redmond’s men shouted from behind me. I knew instantly that something was wrong. I turned, gave them a slow, alluring smile, and leisurely slipped off my high heels. “Well, look at you, eager! No wonder Asher Blackwood keeps you around!” The men chuckled obscenely, and my heart sank. These weren’t ordinary thugs; they were after me because of Asher Blackwood. Clutching my high heels, I flashed a dazzling smile. “Asher~ are you here to pick me up?” The men froze, instinctively turning their heads. I seized the moment, spun around, and ran. “Get her!” A hunt began. I ran like a terrified doe, scrambling along the deserted streets at three in the morning. My heart pounded furiously, threatening to burst from my chest. The footsteps behind me grew closer and closer. “I can’t outrun them,” I thought in despair. I could only duck into a narrow alleyway, hiding behind a pile of junk. Carefully, I pulled out my phone and called Asher. He was the only person I could think of who could save me. “Please! Answer the phone!” I bit my lip, silently pleading. My body trembled uncontrollably. I didn’t want to be caught, didn’t want those men to touch me, didn’t want to… With a harsh rip, the torn tarp above me was yanked away. Several men laughed as they dragged me to my feet. Redmond smirked menacingly, his rough hand tracing my thigh. “Those long legs sure can run.” I bit back the disgust, staying silent. Any struggle or scream would be pointless now. I had to stay calm; only then would I have a chance. “Asher Blackwood not answering your calls?” Redmond took a phone from one of his men and dangled it in front of me. “Want me to give you another chance?” “What do you mean?” I felt like a helpless lamb caught in a den of wolves. “Call Asher Blackwood,” Redmond’s expression hardened, his eyes fixed on me with a vicious glare. “Tell him you’re with Redmond, and tell him to give me back my merchandise.” I took the phone, looking at the missed call from earlier. A chill spread through my heart. Asher Blackwood wouldn’t answer my call. My fate, I knew, was sealed. I took the phone, looking at Asher’s number, but I didn’t dial. “Why aren’t you calling?” Redmond watched me impatiently. “Or would you rather spend some time with my men?” “Redmond, may I say something?” I put the phone away, offering a sweet smile. Redmond squinted at me. This girl was truly captivating. “Go on.” “You just said Asher Blackwood has some merchandise of yours. Was it impounded at the docks?” I didn’t know much about Asher’s business, only vaguely remembering his influence there. “That’s right.” “If this merchandise is legitimate, you could call the police, sue him, and then hold a press conference to drag his name through the mud. If it’s not legitimate…” I paused. “Then you should definitely call the police, be a good citizen and report him, and then hire a PR firm to launch a smear campaign. Either way, the merchandise is currently in his hands, and he’ll have a hard time explaining it.” Anyone capable of being a boss wasn’t a fool. Redmond, though getting on in years, usually stuck to old-school methods—direct and unsubtle. After I finished speaking, he thought for a moment. After all, it was a lawful society now. If Asher Blackwood could stab him in the back, why couldn’t he? “Aren’t you Asher Blackwood’s woman?” Redmond looked at me suspiciously. He wasn’t easily fooled. “His woman? His heart is only for Seraphina Thorne. I’m just his plaything.” My clear self-awareness seemed to make Redmond regard me more highly. “Smart girl. Instead of being someone’s stand-in with Asher Blackwood, why not follow me?” Redmond raised an eyebrow. He liked smart women, especially beautiful ones. I laughed, truly laughed, until I shook, a bitter, acidic feeling churning in my gut. To think, as a kept woman, I actually had market value… “Redmond, that would be a different price,” I said, stopping my laughter and handing him my phone. “Here’s my number. Redmond, you can call me anytime you need me.” Redmond chuckled. This girl was interesting. He took my phone, dialed his own number, then glanced at the darkness behind me and nodded. “Alright. Since you’re so sensible, I’ll let you go today.” “Thank you, Redmond.” I took back my phone, lowered my head, and kept my eyes down. Only after Redmond and his men had left did my legs give out, and I sank to the ground. I glanced at my phone. No missed calls, no messages. I wiped my eyes, a bitter, self-mocking laugh escaping my lips. “What’s there to cry about? Wasn’t this all expected?” In the darkness behind me, a dark silhouette watched me, a knowing smile playing on his lips. *** **截断点** Since that terrifying night at the club, I hadn’t left the apartment. I was just an ordinary woman, capable of fear and psychological trauma. But I couldn’t tell anyone. I had no friends; my entire world revolved around Asher Blackwood, and he had no interest in hearing my stories. “Get up!” Just as I was drifting off to sleep after taking a sleeping pill, Asher Blackwood burst in and dragged me up. A glass of cold water was splashed onto my face. I shook myself awake, looking through my dripping hair at Asher. “Boss? What brings you here today?” “Did Redmond touch you?” Asher’s face was cold, his eyes blazing with a fury that threatened to consume me. “Do you believe me when I say no?” I blinked, holding back the burning tears. “You still dare to lie to me.” Asher’s gaze grew even more dangerous. He dragged me from the bed onto the floor and tore off my nightgown. My pale body was exposed to the cold air, water dripping onto my skin. I couldn’t stop trembling. My lips, now white, mumbled the words again: “Do you believe me when I say no?” Asher stared at my face, almost identical to Seraphina’s, and grew even angrier. In his mind, I was Seraphina. This woman had allowed his goddess to be defiled by Redmond. He would never forgive me. “Since you like being touched, I’ll satisfy you!” “What are you doing…?” Asher tore open his shirt and pushed me beneath him, taking me again and again with brutal force. The thought of me being touched by another man ignited an uncontrollable rage within him. He told himself it was only because he saw me as Seraphina. With each merciless thrust, I felt no pleasure, only humiliation, injustice, and boundless pain… Finally, Asher finished venting. I breathed a sigh of relief, only to hear him say, “You think this is over?” I looked up at Asher, repeating the same words, “Do you believe me when I say no?” “Hmph.” Asher scoffed dismissively. He looked towards the door and slowly spoke. “There are ten more men outside waiting for you to serve them.” I stared at Asher in horror. “Asher Blackwood, why won’t you just believe me?” Asher looked down at the woman on the floor. I had the most beautiful, most alluring body; no man could see it and resist. He knew Redmond too well. That old fox would do anything for his merchandise. How could I have escaped unscathed from his clutches? Looking at my face, he still softened. “Don’t leave the apartment without my permission.” I watched his retreating back, biting my lip to hold back my tears. After all, my tears were just an act in his eyes. Only after the front door slammed shut did I finally curl up and sob uncontrollably. In the following days, Asher Blackwood didn’t come back. I was truly caged. I sat on the balcony lounger, gazing at the blue sky outside the window. “Perhaps, it’s time to leave.” Late that night, at Redmond’s villa, Asher Blackwood sat on the living room sofa. “I thought Redmond, who’s dominated the city for years, would be a smart man.” Redmond was pinned to the ground by Asher’s men. He glared at Asher hatefully. “Mr. Blackwood, you probably don’t know, but Jasper Sterling has a share in this merchandise. You’re not afraid to offend me, aren’t you afraid to offend him?” Asher Blackwood sneered. “You don’t seriously think I impounded this merchandise just because of you, do you?” Redmond suddenly understood. Asher Blackwood was after Jasper Sterling. And he had listened to me, holding a press conference and blowing the whole thing wide open. “Damn you! Your woman is as despicable as you are!” Asher Blackwood’s eyes instantly turned dangerous. “You dared to go after Seraphina Thorne.” “Seraphina Thorne? You don’t deserve her! I’m talking about that bitch you keep around!” Redmond continued to curse. “I should never have let her go that day!” Asher Blackwood’s gaze darkened. Redmond hadn’t touched me? After dealing with Redmond, Asher Blackwood left the villa. After a moment’s thought, he pulled out his phone and typed something. I had just finished showering and was about to go to bed when I saw Asher Blackwood’s message: “Come downstairs.” Asher Blackwood took me to the Grand Allure Club. I sat in the private room, unsure what Asher wanted. Asher didn’t say a word, leaning back on the sofa, looking incredibly tired. The door suddenly opened, and a young man entered with several bodyguards. Asher Blackwood glanced at the man, his expression darkening. “What are you doing here?” “Mr. Blackwood impounded my merchandise, so of course, I have to reciprocate.” The man sat casually on the sofa opposite Asher Blackwood. “I, Jasper Sterling, am not one to take a loss silently.” “Jasper Sterling…” I blinked. Could this be the legendary Mr. Sterling who dominated the city? “I’ve already spoken with the patriarch of the Thorne family. He’s agreed to give me Seraphina Thorne in marriage,” Mr. Sterling looked at Asher Blackwood. “What do you think, Mr. Blackwood?” “You dare touch her!” Asher Blackwood’s eyes turned vicious at the mention of Seraphina Thorne’s name. Mr. Sterling raised an eyebrow. “If Mr. Blackwood hadn’t pulled the rug out from under me, I wouldn’t have resorted to such extreme measures.” Asher Blackwood was silent for a moment. “I’ll return your merchandise.” Mr. Sterling smiled. “I want more than just the merchandise; I want a person.” He paused, his gaze landing on me. “Since Mr. Blackwood can’t bear to part with Seraphina Thorne, then let this beauty entertain me.” Hearing Asher Blackwood offer me up like a gift, my heart ached. Was I truly so worthless in his eyes…? “Go.” Asher Blackwood’s voice was low and icy. “Asher Blackwood… by what right?” My eyes welled up. Asher Blackwood gave me a cold glance. “Isn’t this what you’re paid for?” My heart gave a sharp pang. Yes, in his eyes, wasn’t I just a woman who sold her body for money and clung to wealth…? I walked over to Jasper Sterling, and in a sweet, demure voice, I called out, “Mr. Sterling.” Jasper Sterling nodded in satisfaction, pulling me onto his lap. We drank and played drinking games right in front of Asher Blackwood, having a grand time. Asher Blackwood watched my jacket being removed, revealing my beautiful collarbone and smooth back. His eyes darkened, a nameless irritation churning within him. I sat in Jasper Sterling’s arms, my slender arm resting on his shoulder. In the dim light, I looked at Asher Blackwood opposite us, and my heart felt a little sore. He wouldn’t care about me anyway. In his eyes, I wasn’t even a pet, just a cheap object to be given away and played with. Fighting back tears, I downed a large glass of red wine. I didn’t care anymore. I should have known how insignificant and laughable I was to Asher Blackwood. He wouldn’t even believe I was with him because I loved him. Jasper Sterling’s breath fell on my ear, and his hand explored under my dress. I didn’t even struggle; I lay submissively on the sofa, turning my head as tears finally streamed down my face, unstoppable. Asher Blackwood didn’t see my tears. All he saw was my submission and willingness towards Jasper Sterling. Asher Blackwood’s anger surged uncontrollably. He strode over, grabbed me, and slapped me. “You slut!” I fell to the floor, my cheek burning with pain. I subtly wiped away my tears, looked up at Asher Blackwood, and laughed. “Don’t you know I’m a slut, Mr. Blackwood? Isn’t that why you make me do these things?” “Get out! Don’t let me see your face again!” Asher Blackwood’s mind was a mess. He told himself he definitely didn’t care about me; he just cared about my face, which was so similar to Seraphina Thorne’s. Lost and distraught, I stumbled out of Grand Allure. Barefoot on the asphalt, wearing only a short skirt, my provocative figure drew unwanted attention. “Boss! It’s her!” I heard the voice and looked back. It was Redmond! “Grab her!” Redmond’s expression turned vicious when he saw me. I turned and ran. I knew if I fell into Redmond’s hands this time, my fate would be dire. I ran into the parking garage and bumped into Asher Blackwood. “Asher Blackwood! Save me!” “What game are you playing now?” Asher Blackwood looked at me impatiently. “No! It’s not! It’s Redmond, his men are chasing me!” I clutched Asher Blackwood’s arm, looking back in terror, but there was no one behind me. Not a single one of the pursuers had followed. “Hmph.” Asher Blackwood sneered. “At least come up with a better sob story.” My heart instantly turned cold. “Asher Blackwood, why won’t you ever believe me…?” “Don’t play any more tricks, and don’t let me see you again.” Asher Blackwood coldly shook off my hand, got into his car, and drove away. “You little bitch, you’ve fallen into my hands this time.” As Asher Blackwood’s car sped off, Redmond and his men emerged from the shadows. I didn’t even have time to run before they surrounded me. Redmond grabbed my neck tightly, lifting me and pinning me against the wall. “You’ve got a lot of nerve, even trying to trick me.” My neck burned with pain, and my breathing grew difficult. I watched the taillights disappear into the night. Asher Blackwood really left… I felt like a broken doll, cruelly tossed aside. Several men swarmed me, tearing my clothes, but I just stared intently in the direction Asher Blackwood had gone. He could have saved me… Why… Why couldn’t he believe me just once…? “Ahem.” Jasper Sterling walked over, coughed lightly, and looked at me, barely clothed on the ground. He raised a hand and slapped Redmond. “Mr. Sterling…” Redmond lowered his head, not daring to speak. “Asher Blackwood gave her to me,” Jasper Sterling said, taking off his jacket and covering me. “Understood, understood. I wouldn’t dare touch Mr. Sterling’s woman.” Redmond, trembling, quickly led his men away. Jasper Sterling looked at me on the ground. Beaten like this, I hadn’t begged or made a sound. This woman was interesting. He picked me up and turned, only to see Asher Blackwood’s black Mercedes parked not far away. Asher Blackwood watched us, gripping the steering wheel. He must have been insane to believe me, to drive back like a fool. His face was cold as he watched Jasper Sterling place me in his car. I didn’t resist at all. Asher Blackwood felt a surge of uncontrollable anger. His phone rang. Asher Blackwood frowned, seeing it was Seraphina Thorne. He took a deep breath, suppressing the inexplicable rage in his heart, and answered as gently as possible. “Seraphina? What’s wrong?” “Asher, Father is going to marry me off to Jasper Sterling, and I don’t like him.” Seraphina’s voice on the phone was filled with such raw hurt. “Don’t worry, I’ve already taken care of it for you. Just focus on your recovery abroad.” I slowly woke up to find myself in a car. I looked at the man’s back in front and tentatively called out, “Asher Blackwood?” “Hmph.” Jasper Sterling, who was driving, sneered. “Do you think it would be him?” “Mr. Sterling?” I pursed my lips. “Thank you.” The car drove fast. I leaned against the window, watching the night scenery fly by. I thought of Asher Blackwood. He really hadn’t come to save me. I didn’t believe he hadn’t seen Redmond; he just didn’t care. My innocence, my life or death, meant nothing to him… “Get out.” I froze, realizing the car had stopped. I quickly got out, afraid he’d misunderstand that I wanted to stay. The car drove away, and I realized I was still wearing Jasper Sterling’s jacket. The night wind swept past, and I pulled the jacket tighter. “Forget it. I’ll return it to him next time I get the chance.” In the darkness, Asher Blackwood stared at me like a hungry wolf. He watched me get out of Jasper Sterling’s car, watched me reluctantly pull Jasper Sterling’s jacket tighter. This woman had truly betrayed him! I was completely unaware of Asher Blackwood standing in the shadows. I turned and walked into my apartment. As the elevator doors opened, someone shoved me inside. “Ah!” I screamed, pinned against the elevator wall, terrified. “What? You don’t want me to touch you now?” Asher Blackwood pressed against my back, his voice low as he spoke into my ear. “Asher Blackwood! You bastard!” I struggled desperately. This was an elevator, there were cameras! I didn’t want this here! But Asher Blackwood completely ignored my resistance. He ripped off the jacket I was wearing. My body was covered in bruises, full of injuries. In his eyes, these were all marks of my depravity with Jasper Sterling. My knees were forced apart. I bit my lip, shaking my head violently. “No… Asher Blackwood, please don’t do this here…” “Hmph.” Asher Blackwood thrust into my tight warmth. “Ah!” A tearing pain ripped through my lower body. “Asher Blackwood! You bastard!” Asher Blackwood pinned me ruthlessly in the elevator, thrusting and grinding without mercy. Neither of us found any pleasure; it was only for punishment, for torment, to erase any other man’s marks from my body. I was in agony. My dignity, my love, were all crushed by Asher Blackwood. My lips were bitten raw, the metallic taste of blood constantly irritating my throat. Finally, after Asher Blackwood’s last thrust, I vomited. Asher Blackwood watched me, cold and sinister, sprawled on the floor. “You utterly disgust me.” The elevator doors opened. Asher Blackwood walked out, leaving me disheveled and slumped inside. The camera above flashed its red light, recording everything… After a night of torment, I developed a fever. I lay weakly in bed, thinking that if I could just die like this, it wouldn’t be so bad. My phone pinged. I saw the message: “Evergreen Care Center.” I forced myself to sit up and read the entire message. A relieved smile appeared on my face. My fingers gently caressed the phone screen, which displayed a photo of an elderly woman. She looked very well. “It seems the care center is taking good care of Grandma.” Thinking of Grandma, I found a new will to live. The hospital was bustling with people. I, all alone, forced myself to stay strong, underwent examinations, collected reports, and sat before the doctor, feeling uncontrollably dizzy. “Just a common fever,” the doctor said, glancing at the reports. “But you’re pregnant, so you need to be careful with medication.” “Wait, what did you just say?” I rubbed my temples, suspecting I’d misheard. “You’re pregnant,” the doctor repeated. I froze on the spot. I was pregnant with Asher Blackwood’s child? I walked out of the hospital in a daze, my hand instinctively resting on my lower abdomen. I still couldn’t quite believe it—a life was growing inside me… The taxi stopped at the apartment building. As I got out, I saw a pile of clothes on the ground, thrown out like trash by the street. “These are my things…” I stared blankly at my luggage. Asher Blackwood walked out of the building, his two bodyguards throwing the remaining boxes at my feet, their contents spilling onto the road. “Asher Blackwood, what are you doing now…?” My face was pale, and I felt even dizzier. The bodyguards stood in front of me, blocking me from going up. “Ms. Hayes, Mr. Blackwood requests that you move out.” I looked up at Asher Blackwood, standing imperiously on the stairs, my eyes red. “Asher Blackwood…” Asher Blackwood didn’t even glance at me. He walked down the stairs, got into his car, and sped away. The bodyguards looked a little regretful. “Ms. Hayes, Ms. Thorne is back. She’s not happy with your presence, so… please don’t blame Mr. Blackwood.” After saying that, they got into the car behind him and followed Asher Blackwood away. I stood there, stunned. The sun was so bright, yet I felt cold, a coldness that seeped from my very core. I gave a self-deprecating laugh. “So, the real owner is back.” I crouched on the ground, picking up my clothes one by one. People came and went on the street, pointing and whispering, but I ignored them all. My dignity had already been crushed by Asher Blackwood anyway… I slept in the hotel until evening before finally getting up. I touched my forehead; the fever had broken, and I felt much better. I picked up my phone and saw a breaking news alert. “Late-Night Elevator Affair: Beauty’s Scandalous Performance!” My hands trembled as I clicked on the notification. The news article featured many screenshots from the video: it was Asher Blackwood and me. Only Asher Blackwood’s face was pixelated, while mine was disturbably clear. “Who did this…?” *Ring! Ring!* My phone suddenly rang. I looked to see it was Asher Blackwood. “You’re the one who leaked the footage, aren’t you?” Asher Blackwood’s voice was frigid. “I underestimated your cunning. Unfortunately, you targeted the wrong person.” “It wasn’t me…” I mumbled, my voice barely audible. I was the victim, wasn’t I? Why could Asher Blackwood accuse me so righteously, unwilling to even hear my explanation? “Seraphina saw the news, and her old illness flared up again. If anything happens to her, I’ll make you pay with your life!” Asher Blackwood hung up, leaving me alone, clutching the phone and silently weeping. At the hospital, Seraphina Thorne’s pale face looked at Asher Blackwood with a hint of apology. “Asher, I don’t blame you. I know how hard it must have been for you all these years I was gone. I just…” Before she could finish, tears streamed down her face. Asher Blackwood held her protectively. “It’s all my fault.” “I don’t blame you.” Seraphina Thorne shook her head, blushing as she leaned into Asher Blackwood’s embrace. “Now that I’m back, you won’t need to look for other women.” Asher Blackwood was silent for a moment. “Your health isn’t good, we’re not in a hurry.” Seraphina Thorne’s eyes darkened. “Asher, before I went abroad, you said we’d get married when I came back. So… does that still count?” “Of course it counts. We’ll get married next month.” Asher Blackwood hugged Seraphina Thorne tightly, but for some reason, the tighter he held her, the emptier he felt inside. Asher Blackwood left. Seraphina Thorne sat on the hospital bed, shedding her frail demeanor. She looked at the video screenshots on her phone, her eyes growing increasingly vicious. She dialed a number. “Find out who that woman in the video is. I want all her information.” I locked myself in the hotel room. I didn’t dare to go out, didn’t want to go out, just hoping this whole thing would blow over quickly. But someone seemed to have leaked my hotel information, and every night, men would knock on my door. I called the hotel to complain, but they would only implicitly hint at my supposed fault. I called the police, but when they arrived and saw it was me, they would just shake their heads and leave. I would scream for the people outside to go away, but they would only grow more excited, laughing louder. I could only cover my ears, hiding in the corner of the room. I bit my lip, trying not to cry. I couldn’t understand what I had done wrong. Was loving Asher Blackwood my biggest mistake…? My phone rang. I gripped this single point of light in the darkness. “Tomorrow afternoon at 2 PM, Moonlight Cafe.” “Who is this…?” I looked at the number; it wasn’t Asher Blackwood’s. There was no reply. I wearily buried my head in my knees. Forget it, whoever it was, I had nothing left to lose anyway. At the cafe, I looked at Seraphina Thorne sitting opposite me, feeling a little lost. Why was she looking for me…? The ‘real owner’ looking for the ‘stand-in’ usually meant she wanted me to leave Asher Blackwood, but I had no relationship with him anymore… “Leave Asher.” Seraphina Thorne cut straight to the point. “I think you might be mistaken,” I tried to explain that I had no connection to Asher Blackwood anymore. “Mistaken? I’ve seen plenty of people like you abroad.” Seraphina Thorne scoffed derisively. “How much money will it take for you to disappear?” I bit my lip. “I don’t want money…” “Don’t tell me you love him.” Seraphina Thorne paused. “You don’t deserve him. Just take the money and leave.” Leave? How I longed to leave this city that had brought me so much pain. But I couldn’t go. Grandma still lived in the care center here. Her mental state had only just stabilized; if she were moved to an unfamiliar place and stimulated, who knew what might happen. I shook my head. “Ms. Thorne, you’re really mistaken. I’m not…” Before I could finish, Seraphina Thorne slapped me. “Don’t refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit.” My head snapped sideways from the blow. I closed my eyes. Why was I enduring all this humiliation?! I stood up. I didn’t want to say anything more to Seraphina Thorne. If we couldn’t agree, it was better to leave quickly. “Ms. Hayes, please don’t hit me! I truly love Asher…” Seraphina Thorne opposite me suddenly burst into tears. Before I could react, someone grabbed me from behind. It was Asher Blackwood. “Who gave you permission to bother Seraphina?” His gaze at me was colder and more ruthless. “You truly have so many tricks up your sleeve, woman.” “I didn’t…” I didn’t want to explain anymore. Whatever I said, Asher Blackwood wouldn’t believe me, so why waste my breath? “If you dare to go near Seraphina again, I won’t hold back.” Asher Blackwood darkly threw me to the ground. I watched Asher Blackwood gently embrace Seraphina Thorne and leave, finding it somewhat amusing. I tilted my head back, trying to hold back the flowing tears, but failed. My heart truly ached, so much… I looked at the collection notices on my phone and sighed. Grandma’s care center fees were due again. I checked the money in my card, feeling a bit heavy-hearted. It seemed I’d have to go to the care center and negotiate with the director; maybe I could defer for a while. The care center was in a remote location, but the environment was excellent—nestled by mountains and rivers, secluded from the world, perfect for Grandma. I talked with the director for a long time before he agreed to defer for three months. I breathed a sigh of relief. I then went to see Grandma. She still didn’t recognize me, but she would affectionately hold my hand and tell me, “I have a granddaughter, about your age. She’s a very good girl.” After returning from the care center, I started looking for a job. All I wanted was to make money now. Although I didn’t have much work experience, my university design projects had won awards. But for some reason, all my job applications seemed to vanish into a black hole. I waited three more days, but no company called me, not even for an interview. The more I thought about it, the stranger it seemed, so I simply called one. The person on the other end expressed great interest in my resume, but after hearing my name, they hung up. I listened to the dial tone, and instantly understood. It was Asher Blackwood, wasn’t it? Was he truly trying to push me to the brink of despair…? *Ring! Ring!* My phone rang. I quickly answered, afraid of missing a job opportunity.

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